Delicious Romance Episode 14 Recap
> Delicious Romance Recap
Xia Meng prepared a meal at home for her visiting parents. Her cooking skills hadn't improved, prompting her parents to immediately sense something was amiss, especially when she broke her own rule and offered her father his favorite soy-sauce aroma wine. Her parents pressed her to reveal what was on her mind, knowing her fast speech indicated trouble. Xia Meng confessed that she had broken up with Wang Jichong.
Her parents were shocked, reminding her of their upcoming wedding plans and asking why she needed to apologize to him, even though he was the one who initiated the breakup. Her father insisted that Xia Meng must have done something wrong, as they always reconciled after arguments. Xia Meng explained that working in the same department made their situation awkward, and then bravely admitted she had fallen for someone else.
Her mother reacted strongly, worried about how they would face the in-laws given the venue and deposits were already paid. Xia Meng, however, asserted that she had always lived according to their wishes and would not allow them to control her life anymore. Angered, her father left the table, and her mother followed, chastising Xia Meng. Liu Jing was out looking at storefronts, accompanied by Song Chao.
Song Chao apologized for his drunken behavior the previous day, explaining he had blacked out and usually doesn't have many friends in China. Liu Jing, in turn, apologized for treating him as a backup option and for selfishly accepting his kindness without clearly stating her relationship with Shan Mu. Song Chao asked if he still had a chance to be more than a backup, but Liu Jing honestly told him there was no longer any opportunity.
Although he felt like a failure for not even being a true backup, they agreed to remain friends. The real estate agent showed Liu Jing a well-located storefront near a subway station and office buildings with high foot traffic. Despite its advantages, the rent exceeded Liu Jing's budget. Song Chao offered to cover the extra cost as an investment, but Liu Jing refused, stating she couldn't trouble a friend with her personal affairs.
At a company meeting, Xia Meng presented a new drama project to President Zhu. While he acknowledged its unique and innovative aspects, he found it too niche and suggested altering the ending to a universally happy one. Wang Jichong then eloquently explained that for female-oriented dramas, viewers often seek stories where heroines overcome challenges they face in real life, and sometimes an imperfect ending resonates more, creating psychological balance and reducing abandonment rates.
He drew a parallel to male-oriented spy dramas where heroic sacrifices often become high points. Impressed by Wang Jichong's insightful perspective, President Zhu agreed to the collaboration, remarking on the talent within MySight Video. Afterwards, Wang Jichong invited Xia Meng to dinner, claiming it was for "business" matters, and Xia Meng agreed, also having something to tell him. Meanwhile, Shan Mu went to Liu Jing’s parents’ house, calling her father "Dad" and bringing a bottle of good wine.
During their drink, Liu Jing's father stated that he didn't mind Shan Mu being divorced with a child, but wanted to know if he intended to marry Liu Jing. Shan Mu confirmed he would, but emphasized the need for them to spend more time together to ensure compatibility before rushing into marriage. Liu Jing's mother became furious, pointing out Liu Jing's age and arguing that marriage is a major life event.
She challenged Shan Mu by asking how he would feel if his own daughter, Wenwen, at thirty, decided not to marry and wanted to date a man like him, implying his choices were unfair to Liu Jing. Fang Xin met Attorney Liu to discuss Ma Zhenyu changing the locks. While there, she encountered Huang Yu, who invited her to dinner. Attorney Liu had to leave early for another case.
Fang Xin initially tried to excuse herself from dinner, but Huang Yu persuaded her to stay for a performance. She became captivated by the music, which was from "Skyscraper." Huang Yu revealed he was a marriage skeptic who had entered his previous marriage as a mere "transaction" to satisfy family and societal expectations, not out of love. He confessed that his ex-wife's friend had demanded an exorbitant amount, leading to their current legal dispute.
He concluded that his experience taught him marriage's essence is love, respect, trust, and shared life, and he would not enter another marriage without love. Realizing his intentions were purely platonic, Fang Xin was glad to have made a new friend. Later that evening, Xia Meng and Wang Jichong had drinks at their usual spot.
Wang Jichong informed her he had received an offer from Data Wave to lead their Scream Short Video's traditional web series project next year, which he intended to accept due to the attractive terms and limited growth opportunities at their current company. Xia Meng congratulated him and encouraged him to seize the opportunity.
Wang Jichong then expressed his regret, acknowledging that many things Xia Meng did for him in the past were truly for his benefit, and he tentatively asked if there was still a chance for them to reconcile. Xia Meng gently but firmly told him that she was now seeing someone else and wanted to focus on that relationship, meaning there was no longer any possibility for them. Separately, Lu Bin messaged Xia Meng, asking her to come to his place.
Meanwhile, Shan Mu's daughter, Wenwen, knocked on his door and asked if he was asleep. Shan Mu turned off the lights, but Wenwen entered, questioning why he was hiding things. She confessed that among all his girlfriends, Liu Jing was her favorite. Shan Mu, trying to avoid the conversation, said he didn't want to talk now. However, Wenwen insisted that Shan Mu treat Liu Jing well and not break up with her.
Shan Mu reiterated his strong feelings for Liu Jing, but Wenwen, showing surprising wisdom, expressed her confusion as to why he made simple things so complicated. She reminded him of his divorce from her mother, urging him not to make excuses and to be brave if he truly liked Liu Jing, and not to use her as an excuse.
When Xia Meng arrived at Lu Bin's place, she noticed his home had been redecorated, including new wallpaper and a larger bed. Lu Bin gave her a key, indicating it was now their home. As they prepared to celebrate with drinks, Xia Meng attempted to confess something important to him, but was repeatedly interrupted by work-related phone calls, including one from President Hu about production issues with their previous dramas and another from Wang Jichong, who questioned her new relationship.
Her mother and father also called, reiterating their demands about the wedding. Seeing Xia Meng’s distress, Lu Bin, with thoughtful consideration, pretended to remember a gaming appointment and left the apartment to give her space. After her dinner with Huang Yu, he dropped Fang Xin off at home. Zhang Ting also appeared, having just returned from taking out the trash. Fang Xin quickly clarified to Zhang Ting that Huang Yu was merely a friend they shared a lawyer with. After Zhang Ting left, Huang Yu casually observed that Zhang Ting seemed to like her, and, surprising Fang Xin, also mentioned that he knew she liked Zhang Ting.
