Dear readers, this is the Ending Explained of Scent of Time drama. I cried a bucket of tears. This drama is the first drama that left me bittersweet. Sad, yet entertaining. The ending of this drama was considered an open ending. However, this is the most reasonable and logical ending for a rebirth drama, so without further ado, let’s go!
Scent of Time Ending Explained
What Happened to Hua Qian?
Hua Qian was deeply affected by the death of her brother Hua Shen. It was the second time she had to lay her eyes on her brother’s pale and cold body. Despite Hua Shen’s foolishness, Hua Qian remembered him as someone who always loved, cared, and doted on her.
To investigate his killer, Hua Qian needed help. She devised a plan to capture Wu Shuo Mo and force Mu Yao to find the person behind the other group. Hua Qin suspected Meng Yi Fei because she was the one who was not shocked to hear that Hua Qian was the target of the assassination. However, the Meng family was cunning. and Mu Yao couldn’t find any evidence of their crime.
While she was being burdened with Hua Shen’s murder, Zhong Xi Wu plotted against Hua Rong Zhou out of jealousy. He told Hua Qian that Hua Rong Zhou was a dangerous man and a killer. Hua Qian did not believe in one-sided stories. She trusted Hua Rong Zhou because he always protected her sincerely.
Every time Hua Qian asked Zhong Xi Wu about Hua Shen’s matter, he froze. He told her to leave the matter to him and not worry because he would find the mastermind. Hua Qian’s heart sank because she knew what he meant. Zhong Xi Wu was trying to protect Meng Yi Fei.
Hua Qian chose to gather evidence to free Hua Rong Zhou on her own. However, she couldn’t even locate the Li couple. She felt powerless and sought assistance from Zhong Xi Wu, who refused to help her. Eventually, unexpected assistance came from Zhong Ye Lan.
The Li couple had been in hiding in a dilapidated courtyard outside of the city. When Hua Qian investigated and sought the truth from them, she discovered that at first, the couple did not want to be involved with Hua Rong Zhou because they knew that their parents were evil.
However, a powerful noble person forced them to accuse Hua Rong Zhou, and they hid because they were fearful of the repercussions. Hua Qian’s heart sank because she could guess who the noble person was.
Hua Qian convinced her father to resign and leave the city. Hua Weng’an agreed to her request. Afterward, Hua Qian revisited Zhong Xi Wu and pleaded with him to spare Hua Rong Zhou. And in return, she and her father would not pursue Hua Shen’s killer. Zhong Xi Wu turned pale when he listened to her.
Hua Qian forced him to grant her request by directly telling him that Meng Yi Fei had killed her brother. She said her father would resign and they would return to their hometown. Zhong Xi Wu got nervous when he heard her say that she wanted to leave. He handed over the letters proving that Hua Weng’an framed Mu Yun Ping. These letters were supposed to be in her drawer right now. This only means one thing, Yin Xin was a spy for Zhong Xi Wu.
Zhong Xi Wu threatened Hua Qian with the safety of her family. Hua Qian was forced to expose her father’s mistake at the Butlers’ meeting. Her heart was shattered, she threw away the pouch that had always been on her body. It contained the white jade bottle of Jinhua Powder given to her by Zhong Xi Wu.
Hua Qian spent most of her time with her parents while waiting for the Butler meeting. The night before the feast, she requested her father to keep her mother at home and asked about the details of Hua Weng’an framing Butler Mu.
Hua Qian then asked Hua Rong Zhou to go to a city south of the Yangtze River to look for a suitable house for her parents. Hua Rong Zhou initially refused, but Hua Qian convinced him to go. While conversing, Hua Qian smelled the mysterious incense again. She asked Hua Rong Zhou if he smelled the same scent.
Surprisingly, he recognized it as something coming from her since they first met. But when she asked Qian Zhi, she couldn’t smell it.
The following day, before heading to the Butlers Meeting, Hua Rong Zhou urged her to find him as soon as possible, or else he would be the one looking for her.
At the Butler meeting, after dealing with Meng Yi Fei, Hua Qian told her father that whatever happened that day, she did it to protect her family. Then Hua Qian went to kneel before Zhong Xi Wu and his mother. She exposed the Hua family’s crime.
Surprisingly, Hua Weng’an remained calm and pleaded guilty when Zhong Xi Wu asked him. So Zhong Xi Wu ordered the guards to arrest Hua Weng’an. He told everyone that Hua Qian was a wise and upright person, so he would not punish her. Mistress Zhong abruptly became alert because she realized Zhong Xi Wu planned to bring Hua Qian to Zhong Garden.
However, Hua Qian suddenly took all the blame for her father’s mistake and begged Zhong Xi Wu and Mistress Zhong to punish her. However, Hua Weng’an was not silent either. He insisted that he was the culprit.
After the guard took her father away, Hua Qian was detained in the courtyard of Zhong Garden. Zhong Xi Wu often visited her, but Hua Qian always ignored him. One day, they argued about Hua Rong Zhou and Hua Qian threatened him with her life. To stop her, Zhong Xi Wu clasped the bracelet knife, despite the pain it caused.
Zhong Xi Wu’s heart was broken when he said that she would jump off the cliff for Zhong Ye Lan, take the fall for her father, and threaten him with her life for the sake of Hua Rong Zhou. He cried when he said that Hua Qian did not love him. This made Hua Qian’s heart bleed because she also had feelings for him.
Mistress Zhong became furious after Hua Qian caused Zhong Xi Wu’s injury. She then gave Hua Qian a cup of poisoned wine, and Hua Qian drank it without hesitation.
Mistress Zhong did not kill Hua Qian. She sent her to a small town by the river and gave her a house and money. As long as she never left the town, the Hua family would be safe. Hua Qian stayed in the house for over two years and befriended several people in town, including a divorcee named Yunniang, a stubborn man named Xu Ming, and a girl named Bai Luo who was always after him.
Hua Qian cherished her relationship with them and enjoyed living in the small town, but still missed her parents.
One day, Yunniang disappeared from the neighborhood, but suddenly Hua Rong Zhou arrived in the city. He moved into Hua Qian’s house and they enjoyed each other’s company. While doing laundry in the river, a person suddenly appeared and he was Zhong Xi Wu. He informed Hua Qian that her parents were fine and that she was now free.
As a thank-you gift, Hua Qian sent Zhong Xi Wu a bowl of Longevity Noodles. Zhong Xi Wu became emotional upon seeing it but decided not to accept it.
What Happened to Zhong Xi Wu?
Throughout history, jealousy between people of different social statuses has often led to negative results. Zhong Xi Wu became aware of the closeness between Hua Qian and Hua Rong Zhou, and it made him jealous.
Zhong Xi Wu exposed that Hua Rong Zhou had killed people in the past. He used this as a reason to imprison Hua Rong Zhou and keep him away from Hua Qian. However, he failed to realize that his actions would push Hua Qian away from him.
Zhong Xi Wu was aware that the mastermind behind the murder attempt on Hua Qian was Meng Yi Fei and the Meng family. Although he was enraged, he was unable to punish them as he wished. As the Meng family has business rights in the South, he could not forcibly take over their power because it would lead to chaos in the business.
Hua Qian’s plea at Zhong Garden to spare Hua Rong Zhou’s life in return for revealing Meng Yi Fei’s activities, made Zhong Xi Wu realize that Hua Qian had found out everything. He got panicked when Hua Qian said she would leave town with her family. He had to stop her from leaving, so he forced her to expose her father’s crime at the butler’s meeting.
Zhong Xi Wu told her that he did all of this to keep her by his side. Broken-hearted, Hua Qian ignored him and walked away. Zhong Xi Wu also suffered to know that Hua Qian was still willing to do anything for Hua Rong Zhou. Hua Qian said that Hua Rong Zhou treated her sincerely, and she would never abandon someone who was kind to her. But in his heart, Zhong Xi Wu believed that he had been sincere to her as well.
Zhong Xi Wu’s attempt to add Hua Qian to his harem failed as she pleaded guilty for her father. She insisted on punishment, including the death penalty. Zhong Xi Wu explained that he had planned to protect Hua Qian and her family. He went to great lengths to keep her by his side. But Hua Qian refused because being a part of Zhong Garden was too daunting and complicated.
Zhong Xi Wu could only say that in her heart, his position was insignificant. However, Hua Qian refuted his words because he had already made up his mind. She had given him many opportunities to tell her about Meng Yi Fei. But he had decided to remain silent. This hurt Hua Qian deeply, as her brother was the one who was killed.
Therefore, Hua Qian believed that Zhong Xi Wu could not protect her. Because of his position, Zhong Xi Wu had a lot to consider. He may have her in his heart at this moment, but love tends to fade over time.
He locked Hua Qian up in one of the courtyards in Zhong Garden. She always ignored him. But one day when he mentioned Hua Rong Zhou, Hua Qian got upset and threatened him with her life. Zhong Xi Wu held the knife in his hand, ignoring the blood seeping from his wound.
Then he told Hua Qian that that day was his birthday. He had been thinking about her longevity noodles, but it seemed he would never taste them. Zhong Xi Wu said she could love Zhong Ye Lan and Hua Rong Zhou, but not him.
Mistress Zhong discovered that Zhong Xi Wu had been injured because of Hua Qian. She was furious and went to see Hua Qian with a cup of poisoned wine. She warned Hua Qian that she would not tolerate her anymore. Zhong Xi Wu repeatedly broke the rules for her.
As the lord of the Zhong family, he should focus solely on the business. He loved Hua Qian more than anything else, but if she married into the Zhong Garden, it would never be peaceful. Thus, Hua Qian took the wine straight away. She drank it after she pleaded for her family’s safety, and Mistress Zhong agreed.
Zhong Xi Wu panicked upon learning that his mother was visiting Hua Qian. However, he only saw a burning courtyard with no survivors. He visited his mother who replied that she did it for his own good. Zhong Xi Wu realized how helpless Hua Qian must have felt when she heard the same words from him.
Zhong Xi Wu investigated Hua Qian’s death and found out that his mother had sent her to a small town far away. The pain of not being able to shield her overwhelmed him. He assigned one of his shadow guards, Qin Yun, to safeguard her and write him reports every 5 days.
For over two years, Zhong Xi Wu gave Hua Rong Zhou an opportunity to defeat his subordinates for Hua Qian’s information. Hua Rong Zhou would come every fifth day of the month to fight his subordinates, but he always failed.
After Hua Rong Zhou managed to defeat Lin Jiang and Chen Yuan, Zhong Xi Wu gave up. He told Hua Rong Zhou that he envied him. He’s just a guard, but he has the freedom to love Hua Qian and the ability to protect her. Meanwhile, despite having all the wealth and power in his hands, he couldn’t do it.
Zhong Xi Wu instructed Qin Yun to return because there was someone who would take care of Hua Qian, and that person was Hua Rong Zhou. He also informed his mother that he would follow her marriage arrangement.
Zhong Xi Wu spread the news that Hua Weng’an had been sentenced to death, and his household was dismissed. He secretly sent Hua Qian’s parents out of the city after informing Hua Weng’an that Hua Qian was doing well and that they might meet her someday.
Until the end, Zhong Xi Wu never knew that Hua Qian always carried the medicine bottle he gave her. Only Steward Gao and Yin Xin knew about it, but Gao told Yin Xin not to mention the bottle to Zhong Xi Wu. Gao believed it would be easier for Zhong Xi Wu to forget Hua Qian if he didn’t know their feelings were mutual.
What Happened to Hua Rong Zhou?
Hua Rong Zhou tried to hide his feelings from Hua Qian, but many people, especially Zhong Xi Wu, could see them clearly. Hua Rong Zhou was always near Hua Qian, which annoyed Zhong Xi Wu. To get rid of him, Zhong Xi Wu investigated his past and pinned a trap on him. Hua Rong Zhou was imprisoned in jail and tortured by the guards.
Hua Rong Zhou was surprised when Hua Qian came to the prison. She was willing to sit next to him and listen to the whole story from his perspective. His eyes sparkled, and he smiled joyfully as if all the torture was worth exchanging for her gentle touch on his head.
When Hua Qian said that the Hua family would be leaving Huangcheng City, he did not hesitate to pledge his loyalty and was willing to follow her. Hua Rong Zhou said that he did not follow Hua Qian for wealth or power. He only wanted to protect her.
Hua Rong Zhou insisted on staying by Hua Qian’s side even when she tried to make him leave. Hua Qian reluctantly agreed to his refusal. Afterward, she tried to make him leave again after she made a deal with Zhong Xi Wu. This time, she had a valid reason by asking Hua Rong Zhou to find a house for the Hua family in the south of the Yangtze River. On the day he left, Hua Rong Zhou watched her departing figure.
More than ten days later, Hua Rong Zhou heard the news about Hua Qian and the Hua family from a passerby at the inn. He immediately set out to return, but Wu Shuo Mo blocked him at the door. Hua Qian had asked Wu Shuo Mo to protect Hua Rong Zhou. He stopped guarding him only after news about Hua Qian’s death spread. He returned to Huangcheng City only to find that Hua Qian had died.
After Zhong Xi Wu saw how much Hua Rong Zhou cared for Hua Qian’s life, Zhong Xi Wu gave Hua Rong Zhou opportunities to defeat his shadow guards in exchange for information about Hua Qian. Hua Rong Zhou fought Chun Yuan every month for over two years before finally succeeding.
Zhong Xi Wu relented only because Hua Rong Zhou refused to kill him, fearing that it would make Hua Qian sad. Hua Rong Zhou told him that he would search for her to the end of the world, and he would definitely find her.
If Hua Qian really died, he would have nothing to lose because he had nothing to begin with. His words struck Zhong Xi Wu’s sore spot. But it made him give up because he was sure that Hua Rong Zhou could protect Hua Qian, something he could not do.
Hua Rong Zhou visited Ju’an town to find Hua Qian. He stayed at her house and taught the children martial arts. During Zhong Xi Wu’s visit to Hua Qian, he didn’t say much other than to remind her to return home.
What Happened to Zhong Ye Lan and Mu Yao?
After investigating, Zhong Ye Lan discovered that Mu Yao was responsible for the attack at the Zhong family banquet. Mu Yao wanted to know who meant more to him, she or Hua Qian. Unfortunately, no one predicted that Hua Qian would take action and fall off the cliff. Zhong Ye Lan chose not to meddle in the affair between Mu Yao and Hua Qian, but he quietly led the Hua family guards to Wu Shuo Mo.
As Mu Yao was indirectly responsible for Hua Shen’s death and the hardship Hua Qian suffered when she jumped off the cliff, she had to yield to Hua Qian. When Hua Qian demanded her to investigate the other group of assassins in exchange for Wu Shuo Mo’s life, Mu Yao agreed. However, Mu Yao was unable to gather any evidence because the culprit was not an ordinary person.
Through Nan Feng, Zhong Ye Lan understood that Zhong Xi Wu was interested in Hua Qian. When Hua Qian was searching for the Li couple, Zhong Ye Lan helped her find them. Zhong Ye Lan reminded Hua Qian that living in Zhong Garden was too complicated, but Hua Qian refuted his words and said that she never said that she would enter Zhong Garden.
At the Butler Meeting, Zhong Ye Lan wanted to help Hua Qian who took the blame for her father. However, Mu Yao prevented him from making things worse.
Zhong Xi Wu asked Zhong Ye Lan to take control of the Meng family’s business in the South. Before leaving, he asked Zhong Xi Wu to let Hua Qian go. To avoid Zhong Xi Wu’s jealousy, Zhong Ye Lan asked Zhong Xi Wu to declare Mu Yao was Zhong Ye Lan’s legal wife and the only woman in his life. Only after that did Zhong Xi Wu stop questioning him.
What Happened to Meng Yi Fei?
Meng Yi Fei planned the assassination attempt at the banquet because she knew that Zhong Xi Wu had fallen in love with Hua Qian. She felt threatened that she might lose her position as Zhong Xi Wu’s wife candidate. Meng Yi Fei got help from her second uncle to carry out the plan.
On the day of the Butler Banquet, Hua Qian called Meng Yi Fei to talk. Meng Yi Fei could no longer mask her disdain for Hua Qian. In her eyes, Hua Qian was shamelessly seducing Zhong Xi Wu. She did not believe when Hua Qian claimed she was not interested in being the matriarch of the Zhong family.
When Meng Yi Fei attempted to hit Hua Qian, Hua Qian dodged and Meng Yi Fei fell to the ground. Hua Qian, angered by Meng Yi Fei’s curse on the Hua family, retaliated by slashing Meng Yi Fei’s face with her knife and leaving her unconscious on the ground.
After Hua Qian was locked up in Zhong Garden, Meng Yi Fei tried to revenge herself but failed. She convinced her uncle to protest Hua Qian’s situation at a meeting. Instead, Meng Ming gave Zhong Xi Wu a chance to remove the Meng family and replace it with Zhong Ye Lan. Later, Zhong Xi Wu rebuked her and kicked her out of Zhong Garden.
Meng Yi Fei left Zhong Garden in a state of distress when she discovered that her sister had taken her spot as Zhong Xi Wu’s wife candidate.
The Present Time
Zhong Xi Wu rescued Hua Qian when she was captured by the guards. She was unconscious after vomiting a mouthful of blood. Unfortunately, Zhong Xi Wu arrived too late and Hua Qian’s mother and brother were already killed by the guards.
Hua Qian was comatose for 26 months. He kept an incense burner near her bed and put Jiayin Pills in it. This is the origin of the incense smell that Hua Qian always sniffed.
When she woke up, Hua Qian asked why Zhong Xi Wu was at her home and asked about Hua Rong Zhou’s whereabouts. The physician and Zhong Xi Wu immediately sensed that something was off. Hua Qian still believed that she was in her dream where she had a second chance in life. To prevent her from being shocked, Zhong Ye Lan pretended and acted as if she was right.
Unfortunately, Zhong Ye Lan and Mu Yao’s visit ruined everything. Zhong Ye Lan came to convince Zhong Xi Wu to come back to Huangcheng. He asked Zhong Xi Wu if he was still angry with his mother for sending the Hua family into exile.
Zhong Ye Lan passed on a message from Mistress Zhong saying that if Zhong Xi Wu could fulfill his duty as a lord, she would not interfere in his affairs. At the same time, Mu Yao went to see Hua Qian and jeered at her. Hua Qian learned from Mu Yao that she never had a second chance in life, everything she believed in was only a dream. Her family members died, and the person she was hoping to find, Hua Rong Zhou, was not there.
Hua Qian was hysterical and said that she did not want to live and wanted to return to her dream. Following her outburst, Hua Qian fell into a coma once again.
To wake her up again, Zhong Xi Wu asked for Zhong Ye Lan’s help, but it was useless. Even after Mu Yao spoke to her and told her to let the bygone be bygone, Hua Qian still did not open her eyes. Zhong Ye Lan suggested Zhong Xi Wu give Hua Qian a reason to live again. So Zhong Xi Wu told Hua Qian that he was always waiting for her.
Zhong Xi Wu had been in love with her for a long time, but never had a chance to express his feelings. He even went against his mother for her. In her dream, Zhong Xi Wu didn’t choose Hua Qian, but in reality, he did choose her.
He reassured her that even though the reality was too painful for her, running away was not the answer. She didn’t need to be afraid because if she woke up, he would be there for her. If she chose not to wake up, he would patiently wait for her.
In her dream, Hua Qian continued her happy life with Hua Rong Zhou, but this time she realized that it was just a dream. One day, she made up her mind to face the reality. That’s when she discovered why Hua Rong Zhou never appeared in her real life. It was because he was a part of her soul that would never leave her, no matter what.
Mistress Zhong eventually relented and delivered a lot of blood amber to be used for Hua Qian’s medicine. It was her sign to let Zhong Xi Wu know that she finally gave in to his request. Just as Zhong Xi Wu was about to inspect the ingredients, he heard someone call his name.
My Two Cents
Zhong Xi Wu was much better in real life than in Hua Qian’s dream. As for Hua Rong Zhou, the second male lead who had a pathetic life, it was sad to know that he was just a fictional character. Nevertheless, this is the most logical and reasonable ending for a rebirth drama.
How did you like this drama, readers? I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. See you in my next Ending Explained post. Goodbye!
