Edge of A Burning Kiss - Chapter 21

Lin Jingyue was still holding court, spittle flying as she tore into Ye Tiyan from head to toe and back again.

Tang Wenlun stood by, clapping and egging her on, making sure not a single insult against Ye Tiyan fell flat.

Xia Jin really wanted to knock these two clowns out with a pillow, she had never been this socially embarrassed in her life!

Just as Xia Jin lowered her head to contemplate the feasibility of this plan, a strange sensation slowly crept over her.

Not shame, nor embarrassment.

It was dizziness.

The kind that made the world spin.

The aftereffects of that lychee cocktail were far stronger than she had anticipated.

Xia Jin’s consciousness began to blur. When she looked up, everything before her seemed veiled by frosted glass, hazy and indistinct.

A buzzing filled her ears, and Lin Jingyue’s scolding sounded distant.

“Man, Lin Jingyue’s alcohol tolerance is terrible!” Tang Wenlun finally felt parched and gulped down some water. “She’s already this drunk? It’s barely even started!”

Curious, he raised his voice to ask the server standing in the corner, “Hey! That pink drink Lin Jingyue had, what’s the alcohol percentage?”

The server replied respectfully, “Young Master Tang, Miss Lin’s ‘First Love’ is primarily fruit-flavored, with an alcohol content of around 40%.”

“Forty percent?!” Tang Wenlun gasped. “That’s not low at all, no wonder-”

“Wait a minute!” Someone caught on. “Then who here had the strongest drink?”

“Yeah! How come we haven’t seen anyone drunk yet?”

All eyes turned to the server again.

The server glanced at the empty glasses on the table and respectfully pointed in Xia Jin’s direction. “That young lady had the ‘Galaxy,’ the strongest specialty cocktail in tonight’s ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ The base spirit was Everclear, roughly…”

He paused and stated a number.

Xia Jin couldn’t make out the exact figure anymore, her head just felt dizzier.

“Tsk.” The room filled with sharp intakes of breath.

No one had expected Xia Jin, who had consumed the strongest cocktail, to remain steady until now. Admiration welled up in their hearts.

Qin Yu, hearing the server’s words, frowned slightly and looked at Xia Jin with concern.

The girl’s head was lowered, strands of hair messily framing her flushed cheeks. Even her fair neck and earlobes were tinged with a faint pink.

Just as Qin Yu was watching her, Xia Jin seemed to sense something and slowly lifted her head, gazing at him dizzily.

Their eyes met, and only then did Qin Yu get a clear look at her state.

Xia Jin’s eyes were glazed, shimmering like a misty-eyed fawn, lost and helpless.

She blinked, her long lashes fluttering like little fans.

Then, her lips pouted slightly, carrying a hint of grievance, as she spoke in a soft, sticky voice, full of complaint: “Where’s my apple?”

Qin Yu: “?”

Xia Jin scrunched up her face, her eyes brimming with accusation. “You promised me and Fanbao an apple when we woke up from our nap.”

Qin Yu: “…”

Tang Wenlun and Lin Jingyue, eavesdropping nearby: “!!!”

Tang Wenlun’s jaw dropped, his phone nearly slipping from his hand.

Lin Jingyue, mid-rant, stopped and stared blankly at the two of them.

What… what kind of scandalous talk was this?!

A nap?

Who to Take a Nap With?

This was quite the bombshell of a question!

Qin Yu stared at the little drunkard before him, her face full of grievance, looking as though she might burst into tears at any second. He froze for a moment.

Then, an almost imperceptible hint of amusement flickered in his eyes, and the corners of his lips curled up ever so slightly.

Xia Jin was completely blackout drunk, her memories all jumbled up.

Qin Yu leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice to an unprecedented softness, as if coaxing a child: “Mm, we promised.”

His voice was deep and pleasant, like the gentle strum of a cello brushing past the ears.

Hearing the affirmative answer, Xia Jin’s eyes brightened, but she still pouted pitifully: “Then… what about the apple?”

Qin Yu chuckled softly, the sound light as a feather yet tickling the heart.

“The apple’s at home.”

He patiently indulged her, treating her like a petulant child: “Let’s go home. Once we’re home, you can have the apple, okay?”

Xia Jin tilted her head, as if struggling to process the logic of his words.

After a few seconds, she nodded emphatically: “Okay! Let’s go home! Eat apple!”

The amusement in Qin Yu’s eyes deepened.

He stood up, naturally reaching out to gently grasp Xia Jin’s wrist. Her skin was smooth and warm, her wrist so slender it seemed as though it could snap with the slightest pressure.

“Let’s go,” he tossed the two words at Tang Wenlun, his tone cool and indifferent as usual, but his movements brooked no argument.

Tang Wenlun was still too stunned to react, instinctively blurting out, “Huh?”

Qin Yu didn’t bother explaining further. Taking advantage of the fact that most people in the private room were still engrossed in their revelry, he half-supported, half-guided Xia Jin and swiftly left the room.

The heavy door closed behind them, cutting off all the noise and prying eyes inside.

Inside the car.

The driver smoothly piloted the black Maybach.

In the back seat, the atmosphere was somewhat peculiar.

At first, Xia Jin sat quietly, her eyes curiously taking in the dazzling nightscape outside the window.

But before long, the amplifying effects of alcohol kicked in.

She suddenly turned to Qin Yu, her face tense, her eyes burning with stubborn anger: “Why?!”

Qin Yu tilted his head slightly, not understanding what she meant.

“Why do they all look down on me?!”

“I single-handedly hold up Stellar Cube, what right does Ye Tiyan have to say I’m not good enough?”

“What’s wrong with me?!”

Xia Jin’s voice was choked with tears, her eyes rapidly reddening.

Qin Yu sat beside her, watching her quietly. The dim light in the car outlined the sharp contours of his profile, but his gaze was unfathomable.

Are you crying over Ye Tiyan? Even after Lin Jingyue tore him apart so thoroughly, you still can’t let him go?

Qin Yu didn’t interrupt her. Instead, each time she paused, he responded in a low, soothing voice:

“Mm, our Xia Jin is amazing.”

“They’re the ones with no taste.”

“You’re wonderful.”

Qin Yu’s voice seemed to carry a magical, calming power.

After venting for a while, Xia Jin, perhaps feeling utterly wronged, pursed her lips and let out a loud “Waaah!” Tears streamed down her face like broken pearls, falling in rapid succession.

Between sobs, she mumbled something incoherent, her words fragmented.

Qin Yu’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The next second, he extended a long arm, his movement forceful yet carrying a hint of caution, as he abruptly scooped up the still-sobbing girl and settled her sideways onto his lap.

“Ah!” Xia Jin gasped in surprise, caught off guard, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

Her nose was instantly filled with his crisp, pleasant scent, mingled with a faint trace of tobacco, unexpectedly soothing.

Her sobs paused as she lifted her tear-blurred eyes, gazing bewildered at the handsome face now mere inches from hers.