Our Glamorous Time Episode 17 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
Grace was actively trying to persuade Don to partner with Aida, but he remained skeptical, calling Wenda a "sinking ship" and expressing concerns about Aida's financial and design capabilities. He declared Xinbaorui his most ideal partner. Grace began to explain that H Group had already invested in Aida and that she could quickly assemble a design team.
However, Ning Weikai suddenly appeared, intentionally mentioning how Grace had left the guesthouse early without a word, implying they had spent the night together. Grace quickly clarified that President Ning was just talking about a morning call. Despite her explanation, Don, witnessing this, gave them an ambiguous look and wondered why they were meeting separately if they were a couple. Despite Don's initial reservations about her promises, Grace invited him to Linhai to visit Aida to gain his trust.
Don, having already committed to visiting Xinbaorui, reluctantly agreed to also consider Aida, but with a strict condition: if he found anything unsatisfactory at either company, he would immediately return home. Grace promptly called Li Zhicheng, informing him that Don lacked confidence in Aida's design capabilities and would be visiting Linhai in ten days. She stressed the urgent need to assemble a new design team. Li Zhicheng immediately instructed Gu Yanzhi to create a list of Linhai's most talented designers.
He emphasized that creativity was paramount, even for new designers, and suggested considering those with international experience. Gu Yanzhi soon reported that Xinbaorui had already begun a high-profile recruitment drive, attracting many cutting-edge designers, much to Li Zhicheng's surprise at Ning Weikai's speed. He realized they needed to act quickly to demonstrate Aida's strength to Don. Meanwhile, Chen Yayi brought a bouquet of roses into the office, claiming Li Zhicheng had asked her to buy them for Lin Qian.
She playfully teased Lin Qian about her developing relationship with Li Zhicheng, mentioning seeing them holding hands the previous night and predicting marriage. Yayi encouraged Lin Qian to send a gift to Li Zhicheng since he had already made his intentions clear, even jokingly suggesting Lin Qian send herself. Lin Qian, a bit flustered, tried to brush it off, stating they were just "comrades in arms" with a common goal, though even she found it hard to believe.
She acknowledged Li Zhicheng's earlier apology for a previous misunderstanding, admitting her own rashness and recognizing his efforts were all for Aida. She felt a bit ashamed for being so focused on her independent designer dream. Later, Zhu Hanjing arrived at the airport to greet Ning Weikai, who was limping. Concerned, she suggested they go to the hospital, but Ning Weikai insisted on immediately organizing a recruitment fair.
He explained that Don's impending visit to Linhai meant they had to move faster than Aida. Despite his protests, Zhu Hanjing took him to the hospital. Lin Qian, learning of Ning Weikai's hospitalization, visited him after work, apologizing for his injury, which had occurred during their dangerous encounter with drug dealers in Yunnan. She explained that she had inadvertently provoked these violent men when she was visiting Yunnan for ideas.
Ning Weikai reassured her not to worry, then immediately shifted to business, proposing she join Xinbaorui to fulfill their shared "original dreams" from their St. York days. Lin Qian politely declined, explaining that given the rivalry between Aida and Xinbaorui, she had decided to renew her contract with Aida, where she felt valued and had grown significantly. Ning Weikai, though disappointed, respected her decision.
As Lin Qian left Ning Weikai's hospital room, she was surprised to find Li Zhicheng waiting for her, accompanied by his bodyguard, Monkey. She realized they were there to protect her, and Li Zhicheng confirmed he was worried the "bad guys" might not give up and vowed not to let anyone harm her. Lin Qian thanked him for his protection and also for the flowers. Li Zhicheng looked puzzled, asking if she hadn't sent him flowers.
Lin Qian then realized Chen Yayi's playful scheme to get them together. Back at Aida, Lin Qian playfully confronted Chen Yayi for her matchmaking, but Yayi argued she was simply trying to "speed things up" between them, highlighting how many times Li Zhicheng had saved Lin Qian. She even suggested Lin Qian should take the initiative. Their lighthearted argument was interrupted by a phone call from Li Zhicheng, asking Lin Qian to come to his office.
In his office, Li Zhicheng discussed the potential collaboration with Fancy. He explained that Don, a representative of Fancy, sought a Chinese design team to create a joint brand, an opportunity Aida had been pursuing. The plan would involve blending design expertise from both countries, with Fancy retaining final say on style while Aida would handle design, production, and sales for the Chinese market. Lin Qian voiced her concerns, noting Fancy's strong Americanized style and average quality for the price.
She worried that partnering with such a dominant brand could make Aida a mere "accessory," hindering its own brand development. Li Zhicheng conceded her point but emphasized that Aida urgently needed Fancy to expand its market reach and to learn their brand management strategies. He tasked Lin Qian with leading the design team for this venture.
Lin Qian, whose expertise lay in gowns rather than pop fashion, was hesitant, but Li Zhicheng assured her he would provide a dedicated team for her to lead. She expressed her lifelong dream of designing for an independent Chinese brand, and Li Zhicheng promised that this collaboration was a transitional phase. After successfully working with Fancy, Aida would definitely develop its own brand, even if it took thirty years.
Meanwhile, Gu Yanzhi took Jin Yuan to a stylish restaurant, meticulously ordering her favorite dishes with specific adjustments. However, Chen Zheng, arriving shortly after, snatched the last lamb chop, which had been ordered for them, and then sat at a nearby table. He sarcastically commented on Li Zhicheng's loss of the Ankada project and provoked Jin Yuan, challenging her to attend the "Goddess in Cloud" closing ceremony, implying she wouldn't dare after Aida's setback.
Jin Yuan, annoyed by his taunts, defiantly accepted the invitation. Later, as Gu Yanzhi drove Jin Yuan home, he tried to persuade her against attending the event, warning her about Chen Zheng's playboy reputation and his ulterior motives. He explained that he was only trying to protect her. Jin Yuan, however, angrily dismissed his concerns, stating that neither her father nor her brother controlled her life, let alone him. She abruptly got out of the car, leaving Gu Yanzhi frustrated.
Lin Qian, still wrestling with the decision, called her elder brother, Lin Mochen, to ask about Fancy. Lin Mochen, a friend of Fancy's founder, described it as a "very out there" American pop fashion brand for young people, a description Lin Qian agreed with.
When Lin Qian expressed that her boss was considering collaborating with Fancy, her preference for building original Chinese brands, and her unfamiliarity with pop fashion, Lin Mochen offered dual advice: from a business perspective, collaborating with Fancy would be highly beneficial for Aida to expand its market and that the easiest way to success is to stand on the shoulders of giants.
However, as an artist, he advised her to follow her true passion and not go against her will, even suggesting she return to America if she felt strongly against the collaboration. Annoyed by his conflicting advice, Lin Qian quickly hung up. Lin Qian shared her dilemma with Chen Yayi, who also questioned the stark stylistic difference between Lin Qian's designs and Fancy's.
Lin Qian, however, expressed her determination, acknowledging that after Aida's loss of the Ankada project, this collaboration was crucial. She felt a deep sense of responsibility not to let Li Zhicheng down, given his trust in her. She decided to view it as a learning opportunity, believing that building a brand, like the uniform she had previously designed, was a process of continuous learning and growth. Chen Yayi wholeheartedly supported her friend's decision.
Later, Lin Qian informed Li Zhicheng of her decision to proceed with the Fancy collaboration, seeing it as a personal challenge. Li Zhicheng reiterated his promise that this was merely a "transitional period" for Aida to gain experience, with the ultimate goal of developing its own independent brand, even if it took three decades. Lin Qian lightly joked about them being old by then, and Li Zhicheng warmly responded that growing old with her was not a bad plan.
Meanwhile, Cheng Meizi called Chen Zheng to inform him that her father had decided to send her to America. Chen Zheng, surprised, urgently promised that if she stayed, she could be the "Goddess in Cloud." As Cheng Meizi packed her bags, her father, Cheng Feng, tried to comfort her, stating that sending her to America to study business was for her own good.
After he left, Cheng Meizi, her face reflecting her unhappiness, mustered her courage and tore up her plane ticket, seemingly choosing her own path, perhaps with her brand "Resurrection." That evening, Li Zhicheng visited his older brother Li Zhiqian's grave in the rain, sharing his regret for not visiting sooner and informing him that Aida was finally going to produce its own brand, fulfilling Li Zhiqian's long-held wish.
Unexpectedly, Ning Weikai also arrived at the grave with a bottle of wine. Li Zhicheng angrily confronted him, asking why he would bring wine, knowing his brother died because of alcohol, calling it an insult. Ning Weikai claimed he only wanted to mourn. Enraged, Li Zhicheng accused Ning Weikai of betraying his brother when he needed him most, striking him and demanding he confess to the betrayal in front of Li Zhiqian's grave. Li Zhicheng then vowed that if he ever found proof that Ning Weikai was responsible for his brother's death, he would make him pay a "blood debt with blood."
