Cupid's Kitchen Episode 32 Recap
> Cupid's Kitchen Recap
Madam Quentin greeted Junbin, expressing relief he had come so early. She shared her worry that Elise, who was still upstairs and in a bad mood, might act impulsively, especially with the media to face that afternoon. She felt Elise truly needed him, and Junbin assured her he would do his best. As breakfast arrived, Madam Quentin urged him to go upstairs and share it with Elise, which he agreed to do.
Meanwhile, after rushing back to the airport, Thomas found Jiang Qianfan waiting in the office. Thomas noted that Jiang Qianfan's public statement had already been released on Yuxuan's official website, calling it "very much so" a bad look. Thomas, who had always viewed Jiang Qianfan as a "golden banner" and "guarantee of quality," expressed his shock and disappointment that Jiang Qianfan was now associated with dishonesty.
He pressed Jiang Qianfan, asking how long he intended to hide his taste loss if Boris hadn't exposed it. Jiang Qianfan answered, "a whole lifetime." Thomas admitted that he, too, might have chosen to hide such a disability, as no one wants to reveal their incapacities, especially someone as proud as Jiang Qianfan.
However, he sternly reminded Jiang Qianfan of his responsibility as a mentor to immediately inform him or the committee, emphasizing the serious and unforgiving nature of the competition. Jiang Qianfan accepted any punishment but pleaded for Lin Kesong to be allowed to continue competing. Thomas explained that the decision was no longer his alone but required a collective vote from the six committee members.
Jiang Qianfan then revealed that Elise had already arranged a press conference at Yuxuan for that afternoon. Elsewhere, Blu felt awful, like he had "eaten flies," as he watched a video. Old Huang invited him to go fishing and learn to make Sweet and Sour Live Fish, but Blu declined, stating he was not in the mood. Old Huang understood Blu's pain, comparing the situation to falling for someone imagined rather than real.
He shared his own experience, assuring Blu that such heartbreak eventually passes, and again urged him to come fishing. At the Lin family's home, the other chefs struggled to restrain Lin Feng, who was consumed by fury. He stormed into Lin Xiaoyu's room, yelling at her for repaying kindness with revenge. Xiaoyu brazenly argued that exposing Jiang Qianfan, a "cheater," was "upholding justice."
Lin Feng accused her of being ungrateful, "tearing down the bridge after you crossed the river" and "smiling with hidden blades," and declared she was unworthy of the Lin surname. Xiaoyu retorted defiantly that she would take her mother's surname. Enraged, Lin Feng slapped her and ordered her out of his home, calling her a "white-eyed wolf." Xiaoyu left, while the others tried to calm Lin Feng and get him water. Reporters gathered outside Jiang Qianfan's house, demanding answers.
Lin Kesong, awakened by the commotion, called Jiang Qianfan on her phone, urging him not to return. Jiang Qianfan calmly reassured her, telling her not to worry and to use the time to rest before continuing her training in the kitchen. Thomas, still with Jiang Qianfan, then reminded him that while he wasn't afraid of them getting into trouble, he worried they might not use the correct method to resolve it.
With nowhere else to go, Lin Xiaoyu returned to Boris's jellyfish bar, looking distraught. She collapsed onto a sofa, asking Boris to wake her when the press conference began. As the rain grew heavier, Jiang Qianfan arrived home, inviting the persistent reporters inside. He immediately called Elise, informing her that the press conference was being moved to his house and would begin in one hour.
Elise was frantic, protesting that she had already scheduled reporters, many of whom had good relationships with Yuxuan, for 3 PM at the restaurant and had notified staff. She criticized his "sudden" and "rash" decision, fearing negative coverage from unknown reporters. Jiang Qianfan insisted it was too late, as they were already in his living room, and urged her to come over quickly. Ignoring her subsequent voice messages, Jiang Qianfan went into the kitchen to resume teaching Lin Kesong.
Kesong watched him, his hands steady and breathing stable, wondering if he was so engrossed in cooking that he forgot the world, or if he was using it to calm himself amidst the turmoil. Shortly after, Elise messaged Kesong to come out. When Kesong met her, Elise demanded she "disappear" until after the press conference, explaining that she and Jiang Qianfan had carefully guarded the secret for so long, only for Kesong to ruin it.
She accused Kesong of knowing about Jiang Qianfan's taste loss and Lin Xiaoyu's malicious intent, yet still putting him in a risky situation. Kesong protested she didn't act intentionally and didn't know Xiaoyu would do such a thing. Elise countered that unintentional actions were often the most dangerous and insisted Kesong's presence was unsafe. Kesong refused to leave unless Jiang Qianfan told her to, asserting her role as his apprentice.
Elise then attempted to physically remove Kesong, leading to a scuffle in the rain, during which Kesong accidentally pushed Elise, causing her to fall. Just then, Junbin arrived, quickly intervening to break up their fight. He hurried into the living room to address the reporters, giving them time to change their drenched clothes.
Inside, Junbin introduced himself as Xie Junbin, Jiang Qianfan's lead physician, explaining that Jiang Qianfan's illness had been recently diagnosed and progressed rapidly, with no effective treatment yet found, though he assured them a cure would be found. He offered to answer any medical questions. After changing, Elise apologized to Kesong for her behavior, explaining she was only trying to protect Jiang Qianfan, who was having a difficult time. Kesong, understanding Elise's good intentions, also apologized for her own rashness.
Jiang Qianfan then formally began the press conference, thanking everyone for attending. He confirmed that everything Boris stated in his video was true: he had indeed lost his sense of taste and could not discern flavors, including those in the fried rice. He introduced Xie Junbin as his attending physician for further medical inquiries and offered his sincere apologies to the public for not disclosing his condition sooner.
When he opened the floor for questions, reporters immediately challenged Yuxuan's integrity, questioning how he could create innovative dishes without his sense of taste and linking Boris's claims about Yuxuan's "terrible" new dishes and their past conflict to his lack of integrity. Boris, watching live, likened the aggressive reporters to "piranhas" about to devour Jiang Qianfan.
Jiang Qianfan, after letting them finish, calmly stated that he was a simple man who would "admit to everything I've done, but I won't explain myself if it's something I didn't do." He asserted that in his fifteen years in the food industry, he had "never disappointed anyone" and respected both his profession and every customer. He declared the press conference over, but the reporters continued to press him.
Kesong then stepped forward, declaring that if he wouldn't explain, she would. She presented the food taste reference table, explaining how it meticulously documented flavors like sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, and savory, with standard ingredients and assigned values for new flavors. A reporter scoffed, calling it ridiculous and questioning if anyone could be a chef if it were that simple.
Kesong passionately defended Jiang Qianfan, highlighting her own exceptional sense of taste and explaining that the table proved he had not given up on being a good chef despite his immense misfortune, all because of his profound love for food. She challenged the reporters to achieve what he had. Still, a reporter insisted Jiang Qianfan had "lied to the public."
Kesong again defended him, asking what he had lied about and if they had ever received a "bad dish," but Jiang Qianfan cut her off. He then proposed a practical demonstration: he provided ingredients, and invited any food journalist to cook a dish. He and Kesong, using the taste table, would then replicate it exactly. If they failed, he would admit defeat.
A male reporter accepted the challenge, inspecting the ingredients before choosing to make his family's unique Kung Pao Chicken, requesting Jiang Qianfan and Kesong leave the kitchen during his preparation. As they waited on the rooftop, Jiang Qianfan playfully chided Kesong for her sharp tongue but admitted he was to blame for "spoiling her so much."
Kesong retorted she was forced to speak up because he wouldn't tell the truth and had been frustrated by the reporters treating him like a criminal. Meanwhile, Boris, watching the live stream, excitedly observed the reporter's unique technique of rapidly moving the wok on and off high heat. He correctly deduced this was a method to control temperature and enhance the chicken's texture, predicting this subtle difference in preparation would spell trouble for Jiang Qianfan.
After the reporter finished, Jiang Qianfan and Kesong tasted the dish. Then, to Boris's astonishment, Jiang Qianfan replicated the cooking method precisely, using the same high-heat, lift-and-drop technique. The reporter, speechless, admitted his surprise and asked how Jiang Qianfan had figured out his grandma's unique cooking style. Jiang Qianfan credited Lin Kesong, whose "very accurate flavor index and level of firmness for the chicken" from the taste table allowed him to understand and replicate all aspects of the dish.
The reporter, though impressed, challenged Yuxuan's reliance on mere replication. In response, Jiang Qianfan added his own sauce to the dish, calling it "my take on the flavors" and his unique understanding of the cuisine. Upon tasting it, the reporter was utterly convinced. He declared that Jiang Qianfan's loss of taste "didn't affect you at all" due to his extraordinary skill and apologized for questioning his integrity, announcing himself a new fan of both Jiang Qianfan and Yuxuan.
Relieved, Elise invited all the reporters to stay for a meal, bringing the press conference to a successful close. At the jellyfish bar, Boris was stunned by the unexpected "happy ending" of the press conference. Lin Xiaoyu, seeing his disappointment, cruelly mocked his incompetence, telling him she now understood he taught her "anger and hate" because he was "useless" when facing a stronger opponent. She claimed that even without him, she had the means to deal with Lin Kesong.
Boris retorted that her success would be his success and dismissed her, stating she was merely "one of my chess pieces." Xiaoyu, undeterred, countered that he was "also just one of my chess pieces as well" and ordered him to leave so she could practice. Boris, calling her "truly hard-hearted," reluctantly complied, saying she could do whatever she wanted as long as she won. Back at Yuxuan, staff members discussed their worries.
With the quarterly new dishes still undeveloped, they feared their chances of achieving a three-star rating this year were slim, and that business might suffer. Dami, however, tried to reassure them, praising Jiang Qianfan's "brave" performance at the press conference and expressing confidence that he would quickly develop new dishes to restore everyone's faith in the restaurant.
