Cupid's Kitchen Episode 9 Recap
> Cupid's Kitchen Recap
Dr. Xie Junbin sent Elise several air purifiers as a birthday gift, which Victor opened for her, playfully commenting on Dr. Xie's practical choice. Elise, however, found it to be a romantic gesture from a doctor and called Junbin to thank him, stating she liked the gift very much. Meanwhile, Victor's mother privately warned him not to get involved in Elise's personal matters concerning Oliver, reminding him to focus on preparing for his upcoming competition.
Oliver was tormented by a dream where he was mocked as a "good-for-nothing" for losing his sense of taste. He woke up in a cold sweat and quietly went to the kitchen, sampling various spices and foods like chili powder, pepper, and tomatoes, but found them all tasteless. Back in his room, Oliver succumbed to despair, muffling his sobs into his pillow. Hearing him, Little Bun knocked on his door, only to be harshly told to "beat it!"
Annoyed, Little Bun returned to her room to sleep. Early the next morning, Oliver prepared a large spread of dishes and instructed Little Bun to meticulously taste each one, from raw to cooked, in a specific order—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, and savory. She was to record her observations on a specification sheet, which he would later review. Little Bun's parents, unable to reach her, called her uncle, Lin Feng.
Lin Feng lied, telling them that Little Bun had gone to the mountains to stock up on goods and that the signal was bad. He promised to ask her to video call them back. After hanging up, Lin Feng urgently asked Xiaoyu for Oliver's address, but Xiaoyu seemed indifferent and uninformed. At the hospital, Junbin explained to Elise that Oliver's nerve cells were rapidly degenerating, likely due to certain food allergies, and that he required quarantine in a sterile environment.
When Junbin informed Oliver that the observation period would be at least six months, Oliver was enraged by the news, stating that he had already lost his sense of taste and that six months was too long. He needed that time to help Yuxuan achieve three Michelin stars and break his own record. He declared that quarantine was worse than death and stormed out. Upon returning home, Oliver immediately criticized Little Bun for her slow progress.
At that moment, Nina received a call from Lin Feng, reminding Little Bun to video call her parents. Little Bun asked Oliver for leave to go to her uncle's place to make the call. Oliver, still fuming, adamantly refused her repeated pleas. Little Bun, losing her patience, accused him of being insensitive, asking if he didn't have parents and couldn't empathize with her situation. Oliver furiously smashed a cup.
Elise called Oliver to inform him that the renowned food critic Mark and his friends would be visiting Yuxuan the following day. She mentioned that Mark had requested an additional dish that looked identical to the "crab meat stuffed in orange" but was free of crab, as his son was allergic and insisted on eating the same dish as the adults.
Concerned about Oliver's condition and Mark's notoriously sharp tongue, Elise suggested he make an excuse not to show up, but Oliver insisted he would still make the dish. Angered, Little Bun began packing her bags to leave. Nina intervened, explaining that Oliver's parents had died in a car accident before he even finished middle school, leaving him an orphan.
Nina described Oliver as a good person who kept his emotions bottled up, adding that despite their short time together, he had become unusually close to Little Bun. Little Bun complained about Oliver's erratic behavior. Nina then offered her phone for Little Bun to call her parents. Oliver, who had been listening from behind a pillar, discreetly told Nina he was going to develop a new dish and didn't want to be disturbed for half an hour.
Little Bun went to the terrace to make a video call to her parents. She lay on the grass, pretending to be at an old grandpa's house in the mountains, helping her uncle with stock. She faked a bad signal and switched to an audio call.
Her parents shared that Xiaoyu was participating in a cooking competition with a mentor, and when Little Bun mentioned she was also in a competition with a mentor, her parents immediately suspected it was a scam, believing her to be too ordinary. Her mother then brought up a relative who had found a tall, handsome suitor for her at the telecommunications bureau. Frustrated, Little Bun ended the call.
Returning inside, Little Bun confronted Oliver, outlining three demands: he must not lose his temper without reason, he must not break things, and he must return her phone. She threatened to run away if he didn't agree. Oliver was amused to see her practicing her demands by writing them on her arm. He then presented two exquisite "Roe Crab Meat Stuffed in Orange" dishes, his special recipe using Yangcheng Lake Hairy crab and Iberico pork.
He challenged her, saying he would agree to her demands if she refrained from eating the oranges. Unable to resist the culinary temptation, Little Bun immediately recanted her demands, claiming she was joking, and began to devour the dishes. Oliver then instructed her to record the taste of the two oranges she had eaten. Boris visited Lin Feng's restaurant and specifically requested Xiaoyu's special fried rice, insisting she prepare it herself.
When Xiaoyu served him, Boris complimented her eyes, claiming he couldn't capture their beauty in his paintings. Annoyed, Xiaoyu threatened to call the police and stormed off. Lin Feng laughed, attributing her behavior to being spoiled, but Boris found her "bad temper" to possess a unique "oriental charm," which he greatly appreciated. Oliver later asked Little Bun to score the mushroom-based "orange" dish based on the tasting form she had filled out earlier that morning.
Song Yiran arrived at Oliver's house, jokingly seeking revenge. He presented an empty honeycomb, claiming it was from wild bees, but Nina quickly exposed his prank and playfully hit him. As Little Bun saw Song Yiran out, she admitted she was now enjoying cooking. Song Yiran remarked that hardship could build character, drawing on his experiences in military camp.
Little Bun then surprised herself by telling him to visit less often, realizing she had been thinking of him less and less recently. Meanwhile, Li Yan delivered twenty-three different types of fungi that Oliver had requested. In another part of the city, Song Yiran, after a spa treatment, fell asleep and missed picking up Chu Ting from the airport. His older brother called him, scolding him harshly for his dereliction of duty.
Song Yiran quickly dressed and rushed to the hotel to apologize to Chu Ting, presenting her with a model tank. Elise called Oliver again, offering to help him with his cooking. However, Oliver declined, stating that things were progressing very smoothly with Little Bun. Overhearing Oliver playfully telling Little Bun not to "play with his crab" and to "stop messing around," Elise felt a pang of resentment, realizing their growing closeness.
