Walk Into Your Memory Episode 16 Recap
> Walk Into Your Memory Recap
Long Haoqian's father meets with his mother, Ya Ruo. He explains that he wants to transfer half of Long Teng Group's shares to her, stating it's what he owes her and she should accept it peacefully. Ya Ruo is suspicious, questioning if he's playing tricks or if something happened to Long Teng. She firmly refuses any connection with the company and tells him to take the contract back.
Long Haoqian's father leaves the contract with her, assuring her that she can claim the shares whenever she changes her mind. An Ning is at the Long Teng Hotel when Xia Tian arrives, offering to work as a waitress, claiming expertise from previous roles. Yi Mingjun is already helping in the kitchen. Soon after, Gong Chen, having left the hospital because he couldn't rest, returns to the kitchen. He finds the staff despondent due to the lack of customers.
He boosts their morale by reminding them of their responsibility and emphasizing their clear conscience, stating that as long as their dishes are good, there's nothing to worry about. Just then, two customers arrive. Gong Chen rallies his team, telling them to serve well, and declares these two his lifelong VIPs. He personally serves the guests, introducing himself as the head chef and thanking them for their trust in Long Teng during its crisis.
The customers express their belief in Long Teng's integrity, citing its long history of charity work. Gong Chen is deeply moved and declares their meal free, promising to cook for them personally whenever they visit. The customers record Gong Chen's words and the hotel's service, live-streaming it online, which gradually attracts more guests and restores the staff's confidence. An Ning's mother watches news reports of the poisoned customer's family creating a disturbance at Long Teng Hotel.
Feeling it's unfair to Long Haoqian, whom she considers her future son-in-law, she angrily declares her intention to confront those slandering him. However, An Ning's grandfather intervenes, reminding her that "good fortune follows upon disaster, disaster lurks within good fortune" and advising her against impulsive actions that could worsen the situation for Long Haoqian by making her appear as a "crazy mother-in-law" in the media. She reluctantly agrees not to go.
In the kitchen, as staff discuss the cancelled New Year's Eve banquet and potential waste, Gong Chen gathers them to explain his unwavering loyalty to Long Teng. He reveals that despite offers from many other hotels, he chose to stay because Long Teng consistently provides free meals on New Year's Eve for the elderly, orphans, and homeless, and distributes free traditional foods on other festivals like Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn, and Laba.
Crucially, the hotel has never used these acts of charity for self-promotion, proving its "kind and upright" nature. Gong Chen believes such a noble enterprise will not be wronged by God or easily swayed by rumors. He urges everyone to protect Long Teng and stand by it through this difficult time. The staff affirm their commitment to stand with Long Teng until the end. An Ning is visibly distraught, eating very little at dinner, which concerns her mother.
She tries calling Long Haoqian, but his phone is off, so she sends him a message reminding him to eat and to call or text her when he has a moment. Xia Tian later voices her apprehension to An Ning, questioning whether An Ning and Long Haoqian are truly compatible, citing the disparity in their family backgrounds. An Ning tries to deflect by asking about Xia Tian's relationship with Yi Mingjun.
Xia Tian then confesses her own fear of investing everything only to be hurt, acknowledging that she, too, feels out of place when considering Yi Mingjun's family background. Long Haoqian holds a meeting with Lin Ze Yu, CEO of L Group.
Long Haoqian directly confronts Lin Ze Yu, suggesting L Group was behind the online smear campaign against Long Teng, as well as past troubles like the two troublemaking customers at the hotel and adding vinegar to the old soup during the cooking competition. Lin Ze Yu initially denies involvement but Long Haoqian makes it clear he knows the truth.
Lin Ze Yu, acknowledging Long Haoqian as his strongest opponent, admits that despite years of employing various schemes, L Group's performance has declined, while Long Teng, known for its consistent charity work, has flourished. He expresses his weariness of their rivalry and proposes an alliance. Long Haoqian welcomes this, stating it would be Long Teng's honor to partner with L Group for a promising future.
They shake hands, and Lin Ze Yu even expresses L Group's willingness to join Long Teng's charity efforts, requesting an invitation to next year's New Year's Eve banquet. Early the next morning, An Ning's family realizes she has gone to Long Teng. She finds Long Haoqian there and confronts him for not answering her calls or messages. Long Haoqian apologizes, explaining he had an overnight meeting and had turned off his phone, only seeing her messages that morning.
He informs her that the food poisoning issue has been resolved; test results confirmed no problem with the hotel's food. The customer's poisoning was due to a chemical reaction between a large amount of donkey meat he had eaten the night before and the fungi dishes consumed at the hotel.
An Ning expresses guilt for being unable to help him during his stress, but Long Haoqian reassures her that her presence by his side is all he needs to be happy and satisfied. He then asks her to wake him in half an hour for a meeting. At a board meeting, worried directors question Long Haoqian's father about measures to counter Long Teng's falling stock. Long Haoqian's father, stepping back from daily operations, announces Long Haoqian's engagement.
Despite board members' concerns that announcing a marriage during a crisis might be inappropriate or perceived as a publicity stunt, Long Haoqian insists his personal life is separate from the company's challenges. He then reveals his strategic plan for the bay project: he deliberately inflated Long Teng's bid and leaked it to Lin Ze Yu, knowing Lin Ze Yu would outbid them at an exorbitant price.
This move, combined with L Group's existing financial struggles, caused L Group to exhaust its cash flow. Capitalizing on this, Long Teng Group and L Group signed a cooperation agreement the previous night, making Long Teng the second-largest shareholder of the bay project. This announcement, coupled with the continued success of Long Teng's resort project, leads to a rapid recovery of Long Teng's stock, earning Long Haoqian praise from the delighted shareholders.
Yi Mingjun brings good news to the kitchen: the food examination report confirms Long Teng's innocence. He further announces that a well-known media columnist has published a special article, criticizing the online rumors and detailing Long Teng's extensive charity work over the years, finally clearing the hotel's name. It's revealed that this columnist is the relative of the lost elderly woman An Ning and Long Haoqian had helped.
The relative expresses his gratitude, saying he was looking for an opportunity to repay them and stating that such a noble enterprise should not be slandered. He jokingly hopes to be invited to An Ning and Long Haoqian's wedding in the near future. The Long Teng Hotel is quiet on New Year's Eve, with kitchen staff lounging around due to lack of customers. Gong Chen sternly reminds them to stay prepared.
An elderly man then walks in, inquiring about the free New Year's Eve dinner, which the staff enthusiastically confirm. This marks the beginning of a steady stream of guests. An Ning's grandfather also arrives in the kitchen, eager to help, which An Ning's mother notes proves his underlying concern despite his earlier remarks. Manager Ma expertly handles the bustling lobby. Lin Ze Yu of L Group arrives, Long Haoqian having reserved a seat of honor for him.
When a server accidentally splashes water on Lin Ze Yu, he reacts gracefully and calmly, impressing Min'er who is caught staring at him, prompting William to playfully tease her about her eyes "almost falling out." Long Haoqian has planned a surprise proposal for An Ning, with flowers and a ring. An Ning's mother is invited to witness the event.
As everyone gathers for the New Year's Eve reunion dinner, which now includes Lin Ze Yu from L Group and An Ning's mother, Long Haoqian makes a heartfelt speech. He talks about Long Teng's meaningful charity work and how it taught him the value of genuine kindness. He then expresses his deep gratitude to An Ning, who taught him to be grounded and filled his once empty life with purpose, describing her as sincere, kind-hearted, and inspiring.
After thanking his family, friends, and staff for their support during Long Teng's crisis, Long Haoqian gets down on one knee, presenting a ring, and proposes to An Ning. He tells her that she made him believe in fairy tales and he wants to be her prince, sheltering her from life's storms. Overwhelmed, An Ning tearfully accepts his proposal. From a distance, Long Haoqian's mother watches the emotional scene, her stern expression subtly softening as she observes her son's happiness.
