Chapter 69
[Wonderful] Before the tender kiss landed
Inside the container with its blurred vision, the only sounds besides the patter of raindrops falling on the metal sheet were Xu Songheng's incessant hissing.
He couldn't make any louder noise because Cheng Sangluo's arm was stuck under his neck, and her other hand was pressed against the back of his head, forming a naked-choke position from which he couldn't resist.
This is a common and professional strangulation technique. As the person holding the victim presses their back against the victim's back and inhales, they exert force with both hands simultaneously, causing the victim to suffocate and faint instantly. If the force is strong enough, the victim's neck can be broken, resulting in a fatal blow.
Xu Songheng clutched his bleeding groin with one hand, his other hand gripping Cheng Sangluo's arm, utterly powerless. He gasped and pleaded in broken, gasping voices, "Cheng Sangluo...let me go...let's talk...let's talk this out..."
Cheng Sangluo ignored his pleas for mercy, turned her head slightly to look at Lin Jin, and asked with concern, "Is your foot okay? Did they hurt you? Don't worry, hold onto my clothes and walk slowly."
As the container door was about to be smashed open, and with the situation becoming increasingly urgent, all she could see was the crazy woman following behind her.
Lin Jin couldn't walk too fast because of her injured foot. Fortunately, the walking aid was of good quality and provided some protection during the bumpy journey. She only suffered some bumps and bruises, and her bandaged ankle got a little dirty.
"I might have bumped my ankle during the shoving...it hurts a little..." she answered truthfully, but immediately changed her words, "It's okay, it's not a big problem, don't worry."
Lin Jin felt somewhat guilty, so her tone carried a hint of bravado.
She didn't want her foot injury to cause problems at a crucial moment, so she forced a smile and said, "Take care of yourself. I don't want to hold you back."
"What do you mean by 'holding us back'? That's not your problem. Listen to me..." Cheng Sangluo raised her voice, signaling her to concentrate and not let her mind wander. "You understand the principle of 'capture the king first,' right? Now that Xu Songheng is in my hands, no matter how many people are outside, they won't dare to make a move. You just need to stick close to me and don't think about anything else, understand?"
Having become accustomed to the way conversations were conducted during battles, and receiving no response, the man asked again, "Do you understand?"
Lin Jin wasn't in a high mood. Hearing the puppy's serious question, she couldn't help but laugh and put her arms around the puppy's waist, replying with a smile, "Understood, sir."
Cheng Sangluo felt the soft, full flesh against her back, and arched her back as if electrocuted, complaining softly, "Um... that... you're holding me like this... it's restricting my movements..."
Lin Jin knew, of course, that such behavior was inappropriate, but the hug was instinctive, an expression of her deep dependence on the puppy, so she let her instincts guide her and let everything happen naturally.
"Let me give you a good hug before I walk out of this door. Nothing can relieve my anxiety like this." She buried her face in Cheng Sangluo's back. Although the rain had soaked her clothes and the wet feeling was uncomfortable, the familiar clean scent calmed her down a little.
"Willful." Cheng Sangluo muttered helplessly in a low voice, but still stopped in her tracks and let the crazy woman hug her to her heart's content.
She must be unaware of her own limitations, indulging in her willfulness, which is the epitome of spoiling.
Xu Songheng was in so much pain that he was almost collapsing. He just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He didn't care what happened, but he couldn't afford to get sentimental at a time like this.
"Let's go." Lin Jin loosened her arms, and like she had done countless times to a puppy, she habitually hooked her fingertips around the hem of her clothes and took one step at a time.
Cheng Sangluo tightened her grip on Xu Songheng's neck and ordered, "Have your men retreat five meters away now, prepare a car for me, and drive it to the door."
Xu Songheng was choked and struggling to breathe, so he could only pat her arm to indicate his agreement.
Cheng Sangluo loosened her grip and urged, "Hurry up and tell me! Be careful that if you bleed out, you won't be able to save your children and grandchildren."
"Cough cough—" Xu Songheng coughed for a while, perhaps fearing for his life or the possibility of being childless, and with each cough he urgently ordered, "Cough cough...all of you, get back five meters away...drive the car to the door, quickly! Cough cough..."
Upon hearing the boss's order, the henchmen immediately stopped banging on the door.
Listening to the hushed conversation outside, Cheng Sangluo secretly smacked Xu Songheng on the head, "Are your subordinates this slow? Urge them!"
Xu Songheng was dizzy from the beating and could only roar in pain, "A bunch of good-for-nothings, hurry up and do it! Are you waiting to collect my corpse?!"
A short while later, the sound of a car engine starting could be heard outside the door, accompanied by a shout from afar: "Car, car parked!"
Cheng Sangluo raised her knee and nudged Xu Songheng in the waist, ordering him: "Lift the bolt, open the door a crack, and do it slowly. Don't try anything funny."
"I...I dare not..." Xu Songheng was in so much pain that he could barely walk. Even the slightest tug on his crotch caused excruciating pain. Following the orders of the person behind him, he slowly opened the door.
Cheng Sangluo was very tall, so she hunched over and hid behind Xu Songheng.
She only showed half her face to observe the situation outside. Because of the heavy rain, she couldn't see clearly whether everyone was more than five meters away. Thinking that someone might be hiding on top of the container like her, she grabbed Xu Songheng's neck and demanded, "Whatever I say, you repeat it."
Xu Songheng replied hoarsely, "Okay...cough cough..."
Cheng Sangluo: "Everyone, in pairs, back to back, link arms and sit on the ground."
Hsu Chung-heng: "Everyone should sit in pairs, back to back, linking arms with each other, on the ground."
The henchmen looked at each other, bewildered, but had no choice but to follow their boss's orders.
In this way, Cheng Sangluo will be able to buy more time to escape.
She tilted her head slightly and whispered, "Lin Jin, the area above my head and the sides of the container are blind spots. I'm worried someone might be lying in ambush. If anything happens, you should hide back immediately."
"No... I can't leave you alone..."
"You have to listen to me." Cheng Sangluo interrupted the conversation before she could refuse, and perhaps feeling that her attitude was too harsh, she softened her tone to soothe her: "Only in this way can you help me."
After speaking, she pushed Xu Songheng and walked outside.
As she expected, there were indeed two people crouching on either side of the container, ready to launch a sneak attack.
However, these henchmen were not like well-trained soldiers; they moved clumsily. Before they could rush forward, Cheng Sangluo immediately pulled out the dagger stuck in Xu Songheng's crotch.
As she let out a heart-wrenching scream, she had already pressed the tip of the knife against Xu Songheng's neck.
Without uttering a single wasted word, her sharp, hawk-like eyes flashed with a cold, fierce light, and her powerful aura forced back the people on both sides.
"You...you two are trying to send me to my death early...?" Xu Songheng, disheveled and embarrassed, squeezed his legs together, cursing under his breath: "Damn it...bastards...why aren't you going to sit down...ah...it hurts..."
Cheng Sangluo looked around to make sure there were no ambushes, then breathed a sigh of relief: "Lin Jin, follow me, let's go..."
Lin Jin gripped the puppy's clothes tightly, trying not to cause her any trouble, and simply endured the intense pain in her foot injury, quickening her pace.
"I swear I won't let my men chase you, please let me go... I really can't go on..." Xu Songheng's pants were soaked with blood, his lips were turning white, his legs were too weak to move, and his vision went black, as if he was about to faint at any moment.
His voice grew weaker and hoarse as he recounted the past: "Cheng Sangluo, what happened three years ago... it wasn't that I was determined to hold you accountable. If you had simply pretended not to see it that day, if you hadn't intervened, no one would have pursued you so relentlessly... But you insisted on calling the police. The person who's determined to ruin you is Lin Sheng. You've seen what kind of person he is today. He won't let you go... he won't..."
"He's the mastermind, you're an accomplice. No matter what you say, it won't change the fact that you colluded to frame me." Cheng Sangluo gave a cold smile and retorted, "What do you mean by 'letting go'? Don't you think it's me who's not letting you go?"
During their conversation, Cheng Sangluo led Lin Jin to the passenger side of the car.
She saw the car keys inside through the glass and called out, "Lin Jin, come in quickly."
Once Lin Jin was seated, she dragged Xu Songheng to the driver's side door, saying, "Xu Songheng, I spared your life so you could pass on a message to Lin Sheng. Old grudges and new hatreds will be settled eventually. I will take Lin Jin's share and go find him to settle the score. You won't escape responsibility either."
With that, she kicked Xu Songheng to the ground, darted into the driver's seat, started the engine, floored the gas pedal, and sped away.
Xu Songheng clutched his crotch, fell to the ground writhing in pain, his face covered in mud, his ridiculous and hateful expression utterly pathetic.
He freed one hand and slammed it hard on the concrete, roaring, "Chase them...chase them! Do you really think they'll get away...ah...hiss..."
A group of henchmen, hearing the sound, quickly mounted their motorcycles and chased after the pursuer like a pack of mad dogs.
Cheng Sangluo glanced at the rearview mirror, anticipating that Xu Songheng wouldn't let it go so easily. She then stepped on the gas again, laughing, "Do you remember the day I was released from prison and was surrounded and beaten by his men? I remember you said you met him at the hotel entrance. Today is an eye for an eye."
As she spoke, she glanced at Lin Jin, who was gripping the handle tightly, and took a moment to raise her hand to stroke his still-shaken face, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere. "I've driven tanks and heavy trucks, so you can rest assured about my driving skills. Do you want to experience the thrill of high-speed driving?"
Lin Jin looked at the relaxed-looking puppy in a daze, then quickly put her hand, which was stroking her face, into her clothes. "I don't want to, I just want us to be okay."
Cheng Sangluo didn't reply, focusing entirely on shaking off the motorcycle behind her.
She floored the accelerator, smashed through the barrier at the port gate, and drove straight onto the main road.
A group of motorcycles were chasing after them very fast, weaving and swerving along the road.
Cheng Sangluo calmly planned the route, but for a moment she didn't know where to drive the car.
She considered going straight to the Criminal Investigation Center, thinking that finding Ji Nanxing might be the most effective solution, but this idea was quickly abandoned because getting the police involved would only make things more complicated.
She glanced at the rearview mirror every now and then. Although she had shaken off most of the motorcycles, there were still a few scattered ones following behind.
Lin Jin occasionally turned around to look at the pursuers behind him. Suddenly, he thought of something and whispered, "Go straight to the health center. Wherever Lin Sheng is, that's where it's safe. He cherishes his reputation the most and always tries to use others to do his dirty work. So he wouldn't dare to do anything to me, and neither would his people."
“That’s right.” Cheng Sangluo sighed, “The more dangerous the place, the safer it is. As long as he’s there, these people won’t dare to do anything out of line, after all, it’s your territory.”
......
The heavy rain of this autumn night showed no signs of stopping.
Cheng Sangluo drove Xu Songheng's car through the endless rain. As they approached the mountain road, the motorcycles that they couldn't shake off gathered together aggressively again.
Cheng Sangluo changed her mind at the last minute, because once she was blocked on the mountain road by this group, she would be caught in a dilemma if she was overtaken, and an unavoidable car accident could happen at any time.
Lin Jin stood at the foot of the mountain, gazing at the health and wellness building halfway up the mountain. She sighed, thinking how long the last stretch of road had been. She muttered angrily, "Xu Songheng's men are really mad dogs. They've been chasing us all this way. How much money did they pay them to be so willing to risk their lives for us?"
"Lin Jin, hold on tight," Cheng Sangluo reminded him in a calm voice, and took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention to turn the steering wheel at the only dotted line for U-turns.
The car drifted and spun around, leaving all the motorcycles stranded on the other side of the road.
Fortunately, there is a divider in the middle of the two lanes. On rainy days, the road is slippery, and it is more difficult for a two-wheeled motorcycle to make a sharp turn than for a car.
Cheng Sangluo took this opportunity to create a long distance between herself and others, then turned into a side path at the fork in the road and disappeared without a trace.
Before any motorcycles could be seen at the intersection, she quickly swerved to park the car in a roadside parking space, turned off the lights and engine, completing the entire action in one smooth motion without the slightest hesitation.
In an instant, the car blended into a group of private cars, making it impossible to distinguish.
This was a risky attempt; if spotted by sharp-eyed henchmen, escaping would be very troublesome.
However, the chances of this happening are slim. Firstly, visibility is poor during heavy rain, and secondly, the cars are constantly moving, making it difficult to observe the license plate number of a car that passes by in a flash.
Just in case, Cheng Sangluo folded down the backrests of both driver's seats to prevent the motorcycle lights from illuminating her and Lin Jin's figures.
This cat-and-mouse game is not completely over yet.
Before long, the sound of motorcycles speeding through the streets came from outside the window, making people feel uneasy.
The two lay on their sides on the back of the chairs, gazing at each other in the dim light, as if this could give each other a bit of courage in the confined space.
They held their breath, not daring to make the slightest sound, for fear that the henchmen would discover something amiss.
Cheng Sangluo reached out and covered Lin Jin's ears to shield her from the unsettling noise. "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
A simple "I'm here" was clean, concise, and understated, yet it conveyed all of Cheng Sangluo's abilities.
She suddenly remembered that after meeting Lin Jin, she always seemed to be venturing into thieves' dens alone.
Except for the first time in Port 17, it was for her family. Whether it was in the parking garage, cracking down on gambling dens, or today at the container terminal, every time it was for Lin Jin, for this crazy woman who repeatedly humiliated her.
At first she was resentful, resenting herself for always being soft-hearted and for saving someone who had hurt her repeatedly. But later she became willing to do it.
She didn't know when her mood changed; it seemed to be all instinctive, and she kept finding reasonable excuses for these instincts.
Even now, as she covered Lin Jin's ears, feeling the warmth of the rain-soaked skin, the tangible sensation brought a sense of peace to her anxious heart.
The commotion outside the window finally subsided, and the people gazing at each other did not immediately move.
Lin Jin placed her palm on the back of Cheng Sangluo's hand, closed her eyes, and gently rubbed it. "Actually, I never doubted that you would abandon me and leave me behind. Do you know why?"
Cheng Sangluo shifted her body so that she could get her face closer.
She could spot those deep, dark eyes at a glance in the darkness, and then she realized that Lin Jin's eyes weren't actually as dark as she had imagined.
Because in the dim light, those eyes shone with a glimmer that shone brighter than the stars.
She used her fingertips to brush aside the damp strands of hair on Lin Jin's nose and asked with a smile, "Why?"
“Because…” Lin Jin trailed off, also moving closer to his face.
The barely-there distance between their noses allows them to share each other's breath, quickly creating an ambiguous atmosphere and bringing an unprecedented intimacy and connection.
"Why?" Cheng Sangluo was not as impatient as usual. Although there was no smile on her lips, her eyes were slightly curved and full of smiles.
"Come any closer, and I'll tell you." Lin Jin placed his hand on her waist; her soaked T-shirt clung to her body, accentuating her firm waist muscles.
However, Lin Jin had no time to enjoy the feel of the fabric through her clothes; all her attention was focused on the puppy's bright, barking eyes.
For a moment, Cheng Sangluo was lost in thought. The endless frosted glass that flashed through her mind, reflecting a figure whose appearance she would never know, could no longer stir her heart.
Her eyes were fixed on Lin Jin. The rain had given her delicate features a clean and elegant look, and even the raindrops on her hair exuded an irresistible allure.
So, as if possessed, she listened to him, secretly gathered some more, and urged him in a low voice, "Tell me quickly."
Lin Jin turned slightly to the side, her fingertips tracing the puppy's eyebrows and eyes, outlining its high, straight nose, and finally landing inch by inch on her lips. "Because when you hated me the most, you still recklessly plunged into the sea. I knew that no matter what happened in the future, you would save me from danger with the same panicked heart as the first time you jumped into the sea. I gambled my life to win against the soft-hearted god~"
Cheng Sangluo silently furrowed her brow.
She wasn't angry; rather, she was thinking of Lin Jin lying on her back, falling freely into the sea.
The madwoman, facing death without a trace of struggle, stared calmly at the sea, her eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and succumbing to despair.
Looking back, the one who felt suffocated was Cheng Sangluo.
She suddenly felt short of breath and instinctively took a deep breath. Only when she could breathe again did she realize that it was all just a memory.
At this moment, she was no longer as annoying as before, only a lingering tension remained.
Cheng Sangluo gazed at those deep red and soft lips, and whispered, "Lin Jin."
Lin Jin moved a little closer, letting out a soft "hmm" through her nose.
"How many times have I saved your life? Can you even count them all?" This time, Cheng Sangluo didn't spoil the mood. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she chose not to suppress her wavering heart anymore.
She gently pinched Lin Jin's chin, and before delivering a tender kiss, she murmured with a hint of domineering yet pleading, "Your life is mine, so you have to live well. Love yourself first, and then others will love you."
[Author's Note]
1. Oh dear, I'm a deadly card master, so the passionate kiss will have to wait until the next chapter~
2. My upcoming novel, "The Sinful Lover," has surpassed 1000 favorites! I'm giving you all a 10,000-word bonus chapter as a way of saying I owe you all!
3. Leave a comment in this chapter to receive a red envelope!
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