The School Beauty Threw Herself into My Arms, but I Panicked

This was the second time Aaron tried to put his arm around a girl. His heart was pounding like thunder, and he was so nervous that it felt as if he was about to go to war. Involuntarily, the embarrassment of the first time flashed through his mind. That unforgettable awkward experience was like a scar that was hard to heal, constantly reminding him of the bumps on the road of love. It was a deep wound in his youthful years and the root cause of his fear of close contact.

Once, in order to pursue the girl he had a crush on, he had saved money for a long time and finally bought an expensive necklace. The moment the girl put on the necklace and a bright smile bloomed on her face, he seemed to see the dawn of love. It was a warm spring day. The campus was in full bloom, and the sweet smell filled the gentle breeze. Everything was as beautiful as a fairy tale. He mustered up the greatest courage in his life and tried to put his arm around that girl for the first time. However, the look of disgust that instantly appeared on the girl's face was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing all his enthusiasm.

The girl's serious and cold voice still echoed in his memory: "You're being disrespectful. We agreed that you can't touch me until we get married." Every word was like a sharp knife, stabbing at his heart. Since then, the silence of the night always made him recall this scene involuntarily. Fear followed him like a shadow, making him develop a deep resistance to putting his arm around girls. It also filled him with struggle and hesitation when facing Sophia.

At this moment, his hand hung above Sophia's shoulder, as if bound by an invisible force. It couldn't move and was even trembling slightly out of control, wanting to retreat. He was afraid of facing that look of disgust and rejection again, afraid of falling into that embarrassing situation of being utterly ashamed.

Sophia noticed the strangeness of Aaron behind her and was a bit puzzled. Out of the corner of her eye, she had already noticed Aaron's outstretched hand. She slowed down her pace, giving him a chance, indicating that she wasn't resistant to this intimacy. She didn't take it to heart when Aaron peeked at her just now, regarding it as just a small episode in their interaction. She pretended to be angry and shook off Aaron's hand because she thought he had deliberately guided her to lift her collar, and it seemed that he was hiding some ulterior motives, which didn't match the straightforward - guy image he had shown before.

Sophia couldn't help but wonder if this man was hiding his true self and had a higher level of emotional intelligence. But whether he was faking it or not, his hesitation at this moment puzzled her. She turned her head curiously, wanting to explore Aaron's thoughts. She saw Aaron with a dull look in his eyes, as if lost in a painful memory, and a trace of fear even appeared on his face. Sophia was full of questions. Was it really that scary to put an arm around a girl? The Aaron in front of her was like a puppy that had been severely hurt. He was cautious, both eager to get close to the warmth and full of fear, making people couldn't help but feel pity.

The more Sophia thought about it, the more she felt that Aaron was playing tricks, deliberately pretending to be a pitiful guy who had been rejected by a girl, trying to arouse her sympathy and make her throw herself into his arms. This "playing hard - to - get" tactic made Sophia feel a bit. She helplessly twitched the corner of her mouth, speechless about the strange "love - chasing skills" of the rich. But she knew that Aaron was the "money - giver," and for the sake of the attractive wealth and the possible wonderful future, she decided to cooperate with this "performance."

Sophia took a deep breath, adjusted her expression, put on a gentle smile, slowed down, and took the initiative to lean back, meeting Aaron's arm. The moment their skin touched, she keenly felt Aaron's body tremble violently. Sophia secretly laughed, thinking that this guy was really an "acting expert."

She slightly turned sideways, pressing her soft body closer to Aaron, and said in a voice as gentle as the spring breeze: "What are you thinking about, honey?"

Aaron's hand touched Sophia's smooth and delicate shoulder, and his mind went blank instantly. He was completely flustered. He had been so immersed in the past memories that he didn't even realize he had put his arm around Sophia. Hearing Sophia's question, he stammered in reply: "Huh? I... I'm not thinking about anything."

With a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, Sophia continued to tease: "You look so nervous. Is this your first time hugging a beauty like me?"

Caught off - guard by her words, Aaron's face flushed with embarrassment. He was so awkward that he didn't know how to respond.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Sophia became even more convinced that he was pretending to be innocent. Her eyes rolled, and she came up with an idea. She reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of Aaron's hand that was around her.

Aaron was so startled that his whole body shook. He thought Sophia was going to push him away and quickly searched his mind for words of apology. However, before he could open his mouth, he felt Sophia grab his hand and slowly move it down... from the shoulder, past the ribs, and finally stop on her slender waist.

This unexpected move left Aaron completely stunned. He stared blankly at Sophia's smiling face. Her beautiful features became even more charming in the sunlight. Sophia gently teased: "Honey, it's weird to put your hand on a girl's shoulder, you know?"

Aaron looked at Sophia in disbelief and stammered: "What's weird about it?"

Sophia gave him a coquettish look and said: "Only you guys do that to each other. Do you want me to be your buddy?"

Looking at the charming Sophia in front of him, with the faint perfume smell lingering around his nose, and those bright eyes under the thick eyelashes looking at him affectionately, a strong emotion surged in Aaron's heart at this moment. Compared with the girl who had coldly rejected him in the past, Sophia's initiative and enthusiasm made him feel extremely warm. He suddenly realized how stupid he had been in the past, giving everything for a girl who didn't love him, but never getting a response. And Sophia in front of him was the one truly worthy of his cherishing.

He no longer wanted to be that humble sycophant. He wanted to bravely pursue his own happiness and protect this relationship like a "Wolf Warrior." A surge of courage welled up in Aaron's heart. He exerted a little force, tightly holding Sophia in his arms, pressing her body closely against his, and then said affectionately and firmly: "How about being my girl?"

Sophia wasn't too surprised by Aaron's sudden confession. She shyly lowered her head and said in a soft and gentle voice: "We barely talked more than five sentences in college. Isn't it too soon?"

Aaron looked at her seriously, his eyes full of sincerity: "I think it's okay to progress a little faster."

Sophia slightly frowned, showing a reluctant look: "But I don't know you well. I don't even know where you live." After saying that, she secretly observed Aaron's expression, trying to peek into his true situation from his reaction. In fact, Sophia also yearned for a passionate relationship in her heart, like the romantic story of "the overbearing president falls in love with me." Moreover, Aaron was young, handsome, and generous, and had already become her ideal partner in her heart. As long as Aaron's total assets, including real estate and vehicles, exceeded eight figures, she would be very willing to have an official relationship with him.

When Aaron heard Sophia mention the house, his heart tightened, and he instantly woke up from the sweet fantasy. He was still living in a rental house of less than 40 square meters. That small and shabby space was completely different from the generous image he had shown in front of Sophia at the moment. He knew very well that if Sophia knew about his real living conditions, she would probably change her attitude immediately and look down on him. He heard the probing in Sophia's words and understood that she was testing his strength. But apart from the 50 - million - dollar Sycophant Fund in the system, he really didn't have anything else to prove his wealth and status.

He had also thought about going all - in, spending all the money on Sophia, trying to quickly increase her favorability and achieve the fund cash - back so that he could truly have wealth. But rationally, he knew that relationships couldn't be rushed. Such a hasty approach was likely to backfire. Not only would he not win Sophia's heart, but he might also put himself in an embarrassing situation and be laughed at by Sophia. Relationships needed time to settle and be cultivated slowly. They had known each other for less than half a day, and everything should be done step by step.

So, Aaron skillfully changed the topic: "You'll know later. Where should we go next?"

Seeing that Aaron avoided the question and his eyes were flickering, Sophia couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious. A man who spent money like water shouldn't have a bad house. But why didn't he want to mention it? Since Aaron didn't want to talk about it, she couldn't continue to ask. She could only hide this doubt in her heart. Sophia took out her phone and looked at the time, saying: "It's already past five. Are you hungry, honey?"

The two had been wandering around the mall for an afternoon. Aaron was so intoxicated by Sophia's beauty that he even forgot about his physical fatigue. Reminded by Sophia, he finally felt his stomach growling. He rubbed his stomach and exaggeratedly said: "Starving. I could eat a cow right now!"

Hearing Aaron's answer, Sophia felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that she had been dragging him to buy things and didn't notice that he was already starving. To express her apology, she suggested treating Aaron to dinner.

Aaron refused without hesitation. He thought that they could use the Sycophant Fund to pay for the meal, which was very cost - effective. Of course, it was more appropriate for him to pay. So, Aaron took Sophia to a high - end seafood restaurant and ordered the most expensive king crab, geoduck, an unknown huge conch, Australian lobster, sea urchin scrambled eggs... These expensive seafood were things he could only dream of before. Now he finally had the opportunity to enjoy them to his heart's content. He remembered eating Australian lobster at someone else's wedding, but before he could taste it properly, it was snatched up by everyone. This time, he was going to savor it thoroughly.

This afternoon, including the WeChat transfer, Aaron had spent a total of $250,000. Sophia's favorability also rose rapidly. Currently, it had reached 42 (Familiar), and their relationship seemed to be quietly warming up through these interactions and expenses.