Love Game in Eastern Fantasy- Mini Recap Episodes 5-8

Episode 5 Recap:

Feelings are all over the place! Mu Sheng’s “love” for Ling Miao Miao hits a solid -250% after she “steals” his sister. Meanwhile, Miao Miao’s father completely misinterprets the situation, assuming she’s in love with Liu Fu Yi. His main concern? Whether Liu Fu Yi plans to join the family against tradition. Turns out, Dad Lin(g) just doesn’t want to lose his daughter. Aww!

To make the Lantern Festival extra special, Father Lin(g) rigs it so Miao Miao gets to release the final Sky Lantern with her “true love.” But in classic Miao Miao style, she releases it with three other people instead! Mu Sheng, in typical grumpy fashion, confronts her, accusing her of being an ungrateful “dog” who doesn’t recognize his kindness. Miao Miao just sighs, muttering, “A dog bites Lv Dong Bin without knowing how kind he is.” Translation? She’s pretty much calling him an ungrateful dog.

When it’s finally Miao Miao’s turn to make a wish to the goddess, she lists all the classic requests: beauty, wealth, and endless happiness. But Mu Sheng calls her out for being greedy, so she simplifies her wish to just one thing: the safety and happiness of all good-hearted people. Taken aback by her selflessness, Mu Sheng seals her wish among the lanterns, inscribing “safe” into the night sky. Cue collective swoon.

Progress Update: Mu Sheng’s feelings rise to 0%! Woohoo!

However, the festival isn’t all lanterns and love. The food storage still catches fire, just as in the original story. But this time, Mu Sheng steps up in a surprising twist. He searches through the chaos to find Miao Miao and even helps her father destroy incriminating evidence planted to frame him. It turns out her father wasn’t embezzling out of greed; he was a pawn in a scheme orchestrated by the palace’s consort dowager. By altering her wish, Miao Miao changes the course of the story: instead of wishing for wealth, she wishes for her father’s safety. As a result, he sacrifices his entire fortune to replenish the food storage, leaving them poor but safe. Miao Miao is deeply grateful, knowing her father’s life was worth every penny lost.

Demon Alert!

Meanwhile, a Money Toad (a feng shui charm for wealth) makes an appearance. Its weakness? Human food! Miao Miao, undeterred, even snatches Mu Sheng’s prized snack from his sister to lure the toad. Talk about dedication!

Episode 6 Recap:

With her family now bankrupt, Miao Miao has to let her maids go. Fun fact: her maids are played by idols from Youth With You S2—a cute nod since Yu Shu Xin also got her start there (“WooOOoW!”). Her “real” mom in the show is also the same actress who plays her mom in A Romance of the Little Forest.

Things take an emotional turn as we dive into Miao Miao’s past. Her real father died after visiting her school, where Miao Miao had stood up for a bullied classmate, making herself a target. That same day, he rushed out to buy her bubble tea but didn’t see a car coming… Now, every time she almost loses Father Lin(g) (her father in this world), Miao Miao wonders if she would have kept her dad safe if she hadn’t intervened for others. It’s a question that haunts her. But Father Lin(g), who knows the pain of not being able to protect a child, would remind her not to blame herself.

A Dreamy Encounter

One night, Mu Sheng overhears Miao Miao having a tender, dreamlike conversation with her “father,” where she shares her regrets and worries. Curious about her emotional state, he challenges her to a game of qi. When he notices her lackluster moves, he presses her, clearly unsettled by the sorrow clouding her heart.

In a sweet twist, Miao Miao teaches him wuziqi (Five-in-a-Row), an ancient game predating go. She explains the meaning behind “Five Sons With Connected Hearts”—symbolizing unity and strong family ties. Mu Sheng is both amused and softened by her words. He may act tough, but her playful compliments—calling him a “pretty white stone”—render him speechless. Looks like our tough guy has a soft side!

Then, Mu Sheng’s curiosity gets the best of him, and he asks Miao Miao what her name means in her world. She shares that “Ling” (Lingxiaohua) represents the trumpet vine, while “Miao” signifies something indescribably wonderful. Together, they sound like Qi Miao—meaning “Miracle.” Aw!

Goodbye… or Not?

The Mu siblings prepare to leave, but without a proper goodbye for Miao Miao. But Mu Sheng, needing an excuse, convinces his sister to see Miao Miao one last time “for his sake.” Luckily, Miao Miao catches on to their plan and races to meet them before they leave. Mu Sheng doesn’t object—progress!

In an adorably awkward moment, Miao Miao compliments Mu Sheng’s hair-tie, noting how nice it looks. He tightens up, viewing compliments as “poisonous.” After all, he believes anything beautiful is bound to be dangerous. He walks away, swinging his ponytail with a smirk. Just say thank you, Mu Sheng!

The Plot Thickens

Before leaving, Miao Miao gifts her father a treasure that will ensure his financial stability, even in her absence.

Meanwhile, Mu Sheng’s feelings are as tangled as ever. Despite knowing that Miao Miao was the one who burned the map, he lets her come along, revealing he actually put his sister into a deep sleep to sabotage Miao Miao’s mission. Why? Because her heartfelt confession has softened him enough to keep her close. He claims it’s to “keep his enemies near,” but we know better—our guy is clearly catching feelings!

Episode 7 Recap:

Mu Sheng reluctantly becomes Miao Miao’s shifu, which both of them hate. She despises it because he’s a “negligent teacher” who gives her nothing but a gourd as a “relic,” while he’s not thrilled to have a clueless disciple.

But things take a dark turn when Miao Miao is captured by a Water Daemon. In a quick-witted move, she catches Mu Sheng’s subtle signal and manages to escape. However, he sacrifices himself, exposing his rare Yin blood and his secret half-daemon identity to protect her. To keep this hidden from his sister, Mu Sheng even tilts the earth’s axis, plunging them into the shadow realm. It’s a risky move that leaves him weak and bleeding, but he’d rather suffer than let his sister learn the truth.

With his energy drained, Mu Sheng uses his last strength to fend off the daemon and gives Miao Miao a marble filled with his blood, urging her to bring it to his sister. Bleeding heavily, he insists he won’t leave the realm and will destroy her escape talisman if she tries. But Miao Miao, refusing to abandon him, tears up the talisman herself. She’s not going anywhere without him.

• Mu Sheng: “Living like this is meaningless. Maybe this is the best ending.” He thinks that once his sister knows his true identity, he’ll be left without anyone who mourns him.
• Miao Miao (shaking with emotion): “You’re an idiot, Mu Sheng. You think your sister’s the only one who cares? What about me? I don’t care if you’re a daemon. I want you to live, idiot.”
• Mu Sheng (softly): “Even if I’m a daemon… Yes, you moron.” Her steady gaze and heartfelt words stir something deep within him.

The Heartfelt Battle

Miao Miao breaks down, begging him to show her how she can help him survive. His response? “Undo the hair-tie.” But the hair-tie has a personality of its own—one touch, and she’s blasted back by its power.

As Mu Sheng collapses, defeated and hopeless, Miao Miao refuses to let go. She crawls back to him, determined, and reaches for his face. Her touch lights a spark in his eyes, and as he leans into her embrace, she sees just how much he needs this connection. He craves this closeness.

Unleashing the Black Lotus

With all her strength, Miao Miao grips the hair-tie and forces it to unravel, unlocking Mu Sheng’s “black lotus” daemon form and revealing the darkness he’s kept hidden.

• Mu Sheng: “You… aren’t afraid of me?”

Her silent, unflinching shake of the head says it all—she’s not scared, not one bit.

Episode 8: A Blast from the Past and a Touch of Vulnerability

Ah, the nostalgia! We’re treated to a sweet “Childhood Connection” moment as Miao Miao wakes up to find a bunny-shaped apple by her bedside. Turns out, Mu Sheng carved it for her, bringing back memories of someone special from her past. With his usual awkwardness, Mu Sheng brushes it off, saying his jie watched over her while she was out cold for two days. Downplaying his own care, of course. But Miao Miao’s got other priorities—like tearing Mu Sheng’s clothes apart to inspect his injuries. You know, for medical reasons. Totally legit.

When Mu Sheng sees her smile, he’s taken aback. Miao Miao admits something: there isn’t a day she doesn’t smile when she thinks of him. It's you who changed, A Sheng! His bashful retreat is adorable, though the System quickly jumps in to ruin the moment with a love score update. It’s at 85%! Or… no, wait. Oops, decimal error—it’s just 8.5%.

Then Mu Sheng re-enters with an intense question: why did she risk her life to save him? Was her confession back then really genuine? Miao Miao feels a pang of guilt as she realizes his sincerity.

Later, in a sweet gesture, Miao Miao starts washing Mu Sheng’s bloodied clothes, hoping his jie won’t get suspicious. She learns that his hair-tie actually keeps his daemon side in check, holding back an overwhelming force. He fears that one day he might not be able to control it. While washing his clothes, Miao Miao quips, “Could you stop bleeding next time? Blood is way harder to clean than dirt!” It’s her playful way of telling him she cares—she doesn’t want him getting hurt anymore.

The air between them thickens, and Miao Miao, ever the sweet tease, is on a mission: get this daemon to stop hurting himself, one gentle ribbing at a time.

Love Points, Hypnotism, and… a Timid Daemon?

The System is teasing us again! Miao Miao’s “Love Meter” jumps to 10%. Oh, wait… now it’s 20%! But before we get too excited, Mu Sheng decides he can’t risk Miao Miao knowing his secret, so he hypnotizes her into returning home. As he bids her farewell, he even tenderly washes her hand, wiping away any trace of soap—and, perhaps, their growing closeness.

But, of course, even under a spell, Miao Miao manages to get herself lost and stumbles straight into a daemon’s lair. Mu Sheng, panicked, rushes to her rescue, only to discover that the “evil daemon” she encountered is a harmless, shy little Bamboo Shoot kid named Cui Cui. Despite his otherworldly origins, Cui Cui is just a socially anxious soul who really, really wants humans to leave him alone. He’s just a kid waiting for his grandpa to return home. The wordplay on his name—Sunzi, or "grandson"—adds a little cultural depth, hinting at a lower social status in a hierarchy where grandfathers hold all the respect, while grandsons have none.

With all the drama and urgency, Mu Sheng arrives ready to fight, only to find out that Miao Miao is safe and that Cui Cui is more scared of being stir-fried with beef than anything else. Miao Miao’s plea to spare the little guy saves him, and she gently diffuses the situation. But Mu Sheng is left feeling guilty—he’s pushed Miao Miao away, yet she’s the one who always tries to get close to him. That longing glance he sneaks? Yeah, he’s trying hard not to let her see how much he cares.

As jie and jiefu have yet to arrive, Mu Sheng’s guilt and admiration linger in the air, leaving us all wondering how long he can keep his walls up around Miao Miao.

Back with Mu Sheng, Miao Miao plays the “ignore him” card, letting him stew a bit as she munches on peeled fruits (which she’s too lazy to peel herself). Mu Sheng tries to win her back with a tangerine, but she’s not letting him off that easily. Jealousy strikes hard when Liu Fu Yi offers Miao Miao a protective charm, stirring Mu Sheng’s feelings to a fever pitch.

After the silent treatment, Miao Miao brings tangerines to Mu Sheng’s room, cheerfully calling him “shifu~” and declaring she has no hands to peel them herself. A grumpy Mu Sheng demands to know why she didn’t expose his secrets to his jie, and she reminds him, “You owe me a favor, remember?” This playful exchange mends things between them, and they share a promise: Mu Sheng will never push her away again.

Finally, Miao Miao’s hand is needed in a serious moment — Mu Sheng crafts her a ring, slipping it on her finger with surprising tenderness. It’s just a relic, he insists, though it’s a bit too perfectly matched with his own bangles. Accidental “couple items” for the win!

DramaZen's Opinion

We’re finally seeing Mu Sheng’s icy exterior start to melt towards Miao Miao in these episodes, and it’s everything! Though he’s still bickering with her and questioning her motives, he’s clearly seeing her in a whole new light. When he set off the “peace” fireworks in the sky and crafted a ring just for her, I couldn’t help but feel a burst of happiness for Miao Miao—such a heartwarming moment.

The demons appearing in their journey have added so much intrigue and humor. The money-hungry frog demon was such a fun addition, especially as Miao Miao learns her father’s reputation wasn’t as tainted as she once feared. And let’s talk about Cui Cui! He’s officially the cutest bamboo shoot demon ever—his shy, anxious demeanor is just too adorable.

I’m also loving the budding camaraderie among the group. The four of them venturing out together, tackling demons side by side, really brings a sense of friendship and teamwork to the story.

Then, the water demon attack brought an unexpected twist, giving Miao Miao a glimpse of Mu Sheng’s deepest secret: the reason behind his mysterious hair-tie. When Miao Miao reassures him that it’s okay to be half-demon, her acceptance and unwavering support are clearly touching him in ways he never expected. This vulnerability leads to the sweetest moments—her washing his bloodstained clothes to protect his secret, and that intimate scene where she places her head in his hand. Absolutely adorable and swoon-worthy! The chemistry between these two just keeps getting better. 🥰