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

Chapter 406 In-depth Dialogue, The Patient Hunter

Jiang Qing sat in the bedroom for about twenty minutes. Zhou Ye's breathing became a little more stable, but he still showed no signs of waking up. His eyelashes trembled slightly from time to time, and his brows were tightly furrowed, as if he had a terrible nightmare.

Her usually smiling face now betrayed a palpable unease.

Jiang Qing sighed softly, bent down and carefully tucked the edge of the blanket around her shoulder, her movements gentle, as if afraid of disturbing her.

After doing all this, he stood there quietly for a moment, then turned around, quietly opened the door, and went out.

The air in the living room seemed to freeze for a moment the instant he stepped out.

The girls, who were either sitting or standing, all turned their attention to him.

Jiang Nan was sitting on the armrest of the sofa, racking her brains to talk to Tian Xiwei about her new drama's styling. When she saw her brother come out, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly stood up.

God knows how she got through those half hours. She had to take care of everyone's feelings at the same time, making sure no one felt neglected, and carefully avoiding any topics that could ignite a conflict. Her brain was working at high speed, which was more tiring than taking three exams in a row.

Jiang Qing looked somewhat tired. He glanced around the living room, his gaze lingering briefly on each person's face before finally managing to force a reassuring smile.

He first looked at Meng Ziyi, whose eyes were red and swollen and whose expression was bewildered, and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Mengmeng, go and rest first. I've already asked Chen Duo to arrange accommodations, and he'll take you there."

Meng Ziyi's lips twitched slightly; she didn't want to leave.

"I...I want to wait for Ono to wake up, and then be with her..."

He spoke haltingly and in a soft voice.

"She's emotionally unstable right now, and seeing you when she wakes up might upset her even more. It's better for you and her to leave first. Wait until she's calmer before talking to her again."

Jiang Qing interrupted her, her voice not loud, but with no intention of negotiating.

Meng Ziyi paused, looked into Jiang Qing's eyes, and knew in her heart that what he said was true.

She struggled internally, filled with guilt towards Zhou Ye and helplessness at the current situation. In the end, she lowered her head and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Okay, I'll leave first."

She didn't look at anyone else, and as if fleeing, she lowered her head and quickly walked towards the door, opened it, and disappeared from the space.

With one less person in the living room, the space seemed a bit more spacious, but the atmosphere didn't ease.

Jiang Qing turned her gaze to Tian Xiwei.

Tian Xiwei, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, immediately put her legs down, straightened her back, and looked at Jiang Qing with her big eyes blinking, showing a hint of resentment and guilt.

"Oda."

Seeing this, Jiang Qing forced a smile, her voice remaining calm.

"It's getting late, you should go back to the hotel first. I remember you have filming tomorrow, you need to get back to the set, don't let it delay your work."

Tian Xiwei pouted and muttered softly.

"What does this have to do with me... I didn't do anything wrong..."

She looked up and met Jiang Qing's gaze. There was no reproach in his eyes, but rather a seriousness that she couldn't refute.

The slight displeasure in her heart instantly deflated, and she reluctantly stood up.

"Got it? I'm leaving."

She grabbed her coat from the side, didn't greet anyone else, just glanced at Jiang Qing as she passed by, then puffed out her cheeks and walked out heavily.

Jiang Qing smiled and turned to look at Liu Haocun.

Before he could even speak, Liu Haocun had already stood up, a well-behaved and sensible smile on his face.

"I have to rush back to the film set early tomorrow morning, so I'll go back and rest first."

She turned to Jiang Nan and waved with a sweet smile.

"Nannan, I'm leaving now. Let's find a chance to have a meal together next time."

After receiving Jiang Nan's warm response, she looked at Jiang Qing with a hint of longing in her eyes, softly said "I'm leaving now," and turned to leave.

Now, only Jiang Qing, Jiang Nan, and Chen Duling, who had been standing quietly by the window, remained in the living room.

Jiang Nan's eyes darted around, her gaze shifting between Jiang Qing and Chen Duling, before she cleverly raised her hand.

"Brother, I suddenly remembered I have something important to do. You guys chat, I'll be going now!"

After saying that, she practically scurried out the door, gently closing it behind her.

The large living room immediately fell silent.

Jiang Qing's gaze finally fell on Chen Duling.

She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, as quiet as a painting.

The warm light outlined soft lines on her profile, her back as thin as a sheet of paper. The lights outside the window spread out behind her, shimmering and colorful, yet they seemed to be separated from her by an invisible barrier.

She seemed to be gazing out the window the whole time, or perhaps she was just lost in thought, exuding a scholarly and aloof air.

Jiang Qing walked slowly to her side and stood beside her, looking out at the night view.

Outside the window is the night view of Luyang, with the lights of high-rise buildings twinkling like stars, and the traffic on the distant overpass weaving into a ribbon of light.

They stood side by side, with just the right distance between them.

Not too close, not too far; neither as distant as strangers nor as intimate as lovers.

A silence hung in the air, but it wasn't awkward.

This silence conveyed the complex emotions of the two people more effectively than words.

After a long while, Jiang Qing was the first to break the silence.

"How have you been lately...?"

Chen Duling didn't move, still looking out the window.

"It's alright. At least, it's not as much as the public pressure you're facing."

After a brief pause, she turned her head slightly and looked at his profile.

"Today's press conference was a great success, and it was truly eye-opening. Congratulations on the resounding success of the press conference."

Her congratulations were sincere, but the distance in her tone was also obvious.

Jiang Qing turned her head and looked at her.

After several months apart, she seemed to have lost some weight, her facial features were more defined, and under the light, her skin was so white it was almost transparent, exuding a calm fragility.

Jiang Qing suddenly remembered the days she spent at Binhu Shuangxi a few months ago.

Back then, she would snuggle on the sofa and fight him for snacks, blush at a sweet word he said, and peek into his arms in the early morning, muttering, "Just five more minutes of sleep."

Now, however, she and he are like separated by a pane of glass, seemingly within reach, yet in reality, the boundaries are clearly defined.

In a flash, the image of the charming and cunning Chen Dudu overlapped and separated from the rational and almost indifferent figure in front of him, leaving him with mixed feelings.

Everything has changed.

Jiang Qing sighed almost imperceptibly.

“Dudu, do you remember what you said to me when you left Luyang? You said that it was unfair for me to deceive Xiaoye like this, and that I should let her see the real me and give her the choice… You were right. If I had listened to you earlier, maybe she wouldn’t have been so shocked today, and things wouldn’t be like this now.”

He did regret it.

Especially the moment I met Zhou Ye.

Chen Duling finally turned around completely, facing him directly. Her eyes were calm and clear, like the water of a deep pool, clearly reflecting his image, yet making it impossible to discern the emotions beneath.

Jiang Qing met her gaze, waiting for her to continue.

Chen Duling stared at him silently for a few seconds, as if scrutinizing him or contemplating how to organize her thoughts.

"I've thought a lot during the months I've been away."

She spoke slowly, her voice slightly hoarse, calm and composed, revealing her unique analytical and methodical nature.

“I’m trying to understand why you’ve become like this. I believe that you genuinely liked me during the debate, and you did the same for Ono in Peach Blossom Village. You’re not the kind of person who enjoys playing with emotions, and I still believe that.”

After speaking, he paused slightly, as if considering his words.

"Human desires expand with the expansion of abilities and resources. This is a very simple principle of behavioral economics and a phenomenon that has been repeatedly verified by social psychology. When you were just a genius student at the University of Science and Technology of China, or when you had just founded Wuwen Technology, your world and choices were relatively limited. But as you have gradually come to where you are today, with a company valued at tens of billions, possessing technology that can change the industry landscape, and standing under the spotlight of the world... your ecological niche has changed, and the temptations you face have also increased exponentially."

She speaks slowly and has clear logical thinking.

"Power and wealth, to some extent, can dull people's sensitivity to ordinary moral rules. This is not to excuse you, but to state a possible fact. You may feel that many things that were once considered constraints can now be circumvented, or that you have enough capital to bear the consequences. Especially after today."

She raised her hand and pointed out the window, referring to the press conference that had just ended and shaken the world.

"In the eyes of many people, you may have already transcended the category of a successful person in the ordinary sense. They will look at you as a rule-maker rather than a rule-follower. This change in external expectations will also be internalized into your self-perception."

Jiang Qing listened quietly without interrupting.

Chen Duling's analysis was incisive and even more insightful than his own reflections.

Indeed, the bystander sees most of the game.

"As for us."

Chen Duling's gaze swept past the bedroom door before returning to Jiang Qing's face.

"Including Ono, including everyone else here today, and perhaps even others I don't know... In the eyes of many, perhaps it has become some kind of... accessory to your new identity? Or to put it more bluntly, a kind of capital to flaunt, a source of a sense of conquest?"

As she said this, a slightly cold smile appeared on her lips.

"Of course, judging from how you treated them just now, you have feelings for them and haven't personified any of them. You're just... greedy. And you have the ability to pay the price for your greed. So, you're just scum, not human scum, and there's a fundamental difference between the two."

Her words were extremely calm, even somewhat cruel, like an objective psychological analysis report, completely devoid of personal emotion.

But Jiang Qing could hear the deep disappointment hidden in his voice, and perhaps a trace of lingering concern.

A thought struck him, and a faint hope quietly rose within him.

"Dudu, are you...?"

However, he was interrupted before he could say the words "willing to come back to me".

Chen Duling looked at the glimmer of hope in his eyes and slowly but with unusual determination shook her head.

A faint, distant smile appeared on her face.

“Jiang Qing, understanding doesn’t mean acceptance. I can use my knowledge to analyze the logic behind your behavior, and I can even empathize to some extent with the subtle influence of your environment. But that doesn’t mean I agree with you, much less that I’m willing to become part of your inflated desires, or one of your many choices.”

She took a deep breath, and her eyes became even clearer and more resolute.

"I came here this time because I saw you being attacked by public opinion before, and I was a little... worried. I also admit that even now, I still haven't completely let go of you, and I still feel reluctant. But not being able to let go is different from being able to accept the current situation. My reason tells me that this kind of relationship is not what I want. It's unhealthy and unfair. It's harmful not only to myself, but also to Ono... and to other people who may genuinely care about you. I can't convince myself to integrate into such a chaotic situation."

She glanced one last time at the closed bedroom door, her tone softening slightly.

“You…take good care of her. She’s simple-minded, and this blow has been too much for her.”

After saying that, Chen Duling didn't linger and turned to walk straight to the door.

Her back was slender, yet it exuded unparalleled resilience and determination.

Jiang Qing stood there, not saying a word to stop her, but simply watching her slender figure disappear behind the door.

The door hinges turned with a slight "click" sound, eventually falling silent.

He was now completely alone in the living room, along with Zhou Ye, who was still asleep in the bedroom.

The neon lights outside the window continued to flicker, casting his long shadow on the floor.

A complex sense of exhaustion washed over me.

Chen Duling's words were like a cold mirror, reflecting the corners of his heart that he was unwilling to face.

She understood his change, but that only made her more determined to leave.

This rational, clear-headed rejection, based on profound understanding, made him feel more powerless than any emotional accusation.

He slowly walked to the sofa, sat down, rested his elbows on his knees, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

The joy brought by the successful press conference had long been washed away by the tangled mess of emotions before her.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Qing regained her composure, got up, and headed towards the bedroom.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of a corner of the hotel lobby, Wang Churan wrapped himself in a heavy, long down jacket, like a silent sculpture.

The brim of his hat was pulled low, covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of eyes fixed on the direction of the elevator.

When she saw Meng Ziyi, with red eyes and unsteady steps, rushing out first and getting into the car waiting for Chen Duo outside the hall without looking back, her pupils contracted slightly.

Next up was Tian Xiwei, her cheeks puffed out in displeasure.

She strode out, seemingly muttering something, and yanked open the car door, getting in with obvious annoyance in her movements.

A moment later, Liu Haocun also came out in a hurry. She looked around and quickly got into a car.

Almost at the same time she got into the car, Jiang Nan also got out of the elevator.

The little girl's lively smile from the daytime was gone; she frowned and kept looking down at her phone as she walked, seemingly making arrangements for something.

After a while, Chen Duling also appeared.

She walked steadily, her back view aloof and solitary, her face expressionless, heading straight out of the hotel.

Wang's heart pounded faster and faster as one familiar figure after another appeared.

They actually all came?
Today's press conference seems to be much more lively than she imagined.

Jiang Qing hurriedly left the table with Jiang Nan and headed straight for the hotel... But now, everyone else had left, and he still hadn't appeared.

what does this mean?
Wang Churan almost instantly sketched out the general outline of the matter.

Zhou Ye, this lucky one, she probably discovered something.

An indescribable sense of excitement surged through her spine like a fine electric current.

She subconsciously licked her slightly dry lips, a flicker in her eyes.

This might be a rare opportunity!

An opportunity for her to transform from a fan into someone else.

Wang took a deep breath, trying to suppress his excitement and calm his expression.

She took out her phone, the cold light from the screen reflecting the determined gleam in her eyes.

She opened her contacts and sent a message to her assistant to pick her up.

At this moment, Jiang Shen probably wouldn't want anyone to disturb him.

She needs to wait for a better opportunity.

(End of this chapter)