Chapter 29: A Bet is a Bet
Seeing Xia Chenge’s complexion was a bit grim, Ling Hanmu couldn’t help but worry: “Little Brother, if you’re feeling unwell, we can pause. Don’t disregard your physical condition for the sake of the competition.”
“I’m fine,” Xia Chenge managed to say those three words with difficulty.
There was nothing she, Xia Chenge, couldn’t endure; in her dictionary, the word “give up” had never existed.
Ling Hanmu sighed softly, feeling that Xia Chenge was even more stubborn than he had imagined.
He deliberately slowed his pace, giving Xia Chenge a chance to catch her breath, lest she push herself too hard and be unable to cope.
Xia Chenge gritted her teeth, still maintaining her original speed.
Although she felt uncomfortable, she knew she wouldn’t be in any danger. This body had already begun to evolve, and its recovery ability was not something ordinary people could match.
After enduring the initial discomfort, Xia Chenge found that the burning sensation was slowly disappearing, her breathing gradually becoming steady, and she felt completely refreshed.
Xia Chenge was pleasantly surprised, then suddenly accelerated, overtaking Ling Hanmu.
Ling Hanmu was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, a smile appearing on his face: This little girl is truly unwilling to admit defeat. If that’s the case, he couldn’t let her down!
Thus, Ling Hanmu also began to accelerate.
Before Xia Chenge could even savor her victory, she noticed Ling Hanmu catching up.
She increased her speed again, but no matter what, the distance between her and Ling Hanmu remained unchanged.
If she was fast, Ling Hanmu was fast; if she was slow, Ling Hanmu was also slow… It was as if his speed was a perfect copy of hers.
Xia Chenge was astonished. Ling Hanmu could actually maintain the same distance from her?
Xia Chenge decided to test Ling Hanmu.
She increased her speed to that of a hundred-meter sprint, leaving the people around her behind one by one. Just as she thought Ling Hanmu couldn’t possibly catch up, a voice sounded by her ear: “Little Brother, why are you running so fast? It consumes a lot of stamina!”
Xia Chenge’s heart trembled at the words. Why could Ling Hanmu catch up to her?
There were so many things about Ling Hanmu that she couldn’t explain, and she couldn’t discern any difference between him and ordinary people.
Was it just exceptional talent? She slightly turned her head to look at Ling Hanmu, her intuition telling her that Ling Hanmu must be hiding an astonishing secret!
“Little Brother, keep going! I won’t hold back,” Ling Hanmu said, then overtook Xia Chenge and sprinted rapidly forward.
If maintaining the distance had already surprised Xia Chenge, then this time, she was so stunned she couldn’t speak.
She stared blankly at Ling Hanmu’s receding back, finding it unbelievable that she had encountered an ordinary person comparable to an evolved human in this era.
“Little girl, can’t run anymore? Young people have a lot of energy, but running also has its techniques. In the future, don’t start at full speed; take it slow to go far.”
“Don’t be discouraged, you’re already very impressive, little girl.”
“Keep going! Perseverance is victory. Don’t give up easily.”
“We won’t wait for you. See you at the finish line.”
…
People who exercise are positive and sunny. Although they were a bit annoyed at being overtaken by Xia Chenge, they still admired her and teased her in a friendly manner.
Xia Chenge snapped back to reality and gave them a polite smile: “You’re the ones who need to keep going. The ones waiting at the finish line might not be you.”
“Oh, the little girl is very confident! Then let’s have a race. Don’t say we’re bullying you, okay?” They laughed heartily.
“Then let’s race,” Xia Chenge said, and immediately began to accelerate.
Her body had now adapted to this strenuous exercise. She no longer had to worry about being unable to bear it. Her only thought now was to catch up to Ling Hanmu.
Otherwise, if she lost, she would have to agree to one thing Ling Hanmu asked.
That guy was full of mischief; who knew what bizarre condition he would propose if he won.
Xia Chenge hadn’t expected that her victory, which she felt was assured, would be slapped in the face by Ling Hanmu.
By the time she saw Ling Hanmu, he was already leisurely waiting for her at the finish line.
No matter how unwilling she was to believe it, Xia Chenge had to admit that she had lost to Ling Hanmu…
This was the first time in her life that she had lost to someone when she was confident of winning.
“Are you alright?” As Xia Chenge reached the finish line, Ling Hanmu immediately came to meet her. His first concern wasn’t to tell her she had lost, but to ask about her well-being.
“Don’t stop immediately to rest. Walk a bit to cool down, and drink water later.” Ling Hanmu reached out to help her, but Xia Chenge subtly dodged him.
“I’m fine,” Xia Chenge shook her head. After resting for a while to steady her breathing, she looked at Ling Hanmu seriously, “I lost!”
If Ling Hanmu were to propose a difficult condition, she would accept it, considering it a lesson for her arrogance and a reminder not to underestimate her opponents in the future.
Ling Hanmu looked at Xia Chenge’s flushed face from the exertion and said with a smile, “Yes, I won, so Little Brother, you have to agree to one thing.”
“Name it. I’m a good sport,” Xia Chenge felt a sense of tragic resolve.
Ling Hanmu pinched her cheek: “From now on, let me accompany you when you exercise.”
Xia Chenge thought she had misheard. Why would Ling Hanmu let her off so easily? Didn’t he always try to set traps for her?
“You won’t even agree to something so simple?” Ling Hanmu looked hurt, “I’m worried that if you go out alone, someone might harm you. But if I’m there, at least they’ll be wary.”
“No,” Xia Chenge reacted, “I’m just a bit tired and couldn’t process it.”
“That’s good. I thought Little Brother was going to refuse me again,” Ling Hanmu’s face lit up with joy.
Xia Chenge rested for a while longer and began to stretch.
The people who had teased her earlier were now arriving at the finish line in twos and threes, all expressing their admiration for Xia Chenge:
“Your stamina and explosive power are so good, you’ve outrun us by so much.”
“Little girl, want to join us? We can participate in marathons together in the future?”
“Consider it, little girl?”
Xia Chenge smiled and refused: “No, thank you, Uncle. I don’t have that plan for now. Running is purely for exercise, I’m not interested in marathons. I’m sorry.”
The people nearby heard this and widened their eyes. They knew that the group inviting Xia Chenge was Haicheng’s most famous marathon running group, and many people longed to join but couldn’t get in. Yet, she had directly refused!
Xia Chenge still had to go to Wei En’s house. After stretching, she said goodbye and left.
Ling Hanmu followed behind her in silence, clearly a little unhappy.
Xia Chenge noticed this and was quite happy for the peace, lest this guy set more traps for her.
“You don’t even care about me,” Xia Chenge remained silent, but Ling Hanmu couldn’t hold back. He started complaining again, “You’re all smiles with strangers, but you ignore me. I’m very sad.”
Xia Chenge felt weary. This young master was restless for even a moment!
“You even complain that I’m noisy.”
“Since childhood, no one has dared to call me a duck.”
“You’re the first.”
“My heart is shattered into pieces. You have to take responsibility.”
