Falling After Marriage - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: You Have a New Job Offer, Please Check

In the evening, the sky suddenly changed dramatically.

Before the heavy rain, continuous rolling dark clouds pressed extremely low, as if they would smash hard onto the world at any moment, causing pedestrians on the street to hurry.

Cheng Sangluo rode her electric scooter, glancing up at the strange, menacing weather, and then quickly pulled the brim of her baseball cap down further to cover most of her face.

She trailed the white BMW, but not too closely.

Firstly, to avoid being noticed by the other party, and secondly, because the investigation data provided by Wei Yun contained detailed information about Xu Songheng, she knew the home address by heart.

Xu Songheng’s small villa was located in a large housing development with garden villas. The security checkpoints were relatively lax, but driving an electric scooter straight in was impossible.

Cheng Sangluo watched the BMW drive through the main gate, immediately steered the handle, and turned into a side road.

She chose the side entrance where security was more careless and easily blended in by following the residents who were entering and exiting the compound.

The segregated villa community was built by the side of a scenic man-made lake. To walk there, one needed to cross the entire lush garden.

Cheng Sangluo was not in a hurry to immediately locate Xu Songheng’s house. She needed to quickly figure out the layout of the property to plan the optimal escape route.

To avoid being captured by the surveillance cameras along the way, she walked extremely carefully and cautiously.

As she neared the three-story villa, she scanned the area, confirming whether anyone else was around.

Fortunately, in such a secluded villa area, residents were always picked up or dropped off by car, so there were no people visible on the wide, tree-lined avenue.

Presumably to leave the door open for his rendezvous, the gate to Xu Songheng’s garden was ajar.

Cheng Sangluo didn’t linger too long. She pressed her back against the wall, dodging the camera at the entrance, and hurried inside.

Once she reached the back of the villa, she leaned against the fence and made a mental calculation.

It was impossible to brazenly use the front door right now. There were only two feasible options: either climb the outer wall to the second-floor terrace, or find a way to jump down into the lake-view garden below.

Cheng Sangluo looked up at the sky. It was about to rain, but it wasn’t completely dark yet. Climbing the wall now would be too conspicuous, so she had to choose jumping down.

Before taking action, she set her phone to silent. After double-checking that no one was below, she nimbly flipped over the marble railing.

In the blink of an eye, the well-trained ex-soldier easily slipped into the basement floor of the villa.

Unfamiliar with the terrain, Cheng Sangluo could only grope her way along a lavishly decorated corridor.

The area of the villa was much larger than she had imagined. The end of the corridor led to a square koi pond, directly facing a circular skylight.

This design, which followed the ancient Chinese concept of a “round sky and square earth”, paid close attention to geomancy (Feng Shui). It seemed that the filthy guy believed in metaphysics.

Cheng Sangluo glanced at the pond full of fat koi and couldn’t help but curse under her breath: “Hmph, he really knows how to enjoy himself.”

Just as she was about to look for the stairs leading up, a clear conversation came from the spacious and sound-transparent area.

Cheng Sangluo became alert and immediately hid inside a room next to the koi pond.

“Don’t worry, the plan is proceeding systematically. As soon as the Old Master reports he is critically ill, I will strike immediately, ensuring Lin Jin misses seeing the Old Master for the last time. By then, won’t the will’s content be whatever you decide?”

Xu Songheng seemed to be talking to Lin Sheng. His tone was full of confidence, yet tinged with the obsequiousness of a lackey.

He walked to the koi pond, picked up fish food, and fed the fish. He seemed very concerned about his magnificent pond, so he hunched over and stroked the fish fighting for food.

In the dark room, Cheng Sangluo pressed her ear against the door, trying hard to hear the conversation clearly.

When she heard Lin Jin’s name, an inexplicable panic arose in her heart—a signal for danger.

She pondered the information-rich dialogue, musing that she had succeeded unintentionally, never expecting to overhear such top-secret content.

Xu Songheng and Lin Sheng’s conversation was brief, and he hung up quickly. He turned and looked at the room beside him, intending to go in and retrieve something.

Cheng Sangluo, leaning against the door, listened to the approaching footsteps and had to hold her breath, thinking of a way to respond.

She lowered her eyes, staring intently at the doorknob in the darkness, wondering whether to lock it, but quickly dismissed the idea.

There wasn’t enough time. If she locked it at this juncture, any noise would raise suspicion from the person outside the door.

Click. The doorknob was turned.

Cheng Sangluo instantly shifted to press flat against the wall, simultaneously clenching her fists, a thin layer of cold sweat forming on her forehead.

Fortunately, her mental fortitude from years of executing various difficult missions was strong enough to keep her composed in a crisis. In just a split second, she formulated a feasible solution.

She had to seize the initiative and knock him out the moment Xu Songheng turned on the light. This was her only chance to keep her identity concealed, leaving no room for error.

Accompanied by a creak, the door was gently pushed open.

The room was pitch black. The light from outside illuminated Xu Songheng’s shadow on the floor, its slight movement clearly visible.

Cheng Sangluo hid behind the door, holding her breath and watching the shadow gradually enlarge in her sight, estimating how long until the light would be turned on.

Just as her heart was racing.

Ding-ding—Ding-ding—

A sudden phone ringing interrupted Xu Songheng’s action of fumbling for the switch.

He answered the phone quickly; it seemed enjoying female company was more appealing than entering the room right now.

“You’re here? Go wait for me in the bedroom on the second floor… Were you a good girl and listened… You’re wearing… absolutely nothing inside…”

Xu Songheng’s filthy face didn’t need to be seen; just listening to his voice was enough to make one nauseous.

When the disgusting conversation faded into the distance, Cheng Sangluo finally let down her guard and deeply exhaled the pent-up breath.

At this moment, she felt a strange uneasiness, stemming from her mind being filled with thoughts of Lin Jin.

Thinking that the madwoman would face danger at some point in the future, her recently calmed heart suddenly lurched again, causing a strange discomfort.

But the softness lasted less than three seconds. Cheng Sangluo shook her head, muttering why she should worry.

She rested her chin in her hand, thinking: if the drama of Lin Jin and Lin Sheng fighting for power were to truly unfold, how high was the chance for her to profit? If the two fought to mutual destruction, she might be able to become the proverbial mantis’s prey, the oriole behind them.

From this perspective, Lin Sheng and Xu Songheng’s scheme didn’t seem like a catastrophic bad thing after all.

Cheng Sangluo stayed in the room for a long while, thinking that Xu Songheng must be fully engaged in the bedroom right now. She then moved on to continue searching, hoping to find some unexpected gain.

Her goal was clear: the study should be the most worthwhile place to check besides the bedroom.

That place shouldn’t be hard to find; it must be near the bedroom.

Cheng Sangluo’s footsteps were light, like a cat moving without a sound.

When she reached the second-floor corner, she heard the joyful laughter of a man and a woman coming from a certain room.

Cheng Sangluo gritted her teeth, suppressing the urge to vomit. If she couldn’t risk exposing her operation, she would rush into the bedroom right now and stab the hateful and abominable person with a knife.

She restrained her immense anger and calmly searched for the study.

Infiltrating the study went smoothly.

The room’s decor was extremely extravagant, with priceless antiques placed everywhere, showcasing the vulgarity of Xu Songheng’s nouveau riche taste.

Cheng Sangluo walked over to the decorative bookshelf. After inspecting it without finding anything, she focused her attention on the mahogany desk.

She tried to pull open every drawer, found them locked, but didn’t dwell on it for too long. However, she did find a good discovery.

There was a hidden compartment beneath the desk. She accidentally pressed a switch, and a small object dropped out.

Cheng Sangluo picked up the object in the dark and examined it carefully. It was an old-fashioned, round-handled key, typically used for small black iron locks.

Such old objects were rare; even the locks on rented apartments wouldn’t use this type of key.

For such an incongruous item to appear in the large villa, hidden in a secret compartment, it must mean Xu Songheng was hiding some unspeakable secret.

As for where the secret was, it seemed impossible to find it immediately.

Cheng Sangluo put the key back into the hidden compartment, stood up, flipped through the documents on the desk, but didn’t find anything useful, so she returned everything to its original place.

She leaned against the desk, scanning the study in the darkness.

Today’s action was rushed, and she hadn’t brought any tools. There was no need to stay any longer, so she prepared to leave.

However, the trip wasn’t wasted. She saw and heard everything she shouldn’t have, considering it a full harvest.

“Next visit will be smooth. No need to rush.” A complex smile floated in Cheng Sangluo’s eyes as she left the study.

Cheng Sangluo hurried back to the old city area, having already missed dinner time.

With her hands in her pockets, she walked confidently on the road. Since she was in a good mood, she decided to eat dinner outside.

Cheng Sangluo found a bustling fried rice stall and ordered the cheapest egg fried rice.

The boss asked if she wanted to add sausage. She hesitated for a moment and shook her head.

She had very little money left, living hand to mouth. Eating anything at a roadside stall was already a treat, and adding an extra sausage seemed extremely luxurious.

After ordering, she couldn’t find an empty table, so she asked the boss to make it takeout.

Once she got the packed fried rice, Cheng Sangluo sniffed the delicious smell and quickly hastened her steps back to the rental apartment, thinking the fried rice wouldn’t taste good if it got cold.

While walking, she took out her phone to check the time, only to discover she had missed calls. The same unfamiliar number had called more than ten times.

As she was debating whether to call back, the number started flashing on the screen again.

Cheng Sangluo answered the phone suspiciously: “Hello?”

“Hello, may I please speak to Ms. Cheng Sangluo?”

A young woman’s voice came through the receiver. Cheng Sangluo was worried it was a scam, so her reply was a bit curt: “This is she. Who is this?”

“Hello, Miss Cheng. Have you found a job yet? I am the owner of Jiayi convenience store chain. Our new store on Jinrong East Road is currently hiring cashiers. I wanted to ask if you are interested in applying?”

“Convenience store cashier?” Cheng Sangluo grew more suspicious after hearing the explanation, “I didn’t submit an online resume. Are you sure this isn’t a scam call?”

“It’s good that you have anti-fraud awareness. Your number was given to me by Bai Mu. I know her well. A few days ago, we chatted at a dinner party about hiring for the new store, and she mentioned a friend of hers was looking for a job, so she introduced you to me.”

“Oh, so it was Bai Mu who introduced me. Then it’s no problem.” Cheng Sangluo remembered that Shu Wan had also mentioned yesterday that Bai Mu was trying to find work for her, so she lowered her guard.

“I trust Bai Mu. If you are willing, report to the new store on Jinrong East Road tomorrow morning at 8 AM. The store manager will introduce you to the cashier work. The working hours are 8 AM to 6 PM, monthly salary 3,500, four days off a month, and five insurances covered.”

Cheng Sangluo briefly thought about what the other person said. Although the conditions were not the best, it was the best news she could get right now.

She quickly answered: “I can do it, absolutely no problem!”

“That’s good. Don’t be late tomorrow.”

After the other party hung up, Cheng Sangluo bent her back and bounced in place, cheering: “There’s always a way out!”

“What happened to make you so happy~”

A soft, gentle laugh came from behind her, kneading comfortably into Cheng Sangluo’s ear.

Cheng Sangluo instantly returned to a state of calm, turning around to see the figure elegantly approaching.

Shu Wan was wearing a long, fitted dress, the hem swaying in the evening breeze, radiating a gentle beauty.

Her hands were crossed in front of her chest, and the small handbag carried on her fingertips swung casually.

She tilted her head slightly and smiled sweetly at Cheng Sangluo: “Good news should be shared; happiness doubles.”

“Miss Shu?” Cheng Sangluo was surprised, asking in confusion: “Why are you here?”

“To be honest, I was specifically waiting for you nearby.” Shu Wan answered honestly, then explained: “I knew you wouldn’t call me, but I really wanted to know if you’d had any luck and if you’d found a job you liked.”

“Just now.” Cheng Sangluo held up her phone and shook it towards Shu Wan, “I struck gold.”

Shu Wan quickened her pace, walked up beside her, and pressed: “What good job?”

“It’s not one of those high-paying jobs you envision with a monthly income over ten thousand. It’s a convenience store cashier. But it’s stable and keeps me out of the sun and rain, so it’s quite good for me.” Cheng Sangluo answered truthfully, her tone full of acceptance for the new job.

“Cashier?” Shu Wan frowned, her tone somewhat dissatisfied.

She pondered for a moment, then revealed her true intention: “I was thinking, if you hadn’t found a satisfactory job today, I planned to introduce a position that is more suitable for you.”

Cheng Sangluo was stunned by Shu Wan’s kind gesture, and immediately put on a bright smile: “Miss Shu, I don’t mind working two jobs a day. I need money, very, very, very much.”

Shu Wan looked at her, seeing her intense desire for money, and her expression became somewhat strained, likely feeling a pang of heartache.

She smiled and asked in return: “Aren’t you going to ask me what kind of job it is first?”

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