The man didn’t seem to fall for the Beauty Trap, his grip only tightened.
Just as Sang Ning had given up all hope and prepared to close her eyes to embrace death, the choking sensation around her neck suddenly eased a little.
Sang Ning felt a flicker of joy in her heart—this was actually working!
Her gaze turned softer, tinged with grievance, as she looked at the man. You bastard, let me see if my pitiful act doesn’t move you!
Li Juezhou unknowingly eased the strength in his hand. Seeing Sang Ning’s delicate, pitiful expression, a strange pang of pity stirred within him.
He wasn’t the kind of man easily swayed by beauty, yet a voice in the depths of his mind frantically urged him to stop this foolish behavior immediately.
Li Juezhou succumbed to that voice and let go of her neck, his gaze cold as he asked Sang Ning, "What’s your name?"
Finally free, Sang Ning endured the discomfort and croaked out in a hoarse, raspy voice, "My name is Sang Ning."
After answering the man, only then did Sang Ning dare to clutch her throat and cough recklessly.
Her name is Sang Ning?
Li Juezhou fell deep into thought. He was certain he had never met this woman before, so why was his subconscious battling his true instincts, preventing him from harming her?
"My name is Li Juezhou."
Li Juezhou calmly stated his own name, trying to test Sang Ning, but she merely responded with a blank-faced "Oh."
Then, as if realizing her response might be too disrespectful, she quickly plastered on a flattering, ingratiating smile.
"Big brother, such a bold and domineering name! I bet there’s no second like it across the entire Federation!"
Li Juezhou’s expression darkened instantly. He found her sycophantic smile extremely irritating—subconsciously, he felt the woman before him shouldn’t have this kind of personality.
Li Juezhou found the interaction boring. Waving his hand dismissively, he said coldly, "You have one minute. Get out of my sight immediately!"
Hearing those words, Sang Ning’s coughing miraculously stopped.
She scrambled to her feet, didn’t even spare Li Juezhou a glance, and took off running.
But she hadn’t gotten far when her body suddenly froze in place.
Li Juezhou’s voice came from behind her, making Sang Ning nervous. Was this man changing his mind?
Her heart in her throat, Li Juezhou had already approached her, his expression displeased as he said, "Is this your idea of manners? Leaving without so much as a goodbye?"
Sang Ning was speechless. Which was more important—escaping or saying goodbye?
Li Juezhou then restrained her mouth, making it impossible for her to offer any retort.
Li Juezhou shrugged off his blood-stained suit jacket, draping it over her shoulders and guiding her arms into the sleeves.
Towering over her, his tailored jacket that fit snugly to his muscular silhouette looked oversized and loose hanging on her petite frame.
After helping her wear the jacket, Li Juezhou’s gaze fell to her chest.
Underneath the blood-stained coat, she was only wearing a halter top.
It didn’t take much imagination to figure out what kind of view Li Juezhou had from his vantage point.
Sang Ning had an urge to blind him, her heart simultaneously sinking in dread.
Was he planning to do something untoward to her?
His broad hands firmly gripped her shoulders, and with a forceful tug on the jacket, her bare arms were exposed again.
This was the human equivalent of taking off pants just to fart—putting it on, only to rip it off again. Did Li Juezhou have some twisted fetish?
Suddenly, she regretted trying the Beauty Trap earlier; it might have stirred pity in men, but it also risked awakening their beastly instincts!
Sang Ning shut her eyes and gritted her teeth in humiliation. Just as she braced herself for an onslaught, an unexpected sensation of fabric came from the front.
She quickly opened her eyes to see Li Juezhou wrapping the jacket across her chest, fully covering her exposed skin.
Sang Ning cast a perplexed glance at Li Juezhou, who met her gaze with piercing eyes full of warning. "Wearing something like that disrupts the moral fiber of the Federation. In the future, don’t go out in such low-cut clothes."
"Alright, Mr. Li. Whatever you say!"
Sang Ning nodded and smiled on the surface, inwardly cursing out Li Juezhou’s entire family lineage.
The Qing Dynasty of Ancient Earth had long since fallen, yet here in the interstellar era, people still couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of freedom in clothing?
Fortunately, she didn’t outright challenge him. After she nodded obediently, Li Juezhou finally released his control over her body. He spoke coldly, "You’re free to leave now."
This time, Sang Ning learned her lesson. Flashing a well-mannered smile, she gave a bow toward Li Juezhou. "Thank you, Mr. Li. I’ll be leaving now."
As soon as she finished, she bolted out of there like a streak of lightning.
Li Juezhou watched her hurriedly retreating figure and couldn’t help but find it amusing. A Spiritual Power-less weakling who could run that quickly—it was rare, to say the least.
But his amusement didn’t last long. A strange sensation soon overtook his body, his head growing foggy and uncontrollable.
Apparently, the trial nutrient liquid Sang Ning had fed him hadn’t worked after all.
Li Juezhou hurriedly sent out a location signal through his communicator before succumbing completely, his body collapsing back to the ground.
Already some distance away, Sang Ning felt a strange intuition that made her look back—just in time to witness Li Juezhou falling.
Just before closing his eyes, Li Juezhou’s gaze met hers, flickering with a depth of emotion Sang Ning couldn’t understand.
Sang Ning didn’t have time to analyze what Li Juezhou’s look might mean before he shut his eyes and lay motionless.
He must be seeking her help with that look, right?
Thinking as much, Sang Ning briskly ran back toward him. This time, however, she didn’t crouch to fiddle with Li Juezhou.
Instead, she nudged him with her foot to confirm he was entirely unresponsive, then walked over to pick up the shovel she had just used to bury a body.
Returning to Li Juezhou’s side, she squinted one eye like a baseball batter taking aim and gritted her teeth. With a ferocious swing, she brought the shovel down on Li Juezhou’s head, forcefully scooping him aside.
Li Juezhou’s head now bore a fresh wound, with blood streaming out instantly.
This time, Sang Ning didn’t hesitate—grabbing the shovel, she bolted far away.
She figured that with Li Juezhou unconscious, taking away the "crime tool" would keep him from ever figuring out what injured him.
After running a considerable distance, Sang Ning finally contacted President Li to send someone to pick her up.
The burial episode had been recorded by Sang Ning and sent to President Li using her communicator device. Pleased with her performance, President Li paid her wages on the same day.
President Li called her back to work the next day, while also requiring her to sign a confidentiality agreement stating that the burial incident couldn’t be mentioned to anyone.
With a high salary on the table, Sang Ning was more than happy to keep her mouth shut and get on with her work.
After taking the money, the first thing Sang Ning planned to do was pay off debts.
However, knowing Hu Zhi’s incorrigible ways, she figured giving her the money directly would likely lead to more gambling.
Sang Ning decided she’d personally return the money to the creditor instead.
After some digging, she managed to find the Qin Family’s address.
Arriving at the Qin residence, she knocked a few times and stood nervously at the door, waiting.
To her surprise, the person who opened the door was none other than Shen Yi!