Dating In the Kitchen Episode 5 Recap Highlights:
- Gu Sheng Nan makes Lu Jin many meals and they get flirty.
- Meng Xin Jie does a big favor for Xu Zhaodi.
- Li Man keeps calling Lu Jin, but we don’t know why.
- Gu Sheng Nan’s uncle will eat dinner with Lu Jin.
Lu Jin and Gu Sheng Nan have an agreement. Gu Sheng Nan will prepare meals for Lu Jin to repay her debt.
After every meal Lu Jin writes off part of Gu Sheng Nan’s debt. The amount he writes off is based on the bill she gives him.
The more Gu Sheng Nan can charge Lu Jin for the meal, the faster the debt will be repaid.
To trick Lu Jin into paying a lot for the current meal, Gu Sheng Nan has dressed up for him. It is a complete contrast to her usual chef uniform.
Her scheme works! Lu Jin is enraptured with Gu Sheng Nan’s appearance.
Gu Sheng Nan takes full advantage of Lu Jin being mesmerized. She charges an exorbitant amount for the dinner she prepared.
After the dinner, Lu Jin discusses the situation with Meng Xin Jie.
Lu Jin insists that he is NOT being seduced by Gu Sheng Nan. There is no way she could seduce him.
Meng Xin Jie feels that with the age gap, Gu Sheng Nan has the advantage in their arrangement and is manipulating the situation.
Meng Xin Jie and Lu Jin put their heads together to figure out how they can gain the upper hand.
Then Meng Xin Jie tells Lu Jin that he has an idea that will work. He brags that his idea will work because he is the expert with ladies.
Lu Jin doesn’t like Meng Xin Jie’s prideful declarations. Lu Jin punishes Meng Xin Jie to repeat his boasting 1,000 times.
The next morning Meng Xin Jie is still repeating the same sentence over and over, but his voice is hoarse and almost gone.
Another Meal At Gu Sheng Nan’s
Gu Sheng Nan is preparing Lu Jin’s meal. Today she is wearing what looks like sweats. Her hair is pulled hastily up. It is very different from the day before.
Lu Jin arrives with red roses, which Gu Sheng Nan gratefully accepts (this must be part of Meng Xin Jie’s plan to seduce Gu Sheng Nan).
To Lu Gin’s surprise, Gu Sheng Nan starts immediately cutting off the rose buds. Apparently the petals are just what she needed to finish making the meal.
Lu Jin painfully watches Gu Sheng Nan pound up the petals. Gu Sheng Nan seems to be completely oblivious to Lu Jin’s grimaces.
Gu Sheng Nan comments that the flowers are very fresh and prompts Lu Jin to wait for her in the other room.
Lu Jin immediately starts to remember the conversation he had with Meng Xin Jie; If the flowers don’t work, go to plan b.
Plan b is for Lu Jin to read a book as the sun is setting. This way the light will catch Lu Jin just right making him look very attractive.
Lu Jin begins to read a book and positions himself just right. He waits for Gu Sheng Nan to look at him.
When Gu Sheng Nan turns around and sees Lu Jin glowing in the setting sun, she is speechless. His plan seems to have worked.
However, after Lu Jin smiles at her, Gu Sheng Nan tells Lu Jin to get out of the kitchen. His spell is broken.
Lu Jin doesn’t want to give up trying to distract Gu Sheng Nan so he won’t get out of the kitchen.
Because of this, Gu Sheng Nan puts dried chili peppers in the frying pan. The odor causes Lu Jin to cough and leave the kitchen.
Meng Xin Jie and Xu Zhaodi
Meanwhile, Meng Xin Jie sits down to eat at a restaurant. He is suffering after having repeated the same sentences 1,000 times.
Xu Zhaodi happens to enter the restaurant and sits across from him.
Xu Zhaodi explains that she has an opportunity to get a client for her company, but they speak Finnish. She asks Meng Xin Jie to be a translator for her.
Meng Xin Jie smiles politely, but is unable to speak. Xu Zhaodi assumes he was offended by her words when they went to the FInnish restaurant. She apologizes for her rude behavior.
When Meng Xin Jie still doesn’t speak, Xu Zhaodi offers to pay him for the translator services.
Finally, in a raspy voice, Meng Xin Jie tells her he can’t speak. Xu Zhaodi doesn’t believe him and starts to take offence.
Meng Xin Jie tries to convince her that he really did lose his voice. Xu Zhaodi angrily leaves the restaurant. The scene ends with Meng Xin Jie feeling sad.
Back at Gu Sheng Nan’s house
Gu Sheng Nan has made a beautiful looking dinner topped with rose sauce from the roses Lu Jin brought.
Gu Sheng Nan has started to call Lu Jin “fussy Lu.” Lu Jin doesn’t like it and tells her to call him something else.
Then Gu Sheng Nan suggests Jin Ge Ge (brother Jin, a normal Chinese nickname) and Lu Jin reluctantly approves.
This makes Gu Sheng Nan burst into laughter.
I don’t think she will be calling him this in the future.
Later, Gu Sheng Nan approaches Lu Jin with the bill. She is eating a candied confection called hulu that she made herself. She offers some to Lu Jin.
At first Lu Jin refuses, but eventually is tempted to try it. After he takes a few bites, Gu Sheng Nan takes the opportunity to wipe sugar from his mouth– a typical romantic moment seen in many dramas.
Lu Jin manages to hold her gaze and seems touched.
Then he counters her romantic move by telling Gu Sheng Nan that she has sugar in her hair.
As Lu Jin moves in close to wipe the sugar out of Gu Sheng Nan’s hair, she seems to be feeling a little awkward, but maybe her heart is just fluttering.
She breaks the moment by exclaiming that she needs to wash the dishes.
Lu Jin is proud. He was able to escape a high dinner price with his countermeasure.
Performance
The scene opens with Gu Sheng Nan playing the Chinese Zither. When she is finished she tells Lu Jin that it was 600 yuan for dinner and 2,000 yuan for the performance.
Lu Jin agrees, but tells her he doesn’t have a pen to sign.
Gu Sheng Nan starts searching for a pen. Eventually she grabs a small stool. She tries to reach high on a shelf to get a box that has some.
Even with the stool she isn’t able to reach.
Lu Jin puts his hands on her shoulders and guides her forward off of the stool. He steps on the stool behind her and goes to reach for a box.
Lu Jin’s unbuttoned overcoat envelops Gu Sheng Nan. Gu Sheng Nan becomes completely distracted by the smell of his coat.
Lu Jin rests his elbow on top of the shelf and asks Gu Sheng Nan which box to get. Gu Sheng Nan reaches up to point, but Lu Jin’s dangling fingers begin to play with hers.
Gu Sheng Nan runs into her room, closes the door and leans her back against it. She is looking at her fingers smiling.
Lu Jin asks about the bill. Gu Sheng Nan says they will settle it later.
Lu Jin goes to leave the house and notices where Gu Sheng Nan is keeping track of her debt. He also sees her resume pinned to a bulletin board. He takes the resume and pockets it.
The tables have turned, Lu Jin seems to be seducing Gu Sheng Nan now.
A Series of Dinners
At the next dinner, Gu Sheng Nan gives Lu Jin the bill and gazes at him lovingly. She has done her hair and is smiling sweetly.
Lu Jin notices an error on the bill. After Gu Sheng Nan examines the bill she admits her mistake. She says that in the restaurant industry, when there is a mistake like this, the meal is usually free.
Lu Jin agrees. He goes close to her ear to softly say, “thank you for a delicious meal.” He pats her on the back and leaves.
At the next dinner Gu Sheng Nan slightly knocks into Lu Jin spilling water on him. Lu Jin says it is no big deal.
In response Gu Sheng Nan excalimes, how could it be OK? Your suit is costly! I must compensate.
It seems a little out of character, normally Gu Sheng Nan would try to get out of a situation like that.
Next, we see multiple shots of Gu Sheng Nan looking at her graph on the wall. It shows she is getting closer and closer to paying Lu Jin off.
But she is so giddy about being with him she actually moves the marker on her graph backwards.
The show captures many moments of Lu Jin meeting Gu Sheng Nan at her door when he comes to eat dinner.
Each time Gu Sheng Nan seems to have dressed up for Lu Jin. She greets him with a huge smile.
Next level?
In the next scene Gu Sheng Nan is using her front door to crack walnuts. Her uncle, Gao Quan An, calls. He asks how the scam is going. He also asks how much debt is still owed.
Gu Sheng Nan is singing to herself, completely absorbed in thoughts of her crush. She can’t remember how much debt is owed.
The debt doesn’t seem important to her anymore.
Later that day Gu Sheng Nan leaves her apartment to empty her garbage. The audience hears Lu Jin in the background offering to go with her.
When he walks out onto the landing, he notices the light is off. He insists on going to empty the garbage with Gu Sheng Nan. After all, what if she falls?
As they turn to go down the stairs, Lu Jin steps on Gu Sheng Nan’s slipper. This puts Gu Sheng Nan off balance and she ends up face to face with Lu Jin in his arms.
They look at each other. They chit chat mostly through variations on the hmmm sound. After they proceed down the stairs to empty the garbage.
I thought for sure they were gonna kiss here, but it didn’t happen.
Lu Jin’s cell phone was left in the apartment. He ends up missing a call from a woman named Li Man. Foreboding music plays in the background.
We don’t know who this lady is yet, but from the background music, I am assuming she will get in the way of Lu Jin and Gu Sheng Nan’s relationship.
Hotel Transfer
President Lu has a meeting with the owner of the hotel. The owner and the board of directors have decided to sell the hotel to President Lu, even with the low price that was offered.
After the meeting Meng Xin Jie asks Lu Jin how things are going with Gu Sheng Nan. Meng Xin Jie teases Lu Jin about her.
The scene jumps to Gu Sheng Nan at a market. She receives a call from a prospective employer, but she turns them down because she has to cook for Lu Jin.
Flirting
Lu Jin waits for Gu Sheng Nan at her apartment. While he is there there is a delivery for Zhao Min. Lu Jin reluctantly accepts the package on Gu Sheng Nan’s behalf.
Later, Gu Sheng Nan opens the door for a delivery man. The delivery man asks for Zhang Wuji. Lu Jin admits the package is for him.
Gu Sheng Nan gives Lu Jin a questioning glance. Lu Jin addresses Gu Sheng Nan as “Zhao Min.” He says, “Can’t I be Zhang Wuji?”
Gu Sheng Nan replies, “Then where is Zhou Zhiruo?” Lu Jin tells Gu Sheng Nan that in his version there is no Zhou Zhiruo.
Zhao Min is a leading female character from a wuxia novel called The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Zhou Zhiruo is the second female lead. Zhang Wuji is the leading male.
These three characters are part of a love triangle in the story. In the end however, Zhang Wuji ends up with Zhao Min.
A bunch of packages start to arrive at Gu Sheng Nan’s house over the next few days. They are all addressed to Zhao Min and Zhang Wuji. The packages contain an area rug, matching mugs, etc.
Lu Jin is adding his own things to Gu Sheng Nan’s apartment like his books and pillows.
They seem to be redecorating her apartment together. Or maybe they are just making it more comfortable for Lu Jin since he spends so much time there.
Lu Jin even replaces the lights on the landing outside of Gu Sheng Nan’s door. They turn on and off with snaps and claps; they are super fancy chandeliers.
Gu Sheng Nan makes fun of Lu Jin for being so rich.
Finnish Client
Xu Zhaodi is in a meeting frantically trying to communicate with a client. They are using their phones to translate. The client is not happy about there being no interpreter.
As the client is about to leave, Meng Xin Jie comes to the rescue. He converses with the client in Finnish and the client is appeased.
After the meeting Xu Zhaodi thanks Meng Xin Jie for helping her. She asks how Meng Xin Jie knows President Lu.
Meng Xin Jie explains they were childhood friends until Lu Jin’s mom moved them abroad. But then years later, when Lu Jin came back, he offered Meng Xin Jie a Job.
Xu Zhaodi offered to take Meng Xin Jie out to dinner to thank him for his help. Meng Xin Jie jumps at the chance.
On their way out the door, Meng Xin Jie receives a call from Li Man. Li Man demands to know the name of the women President Lu is spending his time with.
Uncle Comes to Visit
When Gu Sheng Nan hears a knock at the door she opens it to find her Uncle. Gao Quan An wants Gu Sheng Nan to be a model for a project he is working on.
Gu Sheng Nan brushes him off because she is too busy cooking for Lu Jin.
Gao Quan An starts to scold Gu Sheng Nan. He sits down, but Gu Sheng Nan frantically tells him to move. She doesn’t want him to sit on Lu Jin’s blanket.
Because of Gu Sheng Nan’s attitude, Gao Quan An decides to stay for dinner.
The episode ends with Gao Quan An and Lu Jin staring at each other across the table.
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Comments
Gu Sheng Nan’s uncle is a pretty good character. So far he has been the voice of reason for Gu Sheng Nan and has also provided some comedic relief.
I am looking forward to the awkward conversation that may take place between him and Lu Jin at dinner.
What do you think will happen? Do you think Lu Jin will win Gao Quan An over? Tell me in the comments.
Also, I am starting to feel a little anxiety about Li Man. We see her twice in this episode and the music score has gotten a little intense both times.
I am wondering what kind of trouble she is going to bring. What do you think? Will she be totally evil?
Tell me in the comments below.
