Something Just Like This Episode 19 Recap
> Something Just Like This Recap
A still-intoxicated Duan Ran confronted Ouyang, blaming her for not informing him of their breakup. He complained, "You broke up with me. And you didn't even inform me. How could you do this? It's unacceptable." Ouyang, in turn, put the blame on her father, saying, "Blame my dad for having no vision then. He doesn't even appreciate you." Qian Xixi worried that Jiang Zheyang might think she was unreliable after she used him to provoke Duan Ran.
She decided to clarify her actions, explaining that her behavior the previous night was a deliberate act to make Duan Ran jealous, and hoped for his understanding. Jiang Zheyang didn't mind at all; in fact, he was happy to help her. When Qian Xixi saw Duan Ran approaching again, she intentionally held Jiang Zheyang's hand, sincerely expressing her gratitude for his significant help. Duan Ran, unable to contain his jealousy, finally approached.
However, his pride prevented him from showing his true feelings too obviously. He advised Jiang Zheyang and Qian Xixi to let go of each other's hands, scolding Qian Xixi not to negatively impact Jiang Zheyang with rumors. Jiang Zheyang smiled, indicating he didn't care. Duan Ran then turned and left, and Qian Xixi smiled, pleased and happy to see Duan Ran's obvious jealousy.
A live streaming company organized a variety show centered around a restaurant theme, inviting Jiang Zheyang to participate. During the show, Jiang Zheyang was interviewed about the "six-hand piano performance," and as a surprise, Yuan Yuan and Lao Qian were also brought out. Jiang Zheyang genuinely expressed his surprise, stating, "I didn't expect them to be here today." The host confirmed, "This is what we hope to see."
Meanwhile, Cola, consumed by jealousy over Yuan Yuan's renewed popularity and trending status, confronted Chen Lang. Chen Lang, noticing Cola's envy, deliberately stirred up her emotions. He remarked, "Everyone in Rui saw Yuan Yuan come and go. It's happened many times. Why Duan Ran and Qian Xixi haven't given up on her? He just wants to make her the head broadcaster.
As long as she doesn't reach the top, these two will spare no effort to put her in that position. Then when Yuan Yuan makes a name for herself, what will you do? Everyone will be looking at Yuan Yuan. Who will still care about you?" Chen Lang then renewed his invitation for Cola to join Cloud Live, promising her better resources.
He further proposed a condition: Cola would act as an undercover agent at Rui for a period, after which she would formally join Cloud Live and be groomed into their top broadcaster. Believing Chen Lang's promises, Cola agreed to his terms. Yu Shi voiced his concerns to Duan Ran, arguing that he shouldn't "put all the eggs in one basket" by allocating all resources to Yuan Yuan and neglecting other broadcasters.
Duan Ran, however, insisted that the immediate priority was to cultivate a head broadcaster, believing his strategy was sound and he was utilizing talent wisely. He explained, "Xi Xi is already the CEO, so she shouldn't be competing for these broadcaster things, right? As for Jia Yun, her mind isn't focused on this at all. She doesn't want to compete so much. Her personality is just like that. So I can't push her too hard.
If I push too hard, I might scare her away, right? And now Yuan Yuan. Let me say this. Yuan Yuan is a career-oriented woman. She's now striving for performance, climbing the ladder. We're giving her so much pressure, but people don't think we're forcing her. We're giving her opportunities and resources. And because of this, she will be even more loyal to Rui."
Qian Xixi also repeatedly advised Duan Ran not to concentrate all resources on Yuan Yuan, but he refused to listen. Later, Su Su informed Duan Ran that Chen Lang's side was behind the anti-fan attack on Yuan Yuan, adding that Qian Xixi already knew about it. Duan Ran initially wanted to keep it from Qian Xixi. Qian Xixi found Duan Ran to discuss the anti-fan issue. She pressed him, "About Yuan Yuan's anti-fan incident, any idea who did it?"
Duan Ran casually replied, "Chen Lang, obviously. Don't take it to heart. Whoselive stream doesn't have a couple of anti-fans?" Qian Xixi, however, emphasized the severity, noting that if hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of anti-fans flooded the stream, "ten Susu can't handle it. What then?" She then reiterated her earlier point, "Didn't I tell you not to rely only on Yuan Yuan?
Chen Lang doesn't just want Yuan Yuan to be ruined, he wants the whole company to be ruined with her, don't you know?" Duan Ran remained dismissive, telling her not to "get agitated over every little thing and blame me." Qian Xixi expressed her frustration, pointing out how many viewers and fans Yuan Yuan's live stream had lost.
Duan Ran brushed it off, urging her to "hurry and drink your soup" instead of worrying, which made Qian Xixi exclaim, "Are you crazy? What time is it now? ! Still thinking about drinking things?" At one point, Lao Qian arrived with food for Qian Xixi, concerned about her working late. Qian Xixi, touched by her father's visit, briefly introduced him to Duan Ran as "Qian Xixi's father."
Lao Qian then decided to stay and observe Qian Xixi working, saying he would "just stay and see you work." To boost Yuan Yuan's ranking on the Talent Chart, a 12-hour live stream was scheduled, requiring extensive product displays. Duan Ran had meticulously prepared, going "all out" to support Yuan Yuan. He instructed Yuan Yuan's manager to emphasize business attire for women during the afternoon session, stating, "In the afternoon session, people will pay more attention to office-related products."
Su Su later discovered that Xiao Xiao from Chen Lang's team was also gaining significant momentum, directly challenging Yuan Yuan. Chen Lang himself stayed glued to the screen, barely eating, and believed Rui's broadcasters were "too pretty," creating distance with the audience. He considered Xiao Xiao "down to earth" and more relatable, explaining, "Xiao Xiao is different in this aspect. You could say she's not extremely pretty, but not ugly either, she's right in the middle. This is called approachability."
Noticing the fierce competition, Duan Ran initiated "Plan A." He announced that the first fifty customers to place an order would receive a "Perfect Blue Super Experience Pack" signed by Jiang Zheyang. This immediately boosted Yuan Yuan's sales. Duan Ran later asked Qian Xixi and Zhang Jiayun to temporarily take over Yuan Yuan's live stream so she could rest. Lao Qian, seeing Qian Xixi so busy she couldn't eat, was deeply touched and urged her to eat.
Meanwhile, Chen Lang was intensely coaching Xiao Xiao, openly declaring war on Duan Ran, stating, "Duan Ran, our war starts from this moment." Upon Yuan Yuan's return to the live stream, her comment section was flooded with anti-fans hurling insults, accusing her of being supported by a sugar daddy. Yuan Yuan froze, unable to speak. Su Su's attempts to block comments led to her administrator privileges being suspended.
Furious, Qian Xixi berated Duan Ran for putting all their resources on Yuan Yuan alone. However, after a moment of silence, Yuan Yuan removed her high heels, used one as a phone stand, and sat on the floor to engage with her audience. Yuan Yuan sincerely recounted her life story, explaining, "If life is a river, then my life has always been swimming upstream."
She described her childhood poverty, where plastic sheets covered windows, and how in winter, her family would huddle on a "stove-bed" for tens of days. She also shared her early dreams of acting, achieving first place in the nation-wide art school examination. She recounted extreme efforts for roles, jumping through mud ponds, getting hit by trains, and enduring 48 hours in special effects makeup. Despite her hard work, scandals always ruined her efforts.
She revealed that her "scandal" originated when a rich fan's wife framed her to ensure her husband's divorce resulted in him leaving with nothing. Yuan Yuan expressed her belief that some would trust her story and words, hoping they would continue to follow her live stream. She concluded, "If you think I did well, then please place more orders. Trust in Yuan Yuan's judgment. Trust that I will always bring you benefits."
Her honest confession captivated more fans, stopping the stream of insults and causing her popularity to surge. Chen Lang was stunned, while Duan Ran felt triumphant. Lao Qian, reflecting on the situation, noted, "She can really talk. She's winning people's hearts. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, same principle in the live streaming industry."
Duan Ran emphasized that the current era was no longer about simple TV shopping, but the internet, where "everything is unpredictable, but everything has also become richer at the same time."
