My Dear Destiny | Recap and Review

A witch takes on the identity of a wolf's noble consort.

Notable Actors/Actresses
Zhang Si Fan: Lu Ao / Yi Qi Wang
Hu Yi Xuan: Mi Qi Qi / Qing Li

Li Ge Yang: Lu Che / Ji Wang

Director

Shen Jin Fei

Chinese Title

亲爱的义祁君

Genres: Period, Romcom, Palace, Fantasy, Period Romcom

Network: Youku

Year: 2020
Episodes: 36
First Impression: 4.5/5

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Mini Recaps

[Ep1] Mi Qi Qi is a witch who landed in Yi Qi. Everyone recognizes her as Chou Qing Li, the consort of Lu Ao (title: Yi Qi Wang). However, they all think she's a ghost because the original Chou Qing Li just died by drowning. They had just put her corpse to rest. All servants either scream in her face, run away or bow their heads to ask for her forgiveness. She begs them to stop bowing because her muscles ache from bowing back. It takes her a while but she eventually assumes her role as Chou Qing Li. Originally Chou Qing Li was intellectually disabled and quite the ugly one. Very conveniently her surname "Chou" means ugly (and "Qing" can refer to mean smart). 

When Lu Ao, the King of Yi Qi, first saw her, he's puzzled. We get flashbacks of a wolf-man killing the original Chou Qing Li. It's him? He killed her? We don't get the obvious answer if he had killed her but her death is related to Lu Ao and now he needs to know how much the current Chou Qing Li remembers. The answer is nothing but he doesn't know it yet and continues to investigates her. The first time Mi Qi Qi saw him, she didn’t know he was her husband and her actions made him even more confused. There's chemistry immediately when she accidentally topples over him. 

How Mi Qi Qi arrived to this world is still a mystery. It seems like she was experiencing life and death before her masters had zapped her here. Her master tells her to remember that "Death is life." With that, she decides to commit suicide via drowning (again). 

[Ep2] Mi Qi Qi saves herself. Drowning is simply too hard. She once again looks like a corpse who just came back alive again, scaring her servants once more. She bumps into Luo Jiu Chen, an old man and probably a psychic of some sort. He's drunk and slurs his words to her, "The you now is the real one. The entire you." Mi Qi Qi's attempt at suicide is reported to Yi Qi Wang who is closely following her every move. He needs to confirm it himself that she has lost her memories so he demands her presence for the night. Afraid of spending the night with him, Mi Qi Qi draws flowers and cat whiskers on her face hoping it will deter his desires. 

In her current makeup, Mi Qi Qi meets Lu Che (title: Ji Wang). He's the younger brother of Lu Ao. Through her veil, she hazily recognizes him as the one who saved her from drowning (the first time when she fell into this world). She smiles happily and shines her brightest smile at him forgetting what her face looks like. He tells her she has the wrong person but her brain doesn't process that. She’s too infatuated with him to process anything. 

Mi Qi Qi warily enters Lu Ao's room but she finds a wolf in there instead. It's a test from Lu Ao who's hiding in a corner to see if she really doesn't remember. She doesn't. Instead she's able to communicate with the wolf, pities it, and sets it free. Lu Ao is satisfied she doesn't remember and reveals his presence to her. With a slight menace in his voice and expression, he demands to be reimbursed of his pet she had just set free. She's scared but decides to accept his challenge head on. Knowing that he has no interest in girls (as per her servant's words), she pushes him onto the bed and intends to seduce him hoping he'd reject her. She sits on his lap and feeds him wine. He's about to sip it but she takes away the cup because she wants to mouth-feed him instead. She's smiling seductively but every time he's not looking she's dying of embarrassment and hopes he stops her. 

Having enough, he pushes her away. There's so much force in the push, she falls to the ground and her clothes become disheveled. He sees her collarbone and becomes suspicious of her because there's no scar when there should be one. She wants to leave but he catches her in his arm and between his sword. He's inducing fear to confirm if she's told him the truth that she really has no memories of that night. When he's close, her Blood Jade necklace radiates. He then throws her onto the bed, closes in on her and tells her to clean her face because it makes him lose his appetite. She refuses to. He then throws her off the bed and tells her to sleep on the floor. 

They spend the night in the same room together. He's up first and kneels down to stare at her sleeping face. He smiles and murmurs to himself that she's not so terribly ugly. She wakes up and he doesn't shy away at the proximity. He stands up and raises his arms. He's waiting to be dressed but Mi Qi Qi has no idea how clothes are worn here. Annoyed at her for throwing clothes in his face, he sends her away. She confirms if she can really go this time. His reply, "You don't want to leave?" She leaves in a dash. Their chemistry is so good this episode.

[Ep3] After Mi Qi Qi realizes her Blood Jade only glows in Lu Ao's presence, she has decided she will pursue her husband. First, she tried the dessert method. He sends her away without even giving a chance for her to see him. Then she tried to be a damsel in distress. He gives her money to shoo her away like she's a beggar. Lastly, she tried to make him the damsel in distress. She threw a bomb at him hoping she can tend to his injuries. Instead he sends the bomb right back to her. It explodes in her face. She now has bombtastic hair and a face darkened by ash.

She then meets Lu Che again. First time she was in cat makeup, this time, she's almost burnt to crisp. She's leaving quite the impression on him. She seems to really adore him and hand-makes a doll for him but he's keeping his distance because she is his brother's wife after all. 

Mi Qi Qi hasn't forgotten her plan to seduce Lu Ao. She sneaks into his large-scale bathroom. He doesn't show up so she thinks he's skipping bath today and submerges herself in his pool. When she's naked in the pool is the moment he appears. He's about to call in his guards to drag her out but before he can make any more noise, she covers his mouth with hers. They fall into the pool and it's an underwater kiss. 

They both rise up from the water gasping for air. However, the towel that was wrapped around her has dropped. He sees her completely exposed. This is when the guards come in. He quickly pulls her in to cover her body. He dismisses his guards and turns his eyes back to her. She’s still naked. She covers it, but he takes her hand away. She covers it again and he takes it away again. He pulls her even closer. 

Then we skip to the next scene. She's clothed but still in the pool. He's sitting down cleaning his sword appearing dominant. Trespassing his quarters is punishable by death. He demands her for a reason for the trespass. Mi Qi Qi goes for a long-winded explanation and comes to one conclusion: her biggest punishment is she loves him too much. He rests his chin on his hands listening to her gush out lies to avoid punishment. She stands up from the pool but her knees cave in. He slowly rises seeming to help her up but he just pushes her down into the water again. Although he lets her off the death part of the punishment, she still has to be penalized. She is to stay in the pool until sun rises.  

[Ep4] With a wink and a click of his tongue, Lu Ao leaves Mi Qi Qi to her punishment. Lu Ao looks indifferent, but throughout the day he recalls the kiss every now and then. Ling Consort, who feels threatened by Chou Qing Li's rise in favour, holds a grudge on her so she challenges her to a horse race. The original Chou Qing Li wouldn't know how to even get on a horse, but Mi Qi Qi is an expert. Ling Consort loses, suffers an injury and complains to Lu Ao. Lu Ao picks his ears, cleansing them from the sound of her voice. He reprimands her for challenging Mi Qi Qi in such a dangerous event after she just recovered from drowning. Ling Consort's grudge against Chou Qing Li grows even more. That is exactly what Lu Ao wants. He wants to make her life miserable in his court. He then purposely sends her boxes and boxes of presents. The unknowing Mi Qi Qi sulks at the presents. She doesn't need presents, she needs to see the person. Thus she sneaks into his study room. She changed his food to the congee she made and watches him eat it with satisfaction. The sleeping pill in the congee takes effect. Before she gets to business, she messes with Lu Ao a bit first. She draws on his face and admires her work. She then moves in close to him waiting for her Blood Jade to react but nothing happens. She then hovers over his swords and still natta. A half unconscious Lu Ao hugs her from the back and pulls her down with him to the bed. Lu Che walks in at this moment and recognizes it's Chou Qing Li sleeping on the bed with Lu Ao. He appears to be sad. Ah, so he likes her too?

[Ep5] Mi Qi Qi pokes at Lu Ao's sleeping face and she finds him cute. However, when he wakes up and catches her trespassing yet again he is anything but cute. She pretends to sleepwalk and almost makes it out alive but she trips and falls. Now she's facing another death punishment. Seeing that she was sleepwalking, he takes out the death part again (dude will never kill her), but punishes her to be his personal maid. For him, he wants to know what her motives are. For her, she's just happy to be around him 24/7. That happiness soon pops. She's to know exactly what he wants with a single look or hand motion. He pats his thigh. She thought he wanted her to sit there. Reluctantly she sits but what he had wanted was a massage. He holds out his hand. I thought she would put her hand in his. She gives him a bunch of grapes but he wanted water. She's so tired from reading his mind she falls asleep cleaning his feet. He doesn't take pity on her and splashes his feet water at her. She does get a tiny bit of revenge by slapping his face saying there's a mosquito on it (when there wasn't). However, that's all the revenge she gets. He nags about the tea she brewed so for the next pot she pours in a bunch of salt. Lu Ao sees through her tricks and rewards her a sip of his tea. She hesitates but gulps down the sea of salt. An unknowing victim, Lu Che takes a sip too. She had wanted to switch out his tea by saying it has cooled but he says he's not picky. He tastes the salt and squints his eye to gulp it down. A smile peeps through Lu Ao’s lips. Ha. Mi Qi Qi offers the tea to Lu Ao again but he replies that he's picky and wants a new pot of tea. Revenge failed. 

At night Mi Qi Qi is ordered by Lu Ao to retrieve water from the well. Someone from behind pushes her in and she drowns again. She's saved by Lu Ao who has become extremely worried. He carries her back to bed and wraps her in a blanket. He holds her close to give her body warmth. Putting his forehead to hers, he apologizes for putting her in danger. The next morning he looks like a zombie. Meanwhile Mi Qi Qi looks bright and healthy. She misunderstands that it was Lu Che who saved her. Luckily her servants reveal the real saviour was Lu Ao and it was him who took care of her the entire night. 

Lu Ao brings her on a one on one date to browse the city. She had to convince him she was healthy enough to go so she does her version of a push-up for him to see. It looks like an seal flopping around. She tugs onto Lu Ao's sleeve wanting him to buy her a dessert. Cute. He calls her childish and walk away. It's not actually a one-on-one date though, his consort and Lu Che are hovering around. 

[Ep6] When cherry blossoms fall, Mi Qi Qi is admiring the beautiful scene while the men are admiring her beauty. Lu Ao is smitten with her smile. A sack of rice almost falls on her but Lu Ao takes the impact for her while keeping her safe in his arms. Alhtough she's safe, he doesn't let go of her until onlookers find it awkward.

Both men buy her the dessert she wanted but it's Lu Che who gives it first. However, he loses her in the crowd. It's Lu Ao who weaves through the swarm of people to protect her from the crowd. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to protect her from an attack targeted at Mi Qi Qi. A lady pours scathing oil to her face. Ouch... Lu Ao rampages through the woods on his horse to bring Mi Qi Qi to safety but an enemy of his block his path. He fights with his life on the line and endures a deep sword injury to his chest all to protect Mi Qi Qi. 

He finally arrived to his manor but the physician tells him it's no use. The burn to her face is permanent. Lu Ao urges that her face takes priority over the open wound from his chest that's still dripping blood. Lu Ao and Lu Che are each investigating who's behind the attack. Mi Qi Qi is still unconscious and now she's even poisoned. Luckily, Luo Jiu Chen saves her (with ease) but her face is still burned. They find out the culprit behind the poisoning is Mi Qi Qi's male servant. There does seem to be a bit more backstory to this. I believe the servant was threatened to swallow all the blame. Mi Qi Qi is in disbelief that her servant would do such a thing. 

[Ep7] We find out the who the real culprits are except we don't really know who they are. It was the man who had blocked Lu Ao's horse ride back home to save Mi Qi Qi. His aim was always to kill Lu Ao for whatever reason but his recent target has changed to Mi Qi Qi because her father, or technically Chou Qing Li's father had killed his family. 

Back to Mi Qi Qi, her burn has healed. Somehow. To keep her safe, Lu Ao has quarantined her but she still sneaks out. She climbs over the wall and almost falls over. Lu Ao is there to catch her legs and therefore she is hanging upside down with her head just inches from the ground. He flings her upright, and her legs naturally wrap around his waist. Her face is breath away from his. She's still in his arms and he swings her around so her back is against the wall. Still carrying her, he goes in for a kiss. Slowly but surely, she accepts it and suddenly her Blood Jade lights up. Their servant show up and their kiss unfortunately stops. She pushes him away. He squints in pain because where she pushed was the injury he had sustained for her. He silences his servant because he doesn't want her to know. Mi Qi Qi is only concerned about her Blood Jade though. To confirm if it would light up again, her arm reaches out to grab his neck and pulls him in for another kiss. She continues kissing him but the amulet doesn't radiate. Lu Ao is shocked to no words. Mi Qi Qi walks away indifferently. However, she is anything but indifferent when it comes to night time and she's trying to fall asleep. Her mind is filled with him kissing her. Lu Ao is having a much harder time than she is. He can't even sleep and has to use physical exertion to control his sexual desires. His mind is not just filled with her kiss but every moment he had with her. I LOVE the scenes here.

Mi Qi Qi is in charge of the wine and music for the Empress Dowager's birthday (Lu Che's birth mother). The strings on the qin snaps; it's an ominous sign. Fortunately, Lu Che walks in with his flute and the beautiful harmony of his flute to her dance is born. Such a pretty scene.  Lu Ao is mesmerized and drops his tea. One obstacle over but there's still the next one to come. Someone had poisoned the wine and put the blame on Mi Qi Qi. 

[Ep8] Mi Qi Qi knew that it was Lu Che who had touched the wine last but Lu Che doesn't say anything to protect her because he needs to protect his mother, the Empress Dowager. Her motive is perhaps to poison the wine with this grass herb that Lu Ao is allergic to but that is just my suspicions. Mi Qi Qi is locked up in prison and someone wants her dead. She almost starves and freezes to death. Lu Ao learns of this in time to save her from the prison cell. Not one moment since she lost consciousness has he left her side. He hasn't attended any of his court meetings and he's developed panda eyes from not sleeping to take care of her. 

The case is solved and a servant takes the blame for poisoning the wine. There's also another female servant who dresses up as ghost to strangle Mi Qi Qi at night. Both are arrested. Mi Qi Qi's servants get a promotion for risking their lives to protect their mistress. Mi Qi Qi steps out her manor for some fresh air. She trips on the steps and falls right into her husband's arms who then spins her around. She smiles at seeing him and they share a little moment as he holds her still in his arms. He whispers to her, "Stop making me worried." Shyly she holds her face and smiles as he leaves. I'm holding my heart. The scene was so lovely, her servants merrily reenact it to their hearts content. 

[Ep9] Someone had used an anonymous letter to lure Mi Qi Qi to meet Lu Che. He asks for forgiveness and understanding. All he gets is rejection and her confession of love to Lu Ao. He thinks she loves him because he's the ruler. Ahh, is my second lead turning evil now?

This ruler shows up at her dorms while she's playing with her maids. Mi Qi Qi is blindfolded and tries to identify the chest she's squeezing. It's Lu Ao's. He's here to tell her fasting day is approaching and they need to prepare for it. How does one prepare for fasting? You sit across from each other and close your eyes to meditate. It's all an excuse to spend time with her and admire her beauty. When she thinks he's asleep, she sneaks out. He doesn't chase her, he just smiles. The next time he catches her she's blown up the kitchen. This time he laughs at her face. 

Lu Ao's alcohol is drugged and he almost mistook another consort for his beloved Chou Qing Li. Good thing he's got a strong mind and finds the woman he loves. Mi Qi Qi is lighting up hundreds of candles in her dorm and he once again is enthralled with her beauty, drugged or not. He kneels down in front of her. Smiling at him, she reaches her chin upwards, He comes down to meet her lips. So pretty~.

She's lying in bed and he's sitting up, both of them staring at each other. She shyly asks him if this means they're together. He tells her, of course, she was always his. I love how he talks while putting his chin in his hands. Mi Qi Qi wants to confess her identity but she only says half of it and he misunderstands that she may know of his wolf transformation. The next morning, Lu Ao has fallen into a deep slumber. Someone has poisoned him and the blame is once again placed on Mi Qi Qi / Chou Qing Li. 

[Ep10] Lu Ao wakes up but he can't save Chou Qing Li from her punishment. The best he can do is quarantine her in the mental health ward. There’s a reason he can’t save her completely. He’s the one who poisoned himself to sabotage her. WHAT. He thinks she remembered that night when Chou Qing Li saw his wolf transformation. He, the king of Yi Qi, cannot let news of his wolf-ness circulate. Meanwhile she's only looking for a way to return to his side and prove her innocence. She refuses a chance at survival that Lu Che offers her because it would mean leaving Lu Ao. This only makes Lu Che more determined to have her.  

[Ep11] Lu Ao secretly visits her while she's sleeping. He kisses her forehead and lies down next to her to watch her sleep. She opens her eyes and smiles. It is him. They kiss. The next morning he's gone but she knows he visited. Despite holding back to not visit her again, Lu Ao not only dreams of her at night, he also daydreams of her so much he sees her illusions everywhere.

Mi Qi Qi befriends Lu Ao's mother's servant, Zhao Gu Gu (Zhao Auntie). Although his mother had passed away, the servant is still loyal to his mother (Yin Lady). She's just a little crazy. She had mistook Mi Qi Qi for her Yin Lady. They don't look alike but their auras feel the same. In one of her manic episodes, she reveals that Yin Lady was killed by her husband, therefore Lu Ao's father. 

Lu Ao visits the mental health ward again. He's peeking around the door wanting to visit her but something's wrong with his body. His wolf-ness is acting up again. When he turns into a wolf he has no control of himself. He pounces onto Mi Qi Qi and bites into her neck. Her blood spills all over. Subsequently, they both faint . The next morning, he wakes up surprised that he's turned normal so quickly. Mi Qi Qi's wounds also recover like it was never there. She had tied him up afraid he would attack her again but also worried if there's anything wrong with him. He easily breaks through the loose bandages and walks up to her to check her wounds. It's not there. Nervous that he's so close and touching her, she shyly asks him if he's seen enough. Realizing what he's doing, he looks at her. Emotions overcome him and he kisses her. He retreats and sits up. He’s holing himself up for suspecting her. She sits up with him and promises she won't tell anyone about what happened last night. Without her saying that, he already believed her. He responds with another kiss, this time a deep one.

[Ep12] Zhao Gu Gu interrupts them. Lu Ao has to fix the mess he created and clear Chou Ling Qi's name before he can bring her back. This idiot. Still at the mental health ward, Mi Qi Qi discovers a secret related to her Wu people. Yin Lady, Lu Ao's mother, is a Wu Citizen (a witch). Her real name is Lan Yu. She had left a scroll behind for her son but because Lu Ao was banished to be raised by "Bei Cang Man Ren" (Northern Savages?) shortly after his birth, Zhao Gu Gu was never able to give it to him. Mi Qi Qi uses her Blood Jade, which once belonged to Lan Yu, to reveal the words on the scroll, "When the Blood Jade and Blood Sword unite, the world will be yours." It's signed by Lan Yu. Mi Qi Qi also learns from Zhao Gu Gu that she's aware of Yin Lady / Lan Yu's real identity. Lan Yu and Lu Ao's father were once in love. She had disappeared for a month but returned to marry him. However, when she became pregnant, Lu Ao's father had a change of heart and favoured other women, including the current Empress Dowager (Lu Che's mother).  

As for Mi Qi Qi's past, she lived in Wuxun Island. There, she is the youngest disciple. There's also Wu Ji and San Sheng Hua. SSH seems to like Wu Ji who seems to dote on Mi Qi Qi. Boiling of jealously and her desire for more powers, SSH asks her mother to advise her. Her mother, who's chained up like a prison, tells her about Lan Yu. That's it for Mi Qi Qi's past. Currently, San Shen Hua is the sorceress who rules Wuxun Island. 

[Ep13] Mi Qi Qi finds out it was Lu Ao who framed her after she spent so much effort sneaking out of the mental health ward just to give him the scroll. Ah Heng (one of MQQ's newer maids) was a spy sent by Lu Ao and had helped him frame her. She does seem to regret it. Luo Jiu Chen tries to comfort the heartbroken Mi Qi Qi by telling her that she and Lu Ao are a match made in heaven but that only makes her heart hurt more. When Lu Ao saves her once again from being punished, she points a sword at him. He thinks she's angry he arrived too late and lets her take it out on him. He walks right into her sword. Realizing she doesn’t have the heart to hurt him, she puts the sword to her own neck threatening him to leave her. With no other choice, he complies.

[Ep14] Lu Ao is on the edge and wants Chou Qing Li back with him because there are people after her life (her father's enemies). He still hasn't figured out how to clear her crimes and that's when Empress Dowager walks in with "proof" that it was another servant. Lu Ao knows the proof is fake but uses it anyways. His eunuch helps too by calling Chou Qing Li's favourite maid (Lian Qiao) to convince her to return to the palace.

There's a carriage waiting for Mi Qi Qi and inside is Lu Ao waiting for her :D. He inches closer and closer to her until there's absolutely no space between them. She curtly tells him to return to his spot. Our mighty lord takes back the one inch he just moved. Ha. They fight inside the carriage and the poor labourers are having a hard time keeping it balanced. Everyone outside thinks they're intensely making love. It doesn't help that when our lord peeks out the carriage his cheeks are flushed. Haha.

I really like this Gu and his interactions with his servants. Lu Ao asks his strait-laced guard how he looks. He needs confidence to win back Mi Qi Qi's love. With a little hint from the eunuch, the guard cutely tells Lu Ao his looks will definitely seduce Chou Qing Li tonight. The only problem now is Mi Qi Qi has no plans of showing up.

[Ep15] Being Lu Ao's servant sure is difficult. The servant (Xiao Ying Zi) suggests Lu Ao to be cute (in order to win over MQQ) and we get a very stoic non-cute Lu Ao trying to smile, haha. The cute trick doesn't work so the servant takes it upon himself to cosplay as Lu Ao and Lu Ao as Chou Qing Li. It's too funny. He teaches him the "wall kiss" but I don't think Lu Ao learned it very well. The fault is a hundred percent on the teacher. Before he can listen to anymore of his servant's suggestions, he catches Lu Che trying to seduce Chou Qing Li. Anger rushes over our lord as he kicks Lu Che away. This was a funny episode, Zhang Si Fan (Lu Ao) has a knack for humour.

Mi Qi Qi finally invites Lu Ao to her dorm. He's super excited but she only wants him there to witness his Ling Consort (Ling Qian Si) trying to kill her. The consort is caught in the act and is banished from Yi Qi palace.

[Ep16] We get to know quite a few new characters this episode. The person who was after Lu Ao and Mi Qi Qi's lives was Bei Cang's Crown Prince (he rules over Bei Cang, the place Lu Ao was deported to as a child). He has a younger sister who he dotes on: Ling (Bei Cang Princess). She chances upon Wu Ji (our witch man) who saves her. With that, she's in love. 

A drunk Lu Ao (who's been rejected countless times by MQQ) finds himself in Mi Qi Qi's bed. He pulls her close to his chest using the excuse that he's drunk. He is drunk, but not that drunk. She reminds him that she's the type to hold grudges. He allows her to take it out on him not knowing what grudge she meant. With a mischievous smile, she attacks him like a cat. The drunk and injured Yi Qi Lord walks out of her dorms. Their respective servants are curious how the night went. I'm really liking the servant interactions these past two episodes, especially this scene where Mi Qi Qi is massaging Lian Qiao to demonstrate how good she is at it. When Lu Ao gets on his carriage and reveals his face, we finally get to see the extent of his injuries. His face is so scratched up. Lol. He doesn't give up though. The next day he carves dozens of statues of her. He meticulously lays them to lead her to him. He descends from nowhere to give her a bouquet that has lost all its petals. Mi Qi Qi was touched for a second and only a second. 

Ling Qian Si (the consort who was expelled from Yi Qi) and her father plan to regain control and are headed back to the city but their paths collide with Ling Princess. Ling Princess takes Ling Qian Si as hostage. 

[Ep17] San Sheng Hua saves Ling Qian Si from Ling Princess's men who wants to kill her. When given the chance she forces Ling Qian Si off a cliff to take her identity to return to Yi Qi Palace. San Sheng Hua's goal is to find Lan Yu (Lu Ao's dead mother). Using Ling Qian Si’s identity, she also fools Bei Cang Crown Prince. He has been in love with Ling Qian Si since she had saved him when they were younger. She had actually wanted to capture him but he doesn't know that. He tells her that he had poisoned Lu Ao hence why he turns into a wolf. Hearing this, Ling Qian Si (San Sheng Hua) is tempted to help him dethrone Lu Ao. 

Mi Qi Qi is super angry at Lu Ao for allowing Ling Qian Si to return (although demoted). He tries to comfort her by making a bamboo lantern. It's very creative. When you light a candle it's supposed to cast a shadow of him kissing her. It doesn't work though. He then tells her there's nothing that he wants that he can't get. He confidently walks out. Mi Qi Qi throws the bamboo lantern at him. He's saved by the closing door. Outside, he's jumping in fear because of her. Ha. If being nice and overbearing wasn't going to work, he needs a new trick.

[Ep18] Lu Ao's new trick is to demand Mi Qi Qi to help him and Ling Qian Si bathe. He's trying to invoke jealousy. It works but he's taking it way too far. The two girls get into a water fight and immediately Lu Ao takes Mi Qi Qi's side. That doesn't mean she's forgiven him though.

While Lu Ao is spending his entire mind, body, and soul to regain Mi Qi Qi's love, Lu Che is framing Lu Ao of attacking Ling Qian Si's father. His purpose is to create an alliance with the father against Lu Ao.

San Sheng Hua figures out Mi Qi Qi's identity and wants her dead. However, it's Lu Ao who takes the fall for her. Mi Qi Qi cries for him as she's starring at the motionless water. There's no sight of him. She whimpers that even if he comes back she'll still be mad at him. She's saying that but her eyes are tearing up. That's when he pops right out of the water and gives her a kiss. She pushes him away but he pulls her in for another one. When she finally pushes him away, she mumbles that everyone's watching. Lu Ao replies, "Gu wants everyone to see."

[Ep19] Since Mi Qi Qi is the reason Lu Ao fell into the water, she's taking care of him now. However, she can't even look at his body. It's only exposed a teeny bit. He scoops her up and carries her to bed. He hovers over her and asks if she knows she's in the wrong now. He's tired from all her pranks today and tightly keeps her wrapped in his arm and legs. He tells her that everything of hers belong to him. She smiles and sleeps in his embrace. 

The next morning, she wakes up first and finds him feverish. She calls for a doctor but he stops her because then everyone would blame her for his condition. It seems like the dark cloud is finally over them but then she overhears Ah Heng's conversation with Lu Ao and is reminded of his betrayal all over again. At least now he knows why she's angry with him. 

On a casual outing, Mi Qi Qi is attacked. They're San Sheng Hua's people. Ah Heng almost sacrifices her life to save Mi Qi Qi. Wu Ji also flies in to save her. He wants to take Mi Qi Qi away but she wants to stay. 

Second couple: Ling Princess witnesses Wu Ji saving Mi Qi Qi. She's jealous and threatens him that she'll expose everything to Lu Ao (her and Lu Ao are acquaintances). Wu Ji binds her with a Tong Xin Ling, a bracelet that connects their heart. And body. She can't take if off and as long as it's on her it forces her to be within a certain distance from him. 

[Ep20] Ah Heng wakes up and tells the truth about Lu Ao's love to Mi Qi Qi. 

If anyone needs to lie, please do not find Xiao Ying Zi and Lian Qiao. These two failed at lying to Mi Qi Qi that the porridge wasn't made by Lu Ao. Lu Ao doesn't know Mi Qi Qi's anger at him has dissipated and was afraid she wouldn't take the porridge if she knew it was from him. It's also cute how these two servants have a couply-friendship. Whatever it's called. They're friendly when he buys her food but neither will relent to each other when it comes to their respective masters. 

[Ep21] Lu Ao confesses the truth to Mi Qi Qi about his wolf poison and how he had wanted to kill her. He tells her to trust him that he won't hurt her ever again. Mi Qi Qi's heart wavers and tells him she'll only forgive him this one time. Happily, he hugs her but she retracts and mutters she's still afraid of him. He assures her he loves her. Mi Qi Qi lets him hug her. Wu Ji (using his witch magic) and Lu Che sees this from afar and both men are heartbroken. 

[Ep22] Lu Ao's wolf poison is acting up. He scratches Mi Qi Qi with his claws. However, he knew that using her blood can qualm his poison. He also knew that there would be a coup tonight and had plans to protect his palace. However, he never told Mi Qi Qi any of this. She thinks he used her once again. These two are standing at different ends: he needs to protect his country first and she wants pure love without any lies. 

That night she runs away. She gets into trouble with Ling Consort's (San Sheng Hua) people who are chasing after her. Wu Ji saves her but they're separated. It's then Lu Ao's turn to save her but she gets trapped by a quicksand type of trap. He holds onto her hand refusing to let her go. 

[Ep23] At death's brink he confesses he never used her. He says he'll give up the country for her as they're both engulfed by the soil beneath them. They're not dead; Wu Ji saved them. In the process he also purposely makes Lu Ao jealous. He learns from Wu Ji that her "nickname" is Qi Qi and so the entire day he calls her that. These two won't stop flirting. However, Lu Ao is hiding the fact that he's still severely injured. Mi Qi Qi uses her blood to heal him. 

[Ep24] Lu Ao's guards find them and they're headed home. Mi Qi Qi wants to bring Wu Ji back as well but Gu won't allow that. He's still very jealous. He should know that Mi Qi Qi is all for him. This is the episode that Wu Ji realizes he is no match against Lu Ao. He's the earliest to know Mi Qi Qi but also the latest to arrive in the drama. It's just not meant to be. There's another girl he's meant to be with: Ling Princess. 

Mi Qi Qi wants to fess up about her identity but she doesn't know where to start. Instead she gives him her Blood Jade and tells him the message on the scroll. They're about to somehow combine their Bood Jade and Blood Sword but Luo Jiu Chen stops them. He warns them that once their powers are activated it will bring chaos to this world. Lu Ao heeds to his advice.

[Ep25] San Sheng Hua transforms into Mi Qi Qi to ask Zhao Gu Gu about Lan Yu. Meanwhile the real Mi Qi Qi is investigating into Lan Yu's death by asking every servant what they know about her. It's San Sheng Hua who finds the Empress Dowager's weakness on Lan Yu's death.

[Ep26] Mi Qi Qi is on her period and Ah Heng considerately tells her to not use ice to cool down. It's not good if she wants to be pregnant. It's a Chinese thing. I'd like to believe there is some scientific evidence behind this though. Hearing that, Mi Qi Qi quickly flies off her source of cool relief. Mi Qi Qi then worries for Lu Ao who's also afraid of the heat (and cold). Mi Qi Qi personally enters the freezer (whatever version they had in that world) but it's a trap by San Sheng Hua who's disguised as a eunuch. She locks Mi Qi Qi in there hoping to freeze her to death. Lu Ao is also trapped inside when he went to look for her. Ah Heng manages to find them but San Sheng Hua is attacking her to prevent her from breaking the lock. Despite that Ah Heng uses her life to save Mi Qi Qi and Lu Ao. 

Lu Ao learns of Wu (witch) Tribe's existence in his palace. They're searching for Ah Heng's murderer. Mi Qi Qi is suspicious of Ling Consort but she didn't find any injury on her leg.  

[Ep27] Zhao Gu Gu dies too. It was that day when San Sheng Hua disguised as Mi Qi Qi to visit her. After she left, she had set fire to Zhao Gu Gu's room to kill her. Wu Ji senses Mi Qi Qi will be in danger so he makes his way to the palace. He purposely leaves Ling Princess (not Ling Consort) behind because this mission will be a dangerous one. Wu Ji finds Mi Qi Qi in Zhao Gu Gu's room. There's also a guard in there who's controlled by dark magic. Fortunately, Wu Ji is there to zap the black magic out of that guard.

[Ep28] From the guard, Mi Qi Qi learns that Empress Dowager killed Lu Ao's mother by poisoning her medicine and giving her a heartbreak to augment the effects of the poison. The previous Emperor was threatened by her as well hence why he sent Lu Ao away to protect him. Lu Ao heard all of this. His men are also in the midst of arresting Lu Che for his guilty mind of dethronement. Empress Dowager begs Lu Ao but he gives her a cold shoulder. 

Wu Ji is injured by San Sheng Hua. Ling Princess saves him. She now knows that he cares for her. Meanwhile Mi Qi Qi isn't aware of Wu Ji's detriments nor is she aware that Lu Ao's jealously is once again ignited because of Wu Ji. She's oblivious to the hand he stretched out for her to take. Thus, Lu Ao runs after her to grab her hand instead. 

[Ep29] Ling Princess is distancing herself from Wu Ji. She thinks he’s still in love with Mi Qi Qi. Although she loves him dearly she’s still prideful of herself. Wu Ji grabs her in for a hug and tells her he’s realized his love for Mi Qi Qi is only brotherly. His feelings for her are the real deal. 

Our main couple is sweet too. Lu Ao makes his way into Mi Qi Qi's bed. She’s having a nightmare. He comforts her, “I will always be with you.” She’s smitten but logic comes back to her as she realizes he’s in her bed. He’s logical too as he confirms whether they’re married. Yes. So why can’t they consummate? She’s shy and denies she ever said that. This is the peace before the storm. 

[Ep30] The baddies team up. San Sheng Hua uses her dark magic to pretend to be Mi Qi Qi. She fools Lu Ao to take his sword. She then pretends to be Lu Ao to help Lu Che become Emperor. Lu Ao and Mi Qi Qi are poisoned with a spell to turn them into devils. Despite her wtich-like appearance, Lu Ao loves her and risks anything to protect her. Before he dies he tells her he really loves her. Bai Cang Crown Prince surrounds them with his men. However, it’s this moment San Sheng Hua reveals her identity to the crown prince that she is not his Ling Qian Si. She kills him on the spot. 

Lu Che arrives to the deadly scene and asks for Mi Qi Qi back. He tells her he can get used to her appearance. Mi Qi Qi won’t give up on Lu Ao though. Her emotions burst and her powers temporarily return as she disappears into thin air with Lu Ao. 

[Ep31] Ling Princess learns of her brother being kept hostage. She wants to save him. Even if he is to die, he has to die with dignity. Wu Ji comforts that he'll just be like her brother. She stops crying for a second and blinks at him. Disappointed. He clarifies that he'll cherish her like her brother not that he'll treat her like his sister. She wants him to leave though claiming that she never loved him. He kisses her and that's what she needed. She cries in his arms. There's a reason why she was rejecting him. She's planning to risk her life to save her brother. However, the crown prince has already died. It’s just a trap to capture her. Wu Ji stops her in time.

[Ep32] After saving Lu Ao, Mi Qi Qi is hiding from him on purpose. She’s too ashamed of her  “chou” (ugly) appearance because of her devil transformation. She has been using her blood to heal Lu Ao. He knows it and that’s how he fooled her out from her shroud by pretending to be sick. He hugs her knowing very well her appearance and identity. When she explained to him her real identity, he isn’t the least bit surprised. Luo Jiu Chen appears in their little hut and reveals more clues to Mi Qi Qi’s origins. Her blood can cure Lu Ao because she became Chou Qing Li who’s a Xue Yin Tribe’s decedent (Hidden Blood Tribe). He also gives them a map to this hidden city. With that he takes his leave again. Later that night Mi Qi Qi secretly leaves too. She doesn’t want Lu Ao to be in danger because of her. However he was awake all along. He catches up to her and protects her. He gives her a beautiful leaf crown and pulls her in for a hug telling her she can’t leave him. 

[Ep33] The whole way to the hidden village, Lu Ao is ultra-caring for Mi Qi Qi. He’s piggybacking her until she’s sleeping like a baby on his back. At night he wants to sleep with her but she’s still aware of her appearance. He doesn’t care because he loves her no matter what she looks like. 'chou' or not. 

They arrive at the village and Mi Qi Qi gets an epiphany about her past. She sees her mother give birth to a child born with a poison. She’s about to kill her own child to end her sufferings but a young looking Luo Jiu Chen reminds her to use the Wu Tribe magic to transfer to soul to a wooden child: Choi Qing Li. While her real daughter, Mi Qi Qi is sent to Wu Tribe. So somehow Chou Qing Li is Mi Qi Qi; she’s the sacrifice to take Mi Qi Qi’s poison for her. 

[Ep34] Mi Qi Qi’s powers are back. Wu Tribe people can sense each other and thus Mi Qi Qi can locate Wu Ji. The two are about to embrace but their partners are too obsessive to let that happen. That’s when Ling Princess and Lu Ao recognize each other. They too looked like they wanted an embrace but it’s their partners who intercept now. Lu Ao quickly claims innocence that it was all Ling Princess. Ha. What a wimp. Lu Ao and Mi Qi Qi are so loving towards each other it offends Ling Princess. She’s about to show off with Wu Ji too but her men interrupt. He hair ends up flying to his face. I like how calm Wu Ji is at taking her hair off his face. 

Other stuff: Lu Ao’s wolf poison is cured. Their servants are still jailed. 

[Ep35] Now that Mi Qi Qi’s powers are back she and Lu Ao engage in a duel. They’re each other’s equal. They have been fighting hours on end. It’s been so long that Ling Princess’s servants are tired of it and begs them to stop. 

It’s now time for the Goodies to team up: Ling Princess, Wu Ji, Lu Ao, Mi Qi Qi, and last but not least, Lu Ao’s trusty imperial guard. While Lu Che is taking the throne at his ceremony Lu Ao takes over the court with his men. An arrow is shot at Lu Che. His wife takes it for him. At least he has one person who loves him. 

[Ep36] Lu Che kills himself when Lu Ao gave him a choice for redemption. Poor Lu Che. A character wasted for driving plot. The drama wants to make it up by giving us all these flashbacks of him. Bleh. Mi Qi Qi is taking on San Sheng Hua. It’s a battle between the sorceresses. Mi Qi Qi destroys the Blood Jade. San Sheng Hua’s only hope for world domination is the Blood Sword. However the sword strains her powers and she dies from power overload. 

All evil is over. Lu Ao is making a present for Mi Qi Qi. He’s preparing wedding gifts for her. He asks for her hand. Although they're married, they're not actually married. He also gives her the imperial jade, a token to be his queen. When he sees her eyes light up to the jade, he immediately regrets it. She quickly takes back the jade and assures him she’s accepting his proposal because she loves him. It's definitely not because of the jade. 

It’s a simple wedding. Even Ling Princess is surprised at how basic it is. She’s now Ling Queen by the way. Her love for Wu Ji is unchanging though. These two are still sweet as they talk about an alliance between their two kingdoms. Back to the wedding: Lu Ao enters his wedding suite. To his shock, Chou Qing Li is back. Nah, it’s Mi Qi Qi scaring him. She laughs at him for falling for it. 

Lu Ao: As long as you’re willing ‘gu’ will always be fooled by you. 

She smiles sweetly, dimples showing. He gets his sweet revenge on her: an official wedding night. The end.

Remarks

[First Impression (Ep1-8)] It's always the dramas that I have zero expectations for that pleases me the most. Chemistry is felt immediately, especially by Episode 2 and still going strong until Episode 8 where I'm currently at. I'm still intrigued how he's supposed to be a wolf man and she a witch. The story doesn't seem to lack any content. It's an additional bonus how pretty the drama is. I'm just in love with this at the moment. 

[Actors/Actresses] Li Ge Yang. Will he forever be the pitiful second lead? The first time I saw him it was in "My Youth." Felt bad for him there. I didn't finish The Love Equations but before I dropped it, I felt bad for him once again.

[Review] The chemistry in the beginning was mesmerizing. The story falters in the middle when there wasn't much of a story because all the drama focused on was their romance. It would have been fine for me if the romance didn’t falter as well when he betrayed her. I thought that was a trashy move on his part. As I'm watching it week by week, I felt that I was able to forget that part and move on easier than if I were to have binged this drama. The lack of content in the middle deprived the drama of its unrealized potential. Still, I'll remember this for how beautifully romantic it was in the beginning. It was so good. Too bad the drama couldn't reach past that peak. I'm looking forward to more of Hu Yi Xuan and hoping Li Ge Yang has better luck in his next dramas. He needs to stop being the second lead who’s always falling for the leading ladies. 

Rating: 3/5 ♡