Dine With Love Episode 9 Recap
> Dine With Love Recap
Unbeknownst to Yu Hao, Su Kelan had already arranged to borrow the kitchen from its owner, Auntie Zhao, before he even asked. When Yu Hao learned of this, he was delighted. Under Su Kelan's guidance, Yu Hao prepared a flavorful braised Dongpo pork knuckle. They then invited Auntie Zhao to taste it, and as they chatted late into the night, Su Kelan learned about her parents' early experiences through Auntie Zhao's stories.
Auntie Zhao recounted knowing Su Kelan's parents before she was even born. Su Kelan's mother had gotten lost while visiting relatives and met her father, a volunteer teacher. The two of them then got lost together due to her mother's poor sense of direction. After walking all day, they were found by a fishing boat that brought them to Auntie Zhao's home, where she fed them freshly baked fish and potatoes.
Embarrassed, Su Kelan's father returned the next day to cook braised Dongpo pork knuckle for them, a gesture that ultimately won her mother's heart. Auntie Zhao reminisced that Su Kelan's parents used to visit her every year, bringing Su Kelan along after she was born, but they had stopped coming seven years ago due to their busy work schedules.
Later, as Yu Hao and Su Kelan walked back, Yu Hao spotted bats and, despite his own fear of insects and bats, instinctively held Su Kelan to protect her. Su Kelan observed his conflicting nature, realizing he still held onto his past. She mused that treasuring old friendships and valuing new love are like two sides of a coin, making the choice difficult.
She expressed her willingness to wait for the coin to land, hoping that when the past is finally put to rest, only love will remain. Just as Su Kelan was about to confess her feelings to Yu Hao with a reference to Natsume Soseki, Jin Xuan appeared, interrupting them. He had secretly brought Su Kelan's mother to the location as a surprise for her birthday, a detail he knew from her Weibo posts.
With Zhang Bi's help, Jin Xuan had organized a surprise party. As the celebration unfolded, Yu Hao, feeling out of place, quietly left. After the party, Su Kelan's mother revealed the truth about Jin Xuan's plan. He had approached her, confessing his feelings for Su Kelan and admitting that his initial decision to film on location was an impulsive attempt to drive Yu Hao away. However, he later considered her mother's health and decided to cancel the trip.
Instead, Su Kelan's mother had strongly encouraged Jin Xuan to bravely pursue her daughter. Su Kelan felt conflicted learning of her mother's approval, but her mother assured her that the final decision was hers alone and that her happiness was what mattered most. Meanwhile, downstairs, Zhang Bi and Jin Xuan celebrated what they believed was a successful step in their plan. When Zhang Bi noticed Yu Hao was not in his room, she went out to look for him.
Su Kelan, equally worried, also rushed out after settling her mother. Jin Xuan took the opportunity to confess to Su Kelan, but she gently interrupted him, explaining that she was worried about Yu Hao and didn't wish for their relationship to cross the line from friendship. As Jin Xuan watched her leave, he recalled Zhang Bi's encouragement and decided to follow her. With Yu Hao's phone dead, Su Kelan used a walkie-talkie to try and reach him.
She found it abandoned in a pavilion just as she saw Yu Hao pulling Auntie Zhao out of the river. Yu Hao's timely rescue saved Auntie Zhao's life, but she was emotionally distraught. He explained that she had tried to drown herself after learning her daughter, Jiabao, wasn't coming home again. As a lonely elderly woman in the village, she had fallen into a deep depression.
The situation reminded Yu Hao of his own painful past, recalling his regret over not realizing his own mother had depression until it was too late. His story made Su Kelan finally understand his aversion to birthdays. Just then, Jiabao called.
Despite Auntie Zhao's protests, Su Kelan took the phone and explained how much her mother was suffering, emphasizing that elders often hide their pain for their children's sake and warning that Jiabao would live with lifelong regret if the worst had happened. Moved, Auntie Zhao took the phone and tearfully expressed her longing for her daughter. Realizing her mistake, Jiabao promised to return the next day with her child.
In a separate search, Jin Xuan located a distressed Zhang Bi and carried her back. Meanwhile, on their way back, Yu Hao shared with Su Kelan his childhood affection for Doraemon and his wish for a closet he could sleep in. Su Kelan finally understood that the closet in his bedroom was not for a past girlfriend but a cherished, painful memory of his mother. Seeing his vulnerability, she instinctively embraced him.
As they parted, Yu Hao used the walkie-talkie to apologize for his past actions and sincerely asked her to be with him. Just as Su Kelan was about to respond, Jin Xuan emerged and made his own heartfelt confession, urging her to think carefully. Without giving her a chance to speak, Yu Hao pulled Su Kelan into a passionate kiss, which she returned, making her choice clear. Jin Xuan and Zhang Bi's plan had failed.
Afterward, Su Kelan and Yu Hao's relationship blossomed. When the program they filmed was released, some female colleagues gossiped that Su Kelan was manipulative. However, Yao Qian defended her, revealing that the damaging video clip had likely been leaked by Su Kelan's ex-boyfriend, who worked at the marketing company that edited the show. At that moment, Yu Hao brought Su Kelan back to the company and silenced the gossip by publicly announcing her appointment as Vice President.
Overwhelmed by the new responsibility, Su Kelan complained to Yu Hao that he had promised her the role of President's Secretary, not second-in-command of the entire company. Yu Hao explained his rationale: the President's Secretary needed to be "his person" with high emotional intelligence, and she was the most qualified person to oversee the business, public relations, and marketing departments as the company prepared to go public.
Sensing her lingering frustration, Yu Hao noticed her uncomfortable high heels, worn to maintain the company's image. He opened his office closet, revealing it was stocked with clothes and flat shoes he had prepared for her, insisting she shouldn't suffer for appearances. Though touched, Su Kelan reiterated that she couldn't handle the immense workload, stating that working on the listing as his secretary was her limit, as she needed time for her mother. Yu Hao then smiled, said he was just kidding about the pressure, and playfully asked her to stay a little longer, remarking on how little alone time they'd had recently.
