Fake dating my enemy, The playboy billionaire

YIREN (PART 1)

Yiren:

Hey Bruce! It’s Yiren. Just wanted to thank you for drafting my pitch. I would’ve been a mess without it. You saved me!

Bruce (Jun):

Took the entire day to fix it. You really needed a professional. Lucky for you, I was in a decent mood.

Yiren:

Hehe, sorry about that. Hopefully, your grumpy boss won’t dock your pay for helping me!

Also, didn’t realize you’re a sassy critic and not just a helpful genius. The name Bruce really suits you. 🦇

Bruce (Jun):

Bruce is grumpy because he’s tired of explaining the basics. Sound familiar?

Yiren:

😛 Can I cook something to repay you? Or drinks? Just don’t ask for anything expensive... I’m broke.

Bruce (Jun):

This Batman wants to be left alone.

Yiren:

Mr. Mysterious, just like Batman. Got it. So... are you a secret billionaire too? Or just grumpy?

Bruce (Jun):

Forget the grumpy talk. You’re not exactly sunshine either. And yes, I’m a billionaire. Richest man in Asia, actually.

Yiren:

😂 Nice try. And I’m Queen Elizabeth!

But seriously, your talent is impressive. Must be worth a fortune.

Bruce (Jun):

Or maybe I just have a sixth sense for when someone’s about to screw things up.

Yiren:

Wow, you’re really boosting my confidence here! Thanks, Bruce.

Bruce (Jun):

It’s what I do best.

Yiren:

Wish me luck, Mr. Helpful Genius. Will you be judging my pitch in the first round?

Bruce (Jun):

You never know. And I don’t take bribes.

Yiren:

Haha! I’m broke, remember? No bribes here.

*****

I spend the entire day glued to my screen, perfecting my pitch for the M&A department of Feng Enterprises. My fingers fly over the keyboard, trying to catch every last detail. Finally, with a shaky breath, I hit "Send." Done. Now, all I can do is wait. The anxiety gnaws at me, twisting my stomach into knots. If they like it, they’ll call me to present it to the management. And if they don’t... well, let’s not think about that. The thought of standing in front of an unknown, powerful group of people? It makes me feel like throwing up.

Just as I closed my laptop, my phone buzzed. Bruce had finally replied to my morning message, and I couldn’t help but smile. He was like a grumpier version of Batman—sarcastic, sharp, but oddly fun to talk to. His dry humor almost distracted me from the growing anxiety bubbling under the surface. Almost.

If my pitch ends up in trash, I’d shamelessly bug this grumpy Batman again. Batman to the rescue!

I shook off the thoughts of the pitch and Bruce and grabbed my things. I had somewhere to be—Zian’s condo, where I was meeting Suyin and Meimei for evening tea and snacks. Meimei was staying there with her newborn, so it made sense to have the get-together at Zian’s place. Still, I braced myself for the inevitable teasing. They were bound to bring up the kitchen incident from the morning.

Ah, I wanna die.

We sat down with tea and snacks next to the floor-to-ceiling window of the bedroom which I converted into kind’s bedroom. The air is thick with the warmth of family, and I can already hear the soft cooing of a newborn in the bassinet.

The second I sit, MeiMei’s twins launch into questions. "Are you a princess?" one asks, while the other follows up with, "Can you braid our hair like a princess?"

I laugh lightly, feeling a warmth bloom in my chest. "No princess here, but I could try the braid thing."

"Good luck keeping up with them," MeiMei teases, giving me a knowing smile. "They’re a whirlwind."

I look over at Honey, who’s watching me curiously. He gives a small, polite wave before looking away and ruffling Bear’s fur. There’s a softness to him, something that feels deeper than what you’d expect from a six-year-old. And with what I know about him—what I’ve read in articles over the years—it’s hard not to feel a bit emotional. He’s not Suyin’s biological child, but he has the heart of her real son, which binds them in a way that goes beyond words. A child born out of heart.

"Don’t go by his fairy face," Suyin warns, glancing at her son. "Once he gets comfortable, he’ll talk your ear off."

"Ducky!" Honey pouts. And that’s the most adorable pout I have seen in my life.

"You hear that?" Suyin giggles, "Definitely not an angel. But my little demon." Honey stick his tongue out at Suyin, and moves to the far corner of the double-story bed, taking Bear with him.

"So," Suyin began, her tone dripping with playful curiosity as she bit a cookie, "what exactly was happening in the kitchen this morning?"

I inwardly groaned. I should’ve known this was coming.

Meimei jumped in, her mischievous smile widening. "I always had a feeling that Jun had a certain... intensity, like his brothers. But after this morning, I’m convinced he’s a beast."

I nearly choked on my tea, my cheeks heating up. "Nothing happened!"

Suyin raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh, sure. Helping you with a zipper issue? Is that what we’re calling it now?

I felt my face flush even more. "It really was just a zipper issue!" These women are all about gossip and teasing. Help me here, God.

Meimei and Suyin burst into laughter, and I buried my face in my hands, willing the ground to swallow me up.

"It’s okay, El. We know our brother-in-law is a charm. Pull him for some exciting rides."

"Mei!"

"Quit acting, El." Suyin pokes me with her feet under the table, "I saw how angry he was after that douche touched you on the dance floor."

"You saw that?"

Mei shrugs, "Nothing goes unnoticed. You are lucky I didn’t do much—oops."

I put my teacup down, "What have you done?"

Mei and Suyin share a look before Mei asks us to come closer. We form a circle of trust—something like, "I sabotaged his new driverless car. Good luck to him facing all the lawsuits and paying back the customers."

"Go away!" I yell this a little loud, laughter dripping from my lips. That was Chris’s most ambitious project and the one bringing most revenue. "Remind me never to mess with you. EVER." Oh man, Chris is so dead. He won’t bug me any time soon now.

*continued in next Chapter*