Fake dating my enemy, The playboy billionaire

JUNJIE

"I’d rather focus on getting a certain man-child’s attention," I hear her voice say, biting with her usual sass. "Because that’s the man with a heart as pure as a child’s beating inside him."

I pause in the aisle, her words hitting me harder than they should. A strange warmth spreads through me. A heart pure as a child’s? No one’s ever said that before. The phrase is simple, but something about it leaves a dent, a warmth that feels too close.

I step closer, catching a glimpse of Yiren, arms crossed, standing her ground against a woman I recognize all too well—Fei Hong and someone I once thought I wanted. Funny how things change. Where my attention is now, however, isn’t even a question.

Yiren’s standing tall, her face calm but sharp, like she’s enjoying every second of verbally dismantling her opponent. A small smile pulls at my lips as I watch her—there’s that fire, the strength I can’t look away from. She’s not intimidated, even by someone decked out in designer from head to toe, sizing her up like she doesn’t belong.

It’s absurd, really, because anyone with a single working brain cell could see that Yiren belongs just about anywhere she wants to be.

And then she says words like, "My man is waiting for me at home." Uff kill me.

’my man’

’My man...’

My brain is playing this out repetitively and every fkng time it sounds... good?

I watch as Hong storms off, defeated and fuming, while Yiren pushes her cart toward the checkout line. She hasn’t noticed me yet, and I can’t resist.

"Hey there."

She startles, "What are you doing here? Wait... you heard all that?"

"Every word." I grin, "Did you mean that?"

"She rolls her eyes, "Don’t get all sentimental, Uncle Juju. It doesn’t mean I’ll be singing your praises every time someone mentions you. You’re still an annoying, cocky bastard. A pin in my ass."

"Keep telling yourself that. But just so you know, I’m keeping that description for life."

She tosses her items onto the counter and side-eyes me. "You go head-to-head with me every day, but with her? You practically ran away to New York."

"No. That’s not how it is. I was just avoiding the tension and drama. It’s the last thing Shishi and Suyin needed in their lives when their relationship was going through the rough phase."

She looks at me in confusion, and I clarify, "Zhao Zeng is Suyin’s elder brother."

Her eyes widen. "And that woman is his fiancée, so she’s... part of your family? Jeez. Did something happened between you and her?"

"Yea... I and Zeng once got into a very ugly physical brawl because of her. I—" I hesitated.

She pressed my arm, "Hey, maybe some other time when you are comfortable talking about it. I’ll wait."

I nod.

"That will be 450 yuan."

I hand my card to the cashier, just as she tries to slip hers in.

"Excuse me?" She waves her card. "Take mine. My stuff, my money."

I pluck her card right out of her hand and slip it into my pocket, smoothly adding, "And add the Hogwarts Castle, please."

Before she can fire off a snarky reply, I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Buy me dinner in exchange. I promise I won’t pay."

She huffs, brushing it off.

"So," I say as we head out, "What are you going to buy me for dinner?"

"Nothing. I’m cooking."

"Oh, can I help?"

"No."

"I could chop vegetables?"

"No."

"Come on, give me something to do!"

"No."

I grin, trying a new tactic. "Well, I know this spot where the best food trucks in the city gather at night. You sure you’re not up for it?"

Her eyes light up, but she shakes her head. "Tempting, but I have work."

She hops into her pickup, and instead of going to my own car, I squeeze into the passenger seat beside her.

"What are you doing? Go back to your car."

"Car-pooling, bunny. Saving carbon emission."

She gives me that look—the one that says she’s upto something—and starts the engine. "Fine, don’t cry later."

"What do you mean—OOOOOOOHOHOHOHO—"

I’m instantly thrown back, reaching to grip whatever comes in my hand first.

Her driving is Poop.

And so as her pickup truck.

Ahh my back!

My head!

She rattled my organs!

I’m never repeating this again.

With a screeching brake she parked in my garage , almost brushing with my precious Mustang and giving me a heart attack.

Mental note- give her parking space away from my cars.

"Jun?" she call as I was about to jump out.

The next moment, she grabs my tie, yanking me forward until our faces are inches apart, her eyes locked onto mine. "Lesson one: never let anyone’s doubts or questions get to you. No matter what, people will always have opinions. Screw them. Lesson two: don’t let anyone trample on your self-respect. If they try, rip them apart. Lesson three: love your family, but make them your strength, not your weakness. Lesson four: You are awesome. You’re you! Scream, laugh out loud, play with kids, dream big, love fiercely, spend billions on whatever you want, and throw tantrums—do whatever makes you happy. Never change yourself for someone else."

What the hell? My heart’s pounding in my ears, and there’s a strange sting in my nose. I didn’t even tell her what’s been on my mind, yet here she is, addressing every struggle I’ve been wrestling with. And those lessons? Damn, I needed to hear them.

She smooths my tie, rubbing out an imaginary crease as she finishes. "Once, you gave me some priceless business lessons in your office," she says softly. "This is what I’m giving back."

She has to stop. She can’t keep doing this—being so controlling yet adorably cute at the same time. Right now, I’m fighting the urge to show her my gratitude in the only way that feels right: by leaning in and kissing those mesmerizing, slightly parted lips. She keeps doing shit like this and I might commit a sin one day.