Compared to the earlier episodes, Episode 8 of 'An Ancient Love Song' wasn't nearly as heart-wrenching.
After Shen Buyan angered Lu Yuan by attempting to assassinate Li Yong, he spent a lot of effort trying to coax her back—and finally succeeded.
To put it simply, Shen Buyan's mindset had undergone a massive shift.
He admitted that, as a weak, modern-day man, thinking he could assassinate Li Yong was just unrealistic.
But his true goal was only to save Lu Yuan. As long as he could take her away from the capital, he no longer cared how Li Yong stirred up the court of the Sheng Nation.
And surprisingly, his plan went smoothly.
Lu Yuan agreed to go with him to Nanmeng Lake—to visit the home they once shared.
And there, several foreshadowed plot threads were finally revealed.
For example, in Episode 1, Shen Buyan met an elderly woman beneath an ancient tree and bought a piece of jade from her.
That ancient tree? It was located right there at Nanmeng Lake—though it hadn't grown to full size yet.
In Episode 1, the mysterious old lady told him that if one wrote a wish on a wooden plaque and hung it on the tree, it would eventually come true.
This was said to be a tradition from the ancient Sheng Nation.
But both Lu Yuan and her maid Yi hua had previously stated that such a tradition didn't exist.
And yet, Lu Yuan clearly showed interest in this idea.
Sensitive viewers might have picked up on it: the tradition of hanging wish plaques likely started because Shen Buyan told Lu Yuan about it—and she, as empress, later popularized the custom, which eventually passed down to modern times.
Another closed loop.
But while staying at Nanmeng Lake, Lu Yuan grew more and more preoccupied.
Eventually, Shen Buyan realized what was on her mind.
She knew Emperor Yuanqi liked her, and she was fully aware that his newly ascended ambition to invade the Northern Lie Kingdom would bring disaster to the Sheng Nation.
The political tension built throughout the entire episode finally led to a shift.
"If I can change Emperor Yuanqi's mind—make him abandon his northern campaign and keep Sheng Nation at peace—will you agree to stay here with me, at Nanmeng Lake, and live out our lives?" Shen Buyan asked.
"How could I possibly say yes so easily?"
Episode 8 ended on a close-up of Lu Yuan's bright eyes and soft smile.
For the late-night viewers, it was deeply satisfying.
A turning point had arrived.
"She didn't say no—that means if he really changes the emperor's mind, she's willing to leave it all behind!"
The subtext was clear. If Shen Buyan could truly stop the war, Lu Yuan would willingly give up her royal ambitions and stay far from the palace and the emperor.
And this time, the writer didn't break our hearts with another emotional landmine?
[Shen Buyan finally grew a brain this episode!]
[Lu Yuan only wants to save her country. Shen Buyan just wants to save her. Honestly? For once, I wish the female lead were a bit more love-obsessed. If she weren't so patriotic, her fate would've changed already.]
[Excuse me? If Lu Yuan was just another lovesick girl, would she even be this compelling as a character?]
[A true leading lady isn't someone who puts love above all else. She's willing to die for Shen Buyan—but also willing to give up a life with him for the sake of the Sheng Nation.]
[After all the deaths and tragedy in earlier episodes, I feel like I've developed a trauma response to this show. Episode 8 felt so weirdly light—I kept expecting something awful to happen.]
[It's obvious now: the first half of the drama is heartbreak, the second half is sugar. Their daily moments at Nanmeng Lake, like making wishes under the tree and grilling fish by the lake—those sweet scenes hit so hard. Maybe it's those memories that gave Lu Yuan the strength to wait fifteen years.]
[It's such a rare gem of a show. It's just a shame about the late-night time slot. If not for that, I swear this could've made it into the season's Top 3 in ratings.]
[It's still doing pretty great, though! At this rate, it could break into the Top 10 in a week or two.]
In Week 8 of the Fall Season, 'An Ancient Love Song' posted a 2.98% viewership rating—ranking 12th for the quarter.
That same week, Kiyota Sanji's 'Night Sakura' scored 3.09%, placing 11th.
At this point, the entire Xia Nation TV industry had its eyes on 'An Ancient Love Song'.
Its week-on-week growth had slowed slightly, but compared to the rest of the season's flat or declining shows, it was miles ahead.
'Night Sakura'? It started at 3.1% and had hovered there ever since—barely changing by 0.05% in any direction. It was so stable that it made people sleepy.
Meanwhile, this week, 'Lone Doctor' broke 4% in its 8th episode, making it the second drama of the season to do so after 'The Painted One'.
It hit 4.03%, locking in the #2 spot for the quarter.
Of the Big Three networks, only 'The Gilded Ones', Sakura TV's premium A-level drama, had yet to crack 4%. The production team was feeling the pressure.
Its competitors were only slightly ahead at 4.11% and 4.03%, but at least they'd broken the barrier.
'The Gilded Ones' had nearly 40 million in investment, yet its Episode 8 numbers were only 3.96%.
And now 'An Ancient Love Song' was almost at 3%, despite being a late-night C-tier drama.
That made things really awkward for the production teams behind 'Night Sakura', 'Under the Blue Sky!', and 'The Gilded Ones'.
Before, they could blame the season's weak performance on bad market conditions.
But how do you explain that when your own station has a show in the late-night slot outperforming half the primetime dramas?
No one was more stressed than Kiyota Sanji.
He hadn't had a good night's sleep in days.
He still held onto a sliver of hope—but deep down, he knew.
It was only a matter of time before 'An Ancient Love Song' surpassed 'Night Sakura'.
He had once dreamed of 'Night Sakura' breaking into the seasonal Top 10. That would make the higher-ups recognize him as a "genius screenwriter" and earn him the Newcomer of the Year award.
Now, that dream was crumbling.
Sunday night, after leaving the production studio, Kiyota Sanji looked at his pale, tired reflection in the mirror.
He had the aura of a beaten dog.
At midnight, Episode 9 of 'An Ancient Love Song' would air.
He had always believed that even without talent, connections and backing were what mattered most.
But now—Su Yan's rise had slapped him hard across the face.
He genuinely couldn't understand how this show could break out of the midnight graveyard slot like this.
What made it worse? The budget for 'An Ancient Love Song' came from the money originally allocated to 'Night Sakura'.
If not for that show, 'Night Sakura' could've hired bigger-name actors, better directors, and in such a weak season, probably climbed into the Top 5.
Now, if 'An Ancient Love Song' really overtook 'Night Sakura', then Kiyota Sanji would become the laughingstock of the whole station.
Being a nepotism hire isn't shameful in itself.
Everyone wants connections.
But being a nepo hire who got completely outshone—despite every advantage—that's the plotline of a literal clown king.
Thinking of that made Kiyota's face flush with rage.
Unable to sleep, he went to the living room and turned on the TV.
He knew: there was only one way to avoid becoming a joke.
Episode 9 of 'An Ancient Love Song' had to flop. Hard.
The plot had to fall apart—worse than the last two episodes of 'Pure Breeze'.
Time passed.
Midnight struck. The screen flickered.
'An Ancient Love Song' Episode 9 began.
Kiyota Sanji's expression tensed.
There was only one thought in his mind:
Please crash and burn, 'An Ancient Love Song'.