Delicious Romance Episode 4 Recap
> Delicious Romance Recap
At a dating event called Yuan Lai Ru Ci, Liu Jing, Fang Xin, and Xia Meng found themselves in an awkward icebreaker game. Liu Jing was uncomfortable, especially knowing her mother had spies watching her. She disliked the man opposite her. Fang Xin sat waiting for her friends when a man, Liu Tianbao, approached her, mistaking her for Liu Jing.
Fang Xin explained that she was 31 years old and in the process of divorcing her ex-husband, which made him stop. Another woman then commented that Fang Xin didn't seem like the person Aunt Liang had described, right before Aunt Liang herself arrived and whisked Fang Xin away, telling her not to "ruin" Liu Jing's chances. Outside, Fang Xin unexpectedly ran into Zhang Ting, the man who had previously delivered a cake to her.
She playfully suggested he consider number seventeen, referring to her own participant number, but quickly clarified she was only there to accompany Liu Jing. Later, Fang Xin looked at Zhang Ting's profile, noting his dating philosophy: he wished to find someone with whom he could enjoy dinner at a small restaurant and have meaningful conversations during walks. She took a photo of his profile.
Meanwhile, Xia Meng sat next to an accomplished woman, Li Juan, a venture capital manager at Yada Capital, one of the world's top ten venture capital firms. The man opposite Li Juan, Li Hongyang, upon realizing her identity, became visibly intimidated, offered his business card, and left, admitting he had never met such an outstanding woman. At the end of the event, during a "confession ceremony" where men presented roses to women they liked, Fang Xin received many flowers.
However, Zhang Ting gave his rose to another woman, leaving Fang Xin feeling a little disheartened. During the group photo, Xia Meng's "leader-like" stance was noted by the photographer, who asked her to relax and smile more gently. Liu Jing, not receiving any roses, began to doubt herself again. Afterwards, Xia Meng mentioned she had a gym appointment that afternoon. At the gym, Xia Meng was approached by Coach Lu Bin, who remembered her.
He assisted her with her workout, noting that the weight she was using was too heavy without assistance, and offered to conduct a physical assessment. Lu Bin observed Xia Meng's strength, remarking that she had a good frame and build and was quite healthy, despite her weight being slightly higher than average. He disapproved of women who bought expensive private lessons but didn't train seriously, dismissing the idea of protecting those who "act weak."
He encouraged Xia Meng not to hide her strength and to increase the intensity of her workouts. During their conversation, Xia Meng initially said she worked at Maisi Video but then changed her story, claiming to work in sales at a new media company next to Maisi Video, but had recently been laid off and briefly worked as a waitress at a nearby restaurant before quitting again due to slow business.
Lu Bin, recognizing the restaurant, revealed that they were from neighboring towns, Nanchong and Peng'an, making them "hometown folks." When a gym staff member tried to sell Xia Meng private training courses, Lu Bin intervened, reminding Xia Meng that she was unemployed and shouldn't spend money on expensive classes. He offered to train her for free during his off-hours and added her on WeChat.
Xia Meng, playing along with her fabricated story of unemployment, agreed, thinking it was a good way to save money. Fang Xin visited Attorney Liu's office regarding her divorce, handing her bouquet of roses to the receptionist. Inside, she mistakenly poured out her heart, detailing her husband's infidelity and her desire for a fair share of assets after sacrificing her career for him, to a Mr. Huang, who was also a divorce client. Attorney Liu then entered, clarifying the misunderstanding.
Later, at her company, Fang Xin encountered Zhao Qi, an old colleague who was now a client. Zhao Qi insisted that Fang Xin lead their project, despite Deng Jia having been on it from the start. Although Fang Xin felt it was inappropriate, Mr. Wang, her boss, prioritized appearances and approved Zhao Qi's request, instructing Deng Jia to hand over the project details to Fang Xin.
Zhao Qi then invited Fang Xin to lunch to "catch up," confessing that he had waited for her for many years and that she had always been a "goddess" in his heart. He offered to do anything for her, but Fang Xin, spotting a ring he was wearing, quickly paid the bill and fled, uncomfortable with his advances.
Back at the office, Fang Xin, after recovering her composure in the restroom, overheard Deng Jia and another colleague gossiping about her, suggesting she was incompetent at work, married for money, and now, being divorced, might have had an affair with Zhao Qi. Fang Xin directly confronted them, silencing their rumors. Mr. Wang clarified to Deng Jia that Fang Xin would be the nominal head of the project, but Deng Jia's team would do the actual work.
He tasked Fang Xin with maintaining contact with Zhao Qi and subtly prompting him for an outstanding payment, emphasizing that Zhao Qi must not know Deng Jia's team was handling the project. Mr. Wang then dismissed Fang Xin from working overtime, telling her to rest well and dress beautifully for a client meeting the next day, commenting on her "old" coat, which Fang Xin insisted was new.
Meanwhile, Liu Jing was struggling with her job search, facing discrimination as companies seemed reluctant to hire women, especially those who might get married or pregnant. Wenwen, her neighbor, called, craving Liu Jing's cooking. While Liu Jing was preparing food at Wenwen's house, several young women arrived for an audition. It turned out Wenwen's father was Assistant Director Jiang, dispelling Liu Jing's earlier misunderstanding of him from a video conference.
Assistant Director Jiang and Wenwen, both eager for Liu Jing's cooking, affectionately called her "Sis." Seeing Liu Jing's low spirits about her unemployment, Assistant Director Jiang shared his own story of career setbacks and divorce, explaining that a shift in perspective, focusing on what he truly enjoyed—"playing"—led him to his current success. He suggested that setbacks could be opportunities to pause and reflect on what one truly desires, encouraging Liu Jing not to fear them.
Wenwen playfully warned Liu Jing not to be swayed by her father's "manipulative" words. Liu Jing reflected that she hadn't particularly liked her previous job, only seeing it as a means to an end, and while she wasn't entirely sad about losing it, she felt she could do something more, even if she wasn't sure what. Wenwen noticed a particular expression on Liu Jing's face as she looked at her father.
