Love Bet - Chapter 4 - A Romantic Surprise

The sky gradually darkened as Miss Qiao sat staring blankly at the idol drama playing on her computer. A long, uneventful afternoon had seen her wandering through every corner of the villa, meticulously inspecting each room. She’d even resorted to building a massive snowman by hand in the garden outside. Eventually, she found herself slumped back in her room, watching soap operas with a bored expression.

The door to her room creaked open, and Mo Tianchen entered with a smile on his face. Walking over, he pulled Miss Qiao up from where she was sprawled on the floor.

“Alright, let’s go. Time to celebrate your birthday.”

“Finally, you’re done!” Miss Qiao muttered wearily, allowing Mo Tianchen to take her hand and lead her slowly downstairs.

The entire hall was bathed in a warm red glow. The floor, the cabinets-everything was adorned with red candles, their tiny flames flickering gently and casting a brightness that stood out against the surrounding darkness.

Miss Qiao’s bored expression melted into astonishment as she stared around in awe. Hand in hand with Mo Tianchen, she descended the stairs and followed a candle-lit path leading to the dining area. Around the room, red candles continued to flicker atop the counters, lighting up the dining space in a soft, dreamy radiance.

On the large dining table sat an array of white plates arranged neatly, each carrying food that glowed with a subtle reddish hue.

Mo Tianchen guided the awestruck Miss Qiao to take a seat beside him at the dining table. Only then did she realize that the intricate, three-dimensional floral arrangements on display were all carved from fruits and vegetables. Each glowing flower shimmered with a crystalline, translucent beauty.

Miss Qiao couldn’t contain her amazement as she ogled the lantern-like floral sculptures adorning the table. She immediately pulled out her phone to capture the breathtaking scene, snapping countless photos of the room and the hall to preserve the intricate details.

After settling back into her seat, she was still brimming with excitement. Placed before her on the table were two exquisitely plated Western-style steaks.

“How… how did you do all of this?” she asked, pointing at the glowing, intricately carved flowers. Her face was a mix of confusion and curiosity.

“It’s actually quite simple,” Mo Tianchen replied with a soft chuckle. He reached for a dragon fruit carved into the shape of a lotus flower. Beneath it, a soft blue beam of light glimmered from under the table, illuminating the fruit’s design. Realization dawned on Miss Qiao as she understood-each piece of fruit glowed thanks to small concealed lights beneath them.

“You mentioned how much you love translucent, glowing flowers,” Mo Tianchen said with a gentle smile, his tone teasing. “And you also said you’ve always wanted to experience the vibe of a proper Western-style dinner. Well, Miss Qiao, are you satisfied now?” With a playful arch of his brow, he placed the lotus-shaped dragon fruit onto Miss Qiao’s plate.

“Yes! Absolutely, completely satisfied!” she responded fervently, meeting Mo Tianchen’s deep, glimmering eyes. Her lips curved into a small smile as she shyly spoke.

“Mo Tianchen, you can’t keep doing this-surprising me with all this romance,” Qiao Shuqi said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. “When you do these things, I always feel like crying. I’ve never done anything for you… What if one day, I can’t live without you?” Her voice broke as she lowered her head, a silent tear slipping down her cheek and landing gently onto the lotus-shaped fruit in front of her.

She hadn’t meant for anything like this. She’d casually remarked while buying fruit one day that it would look beautiful if fruit were as transparent as crystal. She’d once murmured, while watching a television show about lavish Western dinners, that she would love to experience that sophisticated ambiance once she had the means. And on a Ferris wheel ride a year ago, she’d absentmindedly mentioned how much she appreciated romance. That was all. Yet, he had turned those passing thoughts into reality, time and time again. He had created surprises, brought romance to life, and made even her oddest and most whimsical musings come true.

Once, he had been nothing more than what she thought of as another arrogant young master among the wealthy elite.

A young master born into privilege, who had never worried about food or clothing, who most likely had never even stepped into a kitchen-and yet, he had put in so much effort for an offhand remark she’d made.

Qiao Shuqi bit back her tears. Deep in her heart, a soft, warm spot bloomed. Once upon a time, her world had felt empty, vast, and hollow. Now, it was brimming, filled completely with him.

“Don’t cry. You being happy is what makes me happy,” Mo Tianchen said gently, his tone firm yet soothing. He reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingers. “I want you to be unable to live without me. We’re meant to be together forever. Qiao Shuqi, don’t you ever allow yourself to think otherwise. I won’t let you leave me. Without my permission, you can never leave Mo Tianchen.”

Qiao Shuqi looked up at him with teary eyes, gazing into the depths of his unwavering stare. With a soft sniffle, she reached out to hold the hand he had used to wipe away her tears. Standing on her toes, she pressed a tender kiss to his lips.

“Mo Tianchen, I’ve fallen in love with you.” Her simple declaration of eight words froze Mo Tianchen in place for a second before he lowered his head and captured her soft lips again, this time pressing deeper into the kiss. His large hand cradled the back of her head, pulling her closer to him as the kiss intensified.

“Silly girl, you should’ve fallen in love with me a long time ago,” he teased softly once their lips parted.

Her very first birthday celebration with him unfolded amidst wave after wave of surprises. Refusing to let his hard work go to waste, Qiao Shuqi devoured every last bit of the crystal-like fruit flowers adorning the table. But the very next moment, as another jaw-dropping surprise appeared before her eyes, she regretted her earlier display of ravenous enthusiasm. Sitting right before her was the pièce de résistance of her birthday evening: a three-tiered, pure white chocolate fruit cake. The entire cake glimmered with an ethereal glow, shining from inside out. Tiny red candles were planted atop it, their flickering flames dancing ever so prettily.

Qiao Shuqi sat frozen, words failing her completely. She could only stare motionlessly at the mesmerizing cake. Beyond its gentle candlelight, she caught sight of Mo Tianchen’s smiling, handsome face-an image etched into her heart like a beautiful dream.

“Make a wish!” Mo Tianchen said with a light chuckle. Every word she had ever spoken, he remembered clearly. In his mind, there remained a vivid image of her on a snowy day, wearing a fluffy wool hat and dragging him to crouch in front of a massive cake shop window. Her sparkling eyes had been fixed on an enormous three-tiered birthday cake. Today, once again, he had made her wish come true.

Under his attentive gaze, Qiao Shuqi clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and silently whispered in her heart, “I wish for Mo Tianchen’s eternal happiness.” Then, she opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and blew out all the candles. Across from her, Mo Tianchen’s smiling face looked particularly handsome in the candlelight.

In the blink of an eye, four years of college had passed. Holding a stack of books, Qiao Shuqi walked back to her dormitory. After four years, her demeanor and bearing no longer carried the confusion or innocence of her first days at the academy. Her tall figure and waist-length black hair exuded a faint yet undeniable maturity. Watching the vibrant young students passing by her, Qiao Shuqi’s lips curved into a gentle smile. She had once been just as curious and full of youthful energy. Time had flown by, and now she had less than half a month before graduation, before stepping into the world beyond university.

As she walked, her head filled with thoughts of her future-finally being able to work independently and take care of her mother-a large, strong hand suddenly gripped her wrist. A towering figure blocked the bright light in front of her.

“Be my girlfriend.” The low, magnetic voice reached her ears. Qiao Shuqi looked up with a smile, recognizing the familiar face before her. A spark flashed through her mind as she replied smoothly, “Sorry, I don’t have that in mind.”

Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she raised an eyebrow. “However…” She paused deliberately and continued, “If Young Master Mo were willing to offer me a no-limit credit card, for clothes, jewelry-anything I want-then I might reconsider!”

Mo Tianchen’s lips curled into a smirk as he draped an arm over Qiao Shuqi’s shoulder, guiding her forward. “This young master is already yours. Surely, that’s worth more than a measly credit card?”

“Oh, not necessarily,” Qiao Shuqi replied, adjusting the books in her arms as she teased, “The freshman girls this year seem to see you as the prince of their dreams. By that logic, I’d say you belong to everyone, don’t you?”

“It seems someone here would be all too happy to share me with the public, huh?” Mo Tianchen’s previously playful expression cooled ever so slightly, his tone mixing sarcasm with discontent.

“Oh no, absolutely not! How could I dare? No matter how cold-hearted I might be, I’d never betray your devotion to me, right? No public sharing, none at all-I’ll just keep you all to myself!” Realizing she might have pushed him too far, Qiao Shuqi plastered on a bright smile and tried her best to appease him. Inwardly, though, she grumbled. The only flaw in this man was his absurd tendency to get jealous over nothing.

“Hmph!” Mo Tianchen still feigned indifference, though the arm wrapped firmly around Qiao Shuqi’s shoulder remained as solid as ever, showing no intention of letting her go.

Qiao Shuqi let out a soft chuckle, bemused by her own thoughts. Who would have imagined that over the course of four years in college, she and Mo Tianchen would banter and flirt their way all the way to graduation? All the happiness, romance, arguments, and bouts of jealousy-she had experienced them all during her university years. And to top it off, he was the dream of countless young women! Squinting her eyes slightly, she tilted her head back to gaze at the sky, her heart brimming with gratitude. God really hadn’t been stingy with her blessings.

“Get ready early tonight and wait for me to pick you up,” Mo Tianchen instructed. After a brief pause, his tone turned serious as he added, “Don’t lose track of time, don’t wear a backless dress, and don’t show up with panda eyes…”

“Got it, got it! Don’t worry, nothing like that will happen again this time. I swear to the birthday star himself!” Qiao Shuqi raised three fingers in the air, mimicking an oath-taking pose, her expression deliberate and exaggerated.

Her mind, however, couldn’t help but drift back to past birthdays. On Mo Tianchen’s very first birthday during college, Miss Qiao had completely lost track of time and arrived a full hour and a half late to his birthday banquet. The result? She became the target of everyone’s disapproving stares all evening long.

On his second birthday, Miss Qiao had learned her lesson from the previous year. Not only did she arrive early, but she had also gone out of her way to borrow a proper evening dress from Zhou Xiaoyu-a dress similar to what all the other girls at the party were wearing. However, it turned out to be backless. That entire evening, Mo Tianchen bombarded her with dark, disapproving glances both overt and covert, which made her feel as if lasers were drilling into her back.

The third time, spurred by the extravagant makeup of the other girls at the party, Qiao Shuqi decided to ditch her usual fresh-faced look. She went all out and applied a heavy smoky eye, lined her eyes dramatically bold, and lengthened her lashes with layers of mascara until they were nearly three times their natural length. The result? She shocked the group of young masters at the party and made Mo Tianchen’s expression turn as dark as storm clouds for the rest of the evening.

Now, with Mo Tianchen’s stern warnings echoing in her ears, she nodded hastily in agreement, though she couldn’t help feeling a little overwhelmed. Tonight was no ordinary birthday banquet. This celebration marked Mo Tianchen’s graduation and his formal step into society. For the Mo Family, it held significant meaning and was to be grandly celebrated. The event was to be held at the villa of Mo Family, and in addition to many of Mo Tianchen’s friends, Zhou Xiaoyu had mentioned that numerous business elites and socialites would also be attending. In truth, the banquet served as a prelude, carefully arranged by Mo Tianchen’s father to lay the groundwork for his networking and social circle.

Qiao Shuqi sighed inwardly. It looked like Cinderella would once again need to disguise herself as a princess to gain entry to the grand ball and flirt with her prince. She quietly hoped that tonight would go smoothly, without any of the mishaps of previous years.