Episode Summary
Ji Mo (Fu Chengjin in disguise) wins the martial arts tournament using a clever trick, earning the title of Wu Zhuangyuan and delighting the Emperor. While they celebrate, Fu Yunnuo plots to send Ji Mo to a dangerous southern warfront to control Qiao Manman. Qiao Manman shares a tender moment with Fu Chengjin, who reaffirms his love for her. She then reveals a poignant letter from her father to her late mother. Upon learning of Ji Mo's transfer, Qiao Manman confronts Fu Yunnuo but is powerless to change the order. The Emperor, wanting Fu Chengjin to gain military merit for the throne, also tasks him with leading the southern campaign. As Fu Chengjin prepares to leave, he and Qiao Manman share a symbolic moment with bamboo dragonflies, with Fu Chengjin expressing his hope for her safety.
Spoiler Alert
"Destiny of Love" Episode 18 Recap & Spoilers
The following day, the martial arts tournament resumed. Qiao Manman, seated at a nearby banquet table, watched with mounting anxiety as her "brother," Ji Mo, prepared to face a hulking opponent with impressive, rippling muscles. It seemed her brother was in for a serious challenge. However, Ji Mo unexpectedly proposed a change in the competition's style, citing their nation's reputation as one of great etiquette. He suggested they compete using only one finger.
Hursa, his opponent, was taken aback. He found it hard to believe that this seemingly delicate scholar intended to challenge him with a single finger and expect to win. Nevertheless, Hursa boisterously agreed and even set the condition: if Ji Mo could make him unable to stand using just one finger, Hursa would concede defeat. Ji Mo, maintaining a calm facade, lightly tapped Hursa's forehead with his index finger. Astonishingly, despite exerting all his strength, Hursa found he genuinely could not get up. The crowd erupted in cheers. Even with renewed effort, Hursa remained unable to rise. Without a doubt, Fu Chengjin (in disguise as Ji Mo) had triumphed, bringing great honor to the Dong Zhao nation. The Emperor was immensely pleased and, on the spot, declared Ji Mo the "Wu Zhuangyuan" (the top scorer in the martial arts examination).
Overjoyed that they had navigated another perilous situation, Qiao Manman was ecstatic. That evening, she brought Fu Chengjin back to Wanshi Fang, where everyone gathered to celebrate. Aliya excitedly prepared a hot pot feast for the group. The mood was festive, with everyone eating, chatting, and brimming with hope for the future. Meanwhile, Hursa was with Fu Yunnuo, drinking to drown his sorrows. Fu Yunnuo suggested that losing the competition might not be entirely a bad thing. He revealed his intention to use his influence to have Ji Mo transferred to a remote southern region to fight in the wars. This, Fu Yunnuo schemed, would be a way to control Qiao Manman, who shared a deep bond with her "brother" Ji Mo and would surely not want to see him endure hardship.
Later that night, Qiao Manman, feeling the effects of a few drinks, was carried back by Fu Chengjin. Under the bright moonlight, resting on Fu Chengjin's back, Qiao Manman mused that Fu Chengjin was originally supposed to marry the princess of the Xilin Kingdom, but fate had intervened. Fu Chengjin dismissed this, saying he never cared for the status of the Xilin Kingdom and reaffirmed that Qiao Manman was the only person he wished to marry in his lifetime.
As they settled in for the night, Qiao Manman looked at Fu Chengjin with heartfelt emotion, stating that after they "did this one thing tonight," they could be completely open with each other. Fu Chengjin, taking her words seriously and perhaps anticipating a confession of love or an intimate moment, was surprised when, after a brief, charged pause, Qiao Manman asked him to close his eyes. She then presented him with a brocade box that had belonged to her late mother. Fu Chengjin opened it with ease and found a letter inside. It was a letter from Qiao Manman's father to her mother, in which he instructed her mother to take their infant daughter and flee if he did not return within half a month.
Qiao Manman's eyes reddened with tears. She explained that her mother had waited year after year for her father to return, clinging to that hope until her dying day, but his return never came.
Two days later, Qiao Manman heard that Ji Mo was being transferred to the south to fight. Furious, she immediately sought out Fu Yunnuo and slapped him hard across the face. Fu Yunnuo stopped his guards from intervening and merely stated that even if he hadn't arranged it, as the Wu Zhuangyuan, Ji Mo would naturally be expected to go to battle and serve the country. Qiao Manman, knowing she couldn't alter Fu Yunnuo's decision, left in frustration.
Since Fu Chengjin had regained the ability to walk, the Emperor began to plan for Fu Chengjin's future, intending to pass the throne to him. To achieve this, Fu Chengjin needed significant military accomplishments. The Emperor proposed that Fu Chengjin go to war in the south, assuring him that he would arrange for secret guards to protect him thoroughly. Initially, Fu Chengjin refused. However, moved by his father's sincere and earnest plea, and not wanting to disappoint him, he eventually agreed, vowing not to let his father down.
As the time for his departure for the campaign drew near, Qiao Manman not only helped Fu Chengjin pack his belongings but also made many bamboo dragonflies. In their childhood, bamboo dragonflies were a symbol of peace and safety. Fu Chengjin led her to the imperial garden, which he had filled with these bamboo dragonflies. He had also arranged for his father, the Emperor, to be there. When the Emperor arrived, Fu Chengjin deliberately said to Qiao Manman that he hoped the bamboo dragonflies would also bring peace and safety to his "Wangfei" (a term for his princess consort or wife). He added that during his absence on the campaign, she should promptly inform him of anything that happened.
