Love Assault - Chapter 31

Lin Che dragged his exhausted body to the bathroom for a quick shower, too tired to bother with the shoulder wound. He grabbed a plastic bag to cover it haphazardly. By the time he emerged and properly bandaged the wound, the wall clock already showed midnight. He slipped into his bathrobe and walked to the window. Chen Mo was lying in an awkward position, clearly uncomfortable in her sleep.

Sighing, he dimmed the room’s lights and gently lifted Chen Mo’s blanket, muttering to himself, Sorry, I’m just trying to make you more comfortable. Don’t yell at me when you wake up. He then began to undress her. After removing her clothes, he pulled off her pants, panting from the effort. He was too winded to even think about his own lecherous thoughts, immediately regretting his shower.

Yet the sight of her pale skin exposed in the dim light proved an irresistible temptation. Lin Che stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly felt like a pervert and hastily pulled the blanket back over her. Chen Mo’s complexion had flushed from pale to pink, her brow furrowed in her light sleep as she occasionally murmured unintelligible nonsense. Sitting by the bed, Lin Che gazed at her furrowed brow and couldn’t resist reaching out to gently smooth the crease with his fingertip.

The room was warm, the lights dim. Lin Che leaned slightly forward, almost feeling Chen Mo’s hot, alcohol-tinged breath on her face.

Her heart raced.

She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and forcibly suppressed the fiery impulse rising within her. Reaching out to turn off the bedside lamp, she was suddenly pulled down. Two pale arms emerged from under the covers, encircling her neck. Lin Che froze, her eyes wide with shock, the gasp that threatened to escape her lips silenced by the searing heat of Chen Mo’s kiss.

Lin Che wasn’t a stranger to kissing. In her reckless youth, she had once been drawn to American bars. During moments of deep turmoil, when she felt trapped and unable to find a way out, she would drink herself into a stupor. The next morning, she would wake up inexplicably in a stranger’s bed, frantically check her clothes, and exhale in relief when she found them intact.

She had always worried about crossing her own inner boundaries. She needed to find a girl she truly liked before engaging in any intimate acts. After agonizing over her regrets multiple times, she finally resolved to quit the superficial, fleeting passions of bar dances and parties. As Yun Xi put it, You’re thirty now. Who hasn’t had their wild, foolish years? But don’t expect to find your dream girl this way. Indulging once in a while is understandable, but making a lifetime of it is just foolish.

Lin Che wasn’t a stranger to indulgence.

Yet now, she felt either she had gone mad, or Chen Mo had.

She knew perfectly well that this kiss couldn’t possibly represent a crack in Chen Mo’s emotional defenses. A woman who was drunk, had just acted with heroic self-sacrifice by returning her most cherished possession to Jian Dan, had fabricated a heart-wrenching deathbed message urging her rival to live well, and was now pretending everything was fine—the woman Lin Che loved—was bound to act out of character under the dual pressure of heartbreak and a hangover. It was only natural. And Lin Che should have rationally pushed her away, stopped her, ended it.

Yet, she found herself wanting to indulge.

The light kisses, like raindrops, gradually intensified into passionate bites as her inner heat rose. Her arms tightened around Lin Che’s neck, the suffocating sensation of wanting to meld their bodies together making it impossible for her to regain her usual composure and pull back in time. Or perhaps—the overwhelming scent of alcohol had completely intoxicated her.

Completely and utterly drunk.

Under the soft, dim glow of the bedside lamp, their bodies pressed together, their ragged breaths crashing against her eardrums like waves. Lin Che’s loose nightgown had long been discarded by the bed, leaving the two entwined beneath the soft blankets, their bodies pressed together without a gap.

Chen Mo’s body was scorching hot, her feverish warmth igniting the lingering embers of Lin Che’s desire into a raging inferno. The faint ache in her left shoulder only heightened her sensitivity, far from sobering her up instead, it intensified the thrill.

From forehead to nose, from cheeks to lips, down to her smooth neck and the soft curve of her ear, Lin Che, eyes closed, advanced inch by inch, sometimes sucking gently, sometimes like a furious beast barely restraining itself. Her mind churned with conflicting emotions, shifting like stormy weather, a chaotic mess. She could only follow her instincts, embracing, caressing, and kissing as her senses guided her.

Under the dim yellow light, Chen Mo’s eyes remained tightly shut. A soft, involuntary murmur escaped her parted lips Wen…

Snap…

Lin Che distinctly heard the taut string in her mind break. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up halfway, glaring resentfully at Chen Mo’s flushed cheeks, lightly bitten lip, and the scattered red marks on her body. She took a deep, forceful breath, but a moment later, she couldn’t help but smile, a helpless expression on her face as she slid out of bed.

After putting on her robe and tucking Chen Mo under the covers, Lin Che finally switched off the bedside lamp. She tiptoed to the window, lit a cigarette, and muttered to herself, Chen Mo… you’re really… something else… She chuckled. Well, I’m pretty impressive too. Lin Che, I give you full marks. Timely brakes, commendable courage.

Yun Xi couldn’t bear to think of Lin Che right now.

The mere thought of him ignited an urge to grab a machine gun and mow him down.

Of course, the drunken woman passed out before him wasn’t making things any easier.

At that moment, Yun Xi stood with his arms crossed, glaring at Jian Dan, who lay unconscious on the bed. He wanted nothing more than to dump a bucket of ice water over her head.

This is just great! Just great! You only tell me about this now, after all this time! He gritted his teeth and shook his head. I bet you two never even planned to tell me!

Jian Dan mumbled incoherently, kicked off her shoes, and burrowed under the covers. Yun Xi, furious, sat down on a nearby chair and dialed Lin Che’s number. But the call went unanswered.

No! Answer!

Hearing the cold, emotionless female voice on the other end, Yun Xi slammed the phone down on the table, his face dark with anger.

This is it. These two are really going to rebel.

Yun Xi felt like he was facing a formidable enemy. Ever since Lin Che became infatuated with Chen Mo, his behavior had become increasingly erratic. Yun Xi had once hoped Jian Dan would remain calm and rational, but now this incident had occurred. Yun Xi himself had been overwhelmed by Dingsheng’s booming business lately, but what was truly infuriating was that after a day of being stressed to the breaking point, he had to spend his nights cleaning up the messes these two spoiled heirs kept making.

Leaving aside the fact that Lin Che had abandoned Jian Dan to Yun Xi, forcing him to carry the heavy, incoherent drunk woman home alone, the fact that he hadn’t even bothered to call and check on them was enough to make Yun Xi’s bl00d boil.

Vixen… he muttered. I see through you all now. Not a single one of you is innocent.

He stood up and trudged toward the bathroom in his slippers, but Jian Dan suddenly began giggling and humming on the bed. Yun Xi whirled around and hurried to her side, glaring at her as she retched. He grabbed her by the collar. Jian Xiaobai, you better behave for once. I’ve put a basin by the bed. If you dare vomit on my sheets…

Before she could finish speaking, Jian Dan suddenly vomited.

Yun Xi watched in anguish as his newly purchased bedsheets were ruined. Frowning and pinching his nose, he stood up and shouted for the housekeeper, Sister Li, come clean this up! I’m done with this!

Sister Li hurried to the door, her eyes still half-closed with sleep. Yun Xi slipped out, shaking his head in exasperation. You two are really something…

Yun Xi eventually dumped Jian Dan on the sofa. He himself sprawled out on the bed, but soon rolled off onto the carpet below, groaning softly as he curled into a more comfortable position. Shivering from the cold, he huddled into himself, his already slender frame appearing even more frail.

Yun Xi, wrapped in a bath towel, stared down at Jian Dan, his brow furrowing slightly. In a fit of pique, he tossed the towel aside, helped Jian Dan back onto the sofa, and tucked a blanket around him. With a sigh, he retreated to his own room. Whatever Lin Che says tomorrow, whatever Jian Xiaobai looks like tomorrow—I need to meet the Duke of Zhou now. Time for bed.

The winter morning remained dim under a fine drizzle. Inside the room, black curtains were drawn, and no lights were on, making it feel like the middle of the night.

Lin Che sat on a chair by the bed, his legs crossed and swinging rhythmically. He squinted at Chen Mo, who was propped up in bed, frantically covering her vital areas with a white blanket. He exhaled slowly, Don’t blame me for this. You were the one who tried to force yourself on me.

Chen Mo’s eyes flickered. She had just woken up naked and initially thought she was in her own room. But the low chuckle beside her ear hit her like a bombshell. She quickly sat up, only for the blanket to slip down. In her frantic attempt to pull it back up, she caught a glimpse of the dense…

strawberry marks…

on her chest.

And now—the culprit was looking down at her with a disdainful smirk, casually saying, Don’t blame me for this.

A pounding headache from the hangover throbbed through her thoughts. She furrowed her brow, lowered her head, and bit her lip hard, but she couldn’t remember a single thing about what had happened last night.

But…

She didn’t want to think about it anymore.

Lin Che was still wearing his loose-fitting bathrobe, while she lay naked on the bed, her fair skin marked with unmistakable signs. No amount of deep breathing could calm her racing heart.

Lin Che chuckled. Why the long face? Is being with me really that hard? Well… we’ve already gone this far…

Chen Mo turned away, her voice muffled. I’m sorry, I don’t remember anything from last night. Just pretend it never happened…

I don’t know… Lin Che stood up, sat on the edge of the bed, and stared intently at Chen Mo, a smirk playing on his lips. I never imagined Officer Chen, always leading the charge, would bury her head in the sand when it comes to matters of the heart.

Chen Mo glared at him, her voice sharp. What’s that supposed to mean?

Lin Che burst into laughter again. Alright, alright, I’m just teasing you. Relax, you were drunk, but I wasn’t. We didn’t go all the way.

Chen Mo frowned, studying Lin Che with a strange, silent gaze.

Lin Che sighed, rubbing his aching left arm. I’ve told you before how much I like you. Especially after everything that’s happened these past few days, I realize I like you even more. But… that doesn’t mean I’d ever take advantage of you when you’re not sober. Lin Che’s gaze remained fixed on Chen Mo. Still, I admit I acted impulsively last night… So… He grinned mischievously, pointing to Chen Mo’s chest and neck. You might want to wear turtlenecks for a while.

Chen Mo felt an overwhelming urge to punch himself. She watched, wide-eyed, as Lin Che strolled to the door, then turned back with a meaningful look. Oh, and I wanted to let you know—Uncle Guo’s situation seems to be resolved. It happened faster than expected, so you can move back home in a few days. Of course… She smiled. I’d still prefer you stayed here.

No need. I’ll move back myself in a few days, Chen Mo said, looking down to avoid Lin Che’s gaze.

Lin Che pouted slightly, a hint of disappointment in his expression. One more thing.

What is it?

Starting today, I’m officially pursuing you. Officially—pursuing you. Lin Che winked, deliberately drawing out the words for emphasis. So, Chen Mo, prepare to be courted.

He opened the door and left.

Chen Mo sat frozen on the bed, her mind in turmoil. She cradled her throbbing head, feeling the ache intensify.