Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Ep 19 Recap

In the Celestial Observation Bureau, Mu Yao visits Guo Xiu to investigate a complicated array. She confirms that without the assistance of Empress Dowager Zhao, the array couldn’t have been completed. The monster in the array, revealed to be the vengeful spirit, resides in Xing Shan Hall and is preparing to reassemble the grand array. Overwhelmed by the need to avenge her family and destroy the spirit, Mu Yao grows increasingly tense. Meanwhile, Liu Fuyi, burdened with guilt, confesses to Mu Yao that his original mission was to approach her under orders, but he unexpectedly fell in love. Although he admits his feelings, Mu Yao denies reciprocating and brushes off their earlier kiss as impulsive. Determined, she decides to hunt down the vengeful spirit and warns Guo Xiu not to disclose this to anyone.

Dejected after being rejected, Liu Fuyi turns to alcohol and encounters Mu Sheng, who has bought out the tavern’s supply. Both are in low spirits, and their drunken states almost lead to a confrontation. At the same time, Ling Miaomiao tends to the recovering Marquis Xiao, who recalls encountering a demon the previous night. Miaomiao instinctively dismisses it as a hallucination. Despite their worries, the Marquis urges her not to pursue Mu Sheng over past grievances.

As Liu Fuyi and Mu Sheng bond drunkenly over their shared sorrows, a rare moment of camaraderie emerges. Miaomiao, worried about Mu Sheng’s absence, learns from the tavernkeeper that both men have passed out. She and Mu Yao rush to retrieve them, only for Mu Sheng to grab Miaomiao’s hand, a gesture she quickly rejects. Just as rain threatens to fall, the Marquis arrives to escort Miaomiao away. She hesitates, torn between caring for the two drunk men and her impending wedding. Mu Sheng, despondent, insists she leave, reminding her of her status as a bride-to-be.

On the way back, Miaomiao is distracted by children playing with bamboo dragonflies and stops to watch. Meanwhile, Princess Duanyang, hearing about Liu Fuyi’s condition, brings a large entourage to take him back to her palace. When Miaomiao rushes back to the tavern, she finds Mu Yao has already taken Mu Sheng away. Frustrated, Miaomiao realizes she only wanted to return the bamboo dragonfly Mu Sheng had crafted. Her feelings do not go unnoticed by the Marquis, who begins to suspect her affection for Mu Sheng. However, under the influence of her enchanted bracelet, Miaomiao denies it, claiming loyalty to the Marquis.

As Mu Yao escorts Mu Sheng back to the inn under an umbrella, the two siblings share a rare, heartfelt conversation. Mu Sheng observes the mutual concern between Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi but understands her unwillingness to involve others in her quest for vengeance. Mu Yao assigns Mu Sheng a task: to travel to Lu City and borrow an artifact from their aunt, with instructions not to return to the capital afterward but to meet her at a designated location. Her sudden fussing amuses Mu Sheng, unaware it’s her way of ensuring his safety.

Back at the inn, Cui Cui waits anxiously but is devastated when only Mu Yao returns. Mu Yao declares that their paths diverge here, urging Cui Cui to find his grandfather. Heartbroken, Cui Cui laments the dissolution of their close-knit group. Meanwhile, Miaomiao, uneasy on the eve of her wedding, feels a deep sense of loss. She begins a letter to her father but struggles with what to write. Cui Cui confronts her, calling her a liar for abandoning their shared dreams of roaming the world as swordsmen.

Liu Fuyi wakes up in the Princess’s palace, horrified to learn that Mu Yao entrusted him to her care. He insists on leaving to fulfill his duty, but the Princess cryptically declares she will await him in Xing Shan Hall in her wedding dress.

Elsewhere, the Dowager Empress Zhao is haunted by nightmares of her past sins. The Marquis chooses the wedding gown Miaomiao had previously admired, prioritizing her comfort and happiness. However, when the servants attempt to remove Miaomiao’s enchanted bracelet, a sudden interruption from Granny Ruyi, a trusted aide of the Dowager, halts them. Ruyi’s unexpected recognition of the bracelet suggests deeper ties to the unfolding mystery.

The episode ends on a tense note as alliances shift, secrets emerge, and the wedding looms ominously, leaving viewers eager for the next chapter in this intricate tale of love, duty, and vengeance.