The Flaming Heart Episode 6 Recap
> The Flaming Heart Recap
On a day off, Huo Yan brought Yan Lan to the fire station's training grounds, explaining it was essential for their Fire and Medical Joint Training. He stated she needed to familiarize herself with firefighters' daily routines and improve her physical stamina. To this end, he planned some rigorous physical training for her. Yan Lan, whose physical fitness was somewhat lacking, struggled intensely. During a break, she devised a plan for playful "revenge." She proposed they practice leg stretches.
Yan Lan, being flexible, performed the stretch with ease. However, Huo Yan, with his less pliable physique, found the exercise painful and difficult. Yan Lan left him amusingly struggling, joking that his legs would go numb. Meanwhile, Chief Chen had a meal with Professor Ye. Chief Chen praised Yan Lan's excellent performance at the fire station and expressed his desire for her to participate in live operational training, to which Professor Ye readily agreed.
Later, Huo Yan cooked hot and sour noodles for Yan Lan in the fire station canteen. As they ate, Yan Lan noticed Huo Yan eating unusually fast. He explained that it was a deeply ingrained habit among firefighters: when the alarm sounds, everyone must immediately drop their forks and respond to the call. Thus, they all eat very quickly.
He added that after a demanding fire incident, they are often too exhausted to hold chopsticks, making forks a more convenient choice. Yan Lan commented that she admired their endurance. Huo Yan reflected that while people often attribute their perseverance to noble ideals like faith and dreams, firefighters are ultimately ordinary people who get tired, complain, and sometimes cry, only turning to lofty ideals in moments of life and death.
He playfully singled out Ma Qianli for complaining, Wang Dayin for slacking, and Li Yanliang for crying. Yan Lan offered to do the dishes, but Huo Yan insisted on doing them himself since he cooked. Just then, Su Zi Dong, a driver from Fuzimiao Fire Station, arrived, introduced himself, and asked for directions to Dormitory 302. During a Fire and Medical Joint Training session, which included CPR practice, Wang Dayin appeared visibly distracted.
He then received distressing news that his adoptive sister, Pei, had suffered a health setback. Wang Dayin, deeply concerned, immediately left. Jiang Tong, who had previously misjudged Wang Dayin as someone who avoided danger, was annoyed by his sudden departure. Understanding Wang Dayin's urgency, Huo Yan took Jiang Tong to the hospital to shed light on the situation.
Huo Yan explained that Pei was Wang Dayin's only family; he had rescued her from a devastating fire where her parents perished, leaving her an orphan. As an orphan himself, Wang Dayin felt a profound connection to Pei and treated her like his own sister. At the hospital, they witnessed Wang Dayin cheerfully playing with Pei, distracting her from her ongoing third round of chemotherapy. Jiang Tong was deeply touched by the scene.
Pei, in her innocence, remarked that Huo Yan and Yan Lan looked like a couple, then asked if Jiang Tong and Wang Dayin were one too, a suggestion they both quickly denied. Later, Wang Dayin further confided in Jiang Tong, explaining that to him, Pei was like "another me," a second chance at life, and he wanted to give her the best, which meant his time and presence, something he wished he had as a child.
Jiang Tong offered to help care for Pei, but Wang Dayin politely declined, stating that Pei depended solely on him. An alarm then came in from Dongshan Station reporting a fire on the roof of an iron-made house, with trapped individuals and chemical substances inside, making the situation extremely dangerous. At the scene, firefighters were cautioned about the volatile chemicals. Wang Dayin attempted to establish contact with anyone inside by shouting and knocking on the walls.
Eventually, a woman's cry for help was heard. Huo Yan and Luo Jie quickly discussed rescue strategies. Luo Jie initially proposed breaking down the front door. However, Huo Yan, considering the current wind direction, argued that a frontal breach would intensify the fire by introducing a large volume of air, risking severe harm to those inside. He suggested a lateral entry instead, coupled with an additional water hose to suppress the flames and buy more time for rescue.
Luo Jie, though initially expressing a touch of resentment at being out-thought, agreed to Huo Yan's plan. Huo Yan bravely entered the burning structure alone. After successfully rescuing the trapped woman, she desperately informed him that her daughter was still inside. Huo Yan immediately re-entered for the child. As he led the little girl to safety, a metal shelf collapsed, pinning him beneath it. Luo Jie frantically called out Huo Yan's name but received no response.
Without hesitation, Luo Jie charged into the house, instructing Wang Dayin to provide cover. He managed to pull an unconscious Huo Yan out of the blaze. Despite Luo Jie's repeated attempts, Huo Yan remained unresponsive. At that moment, the chemicals inside the house caused a minor explosion, prompting the team to increase the water pressure to extinguish the intensified flames. Huo Yan eventually regained consciousness in the hospital, his mind reeling with fragmented memories, including those of his father.
A phantom voice echoed in his mind, questioning his ability to protect Yan Lan and suggesting he should let her go if he couldn't. This encounter solidified his fears. Later, in a conversation with Yan Lan, he mused about the carefree happiness of childhood, where adults bear all burdens, and urged her not to let go of anyone who offers such comfort and protection. Yan Lan, however, tenderly responded that she had already found that person—Huo Yan himself.
Huo Yan then expressed his deep concern, stating that his profession as a firefighter carried a constant risk of sacrifice. He believed that loving him would be an immense burden for Yan Lan, forcing her to "prepare for the worst every day." He drew a parallel to how his father's dangerous career had burdened "Sister Xian" (a reference to his late stepmother who endured immense stress while caring for him), leaving her overwhelmed with life's pressures.
Yan Lan vehemently countered that she was no longer a child and he was not her "everything." She asserted her capability to handle her own challenges and even offered to support him through any adversity. She accused him of being selfish, making unilateral decisions without considering her feelings. Huo Yan admitted his selfishness, explaining that firefighters face an uncertain future, and he wished to avoid burdening any "innocent person"—an outsider.
Yan Lan, hurt by his words, felt dismissed as an outsider and delusional. She reiterated that a relationship is a shared journey and she was willing to face anything with him. Despite her heartfelt plea, Huo Yan remained resolute, stating he had made up his mind and wished to endure the challenges alone, not wanting to involve anyone else. The conversation ended in a tense cold war. Later, Yan Lan, still fuming, confided in Bai Xiaolin at the hospital.
She vented her frustration over Huo Yan's unilateral decision-making, branding him self-righteous and disrespectful of her feelings. Bai Xiaolin, while acknowledging Huo Yan's potentially flawed approach, gently suggested that his actions, however misguided, stemmed from genuine concern for Yan Lan, especially given the perilous nature of his profession. Yan Lan remained unconvinced, perceiving Bai Xiaolin's remarks as siding with Huo Yan, but maintained that she had offered him a choice, and he had chosen to reject their shared future.
Bai Xiaolin reiterated that Huo Yan's actions, from her perspective, unequivocally demonstrated how much he truly cared for Yan Lan, emphasizing that love is a journey of mutual exploration and growth, not something to be prematurely ended.
