I Am The Years You Are The Stars Episode 1 Recap
> I Am The Years You Are The Stars Recap
Jiang Baiju, an immortal burdened by a century of secrets, has spent eighty years seeking a way to become a normal human. Meanwhile, Jin Xiaoyu, a mortuary makeup artist who has witnessed countless deaths, faces a rare disease that leaves her with only a year to live. Her sole wish before she dies is to save enough retirement money for her master, Ge Dacheng.
One day, Jin Xiaoyu's electric scooter breaks down, forcing her to take it to a repair shop. Coincidentally, Jiang Baiju, having received a tip about a specific drug, also arrives at the same repair shop. He learns from the repairman that the informant, Gao Guofu, has just boarded a public bus. Jiang Baiju rushes to catch the bus and, once inside, unknowingly encounters Jin Xiaoyu, though he pays her no mind.
Jiang Baiju confronts Gao Guofu, revealing that he knows Gao Guofu was a researcher in the Department of Oncology at a branch of the Central Medical University in 1999, an institution that later closed due to a medical accident. Jiang Baiju demands to know what diseases those patients had and why they vanished after entering the hospital. Gao Guofu, agitated, denies knowing anything.
Jiang Baiju explains he tracked Gao Guofu through tuition payments made for his daughter, all routed through various acquaintances connected to Gao Guofu's repair shop. Realizing he has been found, Gao Guofu grows frantic, grabbing the steering wheel and forcing the bus to a halt. Passengers quickly flee. Jin Xiaoyu, noticing a young girl still on board, bravely pulls her to safety, assuring her, "Don't be afraid. I'll protect you." Gao Guofu then seizes Jin Xiaoyu as a hostage.
Believing her life is short anyway, Jin Xiaoyu signals Jiang Baiju to leave. As police sirens grow louder, Gao Guofu re-boards the bus, and Jiang Baiju pursues. Jin Xiaoyu watches in horror as the bus plunges into the deep sea. She later learns that the bodies from the crash have been sent to the morgue. Before she can fully recover, her master pulls her away to the Traditional Chinese Medicine ward for her own injuries.
While there, Jin Xiaoyu shares with a young man about her rare disease, mentioning she is trying to make money for her master. Shortly after, Officer Su Jiafan arrives to take her statement about the bus incident. Later at the morgue, a family is distraught when their deceased son's body appears to cough.
Jin Xiaoyu, arriving to assist, calmly explains that this is a natural phenomenon called "fake life," caused by gas expulsion from relaxing muscles after death, a common occurrence in emergency situations. She instructs her panicking colleagues to contact the director and ensure proper procedures are followed. Soon, the salvaged bus yields more bodies, including Jiang Baiju and Gao Guofu. Jin Xiaoyu recognizes Jiang Baiju, lamenting that despite saving everyone on the bus, including herself, he met such a tragic end.
She reflects on the unfairness of good deeds sometimes leading to bad outcomes, comparing the "hero" Jiang Baiju with the "wicked" Gao Guofu, noting that neither survived. She quietly expresses her gratitude to Jiang Baiju, wishing him a better, longer, and more peaceful life in his next incarnation. Gao Guofu's daughter arrives to identify his body, appearing eerily calm and expressing no sadness. She recalls her father as a dedicated doctor who often spoke of saving lives.
Jin Xiaoyu, having been on the bus, confirms Gao Guofu almost caused their deaths. She advises the daughter that after death, all earthly emotions become meaningless, and living people should not let the deceased burden their own lives. Unbeknownst to Jin Xiaoyu, Jiang Baiju is the co-founder of the Qing'ai Group, a fashion empire he built with Mrs. Dao, whose family has guarded him for four generations. Mrs. Dao recently passed the guardian role to her grandson, Dao Ruifeng.
That night, as Jin Xiaoyu burns joss paper for her unknown rescuer, Jiang Baiju lies in a corpse box in the morgue, struggling with a painful transformation. Hearing noises, Jin Xiaoyu cautiously approaches the box. Suddenly, something unseen bursts out, knocking her to the ground. The morgue lights flicker wildly. As she tries to call her master, Dao Ruifeng appears and knocks her unconscious. Dao Ruifeng and Qian Cheng then subdue the violently mutating Jiang Baiju.
When Jiang Baiju eventually regains consciousness, he immediately asks about Jin Xiaoyu. Dao Ruifeng and Qian Cheng reveal she saw his mutation and argue that she poses a grave risk, insisting she "must be dealt with" or "physically destroyed." Jiang Baiju, however, orders them to "Leave her," causing Dao Ruifeng to jokingly question if it is "love at first sight." Jiang Baiju trusts them to handle the situation discreetly, but Qian Cheng, overwhelmed, declares his intention to resign.
The next morning, Jin Xiaoyu wakes, believing the night's events were a nightmare. Rushing back to the morgue, she discovers Jiang Baiju's body has been claimed by his "family." Upon checking the registration, she finds the name "Qian Jin" and an address for Qing'ai Building.
Realizing that the events were not a dream and that her rescuer is connected to this building, she seeks out her master to confirm details, but he dismisses her concerns, attributing it to her being "out of her mind." Jin Xiaoyu then tries to verify her experience by requesting surveillance footage from the mortuary makeup room for the previous night. The chief, Zhang, informs her that the cameras mysteriously malfunctioned around 11 PM.
Feeling suspicious, Jin Xiaoyu heads to the Qing'ai Group building. At the front desk, she inquires about "Qian Cheng's brother." She learns from the receptionists that "Senior Mr. Qian," whose real name is Qian Tu, is the president of Zhaoyan Tourism Company Group, and he has been on vacation abroad for a week, not dead. This contradicts the name "Qian Jin" and the address listed on the morgue registration for her rescuer.
Later, talking to her friend Cheng Weilan on the phone, Jin Xiaoyu learns that there is no "Qian Jin" in their hospital records and that Qing'ai Group is known for its charity work and its CEO, Qian Cheng, is a decorated hero. Jin Xiaoyu still feels a disconnect, voicing her suspicion that the dead person is not Qian Cheng's actual brother.
Weilan, concerned, suggests Jin Xiaoyu might be experiencing post-traumatic stress, but Jin Xiaoyu remains convinced she witnessed a resurrection and that the conveniently broken surveillance is too coincidental. Jin Xiaoyu then asks about Qing'ai Group's charity positions, before Weilan is called away to an emergency. Back at the morgue, Jin Xiaoyu begins preparing Gao Guofu's body.
She notices anomalies: despite his cause of death being drowning, his body shows no signs of bloating (a "giant's phenomenon") and retains muscle elasticity akin to a living person. Furthermore, his fingernails contain what appears to be toxic residue. Her colleague dismisses her observations, stating that the forensic pathologist had already completed their examination before the body arrived. Jin Xiaoyu, however, insists, "Something is wrong."
