Episode Summary
The episode introduces Liu Yan, a boxer haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her mother years ago. After being manipulated into throwing fights and subsequently fired from her boxing club, she receives a letter from abroad. The letter informs her of her mother's death but also reveals an inheritance, prompting her to leave her old life behind and travel overseas to uncover the truth about her mother's past.
Spoiler Alert
The story begins on Liu Yan's birthday. Her mother, Jiang Fang, a supremely skilled head chef at the International Hotel, tries to cheer her up after buying a lottery ticket. On her own birthday, Jiang Fang had made a series of heartfelt wishes, dreaming of a beautiful future.
However, that future was not to be. The very next day, Jiang Fang mysteriously vanishes, leaving behind only questions about her plans to arrange a new school for her daughter. The two are separated, and Liu Yan grows up without seeing her mother again, channeling her life into the path of boxing.
Years later, an adult Liu Yan is in the boxing ring. She's determined, but ultimately outmatched and loses the fight. Afterwards, she stoops to picking up trash around the venue to make a little money, a sight that earns her cruel taunts from her peers. They mock her lack of skill, calling her cannon fodder and a "wild child" with no family. Liu Yan swallows her anger, refusing to stoop to their level.
Her situation worsens when the list for the next event is posted and her name is missing. Furious, she storms into the coach's office, demanding to know why he broke his promise. It's revealed she had intentionally lost her previous fight in exchange for a guaranteed spot in the next one. She makes a desperate appeal to the investor, Mr. Li, reminding him of her past glory as a champion at the age of fourteen and stressing that this might be her last chance to compete.
The coach offers her a lifeline, but with a catch: she can fight in the next match, but she must lose again and sign a three-year contract as a sparring partner. Needing a place to stay, Liu Yan reluctantly agrees. In the ring, her opponent's taunts get under her skin, and she begins to fight back fiercely. However, her opponent quietly warns her to stick to the plan, and she is forced to throw the match. Despite her compliance, she is fired from the club. Heartbroken, she returns to her hometown, seeking comfort in the familiar.
Memories of her childhood with her mother often surface—a time filled with happiness and delicious food. She also recalls how her mother had to publicly hide their relationship due to her father's debts, which led to Liu Yan being bullied as a child without parents. Back in her hometown, she stays with her friend Wang Yang, whose mother is constantly critical of her, pushing Liu Yan to find a job quickly. Wang Yang comforts her, encouraging her to return to the club and endure it for a few more years for a chance at a better future. But Liu Yan is resolute; she refuses to go back to that life and wants to forge her own path.
Wang Yang organizes a dinner, hoping Liu Yan will apologize to her coach. However, a fellow boxer hands her a letter from afar. Her hand trembles as she recognizes her mother's handwriting on the envelope. The letter, sent from another country, delivers devastating news: Jiang Fang has passed away. Though they haven't seen each other in years, the news hits Liu Yan like a physical blow. Overcome with grief, she abruptly leaves the dinner. Later, Wang Yang reads the letter and discovers, with a pleased expression, that Jiang Fang has left Liu Yan an inheritance. That night, Liu Yan retrieves a piece of jewelry her mother once gave her from under her bed. A new resolve takes hold, and she decides to travel abroad to follow the trail her mother left behind.
