My Eternal Star Episode 17 Recap
> My Eternal Star Recap
Lu Yuheng, inspired by Liu Yan's advice to be more forward, surprised Lin Xiaodi late one evening by announcing he had prepared supper and urged her to join him. Lin Xiaodi, caught off guard and busy with her hanfu designs, initially declined, finding his sudden shift from his usual reserved demeanor perplexing. However, Lu Yuheng persisted, playfully tugging her hand and sweetly insisting he had made enough for two and wanted her company.
Conceding to his unusual charm, Lin Xiaodi followed him to the dining table, where she found two bowls of instant noodles. Amused, she asked who taught him such "love tricks," but he just smiled, and she agreed to eat with him. Later, Liu Yan suggested that Lu Yuheng try a simpler approach by giving Lin Xiaodi a gift.
But Lu Yuheng had his own plan, presenting Lin Xiaodi with a bank card and telling her to use it for all her living expenses. Delighted, Lin Xiaodi playfully asked if he was handing over his salary, then eagerly accepted what she called her "mascot's wage." She even correctly guessed the password, his birthday followed by two zeros, showing her awareness of his October 28th birthday.
Impressed, Lu Yuheng further astonished her by revealing more personal details, such as her Scorpio zodiac sign, A blood type, her record-breaking time for the Tower of King's challenge, and even that the Peak's PK system was modified thrice due to her, and the game's Sword Master limited-edition skins were based on her image—information not publicly available.
He teasingly kept his sources secret, while Lin Xiaodi, charmed, remarked that she would be even more interested in him if he consistently paid her. Meanwhile, Zhao Muran arrived at Lin Xiaodi's door late at night after wrapping up his work, looking for her. He urgently invited her to his press conference scheduled for 5 PM the day after tomorrow. Lin Xiaodi, busy with commissions for both him and Lu Yuheng, initially hesitated.
Zhao Muran, acting childishly, begged her to attend, promising to behave in the future. She called him immature, urging him to handle his work independently, but he then offered to trade all his accumulated "points"—from a previous playful agreement between them—for her presence. Lin Xiaodi finally agreed but made him promise to stay backstage and not "spout nonsense" in front of the media, implying he should avoid any inappropriate declarations. Zhao Muran enthusiastically accepted her terms.
The next day, Liu Yan excitedly informed Lu Yuheng that the lineup press conference for The Peak was also set for 5 PM the day after tomorrow. As Team Eternity's first public appearance, it was an important event for all teams. Liu Yan encouraged Lu Yuheng to use his "ultimate technique"—a personal invitation—to ask Lin Xiaodi to join them, having already called her over.
However, when Lin Xiaodi heard the time, she was distraught, realizing the conflict with Zhao Muran's event, which she had already promised to attend. Liu Yan immediately grew suspicious of Zhao Muran's intentions, fearing he would publicly declare their fake relationship, calling such a move "shameless" and "despicable." Lin Xiaodi tried to reassure him, believing Zhao Muran merely wished to clarify a scandal.
Despite Liu Yan's insistence that her presence at Team Eternity's debut was crucial, Lu Yuheng, seeing her distress, gently retrieved the invitation. He told her it was fine if she didn't attend and that their public appearance wasn't that important, not wanting to put her in a difficult situation. On the day of the press conferences, Lin Xiaodi waited backstage at Zhao Muran's event.
Hua welcomed her, assuring her that as it was Muran's private space, only those close to him could enter. Shortly after, Han Ruibing called, expressing disbelief that Lin Xiaodi would choose "Narcissistic Ran" over supporting "Whiz" at Team Eternity's significant debut. Lin Xiaodi reiterated her prior commitment to Zhao Muran and her feelings of guilt, explaining she couldn't abandon her best friend. Hua subtly intervened, acknowledging Lin Xiaodi's feelings for Lu Yuheng but emphasizing her importance to Zhao Muran.
Still, Lin Xiaodi felt a strong pull towards Team Eternity's event. Seeing her internal struggle, Hua offered to share some things about Zhao Muran's past efforts, promising not to stop her if she still wished to leave. Hua recounted how she had been Muran's manager since his debut, describing him as a stubborn and challenging artist.
She then revealed Muran's quiet acts of kindness for Lin Xiaodi: he fiercely debated with his brother for half a month just to attend a traditional art exhibition with her, personally pulled strings to secure a stall qualification certificate for her (though she was already setting up her stall when it was delivered), and arranged for her exhibition tickets to be delivered discreetly.
Lin Xiaodi was shocked, then realized the anonymous fabrics she had received for her designs must also have been from him. Hua confirmed this, explaining Muran's fear that Lin Xiaodi would refuse them if she knew they were from him, so he painstakingly searched company warehouses to find suitable materials. Hua concluded by stressing that everyone close to Muran knew Lin Xiaodi was his "bottom line," and implored her to stay as a personal request.
Deeply moved by these revelations, Lin Xiaodi decided to remain backstage for Zhao Muran. Hua then enthusiastically discussed preparing a surprise for Muran with Lin Xiaodi's presence. Meanwhile, at The Peak press conference, Team Eternity members lamented Lin Xiaodi's and Han Ruibing's absence. They observed that Shao Hai's team, Jiesa, had completely changed its lineup, suspecting it was a tactic to prevent Lu Yuheng from exploiting their past strategies.
News of Zhao Muran's press conference, trending with speculation of a public relationship announcement, reached them. Lu Yuheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, found his hand instinctively twitching towards his phone upon hearing the news. Their teammate, Gu Tong, then returned with frustrating news: Jiesa had colluded with sponsors to delay Team Eternity's stage time by a full hour for a "mini-event." Enraged, Liu Yan and others immediately wanted to confront Shao Hai.
Lu Yuheng, however, stopped them, calmly stating that it was only a press conference, not an official match, and there was no need for a direct confrontation. He instructed his teammates to monitor the situation outside while he took a nap, as he hadn't slept well the previous night. Just as Hua was making final preparations for Lin Xiaodi's surprise appearance at Zhao Muran's press conference, Han Ruibing rushed into the backstage area.
She strongly rebuked Lin Xiaodi for considering staying with "Narcissistic Ran" instead of supporting "Whiz" at Team Eternity's important debut. Lin Xiaodi explained her prior commitment, but Han Ruibing quickly countered, reminding her of Lu Yuheng's profound sacrifices—how he bravely overcame his severe nyctophobia to venture into darkness for her countless times, risking his life.
She also recounted how Lu Yuheng protected Lin Xiaodi during a previous public scandal, working tirelessly for days without sleep, sacrificing livestream opportunities and missing out on the "streamer of the year" award, all to shield Lin Xiaodi from negative public opinion. Han Ruibing then revealed that Team Eternity's stage time had been delayed, meaning they could still make it to the event. With only a minute to decide, Lin Xiaodi chose to go with Han Ruibing.
They rushed to The Peak press conference. On stage, reporters questioned Shao Hai about his confidence in facing Team Eternity after Lu Yuheng's departure, to which he gave a diplomatic but confident response. Another player was asked about her feelings on becoming Lu Yuheng's opponent; she expressed respect and a desire to collaborate with him again.
When Lu Yuheng finally appeared on stage, reporters barraged him with questions, not only about the upcoming e-sports matches but also about the confusing status of Lin Xiaodi—his proclaimed "sister" who was also rumored to be Zhao Muran's girlfriend. Lin Xiaodi, now on stage, stepped forward and introduced herself clearly, stating that she was neither Zhao Muran's rumored girlfriend nor Lu Yuheng's sister.
She clarified that previous statements were made to help her out, apologized for the deception, and reiterated that she and Zhao Muran were just good friends. Ignoring her attempts to set the record straight, reporters pressed her further about living with Lu Yuheng and her relationship with him. Unable to tolerate the relentless questioning, Lu Yuheng took the microphone from her. He emphatically declared that from that moment on, any questions concerning Lin Xiaodi should be directed to him.
With unwavering resolve, he stated, "From today onward, Lin Xiaodi is my person. I will protect everything that belongs to her." The crowd erupted in gasps and excitement at his public declaration. Simultaneously, at Zhao Muran's press conference, Lin Xiaodi's abrupt departure was marked by a note she left, apologizing for not waiting and promising a full explanation later, along with good wishes for his press conference. However, news of Lu Yuheng's public declaration about Lin Xiaodi quickly spread.
Reporters, who had initially asked Zhao Muran about his promised relationship announcement, now swarmed him with accusations of using Lin Xiaodi for hype, given her public clarification and Lu Yuheng's confession. Hua, seeing the chaos, attempted to escort Zhao Muran away, but he resisted. Returning to the podium, he made a solemn confession: "Everything was my own initiative. It has nothing to do with Lin Xiaodi at all. She's the victim of this rumor.
Please stop making things difficult for her." Despite the tense atmosphere, he then offered to sing a song he had prepared, bringing a different kind of closure to his press conference. Witnessing Lu Yuheng and Lin Xiaodi's public announcement, Liu Yan and the other Team Eternity members were overjoyed. Seizing the moment, Liu Yan turned to Han Ruibing, subtly asking if their fake relationship needed to continue now that Lu Yuheng and Lin Xiaodi were officially together.
Han Ruibing, misinterpreting his question as an attempt to distance himself from her to pursue a "junior," became indignant. She angrily accused him of secretly flirting and wanting to abandon her. Liu Yan, taken aback, then accused her of daily flirting with the 'little tailor' (referring to Lin Xiaodi), before passionately responding by calling her "my Tank" and daring anyone to try and take her away. Their heated argument quickly revealed their true, mutual feelings for each other.
Liu Yan then directly asked if she liked him. After a moment of hesitation, Han Ruibing clarified that admiration and love were distinct; her feelings for Lu Yuheng were purely admiration, but for Liu Yan, it was different. She admitted he was "pretty good." Realizing she reciprocated his feelings, Liu Yan joyfully asked if they could continue their relationship, then swept her into a celebratory princess carry amidst the cheers of their teammates.
Their celebratory mood was interrupted when Shao Hai and his team unexpectedly appeared, intending to provoke them. Shao Hai immediately mocked Liu Yan as "Lu Yuheng's loyal follower" and attempted to escalate the situation by trying to physically assault him. Han Ruibing, however, swiftly intervened, protecting Liu Yan. When Liu Yan stated that Lu Yuheng had already left, Shao Hai sneered, implying Lu Yuheng had "escaped" and disparaging Lu Yuheng and Team Eternity as "useless."
Enraged that he dared to insult "her man," Han Ruibing grabbed Shao Hai by the hair, violently yanking it as she declared, "How dare you touch my man?" A chaotic brawl ensued, with other teammates attempting to pull Han Ruibing off a disheveled Shao Hai. Liu Yan, far from being upset, proudly admired his "unique" woman.
