At eighteen, Xu Hanfeng was a gifted midfielder in Jiangsu's youth system. When the club folded, he was forced to retire and entered Nanjing Normal University with his professional dreams unfulfilled. On his first day of school, he took a free kick that struck the crossbar, then bounced off and hit Ye Wanqing, a literary prodigy from Jinling who loved literature more than anything, as she strolled along the track.
She knew nothing about soccer, but was drawn to his determination as he ran. He knew nothing about poetry, but was moved by the tenderness in her writing. From chance encounters in the library to cheering each other on at the edge of the pitch, from late-night conversations beneath the stars to the crossroads in their lives, he returned to the field to fight for Xuzhou, while she faced her father's harsh conditions despite holding an exchange offer from Peking University.
When rumors spread and choices grew difficult, they finally realized:
The most beautiful goal is the step you take running toward me;
The most moving love letter is a youth filled with your name.
Sports competition is embarrassing for you