The real young master thought he was hated by everyone

On the afternoon when the cat was successfully found, they returned home with Xiaozhi, just as they had agreed before. By the time they came back, all the windows in Xie Duzhi’s villa had been sealed off, completely preventing the Siamese cat from sneaking out to go on dates during weekdays.

However, Li Heng’s exam paper was still unfinished.

On Saturday, he napped in the car for nearly an entire afternoon. After returning home that evening and having dinner, he still hadn’t motivated himself to study, and instead, he was thrown into a state of confusion by the collection of awards and report cards pinned all over the first floor—there was even a display of his perfect exam papers from elementary school.

The reason his parents were not home last week was that they had specifically traveled to the northern small town where he grew up to visit many people.

From the director of the orphanage to the teachers who had taught him, and even the bookstore owner who always had him “help out” during summer vacation while secretly giving him some pocket money, to that uncle who ran a gaming lounge… even those classmates who, for various reasons, hadn’t completed their studies.

The director, Aunt Liao, had specially written him a long letter and even sent back his favorite cured meat with Mrs. Xie.

“She has always felt very guilty, thinking she held you back.”

When she said this, Mrs. Xie almost couldn’t hold back her tears. “You only call the orphanage during the holidays; she’s afraid to disturb you and can only silently think of you, knitting several sweaters for you and preparing the cured meat, waiting for you to come home for the New Year.”

The money Li Heng had sent every month was never touched by Aunt Liao; she simply kept it in an account, saving it for him.

However, during the New Year, Li Heng didn’t go back. He only sent back some specialties and reported his safety over the phone.

At that time, he had just touched on some aspects of live streaming, working hard to edit videos to gain followers, striving for his own survival and to ensure that Aunt Liao would recover better after her surgery.

He was actually planning to be more stable, probably returning around June or July to tell her that he was indeed doing well, so she wouldn’t have to worry too much.

“But if it weren’t for Aunt Liao, I wouldn’t be who I am today.” He thought for a moment, saying this when Mrs. Xie hugged him, “She is a very, very wonderful aunt.”

Even though she herself was quite impoverished and not in good health, she still worked hard to keep the orphanage running, constantly putting her own money into it and tirelessly working for the survival of nearly a hundred children.

Throughout his life, although he had little, he had never truly lacked anything and had never experienced hunger or cold.

“Yes, she is a very good, very great person.” Mrs. Xie’s voice trembled as she couldn’t help but softly choke up.

“We should all be grateful to her.”

She thanked her for taking in her child, raising him well, teaching him to be honest and kind, and allowing him the ability to love and be loved.

Not just that director, but also many others whom she visited in that small town.

Thanks to their existence and the friendliness and kindness they emitted, her child could grow up with a sincere heart, be open and bold, soft yet resolute, shining brightly through hardships, safely appearing in front of him.

Yet, even so, thinking of these past events made it difficult for her to stop feeling sad.

This week, apart from text messages and occasional voice messages, she hadn’t video-called her younger son before bed, fearing she couldn’t manage her emotions well.

Aunt Liao had mentioned in their chat that there had been people in the past who specifically came to search for lost children but found nothing in the end; they just donated some money to help the orphanage survive that winter.

She then remembered that in the north, they had also sent people out to search. They had combed through every possible place, and when passing through here, the people were surprised that such a place could still operate an orphanage, and they even went in to take photos of each child to send back for identification.

But at that time, her child had not yet been taken in by the director and was lost somewhere.

In addition, the criminal gang at that time was ultimately caught in the south. Their focus on searching for lost children was placed in more remote and underdeveloped highland and mountainous areas, speculating that he might have been adopted by some family, searching for him for many years like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Aunt Liao said she had taken him in during winter; they sent people to the north for the last time in the autumn of that year when they had finally lost hope.

And so, they had missed him.

Li Heng wasn’t very clear on what had happened back then. He only remembered that he had had a fever when he was a child and could not recall many things, which was why he felt that “dad” and “mom” were no problem at all, and after being abandoned, he had been sad for a long time.

However, from what Mrs. Xie said, he could piece together the events of when he “got lost.”

It wasn’t quite the same as what he had been told in his dream.

He hadn’t wandered off because he was playing; rather, the nanny responsible for him hadn’t kept a close eye, and he had gotten lost on the street, but rather, he had been kidnapped with intent. During the rescue attempt to save him, the Xie family had tried to prepare a ransom but inadvertently ended up escaping, encountering human traffickers.

If it weren’t for Mrs. Xie being so certain, he wouldn’t even have known that he had been so clever and brave as a child.

Too bad he didn’t remember any of it.

Mrs. Xie thought that it was her son’s carefree and clear-minded attitude that melted the thorn that had always been stuck in her heart.

But in fact, on this Saturday, it was also Li Heng, who had been fully accepted and assured.

Not just regarding Aunt Liao, but also about other experiences he worried might create rifts with his family if spoken aloud.

So, even when he was called into the office by the teacher on Monday morning because he hadn’t submitted one of his papers, he felt a sense of relaxation and happiness.

Even his deskmate said that it seemed his study state had improved since returning that week, and during evening self-study, they secretly asked him if he was in love.

Of course, before he could finish asking, the homeroom teacher, who had been quietly observing from behind the classroom door, called him out to criticize him for a good ten minutes.

The remaining days of their senior year were busy, fulfilling, and full of drive. He hadn’t noticed that someone had been secretly watching him among the throng of students. He was also unaware that Bai Ruan had borrowed a place across from the window where the cat loved to stare out for more than one night.

Li Heng’s attention was entirely focused on the countdown board at the back of the class, where the numbers were ticking down faster and faster, as well as the upcoming exams. He even forgot to inform the driver in advance about what time he would finish class that day. He always relied on Xie Duzhi to pick him up personally, waiting outside with a fruit basket and milk tea.

He hadn’t chosen biology, and when he finished the last exam and came out of the exam hall, it was still early.

Outside the exam hall, it was crowded with parents who had come to pick up and drop off students, all dressed differently, but the anxious expressions on their faces were almost identical.

In the crowd, a striking red car emblazoned with the words “Best of Luck for the College Entrance Exam” was especially eye-catching.

He clutched the stationery bag he had specially brought back from Kong Temple, which had been blessed by the literary sage for a month, as well as the stationery that had been worshiped, suddenly feeling a bit reluctant to go forward and identify himself.

However, the youth in the car spotted him almost immediately, striding through the bustling crowd to pull him back into the car, fastening his seatbelt.

“Finally free!” Xie Sizhi’s face beamed with joy, even more so than when he stepped out of the exam hall himself. “Let’s go, big brother will take you for a spin.”

The sports car had only two seats, and as they moved slowly through the crowd, Li Heng deliberately looked around several times, not finding any other family members besides his second brother.

“It’s simple; as long as I convince Mom, Dad will definitely follow,” the youth said with a raised eyebrow, answering with a bold and carefree attitude that left no room for rebuttal. “I told Mom that eating the victory cake after the exam would be even better, and she agreed to make it for you when we get back home, just in time for it to be done when you arrive.”

“Big brother did come over, but I told him you like drinking Mepome, and just in time for the Mepome to release the new exam season products, he ran off to the other exam center—”

At this point, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “This morning wasn’t it traffic? He wouldn’t know how to ride the shared bike next to him, and he’d just have to rely on the bus to get to the store. I wonder if he’ll be stuck in line.”

Li Heng: …

“Second brother, that

’s not right.” he wanted to laugh but restrained himself.

He calmly pointed out the facts. “If you do this, big brother will be very worried when he finds out we’re not at home.”

And he might not be able to report back to Mom and Dad, who had already returned home.

“He worries about his own stuff, and we’ll have our fun!” Xie Sizhi was completely nonchalant, making it hard to argue with him. “Besides, the banquet for the top scholars at the hotel has already been booked, and I’ll definitely get you there on time.”

The boy’s lips quivered for a moment, wanting to ask again, but he was interrupted by his elder brother, who had already guessed what he wanted to say.

“Alright, alright, I know you’re most concerned about your good third brother. You want to ask him why he didn’t come, right?” Xie Sizhi rolled his eyes, his tone slightly sour.

If it weren’t for him failing to buy the house next to Xie Duzhi from Ji Qi, and his brother using the villa to keep a little mistress, he would surely still be the closest brother in Li Heng’s heart, and wouldn’t have allowed Xie Duzhi to take advantage of the situation.

“Because you didn’t mention him, that’s why I wanted to ask.” Li Heng instinctively retorted, feeling inexplicably weak in his argument. He changed the topic, “So we’re not going home now, right?” “Third brother had something come up at the last minute and couldn’t make it,” Xie Sizhi did not deny he felt a bit schadenfreude. “The PR department of the platform he acquired is simply useless; they didn’t realize anything was wrong until the public sentiment had fermented for an entire night.”

As for what the public sentiment was, he hadn’t paid attention.

“That’s right, we’re not going home.” He yawned lazily. “Brother will take you out to relax.”

“…But I want to go home and change clothes first.” Li Heng hesitated, actually a bit curious about where Xie Sizhi would take him.

After all, he always had all sorts of wild and strange ideas.

“What’s wrong with your clothes?” Xie Sizhi slowed down the car a bit, looking him up and down repeatedly. “You look great! Mom even specially had them change the color and modified the style a bit.”

But the problem lay in the color.

Yesterday, he had worn a red shirt when he went out, saying it was to bring good luck for a “bright start.” By the afternoon, under Mrs. Xie’s urging, the shirt had been changed to green.

The reason was that after the “bright start,” there should also be “a smooth path ahead,” leading to high scores.

So he was still wearing green, just that the style was a bit different from yesterday’s, with no essential difference.

“It will be very eye-catching,” Li Heng tried to argue.

“It’s not that kind of cheap fluorescent green.” Xie Sizhi smiled reassuringly. “Besides, good-looking people look good in anything; don’t overthink it.”

After all, the issue wasn’t just changing clothes; it was whether he could still take his brother out to play so openly after going home.

To celebrate this day and to reclaim his position in his brother’s heart, Xie Sizhi had prepared for a long, long time.

Success or failure depended on this one shot; how could he let something as trivial as a clothing change snag him?

Moreover, he truly thought his brother looked good in green. The saturation of the shirt was low, the green was actually quite light, and the cuffs, collar, and front placket were cleverly embroidered with flowers and leaf patterns, making it suitable for his age.

If he wore the same clothes, he would seem immature.

Otherwise, he would have definitely worn matching outfits when going out today.

“Second brother, are you going to treat me to drinks?” The bright red sports car finally stopped in front of a bar.

“No way, I don’t want to get kicked out of the house today.”

Xie Sizhi casually replied, then switched to a somewhat serious expression, “students are not allowed to drink.”

“But this is a bar…?” Li Heng followed him into the dimly lit interior. As soon as he asked, a bartender in a vest, smiling and chipping ice, shoved a glass of milk at him.

It was mint-flavored.

“Does a bar have to serve alcohol?” The bartender said with conviction, taking off his gloves and stepping out from behind the bar, casually wrapping his arm around Xie Sizhi’s shoulder, teasing, “Xie brother, your little brother is so well-behaved!”

“Of course,” Xie Sizhi returned the gesture, “Are you ready? Let’s get started.”

There were no other customers in the bar, and the colored ball lights above changed constantly. The originally opaque design gave a sense of chaos in the darkness, and the youth felt a sense of madness swirling around him.

Then, he heard the sound of drums and guitars.

Xie Sizhi had prepared a concert for him, featuring all the songs he liked to listen to. To better match the festive atmosphere of officially being liberated from high school education, some were even specially rearranged, making them lively and cheerful, unexpectedly pleasant to listen to.

None of the band members were professionals, just friends of Xie Sizhi’s whom he knew reasonably well, but it was clear they had rehearsed for a long time, and the effect was great.

If one had to point out a flaw, it was probably that as the lead singer, Xie Sizhi’s voice was all emotion, lacking any technique.

Even though the songs had been changed, it couldn’t salvage his evident lack of musicality from running away from home.

The singer was oblivious, and the only audience at the concert didn’t choose to expose this and ruin the sense of ecstasy.

It was only after the concert ended that he immediately handed the now-glorified lead singer a warm glass of honey water.

After bidding farewell to his new acquaintances and leaving the bar with a gift, it was completely dark outside.

Xie Sizhi’s throat was a bit hoarse, but his spirits were high; despite having drunk nothing, whether talking or driving, he seemed a bit lightheaded.

Fortunately, he still remembered to obey traffic rules, not running through any red lights.

But this still wasn’t the way home.

“Are we going to the hotel now?” Li Heng felt a bit anxious, worrying that the others in the family might be worried.

“Not yet.” Xie Sizhi lazily raised his eyebrows, not knowing how many times he had ignored the vibrations from his phone. “Don’t worry, I made arrangements beforehand.”

As for whether Mrs. Xie would agree when she saw the message later—at least in his mind, reporting it meant that it was implicitly agreed upon.

“Then where are we going next?” Li Heng continued to ask.

“Secret.” Xie Sizhi’s eyes curved slightly; he was looking forward to seeing his brother staring at him eagerly, pleading for him to reveal the secret.

However, all he got was a well-behaved nod and a serious “Okay.”

He felt a bit of disappointment, “Now we’re driving out to the suburbs.”

“Will it be late getting to the hotel?” Li Heng asked instinctively.

Xie Sizhi: …

But the subtle dissatisfaction that suddenly rose in his heart hadn’t had the chance to bubble up before it was covered by Li Heng’s next concern.

He asked, “Second brother, you haven’t eaten anything since this afternoon. Should we stop and buy some bread?”

With just that one sentence, Xie Sizhi felt he could go without eating until tomorrow morning.

The car finally stopped in front of a glass greenhouse that hadn’t been completely dismantled yet in the suburbs. Xie Sizhi took out a key, speaking mysteriously.

But before completely opening the door, he peered through the gap nervously and quickly glanced inside, only then feeling at ease.

“Li Heng, make sure you don’t blink.” He said this, pulling open the glass greenhouse door and pressing a switch on the wall, turning on the light in the greenhouse.

The light was cool, dim, and not glaring, instead reflecting a gentle cleanliness all around, as light as snow in white.

Today’s temperature was unusually low; it had been cloudy since morning, and under the weather’s influence, the blooming night-blooming cereus seemed like moons opening one after another.

It was hard to imagine how much effort and manpower Xie Sizhi had put in to ensure that the entire greenhouse of night-blooming cereus bloomed just as he opened the door.

“Congratulations on graduating from high school, my little treasure!” Xie Sizhi exclaimed loudly in a melodramatic tone, “Although youth is as fleeting as the night-blooming cereus, I promise you, as long as I’m around, you can squander and indulge however you want.”

“I will always protect you.”

Li Heng felt warmth fill his eyes, feeling both amused and inexplicably aggrieved and touched. For a moment, he even thought this scene might forever remain in his memory, becoming one of the precious memories of the future.

But ultimately, the next day, the scene of Mrs. Xie rarely rolling up her sleeves and digging out a broom from the utility room, chasing him around the house with it replaced the blooming night-blooming cereus, becoming the most deeply imprinted memory of the recent past.

He only rested for a day at home, and all sorts of class gatherings that seemed to spring up without reason emerged like bamboo shoots after a rain.

With the mountain of the college entrance examination suddenly collapsing, even the most quiet vice class leader had so much energy that she couldn’t find a place for it, sending dozens of messages in a minute, urging him to join for team building and KTV.

The location was voted on and set at a well-known hotel in City S, which had just launched limited-time discounts for exam-takers and offered extra discounts for class reservations.

He never expected to bump into Bai Ruan at the gathering.

Especially in that situation.