Young Brave Hearts – CH 100

Chapter 100: Classmate Wedding 03

◎ Of course, it’s Zhu Yunque’s husband. ◎

The moment the words left his mouth…

Zhu Yunque’s eyes widened involuntarily as she stared at Lu Rangchen.

…What was all this about? When did Zhao Qijia call her? And when did he become Lu Rangchen’s nemesis?

Zhu Yunque looked at Lu Rangchen, confused, and said, “What nonsense are you talking about? Are you close to him, or have you two had a falling out?”

“Not close,” Lu Rangchen said calmly, “Not really a falling out either.”

Zhu Yunque choked, wanting to ask more, but Lu Rangchen raised his chin and pointed to her phone on the dressing table, saying, “Didn’t you check the call log?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque shook her head, bewildered.

Reaching for the phone on the table, she noticed a missed call in the call log—from Zhao Qijia.

She paused slightly, startled.

As if suddenly realizing something, she looked at Lu Rangchen with a slightly surprised expression.

Lu Rangchen chuckled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “He hit on you more than once.”

His words carried a sarcastic, jealous undertone, so sour they made her teeth ache. Zhu Yunque finally understood why he had been so angry earlier.

But then she thought, what did this have to do with her?

So Zhu Yunque pursed her lips and frowned. “I didn’t know he suddenly contacted me.”

Then she asked, “And why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I was too busy being angry then,” Lu Rangchen chuckled lightly. “I didn’t even remember to argue with you.”

Zhu Yunque rolled her eyes at him, speechless.

The next second, this shameless man pinched her chin and demanded, “Now that you’ve calmed down, you can tell me what exactly happened between you two.”

Zhu Yunque was almost laughing in exasperation. She slapped his hand away without hesitation, saying, “Are you crazy? What kind of relationship could I have with him? We’re just ordinary classmates, you know that.”

Lu Rangchen scoffed, clearly unconvinced. “Ordinary classmates? You’ve kept in touch all these years.”

“Why can’t ordinary classmates keep in touch?”

Zhu Yunque retorted. “When I first returned to Nancheng, we even had a class reunion together.”

She hadn’t expected this.

Lu Rangchen raised an eyebrow, his expression turning sour.

Surprisingly, Zhu Yunque was quite pleased to see him like this.

The corners of her lips couldn’t help but curl up.

But she was also afraid he might really get angry.

So she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning closer in a slightly intimate way, and said, “There were a lot of us at the reunion, more than a dozen people, not just him and me.”

He realized this girl was actually trying to comfort him.

Lu Rangchen glanced at her sideways and chuckled softly, “So, that means he’s not interested in you?”

As he spoke, the man narrowed his eyes, a hint of danger in them. “Do you really think I’ve forgotten how close you two were in high school?”

His eyes were clearly threatening.

But Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but smile, deliberately trying to provoke him. “Then tell me, how close were we in high school?”

A rather provocative question.

She thought Lu Rangchen wouldn’t be able to answer.

But to her surprise, the man chuckled lightly and actually pointed it out.

His tone was casual. “Back in senior year, you two had a good time being deskmates, huh?”

He added with a drawn-out “Oh,” followed by, “He still sat in my old seat. What, you were looking for a replacement?”

“…”

Zhu Yunque’s cheeks suddenly flushed, and she raised her hand to cover his mouth.

The more she covered her face, the deeper Lu Rangchen’s mischievous smile deepened. He said, “Did I hit the nail on the head?”

“Stop trying to glorify yourself.”

Zhu Yunque said.

“Fine, I won’t.”

Lu Rangchen looked at her with a smirk, as if looking at a precious treasure. He said, “Then tell me the truth: has he pursued you all these years?”

“No.”

Zhu Yunque had nothing to hide. “He’s not a simp.”

Lu Rangchen raised a questioning smirk. “Even if he knew we broke up, he was indifferent?”

That question seemed to hit the nail on the head.

Zhu Yunque’s eyes flickered with a subtle unease.

Lu Rangchen knew he was right from her expression and immediately chuckled.

Zhu Yunque quickly explained, “He only asked me once, when I was in the capital. I made myself very clear.”

Her expression was like that of a schoolchild who had made a mistake.

Lu Rangchen found it inexplicably amusing. He looked at her leisurely and asked, “How exactly do you mean ‘clear’?”

“…Just say it.”

Zhu Yunque looked at him helplessly. “Do you expect me to beat around the bush?”

This answer satisfied Lu Rangchen. He gave a very faint smile. “You said you don’t like him?”

“One part, I guess.”

Zhu Yunque honestly replied, “Mainly, I made it very clear to him. I said that I decided to return to Nancheng for you.”

As she said this, her eyes were clear and innocent.

There wasn’t a hint of lying or trying to please.

Lu Rangchen, however, met her gaze, his deep eyes noticeably darkening.

Possessiveness gradually filled his eyes.

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he suddenly chuckled, saying, “What about Zhao Qijia? What was his reaction?”

Zhu Yunque laughed. “What reaction could he possibly have?”

She said, “He’s a grown man, a high-ranking executive now. Even if he had a reaction, he wouldn’t show it in front of me, would he?”

That explanation made sense.

Lu Rangchen nodded knowingly. “Are you still in contact?”

“No.”

Zhu Yunque said, “We met once at that gathering, exchanged contact information, but haven’t been in touch since.”

She frowned subtly after saying that, “You sound like you’re interrogating a criminal.”

With that, Zhu Yunque angrily pushed Lu Rangchen away, trying to get off his lap.

However, men were inherently submissive.

Just now, when she was going along with him, he had a cold face, asking all sorts of questions. Now that she was unhappy, he knew to smile and keep her.

Holding her slender waist, Lu Rangchen pulled her into his lap, gently stroking her chin as he coaxed her, “I was just teasing you a couple of times, and you’re really angry.”

“Were you just teasing me a couple of times?”

Zhu Yunque gave him a cold look. “How many times have you asked me?”

“It’s because I care about you.”

Lu Rangchen made an excuse, smiling, “Can’t you let me relax a little more?”

“Don’t I let you relax?”

Zhu Yunque grabbed his collar, annoyed, “I’m practically glued to your side every day.”

Hearing this, Lu Rangchen smiled, a rare occurrence.

But he still pressed his advantage. “Anyway, you need to stay away from Zhao Qijia.”

Zhu Yunque: “…Why do you look down on him so much?”

She wanted to add that Zhao Qijia was actually a pretty good person; before they reunited, he had even helped her get the address of Lu Rangchen’s club.

Before she could even utter these words, Lu Rangchen chuckled, “Aren’t you angry that other people are always eyeing your man?”

“…”

Fine.

Zhu Yunque was speechless but couldn’t help but tease him, saying, “But he already has a girlfriend.”

“It seems they’re getting married soon.”

At this point, the air fell eerily silent.

Zhu Yunque lowered her eyes, suppressing a smile, watching his expression shift from speechless to amused, then to mischievous intent.

“Alright, Zhu Yunque.”

Lu Rangchen kneaded the soft flesh of her waist, chuckling dangerously, “Now you know how to tease people, huh?”

As he spoke, he leaned in again, trying to kiss Zhu Yunque’s neck.

It was supposed to be a kiss, but it wasn’t a proper one, making Zhu Yunque feel itchy all over, utterly exasperated.

After a short while of this playful banter, her phone suddenly rang again. Looking down, he saw it was Zhao Qijia again.

Zhu Yunque, brimming with enthusiasm, pushed Lu Rangchen away, holding her phone with a hint of amusement, and said, “See, he really needs something; otherwise, he wouldn’t have called so many times.”

Lu Rangchen gave a noncommittal smirk, showing no particular reaction.

Zhu Yunque, on the other hand, glanced at him twice before finally answering the call in front of him, even putting it on speakerphone.

The moment the call connected, Zhao Qijia’s helpless yet anxious voice filled the bedroom air: “Wait, old classmate, what are you busy with? Why did it take you so long to answer after calling so many times?”

If before Lu Rangchen had suspected this kid of having ulterior motives, now, hearing Zhao Qijia address Zhu Yunque as “old classmate,” that suspicion instantly vanished, and even his expression relaxed.

He even seemed to find himself rather amusing.

A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

Zhu Yunque glared at him, her eyes seeming to say, “Now you believe me?”

Then she spoke to Zhao Qijia, “Sorry, I was tutoring some students and haven’t been checking my phone much.”

“Oh, I see,” Zhao Qijia said politely. “Are you free now?”

“I’m not busy,” Zhu Yunque said. “What’s up?”

“Well, actually, it’s nothing important,” Zhao Qijia smiled a little sheepishly. “It’s just a small favor I’d like you to help me with, but it depends on whether you’re willing. If you’re not, you can introduce me to someone else.”

Zhu Yunque asked, “What is it?”

Zhao Qijia said quite directly, “It’s about my wedding. I’m having my wedding next week. I don’t know if you noticed, but I posted an e-invitation on my WeChat Moments.”

“…”

This really touched on Zhu Yunque’s “blind spot.”

After all, she was usually so busy that she rarely posted on social media, let alone checked it.

She exchanged a glance with Lu Rangchen and said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice. I didn’t know you were getting married so soon.”

It was probably because they rarely contacted each other.

Zhao Qijia’s tone was undeniably distant as she said, “It’s okay, I’ll let you know anyway. But the real reason I contacted you this time was to ask if you’re free next Sunday. It’s like this: my fiancé had a falling out with one of the bridesmaids they had arranged, so now they only have two bridesmaids. She feels that’s a bit too few, so she asked me to help her find some old classmates.”

“You know, I don’t know many girls. After thinking it over, I could only ask you.”

The man’s words fell silent once more.

Zhu Yunque parted her lips slightly, looking at Lu Rangchen with a hint of realization, unsure whether to agree.

Lu Rangchen and Zhao Qijia weren’t exactly acquainted.

He didn’t have that kind of complicated relationship.

Seeing his wife stuck in a dilemma, he raised a glance at her, seemingly enjoying the drama, and said directly, “No, that won’t do.”

“…”

“She’s already married.”

A sudden, cold male voice, sounding intimidating, abruptly cut off Zhao Qijia’s unspoken words.

He instinctively uttered a sound of surprise, as if asking who was speaking.

Zhu Yunque’s lips moved as if to speak.

Unexpectedly, Lu Rangchen, with his arm around her, interrupted, cutting her off.

He scoffed lightly, saying lazily, “Who else could it be? Of course, it’s Zhu Yunque’s husband.”

Zhao Qijia: “…”

–

That night, Zhao Qijia truly experienced what awkwardness meant.

He had really thought it over and over, and was forced into it before finally calling Zhu Yunque.

He had initially thought that, given Zhu Yunque’s personality, being a bridesmaid would be troublesome, but who could have imagined that Zhu Yunque would actually get married?

She actually…got married…

Zhao Qijia’s jaw nearly dropped.

Probably because it was inconvenient to talk.

After hanging up the phone, Zhu Yunque still managed to shake off Lu Rangchen and go to the study alone to call Zhao Qijia.

Although he no longer had those feelings for her, Zhao Qijia was still quite shocked. He said, “Wait, Zhu Yunque, when did you get married? I didn’t hear a thing!”

“And you only returned to Nancheng a few months ago, and for Lu Rangchen no less! And you actually got married in a flash???”

“Didn’t you want to reconcile with him???”

“You…you’re too fast!”

Hearing his incoherent surprise, Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but laugh. She said, “Can you stop for a second? Let me finish before you exclaim.”

Zhao Qijia took a deep breath. “Okay, you go first.”

Zhu Yunque lowered the corners of her mouth slightly and said, “Didn’t you recognize who that person just talking was?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qijia’s intelligence gradually returned to its usual level.

He froze for a moment, then hesitated for a few seconds before tentatively saying, “…Don’t tell me that was Lu Rangchen.”

Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but smile and said, “Who else could it be but him?”

“…”

Zhao Qijia was genuinely shocked.

He choked for several seconds before saying, “Zhu Yunque, you’re amazing!”

“When you met me last time, you didn’t even know his contact information, and now that I’m contacting you, you two are already married?”

“No, you two are incredibly efficient. I even caught up with you.”

Zhu Yunque laughed and said, “You’re not exactly slow either. When I saw you at the last gathering, you said you’d just started dating.”

At this, Zhao Qijia became a little embarrassed. He laughed and said it was all an accident; don’t mention it.

He turned back and asked her, “So when did you two get back together?”

Zhu Yunque thought for a moment and said, “About a month after we reunited.”

Hearing this, Zhao Qijia chuckled, clearly happy for her. “What did I tell you? He definitely can’t forget you. You weren’t confident back then. You, Pan Tiaoshun, a stunning beauty, always likable since childhood, are more than a match for Lu Rangchen.”

If it were anyone else, they would definitely be grinning from ear to ear.

But Zhu Yunque wasn’t buying it. She smiled and said, “Old classmate, we’re so close; don’t say things like that. Just tell me if you need anything, and I’ll help if I can.”

In short, this was exactly the straightforward answer Zhao Qijia was waiting for.

So he asked directly if Zhu Yunque knew any suitable unmarried female classmates who could be bridesmaids to add some flair.

Zhu Yunque thought for a moment and said, “Yes, there is one, but I don’t know if she’d be willing.”

Zhao Qijia asked, “Who?”

Zhu Yunque said, “Xu Linda, remember? We went on a trip together after graduating high school.”

Upon hearing Xu Linda’s name, Zhao Qijia suddenly realized, “Her? Oh, I remember now.”

He then smiled somewhat sheepishly, “I remember she went abroad. I don’t have her contact information, and we haven’t kept in touch much over the years. I just remember she was a very warm-hearted and lively person.”

Zhu Yunque said, “Well, she knows you, and you’re both alumni. If she has time, she’ll definitely help.”

That was a relief.

Zhao Qijia finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “Okay, then you can contact her for me and ask if she’d be willing. Don’t worry, she doesn’t need to contribute any money.”

Zhu Yunque said okay.

But she still felt that something was missing in their conversation.

So, after thinking for a moment, she asked, “But would your wife mind if the bridesmaid was someone she didn’t know?”

It was funny, actually.

To this day, Zhu Yunque still didn’t know who Zhao Qijia’s wife was or what she looked like.

She was even considering clicking into his WeChat Moments to see the e-invitation when Zhao Qijia casually remarked, “Oh? They know each other, right? Weren’t they classmates in their second year of high school?”

This time, it was Zhu Yunque’s turn to be stunned.

If Xu Linda and his wife were classmates in their second year of high school, then wouldn’t she know her too?

Zhu Yunque was momentarily stunned, about to ask who his wife was, when Zhao Qijia spoke first, saying, “My girlfriend is Gao Ge, the Gao Ge who sat in front of you in our second year of high school.”

The moment the words left his lips, the surrounding air fell into an awkward silence.

Thinking of that arrogant and disdainful face, Zhu Yunque took a deep breath, then suddenly smiled and said, “Gao Ge? What happened between you two…?”

Zhao Qijia sighed. “It was an introduction from my family. They were pressuring us to get married back then. We met a few times, felt a connection, and decided to give it a try. But…”

He gave a bitter smile. “But after a few tries, she got pregnant.”

“…”

Zhu Yunque was momentarily speechless.

But she couldn’t help but ask sharply, “So you don’t really want to marry her, is that right?”

This question embarrassed Zhao Qijia.

After thinking for a moment, he forced a laugh and said, “Not really, it’s just that I’ve reached a certain age, and many things are beyond my control.”

After all, how many people could be as passionately in love as Zhu Yunque and Lu Rangchen, willing to wait for each other even if it meant a lifetime of being single?

Anyway, Zhao Qijia couldn’t do that. He couldn’t go against societal norms or his family.

He said, “My mom was seriously ill recently, and she was always worried about not seeing me get married. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so I agreed as soon as the middleman introduced us.”

Zhu Yunque was silent for two seconds, then said, “Then you could have prevented her from getting pregnant.”

Perhaps Lu Rangchen gave her enough security.

So even though she didn’t like Gao Ge, Zhu Yunque felt that if a girl got pregnant, it was because the man was reckless and irresponsible.

Moreover, the two had a good relationship before, and she knew Zhao Qijia’s character, so she spoke more bluntly this time.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Qijia felt incredibly wronged.

He was genuinely at a loss for words, saying, “It’s really not my fault. I always wear it. It was her; it was her who insisted—”

At this point, Zhao Qijia hesitated, as if there was something he was embarrassed to say.

Thinking about it, all he could say was, “Anyway, I wasn’t irresponsible. I’m not that kind of person. You know me. I just didn’t expect her to do anything underhanded.”

“…”

Zhu Yunque felt like she was in a fantasy.

She choked up for a moment, confused, and said, “So, it seems she really wants to marry you?”

“I guess so.”

Zhao Qijia smiled helplessly. “It’s not that I’m bragging or anything; she… well, she really does like me.”

He paused, then added, “Actually, I hesitated at first. After all, everyone in our class knows her personality—self-centered and domineering. She hasn’t changed much over the years; otherwise, we wouldn’t have asked around, and no one would have wanted to be her bridesmaid.”

“But no matter what, her heart is truly with me, and she’s also very good to my mother. Maybe it’s because of my age.”

“I also want to find someone who loves me more to live my life.”

At this point in the conversation, Zhao Qijia’s voice unconsciously became calmer, and he asked Zhu Yunque, “What about you? What’s the situation between you and Lu Rangchen? Why did it happen so suddenly?”

Zhu Yunque told the truth: “It was just at that moment that I decided to get the certificate.”

After a pause, she said, “But we haven’t decided to hold a wedding yet, so the news will not be made public for the time being.”

Zhao Qijia said, “Did he propose the marriage?”

Zhu Yunque nodded and said yes.

Zhao Qijia smiled unsurprisingly. “Well, I guess that’s the case. Once you two reconcile, he will definitely be eager to tie you to his side.”

She didn’t know why.

Hearing this, Zhu Yunque’s heart felt warm, and she slightly raised the corners of her mouth.

She said, “It’s not just him.”

She said in her heart that if it were her, she would also want to marry him early, settle down early, and never separate.

Before she could finish speaking, the study door was pushed open.

Zhu Yunque looked up and saw Lu Rangchen leaning lazily against the doorway, arms crossed.

He still had that nonchalant, carefree demeanor, as aloof as a pampered young master, languid yet intimidating.

Perhaps she and Zhao Qijia had been on the phone for too long, and he was displeased, so he simply came over and stared at her, not only staring intently but also gesturing to check his watch.

His expression seemed to say, “How long have you been talking? When will this end?”

He was undeniably jealous.

Zhu Yunque couldn’t help but twitch her lips and could only say to Zhao Qijia, “Okay, that’s settled then. I’ll contact you after I talk to Xu Linda.”

Zhao Qijia teased her, “Why the rush? Want to chat a little longer? I’m quite curious how you managed to win him back.”

The man’s voice wasn’t quiet.

With that level of hearing, Lu Rangchen definitely heard everything clearly.

Zhu Yunque didn’t dare offend Lu Rangchen and blurted out, “No, we can’t chat anymore; he’ll get angry if we do.”

She spoke quickly, and Zhao Qijia didn’t quite catch it.

He was about to say something when Lu Rangchen suddenly frowned, walked over, and, completely losing patience, took Zhu Yunque’s phone, turned on speakerphone, and clicked his tongue rudely at Zhao Qijia, “Zhao Qijia, don’t you have a wife?”

He scoffed, his attack at its maximum, “Or is your wife mute and can’t talk to you?”

The words fell.

There was an eerie silence for two seconds on the other end, followed by a cold beeping sound.

Zhu Yunque: “…”

I give up.