Rising With The Wind Episode 18 Recap
> Rising With The Wind Recap
Yue Shan explained that the plant Xu Si sent was an orchid cactus, so named because its flat stems resemble a cactus and its flowers resemble an orchid. She noted its symbolic meaning of "reminiscence." While the plant itself wasn't valuable, she pointed out that the large, rectangular Yixing clay flowerpot appeared old and could be quite expensive.
Yue Shan cautioned Jiang Hu about Xu Si, describing him as a strong wind that Teng Yue could use to its advantage, but also as a sophisticated man skilled in various schemes. She advised Jiang Hu to maintain a careful distance if she didn't like him, warning that a falling out could be disadvantageous for her. Jiang Hu, however, insisted her sole focus was on revitalizing Teng Yue and finding a designer, prioritizing selling shoes and making money.
With permits for three flagship stores nearly approved, she knew they needed new designs to stock them and planned to find ways to boost online sales, possibly through influencer livestreams. Later, as Jiang Hu was about to message Xu Si to thank him for the flower, he happened to place a voice call to her. After a brief exchange, she abruptly ended the call, leaving him annoyed.
Jiang Hu met with an influencer known as Lord Cat to discuss a livestream collaboration. The influencer quoted a high price, the same rate offered to major corporations, and dismissively implied they shouldn't waste time if Teng Yue couldn't afford it, making it clear the collaboration would not happen. Shortly after, a Mr. Li, who owed Jiang Hu's father money, contacted her.
He explained he was having financial difficulties and couldn't repay the three-million-yuan principal, offering to repay it with interest in a year. Recalling that his "Micro Dance Club" app had recently launched a shopping feature, Jiang Hu proposed an alternative to interest payments: a week of splash screen advertising space on his app and the right to sell Teng Yue shoes in the app's mall.
She reasoned that his app's users, primarily from the dance community, were a perfect match for Teng Yue's target customers. Mr. Li agreed. Mr. Li then advised Jiang Hu that her shoe styles were too old-fashioned for his app's users and that she'd need a new approach to boost sales. He mentioned his app was launching a nationwide dance competition promotion that night and suggested she could participate if she sent her materials by nine p. m.
Inspired, Jiang Hu immediately called Yang Jian, instructing him to retrieve Zhaoyang's hand-painted shoes from her home within thirty minutes. Yang Jian hesitated, worried about the negative impact on Zhaoyang, but Jiang Hu reassured him their shared goal was to help Zhaoyang become a designer again. Though still uncertain, Yang Jian agreed. When Yang Jian arrived at Zhaoyang's house to get the shoes, he was interrupted by her mother, who pulled him aside for a long chat.
He awkwardly tried to evade her while secretly attempting to take the shoes, nearly getting caught before she was distracted by her own thoughts. Jiang Hu enlisted her colleague Wu to host a livestream, promoting the shoes with a "Lord Zhaoyang's Lucky Bag" gimmick. The event was a huge success, selling 3,237 pairs of shoes in just two days.
Meanwhile, Song Zhi saw news of Zhaoyang's collaboration with Teng Yue online and confronted her, accusing her of taking on private work in violation of her contract with TT Media. A completely unaware Zhaoyang realized she had been used. Later, Xu Si arrived at Teng Yue, accompanied by Yue Shan. Apologizing for Jiang Hu's absence, Yue Shan explained how hard she had been working on sales.
Xu Si replied that as an investor, he and Teng Yue were in the same boat. While they waited, they overheard an announcement celebrating the sales success. When Jiang Hu returned, she immediately began eating in front of Xu Si, explaining she hadn't eaten all day. Xu Si noticed a crumb on her face and gently wiped it away, causing Jiang Hu to become flustered, though she quickly denied being shy.
When Xu Si tried to discuss their relationship, Jiang Hu deflected, reminding him he was her boss and she needed to focus on work, such as packing and shipping orders to ensure a good customer experience. Separately, Zhaoyang was furious with Yang Jian for taking her hand-painted shoes without permission. Yang Jian apologized profusely, explaining that it had generated significant market interest in her designs.
He promised to take full responsibility if TT Media pursued the matter and assured her that Teng Yue would cover any compensation. Despite his attempts to frame the exposure as a positive step for her career, Zhaoyang remained angry and ordered him to leave, stating her affairs were none of their business, especially his. Xu Si received a call informing him that his mother, Fang Moping, was heading to the factory again.
He instructed his assistant, Hong Die, to delay her, then rushed home and forcefully took his mother to the hospital for a check-up, ignoring her protests that she was needed at the factory and her accusations that he and Hong Die were conspiring against her. Song Zhi spoke with Zhaoyang again, reminding her of her contractual obligations.
While acknowledging that Teng Yue had paid for the usage rights for that specific design, she emphasized that Zhaoyang must report any future external collaborations to TT Media in advance. Citing the past incident at Aneda as a lesson, she warned Zhaoyang to maintain her professionalism and focus on her primary work, stating she would be held accountable for any future breaches.
Feeling conflicted, Zhaoyang sought advice from Gao Yi, discussing the competing invitations from Teng Yue and another company, Free Unicorn, while feeling trapped by her TT Media contract and a non-compete agreement from her previous job at Aneda. Gao Yi encouraged her not to give up on her dream, recognizing her talent and passion. He suggested there were ways to resolve her contract issues and introduced her to Wang Peng, a lawyer specializing in contract litigation.
Later, Yang Jian brought food to Zhaoyang's apartment and overheard her on the phone with Lawyer Wang. He listened as the lawyer advised that the non-compete agreement could likely be nullified by returning the compensation she had received. However, terminating the contract with TT Media would be far more difficult, as they had not breached its terms and had provided her with lucrative opportunities. The lawyer estimated the penalty for breaking the contract would be "at least a million yuan."
Yang Jian was visibly shocked by the figure. Jiang Hu took Xu Si to the Teng Yue employee canteen for a meal, where they chatted casually. She took the opportunity to ask him for a favor: to help mediate with Song Zhi at TT Media regarding Zhaoyang's contract. She pointed out that since Xu Si was an investor in both companies, a legal dispute would be detrimental to his interests, and also subtly referenced his past relationship with Song Zhi.
Xu Si acknowledged her shrewdness but did not give a clear answer. As he was leaving, Xu Si accidentally stepped in dog poop. A canteen worker cheerfully congratulated him, calling it a rare sign of good luck. Unamused, Xu Si told him to be quiet.
