Edge of A Burning Kiss - Chapter 13

Xia Zhixue never expected Qin Yu to step in and shield Xia Jin. Forcing a smile, she feigned innocence and pitifulness, “Mr. Qin, you’ve misunderstood. You might not know this, but Xia Jin is actually my biological sister. We were just fooling around earlier, how could sisters ever come to blows?”

Xia Zhixue deliberately tied Xia Jin to the Xia family in her words, implying to Qin Yu that since Xia Jin was also part of the Xia family, targeting the family would do her no good either.

Qin Yu wrapped an arm around Xia Jin, pulling her close to his side. He leaned in, whispering intimately by her ear, “Is that so, sweetheart?”

Xia Jin looked up into Qin Yu’s eyes. They were so close that she could see her own reflection in his dark pupils.

Noticing her dazed stare, a flicker of amusement flashed in his eyes. He slid his hand from her waist upward, pressing her head against his chest.

“Sisters? Sorry, but as far as I know, our Xia Jin only has one younger brother. What kind of relative are you supposed to be?”

Seeing how fiercely Qin Yu was protecting Xia Jin, Xia Zhixue tried to squeeze out a few tears, hoping to soften his heart.

Unfortunately, Qin Yu was immune to the tears of any woman other than Xia Jin. He gave Xia Zhixue a dismissive glance and uttered coldly, “Get lost.”

Not wanting to humiliate herself further, Xia Zhixue shot a venomous glare at Xia Jin nestled in Qin Yu’s embrace before curling her lips into a subtle smirk.

“Sister, it’s clear Mr. Qin truly adores you,” she said with feigned innocence. “I just hope you’ll treat him well in return and not let your career obsession take over like before, always working late into the night with other men.”

After dropping this ambiguous remark, Xia Zhixue raised her brows mockingly and turned on her heel, striding confidently into the hotel.

So what if you’re just Qin Yu’s mistress?

Xia Jin, do you really think Qin Yu loves you? Let’s see how long his fascination with you lasts and how far he’ll go to protect you.

The security guard at the entrance remained dutiful. “Excuse me, miss, may I see your invitation?”

Xia Zhixue frowned. “Didn’t you see me enter with the group earlier?”

“Apologies, miss, but we only recognize invitations. If you’re attending as a guest’s companion, please have the invite holder escort you in.”

Exasperated, Xia Zhixue retorted, “Don’t you recognize me? Do you not watch TV?”

She was a household name, a top-tier celebrity.

“Sorry, miss, I don’t watch TV.”

Just then, a middle-aged man overheard their exchange. His eyes lit up the moment he caught sight of Xia Zhixue’s face.

Pulling a small comb from his suit pocket, he smoothed his thinning hair.

Xia Zhixue had never been denied entry before. As she argued with the guard, the middle-aged man interjected with an offer, “Hey beautiful, I happen to need a plus-one. You can come in as my guest.”

Xia Zhixue shot him a disgusted look. “No thanks. I have an invitation.”

Stung by her disdain, the man spat at her feet. “You pretentious bitch. If you had an invitation, why stand around out here? Waiting by the door just to snag some rich guy to sleep with, huh?”

Xia Zhixue had never been insulted with such vulgar language before. She lifted her chin as if to prove her nobility, “Do you know who I am?”

The middle-aged man scoffed, “Of course. The one selling herself at the hotel entrance.”

As they argued at the hotel entrance, Anli’s assistant stepped out and approached them. “Excuse me, this is Miss Anli’s welcome banquet. Could you both, as esteemed guests, please show some courtesy and refrain from arguing at the entrance?”

With that, he turned to the security guard. “Was there a Miss Xia who arrived around 7:30 without an invitation?”

The guard hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully, “There were two ladies without invitations, both arriving at 7:30.” He then pointed to Xia Zhixue and Xia Jin, who was listening to Qin Yu’s chatter in the distance.

Hearing the assistant’s words, Xia Zhixue puffed out her chest triumphantly. Surely, Xia Hongchang had noticed her absence and sent Anli’s assistant to escort her inside.

She glared disdainfully at the middle-aged man, now sweating nervously, already plotting to complain to Xia Hongchang later and make him regret his actions.

At that moment, the assistant smiled and approached Xia Zhixue. “Ah, Miss Xia, my apologies for not recognizing you earlier. May I ask for your full name?”

The flattery stroked Xia Zhixue’s vanity. “I am Miss Xia Zhixue of the Xia family.”

She expected the assistant to usher her inside eagerly, giving her the perfect opportunity to flaunt her status over Xia Jin, the illegitimate child.

But to her shock, the assistant paused upon hearing her name. “Ah, the Xia family’s young miss. Unfortunately, without an invitation, we still cannot allow you entry.”

Xia Zhixue thought she had misheard. Before she could question him, Qin Yu and Xia Jin walked over together.

The assistant hurriedly approached Xia Jin. “Are you Miss Xia Jin?”

Xia Jin smiled and nodded. “You must be Miss Anli’s assistant. My apologies, I just saw her message. Thank you for coming down to fetch me. I heard you enjoy pastries from the capital, so I had my assistant bring some of Yunman’s newest offerings to your studio. I hope you don’t mind.”

The assistant thanked her profusely. “You’re too kind! This is just part of my job. Sorry to keep you waiting, please, come in!”

As the three reached the entrance, Xia Jin glanced at Xia Zhixue. The assistant explained, “That’s the Xia family’s young miss, but without an invitation, she’s been waiting outside.”

“I see,” Xia Jin said gently. “Since she doesn’t have an invitation, it wouldn’t be right to keep her waiting pointlessly. Once more guests arrive, her standing here might make us seem unwelcoming.”

“You’re absolutely right,” the assistant agreed, signaling to the security guard with a look.

The guard immediately stepped forward, politely gesturing for Xia Zhixue to leave.

The middle-aged man, witnessing the sudden turn of events, realized Xia Zhixue wasn’t Anli’s honored guest after all and sighed in relief.

Though he refrained from further humiliation out of respect for her family name, he showed his invitation to the guard and entered without another word.

Things had escalated to this point, and someone as prideful as Xia Zhixue couldn’t possibly stay at Tiansong any longer. She took a deep breath and turned to leave.

Xia Jin, just you wait.

One day, I’ll make you pay for this!