Hello, My Shining Lover Episode 14 Recap
> Hello, My Shining Lover Recap
Du Guruonan, unaware that Sida’s latest original song was about her, was concerned about its subject matter. She told Sida as his agent to choose a different song, but Sida, feeling frustrated, deliberately implied that his secret crush had seen the lyrics and reacted negatively, even scolding him. Du Guruonan, mistakenly believing he was referring to another older woman, immediately took Sida’s side, labeling the unknown woman as "heartless, stone-hearted, with no taste or standards."
She then urged Sida to set aside such "nonsense" and concentrate on his burgeoning career. Later, Sida showed the song lyrics to Ji Mo, who, after reading them, found the composition "pretty good" but "way too direct," realizing it was a clear confession for Du Guruonan. Ji Mo remarked that if he were Du Guruonan, he would "definitely notice."
Sida, however, lamented that Du Guruonan only saw him as a "younger brother" and her criticism of the lyrics made him feel "dumped," as if his older age was a barrier. Ji Mo, while admitting he envied Sida's pure and straightforward approach to love, declined Sida's initial request to help him convince Du Guruonan, revealing he had already moved out of her apartment.
He then tried to comfort Sida, reminding him that rejection wasn't the end of the world and that the song was still good, even if Du Guruonan didn't appreciate it. Sida sadly noted that the song was meant for Du Guruonan, who now might never hear it. Sida then asked Ji Mo to attend his upcoming preliminary competition, but Ji Mo declined, stating he didn't want to upset Du Guruonan by being there.
On the day of the preliminary competition, Du Guruonan walked Sida through the venue, explaining the "points-based system" and the need for high scores from all four mentors. She planned to take him backstage to make a good impression. In the waiting room, they were surprised to find Song Zihao, who was announced as one of the judges. Tong Tong defended Song Zihao’s position, highlighting his status as a versatile "triple-threat star."
Sensing Du Guruonan's disapproval, Song Zihao began to taunt them, sarcastically suggesting Sida withdraw from the competition to avoid embarrassment and declaring he "absolutely won't let Sida advance." Du Guruonan retaliated by warning Song Zihao against "dirty tricks," asserting that Sida would "persevere till the end," and that she would ensure Song Zihao "will never get a chance to rise up" as long as she was around.
She then turned to Sida, encouraging him not to be deterred and to face all challenges as a new artist. When it was Sida's turn to perform, the host introduced his original song, "Strong Woman." Sida confirmed his last-minute decision to switch back to this song, despite warnings from a show staff member about the risks of changing songs close to airtime. He performed with deep emotion, his gaze fixed on Du Guruonan.
After his performance, Judge Wu Yun praised Sida’s brave choice of an original song and his ability to captivate the audience, awarding him a perfect ten. Judge Li Li also gave him a perfect ten, appreciating the song's simple yet moving quality. However, Judge Song Zihao criticized Sida’s technique and breath control, giving him only five points. The fourth judge, Tony, acknowledged Sida’s technical flaws but praised his "moving voice" and emotional delivery, giving him a perfect ten.
Despite Song Zihao's low score, Sida's strong overall performance earned him the third spot, securing his advancement to the semifinals. Overjoyed by advancing, Sida rushed backstage and enveloped Du Guruonan in a hug, exclaiming that he thought only of her during his performance, seeing her in "everything." Du Guruonan, aware of the surrounding onlookers, gently reminded him to maintain professional "boundaries" as she was his agent and he an artist, especially since it was only the semifinals.
Later, Sida asked Ji Mo again to attend his upcoming semifinal competition. Ji Mo, also secretly wanting to see Du Guruonan, deliberately lost a basketball game to Sida and agreed to attend. Meanwhile, Chen Fei'er, accompanied by Ai Li, who she had convinced to join her after visiting him at the hospital, arrived at the venue. Chen Fei'er questioned Du Guruonan about not accompanying Sida for his interview, which Du Guruonan knew nothing about.
It was then revealed that Tong Tong had orchestrated a "carefully prepared" interview with a reporter, designed to "subtly draw out all of Sida's honest thoughts" about his song and its inspiration. When the reporter directly asked Sida if Du Guruonan was the "real-life inspiration" for "Strong Woman," Du Guruonan realized the malicious intent. She stormed into the interview, shouting at the reporters to stop filming, and fought them off to grab the memory card.
The show's director had to intervene to break up the escalating commotion. Elsewhere, Ji Mo was experiencing a severe creative block, finding fault with every aspect of his work environment and tools. His assistant, Alan, urged him to admit he had "lost inspiration" and suggested they go out for fresh air. Ji Mo agreed, taking Alan to a spicy hotpot restaurant late at night.
There, while reminiscing about Du Guruonan's late-night eating habits, Ji Mo suddenly found an "idea" and rushed back to his hotel to work. He miraculously completed all his designs through the night. Exhausted, Ji Mo asked Alan to stay in his spacious hotel suite, admitting he felt "empty" and "lonely" living alone. Alan, misinterpreting Ji Mo's words, humorously suggested his boss might be developing feelings for men.
Ji Mo clarified the misunderstanding, while Alan insightfully connected Ji Mo's recent lack of inspiration to his move out of Du Guruonan's apartment, concluding that Ji Mo "misses Ruonan." Following the memory card incident, Du Guruonan confronted Sida, asking directly if she was the "Strong Woman" song's muse. Sida confirmed her suspicion.
Du Guruonan chastised him for writing the song, arguing it had made him vulnerable to media exploitation, but Sida insisted he only cared about her feelings and asked if she would accept him. Du Guruonan firmly rejected him, stating he was "too young" and should not "mistake gratitude for love." She revealed that a past heartbreak with an artist named Lin Huan had led her to vow never to date an artist again.
She gave Sida an ultimatum: either focus on his career or terminate his contract immediately. Heartbroken by her words, Sida went on stage during the semifinals and publicly announced his withdrawal from the competition, stating he no longer knew "who to sing this song for" without her, and that his performance would be "meaningless." The director was enraged by Sida's public withdrawal, fearing the negative impact on the show's reputation and Sida's career.
Tong Tong, secretly pleased, feigned disappointment and blamed Du Guruonan for stubbornly supporting Sida, despite the company having "written him off." She criticized Du Guruonan’s management skills and declared she would never collaborate with her again. Du Guruonan humbly apologized to the director and production team for the chaos and the significant losses incurred. Meanwhile, Chen Fei'er, accompanied by Ai Li, found a distraught Sida.
Upon learning of his confession to Du Guruonan and his subsequent withdrawal, Chen Fei'er angrily reminded him of Du Guruonan's painful past with Lin Huan, which led her to swear off such relationships. She criticized Sida's irresponsibility for not finishing the competition but then offered advice: true love requires careful consideration, not impulsiveness. If he genuinely wished to remain by Du Guruonan's side, he must learn to keep his feelings a secret.
Disappointed and emotionally drained, Du Guruonan quietly walked out of the TV station. Outside, in the falling rain, she saw Ji Mo approaching her with an umbrella. As they walked side by side, Du Guruonan suddenly stopped, looked at him, and directly asked, "Tell me honestly, have you ever had feelings for me? Did you ever like me?" Ji Mo paused, caught off guard by the unexpected question, and remained silent.
