The real young master thought he was hated by everyone

By the time they returned to the Xie family home with the cat, it was nearly midnight.

The entrance was lit with a soft, warm glow, clearly left on purpose.

Li Heng carried the cat, whose tail was puffed up and who kept trying to climb onto his shoulder, looking a bit uneasy. They walked in together.

During the cat retrieval, things had gotten a bit chaotic, and both Xie Sizhi and Xie Duzhi ended up with minor injuries. Xie Sizhi, in particular, had a disheveled appearance with several scratch marks on his face and a red nose from the cat’s bites. Despite his attempt to hide it with a nonchalant attitude, his walk was a bit comical.

Xie Duzhi’s shirt had its top buttons skewed from the scratches, but he seemed relatively composed, if not for the cat food and carrier he was carrying.

Li Heng was uncertain if the cat had left any scratches on the car seats.

Mrs. Xie, who had been resting under a thin blanket on the sofa, looked up at the sound of the door opening. She got up to reheat some steak but froze when she saw the state of the three people and the cat.

She chuckled, “What happened to you all?”

Her gaze swept over the three, finally resting on the cat, which looked like a smudged coal ball, a Siamese.

She laughed even more.

Li Heng’s initial guilt quickly turned into a sense of grievance. Everything had seemed fine when he picked up the cat from the community garage, but things went awry when Xie Sizhi insisted on sitting in the back with the cat, trying to bond with it. His playful antics only agitated the cat, leading to a chaotic scene.

Despite his good intentions, the cat had clawed him and then bit him, causing further chaos in the car.

After the car finally made it into the Xie family’s private road, the situation had been averted from any major mishap.

Li Heng explained what had happened, glancing between the scratches on Xie Sizhi’s face and the skewed shirt of Xie Duzhi. He hugged the cat tighter as he apologized.

“The cat dislikes people,” he said with a sigh.

Mrs. Xie, still bemused, looked at her second son and commented, “You’re becoming more childish. Are you not growing up?”

Xie Sizhi, undeterred, bowed exaggeratedly, “You’re absolutely right.”

He was genuinely in a good mood despite the scratches, not holding any grudge against the cat for its rough behavior.

Mrs. Xie then turned her attention to Li Heng. “What’s its name?”

“Xiao Zhi,” Li Heng said, tilting his head slightly, “after the sound it makes.”

“Xiao Zhi,” Mrs. Xie repeated, scratching under its chin. “Do you want some fish?”

She had fresh salmon that had just been flown in earlier in the day. The cat purred contentedly and rubbed against her hand.

Mrs. Xie’s gaze turned to her second son with a look of triumph and a hint of disdain.

“I’ll prepare some supper for you all,” she said, patting her hands. “Eat first, then get some rest.”

“I’ll head back now,” Xie Duzhi said, placing the carrier and cat food down. He spoke almost simultaneously with Mrs. Xie, explaining, “I have a meeting tomorrow. It’s more convenient for me to stay there.”

“Can’t you do it online?”

“I need the computer there.”

“You should have mentioned it earlier. I could have driven you,” Mrs. Xie sighed, feeling a bit guilty. “But at least eat something before you go.”

She headed to the kitchen to reheat the pork belly soup and steak, and quickly made a noodle dish with the steak and some tender chicken. She placed the chicken legs in bowls for her adopted son and younger son, and even prepared some fish for the cat, though the cat hid under the sofa.

“Let Xiao Zhi sleep in your room tonight,” Mrs. Xie said, bringing the food over. “The room is on the left side of the third floor. The pajamas might be a bit big, so we’ll get new ones tomorrow.”

“After you finish eating, go back and rest. Leave any issues for tomorrow. Understood?”

This last part was a special reminder to Xie Duzhi.

Mrs. Xie had many more concerns she didn’t voice, and plenty of questions she didn’t ask. But it was getting late, and her main priority was that her son had returned home. Any unsaid words could wait until tomorrow, or even the day after.

Feeling a sense of relief, she yawned several times and decided to forgo any further reminders. She bid them goodnight.

“Xiao Sizhi, make sure to show Xiao Zhi the room before bed,” she said as she ascended the stairs with her blanket, pausing a few steps from the top to offer one last piece of advice with a hint of concern.

Xie Sizhi urged her to go to bed quickly and took the red envelope she had given him.

With only the three young men and steaming noodles left in the living room, Xie Duzhi quietly added some of Mrs. Xie’s preferential treatment to Li Heng’s bowl before casually starting to eat.

Xie Sizhi snickered softly.

Li Heng, who had been distracted by the cat and forgot to thank her, noticed the small mound of noodles in front of him.

He reached for his phone, noticing Xie Sizhi’s screen displayed a QR code. He added him as a friend, and a large red envelope animation appeared.

“Second brother’s extra meal,” Xie Sizhi said with a smile. “Isn’t it more sumptuous than the chicken legs?”

Li Heng hesitated, unsure how to compare the two.

He sent another red envelope, this time with his own money.

Li Heng was about to return the envelope but noticed a slight vibration next to him.

It seemed that Xie Duzhi was preparing to leave. Despite having driven a long time without proper rest, his appearance remained calm and unruffled.

Li Heng instinctively grabbed his sleeve, “Earlier, you mentioned Uncle Fu had set up a computer in my room. Can I use that computer for the meeting?”

— It was a hint that he hoped Xie Duzhi would stay.

Xie Duzhi looked over, amused by his nervous expression, and decided not to elaborate on the complicated details.

“Yes, you can use it.”

In the face of Xie Sizhi’s astonishment, Xie Duzhi slowly nodded in agreement.

Note**

Please remember, the ML, Xie Duzhi, is known for his double standards.

Also, the complex reasons behind the Xie family’s past attitude towards Li Heng will be explored separately, so please keep that in mind.

In reality, the second brother is a humorous mix of silly and gentlemanly.