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

Chapter 358 Cunzi's defenses crumbled; unrealistic fantasies.

After dinner, the table was littered with dishes and cups, and the aroma of food still lingered in the air, but what was even stronger was the invisible tension.

Chen Duling was the first to stand up, her movements natural, as if this was a daily routine for her.

She began to deftly stack the empty bowls, making a crisp clinking sound.

"Let me tidy up first, please have a seat."

Her voice was gentle, and her movements were practiced.

Liu Haocun almost instinctively stood up as well, reaching out to grab the empty plate in front of Jiang Qing, forcing a smile on his face.

"Let me help you, Sister Duling. It'll be faster if the two of you work together."

Chen Duling's hand moved faster, deftly brushing past Liu Haocun's outstretched fingertips and steadily placing the plate on top of the bowl in her hand.

She looked up at Liu Haocun, her lips curving into a very slight smile, her voice still soft.

"No need to trouble Haocun. I clean up every day. I'm used to it. It'll be fine soon."

These words, though seemingly casual, acted like an invisible wall, instantly shutting Liu Haocun out of the realm of "housework," a symbol of everyday intimate relationships.

Liu Haocun's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his fingertips twitched slightly, and his smile faltered as he reluctantly withdrew it.

"Oh... well, thank you for your hard work, Sister Duling."

Her voice lowered, carrying a hint of resentment at being excluded.

Jiang Qing remained seated, her gaze quickly sweeping between the two, before wisely choosing to remain silent.

He picked up his phone from the table, unlocked it, then locked it again, his fingertips swiping aimlessly across the screen as if he were studying some important subject.

Chen Duling carried the bowls and plates and walked lightly towards the kitchen.

The sound of running water soon began, accompanied by the soft clattering of bowls and plates.

Only Jiang Qing and Liu Haocun remained in the living room.

Liu Haocun watched Chen Duling's busy figure in the kitchen, the light above the sink outlining her slender silhouette.

She turned her head sharply, her gaze fixed intently on Jiang Qing's face.

He walked around the dining table in a few steps, went to the chair where Jiang Qing was sitting, leaned down without warning, and hooked his arm around Jiang Qing's neck!

This gesture reveals a girl's unique spoiled nature, and also carries a hint of half-truth and half-false grievance.

She leaned very close, her clear, boyish voice lowered, tinged with a breathy accusation.

"Jiang Qing!"

She shook his neck, her nose almost touching his cheek.

"It's been so long since we last met, and you're giving me such a big surprise as soon as we meet? Hmm?"

She stared into his eyes, trying to find a trace of panic or guilt within them.

"You pretended to be so devoted to Zhou Ye in front of me, but what happened? You turned around and messed with me, then there was Tian Xiwei, and now Chen Duling! Dr. Jiang, you really are... a walking flower garden!"

Jiang Qing leaned back slightly, her neck hooked around his, her eyes calm.

He raised his hand and gently patted her arm that was wrapped around his neck, signaling her to loosen her grip.

"Xiao Cun".

He neither defended himself nor dodged the question.

"You should have known all along that the moment I had sex with you, I was no longer the same person I used to be."

Women's eyesight.

"I admit, there are many people in my heart."

Liu Haocun was taken aback by his frankness, but his anger only intensified.

She released her grip on his neck, but didn't back away. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, looking down slightly at him as he sat in the chair.

"Fine! Good that you admit it! What about today? Jiang Qing, I came all this way specifically to see you, not to see you and Chen Duling being all lovey-dovey! What are you planning to do? Make me leave right now?"

She narrowed her eyes, deliberately testing the waters.

"Or... do you want to have two women on each side and enjoy the bliss of having multiple wives?"

She emphasized the four characters "齐人之福" (a blessing from having many wives).

In an instant, Jiang Qing's mind was flooded with uncontrollable images of the chaotic and absurd moments he had shared with Mengmeng and Tongtong in this same house before...

The fragments of memory brought about by that sensory shock flashed by suddenly, causing his eyes to glaze over for a moment.

Liu Haocun had been watching him closely and immediately noticed his momentary lapse in concentration.

An extremely absurd expression immediately appeared on her face, her eyes widened, and her voice rose an octave.

"Hey! Jiang Qing! What are you spacing out for?!"

She bent down in disbelief, her face almost touching his.

"What...what was that expression you were making just now? You wouldn't...you wouldn't actually have such a terrible thought about having two wives, would you?!"

Jiang Qing was pulled back to reality by her suddenly close face. She snapped back to her senses, immediately straightened her expression, and shook her head seriously.

"What nonsense are you talking about? How could that be?"

He tried to make his tone sound decisive.

But who is Liu Haocun?

As an actress with extensive experience in front of the camera, reading between the lines has almost become an instinct.

Jiang Qing's momentary lapse in concentration, coupled with her current deliberate attempt at seriousness, seemed to her like nothing more than a cover-up!

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking him up and down as if trying to find some clue on his face.

"Really?"

She drew out her words, her face clearly saying, "I'm very skeptical."

Just then, the sound of running water in the kitchen stopped.

Chen Duling wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen.

She immediately spotted Liu Haocun, who was practically face-to-face with Jiang Qing, and the unnatural look on Jiang Qing's face that hadn't completely faded, clearly a result of being caught red-handed.

Chen Duling didn't stop walking. She went to the dining table, picked up her water glass, and took a small sip.

His gaze swept between Liu Haocun and Jiang Qing, his eyes revealing his understanding.

She put down her water glass and looked at Jiang Qing.

"Jiang Qing, you've been with me all day. Did you miss a lot of work? I saw you had an email this afternoon. Should we go to the study to deal with it? Don't let it interfere with important matters."

His voice remained gentle, without any apparent emotion.

Her words were considerate and thoughtful, as if she were thinking of him.

Jiang Qing immediately agreed and stood up.

"Okay, there are some things I haven't finished taking care of. I'll go take a look, you guys talk."

He turned and walked towards the study without the slightest hesitation.

Liu Haocun watched Jiang Qing's fleeing figure, then looked at the composed Chen Duling, and his brows furrowed tightly in anger.

This is clearly a way to get rid of him!
"Sister Duling..."

Liu Haocun spoke, his tone tinged with resentment.

Chen Duling seemed not to hear the dissatisfaction in her tone, walked straight to the sofa and sat down, patting the seat next to her with a calm demeanor.

"Haocun, come and sit down. Jiang Qing is busy with his own things, let's chat."

Liu Haocun took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration in his heart, and walked to the single sofa to sit down, not sitting next to Chen Duling.

She crossed her arms, slightly raised her chin, adopting a defiant and defiant stance.

The two of them were left alone in the living room, and the atmosphere instantly became tense, as if an invisible string was taut in the air.

"What does Sister Duling want to talk to me about?"

Liu Haocun spoke first, his voice still that clear, boyish tone, but the sweetness was gone, replaced by a stiff one.

"Shall we talk about Jiang Qing? Or... about us?"

Chen Duling leaned back on the sofa, relaxed, with her legs elegantly crossed.

She looked at Liu Haocun with her usual gentle, yet somewhat distant, smile.

"We can talk about anything."

Her voice was neither hurried nor slow.

"For example, let's talk about why you suddenly came here? I haven't heard Jiang Qing mention it before."

I wanted to surprise him.

Liu Haocun shrugged and swung his legs.

"Who knew the surprise would turn into a shock?"

She glanced meaningfully in the direction of the study.

"He seems to listen to you a lot."

"We've known each other for a long time and we know each other's habits."

Chen Duling deftly deflected the question, speaking in a calm tone as if she were discussing the weather.

“He gets so engrossed in his work that it’s only right to remind him.” She cleverly transformed “listening to her” into “caring about his work.”

Liu Haocun pursed his lips, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.

She leaned forward slightly, her large eyes fixed on Chen Duling with a naive yet sharp inquiry.

"Sister Duling, I saw the trending topic. You and he have known each other for many years? Well... that's in the past, right?"

She blinked, her tone deliberately questioning.

"Is this how you two are now? Is it a rekindling of old feelings? I don't think so, right? It seems like nothing really happened between you two back then. And so much time has passed, everyone has changed a lot."

Her words explicitly pointed to the "past tense," but implicitly questioned Chen Duling's "inappropriate" return.

Chen Duling's smile remained unchanged, and even softened a bit.

She gently straightened the hem of her dress, her movements exuding a calm elegance.

"Time does change a lot of things and a lot of people."

She looked up, her gaze calmly meeting Liu Haocun's scrutiny.

"But some feelings become clearer after they settle down. Getting to know someone again, understanding who they are now, and then deciding whether to continue the relationship—isn't that a responsible attitude towards each other?"

She paused, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

"It's better than acting on impulse and not being able to distinguish between admiration and liking."

Liu Haocun's cheeks puffed out slightly.

Is Chen Duling implying that she is too young to understand feelings?

She immediately retaliated.

Isn't admiration a prerequisite for liking someone?

She tilted her head slightly and gave a very sweet, fake smile.

"Knowing full well that he's with more than one person right now, you're still willing to get to know him again? Sister Duling, you're really broad-minded. I'm too young to understand your mature view of love."

She deliberately made her words "broad-minded" and "unable to understand" sound meaningful.

Chen Duling chuckled softly, a soft laugh like a feather brushing past, carrying a knowing understanding of the world.

"Relationships are a matter between two people; other people's opinions are not important."

Her tone remained gentle.

"The important thing is whether each other is willing to be honest with themselves, and whether they have the courage to fight for it and take responsibility. As for the outcome..."

Looking directly at Liu Haocun, she parted her red lips slightly.

"Just do your best and leave the rest to fate. At least I won't shrink back because I'm afraid of getting hurt, nor will I give up easily because of a momentary impulse. That's probably... one of the little benefits of age, knowing what's truly worth persisting in."

Her words not only expressed her attitude but also highlighted the advantage of experience brought about by the age gap, and subtly criticized Liu Haocun's possible impulsiveness and fear of difficulties.

Liu Haocun felt a tightness in his chest from the pressure.

She discovered that no matter how she attacked, Chen Duling was like a soft ball of cotton, easily dissipating her strength and even managing to counterattack with minimal effort.

This reasoned and well-founded response left her with a sense of frustration, like punching thin air.

It's so annoying!
She suddenly stood up from the sofa, making a rather abrupt movement.

"Fine! Sister Duling is at a higher level! I can't argue with you!"

Her tone was a bit harsh.

"I'm leaving! I won't disturb your time together!"

He turned and headed towards the door.

He took two steps, then suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Chen Duling, who was still sitting calmly on the sofa.

Chen Duling also looked at her, her gaze shallow, as if she had expected her departure.

Liu Haocun bit his lower lip and suddenly raised his voice a little.

"Please tell Jiang Qing that I'm leaving!"

Her eyes became complicated, showing resentment, inquiry, and a hint of confusion that she herself was unaware of.

"I want to see! I want to keep my eyes wide open and watch carefully! To see if you can ultimately... replace Zhou Ye in his heart!"

His words were tinged with a strong sense of defiance.

This name shattered the peace.

A very subtle change finally appeared on Chen Duling's face, which had maintained a perfect demeanor; her long, thick eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly.

But it was only for a moment, so fast that it seemed like an illusion.

She quickly regained her composure, and even the faint smile on her lips remained.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Liu Haocun standing in the light and shadow of the entryway.

"replace?"

His voice was calm, carrying an almost resolute composure.

She shook her head slightly, finding the word absurd.

“I never thought about replacing anyone. Ono is Ono, and I am me.”

She stood up, chin slightly raised, her gaze calm and serene, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"If in the end, Jiang Qing cannot walk with me for the rest of my life... I will leave without hesitation."

Her voice was soft, yet it seemed to carry immense weight.

Liu Haocun was stunned for a moment.

Looking at Chen Duling's face, which was filled with seriousness and pride, she was speechless for a moment.

Or rather, I don't know what to say.

This calm acceptance of the worst outcome, this clear understanding, gave her a strange and shocking feeling.

She opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. She turned around, opened the door, and quickly disappeared outside.

With a soft "bang," the door closed.

The living room suddenly fell silent, leaving only Chen Duling alone.

She stood there, the calm and powerful demeanor she had displayed when facing Liu Haocun seemingly vanished in an instant.

He lowered his eyes slightly, looking at the clean floor. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath, straightened his back, and turned to walk towards the study.

The study door was ajar, letting in warm yellow light.

Chen Duling raised her hand and gently pushed him away.

Jiang Qing was sitting behind a large desk with a document open in front of her, but she clearly hadn't read a single word; her eyes were unfocused as she stared at something.

Hearing the door open, he immediately looked up, his gaze on Chen Duling a mixture of questions and nervousness.

"she left."

Chen Duling's voice rang out, very calm, revealing little emotion.

Jiang Qing's lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.

"Dudu, I..."

"Jiang Qing."

Chen Duling interrupted him and walked to the desk.

Her gaze fell on his face, with an almost pleading insistence.

"Let's not say anything during this time, let's not talk about these things, okay?"

She walked to his side, but instead of snuggling up to him as usual, she simply looked at him quietly.

"I just want... I just want to stay with you quietly, like this, pretending I don't know anything."

The voice was very soft, with an unusual fragility.

"We can talk about the rest later. Is that alright?"

Jiang Qing looked at the unease and hesitation hidden beneath the feigned calm in her eyes, and her heart softened and felt heavy.

He understood what she meant.

She chose a temporary ostrich strategy, refusing to break the ice or delve into the complex relationships she knew about but didn't want to investigate, all in exchange for a moment of tenderness.

After a few seconds of silence, he didn't offer any explanation or promise. He simply reached out and gently took her slightly cold hand, which was resting on the table.

Then, he looked at her and nodded very lightly but solemnly.

"it is good."

Chen Duling nodded as she looked at him, her tense shoulders seeming to relax slightly.

She gently squeezed his hand back, her fingertips conveying a touch of warmth.

She didn't say anything more, just stood there quietly, enjoying this brief moment of peace with him.

At least for now, she's reluctant to leave like this.

Even if it's an unrealistic fantasy, a self-deception, she wants to fool herself one last time.

(End of this chapter)