The real young master thought he was hated by everyone

“Li Heng, cousin, it’s okay if you don’t believe me,” Bai Ruan said, his smile turning strained with disappointment.

“This isn’t about trust,” Li Heng instinctively frowned, rebutting. As he thought about what he wanted to say next, he suppressed the discomfort he felt and adjusted his expression, becoming more serious. “Bai Ruan, I didn’t agree to your mother’s invitation to join that show because I wanted to.”

“I hope you understand that the only reason I agreed is because, if I didn’t, my family might lose face and become the subject of gossip. It wasn’t because I wanted to go.”

He emphasized his point. Why did Bai Ruan assume he would definitely participate in the show and become his partner as planned?

Li Heng couldn’t see any genuine affection or liking in Bai Ruan’s attitude, despite his constant claims. Instead, he only felt a sense of false urgency, as if everything was calculated.

“But my mom is my mom, and I am me,” Bai Ruan sounded a bit aggrieved, his voice softening. “…Why can’t cousin see us separately?”

“Because there’s no difference,” Li Heng said bluntly, not mincing words. “When I say I don’t like you, it’s not because you’re my aunt’s son—it’s because I don’t like *you*.”

It was rare for him to be so direct, his tone unusually sharp. “If you truly liked me as much as you claim and didn’t want me to be embarrassed, then why, from the moment you entered, have you only talked about how you’d behave on the show, rather than helping me reject the invitation?”

Bai Ruan, for once, was at a loss for words, stunned and unable to come up with a reason immediately.

Why, indeed? The truth was that this had all been part of his plan. He needed to create an environment where everyone but him was a stranger, where through various “trials,” Li Heng would realize that Bai Ruan could be trusted, and in turn, grow closer to him.

He suddenly realized where he’d made his mistake. If people’s hearts were like scales, then the weight of what’s on either side would tip the balance. As much as he hated to admit it, he had overestimated himself, neglecting other possible factors, which had led to this rejection.

He felt a twinge of regret, both for his plan and for the wasted time.

But it wasn’t all bad news. He’d learned that Li Heng’s status within the Xie family was much more important than he had initially thought. He was cherished and protected in a way that was both deliberate and correct.

Although this good news meant that the difficulty of his task had increased significantly, and all his prior preparations were now useless, it also meant he’d have to reevaluate Li Heng, reassess his relationships, and reframe his approach to gain his trust.

He hadn’t expected that beneath Li Heng’s soft, agreeable demeanor lay shards of glass, sharp enough to cut.

“Because ultimately, you’re thinking about yourself,” Li Heng finished for him. “You’re trying to achieve your own goals, not considering what I want.”

“I… I just didn’t think about it,” Bai Ruan stammered, waving his hands in an attempt to explain. “I thought since you agreed, then…”

“But as I just said, I didn’t agree willingly. It was a temporary measure.”

Li Heng cut him off. Before Bai Ruan had knocked on the door, he had thought that since he’d given his word, he couldn’t go back on it. No matter what plans his aunt had, he believed that keeping promises was a fundamental principle.

But why should he stick to promises with people who had bad intentions? Why should he foolishly walk into a trap?

Even though Bai Ruan might treat him well to gain his trust, he would still feel uncomfortable. He’d be unhappy for a long time, and in the end, Bai Ruan or his aunt, who wanted to use his poor performance on the show against him, would benefit.

He had already suffered once—there was no reason to offer himself up to suffer a second time.

“If cousin really doesn’t want to go, I’ll do my best to negotiate with her,” Bai Ruan said hesitantly, his lips pressed together. “…If it comes to that, if it really doesn’t work, I’ll just refuse to participate myself, and then she won’t force you anymore.”

Li Heng almost wanted to tell him to stop assuming things, because no matter what, Bai Ruan wouldn’t be the one to speak to his aunt and offer favors on his behalf. His parents and his brothers would never force him to participate in something he didn’t want to do.

The only reason he didn’t say this was because he worried that once spoken, Bai Ruan would cling even more.

What he really wanted right now was some peace and quiet.

“Sorry, I’m still feeling a bit unwell. I’d like to rest a bit more.” He politely asked him to leave, feeling an inexplicable sense of guilt.

This guilt wasn’t toward Bai Ruan but rather a sense of impoliteness at cutting the conversation short so abruptly.

“Then, I won’t disturb cousin anymore.” Bai Ruan seemed like he wanted to say more, possibly to ask for Li Heng’s contact information.

But a knock at the door interrupted his stammering.

Li Heng’s eyes brightened, his expression softening into something more lively.

This time, he was sure it was Xie Duzhi. Every time Xie Duzhi knocked, it gave him a sense of patience. There would be a long pause between each knock, and he always knocked exactly three times.

He didn’t even realize the subtle change in his expression, but Bai Ruan, who had been watching him closely, noticed every detail.

He guessed that the person knocking was someone Li Heng trusted deeply. Naturally, he started to leave, ready to open the door on his way out.

“I can get it. You should rest, cousin!” He said, thinking he might also run into Mrs. Xie, his supposed aunt, on the way out.

This was also a good opportunity for him. He needed to manage his expression well and leave an impression on the seemingly gentle but actually cold and distant Mrs. Xie. Yes, it would be best to subtly remind her that the boy wasn’t feeling well and to express concern gently.

Most of the time, elders tend to dismiss the conflicts between the younger generation as trivial, often stepping in to play the role of peacemaker.

Bai Ruan couldn’t be entirely sure if Mrs. Xie would act this way, but regardless, it was never a mistake to appear obedient and a little timid.

However—

Standing outside the door was someone he wished he could eliminate.

“Your mother has been looking for you,” Xie Duzhi said coolly, his eyes warning. “She seems anxious.”

“Thank you, Cousin Du,” Bai Ruan responded with a show of gratitude, though inwardly he sneered with contempt.

As he stepped out of the room and brushed past the young man, he discreetly bumped into him, mouthing a provocative taunt.

Technically, there wasn’t any deep hatred between Bai Ruan and Xie Duzhi. The time when Xie Duzhi had refused to join forces with him was something Bai Ruan had long forgotten.

Of course, there was also the lingering resentment that, if it hadn’t been for Xie Duzhi’s interference, it would have been him who was adopted by the Xie family. But after biding his time for so many years, Bai Ruan’s actions were mainly driven by sheer loathing.

And there was no better moment than now. With the Xie family having found their real son, their attention on Xie Duzhi was bound to wane. Driving a wedge between them, breaking the trust between Xie Duzhi and the Xie family, was just the first step. Bai Ruan wanted to see him lose everything, left to flounder in the mud, unable to die even if he wished to.

This person was so intolerable that even staying in his presence a moment longer made him want to expose his true nature.

He recalculated the balance of the scales in his mind, and with a burning hatred, he kept adding weight to the side labeled Xie Duzhi, until the other side was tipped high in the air, unstable and about to collapse. Only then did he calm down.

This kind of situation was not without precedent. Blood brothers could turn against each other due to suspicion or personal gain, so how much more likely was it that foster brothers with no blood ties, who had only lived together for a month, would fall apart?

Once Bai Ruan had left, Li Heng spoke uncertainly, “Did he just…?”

For a moment, he thought there was something odd about Bai Ruan’s behavior, more unsettling than before.

“It doesn’t matter what he does,” Xie Duzhi said, before explaining, “Your aunt stopped me earlier and said a few things.”

That’s why he had arrived late.

As for the excuse he had just used to send Bai Ruan away, it was a lie. Bai Wei was still busy trying to justify herself to Mrs. Xie, coming up with all sorts of half-truths under the guise of “testing” Li Heng.

“Nothing too important,” Xie Duzhi added casually, patching over the topic to prevent him from worrying.

“Oh,” Li Heng said, not really wanting to know more anyway. He was about to tell Xie Duzhi what Bai Ruan had just said.

“No need to bother with him,” Xie Duzhi cut him off after the first sentence, sounding nonchalant. “I came to ask if you’d like to play some games.”

Games were a good way to relax and improve one’s mood.

Li Heng knew that Xie Duzhi had brought a laptop with him, but he wasn’t sure how long a lightweight business laptop could handle gaming without crashing, potentially risking file loss on the hard drive.

“Wouldn’t it be better to wait until we get home?” Li Heng asked hesitantly.

“There’s an arcade nearby,” Xie Duzhi clarified. “Not console or PC games.”

After some research, he’d learned about the different categories of games and the so-called gaming hierarchy.

Li Heng was tempted but still a bit hesitant. “But I think there’s a speech coming up later.”

“It’s fine.”

Xie Duzhi had already arranged everything. If the staff couldn’t find him, they’d just pull Xie Sizhi up to liven things up.