Dear Diary Episode 20 Recap
> Dear Diary Recap
The Prince, Murong Jielun, saw his handprint on a clay tablet, triggering a cascade of memories. He recalled the devastation of Hessetts city, the capture of its women and children, and Prince Keane's surrender. Murong Jielun, as the Prince, had fiercely asserted his dominance, claiming the sacred sword and Keane himself, compelling Ouyang Wen Shan (Keane) to swear eternal loyalty to preserve his people's lives.
Sin-Muballit, the King of Babylon, was informed that his empire would achieve lasting peace through blood, but he would not be the Eternal King; a new king, his own son, would rise. Enraged, Sin-Muballit ordered his "bastard son" to be eliminated, deeming him unworthy, and declared that only he could be the Eternal King.
Meanwhile, Murong Jielun’s former comrade, Ouyang Wen Shan, betrayed him, explaining that his actions were for his people and all living beings, to spare them from Murong Jielun's merciless slaughter. Murong Jielun refused to believe him, determined to confront his father. He questioned if his service as a "killing machine" wasn't enough to satisfy his father. The King then openly declared Murong Jielun unworthy of his achievements and sentenced him to be sacrificed to the lunar deity that very night.
Elsewhere, a lowly chronicler girl, believing her engraved words held divine power, wrote of a prince destined for greatness, wishing that a girl in the future would love him on her behalf. Mei Ru, Jiang Huizhen, and Duan Shuiliu were gripped by anxiety over the diary. Mei Ru's Second Uncle visited, revealing that Mei Ru wrote the diary, Jiang Huizhen embellished its contents, and Duan Shuiliu preserved it. He stated that their connections to the diary's characters were all predetermined.
Sin-Muballit, the Babylonian King, addressed Murong Jielun as "my son," a term Murong Jielun found strange coming from the man who had ordered his death. Murong Jielun accused Sin-Muballit's past injustice of causing their current chaotic predicament. Sin-Muballit countered that their misfortune was a divine punishment, brought about by a lowly historian girl carving her private emotions onto a sacred stone tablet.
Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady, bewildered, questioned why she and Ouyang Wen Shan were present if this was all the result of their ancient grievances. Sin-Muballit clarified that Mei Ru, a modern girl, had also written about them, and the combined "absurd fantasies" of both lowly girls had opened passages, drawing them from their ancient homeland into this ignorant era, leading to the loss of their memories and turning them into figures of derision.
Second Uncle revealed that for the ancient Babylonians to return to their time, a sacrificial ritual had to be performed on the holy hill during the blood moon. He explained that Mei Ru, though not the creator, had inadvertently opened the forbidden door, and Sin-Muballit insisted she must pay the ultimate price for their return. Second Uncle explained that the ancient ritual demanded a blood sacrifice from the girl who wrote the words—Mei Ru.
He strongly advised Mei Ru not to become the sacrificial offering. If the ritual was not carried out, Murong Jielun and the others would vanish permanently from both time-spaces. Murong Jielun vehemently refused to allow anyone to harm Mei Ru, declaring he would rather disappear than cooperate with Sin-Muballit’s plan.
Sin-Muballit then questioned whether Ouyang Wen Shan, now a leader of the Hessetts, and Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady, a Hittite princess seeking freedom, would make the same choice, implying they now had their own motivations that might not align with Murong Jielun's. Second Uncle advised Mei Ru to protect herself and be prepared for Murong Jielun's inevitable departure, as their presence in this time was merely a matter of chance.
Mei Ru, Jiang Huizhen, and Duan Shuiliu grappled with the terrifying realization that if the ritual was not performed, Murong Jielun and the others would disappear by dying. Second Uncle insisted that fate was sealed and could not be reversed, concluding that Mei Ru's cherished childhood dream had become a nightmare from which she must awaken.
The lights in the room suddenly went out as a television news broadcast announced that the long-anticipated blood moon spectacle would appear around 7 PM this Sunday, marking the prime viewing time. Sin-Muballit, having previously spoken with Murong Jielun, sternly instructed him to bring Chen Mei Ru to the altar on the night of the blood moon, reiterating it was his sole duty.
After Murong Jielun left, Sin-Muballit covertly directed Ouyang Wen Shan and Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady, emphasizing that regardless of Murong Jielun's decisions, Chen Mei Ru's blood "must" be shed on the altar, ensuring the plan's success. Murong Jielun returned to Mei Ru's home, deeply troubled. His mind replayed Mei Ru's words about love being the world's most beautiful emotion, and a monogamous, lifelong marriage being its ultimate destination. Overwhelmed by his inner turmoil, he violently smashed a mirror.
When Mei Ru returned, she found him on his knees, meticulously trying to reassemble the broken pieces. He offered a clumsy explanation, claiming he had tried to do some housework but accidentally broke the mirror. Mei Ru playfully questioned why a prince would stoop to such tasks, abandoning his identity. He dismissed the idea of identity and reminded her they had agreed to "start over."
He promised to handle all the physically demanding chores, such as cooking, cleaning, and taking out the trash. Mei Ru teased him, asking if he wouldn't be earning money, to which he admitted being "somewhat poor" but "strong," jokingly suggesting he could borrow from the wealthy Wen Shan. Mei Ru, touched, only asked him to make her happy every day, and he pledged to do so. Yet, beneath their lighthearted exchange, both harbored deep, unspoken sadness.
Mei Ru then told him to hang the laundry. As he turned away, her smile faded, replaced by an expression of profound sadness and helplessness, as the grim reality of their situation weighed heavily upon her. Duan Shuiliu returned home to find Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady meticulously cleaning a sword fashioned from a silver basin.
She told him she had personal matters to attend to and wished to be left alone, asserting that she would walk her own path and leave once her task was complete. She thanked him for his constant care, but Duan Shuiliu insisted she never thank him and encouraged her to consider his home as her own, treating him as family, despite knowing she didn't love him.
Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady clarified that neither his place, nor Babylon, nor Hittite, was her true home. She revealed she was from the Hittite Empire but had been imprisoned by the Babylonians, making them her sworn enemies. She scornfully refused to align with them and declared her intent to disappear with those who had harmed her, rather than allow them to return to their homeland.
Realizing her fierce determination and the potential consequence of her disappearance if she didn't return, Duan Shuiliu made a solemn blood oath, demanding that she return to Babylon with her enemies and reclaim her role as a Hittite princess. He vowed to change her destiny, ensuring she would not lose her love and face a solitary life. Ouyang Wen Shan went to see Jiang Huizhen, returning the Sichuan opera copyright agency contract she had entrusted him with.
Jiang Huizhen, now dressed in a special Babylonian costume he had made for her, became uncharacteristically tender. She desperately clung to him, pleading with him not to leave. She shed her cool facade, confessing that she had saved all her tears for him and regretted not having done anything for him, feeling it was now too late.
Ouyang Wen Shan gently comforted her, assuring her that she had given him much—her scent, voice, laughter, and anger—all of which he would remember. Despite her desperate pleas, he expressed regret, stating he could no longer help her and that the contract was all that remained between them, implying their relationship was over.
Jiang Huizhen, devastated, questioned if their connection was truly worth only "two lousy sheets of paper" and if they were to simply be "even" after all they had shared. Mei Ru, while piecing together the broken mirror, watched Murong Jielun hanging clothes. The grim prophecy echoed in her mind: the one sacrificed must be the girl who wrote the words, and without the ritual, Murong Jielun would disappear forever.
A stark realization hit her—if one of them had to be sacrificed in this tragedy, it must be her. She dismissed the ancient rituals and blood sacrifices as absurd, worse than any myth, lamenting that her arbitrary diary entries now bore such a heavy responsibility. Jiang Huizhen then reminded her of her childhood dream for an "earth-shattering love" and questioned her complaints now that it had come true.
Mei Ru reflected that Murong Jielun's survival, in any world, was the most beautiful outcome. Overwhelmed by fear of backing down, she prayed for courage to face death, pleading for Murong Jielun to live and not disappear. Duan Shuiliu, refusing to let her go, desperately insisted they couldn't end things this way.
Jiang Huizhen mused on how the Babylonian epic, which she once thought was just a story of love, choice, and sacrifice she wished to adapt for the stage, had now tragically become her own painful reality. Duan Shuiliu then promised Jiang Huizhen he would take her somewhere after she changed. Ninth Heaven Dragon Lady, speaking to Duan Shuiliu, implied that if he truly knew her story as the Hittite princess, he would not want her to return. Duan Shuiliu reaffirmed his commitment to change Dragon Lady's destiny, ensuring she would not lose her love and face a solitary life.
