Delicious Romance Episode 5 Recap
> Delicious Romance Recap
Xia Meng, in her youth, found solace in sweets, using them to celebrate triumphs and soothe sorrows. However, she eventually realized that this happiness was fleeting, a mere illusion, and that sweets, much like an anesthetic, offered only temporary escape without solving underlying problems, often bringing unwanted side effects. From that moment on, she diligently restrained herself, rarely indulging in desserts.
In stark contrast, Fang Xin, despite her allergies limiting her dessert options, cherished the ceremonial and joyful feelings they evoked. Yet, this sentiment was shattered when her parents announced their divorce on her birthday. She then understood that no matter how much meaning one assigns to them, sweets are merely confections, unrelated to one's genuine happiness or sorrow.
Liu Jing, for her part, wasn't fond of overly sweet foods, but she was irresistibly drawn to beautifully crafted and novel-looking desserts, always compelled to try them. However, she often found herself disappointed by the taste, leaving her uncertain about her true preferences. Her mother once brought her a Snowy Mooncake, which Liu Jing criticized for its dry outer layer, overly sweet cream, and unhealthy lard-based red bean paste, stating only the strawberry was edible.
When her mother offered to buy just strawberries, Liu Jing retorted that she didn't like them either, frustrating her mother who vowed not to buy desserts for her again. This reflected Liu Jing's ongoing struggle to understand what she truly desired, as attractive appearances often led to disappointment with what lay beneath. At the office, Xia Meng reviewed a drama pilot, expressing her exasperation with the cliché trope of a naive female lead and a seductive second female lead.
Her colleagues insisted the characters would develop, but Xia Meng found the plot stale and "greasy," especially when the female lead's "counterattack" relied solely on meeting a more powerful male boss. She openly criticized the current trend of excessively sweet romance dramas, wondering if audiences weren't getting "sick of it."
A colleague pointed out that Xia Meng's recent breakup with Wang Jichong might be influencing her views, frustrating Xia Meng who felt her professional analysis was being dismissed due to personal circumstances. Later, while sharing desserts with Liu Jing and Fang Xin, Xia Meng, who had previously abstained, now eagerly ate, mentioning that a professional had praised her body mass index and body fat percentage, making her feel like a "beauty by the data."
Fang Xin jokingly countered that "data beauty" was useless, asking if Xia Meng would present her body fat report to a handsome man in a nightclub. Xia Meng then prompted Liu Jing to share her recent troubles for entertainment. Liu Jing briefly considered recalling awkward past encounters with Assistant director Jiang Shanmu, but instead, she calmly stated that her life had been quite uneventful.
Fang Xin pressed her about Song Chao, the handsome rich second-generation friend who had been sending her gifts. Liu Jing confirmed she still needed to have dinner with him, feeling she owed him an apology for a past incident. Xia Meng and Fang Xin misunderstood, playfully suggesting she was "degrading herself" by meeting him while unemployed. Liu Jing's mother hosted some friends at home, much to Liu Jing's discomfort.
To her embarrassment, her mother introduced Song Chao as Liu Jing's boyfriend, exaggerating their relationship. Her mother then spun an elaborate, fabricated history of Liu Jing's dating life to her friends, inventing multiple boyfriends—an overseas returnee, a general manager named Xiao Liu (who was too old), and a trip to France where Liu Jing "forgot to buy a bag."
Liu Jing, trying to set the record straight, played along with her mother's embellished stories, creating a comical narrative about her "eventful" year of dating. After the guests left, Liu Jing confronted her mother about the outlandish lies, particularly the intimate details. Her mother defended herself, explaining she just wanted to save face when her friends constantly inquired about Liu Jing's single status.
She insisted Liu Jing give Song Chao a chance, claiming he truly liked her despite Liu Jing's disbelief, citing his wealth and family background. Ultimately, Liu Jing agreed to apologize to Song Chao over dinner and send photos to her mother to appease her and her friends. Xia Meng called Wang Jichong to her office to inform him that Xiao Zhang and Xiang Xiang from the marketing department were getting married.
She told him that she had already informed the couple about their breakup, implying their seating arrangements would be separate. Wang Jichong was annoyed by her public announcement of their split. Xia Meng then offered him a new tablet she had previously bought as a gift, but Wang Jichong refused, stating that since they were no longer together, it was inappropriate, especially as her Apple ID was still logged in, making the exchange awkward.
Meanwhile, Fang Xin frantically searched for a unique champagne-flavored cake for an upcoming event, but every bakery she contacted declined, citing the difficulty of incorporating champagne into traditional cake recipes. They offered alternatives like rum or Baileys, or cakes with liqueur. Undeterred, Fang Xin approached Zhang Ting at his bakery, describing her vision of a cake with a rich champagne flavor.
Zhang Ting admitted he had never heard of such a cake and that fizzy drinks were generally unsuitable for baking. However, seeing Fang Xin's determination, he offered to try, much to her delight. She stayed to assist him. At the gym, Xia Meng inadvertently caused trouble for her coach, Lu Bin, when the manager reprimanded him for training her without charge.
Xia Meng immediately stepped in, apologizing and offering to buy a membership and personal training sessions, claiming the previous sessions should count. Lu Bin, however, revealed Xia Meng's recent unemployment and her brief job delivering "fatty liver rice." Xia Meng quickly corrected him, stating she had found a new job delivering takeout. The manager, who had also delivered takeout during the pandemic, sympathized with her struggles.
Lu Bin then suggested Xia Meng take on a part-time role as a membership consultant, explaining it involved simple tasks like handing out flyers, offered free gym access, and a modest 100-yuan commission per new client. Xia Meng, initially hesitant and self-deprecating about her looks, was swayed by the prospect of extra income. Liu Jing met Song Chao for dinner.
She took pictures of visually appealing cakes but quickly dismissed them as likely unhealthy or unappetizing, stating she found salted egg yolk cheese cake "greasy, sweet, and salty." She confessed that her true reason for inviting him was to apologize for her behavior at the karaoke bar and to ask him to stop sending her gifts on her live stream, explaining that she cooked for passion, not for money.
Song Chao, in turn, acknowledged that her previous behavior had made him "a little uncomfortable" and offered advice on self-censoring before speaking. He later awkwardly questioned if they would have had children if he hadn't gone abroad, to which Liu Jing jokingly decided to remain silent. Her mother soon texted, asking for photos from their date, which she promptly posted to her social media.
That night, Fang Xin fell asleep in Zhang Ting's bakery while he tirelessly experimented to create the champagne cake. The next morning, she awoke to find the exquisite cake completed. Just then, Zhang Ting's girlfriend arrived. She found Fang Xin sleeping in the bakery and, recognizing her from a matchmaking event where Fang Xin won the "Most Popular" award, became suspicious.
Fang Xin quickly clarified that she was a friend who had stayed to work on a commissioned cake for her PR company. Zhang Ting then entered, explaining his innovative approach: he had infused champagne into the cream and added champagne-soaked grapes to the cake base instead of directly baking it into the batter. Fang Xin tasted it and was thoroughly impressed by the rich champagne flavor, the perfectly balanced sweetness, and the custard filling.
Zhang Ting's girlfriend, however, expressed concern for his health, urging him not to overexert himself. Once Zhang Ting went to the restroom, his girlfriend confronted him, accusing him of flirting with Fang Xin. Zhang Ting, taken aback, denied it, asserting that given Fang Xin's attractiveness, she wouldn't be interested in him, which ironically sparked a heated argument between him and his girlfriend about who was more attractive.
