Summary
Si Ping High School finally go into battle with Shi Wen High School. As expected, Shi Wen High School is much too strong for Si Ping High School. The outcome not only devastates the Si Ping High School Food and Beverages students, but also Han Jie—to whom gets defeated by his own signature dish in the competition!
Recap and Thoughts
On the previous episode, Fang Xiao Rou is scared out of her wits from sounds of footsteps following her. She can’t move fast enough. And then suddenly, she feels a hand touch her left shoulder…
In her highly frightened state, Fang Xiao Rou falls forward from the fright and becomes unstable. Quick reflexes, Han Jie grabs hold of Fang Xiao Rou and sees them go spinning in a sort of a beautiful dance that ends with Han Jie bringing Fang Xiao Rou into a hug. The scene looks very romantic and sweet on the surface; however, upon closer look, Fang Xiao Rou’s deadly tight hug is fast making Han Jie turn blue from suffocation: "I’m… I’m suffocating," Han Jie says to Fang Xiao Rou. Fang Xiao Rou, realising this thing that had scared her was not actually a ghost but Han Jie, she immediately releases him from her deadly tight hug and apologises. Han Jie coughs, but feels much better now that he can breathe. He is not impressed with Fang Xiao Rou’s impetuous ways. "Be a little more careful in how you move about. It’s dangerous like that." Defending herself, Fang Xiao Rou tells Han Jie he should have made a sound instead of scaring her.
Han Jie and Fang Xiao Rou gets acquainted with the reason why each were still at school so late at night. Han Jie had come back for his phone that he left in the office. When Fang Xiao Rou is told this and realises that Han Jie did not come from the kitchen classroom as she had thought he had, she becomes worried again about the eerie knife sharpening sound she heard in the kitchen. As she does so, Han Jie spots a figure up on the upper level of the school building in the distance. He quickly shushes Fang Xiao Rou and pulls her down to hide below the brick wall in front of them. Fang Xiao Rou is confused, but follows him and ducks behind the brick wall. Fang Xiao Rou, she’s following this figure moving about on the upper level of the school building with scared eyes. Han Jie, though, he’s intrigued by this figure: "Have you ever seen what kind of a look a ghost has?" Han Jie asks. "I don’t want to see what a ghost looks like!" No, Fang Xiao Rou doesn’t want to see this ghost. Han Jie does, though. He stands up and immediately goes in pursuit of this figure. Fang Xiao Rou calls him to not go that would have her remain here by herself. However, Han Jie is too curious and keeps going, forcing Fang Xiao Rou to follow him in his curiosity.
Tracking this ghost takes Han Jie and Fang Xiao Rou through school corridors to an outdoors area of lawn, trees and hedges. Han Jie stops and hides by a thin tree as the figure move past some trees and disappear under some shrubbery. Fang Xiao Rou catches up to Han Jie and doesn’t see Han Jie by the tree, about to pass him. Han Jie holds her back by the shoulder and gestures her to not speak. Then, with more gestures, he instructs her to stay behind the tree they’re hiding behind whilst he heads in. “Okay,” Fang Xiao Rou gestures.
Han Jie stealthily moves off and stops by an adjacent shrubbery where the figure was seen disappearing behind. Han Jie gestures for Fang Xiao Rou to disable him. Understanding, Fang Xiao Rou prepares a projectile: her shoe. In one throw, she strikes the figure successfully: it pops up from the shrubbery and rubs the back of its head.
The figure temporarily disabled, Han Jie pounces.
A struggle takes place between Han Jie and this figure that we now clearly see is a male student of Si Ping High School. The struggle between Han Jie and this person Fang Xiao Rou still believes is a ghost is going on for much too long. Fang Xiao Rou becomes worried. She takes her other shoe and projects it over in a desperate attempt to disable the male student. However, her attempt disables the wrong person: Han Jie pops up rubbing his head and disorientated. Meanwhile, the male student escapes. "I’m so sorry!" Fang Xiao Rou says from her position. She then quickly runs to Han Jie’s side. “Are you okay?” Han Jie takes hold of Fang Xiao Rou’s shoulders for support as he tries to shake off his disorientation. Sorry as Fang Xiao Rou is, she’s still able to be a bit boastful: “I didn’t know that I would be able to aim so well.” Han Jie is still disorientated, but he doesn’t want to let the student get away. “Quickly—pursue!” he tells Fang Xiao Rou then leaps off and goes chasing after the student again.
The pair come to a dark room of a staff-restricted gym equipment room of some sort. Fang Xiao Rou attempts to be brave and shouts out— “Ghost dressed in school uniform, show yourself.” It’s not a ghost, though. I can assure you that it is a person and not a ghost, Han Jie informs Fang Xiao Rou as he gets out his phone to use the flashlight feature to see better. Hearing that, Fang Xiao Rou relaxes and joins Han Jie in looking for this person around the room.
Unknown to the both of them, this person isn’t in front of them, but behind them. A hand appears from around behind the exit door, reaching for the handle. Han Jie only notices movement behind them when the door is in the process of being shut. By the time both Han Jie and Fang Xiao Rou make a run towards the door, it has been shut and locked.
This person is Ma Chong Sheng. He whispers an apology to his teachers: "Teacher Fang, Teacher Han: I’m sorry," before he runs out of the place.
Ma Chong Sheng isn’t unfeeling, though. He doesn’t have the intention of leaving his teachers locked up in a room at school for the entire night. From a good distance away from the building, he gets his phone out and calls Security. Ma Chong Sheng only gets to the point of asking if the number he’s called is the Security office when he hears Liu Xuan calling his name. He quickly stops the call and puts the phone in his trouser pocket.
"What are you doing here?" Liu Xuan asks him. Ma Chong Sheng is quick on his feet and explains that he couldn’t find his transportation pass. Liu Xuan demands Ma Chong Sheng to tell the truth. After he insists on saying that what he said is truth, Liu Xuan coaxes Ma Chong Sheng into telling the truth with saying she will go inform the Dean on what she saw. Liu Xuan saw and knew nothing, though—as Ma Chong Sheng finds out when Liu Xuan is surprised to hear that he is the knife sharpening ghost who the school has been talking about and he has been using school ingredients to practise his knife skills. You should tell everyone, Liu Xuan says to him; however, Ma Chong Sheng argues that the effort he’s put into practising will be wasted if he tells because he will be kicked out of the competition. This has Liu Xuan indecisive.
Meanwhile, with no reception to give a call out for help, Han Jie and Fang Xiao Rou look for ways to get out. It looks almost impossible with the room all walled up except for windows high up near the roof. There is no choice. Han Jie suggests to Fang Xiao Rou that they will have to reach for the high windows as a way to get out. Fang Xiao Rou, however, isn’t so sure about it. "If not—then would you like to spend the night here?" Han Jie says to Fang Xiao Rou. This convinces Fang Xiao Rou, but the difficulty of climbing up to get to such a high window concerns her. “I’ll lift you up,” Han Jie says. He crouches down, taps his shoulders and waits for her to get on his shoulders.
It’s unwillingness from Fang Xiao Rou. “Don’t be shy,” Han Jie says. I’m not shy. I’m a wholesome girl and would never be someone’s love rival or be the other woman, Fang Xiao Rou explains. This has Han Jie lost. The fiancée, is Fang Xiao Rou’s reasoning.
"Teacher Han, you are a man with a fiancée. Consciously be aware of your actions. I ask for you to adhere to the strict boundaries that exists with female colleagues, okay?"
Fang Xiao Rou’s reason is very much flawed and Han Jie lets her know how flawed it is: "According to what you have said, this then means that those policemen, firefighters, or perhaps those good Samaritans who are married men with a wife, when they come across someone in need of help, so to maintain distance, they should not assist or help them?" Han Jie rounds off with saying that spending the night together is more adulterous than lifting her on his shoulders that could get them both out, allow them to catch that ghost of a person they’ve been chasing and allow them to both go home and rest.
These words convinces Fang Xiao Rou and she agrees to climb up on Han Jie’s shoulders to try to get out. The attempt is not going too well. Fang Xiao Rou only gets as far as her arms and head over the window, unable to put in the effort to pull herself up and through the window with Han Jie’s touches at the feet too ticklish for her to do so. Her body remains dangling with feet kicking and moving about from the ticklishness. Fang Xiao Rou will need another helping hand to push her further up. "Your behind or thigh—pick one," Han Jie asks Fang Xiao Rou. In her ticklish state, she thinks then chooses from neither: "Bottom of the feet!" Han Jie immediately goes into action and puts force onto the soles of her feet.
But try as Han Jie may in getting Fang Xiao Rou out the window, Fang Xiao Rou is too ticklish: her kicks are too erratic and strong and Han Jie gets kicked away and lands on the floor. Not able to support herself without Han Jie’s help, Fang Xiao Rou screams and comes crashing down onto the floor on top of Han Jie. Her ankle is again sprained.
Outside, Ma Chong Sheng and Liu Xuan are alerted by Fang Xiao Rou’s scream. “Oh no. I hope Teacher Fang and Teacher Han are okay!” Ma Chong Sheng says. He and Liu Xuan then quickly make a move to go help. But they are stopped. Li Zhi Chao, who seems to also be having a late night at school, patrolling the school to investigate the mysterious ghost, appears before them and asks what they’re still doing at school before telling them to go home. Ma Chong Sheng and Liu Xuan attempt to get their Dean to allow them to stay at school and offers to help him investigate the mysterious ghost in the school. However, Li Zhi Chao is concerned for their safety and ushers them to go home. Reluctantly, the pair turn away.
The chances of getting out for Fang Xiao Rou and Han Jie without spending a night in the locked room seems bleak, especially now that Fang Xiao Rou has a sprained ankle. It isn’t at all bleak, though, as Han Jie can actually get out, but his choice to stay behind to keep Fang Xiao Rou company, concerned that she’d be scared being alone in the room, keeps him voluntarily locked up in the room. Fang Xiao Rou comes to find this out when she sees that Han Jie is actually able to get out himself with one impressive and athletic leap up towards the window and then out with not one bit of trouble.
It is not the only thing that Fang Xiao Rou finds out whilst believing she’s trapped in the room with Han Jie for the night: she finds out that Han Jie actually doesn’t have a fiancée and Cindy Yao is only a person who loves to tell all the women around him she is his fiancée. This has Fang Xiao Rou beyond happy even as she denies being happy about hearing the news: it’s not that she’s happy about the news, she says to Han Jie when he calls her up on it—it’s because she can now relax and not worry about spending the night together with him. The playful personality that Han Jie has, he challenges her thinking and has her see that she hasn’t taken into account of being in a room with a guy. "The problem is: it’s extremely dangerous for you to be in here. Because your skin is so delicate and soft, you’re so tasty and so irresistible. And so…"
This scene of Han Jie’s playfulness leads to Fang Xiao Rou pushing Han Jie away when he starts to playfully move in like a guy thirsty to touch her. Her push only temporarily gets him away from her, though. It seems Fang Xiao Rou is really much too irresistible for Han Jie when Han Jie snaps Fang Xiao Rou towards him and envelops her in his arms. “Such delicate and soft skin attracts mosquitoes,” Han Jie says to Fang Xiao Rou as he swipes away the mosquitoes that seemingly are in around them. He then squats one that’s also apparently on Fang Xiao Rou’s forehead.
Han Jie has escaped out of the room after easily escaping through the high window in the room. Only Fang Xiao Rou remains inside waiting patiently for Han Jie to get her out. Ma Chong Sheng, unaware that one of the teachers he’s trapped in the room has escaped, gestures Liu Xuan to stay quiet. However quiet they are, they’re caught. Han Jie is already there watching and seeing Ma Chong Sheng place Fang Xiao Rou’s shoes on the ground outside the door. He’s just waiting for him to unlock the door.
“Ma Chong Sheng,” Han Jie says in a calm manner, announcing his presence to them the moment Ma Chong Sheng unlocks the lock. Both turn and stand in shock having been caught.
This scene, besides finding out the obvious fact of Han Jie being disappointed by Ma Chong Sheng for locking up Fang Xiao Rou in a dark room that Ma Chong Sheng, himself, knows Fang Xiao Rou is scared of, and not owning up to being the one seeing a shortage of ingredients during the inventory count, the scene seems to, again, reveal how deeply regretful Han Jie is of the accident he caused upon Fang Xiao Rou’s father and how Han Jie appears to not ever be able to forgive himself for it. Han Jie calls Ma Chong Sheng a bully for taking advantage of Fang Xiao Rou’s kindness and soft heart. He poses two hypothetical questions to Ma Chong Sheng: what would you do if you become the reason for her no longer being with them? How would you feel when you get put in a situation where no matter how sorry or regretful you are, you can’t bring her back?
Indeed. On the surface, Han Jie’s disappointment in Ma Chong Sheng appears to rise from his care for Fang Xiao Rou. But a deeper look into this scene shows that the accident he caused upon his old cooking teacher is the more likely source for it. Han Jie is therefore unforgiving to Ma Chong Sheng’s irresponsible act and wishes to hand out a suitable punishment for his poor judgement. Having Ma Chong Sheng kicked out from the Universiade is a punishment Han Jie is willing to give out. Fang Xiao Rou, however, she prefers to hand out a punishment that pushes Ma Chong Sheng to do better. Excluding Ma Chong Sheng from the Universiade is not an option for her. After Fang Xiao Rou comes out of the room, gets caught up to speed with the situation at hand and Ma Chong Sheng sincerely apologises to her, she gives Ma Chong Sheng her punishment: be captain of the team going into the Universiade.
Han Jie stands there stunned. "I say, Teacher Fang, this punishment you came up with, you’ve really blown me away with it," Han Jie says in response to Fang Xiao Rou’s unorthodoxed punishment.
This punishment that has Han Jie blown away also has Ma Chong Sheng and Liu Xuan blown away. Liu Xuan thanks her teachers and has Ma Chong Sheng bow to both Fang Xiao Rou and Han Jie extremely grateful and happy. They both quickly leave.
During this scene, we find out a very interesting piece of information regarding Han Jie’s thoughts on Fang Xiao Rou as a teacher. When Han Jie was scolding Ma Chong Sheng for bullying Fang Xiao Rou and taking advantage of her kind and soft heart, we hear him reveal Fang Xiao Rou as the second best teacher in the world that he has ever met. It’s not hard to guess who the best teacher in the world is—it is her father. This fact that Han Jie revealed in this scene was very surprising to us.
It was surprising for Fang Xiao Rou as well when she heard this inside the staff-restricted room she was locked in. It seems tonight was a great night for Fang Xiao Rou: not only did Han Jie express that she is the second best teacher in the world that he has ever met, she also finds out that Han Jie is single and doesn’t have a fiancée; and she finds out he purposely stayed with her in the staff-restricted room because he didn’t want her to be alone in the dark room and be scared. And now, she’s receiving Han Jie’s concern and care for her sprained ankle, carrying her home on his back. Blissful, Fang Xiao Rou wraps her arms around Han Jie and relaxes her head on his shoulders.
The Universiade has come. It is the underdog, Si Ping High School, against last year’s winner, Shi Wen High School. As per usual proceedings, the host of the competition introduces the supervising teachers and team captains from each of the teams and they exchange the usual competitive words to one another.
The words exchanged between the supervising chefs, Cindy Yao and Han Jie, sees Han Jie enter into a bet that Cindy Yao sets: "If I win, you’ll have agree to a request unconditionally." Deal, Han Jie says without a second thought. It’s quite daring of Han Jie to enter the bet without so much as being concerned about what that request might be. It seems it’s confidence that has Han Jie not the least bit concerned as he tells Cindy Yao that he doesn’t believe she has any opportunity to win. But I’ve prepared well without fault and I must win today, Cindy Yao responds.
Words exchanged between the teams, the host announces the theme: Taiwanese Specialty. This has the Si Ping High School students excited as they know that Han Jie’s specialty is Taiwanese cuisine and they remember the winning radish cake dish that he made during the competition with Wen Zhen Yu. Furthermore, Cindy Yao will be rusty with Taiwanese cuisine when she has just returned from Europe. Indeed, confidence is high within the Si Ping High School team.
However, Shi Wen High School is not given the title of being last year’s winner without reason: they are skilled and efficient. They are also cooking a more complicated dish—a dish that Han Jie soon realises is his restaurant’s signature dish, Bouillabaisse, but using local ingredients.
Liu Xuan and Ma Chong Sheng become distracted by Shi Wen’s skill and efficiency. Han Jie comes and breaks the two from their distraction: "Don’t be affected—no matter how strong the rival is. Concentrate on your own dish right now."
Both Liu Xuan and Ma Chong Sheng break out of it and returns to their dish; however, concentration is not in Liu Xuan. She should have checked that the temperature of the pan wasn’t scorching before pouring water into it: blisteringly hot water sizzle and splash in all directions. Knowing the dangers of water and a hot pan all too well, Han Jie immediately snaps Liu Xuan out of harm’s way. Han Jie’s quick reaction sees Liu Xuan unharmed; however, Ma Chong Sheng is not: having reflexively pushed Liu Xuan out of the way, he has sustained burns to his arm after it came into contact with the blistering hot beads of water. Han Jie quickly directs Ma Chong Sheng to put his arm under the tap then goes removing the pan off the element. As Han Jie watches Liu Xuan help Ma Chong Sheng splash water onto his arm, memories of the accident he caused upon his old cooking teacher surfaces to his mind.
It’s fortunate Ma Chong Sheng’s injury is not as serious as that of Han Jie’s old cooking teacher. It is only a small area of redness. Cooking is able to be resumed.
It is a rush to the end for Si Ping High School. Whilst Shi Wen High School has their dishes to the judges with ten seconds to spare, Si Ping High School is still plating up. They make a dash to the judges table as the countdown begins. They almost lose their dishes from the speed, but they make it with only two seconds to spare.
Si Ping’s dish is Exotic Delicacies First-Class Soup, consisting of mushrooms, organic radish with traditional Taiwanese dumplings and soup. It goes up against Shi Wen’s Formosan Bouillabaisse—a traditional French dish and Olives House’s signature dish recreated with ingredients from Taiwan of Taiwanese clams and Taiwanese bream. (Taiwan is formerly known as Formosa hence the name of the dish.) Both dishes receive great praises from the judges, but the results are not positive for Han Jie and Si Ping High School. Shi Wen High School’s Formosan Bouillabaisse is too strong for Si Ping High School’s Exotic Delicacies First-Class Soup as Formosan Bouillabaisse is announced the winner of this first round. The school’s great ability to turn a traditional French dish into a Taiwanese specialty has the judges impressed.
Liu Xuan’s tearful face is indicative of how devastated the Si Ping students are watching Shi Wen High School being congratulated.
And Han Jie, he would have looked to be unlike Liu Xuan and be seen as taking the defeat relatively well were it not for the disappointment in his eyes that betrayed him or seeing his unwillingness to meet Cindy Yao’s gaze when she turns to him and he only reacts when Fang Xiao Rou looks up at him after she notices Cindy Yao’s gaze on him: Han Jie forces a small smile on his lips and flicks his eyes upwards to appear normal and okay. Cindy Yao can only smile and return back to her students and let Han Jie be.
"Are you okay?" Fang Xiao Rou asks Han Jie. With the disappointment Han Jie has towards the defeat, he only manages to turn a half-turn towards Fang Xiao Rou. Fang Xiao Rou tries to provide Han Jie some words to bring his low spirits up a bit: "Actually, being defeated by your own signature dish isn’t embarrassing. They were just too mean. We’ll definitely be able to even up the odds tomorrow, right?"
The word ‘defeat’ seem to be the only word Han Jie hears and it’s circling loud and clear in his head. "You also think I was defeated, don’t you?" Fang Xiao Rou rejects the idea immediately— "Of course I don’t!" Fang Xiao Rou exclaims. "These judges don’t understand, that’s all. In my heart, Han Jie is the one who won and not Yao Xin Ti and Shi Wen."
Han Jie is too disappointed and the words Fang Xiao Rou provides seem to only amplify the disappointment of the defeat he’s feeling: "Defeat is defeat. There is no excuse whatsoever." He then walks off and passes his equally devastated students without a word, unable to face them and heads to the kitchen to clean up.
With Han Jie in low spirits, Fang Xiao Rou is left to soothe their students and attempt to lift morale. "Don’t be so dejected, everyone." Fang Xiao Rou notices Liu Xuan whose eyes are red and filled with tears. "Be good. It’s okay," she says to Liu Xuan, softly. Liu Xuan nods and does her best. Fang Xiao Rou turns back to the group. "Okay. Pick up your spirits, everyone. It’s only the first round. Pack up your things. Your teacher will treat you all to lunch. That way, you’ll have the strength to win the competition tomorrow. Okay?" The students nod.
Fang Xiao Rou leaves her students and heads to Han Jie who is at the sink cleaning a pan. She is unsure of what more she can do to comfort him. In the end, she lets Han Jie be and goes to the counter bench opposite and helps clean up plates and whatnots. It is at this point that Cindy Yao finds the opportunity to have a talk with Han Jie. She stands next to him and asks if he’s angry that she had won him. Han Jie only provides her the politeness of his attention before he turns back to cleaning up. Fang Xiao Rou is angered and she comes over to respond to Cindy Yao’s question:
"Where did you win? Today, it is obviously Han Jie winning himself." Cindy Yao returns Fang Xiao Rou’s response with saying that the judges didn’t see it that way. Fury is in Fang Xiao Rou’s eyes. She wishes to have a go at her; however, Han Jie stops her from continuing. "Teacher Fang," Han Jie calls to her as he takes her by the shoulders to calm her down. He then guides her to stand back and allow him to respond to Cindy Yao himself. He smiles at Cindy Yao. The response Han Jie has for Cindy Yao shocks Fang Xiao Rou and confuses Cindy Yao: "Would you believe it if I said that I deliberately threw the first round?"
An altercation occurs outside the Universiade venue between Wang Mai Zhi and Ma Chong Sheng after provocation comes from the ungracious winner of the female captain of Shi Wen High School that has Wang Mai Zhi angered and frustrated for the loss that he sees Ma Chong Sheng responsible for. This fight that breaks out between Ma Chong Sheng and Wang Mai Zhi has Han Jie unconcerned. "This is good—a bloody nose, swollen face and injured hands. Let’s just forfeit tomorrow, shall we?" After Ma Chong Sheng and Wang Mai Zhi puts the blame on the other for starting it, Han Jie continues: "The most miserable thing about competitions is not losing. It is not accepting the defeat. If you want to quit and surrender, let me know now." These words wakes the two hot-headed males up and spurs on them and their team mates to not give up.
Just as the students are handled and taken care of, Wen Zhen Yu enters and calls Fang Xiao Rou to discuss with her his concerns he has with Han Jie’s ability to win the Universiade. He is concerned that Han Jie may have to be forced to make true of his promise to Su Ying Jun and resign. Wen Zhen Yu’s words and lack of confidence in Han Jie has Fang Xiao Rou raise her voice towards him for the first time: "He’s not the type to be afraid of taking responsibility. Furthermore, I believe in him. He will definitely be able to use his own strength to turn this back around and be gloriously victorious in this competition."
Wen Zhen Yu is shocked by the tone that Fang Xiao Rou used to answer him; but, he takes it well. This strong display of support Fang Xiao Rou has for Han Jie has Wen Zhen Yu wondering— “You like Han Jie, don’t you?” before a sort of a confession comes from him when he asks Fang Xiao Rou what the chances are of him being accepted by her.
It’s uncertain how deep Wen Zhen Yu’s feeling are towards Fang Xiao Rou, but we imagine it isn’t too deep—maybe even just a teasing when we see him not concerned that Fang Xiao Rou wasn’t able to answer or tries to exit to avoid answering. He simply accepts her unspoken choice of Han Jie without so much of an attempt to prove himself as the better guy.
The conversation moves onto Cindy Yao. Wen Zhen Yu seems to know Cindy Yao quite well. He begins asking Fang Xiao Rou how confident she is in defeating her love rival, Cindy Yao, then provides Fang Xiao Rou information on her: "You’re probably already aware, right? The thing she wants to win is Han Jie. It isn’t the competition. Cindy Yao gave everything up in Europe and travelled halfway around the globe for two dreams in her life: the first one is cooking; and second one is Han Jie."
Though Fang Xiao Rou is concerned about the strong competition that Cindy Yao is, she tells Wen Zhen Yu that she won’t compare herself to anyone. She believes that she will be able to prove herself by being herself.
The lunch that Fang Xiao Rou has promised to treat her students is at her father’s restaurant with Han Jie cooking the food. Everyone is eating and enjoying the food except Wang Mai Zhi, Ma Chong Sheng and Liu Xuan who are still affected by the defeat. It doesn’t take much for Ma Chong Sheng and Wang Mai Zhi to start eating, though: the old competition between them sees them competiting and eating. However, with Liu Xuan, it takes a bit more encouragement. Liu Xuan isn’t able to eat because she’s feeling the pressure of going up against such a strong opponent as Shi Wen much too great for her to eat anything. It takes Fang Xiao Rou’s father saying that a competition is more about what you learn from the failures and mistakes than about winning or losing because there will always be a winner and a loser, and Fang Xiao Rou telling her that the winner can be anyone in tomorrow’s round, that Liu Xuan begins to relax a bit and eat.
With all the students now eating, Fang Xiao Rou has only Han Jie to serve. She goes over to Han Jie sitting at the bar area and places a bowl of chicken soup that she got for him. "Drink some of this soup. You didn’t have anything to eat today." Han Jie thanks her for it.
The competition and the bet Han Jie has made with Su Ying Jun seems to be on Fang Xiao Rou’s mind. She begins asking Han Jie if what he said to Cindy Yao about purposefully losing is true. Han Jie seems to indicate it isn’t true as he goes to explain that Cindy Yao uses tricks that would, on the one hand, show off her skills, and on the other, hold back the momentum of the opponent. Fang Xiao Rou goes to ask him how confident he is with the following two rounds, reminding him that he still has that bet he has with Su Ying Jun and tells him not to go about it like it’s a joke. When Fang Xiao Rou sees Han Jie with an expression that looks like he’s about to not take it seriously, Fang Xiao Rou glares at him until she rounds him up. Looking to be listening to Fang Xiao Rou to be serious about the bet, Han Jie quickly finishes up his bowl of chicken soup that he had been eating and drinking throughout their talk. He then tells Fang Xiao Rou to keep the student company because he’s leaving first. "Where are you going?" Fang Xiao Rou asks. "Winning strategy. We must win it back tomorrow!" With this, Han Jie says good bye to everyone and heads out the door. Fang Xiao Rou wants to follow Han Jie: she quickly asks her dad to take care of the students and follows Han Jie.
After Fang Xiao Rou wins Han Jie in allowing her to drive his car and follow him, the trip sees Han Jie and Fang Xiao Rou at a baseball batting cage venue. It is Han Jie’s way to get dophamine (neurotransmitter) in his brain to come up with the winning strategy. While Han Jie is enjoying his time hitting the ball high into the air with no trouble; Fang Xiao Rou is not. Not able to strike one ball at all, dodging them after missing them and then seeing Han Jie doing so well, she becomes sour.
"Annoying, Han Jie! You brought me along to this place on purpose!" Fang Xiao Rou says, looking over to Han Jie from her batting cage. Han Jie turns. No response. Just a smile.
Fang Xiao Rou is indeed frustrated that she couldn’t even hit one ball, but she isn’t giving up: "I don’t believe I can’t hit one." She turns back to the front and waits for the ball to come. Determination is all she has because all she keeps achieving are misses again and again. By the sixth or so miss, Han Jie finally stops his batting and goes to have a talk with Fang Xiao Rou—one that makes Fang Xiao Rou more annoyed than anything as his words are nothing but judgement and detriments:
"You have trouble with coordinating your limbs and brain. You must have problems with concentration and focus." In response, Fang Xiao Rou asks him to show her and strike the ball for her to see since he’s so full of it. Of course, it’s no problem for Han Jie. He goes and shows her with him striking the ball. The sharp metallic sound of bat and ball meeting reverberates loudly and cleanly through the air as Han Jie connects bat and ball skillfully and sees the ball flying high and back out into the field.
Fang Xiao Rou is frustrated. "You are so annoying! Is there anything you can’t do?" There is something, Han Jie says: he isn’t able to be as arrogant or pestering as she is. Fang Xiao Rou is stumped for a good response even as she wishes to come back with one. She can only ask for his help: "Han Jie!” Yes? Han Jie interjects. “Teach me how to hit it out there and I’ll help you come up with a winning strategy!" Han Jie just smirks and stands there. Fang Xiao Rou is impatient and is expecting his presence— "Come on."
Han Jie heads out of his batting cage and goes around into the shop behind and into Fang Xiao Rou’s batting cage. He immediately takes Fang Xiao Rou’s hand holding the bat in his grasp and wraps himself around and behind her. The close proximity has Fang Xiao Rou momentarily affected before she focuses on Han Jie’s instructions. "Relax and look ahead. See the ball as someone you hate and must hit it far away." The ball then comes. Han Jie strikes, moving Fang Xiao Rou along with his actions.
Surprise fills Fang Xiao Rou’s expression as she watches the ball that she hit (with the help of Han Jie) go flying high up into the air back out into the field.
"Got the feel of that?" Han Jie asks. "Now you give it a try yourself." He backs away to a corner of the cage and lets Fang Xiao Rou do so. However, Fang Xiao Rou is uncertain. "You can do it," Han Jie encourages her. Fang Xiao Rou is still unsure.
"I really don’t have anyone I hate," Fang Xiao Rou says in her head. But then, she comes up with one. The student who ruined her father’s cooking and teacher career comes to our mind when Fang Xiao Rou said she didn’t have anyone she hates. However, he doesn’t seem to be the one she hates the most. No. It seems this person is nowhere near the level of hate she has for her love rival, Cindy Yao, as she begins imagining the ball with Cindy Yao’s face on it saying ‘Oscar, I like you. Je t’aime.’ With that image on the ball and those words crisp clear in her head, Fang Xiao Rou shouts: "I REALLY DON’T HAVE ANYONE I HATE!" and swings the bat. Success. The ball is struck and goes flying right back out into the field. Both Fang Xiao Rou and Han Jie watch it go, amazed, surprised and full of cheer. "I hit it!" Fang Xiao Rou exclaims and goes for a hi-five with Han Jie.
After their time at the baseball batting cage outing, the pair are seen walking on the quiet surburban night street. Fang Xiao Rou is still pumped from being able to hit the ball. She then goes to ask Han Jie if he’s got enough dophamine to think up of a winning strategy. "Completely empty," Han Jie replies as he demonstrates how empty his head is with rubbing and knocking it with the base of his hand. Concerned, Fang Xiao Rou suggest more activities to have him get more dophamine in so to incite ideas—bowling or maybe table tennis, she suggests. Not a good idea, Han Jie views it: "I’ll be dead tired like this. My hands will be aching tomorrow and I won’t be able to cook." Fang Xiao Rou sees the point and offers her services. Whatever you say to do, I’ll do it. Even if I have to come up with a hundred silly ideas, I’ll come up with them, Fang Xiao Rou tells Han Jie.
"Really?" Han Jie replies. Yes, Fang Xiao Rou responds. "Just say it and I will do it."
This free reign of being able to request Fang Xiao Rou to do anything is dangerous, especially when she’s offering it to a playful person like Han Jie. He begins his request which ultimately leads Fang Xiao Rou to do something that is possibly not what Han Jie means by his words: "Besides dophamine, I also need such stimulator as acetylcholine to arouse my fighting spirit and drive." Fang Xiao Rou doesn’t know what that is, but she agrees and asks Han Jie to tell her what it is that she needs to do.
(Looking acetylcholine up, it seems to be a neurotransmitter produced by neurons where, in the central nervous system, it has a role in learning, memory and mood.)
"It’s rather simple," Han Jie says. "You only need to use your…" He goes to show what she needs to use: with his forefinger, he goes to tap lightly Fang Xiao Rou’s lips— "This, here."
With the vagueness of what it is that Han Jie needs for Fang Xiao Rou to do in order to help him come up with a strategy for the Universiade, with such action as pointing to her lips like that, it’s no wonder Fang Xiao Rou’s interpretation of what he needs makes her believe he’s needing to be kissed. She advances, goes on her tippy toes and gives Han Jie a kiss on the cheek!
Final Thoughts
The romance plot in last week’s episode for Han Jie and Fang Xiao Rou was a super hair-pullling one as we found Han Jie oh-so-frustrating with his playfulness. But this week, he was so so extremely sweet and awesome!
We’re finally seeing Han Jie showing he’s thinking about Fang Xiao Rou. The morning after the whole ghost hunting event, we see him having only two bottles of coffee—one for him and one where he gives to Fang Xiao Rou. No one else got one from him. The student even noticed and complained how their teacher didn’t include them in the freebie. And then, there’s the fact that he’s noticing Fang Xiao Rou and her mood. We see this at the scene after Fang Xiao Rou’s pep talk to the students before the competition. Han Jie stopped Fang Xiao Rou for a bit just to tell her that she’s looking more nervous than the students that she’s trying cheer and make less nervous. After Fang Xiao Rou confirms it and he tells her that they will win Shi Wen, Han Jie goes and does something we’ve never seen him do before: he extends a hand to Fang Xiao Rou’s head and pats her. Wow! So cute and what awesome development on Han Jie’s side! Great stuff there!
The competition against Shi Wen, it was so sad watching Han Jie trying not to show how disappointed he was with losing the first round of the Universiade to Cindy Yao—and losing it with his own signature dish, too! Devastating!
This whole situation in the Universiade scene where Han Jie gets beaten by his own signature dish, it suddenly reminds us of what Han Jie said in Episode 1. He said that this signature dish of his is a creation he’s not been able to surpass with any others after it. He had said he felt stagnant. It felt like the situation in the competition was somewhat demonstrating this. He lost to this signature dish of his and felt like it was evidence of him being stagnant. What’s more, he gets beaten by Cindy Yao’s recreation of this signature dish of his! :o( :o(.
Wen Zhen Yu has appeared back in the series just as we had missed him. But, we’re unsure what his role is now when in this episode he’s shown to not be much of a love rival anymore with Fang Xiao Rou being head over heels for Han Jie. Wen Zhen Yu is still a mysterious character, though. We don’t know when he’ll jump at us with something that could throw all the characters off and become a character creating some great drama in the calm and lightness.
And the cliffhanger, it’s another awesome one! Gosh, if it follows what has been the pattern so far, the follow-up scene for this should be a funny one. Han Jie’s expression, it looks like it’s indicating towards him doing something that would make Fang Xiao Rou embarrassed. We don’t mind a sweet follow-up scene if it chooses to go that way, though!
Read our translations for Behind the Scenes of Love Cuisine, Episode 6!
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