CHAPTER 168: CHAPTER 168: A RUTHLESS FACE-SLAP

Nell Sue really didn’t expect such a misunderstanding, and she felt very agitated for a moment, but she forced a smile and said, "Oh dear, this really is quite a misunderstanding. How about this, since it’s a misunderstanding caused by me, let me compensate you for this meal? After all, you’ve spent quite a bit of money treating everyone to a meal."

Clara Bennett quickly waved her hand to refuse, "No, no, Miss Sue. Actually, eating anywhere is the same, there’s no difference. Besides, Miss Sue, you’re genuinely kindhearted, and there’s no intention of taking advantage in this matter, no need to worry about it. Even though you’re not here, everyone is touched by your thoughtfulness, and they’ve been praising you as a very understanding person."

At this moment, the people nearby who had been discussing her in an unfriendly tone suddenly fell silent.

This situation shocked the few people who had mocked Clara Bennett earlier, as if they had been slapped hard.

Especially those who had just been sarcastic about Clara Bennett not comparing to Nell Sue, who were now holding high-class lunchboxes, they felt extremely embarrassed.

The more tempting the food in their hands was earlier, the more awkward their expressions appeared now.

Nell Sue felt even more agitated by Clara Bennett’s words, but she still tried to muster a smile and responded, "Haha, Clara, you’re really good with words. No matter who it comes from, as long as everyone is happy eating, that’s all that matters."

George Taylor, who had remained silent all along, quietly added, "What a pity, such a heart-filled meal didn’t even allow your friend to taste a bite, it’s truly regrettable."

The atmosphere in the crew suddenly became extremely awkward.

Because the lunch was so delicious, Clara Bennett didn’t get to eat it, while some crew members ate a few extra servings.

Everyone thought she had skipped claiming a meal because she was full, but in fact, she was waiting for a special meal prepared by a friend.

Where exactly did this heartfelt meal go?

The answer is obvious—it was eaten by others who unknowingly took the wrong one.

Nell Sue showed a hint of embarrassment and guilt on her face, and slowly said, "It really is my fault, I’m so sorry. How about you temporarily take my share to make do?"

"Once this busy period is over, I’ll treat you to a proper meal as compensation. I will also personally explain and apologize to your friend. Do you think this arrangement is acceptable?"

He didn’t really believe that, in such a situation, Clara Bennett would choose to persist in this issue.

The situation seems to be quite favorable for her, but if she refuses my proposal at this moment, then in the eyes of the others in the crew, her image might be significantly affected.

However, Nell Sue’s attitude towards Clara Bennett is actually quite disdainful, with no sincere apology in it at all.

The main purpose of saying those words was more to create some minor trouble for her and add some vexation.

George Taylor, observing this from the sidelines, although not fully aware of Nell Sue’s internal intentions, could, with years of accumulated experience, keenly sense that all curious eyes were now focused on Clara Bennett, waiting to see how she would respond.

At such a subtle moment, Clara Bennett instead gave a slight smile, and calmly said, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Sue, but please don’t force yourself, I really don’t want to eat anything anymore."

The people in the crew, upon hearing this reply, almost simultaneously fell into an inexplicable mood.

After all, from an objective standpoint, although Nell Sue definitely had some mishaps, there was no intentional act against Clara Bennett!

As such, everyone couldn’t help but be quite puzzled and bewildered by Clara Bennett’s demeanor in consistently refusing: What exactly is she insisting on?

The people in the crew are usually adept at reading the winds, in such a situation of acquaintance between the two, no one wishes for things to become more strained, simply hoping for a quick end to this awkward situation to return to prior work conditions.

Nell Sue, deep down, actually hoped that Clara Bennett would cause a scene over this matter.

This way, she could, in turn, appear more innocent and passive in front of everyone.

With a seemingly apologetic yet deeply scheming expression on her face, she said to Clara Bennett, "Clara, I know you might not be too happy right now, but I hope you won’t make things hard for yourself. There are still plenty of other food options here, don’t go shooting with an empty stomach, okay?"

However, in response to Nell Sue’s words, Clara Bennett merely smiled slightly, not showing any anger or dissatisfaction.

She answered in a calm but resolute tone, "Miss Sue, it seems you underestimate me. I don’t consider myself petty, so I’m really not upset. It’s just that I can’t eat anything spicy. Especially with us currently in the desert, consuming overly oily, spicy Sichuan food not only will make my skin react unpleasantly, but it could also damage my throat. Moreover, to alleviate that fiery feeling, I would need to constantly drink water, which would definitely impact the filming work. So I’ve chosen not to eat, and besides, I’m not particularly hungry now anyway."

After hearing Clara Bennett’s reasonable explanation, the onlooking crew staff suddenly had an epiphany, gaining a new understanding of the misunderstanding that happened just now.

In fact, Nell Sue isn’t regularly working on this crew, therefore she hasn’t deeply experienced the impact of the unique climate conditions here on daily life. However, those crew members who have been busily working here for days now have indeed felt it deeply.

The weather here is extremely hot and known for its exceptional dryness and frequent sandstorms.

In such an environment, everyone often feels parched and the amount of water they consume daily has increased several fold than usual.

Choosing to consume foods with lots of spicy seasonings, like chili, at this time would surely have unfavorable consequences.

By evening, almost everyone might find it hard to be at peace and could only drink water continuously to ease the burning in their mouths.

Because of this, there was an unconscious feeling of slight resentment towards Nell Sue’s unreasonable interference among everyone.

They quietly thought that since the other party was not fully informed of the situation onsite, she should try to avoid making comments or suggestions that could lead to disputes.

Consequently, not only did it fail to achieve a good outcome, it rather resulted in a, albeit brief, uncomfortable episode.

Nell Sue indeed became a bit nervous, Clara Bennett hadn’t uttered a word to criticize her, yet she could sense displeasure in her tone.