Chapter 1835

Zhou Li did not seem to want to hide anything; she said without concealment, "Oh, this? My ex-boyfriend did it."

"Ex-boyfriend?" Chen Ping asked, somewhat surprised. He found it hard to imagine a girl with Zhou Li's strong personality would ever be with such a scumbag.

Zhou Li did not seem to want to continue this topic; she briefly explained the origin of the scar and then changed the subject. However, Chen Ping clearly felt that Zhou Li seemed unhappy, so he decided to care more about this girl, who appeared carefree on the surface but was soft inside, in the time to come.

After finishing their food, the three returned to Zhou Li's apartment to rest. Wang Meng, being too exhausted, fell onto the bed and fell asleep as soon as she entered the room. Meanwhile, Chen Ping and Zhou Li sat in the living room, drinking tea and chatting.

"Zhou Li, do you believe in love at first sight?" Chen Ping suddenly asked.

Zhou Li shook her head and said bitterly, "Love at first sight is nonsense; it's just lust at first sight."

Chen Ping was stunned; he had not expected Zhou Li to say such things so bluntly. He tried to explain, "I do not fully agree with your view. I believe that while love at first sight has reasons related to appearance, it is more about the feeling and magnetic field between two people."

"Hehe, Chen Ping, are you trying to say that the relationship between Wang Meng and Du Yueming is what you call a magnetic field?" Zhou Li said mockingly.

Chen Ping was put on the spot by Zhou Li's counter-question; he stammered, "That's not what I meant..."

"Hmph! Do you think I'm an idiot? Those two women are obviously just playing with you! Do you really think they have any romantic development for you?" Zhou Li suddenly raised her voice and said.

Chen Ping was confused by Zhou Li's attitude; he had to admit that Zhou Li's words did have some truth. Although he did not fully understand the true thoughts of Wang Meng and Du Yueming, he could be certain that neither of them held any ill will toward him. As for whether they were playing with him as Zhou Li said, he had no way of knowing.

"I just feel that emotions between people are complex; we cannot use our own subjective consciousness to judge others' emotions." Chen Ping said somewhat helplessly.

Zhou Li said nothing; she just silently drank her tea. Chen Ping felt that this topic seemed impossible to continue, so he planned to change the subject to ease the atmosphere.

Just then, Zhou Li suddenly spoke, "Chen Ping, I... I want to move out and live elsewhere."

Chen Ping asked, somewhat surprised, "Why? Did I say something that made you unhappy?"

Zhou Li shook her head and said in a low voice, "It's not your fault. It's my own problem."

Chen Ping asked, somewhat puzzled, "Can you tell me exactly what's going on? Maybe I can help you."

Zhou Li fell silent for a moment, then spoke, "I realized I might have fallen in love with you."

Chen Ping was stunned; he had not expected Zhou Li to say that. He was not clear about his own feelings for Zhou Li, but he was certain they had not reached the level of love. He said somewhat helplessly, "Zhou Li, you might be misunderstanding; I do not have those feelings for you."

Zhou Li looked up at Chen Ping, her eyes carrying a hint of expectation. She asked, "Then what about you? Do you like me even a little bit?"

Chen Ping hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head. Zhou Li's face darkened, and she lowered her head in some disappointment. Chen Ping also felt the atmosphere had become somewhat awkward.

"I am very grateful for your help, but I do not have those feelings for you. I hope you can understand." Chen Ping tried to ease the atmosphere, hoping not to make Zhou Li too upset.

Zhou Li nodded, forced a smile, and said, "I understand, Chen Ping. I didn't want to be with you either. It's just that I felt if we didn't clarify things, the feeling between us would become strange."

Chen Ping also understood Zhou Li's meaning; he nodded and said, "I will pay attention. We are still good friends, after all."

Zhou Li laughed and said, "In the end, I still blame you for not being more assertive. If you had moved on from Du Yueming earlier, maybe you and I would still have a chance."

Chen Ping was torn between laughter and tears; he could only comfort Zhou Li, saying, "Don't overthink it; I already have someone I like."

Zhou Li's expression immediately became serious; she asked, "Really? Who is it?"

Chen Ping smiled helplessly, did not directly answer Zhou Li's question, and instead said, "I'll tell you when there's a chance."

Zhou Li stopped pressing further; she believed that if there was a chance, Chen Ping would definitely tell her. She stood up and said, "Alright, I'll go rest first. You two should rest early too."

Chen Ping and Zhou Li said goodnight, then returned to their rooms to rest. He lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and constantly replayed everything that had happened before in his mind. Wang Meng, Du Yueming, Zhou Li... the traces these people left in his life had all become questions for him to ponder.

At the same time, he also realized he needed to find the real culprit as soon as possible and give Wang Meng and Du Yueming an explanation. Although he had nearly lost his life today, Chen Ping had no thought of retreating. He knew his mission and responsibility and must bravely face future challenges.

Gradually, Chen Ping's thoughts began to become clear. He understood what he should do next. Although facing numerous difficulties and challenges, he believed that with his wisdom and courage, he could definitely overcome the crisis.

Early the next morning, Chen Ping and Zhou Li arrived at the police station together. They prepared to assist the police in investigating last night's incident. After some questioning and taking statements, the police launched a thorough investigation into the man in black.

Thanks to the police's efforts, the identity of the man in black was confirmed. He was a professional assassin hired by a mysterious figure. The police also discovered that the drug the man in black took last night was a specially made sedative capable of making people lose their ability to resist but not causing life-threatening harm.

This news greatly excited Chen Ping, meaning someone wanted to harm him. He decided to start with the man in black and track down whoever wanted to poison him.