Edge of A Burning Kiss - Chapter 3

Xia Jin steadied her emotions and walked into the grand hall of Li Pan, spotting the artists under her company’s banner. “Give it your best,” she encouraged them. “Let the other companies see the strength of Stellar Cube.”

Xu Lingqing smiled in response. “We definitely won’t let you down, President Xia.”

“But…” Xu Lingqing’s tone shifted as she asked curiously, “President Xia, is your younger brother working at Blue Sentence Entertainment?”

“Hmm?” Xia Jin didn’t understand the question. Xia Ziling was supposed to be resting peacefully in the hospital, what did he have to do with Blue Sentence?

“That man over there,” Xu Lingqing pointed toward a figure in the venue. “He claims to be your brother and has been soliciting collaborations for Blue Sentence.”

Xia Jin followed her gesture and immediately let out a cold laugh.

He Zimo actually had the audacity to swindle people under her name. There was no need to guess, this had to be her mother’s idea.

Back when Xia Ziling was twelve, Xia Jin’s mother, Ji Zhenli, had caused a huge scene at the Xia family home. Who would’ve thought that Xia Hongchang wouldn’t even acknowledge Xia Ziling as his son? He simply handed Ji Zhenli a sum of money and sent her away.

Ji Zhenli wasn’t greedy, that money was enough to last her a lifetime. So she abandoned Xia Jin and her brother, remarried, and gave birth to He Zimo.

Back then, Ji Zhenli hadn’t cared about Xia Jin at all. Now, she wanted to use Xia Jin’s reputation to boost He Zimo’s standing.

Some people really had the audacity to dream big despite their lack of merit.

Xia Jin instructed, “That’s not my brother. Next time you see him, just have security throw him out.”

With that, she stormed toward He Zimo with an intimidating aura.

He Zimo, oblivious to the impending danger, was still brazenly boasting, “President Chen, as you know, Xia Jin from Stellar Cube is my biological sister. This project… Ah!!”

Xia Jin swiftly walked up behind him, hiked her dress up slightly, and delivered a powerful kick to He Zimo’s lower back. Caught off guard, he tumbled head over heels.

Xia Jin hadn’t held back at all, she estimated it would take He Zimo at least ten days to half a month for the swelling in his back to go down.

“What the! Who the hell…!” He Zimo’s furious shout died in his throat when he realized it was Xia Jin who had kicked him. Not another word escaped him.

Xia Jin stepped on his back, making him writhe in pain as he begged for mercy. “You little brat, how dare you pass off dog meat as mutton? Who said you could claim me as your sister?”

He Zimo’s face twisted in agony. “I was wrong, I was wrong, President Xia! I’ll never do it again!”

Only then did Xia Jin lift her foot. She smoothed out her dress and offered a polite smile to the man beside them. “President Chen, my apologies for the unsightly scene.”

President Chen was still reeling from Xia Jin’s fierce display, so much so that her smile sent a shiver down his spine. He hastily waved his hands. “N-no! It’s fine, it’s fine! You were absolutely right, President Xia!”

Xia Jin gave him another courteous smile before kicking He Zimo again. “Get up. We need to talk.”

He Zimo scrambled to his feet, ignoring the strange looks from the crowd, his face burning with shame as he covered it and hurried after her.

…

“Yes, investigate everyone Xia Jin interacted with during her time at Jing University, especially men. Pay close attention to her relationship with Ye Tiyan.”

Qin Yu had just finished his call in the quiet hallway and was about to leave when a cold female voice echoed from around the corner.

“I don’t care how Ji Zhenli is doing now. I’m warning you, if you dare do anything else under the name of Xia Jin, you can try and see if your Blue Sentence can stay open past tomorrow.”

Qin Yu raised an eyebrow with an inscrutable expression. What a coincidence. He hadn’t gone looking for Xia Jin, yet here she was, coming to him instead.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket, lost in thought, but didn’t walk away. Instead, he lingered around the corner, listening to her words.

He Zimo brushed the dust off his suit. “Sis, Mom really regrets it. She thinks about you every day. When she found out you still don’t have a boyfriend at your age, she even went out of her way to find several blind dates for you.”

“Don’t worry, Sis. Every one of them is powerful and influential in the capital.” He Zimo pulled a few photos from his pocket. “Once you’re married, you can just focus on being a good wife and mother. I’ll take care of Stellar Cube for you, no need to worry. You’ll get 2% of the profits every year.”

Leaning against the wall, Xia Jin glanced down at the photos he handed her. Without exception, they were all greasy middle-aged men with potbellies, thinning hairlines, and ages that could pass for her father.

Xia Jin let out a self-deprecating laugh. So these were the blind dates Ji Zhenli had picked for her? This was her first time experiencing what it truly meant to sell out one’s daughter for personal gain.

She had never felt a single day of maternal love, yet now she was suffocating under the greed and schemes of her own birth mother.

Meanwhile, Qin Yu, eavesdropping, quietly noted down in his mental ledger: Blue Sentence, He Zimo, Wang Weiye…

Should he just bankrupt them tomorrow? As a little welcome gift for Xia Jin. Qin Yu thought the idea was excellent.

“This Mr. Wang Weiye is in the food industry. His wife died a few years ago, and he’s been looking for a new wife. He’s admired you for a long time and specifically sought out Mom to discuss marrying you.” He Zimo continued relentlessly.

“If Ji Zhenli likes Wang Weiye so much, why doesn’t she marry him herself?” Xia Jin arched an eyebrow mockingly. “Or if you’re not into that, she could always make him your husband instead.”

Qin Yu smirked. Xia Jin was as sharp-tongued as ever, just like he remembered.

He Zimo, as if struck in a sore spot, exploded. “Xia Jin, don’t you dare be ungrateful! You old hag, who knows how many men you’ve slept with to get where you are today-”

He raised his hand, even stepping forward as if to hit her.

Xia Jin felt a vein throb in her forehead. So now he resorted to violence when he couldn’t win an argument? Back when she was taking on three guys at once, this brat was probably still playing in the mud!

Just as Xia Jin was about to lose her patience and teach He Zimo a lesson, Qin Yu suddenly emerged from around the corner and, without warning, kicked He Zimo square in the stomach.

“Ah! fuck!” He Zimo didn’t even get to finish his sentence before he was sent flying into the wall by Qin Yu’s kick.

Xia Jin first glanced at Qin Yu, who had appeared out of nowhere, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully. She didn’t ask why he was here or how much he had overheard.

Instead, she turned to look at He Zimo, now groaning in pain on the ground, and clicked her tongue with the air of someone enjoying the show.

“I told you, kid, don’t act tough. See? You could’ve just taken a beating from me and been done with it. But now your enemies are coming for you. Should I still hit you, or not?”

Whether He Zimo was coughing up blood from Qin Yu’s kick was unclear, but one thing was certain, Xia Jin was about to make him spit blood from sheer rage.

Xia Jin looked like she was just a step away from grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds to munch on while watching the show.

“Oh, can’t even get up now? Just got kicked once and you’re acting all delicate like some damsel,” Xia Jin sighed dramatically, adding salt to the wound. “Now I finally get why the male celebrities from Blue Sentence are so effeminate, turns out they take after their boss…”

If heaven had gifted Xia Jin a top-tier sarcastic mouth, why did it also give me ears that had to hear every word of it? The more He Zimo thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt, until he burst into loud, wailing sobs.

“Stop crying, it’s annoying,” Xia Jin said disdainfully, eyeing He Zimo’s snotty, tear-streaked face. “If I ever see you again, you’ll regret it.”

The moment He Zimo heard that, he scrambled away on his hands and knees as if fleeing from some monstrous beast.

Once He Zimo was dealt with, Xia Jin finally turned to face Qin Yu. “Didn’t expect President Qin to have a hobby of eavesdropping. Enjoy the show?”

“President Xia, you’ve wronged me. I was here first,” Qin Yu spread his hands innocently. “But yes, very satisfying. Though it’s a shame it was a solo act, I didn’t get to see President Xia perform a duet.”

Despite being the same age, Qin Yu kept addressing her as “President Xia,” deliberately lowering his own seniority.

Xia Jin gritted her teeth. “President Xia? Where exactly do you see me as ‘little,’ President Qin? We’re clearly-”

The same age.

“Oh?” Qin Yu’s gaze swept over Xia Jin from head to toe. “My mistake. Actually, President Xia isn’t ‘little’ anywhere.”

Xia Jin was wearing a smoky gray shirt today, its chic V-neck adding a touch of sophistication and elegance. Her long legs peeked out from beneath her skirt, exuding a mature, bewitching charm.

Xia Jin froze, feeling her face grow hot. “Qin Yu!! You—”

“Shh!” Qin Yu suddenly covered her mouth and pulled her toward the corner where he had been standing earlier. “Someone’s coming.”

Sure enough, faint footsteps echoed in the distance.

Pressed against the wall by him, Xia Jin glared in confusion. “Why should I hide just because someone’s coming?”

“If it’s paparazzi and they find the CEOs of Lelai and Stellar Cube alone together, what do you think tomorrow’s headlines will be?”

“Wait, hold on,” Xia Jin frowned, sensing something off in his words. “This is a public space. Can’t we just meet normally?”

“Of course. But when reporters ask why, out of the entire spacious lobby, we had to meet in this dark, deserted hallway, what will you tell them? That it’s just your special preference?”

Xia Jin was left speechless. “But if we’re caught hiding here, it’ll be even harder to explain…”

Qin Yu grinned. “Well, if my reputation gets ruined over this, President Xia will have to take responsibility for me!”

Xia Jin opened her mouth to retort, but Qin Yu covered it again, gesturing outside. The footsteps were getting closer, and with no choice, she reluctantly fell silent.

Qin Yu looked down at Xia Jin, nestled obediently in his arms, a rare sight and his dark eyes softened.

They were standing so close that Xia Jin could even catch the crisp, cool scent of mint and tobacco lingering on Qin Yu.

Xia Jin looked up and locked eyes with Qin Yu, who was gazing at her. Suddenly, she froze, his long, narrow eyes, dark and unfathomable, reminded her of the person who had held her the night of the car accident.

Before she could dwell on it, a familiar voice echoed from around the corner.

“Lin Jie, I’m already at Li Pan. I just want to ask Xia Jin, how dare Song Qianrou, a mere secretary, replace me?”

“Don’t worry, Lin Jie. Once Xia Jin and I are together, won’t the entire Stellar Cube be mine? I’ll make sure everyone who laughed at me sees that Chen Zeyu isn’t someone to be trifled with.”

Xia Jin’s temple throbbed. Qin Yu was watching her with an amused smirk, and she felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

Had she forgotten to check the almanac before leaving today? First, a power grab, then an attempted coup, both witnessed by Qin Yu.

Ten years ago, back in high school, she had spent her days laughing at Qin Yu’s misfortunes. Now, the tables had turned, and she was the one petrified with embarrassment.

“I can’t find Xia Jin right now… Oh, right! I forgot I could just call her. Hang on, Lin Jie, I’ll give her a ring.”

Halfway through her mortification, Xia Jin snapped back to reality. No, she absolutely couldn’t let Chen Zeyu make that call.

She lowered her head and frantically patted herself down for her phone, but then her body stiffened. A familiar dizziness surged through her, growing stronger by the second.

Damn it, she cursed inwardly. Of all times to faint, why now?

“Qin-” Xia Jin’s vision blurred as Qin Yu’s figure doubled before her.

She weakly reached out, trying to grab hold of him, but then everything went black. She collapsed sideways, unconscious.

Qin Yu had been watching Xia Jin scramble for her phone with amusement when she suddenly froze, then reached out toward him.

“Xia Jin?” Before he could react, her eyes fluttered shut, and she fainted.

Qin Yu caught her in alarm. “Xia Jin!? What’s wrong? Don’t scare me like this!”

When she didn’t respond, he swore under his breath and gently lifted her into his arms.

Chen Zeyu, still holding his phone, turned at the commotion and saw Qin Yu approaching with someone in his arms. “Q-Qin… President Qin?”

He squinted at the figure Qin Yu was carrying, but the hallway was too dim to make out the face. “Who’s that-”

Qin Yu shot him a cold glance. “If you want to keep your career in the entertainment industry, stay the hell away from Xia Jin.”

Chen Zeyu watched as Qin Yu strode past him, fuming. Who did Qin Yu think he was, threatening him like that?

Once he and Xia Jin were together, the first thing he’d do was fire Song Qianrou. Then, he’d turn Stellar Cube against Lelai, let’s see how smug Qin Yu would be then.

But…

Chen Zeyu frowned slightly. That woman Qin Yu was carrying, didn’t she look a bit like Xia Jin?

Qin Yu’s lips pressed into a thin line as he stared down at the woman who had been defiant just moments ago, now inexplicably unconscious in his arms.

Then, Xia Jin stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, and seeing Qin Yu’s worried frown, she smiled weakly to reassure him. “I’m fine… just a little tired.”

She tried to wriggle free, but Qin Yu only tightened his grip. “If you’re tired, then stop struggling.”

Xia Jin realized she couldn’t win against Qin Yu’s persistence and stopped resisting. “Where to?”

“To my car.”

“Oh.” For once, Xia Jin didn’t argue with Qin Yu. She knew no paparazzi would dare take photos of Qin Yu’s car, no media outlet would risk offending the Qin family.

But her own car was a different story. If Qin Yu insisted on going with her, there was no telling what might happen. They wouldn’t even have to wait until the next day before sensational headlines would be flying everywhere.