"You're late."
That was the first thing Lin Xuan ever said to me.
Not hello.
Not welcome to Shanghai.
Just two cold words delivered in a voice sharp enough to slice through the humid summer air outside Pudong International Airport.
For a moment, I honestly think he might be talking to someone else. There are people everywhere – families reuniting, tourists dragging oversized luggage, taxi drivers shouting for passengers.
But when I look up, his eyes are locked directly onto mine.
I freeze, still gripping the handle of my suitcase like it's the only stable thing in this chaotic arrival lane.
"Sorry?" I say, because my brain refuses to come up with anything better.
He didn't look like the student guide the university had promised.
The orientation email had described someone "friendly and helpful."
The man standing in front of me looked like neither.
Tall. Broad-Shouldered. Dressed in a simple black button-down shirt with sleeves rolled up to his forearms.
His dark hair fell slightly over sharp eyes that studied me with quiet impatience, currently filled with annoyance. I'm pretty sure I didn't earn it.
In his hand was a small sign.
Allie Reed.
My name.
Great. So he's here for me.
"So, you are the exchange student," he said flatly. Not a question.
Not even a proper greeting.
Just judgment.
Something in his tone made it sound more like an accusation than a greeting.
I swallowed.
"Yeah…that's me."
He checked his watch like he was timing how long I take to speak.
"You were supposed to land thirty minutes ago."
"My flight was delayed," I say automatically.
He didn't respond immediately. Doesn't nod.
Doesn't pretend to sympathize.
Instead, he studied me again, his gaze briefly flicking over my oversized backpack, my slightly wrinkled travel clothes, and the bright excitement I probably hadn't managed to hide.
For a moment, I wondered if he regretted volunteering for this job.
Then he turned and began walking.
"Come."
That was it.
No introduction.
No explanation.
Just one command.
The panic kicks in.
I hurried after him, dragging my suitcase behind me as it bumped against every uneven tile along the way.
"Wait," I said, slightly breathless. "You're Lin Xuan, right?"
"Yes."
Still walking. Not even a glance over his shoulder.
"That's all you're going to say?"
He glanced back at me for half a second.
"You asked if I was Lin Xuan."
My mouth opened, then closed again.
Okay.
So, he's definitely that kind of person.
The moment we step outside the airport building, the heat wraps around me like a suffocating blanket.
Everything smells like exhaust, humidity, and something delicious frying somewhere nearby.
Four years.
For four years,s I had dreamed about this city.
Maps on my bedroom wall.
Chinese dramas at three in the morning.
Practicing Mandarin phrases until my tongue twisted.
Now I am finally here.
And the first person I met clearly wished I wasn't.
I had pinned too many dreams on this place to start it wrong.
"Is it always this hot?" I ask.
"Yes," he says.
And that's it. No follow-up. No tiny attempt at small talk. Just "yes."
My guide is apparently a man of very little vocabulary.
Lin Xuan stopped beside a sleek black car parked near the curb.
Not just a car.
A Mercedes.
I blinked.
"Wait…Is this yours?"
"Yes."
"You're a student."
"Yes."
"Students don't usually drive cars like this."
"Some do."
I lifted my suitcase. He makes no move to help. Not even a polite gesture.
Fine. I can carry my own stuff.
I shoved it into the trunk harder than necessary.
Before I could ask anything else, he slid into the driver's seat.
I hesitated for half a second before climbing into the passenger side.
The interior smelled faintly of leather and something clean and expensive.
Lin Xuan started the engine. He pulls out of the lane without a word.
We drive in silence for a solid three minutes.
Finally, he speaks.
"Is this your first time in China?"
I perk up a little. "Yeah! I've studied Mandarin for a few years, though."
"Hm."
I wait. Still nothing.
"Do you…also go to the university?" I try again.
"Yes."
Cool. Very informative.
"Are you a freshman? Sophomore?"
"Senior."
"Oh." I shift in my seat.
"Are you always this welcoming?"
"No."
"That's comforting."
Silence filled the car.
"So, you volunteered to be a student guide?"
His hands tightened on the wheel. "I was asked."
So, he did not volunteer. Dragged into it. That explains a lot.
"So, you didn't want to do it?" I ask before I can stop myself.
"It isn't important what I want," he says.
O-kay. Conversation dead.
The Shanghai skyline slowly rose around us – glass towers glowing under the hazy gold of late afternoon.
I pressed my forehead lightly against the window, trying to absorb everything at once.
After a moment, Lin Xuan spoke again.
"You will live in the international dormitory."
"Okay."
"I will show you the campus tomorrow."
"Great."
Another pause.
"What's the dorm like?" I ask.
"Small."
"Is my roommate nice?"
"I don't know."
"You've never met her?"
"I didn't say that."
"…So?"
"I'm not sure who will be your roommate. Right now it's a single."
Then he added, almost reluctantly,
"You should be careful."
I turned toward him.
"Careful about what?"
For the first time since meeting him, something changed in his expression.
His voice wasn't warm, but for the first time, it wasn't ice either.
"This university," he said quietly.
"Is not always kind to outsiders."
Great. My student guide is a cryptic brick wall.
We drive for almost forty minutes before he pulls into the university campus.
It's massive. Wide pathways. Tall academic buildings. Students everywhere are carrying iced drinks that instantly make me jealous.
He parks beside Dormitory Building 3.
"We're here," he says.
I forced a smile.
Shanghai International University looked nothing like the campus back home.
Glass research buildings stretched toward the skyline, connected by tree-lined walkways glowing with soft lights.
I step out of the car slowly, hearing the faint sound of a bicycle and the smell of the campus trees.
Students walked in groups across the courtyard.
And almost all of them turned to stare.
At the car.
Or more specifically –
At Lin Xuan.
The moment he stepped out of the Mercedes, whispers spread like a ripple through the courtyard.
"Is that Lin Xuan?"
"Who's the girl?"
"I've never seen her before."
My stomach twisted.
I leaned closer to him as we walked.
"Why is everyone staring?"
He didn't slow his stride.
"They're not staring at you."
"That's not reassuring."
We reached the dormitory entrance.
Before I could grab my suitcase, a voice cut through the chatter.
"Lin Xuan."
A girl approached us confidently.
Tall.
Elegant.
Perfectly styled hair.
Her eyes landed on me immediately.
And the smile on her face vanished.
"Well," she said slowly.
"This is new."
Lin Xuan's expression hardened slightly.
"Chen Yu."
The girl folded her arms.
"You don't usually bring girls here," she says. "Not anymore."
I opened my mouth to explain.
But Lin Xuan spoke first.
"She is the exchange student I was assigned to help."
Chen Yu looked me up and down.
For a moment, she simply studied my face.
Then my clothes.
Then my suitcase.
Her smile came back.
But this time it looked sharper.
"The exchange student," she repeated.
"Yes," I said quickly. "Allie Reed. I just arrived today."
"American?"
"Yeah."
"How interesting."
The word sounded harmless.
The tone didn't.
She turned to Lin Xuan again.
"And you're personally escorting her?"
"I was assigned to help her."
"That's unusual."
"It is not."
Her eyebrow lifted.
"You don't usually volunteer for anything."
"I didn't volunteer."
That seemed to amuse her.
Several nearby students were openly pretending not to listen anymore.
Which meant they were absolutely listening.
Chen Yu stepped slightly closer.
"Well," she said softly, "welcome to Shanghai International University, Miss Reed."
Something about the way she said my name made the moment feel less like a greeting and more like a challenge.
Then she looked at Lin Xuan again.
"You should be careful."
He didn't respond.
Her smile widened slightly.
"People might misunderstand."
She turned and walked away before either of us could reply.
The whispers returned immediately.
"Did you hear that?"
"She came with Lin Xuan."
"Chen Yu didn't look happy."
"Oh, this is going to be good."
I exhaled slowly.
Lin Xuan grabbed my suitcase again.
"What?"
"Please tell me what just happened."
"That," he said calmly,
"Was Chen Yu."
"That explains nothing."
"She's the daughter of the chairman of the university board."
I blinked.
"Oh."
That explained a lot.
"And she doesn't like me."
"That is possible."
"Possible?" I repeated.
"She dislikes many people."
"That's comforting."
We started walking again toward the dormitories.
Behind us, I could still hear students whispering.
As we reached the building entrance, Lin Xuan paused briefly.
"Do not worry about rumors," he said.
I frowned.
"What rumors?"
He opened the door.
"You will hear them soon," he says. "They always talk."