CHAPTER 402: CHAPTER 402: NO SPECIAL TREATMENT ALLOWED

After reviewing the footage, Wei Lejun’s performance was indeed better than what was originally scripted, so Qin Jiaxiang let it slide.

Qin Jiaxiang didn’t know about the entanglement between Wei Lejun and Lian Qi, but the trainees’ sympathetic glances at Lian Qi made it obvious.

Among the male students, Qin Feng was the first to notice the tension between Wei Lejun and Lian Qi. During the break between scenes, he patted Lian Qi on the shoulder with a meaningful expression and said, "You have plenty of fight scenes with Wei Lejun coming up. Good luck to you, buddy!"

Lian Qi was equally frustrated, rubbing his chest where he had been kicked and was still in pain.

This world is simply devoid of Heavenly Principle—no one even cares if he lives or dies.

While the trainees cast sympathetic looks at Lian Qi, their expressions toward Wei Lejun were more... indescribable.

No matter how much you dislike Lian Qi, you can’t use your public office to settle private scores.

Unbothered by the group’s curious and judgmental stares, Wei Lejun headed to her little stool, sat down, and buried herself in the script.

Sang Ning walked over to the temporary long table set up by the crew, grabbed two bottles of mineral water, and handed one to Wei Lejun when she reached her side.

When Wei Lejun looked up to take the water, Sang Ning complimented her, "Well done."

Wei Lejun furrowed her brows and stared straight at Sang Ning with a fierce look. "Are you mocking me too?"

"I don’t have time for that," Sang Ning replied while pulling over a low stool and sitting down next to Wei Lejun.

"Sometimes, when someone is in too high a position, they’re unable to hear what people below them are saying—especially someone of Director Qin’s stature. With his unshakable position in the industry, his pride is only natural. For immature actors like us, of course, our words carry little weight. If you’d mentioned changing the script before shooting, you might have been scolded to oblivion. Doing it this way worked out pretty well—acting first and informing him later. Sure, you got yelled at, but you achieved your goal."

Sang Ning spoke at length, flipping through her script without so much as looking at Wei Lejun.

"You get me!" Wei Lejun exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Sang Ning’s wrist.

It’s true that she couldn’t stand Lian Qi right now, but she hadn’t gone as far as to let personal emotions affect her on-screen performance.

Wei Lejun wanted to make a name for herself with this film. Every day, she racked her brain studying the script. Her earlier performance was something she had improvised on the spot.

Sure, she could have kicked someone else, but since she was already annoyed with Lian Qi, kicking him made it feel much more authentic.

Sang Ning withdrew her hand and gripped Wei Lejun’s wrist in return. "I understand, but I don’t approve. Take it easy, and don’t seriously hurt someone. This is acting—we don’t take things too far."

Wei Lejun reluctantly nodded, though it wasn’t clear whether she’d taken the advice to heart.

Sang Ning shook her head slightly, a bit helpless. It’s true what they say—sworn enemies are destined to meet.

The morning’s shooting wrapped up, and the crew now had a break before the lunch hour.

The next scene was an important one, so Sang Ning had no interest in gossiping with Wei Lejun. She continued burying her head in the script instead.

Sang Ning was so engrossed in reading that she completely forgot about eating until a loud commotion startled her, prompting her to look up.

But soon, something even more surprising happened.

"Lunch is ready! Today’s meal is a special high-class, nutritious love feast prepared for everyone by our Sister Ning! No matter if you’re part of the main cast or an extra, everyone gets a share!"

The logistics staff responsible for meals loudly announced this on set, instantly sparking cheers from everyone present.

"Sister Ning is so generous!"

"Sister Ning is amazing!"

"Big applause for Sister Ning!"

Sang Ning was completely dumbfounded. There wasn’t a single person in the cast and crew with "Ning" in their name, let alone referred to as "Sister Ning." Could they mean a staff member behind the scenes?

Everyone, however, naturally assumed "Sister Ning" referred to her. Grateful looks were thrown her way from all corners.

Even Wei Lejun, sitting nearby, joked with her, "Not bad, Sister Ning. Quite the splurge!"

Sang Ning looked bewildered, just about to deny, "It wasn’t me," when her ever-reliable manager came striding into the set.

"Sister Ning, it’s time to eat. Would you prefer to eat in the RV? You could rest there as well," the manager asked respectfully but with a perfunctory tone, clearly on some sort of mission.

Sang Ning closed her script and stood up. "Didn’t I say not to bother me during filming? Why show up with food now?"

Most of the cast consisted of rookie actors, and no one dared to show off or demand special treatment. Meals were uniformly arranged by the crew, and actors weren’t allowed to bring their own food.

If she went to eat in the RV, stories about her acting like a diva would surely spread through the set by the end of the day.

"Sister, we’ve sponsored the entire cast and crew’s meals. Eating in the RV is hardly over the top, no? Besides, others have RVs too. If they want, they can eat in theirs as well," the manager quickly clarified, sensing Sang Ning’s concern.

"What? We sponsored meals for the entire set? Have I struck it rich, or have you lost your mind?" Sang Ning exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief.

Just as she waited for the manager’s reply, another round of commotion interrupted them.

"Whoa! There’s king crab! This spread is insane!"

"King crab? That’s nothing! There’s even blue lobster! Do you know how rare blue lobsters are? Like one in every two million!"

"This is incredible. Suddenly, this project feels so worth it!"

Sang Ning followed the direction of the noise and saw several men in professional chef uniforms wheeling in food carts. The carts were loaded with assorted high-end seafood dishes.

The man at the front, who looked like the head chef, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and greeted everyone with a smile. "Here’s to the first day of filming! Wishing all of you future superstar actors and actresses a smooth shoot and a blockbuster hit!"

His blessing was met with thunderous applause. The crew clapped enthusiastically, cheering nonstop.

But since this wasn’t an official meal provided by the crew, no one dared to dig in right away despite their eagerness.

Someone, unable to resist the temptation, scanned the set for Qin Jiaxiang and shouted, "Director Qin, can we have the feast today?"

The set immediately quieted down as everyone awaited Qin Jiaxiang’s response.

"What’s all the racket? This is a filming set, not a food market!" Qin Jiaxiang scolded as he walked over upon hearing the commotion.

Seeing Qin Jiaxiang’s figure approaching in the distance, Sang Ning raised a threatening finger at her manager and hissed, "You little rascal, setting me up, huh?"

Everyone instinctively made way for Qin Jiaxiang as he wove through the crowd, arriving at the food carts with his hands clasped behind his back. He circled the carts once without expression.

Everyone was on edge, unsure of his stance and whether they’d be allowed to enjoy the feast today.

Suddenly, Qin Jiaxiang picked up a king crab with an expression of disgust. Everyone’s hearts collectively sank.

It was over. Judging by Director Qin’s reaction, there was no way he’d allow special treatment or indulgence.