The Best Thing Episode 7 Recap
> The Best Thing Recap
Shen Xifan's mother called her at work, insisting that Shen Xifan keep her weekend free and come home early for an important conversation. Upon returning home, Shen Xifan discovered her parents were attempting to set her up on a blind date. They described the man as young, handsome, educated, and a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physician, introduced by her father's university classmate, ensuring a reliable background.
Despite Shen Xifan's strong objections, especially her plans to study abroad and her reluctance to experience another painful breakup, her parents persisted, emphasizing her age and the advantages of marrying a calm and reserved TCM doctor. Her mother even suggested she ask her current TCM doctor, He Suye, about the blind date candidate, a proposal Shen Xifan found mortifying. Under relentless pressure, Shen Xifan reluctantly agreed to the date.
The next day, Shen Xifan went to the TCM clinic for a follow-up visit. She returned He Suye's shirt, expressing gratitude for his help. He Suye, visibly embarrassed, apologized for an unexpected hug that had occurred previously, asking if he had startled her. Shen Xifan dismissed his concern, reassuring him that it was acceptable between friends and that she understood he was upset. She then confided in He Suye about her parents' relentless nagging about marriage.
He Suye, misinterpreting her comments about marriage as progress with her existing boyfriend, felt a pang of disappointment. Yu Liren noticed Shen Xifan leaving the TCM building and later inquired with He Suye about her and her boyfriend. He Suye, still under the impression that Shen Xifan was close to marrying, told his grandfather that she was probably preparing for marriage soon.
He added that he had given up on his own unrequited feelings for her, but admitted he couldn't understand why she would marry someone who didn't seem to treat her well. Yu Liren, acknowledging the complexities of emotion, responded that even the smartest people can make foolish decisions in love. He Suye reflected on a period when Shen Xifan hadn't mentioned her boyfriend and how he had developed "wrong ideas," feeling pathetic for his self-delusion.
Yu Liren then cited ancient texts about the natural progression of life and encouraged He Suye to consider finding a partner, but He Suye brushed off his grandfather's concerns. Meanwhile, He Suye was assisting his junior, Fang Kexin, with revising her paper. He suggested incorporating clinical examples for the section on post-mastectomy complications and even recommended her to his grandfather, Professor Yu, for more authoritative guidance. Fang Kexin, however, preferred to work with He Suye, citing familiarity.
She then invited him to dinner as a token of appreciation. He Suye politely declined, explaining that guiding her internship was part of his job. Soon after, Li Jie approached He Suye with a "personal matter," asking him to stand in for him on a blind date. He Suye immediately refused, reminding Li Jie that the other person was expecting to meet him and that it would be deceptive.
Li Jie explained that his father had pressured him into agreeing to the date and confessed that he liked Fang Kexin and felt too young for a blind date. He Suye, however, stood firm, advising him to be mature and reiterating that he would not deceive the girl by impersonating him. Forced to attend, Li Jie met Shen Xifan for their blind date.
They quickly established that neither had any romantic intentions and were both coerced into the meeting by their families. With their disinterest mutually acknowledged, the conversation flowed easily. Li Jie, a master's student in oncology at Jiang University Medical School, mentioned his senior who supervised him during his hospital internship. Shen Xifan, the front office manager at Gunan Huating Hotel, shared that she was also seeing a TCM physician for insomnia at a clinic near her home.
As they described their respective TCM connections, both realized they were speaking about He Suye, with Li Jie vividly recounting He Suye's mischievous childhood and sharp wit, and Shen Xifan confirming the similar personality traits of her doctor. During this time, He Suye was attending to a young patient named Zhao Ze, who was suffering from late-stage leukemia. Zhao Ze's mother was seeking TCM treatments to alleviate the severe pain caused by chemotherapy.
He Suye reassured her that while chemotherapy remained the primary treatment, TCM could effectively reduce side effects and hasten recovery. Zhao Ze complained of severe diarrhea, which He Suye diagnosed as viral pediatric diarrhea rather than a chemotherapy side effect. He performed a rectal examination, which the boy initially resisted due to embarrassment, to confirm the diagnosis. After confirming it was just pediatric diarrhea, He Suye prescribed a herbal navel application and advised them to stay warm.
He also offered to connect them with a charity fund to help with potential expenses, though the mother initially declined. Zhao Ze expressed a desire for He Suye to be his attending doctor, humorously stating he didn't want other doctors seeing his butt, to which He Suye playfully responded. Back at the hospital, He Suye asked Li Jie about his blind date.
Li Jie summarized that he and the girl mutually agreed not to pursue anything further but had a pleasant chat. He described the woman as quite interesting, noting her self-taught knowledge of TCM due to her own illnesses, even recounting how she would inquire about changing her prescriptions. Li Jie mentioned that she was a hotel manager at the well-known Gunan Huating Hotel, right next to their herbal base.
This detail, combined with Li Jie's descriptions, made He Suye realize that the blind date was Shen Xifan. The pieces clicked into place, and he understood that Shen Xifan's earlier complaints about marriage were actually about her parents pushing her into a blind date after a breakup, not an impending wedding. Overjoyed by this revelation, He Suye couldn't help but smile, confusing Li Jie.
He Suye then abruptly offered to help Li Jie finish his bid proposal, rescinding his earlier refusal to assist with his work and leaving Li Jie baffled by the sudden change in mood. Meanwhile, at the Gunan Huating Hotel, Shen Xifan was overseeing room decorations. She remembered a guest's preference for yellow and requested sunflowers be added to the floral arrangements. Taking some leftover flowers, she later encountered Lin Yishen, who randomly picked one to give to Xu Xiangya.
Xu Xiangya, despite a dismissive remark, was secretly pleased. Later, He Suye was seen skateboarding and looking unusually happy. Shen Xifan, on her way home from working overtime, presented him with the leftover flowers as a playful "congratulations." He Suye then offered to perform moxibustion for her the following week, fulfilling his role as her diligent physician. Xu Xiangya, however, was having a less cheerful day.
She overheard Lin Yishen on the phone with his parents, agreeing to a blind date after receiving his year-end bonus, which visibly upset her. Later, she observed Lin Yishen charming female guests for photos at the hotel, labeling him a "social butterfly," which only fueled her jealousy. Shen Xifan noticed Xu Xiangya's visible irritation, correctly guessing she had feelings for Lin Yishen.
In a hotel meeting, the general manager discussed an upcoming wellness tour for a group of affluent, elderly tourists, emphasizing the need for relaxation, physical therapy, and specific dietary and accommodation requirements. Shen Xifan proposed incorporating TCM elements throughout the hotel's offerings, suggesting medicinal food recipes and herbal teas for dining, buckwheat pillows for guest rooms, and herbal aromatherapy. The general manager lauded her idea, and the team agreed on its feasibility as a potential signature service.
Xu Xiangya then teased Shen Xifan about the "progress" in her relationship with the "handsome TCM physician." Shen Xifan, in turn, playfully told Xu Xiangya that the responsibility for the TCM wellness project now rested on her shoulders, and if she continued to tease, she would have to develop the medicinal food recipes herself. Shen Xifan then called He Suye, inviting him to dinner to discuss the hotel's needs. He Suye agreed, later going to the herbal pharmacy to gather Angelica and Lily bulbs, intending to personally prepare medicinal food recipes for her.
