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

Chapter 223 The Undercurrents on the Film Set: Delaying Tactics!

Inside the USTC campus.

Before Chen Duling's slightly teasing remark about "refreshing and invigorating" had even faded completely, the atmosphere on set had already subtly shifted.

Amidst laughter, Zhang Jingyi stomped her feet and pouted coquettishly.

"Dudu! You did this on purpose!"

The blush that rose on the girl's face was partly from her embarrassment at the mochi stick, and partly from Jiang Qing's helpless smile, "Teacher Chen is really... thoughtful."

That sounds like condoning Chen Duling's precise "bombing," humph!

"Oh, Jingyi, good things should be shared."

Chen Duling's smile remained unchanged. Carrying the conspicuous "Zhanji" paper bag, she walked briskly through the crowd to Zhang Jingyi and stuffed the bag into her hands.

"Here, I brought this especially for you, knowing you love it."

Holding the paper bag, Zhang Jingyi looked at Chen Duling's smiling face so close to hers. Her little temper deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving her only with a wry smile.

She looked down at the paper bag in her hand and muttered to herself.

"I feel full just looking at taro paste now..."

But he still obediently held onto the bag tightly.

Zhao Zhiwei and the others' gazes darted back and forth between Jiang Qing and the two girls like searchlights, their eyes brimming with gossip.

Everyone in the crew knows how ambiguous the relationship between Jiang Qing and Zhang Jingyi is. Not to mention the eye contact, they had just appeared together at Wang Sulong's concert, and then Chen Feiyu, who had already been cast as the male lead, ran into trouble, and he even exposed it himself. Combined with Jiang Qing's industry-recognized technical skills, the answer is obvious.

This is something almost everyone tacitly understands: Jiang Qing most likely took on this role because of Zhang Jingyi.

But Chen Duling in front of us is no ordinary person either. Not only is she an old acquaintance of Jiang Qing, but she also has the halo of being a "suspected white moonlight". What's more subtle is that she and Zhang Jingyi seem to be very familiar with each other.
Just as everyone held their breath, preparing to witness a fierce battle between rivals, Chen Duling naturally reached out and took Zhang Jingyi's arm.

Zhang Jingyi leaned over and affectionately nuzzled Chen Duling's shoulder with her chin, complaining in a coquettish voice.

"Dudu, you're so mean! You always pick on my sore spots!"

The movements were fluid and intimate, leaving Zeng Keni and the others speechless.

"Wow……"

Zeng Keni exclaimed softly, exchanging a "What's going on?" look with Cui Yuxin.

"You don't call me 'sister' anymore?"

Chen Duling smiled and pinched Zhang Jingyi's cheek, finding it to feel wonderful, unchanged from before.

"Back when we were studying scripts and pulling all-nighters together at the academy down the mountain, you were chasing after me, begging for help from Sister Duling. Have you forgotten already?"

With a nostalgic smile in her voice, she generously explained to everyone how the two of them met.

Zhang Jingyi immediately wrinkled her nose.

"Ugh, don't bring up that embarrassing past! I was such a newbie back then!"

She shook Chen Duling's arm, and the two looked at each other and smiled, their eyes clear and open, without a trace of reluctance or acting.

That familiarity and tacit understanding cannot be faked.

Jiang Qing stood aside, watching the two women's "sisterly affection" scene, and her eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

He knew those two girls all too well.

She appears gentle and weak, but is actually very rational and stubborn at heart.

A free and brilliant, interesting soul, but once they've made up their mind, they won't turn back even if they hit a wall.

They were holding hands and laughing like long-lost sisters. Rather than being indifferent, it was more like a silent declaration of war, each believing that they were the ones who would have the last laugh.

Beneath the surface of harmony lies the confidence of a worthy opponent.

Because you understand and respect the other person, yet you also believe in yourself.

"OK OK."

Director Liu Junjie spoke up at the right moment, breaking the awkward atmosphere.

"Teacher Chen is here to visit the set. Don't just stand around watching the fun, everyone! Has the coffee arrived yet? Hurry up and distribute it! It'll help everyone stay alert!"

He emphasized the word "refreshing," which drew another burst of laughter.

Soon, the stagehands brought over three food trucks to provide support, and the rich aroma of coffee instantly dispelled the awkward atmosphere that had been filled with the sweet taro flavor.

"This is just a small token of my appreciation. Thank you all for your hard work."

Chen Duling released Zhang Jingyi and took the initiative to help distribute the coffee.

She moved swiftly and smiled politely, taking the coffee from the stagehands and handing it out to the staff and actors around her, saying things like "Thank you for your hard work" and "Thank you for taking care of Jingyi." She had a perfect sense of propriety, neither being overly enthusiastic to seem deliberate nor distant to seem cold.

The scholarly air of her well-educated family and the approachable nature of an actress created a wonderful fusion in her, making Jiang Qing momentarily unable to look away.

only……

Weren't you here to visit me on set?

Why do I feel like I'm just there to make up the scene?
Jiang Qing suddenly snapped out of her daze, tilting her head in confusion.

"Thank you, Sister Duling!"

At this moment, Zeng Keni accepted the coffee handed to her by Chen Duling and thanked her sweetly, her eyes curiously sizing up the legendary "white moonlight" in front of her.

Up close, Chen Duling's temperament is indeed very unique. It's not the kind of aggressive beauty, but a kind of calm elegance that seems to carry the fragrance of ink and books. Yet, the occasional sly look in her eyes makes her come alive.

For example, when I handed Jingyi the tiger-skin taro mochi, I was just like an evil rabbit.

Zhao Zhiwei took a big gulp of coffee, exhaled a satisfied breath, and then quietly moved closer to Jiang Qing and nudged him with his elbow.

"Ok?"

Jiang Qing turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue.

He lowered his voice and made a series of winks and gestures.

"Teacher Jiang, how do you manage to get them to get along so well? Can you share some secrets?"

His gaze darted back and forth between Chen Duling, who was handing coffee to the photographer, and Zhang Jingyi, who was holding a bag and whispering to Chen Duling's assistant.

Jiang Qing glanced at him.

"The secret is to talk less and do more, and..."

He paused, glancing meaningfully at the bag of tiger-skin taro mochi.

"Stay away from certain feeding areas."

Zhao Zhiwei was momentarily speechless, then walked away with an embarrassed laugh.

Chen Duling distributed the coffees around the room and finally returned with two cups of coffee in her hand.

He handed a cup to Zhang Jingyi, who was still looking down at the bag of mochi, seemingly figuring out what to do with it.

"Here, Jingyi, your Americano, less sugar." Another cup was handed directly to Jiang Qing, with a small smiley face hastily drawn on the cup with a marker.

Jiang Qing glanced down at the somewhat childish smiley face doodle, then reached out and took it.

His fingertips inevitably brushed against hers briefly, which suddenly reminded him of the wet kiss he had shared that night on Xiamen Island.

"Dr. Jiang's, double the concentration, double the energizing effect."

Chen Duling looked at him with her eyes crinkling, her tone as natural as if she were stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

"I was worried you didn't sleep well last night and wouldn't have the energy to film today."

These words, spoken frankly and openly, were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Zeng Keni and the others who were eavesdropping nearby gasped in surprise, their eyes instantly turning incredibly gossipy.

last night?

Didn't sleep well?
So much information!
Zhang Jingyi immediately looked up from the mochi bag, her eyes instantly fixing on Jiang Qing's face with undisguised scrutiny and a hint of "I want to hear your explanation."

Jiang Qing held the scalding hot double shot of espresso, clearly feeling several burning gazes focused on her.

He took a sip of the extremely bitter liquid without changing his expression before looking up at Chen Duling, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Teacher Chen's observation skills are still so sharp, but..."

He changed the subject, his tone carrying just the right amount of helplessness.

"Last night I was just dealing with an urgent project issue; the multinational meeting didn't end until 3 a.m.

This explanation is reasonable and consistent with his public persona.

Chen Duling didn't press the matter, but simply gave an understanding "Oh~".

She drew out the last syllable of her sentence, a mischievous smile flashing in her eyes, as if to say, "I don't believe you."

He then looked at Zhang Jingyi.

"Jingyi, how many scenes do you have left today?"

Zhang Jingyi's attention was immediately diverted, and she began chattering to Chen Duling about the details of the morning's shooting and the afternoon's schedule.

The two huddled together again, heads close, whispering and laughing, as if the subtle probing from before had never happened.

Jiang Qing watched their arms linked together again, then looked down at the cup of double-serving concentrate in her hand, painted with a smiley face and so bitter it seemed to take one's soul out of their body, and sighed silently.

This harmonious appearance is clearly the calm before the storm.

The two smart girls, both believing they would be the winners, reached a temporary "non-aggression pact," meaning that all the "firepower" would ultimately be precisely focused on him, the "prize."

Sure enough, Zhang Jingyi and Chen Duling whispered for a while, as if they had reached some kind of consensus, and then turned to look at him at the same time, with identical sweet yet slightly malicious smiles on their faces.

"Jiang Qing."

Zhang Jingyi spoke first, her voice clear and crisp.

"It's rare for Dudu to visit the set, so how about we go eat at that Hunan restaurant I mentioned to you last time after we finish work tonight? I've been wanting to go for ages!"

She blinked and stared straight at him.

Chen Duling then added, her tone gentle yet leaving no room for refusal.

"Yes, it's been a long time since I've had authentic Hunan cuisine. What do you say, host?"

She immediately labeled her as the "host".

Two beautiful eyes, filled with the same expectation and a subtle threat of "try refusing," were fixed on him.

Zhao Zhiwei watched from the sidelines, laughing heartily, and silently mouthed to Ma Ke.

"So exciting!"

Marco, equally excited, nodded emphatically to him.

It's so interesting to watch the drama unfold!
Jiang Qing met the gazes of the two girls, feeling even more pressure than when dealing with the most complex algorithm models.

reject?

It's impossible to refuse...

promise?

That's like putting yourself on a hot plate!
He was silent for two seconds. Just as Zhang Jingyi's lips began to droop and Chen Duling's smile deepened, he suddenly pointed to director Liu Junjie, who was discussing the next shot with the cameraman not far away, completely unaware of the "undercurrents" happening here.

"Director Liu."

Jiang Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly, carrying just the right amount of annoyance.

"Jingyi and Dudu said they wanted to treat me to dinner, and I couldn't refuse their invitation. So, how about tonight..."

He deliberately left his sentence unfinished, pausing for a meaningful moment.

Liu Junjie turned around at the sound and saw Jiang Qing being "flanked" by the two girls. Looking at their "kind" smiles, he instantly understood what was going on.

With his extensive experience, he immediately picked up his megaphone.

"Professor Jiang probably can't make it today. We need to film the crucial scene tonight where Li Xun and Zhu Yun are coding all night in the library! Everyone needs to be prepared to stay up all night! Professor Chen, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'll have to keep you waiting very late tonight. Why don't you go first..."

"It's alright, Director Liu."

Chen Duling immediately interrupted him, her smile gentle and graceful.

"I'm just watching from the sidelines to learn something. It's been a long time since I've seen Jingyi act live."

As she spoke, she patted Zhang Jingyi on the shoulder.

Zhang Jingyi immediately straightened her back and looked at Liu Junjie.

"Don't worry, director! I guarantee it'll all be done in one take!"

After saying that, she secretly gave Jiang Qing a fierce little look.

Jiang Qing breathed a barely audible sigh of relief and gave Liu Junjie a grateful look.

He pretended not to see Zhang Jingyi's gaze, shook the double shot of espresso in his hand, and curled up a smile that was both extremely innocent and infuriating.

"Looks like it's our only hope to stay alive tonight."

After saying that, she turned around and walked calmly towards the dressing room, leaving behind those two gazes that were filled with complex emotions such as dissatisfaction, amusement, and "we'll see."

The film set started operating again at the director's shouts, preparing for the next scene.

Chen Duling crossed her arms, watching Jiang Qing's figure disappear into the dressing room, then glanced at Zhang Jingyi beside her, who was full of fighting spirit and ready to "show off her acting skills," and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

This meal was something we had to eat sooner or later.

But tonight...

She wanted to see what kind of tricks Jiang Qing could come up with with his "all-night coding"!

(End of this chapter)