Our Glamorous Time Episode 23 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
Gu Yanzhi rushed to the bar and found Jin Yuan heavily intoxicated. He carefully helped her to his car. Returning inside, he confronted a similarly drunk Chen Zheng, but despite his initial anger, he decided against any physical altercation. Instead, he put Chen Zheng into a taxi, gave the driver money, and instructed him to take Chen Zheng home to the Simeiqi Building security. Grace's assistant informed her that the "My Wardrobe" designer competition would be held in China.
Grace, seeing an opportunity, asked her assistant to contact the organizers to explore co-hosting the event with their magazine. She explained that it would be a fitting "souvenir" for their magazine's 30-year anniversary and expressed her hope that the show would help bring their best designers to the international stage. Chen Zheng arrived home and pretended to be engrossed in his books to impress his father.
He complained that his bank card had been frozen and requested money for MBA application fees. His father, referencing the recent warehouse incident, described it as a "natural disaster," but Chen Zheng blamed Li Zhicheng, calling it "man-made." His father criticized him for always blaming others, then revealed that Ning Weikai had resigned, claiming the company "kicked him out."
Chen Zheng immediately dismissed this, asserting that Ning Weikai "must have a plan to come back," comparing it to his own eventual return to Simeiqi. His father challenged him to prove he was his son to return, to which Chen Zheng quipped about his birth certificate. The father urged him to quickly pursue the MBA, but refused to give him money until after the exams.
At a restaurant, Gu Yanzhi told Jin Yuan that Y-Fancy planned to open ten new stores, which would significantly reduce his free time. Jin Yuan expressed concern that this rapid expansion was "moving too fast." Gu Yanzhi explained that while Li Zhicheng listens to opinions, his decisions are firm once made.
Jin Yuan, having gained a large social media following, offered to promote Y-Fancy products on her account for free, suggesting a partnership, and Gu Yanzhi noted she would look very good in the designer clothes. Meanwhile, Li Zhicheng discussed his expansion plan with Grace, acknowledging that everyone at Aida considered it "too aggressive." Grace conceded that rapid expansion was risky, but recognized Aida's unique advantage in having Wenda, which possesses a strong production line to support such growth.
She concluded that the plan could "stimulate Wenda back to life" and was "worth considering." Li Zhicheng affirmed that his "ultimate goal" was for Aida to provide Wenda a lifeline. Grace also revealed that their parent company was embarking on a major project and might require his assistance. While Chen Yayi was dining alone, Chen Zheng mysteriously approached her, asking for her help to ward off an ex-girlfriend he had dumped months ago, who had undergone plastic surgery.
Chen Yayi initially refused, citing the rivalry between Aida and Simeiqi, but Chen Zheng persisted, flattering her natural beauty and "chubby face" over the "V-shaped face" he disliked. After the ex-girlfriend left, Chen Yayi demanded a substantial thank you, prompting Chen Zheng to offer to pay for her meal. She ordered an extravagant amount of food.
When the bill arrived, Chen Zheng sheepishly confessed that his credit card had been frozen by his father after a fight about the May-20 incident, asking Chen Yayi to cover the cost. Annoyed, Chen Yayi paid. Chen Zheng then wrote an IOU, promising to repay with 20% interest, but Chen Yayi snatched the pen and changed the interest rate to a whopping 200%.
As they left the restaurant, Chen Zheng offered Chen Yayi a ride, despite her initial protests about him having no money. She sarcastically referred to herself as "Lin Qian's assistant, Chen Yayi," and teased him about his father still controlling his credit card. Chen Zheng retorted that his father was protecting him from "gold diggers," highlighting his own "high-quality" status.
Exasperated by his bragging, Chen Yayi declared she was going to rest her eyes, instructing him to drive her like her personal chauffeur. Li Zhicheng returned home and proposed to his father that Wenda become Y-Fancy's contract manufacturer, believing it could "turn things around" for the struggling company. His father scoffed, dismissing it as Li Zhicheng "bragging" after achieving minor success.
He asserted that Wenda's current stability was due to its "solid foundation" which he built, and that any help from Aida would simply be "wrapping up the mess left by your brother." Li Zhicheng retorted that his father's refusal to empower his older brother was the true cause of Wenda's decline, implying it even contributed to his brother's death. This ignited a heated argument, culminating in his father ordering him to leave.
Before departing, Li Zhicheng defiantly declared that while the loyal old staff had contributed to Wenda, they were now "obstructing Wenda's growth," and he vowed to "do something about it." His father warned him, emphasizing that these loyal employees, not Li Zhicheng, were the true backbone of Wenda. At the Aida office, Chen Yayi found Lin Qian sketching. Chen Yayi eagerly shared a "secret" she discovered: Chen Zheng's father had "kicked him out of his company."
Lin Qian playfully teased Chen Yayi about her sudden interest in Chen Zheng, noting she usually only cared about Lin Qian's business. Chen Yayi, flustered, tried to justify her interest as monitoring the "enemy" for the "company's grand future," but Lin Qian quickly exposed her lie, pointing out her patterned speech when fabricating stories. At that moment, Li Zhicheng walked in and explicitly asked Chen Yayi to leave, seeking private time with Lin Qian.
Once Chen Yayi left, Li Zhicheng embraced Lin Qian, telling her he missed her and felt better just seeing her. He then formally invited her on a date, somewhere "quiet." Lin Qian playfully suggested, "My room." There, she surprised him by having him pose for a sketch, holding a heavy fake gun in a shooting stance for over two hours.
When he finally grew exhausted, he critiqued her drawing, saying his eyes looked "empty and dull" without "a silhouette" of her. He then leaned in and kissed her, declaring, "Now that's a date," to which she responded she would get water. Ning Weikai met Zhu Hanjing at a desolate, closed tea house, revealing his intention to take it over and "start a new life" by opening his own tea house to focus on designs.
Zhu Hanjing, however, urged him to return to Xinbaorui, believing he didn't belong in such a quiet, remote place. Ning Weikai feigned a firm resolve to change his life, philosophically remarking on the tea house's name, "Moss," and pondering if the warehouse accident, which he attributed to rain, was "what fate wants." Zhu Hanjing, seeing through his facade, reminded him of his true nature as someone who always fights back.
She then promised to "be there waiting for" him, no matter what. Ning Weikai, in his mind, secretly affirmed, "And one day I will go back." Grace presented Li Zhicheng with an invitation to "My Wardrobe," a designer competition organized by the H Group, where she served as chief producer. She explained it was the "big project" she had previously alluded to and highlighted its potential for corporate promotion.
Grace then proposed that Lin Qian represent Aida in the competition, to which Li Zhicheng readily agreed. Gu Yanzhi arrived at his office to find it completely empty. Li Zhicheng appeared, presenting him with transfer orders back to the Wenda Group as Vice President, an equivalent position with increased remuneration. Gu Yanzhi expressed extreme dissatisfaction, protesting that he had dedicated himself to Aida and questioned why he was being transferred now, especially after his earlier request to transfer was denied.
He suspected it was because he opposed Li Zhicheng's expansion plan and criticized Li Zhicheng's "shoot first and report later" management style. At that moment, Jin Yuan walked in, lightheartedly scolding them for being slow. She then playfully challenged Gu Yanzhi, asking, "What if I told you that it was I who wanted you to go back to Wenda?" rendering him speechless. Gu Yanzhi, now transferred to Wenda Group, received a "little turtle" as a gift from Jin Yuan.
While he initially misunderstood it as an insult, Jin Yuan explained its symbolic meaning: enduring humiliation for responsibility and being useful at critical moments. Gu Yanzhi accepted the gift, appreciating her unique logic. Jin Yuan then inquired why he had followed her brother's order to return to Wenda. Gu Yanzhi explained that Li Zhicheng, like Jin Yuan, has an indirect communication style, but he understood his intention.
He revealed that Li Zhicheng's "cicada shedding its exoskeleton" strategy was to first separate Aida, revitalize it, and then use its success to revive Wenda. With Aida's performance significantly improved, it was now time for Li Zhicheng to return to Wenda, and Gu Yanzhi saw himself as the "over-the-river pawn" to help execute this plan, which surprised Jin Yuan. Li Zhicheng presented the "My Wardrobe" invitation to Lin Qian, who initially expressed reluctance to participate.
She acknowledged it was a good opportunity but stated her preference to "work on my designs steadily with peace of mind" rather than appear on camera. Li Zhicheng persuaded her by emphasizing the chance to "interact and exchange ideas" with other creative designers, thereby expanding her "design ability and horizon."
When Lin Qian voiced discomfort with designing in front of a large crowd, Li Zhicheng firmly stated that "a good design" requires showcasing "individuality to the public," calling it "a requisite accomplishment of an excellent designer." After he asked if she believed in him, she affirmed her trust and agreed to participate. She then playfully asked how he would "show appreciation" for her bringing "honor to the company."
As he leaned in to respond, Chen Yayi unexpectedly walked in with food, interrupting the moment. President Zhu confronted Zhu Hanchong about terminating the lease at Danzi Plaza. Zhu Hanchong blamed it on Ning Weikai's previous mismanagement and claimed Xinbaorui's products weren't suited for such a high-end location. President Zhu angrily countered that if the products weren't good enough, they should be improved, emphasizing the value of the "golden storefront."
Separately, Ning Weikai met with Gao Lang, who reported that "everyone in the company is filled with anxiety and fear now." Ning Weikai, unconcerned, confidently remarked that Zhu Hanchong's chaotic management had alienated many core staff. He added that Zhu Hanjing, as the company's secretary-general, held significant connections and remained on his side.
Later, Zhu Hanjing expressed to her father her worry that Ning Weikai might not return, despite her attempts to persuade him with offers to disregard the May-20 incident and secure his dividends. Her father, however, remained confident, believing Ning Weikai would never abandon Xinbaorui, and urged Zhu Hanjing to continue talking to him. Ning Weikai, in his own thoughts, confidently believed he could return to Xinbaorui whenever he wished, content to let them wait, and noted that Aida was still his primary concern.
