"Here it comes."
Qiao Fei, who was still eating midnight barbecue, immediately sat up straight.
After waiting an entire week, the moment had finally arrived.
A work like 'An ancient love song', involving time, transmigration, and world lines, was the kind of story that people either fell in love with at first sight—or never connected with at all. Those who didn't like it might watch several episodes without finding any appeal, or even drop it entirely because the plot felt too complex.
Clearly, Qiao Fei belonged to the former group.
In a Xia Nation market that lacked time-travel dramas, she had already ranked 'An ancient love song' as her personal number one of the season ever since Episode 1 aired in October.
She, who never used to stay up late, had now gradually gotten used to Sunday midnight vigils.
"I really hope tonight's episode is a bit sweeter," she muttered, conflicted.
"Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep again."
Some things were like that—fine if you never got into them, but once you did, you couldn't pull away without seeing the ending.
Qiao Fei didn't like tragedies. But to see how Shen Buyan and Lu Yuan's love story would end, she endured every wave of emotional devastation the plot delivered, faithfully sitting in front of the TV every week.
The theme song of Episode 10 of 'An Ancient Love Song' ended.
The plot picked up directly from the previous episode. Lu Yuan and Shen Buyan noticed something wrong with Chancellor Li Yong. After following him, they finally discovered that with the help of Northern Lie Kingdom spies, Li Yong had mixed prohibited drugs into the incense burned in the Yuanqi Emperor's bedroom.
Ordinary people wouldn't be affected by the scent—but the Yuanqi Emperor, who suffered from chronic head ailments, had his condition triggered directly by the drugged incense.
In the end, a diligent, ambitious new emperor was reduced to a fool.
Qiao Fei took a sharp breath.
"So this is where the Yuanqi Emperor became insane. Up until now, nothing has actually changed… except Lu Yuan. Will she still enter the palace?"
This had become Qiao Fei's biggest concern regarding Shen Buyan's third transmigration.
As long as Lu Yuan didn't enter the palace, none of the rest mattered. She and Shen Buyan could live together as ordinary people without issue.
The emperor was now a fool. Li Yong was still chancellor. From the court to provinces, everything was filled with Li Yong's people. At a time like this, exposing him would be suicide.
And in this episode, an important clue emerged.
After leaving the palace, Lu Yuan was visibly troubled. A jade pendant slipped from her body by accident.
That pendant was the ancient, fragmented jade Shen Buyan used in the modern era to transmigrate.
But now—it was whole.
"?" Qiao Fei frowned.
So this episode was finally filling in the jade mystery?
"Where did you get this jade?"
Shen Buyan asked in shock.
"What did you say?"
Lu Yuan looked at him strangely—her gaze suddenly distant, unfamiliar.
"You really don't remember this jade?"
"Does it have special meaning to you?"
Shen Buyan asked, confused.
Lu Yuan stared at him in disbelief.
Fragments of memories flashed across the screen. At last, Lu Yuan understood everything.
All the strange things she had noticed about Shen Buyan now had answers.
His knowledge of future events.
Knowing Li Yong would betray the nation before it even happened.
She hadn't asked—but that didn't mean she'd ignored them.
But now… how could Shen Buyan not recognize this jade?
If he didn't recognize it, how could he have known Lu Yuan at all?
Unless—
Qiao Fei understood.
Twenty-one-year-old Lu Yuan, through Shen Buyan's failure to recognize the jade, his sleep-talk, and his uncanny predictions, deduced the truth:
He was a traveler from the future.
"Wait—Lu Yuan figured out he's a transmigrator by herself?"
Qiao Fei was stunned.
But thinking carefully—it made perfect sense.
His sleep-talk revealed too much.
And he didn't recognize their token of love.
Eliminate all impossibilities, and the remaining answer had to be the truth.
Meanwhile, Li Yong came to Lu Yuan late at night, asking her to enter the palace and help him.
The emperor's condition had to be concealed, or the nation would descend into chaos.
Li Yong trusted Lu Yuan's character and ability the most. He wanted her to enter the palace as Palace Steward, take care of the emperor, and help him hide the truth—so that he could rule Xia Nation as the true power behind the throne.
For Lu Yuan, the situation was just as dire.
The emperor had no heir. The Beian Prince's stronghold had fallen. If she refused, Xia Nation would face destruction.
She also saw Li Yong's true nature clearly and decided to feign submission, accumulate strength, and eventually oppose him to save the nation.
Everything connected.
Everything.
Qiao Fei's expression became incredibly complicated.
[So the real source of all evil is Shen Buyan himself?!]
To keep Lu Yuan out of the palace, Shen Buyan offered statecraft to the Yuanqi Emperor and advised against the northern campaign.
Li Yong learned of the emperor's favor toward Shen Buyan and panicked, leading him to conspire with Beilie spies to poison the emperor.
The emperor became a fool.
At 21, Lu Yuan entered the palace to save the nation.
At 26, she became empress using the token to save the nation.
At 36, she died trying to stop Li Yong from escaping with state secrets—to save Shen Buyan.
The fish swims in water; the tail is also the head.
Shen Buyan was that fish.
It was Shen Buyan's three transmigrations that created Lu Yuan's death at 36.
He was saving her.
And killing her.
Qiao Fei couldn't take it anymore.
Her stomach hurt.
Tears welled in her eyes.
What kind of plot was this?!
That night, Shen Buyan sought out Lu Yuan, his eyes full of sorrow, trying one last time to persuade her to escape her fate.
"I know you want to save His Majesty and restrain Li Yong—but you know you'll die if you do this."
"I already died, didn't I, Young Master Shen?"
Lu Yuan looked up calmly.
"To you, I'm just a few lines in a history book—a stranger."
She spoke unfamiliar words in a steady voice.
The moment she realized Shen Buyan was a transmigrator, she understood how impossible it was for her to live with him at Nanmeng Lake.
Shen Buyan would leave.
Not even a strand of hair or a single bone would remain in this era.
"You love someone but can't stay with her—not because of external constraints, not because she doesn't love you, but because her past is your future. I should go."
Her words made Qiao Fei's heart tremble.
Lu Yuan had already accepted that she and Shen Buyan could never grow old together.
No matter her wishes, they could only meet a few times across the river of history.
"Let me tell you everything that happens in the future—"
Shen Buyan struggled.
"No need. If my fate is already set, not knowing is a kindness. At least… I can still hope."
She turned her back to him, tears at the corners of her eyes, a smile on her face.
Qiao Fei understood.
[She can only hope for one thing—meeting you again in the future.]
Knowing everything would mean every day without Shen Buyan would be nothing but darkness.
Not knowing meant that maybe the next moment, the next hour, or tomorrow—Shen Buyan might appear again.
Lu Yuan left.
She boarded the carriage. After waiting a long time, Yihua finally drove it away.
She was going to enter the palace, preserve the emperor's life, and gather strength under Li Yong to save the Xia Nation.
Sad music played.
Inside the carriage, Lu Yuan covered her face and sobbed.
She had made an enormous decision to part with Shen Buyan.
She would enter the palace to save the nation.
She wanted to be with Shen Buyan—but it was impossible.
[Writer, thank you so much!]
Qiao Fei wiped her tears, only to cry harder because her fingers were covered in chili oil from the barbecue.
The music was too heartbreaking.
At this point, she was sure—
Fate couldn't be changed.
Everything Shen Buyan did was futile.
But then—
Lu Yuan realized the carriage hadn't entered the palace.
Suspicious, she lifted the curtain.
The driver's seat—where Yi hua should have been—was occupied by Shen Buyan.
And the carriage was already outside the city.
Flashback: Yi hua handing Shen Buyan the reins, urging him to take Lu Yuan away and not let her enter the palace to live a life of inevitable regret.
Qiao Fei instantly revived.
[I knew it! The writer is a good person! Shen Buyan is amazing!]
If you know she'll die in fifteen years, why watch her walk toward death?
Even if it goes against Lu Yuan's will, Shen Buyan would take her away.
Bless you, Yi hua.
"Why do you accept fate? Can't you have your own wishes? Why must you bear a nation's destiny? Leave the court. Live freely!"
Shen Buyan shouted over the wind.
"What does the world have to do with you?!"
Those words struck Qiao Fei's heart.
But Lu Yuan replied through tears:
"You once asked me if I wanted to live with you at Nanmeng Lake."
"My answer is yes."
"Very, very, very much."
"But only I can restrain Li Yong and save Xia Nation."
"I don't know how people in your era choose, but this is the answer of an ordinary woman of the Xia Nation. Please… don't stop me."
Qiao Fei fell silent.
She suddenly realized how shallow her hope of Shen Buyan forcibly taking Lu Yuan away had been.
Lu Yuan chose this path, knowing she would die.
Some things mattered more than everything else.
She loved Shen Buyan more than her own life.
Yet she still chose Xia Nation.
This resolution elevated the story beyond simple romance.
Is flying into the fire foolish?
Or is it another kind of courage?
Qiao Fei sniffed.
[Writer, I thank your ancestors for eighteen generations!]
At this point, everyone understood.
Forcing Shen Buyan to take Lu Yuan away would be an insult to her.
Shen Buyan stopped the carriage.
"I'm sorry."
"Then I'll enter the palace with you."
He turned the reins, heading back toward the palace.
Qiao Fei's eyes widened.
At that moment, Shen Buyan seemed impossibly tall.
If they couldn't live at Nanmeng Lake, they'd face the palace together.
[I knew it—the writer is a good person.]
But hope was short-lived.
Shen Buyan smiled—then felt his heart tighten.
That familiar sensation.
Inside the carriage, Lu Yuan spoke excitedly about their future—
And then he didn't respond.
The carriage stopped.
Rain poured down.
She lifted the curtain.
Moonlight flooded in.
The driver's seat was empty.
Shen Buyan was gone.
Gone from this era.
The rain fell endlessly.
One person. One horse. One carriage.
Lu Yuan's hope was shattered.
She had experienced this before—their first meeting and first farewell.
Now she understood.
The next meeting…
No one knew when.
Qiao Fei stared, mouth open.
The ending song of 'An ancient love song' played.
After a long time, she gasped for air, shaking with pain and anger.
Only one thought remained:
[Su Yan, you old bastard—may you be lonely for life!]