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

Chapter 228 The Ruffled Rabbit, Never Letting Go Again
At 7:30 pm, Binhu Shuangxi.

The moment Jiang Qing uttered the words "Your makeup is caked up," the smile on Chen Duling's face, along with the budding romantic thoughts, vanished instantly.

Her eyes widened, and she transformed into a shocked rabbit once again, staring incredulously at the seemingly innocent face before her, which clearly concealed a mischievous smile.

A surge of heat rushed from the base of my neck to the top of my head—not from embarrassment, but purely from anger!
"Jiang! Qing!"

Chen Duling practically spat out those two words through gritted teeth. The kitchen knife beside her reflected a cold light, and she really had the urge to slam it onto the cutting board.

Calm down, I need to calm down!
She suppressed her anger and forced a smile onto her face.

Jiang Qing watched as she instantly bristled and then forced herself to remain calm. The smile in his eyes could no longer be hidden, spreading out like ripples on a lake after a pebble was thrown in, eventually turning into an unrestrained laugh, which made his shoulders tremble slightly.

"Just kidding, our Dudu is naturally beautiful, even if the makeup is cakey, it won't affect her beauty."

He laughed openly, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.

Chen Duling instantly realized it was because of that night at the hotel!

You, Jiang Qing!
Filled with shame and anger, she disregarded the knife she was still holding and thrust her free hand directly at Jiang Qing's lower back.

"You're just kidding me!"

Jiang Qing reacted quickly, dodging to the side and grabbing the wrist that was being extended.

His palms were warm, carrying a slight coolness from washing fish, and gently enveloped her slender wrists.

"Hey, watch out for the knife!"

He smiled and reminded her, his voice still tinged with laughter, and gently placed his other hand on the back of her hand that was holding the knife handle, guiding her to place the dangerous kitchen knife safely on the cutting board.

As soon as the knife left his hand, Chen Duling's other "free" hand immediately joined the battle, aiming to tickle the itchy flesh on his side.

Jiang Qing laughed as she dodged and parried, and the two of them played a childish chase around the kitchen island.

"Sneak attack failed!"

Jiang Qing, relying on her height and long legs, easily dodged her attacks. Occasionally, when she was brushed by her fingertips, she would only exclaim "Ouch!" in an exaggerated way, but the smile on her face would become wider and wider.

"Jiang Qing! You stop right there!"

Chen Duling couldn't catch up with him, feeling both angry and amused, her cheeks flushed and a little sweat beading on her nose.

Her usual rationality and composure had vanished, leaving only a furious, irritated rabbit determined to get revenge.

"Alright, alright, I give up!"

Seeing that she was really getting anxious, Jiang Qing smiled and raised her hands in surrender, stopping in her tracks.

Looking at her puffed-up, flushed face, his heart softened, and he reached out to gently rub the top of her head in a comforting gesture.

"Stop fooling around, or dinner will really turn into a midnight snack."

This intimate gesture made Chen Duling pause.

The warm touch from the top of her head and the familiar doting care felt like a feather brushing against her heart, instantly dispelling her earlier petulance and replacing it with a subtle, sweet feeling of being indulged.

She feigned displeasure, slapped his hand away, and snorted.

"Then hurry up and cook! You'll be responsible if you starve to death."

Her voice was haughty and spoiled, completely different from her usual self.

"Yes, Teacher Chen."

Jiang Qing smiled and agreed, then gently pushed her shoulder and led her outside.

"The kitchen is a restricted area; unauthorized personnel are not allowed in. Please wait outside; it will be ready in a moment."

He pushed Chen Duling out of the kitchen, half-heartedly, while she was still muttering to herself.

"Use it and then throw it away, Mr. Jiang, you have such a high and mighty attitude..."

The person obediently sat down in a corner of the living room sofa, their gaze involuntarily following the figure in the kitchen who had retied their apron and started working.

Jiang Qing's movements were fluid and efficient.

Heat the pan, pour in the oil, and fry the fish. Amidst the sizzling sound of the oil, the fish skin quickly turns golden brown and crispy.

With a deft flick of his wrist, he tossed the wok, flipping the fish in mid-air before it landed steadily, the movement clean, efficient, and seamless.

Next, stir-fry diced tomatoes, simmer a sweet and sour, thick broth, and then add tender fish fillets...

He was focused on the spatula, and his profile looked particularly focused and...reliable under the kitchen overhead light.

Chen Duling was somewhat lost in thought.

The impact she felt at Wuwen Technology during the day struck her again in a softer, more concrete way.

The man who once stood confidently on the podium, mastered cutting-edge algorithms in the laboratory, and perfectly portrayed his characters on set, is now wearing an apron and cooking a home-cooked meal for her in a kitchen brimming with the warmth of everyday life.

He skillfully uses various tools, controlling the heat and time, which seems to have a strange commonality with his control over complex code and precision equipment.

A kind of confidence that allows for precise control over the process and complete assurance of the outcome.

This stark contrast and unity only intensified the mystique surrounding him, rather than diminishing it.

Looking at his focused profile, the emotions she had been suppressing in her heart became increasingly difficult to contain.

But didn't I come here precisely to get closer to someone like him?
I want to get to know him again through the little things in our daily lives, and also let him get to know me again.

After sorting everything out, she immediately felt much more relaxed.

By this time, the enticing aroma had already filled the entire living room.

When Jiang Qing came out carrying two plates of delicious-looking tomato fish fillets and a dish of stir-fried vegetables, Chen Duling immediately went to greet her, helped set out the bowls and chopsticks, and then went into the kitchen to bring out the remaining dishes one after another.

"Looks good!"

She looked at the dishes in front of her with genuine admiration, her eyes sparkling.

"Try it."

Jiang Qing handed her chopsticks and sat down opposite her.

Chen Duling picked up a piece of fish coated in rich tomato broth, carefully blew on it, and put it in her mouth.

The fish is tender and smooth, melting in your mouth, and the sweet and sour taste of the tomato perfectly enhances the fish's flavor.

"Ok!"

She squinted her eyes contentedly, her cheeks puffing out slightly, like a satisfied cat.

"Jiang Qing, it's a real loss to the catering industry if you don't open your own private restaurant with such skills!"

She switched to praise mode, her tone sincere yet tinged with girlish excitement.

"How come these fish slices are so tender? They taste better than many restaurants outside! I thought Peach Blossom Village was exaggerating, but Chef Jiang truly lives up to his reputation!"

As Jiang listened to her endless praise and watched her undisguised expression of enjoyment, a smile never left his lips.

He liked seeing her relaxed and lively like this; it was more real and touching than her carefully crafted appearance under the spotlight.

"Well, it's alright."

He gave a modest reply, but the smile in his eyes betrayed him.

"Eat more if you like it."

As he spoke, he placed another piece of fish into her bowl.

The meal was easy and enjoyable.

The two chatted about what they had seen and heard during the day, and about interesting things that happened on set. Occasionally, they would cautiously touch on some peripheral topics about the future and changes in the industry, but they tacitly avoided the deeper and more sensitive parts of people and things.

For example, Zhou Ye, Zhang Jingyi, and... Li Yitong.

Time slipped by quietly amidst the gentle clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the pleasant conversation.

After the meal, Jiang Qing stopped Chen Duling's hand and cleaned up the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher.

Chen Duling didn't stand on ceremony with him. She walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked out at the dazzling city night view and the faintly visible lake ripples in the distance.

"Would you like to sit on the terrace for a while?"

Jiang Qing wiped her hands and walked over, making a suggestion with a smile.

"The weather is nice tonight, we should be able to see the stars."

Chen Duling nodded happily.

"Okay."

The terrace is spacious, and the evening breeze carries the cool scent of the lake, dispelling the aroma of the food inside and bringing a refreshing feeling.

In the distance, the city lights merge into a flowing sea of ​​light, while a few bright stars twinkle against the deep blue sky overhead, struggling to shine despite the light pollution.

The two leaned against the railing of the terrace side by side, with a distance between them that was neither too close nor too far.

The night was gentle and quiet, with only the faint sounds of distant traffic and the soft rustling of leaves in the wind nearby.

The lively atmosphere at the dinner table had faded, and a subtle, tentative silence descended.

Chen Duling looked up at the starry sky. She could clearly feel Jiang Qing's presence beside her. His warm body temperature, his steady breathing, and the faint scent of soap on his body mixed with a very faint smell of cooking oil.

The awe-inspiring feeling of visiting Wuwen during the day, overwhelmed by its technology, was now replaced by a gentler, more soothing emotion. The evening breeze, carrying the coolness of the lake, lightly brushed against Chen Duling's cheeks and stirred a few stray strands of her hair.

City lights flowed in the distance, and a few stars twinkled faintly overhead.

The relaxed atmosphere at the dinner table had subsided, and a tentative silence filled the space between the two.

Jiang Qing didn't look at the stars. His gaze fell on Chen Duling's gentle profile, outlined by the night. The aloofness and detachment that she usually exuded, usually concealed by cameras and her roles, melted away in the dim light.

He picked up the glass of warm water beside him, his fingertips tracing the slightly cool surface of the glass, and broke the silence with his voice.

"The way you held the knife in the kitchen just now reminded me of that time backstage at the debate competition."

He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips, tinged with a hint of reminiscence.

"You're the same way, with a serious little face, holding the script in your hand and checking the process card with a straight face."

Chen Duling's heart skipped a beat.

She didn't expect him to bring it up on his own initiative, and she certainly didn't expect him to remember it so clearly.

She instinctively turned to look at him, her gaze meeting his deep eyes, which reflected the surrounding light and her own shadow.

"I'm so nervous, I'm afraid you experts will spot my mistake."

She answered softly, her tone carrying a hint of self-deprecation, yet also a sense of honesty.

Those deliberately maintained senses of distance always seemed to have no effect on him.

"flaw?"

Jiang Qing chuckled softly, her voice ringing out clearly on the quiet terrace.

"I don't see that."

He turned to face her, his gaze so focused it seemed to pierce through five years of time.

"I later wondered if I had been too impulsive on stage that day? Did those words... offend you?"

His voice carried a hint of regret, a reflection that had settled over five years.

Chen Duling looked at him and clearly saw the seriousness in his eyes and... the belated caution.

This has nothing to do with Jingyi, nothing to do with Zhou Ye, it only concerns the hasty beginning and the long period of silence between them.

"I just didn't realize at the time that he was flirting with me, um..."

Chen Duling confessed, her voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the moment.

"A bit frivolous."

She paused, looking at Jiang Qing's slightly furrowed brows, then changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of grievance that she herself was unaware of.

"But you never came to explain to me afterward, so I..."

She didn't say anything more, but they both understood what she meant.

The misunderstanding of his "frivolity," coupled with the disappointment of unfulfilled expectations, became a chasm that stood between the two for five years.

"I wanted to make an excuse to go over and explain to you."

Jiang Qing's voice deepened, tinged with helplessness.

"You were stopped by a few students from other schools, and then you turned and left. I chased after you..."

He gave a wry smile.

"I only saw the taillights, and I was a bit dazed. I remember it was very windy that night."

His description was so vivid that the sense of loss he felt at that moment seemed to have traveled through time and space to reach this very moment.

Chen Duling's heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, both sour and swollen.

When we discussed this topic last time, we weren't this specific.

It turns out he wasn't indifferent; he just... missed the opportunity.

She took a deep breath, the night breeze seemed to carry a chill into her lungs, making her mind exceptionally clear and giving her an outlet for the emotions she had suppressed for five years. Her voice trembled slightly, surprising even herself.

“Every time I send a gift, I think, you're so smart, you'll figure it out someday, right? Or... you just don't care about these things from unknown sources?”

She looked at him with a persistent inquiry in her eyes, as well as a reckless courage.

She is no longer the actress who is at ease in front of the camera, nor the calm and composed host on the debate stage, but just an ordinary girl who has been waiting for an answer for too long and has finally mustered up the courage to ask.

Jiang Qing did not answer immediately.

He silently watched the moist glint in her eyes, and the genuine mix of grievance and expectation that emerged after she shed all her rationality.

This was more vivid and more touching than any character he had ever seen.

It's not that I don't care.

He spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an unprecedented solemnity.

"I care too much, so much that I'm not sure. I've kept every gift and every seashell carefully. I'm wondering if the person who sent them was that girl who got angry and turned away on stage because I was so abrupt? If so, why would she send them? If not..."

He shook his head, his gaze fixed on her.

“I checked those addresses, all over the country, until later I had someone keep an eye on your filming schedule, and it basically matched up.”

The truth was laid bare under the night sky.

All those lingering feelings, those cautious attempts, and those efforts to draw closer to each other, buried by time and misunderstandings, are now laid bare.

"Chen Duling".

Jiang Qing called her by her full name, no longer in a teasing tone as "Host Chen" or "Teacher Chen," but with a serious tone.

He took a step forward, and the distance they had been deliberately maintaining instantly disappeared.

"I admit that I prioritized my career back then, which caused us to miss out on so much time. If only..."

He didn't finish his sentence because Chen Duling raised her head.

All reason vanished at that moment, collapsing with a deafening roar.

A huge, surging torrent of emotions overwhelmed all her defenses.

The grievances, heartache, the torment of the long wait, and the ecstasy of getting it back overwhelmed her in an instant.

Before he could finish saying "if," she almost instinctively stood on tiptoe.

It doesn't matter anymore, whether it's Zhou Ye or Li Yitong.

Her lips, slightly cool and carrying the scent of night dew, pressed precisely against his warm lips with a desperate courage.

Time seems to stand still at this moment.

Jiang Qing's body stiffened for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, before she deepened the kiss.

He uttered a muffled syllable, like a sigh of relief as if he had finally gotten what he had been waiting for.

The next second, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her into a tight embrace as if he wanted to meld her into his own body.

Although the conquest of cities and territories was in full swing, he was also carefully savoring her softness.

Chen Duling's mind went blank; all her thoughts were dispelled by the scalding touch and Jiang Qing's clean, familiar scent.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, responding awkwardly yet passionately, her fingertips unconsciously digging into the short hair at the back of his neck.

The evening breeze seemed to grow scorching, but it couldn't dispel the rapidly rising temperature between the two.

The sound of a heartbeat roared in my ears, indistinguishable from one another, violently pounding against the silent night sky.

After an unknown amount of time, when the long and deep kiss finally paused slightly, their foreheads touched and their noses rubbed together, their rapid breaths mingling and brushing against each other's cheeks.

Jiang Qing's lips didn't leave, only slightly parted, his hot breath spraying onto her slightly swollen lips, his voice low and hoarse, filled with a deep smile and satisfaction.

"This time... there are no taxi taillights."

His breath brushed against her sensitive lips and cheeks, sending a slight shiver down her spine.

Chen Duling buried her face in the crook of his neck, greedily inhaling the reassuring scent emanating from him; that cool, scholarly air had long been replaced by burning affection.

She nuzzled against his warm neck, her muffled voice coming from his embrace, carrying an unprecedented air of coquettishness.

"Jiang Qing... next time I'm angry and ignore you, just come to me. Don't make me wait there. As long as I see you, I'll forget everything else..."

Jiang Qing chuckled softly, the vibration of his chest clearly reaching her.

He tightened his arms around her waist, gently rested his chin on the top of her head, and spoke in a gentle and firm tone.

"This time, I will not let you go no matter what."

Every word felt like a promise, weighing heavily on her heart.

He added another sentence in his mind.

Even if you discover that I've changed.

(End of this chapter)