The real young master thought he was hated by everyone

Mrs. Xie had always been known for her excellent manners. Even when faced with topics she disliked, she could handle them with grace, never letting others see any trace of discomfort.

Many of the ladies who had known her for years didn’t realize that she actually despised meaningless chit-chat. They assumed she was a fellow jewelry enthusiast and a rare kindred spirit in their circle of friends.

In reality, she rarely passed judgment on people, especially using overly negative language.

But today, facing her ever-smiling cousin Bai Wei, she felt an unusual urge—to openly scold her and have the security escort her out.

In all these years, she had rarely lost her composure or let her temper flare in front of others. 

After all, even a person made of clay has a temper, and in her younger years, she had been a fiery, headstrong woman who always had the final say. It was only after getting married and having children that she learned to temper her attitude.

Given that today was her youngest son’s graduation banquet, she had refrained from confronting Bai Wei about the recent scandal that had stirred up the social circles of S City. She welcomed her with a smile, not giving her the chance to make a scene.

Mrs. Xie could almost imagine the rumors that would spread if her youngest son declined the invitation. People would say how poorly he had been raised and how disrespectful he was to his elders.

Public opinion was something easy to manipulate.

From the outside, Bai Wei merely looked like an aunt who hadn’t seen her nephew in a long time, eagerly inviting him to spend time with her son. Even if a few clever people noticed something off, it was still a family matter and none of their business.

If Li Heng accepted, the rumors might be less harsh, but their family would still be the one to suffer in the end. And they would have no choice but to swallow their anger.

The Xie family was in the business of industry, not entertainment. Even if they wanted to invest in the show to ensure Li Heng would be taken care of, they didn’t even know the name of the program Bai Wei was talking about. There was nothing they could do.

Moreover, they had no idea what kind of show it was, how the editing would turn out, or what might happen during filming. There were too many unknowns, too many ways things could go wrong.

Mrs. Xie had gone through great lengths to bring her son back, not so he could be mistreated by relatives and be judged by strangers through screens or online comments, subjected to gossip and criticism.

She repeated her previous words and then looked at her youngest son.

Her brows, still furrowed, had yet to relax, and though her face had softened, there was still a trace of concern in her voice.

“If you’re feeling unwell, go rest in the back room. I’ll call you when it’s time for the speech,” she said, making no mention of Bai Wei’s invitation.

But Li Heng had already thought through everything she was worried about.

He wasn’t foolish; he simply didn’t like to assume the worst of people or situations. He didn’t spend much time overanalyzing hidden meanings behind words or actions. He believed that, despite the complexity of human nature, there was still more good than bad.

After all, he had been the recipient of much kindness in his life, which had allowed him to grow and pursue his education smoothly.

He met Bai Wei’s gaze and noticed a fleeting glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes, a sinister triumph. Yet, her expression remained soft and generous, as if she genuinely adored him and was extending a heartfelt invitation because of their instant connection.

The flashing of cameras from outside the venue was faintly visible, and her male companion continued smiling and smoothing over the situation. Some guests, intrigued by the mention of the show, even seemed tempted, already calculating in their minds.

Li Heng suddenly felt nauseous.

It was worse than the dream in which Bai Ruan had invited him to perform a duet at a banquet. He had played poorly, and Bai Ruan had graciously “excused” him by blaming the inadequacy of his teachers. The crowd’s mocking and scornful gazes during that moment hadn’t made him feel as sick as he did now.

Bai Wei’s malice was more direct, with no pretense or subtlety.

He could have simply nodded and retreated to the back room, avoiding further contact and gracefully declining the invitation. But what would others think?

Li Heng wasn’t too concerned with what people said about him; he had always been resilient, especially after enduring the torment of that nightmare.

After all, no one can be liked by everyone. Even in the dream, Bai Ruan, who was showered with affection, didn’t have Li Heng’s favor.

What he cared about was how others viewed his family.

Being labeled as “ill-mannered” often extended to assumptions about one’s parents—parents who were irresponsible and indifferent to their child’s upbringing. Such criticisms could easily escalate into attacks on the entire family.

Li Heng didn’t want that.

Even in his dreams, where his relatives treated him with cold indifference, they had never deprived him of material comfort. They had even spent a great deal of money hiring teachers to ensure he lived up to the image of a Xie family heir. They would also bring him to family events when required. In the end, they simply didn’t love him, but they never shortchanged him.

And in reality, his family cared for him deeply.

Mrs. Xie, his three brothers, and even the quiet, reserved Mr. Xie treated him like a fragile flower in a greenhouse, handling him with the utmost care. No matter the situation, they always sought his opinion, afraid of upsetting him.

He wasn’t as fragile as they thought.

“Thank you, Aunt, for your kind offer. I’ll consider it,” Li Heng bit his lip but quickly let go.

Stepping slightly out from behind Mrs. Xie and Xie Duzhi, he faced Bai Wei directly and smiled politely. “I’m very grateful that you could take time out of your busy schedule to attend my graduation banquet.”

“I’m not feeling well and will excuse myself for now. I hope you and my cousin enjoy the meal.”

Mrs. Xie was taken aback, not expecting him to step forward and accept the obviously malicious invitation. She was momentarily at a loss for words.

“So, that’s a yes,” Bai Wei’s smile deepened, her tone becoming even sweeter. “I’ll have the production team contact you later. Don’t be late~”

Li Heng kept a stiff expression and nodded. “Don’t worry, Aunt, I won’t.”

Only after Bai Wei finally sat down with her male companion did Li Heng feel relieved enough to retreat to the back for some rest.

Back in the room the hotel had prepared for him, he immediately locked the door to prevent any unexpected intrusions. He unbuttoned his vest and took several deep breaths.

His heart was still racing.

Reflecting on his performance, he confirmed that he had been polite enough and had provided both parties with a graceful way out. There shouldn’t be anything for others to criticize.

Still, he knew that once he got home, he would likely face some “criticism” from his family, especially for not following the advice to rest in the back and avoid accepting the invitation.

Mrs. Xie would probably say something along the lines of, “Our family hasn’t reached the point where we need a child to take the lead in such matters.” She would then figure out how to cancel the program.

But no matter what, he didn’t regret stepping forward this time.

It wasn’t just about his family doing things for him—he wanted to do what little he could as well.

If there was anything he regretted, it was that he had reacted too slowly when he noticed the commotion at the door. He should have excused himself to rest the moment he saw Bai Wei and the cameras behind her, instead of waiting for Xie Duzhi’s reminder to respond. His slow response had given the other party an opening.

One could say that stepping forward now was akin to closing the barn door after the horse had bolted.

He was still somewhat confused.

If Bai Wei’s goal was simply to embarrass him or his family, there were certainly easier ways to achieve that.

All she needed to do was have Bai Ruan join her, put on a false display of sincerity, say that she had prepared a celebratory performance, show off some musical talent, and then casually ask him what instruments he played and whether he wanted to perform together.

Even though he had some memories from his dreams, he had only learned the basics and could only manage playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on the harmonica, which would definitely be more humiliating than refusing the invitation.

The strange thing was, Li Heng had this nagging feeling that Bai Wei was acting as if she was confident he would accept her invitation and join the show.

Even if he performed poorly on the show and provoked dislike from other guests or the audience, there wouldn’t be any real consequences—after all, he had no plans of becoming a celebrity.

Even if the viewers hated him, it wasn’t like they’d treat him the way they would an unpopular star by obsessively digging into his private life, gathering information to mock and insult him.

Moreover, his past had no particularly incriminating incidents that could be blown out of proportion and used against him.

Though it might sound narcissistic, he considered himself fairly likable. At the very least, there shouldn’t be any dramatic revelations from classmates or friends accusing him of being an awful person who bullied others and disrespected teachers in school.

Surely Bai Wei didn’t believe that by having him and Bai Ruan participate in the show together, they would somehow become friends, and he’d start questioning his own family under Bai Ruan’s influence?

The mere thought of such a possibility made him want to laugh, and his mood started to lighten from gloomy to clear.

He no longer liked Bai Ruan and knew that he had approached him with ulterior motives—namely, to seek revenge against Xie Duzhi, who, in Bai Ruan’s eyes, had stolen the life that rightfully belonged to him.

In this situation, no matter how pitiful or endearing he acted, Li Heng would never develop any fondness for him.

That said, when it came to whether or not he should join the show, Li Heng still thought it best to consult Xie Duzhi and others before making a final decision.

Why should Bai Wei be allowed to manipulate public opinion and spread lies, while his family wasn’t allowed to retaliate in kind?

If need be, he could even pretend to be gravely ill and garner sympathy.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was likely Xie Duzhi, who had been worried and was now coming to check on him—after all, he had looked concerned when he left earlier.

As for why he had an odd premonition that it might be someone else, even he couldn’t say for sure.

“Three…”

He rushed to open the door before Xie Duzhi could call out his name, but the words got stuck in his throat the moment he saw who was standing outside.

It wasn’t Xie Duzhi—it was Bai Ruan, who looked both surprised and disappointed, as though he were forcing himself to stay cheerful.

He called out, “Cousin Li Heng.”

“Sorry,” he said softly, his head bowed slightly. “…My mother—Ms. Bai—has that kind of temperament.”

He was almost the same height as Li Heng, maybe even a bit shorter. With his head down, he appeared weak, and his words were jumbled. “I didn’t expect that the person I ran into earlier was you… I wasn’t feeling well at the time… Can you keep this between us, Cousin Li Heng? No one else needs to know.”

It seemed he had come specifically to apologize on Bai Wei’s behalf after realizing that Li Heng was the boy he had encountered at the hotel.

Li Heng forced a slightly bitter smile. “Actually, I’m not here just to apologize; I also want to remind you of something and ask that you don’t tell anyone else.”

At that, Bai Ruan fell silent for a moment, his tone becoming self-deprecating. “My mother doesn’t like it when I disobey her.”

Li Heng quietly observed him.

After a moment, he stepped aside to let him enter.

It didn’t seem right to leave him standing at the door.

Besides, he had noticed several cameras set up in the room.

Maintaining some distance between them, Li Heng sat back down and asked, “What do you want to say?”

His tone wasn’t exactly friendly.

Upon hearing his question, Bai Ruan’s expression grew even more bitter, as if he had realized he wasn’t particularly welcomed.

“Cousin, can you promise to keep what I’m about to say a secret? You won’t tell anyone?” Bai Ruan pressed again.

Li Heng didn’t nod but replied, “I need to know what it is first.”

After thinking for a moment, he added, “The incident from before can stay between us; I won’t tell anyone else.”

After all, Xie Duzhi already knew.

Whether or not Xie Duzhi would bring it up to prove that they were both untrustworthy was up to him.

“…Alright.” Bai Ruan hesitated before nodding.

“I wanted to warn you to be careful of my mother,” he said, his long lashes casting a shadow over his eyes, making him look utterly dejected. “You might not believe me, thinking I should side with her as her son, but ever since I heard about you before we even met, I wanted to be friends with you.”

He bit his lip gently. “By the way, did you receive the birthday gift I sent last time? Though it’s not expensive, I bought it with my own money. The size is perfect for a brooch, and I hope you like it.”

Before Li Heng could respond, Bai Ruan sensed the answer from his reaction.

Either he hadn’t received it, or he didn’t know it was from him.

Both were possible.

He didn’t press the issue of the gift but silently stored it in his mind, planning to use it as material for his narrative later.

Trust doesn’t crumble overnight, but when it eventually does, it’s often triggered by insignificant things that go unnoticed.

Bai Ruan naturally knew how to manipulate such nuances—or more precisely, how to control and play with people’s emotions. He knew how to adjust his behavior based on his audience’s reactions, easily reading the subtle hints in the blank expression of the boy before him.

Someone must have warned Li Heng about him; otherwise, he guessed, he wouldn’t have been so defensive.

Most likely, someone had dropped hints when the rumors started, and if he had to guess, the person who did that was probably Xie Duzhi.

He could even roughly figure out what Xie Duzhi had said about him. He scoffed internally, finding the whole thing boring, and dismissed Xie Duzhi from his considerations for now.

After all, he wasn’t interested in gaining Xie Duzhi’s trust; why bother trying to understand his thoughts?

In his plan, Xie Duzhi’s reaction didn’t matter. People naturally sympathize with the weak and believe what they see. Rational thinking was the exception.

All he had to do was grasp the boy in front of him, the true youngest son of the Xie family, and he could easily manipulate events to achieve his goals.

The Xie family loved Li Heng dearly, and he loved them back—what better leverage could there be?

Li Heng’s temporary wariness didn’t discourage Bai Ruan; rather, it excited him.

Had he encountered a boy who was completely unguarded and even sympathetic due to their previous encounter, he might have found it mundane.

Regret and feelings of guilt were much more interesting, and he relished them.

Each successful manipulation only deepened his understanding that “the human heart is like a pile of sand, easily shaped.”

Suppressing the urge to lick his lips, he casually shifted the conversation. “By the way, my mother didn’t invite you and me onto the show just for fun. She wants to embarrass my aunt, making her a laughingstock to prove that even though she found happiness with someone she loves, her life is still far from ideal.”

Bai Ruan, as if timid, stole a glance at Li Heng, his voice growing even softer. “…Because her favorite youngest son is a failure who is inferior to everyone else, a waste who makes a fool of himself on the show.”

“The script is all written in advance,” he explained. “The director and the other guests will all make things difficult for you. They’ll cut out the parts where you do well, only showing the audience the side where you’re useless and causing trouble for others.”

“And what about you?” Li Heng asked calmly.

He didn’t believe that he could be so kindhearted, even if there was a high probability that what he said would happen. With Bai Ruan, the main beneficiary of being compared to him, standing right in front of him, Li Heng found it hard to believe that he had no ulterior motive. He had to be seeking something in return for sharing this information.

Suddenly, he recalled the words Xie Duzhi had spoken to him, and this gave him more confidence in his guess.

It was about trust.

Logically, his initial response would be to doubt Bai Ruan’s intentions, but later, when he attended the show, Bai Ruan would undoubtedly defend him, contrasting sharply with how the other guests treated him. This would make him start to believe that he was different from his mother, that Bai Ruan was innocent.

Perhaps, he might even pity him—after all, in their previous encounter, Bai Ruan had left the impression of being overlooked, someone who could be stepped on by anyone.

“Me?” He seemed surprised to be asked and suddenly smiled, a bright but short-lived smile. “I don’t mind at all, Li Heng cousin.”

“Although she wants to make me look so successful that I can crush you into the ground, I don’t want to do that. It’s too tiring. And even if I mess up, it’s not a big deal.”

“She doesn’t have much hope for me anyway, and she has other plans, so I thought instead of blindly following her orders, I’d come tell you everything so you wouldn’t hate me.”

He brought up the incident from the other day. “I actually went back to the hotel to find you later, to thank you, but it looked like you had already left.”

“But I didn’t do anything that day,” Li Heng tried to distance himself.

Moreover, in that situation, he would have been sympathetic to anyone and would have tried to help.

“You looked like you wanted to help me, and I noticed that,” Bai Ruan said lightly. “I’m particularly sensitive to kindness.”

Li Heng responded with a simple “Oh,” remaining calm and saying nothing more.

He couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to wrap up this conversation and send him away as quickly as possible.

“In any case, I’ll cooperate with you during the show, cousin. I won’t give the crew or the other guests any chances to hurt you,” Bai Ruan promised. “My mom cares a lot about appearances. Even if she doesn’t like me, she won’t let others see my imperfections. We share in both honor and disgrace.”

“And if she has any other plans, I’ll let you know right away!” He seemed to cheer up a bit, looking at Li Heng with a little more hope. “Can we exchange contact information, cousin? I promise no one will see our messages.”

“Whether you believe me or not, I really do like you. I want to be friends with you, which is why I snuck out to find you.”

He stretched out his hand, looking anxious yet hopeful, assuming that even if Li Heng didn’t trust him fully or still held some dislike, he wouldn’t outright refuse. He had already thoroughly researched his personality—gentle, soft like cotton or dough, without much of a temper, easily molded by anyone.

And it wasn’t entirely a lie.

At the very least, Li Heng’s clean and fresh appearance appealed to him. It was easy to guess his thoughts, and interacting with someone so straightforward wouldn’t be too difficult.

However, to his surprise, before his hand could even touch Li Heng’s clothes, it was quickly and lightly slapped away.

“But I don’t like you,” Li Heng said bluntly, his tone holding a hint of displeasure and irritation that was absent of any malice, but still clear enough to be a rejection.

Bai Ruan had not expected this at all.