Episode Summary
Episode 20 sees Lu Jiu help an injured Lu Yao, who is searching for her brother. Meanwhile, Bai Cha tries to convince Lemon Spirit and Hong Ning that Jin Xiu is manipulative, revealing a theory about an ancient two-headed snake. Jin Xiu awkwardly plans his wedding to Hong Ning, leading to miscommunications. Bai Cha then reveals Hong Ning and Jin Xiu's past-life connection, offering her memory-inducing spring water. Jin Xiu confesses, Hong Ning drinks the water, remembers their past, and reaffirms their engagement. Elsewhere, Lu Yao's identity as the Heavenly Maiden is revealed to a betrayed Lu Jiu after she uses her powers; he rejects her offer of reconciliation due to their painful family history. Finally, a heartbroken Bai Cha confesses his love for Hong Ning, but she gently turns him down.
Spoiler Alert
Love Never Fails: Episode 20 Recap & Spoilers
We kick off with Lu Jiu playing Good Samaritan to an injured Lu Yao. He patches her up with some herbs, and she spills the beans about her family being in danger and her desperate search for her younger brother. Lu Jiu, ever the empathetic soul due to his own rough past (homeless as a kid – ouch!), offers to help, saying he doesn't want anyone else to suffer like he did. Sweet, right? Well, hold that thought.
Meanwhile, the Lemon Spirit is having a rough day. Remember that Black Snake she was nursing back to health? Poof! Gone. Woke up and slithered off without so much as a "thanks for not letting me die." Understandably, she's pretty bummed. Later, she and Hong Ning pop in to see Bai Cha. Hong Ning has to dash off, leaving Lemon Spirit to face Bai Cha's disapproval. He's not thrilled she's just standing by while Hong Ning gets cozy with Jin Xiu. Lemon Spirit, bless her loyal heart, just wants her friend Hong Ning to be happy.
But Bai Cha is on a mission to expose Jin Xiu. He claims Jin Xiu is a total hypocrite, capturing demons not just to be a hero, but to exploit their powers. He’s apparently got a whole dungeon full of them and has been playing Hong Ning all along. Bai Cha insists he’s just trying to protect her. Lemon Spirit pipes up, thinking Jin Xiu probably doesn't even remember his past misdeeds. Bai Cha scoffs at this, arguing that powerful immortals like Jin Xiu definitely remember and questioning if gods and demons even play by the same rulebook. This leaves Lemon Spirit pretty worried. Bai Cha, now in full detective mode, hits the books and uncovers an ancient tale about a two-headed snake – one black-scaled head, one green-scaled – that got attacked and split into two separate snakes. He’s pretty sure the green snake he spotted in the Qilin Cave is one of them. Dun dun dun!
Over in the celestial realm, Jin Xiu is stressing about wedding preps. He has no clue what he's doing and almost calls the Chrysanthemum Official for help but chickens out, worried it’ll end up in some scandalous gossip column (or, you know, "unofficial histories"). So, he's drowning in books, trying to figure it all out. Hong Ning shows up, and Jin Xiu’s internally panicking, wondering if she even understood his proposal. Hong Ning, on the other hand, wants answers about someone (or something?) called Hong Cha. Classic miscommunication ensues – neither of them clearly states what they mean, and they both leave the conversation more confused. Hong Ning keeps bringing up Hong Cha, and Jin Xiu just… doesn’t say anything. Smooth.
Hong Ning then visits Bai Cha again, and he drops another bombshell: they knew each other in a past life, and Jin Xiu has been deceiving her this whole time. He hands her some spring water, claiming a sip will unlock her past life memories and prove he’s telling the truth. Just then, Jin Xiu arrives. Cornered, he finally confesses! Yes, they had a past connection. Yes, he was the immortal she met as a little girl. He admits he was terrified to tell her, scared of what she’d remember. He tells her the choice to remember is hers.
Hong Ning, understandably, needs a minute. She eventually drinks the water, and whoosh – the memories come flooding back. She then finds Jin Xiu and reminds him that he promised to marry her when the flowers bloom (the "Luohua shijie"). Jin Xiu is ecstatic, and they share a passionate embrace. Aww, right?
Not so fast. Back with Lu Yao and Lu Jiu, they’ve reached the outskirts of the Northern Immortal Realm, but heavenly soldiers quickly find them. Lu Yao unleashes her Samadhi Fire (because of course, she can!), and Lu Jiu is stunned. "You're the Heavenly Maiden (Tian Nü)?" he asks, clearly hurt. "Why did you lie to me?" Lu Yao apologizes for everything, saying they wronged him in the past and she’ll make it up to him if he comes back with her. But Lu Jiu is having none of it. "I don't have a sister," he declares. We then get a heartbreaking flashback: a young Lu Yao desperately wanted to see Lu Jiu, but was forbidden. The King didn't acknowledge Lu Jiu as his son, and anyone who helped Lu Yao visit him would be severely punished. So, she couldn't go. Oof, talk about family drama.
And finally, the fallout from Hong Ning’s decision. Bai Cha is furious that she’s still choosing Jin Xiu, even after learning about his deceptions. Hong Ning tries to explain that Jin Xiu has done a lot to make amends, things Bai Cha doesn't know about. Then, Bai Cha confesses his love for Hong Ning. But she gently turns him down, saying love needs to be mutual and that he’s in love with an idea of her, not the real her. Double oof.
