Bright Eyes in the Dark Episode 13 Recap
> Bright Eyes in the Dark Recap
Late one night, Yang Zhengang asked Lin Luxiao about his thoughts on Nan Chu. Yang Zhengang felt Nan Chu was a good woman and inquired if Lin Luxiao had noticed her treating him differently, but Lin Luxiao said he hadn't. Lin Luxiao recalled that when he first met Nan Chu, her landlord was causing trouble at a dance studio, and he saw her as a young woman facing difficulties.
Later incidents, like those at the steamed bun shop and with Sun Meng, revealed her deep kindness and soft heart. Observing Lin Luxiao's clear care for Nan Chu, Yang Zhengang, in his capacity as the station's political instructor, urged Lin Luxiao to address his personal life. Lin Luxiao deflected, instead inquiring about Yang Zhengang's own romantic prospects.
Yang Zhengang admitted to being drawn to the voice of a female dispatcher he hears during emergency calls, though he knew little else about her, not even her full name, only that her surname is Li. Separately, Xi Gu also questioned Nan Chu about her feelings for Lin Luxiao. Nan Chu described him as a hero, stating that she felt safe and secure whenever he was nearby.
Through their time together, Nan Chu had grown to admire him and expressed a desire to become as brave, strong, and compassionate as he is. When Xi Gu mentioned having taken a photo of the two of them, Nan Chu eagerly asked to see it. Meanwhile, Jiang Ge and Han Beiyao were concerned about negative media attention surrounding the tense relationships among the show's artists.
Han Beiyao proposed inviting a major, influential celebrity to join the show, believing the increased public interest would dilute the negative press. They decided to invite the veteran actor Ran Dongyang. Shen Guangzong called Nan Chu to inform her that Ran Dongyang would be joining the program. He advised her to be on her best behavior with the respected senior actor to potentially secure future collaborations.
During the call, Shen Guangzong mentioned both himself and Xi Gu were worried about her, which made Nan Chu suspicious. When she questioned Xi Gu about her relationship with Shen Guangzong, a flustered Xi Gu made an excuse and quickly left. Upon learning of Ran Dongyang's participation, Xu Zhiyi used her connections to arrange a meeting, hoping he would look out for her on the show.
She confessed to him that she had realized the program was primarily a vehicle to promote Nan Chu, with herself and Yan Dai serving as mere foils. Ran Dongyang acknowledged he knew this but asserted that an actor's true impact comes from their performance, not their designated role. He offered to create opportunities for Xu Zhiyi, even inviting her to a networking dinner and rescheduling his own appointments to do so.
Ran Dongyang arrived at the fire station enthusiastically, bringing refreshments for everyone. He immediately suggested adding live-streaming segments to the program to better engage the audience and show the firefighters' authenticity, offering to host them himself. Jiang Ge expressed reservations, citing conflicts with the show's format and the difficulty of managing unexpected events on a live broadcast. Nan Chu also objected, arguing that live streaming would disrupt the station's normal operations and that firefighters don't work for public spectacle.
Overhearing the discussion, Lin Luxiao intervened, stating that live streaming was an unscheduled activity requiring official approval. He directed everyone to proceed with the planned climbing training instead. During climbing training, which was initially segregated by gender, Ran Dongyang proposed mixing the groups to challenge gender norms and let everyone choose their partners. As there were no rules against it, the suggestion was accepted, and he placed himself in Nan Chu's group.
During the exercise, he was highly conscious of the cameras, directing the crew to capture specific angles, which prompted Jiang Ge to privately instruct the editor to cut the staged footage. Separately, Yan Dai remarked to a frustrated Xu Zhiyi about Nan Chu’s perceived attention-seeking. Yan Dai suggested they could manufacture a "storyline" to make Nan Chu look bad, even while acknowledging the show was unscripted.
Ran Dongyang then proposed adding a competitive elimination element to the training, where the losing team would have a member voted off by the live-stream audience. Xu Zhiyi and Yan Dai supported the idea, but Jiang Ge and Nan Chu strongly objected, arguing it contradicted the program's focus on teamwork and the station's rescue principles. When Lin Luxiao arrived, he firmly rejected the proposal, questioning Ran Dongyang's understanding of firefighting and instructing him to follow the trainers' plans.
Ran Dongyang quickly retracted his suggestion, calling it an "immature idea." Later, feeling slighted, Ran Dongyang confronted Nan Chu, accusing her of posturing for the cameras and belittling her principles. He warned her not to be ungrateful for his participation on the show. Lin Luxiao overheard the heated exchange and intervened, telling Ran Dongyang to stop making things up if he doesn't understand firefighting and to cease his showboating at the station.
After Ran Dongyang left, Lin Luxiao assured Nan Chu he would protect her if she was being bullied. Lei Dagang informed Lin Luxiao that his friend, Chen Yilong, needed a fire safety inspection for his food processing plant before its opening. Lei Dagang was hesitant about the request to "privately" check the facility but suggested they could conduct an official inspection as part of the station's "Six Familiarities" drill, since the factory was in their jurisdiction.
Lin Luxiao agreed, noting it would also fulfill the production team's request to film a "Six Familiarities" segment. The team proceeded to the food processing plant for the exercise. Ran Dongyang appeared with a head bandage, claiming a training injury to theatrically emphasize the need for speed. During the inspection, Lin Luxiao reviewed the factory blueprints and identified significant safety violations, including obstructed pathways and a covered fire hydrant.
He cited relevant fire safety regulations and instructed that the issues be documented and corrected immediately. Seeing an opportunity, Ran Dongyang shared his suspicion about the factory owner's evasive behavior with Yan Dai and Xu Zhiyi. He proposed they secretly film potential problems and leak the footage online to create buzz.
Yan Dai initially cautioned that Lin Luxiao had forbidden unauthorized actions, but Ran Dongyang appealed to their desire for screentime, implied Nan Chu was receiving preferential treatment, and assured them he would take full responsibility. Yan Dai was convinced and persuaded a hesitant Xu Zhiyi to join them. The episode also included a fire safety tip about the proper use of hair dryers, warning that blocked vents can cause overheating and fires. The advice included using certified products, never leaving them unattended, avoiding prolonged use, and keeping vents clear.
