Fake dating my enemy, The playboy billionaire-Chapter 18: Effortless Yiren

Junjie (Part4)

Yiren’s laughter fills the air as she casually exchanges pleasantries with Suyin and MeiMei, my sisters-in-law. Meanwhile, I’m standing here, sweating through my palms, wondering how this night could get any worse. I can feel the pressure from all sides—Jianyu and Shishi’s eyes on me, sharp as ever, like they’re just waiting for me to slip up. We didn’t plan for this. We’re completely unprepared, and I feel like a deer caught in headlights.

Suddenly, Yiren squeezes the back of my hand resting on her waist, snapping me out of my thoughts. She leans in and whispers softly, "You’re going to give yourself a heart attack."

I swallow hard, trying to force a smile, but it probably looks more like a grimace. "Good. At least I’d be out of here," I whisper back, my voice tinged with frustration.

My eyes scan the crowd again, and I notice people sneaking glances at us. Tomorrow, there will be another article about me, with the tabloids dissecting my latest ’girlfriend’ and betting on how long this one will last.

And, of course, she’s here, watching me and Yiren, scrutinizing us with that familiar judgmental stare. I catch her smirking at me, hooking her arm around her boyfriend’s and turning away as if reminding me of my own failures.

Yiren pinches me to get my attention, her eyes glaring at me. I feel like she can see right through me. "Behave yourself." she scowls, her gaze flicking to the crowd where I was staring before she looks back at me. "What are you looking for?"

"Nothing," I lie, forcing a smile. I bring her knuckles to my lips and kiss them lightly, just for the show. Acting, remember?

Yiren blinks but brushes off my tension like it’s nothing. She flashes another charming smile at Suyin and MeiMei, sliding effortlessly into conversation, making it look easy.

"By the way," Suyin says, throwing a teasing glance my way, "we had a little bet going with the husbands."

"Oh yes," MeiMei adds, holding out her hand to Jianyu, who groans dramatically but digs into his wallet.

Suyin does the same with Shishi, her eyes gleaming. "We bet our husbands $100 each that you’d show up. They didn’t think Jun would bring you here."

I raise an eyebrow, smirking. "Clearly, they underestimated me." Though really, they didn’t. I got lucky tonight. I’m not sure how much luck I have left.

Yiren laughs lightly, raising an eyebrow at me. "Glad I could help them win, then."

"Thank you, Jun," MeiMei adds, winking as she pockets the money. "You just made us richer."

I chuckle, but my shoulders remain tense. Yiren continues to charm them, and it’s clear they’re eating it up. If only they ever see how we actually fight.

Yiren meets my brother’s eyes, casually leaning against my shoulder. Oooh the body language is completely that of couples. "Shishi, congratulations on your award from the International Medical Association. That’s such an incredible achievement."

Shishi looks momentarily surprised but then smiles, his usual tension easing a little. "Thank you, Yiren. It was a team effort, but I couldn’t have done it without Suyin." He pulls Suyin close and kisses the top of her head lovingly.

"And Jianyu," Yiren turns to my other brother, "congratulations on the baby boy! How are the sleepless nights treating you?"

Jianyu beams with pride, clearly impressed that she brought it up. "Thank you. It’s exhausting, but totally worth it." He tugs MeiMei closer, his hand on her waist as he kisses her forehead. "Couldn’t have done it without her."

"TMI," MeiMei slaps his chest, cheeks turning tomato red.

I glance at Yiren, disbelief washing over me. How is she doing this so effortlessly? She’s slipping into conversation with my family as if she’s known them for years. Sure, she knew them when we were younger, but it’s been so long, and yet she’s handling it all flawlessly. Give her Oscar man.

Meanwhile, I’m standing here stiff as a board, trying not to give anything away. My brothers’ gazes feel like daggers, analyzing every word, every glance. I rub the back of my neck, trying to ease the tension, but it doesn’t help.

Then, without missing a beat in her conversation with my sisters, Yiren pulls my hand back and laces her fingers through mine. My pulse quickens at the sudden contact, grounding me for a brief moment—but only for a moment. My palms are still sweaty, and I know she feels it, but she doesn’t let go.

Before I can collect myself, someone calls Yiren’s name. We both turn to see Darryl Hawthorn, Chairman of Hawthorn Engines, walking toward us. He’s in his eighties, with sharp, calculating eyes, and has a reputation for being impossible to deal with—especially if you’re a young businessman who got everything through inheritance. Like me. I’ve been trying to get an appointment with him for months, but he’s brushed off every attempt.

"Yiren," Hawthorn greets her, his tone smooth, giving her an appraising look. "It’s been a while."

I freeze. My neck nearly snaps with how fast I turn to look at her. She knows Hawthorn?

"Mr. Hawthorn," Yiren says, smiling with ease. "It has. How’s your grandson? Still enjoying the treehouse?"

Hawthorn chuckles, nodding. "More than ever. The design you did for his bedroom and that treehouse? Brilliant. He practically lives in it now."

Hawthorn’s gaze shifts to my brothers, skipping over me as if I’m invisible. He nods at them respectfully and shakes their hands, a clear mark of the esteem he holds for them.

When Hawthorn finally looks my way, his sharp smile widens as he glances between us. "I don’t believe we’ve met," he says slowly, his tone mocking. He knows damn well who I am. This is deliberate.

"This is Jun," Yiren says quickly. "My boyfriend."

"Ah, the boyfriend," Darryl murmurs, offering a hand, though his handshake feels more like a test than a greeting. "I’ve heard your name before. You’ve been trying to meet with me for quite some time, haven’t you?"

My jaw tightens, but I force a smile. "That’s right. I’d hoped we could discuss a potential partnership."

Darryl chuckles softly, almost dismissively. "Well, persistence is important in business." His eyes flick to Yiren, his smile sly. "But it seems Yiren has the real talent in this relationship."

I swallow hard, glancing at my brothers, who remain cool under the weight of Darryl’s words, though the tick in their jaws tells another story.

Yiren’s fingers tighten around mine. "Thank you," she says smoothly, her gaze never wavering. "But we’re both talented in our own fields. It takes more than one kind of brilliance to make a great team, don’t you think?"

Her words catch me off-guard. I realize just how little I know about her.

Darryl’s eyes linger on Yiren for a moment longer before he turns back to me with a smirk. "Take care of this one, Jun. She’s a rare find."

"I will," I reply, my voice strained.

The exchange doesn’t go unnoticed. Suyin steps forward, clearly impressed. "Yiren, you’re full of surprises. I had no idea you were such a talented designer. I’ve been thinking of redoing some work at our place—could you show me your portfolio sometime?"

Yiren smiles graciously. "I’d love to."

Jianyu gestures for me to follow him. I excuse myself, leaving the girls to chat while I go answer the inevitable questions from my brothers.

"What was that?" Jianyu goes straight to the point, as soon as we are out of earshot. Typical him.

"I wanted to buy his company. They manufacture car engines."

Shishi folds his arms, his voice tight. "If he isn’t even willing to meet with you, why are you still chasing it?"

"Yea. There are other ways." Jianyu’s says, leashing his anger.

I know they’re pissed at the way Darryl treated me. They always are when someone looks down on me because according to them I’m all because of the name Feng.

"You ignored my words, bro. I wanted to buy his company. Not anymore," I say. If my brothers are feisty men, I belong to the same pack. "He’ll offer it to me. On my terms. At my price. And I’ll make sure he waits twice as long as he made me wait."

They both raise their eyebrows, clearly proud. Pulling strings will be too merciful for him. I want to to break the old man’s ego first. And his stupid belief.

*****