The Best Thing

Notoginseng

He Suye received the call from the university’s Red Cross very late at night.

Lately, he had noticed himself frequently making mistakes with actions involving ropes or strings—like pulling over a pencil holder while moving a wire, or tripping over a power cord and knocking things off the table. After some careful reflection, he concluded it was a cognitive flaw—his chaotic logical thinking led to an extreme deficiency in anticipating cause and effect. It was an acquired disadvantage.

It was all that job offer’s fault, unsettling his mind and leaving him distracted.

This phone call, however, temporarily calmed his scattered thoughts. The university Red Cross organized an annual medical team to provide free clinics in the mountains, and this was a place he had visited two years ago—he knew it well.

He had hidden away in that small mountain village, where he saw terraced fields and rice paddies for the first time, where every household raised chickens and ducks, and pigs covered in mud. Every day, he fetched water, lit fires, then treated villagers and gave lessons. Most people there were too poor to afford expensive medicine or hospital stays, and the only doctor in the village was a quack who didn’t even know to sterilize needles for vaccinations.

The air there was fresh. Though the conditions were harsh, he loved seeing the children gather around him, calling him “big brother” and asking him math questions. The villagers would thank him with fresh vegetables, and the elderly would invite him for a few cups of rice wine in the evenings.

At one point, he had even thought about staying in that little mountain village forever.

When he returned, his advisor and supervisor had scolded him half to death, and his roommate had dragged him straight to the girls’ dorm to weigh him—he had lost a full ten pounds. His ankles were still wrapped in medicated plasters; the village’s unstable terrain often led to landslides.

Later, he gradually forgot about that place amid his busy schedule. Or maybe it wasn’t because of the workload—maybe it was because that person no longer mattered. All the pain had faded away, and the memories became insignificant.

It wasn’t that he was heartless. It was that she wasn’t worth him degrading himself. The world was vast and full of possibilities.

In the rice cooker, chicken soup was simmering—flavored with astragalus root and Chinese yam.

Astragalus replenished qi, raised yang, strengthened the stomach, secured the exterior, and reduced swelling. Chinese yam boosted qi, nourished yin, and fortified the spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

They said bridesmaids worked harder than the bride on the wedding day—running up and down, handling everything, too busy to even eat. Even though that little girl had confidently claimed she had plenty of experience, he still wasn’t at ease.

Maybe, aside from preparing extra meals for her and Qiu Tian, he should also have band-aids ready. According to Su Shan, one of Shen Xifan’s high heels had straps—easy to rub her feet raw after too much walking.

He thought irritably, This wedding is such a hassle. Good thing I’m not the one getting married.

Wait—getting married? Him? With whom?

A figure flashed through his mind, and his breath hitched. He hurriedly lifted the lid, accidentally burning his hand again. But the rich, savory aroma of the chicken soup wafted out, making him smile involuntarily.

He was already looking forward to seeing her in that dress.

Qiu Tian— he screamed inwardly, I regret it now. If I hadn’t let you win those three rounds, I could’ve at least beaten you three times.

The next morning, He Suye was woken up early by a phone call. On the other end, Qiu Tian yelled, “Get over to Li Jie’s place quick! How’s he supposed to marry Su Meimei dressed like that?”Li Jie cried out helplessly, "I'm as dashing as Pan An, a pear blossom overshadowing the begonia, so how can this outfit look so bad on me?" But Qiu Tian showed no interest in his lame joke and continued to tease, "Are you sure you want to get married in this turtle shell? How about adding a green hat to complete the look?"

He Suye was utterly speechless upon hearing this and immediately took a taxi to Li Jie's place. Sure enough, apart from the disheveled groom, Qiu Tian had decked himself out in a flashy golden outfit. He Suye sighed, "Qiu Tian, you look like a goldfish!"

In the end, they picked the most conventional suit from the pile of formal wear. He Suye asked curiously, "Didn't you guys try these on beforehand? It's all such a mess today."

Qiu Tian sighed helplessly, "I did remind him, but this guy just wouldn’t cooperate!"

Li Jie was even more exasperated, "My mom suddenly dragged over all these clothes—I’m under a lot of pressure too!"

When the three of them finally stepped out, they left the entire Li family, young and old, utterly stunned. The female cousins were practically gaping, "Oh my, these three could star in a youth idol drama."

At that time, the sky had just brightened, the dawn clean and soft, with a faint mist and the fresh scent of plants lingering in the air.

As they walked into the courtyard outside, Qiu Tian shamelessly draped himself over He Suye’s shoulders, giggling into his ear, "Pointy, do you think Porridge Girl will faint at the sight of you?"

His heart skipped a beat as he shoved Qiu Tian off. "Stop talking nonsense. Focus on being the best man and don’t stir up trouble."

Qiu Tian still leaned against his shoulder. "Pointy, why haven’t you confessed to her yet? Just do it! Hurry up!"

He Suye smiled faintly, somewhat resigned. "Qiu Tian, when I was little, we had a few goldfish at home. I adored them. When it was my turn to feed them, I sprinkled just a little food, and they gobbled it all up. Then I dumped the whole bag in, and they ended up overeating to death. It’s the same now—I can’t ignore her feelings and force my will on her. Besides..." His voice dropped. "The situation is too messy right now; it’s not the right time. She still has unresolved issues. And... I’m greedy. I want her to be completely devoted to me, not just have a little fondness."

Qiu Tian sighed. "If only Fang Kexin would stop eyeing you like that. She seems pretty hostile toward Shen Xifan, huh?"

He Suye chuckled. "That’s your problem. Keep your own house in order and lock your doors tight."

When they finally arrived at Su Ye’s house, he realized it wouldn’t be Shen Xifan who’d be stunned—it would be him.

She wore a soft pink dress, crystal hair accessories, and matching heels, her hair slightly curled. With only light makeup, she held a tray of pastries and candies, smiling brightly as soon as she saw them. "The groom-snatchers are here!"

Qiu Tian whistled and teased, "We’re not here for the bride—we’re here for the bridesmaid!"

A faint blush spread across her cheeks like April peach blossoms, her porcelain neck glowing. A radiant charm shimmered in the corners of her eyes and brows, dazzling like sunlight.

He couldn’t describe what he felt—only that his throat tightened, forcing him to look away, though his gaze still involuntarily flickered back.

From inside the room, Su Ye called out, "Xifan, I’m so nervous! I’m scared! Can I just not get married?"

Qiu Tian burst into laughter. "Too late, too late! Even if we have to hog-tie you, we’re taking you back today!"Li Jie put on a pitiful act beside them, "Sister Shen, please let me pass. I have elderly parents above and no children below, just an old yellow dog to care for. If I marry this wife, I’ll be counting on her to serve me tea and water, massage my back and legs, and pamper me with good food and drink for the rest of my life!"

Shen Xifan giggled, "Su Shan, do you want to sign a post-marriage contract now? We can all be witnesses."

In the end, it was Su Shan herself who came out, her eyes red as she threw herself into her parents' arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Shen Xifan clicked her tongue in amazement, "She wouldn’t cry no matter how much we teased her earlier, but now it’s like a dam has burst."

Li Jie stood awkwardly to the side, clutching a pack of tissues tightly, handing them over one by one with eager attentiveness.

He Suye took the paper bag containing the dress from her hands, "This is what happens when the bond with parents is deep. My cousin cried her heart out at her wedding too, and her husband felt like a villain who had forcibly taken her away."

Shen Xifan smiled, "I bet I’d cry buckets too if I got married. I wouldn’t be able to bear leaving my parents."

Qiu Tian, overhearing, also seemed moved, "If I got married, my parents would probably cry tears of joy."

Then the groom carried the bride out, got into the car, and headed back to the groom’s house before finally driving to the hotel. The wedding procession took up most of the city’s main road, grand and imposing, reminiscent of ancient royal wedding processions.

After getting out of the car, Shen Xifan and Qiu Tian didn’t have a moment to rest. They helped the couple freshen up, collected red envelopes, and handed out wedding candies. By the time the ceremony started, their throats were parched and burning, and they still had to accompany the couple to toast and help fend off drinks.

The festivities didn’t end until past two in the afternoon, and there was still another round in the evening. The two of them felt so miserable they could cry.

Qiu Tian choked up, "The shark fin soup—I didn’t even get a single bite."

Shen Xifan was heartbroken, "I’ve been eyeing that roasted suckling pig for ages, but by the time we got back, only the skin was left."

Qiu Tian collapsed onto the sofa, looking pitifully at He Suye, "Jianjianjiao, if I’d known, I wouldn’t have tried to be tough. I should’ve let you be the best man while I feasted!"

Shen Xifan pointed at him and laughed, "He Suye, with looks like yours, who would dare ask you to be best man? You’d totally overshadow the groom!"

He could only ask, "Aren’t you two hungry? I have food at my place!"

In the end, the two of them shamelessly abandoned the newlyweds and slipped off to He Suye’s house.

All the dishes just needed a quick heat-up in the microwave. He Shouzheng proudly held up two large lunchboxes, showing off, "Uncle, I packed the food you asked for." Then he glanced at Qiu Tian, "Uncle, don’t eat too much! Don’t steal Sister’s share!"

Chicken soup stewed with yam and astragalus, braised mushrooms, eggplant in soy sauce, cold beef salad—Qiu Tian waved his hand grandly, "And a Pepsi!"

He Shouzheng hurriedly poured him a glass of juice, serious as could be, "Uncle says men should drink less soda."

Shen Xifan was buried in the chicken soup, eating happily. He Suye asked, "Want an apple? Or an orange?"

Her mouth full of meat, she couldn’t speak, so she raised her hand and made a gesture. He Suye smiled, "Orange? I’ll juice it for you to take along."

Shen Xifan nodded in satisfaction. Qiu Tian was amazed, "You can understand that? Jianjianjiao, you could be an animal trainer!"

He Shouzheng blinked, "Didn’t they say women are tigers?—Ow! Uncle, that’s what my dad said!"The evening was even more lively and busier. Shen Xifan felt like her legs were about to give out from standing so long, yet she had to force herself to stay energetic. By the time the banquet ended, she looked at her feet and saw several blisters, the pain making her gasp sharply.

Just as she hesitated whether to take off her high heels, He Suye pushed the door open, holding a small box in his hand, and sighed softly, "Qiu Tian said your feet were blistered and asked me to come check on you."

He knelt down on one knee, carefully removing her shoes with natural movements, as if treating a patient. Shen Xifan didn’t sense any awkwardness either, pouring out her grievances without realizing her tone had turned soft and coquettish, like a little woman acting spoiled. Her fair, jade-like foot rested on He Suye’s knee, the broken skin painfully obvious in several spots.

He first wiped the area lightly with alcohol, then took out a small bottle and scooped out some brown powder. Shen Xifan asked curiously, "What’s this?"

"My grandfather made it—Sanqi powder. The main ingredient in Yunnan Baiyao is Sanqi."

"That thing... specifically for cuts, falls, scrapes, and external injuries?"

"It stops bleeding, dissolves blood stasis, promotes circulation, and relieves pain. It’s not just for external injuries—internal ones too. It stops bleeding without leaving stasis and dissolves stasis without harming healthy qi. It can also treat coronary heart disease, angina, and sequelae of cerebral hemorrhage."

"That’s amazing! Give me some more, then. If I get hurt again, I can just apply it and be fine, right?"

After spreading a bit of the Sanqi powder on the wounds and covering them with band-aids, he checked again. "You’ll be fine in two days. Wear these kinds of shoes less often—they’re easy to blister..."

Before he could finish the word "feet," Fang Kexin pushed the door open. She froze upon seeing them, then quickly closed the door again. Shen Xifan asked, puzzled, "What’s wrong? Do you need something, Fang Kexin?"

Fang Kexin bit her lip tightly, her hand on the doorknob sweating, unsure whether it was from the heat or her unwillingness to accept what she saw. "The wedding games are starting. Qiu Tian says you two should hurry over."

He Suye didn’t even look up. "Oh, got it. We’ll be right there."

Shen Xifan sighed dejectedly. "I shouldn’t have taken off my heels. Now it’ll be even harder to put them back on."

Fang Kexin lingered silently by the door for a moment until Qiu Tian called her back to reality. The image from earlier was seared into her mind like a thorn, impossible to shake off.

Why have I waited by your side for so long, waiting for the past to pass and the future to arrive, yet still never catching your glance in my direction?

Honestly, if you were just a little bit kind to me, just a little, it would be enough—enough to make me give up.

The wedding games were in full swing. Medical professionals usually married later, and working in hospitals was stressful, so they made the most of celebrations like this.

The bridal chamber had been booby-trapped by their mischievous friends—apples, red dates, and cherries hung along the path, forcing the bride and groom to eat their way through. Li Jie and Su Shan had already drunk quite a bit and, unable to resist the teasing, were utterly exhausted.

Finally, Li Jie snapped. His thick brows furrowed as he pushed Su Shan into a corner, pressing her against the wall. Turning to the rowdy crowd, he shouted, "Anyone with sense should leave now." Then he planted a passionate kiss, sending everyone present into an uproar.Hiding in the corner, Qiu Tian sighed, "I'm getting old, can't handle such intense excitement anymore. I'm heading home to sleep—got surgery tomorrow. If I piss off the boss, I'm dead."

Hearing this, the others bid farewell to the newcomer one by one, their congratulatory punches landing none too lightly. "Li Jie, well done!"

Shen Xifan tried to stand up to say goodbye, but her legs ached so much she felt like petrifying right there on the chair. A hand reached out to her, "Let me help you back. Can you walk?"

The night was already deep when they got out of the taxi. Apart from the security booth's light, only dim street lamps illuminated the neighborhood.

Watching Shen Xifan limp along, he couldn't bear it. "Forget it, I'll carry you. At this rate, dawn will break before you reach your doorstep."

Shen Xifan wanted to glare at him defiantly, but exhaustion left her with only a pitiful look. He Suye sighed, "Don't be stubborn, little one. Let me carry you."

As He Suye carried her, the faint scent of alcohol and her natural fragrance seeped into his back. His body heat burned like charcoal, stirring an impulse to clutch her tightly and ask—do you like me even a little?

Then she spoke, her words like icy water dousing him completely, "He Suye, I'm going abroad to study."

His forehead burned from the summer night, his throat prickling with sharp pain as his fingers turned cold and stiff. "Congratulations. Which country?"

Unaware of his turmoil, Shen Xifan answered lightly, "The U.S.—Cornell, one of the Ivy Leagues."

So his suspicions had been right. He suddenly felt overlooked, a bitter emotion welling up. "Oh, congratulations. I'll be leaving soon too."

"Where to?"

"A medical team organized by the school—volunteering in mountain regions."

"How long?"

"Not sure. Usually a small group stays longer afterward. I might be selected."

"Won't life be hard there? No proper food or clothes?"

"Silly girl, it's not as bad as you imagine. Just incomparable to big cities, of course."

Truthfully, he hadn't immediately agreed to join the medical team, let alone considered staying longer—he'd said he needed time to decide. Now, he'd made up his mind.

He was just being willful, nursing petty grievances. He resented her unilateral decision yet had no right to interfere. Why couldn't she have told him earlier? To let him know before others, to make him feel somewhat special to her.

He wanted to gamble—would she miss having him around if he were gone?

Suddenly, Shen Xifan's phone rang. She answered slowly, speaking softly and cautiously.

Patting He Suye's shoulder, she signaled to be let down. Standing on the flower bed, she exhaled deeply. "Tomorrow I have to face the last person I want to see. What awful luck."

"Ex-boyfriend?" he ventured."You guessed it!" Shen Xifan's face showed no trace of dejection, instead brimming with mischief. "Actually, even if he didn't come looking for me, I wouldn't have reached out to him first. Then I'd quietly ditch him the same way he treated me back then—ha! How satisfying! But... wouldn't that be a bit cruel?"

He Suye watched Shen Xifan as she chattered away, the corners of her lips slightly upturned. Her good mood remained completely unaffected by that phone call earlier, a stark contrast to the red-eyed, dejected girl who had asked him what to do several months ago.

This was the only comfort in his low spirits—she had already moved on from the past, even though she was preparing to leave.

He asked himself if he could forgive his own childish whim. He wanted to know how much weight he held in her heart. As for studying abroad—there would be plenty of time for that later.