Young Brave Hearts – CH 052

Chapter 52

After sending that message, Zhu Yunque turned off her phone.

No matter how many times Lu Rangchen called, she didn’t respond. It was as if, in a fleeting moment, Zhu Yunque had resolutely disappeared from his life.

It was still New Year’s Eve.

The villa area outside the Third Ring Road, which should have been quiet, was filled with the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers.

Outside the house, fireworks shone brightly, and noise filled the air.

The Cheng family home, however, was eerily quiet.

Lu Rangchen, his dark eyes swirling with malice, came downstairs carrying his coat. His right hand, wrapped in bandages, tightly gripped his car keys, with the same teddy bear as Zhu Yunque’s hanging from the keychain.

Cheng Liru sat on the living room sofa, expressionless, watching television.

Seeing him about to leave, she slightly turned her gaze away from him.

These past few days, the arguments and quarrels had been endless; everyone seemed exhausted, just waiting for this terrible year to pass.

Cheng Liru didn’t have the strength to say anything more at this moment.

Her voice was very faint, devoid of any emotion. “When you come back, remember to lock the door properly, and be quiet when you go upstairs. I don’t sleep well.”

After saying that, Cheng Liru turned off the TV and got up.

Lu Rangchen didn’t move, looking at her with a desolate expression. “I won’t come back.”

Cheng Liru finally looked at him.

A thin layer of frost covered Lu Rangchen’s eyes; the cold sarcasm in his gaze was like a knife piercing her heart. He smiled insincerely. “You can live very well; I underestimated you before.”

His deep, magnetic, youthful voice was hoarse and weary, devoid of vitality.

Cheng Liru’s eyes flickered, tears welling up as if they were about to burst from them.

Suddenly, a sharp pang of heartache gripped her.

She couldn’t help but call out, her voice trembling, “Ah Rang.”

Lu Rangchen didn’t turn around. He left those words behind, turning and pushing open the door without a second thought.

That year, the weather in Nancheng was unpredictable.

One moment, the sky was ablaze with fireworks; the next, it was sleeting.

Lu Rangchen put on a baseball cap and drove with one hand to the apartment complex where Zhu Yunque lived—the one Cheng Liru had rented to Feng Yanlai in the city center.

The result was as expected.

Feng Yanlai wouldn’t sit idly by; he went there only to find no one there.

And then? Where would she go next?

Where would she spend the New Year?

His heart pounded in his chest; for the first time in his life, Lu Rangchen was overwhelmed by this problem.

He parked his car outside the residential area and stood there smoking while simultaneously calling people they both knew.

But everyone gave the same answer:

They didn’t know and didn’t understand.

Even Xu Linda couldn’t reach Zhu Yunque.

Xu Linda had seen the news from the past two days and was somewhat confused, but felt it was too sensitive to say anything. She could only offer advice, saying, “Why don’t you wait a couple of days, until after the New Year, and then go to her mother’s shop to look for her?”

Lu Rangchen’s voice was a little hoarse, then he chuckled, “Do you think she’ll wait there for me to look for her?”

Xu Linda hesitated, paused for a few seconds, and then said, “Could she have gone back to Yanliu Lane? She usually spends the New Year there, but this year… I don’t know.”

She had barely finished speaking when… Lu Rangchen stubbed out his cigarette and got into the car.

Yes, why hadn’t he thought of that place?

That was clearly a place that had a deeper connection with her.

Clinging to a last glimmer of hope, Lu Rangchen went to Yanliu Lane as quickly as possible, but even so, he still couldn’t find her.

Yanliu Lane wasn’t large, but it wasn’t small either; with so many households, finding her was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

In the end, he could only park his car at the alley entrance, unsure of where to go or where to retreat.

Later, he wanted to leave.

But then, he inadvertently saw Ye Tian coming downstairs to take out the trash.

A young boy, not yet fully grown, his face still bearing the marks of a beating, squinted as the car headlights shone on him.

Lu Rangchen got out of the car and called out to him. Ye Tian visibly froze when he saw Lu Rangchen.

Still that tall and slender figure.

He lacked the arrogant, roguish air he’d displayed that day; instead, he seemed worn down, exuding an aura of subtle decadence.

Lu Rangchen was far taller than him. His injured hand pressed down on Ye Tian’s shoulder, demanding, “Where’s Zhu Yunque? Where is Zhu Yunque?”

The urgency in his eyes was unmistakable.

This caused Ye Tian to be momentarily confused. He said, “Didn’t you break up with my sister? What are you doing here looking for her?”

Ye Tian looked at him with a hint of disgust.

Lu Rangchen, however, seemed completely unconcerned, his voice choked with emotion, “We didn’t break up. I don’t agree.”

Ye Tian shook off his hand. “I don’t care whether you agree or not.”

He turned to walk away, but Lu Rangchen grabbed him again, relentlessly.

The strength was immense, as if he were clutching at a last straw.

Ye Tian winced in pain from the pull and turned to punch him, but then noticed the blood seeping from Lu Rangchen’s bandaged hand.

It was probably because of those three thousand yuan.

Ye Tian’s heart softened for a moment. He forced a smile and asked, “What happened to your hand?”

Lu Rangchen then realized the pain.

His brow furrowed slightly. He withdrew his hand and said, “It isn’t important. Just tell me where she is.”

Ye Tian said, “But she just doesn’t want to see you.”

Lu Rangchen’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His handsome, angular face remained stubbornly unyielding. He said, “Then I want to see her too.”

Ye Tian was truly at a loss.

After a moment’s thought, he could only frown and say, “She went home. I don’t know where her new home is, but I know she’s going back to the capital in the next day or two.”

Lu Rangchen’s empty eyes suddenly lit up, his expression alert. “What’s she going back to the capital for?”

Ye Tian shrugged. “Who knows? Nobody knows what she’s up to. Anyway, I think, during the New Year, if you really care about her, don’t bother her. I saw her run to the bathroom and cry the other day; she was crying so hard.”

“…”

It felt like a thorn was stuck in his throat.

Even breathing and swallowing were painful.

His long eyelashes drooped, trembling slightly. Lu Rangchen said, “Okay, I won’t bother her.”

Ye Tian ignored him and turned to leave.

Lu Rangchen called him again, saying, “Could you pass on a message for me?”

Ye Tian hesitated for two seconds before asking, “What?”

A complex, unspoken emotion welled up between his brows. Lu Rangchen choked back a moment, then said, “Tell her that my feelings for her have never changed.”

–

The sleet finally stopped late into the night.

Lu Rangchen’s car wandered aimlessly through the deserted city, clinging to a faint hope, with nowhere to go.

Finally, after circling around, he returned to his small one-bedroom apartment.

It had been a long time since he’d been back; it felt lifeless.

Li Tie, having probably learned of Lu Rangchen’s poor condition from Cheng Liru, came to keep him company. That night, the two drank heavily.

Lu Rangchen was unwell at that time.

He got drunk after only a small amount of drinking and developed a high fever the next day.

For the past few days, he had been confined to his home and had gotten into a fight with several security personnel sent by the Cheng family. His wounds were quite deep and hadn’t fully healed.

Being exposed to wind and rain late at night, it was no wonder he had a fever.

Li Tie was quite worried and immediately called Zhou Jin to help take Lu Rangchen to the hospital.

Zhou Jin roughly knew what had happened and was heartbroken.

She and Li Tie had always treated Lu Rangchen like a younger brother; who could bear to see their brother suffer like this?

Zhou Jin was also skilled and daring. While Lu Rangchen was resting, she found Zhu Yunque’s phone number on his phone.

Li Tie initially disagreed.

But this girl actually stumbled upon it by sheer luck.

Presumably busy, Zhu Yunque answered Zhou Jin’s call immediately.

Zhou Jin was actually quite angry at that moment. She thought, “If you’re going to break up, then break up. Why run away? Is dragging someone out fun?” She didn’t care about anything else and just hurled insults at her.

Of course, she regretted it afterward because Zhu Yunque fell silent.

Li Tie was furious. He immediately snatched the phone away and said, “Zhou Jin, can you shut the hell up?”

Zhou Jin immediately became agitated.

Just as she was about to retort, Zhu Yunque spoke softly in the next second.

Whether it was a cold or something else, her voice was very nasal as she asked, “How is Lu Rangchen now? Is he alright?”

Li Tie’s tone softened as well, saying, “He isn’t doing well right now. He’s resting in the hospital, getting an IV drip.”

She paused, then added that Lu Rangchen had injured his arm, a rather deep cut, from a fight.

Afraid that Zhu Yunque would hang up, Zhou Jin quickly added that Lu Rangchen hadn’t contacted her in those past few days, not because he wanted to ignore her or force her to break up, but because of his mother.

Cheng Liru had been making a huge scene, insisting that Lu Rangchen break up with Zhu Yunque.

Lu Rangchen consistently disagreed, so the Cheng family resorted to force, keeping him at home.

Li Tie, knowing more about the situation, explained to her, “He really didn’t go to New Zealand. He wasn’t trying to lie to you; he was afraid of upsetting his mother. She’s been on medication several times, and a few days ago she even had her stomach pumped. She’s incredibly difficult, causing Lu Rangchen a lot of worry.”

“But his mother has really gone too far. It’s clearly a matter between the couple, but she keeps pressuring Lu Rangchen. Now he’s almost driven crazy. Last night, on New Year’s Eve, he didn’t even go home.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be afraid, little sister. It’s really nothing. I think Auntie’s heart softened when she saw him like this. Let’s talk it out. Don’t get angry with him, okay? He feels like he’s dying without you.”

“Really, I’m not lying to you.”

Li Tie’s voice was a little sore. He said, “Lu Rangchen drank too much last night and kept calling your name. I never thought he liked you that much.”

Li Tie was speaking.

Zhu Yunque, who had just gotten off the plane, dragged her suitcase and walked out, tears streaming down her face.

There was an auntie next to her, someone she had met on her flight back.

The auntie was very kind. Seeing her red eyes and tears streaming down her face, she came over to comfort her, saying, “Young lady, what’s wrong? Why are you so sad?”

Zhu Yunque smiled through her tears.

She covered the phone receiver, shook her head, and said no, just something got in her eye; it would be fine in a bit.

Later, on the bus back to the city, Zhu Yunque remained silent.

Li Tie and Zhou Jin took turns trying to persuade her.

They explained what Lu Rangchen had been doing lately, assuring her that he had no ill intentions towards her, telling her how much he liked her and wanted to be with her.

Only when Zhu Yunque could respond to them numbly did she say, “I’m sorry, I can’t go back to take care of him. I’ll have to trouble you these next few days.”

Li Tie sensed something, his tone slightly raised, “So you’ve forgiven him?”

Zhu Yunque didn’t answer directly.

She only said, “I’m back at school. If he wants to talk to me, he can come find me here.”

This sounded ambiguous to anyone, yet it offered a glimmer of hope.

But in reality, it was not. By the time they met again, it was already over between them.

But Lu Rangchen didn’t understand at the time.

Zhu Yunque hadn’t been settled in her dorm long when she received a message from him.

He sent her a WeChat message with only one sentence: 【See you at school tonight.】

Zhu Yunque looked at that message, a dull ache in her heart.

She wondered what Lu Rangchen must be feeling right now. Was he happy? Did he even want to skip the IV drip and start buying plane tickets to come back and coax her?

He was always like that.

Willful and untamed, and once he made a decision, no one could change it.

But what did it matter?

There was no future for them.

That afternoon and evening felt exceptionally long because of Lu Rangchen’s words.

In the end, Zhu Yunque just took a shower and put on makeup.

The makeup made her look radiant.

Even Lu Rangchen was momentarily stunned when he saw her.

He couldn’t say whether it was because Zhu Yunque rarely dressed like this in front of him or because they hadn’t seen each other in so long, but even a single glance was enough to captivate him.

Sometimes, you really had to admit that for young people, love was more terrifying than drugs.

If you weren’t addicted, it’s fine.

But once you are, it could easily wear you down.

That’s when they met at a coffee shop outside the school.

It was the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year, not very lively, so when Zhu Yunque sat across from him, she had a strange feeling that Lu Rangchen had booked the entire coffee shop.

Lu Rangchen laughed when he heard this. He said, “No, I came in a hurry, so I just picked a random place.”

As he spoke, Zhu Yunque stared intently at his long, beautiful eyes beneath the brim of his cap.

The shadow made those eyes appear even deeper and more captivating.

But also dangerous.

She feared that one wrong step, and she would fall in love, unable to escape.

Thinking this, Zhu Yunque looked away again, this time to his bandaged hand.

Lu Rangchen’s Adam’s apple bobbed, still fixated on her face, afraid that if he didn’t look closely, she would disappear again.

Zhu Yunque asked, “Does it still hurt?”

Lu Rangchen shook his head, his voice low and hoarse, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

As he spoke, he used that hand to take Zhu Yunque’s hand under the table.

Zhu Yunque choked, trying to pull away, but Lu Rangchen held on tighter.

In that instant, both of their eyes reddened.

Lu Rangchen forced a smile and said, “Stop making a scene, okay? Come home with me. Queque, I know I was wrong.”

Hearing this, Zhu Yunque also gave a bitter smile.

What had Lu Rangchen done wrong? He hadn’t done anything wrong.

Her eyelids were reddening, trying hard not to cry, she said, “I’m sorry, Lu Rangchen; it isn’t you who’s wrong, it’s me.”

Lu Rangchen didn’t speak.

Zhu Yunque looked up at him and smiled. “Really, it’s me who’s wrong, and my mom too. Actually, the people who should apologize are us.”

Lu Rangchen still didn’t speak, his gaze dark as he looked at her, only tightening his grip on her hand.

Until Zhu Yunque said, “Lu Rangchen, I’m going abroad.”

Silence seemed to draw a clear line between them.

The waiter brought them hot drinks at that moment.

Lu Rangchen felt as if someone was pressing his head down, drowning him, and he couldn’t breathe.

After an unknown period of stalemate, he spoke in a hoarse voice, a laugh tinged with anger yet utterly chilling, “When did this happen? How come I didn’t know?”

Zhu Yunque said, “Not long ago.”

She looked down at the coffee in front of her. “My mother also thinks Australia is nice. She can afford it, and we can start a new life there.”

At this point, Lu Rangchen’s jawline tightened.

His emotions were clearly churning, yet he forced himself to remain still, staring intently at Zhu Yunque.

He said, “Is it to avoid me?”

Zhu Yunque met his lifeless gaze and said, “We’ve already broken up.”

Lu Rangchen laughed.

His laugh was heart-wrenching, forcing her to clench her fingers.

Lu Rangchen asked her why.

Later, Zhu Yunque recalled her behavior that day. It was actually quite clumsy, but even so, the hurtful words were undeniable. She didn’t know what she was thinking; she only knew to unleash her ruthlessness to the extreme.

She said, “Lu Rangchen, you can’t give me what I want, and you’ll destroy me.”

“Your family is so powerful; they could crush my mother and me with a flick of their finger. I can’t afford to offend them.”

“It’s just a relationship. I don’t want to be seriously hurt, nor do I want to push myself to the brink.”

“Or do you really think you can give up your mother and your comfortable life for me? What do you really possess, and what can you give me?”

“Lu Rangchen, love isn’t that great, and neither are you.”

“I don’t ask for anything, but I don’t want to be the one who gets abandoned in the end.”

This last sentence was her true feeling.

Zhu Yunque’s tears finally fell, but she smiled. “You know, I’m a very realistic person.”

She had once thought that Lu Rangchen came to Peking University to study and pursue her because he liked her. But later, she realized that it was all because Lu Rangchen had received a clear signal.

He did like her.

But perhaps he wasn’t as unique as she imagined, as indispensable.

Perhaps she was just a passerby in his life’s landscape, someone he was willing to spend time getting off the bus for in his youthful arrogance.

However, Zhu Yunque no longer had the courage.

From the moment she heard Xu Linda’s words, they were gone.

After saying this, Zhu Yunque took off the couple ring that Lu Rangchen had given her and placed it on the table.

The ring shone brightly in the coffee shop’s lighting.

Lu Rangchen stared at the ring, his thin lips pale. It was in that instant that Zhu Yunque decided to leave.

Outside, snow had started falling, a much heavier blanket than in Nancheng.

When she went outside, the streets were already covered in a thick layer of snow.

Her newly put-on boots were slippery, and her vision was blurred by the mist. Zhu Yunque didn’t know how she got back to school; she only knew that tears had fallen the whole way.

Until she heard footsteps behind her again.

Lu Rangchen rushed up and stopped her, gripping her wrist tightly.

That night, the snow was heavy, and the wind was strong, stinging her face with a biting cold.

Zhu Yunque’s hair was blown into disarray as she looked at Lu Rangchen’s handsome, untamed face in the cold wind.

She didn’t know how he had convinced himself. Her words had so deeply wounded his pride, yet he still chased after her, abandoning all his dignity.

His voice choked, his eyes reddened, and he said, “Can we not break up?”

“…”

“Please.”

Zhu Yunque bit her lip tightly, remaining silent and unmoved from beginning to end.

As if stung by her reaction, Lu Rangchen didn’t hold out long. He chuckled, a self-deprecating laugh, and his clenched hand loosened.

“One last time, Zhu Yunque.”

His voice trembled, yet remained cold and arrogant, a whispered plea, “I’m asking you one last time, if you leave, don’t come back.”

It was clearly a threat.

But it came out like a plea.

Zhu Yunque looked at him, unable to distinguish whether she felt more pain or numbness at that moment.

She wished it were all a dream, a dream born from a persistent, girlish heart, an unattainable dream.

In the dream, moonlight shone solely on her.

Yet, her eyes were clear and resolute, rejecting her moonlight.

Tears fell, landing on the snow.

She said, “Okay.”

…

Later, whenever Zhu Yunque recalled that winter of 2015, she always felt it was exceptionally difficult to endure.

She didn’t know where the news had spread.

The news of her breakup with Lu Rangchen quickly became common knowledge.

By then, school had started, and Zhu Yunque was also processing her paperwork for studying abroad. She didn’t go to school often, so she almost never saw Lu Rangchen.

She’d only occasionally heard glimpses of him from friends.

They said he was living a wild life during that time, skipping classes, learning to race cars, and attracting many girls. He’d gone to all sorts of parties with his friends, happily taking any girl he found attractive.

The girls were diverse, but none were the demure and innocent type.

After a while, she heard that Lu Rangchen was participating in a competition. He trained incredibly hard, day and night with the team, and achieved good results.

Liang Tian sometimes asked her, “Zhu Yunque, do you regret it? Now Lu Rangchen is even more popular. Those girls treat him like a demon seeing Tang Sanzang.”

Every time Zhu Yunque heard his name, her heart would involuntarily clench slightly.

But what could she do?

For her, the past was the past.

There was no need to dwell on it.

But inevitably, in the dead of night, she would feel regret—regret that her love for him couldn’t last longer.

Not long after, her travel documents were processed. A few days before her departure, Zhu Yunque returned to her school. It was then that she ran into Lu Rangchen, also at the school supermarket.

He must have just finished training; he was still wearing his team’s training uniform.

Tall and imposing, broad-shouldered and long-legged, he was the epitome of someone who looked slim in clothes but muscular underneath, exuding a refreshing aura of masculine hormones that made him stand out wherever he went.

Zhu Yunque bought a bottle of water and was just about to pay when he appeared beside her, tossing a pack of cigarettes onto the counter.

“A pack of Marlboros.”

It had been so long; this was the first time she had ever heard his voice.

It wasn’t exactly the clear, melodious type, but it was exceptionally pleasant to listen to, becoming even more magnetic and alluring with age.

Zhu Yunque froze involuntarily.

Her breathing tightened involuntarily.

She thought Lu Rangchen would say something to her, or at least glance at her, but he did not.

He did nothing.

He simply bought the pack of cigarettes, then turned and left as if he hadn’t even noticed her.

After he left, Zhu Yunque gradually realized that he seemed to have stopped using ebony incense.

When she went outside, she saw two figures.

Lu Rangchen was accompanied by a busty, slender girl, a mature and sophisticated woman, strikingly beautiful, a completely different type from her.

The girl looked up at him the entire time she spoke, her eyes full of affection, proactive and eager.

Lu Rangchen merely sipped his water, his sharp, sexy Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. Even his lazy, perfunctory “hmm” was enough to command attention.

Zhu Yunque watched their figures bathed in sunlight, lost in thought for a long time.

It was then that she suddenly realized how cruel the world truly was.

Nothing was immutable.

No one was irreplaceable; everyone could go on without each other.

But back then, Zhu Yunque never imagined that Lu Rangchen would travel to Australia a few months later, just to reconcile with her.

Even less did she expect that, years later in Nancheng, they would meet again outside the police station in such an abrupt manner.

So many years seemed to have made them quite strangers, but even with all the embellishment, the feeling of being stabbed in the heart during that one second of eye contact wouldn’t lie.

Ultimately, Zhu Yunque wasn’t the only one unable to sleep that night.

Lu Rangchen was too.

After drinking with Deng Zhe, he returned home, took a hot shower, and stood under the showerhead. Every time he opened and closed his eyes, all he saw was that woman’s face.

For years, he had referred to Zhu Yunque as “that woman.”

Only today did he truly feel the weight of her name.

He had to admit, she had blossomed and become even more alluring.

Lu Rangchen couldn’t describe the feeling she exuded, but he had to accept it; it seemed only her allure could truly stir his heart.

The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became.

Unable to sleep, Lu Rangchen leaned against the window and smoked two cigarettes. He finally managed to fall asleep, but only with the help of a few vitamin B1 tablets.

Fortunately, there were no emergencies at the club the next day, so Lu Rangchen woke up a little later than usual.

While getting dressed, he received a call from Deng Zhe.

Deng Zhe seemed busy and immediately said, “Hey, are you busy today? If not, could you go to Deng Jiao’s school to see the teacher for me?”

Over the years, the two brothers had lived like family, always looking out for each other.

So when Deng Zhe asked Lu Rangchen to attend the parent-teacher conference, Lu Rangchen almost blurted out “yes” for a moment.

But the next second, he remembered the face he had seen the night before.

Seeing his silence, Deng Zhe asked again, “Hey, are you there? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Lu Rangchen was thus pulled back to reality.

He frowned slightly and said, “I’m here.”

Deng Zhe said, “Are you going or not? Give me a definite answer. If you don’t go, I’ll find someone else.”

Lu Rangchen’s tone was a little impatient. “Why another parent-teacher conference? Didn’t we have one last month?”

Deng Zhe said, “It isn’t a parent-teacher conference; it’s just that their homeroom teacher invited us separately. Deng Jiao is being disobedient, and I think that child is more afraid of you, so I thought it would be better for you to go.”

Hearing this, Lu Rangchen fell silent.

Deng Zhe chuckled, “Hey, you aren’t afraid to go because of that other person, are you? You really don’t need to worry. I asked Deng Jiao; she’s just a regular teacher, she has a lot of classes, and you might not even run into her if you go.”

That one sentence hit him where it hurts.

Lu Rangchen laughed and cursed, “Get lost!” He said, “Are you just looking for trouble?”

Years had passed, and he was still the same—unruly and rebellious—but overall, his temperament had softened considerably; he wasn’t as slovenly as before.

Deng Zhe didn’t know how the two had had their friendly exchange last night, assuming Lu Rangchen genuinely didn’t want to go, so he said, “Okay, okay, if you don’t go, I’ll have Deng Jiao ask her homeroom teacher for leave. I’ll go later.”

Lu Rangchen threw the clothes into the washing machine and pressed the start button.

He couldn’t quite explain his thoughts.

He spoke lazily, “What time?”

“Damn, I knew you were the most reliable.”

Deng Zhe immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “Her homeroom teacher said to go as early as possible; it’s even better if it’s for early morning reading, as it won’t take up time.”

Lu Rangchen felt like he owed these two siblings something in his past life.

Before hanging up the phone, he chuckled, “Okay, got it.”

Morning reading at Nancheng No. 3 Middle School was for thirty minutes, followed by a twenty-minute break.

Lu Rangchen estimated the time, got ready, and drove to school.

Morning reading hadn’t ended yet.

He parked outside the school and easily made his way to the second-year high school office.

In fact, he had been attending Deng Jiao’s parent-teacher conferences since the beginning of high school, as Deng Zhe was busy running the small supermarket and couldn’t easily leave.

Furthermore, Deng Jiao did listen to Lu Rangchen more.

In Deng Jiao’s words, it was because his aura was so intimidating.

So gradually, the teachers at the school all assumed Lu Rangchen was Deng Jiao’s older brother. Lu Rangchen didn’t bother to explain, and whenever people called him Deng Zhe, he would respond.

This time was no different.

Her high school homeroom teacher smiled as soon as she saw him, saying, “Oh my, Deng Jiao’s brother, you’ve gotten even more handsome since I last saw you!”

Lu Rangchen had been used to the ways of the city for years.

He was quite adept at joking around.

This teacher was an older, middle-aged woman, and he subconsciously showed her some respect. He didn’t lounge around lazily; instead, he straightened up, put his hands in his pockets, and gave a slight smile, saying, “Please don’t tease me.”

Homeroom Teacher Old Liu rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t talk nonsense. Why would I tease you? Handsome is handsome.”

As she spoke, she opened the office door and led him inside.

The layout was the same as before; the place was the same as before.

Even Lu Rangchen’s seat was the same as before.

Old Liu wasn’t in a hurry to talk about Deng Jiao but first asked him, “It’s been so long; still single?”

Lu Rangchen leaned back casually in his chair, legs crossed, and chuckled, “No time.”

“No time is no good excuse,” Old Liu chided. “Look at you, almost 30, such a good age; you shouldn’t keep dragging it on. Finding Deng Jiao a good sister-in-law would help take care of her.”

As she spoke, she whispered, “Hey, how did things go with that girl I introduced you to last time?”

The girl he introduced was also a middle school teacher.

She was Old Liu’s niece.

The girl’s WeChat ID was given to Deng Zhe, who jokingly chatted with her for a few minutes, but found they genuinely had nothing to talk about, so he dropped the matter.

Lu Rangchen awkwardly touched his neck, but before he could reply, Old Liu leaned closer again, saying, “It’s okay; if you didn’t like that one, I’ll introduce you to another one. This one’s really pretty, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied, and she’ll definitely work for Deng Jiao too.”

Lu Rangchen couldn’t help but laugh.

He knew there was no point in resisting.

She would still introduce him to others at the next parent-teacher conference, so he could only nod and say, “Okay, recommend her to me later; I’ll add her and try.”

It was a perfunctory platitude he always used, always recommending Deng Zhe’s WeChat account anyway.

Unexpectedly, Old Liu wasn’t playing by the rules this time.

She chuckled, “Why add her on WeChat? I’ll let you meet in person this time.”

Old Liu happily opened WeChat and sent a voice message to someone: “Hey, almost here, right? Hurry up and come over; I’m waiting for the breakfast you brought.”

After sending the voice message, she smiled and said to Lu Rangchen, “To be honest, I wanted to keep this girl for my son, but she’s too good for him. I figured I shouldn’t let the good stuff go to outsiders. I think you two are a good match in terms of looks and background, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce you.”

As luck would have it, the girl came in right after she finished speaking.

Old Liu’s eyes lit up, and she waved towards the door. “Hey, Xiao Zhu, over here, the guardian is here.”

Lu Rangchen was initially quite relaxed and casual.

Until he heard the name “Zhu.”

The morning sunlight shone on his thin eyelids, which drooped slightly. Hearing the crisp sound of high heels, his nerves suddenly tensed.

When he looked up again, the figure was already in his sight.

She wore a moon-white suit dress, her figure tall and slender, her thin, straight black bangs flowing softly. Even just looking at her, one could sense her faint fragrance.

The hand that had been resting on his neck stopped.

Lu Rangchen looked up, his gaze lingering on her with an ambiguous expression.

Zhu Yunque was also looking at him.

Her delicate, refined features, her perfectly proportioned face—both in appearance and bone structure—she was a true beauty.

As if she had already guessed it would be him, she wasn’t particularly surprised.

Even if she was surprised, she wouldn’t show it.

She was the kind of person who handled breakups with such calmness.

Thinking of this, Lu Rangchen gave a barely perceptible chuckle, also puzzled as to why the two of them had met again.

The more he thought about it, the more abnormally calm his gaze became.

Zhu Yunque, however, seemed completely unaffected by that gaze.

She remained composed and unmoved throughout.

After meeting his gaze for two seconds, she placed the breakfast she had bought from the cafeteria on Old Liu’s table and looked at him again.

With a dignified yet respectful demeanor, Zhu Yunque extended her slender, white hand, looking intently at Lu Rangchen, and said, “Hello, I’m Deng Jiao’s English teacher, Zhu Yunque.”