Falling After Marriage - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: That Glimmer of Moonlight

In the kitchen early that morning, an obscure intimacy was unfolding.

Cheng Sangluo was flustered, and Lin Jin’s expression was moody.

Their hands were engaged in a back-and-forth push and pull over the innocent bathrobe belt.

After a period of silent struggle, no winner was declared.

The first person to give in was Cheng Sangluo. Looking at Lin Jin’s stubborn and dark expression, she sighed and asked, “Does it have to be like this?”

It was evident that her attitude today, compared to before last night, had undergone a fundamental change.

This hedgehog, which used to shrink in the corner and raise its quills, had not only lowered its defenses but also eased up a bit. Even her tone was softened with a hint of seeking approval, unlike the previous resolute certainty in her every word.

Lin Jin pursed her lips and sighed as well.

She had no recourse with the persistent puppy. Whether through seduction or drugs, she had played one round of dog training after another, but how could this dog be so impervious to influence?

There was really nothing to complain about, except her own misfortune. Of all things, fate made her yearn for this particular creature, Cheng Sangluo.

“Boring.” Lin Jin’s face was long, and the movement of adjusting her belt conveyed a sense of weariness.

For some reason, Cheng Sangluo felt a moment of panic, even reaching out to pull the belt off again. “You have to give me some time to prepare myself mentally… I…”

“You…” Lin Jin mockingly mimicked her stutter. “What about you?” she countered.

Cheng Sangluo was struck dumb. The words were too embarrassing, stuck at the tip of her tongue and unable to be squeezed out.

Lin Jin pretended to lose patience and turned to walk away.

Playing hard to get, a trick that never failed.

“I do want you!” Cheng Sangluo suddenly grabbed her shoulder, finally voicing the genuine thoughts in her heart.

This wanting wasn’t based on affection, but an addiction sparked when prolonged solitude suddenly tasted sweetness.

An addiction that demanded countless repetitions after just one taste—how was this not craving after tasting?

She leaned in closer, bracing her hands on the countertop, effectively trapping the person in front of her in her embrace.

Lin Jin hadn’t recovered from the shock of the “I do want you” answer when she was already confined to the narrow space.

She laughed, readily wrapping her legs around the puppy’s waist. “A puppy is a puppy. When it wants to eat or play, it wags its tail first~”

They understood each other implicitly. The intimacy that had stretched from last night until now had involved kissing every part of each other, yet they deliberately withheld a lip-to-lip kiss.

The lips seemed like the last piece of pure land, which neither was willing to taint.

Cheng Sangluo placed the first kiss near Lin Jin’s ear, which gradually turned into a lingering rub, and then moved along the curve of her neck.

She wasn’t kissing very seriously, having started to think about more tricks to please her.

For instance, she wanted to say something to delight Lin Jin now, but she struggled with the difficult art of flirting. After racking her brains for a long time, she couldn’t come up with any wonderful sweet words.

Pleasing.

She seemed to have forgotten how resolute her “impossible” was in the parking garage back then.

She was like a robust deer, traversing the vast plains, wandering through the mysterious forest.

When her throat became dry, she would seek a pool of moisture deep in the woods. The quenching water was as sweet as if it were mixed with honey.

Lin Jin wanted to speak all the words that had been accumulating in her heart during this passionate moment.

Things like the yearning from the days they hadn’t seen each other, or the deeper, year-long yearning.

Or perhaps she wanted to complain: How could you abandon me in that midsummer of cicada chirps? How could you forget me?

But she grew hoarse, locking those secrets in silence.

The puppy kissed her seriously, so she could hear the delightful humming she produced.

But the puppy was also very mischievous, suddenly stopping her work.

She lifted her head and confessed candidly: “I am fully conscious now and know what I’m doing, so are you still mad at me?”

“You haven’t properly coaxed me, so how could my anger dissipate so easily?” Lin Jin squinted her shimmering eyes. She had been content, but was suddenly disappointed by the question.

She supported her body with one hand behind her, gripping and pushing the puppy’s head with her palm.

The madwoman never shed her air of arrogant superiority, no matter the circumstances.

“Did I allow you to stop?”

Cheng Sangluo, in a state of confusion, unlocked the hidden use of the kitchen.

This morning’s “dish” was cooked brilliantly, the flavor even more intoxicating than last night’s.

The mirrored room last night was dimly lit. Even though their figures were reflected, the details weren’t clear.

The spacious kitchen was different, bathed in the brightest sunlight, clarifying every detail of their combined sweat.

In Cheng Sangluo’s eyes, Lin Jin had a hot body, and her reaction during intimacy was equally fiery.

A sensual stir-fry.

Intense.

Kitchen utensils scattered across the countertop.

The two indulged in greedy, enjoyable play.

Seemingly tired of the countertop interaction, Cheng Sangluo tightly hugged the languid Lin Jin, whispering: “Change of scenery. Where do you want to go?”

Lin Jin’s laugh grew wilder, amused by the puppy’s unrestrained boldness after tasting sweetness. “To the balcony.”

“The balcony?” Cheng Sangluo’s heart leaped. “In broad daylight… going to the balcony… wouldn’t that be too…”

“No one will see us…” Lin Jin nestled in the puppy’s arms, her fingertips tracing the beautiful lines of the shark muscles, teasing: “However…”

Cheng Sangluo carried her through the living room, inhaling the lingering scent of shower gel in her hair. “However what?”

“I will scream very loudly… so the neighbors upstairs and downstairs can hear… how fiercely you want me~”

The high-rise balcony offered an excellent view, completely unobstructed, overlooking the endless coastline of Zhouhai City.

The swaying rattan rocking chair gradually settled into stillness after a few muffled creaks.

Two figures of contrasting skin tones, like intertwined vines, the ripened wheat-color embracing the mutton-fat jade white, created a vibrant and gorgeous scene.

Cheng Sangluo, true to her boast, was incredibly vigorous and reckless in intimacy.

Lin Jin was nearly exhausted, hoarsely calling out several times that she couldn’t take any more, even trembling with tearful pleas.

The puppy, full of tireless energy, didn’t let her off a single time, continuing the entanglement until they lost track of time.

In the afterglow of their self-oblivion, Cheng Sangluo gently embraced Lin Jin, who was trying to steady her breathing, and quietly gazed at the marshmallow-like clouds in the sky.

She temporarily set aside those meticulous plans, simply savoring the raw pleasure derived from instinct.

But after pondering for a long time, she still couldn’t figure out whether the madwoman had satisfied her supposed addiction, or if the entire desolation in her heart had been filled by this storm of passion.

“What are you spacing out about?” The person resting in the crook of her arm was soft as water. She lifted a strand of hair and brushed it across Cheng Sangluo’s nose, gently chiding: “Be honest! You’re so good, have you slept with other women?”

“You are the first.” Cheng Sangluo answered truthfully, not reacting too hastily to the madwoman’s strange suspicion. She lowered her gaze to look at the delicate face closed in slumber, her tone serious: “I am not a frivolous person.”

“Hmph, you better not lie to me, or you’ll invite unnecessary trouble.” Lin Jin lifted her head and warned in a deep voice, then comfortably buried her face in the puppy’s embrace, nuzzling her cheek. “You’re the first… you must also be the last…”

After the heavy exertion last night and the continuous activity today, Lin Jin was truly worn out. She mumbled a few words, quickly closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

Cheng Sangluo felt the person in her arms breathing evenly and lowered her head, secretly peeking at her.

Seeing Lin Jin’s tranquil sleeping face, she couldn’t bear to disturb her.

She gently stroked the soft hair with one hand, twirling a strand between her fingers and bringing it to her nose to smell, her eyes reflecting a subtle, hard-to-detect apology.

Even the most obtuse Cheng Sangluo could see Lin Jin’s sincerity.

The madwoman aggressively charged into her world. Even though it was layered with deception and personal desire, she still couldn’t hide her joyful heart.

Cheng Sangluo saw it all; how could she not perceive it? But facing the cruel reality, she could only choose to ignore it.

Thus, in that brief conversation, Cheng Sangluo planted a small lie.

This lie was absurd, and it was the most fundamental reason why Lin Jin couldn’t win her passionate heart.

Deep within the layers of her guarded heart, Cheng Sangluo secretly kept a glimmer of moonlight.

That moonlight was branded in her memory, unknown to others, with no specific features, just a vague figure.

The woman, with a graceful posture, always stood behind a frosted glass panel, more indistinct than the moonlight. In countless dreams, she gently stepped into Cheng Sangluo’s heart.

Checking her unsteady heart, Cheng Sangluo took a deep breath, yet dared not exhale her anxiety too quickly. She didn’t want the rise and fall of her chest to be too great, fearing it would disturb the deep sleep of Lin Jin.

She contemplated the phrase ‘I am not a frivolous person,’ and suddenly felt that every word was laced with thorns.

She swallowed the sense of guilt. She hated herself for having someone she liked in her heart, yet sleeping with the person she most disliked.

With this sleep, she had betrayed the figure of her white moonlight, disappointed the unrequited Lin Jin, and was untrue to her own self from before last night.

She tried to use the “adults’ game” narrative to numb this sense of sin, but when she closed her eyes to escape, all she felt was pain, and only pain.

If she could still recall anything, it should have been that vague, cherished figure, but what replaced it was a different scene.

Lin Jin, holding a dark red umbrella, wearing a custom-tailored qipao.

She stood gracefully in the drizzling rain, turning the rain into a scene of ink-wash texture.

“Oh no!” Cheng Sangluo cried out in a low voice!

Lin Jin’s sleep was disturbed. She frowned slightly and murmured softly: “Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“It’s over, it’s over…” Cheng Sangluo pushed the person in her arms away in a panic. “I have to go to work!!!”

She didn’t pay much attention to Lin Jin’s feelings, only running into the guest room to change clothes.

Lin Jin suddenly lost the warm embrace, feeling utterly empty, like standing alone in a desert, where the desolate wind carried sand, blowing away an unshakable sorrow.

Her eyes were filled with Cheng Sangluo. She couldn’t keep her, couldn’t beg her to stay. The unrequited desire that had finally subsided was rekindled by the departure, so easily.

Lin Jin sat on the lounge chair in her bathrobe, hugging her knees, silently watching Cheng Sangluo move around the room.

The person tidied up quickly, taking only a few minutes.

Cheng Sangluo didn’t leave without a word. Instead, she walked to the balcony holding her phone, annoyed. “No wonder, my phone died.”

She was initially engrossed in the trouble of explaining her tardiness to Brother Yuan. When she looked up at Lin Jin, her expression was absentminded. “Well… um… I have to go. Remember to come get your car when you’re free.”

Lin Jin rested her arms on her knees, placing her chin on top of them. Her half-closed eyes didn’t look at the person leaving, and she didn’t even offer a simple goodbye.

Only when the cold sound of the front door closing echoed did her delicate eyelashes tremble slightly.

She maintained her knee-hugging posture, rested her head on her arm, and slowly closed her eyes, enduring the empty desolation after the frenzy.

The arrogant person was grieving; that glimmer of moonlight could not be kept, nor grasped.

Cheng Sangluo rushed from Linxi Terrace to the main road, anxiously hailing a taxi.

Motorcycle Parts City was in the outskirts of Zhouhai, far from the affluent district, but she cherished this job too much to not splurge on the ride.

By the time she hurried to the auto repair shop, it was nearly lunchtime.

Cheng Sangluo didn’t relax, sweating profusely as she ran into the shop. The masters were busy with their respective tasks, and the Maybach in the inspection area already had its tire repaired by someone else.

Everything seemed as usual, yet a strange atmosphere was subtly hidden beneath the calm.

No one greeted her, so she asked the apprentice beside her: “Is Brother Yuan here?”

The apprentice glanced at her, sounding somewhat impatient: “Go check his office yourself.”

Cheng Sangluo awkwardly pursed her lips and quickly walked to the office door, knocking lightly.

“Come in.”

After receiving permission, Cheng Sangluo pushed the door open and rushed to apologize: “I’m so sorry, Brother Yuan. My phone battery died and it turned off automatically, so I was late. I will be more careful in the future.”

Brother Yuan leaned sideways against the desk, smoking sullenly. The ashtray beside him was full of cigarette butts, making the office smoky and polluted.

He glanced indifferently at Cheng Sangluo, flicked the ash, and questioned: “Did you hit someone last night?”

Cheng Sangluo’s back stiffened slightly. She rubbed her hands nervously and explained truthfully: “Last night, the Bentley owner came to pick up the car and was harassed by a group of young people on motorcycles on the road. Then I…”

“I don’t care about all that. Just tell me, did you hit someone yesterday?” Brother Yuan interrupted her explanation. His attitude was not as gentle as before; his questioning tone was both urgent and cold.

Cheng Sangluo felt there was no need to argue, so she nodded: “Yes, I kicked someone once.”

Brother Yuan challenged her with a rough voice: “You beat the person black and blue, broke their leg bone, and you’re telling me you just kicked them once?”

“What?” Cheng Sangluo raised her voice in disbelief, her tone becoming slightly panicked: “I really only kicked once. The car owner was there, and there were other passersby too. If I had really crippled someone in public, wouldn’t I have been taken to the police station already?”

What Cheng Sangluo said made sense, but Brother Yuan was in a fit of rage and wouldn’t listen.

He swiveled the monitor and played the surveillance video from last night for Cheng Sangluo to see. “The surveillance clearly shows you taking the crowbar out. What were you doing? Their parents and relatives came to block the shop early this morning, causing a scene and almost smashing the place. Your phone couldn’t be reached. What are you up to?”

Cheng Sangluo was indeed at fault for being unreachable, but she wouldn’t admit to something she didn’t do. “The surveillance only shows me taking a crowbar; it doesn’t prove I hit anyone.”

“I respected you and gave Commander Wei face, so I never brought up that matter. You know what your background is. Why can’t you be more careful in your actions? Besides, do you know who you hit?”

Brother Yuan hadn’t intended to bring up Cheng Sangluo’s time in prison, but in his exasperation, he spoke plainly.

Cheng Sangluo’s shoulders slumped, her heart squeezed tightly.

She remained silent for a moment before countering: “I’d like to know who that person is.”

“Who? All the shops on this street belong to his family. You hit him, and now the whole auto repair shop is suffering because of you!”

Brother Yuan angrily tapped the desk. He also wanted to resolve the issue quietly, but Cheng Sangluo had unfortunately offended the landlord’s son.

They were blocking the entrance and threatening eviction if they didn’t get an explanation. He had a business to run. No matter how kind-hearted he was, he couldn’t stand having his rice bowl shattered.

Cheng Sangluo had enough of being framed. She tensed her jaw and countered: “Even if he were the master of this entire city, I won’t admit to this. What I didn’t do is what I didn’t do. Why should I be blamed for it?”

Brother Yuan lit another cigarette, his face clouded with worry as he exhaled smoke. After thinking in silence for a long time, he sighed helplessly: “Alas… they laid down the ultimatum: an explanation must be given. Even if you didn’t really hit him, I can’t keep you here either.”

With that, Brother Yuan took a kraft paper envelope filled with cash from the drawer.

He gently pushed it towards Cheng Sangluo, his voice softening slightly: “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but they are the landlords after all. We constantly run into each other, and I still have to do business.

Sigh, I’ve thought about this all morning. If I could have found a solution, I wouldn’t have asked you to leave.

I’m going to say some unpleasant things.

You need to consider this yourself. Even if you didn’t cripple him, you still threw a punch. If this escalates to the police station, the police will see the video of you taking the crowbar out. Even if you’re in the right, you won’t be able to explain yourself, especially since…”

Brother Yuan started talking quickly, then suddenly glanced outside the door to see if anyone was eavesdropping, and continued in a lowered voice: “Especially since you have a record. Since the situation hasn’t escalated yet, you need to leave quickly, before it leads to you being locked up and having to pay compensation.

Take this money. Even though you haven’t worked a full month, I’m paying you for the entire month’s salary, plus some bonus.

It’s tough for everyone trying to make a living, and I understand you have difficulties. I will explain everything properly to Commander Wei. I’ll take care of the mess with the landlord. You should go.”

Brother Yuan said the words ‘You should go’ very softly, as if this would lessen Cheng Sangluo’s pain.

He was already a boss with great integrity. This arrangement must have been the most advantageous outcome he could choose after careful consideration.

Cheng Sangluo picked up the envelope. It felt substantial, making her throat feel even tighter.

She had nothing to complain about, but she was deeply reluctant, reluctant to give up this job that was tough but fulfilling and fun.

Brother Yuan suppressed his soft heart, deliberately urging her sternly: “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and leave! If they block the way soon, you won’t be able to go.”

Cheng Sangluo clutched the kraft paper envelope and bowed respectfully. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

Brother Yuan bit his cigarette, frowned, and waved his hand: “Go, go, hurry and go.”

Cheng Sangluo knew this was not the place to stay long, and she knew Brother Yuan was only putting on a strong front to protect her.

She rushed out of the auto repair shop with her head down, then stood still outside the door, looking back at the masters in the shop. She felt a profound pity that she didn’t even get a short farewell.

How much more must life grind her down before she could finally see the light of day?

Cheng Sangluo sighed sadly, but had to accept the fact.

She was unemployed again.

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