Young Brave Hearts – CH 007

Chapter 7

That evening, before school ended, the monthly exam results were finally released.

As usual, the top 100 students were posted on the bulletin board outside the school building.

The top three were crowned on the most prominent honor roll, accompanied by their individual six-inch photos.

Unsurprisingly, Lu Rangchen was first.

He had been at the top of his class last semester, and recently, he had probably put in a little more effort, easily taking the top spot.

Many people were interested in his grades in each subject.

As soon as the school bell rang, a large crowd gathered around the bulletin board. Some discussed the grades earnestly, while others chattered excitedly, snapping photos of his picture.

Zhu Yunque was an exception.

She only glanced at the honor roll from afar before turning her gaze away, waiting for Xu Linda to return.

Xu Linda squeezed through the crowd for a while before finally managing to get a picture of Lu Rangchen. As soon as she returned, she excitedly showed it to her.

A passport photo against a blue background; the boy was wearing his school uniform, his features clear and handsome, upright and full of youthful vigor.

Zhu Yunque glanced at it silently.

Xu Linda clicked her tongue in amazement. “You know, all our ID photos look so stiff, but he looks so handsome even with a blank expression.”

Zhu Yunque lowered her eyes and kicked away a small pebble. “Because he’s a prodigy, right?”

Xu Linda frowned, “Then God was too biased, giving him all the good things.”

Zhu Yunque paused, tilting her head. “Don’t you like him a lot?”

“Me?”

As if discovering a new continent, Xu Linda pointed exaggeratedly at herself, “Who told you I like him?”

Zhu Yunque’s eyes flickered.

Xu Linda rolled her eyes. “Please, I just admire a popular figure; that doesn’t mean I like him.”

She waved her phone. “Besides, I didn’t take this photo to swoon; I’m going to send it to someone else.”

With that, she actually sent the photo.

As for who she sent it to, Zhu Yunque had no idea.

It was Xu Linda who took the initiative to tell her that the photo was sent to Lu Rangchen’s friend. “He said they’re practicing tennis right now and can’t come, so he asked me to take a picture for him.”

Zhu Yunque’s eyes widened slightly.

She knew Lu Rangchen was on the school tennis team, but she never imagined Xu Linda knew one of Lu Rangchen’s friends.

Xu Linda winked at her. “We just met recently; it’s not quite a friendship yet. I’ll introduce you sometime.”

“…”

Zhu Yunque looked away, unsure what to say.

After a while, she said, “He cares about this kind of honor, too?”

Xu Linda replied to the message, looking down, “It isn’t Lu Rangchen who cares; it’s his mother.”

Hearing for the first time about his family, Zhu Yunque’s heart skipped a beat.

Xu Linda added, “Lu Rangchen cares a lot about his mother.”

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the school gate.

Xu Linda’s driver was already waiting there. Even if Zhu Yunque wanted to ask more questions, she couldn’t bring herself to. She could only wave goodbye to Xu Linda and turn to walk towards the bus stop.

The bus wouldn’t arrive for a long time.

Zhu Yunque stood there for a while, then took out her phone and opened Lu Rangchen’s chat window.

The red envelope was still unclaimed.

There wasn’t a single word exchanged between them.

Completely estranged.

Swallowing a bitter taste in her mouth, Zhu Yunque hesitated for a few seconds before finally deleting the four words “Remember to collect the money” from the input box.

At that moment, the afterglow of the setting sun painted the sky crimson. A breeze blew, and she unconsciously looked towards the school gymnasium.

Suddenly, she wondered how far apart she and he were.

Was it so far that she could never reach him in her entire life?

–

That day, Zhu Yunque happened to be caught in the evening rush hour, and the bus was almost half an hour late.

The traffic jam lasted for ages, so by the time she returned to Yanliu Lane, it was past the usual mealtime. She happened to pass a fried noodle shop on the way and bought some.

Just as she reached the entrance of the residential complex, Deng Jiali emerged from the building alone, carrying a bag.

Zhu Yunque stopped in her tracks.

Her gaze followed her, wanting to call out “Auntie,” but Deng Jiali didn’t even glance at her, her eyes red and her whole body filled with resentment as she walked towards the alley entrance.

“…” She suddenly had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, as soon as Zhu Yunque got home, she sensed an almost deathly silence.

The sofa, which had previously been occupied by Deng Jiaqiang, was now neatly tidied, while the kitchen was a mess.

Seeing her return, the old lady, who was holding and soothing her grandson, was unusually quiet but still not in a good mood.

Zhu Yunque was already immune to her antics and only turned to look at Zhu Ping’an.

A man in his forties, his face etched with worry, sat hunched over on the sofa, wearily smoking.

A strange tightness rose in her chest. Zhu Yunque softly called out, “Dad.”

Zhu Ping’an’s fingertips trembled slightly. He straightened up to look at her, forcing a smile. “Oh, it’s Queque. Why were you so late? Have you eaten?”

His hand gripping the plastic bag tightened.

Zhu Yunque said, “I’ve eaten.”

She paused, then felt it necessary to say, “Auntie went out alone. You should go after her.”

Zhu Ping’an’s expression froze for a moment.

Before he could react, Zhu Yunque turned and went back to her room.

In the bedroom were the bowls and chopsticks she usually used for takeout. She placed the fried noodles, still in the plastic bag, in a bowl. Before she could even pick up her chopsticks, there was a knock on the door.

It was Zhu Ping’an.

Seeing the simple dinner on Zhu Yunque’s table, he was visibly taken aback. “Didn’t you say you’d already eaten?”

Zhu Yunque looked at him calmly. “I was just about to eat.”

Zhu Ping’an: “…”

A sudden wave of guilt washed over him. After a few seconds, he closed the door and came in.

The bedroom was now a private world just for the father and daughter.

Zhu Yunque quietly ate her rice noodles. After a long while, Zhu Ping’an finally spoke to her.

“Queque, Dad had thought about this seriously today. No matter why your grades had dropped, it’s Dad who’s wronged you. It’s because Dad didn’t take good care of you that this happened.”

“Your aunt really didn’t expect it to affect you so much. Jiaqiang is her younger brother, her only family, and she can’t bear it.”

“But no matter what, it’s Dad who didn’t handle this well, making you sad and scared. It’s Dad’s fault.”

“So Dad had thought about it. For a while, Deng Jiaqiang would move out. As for your mother—”

At this point, Zhu Yunque paused, finally looking up.

Zhu Ping’an hesitated, then said earnestly, “If—I mean, if—for the past year or so before the college entrance exam, I have you live with your mother, would you hate Dad?”

“Your mother knew you were worried about your current situation. She’s going back to Nancheng for business recently, so she suggested bringing you to live with her.”

“I just don’t know if you’d be willing.”

The man’s gaze sharpened as he looked at Zhu Yunque.

He feared her sensitive and reserved nature might lead to a misunderstanding.

However, he was overthinking it.

Zhu Yunque didn’t hesitate for a moment. “I’ll go.”

Perhaps her reaction was too calm, for Zhu Ping’an couldn’t hide the astonishment on his face.

However, after hesitating for a while, he ultimately lacked the confidence to say anything more to Zhu Yunque and silently left her bedroom.

A short while later, Zhu Yunque heard Zhu Ping’an making a phone call to Feng Yanlai in the living room.

The gist of the call was that Feng Yanlai would be returning in a while, and during this time, Zhu Ping’an would take good care of Zhu Yunque and wouldn’t let Deng Jiaqiang return.

Zhu Yunque’s hand tightened around her chopsticks.

The gloom that had been building in her heart, like a mist, gathered and dispersed imperceptibly.

The next morning, she told Xu Linda and Ye Tian about it.

Ye Tian replied with a bland congratulatory message.

Zhu Yunque stared at her phone for a while, then didn’t reply.

In comparison, Xu Linda, the unwavering supporter, was quite considerate.

After morning self-study, on their way to the small supermarket, Xu Linda’s eyes lit up as she repeatedly exclaimed, “Really?!” and congratulated her on no longer having to put up with that disgusting man.

Zhu Yunque smiled and said she hoped so.

Just as she finished speaking, her phone beeped again.

Zhu Yunque’s brow twitched inexplicably; it was a notification that her red envelope had been returned.

Xu Linda picked out two White Rabbit candies from the freezer. Noticing her slightly downcast expression, she asked what was wrong.

Zhu Yunque: “…”

Suppressing her slightly gloomy mood, she put away her phone and shook her head. “Nothing.”

The two walked back, eating ice cream, passing by the honor roll on the bulletin board along the way.

In the photo, the boy exuded a cool and aloof air; even without expression, his handsome face immediately caught the eye.

Zhu Yunque secretly glanced at him a few more times when Xu Linda wasn’t looking.

Back in the classroom, she inexplicably asked Xu Linda a question: “Say you owe someone money, and you send them a red envelope, but they won’t accept it. Why?”

Xu Linda, flipping through her workbook, froze. “Who is it? They won’t even accept money from others.”

Zhu Yunque tried to sound natural. “Someone I don’t know very well.”

Seeing her flustered, Xu Linda grinned and leaned closer. “Wow, Zhu Yunque, you’ve got something going on.”

Zhu Yunque feigned ignorance. “Can you please stop talking nonsense?”

Knowing she was easily teased, Xu Linda said, “Okay, okay,” and then began to seriously analyze the situation for her.

“Generally speaking, there were three possibilities. First, he’s rich and doesn’t care about the money. Second, he isn’t thinking straight and has forgotten. As for the third…”

Zhu Yunque’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Xu Linda said, “He’s got his eye on you and wants to have a chance to say something to you.”

“…”

Zhu Yunque’s hand trembled, and the pencil lead she was changing broke.

She looked at Xu Linda with a bewildered expression. Xu Linda smiled slyly. “I’m just stating the facts. Our Yunque is so quiet and pretty; many boys would like her.”

These words suddenly left Zhu Yunque at a loss for words.

She could only look away, lower her eyes, and continue working on her fill-in-the-blank exercise to calm her chaotic thoughts.

She thought that there might be boys who liked her.

But that person couldn’t be Lu Rangchen.

She and he were like the moon in the sky and a flower struggling to bloom in a pond.

It was the moonlight that fell perfectly on the petals.

It wasn’t that the moon was favoring her.

–

Unexplained low spirits were perhaps a common experience for every girl during puberty. For several days in a row, Zhu Yunque lacked energy, yet paradoxically, she was unusually motivated when it came to her studies.

In Xu Linda’s words, she used to only know how to study; now, it seemed her life consisted only of studying.

While other students groaned under the weight of endless test papers, Zhu Yunque immersed herself in a sea of ​​questions, using every spare moment to spend with Xu Linda.

Xu Linda thought she was crazy.

Just one failed exam—why be so abnormal?

However, she didn’t know that this score didn’t reflect Zhu Yunque’s true ability.

Even including her deliberately poorly written English and Chinese essays, her actual score was only two points lower than Gao Ge’s, ranking 41st in the grade.

What she was dissatisfied with was this ranking.

There were 40 students between her and Lu Rangchen—the entire Class A. It was precisely for this reason that she suddenly became obsessed with Class A.

But unfortunately, her personality was incredibly stubborn.

Everyone else was desperate to get Lu Rangchen’s attention, but Zhu Yunque just wanted to avoid him.

She no longer secretly glanced at him during recess, and on her way back to class, she no longer casually glanced towards the back door of Class A.

It was as if by not seeing him, she could stop the uncontrollable thoughts from festering in her mind.

But because of this, she realized that Lu Rangchen seemed to have never been a part of her life from the beginning; it was her attention that brought him into existence.

Thinking this way, Zhu Yunque found it amusing.

The name Lu Rangchen swirled in her mind countless times, but in his heart, she was just a stranger whose name he didn’t even know.

Because of this thought, September of that year was incredibly gloomy.

Zhu Yunque felt as if she had locked herself in a vacuum jar.

Even during one PE class, when Class B happened to be having PE with Class A, when the PE teacher announced free time, she didn’t even glance at Lu Rangchen, only greeting Xu Linda before returning to the classroom.

On the basketball court, the boys played with great enthusiasm, while the girls’ screams filled the air.

Occasionally, the name “Lu Rangchen” would linger like a curse.

Zhu Yunque, however, kept her lips pursed, never once glancing out the window.

The days passed by unnoticed, and it was National Day.

Nancheng No. 3 Middle School, being a key high school, only gave its second-year students three days off.

The first day of the holiday was Xu Linda’s birthday.

Her parents were away on business trips, and not wanting to spend the day with unsavory characters, she invited Zhu Yunque.

As her best friend, Zhu Yunque naturally agreed. That evening, Xu Linda took her to experience her first act of rebellion—putting on makeup, getting her hair permed, and going to a bar.

The usually innocent and reserved girl took off her glasses, put on pretty colored contact lenses, and changed her style from a well-behaved girl to a revealing tank top.

The sudden change seemed to paint that night with a different hue.

Not only did Xu Linda compliment Zhu Yunque on how beautiful she was, but the boys sitting next to her in the bar also kept glancing at her with ambiguous looks.

Zhu Yunque felt uncomfortable and wanted to switch seats with Xu Linda, but suddenly the bar stage lit up.

It was time for the night show.

The stage was being prepared for the performance.

Zhu Yunque initially just calmly looked towards the stage until she saw that familiar, tall, and arrogant figure.

The boy stood in the center of the stage, holding a guitar.

His strong, muscular arms were clearly outlined by the overhead light, and his sharp, handsome features had a more roguish and wild air than usual.

Lu Rangchen lowered his eyes, his slender fingers gently plucking the strings, his deep voice, with its grainy texture, penetrating her eardrums through the microphone.

Zhu Yunque’s heart skipped a beat.

The complex emotions she had suppressed for nearly half a month let go and surfaced instantly.

Beside her, Xu Linda recognized Lu Rangchen and immediately shook her slender arm, yelping, “Lu Rangchen! It’s actually Lu Rangchen! What’s he doing here?”

Zhu Yunque’s head was spinning; everything felt unreal.

She shook her head blankly, saying she didn’t know.

She watched, in a daze, as he accompanied someone on two songs, then stepped off the stage. Xu Linda pulled Zhu Yunque to her feet.

The alcohol was starting to take effect, and the noise made Zhu Yunque dazed. “Where were we going?”

Xu Linda, much more agitated, shouted, “Come on, I’ll introduce you to some new friends!”

So, Zhu Yunque followed her, bewildered, to the backstage dressing room. The moment she stepped inside, she saw Lu Rangchen in a black T-shirt and jeans.

Under the bright lights, the boy leaned lazily against the sofa, having just finished a bottle of iced water.

Noticing their entry, Lu Rangchen swallowed hard, his gaze sweeping over the two women with a deep, nonchalant air.

His clear, sharp gaze held an unintentional, cocky arrogance.

Like a powerful bullet, it precisely struck her heart, shattering it with a startling, trembling crack.

Zhu Yunque froze.

At that moment, Deng Zhe emerged from another room, saw Xu Linda at the door, and exclaimed, “You’re quick! You said you’d come, and you’re here already!”

The two had clearly planned this beforehand. Xu Linda smiled broadly. “Of course!”

She pulled the bewildered Zhu Yunque inside, “And I’ll introduce you to my friend while I’m at it.”

Deng Zhe glanced at the stiff-looking girl behind Xu Linda.

Thin bangs, slightly curled long hair half-tied into a princess style, wearing a cool white sundress, pure yet with a touch of naivety.

Seemingly not recognizing her, Deng Zhe blinked.

Before he could speak, Lu Rangchen tossed the empty water bottle into the corner trash can with a thud.

“No need for introductions; we knew each other.”

His casual, languid words were magnetic and alluring.

The cramped lounge fell silent instantly.

Xu Linda exclaimed in surprise, turning to look at Zhu Yunque, then at Lu Rangchen, “Know each other??”

Lu Rangchen remained silent, a half-smile on his face.

Zhu Yunque blushed under his gaze, unconsciously clenching her fists. “Are you sure you know me?”

His deep gaze lingered on her for two seconds.

Lu Rangchen chuckled, somewhat speechless, “Am I an old man?”

Zhu Yunque: “…”

Lu Rangchen, lifting his thin eyelids, frowned and asked in confusion, “And I even called you once at the bus stop; have you forgotten?”