Chapter 9
Skin melts into warm honey
The sea breeze, carrying the sweet scent of coconut and sunscreen, enveloped Lin Jin's shoulders and back, creating a sticky, warm mist.
Cheng Sangluo touched that skin still warm from the sun and heard the breath coming from the throat of the person beneath her, which made her ears tingle from the heat.
She squeezed more lotion onto her hands, pretending to be busy, rubbing her hands together and acting relaxed.
Perhaps because she had been bending over for so long and her back was a little sore, she simply sat down to the side. "What's there to be afraid of for someone as weak as you?"
"So when you saw me untie the rope, you were so scared that you even stuttered when you spoke?" Lin Jin teased, really hitting the nail on the head when it was embarrassing.
"..." Cheng Sangluo was too lazy to pay attention and just wanted to finish the service as soon as possible.
Lin Jin suddenly grabbed her hand and pressed it against her lower back, teasingly saying, "It's not coated here yet."
The sunscreen melted into warm honey where their skin touched, seeping into their skin and creating a thrilling, ambiguous atmosphere.
"What's your rush!" Cheng Sangluo panicked, secretly regretting that she had thought today's money would be so easy to earn.
Her rough fingers, like weathered rock, ground heavily against the soft hollow of her waist, a chaotic and disordered response.
"No one has ever complimented your hands, has anyone?" Lin Jin asked with a soft, sweet smile, her breathing ragged, and she even bit her lip to calm her desire.
"No." Cheng Sangluo didn't want to look at that slender waist any longer and just wanted to get to the point quickly.
After finally finishing applying sunscreen to her upper body, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Despite the strong sea breeze, this person was sweating profusely, his face and neck as red as if he had drunk a bottle of fake alcohol.
Lin Jin turned around, tilted her head to admire her masterpiece, and laughed at the little dog for being shy when there wasn't even a hug.
She lifted one foot and casually placed it on Cheng Sangluo's leg, instructing, "You need to put sunscreen on your legs too."
Cheng Sangluo lowered her eyes. Those slender, white feet, as beautiful as a painting, had shattered her dignity and always disturbed her dreams.
At this moment, the nightmare-like footsteps stepped into reality, but instead of stirring up her shame and anger, they aroused a bit of concern.
"What, do you really like my feet?" Lin Jin propped her cheek with one hand and tried to lift her toes to hook Cheng Sangluo's chin.
She is very good at this kind of provocation, using the trampling of dignity to satisfy the psychology of the powerful.
Cheng Sangluo stepped back and avoided the situation, showing neither anger nor response.
She took the opportunity to grasp the slender ankle, found the sprained area, and massaged it, asking casually, "Does it still hurt?"
This gesture, full of concern, was unexpected by Lin Jin.
She had already prepared what to say after the puppy got angry, but this sudden outburst caught her off guard.
Cheng Sangluo was filled with regret. Why did she show kindness to such a vicious woman? Did she deserve it?
The fingertips continued to knead without stopping.
She pondered the moment when she began to soften her heart. Was it because she saw the ugly scar and felt a strange empathy?
Lin Jin bent her knees, feigning pain, "Ouch—it hurts—"
"Could your acting be any worse? You weren't wearing flats when you came here today." Cheng Sangluo laughed angrily. What was there to sympathize with in this pretentious crazy woman? She simply swung her ankle away.
Lin Jin, her act exposed by the puppy, simply stopped pretending and said, "Oh~ so you're paying attention to me this much~"
As soon as Cheng Sangluo was rejected, she started squeezing out sunscreen, almost emptying the tube completely.
She figured that not responding was the best form of retaliation, so she kept a straight face and continued with her work.
“Isn’t it a fact even if you don’t admit it?” Lin Jin took Cheng Sangluo’s hand and unfolded it to examine it closely.
She had been curious about what the palm looked like, but when she finally saw it, her smile faded a little.
Cheng Sangluo's fingers were slender and well-defined, but not pretty. Her calloused palms had almost no visible lines, which gave them a distinctly rough texture.
Cheng Sangluo pulled her arm back, coldly asking, "Does it look good?"
Lin Jin pouted: "It doesn't look good."
"Of course, I can't compare to someone like you who never lifts a finger."
Lin Jin stubbornly took Cheng Sangluo's hand again and gently rubbed it against her face. "It may be ugly, but it feels very comfortable and gives me a sense of inexplicable peace."
This time, Cheng Sangluo hesitated.
Her smooth face was like pudding, soft and bouncy to the touch, making her hands pale in comparison.
Lin Jin closed his eyes peacefully. "You were in the army, weren't you? Only hands that are used to frequent drills would look like this."
"Mm." Cheng Sangluo nodded, seemingly unwilling to talk about the past.
What type of soldier?
"Marine reconnaissance special forces".
"No wonder you were able to subdue me so easily that day before the drug had worn off." Lin Jin recalled being pinned to the sofa and teased, "Since you're so capable, how did you fall for my trick?"
“Even if you weren’t a special forces soldier, dealing with you would be easy. That day was an accident; I let my guard down.” Cheng Sangluo finally withdrew her hand and casually put it behind her back.
The curled fingertips rubbed together a few times, as if savoring the delicate touch and warmth.
"You're a talented person; it's a waste for you to be doing odd jobs. Would you be interested in becoming my bodyguard?"
"No."
"You're too stubborn." Knowing she would be rejected, Lin Jin stopped insisting and changed the subject: "Are you hungry? I'll take you to get something to eat."
"Need not."
Rejected again, Lin Jin finally raised her voice, "You're known for being sparing with your words, but when you're scolding me, you have a whole set of arguments. It's good to be able to refuse, but you also need to know how to respect people."
Cheng Sangluo raised her eyebrows, as if she had heard a joke, "Humph, do you even know how to respect people?"
Sure enough, the two started arguing as soon as they disagreed.
Lin Jin stood up angrily and went straight up the stairs.
Cheng Sangluo shrugged indifferently, "Who's going to put up with you? Tch."
*
After sailing for more than an hour, the two yachts finally came to rest in a private, azure sea.
The joyful laughter of men and women was deafening; some people jumped into the sea, while others played and laughed with water guns.
Bai Mu stood on the deck and called out from afar, "Sang Luo, come here quickly!"
Cheng Sangluo glanced around furtively to make sure Lin Jin wasn't there, then quickly crossed the makeshift bridge between the yachts.
She hurried to Bai Mu's side and asked in a shushing tone, "Which one is your preferred target?"
Upon hearing the mention of his "white moonlight," Bai Mu quickly became both nervous and excited, rambling incoherently: "She wore a beautiful white tulle dress today. Don't you think it matches my white shirt perfectly? Does this count as couple's outfits?"
Cheng Sangluo gave him a look as if he were looking at a dog, pouring cold water on the idea: "Besides gender and clothing color, what other connection can you find between the two of you?"
"Ugh, you're so annoying!" Bai Mu pinched her arm and turned to walk towards the second-floor lounge.
In the circular sofa in the lounge.
Gu Shinian was holding a bottle of vintage wine, examining it closely, and occasionally chatting with a few women of similar age around him.
Lin Jin didn't want to get involved in the boring conversation, so she simply closed her eyes to rest, lazily swirling the wine glass between her fingers.
The woman sitting two bodies away from her had an elegant posture; her white gauze dress, adorned with lamplight, was not as striking as the pale whiteness of her skin.
The woman didn't participate in the conversation, but she listened attentively the whole time. When she smiled, her naturally affectionate eyes were filled with tenderness and affection.
Gu Shinian held up a glass of red wine and gestured, "Shu Wan, would you like a glass?"
"No, I drank too much at yesterday's social event, and I'm feeling a bit seasick today." Shu Wan gently declined, rubbing her temples with her fingertips to ease the discomfort.
Lin Jin glanced at him with narrowed eyes, saying indifferently, "Why does President Shu have to personally handle all these social engagements? It seems your subordinates aren't up to the task."
"President Lin is truly adept at managing people. I heard he's recently invested in several big projects." Shu Wan toyed with her crystal glass, her words flowing smoothly, her calm tone conveying a sense of detachment from worldly affairs.
Lin Jin was about to speak when her gaze was drawn to the furtive figures of two dogs by the door, so she sipped her wine and ended the conversation.
Shu Wan followed the gaze and waved with a smile: "Come and play together."
Seeing that the person Bai Mu liked had taken the initiative to invite her, he pinched Cheng Sangluo's arm tightly, "What should we do? What should we do? She's saying hello to us."
Cheng Sangluo glanced around, her gaze initially falling on Lin Jin before noticing the woman beside her.
When she met Shu Wan's gaze, she nodded politely.
Although she didn't want to join the chat among the elites, she still pulled Bai Mu toward the sofa.
Lin Jin rested the wine glass on her lap and patted the empty seat next to her. "Cheng Sangluo, come here."
All eyes were on Cheng Sangluo.
As we all know, Mr. Lin likes to bring his friends along when he goes on trips. He even said that he was alone today, but little did we know that he had already found a target.
Cheng Sangluo steeled herself and approached, thinking that she had to get another meal from Bai Mu, otherwise she would feel that today's sacrifice was in vain.
Bai Mu sat down next to Shu Wan, his hands resting on his knees, looking as obedient as a child, his face flushed red.
Lin Jin originally wanted to tease the puppy in public and get her to serve him well, since it was a paid service.
But then I thought better of it; it's better to be gentle in this situation.
She stared at the fruit plate on the table, wanting to ask the puppy if it wanted some, but before she could speak, the person had already brought the fruit plate over.
Cheng Sangluo placed the small silver fork into her hand and gestured with her lips: "Here you go."
When Lin Jin picked up the fork, she naturally curled her pinky finger.
She picked out the best-looking piece of watermelon and held it to the puppy's mouth, saying, "You're silly, you misunderstood. But such thoughtful service deserves a reward."
Cheng Sangluo felt suffocated because all eyes were on her, and she didn't know what was so funny about it.
Her throat bobbed, and she couldn't open her mouth for a long time.
Refusing would be disrespectful to Lin Jin, but not refusing would leave her feeling guilty.
"My arms are getting sore from holding it up like that!" Lin Jin complained, then simply shoved the watermelon into the puppy's mouth and asked with a smile, "Is it sweet?"
"Hmm..." Cheng Sangluo nodded mechanically, thinking about how to escape this damned situation.
Ji Nanxing leaned against the corner of the sofa. She also disliked these kinds of social occasions. Noticing Cheng Sangluo's discomfort, she simply patted her leg and stood up. "Does anyone want to go out for some fresh air? It's so lively outside, it's quite boring staying here."
“Yes, let’s go for a walk outside.” Cheng Sangluo chimed in, but as she was about to get up, she realized that Lin Jin was holding her fingertips.
Lin Jin tilted her head, her eyes darkening: "Don't you want to stay with me?"
Cheng Sangluo made an excuse: "I haven't visited Miss Gu's yacht yet, I'd like to go take a look."
“Alright, I’ll walk with you.” Ji Nanxing spoke up promptly. His righteous and awe-inspiring aura was overwhelming for most people, and he was somewhat similar to Cheng Sangluo.
Lin Jin gave her a sinister look, then turned and whispered in the dog's ear, "Wait for me on the aft deck in fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes is enough time for you to wander around a few times."
Cheng Sangluo did not respond to this forceful demand, but got up and followed Ji Nanxing downstairs.
The two had no interest in cruising the yacht and went straight to the deck for some fresh air.
There was no one there, so I was able to have some peace and quiet.
Two tall, slender figures leaning against the railing became the most eye-catching sight.
The one who broke the silence was Ji Nanxing.
She cut to the chase and asked, "Have we met somewhere before?"
Upon hearing this question, Cheng Sangluo's eyes instantly turned cold, and the aura she had been trying to suppress gradually revealed its sharpness, finally showing her most genuine expression.
She leaned close to Ji Nanxing's ear with a half-smile and whispered something in a shushing tone.
Ji Nanxing, who never showed her emotions on her face, gradually became embarrassed and responded by moving her lips.
The howling sea breeze, intertwined with the rising and falling waves, drowned out their quiet conversation at the bottom of the sea.
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