Delicious Romance Episode 10 Recap
> Delicious Romance Recap
Fang Xin was watching the news when a report about a solitary woman being sexually assaulted terrified her. She imagined the suspect looked like Zhang Ting, making her wary even to take out the trash. When someone started entering a code on her door lock, she panicked. Her phone rang, and it was Zhang Ting. Fang Xin answered, yelling at him to stop bothering her, or she would call the police.
After hanging up, she looked through the peephole and realized it was her ex-husband, Ma Zhenyu. When she opened the door, Ma Zhenyu questioned why she had changed the lock code without informing him. Fang Xin countered, asking why he had come to her house unannounced. He insisted it was still his home.
He then revealed he had received a court summons and suggested they talk inside, but Fang Xin firmly stated that she had hired a lawyer precisely to avoid talking to him. Ma Zhenyu tried to persuade her, remarking that it was embarrassing to fight over a house like in a TV drama, accusing her of doing the same. Fang Xin retorted that he was taking advantage of her non-confrontational nature to hurt her.
Ma Zhenyu claimed he never meant to hurt her, suggesting they could have still been together happily if his affair hadn't happened. Fang Xin quickly corrected him, saying that if his affair hadn't come to light, she would still be manipulated by him. He desperately pleaded with her to reconcile, but Fang Xin dismissed the idea as absurd. Suddenly, Zhang Ting arrived with security guards, having misinterpreted Fang Xin's phone call about calling the police as a cry for help.
He immediately intervened, causing Ma Zhenyu to retreat. Zhang Ting apologized for the misunderstanding, explaining he thought Fang Xin was in trouble. He identified himself as her ex-husband, then corrected himself, stating they weren't divorced yet. Fang Xin, apologetic, clarified that she simply wanted Ma Zhenyu to deal with her lawyer from now on, not come to her home. Ma Zhenyu, leaving, muttered, "See you in court."
Zhang Ting apologized again and offered to help if Ma Zhenyu caused further trouble, but Fang Xin assured him she could handle it. Before leaving, Zhang Ting reiterated his desire to compensate Song Chao for his medical expenses. Fang Xin tried to brush it off, saying it was a small sum to Song Chao, but Zhang Ting insisted he wanted to take responsibility and asked her to help facilitate it. Fang Xin agreed.
Fang Xin called Song Chao to discuss Zhang Ting's offer. Song Chao was reluctant to meet, fearing Zhang Ting might assault him again. Fang Xin believed Zhang Ting was sincere in taking responsibility for his actions, but Song Chao argued that Zhang Ting had already served jail time, which was sufficient. He simply wanted Zhang Ting to live a good life moving forward.
Song Chao then suggested that Fang Xin could just brush Zhang Ting off, hinting that Zhang Ting might not be genuinely interested in compensation. Despite Fang Xin's conviction of Zhang Ting's sincerity, Song Chao proposed a compromise: Zhang Ting could offer a token payment of a few dozen yuan, and the matter would be closed. Fang Xin agreed to this arrangement. At the office, Wang Jichong arrived, noticeably dressed differently.
His colleagues remarked on his changed appearance, noting his new workout regimen. Wang Jichong, pleased, asked if his efforts were showing results. Meanwhile, Lu Bin messaged Xia Meng, asking why she hadn't been to the gym. Xia Meng replied that she felt unwell and might need a few days off. Lu Bin expressed concern, urging her to rest, saying he would "feel bad" if she overworked.
As Xia Meng prepared to change the water cooler bottle, Wang Jichong rushed over to help, flexing his biceps and asking if she noticed any changes in him. Xia Meng joked about his "thick skin" before telling him to finish his project report if he had so much free time. Later, at the gym, Wang Jichong discussed with Lu Bin how to build muscle quickly, hoping to attract girls.
He then confided that his previous relationship ended due to a significant income disparity, which led to frequent arguments. Lu Bin then shared that he also recently developed feelings for a very determined and hardworking girl who seemed capable of overcoming any challenge, finding her very charming. Wang Jichong, suspicious, asked if this was a ploy to sell him a gym membership. Lu Bin denied it.
Wang Jichong then asked if exercise could help his old back injury, to which Lu Bin enthusiastically replied yes and offered to start rehabilitation immediately. Lu Bin, worried about Xia Meng, called her. She told him she was feeling "a little better" but still needed rest. Lu Bin mentioned he had prepared nutritious food for her and was almost at her place.
Panicked, Xia Meng made up excuses, asking him to buy toilet paper and water at the supermarket to delay his arrival. A while later, Lu Bin called again, having finished shopping. Xia Meng quickly invented more items, like apples, then suggested he wait for her at the supermarket so they could shop together, buying herself more time to conceal her living situation.
Lu Bin eventually arrived at Xia Meng's old building, where the landlord informed him that the girl upstairs had been evicted due to several months of unpaid rent. Realizing Xia Meng had lied about being sick, Lu Bin confronted her. She admitted the lie, explaining she lacked the courage to tell him, fearing he would dislike her.
Lu Bin reassured her, saying he could never hate her and that couples should accept all aspects of each other, emphasizing his feelings wouldn't change. He asked her to promise not to hide things from him again, expressing how much it hurt him to think of her enduring such difficulties alone. Xia Meng, relieved, confessed that constantly lying had been exhausting. Lu Bin told her not to worry about any debts, saying they could tackle them together.
He then reiterated how worried he was after learning about her eviction from the landlord, and again asked her to promise to be open with him. Xia Meng agreed, then vaguely mentioned she was staying at a friend's place. Lu Bin, understanding her situation, offered to let her move in with him, acknowledging that staying with a friend must be inconvenient. Liu Jing met Shan Mu as he was leaving his night shift.
She mentioned she was conducting research for her new restaurant venture, which Wenwen had told him about. Shan Mu playfully brought up Wenwen's joke about Liu Jing becoming a housewife, which Liu Jing corrected, confirming her restaurant plans. Claiming he hadn't eaten, Shan Mu offered to accompany her. They visited several popular internet celebrity restaurants.
At the first, Liu Jing found the "fancy omelette rice" visually appealing but terribly bland, questioning the odd sauce combination and the restaurant's popularity despite its poor taste. Shan Mu explained that in the age of social media, many people prioritize how food looks in photos over its actual taste, using it as content for their online lives.
Liu Jing found the food awful, but Shan Mu considered it "okay," even better than film crew meals, leading Liu Jing to tease him about his low standards. At the next restaurant, Shan Mu tried to pay, but the waitress excitedly explained a membership promotion: new members received a 2000-yuan voucher (with a 50-yuan deduction per 200-yuan spend), and another 2000-yuan voucher after five visits. Liu Jing wondered how such a scheme could be profitable.
Shan Mu elucidated that it was a common marketing tactic in the dining industry. They factor the 50-yuan discount into the initial pricing, making customers feel they're getting a deal while simultaneously locking in their future spending and ensuring repeat business. At a dessert place, they ordered "bird's nest double-skin milk."
Shan Mu recited the dish's elaborate backstory: the milk came from "Tomorrow Ranch," located in a "golden milk source belt," where the land had been purposefully left vacant for ten years to ensure a pristine environment for the cows, making their milk exceptionally "precious." Liu Jing found the dessert merely "average."
Shan Mu continued, detailing how the "Qian'an golden bird's nest" was sourced from the remote "Linzhou Island," where the steep caves made harvesting so perilous that many men died, giving rise to the name "Qian'an Widow Village." Liu Jing, skeptical, dismissed it as mere "gimmicks," but Shan Mu noted that she had initially believed the story. He clarified that these stories were just "conversation starters," not meant to be taken seriously.
As they walked, Shan Mu encouraged Liu Jing, asserting that although opening a restaurant was challenging—even being cited as one of the three most dangerous investments for the middle class—nothing truly worthwhile was easy, and one wouldn't know the outcome without trying. Liu Jing was surprised by his extensive knowledge, which he attributed to his friends' various side businesses. She then asked why he hadn't replied to her WeChat message that day.
Shan Mu confessed that he felt a unique connection between them but was held back by his self-awareness: despite taking every relationship seriously, they never seemed to last. More importantly, he had never seen Wenwen get along so happily with any other man in his life. He feared that even if they started a relationship, it wouldn't end well, and it would ultimately hurt both Liu Jing and Wenwen. That's why he hadn't replied.
However, he now realized that nothing was easy, and they wouldn't know if they didn't try. He then took her hand, looked at her earnestly, and said, "Let's give it a try." They walked on, smiling. Fang Xin found herself at a dinner with Mr. Zhao and Jia Wenyi's agent, Zhong Ge, where she was pressured to drink.
This dinner was arranged by Mr. Zhao as an apology for an earlier incident where a press release for Jia Wenyi's new drama mistakenly promoted a rival's work, an error Fang Xin had signed off on. During the dinner, Zhong Ge received a sudden phone call and excused himself, stating he had an urgent matter to attend to.
Fang Xin attempted to apologize for the earlier press release issue, but Zhong Ge dismissed it, noting that news, even a hot search, wasn't necessarily bad for a new drama. After Zhong Ge left, Mr. Zhao candidly admitted that the whole situation was his deliberate setup. He then revealed that his company was undergoing an internal tender to switch PR firms and he needed a reason to replace Fang Xin's company.
He complimented Fang Xin's talent and beauty, then suggested she leave her current company and start her own PR firm, offering her his full support and resources. He made it clear that this support came with the expectation of a "closer relationship" between them, stating that with their cooperation, her life would be much better than just drawing a salary.
As he tried to grab her hand, Fang Xin pulled away, realizing his manipulative intentions and the "dirty deal" he was proposing. After the unsettling encounter, Zhang Ting sent Fang Xin a text message asking how her conversation with Mr. Zhao went and if it was convenient to talk. Later, Fang Xin confided in Zhang Ting about her difficult encounter with Mr. Zhao.
She was torn: accepting Mr. Zhao's offer meant engaging in a "dirty deal," but refusing could cost her job. Feeling trapped, she didn't know what to do. Zhang Ting reassured her, telling her not to apologize for sharing her feelings, as it helped to vent. Although he admitted that as a baker, he couldn't offer expert advice on such complex matters, he firmly advised her never to compromise with such people, as they would only make more outrageous demands.
Fang Xin noted his insight into such individuals. Zhang Ting revealed that his stepfather was just like that, frequently abusing his mother and threatening her, until Zhang Ting once severely beat him, which finally deterred him. However, Zhang Ting paid a price for his actions. Fang Xin asked if that was why he had gone to jail, and he confirmed it.
Zhang Ting then mentioned that his girlfriend had told Fang Xin about his jail time, and he worried he had scared her, as she hadn't replied to his messages for days. He regretted hitting Song Chao, breaking his promise to his mother not to resort to violence, questioning if his actions made him any different from his stepfather. Fang Xin asked if he truly liked his girlfriend.
Zhang Ting pondered what "liking" felt like, finding it intangible, and stated that for him, finding a suitable person and settling down quickly was paramount. Fang Xin suggested he might be rushing into marriage and might not fully know his girlfriend's flaws. Zhang Ting countered that he had flaws too, and if she could accept his, he could accept hers. He reiterated his advice: confront such people directly, but avoid violence.
Fang Xin jokingly described her fantasy of ambushing Mr. Zhao with a baseball bat on a dark night, ensuring her identity remained hidden. Zhang Ting offered to accompany her, but clarified his role would be to stop her from acting violently. Fang Xin reluctantly agreed. Later, Fang Xin's phone rang; it was Zhang Ting, asking if she was okay and why her phone had been off.
Meanwhile, news headlines appeared on screens: "Jia Wenyi meets her ex-boyfriend at night, the two seem to rekindle their old romance" and "Female star Jia Wenyi has a secret late-night meeting with a mysterious man." Fang Xin remembered Xia Meng's advice from their previous video call, about recording conversations with HR and having Xia Meng review any resignation agreements.
