My Candy Girl: Lost In Your Sweetness

The city centre was quiet at ten o'clock at night with a few scattered pedestrians, except when pierced by the sound of an occasional car revving past.

Inside the Heaven Bar, however, the crowd noise was almost deafening and the smell of cigarettes and wine in the air was overwhelmingly strong. The music blared from the speakers and the people yelled just to be able to hear themselves.

Amidst this mayhem, Harlow Leng sat alone in a seat adjacent to the dance floor. One hand supporting her chin and the other pressed at her temple, she stared absently at a handsome couple dance to their hearts' content in the crowd.

The description "tall and handsome" fit the man perfectly, while the woman was a beauty. It was difficult to take one's eyes off of them.

Watching them dance together in that manner made her very uncomfortable. The woman, Lainey Yu, was her senior from school and it was Lainey's birthday today. However, somehow the man, Michael Tang who was Harlow's boyfriend, managed to become the star of the night. The entire scene made her very nauseous.

They danced with screams of joy and Michael placed his hands on Lainey's perfectly tiny waist, which was wrapped in a very tight and short skirt. His hands roamed over her waist freely, as though no one was around. At the sight of this, Harlow downed the remainder of her wine in one swig.

The size of the gulp made her choke and cough.

Her eyes watered but she never let her sight stray from Michael and Lainey. They seemed to be getting increasingly comfortable with each other until the point where she couldn't bear to look anymore. She tore her eyes away from them.

Out of sight, out of mind, she told herself. It was only a dance, she told herself. She shouldn't be making a big deal of it.

She raised her head again but only to drain the last of the wine from the bottle. Almost immediately she started to feel dizzy.

The scene on the dance floor seemed to be swimming before her eyes. The dancing seemed crazier and the people seemed louder. She felt her throat go dry and her stomach hurt. She held the table tight and got up to her feet to make her way to the washroom.

She staggered into the first stall and hurled her guts out in the toilet.

She already regretted the drinking and made a promise to herself that she had made a hundred times before. She was never going to drink again!

After a pause that seemed like an eternity, she managed to get to her feet and walk out of the bathroom.

No sooner had she stepped out of the washroom than she bumped into a couple stumbling out of the men's room. The two were locked in a tight embrace and kissing each other passionately. They were too lost in the moment to notice that they were blocking Harlow's way.

The man looked dashing in a well-fitted black suit as he stood beside the door of the ladies' room. The woman wore a diamond studded sapphire blue dress. She had pulled the man close to her by holding him by the back of his neck and running her fingers through his hair. Her eyes were shut tight and her hair moved with every movement she made. She had her perfect long legs wrapped around the man's waist and they both seemed completely ignorant of where they were.

The scene before her eyes made Harlow hold her breath longer than she cared for.

Before she knew it, a loud thud rang in her ears.

The couple had lost their balance and knocked Harlow off her feet and into the door of the ladies' room. The man's heavy footstep landed on Harlow in the process.

"Ouch!" she screamed.

Already dizzy from all the wine, the fall only made her stomach churn faster and the next thing she knew, she had vomited once again.

Almost instantaneously, the man let go off the lady he was kissing to avoid the vomit.

Without the support of the man holding her, the woman landed right in front of Harlow, where she vomited.

Harlow had in fact vomited right on the woman's chest!

"Ugh! Yuck!" The woman's face, which was flushed a second ago, turned pale from absolute shock at the turn of events. She was glaring at Harlow who was practically cowering in shame.

The man merely stood leaning against the wall, with a faint yet evil smile on his face as he looked over the scene.

"Are you out of your mind?" yelled the lady at Harlow. "Didn't you see me?" She followed this up with a stream of curses that Harlow was too dazed to comprehend.

All she could do was apologize over and over again. "I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to do it. Please, let me help you clean up." Trembling, she rummaged through her purse and managed to grab a couple of tissues to help the woman wipe herself down. She glanced at the man and all of a sudden, her heart fluttered.

The mere sight of him, his tall figure, bronzed skin, angular features and most of all his dark and deep eyes, were all at once evil, yet charming. He continued to smile in a way that could make anyone uncomfortable.

"Fuck off!" yelled the woman, shoving Harlow aside. She was an inch away from slapping Harlow, when all of a sudden the man grabbed her hand.

"Hey honey, you're dirty and I don't like it. Why don't you go wash up instead of wasting our time?"

The woman held back her anger and forced a charming smile instead. She leaned against him as he pulled her up, her legs feeling almost limp. He was disgusted though and let go of her arm to take a step back.

The woman realized that he was now repulsed by her and she stiffened. She put on the sweetest smile and said in her nicest voice, "I'm sorry, Mr. Ling, do give me a minute to wash up."

Mr. Ling shrugged but didn't bother saying anything. He took one last glance at Harlow before turning and walking into the hall.

As he turned, Harlow caught sight of a delicate sterling silver cross strung around his neck, and that was the most impressive thing she remembered that night.

"You won't be so lucky the next time!" The woman glared at Harlow and stormed out.

Harlow patted on her chest and tried to calm down. Fortunately for her, they did not hold a grudge against her, for if they had, she would not have been able to pay for her expensive dress even if she worked her ass off for it.

All of a sudden, she felt an uncomfortable feeling in her chest and quickly rushed to the toilet.

Only after vomiting did she feel better. She then washed her face with the cold, clean water from the tap and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Harlow's long, straight jet black hair cascaded from her shoulders like a waterfall. She was dressed in a white off shoulder dress, which highlighted her collarbones beautifully. Since she was not used to drinking, her face was flushed from the little wine that she had. Her pupils were dilated, making her look more attractive.

She stared at the blurred reflection of herself in the mirror before she staggered her way out of the bathroom. She was so drunk that she could not even stand straight. Ever since she came to the party, she had had no chance to greet her schoolmates, who were there with her. Looking at them having a good time, she thought to herself, 'This is not the place for me. I should never come again.'

The picture of Michael dancing with Lainey was still vivid in her mind, causing her pain every time she thought about it. How could he ignore his girlfriend? Thinking of that, Harlow made up her mind to never date him again.

The music was on full blast and the minute she heard the song change, her ears started to ache, making her feel dizzy.

The hallway had doors on either sides. With her hands on the wall, Harlow tried to walk, taking one step at a time. She was so tired and drunk that she was almost about to pass out.

She accidentally pushed a door open, just by an inch.

After making sure that she was alone, she peeked into the room. It was dark and quiet. She then glanced at the hallway and saw that the neon lights were still glowing. She thought for a moment and decided to rest for a while before she went home.

Harlow entered the room sneakily and closed the door shut behind her. She then kicked off her heels, which had been torturing her throughout the night, and slumped onto the couch.

"You're back already?"

A man's voice came from a corner of the dark room. His voice was seductive and low, but Harlow was too tired to even notice it. She fell asleep as soon as her head rested against the couch's armrest.

A tiny flicker of spark came from the darkness, followed by a faint scent of burning tobacco. It became evident that someone else was in the room.

"Why didn't you turn on the light? Were you hoping to have some fun in the dark?" the man teased.

Seeing Harlow completely silent, the man felt a bit disappointed. He stood up, put out his cigarette and turned on the light. The soft orange light filled the room like a touch of sunshine through sheer curtains.

He looked tall and muscular as he stood with his back to the light. His chiseled jaw was beautifully outlined from the light behind him, highlighting his full lips and sharp nose. He had an unmistakable sense of charm.

"It's you!" Jason Ling said in surprise.

Looking at Harlow, who was fast asleep on the couch, a devilish grin appeared on his lips. His voice was low and sexy, like the sort that would make a woman go crazy.

Although the light was dim, it beautifully highlighted her delicate features. Harlow's slender body nestled against the couch comfortably as she slept with her lips pressed tight. Her thick long eye lashes cast a shadow under her eyes. She smiled faintly as she slept, which made her more attractive. She had glowing skin and beauty that would make any man fall in love with her. Her white off shoulder dress enhanced her ivory skin. Her legs were long and sexy, but her dress was a bit ruffled, exposing her white panties.

Looking at her beautiful body, Jason couldn't help but reach his hand out and caress her cheek gently.

The minute his fingertips brushed against her skin, she moaned.

Her low moan aroused him. Although she was completely unaware of the situation, Jason felt a bulge in his pants as he looked at her.

He immediately stood up, took the glass on the table and sat down on the sofa.

The red wine in the glass glowed beautifully under the warm light in the room.

Jason swirled the wine and took a sip.

He looked at his watch impatiently, hoping that she would wake up, but Harlow seemed to be having a good dream. She continued to moan as she gently moved her legs, placing one foot on his thigh.

"You're asking for it, woman!" Jason said.

Although it was noisy outside, the room was quiet, as if something unspeakable was happening.

Harlow woke up in pain and her pupils dilated. Her face paled in horror as she pushed the man, who was on top of her away. A ray of light shone, making the silver cross on his neck gleam.

Harlow immediately rushed out of the room and saw that it was still noisy outside.

Unable to hold back her tears, she struggled and staggered her way out of the bar. Once she was outside, she crouched down, and burst into tears.

People were on the street, staring at her, as they whispered among themselves. It wasn't until she heard someone call the police that Harlow stood up and walked out of there, wiping her tears away.

Tears kept trickling down her cheeks as she walked forward aimlessly, like a zombie.

She was in a daze as she wondered, 'How could that man have had sex with me without me knowing about it?'

All of a sudden, a loud creaking noise was heard, pulling Harlow back to reality.

It was the sound from a car's brakes as it came to a screeching halt right in front of her. Harlow pulled her torn dress to cover herself and sat on the street, mindlessly. Passers-by were shocked, but they did not come to help her.

A young man in a white shirt got off the BMW car and walked to Harlow. His golden rimmed glasses gleamed under the streetlights as he looked at her apologetically and said, "Are you all right, Miss?"

Harlow shook her head blankly in response.

"I am so sorry that I did not notice you on the street," the man said. Thinking that the car coming to a screeching halt right in front of her must have scared her, he helped her stand up.

However, Harlow pushed him away and walked forward, as though he did not exist.

The onlookers saw that and walked away from the scene.

"Watch out!" the man yelled. He swiftly grabbed her cold arm, pulling her away from another car that was almost about to hit her.

"Are you even okay? Can you hear me? Please say something, Miss. Would you like me to take you to a hospital?" he asked. Only then did he notice her tattered clothes, the strong smell of alcohol, her disheveled hair and her tears as she walked barefoot. A strange feeling flashed through his heart as he looked at her.

"I'm fine," Harlow replied bluntly. She then withdrew her hand from him, straightened herself up and crossed the street.

Looking at her, the man quickly got into his car and followed her.

"I am so sorry that I startled you, Miss. Let me at least give you a ride home," he offered. He then drove to her side, lowered the window and added, "It's not safe for a woman to walk alone at these hours."

Upon hearing no response from her, he took out his ID from his wallet and handed it to her. "My name is Zachary Zeng, and here is my ID. If you trust me, please let me give you a ride home."

Looking at Zachary's warm expression, Harlow felt like she could trust him.

After all, his warm smile was the only thing that felt nice that night.

She quietly sat down in his car. Her tears had dried up and a burning pain surged through her body, but she did not utter a word about it. Harlow had preserved her virginity for the man she would fall in love with, but now, all that seemed like a pipe dream.

"Where are you headed to, Miss?" Zachary asked hesitantly as he drove.

"Take me to Neo Business School," Harlow replied in a low voice.

"Looks like you're a college student. So what are you studying there?" Zachary asked with a smile.

She kept thinking about that night as she leaned against the seat and stared outside the window blankly. Sensing her reluctance to answer, Zachary smiled and turned on the music player.

A warm classical melody flooded through her ears. Although Harlow was a very young woman, she preferred the beauty of classical music over pop music, which most youngsters listened to. Classical music could comfort and soothe anyone's wounded heart and that was exactly the thing that Harlow needed at that moment.

After relaxing for a while, she opened her eyes and looked outside the window. Upon seeing the familiar place, she immediately sat upright and said, "Stop the car!"

Zachary stopped the car near the pavement and said, "There are still at least a hundred meters to the school. Please, let me drive you to the entrance."

"No, I am good." Harlow quickly got out of the car and walked towards the community building ahead of her. She was in such a hurry to get in that she even forgot to thank him.

After watching her disappear into the darkness of the night, Zachary rolled up the car's windows and left.

Harlow walked to the C Block of the community and got into the elevator. She then pressed for the tenth floor. Only after the elevator started to ascend did she calm down.

She got out of the elevator, walked to room 105, tidied up her hair and clothes before she was about to press the doorbell.