Granting You a Dreamlike Life Episode 19 Recap
> Granting You a Dreamlike Life Recap
Tianying returned home and informed Nine-year-old Lake that she had completely severed ties with Xu Xingcheng. She told her father that if Xu Xingcheng ever bothered her again, he should handle it as he saw fit, as she wanted no further involvement with him. Meanwhile, Hong Zhenbao confronted his daughter, Hong Lan, at Luo Fusheng's residence, ordering her to accept the arranged marriage with the Xu family. Hong Lan was furious, accusing her father of selling her for profit.
Hong Zhenbao, visibly angry, explained his reluctance to force her but stressed that the Hong family’s influence had diminished, and they desperately needed the Xu family's police power for support. Luo Fusheng, caught in the middle, tried to reason with Hong Lan. He prepared a Western meal for her, explaining that her father was also suffering. He then urged Hong Zhenbao to give Hong Lan more time, stating that she responded better to gentle persuasion than force.
Observing Luo Fusheng’s attentiveness towards Hong Lan, Hong Zhenbao questioned if he harbored romantic feelings for her. Luo Fusheng unequivocally stated his loyalty and reiterated that he regarded Hong Lan purely as a beloved sister, with no ulterior motives. Luo Fusheng then directly addressed Hong Lan, delivering the painful truth she had long avoided: his affection for her was strictly brotherly, not romantic.
Heartbroken, Hong Lan pressed him, asking if he would pursue Tianying if she were to marry Xu Xingcheng. He denied it, but Hong Lan understood his true meaning – he simply did not love her. Accepting this, she declared she would no longer pursue him and wished him happiness, stating that from that moment on, they would be strangers. Later, Luo Cheng criticized Luo Fusheng for his perceived harshness, but Luo Fusheng believed a clean break was necessary for everyone.
Separately, a distraught Xu Xingcheng returned home, knelt before his father, Xu Ruian, and pleaded for the annulment of his engagement to Hong Lan, asserting their lack of mutual love. Xu Ruian dismissed love as an illusion, coldly instructing his son to marry Hong Lan for the family’s benefit. He even suggested Xu Xingcheng could pursue other women after the marriage. Xu Xingcheng was horrified by his father's calculating and callous nature, realizing his ruthless pursuit of power.
The next day, the troupe was bustling with joy for Tianying’s wedding. Nine-year-old Lake and Tianci were beaming with excitement, but Tianying sat alone in her room, dressed in her red wedding gown and phoenix coronet, her face devoid of any happiness. Concerned for Tianying, Luo Fusheng arrived at the troupe, only to find an unsettling silence. Inside, he was shocked to discover Nine-year-old Lake collapsed on the floor, while Tianying was nowhere to be found.
Tianci, upon seeing Luo Fusheng, angrily accused him of colluding with Xu Xingcheng. Luo Fusheng quickly learned that Xu Xingcheng, armed with a pistol, had stormed into the troupe just moments earlier and forcibly dragged Tianying away. When Tianci tried to intervene, Xu Xingcheng fired a shot near his feet, incapacitating him. Powerless, everyone watched as Xu Xingcheng abducted Tianying, and the shock and distress caused Nine-year-old Lake to faint.
Prioritizing Nine-year-old Lake's critical condition, Luo Fusheng immediately arranged for him to be rushed to the hospital. He then went to Tianying’s room and discovered a suicide note, revealing her intention to end her life to resist fate and repay her father’s kindness. In the letter, Tianying expressed profound gratitude to Nine-year-old Lake for raising her, acknowledging her life as a gift.
She desired to honor him, care for the troupe, and respect Tianci, but confessed her heart belonged to another and she could not marry Tianci. She also stated that she would not selfishly pursue her beloved and cause pain to her father and brother. To repay her father’s kindness and avoid disappointing anyone, Tianying had chosen to end her life. This revelation deeply alarmed Luo Fusheng.
Knowing Nine-year-old Lake was critically ill and he couldn't let Tianying have regrets, Luo Fusheng hastily instructed Luo Cheng to alert all transport hubs about Xu Xingcheng and Tianying. Meanwhile, at the hospital, the doctor informed Tianci that Nine-year-old Lake's condition was extremely critical due to long-term fatigue and recent shock, and he might not survive the night. Meanwhile, Xu Xingcheng had taken Tianying to the dock, planning to buy tickets for a ship and flee Dongjiang.
He passionately declared that he had sacrificed everything for her, including money, power, and his father, and promised them a happy life together, free from traditional constraints, in a new land like America or Europe. Tianying, however, expressed her hesitation about leaving without her father's knowledge and the prospect of a life in hiding, feeling she owed too much to her father.
While Xu Xingcheng went to purchase the tickets, Luo Fusheng arrived at the dock and urgently informed Tianying of her father’s grave condition. Hearing this, Tianying immediately decided to return to the hospital with Luo Fusheng, leaving a distraught and enraged Xu Xingcheng behind, who then realized she had left with Luo Fusheng. Tianying rushed to the hospital, finding her father on his deathbed. Overcome with guilt, she vowed to stay and care for him.
Nine-year-old Lake, with his last strength, told her he knew she had only agreed to the marriage out of filial piety, and that her heart was never truly in it. He shared his final wishes, expressing concern for the troupe and Tianci, noting Tianci's inexperience and impulsiveness, but highlighting his genuine love for her. He warned Tianying that despite Xu Xingcheng's current devotion, a marriage into an influential family like the Xu family would ultimately bring her sorrow.
In contrast, within the troupe, her peers cared for her, and Tianci would listen to her, giving her agency. He implored her to marry Tianci to revive the troupe, reiterating his lifelong effort to protect her from suffering. At that moment, Xu Xingcheng burst into the ward, accusing Nine-year-old Lake and Tianci of staging an illness as a scheme to manipulate Tianying.
Nine-year-old Lake, enraged by Xu Xingcheng's words and actions, coughed up blood and, with his dying breath, urged Tianying to stay away from Xu Xingcheng, marry Tianci, and revitalize the troupe before passing away. Xu Xingcheng, refusing to accept his death, frantically insisted that Nine-year-old Lake was faking it. Enraged by his disrespect, Tianying slapped Xu Xingcheng, ordering him to leave. The other troupe members collapsed in tears around Nine-year-old Lake’s bed.
Luo Cheng and Xu Shuangye intervened, escorting Xu Xingcheng away as he continued to demand to see Tianying, but Luo Cheng insisted it was not the right time for either of them.
