The real young master thought he was hated by everyone

During the meal, he couldn’t taste a thing, and even when he was called to the study with his two older brothers, his mind was still on whether or not Xie Duzhi had heard what Mrs. Luo had said.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been standing at the corner of the staircase, or when exactly he started listening.

From Xie Duzhi’s perspective, he just felt an inexplicable sadness.

It wasn’t until Mr. Xie solemnly addressed him by his full name, asking whether he had any objections to the arrangement, that his attention shifted.

If there were no objections, after the secretary handled the paperwork tomorrow, the gift agreement would officially take effect.

They had been called to the study to discuss the company shares.

This was a serious matter, and to underscore its importance, Mr. Xie, who was not used to video communication, even had his second son call the eldest son via video. He made sure the camera faced him, creating an atmosphere where all the children appeared to be present.

Though in his prime, Mr. Xie wasn’t particularly adept with modern electronics or internet trends. However, he wasn’t entirely out of touch with the times either. His years of business experience only made his judgments sharper.

Unlike many business partners who had the bad habit of boasting about past glories or patronizing younger generations, Mr. Xie wasn’t one to lecture or criticize their ideas. He was relatively open-minded, though he did tend to smoke to calm down when his mind was cluttered, and couldn’t always keep up with youthful conversations. He rarely interfered in his sons’ decisions in the company, and sometimes even helped push through their ideas when other shareholders objected.

The company had weathered economic downturns over the years but remained steady overall. Not long ago, thanks to a timely strategic shift, the stock price even saw a small rise.

Under such circumstances, transferring his shares wasn’t the best timing. 

Together, he and his wife held over 65% of the shares, and now they planned to give away 60%, divided equally among their four children. This would increase the risk for the company. No one could guarantee that the siblings would always agree without disagreements. 

Especially with his rebellious second son and the youngest who had no experience in company matters — their shares could easily become a weak spot if competitors targeted the Xie family.

But he still decided to do it. He trusted his children.

After all, no business empire stands forever. Every thriving entity eventually declines. The Xie family had accumulated enough wealth over generations, and the other shareholders had also made plenty of money. Even if the company eventually changed hands, he wouldn’t regret his decision today.

“Second son, if you’re not going to work for the company, I can hold your shares for you for now, or you can find a trusted manager.”

He then turned to his youngest son, who was still somewhat out of the loop, his expression softening slightly, “As for your portion, your mother can hold it for now, and we’ll give it to you after you graduate.”

“You’re willing to work for me, so why would I need someone else?” 

Xie Sizhi joked casually, not at all surprised by the decision.

After all, rumors about their family had been circulating for a long time. Speculation and gossip often found their way to him, so much so that whenever he went out with his friends, he was inevitably questioned about it.

At first, he answered ambiguously, finding some amusement in leaving people guessing based on their reactions. But as the questions increased, he grew annoyed. 

After all, it was his family’s business, and no one else had the right to meddle — especially since he and his brothers had a great relationship.

“And I don’t need that much either. Just round it off and leave the extra 5% to the youngest.” He yawned, “Dad, if it’s too much trouble, I can go sort out the paperwork myself later.”

“You always find a way to dote on the youngest.” He elbowed his brother lightly, winking at the boy. “Don’t worry, your second brother’s got you covered.”

Mr. Xie regretted wasting breath on him. 

His second son wasn’t incapable of business, just lazy. He had made his decision; how his son dealt with it was up to him.

And it’s not like he didn’t have a soft spot for the youngest, who had only recently been found.

The allocation of shares was meant to symbolize fairness, to show that all his children were equally loved and valued — there was no favoritism, and certainly no exploitation or blackmail as some outside rumors suggested.

There were no family feuds or inheritance battles. At its core, it was a simple matter.

After his youngest son went missing, Mr. Xie had witnessed his wife’s pain. Though outwardly calm, he had panicked internally, making a series of misguided decisions that inadvertently hurt his family and put the adopted son in an awkward position.

But he never once saw anyone as a replacement.

The two boys were different and independent individuals.

Even now, when he thought back, Mr. Xie still felt guilty for his past actions, both toward his youngest son and his adopted son. 

Though he had apologized to his adopted son multiple times shortly after bringing him into the family, he had yet to find the right moment to apologize to his youngest. 

“Actually, I don’t need them either,” Xie Duzhi suddenly spoke up.

For the first time, a ripple of emotion appeared in his usually calm demeanor, as if he was smiling. “I have my own company. The shares would be better off divided among the others.”

Privately, he wanted to suggest his father give his 15% to his youngest brother, but that would seem unfair to his other brothers and could burden his younger brother.

It would be more meaningful if his father gave him shares of his own company instead.

“It’s too early to be dividing this up,” said Xie Shenzhi from the video call. “Dad, did you see a recent health report?”

Mr. Xie, who had no health issues, said, “Everything’s excellent.”

“I just think it’s time to let your younger brother know more about the family business, to understand that what we’ve built has a part in it for him too.”

This applied to Xie Duzhi as well.

In Mr. Xie’s mind, after dividing the shares and giving a speech about mutual support among brothers, the conversation would end. He would return to his work, and his children to theirs.

But the unexpected opposition caught him off guard.

One found it too much, one didn’t want it at all, and another was concerned about his health  none made it easy on him.

Except for the youngest.

He coughed lightly, preparing to overrule the objections and finalize the arrangement. But then, his youngest son took a step forward.

Hesitant but determined, he spoke.

“If my third brother doesn’t want his shares, then neither do I.”

The youngest son paused for a moment before adding, “And if Second Brother gives his share to me, I won’t want that either.”

Even though it was clear that the youngest son was actually siding with him, believing that the shares should be equally distributed, the father still couldn’t help but feel a sense of collective opposition. 

Mr. Xie instinctively stiffened, then saw his youngest son shrink back slightly at his reaction, which only made him feel worse.

He pressed his fingers against his temples, trying to relax his expression. The phrase, “This is not up for discussion, it’s a decision,” was stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t say it.

In the end, he let out a sigh, almost as if conceding, “It’s good that you brothers are considerate of each other, but this decision was made long ago by your mother and me.”

“It doesn’t matter whether we tell you today or later—the essence of it won’t change.”

“This isn’t because of any family crisis,” he emphasized, especially glancing at his eldest son on the screen. “It’s just that you’re all adults now. No matter what you plan to do in the future, you should have something to rely on.”

“Then why don’t you and Mom go for another checkup sometime?” Xie Shenzhi said gravely, still concerned.

Xie Sizhi tried to stifle a laugh, but given the situation, he swallowed it down and played the role of the understanding middleman. “I get it, I get it. Dad, you’re just trying to say that the shares were decided from the start—fair and square. Once they’re divided, that’s that. But what we do with them after is our business.”

“…Just don’t handle them too casually,” Mr. Xie couldn’t help but add. “If you want to give some of your shares to Xie Heng, then talk it over with him directly. It’s no use bringing it up to me.”

What he didn’t say was that he felt a bit ganged up on by his kids. Normally, they weren’t particularly harmonious or selfless toward one another, often engaging in teasing more than anything else.

Either way, the decision was final. Whether any of the children had more or fewer shares in the end was not something he planned to worry about for the time being.

He saw them out of the study, lit a cigarette, and stood by the window for a while, staring out into the night, allowing his mind to go blank.

As the cigarette burned down, his thoughts drifted back to the recent rumors, which now seemed even more suspicious.

The division of shares wasn’t for the public eye—it was to give his children peace of mind. Even if someone tried to stir up trouble between the brothers or spread rumors to incite distrust among them and resentment toward their parents, Mr. Xie believed in their bond.

However, he couldn’t figure out who would have such idle time to spread these malicious rumors, aiming to stir up drama and watch the Xie family from the sidelines.

He prided himself on knowing his competitors well and doubted any of them would stoop to such petty tactics. Moreover, the person behind the rumors seemed disturbingly familiar with the internal dynamics of the family.

He lit another cigarette.

After being ushered out of the study, Xie Sizhi didn’t immediately go find his youngest brother to sort out the shares. Instead, he returned to his art studio, where he added a few more strokes to his painting of Xie Duzhi, deliberately making him appear slightly shorter than usual before putting down his brush in satisfaction. Only then did he go looking for his brother.

He wasn’t in a rush, knowing full well that Xie Duzhi wouldn’t accept the shares. After all, Xie Duzhi’s company was already valued near the same level as the family’s. His reasons for staying with the Xie family had never been about money or repaying their kindness but rather because he had come to see them as his true family.

Regardless of whether Xie Duzhi accepted, Xie Sizhi was firm in his decision not to take what wasn’t meant for him. It was a matter of principle.

Besides, if he did accept, any future disagreements with Xie Duzhi would put him at an immediate disadvantage—after all, accepting favors comes with strings attached.

The mere thought of being in such a position gave him chills.

He knocked on his younger brother’s door but received no response. He then wandered over to the cat’s room, where the Siamese was sleeping soundly. The room was empty—no sign of the teenager. Suddenly feeling oddly neglected, he took out his frustration on the cat by giving its belly a firm rub.

It was hard not to think he was too soft to be upset with his brother, so he lashed out at the cat instead.

The cat quickly swiped at him with its paw, then gracefully leaped onto the cat tree, its movements so nimble that the slight limp in its back leg was barely noticeable.

As for Li Heng, he had done just as Xie Sizhi predicted. After checking on both the cat and the dog, he went to stand outside Xie Duzhi’s room.

He hesitated for a long time before finally gathering the courage to knock lightly on the door.

There were so many things he wanted to say.

Inside, Xie Duzhi wasn’t working for once, even though he had brought home all the necessary equipment and files after deciding to stay with the family more often. Tomorrow’s meeting agenda wasn’t even finalized yet.

When he heard the knock, he was reading a passage from *Beyond Good and Evil*—Aphorisms and Interludes, section 175: “In the end, one loves one’s desires and not what is desired.”

He rose, closed the book, and went to open the door.

He knew exactly who it was and had already guessed what the visit was about.

It would take only a few words, perhaps even fewer, to explain—no need to step inside. Yet, he still stepped aside to invite the boy in, even offering him a cup of warm milk.

The question of shares had a simple answer, but the matter weighing on his mind did not.

That would require more time, more context, and more care to resolve.

“It’s not that I’m offended,” Xie Duzhi said, preempting the boy’s words. “I just genuinely want to give you the shares.”

What he couldn’t yet answer was this: Did he find satisfaction simply in fulfilling his role as a big brother, or was it the act of giving and arranging that brought him this pleasure—or perhaps something deeper, something tied to the boy himself?