Fake dating my enemy, The playboy billionaire-Chapter 101: Heart to heart with Alexa

JUN’S POV

"Mmmm... so good!"

The low, content hum from her mouth sends a rush of warmth through my entire body.

"Of course it is," I force a smirk to hide the mess she’s turning me into. "I don’t do things halfway, you know. Even soup."

"Don’t let this go to your head, chef, it’s just soup."

"You’ll see. One day, they’ll name a restaurant after me—Jun’s Soups of Glory."

She chuckles, and for a brief moment, the tension in my chest eases. I can breathe again. She’s okay. I’m okay. Everything is okay.

But then my eyes linger a little too long on the way she licks a drop of soup from her lips, or the way her lashes flutter as she takes another sip, and the knot comes right back, tighter than ever.

Oh God... oh God!

I’m losing my mind.

It’s official—my brothers have ruined me. May they all get diarrhoea tonight.

"You should finish that and rest," I say abruptly, standing so fast I step on Bear’s tail and he yelp. "Sorry, buddy." I threw him on bed, if not me he’ll sleep with her tonight.

Distance. I need distance. That’s the solution.

It’s not.

"Where are you going?" she asks, her tone laced with curiosity and just a hint of disappointment.

"Have some work to do. You take rest."

"Jun—"

I can’t bring myself to turn around. My feet keep moving, ignoring the small calls of my name. If I stop, if I look at her, I know I’ll lose what little composure I have left.

What the hell is wrong with me? We’ve done the deed, multiple times. I’ve kissed and licked every inch of her skin, heard her scream my name when I make her come on my cock and tongue. Yet here I am, a panicking, blushing mess over soup.

The door closes softly behind me, and I lean against it, inhaling deeply.

******

I’m sprawled on the couch, caught in that strange limbo between sleep and wakefulness. My body demands rest, but my brain? My brain won’t shut up. It’s like a relentless detective, chasing answers I’m not ready to face.

Love.

I’ve waited my entire life for it, but I’ve never thought about how I’d actually know when it’s here. Is there some sort of signal? A flashing neon sign? A fireworks display? 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

So, naturally, I turn to the only reliable source of wisdom I can think of at 2 a.m.—Alexa.

"Hey Alexa," I mumble, half-embarrassed. "How do you know if you’re in love?"

Lame? Sure. But do you have a better idea? No? Then shush.

Her robotic voice chimes in, cheerful as ever. "Here are some signs that you might be in love..."

I sit up, squinting at the little device like it’s about to reveal the meaning of life.

"1. You think about them often."

Often? Yiren doesn’t just pop into my thoughts often—she practically rents space in my brain, 24/7.

"2. You want to spend time together."

Well... duh. Moving on.

"3. You feel comfortable with them."

Comfortable? That’s an understatement. She’s the only one who can roast me like a marshmallow over a campfire, and somehow, I’m okay with it. Emoji facepalm moment.

"4. You care about their needs over and above your own."

I gulp. Hard.

"5. You feel grateful to have them in your life."

I groan and pull the blanket over my head. This is getting uncomfortable.

"6. You communicate without any inhibitions."

"7. You can’t see them getting hurt, and it pains you."

"8. The thought of them leaving scares you."

"9. The thought of seeing someone else with them fills you with jealousy."

"Okay, stop." My voice comes out louder than intended. "You’re wrong."

"No," Alexa replies, unbothered. "This is what people in love look like."

"Isn’t this the same as friendship?" I counter weakly.

"No. Friendship says, ’I’m here for you,’ while love whispers, ’I belong to you.’ Both are profound, but love touches the soul in ways friendship, however cherished, cannot fully reach."

Damn. That hit harder than I expected.

"Do you think I’m in love?" I whisper, almost scared to hear the answer.

"I don’t know," Alexa replies coyly. "You tell me."

I wet my lips, my mind racing. And before I can stop myself, the truth tumbles out.

"Well... when I see her playing with Bear and giggling, my heart skips a beat every single time. When I steal her coffee every morning and she pretends to be annoyed, I can’t help but see myself doing it for the rest of my life just to get that look again. When she works on my project without asking for anything in return, doing it with so much passion and heart, all I want to do is wrap her in my arms and never let go. When someone so much as raises an eyebrow at her, I feel this insane urge to tear them apart.

When she talks about leaving, I feel like crying—or doing something completely irrational, like locking her in so she can’t ever leave. When she says my name—’Jun’—and looks at me, it’s like a million butterflies take flight in my stomach. And when she cries... I just want to kiss away her tears, even if it hurts me to see them in the first place.

She’s in my head. All the time. And... I don’t know. I’ve never felt this way before. I’m... confused."

There’s a pause as Alexa processes my rambling confession. I sit there, holding my breath like a lunatic.

"Analysing..." Alexa says finally, dragging out the suspense.

I swear, if this thing had a face, it’d be smirking at me right now.

"According to my report," she announces, "these are the symptoms of love. You are 99% in love but in denial. Congratulations."

"WHAT?!" I yell at the device. "No way. That’s—no. Nope."

"Would you like me to set a reminder to confess your feelings?"

"NO! FK NO! PLZ SHUT UP!"

I stare at the device, my mouth dry, my heart racing.

Shit.

I’m in love. And Yiren doesn’t even believe in love.

Wow, could my situation be any more ideal? Truly, God must have been in a wildly creative mood when he sat down to write my story. Probably thought, Let’s make this guy fall for the one person who doesn’t believe in love. That’ll be fun.

A knock on the door jolts me out of my spiral.

It must be her.

Panic sets in, and I pull the blanket over my head like a kid hiding from a monster.

"Jun?" Her voice comes from the other side, and damn it, even that sounds like music to my ears. "Open the door."

I stay silent, holding my breath. She’ll go away soon. Right?

Wrong.