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.