Celebrating his birthday alone wasn't new for Zhang Jiren. In fact, this wasn't the first time he was spending his birthday on his own. He had no one to celebrate it with and he'd?been long accustomed to the fact that he would always be on his own.

  From the moment he was aware of his surroundings, he knew that he was quite different from his peers at the orphanage. Not because he was smarter than them, but because he felt that he didn't belong there.

  From what he heard from the people who ran the orphanage, he was left there by an unknown man when he was around the age of two or three years old. Zhang Jiren didn't know about his real birthday until he stumbled and discovered the truth about his origin.

  For the longest time, even on his official records, the birth date that was registered under his name was the day he was left in the orphanage when he was a child. Zhang Jiren wasn't bothered by it, but questioned why he was abandoned at the orphanage by his family.

  Didn't they want him anymore? His young mind wondered. Why didn't he have a family of his own?

  It wasn't until he was twelve years old that someone came to pick him up from the orphanage. The boy who was only known as "Jun" gained a new identity as he was taken in by the Zhang family, granting him a new name as Zhang Jiren.

  Zhang Jiren didn't understand at first why the Zhang family had taken an interest in him. Zhang Xianzhe even went as far as proclaiming him as his son, which was bullshit in Zhang Jiren's opinion. There wasn't a hint of resemblance between him and the old man.

  However, he chose to overlook this part and went along with the flow. He didn't want to stay at the orphanage any longer and by being Zhang Jiren, it would give him a little freedom to see the world behind the orphanage that had trapped him inside for years.

  He had no identity, no friends to accompany him in this life. Perhaps being a Zhang would allow him to realize the purpose of his life and find out about the family who abandoned him.

  He was but a child back then. Zhang Jiren didn't understand how the a.d.u.l.ts' minds work. It wasn't until he arrived at Zhang Manor did he understand the situation he was in.

  They didn't want him anymore? Then fine, but in the future, they shouldn't expect anything from him. Zhang Jiren swore in his heart that he wouldn't forgive them easily. Now that he was out of the orphanage, the young skinny boy was now healthier.

  His 'father's' other children treated him with disgust. Thus, even though their ages weren't far from each other, Zhang Jiren felt isolated from his siblings. Meanwhile, his aunt, Zhang Wuying, had constantly complained about her daughter, saying nasty words that Zhang Jiren knew a child should never hear from his or her own mother.

  Zhang Jiren was confused as to why his aunt was acting like she'd lost her mind. It was the first time for him to meet someone who hates everything about her life, as if the world owed her so much and had wronged her in this lifetime.

  "Wuying, you shouldn't talk about Moyu like that." He heard his father try to console his Aunt Wuying. "She's but a child. It's normal for them to be rebellious, especially when they are young. You cannot change her father's mind, but you can surely influence her in the future."

  Zhang Jiren didn't mean to overhear any of it. He was ashamed that he accidentally heard the conversation but he was curious… curious to know who was this Tang Moyu they were talking about.

  If she was Zhang Wuying's daughter, did it mean that she was his cousin? Zhang Jiren thought. But how come he'd never seen her when his Aunt Wuying and her other children pay them a visit?

  HIs curiosity was only answered when he reached fifteen years old and attended the same school as Tang Moyu. During their first day, the young empress had become the center of attention of the students.

  Her cool demeanor and silent personality were able to attract the attention of both genders. She was on the highest section while Zhang Jiren meddled in the crowd.

  From afar, he was able to see Tang Moyu walking around the campus with Li Meili in tow. It was impossible for Zhang Jiren not to know or hear about the duo because they were quite popular with their batch mates.

  Not only Tang Moyu and Li Meili were known for their great beauty, but they were also known as the duo not to be reckoned with. They were the campus belles with thorns as they got involved in some street fights and brawls that surprised him even more.

  He now understood why his Aunt Wuying was worrying about Tang Moyu. At fifteen years old, the young empress had gotten involved with fights that if she couldn't be controlled, she might end up starting a gang of her own.

  But what attracted him the most was the lonely eyes that the empress sported every time he saw her. Neither once did Zhang Jiren saw Tang Moyu smile or laugh at anyone. She also didn't welcome anyone's company except for Li Meili who had the stark contrast of her cool personality.

  Zhang Jiren was content watching his 'cousin' from afar. Since they were never officially introduced to each other, he feared that Tang Moyu wouldn't accept him if he dared to let his existence known to her.