Edge of A Burning Kiss - Chapter 15

Just as everyone thought Anli was about to confront Qin Yu, she suddenly clapped her hands in approval. “Well done! How dare anyone bully our Xiao Jin? President Qin, thank you for stepping in just in time to help her out.”

Qin Yu smiled faintly. “No need for thanks. Xiao Jin and I have a close personal relationship, how could I bear to see her bullied? Isn’t that right, Xiao Jin?”

He deliberately emphasized the words “Xiao Jin,” making Xia Jin cringe so hard she quickly rubbed the goosebumps off her arms. But in front of so many people, she had to give Qin Yu face.

“Thanks to President Qin for coming to my rescue. I’ll be sure to repay your kindness another day.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay!” Anli was captivated by Xia Jin’s qipao that day. “This qipao of yours is stunning. I’ve rarely seen a designer who can infuse such spirit into a cheongsam. This can’t be a mass-produced piece, right? It must have been custom-made by your designer for his muse.”

Xia Jin laughed. “What kind of muse am I? If our designer saw your beauty, he’d turn into a perpetual motion machine. Forget just one dress, he’d design a new one for you to wear every day!”

“Your sweet talk is as charming as ever!” Anli giggled and linked arms with Xia Jin. “President Qin, I’m borrowing Xiao Jin for a bit. I’d love to introduce her to a few friends.”

Qin Yu remained seated, watching Xia Jin’s retreating figure with a thoughtful expression.

Perhaps he should introduce her to some of his friends too.

That way, even if he wasn’t by her side in the future, she’d have people to rely on if she was ever bullied, unlike today, when she’d been left isolated and helpless.

He didn’t dare imagine how much hardship Xia Jin, a young woman, had endured alone in the cutthroat entertainment industry during the years he’d been abroad.

Anli led her to a group of well-dressed investors, her eyes full of admiration. “This young woman has my highest recommendation, Xia Jin. Her professional skills are top-notch, and every project she’s led has been a success.”

She gestured toward a middle-aged man in gold-rimmed glasses. “This is President Lin of Yuansheng Group, in the real estate business. He owns all the prime land in Beijing’s western suburbs.”

President Lin shook Xia Jin’s hand with an appreciative smile. “President Xia’s boldness is remarkable. I look forward to collaborating in the future.”

Xia Jin replied promptly, “President Lin, your legendary achievements have long inspired me. You’ve always been a role model for me!”

She then turned to the young man standing slightly behind him, whose cuffs revealed a pair of custom Van Cleef & Arpels sleeve links. “This is Lu Kai from Blackstone Tech. Their company just released the trending large-scale AI model.”

Lu Kai also extended his hand. “Hello.”

Xia Jin smiled shyly. “Hello! Meeting you in person truly lives up to the rumors, Lu Kai is as outstanding and handsome as they say. Even our most popular male celebrity pales in comparison to your charisma.”

Lu Kai chuckled. “Miss Xia, don’t you remember me?”

Xia Jin froze, momentarily at a loss. She rarely interacted with the tech industry. If Lu Kai claimed to know her, there was only one possible explanation…

Sure enough, Lu Kai spoke up the next second: “That year, I saw you and President Shen attending a banquet together, and we crossed paths once. It’s just a shame that in the years since President Shen went abroad, I’ve only been able to follow his updates through scientific research news, with no other contact. Seeing you today, I thought President Shen might appear with you.”

Anli interjected, “I’d forgotten about this, Lu Kai is actually in the same industry as Shen Du.”

“Haha, right, I remember now,” Xia Jin replied with a stiff, awkward smile. “Shen Du is still abroad. He probably won’t be back for another year or so.”

“Is that so?” Lu Kai sounded doubtful. “But I heard from a friend overseas that President Shen has already started shifting his focus back to the country. He’s estimated to return fully in about a month.”

Xia Jin froze mid-motion, her smile fixed on her face while inwardly cursing up a storm.

That bastard Shen Du!

Afraid she’d find out and run away, he actually kept his early return a secret from her!

No wonder Xia Ziling suddenly brought up Shen Du, he must have known the truth all along, helping him hide it from her.

Not far away, Xia Hongchang watched the scene with a livid expression.

He never expected that Xia Jin, whom he had always regarded as a disgrace, could be on such good terms with heavyweights like Qin Yu and Anli.

An idea quickly formed in his mind.

“Xiao Jin!” Xia Hongchang hurried over to Xia Jin’s side, his face plastered with a concerned smile.

He tried to grab her hand, but she deftly dodged him.

Xia Hongchang froze in embarrassment, but seeing everyone’s suspicious gazes, he had no choice but to press on. “Xiao Jin! I was so worried when I saw Zhou Chengye daring to give you a hard time earlier. Now that I see you’re fine, I can finally relax.”

Anli, noticing Xia Jin’s expression darken, asked, “And this is…?”

“I-I’m Xia Jin’s father, Xia Hongchang,” he answered obsequiously, stepping forward to extend his hand for a handshake.

“So, you’re Xiao Jin’s father! I finally get to meet you in person today!” Anli’s gaze turned icy as she looked at his outstretched hand.

“Hahahaha,” Xia Hongchang clearly didn’t pick up on the sarcasm, instead puffing up with pride, thinking Anli was praising him. “Yes, yes, I’m Xia Jin’s father. My daughter has been stubborn since she was little. If she’s offended anyone, please forgive her!”

Though Lu Kai didn’t know the details of Xia Jin’s family background, he could sense the disdain the two women held for Xia Hongchang. “If I’m not mistaken, when Miss Xia was being harassed earlier, you were just standing in the crowd, watching indifferently?”

Anli snorted. “What an exemplary father you are, Mr. Xia!”

Xia Hongchang paled at their words. “I-I was just-”

Anli crossed her arms, waiting to see what excuse he’d come up with.

“Xia Jin has a strong personality, she wouldn’t have wanted me to step in. I… I just wanted to toughen her up,” he stammered.

Lu Kai smirked. “It’s clear Miss Xia has a strong personality. With a father like you, she wouldn’t have achieved what she has today otherwise.”

Xia Hongchang hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. He turned to glare at Xia Jin, hoping she’d say something to smooth things over.

But unexpectedly, as soon as their eyes met, Xia Jin turned her head away.

Anli had always despised people like Xia Hongchang, selfish and cold-hearted.

She called over her assistant and said icily, “Notify everyone that from now on, we won’t consider any collaborations with the Xia family. Their way of doing things is something I, Anli, simply can’t stand.”

“You-” Xia Hongchang’s expression darkened instantly. Indignant, he wanted to argue, but two bodyguards had already stepped forward to escort him out.

“No need! Move aside!” Xia Hongchang snapped at the bodyguard blocking his path. Then, with his hands clasped behind his back, he straightened his posture and strode out of the venue on his own.

What was so great about some lousy designer?

Did she really think she was some kind of noble aristocrat? Xia Hongchang couldn’t care less about working with her.

But what Xia Hongchang didn’t know was that Anli’s true identity was actually the daughter of the wealthiest family in Country F. The collaborations she referred to weren’t just limited to her personal design brand, they included all business dealings with Country F.

Even if the Xia family wasn’t at that level yet, once Anli made her stance clear, any company looking to collaborate with Country F would have to seriously reconsider their ties with the Xia family.

Xia Jin watched his retreating figure, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Some familial bonds had shattered into dust long ago. What happened now was nothing more than a farce.

Xia Jin forced a weak smile and was about to say something when she suddenly felt warmth envelop her hand.

It was Qin Yu, who had walked over and taken her hand. “Apologies, everyone. Miss Xia hasn’t had dinner yet. I’ll take her to grab something to eat first.”

Without waiting for a response, Qin Yu led her away by the hand.

“I want a small cake,” Xia Jin suddenly spoke up after a long silence on the way. “You go get it for me. I’ll wait for you in the little garden.”

Qin Yu looked at her despondent expression, his heart aching. “Alright, I’ll go get it for you.”

Xia Jin picked up a glass of red wine and sat on a swing in a secluded corner of the garden, idly scrolling through her phone.

Qin Yu searched for her with the cake for a long time before finally spotting her figure in the garden.

Xia Jin was tilting her head slightly, taking small sips of wine, and had casually kicked off her high heels, revealing her delicate toes.

Just as Qin Yu was about to approach, he saw Ye Tiyan suddenly emerge from around the corner and appear beside Xia Jin, having just finished a phone call. For some reason, Qin Yu found himself halting in his tracks.

“Xiao Jin?” Ye Tiyan seemed surprised to see her here.

Xia Jin, her eyes slightly red from the alcohol, tilted her head to look at him and said self-deprecatingly, “Has Young Master Ye come to seek justice for his fiancée?”

Ye Tiyan frowned. He clearly hadn’t expected her to say that.

Looking at her sitting obediently on the swing, her eyes red and her voice soft, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. “Xiao Jin, I was the one who wronged you back then.”

“Is there any point in saying these things now?” Xia Jin set her wine glass down on the swing, her tone unexpectedly serious. “A-Yan, I’ve never done anything to betray you, have I? So why did you treat me like that? You promised you’d always be good to me.”

Hearing her call him “A-Yan” again, something she hadn’t done since catching him with Xia Zhixue, Ye Tiyan’s throat tightened. “Xiao Jin…”

He had never heard Xia Jin speak to him in such a yielding tone before.

“A-Yan,” Xia Jin interrupted him, “I just want to ask you one thing, did you ever truly love me back then? Even just a little bit of sincerity?”

Originally, when Qin Yu saw Ye Tiyan approaching Xia Jin, he had wanted to rush forward and stop them from meeting.

But when he heard Xia Jin ask whether Ye Tiyan had ever truly loved her, he didn’t know what came over him, he chose to stop in his tracks and eavesdrop instead.

Qin Yu pressed his thin lips into a tight line, his fingers gripping the cake plate so hard they turned white.

He didn’t want to see Xia Jin fall for anyone else, yet he longed to know every single detail of whom she had loved, whom she had hated as if this knowledge could bring him one step closer to her.

“Xiao Jin…” Ye Tiyan gazed at the familiar face he hadn’t seen in so long and suddenly couldn’t resist stepping forward, reaching out to touch the strands of Xia Jin’s hair swaying in the wind.