Chapter 15: Count me in!

Lin Chen waved his hand and added calmly:

"Don't be so quick to get angry; it's not a bet for nothing."

"Even if you give me a kiss, I won't let you come out at a loss."

"When the time comes, I'll give you a ten percent cut of the profits I make from trading stocks."

"How about it?"

Pausing for a moment, he continued:

"If I lose, I'll run ten laps around the school's Sports Field butt-naked,"

"shouting 'I am the King of Bragging' as I run,"

"letting the whole school know that I, Lin Chen, am a piece of trash who only knows how to talk big."

"That's fair, right?"

Xia Wanrou's eyes widened as she listened.

She unconsciously bared her two small front teeth, her eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Staring intently at Xia Wanqing, she whispered:

"Sister, are you going to agree to it...?"

In her heart, she vaguely felt that although Lin Chen was talking very boldly, maybe he really could do it?

Besides, this bet didn't seem like such a bad deal.

If she won, Lin Chen would make a fool of himself;

if she lost, although her sister would have to kiss him, getting a ten percent cut of the profits didn't seem too bad either.

Lin Chen looked at Xia Wanqing's ashen face, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He was doing it on purpose; the more competitive and cold Xia Wanqing was, the more he wanted to pierce her facade and make her bow her head.

To deal with such a strong-willed woman, the only way to make her soften up was to let her suffer a major setback and lose because of her own stubbornness.

He had seen this pick-up technique from a certain Big V blogger in his past life.

Someone had tested it and found it to be 100% effective.

This wasn't just for the bet, but also to vent some frustration.

Xia Wanqing's face turned pale and flushed in turns, her heart filled with anger and anxiety.

She hated Lin Chen's shamelessness for daring to propose such a wager, but she was also unwilling to admit defeat.

If she didn't agree, it would make her look like a coward;

if she did agree and happened to lose, she would not only have to kiss Lin Chen but would also be ridiculed by the entire school.

The surrounding chatter grew louder, and everyone's eyes were focused on them.

Xia Wanqing felt as if her reputation was being roasted over a fire.

She didn't believe that a novice who hadn't even opened a stock account could manage to increase his capital tenfold in six months.

She took a deep breath, glared fixedly at Lin Chen, and said through gritted teeth:

"Fine, I agree!"

"I accept this bet!"

"I hope when the time comes, you can walk the talk and don't go back on your word!"

Lin Chen smiled, looking completely open and honest, and extended his hand:

"It's a deal, then. No backing out."

"We'll set a six-month limit and see the results then."

Xia Wanqing didn't shake his hand; she just gave him a fierce glare,

turned back to her seat, and picked up her spoon.

She dug into her dessert forcefully, as if venting her anger.

Xia Wanrou sat to the side, looking at her sister and then at Lin Chen,

her little face full of anticipation as she thought to herself:

Six months from now, who will actually win?

Lin Chen looked at Xia Wanqing's huffy expression and then at Xia Wanrou's soft and cute appearance; the smile on his lips deepened.

He knew that this bet was not only about the 500,000 system reward but also about his relationship with these twin sisters.

If he could win this victory, he could use it as a breakthrough to further breach the defenses of this ice-cold beauty's heart.

After all, for any woman,

after giving her most precious and unique first kiss to a man,

that man would be deeply etched into the depths of her heart, becoming an unforgettable existence for the rest of her life.

In this way, this was also an opportunity for Lin Chen.

He could use this to close the distance between him and that ice beauty, gradually melting her rock-solid defensive line of indifference.

With a two-pronged approach, wouldn't the Super Gift Pack promised by the system be within easy reach?

Lin Chen seemed to see the gift pack right before his eyes.

After taking a couple of bites, Xia Wanqing seemed to think of something and looked up again to say:

"Hmph, wishful thinking!"

"Eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot—you certainly have a large appetite!"

"Judging by your previous behavior, you were thinking of hitting on my sister, and now you even dare to target me!"

"Lin Chen, you're basically planning to enjoy the blessing of having both of us, aren't you?"

Xia Wanqing let out a cold laugh and slammed her slender hand down on the wooden dining table.

With a "thud," the white porcelain bowls on the table trembled three times.

"Fine, you have the guts to try, but I'll see if you have the life to pull it off!"

Lin Chen had just taken a sip of iced cola,

and the cold bubbles were still swirling in his throat when he saw Xia Wanqing's rapid-fire questioning.

He almost sprayed the cola out of his mouth from laughter.

People around them who were chatting and eating desserts turned their heads one after another at the sound.

Dozens of gazes hit the three of them like searchlights, and the sound of whispering and gossiping drifted over instantly.

Lin Chen's gaze swept across the sisters' beautiful faces.

"Starting tomorrow and ending on January 31st of next year—in six months, I'll increase my capital tenfold!"

"Haha, I'll be the witness!"

Xia Wanrou took a bite of her dessert and didn't even bother to wipe the smudge on the corner of her lip.

Her almond eyes curved into crescents, filled with the excitement of watching a spectacle, her cheeks bulging like a little hamster's.

Unexpectedly, in the next second, she suddenly reached out and grabbed Xia Wanqing's wrist.

Her cheeks flushed even deeper, the red spreading from her ears all the way down to her neck,

yet every word she spoke was loud and clear:

"Count me in too!"

"We sisters don't stay apart; if he really wins, I'll kiss him too!"

As soon as those words were out, the shop erupted in a frenzy of discussion!

The original whispers turned into loud cheering and jeering; whistling, table-slapping, and snickering rose and fell one after another.

Those burning gazes looked as if they wanted to burn holes through the three of them.

Someone shouted at the top of their lungs, "Lin Chen, you're awesome!"

while another joked:

"Taking down twins together—this is a massive win."

Lin Chen felt extremely uncomfortable under dozens of eyes, his ears so hot they could fry an egg.

He unconsciously scratched the back of his head, even his earlobes turning bright red.

He could only clear his throat awkwardly:

"Ahem, I'm done eating. Let's go back to school."

Only then did Xia Sisters belatedly realize how much they had lost their composure.

Feeling creeped out by everyone's stares, Xia Wanrou's cheeks instantly turned as red as a ripe apple.

Even Xia Wanqing was uncharacteristically flustered, her earlobes tinged with a faint pink.

Xia Wanrou pulled her sister's hand and followed hurriedly behind Lin Chen, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz:

"Let's—let's go faster, don't let them make a joke out of us!"

The three of them hurriedly left the Dessert Shop, the jeering behind them still coming in waves.

This caused Xia Wanqing to glare fiercely at Lin Chen's back, though her heart was inexplicably racing a bit.

Back at the dormitory, Lin Chen closed the door behind him and slumped straight onto his chair.

The back of the chair gave a slight "creak" under the pressure.

The dorm was empty; his other three roommates were all at the internet cafe and hadn't returned yet.

Only in his mind did that unforgettable stock trading experience from his past life surge.

His heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, feeling suffocatingly restless.