Chapter 217: Chapter 217 Clearly Just Ordinary Friends
"I’m not a love-struck idiot," Li Juezhou immediately denied, his expression entirely serious.
When Sang Ning finally sat upright, Li Juezhou chuckled and corrected her word by word, "I’m a Sang Ning-struck idiot."
"Ewwww!" Sang Ning was thoroughly cringed out by Li Juezhou’s cheesiness, hugging her arms and leaning back against the chair.
The meal was uneventful and generic; Li Juezhou didn’t feel any hint of a romantic atmosphere.
Sang Ning completely treated him as just an ordinary friend. The only difference was that he held the coveted title of "intern boyfriend."
By the time they finished eating, the sky outside had already darkened to the shade of ink.
Sang Ning thought the date would end here, but to her surprise, Li Juezhou suggested they head to the lakeside for a walk to digest their food.
A walk was fine, but Sang Ning assumed Li Juezhou would try to create some romance by choosing a lakeside adorned with colorful string lights.
She never expected to be taken to a spot so dark it was pitch black even without a streetlamp, resembling a secluded dumping ground for bodies.
Even though it was sweltering weather, Sang Ning felt a chill as she walked by the lakeside.
It wasn’t fear—it was just that the wind coming off the lake carried a bit of briskness.
"Dude, why don’t we just head back? This ridiculous lake isn’t worth strolling around," Sang Ning nudged Li Juezhou lightly with her elbow.
But Li Juezhou didn’t want to give up. "Sangsang, just a little further and we’ll be there. If you’re too tired to walk, I’ll carry you on my back."
Sang Ning sighed helplessly and had no choice but to keep following him, curious about what he was up to.
As they walked, she started chatting with Li Juezhou: "Xiao Li, I’ve already figured you out. You probably think girls are scared in dark places and are trying to manufacture a chance for physical contact with me. But sorry to disappoint you—I’m one of those people who comforts others and gives *them* hugs."
"Then give me a hug. I’m scared," Li Juezhou said, spreading his arms and leaning toward Sang Ning.
Sang Ning pushed him away instantly. "Come on, I was just kidding, and now you’re serious?"
"Sigh." Li Juezhou let out a resigned sigh. "Alright, Sangsang, I was joking."
"Don’t worry for even a second. I’m a man with boundaries—I didn’t bring you here to take advantage of you. I brought you here to see fireflies."
"Fireflies?"
"Yes, fireflies. Keep walking a bit more—you’ll see them."
Li Juezhou admitted he wanted to create a romantic setting, but he also knew Sang Ning wasn’t the type of girl who’d get easily spooked. He genuinely wanted to share a beautiful moment with her.
Sang Ning didn’t have much interest in fireflies, but she couldn’t bear to spoil Li Juezhou’s mood when he so rarely showed this side of himself. Reluctantly, she decided to follow him ahead.
As they kept walking, she suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes alongside the lakeshore.
She snapped her head to the side and found herself locking eyes with Li Juezhou. His brows furrowed tightly—it was clear he’d heard the noise from the bushes as well.
"Who’s going first? Hurry and get your turn, so we can switch afterward!"
"No, no... Who dares?! Why don’t you go first? That’s Wen Jiu there—I won’t touch her. If her crazy fans come hunting us down, I’ll be toast."
"Step aside, you cowards. She’s right here, so why waste her? Watch me—I’ll have my taste of this Princess tonight."
Filthy curses spilled out of the bushes ahead, with only men’s voices talking—no sound of a woman begging or crying for help.
Sang Ning’s heart clenched. Wen Jiu? Which Wen Jiu?
On the lakeshore, buried deep in the grass, Wen Jiu lay motionless on the ground with her eyes shut tight, seemingly in a deep coma—even when someone grabbed her by her hair and yanked her aside, she showed no response.
"What are you waiting for, damn it? I’m up. Turn on the flashlight and start recording already."
"Keep the camera far enough so it only captures Wen Jiu—don’t show my face."
A phone flashlight turned on. A man with a face full of scars reached out to lift Wen Jiu’s dress.
Just as his hand touched her thigh, a low, commanding yell snapped him back to reality.
"Touch her again, and I’ll rip your hand off!" Sang Ning kicked apart the surrounding grass, stepped into the clearing, and walked right in with her arms crossed and a cold, defiant expression.
She came alone. As for Li Juezhou, she’d deliberately sent him to cool off on the side.
After all, Wen Jiu was a girl—and for Wen Jiu’s dignity, it wouldn’t do to let Li Juezhou see anything he shouldn’t.
"Well, what’s this? Two-for-one deal? And this one’s not half bad!" The scar-faced man squinted, examining Sang Ning’s features.
After confirming she was drop-dead gorgeous, his eyes glinted with greed. He exchanged a look with his lackeys, signaling them to knock out Sang Ning too.
Altogether, there were five men in the bushes. One of them, closest to Sang Ning, pulled a folded towel out of his pocket, narrowed his eyes, and lunged toward her.
"Idiot!" Sang Ning cursed at him, grabbed his wrist, twisted it back, and pinned him in front of her like a shield.
A piercing scream rang out as Sang Ning snatched the towel from the man’s hand with ease.
"Trying to knock someone out with a cloth? Here’s a tip: you need to sneak up from behind—catch them off-guard and cover their mouth and nose. But doing this openly right in front of me? What do you think I am, blind? Or blind?"
Sang Ning lectured the man earnestly, then slowly pressed the towel over his mouth and nose, tightening her grip.
Though she had only one hand holding the man down, and it didn’t seem she was using much strength, he struggled to break free but couldn’t. He was left at Sang Ning’s mercy until she knocked him out cold.
The others hadn’t expected Sang Ning to possess such skills.
They’d assumed Sang Ning was just tall—and still a frail, delicate girl.
"You damn witch! Messing with my guy—are you insane?" The scar-faced man clenched his fist and swung it straight at Sang Ning’s face.
Sang Ning dodged effortlessly, ducking behind the man, and crouched down to check Wen Jiu’s condition.
After confirming Wen Jiu’s clothes were intact, Sang Ning called out to someone staying down in the bushes outside, "Big guy, it’s your turn. I don’t want to dirty my hands handling these bastards."
With ease, Sang Ning scooped Wen Jiu up in a princess carry before slowly walking away from the group.
"Chase her! Don’t let her take Wen Jiu!" The scar-faced man saw the situation turn sour and waved his lackeys forward to follow him in pursuit.
But they didn’t get far before a tall, broad-shouldered man appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path.
The scar-faced man felt an oppressive presence and looked up, finally making eye contact with the man standing before him.
"Get out of my way, brat! Don’t screw up my fun!"
The scar-faced man’s height was completely dwarfed—he was at least a head shorter than Li Juezhou.
Adding to that was the sheer menace in Li Juezhou’s eyes, radiating an overwhelming aura of danger. Although the scar-faced man spat threats, his confidence visibly waned.
Li Juezhou grabbed the scar-faced man by the neck and effortlessly lifted him off the ground.