Chapter 43

Please comfort me, please comfort me.

Lin Jin has been driven into the abyss of despair. In the endless night, how can she find Cheng Sangluo, who has stormed out?

From the kitchen to the foyer, her thoughts were already in complete disarray.

Such a shrewd and resourceful person was now like an inexperienced girl, flustered and helpless, her heart and eyes filled with confusion.

The moment the door was opened, what came into view was not a cold, dark corridor, but a slender white figure.

She held her breath, reaching out to steady herself on the doorframe. Her face was a mess, and shock suddenly welled up in her eyes.

At this moment, her anxious heart found peace, and the shards of light in her eyes lingered on the white figure in the dim light. Ripples spread across her deep eyes, eventually turning into a touch of red at the corner of her eye.

Compared to the frantic search all over the world, seeing the person she had been longing for at first glance made Lin Jin feel even more anxious and heartbroken.

She felt resentful, resentful that Cheng Sangluo had abandoned her and left without looking back, yet she also felt heartache for this person who had suffered so much injustice, yet always treated the world with gentleness.

Cheng Sangluo slammed the door shut in anger, took two steps in a huff, but turned back to the door when she took her third step.

She pressed her head against the door, wanting to smash it a few times with her fists, to shatter the reckless self she had been tonight, to smash all the grievances and pain, but the fist raised above her head hesitated to fall.

She was angry and conflicted, and all of this stemmed from her unwillingness to admit that she couldn't bear to let go.

She only snapped out of her reverie and stood up dejectedly when she heard hurried footsteps coming from inside the door.

At this moment, her face was expressionless, and the aura surrounding her was filled with helplessness, as well as a hint of hidden softness.

In the end, he still couldn't bring himself to leave Lin Jin alone through the rainy night; otherwise, why would he be so conflicted and unwilling to leave?

She clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned red and white, gritted her teeth and remained silent, staring straight at the suddenly appearing madwoman.

The way he sulked was actually quite cute, with his two big nostrils flaring and him breathing heavily.

I'm so angry!

I'm angry at the unpredictable moods of the person in front of me, and angry at my own ridiculously soft heart. So, my blood rushes to my body, making my scalp tingle and my fingertips tingle.

Cheng Sangluo stood in the darkness like the sun, shining with a different kind of light in Lin Jin's eyes.

Lin Jinming stood in a brightly lit world, yet he couldn't grasp a single ray of light, so he fervently yearned for that glimmer of light in his eyes.

Hesitantly, she took a small step forward, only to be overwhelmed by her strong will, leaving her with an unspeakable vulnerability in her eyes.

That look seemed to say: Please comfort me, please comfort me, I'm easy to please.

"It's indecent to walk down the street dressed like this. I'd better wait until my clothes are dry before I go," Cheng Sangluo murmured, hesitating for a long time before finally uttering this extremely weak reason.

Even though it may seem weak, the reasoning is perfectly reasonable.

She didn't persuade Lin Jin, but rather her own wavering and reluctant heart.

Cheng Sangluo's emotions returned to calm. The process was brief but very difficult. No one knew how she tore apart her anger and grievances and swallowed them back down. What lingered was not only exhaustion but also endless melancholy.

She tried to take a step, but her feet felt like they were encased in cement, heavy and frozen in place, unable to lift.

She hated that her stubbornness had become impure. Why was there a hint of softness hidden beneath her toughness?

So at this awkward moment, Cheng Sangluo desperately hoped that Lin Jin could take a step back gently, even just by saying "okay," which would bring immense comfort.

Lin Jin was also swallowing her sorrow in pain, her eyes flashing with a complex mix of emotions, including joy, unbearable discomfort, and a longing to be comforted.

After a long period of silent confrontation, she did not receive the response she was hoping for.

Thus, this arrogant woman revealed a side of herself that she shouldn't have shown in front of the puppy for the first time.

"sorry."

Lin Jin apologized.

Of course, she only felt sorry for the word "get lost" that slipped out.

For Cheng Sangluo at that moment, seeing the arrogant, crazy woman lower her proud head made her apology sound quite heavy.

This honest man is usually easily satisfied, and he even began to earnestly search for his own faults in this apology.

She secretly reassured herself that it takes two to tango, and if she hadn't said those offensive things, things wouldn't have turned out so embarrassing, right?

At this moment, Cheng Sangluo really looked just like a puppy, with her head drooping, whimpering pitifully, and wagging her tail twice with her round eyes wide open.

After a moment of dejection, she mumbled the same apologetic words: "I... um... I shouldn't have judged you... and I especially shouldn't have said those things that reopened your wounds... I was wrong too... um... I'm sorry..."

Lin Jin seemed to have misheard something, and an incredulous look flashed across her deep eyes.

She had experienced firsthand how difficult it was to get an apology from someone, but she never expected this apology to come so suddenly.

Unlike usual, she didn't show any infuriating provocation when she waited for the puppy to give in.

She sniffed her stuffy nose, finally took a big step, reached out and twirled Cheng Sangluo's belt around her fingertips a few times, as if by gently holding the belt, she could hold onto that heart that might escape at any moment.

Lin Jin had crafted a long dialogue in her mind, but what she actually said was, "The noodles don't taste good when you're not here."

Yes, without you, everything is bland and tasteless.

I need you to be my equal, so that I don't end up playing a pitiful one-woman show.

Seemingly pleased by those words, Cheng Sangluo touched the bridge of her nose to hide the blush spreading across her face.

She didn't know if the noodles were delicious or not, but she certainly knew that Lin Jin wanted to say more than just the literal meaning.

Cheng Sangluo hesitated before taking a step, letting her tall figure envelop the slender person.

This is a quiet romance; even without using my arms, I can still embrace you beautifully.

The puppy puffed out its nostrils and cheeks, as if gathering all its strength, before loudly proclaiming, "Since you sincerely apologize, then I forgive you!"

Lin Jin tilted her head and smiled, slightly loosening her grip on the puppy as she pulled it into her arms. "Then I forgive you for leaving without saying goodbye."

You have to use all your strength to hug someone so you can truly feel their warmth and breath.

Cheng Sangluo was still not used to the sudden closeness, but she felt that she needed a hug to represent reconciliation, so after a few seconds of hesitation, her arm finally landed on that smooth back.

Lin Jin wasn't exactly in the mood for anything intimate, but her hand became restless the moment it touched the puppy.

Taking advantage of Cheng Sangluo's inattention, she slipped her fingertips into the gap of the belt and gently hooked it, revealing a large patch of her tanned skin beneath the white robe.

Lin Jin's eyes were full of affection as she swept over every inch of his skin, as if kissing him—not vulgar, but explicit. "You look like a piece of milk chocolate, so tempting and delicious~"

Cheng Sangluo hurriedly grabbed her clothes, wrapping herself up tightly again, and said irritably, "You still have the mood to think about that? I don't..."

"I just wanted to tease you~" Lin Jin looked at the puppy's innocent expression, reached out and pulled her arm to walk towards the living room, "Come here, let's have a good chat."

Cheng Sangluo asked suspiciously, "What are you talking about?"

Lin Jin didn't answer immediately. Instead, she lazily leaned back on the sofa before replying, "Let's talk about things I hate... people you like..."

Cheng Sangluo sat down beside her, fiddling with her belt while letting out a strange exclamation: "Shu Wan?"

Lin Jin felt her arms were empty, so she squeezed herself into the puppy's embrace. "Can you hug me?"

"Where do you think it is that you make up so quickly after just arguing?" Cheng Sangluo muttered to herself, but still put an arm around her shoulder. "Don't you think this is childish?"

"Is it childish? You made me angry first. If I hadn't said something wrong too, I wouldn't have apologized to you so easily," Lin Jin complained, but her tone wasn't as sharp as usual; it was as soft as cotton candy.

Cheng Sangluo didn't want to argue, lest they start fighting again, so she simply changed the subject: "Let's talk, how do you want to talk?"

Lin Jin teased the puppy's chin with her fingertips and lazily asked, "Answer me first, did Shu Wan say those words to you?"

The puppy nodded: "Mmm."

The crazy woman asked curiously, "So, do you care?"

Cheng Sangluo pursed her lips and didn't answer, wondering if she cared. If she didn't care, would she have said those things in the kitchen earlier?

She wanted to lie, to appear nonchalant and indifferent, but she couldn't bring herself to say it, so she could only respond with silence.

Lin Jin found the answer in the puppy's fluctuating expression, smiled and stopped asking, and continued to chat: "I taught you so many lessons, but in the end you didn't remember any of them. You can't see the true face of some people, but can't you see what I am?"

I lied to you, humiliated you, and bullied you time and time again, not just to satisfy some perverted fetish, but because I wanted you to truly stumble and fall, so that you would remember what you had to do when you were hurt.

This world is full of all sorts of monsters and demons, and you should know that better than I do. Once you learn everything I've taught you, you'll naturally be able to handle more difficulties and bad people.

Just like right now, some people can dig a trap for you without lifting a finger. How easy is it? Just a few words.

See, Shu Wan is that powerful. She can make us fall out with just one sentence. That's what you call skill.

She's good at winning people over because she's not sharp-tongued, she smiles warmly, and she uses small favors to win people over, so you think she's a good person.

This technique is called using minimal force to achieve maximum effect, understand?

Lin Jin rarely lectured so earnestly and patiently as she did now.

Her assessment of Shu Wan was so accurate and precise it was outrageous.

Even if she didn't say it, Cheng Sangluo would always think she had ulterior motives.

Looking back on the past month from a higher perspective, the messy experiences were exposed, and Cheng Sangluo saw the dedication Lin Jin had poured into it.

She looked up at the calm-faced madwoman and said as if waking from a dream, "At first, I thought you were just harassing and bullying me for fun, until you appeared in Seventeen Port, until you suddenly said you wanted to marry me."

To be honest, I've never been able to see through you. I don't know what you really want, but one thing I'm very clear about is that you want more than just me and my heart.

There must be something very important that requires my involvement, otherwise you wouldn't have gone to such lengths to get me involved, right?

Lin Jin was also surprised. She had always thought Cheng Sangluo was clever, but she hadn't expected her perception to be so strong. She couldn't help but exclaim, "My little dog is so smart!"

Cheng Sangluo didn't want to joke at such a serious moment, and said solemnly, "Actually, it wasn't an accident that you approached me the day I was released from prison. What exactly is your intention? Answer my question."

Lin Jin rested her cheek on her hand and lazily asked, "Then answer me first, why do you think I want more than just you and your heart?"

“You’ve said many times that you’re a businessman who pursues absolute profit. You’ve also said that you have a sharp eye and that your investments have never lost money. That’s why you saw me.” Cheng Sangluo’s eyes were burning as she dissected the confrontations and picked out the logic hidden within them. She said with certainty, “I must be very valuable for you to start by smashing an expensive bottle of red wine and then use three million as a prelude.”

Cheng Sangluo paused, his gaze sharpening as if it could pierce through all schemes and plots. "Lin Jin, what do you want to use me for?"

[Author's Note]

My pre-order novel, "The Sinful Lover," is available for collection. Once it reaches 1000 collections, a 10,000-word chapter will drop!