Chapter 1: The Lowest of the Low
The rain poured relentlessly over the towering gates of Imperial Academy, the most prestigious university in the country. Students dressed in designer suits and luxury brand dresses walked past the gates, laughing, their expensive watches glinting under the streetlights.
Among them, a lone figure hurried through the downpour—Aiden Lin. His worn-out sneakers splashed against the wet pavement, his thin hoodie barely shielding him from the cold. Unlike the others, he didn’t arrive in a limousine or a private chauffeur-driven car. He had just finished his late-night shift at a convenience store, and exhaustion was painted all over his face.
He tightened his grip on his tattered backpack and tried to ignore the whispers.
“Why is someone like him even here?”
“He must have bribed his way in—there’s no way a peasant belongs at Imperial Academy.”
“Disgusting. He smells like cheap food.”
Aiden clenched his jaw but kept walking. He was used to this. After all, Imperial Academy was for the children of billionaires and politicians. He was the only scholarship student—someone who had nothing but his brains to survive.
But no matter how much effort he put in, no matter how many sleepless nights he endured, he was still nothing in their eyes.
“Oi, beggar boy!”
Aiden halted.
A group of students stood under a golden chandelier at the entrance, dressed in tailored suits. In the center was Damien Xu, the heir to Xu Corporation, one of the wealthiest families in the country. His smirk was cruel, his sharp jawline accentuated by the dim lighting.
Aiden didn’t respond. He knew that if he did, they would only find more reasons to humiliate him.
But Damien wasn’t the type to be ignored. He took a step forward, his polished shoes splashing water onto Aiden’s worn-out sneakers.
“You’re in my way, rat.”
Before Aiden could react, Damien shoved him backward. His balance wavered, and he crashed onto the wet pavement. Laughter erupted around him.
“Pathetic,” one of Damien’s friends sneered.
Aiden gritted his teeth. His palms stung from the impact, but he refused to let them see his pain.
“One day… One day, I’ll make them regret this.”
A shadow fell over him. A pair of delicate hands reached out. Aiden looked up, his eyes meeting a familiar face—Celeste Wu.
The goddess of Imperial Academy, Celeste was the one girl every man wanted but could never have. With her elegant beauty, long wavy hair, and cold, unreadable eyes, she was untouchable.
And yet, right now, she was reaching for him.
“Why…?”
But before Aiden could take her hand, Damien grabbed her wrist.
“Celeste, don’t dirty yourself with him,” Damien said, his voice laced with irritation. “Let the trash stay where it belongs.”
A flicker of hesitation passed through Celeste’s gaze, but she withdrew her hand. Without another word, she turned and walked away, her heels clicking against the marble floors of the academy.
Aiden felt something inside him crack.
It wasn’t just the humiliation. It wasn’t just the pain.
It was the realization that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he worked, he would always be beneath them.
Or so he thought.
Because at that moment, as he sat in the rain, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
A message.
Unknown Number:
“Mr. Lin, we’ve finally found you. The truth about your identity awaits. Please come to the Lin Corporation Headquarters tomorrow morning. Your grandfather has been waiting.”
Aiden’s breath hitched.
Lin Corporation?
Grandfather?
He didn’t have a grandfather. His mother had died when he was young, and he had never known his father.
Then who were these people?
And why did his chest tighten as if his entire life was about to change?
—
