My folks named me Ming Hau.
Ming Hau means 'Bright Light' or 'Shining Luminosity'; they totally believed I was gonna brighten up their lives and light up their way, basically the 'Guiding Star' of the family.
Then I hear that voice—the one that shows up practically every day—my mom yelling from the kitchen:
'Ming Hau! For the thousandth time! You break or ruin everything you touch! Even the plastic spoon! Do you need a manual just to use a spoon?!'
——————
'See? Exactly. That's how I've been lighting up their lives. Nailed it. If I don't break something, I'll definitely burn it, and if I don't burn it, I'll lose it somewhere they'll never find it. I'm basically a walking mess carrying a huge name I definitely don't deserve... at least not yet. I'm Anna, the girl with the big Chinese name that just does not fit the daily disaster level that follows me around.'
——————
Yeah, that's Ming Hau. That whole cute disaster thing I just walked you through? It's just my defense mechanism.
Ming Hau is a clash of two worlds. Her Chinese mom gave her the big name and the huge ambition, and her Japanese dad's roots gave her the inner discipline and the silent fight.
The real deal is this: She's super cheerful and bright, with enough positive energy to light up a whole room—that's the light her folks meant. She never backs down; she's stubborn and doesn't quit easily. Her biggest goal isn't just some degree; it's crushing it in the top medical school in China, because that's where she balances her crazy smarts with actually helping people.
But getting to that place means surviving some kitchen drama first... Time to hit the airport!"
Mom's voice cut through the chaos of my packing again.
Mom (Stressed, demanding):
"Ming Hau! Where's the original acceptance certificate I put on the counter? Did you shred it with the old newspapers, or what?"
Ming Hau (Frantically searching):
"Mom, chill! I'm sure it's here! No way I'd lose the most important paper of my life, seriously!"
Mom (Exasperated):
"You could lose your head if it wasn't screwed on! Listen up, Ming Hau. You're going to a school that doesn't do mistakes. No scandals, no silly romance drama, and definitely no failing. You're representing our name!"
Ming Hau (Stops searching, takes a deep breath):
"I know, Mom. I won't let you down. I'm not just a mess, trust me."
Mom (Final warning tone):
"Prove it. Now, we gotta roll. If we miss that flight because you misplaced a piece of paper, I'm sending an apology letter to the university on your behalf!"
My mom was right. I had to prove it.
Fast forward half an hour of trying and failing to convince myself that plane-sleep was a thing, and ten whole hours of anxiety hiding under a fake calm, we landed. We landed right where I'd spend the next few years, the place that would make or break my future.
The ride from the airport to the campus was a blur. Maybe because I was trying to read every single Chinese sign, or maybe because I was straight up ignoring the mile-long list of rules my mom texted me last minute. Doesn't matter. The main thing is: I made it.
The second I stepped out of the taxi, Ming Hau flipped the switch.
No more Miss-Breaks-The-Plastic-Spoon. My posture instantly straightened up, and my focus sharpened. This university—with its massive, impressive architecture—was the biggest test of my life, and I was not letting my nerves break through my shield.
I took a deep breath and started walking.
My stride was steady and super confident, like I was on a red carpet, not just some random concrete path. Every step screamed, "I deserve to be here, and I'm not leaving without my diploma." I lifted my head to meet the gray Shanghai sky and started the hunt.
My huge luggage wasn't weighing me down anymore; it was just proof of the journey.
"Alright, Ming Hau, time to 'Scout' out the dorms. Let's pretend this is the toughest puzzle the university has, and then let's solve it." I mumbled quietly to myself.
Next target: The international student housing block. From there, the real life begins. A life with no room for mom-drama or sarcastic brothers. A life that's all about medicine, logic, and maybe... a secret guardian? Nah, definitely not."Focus on the dorms first!"
————
finally found someone who pointed me to my building. Super convenient... except it's a three-story building, and there's zero elevator.
Are they kidding me? My huge luggage wasn't proof of my journey anymore; it was proof of my insanity!
'It's fine, Ming Hau. Free cardio. Three floors. You got this.'
I started heaving the first suitcase onto the first step. It was heavier than I remembered. One step, then the next, and I was already dripping sweat. By the first landing, I was gasping like I'd just finished a marathon.
'I'm a medical student! I should be able to lift a suitcase! This is basic physics!' I scolded myself.
I hauled it onto the last step of the second floor, just about to claim victory... and then the small, typical Ming Hau disaster hit.
The suitcase suddenly slipped from my sweaty grip. It didn't crash down, but it tipped forward, the zipper finally gave way from the pressure, and its contents completely erupted—my clothes, my med school notes, my favorite packet of biscuits—a colorful, messy waterfall all over the stairs.
'Ugh, seriously?! You gotta be kidding me!' I hissed, feeling my face instantly burn red.
I was sitting right there on the steps, surrounded by my own chaos, when I heard a quiet, almost inaudible sound behind me. It wasn't my mom yelling this time; it was more like a soft, almost patient sigh.
I slowly looked up.
He was standing there. I don't know how long he'd been watching, but he was positioned at the turn to the third floor, holding only a single textbook. He was dressed simply, in dark colors, but his stillness was so striking it made you feel like he was the only thing standing still in this fast-moving universe.
He was seriously good-looking in a way you almost didn't want to notice, with calm eyes that looked at the mess around me, and then locked onto mine.
His gaze was intense and ridiculously calm, like he was solving a complex equation. He didn't smile, he didn't laugh. He just looked at me with an almost unsettling serenity, then bent down slowly.
Chen Wei silently picked up a sheet from my notebook that had fallen between my scattered clothes. It was a crucial Human Biology page.
He offered the paper to me with a smooth, quiet motion.
His eyes never left my face, studying me as if I were a specimen under a microscope.
My cheeks got hotter from the embarrassment, but I quickly snapped into defense mode, trying to break the tension his silence created.
Ming Hau (Sarcastic): "Wow, thanks. I'm sure that specific page was the one thing standing between me and success. Sorry about the visual disaster."
Chen Wei slowly nodded his head, a silent signal of indifference or understanding. He then gestured with his chin towards the open luggage, then to the stairs ahead of him. He didn't say a single word. The gesture was clear: Do you need help with the rest?
————
With the first ray of sun, Ming Hau was up. Today wasn't about organizing; it was about connecting.
"Medicine is crucial, but building a support network is more crucial." She decided, and bolted out of her room, driven and hyped, like she was on a new scouting mission.
She started hitting the lecture halls, asking questions and talking to anyone she found. Ming Hau's positive energy and easy laugh broke every barrier. She chatted with an Engineering major, a History student, and anyone who looked lonely. She looked like she was about to make friends with every single creature on the planet.
In one of the crowded hallways, she ran into Yan, Mei Ling, and Jing again, and they naturally formed a tight circle.
While they were talking, her attention was caught by a guy laughing loudly in a small group nearby. He had short, curly hair that gave him a super fun vibe, and he had a worn-out guitar case strapped to his back. His eyes sparkled with intelligence, and he clearly had a ton of talents (artistic and athletic) that went way beyond just hitting the books.
Mei Ling (Suddenly quiet, her eyes glued to the guy): "Wait, isn't that... him?"
Yan (Coldly, without looking): "Who? The loud one?"
Mei Ling (Ignoring Yan, her voice dropping to a low, excited whisper): "Yeah! He's the one everyone talks about! He always plays basketball over by the courts. And he's got that famous band, too." Her cheeks were starting to flush pink.
Ming Hau (Looking between Mei Ling and the guy): Ah. So that's the angle. Basketball and a band. And a fan.
Ming Hau (In her mind): "Okay, this guy's the total opposite of me. He looks like he could turn Human Anatomy into a comedy adventure. And he knows people. I need his vibe."
Ming Hau, with her usual energy, took off straight toward the new guy...
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Meanwhile, in another part of the university, there was a quiet corner that student Chen Wei favored.
Chen Wei didn't attend lectures to participate or learn; he was a third-year student who crushed everyone on every test, the undisputed #1, with a sharp, rare intellect. He only attended to observe, surrounded by a wall of silence colder than the lecture hall itself.
For Chen Wei, friendships were just "obstacles" that wasted precious time. This stance didn't stop the girls from swarming him. They followed him with their eyes, left notes on his desk, or tried to get his attention with ridiculous curriculum questions. He ignored them completely, as if their presence was just white noise not worth registering.
And it wasn't just the girls. Chen Wei had absolutely zero friends—not even guys. He moved through the crowded campus as a complete isolate. He was the lonely star in a dark night sky, untouchable, unreachable.
Chen Wei rarely spoke, and when he did, his words were few, cold, and calculated with military precision.
But beneath this lethal calm and cold intelligence, Chen Wei wasn't just ice. He was a vessel heavy with repression. His eyes, the ones that had studied Ming Hau on the stairs, hid a world of pain and suffering. He didn't hate people as much as he feared their weakness—and especially his own. His silence wasn't a choice; it was a barrier built brick by brick to protect those secrets.
Inside Chen Wei, there was an unusual childhood; a past that didn't fit his prestigious name or his family, which basically ran half of Shanghai. A childhood full of shadows and constraints that had made him a self-appointed guardian... before he even realized he had become a secret guardian for someone else, for no logical reason at all.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Ming Hau (In her mind): "Okay, this guy's the total opposite of me. He looks like he could turn Human Anatomy into a comedy adventure. And he knows people. I need his vibe."
Ming Hau, with her usual energy, took off straight toward the new guy, her wide smile cutting through the groups.
Mei Ling was staring after her, wide-eyed in amazement; Mei Ling would never dare do something like that.
Yan (Coldly): "She's so reckless."
Jing (Quietly, adjusting her glasses): "Or maybe she just knows exactly what she wants, and how to get it."
Ming Hau didn't look back. For her, that cheerful guy was her gateway to real university life.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Meanwhile, in an isolated study lounge on the top floor, Chen Wei was staring down at the single piece of paper he had retrieved from Ming Hau's chaotic suitcase.
He looked at the neatly structured handwriting and the faint coffee stain.
Chen Wei (Internally, the first crack in his silence): A walking mess. But she's not weak.
He snapped his textbook shut and looked out the glass window at the busy campus. He clearly saw Ming Hau, smiling as she approached the curly-haired guy, like a magnetic force drawing all attention.
Chen Wei (A quiet whisper): "I need to know."
The impulse was primal, stemming from years of repression. This reckless girl represented everything he had fled from in his orderly life.
He pulled out his phone, but he didn't call anyone. Instead, he opened his calendar app. He started meticulously adding Ming Hau's general lecture schedule—Med and Chinese Language—using information he had managed to extract from a notice board in the admissions hall before leaving.
Chen Wei (Muttering a firm decision): "I can't let that light distract me. I have to control it. I'll be there. I will watch her."
He carefully folded the small paper and tucked it into his elegant leather wallet, then quietly walked out of the lounge, heading toward the building where he knew he would find her next.
Ming Hau got what she wanted. And now, Chen Wei got what he wanted, but in a completely self-made and dangerous decision, he chose to become The Shadow.
END OF CHAPTER ONE