Chapter 41
President Lin is a womanizer; he changes women like he changes clothes.
Shu Wan deliberately teased Cheng Sangluo, keeping her in suspense for a little while.
She glanced at the pitiful takeout box and asked curiously, "Is this what you're eating for dinner?"
Cheng Sangluo was still pondering what kind of good job it was when she was asked this question. She picked up the box and shook it, "Fried rice with egg, do you want some?"
"You're sharing such a small box with me? Won't you go hungry tonight?" Shu Wan covered her mouth and chuckled, then reached out and tugged at her hem. "I'm not familiar with the streets of the old city. Can you take me to a place to rest so we can eat and chat?"
“Okay.” Cheng Sangluo led the way, glanced up at the dark night sky, and muttered, “It might rain.”
"It's not going to rain for now." Shu Wan put her hands behind her back, looking completely relaxed. "If you don't believe me, how about we make a bet?"
When the bet was mentioned, Cheng Sangluo's smile became somewhat uneasy, and Lin Jin's arrogant face flashed through her mind.
These moments are peculiar. Whenever I'm alone with Shu Wan, a few casual words in conversation always evoke memories of the crazy woman in my mind.
That woman also liked to gamble, and she always seemed so confident that she wouldn't lose.
In fact, she has never lost a bet.
Thinking of this, Cheng Sangluo took a deep breath and politely declined, saying, "I don't have any luck with money, I'm prone to losing when I gamble, and I don't have any decent chips to offer."
"Why are you being so serious? Who says bets have to involve material stakes? We can bet on other things, like if I win, you have to do something for me, like having dinner with me or taking a walk with me."
Shu Wan tried to dispel Cheng Sangluo's doubts, as if she was afraid of getting lost if she followed behind her, so she held onto the hem of her clothes and did not let go.
These similar conversations and behaviors easily evoke memories of people etched in one's mind.
Cheng Sangluo didn't respond for a moment, absentmindedly thinking that even crazy women like to hook their clothes like that.
After a moment of silence, she pulled herself out of her reverie and continued the conversation, "Even without the bet, can't I still have meals or walks with you?"
At this moment, Shu Wan was walking side by side with Cheng Sangluo.
“Yes, how come I didn’t think of that? You’re clearly good at saying no, but aren’t we going through these things right now?” She looked at that pure-smiling face, as if appreciating some beautiful scenery, her soft eyes sparkling even more. “You never really rejected me.”
These ambiguous words caused Cheng Sangluo to shudder inwardly, her tanned skin flushing red, which Shu Wan saw as shy and adorable.
"Ahem..." She coughed twice to ease the awkwardness, then changed the subject: "There's a small park nearby, I'll take you there."
"Mmm." Shu Wan smiled faintly, not exposing the person who was pretending to be calm, and simply enjoying the intense shyness.
Once inside the small park, Cheng Sangluo found a wooden bench to rest on.
She was exceptionally careful, brushing the fallen leaves off the chair with her arm and wiping it several times before inviting, "It's clean, it won't get your dress dirty, please sit down."
"Wait a minute," Shu Wan called softly, rummaging through her bag to pull out a wet wipe, and commanded, "Give me your hand."
Cheng Sangluo looked at the tissue, readily extending her hand, and jokingly asked, "Do you think I'm a kid?"
"Even little kids know to wash their hands before eating, but you don't," Shu Wan scolded playfully, taking her hands in her hands and wiping them. Her fingertips traced the rough palms, and she couldn't help but examine the calluses on her hands carefully. "They're from when you were in the army, aren't they?"
"Ah, right." Cheng Sangluo instinctively wanted to pull her arm back, not understanding why she felt such aversion.
From a sensory perspective, she did not resist Shu Wan's closeness, because the person in front of her had a gentleness that seemed to find a way to be gentle.
No one can resist gentleness, but that instinctive resistance comes from the subconscious.
Subconsciously, Lin Jin felt she didn't like this, so she also disliked it.
Shu Wan didn't hold onto his hand for long, but just rubbed it against his palm a couple of times. After feeling the unique texture, she sat down in the chair and said, "Sit down quickly and eat your food first."
"Okay." Cheng Sangluo sat down in response, opened the box, brought it close to her nose and smelled the delicious aroma of the rice, and exclaimed: "It still has to be a bowl of steaming hot fried rice with eggs, a hundred times better than delicacies."
As she spoke, she placed a pair of clean disposable chopsticks in front of Shu Wan, "Want to try it?"
Shu Wan waved her hand in refusal: "No, no need."
Although she didn't show any obvious dislike, the unintentional backward movement when the chopsticks were handed to her betrayed all the gentle and kind image she had cultivated.
That's a deep-seated contempt for cheap food, a common ailment among those who live in the shadows.
Such small details naturally did not escape Cheng Sangluo's sharp eyes.
She awkwardly withdrew her arm, sighing inwardly: They're all the same, nothing more.
A brief silence fell over the room.
Cheng Sangluo hunched over, resting her elbows on her knees to support the lunchbox.
She buried her head and shoveled mouthfuls of rice into her mouth until it was bulging, then slowly savored the taste of home cooking.
This man tightened his belt again and again; he only eats one meal a day now, no wonder he's starving.
Whose fault is it?
He didn't have much money to begin with, but he insisted on putting on a show of wealth, throwing around a thousand dollars to disgust Lin Jin. Now it seems like he's hurting himself more than he's hurting the enemy.
Shu Wan turned her head and stared at the person eating intently, unable to resist asking curiously, "Are you starving, or is this food really that delicious?"
"Cough cough...cough cough cough..." Cheng Sangluo choked on the rice grains, and had the illusion that someone was stripping off her clothes. She could only keep coughing, but stubbornly insisted, "It's delicious."
Looking at her disheveled appearance, Shu Wan complained softly, "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you. I'll go buy you a bottle of water. Aren't you afraid of choking on such dry food?"
With that, he prepared to get up and leave.
Cheng Sangluo grabbed her wrist in time, "There's no need to make a trip. I'll find water myself if I'm thirsty."
"The way you're talking sounds like a stray puppy," Shu Wan joked, wanting to reach out and pat the puppy's head.
Suppressing her joy, she quietly moved closer and leaned wearily against Cheng Sangluo's arm.
The arm felt firm to the touch, but not so firm as to hurt the skin. It made you want to squint your eyes and rub against it, giving you a comforting and reassuring feeling.
Cheng Sangluo was filled with panic, wondering how to get away, but she felt it would be very impolite, so she could only freeze and let the other person lean against her.
Shu Wan suddenly grabbed her arm, brought her face close, and created an unbearable atmosphere of ambiguity.
She reached out and poked Cheng Sangluo's cheeks, which were puffed up with rice, and teased, "You'd probably be unhappy if I said you looked like a stray puppy, but now you look like a giant hamster."
"How can it look like a hamster?" Cheng Sangluo pretended not to understand, but actually used the act of tidying up the empty lunchbox to distance herself from the overly intimate posture.
This looks very natural and is unlikely to cause any resistance from others.
Shu Wan didn't let the atmosphere become awkward, and turned to business: "I own a bar. Would you like to work there as a nightclub security guard? I'll give you special privileges. You only need to work from 8 pm to 12 am every day, with a monthly salary of 7,000 yuan and bonuses. Although you can't have weekends off, you can be an exception."
Such treatment was almost outrageous, so much so that Cheng Sangluo was reminded of that saying again—no one is kind to another person for no reason.
But as I was thinking about it, a beautiful figure standing in the rain came into view.
She really wanted to shake her head a few times to banish that wicked person from her mind.
Shu Wan sensed her wariness, smiled, placed her hands on her knees, and explained to herself, "Although I don't know you well enough, I can tell you're a down-to-earth and hardworking person. Isn't it fate that we've met a few times? I'll help if I can, and it's good that you owe me a favor."
The woman still spoke so eloquently, without ever mentioning the word "money" in her words, yet every sentence implied, "I know you're short of money."
Cheng Sangluo did not immediately accept this strange offer. She held the garbage bag in her hands and made a few noises in the silence.
She pondered Shu Wan's motives, but then felt she was being overly cautious.
Anyway, I was penniless and only had one life left. No, I should add a debt of 2.99 million.
Life has already turned out so badly, what right do I have to doubt this or that?
Shu Wan was quite patient. While waiting for a reply, she took out a tissue and handed it to Cheng Sangluo, saying, "Wipe your mouth."
"Thank you." Cheng Sangluo took the tissue and replied, "Great! Such good treatment is rare. You taught me that you can't refuse the same thing twice."
"You're quite smart, and you can even apply what you've learned to other situations." Shu Wan was very satisfied with this result.
She paused for a moment, then explained softly, "I understand you're wary, but I really want to help you out. You can think of it as me giving Bai Mu face, or you can think of it as me making you owe a favor. So, it doesn't seem like I'm at a disadvantage."
Cheng Sangluo nodded knowingly, "Yes, you're a businessman too."
She came to the conclusion that Shu Wan and Lin Jin were the same kind of people, both using the guise of helping others to secretly have their own interests involved.
However, they are fundamentally different. Lin Jin is sharp, pretending to be a savior, yet unable to control her aggressive and menacing nature.
Shu Wan, on the other hand, appears more shrewd and tactful. Her words are meticulous and elegant, packaging the so-called benefits as something wonderful, so as not to provoke any resistance.
"Really?" Shu Wan raised an eyebrow and pondered, but didn't ask any further questions. She continued talking about work: "You can think about it some more. You can report for duty anytime you've made up your mind. I'll send you the address later."
With that, she stood up, picked up her purse, and gently patted her skirt, seemingly still feeling the chair wasn't clean. "It's getting late..."
Before the words were even finished, several white lights flashed across the impenetrable night sky, followed by a deafening roar of thunder, as if it had exploded right overhead.
Cheng Sangluo quickly caught up with Shu Wan and hurriedly thanked her, "Miss Shu, thank you for your trouble. Where did you park your car? I'll take you there."
A storm was brewing, and the whole world seemed to be on edge, but Shu Wan smiled with unusual ease. "See? If you made a bet with me, you won, didn't you?"
"Don't gamble," Cheng Sangluo replied seriously, taking her arm and urging her to leave. "The rain has been building up all afternoon, and you still need to drive home. Leave early to avoid any safety issues."
Shu Wan deliberately dragged her steps, as if enjoying the rough touch of Cheng Sangluo's palm, or perhaps enjoying Cheng Sangluo's concern.
"Would you be this gentle with Lin Jin too?"
This sudden question made Cheng Sangluo stop in her tracks.
"Why would you ask that?" She turned to look at the beautiful woman who looked relaxed, trying to find other emotions in that gentle face, but a smiling tiger is the most unpredictable.
"Just curiosity, that's what women are like, they all love gossip."
"No, because I hate her." Cheng Sangluo's attitude towards Lin Jin was very cold, and even her words became brief.
Shu Wan was more than satisfied with this attitude, but her neutral words took on a slightly different tone. "Well, we're looking at it from a different perspective. President Lin treats you more attentively than other women. You probably don't know about her past. Everyone in the industry knows that President Lin loves women and changes women like clothes. You seem to be an exception."
"Really? What does that have to do with me?" Cheng Sangluo shrugged dismissively. "I avoid her like the plague."
She tried to appear more indifferent, but her originally bright eyes dimmed slightly, betraying her truest emotions.
Shu Wan saw everything but remained calm, saying indifferently, "Let's go."
Whether it was because of the topic of conversation or the fatigue from the whole day, Cheng Sangluo became a little quieter on the way out.
Only after seeing Shu Wan off did she carefully remind her, "Be careful on the road, and please send me a message to let me know you've arrived home safely."
Shu Wan leaned lazily against the car window, and upon hearing the soft, caring voice, her smile softened. "Has anyone ever told you that your meticulous nature is captivating?"
"Uh...no..." Cheng Sangluo stammered, her fingertips covering the bridge of her nose to hide the embarrassment on her face.
While starting the engine, Shu Wan suddenly asked, "Can I make a small request?"
"you say."
"From now on, when I go to bars, could you be in charge of my security?"
Cheng Sangluo looked suspicious, tilting her head and muttering to herself, "You're the boss, isn't this just a matter of a word?"
“I’m asking you from Miss Shu’s perspective, not on the boss’s orders. Isn’t there a big difference?” Shu Wan must have figured out Cheng Sangluo’s thoughts to be able to play the role of respectful choice to such a high degree. “The former is voluntary, the latter is forced.”
Cheng Sangluo wasn't one to smile much to begin with, but now she smiled warmly, like a spring breeze. "Of course, I agreed to this voluntarily."
Having received a satisfactory answer, Shu Wan said a brief goodbye: "Go back now, goodnight."
She didn't say goodbye, as if that would make people feel that she was looking forward to the next meeting.
"Drive safely, sweet dreams." Cheng Sangluo doesn't say goodnight easily, as if the word is very precious.
Once the gleaming black sports car had sped away, Cheng Sangluo's smile faded.
She put her hands in her pockets, stood there gazing into the direction where the figure had disappeared, pondering whether she should add Shu Wan's photo to the wall of the rented room.
This person with keen perception sensed danger within that impeccably beautiful conversation.
This danger is neither as overt as Xu Songheng's, nor as meticulously manipulative as Lin Jin's.
Cheng Sangluo pondered for a long time, and her evaluation of Shu Wan was still that she was gentle, but not as gentle as she had been when they first met.
Water has penetrating power; when gentle, it can seep into every crevice, and when fierce, it can be like the impending downpour tonight—a destructive force with a gentle touch.
Cheng Sangluo turned around and walked towards the alley.
When she reached the alley entrance, she stared blankly into the pitch-black alley. How had that crazy woman, with her frantic steps, pinned her against the wall and started biting and kissing her?
'boom--'
Another burst of lightning and thunder, brightening half the sky, startled Cheng Sanglu, who was deep in thought, causing her spine to tremble and her thoughts to scatter in all directions.
'Cheng Sangluo...'
'Don't go...stay with me...'
'It's thundering...it's thundering...don't go...'
Lin Jin's trembling roar drowned out the thunder that followed, echoing endlessly in her memory.
The mournful tone struck Cheng Sangluo's ears, causing him to hallucinate with tinnitus. When it struck his heart, it had already turned into a pitiful sob.
"I'm already exhausted today, why think about all that nonsense?" Cheng Sangluo shook her head and continued walking deeper into the alley.
She was deceiving herself, so she found a reasonable excuse to convince herself not to have any damned saintly heart.
When the thunder, like piercing a tympanic membrane, exploded again.
The soft-hearted god whispered in her ear.
In the alley so dark it swallowed even shadows, the sound of hurried, aimless footsteps suddenly rang out.
At first, the pace was hurried, but later it turned into a scattered run.
[Author's Note]
1. My pre-order novel, "The Sinful Lover," is available for collection.
2. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the 10,000-character seal.
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