Bright Eyes in the Dark Episode 18 Recap
> Bright Eyes in the Dark Recap
Lin Luxiao and Nan Chu visited Yang Zhengang in the hospital after his surgery. Yang Zhengang was awake and, upon discovering his right leg was amputated, remained remarkably calm. He accepted the news, telling a visibly upset Lin Luxiao not to be sad, reassuring him that he wasn't dead, just missing a leg. He even joked that he had always wanted time off to rest and travel, and now he had his chance.
Lin Luxiao expressed deep regret, believing that if he hadn't been suspended, he would have been the one injured. Yang Zhengang dismissed his guilt, insisting it was a freak accident and not Lin Luxiao's fault. Captain Meng Guohong and other firefighters from the station came to visit, pained by the sight of his injury. Captain Meng promised that the team would take good care of him.
Yang Zhengang voiced his concern for the station's operations and acknowledged that he could no longer serve as a firefighter. Captain Meng urged him to focus on his recovery and not worry about work, praising his excellent service and expressing how proud he was of him. He then presented Yang Zhengang with a trophy he had long coveted.
Overjoyed, Yang Zhengang asked Lin Luxiao to place it in the station's honor room, telling his colleagues that the trophy represented both their honor and a legacy they must carry forward. Captain Meng informed Lin Luxiao that, due to the ongoing port explosion investigation, the brigade was temporarily assigning him to the Fire Investigation Department, effective immediately.
Lin Luxiao requested a day's delay to return to the station, hand over his duties, and organize a schedule for the team to take turns caring for Yang Zhengang. Captain Meng agreed. Meanwhile, Yu Qilei received a concerned video call from his wife, Milan, and his parents, who were relieved to see he was safe. His young daughter, Miaomiao, also appeared on the call, calling him a hero.
Concerned about Yang Zhengang’s future medical needs, the firefighters decided to pool their money to help. Yu Qilei even discussed using the money saved for his son's piano lessons with his wife. Lin Luxiao also planned to request financial assistance from the department. He later confided in Nan Chu that he was worried about Yang Zhengang's stoicism, explaining that his outward composure was likely suppressing immense pain.
He felt this hidden suffering was more concerning than an open display of grief would have been. Captain Meng, observing Lin Luxiao's guilt and frustration, advised him to remember the feeling, calling it the "aftermath" of their call to duty—a trial and a price they must sometimes pay. After a period of recovery, Yang Zhengang was discharged. Yu Qilei, Nan Chu, and other colleagues were there to pick him up.
They surprised him with a new electric wheelchair, which the entire station had chipped in to buy after Nan Chu and Lin Luxiao selected the model. Yang Zhengang was grateful but felt they shouldn't have spent the money. While his colleagues helped him into the wheelchair, he quickly got the hang of it, remarking on how flexible it was.
Separately, Lin Luxiao learned from the doctor that Yang Zhengang was suffering from phantom limb pain, a common condition for amputees that could last for months or even a lifetime. The doctor revealed that Yang Zhengang had been enduring it silently, only requesting painkillers when it became too severe to sleep. To celebrate his discharge, the team gathered for a meal at the station.
They playfully urged Yang Zhengang to give a speech, but he declined, joining them instead for a toast to his recovery. Later, Lin Luxiao helped him settle in for the night, informing him that the station had hired a caregiver who would arrive the next morning. He left painkillers and water by the bed and positioned the wheelchair for easy access.
Lin Luxiao thanked Nan Chu for her unwavering support and asked if she ever worried that her feelings were for an idealized image she had built up over five years, rather than the real him. Nan Chu admitted that for five years, she held onto the image of her rescuer, but clarified this was a feeling of reliance and admiration, not romantic love.
She emphatically stated that she had already fallen for the real Lin Luxiao before she ever learned he was that rescuer. The next day, Lin Luxiao took Nan Chu to a memorial for the firefighters who died in the Nanwan Port explosion. After paying their respects, he confessed that he and his team had also narrowly escaped death, surviving not because of superior skill but because they arrived later.
He wanted her to fully understand the risks of being with him. Nan Chu reassured him she had thought it through. Acknowledging the fear she felt, she argued that life couldn't be lived in hesitation over what might happen. Having grown up independently, she was prepared to carry on even if he were to make the ultimate sacrifice. She urged him to continue protecting the public, promising that she, in turn, would protect him.
Moved by her resolve, Lin Luxiao stood before the national flag and solemnly reaffirmed his oath as a firefighter, tying his professional duty to a new, personal promise to cherish his relationship with Nan Chu.
