Love in the Clouds- Episodes 3-4
Suspicion Grows, Alliances Blur, and Danger Follows Ming Yi’s Every Step
Episode 4 of Love in the Clouds gives us that perfect blend of mystery, emotional tension, and quiet character reveals that make this drama so addictive. We start with Mu Qibai confronting Ji Bozai, pushing him hard for answers. Ji Bozai launches into this heartbreaking story about being born without spiritual veins and only gaining them later through some miraculous turn of fate. It’s dramatic, sad, and just believable enough that someone might fall for it, but Mu Qibai isn’t having it. He knows Ji Bozai is dodging the real issue: the Golden Millet Dream.
And just when things are getting intense, Ming Yi is caught secretly listening in. She strolls in like she totally meant to be there, leaning casually against the couch, but the moment Mu Qibai notices the Dual Cultivation Manual lying on the bed, he suddenly retreats in this wonderfully awkward exit that says he’s questioning everything.
Once they’re alone, Ji Bozai switches gears and pretends to be affectionate toward Ming Yi. But underneath that soft smile, he’s trying to probe her spiritual veins with his spiritual energy. Ming Yi reads him instantly and uses the moment to search him for the Golden Millet Dream. Both of them are pretending, both testing each other, and neither getting what they want. It’s clever and tense in the most entertaining way. She realizes that what he was truly checking for is the Soul-hiding Nail, a mark placed at birth on fairies with spiritual veins. In other words, he suspects her but doesn’t have proof.
Meanwhile, things get even more layered when Buxiu brings back Moonshade Grass for Ji Bozai and the two visit Hou Zhao, the former Judgement Hall chief. Ji Bozai knows Hou Zhao would do anything to save his daughter Ruo Shui, who suffers from a fatal condition that only this rare herb can cure. When Ji Bozai offers the cure in exchange for Hou Zhao’s memories, Hou Zhao agrees without hesitation. Ji Bozai keeps his word and sends the medicine right away, but what he learns from Hou Zhao later will haunt him.
Buxiu also uncovers Ming Yi’s supposed background, revealing that she’s the daughter of a herb-gathering family and has lived alone since her parents died. The detail that catches Ji Bozai’s attention is the word “cultivated,” the same word Hou Zhao used when speaking about the Golden Millet Dream. It’s a subtle but meaningful clue for him.
As for Ming Yi, she’s busy hatching her own plan. She finds a special worm that can track the Golden Millet Dream and asks Twenty-Seven to tame it. Once the worm is freed from its original master, it becomes hers to command. At the same time, Ming Xin grows more furious with every failed attempt to seize control, while Granny Xun arrives with a message: Ming Yi must prepare for the upcoming Qingyun Tournament.
Because Ming Yi needs to accompany Ji Bozai, she has to learn the formal etiquette of the divine capital. Twenty-Seven senses Ji Bozai is planning something, but Ming Yi doesn’t show a hint of worry. With the worm now working for her, she believes finding the Golden Millet Dream is only a matter of time.
Ji Bozai, however, is struggling. Every time he tries to meditate and enter Hou Zhao’s memories, Ming Yi disrupts him with her conveniently mistimed movements outside his room. It’s just enough to break his concentration, and honestly, it’s a little funny watching her throw him off without even trying too hard.
Eventually, Granny Xun steps in to teach Ming Yi etiquette, but her lessons are filled with intentional challenges. Ming Yi navigates them with a mix of tears, charm, and determination, enough to make Ji Bozai feel protective and soften Granny Xun’s attitude. Even her attempt to make Blessing Cakes turns into an all-night effort. Her hands are stained red, the kitchen looks like a battlefield, but the pastries turn out surprisingly good. Granny Xun is not only touched; she starts opening up about her own past and her loyalty to Ji Bozai. Ming Yi comforts her with genuine warmth, and by the end, Granny Xun is completely disarmed.
When Ji Bozai finally manages to access Hou Zhao’s memories, we see the truth behind his master Bo Yulan’s death, and it is devastating. Hou Zhao imprisoned her at Mu Qibai’s command, torturing her for the Golden Millet Dream formula. Even under unbearable pain, she refused to give in. Then a man in black arrived, tearing her soul from her body with a soul-seizing artifact. The moment is horrific, and watching Ji Bozai relive it breaks him. He vows to take down every person responsible, no matter what it costs him.
The episode closes on a haunting note as Ming Yi senses an eerie shift in the air. She steps outside to find the courtyard littered with withered branches and fallen leaves, swept up in a cold, unsettling stillness, hinting that something dangerous is approaching.
Gossip Spreads, Loyalties Shift, and the Truth Cuts Closer Than Ever
Episode 5 dives deeper into the tangled politics, messy emotions, and shifting loyalties surrounding Ji Bozai, and it all plays out with that perfect mix of tension and quiet romantic sparks that the drama does so well.
We start years earlier, when Princess Tianji first noticed Ji Bozai’s incredible talent and invited him to join the Qingyun Tournament on behalf of Jixing Abyss. Ji Bozai agreed, but only on a dramatic life-or-death condition. He promised to fight for her as long as she never questioned the origin of his spiritual veins. If he defeated Ming Xian, she would clear his name and make him an Immortal. But if he failed, he accepted death without complaint. Even then, Ji Bozai’s confidence had edges sharp enough to cut.
Now, with the Emperor gravely ill and his mind fading in and out, Tianji believes that marrying Ji Bozai will stabilize the realm. She admits to her father that everything will fall into place once they are wed, but Ji Bozai keeps sidestepping the topic entirely. Meanwhile, Immortal Yan Xiao, who once harbored feelings for Tianji, watches her preference for Ji Bozai with open resentment. Their confrontation is icier than a winter cliffside. Tianji accuses him of turning her father into a puppet; Yan Xiao counters with calm explanations, trying to paint himself as a healer instead of a schemer. She finds his self-righteousness nauseating, and in a strange way, it only makes Ji Bozai look even better to her.
Yan Xiao warns her to investigate her potential consort more carefully, even hinting about a mysterious new mistress of Wugui Sea. But Tianji dismisses it, insisting Ji Bozai’s flirtations are nothing she hasn’t seen before. Their argument escalates when Yan Xiao reminds her of her past mistakes—especially falling for him. Tianji fires back that Ji Bozai stands tall on his own strength, unlike some people who claw their way up by any means necessary.
Later, Tianji attempts to remind Ji Bozai of everything she has done for him, freeing him from prison and giving him the chance to compete. Ji Bozai answers without hesitation: their arrangement is a fair deal, nothing more. With the Emperor effectively incapacitated and Lord Hanfeng’s influence growing, securing a marriage decree would be nearly impossible anyway. To him, winning the tournament is far more valuable than becoming anyone’s consort.
Furious, Tianji orders her people to drag Ming Yi to Shouhua Academy. Ming Yi is shocked to learn that the academy’s venerable leader is none other than Princess Tianji herself. Tianji demands that she leave Ji Bozai, offering wealth and blessings in exchange. Ming Yi counters boldly by asking for the Golden Millet Dream, an item Tianji cannot produce. Tianji then tries intimidation, threatening her life. Knowing Ji Bozai is listening just beyond the door, Ming Yi declares her devotion in a dramatic confession, saying she has been hopelessly in love with him ever since he saved her from Moonlit Blossoms. Her declaration pushes Tianji over the edge, and she orders Xiuyun to kill her.
Ji Bozai storms in right on time, shielding Ming Yi. He coldly reminds Tianji that everything between them has always been a transaction, not affection. Tianji reluctantly accepts his stance, but her pride smolders. Before leaving, Ji Bozai delivers a chilling threat: anyone who harms Ming Yi, Emperor or not, will pay with their life.
Tianji’s guard questions his audacity, but Tianji brushes it aside. As long as Ji Bozai hasn’t allied with her uncle’s faction, she can tolerate his temper.
Meanwhile, Ming Xin pays a visit to Moonlit Blossoms to track down information on Ming Yi. Zhang Tai and the other women instantly sense danger and protect Ming Yi by pretending to know nothing. Later, Zhang Tai secretly visits Ming Yi and describes the intruder: tall, handsome, thin, and suspicious. One detail, his refusal to drink wine but willingness to nibble a chestnut cake, gives everything away. Ming Yi realizes the “mysterious stranger” was her foolish brother, Ming Xin.
Elsewhere, Lord Hanfeng (Mu Qibai) summons Situ Ling, the new head of the Judgment Hall, under the guise of a polite meeting that is thinly veiled intimidation. Situ Ling refuses to play into his games and leaves. Not satisfied, Mu Qibai’s attendant suggests holding a banquet to test Ji Bozai by bringing up Bo Yulan, a woman from his past.
On their way to the banquet, Ming Yi casually asks Ji Bozai about Ming Xian after finding a broken iron fan in his room. Ji Bozai explains that the weapon belonged to Ming Xian, a powerful warrior he once believed could defeat him. But during their battle, Ming Xian’s spiritual power suddenly collapsed, and Ji Bozai nearly killed him. Ming Xian’s own weapon saved his life, and Ji Bozai has kept it ever since hoping to return it. This moment helps Ming Yi realize Ji Bozai wasn’t the one who poisoned her with Heavenly Grief.
At the banquet, Yan Xiao raises a toast to Ji Bozai. Ji Bozai declines, saying he can’t drink because Ming Yi won’t allow it, prompting Ming Yi to drink in his stead. Then Mu Qibai arrives with a portrait of a beautiful woman found in Hou Zhao’s old residence. It’s Bo Yulan. Mu Qibai watches Ji Bozai closely as he asks if he recognizes her. Though deeply shaken inside, Ji Bozai maintains a calm exterior, insisting that any past connections are long gone and that Ming Yi is the only one in his heart now.
Immortal Sun Liao makes an inappropriate remark about the woman in the portrait, and Ming Yi instantly reacts by knocking over a cup. When Sun Liao grabs her, Ji Bozai lashes out violently, silencing the entire hall. Mu Qibai slyly asks whether Ji Bozai’s anger is for the woman beside him, or the woman in the portrait. Ming Yi kneels to take the blame, but Ji Bozai lifts her up, stating he is simply protecting the person he loves. Disgusted by the atmosphere, he declares the place filled with scoundrels and leaves with Ming Yi.
On the way home, Ming Yi admits she caused the disturbance intentionally, and Ji Bozai responds with a simple, understanding “I know” as he gently massages her bruised wrist.
Later that night, Ming Yi follows the magical tracking worm to a ruined site and discovers Ji Bozai’s Spirit Well hidden beneath. Inside lies the antidote she needs: the Golden Millet Dream. But a barrier prevents anyone from entering unless they share Ji Bozai’s divine consciousness. Twenty-Seven casually suggests marriage as the easiest workaround, since newlyweds automatically form a heart imprint through the Marriage Stone. The marriage can be dissolved later by erasing their names. Ming Yi agrees, already thinking about how to coax Ji Bozai into the arrangement.
Remembering his emotional reaction to Bo Yulan’s portrait, she decides helping him retrieve it will strengthen his feelings for her. Twenty-Seven distracts Ming Xin, who has been following Ming Yi, while Ming Yi slips into the Judgment Hall. But Ji Bozai arrives at the same time with the same goal. They nearly collide inside. When Ji Bozai demands to know why she’s there, Ming Yi smoothly answers that she came “for you,” and then improvises a shameless story about using charm to convince the guards to let her in. Ji Bozai’s suspicion is clear, but he chooses not to question her further, at least for now.
The episode ends with both of them standing inside the Judgment Hall, wrapped in tension, secrets, and an unspoken connection that neither of them is quite ready to confront.
DramaZen's Opinion
I have to say, these last two episodes of Love In the Clouds completely swept me away. You know that feeling when a show suddenly ties together every thread, every secret, every lingering glance and somehow makes it all feel bigger than you expected? That was exactly what happened here.
What stood out to me most was the emotional depth. Ji Bozai has always danced on that line between cunning and vulnerable, but watching him finally peel back the truth of his past hit so much harder than I expected. His grief over Master Bo Yulan wasn’t just touching, it explained everything. All the manipulation, all the secrecy, all those moments when he seemed just a bit too calm. Suddenly, it all made sense, and I honestly felt for him in a way I hadn’t before.
And Ming Yi, what a perfect balance she gave these final chapters. I loved how quietly clever she was, how she always seemed one step ahead even while pretending to be soft and harmless. The way she handled Ji Bozai’s traps, Granny Xun’s sharp questioning, and every twist thrown her way… it made her growth feel so satisfying. She didn’t push her way through the story; she slipped through it with grace and determination. I found myself rooting for her more than ever.
I also adored the glimpses of warmth tucked between the danger. Granny Xun falling for the Blessing Cakes had me smiling from ear to ear. The little moments, Ming Yi’s late-night studying, Ji Bozai trying and failing to meditate with her constantly “accidentally” bumping around outside, were the kind of scenes that remind you why you love xianxia dramas in the first place.
But the finale’s emotional weight really landed when Ji Bozai entered Hou Zhao’s memories. The reveal of what happened to his master was haunting, and seeing his calm façade crack was honestly heartbreaking. The courtyard filled with withering leaves at the end was such a beautiful touch...quiet, eerie, and full of meaning.
These episodes had everything: tension, revelations, a few well-timed soft moments, and the kind of storytelling that circles back to hit you right in the heart. If you’ve stuck with the drama this far, the ending absolutely rewards you. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll sit there afterward thinking about these characters long after the final scene fades.
