Episode Summary
Fired from her job, Liu Yan discovers a new passion for cooking with her mother's guidance, only to face rejection from her former boss. A last-minute opportunity places her in a high-stakes cooking competition, which she must abandon at the final moment when her friend Lu Tianchi's law firm is attacked. Elsewhere, Lu Tianchi's efforts to sue a powerful corporation put him in danger, and Liu Yan's mother, Jiang Fang, secretly turns to questionable medical treatments.
Spoiler Alert
"Her" Episode 18: A Recipe for Drama
The episode kicks off with Lu Tianchi actively mobilizing victims of the Putai Group, helping them fill out paperwork to initiate a lawsuit. As he passionately explains the details, an individual secretly photographs and records him, capturing the entire situation.
Meanwhile, a tense domestic scene unfolds. Li Zan returns home to a lavish meal prepared by Jiang Fang. When Liu Yan asks about her hospital check-up, Jiang Fang becomes evasive, admitting she has given up hope and didn't go. The truth is harsher: Li Zan discovers she took the money Liu Yan gave her for the check-up and spent it on lottery tickets, feebly claiming it was an attempt to leave them an inheritance. Unconvinced, Li Zan tries to leave, but Liu Yan insists he stay. Over the somber dinner, Liu Yan drops her own bombshell: she has been fired from her job at Highland.
Unwilling to see her daughter idle, Jiang Fang begins teaching Liu Yan the art of cooking. As they work together, Liu Yan, inspired by her mother's notes, has a breakthrough and finally perfects the unique flavor she's been striving for. In a parallel storyline, Li Zan secretly follows Jiang Fang and makes a disturbing discovery: she is seeking treatment from a quack doctor in a remote neighborhood.
Lu Tianchi's legal battle attracts media attention when a journalist, impressed by his fight for justice, comes for an interview. However, the journalist is kidnapped by a group of thugs shortly after.
Full of hope, Liu Yan takes her newly perfected dish to Highland for her former boss, He Sheng, to taste. But after a word from Kuan Tai, He Sheng rejects the dish without trying it, leaving Liu Yan devastated. She returns home and angrily throws the food in the trash. Lu Tianchi retrieves it, and after one bite, is stunned by how good it is. He rushes to Highland and begs He Sheng to give it a try, but He Sheng dismisses him. Later that evening, while reviewing a competitor's menu, a thoughtful He Sheng is interrupted by Li Man, who finds Liu Yan's dish in the bin. After tasting it, she immediately sends for Liu Yan, offering her a spot on a live broadcast that very night to showcase her cooking.
On the show, Liu Yan is partnered with He Sheng, competing against the team of Fabio and Philip. As her proud mother, Jiang Fang, watches on TV, disaster strikes. Liu Yan realizes her ingredients have been sabotaged. Thinking fast, she cleverly alters her cooking method to salvage the dish. Philip attempts to rattle her with taunts, but she remains composed, finishing her creation with the poise of a seasoned chef.
Just as the results of the competition are about to be announced, chaos erupts at Lu Tianchi's law firm, which is suddenly besieged by a group of gamblers. Upon hearing the news, a worried Liu Yan abandons the competition and rushes to the scene. She slips in through the back door and is immensely relieved to find Lu Tianchi unharmed.
