Falling After Marriage - Chapter 57

Chapter 57: Congratulations, You’re Out of a Job Again

The uneventful September finally came to an end.

After three months of scorching sun, Zhouhai City finally endured the most grueling period of the “Autumn Tiger” heat.

In the crisp autumn morning, the roadside breakfast stalls were still bustling with energy, contrasting with the hurrying office workers. Everywhere was a scene of people rushing to make a living.

“Morning, Grandpa.” Cheng Sangluo, dressed in a striped shirt and jeans, greeted her landlord and then sprinted out of the alley.

It seemed to have become a habit: every day when she went to the convenience store for work, she chose to commute on a shared bicycle—it was cheap, environmentally friendly, and most importantly, she didn’t have to fight for the bus with the elderly people rushing to buy discounted eggs.

Cheng Sangluo munched on a one-yuan steamed bun, steering the bike with one hand, enjoying the cool wind of the early morning. She leisurely pedaled, quickly blending into the large crowd on the non-motorized vehicle lane.

This past month had been peaceful. Since she had promised Lin Jin to stay at the wellness center every Saturday, the clingy woman had only bombarded her with calls, but hadn’t otherwise disrupted her daily life.

While waiting for the traffic light, Cheng Sangluo sped up her bun consumption. Suddenly recalling that tomorrow was the day to see the crazy woman, a bright smile unconsciously appeared on her face, and her eyes grew increasingly bright and shimmering.

She puffed out her cheeks and tilted her head slightly, letting the sunlight filter through the dense leaves, dappling her face.

The early autumn sun no longer scorched her skin, and the wind was cool to the bone. Listening to the countdown beep on the crosswalk, she felt a momentary illusion of time standing still.

The tranquil days were just this peaceful, the beauty hidden in the unnoticed details of life.

Upon arriving at the convenience store, Cheng Sangluo quickly changed into her uniform. Before opening time, she grabbed a discounted box of close-dated milk and slurped it down, then honestly recorded her consumption in a notebook to deduct it from her salary.

Once everything was ready, she walked behind the counter, yawned, and then put on a full smile to welcome the new day.

She had set a small requirement for herself: she must enthusiastically wish the first customer of the day a good morning.

This way, everyone’s mood would improve. After all, they were workhorses being bled dry, and nine out of ten people were miserable.

‘Welcome~’

Before long, the electronic chime of the convenience store rang.

Cheng Sangluo craned her neck, curiously watching the swaying figure at the door.

She was about to open her mouth with a clear and loud “Good morning” when she saw who it was. The words caught in her throat and were forcibly swallowed back.

Lin Jin had recovered well these days; her complexion was improving daily. Light makeup enhanced her delicate features; every expression was captivating.

She wore dark sunglasses, covering half of her already small face. A black and white striped A-line dress cinched at the waist emphasized her figure. Her chestnut, long curly hair fell naturally over her shoulders. Her accessories were simple, only wearing a diamond necklace for accent.

Only the injured foot, encased in a walking boot, slightly detracted from the overall aesthetic.

Even so, she was still the most incongruous sight this morning, as her slow, deliberate manner sharply contrasted with the hurried office workers outside the door.

Cheng Sangluo had never told the crazy woman which convenience store she worked at. How did this clingy person track her down?

She subconsciously felt the visitor had ill intentions, so her expression was slightly stiff, and her tone became guarded: “Why are you here?”

Lin Jin ignored her. She turned and flipped the sign on the door to ‘CLOSED,’ then slowly made her way to the counter.

She tilted her head, calculating in her mind how long it had been since she last saw the little dog. At the same time, she took off her sunglasses, a mischievous smile playing on her lips, and quietly observed the other person’s outfit.

People are like that; infrequently seen, always fresh and new, especially with the limited edition convenience store uniform skin.

Lin Jin found the little dog very cute. Her eyes were curved in a smile, and her tone contained a hint of reproach: “Shouldn’t you look happier to see me?”

Cheng Sangluo, of course, wouldn’t show the joy of a wagging tail. She thought to herself that the familiar, detestable crazy woman was back.

“Hey, don’t take it upon yourself to flip the sign. We’re open for business here,” she grumbled as she walked out from behind the counter, intending to reclaim the sign on the door.

But she stopped after only two steps because the crazy woman was starting her antics again.

Lin Jin casually picked up a strawberry-flavored lollipop in front of her, deftly tore open the wrapper, and savored the sweet candy on the tip of her tongue.

“Pay first!” Cheng Sangluo turned back to the register, quickly pressing the price button. “You can’t just do things randomly like that!”

Lin Jin ignored her, lollipop in mouth, and limped further into the convenience store.

A moment later, she stood in front of the cold display case, grabbing two cold rice balls. She waved to the little dog: “Do you remember what I asked you the first time outside the convenience store? Are these rice balls actually tasty?”

Cheng Sangluo didn’t know what the crazy woman was up to, so she pouted and answered perfunctorily: “They’re not good.”

“Then I must try them to see for myself.” Lin Jin was acting childishly, stubbornly tearing off the plastic wrap and biting directly into one.

The distinct rice grains scattered in her mouth, hard like little pebbles. Not only did they hurt her teeth, but they also scratched her throat a bit.

She frowned, spitting with distaste, “It really isn’t very good.”

Cheng Sangluo rushed over, snatched the rice ball from the crazy woman’s hand, and scolded her again, “Can you scan and pay first? Who shops at a convenience store like this? If you eat something and don’t pay, and it falls on me, my wages will be docked!”

“Oh, threatening me?” Lin Jin raised an eyebrow, teasing the little dog. She then grabbed a bag of potato chips, leaned against the cold case, and ate them nonchalantly. “Crunch, crunch… crunch, crunch… Hmm… I think your service attitude might attract complaints… crunch, crunch…”

“Why aren’t you resting peacefully at the wellness center? Why are you here causing trouble?” Cheng Sangluo was furious, listening to the crazy woman’s loud chip crunching. “Stop eating!”

“Dare to yell at me again? Do you believe I’ll complain about you?” Lin Jin loved the sight of the little dog getting flustered and threatened her with a smile: “A complaint would lead to docked wages, right? It wouldn’t be worth it~”

“You!” Cheng Sangluo was choked into silence. She decided to bypass the manager and look for the store owner’s contact information.

She had to preempt Lin Jin’s warning, so she sneered, “I’m going to report to the boss right now and tell them a lunatic came into the store, ate things without paying, and even threatened to complain about me. Besides, there are surveillance cameras everywhere. You’re in the wrong, not me.”

Lin Jin wasn’t one to be bluffed, especially since she wasn’t refusing to pay. She decided to use a provocative tactic: “Oh, little dog has quite the nerve, threatening to tell the boss. Go ahead and call. I’d like to see whose side your boss takes.”

“Don’t blame me for being heartless. After all, everything must follow the rules. You’re being too reckless!” The little dog, exasperated, dialed the number, hissing, “You wait!”

That “You wait!” sounded exactly like an elementary school student telling on someone. To Lin Jin’s ears, it was just uncontrollably cute.

She shrugged nonchalantly, her smile growing brighter: “I’ll wait then~”

Cheng Sangluo stood with one hand on her hip, listening to the phone, patiently waiting for the boss to answer. Her eyes were fixed on the crazy woman, afraid she might disappear from sight, watching her like a hawk watching its prey.

‘Ring-a-ling—Ring-a-ling—’

After only a few seconds of silence, Lin Jin’s phone rang.

She was still meeting the little dog’s gaze, answering the call with her usual unhurried movement. “Hello?”

Cheng Sangluo’s heart skipped a beat. She thought she was hallucinating. She stared dumbfounded at her phone screen, repeatedly confirming she hadn’t misdialed.

But she hadn’t!

She looked up at the crazy woman again, asking into her phone, confused, “Hello, Boss?”

Lin Jin leaned lazily against the counter, holding the phone to her ear, asking back with a deliberately cold tone, “Mhm, speak up if you have something to say.”

Cheng Sangluo panicked, stuttering badly, “Y-y-y… how is it you?!”

Lin Jin reached out, hooked her finger into Cheng Sangluo’s collar, pulled her a step closer, and mimicked her funny tone, “I-I-I… it is me~”

“Aiyee!!!” Cheng Sangluo let out a shriek like a distress signal.

Still refusing to accept the reality, she hid behind the other side of a shelf, whispering into her phone, “Hello, hello, Boss?”

Lin Jin looked at the tip of the little dog’s head poking out over the shelf, finding it utterly adorable. She responded in a hushed tone, “I think your boss is going to dock your pay, and fire you, by the way. She’s not on your side~”

Cheng Sangluo’s scalp prickled. She stood on her tiptoes, staring fiercely at the crazy woman through the gaps in the shelf. “What is going on?!”

Lin Jin leaned on the shelf, inching toward her, and then shoved the half-eaten lollipop into her mouth, announcing loudly, “My poor little dog, she’s out of a job again, and again, and again! What should we do~”

Cheng Sangluo felt she had been played by the crazy woman once more. Her fingers tingled with anger, and her long-relaxed back tensed up again.

What exactly happened?

This takes us back to the day after Lin Jin was “bought” for one thousand yuan by the dog.

— Memory Divider —

Lin Jin heavily placed the cup down, sulking, “Am I only worth one thousand yuan?”

“Uh… this…” Sheng He stammered, wailing internally: What does that have to do with me?!

But on second thought, the boss was probably at her wits’ end with Cheng Sangluo and needed someone to vent to.

He hesitated for a moment, then lamented quietly, “Since even you can’t handle her, I, being dull-witted, probably won’t be able to come up with a good solution either.”

“Not necessarily.” Lin Jin pouted, explaining, “You’re a mercenary, similar to her in some ways. Don’t let your usual compliance fool me; I know you’re proud deep down. If you were me, how would you handle her?”

Sheng He smiled faintly, suddenly feeling that his boss had gained a human touch. After all, the business world was like a battlefield, and she, who always strategized every step, only cared about profit, not sentiment.

Miss Cheng was the most unpredictable piece on the board, and the fact that she could make this profit-driven and astute businesswoman feel sentimental also made the businesswoman more human.

“If I were you…” Sheng He thought carefully, suddenly showing a relaxed demeanor he rarely revealed.

An idea flashed in his mind, and a bright smile spread across his lips: “If I were you, I would go along with her. The principle is simple: you have to pet a cat’s fur in the direction it grows…”

“Oh? That’s an interesting point.” Lin Jin knew she hadn’t asked the wrong person. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Tell me more. If it’s useful… your bonus will be doubled…”

Sheng He bent down and whispered in Lin Jin’s ear: “Instead of letting Miss Cheng wander around looking for work in the heat, the boss should proactively offer her an opportunity. This way, you can always know her whereabouts and provide her with a temporary place to stay.

Given Miss Cheng’s persistent resistance to you, we can find some excuses to placate her, for example, using Miss Bai Mu’s identity as a pretext.

I remember Miss Bai has recently gone abroad. Miss Cheng likely won’t be able to contact her anytime soon. Since Miss Bai previously introduced her to work, it should be simple enough to fool her.

However, I don’t know what job suits her. That would be up to you to decide.”

“Good idea. I didn’t realize you were so clever, Sheng He.” Lin Jin listened to Sheng He’s suggestion, looking at her hand opening and closing, a triumphant smile curving her lips. “She is a captive in my palm; I must handle her carefully.”

Saying that, she fell into a brief contemplation.

In her mind, she suddenly recalled the afternoon rainstorm, the pitiful little stray dog squatting outside the convenience store, gnawing on a rice ball.

How did that rice ball taste, exactly?

Lin Jin quickly formed her next plan. She hooked her finger at Sheng He: “Go scout the area near the company. Buy a convenience store. Find someone to call Cheng Sangluo tonight and tell her to start working tomorrow. As for rice balls, I’ll make sure she gets her fill.”

That d*mn dog! Daring to insult me with one thousand yuan!

Hmph. If you want to fight me, what do you plan to use?

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