Chapter 121: The Arcade’s Wild Bet

Lin Qing found everything in the arcade utterly novel. He touched one machine, then gazed at another, his expression now fully visible thanks to the hair clip holding back his locks. He looked like a child who had just received a beloved toy, radiating pure joy.

“Wow, that guy is totally my type! He’s so handsome!”

“Which one? Really? He looks a bit innocent.”

As Su Yao quietly observed Lin Qing from behind, the girls beside them, who had been engrossed in their game, suddenly paused. They began whispering to each other, their gazes fixed on Lin Qing.

Their faces were alight with excitement, their eyes brimming with eager anticipation. It was as if they were about to draw their weapons and capture their prey.

What they considered whispers were loud enough for Su Yao to hear clearly.

Su Yao silently cast a glance at the two girls. Her powerful, undeniable stare immediately put them on alert, and they found themselves being scrutinized by a stunning beauty who seemed to shimmer with an ethereal glow.

‘What is going on?’

‘We didn’t do anything!’

‘Why is this woman staring at us?’

‘It’s making us so nervous.’

For most girls, the primary focus was appearance. The more beautiful and captivating a person was, the greater their oppressive presence.

It was like a balanced scale, now rapidly tilting due to sheer beauty.

The flawlessly perfect Su Yao possessed an all-encompassing beauty, without a single flaw. Gazing upon her felt like witnessing a divine masterpiece, evoking nothing but endless admiration and delight.

While the two girls huddled together, filled with bewildered apprehension, Su Yao paid them no further mind. Instead, a mocking smile played on her lips as she casually stepped over to Lin Qing’s side.

It was as if a fierce beast was asserting its dominance, marking its territory. Lesser creatures were not permitted to venture near, nor to even dream of snatching away the beast’s possessions.

Suddenly, Su Yao reached out and linked her arm through Lin Qing’s. He turned his head, a puzzled look on his face, but before he could speak, Su Yao playfully tapped his nose with her finger.

Her finger then moved upwards, plucking out the hair clip that had held his hair back.

Lin Qing’s face was once again shrouded by his long hair, restoring his usual gloomy appearance.

Su Yao nodded in satisfaction, thinking that Lin Qing was safer this way.

She had initially wanted to see the changes in Lin Qing’s expression, which was why she had helped lift his dark hair. However…

‘If his face is exposed, he attracts too much attention.’

“Let’s go play some racing games!”

Su Yao offered no explanation for removing the hair clip. She simply gestured to the side, suggesting a new game to Lin Qing.

Seeing Lin Qing’s indecisive expression, she knew that if they continued like this, it would be dark before they chose anything!

Lin Qing didn’t overthink it; he simply nodded obediently.

Seeing Lin Qing’s endearing demeanor, Su Yao couldn’t help but smile. As she linked her arm through his and walked away, she casually glanced back over her shoulder.

The two girls who had been commenting on Lin Qing’s handsomeness immediately lowered their heads, avoiding Su Yao’s gaze, guilt written all over their faces.

After witnessing Su Yao and Lin Qing’s actions, even the most obtuse person would understand the intimate relationship between them. They instantly grasped the meaning behind Su Yao’s look.

‘So he’s already taken.’

‘Wuwuwu, our secret crush just started, and now it’s instantly turned into heartbreak.’

‘With such a beautiful girlfriend, they wouldn’t even have a chance to steal him away…’

“Should I do this?”

Lin Qing sat in the simulator’s racing seat, then looked at the large screen in front of him. He immediately gripped the steering wheel tightly, a little flustered, unsure of what to do.

Seeing this, Su Yao walked to the side of Lin Qing’s seat and placed a hand over his.

Her palm was warm, her touch soft.

It was impossible to ignore.

Lin Qing lowered his gaze slightly, his heart once again beating uncontrollably.

“Like this.”

As she spoke, Su Yao didn’t lean in too close to Lin Qing, wary of any awkward collisions once the race began.

However, the hand resting on Lin Qing’s remained there for a moment.

As the countdown began on the large screen, the virtual racecar roared to life. Lin Qing’s attention, no longer divided, became fully absorbed in the game.

Simulator racing wasn’t a difficult game to master. After an initial period of unfamiliarity, Lin Qing gradually adapted to the rules and controls. His spirits soared as he played, radiating pure joy.

Unlike his usual gloomy pretense, Lin Qing finally embraced the vivacity appropriate for his age.

It was an accidental discovery.

Su Yao, who had long since released his hand, watched Lin Qing. She mused that she couldn’t always keep him constrained. Sometimes, offering a little incentive would make Lin Qing more docile.

Although Lin Qing had already realized his affection for her, he remained apprehensive, unwilling to take the next step forward.

While Su Yao could force the issue, she chose not to.

No matter how long it took, she would patiently wait for Lin Qing to willingly take that step forward.

A trembling step.

A resolute heart.

Regardless, he must come to her…

Only then would true satisfaction be found, not merely fleeting pleasure easily obtained.

The transient pleasures sought by the shortsighted were not for Su Yao.

“Whoa! Who is that guy? He was so bad just now, how is he so good now?!”

As Lin Qing immersed himself in the game, the passersby who had initially been drawn by Su Yao’s striking beauty now suddenly noticed Lin Qing’s astonishing progress.

Had they not witnessed Lin Qing’s initial clumsiness firsthand, they likely wouldn’t believe that the current, incredibly skilled Lin Qing hadn’t known how to play just ten minutes earlier!

“Lin Qing, let’s play a league match!”

“A league match?”

After a single-player race concluded, Lin Qing tilted his head, unsure of what Su Yao meant by her words.

Su Yao didn’t elaborate. Instead, she inserted another coin. The large screen then presented options for ‘Single Player’ or ‘League,’ and Su Yao promptly selected the latter.

While Lin Qing waited, Su Yao quickly took a seat in the adjacent virtual racecar.

After depositing a coin, she also selected the league option.

‘She wants to play a round too.’

At the same time, seeing that Su Yao and Lin Qing were finally playing a league match, the onlookers no longer merely watched. Instead, they scrambled to grab empty seats, eager to join the game with the two of them.

Beyond wanting to defeat the rapidly improving Lin Qing, they also hoped to catch the attention of the beautiful Su Yao.

However…

A single league race quickly concluded, and the undisputed winner was Su Yao.

People had initially considered Lin Qing a formidable opponent, only to realize how utterly mistaken they were.

Truly powerful individuals often kept their abilities hidden.

“Want to play something else?”

“Mm.”

After playing a casual round, Su Yao didn’t linger in the simulator seat. She gracefully hopped down, then extended an invitation to Lin Qing to try other games.

Lin Qing nodded, not refusing Su Yao.

While playing the racing game, Lin Qing had believed himself quite skilled, yet he had experienced the sting of defeat at Su Yao’s hands.

Although he could play more rounds to try and redeem himself, Lin Qing knew he would never defeat Su Yao.

It was like trying to beat a master who had dedicated decades to their craft; an ordinary person could hardly overcome her accumulated wealth of experience.

Yet, Su Yao was only a teenager. Her exceptional talent was simply extraordinary.

This wasn’t limited to games; it was true in all other aspects as well.

It was as if her talent was a universal skill.

Lin Qing’s speculation was confirmed as they moved on to play other games.

No matter the game, Su Yao instantly achieved victory upon trying it.

She even broke the arcade’s highest score on the strength-testing machine, leaving the crowd of onlookers utterly astonished and prompting spontaneous applause.

Amidst the crowd’s praise, Su Yao simply glanced at Lin Qing, a playful yet profound glint in her eyes. It was as if she was warning him to behave, lest he displease her and find himself knocked down by a single punch.

Seeing this, Lin Qing, for some reason, instantly understood what Su Yao was trying to convey.

He couldn’t help but smile wryly, covering his face with one hand, hoping he would never have to experience the true power of Su Yao’s fist.

Afterward, the two didn’t pause; they moved on to the next game.

By the time they had played through all the games in the arcade—though most were only briefly sampled aside from the racing simulator—it had been a uniquely special experience for Lin Qing.

During his days of captivity, Lin Qing hadn’t always been alone. Occasionally, he would have temporary companions in the dark, terrifying basement. These individuals would speak to Lin Qing about the beauty of the outside world, of lives filled with freedom and happiness.

As they spoke, they would often weep. Regret, resentment, terror, and rage—such emotions cycled through them. However, with the passage of time, they grew numb. They stopped speaking, as if they had lost the ability to communicate.

Afterward, one group died off, only for new people to appear.

Now, free from his captivity, Lin Qing could play games at will. He felt incredibly happy.

Lin Qing’s gaze drifted to a claw machine nearby. The glass display case was filled with adorable plushies, but one particular black cat caught his eye.

Unlike the other colorful plushies, there was only one black cat. It was much like himself, trying to integrate into a normal life. Yet, due to its inherent uniqueness, achieving that goal was proving immensely difficult.

“Do you want to win a plushie?”

Noticing Lin Qing’s gaze fixed on the claw machine, Su Yao suddenly spoke.

Then, she took Lin Qing’s hand, and they walked over to the machine.

Su Yao raised her hand and tapped the glass display, pointing to one of the plushies. Coincidentally, it was the black cat toy that had first caught Lin Qing’s attention.

“Lin Qing, let’s make a bet! If you can win that black cat plushie, I’ll grant you one wish, anything you desire! You can even do whatever you want to me, or run away from my side.”

The next moment, Su Yao spun around, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at Lin Qing.

Her words were startling, her gaze wild.

She had laid out a grand gamble, inviting Lin Qing to take his place and play a joyful game with her.

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