Junjie
As I softly whispered, "Please, please, just go with the flow," my heart raced in sync with my panicked thoughts. Yiren, now tangled up in this bizarre situation, was the only lifeline keeping my family from busting me.
My brothers were waiting for any slip-up from her—ready to catch me red-handed. I had to think quickly, had to get Yiren on board with this charade, or else everything would go downhill fast.
To keep up appearances, I did something outrageous. I kissed her cheek. Her skin was impossibly soft, with a faint scent of essential oils mixed with something sweet and delicious. It took every bit of my self-control not to bury my face in her neck and inhale deeply like some wild animal. But that scent, it made me crave more than just a pretend act.
When I pulled her close, her body trembled slightly beneath my touch, her nipples hardening against my bare chest.
Oh God, Jun, what are you doing? This is Yiren! Devil's reincarnation! And yet here I'm, having entirely inappropriate thoughts as her lips parted and she ran her tongue across them. That one action, so small, had my mind spiraling in ways it shouldn't. All I could think about was her tongue—imagining it in places that had no business crossing my thoughts right now.
Stay down, soldier! I scolded myself mentally as I felt the stirring between my legs. You are not getting anything. But when she whispered, "Mhmm... what are you doing? Don't be naughty, daddy." my willpower practically shattered. Her breathy moan against my shoulder sent a wave of desire coursing through me. Her cold hand traced a path across my chest, lingering on my abs. The simple touch electrified my senses, and my imagination ran wild.
She threw a quick glance at the nightstand where my phone was, eyes glinting with mischief. Yiren, always quick to understand the situation, didn't miss a beat. She was stepping into this role with ease, like we had rehearsed it for weeks. Her smirk was enough to send shivers down my spine, but then her hand began to descend lower, heading somewhere dangerous. I caught her hand just before it crossed the line, pinning her wrists behind her back. She winced, so I loosened my grip. The silent exchange between us felt like a battle of wills.
Then, as quickly as it started, it was over. Yiren stepped back, breaking free from my hold.
"Gone," she said coolly.
I blinked, taking a moment to process what had just happened. I glanced down at my phone screen. It had gone dark, meaning my family had signed off the video call. The last thing I saw in the group chat was XM's message: "Ahhhh, I wanna scream!" followed by Suyin's triumphant, "I told you!" And then Zian's private message: "Dude, you sure that was fake?"
Great. I had just dug myself into a hole.
*****
YIREN
I sank into the chair at the table, desperately tucking my hands under my thighs to hide their tremors. What on earth just happened? My traitorous mind was still reeling, replaying every second of that intimate moment. Jun—that man—was all hard muscles and chiseled perfection. How did I let myself get caught up in this whirlwind?
Jun slumped onto the couch, exhaling loudly like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Give me a break."
"A break?" I shot back, incredulous. "After what you just pulled in front of your family, you think you deserve a break? What on earth was going through that gorgeous but dumb head of yours?"
"I had no choice," he mumbled, rubbing his forehead like he had a migraine.
"Then make a choice!" My voice rose, fueled by frustration. I half-expected him to retaliate with a sharp comeback, but for once, he fell silent.
I wanted to shake him awake for kissing me so boldly—or even smack him for having the audacity to look that good. His bare chest was adorned with tattoos that distracted me from every coherent thought. Ugh, I needed to focus!
My stomach grumbled, cutting through the tension in the air. Fine, I'd eat first and plan my revenge later. The delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen lifted my spirits as I lifted the lid on the steaming food.
A glance at Bear, my lazy cute dog, showed he was already in a food coma in the corner. One look at Jun told me he was still lost in thought, possibly considering his life choices—or perhaps just reliving our earlier chaos.
I twirled my fork through the noodles, breaking the silence. "Are you dating anyone?"
His directness surprised me. "No. And I'm not interested in you, thank you very much," I replied, a hint of sarcasm in my tone.
"Well, I need you to act like my girlfriend for a few days."
I choked on my food. Did he really just say that?
"Cough, cough…" I struggled to catch my breath, grabbing the glass of water that magically appeared in front of me. "excuse me?" I asked, meeting his gaze with a mix of disbelief and irritation.
"Act as my girlfriend for a few days," he repeated, his tone unwavering.
"I heard you the first time." I glared at him, stabbing my fork into my food. "I was giving you a chance to take that back before I go for your balls."
"Look, Yiren," he said, his expression earnest. "My brothers are coming here with their families, and I need a reason to explain why I'm still in New York."
I raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "Go find someone else. I'm not about to jump into your mess like some cuckoo nutbird."
"I stopped dating ages ago," he confessed, and that grabbed my attention. There was a gravity to his tone. "I can't risk introducing anyone new to my family right now. You know who I am."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, the mighty CEO of Feng Enterprises. Casanova. The ultimate ladies' man. Blah blah blah."
He shot me a pointed look. "Thanks for the reminder."
Seriously? Why did he sound so wounded? I needed to get my head on straight.
"Why me?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Because my family believes you're my girlfriend," he said, shrugging as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "And they, uh… caught a little glimpse of that earlier."
"And who is to blame for that?" I hissed, heat flooding my cheeks. The memory of his lips brushing against my skin lingered in the air like a heady perfume.
"You think I'm thrilled about this situation?" He was nearly shouting now, his frustration spilling over. "I confessed my feelings to one woman I thought I loved, and now she's turned my life into a living nightmare! I can't be near my brothers, can't go back home, can't tell my family the truth—I'm stuck in this God-forsaken country for months."
The silence between us thickened as we stared each other down, his outburst hanging heavy in the air. For the first time, I saw beyond his usual bravado. There was genuine pain in his eyes, a glimpse into the man behind the façade. And, inexplicably, it tugged at my heart.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to defuse the tension. "Let's talk later. First, you need to eat something." I set down my plate and prepared one for him, adding an extra helping of his favorite Lychee pork, hoping it would soften him up a bit.
"And then you'll say yes?" he asked, looking hopeful.
"No." I shook my head, my resolve firm.
He grabbed my wrist as I offered him the plate, his grip firm but not unkind. "I can get you the Central Park project."
I nearly dropped the plate. That was not a small offer. Landing any project from Feng Constructions would mean the world to me, opening doors to investors for my startup. I could secure my future, my inheritance…
Looking at him, I noticed that irritating grin creeping onto his face, the one that screamed victory.
"You are terrible," I said, exasperated.
"And you are my new fake girlfriend," he replied, his voice dripping with smugness.
"But!" I held up my fork like a wand, "we need terms and conditions. Rules that cannot be broken."
"Like the negotiation between Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey?" he shot back, spooning a mouthful of Lychee pork into his mouth and moaning like it was the best thing he'd ever tasted.
I blushed crimson. "Jun!" My cheeks felt like they were on fire. Fifty Shades of Grey? Really?
"Meet me in the conference room tomorrow at 4 PM, little bunny," he said, a devilish glint in his eyes.
This was going to be a disaster.