Episode Summary
Nian Jiu discovers the tragic fate of Hong Luo, who has been reincarnated with memory loss. Meanwhile, Feng Qi's continued presence and cooking for Liao Tingyan infuriates a jealous Sima Jiao. Sima Jiao attempts to restore Liao Tingyan's memories by taking her to a meaningful place from their past, but his efforts are later sabotaged. A plan to show her the truth by accessing the memories of Shi Qianlv's sister backfires when it's revealed the memories were altered, reinforcing Liao Tingyan's belief that Sima Jiao is a villain. The shock causes Liao Tingyan to collapse, forcing a weakened Sima Jiao to use his own blood to save her.
Spoiler Alert
When Destiny Brings the Demon: Episode 23 Recap
Here we go. This episode was a lot. Just when you think things might start looking up for Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan, the show throws a wrench in the works. Or several wrenches.
Nian Jiu's Heartbreak
The episode kicks off with Nian Jiu. He's looking for Hong Luo. He ends up at her old workplace and gets some terrible news. Hong Luo is dead. The madam there shows him a portrait, and he realizes she looks exactly like Ye Ruling.
The story gets worse. The madam says Hong Luo was found by a lake. She had a whistle with her, and she treasured it. Nian Jiu looks at the whistle. It's identical to the one he carries. He takes the portrait and goes straight to Sima Jiao.
Sima Jiao confirms it. The person he recently helped reincarnate was her. But he warns Nian Jiu that her soul was badly damaged. She might not remember anything from her past life. Nian Jiu is crushed, but he pulls himself together. At least she's alive. That has to be enough for now.
An Unwanted Houseguest
Back at Sima Jiao's place, Feng Qi has made himself at home. He's there every day. He cooks three meals a day and brings them to Liao Tingyan. Nian Jiu is annoyed and tells him to get lost.
Feng Qi isn't having it. He claims Liao Tingyan loves his food and would be unhappy without it. Sima Jiao overhears this and his jealousy flares up. He steps in and reminds Feng Qi that he and Liao Tingyan are married. He calls Feng Qi a clown for trying to interfere. Feng Qi just blows him off. He thinks Liao Tingyan doesn't even like Sima Jiao, so he's just going to keep doing what he's doing.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
Sima Jiao is desperate to make Liao Tingyan remember him. He takes her to a special place from their past. It has a long staircase, countless flower lanterns, and a giant Blood Coagulation Flower. Liao Tingyan feels a sense of familiarity, like from a dream. Sima Jiao tells her it was all real. This was the place he was imprisoned for 500 years. But she turned it into a place with good memories.
She mentions off-hand that she loves the lanterns. Sima Jiao immediately promises to light them for her every single day. He worries about her getting tired on the stairs, so he just picks her up and carries her. He even puts a face mask on her, telling her it was one of her favorite things to do.
You can see the conflict on Liao Tingyan's face. Shi Qianlv drilled it into her head that Sima Jiao is a monster. But every time she's with him, she feels safe. He has never forced her to do anything. He treats her with respect and thinks about her needs.
A Plan Goes Wrong
Nian Jiu manages to capture Shi Qiandu, who is Shi Qianlv's sister. Sima Jiao thinks this is his chance. He wants Liao Tingyan to see the truth for herself. He helps her enter Shi Qiandu's mind to see her memories.
But the plan backfires. Badly. Shi Qianlv had already gotten to his sister. He tampered with her memories before she was caught. So, what Liao Tingyan sees is a carefully crafted lie. She sees exactly what Shi Qianlv wants her to see. It only confirms her belief that Sima Jiao is the villain who hurt everyone.
The emotional whiplash is too much for her. She becomes incredibly agitated, convinced Sima Jiao is her enemy, and then she faints. Sima Jiao rushes to her side. He discovers her life force is dangerously low. It's a result of Shi Qianlv messing with her mind so many times. To save her, Sima Jiao decides to use his own blood to stabilize her. Nian Jiu knows this is a terrible idea. Sima Jiao is already weak. Losing so much blood will make his own recovery nearly impossible.
