Chapter 10

You two are quite the flirts, aren't you?

"Officer Ji, did you find this story interesting?"

Cheng Sangluo's question was low and hoarse, as if she had exhausted a lot of energy. When her sharp eyes swept across Ji Nanxing's face, a sarcastic smile appeared on her lips.

Ji Nanxing remained silent, his jaw clenched so tightly it seemed as if he were grinding his back teeth to powder.

That's right, that's the right expression; it means the story is exciting and also very torturous.

Cheng Sangluo narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, basking in the sunlight with a look of pure enjoyment, exactly like the day she was released from prison.

Birds soar on the wind, waves surge and roll, the whole world is filled with the taste of freedom, only those who pretend to be leisurely are not free.

Cheng Sangluo was imprisoned for a long time while she was wrongfully imprisoned.

Even with the handcuffs removed, the cold, hard touch remained; even while breathing in freedom, the rusty smell of prison lingered in the air.

Her senses were branded with pain—a burning, nauseating, inescapable pain.

She asked questions not to get answers, but to attack the people around her in this way.

Ji Nanxing was perceptive and could sense the danger Cheng Sangluo was in.

This highly trained special forces soldier with a criminal record is like a ticking time bomb, who knows when he might cause a huge uproar.

She was about to say something when a figure suddenly appeared at the door, interrupting her thoughts. After a heavy sigh, she hurriedly left the deck.

Cheng Sangluo's smile faded, and her gaze fell directly on Lin Jin. She thought to herself, "It hasn't even been a quarter of an hour, and this crazy woman can't stand the loneliness anymore."

Lin Jin didn't time her visit with any particular timing; her impatience was written all over her face.

The cabin leading to the deck resembled a narrow alleyway; she walked lightly yet hurriedly, measuring the long journey of wanting to see someone.

Cheng Sangluo was like a hallucinogenic drug, making the surrounding revelry lose its color, making the wine tasteless, and making the anxious heart restless for a long time.

She finally appeared on the deck, her breathing disordered and her heart pounding as if she had gone through many hardships.

When that tall figure came into view, the longing vanished quickly, only the disheveled hair at his temples seemed to suggest that all the composure was a facade.

Lin Jin was still annoyed that Ji Nanxing had taken the puppy away, and as she passed by, she only glanced at him indifferently.

Once they were alone, she walked gracefully towards Cheng Sangluo, "It seems you and Officer Ji... get along quite well..."

Cheng Sangluo did not answer, and became taciturn again.

Lin Jin stretched out her fingertips, tentatively trying to touch that indifferent face, but before she could touch it, the puppy grabbed her wrist and forcefully twisted it behind her back.

Cheng Sangluo's capture was executed in one smooth motion, and the speed of her turn and repositioning was only in the blink of an eye.

She pinned Lin Jin against the railing as if she were subduing an enemy, warning, "Don't touch me."

Lin Jin felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her anger flared up instantly. "Cheng Sangluo, have you eaten explosives? You're hurting me!"

This time, Cheng Sangluo showed no mercy and pressed down hard, saying, "Don't lay a hand on me. That's my only advice to you. You're not blind; you should be able to see how much I hate you, right?"

At this moment, Cheng Sangluo is like a hedgehog, dark and guarded, and will attack anyone indiscriminately.

One could see the redness spreading across the corners of Lin Jin's eyes, and her lost rationality was quickly brought back.

She finally let go, her eyes darting away without saying a word of apology.

Lin Jin rubbed her reddened wrist, where Cheng Sangluo's five-finger mark was still visible, making it hard to imagine how much force the man had used.

"You're throwing a tantrum for no reason, shouldn't you apologize to me?"

Lin Jin's sorrow outweighed her anger, as if she were saying, "I wanted to see you so much, why did you hurt me so violently?"

But the stubborn person refused to respond and even turned and walked away.

Lin Jin sighed. She had always thought Cheng Sangluo was stubborn and argumentative, but it turned out she was just as hard-hearted.

She walked straight to the edge of the deck, turned around and asked, "Cheng Sangluo, how do we make it all over?"

At this moment, Cheng Sangluo was in a state of turmoil and only wanted to find a quiet place to sort out her conversation with Ji Nanxing.

She longed to leave without looking back, but that soft call stirred a softness within her; her ears softened, and her heart softened as well.

She didn't understand why she felt soft-hearted. Was it because she felt guilty for hurting the crazy woman?

Just as I was hesitating, I heard the sound of Lin Jin falling into the sea behind me.

Cheng Sangluo subconsciously turned around. The deck was empty. Her breath hitched, and a familiar feeling of drowning washed over her.

"Lin Jin? Lin Jin!"

Cheng Sangluo called out tentatively, her voice filled with anxiety as she called again. Without the slightest hesitation, she leaped into the sea.

The azure sea has a jelly-like clarity, but that's just a fabricated illusion of an abyss.

Lin Jin fell freely with her body tilted back, without the slightest struggle. The satin robe draped over her body floated in the water like a graceful fish fin.

Facing death head-on, she was eerily calm.

He stared calmly at the sea, silently counting down the days until the person he wanted to see would appear, wondering if he could measure all his expectations with his steps, just like she did.

When she saw Cheng Sangluo brave the white waves and swim towards her without regard for anything else, she smiled, smiling at herself for having won a gamble with her life for a moment of soft-heartedness.

Cheng Sangluo held her breath, her hands moving in sync with her swinging feet, rhythmically brushing across the seawater, her speed increasing.

When he grabbed Lin Jin's wrist, the thought of not hurting her flashed through his mind, so he held her firmly but did not use his full strength.

Lin Jin clung to the puppy's arm and slowly pressed it against her heart.

Amidst the drowning buzzing, she tried to find Cheng Sangluo's heartbeat.

Close your eyes and listen carefully; the pulse is strong yet erratic. Is it because he's worried about her safety?

Cheng Sangluo practically lifted Lin Jin up from the sea.

She brushed her bangs aside, gasped for breath, and roared urgently, "Are you crazy? Don't you want to die?"

Lin Jin wrapped her arms tightly around the back of her neck, panting as she threw her head back and laughed loudly, "Hahahaha... Is this the first time you've realized... how crazy I am...?"

After laughing for a while, she looked at Cheng Sangluo with tender eyes and asked earnestly, "You're worried about me, aren't you?"

"I would save anyone who fell into the water, not because you're anything special." Cheng Sangluo was furious, but she didn't dare let go, afraid the crazy woman would disappear from her sight again. "You troublesome madwoman, what else can you do besides torment me?"

"I can also drug you... make you lose your job... make you worry about me..." Lin Jin deliberately said things that would anger Cheng Sangluo, then suddenly rubbed her teeth against his earlobe, "And... take good care of your little daisies..."

Cheng Sang was unable to use her strength after falling into the water, so he could only let her do whatever she wanted.

The slight itch traveled all the way from my ears, scratching and making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"Having fun in the water...you two are quite the flirts..."

Gu Shinian appeared on the deck with a group of people, and they were making jokes with great interest.

Lin Jin raised an eyebrow seductively, complaining, "If you hadn't come to bother us, we might have been able to flirt a little longer."

She held Cheng Sangluo close, wanting to linger a little longer, not wanting to let go so soon.

However, the puppy was reluctant and urged, "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and go up!"

"I can't bear to let you go," Lin Jin whispered, breathing into her ear. "This hug was earned with my life."

Cheng Sangluo glanced at the onlookers on the boat, trying her best to suppress her temper, and could only hiss and warn, "After today, I don't want to see you again. You'd better watch yourself."

“One-sided threats don’t count. What if I want to see you? Actually, it’s easy to deal with. I have plenty of ways to handle you.” Lin Jin sat down on the deck and took the opportunity to pinch the puppy’s cheek in the chaos, secretly laughing as she still managed to get her way.

"You should drown in the sea." Cheng Sangluo slapped away the restless hand, then pushed the crazy woman into the sea with another slap.

Lin Jin wasn't angry; she swayed her body with the agility of a fish in water.

She suddenly grabbed Cheng Sangluo's foot, trying to pull her into the water, "Little dog, come down quickly, I can't get back up without you~"

Cheng Sangluo was thoroughly annoyed by this clingy person. "Ugh, you're so annoying!"

On the deck, the group of people finished their fun and then dispersed.

Gu Shinian gave Cheng Sangluo a meaningful look, then took Ji Nanxing's arm and entered the cabin.

Bai Mu followed Shu Wan closely, chatting about almost every topic they could, chirping like a bird.

"Have some water to soothe your throat." Shu Wan unscrewed the bottle cap, handed the water to Bai Mu, and then instructed the waiter to bring some bath towels.

She looked at Cheng Sangluo, who had jumped back into the sea, her eyes filled with interest, and couldn't help but laugh: "Your friend has such dark skin."

Bai Mumei sipped her mineral water with relish, jokingly saying, "She used to be a special forces soldier, and she was even darker back then, practically shiny black."

"Oh? A special forces soldier." Shu Wan raised her eyebrows and pondered carefully, becoming increasingly interested. "Female special forces soldiers are rare; she must be exceptionally skilled."

"Of course! If Sister Shu wants to find a bodyguard, I can introduce her to you." Bai Mu still remembered Cheng Sangluo's job and took the opportunity to make the recommendation.

Shu Wan kept her gaze fixed on Cheng Sangluo. When she heard that she could be introduced to her, she added, "If I need to, I will definitely contact you."

Just then, a waiter brought over a bath towel, which she naturally took and strolled to the edge of the deck, waving: "Come on up, we'll be blowing out the candles for Shi Nian in a bit."

Cheng Sangluo met Shu Wan's gaze, her gentle eyes as clear as water, making Shu Wan smile involuntarily: "Okay."

Lin Jin was enjoying teasing the puppy when Shu Wan suddenly spoiled his fun, and the smile on his lips vanished instantly.

She narrowed her eyes and sneered, "President Shu, you really do love to meddle in other people's business."

*

The next day, early morning.

Cheng Sangluo lay in the small attic, her sweat-dampened hair sticking to her flushed cheekbones.

She curled up like a shrimp, wrapped in a tattered blanket, feeling waves of chills that lasted almost the entire night.

It was probably because I was exposed to the wind on the yacht and then fell into the water that this cold and fever came on so suddenly.

She limply picked up the cup, her throat feeling like it was being rubbed with sandpaper, each sip of water accompanied by the pain of a knife stabbing her throat.

I hesitated about whether to buy some fever reducers, but the thought of spending money made me quickly give up the idea.

She gripped the edge of the blanket tightly, preparing to fall back asleep, thinking that her fever might subside when she woke up.

In a daze, I suddenly heard scattered footsteps coming from the stairwell.

A loud bang.

The wooden door to the attic was smashed open.

[Author's Note]

After careful consideration, I changed the title. I feel it better reflects the characters and relationships, and I'll also be changing the cover to something more appealing later.

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