Chapter 36
I've developed a condition where I'm only addicted to you.
The road outside the alley was not as bustling as it was in the early morning. Among the row of streetlights, a few had poor contact, making a crackling electrical sound and flickering with an eerie light.
Occasionally, a few vehicles would speed by, creating a brief commotion before quickly returning to silence.
Lin Jin had one hand tucked into her trousers, the car headlights casting a faint, eerie shadow of her high heels.
The unhurried pace carried a strong sense of urgency, and even without speaking, it could overshadow the relaxed atmosphere with a deep melancholy.
"Is Ms. Shu upset that I interrupted the warm farewell?" Lin Jin responded to Shu Wan's teasing tone, which was calm but contained a clear anger, like a pool of gasoline that had been overturned on the ground, which would be in danger of exploding at the slightest ignition.
As she posed the question, she maintained a posture of tilting her head and gazing at Cheng Sangluo, making the question sound more like something she would say to a puppy.
Cheng Sangluo met those dark, lifeless eyes, about to speak, but suddenly felt her throat tighten. The words of explanation were stuck in her throat, an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to spit them out or swallow them down.
Shu Wan turned slightly to the side, her gaze fixed intently on Cheng Sangluo, and preemptively spoke up: "Miss Cheng, fishing and having dinner with you today has made it exceptionally enjoyable. Thank you for being my driver. I hope we can meet again next time."
This seemingly kind woman used the same method Lin Jin used to ignore her, and her farewell was quite cleverly worded, with a double entendre.
To Cheng Sangluo, it was a farewell, but also an expectation for their next meeting; to Lin Jin, it was a blatant provocation.
Every single word was deliberately infiltrated, clearly explaining everything that happened today, even every single scene.
After speaking, Shu Wan opened the car door and got into the driver's seat.
While starting the engine, she leaned out and smiled at Cheng Sangluo, reminding her again, "Remember to apply sunscreen before you go out tomorrow. I'll be heartbroken if you get sunburned."
These words carried a hint of ambiguity, startling Cheng Sangluo for a moment.
Her gaze fell on Lin Jin's calm face; the inability to discern her emotions was the most agonizing aspect.
But tonight's farewell must come to an end, so she could only nod awkwardly: "Ms. Shu, please drive carefully at night."
"Goodbye, and sweet dreams tonight." Shu Wan maintained a polite smile throughout, offering a gentle blessing before turning and leaving.
Instead of taking the opportunity to enjoy Lin Jin's embarrassment, she incorporated that silent anger into her imagination, which made it more interesting.
Cheng Sangluo gazed at the car disappearing into the street, yet she was forced to confront the chaotic scene created by Shu Wan.
She looked at Lin Jin, who remained silent, and only one thought popped into her mind: to leave as soon as possible. But her soft-hearted god whispered in her ear, saying that he would caress her gently.
Lin Jin calmed her numb mind, her gaze seemingly glued to the puppy's face, taking in all the complex emotions within.
At first glance, she didn't show any blame, but rather tried to fill the void of missing him after half a day apart. It wasn't until her second glance, after blinking, that a questioning resentment gradually arose.
But she still didn't speak, not even a simple "why." She hoped that Cheng Sangluo would take the initiative to say something, even if it was just a perfunctory excuse or a lie.
In fact, Cheng Sangluo is not a perfunctory person, much less a habitual liar.
She kept a two-step distance from Lin Jin, intending to project a sense of distance, and asked, "Why are you here?"
A flicker of broken light crossed Lin Jin's eyes, and her pursed lips curled downwards slightly. "Why are you with her?"
"Did you have those young men riding will-o'-the-wisps beat up?"
Did you have a good date with her today?
"You know perfectly well that I really enjoy this job, so why are you pushing me to the brink?"
So, are you attracted to her?
This off-topic conversation gradually escalated into a tense atmosphere as more questions were asked.
The person who was emotionally agitated was Cheng Sangluo, who was most adept at restraint and forbearance, while Lin Jin, who was prone to losing control, appeared calm and composed.
They asked each other the questions they most wanted answered, yet they were so stingy that they refused to give a reply.
Cheng Sangluo put her hands on her hips, let out a heavy sigh, and then turned and walked into the alley.
Her attitude was resolute; she simply left Lin Jin alone on the dark road.
Lin Jin felt that she had lost her true self at this moment. Whether it was from exhaustion or a chill in her heart, she slumped her shoulders and let a strand of her long hair fall messily as she lowered her head, adding to her disheveled appearance.
She didn't look at Cheng Sangluo's departing figure, but stubbornly stood in place, as if she were guarding the memories that had been forgotten by that person, so stubbornly.
The person who left should be brought back; they should be confronted aggressively; they should explode.
This is the real you, Lin Jin.
The demon clinging to the depths of Lin Jin's soul was clamoring, driving her to take two steps toward the alley, but she quickly stopped, contradicting herself.
And then, after catching up with Cheng Sangluo?
Is it better to listen to her incessant rant, to try to win her over, or to be treated violently?
No, we can't let her be tainted by that woman's scent, not even a trace. If you don't pull her away, how will you know what the outcome will be?
The urging shouts tore at Lin Jin's reason; each word was like a temptation from the abyss, trying to pull her back from the edge of sanity.
Cheng Sangluo is yours, only yours, and will always be yours. Hide her away quickly, hide her in your safe, hide her in your closet, you can even lock her in that secret room.
Go and strip away her dignity, tear apart her stubbornness, bend her pride, and treat her like a real dog to play with. Don't you love seeing her wagging her tail and begging for mercy?
Go, go quickly!
Lin Jin clutched his forehead in anguish, unable to repel the terrifying demon.
It's unclear which sentence touched her heart, but it unleashed her uncontrollable emotions like a flood, causing her to twitch her shoulders and let out a chilling laugh.
When she arrogantly raised her chin again, she sickly twitched her stiff neck, reached out to tuck her disheveled hair, and returned to her haughty demeanor, with even a hint of madness in the corners of her eyes.
In the pitch-black alley, Cheng Sangluo walked without any hurry.
She was thinking and hesitant, blaming herself for leaving Lin Jin alone on the road and wondering if it was dangerous, and also blaming herself for still being soft-hearted for the crazy woman.
Until the high heels trod through the thick blackness, on the cobblestone path of the alley, playing a gradually accelerating rhythm.
Cheng Sangluo stopped in her tracks. The moment she turned around, Lin Jin grabbed her collar tightly with both hands and forced her against the wall.
The first thing Lin Jin did was snatch the sunscreen from Cheng Sangluo's hand and smash it on the ground. "You want what others have left over?"
In the darkness, she hid a pair of reddish eyes, staring intently at Cheng Sangluo, her high heels grinding against the slender tube, as if she wanted to grind Shu Wan's face instead.
Cheng Sangluo was stunned, but did not answer the humiliating question.
The narrow, damp alleyway, except for the faint, dappled light filtering through the exit, couldn't penetrate the chaotic entanglement within.
Cheng Sangluo couldn't see Lin Jin's face clearly, but she could clearly sense that Lin Jin was in a very bad mood.
Unable to get a response, Lin Jin became increasingly frantic, shouting, "You can't, you can't be so intimate with other women! I won't allow it!"
As she spoke, she placed her hands on his broad shoulders, slightly rose on her tiptoes, and the kiss she had given him on the nape of his neck instantly turned into a bite. "Why can't you treat me the way you treat others? Why, why...why..."
It was a bite with all its might, a bite where the sharpest teeth dug into the flesh, determined to suck out fresh blood; it was a bite of resentment, a bite of utter desolation.
Cheng Sangluo hissed in pain and instinctively grabbed Lin Jin's chin with her thumb and forefinger, trying to push her away.
But every time this happens, she keeps repeating in her heart, don't hurt her, don't hurt her, don't hurt her like last time.
So she silently indulged the madwoman, allowing her to bite her insane way, which eventually turned into a form of cold violence that Lin Jin hated to the core.
Lin Jin has fallen ill, and all her behaviors are out of control.
She bit down hard, her tongue tasting Cheng Sangluo's sweet, metallic flavor, and kissed her forcefully, leaving mottled red marks on her neck.
It was that sweet, fishy smell that pulled her runaway emotions back to a semblance of reason.
She clung to Cheng Sangluo's neck, trembling all over.
With her breath heavy and hot, she struggled to find calm before calling out urgently, "Cheng Sangluo... take me home... quickly..."
Cheng Sangluo was in a daze. She refused to admit that she was indulging in this ambiguous relationship, nor did she admit that she had developed feelings for Lin Jin.
Yet she was so clear-headed, so clear-headed that she could easily push away the frail Lin Jin with just a little effort.
But she didn't do that.
She endured the itching and pain that came from her neck, and even unconsciously, she tightly wrapped one hand around her slender waist.
It wasn't until Lin Jin's soft cry for help that she finally escaped from the near-loss of self-control.
Cheng Sangluo finally recalled the Lin Jin who had lost control, was violent and unfamiliar on the cruise ship.
This time, she didn't ask why, nor did she flee in panic. Instead, she chose to take Lin Jin away without the slightest hesitation.
She grabbed Lin Jin's arm, bent her knees slightly, and used her shoulder to lift the light and beautiful woman onto her shoulder.
She walked quickly, yet tried her best to maintain her balance.
To ease Lin Jin's emotions, she panted and recounted a hidden part of her past, "Do you know why I always carry you on my back? It was the summer of my first year in the army. Zhouhai was hit by a once-in-a-century rainstorm. The rain poured down for a week straight, followed by a typhoon. The floodwaters were mixed with seawater, and I was assigned to disaster relief. There were just too many sandbags to carry... Lin Jin, you're so light, you're even lighter than those sandbags..."
Lin Jin slumped against her back, silently listening to the untimely story.
As if some memory had been touched, the fingertips that were grinding against the back of her clothes gradually tightened until the fingertips curled up and lost their color.
Cheng Sangluo found her self-talk somewhat amusing, so she stopped recalling and instead pleaded softly, "Please promise me one thing, okay? I'll drive you home, and you tell me what's wrong with you. It's a fair exchange."
......
How can a girl's back be so broad?
This was a strange question that suddenly arose in Lin Jin's mind when he was in a daze, but it was not the first time.
She was also surprised when Cheng Sangluo buried her in his arms last night.
My arms clung to his back, and I had to hug him tightly to make sure I could hold him securely. Although the old scars felt uneven to the touch, they gave me a great sense of security. It was a kind of reassuring tension.
Of course, Lin Jin's doubts were also thanks to Cheng Sangluo, who carried her the whole way except when she was driving, and didn't even put her down when they entered the elevator at Linxi Terrace.
Only after bursting through the doors of the spacious apartment did Cheng Sangluo, panting heavily, lay Lin Jin down on the sofa before collapsing onto the carpet, taking deep breaths. "I can't take it anymore... I exercise every day in prison... the intensity isn't what it used to be... my body isn't what it used to be..."
Lin Jin lay back on the sofa, only staying for a moment.
She struggled to sit up and took out several different medicine bottles from the coffee table drawer.
When she was getting the medicine, her hands were shaking so badly that several pills fell to the ground. She didn't have time to pick them up or wait for water to wash them down, so she just swallowed a handful whole.
The entire sequence of actions was performed in one smooth motion, eliciting a brief moment of surprise from Cheng Sangluo. "Such a big handful of medicine, don't you need to drink any water?"
Lin Jin's face was deathly pale, and her mouth tasted bitter. She shook her head and ordered, "Go, get me a bottle of wine."
"Are you crazy? Who drinks alcohol while taking medicine?!"
"The wine!" Lin Jin braced himself on the sofa, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. "Never mind... I'll get it myself..."
She struggled to stand up, but Cheng Sangluo pushed her back onto the sofa. "No, this could lead to someone's death."
Lin Jin weakly observed her expression and coldly snorted, "Shouldn't you be happy that I'm dead?"
"If you die, the police will come after me first." Cheng Sangluo said this, then hurriedly ran to the kitchen to get mineral water, and rushed back before Lin Jin left to get the wine.
She unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to the madwoman, urging, "Drink water, quick, quick, quick."
Lin Jin snatched the bottled water in an annoyed manner and drank it too quickly, almost choking on it.
Cheng Sangluo handed over a few tissues and asked again, "So, you're sick. Would you mind telling me what's wrong?"
Lin Jin's emotions eased slightly, and the fake smile that she often showed finally appeared on her lips.
She tilted her head to look at the puppy, who looked at her with a puzzled expression, then leaned closer and coaxed, "Yes, I'm sick. I have a disease that only makes me addicted to you, so..."
As she spoke, she left the sofa and slowly knelt down behind Cheng Sangluo, her soft little peach-shaped nipples brushing against his broad and sturdy back.
Only after gently resting her chin on Cheng Sangluo's neck did she continue in a low voice, "So... I always want to be close to you, always want to tease you, and always want to have you... Let's make love, like last night, like this morning, I just want to be with you forever..."
—A side note—
1. This is the last time I'll mention this in the main text, so please make sure to open the author's notes.
2. There will be a second update today, probably tonight, exact time to be determined.
3. I'll be giving out red envelopes for leaving comments in this chapter, and I won't be adding any more off-topic remarks in the main text.
4. My pre-order novel, "The Sinful Lover," is now available for collection. I promised to release 10,000 chapters a day when it reaches 800 collections. I still need 20 more, so let's all work hard!
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