[ Zhang Rui]
Shanghai smelled the same.
It hit me the second I stepped out of the car this morning. A mix of fresh rain on stone and the faint spice of early street food stalls drifting in from somewhere. It had been over a decade, but some things just stayed with you. I was born here, after all. Lived here until sixth grade, before my parents packed up everything and moved us to Australia.
Now, I was back. Not as a tourist. Not as a visitior. But as a student at one of the most prestigious MBA campuses in the city I used to call home.
I walked through the polished halls of the Hua Xing campus, hands in my pockets, with a hint of excitement—looking forward to the new beginning. To see what fate leads me to.
The marble floors beneath my shoes gleamed, and the fresh paper and expensive ambition. It reminded me a bit of home, minus the sea breeze and my mum's jasmine tea.
I stopped in front of the ranking board, scanning names out of idle curiosity. And there it was.
Rank 1: Zhang Rui.
I blinked, mildly amused. Not surprised. Not proud. Just… yeah, sounds about right.
Huh. Figures.
I didn't chase grades. Never had. It just happened. I liked solving things, understanding patterns. Numbers bent easily for me. That wasn't pressure—it was just how I worked. My parents didn't push me do this. Growing up in Sydney, surrounded by their businesses and easy laughter, the pressure was never about legacy. They just wanted me to be me. Do my best, be kind, and never forget where I came from.
The murmurs had already started behind me.
"Zhang Rui? Who's that?"
"He's the new guy from Australia."
"Isn't he, like, ridiculously smart?
"Also—look at him. That jawline isn't fair."
Before I could roll my eyes, a familiar voice cut through the crowd.
"And so it begins," Jian Hao said, slinging an arm over my shoulder."Not even ten minutes in and they're already mythologizing you."
I laughed. "You're exaggerating."
"Nope. You just dethroned Li Wei, aka campus queen. Now they're panicking. Some of them probably have shrines."
I glanced back at the board.
Rank 2: Li Wei
I didn't know her. But the name carried weight. I could tell by the way students were whispering about her—sharp, brilliant, top of the class since forever. Until now.
"You met her yet?" Jian Hao asked, walking with me down the hallway.
"Not yet."
"She's intense," he said with a smirk.
"Smart as hell. Kind of icy. Not in a bad way though. Just…untouchable."
I didn't say anything, but I felt something shift in my chest. A name like that. A mind like that. Now that was interesting.
Shanghai was already shaping up to be more than just another campus. And Li Wei? She might be the first person in a long time who could make things…
complicated.
I didn't mind.
It had been a while since I walked into a room not knowing a single soul. Shanghai might've been where I was born, but this place—it felt more foreign than familiar.
I adjusted the strap of my bag, stepped through the classroom door, and felt a dozen eyes turns.
The professor glanced up from the board.
"Ah, just in time. Everyone, this is Zhang Rui. He's transferred in from Australia."
I gave a nod. No reason to overplay it. I wasn't here to impress anyone—I just wanted to settle in and stay out of the noise.
"I grew up in Shanghai," I said, calm and even. "Moved to Sydney in when I was twelve. My family runs businesses there. Glad to be here."
Professor Liu seemed satisfied and waved me to take a seat.
As i walked down the asile, I took in the room. Polished shoes, designer bags, the sound of styluses tapping tablets—privileged kids with ambition and never to match. Some glanced at me with curiousity, others with calculation.
And then my eyes stopped on her.
Sitting by the window. Unbothered.
Controlled.
Li Wei.
I knew who she was before I came. Topping every exam. That quiet, perfect shifted. Barely. Subtly.Like a thread pulling tight.
I took the seat next to her without hesitation.
Not to challenge her.
But because I always sit at the center of the storm.
As the lecture started, I glanced at her again.
She radiated something fierce—but polished.The kind of energy that said: Don't test me.
And for some reason…I wanted to.