The Flaming Heart Episode 18 Recap
> The Flaming Heart Recap
Huo Yan stood proudly as he received his father’s former police badge from his superior, a moment of immense honor that also brought a wave of longing for his late father. The leader emphasized that the honor Huo Yan received not only belonged to him personally but also to all firefighters, urging him to always remember a firefighter’s mission and responsibility.
Afterward, the Dongshan Station gathered to celebrate Huo Yan’s achievement and bid farewell to Chief Chen, who was preparing for a transfer. One of the firefighters expressed reluctance for Chief Chen to leave but congratulated him on his new assignment. During the dinner, Huo Yan and Yan Lan openly displayed their affection, leading others to tease Luo Jie about his past fervent pursuit of Yan Lan.
Luo Jie clarified that his "roguish heart" was no longer set on Yan Lan, stating, "I did passionately chase after Doctor Yan previously," but assured everyone it was "over." Yan Lan then playfully revealed that Luo Jie now had a new love interest: Liu Xuan, a colleague of Yan Lan’s and a former "rival." Li Yan Liang further divulged that Liu Xuan, despite her delicate appearance, was quite formidable, even winning an argument against the hospital director.
He proudly declared himself the station's unofficial entertainment reporter for hospital news. Later that evening, Luo Jie waited for Liu Xuan after her shift at the hospital. Liu Xuan, eager for their relationship to progress, happily joined him for barbecue. Meanwhile, Wang Dayin was diligently studying for an upcoming mock exam. His intense efforts, perhaps coupled with consuming too many brain-boosting supplements, led to a night of severe stomach upset, causing him to run to the restroom repeatedly.
Huo Yan, seeing Wang Dayin unwell, instructed his colleagues to let him rest. Wang Dayin, frustrated by his phone distracting him, taped it shut to focus on his studies. Huo Yan later offered Wang Dayin a "stool with love," which was actually a pile of study materials, to encourage him further. Huo Yan and Yan Lan attended a college reunion. There, Huo Yan encountered Han Pei, CEO of Han's Pharmaceuticals, whom he evidently despised.
Huo Yan ignored Han Pei, taking Yan Lan directly to their table. Han Pei persisted, approaching them to offer a toast, but Huo Yan deflected his attempts and soon made an excuse to leave with Yan Lan. On the way home, Yan Lan asked about the awkward interaction. Huo Yan confessed that it brought back painful memories from their school days.
He recalled how Han Pei, leveraging his wealthy family background, pressured other students to help him cheat and even organized his cronies to beat up Huo Yan when he tried to intervene. Later, while Huo Yan and Yan Lan were out, Zhu Factory Manager, still masked, secretly entered Yan Lan's apartment by picking the lock. He was searching for a pen that contained vital information, which he had discreetly placed in Yan Lan's pocket during an earthquake rescue operation.
After finding the pen and its contents, he quickly left, but his departure was secretly photographed by someone trailing him. Returning home, Yan Lan noticed issues with her fingerprint lock. Inside, Huo Yan discovered signs of a forced entry and an uncapped pen lying on the floor.
To avoid alarming Yan Lan, he subtly suggested she stay at the fire station for a few days, ostensibly so he could "see her every day," a playful excuse she dismissed, citing her upcoming thesis and believing that "absence makes the heart grow fonder." Huo Yan, however, was genuinely concerned. Remembering a masked individual he had seen at the KTV earlier, he returned there, feigning a lost phone to check the surveillance footage.
He found a clear image of the masked person. Unbeknownst to them, Han Pei had employed someone to follow Zhu Factory Manager. Upon learning that Zhu Factory Manager had been to Yan Lan's building, Han Pei grew contemplative. Simultaneously, Luo Jie, still suspicious of Han Pei after their awkward meeting at his father's house, asked a friend to investigate him.
Luo Jie's father, who was considering a business partnership with Han Pei, had praised Han Pei as "reliable," "competent," "hardworking," and "kindhearted," despite Luo Jie's strong objections that Han Pei was a "hypocrite" who "changes face faster than flipping a book." Luo Jie's father dismissed his son's concerns, telling him to stick to his firefighting duties and not worry about family business. Luo Jie’s friend informed him of a place Han Pei frequently visited.
Luo Jie went there and witnessed Han Pei meeting with Director Li, attempting to persuade him to approve unqualified drugs for Han's Pharmaceuticals. Director Li expressed reservations due to national regulations, but Han Pei assured him he would be "rewarded" if he complied. After they left, Luo Jie retrieved a document Han Pei's secretary had discarded in a trash bin. The document contained surveillance records of Zhu Factory Manager, with Yan Lan's apartment circled.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Luo Jie immediately took the document and rushed home to warn his father against cooperating with Han Pei, dismissing his father's existing report on Han Pei as "definitely fake."
