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

Chapter 442 Resurgence, Without Warning

A week passed quietly, like sand slipping through your fingers, without a sound.

The calendar has turned to April; memories of the internet world are always fleeting yet noisy.

The Weibo Night, which once dominated the trending topics list for several days and sparked heated discussions across the country, has finally seen its popularity gradually subside, replaced by a constant stream of new and exciting events.

A top celebrity announces their relationship, a social news story attracts attention, a new drama premieres... The torrent of information never stops, washing away the traces of yesterday.

Jiang Qing did not appear in the public eye this week, but his life was not empty, or rather, it entered a different kind of fast-paced life.

He first visited Liu Haocun on set. When the girl saw him in front of the hotel room of the film crew, the light in her eyes almost lit up the entire corridor.

She stayed at Liu Haocun's place for two days, taking a special day off and hardly leaving her room except for mealtimes.

It seemed that because of what happened in Luyang last time, Liu Haocun was trying his best to please her and was particularly enthusiastic, which made Jiang Qing truly appreciate the benefits of being a dance student.

There's no pose he can't imagine that she can't do.

Afterwards, he traveled to Beijing to visit Zhao Jinmai, who was preparing backstage for a play. He brought her some desserts to soothe her throat and listened quietly as she shared the minutiae and gains of rehearsals.

He also flew to Guangzhou and quietly appeared at Zhang Ruonan's advertisement shooting site, causing a flurry of activity among the staff. Zhang Ruonan's surprised yet somewhat bewildered expression when she saw him was captured instantly by him taking out his phone.

As for company affairs, unless it is a major decision that requires his personal approval, daily operations are carried out in an orderly manner under the supervision of the senior management team, including Zhao Quan and Zhang Bin.

The construction of the Wanxiang ecosystem, cooperation negotiations with various parties, and the research and development of technological iterations... everything is progressing steadily along the established track. He doesn't need to do everything personally; he only needs to grasp the general direction.

The days passed like this.

April 4th, 2 PM.

The sky over Lin'an was damp and hazy, typical of springtime in Jiangnan.

The main cast of "The Long Moon Shines Brightly," including Bai Lu, Luo Yunxi, Chen Duling, Sun Zhenni, and Deng Wei, arrived in this city famous for West Lake and checked into the Four Seasons Hotel, which had been arranged in advance by the "Running Man" program team.

Tomorrow, they will participate as guests in the recording of the new season of "Keep Running" to promote the upcoming drama "The Long Moon Shines Bright".

Accompanied by her manager and assistant, Chen Duling dragged her suitcase into her room. After quickly unpacking, the two noticed that she looked tired and told her to get some rest before leaving the room together.

The promotional activities for the drama over the past few days have left Chen Duling quite tired. After quickly tidying up her luggage, she glanced at the time and decided to take a nap before evening.

She slept quite soundly, and it wasn't until nearly five o'clock in the afternoon, when the sky outside the window was getting dark, that she slowly woke up.

Sitting up in bed, Chen Duling groggily took a while to recover before rubbing her eyes and getting out of bed.

After getting up, I felt much more refreshed.

She went into the bathroom, washed her face with warm water, and looked at her reflection in the mirror—a face that still looked a little tired, but whose beauty remained undiminished.

Her skin is great, fair and translucent, with almost no visible pores, which is the result of her disciplined lifestyle over the years.

Of course, beauty salon treatments are also essential.

Chen Duling gently patted the water droplets off her face with a towel, and then began to tidy herself up.

She chose a refreshing and casual outfit.

A classic blue denim mini skirt, its length stopping just at mid-thigh, perfectly showcased her long, straight, slender, and smooth-lined legs. Under the soft light of the room, her fair skin glowed with a healthy and delicate luster.

She casually wore a loose, pure white knitted cardigan over her upper body, which made her temperament even more gentle and graceful. The cardigan was not buttoned and hung down naturally, subtly outlining her slender waist.

Her face was covered with very light makeup, with almost no trace of foundation. Her eyebrows were slightly shaped to make her clear eyes more expressive, and she wore some moisturizing nude lip gloss to make her complexion look better.

Finally, she let her long, smooth black hair down, put on a white baseball cap, and pulled the brim down to cover part of her forehead, making her face look even smaller.

She picked up a mask and put it on, revealing only her bright eyes, then took her room key and phone and went out.

Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, Bai Lu, Luo Yunxi, Sun Zhenni, and Deng Wei were already waiting on the sofa to the side.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting, I overslept."

Chen Duling walked over quickly, her tone apologetic.

"It's alright, it's alright, we just came down here not long ago."

Bai Lu smiled and waved, affectionately taking her arm.

Luo Yunxi and Sun Zhenni also expressed their understanding, saying that there was still plenty of time.

Deng Wei's eyes lit up the moment Chen Duling appeared. He stepped forward and spoke with concern.

"Dudu, have you been too tired lately? You look a little tired. Haven't you been getting enough rest?"

Chen Duling smiled politely at him, her tone calm but carrying a clear sense of distance.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern."

The egrets and the others watching this scene sighed inwardly.

During this time, the rest of the crew noticed Deng Wei's feelings for Chen Duling to varying degrees. He would occasionally find an opportunity to strike up a conversation, and his feelings for her were almost undisguised.

Actually, everyone knew about his feelings for Chen Duling a long time ago, but ever since Jiang Qing visited the set, he has stopped making any moves and even deliberately kept his distance from Chen Duling.

However, after Chen Duling made it clear that she had nothing to do with Jiang Qing last time, Deng Wei's feelings for her seem to have resurfaced recently.

However, Chen Duling responded to all his attempts to be friendly only with the politeness expected of colleagues, and she remained very distant.

When Bai Lu and the others exchanged glances privately, they all shook their heads inwardly, feeling that Deng Wei's chances were slim.

After all, with Jiang Qing as a benchmark, both his own achievements and his complicated past are like an invisible mountain that is difficult for later generations to surpass.

Having seen people like that before, how could Chen Duling easily tolerate others?

However, they couldn't say this directly, so they could only pretend they didn't know, and no one dared to help him.

What if Jiang Qing and Chen Duling are still involved?
Only a fool would get involved in this.

The group arrived at the pre-booked private room at the hotel in a car arranged by the production team.

Pushing open the door, the private room was already quite lively.

The regular members of the "Keep Running" program team, Yang Ying, Li Chen, Zheng Kai, Sha Yi, Zhou Shen, Song Yuqi, and Fan Chengcheng, have all arrived.

"Yo! Here we go!"

Upon seeing Chen Duling and her group enter, Zheng Kai, as a long-time member, was the first to stand up and greet them.

As a regular member of "Keep Running" and also the female lead in "The Long Moon Shines Brightly," Bai Lu naturally took on the role of a bridge, enthusiastically introducing the two groups of people to each other.

The private room was filled with greetings, and the atmosphere was lively.

After a lively exchange of greetings, everyone took their seats.

Chen Duling and Bai Lu sat together, while Deng Wei naturally sat on Chen Duling's other side.

Chen Duling glanced at him but didn't say anything more. She then turned to talk to Bai Lu, Sun Zhenni, and Song Yuqi.

She knew Deng Wei's thoughts, but she had rejected him a long time ago and didn't want to waste any more words.

Once everyone was seated, Zheng Kai instructed the waiters to start serving the dishes, and the two groups began to chat casually.

During this process, Chen Duling could clearly feel that the regular members of "Running Man" would often glance at her intentionally or unintentionally, their eyes filled with curiosity, inquiry, and some other ambiguous meaning. Yang Ying and Li Chen would occasionally exchange a knowing look, and when Zhou Shenshayi whispered to her, his gaze would also turn to her.

Chen Duling took in all these gazes. Although she felt a little uncomfortable, she didn't think too much about it. She simply assumed that it was because of the rumors between her and Jiang Qing that these colleagues in the industry couldn't help but be curious.

She maintained a polite smile, talking quietly with the egrets beside her, ignoring their probing gazes and pretending not to see them.

Before long, the dishes were brought out one by one by the waiters and filled the large round table.

The aroma of the dishes filled the air, making everyone's mouths water.

The crew of "The Long Moon Shines Brightly," especially Sun Zhenni, had their eyes light up when they saw the table full of delicious food.

When it was time to eat, they were all starving.

However, the members of "Running Man" did not seem to be ready to eat immediately. Li Chen was still looking at his phone, and Zheng Kai and Sha Yi were talking in hushed tones, as if they were waiting for someone.

Bai Lu is straightforward and outspoken. Looking at the table full of dishes, she couldn't help but ask a question.

"Brother Chen, Brother Kai, all the dishes are served. Can we start eating now? My stomach is rumbling!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chen looked up with a friendly smile on his face and quickly explained.

"Lulu, don't rush, wait a little longer, we still have a guest who hasn't arrived yet."

"Are there more guests?"

Bai Lu looked at the few people in her crew with a puzzled expression.

"Besides us, did the production team invite any other guests? I hadn't heard anything about it before."

Sha Yi smiled and took over the conversation, his tone mysterious.

"Hey, Lulu, don't worry, it's a mystery guest, they'll be here soon, they'll be here soon."

Upon hearing this, the members of the Changyue crew, though curious, refrained from pressing for answers and instead continued chatting with those around them.

Luo Yunxi and Li Chen chatted about fitness, Bai Lu and Song Yuqi discussed hair dyeing, and Sun Zhenni curiously asked Fan Chengcheng what she should pay attention to when appearing on a TV show.

Chen Duling picked up the tea in front of her, took a small sip, and occasionally glanced at the closed door of the private room. A hint of doubt flashed through her mind, but she didn't think much of it.

About ten minutes later, just as the chatter was starting to subside, there was a gentle knock on the door of the private room.

Almost as soon as the knocking sounded, Yang Ying, who was sitting down, was the first to stand up quickly, a bright smile on her face, and strode toward the door.

"I'm coming!"

There was a hint of excitement in his voice.

Her series of overly proactive reactions immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Not only did the members of "Running Man" all look towards the door, but even the crew of "The Long Moon Shines Brightly" were aroused with strong curiosity. They all stopped talking and looked towards the door, wanting to see what kind of big-name guest could make Yang Ying react like this.

Chen Duling followed everyone's gaze and looked with some curiosity at the door that Yang Ying was opening.

Yang Ying opened the door, her face instantly beaming with a warm smile. She stepped aside to make way for the door, her voice clear and crisp.

"Welcome, welcome! We've been waiting for you!"

As the light at the entrance dimmed slightly, a tall figure strode in.

The newcomer wore a slightly apologetic smile as his gaze swept over the people in the private room.

"Sorry everyone, there was a bit of traffic on the way from the airport, around rush hour. I apologize for keeping you waiting."

The boy's voice was clear and bright, with a unique magnetism.

The moment they saw who it was, the entire crew of "The Long Moon Shines Brightly" almost simultaneously showed expressions of extreme surprise.

Immediately afterwards, their gazes, as if drawn by an invisible magnet or as if forming a conditioned reflex, turned in unison to Chen Duling, who was sitting in the innermost seat!

As soon as Chen Duling saw the boy standing at the door wearing a simple dark coat who instantly became the focus of everyone's attention, she was frozen in place as if under a spell.

The teacup she was holding froze in mid-air. Her eyes widened suddenly, her pupils contracted slightly, and all expression seemed to vanish from her pretty face beneath the brim of her hat, leaving only a blank space.

She could even clearly hear her heart skip a beat in her chest, followed by an even more intense pounding.

The surrounding noise, the aroma of food, the gazes of others... everything seemed to fade away at this moment, gradually becoming blurred.

In her world, in her eyes, there was only that person who had suddenly appeared.

Jiang Qing!
That mystery guest was him!

Jiang Qing seemed oblivious to the subtle tension that arose in the private room because of his presence, or perhaps he was simply used to being the center of attention.

He walked into the private room with a normal expression, closed the door behind him, and first nodded to Yang Ying, who opened the door for him, to express his gratitude.

He then shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with Li Chen, Zheng Kai, and the others who had stood up, his attitude natural and easygoing.

"President Jiang, your presence truly makes our program more special!"

Li Chen smiled and squeezed Jiang Qing's hand tightly.

"You're too kind, just call me Jiang Qing."

Jiang Qing responded with a smile and greeted Zheng Kai, Sha Yi, and others, behaving very modestly and without any airs of a tech giant. This relieved the members of "Running Man," and their smiles became more genuine.

At this moment, Luo Yunxi and the others also came to their senses and quickly went forward to greet them.

Only Deng Wei's expression became somewhat unnatural, and he said in a slightly flustered manner, "Hello, President Jiang," receiving a smile in response from Jiang Qing.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jiang Qing's gaze swept over everyone and landed precisely on the slender figure who had been keeping her head down ever since he entered, seemingly studying the pattern on the teacup in her hand.

His smile remained unchanged. He took two steps toward her and stopped a few steps away. His voice was neither loud nor soft, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone in the private room.

"Dudu."

His tone was familiar, as if it were just a casual greeting between long-lost friends.

This sound drew everyone's attention, whether overt or covert, whether curious or intrigued, to Chen Duling.

Chen Duling's fingers tightened slightly as she held the teacup.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to quickly recover from her earlier lapse in composure.

She then gently raised her head, meeting Jiang Qing's deep, smiling eyes.

Chen Duling's face once again displayed her usual gentle and proper smile, but upon closer inspection, the curve of the smile seemed slightly stiffer than usual.

She tried her best to make her voice sound calm and natural, without any extra emotion, as if she were really just responding to an ordinary friend she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Jiang Qing."

Her voice was very calm, but only she knew how fast her heart was beating and what kind of turmoil was churning within her the moment she uttered that name.

The man she had resolved to stay away from, yet who she couldn't help but think of on countless nights, reappeared before her without warning.

(End of this chapter)