Chapter 21: Disregarding All Kinship

Shen Xingran was in deep thought as well.

Yes, things couldn't continue like this.

Outside the Shen family's main gate, Lu Ran was still telling stories to someone.

However, his audience had grown from one to several.

It was an idle moment, and Lu Ran's storytelling was particularly captivating. Moreover, his tales were a peculiar blend of seriousness and absurdity, making people curious to hear just how absurd they could get.

On top of that, Lu Ran had an inherently likable appearance. With his face upturned as he sat on the ground, he looked obedient no matter how one viewed him.

He was the same when he was young.

But after being rescued from the flash flood, his health hadn't fully recovered, so the orphanage didn't arrange for adoption.

By the time he regained his strength and was of primary school age, it became more challenging to find adoptive parents.

Lu Ran never imagined that despite always being likable, he would be seen as an eyesore in the Shen family.

Someone couldn't resist asking, "What happened next? After being pushed into the pool, surely the child's parents realized there was something wrong with the adopted son?"

Lu Ran shook his head at them. "Favoritism has no logic. The parents believed that the child was standing too close to the pond, obstructing the adopted son's way."

"Sigh..."

"How could they?"

A chorus of disapproval rang out.

"What happens next?"

"Next, the lost child realizes that their parents could never love them and leaves home," Lu Ran said with a smile. "They then live a free life on their own."

It was a decent ending, albeit a heart-wrenching one. The ladies listening to the story couldn't quite recover from the emotional impact and grumbled, "What kind of idiotic parents are these? It's one thing to favor an adopted son, but how could they not cherish their biological son after finally finding him?"

Lu Ran smiled without responding.

In his previous life, he would never have shared such stories with outsiders. He had sensed that Madam Shen and the others disliked it when he brought up such matters, and Lu Ran himself found it too painful and shameful to confront. Back then, he had been subjected to emotional manipulation by the Shen family and often questioned himself as to why he couldn't measure up to Shen Xingran in any aspect.

If anyone dared to speak to Lu Ran like that now, they would certainly receive a few choice insults.

The listeners had yet to disperse.

One person, engrossed in the story, couldn't resist commenting, "Indeed, it's just a story. But in reality... with families like ours, we'd still have to find our way back, no matter what."

Lu Ran lifted his head to look at the speaker.

A few wealthy ladies who were chatting nearby exchanged knowing glances.

"Why must we necessarily find our way back?" Lu Ran asked.

He was still too young, and his previous life hadn't provided him with enough experiences. It was only natural for him to seek clarification from someone more seasoned.

The wealthy ladies were taken aback by his question.

Then, with smiles on their faces, they ambiguously replied, "How could we allow them to wander outside? After all, they're still family. There would be issues with inheritance and stock distribution down the line..."

Lu Ran blinked thoughtfully.

Amidst their conversation, two security guards in uniforms approached from a distance.

Initially, they were wielding stun batons with an intimidating demeanor.

Upon closer inspection, they saw Lu Ran lying on a sleeping bag covered with school textbooks and a backpack. They were momentarily stunned.

The pair exchanged glances.

They had just received a call from Madam Shen, assuming that some hooligans had trespassed. Now, it was clear that this was merely a student.

Moreover, it was evident how diligent he was. Despite the sky turning dark, he was still engrossed in his homework.

Furthermore...

Everyone entering and exiting the residential area had to be verified and recorded by each homeowner.

This student had clearly been recorded recently, as evident from the previous logs.

The security guards were perplexed.

They glanced at the ladies chatting with Lu Ran and then back at him before whispering, "Why are you staying here, student?"

Lu Ran's eyebrows lifted slightly upon seeing the guards.

Madam Shen had called the security guards later than he had anticipated.

"I'm doing my homework while lying in front of my own house," Lu Ran replied.

"Then... why didn't you go inside?" the guard asked again.

A hint of amusement flickered across Lu Ran's face. "I was chased out by my family. Didn't she just call you to ask you to chase me away too?"

The security guards exchanged glances, unsure of how to proceed.

"No one shares a family bond with you, so stop spouting nonsense at my doorstep!"

Madam Shen couldn't hold back and rushed out.

Upon seeing so many people still gathered in front of her house, Madam Shen was momentarily stunned.

But this time, she was resolute as she instructed the security guards, "How do you do your job? Get him out of here now."

Lu Ran looked at her innocently,

"Madam, why aren't we a family anymore? Didn't we just have a DNA test not long ago? Should we have another one right now?"

Madam Shen was taken aback, "Y-You're just a distant relative. I can let you in and kick you out!"

After Madam Shen said this, she noticed that the ladies watching from the sidelines seemed to be looking at her with peculiar expressions.

A distant relative...

In the 'story' just now, the birth mother had similarly introduced her long-lost son as merely a relative to outsiders.

At first, they treated it as an absurd tale to hear.

Now... everyone couldn't help but ponder a little more.

Madam Shen felt inexplicably flustered and awkward under the gazes of others.

The security guards were no longer keen on intervening in the matter.

Fights within this large family were commonplace.

During disputes, they wished each other dead, but when reconciled, they were as inseparable as glue.

Ultimately, outsiders weren't suitable to meddle in their affairs.

Besides...

A prominent family targeting a student still in school—it was utterly tasteless.

They were not keen on engaging in such an unpleasant matter.

"Madam, let's have a proper conversation with the child."

"Let's take the child inside first and talk."

Madam Shen found herself in a dilemma.

Resolving to cut her losses, she was determined to see Lu Ran out of the house today.

Just as he was about to continue urging, a voice suddenly echoed from the crowd behind:

"What's all the commotion about?"

Shen Hongyuan had finally returned home.

Upon seeing several people gathered at his front door, he initially thought that Madam Shen had organized a spontaneous gathering.

As he drew closer, he noticed the security guard holding a nightstick and then spotted Lu Ran lying sprawled at the entrance of the Shen family's residence.

Shen Hongyuan's smile froze on his face.

He had only been away from home for two days!

What else could have happened?

Regardless of his behavior at home, Shen Hongyuan always presented himself as refined and courteous in public.

He hurriedly walked over, bending down to maintain a calm demeanor while gritting his teeth as he asked Lu Ran, "What are you doing here?"

Although he spoke softly, Lu Ran responded with a loud voice, "Don't you have bad eyesight? I was kicked out because of that!"

The smile on Shen Hongyuan's face was about to fade.

He shot a glare at Mrs. Shen before apologetically addressing the surrounding guests with a jovial tone, "Sorry for the spectacle, everyone. It's just a child having a tantrum with a family member!"

"I'm not throwing a tantrum," Lu Ran replied, hugging Big Yellow tightly. He didn't clarify his background but instead pitifully stated, "You're the ones who took me in, then wanted to throw my dog away and even kill him!"

Upon hearing this, astonishment washed over the people around them.

Who would have thought that the seemingly glamorous couple of the Shen family would treat their relatives like this?

Even if it was just a child from a distant relative, wasn't this kind of treatment too excessive?

And they even wanted to kill the dog?

That was animal abuse!

How could such news ever spread?

"Furthermore, you refused to let me stay in a guest room. With such a large house, you insisted I live in the servants' quarters and eventually drove me to reside in the courtyard warehouse."

Lu Ran continued, exposing the Shen family's true nature.

Shen Hongyuan, who valued his reputation above all else, turned beet red from Lu Ran's two straightforward statements.

He forced a smile, pretending it was unrelated to him as he looked at Madam Shen and said, "How can you treat a child like this?"

"I!" Madam Shen sputtered. "Why am I to blame?"

Lu Ran spoke up first.

When he was ruthless, he didn't recognize anyone, even his relatives. Pointing at Madam Shen, he directly exposed Shen Hongyuan. "It wasn't her; it was both of you. You haven't been innocent in such matters either."

Shen Hongyuan: "…"

Madam Shen: "…"

Why did this feel a little satisfying?

Shen Hongyuan's aged face was about to lose all dignity.

He bent down to whisper into Lu Ran's ear, hoping for a peaceful negotiation.

Lu Ran pretended to be scared and scooted away. "Sob sob sob, are you threatening me?"

All the ladies immediately directed their disapproving gazes at Shen Hongyuan.

Shen Hongyuan had no choice but to speak up, "It's just that the guest room wasn't tidied up. You can move in tonight."

Lu Ran remained pitiful, "I'm not asking for a room on the second floor, nor do I want to take up one on the third. But can't you at least give me the largest room on the first floor?"

Their disapproving glares returned.

As if they were saying, "The child is so well-behaved, isn't your family being too stingy?"

"I'll make sure it's arranged," Shen Hongyuan gritted his teeth.

"I won't believe it unless I see someone start cleaning it now," Lu Ran said.

Shen Hongyuan forced a smile on his face.

With no other option, he instructed the servants to hurry up and clean the room.

Seeing that the matter was settled, the onlookers lingered for a while before gradually dispersing.

A few well-off ladies even had a private chat with Lu Ran before they left.

Madam Shen's efforts had come to naught; she failed to teach Lu Ran a lesson and had even lost a spacious room in the process.

However, these were matters of little concern to Lu Ran.

In his previous life, he was an awkwardly positioned invisible figure in the Shen family; the Shens never officially introduced him to high society.

As a result, when he was involved in a car accident and confined to a private hospital by the Shens, no one had cared.

Now, with this commotion, although the setting wasn't formal, he had made an appearance among the wealthy circle. Whether as a "relative" specially invited for the occasion or the child who had gone missing in the story, someone would have taken notice of him.

This would make it less effortless for the Shens to quietly dispose of him in the future.

Upstairs, Shen Xingran watched silently as the servants carried Lu Ran's belongings into the room one by one.

Observing Lu Ran strolling confidently into the Shen family's courtyard, then into the villa, and finally into the living room with the dog in tow, his phone screen illuminated.

A message had just been sent:

Brother Lin, my apologies.

I've kept something from you. Actually, Lin Yi... he's been bullied, terribly so. I'm sorry, the person who bullied him is somehow connected to me...