The Best Thing – Zhang Linghe, Xu Ruohan

Since Shen Xifan was promoted to room manager, she has been working under high pressure every day. The combined stress from both her job and personal life has led to her insomnia worsening. Every night, she lies awake, her mind racing with thoughts. By morning, Shen Xifan's mother notices her daughter groggily lying on her yoga mat and immediately understands that she hasn’t slept again.

Feeling concerned for her daughter, Shen Xifan's parents suggest she see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor for help. On her parents' recommendation, Shen Xifan visits a Chinese medicine clinic. She finds it odd that only one doctor, named He Suye, doesn’t have a photo on the doctor's introduction board. To save time, Shen Xifan decides to see He Suye, as his appointment doesn't require waiting.

As she arrives at the door, she sees a tall man walking out of the clinic. Even with a mask on, it's clear that he's handsome. Shen Xifan can't resist gossiping with her best friend, Xu Xiangya, and, encouraged by her, plans to do everything she can to get him to take off his mask. During the consultation, Shen Xifan, with her professional expertise, unconsciously starts rating He Suye’s voice, demeanor, and other aspects.

Unfortunately, her awkward flirting skills fail, and she is unable to get him to remove his mask. Frustrated, Shen Xifan has no more tricks up her sleeve. However, she unexpectedly leaves behind a small folded frog made from her appointment slip, which catches He Suye's attention. Just as Shen Xifan is about to leave after receiving her prescription and scheduling a follow-up appointment for next week, He Suye suddenly runs after her.

His handsome face takes her by surprise, and she momentarily zones out, missing the time he had told her for picking up the medicine. On the way back, Shen Xifan thinks about He Suye’s reminder, then reflects on her ex-boyfriend Yan Heng, who used to complain about everything. Unable to resist, she sends him a text, but there is no reply. In contrast, He Suye, who mainly treats elderly patients, has fallen for the unadorned Shen Xifan at first sight.

He pays special attention to the herbal medicine related to her. That same night, an elderly patient arrives at the hospital with difficulty breathing and a lot of phlegm due to lung cancer. Li Jie, a junior doctor, has to ask He Suye for help. He Suye remains calm and decisive, using acupuncture, bloodletting, and cupping to relieve the patient’s symptoms.

He tells the family that Li Jie’s treatment was flawless, but due to the patient’s old age and the associated risks, they couldn’t use the suction device to clear the phlegm. Later that night, He Suye smiles at the little frog that Shen Xifan left behind. Meanwhile, Shen Xifan tosses and turns, unable to sleep, until the next morning when she goes out to buy breakfast.

While complaining to her mother about how the Chinese medicine isn’t helping, He Suye appears behind her. As she awkwardly leaves, he can’t help but ask the owner about her situation. At the hotel, Shen Xifan is busy with work when she finally receives a message from Yan Heng. She eagerly replies, only for it to vanish without a response. During her lunch break, she mentions He Suye to Xu Xiangya and others.

Xu Xiangya immediately becomes interested and suggests accompanying her to the follow-up appointment to see the handsome doctor. However, when they arrive, they find that He Suye isn’t seeing patients that day; an older doctor is in charge. Feeling a bit disappointed, Xu Xiangya and Shen Xifan sit at a mall, chatting over milk tea. Xu Xiangya asks about Shen Xifan's relationship with Yan Heng.

Although they haven’t broken up, Shen Xifan admits they now feel like strangers to each other. Later, Shen Xifan buys a bouquet of flowers on her way back and unexpectedly sees He Suye skateboarding outside her neighborhood. She tells him she’ll be back for a follow-up appointment next week and that they should meet again. He Suye almost asks her to add him on WeChat, but before he can speak, Shen Xifan turns and leaves.

He Suye returns to his old house in the suburbs with his junior, Li Jie. The house belongs to his grandfather, Yu Liren, who is the elderly doctor who treated Shen Xifan previously. Yu Liren has invited several graduate students over for a meal and a Q&A session, all of whom He Suye supervises during their internships.

When Li Jie mentions that he sometimes handles problems on his own, Yu Liren expresses his dissatisfaction and reminds He Suye not to let the interns face problems alone. After dinner, Yu Liren brings up Shen Xifan. He speaks highly of her and encourages He Suye to take the initiative to get to know her better.

Although He Suye also has feelings for Shen Xifan, he is already thirty-one years old. With his mother's past experience in mind, he doesn't want to rush into a relationship and establish something that he might not be able to take responsibility for with someone he doesn't know well. Yu Liren understands the impact this situation has on He Suye, so he no longer interferes in his grandson's personal life.

Thanks to the effectiveness of the Chinese medicine, Shen Xifan's sleep has clearly improved, and she wakes up feeling energetic for work. Meanwhile, at the clinic, people come and go, all busy with their own matters. When lunch finally comes, Li Jie approaches He Suye, asking why there is a cross next to his name on his thesis title.

He wonders if He Suye has any personal issue with him, but Shen Xifan doesn't respond directly, leaving him to ponder on it. As the end of the workday approaches, Shen Xifan receives a message from Yan Heng, discovering that he is waiting outside the hotel. Since she didn't answer his call in time, this triggers Yan Heng's dissatisfaction, and he starts unfairly criticizing her plans to study abroad and her work.

Shen Xifan feels hurt as she listens to her boyfriend belittle her job, and the once beautiful love they shared during their university days has gradually soured since leaving school. Back at home, Shen Xifan gently brings up the idea of breaking up with her parents, leaving them in shock. She then sits downstairs alone, eating ice cream, and sends a message to Yan Heng, but as usual, there’s no response.

Every time she remembers the disrespectful things Yan Heng said, her heart aches, and she can't help but cry. Coincidentally, He Suye is downstairs skateboarding and notices Shen Xifan. He stops and sits beside her to comfort her. When He Suye learns that Shen Xifan has a boyfriend, he feels a brief moment of disappointment, but he quickly regains his composure.

He advises her to press the "Tan Zhong" acupoint to relieve emotional stress and reminds her that heartache needs a heart's medicine. He also suggests that if she has trouble sleeping, she can hang an apple by her bed, as the scent of apples can help with sleep. They exchange goodnight wishes, and after Shen Xifan goes back to her room, she sends a message to Yan Heng, hoping to have a proper conversation with him.

The next day at lunch, while chatting with Xu Xiangya and others, Shen Xifan continues to press her "Tan Zhong" acupoint. Seeing this, her colleagues also start to try it, realizing that everyone has their own struggles in life. Not long after, Shen Xifan returns for her follow-up appointment with He Suye.

Upon seeing that her symptoms, which should have improved, have worsened, He Suye reminds her not to bottle up her emotions and suggests that she should let them out earlier. He Suye prescribes some medicine for Shen Xifan and gives her acupuncture treatment. The atmosphere between them becomes increasingly ambiguous. Due to the effect of the acupuncture, Shen Xifan unknowingly falls asleep. He Suye, being considerate, sets up a curtain around her and even sets an alarm.

When he notices the new paper rabbit folded on the table, he can't help but smile to himself. When Shen Xifan wakes up, she is surprised to realize that she has slept for two hours and feels guilty about possibly troubling He Suye. However, He Suye is completely unconcerned. He even personally prepares a Chinese medicine sachet for her, to help with her sleep, replacing the apple.

Shen Xifan happily accepts the gift, and her mood lifts as she walks back, feeling much more cheerful. In the break room, a colleague asks He Suye if he has applied for the hospital's research funding. He Suye replies that he does plan to apply, but it doesn’t guarantee he’ll be successful, as his main focus is on palliative care in the field of traditional Chinese medicine oncology, which is difficult for the hospital to see immediate results.

Later, a colleague asks He Suye to accompany him to a blind date, but He Suye shows no interest. On the other hand, Shen Xifan suddenly receives a message from Yan Heng. He says he has been thinking about it for a long time and believes they should break up. This message hits Shen Xifan like a thunderbolt, and she is caught completely off guard. She tries calling him, but he repeatedly rejects her calls. Even though he refuses to take her calls and ends their relationship, he hasn’t deleted her from his contacts.

After briefly feeling down, Shen Xifan regained her spirits and threw herself back into work. The whole hotel was busy preparing for the Jiangzhou IT Summit and hosting the attendees. During his lunch break, He Suye saw the news broadcast about the summit, and in the footage, Shen Xifan was seen working. This gave him a glimpse of a different side of her, and he couldn’t help but feel for how busy she was.

On Saturday, Shen Xifan didn’t go for her follow-up appointment because of work. Occasionally, she would think about Yan Heng, but she tried her best to suppress her emotions. He Suye didn’t see Shen Xifan’s name on the appointment records, so he asked the receptionist, Xiao Sun, about her.

He learned that she didn’t come today, so he decided to pull up her registration phone number and planned to reach out to her under the guise of a follow-up appointment to check on her. Shen Xifan was at the hotel helping Yan Heng’s father with the check-in. When she overheard that Yan Heng’s father was arranging a blind date for him, she felt uncomfortable. He Suye proactively called Shen Xifan and cleverly added her on WeChat.

He got her address and sent her some new medicine and some licorice that he had dried himself. Just as He Suye was excited to remind Shen Xifan to brew the licorice tea, Shen Xifan unexpectedly sent him a transfer, which extinguished the spark of hope he had been feeling. That night, He Suye sent her a message, explaining the benefits of drinking licorice water as a substitute for milk tea.

On the other hand, He Suye brewed the licorice tea and, rarely posting on social media, he took a photo of it and shared it on his WeChat Moments. Later that night, Shen Xifan liked his post, but He Suye caught her staying up late. Her grandfather, Yu Liren, unexpectedly learned that He Suye had gotten Shen Xifan’s contact information. Curious about the progress of their relationship, he asked He Suye about it.

He Suye explained that Shen Xifan already had a boyfriend, and Yu Liren expressed his regret, advising He Suye to let go of his feelings. The next day, the Jiangzhou IT Summit proceeded as usual. Shen Xifan, who had just been broken up with by Yan Heng, had lost contact with him and still had to focus on her work.

After Yan Heng's father finished attending the summit, he asked Shen Xifan to take him to the parking lot and asked if she had received the news of the breakup. Shen Xifan still held on to a shred of hope, thinking Yan Heng might have been distant because he was abroad. But when she learned that he was actually at home, her emotions completely broke down.

That evening, Shen Xifan remembered He Suye’s words and decided to comfort herself by hugging a tree to relieve her stress. She also drank two more bags of Chinese medicine, hoping to fall asleep soon. Meanwhile, Xu Xiangya, in defense of her friend, vented her frustrations, pointing out that Yan Heng had been absent from the summit from start to finish, concluding that he was a cowardly, unworthy man.

Shen Xifan was still unsure whether she should tell her parents about the breakup and wasn’t sure how to explain it to them, so she chose to keep it a secret for now. Aside from occasionally sitting in at the Chinese medicine clinic, He Suye spent most of his time in the oncology department of the hospital. Li Jie, who was pursuing Fang Kexin, a fellow student, was spending a lot of time with her.

However, Fang Kexin secretly had feelings for He Suye and often approached him under the pretense of discussing her thesis. Meanwhile, Shen Xifan hadn’t seen He Suye at the clinic, so she took the initiative to message him. He agreed to meet her in the hospital’s herbal garden. It was then that Shen Xifan learned that He Suye was actually a doctor in the oncology department.

He Suye took her on a tour of the herbal garden and then sat with her on a bench, checking her pulse and asking about her current condition. Shen Xifan intentionally avoided discussing the breakup, instead mentioning how busy her work had been. He Suye didn’t press the issue any further and began chatting with her about other topics. He then wrote her a new prescription and specifically reminded her to pay attention to her diet in the future.

Shen Xifan happily accepted the prescription, preparing to leave, but then she stopped and turned back to thank him for making time to meet. He Suye smiled slightly, and they agreed to meet again next Saturday.

In the middle of the night, Shen Xifan posted a photo of the herbal garden on her Moments. He Suye caught her and proactively messaged her, asking why she wasn’t resting so late. Shen Xifan, after drinking the bitter Chinese medicine that He Suye had prescribed, wrinkled her face in distaste, looking like a steamed bun. She quickly checked the ingredients of the prescription online and replied to He Suye's message.

The exchange between them, back and forth, felt almost like a playful conversation between elementary school students, with a hint of flirtation beneath their playful teasing. By the time Shen Xifan woke up, it was already noon. She decided to go downstairs for a walk on her own. Later in the evening, He Suye went downstairs and saw Shen Xifan drinking her medicine. The two of them went together to a nearby convenience store to buy some things.

When Shen Xifan saw the drink He Suye had bought, she instantly thought of her ex-boyfriend, Yan Heng. Noticing Shen Xifan’s facial expression while she drank her Chinese medicine, He Suye thoughtfully bought her a pack of peppermint candies. The mint didn’t interfere with the medicinal properties of the herbs. Shen Xifan thought that, although He Suye was a bit different from the stereotypical image of a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, he still had that caring, traditional touch.

For example, buying peppermint candy for her was based on Chinese medicine theory. This gave her a deeper understanding of him. A well-known heart specialist, He Sheng, came to Hangzhou for an exchange event and called He Suye, hoping to meet him. However, He Suye declined. After finishing his work, He Suye saw an online report about He Sheng visiting the local hospital, and it reminded him of his past and his mother.

His resentment towards his father had never lessened. On the way back, it suddenly started to rain heavily. He Suye, carrying his briefcase, rushed back, and he happened to run into Shen Xifan, who was holding an umbrella. The two of them walked side by side. Shen Xifan bought blue tulips from a flower shop, and noticing He Suye’s low mood, she gave him the flowers as a token of appreciation for his care as a doctor.

However, during work hours, He Suye forgot to wear a mask. An elderly woman who came in for consultation saw him and immediately took a video, posting it in the community group. This attracted the attention of the neighborhood residents, including Shen Xifan’s parents. When they saw that the security guard had mentioned Shen Xifan and He Suye were together, they became curious and immediately asked Shen Xifan about it. She lied, saying the security guard had mistaken them.

Soon, the clinic was filled with elderly residents, all of them coming to see He Suye for their daughters. The lobby had turned into a matchmaking corner. The elderly residents eagerly lined up to register, causing He Suye’s workload to increase significantly. Shen Xifan couldn’t get a chance to register, but fortunately, He Suye directly opened a special slot for her and they agreed to meet in the herbal garden.

Nurse Sun helped manage the elderly residents and finally bought He Suye some time. She then took Shen Xifan through the back door to the herbal garden. When Shen Xifan found out that He Suye hadn’t had lunch, she offered him her sandwich. He Suye sighed, saying that today was the first time he truly realized how terrifying it was to be pressured into marriage and matchmaking, comparing it to how people at the market pick and choose pork.

Shen Xifan was curious how He Suye, at 31, had only now experienced this, and she wondered about his past relationships. He Suye subtly expressed that he had never met the right person. When he said this, his gaze inadvertently drifted towards Shen Xifan. Later, He Suye personally did acupuncture on her while she talked about how busy her work was, and soon after, she fell into a deep sleep.

When Shen Xifan woke up, she found that He Suye had made her a new sachet and prepared a more complex prescription. She couldn’t help but feel a bitter taste in her mouth. Considering how disturbed He Suye had been by the elderly matchmaking residents, Shen Xifan took a metal ring from her keychain and gave it to him, subtly hinting that he could wear it to pretend to be married.

Sure enough, the elderly women thought that He Suye was married and immediately complained in the community group. The number of matchmaking elderly residents dropped dramatically. Shen Xifan, however, didn’t have time to pick up her medicine and asked He Suye to help her. She had to cancel their meeting at the herbal garden because her parents were eating Xiaolongbao nearby. He Suye waited outside the community for Shen Xifan, handing her the medicine he had picked up for her. To keep the metal ring she had given him, he pretended to have lost it. Shen Xifan didn’t suspect anything.

When Shen Xifan returned home, she was radiant, her mood noticeably different from usual. Both Shen Dad and Shen Mom were surprised by the change, eventually concluding that she had reconciled with Yan Heng. During lunch break, Shen Xifan went out for tea with Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen, carrying the mint candies that He Suye had bought for her.

Upon seeing a video of He Suye, Xu Xiangya thought he was quite handsome and tried to play matchmaker, hoping that Shen Xifan would start a new romance with him. However, Shen Xifan repeatedly emphasized that they were just friends and explained that she was applying to study abroad, and it wouldn’t be possible to have a long-distance relationship.

On the way back, Xu Xiangya continued gossiping with Lin Yishen about Shen Xifan and He Suye, lamenting that Shen Xifan was so focused on studying abroad that she might miss out on a good relationship. Lin Yishen subtly asked Xu Xiangya if it was difficult to change the dynamics of a long-standing friendship into something more. Xu Xiangya didn’t directly answer, not delving further into his meaning.

He Sheng actively contacted He Suye again for a meal, only to be turned down once more. He Suye’s grandfather saw this and felt that sometimes He Suye should let go of his grudges and stop living in the past. However, He Suye still resented his father for being so focused on work that he neglected the family, which led to his mother's death.

It was this resentment that had driven him to apply for Traditional Chinese Medicine instead of following his father’s suggestion to pursue Western medicine, and the rift between them had never healed. That evening, Shen Mom discovered a photo of Shen Xifan and He Suye in the owners’ group chat and immediately confronted Shen Xifan. Reluctantly, Shen Xifan had to confess to her parents about breaking up with Yan Heng and explained that she was applying to study abroad.

Shen Dad and Shen Mom were torn: they felt sympathy for her but also pointed out that she was getting older, and studying abroad would lead to various practical challenges in her career. Shen Xifan couldn’t convince her parents, feeling physically and emotionally drained. She went to the downstairs area of her community for some peace, where she coincidentally ran into He Suye.

He Suye then took her to "vent," but to her surprise, the so-called "venting" turned out to be eating spicy hot pot. He Suye had specifically arranged a mild, non-spicy hot pot for her, with yam soup, to suit her condition. During this, Shen Xifan opened up about her desire to study abroad and the internal conflict caused by her parents’ lack of support. He Suye empathized with her, sharing his own experience.

He talked about how his parents had differing opinions about his career—his mother wanted him to study Chinese medicine, while his father had set him on a path in Western medicine. He Suye had witnessed his mother’s suffering from chemotherapy and ultimately chose Chinese medicine, a field he loved, as his career.

He Suye told Shen Xifan that she only had two choices: either accept the stable life her parents had planned for her or take a risk and pursue her dream. He explained that many patients in the oncology department had regrets before their death, and if Shen Xifan didn’t want to leave life with regrets, she should follow her heart.

When they got home, Shen Xifan reflected on He Suye’s words and realized that he was also going through some emotional turmoil. Shen Xifan solemnly expressed her intention to study abroad to her parents, mentioning that she had applied to one of the top three schools in the country. She told them that if she failed, there would be no complaints or regrets. Afterward, she sent He Suye a comforting message in her room, but he didn’t reply right away.

At that moment, He Suye was alone under a tree, venting his emotions while skateboarding. It wasn’t until Shen Xifan rushed outside, excitedly telling him that her parents had supported her decision to study abroad, that He Suye smiled. To celebrate the good news, He Suye drove Shen Xifan to a peaceful spot by the lake. They enjoyed the beautiful scenery and quiet atmosphere, which allowed them to relax.

Shen Xifan suggested that they watch the sunrise together, which deeply touched He Suye. He knew that she wanted to spend time with him, so they stayed together until dawn, watching the beautiful morning light. He Suye bought breakfast for both of them, and they sat side by side, watching the sunrise in silence, immersed in the peaceful moment. When the first autumn rain arrived, Shen Xifan unexpectedly experienced a bout of menstrual pain. At the same time, Mr.

Ding, a client, was furious because he had lost his ring, and Shen Xifan had to brave the heavy rain to search for it in the garden. After finding the ring, the issue was resolved, but her menstrual pain worsened. She sat in the break room, absentmindedly holding the sachet He Suye had given her, trying to find some comfort.

Although Shen Xifan had asked Xu Xiangya for painkillers, it was clear that they weren’t very effective, and she nearly fainted at the entrance of her community. Fortunately, He Suye appeared just in time, taking her to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) building to perform moxibustion to relieve her menstrual pain.

Shen Xifan was too shy to lie on the treatment table because she was afraid of staining it, but after He Suye understood the situation, he didn’t mind at all. To him, menstrual pain was just a natural bodily process, and women shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed about it. He Suye helped Shen Xifan lie down, covering her legs and feet with a blanket before performing the moxibustion.

Gradually, the pain was replaced with warmth, and as Shen Xifan looked at He Suye, who was tenderly caring for her, she couldn’t hold back the tears of frustration she had been suppressing. She wiped her eyes with a tissue and started crying. Before long, Shen Xifan fell into a deep sleep, and even in her dream, tears still streaked down her cheeks. He Suye gently wiped the tears away, mistakenly thinking that she was upset because of her boyfriend.

He could only suppress his own emotions as he took care of her. When Shen Xifan woke up, He Suye lent her a white shirt and politely refused her suggestion to go home together. Once at home, Shen Xifan planned to wash He Suye’s white shirt. She curiously smelled it and couldn’t help but think of him, but quickly stopped herself from letting her thoughts wander.

Shen Xifan’s mother noticed the unfamiliar shirt and asked where it came from, so Shen Xifan made up an excuse to brush it off. Later that night, Shen Xifan couldn’t stop thinking about He Suye. She took the initiative to scroll through his WeChat Moments and saw a post from a few months ago about making licorice tea. Without thinking, she liked the post but quickly unliked it.

To cover up her awkwardness, Shen Xifan continued to like several other posts, but He Suye noticed and playfully caught her, kindly reminding her to get some rest. The next day, during lunch break, Shen Xifan learned from Xu Xiangya that liking and unliking a post leaves traces. She felt really frustrated. Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen looked through the chat history between Shen Xifan and He Suye and concluded that He Suye must be interested in her.

However, Shen Xifan stubbornly insisted that they were just doctor and patient, which made Xu Xiangya feel that the man was interested, but the woman was not. Meanwhile, He Suye saw the bubble tea picture Shen Xifan posted on her Moments. He originally wanted to remind her that ginger sugar milk tea could worsen autumn dryness and harm her body, but after thinking it over, he decided to send her some medicinal recipes instead.

He sent her photos of these herbal dishes, telling her that they were milder and would benefit her health. At the hospital, there was a late-stage cancer patient with brain metastasis. He Suye had initially planned to transfer the patient to the intensive care unit for invasive treatment. However, the patient's daughter pleaded with him to delay the treatment so the family could have more time with the mother. He Suye was reminded of when his own mother passed away.

At that time, the doctor said the tumor had spread, and his father had immediately given up on treatment. In the evening, Shen Xifan bumped into He Suye at a street food stall near her community. Noticing that he seemed down, she guessed that he had encountered something upsetting. Shen Xifan silently accompanied him as he walked forward, and He Suye noticed that he had been neglecting her. When he looked back, their eyes met.

At that moment, a bicycle rode up, and Shen Xifan instinctively pulled He Suye away, but to her surprise, He Suye pulled her into his arms. That night, Shen Xifan couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened and was uncertain about He Suye’s feelings toward her. Likewise, He Suye couldn’t sleep either, and both of them tossed and turned restlessly.

Because Lin Yuan had injured her foot and couldn’t move around easily, Su Chengcheng took her to her house to have her family help take care of her. With Su Miao’s identity completely erased, Su Chengcheng felt much lighter, no longer needing to pretend to be two people. However, just then, a message notification sounded on her phone. Both Su Chengcheng and Lin Yuan checked their phones but didn’t find any new messages. It turned out the message was from Su Miao’s phone. The message was a farewell from Tang Qi to Su Miao.

The next day, when Su Chengcheng went to work, she coincidentally ran into Tang Qi in the elevator. At that moment, Tang Qi was still wearing the bracelet on his wrist. Su Chengcheng was a little surprised to see that he was still wearing it. However, she quickly remembered that Su Miao’s seventh day hadn’t passed yet, and they still needed to keep up the act. To avoid upsetting Tang Qi, Zhou Jinli and Gu Yu instructed the company to remove all of Su Miao’s posters and forbade anyone from bringing up her name.

Worried about Tang Qi’s emotions, Zhou Jinli and Gu Yu went to his office to check on him. Tang Qi wasn’t idle at home; he had developed a new product and brought it out for the company staff to test. Su Chengcheng was pleased to see that Tang Qi was focused on work.

To find some inspiration, Lin Yuan went alone to the riverbank to sketch. By chance, Gu Yu was fishing there with some friends. Suddenly, a fish flew out of the water and knocked Lin Yuan’s sketchpad to the ground, startling her. Gu Yu hurried over to apologize, and his friend, seeing that Lin Yuan’s art tools were damaged, offered to compensate her with his daughter’s drawing supplies. However, Lin Yuan didn’t want compensation; instead, she wanted to catch the fish that had knocked over her sketchpad and release it. Unfortunately, the fish had already been set free. The two of them chatted by the river, and with Gu Yu’s encouragement, Lin Yuan found the inspiration she needed for her work. She thanked him for his help.

As Su Chengcheng was finishing her workday, she heard that Xu Yue’s mother was ill, so she took responsibility for Xu Yue’s duties and urged her to go home and take her mother to the doctor. Meanwhile, Tang Qi was still in the lab, diligently conducting experiments. Su Chengcheng brought him the latest evaluation report, and Tang Qi took the opportunity to ask for her opinion. Su Chengcheng chose two products from the materials and gave a very reasonable explanation for her choices. Tang Qi was pleased to hear this and immediately turned back to continue his experiments, not giving Su Chengcheng another chance to speak. Su Chengcheng awkwardly smiled and left.

As Su Chengcheng prepared to go home, she saw that Tang Qi was also heading home, and they ended up in the same elevator. When Su Chengcheng noticed that Tang Qi was about to call for a chauffeur, she guessed that his eyes weren’t in a condition to drive. Since Su Chengcheng had done driving services before, she volunteered to drive him home. On the ride, both tried to avoid awkwardness by making small talk, but without much common ground, the conversation didn’t last long. At that point, Tang Qi turned on the music, and it reminded him of a time when he saw Su Chengcheng asking other girls for money in school. He had mistakenly thought she was bullying her classmates and stealing from them. Su Chengcheng was surprised to learn that Tang Qi had noticed her back then, especially since he was known as the top student, while she had been a poor student. It turned out that Tang Qi had misunderstood. Later, Su Chengcheng had a good relationship with the other students, laughing and chatting with them.

Su Chengcheng’s sister, Su Qingli, called repeatedly. Since Su Chengcheng couldn’t answer while driving, she had Tang Qi answer the phone. Upon hearing that Su Chengcheng was with Tang Qi, Su Qingli was shocked and sent Su Chengcheng her address, urging her to come see her immediately. Tang Qi noticed that some of the items in Su Chengcheng’s bag were similar to Su Miao’s and asked her about it. Su Chengcheng lied, claiming that their tastes were just alike.

When Su Chengcheng arrived at the hospital, she found that Su Qingli’s good friend, Fang Jin, and her husband co-owned a company. However, the husband was a scumbag who had cheated with a female employee, leading to domestic violence and the theft of Fang Jin’s research results. He planned to secretly sell the research. Fang Jin had been in a car accident and was now in a coma. Su Qingli wanted Su Chengcheng to impersonate her friend to prevent the research from being sold.

Meanwhile, Tang Qi was negotiating a partnership with New South Technology. Since Gu Yu and Zhou Jinli were both busy, Tang Qi went alone to the meeting. When he arrived, the company was eager to sign a contract, but it turned out that New South Technology was actually the company of Su Qingli’s friend. Su Chengcheng, disguised as Fang Jin, arrived at the company and happened to be seen by Tang Qi.

He Suye bought the Chinese herbs and was heading home when he ran into Shen Xifan. He invited her to his house to try some medicinal dishes. It was Shen Xifan’s first time at He Suye’s place, so she was a little nervous and looked around his home while sipping the five-flavor tea he had personally made. He Suye asked Shen Xifan to sit for a while, and he busied himself in the kitchen. Shen Xifan couldn’t resist and walked over to watch him.

At the dinner table, Shen Xifan mentioned that the hotel was planning to introduce TCM wellness programs and asked He Suye if he would agree to be their TCM consultant. He Suye happily agreed but said he would need to register with the hospital first and also take a look at Shen Xifan’s proposal. After dinner, He Suye personally drove Shen Xifan home. Shen Xifan felt a little guilty about having him cook, so she promised to invite him out for a meal next time.

After returning home, Shen Xifan eagerly started working on the proposal. Since she needed He Suye’s profile, she logged onto a website and discovered that He Suye was not only a TCM doctor but also had a very impressive resume. Just as Shen Xifan regretted changing the prescription in front of him, He Suye called her via WeChat to remind her to get some rest.

He Suye’s young patient, Zhao Ze, had become quite clingy. Whether He Suye was seeing patients or eating, Zhao Ze would always stick close, hoping to matchmake him with his mother. This caught Fang Kexin’s attention. During their conversation, He Suye learned that Zhao Ze’s father had passed away a long time ago, and Zhao Ze often referred to him as “dad” because he saw He Suye as a father figure. He Suye felt sorry for Zhao Ze, who had suffered so much at such a young age, and didn’t correct him.

The leadership was very pleased with the team’s proposals and urged Shen Xifan to finalize the contract with He Suye as soon as possible. Colleagues, seeing He Suye’s profile, became interested and hoped that Shen Xifan would introduce him to them. When they saw Xu Xiangya’s hand gestures, they suddenly understood and hurriedly asked her to introduce any relatives or friends of He Suye’s to them.

Fang Kexin noticed how Zhao Ze constantly clung to He Suye, so she found a chance to talk to him alone. She reminded him not to always hang around or say things that could be misunderstood, as it might affect the single He Suye. Zhao Ze asked Fang Kexin if she liked He Suye, and she hurriedly denied it, clearly flustered.

He Suye was giving Zhao Ze acupuncture treatment and had Li Jie and others watch and learn the technique. Zhao Ze’s mother expressed her gratitude to He Suye. At this moment, Shen Xifan contacted He Suye, reminding him to check the contract and send her both sides of his ID card. In addition, Shen Xifan offered to visit the hospital. He Suye was overjoyed to hear this, and they agreed to meet at the herb garden at noon.

At noon, He Suye introduced various plants in the botanical garden to Shen Xifan. Shen Xifan was pleasantly surprised to find that the red wild berries by the roadside were the same as the Schisandra berries frequently mentioned in her prescription. He Suye secretly picked a few Schisandra berries for her to try. Shen Xifan skeptically took a bite, only to be overwhelmed by the sour, bitter, astringent, salty, and spicy flavors, and exclaimed that she had been tricked.

Shen Xifan sat with He Suye on a bench, watching the scenery. He Suye’s gaze kept unintentionally falling on her, his eyes full of affection. The atmosphere was sweet and a little ambiguous. Just as Shen Xifan was about to discuss the next steps with He Suye, He Suye suddenly received an emergency call and rushed back to the ward, forgetting to take the consultant contract with him. Shen Xifan quickly followed him, intending to give him the contract, but to her surprise, Zhao Ze suddenly ran out from behind and rushed toward He Suye, shouting “Dad!” which shocked Shen Xifan.

Because she saw Zhao Ze calling He Suye "Dad," Shen Xifan mistakenly thought that he had a child. To avoid any awkwardness between them, she simply sent him a message asking him to pick up the contract at the first-floor nurse's station. Shen Xifan did not mention anything about him being a "single father" and quickly left under a random excuse. He Suye didn’t notice anything unusual about her behavior and even got teased by the nurses.

Later, He Suye told Li Jie and Fang Kexin that he planned to take them to the hotel to help design a traditional Chinese medicine therapy package. However, when Li Jie heard that it was for the Gunan Huating Hotel, he hesitated, fearing that Fang Kexin would find out about his past blind date with Shen Xifan. His instinctive refusal made Fang Kexin suspicious.

Shen Xifan told Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen about her suspicion that He Suye had a child. They both believed that he was deliberately hiding his marriage and had bad character, urging Shen Xifan to give up on him as soon as possible. Just then, He Suye messaged Shen Xifan, inviting her over for a medicinal meal. Xu Xiangya pushed her to decline immediately, so Shen Xifan had no choice but to lie and say that she had already eaten.

That night, Xu Xiangya took Shen Xifan to a bar to drink their sorrows away. Each of them complained about their frustrations—Shen Xifan about He Suye hiding his past marriage and Xu Xiangya about Lin Yishen returning to his hometown. By the time they were completely drunk, Lin Yishen personally came to pick them up, only for Xu Xiangya to start yelling at him, calling him trash.

Meanwhile, Shen Xifan was half-drunk and half-awake. When she saw Lin Yishen, she stumbled back to her apartment complex, only to run into He Suye, who was skateboarding outside. In her intoxicated state, she also called him trash. He Suye was utterly confused by her outburst and was almost mistaken by Shen Xifan’s parents as a stalker. He couldn't help but feel helpless about the situation.

The next morning, Shen Xifan woke up with a hangover and saw a message from He Suye. The memory of her drunken antics from the night before suddenly hit her, filling her with embarrassment and regret. She immediately threw all the beer from her fridge into the trash, only for her father to retrieve a bottle. Taking advantage of Shen Xifan’s mother being away, he secretly drank one in the kitchen.

Lin Yishen couldn’t understand why Xu Xiangya’s attitude toward him had changed recently until she brought up his plan to return to his hometown, forcing him to admit it. Xu Xiangya no longer wanted to engage in further conversation with him. As Lin Yishen recalled taking her home the previous night, he felt just as conflicted.

During lunch break, He Suye hadn’t received a reply from Shen Xifan, so he sent her another message. This time, her response was polite yet distant. Later, when He Suye arrived at the hotel with Li Jie and Fang Kexin, Shen Xifan deliberately avoided him, making him realize that something was wrong.

When they finally met, Shen Xifan gave them all welcome gifts. She specifically gave He Suye a Transformers toy, attempting to deter him. He Suye was utterly confused. During their meal at the restaurant, Lin Yishen lightened the mood with conversation. Meanwhile, He Suye was puzzled as to why the hotel had given him a children’s toy. Lin Yishen quickly explained that it was for his son.

As soon as he said this, Li Jie and Fang Kexin were both shocked. Shen Xifan hurriedly explained what had happened that day, and the two of them quickly clarified that Zhao Ze was merely He Suye’s patient. Because he grew up in a single-parent household, he naturally clung to He Suye. Shen Xifan was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear, but at the same time, this misunderstanding brought a sense of relief to both her and He Suye. They finally realized their feelings for each other. He Suye, in particular, now understood why Shen Xifan had called him trash while drunk. As they left, he couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.

The group then drove to the herb garden, where He Suye gave them a tour of the medicinal plants. The beautiful scenery, combined with the resolution of the misunderstanding, put Shen Xifan in an especially good mood. Deep down, Xu Xiangya was genuinely happy for Shen Xifan. To help match her with He Suye, she kept creating opportunities for them to be alone together and even suggested taking a group photo. Everyone gathered in front of the camera, cheerfully saying “cheese.”

After He Suye finished discussing the requirements and basic details with the hotel, he led everyone to the herb garden to explore the medicinal plants. Shen Xifan noticed schisandra berries and, with He Suye’s permission, picked a bunch. She then lied to Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen, claiming they were delicious. Li Jie initially wanted to stop her, but He Suye found it amusing. That was until Xu Xiangya realized she had been tricked and cried out in frustration.

Back inside the plantation base, Xu Xiangya took the initiative to chat and joke with Li Jie, catching Lin Yishen’s attention. Noticing Lin Yishen’s unhappy expression, Shen Xifan found an excuse to send Li Jie away. However, Xu Xiangya persisted, even exchanging WeChat contacts with Li Jie, making the situation incredibly awkward.

Because of this, Shen Xifan moved to the side to examine medicinal materials, intending to gather ingredients for sachets. He Suye took the initiative to introduce the herbs to her and even led her outside to identify more medicinal plants. When she smelled agarwood, Shen Xifan found the scent familiar—it seemed similar to a cologne He Suye had worn before. But He Suye denied ever wearing cologne and instead teased her, saying she was using the scent as an excuse to compliment him.

The next morning, Shen Xifan arrived at He Suye’s apartment complex, only to receive a message from Xu Xiangya urging her to forward yesterday’s group photo to He Suye. Just then, He Suye appeared and gave Shen Xifan a sachet he had made for her. Learning that she no longer wanted to take medicine, he suggested she try acupuncture instead.

Shen Xifan instinctively responded by asking if she always had to be sick to visit him. The moment the words left her mouth, she realized the implication sounded ambiguous. He Suye was briefly stunned before inviting her to his place for a medicinal meal whenever she had time. Shen Xifan was overjoyed by his words. Even after returning home, her parents could sense something was different about her. She hid in her room, holding the sachet, feeling as if her heart was fluttering like a deer in a field.

As the entire hotel prepared diligently, the middle-aged and elderly wellness tour group arrived at Gunan Huating. Shen Xifan, Xu Xiangya, Lin Yishen, and others introduced the guests to the prepared medicinal meals and the sachets placed in their rooms. Although the elderly guests had many diverse and complicated requests, leaving the hotel staff overwhelmed, the traditional medicine-based meals and attentive service received unanimous praise.

Meanwhile, Zhao Ze underwent another round of chemotherapy. With the assistance of herbal treatments, the side effects were significantly reduced. As a reward, He Suye gave Zhao Ze the Transformers toy. Upon learning about He Suye and Shen Xifan’s situation, Zhao Ze felt a little disappointed. He had been hoping to match He Suye with his mother. However, realizing that he was growing up and couldn’t force others, he "maturely" chose to give them his blessing—after all, he had already accepted a gift from He Suye.

Elsewhere, during a conversation with Shen Xifan, Lin Yishen revealed that he might resign next year to take over his parents' small business. Shen Xifan knew that he and Xu Xiangya had feelings for each other, but neither had ever broken through the invisible barrier between them. Lin Yishen asked Shen Xifan if, after so much time had passed, there was still a chance between him and Xu Xiangya. Shen Xifan didn’t know how to respond.

Later, He Suye told Shen Xifan that he had given the toy to Zhao Ze and, using Zhao Ze’s desire to thank her as an excuse, invited her over for dinner. Seeing how happy she looked while texting, Li Jie couldn’t help but remark that the last time he saw her this cheerful was back in their university days.

After work, Shen Xifan took the initiative to visit He Suye’s home. She shared with him how the elderly guests were so full of energy that even she, as a young person, struggled to keep up. As they talked, she suddenly noticed the metal ring on He Suye’s keychain. It looked exactly like the one she had given him before—the one he had previously lied about losing.