Everyone thinks being a Li means I have it all- wealth, connections, that polished smile they teach at charity galas.
But no one sees the truth beneath the designer labels.
No one hears the venom laced in my mother's compliments or feels the cold air that fills our mansion more than love ever did.
It is the mid-semester after an exam vacations in Hua Xing International Business Academy, an elite MBA school in Pudong, the financial heart of Shanghai.
I was getting ready for my first day at Hua Xing after vacations , hearing the horn beep of the car outside the mansion gate.
I glimpsed out of the window, my hand raised in a wave towards Mei Chen, who waved back from inside the silver Mercedes with her window shades down and holding milk tea in the other hand.
Mei Chen shouted, "Wei-Wei, hurry up, we are getting late."
As I rushed down the stairs, I saw my mom sitting on the luxurious couch, not quite sinking in, her hands clasped tightly in her lap ,her posture is rigid and her sharp gaze directed at me.
" Weya, today you're supposed to be getting results, right?". I confidently nodded ,"yes".
"I am looking forward to it", she implied, hinting that she has high expectations. I nodded in assurance.
The leather strap settled snugly against my shoulder as I slipped the bag on and hurried towards the door. As I made my way towards the gate, Mei smiled at me warmly, her cheeks glowing in the bright sunshine. She has been my best friend since sophomore year. She is the only person I vent all my worries to.
I hopped in the car. She offered me milk tea and raised the speed as we were getting late.
I leaned against the seat , resting my elbow by the window, fingers curled loosely under my chin as the city slowly came alive outside.
My reflection hovered faintly on the glass—long, ink-black hair falling in neat waves over my pressed uniform, the navy tie perfectly knotted at my collar.
My skin looked almost translucent in the morning glow, people always said I looked composed pretty in that untouchable way.
But none of them saw the heaviness in my eyes, the silence that lived behind carefully curled eyelashes.
"So, how did you do in the test?", Mei asked. Before I utter anything she answered it herself ,"Of course you would've aced it".
Well she wasn't wrong though, I have always topped in all the exams ,always did but somehow I felt uneasy in my gut. "Well, how was yours?", I asserted.
"I did the worst. I'm telling you, Li Wei, I bombed it", she groaned.
I raised an eyebrow. "How bad are we talking?"
"I wrote an entire essay to the wrong question. Wrong! I was so confident too! I even underlined things like I knew what I was saying!" she grumbled.
Then she let head fall against the headrest with a dramatic sigh.
I bit back a smile. Mei Chen's world always seems to be ending right after exams—and yet, somehow, she always manages to get the best score.
I tried to hold it in, but my laugh bubbled out.
"That's…impressive, honestly."
Mei shot me a quick glare before returning her attention to the road. "Don't laugh. This is serious. I saw my GPA pack its bag and walk out of my life."
I covered my mouth, failing to muffle my giggles.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But you have to admit, you're being a little dramatic."
She gasped, "A little? Wei, this is my villain origin story."
I laughed harder, the sound filing the car like sunlight.
"Well then, I will be your loyal sidekick. With snacks". She cracked a smile despite herself, eyes still focused ahead.
"Deal, But if I crash this car just know it's the exams fault."
The car rolled through the tall, wrought-iron gates of Hua Xing International Business Academy, the school crest shining above like a quiet reminder of how serious this place was.
The campus looked perfect, like always—neatly trimmed lawns, big trees lining the road, and buildings that were a mix of old and new. Some looked like old stone castles, while others had glass walls and automated doors. Students in sharp uniforms moved around, some chatting , some buried in their phones and others rushing like they were already late.
Mei Chen pulled into the parking lot with a loud sigh.
"Even the air here smells like pressure," she muttered.
I stepped out, adjusting my blazer as the wind played with my hair. A few students nearly glanced our way, but I ignored them.
"Back to the kingdom of grades and expectations," Mei said, swinging her bag onto her shoulder.
I gave a small smile.
"Where coffee is and stress is dress code."
Even with pressure and competition, I still missed this place. Somehow it is more peaceful than home. Calmer. Here, I could breathe without walking on eggshells—the library came first to my mind where I spent hours, the garden behind the west wing which smelled like daisies, where I once sat through an entire lunch break. Even the empty classrooms after hours felt more comforting than my own living room.
This school, for all its rules and expectations, had become my escape. A place where I could disappear into books, numbers, and routines—and for a while, forget everything waiting for me at home.
We walked towards the main building, the sun shining down and day just beginning—I took a breath, straightened my shoulders, and entered the classroom.
The classroom was almost empty when we walked in. A few students sat scattered across the room, heads down, lost in their own worlds. The usual morning chatter was missing.
Mei slowed down, looking around. "Where is everyone?" she asked, her voice cutting through the quiet.
A girl in glasses—Chen Rong, always early, always quiet—looked up from her notes.
"They're all at the ranking board," she said, adjusting her frames. "They just posted last week's results."
Mei froze.
"Oh no."
She turned to me slowly, eyes wide. "Do you think they already saw my disaster score? Am i famous now?"Infamous"
I tried not to smile.
"Only one way to find out."
She groaned and dragged her feet towards the door again. I followed her, the echo of our footsteps soft against the marble floor. Part of me already knew where my name would be—but another part still hoped I wouldn't hate what I saw.
The hallway outside is packed. Students clustered tightly around the glowing digital board on the wall, all eyes locked on the freshly posted rankings. The hum of whispers, gasps, and groans filled the air like static.
"Mei Chen hesitated at the edge of the crowd.
"Okay, Deep breath. Whatever happens, I was a good person in my past life, right?"
I gave her a look.
"You copied my entire economics assignment last week."
"Borrowed," she corrected, squaring her shoulder dramatically. "Let's go."
We squeezed through the cluster of students until the name came into view.
Rank 1 : Zhang Rui
The name hit me before I even found mine.
Transfer Student was listed beside it, like a warning label.
I frowned slightly. A newcomer…?
Then I spotted my own name—Rank 2: Li Wei—holding steady, but knocked down a spot.
I, Li Wei, have always topped in everything. I always did, until now—be it exams, competitions, debates, projects.
The unforeseen change in the rank list, left me dumfounded.
Zhang Rui, the unfamiliar yet somehow, it resonated with a half-forgotten melody, a faint echo of a story never fully told.
I hated it so much. Not because i wanted, but I couldn't help myself.
I felt Mei freeze beside me.
"Who… is that?" she pointed out slowly, leaning closer.
We weren't the only ones asking. Around us, students had already started whispering.
"He's the new guy, right? Just transferred in today."
"From Australia. Some elite business program, I heard voices behind."
"Wait he beat Li Wei? On his first week?"
As i heard this a chill passed down through my spine.
"No one's even seen him properly yet."
"I heard he's insanely good-looking.Like an idol."
More murmurs, more stares, and more curious eyes darting around the hallway, searching for the names that suddenly mattered.
I caught a glimpse of him through the crowd— just barely. Standing tall and still by the end of the hallway, dressed sharp, bag slung over one shoulder, expression unreadable. He didn't look like someone who needed to try hard. He looked like someone used to winning.
He hadn't noticed me. Or maybe he had—and just didn't care.
"Wow," Mei whispered."He's not even five minutes into this school and he's already the main character."
Then our eyes searched for Mei Chen name on the ranking board.
Rank 12: Mei Chen
"Twelve?" she gasped, hand flying to her chest. "I knew this was the end. I'm officially in my flop era.,"
I gave her a sideways look.
"You're still top fifteen."
"Exactly. Fifteen adjacent. This is tragic."
The drama continues till we entered the class room.