Chapter 22
The oppressive aura emanating from Lin Jin [Revised]
Cheng Sangluo didn't keep Lin Jin waiting for long.
She walked out of the stairwell, fiddling with her ID card, and her eyes lit up when she saw the landlord had prepared chilled watermelon.
Without waiting for the old man to call her, she picked up a piece and wolfed it down.
This person must be extremely thirsty.
"Mmm!" Cheng Sangluo's eyes lit up, and she puffed out her cheeks to praise, "Grandpa, your melons are sweet."
The old man, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, grinned broadly at Lin Jin: "I knew it, she likes to eat watermelon."
Lin Jin remained silent and reserved. Upon hearing the boastful remark, she couldn't help but give a cold snort, as if to say that she had known about this matter for several years.
She watched Cheng Sangluo eat the melon with relish, then crossed her arms over her slender back and patiently waited.
Cheng Sangluo threw away the melon rind, then unceremoniously picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. With both hands full, she said, "I'll take one for Sheng He too. Let's go."
The winding, narrow alleyway was too narrow for the two of them to walk side by side, so Lin Jin could only silently follow behind Cheng Sangluo.
The atmosphere wasn't exactly harmonious; it was just too quiet, creating a sense of loneliness before parting.
“I know your favorite fruit is watermelon.” Lin Jin suddenly changed the subject, whether to tell Cheng Sangluo or to respond to what the landlord had just said.
Her tone was somber yet tinged with a wistful stubbornness, as if if she didn't speak it out, it would remain bottled up inside, causing unbearable discomfort.
Cheng Sangluo, with only the rind of the melon still dangling from her mouth, shrugged dismissively: "Yeah, what's so strange about that? Don't you like watermelon? The sweet, juicy flesh..."
Lin Jin listened quietly to her endless praise, her fine eyelashes fluttering slightly, her thoughts drifting far, far away with the lighthearted melody.
That distant place exists in my memory and in my dreams, unreachable, while the person in camouflage training uniform, with a straight back, gradually merges with the figure in front of me.
The man handed her a slice of watermelon, saying the same words; years later, the cheerful tune remained unchanged.
A deep, unyielding tenderness welled up in Lin Jin's eyes, drowning out the cicadas' chirping of that summer, the fleeting memories, and that person's confident smile, all of which were clearer than they were now.
"They're sweet and juicy, and the cheap ones are only a few cents a pound. One is enough to fill you up..." Lin Jin said Cheng Sangluo's words almost simultaneously, but the whispered words were lost in the alleyway.
Cheng Sangluo turned around and looked at her, wondering, "What are you chirping about?"
“I’m cricketing. I’ve known for a long time that you like watermelon, it’s not like I just found out today.” Lin Jin’s smile was made even more pleasant by the memories.
Cheng Sangluo asked suspiciously, "Hmm? A long time ago?"
Lin Jin suddenly realized that she had let something slip, so she mumbled, "Do you remember that night I called you? You were crunching on a watermelon on the phone, and it sounded like a mouse."
Changing the subject, Cheng Sangluo didn't suspect anything, but instead wrinkled her nose in disdain: "Hey! Speaking of that night, do you know how many mosquitoes I had to eat to answer your call!"
Lin Jin ignored the puppy's complaints, and traced her fingertips from the back of her neck down her spine, then moved to her heart and drew a circle.
"What are you doing?" Cheng Sangluo felt itchy, shrank her neck, turned around and grabbed the mischievous fingertips.
Actually, Lin Jin's actions weren't explained much; she just did what she thought of, and it's possible that she also wanted the puppy to turn around.
"You're very reluctant to leave here?" Lin Jin raised an eyebrow and secretly beckoned with her fingertips.
A pleasant itch ran through Cheng Sang's palm, and she subconsciously clenched the restless hand. Feeling that they shouldn't be so intimate, she gently let go. "The landlord is very kind to me. This place is a bit run-down, but it's full of human warmth."
"Human touch..." Lin Jin pondered, "Is it important to you?"
Cheng Sangluo glanced at her and shook her head with disdain: "Someone as arrogant and indifferent as you would naturally not understand the meaning of these three words."
“You’ve always defined me in a derogatory way…” Lin Jin’s eyes dimmed, but were quickly replaced by her usual fake smile. “But it doesn’t matter. You have plenty of time to get to know me again. I forgive your current shallow understanding.”
Cheng Sang was speechless, thinking to herself that crazy women always have a high opinion of themselves. Who wants to get to know you again?
Lin Jin smiled as she watched the puppy's changing expression, but didn't say anything more.
She knew this brief moment of harmony would vanish when she reached the end of the alley, so she put her hands behind her back and slowed her pace.
I wish this dilapidated road could stretch on a little longer, so that memories and happiness could slip away more slowly.
When the two reached the Land Rover, Sheng He already had a debt agreement in his hand.
This shows that Lin Jin's subordinates are quite efficient.
Cheng Sangluo had no idea what kind of abyss she was about to experience, and kindly offered Sheng He a slice of watermelon, saying, "Eat it, it will quench your thirst and cool you down."
Sheng He wanted to refuse, but seeing that the boss tacitly approved, he accepted the watermelon, saying, "Miss Cheng, thank you for your kindness."
He handed the agreement to Lin Jin, then quickly hid in the car with the watermelon to avoid any further trouble.
Lin Jin beckoned with her finger, "Give me your ID card."
Cheng Sangluo believed the crazy woman's nonsense and handed over her ID card. Only after watching her put it straight into her bag did she realize something was wrong. "Wasn't it supposed to be taken for record-keeping? Why did you confiscate it?"
Lin Jin leaned lazily against the car, a triumphant smile playing on her lips: "You need to leave me something as collateral before I feel at ease. It's not like I'm holding onto a property deed, so what are you afraid of?"
"I knew you were so easy to talk to! Turns out you were setting a trap for me!" Cheng Sangluo looked around angrily. The old town was bustling with people, and it wasn't convenient to rob someone in broad daylight.
She then realized that Lin Jin had already set a trap, no wonder he insisted on returning to the alley before discussing the IOU.
Lin Jin handed over the agreement, saying, "Aren't you going to take a look? Be careful I don't trip you up again."
Cheng Sangluo angrily snatched the agreement and examined it word by word. When she saw the details, she was furious again: "Didn't you say there would be no interest and no reminders about the repayment period? Why is the repayment period only one month as stipulated here?!"
"Yes, I did promise you, but I also have the right to go back on my word, just like you don't follow my arrangements, it's the same principle." Lin Jin had that "what can you do about it" expression again, and shrugged with one arm crossed. "Didn't you ask me what kind of attitude I should have? I'll tell you now, I can be very generous to you, or I can be very petty with you, it all depends on how you treat me."
"You!" Cheng Sangluo was speechless for a moment, and could only read the agreement over and over again.
There's no other way, so I guess I'll just have to act recklessly.
The few thin pages of paper were crumpled in her hand, and she scoffed, "If that's the case, then I have no choice but to refuse to sign and put my fingerprint on them."
"Tsk tsk tsk, who was it at the health center just now who patted their chest and guaranteed that everything—signing, fingerprinting, going through the proper procedures, and getting it done—would be done without any delays?" Lin Jin clicked his tongue, his tone so vicious it was infuriating. "Do you know how much interest three million would generate in a month? It's something you can't earn in a short time. How are you going to pay it back? What are you going to use to pay it back?"
As Cheng Sangluo listened to those words that pierced her heart, she secretly tightened her fingers, but even silence could not dispel the cruelty of reality.
Lin Jin was most annoyed by Cheng Sangluo's silence, and knew that what she was about to say would provoke a strong reaction from her, but she still revealed the good way to control her: "Don't you like this place full of human warmth? If you can't pay this money back in a month, that lovely old man will suffer. You saw what those debt collectors do in Seventeen Port last night, right? I don't mind if something like this happens to the people around you again."
"Lin Jin! Don't push me too far!" Cheng Sangluo grabbed Lin Jin by the neck and slammed her against the car window. "Do you have to force me like this? Do you have to force me like this!"
Cheng Sangluo's sharp eyes instantly turned crimson, and the murderous rage seeped into Lin Jin's flesh through her fingertips.
"Miss Cheng, calm down!" Sheng He slammed the car door and ran over, trying to pull Cheng Sangluo away, but was stopped by the boss.
Passersby cast incredulous and horrified glances at her, but Cheng Sangluo couldn't care less about that right now.
All she wanted was to kill this wicked, insane woman with her own hands!
Lin Jin's breathing was labored, her face flushed a dark red, but she didn't seem to care about the violence at all; in fact, her smile deepened. "You...you think about it...your poor little attic has been smashed to pieces...or...you'll never get a free slice of watermelon again...you're the culprit...but others are the ones who suffer...hahahaha..."
This is undoubtedly the most effective threat; none of these misfortunes would have provoked such a strong reaction from Cheng Sangluo.
Lin Jin had long understood Cheng Sangluo's personality, which is why this novel threat was so effective.
Cheng Sangluo released her grip, her breathing becoming disordered with anger. Listening to the madwoman's incessant coughing, she glared at her with a chilling look, but that look quickly turned into disappointment, and from that disappointment, despair was born.
Time and again, Cheng Sangluo's dignity was crushed by this terrible woman, and she was helpless.
She screamed at the top of her lungs, "Give me a pen! Give me one!"
Lin Jin coughed violently, clutching her neck, and waved awkwardly at Sheng He, "Hurry...urge her to sign the agreement...hurry up!"
Even now, Cheng Sangluo still doesn't mention her choice to go home with Lin Jin.
Even burdened with enormous debt and threats, she refused to succumb to the oppression from those in power; what a stubborn bone she had!
Cheng Sangluo silently signed and pressed her fingerprint on the document, then threw the agreement angrily on the ground. "Are you satisfied now? If you are, then get out!"
Lin Jin, who held a high position, had never been treated so badly, but her eyes were full of admiration. She admired the poor little dog for daring to gamble on a debt agreement that would keep her up at night, even though it didn't even have a bone for its next meal.
She leaned against the car door and suddenly let out a carefree laugh: "Poor Cheng Sangluo, what are you going to do?"
Cheng Sangluo ignored the humiliating laughter and turned around to walk straight towards the alley entrance.
She didn't want to see Lin Jin's ugly face, nor did she want to hear his display of power and superiority, because at this moment she had fallen into a deep and painful trap, a predicament and helplessness that could not be solved by force.
Lin Jin continued to laugh, even raising her voice to mock him: "I clearly gave you a bright path to life, but you insisted on going to the brink of despair. Even if you beg me to come with you now, I don't want you anymore. I just want to see how you're going to live from now on."
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