Introduction
Like a spring breeze, The Best Thing is gentle and refreshing, full of flowers, and suitable to watch after a dark, deep, or exhausting drama. The drama is also full of advice on how to be healthy using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practice, not just about acupuncture or herb concoctions, but also simple advice like putting an apple by the bedside to help you sleep.
Like a spring breeze, this is gentle and refreshing, full of flowers, and suitable after watching a dark, deep, or exhausting drama.
The first part consists of drama info and a recap of Episodes 1 to 8.
I will only cover the main romance of this drama. There are also subplots of the side couples, but I won’t write about it. I also will not explore the TCM topic in this drama, but I wrote an editorial article about the Chinese herbs used in this drama that is mentioned at the beginning of each episode.
I also noticed that the cinematography in this drama is top-notch, thanks to the director who is also a seasoned cinematographer. I will capture as many beautiful shots as possible that are connected to the plot, to admire the scenery as well as the well-choreographed scenes in this drama.
This first part consists of drama info, characters, and a recap of Episodes 1 to 8.
Drama Info
Drama title: The Best Thing (Native title: 爱你 )
Alternative titles: Falling in Love with You Is the Best Thing I Have Ever Done, Ai Ni
Genres: Business, Romance, Drama, Medical
Aired: Feb 25, 2025 - Mar 9, 2025
Episodes: 28 | Duration: 45 minutes
Director: Randy Che ( 车亮逸 )
Screenwriters: Ou Si Jia ( 欧思嘉 )
Adapted from the novel "Ai Ni, Shi Wo Zuoguo Zui Hao De Shi" (爱你，是我做过最好的事) by Sheng Li (笙离). English translation
Where to watch: iQiyi
OST: Full album (Unofficial fan channel)
Trailer:
Synopsis
The story follows Shen Xi Fan, a dedicated workaholic and hotel housekeeping manager, who suffers from insomnia and migraines due to her high-intensity job. Seeking relief, she turns to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and meets the gentle and refined doctor, He Su Ye. However, her busy schedule often causes her to forget to pick up her prescriptions, much to He Su Ye’s frustration. What starts as a mere doctor-patient relationship takes an unexpected turn when they realize they live in the same neighborhood. Through a series of chance encounters, their feelings gradually blossom. Having experienced a painful first love, Shen Xi Fan is cautious, while He Su Ye, abandoned by his first love, has since closed off his heart. As Shen Xi Fan slowly approaches him, their awkward yet endearing interactions lead He SuYe to rediscover the meaning of love, eventually making him the one to pursue her instead. Meanwhile, He Su Ye’s dedication to TCM inspires Shen Xi Fan to find her true aspirations. (Source: iQiyi)
Characters
Main Characters
Zhang Ling He ( 张凌赫 ) as He Su Ye
He Su Ye is the chief physician of the Oncology Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. He comes from a medical family, has a gentle and firm personality, and never gives up on what he knows, whether it’s a career or a relationship. For the person you like, he will take the initiative to take action while respecting the other person.
Xu Ruo Han ( 徐若晗 ) as Chen Xi Fan
Housekeeping manager. Chen Xi Fan can always solve the needs and dissatisfaction of customers in a friendly and quick manner. A failed relationship left her covered in bruises. After meeting He Su Ye, she realizes that true love does not need to be forced, and gentleness is the appearance it should have.
Supporting Characters
Li Jie (Tang Jiu Zhou) – TCM master’s student
Lin Yi Shen (Wang You Jun) – Xi Fan’s colleague. Marketing Manager
Xu Xiang Ya (Huang Can Can) – Xi Fan’s colleague. Restaurant Manager.
Fang Ke Xin (Zhou Yi Ru) – TCM master’s student
Drama Recaps Episodes 1 to 8
Episode 1
Since Chen Xi Fan was promoted to the housekeeping manager, she has become extremely busy and suffers from insomnia. Her parents suggest she find a TCM doctor to cure her insomnia. She goes to a neighborhood clinic and meets TCM doctor He Su Ye. He falls in love, at first sight, and waits for her to pick up the medicine but her dad picks it up for her. She comes at the next appointment but he’s not there. They meet by chance again and find out that they live in the same neighborhood, but he can’t get her phone number.
Episode 2
Grandpa Yu, Su Ye’s grandpa advises Su Ye to find a girl since he is already 31 years old. Su Ye says he’s stricter and more cautious and doesn’t want to be like his dad who abandoned his mom.
In fact, Xi Fan has a boyfriend Yan Heng. They were college sweethearts and had been dating for 7 years. But now the relationship gradually changed because both are so busy. Although they just met, Yan Heng is indifferent and disrespects her work. Xi Fan feels sad so she sits outside alone eating a big tub of ice cream. It happens that Su Ye is skating outside. He comforts her although he is slightly disappointed that she has a bf.
Episode 3
Xi Fan is brokenhearted nowadays because she can’t contact Yan Heng. They’re practically broken up. So she buries herself in work, to the point that she forgets her appointment with Su Ye until he calls her.
Episode 4
In this episode, we find out more about Su Ye’s background than just having a grandfather. His father is a renowned cardiologist (of Western medicine). Father and son have been at odds since his mother was sick. Dad is attending a seminar today where Su Ye lives and invites him to dinner, but Su Ye doesn’t want to meet his father.
Su Ye is disheartened after remembering what happened in the past with his mother, so he’s elated when he sees Xi Fan running towards him holding blue tulips and an umbrella (since he doesn’t have one). That particular scene where he’s smitten staring at her running is so beautiful. She shared the rare tulips she bought with him, stating it was her thank-you gift for taking care of him.
When Su Ye came back to his work holding blue tulips, people took pictures of him and posted them on WeChat. He becomes popular and many parents come to his clinic, not only for treatments but also to propose their daughters to him. When it’s time for Xi Fan’s appointment, she can barely go in. The nurse says he usually wears a mask in public during work to avoid people flocking and taking his pictures because he’s so handsome, lol. During the appointment, she gives him a ring to put on and pretends that he’s married so people won’t bother him anymore. At night, when he sees her in the neighborhood eateries, he says he lost the ring and wants to buy her one. Haha, it’s foreshadowing. But she rejects stating that the ring is cheap anyway. She also pretends that she doesn’t know him and doesn’t want her parents to see him. Xi Fan just broke up and doesn’t want to be seen with any man anytime soon.
Episode 5
Well, you can’t ever hide from your mom and dad, because Xi Fan’s parents see her photos with Su Ye anyway (the ones with both walking in the rain with an umbrella and a bouquet of blue tulips. They think she’s two-timing Yan Heng but she confesses that she broke up with Yan Heng. She also tells her parents that she wants to study abroad but her parents don’t agree. Later, when she meets Su Ye around the neighborhood again, he takes her eating hotpot to vent her frustration about her parent’s disagreement with her desire to study abroad.
Not related to the main plot, but I love the riverfront restaurant where Xi Fan hangs out with Xu Xiang Ya and Lin Yi Shen. These best friends work together at the same hotel and often talk about work and personal-related issues. And they love to hang out in pretty eateries!
Episode 6
I really love Su Ye and Xi Fan’s friendship! Although Xi Fan has broken up with her bf, she doesn’t tell Su Ye that she broke up. She doesn’t take advantage of their friendship to show off to the world that she has moved on and hangs out with a handsome guy. Su Ye also politely becomes her friend and gives her space to talk or not to talk about her life. He doesn’t advise her to break up with her boyfriend, nor advises her to try to mend her relationship with her bf. Their romance is a slow burn, burning slowly like the moxibustion Su Ye uses to treat Xi Fan.
Su Ye wipes tears running out of Xi Fan’s eyes when she cries in sleep during the moxibustion treatment.
There is a cancer patient who passed away at the oncology ward that affects Su Ye, because it reminds him of his belated mother and her illness. He’s so down when he meets Xi Fan in the neighborhood area. She doesn’t know how to comfort him so she just walks with him. When they’re so close to avoid a biker, he hugs her!
Episode 7
Su Ye apologizes to Xi Fan the next time she comes to her appointment because he hugged her. She says it’s okay that’s what friends are for to comfort him. He’s slightly disappointed being friendzoned, and even more disappointed when she says she had an argument with her mom about marriage. He thinks she’ll get married soon. Xi Fan’s mom arranged a blind date with Li Jie of all people! Luckily, this doesn’t go to a stupid love triangle, because Li Jie likes Fang Ke Xin (although she secretly admires Su Ye!). During the date, Li Jie makes clear that he likes someone, and Xi Fan makes clear that she’s not interested in dating anyone this time. The next day Su Ye asks Li Jie about his blind date. Li Jie clarifies that he doesn’t like the girl, although she’s a very interesting girl, being a patient of TCM and what she said. The more Su Ye hears Li Jie’s chatter about his blind date, the more he’s sure it was Xi Fan! He’s so silly smiles the whole time when he knows that she broke up and now is single! Time to chase her, bro!
Episode 8
Didn’t I mention in the Episode 8 recap last time that it was time for Su Ye to chase Xi Fan, knowing that she has broken up with her bf? Well, he doesn’t waste time! As soon as he sees her he invites her to eat… at his place! She planned to buy him dinner because she wanted to talk business with him about possibly a collab for introducing Chinese medicinal herbs and cuisine to a group of elderly tourists that will come to the hotel, and the hotel needs a consultant. Of course, he agrees with the proposal.
As usual, male leads in dramas seem to always know how to cook very well and on the contrary female leads do not know how. The same is true in this drama. Su Ye’s excuse is he wants to make medicinal cuisine and he already bought ingredients, lol. So he cooks and she, who doesn’t know how to cook, can only be allowed to watch.
The drama won’t be a drama if nothing is going on. After typing a formal proposal, Xi Fan goes to the hospital where Su Ye works to give the proposal. Right about the time when a boy rushes past her to meet Su Ye and calls him “Dad!”
Conclusion
Who is the boy and why he calls Su Ye “Dad”? How will the chase and flirts go? Let’s continue to the second part of the article series: The Best Thing: Recap Episodes 9 to 18!
