The hall emptied slowly after the lecture, but Mei Lin didn't move right away. She lingered, organizing her notes, trying to calm her racing thoughts. That glance from Professor Chen Wei still burned in her mind—calm, assessing, almost… admiring. She shook her head. Get a grip, she muttered.
As she packed her bag, a voice interrupted her:
"Not bad… for a newbie."
Mei Lin looked up. Daniel Zhao, the literature department's golden boy, leaned against the doorway with a smirk. His dark eyes flicked over her notes, then back to her face.
"I'm not trying to impress anyone," Mei Lin said cautiously, slipping her bag over her shoulder.
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Right… because everyone knows you're already the professor's favorite." His words weren't loud enough for Professor Chen to hear, but the glance he shot her carried venom.
Mei Lin's stomach tightened. She had heard the whispers before, but now they had a name, a face. Daniel Zhao.
"Don't get the wrong idea," she said softly, keeping her tone calm. "I work for my grades, not anyone's approval."
Daniel's smirk softened, almost into amusement. "We'll see." He walked away, leaving a trail of curiosity and tension in the hallway.
Outside, the campus was alive with autumn energy. Students sprawled across lawns, some studying, some chatting, and some just enjoying the crisp air. Mei Lin kept her head down, but she couldn't help noticing a few groups whispering and glancing in her direction. "Teacher's pet…" "She's too lucky." "Did you see how the professor looked at her?"
Her cheeks burned. She hated the nickname. It's not true. I earned this.
But the reality was impossible to ignore—Professor Chen's attention was unlike any other teacher she had encountered. Every question she answered in class, every insightful comment she made, earned a quiet nod or a brief glance from him. And the effect it had on the other students was undeniable.
As she walked past the university library, she noticed Daniel again, this time sitting at a table surrounded by other top students. His gaze followed her, calculating, as if he was already plotting how to reclaim his position at the top.
Mei Lin sighed. Looks like standing out has its costs.
That evening, as she reviewed her notes in the quiet of her dorm room, Mei Lin couldn't stop thinking about Professor Chen. Not in a romantic way—not yet—but something about his attention, his expectation, had unsettled her. She had always worked hard, but this… this felt like someone really seeing her.
And she didn't know whether to be thrilled or terriffied.