I Am The Years You Are The Stars Episode 24 (Ending) Recap
> I Am The Years You Are The Stars Recap
To uncover the truth, Jiang Baiju, Jin Xiaoyu, and Dao Ruifeng prepared to venture into the Shenlong Snow Mountain. Dao Ruifeng enlisted the help of Xiang, and Mrs. Dao dispatched several robust bodyguards. With preparations complete, the group set off. Back at the company, Mrs. Dao expressed her displeasure to Dao Lan, wondering why Jiang Baiju, now an ordinary man after achieving his wish, would risk himself in the snow mountains, deeming it meddlesome.
Dao Lan, however, felt that this particular incident allowed her to truly understand Jiang Baiju, believing he was like someone who leaves home for half a lifetime only to return still a youth. She added that after eighty years of life's struggles, Jiang Baiju still possessed the integrity of a young man, and deserved someone to accompany him, like Jin Xiaoyu, who would support and understand him without nagging about dangers. Mrs. Dao, irritated, dismissed Dao Lan.
The Shenlong Snow Mountain, the principal peak of the Zhaoyao Mountains, was their destination. Xiang explained that their target, a place called Phantom Decapitation, was just over the next mountain. He described the area as inauspicious and treacherous, with a valley resembling a headless human figure. Frequent earthquakes in recent years had left many unstable rocks, leading to landslides during rain and regular rockfalls. No one dared to visit, not even government survey teams.
Fortunately, Xiang knew a small path that would bypass the dangerous valley through a forest. As they carefully traversed the rocky, twig-strewn path, Jin Xiaoyu remarked on her complicated feelings, realizing she and Lin Nuoyan shared a connection to the mountain village. Dao Ruifeng jokingly suggested they could have been "brother and sister" had they fallen in love, prompting Jin Xiaoyu to silence him.
Upon reaching a mountain peak, Jiang Baiju was astonished to find the village still standing, as he distinctly remembered it being buried by an avalanche. They cautiously entered a misty forest where strange objects, shrouded in white cloth, hung from trees. Dao Ruifeng's curiosity led him to prod one with a stick, revealing a skeleton, which sent him screaming behind Jin Xiaoyu.
Jin Xiaoyu identified these as "ghost cocoons," an ancient nomadic burial practice where bodies were left on trees to decompose. However, upon closer inspection, she noted that the excellent condition of the teeth indicated these were modern individuals, not ancient ones. Jiang Baiju recalled a past warning that his arrival would bring disaster, suspecting the village might have been rebuilt and relocated.
As they entered the unpopulated village, they found it eerily quiet, devoid of furniture or household items, clearly just a facade. They decided to spend the night there before continuing their search. That night, while Xiang and a bodyguard were keeping watch outside, white mist suddenly billowed from a well, causing both men to collapse unconscious. Hearing the disturbance, Jin Xiaoyu went to investigate, but her throat suddenly dried, and she too fell to the ground.
A black-clad figure, Lin Nuoyan, emerged from the well and carried her away. The next morning, Jiang Baiju discovered Jin Xiaoyu missing, and Dao Ruifeng immediately suspected Lin Nuoyan. Following the scent of flowers, they set off to find her. Jin Xiaoyu awoke in a dark cave and followed a faint light to discover a stunning, flower-filled paradise outside. Lin Nuoyan appeared, admitting he rebuilt the village.
He revealed his intention for Jin Xiaoyu to stay, not as an experimental subject but as his partner, to cure her, claiming only he could do so. He spoke of their "homeland" where their ancestors lived for centuries, isolated from the outside world, a true "utopia."
He explained that he rebuilt the village according to his clan's oral traditions and reburied the skeletons found during excavation, as well as those of clansmen who had left the mountain, in the new forest grave. Lin Nuoyan lamented that an "outsider's intrusion" prevented them from being childhood friends. Jin Xiaoyu, however, found this life "stupid and boring." She accused him of harming Bella, Mrs. Xu, and Tan Yueran.
Lin Nuoyan blamed Ye Lai for supplying the drugs, claiming she was a "lunatic" he couldn't control. He argued that medical advancement inevitably required human sacrifice. Jin Xiaoyu countered that true sacrifice must be voluntary, otherwise it was murder, condemning his "repulsive" actions despite his "nice" words. Lin Nuoyan called her thoughts "annoying" and wondered how Jiang Baiju tolerated her, to which Jin Xiaoyu replied it was because Jiang Baiju "never did anything guilty."
Seizing an opportunity, Jin Xiaoyu pulled out pepper spray and blinded Lin Nuoyan before fleeing. She soon found herself trapped by an invisible barrier. Zhao Shan then appeared, intent on killing Jin Xiaoyu for betraying Lin Nuoyan and disrespecting their ancestral stone. Just as he lunged, Qian Cheng arrived, rescuing Jin Xiaoyu.
Qian Cheng explained that the barrier was part of Lin Nuoyan's setup and that he had sabotaged the water pump, which would soon explode, causing the hollow ground beneath them to collapse. As they bickered about whose fault it was, Jiang Baiju's group arrived, having noticed unusual activity on their way. Dao Ruifeng, startled, accidentally stumbled and knocked over a skeleton, eliciting a scream before Qian Tu suddenly appeared and protected him. The ground began to give way.
Qian Tu heroically caught Dao Ruifeng, who almost fell into the chasm. Jiang Baiju pulled Jin Xiaoyu and Qian Cheng to safety, while Qian Tu helped pull Jiang Baiju up. Watching the village crumble, Lin Nuoyan despaired over the loss of his "homeland," while a trace of melancholy also flashed in Jin Xiaoyu's eyes. Jiang Baiju told him he never sought such things, only a simple life with the one he loved.
Lin Nuoyan reminded him of Jin Xiaoyu's limited time, but Jiang Baiju firmly stated that the value of life is not measured by its length or wealth. In the aftermath, Jiang Baiju visited Lin Nuoyan in prison, showing him his new ID card. He informed Lin Nuoyan that despite the laboratory's destruction, fragments of the meteorite and his research reports were recovered by the police.
His mentor, President Zhang, had formed a research team to continue his work, deeming his research "very valuable." Lin Nuoyan was visibly moved, then urgently warned Jiang Baiju to relay a message to President Zhang: to be extremely cautious of the meteorite's radiation, particularly during mineral extraction, and to avoid all physical contact with the meteorite, even its dust. Jiang Baiju acknowledged his warning, noting it was already detailed in his report.
He also told Lin Nuoyan that Jin Xiaoyu still cared for him despite his past actions. Lin Nuoyan then asked Jiang Baiju what immortality felt like and if he would embrace it without the radiation. Jiang Baiju replied that he would not, explaining that mortals need love, warmth, regrets, and loss, and that true appreciation and love are found within a finite lifespan. Lin Nuoyan scoffed, calling Jiang Baiju a coward with a narrow perspective.
Meanwhile, Dao Ruifeng embarked on a new career as a writer, now living in a new home and facing a mortgage. Qian Cheng's therapy was progressing rapidly; he was able to frankly discuss his past feelings for Ye Lai, recognizing his "sense of duty" or "possessiveness" was misplaced given her "vicious" nature. Guided by his doctor to express his true feelings, Qian Cheng continued to recover and work at Qing'ai.
Jiang Baiju held his first fashion launch event, standing on stage for the first time as a "new designer." Dao Lan noted that this gradual public emergence was important, as an immediate takeover of William's position would draw too much scrutiny into his mysterious past. The man who had shaped Qing'ai's fashion for seventy years was now openly accepting public scrutiny as an ordinary, rising designer. Qian Tu, still helping Dao Ruifeng move, playfully complained about his companion.
Finally, Jiang Baiju and Jin Xiaoyu celebrated their wedding. A narrator reflected on how cliché, yet beautiful, it is for lovers to marry. They would experience all stages of life, from honeymoon to old age, becoming "old, ugly, boring, and senile," eventually passing away. But, the narrator concluded, what truly mattered was loving and protecting each other through it all.
At the bouquet toss, Mrs. Dao declined to participate, declaring that she preferred a lifetime of passionate love over the monotony of marriage. Dao Lan, however, was determined to catch the bouquet, declaring it a "political mission" from her mother.
