Delicious Romance Episode 9 Recap
> Delicious Romance Recap
Xia Meng has a tendency to tell small, harmless lies to satisfy her minor cravings. For instance, at a lunch line, she successfully asks for an extra beef burger by claiming she had a lot of blood drawn at the hospital that morning, a claim she later denies. Liu Jing, on the other hand, prides herself on being objective and rational, always doing thorough research. This is evident later when she explains glycemic index and load.
However, she readily loses her rationality when she encounters someone she likes, as shown when she changes her mind about her food order to match a preference she hears, switching from avoiding high-protein beef to ordering pork. Fang Xin is extremely conscious of how others perceive her, going so far as to avoid using the school bathroom for number two to maintain a good image.
She is also completely incapable of dishonesty, preferring public embarrassment over telling a lie, which she proves when she openly admits to the teacher during class that she needs to use the bathroom for number two. Xia Meng expresses her frustration to Liu Jing and Fang Xin about her poor performance this month at the gym where she works, having failed to recruit any new clients. Her friends have already exhausted their contacts trying to help her.
Fang Xin suggests recruiting from Xia Meng's main company, but Xia Meng fears exposure. She has cultivated a "poor girl" persona, and revealing her real job as a gym sales associate to her colleagues would ruin it, especially since she recently confessed her feelings to Lu Bin. Lu Bin, a coach at the gym, detests dishonesty, making Xia Meng even more hesitant to tell him the truth about her situation, so she decides to postpone dealing with it.
At work, Xia Meng subtly observes her employees, making them nervous. She calls employees into her office under the guise of offering "employee benefits" in the form of gym memberships. Li Sheng, who struggles with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol and is busy studying for his Chartered Financial Analyst exam, initially tries to decline the offer, citing his past unused gym memberships.
Xia Meng reassures him that he doesn't need to go, only to fill out the form and provide a copy of his ID, essentially securing his sign-up without him ever setting foot in the gym. Later, she calls in Yang Guodong, who is a dedicated workaholic, neglecting his personal life for work. She expresses concern about his overworking but also probes him for information.
When he mentions programmers at a neighboring company, Duoshouwang, working late, she quickly dismisses him, having gleaned what she needed. She still needs one more recruit and spots Xiaomei in the restroom, learning she is pregnant, and calls her into her office to offer the last membership. Fang Xin faces a crisis at work when a press release promoting Jia Wenyi's new drama incorrectly attributes it to a competitor, sparking widespread criticism online.
Mr. Zhao, the client, is furious, demanding accountability for the signed press release, which turns out to be Fang Xin's responsibility. Fang Xin's boss, Mr. Wang, initially offers to fire the project manager to appease Mr. Zhao, but Mr. Zhao rejects this, suggesting instead that Fang Xin accompany him to apologize to Jia Wenyi’s agent over dinner.
Despite Deng Jia trying to explain that Fang Xin was distracted by her friend Song Chao's recent fight, Fang Xin reluctantly agrees to the dinner. After Mr. Zhao leaves, Mr. Wang scolds Fang Xin for taking the blame when Deng Jia did the work, threatening to fire staff if they lose Mr. Zhao's business. Liu Jing discusses Wenwen's father, Shanmu, with Wenwen.
Wenwen observes that Shanmu has been moody, likely indicating he's interested in a new woman, but assures Liu Jing it's a phase as he frequently changes partners. Wenwen warns Liu Jing not to fall for her father, describing his past admirers as "drama queens" and "mentally unstable." Liu Jing denies any interest. Suddenly, Song Chao appears. Recognizing Liu Jing's unemployment and her love for cooking, he teases her, suggesting she wants to be a housewife just to cook for him.
This prompts Liu Jing to declare her true ambition: to open her own restaurant. Unbeknownst to them, Wenwen takes a photo of Liu Jing and Song Chao together and sends it to Shanmu, making him visibly jealous on his film set, where he uncharacteristically scolds an actor. Later, Shanmu questions Wenwen about Liu Jing and Song Chao's closeness, showing clear jealousy. Wenwen exaggerates their intimacy and highlights Song Chao's wealth, further fueling Shanmu's envy.
She reminds her father that he himself orchestrated her invitations for Liu Jing to visit the set and cook at their home. Wenwen eventually agrees to "help" Shanmu again with Liu Jing. Meanwhile, Liu Jing, on a video call with Wenwen, overhears their entire conversation and secretly delights in Shanmu's jealousy, though she later dismisses the idea of anything happening between them to Wenwen.
Fang Xin is deeply disturbed by news reports about a sexual assault suspect targeting single women, noting his violent tendencies and past criminal record. Her fear intensifies when Zhang Ting texts her, apologizing for the previous fight and offering to pay Song Chao’s medical expenses. She initially tries to avoid contact, but Song Chao advises her against giving Zhang Ting his personal information, citing his family's wealth and fear of abduction.
He gravely warns her about the danger of Zhang Ting knowing her home address, saying Zhang Ting "is in the dark, and you are in the light." Fang Xin realizes Zhang Ting already knows her address, causing her to panic and consider calling the police. Song Chao dismisses the idea due to lack of evidence, leaving her in a state of constant terror.
At the gym, Lu Bin continues to be supportive of Xia Meng, encouraging her during a spinning class. When the manager asks Xia Meng to recruit more clients, Lu Bin, believing she works long hours at multiple jobs, volunteers to take on the additional target, further complicating Xia Meng's struggle to be honest with him. Later, Xia Meng employs her manipulative tactics to discourage the employees she signed up from actually using the gym.
She manages to convince Xiaomei, who is three months pregnant, that exercising at the gym is dangerous for her and her baby, sending her home. She tells Li Sheng that his weight is crucial for the upcoming tug-of-war competition and that he should go home and eat instead of exercising, also sending him home.
She warns Liu Hongwei that his poor performance and the current housing prices mean he needs to prioritize studying for his CFA exam over working out, or he won't be able to get married, successfully sending him home as well. Her frustration grows when she sees Wang Jichong, a former boyfriend, becoming Lu Bin's new client.
