Chapter 109 Delusions of Replacing Hu Ruichuan

Chapter 109: The Delusion of Replacing Hu Ruichuan

Yin Zhiguo said in surprise, "Four boxes, and you didn't leave a single one for Mom and Dad?"

"No, they're mine," Yin Luochenyi shot back. "What are you adults doing eating these cookies? They're for kids! Are you really trying to take a kid's snacks?"

Yin Zhiguo's brow furrowed. "We're your parents. Don't be disrespectful. You're in sixth grade now, and you didn't even spare one piece..."

Xie Donglian quickly cut off her husband, shooting him a reproachful look. "You're a grown man. It's just a cookie. Why are you arguing with your son over this? Do you really want to take candy from your own kid?"

Yin Zhiguo sighed. "Forget it." His wife was a mama bear, and he didn't feel like arguing.

The next day, something came up and Xie Donglian asked Yin Zhiguo to buy the roast chicken from the Xuehe stall. However, the stall now had a members-only policy. Yin Zhiguo wasn't a member, and he didn't want to fork over 20,000 yuan for a membership just for a 250-yuan half chicken. In the end, he returned home empty-handed.

Upon learning the roast chicken wasn't bought, Yin Luochenyi locked himself in his room and refused to eat. Xie Donglian couldn't talk him down and hurried to the Xuehe stall herself, only to find it had already closed for the day.

Returning home, Xie Donglian vented all her anger on her husband. The two had another big argument over their son's upbringing, which ended with Yin Zhiguo storming off back to the office.

Behind the locked door of his room, Yin Luochenyi wasn't upset at all. He was wearing headphones, looking at his tablet, and happily munching on Xia Yu Flower Candy, one piece after another.

But the desire to replace Hu Ruichuan grew even stronger in his heart.

*

His chance came soon enough.

His cousin Xie Langyu was going to the park with Hu Ruichuan on the weekend to play and draw. Yin Luochenyi insisted on joining them.

Weekend, at the park.

After finishing a drawing of the lake scenery, Yin Luochenyi first suggested they take a ride on the small boats on the lake. Hu Ruichuan declined the invitation.

Hu Ruichuan had taken swimming lessons but never really got the hang of it. He wasn't interested in boat rides. "Langyu, you and your cousin go ahead. I'll wait for you here."

Xie Langyu said, "If you're not going, then I won't either. Let's go do something else."

Yin Luochenyi's eyes darted around rapidly. One plan foiled, he quickly hatched another. "Look, aren't those swans beautiful? How was your drawing? Let's get a closer look. Oh, the stones by the shore look interesting. Let's go pick some up."

Yin Luochenyi grabbed each of them by the hand and pulled them towards the shore.

Ignoring the "Deep Water - Danger" and "No Entry to Water" signs, they reached the water's edge and bent down to pick up stones.

Taking advantage of the moment when Hu Ruichuan wasn't paying attention, Yin Luochenyi gave him a hard shove from behind. Only one thought filled his mind: Push him in!

*Splash—* Hu Ruichuan tumbled into the cold lake water. He gulped a huge mouthful of water and began coughing violently. "Cough, cough... Help... Pull me up..."

Seeing his friend fall in, Xie Langyu immediately reached out to help, but his outstretched hand was slapped away by Yin Luochenyi.

Confused and angry, Xie Langyu asked, "Cousin, why did you hit my hand? Hurry up and pull Ruichuan out!"

A flash of sinister intent, unseen by anyone, passed through Yin Luochenyi's eyes. But outwardly, he looked extremely anxious. "Cousin, I can swim. I'll save him!"

With that, Yin Luochenyi jumped into the water with a *splash*. He swam over to Hu Ruichuan in a few strokes. But he wasn't there to rescue him. Instead, he reached out and forcefully pushed Hu Ruichuan's head underwater, holding it down.

Witnessing this, Xie Langyu's eyes turned red with panic and fury. He roared, "Yin Luochenyi! What are you doing! Are you insane?!"

Yin Luochenyi put on a pitiful, weak expression. "Cousin, I'm your own cousin. You saw me trying to save him, but I just couldn't manage to pull him up, right?"

"He asked me to take care of his mom and dad for him." Having watched many mindless dramas, Yin Luochenyi had a naive idea. He thought that if Hu Ruichuan died, and with his fabricated story about "Hu Ruichuan entrusting his parents to him," he could replace Hu Ruichuan, live in the Hu household, and inherit Hu Ruichuan's parents and their affluent lifestyle.

Xie Langyu stared at the spot where Hu Ruichuan had been held underwater, not resurfacing. His legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"You're crazy... you're insane..." Suddenly, Xie Langyu remembered something. He used his smartwatch to dial the emergency number.

"Uncle Police, please come quickly! My... my friend fell into the water... The address is..."

Before Xie Langyu could finish giving the address, Yin Luochenyi, who had swum back, snatched the smartwatch from him and smashed it violently on the ground.

*Bang—* The smartwatch instantly shattered into pieces.

Xie Langyu kept his eyes fixed on the water's surface, crying his heart out.

Yin Luochenyi looked at the still water, a wicked smirk flashing across his lips for a split second. The next moment, he too sat down beside Xie Langyu, wailing as if his heart was breaking. Between sobs, he cried, "I went to pull him, but... I couldn't get him up..."

Several passersby, hearing the commotion, rushed over. Some, upon hearing Xie Langyu say his companion had fallen in, immediately jumped into the lake to search, but found nothing.

Yin Luochenyi cried on the outside but laughed inside, thinking his good days were about to begin.

Unbeknownst to him, two girls not far away had captured the entire process of Yin Luochenyi harming his companion on their phones. They had been recording a video of the beautiful lakeside scenery—the swans, the lake, nature, and people. That evening, while editing the video, they discovered this horrifying scene. Terrified, they discussed with their parents what to do and reported it to the police that very night.

*

Hu Ruichuan in the lake was not dead, as Yin Luochenyi had hoped. He was alive and well. Moreover, his body seemed to be covered by a transparent, glowing film, allowing him to breathe freely underwater.

Hu Ruichuan had been utterly terrified at first. He clearly felt he had been kicked into the water. When he thought Yin Luochenyi was coming to pull him out, he never expected Yin Luochenyi would try to kill him instead. He realized then that Yin Luochenyi must have been the one who kicked him in.

But why would he do that? Their friendship was through Xie Langyu. Hu Ruichuan racked his brain over and over but couldn't find any point where he had offended Yin Luochenyi or any conflict between them.

The strange ability to walk freely underwater filled him with wonder, and he temporarily pushed those troubling thoughts aside.

He watched in amazement as schools of fish swam past him, becoming so engrossed that he unconsciously followed them, swimming along underwater.

When he felt the protective layer around him thinning, its glow fading, and his breathing starting to feel a bit off, he hurriedly sprinted towards the nearby shore. He finally made it onto land just before the protective layer vanished completely.

Soaking wet, he borrowed a passerby's phone to call his father.

He turned to look across the lake. Yin Luochenyi and Xie Langyu were no longer there.