Young Brave Hearts – CH 072

Chapter 72

Lu Rangchen was right; there was indeed nothing to be shy about.

They were both adults. Back when they were deeply in love, what hadn’t they tried? Now, any awkwardness would seem somewhat contrived.

Zhu Yunque wasn’t one to be coy, nor did she want Lu Rangchen to misunderstand, so she simply kept a straight face and brushed past him into the house.

Her soft, long hair, carrying a faint fragrance, gently brushed against the man’s shoulders and arms.

A very subtle touch.

Even his throat felt inexplicably itchy.

Following her in, Lu Rangchen’s eyes flickered with a casual smile as he closed the door and went inside.

This was Zhu Yunque’s first time at his place.

Their houses were different in layout; Lu Rangchen’s was clearly much larger than hers.

Even the entryway was spacious.

The furniture was meticulously crafted; when the cabinet doors were opened, neat and clean shoes were displayed inside.

Zhu Yunque also inadvertently noticed several pairs of women’s shoes and slippers inside.

Before her gaze could even leave, Lu Rangchen glanced at her, leaned against her back, and casually said, “Lin Zhi came by a while ago.”

He didn’t give Zhu Yunque time to react.

He directly took a pair of brand-new men’s slippers from the closet and placed them at her feet.

The slippers were clearly much larger than her feet.

But Zhu Yunque still gently stepped onto them with her white-socked feet.

Her feet were still the same as before, narrow and thin, so much so that compared to Lu Rangchen’s slippers, there was always the illusion that she was being enveloped and occupied by him.

That illusion was something Lu Rangchen had suppressed for many years, something he hadn’t dared to think about again, and now it was happening so vividly before his eyes.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and Lu Rangchen withdrew his gaze, turned, and walked inside, saying, “I’m going to change my clothes; you can do whatever you want.”

With that, he went into the dressing room, leaving the large space to Zhu Yunque. But it was nothing.

She’d even been to his most private dorm room.

There was nothing to feel uncomfortable about here.

So Zhu Yunque went to the kitchen. She brought noodles, scallions, and eggs, thinking Lu Rangchen’s refrigerator would really be empty as he said. But when she looked up, she saw a pile of food on the kitchen island.

Half was instant food, and half was meat, eggs, and vegetables.

They all looked recently bought; the packaging was still unopened. In contrast, what she brought looked incredibly meager.

Lu Rangchen had just entered the kitchen when he saw Zhu Yunque standing there, slightly frowning at the pile of food.

Zhu Yunque looked up at him, her expression equally speechless.

Lu Rangchen, shamelessly candid, shrugged and said, “Who knew she’d left all her things here?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque lowered her eyes; this was the first time in a long time that he’d spoken to her with emotion.

She said, “Then you could have had her make it for you before she left.”

She turned and poured water to start cooking noodles.

Lu Rangchen couldn’t see the emotion on her face, but he could sense she wasn’t happy, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

With a barely perceptible smile, Lu Rangchen tentatively asked, “Lin Zhi doesn’t live here.”

Holding a half-empty bottle of water, he leaned casually against the kitchen counter, watching Zhu Yunque make him scallion oil noodles, and said, “I don’t like her cooking either.”

The words fell.

A fleeting emotion flashed in Zhu Yunque’s eyes, so quick that Lu Rangchen couldn’t quite catch it.

Once the opportunity passed, Zhu Yunque had returned to her usual self. Soon, she had prepared two bowls of fragrant and delicious scallion oil noodles and said, “I did this to thank you.”

Lu Rangchen chuckled. “Thank me for what?”

Zhu Yunque looked up at him. “Thank you for helping me with my brother’s matter last night.”

Lu Rangchen knowingly hummed in agreement. “Nothing else.”

Zhu Yunque remained silent.

Lu Rangchen gave her a deep look, his gaze as if he was settling a score with her. He let out a muffled, mocking laugh, carried the two bowls of scallion oil noodles to the dining table in the living room, and said, “You owe me a lot more than you can thank me for.”

“…”

Zhu Yunque actually admired her own ability to remain nonchalant most of the time.

Even after hearing Lu Rangchen say that, she still pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him.

Lu Rangchen used to love her scallion oil noodles the most, and he never expected that eight years later, they would still taste the same.

Zhu Yunque watched him pick up his chopsticks and take two bites without hesitation, and couldn’t help but ask, “Is it alright?”

Lu Rangchen nodded. “It tastes the same as before.”

Over the years, he had longed for that taste more than once, but he had never dared to hope that he would be able to taste it again after eight years.

Zhu Yunque felt a little relieved and murmured softly, “You’ve gotten rusty.”

Hearing this, Lu Rangchen looked up at her and suddenly smiled.

Zhu Yunque didn’t understand what that smile meant.

Lu Rangchen glanced at her leisurely and said, “What, you haven’t made this for anyone else?”

His words were full of probing; he hadn’t expected a pleasant answer, but Zhu Yunque readily replied, “No.”

She lowered her eyes, picked at a piece of noodles, and said calmly, “No one else knows I can make this.”

These words made Lu Rangchen pause, his fingers twitching, and he raised an eyebrow.

Zhu Yunque met his gaze, showing no sign of guilt.

After all, it was Lu Rangchen who specifically requested this dish, which was why she learned it; how could anyone else know?

However, if she told him honestly, Lu Rangchen might not actually believe her.

He seemed to read the answer in her eyes.

Lu Rangchen narrowed his eyes, chuckled softly, and said, “Zhu Yunque, don’t try that on me.”

Sometimes, he had to admit it.

The two of them were so in sync, it was as if they shared a unique Morse code.

If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn’t understand what the two of them were talking about, but they had already gone through several rounds of testing and probing.

It was impossible to tell who was more tactful.

Zhu Yunque swallowed softly, not intending to refute him, and lowered her eyes to eat a mouthful of noodles.

Lu Rangchen glanced at her, then began to eat without any formality.

Boys generally had bigger appetites than girls.

Lu Rangchen finished eating quickly, even though his bowl was bigger.

After finishing, he didn’t touch it, just resting one hand on the table, casually watching Zhu Yunque.

It had to be said that when someone was beautiful, everything they did looked like a photoshoot, even just eating noodles.

In the bright sunlight, her skin was as white as milk, her limbs slender and long, with curves in all the right places, a figure without an ounce of excess fat.

She had definitely blossomed.

She was becoming increasingly alluring.

Just looking at her, Lu Rangchen couldn’t help but wonder how many men had been around her over the years and how many had tasted her beauty.

That feeling of jealousy, like roots buried in the soil, never seeing the light of day, sprouted and grew wildly after their reunion.

Thinking this, Lu Rangchen asked.

He said, “Zhu Yunque, where’s your boyfriend?”

Zhu Yunque paused for a moment, then realized what he meant.

She said, “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow and said, “The one in Australia, a rich second-generation, an ABC, the one with a thick Taiwanese accent.”

His words were full of hostility, unusually sarcastic.

He genuinely looked down on him.

“…”

Zhu Yunque hesitated for a moment but couldn’t help herself, saying, “His name is Xie Han.”

Afraid of upsetting Lu Rangchen again.

She added, “We broke up a long time ago.”

The “relationship” she referred to was a pretense of being a couple; she couldn’t explain it clearly to Lu Rangchen, so she said it this way.

Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “Oh, so besides him, are there a few others?”

His tone was joking but undeniably cheeky, making Zhu Yunque’s lips twitch.

Realizing she might be angry, Lu Rangchen narrowed his eyes, about to say he was joking, but Zhu Yunque answered directly: “No.”

“…”

“Not a single one.”

Zhu Yunque’s gaze was clear and pure, without a trace of impurity, and capable of withstanding scrutiny.

Lu Rangchen fell silent, his gaze fixed on her for a moment.

In that instant when their eyes met, Lu Rangchen felt his own heartbeat more clearly than ever before, a feeling that only Zhu Yunque could bestow.

He didn’t know how many seconds had passed.

Zhu Yunque’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she asked, “And you?”

Her soft voice pulled Lu Rangchen back to reality. He, who considered himself lacking in other virtues, was certainly quite frank.

He answered almost without hesitation, “Same as you.”

His deep, languid voice, with a grainy quality, flowed smoothly down, defiant yet unwavering.

The air fell silent, as if they were in a vacuum, a vacuum that belonged only to them.

Zhu Yunque’s fingers tightened silently around the chopsticks. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to ask him if his statement about being the same as her meant he had only dated one person after her, or none at all.

But before she could ask, a phone call disrupted their connection.

It was a call from the capital.

The caller asked when Lu Rangchen would be leaving for the airport; the old man was impatient and wanted Lu Rangchen to see him as soon as possible.

Being so close, Zhu Yunque could hear everything being said on the phone.

The string in her heart tightened with each mention of “Grandpa.”

She didn’t say anything more, lowering her head to continue eating her noodles.

As she ate, Lu Rangchen watched, completely ignoring what she said, only offering a few perfunctory replies, saying he’d be back soon.

The call ended, and their eyes met.

Zhu Yunque looked up at him and said, “Are you going back?”

Lu Rangchen hummed in response.

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

After a slight pause, Zhu Yunque said, “Then I’ll pack up as soon as possible.”

She started to get up to clear the dishes, but Lu Rangchen interrupted her, “It’s alright; it’s fine to leave them there.”

As he spoke, he had already grasped her wrist.

It was still that delicate, soft touch, the one he had fantasized about countless times in his dreams.

Once he held on, he didn’t want to let go.

Feeling the calluses on the man’s fingertips, Zhu Yunque’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t rush to pull her hand away but let Lu Rangchen hold it until he chose to release it.

Lu Rangchen’s eyes were dark and deep, as if deliberately explaining, “It’s Grandpa’s birthday. I’ll be back for two days. If anything comes up, you can contact me.”

Thinking of something from the past, he looked steadily at Zhu Yunque and said, “My phone will always be on. You don’t need to worry about not being able to find me this time.”

“…”

A sudden surge of emotion almost overwhelmed Zhu Yunque. She looked away from Lu Rangchen’s burning gaze, nodded, and said very softly, “Okay.”

That day, before leaving, Lu Rangchen took Zhu Yunque home first.

Not long after, Zhu Yunque watched Lu Rangchen’s car drive away from the apartment complex through the French windows.

The tips of her ears still retained the warmth of the recent heat.

She raised her hand to touch them, feeling a strange sense of unreality.

…

This was Old Master Cheng’s 80th birthday.

As he aged, the old man didn’t want his birthday celebration to be too grand; he simply wanted to see his children and grandchildren as much as possible.

So, before his birthday even arrived, Lu Rangchen was called back home by his elders and was gone for several days.

During these days, Zhu Yunque was also quite busy.

When Zhu Ping’an returned from his busy schedule, he immediately scheduled surgery for Zhu Yuxuan, but Deng Jiali wasn’t satisfied and insisted on getting an appointment with a specialist at that hospital, which was always fully booked.

The old lady in the family, despite her age, got involved, constantly urging Zhu Ping’an to go see Zhu Yunque.

Zhu Yunque was still in class when her phone kept ringing.

Luckily, it was on silent.

Zhu Yunque actually knew what Zhu Ping’an wanted from her and had considered refusing again, but a father was a father after all. Zhu Ping’an kept pleading with her, using that heartbreaking tone, making it impossible for Zhu Yunque to be ruthless.

Zhu Ping’an said, “Queque, I know you’re in a difficult position, and so is your father. But your aunt is insisting on getting Xuanxuan the best appointment. She’s been making a huge fuss, causing unrest at home. Besides, specialist appointments are definitely more reliable. Otherwise, what will become of Xuanxuan’s life?”

“Xuanxuan loves you so much. You can’t bear to see this child’s future affected by this illness, can you?”

“Xie Han is a very good person. I believe that if you just ask, he’ll definitely agree.”

“I’m begging you, please?”

Zhu Ping’an pleaded earnestly, and after what seemed like an eternity, the school bell rang.

The next class wasn’t hers.

But she still used this excuse to hang up.

Back in her office, she sat there for a while when Xu Linda sent her some fun things. Zhu Yunque took the opportunity to tell her about the recent events.

Unexpectedly, Xu Linda’s first reaction was: 【Why didn’t you ask Lu Rangchen for help? With his connections, getting you an appointment with a specialist would be a piece of cake.】

Xu Linda: 【Don’t even mention specialist appointments; he could get you a VIP doctor at a private hospital.】

Zhu Yunque: 【…】

Zhu Yunque said: 【Even if he could get it for me, I’d be too embarrassed to ask him.】

Xu Linda retorted: 【But even though you didn’t ask, didn’t he still handle your brother’s bullying issue? Before he left, didn’t he tell you to contact him if you needed anything? Didn’t you understand such an obvious hint?】

She understood.

But whether she wanted to do it was another matter.

Zhu Yunque couldn’t explain it so clearly to Xu Linda.

After all, some things were impossible for outsiders to truly understand. Like the countless differences between her and Lu Rangchen, she always remembered the threatening words Cheng Fusen uttered when he spoke with Zhu Yunque.

He said, “Everything you have now—wasn’t it obtained by stepping on the interests of the Cheng and Lu families?”

At that time, the proud Zhu Yunque was humiliated by these words, her face turning red with shame.

She wanted to say that the university she attended wasn’t the right one, but looking back, the food, clothing, and education that Feng Yanlai provided for her were also earned through Lu Dingzhong’s help.

And it was from that moment that certain rifts in her heart were destined never to heal.

Just like now, even with Xu Linda’s persuasion, Zhu Yunque ultimately couldn’t shake her resolve to seek Lu Rangchen’s help.

Just as Lu Rangchen said, she already owed him enough. She wasn’t so shameless; she had hurt him so much back then, and now that she needed him, she was begging him.

Xu Linda knew she was stubborn, so she didn’t try to persuade her, only saying she’d try to find out if she had any connections.

But considering the situation at that hospital, it seemed unlikely.

The real turning point came when Xie Han called.

The very next afternoon, Zhu Yunque had just returned to her office after her last class when she was told her phone had been ringing for a long time.

Zhu Yunque picked it up and saw that it was Xie Han, whom she hadn’t contacted in a long time.

Xie Han had called her several times without her answering, then sent her a message: 【Auntie needed something; why didn’t you contact me sooner?】

Seeing the message, Zhu Yunque’s heart skipped a beat.

She never expected Deng Jiali to be so restless.

But it was too late now; it seemed like this was the only way.

Zhu Yunque asked him, 【How did she contact you?】

Xie Han said, 【Didn’t I take you to my restaurant before? She went to the restaurant and asked the manager.】

Zhu Yunque: “…”

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Xie Han added, 【Don’t feel guilty. I’m happy to be able to help.】

Zhu Yunque: 【You’ve already helped?】

Xie Han said yes.

Zhu Yunque suddenly had nothing to say.

Later, Xie Han suggested, 【Let’s meet tonight. I’m going back to Nancheng.】

“…”

Zhu Yunque’s feelings suddenly became very complicated.

It seemed like some things were destined to be pushed forward.

In the end, she could only agree, saying, 【Thank you so much. I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.】

Actually, whether or not they ate dinner was unimportant.

Zhu Yunque simply wanted to express her gratitude, and Xie Han, in turn, wasn’t short of a meal; he just wanted to see Zhu Yunque.

Whether they were old friends or still harbored feelings for each other, a meal that night was unavoidable.

Zhu Yunque didn’t bother with any fancy preparations; she hadn’t even put on makeup. She’d booked a restaurant before leaving work, originally telling Xie Han to meet her at the entrance, but Xie Han, always the gentleman, and seeing it wasn’t a casual get-together with girlfriends, simply drove off in his flashy sports car to pick her up.

It was quite a showy car, parked at the school gate.

It attracted a lot of attention, and Zhu Yunque reluctantly got in.

Fortunately, the restaurant wasn’t too far from the school. Zhu Yunque had specifically chosen a relatively expensive French restaurant as a gesture of goodwill.

Xie Han didn’t refuse.

He ordered everything that was supposed to be ordered.

He knew Zhu Yunque; she didn’t like owing anyone favors, and if she didn’t repay them, she’d feel uncomfortable.

Just like when they were abroad, he helped Zhu Yunque pretend to be her boyfriend to meet Lu Rangchen. To thank him, Zhu Yunque made him breakfast for a whole semester, but even so, Xie Han still couldn’t win her over.

Thinking back to that time, Xie Han’s smile was a mix of regret and melancholy. He said, “School days were really good. We could do whatever we wanted, and there weren’t so many worries.”

Zhu Yunque, cutting her steak, looked at him and said, “What’s wrong? Have you been having a lot of trouble lately? Did you break up with your girlfriend?”

That last remark immediately made Xie Han laugh.

He said, “Do I look like someone who would be so easily swayed by love?”

Then he frowned and said, “But we did break up.”

Zhu Yunque looked at him in surprise. “Why? Did you get tired of her again?”

Xie Han sighed and said, “It has nothing to do with being tired of her. I never planned on a long-term relationship anyway. Now I’m at that age, and my family is starting to pressure me into marriage. They’ve arranged a date for me.”

“…”

Zhu Yunque hadn’t expected Xie Han to face an arranged marriage.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Did you agree?”

Xie Han said, “Of course, I agreed. What else could I do? I’m not your ex, Lu Rangchen.”

Then he couldn’t resist teasing Zhu Yunque, saying, “You don’t have to agree. You can date me, and I won’t go through with the arranged marriage.”

These words sounded like a joke, yet they contained a hint of sincerity.

Zhu Yunque paused slightly, her eyes suddenly turning awkward. She could only pick up her wine glass and take a small sip.

Xie Han shrugged, knowing it would be awkward, and changed the subject, saying, “By the way, I haven’t asked you yet. How are things with Lu Rangchen? Have you met him?”

For some reason, every time she heard someone mention Lu Rangchen, Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but be absent-minded, her thoughts involuntarily drifting to Lu Rangchen.

What was he doing in the capital right now?

Has the birthday passed?

After the birthday, would he, like Xie Han, be “sent down a dark horse” and arranged to marry some rich girl?

Her thoughts wandered aimlessly, and Zhu Yunque absentmindedly replied, “I saw him.”

“You got back together?”

“Not yet.”

“What’s missing? He doesn’t agree?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque couldn’t stand his interrogation.

Xie Han laughed at her gaze and said, “I’m being silly. How could he not agree? You’re Zhu Yunque.”

This made Zhu Yunque feel a little embarrassed by his flattery.

She pursed her lips and said, “Don’t say that. I don’t have that kind of ability.”

Xie Han shook his head and smiled noncommittally. The rest of the meal went fairly well.

However, Xie Han seemed to be in a bad mood. After the meal, instead of taking Zhu Yunque home, he suggested taking her to a newly opened bar for a drink.

It was in the area near the overseas students’ residence street, a small, semi-basement storefront—a quiet bar, crowded and lively.

After so many years of friendship, Zhu Yunque couldn’t refuse, so the two readily agreed to go.

However, it was an unexpected coincidence that night.

Just as Xie Han and Zhu Yunque found a spot to park their car, Lu Rangchen’s car slowly pulled up to the alley entrance.

Lu Rangchen had returned that day, along with Lin Zhi.

The old man had originally wanted them to stay a few more days, but Lu Rangchen had things and people he couldn’t leave behind in Nancheng. Besides, Lin Zhi was in a bad mood; her family had just arranged a new marriage for her, which annoyed her terribly, so she came back with Lu Rangchen.

After returning, naturally, they wanted to have some fun.

Lin Zhi invited Li Tie and Zhou Jin, a couple who had just finished work, and the four of them went to a small bar for drinks.

Lin Zhi frequented this place, saying the bartender was particularly handsome and she wanted to sleep with him.

On the way, she was still rambling on about wanting to go crazy before the wedding, which amused Zhou Jin.

Lin Zhi playfully shoved Lu Rangchen, who was driving, and said, “I don’t want to end up like Lu Rangchen, hanging myself on one person for the rest of my life.”

“…”

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t answered Zhu Yunque’s call earlier.

Lu Rangchen was in a bad mood at the moment and glared at Lin Zhi through the rearview mirror, saying, “If you say another word, I’ll kick you out.”

The two were used to teasing each other.

Lin Zhi rolled her eyes in a truly spectacular way.

She immediately started teasing Lu Rangchen about his gossip with Zhu Yunque.

Unlike Zhou Jin and Lin Zhi, Li Tie didn’t have even a slight liking for Zhu Yunque. He genuinely looked down on that girl; she was heartless and cold-blooded. After hearing this, he snorted and pointed at Lu Rangchen, saying, “Just wait until she takes advantage of you.”

Lu Rangchen’s cheeks tightened, and he didn’t reply.

Zhou Jin directly slapped Li Tie, telling him to shut up.

His mouth did shut up, but it turned out to be a jinx.

Just as Li Tie was being disciplined by Zhou Jin, he glanced out the car window and saw two people get out of the sports car that had just stopped.

The man was quite good-looking and looked wealthy. As for the woman—

Li Tie exclaimed, “No, am I seeing things? That girl in front looks so much like Zhu Yunque???”

He spoke at a tremendous volume.

Not only did the others hear him, but Lu Rangchen, sitting next to him, felt a chill run down his spine.

His foot instinctively slammed on the brakes.

The tires screeched against the pavement, and in the next instant, the black G-Class stopped less than five meters from the sports car.

Hearing the sudden sound, Zhu Yunque turned her head instinctively and saw the figure inside the black G-Class that made her heart flutter.

At that moment, Lu Rangchen’s fingers were gripping the steering wheel tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, his handsome, sharp face staring at her expressionlessly.

The scene froze.

Xie Han spoke up, puzzled. He asked Zhu Yunque, “What’s wrong?”

Her heart pounded in her chest like a hammer.

Zhu Yunque swallowed hard, momentarily speechless.

Just then, Lu Rangchen got out of the car.

His tall, imposing figure, even his alighting from the car, exuded an air of arrogance. Li Tie, Zhou Jin, and Lin Zhi followed him out.

The three of them looked at her with surprise. Lin Zhi, the most impatient, blurted out, “What are you doing here?”

She then looked at Xie Han, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Her words seemed to pierce the deathly silence.

In that instant, Lu Rangchen brushed past Lin Zhi and walked forward.

Zhu Yunque faced him, her lips moving as if to speak, but Lu Rangchen merely glanced at her coldly, saying nothing, before turning and entering the bar without looking back.

That was the first time Zhu Yunque had been looked at with such a gaze by Lu Rangchen, a gaze that seemed to terrify her, without even a word.

The summer night was undeniably hot.

Her heart turned cold in an instant.

She didn’t hear what Xie Han said behind her; she only knew that the three people behind her were looking at her with different expressions.

Speechless, angry, scoffing, and disgusted.

They hadn’t said anything at all.

Yet, everything had been said.

Her fingers involuntarily clenched, Zhu Yunque bit her lip, and her nose suddenly stung with tears.

Seeing her silence, Xie Han approached again and asked, “What happened? Why is Lu Rangchen here? And what was that look on his face when he saw you? What happened between you two?”

His words only made things worse.

His words made Zhu Yunque’s lips even paler from biting them so hard.

Whether it was impulsiveness or a brief loss of reason, Zhu Yunque let out a soft breath, her eyes reddening.

Seeing her distress, Xie Han tried to pull her away, but Zhu Yunque pushed him away.

Xie Han called out to Zhu Yunque, stunned.

Zhu Yunque didn’t seem to hear him. All the emotions suppressed for eight years erupted like a flood, and she went straight into the bar.

The nightclub had just opened.

The bar was packed, filled with laughter and chatter, the smells of smoke and alcohol mingling together, and a variety of unfamiliar faces filling her vision.

She had never experienced anything like this before.

She wanted to find Lu Rangchen, to see him, to talk to him.

She had never felt such fear before, the fear of losing him.

Tears welled up in her eyes; she stood there, bewildered, her vision blurred, unable to see him at all.

Someone nearby noticed her, seeing her beautiful yet helpless state, and couldn’t help but lean in and ask, “Beautiful lady, what’s wrong? Want to grab a drink?”

However, before Zhu Yunque could refuse, the man’s outstretched hand was grabbed by another hand and forcefully pried open.

The man howled in pain, about to swear, but when he looked up, he met Lu Rangchen’s burning gaze. He forced out a single word, “Get lost.”

Zhu Yunque snapped back to reality, looking up to see Lu Rangchen standing beside her, towering over her.

But before she could utter a word… Lu Rangchen gripped her wrist tightly and dragged her out.

Looking back, Zhu Yunque still felt that night was the most unforgettable one in her memory.

Lu Rangchen’s aggressive aura burned like fire.

She heard the commotion behind her, heard Li Tie call out Lu Rangchen’s name, and then, the sound of the wind and Lu Rangchen’s footsteps.

Deep in the alley, the damp walls of the summer night were slightly cool.

Her slender back slammed against the wall.

The brief pain made Zhu Yunque groan, and the next second, Lu Rangchen pinned her against the wall and then grabbed her chin.

Lu Rangchen, reeking of alcohol and suppressing his rage, laughed ironically and pathetically, saying, “Zhu Yunque, I shouldn’t have believed you time and time again.”

The force of his grip hurt Zhu Yunque.

She offered no resistance, like a doll at his mercy, large tears streaming down her face and landing on his hand. She said, “Lu Rangchen, it isn’t what you think. I was never with him—”

Lu Rangchen gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with barely suppressed anger.

But before he could truly grasp the meaning behind her words, his burning lips pressed down on hers uncontrollably.

That kiss was so intense that Zhu Yunque could hardly breathe.

Lu Rangchen held her tightly.

As if venting all his emotions, he forcefully bit her lips, his magnetic voice trembling with a defiant tone, a low, hoarse whisper of resignation escaping his throat.

He said, “You fucking don’t love me at all.”

“If you don’t love me, then why did you bother me?”