The Maybach rolled quietly into the parking lot of Fudan University. The driver immediately got out to open the rear door, but Chen Wei hesitated for a moment. He looked at his sister, who smiled encouragingly.
"Calm down, Chen Wei. You'll get used to it soon," Meilin said softly.
Wei didn't answer. He pretended not to hear her, even though her words echoed in his head. He got out, adjusted his expensive jacket, and headed for the main entrance. The pounding rhythm from his headphones completely shut out the outside world. He entered the lobby, where hundreds of students were bustling about, but to him it was all just a silent movie.
He walked through the crowd like a ghost; he felt the stares on his back, heard the muffled whispers, but he didn't look at anyone. He only saw the floor and his own thoughts.
As he got closer to the information desk, Chen Wei's hands trembled more and more, he swallowed harder and harder, and he kept chewing his lips. He knew he would have to speak soon. When he reached the information desk, he saw that the people in front of him were finishing almost instantly and not holding up the line behind them. When it was his turn, Chen Wei took the earphones out of his ears and heard the bustling hallway for the first time.
Chen Wei grabbed his jacket tightly as he tried to speak, but it was as if a huge rock was blocking his way, and he clenched his teeth so hard that they almost broke. "G...good afternoon, I...I'm Chen Wei. I...I'd like to know which room I'll be in."
Silence throbbed in Chen Wei's throat. The lady at the counter looked at him with incomprehension and a little impatience, which only tightened the boy's throat even more. Then a firm, tapping sound of shoes was heard behind him, and a cool, confident female voice broke the awkward silence.
"If you're trying to tell me your name, it's on the list. And if you're looking for your room, it's 402. But if you don't mind, the others would like to have their turn before the end of the century.
Wei slowly turned around. He saw a young woman wearing an elegant dark suit, her long, straight black hair perfectly framing her face. It was Li Na. Her gaze toward Chen Wei was mocking and insolent.
Wei's hand clenched into a fist at the edge of his jacket. The anger that usually overwhelmed him in such situations helped him speak up in the underworld, but here, the sudden shock and shame only buried his voice deeper.
"I don't need... any... help," Wei squeezed out, his eyes flashing darkly at Li Na.
She smiled crookedly, but her smile was not kind.
"I see you need everything except help. But pride won't get you to the classroom, Mr. Chen. Hurry up, my class starts in five minutes, and I don't like latecomers."
With that, Li Na turned and stormed down the hallway without looking back. Wei remained at the counter, her arrogant voice still ringing in his ears. This was the first time someone who had behaved this way toward him had just walked away.