Our Glamorous Time Episode 39 Recap
> Our Glamorous Time Recap
Ning Weikai invited Grace to celebrate his birthday at his home, expressing his desire to see her in the gown he designed as the best gift. Grace, however, found his request forward and initially declined due to her busy work schedule as chief editor. Despite her protests, Ning Weikai insisted that she must attend that night. He meticulously prepared a romantic candlelight dinner, waiting expectantly for her.
Finally, around 2 AM, Grace arrived, dressed in the gown Ning Weikai had designed. She mentioned the champagne was likely warm from waiting, and he proposed they drink it in the morning. He expressed a desire to talk until sunrise, but Grace playfully reminded him that his birthday had passed, so his wish was expired. As they playfully bickered, Ning Weikai carried her into the bedroom.
The next morning, Grace woke before Ning Weikai and, while searching his closet, discovered a wedding dress made of Snowy Smoke silk and an accompanying letter. Believing Ning Weikai had made it for her as a surprise, she happily put on the gown. As she read the letter, she was shocked to see it was signed by Li Zhiqian. The letter, meant as a proposal, expressed his deep, sacred love for her and how she had illuminated his life.
Grace was heartbroken upon realizing the dress was from Li Zhiqian. She woke Ning Weikai, who, seeing her in the dress with the letter, immediately understood. He stammered, explaining he had found these items at Geng Xinming's place and had intended to give them to her, but was afraid. Grace cut him off, accusing him of manipulating her from the start.
She recounted how he had feigned interest in her while she worked for Aida, pretended to leave Xinbaorui for a design competition to win her over, and then returned to Xinbaorui, using Li Zhiqian's dream to get her to collaborate. Ning Weikai vehemently denied her accusations, questioning how she could doubt his love. Grace argued that true love wouldn't involve such careful planning or hiding Li Zhiqian's important mementos.
Ning Weikai countered that he hid them precisely because he knew Li Zhiqian's significance to her, fearing it would jeopardize their relationship. Grace dismissed his reasoning as mere excuses, asserting that sincere love faces everything and that his actions revealed a lack of genuine affection. Distraught, Grace ran out of the apartment, still wearing the wedding dress. Lin Qian's Qingcheng clothing store was struggling, with no sales since its opening a week prior, causing anxiety for her and Chen Yayi.
One afternoon, a customer bought five pieces without even checking the sizes. Lin Qian suspected Li Zhicheng had arranged it and confronted him. He initially denied it but eventually admitted he had hired someone because he was worried about her stress and lack of smiles. Lin Qian was initially upset by his deception but was ultimately touched by his concern and kissed him.
Later, another customer purchased five Snowy Smoke silk garments without trying them on, leading Lin Qian and Yayi to again suspect Li Zhicheng. He insisted he wouldn't use the same trick twice. Lin Qian then proposed they conduct customer surveys to understand why people were buying or not buying, to better adjust their marketing strategy, and Li Zhicheng agreed to accompany her. They visited a customer named Ms. Chen at her pottery studio for a consumer experience survey.
Ms. Chen highly praised Qingcheng's designs, noting their blend of traditional Chinese landscape painting and contemporary aesthetics, calling them beautiful artwork. While she personally prioritized quality over price, she mentioned giving one of the dresses to her student, Xiao Xian, for her birthday, suggesting they seek her opinion. Xiao Xian confirmed the dress was comfortable and breathable but lamented its high price of over 5,000 yuan, stating it was unaffordable for her.
Xiao Xian also playfully observed that Lin Qian and Li Zhicheng seemed like a couple. Afterwards, Lin Qian and Li Zhicheng enjoyed a pottery session, during which Li Zhicheng affectionately complimented Lin Qian. Back at the store, Lin Qian reflected that Qingcheng's poor sales were due to its brand positioning. She realized that while Ms. Chen appreciated it as art, Xiao Xian found it too expensive.
Lin Qian concluded that catering only to a high-end clientele like Ms. Chen would lead to the store's eventual closure. She proposed a new strategy: diversifying the brand for different consumer segments. Recognizing that young people are the mainstream consumers, she suggested mixing Snowy Smoke silk with other fabrics to reduce costs and incorporate youthful, trendy elements. This, she believed, would attract a broader audience and open new markets for Qingcheng.
Li Zhicheng fully supported her evolving ideas, suggesting designs for daily wear to meet diverse consumer demands and budgets, thereby popularizing the brand. Lin Qian emphasized the need to meticulously understand customer feedback, treating it like a "battlefield" to conquer the market. Their discussion concluded with playful banter and kisses, fueled by renewed confidence and affection. Meanwhile, Jerry, the executive assistant of the DP Group's Greater China branch, visited Chen Zheng's office.
She presented a letter of intent for DP to acquire shares in Simeiqi, stating they had already reached a preliminary agreement with Chen Zheng's father, Chen Zhijun. Jerry explained that DP would hold 35% of the shares, while Chen Zheng would retain 30%, ensuring Chinese shareholders remained the majority, and Chen Zheng would continue as president.
Chen Zheng, however, flatly rejected the offer, refusing further discussion without a direct meeting with DP's CEO, claiming the offer was too low for such a significant acquisition. He then confronted his father, expressing his dismay at the decision to sell shares to a foreign company without his knowledge.
His father explained that Simeiqi had been declining under Chen Zheng's management and that selling shares now, while the company still held some value, was a way to secure a "safety net" for his son, implying a lack of confidence in Chen Zheng's ability to run the company. Chen Zheng was deeply hurt by his father's distrust, noting that he would trust Ning Weikai or Li Zhicheng in such a situation.
Despite an injury to his hand, Gu Yanzhi visited Li Jinyuan, bringing takeout instead of a homemade meal. Li Jinyuan, upon seeing his injured hand, immediately became concerned, gently scolding him for his carelessness. Playfully, she then asserted that as her boyfriend, he needed to cook for her every day, including three meals: a bento box for lunch, a romantic dinner, and a full nutritious breakfast. Gu Yanzhi was surprised by her explicit declaration of their relationship.
Li Jinyuan then kissed him, and after a moment of stunned surprise, he passionately returned her kiss. Grace's assistant, Cindy, informed her that Lisa, a senior editor from the US headquarters who had previously worked in Italy, was being sent to China as an inspector. Cindy suspected Lisa's visit might not be amicable, a concern Grace echoed, noting the swiftness of her arrival. Lisa soon arrived at the H Group China office, where Grace and Cindy extended a warm welcome.
Grace inquired about Lisa's itinerary. Lisa stated directly that the magazine's sales in China were declining, and she was there to evaluate content, management, sales, and employee performance. Grace acknowledged the global challenge faced by print media due to the internet and assured Lisa of her full cooperation, instructing Cindy to support her in every way and offering a tour of the office.
Separately, Chen Zheng, feeling a crisis of confidence due to recent events and his father's distrust, asked Chen Yayi for an objective assessment of his leadership. Yayi candidly told him that while he possessed the capability and intelligence, he hadn't fully committed his energy to Simeiqi. He then invited her to a dinner with an "important person" that evening, asking her to dress formally. Yayi chose a new party dress designed by Lin Qian from Qingcheng.
Chen Zheng complimented her appearance and the dress. Peter Smith, the President of DP Group Greater China, arrived late. After introductions, during which Yayi clarified her role as Chen Zheng's assistant, Peter's gaze lingered on Yayi's dress.
