Character Relationship Map: Pierce

Characters

• Jie (played by Liu Hsiu-fu) — protagonist

  Jie is a young fencer whose hopes of joining his school’s championship team are complicated by his family’s conflict. He grows close to his older brother Han after Han’s release, improves through Han’...

• Han (played by Tsao Yu-ning) — protagonist

  Han is Jie’s older brother, released from prison after a fatal fencing incident that he says was an accident. He tries to rebuild his life and coaches Jie, helping him improve his fencing. His return...

• Mother (played by Ding Ning) — supporting

  Mother is Jie and Han’s mother. She worries about Jie’s future as a fencer and is uneasy about Han returning from prison, warning Jie that Han may be dangerous and using him. Their disagreement over H...

• Zhuang (played by Lin Tsu-heng) — supporting

  Zhuang is Mother’s partner and hopes the family will spend time together as a new household. Jie remains preoccupied with Han, leaving Zhuang’s wish for family closeness in tension with the brothers’...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Mother → Zhuang (Romantic Engaged Partners) — Their engagement offers the family a moment of happiness amid the conflict surrounding Han and Jie.

  Zhuang is identified as Mother's partner, and the plot says that Mother and Zhuang become engaged.

• Jie → Zhuang (Family Connection Through Mother's Partner) — Zhuang hopes the family will spend time together, but Jie's attention remains fixed on Han; their relationship is left unresolved in the excerpt.

  Zhuang is Mother's partner, and Jie tries to make room for a new family life with him. The excerpt ends with Jie approaching Zhuang.

• Mother → Han (Family Distrustful Mother And Son) — Mother's distrust of Han deepens after his release and intensifies the conflict within the family.

  The plot identifies Han as Mother's son. She is uneasy about his return, warns Jie that Han is dangerous and may be using him, and is suspected of ale...

• Mother → Jie (Family Mother And Son) — Mother's concern for Jie turns into a serious dispute over his relationship with Han and his commitment to fencing.

  Mother worries about Jie and hopes he will be selected for his school's championship team. She later forbids him from fencing and seeing Han, while Ji...

• Jie → Han (Family Brothers) — Their renewed bond gives Jie support in fencing but also places him in conflict with Mother and leaves him struggling with doubts about Han.

  The plot identifies Han as Jie's older brother. After Han is released, Jie is drawn back to him, trains with him, and insists that Han is innocent.

Story Analysis

A young fencer's renewed bond with his released brother strains his family life and leaves his place on the team uncertain.

Plot Progression

1. The Household Awaits Han — Jie trains for a place on his school's championship team while the family learns Han will soon be released. Mother is uneasy about his return, and Zhuang's wish for shared family time does not displac...
2. A Brother's Return — After his release, Han describes the fatal fencing incident as an accident and says he wants to rebuild his life. Jie reconnects with him, and Han's coaching helps Jie improve and earn a team place.
3. Loyalty Against Warning — Mother forbids Jie from fencing and seeing Han, creating a serious break between mother and son. Jie defends Han's innocence and cites having seen him save someone at the river.
4. Trust Under Strain — Han admits that he has been living somewhere without informing the authorities, while Mother is suspected of alerting them. Jie tries to persuade the family to believe Han as his own affection and dou...
5. An Unresolved Step Forward — Jie considers quitting the team but tells his coach he may return if a place remains. Mother and Zhuang become engaged, and Jie approaches Zhuang as the excerpt leaves the brothers' future unresolved.