Young Brave Hearts – CH 076

Chapter 76

“Holy crap???? You two are back together???”

“It’s only been a short time, and you two are already back together???”

“Was it he who suggested it, or you? What happened? I feel like everything changed as soon as I came back from my trip.”

During the ten-minute break, Xu Linda was still reeling from the shock on the other end of the phone.

Outside the office, there was a commotion.

Zhu Yunque, typing student grades with one hand, couldn’t help but smile slightly upon hearing this.

It was actually understandable why Xu Linda was taken aback.

Even she herself felt it was unbelievable, lying in bed last night, unbelievable that she and Lu Rangchen had reconciled so easily.

It felt like a dream.

It wasn’t just a reconciliation but a fresh and wonderful feeling.

It was like reliving the taste of first love, that anxious, fluctuating emotion—something only experienced in adolescence.

Even now, after finishing her work, Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but wonder what Lu Rangchen was doing.

There was a dispute at the club, and he dealt with it late last night. Afterwards, he took some team members out for dinner.

All of these Lu Rangchen briefly mentioned in WeChat.

Later, Lu Rangchen must have finished his work and called her, but Zhu Yunque was asleep and didn’t answer.

Since she didn’t answer, he didn’t call again.

When Lu Rangchen woke up, Zhu Yunque, having overslept, had already rushed to school by taxi.

At school, the two only kept in touch intermittently via text message. She knew he’d gone out to discuss a collaboration again, and he’d told her to eat well during her lunch break; their conversation seemed quite ordinary.

Thinking about this, Zhu Yunque said, “Actually, it isn’t as dramatic as you think. We’ve only been back together for less than a day.”

There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Xu Linda chuckled, saying, “What, you want to back out?”

Zhu Yunque said, “It isn’t me who’s backing out.”

She pursed her lips. “I won’t back out; it’s him.”

Xu Linda was slightly surprised. “Zhu Yunque, why are you still so insecure? You managed to win him back in such a short time, which means he can’t let you go at all. What are you afraid he’ll change his mind about?”

“…”

Perhaps it was because she’d lost him once before, and getting him back made her hesitant, or perhaps those past obstacles hadn’t truly been cleared up.

Zhu Yunque always felt a little insecure.

She couldn’t describe the feeling, but she felt Xu Linda was right; she was overthinking things. Maybe Lu Rangchen was just busy today.

With this thought in mind, Zhu Yunque unconsciously relaxed and talked to Xu Linda for a while longer until Xu Linda understood how the two had reconciled, then their call ended.

Xu Linda was busy editing a video.

She couldn’t tell her much, but she left her a message on WeChat: 【Don’t worry, baby. From your description, Lu Rangchen has been hoping to reconcile with you for a long time. He might be busy today and not have had time for you, or maybe he’s doing it on purpose, keeping you in suspense.】

Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but ask: 【Why is he keeping me in suspense?】

Xu Linda replied instantly: 【Didn’t you keep him in suspense?】

“…”

Zhu Yunque actually felt a pang of guilt. Xu Linda added, 【Think about the two of you before, how you were always getting close and distant. It’s only with Lu Rangchen that you’d hate me and never be with him again.】

This was childish, but the truth was undeniable.

Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but laugh and said, 【Okay, I know, I was wrong.】

Xu Linda sent an eye-roll emoji and said, 【What’s the point of telling me? Tell your Lu Rangchen!】

After a pause, she added, 【I guarantee he’ll love you to death, showering you with kisses, hugs, and piggyback rides.】

With that, Xu Linda went off to get busy.

Zhu Yunque should have gone too; she had two classes later. But for some reason, her gaze remained fixed on Xu Linda’s last sentence, unable to look away.

She couldn’t explain what was going on in her mind at that moment.

She actually did it, for the first time ever, by sending Lu Rangchen two messages.

One was: 【What are you doing?】

The other was: 【Lu Rangchen, I miss you.】

…

That day, Lu Rangchen spent the entire day dealing with club contracts.

Several players on the team, those with good potential, were being courted by other clubs and wanted to terminate their contracts; those with less potential had families who didn’t want them to continue training, saying they wouldn’t earn much money.

This matter could actually be resolved by the club’s manager.

But Lu Rangchen had founded the club himself, and he had personally recruited those players. There was no reason for him to pretend he didn’t know, so he went back to deal with it.

He was a man who never procrastinated, and he didn’t like to force things.

There were so many people running professional clubs; he could never hold anyone back.

He acted without hesitation, without causing any trouble. He followed the proper procedures and let the person go.

But Lu Rangchen couldn’t help but say a few more words to the one whose circumstances weren’t so good.

While he was speaking, the entire team was listening, and the boy who was leaving was crying his eyes out.

Lu Rangchen still had his usual carefree demeanor, mixed with a touch of maturity and wisdom from someone who had been through it all.

He sat casually on the desk, one long leg on the ground, and said, “You can leave if you want; we’ll terminate the contract today. But have you thought about it? If you leave today, you’ll never have the courage to set foot here again in your life.”

“I don’t have much to say to you. After all, I haven’t been in your situation. My company isn’t that big; I can’t shelter everyone. I just want to say that life is long, not just about making do, but also about doing what you truly love and want to do.”

“Take advantage of your youth, try more things; it’s never wrong.”

“Of course, I’m not that hypocritical,” Lu Rangchen said seriously, his nonchalant attitude gone. “I’ve spoken with finance. Starting this month, everyone’s basic salary will be increased by 1,000. The rest of your performance bonuses and performance-based pay will also be increased by 10%.”

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, including Deng Zhe, who was eavesdropping while getting water.

Deng Zhe stared wide-eyed, not yet understanding what was happening, when those rascals excitedly shouted, “Long live our boss!” They were acting incredibly silly.

The boy who wanted to leave was also stunned.

He looked at Lu Rangchen with teary eyes.

Lu Rangchen looked at him too, then smiled.

That afternoon, in the end, only the best-performing member on the team decided to leave. With the sky as the limit, Lu Rangchen never held anyone back.

As for the boy with poor performance, he ultimately stayed, wanting to try again.

The group went downstairs again, noisily seeking training from the coach.

Leaving Deng Zhe and Lu Rangchen in the office, Deng Zhe was astonished. He said to Lu Rangchen, “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t we just get a raise last year? If you raise salaries like this again, those rascals won’t even starve!”

He genuinely worried about Lu Rangchen when he said that.

But Lu Rangchen was in a much better mood.

He leaned back leisurely in his chair, raised an eyebrow at Deng Zhe, and said, “What, jealous? Why don’t you come in and do something? I’ll pay you.”

Deng Zhe, being arrogant and haughty, laughed in exasperation and told him to get lost.

Lu Rangchen ignored him, a faint smile playing on his lips, finally having a moment to glance at his phone.

Over the years, he had met many people, and many people contacted him, so his phone screen was always piled high with messages.

He truly hadn’t expected Zhu Yunque’s message to be among them.

He had originally intended to send the girl a message to ask if she was done with her work.

After all, they had agreed to meet last night. He was waiting for her to get off work so he could pick her up from school, and given her personality, Lu Rangchen figured she would at least wait a while before contacting him, so he wasn’t in a rush.

But what happened? He wasn’t in a rush, but the girl was.

She even sent him two WeChat messages.

Seeing the message “I miss you,” Lu Rangchen’s eyebrows lifted, and a bright smile spread across his lips.

He was usually reserved and composed; he rarely smiled like that.

It was that kind of focused, undistracted smile.

He really hadn’t expected this girl to be so proactive.

Hmm, not bad, she said she missed him.

But his expression seemed a little too obvious.

So much so that Deng Zhe was stunned when he saw him like that.

After roughly guessing what was going on, he suddenly chuckled and said, “Lu Rangchen, can’t you have some self-respect? Getting this excited over a WeChat message.”

Perhaps because of some “great news,” Lu Rangchen glanced at him dismissively and said, “If you’re envious, just say so.”

“…”

“Otherwise, I could organize a get-together tonight and have my girlfriend invite Xu Linda over for dinner.”

Hearing this, Deng Zhe almost groaned from a headache.

He was both envious of Lu Rangchen’s use of “girlfriend” and terrified by the name “Xu Linda,” repeatedly saying, “Please don’t, spare me!”

Lu Rangchen clicked his tongue and said, “Deng Zhe, I’ve discovered you’re quite heartless.”

“Heartless, my foot!” Deng Zhe was speechless. “Do you think I hate her? Why would I hate her? She’s the one who hates me! And given my current state, I—”

At this point, Deng Zhe sighed dejectedly.

He chuckled again and said, “She’s doing quite well now. She’s a rich second-generation, a social media influencer. There’s no need for someone like me, a supermarket owner, to appear in front of her, cause her distress, and make a fool of myself.”

His words carried a hint of bitterness and helplessness.

Lu Rangchen’s expression faltered slightly, then he heard Deng Zhe tease him, “And do you think everyone is as sentimental as you?”

He laughed and said, “Xu Linda is doing great. Why would she still think of me?”

Those few words silenced even the fish in the aquarium.

Finally, Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow and said, “Alright, then I won’t worry about it anymore.”

As he spoke, he glanced at his phone with obvious concern.

He saw Zhu Yunque’s two sentences still lying quietly on the screen, like a precious jewel within reach.

He silently curled his lips.

Lu Rangchen lowered his gaze and replied to Zhu Yunque with a few voice messages.

He only replied to her.

After replying, he even pinned her message to the top of his chat list.

With more than forty minutes left before she got off work, he grabbed his car keys, got up, said goodbye to Deng Zhe, and left.

At this time, Zhu Yunque had just finished her last class of the day and returned to her office.

As soon as she entered, she heard Zhang Leyao chatting with another young female teacher.

This teacher taught the first year of high school. Her office was downstairs, but because she was close to Zhang Leyao, she often came over.

Zhu Yunque didn’t recognize her and didn’t bother to greet her, so she went straight back to her seat.

Perhaps she walked too quietly, or perhaps the two were engrossed in their conversation, but they didn’t notice her return at all.

Zhang Leyao said dejectedly, “What’s the point of pursuing him? We all went that day, and he wasn’t there at all. I couldn’t even see him.”

The female teacher gave a soft “Ah” and said, “Did you call him? Didn’t you ask him why he wasn’t coming?”

“Yes, I did,” Zhang Leyao said irritably. “I called him right away and asked why he wasn’t there. Guess what he said? He said, ‘Who are you?'”

She hadn’t expected that answer.

The female teacher paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Her shoulders trembled with laughter.

Zhang Leyao frowned at the laughter, exclaiming, “Oh dear, is it really that funny?”

Sensing her displeasure, the teacher composed herself, saying, “Sorry, sorry.”

Zhang Leyao rolled her eyes, saying, “But it doesn’t matter; he’s not single anyway.”

Just as she was about to continue speaking, she saw Zhu Yunque sitting quietly at her desk, grading papers.

She still possessed that impeccable posture, whether standing or sitting, serene and gentle, as if nothing could distract her, forever aloof yet tender.

Zhang Leyao was caught off guard by her presence, unsure how much of her embarrassing moment had been overheard.

But then she thought, she wasn’t the only one who had embarrassed herself.

What was there to be embarrassed about? If everyone was upset, they should be upset together.

So she simply steered the conversation towards Zhu Yunque, calling out, “Hey, Teacher Zhu, you’re here too! Did you hear what I just said?”

Startled by her address, Zhu Yunque’s pen paused slightly, and she finally looked up.

Actually, Zhu Yunque had heard everything Zhang Leyao had said, but she was too lazy, so she simply pretended not to hear.

Her gaze was rather indifferent as she asked, “What is it?”

Seeing her feigned ignorance, Zhang Leyao perked up. She got up, gossipy, and leaned against Zhang Yunque’s desk, saying, “Have you heard about what happened to your ex-boyfriend lately?”

Perhaps her wording was too direct.

The high school teacher who had followed her trembled slightly in embarrassment.

She was just about to give Zhang Leyao a hint.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yunque remained calm, saying, “What is it?”

Zhang Leyao, intrigued, said, “I mean, he has a girlfriend. Haven’t you heard?”

She added with an “Ah” and “Oh, right, maybe you two haven’t been in contact lately.”

“…”

At this point, Zhu Yunque knew there was no point in continuing the conversation.

She lowered her eyes, her gaze returning to the exam paper.

But this reaction only excited Zhang Leyao more. The enemy of my enemy is my friend; she felt Zhu Yunque must be disappointed, and she wanted to continue the conversation.

So she said, “Sigh, actually, I didn’t expect him to be in a relationship so soon. If I had known, I wouldn’t have said those things to you before; it made us more distant—”

That was all.

Zhu Yunque looked up at her and said, “Who told you he was dating someone?”

Zhang Leyao’s gaze sharpened. “He called and told me himself. That day we went to the club, and I waited for ages for him, so I called him.”

She hid the question Lu Rangchen had asked her, “Who are you?” and pouted, saying, “I asked him when he was coming back to the club; I was about to leave, and he said, ‘Oh, taking my girlfriend home.'”

Hearing this, Zhu Yunque’s heart suddenly stirred.

She clearly remembered that there was no sign of them reconciling that day… So, was Lu Rangchen already prepared at that time?

Thinking of this, a subtle ripple stirred in her heart.

Zhu Yunque pursed her lips.

Then her phone rang twice, both times with WeChat voice messages from Lu Rangchen.

Meanwhile, Zhang Leyao was feigning concern, saying, “Just don’t think about him anymore. With his looks and connections, he’s bound to have plenty of women around him. He’s probably a playboy, with a young model one day and an internet celebrity the next. Someone like us, a proper, upright teacher, might be boring to him. Even if you manage to win him over, so what? He’ll just be fickle—”

The rest of her seemingly comforting words were left unsaid.

At that moment, Zhu Yunque had already subconsciously clicked on Lu Rangchen’s voice message. The instant the message played, Zhang Leyao was so shocked she almost swallowed her tongue.

—It was Lu Rangchen’s voice coming from Zhu Yunque’s phone.

The first message, spoken by the man in a suggestive tone: “Zhu Yunque, I’ve discovered you’re really good at being coquettish.”

The second message, accompanied by a deep, chuckled voice: “Miss me? Miss what? Miss how I kiss you?”

She truly hadn’t expected him to be so inappropriate in a voice message.

The moment Zhu Yunque heard this, her mind went blank, and she immediately ended the call.

However, it was too late.

The man’s signature languid tone and nonchalant voice had already given him away completely.

Zhang Leyao stared at Zhu Yunque, as if she’d been slapped in the face, her cheeks burning. She exclaimed, “You…you…you got back together with Lu Rangchen???”

At this point, Zhu Yunque had no way to hide it any longer.

A hint of honey flickered in her eyes. She pursed her lips and, stubbornly continuing Zhang Leyao’s previous topic, said, “Lu Rangchen doesn’t like young models and internet celebrities.”

“…”

Returning her gaze to the exam paper, Zhu Yunque said with a hint of smugness, “He only likes me.”