Chapter 70 - Act On Feelings

Long Mei gaped at Jin Qing's answer, wondering why he sounded almost concerned…

She had expected him to manipulate her to taunt her with his words, attempting to scare her. She'd seen all his treacherous and devious sides, but never this side before. 

And by looking at his face, he was serious. There was no scheming, no lies, no bad intentions in his voice and eyes. 

He was looking down; his features were soft, gentle—handsome. It was far from the Jin Qing she knew, and it unsettled her. 

Where was this Jin Qing all this time? 

Long Mei thought perhaps if she pretended to lose her memory, she'd find out it had been him who tried to kill her. His motive could have been out of jealous rage at what she and his half-brother were about to do. This is why Long Mei and Jin Hu were going to elope…but perhaps he knew nothing about the elopement after all? 

She had expected Jin Qing to take advantage of her amnesia, but instead, he had been avoiding her like the plague. 

It frustrated her. Why was he ignoring her? Why now? And not before, when she needed him the most now. 

But perhaps this was part of his deception. 

So then, if this were another one of his games…she'd learn to play. 

She had one of her best outfits on. The velvet green brought out her auburn hair, the blue of her eyes. And he wouldn't even look at her. 

Long Mei took a step forward, as Jin Qing took a step back, averting her gaze. 

Jin Qing moved back until he hit a table from behind him. Long Mei took it as an opportunity to close in on him. She leaned in, grabbing hold of his tie, rubbing the fabric. "Perhaps, I can show you my gratitude over coffee someday," her sultry voice sounded. 

He looked at her then, his gaze heavy and low-lidded. "Coffee sounds ideal."

Long Mei smiled sweetly, still rubbing the fabric of his tie. She leaned in further, watching as Jin Qing's lips parted, his breath hitched. "Is there anything else you need from me?" he questioned, dark and smoky.

Long Mei shivered. Her blue eyes darted from his honey-brown ones to his mouth. She shook her head. "No," she spoke softly. 

"Good," he answered. "Now, will you excuse me? I need to go to my fiancée." 

Long Mei gaped slightly, backing away from him. Jin Qing brushed past her, not paying her any more attention, as he darted from the canopy tent. 

She was well aware of his engagement to her sister…but she didn't expect him to be loyal. She had a feeling Long Xia was not as faithful as he was, and yet…it made Long Mei feel cheap. 

She had attempted to flirt with Jin Qing for answers, but it had crashed and burned. And instead, she felt ashamed for going after someone else's fiancé.

And in some ways, she can still hardly believe this was the man was going to marry her sister. She had a hard time accepting it, too. 

…

Long Xia was spending some time with her family when she found herself wandering on her own. The sun had begun to sink beneath purple-grey skies when she felt a pull on her wrist, and suddenly she was behind a tree with a man caging her. 

She had avoided looking for him, knowing what they knew now. 

Yuan Bojing had feelings for her just as she had for him, even if they never said it aloud. 

He bent down, his mouth roaming over hers. She opened for him, not giving a damn that they were in public that they were not far from the rest of the party. 

Yuan Bojing kiss her frantically before set them apart, his head leaning against hers. "I get jealous whenever I see you with him," he said. 

She looked up at him, not knowing how to respond. 

"I know you feel nothing for him," he continued. "And we can't act on our feelings, but damn, Xia. This is hard." 

She cupped the side of his face. "I know," she said softly, with a small smile. She wanted to tell him she loved him. Desperately. She wanted to kiss his insecurities and uncertainties away. But she swallowed the confession and kissed him deeply instead. She then feathered gentle kisses over his mouth, the underside of his chin. He groaned. 

Yuan Bojing then pulled away from her suddenly and walked away. 

Heart-pounding and flushed, Long Xia looked at his disappearing figure when she heard something from behind. "Miss Long? There you are," Jin Qing said, making his way down the slope of a hill. 

Long Xia turned around, startled, mouth agape. 

"Are you all right?" he questioned, looking around and saw nothing. "What are you doing on your own?"

Long Xia's lips curved into a smile. "I'm fine, Mr. Jin. Thank you. I could ask the same of you…? Your face is red." 

He reached up to cup the side of his face slightly and pulled away as if he had burned his hand. "I'm fine, Miss Long. Thank you." 

Jin Qing then offered his arm to her, and Long Xia took it. 

He walked around with her, the night taking over, and the paper lanterns lit. Jin Qing was quiet but good company.

He had been kind and patient with her all this time, and Long Xia wondered why no one had ever snatched him up before. She took their silence as a good opportunity to ask. "Mr. Jin. What convinced you now to marry?" He was thirty-two and single. He could have had anyone he wanted, and she knew he didn't pick her because of feelings or affection. 

He sighed. "Now is a good point in my career to settle down," he answered. 

"And what about other women?" she asked. "Have you ever courted them?" 

Jin Qing smiled, thinking back. "In my early twenties, yes. But when I started to take my work more seriously, I never found the time anymore, and then I met…" He stopped, almost as if he surprised himself with his words. He shook his head. "I courted my work, and admittedly, Miss Long. You are what I've been looking for."