Had Johnny… truly forgotten River?
She Xinyu felt a tightness in her chest.
He had reconstructed his entire life in a world without River, gotten into the university he had once dreamed of, graduated successfully, and become an astronaut.
So next… he was going to the moon.
He would gaze at the barren lunar surface, lost in a fabricated life, and end his journey there.
This kind of story—
Who even wants to watch this kind of story?
If it were going to end like this, Johnny would've been better off never involving Neil and Eva in the first place.
Even if he died with the regret of never reaching the moon, at least he would've died still remembering River.
She Xinyu couldn't let it go. Not like this.
In the drama, Eva and Neil—both keeping their physical forms hidden—watched silently as Johnny's memories rebuilt themselves.
Their expressions were complex.
"Please stay here. Someone will soon take you on a tour. You'll also meet the colleague who'll be training with you for the moon mission."
An employee of the National Space Agency welcomed Johnny, newly inducted into the program.
She Xinyu let out a long sigh.
Then—
The simulated world created by the machine suddenly flickered with a burst of light.
"We're running out of time, aren't we?" Neil said.
"Johnny, he…" Eva trailed off.
But the audience already knew—
In the real world, Johnny had reached the final moments before death.
Once the simulated memory world was fully constructed, and he "landed" on the moon,
Death would follow.
She Xinyu felt her tears welling again.
The next scenes detailed Johnny's first interactions at the Space Agency.
But when the doors opened, and a beautiful, familiar figure walked in—
She Xinyu's eyes widened. Her face went blank.
And then, emotion surged in her chest, tears brimming.
Wait—what?
The woman who walked in… had the face of young River.
So… the colleague who would be training with Johnny—
Was River?
"Hello, I'm Johnny." Johnny greeted her, curiosity in his eyes.
River looked back calmly.
Meanwhile, Neil's face turned pale as he stared at Eva beside him.
"Didn't you erase River's memories—"
"I only deleted the memory of their meeting. I never erased River's existence!" Eva replied.
"In this newly constructed world, the path River's life takes is still up to her."
"This world was built using real-world public databases and Johnny's inner beliefs. This is… her choice."
Her choice.
So she chose, in this new world, to also go to the moon—to become an astronaut?
She Xinyu's vision blurred with tears.
Johnny and River's first conversation in this new world ended with them exchanging names.
Then came a somber insert song.
A montage followed:
Scenes of the two undergoing simulator training together for the moon mission.
From strangers… to acquaintances.
From distant colleagues… to silent understanding.
In this fabricated world—built by memory machines and Johnny's dying brain—two simulated selves couldn't help but fall for each other again.
They—
They were going to the moon together.
"What if we forget again, or get lost?"
"Then one day… We'll meet on the moon again, you idiot!"
The line from episode 7 echoed clearly in She Xinyu's mind.
How she wished this world were real. That this was a parallel reality—
Where River and Johnny had another chance at life.
As the insert song faded, and their training montage ended, a new scene began.
In the Space Agency's break room, Johnny noticed a piano.
His previously composed demeanor melted into excitement as he rushed over and sat with perfect form.
He was… going to play the piano?
She Xinyu wiped her tears with a tissue.
Is he going to play?
The moment she realized what was happening—
A soft, familiar piano melody began.
And her tears, freshly wiped away, returned.
That piece—
Wasn't that the very one Johnny composed for River near the end of her real life?
The piece titled 'To River'?
Johnny… still remembered.
On screen, a flurry of images flashed:
Johnny and River's real lives—
From childhood… to youth… to old age.
To illness.
To River's death.
To Johnny's decision to go to the moon.
And finally, the scene from episode 1:
Neil and Eva asked the elderly Johnny why he wanted to go to the moon.
"I don't know. I just… have to go."
"What's the name of this piece?" River asked, listening to him play.
"'To the Moon'." Johnny answered with a smile.
"I love that name." River replied.
She Xinyu's tears welled again.
One piece.
Two worlds.
Two titles.
To River.
To the Moon.
As the episode ended, the ending theme played—
A slower, even more emotional version of 'To River'.
"He didn't forget."
"Memories fade, but love never does."
"Even with his memories altered, his mind still longed to see River again. Before going to the moon, he had to reunite with her."
After understanding the truth, She Xinyu could no longer hold back her grief.
After all, it wasn't just River who struggled to express her feelings.
Real-world Johnny did too.
Having forgotten his childhood, he couldn't explain why he had fallen for River—why he was so drawn to her.
So when she asked why he had approached her in middle school…
He could only answer—
"I thought you were cool."
I knew I liked you.
I just didn't know why—but I loved you my whole life.
Just like that melody.
Even if it was retitled 'To the Moon', the music still carried Johnny's love for River.
He had spent his life quietly loving a girl with autism—
hoping she could somehow feel it.
And she, in turn, had spent her life hoping he'd remember the day they met.
The moment that had made her fall in love.
She Xinyu blew her nose, wiped her face dry, and took a deep breath.
She opened the comments section on sakuraNet.
By now, almost no one was cursing Su Yan anymore.
Everyone was lost in the emotional wreckage of episode 9.
What could they even say?
Blame him for presenting them with a story this sincere and heartbreaking?
Blame him for not giving River a perfect ending?
But they—Johnny and River—had protected each other for a lifetime.
Their love had been born beneath the moonlight that night.
That fact never changed—whether they knew it or not.
That night, the rating for To the Moon rose from 9.4 to 9.5.
Moved by the latest episode, many fans made their first-ever comments in support of Su Yan.
Let Johnny and River reunite on the moon.
Let Johnny, in his fabricated memories, end his life at the happiest moment.
—
The next day, the ratings came in:
4.09%
That number had surpassed the finale of last season's 'An Ancient Love Song'.
It had also edged past 'The Gate' episode 9, which scored 4.07%.
It was now officially the second-highest-rated drama this week.
At Sakura TV, Su Yan became the hot topic—again.
Meanwhile, Akasaka Yoshitoki sat in his office, utterly defeated.
"What the hell is wrong with my team?!"
He had all the advantages—timing, team, resources—yet somehow they still lost.
Once again, 'To the Moon' had overtaken 'The Gate'.
Just like last season, when 'The Gilded Ones' was overtaken by 'An Ancient Love Song'.
Originally, with Yoshizaki Shigeyoshi still on medical leave, Akasaka—as the acting head—should've been thrilled that a successful show emerged on their network.
But there was a problem.
Su Yan belonged to Ogata Aya's team.
Any achievement by Su Yan… counted toward Ogata Aya's record.
And Akasaka was still only "acting" department head. Not officially promoted.
If Yoshizaki formally retired, there was a chance he'd be promoted—but it wasn't guaranteed.
If Su Yan continued to succeed under Aya, and happened to produce a true phenomenon of a show—
Then Aya might ride that success and be promoted over him.
Akasaka felt genuine unease.
All this had started just because he wanted to help his nephew…
And now it was spinning completely out of control.
—
After episode 9, ratings dropped, and media outlets and drama critics exploded into action.
Finally! A true dark horse—now this is worth reporting!
Week after week of robotic coverage for the Big Four A-tier dramas had left even the media bored.
But a B-tier drama like 'To the Moon' slicing its way from 10th to 2nd?
That was news.
📰'To the Moon' Episode 9—Ultimate Tearjerker! One question now lingers in every viewer's heart: Is love born from memory… or from the soul?
📰'To the Moon'—The most moving drama not just this year, but in the past five years.
📰Su Yan stuns the industry—three seasons, three dramas, each exploring love from a different angle.
📰"We'll meet again on the moon"—a line destined to be this year's most iconic declaration of love.
📰A drama that made millions cry. With over 8 million paid views per episode, 'To the Moon' redefines undying love.
📰From 8.0 to 9.5—'To the Moon's' climb makes it the highest-rated drama this season.
📰This season's #1 masterpiece. Episode 10 may just top the charts completely.
📰Its popularity may even surpass 'The Crimson Magician'. Genius screenwriter Su Yan is now courted by over 10 TV stations.
📰'To the Moon's' rise positions it as Su Yan's strongest contender yet for Best Screenwriter of the Year.
📰If you haven't watched 'To the Moon' yet—you're missing the defining drama of the season. Don't skip this one!
📰The most romantic love. The most touching promise. 'To the Moon'—a story that will stay with me for life.
When the media decided to hype a show, they pulled no punches.
By now, even people who hadn't watched To the Moon had heard about it in work chats, study groups, or friend circles.
With the media pushing hard, even more people became curious.
"Fine. Tragic or not—I heard it's powerful. No regrets watching it."
On sakuraNet, 'To the Moon's paid view numbers were climbing faster than ever.
In just three days, it had jumped from 8 million to over 9 million average views per episode.
And before the finale aired, it had already surpassed last season's 'An Ancient Love Song'—
And this season's 'The Crimson Magician'.
If episode 10 managed to pull ahead in ratings too…
Then, 'To the Moon' would have swept the ratings, reviews, and streaming metrics—becoming the undisputed champion of the season.
Everyone in the television industry was holding their breath for Saturday night.
The two top dramas would air back-to-back at 8 and 9 PM.
A showdown was inevitable.
—
But in the meantime…
Su Yan's phone was practically exploding.
Even though he'd already told the other networks he wasn't looking to jump ship—
They were convinced he was just holding out for the best offer.
Waiting to see how episode 10 performed before negotiating from a position of power.
And it wasn't just the outside networks that believed this.
Even Sakura TV's Production and Writing Departments thought the same.
Including Akasaka Yoshitoki.
He assumed Su Yan's two refusals were just part of a price-hiking strategy.
Meanwhile, Su Yan looked at the growing pile of business cards on his desk—
Cards delivered by people from Zhongxia TV, Hudu TV, and countless other medium and large networks passed through mutual contacts at Sakura.
Su Yan let out a soft sigh.
Still, he carefully kept every single one.
You never know when you might need someone.
The industry was small, and no matter where you went, it was always the same people.
Better not to burn bridges.
—
Mid-March, Saturday.
Across large parts of the Xia Nation, seasonal rains began to fall—and didn't stop into the night.
The streets were nearly empty.
With the gloomy weather, fewer people were out.
It was the perfect time to stay home and binge-watch a drama.
That night, as episode 10 of 'The Crimson Magician' finished airing—
Viewers across the country switched channels to Sakura TV…
And waited.
The final episode of 'To the Moon' was about to begin.