CHAPTER 393: CHAPTER 393: NO NEED FOR YOU ANYMORE

Thinking about how Lian Qi had sneaked away, Huang Chengzi pursed her lips disdainfully, trying to shatter Qin Feng and Hu Yirun’s delusions: "Come on, Lian Qi has no credibility whatsoever. Only a fool would trust him. Don’t let yourselves get duped!"

Qin Feng remained indifferent: "What could he possibly scam us on? It’s just about going over to take a look, no real loss anyway."

As he spoke, he even turned to Sang Ning for validation: "Sister Sang, give us a chance to check it out, will you? If you’re worried we might run off, let your two little sidekicks go with us. I wouldn’t stand a chance against Huang Lishi anyway."

"Go ahead." Sang Ning lifted her chin slightly, "Though, I wonder... in the end, will the thing that ends up in the water be the boat or Lian Qi."

Qin Feng and Hu Yirun failed to grasp Sang Ning’s meaning, turning their heads in unison, looking puzzled.

At that moment, seeing that he hadn’t succeeded in grabbing everyone’s attention, Lian Qi doubled his efforts and began jumping up and down, almost three feet high. He cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and shouted with full force: "What’s taking you so long? Hurry up and get over here!"

"Sister Sang, we’re heading out now." Qin Feng said weakly.

Then, along with Hu Yirun, they cautiously started moving toward Lian Qi, taking their steps hesitantly, scared Sang Ning might unexpectedly ambush them from behind. They were so careful, turning their heads every half-step, constantly monitoring her reactions.

After inching forward two or three steps, and noticing Sang Ning made no move to stop them, they finally couldn’t help themselves and bolted forward, lifting their legs high and leaping away.

"Hold on! You need a supervisor!" Huang Chengzi shouted after the retreating duo and tugged Sun Bangyu along to follow her.

While chasing them, she cast a glance at Sang Ning, pledging confidently, "Sang Ning, don’t worry. If Lian Qi’s lying, I’ll drag this traitor back along with him."

Sang Ning waved lightly at Huang Chengzi with a faint smile: "Go on; I’ll guard the base camp to make sure no one sneaks in."

The group on the riverbank charged toward the dense woods in a lively frenzy, while Sang Ning shifted her position further away from the riverbank.

Watching the four sprinting toward the woods, Sang Ning remained unfazed. Lian Qi suddenly felt uncertain. The most critical target to lure over hadn’t bitten the bait yet, leaving him unsure if Wei Lejun could handle things by herself.

Whatever, he thought. At least four unlucky souls had fallen for the trap. He had to trick them away first.

"Quick, quick, quick! Follow me! Victory is ours!" Lian Qi waved his hand to beckon the group while simultaneously retreating further inward.

Once the four had left the riverbank far behind, Lian Qi abruptly spun around and dashed forward at full sprint. Using a dense patch of grass for cover, he swiftly shifted directions and accelerated to his maximum speed.

Wei Lejun had been quietly observing the situation near the riverbank. As soon as she saw the four leaving the area, she had planned to grab the modified folding basin and make her move.

But just as she stood up, she noticed Sang Ning approaching her hiding spot with a wooden plank in hand. Wei Lejun felt her heart leap into her throat, immediately crouching back down in terror.

"Hmm? I swear I just saw a little rabbit darting this way. Why’d it vanish the moment I turned my head?" Sang Ning reached the patch of grass where Wei Lejun was hiding and paused there, scanning her surroundings.

Wei Lejun felt so tense she almost forgot how to breathe. Sang Ning was just inches away, separated only by the foliage. If not for the cover provided by the grass and leaves, she’d be exposed in an instant.

As is often the case when you’re nervous, mistakes happen. Wei Lejun had been so focused on hiding herself that she completely forgot to conceal the folding basin too.

At that moment, Sang Ning casually glanced downward and spotted the exposed edge of the folding basin.

Sang Ning pursed her lips slightly, seemingly stifling a laugh. She truly couldn’t believe Wei Lejun.

Normally such a carefree person, yet now sneaking around like a thief.

"Could it be hiding here?" Sang Ning muttered to herself softly, taking a step forward with her right leg.

Wei Lejun’s entire body tensed up, feeling like her blood had frozen. Sang Ning’s toe was practically right in front of her.

One more step forward, and she would be fully exposed.

Wei Lejun gritted her teeth in frustration, biting her lip hard.

What kind of spell had she fallen under to agree to Lian Qi’s ridiculous plan? If Sang Ning discovered her sneaky behavior, she’d be laughed at forever.

This situation was simply too awkward. Popping out now would only make her look pathetic, leaving Wei Lejun no choice but to remain silent and hope Sang Ning would leave without discovering her.

But the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen. Wei Lejun’s pupils shrank suddenly. Sang Ning was lifting her other foot, and judging by the angle of her step, her foot was bound to land squarely on the back of Wei Lejun’s hand.

Wei Lejun’s current posture was highly inconvenient, as she had squatted down in a hurry. Her left hand was pressed to the ground while her right arm held onto the folding basin.

Being so close, even the slightest sound could easily betray her position. She didn’t dare to move her hand away.

But if she didn’t move, she’d definitely get stepped on. Sure enough, the foot mercilessly descended. Wei Lejun grit her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut, and prepared to give up the game.

Lian Qi’s dumb mission? She was done!

"Sang..." Just as Wei Lejun was about to rise and call out, Sang Ning suddenly retracted her foot. The "Sang" sound hadn’t even fully escaped Wei Lejun’s lips, leaving only a silent, rounded mouth shape.

"Forget it. Rabbit or no rabbit, getting the boat done is the priority." Sang Ning murmured to herself as she withdrew her foot and walked away.

Although it wasn’t a big deal, Wei Lejun felt like she’d narrowly escaped death.

As she wiped her forehead, she realized she’d broken into a fine sweat.

What kind of crazy situation was this!

She started wondering if Sang Ning was deliberately messing with her.

After Sang Ning left, as she said, she resumed work on the boat.

Whether intentional or not, this time Sang Ning sat with her back angled away from Wei Lejun’s hiding spot.

As long as she focused on crafting the boat and didn’t look around, she wouldn’t notice Wei Lejun or what was happening by the riverbank.

In essence, Sang Ning’s demeanor gave Wei Lejun ample room for mischief.

Wei Lejun stole a glance at Sang Ning and, seeing her back turned, didn’t dare delay anymore, quickly grabbing her belongings and getting up.

As she crawled out of the grass, she kept her movements carefully controlled, worried that making too much noise would alert Sang Ning.

Once she fully emerged from the grass, Wei Lejun started hunching low and sprinting away.

Meanwhile, Lian Qi was on his way back to the riverbank in a whirlwind, inevitably colliding with the group of four searching for him.

Lian Qi was running at his fastest speed. As he brushed past Qin Feng’s team, his sheer velocity left them collectively stunned for several seconds.

However, Lian Qi paid them no mind, taking advantage of their momentary confusion to continue sprinting and increasing the distance between them.

From a distance, Lian Qi saw Wei Lejun already carrying the folding basin to the riverbank. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of overconfidence.

Without looking back, he shouted loudly to the four behind him: "Ha! Don’t bother chasing me—my comrade has already carried the boat to the shore for me!"