Love Beyond the Grave - Recap Ep 29-30 - His Colours are Too Beautiful
Previous recaps by Ep 1-4, Ep 7-8, Ep 9-10, Ep 11-12, Ep 13-14, Ep 15-16, Ep 17-18, Ep 19-20, Ep 21-22, Ep 23-24, Ep 25-26, Ep 27, Ep 28
Novel fan translation: Love Beyond the Grave
Main characters: He Simu, alias He Xiaoxiao, Sovereign of Spirits
Ep 29: I said she was important, turns out Zi Ji isn't human. Hejia Fengyi says she doesn't have to stay with him but she says she knows what she's doing. (He Simu will later confirm that while Zi Ji isn't mortal, she's not a ghost either)
Turns out the 5th prince was dead and his body was being possessed by Song Xingyu.
This scene was delightfully creepy
He's captured by Hejia Fengyi and He Simu pulls out the consort's obsessions. Song Xingyu says that he knows how He Simu's father died, but he is prevented from saying who he is working with or what happened by magic (we know he was working with Yan Ke). He gets burned to death (second death?)
Duan Xu wins in court and his opposition is beheaded (they didn't spend much time on this so I don't either). All ready to go back to war, after the wedding. He Simu tries to pick out a wedding present for Duan Xu but nothing is good enough, not even Jiang An's awesome stuff. She goes to visit Duan Xu invisibly but he guesses that she is there and tells her why he loves her so much. Then he worries out loud about her forgetting him. He wonders if she misses him as much as he does her and she does!
Bed curtains: effective against ghosts (lol)
Now the scene that every novel reader has been waiting for! He Simu is given the surprise sense of colour and the first thing she sees is Duan Xu in read wedding robes and it's so beautiful. Look at him reflecting in her eyes!
And then she says my favourite line, that he's too beautiful in colour! I have died and been reborn as an obsessed ghost to write the rest of this post. Anyway, turns out Duan Xu never intended to get married anyway, his bride was in love with the perfume seller and Duan Xu helped them elope together. Which is so sweet
He's the guy who was weirdly sad yesterday
Then Duan Xu goes full drama llama and is like: My bride was stolen (I stole her, well I gave her to someone else, same difference) and until I find her (I most definitely won't) I swear to never ever get married again or take a concubine or else MAY I DIE (also, he framed the other country for the theft, which means he gets to War!)
And his dad nearly has a heart attack because his son just made a blood oath in front of everyone so really no take-backsies. But whatever, I don't like his dad anyway.
Then He Simu meets Duan Xu at her parent's old cottage (ah, he replicated it) and she can see all the colour now.
Look at him, standing in the falling petals
Ep 30: Duan Xu tells He Simu he doesn't mind being the 23rd grave in her ex-lover graveyard and she finally gives in (how could she not! He's the most adorable). Also, we knew she was a goner, she's still got his ribbon around her wrist:
Then Duan Xu gives He Simu the sense of touch before they start making out (in the novel they fully have sex and that is what I will be imagining, Ch 67-68).
Duan Xu's father is very angry that he made a vow not to get married, but then decides that at least there is some political benefit. He Simu asks how his father could slap him and he explains that to information they wanted out of kidnapping him as a child was how to refine the special ore. So Duan Xu thinks it's heroic that his father didn't give in, He Simu does not agree
Luda (the young priest from North Chong whose father we met during Smell Vacation) apologizes for his father's actions, but he's told he has to kill his own father to make it right. He tries to quit instead. His dad stabs the high priest and is impaled on a candle stick. Yan Ke arrives to seduce him to the dark side but he doesn't give in.
Duan Xu invites over some third wheels to the couple's retreat:
There is cuteness.
Luda is suffering. Yan Ke is waiting for him to break.
Duan Xu talks with Fang Xianye about going back to the army. He thinks Fang Xianye and his sister should get married, since she keeps talking about visiting "Duan Xu" as a child. But Fang Xianye gives a bunch of reasons against it.
He Simu got sick, so now SHE gets to be a blanket burrito. She's never been sick before so she's a big baby about it (valid). When she's better, Daun Xu's sister takes her to watch him play a ball game.
The ball game is kind of like field hockey. Duan Xu was so good at it that they changed the rules and he usually leaves after scoring the first point, but not this day! He plays 3 vs. 5 instead.
Also of note! An accurate sign for once:
Novel bits: He Simy listing what she likes, trying to come up with a wedding gift
What did she enjoy when she gained sensation? He Simu seriously pondered—what did she like?
Sunlight, wind, ice, rain, snow.
Peonies, fresh grass, firewood, the aroma of food.
Duan Xu’s pulse, heartbeat, breath, scent.
Posted Apr 11, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC