Love Bet - Novelbike

During the morning self-study session, a vibrant bouquet of red roses lay on her desk; opening her textbook revealed a line of flamboyant and provoking words; and even on the academy’s forum, fiery discussions about various events raged on. The one most unwelcome and receiving universal scorn, of course, was Qiao Shuqi.

After enduring a morning of hateful and venomous gazes, the bell finally rang signaling the end of the class. Qiao Shuqi stood up and quickly fled from the crowded and dangerous areas.

“Qiao Shuqi.” A familiar voice echoed across the campus, prompting many to look around for the source. Qiao Shuqi was no exception.

“I like you. From the moment I first saw you, I was drawn to you. I’ve never actively pursued anyone before; you’re the first…” Qiao Shuqi’s gaze finally landed on the source-a large speaker atop the school building. Helpless and now aching with a headache, she sighed while the voice on the broadcast continued smoothly.

“Ever since the time I saw you, it feels as if my soul was captured by you. Your image occupies every corner of my memory. To me, you’re like a glass of clear water-simple, pure. I can’t bear to drink you, for I’d rather leave my heart suspended in the glass. Remember, when all has turned to dust, I will still be here waiting. When the world changes, I will still hold my ground. I will always stand behind you, quietly hoping for you to turn around and give me a simple smile…”

Inside the broadcast room, Mo Tianchen, frowning, finished reading the words hastily scrawled on the paper in his hand. He flipped the broadcast switch off, then turned around and slapped Bi Ziyao on the back of the head.

“Are you trying to get me killed? I asked you for some poetic lines, and this is the nauseating nonsense you came up with? Are you intentionally trying to make me look bad?”

“Where on earth was I supposed to find something ‘high-quality’ for you? It’ll do! Does it have to be so elaborate?” Bi Ziyao, unconcerned, shrugged it off. He was only here for the fun.

“Wow! Mo Tianchen is so handsome; he’s confessing his feelings!”

“Unbelievable-he’s confessing to that country girl Qiao Shuqi?”

“I’m so moved! I can’t take it anymore…”

The campus exploded with chatter and exclamations.

Qiao Shuqi rubbed her forehead in frustration. She must have owed him in a past life. Glancing up at the broadcast speakers above the building, she picked up her pace and headed toward the broadcast room.

The broadcast room was eerily quiet, with only the faint sounds of breathing breaking the silence. Mo Tianchen leaned casually against a sleek black leather chair, his long fingers twirling a pen as he gazed at the girl standing in front of him with a faint smile. Qiao Shuqi stood across from him, her posture stiff. After what felt like an eternity, she took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

“Just say it-what do you really want?” she asked. She was only in her freshman year, with four long years until graduation. If he kept this up, she wouldn’t be able to take it anymore. Negotiation was her only way out now.

“It’s simple: be my girlfriend,” Mo Tianchen said, his tone resolute and devoid of compromise, the corners of his lips curling slightly. Seeing his unrelenting attitude, Qiao Shuqi closed her eyes, working to suppress the fire raging in her chest, and replied:

“Young Master, I’m begging you. Please, I came here to study, to focus on my academics. As for dating, let alone being your girlfriend-I haven’t even dreamed of such a thing. There are so many excellent girls at school who like you. Can’t you go pursue one of them instead?”

“No.” Mo Tianchen stood up and took a step closer to her, his eyes fixed intently on hers. “You just said you’ve never dreamed of being my girlfriend. Well, lucky for you, I’m giving you the chance to make that dream come true. You also mentioned how so many girls at school would kill for this opportunity. Isn’t it a good thing that it’s fallen into your lap?” He tapped her lightly on the head with the black pen in his hand, raising an eyebrow as if waiting for her response.

“But… I just want to quietly finish my four years here. You attract too much attention, and I don’t want to become the center of every conversation,” Qiao Shuqi said, frowning as she lowered her head. Her fingers fidgeted nervously, intertwining with each other.

Seeing her silly demeanor, Mo Tianchen couldn’t help but laugh. Reaching out, he instinctively ruffled her sleek black hair.

“If I don’t want anyone talking, then no one dares to talk,” he said, his domineering tone reemerging.

“But I don’t like you!” Qiao Shuqi lifted her head, her frown deepening. Not only do I not like you, but I also really hate you, she added silently in her mind.

“I never said you had to like me at first sight. Falling for me over time is fine too,” Mo Tianchen said, hands in his pockets, his voice calm, as if he’d all the time in the world.

“I never planned on liking you,” Qiao Shuqi emphasized. His patience, already stretched thin, was a rarity when dealing with someone like Qiao Shuqi. But at her firm declaration, his infamous temper finally cracked. The bright, confident smile on his handsome face vanished in an instant, replaced by a dark, icy expression. The chilling aura he exuded was enough to make Qiao Shuqi shiver involuntarily.

“Qiao Shuqi, you’re leaving me no choice,” Mo Tianchen muttered before striding toward her. Before she could react, he wrapped an arm tightly around her waist, his other hand locking her head in place. Without hesitation, his thin lips claimed hers. The strength of his grip kept her from moving, and his tongue pried her teeth apart as he deepened the kiss.

Time blurred. By the time Mo Tianchen finally let go, Qiao Shuqi felt like she was on the brink of suffocation. Her lips were trembling as she gasped for air. Her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears, and she looked utterly defeated. Without a word, she dropped to the floor, crouching down as her slim arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Her small face, flushed from oxygen deprivation, buried itself in her arms as her frail shoulders quivered with sobs.

That jerk. She had clearly told him she didn’t like him. How could he… Her first kiss! Just like that, stolen! What a shameless, beastly scumbag…

“Hey, alright, stop crying. I’ll take responsibility for it, okay?” Mo Tianchen looked down at the small figure crouched on the ground. An uncomfortable feeling stirred in his chest. He reached out a hand to pull her up.

“Go away.” Qiao Shuqi, her face streaked with tears, shook off Mo Tianchen’s hand and tried to walk toward the door. But a strong grip caught her firmly, and no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, it wouldn’t let go. Sniffing, she turned around and glared at Mo Tianchen angrily.

“What more do you want?”

“I said I’ll take responsibility.”

“I don’t want your so-called responsibility. Let me go.” Qiao Shuqi kept struggling.

“Hey, you already gave me your first kiss. You don’t get to decide now.” With a firm pull, Mo Tianchen yanked her close to him. Lowering his head, he lightly grazed her swollen lips, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“From now on, you, Qiao Shuqi, are my girlfriend. Don’t even think about denying it. Between you and me, the entire academy will choose to believe me. So, Miss Qiao, it’s in your best interest to behave yourself. Don’t you think so, hmm?”

“You… humph!” Qiao Shuqi shoved Mo Tianchen with all her strength and ran toward the door. Mo Tianchen slowly followed her out, standing in the now-empty hallway. He couldn’t help but let his lips curl into a sly smile. The game had only just begun.

The morning’s commotion completely ruined Qiao Shuqi’s appetite. Dejected, she walked step by step back to her dormitory. On her desk, a large bag of food greeted her-cakes, boiled eggs, steamed buns, and even a bowl of steaming porridge. Qiao Shuqi rubbed her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing. Was it Zhou Xiaoyu who bought it for her? Just as she was pondering, her phone began ringing. The name “Zhou Xiaoyu” flashed across the screen. Qiao Shuqi quickly answered the call.

“Hey, Xiaoyu, I’m back. Did you buy me breakfast? Since when did you become so thoughtful?” She took a sip of the vegetable porridge, which wasn’t bad at all.

“Thoughtful? That wasn’t me. It was Young Master Mo’s doing. He sent someone to deliver it to you.” Hearing this, Qiao Shuqi choked violently on her soup, nearly spitting it out. “By the way, Young Master Mo is so handsome! His heartfelt confession this morning-everyone at the academy heard it. So romantic and cool…” Zhou Xiaoyu continued on the other end, fully immersed in her own admiration.

Meanwhile, Qiao Shuqi felt somewhat speechless inside. That brainless confession was considered romantic and cool? With her head drooping, she halfheartedly responded to Zhou Xiaoyu, said a few perfunctory goodbyes, and hung up the call.

Turning to look at the food on the table, Qiao Shuqi pursed her lips as her stomach embarrassingly growled loudly. Although Mo Tianchen was rather annoying, the food on the table was indeed tempting, especially the aroma of the clear porridge wafting into her nostrils. After struggling with her fingers for a while, Qiao Shuqi eventually gave in and feebly slumped in front of the table, starting to eat voraciously.

After eating and drinking her fill, drowsiness slowly overtook her. These past few days, buried under the gossip and the nightly sentimental sighs of Zhou Xiaoyu, Qiao Shuqi had not had a good night’s sleep in days. Rubbing her eyes, she climbed into bed, sleepily clutching her blanket. Her dreams were filled with Mo Tianchen’s suffocating kiss that enveloped her completely, along with a very special scent-pleasant and comforting. Gradually drifting into sleep, Qiao Shuqi vaguely thought, it must be his natural body scent.

It felt like she had slept for a very long time, and in her dream, she returned to that moment with Mo Tianchen-the special scent, the feeling of suffocation, her tongue numb from his kiss, increasingly finding it hard to breathe. As Qiao Shuqi’s consciousness slowly cleared, she opened her eyes to find a handsome face magnified before her-thick eyebrows, deep eyes, a high nose, and thin lips. Mo Tianchen!

Qiao Shuqi widened her eyes. Before she could react, Mo Tianchen quickly covered her mouth with one hand and placed a finger from his other hand against his lips.

“Shh, don’t scream. If someone hears, your reputation will be ruined,” Mo Tianchen whispered, seeing Qiao Shuqi’s wide, watery eyes. He waited for her to nod obediently before he removed his hand.

“You sleep like a pig snoring in broad daylight,” Mo Tianchen couldn’t help but tease her as he remembered her sleeping appearance.

“You’re the one who’s like a pig. Everyone who you’ve bullied these past days has wanted to kill me in an instant. How could I sleep well? And just when I finally do, you wake me up,” Qiao Shuqi glared at him, then suddenly widened her eyes as she looked around the room while clutching the blanket to her chest. “Hey, you… This is a girls’ dormitory. How did you get in here, and what are you doing here?”

“I missed you, so I came,” Mo Tianchen turned around and teased Qiao Shuqi with a playful look.

“You think you can just waltz in here like it’s your family’s academy or something,” Qiao Shuqi muttered, clearly more preoccupied with this point than anything else. Her pouting expression made Mo Tianchen chuckle softly.

“Well, it is my family’s academy,” he replied with a playful smirk.

“…” Qiao Shuqi froze, instantly regretting her words. How could she forget? His dad was one of the academy’s board members-it really was his family’s. Realizing this, she huffed in frustration and managed to find another outlet for her annoyance.

“Your family’s academy has such shady policies! You charge so much in tuition and book fees every year, yet the total value of the textbooks you hand out doesn’t even come close to what we’re paying. Where does all the extra money go? You don’t even refund it… Just thinking about it hurts my wallet. That’s like two months of living expenses!” she grumbled, crossing her arms.

“I’ll reimburse you tenfold,” Mo Tianchen said with a cheeky grin.

“Hey, let me tell you something-I’ll never agree to be your girlfriend because of your money. To protect my dignity and principles, starting today, I, Qiao Shuqi, will not accept a single penny from you!” She declared the words with a righteous expression, her tone firm and unwavering.

“Oh? So what you’re saying is… you’re already admitting to being my girlfriend?” Mo Tianchen’s grin widened, his amusement evident.

“I… I didn’t mean that!” Qiao Shuqi’s cheeks flushed crimson as she shook her head frantically, mortified that she had essentially walked into his trap. How could she let those words slip out?

“Alright, alright. Regardless, everyone knows your identity now, so you don’t really have a choice here.” Mo Tianchen’s voice was lighter, but his words carried undeniable authority. “And as a man, it’s perfectly normal for me to treat my girlfriend to meals, take her out on fun dates, and give her gifts. You’ll just have to accept it-it’s part of my principles,” he continued, countering her with calm logic that left no room for argument. To Qiao Shuqi’s ears, though, his reasoning seemed almost like payback, matching her indignation word for word.

“Now, my dear Miss Qiao, it’s time for you to get up and join me for lunch. Let’s go! Chop, chop!” With a playful smile, Mo Tianchen grabbed the still-dazed Qiao Shuqi and pulled her to her feet.

“Hey, hey! Let go of me! I need to wash my face and comb my hair! Let go, already!” she protested, trying to tug her arm free.

The warm sunlight streamed through her dorm window, spilling golden light across the room. Amid the playful tug-of-war, their laughter and bickering filled the quiet space, creating an atmosphere of unexpected warmth and tenderness that softened the air around them.