Chapter 46
You're not thinking of getting serious with her, are you?
Lin Jin's sarcastic tone was drowned out by the guests' laughter and conversation.
She shrugged and looked around, then sneered, "How lively! If I hadn't told you it was the ancestral worship ceremony, I would have thought our Lin family had some great joyous occasion..."
Feeling that her words weren't quite right, she changed her tune: "No, no, today is of course a special day for Father and Aunt Ruan. Only when the old guests leave can the new guests arrive."
After saying that, Lin Jin took a glass of champagne from the maid and pretended to toast the old couple, but said a vicious blessing: "Your marriage is so hard-won, you only got it by stepping on my mother's dead body. How can I not wish you two a long and happy marriage?"
These words are enough to kill someone and wound their spirit.
Sitting in his wheelchair, Lin Zhen's face was ashen. He gripped the armrests tightly, trying to suppress his anger, but he couldn't let it out because of his pride.
Ruan Jinxian's smile stiffened slightly, and the relaxed muscles on her face trembled slightly.
She knew, of course, that this uninvited guest had chosen this particular day to embarrass her in public, and even though she was seething with hatred, she still had to play the hypocritical act of kindness to the very end.
She took a step closer and said softly, "Ah Jin, it's rare for you to come home. Please take a seat. Our family hasn't had a proper reunion dinner in a long time."
"Let's skip the reunion dinner. After all, we're not family, so we shouldn't eat at the same table. But I also have the surname Lin, so I should show up for the ancestral worship ceremony to avoid anyone gossiping about me behind my back. Don't you think so, Aunt Ruan?" Lin Jin smiled and declined the other party's insincere invitation. She then turned to Lin Zhen beside her and said, "Father looks quite well. It seems he can be discharged from the hospital and go home."
Lin Zhen let out a heavy sigh, raising his eyes to glare coldly at his daughter: "Have you said enough? Have you said enough..."
"If you've said enough, get out of here. Did I guess right about what you were going to say next?" Lin Jin interrupted him, adding the rest of the harsh words.
She'd heard these hurtful words countless times over the years, and the father and daughter would argue every time they met. After a while, Lin Jin could accurately predict what would happen and treated them as boring old jokes.
As she sipped her champagne, she watched the elderly couple's furious yet helpless expressions, and her smile grew even brighter, as if her trip today hadn't been in vain.
Feeling that the Lin residence was unlucky, Lin Jin didn't plan to stay any longer. He put down his cup and prepared to leave, saying, "I don't feel comfortable staying in this place for too long, so I won't have dinner with you. I'm afraid I'll feel nauseous."
"Lin Jin." Lin Sheng walked slowly through the crowd, and seeing his parents' pale faces, he greeted them in a low voice, "Would it be convenient for us to talk alone?"
Lin Jin shrugged: "Whatever."
With that, Lin Sheng turned and walked toward the veranda in the side courtyard, showing no intention of waiting.
Lin Jin gave Sheng He, who was mixed in with the crowd, a wink, and then slowly followed him out.
Once you reach the undisturbed veranda, the already desolate atmosphere is enveloped in an even stronger sense of gloom.
Lin Sheng, with one hand in his pocket, turned around and gave Lin Jin a cold glance, mocking, "You know perfectly well that you're not welcome here, so why bother coming here to make a fool of yourself?"
Lin Jin chuckled, leaning lazily against the wooden pillar of the veranda, her tone as disdainful as ever: "Why do you think I'm just here to make a fool of myself? Shouldn't you think I'm deliberately here to annoy your family of three?"
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be here today. After all, a child left behind by a suicidal first wife has no place here.” Lin Sheng’s expression was contemptuous enough, as if Lin Jin didn’t deserve to have a single blade of grass or tree in the house. “Besides having the surname Lin, you are nothing. So the more contempt you show, the more ridiculous it is to me.”
Lin Jin maintained a calm smile throughout, but the phrase "the original wife who committed suicide" crossed her bottom line and ignited an unquenchable fire of anger.
She gently bit her cheek so that Lin Sheng wouldn't find her too sarcastic.
However, when it comes to a sharp tongue, no one can surpass this woman who will stop at nothing when she goes crazy.
Just like now, she swallowed her anger and sneered, "If I were you, I would never deliberately emphasize the importance of the Lin family in this situation. It's not surprising, after all, everything you have was stolen by your mother. Besides having the surname Lin, what achievements can you be proud of? Is being an illegitimate child an achievement? I've been laughing about that identity for over twenty years, and I'm still not tired of it."
In terms of status, Lin Sheng will always be inferior to Lin Jin.
As she said, all the rightful things were stolen by that woman surnamed Ruan, so her ridicule was full of reason.
Lin Sheng seemed to have been hit where it hurt, his eyes fixed on his sister's unrestrained smile with a sinister glint. But he quickly composed himself and said calmly, "Even if you hate her, it won't change the fact that you and your mother are not favored. Do you think a few words of provocation can bring about any change? Just like you said, it's just annoyance, what else can it do?"
"You're so confident, so confident that I mistakenly think you're the sole heir," Lin Jin retorted sarcastically, then added, "You've been living in a false sense of superiority for many years, haven't you? You've forgotten your own capabilities."
Just as he finished speaking, Sheng He appeared at the right moment, interrupting their conversation.
"Boss, it's getting late." He stared warily at the expressionless Lin Sheng, then leaned close to Lin Jin's ear and asked, "Shall we leave now?"
"What's the point of staying in such a boring place? Are we just here to watch people eat? Let's go." Lin Jin was obviously saying this on purpose for Lin Sheng to hear.
She swayed away, then suddenly remembered something and turned back to Lin Sheng with a meaningful smile: "The game hasn't even started yet. You'd better pray that the old man lives a few more years. If you're evenly matched, I'll find it interesting. But I'm afraid you won't be able to play with me to the end, and I'll be very sad to laugh at you."
Lin Sheng tensed his jaw, his face darkening as if he were on the verge of a violent storm. His eyes gleamed with intense killing intent as he stared at the swaying figure with the ferocity of a wolf until the other disappeared from sight.
He hated the woman's confidence. He reached out and tugged at his tie a few times, then took out his phone and dialed a number. "Tonight, I'll get a few people to keep Lin Jin company. I want to see how much she can manage to escape this."
*
Cheng Sangluo lived a very fulfilling life without being disturbed by Lin Jin.
During the day, she works as a cashier at a convenience store. Except for breakfast and lunch, when customers come and go in peak hours, the rest of the time is relatively quiet.
During her breaks, she would stand behind the cashier, lost in thought, pondering her next move and the information she had overheard at Xu Songheng's house that day, hesitating whether or not to discuss it with Lin Jintong.
But the thought of that cunning, crazy woman makes his thoughts of revenge veer off course, drifting towards scenes of frenzied intercourse.
It was something completely insignificant, yet she remembered it vividly, even frame by frame.
At this time, Cheng Sangluo would slap her face hard with both hands, forcing herself to escape from those shameful memories.
She felt as if she had been bewitched by Lin Jin. The bewitching technique wouldn't kill her, but it could numb her mind and would always tempt her to indulge in its deliciousness.
This addiction thrives at night, disturbing her sleep and preventing her from getting any rest. Even when she is asleep, it will suddenly appear in her dreams, asking if she wants to see him or if she wants to take things without restraint.
As the sun set, Cheng Sangluo and the store manager checked the day's cash register accounts.
She changed out of her convenience store uniform, took three discounted rice balls nearing their expiration date as usual, and honestly wrote them down in her notebook so she could have them deducted from her wages later.
This is a small perk, she can use the employee discount to eat a full meal. What used to cost eight yuan for two rice balls, she can now get three for five yuan.
Leaving the convenience store, she stuffed rice balls into her mouth like a hamster, walking slowly and quietly towards the bus stop.
Shu Wan's nightclub is located on a vibrant bar street. Its uniquely designed standalone building sets it apart from the tacky and vulgar bars of other establishments, exuding an air of high-end arrogance.
As dusk falls, long lines quickly form outside bars, and young people are willing to pay for vanity even with exorbitant minimum spending requirements.
Cheng Sangluo has plenty of time between her two shifts, so she takes the bus and leisurely strolls over, which allows her to sleep on the bus for a while and kill some time.
When we arrived at the bar, there was still an hour before it opened.
She would change into a well-made security suit in the dressing room and chat with the store's staff.
Compared to the previous private clubs, the staff at the bar are more down-to-earth, and the people who come to work here have a common goal—to make quick money.
I'll do anything as long as there's money to be made.
Cheng Sangluo has a striking appearance and is quite beautiful. She has been working at the bar for a few days and has already encountered several female customers who pay for her services.
Although she doesn't work in alcohol sales, she's happy to earn money as long as it's not illegal and she doesn't have to drink with customers.
The security team teased her, saying it was the first time they'd ever encountered a customer who didn't want male or female models, but instead insisted on having the security guards for fun; it was truly bizarre.
Cheng Sangluo laughed it off, not feeling there was anything wrong with it. Earning money by selling services was neither shameful nor disgraceful.
Before opening, the security team will gather, and the team leader will assign everyone their positions and, as usual, give them a warning about precautions, strictly prohibiting prostitution, gambling, drugs, and fighting.
After the team dispersed, Cheng Sangluo was called aside by the team leader, who instructed her: "After 10 p.m., you will be stationed in the VIP room on the second floor. President Shu has a distinguished guest to entertain tonight, and he specifically requested your name."
"Understood." Cheng Sangluo readily agreed and went straight to her usual post to wait quietly.
In fact, she had never seen Shu Wan since the day she reported for duty, and had not even made a single phone call to her.
Cheng Sangluo thought that since they were going to meet today, she should thank him properly in person. Although she couldn't say she loved this job, it was indeed a quick way to make money. In just a few days, she had earned several thousand yuan from corkage fees and other expenses.
Before long, deafening DJ music, accompanied by changing spotlights, kicked off the night's revelry.
......
As night falls, the neon-lit bar street transforms into a scene of extravagance and debauchery, with all sorts of luxury cars and supercars roaring by, always attracting the attention of passersby.
Gu Shinian parked her bright blue Lamborghini on the side of the road, touched up her lipstick in the rearview mirror, and looked quite excited. "Don't say I don't care. I've practically called everyone in the industry for you. Since we're out having fun, let's have fun. Don't give me this half-hearted act."
Gu Shinian was the one who organized tonight's drinking party.
It's like some kind of unwritten rule that every year on this day she would find a different way to accompany Lin Jin to get drunk, so today was no exception.
Lin Jin leaned against the passenger seat listlessly. Ever since her ambiguous relationship with Cheng Sangluo, she hadn't participated in such sensual and indulgent entertainment activities for a long time.
The former CEO Lin wasn't like this; he used to be wild and unrestrained. Now he seems to have reformed, as if the wine has changed its flavor and lost its intoxicating allure.
She wasn't in the mood to begin with, and after glancing at the bar not far away, she felt even more bored. "Have all bars in the world gone extinct? Why did you have to bring me here to have some fun?"
Gu Shinian pursed her lips, rubbing off the lipstick with her fingertips, and said indifferently, "How much hostility you have towards Shu Wan is between the two of you. I don't care. I only care whether you have enough fun tonight."
"Tch." Lin Jin clicked her tongue, awkwardly muttering, "It's all just drinking all the time, don't you find it boring?"
She didn't want to see Shu Wan, but that's how rich kids socialize—they can't stand each other but still have to see each other often.
Anyway, after a few perfunctory greetings, everyone went about their own business, so there wasn't much to worry about.
"Boring? Do you know how boring Ji Nanxing is? She treats me like a prisoner. I'm only here tonight because of you, so don't spoil my fun." Gu Shinian couldn't help but complain about her strict and methodical lover.
"Come on, you don't care about anything else, can't you just get drunk?" she urged as she opened the car door, then suddenly remembered something, "If you're really bored, just call your soldier over."
Lin Jin looked displeased: "She has a name, Cheng Sangluo."
When the conversation suddenly turned to the puppy that hadn't shown any signs of life for several days, her heart tightened for no apparent reason.
I've been busy with company matters these days and haven't had time to keep track of Cheng Sangluo's whereabouts.
This woman was already full of resentment. It would be better if we didn't talk about this. Talking about it would only make her more resentful. That person never takes the initiative and is stingy with even a single message.
Gu Shinian gripped the car door, looking at Lin Jin's unpredictable expression, which seemed to terrify her. "You, you're not actually planning to play games with her, are you?"
[Author's Note]
1. I recommend reading this chapter and the next chapter together; they're both great!
2. My upcoming novel, "The Sinful Lover," by Gu Shinian and Ji Nanxing, is available for pre-order. Please add it to your favorites.
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