Episode Summary
In "Fancy Land" Episode 3, a man from Li Xiulan's past, Bai Tao, threatens to harm her daughter, Li Yan, sending Li Xiulan into a panic. Meanwhile, Li Meng reveals a shocking secret to Li Yan: they are sisters, and Li Meng was abandoned by their mother and institutionalized. The episode culminates in Li Xiulan seeing the two sisters together, leading her to lock a terrified Li Yan in her room. Outside, Li Meng ominously declares their "family reunion," setting a dark tone for what's to come. A side plot follows Detective Qin Yang as he investigates the murder of Zhang Xiaochuan.
Spoiler Alert
"Fancy Land" Episode 3 Recap & Spoilers: A Family Reunion
The secrets binding the Li family are beginning to violently unravel. This episode trades quiet suspense for open threats and a devastating revelation that redefines the relationships between Li Xiulan and her daughters, setting the stage for an inevitable collision.
A Threat from the Past
The episode kicks off with Li Xiulan being cornered on her way home by a man from her past, Liang Zitao, who now goes by Bai Tao. His demeanor is aggressive and entitled as he complains about his own mother and brazenly demands that Li Xiulan treat him to a meal. When she dismisses him, insisting his problems have nothing to do with her, he scoffs. The friendly facade drops, and he delivers a chilling threat: if she won't help him, he'll go directly to her precious daughter, Li Yan. The color drains from Li Xiulan's face as she understands the gravity of his words.
A Daughter's Anxiety
Meanwhile, Li Yan is trapped at home during a thunderstorm, her anxiety spiraling. She calls her mother repeatedly, but the calls go unanswered. In a state of panic, she reaches for her medication, only for Li Xiulan to burst through the door at the last second. Li Yan confronts her mother, demanding to know where she's been. Though her fear is amplified by having witnessed a secret meeting between her boss and Li Meng, she keeps that detail to herself, claiming she was simply worried. Li Xiulan, sensing her daughter's distress, comforts her with a promise never to be late again.
The next morning, a paranoid Li Xiulan drops Li Yan off at her learning center, her eyes scanning every face in the crowd with suspicion. Inside, Li Yan's attempt to avoid Li Meng fails. Li Meng blocks her path, demanding to know what she saw the previous day. Li Yan lies, claiming she saw nothing. Though unconvinced, Li Meng doesn't press the issue, instead leading her to the rooftop for a talk.
The Rooftop Revelation
On the rooftop, amidst the city skyline, Li Meng casually drops a bombshell: she is Li Yan's biological older sister. She recounts a brutal history, revealing she was abandoned by their mother, Li Xiulan, who only ever showed affection for Li Yan. Li Meng describes a childhood of survival at all costs. After their father died from drinking, her uncle took the aid money meant for her and tried to sell her off for 500 yuan. Li Meng thought she was saved when Li Xiulan reappeared, but her hope turned to horror. Their mother claimed she was mentally ill and had her committed to a psychiatric hospital. When Li Yan asks if she's better now, Li Meng replies with chilling indifference that it doesn't matter, as long as the doctors think she is; she simply learned how to act obedient to get what she wants. Seeing Li Yan's curiosity about their shared past, Li Meng promises to show her more after work.
A Tangled Investigation
In a parallel storyline, Detective Qin Yang's investigation into the Zhang Xiaochuan case leads him to uncover a likely affair between the victim and a woman named Gu Nan. He questions Gu Nan's husband, Lin Yi, suggesting that the motive for murder could have been revenge for being cuckolded. Lin Yi remains calm, admitting he was aware of the affair but tolerated it for the sake of their child's stable home. He firmly denies any involvement in the murder and warns Qin Yang against baseless speculation.
A Twisted Reunion at the Seaside
As promised, Li Meng takes Li Yan to the seaside after work. In a moment of vulnerability, Li Yan confesses that she often struggles with her memory and wonders aloud if their mother should have chosen Li Meng instead. Li Meng cryptically remarks that forgetting can be a form of luck.
The fragile peace is shattered when Li Meng drops Li Yan back home. Li Xiulan witnesses the two sisters together, and her composure finally breaks. In a fit of rage and terror, she drags Li Yan inside and locks her in her room. Standing outside the closed door, a faint smile plays on Li Meng's lips as she whispers, "The three of us are finally reunited." The episode ends with Li Yan a prisoner in her own home, trapped between a terrified mother and a sister bent on a twisted form of family reunion.
