Falling After Marriage - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Surprise Prepared Just for You, Do You Like It?

The crystal lamp’s light streamed across Cheng Sangluo’s flushed face; the sharpness in her eyes had been completely melted away.

She lay weakly and powerlessly on the sofa, struggling to groan: “Water… give me water…”

“Want water? Beg me~” Lin Jin teased. Her knee pressed against Cheng Sangluo’s twitching abdomen, and her fingertip traced the taut abs, enjoying the extreme pleasure.

When she could no longer restrain her passion, she wrapped her arms around the back of Cheng Sangluo’s neck, her creamy, rosy lips lightly brushing against the high bridge of her nose: “Or… how about you play a game with me…”

This crazy woman was like a knife wrapped in honey, weaving an inescapable predicament that filled one with despair.

Cheng Sangluo’s pupils constricted. The rich scent of cedar in her nasal cavity permeated every nerve, quietly driving away her reason.

She struggled to turn her head away, resisting Lin Jin’s warmth and the soft touch, terrified of the betrayal brought by her primal instincts.

“A disobedient puppy won’t get water.” Lin Jin pinched her chin, her smile growing more seductive: “I almost forgot, I specially prepared a meeting gift. Want to know what it is?”

Cheng Sangluo bit her back molars, her breathing rapid. She was hot to the extreme and only wanted to strip off the thick bathrobe.

But she dared not speak, fearing Lin Jin would discern this thought and lead to consequences too terrifying to contemplate.

Lin Jin’s eye corners lifted, satisfied with the puppy’s expression of resistance mixed with helplessness.

She placed a passionate kiss on the deeply furrowed brow and coaxed her lovingly: “Be good, and I’ll be right back.”

“Where… where are you going…” Cheng Sangluo attempted to stop the retreating figure but crashed heavily onto the carpet.

“Are you that reluctant for me to leave?” Lin Jin curled her bloodied lips, looking down at the puppy’s disheveled state, and couldn’t help but rub her face with the tip of her shoe: “Don’t be so impatient. The night is very long.”

In the vast living room, only the dull ticking of the European wall clock remained, eroding Cheng Sangluo’s psychological defenses one tick at a time.

Lin Jin was gone for only half a minute, yet it felt like a lifetime to Cheng Sangluo.

When the crazy woman returned to the living room, she held a collar, its thin chain wrapped around her palm.

Cheng Sangluo’s forehead rested against the sofa seam, her ragged breaths growing heavier.

That cold chain felt exactly like handcuffs, weaving the nightmare of imprisonment, shackling her past.

A burning sensation struck her wrist, causing her stomach to spasm. Enduring the intense nausea, she cursed in a low voice: “Disgusting… Pervert…”

But the moment the words left her mouth, Cheng Sangluo regretted it.

At this critical juncture, provoking a lunatic would only lead to more suffering for herself.

Lin Jin’s fingertip paused at the edge of the collar, chuckling: “Silly. Don’t you understand the logic of the butcher and the fish?”

She squatted down, gently putting the collar on Cheng Sangluo, her tone full of anticipation: “A puppy, of course, must have its own collar. Do you like it?”

Seeing no response from the puppy, she gave a sharp tug: “Speak!”

Cheng Sangluo tightly pressed her lips together. The pull unbalanced her, causing her body to fall forward.

Lin Jin caught her in a full embrace and spoiled her: “Don’t you like this style? I’ll get you a better one next time~”

With that, she smoothly straddled Cheng Sangluo’s legs, her fingertips tracing and moving across her face inch by inch.

Gazing at those cracked lips, a trace of fleeting affection flowed through Lin Jin’s deep eyes.

She leaned down and whispered: “You look so delicious. It makes me want to taste… what you taste like…”

The seductive kisses were like fine raindrops, falling on Cheng Sangluo’s eyebrows, cheeks, and the tip of her nose, deliberately avoiding the lips she had been fantasizing about.

Cheng Sangluo frowned, resignedly closing her eyes, silently cursing how she had fallen to such a humiliating state.

“Hiss—” She suddenly opened her eyes. A piercing pain attacked her neck. A patch of broken skin and a tooth mark were embedded in her tanned skin.

Lin Jin bit down hard, fueled by jealousy for the potted plant, the melancholy of unrequited love, and an incomprehensible, twisted obsession.

“Lin Jin!!!”

Cheng Sangluo suddenly erupted.

The unexpected roar echoed in the vast living room, shattering the night’s undercurrent of desire.

Fortunately, the entire bottle of mineral water she chugged inadvertently diluted the drug’s effectiveness.

Although her strength hadn’t fully recovered, it was more than enough to subdue the slender, crazy woman.

She hoisted Lin Jin onto one shoulder and violently threw her onto the sofa.

Before Lin Jin could react, the chain was already wrapped around her neck, its deadly force instantly strangling her breath.

Pinned down on the sofa, she showed no sign of panic. Despite her difficulty breathing, she smiled wildly.

“You starving lunatic! What are you laughing at!?”

Cheng Sangluo was hysterical. The more arrogant that smile, the more enraged she became.

The iron chains were tangled around both their necks, inseparable, neither letting go.

Lin Jin’s face was flushed red. She opened and closed her lips: “Did… did you know… that when a person is suffocating… they experience pleasure… it feels so good…”

Even on the verge of death, she remained verbally lighthearted, even extending her arms for a gentle hug.

She soothed Cheng Sangluo’s stiff back, her voice a weak, gasping whisper: “Happy… release… Cheng Sangluo…”

Cheng Sangluo froze, unsure if she was brought back to her senses by the phrase “Happy release” or if it was because the touch on her palm was too warm.

She quickly loosened the chain, her fingers trembling as she massaged Lin Jin’s neck: “Why didn’t you resist… why did you hug me… do you know I almost killed you!”

Cheng Sangluo roared in loss of control, her questions laced with apology.

But she was the one who had been humiliated!

“Cough, cough, cough…” Lin Jin frantically gasped for fresh air, triggering a violent fit of coughing.

Cheng Sangluo’s anger hadn’t subsided. She grabbed the bathrobe sash and securely tied Lin Jin’s wrists.

Lin Jin’s teasing smile remained unchanged: “What’s wrong? Are you getting addicted to this game?”

Cheng Sangluo had only intended to take a small revenge and leave.

That single sentence from the crazy woman made the anger she had managed to suppress surge up again.

“Filth! People like you should just die!”

She picked up the wine decanter with one hand and pinched Lin Jin’s jaw with the other, forcing red wine down her throat in a retaliatory frenzy.

Crimson wine spilled from the corners of Lin Jin’s lips; her disheveled state carried a wild seduction.

“Cough, cough… cough, cough, cough…” She choked, the irritation causing her eyes to water. The pitiable expression was quickly replaced by one of pleasure.

She was actually enjoying it—enjoying the rough treatment, enjoying the tension between their bodies.

Cheng Sangluo threw the decanter away and pushed her down viciously: “Incurable!”

Lin Jin fell back exhausted, strands of hair sticking to her lips, wine stains covering her slender neck.

A few flashes of white light flickered outside the window. The summer night rain intensified, accompanied by rolling thunder.

Cheng Sangluo hastily changed back into her own clothes. As she snatched her certificate, she glanced at the defeated Lin Jin.

Even a second look at this crazy woman made her sick.

Seeing the puppy about to leave, Lin Jin struggled with her bound wrists and finally lost her smile: “Cheng Sangluo… come back…”

Cheng Sangluo frantically put on her shoes. A hoarse growl came from behind her.

“Cheng Sangluo!”

“You come back!”

“Don’t go… Stay with me…”

Cheng Sangluo put her hand on the doorknob and pushed the door open, but suddenly stopped.

It wasn’t because she was soft-hearted. She simply didn’t understand why this woman, who wasn’t afraid of death, would suddenly become so flustered and helpless.

Lin Jin’s roar gradually trembled, and after several successive claps of thunder, it turned into a pleading whimper.

“Cheng Sangluo… stay with me… it’s thundering… it’s thundering…”

 Half a Month Later

It was a scorching afternoon in midsummer. The glaring sunlight fiercely baked the concrete jungle.

However, a chilling atmosphere permeated the high-level conference room of the Senyao Group.

Lin Jin wore a pearl-white silk blouse paired with ash-gray suit pants, exuding an air of undeniable authority.

She sat sideways in the chairperson’s seat, her fountain pen repeatedly tapping the front page of a proposal. Her thoughts were clearly elsewhere.

After the Director of Venture Capital finished analyzing the financing plan, the atmosphere fell into a brief silence.

He mistakenly thought the boss was dissatisfied and cautiously asked: “Director Lin, is there anything else you need me to add?”

Lin Jin paused her pen, taking a few seconds to speak: “Prepare a backup plan as well. Bring it to me tomorrow. Meeting adjourned.”

The lengthy meeting finally ended. The executives felt relieved and slowly escaped the low-pressure space.

Lin Jin tiredly rubbed her temples, and looking at the words on the cover page again, she felt a momentary mental lapse.

The dense, repeated character ‘Cheng’ was like her obsession, an addiction difficult to cure, always invading her nerves at every opportunity.

The secretary standing by leaned in and asked: “Director Lin, should I arrange lunch now?”

“No,” Lin Jin had no appetite. Before standing up to leave, she ordered coffee: “Get me a hot Americano.”

Lin Jin’s office was on a floor with excellent lighting and views.

The three-hundred square meter space featured not only a reception tea room and an entertainment area but also a fully equipped rest suite hidden behind a discreet door in the corner.

The vast space was decorated in only black and white tones, giving it an empty, cold feeling.

The only touch of color was a small daisy placed beside the monitor.

Back in her office, Lin Jin didn’t immediately deal with files. She leaned against the desk, admiring the increasingly plump flowers.

Her fingers gently rubbed the blooming petals, and she curled her lips into a smile that was both difficult and self-mocking.

Difficult because she didn’t know if the puppy was doing well, and self-mocking because she clearly resented the flower, yet nurtured it carefully.

She was so engrossed that she didn’t break her concentration even when the secretary approached with the coffee.

“Director Lin, your coffee.” The secretary gently set down the cup. Noticing her boss’s fatigue, she cautiously asked: “Should I cancel your afternoon schedule?”

“Wait and see. You may leave first.”

Lin Jin dismissed the secretary, picked up the coffee, and took a small sip. The strong bitterness exploded on her tongue, causing her to frown slightly.

She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Her gaze drifted aimlessly as she watched the view. Inevitably, her thoughts were drawn to the person in her mind.

Several days had passed since the pool party. Not much time was left in their seven-day wager, yet there hadn’t been a single peep from that person.

“Why is she so stubborn? Not giving in at all.” Lin Jin sighed helplessly, her smile more bitter than the coffee.

Outside the glass curtain wall, the rising heat wrapped the air in a thick, sticky haze.

A tall figure descended from above, suddenly appearing in Lin Jin’s sight like a crude Spider-Man, clinging precariously to the glass.

Lin Jin paused. The dimness in her eyes gradually blossomed into a bright light.

Whenever that handsome face fell into her view, it stirred a heart-pounding sensation. It looked like fresh, unadulterated joy.

She raised her hand and pressed it against the coarse palm separated by a single layer of glass, an unbelievable smile rising on her face—a response to a thought longed for in her heart.

But quickly, the joy of the chance encounter was replaced by immense terror.

Lin Jin looked down at the abyss beneath her feet, the hand holding the cup trembled slightly, and nervousness caused her chest to rise and fall.

She held her breath and faintly shook her head, her lips silently pleading: “Don’t move… Please don’t move carelessly…”

Outside the glass window.

Cheng Sangluo wore a bright yellow hard hat, with a circle of complex safety ropes fastened around her waist.

High-altitude air currents swung the ropes, causing her body to sway side to side.

The sun baked the glass, making it scorching and dazzling. Her work uniform was soaked with sweat, and large beads of perspiration rolled down her face.

She pulled a cleaning spray gun from the bucket by her waist, spritzed the glass with two short bursts, and then expertly wiped away the foam with a squeegee.

“One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, like a song; the green military camp, the green military camp taught me…”

Despite the scorching heat that threatened heatstroke and the great abyss beneath her feet, her military song was loud and clear, full of enthusiasm for life.

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