Young Brave Hearts – CH 067

Chapter 67

That day, no one expected that Zhu Yunque, who seemed so quiet and reserved, would say such things in front of so many people.

Direct and sincere, seemingly without restraint.

And these two were exes.

A group of young men, completely inexperienced in the ways of the world and oblivious to the person who had just entered behind them, were all utterly bewildered and amazed.

Before they could say anything, Lu Rangchen abruptly slammed his drink on the table and pulled out a chair to sit down.

His tall, imposing figure exuded an aura of arrogant indifference.

A faint, lingering scent of ebony and sandalwood enveloped him, a rich and deep sensuality.

Sensing his presence, Zhu Yunque swallowed softly.

Turning her head slightly, she met Lu Rangchen’s gaze.

At that moment, everyone else was as if strangled; only Lu Rangchen spoke slowly and deliberately.

He lowered his eyelids slightly, glancing at Zhu Yunque with an ambiguous expression, and said, “Full?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque glanced at the food in front of her; she was indeed full.

But for some reason, she wanted to contradict him, so she forced a smile and said, “Not full.”

Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, his gaze drifting to her slender waist.

Her lower abdomen was clearly bulging, yet she insisted on lying.

No one knew her true worth, and he immediately chuckled, saying, “Fine, you eat; I’ll wait.”

His posture was exactly like someone waiting to settle accounts.

After speaking, he casually glanced at the others, his voice sharp, “What are you looking at? Eat your food.”

Hearing this, the others gradually came to their senses, acting as if nothing had happened, and continued eating and drinking as before.

Only Lu Rangchen, amidst the noise and commotion, turned his head to stare at Zhu Yunque.

His gaze made Zhu Yunque lose her last bit of appetite.

Whether out of spite or not, Zhu Yunque put down her chopsticks and met his gaze.

She still had that composed, quiet, and aloof demeanor. You knew perfectly well that it was a facade; she was hypocritical, she was wicked, yet you couldn’t resist.

And so they stared at each other for a few seconds.

Lu Rangchen asked her again, “Are you full now?”

His gaze was thick and intense, burning so hot it made your heart tremble.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Zhu Yunque involuntarily whispered, “I’m full.”

After speaking, she couldn’t help but look away, afraid that if she looked at him any longer, she would be lost in his gaze.

Lu Rangchen gave a barely perceptible twitch of his lips, stood up, and picked up her phone.

Raising his chin, he said to the group of boys at the table, “I’m leaving now; you guys eat.”

When he looked at Zhu Yunque after speaking, he saw that she had already opened the bottle of peach-flavored drink, taking two small sips, her soft lips glistening pink.

It was sparkling water.

It had a slightly grainy texture.

It wasn’t very sweet, but the aftertaste was refreshing and pleasant.

Zhu Yunque used to habitually drink a bottle after eating strongly flavored food before letting Lu Rangchen kiss her.

Lu Rangchen would never forget that, even after eight years. When Zhu Yunque looked up, Lu Rangchen was looking down at her, his eyes dark and unfathomable. He said nothing and simply turned and left.

Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but follow him.

It wasn’t just about the phone.

It was about him as a person; he was a walking hook.

However, Zhu Yunque hadn’t expected that as soon as they reached the fourth floor, Lu Rangchen would grab her wrist and slam her against the cold wall.

Her heart leaped into her throat.

Not because of Lu Rangchen’s sudden action, but because her prediction had come true.

Lu Rangchen was indeed suppressing his anger, suppressing the urge to take revenge on her, to ravage her.

His knee spread her legs, and Lu Rangchen gripped her chin, as if controlling everything he owned, and then kissed her forcefully and brutally.

Perhaps from the ice-cold beer, his lips tasted slightly cool and astringent, yet his tongue was burning hot, roughly prying open her lips and teeth, thrusting and swirling.

Their saliva mingled, yearning for a thick, passionate kiss.

Zhu Yunque tilted her head back, forced to wrap her arms around his neck.

It was their first kiss in eight years.

A peach-flavored kiss.

Neither of them had imagined such a moment between them—impulsive, obsessive, unrestrained, and passionate.

Lu Rangchen’s kiss was tight and deep, as if afraid she would run away again, holding the back of her head and waist so tightly that she could hardly breathe, her legs and feet dizzy, as if walking on clouds.

Then, the kisses spread from her lips to her earlobes, then to her neck, burning like fire. Lu Rangchen clearly wasn’t going to let her go, leaving his mark on her neck, more intense than ever before.

A soft murmur escaped her lips.

Zhu Yunque bit her lip, pulling at his clothes to create suggestive folds. She whispered helplessly in his ear, calling out, “Lu Rangchen.”

That lingering sound was like the one he heard in his midnight dreams.

It was clearly a plea for mercy.

Yet, it ignited an even more suppressed fire within the man.

That fire burned him, scorched him.

Lu Rangchen’s voice was hoarse and low, his words trembling with resentment and loss of control near her ear, “Didn’t you beg me to let you go? Hmm? What do you mean now?”

“…”

“Thinking you’re so clever, thinking you can win me back with a few sweet words, huh?”

“Zhu Yunque, you can’t be this selfish.”

“When you didn’t want me, when you were afraid of getting hurt, you kicked me away. Now, you want me, so you come back. Tricks, both overt and covert.”

Lu Rangchen’s chest heaved, his eyes reddening as he sneered, “Why should I, Zhu Yunque? What do you take me for, and what do you take yourself for?”

The harsh words echoed down the corridor.

The motion-activated lights switched on.

Lu Rangchen gripped Zhu Yunque’s thin shoulders. Her eyes welled with tears, looking at him with watery eyes, but she remained silent.

What was there to say?

There was nothing to say.

Everything that needed to be said had already been said.

She spoke too late; Lu Rangchen wouldn’t believe her anymore.

So, Zhu Yunque had no reason to struggle. She simply released her grip on Lu Rangchen’s clothes, her nose slightly red.

Her throat tightened, and she lowered her eyes. A hot drop fell onto Lu Rangchen’s lean, strong arm.

A soft thud.

The pressure on her shoulder tightened, and Lu Rangchen froze, as if suddenly stabbed.

The next second, he heard Zhu Yunque’s hoarse voice say, “I’m sorry, I won’t bother you anymore.”

After saying that, she gently pushed Lu Rangchen’s hand away.

She turned and left.

–

That night, Zhu Yunque considered going out to find a hotel.

Not long after returning to her room, the boy named Jiang Sui came over and showered her with attention and concern.

First, he brought snacks and drinks, then daily necessities—towels, toiletries, disposable slippers—and then he proactively showed her how to use Lu Rangchen’s projector, projecting her favorite foreign film. Most outrageously, in this room full of grown men, he somehow produced an aromatherapy diffuser and insisted on lighting it for her.

But no matter what he did,

Zhu Yunque remained silent, quietly packing her things.

Finally, Jiang Sui gave up and said, “Sister, I’ll fulfill any request you make tonight; please don’t leave, okay?”

Zhu Yunque stopped what she was doing and finally looked at him.

Jiang Sui looked extremely troubled. He said, “Look, it’s almost ten o’clock. It’s too dangerous for a girl like you to go out alone. If something happens, my boss—”

He let it slip and slapped himself, saying, “Anyway, just don’t bother. Can you just stay here for one night?”

“…”

Even if Zhu Yunque was stupid, she could see through it.

Jiang Sui took advantage of this moment to snatch the tote bag from her hand and slung it over his shoulder.

The scene was quite funny, leaving Zhu Yunque momentarily stunned.

Jiang Sui said, “Sister, you can stay here tonight without worry. I won’t touch this stuff; I’ll keep it safe and bring it to you tomorrow morning!”

With that, Jiang Sui waved goodbye and disappeared in a flash.

It was a one-bedroom apartment, not small.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Yunque was all alone.

Besides her phone, she had nothing with her; she couldn’t possibly move out.

Ultimately, after Jiang Sui’s outburst, she understood that Lu Rangchen didn’t want her to leave.

But perhaps, it was just out of his gentlemanly manners, out of a little concern and care for his ex.

Regardless.

Zhu Yunque didn’t want to think about it anymore.

She was so tired, so tired that all she wanted to do was sleep.

…

Third floor, club office.

Jiang Sui, as if seeking praise, placed Zhu Yunque’s bag of things directly on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

Lu Rangchen, elbows resting on his knees, smoking, paused for a moment upon seeing this, then looked up at him speechlessly.

Jiang Sui shrugged and said, “There’s nothing I can do. That woman is too stubborn. If I don’t take her things, she won’t even acknowledge me.”

He then moved closer to Lu Rangchen. “I’m not saying this to be mean, boss, but I just don’t understand you. The atmosphere was so nice tonight; how did you manage to make her so angry?”

It was during the time the two of them were kissing upstairs.

Downstairs, things seemed calm, but everyone was actually lurking around the corner of the stairs, eavesdropping.

They thought these two would definitely get back together tonight, but their boss extinguished that spark with just a few words.

Lu Rangchen was already annoyed enough.

Hearing this, his bad temper flared up instantly. He glared at him and said, “Are you done yet?”

Jiang Sui said expressionlessly, “No, I think you need to apologize to Sister.”

Lu Rangchen licked his lips and chuckled angrily, stubbing out his cigarette and saying, “Do you have any conscience? Who’s supporting you anyway?”

“…”

Jiang Sui finally shut up.

But he was still unconvinced, saying dryly before leaving, “Anyway, what you did tonight was wrong.”

Right or wrong?

Lu Rangchen knew better than anyone.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have smoked alone in the office for so long and even specifically sent Jiang Sui to stop Zhu Yunque.

But some words, once spoken, were like water spilled; there was no use regretting them.

With Zhu Yunque’s stubborn temper, she couldn’t be coaxed back with just a few words.

In short, Lu Rangchen was actually the one who had the worst night. He already had trouble sleeping, and even medication couldn’t help him fall asleep. Finally, he drifted off, only to dream of Zhu Yunque. In the dream, the two of them were entwined, making love to each other.

He woke up at three in the morning.

Outside the window, all was silent.

Lu Rangchen grabbed a pair of makeshift paper underwear and, feeling rather annoyed, went to the communal shower.

Ever since reuniting with Zhu Yunque, he’d broken his habit of showering late at night.

When he returned, he wanted a cigarette, but then something occurred to him, and he ended up eating a mint by the window.

Impatiently crushing the mint, Lu Rangchen ate it while checking the security camera footage from the fourth-floor dormitory.

The camera was only in the living room; he’d forgotten to tell Zhu Yunque.

The apartment was pitch black. The bedroom door was locked, and on the living room sofa lay Zhu Yunque’s jacket.

She definitely hadn’t left.

Lu Rangchen’s lips twitched slightly.

He just wondered when she’d be willing to see him again, given her temper.

…

The next morning.

Jiang Sui returned Zhu Yunque’s luggage, and before eight o’clock, Zhu Yunque had taken a taxi and left.

Lu Rangchen found out about this at nine o’clock. By then, Xin Yuexiang Mansion had already called to inform him, and Deng Jiao, for some unknown reason, had secretly taken a picture of Zhu Yunque in class.

Standing gracefully on the podium, her demeanor cool and aloof, she was simply looking down at her book.

She was wearing the same outfit she’d worn with him at the hotpot dinner yesterday—a simple yet pretty dress that accentuated her figure. The waist was embroidered; he’d caressed it several times last night when he’d held her waist and kissed her.

There was also a Band-Aid on her neck.

The Band-Aid was flesh-colored, covering the hickey, but it was still quite noticeable when the photo was zoomed in.

Lu Rangchen stared at it silently for a long time, zooming in and out repeatedly, before finally saving it to his phone.

Just as he finished saving it, Deng Jiao sent him a message: 【Brother Rangchen!! Someone beat you to it!!! She has a hickey on her neck!!!】

Suddenly, he thought this girl was really interesting.

Besides attending classes, she seemed to be good at everything, even observing people so meticulously.

With a smirk, Lu Rangchen replied coldly: 【If you don’t pay attention in class, I’ll have Old Liu confiscate your phone】

Deng Jiao: 【…】

Deng Jiao: 【Goodbye!】

After saying those two sentences, she really didn’t say another word.

Lu Rangchen was too lazy to care about her.

But then he suddenly remembered that Old Liu should have Zhu Yunque’s contact information. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what he was thinking at that moment.

After supervising the team’s training that morning, Lu Rangchen actually called Old Liu.

Old Liu was quite surprised to hear it was him.

Lu Rangchen scratched his brow and said, “Nothing much, just wanted to ask you for Zhu Yunque’s phone number.”

Old Liu’s tone was somewhat complicated. “But didn’t you two have a falling out last time?”

Lu Rangchen licked his lips, smiled, and said with a helpless tone, “Yes, we did, so now I have to coax her.”

His tone, unusually non-arrogant, was incredibly indulgent.

Old Liu immediately understood what was going on and exclaimed twice, “Wait a minute, I’ll send it to you right now.”

And so, Lu Rangchen got Zhu Yunque’s number.

He saved it to his phone, initially typing “Zhu Yunque,” but felt it was too formal, so he deleted it and changed it to “Queque.”

But after looking at it twice, he felt it still wasn’t quite right, so he finally changed it to four characters: “Troublesome Thing.”

This time, he was finally satisfied.

Lu Rangchen lazily curled the corners of his mouth and called “Troublesome Thing.”

He didn’t know what she was doing; the phone rang for a long time before she answered, and even when she did, Zhu Yunque’s tone was still distant.

She said, “Hello.”

Lu Rangchen was too lazy to beat around the bush, so he just lazily hummed in response, saying indifferently, “Last night, did the corner of your mouth that I kissed, which I ruined, get better?”