Le Ning laughed. “To mimic me? My eyes are pretty unique, so as long as you get the eye makeup right, you’ll be close enough.”

She added, “If you try mimicking me, remember to tag me on Weibo. I’ll give you some feedback.”

She kept working as she spoke.

For eyeshadow, Le Ning chose TF04, a classic red-brown palette, and for blush, she used Canmake’s floral blush, lightly dusting it on to finish the look.

When it came time to choose a lipstick, Le Ning deliberately paused.

“I think I mentioned earlier that I’m heading out for dinner later,” she said with a smile. “There’s a ‘battle’ tonight, so today’s makeup is a little different. I’ve picked a lipstick that really commands attention.”

She picked up Givenchy #333 and smiled. “Apparently, this one’s called the ‘luxurious red ruby’ now. It’s said to exude power once applied.”

With fans eagerly watching, Le Ning applied the lipstick.

The moment it was on, her entire look leveled up.

The makeup was no longer soft and girly; instead, it exuded a cool and seductive vibe.

[Wow, wow, wow!! I’m in love!]
[Oh my gosh, does this lipstick really work such wonders? Le Ning’s aura just skyrocketed before my eyes.]
[So gorgeous!]
[Ahhh, let me drown in the beauty of Le Ning’s world!]

After finishing her makeup, Le Ning spun around in her chair.

“All right, that’s it for today’s livestream. If I have time later, I’ll upload a tutorial online. See you all!”

After ending the stream, Le Ning headed to her walk-in closet and came back with an armful of clothes.

She had plenty of time to choose carefully.

In the end, she opted for a striped British-style suit.

When she posted a full-body photo in her group chat, Ruan Qiu’s enthusiastic praise came in first.

Ruan Qiuqiu:
[Ahhh, Le Ning is officially out and about today! When you’re this stylish, no man can compete!]
[Oh my gosh, this outfit is killing me—it’s too good.]

Le Ning Doesn’t Like Lemons:
[Does it exude presence?]

Ruan Qiuqiu:
[Absolutely! Even as a woman, I’ve fallen for you. You’re both handsome and fierce.]
[Post this on your Moments! No one could possibly say it’s not stunning. You’re radiating confidence today—ready to confront your stepsister?]

Le Ning chuckled and replied with a single word before glancing at the photo again, her lips curling slightly upward.

To be honest, she was pretty satisfied with how it turned out.

---

Ping’an District Criminal Investigation Team

When Xie Wei walked out of the break room with a cup of instant noodles, Zhou Ran was standing in the main hall, staring at the wall.

The wall was covered with notes connecting the victims.

For days now, the team had been on edge. The murderer was still at large, and they hadn’t uncovered any viable leads.

There was no apparent connection between the victims, making it incredibly difficult to figure out where to start.

Xie Wei froze for a moment and looked at Zhou Ran. “Captain Zhou, want to grab something to eat?”

Zhou Ran glanced at him indifferently. “No need.”

Xie Wei sighed and said, “There’s no use rushing. Let’s wait for Xu Zhi and the others to get some results.”

Zhou Ran didn’t reply immediately. After a moment, he said, “Pull up the surveillance footage from that section of the road again and take another look.”

“Got it.”

After reviewing the footage, Zhou Ran’s brows remained tightly furrowed.

Meanwhile, Xie Wei cautiously ate his instant noodles beside him. After a while, he spoke up. “By the way, Captain Zhou…”

Zhou Ran looked at him.

Xie Wei asked, “I remember Miss Le is a makeup influencer. For those cosmetics we found during the investigation, wouldn’t it be better to consult her?”

Zhou Ran’s expression flickered briefly as he twirled the pen in his hand, his tone cool. “Consult her about what?”

Xie Wei: “…”

Right. There wasn’t much they could ask her.

He fell silent and continued eating his noodles, pulling out his phone to relax a bit.

They’d already been sleeping at the office for two days.

Suddenly, Xie Wei called out again, “Captain Zhou, Miss Le is really too stunning.”

His eyes lit up as he looked at Zhou Ran with a spark of gossip. “Check out her Moments. She’s so dashing she makes men feel inadequate.”

Zhou Ran: “…”

---

After changing her outfit, Le Ning decided to swing by the mall first. It seemed only polite to buy a gift.

Just as she stepped out the door, her phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, she was slightly surprised.

“Hello?”

Zhou Ran’s deep voice came through, slightly rougher with the faint static of the call.

“Where are you?”

Le Ning scoffed lightly and smiled faintly. “Why?”

She pressed her lips together. “Are you planning to return my clothes, Captain Zhou?”

“Yes.”

He asked, “Are you free now?”

Le Ning listened to his voice, feeling an inexplicable irritation.

Her mood was erratic—no contact for days, and now the first thing he said was about returning clothes. How amusing.

She replied promptly, “I’m heading out now. If you’re returning them, make it quick.”

Zhou Ran glanced at the residential complex in front of him and responded, “I’m downstairs waiting.”

Le Ning: “…”

---

When Le Ning arrived at the entrance of the complex, Zhou Ran was already there.

The moment she appeared, his gaze immediately shifted to her.

As she approached, his eyes lingered on her for a few seconds longer than usual. In his mind, Xie Wei’s earlier words in the office echoed: Le Ning is really dashing today.

Looking at her now, Zhou Ran couldn’t help but agree.

As Le Ning drew closer, she noticed Zhou Ran was smiling.

Her eyelid twitched. She had a vague feeling he might be laughing at her.

Could it be that her outfit looked bad today?!

Or maybe her lipstick was smudged?

That didn’t seem right.

Thinking this over, Le Ning decided to address it directly. “What are you laughing at?”

Zhou Ran raised an eyebrow, his gaze settling on her face. “Hmm?”

“You were just laughing,” she stated plainly.

Zhou Ran chuckled, amused. “And then?”

Le Ning paused for a moment and glared at him. “No ‘and then.’ Where’s the clothes?”

She extended her hand. “Give me the clothes.”

Zhou Ran looked at her outstretched palm. Her hand was genuinely small, appearing soft and delicate.

It probably felt really nice to touch.

Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Le Ning asked coldly, “Weren’t you here to return my clothes?”

Zhou Ran chuckled softly and said in a low voice, “Why are you still so impatient?”

Le Ning didn’t respond.

Seeing her tense expression, Zhou Ran opened the car door and handed her the clothes.

Le Ning grabbed them without so much as a glance and started walking away.

She had only taken a couple of steps when someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.

The man’s palm was warm and slightly rough, searing against her wrist. He called her name, “Le Ning.”

Her body stiffened, and she instinctively turned her head.

Zhou Ran dangled her car keys in front of her with a slight smile, reminding her, “You’ll probably need this too.”

---

Author’s Note:
Round it up, and it’s basically holding hands!!!

Sigh, Captain Zhou is starting to flirt! Let’s see how long our Le Ning can hold out!!!