Love Assault

Synopsis

She’s a wealthy CEO who returned from overseas.

She’s a cold, upright police star who lost both her parents.

Lin Che: The moment I saw you, I made up my mind. Whether I have to be shameless or resort to any means necessary, I’ll get my hands on you, this tough nut to crack. Oh, darling, I misspoke. You’re not a bone, you’re meat—juicy, fatty meat.

Chen Mo glared at Lin Che with a dark expression, her eyes narrowed in a disdainful roll. There’s a punishment for saying the wrong thing.

Lin Che looked panicked. Punishment? What kind of punishment? I’ve already given you all my money! There’s nothing more left!

Chen Mo grabbed Lin Che by the collar, yanked her close, and pinched her cheek hard. Money? I don’t want money. I want you.

Prologue

February 11th. Clear skies as far as the eye could see.

Though it was already morning, the sun always rose later in northern cities. The dry, biting cold made Ye Quan shiver uncontrollably. At B City’s international airport, she adjusted her glasses, checked her watch, and glanced at the flight board. For the sixth time, she confirmed that the plane from the United States had landed safely.

As the personal assistant to Lin Zhili, the CEO of Apex International, she had never made a single mistake in her five years of service. At thirty years old, she was undoubtedly a leading figure in her industry.

She glanced down at the sign she was holding, its bold, black characters spelling out Lin Che in large, unmistakable letters. It was impossible to miss. Yet she had been waiting at the exit for over half an hour, her eyes wide and alert, convinced she hadn’t missed anyone who might be the person she was supposed to pick up. Still, she had nothing to show for it.

It wasn’t that she had forgotten to ask for Lin Che’s phone number. When she had requested it from Lin Zhili, the impeccably maintained, poised, and articulate businesswoman in her fifties had revealed a side she had never seen before. Lin Zhili’s eyebrows furrowed into a V-shape, her lips pursed as she shrugged, adopting an expression that seemed to pity her daughter’s misfortune while simultaneously scolding her for her lack of ambition. In a tone that was both helpless and almost coquettish, she had said, I don’t know my daughter’s phone number. The sheer absurdity of the statement nearly made her faint.

So, all she could do was wait.

An hour passed…

Ye Quan stood in the crowd, never feeling so utterly helpless. The crowd surged around her, ebbing and flowing like the tide. Her sharp mind had never considered how passengers could remain on a safely landed plane for so long without disembarking. She had asked airport staff, only to be told that all passengers had already safely deplaned. She requested an announcement, but the broadcast fell flat, like a stone dropped into still water.

Panic began to creep into Ye Quan’s heart. Her cautious mind spiraled into scenarios ripped from television dramas: gangland conflicts, hostage situations, and ransom demands—the kind of plotlines that dominated Hong Kong crime dramas. After all, it was the Lunar New Year, a time when major incidents often occurred. Her palms grew clammy, her heart pounded in her chest. With trembling hands, she dialed Lin Zhili’s number to report the situation.

To Ye Quan’s surprise, Lin Zhili showed no signs of alarm, not even mild surprise. She simply asked:

The plane didn’t malfunction, did it?

Ye Quan shook her head, though Lin Zhili couldn’t see her. No, she replied.

It landed safely, right?

Ye Quan nodded. Yes.

Oh. Then come back for now.

Ye Quan’s face wore an expression of utter bewilderment, or perhaps a giant awkward emoji. Just as she was about to hang up, Lin Zhili’s calm voice came through the receiver again: Since things are like this, you might as well report it to the police.

Just report it? The sound of the call ending echoed in Ye Quan’s ear as she hung up. Glancing at her phone screen, which now displayed the disconnected call from General Manager Lin, a hundred questions flooded her mind. Is she even her biological daughter?

She dialed 110 at the airport. The police contacted airport security, who reviewed records and surveillance footage. They confirmed that Lin Che had safely disembarked, but a thorough search of the airport yielded nothing. Ye Quan had no choice but to accompany the police to the station, where she repeated the scant information she knew: Lin Che’s name, date of birth, ID number, and a photo. By the time she left the police station, it was noon. The glaring sun beat down overhead, while an icy wind sliced across her face. Lin Zhili’s voice rang in her ears: Ye Quan, hurry back. I have so much to do here.

Ye Quan shivered, her glasses fogging up. She muttered to herself, A living person just vanished into thin air? Lin Che, Lin Che, where did you go?