Chapter 2

What drug did you give me?

The Maybach glided slowly toward the exit.

Lin Jin leaned back in the seat, her alluring eyes lingering on the person outside the window.

As they parted, she deliberately held her suit jacket to her nose and kissed it; the faint lemon scent, mixed with a thin layer of sweat, aroused her desire to indulge in passion.

She squinted, imagining the erotic scene of those rough fingertips stirring up waves, and her smile became increasingly uncontrollable.

Cheng Sangluo stood there, inwardly cursing the crazy woman for being so disgusting, even leaving her was so repulsive.

Although she appeared composed, her disordered breathing betrayed her feigned calmness. Only after the car had completely disappeared did she lower her gaze and stare at the room key.

The floor lamp cast a blinding light on the card, as if mocking her cowardice, for not daring to even think about the details of that night.

Just as he was about to lift his foot and stomp it a few times, his foot hovered in the air before he slowly pulled it back.

Cheng Sangluo slumped to her forehead, a cryptic smile playing on her lips, a smile tinged with bitterness and an unspeakable helplessness.

*

Two weeks ago.

The torrential rain washed over the eaves, and a faint earthy smell filled the air.

Cheng Sangluo was squatting at the entrance of the convenience store, engrossed in eating a cold rice ball.

She was covered in mud, her long, wet hair clung to her neck, and there were several bleeding scratches on the back of her neck.

Perhaps because she was starving, she didn't pay much attention to her disheveled appearance. She roughly wiped her nose, and when she looked at the potted plant, her sharp eyes softened a bit.

She was relieved that the fight had been intense, but thankfully no one had hurt the few daisies.

"Is it tasty?"

A pair of lambskin stilettos quietly entered my field of vision, accompanied by a faint, cool smile.

That clear, melodious voice was like a string, and just a few words were enough to make people's hearts itch.

Cheng Sangluo looked up at the sound, stunned, her breathing slow.

A woman stands in the rain, holding an umbrella. Her tailor-made cheongsam accentuates the texture of a traditional Chinese ink painting amidst the rain and mist.

That disdainful gaze was like ripples on a deep abyss, and that warm smile seemed utterly devoid of warmth.

With her mouth still full of rice, Cheng Sangluo mumbled, "The taste isn't very good."

The woman strolled closer and hissed, "You just injured several people. They called the police and are looking for you everywhere."

The sudden change in topic created a tense atmosphere.

Cheng Sangluo paused for a moment, then asked warily, "You're following me?"

She grabbed the potted plant as if to escape. Who gets out of prison one minute and then goes back to the police station for questioning the next?

"Don't you think I'm here to help you?" The woman caught her hem just in time, and her eyes turned cold when she saw the scratches.

Cheng Sangluo brushed her hand away, resisting: "We're complete strangers, you have no reason to help me."

Her intuition told her that this person was not trustworthy; he looked elegant but was actually full of evil, especially his unfathomable, dark eyes.

"There aren't that many reasons, I just wanted to bring the stray puppy home."

The woman didn't smile when she answered, so the joke was told very seriously.

She looked up at the main road, secretly smiling at the seemingly destined coincidence.

Cheng Sangluo followed her gaze and saw a police car with its lights flashing as it drove towards them from a distance.

She turned her head away guiltily and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The woman draped the umbrella over her shoulder as a form of protection, but her tone was menacing: "Come with me, or you'll end up in that car."

Clearly, this smiling threat had a swaying effect.

Cheng Sangluo remained silent, seemingly weighing whether the woman or the police car was more dangerous.

As she pondered, a cool sensation swept over her face, and the delicate fragrance of cedarwood filled her nostrils, soothing her doubts.

"Your clothes can be dirty, but your face must be clean. It's the least you can do to respect yourself." The woman took a wet wipe and gently wiped the mud off Cheng Sangluo's face. "My name is Lin Jin. You'll thank me."

Cheng Sangluo was lost in thought, as if under some kind of spell, and unconsciously began to follow.

From her unseen perspective, Lin Jin smiled radiantly, as if spring had arrived in the height of summer.

...

Linxi Terrace is a well-known affluent residential community in Zhouhai.

Lin Jin's house is on the most expensive floor in the market. The interior is minimalist but quite tasteful.

At this moment, Cheng Sangluo stood awkwardly in front of the coffee table, her fingertips digging into the soil of the potted plant, feeling completely lost.

Lacking imagination, she couldn't estimate that the house cost over 100,000 yuan per square meter, and felt like a joke, looking drab and pathetic.

"Are you going to keep holding it like this?" Lin Jin leaned back lazily on the sofa, her tone strangely sarcastic.

She was bothered that while the puppy was fighting with those people, the pot of daisies was being protected very well.

It's just an inexpensive potted plant; it shouldn't have such a high status.

"This is a gift I gave myself."

Cheng Sangluo's gaze was gentle as she admired the flowers, and she placed them on the coffee table with utmost care, even the few times she fiddled with them were done with extreme caution.

Lin Jin grew increasingly annoyed and simply got up to lead the way, saying, "Go take a shower. It would be troublesome if you caught a cold or fever."

Cheng Sangluo discovered that this woman was skilled in logical rhetoric. On the way here, she asked to get out of the car several times, but was always evaded with various irrefutable reasons.

When Lin Jin hesitantly entered the bathroom, she found Lin Jin already sitting on the edge of the bathtub, testing the water temperature.

Cheng Sangluo kept a safe distance, wondering, "No one is kind to a stranger for no reason. What is your purpose?"

"Consider it me being kind-hearted." Lin Jin turned her face to the side, making it impossible to see the color of her eyes, and her fingertips swept across the water, creating ripples.

Cheng Sangluo refused to accept this perfunctory attitude and simply leaned against the wall without moving.

The misty air, carrying the fragrance, is quietly dismantling the cold confrontation.

Lin Jin approached the stubborn man and said, "I saw Mr. Xu's men bullying you. Girls always think about helping other girls. Is that a satisfactory answer?"

Upon hearing that offensive surname, Cheng Sangluo's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "You know Xu Songheng?"

“I’m his client, but we’re not on the same wavelength.” Lin Jin said calmly, and before leaving, she instructed, “Throw your dirty clothes out; the washing machine can dry them, and soon you’ll be a clean little dog again.”

Nobody likes being called a dog. Cheng Sangluo slammed the bathroom door shut, the sound of running water making her feel irritated.

She took off her T-shirt, revealing healthy, tanned skin. Even without deliberately tightening it, her thin muscles were still clearly defined, except for a few unsightly bruises on her lower back.

Lin Jin waited quietly by the door. When her clothes flew out from the gap, the person inside had already closed the door.

She bent down to pick up the clothes, not minding that they were dirty, and covered the collar to take a deep sniff.

"Mmm~ It smells like a puppy~"

I strolled to the laundry room.

As Lin Jin stuffed the dirty clothes into the roller, she felt the wet paper in her pocket.

Curious, I unfolded it and found a certificate of release from prison, dated today.

She suppressed her frivolous smile, held up the proof under the light, and her eyes lowered, revealing a deep sense of loneliness.

Her slender, white fingers traced each word, as if outlining a puppy's silhouette, "Cheng Sangluo... Happy Rebirth..."

"No, it should be... welcome back to hell on earth..."

......

The bathroom was filled with steam.

Water droplets dripped down Cheng Sangluo's chin, but they couldn't wash away her exhaustion.

Suddenly her back stiffened, and she flipped out of the bathtub as if electrocuted, not even bothering to wipe her wet hair stuck to her forehead.

She rushed back to the living room, her expression flustered and her eyes unfocused, whether from searching for proof or being swayed by the slender figure.

Lin Jin changed into a nightgown; beneath the black, shiny satin robe, the sheer straps couldn't hide her alluring charm.

This woman always had a lazy posture, leaning against the sofa like a drowsy cat.

She rested her chin on her hand, savoring the panic. "A puppy that doesn't get a proper bath will be taken back and washed again."

Cheng Sangluo wrapped her bathrobe tightly, occasionally tugging at the collar to cover her chest, "Where are my pants?"

"Of course it's in the washing machine." Lin Jin smiled deliberately, leaning over to pour a glass of red wine. "Would you like a glass?"

"I don't drink, and what's in those pants..." Cheng Sangluo hesitated, after all, she had committed a crime, and it wasn't something to be ashamed of.

She glanced at the coffee table and saw that it was safely under the potted plant, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Such an important thing, you just stuff it in your pocket, aren't you afraid of losing it?" Lin Jinyun said casually, opening a bottle of mineral water and pouring it into a glass. "Drink some water, my lips are all chapped."

Cheng Sangluo was indeed very thirsty. She stared at the cup that was handed to her and swallowed her dry saliva.

After much hesitation, I accepted the offer.

She downed a large glass of wine with each sip before asking, "Aren't you scared? Bringing a convict home is no different than inviting a wolf into the house."

Lin Jin chuckled, her fingers twirling the rim of her wine glass. "How bad can someone who's good at protecting women really be?"

Is this supposed to be a compliment? It sounds so sour.

Cheng Sangluo sat on the other side of the sofa, as if keeping her distance would prove that she was not a bad person.

She held the cup in both hands, still a little thirsty, but remained hesitant to move.

"Pour yourself if you want a drink, I'm not a waiter," Lin Jin joked, her gaze fixed on the puppy, yet also seemingly admiring its broad shoulders and wasp waist.

Cheng Sangluo had a pair of sharp, eagle-like eyes, a high nose bridge, and lips that were always pursed. His sculpted features combined to give him an aloof and unapproachable air.

Lin Jin stared intently, inwardly marveling at how those eyes resembled the clear blue sky after the rain—crystal clear, clean, and bright.

Unfortunately, unlike the daisy, she received no tenderness whatsoever.

She took a sip of wine, a hint of defiance in her expression, her pale toes tapping on the tiles as if she were waiting for something.

Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Cheng Sangluo could only keep drinking water, wondering why her clothes weren't dry yet.

A sudden, dizzying sensation swept over me, like vines creeping inch by inch across my nerves until my whole body was numb.

The glass slipped from my fingertips and fell to the ground with a sharp cracking sound.

Cheng Sangluo slumped onto the sofa, struggling to get up, but her arms were too weak.

"What did you give me to drink?!"

"Water, you chose it, didn't you?" Lin Jin slowly sipped her wine, glancing at the limp puppy, her smile growing increasingly triumphant.

Cheng Sangluo was still relatively conscious and quickly pieced together the details of the interaction.

The answer isn't hard to guess; the problem lies with the cup.

Yeah, why not just hand them a water bottle?

She belatedly realized that even the smallest details had been concealed as a meticulously planned trap.

"You...you put...something...in the cup..."

The medicine took effect, and her whole body felt burning hot, causing Cheng Sangluo to stammer as she spoke.

"Looks like the puppy isn't so stupid after all~" Lin Jin gripped Cheng Sangluo's chin, her fingertips digging deep into his lips, while her other arm, like a soft, slippery snake, slowly and gently untied the belt of his bathrobe.

She finally dropped her pretense, revealing a sinister smile. "Sigh... I've been playing the good guy all day, I'm exhausted. Is it too much to ask for a little reward?"

"Crazy...crazy woman...don't touch me..."

Cheng Sangluo's gaze swayed, her eyes gradually becoming unfocused, leaving only a pale resistance.

Lin Jin lowered her head and buried it in the puppy's neck, indulging in the puppy's scent; her hot breath betrayed her infatuation.

She rubbed her canine teeth against the scratches until blood began to seep from the wounds again, without stopping.

Only after a faint, sweet, metallic taste melted on her tongue did she let out a satisfied sigh: "So... Miss Convict... are you scared now?"

[Author's Note]

Haha, actually, Cheng Sangluo is the dominant one, hahaha!

The Crime Scene Universe series, completed works (reading order arranged):

"No Romance Allowed at Crime Scenes 1.0", "Although He's Mentally Ill, He's Super Easy to Coax", "Forced into a Contract Marriage with an Ice Queen", "Did Dr. Chi Successfully Lure Officer Su?"

Next pre-order novel: The Sinful Lover (Please add to your favorites; this is also the last novel in the series)

Following the updates is tiring, you can check out the completed story first! [shy][heart][kiss]