Love Beyond the Grave - Recap Ep 13-14 - Smells like Vacation
Previous recaps by u/bronzebellriver: Ep 1-4, Ep 7-8, and myself Ep 9-10, Ep 11-12
Novel fan translation: Love Beyond the Grave
Main characters: He Simu, fake name He Xiaoxiao, Sovereign of Spirits
Duan Xu, courtesy name Shunxi, cult name Seventeen
Ep 13: Time jump! Duan Xu reclaims the two cities he wanted to take, North Chong is having a succession struggle so they don't fight back that hard. Everyone is getting a break, Duan Xu asks He Simu if they can hang out in the enemy city. But first! She tells him to eat something and he just eats it, because what can he do anyway? It's her spirit lantern, so he can protect her when she's mortal (ish). He can see spirit senses:
He gives her smell. It's adorable.
They go to Youzhou, the strong city still held by North Chong. We meet a merchant, Yili'er, who is being pressured to find more gold. Duan Xu walks around invisible and runs into some other spirits, while He Simu meets one of Duan Xu's spies who makes perfumes. Duan Xu accidentally kills a fugitive spirit with his sword and then gets some ghost lessons from a little thief ghost.
Yili'er has a deal with the ghost He Simu is looking for to gain wealth
He Simu smells rain. There is plot happening all around but I'm like, "Awww, look at the cute people and her discovering smells."
Duan Xu has He Simu smell wine, and despite his advice she gets drunk. He takes her to bed and quotes some poetry (hot). Then she cuddles with his arm and he kisses her.
But there are assassins! Duan Xu has way too much fun fighting them as a ghost (no, the right amount of fun). They meet with Yili'er who is very interested in He Simu having a spirit. The merchant wants He Simu to stay with him.
Ep 14: Merchant Yili'er pretends to tell if artifacts are genuine or fake (he can tell because of his ghost deal), then steals them while pretending to destroy them. Yili'er wants He Simu's spirit instead of his current one (greedy).
We meet Song Xingyu, the ghost He Simu is looking for. He gives the little thief spirit from earlier a gold glove so she can steal Duan Xu's sword. He's plotting against He Simu.
Yili'er asks He Simu to use her spirit to delay the return of his son, Luda, so he can get her alone. The little spirit tries to catch Duan Xu and take his sword, but it burns through her special glove.
Luda recognizes Duan Xu as Seventeen and immediately trusts him. They go back to Yili'er's house. He Simu has a dream about her parents again. This seems to be a trick of a dream, because her parents ask her to die with them. He Simu wakes up, saying Song Xingyu tried to kill her in a dream. He wants the spirit lantern, she asks why he wants it. His answer isn't good so she refuses (he just wants it because it's special, not to do anything with it).
Duan Xu returns in time with Luda. Turns out Yili'er has been sacrificing his children for wealth and Luda's advancement. Song Xingyu pulls out a sonic weapon of some type. Duan Xu defeats him but doesn't kill him because he looks like a kid. It snows as the barrier falls down:
He Simu smells Duan Xu again and he's like, "If I smell so good, why not smell me MORE?"
He figures that he's already gone over the line with the kiss so whatever, she'll get him when she gets her powers back. I love them.
Random note: He Simu's style of ruling, where she never explains herself or apologizes and expects her subordinates to do what she says, reminds me of Dongfang Qingcang from Love Between Fairy and Devil.
Anyway, I love this show so much
Posted Apr 2, 2026, 12:37 PM UTC