Crossing the Line – Chapter 55
by Little PandaWith Me, You Can Do Anything You Want
The video call connected.
A cotton ball appeared on screen.
A little black nose took up most of the frame, sniffing curiously this way and that.
Jiang Siyi called out, “Xueqiu.”
Hearing her poop scooper’s1 voice, two semicircular ears perked right up, and those little bean eyes went wide.
Spotting Jiang Siyi on the video, Xueqiu barked “woof woof woof woof” several times, tail wagging up to the sky.
The community butler patted Xueqiu’s head and said to Jiang Siyi:
【Xueqiu is doing great. Made several new friends, eating and sleeping well every day — just misses you.】
Jiang Siyi missed Xueqiu too. These past few days without the little furball always shadowing her feet, everything felt empty.
【Please take care of Xueqiu for one more day. We’ll be back tomorrow.】
Community butler: 【Understood. We’ll give Xueqiu a bath tomorrow. When you and Ms. Lin arrive home, we’ll bring Xueqiu back over.】
Mid-conversation, she caught sight of Lin Ji emerging from the walk-in closet in her peripheral vision.
Jiang Siyi maintained her smile as she said to the community butler:
【I’ll contact you before we get home.】
Lin Ji heard the voice and also saw the fluffy white round head on screen.
She was about to come over and look at Xueqiu, but Jiang Siyi quickly said “See you tomorrow” to Xueqiu and hung up.
Jiang Siyi rose from the sofa and said, “You’ve changed, so I’ll go change now.”
It looked like she was talking to Lin Ji, but she didn’t dare look at her at all, eyes fixed straight ahead.
She was about to hurry past Lin Ji when she heard:
“Rest assured, I’ve already covered them up.”
The topic she had been dodging all morning was now laid bare by Lin Ji without ceremony.
Jiang Siyi didn’t dare keep slipping away. Like a student caught by the homeroom teacher, she stood before Lin Ji, pinching the hem of her nightgown, and said softly:
“I’m sorry…”
One hour earlier.
When Jiang Siyi had snuggled against Lin Ji’s arm to go back to sleep, she had only wanted to be a little cheeky.
Who could have expected that she would end up burrowing entirely into Lin Ji’s arms by the time she woke.
There was no telling how long she had used Lin Ji’s arm as a pillow, sleeping as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Her bad sleeping posture had somehow escalated.
And Lin Ji had simply let her be this unbridled.
She had even taken the initiative to wrap an arm around her waist, so that even if she wanted to pull back, she couldn’t.
Those cautious little thoughts, all that deliberating and hedging — dissolved into nothing under Lin Ji’s embrace.
The thin nightgown was almost no barrier against the transfer of body heat, and Lin Ji held her far too tightly.
She felt as though she had been thoroughly permeated by Lin Ji’s warmth and scent.
In her haze, she noticed several striking red marks above Lin Ji’s chest and along her collarbone.
Jiang Siyi: ?
What were these? Why did they look so much like… kiss marks.
Fresh red, varying in depth — marks left by gentle biting and sucking.
Other than being deliberately made by human lips, there was no other possibility.
Combining her current position with the angle and distance between her mouth and the “scene of the crime”…
The only possibility was that she herself had committed this “offense.”
So that soft, delicious thing she had been biting and gnawing in her dream was actually Lin Ji’s…
Jiang Siyi closed her eyes and screamed inwardly — “Help.”
Such conspicuous placement and color, covering such a large area.
If Lin Ji hadn’t noticed after waking up, she probably needed to get her eyes checked.
Rather than trying to hide it, an honest apology was the better path.
The victim, Ms. Lin, after waking up and hearing Jiang Siyi’s confession, was remarkably gracious.
Not a word of reproach. She only said, “I’ll go cover them up.”
And now she had emerged from the walk-in closet.
She had changed into a shirt with a higher collar, concealing the evidence of Jiang Siyi’s wanton behavior.
Lin Ji saw that Jiang Siyi’s apology was delivered nervously, yet she looked so soft and yielding — as if she could be effortlessly bullied. A faint smile crossed Lin Ji’s lips.
“I’m not asking you to apologize.”
“But…”
“And didn’t we agree on something before?”
“Hmm?”
“Letting you get your revenge.”
That night before going abroad, what they had done on the sofa at home came rushing back in an instant.
Back then, Jiang Siyi’s neck had been covered with the marks of Lin Ji’s desire. Later, during their video call, Lin Ji had promised that when she returned, she would let Jiang Siyi “get her revenge.”
As it turned out, Lin Ji hadn’t even returned yet, and Jiang Siyi had come to find her.
She had completely forgotten about “getting revenge.”
Unexpectedly, she had inadvertently taken this “revenge” after all.
Seeing her fingers still quietly retreating into her palms, Lin Ji sighed inwardly at how adorable she was.
She stroked her head, gently lifted her chin, not letting her look down.
“With me, you can do anything you want. You never have to apologize.”
Her chin cradled and tilted upward, light fell upon Jiang Siyi’s eyelashes and her deeply moved eyes.
Even when she had acted willfully and caused her trouble, there wasn’t the slightest hint of displeasure.
Searching her heart, Jiang Siyi felt the same way.
Lin Ji could also do anything to her, and she would be willing.
That dizzying sense of joy came flooding back again.
Filling her body and mind once more, leaving her dizzy and boundary-less.
Naturally, the return trip was aboard Lin Ji’s private jet.
There was heavy fog today, so takeoff would be slightly delayed.
While waiting in the private lounge, Lin Ji — having been away from domestic operations for several days — needed to attend an online meeting back home.
On Jiang Siyi’s end, she received a video call request from her Jiejie, Jiang Siling.
Worried about the audio crossing between the two calls, Jiang Siyi went to the next room to take the video.
Service staff brought a thin blanket, fruit, pastries, and a thick menu.
As Jiang Siyi said “Thank you,” the video call connected.
The moment it connected, Jiang Siling’s serious face filled the screen.
【Baby, whatever you do, do not pick up calls from Jiang Luo.】
Jiang Siyi: 【I’ve been on a business trip in London with a different SIM card, and I blocked them all a long time ago anyway. What happened?】
Jiang Siling: 【Jiang Cheng crashed his motorcycle on the highway. He’s been in the hospital for three days and still hasn’t woken up. The doctors say the chances of him ever waking up are very slim. Zhao Jun is running around trying to find someone to cure him, but their house has been seized, and the Jiang family is completely bankrupt. The whole family has moved into a small place in the suburbs. Zhao Jun and Jiang Luo have been messaging and calling me these past few days, trying to borrow money. I just bought a place and have zero savings, so I told them the truth — I don’t have money. Zhao Jun still doesn’t believe me and accused me of leaving them to die. What kind of people are they? I’ve blocked them all too.】
Jiang Siling was still a bit angry as she said this. She took a sip of water and continued:
【Jiang Luo is now legally blacklisted as a dishonest debtor, and Zhao Jun is the same — neither of them can leave the country, so they can’t come cause trouble for me. But you still have to go back to China. They’ll definitely come to your old place to hassle you for money. If it really comes down to it, you…】
【I don’t live there anymore.】
Jiang Siling was a bit surprised. 【You moved? Where did you move to?】
She hadn’t told her sister about getting married before, precisely because she was afraid the complicated marital situation would worry her.
Now, it was still complicated — but Lin Ji’s reliability had given that complication its own unique order.
Jiang Siyi said: 【I got married. I’m living at my wife’s place now.】
Jiang Siling instinctively leaned closer to the camera again, her face full of shock.
【What?! Baby, you got married? To whom? When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?】
【It hasn’t been long. The story is a bit complicated to explain.】
Jiang Siyi had originally planned to tell her directly that she had married Lin Ji.
But on second thought, she held back.
Song Hui had just gotten into trouble, going all the way to London to beg Lin Ji in person. That meant she must have known her past misdeeds had been exposed because of Lin Ji.
Her sister’s career had suddenly taken a turn for the better, and she and Song Hui were in the same city, in the same circle. She might have heard some inside information.
Even if she didn’t know today, she would know tomorrow.
If she told her that she and Lin Ji had gotten married, her sister would definitely connect their marriage to Song Hui’s sudden downfall.
And truth be told, on some level, the two were indeed connected…
Her sister would definitely get the wrong idea.
She would definitely think that she was now signed with ArtS because of Lin Ji’s maneuvering.
She might once again fall into doubt about her own talent.
She might even wonder whether her younger sister had sacrificed herself for her older sister’s future.
Other people’s imaginations might not run that wild, but her artist of a sister — once she started connecting dots, her thoughts would race five thousand miles, and nothing could rein them in.
Everything Jiang Siyi was worrying about probably wouldn’t even be enough to fill her sister’s imagination.
She had to keep it pressed down for now.
She’d wait a little longer. Wait until the Song Hui incident had passed, and her sister wouldn’t connect signing with a new agency to her marriage with Lin Ji. Then it would be fine to tell her.
The October wedding would be a suitable occasion.
Right then, Fan Qing appeared at the door, calling her to board.
Jiang Siyi stood up and said: 【I need to board now. When you come back to China, I’ll introduce you two. She’s a very good person.】
After hanging up, Jiang Siling sat in her chair, lips pressed together in deep thought.
Something wasn’t right.
Something was very wrong.
Baby had been mature beyond her years since childhood, and she was someone who always had her own mind. But even so, she wouldn’t keep something as important as marriage from her only sister.
By her count, it had only been a few months since the broken engagement with Song Ti. And she had already met someone new?
Could she have gotten to know this person well enough to decide whether they were marriage material?
No matter how she looked at it, it was too rushed.
And she wouldn’t even tell her who it was. Clearly, she didn’t want her to know.
Why couldn’t she say?
There was only one possibility: because saying it would make her worry.
Jiang Siling’s thoughts immediately began to spiral.
Why emphasize that she was “a very good person”?
Could it be because she wasn’t good at all — possibly even a bastard?
Getting married this hastily — could the Song family be applying pressure?
The more Jiang Siling thought about it, the more panicked she became.
Baby was so beautiful, with such a great personality, so outstanding and so easy to love — had someone in J City’s chaotic wealthy circles been waiting to take advantage of the situation?
Jiang Siling shot to her feet, pupils shaking.
Could her suddenly improved career have been traded by Baby through marriage?
Tap tap tap — tap tap tap —
She paced nervously around the room several times.
Something clicked. She immediately returned to her computer, pulling up websites and calling friends.
If her new contract with ArtS and the resulting career peak were truly the result of her younger sister trading her marriage and happiness, then it was very likely that the person she married was connected to the capital behind ArtS.
She remembered hearing from a friend before that ArtS had ties to domestic capital. Who was it…
After searching for a long time, she finally had an answer.
Her friend messaged on WeChat: 【ArtS’s domestic capital — isn’t that the Sen family? The Sen family’s Eldest Daughter is the one in charge of contemporary art.】
The Eldest Daughter of the Sen Family.
These five words sounded very much like someone Baby could have married — and that spelled danger.
Jiang Siling immediately asked: 【What kind of person is she?】
Friend: 【You don’t know? She loves playing with pretty girls. Absolute scum.】
Jiang Siling’s face went pale, her brain buzzed, and she slumped back in her chair.
It was over. Baby had really been claimed by a tyrant.
One moment her head was full of “I’m useless as an older sister.”
The next moment her head was full of “I’m going to fight a divorce battle for Baby!”
She tried calling Jiang Siyi back on video, but the call couldn’t connect.
At that moment, ten thousand meters above the ground, aboard the Bombardier Global 7500 private jet, a flight attendant brought meals and smiled at the four people seated around the dining table:
“Due to satellite signal interference, internet connectivity may be disrupted for approximately ten minutes.”
Unable to reach her beloved younger sister, Jiang Siling forced herself to calm down.
The Sen family was not easy to deal with.
To rescue her sister, she would need to handle things on all fronts — and that required money.
Jiang Siling tallied her assets, checking the current market value of the property she had on hand.
Just as she was at her wits’ end, a woman with deep brown wavy hair leaned over her from behind.
The woman draped her arms around her neck, buried her face in the crook of her neck and inhaled her lovely scent, letting out a satisfied “Mm.”
Without looking away from her computer, Jiang Siling said in English, “Awake?”
Glenda lifted her head from her neck, saw the computer screen, and asked in confusion in English:
“You want to sell the house?”
“Maybe.”
Glenda’s deep green eyes revealed puzzlement.
“Don’t you love this place? You just bought it — why sell already?”
Jiang Siling lowered her eyes and said, “I’m just appraising it. Preparing for the worst. I might need to help my sister fight a divorce case. I need money.”
Glenda sighed, stroked her face, and said, “Is that what this is about? Don’t worry, darling — don’t sell the house. You love it so much; you should keep living there. I have money. I was just wondering what to buy as a meeting gift for your Baby anyway.”
Jiang Siling looked at the woman before her, deeply moved.
Glenda cradled her face and kissed her lips.
Jiang Siling wasn’t really in the mood, but Glenda truly knew how to kiss — she was gentle, and understood exactly what kind of reassurance she needed.
Much of her anxiety was soothed by that kiss.
While they kissed, a corner of Jiang Siling’s mind thought: it was time to go back to China and check on things.
…
This was Jiang Siyi’s first time aboard Lin Ji’s private jet.
She hadn’t known that an airplane could come equipped with a kitchen, a private cinema, an enclosed sofa area, and a supersized bedroom spacious enough for a double bed and bathroom.
Though the bedroom did not leave Jiang Siyi with thoughts running wild2.
Never mind that there were eight flight crew members — at the dining table, besides Fan Qing, there was one more person.
Lin Ji’s good friend, Cen Lu.
Early this morning, Cen Lu had contacted Lin Ji, asking whether she was in London on a business trip.
Lin Ji said yes, and Cen Lu asked: 【When are you planning to go back?】
【Today.】
【Perfect timing then. Give me a ride. I was planning to head back too.】
Cen Lu had come out alone to clear her head, arriving in London three days ago.
Wandering around by herself was thoroughly uninteresting, and there were things at home urging her to return.
When she heard from Yan Yu that Lin Ji was in London and would probably be heading back in the next few days, Cen Lu decided to hitch a ride on her old friend’s plane.
Having someone to talk to on the way would make the ten-plus hours of travel less boring.
Cen Lu: 【I won’t get in the way of you and your little wife. Just give me a sofa to sleep on.】
Back in their school days, Lin Ji had treated Cen Lu’s family car as her own often enough. Now that her old friend was asking, there was no reason to refuse.
Jiang Siyi had heard of Cen Lu long ago.
Her Jiejie Jiang Siling had been in the same class as Cen Lu and Yan Yu, and later Lin Ji skipped a grade and joined their class too.
Her sister said the three of them formed a Heiress Trio that no outsider could penetrate.
All equally beautiful and intelligent, and all recognized heiresses of J City’s prominent families.
In Jiang Siyi’s memory, Cen Lu was a legendary senior from the high school division — rich, beautiful, volleyball team captain, high jump champion, incredibly famous.
She and Jiang Siyi had little interaction and had barely spoken. She was also someone who rarely smiled.
Standing next to Lin Ji, the two of them radiated such an intimidating aura that no one dared approach — their glares alone could kill.
Meeting her today, that aura was still terrifying.
Cold-faced as she was, she treated Jiang Siyi very politely, like a younger sister, and even brought gifts for both her and Lin Ji.
Actually, Jiang Siyi was quite surprised. She hadn’t expected that besides Yan Yu, Lin Ji’s relationship with Cen Lu — this high school classmate — was also this close.
When the food was served, Lin Ji asked Cen Lu why she had come out traveling alone.
Cen Lu: “Don’t mention it. That arranged marriage partner of mine — after I rejected her, she doubled down. Said she was going to pursue me seriously and kept piling gifts at my door every day. I couldn’t be bothered to deal with her, so I said I was going abroad to clear my head.”
At the words “arranged marriage partner”…
Jiang Siyi very sensitively shifted her attention from the lamb chop in her hand to Cen Lu’s words.
Lin Ji noticed the unnatural pause in Jiang Siyi’s eating. After a moment’s thought, she continued asking Cen Lu:
“So she’s still hoping to drag you home and make you an obedient and worry-free wife3 — just a shield4 against her family’s pressure?”
Arranged marriage partner…
Obedient and worry-free wife…
These two familiar phrases linked together — wasn’t this the very thing that had been weighing on her heart all this time?
And it wasn’t about her.
This time, Jiang Siyi didn’t just stop eating.
She forgot how to blink.
So that day, Lin Ji had been on the phone with Cen Lu, talking about Cen Lu’s situation.
Cen Lu gave a cold laugh. “Who knows. That Sen Yifan has mush for brains. Can’t be bothered to talk about her. Got any cards? Let’s play and kill some time.”
Lin Ji said “Yes” while glancing at Jiang Siyi.
Jiang Siyi had been taking deep breaths in secret, but still found it utterly absurd.
She wanted to find something to drink, to dilute the bitterness she had swallowed these past few days for nothing.
Then again, it was fine that she had suffered for nothing. Thank goodness.
Jiang Siyi felt relieved inwardly. Thank goodness Lin Ji didn’t know that she had originally agreed to the arranged marriage for mutual convenience.
Mistaking Lin Ji for someone with ulterior motives — that was something the person in question should never, ever find out.
Observing Jiang Siyi’s subtle expressions, and combining them with her sudden agreement to the arranged marriage at the bank banquet that day, Lin Ji understood.
So Jiang Siyi had been thinking all along that the bastard who wanted an “obedient and worry-free wife” was Lin Ji herself.
Distracted, Jiang Siyi went to open the refrigerator door — but pulled it the wrong way. She tugged for ages without it opening.
Lin Ji walked to her side, took her hand to keep it from getting caught, and opened the door from the other side.
“Thank you,” Jiang Siyi said.
“You’re welcome.” Lin Ji smiled. “After all, a wife as obedient as me is here precisely to put your mind at ease.”
Jiang Siyi: …
The author has something to say:
Lin Ji: Wife-pampering step 23 — when exposing the wife’s misunderstanding, do it in a roundabout way, but definitely expose it.
Footnotes
- 铲屎官 | chǎn shǐ guān | Internet slang for a pet owner, humorously elevating the role of cleaning up after pets to an official title.
- 心猿意马 | xīn yuán yì mǎ | Idiom describing restless, uncontrollable, or lustful thoughts; literally 'heart like a monkey, mind like a horse.'
- 听话省心的妻子 | tīnghuà shěngxīn de qīzi | Euphemism for a passive arranged marriage partner used merely as a respectable shield against family pressure.
- 挡箭牌 | dǎng jiàn pái | Literally 'shield against arrows'; a pretext or cover used to deflect pressure or unwanted advances.
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