Dating In The Kitchen Episode Summary

Dating In The Kitchen (我, 喜欢你) has really got a lot of people excited with plenty of clips available on YouTube. They just continuously appear on my YouTube feeds and I can’t help but to take a peek. I was thinking of watching this after all the episodes have been aired and properly subbed, but alas, the excitement has got to me as well. The good thing is the drama is nearing conclusion already and hence, I shouldn’t need to wait too long to watch the last episode and write up my Dating In The Kitchen review!

Episode 1

Gu Sheng Nan is a kitchen hand in a hotel restaurant and has very good cooking skills. Lu Jin is a rich man who is looking at buying over the hotel and arrives to do a spot check. Sheng Nan’s colleague, Trumpet, persuades her to cook her delicious fried rice in the store room. A mishap occurs which results in a small fire. Sheng Nan ends up dousing Lu Jin with water.

Manager Shen fires Sheng Nan. Lu Jin samples the food by the hotel chefs but none meets his high standards. Finally, Trumpet suggests serving him Sheng Nan’s fried rice. Lu Jin finishes the whole plate and asks to meet the chef. Manager Shen is forced to lie that Sheng Nan is on leave.

Sheng Nan’s friend, Xu Zhao Di, was fleeced by a man whom she had been dating for a month. Zhao Di wants to seek revenge and asks Sheng Nan to destroy the man’s car. But Sheng Nan got the wrong car. She ends up sprinkling Lu Jin’s car with flour and noodles instead. She is made to pay for the clean-up to avoid getting reported to the police.

However, Sheng Nan has no money. She goes back to see her grandfather at his eatery stall. Grandfather Gu gives her a red packet since it is her birthday. Coincidentally, it is also Lu Jin’s birthday. But nobody remembers it except for his assistant who simply buys him a gift. His own mother is more interested in running a business. Hence, Lu Jin ends up at Grandfather Gu’s restaurant and tastes Sheng Nan’s cooking by accident. Her grandfather actually disallows her from his kitchen. When Lu Jin goes to the kitchen to see who is the chef, Sheng Nan is already sneaking away.

Episode 2

Lu Jin picks up the spoon that Sheng Nan has dropped. It is a long spoon that she has used to bun up her hair. But Lu Jin has not been able to see her face.

Sheng Nan is re-hired just to cook for Lu Jin whom she just knows by his room number. She demands a pay rise and promotion which she gets. Her mother’s cousin, Gao Quan An, and Zhao Di book a room at the hotel to celebrate her success. Sheng Nan gets drunk and thinks she should thank the guest that caused her to be re-hired. After her 2 friends left, she drunkenly climbs out of her balcony and lands on that guest’s balcony which, of course, turns out to be Lu Jin.

When Sheng Nan realizes who he is, she pretends to fall into a drunken sleep. She still owes him money for his car clean-up. Sheng Nan calls his assistant, Meng, who is just striking up a conversation with Zhao Di at the disco. When Meng arrives, Lu Jin orders him to do a background check on Sheng Nan as he thinks she is following him. While they are talking outside the room, Sheng Nan takes the opportunity to disappear by climbing the balcony again.

Lu Jin is impressed with the chef who is cooking his meals. He wants to meet her. But now that Sheng Nan knows who he is, she tries to avoid him. Lu Jin searches for her. While escaping from him, she drops her bandanna. He picks it up. Sheng Nan reappears from the bathroom in a mask and out of her uniform. Lu Jin stops her.

Episode 3

Lu Jin asks Sheng Nan if the bandanna is hers. She says yes. But that gives her away because Lu Jin can recognize it as she has worn it the day they first met. Lu Jin then places orders for her to cook different dishes. He savors every one of them. Sheng Nan has to cook throughout the night which leaves her exhausted.

The next day, Manager Shen catches her napping during work. He tells her to go outside to freshen herself up. Sheng Nan inflates a big doll by the pool side. It hits Lu Jin who is having a phone conversation at the edge of the pool. He falls into the water.

Zhao Di finds Meng at the hotel club but she couldn’t enter without a membership card. She asks Sheng Nan to get her a waitress uniform. In return, she will pay her the money for Lu Jin’s car repair. Zhao Di gets in to see Meng but he has to leave when told that Lu Jin has fallen into the pool.

Back in his hotel room, Lu Jin is wondering about Sheng Nan’s intention. He places an order for a soup. He gets impatient and goes to the kitchen to check it out. Lu Jin takes a taste of the soup which is still boiling in the pot. But it contains mushrooms and still undercooked. Lu Jin collapses due to poisoning. Sheng Nan feeds him soapy water to make him throw up. Bubbles appear from his mouth when he hiccups.

Lu Jin is embarrassed when the clip from the kitchen security camera gets circulated. He gets even more uneasy when the whole kitchen staff apologize to him. He panics and tells Sheng Nan not to serve him anymore. Manager Shen then fires Sheng Nan again.

Episode 4

Sheng Nan is now jobless. Meng chases her for Lu Jin’s car repair charges again. Then, he finds out that Zhao Di and Sheng Nan are best friends when he gives her a lift. Zhao Di also finds out that Meng’s boss is Lu Jin.

Sheng Nan goes back to borrow money from her grandfather who makes her work at his eatery as a helper. Lu Jin is getting picky with his food after tasting Sheng Nan’s cooking. He ends up at Grandfather Gu’s eatery again and comes across Sheng Nan.

In a dispute with a drunk patron, Sheng Nan throws a bottle at him but it hits Lu Jin who lands in hospital. Although there is no serious injury, Lu Jin forces Sheng Nan to sign a contract to cook for him in exchange for the money she owed him. Meng takes the opportunity to get Zhao Di to have a meal with him in a fancy restaurant but she isn’t impressed.

Lu Jin asks Sheng Nan to cook him seafood. He arrives at her working class housing area and feels out of place. He proceeds up to her apartment to enjoy her cooking. Sheng Nan charges him exorbitant rates including corkage fees in order to pay off her debt as quickly as possible. Hence, for the next meal, Lu Jin declines to let her serve him wine and comes up with ways to reduce the charges.

Sheng Nan asks for ideas from Gao Quan An. She ends up with a changed appearance when she next serves Lu Jin.

Episode 5

Sheng Nan takes on a more feminine appearance to charm Lu Jin to make him sign another exorbitant bill. Meng advises his boss that he should seduce her in return to turn the tables on her. Meng talks too much and Lu Jin makes him continuously repeat a phrase until he loses his voice. When Zhao Di seeks Meng’s help to be her interpreter for a business deal, he couldn’t speak. She thinks he is putting on airs which leaves her feeling angry.

Lu Jin starts to seduce Sheng Nan. It works and she feels flustered by his attention and close proximity. As she cooks for him everyday, they begin to get closer to each other. Lu Jin also cares about her safety due to her dark surroundings.

When Lu Jin finds out that Sheng Nan uses the name Zhao Min for her online purchase deliveries, he starts using the name Zhang Wu Ji for the same.* When Sheng Nan receives a call to attend an interview, she postpones it because of Lu Jin.

The owner agrees to sell the hotel. Meng shows up at Zhao Di’s business meeting to help her. She promises to buy him dinner for the help. A woman named Li Man keeps calling Lu Jin from Switzerland. She wants to know more about the woman Lu Jin is spending time with. Gao Quan An shows up at Sheng Nan’s apartment and meets Lu Jin.

* Zhao Min and Zhang Wu Ji are a pair in Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre.

Episode 6

Gao Quan An can see that Sheng Nan and Lu Jin are like a couple. They have matching mugs and his stuff are lying around her home. He complains to Zhao Di that he was ignored while eating at Sheng Nan’s place.

Lu Jin is asleep on the couch after dinner. Sheng Nan tries to take a photo of them together but his sudden movement causes an accidental kiss. Both are feeling embarrassed. So, Lu Jin quickly takes his leave. But privately, both are smiling about what happened.

Li Man arrives and knows what Lu Jin has been up to. She notices Sheng Nan’s resume tucked in Lu Jin’s coat. Li Man is his long time secretary. Lu Jin once broke up with his girlfriend because of the latter’s jealousy over Li Man. He made it clear then that he would choose Li Man because she is his business partner. Li Man is confident that Lu Jin would also make the same decision now. She informs him that she has booked a flight for him out of the city and it is uncharacteristic for him to stay so long at the hotel. She reminds him that it is time he gets back to his duties.

Lu Jin asks Sheng Nan out for dinner rather than having her cook for him. She expects him to confess his love for her but he tells her that he is leaving instead. Sheng Nan is disappointed and cries. She dumps all his stuff and tries to convince herself that she is not in love with him as she struggles to get over it.

Episode 7

Sheng Nan slips and falls down the stairs. She hurts her leg and neck in the process. Zhao Di tells her that it must be the accidental kiss which has caused her all the bad luck. Lu Jin is at Zhuozhou with Li Man to interview a candidate to helm the hotel he just bought in Suhai. They decide to hire Cheng Zi Qian who is also Li Man’s ex-college mate.

Zi Qian goes back to Suhai and reunites with Sheng Nan. They know each other from childhood and Zi Qian was like a big brother to her. He left Suhai when she was just a young teen.

Meng calls Zhao Di from Zhuozhou to chat with her. He finds out that Sheng Nan is injured. Lu Jin misses Sheng Nan. He fishes for information about Sheng Nan from Meng and learns about her injury. Lu Jin wants to fly back to Suhai but all flights are cancelled due to a typhoon. Train tickets are sold out and he ends up hiring a taxi for a 10-hour drive back to Suhai. Along the way, he has to share the cab with other passengers.

When Lu Jin reaches Sheng Nan’s home, he notices Zi Qian accompanying her home from the hospital. He questions her about Zi Qian but she refuses to answer as she is angry with him for leaving her. Lu Jin grabs and kisses her. Sheng Nan pushes him away. He apologizes and leaves.

Episode 8

Li Man wants Meng to fly back to Suhai and report to her what Lu Jin is doing there. When he arrives, Lu Jin tells him that he is preparing to go back to Switzerland. Manager Shen offers Sheng Nan her old job back with a raise. Zi Qian is the hotel’s new General Manager. Sheng Nan assumes she got her job back because of him although he denies it.

Zhao Di informs Sheng Nan that Lu Jin and Meng are leaving for Switzerland. Sheng Nan decides she loves Lu Jin after all and can’t bear for him to leave. She makes him a soup which denotes love. Sheng Nan thought she is late when traffic holds up. But Lu Jin also misses his fight and train when he takes a detour to pass by her place. They meet again at the station.

Lu Jin remains in Suhai but Li Man also shows up at his place. When Sheng Nan brings Lu Jin a cake to surprise him, she is introduced to Li Man as his deputy. Li Man gives her tips and treats her as a staff. Sheng Nan also notices that Li Man has made Lu Jin the same soup that she has brewed for him. She ends up crying and complaining to Zhao Di and Gao Quan An and declines Lu Jin’s call.

Lu Jin has no appetite for Li Man’s cooking but enjoys Sheng Nan’s cake. The next day, Li Man and Lu Jin inspect the hotel. Li Man asks Sheng Nan to prepare them a meal. She then questions her credentials as she finds the food unsatisfactory. She uses the dish as a way to let her know that she does not match up to Lu Jin.

Episode 9

Sheng Nan retorts that freshness of the ingredients are more important than compatibility which belies the message that she is young while Li Man is old. She storms off and sulks. Lu Jin tells her not to misinterpret Li Man’s words. They end up arguing with Sheng Nan telling Lu Jin that he can’t be eating 2 women’s cooking and that he belongs elsewhere rather than with her. Lu Jin is unsure of what he wants as his attraction to her is making him think twice.

Li Man will be leaving for Switzerland the next day. She reminds Lu Jin that his mother is getting old and he should go back soon. But Lu Jin finds it hard to give up Sheng Nan. He moves in next door to her. She is shocked to see him. While she is happy, she pretends to be indifferent.

Zi Qian drops by and invites Sheng Nan to attend a cooking seminar at a hotel for the weekend. Lu Jin is jealous when Sheng Nan insists on going. She posts pictures of her and Zi Qian when they arrive at the venue. She also refuses to pick Lu Jin’s calls. Lu Jin decides to go to the hotel with Meng. They secretly follow Sheng Nan and Zi Qian around.

Sheng Nan gets drunk and Zi Qian sends her back to her room. Meng pays a hotel staff to look inside Sheng Nan’s room and report back to them. But Sheng Nan finds out about it.

Episode 10

Sheng Nan questions Lu Jin why he is at the hotel. He gives various excuses but can’t say it out loud that he likes her. He only admits it when Sheng Nan asks him directly.

Sheng Nan is having a tiff with Chef Yu who feels she is being protected by the management and hence, can get away with being late. Zi Qian decides that the selection of a chief chef will be based on a competition. All the chefs will be asked to come up with a menu for the Chairwoman’s upcoming banquet. The one that gets picked will have the chance to be the new chief.

Sheng Nan is busy trying out her new dish in preparation for the competition. Lu Jin is waiting for her. She invites him to the hotel kitchen to try her cooking. Sheng Nan tries to pry about his mother’s likes and dislikes. Lu Jin tells her that it is cheating. Instead, he tells her the story of his mother’s struggle from being abandoned by her husband to a successful businesswoman today. Hence, a dish that is too perfect lacks the human touch when life isn’t perfect. Their meeting in the kitchen is quietly witnessed by Chef Yu.

Lu Jin finds Zi Qian visiting Sheng Nan with a bunch of roses. The 2 men are eyeing each other with suspicion. Both are after Sheng Nan and see each other as love rivals as they eat together in her home.

Episode 11

Li Man informs Lu Jin’s mother, Ms. Zheng, about his interest in Sheng Nan. Ms. Zheng flies to Suhai and asks Lu Jin about his girlfriend. She feels Li Man is a more suitable partner for her son. However, Lu Jin resists the idea. Ms. Zheng then asks to meet Sheng Nan.

Zhao Di and Gao Quan An teach her what to do during the meeting and dress her up to look more mature for her age. Ms. Zheng asks her to name a price for her to leave her son during the meeting. Sheng Nan admits that she wants money to give her grandfather a better life and to pay her rising rent. But she wants to earn it herself. She leaves after saying her piece.

Sheng Nan assures Lu Jin that she understands his mother’s concern and that she likes her frankness. She teases him that she should consider how much he is worth to her. Lu Jin tells her seriously not to think about such things again. They are about to kiss when the kettle starts to sound.

Li Man, Zi Qian, and Manager Shen are the judges for the chefs’ cooking. Sheng Nan wins the right to be the chef for the Chairwoman’s banquet. Chef Yu and his supporters are dissatisfied. He tells them that Sheng Nan and Lu Jin have a close relationship. But the position of the chief chef is still dependent on Ms. Zheng’s verdict during the banquet.

Grandfather Gu organizes a dinner for friends and family at his eatery to celebrate Sheng Nan’s success. Lu Jin feels out of place among them.

Episode 12

Gao Quan An relates to Lu Jin how Sheng Nan grew up among the people in Grandfather’s Gu eatery. She was neglected by her parents and hence, she craves for love. It could also be the reason why she would choose someone so much older than her as a boyfriend. Gao Quan An tells Lu Jin not to hurt Sheng Nan.

When Lu Jin sends Sheng Nan home, she has had a good time and a little drunk. She also complains of being hungry. They end up eating instant noodles right out of the packet. Lu Jin assures her that he is fine with the noisy gathering. Sheng Nan is happy that he is accepting of her relatives.

Zi Qian sends Sheng Nan to work but she demands to get out of the car near the hotel when she hears him complimenting Li Man. One of the chefs witnesses it and starts gossiping that Sheng Nan is with Zi Qian rather than Lu Jin. They all think she gets her position through connections. With their hostility, they are reluctant to cooperate with her to prepare the Chairwoman’s banquet especially Chef Yu.

Meng is unhappy to learn that Zhao Di is not interested in him. He decides to be more ambitious which Lu Jin finds strange. Meng tells Lu Jin it is love that has affected him. He is also desperate when he sees Zhao Di being close to a handsome client, Lucas. Sheng Nan is unhappy and asks Lu Jin to accompany her to the market. All the sellers are wary because Sheng Nan will drive a hard bargain when she is in a bad mood.

Episode 13

Lu Jin lets Sheng Nan bargain and get her stuff at low prices to lift her mood while he quietly reimburses the sellers. At the door, they are about to kiss twice but each time, they are distracted by the chandelier that suddenly lights up which causes them to pull back. Lu Jin is quietly admitting to himself that he has fallen for her while Sheng Nan is delighted as she thinks he likes her.

Ms. Zheng is testing the food prepared by Sheng Nan at the hotel. But the last dish has been swapped. A plate of rotten caviar and other ingredients send a hostile message about the hotel buyout. Sheng Nan denies preparing the dish. Ms. Zheng is angry. Lu Jin and Zi Qian carry out an investigation. They question Trumpet who suspects the culprit to be Chef Yu. Lu Jin and Zi Qian set a trap for Che Yu who inadvertently admits his crime. Chef Yu is thus fired.

Zhao Di and Gao Quan An make a scene in front of Ms. Zheng’s villa. They accuse her of jumping to conclusions in Sheng Nan’s case. Sheng Nan and Lu Jin rush there to get her 2 friends to back off. Lu Jin tells his mother that the case has been investigated and Sheng Nan is innocent. He asks his mother not to cause trouble for her. Ms. Zheng wants Lu Jin to arrange a meal with Sheng Nan.

Zhao Di is at the disco with Lucas. She calls Gao Quan An to come by to pretend to be a love rival.

Episode 14

Zhao Di has a crush on Lucas and thinks he is the one. Gao Quan An advises Sheng Nan to attend the dinner with Lu Jin’s mother which will be arranged at the hotel. Sheng Nan also decides to bake a cake for Zi Qian to thank him for clearing her name. Lu Jin is a little jealous when he finds out. Zi Qian is thinking of confessing his feelings to Sheng Nan but she is in a hurry to attend the dinner.

When Lu Jin and Sheng Nan turn up, they are surprised to see that it is a top management dinner. They are at a Japanese restaurant with the chef cooking and serving them on the spot. Sheng Nan is asked to cook with the excuse that they want to sample her cooking. It is done to humiliate her. Lu Jin stands up for her and insists to help her out. Sheng Nan rushes out of the restaurant in tears with Lu Jin in pursuit.

Chef Yu tries to attack Sheng Nan in a deserted alley. Lu Jin shields her and gets hit with a bottle. He insists it is worth it for him to protect her because he loves her. Sheng Nan kisses him upon hearing those words.

Meng has been tailing Zhao Di. He finds out that Lucas is a two-timer. He gets to know Lucas’ secret rendezvous location and informs Zhao Di. She arrives at the hotel room to find out that he is a rich playboy. Meng tries to protect Zhao Di when Lucas slaps her. Zhao Di cries over the humiliation but Meng’s presence cheers her up.

Lu Jin’s brother is being pressured by his mother to help out the family business. She is afraid of Lu Jin’s intentions.

Episode 15

Lu Zheng is not interested in running a business. His passion is in tinkering with engines. However, his father, Lu Ming Ting, is not in the best of health. His company is also not doing well. When the company’s loans are due, news about fraudulent accounting in its main subsidiary surfaces. But Ming Ting refuses to seek help from Ms. Zheng’s Zheng Hong Group. He collapses during a meeting and is admitted to hospital. He hopes Lu Zheng will slowly learn and take over the business.

Meng and Zhao Di are starting to get closer. He asks Zhao Di to accept him as her boyfriend. Ms. Zheng tells Li Man that she hopes the latter can remain with the family. She wants her to be Lu Jin’s partner.

Lu Jin brings Sheng Nan to a resort to enjoy a few days together. Sheng Nan questions him about his exes. He says that they broke up due to his work probably because he didn’t truly love them. Lu Jin also assures her that there is nothing between him and Li Man and that he will never treat her like his exes because he loves her.

Sheng Nan invites some friends over to the resort including Zi Qian. Zi Qian doubts whether Lu Jin can give Sheng Nan the happiness she deserves. But Lu Jin tells him that he can. He also reminds Zi Qian who Sheng Nan loves. Hence, Zi Qian would not be able to give Sheng Nan the happiness that she wants either. Zi Qian warns Lu Jin to remember his own words.

Sheng Nan ends up sharing a room with a co-worker. She tells her that she is going to break Lu Jin’s heart.

Episode 16

Sheng Nan’s co-worker always assumes that men are interested in her including Lu Jin. Sheng Nan knows she can’t be taken seriously. After her co-worker gets drunk and falls asleep, she goes to Lu Jin’s room. But 2 other colleagues are in his room and they are forced to play mahjong. Sheng Nan ends up sleeping in Lu Jin’s room. By the time she wakes up in the morning, Lu Jin has gone and left a message for her that he has to attend to urgent business matters. Zi Qian notices her coming out from Lu Jin’s room.

Lu Jin has left for business matters abroad. He calls her and both of them blurts out that they miss each other. Grandfather Gu fainted and is admitted to hospital. He has heart problems but has to wait for a bed. Ming Ting overhears the problem and arranges for a VIP room for Grandfather Gu. Sheng Nan goes to his room which is next door to her grandfather’s with some food to thank him. In the process, she gets to know Lu Zheng.

Lu Jin’s flight back to Suhai is delayed as more problems crop up. Gao Quan An lends Sheng Nan money for Grandfather Gu’s hospital bill. Sheng Nan is unwilling to ask from Lu Jin and lies to him that things are fine with her. With her grandfather in hospital, Sheng Nan has to manager his eatery and make it to work at the hotel. She also has to take care of her grandfather which leaves her exhausted.

Grandfather Gu’s surgery is due and Sheng Nan has to pay for the bills. Ms. Zheng shows up at the hospital.

Episode 17

Ms. Zheng visits Grandfather Gu and tells him to call her assistant if he needs help. She doesn’t want them to disturb Lu Jin who she says is busy. Grandfather Gu feels for Sheng Nan as the relationship will not be an easy one for her.

Ms. Zheng also talks to Sheng Nan. She wants her to leave Lu Jin not because she is poor but because she will be a distraction for him. Sheng Nan will be Lu Jin’s weakness and this will cost him his career in a competitive business environment. What he needs is a woman who can help him instead. Ms. Zheng calls Lu Jin in front of Sheng Nan who is pressured to tell him that she is fine.

Lu Zheng still has no interest in running his father’s company and couldn’t be bothered to pay attention during meetings. Zi Qian finds out about Sheng Nan’s situation and helps her to pay for her grandfather’s surgery and takes care of him. Grandfather Gu asks Zhao Di’s and Gao Quan An’s opinion about Zi Qian and Lu Jin. He decides Zi Qian is a better life partner for Sheng Nan.

Sheng Nan calls Lu Jin after her grandfather’s surgery. Li Man takes the call and then deletes it from the log. Sheng Nan feels down. Grandfather Gu encourages Zi Qian to pursue Sheng Nan. Li Man finally confesses her feelings to Lu Jin but gets rejected. When he makes it clear there can never be anything between them, she lets him know about Sheng Nan’s call.

Episode 18

Zi Qian confesses to Sheng Nan that he hopes he can have a special place in her life. Sheng Nan turns him down and apologizes. Lu Jin returns to Suhai and looks for Sheng Nan at the hospital. He hugs her the moment he sees her. But Sheng Nan has become distant. They argue over the situation. Lu Jin apologizes for not being there for her.

Both Lu Jin and Sheng Nan seek out Gao Quan An for advice. Gao Quan An tells Lu Jin that Sheng Nan is feeling insecure. He also advises Sheng Nan that being distant can still lead to romance since she still loves Lu Jin.

Lu Jin disagrees with his mother about Sheng Nan. He tells her not to interfere in his relationship as he knows she has spoken to Sheng Nan. Lu Jin also informs her mother that he doesn’t want to be an emotionless working machine although love could be his weakness in his business career.

Zi Qian leaves a note for Grandfather Gu to apologize for not being able to take care of Sheng Nan. He also writes to Sheng Nan to let her know that he is going abroad to further his studies. Lu Jin visits Grandfather Gu but is made to move the furniture in the room back and forth to test his patience. He also personally helps out Sheng Nan at her grandfather’s eatery including cleaning and serving customers.

Grandfather Gu hears of Lu Jin’s good behavior from the drinks stall owner, Aunt Wang. He then makes Lu Jin hold a wok with one hand when Lu Jin drops by to visit him.

Episode 19

Lu Jin begins to feel tired holding the wok. Grandfather Gu just wants Lu Jin to know the hard work he had done to bring Sheng Nan up. He knows Lu Jin has a lot of responsibilities and pressures but he hopes Lu Jin knows how to balance between his duties and love. Lu Jin promises Grandfather Gu that he wouldn’t hurt Sheng Nan.

Meng has hotpot at Zhao Di’s home. She begins to appreciate and takes a liking for him. They end up in bed but Zhao Di is resistant to the idea of falling in love with Meng. On the other hand, Meng sells his car to buy a proposal ring for Zhao Di.

Lu Jin brings Sheng Nan to an abandoned building which is to be torn down for rebuilding. He has painted a wall with a cooking theme just for her to cheer her up. They then have a playful time splashing it with paint and sharing kisses. While shopping together, Sheng Nan notices a wedding gown in the boutique and impulsively tries it on while Lu Jin is on the phone. He doesn’t know how to react when she sees her.

Fiancee

Sheng Nan asks Gao Quan An’s opinion and is worried that she is seen as pressuring Lu Jin about marriage. Lu Jin then decides to announce Sheng Nan as his fiancee during a function. Sheng Nan is surprised as it is Gao Quan An who has led her there. Ms. Zheng is not happy and asks to have a private word with Lu Jin. Sheng Nan bumps into Lu Zheng and she finds out that he is Lu Jin’s half brother which means Ming Ting is also Lu Jin’s father.

Lu Zheng relates to Sheng Nan the pressures Lu Jin had faced as a kid. Ms. Zheng was strict with Lu Jin and had always wanted him to perform. Lu Zheng doesn’t want to go down that path and prefers a carefree life.

Ming Ting asks Lu Jin not to target his businesses. But Lu Jin is reminded of how his father had abandoned him and his mother. Hence, he is adamant on acquiring his companies. Sheng Nan tells Lu Jin to give her Lu Zheng’s contact as she gets along well with Lu Zheng. Lu Jin is not happy with her behavior and close association with Lu Zheng. He wants her to consider his position as her fiancee.

Sheng Nan tries to cheer him up at home with various silly antics. But he finds it annoying. Finally, he carries her to bed and warns her of what he will do if she contacts Lu Zheng again.

Episode 20

Sheng Nan moves away from Lu Jin as he gets uncomfortably close. He finds her amusing. Meng publicly proposes to Zhao Di. She rejects his proposal as she doesn’t want to live a poor life when she had escaped from one during her childhood. Meng is devastated.

Ms. Zheng brings Sheng Nan to her greenhouse and asks her to remove the weeds. The message is she is like a weed that sucks up Lu Jin’s energy. Sheng Nan removes the plants as well and tells Ms. Zheng that weeds are also living things and both should be treated equally. Ms. Zheng grudgingly admits that Sheng Nan is gutsy just like her when she was young.

Sheng Nan ends up sick after the gardening incident. She asks for canned fruits. Lu Jin makes it for her from scratch using fresh fruits. He takes care of her and accompanies her when she asks him to. But Sheng Nan feels guilty when she sees him having so much work to do besides taking care of her. She wants to take care of him too and ends up delivering soup to his office.

Sheng Nan quietly follows Lu Jin in the background as he works. She gives up on interrupting him. Lu Jin is furious that his team has slacked regarding the acquisition of Ming Ting’s company which gives his father a chance to save it. Sheng Nan witnesses another side of Lu Jin and thinks it he is attractive at work.

Episode 21

Sheng Nan hopes to understand and support Lu Jin. Lu Jin wants the acquisition of Ming Ting Group to proceed. He scuttles the deal between Wayne Group and Ming Ting Group so that the latter can’t be saved.

Ming Ting looks for Sheng Nan to help him to meet Lu Jin. But Lu Jin is unwilling to accede to his father’s request to let go of Ming Ting Group because it was his father who taught him to be ruthless when he abandoned his family. Ming Ting feels pain in his heart to hear those words.

Lu Jin is angry after the meeting and is punching a sandbag until his hands are bleeding. Sheng Nan tries to get him to go home. He kisses her aggressively but stops and apologizes when she cries. But Sheng Nan kisses him back to comfort him. They end up sleeping together for the night.

Ming Ting tells Lu Zheng to save the company before he passes away. Lu Jin observes from a distance with flowers in hand during the funeral. Lu Zheng begs his brother not to acquire Ming Ting Group. But the plea is rejected. Lu Jin tells Lu Zheng to prove his worth if the latter wants him to stop the acquisition. He flies off to Canada to prepare for the deal.

Lu Zheng begins to take serious interest in the business. He uses his a company, Tai Yue Properties, to sign an agreement with Chen Xing Holdings for a project while Ming Ting Group is made the guarantor. Lu Jin begins to accumulate shares in Ming Ting Group. He also orders for background investigation into Tai Yue and Chen Xing.

Lu Zheng begins to get close to Sheng Nan by sharing his sob story to make her sympathize with him.

Episode 22

Lu Jin is insistent on buying Ming Ting Group. He also reminds Li Man to keep a close eye on the deal. Lu Zheng invites Sheng Nan to a toy car racing competition. After the event, Lu Zheng asks Sheng Nan to go for a meal. Gao Quan An is suspicious of Lu Zheng’s intentions and prevents Sheng Nan from going.

Lu Zheng teaches Sheng Nan about toy car racing at his workshop. He is secretly recording their time together and purposely gets close to her for an intimate shot. Sheng Nan is nervous and leaves immediately. But she doesn’t believe Lu Zheng’s action is intentional. Gao Quan An feels uneasy when Lu Zheng turns up at Sheng Nan’s place. He calls Lu Jin to inform him.

Misunderstanding

Lu Jin calls Sheng Nan who lies to him that she is alone on Lu Zheng’s instructions. Lu Zheng then sends Lu Jin a photo of him and Sheng Nan. This forces Lu Jin to fly back immediately. He shows Sheng Nan the photo. She explains that there is nothing between her and Lu Zheng but Lu Jin begins to appear distant.

Zhao Di is ordered to take on a rich old male client whom her colleagues insinuate that she is adept at handling. Zhao Di scolds the client when he implies that she is an easy woman who would sleep with him. She tells her boss that she doesn’t want to handle the client anymore. But her boss advises her to re-consider.

Lu Jin warns Lu Zheng to stay away from Sheng Nan. His brother purposely provokes him in return. Lu Jin hits him just as Sheng Nan shows up. She is angry with Lu Jin’s behavior and thinks that he doesn’t trust her. But she finds out from Gao Quan An later that Lu Jin knows she had lied to him about her brother’s presence at her place that night. Lu Jin and Sheng Nan apologize to each other for the misunderstanding. She also promises not to see Lu Zheng anymore. She avoids him but he creeps up on her at her door.

Episode 23

Lu Zheng makes Sheng Nan feels pity for him again. She ends up having a meal with him and falls into a drunken sleep. Lu Zheng then purposely sends her back to Lu Jin who is severely disappointed that Sheng Nan has broken her promise to him. He quietly sheds tears as she lays asleep on his lap. When Sheng Nan wakes up the next morning, Lu Jin has gone. His mother tells her to convince Lu Jin or she could just take the cheque and leave.

Zhao Di is unhappy about her job. Meng tells her to quit and he will support her. He proposes to her. But Zhao Di is worried about the future. She wants them to have their own home. Meng promises her that they will get one. They settle for a unit they both like but the price is beyond their affordability. Zhao Di is touched when Gao Quan An lends her some. Meng asks Lu Jin for a salary advance. Lu Jin personally gives him a cheque to pay for the apartment.

Sheng Nan drags Lu Zheng to help her to explain to Lu Jin that there is nothing between them. But Lu Jin ignores her. He also tells her that they should both calm down when she confronts him again. Lu Jin notices that Lu Zheng is waiting in the car. Sheng Nan decides to listen to Lu Zheng to go on a trip to de-stress. She leaves him her keys as he offers to take care of her pet turtle. Lu Jin is surprised when he sees his brother in Sheng Nan’s apartment. He walks away from Lu Zheng’s provocation.

Lu Jin attends a meeting at Ming Ting Group. He gets up and leaves without asking questions after a short while.

Episode 24

Lu Jin has garnered more than enough shares of Ming Ting Group to gain control. At the board meeting, Lu Zheng takes out a lawyer’s demand letter. He has sold Tai Yue’s project to his own company and thinks by reneging on the contract with Chen Xing, Ming Ting Group will be made to pay compensation as guarantor. Hence, Lu Jin would have taken over a troubled company.

However, Lu Jin has already anticipated Lu Zheng’s moves and pre-empted him from getting proceeds from the sale of the project. He has also taken control of Chen Xing which will strike a new cooperation agreement with Ming Ting Group. He teaches Lu Zheng that one can’t be too impatient and trusting in business. Lu Jin doesn’t like it when Lu Zheng uses Sheng Nan for his own agenda. He saw all the messages on Sheng Nan’s phone the night she got drunk which shows Lu Zheng has been taking advantage of her trusting and kind nature.

Reconciliation

Sheng Nan is angry that Lu Jin has been pretending to ignore her to mislead Lu Zheng. He calms her down with a hug and they reconcile. The next morning, they are in bed and Lu Jin buns up Sheng Nan’s hair with the spoon that he had kept when she dropped it at her grandfather’s kitchen. Instead of a shoe like in Cinderella, he picked up a spoon!

Lu Zheng is sad about losing Ming Ting Group after trying his best. But Lu Jin gives the responsibility to manage the company back to his brother and mends their relationship.

Ms. Zheng tests Sheng Nan out again by telling her that she will make Lu Jin choose between the both of them. Sheng Nan volunteers to leave because she loves Lu Jin and doesn’t want to put him in a difficult situation. But she is also doing it so that Ms. Zheng will always be reminded that her happiness with her son is a result of Sheng Nan’s sacrifice. She leaves after saying her piece. Ms. Zheng is impressed with her answer and finally accepts her. Lu Jin then brings Sheng Nan back to his place to meet his mother.

Sheng Nan is opening her own restaurant. Zhao Di is with Meng while Zi Qian turns up with Li Man. Gao Quan An brings along his wife, Ze Nan. Lu Zheng is still in a meeting and scolding his managers the same way his elder brother did. Lu Jin proposes to Sheng Nan with a cake decorated with a red Ferrari and sprinkled with flour over it which is a reminder of the time they first met. Sheng Nan accepts.

Other Dramas With Large Age Gaps

Not everyone is comfortable watching couples with big age gaps in dramas. But it is also a reality of life that there are many people with much younger or older partners. If you like this kind of romance, you can check out Find Yourself. This one is a little different with the woman being the much older party in the relationship. The drama does make us explore society’s expectations of an acceptable marriage partner. Interestingly, the secondary couple in the drama would provide a bit of contrast as the guy is much older than the girl instead.

For a rom-com, there is Night Of The Comet 2. The couple featured herein has a 10-year age gap with the main female character being a fresh graduate. However, you don’t really feel the difference as the drama has a light theme and the couple looks compatible on-screen. Go Go Squid! is another rom-com whereby the male character is a decade older than the female. This is a very popular drama in 2019 with a gaming theme as the backdrop to the romance. The contrast in maturity and personality are also obvious in this drama.

Image Credit: Tencent