Hello, My Shining Lover Episode 31 Recap
> Hello, My Shining Lover Recap
Before leaving the film set, Shen Qiansha told Song Zihao that she and Si Da would be departing the next day and advised him to focus on his acting, cautioning him against being temperamental as it would negatively impact his career. Song Zihao, however, found her increasingly nagging, like Du Guruonan.
As Shen Qiansha was about to depart, Song Zihao expressed his loneliness, but she offered for him to contact her if he felt bored, on the condition that he focused on his work. Despite his stubborn denial of their friendship, Shen Qiansha, calling him stubborn, stated she would never abandon a friend. Back at the office, Shen Qiansha outlined the promotional strategy for Si Da's new drama, which was in post-production.
She detailed plans for using social media to boost his exposure and increasing his screen time in trailers. Du Guruonan, while acknowledging the comprehensive nature of these plans, felt they lacked originality and called for more innovative suggestions, emphasizing the importance of positive messaging to highlight Si Da's youthful image.
Shen Qiansha then presented a creative proposal to break from traditional methods, suggesting they leverage fashion industry resources and create short videos of Si Da's daily life to make him more relatable to fans. Impressed, Du Guruonan entrusted Shen Qiansha with the full responsibility for Si Da’s promotions, encouraging her to take on the challenge and demanding she operate with the standards of an agent. Shen Qiansha enthusiastically accepted, vowing to dedicate herself to Si Da's career.
Zhao Yucheng, aware of Si Da's need for substantial resources, met with Du Guruonan under the guise of being a sponsor. He lightheartedly remarked on her workaholic nature, confessing it made him want to protect her more. Du Guruonan, while agreeing to discuss business, affirmed her committed relationship with Ji Mo, mentioning he takes good care of her. Meanwhile, Ji Mo found his new design director, Samantha, working late with a stomachache, having forgotten to eat.
He insisted on taking her to dinner, and at the restaurant, Samantha recounted her lonely and painful experiences during her illness treatment, where eating alone was the hardest part. She pleaded with Ji Mo to stay with her, even if he didn't eat. Unbeknownst to Du Guruonan, this encounter was a deliberate setup. As she arrived at the "special restaurant" Zhao Yucheng brought her to, she was stunned to find Ji Mo and Samantha dining alone.
Samantha revealed she was Ji Mo's new design director at Wing Fashion, emphasizing the "coincidental" nature of their connection. Du Guruonan, however, saw through the act, cynically calling it a common tactic to feign fate to get closer to someone, a trick she herself knew well. She also learned that Ji Mo and Samantha had first met when Samantha accidentally bumped into his car. The dinner became a tense affair.
Ji Mo ordered red date tea for Du Guruonan, but Samantha quickly countered, claiming red date tea made Du Guruonan "heaty" and suggesting a lighter option due to her sore throat. Samantha then openly asked Ji Mo to feed her, addressing him intimately as "Mo." Du Guruonan challenged Ji Mo, accusing him of feeling guilty and being afraid to show affection, leading Ji Mo to awkwardly feed her a hot mouthful of food.
An employee of Zhao Yucheng's company remarked on the apparent closeness between Du Guruonan and Ji Mo, prompting Du Guruonan to suggest Samantha find a boyfriend so she wouldn't have to dine with her boss after hours. Samantha, stating she was still single but not giving up on her ex, claimed her ex now had a girlfriend. Du Guruonan then pieced together the "coincidences," asserting that Samantha's true target was Ji Mo, not her ex-boyfriend.
She warned Samantha to "eat what's in her own bowl" and not "eye others' dishes," accusing her of trying to steal her boyfriend. The argument escalated, with Du Guruonan telling Samantha to "eat her fill" but not to "overeat" and blame her. Fed up, Du Guruonan abruptly left, with Ji Mo rushing after her, leaving Zhao Yucheng unfazed, confident his plan was working. Back home, Du Guruonan confronted Ji Mo about seeing him with Samantha.
She was upset he hadn't told her about Samantha hitting his car or being hired as his new design director. Ji Mo dismissed these as normal work arrangements, but Du Guruonan, suspicious, warned him to stay away from Samantha. Ji Mo apologized for the dinner, explaining he only took Samantha out because she had a stomachache. He then countered by asking why Du Guruonan hadn't informed him about her dinner with Zhao Yucheng.
An enraged Du Guruonan sarcastically suggested he should take Samantha to the hospital or even care for her at home if he was so "tender and protective," implicitly calling him a "scumbag." She accused him of lying, having secret dinners with other women, publicly making her look unreasonable, and taking sides with an outsider. To stop her angry barrage, Ji Mo abruptly kissed her.
He then lovingly assured her that she was the only one in his heart and that she shouldn't bother getting upset over "unimportant people," effectively diffusing her anger for the moment. Meanwhile, at Wing Fashion, Samantha presented Ji Mo with design drafts for the next quarter. She requested a private meeting after work, but Ji Mo firmly declined, stating he desired no personal contact outside of work.
Samantha apologized for the previous evening's awkwardness and inquired if Du Guruonan was angry. Ji Mo clarified that their relationship was strictly professional and warned Samantha against "doing things beyond her position." He also sent a message through her to her brother, Zhao Yucheng, to cease his "meaningless actions," assuring that his and Du Guruonan's relationship remained unaffected. Driven by intuition that Samantha was a dangerous threat, Du Guruonan confided in Chen Fei'er.
Chen Fei'er, recalling her own "experience" with men and opportunities for infidelity, advised Du Guruonan to "nip this opportunity in the bud" by asserting her claim. Du Guruonan, recalling a past conversation where Ji Mo had promised to be her "wings" and to be with her forever, decided to confront Samantha. She accused Samantha of orchestrating "coincidences" to target her relationship with Ji Mo, warning her to stay away from what wasn't hers.
Samantha boldly admitted her feelings for Ji Mo and suggested that Du Guruonan's eagerness to "claim ownership" revealed her insecurity and lack of trust in Ji Mo or their relationship. Samantha concluded that if Ji Mo truly belonged to Du Guruonan, she couldn't take him, but if he was hers, Du Guruonan couldn't keep him either. Defeated by Samantha's confidence and sharp words, Du Guruonan retreated, having lost the argument.
As Du Guruonan walked away, Samantha declared her determination to have Ji Mo. Du Guruonan returned to Chen Fei'er, seething with frustration at having been outmaneuvered by Samantha. Still reeling from her argument with Samantha, Du Guruonan discussed the encounter with Chen Fei'er. Chen Fei'er acknowledged Samantha's cunning and urged Du Guruonan to be ruthless, warning against underestimating a "green tea bitch" or "white lotus."
Chen Fei'er then received a call from a fellow model inviting her to a dinner party that evening. She complained to Du Guruonan about her "fake besties" who constantly show off their wealthy boyfriends, expressing her own vanity and refusal to be seen as inferior. Du Guruonan suggested taking Ai Li, but Chen Fei'er staunchly refused, admitting she was too vain to introduce him as her boyfriend to such snobbish friends.
Later, Ai Li, having received Chen Fei'er's location from a friend after she hung up on him, arrived at the party. Chen Fei'er, who was pretending to be drunk, awkwardly introduced Ai Li as her "boyfriend's driver" to her model friends. Back home, a hurt Ai Li confronted Chen Fei'er, who tearfully apologized, admitting her vanity and deep-seated habit of caring too much about others' opinions from her time in the industry.
She begged him, as a doctor who never gives up on patients, to "heal" her. Ai Li, touched, helped her to bed, affectionately scolding her for drinking with her weak stomach, and assured her he wasn't angry anymore. The next morning, chaos erupted on a film set as Song Zihao failed to appear for filming, causing the director to fly into a rage.
Tong Tong, Song Zihao's agent, tried to appease the director by suggesting he film other actors' scenes, despite the entire day's schedule being dedicated to Song Zihao. The director, furious about Song Zihao's diva behavior and Tong Tong's decision to let him work on another production simultaneously, threatened to replace him. Tong Tong retorted that the director's "old ways" were outdated and that all popular actors double-booked.
She implicitly threatened him, reminding him that Song Zihao was a high-value star brought in by investors, and replacing him would severely impact box office earnings. The director, though enraged by Tong Tong's thinly veiled threats, felt powerless and declared that with an agent like her, Song Zihao was "doomed." He dismissed the crew. Meanwhile, Du Guruonan, undeterred by the earlier confrontation with Samantha, sought out President Lu to propose a collaboration for promoting his new drama.
President Lu initially tried to avoid her, knowing he usually lost arguments with her, but Du Guruonan cornered him, insisting on a five-minute discussion. She acknowledged his financial constraints due to the high cost of securing Song Zihao for the lead role. Du Guruonan offered to leverage her extensive network and resources to promote the drama, on the condition that Si Da's photos be prominently featured in all promotional materials. President Lu listened to her proposal, albeit hesitantly.
