By the time I reached my room, exhaustion was finally dragging me down.
I showered quickly, changed into pajamas, and climbed into bed.
The sheets were cool.
The city humming outside the window had softened into a comforting white noise.
Maybe tomorrow will be easier.
Maybe people will forget.
My phone buzzed.
I reached for it lazily.
And froze.
[Campus Watch Forum] New Thread: WHO IS SHE WITH LIN XUAN???
[Photos Attached]
My breath caught.
The pictures were grainy but unmistakable.
Me.
Getting out of his Mercedes.
Standing beside him at the dorm entrance.
Chen Yu was glaring daggers from the side.
Comments were already flooding in.
"Did he finally start dating?"
"She looks American."
"Chen Yu was pissed omg."
"Plot twist of the semester."
"Is she…pretty? I can't tell, the camera quality sucks."
My stomach dropped.
A private message appeared.
Unknown: Don't trust Chen Yu. She ruins people.
Another
Unknown: Do NOT let Lin Xuan get you involved. He's dangerous.
Another.
Unknown: *Good luck surviving the Ice Prince, newbie 😉*
My chest tightened.
The room suddenly felt too small.
Too bright.
Too loud.
I tossed the phone aside and curled into the blanket.
Please let tomorrow be better.
Sleep didn't come quickly. When it finally did, it was shallow, restless, and filled with broken images of sharp eyes and whispered rumors circling me like vultures.
---------------------
Somewhere across the campus, in a quiet apartment overlooking the river, Lin Xuan stood on his balcony, phone in hand.
He saw the forum thread too.
He exhaled once – long and slow – before locking his screen.
"This will be problematic," he murmured to the night.
Morning
My alarm dragged me up at 7:00 a.m., screeching like a demon summoned specifically to torment me.
I slapped the dismiss button and stared up at the pale ceiling.
Everything felt heavy.
My head. My eyes. My chest.
Shanghai might glitter at night, but at 7 a.m., it felt like a city full of expectations I wasn't ready to meet.
I forced myself up, grabbed my toiletries, and stepped into the hallway.
The dorm was alive. Too alive.
Doors slammed. Hairdryers roared. Someone shouted in rapid-fire Mandarin about missing a notebook. A guy stumbled out of a room wearing only pajama pants and a blanket cape.
Normal chaos.
Except for the whispers.
"Is that her?"
"Don't look – she'll notice!"
"She's shorter than I thought."
Great.
Exactly the energy I wanted this morning.
I kept my gaze forward and ducked into the communal bathroom.
It was packed. Students squeezed around mirrors, applying makeup or fighting with their hair.
I found an empty sink and splashed cold water on my face, trying to shock myself awake.
Then—
"Hey…look."
"She's right there."
"I saw the thread last night. That Mercedes? Wow."
"Imagine arriving with him."
I stared at my reflection – wet cheeks, red eyes, jet-lagged misery. Definitely not the glamorous mystery girl the rumors probably wanted me to be.
I brushed my teeth fast and escaped before I drowned in the echo chamber.
Back in My Room
I changed into simple jeans and a soft blue shirt. I needed to look like I belonged here – which was difficult when my insides felt like scrambled eggs.
As I tied my hair up, a knock tapped on my door.
I jumped.
Slowly, I opened it.
A petite girl with round glasses blinked up at me.
"Hi! Sorry if I scared you. I'm Meiling. I live two doors down."
Her smile was bright, genuine.
I clung to it like a lifeline.
"Allie," I said softly. "Nice to meet you."
"I was wondering…do you want someone to walk with you to orientation? It's easy to get lost on the first day."
"Yes, I said it too fast. "Please."
She giggled. "Great. We should go early before the good seats are taken."
As we walked down the hall, she added, "Oh – um – about last night… I saw your name on the forum."
My stomach clenched.
But she continued:
"Don't worry. Most people are just bored. They talk about anyone connected to the Ambassadors."
"Ambassadors?"
"You didn't know?" She blinked. Lin Xuan is one of the Student Ambassadors for the foreign programs. The 'Ice Prince' of the University."
There it was again.
I groaned. "Why does everyone call him that?"
Meiling giggled behind her hand.
"Because he's so cold to everyone. But brilliant. And rich. And apparently handsome. So girls decided he must be an untouchable winter god or something."
I facepalmed. "I really hope this is a bad dream."
She gave my arm a reassuring squeeze. "It'll calm down. Eventually."
Campus Walk: Round Two of Rumors
The morning sun filtered through bamboo-lined pathways. It should have been peaceful.
Instead…
"That's her."
"She walked with another girl today."
"I bet Lin Xuan hates this."
"Did you see the second thread? People are analyzing her shoes."
I nearly tripped over my own feet.
"What second thread?" I hissed to Meiling.
She winced. "Um…someone zoomed the Mercedes photos and said your sneakers' lacked romantic appeal."
"…My sneakers?"
"They're just bored," she repeated, but even she sounded tired.
By the time we reached the Grand Hall, my nerves were shot.
The steps were filled with students chatting animatedly.
Everyone looked polished, confident, perfectly put together.
And there I was, a walking rumor in sneakers apparently offensive to the campus elite.
And then I saw him.
Lin Xuan.
Standing at the top of the hall steps, surrounded by a small group of students.
He wore a crisp white shirt again, sleeves rolled to his forearms.
His posture was immaculate. His expression was frosty.
Meiling whispered, "He looks…intense."
"Always," I muttered.
At that moment, he looked up.
His gaze locked onto mine.
Sharp. Unreadable. Icy.
Something in my chest jolted.
But he turned away after one second, dismissing me entirely.
Maybe that stung more than it should have.
Inside the Grand Hall
We found seats in the middle. Students filled every row, buzzing like an overcharged beehive.
Meiling leaned toward me. "Don't stare at him too long. Someone might take a picture."
I choked. "Seriously?"
"Last year,r they made memes of a girl who tripped too close to him."
"Wonderful."
Before I could sink into anxiety, my phone vibrated.
Against my better judgment, I checked it.
[CAMPUS WATCH] New Comment:
She's here. Row 14. Blue top. With glasses, girl.
Another appeared instantly:
Do you think Lin Xuan saw her?
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"I hate this school," I whispered.
Meiling patted my shoulder sympathetically.
The dean stepped onto the stage and began his welcome speech, but my brain was stuck on the glowing screen in my lap.
Who is doing this? Why?
Halfway through, someone walked in from a side door.
Every spine in the hall straightened.
Lin Xuan.
Of course.
He walked down theaisle, his expression carved from stone, and sat in the reserved ambassador seats. Students watched him like he was the center of gravity.
I tried to focus on the speech.
But something tugged me.
I looked up.
\Lin Xuan wasn't listening to the dean.
He was looking at me.
Not a glance. Not a flicker.
A full, direct stare.
I froze.
His expression didn't change – not a smile, not annoyance – but his gaze lingered a beat too long before he finally turned back to the stage.
My pulse wouldn't slow.
When the dean finally dismissed us, students rushed to stand.
Chairs scraped.
Voices rose.
And then –
A group blocked my way.
A girl at the front crossed her arms, her hair perfectly curled, eyes sharp.
"So."
She looked me up and down.
"What exactly is your relationship with Lin Xuan?"
The room stiffened beside me.
My mouth went dry.
Across the hall, Lin Xuan had paused too – one hand still on the strap of his bag, eyes narrowing sharply as he watched the confrontation.
The rumors weren't slowing down.
They were evolving.