Chapter 1 A Nobody

The Maple City was famous for its maple trees. Every November, the city would be clouded over with dark red leaves as if they had their own burning sky watching over them in bliss.

Lola, a sixteen-year-old girl, walked out of the bookstore with a stack of books in her arms. The autumn sun glared at her, its scorching heat enough to make anyone dizzy. She blocked the dazzling light with her hand and walked towards her bicycle not far away.

Her short hair grazed against her earlobes as she walked. A pair of black glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, covering half of her face. She wore a bright tee, denim shorts, and a pair of sneakers. Her causal outfit highlighted her youthfulness as she walked down the sidewalk. Due to the unbearable heat, she bought herself an ice cream at a nearby stall and then headed towards the bicycle parked beside.

Placing the books into the basket, Lola walked down the road in front of the Wei Yuan Group building. As she stared up at the towering structure, she found herself wishing to work there one day.

A black Bentley slowly drove towards the building, and its dark surface glinted under the light.

Before the car had stopped, a middle-aged man suddenly rushed out behind Lola. He didn't waste any time as he stopped in front of the Bentley and raised his hands. "Please help our company, Sir," he pleaded. "I beg you."

The young man in the backseat narrowed his eyes at the man blocking his way. His lips tightened. His soft hair clung to his forehead, framing his dark gaze perfectly. He wore a black silk shirt and a pair of trousers. Although he looked to be about sixteen or seventeen-years-old, an intimidating aura wafted around him.

"Sir, please help me." The middle-aged man staggered to the side the car. His large fists slammed against the car door helplessly, and his sweaty face smudged against the window. The young man wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Sir, what do you think?" the man sitting next to him asked.

An unknown emotion flickered in the young man's gaze. With a wave of his hand, he motioned the driver to open his side of the door.

Immediately, the driver got out of the car and followed his order. With a swift movement, he pulled the door open and eyed the blubbering man by the side of the car. "Sir, be careful," the driver said respectfully.

A slender figure exited the car. His expensive leather shoes looked out-of-place on the dirty pavements, but he didn't seem to care. Then, he stared at the groveling man with disdain. "Instead of begging me, you should just admit that you aren't capable of running this company. Even if I did help you, your employees will lose their jobs sooner or later with a boss like you."

"For the sake of all our past partnerships, please help me. I'm sure Mr. Wei will listen to you. I-If you won't help me, I'll jump off the building. Please, Sir!" The man's demeanor crumbled at the sight of the young man. He fell onto his knees and clasped his hands together. Tears shone in his eyes as he sobbed loudly.

Not only was the young man unaffected by the pitiful sight, but his face also hardened even more. "You can jump off the building for all I care," he snapped. "As long as I'm still underage, I won't be participating in the company's internal affairs. Go ask the CEO of the Wei Yuan Group for help if you're really that desperate."

"But Mr. Wei is your father. Maybe you can-" "Don't ever mention him in front of me,"

the young man suddenly roared. His face had darkened even more, and there was a scary glint in his eyes that sent a shiver down Lola's spine. The middle-aged man flinched.

This scene reminded Lola of the time her father had begged the foreman for his staff's salaries only to be harshly rejected. Having no other choice, her father had taken a large chunk of his own savings to pay them. When her grandmother had been taken to the hospital, they had no money left to support her bills, causing her death in the end.

The middle-aged man reminded her so much of her father that she subconsciously took two steps forward. "He already knelt on the ground to beg you. Can't you at least feel sorry for him?" The words slipped out of her lips before she could stop them.

The young man's head snapped up to look at her. He raised his eyebrows. "And who are you?" he questioned snidely.

"A nobody. All I'm trying to say is that you're being way too heartless. He already begged you. Why can't you just take some time off your day and help him?" she demanded. 'What the hell is his problem?'

"Turns out you're just a bystander," the young man snorted. With a roll of his eyes, he turned around, ready to walk past the middle-aged man and towards the doors of the Wei Yuan Group building.

"Sir..." Seeing that he was about to leave, the middle-aged man grabbed a hold of his leg, preventing him from walking any farther.

Caught off guard, the young man stumbled forward and bumped into Lola. His hands accidentally grazed against her chest.

She shrieked. "Shame on you!" Her voice was so loud that everyone craned their heads to take a look. Out of instinct, Lola slammed the entire ice-cream cone onto the young man's face. His face and black shirt were smudged with the cold dessert.

"Sir!"

"Sir, are you okay?" His driver and bodyguards were quick to respond to the accident. One of them quickly pulled out a clean cloth from one of his pockets and tried to wipe off the ice cream as best as he could.

The young man shoved his men behind him as one of his hands touched the side of his face. The sticky substance that coated his fingertips made his stomach crawl. He glared at Lola fiercely. Did she want to die? "How dare you!" he yelled.

'Oh shit!' Lola stiffened as her gaze shifted from the man to the crowd of people surrounding him. Given that all of them were on his side, she was definitely going to pay for this if she stayed for another second.

In a moment of desperation, she climbed on her bike and pedaled with all of her strength. Just as she was about to drive onto the main road, she turned and pulled up her middle-finger. "Only a fool would stay here," she snorted. "See you never!" Without another word, she was gone like the gust of a wind.

Lola rode the bicycle all the way out of the downtown. Soon enough, the tall buildings behind her were replaced with rows of villas on either side of the road. It was an area for the rich and famous. In fact, her bicycle was an eye-sore compared to all the Lamborghinis and Bentleys parked in the area.

Seeing that she was already near, the young girl pedaled with all her strength as she went to the backyard of one of the largest villas here.

With a squeak, the bicycle stopped right in front of the backdoor. She placed it against the corner and pushed the door open. There were rows of servants' rooms at the back of the house. She walked down the corridor and pushed one of the doors open. Lola tossed the stack of books onto the bed. "Bai," she sang. "I'm back."

In the narrow room, a young boy sat by the table. His rough hands were holding a book closely against his chest. Only the sight of him had refreshed her.

At the sound of her voice, he turned around and smiled. When he saw how sweaty she was, he quickly gave her a towel and poured her a glass of water. "Couldn't you take good care of yourself?" he lectured. "Look at you, all sweating like a pig. Drink some water."