Burning Passion

CHAPTER 222: HIS FIRST KISS

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Harry was at the library peacefully writing notes for his upcoming exam when Steven arrives and sits beside him. 

Steven went back to their dormitory to take a shower. Now he is bothering him. Harry pretends he hears nothing and continues reviewing his lessons. 

"What do you think, Harry?" 

"Why are you pestering me about that?" Pressing his lips, Harry calmly scolded Steven. 

His twin brother is now nagging him to date Kristina, which he is not interested in. 

"Come on! Let's have lunch at where she works!" 

"Why don't you go alone if you want to see her?" 

"What? I will not see her! I'm going to help you hit on Kristina!" 

Harry lifted his head, looking at Steven with shock. His twin brother is the same as Ash and Lee. Those men are constantly pairing him with Kristina and pushing him to date the girl. 

But he is not interested in dating anyone. Especially, when he has a final exam for his summer class. 

"You are teaching me to hit on someone when you were like an immature begging me to help you how to confess to Nina?"

"Nina is different!"

"What? You should respect each girl fairly. Better not lay your hands on someone you cannot be serious."

"Jeez, you are so boring." 

"Just leave me alone, would you?" Harry just ignored his twin brother.

And it was because Kristina was also staying at the girl's dormitory at Collins University, they often met her. Kristina hangs out with Ashton and Lee, and the other girls. Quickly, Steven dragged him to join the boys hanging out with other girls from Kristina's dormitory. 

And today, Lee invited everyone to visit the Wildwood. It was his birthday, and his parents allowed him to drive their family van. 

"Come on, guys!" Lee picks them up. He was at the steering wheel, and Steven sat next to him. 

At the back, Harry sits next to Kristina, which obviously, these men are trying to pair them on this trip. Another two boys come along with them in the van and Kristina's three friends from the girl's dormitory, while Ash drives his car in front of them with his girlfriend.

"Hey, Harry! Don't you and Steven have a Porsche?" Lee asked the twin on their way to the beach. 

"Ohhh…" The girls gasped in curiosity. 

They heard that the Shang brothers are wealthy. But they never saw them showing off like driving those expensive cars in the school. 

"Ah, about that. Our parents have conditions. So we could not drive our expensive cars just like that." 

"Why is that?" one girl raised a question. 

"We could not own something without working for it first. It was a kind of view of our culture, especially in our family customs."

"So even if our family is super-rich. We can't inherit our family fortune if we could not bring honor to our family. We should earn it by working hard in the company." 

"Hm… make sense!" 

"Yeah." 

The girls did not ask further and changed the subject.

Despite the noises inside the van, Harry enjoyed his silence and pretended to be sleeping. It surprised him when he felt ahead rested on his shoulder. Kristina falls asleep and uses his shoulder as a pillow. Now he could not move to stretch his arms.

The van is quieter this time. The voices he could listen to are Steven and Lee talking with something. 

"Nina is too pretty!" Lee praises. 

"She is! That is why I instantly fell in love with her when I met her when we were kids." 

"Oh. How Old Are You?" 

"I met Nina when Harry and I flew to China for the first time. Our mother visited her cousin she hasn't seen for over ten years. After our mother gave birth to us, she fell ill and was on treatment. They advised her not to travel long distances like overseas until recent years. They introduced us to each other, and I instantly had a crush on her." 

"Hm… your mother and Nina's mother are cousins? Then?" 

"They are not blood-related. Nina's mother is only adopted." 

"I see. And they arrange for you to marry her?" 

"Yes! Both our fathers have been discussing and made an agreement. Uncle Nelson wants Nina to finish college before we officially engage!" 

"Congrats, bro!" 

Harry clenches his fist, listening to Steven's story. He recalled that day. Everything is still clear until now. But it was he who met Nina first. It was he who first introduced Nina. Steven didn't come along on their first visit to the Li House. Steven only met Nina when Li was invited to a banquet the next day. 

Harry pressed his lips. Why does Steven claim that he first met Nina? 

Now it wonders him if Nina remembers their first meeting.

"We are here! Wake up, everyone!" 

Lee announced when they were entering Wildwood City. 

"Whoa!" The girl gasps and watches the pack of people walking here and there across the streets.

A massive number of tourists hit the beach before summer ended. Gladly, Ash could reserve three motel rooms through the recommendation of his aunt, who lives in this city. 

After they settled in, they went to the nearby Beachfront Ocean Park and tried the rides. During the evening, Lee is treating them to dinner. Waiting for the girls, Harry quietly seated in the corner and looked outside the window. Not long after, the girls arrived. 

"Kristina, you can sit here!" Steven offered the seat next to Harry. His twin brother instantly glared at him with a questioning look in his eyes. 

'What are you doing?' Is what Harry looks, gaping at Steven. 

Kristina is hesitant to take the seat that Harry would not permit. She notices him being quiet the entire trip and even while they were at the amusement park. He is not speaking a lot. 

"How about you?" she asked Steven. Kristina wanted to make sure it was okay for Harry. 

"I will sit with Ash's table!" said Steven while walking toward the table across them. 

"Okay." Kristina timidly sits beside Harry, and she tries to talk to him, not feel too awkward. "Hi! Hope you don't mind?" 

It was more like a whisper, barely reaching Harry's ears. 

"It's alright," Harry replied, nodding lightly at Kristina. It was so rude of him not to allow her to sit next to him. He knew that his friends and his brother never gave up to pair him with Kristina. 

She is beautiful. Wherever she goes, every pair of men's eyes always check her out. 

"Thank you for this morning." 

Harry heard Kristina whisper next to him. She looks shy and seems to weigh if he would converse with her. So Kristina spoke with a low voice. 

However, he does not understand what she is talking about, he could not follow. 

"I could not recall if I did you a favor," Harry told Kristina. 

"Oh!" Kristina lifts her head and meets his gaze. Instantly, she blushed but did not forget to smile sweetly. "When we are on the road, I fall asleep and end up pillowing your shoulders. I hope it doesn't numb?" 

Harry finally understood, he replied. "It's nothing. I also fell asleep, so I haven't noticed it." Harry lied.

"Oh, gladly! I would not be so embarrassed!" Kristina smiled widely this time and seemed to feel more comfortable talking with him. 

Harry thought to himself, there's no way he would admit to Kristina that he was awake and his right shoulder is numbing until now. 

Later, he and Kristina join Lee talking to Emily, Kristina's classmate in Biology. Both are taking a course in Medicine. 

"So, where should we head after here?" Lee asked them when they were in the middle of having dinner.

"Why don't we hit the beach? Let's stop by in a convenience store to buy some beer?" Ashton suggested. 

"Great idea!" 

They finish their meal. The group excitedly walks the beach. Upon arriving at the shoreline, there are several groups already having bonfires and drinking beers. They looked for a better spot; they lit their bonfire. 

"We're here!"

Lee, Ash, and Steven went to buy beer and sodas. Now that Lee was there, the girls gave their surprise for Lee. 

"We saw a bakeshop, so we bought you one!"

"Happy Birthday, Lee!" they greeted at once.

Emily is holding a cake. She asked Lee to wish before blowing the candle. 

"All right! And my wish?" Lee blew the candle, he turned to Emily and kissed her suddenly. 

They scream and tease both Lee and Emily. Steven is the loudest one, singing happy birthday and cheering for the new couple, in which Harry just shook his head, seated quietly on a log. 

The girls went to slice the cake. Later, Kristina offered one to Harry. She quietly ate her portion next to him. 

"Do you think Emily is Lee's girlfriend now?" Kristina curiously asked Harry. For others, it seems just easy for them to kiss someone like anyone. And so she was curious. "Have you kissed a girl that it's not your girlfriend, Harry?" 

Harry pauses from slicing a small portion of his cake. He picks up his beer and gulps half of the bottle.

Kristina bites her lower lip, she pointed out. "I take that as a yes, then?" 

Harry remained silent. Of course, he already kissed someone and it's his first kiss.

Even to this moment, he could remember how soft Nina's lips, which he did not kiss her twice, but thrice…