Falling After Marriage - Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Everything Is Ready Except for the Little Dog

Cheng Sangluo completely conceded defeat.

She finally accepted the fact that, whether she played tough or soft, the outcome was inevitably going to be controlled by the crazy woman until the end.

She stood with her hands on her hips, pacing back and forth in the narrow aisle for a while, her mind apparently churning.

Although the blazing fire in her chest was hard to extinguish, for some reason, her temper flared up and subsided quickly.

Cheng Sangluo was no longer as aggressive as before. She casually grabbed a bag of snacks, ripped open the seal, and stuffed a handful into her mouth.

After filling her mouth completely, she chewed forcefully in frustration, but ended up choking. She pounded her chest in distress again.

Lin Jin couldn’t fail to see the little dog sulking. Seeing her face turn red from choking, she had no choice but to drag her foot, encased in the walking boot, step by step to the cooler to get a bottle of mineral water.

Cheng Sangluo craned her neck over the shelf and saw the crazy woman struggling with each step. Lin Jin’s usually beautiful straight brows were knitted together, showing she was in considerable pain.

The soft-hearted person rushed over silently, snatched the water bottle, and grumbled again, “Your foot injury isn’t healed yet. Can you stop messing around?”

“Is it my fault? Blame yourself for being clueless!” Lin Jin felt her good intentions were wasted on the dog, and she lectured again, “You don’t even know how to vent your anger, and you choked yourself. Don’t you think you’re funny?”

Cheng Sangluo glared at her fiercely, then got to the point: “So… you went to all this trouble to buy this convenience store just to keep an eye on me?”

“What else? Watch you go to Shu Guan’s dirty place and earn shady money?” Lin Jin complained again, heartily disliking that awful bar. She wondered if her little dog had been harassed recently.

The arrogant crazy woman was furious at the thought of this despicable scenario.

When she got angry, she wanted to find ways to bully the dog to relieve her suppressed frustration.

The crazy woman had a sudden idea. She reached out and tugged the little dog’s arm, leaning her weight onto her. “No time like the present. After being a hands-off boss for so long, I should check the accounts and see how my cashier is doing.”

Cheng Sangluo was utterly unwilling, but she subconsciously braced her arm so the feather-light person could hang onto her, arguing self-righteously, “Check, go ahead and check. If there’s a single mistake, dock my pay.”

“Can your paltry salary withstand deductions? Since one complaint is already recorded, I don’t care about any more mistakes. Is that what you call giving up?” Lin Jin laughed, then ordered, “Clueless dog, hurry up and help me to the counter.”

Cheng Sangluo remembered she hadn’t been paid this month, so she had to maintain a proper attitude. She swallowed her pride and helped the crazy woman to the counter.

She was too honest. As soon as she got to the counter, she grabbed her small notebook and recorded the bag of snacks she had just eaten.

Lin Jin was curious. Before the little dog could put down the pen, she snatched the notebook away.

She sat on the stool and patiently flipped through the pages. Her initially leisurely expression gradually hardened, and the smile on her lips vanished.

Cheng Sangluo’s dinner was invariably two near-expired rice balls, sometimes only one, besides pages full of near-expired milk.

It was clear that the little dog hadn’t been comfortable with the job initially, often forgetting to collect money. When balancing the accounts with the manager before closing, she had to use her wages to cover her errors.

Lin Jin pursed her lips, trying to appear nonchalant, but found she couldn’t smile. Even her expert fake smile became extremely difficult.

She looked up at the silent little dog.

The person’s hand was resting on the counter, constantly peeling at the lifting edge of a promotional sticker, looking nervous and lacking her usual confidence.

Feeling uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Cheng Sangluo stammered, “W-w-w… why are you staring at me?”

“Not bad. You know you’re clumsy, so you use the brute force method of recording every transaction.” Lin Jin praised, then tore the notebook in her hand to shreds. “I didn’t see any mistakes. Looks like I can’t dock your pay.”

The woman was being contradictory, even her act of protecting the little dog’s self-esteem was awkward.

With that, Lin Jin rested her arm on the counter and beckoned Cheng Sangluo with her finger, “Come closer.”

The little dog approached suspiciously. “What do you want now?”

Lin Jin cupped the little dog’s face with both hands, saying seriously, “Considering your good performance lately, this convenience store is your snack pantry from now on. Eat whatever you want, but you are no longer allowed to eat near-expired rice balls and milk. Aren’t you afraid of getting a stomach ache?”

“My snack pantry?” Cheng Sangluo tasted the words, her mind struggling to catch up. Her eyes suddenly lit up. “C-c-can I eat any snack here?”

“Uh-huh~”

“Really?!” Cheng Sangluo exclaimed, turning and rushing to the shelves to start scavenging.

Before long, she returned to Lin Jin, carrying a pile of snacks she had always wanted to eat but couldn’t afford.

Lin Jin watched the happy little dog leisurely, sighing that this person was far too easily satisfied.

The most expensive item in the pile of snacks was only a twenty-something yuan bag of cheese balls.

Cheng Sangluo peeled open a cheese ball and held it out to Lin Jin, double-checking, “Don’t you dare charge me for it after I eat it.”

“So, in your eyes, I’m that petty,” Lin Jin said, both annoyed and amused. She leaned in and took the cheese ball from the little dog’s hand with her mouth.

“Petty, no, but you’re full of tricks. If I’m not careful, I’ll step into a trap you’ve dug. I call that playing it safe,” the little dog mumbled, then peeled another cheese ball for herself and popped it into her mouth.

Finally tasting the rich, creamy flavor, she squeezed out a happy smile, exclaiming, “It’s so good! Expensive stuff really is different!”

Lin Jin’s recently recovered smile stiffened slightly, realizing that there were people in the world who could show such pure joy over a cheese ball.

In that instant, she belatedly realized that the little dog was just a girl in her early twenties who deserved to enjoy a colorful life at this age.

But life had bent her spine.

Cheng Sangluo wasn’t thinking that far ahead. Finding the cheese ball delicious, she quickly peeled another one for herself. Wanting to balance the food in her mouth, she peeled yet another one.

Her satisfaction seemed limited, as if two cheese balls were enough.

“Cheng Sangluo.”

Suddenly hearing the crazy woman address her by her full name so seriously, the little dog looked up, cheeks puffed out, bewildered: “Hmm? What is it?”

“Let’s go. Come shopping with me.” Lin Jin lifted her hand delicately and presented it to Cheng Sangluo. “Little Sangzi, escort me~”

Cheng Sangluo looked at the slender, fair hand, retorting angrily, “Are you suggesting your foot isn’t injured enough, or that your recovery is too fast? You just started feeling a little better and you’re already trying to go shopping. Why don’t you try shopping in outer space?”

Seeing the little dog worry for her, Lin Jin smiled radiantly, her voice gentle, “I can’t help it. The little dog is about to move into my house, and I have to personally select her daily necessities. Even with an injury, I have to prepare properly. See how much I care about you~”

Cheng Sangluo, who was busy tidying up the snacks she had scavenged, suddenly looked up, her eyes wide and round. “When did I agree to move into your house?”

“Hmm…” Lin Jin played coy with a soft voice, “In the next few minutes, you will agree to move into my house.”

“Heh, you can even predict something like this?” Cheng Sangluo let out two dry laughs, becoming rebellious: “Then I absolutely refuse. You can’t do anything to me. You can’t kidnap me in broad daylight, can you?”

Lin Jin chuckled. She knew the rebellious little dog wouldn’t give in easily, but this habitual refusal was harmless.

She was very confident. After all, she had countless ways to manipulate the little dog. A simple flick of her finger was enough to ensure the other person’s complete defeat.

“Which little dog accidentally lost her job again and again, and which little dog actively begged me to marry her before? Now that everything is ready except for the little dog, the little dog is breaking her promise.” After a mournful sigh, Lin Jin slowly stood up, dragging the heavy walking boot, and tottered toward the convenience store door alone.

Seeing Cheng Sangluo still unmoved, the cunning woman put on a show of distress again, “Fine. I’ll go shopping by myself. I don’t need you to accompany me. Do whatever you want.”

With that, Lin Jin pretended to lose her balance and stumbled toward the glass door in front of her, letting out a faint cry of pain: “Hiss…”

The scene that Cheng Sangluo witnessed seemed to be overlaid with a filter of misery.

The crazy woman’s figure was heartbreakingly thin, her frail body narrower than the cold display case beside her.

Dragging her injured foot, every step she took seemed like climbing a mountain of swords or plunging into a sea of fire, making anyone who watched her want to rush forward and help.

Her carefully styled long curly hair became messy as she limped, the strand falling by her ear betraying the crazy woman’s struggle.

“Be careful!”

Finally, the person who had been standing still took a large stride, firmly catching the slender waist just before the crazy woman fell.

Lin Jin took the opportunity to wrap her arms around Cheng Sangluo’s neck, tilting her head and flashing a triumphant smile: “I knew it, you’re soft-hearted~”

Tsk, I fell for it again!

Cheng Sangluo clicked her tongue but didn’t lose her temper. “I’m not a person who goes back on her word. I won’t break the promises I made, but you have to give me some time to prepare! You show up without a word and immediately announce the next arrangement. Can you show me some respect? After all, we’re in a cooperative, equal relationship!”

Lin Jin listened to the little dog rambling endlessly, then used her fingertip to lightly touch her mouth, chiding, “You always say ‘give me some time.’ Where do I find that much time to wait for you to prepare? The situation is already past its prime, and I can’t wait any longer!”

That soft, pleading “can’t wait any longer” sounded like a strange spell, entering Cheng Sangluo’s ears and throwing her thoughts into chaos.

Lin Jin tightened her arms around the little dog’s neck, pressing her advantage, “Besides, didn’t someone say they would take very good care of me and protect me~”

At this point, Cheng Sangluo had no opportunity to refute. She could only nod sullenly, seemingly acquiescing to the impending cohabitation.

Cheng Sangluo quickly tidied up the convenience store and double-checked the lock on the door.

She was somewhat absent-minded, perhaps adjusting her emotions to accept the reality of moving in, or maybe calculating her next plans, so her steps toward the Bentley were slow.

When she reached the curb, she saw Lin Jin leaning lazily against the car door.

The elegant figure created a unique sight on the busy street. Even the complicated walking boot seemed to become a fashionable accessory, easily catching the attention of passersby.

Cheng Sangluo never admitted Lin Jin’s beauty, only believing that rich people knew how to dress themselves. Strip away that layer of glamour, and only defects remained inside.

But her eyes never lied.

She didn’t even realize that no matter where or when, she always found Lin Jin’s figure first.

Just like at the yacht party, Bai Mu dragged her to peek at Shu Guan, yet the person who caught her eye was still the thoroughly detested crazy woman.

Now, Lin Jin was holding a fork, delicately eating watermelon.

A layer of juice covered her bright red, translucent lips, leading people to mistakenly believe that not only the watermelon was sweet, but the lips themselves were infused with sweetness.

As Cheng Sangluo approached, her gaze naturally fell on Lin Jin’s soft red lips. Feeling this was inappropriate, she hastily averted her eyes.

Lin Jin gave a satisfied smile and held out the half-eaten piece of watermelon to her. “Don’t you love watermelon the most? I specially asked Sheng He to buy it. I tasted it, and this piece is the sweetest.”

She habitually raised the corner of her eye, seemingly implying, The piece I ate is the sweetest. You have to eat it whether you want to or not.

Cheng Sangluo frowned, shouting internally, Who wants to eat your leftovers? I’m not a trash can.

Yet, her body was honest. She leaned in and snatched the half-eaten watermelon with her mouth, chewing it as if venting her anger, as if she were biting Lin Jin into pieces and swallowing her.

She found a reasonable excuse: not wasting food was enough to convince herself.

Lin Jin was very pleased. She reached out and patted the little dog’s head, her eyes full of undisguised affection. “Get in the car~”

The atmosphere in the car was quiet, with only the lullaby-like piano music playing.

Cheng Sangluo looked at the fleeting streetscape outside the window when a sudden weight settled on her shoulder, accompanied by a rich fragrance.

She turned her head to look at the peaceful sleeping face. The dense, delicate eyelashes trembled slightly, causing an inexplicable flutter in her heart.

Her breathing slowed, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping person. She unconsciously reached out to cradle the head resting on her shoulder.

Lin Jin wasn’t actually asleep. Her eyes closed, she quietly curled her lips into a triumphant smile, reached out her arms, and wrapped them tightly around the little dog’s neck, turning into a clingy koala again.

“Don’t move… let me lean on you properly…”

Her voice was as captivating as ever. The softness sighing from her nose stuck to Cheng Sangluo’s earlobe, making her feel weak.

Cheng Sangluo smiled helplessly, knowing that if she was even slightly nice to the crazy woman, the person would take advantage, but she didn’t withdraw the hand protecting Lin Jin’s head. In fact, she was secretly stroking the soft strands of hair.

Lin Jin twitched her nose, deliberately rubbing against the little dog’s neck, enjoying the hard-won intimacy.

If she got any closer, maybe she could steal a kiss.

“Stop rubbing! It tickles!” Cheng Sangluo seemed to sense the crazy woman’s little scheme. The helplessness in her low cry was greater than her alarm.

She was always afraid. Afraid that too much ambiguity would dismantle the stubbornness in her heart. She quickly pulled back her arm and created distance. “You’re really something! You take advantage of me the moment I’m a little nice to you!”

Lin Jin lost the little dog’s warmth and sat up, still unsatisfied. She started mimicking her: “You’re really something! You take advantage of me the moment I’m a little nice to you!”

The little dog was flustered: “Mimicking me?”

The crazy woman teased: “Yes, mimicking you~”

The little dog was angry: “So boring!”

The crazy woman countered: “You are uninteresting~”

The little dog, defeated.

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