Dine With Love Episode 12 Recap
> Dine With Love Recap
At a dinner party, Su Kelan professionally introduces herself as the one in charge of her company’s listing, extending a welcome to Shen Zhilin, the Vice President of Goldman Sachs and a college acquaintance of Yu Hao. Shen Zhilin arrives with a theatrical air, presenting expensive Beluga caviar to assert her status. She then deliberately picks up a mango-flavored cake, prompting Yu Hao to immediately remind her of her severe mango allergy.
While Yu Hao’s warning is a simple act of concern, it implies a past intimacy that leaves Su Kelan feeling uneasy. Meanwhile, Zhang Bi, finding the elite gathering stifling, struggles to maintain her composure, secretly disliking the caviar and the restrictive elegance of the event. After the party, Zhang Bi eagerly meets Jin Xuan for street food, relishing the freedom. As they eat, she recounts her frustrations, mispronouncing the Goldman Sachs "VP" as "God man sucks wei pae."
Jin Xuan clarifies she is referring to Shen Zhilin, expressing surprise that she returned after five years and attended the event uninvited. Meanwhile, after a heartfelt reconciliation, Han Meng and Gong Wenxing share an embrace. However, Gong Wenxing pulls away, stating his ethical stance against pre-marital relations and proposing they get a marriage license the next day.
While he showers, Han Meng sees a company group chat message revealing that Yu Hao's ex-girlfriend, the Goldman Sachs VP, was at the dinner. Furious, she confronts Gong Wenxing, who then remembers that the password to Yu Hao's apartment, which he set with Shen Zhilin, has never been changed. Before Han Meng can warn Su Kelan, Shen Zhilin has already used the old password—a combination of Yu Hao's and her birthdays—to enter his apartment.
Yu Hao emerges from the shower just as Su Kelan, in the bedroom, overhears Shen Zhilin’s voice and hesitates to come out. Yu Hao calmly confronts Shen Zhilin for trespassing. She claims she is there to discuss underwriting for the company's public listing, but Yu Hao's firm stance forces her to concede, and she agrees to wait for him in a coffee shop downstairs. Su Kelan receives Han Meng’s warning message, but it is too late.
She is unsettled by the unchanged password, wondering if Yu Hao still harbors feelings for his ex. When Yu Hao asks why she didn't come out, Su Kelan explains that Shen Zhilin’s late-night intrusion was a deliberate provocation. She reasons that showing anger or feigning composure would both play into Shen Zhilin's hands. Understanding her dilemma, Yu Hao proposes they go downstairs together. Su Kelan agrees but, still upset, insists she will return to her own home afterward.
Shen Zhilin's hopes are shattered when Yu Hao arrives at the coffee shop holding Su Kelan’s hand. He unequivocally states that their home is a private space, not for business. He declares that since their breakup, he wants no contact with her, professionally or personally, and makes it clear Goldman Sachs will not be considered for the partnership. He explains he wants to avoid giving her false hope or making Su Kelan feel insecure.
As Han Meng and Gong Wenxing watch from nearby, they applaud Yu Hao's decisive handling of the situation. Mollified, Su Kelan returns home with Yu Hao, who reveals he has changed the password to a combination of two of their relationship anniversaries and has a gift waiting for her. The next morning, he presents her with a pair of matching accessories, symbolizing his commitment. Later, Shen Zhilin visits Yu Hao’s company to meet Su Kelan privately.
After exchanging contact information under the guise of work, Shen Zhilin sends Su Kelan numerous photos from her past relationship with Yu Hao. She recounts that she broke up with him in a fit of anger after he decided to start a business in China without her, subtly implying Yu Hao chose Su Kelan for being an "obedient" replacement.
Su Kelan retorts that Yu Hao values her not for obedience but for her ability to make him more collaborative, and she asks Shen Zhilin to stick to business in the future. Just then, Su Kelan encounters Yu Hao and an investor, Yang Zhen, who pointedly ignores her. Yang Zhen criticizes Yu Hao for promoting his girlfriend to VP, accusing him of mixing business with pleasure.
He reveals he knows about a "flirtatious video" Su Kelan previously posted, implying she is manipulative. Despite Yu Hao’s defense of her capabilities, Yang Zhen is unconvinced. He informs Yu Hao that Shen Zhilin had arranged an introduction to Frank from Yun Teng for a strategic investment, an opportunity he has now missed. Yang Zhen delivers an ultimatum: if Yu Hao fails to secure a new strategic investment soon, he will withdraw his funds at the latest valuation.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Su Kelan commits to working alongside Yu Hao, and they endure many late nights at the office. Yu Hao decides to approach Chairman Shi of Chuangying for investment, despite having publicly called him an "idiot" years ago after being rejected. Su Kelan repeatedly visits Chairman Shi’s company, facing constant rejections, but her persistence, combined with a sincere apology email from Yu Hao, finally secures a meeting.
To help her cope, Yu Hao surprises Su Kelan with a tour of a luxurious apartment he is preparing. He reveals his plan to have her and her mother move in with him, along with Gong Wenxing and Han Meng’s parents, so her mother won't be lonely. He shows her a newly redecorated kitchen, perfectly designed to fit the utensils they won together, touching her deeply.
Meanwhile, Shen Zhilin receives a call from Chairman Wu, an old acquaintance, who asks for her opinion on Yu Hao's reliability now that Chairman Shi is considering investing. As Yu Hao prepares for a business trip to Shanghai, he pulls out a shirt missing its second button and playfully asks Su Kelan to sew it on, which she lovingly does. During this stressful time, Su Kelan’s mother secretly battles worsening thrombotic heart failure, confiding only in Jin Xuan.
Unaware of the severity, Su Kelan diligently checks on her mother, ordering her healthy takeout and reminding her to take her medication. Though her mother is reluctant to move, fearing loneliness in the new house, Su Kelan coaxes her with promises of a future photoshoot, demonstrating her unwavering care amidst the professional crisis.
