Chapter 20: A Kiss in Return?
570 Words
The voice cut through the tension, freezing Iris mid-swing.
Dora instinctively stepped back, brows knitting in defense.
Both women snapped their heads toward the sound—and their eyes went wide in shock.
Jasper Qi?
As the heir to Evergreen Pictures—the second-largest film conglomerate, right after Adrian Mu’s Universal Pictures—Iris recognized him instantly. She dropped her hand like it was burned, her heart pounding.
What’s he doing here? Could Dora be his woman?
But she’d heard Keith Fu’s assistant mention preparing gifts for Dora more than once, and once even caught a glimpse of Dora’s name in Keith’s phone—proof of their intimacy. After all, she’d only ever had the assistant’s number, never Keith’s directly.
Dora, meanwhile, was completely confused. What now? Did she bring backup to this nonsense? Jasper’s single “Darling” had thrown both women off, leaving them staring at him, frozen.
Jasper strode over slowly, then slipped an arm around Dora’s waist in one fluid move. The two women’s jaws nearly hit the floor—Iris in stark terror, Dora in utter bewilderment.
“M-Mr. Qi?” Iris stammered, her voice trembling with disbelief.
“Still here?” Jasper’s tone was icy, laced with unmasked impatience. “Want to ruin the party, or wait for me to have you dragged out?”
Iris scurried away like a scared rabbit. Dora stared after her, dumbfounded, so shocked she forgot to push Jasper away. Mr. Qi? Who the hell is he? Another lunatic popping out of nowhere?
He was devastatingly handsome, with a devilish grin and peach blossom eyes—but she’d never seen him before. The only Qi she could think of was Simon Qi.
Their eyes locked, and Jasper sized her up leisurely. Up close, her skin was surprisingly fair and smooth, flawless even under the bright lights. And she felt surprisingly soft in his arms—an unexpected delight.
He lifted a hand to tilt her chin up, his touch light but domineering. “Long lashes, full lips… just mediocre.” In his eyes, these features were easily faked with makeup. He had no shortage of stunning women around him—so why had Simon Qi chosen this ordinary “Cinderella” over countless wealthy, influential socialites?
Dora snapped back to her senses, shoving him away hard—her cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment. “Are you out of your mind?”
She turned to leave, but an arm suddenly blocked her path. “I just saved you, and you’re leaving already?”
Dora glared up at him, scoffing coldly. “Sir, did you lose your glasses or your marbles? I don’t even know you.” What kind of cursed day was this? All sorts of weirdos kept popping up.
She tried to step around him, but a low, drawling voice halted her. “Dora Ni.”
She paused. Jasper twirled a strand of her hair lightly between his fingers—its soft, sweet fragrance lingered on his skin, stirring an unfamiliar, faint itch in his chest.
“I’m Jasper Qi. I just saved your pretty face. Those gold-clasped nails of hers are sharper than an eagle’s beak—one slap, and you’d be ruined. Don’t you owe me a thank-you?”
Before Dora could snap back, Jasper pulled her close again, his breath brushing her ear in a teasing whisper.
“How about a kiss in return?”
- Writer
