I Am The Years You Are The Stars Episode 23 Recap
> I Am The Years You Are The Stars Recap
Mrs. Dao was astonished to receive a photo from Jiang Baiju, showing the meteorite he had been searching for. She immediately called him, and he confirmed his discovery. Jiang Baiju described feeling his heart pound uncontrollably when near the meteorite, as if something within him wished to return to it, potentially curing him or even causing him to vanish entirely.
Mrs. Dao, filled with fear at the prospect of his disappearance, begged him to bring the meteorite back so they could all decide together. However, Jiang Baiju's resolve was firm. He explained that the specific drug syndicate leader had been captured, and the meteorite, hidden in the Eternal Life Technology building, was soon to be transferred to the police.
He felt he had to return the "thing" in his body to the meteorite before the authorities arrived, meaning he might not be able to bid her farewell in person. He entrusted her with the Qing'ai Group and asked her to look after Xiaoyu. Jiang Baiju confessed his deep affection for Mrs. Dao, likening her to a daughter and family, expressing gratitude for witnessing her grow but regret for not being able to accompany her further.
Mrs. Dao pleaded with him not to hang up, but Jiang Baiju, having made his decision, said his goodbyes and ended the call, slowly approaching the meteorite. As Jiang Baiju neared the meteorite, it pulsed with strange electrical light, causing sharp pain in his chest. Overhearing the commotion, Xiaoyu rushed into the laboratory, oblivious to Lin Nuoyan’s ominous smile behind her. Jiang Baiju slowly regained consciousness.
Xiaoyu playfully bit him and was overjoyed to see the wound wasn't healing instantly, a sign that he had finally become an ordinary man. As they embraced, Xiaoyu suddenly experienced another nosebleed. They then realized Lin Nuoyan was gone, and the security guards were unconscious. Sensing danger, Jiang Baiju swiftly led Xiaoyu out of the building. Mrs. Dao arrived to pick them up, and she, too, bit Jiang Baiju, confirming his ordinary human state.
Their relief was short-lived, as they noticed police cars following them. Xiaoyu called Lin Nuoyan, urging him to hide from the police, only for Lin Nuoyan to brazenly admit he had used Jiang Baiju to obtain the meteorite, claiming it and the "thing" inside Jiang Baiju belonged to him. Lin Nuoyan then recounted a story from eighty years prior.
A meteorite had fallen in his ancestral village, but life continued unchanged until Jiang Baiju, falling from the sky, smashed the Holy Stone and miraculously came back to life after seemingly dying. The village elders, believing Jiang Baiju to be a monster, attempted to bury him. However, an avalanche struck, burying the entire village.
Those who survived and left the village soon developed red spots on their skin; their descendants were born with the same affliction and died before reaching thirty. To break this curse, Lin's great-grandfather's generation began studying medicine. His father, along with colleagues, discovered radioactive elements in the meteorite—alien to Earth—and passionately developed what others called the "specific drug."
Yet, despite his pure intentions to cure rare diseases, particularly those affecting the surviving villagers' descendants, his father was condemned by public opinion and imprisoned. Lin Nuoyan explained he returned from America to continue his father’s research, determined to clear his name and validate his scientific contributions.
He thanked Xiaoyu for convincing him to spare Jiang Baiju's life, and he revealed his intent to further his research using the acquired "thing" to find a cure for Xiaoyu, urging her to wait for him. Xiaoyu then realized she might also be a descendant of that cursed village. Jiang Baiju blamed himself for the village's misfortunes, but Mrs. Dao quickly dismissed it as fate, stating Jiang Baiju's arrival during a time of war was merely destiny.
Xiaoyu's nosebleed worsened, prompting them to rush to the hospital. On their way, Mrs. Dao pondered how Lin Nuoyan could have known about Jiang Baiju's immortality. At this point, Dao Ruifeng stepped forward to explain, leading them to Qian Tu, who lay injured in the emergency room. Qian Tu, though shaken, informed them that Lin Nuoyan had escaped and that his accomplice was responsible for his attack.
Dao Ruifeng revealed that years ago, when Jiang Baiju saved Qian Cheng, a certain individual witnessed Jiang Baiju's miraculous revival. This person later met Lin Nuoyan, and their shared interests led them to become partners. Just then, Wei Lan emerged from the ward, prompting Mrs. Dao to prepare for a confrontation, but Dao Ruifeng stopped her, clarifying that Wei Lan was merely an emergency doctor and the real culprit was Ye Lai, whom he then pulled out of the room.
Ye Lai initially tearfully claimed coercion, stating Lin Nuoyan blackmailed her by withholding medicine crucial for her recovery and her reunion with Qian Cheng. However, Dao Ruifeng dismissed her performance. He presented her medical records from America, proving she had been treated for Antisocial Personality Disorder, not PTSD. He accused her of orchestrating the kidnapping a decade ago, where she had posed as a victim, and revealed her true targets were Qian Cheng and himself.
He further exposed her connection to two suspicious car accident deaths in America, both involving former prisoners who had previously served time for her kidnapping. These accidents occurred near Lin Nuoyan’s workplace and her own mental health clinic, suggesting they marked the beginning of her collaboration with Lin Nuoyan. Dao Ruifeng also revealed that Ye Lai had witnessed Qian Cheng's fall and Jiang Baiju's revival.
He threatened her with prolonged detention until her drug addiction manifested, promising to unite powerful families to apply pressure on her family. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Ye Lai shed her pretense. She revealed that if Lin Nuoyan obtained the "thing"—the substance from the immortal being—he would proceed to his experimental base in the snow mountains to research how to eliminate the side effects of the specific drug. If he failed to acquire it, he would flee the country.
Fully unmasked, Ye Lai defiantly stated that her past and present actions were solely motivated by money, not by any man, calling her accusers narcissistic for assuming otherwise. She proclaimed herself a "simple villain," dismissing Lin Nuoyan's ideals of curing diseases. Her true ambition, she declared, was to develop a specific drug that could eliminate the side effects of hard drugs, ultimately leading to their global legalization. With a menacing glare, she challenged her captors, noting that if they killed her, they too would face imprisonment, deeming it an unworthy sacrifice for someone like her.
