Our Glamorous Time Episode 20 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
Aida convened a meeting to strategize against the combined forces of Simeiqi and Xinbaorui for the upcoming May 20 shopping festival. Gu Yanzhi reported that Simeiqi, with its strength in online e-commerce, and Xinbaorui, dominant in physical stores, presented a formidable alliance. He noted that Simeiqi had already integrated Xinbaorui's products and coupons on its platform, and both companies had led their respective market segments in Linhai City during the previous year's May 20 sales.
Grace suggested that Aida should also adopt a dual online and offline sales approach for Y-Fancy. Gu Yanzhi raised concerns about the time required to establish new physical stores, typically three months for renovation. Grace, however, insisted that overcoming such time constraints was essential for victory. Li Zhicheng supported Grace's idea, proposing they find suitable second-hand stores that could be re-decorated within 15 to 20 days. He believed this simultaneous online and offline strategy would accelerate Y-Fancy's market penetration.
He then delegated tasks, assigning Grace to scout locations, Lin Qian to manage merchandise, Gu Yanzhi to handle marketing, and himself to oversee the remaining operations. Later, Lin Qian was troubled in her office, despite Don having expressed satisfaction with the Y-Fancy samples. She had discovered that the logo font for Y-Fancy differed from the original Fancy brand, a detail she considered critical for brand authenticity.
When Chen Yayi pointed out that redoing all the product tags would be a massive, time-consuming task for the factory, Lin Qian explained that while clothing patterns could evolve, a brand's logo represented its core value and culture, which could not be easily altered without risking the brand's legitimacy and potentially misleading customers into thinking the products were fake.
Lin Qian then instructed Chen Yayi to ask the factory workers to put in extra effort to correct the logos, promising them a bonus from Li Zhicheng once the May 20 shopping festival concluded, to which Chen Yayi enthusiastically agreed. Li Zhicheng then called Lin Qian, urging her to take a walk with him despite her busy schedule.
He surprised her by revealing their destination was a newly rented Y-Fancy store, strategically located directly opposite the shopping center entrance, requiring only minor modifications. Lin Qian was impressed by the swift acquisition of the location. After inspecting the premises, she suggested knocking down a particular wall to improve visibility for customers and replacing a mismatched mirror with a large Y-Fancy logo facing the entrance, believing this would make the brand instantly recognizable.
Li Zhicheng smiled, clearly pleased with her insightful suggestions. As they finished their discussion, takeout food arrived, and they shared a meal. During their meal, Lin Qian asked Li Zhicheng if he had ever been drunk. He admitted he had, recalling a poignant moment before he joined the army when his older brother, Li Zhiqian, saw him off. He expressed deep regret, lamenting that his brother had faced immense pressure and obstacles while trying to reform Wenda.
He mused that if he hadn't joined the army but had instead stayed to help his brother, things might have turned out differently. Lin Qian compassionately told him that everyone has their own fate and that he shouldn't burden himself with what-ifs, as he couldn't have prevented events from unfolding as they did. Relieved, Li Zhicheng then shifted the conversation back to their meal.
While Lin Qian was absorbed in her design work, Chen Yayi playfully pressed her about her romantic progress with Li Zhicheng. Chen Yayi highlighted Li Zhicheng's repeated assistance on projects and the obvious mutual affection, urging Lin Qian to be more proactive, concluding that Li Zhicheng, despite his decisive work ethic, was likely inexperienced in love. The next morning, Li Zhicheng summoned Lin Qian to his office.
To her shock, he presented a dismissal contract, explaining that Aida, now collaborating with Don, required top-tier designers. Heartbroken, Lin Qian signed it. However, Li Zhicheng then revealed it was a prank, producing a new, long-term contract and explaining that the previous short-term one needed to be terminated before a new one could be signed. Realizing she had been tricked, Lin Qian playfully refused to sign.
Li Zhicheng responded by lifting her into his arms and carrying her further into the office, earnestly stating that both Aida and he needed her. He acknowledged that their bond transcended a mere employment contract, proclaiming that he was the only one who truly understood her and saw the effort behind her smiles. He confessed that in just three months, she had made a profound impression on him, urging her to stay with both Aida and him.
Blushing, Lin Qian eventually agreed to sign the new contract, and Li Zhicheng then embraced her tenderly. Meanwhile, Gu Yanzhi met with representatives from Weipinhui to discuss collaboration for the May 20 event. The Weipinhui representative expressed strong support for Y-Fancy, praising its innovative blend of international and local themes, and promised to set up a dedicated server for Aida to ensure seamless operations. Coincidentally, Ning Weikai arrived and overheard the glowing endorsement for Y-Fancy.
He approached Gu Yanzhi with a sarcastic remark about Aida's ambitious plan for simultaneous online and offline sales, suggesting Y-Fancy was too new to compete with Xinbaorui. Gu Yanzhi calmly replied that the market was vast enough for all players. Ning Weikai then taunted Aida, suggesting their servers might not even experience the high traffic that causes breakdowns, to which Gu Yanzhi retorted that a server crash would, in fact, signify immense popularity and be a welcome problem.
At a Xinbaorui shareholder meeting, Ning Weikai, after signing a collaborative contract with Chen Zheng of Simeiqi for the May 20 shopping festival, presented it to the board. He apologized for not informing them sooner, explaining that the time-sensitive nature of countering Aida's Y-Fancy launch necessitated immediate action. Zhu Hanchong questioned the strategy, emphasizing Xinbaorui's strength in physical stores rather than online sales. Ning Weikai elaborated that their approach was a "volume battle" focused on pricing.
He reasoned that Li Zhicheng's emphasis on Y-Fancy's design would result in higher costs for Aida, whereas Xinbaorui, with its combined physical and online channels, could achieve a price advantage. He asserted that this strategy would guarantee their success. Zhu Hanchong vehemently objected, fearing a massive overstock risk if sales fell short of projections. Ning Weikai dismissed this, stating that the primary goal was to cripple Aida by forcing it to overstock, a risk Xinbaorui was prepared to take.
He then reiterated his earlier pledge to resign if Xinbaorui failed to achieve the number one sales volume for May 20, seeking the board's full support. The chairman, acknowledging Aida as their primary competitor, affirmed the board's full backing for Ning Weikai's plan. As the May 20 shopping festival drew near, all three companies—Simeiqi, Xinbaorui, and Aida—ramped up their preparations. Gu Yanzhi voiced concerns that Aida's current warehouse was insufficient for their May 20 stock.
Li Zhicheng suggested utilizing Wenda's larger warehouse, asking Gu Yanzhi to secure approval from his father, who was an elder at Wenda, as he preferred not to engage with them directly. Gu Yanzhi, though hesitant, agreed. Elsewhere, Chen Zheng, determined to succeed, announced he would practically live at his company until May 20, promising his employees triple wages for a 15-day period around the event.
He also outlined a reward strategy for customers, offering random red envelopes ranging from 100 to 10,000 yuan for every completed order. Gu Yanzhi later briefed Li Zhicheng, expressing concern about Xinbaorui and Simeiqi's extensive marketing, despite Xinbaorui's brand influence not matching Y-Fancy's. Li Zhicheng described the situation as "position warfare," advising Aida to avoid direct confrontations but to concentrate on optimizing traffic and conversions through Weipinhui.
Lin Qian added that while Xinbaorui and Simeiqi's alliance was complementary, Y-Fancy's inherent brand strength and product quality were Aida's key advantages. She argued that even if sales volume wasn't the highest, effective online and offline promotion would significantly boost brand awareness. Grace concurred, believing that with a well-executed marketing plan across both channels, Aida had a strong chance of victory.
Gu Yanzhi confirmed that Weipinhui would provide crucial backstage support, and Lin Qian commended the team's efficient work on the offline store. Li Zhicheng concluded by expressing his hope for Aida to distinguish itself during the festival. Chen Zheng smugly informed Ning Weikai that he had successfully rented all the warehouses Li Zhicheng had intended to use, believing this would cripple Aida by preventing rapid product distribution, leading to customer complaints and financial distress during the May 20 event.
However, Ning Weikai reminded Chen Zheng that Aida had Wenda's vast warehouse as a fallback, which lessened the threat of overstock. Annoyed by his oversight and the considerable sum he had spent, Chen Zheng admitted his lapse in judgment. Ning Weikai, slightly exasperated, advised Chen Zheng to consult him before executing such schemes in the future. Soon after, an invitation from Aida arrived for both Chen Zheng and Ning Weikai, for the opening ceremony of Y-Fancy's physical store.
Chen Zheng expressed his irritation and reluctance to attend, but Ning Weikai asserted that Li Zhicheng's invitation was a public declaration of war, and their absence would be tantamount to admitting defeat. Concerned that Li Zhicheng would be working overnight, Lin Qian thoughtfully brought him chicken soup for a late-night snack. He thanked her and then proposed a lottery as a reward strategy for the upcoming May 20 event.
While Gu Yanzhi was tasked with the Chinese press release, Li Zhicheng asked Lin Qian to draft an English version. He explained this was to emphasize Y-Fancy's international essence, targeting students studying abroad and foreign design platforms. Lin Qian playfully agreed to the task. Later, observing her fatigue, Li Zhicheng suggested she rest for fifteen minutes upstairs, promising to wake her, but she politely declined, stating she was nearly finished. He then asked her to make him some coffee.
As he continued working, Li Zhicheng eventually dozed off. Lin Qian gently draped a jacket over him but lost her footing and stumbled, falling into his arms. He awoke with a chuckle, teasing her about being heavy, a charge she playfully denied. Before the Y-Fancy opening ceremony, Li Zhicheng practiced his speech, confidently declaring that the brand would emerge victorious and defeat its competitors in the May 20 sales.
Ning Weikai and Chen Zheng arrived, offering what they claimed were congratulations, leaving flowers by the door. Ning Weikai sarcastically remarked on Li Zhicheng's bold speech, suggesting Y-Fancy, being merely an extension of a foreign brand, had an uncertain future. He then proposed a high-stakes wager: the company that lost the May 20 sales battle would withdraw from Linhai's clothing market. Later, Grace subtly jabbed at Chen Zheng while accepting Ning Weikai's compliments, prompting Chen Zheng's annoyance.
Ning Weikai advised Chen Zheng to exercise patience, noting that any public quarrel would only provide Aida with more publicity, but he also conceded that Li Zhicheng's rapid establishment of the store was indeed impressive. As Lin Qian worked late, her older brother called to wish her a happy birthday, expressing playful disappointment that she wasn't celebrating. Lin Qian explained she was too busy with work.
Later, Chen Yayi returned with elaborate excuses about forgetting her keys and being afraid of the dark to get Lin Qian to accompany her downstairs. Despite Lin Qian's annoyance, she reluctantly agreed. Upon reaching the ground floor, Lin Qian was utterly overwhelmed to discover a surprise birthday celebration arranged by Li Zhicheng, featuring candles arranged in a heart shape. Gu Yanzhi and other colleagues sang "Happy Birthday."
Deeply moved, Lin Qian asked when this elaborate surprise was planned, and Gu Yanzhi revealed Li Zhicheng was the mastermind. Li Zhicheng then gently prompted her to make a wish. As dazzling fireworks erupted outside the window, he presented her with a "needle ring," explaining it was a customary item for designers, and he bought it for her because he liked it. His colleagues excitedly urged him to confess his love. Lin Qian, touched, thanked Li Zhicheng, and the two shared a heartfelt embrace.
