Falling After Marriage - Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Kiss Me Properly

Inside the spacious dining room, the voice of the news broadcast came to an abrupt halt, leaving only the sporadic clinking of cutlery.

Cheng Sangluo put down the piece of toast in her hand, pulled out a few napkins, and handed them to Lin Jin. She asked cautiously, “Young person… um… are you okay?”

Lin Jin looked at the tissue in the puppy’s hand, wrinkled her nose, and let out a light laugh. “Did you think I was going to burst into tears?”

“Uh… I was telling you to wipe your mouth…” Cheng Sangluo made a clumsy excuse, inwardly cursing her redundant concern. After all, the madwoman was heartless; did she really need pity?

Lin Jin set her phone aside and stirred the white porridge in her bowl, but in the end, she didn’t take a single bite. Having no appetite, she put down the bowl and silently moved into her wheelchair.

Seeing her leave, Cheng Sangluo hurriedly abandoned her breakfast and stepped behind the wheelchair. “Where are you going?”

“Eat your breakfast, don’t mind me. I can operate this electric wheelchair myself,” Lin Jin replied flatly, pushing the joystick toward the home elevator.

Cheng Sangluo stood frozen in place, a look of abandonment on her face. “Hey! Where are you going? I’ll come find you once I’ve cleaned up.”

She put her hands on her hips, watching the thin back fade into the distance. She sighed helplessly. Why act so tough? It’s not shameful to cry when your father dies.

In truth, Cheng Sangluo couldn’t empathize with what Lin Jin was actually feeling. Lin Zhen’s death didn’t stir her grief; she was saddened by how easily a person could simply cease to exist. For over twenty years, she had spent every waking moment planning her revenge, thinking of every way to drive that family of three to their deaths. In the end, after a single bout of illness, the man was just… gone.

Lin Zhen died too easily. How could this resolve the hatred that had taken root and sprouted in the depths of her heart for so many years?

Lin Jin went straight to the second-floor study. She sat behind the grand mahogany desk and took out the “great gift” Lin Zhen had given her. She scrutinized the content of the agreement, going over it practically word-for-word to ensure Lin Zhen hadn’t set any linguistic traps.

‘Within one year… if Senyao Capital’s annual net profit is 10% higher than the Lin Group’s… you will receive 90% of the shares… If you fail… you will lose 50% of your controlling stake in Senyao Capital…’

Lin Jin recalled the conversation with her father the night before and compared it to the agreement. Sure enough, buried in the dense clauses were ambiguous stipulations:

1. If Party B (Senyao) exceeds Party A (Lin Group) by 10%, they receive 30% of Lin Zhen’s shares.

2. If Party B exceeds by 20%, they receive 60% of shares.

3. If Party B exceeds by 30%, they receive 90% of shares.

4. If Party A exceeds Party B by 10%, Party A receives 50% of Party B’s controlling stake.

To summarize: even with Lin Zhen’s death and the transfer of shares to Lin Sheng, the gambling agreement remains valid for one year.

Yesterday, Lin Jin was so focused on angering Lin Zhen that she read the agreement hastily. She hadn’t expected that old fox to play word games with her even from his deathbed. On the surface, the Lin Group offered more “options,” but in reality, Senyao was at a disadvantage. Comparing the first and fourth clauses revealed the extreme unfairness of the deal.

Lin Zhen proposed this because he was certain his daughter would agree just for the sake of revenge. This way, he satisfied his “Gu-style” competitive drive for his descendants while favoring Lin Sheng’s side. If Lin Jin signed and met any of the first three terms, it proved she was the best captain for the Lin ship—satisfying Lin Zhen’s result and securing the Lin family’s future.

Conversely, if she failed or refused to sign, Ruan Jinxian and her son would be secured for life.

For Lin Zhen, it was a game he could never lose.

“Old man, you won’t let me go even in death. Your abacus is clicking loud and clear,” Lin Jin chuckled, leaning back and rubbing the bridge of her nose with her eyes closed.

Knock, knock, knock—

Cheng Sangluo knocked politely and poked half her head in, waving a fruit plate. “Can I come in?”

Lin Jin was pulled from her thoughts. Seeing the puppy’s obedient and pleasing manner, she showed a weary smile. “Come in.”

Cheng Sangluo quickened her pace and set the fruit plate in front of Lin Jin. “Eat some fruit. I saw you barely ate breakfast. Even immortals know how to absorb the essence of the sun and moon; you’re just a mortal body living on air. You’re as thin as a monkey—a gust of wind could blow you out to sea. You know what you look like? A kite. Just a thin layer.”

Hearing the puppy’s rapid-fire nagging, Lin Jin raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Hiss… I’ve noticed you’re very talkative. You used to go five words at a time. When did a ‘silent gourd’ become such a chatterbox?”

“I…” The puppy was speechless. She made a zipping motion over her mouth, then shifted her gaze to the desk. She looked at the agreement. Though she didn’t know the specifics, the bolded words “Gambling Agreement” spoke for themselves, not to mention Lin Zhen’s name.

“A gamble? What are you betting on with Lin Zhen? Isn’t he dead?” Cheng Sangluo frowned. Just as she reached out to grab the paper, Lin Jin slapped her hand down on it.

“This isn’t something you should worry about,” Lin Jin said indifferently. “It has nothing to do with you. Don’t ask.”

It had been a long time since Cheng Sangluo felt the madwoman’s coldness. That phrase—”nothing to do with you”—sent her into an unprecedented slump. She leaned irritably against the desk, looking sideways at the distracted woman.

“At most, I’m a silent gourd on the surface. You’re the one who never says a word of truth. No matter what I ask, you keep your mouth shut. We’re on the same path now—kissing, hugging, getting married—we’ve done it all, yet you still won’t tell me anything. What’s the point of our alliance? Playing house?”

Cheng Sangluo wanted Lin Jin to open up. She didn’t expect the 100% truth, but at least a talk about the next steps. She felt like a headless fly. Although she had finally faced Lin Sheng, she didn’t know what to do next and had to rely on Lin Jin’s arrangements.

Lin Jin listened to the complaint, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk. The room fell into an awkward silence. She looked thoughtfully at the disappointed puppy. Whenever this “dog” acted pathetic, Lin Jin’s heart softened. Having no other choice, she explained the contents of the gambling agreement in layman’s terms.

Cheng Sangluo was stunned, then her teeth began to chatter with rage. She slammed a fist onto the desk. “Is he even your biological father? Does blood mean nothing to him? It’s one thing to leave you nothing, but to intentionally toss such a hot potato… May that old man go to the eighteenth level of hell!”

“Argh!” The more the puppy cursed, the angrier she got, ruffling her own hair into a mess. “I feel so powerless, like my slaps can’t reach inside his coffin!”

Lin Jin rested her chin on her hands, watching Cheng Sangluo’s explosive frustration. She secretly thought the puppy was cutely out-of-bounds and wanted to pinch those puffed-up cheeks. Her somber mood improved significantly. She picked up a green grape, took a small bite, and asked: “From your perspective, do you think I should sign this?”

“Of course not!” Cheng Sangluo answered without thinking. She popped a grape into her own mouth and chewed forcefully. “Signing this is just giving warmth to those two ‘ghosts.’ They get all the benefits. Do you really want to hand over your fortune to others?”

“True. From a normal perspective, this shouldn’t be signed.” Lin Jin lazily spun her executive chair. After a moment of thought, she taught the puppy how to use a business mind. “You have to learn to look at the same problem from different angles.

You’ll find there’s never just one answer. From a capital investment view, we can treat it as a high-risk, high-reward project. Lin Zhen probably missed a key point: Senyao’s suffix is ‘Capital.’ What is capital? It’s the leverage of using money to make more money.”

Cheng Sangluo listened to Lin Jin’s eloquent speech, her bright eyes shining with admiration. In this moment, she saw more than just beautiful features; she saw endless wisdom and craftiness. Though she didn’t understand the jargon, looking at Lin Jin’s smile gave her the illusion that everything was under control.

She figured this illusion was logical. In her memory, the madwoman never seemed afraid of anything. She always looked certain of victory. No matter the time, the smile at the corner of her mouth was never anything but confident—steeped in deep arrogance and leisure.

“So… you mean… you’re going to sign it?” she asked stumblingly. Even though these multi-billion dollar struggles had nothing to do with her, a tension blocked her chest that even a deep breath couldn’t clear.

“Yes,” Lin Jin nodded, not elaborating on the plan as she messaged someone on her phone.

Cheng Sangluo leaned over the desk. “Then… what about me? What’s my job? You have to give me something meaningful to do. You can’t just let me be your nanny and driver all day.”

Lin Jin laughed, glancing up. “Do you have a ‘hard labor’ complex? Isn’t it good to be leisure? You’re responsible for protecting me, or at worst, carving seals. I have no other plans for you.”

“Aren’t you best at capitalist exploitation?” Cheng Sangluo leaned closer, her face almost touching Lin Jin’s phone. “Come on, exploit me.”

Lin Jin arched an eyebrow. What a weird request. But seeing the puppy was so sincere, she obliged: “Here, this gambling agreement needs a seal. Carve a few more today. Isn’t this ‘great use’ where you come in handy?”

“What?!” Cheng Sangluo stood up straight, wrinkling her nose. “In the end, you don’t expect me to do anything ‘serious’.”

Lin Jin set her phone down and turned grave. “Speaking of serious matters, there is indeed one important thing to arrange immediately.”

The puppy’s eyes lit up. “What is it? Just say it. Missions and execution are my specialty.”

“I’m flying to the neighboring city this afternoon for work. I’ll be there for about a week. So, go to the bedroom and pack my bags.”

Cheng Sangluo processed this, then launched a loud question: “What about me? I’m not in your itinerary? You have trouble moving and it’s a critical time. If Lin Sheng finds out and wants to cause trouble, who’s going to protect you if I’m not there?!”

“Are you that afraid of something happening to me?” Lin Jin tilted her head and pointed upward. “The collection in this room is worth over a hundred million. You’re a puppy—of course you have to stay behind to guard the house~”

Cheng Sangluo grumbled: “Oh, so now you need a guard dog? Isn’t your smart butler ‘Cheng Sangluo’ more useful than ‘Dog Cheng Sangluo’?” Wait, did I just insult myself? “Pah!” She spat impatiently. “I know what you’re up to. You just want to push me away so you can do something secret!”

“I feel like you have some separation anxiety. Is it because we just got married yesterday and today we have a ‘short separation’? You can’t bear to leave me~” Lin Jin rolled her chair toward the puppy and wrapped her arms around her waist. “What should I do? I don’t want to leave my new wife either. If only I had Doraemon’s pocket; I’d shrink you and put you in my pocket to take you everywhere.”

“Ugh! Fine, fine! I won’t argue to go with you! Stop being so sappy!” Cheng Sangluo couldn’t handle the madwoman’s melting coyness. Though her mouth was dismissive, her body was honest, letting the arms tighten around her waist as she naturally rested her hands on that thin back.

She went silent for a moment, then whispered: “Report your safety to me when you get there. If I message you, reply promptly. If you run into trouble, tell me immediately so I can rush over. Stay safe, stay safe, stay safe. Important things are said three times.”

“You used to hate me clinging to you. Now that we have a chance to be apart, you’re the one clinging to me?” Lin Jin teased. She checked the time and changed her tone to a command: “My flight is at 1:00 PM. You have several hours to pack my bags slowly. Go to the bedroom; I need to watch you pack so you don’t put in useless things.”

In the walk-in closet.

Cheng Sangluo was half-buried in a wardrobe full of designer clothes, her mouth moving non-stop: “I mean, you only have one body, why buy so many clothes? Same at Linxi Tower—a whole closet of clothes, a different outfit every day, you could go 365 days without repeating!”

She rummaged for a bit, then continued nagging: “I don’t know the weather in Zehai City, but it’s autumn; the temperature fluctuates. Better pack some jackets.”

Despite her enthusiasm, she didn’t listen to Lin Jin’s commands, picking out a few professional suits and holding them up. “Ms. Urban Beauty, what do you think of these?”

“Not great. Pass.” Lin Jin leaned lazily in her wheelchair. “Those are out of style. Toss them. Pick some others.”

“Toss them?” Cheng Sangluo couldn’t stand waste. She gathered the clothes in her arms like they were precious treasures. “These are so new! No holes, no loose threads. I bet you haven’t worn them three times. No, we can’t toss them.”

“The clothes are mine, I’ll do what I want. Besides, it’s my business trip; we do it my way.” Lin Jin, who attended high-end events constantly, rarely wore things more than once or twice. She was picky. She couldn’t handle Cheng Sangluo’s “small-mindedness.” She commanded: “Go pack the toiletries. I’ll pick the clothes. You’ve been packing for ages and got nowhere. You’re in the way and wasting time.”

Hearing the complaint, Cheng Sangluo’s eyes went round. She suddenly flopped onto the floor and leaned sideways, pretending to wipe away tears.

“You think I’m nagging? You think I’m ‘coarse wheat’?” She acted like a wronged young wife, playing out a melodrama at Lin Jin’s feet. “Do you know how much a family needs a simple, frugal helpmate like me? As they say, ‘Listen to your wife and you’ll prosper! Listen to your wife and you’ll prosper! Listen to your wife and you’ll PROSPER!!!'”

Lin Jin stared at the person at her feet in disbelief. What kind of act was this?

“What are you shouting for? You haven’t squeezed out a single tear.” Lin Jin lifted a foot and poked the puppy’s butt. “Stop acting like you’re suffering. Get up!”

Having her butt poked, Cheng Sangluo wailed even louder: “GOOD! HEAVENS! ABOVE! It’s only the second day after the wedding and she’s already committing domestic violence! My love was misplaced! Misplaced after all!!!”

She wailed so tragically it really did look like she was being abused. Lin Jin instinctively pulled her foot back into the wheelchair, wondering why this person was getting more into the act as it went on.

Cheng Sangluo stopped her solo performance as soon as she saw the madwoman go quiet. She did a nimble kip-up and squatted in front of the wheelchair with a grin. “How was that? I acted well, right? Are you feeling better now?”

Lin Jin had thought the performance was clumsy and boring, but that pure question stirred a thousand ripples in her heart.

“So you were just trying to make me happy.” She reached out to touch the puppy’s smiling face. A faint warmth appeared in her eyes. “Making me happy is actually very simple,” she said softly. “Before we part, kiss me properly.”

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