C20 You Were Just Joking, but I Was Serious.

Jiang Hao accepted the test paper from Zhou Hong and, as he made his way back to his seat, he couldn't help but steal a glance at Liu Xuan in the front row, who was too intimidated to meet his gaze.

With a subtle smile, Jiang Hao settled into his seat just as Zhou Hong began to go over the paper.

For Liu Xuan, the lesson flew by in a blur.

He couldn't absorb a single word; his mind was consumed by the bet he'd made with Jiang Hao.

The bell signaling the end of class rang out, snapping Liu Xuan out of his reverie.

Once their English teacher, Zhou Hong, had exited the room, a voice cut through the silence.

"Liu Xuan, it's time for you to make good on our bet!"

The sound of that voice drew everyone's attention to Jiang Hao, then all eyes quickly shifted to Liu Xuan.

In that moment, Liu Xuan's body tensed, his earlier thoughts of escape now frozen in place.

The classroom fell into a hush.

Jiang Hao, seated comfortably, watched Liu Xuan with an amused expression.

"Our esteemed class monitor wouldn't think of backing out now, would he?"

Feeling the weight of everyone's stares, Liu Xuan's cheeks flared with embarrassment.

He turned to face Jiang Hao at the back of the room and offered a sheepish grin.

"Jiang Hao, I was only kidding around!"

Jiang Hao, observing Liu Xuan's brazen attempt to deflect, rose to his feet with an inscrutable smile and approached him.

All eyes once again followed Jiang Hao, their curiosity piqued about his next move.

Standing beside Liu Xuan, Jiang Hao continued to smile, his gaze fixed.

Liu Xuan returned the look, his smile strained and his eyes pleading for mercy.

They locked eyes.

"Bang!"

"Crack!"

Suddenly, a thunderous noise erupted, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

Liu Xuan, startled, stumbled and nearly fell.

He looked at his desk in terror to find a fist had smashed through it, leaving a gaping hole in the wooden surface.

The rest of the class turned their attention to Liu Xuan's desk, shocked by the dramatic turn of events.

"Hiss—"

As everyone gazed at the gaping hole in the table, a collective gasp of astonishment chilled the air.

How utterly terrifying!

Shock was written all over their faces as they turned to Jiang Hao.

In that moment, Jiang Hao cast his eyes downward to his fist, calmly withdrawing his hand from the wreckage and mused aloud.

"Man, this table is really flimsy, isn't it?"

Liu Xuan was petrified. That punch, had it hit him, could have caused serious injury.

Jiang Hao then redirected his attention to Liu Xuan, his smile teasing as he inquired,

"Class monitor, could you repeat what you were saying?"

His words snapped the dazed Liu Xuan back to reality.

Swallowing his pride, Liu Xuan hastily mustered a sycophantic grin.

"Nothing, it was nothing."

"I was saying I'd honor the bet, I accept my loss, I honor the bet, I accept my loss!"

Liu Xuan, visibly shaken, scrambled to explain.

"Good to hear! Now let's see you keep your word, we don't want to be late for class!"

With no room to argue, Liu Xuan sprang from his seat and prostrated himself on the floor.

As he lay there, his eyes seethed with silent venom.

"Bark! Bark! Bark!"

Once he had finished his canine impression, Liu Xuan looked up at Jiang Hao.

"Class monitor, who knew you had such a flair for performance!"

Jiang Hao's face broke into a wide grin as he watched Liu Xuan on the floor, his tone laced with playful mockery.

With that, he turned and strolled back to his seat.

Liu Xuan's face burned with embarrassment.

Once Jiang Hao was gone, Liu Xuan quickly stood and returned to his seat, avoiding the gazes of his classmates.

But inside, his rage was roaring.

"Jiang Hao, you'll see. I'll make you pay for today's disgrace!"