The real young master thought he was hated by everyone - Chapter 104

His brother hadn’t grown up to be the upright and excellent person everyone expected.

Xie Sizhi felt a bit of regret.

But he also thought it didn’t really matter, because his brother had been lost at such a young age and had lived in tough circumstances outside the family.

Moreover, he didn’t consider himself to be particularly upright or excellent either. He was stuck in between, only feeling a bit of presence when he was out drinking and partying with friends.

Besides, his family didn’t need his brother to be particularly outstanding. It was enough for him to just follow his older brothers around, just like when he was little.

He thought this way, but the more he stopped caring, the more a subtle feeling arose when facing his brother, whom he had finally found after so many years.

Especially in comparison to the younger brother he had raised.

After all, he had watched his adopted brother grow up, observing his obedient and excellent nature. He used to tell his adopted brother about how his biological brother had been in the past, and the adopted brother naturally had a curiosity and respect for someone he had never met.

Every time the adopted brother achieved something, he would happily but shyly say, “If it were Brother Qi, he would have done it even better.”

Xie Sizhi also firmly believed this.

However, after his biological brother was brought back home, he didn’t seem to like staying there. He wasn’t close to Xie Sizhi, staying silent, and seemed to be out of place in the family. He only had a slightly better relationship with the adopted brother.

He felt that his biological brother didn’t want to be recognized as part of the family. He didn’t see them as family.

His brother wanted a pet, explaining that there had been a pitiful little cat in the place he had lived before, and he hoped to bring it over to keep him company.

His mother didn’t approve, and his father rejected the idea, citing allergies to cat fur.

This wasn’t something that couldn’t be negotiated. Maybe a little coaxing, or mentioning it a few more times, would have worked.

The Xie family wasn’t at the point where they couldn’t even accept a cat.

Xie Sizhi knew very well that his mother’s objection wasn’t about the cat fur allergy.

She simply couldn’t understand why, with a family already present, his brother still felt the need for a cat to accompany him.

His brother didn’t show any closeness to them.

Could it be that the innate blood bond, the many years of searching and waiting, couldn’t overcome the resentment he felt for being “abandoned”?

His brother started going out more frequently, which seemed to be another sign that he didn’t want to be acknowledged by the family.

Xie Sizhi went out with him once and saw the ugly cat his brother was taking care of, which spanned several districts. For a moment, he really wanted to ask, “Do we not matter to you as much as this cat?”

But in the end, he casually remarked, “This cat is so ugly. It’s a good thing we didn’t let you keep it.”

But he regretted it later, and his mother also felt a little regretful for not allowing his brother to bring the cat home.

“Then we can just buy another cat,” the adopted brother said with innocent eyes. “I’ll buy him a better, prettier cat and give it to him as a gift.”

“He’s a bit closer to me.”

Xie Sizhi, like an emperor choosing a concubine, contacted dozens of cat breeders and picked out the most beautiful, well-behaved one with a pedigree certificate, which he gave to the adopted brother to take home.

“Duzhi, you need to casually mention that I spent a long time choosing this cat,” he emphasized several times before retreating to focus on his art, preparing to redeem himself in an upcoming competition.

Xie Sizhi never spoke about it, but deep down, he was still quite sensitive about his artwork getting rejected from an international competition before he even got nominated. If he had won that time, it might have been the stepping stone for more recognition.

He quickly forgot about the cat, though sometimes he wondered why his brother didn’t play with it. But at eighteen, he also had new hobbies every few days, and his attention was quick to shift, so he didn’t think much of it.

But one day, he noticed his brother seemed particularly down at the dinner table.

The adopted brother said that his brother had been studying a lot of courses recently, trying to improve himself and not embarrass the family, and guessed that it was because his academic progress wasn’t going well.

If it wasn’t going well, then it wasn’t going well.

Xie Sizhi didn’t really understand his brother’s obsession with grades, but saying something like “Forget it, stop studying” would sound even more discouraging, so he kept quiet.

“If he wants to learn painting, I can teach him,” he said to the adopted brother, who had brought a chair to observe his work. “The teacher’s paintings aren’t as good as mine.”

The adopted brother’s conversation confirmed that his biological brother was indeed troubled by his studies.

“But the teacher’s method is more systematic… and if Brother Qi learns painting, I’m sure he wants to learn a bit first and then come to you.”

Xie Sizhi felt his reasoning made sense. He imagined his brother sitting there with a chair beside him, and it gave him a sense of satisfaction.

How did things end up like this?

He couldn’t understand.

His competition hit another snag, with issues cropping up left and right.

During that time, he gave everyone a cold shoulder, didn’t want to talk to anyone, and didn’t pay much attention to what was happening at home.

It seemed like, once he came to his senses, the relationship between him and his brother, which should have healed with time, had actually worsened.

His brother never expressed dissatisfaction with words, only through actions.

Breaking his mother’s favorite vase, or intentionally making snacks that no one liked…

He even began to target the adopted brother, with whom he had always been very close.

His hidden regret slowly fermented into disappointment, and he felt a sense of melancholy as if they would never return to the way they were.

He never expected that his brother would publicly leak company secrets during a live broadcast.

“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought the files for Big Brother along when I was looking for Brother Qi,” he said, feeling extremely guilty, trying to excuse Xie Sizhi. “He didn’t notice during the live broadcast.”

But everyone knew there was tension between them, and his brother had always been intentionally antagonistic.

In the end, Xie Shenzhi suggested, “…I think we should let him leave for a while. It would be better for everyone.”

He had been working overtime for several days because of the leaked project.

“It’s my fault, I was too hasty, trying to force things.” His mother took the blame.

She was silent for a long time before finally sighing and saying, “Let’s do as the eldest said.”

“Maybe in a few years, when he matures, he won’t think the same way,” she added. “Wasn’t the second one rebellious when he first started university?”

Maybe.

Regret was regret, disappointment was disappointment, but somewhere deep inside, Xie Sizhi still regarded his brother as the person he loved most, just like when he was a child.

After leaving home, his brother seemed to vanish abruptly, like disappearing into thin air. All they could find out was that he had taken a freight truck and left S City, possibly heading to some small county.

Small counties were actually quite nice. After all, he occasionally transferred money into his brother’s bank account, as did the others.

He would live a lifetime without worries about food or clothing, in peace and stability.

Even if they didn’t have a future together, as family, knowing his brother would live a life free from worries gave him some peace of mind.

In the past, he would never have thought this way.

Maybe he really had grown up.

But…

He once casually saw a very familiar bank card on the desk in his adopted brother’s room.

Xie Duzhi felt deeply guilty and took the initiative to excuse him, saying, “He wasn’t paying attention during the livestream.”

But everyone knew there was tension between them, and the younger brother was always deliberately targeting him.

In the end, Xie Shenzhi made a suggestion.

“…I think it’s best if he leaves for a while, it’ll be better for everyone.” He had been working extra hours because of the leaked proposal, “We were too eager back then.”

“I was too eager, trying to force things.” Their mother took the blame.

She was silent for a long time, then sighed, “Let’s do as the eldest says.”

“Maybe in a few years, when he matures, he won’t feel the same way… wasn’t the second one also rebellious when he first entered university?”

Maybe.

Regret and disappointment lingered, but in some corner of his heart, Xie Sizhi still considered him the person he cared most about, just like when they were children.

After leaving the house, it seemed the younger brother abruptly disappeared from existence. All they could trace was that he had taken a freight truck out of S City, possibly heading to some small county town.

Small county towns were actually quite nice. After all, Xie Sizhi occasionally transferred money into his bank account, and so did the others.

He would live comfortably and securely for his whole life.

Even if they truly had no fate, as family, seeing him live without worry, without struggle, gave Xie Sizhi a sense of peace.

In the past, he would never have thought this way.

Maybe he had truly grown.

However…

Xie Sizhi happened to notice a particularly familiar bank card on the desk in Xie Duzhi’s room.

He briefly doubted that he was mistaken, but the familiar account number confirmed it—this was the same card his mother had given the younger brother before he left.

Why was this card here?

His heart skipped a beat, and an unsettling feeling arose.

He suddenly recalled that his younger brother had only finished high school and never went to college. His livestream account had also been banned because of the previous incident.

…Then how would he survive? Nowadays, even waiters needed a high school diploma.

He finally remembered to try contacting his younger brother. He dialed the phone number that had been dormant in his contacts for a long time, but all he got was a message saying the user was unavailable.

His social media accounts had also gone silent.

It was like a kite that could never be found, completely severed.

Xie Sizhi abruptly opened his eyes, his heart racing as though it would burst from his chest.

The sound of ringing in his ears filled his mind, and after a long while, the noise quieted along with his chaotic thoughts, and the scene in front of him began to clear up.

“How many is this?” A hand reached in front of him, the index finger wiggling back and forth.

Xie Sizhi, dizzy, swatted the hand away, “I’m not drunk, go away.”

His tone wasn’t very friendly.

He opened another bottle of alcohol, trying to fill the ever-expanding, hollow void in his heart.

He drank in silence, unwilling to continue thinking.

…How could he have been so self-righteous, so reckless?

Why did he interpret the silence, filled with confusion and unease, as resistance? Why did he never communicate directly, always relying on the dream version of his younger brother—Bai Ruan?

He had said their relationship was good, but was it really?

He remembered the first day Li Heng came home. When they went to pick up the cat, he had seen the boy’s face twist with sadness.

In the dream, the younger brother always seemed sad, but he had never noticed it.

He ignored the younger brother’s careful concern and unspoken words, focused only on his own accidents, his repeated failures in competitions.

And yet, he couldn’t deny it—he was the bastard in that dream.

Maybe he really wasn’t fit to be an older brother.

Xie Sizhi, with some calmness, slapped away the hand that had tried to drape over his shoulder and abruptly stood up from the barstool.

Many surprised eyes were on him, worried he would start causing a scene because of the alcohol.

“…What time is it?”

“Now… maybe noon?” The person who answered wasn’t sure, then called out to the others, “Hey, where’s my phone.”

His phone had been lost somewhere during the drinking contest.

Others were the same, either their phones had no battery or they didn’t know where they had thrown them.

“I’ll ask the smart assistant.” A group of tipsy people fumbled around for a while before remembering they had that function on their phones.

Amidst the chaos, Xie Sizhi randomly chose a bartender who looked relatively decent and walked up to him. “Can you drive?”

He pulled the car keys from his pocket and tossed them to the bartender, giving him an address. “Take me there, and you’ll get a tip.”

“Are you sure you’re not drunk?” Xu Zhiyuan had been pushed forward to handle the situation and mediate.

The address Xie Sizhi had given was the location of his younger brother’s company headquarters.

His close friends knew that the relationship between Xie Sizhi and his second brother was a bit delicate. This delicacy showed in the fact that, despite not seeing eye to eye, they still managed to get along for many years.

Xu Zhiyuan was truly worried. If Xie Sizhi got drunk and decided to go to his younger brother’s company to cause a scene, it could drag everyone down.

“How many bottles was that?” Xie Sizhi glanced over, “Stop worrying about it.”

“Let’s go.” He patted the bartender’s shoulder, “Hurry up… take the highway, I have something urgent.”

Xie Sizhi felt that the dream wasn’t just a dream.

Because his first significant award had almost slipped through his fingers. His work had clearly met the threshold, but the spot was taken by a judge who pocketed the prize.

At the time, he had been very upset when he heard the news. He had cared so much, wanting to force the relevant news out, but had pretended he didn’t care about the award, telling everyone that drawing was what mattered, not the prize.

Until he found out he had won the award, and after asking his family several times, he realized it was his younger brother, Xie Duzhi, who had helped resolve the issue.

If it weren’t for Xie Duzhi—

Even though this realization made him instinctively uncomfortable, he had to admit that if not for Xie Duzhi… that dream had a huge chance of becoming reality.

His mind was still in chaos. He drank, and after the alcohol kicked in, he suddenly felt guilty and decided to first go thank his younger brother for his help.

On the way to Xie Duzhi’s company, as the cool wind from the open window started to calm his heated thoughts, he still couldn’t shake off his unease.

But no matter how much he tried to push it away, he couldn’t avoid the thought that the dream hadn’t ended yet. He was afraid of what might happen next.

In that dream, no one was innocent.

Even though he wanted to murder Bai Ruan, he knew it wasn’t just about him manipulating things. It was about his own arrogance, his assumptions, and his failure to ever think about how the person who had been hurt felt.

“Got a cigarette?”

He asked the bartender.

He usually didn’t smoke when drinking, but now he suddenly wanted one, staring into the smoke rings to clear his mind.

The bartender, who was confused, pulled out a cigarette and lighter, lighting it for him.

The bartender had seen him drink many times in the bar, but it was the first time he saw him with such an indescribable loneliness on his face.

But he was just a worker passing by. Xie Sizhi probably wouldn’t even remember his name, so there was no need to ask too many questions.

The car was silent, and the journey from the bar to Xie Duzhi’s company took almost an hour. The more clear-headed Xie Sizhi became, the more painful it felt.

Confusion and anxiety were slowly consuming him.

—Was it really just a dream?

—Had others had this dream too?

Since he was a child, he had learned the importance of admitting mistakes and correcting them from bedtime stories.

He understood the importance of fixing things before it was too late.

But how could he make up for this? In that dream, rather than being a participant, he had been a bystander who had attached himself to the situation.

There was no way he could just go to S University, shout for the younger brother to come out of the library, grab him in a hug, and cry, begging him to forgive his mistakes.

The younger brother, whom he cherished so much, might never even know the dream existed.

He kept telling himself this in his mind, but just as the cigarette burned out, a thought struck him.But the way he returned home, it was exactly like in the dream.

Xie Sizhi let out a long sigh, telling the bartender to drive back to the bar, standing in front of Xie Duzhi’s company building for a while. Then he suddenly realized it was his day off.

Xie Duzhi no longer worked on his day off.

Even if Xie Sizhi wanted to call him and ask where he was, his phone had no power.

He laughed bitterly, tidied up his appearance in the reflection of the building, and walked into the lobby.

At the front desk, someone was on duty.

Xie Sizhi didn’t hold much hope as he walked up and asked if Xie Duzhi was there.

If he wasn’t, he would find a way to charge his phone and call him or just wait outside the apartment.

But to his surprise, Xie Duzhi was in the office.

He pressed the elevator button, pondering how he should subtly ask him if he had ever had any strange dreams, and how to graciously thank him on behalf of the whole family.

He didn’t knock on the door, thinking the office was probably empty.

Standing at the door, adjusting his expression, he turned the doorknob.

But when he saw the scene inside, he froze, his smile fading, and with a “click” sound, he closed the door again.

He was sure he wasn’t fully awake yet.

Otherwise, how could someone who should honestly be studying in the library be sitting in Xie Duzhi’s office, all sticky and close to him, almost kissing?

Wait a minute.

Did they almost kiss just now?!

And they’re both men, alone, in an office.

Xie Sizhi’s voice echoed in his mind, and his inner peace felt as calm as the surface of water.

If he ignored how his hands were trembling uncontrollably.

In that moment, it seemed like nothing else mattered. 

He couldn’t even begin to describe his shock and confusion.

He only had one thought.

How dare Xie Duzhi steal from the very person he’s supposed to protect?

Even a rabbit wouldn’t eat the grass by its own burrow!

Xie Duzhi was worse than a beast!

“…I think it was Second Brother, I didn’t see it wrong, right?”

Li Heng was feeling complicated inside.

“Yes, it was him,” Xie Duzhi said calmly.

“If I remember correctly, when he opened the door, I was about to kiss you and continue working on my economics homework.”

With finals approaching, Li Heng had originally planned to study in the library.

He saved seats for both himself and Wei Zhuowei. He had arrived at the self-study room early, bringing his books to work on a survey assignment and review previous notes.

When Wei Zhuowei came with breakfast, his survey was already designed.

Li Heng sent the screenshots of his questionnaire for Wei to reference, then went outside to eat a whole corn and a purple sweet potato-filled bun before returning to continue his work.

As the semester neared its end, the library was getting crowded, with more couples around.

Wei Zhuowei only studied for the morning before leaving for a club meeting. There was a planning session for the school’s New Year’s Eve party.

Once he left, the seat next to Li Heng became available, and no one was sitting directly across from him either.

When he went out to get hot water, he saw a couple had taken the now-empty seat.

He himself was in a relationship, so he should have understood their feelings completely.

However, when they kicked each other’s legs under the table for the third time and their notes got exchanged in a way that hit him, he couldn’t take it anymore. He wrote a note asking them to be considerate and not disturb others while being in love.

After reading the note, the couple became even bolder.

They seemed to know that they wouldn’t get in trouble for being quiet and not walking around, so Li Heng couldn’t do much to stop them.

Fed up, he left the library and planned to go back to his dorm to continue his homework. Just then, Xie Duzhi texted asking if he had lunch.

Li Heng told him he hadn’t yet and remembered that Xie Duzhi was working overtime in the office but wasn’t too busy. Since his economics homework wasn’t done yet, he decided to pick up two servings of roasted duck rice from the cafeteria and head to Xie Duzhi’s office to study.

As for why he almost kissed him.

Li Heng remembered the scene right before Xie Sizhi opened the door and felt a little embarrassed.

— After lunch, Xie Duzhi continued his work while he copied notes and reviewed, each working separately with little interaction.

However, the atmosphere in the office was very comforting.

He wrote down the economics homework question on his notebook, and after searching for answers in the textbook, he still felt like something was missing, so he decided to ask Xie Duzhi for help.

Xie Duzhi explained carefully and seriously. Just as Li Heng was about to say he understood everything, he suddenly noticed how Xie Duzhi was holding his pen, looking down and writing on the paper, and he couldn’t help but space out.

Xie Duzhi didn’t like to have his picture taken. Apart from necessary family photos, there were rarely any pictures of him alone.

Li Heng was somewhat curious about his student days.

If he used to sit by the window, no matter the season, as long as he was seriously writing or reading, with a view of the tree branches outside, it would look like a painting.

When Xie Duzhi noticed him daydreaming, he tapped the pen lightly on the table, asking him to explain the previous point again.

However, Li Heng had only listened to half of the explanation and hadn’t paid attention to the rest.

He tried to skip over the details, but Xie Duzhi caught him.

Xie Duzhi asked targeted questions, and when Li Heng couldn’t answer, he lightly tapped his palm with the pen, urging him to focus.

He suddenly had the urge to play around, trying to distract Xie Duzhi and brush the question aside to study later.

…But just as he squeezed into his arms, about to kiss him, the door suddenly creaked open from the outside.

“He definitely saw us,” Li Heng thought, feeling more complicated now and realizing he couldn’t just brush it off like before.

“When I came in, I should’ve locked the door,” he started to regret, feeling guilty toward Xie Duzhi.

Even though it was he who initiated it and Xie Duzhi had seemed so composed, to Xie Sizhi, it must have appeared very different.

In any case, no matter who initiated it, he shouldn’t have, and all the blame must be on Xie Duzhi.

He just hadn’t figured out how to console Xie Sizhi, who was feeling doubly betrayed, which was why he hadn’t come out with it to the family yet.

There was no movement outside the door for a long time.

He was worried that Xie Sizhi might have been too shaken by the scene and needed medical attention, but he also worried that he was out there looking for something to break through the door and beat up Xie Duzhi.

“Second Brother won’t be able to break my legs,” Xie Duzhi choked on his response.

“I’m just trying to illustrate how angry he must be,” Li Heng said. “…How about we lock the office door?”

“He’ll find out sooner or later. The sooner he knows, the sooner he’ll accept it,” Xie Duzhi reassured him while closing his book. He stood up and gestured for him to relax. “I’ll handle it.”

It was clear Xie Sizhi had just come from a bar, likely to look for something, and accidentally barged in at the wrong time.

“Well…” Li Heng was about to say something more.

“Can you go find a file from the marketing department?” Xie Duzhi asked smoothly, giving him a task. “I’ll need it later this afternoon.”

“You just want to get rid of me,” Li Heng muttered loudly, looking right at him.

Xie Duzhi raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying teasing him.

“If you stay here, and we fight, whose side will you be on? Second Brother’s or your boyfriend’s?”

Li Heng: …

“I’ll go get the file from marketing then,” he said, shooting Xie Duzhi a subtle glare, secretly deciding that if a fight broke out, he’d side with Second Brother.

…Well, Xie Sizhi couldn’t beat Xie Duzhi anyway, so the result would be the same.

“Should I wait for your message to tell me when it’s safe to go upstairs?”

Li Heng turned the door handle and saw Xie Sizhi standing outside, unmoving. He looked like a “whale-headed stork” bird, his tone complex as he called out:

“Second Brother.”

Xie Sizhi snapped back to his senses. When he heard the voice, the scene he’d imagined in his nightmare resurfaced, and he felt a bitter taste rising in his throat.

He froze for a moment, swallowed a mix of guilt and confusion, then gave a fierce glance to his poor, eager brother, who was doing everything to please him.

“…Next week, I’ll deal with you when we get home,” he said quickly, leaving the words hanging as he rushed into Xie Duzhi’s office.

Li Heng touched his nose, deciding to wait a few days before explaining to him that he hadn’t planned to go home next week anyway.