The real young master thought he was hated by everyone

Xie Duzhi hurried to the agreed-upon location and saw a young man standing obediently at the alley entrance, holding a bag of pastries in each hand.

Li Heng waved at him, but there was no sign of the driver nearby.

Xie Duzhi had brought gifts with him, and judging by the luxurious packaging, they were not cheap. He quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

With such a calm and thoughtful personality, how could he have forgotten the proper etiquette?

This way, he didn’t have to explain that he had thought about buying a fruit basket but couldn’t find a fruit shop nearby.

He looked at the two kraft paper bags in Li Heng’s hands, which had the words “Crafted with Care” printed on them. He seemed a bit puzzled.

“They’re for Uncle Fu,” Li Heng pointed to the pastry shop across the street, explaining, “I happened to see it and remembered that he seems to really like traditional pastries.”

Xie Duzhi raised an eyebrow slightly and simply responded with an “Oh,” without asking further.

“Let’s go then,” he said, turning into the alley.

“Wait.” Li Heng quickly grabbed his sleeve, and the sound of the pastry bags rustled.

Xie Duzhi looked at him in confusion.

Li Heng softly added, “Third Brother.”

“Didn’t the driver come?” Xie Duzhi tilted his head slightly, a hint of expectation in his eyes.

“I told him to come back later,” Li Heng replied.

In other words, the driver had already left.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Duzhi asked, perplexed.

“…The pastries,” Li Heng hesitated, feeling a bit awkward, “It’s not very polite to bring them like this to someone’s home.”

To be precise, it didn’t seem formal enough.

“Wouldn’t it be better to treat them as a visiting gift?”

“No worries,” Xie Duzhi shook his head. “Principal Gu won’t accept gifts.”

The principal’s last name was Gu, known for his integrity and strong character.

In his more than thirty years of service, the school had barely encountered any negative news, except for the occasional complaint from parents about holiday make-up classes.

Li Heng hesitated but then realized he was still holding onto Xie Duzhi’s sleeve. He quickly withdrew his hand as if he had been shocked.

He still felt that whether or not Principal Gu would accept gifts was one thing, but as a student—or a junior—it was only right to show proper respect when visiting someone’s home.

However, Xie Duzhi misunderstood his concern.

Lifting the tea he was holding slightly, he casually explained, “This tea is something a business partner gave to my father, so I’m just bringing it along.”

Li Heng habitually nodded, “…Oh.”

Wait, what?

Isn’t it supposed to be a gift for the visit?

Li Heng widened his eyes without realizing it and was about to speak when he saw the other already stepping into the alley. “We’re almost out of time.”

They had arranged the visit for 3 p.m.

Compared to worrying about gifts, being late would undoubtedly leave a worse impression. He suppressed the questions bubbling up inside him and hurried after Xie Duzhi.

The houses in the alley all had small courtyards, and the first and second homes weren’t adjacent to each other.

Xie Duzhi had long legs and walked quickly, making it difficult for him to keep up without running. He followed behind like a small tail, watching Xie Duzhi’s usual calm expression as he knocked three times on a door.

After a while, someone came to answer.

It wasn’t the stern, righteous middle-aged man or elder that he had imagined, but a young boy whose baby fat hadn’t fully disappeared from his face.

“Welcome,” the boy stepped aside, letting them in with a leisurely yet polite smile.

It was the same boy they had briefly met while waiting in line earlier.

So, does this mean the principal is actually…?

The two made eye contact and were equally surprised.

Then, the smile on Li Heng’s face grew even more genuine.

“It’s you,” he blinked, then shouted towards a half-open door, “Grandpa, the good kid you just praised is here.”

“Don’t shout nonsense, you little rascal.”

A familiar face, just as Li Heng had imagined, appeared, his voice full of energy. “Show some manners.”

Xie Duzhi calmly greeted, “Hello, Principal Gu.”

The elderly man, with white hair and a robust spirit, crossed his arms and scrutinized the two young men at the door, frowning more deeply as he observed them.

He seemed troubled, unable to make sense of something:

“Are you really family?”

“…By blood?”

There was an odd, teasing tone to his voice.

Li Heng, completely caught off guard by such an unconventional greeting, froze at the doorway, unsure if he should enter.

“By blood,” Xie Duzhi replied, guessing that the boy and Li Heng must have run into each other earlier.

Li Heng didn’t see any problem with his answer.

Xie Duzhi was his family, more special to him than even his two other brothers. Even if they weren’t related by blood, they were closer than blood.

“I can’t really tell,” Principal Gu motioned for them to sit on the sofa and called out to his grandson, who had been trying to slip away, to make tea for the guests.

Once seated, Li Heng remained tense, still dwelling on why the principal had asked that question, his mood becoming more solemn.

Back at the pastry shop, the principal had given him the impression of a kind and warm-hearted elder.

It was even at the principal’s recommendation that he had chosen the pastries.

When the principal heard that he was planning to bring them as a gift for an elder, he had scolded his own grandson for not respecting the elderly and the young.

But now, considering that what they were doing was essentially seeking special treatment, it made sense for the old man to be a bit more reserved.

“Are you really blood relatives?” Principal Gu was still puzzled. “Doesn’t everyone in your family usually have a stern, stiff expression?”

How could there be someone so soft?

The principal had heard a lot about Mr. and Mrs. Xie, and all their children had attended the same school, so he remembered them well.

Of course, another reason was that the Xie family had visited once before, a few years ago.

The difference was that last time it was for skipping a grade, and this time it was for transferring into the class suddenly.

Remembering how Xie Duzhi had chosen F University over prestigious Q University and B University after his college entrance exam, Principal Gu still couldn’t let it go.

That year, the school had just missed being able to surpass a famous high school in the neighboring province, all because of one missing Q University admission.

It wasn’t that F University was bad—Principal Gu himself had graduated from there.

But still, every time he thought about it, it stung a little.

“He takes after his mother more,” Xie Duzhi’s face remained impassive.

The twists and turns of how Li Heng had gone missing and been found again were not things for outsiders to know.

Rather than waste time explaining, it was better to get straight to the point.

Principal Gu felt choked by his response and found him even more disagreeable.

Such a young man, yet so lacking in the energy of youth—whether at sixteen or twenty-two, he always felt like a stagnant pool, never changing.

He was excellent, but not likable.

He Gu had a soft spot for students who were both lively and well-behaved.

“A-Ming!” The old man called out loudly, “Stop helping your grandma with the bamboo shoots and come invigilate an exam for me.”

He wasn’t just looking for an excuse to send Li Heng away—there really was something he wanted to discuss with Xie Duzhi.

Besides, exams are one of those things where it’s better to seize the moment.

“Right away.”

The boy responded, poking his head out from the courtyard.

He smiled brightly at Li Heng, flashing a set of neat white teeth.