A Dream Within A Dream Recap, Plot, Synopsis

A Dream Within A Dream Synopsis

What should you do if you accidentally get transported into the world of a script and become the heroine doomed to be used, abused, and killed by the villainous male lead? For Song Xiaoyu, the answer is simple—run as far as she can! But while her plans seem perfect, reality proves brutally unkind. Every time she tries to alter the storyline and marry a supporting character instead, she gets trapped in an infinite loop, encountering 108 unique and gruesome ways to die.

In short, her journey begins with "instant game over." Faced with the harsh truth, Song Xiaoyu finally accepts that no matter how hard she tries, the "plot" will always push her back to the male lead, Nan Heng, forcing her to play out one dramatic scenario after another.

Within this paper-thin world, countless characters have been preordained to play their roles. Some are trapped in the confines of a deep palace, others are bound by the rigid rules of noble households. Some are consumed by petty rivalries, while others tirelessly chase power and influence. Some yearn for love and freedom but are forced to dance fearfully in shackles, while others dream of soaring to great heights only to have their ambitions worn down by daily monotony and mediocrity.

This isn’t just a battle between the cowardly, death-fearing "slacker" Song Xiaoyu and the ruthless, life-stealing "script tyrant" Nan Heng. It’s a fight for every individual, each "paper person," to resist their predetermined fate and reclaim their story.

A Dream Within A Dream Recap

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The legitimate daughter of the Minister of War, Song Yimeng, is getting married. Chu Guihong, a young general of the Qianyu Army, intercepts the procession midway, intending to kill the demon Nan Heng to avenge his father and many wives. Song Yimeng rushes out to stop him, claiming she’s marrying of her own free will. Nan Heng demands proof of her sincerity, and Song Yimeng immediately draws her sword and stabs Chu Guihong.

Ironically, Nan Heng then stabs Song Yimeng, and Chu Guihong, turning back, stabs Nan Heng. The three of them stab each other in vital points, each aiming to take the other's life. Amid the swirling sand and wind, the three spin and stab each other in circles—until a sudden phone ringtone interrupts. Ms. Na criticizes the script as terrible and accuses it of portraying the male lead as stupid.

The screenwriter Beixiong explains that it’s a trope the audience likes, and the director agrees. Ms. Na demands that more scenes be added for the male lead and, being overly critical, stirs conflict in the crew as she tries to negotiate on behalf of Nan Feng. Song Xiaoyu suggests that since she’s a newcomer, she could cut some of her lines. She proposes collapsing in front of the male lead right after exiting the bridal sedan.

Unexpectedly, the director agrees and plans to revise the script. After Nan Feng appears, a fan named Pumpkins surrounds him with cheers. Song Xiaoyu envies Nan Feng’s popularity. Her manager, Huang, says she doesn’t take it seriously. He had planned for her to wear something nice to ride the hype, but she dressed too plainly.

Song Xiaoyu wants to prove herself through acting, but Huang remarks that she got the female lead role only because the director picked someone willing to play a supporting role as the lead. Song Xiaoyu returns home, studies the script again, and reenters the scenes of Song Yimeng. As she flips through, she finds Song Yimeng’s love for Nan Heng to be over-the-top and naive, calling it a clichéd and ridiculous plot.

She complains that after marrying Nan Heng, Song Yimeng catches him cheating with her sister Song Yiting. When she tries to confront him, Nan Heng slaps her. Song Xiaoyu rants that even short vertical dramas don’t go this far, and she can’t understand how slaps are supposed to bring in traffic, since every drama seems to use this plot device.

After spending all night reading the script, Song Xiaoyu sees Song Yimeng dressed in red and guesses she’s probably about to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Unexpectedly, Chu Guihong shows up, ties up both women, and threatens Nan Heng with the unborn child in one of them, seeking revenge for the deceased General Song. To her shock, Nan Heng directly orders the archers to fire.

Song Yimeng gets shot and wounded, only to see Nan Heng saving Song Yiting instead. Heartbroken, she jumps and ends up being turned into a mutilated prisoner. After finishing the script, Song Xiaoyu complains that the plot is absolute trash. Just as she’s about to open the window for fresh air, a sudden gust of wind hits, and her body becomes uncontrollable.

When she wakes up again, she finds herself dressed in historical costume, surrounded by piles of gold and silver on the table, thinking she must be dreaming. Suddenly, a group of maids comes in to help her change. She hears the name Yingqiu and realizes she’s transmigrated into the book and become Song Yimeng. Frightened, Song Xiaoyu wants to run away, not wanting to marry and be stabbed to death by Nan Heng.

Upon learning that she’s marrying Chu Guihong instead, she remembers that as long as she doesn’t flee the marriage, she’ll be safe. Her father, Song Yude, reminds her to live well, while her stepmother Zhou Xueyi deliberately says unpleasant things. Song Xiaoyu confirms they are just as cold and unfriendly as in the script. Chu Guihong's wedding procession arrives, and Song Xiaoyu happily gets into the bridal sedan, feeling like a winner in life.

Suddenly, assassins crash into the sedan during a chase. Song Xiaoyu hits her head and thinks she might die on her first day in this world. When she wakes up again, she finds herself back before the wedding and hurriedly orders the sedan to be reinforced. She expects the bandits to return, but a child crashes into the sedan instead, injuring her again.

Unwilling to believe in bad luck, Song Xiaoyu prepares for the wedding again and is determined to make it succeed. After reinforcing the safety of the sedan, she finally arrives safely at the Chu residence—only to trip and fall while stepping out of the sedan. After several failed attempts to get married, each ending in fatal accidents, she finally makes it to the wedding ceremony, only to be poisoned by wine just before the vows.

After waking up, Song Xiaoyu had a headache and complained about having to face a new plot progression—she needed to crack it quickly. Zhixia and Yingqiu were both confused and had no idea what she was planning. Song Xiaoyu, dressed in red, came out and noticed there was no wedding procession, which made her suspect she was no longer Song Yimeng.

She then learned that the current time was six months before the wedding, so she decided to fully enjoy herself. Zhixia explained the situation of the Song residence. Song Xiaoyu, realizing how luxurious the life was, found herself constantly pampered and even ordered that the grapes not be allowed to develop seeds. Yingqiu thought she was still delusional and wanted to call a doctor. But Song Xiaoyu was fully aware and declared that defying fate was the true path.

She asked Zhixia about Chu Guihong, but Zhixia instead began to talk about the battlefield glory of the Seventh Prince, Nan Heng. Back then, in the battle of Youcheng, Nan Heng made a bet with the opposing general to play chess. If he won, the general would release the captured Chu Guihong; if he lost, the general could take Youcheng. General Fang, confident in his army and having just killed Lord Qianyu, didn’t take Nan Heng seriously.

Nan Heng expressed that he wanted to personally kill Chu Guihong, feeling that after guarding the border for three years, he had been restrained by Lord Qianyu and thus sought revenge on his son. General Fang was gullible and agreed to the chess match. After one incense stick's time, Nan Heng won. General Fang wanted to record the chess strategy, and Nan Heng directly gave him the White Kiln Xuan Jade.

General Fang released Chu Guihong, and Nan Heng’s attendant, Fu Gui, dragged the prison cart and rushed back to the city gate, fearing the general would regret it. Song Xiaoyu interrupted Zhixia, asking why she was telling a story about Nan Heng, the great villain—she wanted to hear about Chu Guihong. She understood this was part of the forced storyline and only wanted to focus on her wedding.

Zhixia panicked, unsure why she spoke incorrectly, and upon trying again, once more brought up Nan Heng’s battle record—leading the Xuanjia Army to defeat thirty thousand enemy soldiers. After hearing this, Song Xiaoyu sighed that no one could escape the protagonist halo of Nan Heng and told Zhixia to continue. Back then, Chu Guihong had misjudged the enemy and caused the deaths of border soldiers, and Nan Heng was about to execute him.

The Eighteenth Prince, Nan Rui, rushed over and pleaded with Nan Heng to spare his cousin Chu Guihong, saying the emperor had issued an imperial decree. Song Yude arrived, dressed like a beggar, claiming he was traveling incognito to deliver the decree and ordered Chu Guihong to be detained and taken to the capital for now. Nan Heng, believing the emperor's decision was unjust, refused to accept the decree.

Hearing that Song Yude was also involved, Song Xiaoyu became worried he might be caught in the power struggle for the throne. She only wanted to stay far away from Nan Heng’s faction. Nan Heng led his troops back to the capital, stirring fear among the people, with rumors spreading that the emperor favored Nan Rui. The Chu family’s retainers blocked the way, believing someone was persecuting Chu Guihong and expressing deep dissatisfaction with Nan Heng.

After returning to the capital, Nan Heng sought an audience with the emperor, while rumors outside claimed he had colluded with the enemy. Nan Heng explained that he had only brought three hundred Xuanjia soldiers and had no ulterior motives. Nan Rui spoke up for Nan Heng, but the emperor thought he was too naïve and ordered Song Yude to teach him the ways of governance. Nan Heng remained kneeling, feeling deeply troubled.

The emperor assigned him a residence on the outskirts of the capital and instructed that he was not to enter the palace without summons. Back at the residence, Fu Gui was worried on his behalf, thinking Nan Rui had the support of Song Yude and Chu Guihong, though it wasn’t yet something to panic over. Nan Heng learned that Song Yude was the head of the Six Ministries and held significant sway in front of the emperor.

He planned to marry Song Yude’s legitimate daughter to solidify his own position. Knowing that Song Yude was nostalgic and protective, favoring his legitimate daughter Song Yimeng, Nan Heng told Fu Gui to bring Song Yimeng to the banquet the next day. On the day of the banquet, Song Yimeng didn’t want to attend but was forcibly taken due to the plot’s progression. The appearance of Song Yiting caused Nan Rui’s heart to flutter—he immediately stepped forward to please her and offered chrysanthemums of different colors, only to be publicly rejected.

Song Xiaoyu remembered that a famous scene would take place at the banquet and didn’t want to encounter Nan Heng. She spotted Song Yimeng’s rival, Jia Ruru, and planned to deliberately stir up trouble and disrupt the plot mechanism. She stopped Jia Ruru and provocatively claimed that Nan Heng intended to marry her.

She thought Jia Ruru would get jealous and lock her up, but unexpectedly, Jia Ruru just wanted to leave and even reminded her not to make a scene in the palace. During their struggle, Song Xiaoyu accidentally fell into the lake. In that instant, time seemed to freeze—she thought she was going to drown. After she fell in, Nan Heng rushed over and jumped into the lake to save her.

Song Xiaoyu would rather die than be entangled with Nan Heng, so she frantically swam in the opposite direction, but she was still pulled ashore by Nan Heng. The incident drew a crowd, and Nan Rui, thinking it was Song Yiting who had fallen in, hurried over to check on her. Song Xiaoyu knew this was a forced plot event. She didn’t accept Nan Heng’s cloak but instead rebuked him for saving her.

After saying that, she turned to leave, but unexpectedly, the script mechanism kicked in—her body moved against her will and forced her to go back and hold hands with Nan Heng for reconciliation. Nan Heng found her unreasonable and was about to leave too, but his body was also beyond his control and turned back, kissing Song Xiaoyu. The two kissed in front of everyone. Fu Gui couldn’t believe what he saw.

After a moment of immersion, Nan Heng pushed Song Xiaoyu away, visibly flustered. Song Xiaoyu teased him, asking if that was his first kiss, which drew laughter from the onlookers. Word of the incident quickly spread throughout the palace and beyond—everyone knew Nan Heng had lost his “purity,” and Song Yimeng’s unique hairpin style became a hit throughout the city. Song Xiaoyu tried to comfort herself, thinking it was all just acting.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized there was something hidden in the way the plot advanced—everyone else seemed to exist solely to push forward her romantic arc with Nan Heng. Fu Gui assumed Nan Heng had used a “wounded hero” tactic and praised how closely he and Song Yimeng had bonded.

Nan Heng denied it, believing Song Yimeng had bewitched him, and upon learning that Chu Guihong still hadn’t married because of her, Nan Heng decided not to hide his intentions anymore. Chancellor Gao Zhangyin returned from disaster relief and immediately met with Nan Heng. The two discussed important matters.

Nan Heng wanted to obtain the method of forging the Satin Blade, and Gao Zhangyin suspected it was hidden in Song Yimeng’s possession, since Chu Guihong had been in frequent contact with her. Nan Heng sent gold and silver treasures to her. At first, Song Xiaoyu was pleased, but once she learned they came from Nan Heng, she refused them outright. Nan Heng believed she was playing hard to get and declared that he wouldn’t give up.

No matter where Song Xiaoyu went shopping, Fu Gui would buy up everything she liked as planned, ensuring she had dramatic highlights. Frightened, Song Xiaoyu hid in the residence, but even the servants and birds were all talking about Nan Heng—she couldn’t avoid him no matter what. Zhou Xueyi taught Song Yiting to interact more with Nan Rui and create opportunities for the two of them, but Song Yiting said she didn’t want to get married.

Nan Heng came to the Song residence again. Zhixia tried to stop him, claiming Song Yimeng was sick, but Nan Heng opened his medicine chest and brought a pile of top-quality medicine, insisting on seeing her. Song Xiaoyu was confused—there wasn’t supposed to be a passionate pursuit plot. Why was this added? Song Yude told Song Yimeng to meet the guest, and Song Xiaoyu saw that it was Nan Heng.

Song Yude served Nan Heng the finest snow tea, praised his extraordinary talents, and deliberately belittled Song Yimeng as lacking sense, saying the two were not a good match. He also stated he would soon retire and couldn’t offer Nan Heng any support. Nan Heng understood what was being implied and said he and Song Yimeng were truly in love. Song Xiaoyu arrived, pretending to be gentle and well-mannered, subtly rejecting Nan Heng.

Song Yude noticed that Song Yimeng’s tone had changed and felt like she was a different person. Song Xiaoyu hoped to sever ties with Nan Heng and believed her words could end their storyline. Nan Heng saw through her intentions and deliberately asked Song Yimeng to walk him out. Fu Gui realized Song Yimeng wasn’t actually playing hard to get.

Outside, Nan Heng grabbed Song Yimeng’s hand, wanting to recreate the emotional link through a pinky swear, believing they had been controlled that day. Song Xiaoyu didn’t explain and said it was all a misunderstanding. She knew it was the plot mechanism at work but knew Nan Heng wouldn’t believe her if she said it. Nan Heng threatened her with a knife, demanding to know the truth.

Song Xiaoyu explained that there was an external force at play and that she could accurately recount Nan Heng’s past. Nan Heng didn’t believe her until Song Xiaoyu mentioned how he and Chu Guihong had once been childhood playmates but later became enemies. She also knew that what Nan Heng really wanted was the method to forge the Satin Blade—and said she could help him obtain it.

Fu Gui did some investigating and concluded that what Song Yimeng said was true. Nan Heng began to suspect her identity, mistakenly thinking she was working for either Nan Rui or the emperor. Not wanting her to leak the secrets she knew, he planned to kill her while Song Yude was away on business. Chu Guihong looked at the silk pouch and thought of Song Yimeng.

Nan Rui came to the prison to visit him—originally to drink together—but ended up talking nonstop, leaving Chu Guihong unable to get a word in and even taking the fine wine from his hands. Nan Rui told him not to worry and that the emperor was already arranging for his release. Chu Guihong found the defeat at Pingrong City suspicious. At the time, Heyuan had taken civilians from other cities hostage to force Lord Qianyu to open the gates.

Chu Guihong believed the gates shouldn't be opened, fearing a shortage of rations that could endanger the people and soldiers of Youcheng. He suspected that Nan Heng had orchestrated the situation from behind the scenes, as he stood to benefit most from the Qianyu Army’s losses. Nan Rui said there was no evidence, but Chu Guihong insisted on catching Nan Heng’s weak spot once he got out.

Nan Heng deliberately had the prison guard spread a rumor in the cell that he had taken a liking to Song Yimeng, which Chu Guihong overheard and believed. Song Xiaoyu and her maids analyzed the plot, saying Nan Heng was definitely the murderous villain, but she had no idea how to produce the method for forging the Satin Blade, as the script didn’t mention it.

Yingqiu suggested she just come up with something random—no one had ever seen the actual item anyway. Song Xiaoyu had a sudden burst of inspiration, thinking it was a great idea, but after a whole night, she still couldn’t come up with anything and complained that making up scripts was too difficult. Song Xiaoyu planned to run far away while Nan Heng was still unaware, but as soon as she left the house, she was stopped.

Chu Guihong had snatched a sword from a prison guard and escaped—Nan Heng had deliberately allowed him to go. Song Xiaoyu quickly realized she had been kidnapped by Chu Guihong and taken to the woods. She urgently asked him about the method for forging the Satin Blade. Upon hearing this, Chu Guihong drew his sword and aimed it at her, believing she wasn’t Song Yimeng but a spy for Nan Heng.

Worried she might die here, Song Xiaoyu quickly referenced the script and mentioned the token of love between her and Chu Guihong to convince him of her identity. Chu Guihong took out the token to prove his own identity, but Song Xiaoyu pretended not to believe him unless he could recite the content of the Satin Blade’s method. Chu Guihong replied that he couldn’t reveal it. Nan Heng and his men suddenly appeared and accused Chu Guihong of escaping prison.

That’s when Chu Guihong realized he had been tricked. Song Xiaoyu urged him not to fall for it. Nan Heng ordered the Xuanjia Army to kill Chu Guihong, but Chu Guihong covered Song Xiaoyu’s escape. Nan Heng was unwilling to let Song Yimeng go and raised his bow and arrow at her, but his body moved involuntarily, and he rushed forward to take the arrow for her. Nan Heng couldn’t believe it and thought Song Yimeng had used sorcery again.

He grabbed her by the neck, but his right hand forcefully pried off his left hand, preventing him from killing her. Nan Rui and others arrived in a hurry, concerned about Chu Guihong’s injuries. Upon seeing Nan Heng wounded, they scolded him for abusing his power. Nan Heng explained he had come at Song Yimeng’s invitation and mentioned an agreement with her, hoping to resolve the situation.

Song Xiaoyu guessed the script had been rewritten and tried to mediate, saying there had been no murder. On the way back, Nan Heng pulled the arrow out of his own body and treated his wounds in the carriage, while Song Xiaoyu sat trembling, fearing he might change his mind again. Nan Heng, holding evidence of Chu Guihong’s prison break, warned Song Yimeng not to cause trouble and brought her back to his residence.

Seeing the sign labeled “Male Lead’s Residence,” Song Yimeng teased the screenwriter for having a sense of humor. The emperor issued a decree releasing Chu Guihong. When Chu Guihong returned home, Nan Rui gave him a peace charm to ward off bad luck. Song Yimeng, meanwhile, was tied up in the courtyard by Nan Heng as he pondered how to deal with her.

Fu Gui brought out a crossbow, and after hearing it would kill with one shot, Nan Heng spared her and switched to another weapon. Yet once the weapon was launched, his body again acted on its own and blocked the flying dart for Song Yimeng. Fu Gui tried to persuade him to give up, but Nan Heng wouldn’t relent and ordered poison to be used instead. Worried about the consequences, he warned not to use lethal poison.

At mealtime, Song Yimeng couldn’t bring herself to eat, knowing the food was poisoned. Fu Gui tried to stop her, but Nan Heng forcefully fed her—and accidentally fed himself instead, resulting in a swollen, poisoned mouth. Furious, Nan Heng still couldn’t let Song Yimeng go. He locked himself in his room, chained himself up, and ordered Fu Gui to take care of her. Fu Gui pushed her into the water, leaving her life hanging by a thread.

Nan Heng thought the chains guaranteed he wouldn’t interfere, but his body suddenly broke free, rushed into the water, and saved Song Yimeng, giving her mouth-to-mouth to resuscitate her. Song Yimeng woke up and shoved Nan Heng underwater before swimming ashore. Seeing that he didn’t follow, she laughed, mocking him for not daring to deal with her. Later, Fu Gui sent Song Yimeng away and instructed people to watch over her safety.

Nan Heng climbed out of the water in a sorry state and stared blankly, unable to make sense of what had just happened. He ordered Fu Gui not to speak a word about what occurred that day. Fu Gui was puzzled and realized Nan Heng hadn’t actually intended to kill Song Yimeng. Nan Heng was confused himself—he now knew that whenever Song Yimeng was in danger, his body would act involuntarily to save her.

He urgently needed to find a way to break the curse. Fu Gui worried that Song Yimeng might tell Chu Guihong about this. Nan Heng ordered him to summon Censor Yao Qian. Song Xiaoyu returned from the outskirts, grumbling about her miserable time-traveling experience. The gatekeepers, gossiping while eating melon seeds, assumed she was one of Nan Heng’s people upon seeing her return from outside the city. Back in the capital, Song Xiaoyu ran into Chu Guihong on the street.

Concerned, Chu Guihong asked after her well-being, suspecting that Nan Heng had bullied her. Song Xiaoyu sighed at how gentle and considerate the second male lead was—no wonder he was the audience favorite. Chu Guihong gifted her a jade pendant, saying Nan Heng wouldn’t dare lay a finger on her if he saw it. He then took out a sachet and hoped Song Yimeng would embroider a few more for him.

Nan Rui appeared, witnessing the scene, and asked whether their engagement was still valid. He suspected that Song Yimeng was having an affair with Nan Heng. Song Xiaoyu explained that she was the least likely person to be involved with Nan Heng. She was fully aware he was a demon and told Nan Rui not to worry—so long as Chu Guihong didn’t abandon her, she would never change her heart. Chu Guihong was secretly pleased and personally escorted her home.

After returning, Zhixia saw the wound on her wrist and felt sorry for her. Song Xiaoyu reflected on the plot and knew Nan Heng, for the sake of the throne, would try to kill Chu Guihong. She guessed that regardless of what the script said, as long as the heroine was in danger, the male lead would always save her—so she no longer had to worry about dying at his hands.

According to the storyline, after Nan Heng ascended the throne, the Qianyu Army led by Chu Guihong would fall into a trap and be slaughtered. Song Xiaoyu was deep in thought when Zhixia interrupted to remind her to take care of her health—the Lantern Festival was approaching. Upon hearing "Lantern Festival," Song Xiaoyu instinctively thought of the "hero saves beauty" scene. That night, Nan Heng was unable to sleep, while Fu Gui snored beside him.

Yao Qian arrived, and Nan Heng reminded him not to forget about the morning court meeting. At morning court, Nan Rui proposed that Chu Guihong be reinstated as commander of the Qianyu Army, which stirred whispers among the ministers. Nan Heng opposed the idea, claiming that discussing such matters in court was an abuse of power. The emperor was displeased and bluntly stated that the court followed the Gao family’s lead.

Nan Heng argued that Chu Guihong had a poor reputation and requested the emperor summon Yao Qian, who held a memorial of impeachment against Chu Guihong. Remembering a key plot point, Song Xiaoyu told Zhixia to pass a note to Chu Guihong, instructing Rong Hua to intercept Yao Qian. In court, the emperor lost patience waiting when Yao Qian failed to appear, and ultimately reinstated Chu Guihong’s title.

Nan Heng later learned that Yao Qian had been assaulted on his way to court and suspected it was Chu Guihong’s doing. Nan Heng went to the Song residence and found Chu Guihong already there. Song Xiaoyu had anticipated his visit and was waiting, speaking to him in a deliberately sarcastic tone. Nan Heng sent Fu Gui away and questioned Song Yimeng about her meeting with Chu Guihong.

In response, Song Yimeng drew a dagger and revealed the secret that he couldn’t kill her, leaving Nan Heng speechless. Meanwhile, Song Yude received intelligence and instructed Chu Guihong to secretly investigate "Canjiang Yue," rumored to be a secret organization known as the Night Wanderers. Nan Heng threatened Song Yimeng by using her maids as leverage, claiming he could easily deal with them.

Song Yimeng scolded him for being cold-blooded, then pulled down a curtain to reveal a hidden weapon, demanding Nan Heng take off his clothes and call her boss. Fearing a barrage of arrows, Nan Heng had no choice but to strip to distract her, then took the opportunity to pull her aside just as a volley of arrows hit the windowsill. Song Yimeng removed her outer garment, revealing her body strapped with explosives.

She demanded Nan Heng agree to let her marry Chu Guihong peacefully. Chu Guihong approached and, seeing Fu Gui outside the door, guessed Nan Heng was inside. Nan Heng seized a fire source, but Song Xiaoyu tackled him to stop him from making a sound and potentially being misunderstood by Chu Guihong—she even kissed him to silence him.

Nan Heng, embarrassed, had no choice but to leave and demanded that Song Yimeng hand over the method for forging the Satin Blade within two days. Fu Gui saw Nan Heng at the back gate with lipstick all over his mouth. Nan Heng, now more determined than ever to get rid of Song Yimeng, planned to bring in Canjiang Yue.

Nan Heng wanted to eliminate the wildcard that was Song Yimeng and instructed Canjiang Yue to take care of her. Song Xiaoyu scoured countless books but still couldn’t find the method to forge the Satin Blade. She complained that the screenwriter hadn’t given her any clues. A maid came in and, seeing her in that state, worried for her health.

Song Xiaoyu told Zhixia to bring out their savings—she planned to find a blacksmith on the street who might help unlock the forging method. But after searching all the forges in Great Jing, no one dared attempt it, fearing the influence of the Qianyu Army and the Xuanjia Army. Nan Heng deliberately set bait, arranging a staged scene before Song Yimeng. Someone was caught selling stolen goods and mentioned going to Canjiang Yue.

Upon hearing this, Song Xiaoyu guessed Canjiang Yue was a black market and decided to try her luck there. Yingqiu accompanied Song Yimeng to Canjiang Yue, where they encountered the third-in-command, Po Yunlong, who pointed them in the right direction. The leader of Canjiang Yue, Li Shiliu, received a tip-off that Chu Guihong had secretly led the Qianyu Army into the guildhall. The second-in-command, Shangguan He, acted on orders to deal with Song Yimeng.

Song Yimeng arrived at the guildhall by boat and was impressed by its unique architecture. Curious, she wandered around, but while passing a gambling house, someone bumped into her, causing her money pouch to fall onto a table. The fourth-in-command, Duan Shanhu, declared that she had placed a bet. Song Xiaoyu protested. She knew it was impossible to roll triple leopards—but to her surprise, she did. Duan Shanhu was shocked, suspecting someone was cheating.

Spotting Shangguan He in the distance, he understood what had happened. Song Xiaoyu stuffed her pouch full of winnings and was about to leave with Yingqiu. Meanwhile, Chu Guihong entered the guildhall and was intercepted by Li Shiliu, leading to a fierce fight. Chu Guihong recognized Li Shiliu and noted his impressive martial arts skills. As Song Xiaoyu passed through the main hall in search of the Satin Blade method, she saw people buying and selling dancers.

A wealthy merchant paid a high price for a mute dancer and began harassing her publicly. Unable to bear it, Song Xiaoyu intervened, knocking into the merchant and escaping with the dancer. The merchant and his men gave chase. Li Shiliu and Chu Guihong fought to a draw, and Chu Guihong realized Li Shiliu was testing weapons, so he quickly withdrew. After Song Xiaoyu rescued the dancer, an arrow was suddenly fired and struck the dancer, startling her.

The merchant’s group caught up, ready to attack Song Xiaoyu. Shangguan He and others watched from behind a tree, discussing who should make a move against Song Yimeng. Just as the merchant raised his blade, Li Shiliu appeared and blocked it. He then tried to leave, only to find his body wouldn’t obey him—whenever someone tried to harm Song Yimeng, he would involuntarily shield her. Shangguan He and the others were baffled.

Li Shiliu mentioned the human trafficking auction and learned it was orchestrated by outsiders. Song Yimeng chased after him, while the others quickly hid. She thanked Li Shiliu for saving her life and pursued him with questions. Shangguan He and his men observed from the shadows, planning to assassinate Song Yimeng with hidden weapons. When Song Yimeng noticed that Li Shiliu was injured, she insisted on checking his wound and wanted to take him to a clinic.

Shangguan He threw a dart, but Li Shiliu blocked it with his arm. Another hidden weapon was thrown to test him—Shangguan He suspected Li Shiliu had a secret and confirmed he couldn’t kill Song Yimeng. Li Shiliu explained that he had no interest in Song Yimeng. Shangguan He came over and called out to Li Shiliu, and Song Yimeng then realized he was the leader of Canjiang Yue.

Duan Shanhu distracted Song Yimeng while Po Yunlong tried to assassinate her, but Duan Shanhu stopped him. Song Xiaoyu assumed Po Yunlong had something wrong with his head. Duan Shanhu asked her to register as a guest, but Song Xiaoyu instead taught him how to use modern-style forms. Shangguan He pulled Li Shiliu aside—he was the only one who knew Li Shiliu’s true identity and couldn’t understand why he wanted to harm Song Yimeng.

Nan Heng believed it was because Song Yimeng knew too many secrets and had to be dealt with first. Shangguan He offered a strategy: since Song Yimeng only feared Nan Heng but admired the chivalrous Li Shiliu, he should use that identity to get close to her and uncover the truth. Po Yunlong reappeared, saying a buyer had ordered Li Shiliu to kill her. Song Xiaoyu realized it was Nan Heng’s doing and wanted to leave immediately.

Li Shiliu stepped forward, saying he had unintentionally gotten involved in court politics and urged Song Yimeng to leave. Shangguan He deliberately had Li Shiliu escort her out, hoping to give them more chances to interact.

On the road, Song Yimeng believed that Li Shiliu had his difficulties and expressed her understanding, cursing Nan Heng as cruel and tyrannical for oppressing women and children. Li Shiliu grew angry at her words but could only restrain his emotions and sarcastically praised Song Yimeng for her exceptional wit. Song Yimeng claimed she understood Nan Heng best and wanted to win over Li Shiliu to deal with Nan Heng together.

Unable to listen further, Li Shiliu quickly scaled walls and rooftops to leave. Back at his place, the more he thought about it, the more disturbed he felt—it seemed he had become a scheming villain in others’ mouths. Nan Rui, hearing that Chu Guihong was injured, hurried over to check on him. Chu Guihong felt that the Canjiang Guildhall was suspicious and suspected that Li Shiliu was working for Nan Heng. He wanted Nan Rui to help test him.

After returning, Song Xiaoyu told her maid about her encounter with Li Shiliu. Zhixia said he was the dream man of all the women in Great Jing, comparable to Chu Guihong. Song Xiaoyu was delighted but regretted not paying attention to the side character plot before. She hadn’t realized this person even existed in the script and guessed he might be a variable added to the plot. She wanted to learn more about Li Shiliu’s story.

Yingqiu brought out a storybook about him, which detailed various incidents from his life. Shangguan He heard that Song Yimeng had belittled Nan Heng and mocked that even Nan Heng had his day. Fu Gui disagreed with Nan Heng using Li Shiliu’s identity to form alliances, fearing people like Nan Rui would catch on. But Shangguan He argued that nothing ventured, nothing gained—it was the perfect opportunity to use that identity to their advantage.

Nan Rui sent a message to Nan Heng, deliberately inviting him to meet at the Canjiang Guildhall. Chu Guihong planned to disguise himself as Li Shiliu and appear before both of them to test Nan Heng’s reaction. Nan Rui was worried Nan Heng might not act predictably, but Chu Guihong reassured him with a calming pill. After reading the storybook, Song Xiaoyu felt that Li Shiliu was kind and brave, though the book wasn’t very detailed.

She was excited, thinking there was hope for her now. Remembering the wet nurse sheltered at the Canjiang Guildhall, she decided to make an earnest alliance with Li Shiliu under the pretense of dealing with Nan Heng. On the other side, Shangguan He offered a plan for Nan Heng to win over Song Yimeng under the guise of dealing with the Seventh Prince.

Shangguan He proposed that the first step was to write a letter to Song Yimeng and volunteered to handle it himself. After receiving the letter, Song Xiaoyu replied, saying Li Shiliu sounded too slick and advised him to stop reading trashy books. Duan Shanhu and others gathered the Night Wanderers and stayed up copying texts, constructing the tragic yet powerful persona of Li Shiliu. Po Yunlong found it ridiculous.

Reading the books, Song Xiaoyu began to sympathize with Li Shiliu’s background. Nan Heng, after reading them, scolded Shangguan He for the nonsense and decided to personally write a reply to Song Xiaoyu, inviting her to chat at the Canjiang Guildhall when she had time. Song Xiaoyu replied with a box of pear pastries. Upon seeing it, Shangguan He believed Song Yimeng had taken the bait.

Nan Heng agreed to Nan Rui’s invitation, planning to swap out the Qianyu Zhan Yue Blade. When Nan Rui met with Nan Heng, he couldn’t hide his guilt—Nan Heng had already seen through him. Chu Guihong’s men deliberately placed weapons in the Canjiang Guildhall as an excuse to enter and capture someone. Suddenly, Song Xiaoyu arrived. Duan Shanhu rushed to stop her and took her to inspect the Canjiang Guildhall’s operations, but she only wanted to see Li Shiliu.

Nan Rui resorted to nervously eating sunflower seeds to mask his tension. The shells piled up high on the table as he waited for Chu Guihong to appear. Disguised as Li Shiliu, Chu Guihong fell from the rooftop. Nan Rui raised his voice, announcing he would reveal his identity, but Nan Heng remained unfazed. Nan Heng warned him to hurry up or he’d call in the Qianyu Army from outside.

Seeing Nan Heng approaching, Chu Guihong quickly got up and left. Shangguan He came in with news that Song Yimeng had arrived. Nan Heng quickly left to change into Li Shiliu’s attire. While Chu Guihong was escaping, he accidentally entered Song Yimeng’s room. Mistaking him for Li Shiliu, Song Yimeng pulled him inside. Suspicious that Song Yimeng had something going on with Li Shiliu, Chu Guihong avoided looking at her directly.

The real Li Shiliu then arrived to see Song Yimeng, and she was shocked. Turning back, she realized the "Li Shiliu" from moments ago had vanished. Chu Guihong hid in the wardrobe, eavesdropping on Song Yimeng’s conversation with Li Shiliu. Li Shiliu claimed he had urgent matters and had to leave. Song Yimeng felt he had become distant and wanted to discuss Nan Heng with him.

As the two sat down, Song Yimeng urged him not to fear Nan Heng and tried to draw him in to oppose Nan Heng. Li Shiliu asked her to lay out the full plan. Song Yimeng then spoke about the upcoming Shangyuan Festival, during which Nan Heng would set the city ablaze—she hoped to stop him with Li Shiliu’s help.

Nan Heng believed that Song Yimeng and Chu Guihong were trying to create chaos and frame him. Song Yimeng said she would have Chu Guihong join them, but Nan Heng refused, saying he wouldn’t take risks just because she was blinded by love. Hearing this from inside the wardrobe, Chu Guihong regretted ever doubting Song Yimeng.

Song Yimeng firmly believed Chu Guihong was righteous and would protect Li Shiliu from being controlled by Nan Heng—she would not allow anyone else to be hurt by Nan Heng again. Song Yimeng brought up the royal autumn hunt from sixteen years ago, believing that the death of the late Empress Chu Yurong was connected to Nan Heng.

Nan Heng fell into his memories—back then, the emperor blamed him for Chu Yurong’s death, and Chu Guihong began training in martial arts, becoming his lifelong rival. In truth, Nan Heng had been locked up and starved. He later shifted his focus to the battlefield, but was misunderstood as cold-blooded and ruthless, harming old friends. Song Yimeng tried once again to win over Li Shiliu, constantly praising Chu Guihong’s bravery. Nan Heng grew angry and refused to cooperate.

As he turned to leave, a noise came from the wardrobe. Nan Heng instantly released a hidden weapon, and Chu Guihong jumped out the window to escape. Song Yimeng saw two Li Shilius and couldn't tell which was real. Shangguan He wasn’t worried—he said the one with better martial arts must be the real one.

Nan Heng ripped off Chu Guihong’s mask, and Chu Guihong stopped hiding and grabbed Jixiang’s blade, aiming to stab Li Shiliu, but Song Yimeng suddenly rushed forward to block him. Not wanting the two sides to clash, Song Yimeng stepped in to mediate, hoping they could reconcile. Duan Shanhu brought up that Rong Hua had falsely accused him of stealing weapons. Song Yimeng moved closer to Chu Guihong to ask what was going on, but he said nothing.

Taking the initiative, she insisted it was all a misunderstanding and asked Chu Guihong to speak up for peace. When he didn’t respond, she turned to Li Shiliu and pleaded with him. Unable to bear the awkwardness, she dragged both of them into a room. Song Yimeng said that since they were about to work together against Nan Heng, there was no point in sulking. Chu Guihong wanted to see Li Shiliu’s real face.

Li Shiliu claimed he had facial injuries and it was inconvenient. Chu Guihong demanded he prove his innocence by accompanying him to confront Nan Heng. Song Yimeng didn’t believe Li Shiliu was one of Nan Heng’s men and stopped them from arguing. Not wanting to betray Song Yimeng’s trust, Chu Guihong agreed to believe Li Shiliu this time and said he would stall Nan Heng first.

Using an excuse, Shangguan He took Li Shiliu away and urged him to change back into Nan Heng’s attire before Chu Guihong discovered the truth. Nan Rui suspected that Chu Guihong had changed sides, but Chu Guihong said he was just playing along to lure the snake from its hole and had never truly trusted Li Shiliu. Nan Heng then arrived and chatted with Chu Guihong, using the opportunity to secretly swap out his Zhan Yue Blade.

Later, Nan Heng once again disguised himself as Li Shiliu to meet Song Yimeng. Shangguan He played the flute to create a romantic atmosphere for the two. Song Yimeng brought a gift for Li Shiliu. When he opened it, it was a rabbit mask. Song Yimeng told him she had made it herself to thank him for saving her last time.

Chu Guihong arrived to take Song Yimeng away, saying that Song Yude was waiting for her at home for dinner. Fu Gui couldn’t find Nan Heng. Seeing Nan Rui and the others leaving, he rushed over to question them but got no reply. After returning to the residence, Nan Heng read the letter Yao Qian had provided and learned that the emperor planned to grant Chu Guihong real authority over the capital and personally organize the Shangyuan Festival lantern fair.

Yao Qian suggested submitting a joint petition at court to pressure the emperor into withdrawing the decree, but Nan Heng ordered him not to act rashly. At morning court, Chu Guihong was appointed as the Prefect of the Capital. Yao Qian suddenly raised an objection, which angered the emperor, resulting in Yao Qian receiving twenty strokes and being demoted. Song Yimeng learned of Yao Qian’s demotion and realized this plot point hadn’t appeared in the original script.

Chu Guihong apologized for neglecting her due to military matters. Song Yimeng asked if he was willing to give up his official position, but Chu Guihong didn’t give a direct answer. Zhixia ran in frantically, saying something had happened. Song Yimeng went to check and discovered that members of the Qianyu Army had been injured while apprehending horse thieves. Chu Guihong was sure it was Nan Heng’s doing.

Hearing this, Song Yimeng wanted to stop Nan Heng as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Nan Heng had captured the eunuch who had beaten Yao Qian and forced him to reveal who had given the order behind the scenes. Just then, Song Yimeng suddenly showed up at the Canjiang Guildhall. Shangguan He hurried to clean up the scene, but she still walked in on them.

However, Song Yimeng didn’t think too much of it—she had come looking for Li Shiliu, already determined to kill Nan Heng. Li Shiliu refused, and upon learning that the Qianyu Army had been injured by an explosion, he asked Song Yimeng if she had confirmed the truth. But Song Yimeng had already decided it was Nan Heng’s doing.