Cupid's Kitchen Episode 33 Recap
> Cupid's Kitchen Recap
Thomas summoned Jiang Qianfan and Boris, presenting them with two papers labeled "Eight Taels" and "Half a Kilo." He explained the Chinese idiom "Half a kilo and eight taels" meant they were two sides of the same coin, characterizing one as a traitor and the other a coward, and stating that Montgomery, if alive, would be deeply disappointed. Thomas revealed that before Montgomery's demise, he had a meal with him and expressed a wish.
Montgomery hoped Thomas would arrange for both Jiang Qianfan and Boris to serve as mentors at the Future Star Culinary Competition. His intention was for them to understand the profound meaning of being a mentor and an apprentice, and to carry on a legacy, thereby resolving their past grievances through competition. Thomas lamented that their last meeting had tragically become a farewell. Boris questioned if Montgomery would truly miss him.
Thomas then recounted how, after Boris left, Montgomery believed he had only acted impulsively and would soon return. When Boris never did, Montgomery, consumed with worry, searched for him relentlessly for over a year, traveling "to all corners of the world" and even resigning his job. By the time he returned to London, "his hair already turned white."
Jiang Qianfan added that Boris's first job in a Polish culinary school, where he got into a fistfight and was taken to the police, was saved by Montgomery. Montgomery had asked Thomas for a favor with the school and local friends to get Boris released, later even arranging a consultant position for him at a German food company.
Jiang Qianfan recalled that he had once suggested to Montgomery to bring Boris back, but Montgomery replied that Boris's "heart had become wild. There's no coming back." Thomas emphasized that Montgomery, never having married or had children, considered both of them "his children and even the pride of his life." Jiang Qianfan declared his readiness to accept any punishment, acknowledging that his personal problem had caused issues.
Boris, in turn, offered to withdraw from the competition, though Jiang Qianfan called him a "hypocrite" and asked if he was "still running away." Thomas then announced the committee's decision: despite Jiang Qianfan's loss of taste, Lin Kesong's performance demonstrated no adverse impact on his teaching. Therefore, Jiang Qianfan's mentor qualification remained valid. Jiang Qianfan then urged Boris to join him in the competition to fulfill Montgomery's final wish.
Victor visited Sister K's repair shop, seeking inspiration for the final competition. He provocatively threatened her beloved bike, demanding she name the food she had a "heart for from childhood on." Under duress, Sister K revealed it was "cream cake with glutinous rice filling." Excited, Victor took her to a cake shop. However, upon seeing the cake, Sister K was overwhelmed by childhood memories of her parents scolding her for being "fatty" and "lazy" due to her eating habits.
She became distressed and refused to eat, telling Victor she was "not eating" and leaving abruptly. Later, after Sister K had explained her aversion to delicious food stemming from these childhood experiences, Victor sincerely apologized for his "reckless" actions. Sister K admitted she had tried many ways to overcome her issue, but "to accept [food] again, it's really difficult." Victor confidently asserted he could help her resolve the problem, noting his "cooking is the most unique in the world."
Sister K felt a significant burden lifted after verbalizing her "heart hurdle" of many years. Victor then encouraged her to try a bite of the cake he had brought from the shop, and this time, she managed to eat it. At the training class, Song Yiran made attempts to engage with Chu Ting, who remained cool towards him. He was impressed when he overheard her speaking French on the phone.
After she finished the call, he expressed his admiration, asking how many languages she knew and praising her as "really awesome." Chu Ting casually mentioned her previous assessment of him, stating, "At that time, you even said that you were only a child." Song Yiran, recalling this, admitted honestly, "Frankly, I really don't feel good about it." Later, Song Yiran realized he had misplaced his notebook from class and texted Chu Ting to ask about it.
She initially replied, "I have it," but then teasingly followed up with, "I don't have it," leading Song Yiran to comment, "Fine, just keep messing with me." Lin Kesong reflected, believing that "the most difficult stuff had already happened," and the future "should be full of joy and laughter." However, she realized she was "wrong," as "an even bigger crisis was already arriving quietly." Jiang Qianfan experienced a second, more prolonged episode of temporary blindness.
A subsequent CT scan revealed optic atrophy, and Dr. Junbin informed him that "excessive medicine" taken previously was likely the cause, potentially leading to permanent blindness. After Jiang Qianfan left, Dr. Junbin privately called Elise, stating he was informing her "so you can be prepared" because Jiang Qianfan "may not be able to work anymore." Distraught by this revelation and feeling responsible, Elise pleaded with her mother to return the transfer contract.
She found Jiang Qianfan "so miserable" and wished to confess, believing he was now "at ease" with Lin Kesong's help and there was "nothing for me to be concerned about." Her mother, however, refused, reminding Elise of Jiang Qianfan's past harshness towards her and warning that if he truly lost his sight, "it's hard to say what he'll do." She insisted the contract was "the bulletproof vest I've prepared for you."
Elise defiantly stated she didn't "need a bulletproof vest" and was "not scared." Victor then rushed in, vehemently opposing Elise's plan, exclaiming, "No, you can't go!" and expressing fear that she would "go to jail." Their mother leveraged Victor's upcoming final competition, instructing Elise, "You better not do anything during this critical time."
Shop employee Chang Yuan approached Chu Ting to request three months of leave due to her pregnancy, explaining her husband wanted her to rest for the first few months to stabilize the baby. Chu Ting immediately congratulated her and, after giving her a baby gift, readily granted the leave, warmly stating, "You're welcome to return whenever you want to come back." Agitated by the situation, Victor went to a bar to drink alone.
He repeatedly typed out messages to Sister K on his phone, only to delete them before sending. Simultaneously, Sister K was also thinking of Victor, but hesitated to initiate contact. Jiang Qianfan began practicing cutting vegetables blindfolded in Yuxuan's kitchen, proactively adapting to a potential life without sight. Elise, observing his struggle, felt profound heartache.
Lin Kesong shared with Jiang Qianfan a newfound understanding: "as long as I can even compete with them in the same venue," referring to Lin Xiaoyu and Victor, "it already means I have won." Jiang Qianfan affirmed her perspective, saying, "What you said makes a lot of sense." Later, as Lin Kesong prepared breakfast, Jiang Qianfan sat watching her intently. She later realized that in those moments, "he was trying to cherish everything that he could see."
Boris drove to the seaside, playing the accordion, finding a fleeting moment of peace in the melancholic music. Upon returning, he found Lin Xiaoyu looking unwell, sensing she hadn't slept. He attempted to engage her in a "proper chat," but she sharply refused any communication. Boris gently advised her not to be "so nervous." Lin Xiaoyu, however, declared her ambition for "perfection" and "complete victory."
She asserted that "Lin Kesong has gotten too much" and vowed to "beat her down to her original size. And have Jiang Qianfan cry until there is no tomorrow," explicitly adding, "Isn't that your purpose too?" Boris cautioned her against "too much excitement," assuring her that "just play it out naturally," and she would "definitely do well." As the competition approached, Boris noticed Lin Xiaoyu's hands trembling, a sign of her nervousness.
Outside the venue, Lin Feng, Lin Kesong's uncle, was denied entry because he lacked a pass, leading to an argument with the staff. Blu arrived and genuinely wished Lin Xiaoyu "all the best in the competition." Lin Xiaoyu, however, retorted, demanding why he wasn't wishing her "the win" and accusing him of coming "just to laugh at me."
Blu, increasingly frustrated by her "stubborn and extreme" behavior, clarified he merely wanted to check on her after past events, not mock her, and expressed his disappointment in her. Meanwhile, Jiang Qianfan and Lin Kesong encountered Lin Feng. As Lin Xiaoyu emerged, Lin Feng, still furious, declared, "I hope you get utterly defeated in this competition" and urged her to "fail now to stop what you're doing." Lin Xiaoyu defiantly responded, "Why do I care what others think of me?
I do whatever I want!" Enraged, Lin Feng tried to strike her, but Jiang Qianfan and Blu restrained him. Crying, Lin Xiaoyu fled to the restroom, where she looked at her reflection and vowed, "Lin Xiaoyu, you must win." Jiang Qianfan tried to calm Lin Feng, explaining that Lin Xiaoyu was "pretty innocent" and merely "under the influence of Boris."
Lin Feng, however, expressed his deep fear that if Lin Xiaoyu won, "then she would think that all the bad things she has done were right," and at that point, "it is over. She will be totally destroyed."
