CHAPTER 429: CHAPTER 429: TURNS OUT IT’S NOT TRASH

Li Haidong, having been chased out by Wei Lan, slunk back toward his own room.

As he approached his room, he saw Lu Yujing standing at the door holding a suitcase.

"Xiao Lu, is there something you need?" Li Haidong greeted her, but his tone had gained a tinge of distance. Tonight’s events had subtly shifted his attitude toward Lu Yujing.

It wasn’t exactly dislike, but he felt that the once-simple child in his memory had suddenly become worldly and opportunistic.

Lu Yujing’s lips curved slightly into the kind of obedient smile adored by elders, as she handed the medical kit in her hands to Li Haidong: "Uncle, I specifically asked the production team for these basic supplies. You have some minor injuries; it’s better to treat them in time."

Li Haidong shook his head: "Xiao Lu, I appreciate it, but I already took care of it briefly in the car on the way back. As for the medical kit, I’ll trouble you to return it. It’s getting late—you should rest soon as well."

"But..."

Lu Yujing seemed intent on saying something, but Li Haidong had already pulled out his room key card, swiped it, and gone inside.

"Young ladies staying up late isn’t good. Go on to bed."

The message to leave was clear enough, and although Lu Yujing felt awkward, she kept the polite smile on her face. "Alright. Then I won’t disturb you any further, Uncle."

As she walked down the hallway to the elevator lobby, Lu Yujing casually threw the medical kit into the trash can.

This wasn’t something she had specially requested from the production team—it was something Zhou Rui had asked her to deliver to Sang Ning.

Zhou Rui said he had accidentally noticed the injury on Sang Ning’s forearm. While everyone had treated the wound briefly in the car, Sang Ning insisted she was fine.

Zhou Rui felt that Sang Ning cared about her pride and didn’t want to admit to being hurt in front of the others, so he had asked Lu Yujing to deliver the medical supplies to Sang Ning privately.

Lu Yujing stared at the medical kit she had discarded and let out a cold laugh.

Was Zhou Rui blind? Could he not see that her relationship with Sang Ning was bad?

Since the gift of goodwill wasn’t accepted, don’t expect her to pass the medical kit to Sang Ning.

With a ding, the elevator opened. Just as Lu Yujing was about to step inside, she saw the very person she had just been cursing in her mind. Her body shuddered in shock, and to cover up her anxiety, her tone turned sharp: "What are you doing out here so late instead of sleeping?"

Sang Ning walked out of the elevator and glanced at Lu Yujing with an expression that screamed "you’re ridiculous": "Just grabbing something at the front desk—why, does it concern you?"

"What’s this?" Sang Ning glanced at the trash can and saw the medical kit sitting on top. She casually asked the question.

Lu Yujing was startled and instinctively pressed her hand over her racing heart, trying to maintain composure. She sneered, "Can’t you tell? It’s trash—are your eyes broken?"

Sang Ning’s gaze suddenly shifted toward Lu Yujing, staring directly at her, making her feel uneasy: "I thought I was good at spotting garbage. Sometimes, things outside the trash can are even worse trash, aren’t they?"

Lu Yujing felt that Sang Ning was insulting her, but she had no proof. She snorted coldly, unwilling to engage further, pressed the elevator button again, and stepped inside once the doors opened.

This medical kit wasn’t worthy of Sang Ning.

When Sang Ning returned from the front desk with her item, she realized she’d accidentally left her phone at the counter. She went back to retrieve it.

At the elevator lobby again, she encountered another person—Zhou Rui, rushing toward the elevator. Spotting Sang Ning, he handed over the item in his hand. "I was just about to bring this up to you."

Sang Ning accepted the phone he handed over: "It’s not far, I could’ve come down myself."

Zhou Rui chuckled, "Just giving me a chance to redeem myself after messing up earlier."

Sang Ning glanced at Zhou Rui speechlessly and prepared to take the elevator back.

"Wait, what’s this?" Zhou Rui suddenly spotted the medical kit atop the trash can. He found it familiar and moved closer to take a better look. Wasn’t this the kit he’d asked Lu Yujing to deliver to Sang Ning?

Sang Ning pressed the elevator floor button, and just as the doors were about to close, a hand abruptly extended inside, forcing them to reopen.

"Wait, Sang Ning, take this medical kit upstairs and treat your injury." Zhou Rui handed the kit over to her.

Sang Ning frowned slightly, "Is gifting trash to me part of your redemption plan?"

Zhou Rui quickly explained, "It’s not trash! This is the medical kit I asked Lu Yujing to bring you. How is it trash..."

The words Zhou Rui spoke seemed to fade as if muted, trailing off into silence.

Sang Ning’s lips curved coldly. So that’s how it was.

Zhou Rui suddenly realized something and jerked his head upward: "You and Lu Yujing don’t get along, do you?"

Sang Ning gave Zhou Rui a dismissive and insincere smile. "What do you think?"

She took the medical kit, and as Zhou Rui pulled his hand back, the elevator doors finally closed.

As the elevator shut, Zhou Rui belatedly reminded Sang Ning: "Just don’t fight with Lu Yujing during the program, alright? If you’re going to argue, do it after filming."

Sang Ning was already gone, and who knows how much of that she heard.

If Sang Ning and Lu Yujing caused drama during the show, the healing tone of the program would be utterly ruined.

Sang Ning took the medical kit, which Lu Yujing had deemed garbage, back to her room. Not wanting to waste Zhou Rui’s thoughtful gesture, she treated the minor scratches on her forearm.

It wasn’t serious—mere superficial abrasions. If she had waited longer, it might’ve healed on its own.

But after setting down the cotton swabs, Sang Ning began to wonder: why does Lu Yujing harbor such hostility toward her? Could it be that she has a face people naturally despise?

Unable to figure it out, and not wanting to dwell on it, Sang Ning dismissed the thought. People whose energies don’t align can never get along. Sang Ning and Lu Yujing belonged to such opposite poles—after all, it was just a program. Once filming ended, who would even remember who she was?

After treating her injury, Sang Ning didn’t go straight to sleep. Instead, she pushed through her exhaustion, took a quick shower, dried her hair thoroughly, and finally collapsed into her bed.

The shower refreshed her body and mind, and Sang Ning fell asleep shortly after lying down.

But her sleep was anything but restful, plagued by bizarre nightmares.

She dreamed that Lu Yujing kidnapped Li Juezhou right in front of her and pressed a knife to his throat, demanding: "Between me and Sang Ning, who do you truly love?"

Li Juezhou answered without hesitation: "I love Sangsang."

Lu Yujing was enraged, gripping the knife tighter. The sharp edge pierced Juezhou’s skin, and blood began to seep out. Her eyes turned crimson as she screamed hysterically: "No! You’re not allowed to love Sang Ning. I’ll give you one more chance—say you love me!"

Li Juezhou remained defiant, utterly unshaken by her threats. "Even if you kill me today, my answer won’t change. I love Sangsang."

"Ah!" Lu Yujing broke down, shrieking as she slashed the blade across Juezhou’s neck, severing his artery. "If you won’t love me, then die!"

As Li Juezhou collapsed into a pool of blood, Sang Ning’s breath stopped, frozen in horror. She wanted to rush over but found her body bound by countless invisible threads, rendering her immobile. Her throat felt paralyzed, unable to produce a single sound.

"Li Juezhou!"