Chapter Seventy: I Will Never Lose

Hearing talk of a wager, Qiu Chongwei instinctively felt a hint of resistance. His sixth sense warned him that this was not a good idea. Yet, at the same time, a pressing desire to topple the lofty figure before him overwhelmed his inner unease.

"Of course!" he replied.

Seeing how easily he agreed, Chao Xu's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, which vanished as quickly as it appeared. She spoke languidly, "Speaking of a bet, there ought to be a stake. Tell me, what do you think we should wager?"

Her voice was lazy and careless, carrying a strange yet alluring cadence.

A cold sweat broke out across Qiu Chongwei's brow; embarrassment seized him. Naturally, he didn't believe that he and his group could possibly lose to Chao Si alone. Yet, lately, his pockets were empty, and he truly had no idea what to offer as a stake.

"How about... if you win, I'll give you all my allowance for next month?"

That was the greatest humiliation his mind could conjure.

A sudden chuckle escaped Chao Xu; she couldn't help herself, and Qiu Chongwei's face darkened further.

Seeing him already black-faced, Chao Xu quickly reined in her laughter, not wanting to push him too far and spoil the fun. She squinted her eyes, smiling as she said, "Money as a stake is so dull. I don't need it. How about this—"

She looked at Qiu Chongwei, her eyes crescent-shaped as she swept her gaze over him and the few cronies beside him. Then, she uttered lightly, "If you lose, as their leader, you must lick all their shoes."

Her words exploded like thunder in the silence, turning Qiu Chongwei's face nearly pitch black.

For him, the leader, to lick shoes!?

Did Chao Si leave her brain at home today!?

This wasn't a wager—it was naked humiliation!

After a fleeting moment of shame and anger, Qiu Chongwei calmed himself and reconsidered. After all, Chao Si alone couldn't possibly beat the lot of them; the stake mattered little. If he won, it would never come to pass. Agreeing was harmless—he would absolutely not lose.

Weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Qiu Chongwei, blindly confident, agreed decisively, "Fine! I'll bet with you!"

Seeing Qiu Chongwei ready to gamble, Chi Naiyun, curled on the ground, suddenly shuddered. She reached out and tugged at Chao Si, shaking her head slightly, whispering, "Don't wager with them. They've all learned martial arts—you can't beat them."

She was terrified, worried that the rare youth willing to stand up for her would be humiliated for no reason.

He was so noble and clean, like a ray of light, reckless and brilliant, illuminating the darkness.

She herself was trampled into the dust, but that didn't matter. What she couldn't bear was to see the light dragged into the dirt as well.

Lost in her anxious thoughts, her arm was pulled upward.

The boy, taller than her by half a head, brushed the dust from her hair and uttered five words.

"I will never lose."