Love Assault - Chapter 10

A thick layer of snow covered the car, and few pedestrians were out on the dimly lit streets. Lin Che shivered involuntarily. Ah, it’s freezing.

Yun Xi glanced at Lin Che, muttering with undisguised displeasure, You’re really something. Where’s all that usual arrogance and swagger gone? You’re as meek as a chick around Chen Mo. You’re just boosting her ego.

Wu Song stood behind them, barely daring to breathe. Before him were the CEO and Vice President. The truck driver, his direct subordinate, had just dumped a bucket of sh1t on his superior’s head a few hours earlier. Lin Zhili had barely stepped out when this sudden incident occurred, leaving him still in a daze. With work hours approaching, he hastily declared his loyalty and volunteered to drive Lin Che and Yun Xi back to the company, only to be met with Yun Xi’s sharp rebuke.

Go to hell with that company! After all that trouble last night, do you think I’m made of iron? Yun Xi had swallowed a bellyful of anger at the police station, and now Wu Song was bearing the full brunt of it, with no escape. Xiao Wu, you’ve always been meticulous in your work. General Manager Da Lin has treated you well, hasn’t he? How did your subordinates manage to screw this up? Listen to what they’re saying—the documents were on his desk, but he claims he doesn’t know who put them there or when! And what’s this about drugs?! Yun Xi threw her head back and laughed in disbelief. This is utterly absurd! Dingsheng only deals in legitimate business. How did such a disgusting person even get hired as a driver? I wouldn’t even trust him to unclog a toilet!

Wu Song nodded vigorously, not daring to utter a word. Yun Xi clearly had no intention of letting him speak anyway, her verbal barrage continuing relentlessly. How many people in the entire company have ever seen General Manager Lin’s signature? He hasn’t been back in five years! Yes, there’s the company seal on the documents. But who stamped it? This is a conspiracy—someone’s trying to frame Dingsheng!

Lin Che patted Yun Xi’s shoulder and glanced at Wu Song, who looked utterly embarrassed. Alright, what’s done is done. The most important thing now is to find the person who stole the company seal and forged the signature. Since they brazenly placed the documents on the driver’s desk, they must move around the company. Fortunately, Dingsheng’s security measures are robust. We’ll review the surveillance footage first to identify who was on the truck during the delivery. If we can’t find that person, I’ll likely have to take the blame. Xiao Wu, go back and check the department’s entry and exit logs and surveillance footage from yesterday. See if you find anything unusual.

Seeing Lin Che speak, Wu Song was eager to escape this awkward situation and avoid becoming collateral damage. He nodded in agreement and turned to leave. Lin Che chuckled at Wu Song’s retreating figure. Look at you, scaring him half to death.

I wish I’d scared him more, Yun Xi huffed. So, what now? Wait for news or strike first?

Lin Che pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and blew a warm breath into them. Waiting for news isn’t my style. But to act, we need a target first. I have some ideas, but they’re still half-baked. I need to confirm a few things. You shouldn’t rest either. The incident this morning caused quite a stir. I wonder if any reporters or media outlets caught wind of it. If this gets out, it won’t do Dingsheng any good.

Yun Xi nodded. Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle it. He glanced at Lin Che. You’re still not leaving? What’s up? You’re a suspect now, and you’re still thinking about hitting on girls?

Lin Che shoved Yun Xi playfully, a hint of amusement in his eyes. Don’t always make things so explicit, he mumbled vaguely. I’m just… doing it on the side. He turned to walk toward his car. Yun Xi hurried after him. Hey! How did I do back there? Was I the ultimate wingman?

Lin Che gave Yun Xi a strange look, completely missing his meaning. What are you talking about?

Yun Xi giggled, reaching out to flick Lin Che’s chin with a finger. I’m talking about… romance, you know?

Lin Che finally understood she was referring to the seductive and tender performance he had put on earlier in front of Chen Mo and Zhang Lining. He rubbed his aching temples in exasperation. Sara, my dear sister, don’t scare her away.

How could I scare her away? I just needed to make sure she knew your ‘type’ first, right? Isn’t that helping you cut straight to the chase? Did you see that Zhang officer’s face? He looked like he’d swallowed a dead fly—a textbook example of a straight male AI. Yun Xi gestured wildly as he recounted the scene to Lin Che, his words flowing like a torrent. He paused, raising an eyebrow and smacking his lips. You know what? Chen Mo was much calmer than I expected—deeply reserved and utterly unyielding. She’s got potential.

Lin Che scoffed dismissively. How do you know she’s reserved and not just completely uninterested in you? He opened the car door and slid inside, vigorously rubbing his hands together as he started the engine to warm it up. The frozen windows wouldn’t roll down, so Yun Xi knocked on the glass from outside. Lin Che cracked the door open, leaning halfway out. What do you want? Shouldn’t you be warming up your own car?

Yun Xi stroked his chin thoughtfully and said without hesitation, I’m telling you, she’s definitely both. That girl’s got a backbone of steel. If you try to crack her, you’d better watch out for your old teeth. He chuckled heartily, then sashayed to his car, bag in hand, and drove off with a flourish. Lin Che laughed and cursed playfully, slammed the car door shut, and settled into the driver’s seat. He pulled out his phone, stared at Chen Mo’s name in his contacts, grinned foolishly, and turned on the heater. But before the car could warm up, a blast of icy air sent shivers down his spine, forcing him to shut off the heater immediately. Glancing at the time, he saw it was already nine in the morning. After a moment’s deliberation, he decided to stay put. He waited until the car warmed up, then turned the heater back on.

The warm air finally brought him back to his senses. He took off his coat and draped it over himself, yawning and muttering, Ah, love makes fools of us all. Looks like I’m about to become one…

Meetings, briefings, document filing—Chen Mo hastily ate a bite of her cold breakfast. Her morning remained a whirlwind of activity. Guo Haitao, who was attending a conference out of town, called to check in and curtly said, The case is thorny, but you need rest. Take the day off and report back tomorrow afternoon. He hung up immediately. Chen Mo knew that if she let her guard down now, she might sleep through the day and night. Besides, she had a lunch appointment with Lin Che at noon. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was 1030—an hour until their meeting. Chen Mo walked slowly downstairs, intending to use the time to take a shower. Behind the police station stood a two-story dormitory building, where she had a temporary room. The buildings were only thirty meters apart, but even in that short distance, Chen Mo’s mind raced relentlessly, refusing to quiet down.

Given her personality, agreeing to this arrangement would have been completely impossible and unnecessary. Yet, she couldn’t shake the memory of Lin Che’s eyes—that flicker of seriousness and alertness—as he spoke to her. There was no doubt Lin Che was exceptionally intelligent if he had committed a crime, he would be an incredibly formidable opponent. If he hadn’t, the inherent sharpness and dominance radiating from him would never allow anyone to treat him like a pushover. The police station now held two handwritten signatures from Lin Che, plus the one on the receipt, totaling three. A handwriting analysis would immediately reveal their authenticity. Though the documents had already been submitted, a professional assessment would still take time, but the answer was almost certain.

The signature on the receipt was fake.

She turned on the shower, the water cascading from the showerhead, gradually filling the cramped bathroom with steam. Her left hand was unusable, and her right arm couldn’t get wet. Chen Mo smiled bitterly, wrapping both wounds in plastic bags, but the gauze still got damp. The hot water stung her skin, sending waves of pain through her arm. Her long, wet hair clung to her back, making it difficult to dry. She could only roughly towel it off before quickly changing into clean clothes. Bl00d naturally seeped from the wound on her right arm again.

It was clear that someone was trying to frame Dingsheng. But murder, escape, and the unanimous claim that the container truck had been dispatched by Dingsheng’s General Manager Lin—denying everything else—was a blatant, desperate move. It was the kind of reckless, life-threatening tactic employed by thugs who would rather kill you outright than play fair. Why escalate things to such a degree? Was it all just to frame Lin Che with a forged signature that would inevitably be exposed?

The price was far too high.

Chen Mo gazed at her reflection in the mirror a black women’s shirt, a pure white down jacket, her skin still fair, but with dark circles under her eyes. Her long hair dripped with water. She sighed. The temperature outside was at least minus seven or eight degrees Celsius. Going out with wet hair would surely freeze it. She picked up the hairdryer with one hand and slowly began drying her hair. When it was about seventy or eighty percent dry, her phone rang.

Lin Che’s gentle voice came through the line Captain Chen, I’m waiting for you downstairs.

Lin Che had originally reserved the most luxurious private room at Wangde Tower. But seeing Chen Mo’s weary expression as she sat beside him in the car, he suddenly changed course, heading straight for Dingsheng. The woman beside him had clearly just showered, her body radiating the refreshing scent of shampoo and body wash, a fragrance that was truly invigorating. Yet she still frowned slightly. Captain Chen, you’re still injured. It’s best to avoid getting wet.

Chen Mo huddled in her seat, the warm air in the car making her eyelids droop. Even after leaving the police station, her innate sensitivity and hard-earned vigilance remained taut in her mind. But Lin Che seemed to exude an inexplicable sense of security, or perhaps the car’s atmosphere was simply too comforting. She closed her eyes and murmured softly, Thank you. But after rolling around on the ground yesterday, I couldn’t stand the thought of staying dirty. She glanced at Lin Che. Getting injured is just part of the job for me. I’m sure General Manager Lin understands.

Understood. I completely understand, Lin Che said, gripping the steering wheel and turning it with a light tone. During my survival training in the US, I spent a week in the wilderness. The conditions were absolutely dreadful. When I finally emerged, I looked like a wild man. My entire body was covered in scratches from rocks and branches, and claw marks from wild animals. I couldn’t care less about all that—the first thing I did was rush to take a shower. Heh, forget what I said earlier. I doubt those minor injuries would trouble Captain Chen.

Lin Che continued talking to himself, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. When he finished, he noticed Chen Mo hadn’t responded. At a red light, he glanced over and saw she had fallen asleep against the seat. Her long, slender eyelashes fluttered gently with each breath, her face pale with exhaustion. Lin Che stared, mesmerized, until a car horn blared behind them, disturbing Chen Mo’s light slumber and causing her to stir slightly. Flustered, he realized he had missed a green light.