The Disolate Scion

Low-class

As the soft glow of light gently cast shadows on Zak's fair face, he looked somewhat melancholic. Putting his book aside, he gracefully stood up and opened the door, his expression becoming serene, hiding any visible emotions.

Unaware that Benton Vanderose had arranged Zak's living quarters, Samantha Elliott presumed it was Zak's own choice. She disapproved and said, "There's a bigger room upstairs, yet you insist on staying in this small one. You have to get rid of undesirable habits you've picked up outside, do you understand?"

With lowered eyes and a gentle tone, Zak replied, "I understand, Mom."

Samantha Elliott gently ruffled Juelz's hair and reminded him, "Remember to go to school tomorrow. At school, don't cause any trouble for Juelz. Juelz is different from you. Don't exploit your resemblance to him for anything else."

"I've transferred your living expenses to your card. Mrs. Sears, give it to him."

As Samantha Elliott spoke, Zak listened in silence, accepting the bank card handed to him by Mrs. Sears. It seemed to convey just one thing - compliance.

Samantha Elliott appeared satisfied and stopped giving further instructions.

After washing up in the bathroom, Zak locked his room door and reviewed some words before going to sleep.

The next morning, he got dressed and opened the door, finding his backpack placed outside, containing paper and pens.

"Good morning, Dad," Zak greeted.

Benton turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow with a few wrinkles, but his tone remained friendly, "Waking up this early already? Alright, go have breakfast."

Zak assisted Mrs. Sears in setting the food on the table, then called out to Benton to come and eat. However, he noticed that Benton and Samantha were already putting on their shoes, getting ready to leave the house.

"Dad, Mom, aren't you going to eat?" Zak asked.

Samantha replied impatiently, "I have work at the company. Go and eat quickly. If you want anything later, just tell Mrs. Sears, and she'll prepare it for you."

Benton changed his shoes and opened the door, glancing upstairs as he said, "Your older brother is probably still asleep because he was studying late last night. Don't forget to wake him up."

As his parents left, Zak turned and went upstairs. When he was halfway up, he saw Juelz coming downstairs.

"Brother, let's have breakfast." Zak said. 

Seeing Zak, Juelz showed no signs of friendliness, rolled his eyes, saying, "Stay away from me, don't bother me." 

While scooping a spoonful of food, Juelz noticed Zak's bag. 

"You shouldn't leave your bag here; this is the dining room, not a suitable place for it," Juelz remarked. 

With a smile, Juelz continued, "I didn't mean anything else. I just wanted to talk to you. It's just basic courtesy. I understand that coming from the countryside, you might not be aware of these things. As your older brother, it's my duty to remind you." 

Zak replied, "I'll remember, and I won't do it next time." 

Seeing that Zak was still smiling at him, Juelz got so angry that he couldn't eat anymore. He drank a glass of milk and went upstairs directly, saying, "You, go ahead first." 

Zak asked Mrs. Sears for the school's address, and he had the driver first take him to a nearby mall, where he bought a cellphone before heading to the school. 

When the bell for class rang, the head teacher led Zak to the class. 

In the class, Juelz was surrounded by a group of flattering people. 

"I heard you got first place again? Congratulations." 

"When will I be as good as you? You've gotten first place so many times, you probably have a room full of trophies at home." 

The initially noisy classroom fell silent for a moment when they saw Zak's face, then exploded with various voices. 

"Wow, Juelz, who's this guy? He looks exactly like you!" 

"No way, he didn't get plastic surgery to look like you, did he? It's too successful." 

"Look closely, there are still differences. This guy looks much more reserved than the flamboyant Juelz." 

"I know, I know who he is! He's Juelz's twin brother. He was intentionally taken away by someone when they were born, and now he's found." 

"Oh, that's so tragic." 

Various voices kept clamoring, but Juelz tightly held his textbook, suppressing his anger. 

The class teacher tapped the desk and frowned, "Stop making noise. Let him introduce himself." 

Facing dozens of pairs of eyes, Zak showed no fear or hesitation. A faint smile appeared on his lips as he softly spoke, "Hello, everyone. I'm Zak." 

The class teacher rearranged Zak's seating position to the back and said, "You can sit there for now." 

As soon as she finished speaking, another teacher called her out of the classroom. 

Zak walked over and took a seat, but the guy nearby immediately pulled his desk away from him, looking disgusted. 

But that was not the end of it. The guy purposely pinched his nose and taunted, "Hey, I heard you grew up in an orphanage, right? No wonder I smell the stench of poverty and low-class as soon as you sit down. Look at Juelz, then look at you. Can you even compare?" 

He kept staring at Juelz, and seeing that Juelz didn't defend Zak, he continued with sarcastic remarks, "Tsk, if I were you, I wouldn't have come back. How dare you return? You don't know the meaning of embarrassment, do you?" 

Zak steadied the desk before looking up at him with a cold tone, "I came back to my own home. Why should I feel embarrassed about it?" 

He burst into laughter, attempting to save face. "Your own home? How can you say that? That is Juelz's home." 

"Alright, don't make things difficult for him," Juelz, who was sitting in front, had heard enough. He turned around with a smile and said, "He grew up in an orphanage. Let's not scare him off." 

Now almost everyone knew that Zak had grown up in an orphanage. 

Sympathetic and disdainful looks were thrown his way, but Zak paid them no attention. 

"Won't he feel inferior? You're so outstanding, he can't compare to you." 

"If he were me, I'd definitely feel inferior." 

Juelz couldn't help but become a bit arrogant from all the praise. He noticed Zak writing and humbly said, "Don't say that, Zak is also great. In his previous high school with a hundred students, he was ranked first." 

"A hundred students? Hahaha, I'm afraid even our class's last place, he couldn't reach that." 

"Clearly, he grew up in an orphanage, so the schools he attended had only a hundred students." 

"Quiet down!" The class teacher, who had just returned, slammed the desk. "What's all this noise about? Orphanage? If I hear any more of this, all of you will be running laps on the playground."

"You've been going to school for so many years, and all the knowledge has gone to waste? Do you think you have the right to mock others?" 

As soon as these words were spoken, the classroom fell silent. 

The guy next to Zak clicked his tongue, showing disdain, but he refrained from continuing to talk. 

"Oh, by the way, there will be a parent-teacher meeting next week. Make sure to notify your parents in advance." The teacher said. 

Before leaving, she smiled at Zak. 

"What's with her attitude? If it weren't for her family's influence, we would have kicked her out of the school already." Someone complained, feeling aggrieved. 

"She is quite formidable, don't bad-mouth her." Juelz sighed. "Also, I hope you guys can take care of my brother. He's quiet and timid, can't handle too much pressure." 

As the words reached their ears, the group of people surrounding Juelz grasped the underlying meaning and immediately nodded with smiles. 

Shortly after, another teacher entered the classroom. 

The blackboard soon displayed a series of multiple-choice questions, and Zak quickly calculated the answers in his notebook. 

The teacher then asked who could solve one of the questions, and the guy sitting nearby, suddenly raised his hand, boasting, "Zak said he can do it." 

Zak put down his pen and was called upon by the teacher to answer. 

"Tell us, which option is the correct answer to this question?" The teacher asked.