Falling After Marriage - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: A Night of Terror

The night wind howled through the mountains. The winding, serpentine mountain road resembled a mysterious giant python under the pitch-black night sky, making it impossible to tell where it led.

Cheng Sangluo sped down the mountain in a Maybach. The imported luxury car’s glossy black paint shimmered under the bright moonlight. It drifted through sharp corners, leaving behind blurred shadows—a display of reckless decisiveness.

The glaring high beams could not pierce the dense, layered canopy of trees. The irritating roar of the engine vanished after a brief burst of agitation, leaving a silence that felt like a surging hint beneath a calm surface. It hinted that tonight, many people and events would be trapped in a dangerous quagmire, unable to extricate themselves, unable to find peace.

Compared to the clamor outside, the deathly silence inside the car was even more oppressive.

On the surface, Cheng Sangluo focused on driving, her lips pressed into a tight line. Even though she was as composed as ever, never wearing her emotions on her face, the aura of unease radiating from her was so strong that it inadvertently colored everything around her.

In truth, she was somewhat distracted. Regarding her eavesdropping on Xu Songheng and Lin Sheng’s conversation, the words of explanation were on the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

This was a choice between two evils. She could neither confess the progress of her secret investigation nor stand by and watch the “madwoman” walk into tonight’s calamity. Thus, the person usually so adept at finding excuses suddenly became helpless—a silent mute unable to find a single reason to prevaricate.

Lin Jin was equally silent, busy sending messages on her phone. In the gaps between waiting for replies, she glanced at Cheng Sangluo’s serious profile. Her lips twitched as if she wanted to say something, but seeing that overly grim face, the words stayed stuck in her throat. She could only wait for a better moment to ask.

It wasn’t until the Maybach stopped at the front gate of the villa that Lin Jin finally managed to ask the simple question: “What exactly is the danger you’re talking about?”

Sheng He, who had received notice and had been waiting at the gate for a while, saw Cheng Sangluo step out of the car and quickly took over the driver’s seat. The two nodded at each other in unspoken understanding and took their respective places.

Cheng Sangluo nimbly slid into the seat next to Lin Jin. Seeing that the madwoman still looked completely unruffled, her heart hammered for no reason. “Why aren’t you nervous at all? After all, your father…”

“What is there to be nervous about?” Lin Jin didn’t let her finish. She shook her head with a mocking laugh. “If there weren’t still many things that haven’t reached the stage I expect, I’d actually hope he dies sooner. Preferably tonight, so I can stop worrying.”

Lin Jin’s tone remained caustic, as if that blood relative had nothing to do with her. Her prayer for Lin Zhen’s early death was remarkably sincere. Naturally, she didn’t explain what those “many things” were—perhaps she was too lazy to waste her breath, or perhaps there was no need to elaborate. The atmosphere in the car lapsed back into an endless silence.

Cheng Sangluo tried to recall every detail of her infiltration into Xu Songheng’s house, particularly those fragmented bits of dialogue. She parsed every word, trying to find a breakthrough. Aside from the plan to act as soon as the old Master Lin was declared in critical condition, she couldn’t find any more useful information.

Thinking of this, she tapped the back of the driver’s seat. “Sheng He, is there only one mountain road to the health center?”

Sheng He glanced at the rearview mirror, appearing to think for a moment before responding, “Yes. There’s only one main road up Cuiping Mountain. It ends at the health center. The others are just small mountain trails for hiking. There’s only one road for cars.”

This response felt like a death sentence, leaving Cheng Sangluo speechless. She calculated the odds of an “accident” occurring on the mandatory path; it seemed the winding mountain road was the most dangerous anchor point.

She looked sideways at Lin Jin, who was still busy messaging. The faint glow of the phone made her thin face appear even paler. Cheng Sangluo’s brow furrowed. The madwoman’s calmness was too eerie. Even for someone as observant of small details as her, she couldn’t use that mirror-like expression to fathom those bottomless thoughts.

“Ever since I got the news of my father being critical, you’ve looked terrified. If you have something to say, say it. Don’t make me anxious too.” Lin Jin locked her phone screen. In the darkness, she met the “puppy’s” eyes, a dark, unreadable smile in her own. “You seem very worried that something will happen to me. But with someone as capable as you by my side, how could anything happen?”

“Isn’t this how wealthy families fighting for inheritance go in TV dramas? The powerful patriarch is on his deathbed, and the heirs use any means necessary to grab the estate. Better safe than sorry. You have to keep an eye out for your vicious brother.” Cheng Sangluo tried to use lighthearted words to explain her unease, hoping to hide her lack of transparency and dissipate the heavy atmosphere.

“Heh, reality is always crueler than fiction.” Lin Jin’s response was ambiguous. She turned her head to watch the streetlights flowing past the window. “If something really happens to me, will you give your all to save me? Don’t be afraid; I’m just saying if.”

“Of course! I promised I would take care of you and protect you,” Cheng Sangluo answered firmly. She even grabbed Lin Jin’s hand and pressed it against her own heart, promising, “I saved you once, and I can save you a thousand times!”

She paused for a second, then leaned close to Lin Jin’s ear, adding in a voice as soft as a mosquito: “After all, you are my fiancée. Even an arranged marriage is still a marriage, isn’t it?”

Lin Jin hadn’t expected the puppy to become so submissive—it was too out of character. She leaned in closer, staring into the puppy’s determined eyes, her smile deepening. “That sentence is enough.”

Cheng Sangluo rested her forehead against Lin Jin’s and whispered, “Promise me one thing.”

“Go on,” Lin Jin smiled, her hand gently and softly caressing Cheng Sangluo’s face. She loved the puppy in this moment—the puppy who was worried sick for her, the puppy who was earnest and gentle for her.

Cheng Sangluo covered the back of Lin Jin’s hand, carefully instructing: “No matter what happens later, if there is danger, you must hide behind me.”

Lin Jin didn’t agree immediately. She asked curiously, “You seem to know something I don’t. Are you certain there will be an accident tonight?”

“I…” Cheng Sangluo was speechless. Just as she was about to explain, the madwoman’s cold fingertip touched her lips.

“You don’t have to answer. It’s enough to know you’re worried about my safety.” Lin Jin was far too smart not to know what the puppy’s unspeakable worry was. That excuse about “wealthy families in TV dramas” was a clear enough hint. Lin Jin wouldn’t press or expose it; she let those worries grow wild in Cheng Sangluo’s heart, taking up space in that heart that had been so slow to waver.

She softened her body and leaned into Cheng Sangluo’s embrace, closing her eyes peacefully. “I’ve never been afraid of Lin Sheng. His amateur, underhanded tricks are laughable. Puppy, promise me one thing too, okay?”

“Okay, I promise,” Cheng Sangluo said with unprecedented generosity. Without asking what it was, she simply nodded. “I’ll promise whatever you say.”

Lin Jin was stunned for a moment. She looked up to trace the lines of Cheng Sangluo’s firm face. “Don’t you usually love to refuse? Why have you suddenly become so easy to talk to? You didn’t even ask what it is.”

Only then did Cheng Sangluo realize she wasn’t the person she used to be. Her stubbornness and hardness had become fragile after repeated intimate embraces. She pursed her lips awkwardly and stammered, “Mhm… I think… it won’t be something that hurts me…”

“Promise me, whether it’s tonight or some time in the future, don’t get hurt because of me,” Lin Jin whispered pleadingly, pressing a gentle kiss to the puppy’s ear. “Strangers care if you are brave, but those who love you only care if you are safe.”

Those who love you?

Cheng Sangluo nodded in a daze, as if agreeing to the request, or perhaps savoring what “love” was supposed to mean.

Meanwhile, in the family waiting room of the Yunxing Health Center.

“I said staying at the health center would lead to problems eventually! If we wait any longer, I’m afraid your father won’t last the night. We must contact specialists from the city hospital for a consultation and be ready to transfer him at any time!” Ruan Jinxian paced back and forth like a headless fly, her hands clasped tightly.

Ever since Lin Zhen entered the emergency room, her brow had remained locked. It seemed no one would have peace tonight until a doctor reported he was safe. It was clear that after decades of marriage, her feelings for her husband were deep and genuine.

“Mom, pacing isn’t going to solve anything. Can’t you just sit down for a moment?” Lin Sheng wore a crisp suit, his hair perfectly slicked back. He rested one arm on the back of the sofa, his crossed leg bouncing slightly—a leisurely attitude that contrasted sharply with his mother’s anxiety.

Ruan Jinxian stopped and, in her anger, poked her son’s head. “Do you really think your father will leave the entire Lin Corporation to you? Wipe that smug look off your face!”

“Who knows?” Lin Sheng shrugged noncommittally, but his fake smile stiffened slightly. He knew exactly what his father wanted.

Ever since Lin Zhen’s diagnosis, he had insisted on being treated at the Yunxing Health Center, even living there long-term. On the surface, it made sense—the medical team, equipment, and service were better than the city hospital. But it wasn’t as logical as it seemed. No matter how sick Lin Zhen got, he never entertained the thought of transferring, even though he could have spent a fortune on treatment abroad to extend his life. He had rejected such plans from the start.

Because he was the final check-and-balance in this “gladiator-style” upbringing; he represented the fact that Lin Sheng was never the sole heir.

A phone vibrated in the quiet waiting room. Lin Sheng pulled out his phone, saw Xu Songheng’s caller ID, and a cunning smile appeared on his face. He no longer needed to play the role of the filial son. He answered directly in front of Ruan Jinxian. “You promised me tonight’s business would be done beautifully. This is your last chance to prove yourself. Don’t disappoint me.”

“Don’t worry. To guard against a tough player like Cheng Sangluo, my people will step in to help you at the critical moment.” Having said that, Lin Sheng hung up and offered a knowing smile to his suspicious mother. “I’d like to see if the old man can hold his breath until the end if Lin Jin doesn’t show up tonight.”

Ruan Jinxian’s face was ashen, but she accepted her son’s ruthlessness. After all, she had raised him this way. Perhaps thinking back to that stormy night years ago when she failed to clear the “stumbling block” of the Lin family—resulting in over twenty years of humiliation from the first wife’s daughter—her expression turned somber and then settled into sheer malice.

“Whatever you do, do it cleanly. Don’t let anyone catch you. I made a mistake once; don’t repeat my history.” Ruan Jinxian finally sat down beside her son and whispered, “Lin Jin cannot stay. Once she’s gone, everything is yours.”

“Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll keep myself out of it. That madwoman won’t survive tonight.” Lin Sheng loosened his tie slowly. “Now that we’ve come this far, as long as we wait to officially transfer the old man to any hospital, everything that follows will be under my control.”

Creak.

The waiting room door was pushed open. The mother and son looked over.

Gu Shinian walked in at a leisurely pace, followed by two lawyers. With a cold smile, she stated her purpose to the scheming pair: “Mr. Lin, Mrs. Ruan, I’m afraid you won’t be able to transfer the old Master.

“I have come specifically at Lin Jin’s request to inform you that when the old Master was first admitted, he signed a critical care entrustment form. If family members propose a transfer, his daughter, Lin Jin, must process it in person. These two are Master Lin’s personal legal advisors; you should be familiar with them. You are welcome to verify the authenticity of the agreement at any time.”

Gu Shinian tilted her eyes toward Lin Sheng, her gaze filled with contempt. She feigned confusion and asked, “It’s already this late—why hasn’t Lin Jin arrived yet? Mr. Lin, do you know where she is?”

The black Maybach sped along the Cuiping Mountain road. The shell-shaped building of the health center stood on the mountainside, visible from afar.

Cheng Sangluo was much more alert than before. She kept one arm in front of Lin Jin and the other tightly gripping the handle. Her eyes were like torches, staring intensely at the dark mountain road, fearing someone would jump out from the sides to block them.

Unfortunately, what one fears most often comes to pass.

A blinding high beam suddenly lit up ahead. Sheng He slammed the brakes and steered toward the mountainside. With a piercing screech, the Maybach drifted with the momentum, spinning 360 degrees before coming to a halt.

Fortunately, Cheng Sangluo had been protecting Lin Jin, preventing her from slamming into the back of the front seat.

“Are you okay?” Cheng Sangluo held Lin Jin’s shoulders, worried. Seeing her shake her head, she let out a breath. “No matter what happens outside, don’t move.”

“Mhm,” Lin Jin whispered. Her unshakeable calmness made Cheng Sangluo’s heart drum again.

Sheng He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at them. “Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine. What’s the situation outside?” Cheng Sangluo replied, looking out the window.

As expected, her fears had come true. The road to the health center was blocked by several cars, surrounded by a few motorcycles. A leader, swinging a signature baseball bat, walked toward them with a swagger.

“It’s Xu Songheng’s people,” Cheng Sangluo hissed. She had specifically taken out that underground gambling ring for Lin Jin’s safety, but Xu Songheng’s henchmen were like weeds—growing back as soon as the wind blew.

“Boss, what do we do next?” Sheng He asked cautiously, tossing the question to Lin Jin.

Before Lin Jin could respond, a baseball bat smashed hard against the window beside her. After a second violent hit, the glass shattered, and shards fell over Lin Jin.

Cheng Sangluo realized that staying in the confined space wouldn’t solve anything. She yelled urgently, “Sheng He, drive down the mountain, quick! There are too many of them… we can’t break through… ngh…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Cheng Sangluo fell into a state of full-body spasms and convulsions. The veins in her neck bulged, and her eyes shot with blood. She gritted her teeth, whispering in disbelief: “Ngh… you… you…”

Sheng He had turned halfway around, a taser pressed firmly against Cheng Sangluo’s neck. The noise outside couldn’t drown out the buzzing sound of the current.

The man, usually so humble, wore a sinister smile. Before Cheng Sangluo lost consciousness, he said politely, “My apologies, Cheng Sangluo.”

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