The Best Thing Recap, Plot, Synopsis

The Best Thing Synopsis

Shen Xifan, the hotel room manager, suffers from insomnia due to the intense demands of her job. She meets the Chinese medicine doctor, He Suye, during one of her visits for treatment. Due to her busy work schedule, she often forgets to take her medicine, which frustrates He Suye. Initially, their relationship seems limited to doctor and patient, but they later discover they live in the same neighborhood.

Their repeated, chance encounters allow feelings to blossom between them. Shen Xifan, having been cautious due to a failed first love, slowly begins to open her heart to He Suye, whose kindness and unwavering dedication to his career inspire her to pursue her own dreams. As their hearts draw closer, they eventually become a couple.

The Best Thing Recap

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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.

As He Suye hurried over in a panic, intending to explain, Shen Xifan suddenly changed the topic and asked about the dragon bone on his keychain. Hearing this, He Suye sighed in relief and quickly explained that it was fresh dragon bone from the lab. Shen Xifan nodded, half-understanding.

During dinner, Shen Xifan forwarded the photo to He Suye, but he was dissatisfied with it, feeling that he looked too serious in the picture, which did not match the joyful mood of that day. After finishing her meal, Shen Xifan returned home, trying to suppress her racing heart. In reality, she had long noticed that He Suye had lied about losing the keyring.

A thought had already taken root in her mind, but she was afraid she was overthinking things. However, her feelings for He Suye were becoming increasingly obvious—even when resting in the hotel lounge, she couldn’t help but repeatedly bring the sachet to her nose and take in its scent. One of the elderly tour members suddenly felt unwell, and Shen Xifan rushed over in concern.

Fortunately, the guest was fine; she had simply joined these tours frequently because her children were not around. Meanwhile, Shen Xifan noticed that Xu Xiangya and Li Jie were chatting frequently on WeChat and worried that Xu Xiangya might be interested in Li Jie and end up giving up on Lin Yishen. However, Xu Xiangya reassured her, saying that Li Jie was not her type.

Although she had feelings for Lin Yishen, the two of them had constantly missed their chances with each other from university until now. Perhaps it was just fate, or maybe their emotions were never deep enough. That night, Shen Xifan’s parents specially prepared a medicinal soup for her. Thinking of the lonely elderly woman, Shen Xifan took the initiative to ask about her parents’ health. Soon, the hotel successfully sent off the elderly tour group.

Exhausted, Shen Xifan collapsed onto her bed the moment she got home, only to wake up the next morning with a severe stiff neck. Having no other choice, she went to He Suye’s clinic. Under He Suye’s treatment, she cried out in pain, but her stiff neck improved significantly. However, she felt flustered by how close He Suye was, and as soon as he was done, she hurriedly left.

While preparing her study abroad application materials at home, she wanted to enrich her case study with cultural context, so she sought out He Suye to learn about aromatherapy and medicinal sachets in traditional Chinese medicine. Once again, He Suye brought Shen Xifan back to his place and even gave her one of his undergraduate research papers as a reference. With his help, Shen Xifan revised her application materials, and a warm atmosphere filled the space between them.

Finally, she completed her submission, and after He Suye helped her review it, she sent it to the study abroad agency. At that moment, the agency suddenly called Shen Xifan. She quickly stepped out onto the balcony to take the call. When she returned to the living room after hanging up, she found He Suye had fallen asleep on the sofa.

Originally, she wanted to remove his glasses for him, but just as she reached out, the book in He Suye’s hand slipped, causing his arm to drop behind the sofa. Startled, Shen Xifan lost her balance and accidentally fell onto him. Now face-to-face in close proximity, Shen Xifan’s heart pounded wildly. Just as she was about to lean in for a kiss, the doorbell rang, shattering the moment.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she went to open the door, while He Suye immediately opened his eyes, visibly frustrated. The visitor was none other than Li Jie, who had come to ask He Suye for help reviewing his paper. Seeing this, Shen Xifan quickly made an excuse and left. Annoyed by Li Jie’s untimely arrival, He Suye remarked sarcastically that while Li Jie was indeed diligent, there was no need to be "this" diligent tonight.

Picking up on the underlying meaning, Li Jie immediately suspected something was going on between He Suye and Shen Xifan. He Suye neither confirmed nor denied it. Meanwhile, as Shen Xifan rode the elevator back home, she replayed the scene in her mind, feeling her face heat up as if it were on fire. At that moment, she became even more certain—she truly liked He Suye.

After He Suye angrily sent Li Jie away, he took the initiative to message Shen Xifan, inviting her to a snack stall at the entrance of their neighborhood park to try some desserts. He also asked about her study abroad departure date. Shen Xifan could sense that He Suye was not in the best mood.

Thinking about how she would be leaving for Switzerland in February, the long distance between the two countries, and the significant time difference, she felt uneasy as well. She began to wonder if she should just keep her feelings buried. The next day, He Suye took Li Jie and a few others to visit his grandfather’s house to hear Yu Liren’s feedback on their research project.

However, as soon as the discussion ended, Li Jie deliberately brought up gossip about He Suye and Shen Xifan in front of everyone. Left with no choice, He Suye admitted that he was still pursuing her. Before long, the news that He Suye had someone he liked spread throughout the hospital and university, and he faced endless teasing. He could only smile and take it in stride.

Meanwhile, at breakfast, Shen Xifan’s parents worked together to introduce her to a new potential match under various excuses. Shen Xifan felt that blind dating was unnecessary—after all, the other party was likely looking for marriage, while she was about to go abroad. She didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. However, Shen Xifan’s mother insisted that she at least meet the person and immediately arranged a time and place. Left with no choice, Shen Xifan reluctantly agreed to go.

On the day of the blind date, the man never showed up, leaving Shen Xifan completely stood up. Coincidentally, her classmates from medical school were organizing a gathering that day, which He Suye was also attending. When Li Jie saw Shen Xifan there, he quickly messaged He Suye to confirm his thoughts on the situation before finding an excuse to invite Shen Xifan to join the doctors’ gathering.

Since He Suye had already hinted about it on his phone, their colleagues couldn’t help but tease him when they saw Shen Xifan in person. Only Fang Kexin’s expression looked noticeably unpleasant. During dinner, everyone curiously pried into how He Suye and Shen Xifan met. Someone then suggested playing a word game where they took turns naming medicinal herbs. Without thinking, Shen Xifan instinctively blurted out "He Suye," immediately feeling embarrassed and flustered.

After a few rounds of drinks, Shen Xifan went to the restroom to cool off, while He Suye waited outside for her, asking about her being stood up that evening. Shen Xifan admitted to the blind date, which made He Suye feel a little disappointed. However, he quickly covered it with a smile, saying it was actually a good thing and invited her to head home together that night.

At first, Shen Xifan had been worried she wouldn’t fit in at a gathering full of traditional Chinese medicine doctors. However, everyone was so lively, cracking internet jokes and using trendy slang, that she quickly felt at ease. After drinking some more, the group moved upstairs to a karaoke bar. The doctors showed off their fun side, singing English songs, dancing, and playing Truth or Dare.

During the game, He Suye admitted that he liked a girl he met in April. As soon as he said this, the crowd erupted in cheers. Shen Xifan knew deep down that he was talking about her, and she felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. By the end of the gathering, Shen Xifan was completely drunk. As He Suye carried her on his back, she suddenly jumped down, thanked him for liking her, and then kissed him.

With Shen Xifan finally showing her feelings, He Suye could no longer hold back—he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her deeply. That night, He Suye personally escorted Shen Xifan home. When her parents saw how handsome he was, they were overjoyed and couldn’t stop praising him. Hearing their words, He Suye couldn’t hide his smile. The next morning, Shen Xifan woke up, recalling the events of the previous night.

She felt both shy and embarrassed, hesitating to even reply to He Suye’s messages. Later, He Suye delivered a new herbal prescription to her. As she hesitated, she finally gathered the courage to ask if he truly liked her. In response, He Suye gently took her hand and confessed, openly admitting his feelings for her.

When faced with Shen Xifan's question, He Suye confessed his feelings without hesitation. He thought that once they broke through this unspoken barrier, their relationship would be officially confirmed. However, to his surprise, Shen Xifan rejected him, explaining that she was about to study abroad and didn’t want to have a long-distance relationship. He Suye was completely puzzled—just last night, Shen Xifan had taken the initiative to kiss him, so why was she now so firm in her refusal?

His heart suddenly felt heavy. Saying nothing more, he simply left the herbal medicine with her and walked away. Shen Xifan took the medicine home, only to be bombarded with questions from her parents about her progress with He Suye. When they learned that she had rejected him, they were shocked and felt it was a pity.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiangya heard from Li Jie about what had happened at the doctors' gathering and also regretted that the two had missed their chance. She then passed this news to Li Jie. Fang Kexin, on the other hand, bought milk tea and took the initiative to chat with He Suye, subtly comforting him and suggesting that he find alternative ways to seek emotional fulfillment.

That afternoon, the hospital administration informed He Suye that after extensive discussions, they had decided to halt research on the breast cancer project. Even though He Suye had been dedicated to promoting palliative care for the past three years and was widely respected by his colleagues, the field was considered too niche. The hospital wanted to allocate its funds to research with a higher chance of producing significant results.

Though deeply disappointed, He Suye could only outwardly express his understanding of their decision. That evening, Shen Xifan went downstairs for some fresh air but unexpectedly ran into He Suye, who had just finished working late. Finding an excuse, she quickly returned upstairs, avoiding further conversation. He Suye later messaged her, reminding her to slice some ginger and make ginger tea if she had any at home. However, Shen Xifan didn’t reply.

Instead, she found herself trapped in a nightmare where He Suye was staring at her with resentment. Meanwhile, He Suye, feeling equally unsettled, confided in his grandfather, Yu Liren, even beginning to doubt whether he had been too self-deluded about Shen Xifan’s feelings. Seeing his distress, Yu Liren advised him not to make things too hard on himself. If it was too painful, he should consider letting go of the relationship.

The next day, Shen Xifan suddenly received an official offer for her study abroad program, making her realize that their separation was imminent. While tidying a guest room, a housekeeper found a bottle of medicine left behind by an elderly guest. Shen Xifan took the initiative to return it and, in the process, confided in the elderly woman about her troubles. The woman believed that Shen Xifan’s unease stemmed from regret over her decision.

She offered a piece of wisdom—life is like the clouds in the sky, and meetings and partings are a matter of fate. If two people are truly meant to be, even if they turn into raindrops, they will still fall into the same lake. As the Lunar New Year approached, He Sheng called his son, He Suye, to ask when he would be coming home for the holiday.

He also mentioned that Aunt Wang would be celebrating the New Year with them. Meanwhile, Xu Xiangya accompanied Shen Xifan to a bar, advising her not to trap herself in the mindset that studying abroad meant she couldn’t pursue a relationship. Meeting someone who genuinely cares for you isn’t easy, she said. If she kept pushing love away, she might regret it in the future.

Even if they remained just friends, there was no reason to completely shut He Suye out. Shortly after, Xu Xiangya messaged Li Jie, planning to bring Shen Xifan to meet up with their group—her true intention being to see He Suye. When they arrived at He Suye’s home, Shen Xifan felt noticeably uneasy.

He Suye personally prepared soup for everyone, but Fang Kexin, unable to hold back any longer, seized the moment when Shen Xifan was cleaning up a spill to deliberately reveal that He Suye had once been abandoned by a girlfriend who chose to go abroad. Fang Kexin hoped that if Shen Xifan didn’t truly like He Suye, she would make her stance clear instead of wavering between rejection and continued interaction, so as not to cause him further pain.

Hearing this, Shen Xifan had no choice but to leave He Suye’s home early. After seeing his friends off, He Suye asked Fang Kexin to stay behind. He told her bluntly that she would always be just his student, nothing more, and even suggested she stop learning from him—a subtle way of expressing his stance.

Seeing this, Xu Xiangya had no choice but to reveal to He Suye that Shen Xifan had little romantic experience and was deeply afraid of getting hurt again. Only then did He Suye finally understand the pain in Shen Xifan’s heart.

As the Lunar New Year approached, He Suye took a flight back to his hometown, bringing gifts for his relatives and friends. However, after only a few brief exchanges with his father, He Sheng, the latter called over a woman and her son. The woman, Nurse Wang, worked at He Sheng’s hospital; she was divorced and had a son named Wang Chang. He Suye soon learned that this mother and son were staying in his room.

He didn’t say anything and simply rested in a guest room on the first floor for the time being. Early the next morning, He Suye couldn’t resist scrolling through Shen Xifan’s social media posts, a faint smile appearing on his face. Meanwhile, the hotel where Shen Xifan was staying was filled with lively chatter as her colleagues gathered to make dumplings, joke around, and take photos together.

Lin Yishen and Xu Xiangya had also packed their bags early, preparing to head home. After saying goodbye to Shen Xifan, Lin Yishen took the initiative to escort Xu Xiangya to the station. Since He Suye had a poor relationship with He Sheng, he wasn’t familiar with his father’s side of the family. As a result, he ended up sitting alone at a table, feeling awkward.

Watching He Sheng thoughtfully serve dishes and pour tea for Nurse Wang, He Suye was suddenly reminded of his mother. Back then, when his mother had accidentally spilled some soup, the relatives had scolded and blamed her, yet He Sheng, as her husband, had merely sat by coldly, watching without a word. The contrast was ironic and left a bitter taste in He Suye’s heart. On New Year's Eve, Shen Xifan’s parents prepared a feast.

After dinner, they exchanged New Year's greetings with their friends. Unexpectedly, Shen Xifan received a holiday greeting from Yan Heng, which prompted her to quickly delete him from her contacts. Meanwhile, Zhao Ze messaged He Suye, asking him to forward his New Year's blessings to Shen Xifan. However, Shen Xifan was too engrossed in watching TV with her parents to notice the message.

After a few rounds of drinks, He Sheng urged He Suye to settle down and start a family before focusing on his career. He also brought up the fact that He Suye’s research project had been suspended, criticizing him again for not following the path he had laid out in cardiothoracic surgery and instead choosing to study traditional Chinese medicine.

He Suye was extremely displeased, sarcastically pointing out that He Sheng had already achieved success and even built a new family—so why pretend to care about bringing him home for the New Year? He Sheng was left speechless. That night, He Suye had a video call with his grandfather, Yu Liren, and they exchanged New Year's wishes. When He Suye heard that his grandfather still remembered his birthday—a date that even He Sheng had forgotten—his nose suddenly tingled with emotion.

Shen Xifan finally noticed He Suye’s message. She initially composed a formal and distant New Year's greeting but then found it too impersonal. After reconsidering, she simply sent him a cute emoji instead. At that moment, He Suye called her. Hearing the hint of loneliness in his voice, Shen Xifan felt a bit nervous, and the two had a somewhat awkward but warm conversation. Before hanging up, they exchanged blessings once more, yet neither was willing to end the call.

Suddenly, Shen Xifan realized that it was He Suye’s birthday. She quickly used a Swiss roll to make a simple birthday cake, lit a candle, and sang "Happy Birthday" to him. She told He Suye to make a wish and blow toward the screen, while she, on his behalf, blew out the candle—celebrating his birthday together despite the distance. Deeply moved, He Suye told her that he would be back on the third day of the New Year.

Upon hearing this, Shen Xifan smiled, and the two welcomed the final countdown to the new year amid the sounds of fireworks outside. The next morning, He Suye packed up his medical kit and, without even having breakfast, set out on his bicycle to provide free medical consultations for the elderly in the area. He Sheng didn’t interfere too much with his son's decision, but even Nurse Wang could sense the tension between the father and son.

As He Suye went door to door, checking pulses and performing acupuncture, the elderly patients experienced noticeable relief from their ailments. They sincerely expressed their gratitude, giving him high praise. While passing by a household, He Suye noticed some red beans for sale. He bought a bag, took it home, washed and dried it, and, once it was fully dried, stored it in glass jars. He ended up preparing several jars of red beans, planning to bring them back to Shen Xifan when he returned on the third day of the New Year.

On the third day of the New Year, He Suye packed his things and prepared to return to Hangzhou. As soon as he went downstairs, he saw the young boy Wang Chang, who was visibly tense and uneasy. Seeing how sensible and well-behaved Wang Chang was, He Suye’s heart softened, and he took the initiative to give him a red envelope.

At Nurse Wang’s suggestion, He Sheng also took the initiative to say goodbye to his son and watched as he got into the car and left. After returning to Hangzhou, He Suye immediately sent a message to Shen Xifan, using the excuse of asking for a birthday gift to call her downstairs. He then gave her two jars of red beans along with a few red bean medicinal recipes.

Since red beans have the effect of reducing swelling and promoting healing, red bean medicinal dishes can also help regulate emotions. Having gone through a painful breakup himself, He Suye could empathize with Shen Xifan’s feelings. His advice was that when one loses the ability to love someone else, they should first learn to love themselves. He urged Shen Xifan to stop exhausting herself emotionally.

Afterward, He Suye went to visit his grandfather, revealing that his father, He Sheng, had found a girlfriend, and the two seemed to have a good relationship. Although Yu Liren felt sorry for his daughter, he also understood that what happened back then was long in the past. It was time to let go, and at his father’s age, it was normal to find a companion.

Understanding Yu Liren’s thoughts, He Suye decided that from now on, he would come here every year to spend the New Year with his grandfather and mother—after all, He Sheng didn’t need him there. Yu Liren agreed with a smile and suddenly mentioned that Fang Kexin had unexpectedly decided to pursue a PhD and switch research fields. He jokingly asked if He Suye had failed to teach her properly.

He Suye replied that it was her own choice and that there was no need to interfere too much. Shen Xifan received an acceptance letter from a university in Switzerland. Overjoyed, she realized she could choose to enroll in either February or October. After weighing her options, she decided to start in October. That way, she could complete seven years at the hotel, save more money for living expenses, and, most importantly, spend more time with He Suye.

Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen immediately saw through her true intentions. After returning home, Shen Xifan told her parents about her decision, and they both supported her. Originally, Shen Xifan wanted to share this news with He Suye, but no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find the right opportunity to bring it up. She kept typing messages and then deleting them.

Just as she was about to send another one, she suddenly noticed that He Suye’s WeChat showed "The other party is typing…" But after waiting for a long time, no message came through. Meanwhile, Grandma Liu, who had been staying at the hotel, suddenly had a health episode. Fortunately, a cleaning staff member quickly found Shen Xifan. Although Grandma Liu believed it was just an old ailment acting up, Shen Xifan insisted she go to the hospital for a checkup.

She also mentioned that she knew a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, which finally convinced Grandma Liu to give it a try. Right after that, Shen Xifan sent a message to consult He Suye and arranged a time for Grandma Liu to visit the traditional Chinese medicine hospital. Not long after, Shen Xifan accompanied Grandma Liu to He Suye’s clinic. When their eyes met, sparks flew.

After asking about Grandma Liu’s symptoms, He Suye noticed that the CT scans were somewhat blurry, so he had Fang Kexin accompany her for a redo. While alone with He Suye, Shen Xifan hesitated, debating whether to tell him about her decision to delay her enrollment. Sensing something, He Suye took the initiative to ask about her study plans abroad. When he learned that she wouldn’t be leaving until October, he was upset that she had hidden this from him.

He sarcastically remarked that her health was fine—she just had a bit of a heartless streak. After the examination, Grandma Liu curiously inquired about Shen Xifan and He Suye’s relationship. She could tell that something was definitely going on between them. Grandma Liu told Shen Xifan that sometimes people think they are firm in their decisions, believing they won’t be influenced by anyone, but their true feelings can’t be hidden.

Shen Xifan was struck by her words, and her mind was suddenly filled with images of He Suye. Early the next morning, He Suye sent a message asking if Shen Xifan had eaten the red bean medicinal dish. Shen Xifan took a photo of the dish her father had made and sent it to him. Soon after, Zhao Ze was discharged from the hospital. He Suye personally went to see him off, and Zhao Ze asked him to say goodbye to Shen Xifan on his behalf. He Suye readily agreed.

After the holiday break, everyone returned, and the first morning meeting was held at the hotel. Shen Xifan noticed an unusual atmosphere between Lin Yishen and Xu Xiangya—it was distinctly different from their usual sharp confrontations. Meanwhile, Fang Kexin decided to let go of her feelings for He Suye and took the initiative to talk to him about it, which left him feeling relieved.

The next morning, Shen Xifan pulled out a photo and curiously questioned Lin Yishen and Xu Xiangya about their relationship. Eventually, they had no choice but to admit that they were officially dating. It turned out that during this time, both of them had come to terms with many things and had finally confronted their true feelings. Xu Xiangya even planned to resign and find a new path in life after Shen Xifan left for her studies abroad.

At that moment, He Suye unexpectedly sent Shen Xifan a message, asking about her medicinal cuisine assignment for the day. Shen Xifan replied that her father usually did the cooking, so she had no way to submit the assignment. However, He Suye’s next response caught her off guard—he said he was looking forward to seeing her. Her heart fluttered, but since she was busy with work, she couldn’t reply right away.

That night, Shen Xifan received another message from He Suye, this time with two pictures—one showing empty beer bottles scattered on the ground and the other capturing the view from the residential complex. When Shen Xifan went to find He Suye, she saw him sitting on a bench, completely drunk. He complained that she had arrived too late and that he had already finished all the alcohol by himself.

In his drunken state, He Suye also accused Shen Xifan of being heartless, saying she had reeled him in only to let him go, showing no sense of responsibility. Shen Xifan was helpless at his words—somehow, she had become the one who played with emotions and then abandoned him. Worried that he might catch a cold, she had no choice but to personally take him home.

However, the moment He Suye closed his door, his eyes suddenly became clear—he wasn’t drunk at all. Meanwhile, Shen Xifan was left feeling unsettled by his words. The next morning, as she watched her father prepare fish soup, she couldn’t help but recall He Suye’s “fishing” comment. A faint smile appeared on her lips, and she snapped a photo, sending it to He Suye as her “assignment submission.

”He Suye repeatedly looked at the photo, overjoyed, only to be teased by his grandfather, Yu Liren. While He Suye was waiting for Shen Xifan to finally put an end to the lingering issue that was Yan Heng, Yan Heng suddenly checked into the hotel. Manager Cheng Dong gathered everyone for a meeting, instructing them to ensure top-tier service and secure this high-value client.

Shen Xifan was shocked and felt a mix of emotions, but she had no choice but to focus on work. As soon as Yan Heng arrived, both Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen could tell he was here for Shen Xifan. Yan Heng, on the other hand, claimed he was staying at Gunan Huating for a business bid at the local technology park. However, on his very first day, he made a big show of looking for Shen Xifan.

Xu Xiangya firmly refused to tell Yan Heng about Shen Xifan’s whereabouts, shutting him down without hesitation. Later, Yan Heng appeared in the hotel lobby holding a large bouquet of roses. Upon seeing this, Cheng Dong quickly sent Shen Xifan a message, urging her to come down immediately. Reluctantly, Shen Xifan went to meet Yan Heng and had no choice but to accept the roses.

The front desk staff noticed the interaction and immediately realized that Yan Heng was Shen Xifan’s ex-boyfriend. Yan Heng initially intended to invite her to his room for a private conversation about their relationship. However, Shen Xifan, furious, directly threw the roses at him. Hearing his attempts to justify himself and his suggestion to get back together, Shen Xifan rejected him without hesitation. She was even more disgusted by his attempts to touch her.

In the break room, Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen comforted Shen Xifan, advising her never to agree to a reconciliation. Soon, the entire hotel was buzzing with gossip about the incident. The female employees speculated that Shen Xifan was being overly dramatic and didn’t know how to appreciate someone like Yan Heng, who was considered a "golden bachelor. "At the staff meeting, Cheng Dong criticized Shen Xifan for how she handled the situation, stating that it had affected the hotel's reputation. As a consequence, he deducted her monthly bonus and reminded everyone to maintain professionalism and learn from this incident.

Because of Yan Heng’s presence, Shen Xifan once again became extremely anxious. She suffered from insomnia throughout the night and experienced nightmares. When she woke up, her face was covered in tears. Looking at the message He Suye had sent her, she could only force a smile while replying to him. Meanwhile, Yan Heng was on a call with his father.

He saw his pursuit of Shen Xifan as a strategy to break free from his father’s control, without ever truly considering how much he cherished this relationship. Early the next morning, Shen Xifan arrived at the hotel for work and found the roses and card that Yan Heng had left for her. Without hesitation, she threw them into the trash. She then brewed some red bean water, took a picture, and sent it to He Suye as her “assignment submission.

” However, He Suye immediately saw through it, realizing that she had bought it from outside. He gave her a failing grade and invited her over for a meal. Since Shen Xifan still had a lot to do, she politely declined He Suye’s invitation. She thought Yan Heng wouldn’t show up again, but as she and her colleagues stepped out of the hotel, they saw Yan Heng standing at the entrance, pulling the same old trick—publicly inviting her to dinner.

Considering the negative impact of a scene outside the hotel, Shen Xifan had no choice but to agree. Sitting in the car, she caught a whiff of the scented sachet that He Suye had blended for her, which immediately drew Yan Heng’s attention. Yan Heng wanted to relive the past and took Shen Xifan to their old favorite restaurant for grilled meat and rice, hoping to rekindle their relationship. He even brought up the topic of marriage.

However, due to his habitual selfishness, he once again angered Shen Xifan. She firmly rejected him and, before leaving, coldly stated that she had never liked eating grilled meat. On the way back, Shen Xifan’s anxiety resurfaced. While searching her bag, she realized that she had left the sachet in Yan Heng’s car. Suffering from a headache, she hurriedly called He Suye. Yan Heng, however, had been secretly following her all the way to the traditional Chinese medicine clinic.

When he saw the sachet left in his car and connected the dots, he finally understood the situation. On the other side, He Suye checked Shen Xifan’s pulse and guessed that her symptoms of emotional distress must have been triggered by an encounter with her ex-boyfriend. Just as he was taking her pulse, Yan Heng suddenly barged in, claiming that he was there to accompany his “girlfriend” and deliberately making it seem like Shen Xifan was just throwing a little tantrum.

He Suye, completely unfazed by Yan Heng, blocked his way and told him to wait at least fifteen minutes until the consultation was over. He even added an extra herb to the prescription on purpose, sarcastically referring to Yan Heng as “April’s Artemisia. ”With He Suye’s help, Shen Xifan managed to escape through the back door of the clinic.

After dealing with Yan Heng, He Suye hurried outside and embraced Shen Xifan, warmly comforting her and urging her to let go of the past and focus on the present and future. At home, Shen Xifan’s parents noticed that she seemed downcast and worried something was wrong. She casually made up an excuse to brush off their concerns.

The next day, Manager Cheng Dong had a talk with Shen Xifan, advising her to resolve the issue with Yan Heng as soon as possible. After all, gossip spreads quickly, and the situation was affecting the hotel’s reputation—not to mention her own future. Yan Heng continued his relentless pursuit, sending his assistant to deliver flowers to Shen Xifan as usual. Shen Xifan firmly told them to take the flowers away, making it clear that she would not accept them anymore.

Meanwhile, Grandma Liu visited the hospital for a follow-up consultation with He Suye and subtly mentioned that Yan Heng’s presence was causing Shen Xifan a great deal of distress. Although He Suye was concerned, he maintained a calm exterior, believing that Shen Xifan would handle the matter properly. Later, Yan Heng successfully completed a signing ceremony at the hotel. Seeing the news, He Suye couldn’t help but comment on how Yan Heng was still playing the role of a domineering CEO.

At that moment, Li Jie suddenly came running in to announce that their research group’s application had been approved. Everyone was thrilled—their long perseverance had finally paid off. When Yu Liren heard the news, he sincerely felt happy for He Suye. After hanging up the call, He Suye took a picture of the scenery and sent it to Shen Xifan, along with the message: “The weather is nice today.

After Yan Heng finished attending the signing ceremony, he stood among the crowd and mouthed to Shen Xifan to meet him later. Yan Heng’s father saw the news and called his son. He first praised the success of the signing ceremony but immediately followed with a stern warning, telling him to come home early and stop naively thinking he could resist him. Without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone.

At home, Shen Xifan’s parents were checking their phones when they came across the news about the signing ceremony. Just then, Yan Heng arrived with his assistant, carrying numerous gifts. As soon as he entered, he apologized to the couple, claiming that he had been too focused on establishing himself in the company back then and had felt that Shen Xifan was a distraction to his career, which was why he had taken the initiative to break up.

However, now that he had secured his footing, he had immediately returned to seek reconciliation and was even willing to sponsor Shen Xifan’s studies abroad. However, Shen Xifan’s mother did not accept his explanation. Just as the couple questioned what had truly happened back then, Shen Xifan returned home and immediately started arguing with Yan Heng. Right then and there, Shen Xifan exposed the real reason for their breakup, as well as Yan Heng’s shamelessness in unilaterally ending the relationship.

Before Yan Heng could respond, He Suye suddenly entered from outside, carrying carefully packed medicinal cuisine. With the demeanor of a future son-in-law, he stood protectively in front of Shen Xifan and directly reprimanded Yan Heng. With Shen Xifan’s parents also taking a firm stance, Yan Heng gained nothing from his visit and had no choice but to leave in frustration. Shen Xifan locked herself in her room, crying bitterly as she recalled everything that had happened.

The accumulated pressure, grievances, and guilt toward her parents all erupted at once. He Suye took the initiative to hold her in his arms, comforting her and assuring her that none of it was her fault. Meanwhile, Shen Xifan’s mother also felt heartbroken, realizing that her daughter had been suppressing her emotions for so long. She had sensed something was wrong before but had failed to dig deeper, unintentionally causing her daughter so much suffering.

Seeing that Shen Xifan’s mood had improved, her parents entered the room and told her that no matter how old she was, she would always be their child. They urged her not to pretend everything was fine just to avoid worrying them, reminding her that family would always be her strongest support. With her parents and He Suye’s comfort, Shen Xifan felt much better.

As she sipped the drink He Suye had brought her, she took a photo and sent it to him, a genuine smile finally appearing on her face. Meanwhile, Yan Heng, completely drunk, wrecked his hotel room, causing significant trouble for the hotel. Shen Xifan proactively called Lin Yishen to request two days off. Lin Yishen advised her to rest at home and later brought Xu Xiangya over for a meal, sharing the news that the hotel had blacklisted Yan Heng.

At the dinner table, Shen Xifan shared the good news about Lin Yishen and Xu Xiangya’s relationship with her parents. Shen Xifan’s mother happily remarked that she had always believed the two would end up together. The next day, when Shen Xifan arrived at the hotel office, she found a bottle of perfume and a card left behind by Yan Heng, stating that he had specially commissioned the fragrance just for her.

However, at that moment, Shen Xifan suddenly realized that she didn’t like the scent at all. More importantly, she had already fallen in love with He Suye. With this newfound clarity, Shen Xifan hurried to find He Suye and asked him to make her a new scented sachet. Sensing that Shen Xifan had something to say, He Suye was just about to confess his feelings again when Shen Xifan suddenly spoke first—she liked him and hoped he would be her boyfriend.

After confirming Shen Xifan’s feelings, He Suye took the initiative to kiss her. In truth, back when He Suye saw Shen Xifan through the surveillance at the entrance, he had deliberately gone downstairs under the pretense of taking out the trash just to create an "accidental" encounter. He had long been making scented sachets for her, waiting for the right moment to give them to her.

Shen Xifan blamed herself for not realizing her true feelings sooner, but He Suye reassured her, saying that even now, it wasn’t too late.

After confirming their relationship, everything around them felt beautiful. At night, they tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep from sheer joy. The next day at work, both Shen Xifan and He Suye were beaming with happiness, making it obvious to everyone that they were in a great mood. The nurses playfully teased He Suye, asking if he had some good news to announce.

Because He Suye was in such high spirits, he completely overlooked Li Jie’s rewritten paper and showered it with excessive praise. He was so cheerful that even when his colleagues went to the cafeteria for lunch, he enthusiastically cheered them on, leaving them utterly baffled. Similarly, Shen Xifan shared the good news of her new relationship with her close friends. Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen were genuinely happy for her.

After work, He Suye couldn’t wait to go to the mall to buy slippers and other household items. He also picked up a bouquet of Shen Xifan’s favorite flowers. The two met outside the residential complex and began their simple yet sweet romance, walking hand in hand. Their affectionate display drew envious gazes from passersby. Back home, He Suye personally cooked dinner while Shen Xifan arranged the flowers and set the table.

During the meal, Yu Liren saw the photo He Suye had sent and criticized him for not taking Shen Xifan out for a grand dinner on their first date. Hearing Yu Liren’s voice message, He Suye asked Shen Xifan to explain on his behalf. Shen Xifan told Yu Liren that she loved eating the meals He Suye cooked. Through He Suye, Shen Xifan learned that his grandfather had already met her before and had a great impression of her.

He Suye suggested they find a time to meet formally, which made Shen Xifan both excited and nervous. After dinner, they sat on the couch watching a movie. He Suye asked Shen Xifan to teach him how to fold a paper frog. However, while he was skilled in many things, he was hopelessly clumsy when it came to origami, making Shen Xifan laugh at his struggles. He Suye pretended to be upset, prompting Shen Xifan to coax him.

Shen Xifan suddenly realized that every day they spent together was incredibly joyful. But then she remembered how He Suye had once said he had prepared for the worst. He Suye admitted that he had considered waiting for Shen Xifan to return from studying abroad. Even though they were now together, if she ever felt unhappy in this relationship, he wanted her to tell him directly.

He promised to do his best to change, but if he truly couldn’t, he hoped she wouldn’t force herself to stay. Hearing this, Shen Xifan was deeply moved and felt fortunate that she had recognized her feelings and confessed early on. They held each other tightly. That night, He Suye personally walked Shen Xifan home and even shared the passcode to his house with her.

Alone in her bedroom, Shen Xifan gazed at the flowers He Suye had given her and recalled his words. She suddenly had an epiphany—why had it taken her so long to understand such a simple truth? The next day, Shen Xifan went to work at the hotel as usual. During her break, she received a message from He Suye, who had successfully learned how to fold a paper frog. He even sent her a photo.

He Suye claimed he had found a tutorial online and had improved through practice. But the next moment, Li Jie sent her a message, revealing that He Suye had actually threatened him into folding the frog—otherwise, He Suye wouldn’t help review his English paper. Seeing this, Shen Xifan couldn’t help but laugh and replied to Li Jie. Yan Heng later sought out Shen Xifan, demanding to know why she would choose "a useless traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

"Shen Xifan firmly stated that being with He Suye made her truly happy—something Yan Heng could never give her. She sincerely wished him happiness as well. After the bidding process at the tech park ended, Yan Heng checked out of his hotel and left Gunan Huating, bringing a sigh of relief to everyone. With that, Shen Xifan completely closed this chapter of her past. Unable to hold back, she called He Suye, telling him she missed him. He Suye softly whispered back. Hearing this, Li Jie and the others quickly grabbed their papers and fled the scene.

Shen Xifan returned home from work and found He Suye waiting at the bus stop outside the residential complex. As soon as they met, they embraced tightly. Once again, He Suye cooked dinner for Shen Xifan. During the meal, she mentioned Yan Heng checking out of his hotel room and thanked He Suye for never letting go of her hand, allowing her to finally move on from the shadows of the past.

Later, Shen Xifan told her parents that she had completely ended things with Yan Heng. Her father and mother supported her decision and wanted to invite He Suye over for a family meal sometime. Shen Xifan’s mother advised her not to stay cooped up at home after dinner and took her out for a walk. When Shen Xifan sent a message to He Suye for help, he deliberately showed up in front of her parents to leave a good impression.

Understanding the situation, her parents tactfully gave them space to be alone. The next day, during a break, Xu Xiangya suggested a double date, hoping for a lively gathering. Shen Xifan readily agreed, and Xu Xiangya even insisted on covering all expenses. On the weekend, Shen Xifan, He Suye, Xu Xiangya, and Lin Yishen went to the park to admire the flowers.

Xu Xiangya asked He Suye to take some pictures for her, but the results were so terrible that she immediately rejected them without mercy. As a result, she called Lin Yishen over. As expected, his photography skills were highly praised. Meanwhile, since He Suye’s photography was too poor, he was reduced to being the team’s coat rack, helping to carry bags and hold items.

Lin Yishen felt a deep sense of sympathy for He Suye, and the two formed a strong “battlefield friendship. ”Amid the sea of flowers, He Suye and Shen Xifan engaged in conversation. Overcome with emotions, they shared a kiss, only for Lin Yishen to capture the moment in a photo and send it to them. When Shen Xifan got home, she showed the photo and video to her parents. Both her father and mother were very pleased.

She and He Suye even set the photo as their screensaver. Li Jie and the others marveled at how He Suye, like an iron tree, had finally blossomed. Meanwhile, under Shen Xifan’s care and He Suye’s treatments, Grandma Liu’s post-illness complications gradually lessened, and she regained confidence in life. She decided to move abroad to be with her children in her final years.

Before leaving, Grandma Liu gifted He Suye and Shen Xifan a painting of peonies, offering them her sincerest blessings. As soon as they got home, He Suye and Shen Xifan hung the painting on the wall. However, while searching for tools in the storage room, Shen Xifan once again found the key ring she had given He Suye. Back then, he had pretended to lose it, but she immediately exposed his little trick.

Left with no choice, He Suye admitted that he had deliberately kept it all along—he had feelings for her much earlier than she had imagined. Early the next morning, Shen Xifan and He Suye left home hand in hand. She suddenly recalled a photo of licorice tea He Suye had once sent and curiously asked about it. He Suye made up an excuse to brush it off.

Later, he took Shen Xifan to the traditional Chinese medicine building to pick up some medicine. When she overheard the receptionist’s words, she suspected that He Suye had ulterior motives from the very beginning. However, He Suye denied it, instead arguing that she had actually liked him all along. Shen Xifan quickly refuted the claim, saying it was impossible—back then, she hadn’t even broken up with Yan Heng yet, so there was no way it was love at first sight.

After a late-night snack, they returned home. Shen Xifan asked He Suye to wash his hands first, then mysteriously took out a small box. Inside was a ring she had personally bought. She declared that since she had already reeled He Suye in, it was only right for her to take responsibility. The key ring from before didn’t count—this time, it was a real ring. Originally, He Suye thought she would put it on his ring finger and propose.

But when he saw that she had slipped it onto his middle finger instead, he deliberately showed a disappointed expression. Seeing this, Shen Xifan kissed him in reassurance.

Time quickly passed, and it was now the Qingming Festival. He Suye planned to accompany Yu Liren to visit his mother, Yu Nianxiang’s grave. Since He Sheng couldn’t come back due to work, He Suye felt a bit disappointed. Recalling the scene of his proud mother losing control of her bladder in her final moments, He Suye’s mood sank deeply. At that moment, Shen Xifan knocked on He Suye’s door, holding a large bouquet of tulips.

Her bright smile instantly lifted his spirits. Later, He Suye and Yu Liren visited the grave. He told his mother that he was now in a relationship and that his research project had made new progress. Yu Liren noticed He Suye was still feeling gloomy because of his father’s absence and comforted him, reminding him not to overthink, as He Sheng was simply busy with many things.

To thank Shen Xifan, Yu Liren asked He Suye to make a video call to her, inviting her and her family to the herbal garden for an outing. Shen Xifan readily agreed and, upon returning home, told her parents about it. Her mother was so excited that she immediately started picking out clothes to wear, while Shen Xifan carefully reminded her parents not to mention any family-related topics the next day to avoid making the grandfather and grandson feel sad.

The next day, Shen Xifan brought her parents along to the herbal garden. When the couple finally met Yu Liren, they realized that he was the old man they often saw watching chess games in the community. Both families enjoyed themselves, chatting and laughing throughout the day. Meanwhile, Shen Xifan and He Suye appeared extremely compatible, acting sweet and affectionate like glue.

However, when Yu Liren talked about He Suye’s mother, He Suye’s expression turned gloomy, and Shen Xifan finally understood why he was so fond of tulips. Similarly, Shen Xifan realized that she was like a beam of light for He Suye, brightening his entire world with her presence. During the meal, everyone enjoyed their drinks and conversations. Yu Liren brought up the two young people's love story and recalled the time he substituted for He Suye at the clinic.

Shen Xifan also discovered that He Suye actually had a decent alcohol tolerance, which made her think back to when he pretended to be drunk downstairs at her building. She instantly realized what was going on — He Suye had faked his drunkenness to get her attention. His little scheme was finally exposed. Additionally, Yu Liren revealed that he was actually the owner of the herbal garden and that He Suye had invested in it.

This revelation instantly made everything clear to Shen Xifan. After returning home, He Suye realized he had been completely exposed. In an attempt to cover himself, he pretended to be drunk and pitiful again, hoping to fool Shen Xifan. However, Shen Xifan cleverly pretended to take his pulse, seizing the opportunity to throw his words — “heartless” — back at him.

Half-angry and half-teasing, she threatened to take off He Suye’s ring and step by step forced him to admit that he had been the one to pursue her from the very beginning. During work hours, He Suye still didn’t forget to take the initiative to message Shen Xifan and even apologized for his little tricks. Shen Xifan, pretending to be proud, “reluctantly” forgave him.

At the hotel, Lin Yishen secured a major event for the hospital — the Traditional Chinese Medicine Medical Association Forum. However, aside from him and the manager, the rest of the team, including Xu Xiangya, were not very enthusiastic. While chatting about He Suye, Lin Yishen wondered if he would attend since the event was highly professional and He Suye would make an excellent consultant. After work, He Suye waited for Shen Xifan as usual at the bus stop.

He explained to her why he had hung up the video call earlier and even had his colleagues record a video as proof. When Shen Xifan mentioned the upcoming forum event, He Suye said his grandfather might attend, but he himself wasn’t sure yet. The next day, the hospital director called He Suye over, informing him that he had secured an opportunity for him to present his project at the Medical Association and asked him to quickly prepare his report.

Meanwhile, after work, Li Jie and the others planned to go out for dinner. However, they unexpectedly saw Fang Kexin handing an umbrella to one of the hospital senior brothers, which made them feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Since He Suye was busy working on his report, he had no time to go on a date with Shen Xifan. Meanwhile, Shen Xifan, Xu Xiangya, and Lin Yishen were chatting happily at a bar, sharing their sentiments about work. Although both Shen Xifan and Xu Xiangya were preparing to resign, Lin Yishen was still undecided and could only continue working for now.

On the other hand, after finishing his report, He Suye realized it was already past nine in the evening. He immediately texted Shen Xifan but did not receive any response. Feeling puzzled, he contacted Lin Yishen, only to find out that Shen Xifan had already gone home, which surprised him. He thought she would stay out late drinking.

When He Suye arrived home, he saw Shen Xifan sitting by the sofa with a drawing she had made of him and a tea leaf placed in front of his face. Curious about the meaning of the leaf, He Suye asked, but Shen Xifan refused to say, and the two playfully teased each other. Just as the atmosphere was getting romantic, Li Jie suddenly barged in drunk.

It turned out he had seen Fang Kexin dining with another senior brother, mistakenly believing she was on a date, which upset him. Seeing the situation, Shen Xifan tactfully left first, while He Suye reluctantly stayed behind to take care of Li Jie. The next morning, He Suye, still upset, warned Li Jie that he had changed the door lock code and asked him not to come uninvited again.

However, despite his scolding, He Suye patiently comforted Li Jie, advising him not to be consumed by his own assumptions. Instead of doubting, he should seek evidence to find the truth. For the next few days, both He Suye and Shen Xifan were extremely busy. However, He Suye still quietly changed his profile picture to the portrait that Shen Xifan drew for him, making her feel very happy. On the weekend, Shen Xifan took the initiative to visit He Suye.

The two of them stayed at home together, one working on a thesis and the other learning German, savoring the sweetness of their private time. That evening, He Suye suggested that Shen Xifan stay the night. Smiling, she teased that it would depend on his performance. Curiously, she asked what he had been busy with lately, but He Suye deliberately kept it a secret. At the hospital, Li Jie asked Fang Kexin about the day she left with the senior brother.

Upon learning that they only shared a car and were not actually on a date, he immediately felt relieved. However, when Li Jie tried to ask her out, Fang Kexin politely declined, saying she still had things to do. Li Jie was disheartened again when he learned that Fang Kexin would soon transfer to another city. Shortly after, He Suye received news that his research had been successfully selected for the summit.

He immediately shared the good news with Shen Xifan and invited her to dinner to make up for all the missed dates during his busy period. Shen Xifan was overjoyed and happily clung to his arm while shopping and dining. Seeing his project recognized, she felt proud to have such an outstanding boyfriend. Soon, the day of the China Medical Summit arrived. Yu Liren brought He Suye to the hotel where the event was held.

On the way, Yu Liren reminded He Suye that his father, He Sheng, would also attend the summit as a representative of cardiothoracic surgery. He advised him to take the opportunity to talk to his father, as the father-son conflict would need to be resolved sooner or later. At the hotel, preparations for the summit were in full swing to ensure that no mishaps occurred.

As soon as Yu Liren and He Suye arrived, they ran into Shen Xifan, and the two exchanged a sweet glance. Yu Liren, noticing their affection, felt genuinely happy for his grandson. Yu Liren proceeded to the event venue while He Suye stayed behind for a moment, taking the opportunity to compliment Shen Xifan’s beauty, which instantly made her blush with happiness.

While attending to guests at the reception, Shen Xifan happened to encounter He Sheng and personally guided him to the sign-in desk. During the event, Yu Liren gave a speech on stage. Meanwhile, He Sheng texted He Suye, asking about his lunch plans. However, He Suye replied that his grandfather had arranged lunch with a few Traditional Chinese Medicine experts.

During the break, He Suye accompanied his grandfather and the experts for lunch, while He Sheng quietly dined alone in the hotel’s restaurant. Unexpectedly, he caught sight of He Suye and Shen Xifan being affectionate toward each other, which made him vaguely suspicious. Later, when Shen Xifan returned to work after seeing off He Suye, she accidentally discovered that He Sheng was actually He Suye’s father. This sudden realization caught her off guard.

During the lunch break, He Suye couldn’t wait to see Shen Xifan. He leaned in to kiss her but was stopped by her playful reminder to maintain a ten-meter safety distance. Shen Xifan noticed how strained the relationship between He Suye and He Sheng was, and she couldn’t help but feel worried. Originally, He Sheng was very concerned about He Suye’s love life since he was always buried in work and alone. However, upon learning that his son was dating Shen Xifan, he was genuinely relieved and pleased.

That evening, Shen Xifan took the initiative to ask about He Suye’s relationship with his father. He Suye shared how his father’s long-term neglect of the family, coupled with his lack of care for his wife and child, eventually led to his mother’s early death from cancer. Hearing this made Shen Xifan feel distressed, so she gently asked He Suye to prepare a suit for the next day.

At the medical summit, Shen Xifan and Xu Xiangya had incorporated traditional Chinese medicinal cuisine and fragrances into the event plan, which was widely praised. Meanwhile, He Suye’s presentation on post-operative care using traditional Chinese medicine for chemotherapy patients was a huge success, drawing national and international attention. When He Sheng heard his son’s presentation, he was moved to tears. At that moment, he realized that, just like Shen Xifan said, his son was truly shining in his own professional field.

Since the father-son relationship had long been strained, many things needed to be clarified. Shen Xifan intentionally created an opportunity for them to spend time together. She invited He Sheng and He Suye for dinner at the hotel and carefully prepared traditional medicinal tea and herbal cuisine designed by He Suye. During dinner, He Sheng subtly asked whether the young couple had any plans for marriage. The two were caught off guard and didn’t know how to respond, but Yu Liren quickly stepped in to ease the awkward atmosphere.

After dinner, He Sheng invited He Suye for a private conversation outside. It was a rare moment when He Sheng expressed support for his son’s work. He even mentioned that once he returned, he would look for some cardiothoracic and traditional Chinese medicine collaborative papers, hoping they could do research together if He Suye was interested. This marked a significant breakthrough in their strained relationship.

On the way home, He Suye suddenly stopped, took out a bracelet that his late mother had left behind, and gently put it on Shen Xifan’s wrist. He sincerely confessed his deep love for her, which touched Shen Xifan immensely, and the two tightly embraced each other. Back at home, Shen Xifan’s parents were busy experimenting with herbal cuisine in the kitchen. When they saw the bracelet on their daughter’s wrist, they couldn’t hide their joy, and the family enjoyed a moment of pure bliss.

As the medical summit was coming to an end, experts gradually left the hotel. Before leaving, He Sheng took the initiative to express his heartfelt gratitude to Shen Xifan. Shen Xifan seized the opportunity to convey all of He Suye’s thoughts about end-of-life care to He Sheng, reassuring him that He Suye had never lost his passion for life. On the contrary, he was using his expertise to rekindle hope for countless patients. This allowed He Sheng to finally let go of his worries.

After receiving a text from Shen Xifan, He Suye couldn’t help but ask for a photo of her. The moment he saw it, he couldn’t stop smiling. His colleague, Xiao Song, excitedly showed him an article published on the hospital’s official account featuring his presentation. However, instead of caring about that, He Suye proudly showed off how Shen Xifan had carefully picked out his outfit. Even the nurses teased him, urging him to quickly settle his lifelong happiness.

That weekend, Shen Xifan’s parents went on a trip to the countryside, leaving her alone at home. Meanwhile, Xu Xiangya had decided to resign from the hotel, so she and Lin Yishen invited Shen Xifan and He Suye to hang out one last time. During the gathering, Xu Xiangya also sought advice from He Suye about opening a health and wellness restaurant specializing in herbal cuisine, to which He Suye gave full support.

Since Xu Xiangya was serious about starting the wellness restaurant, she would inevitably need a stable supply of medicinal herbs. Without hesitation, He Suye agreed to be her supplier. When it came time to pay the bill, Lin Yishen casually asked how He Suye felt about Shen Xifan studying abroad after resigning. Without a second thought, He Suye firmly stated that he would support her with all his heart.

That evening, as the sun set, Shen Xifan expressed her mixed feelings about leaving the hotel after working there for seven years. However, she felt incredibly fortunate that at the end of her journey there, she got to witness He Suye standing on the stage, shining so brightly in his career. Even more comforting was seeing the long-broken bond between him and his father finally beginning to mend. For her, that was already the most fulfilling and beautiful moment.

Shen Xifan forgot to bring her house key, so she decided to head to He Suye’s house to wait for a while and messaged Xu Xiangya to bring her spare key. Upon learning about the situation, Xu Xiangya jokingly suggested that Shen Xifan might as well move in with He Suye.

Taking the hint, Shen Xifan pretended that Xu Xiangya also didn’t have the key, leaving her with no choice but to muster up the courage to ask if she could take a shower at He Suye’s place. Eventually, she ended up wearing He Suye’s pajamas. After showering, He Suye took the initiative to blow-dry Shen Xifan’s hair. Unable to resist their feelings, the two fell into a passionate night together.

The next morning, when they woke up, He Suye took Shen Xifan out to shop for daily necessities. First, they picked out shampoo and skincare products, then moved on to choosing sleepwear. Surprisingly, Shen Xifan chose the simplest yet most comfortable style, which made He Suye smile with affection. On their way back, they unexpectedly ran into Shen Xifan’s parents. While chatting, He Suye accidentally let slip that Shen Xifan stayed over at his place last night.

Realizing the situation, her parents exchanged meaningful smiles and immediately invited He Suye to their home for dinner. However, when Shen Xifan and He Suye arrived at her house, they were surprised to find that the lock had been changed to a password lock. At the hospital, He Suye’s colleagues quickly noticed his cheerful demeanor, which was a clear sign that his relationship was going well, making everyone envious.

On the other hand, Shen Xifan was also teased by Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen, and when she and He Suye made eye contact, they both exchanged a knowing look. Around the same time, Li Jie and his classmates were about to graduate, and the school principal invited He Suye to attend their thesis defense. He Suye informed Li Jie and the others in advance about his attendance.

The night before the defense, Shen Xifan personally applied face cream on He Suye, reminding him to take good care of his skin since aging could happen in the blink of an eye. The next day, He Suye wore the outfit that Shen Xifan had chosen for him and appeared at the medical school, instantly drawing the attention of many female students who were mesmerized by his handsome and clean-cut appearance.

During the thesis defense, Li Jie, Fang Kexin, and the others performed exceptionally well, earning unanimous praise from Yu Liren and the other mentors. During the break, Li Jie took a few photos of He Suye, who immediately straightened his posture upon noticing and tried to look his best, just in case the photos were shown to Shen Xifan.

After the defense ended, Fang Kexin formally bid farewell to He Suye, and at He Suye’s silent encouragement, Li Jie bravely chased after her and confessed his feelings, only to receive a polite rejection. Even though he was rejected, Li Jie maintained a mature and composed demeanor, insisting that they would remain good friends. However, the moment he turned around, he ran straight to He Suye for comfort.

He Suye patted him on the shoulder and jokingly said that the best way to heal a broken heart was through hard work. He even promised to give Li Jie more tasks to keep him busy. Impressed by how He Suye had mentored his group of trainees, the principal extended an invitation for him to teach a course at the medical school starting next semester while continuing his work at the hospital. Without hesitation, He Suye gladly accepted the offer.

Meanwhile, Shen Xifan’s parents happened to meet Yu Liren and enthusiastically invited him to their house for dinner, along with He Suye. While preparing dinner in the kitchen, Shen Xifan and He Suye teased and flirted with each other, only to get caught by Shen Xifan’s father. Embarrassed, her father quickly explained that he was just there to lend a hand. After dinner, Yu Liren noticed that Shen Xifan’s mother was taking traditional Chinese medicine.

Concerned, he offered to check her pulse and immediately detected something unusual, causing his expression to turn slightly solemn. However, to avoid causing unnecessary worry, he did not voice his suspicions. Instead, he simply advised her to continue taking the medicine prescribed by He Suye and reminded her to undergo her routine annual physical examination. As time passed, Shen Xifan officially submitted her resignation letter to the hotel, with her last working day expected to be the following month.

Upon receiving her message, He Suye made a special trip to her bus stop after work, waiting to walk her home. Hand in hand, the two strolled side by side under the evening sky, cherishing their time together. At home, Shen Xifan began packing up the perfumes she had frequently bought for hotel guests over the years. When she came across a men’s cologne, she instinctively wanted to give it to He Suye. However, she noticed that He Suye was more interested in a fountain pen, and his fascination with the pen made her chuckle.

During her lunch break, Shen Xifan received a message about a popular celebrity planning to book a villa — coincidentally, the same actor that Xu Xiangya adored. On the day the actor arrived at the hotel, Ding Wei at the front desk was so thrilled that she insisted on handling the check-in personally, unable to contain her excitement just from catching a glimpse of him. That evening, Shen Xifan accompanied Xu Xiangya to watch the actor’s drama and discuss it enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, He Suye and Lin Yishen, as the two boyfriends present, were clearly displeased but could only exchange forced compliments to boost each other's morale. Later that night, He Suye, feeling a little jealous, stayed up watching the drama to "study his rival. " Trying to stir up Shen Xifan’s emotions, he deliberately praised the female lead's beauty, causing Shen Xifan to feel slightly upset.

When a particularly romantic and ambiguous scene between the leads appeared, He Suye came up with an idea to replicate it with Shen Xifan. However, Shen Xifan failed to catch on, leaving He Suye’s plan completely foiled and forcing him to awkwardly retreat to his room. The next day, the celebrity checked out, and Ding Wei once again fell into a star-struck daze while staring at his signature. Shen Xifan officially began preparing for her study abroad application.

While organizing her visa documents, she unexpectedly discovered a bank card for her study expenses hidden in her mother’s drawer, leaving her deeply touched. Meanwhile, Shen Xifan’s mother had just completed a medical examination but returned home in low spirits. The breast examination results were not promising, yet she deliberately chose to hide them from her family and tucked the report away in the kitchen. Secretly, Shen Xifan’s mother went to the hospital alone to consult He Suye.

After reviewing the report, He Suye comforted her, suggesting that she shouldn’t worry too much but recommended further examination. Initially, He Suye intended to tell Shen Xifan about it but ultimately chose to delete the message after some hesitation. The follow-up report confirmed a breast tumor, and a biopsy or pathology test was required to determine whether it was benign or malignant. He Suye advised her to undergo a rapid pathology test and surgical removal to prevent further complications.

Caught in a dilemma, Shen Xifan’s mother eventually agreed to follow He Suye’s medical plan. However, she explicitly requested that he keep it a secret from Shen Xifan until the final diagnosis was confirmed, as she didn’t want her daughter to worry. Seeing her firm stance, He Suye reluctantly agreed. Shortly after, Shen Xifan’s father learned of his wife’s diagnosis and was instantly overwhelmed with emotion, his eyes turning red with sorrow and disbelief.

In order to keep Shen Xifan from finding out, Shen Xifan’s father lied, claiming that her mother’s workplace was sending her for a two-day training in a neighboring city. He even took leave from work to accompany her. Shen Xifan didn’t suspect a thing. Early the next morning, Shen Xifan’s father accompanied her mother to the hospital, where He Suye arranged for Director Zhou to perform the tumor removal surgery.

Before the procedure, Shen Xifan’s parents sincerely expressed their gratitude to He Suye, also asking him to take good care of their daughter while they were away. On the day of the surgery, Shen Xifan’s father anxiously waited outside the operating room, while He Suye sat on a bench in the hallway, recalling the time he anxiously waited for his own mother’s surgery. Soon after, Director Zhou exited the operating room and confirmed that the tumor was indeed malignant.

However, the cancer had not metastasized, meaning they caught it early. To minimize the risk of future spread, Director Zhou recommended expanding the surgical range, though he still left the decision to Shen Xifan’s father — whether to opt for breast preservation or a full mastectomy. After a moment of hesitation, Shen Xifan’s father glanced at He Suye and requested breast preservation if possible.

Later, He Suye visited Shen Xifan’s mother, reassuring her that everything would be fine and promising to provide the best post-surgery care. During this time, Shen Xifan began to feel uneasy as her parents hadn’t responded to her messages for days. Sensing her suspicion, He Suye quickly made up an excuse to dissolve her doubts. However, Li Jie, who happened to be at the hospital, accidentally encountered Shen Xifan’s parents.

Shocked to see them without Shen Xifan, he curiously asked about her absence. Unable to hide the truth any longer, He Suye finally explained the situation to Li Jie. Li Jie, however, strongly disagreed with the decision to keep Shen Xifan in the dark. He believed that as a direct family member, Shen Xifan had the right to know about her mother’s condition rather than being kept in the dark. Hearing Li Jie’s words, He Suye fell into deep contemplation, internally struggling with whether or not to tell Shen Xifan the truth.

He Suye returned home and saw Shen Xifan resting on the sofa. He gently brushed her hair aside with his hand. That day, Shen Xifan officially resigned from the hotel, bid farewell to her colleagues, and successfully completed her visa application. Since the visa center was close to the hospital, Shen Xifan decided to drop by and personally pick up He Suye after work. However, she unexpectedly ran into He Suye and her mother, who was preparing to be discharged, in the hospital lobby.

At that moment, Shen Xifan vaguely sensed that something was wrong. Instead of approaching them directly, she sent He Suye a message, asking to meet him in the garden. Realizing that he could no longer hide the truth, He Suye took the initiative to confess everything to Shen Xifan. But upon hearing it, Shen Xifan broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the fear of losing her mother. She also blamed He Suye for concealing such an important matter from her.

Although He Suye sincerely apologized and tried to comfort her, encouraging her to have faith in her mother’s recovery, Shen Xifan couldn’t bear to listen. She turned away and left without a word. After returning to the break room, He Suye was consumed by self-blame and regret. After work, he repeatedly tried calling Shen Xifan, but she didn’t answer. Eventually, with Xu Xiangya’s help, he managed to find her.

Addressing her mother’s situation, He Suye explained to Shen Xifan that he had fully respected her mother’s wishes, which was why he hadn’t informed her earlier. After calming down, Shen Xifan also realized that she had overreacted in the morning. It wasn’t entirely He Suye’s fault, and she softened her stance. The two embraced and reconciled.

That evening, He Suye personally accompanied Shen Xifan home. Originally, her parents had planned to continue hiding the truth, but Shen Xifan directly brought it up. She comforted her mother and urged her to focus on recovery without any additional worries. However, when she caught sight of the drainage bag connected to her mother’s body, she felt a sharp pain in her heart but forced herself to suppress her grief and carefully supervised her mother’s medication intake.

After a period of recovery, Yu Liren visited to check on her mother’s pulse and confirmed that her condition had significantly improved. He also taught her parents some traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises, which they earnestly learned. In contrast, Shen Xifan spent her time alone in her room, tirelessly researching information about breast cancer. The more she read, the more anxious she became, especially thinking about her upcoming overseas study and the fact that she might not be able to stay by her parents’ side.

One evening, He Suye and Yu Liren had dinner at the He family’s house. During the meal, Yu Liren casually suggested going out for a meal sometime and even recommended a nice restaurant. When the topic of studying abroad came up, Yu Liren curiously asked about Shen Xifan’s visa progress. Hesitant due to her mother’s condition, Shen Xifan falsely claimed that she had just submitted her visa application and that her family had suggested she practice cooking to avoid struggling with unfamiliar cuisine abroad.

Not long after, the results of her mother’s follow-up examination came out, showing a clear improvement in her condition. Overjoyed, He Suye immediately took a picture of the report and sent it to Shen Xifan. After work, he personally visited her home to explain the medical report. Based on his assessment, her mother’s condition was classified as an early-stage tumor, and given its molecular subtype, the prognosis was extremely positive. With proper treatment, the recovery rate could reach as high as ninety-five percent.

Hearing He Suye’s explanation, Shen Xifan’s parents finally felt a heavy weight lifted from their hearts. However, Shen Xifan still seemed unsettled. The next day, she accompanied her mother to the hospital for treatment while simultaneously learning to make nourishing soups from online tutorials. That afternoon, she unexpectedly received a message from the visa center notifying her that her passport was ready for collection. What should have been good news felt completely joyless at that moment.

After work, He Suye came over to help Shen Xifan clean the kitchen. While disposing of the trash, he accidentally discovered a torn courier slip in the trash can, instantly realizing what had happened — Shen Xifan had destroyed the notification regarding her visa approval. His heart sank, understanding the difficult choice she was struggling with.

That evening, He Suye accompanied Shen Xifan home for dinner. Throughout the meal, Shen Xifan attentively watched over her mother, carefully observing her physical condition and ensuring there were no signs of discomfort. Her mother, deeply moved by her daughter's concern, repeatedly assured her that she was fine. Meanwhile, He Suye silently watched from the side, his emotions a complex mix of heartache and helplessness.

Shen Xifan hesitated for a long time before finally confessing to He Suye that she didn’t want to go abroad for her studies. She had decided to stay in the country to take care of her mother’s health. Deep down, He Suye knew that Shen Xifan had always longed to see the world, believing that only through that experience could she truly understand what she wanted in life. So he tried to persuade her not to give up the hard-earned opportunity and instead encouraged her to pursue her dreams. He promised to become her strongest support and assured her that he would take good care of her family in her absence.

As Shen Xifan’s mother completed her fifteenth round of chemotherapy, her condition showed significant improvement. The whole family accompanied her to the hospital for her final chemotherapy session. Knowing that open flames weren’t allowed in the hospital, Shen Xifan prepared a “fire pit” animation on her phone for her mother to step over, symbolizing the completion of the traditional fire-crossing ceremony.

That evening, while organizing her mother’s medical records, Shen Xifan’s mother accidentally discovered that her daughter had already obtained her visa but was planning to give up her overseas studies. Without hesitation, she sat down with Shen Xifan to offer her encouragement. Unlike He Suye, who worried about her giving up on her dream, her mother simply wanted to see her daughter fearlessly pursue what she had always longed for.

On the day He Suye was scheduled to give a lecture at the medical school, Shen Xifan specially prepared clothes for him. During the class, his teaching received high praise from the students. Inspired by the feedback, He Suye considered creating a class group chat but realized that if he ever got busy, it would be difficult to notify the students. Therefore, he decided to appoint Li Jie as his teaching assistant, much to Li Jie’s dismay.

Before Shen Xifan left the country, He Suye and Yu Liren visited the Shen family, and everyone gathered for a farewell dinner. Yu Liren reassured Shen Xifan that there was no need to worry about home — he and He Suye would take care of everything. As a thoughtful gesture, he also prepared a small package of commonly used medications that would pass customs inspection, just in case she needed them abroad.

While packing her luggage, Shen Xifan discussed with He Suye her plan to spend the night at home with her parents and also asked him not to accompany her to the airport. Although reluctant, He Suye put on a brave face and helped her pack. While doing so, Shen Xifan stumbled upon a small notebook in her bag — a record that He Suye had carefully written, detailing various medicinal recipes and health-preserving dishes for her parents. Touched by his thoughtfulness, Shen Xifan rushed to He Suye’s house, threw her arms around him, and held him tightly. Sensing her emotions, He Suye gently comforted her.

The following morning, Shen Xifan’s parents accompanied her to the airport. Before she entered the security checkpoint, her parents repeatedly reminded her to take care of herself. Just as she was about to leave, Shen Xifan lifted her head and saw He Suye standing among the crowd. Tears welled up in her eyes as she received a message from him, encouraging her to explore the world. Before stepping through the gate, she pointed to the bracelet on her wrist, signaling that she would always carry his love with her. The two exchanged a long, lingering gaze across the distance.

In the days that followed, He Suye threw himself into work as usual. However, every time he glanced at the photo of them together on his phone, he couldn’t help but miss her. Similarly, Shen Xifan frequently recorded videos of her life abroad and sent them to He Suye. She also wrote letters, detailing her mother’s health progress, mentioning how Yu Liren’s recommended health-preserving exercises had greatly benefited her mother. Her father also accompanied her mother daily, giving Shen Xifan peace of mind. In response, He Suye wrote back, pouring his longing and affection into every letter he sent.

Later, He Suye joined a medical team for a rural outreach program, providing health consultations for the elderly in remote areas. One day, a colleague accidentally discovered the painting that Shen Xifan had sent to He Suye and jokingly called him a “green tea man.” Puzzled, it wasn’t until then that He Suye finally understood the hidden meaning behind the painting — it was Shen Xifan’s playful way of teasing him.

After finishing his work, He Suye initiated a video call with Shen Xifan, half-jokingly expressing his grievance, “I can’t believe my girlfriend drew a painting mocking me.” Initially, Shen Xifan was supposed to return to China next month, but she unexpectedly received an offer for a two-month internship at a six-star hotel — a highly coveted opportunity with only five available slots. This meant she wouldn’t be able to return home as planned. Nervously, she brought it up with He Suye, indirectly conveying that she wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon.

Hearing that Shen Xifan had already registered for the internship, He Suye felt a bit dejected and disappointed, but Shen Xifan reassured him that it would only be for two months and wouldn’t take too long. Knowing how important this opportunity was for her, He Suye fully supported her decision, but deep down, he still felt a lingering emptiness. Every day, he found himself staring at the calendar, counting down the days until her return.

Two months flew by quickly, and Shen Xifan finally returned to China. The moment she stepped out of the airport, she immediately saw He Suye waiting for her. The two of them tightly embraced. To “punish” her for making him wait so long, He Suye deliberately pretended not to recognize her. Shen Xifan, well aware of his “green tea” act, played along and ended up passionately kissing him in the car, effectively ending his little performance.

He Suye personally drove Shen Xifan home, where her parents had already been waiting in the community for a long time. However, due to work commitments, he couldn’t stay for dinner. Shen Xifan’s parents, who had prepared a large spread of dishes, enthusiastically welcomed her home. During their chat, Shen Xifan learned that He Suye had been taking care of her family during her absence, which filled her heart with sweetness and gratitude.

Moved by his care, Shen Xifan dressed up carefully the next day and visited the hospital during his lunch break, deliberately creating time for them to be alone. Taking advantage of the moment, she playfully suggested that since his girlfriend had been away, she could now take advantage of the situation. Completely overwhelmed by her affection, He Suye finally surrendered, acting pitifully to make her stop her teasing.

Later, Shen Xifan took He Suye to visit Xu Xiangya’s tea shop, where they discovered the business was booming. Moreover, Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen’s relationship had also stabilized. After returning to China, Shen Xifan decided not to go back to Gunan Huating and instead planned to partner with Xu Xiangya to open a tea shop. He Suye found the idea promising and encouraged her to give it a try.

Time flew by, and soon the deep autumn turned into early winter. When the first snowfall arrived, Shen Xifan and He Suye watched the snowflakes outside the window, reminiscing about their journey together. Amidst the serene atmosphere, Shen Xifan suddenly proposed marriage, catching He Suye slightly off guard. However, he quickly responded with sincerity and seriousness.

Spotting a blooming honeysuckle on the windowsill, he carefully snipped off a branch, weaved it into a ring, and gently placed it on Shen Xifan’s ring finger. By the following spring, Shen Xifan and He Suye held a wedding in their residential community. Their colleagues, friends, and even Grandma Liu, who had specially returned from abroad, all attended the event.

Zhao Ze had fully recovered, and his mother had married a kind and caring stepfather, allowing their family to live happily. During the wedding, Xiao Song unexpectedly met Ding Wei, and despite both of them being single, they instantly clicked and exchanged WeChat contacts. He Sheng, seeing his son find his happiness, finally reconciled with him, and the two resolved their past misunderstandings.

As the wedding began, Xiao Song, as the host, delivered a humorous and lively opening speech, drawing hearty laughter from the crowd. Upon his playful request, He Suye turned his back to Shen Xifan and delivered a heartfelt confession. Shen Xifan, dressed in a pure white wedding gown, slowly walked towards him step by step. When their eyes met, He Suye solemnly said, “Loving you has been the luckiest thing in my life,” and Shen Xifan echoed his feelings.

In front of everyone, they exchanged wedding rings and sealed their love with a kiss. When it came time to toss the bouquet, Shen Xifan playfully threw it into the crowd, and it just so happened that Xu Xiangya caught it. The onlookers erupted into cheers, urging Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen to share a kiss.

During the wedding’s later segment, He Suye and Shen Xifan danced gracefully on the lawn, a perfect match of talent and beauty, receiving everyone’s heartfelt blessings. At the same time, Li Jie’s gaze coincidentally met Fang Kexin’s, and the two exchanged warm smiles, leaving subtle sparks in the air. As the celebration reached its climax, everyone gathered around the newlyweds, dancing and celebrating with uncontainable joy.

At that moment, it seemed like love, in its purest and most beautiful form, filled every corner of the event. And for everyone present, a silent hope emerged — that one day, everyone who still believed in love, or those who had lost the courage to seek it, would eventually find someone who would bring light into the cracks of their hearts. But until that day came, loving oneself fiercely was the best thing they could do. Because when the time was right, love would eventually find its way to them.

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