Chapter 153

Bonus Chapter 1: Playful Late Night

Lin Jin often escaped Cheng Sangluo's embrace while in deep sleep, lying on her side and curling up into a small ball, just like an insecure cat.

Even wrapped in a thick quilt, even in the pitch black of night, Cheng Sangluo could still make out her outline, her thin frame barely visible.

I don’t know if this description is accurate, but she does have the temperament of a cat, arrogant and spoiled, with a dependence hidden in her unpredictable moods. But no matter which side she is, Cheng Sangluo loves her truly.

In fact, it was Cheng Sangluo who lacked a sense of security; even sharing a bed could not erase her longing for Lin Jin.

She longed to embrace her lover again, yet feared disturbing Qingqian's dream, so she habitually buried her face deep in the back of her neck, inhaling deeply the comforting and reassuring woody scent.

Lin Jin's skin was soft, smooth, and delicate, with an addictive scent that carried the warmth of flowing blood. It seemed to seep from the soul through the flesh and bones and then through the skin, like a seductive pheromone, intentionally or unintentionally enticing Cheng Sangluo.

Cheng Sangluo traced her lover's neck with the tip of his nose, her slightly dry lips brushing against his, the kiss barely a whisper, yet still brimming with an irrepressible passion and desire.

But she couldn't bear to disturb her lover, whose sleep was already light, afraid of shattering his sweet dreams, afraid of upsetting Lin Jin. The drowsiness that came over her urged her to sleep, but she dared not close her eyes, afraid of losing him in an instant, afraid of his bizarre and mysterious disappearance. So she could only swallow the loneliness of the dark night alone.

The itch on her neck made Lin Jin frown. She turned over in a daze, following her instincts to meet her unruly lover. So the kiss was half-awake and half-asleep, and she couldn't distinguish between reality and dream. Fortunately, she was able to touch the puppy's lips by getting a little closer.

She wasn't angry about being disturbed from her sleep. With her eyes half-closed, she steadied herself, gazing sleepily at the dark shadow in front of her, before letting out a contented smile.

It's wonderful to be able to see my beloved as soon as I open my eyes.

They could see into each other's eyes precisely in the darkness, their understanding so profound that they didn't need to create a warm atmosphere through conversation.

Cheng Sangluo put her arm back under Lin Jin's neck, then wrapped her arms around Lin Jin's shoulders. With a little effort, she could hug Lin Jin's slender body tightly.

Her figure was already broad and sturdy, and her embrace was so tight that it almost completely enveloped and submerged Lin Jin.

When emotions run high, one can't help but drop a kiss, wherever it lands, like a fine, dense rain, carrying a heart full of passionate love.

Lin Jin closed her eyes peacefully, enjoying her lover's intimacy while tilting her chin slightly so that she could press her lips to her throat.

She would occasionally mutter something, seemingly casually but actually quite thoughtful, the red mark she left implying that Cheng Sangluo belonged to her.

The kisses they exchanged weren't intense, but rather lingering and intermittent, as if they were making up for the days they hadn't been together, so they wanted to earnestly fill the void, yet stopped just right with a kiss.

Lin Jin stroked Cheng Sangluo's face with her fingertips. She didn't know when she had developed the habit, but she always liked to rub her sharp, flat eyebrows. The touch was quite comfortable.

The couple squeezed themselves tightly into the huge double bed, giving the impression that they were inseparable and could not be separated by lightning.

After a moment of silence, Lin Jin tapped Cheng Sangluo's chin with the tip of her nose and asked in a soft voice, "Is it because you can't sleep well in a particular bed?"

Cheng Sangluo shook his head, picked up a strand of his wife's hair and put it to his lips, complaining, "It has nothing to do with choosing a bed. You just turned over and slipped out of my arms. My heart felt empty and uncomfortable, so I woke up. I was afraid you would sneak away while I was sleeping too soundly."

"What are you afraid of? I'm not going to disappear, where could I possibly run off to?" Lin Jin put his arm around her waist, and with his other hand, he tightly gripped the hem of her dress, pulling it down slightly. "See, I've been holding onto your dress the whole time, I'm afraid you'll slip away too~"

Cheng Sangluo didn't know how to describe her fear. She dared not mention that Lin Jin had almost committed suicide, and the sudden anxiety caused by this incident made her feel uncomfortable and uneasy, which is why the night of reconciliation was so agonizing.

"I'm just scared," she muttered, tightening her arms around him as if she wanted to pull the person in her arms into her own body to drive away her wild thoughts.

"I know what you're afraid of." Lin Jin knew what this person was worried about. She must have been frightened by what happened in the bathroom. So she propped her head up with one hand and pulled the person who was holding her into her arms.

Lin Jin gently stroked Cheng Sangluo's head, feeling her warm, moist breath on his chest, a tingling, tantalizing sensation.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." She mimicked Cheng Sangluo's usual catchphrase, her hand that had been stroking the back of her head slowly moving to her shoulder, patting it patiently and rhythmically, humming an unknown tune that soothed and lulled one to sleep.

Cheng Sangluo has always been the one who takes the lead in hugging Lin Jin, because she always wants to give Lin Jin a sense of security. So she always takes the initiative to hug her, making sure to hug her tightly enough to squeeze out all obstacles.

Tonight, we've switched roles, and the feelings have become so different.

Cheng Sangluo was like a big wolfhound, always on guard, but suddenly she would snuggle into the arms of a little white rabbit, completely tamed and powerless to resist.

She smelled her wife's scent and listened to her slightly rhythmic heartbeat. After being sleepless for most of the night, she was overcome with drowsiness so quickly that she blinked a few times and then her eyelids closed heavily.

She was half-asleep, muttering to herself, "I'm scared... if I close my eyes... you'll disappear..."

Lin Jin gazed at her lover's sleeping face with half-closed eyes, feeling an unprecedented peace, as if a long-standing mental illness had suddenly been cured, her calm heart undisturbed. "Silly boy, of course you can't see me when you close your eyes. As long as my longing is deep enough, I'll sneak into your dreams~"

Cheng Sangluo buried her head even deeper, and her intermittent murmurs gradually turned into smacking sounds as she ate with great relish.

"Hmm..." Lin Jin let out a soft gasp of surprise, nodding at the guy who was still smacking his lips, his expression turning to a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "You...how old are you...a newborn baby...?"

This person's craving came unexpectedly, like eating a candy with the outer wrapper still intact; even through the thin fabric, it was still delicious.

Lin Jin steadied herself, brought her lips close to Cheng Sangluo's ear, and whispered, "Is the puppy asleep?"

"Hmm...no..." Cheng Sangluo opened his eyes, looking at his wife while deliberately rubbing his cheek against her 'milk candy,' then smiled slyly: "Actually, you don't have to sleep..."

Lin Jin poked her forehead with her finger, scolding her playfully, "Your little rascal's thoughts are all written on your face!"

Cheng Sangluo was now completely wide awake, and her lips began to hallucinate, feeling only the soft, bouncy texture of milk candy.

She sat up straight, cross-legged, and exclaimed, "It's been at least... at least half a month... you know... a day apart feels like three autumns... ten or twenty days apart feels like half a lifetime... that's like we've been waiting in an empty room for most of our lives... so... so..."

Lin Jin maintained the posture of supporting her head with one hand, her silk robe flowing smoothly over her arm, revealing her fair and fragrant shoulders.

Listening to the scoundrel's fabricated theories, she smiled and deliberately used a seductive voice to ask, "It wasn't me who ran away from home. I was the one who cried and begged you to stay. Now you want a wife? Whose fault is that?"

Cheng Sangluo was speechless, realizing how resolute she had been when she left, and how ridiculous she looked now. But she still shamelessly persisted, saying, "Hey! You...you're bringing up old grievances!"

"Huh! I...I'm just bringing up old grudges now~" Lin Jin mimicked her tone of resorting to whining when she couldn't win an argument, and deliberately provoked her by saying, "I won't give it to you tonight, I'll let you taste the torment of wanting something but not being able to have it. This is punishment for you abandoning me and ignoring me, you must be punished!"

After a moment of silence, Cheng Sangluo realized that since she couldn't persuade him otherwise, she would change her strategy.

She collapsed onto the bed with a thud, letting out a sound of pain: "Ouch... Ouch... Ouch..."

"What's wrong?" Lin Jin saw her writhing in pain on the bed and quickly got up to check on her. "Is something bothering you? Does the wound on your hand hurt, or is the injury on your back still not healed? Let me see."

Cheng Sangluo pretended to curl up, and when his wife got close, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. He then wrapped her in the blanket and rolled around twice, squeezing them together again. He laughed triumphantly, "If you don't want to do it, you don't have to. But you still have to hold me tight. Wife's punishment is right, wife's punishment is brilliant. Wife not making me kneel on the keyboard is already a great favor!"

Lin Jin realized she had been tricked, her face darkened, and she reached out and pinched Cheng Sangluo's ear hard. "It's not funny at all. Don't lie to me about feeling unwell. I was worried for nothing."

"Ouch—" Cheng Sangluo winced in pain, rubbed his ear a few times, then obediently rested his head on his wife's shoulder and sincerely apologized, "I'm sorry!"

"You're quick to admit your mistakes now, but you weren't like this before. Saying sorry was harder than climbing to heaven for you," Lin Jin joked, recalling when she first got together with Cheng Sangluo. This person's stubbornness was really annoying.

"You're bringing up old grievances again!" Cheng Sangluo retorted, muttering to herself, "Then I'll go on and on until dawn if I start bringing up your old grievances."

"Yeah, you're counting on your fingers how I bullied you, right?" Lin Jin wrinkled her nose and bit Cheng Sangluo's shoulder. "Who told you not to remember who I am? That's your original sin, enough to absolve you of all the bullying."

"It's my fault, it's all my fault." Cheng Sangluo quickly hugged his wife. The most effective way to appease someone is to admit fault even when you're not wrong. "Cheng Sangluo is truly despicable. How could you forget the scene of your first encounter with Lin Jin? You deserve to die a thousand deaths, you are utterly culpable, you brought this upon yourself..."

"Stop, stop! Are you admitting your mistake or playing a word game?" Lin Jin pinched the puppy's mouth, clearly smitten. She couldn't resist giving it a kiss and then asked curiously, "Do you really remember everything? Don't tell me you just overheard Gu Shinian say a few words and made up some random stories."

"No way!!! If you don't believe me, I'll tell you the story again, as a bedtime story~" Cheng Sangluo protested, beginning to recount the story buried deep in her memory: "A long, long time ago... in a city called Zhouhai..."

[Author's Note]

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