Young Brave Hearts – CH 035

Chapter 35

Those eight short but powerful words landed heavily on her heart, making Zhu Yunque feel an uncontrollable dizziness.

She stared at Lu Rangchen, her heart pounding.

A few seconds of near silence.

Lu Rangchen squeezed her hand, his gaze fixed on her face, a hint of amusement in his voice, “Just that obvious?”

“…”

The night was quiet and tender.

The moonlight gently enveloped him, and Zhu Yunque’s heart suddenly trembled slightly, like a branch just sprouting in early spring.

Lu Rangchen’s eyes grew even deeper.

Zhu Yunque’s heart raced under his gaze, and she looked away. “Want to hear the truth?”

Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow, his voice calm. “Tell me.”

After a two-second silence, Zhu Yunque lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. “I don’t think you’re serious about me.”

Neither in the past nor now.

She didn’t dare to believe that Lu Rangchen’s feelings for her weren’t purely platonic.

She disliked that uncertainty.

Sometimes she’d rather escape than be bound by unrealistic fantasies.

But it was clear.

She was already bound. Bound tightly.

Seemingly reading something in her seemingly calm eyes, Lu Rangchen chuckled in a low, husky voice. “So, you’re playing hard to get with me?”

“Isn’t it you who’s playing hard to get?”

Zhu Yunque raised her eyes, her gaze serene as she looked at him.

Lu Rangchen narrowed his eyes, seemingly quite unconvinced. “How have I been aloof towards you? Tell me.”

“…”

Zhu Yunque was speechless, exasperated by his behavior.

She pursed her lips, trying to leave, but Lu Rangchen pulled her back with even greater force.

Her back slammed against the wall again.

But it didn’t hurt at all.

The more she struggled, the stronger he became.

After a two-second silent standoff, Zhu Yunque glared at him, annoyed. “…Sometimes I really get annoyed with you.”

She only blurted out that after being pushed so hard.

Lu Rangchen was genuinely amused.

He gave a smug yet alluring smirk, leaning closer to whisper, “Being annoyed won’t help.”

“…”

“I’ve got my eye on you.”

Zhu Yunque blushed at his shameless words.

She kicked him.

Lu Rangchen showed no sign of anger, casually steering the conversation back on track. “I haven’t even asked you to explain what happened today, and you have the nerve to get angry first.”

His words were perfectly reasonable.

If it weren’t for this incident, they would have been the ones having dinner together tonight.

Zhu Yunque understood perfectly well.

But she still looked away, stubbornly insisting, “Nothing much, just having dinner with friends.”

Seeing her stubborn expression only fueled Lu Rangchen’s interest.

He gave a slightly jealous snort. “Just friends?”

Zhu Yunque remained silent.

Lu Rangchen nodded slightly. “Fine, I’ll ask myself.”

Zhu Yunque choked, caught off guard.

Lu Rangchen’s tone was completely serious.

He even took out his phone right in front of her and directly found Xu Linda’s number.

Zhu Yunque immediately grabbed his hand.

A warm, soft palm pressed against his wrist, touching and then withdrawing. Lu Rangchen lazily lifted his eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips. “What?”

“Just a friend.”

Zhu Yunque didn’t want to beat around the bush, even feeling a little helpless. “I wanted to see him alone to make things clear.”

Lu Rangchen’s eyes darkened.

Thinking of Zhao Qijia’s defeated expression when he came out of the restaurant, he chuckled lightly, as if enjoying the drama. “That was quite clear, wasn’t it?”

Zhu Yunque: “…”

She realized this man could be truly wicked sometimes.

Then she thought of the elegantly dressed girl who had stood with Lu Rangchen at the barbecue restaurant entrance.

Before she could ask…

Lu Rangchen spoke first.

His eyes were clear and deep; each word he spoke seemed to subtly draw her in. “And you, don’t you have any questions for me?”

Her heart skipped a beat.

The moment she looked up, she met Lu Rangchen’s long, sharp eyes.

A calm gaze met hers.

But the emotions beneath were turbulent.

Many questions flashed through her mind, but for some reason, Zhu Yunque only asked one.

She said, “Lu Rangchen, will you marry that girl in the future?”

A sudden silence answered her.

Even the chirping of the cicadas around them seemed to deliberately soften.

Seemingly surprised by her question, Lu Rangchen’s gaze softened slightly, his emotions unreadable. “Who told you that?”

Zhu Yunque looked at him. “You only need to answer me yes or no.”

If the answer were yes, or even hesitation, she would immediately dismiss all thoughts.

However, the next second, Lu Rangchen gave her a remarkably decisive, almost thoughtless “No.”

Hearing that response, Zhu Yunque’s heart felt like it was being overwhelmed by seawater, instantly choked, and her eyes, already red from the wind, subtly burned.

Yet, Lu Rangchen, fearing his attitude wasn’t firm enough, looked at her patiently and gently, as if trying to burn a hole in her face. “In the future, I will only marry the girl I love.”

The word “marry” was emphasized firmly.

There was an indescribable stubbornness about him.

Zhu Yunque’s fingers clenched unconsciously as she listened, unsure what to say. Lu Rangchen leaned closer, an ambiguous, oppressive aura washing over her.

Breathing in his pleasant scent, Zhu Yunque’s heart raced.

For a fleeting moment, she thought Lu Rangchen was about to kiss her again.

However, Lu Rangchen only fixed his gaze at her eye level, then raised an eyebrow with a drawn-out, teasing tone, “Are you relieved now?”

His tone was intimate and playful, but his eyes held an ambiguous, indulgent affection.

In the night, Zhu Yunque suddenly blushed.

This time, she didn’t give him any chance to “pull” her away, pushing him aside and turning to enter through the restaurant’s back door.

Lu Rangchen slowly straightened up, watching the girl’s slightly flustered back, chuckled roguishly, and followed her.

That evening, Lu Rangchen ultimately paid for the meal.

While he paid, Zhu Yunque was tidying up her things at her seat, including packing leftovers.

The four dishes were barely touched. Disliking wasting food, she decided to pack them up to take home and see if she and Liang Tian could have them as a late-night snack.

Unexpectedly, Lu Rangchen paid the bill just as she finished packing.

Zhu Yunque said helplessly, “Are you feeling restless because you have money but nowhere to spend it?”

“What do you mean, nowhere to spend it?”

Lu Rangchen, hands in his pockets, glanced at her, his words carrying a hidden meaning, “This money is going to be spent on you.”

The waiter chuckled at this.

Unable to resist teasing Zhu Yunque, he said, “Beautiful lady, your boyfriend is really great, handsome, and generous.”

Zhu Yunque’s lips trembled slightly.

Thinking to herself, “He is generous, but when I eat with other guys, I always rush to pay the bill.”

She just had to feel involved.

It was hard to tell if it was funny or embarrassing.

She lowered her eyes and denied, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Her tone was somewhat awkward.

She didn’t deny it very loudly.

Lu Rangchen gave her a meaningful look, suddenly smiled, turned around, and took the takeout bag, carrying it naturally.

Zhu Yunque glanced at it, too lazy to argue, and turned to leave.

She hadn’t taken two steps when she heard Lu Rangchen’s casual, lazy laugh behind her. “Throwing a tantrum? You have to coax me.”

The waitress chimed in, “Oh dear, young lovers, the more they bicker, the more energetic they get.”

Lu Rangchen let out a muffled chuckle.

He said something quietly behind her, but Zhu Yunque, her ears red, didn’t hear it.

The restaurant was two blocks from Peking University.

Lu Rangchen’s Land Rover was parked in front of the restaurant.

The car was so flashy that it would attract attention anywhere. Zhu Yunque’s gaze had been involuntarily drawn to it the moment she stepped out.

She paused slightly.

If she remembered correctly, this car had been moved half an hour ago.

Just then, Lu Rangchen came up behind her, took a set of keys from his pocket, and the headlights flashed.

Zhu Yunque turned her head and found Lu Rangchen glancing at her. “Don’t you recognize it?”

He was referring to his car.

Zhu Yunque shook her head. “I recognize it.”

Lu Rangchen raised his chin. “Then get in.”

Zhu Yunque didn’t go over. Her clear eyes stared straight at him. “What about your friend?”

Her tone was flat, and it was impossible to discern her true emotion.

Lu Rangchen seemed to finally remember that there was such a person. He raised an eyebrow slightly. “You mean Lin Zhi?”

This was the first time Zhu Yunque had heard that name.

Before she could ask further, Lu Rangchen casually said, “I sent her back before I came here.”

His tone was quite nonchalant.

He opened the car door and casually placed the four packed dishes on the back seat, not caring at all about getting oil stains on the car.

Zhu Yunque hesitated for a moment, wanting to speak.

Lu Rangchen, however, didn’t seem to care at all. His hand rested on the car door; he looked down at her, a patient smile playing on his lips. “Anything else you want to ask? You can ask in the car.”

At this point, it seemed there was no way she could refuse.

After all, it would take half an hour to walk between the two streets.

Besides, there were some things Zhu Yunque really needed to know. Knowing them would help her figure out whether she should move forward or back down.

After a moment of silence, she obediently walked over, intending to get into the car via the back seat, but Lu Rangchen simply grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Tall people also tend to have exceptionally long arms.

Zhu Yunque’s arm, clad only in a coat, was easily grasped in his hand, and half of her body instantly fell into Lu Rangchen’s embrace, as if he were half-holding her.

They were so close that he could smell the fragrance of her hair just by lowering his head slightly.

Zhu Yunque choked slightly.

Lu Rangchen’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he chuckled in exasperation, “Am I a ride-hailing driver?”

Zhu Yunque: “…”

She gently broke free from Lu Rangchen’s grip and helplessly got into the passenger seat from the other side.

After getting in the car, Lu Rangchen noticed her lips move.

She looked like she wanted to curse.

Seeing her stubborn expression, Lu Rangchen wanted to provoke her even more, so he decided to go for it. With a smirk, he placed one hand on the steering wheel and the other on Zhu Yunque’s hand.

The weather in the capital city was getting colder in October.

Her hands were much colder than before.

Lu Rangchen lowered his gaze and naturally cupped them, gently rubbing them with affection.

The warmth washed over her in an instant.

Zhu Yunque’s heart skipped a beat, and her shoulders involuntarily tensed.

She turned her head to look at Lu Rangchen in the dim car headlights.

At that moment, Lu Rangchen, with his gaze somewhere between a boy and a man, was deep and intense, possessing an innate allure, staring directly into her.

It was as if something suppressed between them was no longer concealed at this moment.

Her thoughts began to drift aimlessly.

Zhu Yunque took a deep breath, forcing herself to be rational, and said, “Lu Rangchen, you’re not my boyfriend yet.”

A rather straightforward statement.

In the past, it would have been a knife without drawing blood.

But at this moment, Lu Rangchen didn’t seem to care.

He chuckled almost imperceptibly, his expression lacking its usual playfulness and teasing, and whispered in a soft, gentle voice, “Then consider it a preview.”

“…”

Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow, his tone logical and reasoned, “You have to try it to know if I’m good or bad.”