The Best Thing Episode 4 Recap
> The Best Thing Recap
Late one night, Shen Xifan posted some pictures from the herbal farm on her social media, which He Suye noticed. He messaged her, asking why she was still awake. After drinking his new traditional Chinese medicine prescription, Shen Xifan found it incredibly bitter, prompting her to look up the ingredients online, noting it "literally starts with the bitter goldthread" and also contained "Fried Atractylodes macrocephala" and "Tree peony bark," all of which looked dark and bitter.
Their playful exchange continued, with He Suye advising her to put away her phone for better sleep, to which she retorted that she needed it to reply to him. She secretly resolved that "Goldthread. . . It has to be swapped. . . Charred gardenia fruit. . . it can be removed for sure. It's too bitter." Shen Xifan slept until noon the next day.
Her father was busy grading papers and her mother was engrossed in a dating reality show, so she decided to take a walk by herself. That evening, while drinking her bitter medicine downstairs, she ran into He Suye, who was skateboarding to clear his head after a long day at work.
Shen Xifan teased him, suggesting Tai Chi would suit him better, implying he was "old," but He Suye humorously asked if he should wear a traditional suit and plain cloth shoes for that. She clarified that "old" referred to his experience and skill, noting that his medicine had helped her sleep for four hours the previous day.
They then walked to a convenience store, where Shen Xifan asked if she could drink cold soda or eat spicy snacks with her medicine, to which He Suye responded that cold drinks were out of the question. He Suye bought a drink, and seeing it, Shen Xifan was reminded of her ex-boyfriend, Yan Heng, who loved that particular drink.
Noticing her grimace after drinking the medicine, He Suye bought her a pack of mints, explaining that mint, known for "clearing heat and detoxifying," wouldn't conflict with her current medication. Shen Xifan found it amusing that he had to justify even giving her candy with TCM theory. Meanwhile, Mr. He Sheng, a renowned cardiac surgeon and He Suye's father, had arrived in Hang City for an exchange event.
He called He Suye, suggesting they meet up for dinner with Li Jie's family, but He Suye curtly declined, citing other plans. Later, seeing news reports about his father's visit to the city's hospital, He Suye reflected on their strained relationship and his late mother, thinking, "Now he remembers me after arriving in Hang City." On his way home, a heavy rain began, catching him without an umbrella. Shen Xifan, who was carrying one, spotted him and offered shelter.
As they walked, she noticed his somber mood. After buying a bouquet of "particularly hard to find" blue tulips, she gave him some, explaining it was a patient's gratitude to her doctor. He Suye's colleague at the clinic later noted his new flowers, and He Suye said someone gave them to him as he picked up herbs for a sachet.
The following day, He Suye went to the clinic without his mask, and someone took a photo of him, which quickly circulated in the neighborhood group chat. A nurse explained that He Suye typically wore a mask to avoid such incidents, as many patients' families would try to set him up. Shen Xifan's mother saw the photo and praised his good looks, while her father recognized the clinic.
A security guard mentioned in the group that he had seen Shen Xifan and He Suye together, prompting her parents to question her. Shen Xifan quickly denied it, claiming the security guard must have "seen it wrong" and "mistook someone else for me." Soon, the clinic lobby transformed into a chaotic "matchmaking corner," filled with elderly residents eager to set up their daughters with the handsome doctor.
One man presented his daughter's photo, feigning illness, and another woman presented her daughter's resume. He Suye tried to deter them by exaggerating, saying he had "genetic hair loss" and wore a "wig." The surge of unsolicited matchmaking left Shen Xifan unable to get a proper appointment. Seeing her difficulty, He Suye messaged her, telling her to come to the back door around noon, bypassing the crowd.
Nurse Sun helped Shen Xifan slip through the back entrance to the herbal farm, where He Suye was waiting. Realizing he hadn't had lunch amidst the morning's chaos, Shen Xifan offered him her sandwich. He Suye then lamented the experience, comparing himself to a horse or a "chunk of pork" being "judged and picked by purchasers," feeling that no one saw him as a "person with emotions and thoughts."
Shen Xifan, surprised he was only realizing this at thirty-one, asked about his past relationships. He Suye vaguely replied that "the right person hasn't appeared yet," his gaze briefly falling on her. As he performed acupuncture on her, Shen Xifan talked about her demanding job as a hotel front office manager, detailing responsibilities from checking reservations to organizing mini wine parties for events like the IT Summit. She eventually drifted off to sleep.
Upon waking, she found He Suye had prepared a new, fragrant sachet for her and a new, more complex herbal prescription. Still bothered by the bitter taste, she tried to convince him to remove "goldthread" and "charred gardenia fruit," arguing they had similar "medicinal properties" for clearing heat and dampness.
He Suye teased her about trying to save money, but she insisted it was purely because of the taste, claiming TCM's bitterness was a "real bitterness that I need to swallow." To help him with his matchmaking predicament, Shen Xifan took a metal ring from her keychain and gave it to him, suggesting he wear it as a fake wedding ring. "
This is all I can do to help you," she said, "As for the rest, it depends on your acting skills." The fake wedding ring proved highly effective, causing a significant drop in the number of matchmakers. One auntie who came to set up her daughter complained loudly in the group chat after seeing the ring, saying, "This doctor is already married. Who posted this? Isn't it just messing with us?"
Later, Shen Xifan messaged He Suye, asking him to pick up her medicine as she had dinner plans. He agreed. However, when she went to their pre-arranged meeting spot in the park, she found her parents coincidentally there, eating steamed buns. She quickly messaged He Suye to change the location. He Suye still appeared nearby, and Shen Xifan frantically waved him off, pretending to swat a mosquito to avoid her parents seeing them together.
She later chided him, explaining that if her parents recognized him, "all the elderly in our neighborhood will have your WeChat." He Suye agreed, acknowledging he had forgotten about that. He handed her the heavy bag of medicine. Then, wanting to keep the ring she had given him, He Suye falsely claimed he had "lost it." Shen Xifan, unsuspecting, dismissed it as unimportant, happy it had helped him. Before going home, she told him to wait a while before entering the neighborhood, so her parents wouldn't see them together.
