Count Your Lucky Stars Episode 28 Recap
> Count Your Lucky Stars Recap
Tong Xiaoyou decided to resign from Yan Ge. As she packed her belongings, she reluctantly bid farewell to the office Lu Yanzhi had thoughtfully prepared for her. Lu Yanzhi presented her with a small gift and asked if she liked it, to which she happily replied, "like." He encouraged her, telling her to familiarize herself with her new environment and let him know if she needed anything.
He expressed his belief in her abilities, urging her to play to her heart's content and fully utilize her design talent. Tong Xiaoyou thanked him for his care during her time there. Meanwhile, Jiang Yan met with a mysterious man to discuss some matters. Leopard brother seemed unhappy, playing guitar alone in his noodle shop. An employee noticed his mood and suggested he rest, pointing out it was already two in the morning and the shop would normally be closed.
Leopard brother insisted on waiting, claiming he was waiting for other customers, not Song Ruru. The employee then revealed, "I heard she's taking a few days off to go back home to get married." Leopard brother was visibly shocked and, trying to hide his distress, abruptly told the employee to close the shop.
Song Ruru was packing her luggage to return home for some private matters when she saw Tong Xiaoyou on the living room sofa, struggling with her design for the Fashion Cup audition. Song Ruru suggested using an old design, but Tong Xiaoyou felt her previous work was too childish and lacked inspiration despite thinking all night. Tong Xiaoyou admitted she didn't have much hope for the Fashion Cup, attributing her lack of progress to bad luck.
Song Ruru challenged her, "Your bad luck is all about this," and reminded her of her usual positive attitude. Tong Xiaoyou still held onto her belief in luck, mentioning how her and Lu Xingcheng's luck had swapped. Song Ruru encouraged her to be optimistic and proactive, asking, "Where did the positive and proactive Tong Xiaoyou I know go? Didn't we agree to always move forward bravely no matter what difficulties we encountered?"
Tong Xiaoyou agreed that even bitter tea eventually loses its taste, signaling a shift in her mindset. Song Ruru praised her, calling her "the little hapless guy I know," before leaving for her hometown. Lu Xingcheng had arranged a workstation for Tong Xiaoyou in his studio. An assistant finished setting it up, and Lu Xingcheng thanked them. Jiang Yan, however, came to express her disapproval, stating that she didn't see any unique design talent in Tong Xiaoyou.
She questioned why Lu Xingcheng insisted on having her in his studio and warned him that being together constantly could lead to disagreements, asking, "Don't you understand? Can distance produce beauty? You are together like this every day. Not afraid of any differences?" Lu Xingcheng calmly responded that he enjoyed being with Tong Xiaoyou every day, finding warmth in her presence, and even fighting with someone he liked made him happy.
He mused that although she sometimes laughed foolishly, being with her felt incredibly warm. Jiang Yan, visibly disheartened by his words, asked if he needed further help before reflecting on how comfortable it must be to work there, acknowledging the significant change in Lu Xingcheng due to Tong Xiaoyou's influence. Tong Xiaoyou had dinner at home, where her parents noticed she had no appetite.
She shared that she had signed up for the Fashion Cup, explaining the excitement among designers and the potential need to stay in a "Players' village" if shortlisted. Her father joked it sounded like prison, but Tong Xiaoyou clarified it was just a restriction on going out. She expressed her long-held belief that she was unlucky, citing various examples like it raining whenever she wore new clothes or getting sick on trips.
Her mother, however, reassured her, saying she never thought Tong Xiaoyou was unlucky. Instead, she often heard people praise her as cute, pretty, and hardworking. This heartfelt conversation cheered Tong Xiaoyou up, making her happy. Leopard brother called Tong Xiaoyou, asking for Song Ruru's whereabouts. Learning that Song Ruru had indeed returned to her hometown, he rushed to the station and intercepted her. He asked her if she was going home to get married, clearly relieved when she denied it.
Mustering his courage, Leopard brother slowly approached Song Ruru, who expected a confession. To her surprise, he instead told her to wait until she returned home. Confused and a little annoyed, Song Ruru pressed him, "Are you talking about it?" But Leopard brother, resuming his singing, casually insisted that she just go home first. Lu Xingcheng casually asked Tong Xiaoyou about her design progress. She explained her renewed understanding of luck, inspired by her mother's words.
She realized that perceived bad luck might be what drives effort and attracts friends. She mused that good and bad luck might not have a clear standard, believing that when one door closes, another window opens. Therefore, she planned to design a clothing theme related to luck, viewing it as a challenge to her past misfortunes. Lu Xingcheng, delighted by her newfound perspective, commented on her "normal" state and immediately leaned in for a kiss.
However, Tong Xiaoyou stopped him, stating that while she no longer solely believed in luck, it wasn't the right time, and she needed to go draw her design draft. Tong Xiaoyou secluded herself in her room to work on her design draft. Her thoughts drifted to her past memories with Lu Xingcheng, which served as both a distraction and a source of inspiration.
When an idea sparked, she quickly began to sketch, but found herself repeatedly drawing Lu Xingcheng instead of a design she was satisfied with. Undeterred, she persisted, trying again and again until, in the early hours of the next morning, she finally produced a hand-drawn design that met her approval. At the registration desk, Tong Xiaoyou was informed that she was not registered for the Fashion Cup, despite her insistence that she had submitted all the required forms.
The staff claimed her registration was incomplete and thus unsuccessful. Tong Xiaoyou was agitated, saying, "This is impossible. I just follow your requirements. One by one. I am completely. Fill in as you said." Jiang Yan appeared, commenting, "what a pity. The registration time has passed. I can only compete again next time," which further provoked Tong Xiaoyou. Wen Xi, seeing the situation, immediately suspected foul play, saying, "Someone must be sabotaging. Let's sue them."
Just then, Song Ruru returned from her hometown and learned of the news. Tong Xiaoyou complained that Lu Xingcheng knew her spot was canceled but seemed indifferent, saying, "He said he had something to go back to the studio," and feeling he "didn't take my business to heart." Both Song Ruru and Wen Xi quickly comforted her, trying to alleviate her distress and suggesting they find someone to help.
However, Tong Xiaoyou had almost given up, believing her chances were slim anyway. Lu Xingcheng took the initiative to meet with Lu Ren, asking for his help. He requested that Lu Ren secure Tong Xiaoyou's eligibility to participate in the Fashion Cup. Lu Xingcheng explained that Tong Xiaoyou had likely been framed, though he currently lacked proof. Lu Ren was aware of her disqualification due to registration issues and questioned the fairness of adding her name.
Lu Xingcheng reiterated that her disqualification was due to being framed, making the issue less about fairness and more about rectifying an injustice. After Lu Xingcheng's sincere plea, Lu Ren agreed to think of a solution, promising to solve it given some time. Lu Xingcheng expressed his gratitude, stating he would await his news.
Tong Xiaoyou was still complaining to Song Ruru about her disqualification from the Fashion Cup when her parents arrived, having heard the news and rushed over to comfort their daughter. Tong Xiaoyou tried to downplay the situation, but her parents were clearly worried. Her father offered to cook, and Song Ruru suggested sweet and sour pork ribs to cheer up Tong Xiaoyou.
While preparing and eating dinner, Tong's father expressed regret that Tong Xiaoyou pursued design, lamenting that they had no connections in the design world to protect her when she was bullied, unlike if she had followed him into cooking. His wife, however, insisted on their democratic approach to parenting. Meanwhile, Jiang Yan learned that Lu Xingcheng had actively sought out Lu Ren to help Tong Xiaoyou. This news intensified her jealousy and resentment towards Tong Xiaoyou.
Still lamenting her inexplicable bad luck, Tong Xiaoyou received a surprising phone call from the Fashion Cup organizing committee. They informed her that she could once again participate in the competition and needed to report to the Players’ village the following morning. Overjoyed, Tong Xiaoyou immediately suspected Lu Xingcheng's involvement and called him to thank him. He playfully denied it, asking, "Do I look so free? What else?" but Tong Xiaoyou sensed he was secretly smiling.
She thanked him anyway, and they said goodbye, confirming her participation. All participants, including Jiang Yan, Lu Yanzhi, Lu Xingcheng, and Tong Xiaoyou, arrived at the Players’ village for registration. The event was announced as the 10th Fashion Cup, a collaboration with "The Road to Next Stop" program, adopting a new, variety show-like competition format. Participants were informed they would reside in the Players’ village throughout the competition, with provided meals and kitchen access.
Although Lu Yanzhi and Lu Xingcheng both stepped forward to help Tong Xiaoyou with her luggage, another contestant, Seven Stars, quickly took it instead. Seven Stars, knowing about Lu Yanzhi and Lu Xingcheng's interest in Tong Xiaoyou, seemed friendly. Tong Xiaoyou, carrying many spices, promised to repay Seven Stars with a meal.
Before Seven Stars could settle in, Lu Xingcheng entered Tong Xiaoyou's room, declared that Seven Stars' room now belonged to him, and swapped rooms to be closer to Tong Xiaoyou. He then jokingly warned Seven Stars not to be so close to Tong Xiaoyou. Mu Yang, serving as the host for the Fashion Cup, welcomed all participants to the work area.
He explained that the competition would blend design challenges with reality show elements, reassuring designers not to be nervous during filming. He then outlined the three-stage competition format: sixteen contestants would be narrowed down to eight, then four, before a champion was crowned. Lu Ren was introduced as the competition's consultant. The theme for the first knockout round was "Friendship," encouraging designers to express their bond with friends, regardless of gender or relationship status.
Initial drafts were due in three days, leading to the next round. Professional models were provided, though contestants could bring their own. Tong Xiaoyou was delighted to see Wen Xi, who greeted her enthusiastically. Wen Xi teased Tong Xiaoyou about Lu Xingcheng's devotion, then shared a big secret: Song Ruru had realized she liked Leopard brother after a recent unsuccessful blind date. Wen Xi had advised Song Ruru to go on a final "blind date" with Leopard brother.
Wen Xi encouraged Tong Xiaoyou to do well and aim for the championship. Tong Xiaoyou's culinary skills delighted the other contestants during dinner, who happily enjoyed the braised pork and other dishes. As they introduced themselves, curiosity arose about Tong Xiaoyou's relationship with Lu Xingcheng, with some teasingly asking if he was her friend or boyfriend. It was mentioned that Lu Xingcheng was absent because he was picky about food. While other contestants socialized and gossiped about Tong Xiaoyou and Lu Xingcheng, Jiang Yan remained aloof, not joining the conversation, maintaining her cold demeanor, and still disliking Tong Xiaoyou.
