Shine On Me Discussions - Episode 13-14
Links to episode discussions: Masterpost | Ep 5-8 | Ep 9-10 | Ep 11-12
Time for the recap!
Episode 13:
We continue where we left off last ep, with Grandma and Xigua in the fields. They reminisce over the past as they tend to the vegetables. The grandma eventually mentions a love life too. Xiguang thinks about Yusen’s confession, then thinks about whether to message him before her grandma calls her away.
At Yusen’s House: He gets a call that he answers with a smile. It is his mom. He confesses that he can’t focus (someone is too distracted by love), his mom is quick to the reason with a smile. His mom says she is coming back for Chinese New Year, and that he shouldn’t tell the others in Shanghai. (These rich families with their complicated relationships)
Back to Grandma’s house:
I like it when they show us strong familial bonds.
A cute cozy scene. (I want a house like that). Overalls the whole scene is super sweet, grandparents are loving. Her grandma is a real talkative lady (reminds me of my own).Grandma shares some life advice about getting men.
Time to get back to work: Xiguang bids goodbye to her grandparents and drives off.
At the Company Rooftop:
i thought the snow looked like waves
Xiguang is greeted by her work besties at the door who notice that she looks out of it, so they ask her about it but she attributes it to the cold. All of the office is going to the roof to clear the snow ?? Regardless. Yusen is there, and as always, his eyes seek her as soon as they see them coming.
Snow cleaning mission start! Yin Jie drags Xiguang to clear the snow from the panels right next to Yusen’s. They’re being adorably awkward, with Yusen just waiting for his chance to say something. And he does talk about solar panels.
Yin Jie slips while cleaning the panels, Xiguang struggles to help her and naturally Yusen supports her too. They share a cute moment where Yusen shows his concern, and Xiguang says she is fine. The old man in their team gives us a quote of the day
Don’t choose fashion over function
Back at the Office:
We see them warming their hands at a meeting. They discuss the year-end party plans. Even in the meeting room, he keeps sneaking glances. Xiguang and Yin Jie are assigned the mission to take care of the catering and that is what we see them in the next scene. The two work besties are on a walk and pause for a water break (naturally for product placement). Yin Jie ever the observer, notices that Xigua is out of it. She is quick to point out that Xigua is avoiding Mr Lin. Our girl tries to distract her by a dining out invite, but Yin Jie is relentless. She is close to guessing when Xiguang gets a call from Dr. Fang Sheng Yi.
At the Restaurant:
They’re having dinner where Sheng Yi decides to spill the beans on every manipulative thing Yusen did, the wedding invite, the lunches at the hospital, everything. Xigua asks him if that’s really all he is for? Our Dr comments that he is just doing this for fun. Sheng Yi is doing his best to play wingman, telling her that even on calls, as soon as her name pops up, Yusen is quick to hang up. Dr Fang asks her:
If someone like Yusen doesn’t make the cut, then who on earth are you looking for?
Sheng Yi says that he is stuffed and can’t drive her, that he texted Yusen and told him to come pick her up. (I love him, I hope he keeps making the plot move forward). Sheng Yi tells her that dating Yusen would give her lots of perks! Yusen arrives and demands food, Sheng Yi takes his leave.
Yusen happy with his friend, Xigua feeling awkward
They have a quiet meal with Yusen focusing on his food and Xigua focusing on her drink. Yusen is happy she is willing to stay and talk to him, because he thought she’d bolt to avoid him again. She goes to pay, but he stops her and pays instead, saying that ***‘***I was just messing with you before; now that my cards are laid out, there is no way I am letting you pick up the tab’
Out of the restaurant, on another walk!
Yusen tells her that he had nothing to do with Sheng Yi meeting her. Xiguang smiles and then confronts him about the wedding invite. He doesn’t deny it, saying that he was raking his brain to come up with ways to confess. She says she’d thought he’d be a bit shy about his actions, but he just answers her that he’s been too direct already to care about shyness now. (My man is going all in now, speeding through with no breaks!)
Xiguang Inner Thoughts: I used to be just as direct as him, if i had met Lin Yusen first how would things have changed? Would I have falled for him at first sight? With both of us being so strict would we have just clicked right away ? That probably would have been nice.
She blurts the thought out ‘I wish I’d have met you first’
She does an awkward subject change by asking him what Sheng Yi wanted with him. He says Sheng Yi wanted his help with a paper, Xigua says that’s not fair from him. Yusen replies that he has been dramatic about his hands for one year and that he shouldn’t keep it up forever.
They stare at each other, then Yusen says that he is sorry he acted on impulse with his confession and caught her off guard. He apologizes to her, that he didn’t want to cause her any distress. His words remind her of the message she sent to Zhuang Xu as the wording is similar. She cuts him off, saying don’t say things like that. She tells him not to apologize and he is quick to agree with her as he sees her in distress.
He says it hurts when she avoids him, and that he is tired of playing along. Xiguang the whole time thought she was just excellent at evading but nope.
he says stop avoiding me and she agrees. next step in Yusen's plan: Give her work
Late Night Work Time!: (Phase II Plant Site)
He brought her here for her opinion about what to build in a left over space. She rambles on and on about an eco-friendly garden and he takes the chance to give her work: She is now charged with going back and forth between the departments to make the garden happen.
he replies: that he will be doing the signing.
We cut to Xiguang going over the plan for the plan with the supervisor there. They ask for her opinion and she is out of her depth. Hardworking Xiguang is in the building as she tries to learn as much as possible to accomplish her task.
The episode ends with them drawing lots on who gets to attend a food taste to vote for the new cafeteria catering service. Yusen also joins them in the draw...
Episode 14
...Draw results are out, and Yusen announces that it was Xiguang who got the last spot. Yin Jie suspects that something is going on between the two of them.
Off to taste some food. Yusen shows up, his eyes naturally looking for Xiguang. Target locked, he smoothly inserts himself in the conversation. He never misses a chance to tie himself to Xiguang, this time he says he and xiguang will share one vote. He takes the chance to teases Xigua about the amount of food she eats again. They banter back and forth.
love that Xigua judges how little he eats
Meal in progress: Xigua and Yusen talk about their chosen food with their eyes and nods. They have a cute moment when choosing the vote. Yusen tells her ‘your favourite dish probably won’t make it’. We cut to the counting of votes and we see that indeed her choice isn’t making it. Yusen then hits her with:
I just checked which other restaurants this caterer has in their portfolio. I am going to take you through all of them, one by one.
Xiguang is as touched as I am. I continue to lament my singleness.
Out of the restaurants on a walk (so many walks in this show):
Yusen asks what’s on her mind, she replies she’s thinking about his request. He smiles thinking it’s about the confession but nope, girl only has work on her mind as she asks him about the Plant II site project.
Yusen's face reads: are you serious right now?
She realises what he thought about and decides to pretend she didn’t by doubling down on her question about work. He allows her to get away with it and answers her question. Xiguang, ever the opportunist, takes the chance to ask for compensation in the form of meal stipends and Yusen who is just as much of a chance seizer, tells her he’ll pay for the meals out of his own pockets. Go ahead my dear secure those food dates. Xiguang loves to eat and he knows.
We cut to the cafeteria where the work besties are chatting. Yin Jie then asks Xigua ‘Why have you been eating out every night?’ I love her. As always, Xiguang just tells her to eat her food.
Next scene we have Xiguang and Yin Jie in laid-back work mode. A colleague shows up to tell them someone needs to attend the meeting with Mr Lin. Xiguang volunteers to go and Yin Jie just gives her this knowing look
At the meeting: They discuss work, plan a business trip and one of the meeting members is impressed with the inquiry list Xiguang made and volunteers her for the trip. My girl can smell work coming her way from a mile away. Yusen asks her why she looked so distrustful, she replies that Yusen has a track record. He smiles and then says not this time as he is in a dilemma about the approach
I believe pursuing a girl should be upfront but doing it at work feels a bit unfair to her.
Yusen continues to be thoughtful and Xiguang continues to be impressed by him. He tells her that the best solution to his dilemma is for her to stop hiding her identity, then all the focus would be on him and he can show her what he is made of! It’s sweet that he is trying to shield her even from work rumours.
Yin Jie shows up and cut their discussion short. Yusen takes his leave after asking Xiguang to think about the business trip. Xiguang is dragged to the resting area to be grilled by Yin Jie who confronts her about ‘you’re going on the trip just you and Mr Lin?’. Xiguang can’t get a word in as Yin Jie comes to the conclusion that Mr Lin is pursuing her.
Xiguang Inner thoughts: I wasn’t like this. Hesitant even about being pursued. (URGH Zhuang Xu really played a number on her personality). Lin Yusen was right, his feelings to me aren’t a burden. Even if I haven’t fully moved on, there is no need to be so elusive and guarded. I used to fearlessly chase someone before so why not have the courage to be pursued?
https://i.redd.it/hmdolcnlvs9g1.gif
We cut to Xiguang tossing in bed. She sends Yusen a message “Keep at it!” and agonizes over why he isn’t replying. Yusen straight-up calls her and asks what exactly she meant by her message, she plays dumb and says it was sent to the wrong person, he says what if you meant to send it then? What would it mean?
She tells him there are two things he needs to know : 1. I’d like to go to the business trip. 2. I want you to show what you’re capable off out in the open. She tells him that if there is gossip then he shouldn’t be blamed for it so he shouldn’t hold himself back.
AT LAST, she has accepted his advances, one step closer to the relationship.
She tells him that if in two weeks her friends start having doubt about him, then she will bail. Yusen just smiles and asks for a list of her bestfriends but Xiguang said she won’t help him cheat, then she quickly hangs up on him. She changes his contact name from Mr.Lin to Lin Yusen.
At the Airport: Xigua is lamenting her impulsiveness as she has a fear of flying.
Guangzhou: Work Place :The business trip team walks around the company, and does some business talk. Exchange contacts and we move on.
We cut to the Ride Back to the hotel:
Xiguang asks about WeChat ( and we are reminded the timeline of the drama isn’t the current age, the app was launched in 2011 ) Yusen tells her he just got it recently, Xiguang cutely complains that he shouldn’t have let her lag behind and he says ‘yes, my fault, I’m sorry’. Their coworkers just exchange glances.
At Hotel Room: Xiguang checked in and got some spa vouchers. Then we cut to her in the room is laying on her bed as she and Yusen text back and forth on WeChat.
used google translate, hope it's readable.
Yusen looks at Wang Xin (their colleague) tells him to go to the spa then he messages Xigu telling her that Wang Xin is dying to go. (his mind never fails to come up with solutions to secure time with his love). Xigua tells him that she can’t go to the spa, then she will go for a stroll and asks him to meet her at the door. This is adorable, I am smiling throughout this whole exchange.
Xigua is also not holding back as much anymore and i love it.
At the Phone Shop
Xigua wants to buy a new phone, the clerk gives her a similar model to Yusen’s and tells her that if she gets the pink one it will match his. Xigua tells her all sorts of excuses but end up choosing pink. Yusen is enjoying himself. He is very happy with her trying to appear unphased by his pursuit. I think he also likes that he is seeing a new side of her.
The clerk tells her she can help transfer all her old messages and contacts to her new phone. Xiguang agrees then stops her. That’s the way to go!! Get rid of everything except the necessary stuff and messages.
Back at the Hotel Room:
Due to a slip of the tongue, Ms Chen learns that Yusen and Xigua were out together. Ms Chen good naturedly tells her story as a cautionary tale. How she faced love life gossip at her previous company. She tells Xigua to ask Yusen to tone it down at the workplace for her own good. Xigua tells her that they did think about, and they did talk it through, that they’re not breaking any rules. I think Miss Chen is nice.
https://i.redd.it/a8tokgo0xs9g1.gif
Overall thoughts:
- I really really like how their relationship is developing, how Yusen is mature enough to know when to back away and how to make her feel at ease. The greenest.
- These episodes really showed us what a number Zhuang Xu had on her personality. That jerk and the slap-worthy face that is sticking to him really made affected her. It's nice to see her slowly healing and going back to her old self!
- I love love her work bestie, Yin Jie is always there for her to encourage her, with no jealousy or rancor! I wonder how she'll react when she finds out Xigua is their boss basically. I hope their friendship is unphased by that.
Posted Dec 27, 2025, 7:55 PM UTC