Count Your Lucky Stars Episode 23 Recap
> Count Your Lucky Stars Recap
Lu Xingcheng sincerely apologized to Mu Yang, explaining he had distanced himself to protect those he cared about from sharing his misfortune and seeing him give up after he went abroad to study design. Mu Yang challenged him, asking if he considered him "just anyone else." Overwhelmed, Lu Xingcheng wept, expressing his confusion over how their friendship had deteriorated. The two men then embraced, recalling their happier past.
Mu Yang encouraged Lu Xingcheng to strive for success, repeating a saying about not forgetting wealth. Lu Xingcheng playfully threatened to rename Mu Yang to "Mu Yang dog" if he didn't become the best designer. Before the ceremony, Tong Xiaoyou confessed to Song Ruru that her drunken encounter with Lu Xingcheng wasn't a fight, but a confession of her feelings. However, she now felt undeserving of him.
Song Ruru dismissed her worries, urging her to pursue Lu Xingcheng since it was a mutual desire, asserting that his willingness was the only thing that mattered. At their wedding, Mu Yang, wearing a suit custom-made by Lu Xingcheng, had a visible mark on his face from their earlier altercation, which he proudly declared was the best gift from his best friend. Wen Xi found her husband incredibly handsome as she walked down the aisle to warm applause.
The couple exchanged heartfelt vows and rings, sealing their union with a passionate kiss. After the wedding, Leopard helped clean up. Song Ruru, feeling lonely seeing all the couples, remarked that she too wished to fall in love. Leopard seemed to take notice, plucking a flower and offering it to her, playfully calling the act "sweet."
However, a woman nearby stumbled, and Leopard's attention immediately shifted as he rushed to help her, engaging in a friendly conversation with the woman who revealed she was Wen Xi's former classmate. Annoyed, Song Ruru tossed the flower and left independently. Meanwhile, Wen Xi complained to Tong Xiaoyou about the exhausting nature of the wedding, which she described as full of "twists and turns." Tong Xiaoyou humorously suggested that the real challenges of marriage begin "after" the wedding.
Their conversation was interrupted by Jiang Yan's arrival, who made a point of exposing a back injury. To prevent her embarrassment, Lu Xingcheng offered his suit jacket and then left the venue with her, much to Wen Xi's visible displeasure. Lu Yanzhi was overwhelmed by Yange's crisis following Cheng Peizhi's departure, finding his mind in a "paste."
Tong Xiaoyou advised him to take a few days to clear his head and then focus on his strengths, acknowledging his self-doubt about his design talent and management skills compared to his mother. Recognizing Tong Xiaoyou's deep knowledge of fabrics and design history, Lu Yanzhi shared a new type of fabric, developed by an overseas factory, which combined silk and cotton fibers with a new chemical element for a smoother feel.
He proposed using this innovative material for a new clothing line to quickly capture market share and alleviate Yange's crisis. Tong Xiaoyou, confident in her abilities and unwilling to abandon the company in its time of need, readily accepted the design challenge, seeing it as her duty as an employee.
Lu Yanzhi expressed his profound gratitude, telling her that she was a "piece of the puzzle" in his life who made him feel complete, always there to help him in times of difficulty. Tong Xiaoyou arrived home exhausted to hear Song Ruru on the phone, complaining about family pressure for blind dates and lamenting that women over twenty-five were considered "broken copper and iron" if unmarried.
Moments later, Lu Xingcheng appeared at her door, holding a rare book she had long desired, which he had his friend buy from abroad. While Tong Xiaoyou was preparing food, Lu Xingcheng inadvertently picked up the new fabric from Yange that Lu Yanzhi had given her, sparking a brief, playful argument about company trade secrets. Lu Xingcheng then formally apologized for leaving Wen Xi’s wedding banquet early, explaining that Jiang Yan had felt unwell.
Tong Xiaoyou jokingly accused him of being unusually helpful, recalling how he'd been strict with male colleagues, but Lu Xingcheng argued that women were "weaker" and needed more care. He promised not to accompany Jiang Yan again if Tong Xiaoyou didn't want him to. Their conversation then turned to her drunken confession, with Lu Xingcheng teasing her about her "truth after drinking." They ended the night with goodnights, despite their lingering playful banter.
Jiang Yan, after learning from her assistant that Yange was planning to launch new clothing made from a new fabric, visited Lu Xingcheng. She presented him with a sample of the fabric, claiming she needed his expertise. Lu Xingcheng recognized it as a newly developed material from European manufacturers, still unlisted. Jiang Yan then revealed that during its testing phase, some consumers experienced allergic reactions.
She requested Lu Xingcheng to write a detailed article about the fabric's issues, explaining that C and G's (C&G) high-level executives were considering using it, and his authoritative opinion was necessary to dissuade them. She framed this as an important contribution to industry supervision, knowing his influence was paramount. At Yange, despite some apprehension about rushing, the new fabric had already been paid for and shipped, as the company was desperate for a new product to mitigate its ongoing crisis.
Meanwhile, Leopard was enjoying a quiet moment singing at his noodle shop when a beautifully dressed Song Ruru arrived for a blind date. She expressed her belief that she could get married anytime without needing a blind date. Unfortunately, her date abruptly left for a phone call and was later seen talking to another woman, causing Song Ruru considerable humiliation. Simultaneously, a fashion website published Lu Xingcheng's detailed report, exposing issues with the new fabric.
This was a devastating blow to Yange, whose agents immediately began refusing payments for the upcoming line. Tong Xiaoyou, believing Lu Xingcheng intentionally sabotaged Yange due to past grievances with Cheng Peizhi, furiously confronted him at his studio. Lu Xingcheng argued that it was better for the problem to be exposed before the product hit the market, implying that Yange would have been "over" if the issue had come to light later.
Tong Xiaoyou retorted that if he had warned Lu Yanzhi directly, the fabric could have been withdrawn without damaging Yange's reputation, accusing him of driving the company to a "dead end." Lu Xingcheng challenged her, asking if Lu Yanzhi was right to use untested fabric to escape a crisis and if she was still defending him. That night, Lu Xingcheng confronted Jiang Yan, demanding to know why she published the article under his name.
He accused her of using him and declared he would not resort to such underhanded tactics, even against Cheng Peizhi. He warned her not to exploit him again. Meanwhile, Tong Xiaoyou returned to Yange to find Lu Yanzhi despondent, lamenting that the fabric incident had severely damaged the company's reputation, making future collaborations unlikely. He suggested that it was the "best time" for her to leave, but Tong Xiaoyou firmly refused.
Instead, she proposed reviving an earlier idea of collaborating with a sports brand to launch a co-designed product, believing it could help rebuild Yange's standing. Although Lu Yanzhi was skeptical that any company would partner with them in their current state, Tong Xiaoyou urged him to try, reminding him that he wouldn't know without trying. They approached Chuangwei, a company that had previously discussed cooperation with Cheng Peizhi. However, Chuangwei's representative expressed significant caution, stating that "now and then" were different, and they needed to be prudent about any new partnership given Yange's current predicament.
