Dating in the Kitchen Episode 8 Recap
> Dating in the Kitchen Recap
Lu Jin, feeling agitated and irritable, called Meng Xinjie back, who was still holding up Li Man in Zhuozhou. Sitting alone in the Pine Bridge No. 1 villa, the trees by the water rustled in the wind, and the scenery was tranquil, but he couldn't appreciate it at all. There was someone in this place whom he couldn't explain, making him involuntarily want to get closer, yet reality didn't allow it. Tormented on both ends, he wanted to leave here.
Gu Shengnan's door was knocked. The hotel manager, who had been extremely ruthless back then, arrived in person to visit Gu Shengnan, carrying a fruit basket and an offer letter. The salary was generous, and his attitude was good. The next day, Gu Shengnan's chef uniform was neatly put on in the hotel's back kitchen. Meanwhile, the order for 1123 was printed again.
She nervously held a plate of food, rang the doorbell of 1123, and the person who opened the door was completely unfamiliar. It turned out 1123 had already left; now 1123 no longer equaled Lu Jin, but was just a strange yet familiar room number. Lu Jin instructed Meng Xinjie to book a flight. Since he couldn't stay, it was better to leave sooner and feel less reluctant. Gu Shengnan returned from delivering food, looking dispirited.
As soon as she entered the back kitchen, everything was in chaos around her. Her assistant told her that Lu Jin had become the new boss of the hotel and a new general manager was appointed. Naturally, new officials like to make their presence felt immediately, and the new leaders would inspect the back kitchen. The manager brought in the new leader, a Manager Cheng, named Cheng Ziqian. Gu Shengnan looked at Cheng Ziqian with pleasant surprise and smiled.
During their late-night chat between best friends, Gu Shengnan talked about Lu Jin with Xu Zhaodi. Xu Zhaodi said Lu Jin looked dusty and dishevelled after the ten-hour car ride back, and encouraged her to keep him if she liked him. So, she finally decided to do it by making a dish. Xu Zhaodi got all her information from Meng Xinjie.
Early in the morning, Gu Shengnan made the Witch's Soup, put it in an insulated container, and hurried off to Pine Bridge No. 1. She held onto the insulated container closely the whole way, but was a step too late when she arrived. Lu Jin had already left for the airport earlier. Without time to complain, she immediately headed towards the airport again. Traffic jams during the morning rush hour were not surprising.
Lu Jin intentionally took a detour, driving past the entrance of the "Chenge Li" alley. He looked for a long time without saying a word, truly parting ways with the people here. Because he suddenly changed direction and made a big detour, he missed his flight when he got back. His itinerary changed to high-speed rail again. Xu Zhaodi called to inform her. Gu Shengnan finally ran panting into the high-speed rail station hall.
The empty hall made her feel disappointed. Suddenly, a figure rushed over, bumped into her back, and the Witch's Soup she was holding in her arms slipped out. The soup, mixed with her intentions, spilled all over the floor, impossible to pick up. But a hand held the soup container and picked it up for her. He sniffed it and smiled knowingly. It seemed he wouldn't be able to leave this place for now.
Lu Jin comforted her, saying she could just make another container. Outside Pine Bridge No. 1, three people were squatting, watching the fun: Xu Zhaodi, Meng Xinjie, and the old uncle. They had sent Gu Shengnan to meet Lu Jin, hoping the two would reconcile, looking like three old people seeing their daughter off to marriage. However, inside the villa, instead of Gu Shengnan, stood Li Man. He had meticulously plated a portion of the Witch's Soup.
Gu Shengnan only entered at this moment. The misunderstanding made her originally joyful expression completely disappear. Li Man kept calling her 'colleague', which sounded disrespectful, more like mockery. He even snatched the cake from Gu Shengnan's hand and paid her a thick envelope of compensation. Much of the passion that had finally ignited was extinguished. Gu Shengnan returned and began to cry and complain, making a fuss as if she had suffered an immense grievance.
She was angry that Lu Jin had clearly said he could only eat food she made, yet the very next day, Li Man's Witch's Soup was served at the dining table. Other dishes were fine, but Witch's Soup was a symbol for lovers. Thinking about it made Gu Shengnan pant and couldn't stop. That night at Pine Bridge No. 1, Li Man made Beef Wellington. Lu Jin took a bite and the taste was not good, even awful.
For the sake of appearance, he only said he wasn't hungry. But when Li Man brought out the cake Gu Shengnan had given him, a small turtle cake with lively, spirited eyes sat right in the center. Lu Jin took a bite and felt reborn. Li Man, however, looked unhappy. He didn't eat a bite and went upstairs to rest.
Lu Jin looked at the little turtle, called it 'Lu Gui Mao', the nickname Gu Shengnan often used for him, and laughed heartily. The next day, leaders inspected the hotel. Lu Jin, Li Man, and Cheng Ziqian appeared together in the hotel's back kitchen. Lu Jin's eyes occasionally glanced towards Gu Shengnan, but she seemed unaware of his gaze. The manager particularly praised Gu Shengnan's cooking skills. Li Man then conveniently asked Gu Shengnan to make a dish.
Two plates of Beef Wellington came from the same person's hands, using the same ingredients and method. Lu Jin ate with great relish, but Li Man put down his steak knife after just one bite. He called Gu Shengnan from the back kitchen and questioned her methods and ingredients sentence by sentence. Li Man disagreed with Gu Shengnan using local mushrooms with imported steak, stating that this pairing was completely inappropriate. He also mentioned her educational background along the way.
It was obvious that this was either a show of authority or an attempt to expose her shortcomings. Gu Shengnan didn't listen to his nonsense and simply said one thing: good ingredients are all about freshness, and local mushrooms are simply fresher than overseas imports.
