Falling After Marriage - Chapter 74

Chapter 74: The 100% Unequal Sham Marriage Agreement

“Evil words leading people astray,” Cheng Sangluo muttered righteously, maintaining a stoic face. In reality, she had already complied with the madwoman’s request, picking her up and pressing her firmly against the wall.

Lin Jin rested her hands against the wall, her cheek partially pressed against Cheng Sangluo’s shoulder. She smiled, a stray lock of hair dangling, just enough for the person behind her to feel the half-hidden tease. “Hold me tighter, or I’ll fall~”

Hearing this, the arm around her waist tightened. Cheng Sangluo’s other hand cupped the madwoman’s chin. She buried her head in the fragrant nape of Lin Jin’s neck, letting out a helpless yet obsessed sigh: “I can’t do anything with you.”

The two had a perfect height difference, which always created a soul-hooking tension during ambiguous moments. Just like now, the embrace pressed against the corner of the wall was overflowing with that tension.

Cheng Sangluo arched her back, submerging the slender, beautiful woman in her embrace—much like a black-furred wolf cornering a weak little white rabbit.

The kisses she planted were not gentle; they were more like bites with an aggressive flavor. In her trance-like state, the sighs vibrating in her breath made one’s heart itch.

Lin Jin enjoyed those bites and kisses of varying intensity. The smile playing at the corners of her lips was as arrogant as ever, yet filled with doting permission—permission for the person sinking step-by-step to be savage, and then a little more savage.

A single wall separated two completely different worlds, creating an indescribable sense of taboo and excitement.

In the living room, Lin Jin’s legal team was working at full tilt. Occasionally, the sound of typing drifted in, mixed with the murmur of discussion. The busier those people were, the more it stirred the waves of passion in the dining room.

The two against the wall had disheveled clothes; their embrace involved reckless tugging, and they kissed with total abandon.

Cheng Sangluo’s fingertips were coated in sticky nectar. Lin Jin’s slender shoulders twitched, and the fingers stroking the puppy’s cheek trembled.

As much as Cheng Sangluo wanted to focus entirely on her intimacy with Lin Jin, she had to spare a sliver of attention to guard against movement outside. When she faintly heard approaching footsteps, she quickly reined in her scattered logic, hurriedly straightening Lin Jin’s robe and tightening her own loose belt.

Acting as if nothing had happened, she carried the limp madwoman back to the dining table. Whatever had just occurred felt like a fleeting dream, save for the stickiness on her fingertips that hadn’t been wiped away yet—a reminder of the brief, crude intimacy.

Lin Jin secretly steadied her scorched breathing, resting one hand on her cheek. She watched the puppy, who was trying so hard to look composed, and teased in a whisper: “Lighting a fire but not putting it out… you deserve ten thousand deaths.”

In the quiet dining room, her laughing voice wasn’t loud, but like a tiny pebble, it created layers of ripples. The sound drifted into Cheng Sangluo’s ears like an ungraspable kiss, touching every nerve and reigniting the fire in her lower abdomen that had just been suppressed.

Cheng Sangluo gripped the back of the chair. She bit her lip hard, using the physical pain to dispel the delusion of wanting Lin Jin so desperately.

She pulled out a chair and sat down, staring at the madwoman who looked calm on the surface. Underneath the table, she placed her hand on Lin Jin’s leg, moving it with a “now you feel it, now you don’t” touch. “Then let the fire that can’t be put out burn even brighter.”

Saying this, she leaned close to Lin Jin’s face, her lips brushing against her earlobe. “Let me tell you a secret: you aren’t the only one suffering.”

“I couldn’t tell~ even the puppy has a bad side,” Lin Jin teased, leaning her body weight onto Cheng Sangluo’s shoulder. “Suffering is fine. The more it hurts, the more exciting it is. I like it~”

As they enjoyed their verbal flirting, Zhou Ran walked in carrying a tray. Her professional standards and capability were top-tier; serving an unpredictable boss like Lin Jin meant she wasn’t just skilled, but also observant and cautious.

If Lin Jin didn’t ask, she didn’t talk, and she certainly wouldn’t pry into her boss’s private life. As she set the dishes on the table, she didn’t even lift her eyes.

“Please enjoy your meal,” Zhou Ran said appropriately, turning to leave with the empty tray. “President Lin, please call me anytime you need something.”

“Go ahead,” Lin Jin waved her off. She busied herself putting food in the puppy’s bowl, coaxing her with a smile: “You’re someone who does ‘physical labor,’ you need to eat more to have strength~”

Cheng Sangluo stared at the mountain of food in her bowl, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “Enough, enough. If I eat like this, I’ll be ready for the slaughterhouse in two weeks.”

“You’re an energetic little puppy, not a pig in a pen. Listen to me, eat more. You’ll need the strength later…” Lin Jin trailed off, clearly hanging the bait.

Cheng Sangluo puzzled over what “physical labor” meant, and why she needed strength for it. When the realization hit, two red clouds bloomed on her cheeks. She pretended to be dumb and ate in silence, burying her face in the bowl.

Knock, knock, knock— A brief knock at the dining room door interrupted them.

“Come in.” Lin Jin, who had only been picking at her food, put down her chopsticks.

“Sorry to disturb your meal.” The lead lawyer approached with two sets of documents, distributing them while stating his purpose: “President Lin, this is the first draft of the prenuptial agreement drawn up according to your instructions. Please look it over.”

“Leave it here and go. I’ll find you if there are questions.” Lin Jin picked up the agreement and dismissed him, then looked at the still-bewildered puppy.

Hearing “prenuptial agreement,” Cheng Sangluo snapped her head up from the bowl. She finally understood what the people in the living room were there for. She watched the lawyer leave, realizing that after the life-threatening events of last night, Lin Jin was unexpectedly serious about the sham marriage—otherwise, she wouldn’t have summoned a team so hastily.

Cheng Sangluo’s cheeks were stuffed full. While chewing with effort, she grabbed the agreement and began to flip through it. The document was as thick as a book, filled with dense text and professional jargon that made her scratch her head.

Lin Jin, however, looked relaxed. After a quick glance, she focused her attention on the puppy’s face. She watched entranced, a smile in her eyes that deepened as Cheng Sangluo’s expression began to sour.

“Hiss… this agreement…” Cheng Sangluo frowned, hesitant to speak. After flipping a few more pages, she suddenly exploded: “No way! How can there be an agreement that is 100% unequal like this?!”

The puppy glared at the madwoman and pointed at a clause, reciting: “Party B must stay by Party A’s side twenty-four hours a day and cannot refuse any of Party A’s requests; otherwise, breach of contract compensation will be calculated at 0.01% of the total debt per occurrence, with no upper limit?!

And this one! During the marriage, Party B cannot have private interactions with any other woman without Party A’s consent. If discovered, Party A has the right to demand compensation for economic and spiritual losses.

The marriage term is three years. Within three years, Party B may not run away, enter emotional relationships with others, or initiate divorce. If breached, Party B must pay three times the total debt of three million as a penalty.”

Cheng Sangluo’s voice grew smaller as she read. Finally, she gasped: “Meaning if I break the contract halfway, I owe you nine million? I don’t get a single benefit from this agreement; it’s all pits waiting for me to jump in?! I have no money, only my life!”

“What I want is exactly your life~” Lin Jin propped her chin up elegantly. Seeing the puppy’s face turn darker, she still raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. “As for the content, I think it’s quite reasonable~”

“Where is it reasonable? The Qing Dynasty is long gone!” Cheng Sangluo barked in anger, then buried her head to continue reading the hundreds of unequal terms. Suddenly, she made a sound like a rubber chicken: “This… this… what the hell is this?! If Party A has physiological needs, Party B must obey. Party A will pay one thousand yuan as a reward based on Party B’s performance.”

The air suddenly went still.

Cheng Sangluo stared at Lin Jin in disbelief. After a long silence, she squawked: “Wait, you even wrote this down in black and white!?”

Well, the time for revenge had come.

“Who was it that used a thousand yuan to buy one night of my time back then? I’m just following your example. It’s perfectly logical and nothing to be ashamed of.” Lin Jin arched her eyes, flashing a long-unseen hypocritical smile. She spread her hands and shrugged indifferently. “Besides, we’re at a time when our demand for ‘love’ is high. This is a great chance for you to make money. You could pull in tens of thousands a month. What a great deal~”

She poked the puppy’s head, her face practically saying: What are you going to do about it? I’m here for payback.

“Tens of thousands a month? Whoever wants that job can have it. What kind of messy ‘Love Trade’ is this?” Cheng Sangluo brushed her hand away impatiently. “During the marriage, Party B is obligated to care for and protect Party A.

If performance is good, Party A can pay Party B a salary or deduct debt based on market rates. All rights of interpretation belong to Party A… Out of hundreds of clauses, this is the only one that’s somewhat equal… This agreement is effective upon signing… Lin Jin, you really are something. You’re not giving me a way out?”

Having finished the draft, Cheng Sangluo felt like she had been flayed. This wasn’t a proper sham marriage agreement; it was an outright deed of sale, and an unpaid one at that!!!

“It’s just a first draft; it can be changed~” Lin Jin’s voice was like honey. She quickly wrapped her arms around the puppy’s neck, coaxing: “We can draft supplementary agreements anytime. If you perform well during these three years and make me happy, I’ll give you houses, cars, money… you’ll become a millionaire or billionaire overnight.”

“Who wants your junk? Do you think I’m here for those things?” Cheng Sangluo was so angry she wanted to curse. She tried to push the madwoman away, but fearing she would hurt her thin frame, she could only toss the agreement all over the floor. “No, no, no. I can’t sign this.”

Hearing the rejection, Lin Jin’s voice turned cold and threatening: “Has it been too long since you suffered? Are you getting stubborn again? This agreement must be signed, and it must be today. We don’t have much time left.”

Cheng Sangluo’s face was flushed with anger. The “clingy spirit” on her neck wouldn’t be shaken off, and she was uncompromising. “Do you think I’m stupid and easy to fool? Find someone else to sign this deed of sale.”

“You owe me money, you eat my food, you lie in my bed, and you slept with me.” Lin Jin was so “reasonable” that the puppy wanted to cover her mouth. Lin Jin dodged her hand and mocked with a smile: “You dare to do it but not admit it? What right do you have to refuse me?”

“You!” Cheng Sangluo was bad with words; under the madwoman’s sharp retort, she was momentarily speechless. She clicked her tongue—after all this time, her mouth still wasn’t useful for much!

Lin Jin’s interest in teasing the “dog” finally subsided. She wiped the smile from her lips and said seriously: “If the situation weren’t urgent, I wouldn’t have called the lawyers to draft this so quickly. You saw what happened last night.

Lin Sheng’s methods are worse than you imagine. The Old Man is still unconscious in the ICU, and we don’t know the situation with Xu Sunheng. Combined with Sheng He’s betrayal, my position is dangerous. I might be gone any moment.”

Lin Jin said this with a smile—the possibility of being killed by her brother. The smile didn’t look helpless; she was as calm as if she had accepted all unknown accidents.

Cheng Sangluo calmed down too. Her shoulders slumped as she let out a sigh. She realized the madwoman’s isolation was indeed beyond her imagination. Although she had stabbed that bastard Xu Sunheng last night, she hadn’t truly vented her anger, because the real mastermind was still waiting to watch the show, unharmed.

Perhaps it was her soft heart, or perhaps it was to take down their common enemy. She hesitated, her “mountain-like” resolve finally wavering. After a moment, she said seriously: “Lin Jin.”

Lin Jin was ladling soup. Hearing the puppy call her by her full name, she knew the agreement was a done deal. She smiled faintly: “Say whatever you want to say.”

“I can sign this, but there are a few major premises you must agree to.” Cheng Sangluo finally relented. Lin Jin’s eyes crinkled; her feigned composure became real. She shoved the bowl into the puppy’s hands, coaxing: “Talk while you eat. I don’t want to starve my puppy.”

Cheng Sangluo clicked her tongue. She took a few sips of the soup—it actually tasted quite good. She didn’t speak immediately but stared into the madwoman’s eyes. It wasn’t to figure out her thoughts, but simply because she wanted to look at her for a few more moments.

Lin Jin wasn’t as easily embarrassed as the puppy. Instead, she leaned closer to meet her gaze and said tenderly: “After we marry, you can stare at me like this whenever you want. For as long as you want. I’m generous~”

For some reason, Cheng Sangluo’s spine twitched. That “skipped heartbeat” feeling was like an electric jolt—a tingly, numb itch. She didn’t understand why this eye contact caused such a strange sensation. She knew this was a partnership for mutual interest, so why was her heart racing?

She dodged the gaze and rubbed her nose, turning away. “Ahem. First, the agreement must automatically void once we achieve our respective goals. Second, my interactions with others cannot be seen as a breach that’s my human right and freedom. Third…”

She leaned in, and just as she was about to kiss Lin Jin’s lips, she tilted her head and landed the kiss on her earlobe. “Sleeping with you… I won’t take money for that. Otherwise, it feels like some power-for-sex trade. But as your driver, nanny, and bodyguard, you have to pay me a corresponding salary. That’s my labor earned. Not a cent less.”

Lin Jin raised an eyebrow and scoffed: “Hah, sleeping with me for free?” She turned to stare at the determined puppy. From a nose-length away, their glowing eyes reflected each other. “Why does that sound so insulting?”

Cheng Sangluo didn’t pull back from the intimate distance. “Just tell me if you agree.”

“I’m not the one losing out, so of course I agree~” Lin Jin cupped her face. “I have a tiny request too. You’re not allowed to call me ‘madwoman’ anymore. You have to change what you call me. What was it again?”

Lin Jin intentionally didn’t say the title that would clarify their relationship. She urged: “Hurry, let me hear it.”

Cheng Sangluo was startled by this simple request. Her ears burned and her face turned red. It was as if those two words could kill her. She stuttered for a long time, unable to say them, resisting awkwardly: “Call you what… we… we haven’t even signed yet…”

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