Twelve Letters Episode 12 (Ending) Recap
> Twelve Letters Recap
Yu Nian frantically pursued her father through the heavy snow, pleading with him to return home. Her father, however, remained fixated on a single thought, muttering "It can't be demolished" as he trudged onward with a dazed expression. Just as despair began to set in for Yu Nian, her father suddenly regained his lucidity.
Noticing her thinly clad figure shivering in the snow, he lovingly removed his own jacket and draped it over her shoulders, chastising her for venturing out into such cold. He then embraced her, guiding her back, as Yu Nian softly implored him to stop running away. Some time later, after leaving the hospital, Yu Nian rushed to the message board.
There, she found her father seated peacefully on a bench, his life's breath departed, yet his face bore an expression of profound serenity. Yu Nian's body stiffened before she lunged forward, embracing her father tightly, her tears cascading like a broken dam as she sobbed uncontrollably. Subsequently, Yu Nian and Shen Cheng, heavy-hearted, fulfilled the last wishes of Ye Haitang and Tang Yixun, placing their gravestones side-by-side.
From that day forward, they returned to the graves every year on specific dates, celebrating their birthdays as if they were still with them. Yu Nian brought a cake to her mother, Ye Haitang's tomb, while Shen Cheng brought one for his father, Tang Yixun's tomb, stating that they were making up for his birthday this year. The narrative then flashed back to Meiwan Town in 1991. Ye Yibo was eating noodles when a news report on television startled him.
The report announced that Boda Trading had successfully bid for the Shiqiao foothills plot, with plans to build a Southern Min cultural-themed fisherman's resort village. Overwhelmed with panic, Ye Yibo abruptly rose and fled to find Li, his eyes filled with an urgent desperation for help. He tried to convince Li to undertake a risky venture, offering to pay, but Li initially refused, citing the high risk and strict enforcement.
Ye Yibo, desperate, continued to beg Li, who eventually inquired about the payment. Meanwhile, Tang Yixun toiled tirelessly at the docks, his body pushed beyond its limits, until he finally collapsed during his labor. At home, Ye Haitang meticulously prepared a meal, her gaze frequently drifting towards the door, filled with anticipation for Tang Yixun’s return. She asked him if he would be unloading cargo tonight, and he confirmed he was taking extra shifts.
She then presented him with a rich, meat-filled soup she had prepared. On another note, Zhang Quan, as usual, opened the mailbox and a surprised smile instantly bloomed on his face when he found a reply. Despite his exhaustion, Tang Yixun’s mind lingered on the long-awaited reply from the future, filled with both anxiety and anticipation since his last letter had been sent with no response.
He worried that the mailbox might be malfunctioning, but Ye Haitang reassured him, reminding him that their previous letter had been sent successfully. They agreed that Ye Haitang would wait for him at the bookstore mailbox around 11 PM that night, right after her class. Around the same time, Shen Xiaojun encountered Ye Haitang and warned her that he had seen Ye Yibo riding a bike towards Shiqiao.
He cautioned her to be careful and not let Ye Yibo know where she lived. Back in the present, the police investigation yielded new progress. After discovering crucial clues, Yu Nian and Shen Cheng were summoned to the Public Security Bureau. Shen Cheng was led into a separate room where an officer presented him with a photograph of a young Ye Yibo.
Shen Cheng stared at the image in disbelief and shock, as Ye Yibo had vanished years ago without a trace, his sudden reappearance utterly beyond Shen Cheng’s imagination. The officer explained that a body had been recovered from the river, identified as Ye Yibo, and as his only living relative, Shen Cheng needed to identify it.
Shen Cheng was stunned to learn Ye Yibo died on November 8th, the same day his mother had died, and immediately questioned if Ye Yibo was involved in his mother's death. The police confirmed they were still investigating. Shen Cheng then asked why Ye Yibo had suddenly reappeared after so many years. The officer explained that Shen Cheng's mother, Ye Wanru, had reported Ye Yibo missing in 1991, and he had been off the radar ever since.
Shen Cheng, linking this to 1991, asked to see the case files related to his mother's involvement in a case that year, wanting to understand if current events were connected to the past. The timeline shifted to 2026. Ye Haitang was driving when she suddenly spotted an elderly Ye Yibo. He was frail, his body hunched, his face haggard, clearly living in destitution. A flood of questions overwhelmed Ye Haitang as she excitedly pulled her car over beside him.
Ye Yibo, surprised to see her, got into the car. Ye Haitang confronted him, directly demanding to know her mother's whereabouts. She harbored a painful and angry suspicion that her slight delay that day had allowed Ye Yibo to take advantage of the situation. Ye Yibo calmly recounted the process of killing Wu Fengying, his tone devoid of remorse.
He described following Wu Fengying to Shiqiao, finding two boat tickets on her, and believing she was running away with another man. He claimed to have begged her to stay, even kneeling, but she refused, leading him to choke her until she died, never relenting her desire to leave.
Ye Haitang, increasingly enraged, her body trembling with emotion, countered his claims, revealing that the second boat ticket was for her, and her mother had been waiting for her at Shiqiao, not running away with anyone. Ye Yibo then accused them both of being master schemers who ruined his life.
He remained indifferent to Ye Haitang's fury, stating that his advanced age and numerous ailments meant that even if she reported him to the police, a prison sentence would offer him free healthcare and meals, a better life than his current struggle. Ye Haitang, looking at him, felt her anger ignite like a blazing fire, devoid of any warmth for this supposed relative.
She calmly agreed with his sentiment that they were both old now, and "it's enough," then told him to buckle his seatbelt, cryptically offering him "a ride." The narrative again moved to 1991. As Ye Haitang and Shen Xiaojun walked together, Shen Xiaojun tried to make small talk, asking about Wang Manyu. Suddenly, Ye Yibo sped by on a motorcycle, hitting a pedestrian and then arguing with Shen Xiaojun.
Ye Haitang, though momentarily scared by Ye Yibo's appearance, was overcome by an intense curiosity and a determination to uncover the truth. She began to chase him, despite Shen Xiaojun's calls. In a brief, chilling flashback to a younger Ye Haitang, Ye Yibo’s voice was heard telling her that her mother had run off and was not worthy to be her mother, and from then on, it would only be the two of them in the family.
Seeing Ye Haitang chase him, Ye Yibo sped up, quickly fleeing on his motorcycle. Shen Cheng reflected on how his mother's life should not have ended so tragically, feeling it was profoundly unfair to her. He conceived a daring plan: to sacrifice himself to alter the past. He believed that if the past were changed, his mother might not follow the same tragic path, and he himself might never come into existence.
Upon learning of his plan, Yu Nian adamantly opposed it, arguing that such a sacrifice was not worth it and desperately trying to stop him. Shen Cheng explained he had seriously considered the consequences but could not accept his mother's tragic end. He recognized that Yu Nian might lose her father and be left alone, and he might never exist, but insisted they must save two young people from suffering.
Yu Nian tried to argue that their situations were different, as he still had family in the altered timeline while she would have no one to remember her. Shen Cheng grimly replied that she would not remember him. Yu Nian desperately pleaded for another way, but Shen Cheng, firm in his decision, stated they were out of time.
To implement his plan, Shen Cheng sent a message to Zhang Quan, asking him to help write a letter and place it in the mailbox, hoping to prevent Tang Yixun from killing. At the site of the red mailbox, Zhang Quan and his friend watched as construction workers began setting up for demolition. Zhang Quan, trying to protect the mailbox, planned to move it before dawn.
He then received a text from Shen Cheng and Yu Nian, explaining that they couldn't make it back in time and needed him to send a final letter before the mailbox was removed. The message warned Tang Yixun not to go to the foothills on November 30th, stating that he would kill someone and he and Ye Haitang would never meet again, but assuring them that hardships would pass and a bright future awaited.
Zhang Quan's friend was confused about the warning of "killing someone." With only minutes left before 11:45 PM, Zhang Quan frantically searched for a pen. His pregnant friend (Miaomiao) gave him an eyebrow pencil, which broke while he was writing. Despite the difficulties and the looming demolition, Zhang Quan was determined, quickly summarizing the crucial warning about the murder. As they rushed to the mailbox, they found the entrance blocked by a security guard.
Zhang Quan pleaded for a minute, explaining the urgency, but the guard refused, becoming aggressive and pushing Miaomiao, who was pregnant. Miaomiao urged Zhang Quan to fight back and get the letter mailed. Zhang Quan engaged the guard, telling Miaomiao to take the letter and send it, which she successfully did. Tang Yixun eventually received the critical letter from the future, warning him not to kill anyone at the foothills on November 30th.
Just then, Shen Xiaojun frantically found him, relaying that Ye Haitang had chased after someone on a motorcycle after their tutoring session and that the date was indeed November 30th. Tang Yixun, understanding the grave implications of the letter, urgently told Shen Xiaojun to call the police and report an incident at the foothills.
Meanwhile, Ye Yibo and Li were at the foothills, with Li initially reluctant to dispose of a body due to the weather, until Ye Yibo doubled his payment. Ye Yibo assured Li that he would be the first to die if anything went wrong. Ye Haitang arrived, confronting Ye Yibo and demanding to know what was in the sack, which she suspected contained her mother’s body after spotting her mother's hairpin.
Ye Yibo, seeing that Ye Haitang had discovered the truth, confirmed her fears and offered Li an additional sum to kill her as well. Just as Ye Yibo was preparing to attack Ye Haitang, Tang Yixun arrived. He engaged Ye Yibo and Li in a fierce struggle, protecting Ye Haitang.
As Tang Yixun gained the upper hand and was about to strike a fatal blow, the warning from the letter, "Avoid the foothills and killing on November 30th," flashed through his mind, causing him to hesitate. In that moment of distraction, Li seized the opportunity, pinning Tang Yixun down and grabbing a knife to kill him. At that critical juncture, the police, alerted by Shen Xiaojun, arrived, rescuing both Tang Yixun and Ye Haitang.
Tang Yixun, affirming that he "did not kill anyone," and Ye Haitang embraced, relieved that their tragic fates had been averted. Because the past had been altered, some individuals who once existed in the previous timeline quietly vanished. The next morning, Yu Nian awoke in the new reality. She saw her cat, but then a profound realization dawned on her: her beloved father and the companions with whom she had shared so many stories were gone.
Their contact information had vanished from her phone, despite her desperate, tearful checks. Inside the red mailbox, a final letter appeared. It was from Ye Haitang and Tang Yixun, addressed to Yu Nian and Shen Cheng. In the letter, they confirmed that Tang Yixun had not committed murder, and Ye Haitang had successfully passed her college entrance exams.
They expressed uncertainty about whether they would ever meet in this new future but hoped that Yu Nian and Shen Cheng were well, referring to them as their closest, unseen family.
