The Night of the Comet Episode 1 Recap
> The Night of the Comet Recap
Cheng Hao, a handsome and popular celebrity, was plagued by a recurring nightmare where he ran bleeding on an empty road, pursued by an unseen force. This dream felt disturbingly real to him. On the day he was set to receive the "Best Newcomer Award" at the 2019 Chinese Music ceremony, Cheng Hao received the award as scheduled.
Afterward, as his driver, Driver Xu, was instructed to safely take him home, Cheng Hao's car was involved in an accident, a scene eerily identical to his vivid dream. Regaining consciousness briefly, Cheng Hao quickly called the police before passing out again. Simultaneously, a comet, Comet Li Yuanwei, displaced from its orbit by an unknown energy zone that formed around Earth two years prior, was observed nearing Earth, an unprecedented historical event.
Cheng Hao awoke in a hospital, his first concern for the "girl hit by me" in the BinJiang Tunnel accident. However, the doctor informed him there was no female driver found at the scene; he was the only one. Confused, Cheng Hao discharged himself and sought out his manager, Ling. To his shock, Ling did not recognize him, asking who he was and how he knew her name. Cheng Hao insisted he was Cheng Hao.
Ling, commenting on his good looks, then invited him to leave with her. At the same hospital, another man, identical to Cheng Hao, was admitted, anxiously checking his face for injuries. Cheng Hao, trying to report the car accident from BinJiang Tunnel, was told by the police that no such accident occurred last night and his memory might be faulty. He then checked his phone, which displayed the year 2017.
He speculated that the car crash had sent him back in time. Soon after, his manager, Ling, who had earlier expressed not knowing him, approached him again, apologizing for her previous confusion. She commented on his good looks and asked if he was interested in becoming a celebrity, revealing her interest in his talent. Cheng Hao decided to work with Ling once more.
Ling was amazed by his quick learning, noting he "knew some moves before I showed him" and deemed him a "money-maker." As Cheng Hao began his new career, he realized he hadn't traveled back in time but had instead arrived in a parallel dimension. He observed that his body was undergoing strange changes, losing the sensation of pain.
Two years later, Cheng Hao, now a star in this dimension, saw another man who looked exactly like him, yet was clearly not his former self. This doppelganger was a struggling web novelist, seen on the phone begging for money and complaining about his life. Fans of the celebrity Cheng Hao mistook the novelist for the star, asking for photos, to which the novelist opportunistically tried to charge them.
It was at this moment that Cheng Hao truly understood he had crossed into a parallel space, a concept scientists theorize, where other versions of oneself exist, sharing appearances but having different destinies due to varied choices. Lin Xiaoxiao, a young journalist and an avid fan of Cheng Hao, was tasked by her boss, Mr. Wu, who contacted her by phone, to get an interview with Cheng Hao.
She was directed to the hospital's back entrance, where Cheng Hao's manager, Ling, was orchestrating a distraction to allow him to exit unnoticed. Lin Xiaoxiao spotted Cheng Hao and eagerly chased after him, calling out to him. Cheng Hao confronted her about her intentions. She earnestly explained she was a genuine fan, not a sasaeng fan, providing details of her dedication, like hosting his WeiBo hashtags and uploading clips to Bilibili, and knowing his preferences.
During this exchange, Cheng Hao suddenly felt ill and fainted. Lin Xiaoxiao took this opportunity to try and take advantage of him, but was stopped when Cheng Hao regained consciousness. She apologized profusely, insisting she "really didn’t mean it." When Cheng Hao regained consciousness, he asked for her ID.
He took her pass, warned her he now remembered her, and cautioned her against making him publicly expose her, to which she promised compliance, though she couldn't help but think he was "so handsome." Cheng Hao then contacted someone named Tong by phone, asking him to investigate the man who looked exactly like him, the web novelist. Cheng Hao reflected on having been in "Space B" for almost two years and finally finding his other self.
He pondered what would happen to him on February 14, 2019, the date he had originally traveled from. An ominous message then appeared, stating, "This world does not belong to you. You will disappear for good."
