Young Brave Hearts – CH 043

Chapter 43

Many times, Zhu Yunque felt like she was dreaming.

Dreaming of an unrealistic, beautiful dream.

Someone like her, someone who had never been particularly lucky growing up, had finally achieved her dream at nineteen.

She had gotten the boy she had dreamed of since she was seventeen.

And his affection for her seemed to far exceed what she craved.

This fact often left Zhu Yunque with a dazed, overwhelmed feeling, just like when she went back to the supermarket to find Feng Yanlai, and Feng Yanlai immediately noticed the unease in her expression.

Feng Yanlai scrutinized her slightly. “What’s wrong?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque was actually quite good at lying, but her earlobes still turned red at this moment.

The memory of their somewhat crazy kiss deep in the corridor flashed through her mind. She lightly pursed her lips, which were reddened from Lu Rangchen’s kiss, and said nothing.

Cheng Liru chimed in from the side, “She’s probably having menstrual cramps. Buy her some ibuprofen later.”

At this suggestion, Feng Yanlai instantly understood and smiled at Cheng Liru, saying, “You are so thoughtful.”

Cheng Liru looked at Zhu Yunque with affection. “A young girl like her should be pampered like a princess so she won’t be easily fooled.”

Feng Yanlai didn’t quite agree with this.

She knew Zhu Yunque too well. Giving her a slightly critical look, she said, “With such a stubborn personality, if you spoil her like a princess, she’ll probably be even harder to manage later.”

Cheng Liru laughed and said, “How could that be? My daughter is the real problem; I wonder where she’s off to now.”

The two finished paying the bill.

Pushing the cart out, Cheng Liru asked Zhu Yunque, “Have you seen Lu Rangchen?”

Zhu Yunque said no.

Cheng Liru could only call Lu Rangchen.

Taking advantage of this break, Feng Yanlai said goodbye to Cheng Liru and prepared to leave, saying she had something to do and wouldn’t talk much longer, but would find her to have dinner together later.

Cheng Liru nodded and agreed. They exchanged a few pleasantries and said goodbye.

Zhu Yunque followed Feng Yanlai out of the supermarket and into the car. Only then did Feng Yanlai ask Zhu Yunque seriously, “You and Lu Rangchen really weren’t together?”

Zhu Yunque, who was replying to Ye Tian’s message with her eyes downcast, paused upon hearing this.

After a moment of silence, she said, “No.”

After a brief pause, Feng Yanlai said, “That’s good then.”

Zhu Yunque looked up at her, a fierce glint in her eyes. “Why not?”

Feng Yanlai glanced at her, speechless. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing, just curious.”

Feng Yanlai’s tone wasn’t pleasant. “Don’t tell me something is going on between you two.”

Zhu Yunque’s expression was calm. “Nothing’s going on.”

A moment of silence followed.

Feng Yanlai suppressed her anger and said, “I’ll say it again, Yunque, families like theirs, and Lu Rangchen, aren’t suitable for you. I don’t want to interfere in your relationship; I’m just afraid you’ll get hurt later.”

Zhu Yunque’s lips moved.

She wanted to say, “How do you know I’ll get hurt later?” but the words wouldn’t come out.

She genuinely didn’t know what Feng Yanlai was worried about.

But she didn’t care.

Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere, Feng Yanlai initiated conversations several times afterward, while Zhu Yunque responded absentmindedly. They drove all the way to the First People’s Hospital, where the old lady was staying.

Zhu Ping’an had a train journey to make in the next few days.

Deng Jiali was the one accompanying her at the bedside.

Being ill, the old lady wasn’t as difficult as before; she lay quietly in bed, mostly dozing off, and the two women were the ones exchanging pleasantries.

Feng Yanlai later learned that Deng Jiali had actually treated Zhu Yunque quite well during those days.

So, for the past two years, the two had maintained a respectable relationship.

Deng Jiali was surprised to learn that Feng Yanlai had come to bring her money; she almost cried.

Feng Yanlai couldn’t stand people being sentimental. “Don’t thank me; thank Yunque. She asked me to help your son.”

Deng Jiali looked at Zhu Yunque with red eyes.

Zhu Yunque was looking down at her phone when she saw a message from Lu Rangchen. He said he was taking Cheng Liru out to dinner at a really good Japanese restaurant, and he wanted to take her there next time, too.

To prevent Feng Yanlai from noticing anything amiss, she had changed Lu Rangchen’s contact name.

What should she change it to? After thinking for a moment, she finally chose the English word “dream.”

Just as she finished typing the last letter, Deng Jiali said to her in a tearful voice, “You are such a good child; you never hold grudges, and you’re always so sensible.”

What mother didn’t love to hear others praise her child?

Feng Yanlai felt a sense of satisfaction. “Of course,” she replied, “this child has always been soft-hearted; I’m always afraid she’ll get taken advantage of.”

She wasn’t sure if she was overthinking it.

Zhu Yunque felt that her words were directed at someone.

Of course, she didn’t bother to think about it too much and said indifferently to Deng Jiali, “Auntie, don’t worry about it. I’m doing this for Ye Tian.”

Ye Tian couldn’t skip school.

This was Zhu Yunque’s minimum requirement for Deng Jiali.

Mentioning Ye Tian made Deng Jiali furious. She sighed and said, “That child isn’t bad by nature; he just can’t control his temper.”

This fight wasn’t mischief; he couldn’t stand seeing a group of school bullies harassing his classmate, so he stepped in to help, and that’s how the incident happened.

The bully who was injured came from a wealthy and powerful family and wouldn’t let the matter rest.

He demanded compensation and an apology, or he’d be expelled and sent to a juvenile detention center.

Zhu Ping’an was just a simple, ordinary citizen; how could he possibly have had that kind of connection?

After thinking it over, he could only accept the loss and pay up.

Unfortunately, the old lady was still hospitalized, and he had been extremely anxious about it these past few days.

Just as he left the hospital, Zhu Ping’an called, feeling embarrassed to ask Feng Yanlai for the 30,000 yuan.

Zhu Yunque never bothered to listen to their affairs.

In the end, all Feng Yanlai said was, “Who told you to be Queque’s father?”

Zhu Yunque listened silently, suddenly realizing that Feng Yanlai actually had a kind heart.

After chatting with Deng Jiali for a while, the two left the hospital.

It was almost 3 PM, and Feng Yanlai took Zhu Yunque out for lunch.

It happened to be the same Japanese restaurant Lu Rangchen had taken Cheng Liru to. Feng Yanlai casually ordered a few dishes, and the price exceeded 1,000 yuan.

Zhu Yunque was quite surprised.

In her memory, the most expensive meal Feng Yanlai had ever taken her out to was a seafood buffet costing 398 yuan per person.

While eating, Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but ask Feng Yanlai if business was really good lately, since she was willing to spend so much money on such an expensive restaurant.

Feng Yanlai didn’t hide anything. “Business is indeed good; otherwise, your mother wouldn’t have the money for that charity. But this restaurant is a gift card from a friend; otherwise, I wouldn’t have spent so much money on a meal.”

Zhu Yunque thought that the friend might just be a business partner.

Or maybe, it could be a suitor.

Feng Yanlai seemed very energetic lately, looking quite pleased with herself.

She was still young; finding someone else wouldn’t be a problem.

Zhu Yunque ate absentmindedly, her mind wandering back to Lu Rangchen, wondering what he would take her to do tonight and how to lie to Feng Yanlai.

She seemed to have never been like this before.

Distracted and absent-minded, she didn’t know what to do.

Back home, she simply locked herself in her room, absentmindedly tidying up.

Then she found a long-forgotten metal box. Opening it, she found a few things inside: a diary, a necklace in a jewelry box, and the teddy bear keychain she’d won in a dinner raffle.

Zhu Yunque glanced at them silently for a few moments, then her phone vibrated.

dream: 【What are you doing?】

It had to be said, being in love was a truly wondrous experience. Even a trivial message from someone you like could involuntarily lift your spirits.

Zhu Yunque took a picture of the contents of the box and replied, 【Organizing at home.】

Autumn days in Nancheng were shorter.

The bedroom lights were off, making it somewhat dim.

Zhu Yunque waited with silent anticipation for Lu Rangchen’s reply.

Lu Rangchen didn’t disappoint her, quickly replying, 【These two things seem related to me.】

He was referring to the jewelry box and the teddy bear keychain.

Zhu Yunque’s lips curved slightly, and she said: 【I only put them away because they were related to you.】

dream: 【Is what’s in that jewelry box the necklace?】

He was referring to the one that was the same style as Lin Zhinian’s.

Zhu Yunque said yes.

dream: 【Fine, if you didn’t want to wear it, you didn’t have to. You have a new one anyway.】

The new one was naturally the jade Guanyin pendant.

Zhu Yunque had brought it with her when she returned.

After a two-second pause, Lu Rangchen said again, 【Don’t throw the teddy bear away. I still have mine at home. I’ll look for it later.】

Zhu Yunque: 【I thought you’d lost it a long time ago.】

dream: 【No.】

dream: 【That was the first thing you ever gave me.】

“…”

Zhu Yunque couldn’t tell if this was his true feeling or just sweet talk.

After thinking for a moment, she couldn’t help but tease him, saying, 【Since it’s so important, why don’t you carry it with you?】

Lu Rangchen replied instantly, 【Come find me, and I’ll bring it to you.】

This wasn’t a joke.

He added, 【Didn’t you want your boyfriend to put the necklace on you personally? Come out.】

His tone was quite casual, yet incredibly seductive, like a bad student luring a good kid out to play.

If it weren’t for the fact that she was going to see Ye Tian later, Zhu Yunque would have truly lost her composure. But she couldn’t help it; she had made plans to meet Ye Tian for dinner.

Zhu Yunque wasn’t exactly a hopelessly infatuated woman.

She said, 【Didn’t you say you’d pick me up tonight?】

Lu Rangchen replied quite frankly, 【Yeah, I can’t wait; I want to see you as soon as possible.】

Many years passed.

Zhu Yunque still remembered that quiet afternoon and Lu Rangchen’s words.

Simple, direct, yet so heart-stirring.

He never seemed to hide anything from her; hate was hate, love was love, and reluctance was genuine, and once he gave up, he truly didn’t look back.

…

That evening, Zhu Yunque finally rejected Lu Rangchen and went to see Ye Tian.

Ye Tian stayed at his father’s place for several days in a row.

His father was an alcoholic, penniless, a gambler, and a wife-beater; that’s how Deng Jiali ran away.

But Ye Tian wasn’t afraid of him.

Anyway, he was just finding a place to stay; it didn’t matter where.

But living numbly like this wasn’t a solution, so only Zhu Yunque’s persuasion would make Ye Tian listen.

The two met at Ye Tian’s favorite noodle shop, and Zhu Yunque ordered several of his favorite dishes.

The two siblings were usually quiet, but they had many thoughts; sometimes, a single glance was enough for them to understand each other.

Like now, Ye Tian ate his noodles numbly, his cheeks bulging, but his eyes were terribly red.

Zhu Yunque just watched him quietly, her gaze even more honest than when she was with Feng Yanlai.

She said, “Once things are settled, go back to school obediently. Don’t worry your parents anymore; they’ve had a hard time too.”

“If you’re feeling down, go to university; even a third-tier one is fine. Come to Beijing; I’ll be there to help you.”

“There isn’t much I can do to help you. This is the most I can do, Ye Tian. I don’t want to say anything to you, but I hope you take responsibility for your life.”

Actually, the adults had said these things to him many times before.

But Ye Tian could only listen to Zhu Yunque’s words.

She spoke so calmly, yet tears streamed down Ye Tian’s face, completely unlike his usual manly self.

He ate silently for a while.

Ye Tian looked up at Zhu Yunque and said, “I’ll pay your mother back the money later.”

Zhu Yunque smiled and said, “Okay.”

Ye Tian pursed his lips, remaining silent for a while before asking, “Are you doing well in the capital?”

Zhu Yunque replied, “Pretty good, and I’m even dating someone.”

Her tone was casual, as if it were a simple, everyday conversation.

She wouldn’t have said this to anyone else, only Ye Tian, ​​someone she absolutely trusted.

Ye Tian paused, then asked, “Do I know him?”

Zhu Yunque shook her head.

Ye Tian hesitated, then asked again, “Is he good to you?”

Zhu Yunque chuckled softly, “What do you think?”

Zhu Yunque rarely smiled; most of the time, she was aloof and indifferent, her detachment giving the impression that she didn’t care about anything.

But she was different at this moment.

Ye Tian watched silently and suddenly felt that her underlying tone had changed.

No longer a pale blue-gray.

But a gentle, warm color. Ye Tian felt inexplicably relieved. He said, “As long as he’s good to you, that’s enough.”

Zhu Yunque’s lips curved into a smile, about to say something, when her gaze suddenly fell on the direction behind him.

She truly hadn’t expected him to have come over, and Zhu Yunque’s eyes paused slightly.

Ye Tian glanced at her, followed her gaze, and turned around, then saw a striking man—black coat, white hoodie, tall, with an understated yet undeniably eye-catching air of nobility.

Even when he sat down next to him, the deep, rich scent of ebony incense exuded an expensive aroma.

Lu Rangchen casually sat down between the two.

His relaxed and natural demeanor commanded respect from head to toe, yet he stared at Ye Tian with a half-smile.

Ye Tian was stunned, then looked at Zhu Yunque.

Zhu Yunque looked at Lu Rangchen. “Why did you come here?”

Lu Rangchen glanced at Ye Tian, ​​then turned to Zhu Yunque. “What time is it?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque knew without even looking that it was definitely past six o’clock.

Their agreed meeting time was six o’clock.

Lu Rangchen couldn’t do anything about it then, so he told Zhu Yunque to go see Ye Tian first, and he would pick her up afterward, also asking for their meeting address.

But he couldn’t wait and drove straight over.

Zhu Yunque was still happy.

But she didn’t want to show it too obviously, so she calmly introduced him to Ye Tian, ​​saying, “This is my boyfriend, Lu Rangchen.”

Lu Rangchen gave her a meaningful look, seemingly pleased by the address, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He held out his hand to Ye Tian, ​​cheekily raising an eyebrow, “Just call me brother-in-law.”

“…”

Zhu Yunque kicked him under the table with the tip of her shoe.

Lu Rangchen, however, didn’t budge, his smile remaining unchanged.

Ye Tian, ​​observing Zhu Yunque’s expression, reached out and shook hands with him. “Ye Tian.”

It must be said, Lu Rangchen’s shake was quite forceful; Zhu Yunque saw Ye Tian’s eyebrows twitch.

Later, after paying the bill and leaving the store, Zhu Yunque didn’t give Lu Rangchen a friendly look.

Lu Rangchen, however, maintained a constant smile; the curve hadn’t faded since he met her.

Before parting, Zhu Yunque called Ye Tian aside to talk, while Lu Rangchen leaned against his car, smoking and waiting.

Zhu Yunque asked Ye Tian, ​​”Is he a good person?”

He then looked directly at Zhu Yunque, quite annoyed. “I really didn’t expect you to be a looks-obsessed person.”

Zhu Yunque tapped Ye Tian’s head and said, “So what if I’m looks-obsessed? What’s wrong with liking good-looking people?”

Ye Tian, ​​holding his breath, said with a tense face. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll date ten women at once?”

Zhu Yunque glanced at Lu Rangchen indifferently, her tone confident. “Do you think he dares?”

As she finished speaking, she pulled an envelope from her pocket. It was an ordinary yellow envelope, but it was thickly filled with something.

She handed it to Ye Tian, ​​saying, “Here, Lu Rangchen gave this to you.”

This time, Ye Tian was truly stunned.

He took it, opened it, and found a thick wad of cash inside, all hundred-yuan bills—at least twenty or thirty in total.

“He said it was a meeting gift, and he withdrew it when he came.”

Ye Tian was stunned, as if he’d swallowed an egg, and looked at Lu Rangchen incredulously from afar.

He noticed Lu Rangchen was squinting in their direction, the smoke curling around him, his gaze undeniably dangerous.

Ye Tian couldn’t utter a word.

Zhu Yunque, seeing the back-and-forth of their gazes, couldn’t help but smile and said, “Do you still think he’s a bad person now?”