Falling After Marriage - Chapter 84

Chapter 84: I Said, I Miss You

“I have to go, I need to take this call. She’s extremely suspicious; if I delay even a few seconds, she’ll start interrogating me.” Cheng Sangluo voiced her mock annoyance, then swiped to answer the persistent ringing. “Hello? Did you land, or are you at the hotel already?”

“What are you doing?” Lin Jin’s cold voice came through the receiver. It seemed she was indeed a bit impatient because the “puppy” hadn’t answered immediately.

As expected, Cheng Sangluo thought, she’s already doubting me.

She grumbled inwardly but played it off with a casual lie: “My phone is acting up; the screen has a dead zone. I have to swipe a few times to get it to answer.”

The puppy wasn’t good at lying. Even though the sharp-witted woman wasn’t standing in front of her, she still scratched the back of her head awkwardly and reflexively glanced at Ji Nanxing, who was flipping through records. Seeing that the Captain wasn’t paying attention to her blatant lying, she let out a sigh of relief.

“I just left the airport. I have no plans for the evening; I’ll be staying in the hotel,” Lin Jin informed her of her itinerary, almost like a formal report. She paused for a few seconds before adding, “There’s cash in the bedroom nightstand. Don’t mistreat yourself while you’re alone. Eat whatever you want, buy whatever you want.

You are the wife of the Chairman of Senyao Group; you represent me, so don’t be stingy.”

“I’m a grown adult, of course I know how to take care of myself. Don’t you worry,” Cheng Sangluo blinked. She found the madwoman’s temper strange and awkward—why couldn’t she say these things to her face instead of waiting until they were apart?

This kind of “difficult to express” concern was a late-blooming tenderness. it brought a dazed sense of joy that had quite a powerful aftertaste.

“Call me tonight.” Lin Jin figured the dog-thing had no friends and likely wouldn’t be wandering the streets, so she gave a verbal warning: “I’ll say it again: you are not allowed to have contact with Shu Wan. If I find out you’re meeting people you shouldn’t, you’re finished.”

“Oh please, why are we back to this? Do I look like the type to go wild and not come home?” Hearing the same old lecture, Cheng Sangluo quickly patted her chest as a guarantee. “I’m going to a supermarket in a bit, grab a bite to eat, and go straight home like a good girl.”

“Humph. You’d better do exactly as you say,” Lin Jin snorted and hung up abruptly.

Listening to the cold dial tone, Cheng Sangluo faked a few more “Hellos” for show.

Ji Nanxing rested her notebook on her lap and looked up at the puppy’s honest, submissive expression, a look of amusement on her face. “I couldn’t tell, but you’re actually henpecked.”

“Well, you’ve known Lin Jin longer than I have. Don’t you know her style? If I don’t listen, she finds all sorts of ways to bully me. Besides, they say listening to your wife makes you rich!” Cheng Sangluo feigned a look of helpless resignation, successfully reinforcing her “devoted wife” persona.

She had her own little schemes. Facing someone with Ji Nanxing’s observation and analytical skills, everything she said and did had to be airtight. Since their “contract marriage” couldn’t be discovered, she couldn’t leave the slightest crack in the facade.

Ji Nanxing didn’t continue the topic of Lin Jin. She closed her notebook and arranged, “We’ll stop here for today. Please keep your phone on; I’ll contact you anytime for further questioning.”

“Okay.” Cheng Sangluo nodded and pointed cautiously toward the door. “So… can I go?”

“Of course. You have a supermarket to visit; I won’t take up any more of your time.” Ji Nanxing waved her off, then added, “From your conversation with Lin Jin, it seems you don’t want her to know you’re being investigated at the Criminal Investigation Center.”

Cheng Sangluo, who was standing up, gave a dry laugh. “Of course not. First, I don’t want her to worry—it’s the Xu Songheng case, and I don’t want her reliving that night and having nightmares. Second, because of my background… to outsiders, I’m a former convict who suddenly ended up with a powerful boss. We aren’t a ‘match’ on paper, so the less my record is mentioned, the better.”

“Makes sense.” Ji Nanxing stood up as well. “I’ll see you out.”

“You’re busy, don’t trouble yourself.” Cheng Sangluo waved her off, self-deprecatingly adding, “I know the way around here… well.”

“You said you were framed, so why belittle yourself?” Ji Nanxing decided not to walk her out after all. She felt Cheng Sangluo had to walk some paths herself. Since she was innocent, she should come and go with her head held high. “I believe you’ll be a big help with the Xu Songheng case. I’ll have to trouble you later.”

Cheng Sangluo reached the door and looked back at Ji Nanxing with a playful smile. “Does this make me an ‘Enthusiastic Citizen’? Do I get an award or something?”

“Cooperating with the police to solve a case is the duty of every law-abiding citizen. What award?” Ji Nanxing laughed at how money-minded the girl was. She tossed out a tempting bait: “If the information you provided is true, it might actually drag up your old case. So, put some heart into the Xu Songheng investigation. But let me be clear: don’t go wild like you did with that gambling ring raid.”

Cheng Sangluo promised she wouldn’t. She walked out of the office with a light step, finally feeling a sense of relief. The conversation with Ji Nanxing hadn’t been long, but being that cautious was exhausting. Faced with that unpredictable Captain, she had to play the part of a supportive citizen, a blissful newlywed, and a strategist pointing the finger at Lin Sheng.

Fortunately, Ji Nanxing didn’t seem to suspect her much.

Walking through the corridors of the building, Cheng Sangluo paused for a moment. She looked out at the clear blue sky—a stark contrast to the bleak, gray day she was first brought in years ago. A sudden wave of nostalgia hit her. Three years wasn’t long, yet it wasn’t short either. The old officer who arrested her had retired, and only this hallway remained unchanged. Perhaps it was just her mindset that had shifted.

She looked up at the autumn sun, stretched a long stretch, and a satisfied smile tugged at her lips.

This was good. The interrogation had successfully pushed the suspicion toward Lin Sheng. For her and Lin Jin, this was a massive win.

A person used to loneliness, once they taste the sweetness of companionship, develops an indescribable dependence. Such was Cheng Sangluo at this moment.

After leaving the center, she wandered alone through the busy streets. How long had it been since she just roamed around peacefully? She counted the days; the last time she was this free was when the madwoman got her fired from her mechanic job, leading her to Quanshan Peninsula.

With her hands in her pockets, she thought about dinner. She craved a seafood feast, but then she shook her head and dismissed the idea.

No, no. I promised Lin Jin we’d have seafood together. I have to save that meal, or she’ll find an excuse to pick a fight for eating it without her.

She made a face of utter helplessness, even stomping her foot in annoyance. Why did everything remind her of that woman? She used to be a loner; she never cared what anyone else thought.

Funny, this awkward person thought she was being cold and detached, but her actions were all deeply sentimental.

She walked aimlessly until she saw a long queue at a milk tea shop. To kill time, she joined the line. Once she got her caramel pudding milk tea, she squatted by the road like a street kid and took a huge gulp.

Maybe she was bored, or maybe she felt she should have some fun, but for the first time, she held up her cup against the sunlight, took a photo, and sent it to Lin Jin.

Spicy Bingbing: Report: I bought a caramel pudding milk tea so good it makes me want to jump. It cost 17 yuan. So expensive!

Crazy Enough to Blow Up the Earth (Cheng Sangluo’s nickname for Lin Jin): [Not bad. You’re finally learning to spend more than ten dollars on yourself.

Cheng Sangluo didn’t expect such a fast reply. She wondered if the woman was actually on vacation in Zehai. Shouldn’t she be buried in work?

Spicy Bingbing: What are you doing?

Crazy Enough to Blow Up the Earth: Thinking of you~

“Cough…” Cheng Sangluo was mid-sip and nearly choked. She made a face of disgust. “Ugh! So sappy!”

Crazy Enough to Blow Up the Earth: Truthfully now, are you cringing at my message right now?

Cheng Sangluo felt a chill down her spine and shivered. She instinctively looked left and right. “Does that madwoman have a third eye? How can she guess that?”

She grumbled while struggling to type on her cracked screen.

Spicy Bingbing: [No, I’m just trying to figure out the mindset behind that sentence. How much of it is real ‘thinking of me’ and how much of it is just fake flirting?] (Attached: Puppy being good.jpg)

Crazy Enough to Blow Up the Earth: Cheng Sangluo, you are really bad at chatting. Go buy some books on improving emotional intelligence. I’ll reimburse you.

Cheng Sangluo pouted. She felt she was being nice by sharing her life, but this woman didn’t appreciate it at all. It took a lot for her to take this step of initiative—more than she ever imagined.

Fine. The conversation was dead. Let it stay dead.

Just as she was about to lock her phone, her screen lit up with a voice call. Seeing Lin Jin’s avatar jumping, she proved she was just as awkward as she claimed Lin Jin was. She answered instantly, as if afraid the person on the other end would wait even a second.

The moment it connected, she smiled brighter than the sun, her voice full of delight. “See? Look how fast I answered this time. Didn’t make you wait a second, did I?”

“Are you asking for a reward? Should I send you some ‘Big Red Flowers’ to hang on a wall of fame for everyone to see?”

Listening to Lin Jin’s half-teasing, half-serious tone, Cheng Sangluo looked down at her toes and kicked a small pebble. “If you’re willing to give out flowers, I’m certainly happy to receive them.”

“I couldn’t tell, you’ve actually got a bit of a mouth on you.”

Cheng Sangluo took it as a compliment. “There are lots of things you can’t tell. Why the sudden call?”

“Because someone’s texting skills are so terrible that I had no desire to type. I had to call to hear a sound.” Lin Jin dragged out her words, her tone carrying a faint smile. She had wrapped “I want to hear your voice” in a layer of arrogance to maintain her persona.

Cheng Sangluo wasn’t stupid. She knew the madwoman actually missed her, but that “hard-to-change” pride often undercut the tenderness. Fortunately, she wasn’t petty and was used to Lin Jin’s awkward way of expressing feelings.

Arguments at a distance could still be fun.

“Honestly… now that you’re suddenly not here, I’m a bit unaccustomed to it.” Cheng Sangluo continued walking, scratching her head as if she were itchy all over. “I just feel… um… it’s quite boring…”

“Heh.” Lin Jin let out a soft laugh. “Is it really that hard to just say you miss me?”

Cheng Sangluo held the phone tight against her ear, as if afraid to miss a single syllable. Even though the question was soft, it hit her heart like a heavy stone. She looked up at the crowded pedestrian street. She hadn’t realized she had walked into such a bustling area. The mass of people made her feel even more isolated.

Her lips parted, but she was silent. Before responding, she asked herself: Coward, do you miss her too?

There was no sound from the phone, making it seem like the signal was bad. “Hello? Hello? Lin Jin, can you hear me? Is the signal bad?”

Even after calling out a few times, there was no response. Cheng Sangluo panicked. She felt a surge of regret—why was she so stingy? If she missed her, she should just say it. Why drag it out and make them both suffer?

Seeing the noise and bustle around her, she cupped her hand over her mouth and raised her voice.

“Lin Jin! I miss you!”

“What did you say? I can’t hear you.” Lin Jin’s laughter was clear and cold—she was clearly teasing the puppy. But the laughter also carried a lingering sweetness, wanting to hear a more certain admission.

Cheng Sangluo said piteously, “I said, I miss you!”

Lin Jin played along: “Cheng Sangluo, I really can’t hear you. Can you be a bit louder, please?”

“Lin Jin! I miss you! I said I MISS YOU!” Cheng Sangluo didn’t care that her voice was drawing stares from passersby. She just kept repeating it: “The puppy misses the madwoman! Spicy Bingbing misses Crazy Enough to Blow Up the Earth! Cheng Sangluo misses Lin Jin!!!”

“Hahahahahaha! Cheng Sangluo, making you admit you miss me isn’t that hard after all~”

Lin Jin’s laughter on the other end became even more joyful, allowing Cheng Sangluo to imagine that beautiful, mischievous face. Her own face turned bright red. She didn’t know how to follow up, realizing she had fallen completely into the madwoman’s little trap.

She slapped her forehead, laughing in frustration, but she naturally accepted the words she had spoken. Yes, the feeling was real. It came from the heart, which was why she could say it over and over.

Suddenly, Lin Jin stopped laughing. Her voice turned deep as she asked: “Wait… who is ‘Crazy Enough to Blow Up the Earth’!?”

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