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

Chapter 243 Confirmation: Even More Difficult Than the Feast at Hongmen

In the bar.

Dozens of eyes in the room were focused, openly or secretly, on Jiang Qing and the two fair hands in front of him.

The plastic packaging of the wet wipes reflected a faint light under the changing lights of the bar, and the tissues were simple and unadorned, yet they all seemed to carry an invisible pressure.

For a moment, the air seemed so still it could be wrung out of.

Jiang Qing's heart was pounding in her chest, but the calm shell forged from the ups and downs of two lifetimes began to take effect at this moment.

The slight stiffness on his face disappeared, replaced by a perfectly measured, composed smile.

To outsiders, there was no pause at all; only a moment had passed.

Without hesitation, Jiang Qing naturally reached her right hand to her left to take the pack of wet wipes with a bear pattern that Zhou Ye handed her. At the same time, she raised her left hand, but instead of taking Zhang Jingyi's tissues, she gently pressed it against her black coat stained with wine, her fingertips precisely pinching a small piece of the soaked fabric.

"Thank you, Ono."

He spoke to Zhou Ye first, his voice steady, with a gentle smile that seemed to indicate he was receiving a tender gesture from his girlfriend.

Then, he held the damp cloth in his hand and turned his gaze to Zhang Jingyi, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he were evaluating the results of an experiment, his tone purely debatable.

“Jingyi, look at this wine stain. It’s dark and penetrates quickly. The paper towel has limited absorbency. You might need to use a wet wipe to dissolve the surface pigment first and then quickly absorb it. That would be more effective.”

As he spoke, he casually pointed with the finger of his other hand at the tissue box that Zhang Jingyi was still holding.

"But we'll need it later."

His actions were fluid and seamless.

He first accepted Zhou Ye's wet wipes, fulfilling the unspoken social rule of "girlfriend first," while also pointing out the necessity of the tissues and acknowledging Zhang Jingyi's kindness in offering them the tissues.

Most importantly, he cleverly shifted the focus instantly from the emotional choice of "whose paper to take" to the technical issue of "how to efficiently deal with stains".

The way he gripped the fabric, frowning as he assessed the situation, was exactly like a researcher handling an accidental spill of reagents in a laboratory—professional and natural.

Zhang Jingyi's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered and nodded in agreement with his words.

"Ah, right, Jiang Qing, you're right! You've thought of everything more thoroughly."

She casually placed the tissues on the table, her movements fluid, as if her actions were simply out of genuine concern for a friend.

Zhou Ye pursed his lips. He couldn't find any obvious fault in how Jiang Qing was handled, but the anger in his heart hadn't dissipated.

She watched as he actually started wiping the stains off his coat with a wet wipe, his movements focused, as if the brief standoff had never happened.

She silently withdrew her hands, crossed her arms, and stood to the side, her delicate chin slightly raised, her eyes not warm.

He was already certain in his heart that he had a special place in Zhang Jingyi's heart.

If it were someone else, he would have sided with him without hesitation, and would never have hesitated like he is now.

Thinking of this, the coldness in his eyes intensified.

Just then, a small commotion arose at the entrance of the bar.

Zhang Wen walked in, followed by several staff members pushing food carts.

"Thank you for your hard work, teachers!"

Zhang Wen's voice was clear and bright, accompanied by a professional and enthusiastic smile.

"We've prepared some afternoon tea for everyone, including coffee, juice, and Zhan Ji's signature desserts. Please help yourselves!"

Three food carts were pushed to the center of the set, and the dazzling array of exquisite snacks and fragrant coffee instantly attracted everyone's attention.

The tense atmosphere that had just been frozen was suddenly shattered by this unexpected sugar-coated bullet.

"Wow! Thank you, Professor Zhou Ye!"

"Great! I'm starving!"

"Professor Zhou Ye, you've gone to so much trouble!"

Wow, we can eat at Zhanji again!

"It seems that Teacher Chen Duling brought these with her last time she came..."

The crew members and actors gathered around, expressing their gratitude one after another.

The frost on Zhou Ye's face finally melted a little, and she put on an impeccable sweet smile and took the initiative to walk towards the dining car.

"Please don't be shy, everyone. Filming must have been hard work."

Her voice was clear and crisp, and her movements were swift and efficient as she helped distribute coffee and desserts, as if the cold-faced girl from just moments ago was not her at all.

"Jiang Qing always says that the atmosphere in your crew is really great, so I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for taking care of him on set."

As she spoke, her eyes glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Jiang Qing, who was walking over with Zhao Zhiwei.

"Professor Zhou Ye, you're too kind!"

Zhao Zhiwei accepted the coffee with a grin.

"Dr. Jiang doesn't need us to take care of him. He's the one taking care of us! Our filming location is at USTC, his home turf, right, Brother Qing?"

He nudged Jiang Qing with his elbow.

Jiang Qing watched Zhou Ye move effortlessly and smile brightly among the crowd, but her heart tightened even more.

He knew Zhou Ye too well; beneath this outward nonchalance lay a turbulent undercurrent.

He smiled slightly and softly agreed.

"Ono is right, everyone takes good care of me."

Zhou Ye glanced at him, then his gaze swept past him and landed on Zhang Jingyi, who was picking out desserts with Qian Didi not far away.

Zhang Jingyi picked up a matcha mille-feuille cake, and as if sensing her gaze, she looked up and gave her the same bright smile, even raising the cake in her hand as a gesture.

Zhou Ye returned the smile, but his eyes were like ice.

Filming resumed ten minutes later.

The rest of the afternoon's filming time felt like an eternity to Jiang Qing.

He tried to concentrate on his role, but he could always keenly sense the presence of two pairs of eyes.

Zhou Ye, who was sitting quietly by the monitor playing on his phone, occasionally glanced up at the film set.

His gaze was calm, yet it carried a scrutinizing and chilling quality.

Another source of inspiration comes from Zhang Jingyi, who acts opposite her in the play. Her eyes switch between on-screen and off-screen expressions with increasing ease. In the play, she portrays Zhu Yun's affection for Li Xun, while off-screen, her gaze always carries a touch of playfulness and subtle intimacy.

Whenever he and Jingyi have scenes with physical contact, or when they need to make eye contact for a long time, he feels a chill down his back.

He could almost hear Ono's silent, cold snort.

Zhang Jingyi, however, seemed completely unaffected, and even became more "engaged" in some impromptu little actions.

Zhou Ye watched coldly, his heart sinking lower and lower.

She could lie to herself and say that those interactions were necessary for the plot, but the way Zhang Jingyi looked at Jiang Qing, the light that danced in her eyes and the undisguised affection, definitely went beyond the scope of colleagues or ordinary friends!

As for Jiang Qing... although he tried his best to hide it, the stiffness he showed the moment Zhang Jingyi approached, and the occasional helpless yet indulgent expression, were definitely not how he should act when facing an ordinary partner.

This realization filled Zhou Ye with a strong sense of panic and bitterness, and she could only try to comfort herself over and over again.

It's okay, it's just filming, it's normal to get into character.

There are countless couples in the entertainment industry who fall in love while working on a project, but how many of them actually stay together in the end?

After filming wrapped, the two were separated for a while, and their feelings naturally faded away.

Jiang Qing isn't that kind of person, right...?

Time flowed by with difficulty amid Jiang Qing's anxiety and Zhou Ye's self-consolation.

At six o'clock in the evening, as the last rays of the setting sun faded, director Liu Junjie finally uttered the two most beautiful words for Jiang Qing that day.

"knock off!"

A cheer erupted on set, followed by the commotion of packing up.

"thanks everyone!"

Liu Junjie held the megaphone, beaming with smiles.

"The progress has been good lately, and Zhou Ye just happened to visit the set today and brought such a sumptuous afternoon tea, we must celebrate! The crew is treating tonight to Huiyun Renjia, the place we had our last get-together, let's have a feast!"

"Long live the director!"

"Director Liu is so generous! Thank you, Professor Zhou Ye!"

"The charm of Hui-style houses! My mouth is watering!"

……

The crowd cheered again, their fatigue instantly vanishing, and they quickened their pace in packing. Zhou Ye had already stood up, his face once again displaying a polite smile.

Jiang Qing changed his clothes and walked over wearing his own coat. Just as he was about to say something, Zhou Ye took his arm first.

Their actions were intimate, and their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the people around them to hear.

"Are you tired? Eat something nourishing tonight, after all... the night is still long~"

Jiang Qing's arm, which was being held by her, tensed instantly, and alarm bells rang in her mind.

He looked down at Zhou Ye. She had a smile on her face, her eyes were curved, but the smile didn't reach her eyes at all.

"It's alright, everything's fine."

He tried his best to make his voice sound normal.

Zhang Jingyi had also changed her clothes, wearing a simple sweatshirt and jeans, and walked over with a small bag on her back, just in time to hear Zhou Ye's words.

She pursed her lips, then broke into a bright smile.

"Yes, Jiang Qing, you had several emotional scenes today, so you must have been exhausted. The stinky mandarin fish and hairy tofu at Huiyun Restaurant are absolutely amazing. You ate a lot when we had our last get-together, so I'll give you double portions this time!"

She looked at Jiang Qing with bright eyes as she spoke, her tone very familiar.

Zhou Ye tightened his grip on Jiang Qing's arm almost imperceptibly, but his smile remained unchanged.

"Really? Then Jingyi, you'll have to give us a good recommendation later. You're a loyal customer, so you must know your stuff best."

She emphasized the words "regular customer" a little more, implying that "you're just taking advantage of your location."

Zhang Jingyi seemed oblivious to the implied meaning, her smile remaining sweet.

"No problem, senior! I guarantee you'll taste the most authentic Huizhou flavor!"

Her gaze shifted to Jiang Qing.

"Jiang Qing, can your car still accommodate people? I'll come with you."

Zhao Zhiwei and Zeng Keni were walking over when they heard this and immediately interrupted.

“Sit in my car! Jingyi, come with me. We can go over the lines for tomorrow’s scene on the way.”

His eyes darted quickly between Jiang Qing and Zhou Ye before he offered his help at the opportune moment.

Jiang Qing breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a silent glance with Zhao Zhiwei.

Reliable!

Zhou Ye suddenly pinched his arm and looked at Zhang Jingyi with a smile.

“Oh, that’s perfect. Jingyi can go with Teacher Zhao. Our car is full. Chen Duo can drive, and Jiang Qing, Sister Wen, and I will fit just right.”

She turned to look at Jiang Qing, her eyes questioning, but her tone was an unquestionable statement.

"Right, Jiang Qing?"

Jiang Qing nodded decisively.

"Well, that's right."

A fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in Zhang Jingyi's eyes, but it was quickly masked by a smile.

"Oh, it's okay, it's okay. I'll ride in Teacher Zhao's car."

She made a face at Zhao Zhiwei.

"Teacher Zhao, you mustn't complain about how noisy I am on the way!"

"Haha, I couldn't be happier!"

Zhao Zhiwei laughed loudly.

Immediately afterwards, the group walked out of the bar, chatting and laughing.

The evening breeze, carrying the chill of late autumn, dispelled the mixed atmosphere on the film set.

Several cars were already waiting by the roadside.

Zhou Ye pulled Jiang Qing straight to his black SUV. Zhang Wen, being very perceptive, jogged forward, opened the passenger door, and got in himself.

Zhou Ye opened the back door and got in first, then looked at Jiang Qing standing outside the car.

Jiang Qing reluctantly got into the back seat and closed the car door.

The noise outside was instantly shut out, and the small space inside the car was immediately enveloped by a low-pressure atmosphere.

"Brother Duo, it's been a long time. Let's go to Huiyun Renjia."

Zhou Ye greeted Chen Duo in the driver's seat with a sweet smile and a familiar tone.

"Okay, Ms. Zhou."

Chen Duo sensed something was wrong, chuckled in response, and immediately started driving.

Soon, the car smoothly merged into the traffic.

Zhou Ye turned his head to look at the streetlights and neon lights rushing past outside the window, leaving Jiang Qing with a beautifully sculpted yet cold and hard profile.

She was no longer as cheerful and talkative as she was in front of everyone on set; it was as if she had instantly taken off her mask.

Jiang Qing looked at her silent profile, her heart filled with unease.

He cleared his throat, trying to break the silence.

"Ono, today..."

"I'm a little tired and want some peace and quiet."

Zhou Ye didn't even turn his head, his voice indifferent as he directly interrupted him.

There was no obvious anger in her tone, but rather a distant and unapproachable air about her.

She had never treated Jiang Qing like this before.

Jiang Qing's remaining words were stuck in her throat.

This was the first time he had seen Ono like this.

It turns out that when she's truly angry, it's not through loud arguments, but through this cold silence.

He opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed his words and looked out the window.

This is not the time to talk.

Inside the car, only the low rumble of the engine and the soft yet jarring background music from the radio remained.

Zhang Wen sat in the passenger seat, trying to minimize his presence, even breathing softly.

Speechless all the way.

The vehicle traveled through the streets of Luyang at dusk, eventually stopping at the entrance of an alleyway with a distinctive Hui-style charm.

A rustic wooden sign hangs at the entrance of the alley, which reads "Huizhou Charm Family".

As soon as the car came to a stop, Zhou Ye immediately pushed open the car door and got out.

The evening breeze lifted the hem of her bright yellow trench coat. She took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of food, and instantly, as if by magic, her sweet, warm, and flawless smile returned to her face.

She turned around, put her hands behind her back, and waited for Jiang Qing to get out of the car.

As soon as Jiang Qing closed the car door and stood still, Zhou Ye very naturally stepped forward and reached out his hand. He didn't take Jiang Qing's arm, but rather very affectionately straightened the collar of Jiang Qing's coat. His movements were gentle and his eyes were focused, as if he were handling a precious treasure.

Her fingertips brushed against the skin on the side of his neck, carrying a slight coolness.

"The collar is a little crooked."

Her voice was gentle and tinged with laughter, as if she were talking about something very ordinary.

Then, she tiptoed closer to his ear and whispered a few words in a volume that only the two of them could hear.

Her voice was as sweet as honey, but the content made Jiang Qing's heart skip a beat.

"Dr. Jiang, you'd better behave yourself at this meal!"

After speaking, she took a step back, her face beaming with a sweet and charming smile, as if the warning whisper from just moments ago had never happened.

Jiang Qing looked at her beautiful eyes, which seemed particularly cool and aloof in the night, and then noticed Zhang Jingyi, Zhao Zhiwei, and the others watching them from afar.

Clearly, the girl's actions were meant for them.

He felt a tingling sensation on his scalp and his temples throbbing.

At the same time, I am acutely aware that tonight's dinner party will probably be even more difficult to get through than the one I had on set this afternoon.

This meal might be even harder to swallow than the Feast at Hongmen!

(End of this chapter)