Dear Diary Episode 18 Recap
> Dear Diary Recap
Following Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady's accidental touch of a mystical wooden plank, which caused her to "blacken" and recall painful memories of her past, Sin now confronts her. He reminds her of her true identity as Geen, the Princess of Hittite, urging her to remember her kin and past suffering. He suggests she now knows who her true allies are. Dragon Lady scoffs, refusing to be addressed by her title from him.
She turns her anger to Ouyang Wen Shan, calling him a "traitor" and dismissing his "ridiculous doomed relationship" with the Prince. She firmly states that she will never align with them, regardless of their schemes. Sin warns that they all must unite, or they will vanish forever on the "blood moon night." Dragon Lady rejects his authority, asking why she should obey him, and then forcefully leaves with Duan Shuiliu.
Outside, Duan Shuiliu observes that Dragon Lady is behaving unusually and asks what happened. She tells him to stop looking for her from now on. He wonders if she is angry because he left her to confront others, promising not to do it again and expressing concern for the diary's safety. Dragon Lady dismisses his worries, declaring that the diary no longer matters, nor does anything else.
She instructs him not to fight for her, care for her, or search for her if she leaves, stating that she must forge her own path. Confused and frightened, Duan Shuiliu questions her words, but Dragon Lady is resolute. She returns his locator watch and tells him to stop following her, declaring that "it's over" as they are fundamentally different people and must return to their respective places. Duan Shuiliu is left stunned and alone.
Ouyang Wen Shan is engrossed in Chen Meiru's diary, reading passages that describe her love for Jiang Hui Zhen, detailing how Ouyang Wen Shan's unconditional love for Jiang Hui Zhen and her pure soul fostered a profound connection based on fundamental passion, and how he, second only to Chen Meiru, understood her best and quietly fulfilled her dreams.
Having recently recalled fragmented memories of Murong Jielun's past misdeeds, including killing his brother, destroying his tribe, and inciting wars, Sin interrupts, tapping his weird-looking cane on the diary. He remarks that he expected the will of the Prince of Hittite to be unyielding, questioning why Ouyang Wen Shan is still preoccupied with such "insignificant people." Ouyang Wen Shan, already aware of Sin's manipulative nature, directly asks what new task Sin has for him.
Sin states that he needs Murong Jielun, whom he refers to as "that bastard," to make "the right choice," just as Ouyang Wen Shan supposedly has. Murong Jielun and Chen Meiru enjoy a sweet moment in Wushan, a place Meiru cherishes. She reminisces about their first visit and assures him he never embarrasses her.
Meiru leaves to buy tickets, promising Murong Jielun that upon their return, they will have no more secrets and embark on a "serious" and "best" new beginning. Murong Jielun wholeheartedly agrees. While Meiru is gone, Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady appears, her demeanor drastically changed. She confronts Murong Jielun, calling him a "blood-thirsty bastard" and demanding he stop calling her Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady, a name that now brings her only humiliation.
She reveals her true identity as the Princess of the Hittite Empire and declares Murong Jielun is not Murong Jielun but a "blood-thirsty bastard" and her archenemy. She expresses disbelief at her past infatuation with such a foolish man. She then pronounces a curse upon him: "Those who break the bones of others will themselves be broken. The bastard of Babylon will be condemned by God. What's happening to Babylon right now is just the beginning of everything."
She then asserts that from this day forward, she will not be anyone's pawn and will prevent them from achieving their goals. With a surge of power, she throws Murong Jielun against a nearby wall. Meiru returns to find Murong Jielun on the ground and rushes to his side, asking if he is hurt. He quickly invents a lie, claiming he was "accidentally hit by a car" but is fine, urging her to go home.
Meiru, remembering their earlier promise, gently asks about having "no secrets," to which Murong Jielun simply replies that there will be none. Murong Jielun confronts Ouyang Wen Shan at his dwelling, sensing something is amiss. He describes Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady's drastic transformation and her strange claims about the Hittite Empire, a princess, and their past as archenemies.
Murong Jielun admits he no longer hates her, realizing her actions weren't entirely her own, but what she said resonated with his recurring nightmares of "darkness, massacre, and hatred," making him feel he is the cause of crises. He contrasts this with Chen Meiru's belief that her diary created him and their world, offering a chance for a new, secret-free beginning.
Ouyang Wen Shan dismisses the idea of a "rewind button" but echoes Dragon Lady's ominous words: "Those who break the bones of others will themselves be broken." He recounts his own strange experience of spontaneously speaking Akkadian, a language he never learned, hinting at shared pasts that Murong Jielun, as a prince, never cared about.
When Murong Jielun presses for the truth, Ouyang Wen Shan cryptically warns that revealing even "a little of it" would shatter everything between them and between Murong Jielun and Chen Meiru. Despite the dire warning, Murong Jielun insists on knowing, accepting all consequences. Ouyang Wen Shan sarcastically doubts his ability to bear the burden.
As Murong Jielun presses for answers, Ouyang Wen Shan reaffirms that Murong Jielun is indeed a prince, Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady a princess, and he himself Murong Jielun's guard. Still, he refuses to simply tell him. Murong Jielun demands to be taken to Ouyang Wen Shan's "new friend" who knows their past. Ouyang Wen Shan agrees but then unexpectedly attacks Murong Jielun with a "blood-thirsty weapon," explaining it’s to help him "recall his memory."
Stunned, Murong Jielun demands to know what is happening between them. Ouyang Wen Shan reveals that his friend is actually Sin, Murong Jielun’s father, the King of Babylon, who hates Murong Jielun as much as he and Dragon Lady do, even calling him a "bastard." Murong Jielun grapples with the shock of having a father who hates him and is also present.
He observes that his enemies not only hate but also fear him, noting a change in his own gaze upon encountering the "blood-thirsty weapon," signifying his proximity to his "true self." Murong Jielun then insists Ouyang Wen Shan take him to this father who wishes him dead. Duan Shuiliu, in a state of alarm, rushes to Jiang Hui Zhen to tell her that a major event is unfolding. Meanwhile, Chen Meiru frantically searches for her lost diary, confirming its disappearance.
Duan Shuiliu immediately suspects Ouyang Wen Shan, pointing out that Ouyang Wen Shan is a cunning individual and his prime suspect if anything happened to the diary. Jiang Hui Zhen, however, is quick to defend Ouyang Wen Shan, dismissing Duan Shuiliu’s accusation as unsubstantiated. Duan Shuiliu insists he witnessed it himself and reveals that Ouyang Wen Shan and Sin have been secretly working together. Jiang Hui Zhen remains in disbelief, asserting Ouyang Wen Shan knows nothing about the diary.
Overwhelmed by the conflicting claims, Chen Meiru asks them to stop arguing, confused about Sin and the supposed alliance. Duan Shuiliu, frustrated, says he is too tired to explain. Duan Shuiliu explains to Chen Meiru and Jiang Hui Zhen that their true origins lie in the ancient Babylonian Empire, thousands of years in the past.
He reveals that Chen Meiru's diary, written twelve years ago, inadvertently created a "passage" to their current world, which is merely a "fake and temporary" construct. He clarifies that while Chen Meiru didn't truly create Murong Jielun, she "imposed a new identity" on him, akin to replacing his heart and memories. Duan Shuiliu further exposes Sin as the ancient King of Babylon from Chen Meiru's diary, a fact initially met with disbelief by Jiang Hui Zhen.
Chen Meiru then recalls writing about a "new friend" in her diary who understood their past and present, and mentioning the King of Babylon promulgating something like the Code of Hammurabi. Duan Shuiliu elaborates on Sin, describing him as a seemingly ordinary "collector and scholar" from whom the copyright for Chen Meiru's performance was acquired.
He reveals that Ouyang Wen Shan first connected with Sin while abroad for this business, and Sin later resided in the basement of Ouyang Wen Shan's hospital. Duan Shuiliu explains that his own arbitrary decision to add an ending to the story somehow brought the actual King of Babylon into their reality. He recounts seeing Sin, a foreigner with a "weird-looking cane," attempting to steal the diary from Chen Meiru's apartment, which first aroused his suspicions.
Later, Dragon Lady encountered Sin in the hospital basement, where he tried to extract information about the diary from her, confirming Duan Shuiliu's belief that Sin was an insider. Duan Shuiliu also remembers seeing Sin on a rooftop, observing him with an unnervingly penetrative gaze, an encounter that nearly cost Duan Shuiliu his life when he tried to investigate further.
He concludes by asking who Murong Jielun, Ouyang Wen Shan, and Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady truly are if Sin is the King of Babylon. Duan Shuiliu then answers his own question: they are all from the Babylonian Empire—the real Prince, his guard, and a Princess. In the underground chamber, Sin looks at Murong Jielun with an expression of profound, albeit unsettling, satisfaction.
He remarks that "everyone is here" now, calling it a "precious moment" and expressing his unexpected joy at seeing "this son of mine again." He then directs Murong Jielun to a clay tablet, stating it holds "the answers to all your questions." Ouyang Wen Shan interjects, advising Murong Jielun to set aside personal grievances and focus on the larger scheme.
