Fake dating my enemy, The playboy billionaire-Chapter 38: A hug?

JUNJIE(PART 1)

I’m an idiot. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

That’s the only explanation for my actions, and the look on Yiren’s face earlier proves it. She was clearly expecting me to say something, anything, and instead, I just sat there like a mute, stewing in my own guilt. I could see the fear in her eyes as she begged me to help her sister, panicking right in front of me, and I... I couldn’t find the words to console her.

She thinks so lowly of me now—thinking she had to go to that dangerous place instead of trusting me enough to come for help. Downtown, of all places. The thought of what could’ve happened, what almost did, makes my blood boil. She could’ve been killed.

And it’s my fault.

But then again, why should she trust me? What have I ever done to show her that she could? I can’t blame her for not giving me the benefit of the doubt. I’ve given her no reason to.

Now, when I should be apologizing, comforting her, telling her that everything will be okay, the words just stick in my throat. Useless.

I peek into her hospital room, watching as she sleeps. She looks peaceful, but there’s still a small frown on her face, even in sleep. She’s been through hell—her broken nose, the bruises marking her skin, they all tell a story. One that I should’ve stopped from happening.

I step inside quietly, moving to her side. My hand reaches out almost instinctively, and I brush my fingers gently over her head. Her skin is warm, her hair soft under my touch. The doctors said she’ll recover fine—nothing serious, just the broken nose and some bruising. But still, seeing her like this... it wrecks me.

She hums softly at my touch, a small sound of contentment, and for a moment, I feel relief.

"I’m sorry," I whisper, my voice barely audible in the quiet room. "I’m really sorry."

I don’t know if she can hear me, but I say it anyway, needing to get it out.

"Hey," Meimei’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. She’s standing at the door with a soft smile, holding a bag of food. "I brought you something to eat. Do you want to eat here or in Z’s room?"

I open my mouth to decline, but before I can say anything, Suyin steps in behind her, already dragging Meimei into the room.

"And don’t even think about saying no," Suyin adds, giving me a pointed look. "We’re not going anywhere."

She picks up Yiren’s chart from the table, giving it a quick glance before nodding to herself. "She’s doing fine. Should be waking up any moment."

I look back at Yiren, her chest rising and falling steadily. She looks like she’s at peace, but I know better. When she wakes up, I’ll have to face the full weight of my actions, and I don’t know if I’m ready for that.

But I need to be.

Meimei prepares a plate for me, and I stare at it like the food might attack me any second. I’m not hungry, but Suyin kicks at my shoes, her expression firm.

"Have it. You know how stubborn Chucky and Annabelle can be," she warns.

I give her a glare, but before I can push the plate away, Meimei kicks at my shoes too.

"You don’t scare us, Jun," Meimei says, smiling slightly. "Don’t even try it."

With a heavy sigh, I take the plate, shoveling food into my mouth under the piercing stares of these two relentless dolls. The rice feels like it’s turning to sand in my throat, but I force it down, bite after bite. Anything to stop their concerned looks.

"You did the right thing calling me to track her location," Meimei says softly, her voice low enough that Yiren—still fast asleep—can’t hear.

I glance over at Yiren, "Yet she’s here," The words bitter on my tongue.

"Things could’ve been worse," Suyin cuts in, her tone serious. "For her and Ning both. You know that."

I push the rice around on my plate, a frustrated sigh escaping me. "Doesn’t make me feel any better. If I hadn’t—" I stop. I can’t explain everything, can’t tell them how I screwed up so royally. How much worse everything got because I acted like a jerk. Yiren was right. I had accused her of something horrible, and now here we are.

Meimei gives me a knowing look, "We won’t ask what the argument between you two was about. That’s part of every relationship growing."

Suyin nods in agreement. "She’s right. Look at me and Shishi. You’ve seen it all—the bumps, the fights. Our relationship was far from perfect."

I want to tell them the truth—that the relationship between Yiren and me isn’t real, that it’s just an arrangement. But the words don’t come. Instead, I let my head fall forward, my voice tight. "I said some things to her—things I regret. That’s why she didn’t come to me for help. She went to downtown because of me."

"I see a prideful woman who was willing to work hard for her money rather than ask her boyfriend to fix everything for her."

"Meimei’s right," Suyin chimes in. "Listen, Jun. We may not know everything that happened between you two, but it’s obvious that something’s weighing on you."

She fills my plate with more food, ignoring my weak protests. "You need to talk to her. Stewing in your guilt won’t fix anything."

"Stop being a dumbass and just talk," a familiar voice calls from the doorway. Shishi walks in, picks up Yiren’s chart and give it a quick glance before nodding in satisfaction. Like wife like husband.

He claps me on the back of the head, and I wince at the sting. "You exhaust me, boy. Honey is better behaved than you."

Despite myself, a small smile tugs at my lips. Shishi might be frustrated with me, but there’s warmth in his voice. He’s always treated me like I’m his son, even when I don’t deserve it.

"Look at him," Jianyu’s voice comes from behind, and he strides into the room, smacking the back of my head where Shishi had hit me. "Shamelessly smiling after everything."

Yeah, only these guys could do this—kick my ass and get away with it. I wouldn’t let anyone else, but with them... it’s different.

They’re family. And they always will be.

As I sit there, surrounded by the people who have always been there for me, I realize how much I’ve been taking everything for granted. Yiren was correct. I’m a foolish coward to run away from all this.

But there’s still time. Time to fix it, to make things right. I make a silent vow to do better. To stop running and start facing.

"Jun—"

The spoon in my hand paused mid-air when I heard a raspy voice. My head snapped in Yiren, and I saw her awake, her eyes flickering as she tried to push herself up. But Shishi was faster, quickly helping her sit upright.

She glanced at Shishi, her lips parting as though she wanted to ask a hundred questions but couldn’t bring herself to form the words. Her eyes were wide, filled with fear and uncertainty.

Shishi, ever the calm one, placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "The surgery was successful. Ning and the baby will be fine. But we’re looking at a long road to recovery. At least six months of intensive care, followed by physiotherapy."

Her breath hitched, and within seconds, tears began rolling down her cheeks.

I panicked, the sight of her crumbling in front of me sending a surge of urgency through my veins. I walked over to her, my hand instinctively finding her back as I tried to console her which I should have done in the car.

"Don’t worry about the expenses," I said, my voice firmer than I expected. "Everything will be covered by Feng Enterprises. You won’t have to worry about a thing."

Before I could process it, Yiren leaped to her feet and threw herself into my chest. Her arms wrapped tightly around my torso, squeezing me like she was holding on for dear life. The sheer desperation in her embrace left me momentarily stunned, frozen.

I-I stood rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do. I expected many things from Yiren, especially after all the mess I’d caused. A verbal thrashing, maybe. A cold shoulder. Even a tight slap across my face. And thr worst a kick in my azz. But not this. Not the warmth of her body pressing into mine, not the sound of her quiet sobs against my chest.