Our Glamorous Time Episode 19 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
At Xinbaorui, Zhu Hanjing suggested that the recent online slandering of Ning Weikai was likely the work of Aida, specifically pointing to Li Zhicheng. Ning Weikai, however, believed it was out of character for Li Zhicheng. As they discussed, Zhu Hanchong burst in, scoffing that even though his father might tolerate Ning Weikai, the lower-ranking employees harbored grievances against such a heartless boss.
Zhu Hanjing tried to calm him, but Zhu Hanchong continued to question why his sister always sided with Ning Weikai. Ning Weikai countered with a sarcastic remark about Zhu Hanchong's leisure time, to which Zhu Hanchong retorted that Ning Weikai was probably discussing something despicable. Zhu Hanjing eventually pulled her brother away. Ning Weikai then went to the company cafeteria during lunchtime to address the staff. He acknowledged the inaccurate news circulating, but stated he would not explain himself.
Zhu Hanchong interrupted again, asking if Ning Weikai was admitting to being an ungrateful scumbag, before being silenced by his sister. Ning Weikai then delivered an impassioned speech, asserting that his goal was to lead Xinbaorui to defeat all opponents and become an industry leader. Zhu Hanjing supported him by highlighting Xinbaorui's significant growth under his leadership, making it the top company in Linhai.
Ning Weikai rallied the employees, reminding them of their "indestructible will" and shared belief in winning, proclaiming Xinbaorui as "always the strongest one." His words earned him a round of applause. Later, in his office, Gao Lang reported to Ning Weikai that journalist Cai, who published the defamatory article, had a close relationship with Zhu Hanchong. Gao Lang suspected Zhu Hanchong had bribed Cai to deliberately tarnish Ning Weikai's reputation and force him to resign.
Ning Weikai, realizing it was Zhu Hanchong's doing, decided to let it go for now, stating he would deal with Aida first. Feeling remorseful for his past accusations against Lin Qian, Ning Weikai sent her a text message apologizing for wrongly suspecting her. Lin Qian, who was inspecting samples, was pleased to receive the apology. She then shared the news with Li Zhicheng, who in turn apologized to her for doubting her and saying harsh words.
Lin Qian assured him she was not upset. Li Zhicheng then asked her to help him choose a suit for his upcoming meeting with Don, and Lin Qian advised him to opt for a more casual look. Ning Weikai then set his sights on securing a collaboration with Don. Learning that Don was arriving in Linhai, he dispatched Gao Lang to intercept him at the airport. Gao Lang met Don, who expressed surprise that Grace wasn't there.
Gao Lang explained Grace was likely busy and Ning Weikai had sent him. Don attempted to call Grace for confirmation, but his phone had no reception. Gao Lang attributed it to poor airport reception and suggested he try again in the car. However, even in the car, Don's phone remained without signal, a result of a signal jammer Gao Lang had secretly placed in his bag. Gao Lang brought Don directly to Xinbaorui, where Ning Weikai greeted him warmly.
Ning Weikai began showing Don around, leading him to the design department, only to find it completely empty. Don questioned the absence of designers. As Ning Weikai fumbled for an explanation, Grace appeared, leading a group of designers, who were, to Ning Weikai's shock, the very designers he had recruited for Xinbaorui. Grace revealed that she had successfully poached Xinbaorui's entire design team for Aida.
Many of the designers had grown dissatisfied with Ning Weikai's leadership and embraced Grace's offer, seeking an environment more conducive to creative design. Witnessing the obvious power play, Don became visibly annoyed, admonishing both Ning Weikai and Grace for their "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" games and wasting his time. He announced his departure, deciding against collaborating with either company in Linhai.
Grace rushed after him, trying to explain the complexities of the situation and assure him of Aida's sincerity, but Don, still irate, stated his aversion to games and his refusal to work with either of them. Grace made a final plea for him to visit Aida, but he politely declined. Back at Aida, Gu Yanzhi showed a video call from Grace to Li Zhicheng and Lin Qian.
Grace relayed that Ning Weikai had successfully intercepted Don first, causing a major setback. Li Zhicheng worried that if they failed to secure Don's collaboration, all subsequent plans would be in disarray. After a moment of thought, Lin Qian requested ten minutes, confident in her ability to persuade Don as a fellow alum. Li Zhicheng agreed and immediately instructed Wasp and Grey Bear to intercept Don's car, which was heading towards the airport highway, to buy Lin Qian some time.
Li Zhicheng then took Lin Qian on his motorcycle, speeding to catch up with Don. When Don's car was forcibly stopped, he angrily reached for his phone to call the police, but Li Zhicheng swiftly confiscated it, asking for ten minutes of Don's time. Lin Qian then presented her design sketches to Don. Intrigued by the patterns, which Lin Qian explained were inspired by her fieldwork in Yunnan, Don allowed her to show him actual garment samples.
After examining the samples, Don's demeanor softened, and he instructed them to book him a hotel. Soon after, Don joined Li Zhicheng, Lin Qian, and Grace in a meeting, where he officially entrusted Lin Qian with the design rights for the new brand, stating she was the one he trusted. Grace praised Lin Qian as Aida's most promising designer and their lucky star.
Lin Qian, after a moment of consideration, decided to name the brand Y-Fancy, signifying "youthful Fancy," a name that was well-received by all. Grace proposed launching the brand on May 20th. Don expressed concern about the rushed timeline and sternly warned against any compromise on quality. Grace assured him that they would exceed his expectations, and Li Zhicheng added that Aida would commit fully to Y-Fancy's success. Don then gave his approval.
Meanwhile, Grace was enjoying drinks with foreign friends when Ning Weikai stormed into the bar, accusing her of having "dug her own grave" and of being cruel for poaching his entire design team. Grace retorted that she was not as cruel as him, accusing him of hypocrisy. She taunted that at least she didn't use despicable emotional tactics. Ning Weikai, enraged, grabbed her and fiercely reminded her that Li Zhiqian was dead, and all her efforts were in vain.
Grace, however, declared that Li Zhiqian would forever remain in her heart, and she found Ning Weikai's "emotional tricks" utterly disgusting. Ning Weikai then lunged forward and kissed her, but Grace forcefully slapped him across the face. Back at Aida, a news report announced the collaboration between Aida and Fancy, and the upcoming launch of the Y-Fancy brand on May 20th.
Lin Qian was seen meticulously working on the new designs, incorporating intricate embroidery patterns she discovered during her folklore research, such as the "Spring Ox." When a colleague remarked on her generosity in contributing all her unique findings to Y-Fancy instead of saving them for her own future brand, Lin Qian clarified that her goal remained unchanged, and she would simply devise new designs for her personal brand later.
In the office, Gu Yanzhi playfully probed Li Zhicheng about the progress of his relationship with Lin Qian, reminding him that her contract was nearing expiration. He warned that if Li Zhicheng didn't act to secure her renewal, she might leave. Li Zhicheng confidently asserted that "the person I want won't run away," to which Gu Yanzhi countered that sometimes "women look at actions."
At Xinbaorui, Zhu Hanjing informed Ning Weikai about an upcoming board meeting, reassuring him of her and her father's unwavering support. During the board meeting, Ning Weikai humbly accepted responsibility for the failure to secure the Fancy collaboration and offered to accept any punishment. However, Chairman Zhu dismissed the setback as not critical to Xinbaorui's overall performance and emphasized focusing on the upcoming May 20th shopping festival.
Zhu Hanchong, furious at his father's apparent favoritism, lashed out, questioning why Ning Weikai wasn't being punished. Chairman Zhu reprimanded his son. To quell the escalating tension, Ning Weikai dramatically pledged that if Xinbaorui did not achieve the number one sales position in Linhai during the May 20th festival, he would immediately resign from all his positions. Chairman Zhu accepted the challenge, stating he looked forward to Ning Weikai's performance.
Later, Ning Weikai invited Chen Zheng for a massage, subtly probing his views on Aida's new Y-Fancy brand and its May 20th launch. Chen Zheng responded evasively, emphasizing the importance of magnanimity in business. Ning Weikai then proposed a strategic alliance: Xinbaorui would offer its production lines to Simeiqi, and in return, Simeiqi would provide its online and retail sales channels, allowing them to jointly confront the May 20th challenge.
Chen Zheng, overconfident about Simeiqi's ability to handle the Ankada project independently, flatly rejected the proposal. Ning Weikai simply smiled knowingly. The next day, Chen Zheng received devastating news: half of Simeiqi's Ankada shipment had been lost. He was furious. His father, worried, calculated that a two-week delay in delivery would incur a penalty of at least one hundred million yuan.
With all factories in Linhai and surrounding areas preoccupied with May 20th orders, the Chen family found themselves in a desperate situation. Suddenly, Chen Zheng recalled Ning Weikai. To their surprise, Ning Weikai arrived unannounced at Simeiqi, offering Xinbaorui's production lines to help them fulfill the Ankada order. The Chen father and son were both astonished and delighted.
Ning Weikai, however, reiterated his offer of a resource exchange: Xinbaorui would provide its production lines, and Simeiqi would offer its online sales channels. Chen Zheng's father, an experienced businessman, sensed something suspicious about the timing and the offer, realizing it was too coincidental that the Ankada shipment issue occurred right after Ning Weikai's rejected proposal.
Chen Zheng, finally understanding, was enraged and threatened to confront Ning Weikai, but his father calmly stopped him, emphasizing the need for evidence and the nature of a businessman's pursuit of profit.
