The presumptuous "kiss" was obviously just Lin Xinglan’s assumption.
Duan Chen called out to her.
Lin Xinglan opened her eyes, her face blushing with embarrassment, but luckily she had thick skin, "Duan Chen, brother... weren’t you going to kiss me?"
Duan Chen frowned, "Did Commander Lu say something to you?"
Lin Xinglan blinked, not quite understanding the meaning behind Duan Chen’s words.
Duan Chen took a deep breath, he looked at Lin Xinglan seriously and honestly said to her, "During the selection process for the officer candidates, I made a bet with Commander Lu. The bet was whether you would pass the selection together with Tang Xiaohua or whether you would drag Tang Xiaohua down..."
Lin Xinglan’s expression changed slightly,
"Your bet was... the latter?"
Lin Xinglan was at a loss for words, Duan Chen’s view of her was just like her own view of herself, there shouldn’t be any emotions, but... her heart really felt stifled.
Because deep down, she also hoped... that Duan Chen, brother, would place his bet on the former.
"Then I’m really sorry for making Company Commander Duan lose the bet."
Lin Xinglan’s address for Duan Chen changed in an instant.
Duan Chen heard the displeasure in Lin Xinglan’s words, he took a deep breath, "I really did... have no confidence in you. With you teaming up with Tang Xiaohua, I felt there was no chance of you passing the selection."
"...That really disappointed Company Commander Duan."
"Company Commander Duan should just speak his mind, you’re being so tentative and hesitant, it’s causing me to have all sorts of wild guesses. What is the real reason you asked me to come here?"
"The bet I made was... to kiss you."
Lin Xinglan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly her eyes widened, anger flashing in them,
"Why do you use me as a betting stake!"
"Lighten up, Xinglan."
"Duan Chen, stop pushing me too far! It’s bad enough you don’t believe in me, now you’re mocking me as well!"
Lin Xinglan’s heart was extremely heavy!
"I didn’t mean to mock you, it’s because Lu Zi—"
Lin Xinglan’s eyes suddenly brimmed with tears, looking pitiful...
"Win or lose the bet, who among you has the right to kiss me? Do you and Commander Lu also look down on me because my father has been suspended from his position, and you’re bullying me!"
Lin Xinglan glared sternly at Duan Chen,
"But don’t forget, Duan Chen, no matter what my father’s situation is, he has been good to you!"
After saying that, she turned to open the door to leave, but Duan Chen quickly grabbed her, "Lin Xinglan, don’t be rash, listen to me finish."
"...What else is there to say! I truly didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, Duan Chen!"
"I wasn’t planning on bullying you! And I won’t kiss you! I won’t take advantage of you, so when Lu Ziqing asks later, you just tell him I already did."
"Otherwise, you can tell Lu Ziqing that you don’t want to."
"Maybe I really have always thought too highly of you. That’s why I’m so disappointed now."
Lin Xinglan took a deep breath,
"You’d better stop underestimating me. I am an officer candidate now, and one day I’ll climb above you and become your superior! You just wait. As for your stupid bet, it has nothing to do with me!"
Lin Xinglan yelled at Duan Chen, then pulled open the door and walked out.
The sound of the door slamming shut was so loud it made Duan Chen’s ears hurt.
Looking at the closed door, his heart felt a bit clogged too, recalling just now her slightly upturned, peachy face, her pouted red lips, and that shy yet unabashed demeanor... Duan Chen’s heart, unexpectedly, became unsettled.