Did Lu Xiao die? 

Before I go on, I want to clarify I am well aware there is no right or wrong answer.  Even after I went through all the reasons why no or why yes, there is always something that turns it around. 

These are reasons to believe he did not :

1. When Nan Chu asks Lu Xiao to promise he will meet her after she is rescued from the forest fire he does. When they reunited in that last kiss of the drama he told her he would always keep his promise. When he had to go back into the forest, she told him she would wait for him at home. His response is that she should wait for him. I take this as his promise that he will meet her at home. 

2. Some are thrown into the death camp because of the 4 friends eating dumplings. Two of them have already died. Some assume the ML is dead with them. But take a look at the final scene. Yang who was one of the four is also sitting in the audience with the rest of the firefighters so the double scene cannot be used to support the death premise. 

3. The scene where Lu Xiao enters the theatre shows him sitting at #34. The director again going for creativity. The number 3 in Chinese is associated with life or birth and is usually considered to be a lucky number.  The number 4 is  si in Chinese which is associated with the word for death. Life and death. He sits on both. I am still thinking about this, but death is still not conclusive or maybe I am just overthinking this. 

Another purpose of showing the seat number is to indicate that he did not sit in the empty seat that was reserved for him. The seat that was reserved for him is #1. It could be he arrived late and came in through one of the side back doors in the top right corner of the theatre. It was completely empty in the back and gave the appearance that he entered an empty theater. 

4. As Nan Chu looks out at the audience, she sees  Lu Xiao watching her performance she smiles and says, " You go protect the country. I will protect you." This is reminiscent of her actions earlier on in the show when she released the video that would free Lu Xiao from any responsibility for a fire caused by that old actor(forgot his name). She knew it would be detrimental to her job and would bring problems for her but she told Lu Xioa that he protects the country and she will protect him. When she went away to the US, it was to protect him. This theme recurs throughout the drama and the drama ends with it. To me, he is not dead. He is away protecting the country. 


Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below. 

I want to believe that he is still fighting fires in Lushan and that’s why he can’t be there. But… the other two from Lushan are there watching the final dance so it’s hard to fully believe that he’s not gone. 

This series was so good. It was heart wrenchingly good. It was so profound and had so much depth. I can’t believe it’s over. But I also can’t stand the ending. I need that high at the end and it’s not there. Instead it’s less of an open ending like folks are saying and more sad and melancholy. 

NGL, as much as I don’t want to believe it, in my heart, broken though it is at the thought, I feel that he’s gone. I think he passed in the forest fire like her father did. The parallel storyline would be complete that way. 

I know what you are saying and totally understand. 


Let me share and except from and article: 

Seeing fans’ heartbroken comments during a livestream where they caught the final episode together, Johnny exclaimed several times that “I am not dead”, while Zhang Jingyi also smilingly described how the open ending is a good ending. Despite this, netizens mostly interpreted the conclusion as a tragic one, only that both leads tried to brand it as an “open ending” as they could not bear for fans to be overly upset.

I like that but… it’s almost like he’s saying… “don’t worry fans, I, Johnny, am not dead”. I just wish they would do a special episode to appease our minds. lol 

He actually said, " My character did not die. It is an open ending." I also wish for an extra episode.

An extra episode to give more clarification that Lin Lu Xiao indeed is NOT dead, would be awesome!

It is especially heartbreaking to think that the love of Nan Chu's life would have exact the same fate as her father. I mean, they can't be THAT cruel, now can they?
Which is I hope the actors are indeed right and Lin Lu Xiao is NOT dead and they have a very good, happy life together.

I think there was another show that people got so mad at the ending and then they came out with an extra episode. But in that one they fell over the cliff and supposedly died. With Bright Eyes in the Dark, he could just be away on the call of duty as indicated by Nan Chu's thoughts "You go protect the country. I will protect you." This is what I am holding on to. 

 twinty:

I think there was another show that people got so mad at the ending and then they came out with an extra episode. But in that one they fell over the cliff and supposedly died. With Bright Eyes in the Dark, he could just be away on the call of duty as indicated by Nan Chu's thoughts "You go protect the country. I will protect you." This is what I am holding on to. 

Perfect idea!

I think the ending made it clear that he died.
and the talk of the open ending and the actor saying he didn't die was just a consolation for the viewers.
he is certainly alive in the celestial world rs





It is an open ending and whatever you feel it means. 

My feeling is that he died. He returned to the fire after embracing her. Three eating dumplings with the fourth soulmate.  In the theater he’s bawling and clapping solo.  She cries too. It then opens to the audience clapping and he’s not sitting in the back.  The drama wouldn’t end with him serving without his crew.  It’s a hero’s death.  We live on with the hero in the place of honor in our hearts.

Beautiful words! I tried to see if he was sitting in the back at the end but it was too dark. 

Iqiyi movie version on YT ended when he returned to the forest fire.  Another day at work.

Is there a movie version?