Section 1: Gentle Guardianship in Youth
The cicadas in high school were always exceptionally noisy, their sounds piercing the air as sunlight filtered through the mottled leaves, spilling onto the classroom windowsill. Song Jian sat in the back row, his gaze drifting involuntarily toward the slender figure in the front. Zhang Ningxue sat with her head lowered, her pale fingers gripping a pen tightly, while stray locks of hair fell across her forehead, veering to cast a shadow over her slightly weary face.
From the very first time he saw Zhang Ningxue, Song Jian had been captivated by her unique blend of fragility and resilience. He noticed that during recess, she would always quietly rest her head on her desk, her complexion often far paler than anyone else's. It was only later that he learned Zhang Ningxue had been in poor health since childhood, making frequent trips to the hospital every few days.
This ache in his heart transformed into the driving force behind Song Jian's dedication to his studies. While others were still fast asleep, he was already at his desk under the lamplight, memorizing knowledge points; during lunch breaks, when his classmates laughed and played, he buried himself in the library to tackle difficult problems. He had only one obsession: to be admitted to the best medical school, to become an outstanding doctor in the future, and to protect the girl who held his heart.
Chapter 166