June arrived in the heart of the plum rain season. Beneath the dark, overcast sky, the rain fell endlessly, saturating the air with dampness so heavy it felt almost suffocating.

In the dormitory, only Shi Xing and Ying Xiaoxiao remained.

Gazing out the window, Ying Xiaoxiao complained,
“This awful weather really sets the mood. If you played A Spray of Plum Blossoms right now, the atmosphere would be perfect.”

She then propped her chin on her hand and sighed dramatically.
“They say persuading someone to study medicine invites divine punishment. If Western medicine is being struck by lightning, then traditional Chinese medicine is getting struck and sent straight to the eighteenth level of hell.”

Watching her, Shi Xing mimicked the pose, resting her chin on her hand as well, and teased,
“You’re thinking too lightly. It should be being thrown into the eighteenth level of hell and never reincarnating again.”

Ying Xiaoxiao immediately latched onto her arm, joking,
“Heavens above, who allowed you to say something so vicious? I’m calling the police on you.”

Shi Xing hurriedly begged for mercy. As the two laughed and tussled, Ying Xiaoxiao suddenly seemed to remember something. She stopped and asked,
“Oh, right — have the results for that Sports Bureau recruitment come out yet?”

Shi Xing paused slightly, pressed her lips together, and replied,
“They said the results would be out today.”

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, her phone buzzed with a text message — a notification confirming her successful employment.

Instinctively, Shi Xing covered her mouth.

Ying Xiaoxiao immediately noticed her reaction.
“You passed?”

Shi Xing nodded.

In an instant, the dormitory erupted with shrill cheers. The gloom of the past few days was completely swept away.

Ying Xiaoxiao quickly pulled out her phone and began searching for nearby restaurants. As she scrolled, she said,
“We’re celebrating tonight. After graduation, I’ll be heading back to Nanlin City — who knows when we’ll get another chance to gather like this?”

Hearing this, Shi Xing muttered,
“You were that sure I’d pass?”

Her face was small and delicate, a classic oval shape. Under the dorm lights, her pale eyes shimmered with a faint mist as she looked straight at Ying Xiaoxiao.

Clearly flustered by that look, Ying Xiaoxiao hurriedly turned away.
“Stop. Don’t look at me like that. You’re making it hard for me to say anything heartless.”

Her eyes suddenly darted as she changed the subject.
“Six o’clock tonight, Nanting Pavilion — the place you go to all the time. Dress nicely.”

Before Shi Xing could ask anything else, Ying Xiaoxiao had already left the dorm, likely off to find her boyfriend.

That evening, when Shi Xing got out of the car at the restaurant, a group was already waiting at the entrance. Besides Ying Xiaoxiao, there was her boyfriend Chen Cheng, along with several of their friends.

Ying Xiaoxiao spotted her first and waved her over.

“Let me introduce you,” she said, draping an arm around Shi Xing’s shoulder.
“This is my roommate and my best friend — Shi Xing.”

She then introduced the boys one by one.

When their gazes landed on Shi Xing, a flash of amazement passed through each of their eyes. After being led to their reserved outdoor table, they began ordering food.

When the boys went off to buy drinks, Ying Xiaoxiao leaned close to Shi Xing and asked quietly,
“Well? Anyone you like tonight? I can introduce you.”

Shi Xing froze for a moment, then shook her head so hard she looked like a bobblehead.

Seeing this, Ying Xiaoxiao gently flicked her on the forehead, clearly frustrated.

To be fair, it wasn’t Ying Xiaoxiao’s fault. A well-known beauty like Shi Xing had never lacked admirers since the start of university — yet she had only ever been in one relationship.

Over time, Ying Xiaoxiao grew anxious on her behalf, worried she was still trapped in her past, or that she might be deceived by someone with bad intentions. Determined, she decided to personally find Shi Xing the perfect partner.

Before Shi Xing could say anything more, Chen Cheng and the others returned.

Since everyone was around the same age, conversation flowed easily. The atmosphere throughout dinner was lively, and once drinks were flowing, the topic shifted to university gossip.

At that moment, the large screen across from them lit up with an advertisement featuring top-tier athlete Ji Yu. Instantly, everyone’s attention was drawn to it.

Ji Yu — currently the most popular athlete in the national sports world. He entered the national team at twelve, topped the men’s singles badminton rankings for the first time at eighteen, and won his first world championship at nineteen. From then on, he dominated major international badminton tournaments.

On top of that, he possessed movie-star looks, driving countless fans into a frenzy.

When Shi Xing saw that familiar face, her breathing stalled.

A boy seated in the corner tried to strike up conversation with her.
“Sister Xing, once you join the national team as a doctor, do you think you’ll run into Ji Yu? You have to get me an autograph.”

Before Shi Xing could reply, another boy scoffed,
“Someone like him definitely has a top-tier medical team. No way a rookie team doctor would get near him.”

Hearing his name, Ying Xiaoxiao instinctively glanced at Shi Xing and quickly smoothed things over.
“Drink your beer. Why are you talking about something so far off?”

Chen Cheng suddenly chimed in, as if recalling something.
“Actually, I used to see him pretty often at our school gate a few years ago. If I’d known he’d become this famous, I would’ve insisted on taking a photo with him.”

The others assumed he was bragging and dismissed him.
“How would someone like that show up at our school?”

“I’m serious,” Chen Cheng said excitedly.
“He went to the university next door. I figured his girlfriend was studying at our school — he probably came to visit her.”

At those words, Shi Xing, who had been drinking water, suddenly choked and began coughing violently.

Ying Xiaoxiao quickly patted her back, worry flashing across her face.

Using the excuse of going to the restroom, Shi Xing stood up. Just as she turned away, she heard Ying Xiaoxiao smack Chen Cheng hard on the back.
“Shut up. Stop talking about that and change the subject.”

At the sink, Shi Xing splashed cool water onto her face.

Nearby, a group of girls were chatting about last month’s badminton match.

“Did you see Ji Yu’s game? He was so handsome.”

“Of course I did. I wonder when I’ll ever see him in real life.”

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Shi Xing found herself momentarily lost in thought.

Soon, the day arrived for her official onboarding.

Standing outside the Sports Bureau, Shi Xing glanced up at the sign above the entrance. Her fingers tightened around the documents in her hand before she stepped inside.

Following the signs to the medical office, she noticed that everyone else seemed busy. No one paid her any attention — except for a young man lounging in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, absorbed in a mobile game.

Shi Xing approached and asked politely,
“I’m here to report for duty. Will I be assigned directly to my team later?”

The man didn’t even look up. He pulled a form from the drawer and tossed it in front of her.
“Write your name.”

After she filled it out, he glanced at the information and continued gaming, jerking his chin toward the side.
“After the ten o’clock training meeting, head straight to the race walking training base.”

Shi Xing blinked, confused.
“Huh?”

Thinking she hadn’t heard him clearly, the man clicked his tongue and repeated impatiently,
“After the meeting, go to the race walking training base.”

Shi Xing pulled out the list on her phone and held it in front of him, frowning.
“But I applied for the table tennis team, didn’t I?”

The man shut off his phone, visibly annoyed.
“The table tennis team already has enough doctors. Race walking doesn’t. Why are you so set on table tennis?”

Shi Xing didn’t back down.
“My grandfather loved table tennis. I grew up watching matches with him. Besides, the notice said assignments were based on exam rankings — I chose table tennis myself. Now you’re just moving me somewhere else?”

At that moment, a woman approached. She wore a white shirt and black slacks, her short dark hair neat and professional.

She looked at them and frowned.
“What’s going on?”

Judging from her presence, Shi Xing guessed she was a supervisor and repeated the situation.

The man immediately changed his tone, smiling awkwardly.
“Sister Jing, I was just joking with her.”

Turning to Shi Xing, he said,
“I’ll take you to the table tennis team right now.”

Shi Xing pressed her lips together, then said calmly,
“Forget it. You said race walking doesn’t have a team doctor yet, right?”

The man nodded, stunned.

Then Shi Xing said seriously,
“I’ll go there. Leaving them without a doctor long-term increases the risk of injury.”

The man stared at her in disbelief, unable to comprehend why anyone would volunteer for race walking.

The sport had low international visibility and limited advancement opportunities. Most newcomers avoided it, which was why he’d been ordered to force an agreeable rookie into the role — but Shi Xing was far from agreeable.

Yu Jing looked at her with clear approval.
“What’s your name?”

“Shi Xing.”

“That’s a nice name. I hope your performance will be just as bright.”

After giving a few brief instructions, Yu Jing left.

Shi Xing attended the training meeting first.

The content was straightforward — emergency injury response, precautions, and procedures.

Three others joined her intake group, all graduate students from top-tier medical schools. By comparison, her résumé seemed unremarkable, but she refused to feel discouraged and quietly encouraged herself.

After the meeting, she arrived at the training base.

Female athletes were encouraging one another, repeating drills over and over. Sweat soaked through their collars, yet they never stopped. Under the blazing sun, their faces were flushed red, radiating determination and resilience.

Moved by their spirit, Shi Xing introduced herself during a break.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Shi Xing. I’ll be your team doctor from now on, responsible for treating injuries. I hope we can work well together.”

Applause erupted throughout the facility.

Their captain stepped forward to welcome her. After the brief ceremony, the athletes returned to training.

As Shi Xing observed their movements, her brows slowly furrowed.

Before she could comment, someone rushed over anxiously.
“Where’s the team doctor? Come with me — someone got injured at the badminton training base.”

Shi Xing stood up immediately and followed.

But when she saw that familiar figure again, she froze.

She never imagined that her reunion with Ji Yu, after all these years, would happen like this.

The moment their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat — and Ji Yu noticed her as well.

Years had sharpened his features, his face more defined and refined. Though more mature, the youthful spark in his eyes remained unchanged.

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