Chapter 68 - Chemistry

Yuan Bojing put a hand to his chest. "Oh, but Xia," he looked at her directly. "I love you." 

Long Xia's eyes widened slightly, but then she narrowed them just as quickly. She gritted her teeth, sick of him telling her he loved her, knowing it was a damn lie. 

He'd only say that when things got heated and whenever he wanted to say the last words. It always rendered her speechless because he made it seem like it was something easy to say. 

Long Xia parted from him, heading to the bathroom naked, her dragon tattoo stark between her breasts, over her the mid part of her torso. She didn't pay him any attention. 

"Same time, tonight?" Yuan Bojing asked. 

Long Xia paused. She turned, her long black hair slipped from her shoulders. Her ice-blue eyes narrowed. "What makes you think we'd do this again?"

Yuan Bojing jumped from the bed. He came toward her, his tall form closing in on her. Long Xia tried not to glance south. 

She crossed her arms, waiting for his answer. He reached out to brush a hand along her arm slowly. "Because this isn't over." 

She gritted her teeth. "And what makes you think that?"

His eyes met hers, sanguinely. "We have chemistry, Xia. It's up to you how you view it. But it's there. You don't need to fight it." 

Xia's eyes widened, slightly taken aback. "Why?" she asked. "Why now? It's forbidden for competitors to be together." 

Something like sadness seemed to have clouded his eyes before his gaze found her again. "The rules are that we can't together romantically. We can't love. But nothing is forbidding us from sex." 

"So I'm just sex to you?" She scoffed, turning to leave when Yuan Bojing grabbed her by the wrist, pushing her back to his front. 

He leaned into her ear. "Damnit, Xia," he began. "You'll never be just sex to me, as much as I want to pretend it's all this is." He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "But I can't tell you what it is, and you know why." 

Long Xia swallowed hard, not believing what he just confessed. He said it without saying it.

"I understand," she told him.

Yuan Bojing could not tell her what he felt for her, whether it was more or less, and she understood why. It was the same reason why she couldn't tell him. They cannot get their feelings involved. It would cloud their reasoning, their judgements, their goals. It would be their downfall. 

She turned around, her eyes meeting his chest. "Same time tonight," she breathed, and then she stalked into the bathroom, washed up and dressed. 

…

Long Xia composed herself by the time she went to see Jin Qing. 

She left Yuan Bojing in her bedroom as she followed her fiancé out of the apartment. 

Jin Qing was well dressed, wearing a stark black suit that brought out his blonde hair's honey and wheat colours. He wore a neutral expression, remaining quiet as he took her to his car and drove them to an outdoor charity event. 

When they arrived, Jin Qing wrapped an arm around her waist, introducing Long Xia to guests before finding her family. She saw her parents, who kissed each side of her face. She saw Shao Lin with Long Yat-sen, who kept her close. She greeted her other brothers. Long Kun gave her a curt nod while Ken gave her an attentive stare. 

It was Long Mei who gave them the friendliest of greetings. To Long Xia, it seemed as if her sister never changed. Like she was the girl before she lost her memory. Therefore, she behaved as the sweet girl she had always been. 

"Mr. Jin," Long Mei said, "This is such a lovely charity event. The people you are helping would not forget your generosity. My sister is lucky to have such a thoughtful man." 

Long Xia watched as Jin Qing's throat bobbed. He looked sad, conflicted, confused, and he looked as if he wanted to run off. 

Long Mei kept her pretty smile as she looked at him. 

Jin Qing only squeezed his hold on Long Xia tighter, as if she was the only thing that kept him grounded. He gave Long Mei a curt nod. "I take example from your family. Your father has done remarkable things in his life." 

Long Xia realized his voice had changed slightly. It was accented like he spoke a different language. She wasn't sure what it was. 

Long Mei pinked. "Indeed, he has," she responded. "We look up to him." 

"As do I," Jin Qing responded, turning with Long Xia suddenly. They nearly crashed into someone that towered them by his form. Long Xia's eyes widened. 

What was he doing here?

Yuan Bojing was staring at them with a dark, low-lidded gaze as he brushed past them. "Beautiful," he whispered low, only she could hear as he walked on as if he was like someone she didn't know. 

Long Xia's heart pounded. She didn't expect to see him here or so soon after their conversation that morning. She still wanted to collect her thoughts, not knowing how to treat him. Everything was different now—electric, even if they pretended it wasn't. 

Jin Qing guided her beneath a large canopy that concealed them from others. He looked stressed, far from the collected man she thought he was. Long Xia knew Jin Qing was a cop, but she also knew he wasn't a clean one. 

"Are you all right?" she questioned. 

"Yes," he was quick to say, getting a glass of water. "If you want to see the other guests or party on your own, then you're free to do so," he dismissed. 

Long Xia then thought of her family, how she would not want them to see them separated the entire night. But Jin Qing didn't want to be around her anyway. 

She then thought of Yuan Bojing. Perhaps they could sneak away and spend time together. 

Long Xia froze. She realized that she was already blurring the lines between them. They weren't supposed to be sneaking away or spending time. They weren't supposed to be romantic. "I will be with my family until you are ready," she said to Jin Qing.