Chapter 2: A Con Artist

After the deafening noise, an eerie silence ensued.

Mrs. Shen retreated, staring at Lu Ran in shock. Her perfectly painted lips gaped ungracefully, but her scream was stuck in her throat.

Shen Xingran's hair was still being tightly pulled.

He was still in disbelief, his fake gentleness freezing on his face. He stood dazed as his cheeks rapidly swelled, marked with red scratches from nails.

It looked far more genuine than if he had done it himself.

"Idiot, who do you think I am? Don't falsely associate us," Lu Ran didn't release his grip.

He tugged on Shen Xingran's hair and sneered, "My dog doesn't bite, but I do. After you've splashed dirty water on me, how can I not give you a couple of slaps to get my worth?"

"Ahh!" Mrs. Shen's delayed scream finally echoed, "You, you, you!"

"What are you blabbering about? If your eyesight is poor, go see an ophthalmologist!"

Spitting out those words, Lu Ran left the stunned mother and son behind and swiftly ran out of the Shen residence.

Exiting the villa, Lu Ran didn't linger.

Scanning the surrounding road signs, he summoned memories from his mind and hurriedly headed towards a specific location.

Big Yellow had been with him for nine years.

When he was ten, he was small and often bullied at the orphanage. His homework had been torn apart by his dorm mates, and he dared not report it to the teachers for fear that they would reprimand the aunt on duty that day.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, he could only wait until after lights out, grab a flashlight, and huddle in the corner of the orphanage, weeping while piecing together the shredded paper.

That night was bitterly cold, with a northerly wind blowing.

The scraps of paper kept being blown away, leaving young Lu Ran no choice but to crawl on the ground, meticulously searching for each piece.

It was that very evening when Lu Ran encountered Big Yellow, still a tiny puppy.

The puppy extended its tongue to lick his cheek.

In an instant, the warm sensation healed all his loneliness and grievances.

From then on, Lu Ran often secretly saved his food for the pup.

Big Yellow also survived that frigid winter.

Young Lu Ran had secretly fostered his first and only sense of family.

This was no different from his previous life.

When Lu Ran returned home, Big Yellow had already been discarded.

Initially, Lu Ran assumed the Shen family had merely chased Big Yellow away.

He planned to sneak out at night to search for the dog and find it a new home.

But when Lu Ran weathered Shen mother's scolding, all he found on the road was Big Yellow's lifeless body, crushed by a collision.

The accident had occurred in a secluded area with incomplete surveillance coverage.

Yet, a kind-hearted passerby, having witnessed Lu Ran's distress, provided him with a video they had taken.

In the footage, an expensive red sports car could be seen speeding up to knock down Big Yellow, who had been hiding by the roadside.

Far from leaving the scene, the vehicle proceeded to run over the struggling dog three times in a row.

Upon seeing the car's emblem, Lu Ran realized that he lacked the power to seek justice for Big Yellow.

Perhaps the Shen family could, but Lu Ran dared not bring it up.

With this, the last vestige of warmth in Lu Ran's life vanished.

By the time Lu Ran had suppressed the incident deep within his heart.

On one occasion, at his second brother Shen Xingzhuo's gathering, he had come across that red sports car. The owner had been in the midst of an animated conversation with Shen Xingzhuo. Lu Ran had assumed that their acquaintance was simply an unexpected coincidence, given they were both from wealthy backgrounds. Little did he expect that when the car owner passed by him, he would pause and lean over, smiling as he asked, "Is your dog doing well?" In that very instant, Lu Ran felt as if he had fallen into an icy chasm. He turned stiffly to look at Shen Zhuo, then at everyone else in the Shen family. It was only at that moment that Lu Ran realized the truth. The car accident that Big Yellow had been in was entirely orchestrated by the Shen family. Their sole purpose was to give him a harsh warning.

Irony, he was the foolish one to trust these so-called relatives without a second thought.

On the road.

"Ow! Woof!"

A small dog's mournful cry echoed.

A nimble little yellow dog darted to the side of the road, but its hind leg still brushed against a car wheel, causing it to limp away in a panic.

Inside the screeching red sports car that had come to a sudden stop, the driver, laughing, spoke on the phone:

"Well, looks like Brother Zhuo's dog is quite clever. It actually dodged that."

From the speaker, Shen Xingzhuo's casual and uninhibited voice rang out: "Can't you handle it, Yellow Hair? Can't even get rid of a single dog?"

"Of course I can!" Yellow Hair pounded his chest in assurance. "I heard this dog bit Ranran. Is she alright?"

"Nothing serious," Shen Xingzhuo chuckled. "He doesn't like dogs, so getting rid of it was necessary. Still, it caused such a commotion, what a hassle."

He concluded with a warning, "In any case, you deal with this dog."

"Sure thing!" The yellow-haired man replied, his gaze fixed on the limping dog in the middle of the road.

moments ago, the dog had been hiding by the roadside and was forced into the center of the road after being hit by him.

It was just a mongrel, after all. If it died, it died.

Its owner should have taken better care of it, that's all.

With a grin, the yellow-haired man lit a cigarette and pressed down hard on the accelerator.

The engine roared in response.

The sports car sped towards the howling puppy on the pavement.

The speed increased steadily.

At the thought of what was to come, a hint of enjoyment curved the corners of the yellow-haired man's lips.

As the wheels were about to roll over something, a figure suddenly flashed in front of the windshield.

The yellow-haired man jolted, his cigarette trembling in his mouth from the scare.

Sparks from the lit cigarette ash fell onto his leg, causing a searing pain. However, he was too preoccupied to care, promptly slamming on the brakes.

The screech of the brakes pierced the eardrums.

A long skid mark was left on the road.

Just before the impact, the vehicle came to a halt.

The yellow-haired man was nearly strangled by the seatbelt, his neck hairs standing on end.

He vaguely recalled someone dashing into the way and quickly lifted his head to look.

Through the windshield, he saw a young adult, not long past his teenage years, standing steadily in front of the car.

The youth was dressed in an inexpensive white shirt.

From head to toe, his outfit probably didn't cost more than a hundred yuan.

This was the appearance that the yellow-haired one had always despised - a poverty-stricken demeanor.

But upon lifting his gaze to meet the youth's eyes, the yellow-haired lad couldn't help but involuntarily shudder.

The young man's slightly long bangs were dampened by the fine rain from above, sticking to his eyelashes.

Beneath the black tresses lies a pair of... eyes that defy description.

It was pitch black, carrying an air of reckless madness.

The yellow-haired youth hesitated for a moment, finally dispelling that peculiar sensation.

He stormed out of the car, lashing out with a verbal barrage, "Trying to court death, are you? Can't you see there's a car on the road? Do you want to lose your life?"

Approaching the vehicle, Yellow-haired's anger was momentarily arrested once again.

He lowered his gaze and saw the young man in front of the car, his knees almost touching the headlights of the sports car.

At such a close proximity, seeing the vehicle rushing towards him, this person didn't retreat even half a step.

Thus did the youth stand before the vehicle, arms outstretched, shielding the yellow dog collapsed upon the ground behind him.

That eerie sensation surfaced for a fleeting moment once more.

The yellow-haired one hadn't continued speaking yet.

Lu Ran slowly turned his head to look at him, his tone icy and menacing. "Was it you who hit my dog?"

The yellow-haired man instinctively took a step back.

However, he swiftly guessed Lu Ran's identity — merely the legendary illegitimate son of the Shen family.

Only then did he revert to his initial demeanor, chuckling as he said, "How do you prove it was me who hit you? I could just as well say your dog ran into my car."

Shen Xingzhuo deliberately chose a secluded area with no surveillance cameras and few pedestrians to dispose of the dog.

Who could provide proof?

By now, Lu Ran had already crouched down to examine the condition of Big Yellow.

Upon seeing that Big Yellow had only a slightly limping leg and was otherwise uncrushed, a slight sense of relief washed over me.

Maintaining his crouched position, he lifted his gaze towards the yellow-haired youth: "You're right."

The yellow-haired one was somewhat perplexed by his calm demeanor.

He lowered his gaze to the young man before him and found that this illegitimate son of the Shen family was surprisingly good-looking.

Lu Ran has a gentle and tranquil appearance, with features that exude innocence.

With round eyes and slightly downturned eyelids, when he looked up, there was a delicate and submissive gentleness in his gaze.

The yellow-haired one's mind turned, intending to tease the illegitimate child.

As he reached out, he saw the seemingly "obedient" person in front of him abruptly collapse to the ground, hugging their legs.

"What are you doing?" the yellow-haired one asked, confused.

Soon, he understood.

With a dramatic flair, Lu Ran clutched his legs and wailed, "Someone's been hit! A wealthy second-generation brat was speeding and hit someone!"

"Hey! What are you talking about? Who bumped into you?" the yellow-haired one exclaimed impatiently.

Colliding with a person is not the same as colliding with a dog.

No matter how secluded this path might be, it was still traversed by others.

Passersby, upon witnessing a dog being hit, would at most express a fleeting sigh of regret.

Upon encountering a car accident, most people would likely gather around.

Now, with Lu Ran howling outright, several passersby had already stopped on the sidewalk, casting curious glances in their direction.

The yellow-haired one was genuinely a bit flustered.

While his family was somewhat affluent, they dare not bear the scandal of him being involved in a hit-and-run while street racing.

Considering his father was currently vying for a major project, with most of the family's liquid assets invested in it, any scandal involving him could sink the entire endeavor.

His father would literally kill him if that happened.

The yellow-haired man panicked and desperately tried to distance himself. "Y-You're trying to extort me! How do you prove that I hit you?"

"How do you prove that you didn't hit me?" Lu Ran countered.

"I have a damn dashcam..." The words died in the yellow-haired man's throat halfway through.

If the dashcam footage were revealed, the incident of hitting the dog would be undeniable. Furthermore, he had indeed accelerated and collided with Lu Ran, who was so close to the car; it would be hard to argue that no collision occurred.

A crowd had started gathering on the sidewalk.

Lu Ran sprawled on the ground, cradling his leg.

Having genuinely experienced pain from illnesses and traffic accidents before, he was a master at feigning it. His entire face turned pale, making the act all the more convincing.

The yellow-haired man was drenched in sweat, afraid of escalating the situation.

He leaned closer and whispered apologetically, "Brother, let's talk this out peacefully. You get in the car first..."

"What? You want me to know my place and then deal with me in the car?" Lu Ran raised his voice, his face filled with fear.

The yellow-haired man was taken aback. "No... I didn't say that... I didn't..."

"You're surnamed Hu, your father is Hu Yaozu, right? You warned me not to mess with your family, or I wouldn't know how I'd end up dead?"

Lu Ran was aghast, covering his mouth in a shocked gasp as he exposed the yellow-haired man's background completely.

He had the appearance of a student, now pale with sheer terror.

In contrast, the yellow-haired man seemed utterly detestable.

The yellow-haired man was at a loss for words. "How... how did you...?"

An onlooker became indignant upon overhearing. "I've heard of the Hu family. They owe our construction site money, don't they?"

"How can a wealthy young master treat an honest man like this! Don't be afraid, young man, we'll call the police!"

"Dare you call the police!" The yellow-haired one panicked and instantly raised his voice.

A moment of silence ensued, only for the voices of protest to grow even louder.

And a young girl added, "I saw it too. It was this blond guy in the sports car who hit the brother on the ground, and he even crazily hit the little dog behind him!"

The yellow-haired one grew increasingly uneasy.

This car of his... it simply couldn't withstand a thorough investigation.

Lu Ran, while engaging in banter with the yellow-haired lad, never took his attention off Big Yellow's condition.

Seeing that time was running out, he quickly said, "Could someone kindly take me to the hospital? I dare not get into this person's car."

The road was narrow, and there were few vehicles around.

However, due to their altercation, two sleek black sedans were still quietly parked by the roadside.

Lu Ran took a glance and immediately waved, "Driver over there, could you give me a lift?"

The yellow-haired man instinctively turned his head back.

At the sight of the stretched six-door limousine, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

How... how could this person be here?

But then, he quickly reassured himself.

No problem, no problem...

That person wasn't someone who meddled in other people's business.

The black sedan stood silently.

The yellow-haired man's suspended heart gradually settled back down.

However, just as it was about to fully descend, he saw the stationary sedan slowly start up and glide smoothly towards Lu Ran's side.

The last car door glided open, revealing a pitch-black interior, devoid of any trace of light.