Fake dating my enemy, The playboy billionaire

JUNJIE

"But won’t that be boring? No banter, no fights, no sassy comments? You sure you can survive without that?"

"Excuse me? Who said any of that would stop?" I raise an eyebrow. "Bickering with you is basically foreplay."

She arches an amused brow at me. "Foreplay, huh? Well, you’re not wrong. It’s kind of nice having someone who can keep up with my level of sass. Keeps me sharp."

I chuckle, the tension from earlier vanishing completely. "See? We’re doing the world a service, keeping our verbal sparring skills honed. The least we can do is make this official." I extend my hand again, motioning for her to shake it.

Yiren rolls her eyes but reaches out anyway. Her hand is warm as it slips into mine, and a spark passes between us as we shake. "Fine, Jun. Frenemies for now. But don’t think I’ll go easy on the sass."

I smirk, leaning in a little. "Frenemies, huh? For now? Oh, Rabbit, I’m in this for the long haul. Bring on all the sass. I love a little foreplay before a good round of—"

She shoves my shoulder, groaning. "Stop using that word!"

I can’t resist. "Foreplay, foreplay, forepl—"

Suddenly, a sweet, innocent voice interrupts us. "What’s foreplay?"

We freeze mid-banter, our heads snapping around toward the source of the voice. There, standing behind us, are the three little ones—Honey, Yuyu, and Lan—all staring up with wide, curious eyes. Weren’t they playing on the other side of the plane like two seconds ago?

How the hell didn’t I hear them coming?

Yiren’s face drains of color, and I feel my own cheeks heat up. "W-What?" I stammer, trying to compose myself.

"Yeah, what’s foreplay?" Honey repeats, blinking up at us like we’re about to drop some golden knowledge.

Yiren is already scrambling. "It’s, uh... It’s... a type of game," she blurts out, sounding desperate and completely unconvincing.

"A grown-up game," I add quickly, my voice cracking, definitely not helping the situation.

Yuyu tilts her head, then, with all the innocent enthusiasm of a child, shouts, "DADDY, WHAT IS FOUR-PLAY?"

My heart nearly stops.

Jianyu and MeiMei whip their heads around, eyes filled with suspicion, laser-focused on me like I’ve committed some unforgivable crime. I shrink into my seat, sweat prickling my palms.

"Not me," I stammer, pointing at Yiren. "It was her."

"What?" Yiren’s eyes widen as she kicks me under the table. "No! It was you! Tell them it was you!"

I rub my shin and nod. "It was her."

MeiMei gives the kids a sweet smile. "Who said it, Yuyu?"

Yuyu’s little finger immediately points at me. Traitor. Yiren bursts out laughing, and I feel my dignity crumble into dust.

"Y-yeah, foreplay," I mumble, trying to recover. "It’s a game... played by... four people. A grown-up game."

Lan, with the sweetest expression, tilts her head and asks, "Like Ludo?"

I choke on air, dying under the judgmental stares from Jianyu and MeiMei. They’re waiting for me to fix this, and the kids are still looking up at me, expecting an answer. This is how I die. Trust me people, I dig my own grave.

"Uh, yeah... something like that. You play it... before bed," I stammer, making it worse.

Yiren smacks her palm against her forehead, her disappointment radiating toward me like a death sentence. "You just had to keep saying it, didn’t you?" she whispers.

"Help me," I beg.

"Absolutely not! This is your mess."

"Frenemies, Rabbit. Welcome to the ride."

Before I can dig myself into a deeper hole, and my brother kicks me mid-air, Yiren stands up with a clap of her hands. "Who wants fries and burgers?" she announces with the enthusiasm of a game show host. "And who wants to help me assemble the new Lego set I totally didn’t steal from Uncle Juju’s collection?"

Yuyu and Lan light up, bouncing around her as they trail behind, all previous drama forgotten.

But not Honey. Oh no. Honey stays put, arms crossed, staring at me with a suspicious glare that’s far too intense for a six-year-old. "I’m gonna ask Dad what four-play is."

"You won’t."

"Try me."

I slap a hand over his mouth, panicking. "You can have the Hogwarts castle."

He peels my hand away, raising one eyebrow like a tiny mafia boss. "And the bike you promised?"

This kid could negotiate with the devil. I groan. "Fine. The bike too. I’ll order it."

Honey smirks, like a six-year-old CEO closing a multi-million dollar deal, and strolls off, leaving me utterly defeated.

Kids. They’re savage.

But the ones that come from my brothers are extra. Lot Extra.

******

YIREN

Plane rides are exhausting—unless, of course, you’re flying in a private jet. Not just any private jet, mind you, but one with its own room and an actual bed where you can take a nap mid-flight. Jeez. I think Jun might have just ruined all my future flying experiences. How am I supposed to go back to economy now, where I’ll be crammed into a tiny seat, surrounded by screaming kids, and men who think my leg space is fair game?

I’m definitely going to cry on my next flight. And miss the cookies. They were delicious!

The drive from the airport was an hour long, but my mind was too busy dreaming up wild ideas about what Jun’s house might look like. I mean, the guy is filthy rich—there’s no way it’s anything less than completely over-the-top, right? Knowing his personality and his love for all things luxurious, his house probably looks like a palace. No, seriously. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was dripping in gold.

In my head, I’m already picturing it: a massive mansion, Olympic-sized swimming pool, maybe even a golf course, a sauna, a racetrack (since the guy is obsessed with cars), and terraces on every level. Yeah, that’s got to be it—an architectural marvel designed by one of the gods of the industry. Something so over-the-top it makes ordinary mansions look like starter homes.