Huayu 2021: Isn’t he in the technology field?

Chapter 118 An Interesting Actress, Lover Missed

Egret Island.

While Zhou Ye and Jiang Nan were having their first meeting as sisters-in-law, Jiang Qing was enjoying a rare half-day off.

In the afternoon, when Jiang Qing pushed open the fence gate of the café courtyard, the conch wind chimes hanging on the eaves were ringing out with a clear and melodious sound.

He had just finished filming three consecutive days of explosion scenes. This morning, after the crew blew up the twenty-third pressure cooker, Sun Molong finally announced a shutdown for equipment maintenance and gave him a half-day off.

After filming continuously for more than half a month without stopping, and with the progress going very smoothly, he felt it was time to take a break.

Zhao Jinmai couldn't come along because her mother was visiting the set, and Chen Duo was also left behind by Jiang Qing. He just wanted to enjoy his rare vacation by himself.

He hadn't been this busy in almost a year.

As Jiang Qing stepped into the courtyard, she saw a girl leaning over the bar counter that the coffee shop had set up in the courtyard to order food.

"Iced coconut Americano, please remember to add double espresso, and then another iced Americano, please."

Fangfang tucked her stray hairs behind her ear, and when she turned her head, she saw the person who had come in and suddenly started to stutter.

"Mr. Jiang... Mr. Jiang? What brings you here?"

Suddenly, the sound of pages turning came from the rattan chair under the parasol.

Zhang Jingyi stood barefoot on a rough ceramic flowerpot, her black off-shoulder knitwear slipping down to her elbow, revealing one of her snow-white shoulders.

"Fangfang, your voice is all distorted, is it heatstroke or something...?"

The sound stopped suddenly.

When she turned her head, her long, loose hair was blown about by the sea breeze. Jiang Qing noticed that the girl's face was covered in fine sweat, and the lines from the bridge of her nose to the peak of her lips were like those of a plaster statue from the Renaissance period. The most wonderful thing was her eyes, which were naturally drooping at the corners but were so bright that they seemed to contain the entire shimmering sea in front of the courtyard.

"Dr. Jiang... Dr. Jiang?"

Jiang Qing saw her hurriedly slam the book shut, a fleeting look of embarrassment crossing her face.

"it's me."

He smiled and nodded at Fangfang, but when he turned his head, he saw Zhang Jingyi hiding her face and neck with a book, as if that would make her invisible.

Fangfang walked over to Zhang Jingyi and nudged her artist.

"Sister, say hello!"

Suddenly, a slender, fair hand reached out from behind the book and gently waved.

"How come Dr. Jiang has time to come out for coffee? I heard that the crew of 'The Beginning' is frying pressure cookers at the dock every day."

Her voice was muffled behind the book; only her two clear, bright eyes were visible.

Jiang Qing stared at the undried coffee stains on the table and suddenly remembered the scene in the script where Xiao Heyun used a Coca-Cola can to draw a circular diagram.

"We don't have enough pressure cookers."

He naturally sat down opposite the unknown girl. The thought he had just made made him unconsciously tap the rattan tabletop with his fingers, producing a rhythmic three long and two short taps.

"Is Dr. Jiang treating me like a child? And... is this a Morse code distress signal?"

The book was slammed onto the table, and Zhang Jingyi, her nose bearing a red mark from being pressed, leaned closer, her soft, sweet voice carrying a hint of coquettishness.

"Let me decipher this: Is Dr. Jiang using the excuse of buying a pressure cooker to slack off?"

She tilted her head back, analyzing the situation with a serious expression.

Fangfang covered her forehead in despair.

"elder sister!"

"Just kidding."

She finally sat up straight and extended her hand with a bright smile.

"Dr. Jiang, please don't mind, I was just joking. Let me formally introduce myself, I am actress Zhang Jingyi."

Jiang Qing was surprised to see her full appearance.

It's rare to see an actress so bare-faced in public, and her smile is very infectious. When she raises the corners of her mouth, two little parentheses appear on either side of her cheeks, giving him a strange sense of familiarity.

"Jiang Qing, it seems that Teacher Zhang knows me."

He reached out and gently shook her hand, then let go in an instant.

"Of course, since the show started airing, Dr. Jiang has been a frequent visitor to the trending topics. I also watch this variety show, and I especially ship you and my senior as a couple."

A hint of gossip flashed in Zhang Jingyi's eyes, and her eyes lit up as she spoke.

"Oh right, I almost forgot to mention, I'm from the 17 class of Beijing Film Academy, one year after senior Zhou Ye."

She explained with a smile.

"I see."

Jiang Qing nodded knowingly, not expecting it to be such a coincidence.

"Dr. Jiang, what would you like to drink? It's on me."

Zhang Jingyi rested her elbows on the table, displaying great enthusiasm.

Jiang Qing could tell from her expression that she couldn't wait to hear the gossip.

"Iced latte, half sweet, please."

"Okay, Fangfang, iced latte, half sugar."

Zhang Jingyi waved to her assistant who was waiting at the bar.

"receive."

Fangfang raised her hand and gave a "V" sign.

Jiang Qing leaned back in his seat and observed her movements, feeling that the girl had an indescribable air of everyday life about her.

If she hadn't introduced herself as an actress, he would have had no idea who she was.

only……

What's with this vague sense of familiarity?

When Fangfang brought the coffee, Zhang Jingyi was pressing Jiang Qing with great enthusiasm, asking him what Zhou Ye and Meng Ziyi looked like in his eyes.

"Jingyi!"

Fangfang suddenly leaned close to her ear.

"there."

Jiang Qing and Zhang Jingyi looked in the direction she indicated.

Three girls holding cameras were lingering outside the fence, glancing at them from time to time. When they noticed their gazes, they immediately turned away.

"Stop hiding!"

Zhang Jingyi smiled as she got up and waved towards the outside of the fence, not even noticing her cardigan slipping from her shoulder to her arm.

"Little Peach Blossom, you look like a dragon fruit today!"

Three girls, their faces flushed, pushed open the door and came in, the seashell charms on their camera bags jingling.

Jiang Qing sized them up and roughly guessed who these girls were.

"This iced latte is for Dr. Jiang, right?"

Zhang Jingyi suddenly turned around and winked at Fangfang, then casually pushed the iced latte in front of Jiang Qing to the girl with pigtails.

"Here you go, this half-sweet one. I heard from the owner that their coffee beans have a caramel aroma."

Jiang Qing glanced at the coffee that had suddenly disappeared in front of her, then looked at Zhang Jingyi who was distributing coffee, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

It's really interesting.

A dozen minutes later, Jiang Qing took the coffee that Fangfang handed her again. The July sea breeze, carrying a salty and damp scent, swept into the courtyard, and Zhang Jingyi was standing on tiptoe to tidy the bangs of the fansite girls who had been messed up by the wind.

"Dr. Jiang, please don't take offense. We are all fans of Jingyi and we know her very well."

A girl in a floral dress looked at him and smiled as she explained, while taking out her Polaroid camera.

"Can we take a photo together? You and Yezi from the Peach Blossom Village last time."

"Stop it, stop it!"

Zhang Jingyi suddenly stepped between the two, holding up a coffee cup as a microphone.

"Dear reporter, the next question requires you to scan the QR code to pay the gossip consultation fee."

Everyone laughed, and Jiang Qing noticed that she quietly pulled the fan site admin closer to her.

This girl is quite sensible.

As the sun set, Zhang Jingyi was breaking open croissants and distributing them to the girls.

"Dr. Jiang, and Professor Meng"

A short-haired fangirl wearing a cropped T-shirt couldn't resist gossiping again.

"I saw on a short video that Dr. Jiang's Wuwen Technology is currently researching how to use AI to predict typhoon paths, right?"

Zhang Jingyi suddenly raised her voice, drawing circles in the air with a fork covered in cream.

"The video mentioned your company's weather model."

Jiang Qing looked into her bright eyes and realized that the girl was trying to help him out of a predicament.

He responded with a smile.

"The accuracy rate is 5% higher than that of the Meteorological Agency, but when it comes to typhoons like the one Mr. Zhang encountered, even the most accurate model will fail."

Amidst the laughter of the fans, Zhang Jingyi poked at the mango mille-feuille and puffed out her cheeks.

"Even STEM guys can tell cheesy pickup lines!"

"Don't have stereotypes. I've never seen a young actress as down-to-earth as you."

Jiang Qing smiled and waved the coffee in her hand at her.

The girl's expression froze for a moment, then she grinned.

As the setting sun paints the sea crimson, the café lights up with orange nightlights.

Zhang Jingyi pushed back the bamboo chair and stood up. Her hair, blown by the sea breeze, was sticking to her face, which she brushed aside with a smile.

"Let's go, Dr. Jiang. What a coincidence! I'll treat you tonight..."

She suddenly paused, then turned and winked at the fansite admins who were organizing their cameras.

"By the way, do you guys know any restaurants that have good food and don't rip you off?"

"Sister's food stall!"

The fangirl in the floral dress blurted out.

"Their salt and pepper mantis shrimp is so delicious it'll make your eyebrows fall off! We just had it for lunch."

Zhang Jingyi turned to look at Jiang Qing, who smiled and nodded.

So she arranged for her assistant Fangfang to take a few fansite admins to dinner, while she and Jiang Qing went to the "A-jie's Food Stall" that the fansite admins had mentioned.

Amidst the sound of waves and the roar of motorboats, Zhang Jingyi walked ahead in flip-flops, the sound of her plastic slippers hitting the bluestone slabs crisp and clear, like the sound of clappers.

Jiang Qingwei lagged behind by half a step, occasionally responding to her strange and unusual questions.

For example, questions like "Will AI replace actors one day?", "Won't I lose my job because of AI?", "When will holographic projection be a reality?", and "Some people online think I look a lot like Senior Zhou Ye, what do you think?"

When answering the last question, Jiang Qing solemnly told her, "Those who say they look alike must be face-blind," which made her giggle.

As they passed the seafood market, Zhang Jingyi suddenly jogged a few steps and squatted down in front of the old woman selling starfish.

"Grandma, how long can this keep?"

She held up a blue starfish to examine it under the light, her face full of curiosity.

When Jiang Qing saw her take out her coin purse, the clinking sound of coins falling into the enamel bowl was even more melodious than the evening tide.

Before long, they arrived at their destination.

The plastic tables and chairs at the food stall smelled of sea salt. Zhang Jingyi neatly tied her long hair into a bun and called out to the busy owner.

"Boss, I'd like two pounds of mantis shrimp, boiled! Also, a satay hot pot, and two cold dishes!"

She unfolded the disposable bamboo chopsticks as if she were unwrapping a gift, then turned her head and found Jiang Qing staring at her, the tips of the chopsticks drawing a circle in the soy sauce dish.

"Dr. Jiang, have you never seen actresses eat like this before?"

"It's really fresh."

As they were talking, the owner had already served the mantis shrimp and then hurriedly walked away.

Jiang Qing rinsed the bowls and chopsticks with hot water, watching as she skillfully peeled the mantis shrimp.

"Sister Meng counts the leafy greens when she eats salad, Xiao Ye..."

He suddenly stopped, and the chopsticks made a clear sound as they landed on the porcelain bowl.

Zhang Jingyi chuckled, her fingertips, still covered in sauce, hovering in mid-air.

"Don't worry, I'm not an entertainment reporter."

She suddenly leaned closer, her breath, carrying the scent of seafood, brushing against Jiang Qing's face.

"But if you tell me about you and Senior Zhou Ye..."

Before he could finish speaking, a child at the next table knocked over a coconut juice bottle while chasing after something.

Liquid dripped down the edge of the table onto the hem of Jiang Qing's shirt. Zhang Jingyi jumped up with a cry of "Ouch!" and only realized the awkward position when she pressed a napkin against it.

Her ear tips instantly became burning hot; she didn't know whether to wipe them or not.

"I will do it myself."

The moment Jiang Qing took the tissue, she abruptly pulled her hand back and lowered her head to focus on peeling the mantis shrimp.

After the little incident, the dishes were served quickly, and they moved on to their next task.

The sea breeze carries the melody of "Lover Missed" into the food stall, where the busking girl's guitar case is placed on the beach outside the stall.

As Zhang Jingyi hummed along to the chorus, her toes were still gently tapping out the beat inside her flip-flops.

Jiang Qing gazed at her profile, which was bathed in the peach hue of the neon lights, and finally asked the question that had been nagging at him all afternoon.

"Are we..."

"Boss, add another shaved ice!"

Zhang Jingyi suddenly raised her hand and shouted at the boss, her eyes filled with stars when she turned her face.

What did Dr. Jiang just say?

Looking at the girl's bright smile, Jiang Qing stroked the water stains on the rim of the cup, paused for two seconds, and then shook his head with a smile.

"I mean, this meal should be on me."

"Oh, that works too."

Zhang Jingyi nodded indifferently, completely unconcerned.

Jiang Qing smiled gently, her lips curving slightly as she looked into her eyes.

He already has the answer.

(End of this chapter)