Love Bet - Chapter 10 - Rejection

“Excuse me?” Mo Tianchen’s piercing eyes locked onto Qiao Shuqi’s hesitant, evasive gaze, as if channeling three years of longing into that single look, attempting to shoot through her defenses and pierce the heart that had been fleeing from him.

“Sorry? Can ‘sorry’ make tears disappear? Can ‘sorry’ erase sacrifices? Can ‘sorry’ make love vanish into thin air? Can it?” Mo Tianchen questioned Qiao Shuqi over and over, his voice escalating with each repetition. It was as though his powerful hands had a will of their own, tightening around Qiao Shuqi’s shoulders. In that instant, an uncontrollable urge surged through him: the urge to hold on and never let go.

This woman before him, who had haunted his thoughts for three long years-could he truly bring himself to hurt her? Seeing Qiao Shuqi crumbling into tears, Mo Tianchen suddenly found he couldn’t push her any further. If anything, all he wanted now was to hold this precious gem close, to pull her in with an embrace so firm that she became one with him, body and soul, never to separate again.

Qiao Shuqi avoided Mo Tianchen’s gaze, forcing herself to look anywhere but at his strikingly handsome face. Under the intensity of his stare, her composure completely unraveled; her only instinct was to break free from his overly forceful grip. But Mo Tianchen’s broad hands were like unyielding clamps, pinning her firmly in place, leaving her no chance to escape, no place to run.

Mo Tianchen reached out a hand and gently lifted Qiao Shuqi’s chin, tilting her face toward him so she couldn’t look away. She was still as captivating as she had been three years ago-a delicate, doll-like face that now bore traces of exhaustion from a sleepless night. Her normally fair complexion was pallid. Mo Tianchen studied the face he had dreamed of for the past three years, his heart aching with each passing second. She had lost weight. Could it be that she had been suffering as much as he had? Did she wake up in the middle of the night, haunted by dreams of him, just as he often woke with a sense of emptiness?

“Qiao Shuqi,” Mo Tianchen murmured her name softly. His thin lips inched closer to hers. “Can we start over? As if the past three years never happened. No resentment, no awkwardness-just erase it all completely. Starting tomorrow, let’s go back to being as pure and unburdened as we were when we first graduated from school. Let’s start fresh, just like back then. Can we?”

By the time he finished speaking, Mo Tianchen felt as though he had lowered himself to the dust beneath her feet. If anyone outside this office could see the relentless, dominant president humbling himself and pleading in front of a woman, they’d be utterly stunned.

Qiao Shuqi quietly lifted her eyes to look at Mo Tianchen, and unexpectedly met his intense and sincere gaze. She pondered silently, recalling that Mo Tianchen used to be spirited and vibrant. Despite their years together, he had never spoken to her with such a tone.

Unconsciously, Qiao Shuqi had stopped crying.

Had he lost weight because I wasn’t by his side?

Looking at Mo Tianchen’s somewhat gaunt face, Qiao Shuqi felt guilty. Perhaps her decision to leave back then was too abrupt; maybe she should have listened to his side of the story instead of just walking away.

Start over? Can we truly be together again now? At the thought of Mo Tianchen’s recent proposal, a gleam of joy sparkled in Qiao Shuqi’s eyes. Perhaps, we still have a chance to be together, he still loves me, and can care for and protect me like before. In my memories, he would take me to the aristocratic amusement park, cook porridge for me when I was sick, bring me mysterious romantic surprises on my birthday, and introduce me at high-society luxurious fashion banquets without minding my humble origins…

But… Qiao Shuqi, do you deserve this? The voice of Chen Yue, Mo Tianchen’s mother, suddenly echoed in Qiao Shuqi’s ears.

Indeed, I am just a child from a poor family. Although I am well-educated and capable, the disparity in social standing is something that neither education nor ability can bridge. Mo Tianchen needs a woman of equal social standing, someone who matches him, a renowned lady of grace. Such a woman might not have extensive knowledge, but she certainly possesses a noble demeanor, noble manners, noble status, noble family – all things that Qiao Shuqi could never dream of, sacred things she could never reach. No matter how hard she tries, those innate statuses are something she cannot achieve through effort alone.

“Qiao Shuqi! You truly don’t deserve his love, not at all! He has given you so much; what can you give him in return? Can you elevate his career to new heights? Can you add wings to his enterprise? What are you still hoping for, Qiao Shuqi? You’ve already hurt him once, and he’s nearly forgotten you completely. What right do you have to start over with him? What right? You really don’t deserve it, not at all!” Qiao Shuqi screamed at herself internally, a bitter taste rising in her heart as tears streamed down from her large eyes. She fought the urge to throw herself into Mo Tianchen’s arms, berating herself harshly in her mind while her right hand secretly pinched her thigh hard enough to bring clarity through the pain, “Go away, go away! Qiao Shuqi, you wretch, why are you still here? Get out, get out! Hurry up and leave!”

Mo Tianchen, observing Qiao Shuqi’s prolonged silence, mistook it for hesitation due to being moved. He slightly pursed his lips and fiercely kissed the lips he had longed for.

The strong scent of peppermint candy mixed with Mo Tianchen’s unique comforting body fragrance instantly filled Qiao Shuqi’s lungs. The overpowering male presence made her struggle and moan softly.

Mo Tianchen’s gaze darkened as he took the opportunity to deepen their kiss.

She was lost in the suffocating kiss, her cheeks instantly flushing red.

“No, this can’t be happening,” Qiao Shuqi sternly warned herself internally, yet her body involuntarily leaned into Mo Tianchen’s embrace, her arms naturally wrapping around his waist…

“Do you deserve this?” Chen Yue’s voice, Mo Tianchen’s mother, thundered in Qiao Shuqi’s heart. Startled back to reality, Qiao Shuqi steeled her heart and pushed Mo Tianchen away.

“Mo Tianchen.” Qiao Shuqi bit her lip hard, her recently kissed lips enticingly plump. She gently closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were clear, her tone resolute: “It’s over between us, the past is the past, how can we pretend it never happened? No matter how much we try to ignore it, we can’t deny the three years we lost. So, let’s not be together anymore. I earnestly request you to transfer me back under Director Yin Fengyu of the Design Department. From now on, let’s treat each other as strangers, and unless it’s for work, let’s not interact.” Qiao Shuqi didn’t know where she found the courage to look into his affectionate eyes and say such heartless words. All she knew was that with every word she spoke, it felt like her heart was bleeding.

“Qiao Shuqi, you…” Mo Tianchen, upon hearing her response, was momentarily lost for words. His earnest longing, searching, waiting, was that all just to hear her say ‘no further contact’? How could that be? He absolutely refused to accept this outcome!

Mo Tianchen dominantly pulled Qiao Shuqi into his arms, his chin resting on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear, “Don’t even think about it!”

Qiao Shuqi spoke bitterly, “I just want to leave, I just don’t want to disturb your life, I just don’t want to make us both sad anymore… But why, why won’t you let me go? What do you want from me? We can’t be together, it’s impossible!” By the end of her plea, her defenses had easily surrendered, and tears fell once again, leaving her mind blank. All the reasons she had prepared, about matching social status and family interests, were forgotten. She wished there were no obstacles, that just mutual love with Mo Tianchen would be enough, without having to consider reality.

“I will never let you leave! Absolutely not!” Feeling his chest slowly getting damp, Mo Tianchen gently stroked her straight, black hair, as if this could calm her down. He knew that his eyes must be red by now, as fiery as his heart for her.

Without waiting for her response, he slowly continued, “Qiao Shuqi, you still owe me, don’t you? You owe me three years of longing, three years of searching, three years of eager anticipation! You haven’t repaid any of these, how can you think of leaving again?”

“You must stay, stay and serve as my slave, you must repay all the emotions I’ve invested!”

“No, Mo Tianchen, please, stop tormenting me, please let me go!” Qiao Shuqi was on the verge of collapse, heartbroken and without any strength to even pretend, Mo Tianchen’s embrace serving as her only support.

“Impossible!” Mo Tianchen exclaimed angrily, “If you dare leave my company, I will make sure you lose everything in Z City, absolutely everything! No one will dare to hire you, no one will dare lend you money, and you will never be able to take even a step out of Z City!”

“You…” Qiao Shuqi knew that with Mo Tianchen’s status and power, he could indeed do all this, and even more ruthlessly, but she…

“Don’t think I’ll show mercy. If you dare leave me, I’ll make sure you suffer immensely and regret it deeply,” Mo Tianchen said these words clearly knowing he could follow through, but he also knew deep down that these threats were only meant to intimidate Qiao Shuqi. If he were actually to act on them, he probably wouldn’t have the heart to do so.

“So,” Mo Tianchen’s tone suddenly softened, his burning lips gently touching Qiao Shuqi’s cold earlobe, “stay with me, like before. Okay?”

His words, as intense and domineering as his presence, completely overwhelmed Qiao Shuqi. She could no longer bear the warmth and temptation, and her defenses were about to collapse.

“Bang!”

Suddenly, the door to the office was kicked open unexpectedly, and the bodies of Qiao Shuqi and Mo Tianchen, who were embracing, were pulled apart.

“Mo Tianchen, you playboy, I knew you couldn’t stand the loneliness. So, you’ve decided to indulge, haven’t you?” Bi Ziyao laughed boisterously, not minding the awkwardness his entrance caused.

Although Qiao Shuqi recognized Bi Ziyao’s familiar face, she was in no mood for reunions. If not now, then when? Should she wait for Mo Tianchen to completely conquer her, letting her carefully built resolve dissipate like smoke? Seizing the moment while Mo Tianchen was distracted by Bi Ziyao, Qiao Shuqi hurriedly said, “Mo Tianchen, goodbye!” Then, she ran out of Mo Tianchen’s president office as if she were wearing not high heels, but the sneakers she used to wear in gym class.

“Grab her!” Mo Tianchen immediately reacted.

Bi Ziyao watched the woman run past him, about to instinctively grab the hem of her dress, but he recognized something familiar about her. In that moment of realization, he forgot to catch her. By the time Mo Tianchen reached the door, Qiao Shuqi had already escaped his field of vision.

“Bi Ziyao! What have you done?” Mo Tianchen turned around, furious as if he could point right at his nose and curse. They had been close friends for years, growing up together like brothers, yet at this moment, he was incredibly frustrated.

“Mo Tianchen, that was Qiao Shuqi, wasn’t it?” Bi Ziyao suddenly realized why the figure had looked so familiar. He stood there dumbfounded, staring in the direction Qiao Shuqi had gone. His excited tone made the suspicious Mo Tianchen pause in confusion.

“Could it be because of him?” Mo Tianchen silently questioned in his mind.

“It was Qiao Shuqi, it was Qiao Shuqi! That’s great, that’s great, that’s great!” Bi Ziyao suddenly shouted out loud, startling Mo Tianchen into a cold sweat.