Chapter 7

Are you plotting something?

Cheng Sangluo is having trouble sleeping.

In the pitch-black attic, a pair of eyes were wide open, tossing and turning, changing positions, making the mattress creak.

She rested her head on one hand and touched her round belly with the other, blaming herself for eating so much watermelon before bed.

She unplugged the fan because she thought it was too noisy, but then plugged it back in because she thought the room was stuffy.

This person blamed almost every possible factor, but never the culprit causing the insomnia.

What still haunts my mind are those feet, tapping the water's surface again and again, creating ripples that, like a butterfly effect, whip up a raging storm.

Ugh, so annoying!

Cheng Sangluo suddenly sat up, ran her hands through her hair, and puffed out her cheeks, seemingly angry about something.

'bite--'

The quiet night amplified the sharp sound of the text message, causing her shoulders to tremble.

Lin Jin: [What's the solution? Playing the Great Compassion Mantra on repeat isn't working.]

Cheng Sangluo stared at those furious words, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing in her eyes.

She didn't reply to the message, but held her phone, which was off, against her chin, and gloated: "Even Buddha would find you annoying, no wonder you can't sleep."

I lay back down, and the drowsiness that had been lingering suddenly surged up.

She yawned widely, squinted her moist eyes a few times, and then fell into a deep sleep.

*

Since being fired from her high-altitude work by the crazy woman, Cheng Sangluo has stopped looking for odd jobs.

She would sleep until she naturally woke up, then divide the takeout food from the restaurant into several meals. When she was bored, she would chat with the landlord and enjoy a few slices of chilled melon.

As night fell, he left the rented room alone, and no one knew where he went.

This routine lasted for two days.

The third day.

It was high in the sky.

Cheng Sangluo was fast asleep when she was woken up by a sudden phone call.

She struggled to turn over, and groggily answered the phone, "Hello?"

Suddenly, Bai Mu's boisterous voice came through the receiver, "Didn't you promise to come to the party with me today? Why haven't you made a sound?!"

Cheng Sangluo found it noisy and immediately pulled her phone away, muttering to herself, "What do you mean, 'accompany you to a party'?"

It seems she had completely forgotten about this.

"What a joke! You've taken advantage of me and now you don't even recognize me?" Bai Mu was angry, and then ordered, "I don't care, send me your location, I'll come pick you up right away."

Perhaps not wanting her friends to see her terrible living conditions, Cheng Sangluo instantly sobered up, but failed to do a somersault and bumped her head with a thud.

"Hiss—" She clutched her head, enduring the pain, and hurriedly said, "You don't need to pick me up. Let's meet somewhere and I'll come find you."

"Then come directly to Wangyue Port and meet me there."

Cheng Sangluo asked suspiciously, "Wangyue Port? What kind of birthday party has to be held at a port?"

"Silly! Wangyue Port is the harbor of the yacht club, it's a yacht party!" Bai Mu laughed, and quickly added, "Anyway, don't worry about anything, just bring one person. I'm leaving right away. Anyone who's late will be punished by standing at attention for an hour."

Hearing Bai Mu mimic her old rhetoric, Cheng Sangluo smiled helplessly: "Okay, I'll head out as soon as possible."

......

The weather is nice today, with a few contrails floating in the clear blue sky, looking just like delicious cotton candy.

When Cheng Sangluo arrived at the port parking lot, Bai Mu was leaning against the hood of the Porsche.

She wore an oversized white shirt, the hem of which covered her pert buttocks, revealing a pair of long, white legs.

Seeing the person running towards her without stopping, she smiled mischievously: "When did you learn to arrive on time? In the past, you would have been punished by running ten kilometers with weights!"

"Aren't birthday parties usually held at night? You didn't explain it clearly that day... Oops..."

Before Cheng Sangluo could finish her complaint, she was hit with a face-pinching attack by Bai Mu.

The young lady feigned anger: "You're blaming me? It's clearly you who didn't care."

As she spoke, she picked up the handbag that was placed at her feet, "Here, go change your clothes."

Cheng Sangluo took the bag and curiously rummaged through it a few times. "Why do you need to change your clothes?"

"Your T-shirt is all worn out from washing. You should dress up a bit before going out. Don't worry about my taste~" Bai Mu chattered, pushing Cheng Sangluo toward the restroom.

No sooner had the two left than a Lamborghini roared up at them.

The agitated, sudden braking conveys the driver's impatience.

The woman sitting in the passenger seat wore sunglasses, her red lips complementing a flirtatious smile, exuding a strange and cold beauty.

She turned her head and raised an eyebrow at her friend beside her, "Don't look so serious. It's my birthday today, and it's such an honor to have you as my driver!"

Lin Jin impatiently pushed open the car door and snorted coldly, "You're giving me too much credit."

"Don't spoil the fun," Gu Shinian teased, lightly chewing on the end of his sunglasses. "Will you find a few pretty girls to keep you company later?"

Lin Jin put on a stylish straw hat and replied dismissively, "Not interested."

The sea breeze stirred her gossamer-thin dress, revealing glimpses of her sexy bra.

Before long, the yacht club manager arrived to greet them.

"Mr. Gu, Mr. Lin, both yachts are ready for maintenance, and the staff are all arranged. I'll take you there. The guest list and catering..."

The manager kept rambling on, and Gu Shinian responded only half-heartedly.

Today is her day, and she makes most of the arrangements.

Lin Jin's ankle swelling had subsided, but it still ached slightly when she walked, so she had to slow down and follow behind.

She had no interest in such sensual parties.

Since Gu Shinian was one of her few close friends, she lent her a yacht so that people in the circle could have more fun.

A few laughs came from afar.

Bai Mu tugged at Cheng Sangluo's arm and teased, "I told you this outfit suits you! What was it again... um... like a dark-skinned PE student!"

Cheng Sangluo changed her hairstyle to a half-up bun and received compliments from her friends, which made her blush slightly.

"No, I didn't." She protested, but her fingertips repeatedly kneaded the comfortable fabric, betraying her slight fondness.

Bai Mu is indeed very good at dressing up.

She picked out a floral shirt for Cheng Sangluo, with a pure white vest underneath, and matching shorts and flip-flops.

His dark, shiny skin, paired with light-colored beachwear, truly made him look like a very energetic sports student.

Lin Jin subconsciously turned around.

Seeing someone hidden in a dream walk into reality always evokes a sense of dreamlike astonishment.

When her gaze fell on the two's intimate arms, the happy smile lingered for only a moment.

"What are you looking at?" Gu Shinian followed her friend's gaze and smiled knowingly. "You've already got a target?"

Lin Jin stared at Bai Mu and asked, "Is that woman in the white shirt your guest?"

"A small client of one of our subsidiaries," Gu Shinian explained simply, then added gossipyly, "When did you change your taste and start liking this one?"

"Do I have such poor taste?" Lin Jin scoffed, turning and walking into the hall.

"Sister Gu!" Bai Mu saw Gu Shinian standing at the door, smiled and walked over, handing her a gift. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Gu Shinian fiddled with the exquisitely packaged gift box, her gaze shifting to Cheng Sangluo. "And this is?"

Bai Mu introduced: "My best friend, Cheng Sangluo."

Gu Shinian nodded in understanding and greeted her, "Hello, Sangluo."

Happy birthday, Miss Gu.

"Have fun today, don't hold back." Gu Shinian glanced at it and realized that this was the one Lin Jin had her eye on.

"Shi Nian".

A cold greeting came from behind.

Cheng Sangluo turned around. The man was about the same height as her and had a similarly sharp gaze.

Gu Shinian generously introduced, "This is my girlfriend, Ji Nanxing."

Ji Nanxing was also a man of few words. When he met Cheng Sangluo's gaze, he nodded as a greeting.

Gu Shinian took her arm. "Excuse me, we'll have to stay a moment."

Bai Mu stared at the two figures as they left, then secretly tugged at Cheng Sangluo's arm, "They're such a perfect match, I'm shipping them!"

“Ji Nanxing…” Cheng Sangluo didn’t respond to her friend’s words, but instead murmured something under her breath, her tone carrying an inexplicable hostility.

"Hey, stop spacing out..." Bai Mu pulled the absent-minded person away, muttering, "Don't you mind the heat in the sun? Come on in."

"Let's go." Cheng Sangluo walked up the steps, and as soon as she looked up, she saw that lingering figure.

Lin Jin stood behind the glass door with her arms crossed, her gold-rimmed sunglasses reflecting the dog's instantly tense jawline.

A faint grinding sound came from her back molars. Cheng Sangluo looked away in disgust, but out of the corner of her eye she saw the other person approaching step by step in high heels.

As soon as I stepped into the reception hall, the rich scent of cedar mixed with the cool air from the air conditioner hit me.

Lin Jin took off her sunglasses, her eyes so cold they sent chills down your spine, mixed with a hint of barely perceptible resentment.

"Cheng Sangluo, there's a chance to make money, are you in?" She deliberately raised the pitch at the end of her voice, her fingertips lightly twirling the ribbon on her straw hat.

Cheng Sangluo felt a chill run down her spine. This tone reminded her of the suffocating feeling she had when she was cornered on the sofa that night. She couldn't help but take a half step back to create distance, a cold laugh seeping out from between her teeth: "Doesn't President Lin do background checks before hiring people?"

This seemingly unfamiliar question was filled with a warning, reminding Lin Jin not to forget that she was dangerous.

Bai Mu, who was being ignored, was completely bewildered by the two's inexplicable conversation.

She didn't know who this woman was, nor did she expect that Cheng Sangluo would know someone like this in such a setting.

Lin Jin turned to look at Bai Mu, her smile turning somewhat sinister. "You don't mind if I borrow your playmate, do you?"

"Uh..." Bai Mu felt intimidated by the stare and had no choice but to turn to Cheng Sangluo for help, "It's up to her to decide."

Not wanting her friend to be in an awkward situation, Cheng Sangluo whispered in her ear, "She's the female lead in that wish-fulfillment novel you were talking about."

"Huh?!" Bai Mu's eyes widened, and he muttered, "How do you know about... wish fulfillment novels... no..."

Cheng Sangluo didn't explain, but smiled and coaxed, "I'll talk to her alone, I'll be back in a bit."

Bai Mu was stunned for a moment, then quickly changed his attitude.

She gave Cheng Sangluo a push and urged her, "Then what are you standing there for? Don't miss this opportunity to make money, go on!"

Cheng Sangluo stumbled and bumped into Lin Jin. The other party reached out to help her, which made her warily avoid him. The taut lines of her neck were visible to the naked eye, just like a hedgehog with its sharp quills raised.

"Don't touch me." She bared her teeth in protest, her nails digging deep into her palms to restrain the urge to push those hands away.

Lin Jin reluctantly withdrew his hand and slowly led the way, deliberately choosing a viewing terrace where no one would disturb them.

Cheng Sangluo followed behind until she disappeared from Bai Mu's sight, then warned, "I told you, don't cause trouble for my friends, and I don't want to fall out with you in this situation."

"Which eye of yours saw me causing trouble for her? Well, when you're looking for a pretext, you can always find one." Lin Jin leaned against the armrest, glaring at the angry little dog, her tone somewhat aggrieved.

Cheng Sangluo didn't want to waste time with pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Tell me, what kind of scheme are you plotting now?"

"Trying to get your hands on me, huh?" Lin Jin reached up to adjust his straw hat, tilted his head back to enjoy the sunshine, and said unhurriedly, "My yacht is short of staff. I need to serve a lot of guests today. Five thousand a day, are you in?"

The sea breeze from the viewing terrace lifted the stray hairs on Cheng Sangluo's forehead, revealing a faint old scar on her brow bone.

She leaned against the railing some distance from Lin Jin, remaining motionless as the wind blew Lin Jin's skirt around her calves.

"Five thousand a day?" she scoffed. "Do you think everyone will wag their tail like your dog, given a bone?"

Cheng Sangluo was struggling to make ends meet and had no reason not to spend money, but she questioned the madwoman's motives, since this woman had long lost all credibility.

"Isn't this how you make a living?" Lin Jin mimicked Cheng Sangluo's actions back then, waving her hands. "Only a fool would turn down money."

She glanced into Cheng Sangluo's sharp eyes and, seeing a hint of hesitation, realized that the puppy was wavering.

[Author's Note]

Looking to start writing on Douyin (TikTok), please follow: 同心难改的胡耀耀