The real young master thought he was hated by everyone

Li Heng tried hard to maintain a calm expression, taking a deep breath as his ears, hidden under his hair, quietly turned red.

He glanced longingly at the pile of gifts and the hallway decorations full of flowers and streamers before closing the door resolutely.

If things went on like this, there was no way he’d be able to stick to his study plan this morning.

He forced himself to focus on his books.

Because today was somewhat special, he had set his study schedule to be from 6 AM to 8 AM, with the evening study session being flexible, but he planned to go to bed at 1 AM.

Though, judging by how things were going, he doubted he’d be able to finish reviewing even the vocabulary he had already gone over, let alone study more tonight.

Just one door separated him from all those birthday decorations that were tempting him far too much.

The most gifts he had ever seen in his life were during the summer vacation when he was in fifth grade.

The orphanage matron had been recognized as one of the “Top 10 Most Inspirational People” in the county, which led to the orphanage being featured on TV.

For a few days, many kind-hearted people came to visit, bringing clothes, candies… all sorts of things that completely filled the small courtyard.

Besides the everyday essentials, the matron and the caregivers carefully selected items like stationery and books, wrapped them in old newspapers, and placed them in a separate area.

The children at the orphanage lined up by age, from youngest to oldest, and each was allowed to take one item.

He was lucky and got a storybook called *The Little Prince*.

It was the first extracurricular book that truly belonged to him.

Would there be any books among the gifts outside?

A sharp “slap” echoed as he reached up and slapped both his cheeks hard.

Focus. He couldn’t let his mind wander any further.

But his thoughts still drifted uncontrollably to the gifts outside, and as he was writing down vocabulary words, he accidentally made a typo.

Standing up from his desk, he took a deep breath and made a bold decision.

He walked to the door, and with a determined air, opened it—picking up the gift box that had rolled to his feet earlier and bringing it back into his room.

The box wasn’t large, and as he lifted it, the contents shifted inside, making a rattling sound.

He placed the gift box in the most conspicuous spot on his desk.

Then, he buried his head in his books again, continuing his vocabulary drills.

Maybe because the gift was now in front of him, physically real and present, the agitation he had been feeling since earlier gradually subsided.

At 8:15, he put his vocabulary book back on the shelf, feeling strangely confident. He even thought he could take advantage of this momentum tonight to tackle a full practice test.

He picked up the gift box and shook it gently, resisting the urge to open it right then and there, as he wondered where he should place all the gifts.

The room was spacious, but whether he put the gifts next to his desk, in a corner of the cabinet, or even on his bed, none of those spots seemed quite right.

It felt like they deserved a more proper place.

“Bro, Second Brother left your gifts outside your door. Don’t forget to come down for breakfast after you open them.”

The voice of Xie Sizhi came from outside the door.

By the time Li Heng opened it, he was already gone, but the pile of gifts had grown even larger, and now there was an extra painting leaning against the door.

The painting showed a smiling boy, his eyes curved in joy, wearing a clean shirt with cloud patterns on it, standing against a backdrop of springtime with birds and flowers.

He was almost melting into the bright sunlight.

Xie Sizhi had drawn him.

On the day he was brought home, he had been wearing a light-colored shirt with cotton-cloud patterns at the hem.

There was a sticky note attached to the frame, written in a hurried, messy scrawl, likely scribbled down in haste.

It read:

“Happy birthday to Second Brother’s precious baby! Congrats on turning 18!”

“P.S. The painting’s not dry yet, so try not to touch it directly with your hands.”

He quietly carried the half-life-sized oil painting into his room and placed it by the window, where it could get some air. Only then did he start tackling the pile of gifts, big and small.

From the way Xie Sizhi had spoken while delivering the birthday presents earlier, it seemed like everyone was waiting for him to open them and then come down for breakfast.

It took him a while to move all the boxes into his room.

He originally planned to sort them by size before unwrapping, but the packaging alone already made it clear that the gifts were vastly different.

Going with his gut, he decided to open the small pink box he had just brought in. The pink packaging was more elaborate than the others, with multiple layers of ribbon flowers tied on top.

Inside was a pair of gemstone cufflinks.

There was also a small note, written in elegant, flowing script, with faint signs of smudged ink.

“Happy 10th birthday to Mama’s little one. May you have joy and peace, and good health for years to come.”

On the back was a faint but still recognizable note.

“The color is like my baby’s eyes.”

In his heart, Li Heng silently called out, “Mama,” before continuing to unwrap the next gift.

There was a peace charm, a bracelet, a brooch, a jade carving… and a slightly crooked scarf with a small rabbit charm attached. The style was quite old-fashioned.

It had been a gift for his seventh birthday.

He vaguely recalled that he had been placed in the orphanage when he was six, by his real age.

That winter had been exceptionally cold, with even his teeth feeling like they might freeze over. He hadn’t yet recovered from the fear and anxiety of his “Mom” and “Dad” suddenly disappearing. Even when the orphanage matron had found him and brought him into a warm room with a coal fire, he still felt cold.

Turns out, during that winter, somewhere far away, someone had been missing him dearly, afraid he’d be cold, and spent a long, long time knitting a scarf for him.

Not only that, but every year, from when he was six to seventeen, she had thoughtfully prepared a gift, imagining how he was growing and what he might need.

This year’s gift was a sachet containing a protective charm.

Li Heng hung the sachet in the most prominent spot by his bed before moving on to the next gift.

This one was willow green.

The next gift was from Xie Sizhi.

Xie Sizhi’s gifts were even more varied.

There were butterfly specimens labeled as collectibles, preserved flowers, plant guides, and even pieces of meteorites and lunar soil.

He decided to think about what to do with the lunar soil later, skipping over that for now, and unwrapped another gift of a different color.

The grayish-green packaging had a businesslike feel to it… Given that the only men in the house besides him and his second brother had serious jobs, he decided to analyze it further once he opened it.

Inside were mostly camera equipment and some lenses, with some items still bearing their price tags.

It must have been Xie Shenzhi’s; he had just returned from a business trip and had been quite busy.

The gifts might have even been purchased in a rush while he was away.

Even though he wouldn’t need this equipment for streaming, he silently expressed his gratitude for his older brother’s thoughtfulness.

After finishing with the grayish-green box, the only clear options left were the lake blue and the gray-and-white checkered gifts.

He guessed that the lake blue package might be from Xie Duzhi, as blue always exuded a calming, composed aura, much like the feeling he got from himi.

However, when he opened it, a note fell out with sharp, elegant handwriting, signing off with a birthday wish, attributed to Xie Zhuwei.

Well, it wasn’t from Xie Duzhi; it was from his father.

The gifts he sent were comparatively serious.

There was a calligraphy piece, a heavy paperweight engraved with the word “diligence,” an expensive-looking seal and ink pad…

Interestingly, the birthday card that wished him a happy eighteenth birthday had changed his name from “Xie Qi” to “Xie Heng.”

So that was his original name.

Though it felt out of place, he instinctively recalled the face from his dream.

“You see, even your name now belongs to me.”

That “Xie Duzhi” smiled down at him with a mix of warmth and pity, “Don’t you know if they treat you like family?”

Of course they are my family.

Frowning, he internally spat three times, banishing the shadow from his mind.

Not that he thought poorly of Xie Duzhi.

But no matter how you looked at it, “Xie Qi” was a name rich in meaning.

Of course, “Xie Heng” wasn’t bad either.

He reached for the gray-and-white checkered box.

This one had to be from Xie Duzhi.

The other colors added up to thirteen, while Xie Duzhi’s gifts totaled a full eighteen boxes.

Inside were a bag of small golden beads, a jade gourd pendant, the latest gaming console…

And, of course, many bank cards of various types, with writings from different countries on them, and what seemed to be property documents underneath.

The legendary unlimited black card was among them.

Just last night, he had been wondering if he could exercise the birthday star’s privilege to be a little capricious and ask the others to use the black card to investigate the departments at Orange Platform and drag out Lulu’s supervisor.

.But now that he had unwrapped all these gifts, he felt even more embarrassed to bring it up directly.

As for the gifts from Uncle Fu and Auntie Zhen, they didn’t take much time to unwrap.

Auntie Zhen gifted him a hand-knitted little cat plushie—perhaps it could keep his little mouse company.

He just didn’t quite understand why Uncle Fu would send him ginseng tea, something that clearly screamed health preservation.

The living room looked almost as stunning as if it had just been newly decorated.

However, Li Heng had already unwrapped the gifts, and with a heart full of love and happiness, he descended the stairs without much room left for shock.

Breakfast and lunch were combined into two tables.

The one cooking wasn’t Auntie Zhen, but a temporary chef hired from Michelin, while Auntie Zhen and her team sat at another table, waiting for the dishes to be served.

But when he actually cut through the cake to reveal those large gemstones and gold coins, he couldn’t help but show a similar expression.

“Whoever cuts it is lucky,” Mrs. Xie smiled brightly.

If it weren’t for him, the birthday boy, being in charge of cutting the cake, Li Heng felt like her credibility might have been higher.

The conversation at the table gradually shifted from what he planned to do in the future to when he would settle down and start a family.

He took several sips of wine, silently dismissing life choices that clearly wouldn’t suit him, like being an artist or a corporate manager.

The first to leave the table was Xie Duzhi.

He stood up almost as soon as he finished the extra cake slices, stating he needed to change clothes and go to the office, promising to return in the evening.

His thin lips were pressed tight, his eyes cool, making it clear he wasn’t in a good mood.

After he went upstairs, Li Heng stood up, his heart pounding in his chest. “Just right, I remembered I have something to ask Brother Du. I’ll go check and come right back.”

He knocked on Xie Duzhi’s door, and upon receiving permission, turned the doorknob and entered.

Xie Duzhi was fastening his vest.

“Third Brother.”

Li Heng called out, feeling it was off, and cleared his throat, switching to a more formal address.

“…Mr. Xie Duzhi.”

Xie Duzhi looked up at him but didn’t respond.