Episode Summary
"The Best Thing" Episode 9 centers around a major misunderstanding: Shen Xifan believes He Suye has a secret child after seeing a young patient call him "Dad." This leads to awkwardness, drunken outbursts, and Xifan avoiding Suye. The misunderstanding is eventually cleared up, revealing that the child is simply a patient attached to Suye. Relieved, both Xifan and Suye realize their true feelings.
Spoiler Alert
In Episode 9 of "The Best Thing," a major misunderstanding throws a wrench into the budding romance between Shen Xifan and He Suye. It all starts when Xifan witnesses Zhao Ze, a young patient, calling He Suye "Dad." Xifan jumps to the conclusion that Suye is a single father, a fact he seemingly kept hidden. Uncomfortable with the perceived deception, she avoids confronting him directly and instead sends him a message to pick up a contract at the nurse's station, making a quick exit.
Meanwhile, He Suye is planning a work project. He informs his colleagues, Li Jie and Fang Kexin, that he's taking them to the Gu Nan Hua Ting Hotel to design a traditional Chinese medicine therapy package. Li Jie panics at the mention of the hotel. It's the same place where he had a blind date with Xifan, and he's worried Kexin will find out. His obvious reluctance raises Kexin's suspicions.
Xifan confides in her friends, Xu Xiangya and Lin Yishen, about her "discovery" of He Suye's supposed secret child. They agree that his omission is a red flag, advising her to end things. When Suye messages Xifan, inviting her to his place for a medicinal meal, Xiangya urges her to decline. Xifan, feeling awkward, lies and says she's already eaten.
Later that night, Xifan and Xiangya drown their sorrows at a bar. Xifan is upset about Suye's perceived dishonesty, while Xiangya is dealing with Yishen's impending move back to his hometown. They get completely wasted, and Yishen arrives to pick them up, only to be verbally abused by a drunk Xiangya.
A tipsy Xifan stumbles back to her apartment complex, where she runs into He Suye, who's out skateboarding. In her inebriated state, she lashes out at him, calling him "trash." Suye is utterly confused and nearly gets mistaken for a stalker by Xifan's parents.
The next morning, Xifan wakes up with a hangover and a wave of mortification when she remembers her drunken outburst. She immediately throws all the beer in her fridge into the trash, only for her dad to secretly retrieve it for a sneaky drink.
Meanwhile, Yishen is baffled by Xiangya's sudden change in attitude. When she brings up his return home, he admits it. Xiangya, unwilling to discuss it further, leaves Yishen to reflect on the previous night.
During lunch, Suye is puzzled by Xifan's continued silence. He sends her another message, only to receive a polite and distant reply. Later, when Suye arrives at the hotel with Li Jie and Fang Kexin, Xifan seems to be deliberately avoiding him, making Suye realize something is definitely wrong.
Xifan presents the trio with welcome gifts, and to Suye, she gives a Transformer toy, a not-so-subtle hint that she thinks he has a child. Suye is completely bewildered. At dinner, Yishen tries to lighten the mood, explaining that the toy is for Suye's son.
This revelation shocks Li Jie and Fang Kexin. Xifan, mortified, explains what she saw, prompting the other two to clarify that Zhao Ze is just a patient who's become attached to Suye due to growing up in a single-parent household. Xifan wants to disappear from embarrassment, but the misunderstanding is cleared. Both she and Suye are secretly relieved, realizing their feelings for each other. Suye now understands Xifan's drunken "trash" comment and is happy on the way back.
The group heads to an herbal garden where He Suye shows them various medicinal plants. The beautiful surroundings and the resolution of the misunderstanding put Xifan in a great mood. Xu Xiangya, happy for her friend, tries to create opportunities for Xifan and Suye to be alone, even suggesting a group photo to capture the moment.
