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

Chapter 366 Unspoken Understanding
At 6:30 a.m., in the gym of Panhai Shijia, Jiang Qing finished her last set of pull-ups and landed cleanly.

Sweat trickled down his jawline. He grabbed a towel and wiped it off before walking to the French windows.

The autumn morning light in Beijing shines through the glass, gilding the city skyline with a golden edge.

After taking a shower, he changed into a comfortable light gray undershirt and slowly prepared breakfast.

Hand-pulled pancakes with hot soy milk, ready in minutes.

While eating, he browsed the project progress report he had received the night before on his tablet.

At 8 o'clock sharp, he put down the cup and placed the cup and plate in the dishwasher.

I picked up the trench coat draped over the back of the chair, put my phone in my pocket, and took the elevator straight to the underground parking garage.

Chen Duo and Zhou Zhengkai were already waiting by the car.

Upon seeing him emerge, Chen Duo opened the back door of the car, and Zhou Zhengkai nodded calmly in acknowledgment.

"Good morning, Mr. Jiang."

Good morning, Mr. Jiang.

Jiang Qing bent down and sat inside the car.

"Good morning, heading to the headquarters of Kuzi Video."

The vehicles smoothly merged into the morning rush hour traffic.

Zhou Zhengkai drove very steadily, while Chen Duo quietly confirmed today's itinerary.

Jiang Qing leaned back in her chair, gazing at the street scenes rushing past the window, her fingers unconsciously tapping her knees.

At 9:05, the car entered the park where the headquarters of Kuzi Video is located.

As soon as Zhou Zhengkai parked his car in front of the building's main entrance, some sharp-eyed employees noticed the understated yet imposing vehicle and its long-legged owner stepping out from the back seat.

"Huh? That's... Jiang Qing?!"

Someone let out a soft exclamation, and the crowd, who had been drowsy and hurrying to work, seemed to be paused, then burst into a frenzy like water droplets falling into hot oil.

"It really is him! My God! He's even more handsome in person than on TV!"

"Why is he here? Oh right! He must be promoting 'The Lighter'!"

"I was on leave when you came last time, so I'm so glad to see you today!"

"Look! Look! He's coming!"

Jiang Qing steadied himself, straightened his collar, and Chen Duo and Zhou Zhengkai stood guard on either side of him.

Soon, several bold young girls surrounded them, their faces flushed with excitement, clutching their phones.

"Dr. Jiang! I'm a fan of yours! I especially admire your Xiao Heyun! Could... could you sign your autograph?"

A girl wearing glasses mustered up her courage and handed over the notebook.

"of course can."

Jiang Qing took the pen and quickly signed her name.

"Thank you for your support."

This was like flipping a switch, and even more people rushed over.

"Dr. Jiang! Look here! Can we take a picture together?"

"Mr. Jiang! Is Wuwen Technology still hiring?"

"Jiang Shen! You're so handsome!"

The clicking of cell phone cameras, excited whispers, and direct expressions of affection instantly surrounded the three of them.

Zhou Zhengkai and Chen Duo worked hard to push aside the crowd that was getting too close, protecting Jiang Qing as they walked into the building.

Jiang Qing maintained a smile throughout, agreeing to all requests for autographs and photos, and occasionally responding with a word or two.

Good morning everyone, please be careful and don't push.

"Good job at work."

His gentle demeanor kept the somewhat chaotic scene at a level of enthusiasm that was not excessive.

Many female employees watched him being escorted towards the elevator, their eyes sparkling, whispering among themselves, "That's a real-life domineering CEO," "He has no airs at all," "I wonder who's dating someone like him..."

The elevator doors slowly closed, shutting out the noise from outside.

Jiang Qing breathed a slight sigh of relief, and Chen Duo handed him a bottle of water.

"President Jiang, the interview booth for Bazaar is on the 7th floor."

Chen Duo reminded him.

When the elevator reached the seventh floor and the doors opened, staff from Bazaar were already waiting.

"President Jiang, you've arrived! This way, please. The dressing room is ready; let's touch up our makeup first."

"OK, thanks."

Jiang Qing nodded and followed the staff to the dressing room on one side of the corridor.

As he passed a studio with its door slightly ajar, he paused almost imperceptibly.

He spotted the figure through the crack in the door.

Zhang Jingyi has arrived.

She was facing away from the doorway, listening to the stylist's final finishing advice.

She wore a black, fitted, sleeveless dress that accentuated her fair skin.

The dress was perfectly tailored, outlining her slender waist and smooth body lines.

A row of exquisite gold buttons descends from the collar, arranged neatly like piano keys, adding a touch of retro elegance.

Her makeup today was exquisite, but not heavy; the focus was on her eyes, which were always full of emotion and seemed to speak volumes.

Her long, smooth, jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, with slightly curled ends—a classic long, straight black hairstyle. She looked both elegant and subtly radiant.

As if by telepathy, the moment Jiang Qing's gaze fell upon her, Zhang Jingyi also turned her head as if sensing something.

Eyes facing each other.

Zhang Jingyi's eyes lit up instantly, like stars that had been ignited. Her surprise and smile were undisguised, and the corners of her lips curved into a bright arc, with two little brackets, one dark and one light, appearing faintly on her cheeks.

Jiang Qing smiled and nodded slightly to her before pushing open the door and going inside.

"Morning."

He greeted them familiarly.

"morning!"

Zhang Jingyi's voice was clear and crisp, with an obvious hint of joy.

"You've finally arrived! I thought you were held up by some important business dinner again!"

She deliberately dragged out her words, with a hint of sarcasm.

Jiang Qing naturally walked to the empty seat next to her and sat down, letting the makeup artist come forward to do a simple hair styling for him.

"I promised to come for the interview, how could I be late?"

He turned his head to look at her, his gaze sweeping over her face.

"It's beautiful today."

Zhang Jingyi subconsciously touched her earlobe, her lips curving into a wider smile, but she still tried to appear calm.

"Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Jiang. You look very handsome today too. It's just that your blond hair... well, we can't see it for now. You look quite presentable with your black hair as well."

"Looks like you had a good rest yesterday and are full of energy."

Jiang Qing raised an eyebrow, giving a pointed reply.

"Okay."

Zhang Jingyi blinked, leaned slightly towards him, lowered her voice, and spoke in a natural yet concerned tone.

"How about you? Did you sleep well last night? I noticed you replied to my messages quite late last night."

"I read some documents and went to bed a little late, but it's okay."

Jiang Qing answered, naturally picking up where she left off. "Have you had breakfast?"

"I had a cup of black coffee and two cucumbers. That's the self-discipline of an actress."

She wrinkled her nose, giving him a knowing look.

The two chatted naturally, exchanging glances occasionally, their unspoken understanding creating a relaxed atmosphere.

It was as if the time we spent apart had never existed, and we were back to the state of being together day and night, bickering and caring for each other, when we were on the set in Luyang.

The Bazaar staff standing nearby watched with smiles on their faces, as if they had been startled.

At this moment, the on-site manager from Bazaar walked over and interrupted their conversation with a smile.

"President Jiang, Teacher Zhang, are you both ready? Our interview will begin in about five minutes. Since you two will be participating in a group interview with other members of the crew for Kuzi Video this afternoon, we've arranged our exclusive interview with Bazaar here for convenience, and we're using their studio."

"No problem, we can do it anytime."

Jiang Qing smiled and nodded.

Zhang Jingyi smiled and gave an "OK" sign.

"It's been ready for a long time!"

The studio lights came on, with the joint logo of Harper's Bazaar and "Lighter & Princess Dress" in the background.

Jiang Qing and Zhang Jingyi sat side by side on the comfortable sofa.

The host was a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a smart uniform skirt, with a warm and professional smile on her face.

"Hello, teachers! It's a pleasure to have you both here for an exclusive interview with Bazaar Films today! First of all, congratulations on the release date of 'Lighter and Princess Dress' being set for November 1103rd!"

"Thank you, host."

"Thank you~"

The interview has officially begun.

The host had clearly done his homework, being extremely familiar with both the two individuals and the series.

The question gradually shifted from the feelings surrounding the release date to the set of stunning beach photos that recently went viral online.

“We saw the photos we took in Qingdao last time, and the response was really, really good! Especially the one where, under the sunset, Mr. Jiang, you're riding a bicycle and Jingyi is riding next to you, smiling and looking at each other. Netizens said that the youthful energy is practically overflowing from the screen. Do you have any particularly interesting memories to share from that day of the shoot?”

Zhang Jingyi looked at Jiang Qing with a smile, signaling him to speak first.

Jiang Qing smiled and continued the conversation.

"It was a bit windy that day, and Jingyi's skirt kept blowing up. She was frantically trying to hold down the hem while also trying to keep her expression under control. It was quite cute."

The words were very sarcastic.

"Hey!"

Zhang Jingyi immediately playfully patted his arm, her face slightly flushed, and explained to the host.

"Don't listen to his nonsense! Actually, his bicycle wasn't adjusted to the correct height at first, so it was a bit awkward to ride, and I even laughed at him for it!"

The host was amused by their interaction.

"It seems the two of them have a lot of sweet interactions off-set! And what about that photo of them gazing at each other amidst fireworks? It's absolutely divine! Many netizens are saying that their eyes are so intense, the atmosphere is amazing! How did you capture that moment during the shoot?"

This time, Zhang Jingyi spoke first, tilting her head slightly as if she were recalling something.

"It just happened so naturally... The sparklers were popping and crackling, the light was shining on my face, the sea breeze was blowing, it was very quiet around me, and then I saw him looking at me..."

As she spoke, her voice unconsciously softened, and her gaze drifted to Jiang Qing beside her, meeting his eyes as he looked at her.

Jiang Qing continued naturally, his gaze falling on Zhang Jingyi's face, but his words were addressed to the host.

"Jingyi said something like 'like stars falling down,' her eyes were very bright, and her hair was blowing in the wind onto her face. I just reached out to brush it aside for her, and that's when I captured that moment."

His description was calm and detailed, with a focused look in his eyes that made you believe in the authenticity of that moment.

The host, witnessing the unspoken understanding flowing between them, couldn't help but clutch his chest.

"Wow... I'm totally shipping them! It's so natural! So, in your eyes, how similar is the other person to Li Xun and Zhu Yun in the drama? Let's have Professor Jiang give her evaluation first."

Jiang Qing pondered for a moment before answering seriously.

“Jingyi herself has the same persistent and courageous qualities as Zhu Yun, and she is very talented and empathetic, able to portray Zhu Yun’s inner growth and tenderness very well. Of course, she may be a little more lively and talkative than Zhu Yun.”

He even made a joke about her in his last sentence.

Zhang Jingyi gently kicked him under the table, but she was smiling.

The host then asked.

"What does Jingyi think of Teacher Jiang?"

Zhang Jingyi immediately sat up straighter, her eyes shining.

"He's practically Li Xun himself! That genius arrogance, and the occasional gentleness he reveals, is so fitting! And Teacher Jiang is very professional, he gives me a lot of help, it's very comfortable acting with him, and I can get into character quickly."

She gestured with her hands as she spoke, as if afraid that others would not believe her.

The host nodded repeatedly, his smile widening, and continued to ask other questions.

Throughout the interview, the chemistry between the two was natural and intense.

They were sincere yet humorous when evaluating each other, and their tacit understanding was remarkable when recalling fun moments from filming. Occasional eye contact and small gestures revealed an unspoken familiarity.

The female host repeatedly showed a maternal smile, exclaiming, "They're so adorable!"

The interview ended in a pleasant atmosphere about forty minutes later.

"Okay, thank you both very much for accepting our interview! You've worked hard!"

The host stood up, shook hands with the two individuals, and then left the studio with his staff to check the footage.

Jiang Qing also stood up, stretched her shoulders, and prepared to walk out.

Suddenly, someone gently tugged at the hem of his clothes from behind.

He turned around and saw Zhang Jingyi still sitting on the sofa, looking up at him. There was a hint of uncertainty in her beautiful eyes. Her cheerful and generous demeanor in front of the camera had become somewhat restrained, replaced by a seriousness that was a little girlish.

"what happened?"

Jiang Qing stopped what she was doing and looked down at her.

The two of them were left alone in the studio, and the air suddenly became quiet.

Zhang Jingyi pursed her lips, her voice lower and softer than before.

"Were those compliments you just said... for the sake of the interview, or... were they genuine?"

Her question was somewhat direct, even a bit impulsive, her eyes fixed on him, stubbornly waiting for an answer.

Jiang Qing looked at her cautious and tentative appearance, and a very faint smile flashed in her eyes.

He deliberately hesitated, not answering immediately, but instead leaned slightly closer to her, his gaze seemingly scrutinizing her expression.

Zhang Jingyi felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. Her eyelashes trembled, but she stubbornly refused to look away.

Just when she thought he was going to say something serious, Jiang Qing suddenly curled his lips into a slightly teasing smile and leaned close to her ear.

"you guess?"

After saying that, he took advantage of her momentary daze, straightened up, turned around briskly and walked towards the door, his steps light and quick, without any intention of stopping.

Zhang Jingyi was completely taken aback by his actions and it took her two seconds to realize that she had been tricked!

"Hey! Jiang Qing!"

She suddenly stood up from the sofa, looking at his tall figure that was almost at the door, and a mix of anger, annoyance, and amusement surged through her.

She stood on tiptoe and scolded his retreating figure.

"You're doing this again! It's so annoying! What happened to your mature and composed demeanor?"

However, the person who was "so annoying" turned his back to her, waved casually with his hand, and walked out without even turning his head.

Zhang Jingyi was left alone in the empty studio. Thinking about how he had deliberately teased her, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"This guy is so annoying~"

The girl muttered softly, her voice gentle and sweet, without a trace of blame.

(End of this chapter)