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

Chapter 240 A proud and arrogant girl, free and romantic

At 12:37 PM, Luyang Xinqiao International Airport.

Chen Duo drove into the traffic on the airport expressway. Outside the window, the autumn sky over Luyang was high and the clouds were light, and the sycamore leaves were already tinged with gold.

Jiang Qing leaned against the car window, closed her eyes to rest, and went through the reactions from all sides after last night's Bazaar Charity Night in her mind.

Ono's meme bombardment, Jingyi's death smile, Xiaotian's "I'm so angry!" voice line in a thick Sichuan-Chongqing accent, Meng Jie's barrage of gossipy questions, and Wang Churan's unedited red carpet photo posted in the super topic... Only Dudu remained quiet.

Thirteen has already helped resolve Jing Tian's request, but he doesn't plan to tell her now.

Hmm... let's not be so shocking.

The drive was smooth, and we arrived at the main gate of the West Campus of the University of Science and Technology of China in less than forty minutes.

Jiang Qing pushed open the car door and got out. The warm midday sun of late autumn shone on him. He took a deep breath and strode towards the film set.

"Teacher Jiang is back!"

Hello, Teacher Jiang!

"Oh, Mr. Jiang, you came straight here without even resting after coming back today?"

……

As soon as we crossed the cordon, a chorus of enthusiastic greetings erupted.

Lighting assistant Xiao Liu, carrying a reflector, grinned. Production assistant Lao Li, who was squatting down organizing a bundle of wires, looked up and called out, "Teacher Zhang is filming a dormitory scene in Area A."

"Thanks, Brother Li."

Jiang Qing smiled and nodded, her steps unwavering as she walked familiarly through the corridor filled with equipment and props toward Area A.

The corridor was filled with the faint smell of instant noodles and coffee, the most ordinary and authentic atmosphere of the film crew.

Before I even reached the door of dormitory 403, I could hear director Liu Junjie's somewhat distorted voice coming from inside through a loudspeaker.

"Okay, Jingyi, get ready, let's do one more take! Tone it down a bit, Zhu Yun is in a bad mood right now, come on, 3, 2, 1... Action!"

The filming area had been cleared, and the corridor outside was crowded with staff and Zhao Zhiwei and a few others who hadn't filmed yet, all holding their breath and watching inside.

Jiang Qing approached silently, standing on the periphery of the crowd, her gaze passing over the shoulders of those in front of her, and landing on the figure in the center of the room, the focus of the lights and cameras.

His gaze froze at the sight of her.

In front of the camera, Zhang Jingyi sat with her back to the door at a slightly worn dormitory desk.

She was wearing a loose-fitting light-colored shirt, which looked very casual and comfortable.

What catches the eye most is the light blue towel wrapped around her head, completely covering her wet, long black hair, with only two unruly strands peeking out on either side.

Her face was clean and free of any makeup.

Without makeup, the advantages of her facial bone structure were magnified to the extreme.

A full, smooth forehead, a high and straight nose, and a defined jawline, all appear meticulously sculpted under bright lights.

Her skin was healthy and fair, with a natural pinkish glow from just washing her hair, like newly blossoming peach petals.

Especially her eyes, which were now intently focused on the laptop screen on the table. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly with the rhythm of her reciting her lines, and the light from the screen reflected in her clear pupils was astonishingly bright.

"Why is Li Xun always so arrogant..."

She stared at the screen, as if talking to herself, or as if she were competing with an invisible opponent. Her voice was slightly hoarse, yet it conveyed a stubborn spirit.

He spoke quickly, with a hint of impatience and a sense of defiance, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

Because of his focus, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his lips appeared particularly red from being pursed tightly.

Without any glamorous attire or deliberate acting, Zhang Jingyi at this moment is the very embodiment of Zhu Yun, the intelligent, proud, and somewhat naive and impulsive college freshman from the script.

Vibrant and lively, it possesses a pure beauty that is unadorned yet deeply moving.

Jiang Qing's gaze was fixed on her, and he couldn't look away for a moment.

He had seen her radiant appearance after dressing up, and he had also seen her lively and quirky side in private, but at this moment, with her face bare, she possessed a stunning beauty that struck straight to his heart.

Her face was clean and simple, and just as described in the original work, "a princess must first have a pair of aloof eyes," a pair of eyes that seemed to hold stars.

He could clearly feel his heart beating two beats faster in his chest, neither too fast nor too slow.

"Cut! That was great! The emotion was spot on!"

Liu Junjie's voice broke the silence, accompanied by a satisfied smile.

"Jingyi, take a break and touch up your makeup. Let's get ready for the next take."

The lights dimmed, and the camera moved away.

Zhang Jingyi's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, and she let out a long sigh of relief. Then she raised her hand to rub her neck, which was a little sore from focusing for so long.

As she turned her head, her gaze inadvertently swept across the doorway, only to meet Jiang Qing's gaze, which she hadn't yet averted.

A look of surprise instantly flashed in those clear eyes, like ripples spreading across a lake after a pebble has been thrown in, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously began to turn up.

However, the next second, a high-resolution photo of Jiang Qing standing side by side with Zhang Ruonan on the Bazaar red carpet last night, with him reaching out and smiling at Zhang Ruonan, suddenly flashed into her mind.

That nascent joy deflated like a punctured balloon, quickly replaced by a sour feeling.

The smile that had been curving her lips into a smile froze abruptly, then quickly straightened out, even drooping slightly downwards.

Bright eyes quickly shifted away from Jiang Qing's face, deliberately glancing at the stagehand who was tidying up the reflectors beside him, as if the person at the door didn't exist at all.

"Jingyi, touch up your makeup!"

The makeup artist jogged over with a powder puff in her hand.

"okay."

Zhang Jingyi responded and immediately stood up, following Jiang Qing to the makeup chair without looking at her, leaving Jiang Qing with a haughty back view that seemed to say, "I'm a little unhappy, but I'm not going to tell you why."

Jiang Qing took in Zhang Jingyi's rapidly changing expressions and subtle movements, understanding everything perfectly.

A knowing smile flashed across his eyes, but his face remained expressionless.

"Hey! Teacher Jiang is back!"

Zhao Zhiwei, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot him. His loud voice immediately rang out as he walked over and patted him on the shoulder familiarly.

"Is Shenzhen fun? The trending topics were buzzing last night!"

Zeng Keni, Qian Didi, and others also gathered around, chattering amongst themselves.

"President Jiang, you looked absolutely stunning on the red carpet!"

"That watch really sold for 99? That's outrageous!"

"Is Zhang Ruonan beautiful in person?"

Jiang Qing responded with a smile.

"It's alright, it's just a charity event."

He skillfully avoided asking specific questions about Zhang Ruonan, but his gaze kept drifting towards the figure sitting upright in front of the makeup mirror, pretending to be seriously touching up her makeup.

The makeup artist was gently pressing down on the non-existent shine on Zhang Jingyi's face with a powder puff, while Zhang Jingyi seemed to be staring intently at the mirror, but the corner of her eye was as if drawn by a magnet, firmly attached to the tall figure reflected in the mirror.

After dealing with the enthusiastic Zhao Zhiwei and his group, Jiang Qing glanced at the girl in front of the makeup mirror, subtly curled her lips, and slowly strolled to the makeup chair.

He casually put his hands in his sweatpants pockets, leaned slightly forward, and looked at Zhang Jingyi's face in the mirror, a face that was flawless even without makeup.

"Teacher Zhang."

His voice carried a hint of languor, as if he had just gotten off a plane.

"This design... is quite unique."

When Zhang Jingyi met his gaze in the mirror, the awkwardness in her heart hadn't subsided, so she deliberately kept a straight face and spoke in a stiff tone.

"The script required that, after washing her hair, Teacher Jiang should ask what was so special about it?"

She deliberately emphasized the word "unique".

Jiang Qing seemed oblivious to the barb in her words. Her gaze lingered on the towel-wrapped head of the woman before returning to her clean-cut face, her tone sincere.

"I mean, you look like a lotus emerging from clear water. You look even better without makeup than when you're wearing it. It really suits you."

In the mirror, Zhang Jingyi's tightly clenched lips curled up almost imperceptibly for a fraction of a second before she forcibly suppressed it again.

The little bubble of jealousy in her heart burst with a "poof" from that straightforward praise.

But she still didn't turn to look at him; she just snorted at his reflection in the mirror.

"Did Teacher Jiang go to Bazaar and put on a honeyed tongue? Did she learn this trick for charming female celebrities?"

The jealousy in those words could be smelled from a mile away.

Jiang Qing chuckled softly.

Instead of backing away, he moved a little closer, his breath brushing against the damp strands of hair by her ear.

"I have no experience in coaxing others, but I'm a natural at coaxing this sulking Zhu Yun."

He paused, looking at the girl's slightly reddened ear tips in the mirror, and lowered his voice, which carried a hint of coaxing.

"Yesterday I just happened to be there and offered to help out. In that situation, the girl was being put in a difficult position, so it wouldn't be right to just stand by and do nothing, right?"

These words struck a chord with Zhang Jingyi.

As someone in the industry, she naturally understood the organizer's tactics, and deep down, she actually approved of Jiang Qing's actions.

Putting herself in Zhang Ruonan's shoes, she could imagine Zhang Ruonan's predicament at the time.

Thinking of this, she finally couldn't help but turn her head, tilt her head up and glare at him. There was still some reproach in her beautiful big eyes, but very little remained.

"Our General Manager Jiang is kind-hearted and always willing to help others. Everyone is praising you for being a hero who saved the damsel in distress."

The tone was still a bit sarcastic.

"Does it matter what people say online?" Jiang Qing saw that she was finally looking at him properly, and the smile in his eyes deepened, but his tone became serious.

"The important thing is that I'm here right now, standing in front of you, and..."

He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over the towel on her head and her plain face.

"Moreover, Zhu Yun, who just washed her hair, is more beautiful than anyone else on the red carpet."

That straight shot was both accurate and powerful.

Zhang Jingyi's forced coldness completely crumbled, and the corners of her mouth uncontrollably turned up high, as if they were filled with honey.

She raised her hand as if to hit him.

"Jiang Qing! You're just good at saying nice things!"

Her voice, however, had lost all trace of jealousy, leaving only a coquettish tone.

"be honest."

Jiang Qing smiled and straightened up, casually picked up an unopened bottle of mineral water from the small table next to her where props were placed, unscrewed the cap, and naturally handed it to her.

"Want some water? Doesn't your throat get dry after reciting so many lines?"

As Zhang Jingyi looked at the water he handed her, the last bit of resentment in her heart vanished.

She took the water and gulped down a big mouthful. The cool water slid down her throat and extinguished the last trace of her anxious mood.

She wrinkled her nose at him and muttered something under her breath.

"Always good at coaxing people."

Just as Jiang Qing was about to answer, the assistant director shouted through a megaphone.

"Teacher Zhang and Teacher Jiang, get ready, the next scene is your duet in the computer lab corridor!"

"coming!"

Zhang Jingyi responded, put the water bottle back into Jiang Qing's hand, and stood up.

The towel on her head had come loose a little during the movement, and a strand of wet hair slipped down and clung to her cheek.

She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the movement natural and fluid, revealing her small, delicate ear and beautiful profile.

Jiang Qing's gaze followed her movements, landing on the delicate skin of her neck, and his eyes darkened.

"Let's go, Teacher Zhang."

Filming moved to a quiet corridor in the teaching building, which was set up as the exterior of the computer science lab in the drama.

The lighting technician cast a beam of cool light at the end of the corridor, creating a sense of tranquility for the evening.

The clapperboard slammed down.

"Action!"

Zhang Jingyi, carrying a thick stack of documents, hurried out from the corner of the corridor, her face showing the exhaustion of staying up all night and a hint of stubborn defiance.

Just as they turned the corner, they nearly bumped into Jiang Qing, who was leaning against the wall and seemed to have been waiting for a while.

He changed into a simple black hooded sweatshirt and jeans, looking casual, and twirling a silver lighter in his hand.

Upon seeing her, he stopped what he was doing, lifted his eyelids, and his deep eyes held a habitual scrutiny.

"Oh, Miss Zhu."

He spoke, his voice carrying a lazy, teasing tone.

"The code is finished? The efficiency... is pretty high."

He dragged out the word "tall," making it sound incredibly sarcastic.

Zhang Jingyi stopped in her tracks, tightened her grip on the documents, and met his gaze defiantly, raising her chin slightly.

"Thanks to you, my thinking has become much clearer! The narrow-mindedness of some people has provided me with a negative example."

Jiang Qing chuckled softly, straightened up, and took a step closer to her.

He was tall, and his approach brought a heavy sense of oppression, but Zhang Jingyi held her neck straight and did not back down an inch. Her eyes burned with an indomitable flame that was astonishingly bright.

"A negative example?"

He leaned slightly closer to her, close enough to see her nose twitching slightly with anger and her long, thick eyelashes.

"So, should I charge some tuition for being a negative example?"

His voice was low and slightly husky, with a magnetic quality, as he looked at her cheeks, which were slightly flushed with excitement.

Behind the monitor, Liu Junjie stared intently at the screen and whispered to the executive director beside him, "I'm amazed."

"Great! That gaze! That aura! Absolutely amazing! Jingyi's competitive spirit, Jiang Qing's arrogant yet...tsk, disdainful look, it's just perfect!"

In the corridor, Zhang Jingyi's heart skipped a beat at his sudden approach and ambiguous words, and the forced composure on her face almost crumbled.

She subconsciously took half a step back, but her voice remained firm.

"Li Xun! Stay away from me! You want to collect tuition? Fine, then show me your skills! Don't just talk the talk!"

"Really capable?"

Jiang Qing raised an eyebrow, as if she had heard something interesting.

Instead of backing away, he took another half step closer, almost trapping her between himself and the wall.

He reached out, but instead of touching her, he gently pulled the notebook filled with calculations from the top of her arms.

He casually flipped through a couple of pages, his fingers tracing her delicate handwriting, his gaze sweeping over the complex formulas, a knowing yet slightly provocative smile playing on his lips.

"Page 7, line 3, the variable substitution is wrong. You think you can talk to me about real skills with that?"

Zhang Jingyi's eyes widened suddenly. She snatched the notebook back, quickly flipped to page seven, and upon closer inspection, her face instantly turned bright red.

"you…!"

She was so angry she couldn't utter a rebuttal for a long time. All she could do was glare at him fiercely. Her beautiful eyes, filled with anger and embarrassment, appeared even more moist and bright, like two clear springs.

Jiang Qing looked at her flustered appearance, and the smile in his eyes deepened, even carrying a hint of indulgence that he himself did not realize.

He stopped teasing her, straightened up and resumed his lazy demeanor, his fingers deftly toying with the lighter.

"Alright, Zhu Zhu, rewrite the code. Remember this time..."

He paused, then gave her a meaningful look.

Use your brain more and sulk less.

After saying that, he stopped looking at her, turned around, and strode slowly toward the server room at the other end of the corridor, leaving behind only a tall and slightly smug back view.

Zhang Jingyi stood there holding her laptop, watching his figure disappear into the computer room door. She looked down at the error pointed out on the laptop, stomped her foot in frustration, and cursed at the air through gritted teeth.

"Li Xun! You bastard!"

"Cut!"

Liu Junjie's excited voice rang out.

"The emotions were perfectly conveyed! The sparks! The tension! Absolutely perfect!"

The lights came on, and the shooting atmosphere was lifted.

Zhang Jingyi was still immersed in the emotions of anger and embarrassment she had just experienced, her cheeks puffed out.

Jiang Qing had already turned back and walked up to her. There was no trace of Li Xun's arrogant demeanor on her face anymore; only a gentle smile remained.

"That 'bastard' insult you just hurled was pretty heartfelt, wasn't it?"

He joked with a smile.

Zhang Jingyi glared at him, but there was no anger left in her eyes, only the embarrassment of being seen through.

She snorted and slapped the notebook in her hand against his chest.

"It's all your fault! What am I supposed to do now that I've messed up the game?"

Jiang Qing caught the notebook steadily and gently tidied a strand of hair that had slipped down in her excitement.

"Don't worry, Teacher Zhang is in such good shape, there won't be any mistakes."

His gaze fell on her face, which was still plain yet incredibly vibrant, and his tone was gentle yet resolute.

"And you look good even when you're angry."

Sunlight streamed in obliquely through the window at the end of the corridor, casting a warm golden glow on the two of them.

The noise from the film set seemed to be shut out, with only a few specks of dust dancing in the beams of light.

Zhang Jingyi looked at his face so close to hers, staring intently into his smiling eyes, and could clearly hear her heart pounding uncontrollably in her chest, its beat heavy and rapid.

"Should I compliment you to be more polite?"

She suddenly tilted her head and smiled, her eyes crinkling as she looked at him.

"of course."

Jiang Qing nodded seriously.

"bring it on."

"Pshaw, you wish!"

Zhang Jingyi revealed a sly smile, tossed her hair, and turned to walk away.

Jiang Qing was taken aback at first, then smiled as the girl waved without turning her head.

This was the free-spirited and romantic girl he knew.

(End of this chapter)