Sink In Your Adoration

The moment she opened her eyes and saw a strange man lying right beside her, it took everything in Rita Gu not to cry out.

The breeze from the opened windows blew into the room, letting her hair fray over her delicate skin. A large quilt covered her body, as she stared at him.

Light streamed through the curtains, highlighting her clear face.

Rita Gu furrowed her eyebrows, trying to remember what had happened last night. She had been in the bar and then... She hooked up with someone.

As she gazed into the man's physique, she couldn't help but wonder if this was the man she hooked up with.

As the party was going on, she remembered how drunk she was, stumbling in and out from the crowds of people on the dance floor. She wanted to steady herself, but her shaky stance was not helping the case.

Rita Gu was not sure about what had happened next. It seemed that her slim arms wrapped around the man's body, exhausted and drunk.

It turned out that they ended up here. As she moved closer, she couldn't help but admire the intricate angles of his facial structure. It was as if he popped out of a modelling ad, and he looked very fine under the sunlight.

"Hello?" Rita nudged him only to see that he still wouldn't budge.

She couldn't help but gaze at him, admiring the view in front of her.

After a few seconds, Rita quickly picked up her clothes from the ground. As she was about to raise her legs to put on her pants, the pain in her lower body made her groan.

He had been thrusting into her the entire night, and now, she needed to pay the price of enduring the pain.

It was a repeated cycle of pain and pleasure, and it was definitely a night for her to remember.

The man was hot, if she could say so herself. Was he one of the dancers in the bar?

He moved, the muscles on his back contracting slightly, making her lift her head. Was he awake?

She slowed her movements.

Suddenly, the bed creaked. Rita was so frightened that she immediately froze, her mind racking with different phrases on what she should say if the man woke up.

She had never hooked up with a man before, and now, looking at it, it should stay that way.

The man on the bed was actually only pretending to sleep. In fact, he had been squinting at the woman for quite some time now, looking at the way she bent down and tiptoed to the door.

Suddenly, she stopped.

As he saw her come back, he quickly closed his eyes and pretended that he was fast asleep.

Rita narrowed her eyes at the man on the bed. He really did have a nice figure with an extremely handsome face and defined muscles. He was either a male prostitute or a dancer, she thought.

Did that mean she had to pay then?

Chewing her lips, she fished out her wallet and grabbed a 100 dollar bill.

'At least this would reward him for that memorable night. Got to keep his strength up, I guess,' she thought.

The bill fell over the bed, its color immediately contrasting from the white sheet.

Once she left the money, she retreated back to the door and ran away.

After a few minutes, Aaron Leng finally sat up, furrowing his eyebrows when he caught sight of the bill sitting on his bed. Did she just pay him?

He examined the money in his hand, shaking his head. He thought the one who showed up for the appointment was the woman last night, only to find that she wasn't the one he searched for.

The girl was dead drunk.

She'd been in such a good mood that she immediately wrapped her legs around him and ground against him. She was probably the first one who he had allowed to take advantage of him.

He shook his head, a playful smile tracing on his lips. When his phone rang, he brought it up to his ear. "I'll be there soon."

It had been a rough night that was for sure. The moment she came home, Rita quickly got into a shower and changed into a new set of clothes before her parents dragged her into the car.

"We've arranged a blind date for you today," Jack Gu, her father, stated as he clapped his hands excitedly. She was already wearing a white dress with a cute daisy on it. As she lowered her head, he continued, "He's the second young master of the Leng family, so you should leave a good impression. Are you listening? Where did you go last night?"

Grace, her mother, saved her from another round of questioning as she winked at her husband. "Our daughter has already grown up, Jack," she stated. "You don't need to worry about her. Besides, it's a good thing she actually agrees to do this."

For Rita, she wasn't really fond of going on all those blind dates, but this was one she needed to accept. Her marriage was the only way for her to save the Gu Company from the verge of bankruptcy.

Aaron Leng, a successful young man in the business circle, was her family's hope now.

A Bentley stopped at the gates of a five-star hotel. Seeing who it was, a bellboy rushed to open the door, bowing his head. In a designer suit, Aaron Leng stepped out, waiting for the next car to come in.

Wendy Wen, his assistant, was holding a pile of documents as she peered into what his plans were for today. "Your blind date is with Miss Rita from the Gu family. She has a good background, great family and academics. She has a master's degree from Columbia. You'd think well of her. She's better than all the other blind dates you've been in."

"Isn't the Gu Company going into its final stages?" He pursed his lips.

"As long as she's outstanding, the family background can be set aside," she repeated what his father had told her.

Just as she finished, Aaron narrowed his eyes. "We both know why he's in such a hurry. You don't have to cover up for him."

Before she could reply, the Gu Family's car stopped right behind them.

The driver got out of the car and opened the door for the lady sitting on the backseat. Rita got off the car, her delicate high heels stepping onto the carpet. Her legs were slim under the snow white dress, emphasizing her well-shaped figure. Her makeup also suited her, highlighting her high cheekbones and bright eyes. She had attracted everyone standing at the gates, except for Aaron

who was shocked at her appearance.

When their eyes connected, they merely gaped at one another.

'That's her?' 'That's him?'

There was dead silence between them.

The assistant standing next to Aaron had never seen him so emotional. He had always been well put together. After seeing the woman in front of them, he was a mess of confusion and surprise.

Wendy Wen prodded his back, knocking him out of his reverie. "Uncle, Aunt," he greeted.

Although he didn't stare at Rita for a long time, he did notice how surprised she was. She probably didn't expect that she'd also meet him here at the restaurant.

It never occurred to Rita that the man she had slept with would be the one she was supposed to date. Even then, she could remember his abs and muscles all lined so exquisitely on his body. At the thought, a blush colored her cheekbones.

Rita's parents quickly ushered her into the restaurant. After that, they found an excuse to leave them alone, giving them more time to get along with one another.

Before she could get over from the surprise, she already found herself sitting in front of him.

"What would you like to drink?" His voice was as melodious as the orchestra. He then quickly handed the menu to her like the gentleman he was.

"I'd like a latte, please. Thank you,"

she answered and he quickly ordered for the both of them. Once he was done, he quickly took out a hundred dollar bill from his pocket and placed it inside the menu as a tip.

At the sight of the hundred dollar bill, her face turned bright red. She chewed on her lower lip. When she saw that no others around was able to hear her, she lowered her voice. "I didn't know I was going to meet you today. I thought...I didn't expect that I'd sleep with you either so..."

It seemed as if he wasn't interested in hearing her out. He glanced down at his phone. "Do you know this person?"

There was a woman in the picture with bright seductive eyes. There was just something about her that could draw any man with a wink of an eye. Rita frowned, shaking her head. "No."

"Really?" He frowned. "She was the one who sent you to my bed that night."

"What?" She could only gape at him, not really knowing what to say.

"You entered the room without even looking the man. Miss Gu, you live quite vicariously." The corners of his lips lifted.

"And you?" She cocked up an eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to explain why you'd accept a woman you didn't know into your bed? A dignified man, you are."

Rita could only tilt her head at the coffee the waiter had just served. The dark brown liquid fitted well into the fine establishment.

Aaron smiled, "It seems you're used to jumping around then?"

He didn't bother to explain himself. Besides, it wasn't as if he owed her an explanation.

"I believe, you're better than I am."

Their eyes met, the sarcasm and challenge just dripping in each other's gazes.

Rita leaned back, shrugging. "Since we don't like each other, you shouldn't waste your time on me, Mr. Leng."

"And who said I don't?" he said slowly, a smirk drawing into his lips. "You're good in bed."

Her eyes glinted. "You aren't that bad either."

His arms fell gracefully on arms of the sofa. "But it might be your first time, isn't it?"

"Says who?" She paled as she glanced around, afraid that their very interesting conversation could be heard by others. "You must be drunk."

"Honestly, a hundred dollar bill. Do you really think I'm worth that much?"

She could only gape at him like a fish who was just removed from her aquarium. She hesitated for a very long time. "I only had that bill on. Besides, I don't feel right if I didn't pay you for the night."

"At least pay the rest then." Seeing her alarmed eyes, he couldn't help but chuckle.

From afar, it appeared as if they were having the time of their lives. Although Wendy Wen couldn't hear what they were talking about, she could see the difference in Aaron's expression before and after meeting Rita.

"That's all for today," he said to Wendy Wen. "Drive Miss Gu and her parents back."

Rita straightened her skirt and raised her head haughtily. "No need, Mr. Leng. We can go ourselves," she stated. "It's very kind of you though."

Even if he was the second son of the Leng family, there was no way she was going to marry him.

"Wait a minute." Aaron looked at her with interest. "Haven't we reached an agreement to get a marriage license next week?"

Aaron's words rendered everyone in shock, even Wendy.

Rita's eyes widened, staring at him directly as if daring him to say it again. "What did you say?" she snapped.

"The date went well," he replied, glancing at Wendy as he motioned to the woman right in front of her. "She's the one."

"Mr. Aaron–" Wendy was about to say something when Rita interrupted her, her face as red as a tomato. "What did you mean it went well? Are you crazy? Are you kidding me, Aaron?"

Hearing Aaron's words of affirmation followed Rita's long string of profanity, her parents rushed over to alleviate the situation. Jack was ecstatic as he gripped Rita by the shoulders. "That's fantastic. Mr. Aaron is a good man, Rita. You'd do well with him."

"All he is, is a jerk," she snapped, snorting.

"Don't say that!" Jack scolded. However, the other man was unaffected by her insults.

"It's settled then." Aaron clasped his hands, a wide grin appearing in his face.

"Since we only just met once, how can we get married..."

"Twice."

Aaron instantly corrected Rita. "If you include the last time we've met."

"Even then, we've only met twice. It's not as if you should propose on the spot." Rita was already firm with her decision to not marry him. However, her father already had other plans. Jack, anxious, on what seemed to be the last chance he could regain favor in the business sector, quickly turned to Aaron. "We will persuade our daughter," he promised.

Before Rita could say anything more on that, Jack dragged her away, waving good bye at Aaron.

Just as she got into the car, Rita scowled. "Don't expect me to marry that person!" she said.

"Rita, it's not that I'm forcing you, but you know the situation of our family right now. If the news of your marriage gets out, our stock will definitely go up, and our family will be saved. If you can get the prime lots of the Leng family, then even better, right?"

"Father!" she interrupted. "I'm your daughter, not your goods that you can easily trade off."

"And that you are. I love you, but the Gu name is in danger. If we don't find a way out, our family would go bankrupt. Do you want to watch it fall? Do you want to see us on the streets?" Jack took Rita's hands affectionately, his thumb doing circles around her skin. "My dear daughter, please. I just want you to help me get through this crisis. Once the situation alleviates, then I won't stop you if ever you decide to divorce him."

Staring at his old face, even Rita couldn't bear to refuse him. However, this request was just deeply uncomfortable for her to follow through.

However, before she could even consider this, the Leng family had already extended their invitation to Rita to attend their banquet.

It was great news for Jack, given that he was already eager to marry her off. For so long, the Gu family had not been able to become one of the top richest families. However, things were already starting to turn around.

This was the third meeting of Rita and Aaron.

The banquet was held in an open-air dancing room at the top floor of the Center Hotel. The music fountain was shining at the center of it all, reflecting the colorful lights that shone around it. Countless of people surrounded the place, talking and chatting of the latest gossip.

Rita never appreciated such luxurious banquets, being very uncomfortable under the spotlight. She leaned against the glass walls, holding a glass of champagne as she stared at Aaron talking humorously with another woman.

The woman had long black curly hair loosing on her shoulder. She had almond eyes, small red lips. She looked like a model. All eyes were on her as they danced to the beat.

When they were finally finished, Aaron held the woman's hand as he led her out of the dancing floor, seeing Rita who was already extremely bored at the banquet.

Rita had no idea that Aaron was approaching her till it was too late to walk away.

It was not until they got closer that Rita recognized the woman. She was Yvonne Jiang, a popular star, and also the younger sister of her friend, Magee Jiang.

"Long time no see." Rita nodded, only to see that Yvonne Jiang did not return the greeting.

"I didn't expect that Rita would be here." Yvonne sneered. "I didn't expect that the Gu family would even be qualified for an invitation."

Ever since their downfall, the Jiang family limited their contact with them gradually. Magee Jiang, being their main contact, had gone abroad and hadn't returned in a long time. The Jiang family used this as an excuse to cut off their contacts totally. Given that Yvonne Jiang was a rising star, Rita didn't want to associate herself with the lesser folks.

She only shrugged it off.

Yvonne, however, deepened her words. "I know now! Did you come here to find another eligible bachelor? If someone takes a fancy on you, there might be a chance to save your family now."

Rita scoffed, "Don't be so imaginative, Yvonne."

Yvonne swayed her hips, leaning against Aaron. "Look at your words, Rita. I'm already with Mr. Aaron, screw all the other men."

Rita could only raise her eyebrow at him in response.

"Yvonne," Aaron started, releasing his hold and moving towards Rita. "She's actually my fiancee."

As soon as he said it, everyone craned their necks, wanting to get a better look at the man's prospective bride. Some of them widened their eyes in surprise, some in jealousy, while others in contempt.

Panic flashed in Yvonne's eyes as she laughed awkwardly. "Are you kidding me?"