Edge of A Burning Kiss - Chapter 28

Having finished everything, Xia Jin didn’t leave. Instead, she sat right by the bed.

She opened the tablet she had brought with her, clicked into her email, and began handling work with an impassive expression.

Apart from the single command to “sleep,” she didn’t say another unnecessary word to Song Zhijian.

The light spilled over her profile, outlining focused yet gentle contours.

Song Zhijian lay under the covers, only his eyes peeking out, staring blankly at her.

Was she… planning to watch him sleep?

Xia Jin seemed to sense his gaze but didn’t look up, her voice still calm.

“I’ll stay here and watch you sleep.”

“Even if you can’t sleep, close your eyes and rest.”

The designer’s stubbornness and resolve crumbled instantly in the face of Xia Jin’s absolute decisiveness and undeniable presence.

Song Zhijian blinked, his long lashes like two tiny brushes.

Unlike the unyielding front he put up in front of Xiao Zhi, he was now uncharacteristically docile and obedient.

He didn’t speak again, only nodding meekly.

“Mm.”

Under the covers, he quietly shifted closer to the edge of the bed, curling up slightly.

Trying to get just a little nearer to the figure sitting by the bed, engrossed in her work.

The room was silent except for the faint sounds from the tablet and the occasional noise of traffic outside the window.

As if this way, he could draw a bit of comforting warmth from her, dispelling the dizziness and discomfort brought on by his fever.

Half-asleep, Song Zhijian murmured, “Sis Xia Jin…”

Hearing this, Xia Jin paused her movements. A trace of softness flickered across her otherwise expressionless face, and she let out a quiet sigh.

Her thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the day she first met Song Zhijian.

It was during a follow-up visit to the hospital when she and Song Qianrou passed by the infusion ward.

The moment they stepped inside, their eyes landed on Song Zhijian not for any particular reason, but because of the uniquely clean, youthful aura he carried.

Song Zhijian was wearing a slightly yellowed but freshly laundered white shirt and a pair of light blue jeans.

One hand was hooked up to an IV drip, while the other held a plastic fork as he casually crossed his legs and ate instant noodles, utterly unbothered by his surroundings.

Song Qianrou frowned at the time and muttered disapprovingly, “Young people these days don’t take care of their health. Eating instant noodles while sick…”

Song Zhijian seemed to hear her. He looked up and glanced in Xia Jin’s direction.

His gaze was clear and bright, carrying a hint of imperceptible detachment and wariness.

But he didn’t say anything, just lowered his head and continued eating his noodles.

Even in simple, casual attire, nothing could obscure Song Zhijian’s strikingly handsome face.

His features were delicate yet sharply defined, exuding the kind of pristine, refreshing charm unique to youth.

Xia Jin shot Song Qianrou a quiet glance, not reprimanding her, but simply sharing her own experience: “During my poorest days, I lived on salted noodles every day. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about my health, I just had no other choice.”

Song Qianrou immediately lowered her head, realizing she had spoken out of turn.

Xia Jin walked over to Song Zhijian and placed the lunch she had prepared for Xia Ziling on the small table in front of him.

Song Zhijian tilted his head, looking at her in confusion.

Xia Jin said flatly, “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned. I made extra, and it’d be a waste to throw it away.”

“I’m Xia Jin, CEO of Stellar Cube. Your looks are perfect for the entertainment industry. Would you like to consider it?”

Xia Jin extended her hand, offering a gilded business card.

Song Zhijian ignored the proffered card, instead drawn to the tantalizing aroma wafting from the lunchbox.

Perhaps it was because he had gone too long without eating, his stomach utterly empty, or maybe it was due to being ill for so long.

His mouth felt utterly devoid of flavor, and he couldn’t resist opening the lunchbox.

The rich scent of braised beef with potatoes instantly enveloped him.

The fragrance was irresistible, making his mouth water.

Xia Jin took out the disposable utensils and handed them to him.

Song Zhijian hesitated for a moment before accepting them, murmuring softly, “Thank you.”

He looked up at Xia Jin with a serious expression. “I’m not interested in being a celebrity. I’m just a designer.”

His gaze was firm, his tone calm and unwavering.

Xia Jin raised an eyebrow slightly, watching as he devoured the lunch she had prepared.

A designer, huh?

Perfect! she had been planning to launch her own private brand.

“Great! I can invest in you. Is a million enough?”

Clatter…

Song Zhijian’s chopsticks fell to the floor.

Xia Jin chuckled as she picked them up, wrapping them in a tissue before handing them to Song Qianrou, gesturing for her to throw them away.

“What? Not enough?”

Shock flickered in Song Zhijian’s eyes, but it quickly faded into resignation. “But all my design drafts were stolen by my roommate.”

Xia Jin handed him a fresh pair of chopsticks, pointing in the direction where Song Qianrou had tossed the trash. “Forget the old ones. Throw them away, new ones will come.”

“He stole your drafts, but did he steal the ideas in your head too?”

…

Xia Jin watched as he tossed restlessly in his sleep, his brow furrowed.

She reached out, carefully brushing aside the stray strands of hair that had fallen over his forehead.

Her fingertips touched his skin, his fever had subsided from its earlier intensity, but he still felt slightly warm, running a low-grade temperature.

She sighed softly. This kid really doesn’t know how to take care of himself.

Just then, her phone suddenly buzzed.

“Bzzz…”

The sound was jarring in the quiet bedroom.

Startled, Xia Jin quickly withdrew her hand and turned down the volume.

She glanced at Song Zhijian, still asleep on the bed, worried she might wake him.

The screen displayed the name “Qin Yu.”

After a brief hesitation, she answered the call.

“Hello?” she whispered.

Qin Yu’s dissatisfied voice immediately came through. “Little President Xia, done visiting the patient?”

“Shouldn’t you come home for dinner? Maybe get a head start on familiarizing yourself with a girlfriend’s duties?”

Xia Jin’s face flushed slightly, and she quickly covered the phone’s speaker as she tiptoed out of the bedroom.

“He’s still asleep!” she hissed. “I’ll come back after I make sure he takes his medicine.”

Unbeknownst to her, even her hushed voice carried enough for the man on the bed to catch most of it.

When Song Zhijian heard the word “girlfriend” from the call, his eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes slowly opened.

He stared straight at Xia Jin’s retreating figure, his gaze complex and unreadable.

She… has a boyfriend?

Are they living together?

Walking into the living room, Xia Jin finally let out a sigh of relief and asked in confusion, “Do I really need to get familiarized in advance just to pretend to be a girlfriend?”

On the other end of the phone, Qin Yu’s voice instantly rose several notches as he angrily exclaimed, “Of course you do!”

“Have you ever seen anyone’s girlfriend running off first thing in the morning to take care of another man?!”

The words carried a thick, unmistakable scent of jealousy, so strong it could practically be smelled through the phone.

Xia Jin’s hand, which had been about to prepare cold medicine for Song Zhijian, paused slightly.

Caught off guard, Xia Jin felt a twinge of guilt, but she quickly regained her composure and calmly replied, “Got it. I’ll be right back.”

With that, she hung up the phone.