The Flaming Heart Episode 1 Recap
> The Flaming Heart Recap
A multi-car pileup occurred in the Yunlong East Road tunnel, prompting the Dongshan Fire Station to dispatch its team. Huo Yan, a firefighter, happened to be driving through the affected area. Noticing the severity of the situation and the thick smoke, he moved against the flow of evacuating civilians to assess the conditions and report to the fire department. Simultaneously, doctors from Southeast Hospital, including Yan Lan, prepared to treat the injured.
Inside the tunnel, Huo Yan discovered a pregnant woman trapped in her car. Nearing her due date this weekend and suffering from diabetes, she had fainted due to the stressful conditions. Huo Yan contacted Yan Lan by phone, who diagnosed diabetic ketoacidosis and instructed him to find an insulin pen in the woman's bag. Huo Yan located the pen, confidently stating he knew how to use it, and administered the injection.
Shortly after, a nearby vehicle began leaking fuel and caught fire, forcing Huo Yan to temporarily shift his focus to fire suppression. As the Dongshan Fire Station team arrived, led by Deputy Chief Luo Jie, they prepared to forcibly remove the car door to rescue the pregnant woman. Huo Yan intervened, explaining that such a method could cause a dangerous one-centimeter compression to the woman's already vulnerable state. He proposed an alternative: removing the car's trunk for a safer extraction.
After careful consideration, Luo Jie agreed to this approach. The firefighters successfully extracted the pregnant woman. To help calm her, Huo Yan played a soothing song and recounted how his mother had always wanted a girl, even dressing him in skirts as a child to fulfill her dream. Unbeknownst to him, Yan Lan overheard this conversation while still on the phone, causing her to recall fragments of her own childhood.
Moments later, the pregnant woman went into labor as her water broke. Yan Lan, having arrived at the scene, was able to successfully deliver the baby, feeling bolstered by the unknown firefighter's calm voice on the phone. Huo Yan, meanwhile, rejoined the wider tunnel rescue efforts, missing a direct encounter with Yan Lan.
After the incident, Yan Lan found herself drawn to the unknown firefighter's voice, describing it as "warmhearted," "familiar," and "made me feel at ease," like her "ideal boyfriend." Huo Yan officially reported to the Dongshan Fire Station as its new Deputy Chief, holding the same rank as Luo Jie.
Luo Jie expressed his dissatisfaction to Chief Chen, feeling that Huo Yan, whom he initially dismissed as "an unknown outsider," had unfairly taken a position that should have gone to a seasoned team member. Chief Chen, however, highlighted Huo Yan's exceptional record, including graduating from the Fire and Rescue Academy, receiving a Second Class Merit Citation once, two Third Class Merit Citations, and championing both the Rope Team and Ladder-Climbing team in the Inter-division Firefighting Competition.
The discussion then shifted to a complaint from the taxi driver whose car trunk was damaged during the rescue. Luo Jie was about to take responsibility, offering to compensate the driver, but Huo Yan stepped forward, claiming it was his decision to breach the car to save a life, and he was willing to take full responsibility. Luo Jie, still feeling his authority challenged, insisted on taking the blame as the operation's commander.
Minister Jiang intervened, acknowledging the complex nature of the rescue and praising both men for their quick, decisive actions, emphasizing the importance of mutual learning and progress rather than internal disputes. Chief Chen later thanked Minister Jiang for bringing Huo Yan to Dongshan. Separately, firefighter Wang Dayin had an embarrassing encounter in the shower when new female recruit Jiang Tong accidentally walked in.
Later, Chief Chen announced that Wang Dayin would be in charge of training the new recruits, including Jiang Tong, Tian Zhi Peng, and Cui Ying Shuo, much to Wang Dayin's chagrin. At Southeast Hospital, Yan Lan was caring for a young patient, affectionately called "Princess Xiao Yan Zi," who was Luo Jie's younger sister. The child was afraid of an upcoming surgery and refused to take her medication.
To encourage her, Yan Lan promised to win a rare limited-edition mystery box doll to accompany her into the operating room. Before formally assuming his new post, Huo Yan was granted half a day off to spend with his family. At home, his mother, Sister Xian, playfully admonished him for leaving the stove unattended, reminding him of fire safety.
Huo Yan later visited a memorial, where he spoke to his deceased father, who had also been a firefighter at Dongshan Station and died in the line of duty. Huo Yan expressed his sentiment, "Son is finally back to your old place," indicating his resolve to continue his father's legacy. Yan Lan headed to a mystery box game stall in the city, determined to win the promised limited edition doll for Luo Jie's sister.
She struggled to win anything, dropping her last hoop in frustration. At that moment, Huo Yan, who was also there to win the same limited edition box for his mother, bought more hoops and expertly won it. Yan Lan, desperate, tried to convince Huo Yan to give her the box, offering to buy it from him or even claiming the hoop he used was hers.
Huo Yan, refusing to yield, offered her the other regular mystery boxes he had won instead, but Yan Lan only wanted the limited edition, calling him "not a gentleman" for his lack of chivalry. She still had no idea he was the firefighter from the tunnel. Later, Luo Jie attempted to romantically pursue Yan Lan, bringing her a brown sugar bubble tea with excessive pearls and proclaiming his unwavering love.
Yan Lan, however, reiterated that she only saw him as a close friend. She then pressed him for information about the "calm" firefighter from the tunnel incident, expressing her gratitude and curiosity about his appearance. Luo Jie, either dismissive of Huo Yan or perhaps feeling competitive, downplayed him, describing him as "weird," sounding "like an old cadre," "hard to approach," and "way behind me."
Yan Lan remained unaware that the man she was inquiring about was the very same man she had just argued with at the mystery box stall. The episode concluded with a child's scared voice coming over a radio, playing hide-and-seek and calling for help, followed by a calm, reassuring voice saying, "Don't be afraid. I am here. I will protect you," echoing Huo Yan's words to the pregnant woman.
