The real young master thought he was hated by everyone - Chapter 98

Until they walked out of the haunted house and were led by Xie Duzhi to a nearby restaurant for lunch, Li Heng’s palms were still slightly warm.

It wasn’t a misunderstanding.

In the haunted house, when he tried to pull away from Xie Duzhi’s arms, Xie Duzhi had pulled him back and held him even tighter.

At that moment, his face was buried in Xie Duzhi’s chest, and he could feel the other person still tense.

But Xie Duzhi’s heartbeat was fast and erratic, like an irregular drumbeat falling like raindrops, echoing in his ears.

Instinctive reactions couldn’t deceive anyone.

He guessed that Xie Duzhi might also like him.

Otherwise, why would he pull him back? Why would his heartbeat be exactly the same as when he woke up after their strange dream?

Until they sat in the Ferris wheel, his mind still lingered on that one thought.

He recalled Xie Duzhi’s reactions and his various behaviors when they interacted. The more he thought, the more he found him cute, and the more he liked him. He was sure that Xie Duzhi’s gentleness toward him was more than just a brotherly affection.

Xie Duzhi noticed the change in his mood and became more certain of his previous guess.

The two of them were squeezed into the small cabin of the Ferris wheel, with the scenery outside gradually rising. But neither of them had truly shaken off the unexpected hug from the haunted house, each lost in their own thoughts.

—He was testing him. He had already known, but couldn’t be sure. He needed evidence.

There was no need to go to City G to find Bai Ruan anymore.

Xie Duzhi thought faintly, subconsciously turning his gaze to the window to avoid making contact with the boy pressed tightly against him.

The fact that he hadn’t hidden his feelings well was his own fault. He had already sensed it vaguely in his heart and had prepared himself for it.

But even so, he realized he couldn’t face the complicated, possibly surprised or even disgusted gaze from the boy.

He had long gotten used to the boy trusting him, even subconsciously admiring him, and in his heart, he had taken it for granted.

So, to avoid causing more trouble for the boy, should he leave?

He realized he wasn’t as flustered as he had imagined. It seemed that this matter, which could affect all his future plans, was just a small stone that rippled and soon disappeared without a trace.

—He should leave, but not immediately.

Otherwise, the boy would understand the reason, feel guilty, or even regret the test today. He might talk to other family members, and all the issues would end up being placed on him.

Xie Duzhi didn’t think there was anything wrong with testing him.

—After all, this whole thing, from beginning to end, was “his” problem.

It was his fault for not hiding his feelings well, which allowed Bai Ruan to catch on and make it possible for the boy to find out. He hadn’t been thorough in handling the situation.

What he needed to do next was to adjust the company’s development strategy, shifting the focus to other directions for a few months—or perhaps half a year—under the pretext of market expansion. Then, he could leave in a reasonable manner.

Country A would be a good option. It wasn’t too close, and there wouldn’t be an excuse like Europe to visit frequently. Xie Duzhi thought that the boy probably didn’t want to see him.

Maybe after three years, five years, or even longer, the boy would find someone he liked and forget this somewhat laughable episode. Only then would he consider coming back.

But that would be much later. He wouldn’t make assumptions about the future just yet.

As for the sense of reluctance in his heart—

Xie Duzhi couldn’t deny its existence, but he couldn’t eliminate it either.

What he could do was to try to separate that reluctance from his rationality so that it wouldn’t affect his decision.

The decision he had just made was the best one for both of them.

The boy needed an attentive, caring older brother.

Not someone who wanted a closer relationship with him, whose intentions were impure, and whose every action was filled with selfishness.

“I…” He had just received a message from his assistant that the company had an urgent matter.

When the Ferris wheel was about to reach the highest point, Xie Duzhi’s lips twitched.

The young man hid the complicated look in his eyes and prepared to use his busy schedule as an excuse to leave.

He was acting well, his tone calm and confident, ensuring that no one would see through him.

Li Heng’s heartbeat skipped a beat, feeling a little nervous.

He couldn’t guess what Xie Duzhi would say next, so he decided to explain his thoughts and intentions before he had the chance to speak.

Perhaps he should also apologize because, after all, it wasn’t right to test someone like that, even though Xie Duzhi was very close to him.

No one liked to be tested.

“I’ll say it first.”

He clenched his fists and took the initiative to speak.

Xie Duzhi was momentarily stunned, turning his head to find the boy staring at him with unwavering eyes.

“The reason I invited you, Third Brother, to the amusement park and to watch a movie is because I like you. I wanted to see if you have any special feelings for me, not because of photography or the reading class assignment.”

After saying that, Li Heng even forgot to breathe, continuing non-stop, “If you also have feelings for me, I’ll confess to you and pursue you.”

He looked at Xie Duzhi, and despite his earlier firm and fluent tone, the moment their gazes met, he became hesitant.

That feeling of shame crept up on his face, a realization that hit him late.

But he still looked at him, holding his gaze to make sure he was in the other person’s eyes.

“…I know this behavior isn’t exactly right, and it might even be a little petty. Even if you’re not angry, you must feel a little bothered by it. So, I think I should apologize first, then ask you that very important question.”

Xie Duzhi was stunned for the first time in his life.

When the boy first spoke, he had already guessed what the “question” was.

That question was—

Li Heng exhaled deeply, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.

“Third Brother, I like you. Do you like me too?”

Xie Duzhi didn’t know what expression he had on his face, nor did he know how to respond.

He was even more “crashed” than when they were in the haunted house, not only losing control of his body but also unable to react at all.

After a long silence, amidst the noisy heartbeat in his ears, he gradually regained his focus.

The person he had secretly liked for so long liked him back.

Without a doubt, this was something to be happy about.

But he realized he wasn’t as happy as he had imagined.

Instead, once he realized it was a confession, he felt an unusual heaviness in his heart.

He had originally thought that he had clearly separated the roles of “older brother” and “lover,” and his behavior had never given any indication otherwise.

Was there something wrong?

Or had he unconsciously made moves that crossed the line, even though he thought all his actions had stayed within the boundaries he had set?

…He couldn’t tell.

He realized his usual rationality had failed him. His system was still running, but now it couldn’t quickly identify where the problem lay and analyze its cause.

All he could discern was that this was wrong.

Li Heng’s extra affection for him was completely unreasonable—at least, at this moment it was.

The young man avoided his gaze in embarrassment, his composure falling apart.

“I…”

He should have rejected it.

Xie Duzhi thought.

But no matter what, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words of rejection. Not only because rejecting would hurt the other person, but also because he instinctively resisted denying this truth.

No matter what, he liked him.

“…Talking about ‘liking’ right now is a bit too early for you,” he finally said, “You just turned eighteen a few months ago, and you have finals coming up soon.”

“But what does that have to do with finals?” Li Heng didn’t understand, his eyes still fixed on him without blinking. “Even though I’ve only been an adult for a few months, I’m an adult now. Isn’t it normal for adults to date?”

— Even without being an adult, he didn’t think dating was something abnormal or unforgivable.

If he had met Xie Duzhi a little earlier, he definitely would have wanted to date him even before he was of legal age.

“…”

Xie Duzhi was unusually speechless, still instinctively avoiding answering his question.

The young man pursed his lips, a trace of regret quickly flashing across his face, and he hesitated for a moment, trying to phrase his words more delicately.

“I just think you still have a lot of things you should experience, things you haven’t experienced yet. You could spend your time on things you’re interested in, things you want to try, rather than determining who you like too early.”

Li Heng was hearing this kind of advice or lecture from him for the first time. It was both new and somewhat funny.

Because when Xie Duzhi was saying all this, he didn’t dare to meet his gaze.

He was even more convinced that Xie Duzhi liked him too, and that shy and embarrassed Xie Duzhi was very cute.

Although he didn’t blush or have flushed ears like him, he just thought he was really cute.

He noticed the awkwardness on his face earlier, the conflicted, unsure expression of what to say.

“But dating is in the things I want to try,” he said seriously. “…I’ve never liked anyone before, but once I like someone, I definitely want to date them.”

When he said “someone,” he unconsciously blinked, then asked, “Don’t you like me, Third Brother?”

Xie Duzhi fell silent again.

After a long while, when the Ferris wheel began to slowly stop and the staff reminded them to get off, Xie Duzhi finally came back to his senses.

He let out a soft sigh, was the first to step out of the small cabin, and extended his hand, intending to help the young man out, who was half a step behind him.

The cabin was still swaying slightly.

Li Heng grabbed his hand and followed, saying, “You definitely like me.”

He heard Xie Duzhi sigh.

“Mom and Dad definitely wouldn’t oppose us being together,” he said, not understanding why Xie Duzhi seemed troubled. He guessed one by one, “Their attitude is the same as Big Brother’s… as for Second Brother.”

He suspected that Xie Sizhi’s reaction might be a little intense, but not too much—because no matter how you look at it, Xie Duzhi was better than anyone else.

“If Second Brother dares to say anything to you, I’ll tell Mom about how he kept pursuing Chen Xue-sister and failed, and how he’s been going out drinking.”

As for how others would view them outside of family and friends, he hadn’t thought much about it.

He wouldn’t think about these things, and clearly, Xie Duzhi wouldn’t either.

So what else was there to worry about?

Xie Duzhi furrowed his brows, not denying, but swallowing the rest of his sigh, saying, “You’ve never liked anyone before, never had any feelings for anyone. You probably just mistakenly think you like me.”

Liking is easily confused with other feelings.

Moreover, certain situations or events might create a false sense of “liking.”

When he kicked open the door to the hotel back then, that might have created a bridge effect, leading to the misconception that the feeling was “like.”

“I know the difference,” Li Heng almost couldn’t resist complaining about how Xie Duzhi, like Mrs. Xie, was always so unnecessarily worried. “I know how to distinguish between ‘liking’ and ‘liking,’ and I’m very clear about my feelings for you.”

He took a large step forward, passing Xie Duzhi, then turned around and stood in front of him.

Xie Duzhi lowered his eyes, unsure of what he was trying to do, but cooperatively stopped.

“I do like Second Brother, just like I like Big Brother,” Li Heng admitted candidly, “From the moment I met you, you’ve been my ‘brother.'”

This feeling had nothing to do with their blood relationship—it was purely tied to the role Xie Duzhi played.

“But I also know that outside of being just brothers, I have other feelings for you, and this doesn’t conflict at all.”

He looked at Xie Duzhi, stood on his tiptoes, and gently pressed his lips to the young man’s. When he pulled away, he quickly glanced around, feeling quite guilty.

The fact was, he wanted to kiss him.

But kissing in public made him feel extremely embarrassed.

“Third Brother, I like Xie Duzhi, I like… you.”

Xie Duzhi instinctively raised his hand to cover his mouth, his ears turning red.

“…I understand.”

The young man whispered, his voice nearly drowned out by his own heartbeat.

The amusement park had many other attractions, such as a VR escape room, a classic roller coaster, and a fire meteor ride, but after getting off the Ferris wheel, they didn’t go on any other rides.

The two of them just held hands and walked around for a while, not waiting for the evening fireworks or the actor’s parade, and left the amusement park in the afternoon.

They did watch two movies, both romantic ones.

The highly rated film had several touching details that really moved Li Heng. By the end, his eyes were a bit red, and his nose felt stuffy.

However, Xie Duzhi remained expressionless throughout. If it weren’t for his brief comments after leaving the theater, Li Heng would have thought he was zoning out the entire time.

“But it was really touching,” Li Heng said, still not over his emotions, opposing Xie Duzhi’s view. “…Especially the scene where both of them, without agreeing beforehand, were willing to sacrifice themselves to save each other’s lives.”

The actors’ eyes held emotion, and with the framing, close-ups, and the backdrop of national duty during that time, it created a powerful moment.

Xie Duzhi still shook his head. “That just shows that, for them, love isn’t the most important thing. Otherwise, they should have thought about making sure to survive for each other, no matter what.”

“But that’s because the situation was special, and their identities meant they couldn’t live the way ordinary people would,” Li Heng argued, not convinced. “Third Brother, you need to focus on the situation itself.”

“If it were me, I’d betray the secret,” Xie Duzhi said. “I’d trade a secret for two lives.”

His tone was serious. “I wouldn’t care about the so-called bigger picture.”

He only cared about the two of them.

Li Heng was left speechless, unsure how to respond. He could only pull on Xie Duzhi’s hand and ask him to lower his voice.

“Duzhi, comments like that make it easy for others to think you’re one of those extreme, love-obsessed types.”

He explained to Xie Duzhi what “love-brained” meant.

“I’m not love-brained,” Xie Duzhi thought for a moment, then seriously rebutted, “I just put myself in the characters’ shoes and thought about preserving both of them within my abilities.”

Well, since he said so, then it wasn’t the case.

Li Heng tried hard not to laugh. “There’s nothing wrong with being love-brained… as long as it doesn’t affect others.”

But Xie Duzhi was still seriously analyzing the relationship between the film’s lead characters and had fully put himself into the male lead’s persona. He started pointing out where the character’s actions were lacking.

The screenwriter might have done careful research on the historical context, but in order to develop the romantic plot, many details were blurred. Or perhaps they simply didn’t care about those details, with everything serving the romance.

But what was certain was that, at least in the film’s portrayal, the male lead didn’t understand the historical context as well as Xie Duzhi did.

Using his abilities, he had nearly turned the film into a completely new story, while still keeping the main characters’ roles intact.

Li Heng suddenly understood. “I get it. You’re not satisfied with the ending, you think both of them shouldn’t have to sacrifice themselves, but should live happily together instead.”

Xie Duzhi simply hummed in agreement without denying it.

“Then why don’t you try writing a script and find a director to film it?” Li Heng teased, not able to hold back a laugh. “Film it exactly how you just described, and give them a happy ending.”

Of course, he was just joking, because Xie Duzhi’s serious attempt to rework the storyline had been both earnest and cute.

Xie Duzhi shook his head quickly, rejecting the idea. “There’s no need.”

The story he had just imagined wasn’t based on the male and female leads; it was based on the two of them.

Xie Duzhi felt a little strange—reality was reality, and the movie was the movie. He didn’t need to make those kinds of assumptions.

Or was it possible, as the other person said, that he too might be a little love-brained, just not the typical kind?

“I suddenly remembered something,” Li Heng said.

Once the movie topic was over, it was over. He went to a milk tea shop in the mall, ordering tea with less sugar, and got a no-sugar small-sized drink for Xie Duzhi.

He extended his pinky and hooked it around Xie Duzhi’s hand, lightly scratching his palm. Then, he tried to speak casually.

“…You still haven’t said you like me too, have you?”