The Brightest Star in the Sky Episode 41 Recap
> The Brightest Star in the Sky Recap
Upon arriving in Cancun, Zheng Baixu and Zhenzhen took a $120 ride to Askew, the town where Justin was rumored to be. The driver, impressed by their Chinese origin, dropped them off in what appeared to be an old town. They inquired about Justin, or "Justino" as the locals called him, from an elderly woman named Betty. Betty confirmed that Justin had been there a few days prior but left in a hurry, and she didn't know his current whereabouts.
She explained that Justin, a friend of her deceased son, visited her every year. As a gesture of goodwill, Zhenzhen offered Betty a gift they had brought from China. Feeling disheartened, they later went to a bar. A local man, recognizing Baixu as a musician, invited him to perform. Baixu took the stage and sang a new C-pop song, which was well-received. Impressed, the man humorously offered one of his two daughters for Baixu to take back to China.
Baixu politely declined, claiming Zhenzhen was his wife, a playful declaration the man accepted with good humor. After checking into their hotel, where Baixu initially suggested saving money by sharing one room until Zhenzhen insisted on two, Baixu playfully mused about skipping the competition to live a happy life with Zhenzhen, singing and having children. Zhenzhen, however, remained focused on their primary "task one" – finding Justin.
They inquired about him at the hotel, and a part-time student named Bob, who worked there, recognized Justin as a famous music producer and offered to find someone who might know his location. Later, the hotel manager informed them that Justin had indeed been scheduled to be a judge for the global idol singing contest but had left abruptly the previous day, with rumors suggesting he had quit for no reason.
Zhenzhen speculated about a possible conspiracy behind his withdrawal, to which Baixu, comparing Justin's eccentricity to that of Mr. Gu, declared he would quit the competition too if such a conspiracy existed. Sitting by the sea, Zhenzhen and Baixu enjoyed the comfortable atmosphere, feeling like an old married couple.
Zhenzhen shared her aspiration for a senior life similar to that of the Donalds, an elderly couple she had observed in a nursing home who shared interests and remained together through all circumstances, making even death seem less frightening. Baixu then earnestly asked Zhenzhen if she appreciated him as much as he appreciated her growth from a novice assistant to a professional manager. Zhenzhen chuckled, remarking that the boy within him hadn't grown up yet.
Their conversation was interrupted by a fire performance by local artists. Seeing the flames, Baixu visibly tensed, confessing his fear of fire and feeling useless. Zhenzhen quickly intervened, dismissing the performers and comforting him. She reminded him that his mother's death was an accident and that she had been protecting him, assuring him that he would become fearless too when he found someone he wished to protect. Baixu tightly gripped Zhenzhen's hand, grateful for her presence.
The next morning, the hotel manager delivered a letter and a musical arrangement from Justin to Baixu. Justin had returned to America but indicated that Baixu could find him later, providing the new music for practice. However, Baixu found Justin's arrangement "strange" and felt it would compromise his song's personality and the essence of C-POP.
Zhenzhen advised him to give it a chance, acknowledging Justin's expertise and suggesting that this wasn't the final version, encouraging Baixu to communicate his opinions to find a balance between their styles. Meanwhile, Yu Zirui arrived in Cancun for the contest, accompanied by Xia Yuan. Zhenzhen, upon seeing Xia Yuan, eagerly tried to pull her away to the beach.
However, Xia Yuan was still feeling down, openly admitting to Zhenzhen that she was angry with herself, feeling unlikable, petty, bad-tempered, and unreasonable due to her jealousy over Yu Zirui's affection for Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen attempted to comfort her, but Xia Yuan insisted on being left alone. Later, Zheng Baixu found Xia Yuan by herself and sat down to console her.
He reminisced about first meeting her, finding her adorable and outgoing, and told her that young girls were entitled to be capricious. He playfully claimed Xia Yuan was much cuter than Zhenzhen, whom he described as not being a "real woman" and lacking "female tenderness," but quickly explained that Zhenzhen's bluntness stemmed from caring deeply for those close to her. He advised Xia Yuan to communicate more with Zhenzhen and to cherish her family, friends, and love.
Concurrently, Yu Zirui approached Zhenzhen, asking about Xia Yuan. Zhenzhen explained that Xia Yuan was avoiding her and that her current emotional state was different from her past dramatic relationships, indicating a deeper hurt. She urged him, if he couldn't reciprocate Xia Yuan's feelings, to treat her kindly so she could heal. Yu Zirui then directly asked Zhenzhen if she was in love with Baixu. Zhenzhen confirmed, "Yes."
Yu Zirui admitted that he had realized his hopes were impossible the moment he saw her in Cancun, noting that the "light" in her eyes when she looked at him was gone, replaced by an ease that signified his defeat. He then declared his intention to win the contest championship against Baixu. Later, Baixu confronted Zhenzhen, demanding to know what she and Yu Zirui had discussed, displaying clear jealousy and accusing her of potentially leaking "confidential intelligence" as his manager.
Zhenzhen dismissed his concerns, leading to a brief argument where she told him that her private matters with Zirui were none of his business and that she wouldn't answer his calls the next day. That night, Zhenzhen, unable to sleep, wrote a list of Zheng Baixu's "Shortcomings," which included "Arrogance, Pride, Loose lips, Egoistic, Low EQ, Not likable, Nitpicking," before starting a list of his "Strengths."
