Chapter 26: The Bet

Shen Yu was determined to regain some control over his emotions. After the chaos of the charity ball and the morning encounter with Lu Zhixuan, he needed a break. A moment of peace. A chance to breathe.

But Bai Xue had other ideas.

During lunch, she plopped down beside him, resting her chin on her hands with a knowing grin. "You and Lu Zhixuan have been awfully close lately."

Shen Yu, mid-sip of his drink, nearly choked. "We are not!"

Bai Xue giggled. "Right. That's why he was staring at you all morning."

Shen Yu scowled, stabbing at his food with unnecessary force. "That's just because he enjoys annoying me."

She tilted her head, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Wanna bet?"

He frowned. "Bet on what?"

"That if you push him away, he won't let you," she said, her smirk widening.

Shen Yu rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll prove to you that Lu Zhixuan doesn't care."

That afternoon, Shen Yu put his plan into action.

Every time Lu Zhixuan entered the room, he found an excuse to leave. If Lu Zhixuan tried to talk to him, he suddenly became very interested in his textbooks. When they passed each other in the hall, Shen Yu turned on his heel and took the longest possible route in the opposite direction.

By the third day, he was feeling pretty smug. Bai Xue was going to owe him so many snacks after this.

But then he made a critical error.

He let his guard down near the library.

Shen Yu had just stepped around a corner when a hand grabbed his wrist, yanking him back. He stumbled, his back hitting a bookshelf. Before he could react, Lu Zhixuan was in front of him, arms braced on either side of his head, effectively caging him in.

Shen Yu's breath hitched.

Lu Zhixuan leaned in slightly, his dark eyes unreadable. "Avoiding me, Zhao Rui?"

Shen Yu swallowed. "N-No."

Lu Zhixuan's smirk deepened. "Then why run away every time I show up?"

Shen Yu's mind blanked. This wasn't going as planned.

Lu Zhixuan tilted his head, gaze flickering to Shen Yu's lips for the briefest second before locking eyes with him again. "If you're going to play hard to get... you should at least make it convincing."

Shen Yu's entire face went up in flames.

Oh no.

He was so losing this bet.