Edge of A Burning Kiss - Chapter 10

Qin Yu immediately guessed Xia Jin’s thoughts. Even if Xia Jin found someone to confirm that those design drafts had been stolen, so what?

Adding flowers to embroidery is never as valuable as offering fuel in snowy weather. It would be better for Xia Jin to give him some opportunities, let him prove himself. When the day came that he became truly famous in this circle, it wouldn’t be too late to hand him the evidence then.

Fortunately, the burn on her hand wasn’t serious. Running it under water for a while would do the trick, though the mess on the floor would have to be cleaned up by the housekeeping auntie.

Just as Xia Jin finished contacting the cleaner, she heard Qin Yu say to her,

“Go rest at my place for a while. You’ve just recovered from your illness, and you have to attend a dinner tonight. The noise from the cleaning will definitely disturb your rest.”

Xia Jin had always been a light sleeper. The sound of the vacuum cleaner would surely wake her up, and right now, she was indeed feeling a bit drowsy.

“Alright then, I’ll borrow your guest room,” Xia Jin said with a yawn.

Qin Yu proactively picked up Fanbao’s dog bowl and mat. “The guest room isn’t made up. Sleep in the master bedroom.”

“Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Xia Jin hesitated.

Qin Yu looked up at her. “I’m not even charging you a day’s rent, and you’re still being picky? Fine, I’ll change the sheets for you if it bothers you.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Xia Jin said, patting the dog’s head with a grin. “It’s mainly that Fanbao has to sleep with me. If you don’t mind him getting on the bed, then forget I said anything.”

Seizing the opportunity, Fanbao barked twice, wagged his tail, and snatched the mat from Qin Yu’s hand, making it clear he wasn’t sleeping on the mat but on the bed with Xia Jin.

Qin Yu’s face darkened. Xia Jin was going to sleep in his bed, in his house, and she was bringing another male with her, even if that male was a dog.

“Wow, President Qin’s bed is something else! Fanbao, come here, it’s super soft!” Xia Jin exclaimed excitedly, patting and feeling the bed all over.

This spoiled dog really knew how to live well, even the mattress felt different under her touch.

Xia Jin wondered if she should get Xia Ziling the same one. Ziling sat in the office all day; she deserved a better mattress to improve her sleep quality at night.

Fanbao, clutching his special pillow in his mouth, leaped onto the bed with a mighty jump. Just as excited as Xia Jin, he bounced up and down, nearly sending her flying off the bed.

Standing at the door, Qin Yu held Fanbao’s bowl in one hand, Xia Jin’s water cup and medicine in the other, and her laptop slung over his shoulder because she insisted she’d need to work on documents after waking up.

Burdened like a pack mule, Qin Yu could only smile helplessly at the sight of the two troublemakers frolicking on the bed. After setting everything down, he knocked on the door. “Enough playing. Get some sleep. I’ll wake you at 6:30 and take you to Tiansong Hotel.”

“Okaaay-” Xia Jin dragged out her reply, clearly not done having fun with Fanbao.

“Awooo-” Fanbao chimed in, expressing his dissatisfaction.

Qin Yu chuckled and handed her a glass of warm water and her medicine. “Alright, take your medicine and go to sleep.”

“Where’s my apple?” Xia Jin reluctantly took the pills and swallowed them.

Qin Yu froze, suddenly remembering that Xia Jin had indeed texted him earlier to bring back two apples.

“I knew it!” Xia Jin burrowed under the covers, pulling them over her face. “They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Now I get it, you don’t want me to get better. You’re just trying to suppress Starlight Cube, which is why you didn’t bring me an apple.”

Qin Yu was both amused and exasperated by her words. He reached out and gently patted the figure buried under the blankets. “Don’t sleep with your head covered. I’ll give you an apple when you wake up.”

“Oh!”

Xia Jin propped the blanket open with her hands, then patted the empty space beside her. Fanbao immediately wiggled his way over, squeezing in next to her. “Two apples! Fan Bao wants one too!”

With that, Xia Jin closed her eyes and hugged Fanbao, ready to sleep.

Qin Yu watched the peaceful scene before him with tender eyes. He reached out, intending to stroke Xia Jin’s fragrant long hair splayed across the pillow, but his hand paused mid-air. In the end, he redirected it to pat Fanbao’s furry head instead.

After turning off the bedside lamp for them and quietly closing the door, Qin Yu contacted Chi Fan to secure an invitation to Anli’s welcome banquet.

On WeChat, Guan Yunshi and Guan Jiayou were still bombarding him with messages.

He didn’t even glance at Guan Yunshi’s texts, opting to block and delete her in one swift motion.

[Guan Jiayou: I know you don’t like Xiao Shi, and I’ve already scolded her for you. But you know how it is, she’s been spoiled by the family since she was little. Considering our families’ long-standing friendship, don’t be so cold to her.]

[Guan Jiayou: It’s not like you have a girl you like anyway. Just let Xiao Shi keep you company for fun.]

[Qin Yu: ?]

[Qin Yu: Who told you I don’t have a girl I like?]

Qin Yu stealthily snapped a photo through the door crack. Satisfied that Xia Jin’s face was completely obscured by Fanbao’s chunky body, he nodded to himself and sent it to Guan Jiayou.

[Guan Jiayou: ?]

Before Guan Jiayou could save the photo, Qin Yu swiftly recalled it. There was no way he’d let another man lay eyes on a picture of Xia Jin.

Ignoring Guan Jiayou’s follow-up, Qin Yu continued to admire the secretly taken photo, his lips curling into an irrepressible smile.

He spent a long time tinkering with it, adjusting filters, tweaking settings before finally setting the edited image as his phone wallpaper with a satisfied flourish.

By 6:30, Qin Yu quietly slipped back into the bedroom. Clearing his throat, he called softly, “Xia Jin, time to get up.”

Xia Jin stirred at the sound, groggily opening her eyes before burying her face into Fanbao’s fluffy belly. “No… I don’t want to work. I want to keep sleeping.”

Now she finally understood why Song Qianrou never wanted to return to work the day after taking leave.

The feeling of not working was truly liberating, taking time off was downright addictive.

Ugh, why did people even have to work?

Fanbao stretched out a paw and rested it on Xia Jin’s head. Both human and dog remained stubbornly glued to the bed, refusing to budge.

Qin Yu had no choice but to negotiate. “Alright, we can skip Anli’s welcome banquet today. We can always arrange to meet her another time.”

At that, Xia Jin bolted upright. “No way! Anli just got back to the country, we can’t let someone else swoop in first.”

“Let’s go! Home!” She gave Fanbao’s rump a firm pat before turning to Qin Yu. “I’ll have the housekeeper change your bedsheets tonight since Fanbao and I slept on them.”

Qin Yu nodded, maintaining a composed facade even as the corners of his mouth threatened to betray his delight. “Got it. I’ll change them myself later.”

Yeah, right.

As if he’d ever swap out bedsheets Xia Jin had slept on.

Back at home, Xia Jin hurriedly threw together a light makeup look at her vanity, now fully comfortable bossing Qin Yu around. “Grab the qipao from the wardrobe, the one in the dustproof bag.”

Qin Yu was feeding Fanbao when he heard Xia Jin’s words and immediately went to fetch the clothes, carefully removing the dust cover.

It was a moon-white jacquard cheongsam with subtle patterns, its stand-up collar edged with a narrow indigo piping. Seven coiled buttons, like a string of smooth mother-of-pearl, slanted gracefully from beneath the jaw down to the waist.

The hidden embroidery at the front featured half-opened lotus blossoms, their silver-threaded stamens concealed within the jacquard weave, revealing only faint glimmers when moving. With each shift, the lotus motifs along the hem seemed to unfurl slightly further in the moonlight.