Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Time to Focus on Career
Sang Ning stated that a one-time experience is purely coincidental.
Perhaps it was because the bar was too crowded and poorly ventilated that Li Juezhou’s sudden kiss left her legs weak.
A single result doesn’t count; she would have to conduct more experiments.
Sang Ning gave Li Juezhou a quick bite, claiming that she no longer felt her mind going blank.
Taking advantage of his stunned expression, she pulled back and stared intensely at his sexy, thin lips.
It seemed pretty good—maybe two tests weren’t enough to conclude anything. One more try wouldn’t hurt!
Sang Ning leaned in again and gently nibbled on Li Juezhou’s lips.
Bite, release; bite, release...
After this cycle of teasing, the bit of romantic intrigue in Li Juezhou’s heart instantly evaporated.
Was Sang Ning trying to peck like a little chick? Was she ever going to stop?
"Sangsang, that’s enough. If you keep biting, I might not be able to show my face tomorrow."
As Sang Ning moved in to nibble again, Li Juezhou grabbed her shoulders to maintain a respectable distance between them.
Sang Ning looked as though she had discovered a new continent, her eyes sparkling: "Xiao Li, why didn’t you take the initiative to kiss me earlier?"
"..."
Li Juezhou’s eyes filled with confusion; if he had dared to kiss her earlier, a few of his leg bones might not have survived intact.
"Sangsang, it’s not too late now. If you like, you can have as many kisses as you want later. But here, in such a public space, we should watch our behavior."
Li Juezhou pulled Sang Ning into his embrace, trying hard to steady the rise and fall of his chest.
Leaning against him, Sang Ning’s rationality slowly began to return.
As expected, the night had a sinister way of provoking impulsive actions. What exactly had she just done?!
Peeking out from his chest with one eye, she looked around nervously.
Then she caught sight of three pairs of shocked, inquisitive gazes. She froze for a moment before abruptly pushing Li Juezhou away.
Wen Jiu and the others weren’t still dancing flirtatiously with the buff guy, were they?
Tonight must be her unlucky day—why was she always caught red-handed every time she did something outrageous?
"Xiao Li, hurry up and leave while there are still people around to provide cover. Don’t let anyone spot you. I’ll contact you later!" Even though they hadn’t done anything truly wrong, Sang Ning couldn’t shake her guilty feeling.
Her pushing was frantic and forceful, and Li Juezhou could feel her anxiety in the pressure of her hands.
He felt both annoyed and helpless. He was her legitimate, trial-phase boyfriend, so why did this feel like a scene with an illicit affair?
"Go! Now! If you don’t leave, I’ll get angry!" Sang Ning threatened.
Li Juezhou didn’t want to take a single step—why couldn’t he properly show himself to her friends? Did he not even have that right?
But in the face of Sang Ning’s persistent dismissal, he eventually gave in.
Before leaving, he couldn’t resist giving her earlobe a playful bite. "Sangsang, no matter how late it is tonight, I’ll wait for you."
Sang Ning shivered again, realizing that dating someone really caused one’s emotions to swing wildly.
With a single step back, Li Juezhou disappeared from her view in the blink of an eye, so quick that she didn’t even have time to see which direction he went in.
If she hadn’t just confirmed his warmth herself, she might have doubted whether Li Juezhou was a ghost.
Wen Jiu and the others were still some distance away from Sang Ning, and she tried to comfort herself silently.
The dance floor lighting was dim; maybe they didn’t see anything?
Feigning a composed demeanor, Sang Ning leisurely walked over to Wen Jiu and the others.
She struck first to seize control of the conversation and teased, "Wow, you guys finally finished playing with the hot guy? Got tired, huh?"
"Just a touch here and there to feel those muscles—it was enough. Too long, and it gets boring." Xi Meina flicked her hair flirtatiously, full of charm.
"Same here. My arms are practically muscle-tired from overuse. Let’s head to the bar for a drink," Wang Qiuhong chimed in.
She then looped her arm around Sang Ning’s. "Sangsang, where did you disappear to earlier? We asked you to play along with the hottie, but you weren’t interested."
Play? She absolutely had been playing!
Sang Ning silently answered in her heart. It wasn’t her being sly—turns out, Li Juezhou was kind of fun.
At the same time, she felt a breath of relief. It seemed like they hadn’t caught her lips-on-lips battle with Li Juezhou.
"Alright, alright. Since you’re all worn out, let’s head to the bar," Sang Ning agreed to their suggestion, putting on a nonchalant front as she began to lead the way to the bar.
Wang Qiuhong and Xi Meina walked ahead, arms linked, and Sang Ning deliberately hung back to wait for Wen Jiu.
From the start, Wen Jiu hadn’t said a single word.
This wasn’t like her; Wen Jiu was soft-spoken and gentle but not exactly shy. She usually had a lively and spirited energy.
Now her silence was unsettling, making Sang Ning increasingly uneasy.
Without probing aloud, Sang Ning gave Wen Jiu a pointed glance and said, "Xiao Jiu, let’s go."
Sang Ning began walking slowly, and Wen Jiu followed suit, moving just as leisurely.
The distance between them grew smaller and smaller until Wen Jiu finally linked arms with Sang Ning herself.
Noticing Wen Jiu’s hesitant and conflicted expression, Sang Ning suddenly got the itch for gossip. "Xiao Jiu, what’s up with you? Not a single word from you—it’s so unlike you."
Wen Jiu hadn’t intended to pry into anyone’s privacy, but since Sang Ning had opened the door, she couldn’t ignore her curiosity.
"Sangsang, what’s the deal with you and Li Juezhou?" Wen Jiu asked the question that had been gnawing at her.
Sang Ning froze for a split second. Damn, it seemed Wen Jiu had caught her in the act.
She saw no point in hiding it from Wen Jiu and candidly admitted, "For now, he’s my trial boyfriend—still under evaluation."
Wen Jiu’s expression turned serious, and she advised earnestly, "Sangsang, you’re young and on the rise in your career. Shouldn’t you focus on work right now instead of dating?"
Sang Ning suddenly felt that Wen Jiu had many hidden sides to her. Back then, Wen Jiu was the one encouraging her to date, yet now she was telling her to prioritize work.
"Xiao Jiu, is it that you have something against Li Juezhou? You don’t like him, do you?"
Sang Ning started to suspect that Wen Jiu’s abrupt change of attitude stemmed from a simple dislike for Li Juezhou.
After all, Wen Jiu, Shen Fang, and Li Juezhou had known each other for years. If Li Juezhou had any glaring flaws, Wen Jiu might already know.
This felt like a roundabout way of warning her not to get too deeply involved.
"It’s not that. I just think it’s not the right time for you to date. With your training for the new film coming up, you’ll hardly see him, and it could easily lead to emotional friction."
Wen Jiu couldn’t voice her true thoughts, so she resorted to listing other reasons to dissuade Sang Ning from pursuing a relationship with Li Juezhou.