Light Chaser Rescue Episode 13 Recap
> Light Chaser Rescue Recap
With oxygen levels rapidly depleting and carbon dioxide rising, Luo Ben explained the grim physiological effects of hypoxia to Zhan Yan, who grew increasingly pessimistic, noting the absolute silence around them. To maintain calm and buy more time, Luo Ben proposed they exchange secrets. He revealed that he was an orphan of the Qingsen Earthquake, which occurred 25 years ago and claimed his parents' lives.
He admitted that the conditions of a recent training exercise had brought back painful memories of that tragedy. Luo Ben clarified that Luo Yuan was not his biological sister; he was adopted by her parents after his time at the Heart&Heart Welfare House. After his foster parents passed away, caring for Luo Yuan became his primary motivation.
He confessed that Luo Yuan's current condition, which involved a loss of speech, was his fault—a consequence of mistakenly giving her the wrong medicine during a fever. This incident left him with deep guilt, driving him to work relentlessly, abandoning pro bono cases for more lucrative commercial and divorce cases after a past inability to afford Luo Yuan's surgery. He vowed to provide Luo Yuan with the happiest life possible.
Zhan Yan then shared her own connection to the same Qingsen earthquake, stating her mother died when she was about five, making her a victim as well. She recounted fragmented childhood memories, including her father finding her at a temporary shelter with a small camel her mother had bought, but her mother never returned. She had always believed her mother perished in the earthquake. She further revealed that her father, Zhan Qingshan, later founded a non-profit civil rescue organization.
She then confronted a deeper, more painful truth: her father, Zhan Qingshan, had time to save her mother but chose to save a little boy first, leading to her mother's death. She bitterly questioned why he became an "applaudable hero" while she lost her mother. Unbeknownst to Zhan Yan, Luo Ben was the very boy Zhan Qingshan had saved during that earthquake.
Although he did not reveal this truth, Luo Ben, understanding the difficult choices in large-scale disasters as a member of the International Medical Rescue Team, gently tried to persuade Zhan Yan to understand her father's difficult choices. However, Zhan Yan dismissed his empathy, emphasizing that for her, it was simply the loss of her mother.
Meanwhile, outside the rubble, Director Liu halted rescue operations due to a new assessment: the soil was sinking, posing a significant collapse risk, and a major rainstorm was imminent, further diminishing the already low oxygen levels inside. Zhan Qingshan, confirming the danger of landslides, firmly instructed Director Liu to evacuate everyone while he stayed behind.
When challenged, he declared that he was no longer a captain or a rescuer in that moment but solely a father whose daughter was buried beneath the debris, a revelation that surprised many, prompting them to join him in digging for Zhan Yan. Inside the collapsed structure, with air growing thin, Luo Ben struggled to breathe but reassured Zhan Yan they would survive, just as they had both survived the earthquake in their childhood.
He encouraged her to make a wish, promising to fulfill it. Zhan Yan wished for a warm bowl of vegetable rice, to which Luo Ben boasted about his excellent cooking skills and promised to make it for her once they were out. He then gently kissed her. Shortly after, the rescue team successfully broke through, eliciting cheers of "It's clear!" from the rescuers, and Luo Ben and Zhan Yan were safely extracted.
Days later, Luo Ben, still recovering with an IV drip, went to visit Zhan Yan in her hospital room. He encountered the nurse manager outside the door, who commended him for his bravery in saving Zhan Yan. Although Zhan Yan was already awake, she feigned sleep, still grappling with the memory of their kiss and recent events in the basement, unsure how to face Luo Ben.
However, when the nurse manager accidentally pulled down a curtain rod, Luo Ben instinctively moved to shield Zhan Yan, who immediately dodged away, creating an awkward moment. After the nurse manager left, Luo Ben playfully nudged Zhan Yan about their "secret" conversation in the basement, implying she couldn't remember the "last moment." Zhan Yan pretended not to recall, but Luo Ben insisted he remembered the "extra 30 seconds" and would wait for her to remember.
Unbeknownst to them, Ai Rui'er had been standing outside, listening to their conversation, and quietly walked away. Soon after, Ding Dingding arrived with her parents, who were greatly relieved to see Zhan Yan recovering. Ding Dingding introduced Luo Ben, and her mother showered him with praise, thanking him profusely for saving Zhan Yan and inviting him to their home for wontons when Zhan Yan was discharged. Luo Ben charmingly accepted, even offering to help cook, highlighting his domestic skills.
Ding Dingding then emphasized that while Luo Ben was heroic, they must also thank her uncle, Zhan Qingshan, for his unwavering determination, stating he declared himself a father, not a captain, and that without his persistence, both Luo Ben and Zhan Yan would not have survived. Later, Ding's parents confronted Zhan Qingshan, urging him to let younger generations handle rescue work and focus on his own well-being.
Zhan Qingshan maintained he was healthy enough to continue, stating that he found strength in his excellent daughter, Zhan Yan, and Ding Dingding. He swore he would protect Zhan Yan, having failed to do so for her mother, whom he referred to as Xiaojie. Luo Ben then approached Zhan Yan, encouraging her to take the "last step" and reconcile with her father, stating she had already taken ninety-nine steps.
Zhan Yan, however, resisted, asserting that Luo Ben couldn't understand and that the final step was reserved for her mother. Back in her room, Zhan Yan was met by Cai Yuxiao, who was distraught and apologized profusely, admitting his panic during the collapse. He pleaded for a chance to make amends, promising to spend his life protecting her.
Zhan Yan, however, calmly reiterated that their incompatibility had nothing to do with the disaster and that they could only be good colleagues. Despite his desperate arguments that he loved her and intended to marry her, Zhan Yan firmly stated that he only loved himself and never her, expressing her exhaustion and desire for rest.
As Cai Yuxiao left the room, he overheard colleagues gossiping, acknowledging his efforts to dig for Zhan Yan but concluding that Luo Ben was the true hero who risked his life, proving that misfortune truly tests the sincerity of relationships. Cai Yuxiao walked away dejected. Separately, Xiong Fei, after accompanying Luo Yuan for hospital procedures, rushed off to work, having received a call from his express station.
Luo Yuan, now old enough to care for Luo Ben, asked him if he thought of her while saving Zhan Yan. Luo Ben confirmed she was his first thought but explained he had an obligation to save Zhan Yan. Luo Yuan playfully asked if he was in love with Zhan Yan, which he denied, claiming he was simply repaying a favor for Zhan Yan having saved Luo Yuan's life.
Later, Zhan Qingshan thanked Luo Ben for saving his daughter, expressing surprise that Zhan Yan had opened up about their strained relationship. Luo Ben advised Zhan Qingshan to be more proactive in addressing Zhan Yan's lingering emotional struggles. Meanwhile, Xiong Fei was informed by Hai, his colleague, that he was being fired due to consistently poor performance for three consecutive months.
Hai offered him a double salary for the month as a final gesture of support, advising him to prioritize a stable life over heroic ambitions. Finally, Ding Dingding complained to Zhou Mingming about the "Director Ming" at her company, whom she had never met but felt was arrogant and stifling her creative process. Zhou Mingming patiently listened as Ding Dingding passionately defended her work and readers, vowing to fight for her artistic vision.
Later, at home, Zhou Mingming's mother revealed she had visited Professor Zhang Weilin, Zhou Mingming's supposed mentor for a management course. To her surprise, Professor Zhang said Zhou Mingming had paid for the course but never attended, citing "important things to do." Zhou Mingming then confessed to his mother that he had secretly been participating in training for a non-profit rescue team.
