Dine With Love Episode 16 (Ending) Recap
> Dine With Love Recap
Following the previous episode's events where Yu Hao agreed to let Su Kelan teach him how to cook again, their relationship remains uncertain. Han Meng and Zhang Bi meet Su Kelan for dinner, chattering about men playing "cat and mouse." Su Kelan confides that their relationship is unlikely to mend because she caused him significant pain. After dinner, the trio spots Yu Hao's car.
Though Han Meng and Zhang Bi suggest he might be meeting a female client, Su Kelan knows he never schedules client meetings past ten at night, and her hopes fall. Later, a concerned Han Meng calls Su Kelan, who feels she has no right to ask for anything more from Yu Hao. After the call, she notices the cat food in her bag, remembering Yu Hao's instruction to take care of his cats, Hei and Wanshun.
Realizing the office is empty, Su Kelan goes to drop off the cat food. Just as she is about to leave, she hears Yu Hao approaching. Yu Hao enters the office while on a call, initially unaware of Su Kelan's presence until he spots her backpack on his chair. Su Kelan, having hidden in the wardrobe, waits for him to leave. However, Yu Hao, aware she is there, mischievously texts her, asking why she hasn't brought the cat food.
Su Kelan replies, claiming she forgot. He then calls her, and she quickly hangs up, fabricating a story about watching a movie with her mother. Yu Hao insists she deliver the cat food, leaving Su Kelan anxiously trapped in the wardrobe as he remains in his office. He then sends a voice message, inviting her to an "extra class" for cooking, stating it would be based on affection, not a contract.
He reveals that his birthday is next week and he wants to learn to cook a meal for his grandmother and his father, whom he hasn't seen in a long time. He explains that for years, he and his grandmother blamed his father for his mother's death, but he now understands his father's relentless work was an attempt to provide a better life, not a lack of love.
He expresses his desire to reconnect with his father and truly move past his own trauma, asking for Su Kelan's help. Su Kelan agrees, and they schedule to meet at his house the next day, with Yu Hao telling her to bring the cat food then. After he leaves, Su Kelan sees her backpack and realizes he knew she was hiding all along, leaving her restless and unable to decipher his intentions.
The next day, Su Kelan arrives at Yu Hao's house and learns he wants to recreate his mother's signature dish, braised eggplant, a food he hated as a child. Having forgotten the recipe, Yu Hao can only describe it as "sticky, blackish, and oily stuff." Su Kelan attempts various methods—braising in soy sauce, oil, and dressings—but none perfectly match his memory, though some come close. As Yu Hao's birthday approaches, he and Su Kelan go to his childhood home.
His grandmother arrives, expressing her joy that he is finally facing his past. The doorbell rings, and Yu Hao's father arrives unexpectedly. His grandmother, overwhelmed with anger, confronts him and throws away the bag of snacks he brought. As Yu Hao calms his grandmother, he looks at the discarded snacks and has an epiphany, remembering a crucial missing ingredient. With the addition of the crushed snack, the braised eggplant perfectly replicates his mother's flavor.
The taste moves his grandmother and father to tears. At the dinner table, his grandmother recounts her daughter's unhappy marriage, and Yu Hao's father expresses his deep remorse, explaining his focus on work was to provide for his family. He offers a heartfelt apology, and his grandmother, acknowledging he is her daughter's beloved and Yu Hao's father, finally forgives him. They agree that Yu Hao and his father will visit his mother's grave together.
Afterwards, Yu Hao sincerely thanks Su Kelan, crediting her for helping him start a new chapter. On the day of the show's recording, Shen Zhilin visits with Ming Zhe, genuinely wishing Su Kelan well and stating she has moved on to focus on her career. Meanwhile, Zhang Bi and Jin Xuan's relationship remains undefined. Su Kelan encourages Zhang Bi to confess, suspecting Jin Xuan already likes her.
Emboldened, Zhang Bi confronts Jin Xuan, declares her feelings, and kisses him, drawing cheers from the crew. Later, Su Kelan approaches the flustered Jin Xuan and points out the difference between the first "average" portrait he painted of Zhang Bi and a second, more beautiful one he drew from memory. She explains that the second portrait reveals how he truly sees her, proving he likes her without realizing it.
Her words resonate with Jin Xuan, who smiles, tacitly acknowledging his feelings. Yu Hao brings Su Kelan on set as his helper to cook Yuxiang Shredded Pork. Although the dish earns praise, Yu Hao stuns the audience by confessing he used a body double for his past cooking shows. He explains his journey, expressing immense gratitude for Su Kelan's support, which he says profoundly changed him.
He clarifies that the "female client" he was seen with was a hotel chef he hired to help recreate the eggplant dish, and that his uncle, Gong Wenxing, advised him to be honest with Su Kelan about his struggles. Yu Hao reflects on his past ignorance in relationships, admitting he learned from her to face his vulnerabilities, to wait, and to not fear caring for someone. He then projects a video montage of their time together, publicly confessing his feelings.
He promises to harmonize his life with hers, to be her pillar of support and her family, someone with whom she can freely cry or laugh without pretending to be strong. As the video ends, Yu Hao kneels and proposes. Amidst cheers from the crowd and with her mother watching proudly, Su Kelan accepts. They seal their commitment with a kiss, ready to start their future together.
