~ Xiao Bai is back to normal & Chun Hua acts coldly towards Qiu Yue ~
Synopsis:
Chun Hua proposes a trade to Qiu Yue, where if he returned the Xuan Bing Stone to Xiao Bai, she would stay with him until the Bai Hua Calamity’s toxicity flared up and took her away. Wordlessly, Qiu Yue held out the Xuan Bing Stone to her and after she took it, he pulled her in for a kiss. She doesn’t fight against him this time but her chest soon started to hurt and Qiu Yue quickly used his vital energy to alleviate her pain. He then tells her that he is very happy with the results of his test and will await her return after bringing the Xuan Bing Stone to Xiao Bai. When Chun Hua replies snarkily that he should pray that the Bai Hua Calamity doesn’t flare up when she sees Xiao Bai, Qiu Yue nonchalantly tells her that it was fine if she died, he could just freeze her in the Ice Gorge to accompany him. Chun Hua turns away from him as she called him a ‘damned pervert’.
After sending Chun Hua back to Feng Ming Manor, Ye Xing Zhu reports back to Qiu Yue who was sitting at his desk as he mindlessly drew circles on the table with his hairstick. She asked him for their next plan of action because taking back the Xuan Bing Stone was part of their plan. Qiu Yue brushes off her concern, telling her it was alright because it was interesting that as the leader of the good sects, Xiao Bai needed the evil sect Qian Yue Cave’s Xuan Bing Stone to wield his Feng Ming Sword. Their next course of action was to let Xiao Bai know about Mr Shi, who hadn’t been following the rules recently.
Back at Feng Ming Manor, Chun Hua passed the Xuan Bing Stone to Liu Feng who used his vital energy to place it into Xiao Bai. Liu Feng was worried for Chun Hua, wondering what she had given Qiu Yue in exchange. Qian Yue Cave’s entrance was constantly changing and only Qian Yue’s people could enter but she seemed to be able to come and go freely. Chun Hua replies under her breath that that was because he would always be standing there and waiting for her. Liu Feng then tells her that they had heard something last night and rushed to Xiao Bai’s room but saw who they guessed was Qiu Yue taking her away and entered the room only to find Xiao Bai on the ground, telling her that she had to forgive Xiao Bai because he wasn’t in control of himself. Chun Hua then stayed with Xiao Bai as she waited for him to regain consciousness.
Xiao Bai woke up to see Chun Hua resting on his table again and excitedly rushed towards her for a hug before stepping away and apologising. Seeing his frustration at being unable to get away from Qian Yue Cave’s restraints and having to rely on the Xuan Bing Stone, Chun Hua runs out of the room. Xiao Bai mutters a silent farewell to her.
Later, the five youths return to the restaurant to celebrate Chun Hua’s return and Xiao Bai regaining his vital energy. The lady boss started to be touchy with Liu Feng once more and Leng Ning became grumpy again. Chun Hua saw their interactions and curiously inquired about what had happened but when Xiao Bai told her to ignore everything, she looked at her four friends and realised that things weren’t going to be the same anymore. She was troubled and excused herself, telling them that she would go for a walk. When Chun Hua hadn’t returned when the dishes had already arrived, Cai Cai volunteered to go in search of her. After Cai Cai had left, Liu Feng sees Li Yu with the lady boss and went to check it out, leaving Leng Ning and Xiao Bai at the table.
Meanwhile, Chun Hua had wandered into a forested area where Cai Cai found her and suggested that they found a place to rest their tired legs. When Cai Cai expresses her relief at Chun Hua’s return and reassures her that Xiao Bai would be good to her, Chun Hua replies that she was different from them – She didn’t know martial arts and only hoped that the person she loved wouldn’t scheme or sacrifice her. She then shared her worry with Cai Cai, about whether she had done the right thing by giving Xiao Bai the Xuan Bing Stone – He could’ve lived a carefree life just being himself – but Cai Cai points out the fact that knowing Xiao Bai’s character, he would feel guilty for neglecting his responsibility.
Cai Cai then returns to the restaurant alone because Chun Hua wanted more time alone and on her way back, Cai Cai had found and purchased Ba Xian House’s Medical Sage’s medical book. Liu Feng also returned to the table at that moment to see that Leng Ning was alone because Xiao Bai had gone back first. Liu Feng updates the girls that he had overheard the lady boss and Li Yu discussing the puppet and that he had also found the silver needle. Liu Feng then takes a look at the book and noticed that there were many errors in the prescriptions. Who exactly is Mr Shi? Pu Er or Li Yu?
Chun Hua sat alone in the forested area until her Ice Silkworm Pearl started to glow and she looked around in slight anticipation but quickly calmed her expression when Qiu Yue appeared. He then sat beside her and guided her to lean on him but she pulled away, telling him that she didn’t like how cold his body was. She also didn’t like Qian Yue Cave and his lifestyle. When Chun Hua later asked Qiu Yue how much he liked her, his reply was “A little bit more than yesterday, a little bit less than tomorrow.”. Chun Hua was touched by his words but she soon started to hurt again. Qiu Yue promised to find a cure within the next few days and Chun Hua tells him he could come to find her after finding the cure. Even though this wasn’t in their original agreement, Qiu Yue compromised with her, telling her that he would bring her back to Qian Yue Cave in five days.
Feng Ming Manor had strict surveillance on the interior and exterior of Ba Xian City, with half of their forces swarming the city while the other half guarded Feng Ming Manor. Qiu Yue was initially pleased with this because everyone would end up killing each other while Qian Yue Cave remain untouched but when he remembered that Chun Hua didn’t like dead people, the smile slipped off his face. Ye Xing Zhu then reports that a gambler he had previously saved, Li Yu, had set off to find Cai Cai because Qiu Yue had promised to save his mother. Hearing this, Qiu Yue comments that Cai Cai was a good lady, adding that they must not let her follow Xiao Bai. After reminding Qiu Yue to be careful, Ye Xing Zhu tells him that she had been searching for a way to cure Bai Hua Calamity but Qiu Yue tells her not to bring it up again.
Back at Feng Ming Manor, Cai Cai, Liu Feng and Leng Ning waited for Xiao Bai in the main hall while he discussed strategies with the various sect chiefs because Qian Yue Cave’s forces were assembling half a month in advance. Later, a servant tells Cai Cai that a certain Mr Li wanted to meet with her.
Cai Cai follows the instructions she had been given and ends up meeting with Li Yu. After being initially held at sword point, Li Yu later asked her what she would do if someone used her loved one as leverage to threaten her to do something she didn’t want to. Li Yu then provides her with clues, bringing up a certain Mr Zhong that Qin Liu Feng and Fu Lou had once investigated, who was collecting fresh bodies. Even though it was a false name, it was bound to be related to the actual person in some way. In addition, Ba Xian Residence had other businesses besides the restaurant so they should check those out too.
Back from his discussion with the sect chiefs, Xiao Bai waited at the main hall for Cai Cai to return with Leng Ning and Liu Feng. After some pestering from Leng Ning, Liu Feng proudly reveals his observation that regardless of who Mr Shi was, after the Longevity Fruit auction, he would be a rich and powerful person. Leng Ning scoffs at this and tells him that Cai Cai had long thought of this point and was currently collecting all the businesses’ account books in the city. When Liu Feng laments that others’ love rival were of the same gender while his was of the opposite gender, Leng Ning cheekily suggests that she accepted them both as wife and concubine.
Thoughts:
(In case it isn’t clear, the red flower mark on Chun Hua’s hand will darken as the Bai Hua Calamity spreads so Qiu Yue keeps checking her hand)
As dire of a situation that Chun Hua is in, Qiu Yue has been making me LOL a lot, what with constantly drawing circles like a lovesick puppy and purposely acting frivolously with Chun Hua just because he is insecure and wants to confirm that he is the one that she likes. He also keeps checking her hands and I wonder what his thoughts would be as he looked at the darkened red – Yay she likes me / Oh no she’s one step closer to death
Also, after taking a quick look at the youtube comments section for this episode…am I the only one that doesn’t hate Chun Hua? Everyone seems to be angry at her for treating Qiu Yue coldly, pushing him away, siding with Xiao Bai but still seeking Qiu Yue when she needed something but I feel like her actions make sense when you consider things from her point of view. As much as she loved Qiu Yue, she hated the things he did a.k.a killing / scheming. Even though she doesn’t love Xiao Bai, he was someone she respected and cared for. As such, she went with her logical mind and sided with the ‘good’ side. I replayed the Chun Hua X Qiu Yue interactions in this episode for a few times and feel like she has already (mostly) forgiven him for making use of her and the main reason she’s acting coldly towards him is because she’s trying to protect herself from him because he is the only one that can cause her to feel love, cause her Bai Hua Calamity to flare up. (1-‘damned pervert’) Chun Hua was perfectly justified in acting coldly towards him because he had just caused her a great deal of pain, for what? A test. So in anger, she purposely said words that she know will aggravate him (hinting that she might like Xiao Bai) but Qiu Yue reacts unexpectedly, telling her it was ok even if she died. I would be mad too! (2-forested area) Even though she kept her distance, if you keep an eye on her expression after she saw the Ice Silkworm Pearl light up, you’ll see (what I dare say is) her low-key excitement. Because even though she knew she had to stay away from him if she wanted to live longer, she couldn’t hold back the yearning to see him. That’s love for ya’ll. (I still have a few smaller points but this is already way too long so I’ll end this here)
When Cai Cai found Chun Hua in the forested area I was like ??!
They were in the city…
For Cai Cai to be able to find her when they were so far from the original point…does Cai Cai have a tracker on Chun Hua? 😂
With all the angst currently going on, Leng Ning X Liu Feng interactions saved me.
← Episode 34 ♡ Introduction ♡ Episode 36 →
♢ Lyrics for “Unfinished Moment” ♢
of Nutmegs and Kookies 
Shangguan Qiuyue had always prided himself on being able to read people’s minds and be one step ahead of everyone. It’s startling…and sad…that he had to rely on the Hundred Flower Calamity poison to tell if Chunhua really loved him or not. No wonder Gu Wan once said that Shangguan Qiuyue’s heart was a big, confused mess when it came to Chunhua. His confidence and arrogance completely disintegrated in his little Chunhua’s presence. The minute he fell in love was the moment he could no longer effectively and successfully reign over Qian Yue Dong, let alone the entire pugilist world. Like Fu Lo, whom Shangguan Qiuyue once ridiculed for his devotion to You Si, Shangguan Qiuyue now had a weakness for others to exploit. But his heart fell in love even if his mind knew love was bad news for his world domination ambitions. How come Shangguan Qiuyue never took the Hundred Flower Calamity poison in the very beginning? That poison was meant to aid him in ruling Qian Yue Dong. Was he that confident that he would never fall in love with anyone? I guess…never say never.
LikeLike
I don’t think Qiu Yue knew too much about the poison because he had to ask Ye Yan?
Though I have no idea why Ye Yan would know about the poison when he didn’t…
LikeLike
I thought Qiuyue knew perfectly well what the Hundred Flowers Calamity was, as this was one of Qian Yue Dong’s signature poisons taken by each generation’s leader. It sounded like the poison had been around for some generations, and since Qiuyue had been Qian Yue Dong leader for over a decade, he must know about it. He seemed like a leader who knew everything inside out about his sect (and wulin), so it would not make sense if he didn’t know about the poison. I thought he only asked Ye Yan to tell him about the poison as a way for her to recount her own sins (of lying about killing Gu Wan).
I think the last few episodes really left no doubt in my mind that the big evil Shangguan Qiuyue has truly fallen in love. Shangguan Qiuyue was a proud man. For a proud man to beg Chunhua to not leave him, to say that he will keep every word she had said in his heart and that he would gradually change for her… Well, if that isn’t love, then I don’t know what is. Isn’t that what Chunhua wanted – a man who loved her enough to take her words into consideration first? Didn’t she once ask Qiao Bai to think of her words, too, and not only his father’s words?
Didn’t Qiuyue once laugh at Fu Lou for not being able to amount to anything because he had a weakness (You Si)? Karma worked in funny ways, because Qiuyue’s love for Chunhua pretty much ruined his own plans to take over wulin. He sacrificed all his internal energy to heal her, and as a result, put his own life in danger by making himself vulnerable to enemies. Sometimes, I think it would be interesting to see some “drama epilogues” showing how Qiuyue and Chunhua dodged assassination attempts after they had left together. However, perhaps it’s just as well that there’s no mention of a part 2 for the drama. I felt that Chunhua and Qiuyue’s story had been satisfactorily explored and that their story should end on the somewhat bittersweet note presented by the drama. They were together, but everything wasn’t perfect, as Qiuyue had given up his position as Qian Yue Dong leader and had lost his internal energy. (In the novel, he only temporarily lost his internal energy and he remained leader of Qian Yue Dong. However, I felt the drama’s ending was much more poignant. Like You Si had once told Chunhua, to see if a man truly loved you and if you loved him, just look at what he had given up for you and what you had given up for him. For a powerful martial artist like Shangguan Qiuyue, giving up his internal energy was equivalent to giving up his life for her.) If there is a part 2, it should focus on Shangguan Xiaoxing and his “little sister,” since the novel’s epilogue was obviously setting up a potential romance between the two.
LikeLike
I think he only knew of the Bai Hua Calamity but not the details because when he asked Ye Yan to tell him about the poison, he was calm at the start but as she told him more details, his demeanour changed, panic set in – the slight furrow of his brows, the quick short breaths (Episode 34 around the 11:47 mark).
I’ve yet to watch the last few episodes…hehe.
LikeLike
Wow, that was a great observation regarding Shangguan Qiuyue’s reaction to the information about the Hundred Flower Calamity poison! I didn’t even notice the nuances of his expression until I read your comment and went back to watch the episode. I guess he only really did know about the poison peripherally but not the details. But that would be weird and an untidy loophole in the plot. Like I said earlier, Shangguan Qiuyue did not seem the type to not know everything about his sect, especially since Ye Yan had mentioned in Episode 4 that he had great knowledge about the world’s poisons. If this were true, then why would he not know about a toxin concocted especially for each generation’s Qian Yue Dong leader? And why in the world would Ye Yan and Gu Wan know more about the Hundred Flower Calamity poison than Shangguan Qiuyue did? I assume Ye Yan joined Qian Yue Dong AFTER Shangguan Qiuyue saved her, so it wasn’t as if she was already a long-time member who knew more details about the sect than its leader did. And Gu Wan joined after Ye Yan did. Weird.
Oops, I didn’t realize you haven’t finished watching the drama. And I have been leaking spoilers in all my posts. So sorry. I will stop discussing the end until you have finished your recaps.
LikeLike
I think Melanie is right about him knowing about the poison, he asked Ye Yan about it because he wanted her to know exactly how Gu Wan had ruined him and to use her as a sounding board to clear or clarify his thoughts.
When he saw the mark, knowing there was no cure for the poison he had concluded Chun Hua won’t love him anymore and was in a state of shock.
Hearing Ye Yan repeat what he already knows meant he had to face the truth, that could be the reason for the change of expressions because he didn’t react much in Chun Hua’s presence.
And that’s why he was relieved when she reminded him Chun Hua will always love him, he had to know more about the poison than Ye Yan because he didn’t ask for her help in finding an antidote.
LikeLike