Chapter 338: Chapter 338: Don’t Drop the Idol Burden
After finishing her chat with Chu Xi, Sang Ning continued watching the surveillance playback.
When the video froze on a blurry shadow swiftly falling from the window, Sang Ning rewound the progress bar slightly, magnified the image, and played it at slow speed.
Unfortunately, the surveillance footage wasn’t clear; even after magnifying the image, she could only vaguely discern that it was a human figure. Beyond that, there wasn’t any useful information to be gleaned.
The first view yielded no results, so Sang Ning meticulously examined several more times. Using the dim lighting from the streetlamp next to the building, she could only determine that the figure fell from the floor where Doctor Zhou resided.
That figure must be Doctor Zhou, no doubt about it. But when the figure fell, the room inside was pitch-dark. Just based on surveillance, it was impossible to judge if there was a second person present.
The only useful surveillance footage had instead become evidence supporting Doctor Zhou’s suicide.
Sang Ning put down her phone and pressed her fingers hard against her temples; it was truly a headache.
Since the matter couldn’t be resolved for the time being, she decided to go out for a night run to clear her mind temporarily.
In her bedroom, as she changed into her athletic wear, Sang Ning naturally thought of Li Juezhou and casually called him to invite him for a night run. He agreed readily.
"He’s really the perfect life buddy!" Sang Ning remarked involuntarily.
After speaking, Sang Ning suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, her beautiful fox-like eyes widening slightly.
Li Juezhou’s subtle intrusion into her life had happened so quietly—she was already used to living with his presence. Habits are indeed a scary thing.
Sang Ning scheduled the night run with Li Juezhou at the park where they had their first run together. Most people who frequented this park were older, not the type to chase celebrities, so Sang Ning didn’t have to disguise herself excessively here, allowing her to fully enjoy the relaxed feeling of exercise.
This wasn’t the first time she and Li Juezhou had come here for a night run; it had already become one of their most frequent "date" spots.
Li Juezhou drove to pick up Sang Ning, parked his car near the park, and the two of them strolled leisurely toward the park entrance.
The temperature at night was chilly, and the night sky held only a few sparse stars flickering coldly. A dry night wind blew past, making one’s teeth chatter from the cold.
Sang Ning’s athletic wear was still a summer outfit. She thought her body’s heat would rise once she started running, but at this sluggish walking pace, she was so cold that goosebumps were practically falling off her arms.
Thankfully, the poor visibility at night kept Li Juezhou from seeing the goosebumps on her arms when he turned his head.
She couldn’t afford to lose face! Sang Ning gritted her teeth and feigned calmness. During their phone call, Li Juezhou had kindly reminded her to wear more layers because it was cold outside.
And what was her reply? "I’m healthy and resistant to cold."
If she said it, she had to stick to it—no matter how cold she got, the phrase "feeling cold" could never leave her lips, even if it killed her.
Sneaking a glance at Li Juezhou, she noticed he was also wearing summer athletic wear, but the guy looked utterly unfazed, hands stuffed casually into his pockets, his expression relaxed and natural, showing no signs of feeling the chill.
Was he faking his apparent immunity to cold like her? Or was it just that men naturally have more yang energy to withstand the cold?
While Sang Ning was pondering this, Li Juezhou turned his head, causing her to quickly retract her gaze and pretend as though nothing had happened, continuing to walk forward.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, Li Juezhou pulled her into a bear hug from the side. Their physique disparity instantly made Sang Ning feel like she was a delicate bird in his arms, while Li Juezhou enveloped her like a massive coat.
Faint warmth began to rise slowly on her skin’s surface, and Sang Ning could feel the goosebumps on her arms gradually melting away.
Bit by bit, this warmth expanded and seeped into her core, filling her heart with a satisfying, cozy warmth that dispelled the chill.
"What are you doing?" Though her body was comfortably warming up, Sang Ning’s tone was playfully annoyed, feigning indignation.
"I’m frail, wore too little, and can’t handle the cold winds. Thought hugging my girlfriend might help warm me up." Li Juezhou tightened his embrace around Sang Ning a little more.
The corners of Sang Ning’s lips curled subtly outward in exasperation. "I can’t with you. Didn’t you remind me to bundle up? Why didn’t you follow your own advice?"
Plus, what kind of man openly admits to being frail? Clearly, Li Juezhou was just looking for an excuse to take advantage of her. Sang Ning saw right through him but chose not to call him out—truth be told, at this moment, she could use the warmth herself.
"If you’re frail, remember to wear more layers next time, got it?" Sang Ning said in a scolding, motherly tone reminiscent of someone urging their kid to wear long underwear.
"Got it. It’s just that I have this girlfriend-branded mobile heater, you know?" Li Juezhou buried his face into the crook of Sang Ning’s neck, his face faintly revealing a mischievous grin, hidden under the cloak of night.
"You’re so full of it." Sang Ning poked at Li Juezhou with her finger. "Am I supposed to be at your service 24/7, then?"
"That’s not entirely impossible." A provocative laugh echoed beside her ear, making her realize she’d fallen for Li Juezhou’s teasing once again.
"Dream on! If there’s any ’service,’ it’s you serving me!" Sang Ning lifted her hand and pinched Li Juezhou’s arm firmly.
"It’d be an honor!" Li Juezhou replied shamelessly.
"Get moving and be your own heater." Sang Ning shoved him away and started running forward.
Behind her, Li Juezhou’s laughter rang out: "Sangsang, are you mad? Is your skin really that thin?"
Sang Ning ignored him and kept running. Of course she was mad!
She admitted that she could be shameless in certain matters, but for the most part, her celebrity image still weighed heavily on her.
Sang Ning started running ahead, but Li Juezhou quickly caught up, matching her pace and running alongside her. He lightly patted her shoulder and said, "I was just joking earlier. Now I have something serious to discuss with you."
"Discussing serious matters while jogging—really?" Sang Ning turned to give him a long, skeptical look but kept her pace steady and unwavering.
"I met your parents recently."
"Oh."
Sang Ning didn’t show much of a reaction. Meeting her parents wasn’t exactly an earth-shattering event.
"I met them as your boyfriend." Li Juezhou admitted frankly.
Now Sang Ning couldn’t keep her cool. She abruptly stopped in her tracks and frowned at him. "Wait, what did you say?"
Sang Ning’s eyes darted, and a light bulb suddenly went off in her head.
Chu Tian and Li Sulan had been acting strangely lately, voluntarily withdrawing the lawsuit against her parents. Could all of this have something to do with Li Juezhou?
"Hold on, aside from being my boyfriend, what other role did you assume when meeting them? What exactly did you say to them?" Sang Ning questioned. Being her boyfriend alone wasn’t enough to intimidate Chu Tian and Li Sulan.
"I didn’t say much. They just wanted to discuss a collaboration with Hai Chuan. When I introduced myself, I inadvertently mentioned my relationship with you, and things took a turn from there. I didn’t do anything else," Li Juezhou replied innocently, lightly shaking his head with a look of pure harmlessness.