Simon Huang arrives at Ah-Ma’s apartment with roses, and a driver takes him and Liv to the Feng Chia night market. The dense crowds and noise overwhelm her, but Simon steadies her by taking her hand as they navigate the stalls and sample street food. Liv opens up about her search for Yili.

Simon responds by sharing that his best friend, Ken, died by suicide, an experience that led him to specialize in mental health within Asian families. He is in Taiwan for the funeral of Ken's grandfather, Ang-Li. Simon mentions that he once lived in Taipei for a year, conducting research and teaching at a university.

The two become separated in the crowd, triggering a panic attack for Liv. Simon finds her and pulls her close until she steadies. She distracts herself by buying customized stickers that read "Liv Kuo, Chef." As the evening ends, they confirm they are both single. Simon kisses her temple, making his interest clear.

At Ah-Ma's apartment, Liv and her grandmother prepare dumplings and talk about family history and Liv's friend, Amy. Liv texts Amy and learns she has been traveling through Asia, Sri Lanka, and, most recently, Vietnam. As they cook, Ah-Ma mentions that Ziyi has the best dumpling sauce recipe. The memory triggers a flashback.

In June 1963, Yi-ping arrives late to pick up her daughters from school. They are waiting with Ziyi's children, but no one can find Ziyi. Yi-ping's daughter Lun-Shan clings to her, afraid her father might give her away, like Yili. Yi-ping takes Ziyi's children home to look for their mother. With help from Ah-Ji, Ziyi's housekeeper, she follows a faint sound from the bedroom and finds Ziyi on the floor, badly beaten and bleeding.

Still in June 1963, Ziyi insists she fell, but Yi-ping knows that her husband is responsible. Despite Ziyi's frightened protests, Yi-ping has her taken to the hospital. The next day, Yi-ping returns and sees the full extent of the injuries.

Ziyi confides that her husband's abuse has been going on for years. The latest attack happened because he discovered that she had helped someone secure a visa to leave Taiwan. She vows to endure anything to keep her children safe but says she will kill him if he ever harms them.

In the present, Ah-Ma receives a call from Ziyi's maid, saying that Ziyi has fallen out of bed.

Simon introduces Liv to his family friends: Ken's mother, Genevieve Huang, and aunt, Clare Shih. When Clare learns that Liv's grandfather was the KMT officer Wang Po-wei, she turns hostile and asks Liv to leave.

Liv is shocked by Clare's hostility, and Simon is equally confused. He explains that while Ang-Li (Clare's father and Genevieve's father-in-law) stayed in the US, Clare missed Taiwan and moved back around 1976 or 1977. Liv tries to piece together the timeline of how Clare and Genevieve could have known Yi-ping and Po-wei. Outside, Genevieve explains that their family suffered terribly during KMT rule.

Liv calls Ah-Ma and goes to meet her at Ziyi's apartment, where she meets Ziyi for the first time. Ziyi says she will share the story of what happened after she helped Yi-ping leave Taiwan when Yi-ping's youngest child, Winston, left for college in the US.

Ziyi recalls how, in late 1979, Yi-ping asked for her help to escape Po-Wei. After Yi-ping leaves for America in January 1980, Ziyi’s husband discovers her involvement and beats her unconscious. Afterward, he banishes Ziyi and her housekeeper, Ah-Ji, to a remote village in southern Taiwan, threatening to harm their children if she ever returns or contacts them.

A village healer, Lao Bo, saves Ziyi’s life. Over the next 12 years, her daughter Weili visits in secret. When Ziyi learns that her husband discovered the visits and attacked Weili so violently that she was hospitalized, Ziyi decides to stop him for good.

In the present, Liv asks Ziyi what she did to her husband. Ziyi and Ah-Ji, her housekeeper, explain that they worked with Lao Bo to poison Ziyi’s husband. Officials ruled his death a heart attack. Her experiences propelled Ziyi into advocacy for human and women’s rights. Liv finds herself in awe of Ziyi’s resilience. Ziyi then pulls out her laptop and posts about Yili in several Facebook groups to support the search.

Later, Simon calls and makes plans to come to Ah-Ma's apartment with dinner. When he arrives, a car backfires nearby, triggering a severe panic attack in Liv. Simon grounds her with calm instructions until she stabilizes. Over dinner, he suggests therapy. Liv bristles, feeling exposed and irritated that he is analyzing her, treating her like a victim or patient.

Two days later, Ah-Ma and Liv film a cooking video while making recipes from Ah-Ma's old cookbook. Liv's former boss, Chef Wu, reaches out with a few potential executive chef positions in New York City, but the idea of returning to a professional kitchen terrifies her. Her friend Amy calls to announce that she is moving to Vietnam and urges Liv to pursue a relationship with Simon.

Ah-Ma’s DNA results arrive, showing a parent/child match with a woman named Hsu-Min Chen. Liv locates her profile on Facebook and sends a friend request. Meanwhile, their cooking video goes viral, and Liv proposes that she and Ah-Ma co-author a cookbook. At that moment, Hsu-Min accepts her request.

Liv messages Hsu-Min Chen, who replies that she does not know anyone named Yili, but a stranger recently called her that name on the street. Liv asks to meet. While they wait for a response, a production company emails about filming a cooking show with Ah-Ma.

Simon arrives, and they take a walk. Liv apologizes for avoiding him and explains how vulnerable she feels. He reassures her, and they kiss. She tells him about the DNA match and shows him Hsu-Min’s profile. Simon reacts with shock: Hsu-Min is his late friend Ken's aunt, Ang-Li's daughter, and Clare's sister, Sue Huang.