The Best Thing

Sour Jujube Seed

His bed was soft, and the blanket carried a faint scent of lemon. The steam from the ginger tea made Shen Xifan feel a little dazed. Soon, the pores on her body seemed to open, bringing an indescribable sense of relief as drowsiness washed over her.

Just as she was about to hand the cup back to He Suye, she noticed him staring fixedly out the window. "What's wrong?"

He Suye withdrew his gaze, his eyes shimmering. "The sun's out!"

Sure enough, the rain had stopped. The winter sunlight poured in through the glass window, playfully refracting and casting a warm halo around He Suye.

Shen Xifan was mesmerized.

He took the cup from her, only to meet her dazed, bewildered gaze. His heart stirred, and without thinking, he reached out to brush aside the hair on her forehead, his palm lightly grazing her face. "Rest for a while," he murmured. "You'll feel better when you wake up."

Only then did she snap out of it and nod. He Suye stood up and gently closed the door behind him.

The room was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.

Around noon, he went to open the door, intending to wake Shen Xifan for lunch. But she was still asleep, looking peaceful and content.

Her childlike face was relaxed in slumber, her long, dark hair scattered across the pillow. Gone was her usual sharp and capable demeanor—now, she was completely unguarded, her most genuine self.

A strange emotion welled up in He Suye’s chest. He suddenly recalled the acupuncture session earlier. Though he had approached it purely as a doctor, her fair skin and faint, elusive fragrance had unsettled him. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now, looking back, it was more than just unease…

He quickly retreated, scratching his head in frustration before heading to the study, lost in thought over his doctoral application form.

Shen Xifan woke up groggily some time later. She touched her stomach and took a deep breath, relieved to find the pain gone. Her mood instantly lifted. She wanted to check the time, but her phone was dead, so she decided to head home—after all, she had already imposed on He Suye for too long today.

Just as she pushed back the covers to get out of bed, she heard noise from the living room. Li Jie’s voice rang out, "Senior Brother, are you hiding a beauty in here? Why’s the door closed?"

Then came He Suye’s urgent reply, "Hey, don’t open it!"

But he was too late. The door swung open with a click, and Li Jie gaped in shock before finally exclaiming, "Senior Brother, you really are hiding a beauty!"

Shen Xifan froze, unsure whether to stand or sit. "Uh… what a coincidence!" she stammered.

Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks flushed. She was only wearing a thin sweater, her small, delicate feet peeking out. Li Jie looked from her to He Suye, then dramatically covered his eyes and cried, "Out of respect, I shall not look!" before clutching his chest and fleeing to the study, leaving the two of them staring at each other.

He Suye stepped forward. "When did you wake up? Did Li Jie disturb you? Are you still in pain?"

She shook her head, hurriedly pulling on her socks. "N-no, not at all!"

Amused by her flustered response—she really did get tongue-tied sometimes—he didn’t press further. "Get dressed and come eat. It’s past three already."

She opened her mouth to say, "I should go home," but Li Jie’s head suddenly popped out again. "Food! I’m starving too!"He Suye handed out bowls and chopsticks for the two of them. Li Jie dug in without any reservations, while Shen Xifan had initially intended to be more restrained. However, after scooping a bowl of yam soup and taking the first sip, the thick broth slid smoothly down her throat, leaving a lingering fragrance on her lips and tongue.

The yam was incredibly tender, completely free of any astringency, simmered to perfection with rich bone broth. Even someone accustomed to gourmet dishes from hotel chefs couldn’t help but marvel.

She truly hadn’t expected He Suye’s cooking skills to be this impressive—so much so that she felt a twinge of embarrassment.

It seemed to her that there was nothing he couldn’t do.

After the meal, she was so full she could barely stand. When He Suye brought out another bowl of longan and snow fungus soup, she groaned, "He Suye, why didn’t you tell me there was more? I have no room left..."

Li Jie chuckled, "Heh heh, guess it’s all mine then..." Rubbing his hands together, he reached for the bowl with his spoon, only for He Suye to snatch it away and glare at him. "Eat? You’re still eating? Didn’t someone swear to control their appetite after the last blood sugar check? No more for you!"

Li Jie’s face fell, but his hands remained restless as he picked up his chopsticks to fish for the snow fungus. He Suye sighed, "No spoon, so you’re using chopsticks now? Did you skip lunch or something?"

Shaking his head, Li Jie pointed at a thick stack of papers on the table and sighed dramatically. "I grabbed these materials and came straight back. The boss wants them by the day after tomorrow. Ugh! I’m gonna die translating all this!"

Curious, Shen Xifan leaned in and read softly, "All in English? 'Acupuncture treatment'...?"

Before she could finish, Li Jie’s eyes lit up. "Shen Xifan, you recognize these words?"

"I..." She hesitated before answering carefully, "I do, but I might not be able to spell them. Why?"

Li Jie immediately pushed the bowl of soup toward her. "It’s all yours—but you’ve got to help me out. Can you translate some of the Chinese sections into English?"

He Suye cut in, "Li Jie! You didn’t even ask if she’s free before dumping work on her—"

Shen Xifan quickly waved her hands. "No, no, it’s fine! I’ll do my best to help. Honestly, you guys have helped me a lot too." Especially He Suye, she added silently, though she didn’t dare say it aloud.

Taking the materials, she skimmed through them and frowned at Li Jie. "I’m not too familiar with these technical terms, but I can handle the sentence structures. How about you give me a rough translation first, and I’ll polish it?"

He Suye took the papers and asked quietly, "Are you sure it won’t trouble you? If it’s too much, just leave it to me."

"Really, it’s no problem!" Shen Xifan insisted. "I majored in English in college and have done some translation work before, including medical materials. I can manage."

He Suye smiled warmly at her before turning to Li Jie. "Hey, kid, you’d better treat us to a meal after she helps you with this!"

Li Jie flopped onto the pile of documents, mumbling sleepily, "So tired... What’d you say, senior brother? I didn’t hear anything..."

Shen Xifan read aloud from the acupuncture notes, "Mainly select points from the Hand and Foot Yangming channels, supplemented by the Hand and Foot Shaoyang channels... Tianzhu, Bailao, Dazhui, Houxi... So many acupoints..."She suddenly changed the topic, "He Suye, Li Jie, how do you two remember so many acupuncture points?"

Both He Suye and Li Jie were taken aback, then exchanged glances and laughed. Li Jie rushed to answer, "You wouldn't believe how our teacher taught us back then—even if you didn't know them, he'd make sure you learned by drawing them on you. Senior Brother, wasn't our acupuncture professor during undergrad Wang Weizhong?"

He Suye nodded, turning his face away to hide a chuckle, which only made Shen Xifan more curious.

Li Jie continued, "In our acupuncture class, the professor started teaching points from the head, like Jingming and Xuanji. He'd call out students by their student numbers—only the guys, never the girls—and use a marker to draw the points on us as he explained. Later, when we got to the torso and limbs, the guys took turns stripping—some baring their backs, others their thighs, some even their chests. It was hilarious. But the professor had an even more ruthless method: pop quizzes. If you knew nothing, you'd better be prepared to strip the next day—many guys in our class got 'blacklisted.' The girls took photos with their phones, blurred the faces, and posted them online. It caused quite a scandal back then. I got 'blacklisted' twice—once on my back, once on my thigh... So embarrassing!"

Shen Xifan burst out laughing and turned to He Suye, "How many times did you have to strip?"

He Suye smirked, the corner of his lips curling with a hint of pride. "Just once, and only my arm. Plus, it was early autumn—I was wearing a shirt, so no skin was actually exposed."

Li Jie groaned even more. "Mine was in the dead of winter! I had to walk to class in shorts just so that old man could draw on my legs. People probably thought I'd lost my mind!"

The three of them laughed until they were nearly in tears, the earlier awkwardness completely gone.

Suddenly, Li Jie suggested, "Senior Brother, bring out your precious set for me. I've got a headache from lack of sleep."

He Suye had no choice but to go fetch the box. Li Jie leaned in conspiratorially toward Shen Xifan. "Pay close attention later—Senior Brother's needles are priceless."

Shen Xifan was puzzled. "Are they made of gold or something? That valuable?"

Li Jie grinned, twirling a pen in his hand. "Pretty much. Gold might not even compare. They're his family heirlooms—rarely shown to anyone. Nowadays, you can't find the Nine Needles anymore; everyone just uses filiform needles. But he's got the complete set!"

Just as she was about to ask what the Nine Needles and filiform needles were, He Suye returned with the box, eyeing Li Jie mischievously. "So, kid, are you doing this yourself, or should I help you?"

Li Jie's expression changed instantly. "I'll do it myself, myself! Wouldn't dare trouble you, Senior Brother!"

True to his word, he inserted the needle himself, one hand steadying it while explaining the basics of acupuncture to Shen Xifan. She watched in horrified fascination as He Suye also picked up a needle, examined his left hand, and casually inserted it.

Shen Xifan stared at them in disbelief. To them, the needles might as well have been toys—inserting one when they felt good, inserting another when they didn't. Nothing like her, who had to suffer through unbearable pain just to get a single needle today.Seeing her puzzled and slightly uneasy expression, He Suye quickly explained, "I'm not as meddlesome as Li Jie, who would jab a needle for no reason. This was from playing basketball the other day—I hurt my hand." Pointing to Li Jie's arm, he added, "That acupuncture point is called Qingling, part of the Heart Meridian of Hand-Shaoyin. It can treat headaches, chills, and shoulder or arm pain."

Shen Xifan watched the needle and the acupuncture point with sparkling eyes, full of admiration. "You guys are amazing... This is so fascinating..."

The three chatted until late before finally leaving. He Suye walked Shen Xifan home, carrying a large stack of materials while she skipped cheerfully beside him. The exhaustion and pain from the morning had completely vanished—she now looked full of energy.

Just seeing her like this made him feel deeply satisfied. Though menstrual pain wasn't a serious illness, being the one to treat her brought him immense gratification. Even if he treated hundreds of patients daily, none felt as meaningful as helping her.

Perhaps it was because he felt needed.

He realized that even someone as composed and steady as himself harbored a bit of vanity—he, too, craved affirmation from others.

The streetlights in the neighborhood had just flickered on. Though not exactly a sea of lights, the scene was warm and inviting. Occasionally, a car would pass by, dissolving into the night, while faint giggles of children echoed in the distance.

As they approached the entrance of Zone F, Shen Xifan's gaze inadvertently swept past something—her brows furrowed slightly. Yan Heng?

They were quite far apart. He stood on the main road of the neighborhood, leaning against a black BMW, separated from Shen Xifan by an iron fence. The glow of his cigarette flickered in the dark, lending an ephemeral quality to the night. The faint light of the streetlamps cast shadows on his handsome face, accentuating his loneliness.

He stared blankly at Shen Xifan and He Suye, the smoke curling upward before scattering in the wind, blurring his vision.

But He Suye didn't notice. Seeing Shen Xifan's distracted expression, he playfully ruffled her hair. "Little girl, why are you always spacing out?"

Snapping back to reality, Shen Xifan fumbled to take the stack of materials. "It's nothing, just the cold slowing my thoughts. I'm home now—I'll take these. I'll come find you tomorrow."

He Suye helped her straighten the materials, his features as composed as winter stars yet tinged with fondness. "Don't worry if you can't finish them all. Get some rest."

She forced a smile. "No problem. I'll call you tomorrow. Goodnight."

He Suye nodded, waved, and turned back the way they came. Shen Xifan watched his retreating figure blend seamlessly into the night—his calm, collected demeanor always exuded a sense of security.

Her heart stirred. How could such a good man not have a girlfriend?

Then her gaze drifted back to the other man. That face, that posture, that aura—all too familiar, yet after three years, it felt strangely foreign.

When had he started smoking?

Why had he changed his surname? Why had he returned to China at the peak of his success in the U.S.? Why did he keep appearing before her? And why was he now waiting outside her home?

An inexplicable resentment welled up inside her—resentment toward Yan Heng's ambiguous attitude, and resentment toward herself for still, shamelessly, holding him in her heart.He flicked away his cigarette and walked through the small gate. Shen Xifan's heart skipped a beat, leaving her utterly at a loss, with only the urge to flee. She had never been brave—or rather, she had always harbored a faint dread in her heart about the arrival of such a moment.

She had just reached the second floor when she paused to listen. Hearing no movement, she let out a long sigh of relief and reached for the motion-sensor light on the stairs. Before her fingers could touch it, a hand seized her arm—firmly, unshakably.

Startled, she dropped all the documents in her hand. The white papers tumbled down the stairs, scattering across the floor in a stark, pale mess. The cold wind picked them up, rustling them noisily.

It felt eerily familiar.

Shen Xifan fought the urge to turn around, twisting her arm with all her might, her voice a mix of pleading and helplessness. "Don't do this—let go! All the documents fell!"

"Who was that man just now?" Yan Heng's tone was accusatory, as if it were his right to question her, completely unaware of the jealousy lacing his words.

A surge of inexplicable anger and resentment welled up inside her. Summoning her courage, she met his gaze and saw an unfamiliar mix of fury and unwillingness in his eyes. Immediately, she lashed out without restraint, "What business is it of yours? What right do you have to interfere? Let go! I said let go!"

But Yan Heng tightened his grip, pulling her into his embrace. The familiar scent, tinged with the allure of tobacco, left her suddenly unsure where to place her now-empty hands.

Because she was too exhausted—too drained of strength and courage to return the embrace.

His chin rested against her forehead, the faint stubble grazing her skin. His warm breath brushed over her as his arms held her tightly, as though she might vanish into thin air the next second.

It was as if he were cradling a rare treasure.

Finally, he broke the silence. "You looked unwell this morning. I was worried, so I called, but your phone was off. I waited outside your place for over two hours until the lights came on. Are you okay now?"

His words were filled with nothing but concern and tenderness. Shen Xifan didn’t know how to respond, remaining silent. Was he truly paying attention to her? Should she be happy and smile under such circumstances? But a part of her heart felt frozen, incapable of summoning even a hint of joy.

Or perhaps she should be moved to tears—yet she couldn’t cry either. At this moment, "numb" seemed the most fitting word.

Suddenly, Yan Heng's phone rang. Shen Xifan broke free from his embrace, not daring to look at him, and crouched to gather the scattered documents. She heard him answer, "Alright, got it. I’ll be there right away. The U.S. side? No problem!"

After hanging up, he gave her an apologetic smile and bent down to help. "Sorry, Xiaofan. I was too impulsive. I’m just glad you’re okay."

As he placed the last document into her hands, he sighed. "I have to go now. See you tomorrow. Goodnight."

She lowered her eyes. "Thank you. Goodnight."

Without looking back, she went upstairs, unlocked her door, and closed it behind her. Pouring herself a cup of tea, she noticed Yan Heng standing beside his BMW, staring at her apartment for a long moment before finally getting in and driving away.

Her heart was in turmoil.

Suppressing her restlessness, she prepared to go through the documents. After flipping through two pages, she remembered her phone was dead. Retrieving it from her bag, she froze the moment she opened it.A bottle of medicine lay neatly in the bag, accompanied by a note in all-too-familiar handwriting: "I've picked up a month's supply of medicine. Since you're not coming for check-ups, I don't know if you're still suffering from insomnia. If the symptoms are mild, you don't need to take Chinese herbal medicine. This bottle of wild jujube seed powder can serve as supplementary treatment. Wild jujube seeds help calm nerves, regulate stomach and spleen, soothe liver qi, nourish lung yin, warm middle energizer, promote diuresis, stop sweating, enhance memory, and improve hearing and vision. More importantly, it's not bitter—just mix with water and take. But you must persist and not give up halfway."

Shen Xifan carefully opened the medicine jar. The reddish-brown powder was so finely ground that it seemed a mere breath could scatter it—clearly prepared with great care.

She took a spoon, scooped some wild jujube seed powder, mixed it with a little water, and gently put it in her mouth. It tasted both sweet and sour.

Perhaps this was the taste of love. Sour, yet sweet.

She recalled a novel she'd once read, though the memory was hazy.

"The sourness is like vinegar—when girls get jealous, they become adorably foolish, slightly confused, petty yet endearing. Chinese girls express jealousy with subtlety and wisdom. The sweetness is like a pomegranate a boy buys for his girlfriend as they sit together on a garden bench. The pomegranate's translucent pink resembles southern red beans, symbolizing longing. They share it seed by seed, talking and eating, spending a long afternoon together."

She had once told Yan Heng, "I want a love like this—mutual devotion, mutual respect, simple as water. I'll find him through the years, lean on him, entrust my life to him. Be his wife, the mother of his children, cook for him, do his laundry, sew a loose button. Then we'll grow old together in time. One day, he'll leave me or I'll leave him for another world to cultivate our next life's bond. And even then, we can still say the simplest words to each other: 'I do.'"

But who that person would be, she didn't know.

As all defenses faded and loneliness surged in her heart, she finally lost control. Clutching the medicine bottle, she burst into tears.