Falling Into Your Smile Episode 9 Recap
> Falling Into Your Smile Recap
The ZGDX team arrived at the photoshoot location, where makeup artists began preparing them. Tong Yao, as the only girl, required more time, so her teammates proceeded with their individual photos first. As the team neared completion, Tong Yao was still not ready. Xiao Rui suggested Lu Sicheng go and hurry her up, noting that Tong Yao was seemingly intimidated by him.
Lu Sicheng entered the makeup room without knocking, only to find Tong Yao in the middle of changing her clothes. After an awkward moment, he hastily retreated, flustered and blushing, grabbing a candy to calm his nerves. When Lu Yue came by to check, Lu Sicheng sent him away, stating Tong Yao would be out soon. Once she was dressed, Tong Yao confronted Lu Sicheng about barging in. He admitted he had seen something but downplayed it.
She insisted he should have knocked first, pointing out that even Lu Yue was stopped from entering. Lu Sicheng retorted that after waiting for an hour and forty minutes, the probability of walking in on her changing was as likely as finding her dead on the floor. Despite his teasing, he surprised her with a sincere apology.
Amused, Tong Yao joked that in ancient times, such an incident would require him to marry her, to which he warned her not to push her luck. Tong Yao then headed to the studio for her solo shots. Xiao Rui also arranged for some joint photos, first pairing Lu Yue with Tong Yao for a "fated rivals" theme. Next, Lu Sicheng was called up to pose with her.
He questioned the need for a separate photo, but Xiao Rui explained it was requested by the club's PR department. A stool was brought in to adjust for their height difference, and as they posed, Lao Mao remarked that it looked like a wedding photoshoot, causing both of them to become visibly uncomfortable. After returning to the base, the team discussed the teaser photos that had just been posted online.
They noted the rise of "Yue Yao" shippers (fans supporting Lu Yue and Tong Yao) and encouraged "Cheng Yao" shippers to stay strong. Lu Sicheng explained he had instructed the PR team to post the photos to clarify the team's lineup, but admitted the move backfired. He had received numerous calls and messages from his and Lu Yue's mothers, who saw the pictures and mistakenly believed their sons were in a relationship with the same girl.
Lu Yue immediately called his mother to clear up the misunderstanding regarding himself, cheekily adding that he couldn't speak for his brother. Later, Chen Jinyang messaged Tong Yao, teasing her about the photoshoot and her proximity to Lu Sicheng. She also warned Tong Yao that men who like "rabbit with carrot" patterned underwear, which Tong Yao wore that day, were undoubtedly perverts. Meanwhile, online debates grew about whether Tong Yao or Lu Yue would be the starting Mid.
While they were chatting, God Ming messaged Tong Yao to come down for training. In her haste, Tong Yao slipped and tumbled down the stairs. Her teammates rushed to her aid. Lu Sicheng, visibly worried, checked if she was okay before scolding Lu Yue for being nosy and crowding her. Afterward, Tong Yao confronted Lu Sicheng, demanding he delete the strange nickname he had saved for her on his phone.
He feigned ignorance before bringing up an old grudge about a Weibo post she had refused to delete. She argued the nickname, which referenced her underwear, made her feel insecure. Lu Sicheng retorted that calling a teammate by her underwear pattern would make him seem like a pervert, but then cuttingly added that if he were one, she wasn't his type.
His words startled Tong Yao, who backed away as he leaned in and mockingly told her not to get any closer. That night, Tong Yao had a nightmare in which she and Lu Sicheng were rabbits, and he chased her down while repeating his harsh words. The next day, Xiao Rui and God Ming announced a practice match against Team YQCB to prepare for the National Championship, noting YQCB's new AD player was "big news."
Tong Yao was selected as the starting Mid for the match. Lu Yue protested, but was silenced by Lu Sicheng. God Ming clarified that the final starting lineup would depend on a statistical comparison between Tong Yao and Lu Yue. Lu Sicheng then warned Tong Yao that if she lost, she would be relegated to the bench. The practice match began. The opposing AD, whose ID was garbled, was exceptionally aggressive, killing Lu Sicheng twice.
The ZGDX team felt their opponents knew Lu Sicheng's strategies intimately. Despite the setbacks, Lu Sicheng, with Fatty's help, orchestrated a comeback, leading ZGDX to a narrow victory. After the match, Lu Sicheng calmly stated, "Hierophant is here," and left the room, leaving his teammates to explain his history with the player. Lao K revealed that Lu Sicheng and Hierophant were known as "light and shadow" in the Korean league, where Lu Sicheng was once Hierophant's substitute.
Their similar styles led to speculation that Lu Sicheng was merely imitating Hierophant, a notion the proud Lu Sicheng despised. His teammates clarified that Lu Sicheng wasn't forced out; in fact, he had outshone Hierophant for two seasons. He chose to return to China to win a world title, a decision that frustrated Hierophant, who wanted to defeat him officially.
Since they missed their chance to face off in the previous year's finals, Hierophant had followed him to the Chinese league. The episode concluded with a flashback to Lu Sicheng's first day on the Korean team, showing his formal introduction to Lee Gun Hyuk (Hierophant), marking the beginning of their intense rivalry.
