SOOOO, I watched this and after that tearjerker ending and reading all the comments and reviews here, this is my ending explained (again, my opinion)

So basically it’s all string theory (what Jin Ayin supposed and subsequently explained to Xiang Qinyu on ep. 1 or 2?) Thanks to the thunderstorm/electric storm, 1936 and 2018 timelines met (each of them an end of the string) Chi Yu was basically the reincarnation/doppelgänger of Xiang Qinyu and as time travel theories say, specially the grandfather paradox, you cannot travel back in time and meet your grandfather without altering your current timeline. Or basically every time travel changes some major or minor details on the present timeline. That’s why Chi Yu is basically swallowed by the sea/riverbank until Xiang Qinyu goes back to his era.

Both timelines did happen, 1936 and 2018 and Xiang Qinyu’s goodbye in 2018 created (my opinion) a new 2018 (basically ep.30 “current timeline”) why? Because, while Jin Ayin felt it had all been a dream (in new 2018), for Xiang back in 1936, it was real, it actually happened. He never died in 1936, he time travelled to (now old 2018) and went back (when he woke up).

The current timeline or what I call, new 2018: I read most of the comments and while I do agree with some and it’s quite possible 2018’s timeline was entirely a dream, (again open ending, we don’t really know what happened), I’m not so convinced. Why? Because, back in 1936 when Xiang met Jin Zi, he knew straightaway she was not his Jin Ayin. Xiang fell in love with Jin Ayin. If 2018 had been a dream, he could’ve shown interest in getting to know Jin Zi since Ayin was basically her reincarnation and both shared way too many personality traits. But he didn’t.

The whole TaoTao-A’Zhe/brother-sister thing? Again, while I do agree with some comments saying there was no beef between these three reincarnations on “current timeline” because Xiang sorted out everything after 2018 in 1936… I agree at a certain level but at the same time, my conclusion is 2018 timeline did exist but was erased as a consequence of Xiang’s time travel back to 1936 ergo creating a new 2018 and here’s why:

First, in my opinion, it would be rather cliché if Jin Ayin could have dreamt EVERYTHING. If girlie had been comatose or sick like TaoTao or Chi Yu maybe, but it’s not plausible since Xiang was bedridden and wakes up back in 1936 with every single one of his 2018 memories intact.

Second, Jin Ayin seems to be dazed. Her life and the people’s roles on it are radically different yet she has all this memories (of now an old 2018), of a life she basically forgot, she doesn’t even know if it was real or not, hence her sadness.

Third and the hypothesis behind this crazy theory of mine, the train scene.

So after I cried my eyes out, basically here’s the string theory on its splendour. This train is basically the string (imagine a string, and the train as its centre) 1936- and new 2018 timelines met, that’s why we can see them talking, holding hands and Xiang eventually vanishes. Roughly, this is what string’s theory is about, two timelines (past/present) meet.

1936’s and old 2018’s are new 2018’s past.

Ayin’s thinks she’s dreamed this encounter too until she faces Xiang’s poster in the store with his autograph and orange lamp drawing on it (remember Xiang’s words while signing it “She will see it”) Everything he did on his return to 1936 led to this moment, his tie pin, old film, his disappearance from the limelight, Brother child/old actor…

The string theory is basically done. History changed, the past is in the past. That’s were Jin Ayin realises that old 2018 happened but its coalition with Xiang’s 1936’s to and fro time travel, created her current timeline, new 2018. It was not a dream, something that kinda resonates with her dialogue “the story is over, but the people in the story are still there”

Fourth, Chi Yu wakes up in the hospital and Brother child/old actor (sorry, I forgot his name) tells it all, back in his childhood, Xiang told him what happened because he knew he was going to eventually reincarnate in Chi Yu (kinda Grandpa paradox since they’re not biologically related and why Chi Yu basically vanished of the earth until he jumped back to his era)

And finally, when Jin Ayin hears someone calling out her name and she turns back, crying and smiling, just as Xiang said he would do before he vanished and went back to 1936, it’s Chi Yu knowing he’s the reincarnation of Xiang (with both 1936+ old 2018 memories combined)

While it would have been romantic if it had been Xiang’s comeback, remember how he vanished on the train. Sadly, on this new 2018/present, he is gone. He’s history already ergo reincarnated in Chi Yu.