CHAPTER 403: CHAPTER 403: CAUGHT IN THE ACT

Qin Jiaxiang was famously strict in the industry; everyone knew about it and dared not cross him. Just one fancy meal—whether they ate or not didn’t make much of a difference.

The crowd looked visibly disappointed, until Qin Jiaxiang spoke in a teasing tone, "Eat up, hurry and eat! Are you really going to deny Sister Ning this honor?"

As he spoke, Qin Jiaxiang kept glancing toward Sang Ning.

Sang Ning: "?"

For a moment, no one could tell whether Qin Jiaxiang was being sarcastic or sincere, and no one dared approach. Not until they saw him break off a crab leg and start devouring it did they finally let go of their psychological burden and rushed forward to grab food from the catering cart.

"Sang Ning, aren’t you going to eat? Don’t keep the person waiting for you." Qin Jiaxiang, even with food in his mouth, didn’t forget to call out Sang Ning while busy sucking on crab legs.

The others thought the person Qin Jiaxiang referred to was Sang Ning’s manager and didn’t think much of it. They even chimed in to convince Sang Ning: "Yeah, Sister Ning, you should eat. We won’t spread rumors that you’re acting like a diva."

Sang Ning cast a peculiar glance at Qin Jiaxiang, then followed her manager and left.

Most of the actors on set were newbies in the circle and hadn’t cultivated any deep schemes yet. Although they wondered how Sang Ning, who wasn’t even a top-tier actress, could afford such an extravagant spread of high-end seafood, they ultimately didn’t question it too much and happily dug in.

Only Qin Feng showed no interest in the food. He’d eaten enough high-end seafood to feel sick of it; right now, what intrigued him was Sang Ning.

He suspected Sang Ning was putting on airs and decided to quietly follow her and her manager shortly after they left, taking advantage of everyone’s distraction with the meal.

The film scenes were all shot on location to emphasize authenticity. After leaving the set, Sang Ning followed her manager along a long, overgrown mountain trail before finally arriving at the parking spot for the nanny car.

Thanks to the desolate surroundings overrun with weeds, Qin Feng managed to tail them undetected.

At the car, as Sang Ning reached for the door handle, her manager suddenly stepped back and said, "Sis, enjoy your meal—I won’t interrupt!"

Sang Ning turned around, only to see her manager take off like a wind-up rabbit, disappearing in a blink.

"Coward!" Sang Ning muttered under her breath, pulling open the car door without showing any sign of surprise, as if she had fully anticipated the situation.

"Mr. Li, I know your family is wealthy, but that doesn’t mean you need to flaunt it so recklessly." Sang Ning had just stepped one foot into the car when Li Juezhou grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his lap.

The sudden imbalance caused Sang Ning to sit awkwardly on Li Juezhou’s thighs. Her meticulously styled bun, secured with a wooden hairpin, loosened slightly, allowing several strands of hair to fall across her forehead. Instinctively, she raised a hand to press against Li Juezhou’s chest and balled her fist to punch him: "Are you crazy?!"

Sang Ning realized Li Juezhou was becoming increasingly audacious. After a few months without seeing her, he’d grown bold enough to touch her without permission.

Serves him right! She had spoiled him far too much.

Sang Ning’s hands were stronger than most women’s, and the punch was enough to make anyone suffer. But Li Juezhou’s expression remained unchanged; he showed no reaction. Instead, he grabbed her fist and made her hit his chest twice more.

Sang Ning jerked her hand back, refusing to let him get his way. She growled fiercely, "If you keep this up, I’ll grab a knife and carve a few holes in your chest!"

Li Juezhou finally stopped teasing her. He wrapped his arm around Sang Ning’s waist, pulling her closer into his embrace. "It’s your first day of filming. As your boyfriend, I should express some goodwill. I may not have other virtues, but I do have money—don’t worry about saving on trivial costs for me."

Sang Ning chuckled mischievously, leaning into Li Juezhou’s neck. She bit him harder than expected. "Does this count as giving your funds a worthwhile use?"

The bite wasn’t too hard or too light, but it sent a tingle up Li Juezhou’s spine, disrupting his breathing slightly. "Sangsang, please control yourself, or I might not be able to resist doing something indecent to you."

Sang Ning felt defiant. She wrapped her arms around Li Juezhou’s neck and kissed his skin deliberately.

Li Juezhou’s breathing grew unsteady, though he tried to suppress his reaction. The grip on Sang Ning’s waist tightened noticeably.

Hearing Li Juezhou’s hushed, desperate panting, Sang Ning felt a wicked sense of satisfaction. What a nasty fascination she had.

Knowing when to stop, Sang Ning finally pulled away from his neck and prepared to climb off his lap and sit in the seat beside him.

As she lifted her head, her gaze collided with Li Juezhou’s eyes, filled with a dangerous mix of desire—intense and seductive.

Oh no, she’d gone too far!

Before Sang Ning could react, Li Juezhou cupped the back of her head and pressed his lips down onto hers forcefully.

Their disordered breathing filled the car, as the temperature inside steadily climbed. The cabin became awash in an intense atmosphere, leaving one flushed and heart racing.

Sang Ning hadn’t had the chance to close the car door when Li Juezhou dragged her inside. Now the door was wide open, and squatting in the distant brush, Qin Feng was starting to struggle.

Don’t look, don’t look! Qin Feng repeated to himself. Yet the intimate scene between the pair inside the car refused to leave his mind.

Qin Feng thought he must be out of his mind. Why else would he follow Sang Ning here and end up seeing something he shouldn’t?

In his eyes, Sang Ning had always been an iron-willed woman, yet privately, she could display such tenderness—was flirting with someone like second nature to her?

Qin Feng clutched his head in despair. If Sang Ning realized he was here, would she get rid of him to keep it secret?

The fear was real, but so was his curiosity. While worrying about being caught, Qin Feng couldn’t help wondering who the man in the car was—someone capable of melting Sang Ning’s iron defenses.

When the rumors about Sang Ning and Li Juezhou’s relationship were ablaze online, Qin Feng had been stuck in training camp. By the time he came out, every trace of the gossip had been wiped clean by Li Juezhou’s PR team, leaving no hint of evidence online.

Without anyone filling him in, Qin Feng remained under the impression that Sang Ning was still single.

Huddled in the brush, Qin Feng wasn’t sure how long he had been squatting there. His legs were now completely numb, and Sang Ning still showed no signs of finishing her "meal."

It felt as though every ounce of blood in his body had pooled in his legs, leaving them achingly numb. Just as Qin Feng thought he might cry, he bravely decided to straighten his legs and stretch.

The moment he popped his head up, he saw Sang Ning stepping out of the nanny car, looking fully satisfied.

In a panic, Qin Feng ducked back down, mentally cursing Sang Ning. Was she satiated from eating food—or something else?

Between crouching and standing, Qin Feng felt waves of prickling pain coursing through his leg muscles, sharp and unbearable enough to drive him mad.