Edge of Desire

The warm afternoon sunshine fell on the ground. Light piano and the faint smell of coffee filled the air. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom -- their delicate, pink flowers fell and flowed gently on the river. The green willows bellowed in the wind, looking like a chorus of graceful dancers. Springtime had the power to make everything look so much more beautiful and delicate.

Sitting at a table by the window, Violet Tang picked up the coffee cup and took a sip. The bitterness of the black coffee spread through her whole mouth, the tip of her tongue tinging with numbness. She took another two sips. The bitterness of the first mouthful was soon drowned out by the second. The bitter taste had dissipated--or perhaps her taste buds had grown accustomed to the sudden bitterness--and she could taste the sweetness of the coffee gushing down her throat.

She silently put the coffee cup back onto the table and looked at the man sitting across from her.

This was her blind date. From what she knew about him, he was a successful man who was still in his thirties.

Even though he was dressed in a suit, he still looked pretty average. The ends of his hair appeared to be translucent as it swayed slightly along the air. It was as if they were withered grass in autumn that was desperately trying to catch the life's tail.

"Miss Violet, let me get straight to the point. I don't want my future wife to go to work after we get married. From what I heard, you're a nurse in a hospital. Must be a lot of hard work for such a small salary, am I right? Which is why I think it would be best if you stayed at home and took care of my parents and all the kids we're going to have!"

From the very moment the man took his seat, he had not given a chance for Violet to say a single word. It was obvious that he was a business man. The way he sat on his seat widely, and his arm slung haphazardly on the chair's back. The way his eyes glittered with arrogance.

Violet stirred her coffee gently with a tiny silver spoon in her hand. 'This man's nagging voice is so annoying, ' she thought to herself, subtly rolling her eyes.

She took a quick glance at her watch and was surprised at the time. She had already been listening to this buffoon for an hour! For a second, Violet quietly admired the amount of endurance and patience she had.

Violet wanted to run away the moment she saw him. But when she thought about how her mother would reprimand her and how her father would sigh, she squared her shoulders and went over to her blind date.

The man was so self-absorbed that he didn't even notice how much Violet didn't want to be there right now. For the past hour, he had been talking about himself -- from the story about how he acquired his wealth, to the future of their future children and where they'd go to primary school. 'It's such a pity he didn't pursue a career as a public speaker instead, ' Violet sneered to herself.

There was even a big, white zit on his chin. No matter how hard Violet tried not to look at it, it was always distracting her. As she stared dully at the man and his zit, Violet weighed her options over and over again. 'Whatever. I'm ending this stupid blind date. I would rather go home and get scolded rather than spend another second with Mr. Ugly Face!'

"Ah, by the way, Miss Violet... If you don't mind, I want to have my property notarized before marriage. Although we wouldn't have to worry about all our personal expenses, there's no guarantee that there won't be any problems between us. Think of it more as... insurance," the man smiled cockily. "Well, Miss Violet, what do you think?"

'Oh, wow. He's giving me a chance to speak? How kind!' Violet thought sarcastically. She didn't reply right away, making the man feel a bit uncomfortable at her silence.

Then, Violet put on a sardonic smile.

"Mr. Zhang, isn't it too early to talk about this?"

The man froze and was about to say something, but Violet held a finger up at him and continued, "Mr. Zhang, you seem to misunderstand me. I'm very happy with my job now. I won't resign even if I get married in the future. Ah, before I forget... I've been meaning to ask you something."

With a cunning look, she looked up innocently at him.

"I heard from somewhere that the intelligence of a man can be seen by the hair on his head. Tell me, are you balding because of how smart you are?"

As soon as Violet said this, she heard a few people from the other tables stifling their laughter. She looked at the man with an amused smile playing on her lips.

The man definitely did not expect that Violet would be so sharp tongue, especially since she had been quiet the entire time. He stood up briskly, knocking over his chair. The sound of the crash was so loud in the quiet coffee shop.

"You...."

The man glowered at Violet as he pointed a stubby finger at her. It was obvious that he was at a loss for words. His face turned violet with anger, and from the way his face twisted with rage, it looked as if the zit on his face was about spurt out in the next second.

Finally he came to his senses when he saw the other people in the coffee shop staring at him. With an exasperated sigh, he gathered his things and turned to leave. "Ah, Mr. Zhang!" Violet stopped him.

"Please pay for the coffee before you leave. I don't have much money, and I can't afford such an expensive expense. By the way, I want to give you some friendly advice. The kind of men such as yourself who think that they are superior to women should go back to the feudal society. Maybe you would have some better luck finding the love of your life."

The man glared at Violet and turned to the reception counter reluctantly.

Sitting on her seat, Violet felt more and more annoyed the longer she looked at the man. Taking one last sip of her coffee, she left before the man could and didn't look back.

"Sir, that lady sure is something, isn't she?"

Two men in tailored suits and leather shoes were seated behind the table where Violet and the balding man were.

They had heard their entire conversation.

The man who had taken notice of Violet was wearing a pair of gold rimmed glasses. He looked quite elegant and handsome, as if he were a young and talented star.

The other man sitting across from him did not speak. He stood up abruptly and went out of the cafe.

The man in the golden glasses, Annus, chased after him. "Sir, we are here for a blind date," he said when he saw the man getting in the car. "Is it really proper for us to just leave like this?"

The man closed the car door, and Annus had no choice but to get in the car as well. Annus went over to the driver's seat, feeling a bit nervous.

'Why did I have to point that woman out to him!' Annus was sent over by his boss's grandmother to ensure that her grandson wouldn't bail out on his blind date. Basically, at this point, Annus had failed to do the task that was given to him.

It couldn't be helped anymore. There was nothing he could do but go with his boss.

"Follow her," the man said from the backseat, his voice low and threatening.

He casually loosened his tie, slightly revealing his chest. The features on his face were nearly impeccable, almost like the marble statues carved in Greece. His thin lips were slightly raised into a smile as his dark eyes stared out the window.

Annus, his secretary, glance in the rearview mirror, and followed the taxi in which Violet was taking.

After a while, the taxi stopped in front of a bar.

'Today has been the worst day I've ever had these past four years!' Violet thought. She thought of the e-mail she received this morning, and became even more restless. She was desperate to find a way to release her depression, and from her experience, drinking was the best solution.

Not long after she sat down, a voice came up from behind her.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

Violet looked back, and was about to tell him off instinctively. 'The nerve of some men! Thinking that they could just come up to me and---'

The words that were about to come out her mouth suddenly got stuck in her throat.

The man was very tall, and had a strong aura around him. Most of his face was hidden in the shadow because of the dim bar lights, but it was easy to see that he was quite good looking. There was an overall quality about him that made him look firm and powerful.

Violet could barely recall the last time she had encountered such a man.

Before she could say anything, the man sat down beside her.

'Why did he even bother to ask me if he was going to sit down before I even said anything?' Violet pouted.

When the man sat down in front of her, the light from the hanging lamp overhead fell on his face, and it was only then that Violet had a good look at him.

He was wearing a sapphire blue shirt. The first two buttons were undone, slightly showing his strong chest, and his sleeves were loosely rolled up, revealing his wheat skin. He had thin lips and a straight, high nose. But the most remarkable thing about his face were his eyes, which were dark and deep. They had a charming but ominous glow, like a deep and mysterious well that hypnotized people until they fell inside and drowned.

'This guy looks like he's the successful and noble type, ' Violent thought to herself as she looked at the man carefully.

The man, Terence Gu, never would have expected that he would take the initiative to pursue a woman. It was the first time during his thirty-two years of existence that he had done something like this. If his buddies knew what he was doing, they would surely laugh their heads off.

And yet, here he was, playing the game as smooth as a veteran.

Terence's grandmother had been on her toes, nagging him for a great grandson. Being the eldest of his brothers, Terence was the first one who was expected to go on blind dates.

He had already been to so many blind dates that it had worn him out, and eventually he started standing up the women he was supposed to meet. It was for this reason his grandmother had sent Annus along with him to make sure that he wouldn't run away. Much to their surprise, Terence's blind date didn't show up.

However, Terence did notice Violet the very moment she entered the coffee shop. Everyone in that coffee shop was either wearing an expensive suit or dress. Meanwhile, Violet came in wearing something casual, making her really stand out.

Violet had her hair in a sleek ponytail, which made her face look bright and fresh. There wasn't an ounce of makeup on her face, although her skin flushed with a healthy pinkish glow, making her look like a student fresh out of college.

In fact, the man she went on a blind date with earlier, despite being all dressed up, looked like he was out of her league.

Terence figured that since she was going on a blind date that she wasn't as young as she really looked like. Because they were seated close to each other earlier, he couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

The blind dates were pretty much all the same. The balding man was so noisy and arrogant. He didn't care about how loud his voice got.

As Terence stared at the couple, he started to get bored. And then, at a sudden turn of events, Violet snapped back at the man. Terence's eyes lit up as he laughed softly.

'This girl's a fighter, ' Terence thought, feeling amused.

Not once did he ever think he was an honorable man. He was the type of person who would do anything to get what he wanted. The way Violet had acted at the cafe made him think how much the two of them were alike. He had never seen a woman like that before, and felt that it might be interesting to marry a woman like her.

From the moment he stood up to follow her, Terence had made up his mind that he was going to make Violet his.

It was obvious that Violet was different from all the other women he had dated in the past. There was something so mesmerizing about her that he just couldn't take his eyes off her.

"What kind of wine do you like? My treat,"

Terence said smoothly, a seductive smile playing on his lips.

Pursing her lips, Violet shrugged indifferently.

Violet was still upset over her blind date earlier. She came here to drink, and now there was a man sitting beside her, who offered to buy her drinks. It seemed too good to pass up on. Besides, drinking at the bar seemed like a nicer idea than going home to her mother's interrogative questions.

If anything, Violet actually had a very high alcohol tolerance. The first time she had something to drink was when she was just a child. Her father dipped his chopsticks in some wine and dabbed them on her lips.

As she grew older, the amount of wine she drank increased exponentially. Whenever she was free, she would drink with her father at home. But during the few times Violet felt that she was getting too drunk, she would decisively stop drinking any more.

Given the circumstances right now, however, Violet couldn't resist the temptation of going all out. It had been a bad day, and someone was going to get her free drinks.

They finished ten bottles of beer, two bottles of red wine and a glass of hard liquor before Violet got incredibly drunk.

Terence was getting dizzy as well, but when he saw Violet slumped over the table, a devious smile crept up his face. After quickly paying the bill, he pulled Violet into his arms.

Violet did not protest as she was way too drunk to figure out what was happening. Her whole face flushed. There was hair plastered on her forehead with sweat. Her charming red lips were like a red cherry, making it look so soft and irresistibly kissable.

Upon emerging out of the bar, Annus was already at the entrance, waiting with the car. "Sir..." Annus stammered, a little surprised at the scene.

"To the villa,"

Terence said coldly as he gently led Violet into the car.

Annus hesitated for a moment, but figured it was best to just do what he was told.

"Boss, if your grandma called..."

he gently reminded.

"Tell her the truth."

With a wave of his hand, Terence got inside the car and shut the door.

Annus touched the tip of his nose. 'Jeez. I hope to God his grandmother doesn't kill me!'

Violet laid on the large and luxurious European style bed. The heat from all the liquor she drank made her take off her coat. There was nothing else she could think about other than the fact that her head was spinning and her body felt unbearably hot.

Her smooth white skin now had a subtle flush to it, making her look all the more delicate.

"I feel so hot... so hot..."

she murmured, squirming lightly on the bed.

Terence entered the room and saw how Violet was acting. The sight of such a dainty woman made his heart melt in his chest.

He took out a damp towel and carefully wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Violet was still rolling around unconsciously. When her face touched Terence's cold hand, she couldn't help snuggle her cheek against his palm.

Terence looked at her and gently kissed her ear, as if he were handling the most precious of treasures that would break with one wrong move.

"Terence Gu," he said, his voice low like a purr, "Remember your man's name."

His assertive yet gentle voice echoed in Violet's thoughts like a dream she wanted to indulge in.

How could Violet distinguish between reality and illusion now? 'Am I dreaming? Is this all just a dream? Or a nightmare? I can't tell anymore...' she thought right before slipping into a drunken darkness.

The night got deeper, and the bright moonlight glowing in the black sky made everything look quiet and peaceful. The stars twinkled overhead, like a thousand fairies blinking their eyes. A gentle breeze blew, stirring in the air with the faint smell of spring.

The next morning...

When Violet woke up, her head was raging with a hangover. It was as if she had been run over by a car several times. She tried opening her eyes, but it made her headache even worse. What's more, her body was so sore that she was unable to move a single muscle.

With her eyes tightly closed, Violet tried to remember what had happened last night. All of a sudden, she jolted awake, her memory flooding back.

The face of a handsome man that was just barely and inch away from hers caught Violet off guard.

It took her a lot of effort to hold back her scream. She did not even dare to breathe, afraid of awakening the man in front of her.

She looked down at her body, and understood now why she felt like she was being chained to the bed.

The man in front of her had his arms around her in a tight embrace as if she was a pillow, and his long legs were resting on top of hers. No wonder her body felt so heavy!

And what was more important... 'We... we're naked?! Where are my clothes! Oh my God...'

Violet finally realized the gravity of the situation.

She couldn't figure out why she was here. All she remembered was that the man in front of her treated her to drink when she was in the bar. But she couldn't remember getting drunk and going to bed with him.

With her body aching, she vaguely had an idea what happened last night.

At that moment, Terence woke up as well, and saw Violet looking around the room with a puzzled look on her face.

With a playful smile, he closed his eyes again. Abruptly, he turned to lie on his back, bringing Violet with him so that she laid on top of him.

Violet covered her mouth with her hand heavily. As they got closer to each other, she could even clearly see each individual lash on his eyes.

'Wait a minute... Why do I have to act so carefully around him? I'm the one at loss here!' Violet thought to herself.

Violet looked carefully at Terence's face, and distinctly saw his eyelashes trembling slightly.

'Ah! He's even pretending to be asleep!?'

Like an angry lion, Violet got rid of Terence at once.

Terence opened his eyes, and looked at Violet with a wide smile. Then he got out of bed and went to the bathroom.

Violet blushed heavily when she saw him get up bare naked.

Sitting up the bed, Violet massaged her temples and tried to settle down the headache she was having. Within a few minutes, the man came out of the bathroom, neatly dressed now, and walked past her out the bedroom. Violet then suddenly heard the sound of pots and plates. 'Was he... cooking?' Virtuous behavior like that made Violet feel slightly ashamed.

'He seems nice enough... But even still! That doesn't mean that I should be inferior to him!' With a determined nod, Violet pulled herself together and went to the bathroom to freshen up. 'We're adults. Adults have sex. It's no big deal, ' she thought to herself as she washed her face.

'What's more, I'm not at a total loss here. My drinks last night were free. I had sex. He's cooking breakfast... I'm actually winning here, if I was being honest with myself!'

After Violet got dressed, she went over to the kitchen. Terence had prepared a delectable looking meal. Violet eagerly sat down and ate the food he made. Her father was a chef, and so she was used to eating delicious food. But the food Terence made was so good she couldn't help but praise his cooking.

Since Violet firmly believed in the principle that "men and women should equally work together", she took the initiative to clean up the dishes.

Meanwhile, Terence went back to the bedroom to clean up. When he saw the bloodstain on the sheet, he grinned from ear to ear.

Afterwards, Terence came back to the kitchen, leaning casually on the door frame as he looked at Violet washing the dishes.

"I think we're the perfect for each other. Want to get married?"

Terence said in a casual tone. Hearing this, Violet snorted, "Ha-ha. Well, you'd better get the marriage license today."

A soft laugh escaped from his lips as he looked lovingly at Violet. Violet had forgotten that last night she had given Terence one of her identification cards.

He was quite surprised when he saw her date of birth. She was pure and innocent, like a college girl. Yet, she was already 28 years old now. It was no wonder that she went on a blind date.

'Wow, what a lucky dog I am!' thought Terence, smiling even more happily.

After Terence made a quick call, Annus soon arrived. He took a photo of Terence and Violet, and left with Violet's ID card.

Within an hour, Annus came back with a wedding photo with a red frame in his hands. On the bottom border, the word "married" was embossed in golden characters. For a while, Violet couldn't believe that getting married could be simplified to such a degree! She even thought that it was all just a joke they were playing with her.

Before Violet could digest the whole thing, Terence took her to the photo studio. After they took a lot of sweet pictures together, it was finally dawning on Violet that she was in fact now married!

'How am I going to tell my family about this thought?' she worried. Although her parents were looking forward to getting her married, she just went on the blind date yesterday. And now she would come home to them and say that she had now a married woman! It was definitely very odd.

As Violet thought about this, Terence's phone rang. It was his grandmother calling.

"Terence, I warn you. If you married a disreputable woman, you will be kicked out of from this family!"

Despite that Grandma Gu was in her eighties, she spoke with a tenacity.

Back in her earlier years, she had joined the Red Army, braving open fire across the vast battlefield. She had been a model to all the other officers at that time.

Now that she was old, all she wanted now was to be surrounded by the love and laughter of children. Since all of her grandchildren had now grown up, she began looking forward for her great grandchildren. The thought that one of her grandchildren could bring in a new baby into their lives made her restless.

But haste was not equal to indecency!

Terence instantly took the phone away from his ear and waited until his grandmother finished shouting at him. Then, he answered her in a low voice, "Grandma, do really take me as someone who's blind? Please trust me for once. Besides, since we have gotten the marriage certificate, she is now my wife and technically a part of this family. No one in our family is less than excellent. She's with me now. Don't lose your temper and scare my wife away."

Since Terence had known his grandmother for all his life, he knew clearly how changeable her temper was.

As expected, Terence's grandmother cooled down a lot after hearing what he said. With a sigh, she talked back to Terence with a much calmer voice.

"Since you have chosen your wife, take her to us so we can get a chance to know her. She's not just your wife, Terence. She is the wife of my grandson. Don't try to keep her away from me."

Hearing that, he knew that his grandmother had passed the buck.

"Grandma, you are the first one to know about this. My parents..."

Terence said, trailing off.

"Don't worry. I'll talk to your parents. You just need to bring her back as soon as possible,"

his grandmother replied, instantly understanding what Terence was trying to say.

Both of his parents worked in the army and had been in high position for years. Both of them had high standards about the woman Terence was ought to marry.

Violet had a clean background. But Terence could only imagine that his parents would think that she wasn't suited to be their daughter-in-law.

Even though Terence had dated a lot of gorgeous stars before, he had never thought of marrying them or even bringing them back home to meet his family.

Although his parents had changed a lot after he entered his thirties, he didn't want his wife to be wronged because of his parents' mindset.

Terence was already middle-aged, and this was the first time for him to have such strong feelings towards a woman. A sense of pride and gratefulness washed over him.

Meanwhile, Violet didn't care what the phone call Terence had was about. All she wanted now was how to tell her parents that she had now suddenly married!