Edge of A Burning Kiss - Chapter 24

Qin Yu paused while drying his hair, lifting his gaze to meet her wide-eyed, slightly dazed stare. The corner of his mouth curled into an almost imperceptible, teasing smirk.

He set the towel aside and strode toward the bed with long, purposeful steps.

As he approached, the cool, refreshing scent unique to Qin Yu reached her first.

Xia Jin finally snapped out of her daze. With a startled yelp, she scrambled back under the covers, cocooning herself like a silkworm, leaving only a pair of panicked eyes exposed.

Qin Yu reached the bedside, his expression amused as he looked down at her. Then, he knelt on one knee at the edge of the bed, leaning in and closing the distance between them.

One hand braced against the mattress, he tilted forward slightly, his handsome face looming large in Xia Jin’s vision.

Occasional droplets of water fell from his damp hair, landing on her exposed forehead with a cool, tingling sensation.

“Director Xia, you…” His deep eyes glinted with mischief as his lips parted, his voice low, magnetic, and still slightly rough from sleep. “Planning to take advantage and then run?”

Xia Jin’s heart skipped a beat, sinking halfway. Damn it, he saw right through her!

She struggled to maintain her composure, though her voice wavered slightly. “I… what did I do? Things done while drunk don’t count!”

Qin Yu arched an eyebrow, repeating her words. “Don’t count?”

He leaned in even closer, his nose nearly brushing hers. “Last night, someone was biting, hugging, clinging to my neck and refusing to let go, that doesn’t count?”

Xia Jin: “…”

Did she really?!

“And crying, insisting you’d marry no one but me, that you’d be Qin Yu’s wife.”

Xia Jin: “…”

No way! Absolutely no way!

“And in the end, you even…” Qin Yu deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over her tightly wrapped blanket before enunciating each word, “took off your clothes and tried to force yourself on me?”

Xia Jin: “…”

Boom! Her brain exploded.

But the truth was, Xia Jin had just been too hot at night and wriggled out of her qipao herself.

“Tell me,” Qin Yu straightened leisurely, crossing his arms as he looked down at her. “If I posted this ‘heroic’ tale of yours online and let the public judge, what do you think would happen?”

Xia Jin’s heart plummeted completely, a wave of deep self-doubt washing over her.

Could she really have been that shameless when drunk?!

She looked up, searching his face for any hint of deception.

Was this guy just messing with her?

Qin Yu seemed to read her mind. Before she could speak, he cut in:

“Don’t believe me?”

He tilted his chin toward the bedside. “Ask Fanbao. Do you really think, with him guarding you every second, I’d have had a chance to undress you?”

Fanbao, hearing his name, barked excitedly.

Then, he trotted over to the chair, picked up the neatly folded qipao in his mouth, and brought it back, placing it beside Xia Jin’s pillow.

He nuzzled her with his big head, wagging his tail like a propeller.

As if to say: See? I was the one guarding you! I kept an eye on your clothes! He didn’t touch you! (Even though he’d actually been fast asleep.)

With both the dog and the evidence present, Xia Jin truly had no way to deny it now.

She took a deep breath and blurted out as if she had nothing left to lose, “Fine! I admit I was in the wrong last night! But you, Mr. Qin, are a seasoned player in the romance department, with countless conquests under your belt. Surely you don’t care about me taking such a tiny advantage of you! Besides, that couldn’t have been your first kiss anyway, what’s the big deal!”

The moment the words left her mouth, Qin Yu looked as though he had just heard the most absurd tale in the world, his face twisting into an expression of utter shock. “First kiss?!”

His voice shot up an octave as he pointed at his lips, his tone dripping with anguish. “Xia Jin! Of course it was my first kiss! I’ve kept myself pure and untouched for over twenty years, only for you, a downright thief to snatch it away! And now you have the audacity to deny responsibility!”

Clutching his chest as if heartbroken, he nearly let his towel slip in his dramatic despair. “How am I supposed to live with this?! A delicate man like me, my innocence ruined by you! Boohoo… What if no one wants to marry me now?!”

Xia Jin: “???”

She stared at him blankly, watching his exaggerated performance with deadpan amusement. With acting skills this over-the-top, it was a shame he wasn’t out there winning Oscars.

Sighing, she tugged at the corner of her lips and asked, “Alright, what do you want me to do about it?”

Qin Yu’s theatrics vanished in an instant, as if someone had flipped a switch. His usual composed demeanor returned, even laced with a hint of scheming amusement. “Let’s talk business. My family’s been hounding me about marriage lately, and coincidentally, President Xia has already agreed to join Almost Lovers.”

He looked at her intently, enunciating each word with deliberate clarity. “Xia Jin, be my girlfriend.”

“No!” The refusal shot out of her almost reflexively, without a second’s hesitation.

“I’ll compensate you however you want, money, dinner, introducing you to other women… anything! But this? Absolutely not!”

Her tone was resolute. The failed almost-relationship with Ye Tiyan and Xia Zhixue’s betrayal had left her deeply averse to the very idea of being someone’s “girlfriend.”

Especially when that someone was Qin Yu, a man who radiated calculation and unpredictability.

She had no intention of repeating past mistakes or getting tangled in complicated emotional entanglements.

Qin Yu’s smile faltered for a split second, a flicker of something faint… disappointment? flashing in his eyes too quickly to catch.

But by the next moment, it was gone, expertly masked.

He resumed his usual unflappable, almost roguish demeanor. “President Xia, no need to react so strongly.”

He chuckled, studying her with leisurely amusement. “I never said we had to actually date for real. Just play the role of my girlfriend on Almost Lovers, keep it natural for the show.”

Xia Jin frowned, still unconvinced.

Qin Yu paused, softening his voice with a coaxing lilt. “It’s just acting. Sweet and affectionate on camera, back to being just neighbors off-screen, no strings attached.”

“And we can put it in writing: if at any point during or after the show, you meet someone you genuinely like, you can unilaterally end the relationship. I won’t make a fuss.”

Xia Jin pressed her lips together, silently weighing the proposal.

Qin Yu studied her tense profile and pressed further, “Think about it, this is nothing but beneficial for you and Stellar Cube. Lelai Entertainment is an industry giant. With me personally joining a dating show, the buzz and attention will be absolutely top-tier.”

“Participating as ‘Qin Yu’s girlfriend’ would be a massive boost to your personal brand and Stellar Cube’s visibility.”

“Not to mention the potential resource allocation and project collaborations down the line…”

He left the sentence hanging, but the implication was crystal clear.