Episode Summary
In this episode, Li Xiulan's estranged eldest daughter, Li Meng, confronts her, vowing to find her sister, Li Yan. While a terrified Li Yan is kept locked away by her mother, she has a chance encounter with a man named Lin Yi, who recognizes her from his past. The episode culminates with Li Xiulan being cornered by a menacing stranger, proving her dangerous past has finally caught up with her.
Spoiler Alert
Fancy LandEpisode 2 Recap: A Past That Won't Stay Buried
The fragile world Li Xiulan has built around her daughter is beginning to splinter. This episode sees threats emerge from two fronts: a past that has finally caught up with her and a sister determined to shatter the present.
A Sister's Vengeance
The episode opens with a tense confrontation. Li Xiulan’s estranged eldest daughter, Li Meng, storms into her mother’s rundown home. With a sneer, she announces it took her years to track them down and immediately demands to know where her younger sister, Li Yan, is. A panicked Li Xiulan tries to force her out, but Li Meng is relentless. Before leaving, she scoffs, snatches a photo of Li Yan from its frame, and delivers a chilling promise: "I'll be seeing you again." Her visit makes it clear she’s not just here for a family reunion; she’s a predator circling her prey.
A Gilded Cage and a Waking Nightmare
Once the coast is clear, Li Yan sneaks down from the attic, where she’s found a moment of peace with a quiet neighborhood boy and his new pet, a black stray cat. The respite is short-lived. Li Xiulan discovers her, violently drags her into a room, and locks the door. Li Yan’s desperate pleas to be let out are ignored. The psychological torment bleeds into her dreams, as she jolts awake from a nightmare of her own mother chasing her with a knife.
The next morning, the routine is cold and clinical. Li Xiulan supervises Li Yan’s medication before taking her to the kindergarten where she works. But they are not alone. From a car parked just around the corner, Li Meng watches their every move.
Worlds Collide at the Kindergarten
A new player enters the game when a man named Lin Yi drops his daughter, Nian Nian, off at the school. He freezes the moment he sees Li Yan—she is the spitting image of a girl from his memory. Shaken, he asks for her contact information, and a bewildered Li Yan agrees. This chance encounter suggests that Li Yan’s past is far more complex than even she knows.
Later, in a moment of calculated deception, Li Meng approaches Li Yan, who has dropped a pile of documents. She pretends to help, and an oblivious Li Yan politely thanks her, never realizing she’s just met the sister who is hunting her.
An Unraveling End to the Day
The pressure on Li Xiulan is visibly mounting. While working at her fish stall, nursing an injured hand, a neighboring vendor advises her to rest her hand and be less severe with her daughter. "Mind your own business," she snaps back, though her harsh words are contradicted a moment later when she tosses him a bag of fish, telling him to "make some soup for his brain."
The day ends with sheer terror. As Li Xiulan rides her bike home, she realizes a black car is tailing her. She swerves into a narrow alley to escape, only to be cornered. A man in a baseball cap steps out of the car, his voice low and menacing as he says, "Long time no see." Li Xiulan is frozen on her bike, her eyes wide with fear. The past she has been running from has finally blocked her exit.
Spoilers & Unanswered Questions
This episode throws several mysteries into the open. Li Meng's motives seem rooted in a deep-seated vendetta, but what exactly is she after? The introduction of Lin Yi and his recognition of Li Yan adds a significant layer, connecting her to a past she can't remember. And finally, the identity of the man in the cap is the most immediate threat. His ominous greeting implies a shared, dangerous history with Li Xiulan, one that has now put both mother and daughter directly in harm's way.
