Chapter 483: Chapter 483: Unspeakable
Li Juezhou tightly pursed his lips, hesitating before speaking, "Sangsang, you might not believe me if I tell you this, but yesterday, I woke up in bed feeling like a long time had passed, yet I have no memories at all."
Sang Ning sensed that something was wrong, furrowing her brows, "But your parents told me a few days ago that they couldn’t find you. Even your secretary couldn’t reach you. They’ve gone to your place looking for you several times but couldn’t find you."
"Sangsang, trust me, I’ve never lied to you." Li Juezhou raised his hand and swore to the heavens, "During this period, I’ve been staying home the whole time. I don’t know what happened. When I woke up, all I remember is this voice in my head telling me that I must make you stand in the most dazzling spotlight as soon as possible, to help you achieve your goal of gaining a billion followers on Weibo—or you’ll die."
Sang Ning’s heart jumped in alarm. Isn’t this her System task? How could Li Juezhou know about it? Could it be...
"Other than that, has the voice in your mind told you about any specific tasks you need to complete?" Sang Ning urgently pressed him.
But Li Juezhou shook his head, "No. Rather than calling it a voice, it feels more like something from my subconscious."
Beneath the quiet night sky, the two stood facing each other in the desert. Hearing this, Sang Ning fell silent, and the atmosphere seemingly froze.
"Li Juezhou, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you..." Sang Ning’s expression was conflicted. After a long moment of hesitation, she finally spoke.
Hearing her serious tone, Li Juezhou’s face grew solemn as well, "Sangsang, go ahead."
After deliberating for a long while, Sang Ning finally found the right words to explain the matter of her transmigration into a novel and being bound to the System.
Anyone who learned that they were merely an insignificant character in a fictional world would inevitably feel unnerved. The impact this revelation had on Li Juezhou was evident as it took him quite some time to process it. "So, what you’re saying is that if you fail to complete the tasks, you’ll leave our world?"
Sang Ning nodded. Li Juezhou couldn’t care about anything else anymore. He reached out with his long arm and firmly wrapped it around Sang Ning’s waist, pulling her into his embrace. "Sangsang, don’t worry. This task isn’t yours alone to bear. Even if I have to exhaust all my wealth, I’ll help you complete it."
"I was sure this kind of reckless behavior could only come from you." Sang Ning couldn’t help but laugh and cry at his response, but then she remembered something and her tone turned sour, "So this is how you treat the girls you like—with extravagant gestures, huh?"
Sensing the shift in her tone, Li Juezhou released Sang Ning and held her shoulders, his expression innocent, "Sangsang, what do you mean by that? You’re the only girl I’ve ever liked—there’s no one else."
"Is that so?" Sang Ning’s smile carried a hint of mockery. "Then what about the ultra-luxurious underwater hotel on New Island? You started building that hotel long before we even met. Don’t tell me you built it just for me?"
Li Juezhou replied helplessly, "Sangsang, would you believe me if I said that the underwater hotel was also something my subconscious urged me to build?"
Sang Ning was so exasperated that she laughed. It seemed anything inexplicable could be attributed to his subconscious. Pulling herself together, she feigned a fierce demeanor, "So, when you were still with the police force, did you have a crush on someone? Or perhaps there was a shining beacon of love in your life during that time?"
Li Juezhou raised his hands in surrender, "Sangsang, please spare me! I swear, before you, I kept myself completely clean. I’ve never even had a secret crush, let alone been in a relationship. The moment I saw you, I knew I liked you. Call it love at first sight if you want—that’s just the truth."
"Is that so?" Sang Ning’s smile didn’t reach her eyes as she retorted sarcastically.
When she disappeared, Tang Yuanmao and Song Shiye had memories of her. But her boyfriend, Li Juezhou, had not retained even a single impression of her. Although Sang Ning knew rationally that time and the System were likely behind this anomaly, it still bothered her deeply. She felt an inexplicable frustration and didn’t want to speak a word to Li Juezhou.
Li Juezhou felt accused and spent a long time coaxing her before she finally calmed down. He promised Sang Ning that he would help her complete the System tasks within a month, though his heart was uneasy.
After hearing about how Sang Ning almost died during her diving expedition at New Island and later inexplicably transmigrated onto a plane heading for the next stop of her program’s filming, Li Juezhou had been trying hard to remember what had happened to him during that time. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t recall anything.
Sang Ning and Li Juezhou talked late into the night. They decided to maintain a high profile for the time being. Whether it was through publicity or hype, they needed to complete the System task as quickly as possible to see what would happen next.
Li Juezhou joked with Sang Ning, saying he was homeless and begged her to take him in. Following her to the tent door, Li Juezhou was punched by Sang Ning and finally behaved himself. "There’s only one bed in the tent. The task didn’t say we need to share a bed. We’re still filming a show, with so many people watching. You may not care about your reputation, but I do!"
She could already imagine the rumors that would spread if Li Juezhou spent the night in her tent. The program crew might accuse her of being desperate for affection.
Li Juezhou conceded, laughing lightly, "Alright, Sangsang, I was just teasing. I have my own room. I just wanted to personally escort you back safely."
Finishing his sentence, he wished Sang Ning goodnight and left after watching her enter her tent.
Li Juezhou’s room was also in the camp, not far from the tents where the guests stayed. Once he arrived at his door, he saw a figure standing nearby.
Approaching, he realized it was Lu Yujing. The Lu Family and Li Family had close ties, and he often ran into Lu Yujing during their childhood. However, their relationship had never gone beyond familiarity. Seeing her suddenly appear outside his room in the middle of the night, Li Juezhou’s conscience was clear. He only feared Sang Ning would see and misunderstand, so his tone turned cold, "Miss Lu, you’ve got the wrong room. This isn’t yours."
His distant and indifferent attitude deeply hurt Lu Yujing, but she forced a smile onto her face. "Brother Zhou, we’re childhood friends at the very least. Do you really have to speak to me so coldly?"
Li Juezhou raised an eyebrow, not even sparing Lu Yujing an extra glance. "I’m sorry. I don’t have the habit of randomly acknowledging sisters. I only have one sister, and you’re blocking my way to my room."
Li Juezhou’s tone was unmistakably agitated. When he was angry, his presence exuded a suffocating aura that made people feel pressured. Startled by his demeanor, Lu Yujing nervously moved aside.
As the path cleared, Li Juezhou walked straight into his room and closed the door with a loud bang, without as much as a polite word. He didn’t care whether the girl outside was afraid of the dark, leaving Lu Yujing standing there.
The sound of the door shutting deeply shook Lu Yujing’s heart. Her forced smile crumbled instantly.
