Chapter 123

Lost in a passionate kiss that was almost unbearable.

Lin Sheng reacted quickly, dodging the flying chair, but lost his balance and fell to the ground.

He grabbed a kitchen knife from the side and hurled it at the group of bodyguards who had surrounded him, roaring furiously, "What are you bunch of clueless idiots doing worrying about me? The person's almost gone, why aren't you chasing after them?!"

At the boss's roar, the bodyguards turned and ran towards the villa's gate.

Lin Sheng stood up, dusted off his trousers, turned to look at his subordinate who was leading his dog, and then waved his hand, ordering, "Release them and go after them! Don't leave any alive! Don't leave any alive!!!"

In an instant, the pack of glossy-coated pit bulls, their muscles taut, howled as they raced wildly through the garden.

Sheng He ran to the iron gate like a madman. Although the cable tie around his neck wasn't locked tightly, it still made him breathe heavily.

He adjusted the spoon stuck in his neck, leaped over the iron gate, and was about to reach his car when he realized he had left his briefcase inside the villa, with the car keys inside.

He didn't have much time to think about what to do next. Before the bodyguards who were chasing him could arrive, several snarling, vicious dogs ran up behind him.

These fierce dogs were well-trained. The lead dog pounced on him from behind and bit his thigh. Its sharp teeth had an amazing bite force, and it shook its head as it bit and shook him.

Sheng He gasped as he was bitten, his trouser leg instantly stained with blood.

He slammed his fist into the dog's head in pain, then kicked it away a short distance, only to have several more follow suit.

Fortunately, Sheng He had a dagger tucked into his waistband, and with quick reflexes, he stabbed one of the pit bulls in the neck.

He angrily withdrew the dagger, the spurting blood accompanied by a startled whimper, frightening the remaining dogs so much that they dared not approach.

Taking advantage of the situation, Sheng He dragged his injured leg and ran down the mountain. However, there was no way to avoid the two-lane mountain road. He had no choice but to keep running without letting up.

The bodyguards who arrived one after another split into two groups. One group drove and quickly caught up with Sheng He, who was almost exhausted, while the other group blocked the road behind him with pit bulls.

The bodyguard floored the gas pedal, and just as he was about to overtake Sheng He, the car swerved to block the road down the mountain with a sickening screech of brakes.

Sheng He stopped and looked back in the direction of the villa. Another group of bodyguards, leading vicious dogs, were also blocking the road.

This encirclement and pursuit put him in a dilemma, leaving him with no choice but to give up and stand there in place.

Before long, Lin Sheng arrived slowly in his car.

He strolled leisurely to the front of the car, leaned back, lit a cigarette, and exhaled smoke, saying, "This is my territory. Do you think you can escape on foot?"

Sheng He raised his hand and tugged at the ribbon around his neck, letting out a sigh of relief: "It seems that Xu Songheng also fell for your trick back then. Now I understand how he died."

Lin Sheng slightly raised his chin, his eyes looking at him with the contempt of someone looking at a dying stray dog. "You are more cunning and greedy than I thought. Besides, you know too much now. I can't find a better way than to get rid of you."

He lingered in front of the car for a while, a cigarette dangling from his lips, one hand on his hip. He seemed to be trying to figure out if he could get any reliable information out of the other man. After thinking it over, he decided it wasn't worth it and simply waved to his men on either side, signaling them to get rid of the man quickly.

Seeing the people closing in from both sides, Sheng He instinctively retreated towards the railing at the edge of the cliff, brandishing his dagger until he had nowhere left to go.

He leaned against the railing with his back to the crowd, staring intently at the instigator behind them. He couldn't remember when that sinister, mocking face had become a nightmare, but he knew that today's outcome would affect everyone's fate, and even if they died, they would die a worthy death.

He lived up to Lin Jin's expectations and his own determination to seek revenge.

"Woof—woof woof woof—woof woof woof woof—" The drooling, vicious dog began barking again, as if waiting for its owner to release it, thus tensing its body and gathering its strength.

The moment the bodyguard loosened the bracelet, all the pit bulls charged at Sheng He, determined to tear him to pieces, chew him into mincemeat, and swallow him whole.

Before the fierce dogs could pounce on his face, Sheng He braced himself against the fence with one hand and leaped forward, howling to the sky at the same time: "Lin Sheng! You will pay a heavy price for everything you have done. If Heaven can't punish you, someone else will. Your good days are numbered, hahahahaha!"

Although there was no bottomless abyss beneath him, the free fall after he was airborne would be a heavy ordeal, and the result of crashing off the cliff would be shattering to pieces and the arrival of death.

The empty cliff echoed with Sheng He's curse. Lin Sheng pushed everyone aside and rushed to the fence, looking down at a dense forest below, but he couldn't find Sheng He anywhere.

His eyes were bloodshot with rage. He grabbed a bodyguard by the collar and roared, "What are you standing there for? Take the dogs and go find him! You have to bring him back to me, alive or dead!!!"

*

In the dimly lit rented room.

Cheng Sangluo stopped crying, not saying a word about why she was so stubbornly determined to break up.

She bit her lower lip, and warm tears slid down her face into her mouth, tasting bitter, unbearably bitter.

The atmosphere remained silent for a long, long time, and no one spoke to break the suffocating sense of sorrow.

Lin Jin's hands hung limply at her sides, and she didn't say anything to stop a heart that wanted to leave. She just let her beloved hug her tightly.

This embrace seemed to be a rehearsal for the day of parting. Despite the reluctance, they had to accept the end of a grand drama.

Lin Jin closed her eyes sadly, wearily pressing her face against Cheng Sangluo's ear, gently nuzzling it with tender reluctance, "We finally made it this far, so very hard..."

I don’t know when it started, but “finally” became her catchphrase. All the painstaking planning and the lonely waiting day and night were condensed into these four words. Every time she uttered them, they were filled with endless paleness and could not be conveyed to the other person’s heart.

Cheng Sangluo withdrew her arm and took two steps back, her gaze fixed intently on the person she so desperately wanted to continue loving. The candlelight illuminated her face, which was filled with an unwillingness to accept reality, amplifying the silent helplessness until it permeated the entire dark space.

Lin Jin sniffed, wiped the moisture from the corner of her eyes with her fingertips, sighed with a forced smile, and turned to look at the wall covered in messy graffiti.

She stared at her own photo and said with a smile, "You didn't even know to find a photo of me that looked better."

Cheng Sangluo followed her gaze, then reached out and took the photo down, trying to wipe away the water-based pen marks left on it with her sleeve, but she couldn't remove the embarrassing marks no matter what she did.

She suddenly became very stubborn, continuing to try again and again, refusing to stop even though she knew it was futile, as if she were trying to clean up the stains on her life with unbelievable stubbornness.

Lin Jin always felt that the person she deeply loved was good in every way, except for his stubborn temper, which was an unchangeable bad thing.

This stubborn guy, once he's made up his mind about something, nothing can pull him back. He'll go all the way and probably won't give up even if he gets hurt.

She let out a long sigh, easing her overwhelming emotions somewhat, and casually covered the photo with her hand, saying, "Don't wipe it."

"I don't want your photo to look bad." Cheng Sangluo spoke her mind, but still followed Lin Jin's wishes and carefully put the photo into her pocket.

Lin Jin leaned back against the table and suddenly started talking about some past events, which could be considered as letting Cheng Sangluo understand where all of this came from before they parted.

"After my mother fell off the cliff, I lived with my maternal grandparents. After I grew up, they sent me to study abroad. It wasn't until my grandfather passed away from illness that I returned to China to inherit the family business."

Those years were particularly difficult. The company's veterans didn't have high hopes for me, but I still went against their opinions and reformed the company, eventually successfully transforming it into the Senyao Group we know today.

During that time, Lin Sheng did a lot of dirty tricks on me, either by maliciously competing with me or by trying to kidnap me. Fortunately, with Gu Shinian's help, I was able to get through the most difficult period smoothly.

Actually, there's something I've been keeping from you.

Lin Jin hesitated before speaking, her eyes, which looked at Cheng Sangluo, appearing dim and gloomy in the candlelight.

Cheng Sangluo stared at her intently. Although she really wanted to know what it was, she couldn't resist the other woman's soft gaze, which softened her heart as well.

She hesitated, her lips trembling, but still managed to persuade her, "If you really don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

Lin Jin's apology wasn't originally that deep, but as soon as she said those words, an overwhelming sense of regret instantly weighed down on her shoulders.

This beautiful woman, who was so arrogant and haughty, rarely showed a dejected and defeated side.

She hunched her back and took a deep breath, as if gathering all her courage, before speaking: "Actually, that day I was... I mean... the day you were put on your final trial, I was in the public gallery of the trial, and at that time, I already had some evidence in my hands of Xu Songheng and Lin Sheng's crimes and their framing of you."

Cheng Sangluo listened attentively to these frank words, and surprisingly, her calm demeanor made Lin Jin's heart clench even tighter, and she didn't even dare to continue speaking.

Cheng Sangluo wasn't truly unsurprised; it's just that the rollercoaster of blows she'd experienced over the past two days had given her a degree of immunity.

She lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before uttering a few simple words: "And then?"

"From the day I returned to China, I began this time-consuming and laborious plan of revenge. To achieve revenge to the end, it is not enough to rely on a heart full of hatred; it also requires meticulous planning and the passage of time."

This game requires a strong foundation, favorable timing, location, and people. Every possible outcome at every point in time must be meticulously planned and even accurately predicted.

So when you were on trial, I couldn't stand up immediately; I could only watch helplessly as you were sentenced.

I've been waiting for you since the day you went to prison. During that time, I found another person who, like us, harbored hatred for Lin Sheng and shared a common goal.

Cheng Sangluo never agreed with Lin Jin's act of concealing evidence, but she had to admire this woman's unparalleled ability to plot and scheme. She was surprised to find that there was someone else who wanted to kill Lin Sheng, so she asked in surprise, "Who is the other person?"

This time, Lin Jin did not avoid the question, "Sheng He."

"Sheng He?" Cheng Sangluo gasped in disbelief, even feeling a jolt of electricity running down her neck. "He...he's not Lin Sheng's corporate spy planted in your midst, how did he become one of yours?"

Seeing Cheng Sangluo revert to her puppy-like form, Lin Jin's eyes softened, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "Do you remember when you hid in the closet with me and listened to me tell the story of my mother falling off the cliff?"

"Mm." Cheng Sangluo nodded and took a step closer to Lin Jin. Thinking of that stormy night with thunder and lightning, she couldn't help but reach out and cover Lin Jin's ears. "I will never forget that night."

Lin Jin listened to the sound of wind rising as she covered her ears, smiled calmly, but quickly suppressed her smile and said seriously, "Sheng He is the son of that villain. Many years ago, on that night, we lost one mother and one father because of that mother and son. What reason does he have to refuse my invitation for revenge?"

Sheng He's move was the most unpredictable one in this game, seemingly a legitimate scheme but actually a conspiracy.

I devised a plan to make him Lin Sheng's subordinate. From Lin Sheng's perspective, he was a business spy planted by my side. I would occasionally have him reveal some developments and trivial business plans so that he could gain Lin Sheng's trust.

In this way, I could learn about Lin Sheng's various actions towards me through him. For example, on the night the old man reported his critical condition, I knew what would happen on the way to the health center.

You're so smart, haven't you noticed anything amiss yet?

Sheng He received Lin Sheng's instructions to prevent me from going to the health center, so he knocked you unconscious and then had Xu Songheng kidnap me. At that critical moment, what I wanted was to kidnap you and expose your identity.

I gave him a time difference. He first sent Xu Songheng away, then settled you in while you were unconscious, so that you could call the police and find me as soon as you woke up.

After handling these matters, he met up with Lin Sheng, thus providing a perfect explanation and using the excuse of revealing his identity to successfully retire, laying the groundwork for future plans.

"What a cleverly designed time difference." Cheng Sangluo smacked her lips, then glanced at the confident Lin Jin. Her eyes gleamed with a confident edge, the kind of wisdom that only an absolute strong person or sage could possess.

Lin Jin rarely heard Cheng Sangluo praise her, so she smiled and moved closer, a long-unseen, hypocritical smile playing on her lips. "Do you want to know what happens next? If you do... kiss me... kiss me as earnestly as if the world is ending... you won't lose out in this exchange..."

Cheng Sangluo nodded slightly, meeting the expectant eyes of the person in front of her, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: This woman is using that businessman's rhetoric of exchanging interests again, and she's using the same old tricks again and again. There's just no way to deal with her.

Standing beneath the messy relationship diagrams covering the wall, Lin Jin smiled like a bewitching fox spirit, her head slightly tilted to one side, the curve of her lips hinting at cunning, her half-closed eyes brimming with anticipation and a determined light.

The last time she gambled was when she leaped off a yacht, risking her life to cause Cheng Sangluo to panic.

This time, she did nothing but use the subsequent plan as bait, hoping to soften Cheng Sangluo's heart once. Even if the kiss she received wasn't sincere, just a kiss would be enough, at least it would be a brief moment of intimacy.

Cheng Sangluo did not answer, but stepped aside from Lin Jin and bent down to blow out the candle.

In an instant, the murky rented room was plunged into complete darkness.

Lin Jin, confused about Cheng Sangluo's intentions, asked in the dark, "You... um..."

Cheng Sanglu straightened her shoulders, and her eyes were covered by his rough palm. In the darkness within darkness, the soft touch on her lips seemed real yet unreal. Only the moist warmth and the tongue that dared not advance or retreat whispered that everything was real.

After two days without any intimate interaction, their throats felt as dry as cracked riverbeds.

Lin Jin wrapped her arms around Cheng Sangluo's neck, responding eagerly and frantically sucking on her lover's tongue, her breaths escaping in waves of increasingly painful sighs.

Cheng Sangluo did not want this kiss to bloom in the light, as if it were stripping her naked, exposing all her ugly thoughts, going against her rationality and clarity, and against her heart that clearly loved but had to be indifferent.

She was in agony because she couldn't fool Lin Jin, nor could she fool herself, because she was already lost in this almost frenzied kiss.

[Author's Note]

1. My pre-order novel, "The Sinful Lover," is available for collection.

2. So, everyone knows how Xu Songheng died, right? All the overt and covert groundwork and plans are starting to surface. Who knew Lin Jin was such a formidable person?