The Best Thing Episode 13 Recap
> The Best Thing Recap
He Suye formally confessed his feelings to Shen Xifan, acknowledging that he hadn't been explicit before due to the timing and presence of others. However, Shen Xifan immediately rejected him, stating she had no plans for a relationship before going abroad to study. He Suye was surprised, believing they were getting along well, and offered to stay in the country while she studied overseas. Shen Xifan apologized for potentially misleading him, reiterating her stance against a relationship before her departure.
He Suye asked if this was her final decision. After her confirmation, he handed her the refilled medicine, including some for a hangover, reminding her to boil it and take it on time before leaving, which left Shen Xifan feeling dejected. Upon Shen Xifan's return home with the medicine, her parents inquired about her relationship with He Suye, noting that he had gallantly sent her home the previous night.
Her mother praised He Suye's good looks and capability, suggesting he might prefer more gentle and elegant girls, and advised Shen Xifan not to drink in front of him again. When Shen Xifan revealed she had rejected He Suye, her parents were astonished. Shen Xifan explained that she was unwilling to start a relationship before studying abroad, especially after a past long-distance relationship with her first love, Yan Heng, had ended badly and left her fearing similar hurt and regret.
Meanwhile, Xu Xiangya, having heard from Li Jie about He Suye's confession and Shen Xifan's rejection, lamented their situation. She acknowledged Shen Xifan's reasoning, understanding her hesitation due to past experiences and her desire to be rational before making such a big decision. Separately, He Suye's colleagues at the hospital also discussed his rejected confession, observing his low spirits. Fang Kexin, sensing He Suye's mood, brought him milk tea.
Although He Suye typically didn't drink milk tea, he was intrigued by her brown sugar ginger milk tea. Fang Kexin explained that people drink such hot beverages for the mood, rather than strictly for medicinal purposes like warding off cold. He Suye linked it to the brain's dopamine secretion and questioned the contradiction of craving sweets for mood but then worrying about weight gain.
Fang Kexin introduced the concept of "substitutionary satisfaction" through sugar substitutes, offering psychological comfort without the full caloric intake. Later that afternoon, He Suye received disheartening news from a hospital director: his breast cancer research project on palliative care, which he had dedicated three years to, might be suspended. The director explained that while they admired his work, the niche field yielded slow results, and limited funding needed to be allocated to projects with more immediate outcomes.
He Suye, though disappointed, acknowledged the institute's decision. The director promised to try and secure funding for his project next year. Later that evening, Shen Xifan's mother encouraged her to drink the Chinese medicine He Suye had prepared, highlighting his kind gesture. Shen Xifan, however, wanted to postpone it and decided to go downstairs for a walk. There, she unexpectedly encountered He Suye, who had just returned from working overtime.
He Suye noted her lack of socks in the cold, but Shen Xifan quickly made an excuse and retreated upstairs, avoiding further conversation. He Suye later sent her a message, advising her to make ginger tea to prevent a cold. Instead of replying, Shen Xifan was haunted by a vivid nightmare where He Suye stared at her with an expression of hatred.
Equally troubled, He Suye confided in his grandfather, Yu Liren, expressing his confusion and wondering if his feelings were unreciprocated. Yu Liren, seeing his grandson's distress, gently advised him not to be too hard on himself and suggested letting go of the relationship if it was causing him too much pain. The following day, Shen Xifan received her offer to study abroad, confirming that their parting was indeed imminent.
She pondered whether she had made the right decision, despite her lingering unhappiness. Later, while delivering a forgotten bottle of medicine to an elderly resident, Shen Xifan confided in her about making a decision that didn't bring her joy, wondering if it was a mistake. The wise old woman suggested that her insomnia indicated regret, emphasizing that in life, there is no absolute right or wrong, only regret.
She philosophically added that connections are like clouds in the sky, destined to gather and part, but if fate allows, they will always find each other again, even if as raindrops in the same lake. Shen Xifan later spoke with Xu Xiangya, who remarked on how quickly the offer arrived after her decisive rejection of He Suye.
Xu Xiangya pressed her on whether she had informed He Suye about the offer, believing he deserved to know as they had shared that journey. She urged Shen Xifan to stop pushing away genuine affection, reminding her how difficult it is to find someone who truly cares, drawing parallels to her own regrets with Lin Yishen.
As the Lunar New Year approached, He Suye received a call from his father, He Sheng, who inquired about his return home and mentioned that Auntie Wang would be joining them for the festivities. Meanwhile, Xu Xiangya took Shen Xifan to a bar, where she passionately urged her to reconsider her rigid stance against dating before studying abroad. She argued that finding someone who genuinely cares is rare and that constantly pushing people away leads to missed opportunities and regret.
She also stressed the importance of communicating with He Suye, even as just friends, since he felt she didn't care about his feelings. With this in mind, Xu Xiangya messaged Li Jie, who was at He Suye's home, to ask if she and Shen Xifan could join them. He Suye agreed for them to come. Upon arriving at He Suye's apartment, Shen Xifan felt a clear sense of unease.
He Suye was busy preparing a "Perilla, Dried Tangerine Peel, and Radish Soup" in the kitchen. When Shen Xifan accidentally spilled some soup, Fang Kexin, unable to contain her frustration with the situation, offered her a stain removal pen and then confronted Shen Xifan. Fang Kexin revealed that He Suye had a long-term girlfriend in college who broke up with him to study abroad and never returned, leaving him deeply heartbroken.
She sternly told Shen Xifan that if she truly didn't like He Suye, she needed to make her intentions clear and stop leading him on, as her ambiguous actions were causing him more pain. Stung by Fang Kexin's words, Shen Xifan acknowledged she might have held He Suye back and thanked Fang Kexin for the reminder, then promptly left. After seeing off the other friends, He Suye asked Fang Kexin to stay behind.
He gently but firmly told her that she was only his student, by his grandfather's arrangement, and that she would not need to intern under him the following semester. He praised her as an excellent, diligent, and intelligent student, expressing confidence in her academic future, and advised her to consider his words on her way home. Soon after, Xu Xiangya caught up with He Suye, apologizing for bringing Shen Xifan, though He Suye assured her it wasn't her fault.
Xu Xiangya then revealed Shen Xifan's true feelings: that she had been deeply troubled and conflicted since rejecting him because she cared about him. She explained Shen Xifan's fear of a hasty long-distance relationship leading to unresolvable conflicts and the eventual loss of even friendship, especially given her limited and painful past experience with a seven-year first love that ended badly due to a long-distance dynamic, leaving her terrified of getting hurt again. Hearing this, He Suye finally began to grasp the depth of Shen Xifan's internal struggle and pain.
