The real young master thought he was hated by everyone

Due to multiple fractures across his body and a mild brain injury, Lin Mo was temporarily unable to get out of bed or move.

Li Heng brought him fruit and flowers and found that he seemed to have truly begun to emerge from his emotional turmoil—perhaps due to the long conversation with his family, as Xie Duzhi had mentioned, or maybe because he had come to terms with the “greatness of life and death.”

However, the psychological impact caused by Bai Ruan remained, and it would take time for him to fully recover. A psychologist would be keeping a close watch on his condition, helping him rebuild his confidence and gradually step out of the shadows of his past.

Li Heng had made plans with Wei Zhuowei to bring roast duck rice from the cafeteria next time they visited Lin Mo. They also discussed lighter topics, and when the three of them gathered to watch a video, the medical staff asked them to leave, citing the need to avoid disturbing the patient’s rest.

Xie Duzhi also finished his conversation with Lin Mo’s family.

Lin Mo had truly been a victim of an unforeseeable calamity. Besides helping to ensure his school reserved his spot and covering the hospitalization and follow-up treatment costs, there wasn’t much else they could do.

On the way home, Xie Duzhi comforted Li Heng, saying: “Disaster is what fortune leans on; fortune is what disaster hides.”

Li Heng understood this concept perfectly.

However, he felt that if the cost of growth and reconciliation with the past was lying in a hospital bed for months, then the process of growth seemed too painful and too dangerous—what if something went wrong, and Lin Mo never woke up?

He couldn’t help but think about it and still hadn’t figured it all out when he spoke to Xie Duzhi. Xie Duzhi seemed to have anticipated what he was about to say.

“Bai Ruan will pay the price.”

Xie Duzhi spoke with a serious expression, his eyebrows furrowing in the same coldness Li Heng had seen at the hotel earlier. This gave his words a somewhat dangerous tone.

Li Heng instinctively looked into his eyes, feeling a strange sense of concern:

“You told Second Brother to obey the law.”

“……”

Xie Duzhi fell silent for a moment, then reluctantly reiterated: “The law will make Bai Ruan pay the price.”

“He hasn’t left behind any incriminating evidence, and he hasn’t just done one bad thing.”

Only then did Li Heng feel fully reassured.

Mrs. Xie hadn’t expected him to suddenly return home and thought it was because the school had given him time off again. She had heard of some students committing suicide due to relationship issues, but she hadn’t connected it to S University, and certainly hadn’t realized the person involved was her son’s roommate.

Her wrist trembled as she failed to steady the jade bracelet she had been about to put on.

She had a dinner party that evening.

“There’s no danger to life,” Xie Duzhi bent down to pick up the bracelet from the velvet blanket, “but it will take time to heal.”

Mrs. Xie sighed.

“Your aunt has really become…”

In her view, Bai Ruan’s reckless behavior couldn’t escape the consequences of his mother’s indulgence and lack of discipline.

Clearly, Bai Wei hadn’t been too busy to properly raise her child.

Mrs. Xie didn’t know what to say, as her impression of Bai Wei had remained from many years ago when she was in college.

In the blink of an eye, many years had passed, and the person before her was completely unrecognizable.

“Mom, I was kidnapped by Bai Ruan.”

After finishing the story about Lin Mo’s love affair, Li Heng began to tell her about his own kidnapping so that Mrs. Xie could understand the whole situation.

“The reason Bai Ruan got close to Mo Mo and played with his feelings was to threaten me through him.” He actually couldn’t fully explain Bai Ruan’s logic and motivations.

Even now, thinking back to what happened yesterday, he still found it baffling.

“…And he kidnapped me because he said he liked me.” Li Heng tried to keep his voice steady, “That kind of liking.”

He subconsciously glanced at Xie Duzhi as he spoke.

In that dream, the same scene had played out, except with him and Xie Duzhi in place of the other people.

He reminded himself it was just a dream to calm himself and avoid feeling repulsed.

Mrs. Xie was too shocked to speak, stunned into silence. When she stood up, she felt dizzy and exhaled a deep breath, then sat back down.

She noticed the look her youngest son had just given him, a look she had seen in herself when she was young.

Along with her anger, her heart sank a little.

But now, there were more important matters that kept her from dwelling on her suspicions.

“…I’ll call your father and older brother.”

Shaking with anger, she trembled all over, “Tell them to come home immediately from the company.”

“Duzhi, go get Xie Sizhi, he’s upstairs.”

“—No matter what, we can’t let him get close to Xie Heng again.”

Mrs. Xie spoke decisively.

The cooperation project between their family and the Bai family, along with a series of follow-up plans, had to be stopped immediately.

In her eyes, if they didn’t make a clear stand, just soothing things with ambiguous words, contacting the Bai family to apologize and offer compensation would show that they didn’t truly care.

If someone loves you but can’t have you, they might resort to kidnapping—what would happen next time?

Since the youngest son had been brought home, she had silently thanked many people and events, relieved that, without the bond of family, her son’s heart had been filled with various positive feelings, soft yet firm, knowing how to love correctly.

If Xie Duzhi hadn’t found him in time, she couldn’t imagine the kind of trauma this event would have caused him, nor whether it would have led him to question his entire worldview that had been built up over the years.

“We’ll kidnap him and throw him onto a cargo ship heading to Africa.”

Xie Sizhi, rarely speaking without humor, was speaking in a cold, dark tone. Li Heng had never seen him with such a grim and stormy expression.

“The Bai family has no business there, and once we send him off, we’ll make sure no one ever gets close to Xie Heng again.”

He was clearly thinking seriously, and his voice turned even darker. “We’ll arrange for him to attend a banquet at the Xu family’s, and say he got drunk and fell off the deck into the sea at night.”

If someone is already dead, how could they possibly show up in Africa? Even if the Bai family finds him, they can deny everything.

For safety’s sake, it would be best to also silence Bai Ruan—perhaps break his throat and one of his legs—just to make sure.

As he thought about this, Xie Shenzhi suddenly jabbed him with his elbow.

“… Sizhi, don’t act on impulse.”

Xie Shenzhi was also furious, but compared to his twin brother, he appeared more rational, managing to suppress his anger.

“There are many shady companies under the Bai family. Let’s have people investigate their businesses—and Bai Ruan’s studio in the entertainment industry. Once we have evidence, we’ll sue them immediately.”

“By the time you gather the evidence and file a lawsuit, it’ll take too long.”

Xie Sizhi retorted sharply, “When will that even be, and you might not even find conclusive proof.”

Even with solid evidence, given the Bai family’s influence, they could easily find someone to take the fall. It would be much quicker and more effective to deal with them directly, without going through such slow legal means.

“But no matter what, this is still the right way to do things.”

“I only use proper methods with proper people,” Xie Sizhi said.

Seeing that the two sons were about to argue, Xie Zhuwei rubbed his brow and sternly intervened.

“Your brother is still here. What kind of example are you setting by arguing like this?”

Li Heng was indeed listening, sitting next to Xie Duzhi, but since earlier, he couldn’t find a way to join the conversation.

As the victim, his role seemed to be just boosting morale, continuously fueling the other family members’ anger.

He really didn’t agree with the solution that Xie Sizhi had just proposed.

Bai Ruan was despicable and vicious, having done many bad things, and was of low character, so she should be dealt with by the law.

If you fight fire with fire, doesn’t that mean you’ve also become someone who resorts to any means to achieve your goal?

Xie Sizhi was a good person and didn’t need to lower himself to Bai Ruan’s level, even if he wore rain boots and a raincoat.

“I agree with the eldest brother’s suggestion.” Xie Duzhi spoke up at the right moment. “However, just like the second brother said, the Bai family won’t leave such an obvious weakness for us to catch. If we’re going to act, we must set a trap in advance.”

As for what kind of trap and how it would be presented, he felt the conditions could be more flexible, not just limited to business.

Walking the fine line of the law without actually crossing it wasn’t technically illegal.

“This can’t be a case where everyone acts independently.” Mrs. Xie said after a pause, “You all need to be united.”

Mr. Xie nodded in agreement. “If necessary, we can use unconventional methods, but we can’t act rashly.”

He said this to warn Xie Sizhi, so that his second son wouldn’t go too far.

Xie Sizhi didn’t look pleased and didn’t respond.

Li Heng quietly hooked his pinky finger with his, raised his eyebrows, and motioned for him to let it go, but Xie Sizhi shot him a look of disdain.

“Alright, alright, I got it. You’re acting like kidnapping someone is easy. Do you think I can just do it if I want to?”

Xie Sizhi waved his hand. “Instead of worrying about me, why don’t you focus on how many bodyguards to hire for Xie Heng, where to get them, and how to talk to their school?”

“…?” Li Heng was confused, completely lost.

Weren’t they discussing how to deal with Bai Ruan? How did the topic suddenly shift to bodyguards?

He felt like he’d been sold out by Xie Sizhi, but wasn’t quite sure.

“…That’s a point.” Mrs. Xie looked interested. “I’ll ask my friends if they know any reliable security companies.”

Her friends were wealthy socialites she often interacted with.

“But… but none of you had bodyguards when you were at school, right?” Li Heng found it hard to imagine having a bodyguard following him to class, feeling like it would be strange.

His reputation at school was already quite bad and complicated…!

“That’s because we’ve never been kidnapped.” Xie Sizhi said with a kind smile, reaching over to give his head a rough ruffle.

Li Heng covered his hair instinctively, moving towards Xie Duzhi, glaring at him as he did.

But this was the familiar Xie Sizhi he knew.

Though he understood the general idea of how to deal with Bai Ruan, it felt like he didn’t entirely grasp it, something about it reminded him of a Ponzi scheme.

But the idea of having bodyguards at school seemed to be a consensus among everyone except him.

He tried to argue, but the final result was that he wouldn’t need bodyguards once Bai Ruan received his due punishment.

For now, someone had to be with him to ensure his safety.

Even Xie Duzhi didn’t side with him on this.

Not only that, but he seemed to be the most proactive one. By the time the family meeting was winding down, he and Mrs. Xie were already discussing the pros and cons of various security companies.

Li Heng decided he wouldn’t send Xie Duzhi a goodnight message tonight.

Mrs. Xie came to knock on his door with a glass of milk as he was preparing to turn off the lights.

He took the milk from her, thinking she had gone to bed early.

He was staying up later than usual tonight because, just moments ago, he had expertly used the “I have a friend” line and ignored the emoji-filled messages from Gu Mingyue, simply venting about his unrequited feelings.

He didn’t know that Mrs. Xie had indeed gone to bed early, but before doing so, she had made a call to the Bai family, asking to speak with Bai Wei. She spent a good ten minutes mocking and venting her frustrations.

It was only when she couldn’t sleep, thinking about the look she had seen earlier, that she got out of bed and decided to speak with Li Heng.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” Li Heng asked curiously.

Mrs. Xie, wearing her nightgown, didn’t come in immediately but stood in the doorway, appearing lost in thought.

“I want to talk to you about something.” she finally snapped out of her daze and, as she entered, locked the door behind her.

She waited for Li Heng to finish the milk and set the cup down before slowly speaking.

“…Do you like Duzhi?”

Li Heng didn’t expect her to ask about his feelings so directly.

He instinctively wanted to deny it, but the moment she asked, his flushed face, warm ears, and awkward expression had already given him away.

Mrs. Xie thought to herself that it was true and sighed inwardly.

“You don’t need to worry.” She said, “I’m not here to say that you’re wrong or to scold you.”

“I just want to sit down and talk to you like a friend.”

She had never really discussed emotions with her younger son before.

“Mom… am I that obvious?” Li Heng moved over a bit, speaking softly, feeling a little uneasy.

Did Xie Duzhi know about this? Or was he unaware, pretending not to notice and letting him lose heart on his own?

“It’s not that obvious.” Mrs. Xie thought for a moment and explained, “It’s just that when I used to like your father, the way I looked at him was exactly the same as how you look at Duzhi.”

Li Heng felt relieved.

— So Xie Duzhi definitely didn’t know.

He thought to himself and then asked, “Mom, are you worried about him?”

Was she concerned that if he found out, he might feel uncomfortable, torn between family and reason, and that a direct rejection might hurt him? Or was she trying to pretend she didn’t know or act resigned?

Mrs. Xie laughed softly.

“Baby, I’m not worried about him. I’m worried about you.”

Then she continued, explaining, “What I mean is that he is more mature than you, and he has more experience. He can differentiate between different kinds of feelings.”

“I believe you’ll be able to win him over. He has always been very soft-hearted towards you and likes you very much.”

The kind of “like” Mrs. Xie referred to was more akin to the affection an older brother has for his younger brother.

But such affection might still provide the soil for “love” to grow. She had seen many couples who started off as simple siblings before their feelings transformed into something deeper.

“But you need to understand that the kind of love your father and I have, where we’ve known each other since we were young and still love each other after many years of marriage, is rare.”

Mrs. Xie took his hand. “Love is indeed a wonderful thing, but it also burns out very quickly. You need to keep adding fuel to it… or nourishment.”

Sometimes this fuel is the small details when they are together, a shared hobby, an unexpected gift, or sincere words…

Without this fuel, love becomes an act of self-destruction, and once you’ve burned out all your fuel, love will wither.

Leaving only complex and tangled roots, hard to untangle.

“There are many couples who appear to be harmonious but are actually distant, or end up drifting apart—like your Aunt Luo and her ex-husband, or Bai Ruan’s mother and father, who were once in love.”

Relationships that are bound by family and blood are often like this, and the same can apply to relationships between two men.

“…If you two end up together, you might face many difficulties, or even problems that can’t be solved.”

Mrs. Xie sighed softly, “I know  Duzhi’s personality very well. Once he’s set on something, he won’t change easily. Your father and I always felt he was the one who matched the family name and character the most.”

“Steady, unchanging.”

If the two kids ever ended up together, Mrs. Xie would feel very reassured, given his personality.

This was why she had said that she was more concerned about her younger son than Xie Duzhi.

“But what about you?”

She asked Li Heng, “Do you admire him like a hero, with feelings sparked by the suspension bridge effect, or did you not realize from the beginning that you confused affection with love?”

Her youngest son, whom she both cared for and worried about, was it love, or simply a complex mix of admiration and dependency?

“You don’t need to answer right away.” she paused. “I’m not doubting you, nor do I want you to doubt yourself. I just want to express my concerns.”

She was genuinely worried.

Worried that he might regret it in the future and feel guilty, thinking he had a responsibility toward Xie Duzhi, and thus miss out on his own happiness.

She didn’t want either of her children to end up unhappy.

“I understand, Mom.” Li Heng answered softly, “You’re worried I might regret this feeling later.”

But there’s no such thing as a regret pill in this world.

“But I know what I feel, and I won’t regret it.”

He looked at her quietly and firmly, “My feelings for him aren’t the same as for second brother or eldest brother, nor is it because I admire or respect him, and it’s not about him saving me.”

What happened yesterday was just an opportunity, or a trigger, to make him realize that the seeds had already been planted in his heart without him knowing, and they had grown so lush by the time he was aware.

His feelings for Xie Duzhi were much deeper than he had imagined.

“I… I like him…”

His voice grew softer, barely audible.

But Mrs. Xie still heard it, and after a long pause, she chuckled.

“I see, it’s just me overthinking.” She couldn’t help but tease, “If you had told me earlier, I wouldn’t have talked so much about my own experiences.”

“Mom—” Li Heng called out, wanting her to stop.

How could he talk about something like this in front of his own mom?

He hadn’t even realized how he had blurted those words out just now.

“Well, you can’t pursue him this shyly, can you?” she raised an eyebrow.

This time, she wasn’t joking, “He is introverted, and if you don’t say anything, how will he know you like him? He’s not lacking in people who like him.”

She wasn’t worried about her youngest son being rejected. Rejection was better than not expressing his feelings at all.

“I’ll think of a way to drop hints and observe his attitude.” Li Heng quickly interrupted. “I already know what to do.”

He knew that many people liked Xie Duzhi, but they were brothers by name. If he confessed directly, it would just give all the responsibility to Xie Duzhi.

He wanted to know how Xie Duzhi felt about him, beyond brotherly affection. If there was some other form of liking there, he would consider confessing.

Before Mrs. Xie came in, Li Heng had already messaged Gu Mingyue, asking his smart friend to give him advice, though he stubbornly refused to admit that the “friend” was him.

“So what’s your plan?” Mrs. Xie asked, curious. “Can I hear it?”

“…No.” Li Heng pressed his lips together, giving her a serious look and trying to send her out. “Mom, I need to rest.”

“I can trade you.” Mrs. Xie, unwilling to leave, sank into the sofa. “I can tell you how I pursued your father, how I got his attention… and how I won him over.”

She had indeed pursued Xie Zhuwei for a long time.

“That’s not happening either.” Li Heng firmly avoided her gaze and tried to pull his hand away, pushing her out of the sofa.

Mrs. Xie laughed even more, no longer looking worried when she came in.

“Alright, no more talking.” She laughed enough and shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant as she stood up. “Shall I go now?”

“…Mom, keep this a secret!” Li Heng suddenly remembered he hadn’t told her to keep quiet about this matter with Xie Duzhi.

He didn’t think Mrs. Xie would tell, but he couldn’t help but worry.

With her teasing eyes and mock promise, his face began to flush again.