Chapter 7 "I won".
Tang Ci regularly goes to the hospital for injections on weekend afternoons so that she can continue her part-time job at the billiards hall in the evenings.
Because she planned to go to Beishan to watch the game tonight, she asked Xi Jing for leave two days in advance.
While waiting for her number to be called at the hospital, Miaomiao sent her a message.
[Miaomiao: Did you take the night off?]
Tang Ci replied, "Yes, you'll have to work hard tonight."
Miao Miao's message came quickly: "It's not hard work. I switched shifts with someone tonight. Shall we go to Beishan together?"
The waiting area outside the consultation room was packed with people. Tang Ci was surrounded by people, none of whom were looking at her. But after seeing the message on her phone, she felt guilty and dimmed her phone a few shades before tapping the screen to reply.
[Tang Ci: How did you know I was going to Beishan?]
[Miao Miao: That's easy to guess. Besides studying and working, Sheng Yu is the only thing you've shown interest in.]
Before Tang Ci could reply, Miao Miao sent another message: "What happened the night before last? Did Sheng Yu let you get in the car?"
[Tang Ci: Thank you for letting me have it.]
[Miaomiao: It's nothing. I'll still be there to protect your love today. Just let me know if you need anything.]
Tang Ci's gaze fell on the lush bushes outside the window, which were just as verdant as Beishan Mountain. After a moment's thought, she replied, "Could you take me for a walk around Beishan Mountain before the competition? I'd like to learn more about the competition."
[Miaomiao: You want to learn more about Shengyu, right?]
Tang Ci did not refute, and told Miao Miao that she would treat her to a meal later to express her gratitude.
The billiard hall wasn't far from the hospital. After Tang Ci finished her injection, she took a bus to find Miao Miao, and then rode her little motorcycle to Beishan.
They arrived early, and there weren't many people on the mountain yet. They parked the tram by the roadside and went to a nearby shopping mall to eat.
Tang Ci was prepared to treat Miao Miao to a meal, but Miao Miao casually walked into a fried noodle shop. Tang Ci followed her in, sat down opposite her, and asked, "Is this all I'm going to treat you to?"
Miao Miao took out her wallet and said with a suggestive smile, "Don't you know what's going on, little sister? If you're going to treat someone, it should be after you and Sheng Yu get together, then let him treat you to a big meal."
Tang Ci felt her face flush from what she said, and awkwardly lowered her eyes to adjust her skirt. As she swung her arm, she touched the needle mark on her elbow, and the slight pain instantly brought her back to her senses.
She stared at the bruises on her arm for a couple of seconds, then forced a smile and said, "Let me treat you to this, otherwise we might not have another chance."
"Why are you so discouraged?" Miao Miao misunderstood her meaning and pouted, "You're already sure you can't win her over before you've even started?"
“Actually… I didn’t intend to pursue her.” Tang Ci pushed up her glasses.
"So what are you doing here today?" Miao Miao propped her elbows on the table, looking at her suspiciously. "You didn't really come to watch the game, did you?"
Tang Ci blinked her long eyelashes, looked down at the table, and said softly, "I want to make a bet."
She wore a white button-down dress, carried a backpack on her shoulder, and her hair was neatly tied back, revealing a clean, narrow face that was completely unadorned.
Tang Ci's clean and pure temperament is a far cry from the word "gambling".
Miao Miao was stunned for a long time before frowning and asking, "Have you gone stupid from studying? Looking for some excitement?"
/
The little motorcycle traveled at a steady speed on the winding road of Beishan. Miao Miao kept turning her head as she rode, repeatedly warning Tang Ci.
"Those who come to make bets are all thugs. Do you know what a thug is? A thug is an unreasonable bully."
"If a schoolgirl like you wins, she'll be harassed by thugs; if she loses, you won't have a peaceful senior year."
Seeing that Tang Ci remained silent, Miao Miao parked the car at the railing, turned around and glared at her, "Did you hear what I said? You're not allowed to bet with thugs, understand?!"
Tang Ci looked at her earnestly and obediently, nodded and said, "I really understand."
She admitted her mistake well, which put Miao Miao at ease. She continued to take her cycling around the mountain, while also explaining the rules of motorcycle racing.
The blues hour after sunset is short-lived; soon the sky is completely dark, and the already dim streetlights on both sides of the road are mostly obscured by vegetation, making the entire racetrack dim and gloomy.
Tang Ci looked around and asked worriedly, "How will they escape in this darkness?"
"It's all about the motorcycle lights," Miao Miao told her, facing the wind. "Darkness is more exciting and atmospheric, isn't it?"
Tang Ci's brow remained furrowed: "Won't someone accidentally wander in during the competition?"
Miao Miao said in a relaxed tone, "The residents in this area all know that people ride motorcycles on Beishan Mountain at night, and the vendors at the foot of the mountain will also remind them."
The motorcycle made a 90-degree turn, and Miao Miao pointed to Tang Ci, saying, "This is the last turn of the track. Once you turn this corner, you can sprint to the finish line."
Tang Ci nodded thoughtfully, and seeing people coming up the steps, she said to Miao Miao, "Is the competition about to start? Let's go up."
Miao Miao nodded and turned the car around to park at the foot of the mountain.
There is more than one entrance to Beishan. When they arrived at the viewing platform, there were already quite a few people there, talking to the drivers who were going to race that night.
The air was humid and stuffy. When Sheng Yu took off his helmet, the ends of his short, jet-black hair were soaked with sweat. He took off his gloves and casually wiped the back of his neck with the back of his hand.
Qiao Xi took out a tissue from her bag and handed it to him, her eyes, which were covered with false eyelashes, blinking as she said in a coquettish voice, "Sheng Yu, I've prepared tissues for you. Do you want some water?"
Zhou Yiyang teased Sheng Yu, who was stuffing earphones into his ears, "Brother Yu, someone's calling you."
Looking at Qiao Xi's delicate face, Jin Ming said sourly, "My hair is wet too."
Qiao Xi smiled sweetly, handed a tissue to Jin Ming, and emphasized, "Then you two can use it together."
Jin Ming unfolded a scented tissue with a pink heart printed on it and handed one to both Sheng Yu and Zhou Yiyang.
Sheng Yu accepted the offer this time.
Qiao Xi raised an eyebrow and looked at her vocational high school classmates who had come with her. The group of them started teasing her in an ambiguous way.
There are many troublemakers in vocational high schools, and most of them have heard of Sheng Yu's name. Faced with such a top-notch prodigy in terms of family background and appearance, the boys want to build relationships with him, while the girls want to get closer to him.
However, Sheng Yu had a reputation for being cold and aloof, so no one dared to flirt with him. Only a wealthy and beautiful woman like Qiao Xi, who was barely a good match for him, was bolder.
Qiao Xi fell in love with Sheng Yu at first sight when she met him at Binhu Park. Spoiled by her family since childhood, she was arrogant and could easily get whatever she wanted. Meeting someone as unapproachable as Sheng Yu only fueled her competitive spirit, and she secretly resolved to win him over.
When Liu Zhen returned with the water, she nudged Qiao Xi, who was receiving compliments from everyone, with an ambiguous expression, "Look who's here?"
Qiao Xi turned her neck and, following Liu Zhen's direction, saw Tang Ci outside the crowd. She immediately broke into an exaggerated smile and called out to her, "Tang Ci, you're here to watch the competition too?"
Tang Ci heard the sound and looked over. Qiao Xi and several girls beside her were all looking at her. Under their gaze, Tang Ci's face, which had lost its color from climbing the steps quickly, became even paler.
She swallowed hard, her throat dry, but didn't respond to Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi raised an eyebrow and asked in a seemingly kind tone, "Tang Xueba—do you have any favorite contestants? Would you like us to introduce you to any?"
Jin Ming didn't catch the sarcasm in her words. He saw Tang Ci purse her lips and say, "Who else could she possibly have her eye on? Brother Yu, of course. I've seen her clinging to him a lot lately."
Zhou Yiyang looked at Tang Ci's tightly clenched skirt and kicked Jin Ming.
Jin Ming, who had been kicked for no reason, yelled that he would kick back.
Qiao Xi burst into laughter, and disdainful glances and mocking comments flooded towards Tang Ci like a torrent.
Tang Ci felt a chill run down her spine as she watched the farce unfold before her. Being treated as an outsider and ostracized by the group was something that often happened to her during her junior high school years.
Feeling sluggish and congested, Tang Ci suddenly had the urge to flee.
Miao Miao's chest heaved with anger as she grabbed her hand and asked, "Who are they? Why do they all seem like lunatics?"
Tang Ci squeezed her palm comfortingly. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, she did.
Amidst the noise, a loud crash was heard as a half-empty bottle of mineral water arced through the night sky and crashed into a metal trash can.
The sound was loud, and the atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Sheng Yu withdrew his hand from throwing the bottle, ripped off his earphone cord, and glared coldly at the chattering crowd. "So noisy."
Qiao Xi's smile froze on her face, her complexion turning red and white in turns. She pursed her lips and said nothing more. Everyone looked at each other, like students being reprimanded by a teacher, standing awkwardly in place.
Even the area around the betting table quieted down a bit, but quite a few people were still betting on the outcome of tonight's game with their poker cards.
Tang Ci turned to Miao Miao and said, "I'm going over there for a moment."
Miao Miao was impressed by Sheng Yu's cool words and encouraged her by giving her a push on the back, saying, "Go ahead."
Tang Ci walked straight to Sheng Yu's side, meeting everyone's gaze. Seeing that he was about to put on his headphones again, she reached out and grabbed a section of the headphone cord without hesitation.
Qiao Xi narrowed her eyes, looked at the scene before her, and gave an incredulous sneer.
Liu Zhen's mouth dropped open in shock: "Is she crazy? Why is she going out of her way to get scolded by Sheng Yu?"
Ignoring the surrounding gazes, Sheng Yu's dark pupils swept over Tang Ci's face. "What is it?"
Tang Ci suppressed the turmoil in her heart, unplugged her earphones, and asked him gently, "Sheng Yu, do you dare to make a bet with me?"
Those who were waiting to see Tang Ci make a fool of herself were all stunned, their eyes meeting and their expressions filled with confusion.
The motorcycle race in Beishan is an unofficial, grassroots competition, and it is common for racers to make bets with each other. However, Sheng Yu, who consistently holds the top spot, never gambles.
He always leaves immediately after the game, neither enjoying the cheers of the crowd nor participating in any games off the field.
Looking at Tang Ci's thin, silent, and straightforward appearance, Sheng Yu inexplicably felt that the provocative words should have come from her mouth.
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are we betting on?"
Tang Ci remained calm and said, word by word, "I bet you'll lose today."
A commotion erupted all around, with whispers and murmurs rising and falling.
The young man sitting at the gambling table asked with great interest, "Little girl, have you thought it through? Sheng Yu has never lost before."
Tang Ci glanced at him sideways, pushed up her glasses, nodded, and said, "I've thought it through."
Sheng Yu tapped the handlebars lightly with her fingertips. "What if I win?"
“Then I won’t bother you anymore.” Tang Ci took another half step closer to him and spoke again in a firm tone, “But if you lose, you have to come back to school with me for tutoring.”
The people around were stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
Those who frequent Beishan are all bullies in school and society. Their daily lives consist of causing trouble and seeking excitement, and studying seems like something from a past life.
Lin Yao, who had been sitting in the shadows watching the commotion, looked up in surprise. His gloomy gaze swept between Sheng Yu and Tang Ci, while his fingers rubbed and toyed with a folding knife in his leather jacket pocket.
Qiao Xi and Liu Zhen exchanged glances and burst out laughing. She strolled up to Tang Ci and said, "Tang, you think the whole world is a school? If Sheng Yu doesn't agree, are you going to tell the teacher?"
Her sarcastic remark elicited another round of laughter.
Tang Ci stood silently in the center of the public opinion, her shoulders ramrod straight, staring intently at Sheng Yu, "Do you dare to bet with me?"
The question, which should have been cold and hard, sounded as if she were showing weakness because of her soft tone.
The atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous, and the surrounding racers took off their helmets and cheered.
One of the young men laughed until tears streamed down his face. He patted the back of Sheng Yu's car and said, "You can't lose anyway, so why not just go along with the girl's wish and gamble?"
Jin Ming chimed in, "Yeah, Brother Yu, hurry up and finish the bet with her so she won't be hanging around in front of you every day."
The commotion grew louder and louder. Zhou Yiyang looked at Tang Ci's pale face and felt a pang of pity. He said to Sheng Yu, "Why don't you run a little slower today—"
"You feel sorry for him?" Sheng Yu asked, lifting her eyelids.
“We’re all classmates.” Zhou Yiyang coughed lightly. “Why make things so tense?”
"Don't talk like I bullied her," Sheng Yu scoffed, snapping his fingers in front of Tang Ci's eyes. "Do you keep your word?"
Tang Ci nodded quickly, "Yes, that's right."
Sheng Yu pulled off the wire in her left ear and threw the earphone at her. "After I win, you are not allowed to set foot in Beishan from now on."
/
As soon as the whistle blew, the motorcycles on the mountain road rushed out of the white line.
Tang Ci walked back to the fence outside the crowd, where Miao Miao was looking at her with a complicated expression.
Tang Ci paused, then said to her with an innocent look on her face, "I didn't make a bet with any thugs."
Miao Miao gave a speechless "hmm," and said, "You directly provoked the race car driver with the worst temper, that's even more impressive."
Tang Ci leaned silently against the railing. "Didn't he agree?"
Miao Miao rolled her eyes. "You won't lose even if you agree to his offer. You shouldn't even think about getting close to him anymore."
Tang Ci didn't say anything, but lowered her head, rolled up the tangled headphone wire, and put it into her skirt pocket.
Every time Sheng Yu ran a lap, it elicited countless cheers.
After waving her arms and cheering, Qiao Xi waited for the black motorcycle to turn into the bend on the mountain road. Once she was sure that Sheng Yu had entered the final lap with a clear lead, she looked for Tang Ci with a smug expression.
Tang Ci stood in the wind, her face obscured by the swaying shadows of the trees, her white skirt drooping listlessly at her ankles like rain-soaked petals.
A rumble of thunder sounded, and dark clouds quickly swept across the sky. In an instant, the asphalt road was hit by a series of large raindrops.
The spectators all rushed towards the rain shelter, and Miaomiao grabbed Tang Ci's wrist and tried to run after her, but couldn't move her.
Tang Ci pointed to the public restroom below the observation deck and said, "I'm going to the restroom. You can go ahead."
Miao Miao nodded, told her to be careful, and then quickly ran towards the awning.
Tang Ci walked quickly, but her shoulders were still wet from the rain when she reached the bathroom door.
She didn't stop and continued walking down the mountain.
The lush branches blocked her view, so no one in the awning noticed her.
Tang Ci stopped and looked around when she saw a 90-degree turn.
The mountain path wasn't very wide; on the left was a cliff blocked by railings, and on the right were jagged cliffs.
Tangxi gripped the cold railing, listening intently to the sounds beyond the rain.
After hearing the low humming sound, she took a deep breath, released the railing, and walked towards the middle of the road.
The tires screeched as they turned on the wet, slippery surface, and the engine roared like thunder.
The bright, glaring light shone directly on her face, and Tang Ci trembled and closed her eyes.
Soon, a screeching sound even more piercing than the sound of tires turning rang out, and Tang Ci felt her backpack strap being suddenly pulled by a sharp object.
With a sudden lightness, she fell into the grass outside the road.
Ignoring her arm, which felt like it was falling apart, Tang Ci struggled to prop herself up from the mud.
She wiped the rain from her eyes and saw Sheng Yu take off his helmet, throw it and his motorcycle against the railing, and then stride toward her.
Suddenly everything went black as Sheng Yu grabbed her by the neck and slammed her against the rock wall.
With a sharp, cold rock pressed against her back, Tang Ci opened her eyes with rapid breathing, meeting Sheng Yu's pupils, which were filled with suppressed, raging anger.
Tang Ci opened her lips to take in the thin air, but her gaze was unusually calm.
Sheng Yu gritted her teeth and tightened her fingertips, staring at her with bloodshot eyes for a few seconds before saying coldly, "If you really want to die, I'll grant your wish right now."
The second motorcycle burst out from the bend and disappeared in an instant towards the finish line halfway up the mountain.
Despite her disheveled appearance, Tang Ci's eyes shone brightly. She gripped Sheng Yu's arm tightly with both hands and announced in a hoarse voice, "I won."
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