Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms 三生三世十里桃花 - Episode 30 (Recap)

kakashi: Ye Hua meets Bai Qian! And he realizes she and his Su Su are identical! And he radiates intense desire for her - I'm a goner. She, on the other hand, is just very confused. And flustered. This episode is one of my favs! Lots and lots of gifs ahead too.
JoAnne: Woohoo! Bring on the horny gods! yes! We are soooo ready!

Episode 30

Ye Hua has reached Peach Blossom Valley and he remembers ... him and Su Su on their overnight visit here, when he still thought they could be happy. Meanwhile, Bai Qian has gotten quite severely drunk / drugged on the special wine she shouldn't have "drunken on the sly". It's an aphrodisiac, isn't it? When she becomes aware of Ye Hua's presence, her face lights up.
Oh I didn't even think of that! I just thought, you know, comfortably tipsy, hot guy appears...it's natural.
She does a little Fox magic! And lets herself fall. As is her plan, the young man comes to her rescue. "Su Su", he whispers as he catches her in his arms.
You think she planned it?
I think she did, the foxy fox
Though this young man clearly does NOT need to be enchanted to want our Bai Qian, she casts another spell and then starts teasing him with almost kisses.
He is so convincingly enthusiastic in these episodes, it warms my heart. Yes, my heart. You thought I was going to say something else, didn't you?
That goes on (HOT) until something registers in her drunken brain and she "poofs", leaving him confused, running around the orchard calling "Su Su, Su Su!" over and over. He finally concludes he must have walked into one of Zhe Yan's confusion shields and goes back to the Eastern Sea ... but not without promising to be back. Unseen by him, Zhe Yan is watching, thinking his thoughts.
I am so curious about what Zhe Yan knows and when he knows it.
The next morning, Bai Qian wakes up with a thick head. She's disoriented but remembers a sexy dream she had: she cast an enchanting spell to harass an "innocent young man". Zhe Yan, whom she shares this with, innocently asks whether she remembers what he looked like. She does not (too intoxicated), but she does recall that he "seemed to have been wearing dark-colored robes"
Ha, it was a spell! Not that he needed one, but wow, that must have made her disappearance especially difficult for him.
Bai Qian says her farewells now, she is going to the banquet! Zhe Yan hands her some wines (as a present for the Water King plus some additional ones for her brother) and asks her to please ask her brother to come back. Awwwww. She won't though. His own fault for angering Bai Zhen! Fix it yourself, Phoenix Man.
So then... they really are a couple? I never honestly felt that they were but could see why people would joke about it. But now... I don't know.
Bai Qian gets to the Palace of the Water King (they are covering the crystal lights with water lily leaves now) and runs into one of our Ye Hua fangirls - the Green Princess Lu Xiu. The young one is impressed by how much Bai Qian is "brimming with immortal energy" and follows her over the light-bridge Bai Qian - who claims she's from Ten Miles Peach Tree Wood - just created. Lu Xiu's maids chatter about how the princess will certainly have a chance to entice the Crown Prince - for how is it possible that Lord Ye Hua will fall for "that old woman from Qing Qiu"? Pffft.
I love how Bai Qian reacts when this kind of thing happens. At first she's always amused but later, she kind of lets it eat at her a little bit. She's strong enough, but has her moments. It makes her feel real.
Ohhhh, look who is here too! It's our Ghost Lord, Li Jing - currently much angering just by his presence: Senior Disciple Die Feng and ... Sixteen! SIXTEEN IS IN DA HOUSE!!! The Water King himself has to intervene and break them apart. After this, the Ghost Lord leaves without seeing anyone else. He is sad and lonely, as so often. Too much emo is unsexy, just saying.
Yeah, dude, get over it. Also: jumping up and down currently, because SIXTEEEEEEEN! he's so cute and later (much later) I totally fall in love with his adorable and noble and kindhearted self.
Ye Hua is back as well, but once more, A-Li s missing! Ah, he is playing in one of the back gardens, where Bai Qian also went after hearing the hurtful gossip about her. He is digging up some grass, to see the corals buried under the weeds - according to his father, the most beautiful thing on the Eastern Sea seafloor. Bai Qian calls him "Riceball" and gives him the Cloud Clearing Fan, he won't have to dig that hard with this.
Ahhh, is this when he gets his nickname? It's so cute.

The little one takes it and sweeps it ... much too strongly of course. All the waterlily leaves get blown away and the wind is felt all over the palace. But most importantly, the sudden brightness triggers Bai Qian's protective blindfold! 
Silk shield, activate! But this isn't how they said it would work initially. The whole point of having it disappear into her was so that she was always protected. It shouldn't need to show up like this.
Oh, you think it malfunctioned? Good
When little A-Li sees Bai Qian with the silk scarf, he recognizes her as the woman from his father's pictures. He runs to her, hugs her close and calls her "mother". That very moment, Ye Hua finds them in the back garden. It's his Su Su! He cannot believe his eyes. And she cannot believe hers - it is Mo Yuan!
You two, just pretend for a night. Oh wait...t hat wouldn't work, because she hasn't got the hots for Mo Yuan. I'm not sure how that's possible, but whatever. It's a story.
She realizes her mistake immediately though - not the same magic breath, of course. He doesn't quite yet ... spellbound, he tries to touch her face and she slaps his hand away. "I am mistaken", he says, hanging his head, "she would not speak so harshly". He turns to leave, but A-Li doesn't want to let go of his mother so quickly. His father needs to tell him to leave several times. Iz sad :(
The poor sad babies :(  Bai Qian these are your men. Yours! Your little family... can't you fall for him again?
As they walk away, Bai Qian hears them mention Xiwu Palace and she realizes this must have been the Crown Prince Ye Hua. I think she follows after them when Shao Xin finds her. She recognized the power of the Cloud Clearing Fan earlier and knows that Bai Qian is the one who currently has it in her possession.
Ah, jeez, Shao Xin, give it up already. You're becoming tiresome.
Bai Qian isn't happy at all to see her former maid (who falls to her knees in front of her) - she did successfully avoid her all these years after all. She calls her fat, haha and makes snide remarks about bearing so many children to the obviously affectionate Water King. Our Bai Qian is quite petty it seems. She's just generally pissed about the whole affair (I would be, too - it really was quite embarrassing, the whole "maid runs away with fiancé"-story) but does grant Shao Xin a wish! As a wedding present, she says. All Shao Xin wants though is Bai Qian's forgiveness.
I mean, yes, it was embarrassing. But it was how many thousands of years ago? Get over it.
Ye Hua and A-Li arrive and stop behind a corner. And thus, they eavesdrop on the following, quite important conversation: Shao Xin talks about how Bai Qian never even met with the 2nd Prince and even said she wouldn't like him, how she was able to get herself a much better man afterwards. Ye Hua realizes this must be Bai Qian. As Ye Hua watches them he sees that this woman does things that his Su Su did too! Tap her fingers in a particular way, tap the fan against her nose ... and especially, he sees the Hellfire scar on her right arm.
That would be the convincing thing for sure, for me.
Bai Qian tells Shao Xin that even if you don't mean to do something wrong and just do it because you're weak, it still means you did wrong. She won't forgive her. Bai Qian says she was ridiculed by the entire world, how could she! That is when A-Li comes running to intervene: he knows his mother is the highest principled immortal alive! She cannot mean this! "Did you pop out of the ground?" a slightly annoyed Bai Qian asks. No, says the little one, no magic was used, he walked here with his father to find her. Pffft.
A-Li has it right, though. She needs to let it go.
"I did not know that you are High Goddess Bai Qian of Qing Qiu", says Ye Hua all breathless, after stepping closer. And she pulls the age card, not for the first and not for the last time, it's quite funny. He should call her aunt, she says, and greet her properly as an elder. His answer: "My son calls you mother and you want me to call you aunt? Qian Qian, what kind of reasoning is this?" Damn. He already calls her Qian Qian. Weak knees is the least this man would give me.
I know, I'm all goosebumps just reading this and remembering. He just loves her so much, and it never feels stalker-y either.
She is cross though: did they eavesdrop? No, says A-Li, they did just turn back because she was following them! (Hahaha, she totally was) And "were you chasing us because you can't bear to part with me and want to return to the Celestial Palace with me and father?" Bai Qian is naturally confused and a bit outraged at all this frankness! And Ye Hua doubles up by saying: "A-Li, you are right - your mother indeed can't bear to part with us". A-Li wants to know when she will return with them. Ye Hua steps closer and says: "Let's return tomorrow".
He wants to 'rest' tonight.
Damn, she's flustered. Quickly, she says she isn't done talking to "that lady". Bringing some distance between her and Ye Hua, she hands Shao Xin the Cloud Clearing Fan and tells her to come find her in Qing Qiu if she has made up her mind about that wish. Through all of this, Ye Hua just looks at her like this.
We can't even see his eyes and his expression says 'I love you so much, I'm so happy to see you again, I could stare at you forever.'
Shao Xin walks away and Bai Qian finds herself all alone with this extremely confusing young man and his son. She tries to get away, but Ye Hua won't let her. He wants to go to the banquet with her! She basically calls him a fetus, haha. Like that matters to him.
Let the puppy love on you, Bai Qian!
The Water King interrupts, to scold this unknown immortal about the wreckage of his garden! She apologizes prettily and lies that she's just an emissary living in Peach Blossom Tree Woods all her life. Bai Qian herself fell ill, unfortunately! Her ties to Peach Blossom St. and the presents she conjures are enough to mollify the Water King.
What kind of host is he? Don't you first try to find out what happened before you go yelling at people?
She thinks she can steal away after this, but eager Ye Hua won't let her. Damn, he's cute. And a bit annoying. And persistent. And just DAMN.
It really must be very confusing for her. She does know she's engaged to him, at least. 
As he drags her to the banquet, he wonders whether she is just punishing him, pretending not to remember him, or whether she truly has no recollection of him. I wonder what you'd prefer, pretty prince. He makes a point to seat Bai Qian at his table and looks mighty pleased with himself.
Little A-Li is so happy it almost (not quite, but almost) distracts me from giddy Ye Hua.
That's until the Water King's annoying sister performs her dance, quite clearly trying to catch Ye Hua's eye. Bai Qian makes all kinds of snide remarks, haha, like "could it be the Crown Prince has dragged me here to ward off women?" and A-Li scoffs at that woman too. Ye Hua doesn't get it - at first. Ahahahaa. He makes a point not to look in the dancers direction after he does and the smile disappears from Miao Qing's face.
Hope you get the hint, Missy.
After she is done and gone, the Water King keeps his promise to her and invites Ye Hua to a meeting with his sister. Ye Hua leaves A-Li in Bai Qian's care and goes to that meeting. She is a bit puzzled by everything. She tells A-Li she'll go after his father to return him, which makes A-Li smile deviously. He thinks she's jealous! And maybe she is, a little? It must irk her to think that another of her betrothed is stolen away like this!
Well, that's what happens when you 'never leave Qing Qiu.'
When First Disciple and Sixteen appear at the entrance of the hall, she makes a quick exit with A-Li, thinking such a meeting would be inconvenient - but she is moved to see them. Outside, little A-Li cries because he's afraid his father will be stolen away by that other princess. Her explanation for why that's totally okay is priceless: his father is a healthy young man and that princess is in full bloom! It is quite normal for young men and women to desire each other. Pfffft. To a 300 year old. In her conversation, she finds out that A-Li's mother was a mortal (and not Su Jin, whose name she has heard mentioned many times) and that she jumped off Zhuxian Terrace.
Do you notice that she becomes friendlier to him after this?
The little one is frustrated by her lack of comprehension. She is his mother! She gave birth to him! She is the woman in his father's paintings! She just thinks A-Li is pitiful, being abandoned by his mother like this. Anyway, A-Li sobs about her lack of concern for his father's infidelity and how he will have to be all alone - until she assures the Riceball that she definitely wants to marry his father, who is "my sweetheart, my darling, my precious honey". Excellent.
Cute kids, bringing folks together for millennia.
Reassured, A-Li takes her by the hand and drags her to find his father and Miao Qing. What an awkward meeting they're busting, haha, the Crown Prince does what he does very well: be extremely unfriendly. But his face lights up when he sees his fiancée. She introduces herself as the child's "mother" to Miao Qing and recites a poem about an illicit affair ... Miao Qing falls to her knees, terrified (we later realize she means this is Su Jin). And then makes the mistake to tell that tall tale about Die Feng and his hedonistic ways.
This was pretty funny, both her veiled threats and the stupid attempt to make Die Feng a bad guy.
Bai Qian guesses correctly that the Water King must have told her to tell this lie - and that she must have deep feelings for the Crown Prince to do this. To A-Li, she says as much and that she cannot bring herself to tear the lovers apart. She'll be going! A-Li grabs her hand and says but she just said Father is her sweetheart, her darling, her precious honey! Ahahahaaa, kids. And OMG, how can she even resist Ye Hua, who moves on her like he wants to make love to her right then and there.
It's the way he looks at her, my God. So much heat in that gaze.
Well, she can ... maybe because he calls her Su Su again and quite obviously "confuses her" with his dead wife. Yeah, that would be a dash of cold water. She makes a quick exit, leaving behind her handkerchief. After picking it up, Ye Hua decides he has to go make a trip to Peach Blossom Tree Woods immediately. He has some questions for Zhe Yan.
Let's hope he gets some answers!

Comments

Hot damn, Ye Hua. You sexy beast you. Bai Qian, you have some restraint, I must say. Confusion aside, would you not want that wedding, well, yesterday?!
Now, marry me now, now, now.

Of course, this situation is extremely confusing for Bai Qian. From the child who calls her mother and claims she gave birth to him, to the father who acts as if they were really intimate with each other already. As we know, this marriage is a huge annoyance to her (also because it would tie her, an extremely free spirit, down) and despite her aloofness, she is a woman who is quite hurt by how people talk about her (and they always do, typically, because she never shows herself and gives many reasons for gossip).
In fairness, I do think this must be very confusing for her.

And yet, she is probably quite annoyed by this Miao Qing-issue; I don't think she would have intervened even with A-Li's tears otherwise. She probably thinks these Celestials are all womanizers (they also have harems, as she knows), plus, she hasn't exactly heard the best things about the Crown Prince from her niece. She may be thinking hard about how to get out of this marriage, but she probably also realized that will a tad more difficult than getting out of the first engagement. So, if she has to marry this man - he should be hers. Reasoning aside, she is NOT immune to the eager intensity of this man. Who would be! Save us.
Fox Clan mates for life and is faithful to the one mate, so for her that's the natural order of things. She wouldn't tolerate other women. Can't say I blame her, I'd want alllll that goodness for myself, too.