CHAPTER 401: CHAPTER 401: AVOIDING THE IMPORTANT AND DWELLING ON THE TRIVIAL

"Li Juezhou, you don’t have some kind of masochistic tendencies, do you?" Sang Ning asked in surprise, but still handed over the milk tea.

Li Juezhou looked straight ahead. As Sang Ning handed him the milk tea, his chin bumped into the straw. He tried several times but failed to get the straw into his mouth. Feeling aggrieved, he said, "Sangsang, I can’t see. Can you help me hold the straw a little?"

"You really can’t see, or you’re just pretending? Aren’t you worried about germs?" Sang Ning grumbled in annoyance, but still used her fingertips to gently adjust the straw, guiding it towards Li Juezhou’s lips.

The next moment, Li Juezhou managed to reach the straw – but he also ended up biting her fingers!

An electric current shot through Sang Ning’s body from her fingertips in an instant. Startled, she quickly withdrew her hand, yelling furiously, "Pervert!"

Sang Ning placed the milk tea in the cup holder, took out a small packet of tissues from her pocket, pulled out one, and meticulously wiped her fingers clean. Her brows knitted tightly together as her lips pressed into a thin line, turning slightly pale.

"Your mouth eats anything. Maybe I should just sew it shut!" Sang Ning fumed, her words filled with venom.

Li Juezhou curled his right hand into a fist, brought it to Sang Ning’s lips, and softened his tone, "Sangsang, I admit I was wrong. Bite me and vent your anger."

Without hesitation, Sang Ning sank her teeth into the back of his hand. Considering he still had to drive, she restrained herself and let go after one bite. As she wiped his hand with a tissue, her tone turned stern and cold: "Your flesh is too tough, not worth biting. Just focus on driving."

Having not seen her for a while, Li Juezhou’s antics resembled a mischievous schoolboy trying to attract attention. But he knew his limits. If he kept teasing her, Sang Ning would genuinely lose her temper. He switched the passenger seat to massage mode, turned on some light music, and returned to a serious demeanor: "Sangsang, get some rest. I’ll wake you up when we arrive."

Sang Ning made herself comfortable, reclining the seat slightly, shifting into a cozy position, and closing her eyes to enjoy the music.

When the piano notes from the speakers became faster and more intense, Sang Ning softly murmured, "Li Juezhou, I’ve kind of missed you during this time."

Her voice was drowned out by the music, and with her eyes closed, it was as if nothing had happened.

Li Juezhou, however, sensed something and slightly tilted his head, "Sangsang, what did you say? I didn’t quite catch that."

Sang Ning raised her hand, and with her eyes still closed, accurately pushed his head away, "I didn’t say anything. You’re imagining things."

Moments later, she heard Li Juezhou’s low chuckle. Whether he heard her or not remained unknown, but she refused to repeat the sentimental words.

Sang Ning turned her face toward the car window, her long, thick lashes casting a shadow underneath. Her porcelain-white skin was smooth and delicate, her refined features radiating serene beauty. Li Juezhou sneaked a glance at her and suddenly had a strong urge to marry her.

"Sangsang, when do you have time? I’d like you to meet my parents."

That casual suggestion jolted Sang Ning wide awake. She sat upright, reacting sharply: "Isn’t this moving a bit too fast?"

Seeing her overly intense response, Li Juezhou rubbed her head. "Then let’s wait until you’re ready. Or skip it altogether; it’s up to you."

Sang Ning said nothing, as meeting his parents wasn’t even a consideration for her.

Li Juezhou picked up on the rejection implied in her quietness but didn’t push further. Some things, if rushed, leave no room for maneuvering. He understood such matters needed a slower approach.

——

Sang Ning had thought that her family, who hadn’t seen her in a while, would miss her. But during the two days she stayed at home, Hu Zhi and Sang Youming were even busier than she was, leaving before dawn and returning after dark, their presence so fleeting she hardly caught a glimpse of them.

Finding her parents unavailable, Sang Ning remembered her unfortunate younger brother. She bought some daily essentials and snacks to visit him, but upon reaching the school gate, she couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him through the iron gates. Poor Sang Chuan really seemed to be living in an imprisonment-like situation.

Since meeting her little brother wasn’t an absolute necessity, Sang Ning decided not to make trouble, leaving the items with the security guard to deliver instead.

With every Sang Family member seemingly unreachable, Li Juezhou remained the one constantly around. In the two days before filming resumed, Sang Ning spent most of her time hanging out with him.

The two days went by swiftly, and soon it was the official shooting day.

After a grand opening ceremony, the actors dove right into filming on set.

Because they had spent time living together during training, the actors were already well-acquainted, making their scenes more synchronized and smooth. The only disharmony arose between Wei Lejun and Lian Qi.

"Martial arts value strength, gender aside! Who dares challenge us head-on?" Sang Ning, dressed in plain cloth robes, her hair styled into a high bun, stood confidently alongside a group of sect disciples.

This scene depicted the sect breaking tradition by admitting female disciples, resulting in resentment among the male disciples. Tensions built until a sharp confrontation erupted, with Sang Ning leading the female disciples in using martial arts to shut the males up.

After Sang Ning delivered her line, the next part of the script required a representative from the opposing group to step forward and accept the challenge.

Unexpectedly, before anyone from the opposing group could speak, a low voice exclaimed from behind Sang Ning: "Why waste time talking? Just start fighting!"

Breaking away from the script, Sang Ning turned to question Wei Lejun’s actions, but before she could speak, a figure shot out from beside her.

Wei Lejun moved swiftly, closing the distance to the opposing group within breaths. Amid their stunned reactions, she delivered a kick straight to Lian Qi’s chest, sending him flying.

"Cut!"

As Lian Qi was kicked away, Director Qin predictably called the scene to an abrupt halt.

Lian Qi, utterly dumbfounded, felt wrongly targeted. He was certain he hadn’t said or done anything to offend Wei Lejun that day, yet he was struck by her sudden attack.

Qin Jiaxiang approached quickly, the script in his hand rolled into a tube and pointed at Wei Lejun. "No one dares ad-lib under my watch, but you clearly have some nerve!"

Qin Jiaxiang was storming in rage, the veins on his forehead faintly throbbing.

"Director Qin, I’m sorry. I got carried away just now. It was a natural reaction to immersing myself in the role." Wei Lejun lowered her head to apologize, though her expression betrayed no hint of remorse.

"Director Qin, how about reviewing the footage first before making a judgment? Wei Lejun’s kick might have added quite a dramatic effect." Sang Ning chimed in from the side, attempting to mediate.

"Fine," Qin Jiaxiang reluctantly agreed, yet his gaze swept over the group of actors. "But let me make one thing clear: if anyone tries an unscripted stunt like this again without consulting me, they’ll be kicked off the set!"

From a professional director’s perspective, Qin Jiaxiang didn’t actually need to review the footage to suspect that Wei Lejun’s impromptu addition likely had a significant theatrical impact.

Nonetheless, his anger was deliberate – setting his authority firmly in place. If these young actors began disregarding his input, treating the script as optional, his credibility as a director would lose its weight!