Chapter 28 Jealousy

Sitting next to her, Xia Wanrou watched her sister's embarrassed state and couldn't help but wink at her charmingly.

Leaning in, she whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear,

"See? I told you not to be impulsive and speak without thinking, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what happened."

"This is a classic case of lifting a stone only to drop it on your own feet."

"I expect it won't be long before the whole department knows what your bet was."

"Let's see how you handle it then."

Xia Wanqing felt even more ashamed after her sister's words, burying her head firmly on the desk.

Her cheeks were hot enough to fry an egg, and even the tips of her ears were flushed red.

She didn't dare utter a single word.

Lin Chen ignored the sisters' little interaction entirely, his gaze fixed on Liu Minting on the podium.

His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the classroom as if he were afraid someone might miss it:

"Fine! It's a deal!"

"I'd like the whole class to bear witness. The bet between Xia Wanqing and me is as follows."

He paused deliberately,

looking at Xia Wanqing's increasingly crimson cheeks and the curious gazes of the students below,

before speaking slowly, each word distinct:

"If I lose, I will run ten laps naked around the School Track, shouting 'I am the King of Bragging' as I run."

"I'll let the whole school know that I, Lin Chen, bragged and failed to deliver on my promise."

"But if I win, she has to take the initiative to give me a kiss."

At this point, he added another sentence, his tone carrying a hint of casual confidence and a touch of temptation:

"And I won't let her kiss me for nothing. When the time comes, I'll give her ten percent of the profits I make from trading stocks as compensation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire classroom instantly fell into a deathly silence.

One could have heard a pin drop, and it lasted for a full three seconds.

After those three seconds, the classroom suddenly erupted.

"Whoa...!"

The roar of the crowd, youthful cheers, whistles, and discussions all mixed together,

nearly blowing the roof off the classroom.

"Whoa! That's ruthless!"

"Running ten laps naked?"

"My god!"

"The stakes are so intense! A kiss is one thing, but ten percent of the profits too? Lin Chen stands to gain either way!"

"Hahaha, Xia Wanqing is in for it now. If Lin Chen really wins, she'll have to kiss him in front of everyone!"

The discussions rose and fell, and Xia Wanqing felt so ashamed she wanted to sink into the ground.

She buried her head even lower, eventually diving straight into her sister Xia Wanrou's arms.

She covered her ears tightly, wishing she could disappear on the spot.

Liu Minting on the podium was also stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief.

She never expected these young people who had just started university to play so hard!

She had agreed to the bet in a moment of impulse, and only now did she realize,

that if Lin Chen really won, she herself would also have to take the initiative to kiss her student, Lin Chen!

A faint blush instantly colored her cheeks, and Liu Minting felt a bit flustered.

But on second thought, she quickly calmed down.

Tenfold in six months was simply impossible for a Freshman who had just opened an account and didn't even have the basics of stock trading!

Even if he was lucky today, it was impossible for that luck to last forever.

This was a bet she was sure to win.

Besides, she had already given her word.

If she backed out now, she was afraid she wouldn't have the face to stand on the podium or command the respect of these students in future classes.

After the commotion lasted for a while, Liu Minting cleared her throat.

Suppressing the strange feeling in her heart, she adopted a calm tone and said decisively:

"Fine! We'll do exactly as you said!"

"If I lose, I will take the initiative to give you a kiss;"

"But if you lose, I will personally go to the track to watch you run ten laps naked, and see the true face of this 'King of Bragging'!"

"Hahahaha..."

The classroom erupted in laughter once again.

Discussions and teasing remarks were endless, and the entire room was buzzing with excitement.

In the corner, Wang Hao watched as the entire class's attention focused on Lin Chen.

Seeing Lin Chen become the center of attention, the jealousy in his heart grew wildly like weeds, aching with bitterness.

He also wanted to show off and impress the beautiful Xia twins.

Ever since he first saw Xia Wanrou at the class meeting and noticed her cute appearance and impressive figure, he had fallen for her at first sight.

He had long since made Xia Wanrou his target, but he just hadn't found an opportunity to show off.

Seeing Lin Chen taking all the spotlight now, Wang Hao could no longer restrain himself.

He suddenly stood up and spoke loudly,

his tone arrogant, as if he were afraid no one would notice him:

"I'll bet with you too!"

"Lin Chen, do you dare to accept?"

The class's attention immediately shifted to Wang Hao.

Whispers broke out again, everyone curious about what he wanted to bet.

Wang Hao scanned the room smugly, specifically glancing at Xia Wanrou, his tone becoming even more overbearing:

"If you lose, not only will you have to run ten laps naked around the track, but you'll also have to write a thousand-word self-reflection on the School Forum, along with a photo of your naked back while running,"

"so the whole school can see your true colors!"

Everyone knew that the School Forum was something every student followed.

Whether it was course announcements, campus activities, or various gossip, everyone checked it weekly.

Once your self-reflection was posted there, it was guaranteed the whole school would know!

After saying this, he patted his chest and said with feigned generosity:

"If you win, I'll accept defeat too. I'll run ten laps naked around the track just like you would have, and I won't back out!"

"Oh...!"

"Wang Hao is pretty ruthless!"

"My god, this is a fight to the death!"

"If Lin Chen loses, it'll be total social death!"

The classroom erupted in another round of noise.

Everyone's gazes swept back and forth between Lin Chen and Wang Hao, their anticipation for the outcome of this bet growing even stronger.

Seeing everyone paying attention to him and noticing the gaze Xia Wanrou cast his way, Wang Hao felt increasingly satisfied.

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, and his eyes were full of provocation as he looked at Lin Chen, as if he were already certain Lin Chen would lose.

Looking at his clown-like behavior, Lin Chen couldn't help but scoff.

His eyes were full of disdain, and his tone was sharp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation:

"Fine, a bet is a bet! Who's afraid of who?"

"We'll see when the time comes whether it's me writing a self-reflection and running naked, or you making a fool of yourself in front of the whole school!"

After saying that, he turned to look at Liu Minting on the podium and asked calmly:

"Teacher, does today's trading day count toward the duration of the bet?"

"I just happened to open an account today and bought some stocks."

Liu Minting was taken aback and instinctively looked at Lin Chen, her eyes filled with surprise.

She hadn't expected that Lin Chen had actually gone to open an account and even bought stocks.

Could it be that he really had some confidence?

But on second thought, even if he did buy stocks, it was just a beginner's luck and wouldn't amount to anything.