Dear readers, this drama truly captivated me. I originally gave it an 8.8/10 in my A Dream within a Dream drama review, but after rewatching the episodes again and again, I feel like I want to change that score. I might bump it up to a solid 9.2/10.
This just proves that people’s point of view can shift depending on their mood. I was in a really good mood while rewatching it, and it qaaaay better than the first time I watched this drama, before writing the review.
Well, before I keep rambling on, let’s move on to the Ending Explained. Happy reading!
Read A Dream within a Dream drama review and ending explained here:
A Dream within a Dream Ending Explained
What Happened to Song Yi Meng / Song Xiao Yu and Nan Heng / Li Shiliu / Nan Feng on A Dream within a Dream Ending?
Song Xiao Yu was upset when she learned that Bi Xiong, the scriptwriter, only saw the people in Song Yi Meng’s world as fictional. To her, they were real. She loved Nan Heng and didn’t mind staying in the script world forever. But Bi Xiong wanted her to finish all the iconic scenes, including Song Yi Meng’s tragic end, so they could return to the real world.
That stupid guy even said if Song Xiao Yu feared pain, he’d have Physician Zhao prepare numbing powder for her. 🤬
Meanwhile, defying the script had consequences for Nan Heng. His health declined after marrying Song Yi Meng, and the doctors were helpless. It turned out to be the fourth mechanism of the script world, the one Bi Xiong hid from Song Xiao Yu. Nan Heng lied to her and said Lord Qianyu poisoned him for refusing to cooperate. But Song Xiao Yu wasn’t easily fooled.
At the same time, Shangguan He discovered secret movements from the Qianyu Army and reported them. Song Xiao Yu remembered the next iconic scene was the “Choose Between Two” scene. That was when she jumped from the city gate because Nan Heng choose to save Song Yi Ting.
Nan Heng reassured her that securing evidence of Chu Gui Hong’s private army would give them the upper hand. Since Song Yi Ting was involved, they planned to keep her out of the way.
No one noticed the script world start glitching and the same moth was seen flying at the same place.
Then the emperor was poisoned, and Nan Rui became the suspect. Despite facing pressure from officials, Nan Heng remained convinced of Nan Rui’s innocence. Song Xiao Yu remembered that once Nan Heng ascended the throne, the iconic scene would follow. She ordered her maids to find Shangguan He to protect Song Yi Ting and not leave her side.
Song Xiao Yu confronted Bi Xiong, who finally admitted the fourth rule: Nan Heng would die if the script veered further. Then he gave Song Xiao Yu two choices: watch Nan Heng die, or help finish the iconic scenes and return to the real world, allowing Nan Heng to live.
Meanwhile, Nan Heng was dealing with the poisoning case. On his deathbed, the emperor regretted how he had treated his son. His last words, “I’ve wronged you,” and Nan Heng’s “father,” finally healed their broken bond. Unfortunately, it was only a brief moment.
Song Xiao Yu had to proceed with the city gate scene. Chu Gui Hong had mobilized a large part of the Qianyu Army, while Nan Heng only had 300 Xuanjia soldiers in the capital. Reinforcements from the border would take three days. So he had to deploy the Night Wanderers.
On a snowy night atop the city wall, Song Xiao Yu told Bi Xiong that even if she finished the scene, it didn’t mean others would live by his rules. These people in the script world weren’t just fictional pawns. Bi Xiong snorted.
Only when Nan Heng arrived did Bi Xiong trigger the scene. Song Xiao Yu said that if her death could save her family and Nan Heng, she’d accept her fate. Suddenly, Shangguan He arrived with the Night Wanderers to save Song Yi Ting.
Nan Heng attacked Bi Xiong with a spear, but it only injured him. He told Song Xiao Yu to jump and caught her. Just then, the Qianyu Army breached the gate, surrounding them.
On the wall, Shangguan He took Bi Xiong hostage. Rong Hua didn’t even flinch when he killed Bi Xiong. His true target was Nan Heng. Meanwhile, Chu Gui Hong stormed the palace, killed the eunuch, and mocked the Noble Consort’s resistance. He was sure Nan Heng would die that night.
And Chu Gui Hong was right. Rong Hua’s arrow killed Nan Heng. Song Xiao Yu begged him not to die, but he breathed his last in her arms. Enraged, she grabbed his sword and charged, dying at the hands of the Qianyu soldiers.
Then everything reset to 12 hours before that bloody night. Song Xiao Yu woke in shock. She searched for Nan Heng and cried in his arms when she found him. Song Xiao Yu told Nan Heng and Shangguan He what had happened.
From Shangguan He’s words, she realized that her death reset time. But Nan Heng refused to gamble with her life. He told her to let him handle everything and stop using her life as a reset button.
That morning, Nan Heng increased palace security and prevented the emperor from eating the poisoned orange. He also reported Chu Gui Hong’s plot. But Chu Gui Hong had spies and changed plans. He killed Bi Xiong, kidnapped Song Yi Ting early to bait Shangguan He and the Night Wanderers. Then he lured Song Xiao Yu to the Song mansion.
Song Xiao Yu tried to reason with Chu Gui Hong, but he was obsessed with destroying Nan Heng and seizing power. He held the Song family hostage, demanding that she persuade Nan Heng to hand over the tiger tally. He even revealed she wasn’t the real Song Yi Meng. Yet the Song family still accepted her. To ease his daughter’s burden, Song Yu De charged at Chu Gui Hong but was killed.
Seeing her father died, Song Xiao Yu nearly killed herself, but Nan Heng stopped her. He then threw swords at Chu Gui Hong and at the same time Chu Gui Hong also did the same. Both were struck. Chu Gui Hong died, and Nan Heng died in her arms again. Song Xiao Yu took her own life to reset time.
Eight hours before the next massacre, she woke again. In this third time loop there was a major change. Chu Gui Hong had discovered the reborn matter and decided to strike first. He barged into the emperor’s chamber and stopped him from eating the poisonous orange.
What he didn’t know was that Nan Rui also had déjà vu and feel that something was not right with him. Chu Gui Hong arrived before Nan Heng could warn the emperor and used the failed assassination to send his Qianyu Army to the palace.
Nan Heng split up from Song Xiao Yu. He went to Bi Xiong and asked for help. Then he sent Yao Qian to gather Minister Gao’s 3,000 private soldiers. With a crown prince edict, 2,000 joined him. While waiting, Song Xiao Yu devised a plan to persuade everyone who stay at the capital.
The officials, martial artists, and even civilians. They hide inside buildings across the capital to ambush the Qianyu Army. Her plan was to stall time until the reinforcement came. The Night Wanderers joined forces with the Hatchet Gang. Men, women, rich, poor, they all fought for their homeland.
Nan Heng confronted Chu Gui Hong near Dark River Wharf. Chu Gui Hong revealed that he had ambushed Minister Gao’s army. But plot twist was when Bi Xiong arrived and stood with Nan Heng. He declared Chu Gui Hong a traitor, and many Qianyu soldiers defected out of their loyalty to Lord Qianyu.
Meanwhile, Fu Gui was sent to the palace to protect Nan Rui and the emperor. Rong Hua pressured the emperor to declare Nan Heng a rebel, but he refused. When he finally wrote the edict, it was written that Chu Gui Hong was a traitor and would be executed.
Furious, Rong Hua attacked the emperor, but Ji Xiang stopped him. Nan Rui and the Xuanjia Army arrived just in time. The soft-hearted Nan Rui saved his father from death by killing Rong Hua.
Chu Gui Hong was cornered when citizens pledged loyalty to Nan Heng. He offered amnesty to any soldier who surrendered. Seeing his army abandon him, Chu Gui Hong was furious and attacked.
Nan Heng and Chu Gui Hong fought on one. Nan Heng won, but spared Chu Gui Hong for the emperor’s judgment. However, Chu Gui Hong chose death.
Days later, Song Xiao Yu received a letter from Bi Xiong. He had returned to the real world. Any changes in the script world now were no longer his doing. Since the people had taken control of their fates.
Song Xiao Yu guessed that her maids, Ying Qiu and Zhi Xia, might end up with Fu Gui, Ji Xiang, Long, or Hu. But Zhi Xia chose to become Moonshade’s boss since she realized that the most reliable thing in the world is money. Ying Qiu pursued Nan Rui, who has now become a farming expert. Fu Gui guarded the border, believing Nan Heng had Dajing on his shoulders, so he would guard its edges.
Nan Heng ascended the throne. Song Xiao Yu became empress, spreading modern knowledge and often leaving the palace. But Nan Heng had turned clingy and was jealous of her past, especially with someone named Nan Feng.
To quell his anger, Song Xiao Yu swore that if she liked Nan Feng, lightning could strike her. And the lightning really appeared, scaring both of them. Nan Heng still remembered their code, which was White Head Same Heart (yes, it was written in English, dear readers).
In the end, with love and happiness, they finally closed the chapter of their story while still determined to change their own fate if the world they were living in was A Dream Within A Dream.
What Happened to Bi Xiong / The Scriptwriter on Dream within a Dream Ending?
Bi Xiong, the scriptwriter, was also transmigrated into the script world like Song Xiao Yu. But unlike her, who was forced to occupy Song Yi Meng’s body, Bi Xiong chose to enter. Every time Song Xiao Yu and Nan Heng changed the fate in the script, his painstakingly written story was altered. Frustrated by constant revisions and pressure from clients, Bi Xiong wrote himself into the script. Who would’ve thought he would wake up in Lord Qianyu’s body?
Bi Xiong wanted to return to the real world, but couldn’t do it alone. He needed Song Xiao Yu, the female lead. When Chu Gui Hong brought him back to the capital, Bi Xiong used the opportunity to contact her.
But things didn’t go as he expected. Song Xiao Yu refused to return. She wouldn’t follow the iconic scenes either, because they led to the Song family’s annihilation and her tragic death. Bi Xiong lied to Song Xiao Yu, claiming there were only three script mechanisms.
The first is that the hero always saves the heroine. Second, iconic scenes must happen, and the third mechanism is completing them, which is the only way back. He hid the final rule: defying the script comes with consequences.
To force her hand, Bi Xiong devised a plan.
Nan Heng’s health has been declining since he married Song Xiao Yu. And if Shangguan He and Song Yi Ting got married, it would worsen Nan Heng’s condition. So Bi Xiong helped them get married. He adopted Shangguan He so he could marry Song Yi Ting, and even had Nan Rui act as matchmaker. As the wedding approached, Nan Heng’s health declined further.
Bi Xiong despised the fictional characters and hated that Song Xiao Yu valued them, especially Nan Heng. So he resorted to violence, working with Chu Gui Hong, who aimed to be emperor.
After poisoning the emperor, Bi Xiong prepared the “Choose Between Two” scene. He kidnapped Song Yi Ting and Madam Song and gave Song Xiao Yu a handkerchief that contained a finger as proof.
He forced her to cooperate, unaware Chu Gui Hong had other plans. On the night of the iconic scene, Bi Xiong was killed by Rong Hua.
What Bi Xiong didn’t know was that Song Xiao Yu’s death triggered the time loop, and they returned to 12 hours earlier. This time, Bi Xiong died even sooner, strangled at the Qianyu mansion by Chu Gui Hong, who believed he was a manipulator ruining his fate.
In the third loop, Bi Xiong was stunned to see that Song Xiao Yu had already been reborn and knew his plan. Even worse, Chu Gui Hong no longer cared about his “real world” goal. He threatened to throw Bi Xiong into the Cold Palace or turn him into a Human Swine. Only then did Bi Xiong truly feel fear.
When Nan Heng sought his help, Bi Xiong refused. He was a coward and didn’t want to fight a crazy man like Chu Gui Hong. But eventually, Bi Xiong appeared as Lord Qianyu, and those still loyal to him chose to fight Chu Gui Hong.
After the dust settled, Bi Xiong told Song Xiao Yu he finally understood that everyone in the script world was real. The script’s control was gone, and Nan Heng’s health had started to recover.
In the end, Bi Xiong said she might not see her again because he might return to the real world. Song Xiao Yu wished him farewell and hugged him in front of a shocked Nan Heng, Fu Gui, and the Moonshade group.
What Happened to Chu Gui Hong on Dream within a Dream Ending?
After an assassination attempt on Nan Heng, Chu Gui Hong escaped and discovered his father was still alive. But this Lord Qianyu seemed different. Suspicion grew when he saw him eat venison at the imperial banquet. The Qianyu soldiers were forbidden from eating venison. This is a strict rule that Lord Qianyu created himself.
When confronted, Lord Qianyu deflected and scolded Chu Gui Hong by bringing up the past, forcing him to back off. But Chu Gui Hong still ordered Rong Hua to investigate the truth behind the Pingrong Battle. The result: his father had truly died, so the current Lord Qianyu was an impostor.
Under threat, Bi Xiong confessed and revealed the truth about the script world. But when Chu Gui Hong learned that Nan Heng was the male lead fated to kill him, he snapped. He refused to be defeated by the man who took his father and fiancée.
Nearly strangling Bi Xiong, he stopped only after Bi Xiong promised to make him the new male lead if Chu Gui Hong helped with the “Choose Between Two” scene. However, after knowing the truth, Chu Gui Hong no longer wanted to be the lead role. He wants more. He wanted the throne.
Next came Chu Gui Hong’s coup plan. When discussing it with Bi Xiong, a yellow moth entered the room, but both Chu Gui Hong and Bi Xiong didn’t pay any attention to it. The first step in his plan was to kill the emperor. Chu Gui Hong used Nan Rui’s carelessness to poison the emperor. The court blamed Nan Rui, and pressure mounted on Nan Heng to punish him.
While appearing to cooperate with Bi Xiong, Chu Gui Hong secretly crafted his own plan. He didn’t care about Bi Xiong’s promises or the real world.
In his second coup attempt, knowing Nan Heng had learned about the massacre at the city gate, he acted early. He kidnapped Song Yi Ting and Madam Song ahead of schedule. He used them as bait to lure and kill Shangguan He and the Night Wanderers. Chu Gui Hong also cut off Song Yi Ting’s finger and used Madam Song to lure Song Xiao Yu to the Song Mansion.
Chu Gui Hong refused to accept Nan Heng as the male lead who had it all. He didn’t want to die tragically under Nan Heng’s hand. And because he hated Bi Xiong and his script, Chu Gui Hong killed him. Blinded by rage, he ignored everything Song Xiao Yu said, claiming she wasn’t the real Song Yi Meng. The girl he once loved would never turn against him.
With Song Xiao Yu in his grasp, Chu Gui Hong set a trap for Nan Heng at the Song mansion. He believed Nan Heng wouldn’t refuse to come after losing his friends.
He forced the entire Song family to kneel in the courtyard, openly declaring his obsession to kill Nan Heng and take the throne. Song Yu De and his daughters defied him.
Song Yu De attacked but was killed. Song Xiao Yu nearly followed, but Nan Heng stopped her. In the end, both men stabbed each other. Chu Gui Hong and Nan Heng died, and Song Xiao Yu took her own life.
And the same day repeated itself. Chu Gui Hong’s sharp instincts noticed the loop. He confirmed it with Bi Xiong, who now suspected Song Xiao Yu already knew their plan.
To prevent failure, Chu Gui Hong barged into the Emperor’s chamber and stopped him from eating the poisoned orange. He claimed someone wanted to kill the emperor and frame Nan Rui. He implied that the person was Nan Heng. Using that excuse, he surrounded the palace with Qianyu troops. He tasked Rong Hua with forcing the emperor to issue an edict declaring Nan Heng a traitor.
Chu Gui Hong thought his plan was flawless. But he didn’t count on Nan Rui protecting the emperor or killing Rong Hua. Nor did he expect the many people Nan Heng and the Night Wanderers had helped to rise up against him. The ultimate blow came when Bi Xiong appeared as Lord Qianyu, swaying many of Chu Gui Hong’s soldiers to switch sides.
Enraged, Chu Gui Hong fought Nan Heng. But he lost. Nan Heng didn’t kill him. He wanted to reserve judgment for the emperor. Chu Gui Hong, feeling humiliated, accused him of wanting to see him being trampled.
When Nan Heng replied that he brought it on himself, Chu Gui Hong looked at Song Xiao Yu one last time and said he had only fought for his way out. Without waiting for a response, he slashed his own neck.
At the ending, Nan Heng’s last memory of Chu Gui Hong was when they stood atop the city wall as boys. Back then, Chu Gui Hong had pointed toward the vast land of Dajing and said it was the country their families had protected for generations, and promised to protect it together when they grew up.
What happened to Song Yi Ting and Shangguan He on A Dream within a Dream Ending?
After being kicked out of the Song mansion, Shangguan He finally understood Song Yi Ting’s disappointment with his passiveness. He told Madam Song that what Song Yi Ting wanted wasn’t just a marriage contract or a proper match.
She always wanted a carefree soulmate. So, if Song Yi Ting decided that she wanted to marry, he’d marry her. And if she wanted to wander the world, he’d follow. Or he could even marry into the Song family.
But things changed fast. Lord Qianyu stepped in and adopted Shangguan He, renaming him Chu He. Ironically, Song Yu De had liked Shangguan He because he didn’t want Yi Ting marrying into royalty. Meanwhile, Nan Heng saw this as a way to investigate Lord Qianyu, and who better than the “adopted son”? He revealed the truth about the script world, but Shangguan He felt crushed because his character wasn’t meant to exist and could vanish anytime.
Unbeknownst to them, Fu Gui had eavesdropped and was shocked by what he heard.
As the iconic “Choose Between Two” scene neared, Song Xiao Yu asked Shangguan He to protect Song Yi Ting and never leave her. But he was late. Madam Song had already taken Yi Ting to the Matchmaker’s Temple.
Song Yi Ting didn’t believe in praying to gods. She believed marriage needed work and understanding. But seeing her mother pray with such sincerity softened her. On their way back, Rong Hua captured them.
Because of Nan Heng and Chu Gui Hong’s involvement, the “Choose Between Two” scene failed. Bi Xiong died at Rong Hua’s hands. The Qianyu Army stormed the city, and Shangguan He had to fight his way to protect Song Yi Ting, but he was outnumbered.
When another wave of soldiers came, he told Song Yi Ting to only fall for men better than him. He called Fu Gui and threw Song Yi Ting off the wall, where Fu Gui and Song Xiao Yu caught her. Shangguan He was stabbed repeatedly and died.
In the second loop, thanks to Song Xiao Yu, Shangguan He learned everything early. But because of Nan Heng’s interference, Chu Gui Hong changed his plan. He kidnapped Song Yi Ting and Madam Song earlier, using them to lure Shangguan He and the Night Wanderer. Song Yi Ting could only watch as the cave exploded with Shangguan He and his fellow inside. Song Yi Ting’s anger turned into a fierce desire to tear Chu Gui Hong apart.
Later, at the Song mansion, Chu Gui Hong exposed Song Xiao Yu’s real identity, but Song Yi Ting and Song Yu De didn’t care. To them, she was still the girl who always protected them. That time loop ended with Song Xiao Yu and Nan Heng’s deaths.
In the third loop, everything shifted. Song Yi Ting and her parents joined forces with Song Xiao Yu, Nan Heng, Shangguan He, and the Night Wanderers to hold off Chu Gui Hong’s Qianyu Army. This might be their last stand.
Before leaving Moonshade, Song Yi Ting brought Shangguan He a box of wedding clothes. He first refused, promising a grand wedding once he returned. But faced with her determination, he gave in. They held a private ceremony, just the two of them. Song Yi Ting said the vows herself, which are surprisingly similar to modern wedding vows. They sealed the union with a passionate kiss.
If you listen closely, the background music is a modern wedding melody. However, it was played entirely with traditional Chinese instruments.
At the ending, once peace returned, Shangguan He and Yi Ting stayed in Moonshade. He became a henpecked husband who wanted a baby. Song Yi Ting agreed on the condition that he was the one who got pregnant and gave birth. And Shangguan He believed it… because he had gained weight. 😅
In the Modern World
A woman surnamed Zhuang was typing on her computer. Suddenly, someone called her. She answered the phone, and the person on the other end asked her about Bi Xiong’s ending. The woman replied that Bi Xiong is just a supporting role. He is a fictional character and has returned to his world.”
Song Xiao Yu suddenly woke up. Her agent called and told her that she was late for the costume fitting. At that moment, she realized she was back in her world. But she still couldn’t stop asking herself whether everything that happened was just a dream.
Song Xiao Yu rushed to the studio and immediately went to see Nan Feng. But when she saw him staring at her with a cold expression, Song Xiao Yu was disappointed. She left the studio with a heavy heart.
On the ending, Suddenly, someone called her “Song Yi Meng.” Nan Feng walked over and said, “White Head, Same Heart.” She was shocked, but then a broad smile appeared on both faces. Song Xiao Yu ran towards the person she loved most. They kissed, and their happy life had just begun.
My Two Cents
I didn’t have many things to comment on this A Dream within a Dream ending. But one thing kept me wondering. How did Nan Feng know their secret code? Is it possible that he was also transported into the script world but lost his modern memories? If they were completely different people, how did he know about the code? This question truly made me rack my brain.
So, dear readers… if you have any answers to my question, or if you happen to have some kind of conspiracy theory about Nan Heng/Nan Feng, please do share! I’d love to read your theories, no matter how wild they are. Don’t forget to drop them in the comment box below.
That’s all for today, dear readers. I hope you had a great time reading my post and binge-watching the drama. I’ll see you in the next Drama Review and Ending Explained post. Until then, goodbye and take care!
