Cry Me A River of Stars Episode 24 (Ending) Recap
> Cry Me A River of Stars Recap
Following the events of the rebellion, Yun He'an was condemned to spend her days as a Buddhist nun in the ancestral temple by the Empress Dowager. Yun He'an vehemently protested, crying out against being touched by the guards and refusing to go to the ancestral temple or become a Buddhist nun. The guards reminded her that she was merely a rebel in prison, no longer a lady in a mansion.
Despite her pleas to see the Empress Dowager, she was forcibly taken away. Meanwhile, Tao Junran, his hair now completely white from transferring his vital power to A Fan to save her life, sat by her side. He gently held her hand, murmuring about their unfulfilled wedding, stating that they had been married for a long time and he still owed her a ceremony, assuring her he had not broken his promise.
He envisioned a future where he would care for her, just as she had cared for him, and teasingly recalled asking her why she was crying when she had already agreed to marry him. He confessed how deeply he missed her, day after day, as he had remained by her side in the deep mountains throughout the seasons. A Fan miraculously awoke, disoriented, wondering if she had descended into the underworld.
She spotted Tao Junran's sword nearby and mused whether he had come to accompany her even there. Then, sensing her own heartbeat, she realized she was alive and anxiously called out for "My lord." She searched for Tao Junran but found no trace of him.
Wandering into a nearby town in her wedding attire, she asked about the governor's mansion, only to be told by a local that the family had been gone for over seven years and that it was now the eighteenth year of the Shunde era. The revelation stunned her; she had been asleep for ten years. An adult Nanshan, now a young man, recognized A Fan and joyfully exclaimed that it had been ten years and she was finally awake.
A Fan, still reeling, asked him what had transpired and where Tao Junran was. Nanshan explained that after Yun Jiayu stabbed A Fan, Tao Junran killed Yun Jiayu. He then presented his case to the Midland Emperor, successfully vindicating Azureland, after which he resigned his official post to live in seclusion. Nanshan sadly admitted he had not seen Tao Junran since then. A Fan then inquired about their other friends.
Nanshan led her to memorial tablets for Liao Zhongyan, Lian Qi, and Li Yu. He recounted how Liao Zhongyan had died in his arms, and how he had retrieved his body to be honored alongside Lian Qi and Li Yu. A Fan wept, lamenting that she was late.
Amidst her grief, she had a fleeting memory of Li Yu talking about the sound of the sea in a conch, then encouraging her to be strong as she was now the High Priest and hero of Azureland, telling her not to cry for him. Later, A Fan encountered Yun He'an, who had indeed become a Buddhist nun, now known as Liaochen. A Fan recognized her, but Yun He'an feigned ignorance.
A Fan pressed her, questioning her relationship with Tao Junran and scornfully remarking that Tao Junran would never be interested in someone like her. A Fan then asked if Yun He'an had seen Tao Junran, expressing her long and fruitless search for him. Yun He'an responded with a detached philosophical observation, "If it is fate, you will gather. If it is not, you will disperse.
If he is a person from the old time, why should you try to find him?" Undeterred, A Fan declared her intention to find Tao Junran, stating that she needed to see him, dead or alive, and didn't believe he was gone. She asserted that since he did not want to come to her, she would go to him. A Fan continued her journey, eventually hailing a boatman.
A sense of familiarity washed over her, and as she paid the fare, she recognized the boatman as Tao Junran. She called out his name, but he denied it, claiming she had mistaken him for someone else. A Fan was resolute, insisting she could not be mistaken and would recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes. She passionately called him "My lord" and "Tao Junran."
She confronted him, demanding to know why he had saved her if he never intended to see her again, reminding him of his solemn promise to protect her for the rest of their lives. She accused him of breaking his word or, worse, falling in love with someone else, imploring him to deny it. Finally, Tao Junran uttered her name, "Fan."
He explained that his constitution was undermined and his vitality was sapped, and he did not want her to endure the pain he had suffered. A Fan dismissed his concerns, vehemently stating that she didn't care about his condition, as she had struggled to find him and would never let him go again. She asserted that if the King of Hell wished to take him, he would first have to seek her permission.
She pleaded with him to never leave her, playfully threatening to go on blind dates with other "little old men," even joking that she preferred more wrinkles and whiter hair. Tao Junran chuckled, his resolve melting away. Moved by her unwavering devotion, he gently pulled her close and kissed her. Tao Junran and A Fan settled into a peaceful, secluded life in the mountains.
A Fan, ever determined to restore his youthful appearance, diligently researched hair coloring creams and frequently experimented on him. Though often exasperated, Tao Junran tolerated her attempts, even when she once left him with green hair for seven days. He returned home from the market, teasing her about how popular his white hair made him. A Fan presented him with a herbal concoction containing angelica, ginseng, atractylodes, and ganoderma, assuring him she hadn't added her own blood this time.
Later, as she tried to apply a new hair dye, he playfully dodged her, feigning tiredness and asking for spicy chicken. She, ever mindful of his health, insisted he would have boiled cabbage instead. As night fell, they sat together on their boat, Tao Junran holding A Fan as they peacefully watched the river lights.
