Count Your Lucky Stars Episode 29 Recap
> Count Your Lucky Stars Recap
The Fashion Cup contestants enthusiastically prepared their designs in the workspace. Mu Yang approached Lu Xingcheng, asking about his feelings on returning to the Fashion Cup after nine years. Lu Xingcheng, annoyed by the interruption, simply stated that it was a new start for him and that he would do his best to achieve the best results, before telling Mu Yang to go away.
The interviewer then turned to Lu Yanzhi, who expressed confidence in his design capabilities, hoping to achieve a good ranking for himself and Tong Xiaoyou. He emphasized his focus on practicality and innovation in technological fabrics for this competition. Nearby, Seven Stars visited Tong Xiaoyou's workspace to discuss her design and ask for food. When Tong Xiaoyou produced some corn, they both crouched down to secretly snack on it, worrying about being filmed.
Jiang Yan later approached Lu Xingcheng, seeking his opinion on whether to raise a waistline on her design. She deliberately stood close to him, seemingly for the cameras, but Lu Xingcheng remained focused on his own work, oblivious to her intentions. Wen Xi, who was proudly modeling for Tong Xiaoyou, was enjoying their collaboration when Jiang Yan unexpectedly injected some negativity.
Jiang Yan mocked Wen Xi, calling her a "rice cooker saleswoman" and questioning how long she could maintain her modeling career given the rise of younger models. Tong Xiaoyou quickly jumped to Wen Xi's defense, asking Jiang Yan to be more respectful. Wen Xi, visibly upset, declared she was still prettier than Jiang Yan, prompting Tong Xiaoyou to calm her down and remind her not to get on the hot search.
Later, Tong Xiaoyou's mother called Lu Xingcheng, wondering if Tong Xiaoyou was with him since she wasn't answering her phone. Upon learning Tong Xiaoyou wasn't there, she confided in Lu Xingcheng, expressing concern that Tong Xiaoyou's father had been acting strangely, eating bland food and going out often, leading her to suspect he might be seeing someone else. Lu Xingcheng, trying to reassure her, suggested it might be because he missed Tong Xiaoyou.
He promised to talk to Tong Xiaoyou's father and bring Tong Xiaoyou to visit them soon. Tong Xiaoyou, realizing Lu Xingcheng was gone, felt a pang of unhappiness. Jiang Yan seized the opportunity to once again assert her closeness to Lu Xingcheng, stating they were "the same type of person" and that Tong Xiaoyou was not a suitable partner for him. Seven Stars, sensing the brewing tension, discreetly slipped away.
Tong Xiaoyou retorted that if Jiang Yan and Lu Xingcheng were truly a match, they would have been together long ago. Jiang Yan countered by claiming she was responsible for Lu Xingcheng's habit of adding ice to his coffee. At that precise moment, Lu Xingcheng appeared, holding an iced coffee. Seven Stars, from a nearby design workstation, pointed out the obvious jealousy.
Lu Xingcheng, with a dismissive remark about how "adding ice makes it taste bad," promptly put down the coffee and led Tong Xiaoyou away to brew some tea, leaving Jiang Yan embarrassed. An announcement was made that the competition would begin the following morning and that no one was to leave the Players' Village that night. However, Tong Xiaoyou, still worried about her father, persuaded Lu Xingcheng to sneak out with her to look for him.
Their attempt at being stealthy was comically undone when Tong Xiaoyou bumped into a glass door. Their clandestine exit was, unfortunately, witnessed by Jiang Yan. When they arrived at Tong Xiaoyou's home, her mother was still agitated, recounting her father's unusual behavior. As she complained, Tong Xiaoyou's father returned. He casually brushed off their concerns, saying he was visiting an old friend in need, then urged them to return to the Players' Village for the competition.
Tong Xiaoyou's parents continued to bicker as they went inside. Upon their return to the Players' Village, Lu Xingcheng and Tong Xiaoyou were confronted by staff, with Jiang Yan reporting their unauthorized departure as a violation. Just then, Lu Yanzhi, on a night jog, intervened. He covered for them, claiming Lu Xingcheng was sick with a fever and Tong Xiaoyou had taken him to the hospital.
Lu Yanzhi exaggerated Lu Xingcheng's "symptoms," convincing the staff to let them go and thus foiling Jiang Yan's scheme. After the staff left, Lu Yanzhi playfully admonished Lu Xingcheng for his snarky attitude while trying to help. Back in their room, Tong Xiaoyou realized she had forgotten her room card. Lu Xingcheng offered his room, but Tong Xiaoyou hesitated, worried about appearances after being caught sneaking out.
Lu Xingcheng insisted, telling her to take the bed while he would sleep on the sofa. Later, as Tong Xiaoyou slept soundly in the bed, Lu Xingcheng retrieved pillows. He quietly watched her, recalling her father entrusting him with her care and expressing a wish for her to live a happy, ordinary life. He then went to the living room sofa, where he spent some time reflecting on their journey together before finally going to bed himself.
The next morning, Tong Xiaoyou woke up to a note from Lu Xingcheng, telling her he had left early to avoid further news and instructing her to have breakfast at the dining area. Touched by his thoughtfulness, she went to the breakfast area, where Seven Stars revealed that Lu Xingcheng had specially saved some food for her. Just as she started eating, Tong Xiaoyou received a frantic call from her mother, urging her to come to the hospital.
Tong Xiaoyou immediately left, and Seven Stars offered to inform the staff of her absence. The results of the latest Fashion Cup round were announced. Seven Stars placed sixth, Tangtang fifth, Lu Yanzhi fourth, and Tong Xiaoyou third. Lu Xingcheng was announced as second. Jiang Yan, anticipating first place, looked confident, but the top prize was not announced before the scene cut. She seemed puzzled by the absence of Lu Xingcheng and Tong Xiaoyou during the announcement.
Tong Xiaoyou and Lu Xingcheng arrived at the hospital, where Tong Xiaoyou informed him of her mother's suspicions about her father having an affair. Lu Xingcheng was taken aback. They then spotted Tong Xiaoyou's father meeting with another woman. Tong Xiaoyou felt a surge of disappointment, but Lu Xingcheng advised caution, urging her not to jump to conclusions before knowing the full story. They followed the pair, observing them chatting and laughing, which further fueled Tong Xiaoyou's anger.
They tracked them to a pharmacy. Unable to contain herself, Tong Xiaoyou confronted the unknown woman. Her father quickly clarified that it was a misunderstanding; the woman was a Chinese medicine specialist who was helping him purchase herbs to improve Tong Xiaoyou's mother's health. Lu Xingcheng encouraged her father to buy some supplements for himself as well. Back at home, Tong Xiaoyou, Lu Xingcheng, and Tong's father shared a meal.
Her father encouraged them to eat well while they were young. Tong Xiaoyou still found her father's behavior odd, but Lu Xingcheng again told her not to overthink it. The next Fashion Cup theme was announced as "Father," a ten-day assignment. This news deeply affected Lu Xingcheng, making him angry and somber. He confronted Mu Yang, demanding to know why he wasn't informed of the sensitive theme.
Mu Yang claimed he also didn't know the production team would choose such a hurtful topic. Lu Xingcheng, initially wanting to withdraw from the competition, was encouraged by Mu Yang to stay. He then angrily covered the camera and stormed off. During a joint interview, Jiang Yan spoke about her father, a curator, who immersed her in art from a young age, inspiring her to become a designer.
Tong Xiaoyou shared that her father was a chef who brought joy to everyone. Jiang Yan then subtly mocked Tong Xiaoyou, remarking that it must be difficult to become a designer without an artistic family background, causing Tong Xiaoyou some discomfort. Later, in the fabric selection area, Lu Yanzhi and Lu Xingcheng were again approached with questions about the "father" theme. Lu Xingcheng remained silent.
Lu Yanzhi questioned the production team's intent behind the theme, to which they vaguely replied they had their reasons. Lu Xingcheng, enraged, called the production team "sick," covered the camera with a cloth, and walked away in his characteristic style, which Lu Yanzhi found somewhat amusing. At a production meeting, the team celebrated the high viewership and discussion generated by the previous round, attributing it to the complex relationship between Lu Xingcheng, Lu Yanzhi, and Lu Ren.
The camera crew expressed frustration at the cold reception they received when trying to film these interactions, but the director insisted on continuing, stating that conflict made for more engaging television and that "entertainment" was the true theme of the Fashion Cup, not just design. Mu Yang, though unhappy with the direction, did not openly object.
Later, as contestants chatted about their fathers, Jiang Yan once again directed her comments towards Tong Xiaoyou, implying that those without artistically inclined parents had a much harder path. Tong Xiaoyou, initially pretending not to hear, eventually spoke up.
She stated that she didn't find her own journey particularly difficult; instead, she admired her father, a chef who not only cooked for customers but also tirelessly for his family and supported her dreams, truly finding him to be the one who struggled. Her heartfelt words resonated with other contestants, who also began sharing fond memories of their own fathers' cooking and support.
That night, Tong Xiaoyou called her father to check in, assuring him she and Lu Xingcheng were doing well. Meanwhile, Lu Yanzhi was drinking alone. Tong Xiaoyou suggested to Lu Xingcheng that he talk to Lu Ren to find inspiration for his design, but Lu Xingcheng refused, still unable to forgive Lu Ren. Overhearing their conversation, Lu Yanzhi, fueled by alcohol, confronted Lu Xingcheng, accusing him of having a bad attitude and failing to appreciate Tong Xiaoyou's good intentions.
Lu Xingcheng retorted, questioning Lu Yanzhi's right to judge his pain, emphasizing that Lu Yanzhi had always lived under his father's protection, a privilege Lu Xingcheng never had. As their argument escalated, a third party intervened, urging them to stop fighting.
