Young Brave Hearts – CH 074

Chapter 74

The car was parked at the alley entrance, just a few steps away.

Even so, Lu Rangchen held Zhu Yunque’s hand tightly.

She was the type who was thin but not bony, with long, soft, slightly cool hands, as if they could be crushed with the slightest pressure.

Lu Rangchen used to love holding her hand, but he never imagined that after their breakup, this would happen again.

Zhu Yunque was led by him to the passenger seat.

A pack of cigarettes belonging to Li Tie remained on the passenger seat. Lu Rangchen didn’t even glance at it, tossing it to the back and turning on the air conditioning.

The car was filled with a faint fragrance.

It was Lu Rangchen’s scent—deep and refreshing, alluring yet reassuring.

Just moments ago, Zhu Yunque had even thought she might never smell that familiar, pleasant scent again.

That feeling of uncertainty was still vivid in her mind. She couldn’t help but glance at Lu Rangchen.

Lu Rangchen didn’t rush to start the engine.

Seeing her looking at him, he raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing her, “What are you looking at me for?”

Zhu Yunque’s thin eyelids were still red.

She looked utterly pitiful, not to mention what she said: “I’m checking if you’re really real.”

Lu Rangchen glanced at her with a half-smile, not replying, but his hand was restless, pinching her cheek slightly.

He said, “Now, is it real?”

The pinch didn’t hurt, but it was full of indulgent force, making Zhu Yunque look somewhat cute, and he quickly let go, afraid of making her cry.

But Zhu Yunque remained the same, quiet and obedient, just looking at him, her eyes as clear as a pool of water.

But you knew clearly that her true nature wasn’t like that.

She wasn’t that obedient, nor was she that disobedient.

She was a master manipulator, a true enchantress.

She was incredibly alluring.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and Lu Rangchen finally couldn’t resist. His long eyelashes drooped, and he leaned down to kiss her lips.

He kissed her, and Zhu Yunque slightly raised her chin to meet his kiss, as natural as lovers in the throes of passion.

It was a very light kiss, devoid of any lust. Their lips and tongues touched lightly, then their eyes met before parting.

When their gazes returned to normal, Lu Rangchen spoke again, saying, “You cried for so long, and I’ve comforted you. Don’t you have anything to say to me now?”

The man’s words were deep and slow, displaying a rare patience.

Zhu Yunque looked at him, wanting to say yes.

There was a lot.

But for a moment, she didn’t know where to begin.

Thinking it over, she could only grab at any topic. She said, “Xie Han and I only got in touch today.”

She looked at Lu Rangchen with sincere eyes, without any ambiguity. “My stepmom asked him to help my brother, and he did. He then contacted me. We’ve always been good friends, so it was natural for us to go out to eat together.”

“What did he do for your brother?”

Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow, leisurely observing her, his gaze questioning, “And why didn’t you tell me about your difficulties right away?”

She knew he’d said that.

Zhu Yunque pursed her lips slightly, her voice very soft, “Who are you to me? I only tell you when I’m in trouble.”

The subtle hint of resentment in her tone made Lu Rangchen chuckle softly.

He narrowed his eyes nonchalantly and said, “Zhu Yunque, don’t use that as an excuse. Don’t you know your place in my heart?”

—Her place in his heart.

Zhu Yunque’s heart skipped a beat.

She glanced up at him, her innocent, doe-like eyes captivating him without her realizing it.

Finally, she swallowed hard and said, “How would I know what you take me for?”

She looked away slightly, lowering her eyes, and said, “You said it yourself, that I’m selfish and don’t want to change my mind.”

Those words from that day, those moments, were etched in her heart. No matter how much time had passed, Zhu Yunque could still recall them.

She couldn’t forget.

Facing Lu Rangchen, she lacked confidence.

Only now had she mustered the courage to speak.

But her delicate features couldn’t hide the air of vengeance, yet she stubbornly refused to meet his gaze.

Lu Rangchen chuckled, genuinely helpless.

He smirked, “I said so much that night, and you just picked out that one thing and took it out of context, didn’t you?”

A long, beautiful hand turned Zhu Yunque’s face towards him.

Lu Rangchen stared into her eyes, his deep, dark pupils serious, and said, “Zhu Yunque, can’t you have a conscience? If I really meant that, would I still be coming to see you the next day?”

“…”

Indeed, no.

His temperament and nature—once he made up his mind, he was ruthless and cold-blooded. He wouldn’t even bother to look at you, let alone call.

Zhu Yunque knew all this.

She just couldn’t help herself, couldn’t help being spoiled, and couldn’t help being assured again and again.

So she said, “Then what did you mean that day? Why did you hurt me like that after kissing me?”

Her expression was serious, like she was demanding a debt.

Lu Rangchen chuckled and casually said, “So you’re still upset about what happened that day.”

“…”

“But wasn’t it me who hurt you, huh? Think about it; who really hurt whom?”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunque suddenly had nothing to say.

After all, they both knew clearly in their hearts who owed whom for their past entanglements.

Lu Rangchen smiled calmly and said, “Okay, I admit, what I said that day was hurtful, including to Old Liu. But have you ever thought about why I acted this way—hurting you while simultaneously drawing closer to you and yearning for your presence?”

Zhu Yunque’s heart raced at his words.

Her heart felt like it was filled with a multitude of emotions, a jumbled mess that she couldn’t quite articulate.

Lu Rangchen lowered his eyelids, fiddling with his lighter, as if he had been pondering for a long time. He stopped arguing and said, “Actually, I should have asked you long ago, what exactly do you want this time you’ve come back?”

His tone was calm and indifferent as he spoke.

Even his gaze towards Zhu Yunque was calm and rational.

Zhu Yunque had never seen Lu Rangchen like this before; his gaze was direct and penetrating, sweeping straight into the deepest part of her heart.

Lu Rangchen stared intently into her eyes and said, “Do you want me, or do you just want to relive the warmth of the past?”

For some reason, Zhu Yunque’s nose suddenly stung with tears.

She instinctively moved her lips, wanting to say something, but Lu Rangchen stopped her from speaking.

He chuckled to himself and said, “I don’t need your immediate answer. I know you aren’t that quick to decide.”

Zhu Yunque was the type who wouldn’t utter a word unless you hit her hard enough. Even in this situation, where they seemed to have reconciled, she might not give the answer he wanted. Therefore, Lu Rangchen had no choice but to admit defeat and reveal his hand.

It was actually quite helpless.

But that was reality.

With a mere beckoning, he couldn’t resist returning to her side, like a dog.

No matter how determined he had been, how cold he had pretended to be, he would still lose sleep over a kiss with her. The slightest movement from her would make him restless.

Not to mention seeing her get out of another man’s car just now.

For a fleeting moment, Lu Rangchen truly felt like he was going crazy.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been swayed by Zhu Yunque’s bewildered and lost state and thus swayed to approach her.

Lu Rangchen suddenly felt quite tired.

He didn’t want to continue like this, nor did he want this pointless entanglement, so he said, “I’m not asking for your attitude; I just want you to listen to me today.”

He turned his head and looked intently into her eyes.

Her eyes shone like diamonds, holding the clear light that had stirred his heart since his youth.

Lu Rangchen’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he had to look away, gazing at the thick night scene under the bright lights of the city outside the car window.

His tone was calm and sincere. “Although my career isn’t particularly successful, I’ve saved a considerable amount of money over the years. It isn’t a lot, but it’s enough for a wedding, a house, and raising children. This money wasn’t earned by my family; it’s from myself—honest and upright.”

“I wasn’t lying to you about my mother last time. She really has a new partner and is very happy. Her depression hasn’t relapsed, and her health is even better than before.”

“She’s actually been wanting me to come back to the capital and live with her, but I’ve always insisted on staying in Nancheng and won’t go back to live with her in the future.”

“So, actually, she can’t control me. Nobody can control me. I’ve been independent for a long time.”

“As for Lin Zhi and my grandfather, I won’t cater to them, I won’t get engaged, and I won’t get married. If I could give in, I would have done so long ago.”

“I’ve never known what you were hesitating about, what you were worried about. Maybe you don’t like me enough, or maybe you’re afraid of many things in the future.”

“I can only say that I can’t solve the problems in the past, but I can guarantee you the future. If we are together, I won’t break up, and I’ll give you a good life. I, Lu Rangchen, still stand by what I said: my feelings for you have never changed.”

At this point, Lu Rangchen’s throat tightened for a moment.

He glanced at Zhu Yunque.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yunque’s eyes were already brimming with tears, hot, wet liquid streaming down her cheeks and splashing onto her skirt, drop after drop.

Those were the words Ye Tian had relayed to her when they broke up.

Zhu Yunque had always kept them in her heart.

She had never imagined that Lu Rangchen would preserve these memories so vividly and tell them to her again.

For the first time in her life, Zhu Yunque felt so despicable.

But she didn’t know that the moment Lu Rangchen saw her cry, his heart crumbled.

But he couldn’t stop.

He couldn’t stop, nor could he let her continue to tug at his heart like this.

So, Lu Rangchen ultimately looked away, as if using silence to resist his momentary weakness, or perhaps something else; in any case, he didn’t speak.

Until Zhu Yunque spoke, she took a soft breath, her voice slightly hoarse, and said, “Lu Rangchen, actually, you’re quite unlucky to have met me.”

He hadn’t expected her to say that.

Lu Rangchen couldn’t help but smile, his eyes dimming as he said, “Yes, quite unlucky, but who told me I wanted to?”

As he spoke, he looked at Zhu Yunque again.

Their eyes met.

As if finally ready, Lu Rangchen’s gaze deepened and hardened as he stated his bottom line, “Zhu Yunque, I’ll give you three days, just three days. I hope you’ve thought it through completely.”

“If you still want to be with me, if you want to be bound together for life, no matter what we face, we’ll never be apart; even if we die, we’ll be buried together.”

“If you don’t have that courage…”

Lu Rangchen’s eyes flickered, and he chuckled lightly, “Our life together—”

Before he could finish, Zhu Yunque grabbed his sleeve.

A gentle touch, like a tug at the tail of his heart.

Lu Rangchen’s throat tightened, and he turned to look at Zhu Yunque.

Zhu Yunque’s eyes trembled slightly, misty and watery. Her voice was wet and hoarse as she spoke, “Lu Rangchen, let’s make up.”