Falling After Marriage - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Kissing Until Breathless

Inside the narrow car, the atmosphere was quiet but far from silent.

Ambiguity is difficult to describe, yet it paints a romantic picture; for instance, the closeness in this moment carried an invisible crimson hue. Only those immersed in it could appreciate how such a phantom color could be more than just brilliant—it dyed the rainy night into a kaleidoscope of “multicolored black.”

Lying on their sides, the two were separated only by a kiss’s distance, their warm, moist breaths intertwining. The air was filled with the faint scent of cedarwood mixed with the clean smell of ordinary soap.

Lin Jin lightly bit her lip, the words catching in her throat.

Before I love myself, can you love me first?

She wanted so badly to ask clearly, to get a response from Cheng Sangluo, to hear that the object of the word “love” was herself. It was precisely because she wanted it so much that she feared it equally—fear of an ambiguous answer, or worse, a silence that would shatter the intimacy they had painstakingly built. Rather than being hurt by Cheng Sangluo’s habitual rejection, she chose to hide the answer she dreamed of. Perhaps not breaking the surface, not digging for the root, was the best protection for them both.

So, Lin Jin kept the question choked down, a breath of air that wouldn’t clear, her cheeks puffing slightly, filled with melancholy and the ache of unrequited love.

Cheng Sangluo tried to look away. She tried not to look at the teeth biting those lips, not to wonder what that moist red tasted like, not to fantasize about someone who belonged to a world so different from her own.

Don’t do this, don’t do that. In truth, every “don’t” was a suppressed “want.” She was afraid of having, so she deceived herself into not being greedy, not having delusions. But her heart was like a tree in a storm—standing firm, yet shedding leaves in a scattered mess, shaking down a canopy of trepidation and panic.

Lin Jin’s cheek was practically hovering over the edge of the seat back, but she moved no closer. Just like every time before when she wanted to kiss, she exerted a difficult restraint over the impulse that was about to break the dam. She was stubborn; even with the lips she craved right there, even with their breaths already entangled, and even knowing that moving just a fraction closer would quench years of waiting… she firmly chose not to be the initiator. She stared at Cheng Sangluo, her gaze shifting from expectation to a painful endurance, until the last spark of light in her eyes faded.

Lin Jin stood alone in her own world, waiting for the person who had broken into her heart years ago, silently begging her to push the door open. Waiting until the end, she seemed only to find disappointment.

Cheng Sangluo had looked into that deep pool of eyes countless times, trying to find the madwoman’s thoughts, failing every time because the mind behind them was too unpredictable and treacherous. But tonight, she felt she had explored the tip of the iceberg. She saw that those deep pupils were, in fact, lined with light.

She saw that the perpetually tilted corners of those eyes and the hypocritical smiles were just bluffs—masks for a single truth: every time those dark eyes looked at her, they were utterly serious. Serious enough to reflect only her shadow.

In her own desolate world, Cheng Sangluo took that step. It was a step that crossed a canyon-like divide, crossed the distance between heaven and earth, crossed the trivial gap between the seat backs.

She propped herself up on her arms, looming over Lin Jin, her palm naturally cupping that slender, soft nape. Her nose brushed Lin Jin’s cheek, and the rich, calming fragrance invaded her senses, driving away all logic.

Her lips approached inch by inch, carrying too much hesitation and caution. The closer she got, the more chaotic she became. Her heartbeat lost its rhythm, blood rushed to her head, and her fingertips grew so numb they nearly lost sensation.

Lin Jin narrowed her eyes with a faint smile, tilting her chin slightly to welcome the visit of her “soft-hearted god.” This was likely the final concession she would make, and this surrender gave the person before her all the courage she needed.

Cheng Sangluo used her other hand to cradle Lin Jin’s cheek, ensuring that the first tentative kiss landed firmly on the soft lips she had craved for so long. She lowered her eyelids. After that first light touch, she grew bolder. The hand on Lin Jin’s nape applied a bit more pressure, pressing their lips together more tightly, making everything feel more real.

“Haven’t you experienced the pleasure of ‘tasting the marrow’ yet?”

Cheng Sangluo wasn’t distracted; rather, during the kiss, she subconsciously recalled the conversation they had after the first time they were intimate. Even after being pressed together countless times, even after every instance was shockingly wild, she had never truly understood what “tasting the marrow” felt like.

Now, she finally understood clearly what it meant to truly desire something. It was an uncontrollable initiative, a dance of intertwined tongues that felt like it would never be enough, a selfish urge to rub the person before her into her very bones.

This kiss evolved from a tentative touch into a greedy, devouring suction. Cheng Sangluo poured all the initiative she usually withheld into this kiss; it was an unprecedented wildness. She was intoxicated by the unexpected softness of Lin Jin’s lips and obsessed with a fruity sweetness she couldn’t name. Greed turned into aggressive dominance.

For Lin Jin, Cheng Sangluo’s embrace never disappointed. That broad, solid chest provided absolute security and a heat that melted everything. She was submerged in the embrace, and when the kiss became too much to handle, her hands naturally circled Cheng Sangluo’s neck.

The air grew so thin that they were gasping for breath, yet they were loath to separate, snatching oxygen in disorganized gulps during the brief gaps in the kiss.

The world saw Lin Jin as loose, frivolous, and fickle, but no one knew that beneath the deliberate infamy was a heart as pure as unstained dust. She played along with the extravagance of her circle, yet in all those hugs and touches, she avoided any intimacy that lacked meaning. It was absurd—a woman like this had kept her first kiss so raw, and Cheng Sangluo was carving this long-awaited first kiss into something exceptionally beautiful.

Even though it was also her first kiss, she acted like a veteran, kissing the “flower stamen” with a delicacy that didn’t lack the savagery of a lone wolf. There was a give and take, a brief separation followed by an eager reconnection. Every weave of their tongues tangled more obsession into the mix, growing more inseparable.

“Sangluo…” It was too dreamlike. Lin Jin couldn’t help but call out softly to verify it was real, yet she didn’t want the cool air to touch her lips, so she eagerly pressed forward again.

“I’m here… I’m always here…” Cheng Sangluo responded in the gaps, answering the madwoman’s plea, before messy-pressing back into that soft moisture.

Yes, it was all real. It turned out that Lin Jin wasn’t the only one unwilling to let go; Cheng Sangluo had also fallen completely into the madness. No one cared about the passage of time as their lips and teeth remained entwined.

Lin Jin reached out and pulled the hair tie from Cheng Sangluo’s hair. The long hair cascaded down instantly, shielding their faces and creating even more intimacy. Cheng Sangluo arched her back as her passion took over; it was never enough, never enough to quench her intoxication. She almost felt like crying—why was there this endless sense of frenzy? How could this woman’s lips be more hallucinatory and addictive than opium?

But the more she tried to regain her scattered logic, the deeper she sank, like being trapped in a quagmire where the only result of struggling was sinking further.

Lin Jin, having willingly surrendered, appeared more at ease. She responded fervently to every one of Cheng Sangluo’s heated kisses, even silently teaching the “puppy” how to kiss in a way that was both pleasing and profound. In the height of their passion, she would lightly nip the puppy’s lip, then playfully dodge when the puppy’s tongue came searching. This was the joy of kissing—a little game of hide-and-seek.

“Don’t!” Cheng Sangluo lifted her head briefly, staring at the satisfied Lin Jin, murmuring with a hint of grievance, “Don’t hide from me.”

Lin Jin looked at the flustered puppy who was so eager to take. She used her finger to tease the puppy’s chin, luring her: “You can be a bit more bossy~”

Too obsessed to resist, Cheng Sangluo leaned down to press against her lips again, muttering, “Can’t be bossy. Must treat you with tenderness.”

Lin Jin froze for a moment, as if seeing a miracle, and then her eyes slowly curved into a smile of wonder. She cupped the puppy’s face and gave her cheeks a doting squeeze. “You’re so good~ really like an obedient little dog~”

“Am I?” Cheng Sangluo nipped her lip, whispering coaxingly, “An unfinished kiss is like a heart suspended—neither up nor down. Stop talking, okay?”

Rarely hearing this person plead in a soft voice, Lin Jin actively offered her tongue to pry past the teeth, murmuring indistinctly, “Since you love kissing so much… why don’t you take me home… hide me away… and kiss me slowly…”

“But we still have to go to the health center… hiss…” Before Cheng Sangluo could finish, the madwoman bit the tip of her tongue hard, causing her to hiss in pain.

Lin Jin grabbed her collar, asserting dominance. “What could possibly be more important than us kissing? None of that is worth mentioning.”

Cheng Sangluo didn’t insist on going to the health center. It was as if this arrangement was exactly what she wanted. A deep smile appeared on her face. She cupped Lin Jin’s nape again and moved her kisses to the wound Xu Songheng had cut.

The wound had formed a thin scab. As Cheng Sangluo tilted her head to kiss it, she looked like a vampire savoring the scent of blood. She had intended to be delicate, feeling guilty for failing to protect Lin Jin. But as her tongue touched the uneven scab, it turned into a grinding friction. Like when Lin Jin had kissed her wounds before, it produced a wave of itching mixed with bursts of pain.

“Hiss—” Lin Jin winced, but her hands held the puppy’s head, her light laughter tinged with a bit of madness. “You’re so good at this~”

“You’re the one who taught me,” Cheng Sangluo replied in a muffled voice, her mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.

“It’s because you’re smart~” Lin Jin tightened her arms, arching her back. “Keep kissing… I like it… I like it when you kiss me so recklessly…”

“It’s my fault you got hurt…” Cheng Sangluo licked the wound sadly, her kisses becoming lighter. “If I had rushed in earlier, you wouldn’t have been injured.”

“Puppy, don’t blame yourself, okay? You’ve already done enough for me. I was thinking of how to thank you properly~” Lin Jin caressed Cheng Sangluo’s cheek, whispering, “So tonight… I am your trophy… you can have everything of mine…”

Cheng Sangluo propped one hand against the car window and looked down at the beautiful woman with flushed cheeks. She sighed at how well Lin Jin could provoke her. The sight of her biting her lip was too tempting. She leaned in for another kiss.

“Then… let’s leave those terrible people and things for after sunrise… from now until dawn… your time is mine. You are mine.”

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