Watch Your Back: Episode 23 Recap and Spoilers

Episode Summary

Li Xiaolian rescues her brother from exploitation, earning Fo Ye’s ruthless mentorship. As tensions rise within the crew, a chaotic trophy heist unfolds with betrayals, ambushes, and Fo Ye’s downfall after Xiaolian poisons him during a final clash.

Spoiler Alert

"Watch Your Back" Episode 23: A Bloody Reckoning and Fading Loyalties

Let’s talk about grit. In 1998, Li Xiaolian finally tracked down her long-lost brother Li Xiaojun at a train station—only to find him exploited by a heartless beggar ringleader. What does she do? She bites the guy’s ear off in a feral showdown, obviously. Enter Fo Ye, the crime boss who’s weirdly into her "ride-or-die" energy. He rescues Xiaojun, funds his medical treatment, and recruits Xiaolian into his crew. Fast-forward: she’s now the brains of the operation, mapping out heists with surgical precision.

But not everyone’s a fan. Hotheaded Cai Shen tries to undermine her by improvising jobs, but Fo Ye shuts that down fast. When rule-breaker A’Lan gets fined for botching a plan, Xiaolian enforces the penalty—and Fo Ye later "disciplines" A’Lan off-screen (we’re guessing it wasn’t a pep talk). Meanwhile, Xiaolian’s been folding origami stars into a jar for every successful job. That jar? Nearly full. Symbolism alert.

Chaos erupts when a ranting madman accuses Zhang Danfēi of Licheng’s Baiyun Trading Company, drawing crowds. Xiaolian cleverly calls the station to warn about a "syringe-wielding man," sparking mass panic. Police scramble, including Li Hongqi and his mentor, while Qing Youth League staff haul out a trophy case under armed guard. Enter Que Zai—a face from the past. Xiao Chun and He Xiaozhu ambush him, leading to a knife fight, arrests, and Siyan fleeing with a wounded Xiaozhu. Fo Ye’s crew aborts their heist.

But here’s the twist: Siyan later breaks into Fo Ye’s clock shop, loots his safe, and murders a chatty parrot (RIP, bird). Fo Ye, tired of his criminal grind, had planned this. He’d let Siyan steal the money as a decoy while his team hijacked the trophy case during a staged traffic ambush. Smooth, right? Wrong.

Xiaolian tries to transfer her brother’s hospital care but gets kidnapped by Que Zai’s lackey Baiban. Li Tang saves her (heroic entrance!), but Fo Ye’s trophy heist goes sideways. Guo Pengfei chases the thieves, only to find Fo Ye casually holding the stolen trophy. Their showdown turns brutal—Fo Ye nearly strangles Guo until Xiaolian injects him with poison. Dramatic gasp.

The Big Picture: Fo Ye’s "retirement plan" crumbles. Xiaolian’s star-filled jar? It’s not just a craft project—it’s a ticking clock for her redemption (or downfall). And Siyan? Fo Ye’s sacrificial lamb. With allies dropping like flies (RIP A’Lan and Cai Shen), loyalties are thinner than a ’90s flip phone.

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