Even when the staff called her into a small room for an interview, Le Ning still hadn’t recovered from the shock of what she’d just heard.

That’s the reason I’ve been working on my figure all these years?

Of course not.

Was she out of her mind?

And besides, when had she ever “worked on it”? This was all natural, thank you very much!

“Lemon?”

Le Ning snapped out of her thoughts, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she looked at the staff member in front of her. “Sorry.”

“Lemon” was the nickname given to her by netizens, and for convenience, most people now call her that.

The staff smiled. “It’s fine.”

“How about we start with a product introduction?”

“…Sure.”

After the formal interview, the host, who was also part of the staff, held a notebook and looked at her across from the table.

Le Ning sat on a short sofa, wearing a red dress. Even though her condition was a bit off, she was still so beautiful that people couldn’t take their eyes off her.

The host steadied himself and began the interview:

“Today, we’re giving fans a little treat, randomly selecting five questions to satisfy everyone’s curiosity.”

The host looked at the camera and asked, “What do you think, Lemon?”

Le Ning naturally cooperated, her eyes lifting at the corners, her lips slightly pursed. “Of course, no problem.”

The host nodded. “The first question: Everyone knows you actually graduated with a finance degree, so how did you end up as a beauty influencer?”

Le Ning thought for a moment and then gave the answer she had prepared long ago.

The next few questions were relatively standard, but when they got to the final one, the host gave a mysterious smile. “The last question is a bit special, I wonder if Lemon can answer it for everyone.”

Le Ning was slightly stunned. The host smiled and said, “Everyone is very curious about your love life. Your fans all want to know—Lemon, have you ever liked someone?”

Le Ning: “…”

As soon as the question was asked, a blurry figure flashed in front of her eyes again.

After a moment, she lightly smiled and nodded at the host’s curious gaze.

“Yes.”

“Would you mind talking about it?”

Le Ning nodded and didn’t shy away. “It was in high school.”

“And then?” The host was very curious. “What kind of guy was he, do you still keep in touch?”

Le Ning chuckled, once again recalling how she had been rejected back then for being too young, yet still shamelessly offered him water a few times, only to be teased and rejected again. She commented, “He was a bit of a punk.”

The host was stunned.

Le Ning laughed lightly, her tone cheerful. “Just kidding, he was an ordinary guy.”

The host paused. “Are you sure he was just an ordinary guy?” She looked at the beautiful woman in front of her and continued, “Do you still keep in touch with him now?”

“No.”

“Have you ever thought about reconnecting with him?”

Le Ning raised an eyebrow, answering without hesitation, “No.”

The host looked at her, then joked, “I bet that guy is definitely regretting it now.”

Le Ning tilted her head and smiled. “Not necessarily.”

…

After the interview, Ruan Qiu stayed with her until Le Luo and the driver arrived, and then they left together.

As soon as they got in the car, Le Luo handed her a coat. “Sis, are you cold?”

Le Ning smiled and looked at him, reaching out to ruffle his messy hair. “I’m not cold.”

She sniffed and asked, “Did you tell Mom and Dad?”

“I did. I’m staying at your place tonight.”

Le Ning nodded and looked at the driver. “Uncle Liu, thank you for your hard work.”

Uncle Liu, the family driver, smiled at her. “It’s no trouble at all, Miss. Is the air conditioning okay?”

“It’s fine.”

The car warmed up a bit, and after a while, the rain outside grew heavier, blurring the view.

Le Ning had been resting her eyes, but when the rain intensified, the sound of it hitting the glass was so heavy that she opened her eyes and looked outside.

She couldn’t see anything clearly.

Le Ning rubbed her eyes and said to Uncle Liu, “Uncle Liu, the road conditions aren’t great. Please drive slower.”

“Okay.”

“Would you like to listen to the radio, Miss?”

“Anything is fine.”

After a while, the sound of the radio played through the warm car interior.

Le Ning closed her eyes, listening, finding it quite soothing.

Suddenly, Le Luo yelled, “What the hell!”

Le Ning was startled, looking at him in confusion. “What happened?”

Le Luo held up his phone to show her. “Sis, they just found a woman’s body by the lake on the road to your house.”

Le Ning looked down, and although she only saw a blurry image, her face went pale.

Before she could react, the car slowed down.

…

The heavy rain poured down, and the police arrived, sealing off the area. All passing vehicles were stopped and searched.

Uncle Liu glanced worriedly at the window. “Miss, they’re inspecting the area.”

Le Ning nodded. “It’s fine. We’ll just answer truthfully, it won’t take much time.”

She curled up in the back seat, looking outside. Ahead, there were many cars and people blocking the road. Under the streetlights, she could faintly make out the silhouettes of several officers in uniform.

This was the third similar case in the past two months. Zhou Ran’s brows furrowed tightly, unable to smooth out the worry.

“Captain Zhou, we found something.”

Zhou Ran’s eyes were dark as he turned to the person beside him. “Where?”

Xu Zhi said, “After the inspection, there are traces of some chemicals on the body. We’ll need to check further to identify them.”

Zhou Ran nodded.

The night was thick with rain, obscuring the moonlight. Zhou Ran looked into the distance. “Have all the vehicles that passed by been checked?”

“We’re checking them now.”

“Be thorough.”

One by one, the cars were inspected, with everyone fearful of being implicated in the death case.

Soon, it was Le Ning’s turn.

“Hello, officer. Please step out of the car.”

Uncle Liu and Le Luo opened the car doors and got out. Le Ning glanced at them, grabbed a coat from the side, draped it over her shoulders, and followed them out to cooperate with the investigation.

“Identification.”

The three of them handed over their IDs, and the officer began taking notes. “Where are you heading?”

Le Ning’s voice was a bit hoarse as she shielded Le Luo behind her.

“Home.”

She proactively added, “I live nearby, at Mingchen Apartments.”

The officer paused for a moment before using the light to look her over.

Le Ning’s face was pale, her shoulders covered with a black coat, and beneath it, she wore a small skirt… her bare skin was visible, and she was wearing high heels, giving off a chilly vibe.

For some reason, Xie Wei felt like she looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place when he had seen her before.

He nodded. “Alright, open the trunk so we can check.”

Uncle Liu responded, “Okay.”

After the inspection, Xie Wei handed their IDs back to them, reminding them, “This is already the third case in this area. Be careful when going out.”

Le Ning smiled slightly, maintaining her good impression of the police. “Alright, thank you.”

Just as Xie Wei was about to speak, a cold voice rang out from not far away: “Xie Wei.”

Xie Wei quickly responded, “Captain Zhou, coming right now.”

Le Ning was taken aback and instinctively turned toward the voice. Through the rain and mist, a clear figure gradually appeared in her line of sight.

The man was wearing a black police uniform, his face hard and cold, his lips tightly pressed, his dark eyes intense. From the waist down, he was all legs, and with each step he took in their direction, his presence grew more commanding.

Le Ning couldn’t help but think to herself—what a coincidence today is.

From chatting about Zhou Ran on WeChat, to talking about her crush during the interview, and now…

A person she hadn’t seen, contacted, or even thought about in years, and yet, here he was, all in one night.

She stood holding her umbrella, studying the man in front of her.

If Ruan Qiu were here, she would definitely tell Le Ning to approach this man—he looked even more stunning after all these years.

Walking up to Xie Wei, Zhou Ran handed him the notes from tonight’s investigation. “Everything’s here.”

“Did you find anything?”

Xie Wei shook his head and said softly, “The killer is too clever. The vehicle checks yielded no information.”

Zhou Ran furrowed his brow, reaching out to flip through the materials in front of him.

Suddenly, he lifted his gaze.

Out of nowhere, Le Ning met a pair of deep, dark eyes.

Her gaze froze for a moment, and then, after a brief pause, she composed herself and allowed Zhou Ran to look at her openly.

A few seconds later, Zhou Ran looked away, his voice still cold, but it seemed to carry a bit more warmth than before.

“Is it done?”

Xie Wei nodded. “Yes.”

He glanced at the trio in front of him, then at Zhou Ran’s expression, and said with understanding, “Miss Le, thank you for your cooperation. You may get back in the car now.”

Le Ning smiled slightly. “Alright, thank you.”

Just as she was about to open the car door and get in, her body was suddenly jolted by a sharp impact. The coat she had draped over her shoulders slipped off and fell onto the rain-soaked street.

The person who had collided with her seemed unaware, excitedly looking at Zhou Ran. “Captain Zhou, I know what it is! The woman’s neck has traces of cosmetics residue.”

Zhou Ran’s eyes lit up as he closed the documents. “Let’s go check it out.”

With that, the three of them prepared to leave.

Suddenly, Zhou Ran halted his steps.

As Le Ning bent down to pick up her coat, a hand appeared in her line of sight, picking it up before she could.

The man’s hand was large, his nails neatly trimmed. Though his skin was tanned, it looked clean and comfortable, with long fingers and distinct knuckles.

Le Ning froze for two seconds, then retracted her own hand.

Zhou Ran had already picked up the coat and glanced at the person beside him.

Xie Wei, catching his gaze, belatedly said, “Sorry, miss, I didn’t pay attention earlier. This coat…”

He paused. “I’ll compensate you.”

Le Ning shook her head. “No need.”

She said, “Serving the people isn’t easy.”

Then, she looked at Zhou Ran, her tone cold. “Hello, could you give me back my coat now?”

Zhou Ran glanced at her, his gaze dropping, landing on the delicate collarbone exposed by her outfit. His eyes paused for a moment when they traveled lower… before resting on her legs, which were shaking from the cold wind. He blinked, then coldly said, “Sorry, the police department will reimburse you for the coat.”

Without waiting for Le Ning to respond, whether with a “yes” or “no,” the man quickly walked away, disappearing into the rain.

Along with him, he took Le Ning’s coat.

---

By the time they got back in the car, Le Luo still hadn’t noticed anything odd.

His attention was still on the man from earlier. “Sis, I’ve made up my mind. I want to become a police officer!”

Le Ning slowly returned to her senses and glanced at him. “Tomorrow, you’ll probably change your mind and want to be a soldier again, right?”

Le Luo shook his head. “No.”

Le Ning smiled lightly, not feeling like chatting with him. She simply said, “Whether it’s a police officer or a soldier, the main goal is the same. Once you’ve made up your mind, choose.”

“I know.”

Once at home, Le Ning took a bath and rested.

Le Luo’s room was on the first floor, and hers was on the second. Usually, if there was nothing important, Le Luo wouldn’t come upstairs to disturb her.

That night had been a bit of a shock to her. After washing up, Le Ning climbed into bed. She was really tired, but sleep eluded her.

Eventually, she drifted off, still a bit disoriented, and had a dream.

It frustrated Le Ning so much that she woke up early and got out of bed.

She must be crazy. After so many years without seeing him, why did she dream about him the moment they met, and the dream was… like that?

Le Ning grabbed her hair, a bit embarrassed and angry.

The heavy rain from last night seemed to have stopped at some point. The morning sun gradually broke through the clouds, shining brightly.

She glanced at it and decided to go for a run outside to get some fresh air and, hopefully, forget that dream!

According to her usual routine, Le Ning would have gone for a run by the lake in the park, but after what happened yesterday, she didn’t dare to go there.

She only ran two laps around the neighborhood and then went to a nearby breakfast shop that Le Luo liked.

She was a bit hungry and planned to eat and then get some takeaway for that person.

Just as she sat down after ordering her meal, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from behind her.

“Hello, is this seat taken?”

Le Ning froze and turned around.

Zhou Ran was also a bit surprised to see her.

Their eyes met, and Xie Wei, sitting nearby, brightened up and excitedly said, “Miss Le, we meet again.”

Le Ning gave a soft “Hmm” in response. When her gaze met Zhou Ran’s deep eyes, her face instantly flushed.

The dream from last night… the man’s hoarse voice close to her ear, his breathing obvious and seductive.

Subconsciously, Le Ning grabbed a glass of water from the table and drank it, her gaze drifting.

“No one is sitting here.”

Xie Wei nodded and was about to sit next to Le Ning, but Captain Zhou beat him to it. He frowned, walking to the opposite side while thinking—Wasn’t the captain the type to avoid sitting next to women? Did he forget today because he was too tired?

Zhou Ran sat down, and the person next to him clearly became a bit more nervous.

He glanced at her, his eyes casually skimming over her flushed face, and casually asked, “Are you nervous?”

Le Ning: “…”

Author’s Note:

Le Ning: No, I’m not nervous. I’m really not nervous at all.

Captain Zhou: Are you sure? Then why is your face so red?

Author: …I’ll quietly tell you, it’s because—[beep (sound muted)].