The Flaming Heart Episode 16 Recap
> The Flaming Heart Recap
Sister Xian visited Huo Qing Song's tomb, sharing with him that their son, Huo Yan, was now in a relationship. She described his girlfriend, Yan Lan, as a beautiful, lovely, and kind doctor, a truly wonderful girl. However, a profound sadness overtook Sister Xian as she revealed that Yan Lan was the very girl Huo Qing Song had saved, whose rescue ultimately led to his sacrifice.
Despite her genuine affection for Yan Lan, the knowledge of this connection overwhelmed her with emotion. She admitted she didn't know how to tell the young couple the truth and, fearing her uncontrolled grief might upset Yan Lan and jeopardize Huo Yan's happiness, decided to temporarily avoid seeing Yan Lan. Meanwhile, Yan Lan, having sent a message to Sister Xian about bringing salted duck, received no reply.
She confided in Bai Xiaolin, worrying that her previous visit might have displeased Sister Xian. Bai Xiaolin advised her not to overthink a mother-in-law's feelings and suggested visiting Sister Xian after work to clarify. Still, Yan Lan felt a sense of unease. Upon arriving at Huo Yan's house, Yan Lan called out to Sister Xian, but the lights, which were initially on, quickly went dark.
Realizing Sister Xian was pretending not to be home, Yan Lan felt her fears confirmed that Sister Xian indeed disliked her. Yan Lan relayed her concerns to Huo Yan. Initially surprised by Yan Lan's worries about his mother, Huo Yan reassured her, stating that his mother adored her, almost treating her as her own daughter. Yan Lan, however, speculated that Sister Xian might feel as though she was being replaced, having been Huo Yan's sole companion for so long.
Huo Yan promised to return home that day to discreetly gauge his mother's true feelings. He then suggested they enjoy their rare day off together. However, Yan Lan received an urgent call from her professor, requiring her to transmit an important document from home, cutting their date short. Huo Yan drove her back.
When Yan Lan's parents arrived unexpectedly at her apartment, Huo Yan, who was present, initially described himself as "here to collect the delivery," much to the parents' surprise. Yan Lan quickly introduced him as her boyfriend, their future son-in-law, a sentiment her parents immediately echoed. Her parents were immediately charmed by Huo Yan's handsome looks and sweet words, expressing regret for not dressing more formally for the unexpected meeting.
To give the young couple some privacy, they comically excused themselves by claiming they had a "square dancing" engagement. Afterward, Yan Lan still voiced her concerns about Sister Xian, but Huo Yan confidently reassured her, stating he would eliminate any "risk" to their relationship. He revealed his plan to organize a surprise birthday party for his mother at the fire station next week, where Yan Lan could showcase her cooking skills.
Yan Lan took this seriously, even critiquing hospital meals, though her friend Bai Xiaolin was surprised, knowing Yan Lan rarely held a kitchen knife, usually only a scalpel. Yan Lan insisted it was worth it for family harmony and happiness. Huo Yan was certain that "a good feast" could solve any misunderstanding. Elsewhere, Luo Jie visited his father, who was hosting Director Li from a drug testing center.
After Director Li's departure, Luo Jie's father spoke with him about the family pharmaceutical business, acknowledging its struggle to keep pace with modern trends due to a lack of research and development for new drug patents. He contrasted Luo Jie's traditional business outlook with a young entrepreneur (related to Han's Pharmaceutical), who had achieved great success in real estate and was venturing into pharmaceuticals with an asset-light, R&D-focused strategy.
Luo Jie's father conceded that Luo Jie's inherently loyal and caring nature was ill-suited for the cutthroat business world, and that firefighting was a more appropriate path. He expressed that after all these years, his primary concern was Luo Jie's safety and happiness, rather than forcing him to inherit the family business. Moved by his father's words, Luo Jie offered him a massage, which his father found very helpful.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tong took charge of Wang Dayin's exam preparations, pulling him from a mobile KTV to a study room. Wang Dayin lamented his predicament, comparing his study-filled dates to other couples' casual outings. His teammates attempted to lighten the mood with loud singing but were swiftly silenced by Jiang Tong, who sternly declared they were disturbing "her man's" studies.
When Wang Dayin later tried to ask Huo Yan for help with a math problem involving buying and selling a chicken and weighing rabbits with an improper scale, Jiang Tong intervened, stressing the importance of self-reliance for the exam.
Li Yanliang and Ma Qianli then visited Wang Dayin, bringing him a blessing from Jiming Temple and playfully dubbing him "The Bajie of an Exam Preparation," humorously listing out "precepts" such as "no naps, no games, no drama," which Wang Dayin accepted, except for "no Jiang Tong."
Chief Chen then informed Huo Yan that his transfer had been approved and that Huo Yan's promotion to the new Chief of Dongshan Station was imminent, with an official ceremony to be held soon. He advised Huo Yan to cherish the remaining time with Sister Xian, as his new duties would leave him with even less time for her.
Huo Yan returned home, where Sister Xian, in the midst of texting Chief Chen's wife about her plan to subtly reveal Yan Lan's identity during a "feast" for Huo Yan, hastily hid her phone. Huo Yan playfully accused her of engaging in a "sunset love," which she parried by stating she would only consider a "sunrise love."
During dinner, Chief Chen's wife initiated the delicate conversation, subtly inquiring if Yan Lan had "cardiopulmonary function" issues, observing her panting after short runs. When Huo Yan dismissed it as merely poor stamina, Chief Chen's wife elaborated, sharing a story about a friend's daughter who suffered lasting lung damage from choking on thick smoke during a house fire as a child, clearly hinting at Yan Lan's own traumatic past and its connection to the tragedy involving Huo Yan's father.
