Young Brave Hearts – CH 082

Chapter 82

Just like Lin Zhi said, Lu Rangchen was truly a born masochist.

Last night, when Zhu Yunque was moaning beneath him, he felt incredibly pleasurable, but hearing her pout in such an urgent and vibrant tone only amplified that pleasure.

It was as if he had personally ripped away the mask she wore to disguise herself.

She only showed her true self to him.

Exclusively, uniquely his.

However, to Lu Rangchen’s surprise, Zhu Yunque didn’t hang up on him immediately.

The girl blushed and felt flustered. Taking advantage of the quiet office, she said in a shy yet stiff tone, “If you keep talking nonsense, I’m hanging up right now.”

Her soft, gentle voice was cool, sounding more like a coquettish plea, utterly lacking in any threat.

Unfortunately, Lu Rangchen was exactly susceptible to her charm.

The man chuckled softly, his voice low and husky, a wanton and seductive tone in his voice. He said in a low voice, “It’s so rare for you to answer the phone; why hang up? Let’s talk a little longer.”

His tone was somewhat commanding.

Yet, surprisingly, there was a childlike quality to it.

Zhu Yunque smiled faintly, broke open two pills, and swallowed them with warm water. The next second, she heard Lu Rangchen say, “If it’s swollen down there, apply some more medicine.”

Perhaps he had said the most frivolous and reckless things ever.

Zhu Yunque was much calmer now, but she couldn’t help subtly judging him. “…You seem quite perceptive.”

Lu Rangchen truly understood her.

He understood that even if she only uttered a single syllable, he could guess what she was thinking.

Too lazy to play guessing games with her, he simply said, “Oh,” quite frankly, “I just called Lin Zhi, and she told me.”

“…”

These words were like setting a fire.

Zhu Yunque’s newly calmed mood was instantly disrupted by him. She unusually laughed in exasperation, “Why do you tell Lin Zhi everything?”

Lu Rangchen’s tone was lazy and casual. “What’s there to be afraid of? We are both adults.”

Zhu Yunque’s ears burned, and she pursed her lips, truly not wanting to talk to him anymore.

She tore open the bento box with one hand, her face stiff. “Lu Rangchen, I’m hanging up.”

On the other end of the line, Lu Rangchen, lounging in his office chair, raised an eyebrow and said, “Okay, go ahead and eat.” Then, as if remembering something, he steered the conversation back to business.

He said, “I forgot to tell you, I’m leaving this afternoon. I’m going abroad to take those kids to a competition.”

His tone was quite casual, as if it were a simple matter of going out for a meal.

Zhu Yunque paused, taken aback.

For some reason, her mood suddenly dipped slightly.

Lu Rangchen seemed to have anticipated her reaction. His deep voice softened, teasing and seductive. “It’ll only be about ten days, not long. Will you bear with it?”

Zhu Yunque pursed her lips and said, “Who’s going to bear it?”

This made Lu Rangchen chuckle.

He chuckled casually, admitting defeat, “Fine, I’ll endure it.”

Since the main point was already made, there was no point in being tactful; he simply stated his opinion directly, “So, can you contact me more often these days?”

To be honest, his tone was quite nonchalant, but his attitude was undeniably serious.

Zhu Yunque choked slightly.

She hadn’t expected Lu Rangchen to say something like that to her.

These were the kinds of things a young girl in the early stages of a relationship, prone to insecurity, would say.

Zhu Yunque was lost in thought for a couple of seconds, wondering if Lu Rangchen really felt that insecure around her.

But before she could find an answer,

Lu Rangchen brought her back to her senses. He scoffed and said, “Is this even worth your hesitation, Zhu Yunque?”

“…”

Of course not.

Zhu Yunque immediately replied, “Of course, I’ll contact you more often.”

After a pause, she added, “After all, I’m your girlfriend now.”

Just then, Zhang Leyao returned with tissues. Hearing the slightly shy tone in Zhu Yunque’s voice, a wave of jealousy washed over her, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Zhu Yunque pretended not to notice.

Lu Rangchen seemed quite satisfied with his smile, saying seductively, “Not girlfriend, but future wife.”

Zhu Yunque’s heart suddenly raced again.

She didn’t know how many times she’d felt this way today, and it felt different from when she first fell in love with him.

Back then, she was anxious, uncertain, and confused about the future, lacking confidence.

But now, they were both grown into decent adults, capable of taking responsibility for each other’s future, so much so that Zhu Yunque truly believed the phrase “future wife.”

Perhaps love did change people. For the next few days, Zhu Yunque was in an unusually good mood. Even her facial expressions became more varied, and the aura she exuded was no longer lifeless and numb; her eyes regained their sparkle.

Old Liu sensed a subtle tension and inquired about the two of them, mentioning that Lu Rangchen had asked her for Zhu Yunque’s number.

Since they were acquaintances, Zhu Yunque didn’t hide anything and frankly admitted that the two had reconciled.

Hearing this, Old Liu was overjoyed, congratulating her incessantly as if her own daughter had found a boyfriend, and asking when the two would get married.

Zhu Yunque was genuinely exasperated by the pressure and could only tell her that they had only recently reconciled and hadn’t thought that far ahead.

But then again, if Lu Rangchen really proposed taking things further, Zhu Yunque felt she wouldn’t refuse.

After all, her decision to return from the capital was a rash and impulsive one.

And as it turned out, her choice was right.

Looking back, Zhu Yunque only remembered that Lu Rangchen was practically working non-stop during that period.

The international league was very important, and the players he brought were all quite skilled. Everyone was fiercely competing to win the prize money, so Lu Rangchen naturally put in a lot of work.

Of course, he also met with the foreign coach. The two had a pleasant chat, and the coach was interested; they would sign a contract after the competition.

The days were just like that, busy and hectic.

Only at night did he finally have time to see Zhu Yunque.

That feeling was truly wonderful.

Late at night, Zhu Yunque would be grading papers while munching on yogurt, and Lu Rangchen would keep her company via video call. The two would chat idly; occasionally, Lu Rangchen would throw in a witty remark.

It seemed that her nights were no longer just hers, no longer lonely.

When it was finally time to sleep…

Lu Rangchen couldn’t resist calling her again, smoking a cigarette.

His girl usually went to bed after a shower, wearing a little sundress, and nestled in a soft bed with the air conditioning on.

Perhaps in a good mood, Zhu Yunque unusually took a couple of selfies for him.

She was the kind of girl who didn’t try too hard to be pretty. Even with a face that could easily charm any man, her selfies were still awkward and innocent.

Lu Rangchen couldn’t help but chuckle when he received the photos. He immediately set them as his phone wallpaper and teased Zhu Yunque, saying he had some material for tonight.

Zhu Yunque asked, “What material?”

Lu Rangchen chuckled mischievously and asked her in return, “What do you think?”

The answer was, of course, self-evident.

Zhu Yunque wasn’t some naive little rabbit. After a moment of embarrassment, she retorted, “Then remember, I want to be on top.”

Little did she know that this one sentence would keep Lu Rangchen up all night.

He finally managed to get a few hours of sleep, but half of that time was spent in the bathroom, his mind filled with images of her on top. Lu Rangchen was utterly exasperated.

Fortunately, this wouldn’t last long; he would be returning to China.

However, his return date wasn’t certain, so he hadn’t told Zhu Yunque beforehand, thinking a sudden return would be a surprise.

But, unfortunately, it was the weekend.

Zhu Yunque woke up to a call from Zhu Ping’an, saying that Zhu Yuxuan had successfully undergone surgery and wanted Zhu Yunque to come and see him.

To be honest, ever since Deng Jiali asked Xie Han for help without permission, Zhu Yunque hadn’t wanted to contact them anymore.

But Zhu Ping’an, oblivious to her ungratefulness, called her and asked her to invite Xie Han over for dinner.

Perhaps her reconciliation with Lu Rangchen made her decide more quickly; in any case, Zhu Yunque didn’t want this stalemate to continue.

That noon, she quickly packed her things and went out, even withdrawing 100,000 yuan in cash from an ATM.

That 100,000 yuan was almost all the savings she could muster, but she presented it to Zhu Ping’an and Deng Jiali without hesitation.

Zhu Yuxuan was already asleep.

Afraid of disturbing them, Zhu Yunque called them to the fire escape.

When Deng Jiali saw her hand over that large wad of cash, she was completely stunned. Zhu Ping’an was also taken aback, asking, “Yunque, what are you doing?”

Zhu Yunque remained aloof and detached.

Her demeanor possessed an ethereal, otherworldly quality.

She seemed indifferent to everything, simply lowering her eyes and saying, “I know you spent a lot of money on Xuanxuan’s surgery. Keep this money.”

Deng Jiali seemed moved, tears welling in her eyes. “Queque, how can you be so sensible—”

Before she could finish, Zhu Ping’an interrupted.

Although he wasn’t wealthy, he was knowledgeable about luxury goods.

He noticed the classic bag Zhu Yunque was carrying and couldn’t help but ask, “Queque, have you been making money lately? Or are you with Xie Han?”

Actually, he was a little worried.

Perhaps it was a father’s intuition, but he felt Zhu Yunque was about to say something.

Sure enough, Zhu Yunque calmly opened her eyes, her first words being, “I’ve gotten back together with Lu Rangchen.”

Upon hearing that name, Zhu Ping’an and Deng Jiali both froze, exchanging incredulous glances.

It was Deng Jiali who spoke.

The woman’s face changed quickly, her words blunt. “Queque, are you crazy? Do you know how hard your father works to keep his job? How could you get involved with him? If you offend the Cheng family again, your father will lose his secure job. What will happen to Xuanxuan then? How will we support him? Are you going to support him?”

Her tone was righteous and stern, completely devoid of the gentle emotion she had shown moments before.

She was ruthless.

Zhu Yunque didn’t give her any more face.

Almost immediately following Deng Jiali’s words, Zhu Yunque said expressionlessly, “Haven’t I been supporting Xuanxuan all these years?”

This remark left Deng Jiali speechless.

She didn’t give either of them a chance to retort.

Ignoring their grim expressions, Zhu Yunque coldly said, “I send you 50,000 yuan every year, plus a 10,000 yuan red envelope for Chinese New Year. Not counting the money I spend on gifts, that’s 240,000 yuan over four years. Ask other parents in Nancheng if 240,000 yuan is enough to raise a child.”

“Even if it isn’t enough, this is the most I can save by scrimping and saving.”

“Now, add this 100,000, making a total of 340,000 yuan. This money,” Zhu Yunque looked at Zhu Ping’an, her eyes devoid of emotion, “is more than enough to cover the money you’ve spent on me over the years.”

They seemed to only then realize the gravity of the situation.

Zhu Ping’an’s eyes flickered. He said, “Queque, you’ve misunderstood. Dad didn’t mean to ask you for money. Xuanxuan said he wanted to see you, and I care about you, so I thought—”

“Since you care about me so much, why didn’t you even ask me before letting her go to Xie Han?”

Zhu Yunque interrupted him, forcing a smile. “Begging him is one thing, but why did you have to try to match me up with him? You know I don’t want to owe him anything; you know who I have feelings for.”

Zhu Ping’an opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Deng Jiali became agitated and said, “Queque, how can you say that? First of all, speaking of money, over the years, haven’t your father and I shown you enough love and care? And Ye Tian, ​​he treated you like a sister. That’s why he protected your mother so much back then, even getting into a fight for her and ending up in the police station. Have you forgotten all that? And your father, wasn’t he being pressured and even considered for dismissal because of you? Now, all that mess is in the past, and you turn around and feel wronged. But even if you feel wronged, you can’t blame us. You need to ask your mother why she did such a shameful thing back then, so shameful that you even made enemies with the Cheng family and are taking revenge on us!!”

The words were expected to leave Zhu Yunque feeling deeply ashamed.

But instead, Zhu Ping’an slapped her across the face, the slap resounding loudly.

Followed by an uncontrollable roar, “Shut the hell up! Did I ask you to speak?!”

The shout seemed to vibrate the air in the corridor.

Someone looked curiously towards the fire escape.

Just then, as Deng Jiali covered her flushed face, incredulous and speechless, Zhu Yunque clenched her fists, her eyes brimming with suppressed emotions, before she could even speak.

A deep, resonant, yet stern male voice sounded behind her, “When did this happen?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque turned around and saw Lu Rangchen, who had somehow appeared at the hospital, standing before her.

He still possessed that handsome face and physique, but an undeniable weariness and travel-worn look was etched on his face.

Before she could react, Lu Rangchen grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him, shielding her from Deng Jiali.

His tall, imposing figure, like an impenetrable wall, arrogant and unrestrained, sheltered Zhu Yunque from the storm.

Zhu Yunque’s heart skipped a beat.

She tried to pull Lu Rangchen away.

But Lu Rangchen stubbornly refused to move.

Holding Zhu Yunque’s wrist tightly, he first glanced at Deng Jiali, then his dark, unfathomable eyes turned to Zhu Ping’an. Two seconds of silence followed.

His thin lips parted slightly, a hint of malice lurking in his eyes, as he spoke, word by word, “When exactly did the Cheng family take their revenge?”