Edge of A Burning Kiss - Chapter 23

Xia Jin was utterly stunned.

Was it the alcohol playing tricks? Or was it the man before her, his devastatingly handsome face simply too overwhelming?

Qin Yu’s eyes were like the deep night sky, threatening to pull her in. His slightly parted lips uttered the most enchanting words she’d ever heard.

Xia Jin felt her cheeks burn and her heart pound like a drum.

As if bewitched, she slowly, ever so slowly, rose onto her tiptoes.

Inch by inch, she leaned toward those lips so tantalizingly close.

The air seemed to freeze, time itself slowing to a crawl.

The moment she drew near, Qin Yu’s pupils contracted slightly.

He saw it clearly, the innocent, dazed glimmer in her eyes, tinged with a hint of boldness and allure.

Her breath, sweet with the scent of alcohol, brushed lightly against his lips.

Then soft, warm contact.

Her lips.

The kiss was fleeting, like a dragonfly skimming water, yet somehow lingering.

Qin Yu stiffened, his mind blank for an instant.

He could even feel the fingers of the hand resting behind her curl slightly.

Just as his heart stirred, instinctively urging him to reach out and pull this daring, tipsy girl closer,

Thud.

A soft sound.

Xia Jin’s head slumped abruptly, without warning, onto his shoulder. The steady rhythm of her breathing resumed.

Qin Yu: “…”

He remained frozen in that slightly bent posture, lips still tingling from the ghost of her touch, for several long seconds.

The girl in his arms was now fast asleep.

Qin Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

What was this?

Tease him and then just… sleep?

And she even had the audacity to find a comfortable position while doing it?

“Woof! Woof!” Beside them, Fanbao seemed to sense something amiss with his owner and let out a few quiet barks, nudging Xia Jin’s limp hand with his nose.

What kind of situation was this?

His first kiss, stolen by Xia Jin just like that. What if she woke up and refused to acknowledge it?

With a resigned sigh, Qin Yu thought, what could he do? He’d always been at her mercy.

Carefully adjusting his stance, he bent down and scooped Xia Jin up into his arms again.

She nuzzled against his chest, settling into a cozier spot, and sank deeper into sleep.

Qin Yu carried her through the living room toward his bedroom, Fanbao trailing faithfully behind.

Gently, he laid her down on the soft bed and pulled the covers over her.

Her fair cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, her long lashes resting peacefully, a faint, contented curve at the corner of her lips.

Qin Yu stood by the bed, watching her silently, his gaze inscrutable.

Then he turned to leave, letting her rest undisturbed.

But the moment he took a step, a small hand lightly tugged at his sleeve, so faint, yet impossible to ignore.

“Don’t go…” she murmured in her sleep, her voice thick with drowsy dependence.

Qin Yu paused. He looked down at the small hand clutching his sleeve, then at the defenseless figure on the bed.

Finally, he exhaled soundlessly, surrendering to fate as he pulled over a chair and sat down beside her.

Noticing this, Fanbao obediently curled up by Xia Jin’s legs, resting his big head on his paws, keeping watch over his owner.

The night was still long.

In the room, only the girl’s steady breathing, the big dog’s snores, and the man’s silent vigil remained.

Like a family of three, in this little world, no words were needed, just peace and warmth flowing quietly through the air, softening even the night.

The next morning, a sliver of light seeped through the gap in the curtains.

Xia Jin let out a soft groan, her head throbbing painfully as she slowly pried open her heavy eyelids.

Whose chandelier is this? So pretty, this style must cost at least a few hundred grand.

Wait a minute…

Xia Jin abruptly sat up, her heart pounding wildly.

This wasn’t her home! Whose place was this?!

The haze of her hangover was instantly dispelled by shock.

Where the hell was she?!

She glanced around, clean black-and-white decor, luxurious and expensive furniture, everything exuding an unmistakable “I’m rich” vibe.

Her gaze shifted to the golden retriever sprawled on the rug beside the bed, fast asleep.

“Fanbao?” Xia Jin called out blankly, her tense nerves suddenly relaxing.

Fanbao twitched his ears, lifted his head, and upon seeing her awake, immediately wagged his tail excitedly, letting out affectionate whimpers.

Oh, thank goodness, it was Qin Yu’s place.

Xia Jin exhaled deeply, rubbing her aching temples as she tried to piece together fragments of last night.

Flashes of memory surfaced, the private room, cocktails, Qin Yu’s embrace, his bookshelf…

And then?

She… recited Shakespeare?

And… kissed him?!

Xia Jin’s cheeks burned instantly. She stiffened on the bed. It’s fine, just a kiss, nothing else outrageous happened. Her clothes were still perfectly intact on her.

As she reassured herself, she instinctively glanced downward.

Stiffly, she lifted the blanket covering her and slowly lowered her head, only to see that she was wearing nothing but her underwear.

Xia Jin sucked in a sharp breath, her mind going completely blank as a wave of dread seized her.

Her eyes snapped to the chair beside the nightstand.

Neatly folded on it was her cheongsam?!

Holy shit?!

Did she… did she take advantage of Qin Yu while drunk?!

As much as she hated to admit it, Qin Yu’s face, his figure, that cold yet restrained aura,

It was enough to make her lose all self-control!

What kind of beastly things had she done last night?! How could she have lost her clothes?!

Just as Xia Jin was internally spiraling, on the verge of exploding,

She suddenly heard the sound of running water.

From the ensuite bathroom, Qin Yu was showering.

Her heart clenched, and the thought of fleeing immediately crossed her mind.

Get dressed and bolt right now! Pretend nothing ever happened!

Wait, no, wouldn’t that be admitting guilt? Maybe nothing even happened yesterday!

Just as she scrambled to get out of bed and grab her clothes,

The water stopped. The bathroom door opened.

Qin Yu stepped out, bare-chested, with only a loosely tied white towel around his waist, drying his damp hair as he walked.

Water droplets rolled down his short, neat hair, tracing the sharp lines of his collarbone, sliding over his firm, toned chest, and disappearing into the well-defined ridges of his eight-pack abs…

Further down were the seductive V-lines, disappearing beneath the edge of the towel… broad shoulders, narrow waist, long and lean legs, every inch of muscle perfectly defined, radiating raw power and masculine allure.

Enveloped in the steam, he looked like a mermaid freshly emerged from the water, breathtakingly handsome.

Xia Jin was utterly transfixed, forgetting even to blink, her mind flooded with a barrage of “Holy shit holy shit holy shit.”

It wasn’t as if Xia Jin had never seen a naked man before. In fact, she had seen all the physique-focused magazine shoots of the top-selling male stars in the industry.

But none of them had the sheer visual impact of Qin Yu.

Qin Yu was simply otherworldly.