Delicious Romance Episode 11 Recap
> Delicious Romance Recap
The episode begins by juxtaposing the adult lives of three friends with their childhood hopes. Xia Meng, now a self-proclaimed Douban youth, readily posts sharp critiques of films she pays for but displays unusual leniency toward web series produced by her own company, citing their low budget and high viewership as a success. Liu Jing, a passionate food enthusiast, meticulously reviews various restaurants on Dianping, often highlighting flaws in the food.
However, when she cooks for friends, while she seeks their opinions, she can become defensive if the feedback is too critical. Fang Xin, whose personal life has been notably smooth, speaks with great authority on relationship dynamics in fictional narratives, yet struggles to apply the same logic to her own marriage, firmly believing her husband truly loves her despite the concerns of her friends.
All three embody a common human tendency: to preach one thing and practice another, a stark contrast to their younger selves who aspired to be different and encouraged each other to strive for more. Xia Meng is at Lu Bin’s apartment, feeling a slight awkwardness, but Lu Bin remains considerate. After she chooses beer, they decide to watch a TV drama.
Xia Meng suggests Maisi Video, playfully countering Lu Bin's remark about it being "for little girls" by highlighting its diverse range of shows, particularly a new mystery thriller. Both admit to being scared to watch such shows alone. As the suspense builds, Xia Meng initiates a passionate kiss. Later, in the bedroom, they playfully debate keeping the lights on.
Xia Meng expresses discomfort with her body, but Lu Bin lovingly reassures her that he finds her beautiful, and they continue their intimate moments. The following morning, as Xia Meng is in the bathroom, Lu Bin proposes that she move in with him. Fang Xin meets with her boss and plays the recording of her conversation with Mr. Zhao. The boss acknowledges that Mr. Zhao is a lost client and admits he had previously misunderstood Fang Xin.
Fang Xin suggests confronting Mr. Zhao’s superior, Mr. Tang, with the recording. However, her boss dismisses this as naive, explaining that Mr. Tang was likely involved in bringing Mr. Zhao into the company, and exposing the recording would only damage their own company’s reputation. He concludes that the recording, while proving Fang Xin’s innocence, is otherwise useless and encourages her to focus on developing new clients and moving forward unburdened.
Liu Jing wakes early, roused by her alarm, and heads to the market to buy ingredients like free-range pigeon eggs, mountain-raised chicken, and Sichuan peppercorns. She then prepares a large and delicious meal at Song Chao's house, which is enjoyed by Wenwen and Song Chao. Lao Gao, a businessman who has invested in many struggling restaurants, offers his "constructive" advice on Liu Jing’s plan to open her own restaurant.
His counsel is mostly pessimistic, drawing on his own financial losses in both the restaurant industry and the stock market. Liu Jing acknowledges his points but asserts her desire to try for herself. During the meal, Shan Mu calls Liu Jing, sounding displeased that she is at Song Chao’s.
Liu Jing explains that Song Chao’s kitchen is well-equipped with tools like a sous vide machine, which she needs for recipe testing, and she wants to keep her restaurant plans secret from her parents for now. She also mentions that she prefers not to spend time at Shan Mu’s place when Wenwen is home, as she feels they need to find a suitable time to properly discuss their relationship with Wenwen, considering her young age and potentially fragile emotions.
Shan Mu agrees to her request. He then asks if Song Chao knows about their relationship, which Liu Jing admits he doesn't, promising to tell him at an opportune moment. Before hanging up, Shan Mu asks Liu Jing to pack some leftover food for the film crew and playfully calls her his wife, making her smile.
While this conversation is happening, Song Chao learns from Lao Gao that Wenwen is actually the assistant director’s daughter, which helps clarify the situation regarding Shan Mu. At the film set, actress Jia Wenyi repeatedly struggles with a scene that requires her to thinly slice fish for a West Lake fish soup, failing over twenty takes and cutting her finger.
Shan Mu suggests a hand double, but Jia Wenyi rejects the candidates, stating their hands don’t match hers and would negatively impact her image. The director decides to move on to other scenes while they find a suitable replacement. Liu Jing arrives at the set with food for Shan Mu. Jia Wenyi's assistant mentions that Jia Wenyi is in a bad mood and won't eat the oily food.
Liu Jing suggests Shan Mu give his portion to Jia Wenyi, and he reluctantly agrees, promising to make Liu Jing another meal later. Noticing Liu Jing’s somber expression, Shan Mu assumes she is upset about him giving away the food. Liu Jing clarifies that she is stressed about the many challenges of opening her restaurant. Shan Mu takes her hand, offering comfort and helping her list her concerns.
He reassures her not to be overwhelmed by trying to solve everything at once, encouraging her to tackle problems one by one, confident that solutions will be found. As he holds her hand, he suddenly realizes her hands are perfect for the hand double role. Liu Jing agrees to step in, effortlessly performing the fish slicing, and the shot is quickly approved, bringing relief to the crew.
Later, Jia Wenyi, mistaking Liu Jing for Shan Mu’s housekeeper because she often cooks for Wenwen, asks if she is "their auntie." Shan Mu promptly introduces Liu Jing as his girlfriend, mentioning her plans to open her own restaurant. Impressed by Liu Jing's cooking, Jia Wenyi promises to visit the restaurant when it opens.
Wang Jichong walks into Xia Meng’s office while she is on the phone, first speaking English to "Louis" about a deal, and then declining an invitation from Lu Bin, citing fatigue and her roommate's birthday. Wang Jichong questions who she's speaking to and why she’s using English. Xia Meng quickly dismisses him, saying she’s busy. Wang Jichong tries to invite her to the gym or for drinks, but she declines all his invitations, maintaining she is too tired.
Later, Wang Jichong and Lu Bin meet for drinks. Wang Jichong confides in Lu Bin about his breakup with an ex-girlfriend, attributing it to a significant income disparity that led to arguments. Wang Jichong then shows Lu Bin a birthday video his ex had made for him before their breakup, which he had only discovered after they separated, realizing she had been trying to reconcile.
As the video plays, Lu Bin sees Xia Meng singing "Happy Birthday," a sudden and shocking realization that Xia Meng is Wang Jichong's ex-girlfriend. Lu Bin is left grappling with the fact that Xia Meng had not been transparent about her past, while Wang Jichong, still oblivious to Lu Bin’s connection to Xia Meng, expresses his renewed determination to win her back.
