Cupid's Kitchen Episode 21 Recap
> Cupid's Kitchen Recap
Jiang Qianfan gave Lin Kesong a morning fitness lesson, focusing on core strength. As she watched his well-defined muscles, Kesong couldn't help but imagine the security and prestige of having such a strong boyfriend by her side. Meanwhile, Lin Feng discovered online that Lin Xiaoyu and Lin Kesong had been disciplined for fighting, which angered him enough to smash his tablet. He immediately called Kesong, demanding she come over.
Jiang Qianfan drove Kesong to the restaurant, and after dropping her off, Lin Feng called Kesong's parents. He was surprised to learn from them that Kesong had initiated the fight. Jiang Qianfan, not wanting Kesong to be wronged, encouraged her to explain the full story. Kesong approached Xiaoyu, attempting to reconcile. Xiaoyu, playing along for her father, hugged Kesong while secretly whispering, "No way we're making up." Kesong understood the charade and cooperated.
Lin Feng laid down the law, stating that while sibling squabbles were normal, they must talk things out and not fight. He warned that if they ever came to blows again, he would expose embarrassing childhood photos of them wetting the bed on the competition's official website. He then reported to Kesong's parents that the issue was resolved. Kesong’s mother expressed relief, noting how protective Jiang Qianfan had been of their daughter. Later, Kesong took Jiang Qianfan to eat xiaolongbao.
He questioned why she hadn't revealed the full truth earlier. She explained that she preferred to keep the conflict contained between herself and Xiaoyu, as bringing her uncle and parents into it would only cause more awkwardness and arguments among the adults. Jiang Qianfan, though admitting he couldn't fully understand her family dynamics having learned cooking from Montgomery and having few relatives, praised her thoughtfulness.
He then steered the conversation back to business, reminding Kesong that her overall rank was sixth, with Victor, Blu, and Lin Xiaoyu all performing better. He emphasized the need for her to excel in the upcoming "sour" themed competition, suggesting they start with the xiaolongbao in front of them. He asked her to compare the taste of a dumpling dipped in vinegar versus one without.
Kesong, after tasting, commented that the crab soup dumplings weren't fishy because yellow rice wine had been added to both the stuffing and soup. She lamented not knowing this method earlier for removing fishiness. Jiang Qianfan pressed her, sensing she was holding back. Under his insistent questioning, Kesong revealed that Elise had asked her to find a way to deal with the fishiness of crayfish and beef, which they couldn't tell him about due to his loss of taste.
Not knowing the yellow wine method, Kesong had smoked the crayfish in Pu’er tea instead of soaking them in green tea. Jiang Qianfan realized he had wrongly punished Kesong that day by making her clean Yuxuan’s floors. When he asked if she hated him, she admitted "a bit." To compensate, he promised to personally clean Yuxuan’s floors, a proposition Kesong found amusing yet accepted. Later, Elise was frantically searching for a contract at home when her mother discovered her.
Her mother coldly informed her that the document was with Lawyer Goodman and, seeing Elise, called her "pathetic." As Elise left, Victor followed her, concerned. He expressed his sadness at seeing her so distressed and noted how long it had been since she truly smiled. Elise brushed it off, claiming her mother's opinion didn't define her and that she was merely under pressure that would pass.
Victor, however, pressed her about the document she was looking for, reassuring her that he was always there to help if she needed anything. Back home, Jiang Qianfan resumed teaching Kesong, this time focusing on the precise control of sourness in cooking. He explained that while extreme sourness, like a raw lemon, could be repulsive, the right amount could enhance flavor, stimulate appetite, and complement other tastes.
He elaborated on the scientific aspect of sourness, describing it as hydrogen ions dissolved in water, a "micro taste" produced by acidulants such as phosphate, lactic, acetic, malic, and citric acids. He added that these acids could soften proteins, making fruit-based marinades effective for tenderizing meats and imparting unique flavors. Mastering the "right amount of sour" to blend flavors, he stressed, was the most challenging of the five tastes.
Kesong joked that this was why she preferred sweet foods, which Jiang Qianfan quickly rebuked, reminding her he disliked sweets. He then informed her that Elise would likely be visiting often and that Kesong should prepare herself. Kesong silently grappled with this news, understanding her position but feeling a pang of jealousy despite herself.
Later, while Lin Kesong was practicing in the kitchen, Song Yiran called her, claiming his house was leaking and asking her to let property management in since Chu Ting was away and he couldn't make it home. Kesong, without suspicion, hurried over, only to find a surprise party arranged by Song Yiran to celebrate her competition placement. Despite her friends’ enthusiasm, Kesong felt she couldn't celebrate fourth place just yet and worried about losing the next round.
She politely declined the drinks, explaining she needed to focus on training for the upcoming competition, but promised to cook a celebratory meal for everyone herself after the finals. A classmate playfully teased Song Yiran, mentioning he had written something for Kesong despite his poor grades in Chinese compositions. Song Yiran, embarrassed, quickly tried to silence him. On her way home, Kesong reflected on the party and realized that Song Yiran's "something" was actually a love letter.
A part of her wished that it had been Jiang Qianfan who wrote it, but then she immediately chastised herself for such thoughts, knowing it was impossible. Song Yiran then caught up to her, noticing her distracted state. He tried to engage her, asking if something was wrong or if his letter had upset her. Kesong, flustered, denied it and hurried home. Later, lying in bed, she fully processed that Song Yiran truly liked her.
This was a moment she had supposedly been waiting for, a cause for happiness, yet she felt a bittersweet, almost jealous, sensation, as if she were envious of Jiang Qianfan. She forcefully reminded herself that Jiang Qianfan's heart belonged to Elise. As she prepared for sleep, she took an aspirin for muscle soreness and noticed a strangely familiar sour scent from the medicine, wondering where she had encountered it before.
Chu Ting saw Song Yiran’s social media post featuring Lin Kesong at his surprise party. Displeased, she privately messaged Song Yiran, advising him to edit girls’ photos before posting them, but he simply dismissed her comment. Later, unable to reach Elise, Li Yan secretly entered her car, startling her.
He complained about taking the blame for her actions and accused her of having intentionally caused Jiang Qianfan's loss of taste by adding a substance to essential oil that causes taste buds to fail. Li Yan asserted that Elise had later regretted her actions and asked him to steal the "poisoned" essential oil. Elise vehemently denied his accusations.
She showed him her bank account, revealing a low balance due to her investments in Yuxuan, and transferred what little money she had, pleading with him to stop his blackmail. Li Yan scoffed at the meager amount, implying he wouldn't stop, and warned that while he might reduce future demands, he still had other "channels" he hadn't yet exploited.
The following morning, Kesong awoke with a sudden realization: the familiar sour taste she’d noticed in the aspirin was strikingly similar to a perplexing flavor she’d encountered in a bowl of porridge Elise had made for Jiang Qianfan. She immediately called Xie Junbin, asking if different medicines could have unique corresponding tastes. She explained her muscle pain and how Jiang Qianfan's aspirin had a sour flavor resembling the one in Elise's porridge, which she had accidentally tasted.
Although startled by Kesong's precise observations, Xie Junbin feigned ignorance, claiming he wasn't an expert on chemical tastes and that it was likely just a coincidence. After dropping Li Yan off, who continued to insist there would be no end to his demands, Elise received an urgent call from Xie Junbin, who insisted on meeting immediately. He presented her with the aspirin and directly confronted her, stating that the medicine was an antidote to the essential oil's toxin.
He pointed out the chemical nature of its active ingredient, which should not naturally appear in food, making its presence in her porridge too much of a coincidence, especially since only she, Li Yan, and Nina had handled the poisoned essential oil. Under the weight of his accusations, Elise’s emotional defenses crumbled, and she burst into tears.
Xie Junbin gently embraced her as she confessed the truth: she had been misled into believing the essential oil’s poison could be easily neutralized by medicine. Her intention was to cause Jiang Qianfan (whom she referred to as Ollie) to lose his sense of taste, making him dependent on her and ensuring he couldn't leave her. However, she hadn't anticipated him encountering Lin Kesong, whose extraordinary sense of taste uncovered her scheme, leading him to rely on Kesong instead.
Xie Junbin gravely warned her that the toxin affected the nervous system, and prolonged exposure could lead to Jiang Qianfan losing more than just his taste. Elise defiantly declared that if she couldn't have Jiang Qianfan, no one else could, and she would even "die with him."
She then revealed that after Jiang Qianfan told her he had never loved anyone else and that she was the most important person in his life, offering to give her everything including Yuxuan's shares so she wouldn't suffer, her resolve to hurt him had broken. Unable to bear harming him further, she had anxiously instructed Li Yan to switch out the essential oil immediately.
That evening, the manager invited Head Chef Mai and two sous chefs to a night market for beer. He informed them that a competitor, Fu Li, was offering a 20% salary increase for Yuxuan chefs. Mai, still angry that Jiang Qianfan hadn't offered any explanation for his previous treatment, decided they would provoke a conflict with Jiang Qianfan the following night. If any dispute arose, they would all remove their uniforms and quit, leaving Yuxuan short of three chefs.
The manager even offered to provide sick leave notes if Elise tried to use their contracts against them. Their conversation was overheard by Xiao Pa, who tried to discreetly leave but was spotted and pulled over. Xiao Pa urged them to reconsider, suggesting they discuss their grievances with Elise and Jiang Qianfan, warning of the significant impact their departure would have on the restaurant.
However, Mai remained firm, asserting that Jiang Qianfan always made them look foolish and had never discussed his harsh actions with them. Later that night, Jiang Qianfan called Kesong and had a car pick her up, taking her to Yuxuan. He had kept his promise and was there to mop the floors as compensation for wrongly punishing her earlier. Kesong found his serious demeanor while mopping humorous, playfully directing him to various spots that needed cleaning.
The next morning, Jiang Qianfan took Kesong to Yuxuan’s vegetable base, specifically a "time tunnel" used for vegetable fermentation and marination. He showed her various stages of vegetable sauces, explaining how constant temperatures were maintained, and how ingredients like salt, wine, garlic, and ginger were added to create fermented sour fragrances and unique flavor effects over periods ranging from three days to a month. He encouraged her to taste the different stages to understand the changes.
