17 Years They Pretended to Be Poor, but It Turns Out His Parents Are Billionaires

A young boy named Maj wakes up early in the morning and quietly gets out of bed. Even though he's just a child, he takes care of his small and modest home with great responsibility. As the sun rises, he begins his daily chores, sweeping the dusty floor, washing the dishes carefully, and making sure every corner of the house is neat and tidy.

Everything he does shows how mature and hardworking he is, far beyond his age. Joya also looks after his sick grandmother whose name is Lei. He doesn't know it, but the woman he calls grandmother is not actually related to him.

She is a famous teacher who is pretending to be his grandmother as part of a secret plan. Although Jay is still very young, he already shows signs of being mature and thoughtful, he doesn't complain about his life. Instead, he works hard to help his family.

The school notices that Jay's family is struggling, so the principal tries to offer help. But Jai's father, Machang, refuses any support. He insists that they are fine and says Jay is strong enough to face life's challenges.

The principal worries about Jaya's well-being and tries again, saying the help is free and given out of care. But Chung Gang again declines politely and asks the principal to leave. What nobody knows is that this poor life is all an act.

In reality, Chung Gang is one of the richest businessmen in China. He has a huge fortune and powerful connections. He owns buildings, land, and businesses and lives a luxurious life behind the scenes.

But he hides all this from his son, Jay. Chung has bought an entire old and broken down neighborhood and turned it into a secret place where he can watch Jay grow up. Surveillance cameras and staff are hidden all over the area to monitor his son's actions.

The reason behind this plan is that Chunggang wants Jay to grow up tough, smart, and grateful. He does not want him to become spoiled like his older son, Maajun. Jaya doesn't even know that he has a brother because Dun was sent to live in America years ago.

Chungang believes that growing up in fake poverty will make Jai a better man who knows the value of life and hard work. At first, his wife Chunlan disagreed with this plan. She believes Jai is a kind and gentle child who should not have to suffer.

She thinks this kind of lesson is too harsh. But Chung Gong explains that his own success came from suffering. He tells her about his past.

His mother was poor and that pushed him to work harder than anyone else. He wants Jay to become someone who can lead the family empire someday, unlike their first son who grew up soft and careless. After hearing this, Chunlan finally agrees to go along with the plan.

However, not everyone in the family supports this idea. Ja's grandparents are highly opposed to this idea of mimicking brokenness. So they tried to stop the parents from making this huge wrong decision.

In the present Chung Gang<unk>s in-laws, Ja's grandparents are deeply worried about the boy. On Jay's birthday, they decide to surprise him after school by visiting him with a big fancy gift. But when they arrive, Chung Gang and his workers quickly guide them into a car and send them away.

He explains that giving Jay expensive gifts will ruin the lessons he is trying to teach. At home, the grandparents are still upset and nearly reveal the family's real wealth during their visit. They went in and met Jay, to which they remembered him so differently from how he looked when he was a kid.

Shortly after they have some chat, to prevent Jay from learning the truth, Chunggang asked them to leave early. Before going, Ja's grandfather secretly hands him some money. Jai is so happy that he says he will save the money to help his family, showing how selfless and loving he is.

That night, the family gathers to read books together, a regular evening habit. Chung tells Jay that reading and learning are the keys to becoming successful and wealthy. Jay, with curiosity, asks why they are still poor if they read every day.

Smiling and avoiding the truth, Chung Gang says that he only started enjoying reading recently. That night after Jaya went to bed, Chung Gong and his wife headed to his hidden base, which is full of high-tech screens showing Jaya's every move. As far as they know, Jai is a promising young boy with wealth beyond his future, but only if he stays unspoiled and hustling.

The next morning, Chunlan sends Jai to the market to buy some groceries. On his way, Jai walks past a shoe store. He stops to admire a nice pair of shoes that he wants to buy for his father as a gift.

When he comes home, he tells his mother he bought everything she asked for. Then Chunlan sees a shoe box hidden inside his jacket and smiles, guessing that Jay bought the shoes for Chungdong. Feeling proud, she tells her secret cooks in the hidden basement how thoughtful and sweet her son is.

Later, Chung heads to his hidden base. A guard mentions that Jay is very clever and even has a good sense for business. But Chung Gang wants to test him more.

He decides to pretend he's going away on a long business trip and tells Jay that he will now be in charge of the house. He wants to see how Jaya handles pressure and responsibility. Ja feels sad when his father leaves, but he wants to do something special for him.

The next morning, he decides to sell his tablet, a gift he recently received, so he can buy the shoes. But when he takes it to a shop, the owner checks it and says the tablet is broken and worthless. Jai becomes very upset.

Crying, he explains that this was their last valuable item, and without it, their family might not survive. Feeling hopeless, he still tries to make his mother and grandmother happy. He takes them out for a nice meal and says he will pay for everything using his own savings.

He collects trash from the streets to sell it for money in return. His classmates often laugh at him and make fun of him, but Jaya doesn't let that stop him. He stays strong and continues his routine with quiet determination.

Watching all this, Chunggang is moved by how far his son is willing to go. He decides to push the test even further. He lets Jia believe he is completely alone.

At one point, Jai gets so desperate that he almost thinks about doing something illegal to get money, but he stops himself just in time. Chung Gang, deeply impressed by Jaya's strength and honesty, finally returns home. He hugs Jaya and tells him how proud he is.

He says that Jaya has proven his courage and heart. Then Chung Gang tells Jay that he plans to enroll him in one of China's top universities and will pay for everything. He even jokes that they should collect more recyclables together to earn more money.

That night, after a long day of gathering recyclables, Jai suddenly starts running with incredible speed. His parents are shocked. He runs so fast that it seems like he has a talent of a professional athlete.

A coach from the national sports team hears about him and visits their home. The coach offers Jai a full scholarship if he agrees to train for the national team. Jai is thrilled and announces that he wants to represent China in the Olympics.

But this brings a new problem. Chung starts to worry that if Ja becomes an athlete, there will be no one left to run the family business. After thinking about it for a while, he agrees to let Jay follow his dream.

Late that night, Chung Gang sneaked into the room where Jay is sleeping. It seems like Chong Gong is secretly putting some kind of medicine on Jay's legs, probably to hinder him from joining and pursuing the athletic path. The next morning, Jaya wakes up with his legs feeling strange and numb.

He can't move them properly. Chengong takes Jai to a doctor he knows and trusts. The doctor lies and tells Jai that his legs are injured and that he can no longer pursue a running career.

Jai is heartbroken. His dream is crushed. Chung Gong hugs him and tries to comfort him.

He tells Jai to choose a new dream, one that is even greater. Years pass and Ji becomes a senior in high school. The hardship and discipline from his childhood have shaped him into a strong and talented young man.

He does very well in school and stands out among his classmates. Chung Gang feels more confident than ever that Ja will get into a top university and eventually lead the family empire. One day, as a strange punishment for being too smart, Jai is sent home early from school.

On his way back, he sees something that completely confuses him. His grandmother Lee is playing basketball with a group of people. When she sees Jai, she quickly runs away.

Jai is shocked and doesn't understand what's going on. When he gets home, he tries to ask his mother about it, but she's not there. Later, when he sees Chunlan returning home, she's wearing beautiful clothes and expensive jewelry.

This is not how a poor person should look. Ja starts to feel that something is very wrong. Everything he believed about his family starts to seem like a lie.

Confused and hurt, he walks out of the house unsure of what to believe anymore. Seeing that Jaya is close to discovering the truth, Chung Gang steps in and calms him down. He tells Ja that he's just tired from too much studying and gives him a short break from school to relax.

But Jai can't stop thinking about what he saw. He feels like everyone is hiding something from him, even his father. In reality, Lee was never Jaya's real grandmother.

She is one of Chung Gangs employees hired to play that role. Since she made a mistake by being seen in public, Chung Gang moves her to another department within his secret base. The next morning, the house feels cold and empty.

Jaya hears Chungang crying. Chung Gang tells him that Lee has passed away. Jaya is devastated, not knowing that this too is part of his father's ongoing plan.

Chung carefully arranges a fake funeral for Grandma Lee and brings his son Ja to the site. Jai walks toward the coffin and then falls to his knees filled with pain and sorrow. He cries deeply in front of the woman he truly loved and respected.

He believes she has passed away and his heart breaks as he kneels before her. What Jai doesn't know is that Grandma Lee is not really dead. She is only pretending.

From inside the coffin, she can hear Jai's emotional words. Her heart is touched and tears nearly come to her eyes. At that moment, she fully realizes how much she cares for Jay and starts to see him as her real grandson.

While Jaya is still mourning, Chungang secretly tells some people to take Grandma Lee away without Jay noticing. But right before that happens, Jai cries out again. He tells Grandma Lee how much he loves her.

These words make Grandma Lee's heart ache even more. That she even breaks down character and rises from the dead. She struggles to hold back her emotions and nearly breaks down crying.

Touched by Jay's love and guilt. After this emotional event, a new problem starts to form. One day at school, Jai is approached by his close friend Jang Fi.

She seems worried and tells him something strange. She says that earlier that morning she saw Jay's mother Chunlan going into a fancy villa with a man who had long hair. Fifi admits that she's concerned.

What if Chunlan is having a secret affair? She thinks it's possible because Chunggang doesn't seem like a wealthy or attractive man anymore. He just looks like an old poor person.

At first, Jaya laughs it off and tries not to take it seriously. But later, when he is alone, the thought keeps bothering him. He tries to ignore it, but it won't leave his mind.

Eventually, he gathers the courage to directly go to the villa his friend showed him. He is determined to ask his parents about everything that is seeming shady. In the meantime, the parents are in their villa chatting with the acclaimed man with long black hair.

This man is named Ma Jun. And what Jaya doesn't know is that Dun is actually Chung Gang's oldest son and Jaya's older half brother. Upon Jay's arrival, the parents quickly changed into the low-life dressing and tried to control the situation.

Chungang and Chunlan calmly explain that it's nothing to worry about. They've taken new jobs. They say that Chung Gong is working as a gardener and Chunlan as a housemmaid at that luxurious villa.

Hearing this explanation, Jaya feels relieved and even apologizes for thinking anything bad about them. Later, Cheng gives him a tour of the supposed villa where the parents now work. He gazes at the big swimming pool and suddenly has a memory.

He thinks he used to swim there as a child. The place feels oddly familiar, but then something unexpected happens. A man with long hair suddenly storms in and begins yelling at Chungang.

Before Jai can respond or ask questions, Chunggang grabs him and pulls him into the pool, trying to stop him from seeing the man clearly. Not long after that encounter, Jay decides to focus on his future. He tells his parents that he wants to take the entrance exam for the most prestigious university in China.

He wants to make them proud and work hard to build a good life. Chung Gang smiles and gives Jia his blessing. On the day of the final exam, Cheng and Chunlan go with Jaya to support him.

While Jai is inside taking the test, D Jun, still full of pain and jealousy, begins preparing a dark plan. He works hard to train his body and strengthens himself. As the exam ends, all the students walk out of the exam hall one by one, but Jai is not among them.

Afraid something terrible has happened, he quickly calls his team and tells them to begin searching. Back at their headquarters, they receive shocking news. Someone has kidnapped Jay.

The kidnappers are demanding a large amount of money and they say they will hurt Jay Ya if they don't receive the ransom soon. Chung Gang is furious. He tries to think of who might be behind this.

Since his business controls most of the market in China, he has very few enemies. Then a thought hits him. Could it be Djun?

Chung wastes no time and sends his men to the location written in the ransom note. However, the truth is far more complicated. Jay was never kidnapped.

He staged the entire thing himself. He wanted to find out the secrets his parents had been hiding. While his parents are distracted, Jai sneaks into their bedroom.

It leads him to a secret room, Chung Gong's private office. What Jai sees inside shocks him. The walls are full of photos of him taken throughout his entire life.

There are documents and files that suggest everything about his life had been carefully planned. The biggest shock comes when Xia finds out that Grandma Lee is still alive and she is not his real grandmother. She works for Chong Gang.

When Jaya finally sees her again, she apologizes with tears in her eyes. Soon after, Chunggang arrives and finally removes his disguise. He tells Jai the truth.

Their family is actually very rich. Chung explains that Jay had to go through hardship and challenges so he could grow strong enough to take over the family legacy. Now he is supposed to become the heir to their fortune.

But Jai doesn't feel happy. He feels betrayed. All those years of suffering, all the dreams he gave up, it was all part of a plan.

He also remembers how the doctor once said he had a health condition. Now he realizes even that was a lie. Jai becomes angry and tells his father that he doesn't want the money or the legacy.

He thanks him for raising him but says he wants to build his own future. With a heavy heart, he walks away from everything. Determined to follow his own path.

Years pass. During that time, Djun works hard to chase his own dreams. He never actually wanted to hurt Jai.

He only wanted to prove himself. Dun becomes one of his biggest supporters. Chung Gong watches them from a distance.

He cries, not out of sadness, but from joy. Chunlan feels the same. In the final scene, the two parents sit together reflecting on their choices.

They smile and jokingly say that maybe it's time to have another child.