Falling After Marriage - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Remember, You Will Come Begging to Me

The closed glass curtain wall reflected the sunlight.

Cheng Sangluo was unaware that someone in the office building on the other side of the glass was trembling for her safety.

She skillfully wiped the glass, occasionally wiping the sweat from her nose, leaving some foam residue on her cheek.

Perhaps due to working at high altitudes these days, her wheat-colored skin was tanned dark and shiny by the sun.

Although this type of work carried significant risks, the daily wage of several hundred yuan was a huge temptation for her.

She felt delighted, planning to buy some delicious food to reward herself tonight.

When that delicate face suddenly approached the glass, Cheng Sangluo was still immersed in her cheerful military song.

The singing abruptly stopped, and she subconsciously let out a strange sound: “Huh… Wait, what?!”

Thinking she was seeing things, she shielded the sun with both hands and leaned in to get a clearer look at the person inside.

When her eyes met those deep, dark eyes, Cheng Sangluo’s spine stiffened, and she instantly regretted her unnecessary action.

She quickly pushed off the glass with her foot, causing her body to swing violently in the air.

This was an instinctive feeling of escape hidden in her subconscious, making her forget her dangerous surroundings.

This world was ridiculously huge, yet ridiculously small. Bumping into the crazy woman every few days was equivalent to a continuous string of bad luck.

She wanted to pretend she hadn’t seen anything, but it was too late.

Lin Jin breathed a puff of warm air onto the glass and quickly wrote three words: “Get up.”

Cheng Sangluo stared at the words and scoffed, but surprisingly, she replied.

She picked up the cleaning spray gun and sprayed a stream of liquid directly at the beautiful face, muttering curses: “Bad luck! Out of sight, out of mind!”

Instantly, the fine foam blocked Lin Jin’s view, and also overwhelmed her mounting fear.

“Zhou Ran!”

Lin Jin raised her voice, calling for her secretary. Unwilling to wait a second longer, she rushed to the desk to use the landline.

Fortunately, the secretary hurried in: “Director Lin, what’s wrong?”

“Contact property management and tell them to bring this person to my office,” Lin Jin pointed toward the window, then urgently prompted: “What are you waiting for? Go!”

“Yes, I’ll handle it immediately.” The secretary didn’t have time to clearly see the person outside the window and rushed out in response.

Lin Jin supported herself on the office desk, watching Cheng Sangluo lower her rope to the floor below.

She reached out and pinched off a small daisy, but the scent offered no comfort. She resorted to pacing back and forth.

Luckily, Secretary Zhou was efficient. Soon, Lin Jin saw the safety rope slowly ascending.

As Cheng Sangluo passed by, pulling on the rope, she raised her middle finger and waved it repeatedly. Her exasperated look was quite endearing.

Lin Jin slumped her shoulders, letting out a sigh of relief, though the waiting time was incredibly difficult.

She twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, likely picturing the puppy’s aggressive demeanor, and let out a soft laugh.

Before long, heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor.

Cheng Sangluo ignored the secretary’s attempts to stop her and burst through the door, yelling: “Lin Jin, are you seriously not done with this?!”

The secretary arrived a moment too late, stepping in front of Cheng Sangluo: “This is the CEO’s office. Please do not raise your voice!”

“Zhou Ran, you can leave first.” Lin Jin motioned for the secretary to go, then focused on the enraged puppy: “Want something to drink?”

She was standing by the small refrigerator, holding a chilled can of Coke.

Cheng Sangluo eyed the drink and sneered: “Hypocrite! Offering me a drink again? Are you trying to fool me into being stupid?”

She would remember being drugged by the crazy woman for the rest of her life.

Lin Jin cracked open the tab and took a direct sip, proving: “I’m not stupid either. I won’t pull the same trick twice.”

The cold moisture beaded on the can, fizzing invitingly. It was a fatal temptation for Cheng Sangluo.

She was reluctant to spend money on mineral water, and she had been baking outside the office building all morning, not having drunk a single drop.

She secretly swallowed her saliva, stubbornly looking away, thinking that if she didn’t look, she wouldn’t crave it.

Lin Jin didn’t take a new can from the refrigerator; instead, she placed her own can into the puppy’s hand: “Drink it. This is the company, not my home.”

The implication was that daytime represented safety, while night represented danger—the puppy was safe now.

Cheng Sangluo held the can, hesitating—to drink or to toss it.

She never wasted food or drink; it was a good habit developed in the military and a matter of principle.

Lin Jin had long figured out her nature and was confident that the opened can of Coke would not be discarded.

Cheng Sangluo noticed the lip print on the can’s opening and rubbed it repeatedly with her thumb before drinking in big gulps.

The ice-cold beverage drove away the heat in her body. She let out a satisfied burp, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Lin Jin tilted her head, finding even the way the puppy drank interesting, and asked with a smile: “Another can?”

“No.” Cheng Sangluo refused, pulling three crumpled one-yuan notes from her pocket and tossing them onto the desk: “Here. I don’t take things for free.”

Lin Jin looked at the wrinkled change, feeling a faint irritation. Why is she trying so hard to save face when her life is clearly so difficult?

“If you have something to say, say it. If not, I’m leaving. I won’t get paid if I don’t finish my job.”

Cheng Sangluo turned to leave but stopped when she saw the small daisy beside the monitor.

A childish thought popped into her head: If I stole this flower, would the crazy woman call the police? But she quickly dismissed the concern.

What’s there to be afraid of? At worst, I’ll knock her out and take it.

Lin Jin also looked at the daisy, flashing a triumphant smile: “Well? I’m taking good care of your flower, aren’t I?”

“Not really.” Cheng Sangluo was stingy with compliments. She just wanted to take what belonged to her: “It’s mine.”

Likely feeling the small daisy was their connection, Lin Jin had no intention of returning it. She scoffed: “You’re having a hard time taking care of yourself. This flower would only bring you bad luck if it were with you.”

Though the words were harsh, they weren’t entirely wrong.

Cheng Sangluo awkwardly rubbed her nose and conceded generously: “Fine, you can have it.”

With that, she turned to walk away.

“Don’t go back up. It’s dangerous.” Lin Jin’s words were brief, but those few characters were deeply laced with concern.

Cheng Sangluo ignored her, crushed the Coke can in her hand, and put it in her pocket as trash.

Lin Jin hurried forward to stop her, but her high heel caught on the carpet. She stumbled, severely twisting her ankle, and cried out in pain as she fell to the ground, her face turning pale.

She grasped the edge of the desk, trying to stand, but groaned and fell back down as soon as she exerted force.

Cheng Sangluo heard the sound of pain, rolled her eyes, but still turned back and crouched down to check.

“Had enough acting?” She assumed the crazy woman was performing again, gritting her teeth: “Your tricks are so clumsy. If I believe you again, I’ll change my name.”

But after lifting the pant leg, she tightened her lips. The slender ankle was visibly swelling, and even her calf was twitching painfully.

Cheng Sangluo inwardly thought she had an opportunity to ridicule her, but being tongue-tied, she couldn’t come up with any schadenfreude words for a long time.

She stared motionlessly at Lin Jin, likely wrestling with herself inside, and finally chose to lend a hand.

She put the fair, slender arm over her neck and lifted the person with a slight effort.

A feeling of weightlessness rushed over Lin Jin. She grabbed the sweat-soaked clothes, but her tightly curled fingers soon relaxed. It was a sense of safety she had never experienced before.

“Trouble maker.”

Cheng Sangluo cursed under her breath, wondering if the crazy woman only ate one meal a day—how could she be as light as air?

After setting her down in the executive chair, she retrieved an ice-cold Coke from the small refrigerator.

Crouching down, she gently held the fair foot, but a searing sting hit her cheek.

The humiliation from the pool party seemed to travel through time, delivering a resounding slap, accusing her of shamelessness and repeating past mistakes.

Cheng Sangluo deliberately squeezed Lin Jin’s ankle hard, her fingernails leaving deep marks.

“Hiss—” Lin Jin hissed, reaching out to ruffle the puppy’s hair: “You really hold a grudge.”

Cheng Sangluo glared at her: “Druging me, causing me to lose my job, and today trying to break my rice bowl? Do you honestly think these are things a decent person does? What’s wrong with me retaliating a little?”

Despite her harsh words and her hatred for the crazy woman, the pressure from the slowly rolling Coke can was extremely gentle, treating the foot as tenderly as the small daisy.

The atmosphere was silent for only a moment.

“How much is property management paying you? I’ll pay you triple,” Lin Jin bit her lower lip, the shadow cast by her eyelashes concealing the turmoil in her eyes: “Consider it me buying you… to stay.”

Cheng Sangluo was taken aback. That extremely faint whisper of ‘to stay’ was light as a feather, tickling a spot deep in her heart.

She remembered hearing those two words frequently, especially on the night of the thunder and lightning.

Dispelling her wandering thoughts, Cheng Sangluo scoffed and shook her hands: “I only earn money through my labor.”

A ray of sunlight that slipped into the office happened to fall on her face, making her eyes look bright and spirited.

Lin Jin lowered her gaze to the confident face, thinking: This person, from beginning to end, disdains being bought to stay. She is truly too stubborn.

“Ice can reduce the swelling. Don’t walk around unnecessarily. Elevating your foot with a pillow while sleeping will help with the bruising. It will be better in a few days.”

Cheng Sangluo placed the Coke can in Lin Jin’s hand.

She didn’t realize that giving such detailed instructions to the person who had repeatedly wronged her was too thoughtful, making it seem as if she held no grudges.

“Are you worried about me?” Lin Jin smiled, reaching out to tug the puppy’s clothes, still unwilling to let her go: “I twisted my ankle because of you. Shouldn’t you stay here and be my crutch?”

Cheng Sangluo didn’t leave immediately but leaned against the desk, scoffing: “What, is today’s drama ‘insurance fraud’?”

“I haven’t had lunch yet, and now my ankle is sprained. What should we do?”

“Serve it cold.” (A Chinese phrase meaning ‘deal with it’).

Lin Jin laughed: “Great. It’s so hot today, a cold dish is a good choice. You send me to a restaurant.”

Cheng Sangluo stared wide-eyed. How could she take that bait?!

“This entire building belongs to me. Do you think property management would dare hire you now?” Lin Jin didn’t have many ways to keep the puppy, so she proposed: “How about I temporarily hire you as my driver until my foot gets better? You’ll get paid, and it won’t be too hard.”

Clank!

Cheng Sangluo had a phantom hearing of her rice bowl shattering. She raised her voice in protest: “I can earn several hundred yuan a day cleaning windows! Are you playing this game again? Are you done with this? Is this about money? I just don’t want to see you!”

“Am I that hateful that you don’t even want to earn your living expenses?”

Lin Jin stared intently at the puppy, hoping she would hesitate in her answer, that even a one-second pause would count as stubbornness hiding her true feelings.

But Cheng Sangluo immediately replied: “Yes, you are. There aren’t many people I hate. Besides Xu Songheng, it’s just you.”

Lin Jin’s face darkened, correcting her: “Say it again. I am not the same kind of person as him.”

“He caused me to go to jail, and you caused me to lose my job. In my eyes, you are both villains. How is that not the same kind of person?”

Lin Jin rarely displayed her emotions, but she forcefully retorted: “The essence is different!”

“Essence?” Cheng Sangluo laughed in anger and challenged: “I have a criminal record and no money or power. What exactly do you want from me? I just want a job and a decent life. Why do you insist on targeting me?”

Lin Jin struggled to stand up and forcefully grabbed her collar: “I can help you. That is the essential difference.”

Cheng Sangluo fiercely shook off Lin Jin’s hand, growling: “Think about what you’ve done to me. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Please stop bothering me.”

Lin Jin finally realized that no matter what she did today, she couldn’t keep the person in front of her.

She simply sat back in the executive chair: “Do you remember how I taught you a lesson that day?”

The reminder of the past made Cheng Sangluo wary: “So what? What do you want now?”

Lin Jin spun the chair, turning her back to Cheng Sangluo.

She intended to cut off her reluctance this way, but her gaze was still drawn to Cheng Sangluo’s reflection on the glass.

“Today, I’ll give you the second lesson. Before you learn to stand tall and earn money, you must first learn to bend, to lower your arrogant head so you can see the stumbling blocks.” Her eyes were dim. Her finger rubbed the Coke can, displeased that the coldness had covered the puppy’s warmth: “I’ll say it again: You will come to me.”

Cheng Sangluo silently walked to the door. As she reached for the handle, a more assured voice sounded behind her.

“To be precise, you will come begging to me very soon… Remember… begging me…”

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