Just as Liu Dan was stuck in a dilemma, he suddenly heard three sets of approaching footsteps—clear, distinct, and getting closer.
"Senior Sister, someone's coming," he said.
Huang Jing glanced at the door, then at Liu Dan, confused by the strange statement.
She studied his face for over ten seconds. A moment later, sure enough, three familiar figures appeared in the doorway—his dormmates. Her heart skipped a beat. He heard them from over fifty meters away? What kind of superhuman hearing is that?
Truth be told, Liu Dan was just as baffled. Since when could I hear things so clearly?
"Boss, you're finally awake! I was really worried," Zhang Tian exclaimed, pulling a dramatic expression like he was auditioning for a movie.
"Boss, I missed you so much I dreamed about you," Gao Wei added, quoting some cheesy movie line.
"Glad you're okay. That's all that matters," Xiao Pang said simply, smiling his usual honest smile.
Looking at their familiar, goofy faces, Liu Dan felt a surge of warmth. Having friends is a good thing.
As the trio entered and noticed Huang Jing—elegant in her white coat—they froze for a second. Understandably so; a beauty like her wasn't something you saw every day.
"This is our senior, and also my attending doctor," Liu Dan introduced her.
"Hello, Senior Huang!" the three of them said in perfect unison.
Huang Jing smiled kindly. She'd originally wanted to ask Liu Dan more about his condition, but seeing his roommates had arrived, she simply said, "I'll check on you again this afternoon. If all goes well, you can leave tomorrow." Then she walked away gracefully.
"Heh heh, Boss, talk about luck—no training, and a beauty to keep you company. You hit the jackpot!" Gao Wei said the moment she was out of earshot. Zhang Tian nodded, completely on board.
"Get lost," Liu Dan chuckled. "If you like this kind of luck so much, take it. It's all yours."
"No way! Only a man of destiny like you can enjoy this kind of fortune," they said, both waving their hands in mock solemnity.
"Alright, alright, enough," Xiao Pang stepped in. "Let's not bother him too much. Boss hasn't eaten in two days. Let him get some food in first."
Now that it was mentioned, Liu Dan's stomach growled in protest.
The guys immediately unpacked the bags they'd brought—bananas, apples, and a generous supply of snacks.
"Here, start with the chicken soup. I specially asked the chef from that restaurant we liked to make it. It's nutritious and super tasty."
Liu Dan's stomach growled louder. Just the thought of that soup made his mouth water. Compared to his own cooking—which wasn't bad, by the way—this was a rare treat. (Yes, Liu Dan could cook. Living alone kind of forced him to learn or starve.)
As he drank, he thought of his mom. Whenever he got sick as a child, she'd always make chicken soup for him. A tear rolled down his cheek before he could stop it. To hide the emotion, he quickly stuffed his face with food.
After eating and chatting a bit more, the three headed back to training.
Alone again, Liu Dan lay on the hospital bed. Though he'd lived solo for years, the silence still felt heavy.
He thought about the little money he had left. After paying tuition and buying the basics, only about 3,000 yuan (428 USD) remained. He'd definitely need a part-time job once classes started.
Then he remembered passing out during training. What exactly happened?
He sat cross-legged and quietly checked his body. Sure enough, there had been changes. The once separate hot and cold energy flows had merged into a single, warm current. Even more surprising, the flow now traced a full-body loop: from his dantian to his chest, then up to his head. It felt… incredible. His body was brimming with strength. Every pass of the energy left a wave of soothing warmth. Without realizing it, he slipped into a state of focused cultivation.
When he opened his eyes again, he knew: his nameless family technique had reached a new level.
Wait a second—someone was beside him.
And it was a woman.
He could tell from the light, refreshing fragrance surrounding her.
Huang Jing had been watching him silently for over thirty minutes. He'd just sat there, cross-legged, faintly glowing with a soft blue light. There was something mysterious about him, something that tugged at her curiosity. How could he have collapsed without a single symptom? Even with her medical knowledge, she hadn't found anything wrong. And now he was glowing?
Most of all, she felt calm. Just looking at his face gave her an odd sense of peace.
"You're awake. How do you feel?"
"Thank you for your concern, Senior. I'm fine." Damn. Being this close to a beautiful woman was making his face burn.
Wow, Huang Jing thought, such a big boy, and still so easy to tease.
Feeling playful, she reached out and touched his forehead. "Still claiming you're fine? Your face is burning up. Are you sure you don't have a fever?"
Her hand was soft and cool. Liu Dan's brain short-circuited. His face was practically steaming.
"S-Senior, really, I'm okay."
"Are you sure? Pinky swear?"
"I swear! But… could you maybe… take your hand off me?"
"So I am annoying," she said with a pout, eyes glistening like she was about to cry. Ugh, women really are born actors.
For some reason, seeing her look like that made Liu Dan's heart ache. He suddenly wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay.
"I didn't mean that," he stammered. "I just…"
"Oh, so if you didn't mean that, you meant this—you really like me?" she teased, her eyes sparkling.
Liu Dan looked like he might cry. Why is this beautiful senior such a handful?
"Please, Senior. I surrender. You win."
"Then answer my questions properly," she said, finally satisfied.
"I'll tell you everything, I swear. No secrets," Liu Dan said, rubbing his temples.
"Why did you suddenly pass out? And why were you glowing blue just now? Be honest."
"I'll tell you—but you have to promise to keep it secret," he said. Even though he trusted her, he didn't want to end up in a lab somewhere.
"Scout's honor."
So he told her everything. About the nameless family technique, the accident during training, and the mysterious inner energy. As for the blue glow—well, he didn't know either.
Huang Jing, top of her class in the university's medical department, had always believed qigong might be real. But now that she'd witnessed it firsthand, it still felt surreal.
After running a final check and confirming he was completely fine, she approved his discharge.
"If you ever need anything, come find me at the medical school," she said. There was a warmth in her tone that lingered.
"Thank you for taking care of me, Sister Jing," Liu Dan said sincerely. Despite all her teasing, he was truly grateful.
"Silly. I'm your doctor. Of course I took care of you. And next time you practice that mysterious whatever-it-is, be careful. Don't faint again."
Back at the dorm, his roommates were still off at training. Liu Dan hadn't bathed in two days, so he went to the shower. Just as he stepped out, he heard Gao Wei yelling.
"This is inhuman! I'm gonna die out there!"
"Boss, you're back? I thought you were getting discharged tomorrow?" Zhang Tian called as he walked in.
"I'm fine. Came back early. Not like that place was a five-star hotel or anything." Liu Dan flashed a relaxed smile.
"Wait… Boss, did you get taller?" Xiao Pang said, standing next to him and comparing.
"Yeah!" Gao Wei joined in. "We used to be the same height, but now you've got, what, four or five centimeters on me!"
Liu Dan had noticed it too. He'd gone from 175 to almost 180. He'd thought it was just his imagination.
Zhang Tian frowned. "Boss, your skin… it's glowing. It's smoother than any of the girls in our class!"
"Damn. I should've spent two days in the hospital too," Gao Wei said, half-jealous.
Liu Dan didn't say anything. He wasn't trying to hide it, but how was he supposed to explain something like this?
The next day, Liu Dan rejoined training. His fainting episode had made him a bit of a celebrity in class. Or as Zhang Tian put it: "Blessing in disguise, my dude."
The month of training flew by.
Finally, it was over.
At the farewell party for the instructors, Gao Wei and Zhang Tian bawled louder than the girls—dramatically, shamelessly, and with feeling. Liu Dan and Xiao Pang were both stunned.
Afterward, their explanation?
"Well, if we want a happy love life, we need the girls to notice us. Just like our boss."
Liu Dan could only shake his head and laugh.