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

Chapter 224 A Delicate Atmosphere: It's Hard to Be a Scumbag

As the lights of the USTC campus were completely swallowed up by the city lights, the lighting on the film set was finally turned off.

It was already 9:10 p.m., and the library staff were packing up to leave work.

"Cut! That's a wrap! Everyone worked hard today!"

Liu Junjie's voice rang out through the loudspeaker on the set, carrying a hint of barely perceptible relief.

He took off his headphones and rubbed his temples, his gaze sweeping over the slender yet exceptionally determined figure beside the monitor—Chen Duling.

Not only did this person not leave, but they even had their assistant order takeout milk tea to share with the staff who were working late.

At this moment, she was holding a cup of hot tea, watching the stagehands pack up the equipment with great interest. There was no sign of fatigue on her face, only the composure of waiting for the show to end.

Liu Junjie sighed inwardly. He understood the look Jiang Qing gave him that afternoon. He had originally planned to use the extra night scenes to stall until Chen Duling couldn't take it anymore and left on her own. Who would have thought that this actress visiting the set would be so incredibly patient.

He cleared his throat, put on a warm smile, and picked up the megaphone again.

"Everyone must be hungry at this hour. The crew is treating us to a meal today, so let's have a get-together and also welcome Teacher Chen who has come all this way to visit the set! Let's go to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, the restaurant that Jingyi has been longing to go to."

"Long live the director!"

"Thank you, director!"

……

Cheers erupted instantly, especially from Zhao Zhiwei, Zeng Keni, and a few others who loved to watch the drama unfold; their voices were particularly loud.

Their eyes instantly focused on Jiang Qing, and the corners of their mouths curled into smug grins.

Jiang Qing was just pulling herself out of Li Xun's character mode when she heard this, and her movements paused almost imperceptibly.

He took off the jacket he wore in the play and draped it over his arm, glancing over the excited crowd before finally fixing his gaze on Liu Junjie's face.

"Thank you very much, Director."

His voice was steady and emotionless, and his smile was extremely natural.

Only when Chen Duo took the coat from Jiang Qing did he catch a glimpse of Jiang Qing unconsciously rubbing his fingertips on the fabric, and he secretly smiled to himself.

So even our President Jiang can panic!
Not far away, Chen Duling put down her teacup and exchanged a knowing glance with Zhang Jingyi.

Zhang Jingyi wrinkled her nose playfully, while Chen Duling's lips curved slightly, a knowing smile flashing in her eyes.

Jiang Qing's feigned composure was completely exposed to them.

Immediately, the group marched in a grand procession toward Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

The car was in good condition at that point, and they arrived at their destination in half an hour.

The private room was large, and the round table was big enough to accommodate the core members of the film crew.

As everyone took their seats amidst laughter and chatter, Zeng Keni quickly began arranging the seating.

"Come, come, Jingyi, sit here so you can sit next to Director Liu and ask him questions!"

She pressed Zhang Jingyi to the right of Liu Junjie.

"Sister Duling, sit here, it's better to be near the window for ventilation!"

Immediately afterwards, she took Chen Duling's arm warmly and, without saying a word, settled her in an empty seat by the window.

Jiang Qing was talking to Zhao Zhiwei when she turned around and found that her only remaining choice was the empty seat between Zhang Jingyi and Chen Duling.

Because of this gap, Zhao Zhiwei had already taken the empty seat next to them.

Zhang Jingyi tilted her head to look at him, and patted the chair to her right with a smile.

"Jiang Qing, come here quickly!"

Chen Duling also turned her head and looked at him gently. Although she didn't say anything, the meaning in her eyes was self-evident.

Zhao Zhiwei suppressed a laugh and pushed Jiang Qing in the back.

"Teacher Jiang, please have a seat!"

Under the watchful eyes of several people, some teasing and some expectant, Jiang walked over as if nothing had happened, pulled out a chair, and sat down between Zhang Jingyi and Chen Duling.

The movements were fluid and natural, as if they were meant to be.

"cough."

Liu Junjie cleared his throat and picked up the menu to smooth things over.

"Come on, let's order first! Jingyi, haven't you been talking about this for days? Order whatever you want!"

"Then I'm welcome!"

Zhang Jingyi immediately perked up, picked up the menu in front of her, and ordered in a crisp voice.

"Steamed fish head with chopped chili! Stir-fried pork with farm-style sauce! Yongzhou blood duck! And that steamed assorted preserved meats! ... Oh, and let's add some stir-fried seasonal vegetables, Dudu doesn't seem to be able to handle too much spice."

After she finished ordering, she thoughtfully turned her head to ask Chen Duling.

"Dudu, are these okay? Or would you like to order something else?"

"These are fine; they're all classic dishes."

Chen Duling smiled and nodded, then turned to look at the waiter as if she had just remembered something.

"Could you please bring another serving of rock sugar lotus seeds to help everyone cool down from the spiciness? Also, could you please bring a pot of chrysanthemum tea? Dr. Jiang has already had a double serving of espresso; if he drinks tea now, he might have trouble sleeping tonight."

Her voice was soft, and the people chatting in the middle of the conversation didn't pay any attention to her.

Jiang Qing heard it clearly.

He was picking up a glass on the table to pour water when he heard this. His fingertips lightly glided along the glass, and then he firmly grasped the teapot handle. He poured water for Liu Junjie first, then for Zhang Jingyi, then for Chen Duling, and finally poured himself a glass of water.

"Thank you, Dr. Jiang."

Chen Duling picked up her cup and gave him a slight smile.

"You're too kind, Teacher Chen."

Jiang Qing smiled and responded, but her gaze fell on the water glass in front of her, as if she were studying the purity of the water.

Chen Duling's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile as she chuckled to herself.

Zhang Jingyi almost burst out laughing, but quickly drank some water to cover it up.

It seems like she cares a lot about Dudu.

The dishes were served quickly, and the bright red chilies stimulated the taste buds, filling the private room with a fragrant aroma and creating a lively atmosphere.

Zhao Zhiwei took the lead in toasting Liu Junjie, and the others followed suit, soon the private room was filled with toasting and drinking.

"Teacher Jiang, in the library scene today, your last look was absolutely amazing! How did you capture that feeling of weariness mixed with tenderness?"

At this moment, Cui Yuxin raised an eyebrow at Jiang Qing across the table.

Jiang Qing swallowed the vegetables in his mouth and was about to answer when Zhang Jingyi on his left picked up a piece of tender fish cheek meat and placed it into the small dish in front of him with great ease.

"This one has no bones, try it! Everyone online says their fish head is the freshest!"

She stared at him with bright, sparkling eyes.

Almost simultaneously, Chen Duling on the right used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of stir-fried pork and gently placed it on the other side of his plate, her voice soft.

"This stir-fried pork is cooked to perfection, with a good balance of lean and fat, it should suit your taste."

She smiled, her expression conveying an irresistible tenderness. Jiang Qing glanced at the dishes that appeared on the plate in front of her almost simultaneously, her Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly.

Upon seeing this, Cui Yuxin quickly stopped talking and turned to watch the show.

Jiang Qing picked up her chopsticks, first carefully tasted the fish cheek that Zhang Jingyi had given her, and then nodded with a very approving expression.

"Mmm, it's very fresh, and the meat is very tender."

After swallowing, he immediately turned to the piece of stir-fried pork that Chen Duling had picked up, and after carefully chewing it, he gave his evaluation.

"The cooking time was indeed perfect; it's fragrant but not greasy."

Throughout the process, he strived to maintain consistent time intervals, equal word counts in his evaluations, and to briefly glance at both individuals' faces.

Zhao Zhiwei and Zeng Keni sat diagonally opposite him, and could see the details clearly.

Zhao Zhiwei quickly lowered his head and shoveled down a mouthful of rice, his shoulders twitching suspiciously.

Zeng Keni pretended to be burned by the spiciness and picked up her drink cup to cover her face, but her upturned eyebrows betrayed her.

"Jiang Qing, try this blood duck. It's made in Yongzhou style, and it's a little different from what we've had before."

Zhang Jingyi enthusiastically recommended that he try some duck meat and broth, scooping it up with a spoon.

"it is good."

Jiang Qing picked up her small bowl to receive it.

"Slow down, it's a bit hot."

Chen Duling handed him a clean tissue and placed it beside him at the right moment.

"Be careful not to spill soup on your clothes."

Jiang Qing took the tissue and placed it at the bottom of the bowl before accepting the blood duck from Zhang Jingyi.

"Thank you."

Then he turned to Chen Duling and chuckled.

"Thank you, Teacher Chen."

He felt like he was walking on a balance beam, where even the slightest tilt could have disastrous consequences.

When handing Zhang Jingyi a drink, he would subconsciously ask Chen Duling if she wanted more tea.

Seeing that Chen Duling's teacup was almost empty, he would casually ask Zhang Jingyi if she had enough drinks when he refilled her tea.

Before each conversation, I quickly mentally review my words to ensure they are appropriate and to prevent the other person from feeling ignored.

Eating a meal took him more mental effort than writing code for eight hours straight.

His forehead was covered in sweat, whether from the heat in the private room or from nervousness, it was hard to tell.

"Oh right, Dudu."

Zhang Jingyi was sweating profusely from the spiciness of the food, and after taking a sip of an iced drink, she suddenly turned to look at Chen Duling as if she remembered something.

"You're not in a rush to leave, are you? How about Jiang Qing takes us to his company sometime? Tech companies seem really cool. I've been wanting to go but haven't had the time. Now that you're here, we can go together."

She extended the invitation in a lighthearted tone, her face beaming with eager anticipation.

Chen Duling was eating rock sugar lotus seeds with a spoon when she heard this. She put down the spoon, picked up a tissue, gently touched the corner of her mouth, and looked at Jiang Qing with a smile in her eyes.

"Is it convenient? I've heard that Wuwen's progress in basic artificial intelligence models is attracting a lot of attention, which makes me quite curious."

Her tone was perfectly measured inquiries, carrying the earnestness of an academic exchange, as if she were simply interested in technology.

Jiang Qing had just picked up a piece of stir-fried vegetables when her chopsticks stopped in mid-air.

Refusing is definitely out of the question. With Tongtong and Sister Meng as examples, how could I possibly refuse?

But with these two girls together, he couldn't help but have to keep his heart in suspense all the time.

His mind was racing, almost audible like the hum of a CPU calculating at high speed.

He maintained a calm expression, steadily put the vegetables into his mouth, chewed slowly, and swallowed before speaking softly.

"Next Wednesday, I happen to have an internal evaluation meeting that morning."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two pairs of eyes that were fixed on him.

"I can have someone show you around."

"Sure, then it's decided."

Zhang Jingyi squinted her eyes happily, and Chen Duling nodded gently, a faint smile on her lips.

Cui Yuxin wanted to go and join in the fun, but Zeng Keni, who was quick-witted, grabbed his sleeve and frantically gave him a meaningful look. He immediately realized what he was doing and swallowed back the words he was about to say.

Jiang Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her water glass to moisten her slightly dry throat.

Let's deal with this first, and deal with the rest later.

Just then, the screen of his phone on the table suddenly lit up, and a preview of a new WeChat message popped up.

Sender: Sister Meng!
Content: Images.

Sister Meng, oh Sister Meng!
You're really making things difficult for me!

Jiang Qing was about to reach for a drink with her left hand to refill Zhang Jingyi's empty glass, while her right hand had just put down her water glass, her fingertips very close to the table.

Almost at the same instant the phone screen lit up, two pairs of eyes scanned over simultaneously.

Zhang Jingyi's chopsticks, which were originally reaching for the stir-fried pork with chili peppers, suddenly turned in mid-air and gently landed back on the rim of her bowl with a soft "tap".

Chen Duling paused subtly as she picked up a napkin to wipe her fingers, before continuing naturally. However, her gaze seemed to casually sweep across Jiang Qing's lit-up phone screen before quickly shifting away, and the usual gentle smile on her lips seemed to take on a playful curve.

The private room was still noisy. Zhao Zhiwei was telling jokes on set, Zeng Keni was drinking beverages because of the spiciness, and Liu Junjie was discussing tomorrow's shooting plan with the producer.

But Jiang Qing clearly heard the two almost simultaneous and extremely subtle sounds: on the left, chopsticks lightly touching the rim of the bowl, and on the right, the faint sound of a napkin rubbing against fingertips.

An invisible yet incredibly clear tension, like unseen spider silk, instantly wrapped around his wrist.

His hand, which was reaching for the kettle, froze in mid-air. Then, with remarkable ease, he turned around, picked up the tissue box next to him, pulled out a tissue, and slowly wiped his actually clean mouth.

"Looks like there's new information?"

Chen Duling picked up a piece of golden egg and placed it on his plate, seemingly mentioning it casually.

"Yes, should we take a look? It might be very important news."

Zhang Jingyi also rested her chin on her hand and looked at him, blinking gently.

"It's not important news."

Jiang Qing glanced at the two people, seemingly unconcerned.

Chen Duling and Zhang Jingyi exchanged a smile, then looked away without lingering.

Jiang Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, he really didn't dare to open the message. Sister Meng's habit of posting selfies has never changed. Who knows if this time it will be some kind of black or white stockings JK uniform or something.

Ugh, what a terrible thing!

(End of this chapter)