"That day, you asked me: If you knew someone would die in ten days, would you tell them?"
"Now I'm asking you: If you were going to be separated from the one you love in ten days, would you leave on the first day… or stay and spend the remaining nine days together?"
Episode twelve of 'An Ancient Love Song' ended with this question from Lu Yuan to Shen Buyan.
Shen Buyan's blank, frozen expression had already given the audience his answer.
Episodes eleven and twelve combined to tell just one story:
Shen Buyan had come to realize—through all his time-traveling—that everything he did was part of history itself. Whether he accepted it or not, Lu Yuan's death at 36 was unchangeable.
He couldn't stop it when she was 26.
He couldn't stop it when she was 21.
Everything he did to defy fate and change history was actually part of the tragedy itself. His resistance was what caused Lu Yuan's death at 36.
If he had realized this earlier and done nothing, maybe… Lu Yuan wouldn't have died at all.
With this understanding, Shen Buyan traveled back in time when Lu Yuan was 18—not to change history, but to see her one last time, to teach her what he knew, to free her family from slavery, and then quietly disappear.
He still held onto one final, fragile hope:
If Lu Yuan didn't fall in love with him this time, perhaps her fate might shift.
But during this time, the 18-year-old Lu Yuan inevitably fell for him—this man she had just met, yet who cared so deeply, taught her so patiently, rescued her brother, and helped her family break free from their bonds.
And just as Shen Buyan finished preparing to leave, Lu Yuan asked him that question.
After the emotionally draining events of previous episodes, many viewers thought they'd built up a tolerance.
But once episode twelve ended, the comment section of 'An Ancient Love Song' was flooded with teary posts:
[So that's why 36-year-old Lu Yuan never told Shen Buyan anything. That's just who she is—she knew he would keep meeting her younger self until they reached her at 18. The outcome didn't matter. The journey did.]
[If your loved one will die in ten days, Lu Yuan wouldn't tell them—because not knowing means there's still hope. But if she knew she'd be separated from someone she loves in ten days, she'd love them with all her heart during those days, then walk away with no regrets. That's Lu Yuan.]
[This female lead is literally flawless. What an incredible character arc.]
[Cried again. Ever since episode 7, this show has been scamming tears out of me every single week.]
[Honestly, the one who hit me the hardest this episode was Li Yong. At this point, he was still a righteous official. When Lu Yuan reported the corruption, he didn't shield his men—he upheld justice. And when he realized he'd wrongly executed an innocent man, he was completely devastated.]
[When Li Yong looked at the evidence and said, "No, I'm just thinking… how did I wrongly kill a good man? I, Li Yong, top scorer in the imperial exam at 20, seven promotions in ten years—I've never strayed from my ideals. I've always hated these corrupt parasites."—That's when I felt like he truly became a living, breathing character. He really wanted to change the world.]
[No one starts evil. If Li Yong was rotten from the start, why would Lu Yuan stay by his side for three years, helping him gather intel and fight corruption? Honestly, if Shen Buyan hadn't interfered in the 21-year-old timeline, Li Yong might never have betrayed the country.]
[Only two episodes left… so when exactly does that "Shen Buyan and Lu Yuan both fulfill their dreams" ending that the writer promised happen?]
[Probably the last episode. Maybe Shen Buyan finds a loophole in the timeline to save her?]
[Don't care how it happens—just make it a happy ending, PLEASE.]
[I'm scared. I feel like episode 13 is gonna break me.]
[Shhh! Don't jinx it! Episode 13 is clearly gonna be the sweet romance arc with Shen Buyan and Lu Yuan in love! No more angst! Best scenario: Shen Buyan finds some time-travel cheat code or artifact, stays in this era with Lu Yuan, and they grow old together—21, 26, 36… to the end of their days. If the writer goes that route, this drama will be LEGENDARY.]
[Yes, yes, yes! That's exactly what needs to happen! Fate can be rewritten—it's all up to the writer's pen, right?!]
The next day at noon, the viewership ratings for episode twelve were released:
3.53%
Another solid increase from the previous week.
With this number, 'An Ancient Love Song' officially ranked 5th for week 11 of the autumn season.
Only trailing behind:
'The Painted One' (ep. 11) — 4.09%
'Lone Doctor' (ep. 11) — 4.05%
'The Gilded Ones' (ep. 11) — 3.95%
'The Mind Reader' (ep. 11) — 3.63%
At this point, 'An Ancient Love Song' had become an unprecedented sensation in the Xia entertainment industry.
A midnight Sunday slot drama making it into the top ten was already unbelievable.
Now it had climbed into the top five?
Yes, the autumn season had weak competition.
But still—this was a low-budget midnight show, and it had exploded.
People were now saying:
"If 'An Ancient Love Song' had aired during primetime, wouldn't it have destroyed the competition?"
However, over on SakuraNet, the show's paid streaming numbers had started to slow.
Previously, each week's rating jump came from new viewers bingeing earlier episodes and catching up.
Now, that catch-up phase was basically over.
Which meant:
The show's growth had reached its ceiling.
The top five might be where it ends.
At most, 'An Ancient Love Song' could push past 'The Mind Reader' to grab 4th place before wrapping up.
But beating the three A-tier dramas?
No way.
At least, that was the consensus among industry insiders—and even within Sakura TV's own Production and Writers departments.
All except Su Yan.
—
Back on set, he and Shinozaki Ikumi were bundled up in the office for warmth.
Winter was coming, and the set was freezing.
"If 'An Ancient Love Song' ends the way fans want—calm and heartwarming, with Shen Buyan finding a way to stay in this timeline and grow old with Lu Yuan—then yes, I agree. The ratings will stop at fourth or fifth," Su Yan said.
"Stories that end in a safe, predictable way—ones that fulfill audience expectations—always perform steadily… but without surprises."
"But this drama isn't that. Right until the final episode, 'An Ancient Love Song' will stay bold, unpredictable, and emotionally explosive. And because of that, I believe the final ratings will spike too."
"Wait… are you saying this show could actually challenge the top three A-tier dramas?" Shinozaki Ikumi's voice turned strange. She took a deep breath—this was something she hadn't even dared to imagine.
"I don't know for sure," Su Yan smiled.
"But I think it's possible. At the very least… I hope it can beat 'The Gilded Ones' once before the finale."
Shinozaki blinked, stunned.
His words made her feel dizzy.
[Is he actually serious right now?!]
If he had said this at the start—"Top 3, Beat 'The Gilded Ones'"—she would've thought he was insane.
But now?
Even she was starting to believe.
"I mean, this drama has already surpassed all my expectations," Su Yan continued.
"Right now, it's 5th overall and 2nd among all Sakura TV original productions. My final hope is to knock 'The Gilded Ones' down and let 'An Ancient Love Song' take its place."
"Even if that ranking only lasts for one week… it'll be worth it."
Shinozaki's heart was pounding.
Right now, 'An Ancient Love Song' was still 0.4% behind 'The Gilded Ones'.
She hadn't even dared to dream about catching up.
But now, Su Yan's words were like the devil whispering in her ear.
At the beginning, if he had said this? She would've called him a fool.
But now?
She was dizzy…
And she was starting to dream too.