Chapter 122: A Wager’s Unexpected Price

The wager Su Yao proposed extended beyond just that.

If Lin Qing caught the black cat plushie, Su Yao would fulfill any of his requests. Conversely, if Su Yao managed to catch the black cat plushie, the outcome would be the same.

Lin Qing would then be obligated to grant one of Su Yao’s demands, with no possibility of refusal.

A wager, after all, needed both a winner and a loser to be truly fair.

Whether Lin Qing agreed or not was entirely up to his discretion.

“Any request I make, no matter what?”

“Mhm.”

As Lin Qing listened to Su Yao and observed the earnest expression on her face, he understood she wasn’t jesting.

She was entirely serious.

“What if I were to demand that you stop killing?”

Lin Qing pondered this for a moment before promptly voicing his question.

He knew that participating in this wager was far from a wise decision.

Nevertheless, he still wished to take the gamble.

If he won, he could prevent Su Yao from continuing her killings.

If he lost?

Su Yao wouldn’t demand his life.

At most, she would likely inquire about his unusual abilities.

This gambler’s mentality was dangerous, yet Lin Qing found himself unable to control it.

“Then I will stop killing.”

Su Yao’s expression remained unchanged as she responded to Lin Qing, maintaining her gentle smile.

Her words were resolute, confirming that the wager was no laughing matter.

A flicker of excitement in Su Yao’s eyes lessened slightly, replaced by a glint of cunning. As she looked at him, it was as if she was already proclaiming Lin Qing’s impending defeat.

The scales of the Goddess of Victory would undoubtedly tip in her favor.

“Alright, I agree.”

Upon hearing Su Yao’s promise, Lin Qing didn’t hesitate, immediately nodding towards her.

He had entered the gamble.

“We have twelve tokens left. Each attempt to grab a plushie costs two tokens, giving us six chances in total. We could split them evenly… but seeing as you don’t seem to have much experience with claw machines, Lin Qing, and to avoid taking advantage, I’ll only take two tokens.”

As she spoke, Su Yao had already taken the tokens from the small basket into her hand.

She then deliberately took out two tokens, handing the rest over to Lin Qing.

A confident smile graced her face as she lifted her hand, shaking the two tokens. Her gaze, filled with triumph, met Lin Qing’s, as if she had already secured victory in their wager.

Originally, they each would have had three attempts at the claw machine. However, Su Yao had willingly forfeited two of her turns.

Now, Lin Qing had five chances to grab a plushie, while Su Yao had only one.

Even with Su Yao’s superior skill at claw machines, having only one chance was precarious. It was a subtle disadvantage, as even the most skilled player couldn’t guarantee success every single time.

Su Yao’s generous offer of extra chances was something Lin Qing wouldn’t refuse.

He took this wager very seriously, desperately wanting to win.

This was his chance to stop Su Yao from killing!

Although Su Yao could lie effortlessly, she had never reneged on an agreement made with him.

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Qing wasted no more time. He quickly inserted two tokens and began his first attempt at the claw machine.

Having never played a claw machine before, Lin Qing held no expectations for his first try.

He merely intended to use it as a reference for future attempts, observing the process carefully to quickly analyze its mechanics.

As Lin Qing had anticipated, his first attempt failed to snag a plushie.

The massive metal claw merely brushed against the pile of plushies before retracting empty to its starting position.

It waited for the next token to be inserted.

Considering this, Lin Qing paused for thought, then inserted his second token.

This time, it performed slightly better. The claw gripped the head of a monkey plushie, lifting it halfway into the air.

However, the grip suddenly loosened, causing the monkey plushie to tumble back down.

A second failure.

Then came the third failure.

Despite three consecutive failed attempts, Lin Qing remained unperturbed.

Meanwhile, Su Yao, standing nearby, propped her chin on her hand, her eyes fixed on the focused Lin Qing. ‘Is it true that a serious man is the most handsome?’ she mused.

‘The earnest Lin Qing, so absorbed in the claw machine, was truly captivating!’

‘All this effort, just to stop her from killing.’

‘He was going all out.’

Su Yao wouldn’t foolishly believe that Lin Qing was acting purely out of concern for others, simply to prevent innocent people from being harmed.

Lin Qing didn’t possess such a grand spirit of self-sacrifice.

On the contrary, he was meticulously careful and cautious.

His willingness to participate in the wager had genuinely surprised Su Yao.

She had expected him to refuse.

‘So, why exactly did he not want her to kill?’

‘Lin Qing was truly unfathomable!’

As Su Yao lost herself in these thoughts, Lin Qing was already embarking on his fourth attempt at the claw machine.

Three failures had already occurred; he couldn’t afford another.

Lin Qing’s gaze was fixed intently on the glass display. As the claw descended once more, it precisely seized the original monkey plushie, successfully hoisting it into mid-air.

This time, it didn’t drop, smoothly reaching the exit.

Successfully grabbing the monkey plushie on his fourth try greatly boosted Lin Qing’s confidence; he now knew he was beginning to understand the machine’s mechanics.

With careful, precise calculations, he was certain he could snag the black cat plushie.

“Su Yao, I… I have only one chance left. This time, why don’t you go first?”

Lin Qing ceased his attempts at the claw machine, turning instead to look at Su Yao.

His words swiftly pulled Su Yao’s thoughts back to reality. She then smiled, shaking her head at Lin Qing, politely declining his gentlemanly suggestion.

Her expression exuded an air of absolute certainty, utterly convinced that Lin Qing would not win.

Seeing this, Lin Qing didn’t press the matter, instead focusing his gaze intently on the glass display.

Since Su Yao was so confident, he wouldn’t hold back either.

Lin Qing raised his hand, inserting the final two tokens. After taking a deep breath, he manipulated the joystick, guiding the claw left and right. The moment it hovered near the black cat plushie, he immediately pressed the grab button.

As he waited for the claw to successfully grasp the black cat plushie, Lin Qing’s heart pounded. He knew this was no time for complacency; instead, he silently prayed it wouldn’t drop.

‘Just stay like that!’

‘Let the black cat plushie reach the exit.’

‘Let him win this wager!’

Whether fate had heard Lin Qing’s prayers was uncertain, but he wasn’t made to wait long. As the claw shifted left towards the exit, it began to sway violently.

The black cat plushie’s smiling face seemed to mock Lin Qing’s futile efforts, as if proclaiming his utter defeat in this wager!

Immediately, the black cat plushie dropped, just a step away from the exit!

That short distance had become an impossible dream.

‘The heavens were deliberately toying with him!’

‘Offering false hope, only to cruelly shatter it in the end.’

With that, Lin Qing had exhausted all five of his chances. Now, it was Su Yao’s turn to step up.

Although Lin Qing no longer had any attempts left, he hadn’t entirely lost the wager yet. If Su Yao failed to catch the black cat plushie this time, it would result in a draw.

No winner, no loser.

Therefore, as long as Su Yao failed, everything would be fine.

Su Yao approached the claw machine. After inserting the two tokens she held, she didn’t observe with Lin Qing’s intense focus. Instead, she acted quite casually, even turning her head to glance at him. Seeing his tense posture, Su Yao couldn’t help but let the corners of her mouth curl upwards. She didn’t continue to tease Lin Qing, instead raising her hand and pressing the grab button.

Immediately, the claw seemed to possess a mind of its own. Despite Su Yao’s casual movement, it precisely seized the black cat plushie.

As the claw ascended into mid-air, the black cat plushie remained firmly within its grasp.

The black cat plushie’s smile, which had previously seemed to mock Lin Qing’s futility, transformed into a fawning grin in Su Yao’s hands.

The moment the black cat plushie dropped into the exit chute and Su Yao reached out for it, Lin Qing knew it was all over.

He had lost the wager.

For a moment, Lin Qing’s emotions were complex, a mix of vexation and regret swirling within him.

‘Gamblers who’d lost everything likely felt the same way after a game,’ he thought.

‘Indeed, staying away from gambling was the right choice!’

‘Nine out of ten gambles ended in loss.’

‘And the only ones who ever won were shills.’

However, Lin Qing had no intention of welching on the deal; he was prepared to accept the consequences.

If he had won the wager, Su Yao would have honored her agreement.

Therefore, he too must do the same for it to be fair.

“What do you want me to do?”

With that thought, Lin Qing spoke earnestly, awaiting Su Yao’s reply.

Even if Su Yao were to inquire about his unusual abilities, Lin Qing had no intention of lying or fabricating another story.

Whether Su Yao chose to believe him or not was beyond his concern.

“Let me think.”

Su Yao watched Lin Qing’s crestfallen demeanor, looking much like a pitiable puppy whose bone had been snatched away, eliciting a tender empathy.

Unable to resist, Su Yao reached out and gently ruffled his hair in a gesture of comfort.

As for how she would claim her victory in the wager, she had already made her preparations.

Recalling how Lin Qing had become flustered under the gaze of others in the elevator, Su Yao’s mischievous streak resurfaced. Unable to resist, she looked at Lin Qing and spoke.

“I’ve decided. Now, kiss me here.”

Although Su Yao knew she could use this opportunity to question Lin Qing about his peculiarities, certain that he wouldn’t renege and would answer obediently.

She could ask what had happened to him, or what made his past different.

The answer to any of these questions would satisfy her curiosity.

However…

Su Yao didn’t want to do that.

She would uncover Lin Qing’s special qualities in due time, rather than taking a shortcut now.

‘That would be far too boring, wouldn’t it?’

From the very beginning, this wager had merely been a way to tease Lin Qing.

‘She hadn’t expected him to take it so seriously.’

A deeper smile played on Su Yao’s lips as she thought this, and with a wicked glint in her eye, she added.

“And I mean, a very passionate one.”

Upon hearing Su Yao’s demand, Lin Qing froze, completely taken aback by such an unexpected request.

Lin Qing lifted his gaze to Su Yao, his eyes meeting her sparkling dark ones.

In that instant, suppressed emotions seemed to erupt.

Without another word, Lin Qing reached out, fiercely encircling Su Yao’s waist, ensuring she couldn’t escape. His other hand threaded through the long hair falling across his forehead, no longer concealing his face.

He then forcefully kissed Su Yao’s lips.

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