Episode 05

The hum of the advanced STEM lecture hall was suffocating.

Professor Kang’s voice droned on about multi-variable calculus, her digital stylus squeaking against the white board.

Next to me, Chen Ming was a statue of icy focus, his tablet filling up with perfectly neat, organized notes. I, on the other hand, was spinning my pen between my fingers, my strategist brain already running circles around the equations on display.

This stuff was basic compared to the cutthroat mock exams back in Shenzhen.

Suddenly, the heavy rear doors of the lecture hall creaked open.

A collective shift in energy rippled through the tiered room.

Even Professor Kang stopped mid-sentence, her stylus hovering in the air.

I turned my head slightly, my eyes tracking the newcomer walking down the steep steps.

It was a girl.

She wore the standard school blazer, but she carried herself with a quiet, arresting poise that instantly commanded the room.

Her hair was tied back neatly, and as she passed the rows of desks, a faint, clean scent drifted through the stale classroom air.

It was unmistakable, the subtle, elegant fragrance of wild orchids.

"Ah, you must be our transfer student," Professor Kang said, her sharp expression softening just a fraction.

"Class, please welcome our exchange student from Seoul National University’s elite youth program."

The girl stopped right at the front of the stage, turning to face the sea of staring faces.

She didn’t look nervous at all.

Her expression was calm, open, and effortlessly sophisticated.

"Hello, everyone," she said, her voice smooth and perfectly enunciated. "My name is Chae-nan. Kang Chae-nan. Please treat me well."

Kang Chae-nan. The name perfectly matched her aura, vibrant yet structured, like a rare orchid blooming in a high-tech concrete jungle.

"Welcome, Miss Kang," Professor Kang nodded, scanning the room for an available seat.

Her eyes naturally landed on the front row.

"We are short on space today. You can take the empty desk right next to Mr. Li."

My eyebrows shot up. There was a single vacant desk directly to my left.

That meant I was now sandwiched perfectly between the icy prodigy Chen Ming on my right, and the mysterious new transfer student Chae-nan on my left.

Chae-nan gave a polite nod and walked over.

As she pulled out her chair and sat down, the soft scent of orchids drifted over my desk again.

She glanced at me, her dark eyes sharp and observant, and offered a small, knowing smile.

"Hi," she whispered quietly, opening her slim laptop. "I'm Chae-nan."

"Li Yuqi," I whispered back, maintaining my effortless, top-ranker smile.

"Welcome to the front row. It gets a little cold down here." I subtly gestured with my eyes toward Chen Ming.

Chen Ming didn't turn to look at her, but his pen paused on his screen for a fraction of a second. A small, dismissive scoff left his nose.

"Some people come here to study, not to network," he muttered under his breath, loud enough for both of us to hear.

Chae-nan didn't flinch. Instead, she turned her head slowly toward Chen Ming, her smile turning entirely polite but razor-thin.

"An impressive defensive reflex," she murmured softly, her tone dripping with quiet intellect."

"But a true strategist knows that networking is a variable of study, Mr. Chen."

My eyes widened slightly.

She knew exactly who we were.

And within five seconds of sitting down, she had already read Chen Ming’s personality like an open book.

I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress a laugh.

Across the room, I could see Zhang Zihao leaning forward in his seat two rows back, his eyes completely wide, practically vibrating with the urge to yap about this new development.

Professor Kang clapped her hands, snapping everyone’s attention back to the board.

"Now that everyone is settled, let’s make things interesting. For the first major assignment of the semester, you will be working in pairs. I have already randomized the list."

She tapped her screen, and the digital whiteboard flashed, displaying the team roster.

My eyes scanned the text, searching for my name.

When I found it, my breath caught.

TEAM 1: Li Yuqi & Kang Chae-nan

TEAM 2: Chen Ming & Zhang Zihao

A heavy, absolute silence fell over our section of the front row.

I slowly turned to look at Chae-nan. She was already looking at me, her eyes sparkling with a competitive, brilliant spark.

"Looks like we're partners, Leader Li," she said softly.

On my other side, a low, dramatic groan echoed from Chen Ming.

He looked like he had just been sentenced to life in prison.

I glanced back and saw Zihao flashing him a massive, thumbs-up sign, mouthing the words, “WE ARE TEAMMATES, BRO!”

The chess board had just gotten a lot more complicated.