A Dream Within A Dream Episode 5 Recap
> A Dream Within A Dream Recap
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.
