Falling After Marriage - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Wi… Um… Wife

The next morning, early.

Cheng Sangluo was sleeping splayed out with her mouth half-open. Just as a bit of drool was about to escape the corner of her lips, the person standing by the bed launched a pillow attack.

“Mmph… what… what’s happening…” The puppy kicked her legs wildly and sat up. Her eyes weren’t even open yet, and her mouth was mumbling nonsense.

She caught the flying pillow with one arm and rubbed her sleepy eyes with the other. Once she cleared her vision and saw the figure looming by the bed, she leaned back against the headboard and grumbled loudly, “Do you have any idea that people can be scared to death?!”

“Get up.” Lin Jin didn’t waste words. She grabbed a corner of the quilt as if to strip it off. “I’m hungry. Get up and make me breakfast!”

“What time is it that you’re already hounding me? You won’t die of hunger in a few minutes.” Cheng Sangluo tugged at the covers, huddling into a ball. But when she picked up her battered phone and glanced at the time, she nearly bit her tongue. “Hiss… how is it nine o’clock already…”

She scratched her messy hair, wondering why she had been sleeping until broad daylight lately when she usually never overslept.

Lin Jin stood with her shoulders squared and arms crossed, looking down at the dazed “dog-thing” with an air of command. “I’m giving you five minutes to wash up, ten minutes to make breakfast, and we must be out the door in an hour.”

Seeing the madwoman turn to leave, Cheng Sangluo lunged forward and grabbed her wrist, puzzled. “Out the door for what? Is there an emergency?”

“To the Civil Affairs Bureau to get our marriage certificate. I’ve already made an appointment for eleven o’clock.” Lin Jin announced the day’s schedule matter-of-factly. She leaned over, pinched the puppy’s nose, and shook it slightly as a warning: “If we’re late because of your dawdling, I’m not done with you.”

Cheng Sangluo’s eyes went wide. “Huh?! Getting the certificate today? Why didn’t you notify me in advance yesterday?”

Lin Jin knew she would be reluctant, so she brought up the most persuasive “rules”: “What does the agreement say? Hmm… Party B must unconditionally accept all of Party A’s arrangements; failure to do so is considered a breach of contract…”

“Stop, stop, stop! Don’t keep bringing up the agreement every five seconds!” Cheng Sangluo couldn’t stand hearing about breach of contract penalties—anything related to money was her Achilles’ heel. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t go with you today. You just have to give me some time to get ready.”

She sat cross-legged, holding her ankles, looking quite honest and cute.

Lin Jin sneered. “Hmph. I didn’t realize you had a vain side—knowing you need to dress up for the certificate.”

The puppy talked back: “Even if it’s a sham marriage, it’s still my first time getting married. Of course I have to take it seriously. I can’t show up looking like a beggar.”

“Now you’ve learned to be picky about those faded T-shirts of yours?” Lin Jin teased, then used the furniture to steady herself as she stood up. “Fine. I’m going back to my room to get ready. Hurry up with breakfast and bring it in. You know how to serve people, right? Do I need to teach you?”

“Tsk.” Cheng Sangluo clicked her tongue, her tone sarcastic. “Do you want me to feed you, dress you, and do your makeup too?”

“You have three minutes left to wash up.” Lin Jin didn’t bother with the verbal sparring and limped slowly out of the guest room.

She suddenly grabbed the doorframe and glanced back at the puppy. “Say a proper goodbye to your guest room. Starting tonight, Little Sang is going to be my bed-warmer. Nervous?”

“What a load of nonsense.” Cheng Sangluo jumped off the bed and pushed the troublesome woman out the door. “Go, go, go. Mind your own business.”

Despite her dismissive words and actions, she was secretly full of careful concern. In the end, her heart softened. She let out a frustrated huff and picked Lin Jin up, starting her nagging again: “Did you treat Dr. Chi’s words like wind passing your ears? Your foot cannot touch the ground, it cannot touch the ground! You clearly have a wheelchair.”

Lin Jin loved Cheng Sangluo’s “duplicity”—the more she nagged, the more Lin Jin liked her.

Unable to help herself, she reached out and ruffled the puppy’s hair, teasing: “If you care about me, just say so. Can’t you speak nicely instead of acting like you’re covered in thorns?”

“Because you’re a big trouble who won’t listen to reason.” Cheng Sangluo wrinkled her nose. “If you were just a bit more obedient, you wouldn’t be so annoying.”

The late morning sun was brilliant, the clusters of clouds looked soft and delicious, and the breeze through the branches was warm.

On the steps outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, Cheng Sangluo ignored the strange looks from passersby and habitually carried Lin Jin in a horizontal “princess carry,” pausing cautiously with every step down.

She was naturally tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waist; dressed in the grey suit Lin Jin had custom-made for her, she looked like a walking clothes hanger. Her hair, which usually looked like a haystack, was neatly combed today, and her high ponytail made her look spirited, handsome, and steady.

In her arms, Lin Jin was holding both of their marriage certificates up to the sunlight. Though her smile was slight, she couldn’t hide the joy of a wish fulfilled in her eyes. She gazed at the festive red booklets so intently that it felt like a dream. She couldn’t help but call out: “Cheng Sangluo.”

“Yeah?” Cheng Sangluo responded, lowering her head to lean against Lin Jin’s. She smiled gently. “Stop staring. The state issued them. They can’t be fake.”

Reaching the Bentley, she set Lin Jin down and prepared to open the door. In that moment when their gazes met, it was Cheng Sangluo who froze.

Lin Jin had difficulty moving, so Cheng Sangluo had been running around all morning, not even having time for a sip of water. Now that they were idle, she finally had time to appreciate how breathtaking the person in front of her was.

Cheng Sangluo thought to herself: Today, Lin Jin is more beautiful than ever.

In truth, Lin Jin’s makeup was the same as always—elegant and light. Her long curly hair wasn’t styled specifically either, just draped naturally over her shoulders, flowing with the wind and carrying that familiar scent of perfume. But because it was a special day, she had chosen a short qipao with red elements, which showcased her graceful curves and refined temperament.

Leaning against the car door, Lin Jin pressed the two red booklets to her lips and asked with a smile, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Cheng Sangluo didn’t dodge the question. She rare, playful grin appeared as she mumbled, “Because you’re pretty.”

Lin Jin pouted in dissatisfaction. “You don’t even know how to give a proper compliment. It seems I’ll have to buy you a book of beautiful phrases so you can brush up.”

Usually, Cheng Sangluo would have sparred for several rounds, but she had no competitive drive at the moment. Her gaze was hooked by the beautiful scenery before her, and she couldn’t look away.

Lin Jin opened her arms and hugged the puppy’s broad waist tightly, burying her face in her chest and pleading in a muffled voice: “I want to hear you call me… um… you know what I want to hear…”

“Hey, hey, hey. This is just a sham marriage. Don’t make it seem real.” Cheng Sangluo rested one hand on her waist, then suddenly felt her answer was a mood-killer and went quiet.

Lin Jin buried her face deeper, her half-lowered eyelids unable to hide the disappointment rising in her eyes. True, getting to this step hasn’t been easy. Why be greedy?

She silently closed her eyes, focusing on listening. Perhaps listening to Cheng Sangluo’s heartbeat could temporarily suppress her greed for more.

“Sigh…” Cheng Sangluo sighed. She pulled Lin Jin’s waist closer and stammered, “Um… that… er…”

She was stuttering badly, her heart pounding like a drum: Stupid mouth, just say it!

The puppy dawdled for a long time before finally rubbing the bridge of her nose and asking softly, “Wife… what are we doing next?”

Lin Jin snapped her head up, nearly hitting Cheng Sangluo’s chin. Fortunately, the latter was agile and tilted her neck back, placing a hand on Lin Jin’s head to grumble: “Careful, that would have hurt.”

“What did you call me?” Lin Jin’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if seeking the ultimate truth. Her smile grew pure. “Say it again.”

How could Cheng Sangluo resist the madwoman’s soft plea? There was no real reluctance, but saying it out loud was simply embarrassing. She hesitated again, her tongue feeling tied as she mumbled: “Wi… mm… wi… wife…”

“Can’t you say it with feeling, clearly and boldly just once?” Lin Jin complained, tugging at the puppy’s sleeve. “Hurry up.”

“Hiss… you…” Cheng Sangluo’s face turned red as a ripe tomato. She was about to snap in annoyance, but seeing the madwoman’s expectant expression, she had to restrain her temper. She leaned close to her ear and whispered: “Wife.”

“That sounds nice~” Lin Jin praised contentedly, then carefully tucked the marriage certificates into her bag. “Let’s go to the office. I have work to handle. You behave yourself and be my ‘seal’.”

“Huh? Today is the day we got our certificate! Shouldn’t we go out and have fun? We’re going to work?!”

Seeing the puppy’s complaints, Lin Jin pinched her puffed-up cheek and coaxed: “We can have a candlelit dinner tonight. We can do whatever you want then. But right now, we need to handle business.”

“True. It’s a fake marriage anyway, no real need to celebrate.” Cheng Sangluo shrugged indifferently and helped Lin Jin into the car. “But I have one small request.”

Lin Jin wanted to argue against the “fake marriage” theory, but then realized it wasn’t without merit. Nominally, she and Cheng Sangluo were just partners. They could kiss, be ambiguous, and do unspeakable things, but they lacked so-called love.

Lin Jin’s smile stiffened slightly, but she stayed in a good mood and granted the request: “What do you want?”

“Can we have a big seafood feast? I don’t have money right now, so this meal is on me, but you deduct it from my salary. Think of it as celebrating our successful cooperation.” Cheng Sangluo was still that honest; from beginning to end, she didn’t aim for wealth.

Lin Jin arched an eyebrow as if she had found a rare treasure and burst out laughing. “Ha… just that?”

“What else?” Puppy_Honest.jpg.

“Should I call you stupid? You can handle many things beautifully, especially when saving people—then you’re brilliant.” Lin Jin praised her first, then immediately teased: “Should I call you smart? You don’t aim for anything. Do you know how many people want to stick to me? They could make a fortune just by making me happy for a moment. With you, it’s just an ordinary seafood dinner. You’re so poor you can barely keep the stove lit, yet you’re thinking of treating me to dinner?”

“How can you compare? I’m not like those wild butterflies outside. I don’t support myself by being provocative; I rely on hard work to get rich.” Cheng Sangluo was still the same Cheng Sangluo. Even after seeing the ways of the upper class, her heart hadn’t changed.

She leaned down to fasten Lin Jin’s seatbelt, continuing to mutter: “You can say I’m after your looks, but you can’t say I’m after your money. Because I’ve never even thought about it, got it?”

Lin Jin knew, of course. She smiled without speaking, not taking the bait. But she laughed inwardly: You fool, haven’t you noticed? We signed so many agreements, but I intentionally left out the prenuptial property agreement.

Zhouhai City Criminal Investigation Center.

“Is this missing person case special? Why was it suddenly transferred to our team?” Ji Nanxing held the phone receiver between her shoulder and ear while busy tidying files on her desk.

Hearing something specific, she sat up straight and held the receiver properly, confirming: “Who did you say is missing?”

“……”

Ji Nanxing heard that familiar name again and knitted her brows. “Fine. We’ll take this case. I’ll send someone for a scene investigation this afternoon. Please make sure the perimeter is cordoned off.”

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