A Dream Within A Dream Episode 37 Recap
> A Dream Within A Dream Recap
Song Yimeng went alone to confront the scriptwriter, questioning why he harmed innocent people just to quickly achieve iconic scenes. The scriptwriter, relaxed and roasting a sweet potato, argued that fictional characters he created were merely like crops or sweet potatoes, their lives not precious, easily modified or deleted like characters on a screen. He countered that Song Yimeng was the irrational one, claiming her world was as fake as her old Barbie dolls.
Song Yimeng retorted that in the real world, he was a careless, garbage screenwriter, and here, he was a lunatic who killed innocent people. The scriptwriter calmly revealed the true mechanism behind Nan Heng's illness, explaining that it wasn't from poison. He stated that besides the three mechanisms already mentioned, there were others related to Nan Heng's condition.
He explained the fourth rule: changing the iconic scenes would cause backlash, making Nan Heng grow weaker and eventually die if the plot deviated further from the original course. He pressured Song Yimeng to choose between going against his plot and watching Nan Heng die, or helping him complete the iconic scenes to return to the real world, which would allow Nan Heng to live.
Meanwhile, Shangguan He arrived at the Song Residence with others, learning that Song Yiting had gone out. Song Yiting's mother had insisted on taking her to the Temple of the God of Matchmaking on an auspicious day to pray for a smooth marriage. Though skeptical of such practices, Song Yiting helped hang the Lovers' Knots, remarking that while she didn't truly believe, she wanted to fully experience getting married.
Her mother prayed fervently, vowing three years of her own life for her daughter's safety and marriage happiness, even jokingly asking the deity not to confuse her vows about someone else (implied to be Song Yimeng's father) being clannish and problematic. On the journey back, they discovered Mr. Feng unresponsive, having died in the carriage. Suddenly, Rong Hua appeared with the Qianyu Army and seized Song Yiting and her mother.
The scriptwriter used Song Yiting as leverage, showing Song Yimeng proof of harm, mentioning they had cut off one of her fingers and threatening further harm unless she cooperated. He demanded she go to the city tower for the "Choice Between Two" scene, noting that the strong north wind suggested it was the predetermined time. Distraught, Song Yimeng vowed to kill the scriptwriter if he harmed them further.
He assured her he would return them safely after the scene was completed if she cooperated. Song Yiting, held captive, urged Song Yimeng not to trust their captors and to fight rather than be a hostage. Song Yimeng, however, promised Song Yiting she would save her. Under duress and the scriptwriter's direction, she allowed her hands to be bound, stating everything would be over in a few hours. At the palace, the Emperor lay gravely ill.
His noble consort stayed by his side, regretting their strained relationship over the years and wishing to spend his remaining time with him. The Emperor awoke and was informed that everything was suspected to be Chu Guihong's doing, including framing Nan Rui for poisoning him. The minister suggested bringing the Xuanjia Army back to the capital. The Emperor spoke to Nan Heng, expressing regret for his past harshness and asking Nan Heng to call him "Father."
Nan Heng struggled, haunted by a memory from nineteen years prior where he brought the Emperor a snow tiger he made as a birthday gift, only for it to be initially dismissed before being taken inside. After a long moment, Nan Heng finally uttered "Father." Nan Heng, weakened by his illness and the emotional exchange, coughed up blood.
Fugui arrived with news that the Crown Princess had gone to Lord Qianyu's manor alone, not allowing the Xuanjia Army to follow, and then left with him for the city tower, sending back something related to Song Yiting. Nan Heng was furious, feeling Song Yimeng had lied to him again, vowing to make her kneel on washboards in their next life as punishment. He immediately ordered 200 Xuanjia Army soldiers to follow him to the city tower to rescue her.
Shangguan He arrived, reporting that he had been ambushed while trying to find Song Yiting and that A Long and A Hu had stayed behind at Residual Stream Moon to cover his retreat. He warned Nan Heng that a large Qianyu Army force was converging on the capital, outnumbering the Xuanjia Army currently there (300 vs 5000). Border troops were days away.
Nan Heng instructed Fugui to find someone to go to Residual Stream Moon and have the Night Wanderers there support A Long and A Hu, tasking them with stalling the Qianyu Army for at least two hours. Despite his condition, Nan Heng insisted on going to the city tower himself, stating Chu Li's (Lord Qianyu's) real target was him. Shangguan He joined him. Snow began to fall on the city tower.
The scriptwriter/orchestrator was present, along with Rong Hua and Song Yiting. Rong Hua held Song Yiting captive as Nan Heng arrived with his troops. The orchestrator declared that fate could not be changed and they would all return to this predetermined ending, adding that even if Song Yimeng cooperated, others wouldn't necessarily follow the script as they were no longer just paper characters. Chu Li challenged Nan Heng directly upon his arrival.
Holding a knife to Song Yiting's throat, Chu Li threatened Nan Heng with the Emperor's antidote and Nan Rui's alleged poisoning evidence, demanding Nan Heng shoot arrows and complete the "Choice Between Two" scene, stating that otherwise, everything would remain unresolved. Song Yimeng cried out to Nan Heng, telling him not to shoot and offering to sacrifice herself for everyone's safety, saying she could die in this world to save them.
Nan Heng refused, telling her not to believe in fate and to come down from the tower. Shangguan He suddenly appeared on the tower, causing a distraction among the Qianyu Army. Song Yimeng used the moment to untie Song Yiting. After a brief struggle, Song Yimeng pushed Song Yiting away, telling her to go. Song Yimeng then leaped from the tower, but Nan Heng was below and caught her, shielding her fall.
On the tower, Shangguan He seized Lord Qianyu (Chu Li) as a hostage, demanding Rong Hua release Song Yiting. Unexpectedly, Rong Hua fatally stabbed Lord Qianyu, declaring her loyalty was not to him but to "the Junior General" (implying Chu Guihong) and announced their true target was Nan Heng. The Qianyu Army immediately turned their full force on Nan Heng and his outnumbered Xuanjia Army, intending to eliminate them.
Fugui and the Xuanjia Army fought desperately to protect Nan Heng and Song Yimeng. Shangguan He, fighting to cover Song Yiting's escape, was struck repeatedly by arrows.
In his final moments, protecting Song Yiting, he told Fugui to catch her, pushed her from the tower, and collapsed himself, presumably to his death after instructing Song Yiting to find a man better than him in the future and stating that some things, like taking the lead or making sacrifices, were a man's role. Meanwhile, Chu Guihong stormed into the Emperor's bedchamber. The noble consort tried to block him.
Chu Guihong boasted that he was acting to defend the throne, claiming the Crown Prince, Nan Heng, had colluded with Liu Mingxi to poison the aging Emperor, framing Nan Rui, whom Chu Guihong claimed to have subsequently killed. He presented a forged Emperor's Daily Diary entry as proof, documenting the false narrative.
The noble consort accused him of rebellion, but Chu Guihong was arrogant, declaring the Xuanjia Army was far away and the capital was under the control of his overwhelming Qianyu Army (5000 vs 300 Xuanjia troops). He mocked her, stating her son Nan Heng was trapped on the city tower and would surely die against his forces. Song Yimeng instructed Fugui to take Song Yiting to safety.
She refused to leave Nan Heng's side, insisting they would face the outcome together, whether they lived or died, telling Fugui to protect Song Yiting. As the battle raged, Nan Heng, exhausted and weakened by his illness, was shot by an arrow from Rong Hua. Song Yimeng cried out, begging him not to die and saying she had no one else in this world but him. Nan Heng struggled to speak, confirming he heard her.
He tried to comfort her, saying he was the male lead and wouldn't die. In his dying moments, he said that him dying proved he wasn't a paper character and had truly lived. He thanked Song Yimeng just before collapsing and dying in her arms, bleeding heavily. Song Yimeng held Nan Heng, sobbing in disbelief and begging him to wake up.
In her grief, she remembered moments with him, including a time he promised they would face everything together, he would solve her worries and fears, and he would never lie to her again, playfully agreeing to kneel on a washboard if he did. He had assured her that as the male lead with a protagonist halo, he would protect her. Now, he was gone. She gently laid his body down and touched his face, heartbroken.
Rong Hua called out to her, telling her Nan Heng was dead and offering her life if she denounced him and joined their side. Song Yimeng looked up, tears streaming down her face. She declared that mountains weren't born with peaks, nor roads flat; through trials and tribulations, joy and sorrow, she had her own hands and feet to forge her path, whether trampling thorns or pointing her sword at the sky.
She refused to let her fate be controlled by others. Picking up a sword, she stated that if there was a writer of this world, it should be herself. She thanked Nan Heng one last time, acknowledging that she had always run away before, but today, she would follow his example and take control of her own destiny, even if it meant death. With newfound courage, she walked towards Rong Hua and the remaining Qianyu Army soldiers and was killed by them.
