Hello, My Shining Lover Episode 40 Recap
> Hello, My Shining Lover Recap
Sida had developed a profound understanding of expressing emotions in his acting, often providing insightful interpretations to the director, which led to exceptional performances. One day, after receiving a new inner monologue script from the director, Sida shared his view that the male lead, having lost his loved one, was bidding farewell to love, feeling both heavy and relieved. The director, impressed, encouraged him to perform it as he envisioned.
Sida delivered a powerful performance, describing love as a relentlessly pursued shadow that only caused more pain, a love he never truly understood or could fulfill. He concluded that he had decided to let go of her, and in doing so, free himself. The director praised his performance, remarking that it felt like Sida had personally experienced it. Sida confirmed that it wasn't acting, but his true feelings.
Later, Shen Qiansha approached Sida, asking if his monologue reflected his feelings for Ruonan, which he affirmed. She then asked if her own affection for him was a burden. Sida, recalling someone's words about predestined emotional paths, told her that his path with Ruonan was never meant to cross, and the same applied to them. He reassured her that her affection was never a burden, but he simply could not reciprocate her feelings, and he apologized.
During a board meeting where Ji Mo presented a positive outlook on Wing Fashion’s stabilized stock and ongoing recovery efforts, Zhao Yucheng abruptly entered, declaring his new status as the company’s fourth-largest shareholder. He presented the Equity Transfer Agreements from President Xu and President Qian, which granted him 10% of Wing Fashion's shares, thereby qualifying him for a director’s seat.
Despite objections from some directors who questioned his uninvited presence and cited bylaws requiring nominations from three directors, President Xu and President Qian voiced their support for Zhao Yucheng. When one of Ji Mo’s allies confronted Director Wang, asking what benefits he received from Zhao Yucheng, Wang retaliated by reminding the director of a past favor from 2016, advising everyone to now consider their relationships strictly business and warning against future regrets.
Zhao Yucheng then stated his purpose was to remove Ji Mo from his position as president, as he believed the company’s biggest problem was its leadership. In a tense private conversation, Ji Mo pressed Zhao Yucheng for his true objective, knowing it went beyond merely joining the board. Zhao Yucheng openly declared his intent to leave Ji Mo with nothing. Ji Mo, undeterred, promised to engage in the fight and not yield an inch.
Zhao Yucheng admitted his motivation was to prove to Ruonan that her choice of Ji Mo was mistaken. Ji Mo, in turn, warned Zhao Yucheng that he would no longer hold back due to their family connection through Su Xiao, vowing to protect both Ruonan and Wing Fashion until the very end. Ji Mo's loyal directors expressed their unwavering support, acknowledging his dedication to the group.
However, with only seven out of fifteen permanent directors on their side, they recognized the need for more votes. They suggested reaching out to Director He, with whom one director had a good relationship, and Director Zhu, whose stance was uncertain. Ji Mo, however, proposed a bold move: target Director Wang, despite general consensus that Wang was firmly aligned with Zhao Yucheng.
Citing the "80/20 rule" from psychology, Ji Mo argued that focusing on a key, challenging individual like Wang, rather than those with wavering allegiances, could be a high-stakes but potentially more impactful strategy. His allies remained skeptical, viewing it as a significant risk. Meanwhile, Zhao Yucheng was informed that he had already secured the support of eight out of Wing Fashion's fifteen shareholders, making him confident of Ji Mo's imminent removal.
He assured his contact that all prior promises would be kept. Later, Su Xiao encountered Director Wang, asking if he was there to see her brother. Wang confirmed, openly criticizing Ji Mo as unfit to lead Wing Fashion and asserting his actions were for the group's benefit. Su Xiao accused him of acting solely for personal gain, asking what her brother had promised him, to which Wang cryptically replied, "Guess."
Su Xiao confronted Zhao Yucheng, desperate to know what it would take for him to release Ji Mo. She lamented the futility of his actions, expressing that she only wanted Ji Mo and that their relationship had ended years ago when she chose to leave. Zhao Yucheng, however, refused to relent, convinced that Ji Mo was responsible for her past health relapse and vowing to never let him go.
Su Xiao declared her love for Ji Mo, stating she could not bear to see him hurt, but Zhao Yucheng countered by questioning if Ji Mo had ever considered her feelings when he hurt her. He reaffirmed that with over half the board now on his side, Ji Mo's removal was imminent, and despite her pleas, he would not waver. Su Xiao, accepting his firm resolve, knew her words would not change his mind.
Seeking to understand her brother’s plans, Su Xiao privately met with Xiao Wu, Zhao Yucheng's assistant. Although Xiao Wu initially hesitated to reveal confidential information, Su Xiao persuaded him, explaining her desire to prevent her brother from making decisions he would regret. Later, Zhao Yucheng brought Su Xiao homemade congee, attempting to comfort her. However, Su Xiao remained fixated on the conflict, telling him she no longer hated Ji Mo and had forgiven him, begging her brother to "let go."
Zhao Yucheng dismissed her plea, asserting that his past indulgence had led to her suffering, and this time he would not change his mind, vowing to utterly ruin Ji Mo. When Su Xiao reiterated her love for Ji Mo and her pain at his suffering, Zhao Yucheng bitterly reminded her of Ji Mo's past cruelty and absence during her darkest times, presenting her with an ultimatum: choose him or Ji Mo.
Su Xiao, stating her unyielding nature, did not explicitly choose, but her earlier declaration of love for Ji Mo suggested her path. Ji Mo instructed Alan to investigate Director Wang’s accounts for any irregularities, suspecting an asset investigation. Later, accompanied by Alan, Ji Mo visited Director Wang at his home. Wang sarcastically noted Ji Mo’s rare visit since Ji Mo "took complete control" of Wing Fashion two years prior.
Wang expressed his deep attachment to the company, viewing it as his own child, but criticized Ji Mo for ignoring his advice and making mistakes, only coming to him in a difficult situation. Ji Mo acknowledged Wang’s concerns and sought his vote, appealing to both the company’s future and Wang's personal interests. Wang, however, dismissed personal gains, equating Wing Fashion to a "dull knife" needing a "good whetstone" to sharpen it, implying Ji Mo was not that solution.
During their conversation, Ji Mo deliberately took a phone call, subtly observing Wang's reactions. After the call, Ji Mo provocatively suggested that Wang, in his "dull knife" analogy, saw himself as the "excellent whetstone." Wang denied it. Ji Mo then directly revealed his knowledge of Zhao Yucheng’s offer of "5% equity shares," calling it "indeed tempting."
Wang vehemently denied any such deal, swearing on his family, but Ji Mo dismissed his denial, stating that Wang knew the truth, and then left. In the car, Ji Mo explained to Alan that he had received an anonymous email containing confidential details about the deal. While initially skeptical of the email’s authenticity, Wang's panicked reaction confirmed it. Ji Mo's strategy was to make Wang believe that Zhao Yucheng himself had sent the email to him.
Ji Mo arranged a meeting with Zhao Yucheng on an overpass, where Zhao Yucheng initially challenged him to concede defeat. Ji Mo responded that it was too early to declare a victor and stated his unwavering commitment to protecting Wing Fashion. He declared that he would only concede to Su Xiao and would even hand the company over to her entirely, but he would never surrender it to Zhao Yucheng.
Zhao Yucheng scoffed, arguing that giving the company to Su Xiao, who was devoted to Ji Mo, was effectively the same as keeping it himself, motivated purely by profit. Ji Mo refuted the accusation, asserting that Wing Fashion held more than just financial interest for him. Zhao Yucheng then intensified his threat, declaring his goal was to strip Ji Mo of everything, not just profits, and would not stop until Ji Mo was driven out of Wing Fashion.
Ji Mo questioned Zhao Yucheng’s confidence in winning, to which Zhao Yucheng admitted he wasn't entirely certain, but his resolve was absolute. He revealed that both Su Xiao and Ruonan had pleaded with him on Ji Mo’s behalf, but their actions only strengthened his determination to destroy Ji Mo, emphasizing his own unwavering resolve compared to Ji Mo's perceived indecisiveness.
Ji Mo, in turn, warned Zhao Yucheng that he wasn't the only one capable of winning allies, subtly referencing the "five percent of the shares" that Zhao Yucheng had offered Director Wang, a detail that clearly unsettled Zhao Yucheng. As Ji Mo predicted, Zhao Yucheng urgently summoned Director Wang to his office, seeking to confirm his loyalty just two days before the board meeting.
Wang assured Zhao Yucheng that "money can solve anything" and that his generous terms would prevent any betrayal from the other directors he had brought in, even if they were "slippery old foxes," because they understood what was important. However, Zhao Yucheng remained wary of Wang’s associates and proposed an additional safeguard: a Shareholding Agreement.
He asked Wang to sign it, explaining it would irrevocably bind their interests together, preventing any last-minute defections, and promising that if Ji Mo was successfully ousted, he would transfer his entire 10% of Wing Fashion shares to Wang. Wang admired Zhao Yucheng's bold offer but hesitated. He noted that while the agreement was minor for Zhao Yucheng, it represented his "life savings from decades of work"—everything he had saved for his son. Describing himself as timid, Wang stated he couldn't afford to lose everything and refused to sign the agreement, leading Zhao Yucheng to eventually abandon his attempts to persuade him.
