The ending of Love in Pavilion 淮水竹亭 delivered what many fans already saw coming. If you’re familiar with the manhua or even the donghua (which had already animated the tragic ending), the live-action sticks to the same outcome—albeit with many creative liberties from start to end. Unlike the Fox Spirit Matchmaker stories, this one is a full live-action series, which meant more backstory was added to every character. That’s why we get to meet so many of them—only for them to end up as names on tombstones. Almost every major character meets a tragic fate, echoing themes of love and sacrifice. [SPOILERS AHEAD]
What Happened to the Masked Daoists?
The young and fearless Masked Daoists are practically wiped out. With the live-action fleshing out each of the members and their love stories, what we end up with are couples dying by each other’s hands. Yang Yitan (Zhai Xiaowen), possessed by the black fox, stabs Wangquan Zui (Wu Xuanyi), who sacrifices herself to awaken him. Realizing what he’s done, Yang Yitan destroys his third eye and dies—but not before saving Wangquan Hongye (Zhang Yunlong) from suicide.
Qing Muyuan (Meng Ziyi), also under control, kills Zhang Zheng (Ding Yuxi), who brings her back before dying. She dies in battle to join him in death. Deng Qiyue (Sun Zihang) is killed no longer able to go back to his daughter. Li Quzhuo (Zhao Yibo) survives only because his brother Li Zizai (Chen Youwei) exchanges his own life for his using a talisman, allowing one to carry on.
Comparing the Live-Action to the Original
The deaths in the live-action feel even more emotional because of the added character development. In the donghua, everything happens quickly—swift and brutal. The Masked Daoists were hot-blooded youths who fearlessly ventured out, only to be violently defeated such as Wangquan Zui being killed by Wangquan Hongye (Wangquan Baye) and not Yang Yitan, and the carnage was gruesome—chopped in half, bloody, and unrelenting. The details such as who killed who and how they died differ, but the outcome remains the same: almost everyone dies.
Wangquan Hongye’s Final Tragedy
Wangquan Hongye survives after dealing a final blow to the black fox but returns to yet another heartbreak. Dongfang Huaizhu (Liu Shishi) had battled Jin Renfeng, who sabotaged her. Knowing her bloodline will continue through her child, she welcomes and endures childbirth, fully aware it will drain her spiritual power and cost her life. She dies in her husband Hongye’s arms, leaving only a baby behind. Once a powerful swordsman, Hongye becomes a shell of his former self, living only for his son, Wangquan Fugui whom we’ll see in Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Sword and Beloved.
Is It Too Sad to Watch?
If you’re not a fan of sad endings, this drama isn’t for you. The time-travel plot twist of having the main characters traveling 20 years into the future to learn about their own deaths makes their sacrifice even more gut-wrenching, as the heroes knowingly choose death with only a glimmer of hope that they might change the future. Some fans argue that if the show made so many changes, they could’ve changed the ending too. But once you accept that everyone was always going to die, it’s just time to grab tissues – you’ll need them. There’s no denying Love in Pavilion stands as the saddest chapter in the Fox Spirit Matchmaker universe.
On a happier note, Dongfang Qinlan (Shen Yue) survived, appearing with her little boy, as we knew she would since she’s the mother of Dongfang Yuechu from Fox Spirit Matchmaker Red-Moon Pact.
let
Im not a fan of sad endings actually and i do not watch series until all the eps are out and im able to know the ending, but since im a fan of Zhang Yunlong i started watching it as soon as it release and it was only when i started Love in Pavilion too that i get to know there’s a precedent series, the Red-Moon Pact. I’m now at Ep23 yet, cause i got busy these past days.. and now reading this, OMG ! Not all the love-pair tragic endings 😭
avarachika
😭 It was a very sad ending, and also a beautiful ending that was done right.
Applefish
This series would make a better dent if they have a better FL, chemistry between the 2 leads were not there. At times, their interactions were awkward, their kiss were dead fish (even more hilarious when you can ML is trying, but it likes he’s doing CPR and that fish ain’t coming back 😅 the story telling was rather boring. Idk the IP, n because of that, I have no prior understanding of any character, n the drama just doesn’t know how to make you care for any of them 🙄