Kenshin didn't answer Tomoe's question — but in truth, he completely did.
Forget whether he would want to live that kind of life if it were real — even knowing it was fake, Kenshin still wanted it to last.
Just being with Tomoe, pretending to be a pharmacist, growing vegetables, playing the role of husband and wife — this had already become the happiest period of his entire life.
Barrage of comments from viewers:
[Hiko Seijūrō: Keep talking. Do you remember what I told you before you came down the mountain?]
[Hiko Seijūrō: My foolish apprentice…]
[So that's how it is for everyone, huh?]
[I wasn't expecting to get emotional, but… here we are.]
[Was that a confession?! That was Kenshin confessing to Tomoe, right?!]
[Su Yan (the writer) really knows what he's doing. Never thought I'd be watching a Samurai/Wuxia drama, watching the main characters sell medicine and grow veggies, grinning like an auntie.]
[Kenshin's finally realizing that he's one of the people he wants to save. Killing without caring about himself just leads to his own breakdown.]
[Go for it, Kenshin!]
[At least hold her hand, man! I'm dying over here!]
In the next scene, Tomoe opens up to Kenshin about everything — her background, her purpose for coming to Kyoto — everything except that her fiancé was killed by Kenshin.
And at that moment, Lin Yuting — along with many viewers — felt the heavy tension in her chest ease up.
Winter arrived.
Kenshin and Tomoe walked through heavy snow to sell their medicine.
White snow stretched across the screen. Kenshin in black, Tomoe in white — a stunningly beautiful contrast.
Kenshin walked ahead.
Tomoe struggled behind him, out of breath, eventually falling to her knees in the snow.
Kenshin turned back — and beneath his straw hat, his gaze was gentle and clear.
He reached out a hand to her.
"If you don't hurry, you'll catch a cold."
Tomoe stared up at him, trembling.
In that one look — without a word — the show conveyed everything unspoken between them.
Lin Yuting held her breath.
If Tomoe took his hand, would that mean she was letting go of revenge?
Tomoe stayed silent, still shaking.
Kenshin, sensing her hesitation, spoke softly:
"I…"
"I will… protect you."
That moment struck Lin Yuting like a wave.
A boy, soaked in bloodshed, speaking the gentlest words of his life.
Comment section exploded:
[Just get married already!]
[He said it! He actually said it! Protect her!]
[I'm tearing up — the first time he promises to protect someone.]
[This is Kenshin's version of romance, and it's perfect.]
[So this means Tomoe's definitely let go of her revenge, right?]
[For sure! She's fallen for him completely.]
[This is the kind of satisfying romance arc that so many dramas mess up.]
[Wait… there's still a fourth episode, right? What's left to cover?]
Later that night, in the wooden cabin…
Tomoe fell into Kenshin's arms.
No more confusion in her eyes — and then, she kissed him.
It was a short moment — only a couple of shots —, and it passed quickly.
Viewers went wild again:
[Director, come out and apologize! You saved budget here of all places?!]
[I don't usually care about kiss scenes, but this one deserved more time.]
[You savage! This could've been a legendary scene!]
[He can only kill, and yet his first promise to protect someone… I'm in tears.]
"As long as you're here, I can let go of my sword. Tomoe, I'll protect your happiness," Kenshin said, holding her close afterward.
"I promise you, once this chaotic era ends, in the new age… I'll lay down my sword and never kill again."
In that moment, Kenshin made a vow for life.
(And in the original 'Rurouni Kenshin' manga, Kenshin really does go on to never kill again.)
In the scene, there's light in Kenshin's eyes now — a smile on his lips.
Tomoe smiled too, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Perfect.
This was mutual salvation.
Lin Yuting was smiling, completely immersed in the emotional warmth.
She was hooked — completely fallen for Kenshin.
But…
Stories always turn.
The next morning, Kenshin woke up — and Tomoe was gone.
Iizuka, the traitor, arrived.
He told Kenshin everything:
Tomoe's fiancé was killed by him, Kenshin.
Tomoe was sent by the enemy to get close and assassinate him.
The spy the organization had been searching for was Tomoe.
And right now… she was on the nearby mountain, meeting with the enemy leader.
Danmaku (viewer comments) lit up:
[???]
[What is this plot twist?!]
[Didn't Tomoe let go of her revenge?! Why did she leave?!]
[This feels so wrong.]
[Writer, don't mess this up!]
[Don't scare me, Su Yan!!]
[Iizuka's the real traitor. How dare he blame Tomoe? She never attacked Kenshin. She fell in love with him. He's just stirring things up!]
[Kenshin, don't believe him! Please!!]
[This is too painful — I can't take it.]
[Hang in there! The writer will fix this, right? Kenshin wouldn't be that petty…]
But on screen…
Kenshin's face twisted in pain.
The long-healed wound on his cheek — the one Kiyosato had slashed open — began to bleed again.
The music faded into a mournful tone.
And the episode ended — frozen on Kenshin's stunned, devastated expression.
Episode 3 Ending Theme begins.
Lin Yuting sat frozen.
Everyone in the comments thought Kenshin was mad about Tomoe being a spy.
But Lin Yuting understood.
Kenshin wasn't angry.
He was shattered — caught in a storm of confusion and guilt.
Because just the night before, he had promised to protect Tomoe's happiness.
And now he'd learned… he was the one who destroyed that happiness in the first place.
Her fiancé, Kiyosato, whom she had once loved, had killed him.
For a 15-year-old boy, this realization was crushing.
How was he supposed to face Tomoe now?
His belief in justice — that his blade could protect the innocent and change the world — had just crumbled.
He had killed so many he believed to be evil, but…
Had he really saved anyone?
The only thing he could now be sure of was that he destroyed Tomoe's happiness.
Episode 3 of 'Rurouni Kenshin' was the most romantic — and also the most painful.
There were no fight scenes, yet the emotional blows were stronger than any sword.
Even the viewers who had come for action were now fully invested in Kenshin and Tomoe's story.
Fights? Combat? Those no longer mattered.
Now there was only one question:
What will happen to them in the end?
The comments section exploded:
"Iizuka is lying. The mountain is a trap. Is Kenshin going to die?!"
"I think he's going to snap — go full rage mode and cut down everyone."
"Don't blame Tomoe! She never told him about Kiyosato. She was going to keep that pain to herself."
"So why did she go up the mountain if she had chosen Kenshin?"
"Her brother Enishi is still in that enemy group! She can't betray her own brother!"
"This better not end in tragedy. I need a happy ending."
"They really ended it here?! Again?! Every episode ends on a cliffhanger. What is wrong with this writer?"
"If Episode 4 ends in tragedy, I'm blacklisting this writer forever!"
And yet, despite the uproar…
'Rurouni Kenshin's popularity only grew.
Its rating jumped from 9.3 to 9.4 overnight.
People complained — but they watched.
Its paid views skyrocketed even higher than the previous two weeks.
And on SakuraNet's streaming drama category, 'Rurouni Kenshin' no longer just traded places with 'Pure Breeze' on the hot list…
It was now firmly in the #1 spot, pushing 'Pure Breeze' down completely.