Love Assault - Chapter 27

Two cars sped down the early morning highway, one white and one black, locked in a relentless chase. Though it was barely 7 a.m., rush hour traffic was beginning to build. Yet neither car slowed, hurtling out of the city and into the less congested suburbs. The black car, clearly exasperated by the white car’s pursuit, swerved sharply left, skidding to a halt against the median barrier. The white car braked hard, screeching to a stop right behind it.

Yun Xi leaped out of the white car, fury blazing in his eyes. He stormed over to the black car and pounded on the window, shouting, You! Get out!

Jian Dan leaned back in her seat, her hair slightly disheveled, and glanced lazily at Yun Xi. With a languid motion, she opened the car door, stepped out slowly, and leaned against the frame, saying nothing.

Yun Xi grabbed Jian Dan by the collar and dragged her to the edge of the lane. She didn’t resist, letting him pull her along. He propped her against the guardrail, and she casually climbed onto it, lit a cigarette, and stuck it between her lips. Yun Xi snatched the cigarette from her mouth, took a drag, and stared down at the barren fields below the highway. The winter wind whipped through her collar, and she wrapped her coat tighter, glaring sideways at Jian Dan. Can’t you two stop dragging me into your stupid fights and making me race you every time? I’m getting too old for this kind of excitement, okay?

No one asked you to come, Jian Dan said, turning her head away. You can go back.

Yun Xi ignored her remark and instead asked, What’s this about this time? Lin Che told me to keep an eye on you. Luckily, I spotted you right after entering Dingsheng, or how would I explain this to him?

Though Jian Dan’s initial anger had dissipated somewhat during the high-speed drive, the memory of recent events still stung. She remained shaken by Xue Wen’s death. She scoffed, Explain to him? What’s there to explain? He has that policewoman. Does he even need me?

What’s going on between you two? What does Chen Mo have to do with this? Yun Xi asked, utterly confused. You haven’t fallen for that policewoman too, have you?

Jian Dan sighed, her features tinged with melancholy in the winter sunlight. Without turning around, she gazed at the passing traffic and murmured, Sara, you have connections and resources in China. Could you help me investigate a policewoman named Xue Wen who died in Yunnan six years ago?

A cop? Another cop? What’s with you two lately? You’re all throwing yourselves into the arms of the nation’s guardians like you’re possessed. Yun Xi flicked his cigarette butt away. What’s this about? A dead woman? Xue Wen? Who’s that?

Jian Dan gripped the railing beneath her, her knuckles white. She looked at Yun Xi and said, It’s A-Fi.

Lin Che felt parched, so thirsty that she drained three glasses of water in one go to calm her trembling body. Chen Mo remained silent, silently refilling her glass and sitting quietly beside her. Lin Che didn’t expect Chen Mo to say anything at this moment it was clear she was waiting for Lin Che to speak first.

Xue Wen… Lin Che glanced at Chen Mo, immediately noticing the difference in her demeanor compared to their previous conversation. Fatigue lined her brows and the corners of her eyes, and a deep shock lingered in her expression. But the moment had come, and she had to say something. She cleared her throat. Xue Wen isn’t her real name. Her real name is A-Fi. She’s… she was… Lin Che clenched her fist, struggling with the words. She was my best friend, and also… my girlfriend.

A-Fi… Chen Mo repeated the unfamiliar name to herself, as if pondering it or simply echoing it. She said nothing more.

A-Fi was an orphan. Jian Dan saved her and kept her by her side, teaching her all sorts of skills. Xiao Bai fell for her at first sight and pursued her relentlessly. Lin Che smiled at the memory. When I was fifteen, the old man threw me into the jungle to toughen me up, leaving me to fend for myself. Jian Xiaobai ran away from home and found me starving in the jungle. We barely made it out alive. After recovering, we used the money the old man had given us to get matching pendants—nothing fancy, but deeply meaningful to us. She pulled the pendant from her pocket and held it in her hand, gazing at it quietly. We used to say that life is a difficult path. The Jian Family is a vast and powerful clan, and Xiao Bai was destined from birth to live a life of danger and bloodshed. Meanwhile, I was destined to return and take over Dingsheng, continuing my mother’s legacy. She and I were like night and day, just like these pendants—one sun, one moon.

Lin Che’s hands began to tremble erratically again, nearly dropping the pendant. He sighed and shook his head. Xiao Bai wasn’t good at expressing himself. The old man’s strict upbringing had taught him to keep his feelings hidden from others. But he was willing to confide in A-Fi, just as I inexplicably trust you now. He smiled wryly. I’m sorry, I know you’re not in the mood to hear my personal stories right now. On Xiao Bai’s twentieth birthday, they officially became a couple. He put his pendant around A-Fi’s neck right in front of me. By then, we had become the closest of friends, sharing everything. In the years that followed, I returned to the US to study finance, while Xiao Bai and A-Fi remained in Canada, already helping the old man with his business.

I’ve always worried about Xiao Bai and A-Fi’s safety. They were walking a path of no return, with no idea when they might live or die. But I couldn’t stop them, nor did I have any right or reason to. Lin Che glanced at Chen Mo’s somewhat bewildered expression and pressed his lips together apologetically. In realms you can’t imagine, their struggles are fierce. A-Fi suddenly found me one day, startling me. She was in terrible shape, her eyes swollen shut. She told me Xiao Bai had been shot and knocked unconscious during a chase. The men pursuing him were Chinese police officers who had followed Interpol here to arrest a drug trafficker. At the time, a Yunnan drug lord had fled to Canada seeking protection from the Jian Family, and Xiao Bai had been sent to retrieve him. The opposing faction had photographed the evidence. Although the drug lord escaped and Xiao Bai was sheltered by the Jian Family, the police seized the evidence. A-Fi hesitated, then declared she would destroy the original photos, refusing to let such evidence exist. Lin Che chuckled bitterly. The irony is, that drug lord was none other than Eighth Master.

It’s that Eighth Master again… Chen Mo finally spoke, her voice flat and emotionless. So… she wasn’t a police officer.

Infiltrating the Jian Family is surprisingly easy, as long as you have enough manpower and resources. A fake name and a forged ID are all it takes, Lin Che explained slowly, watching Chen Mo’s face pale. She forced a bitter smile. I know this is hard to accept, but it’s the truth. I tried to stop her when she left, but she wouldn’t listen.

If the Jian Family is as powerful as you say, why would they need her to do something like that alone? Chen Mo asked, her gaze fixed on Lin Che, still unable to fully believe his words.

The Jian Family’s rule is that if you cause trouble, you clean it up yourself. If you can’t handle it, the family won’t use you again. Xiao Bai was in a coma at the time, completely unable to resolve the situation. If the matter remained unresolved, the old man would have stepped in. Though everything would have appeared to be smoothly resolved on the surface, Xiao Bai would never have been able to hold his head high in the Jian Family for the rest of his life. Lin Che closed his eyes wearily. A-Fi didn’t want that. So she decided to handle it herself. He leaned back against the sofa, feeling a dull ache in his head. She adopted a false identity, Xue Wen. Only I knew this name she didn’t even tell Xiao Bai. We maintained regular email correspondence. She would ask about Xiao Bai’s condition and update me on her progress, but she never revealed her exact location. I only knew she was at a police station, but which one, I couldn’t say, and she made sure I couldn’t find out. About six months later, she had gained access to classified documents and quickly obtained the photos and evidence. The day before we lost contact, she told me she was about to make a clean getaway. I even joked with her. Lin Che tilted his head, a tear sliding down his cheek. He sniffled and squinted at Chen Mo. After that, we lost contact. I imagined all sorts of scenarios she’d been discovered and gone into hiding, or perhaps she’d fallen out of love with Xiao Bai and run off. In any case, I could never find her again. Every email I sent vanished without a trace. Xiao Bai always blamed me for not stopping her. I kept telling him she’d be back soon, but I couldn’t find her. He assumed she’d left because too much time had passed and A-Fi no longer loved him. He flew into a rage and demanded to know why I’d let her go in the first place. Five years ago, I made a special trip back to find her, traveling across most of China. I couldn’t make a scene or ask for help, but I found no leads. If I hadn’t seen… your pendant yesterday… Lin Che wearily wiped the tears from his face. I’m sorry. I don’t know what your relationship with A-Fi was—perhaps friends, perhaps… He paused, unable to finish the sentence. Chen Mo, I hope you understand that Xiao Bai and I are no less heartbroken than you are. Perhaps even more so. He tentatively studied Chen Mo’s bloodless face and hollow eyes, then asked, Chen Mo, are you… alright?

Chen Mo was as cold and still as if encased in ice. She didn’t even lift her gaze when Lin Che spoke, her eyes fixed on the pendant in Lin Che’s hand. Slowly, she took the pendant from her own neck and held it up, letting out a cold laugh. I just never imagined the story would end like this.

Lin Che looked at Chen Mo with a hint of sadness. Chen Mo, A-Fi wasn’t a bad person. She once asked me if she was good or evil, and I told her that the world isn’t just black and white, and people can’t be defined so simply.

Chen Mo’s eyes widened as if waking from a dream, and she actually smiled. No wonder she said those words to me before she died. She was trying to tell me that we were never meant to be in the same world.