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

Chapter 463 An Unexpected Appearance, A Warm Invitation
The direction Zhang Jingyi pointed was the last row of seats near the aisle, where three or five audience members were sitting.

However, almost at the same moment she pointed, everyone's eyes were drawn to one figure as if by an invisible magnet.

Even though the man's face was obscured by the shadow cast by his baseball cap, it was still clearly distinct from the other spectators around him.

A calm aura emanated from him, as if he had his own spotlight, making him stand out even in a dimly lit corner.

Several other spectators sitting in the same area, after a brief moment of confusion, subconsciously followed this unseen guidance and turned to look at their quiet and unassuming neighbor.

Just then, the figure that had been pointed at moved.

He chuckled softly, then slowly stood up.

As he stood up, his face, hidden under the brim of his hat, was finally exposed to the light diffused from the direction of the screen.

"hiss--"

The young girl who was closest to her gasped first, her eyes widening instantly, and she covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief.

"Jiang...Jiang Qing?!"

A boy next to him gasped in shock, his voice becoming shrill with extreme surprise.

His shout was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that quickly spread outwards.

Hearing the commotion, the audience in the front row turned around curiously to look.

The creative team on stage were initially a little confused, while the host maintained his standard professional smile, preparing to guide the lucky audience member to ask a question.

However, when Jiang Qing stood up completely, slightly raised her chin, and presented her face—which had recently appeared frequently in financial headlines and technology sections, and even had a high degree of recognition in the entertainment section due to her cross-industry collaborations—to everyone without any concealment.

The entire creative team, from the director to the lead actors, froze for a moment.

Director Zhang Ji subconsciously pushed up his glasses, leaned forward, and could hardly believe his eyes.

Standing next to Zhang Jingyi, the male lead Yin Fang instantly lost control of his expression, his mouth slightly open, filled with astonishment.

The producer, standing on the far side, was utterly astonished, completely unprepared for this tech giant to appear so abruptly at the roadshow for their low-budget film.

A restless atmosphere, a mixture of shock, doubt, and barely concealed excitement, swept through the entire giant screen hall like a silent shockwave.

All eyes, on and off the stage, were focused on the tall man who had just stood up, yet whose posture was as relaxed as if he were in his own living room.

A big shot has arrived!
Its very existence is enough to stir up a storm, without any announcement.

After a brief silence, a huge wave of sound suddenly exploded from the back of the audience, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
"Jiang Qing?! It's Jiang Qing!"

"My God! It really is him!"

"Jiang Shen! What are you doing here, Jiang Shen?!"

"The Fate Ring! It's the Fate Ring!"

"Li Xun! Look here!"

"No! Look ahead, your princess is over there!"

"Jiang Shen is here to support Xiao Zhang's new movie! I'm going crazy for him..."

Exclamations, screams, and incredulous shouts, mixed with cries of "Ming Yun Xun Huan" and "Li Xun," instantly engulfed the entire giant screen hall.

Many of Zhang Jingyi's fans, who were also fans of the "Ming Yun Xun Huan" couple, were so excited that their faces turned red, and they waved their arms frantically, trying to get Jiang Qing's attention.

This enthusiastic response brought many people back to their senses, reminding them that the tech giant who had suddenly appeared and the smiling female lead on stage were the male and female leads of last winter's hit romance drama "Ignite Me, Warm You," a couple with countless fans!

The host on stage finally snapped out of her shock at the enthusiastic reaction from the audience. Her professionalism allowed her to quickly adjust her expression, though her voice still carried an unavoidable hint of excitement.

"Oh my god! We...we have such an unexpected guest today! Quick! Quick, hand the microphone to our CEO, Mr. Jiang!"

The staff practically ran to hand the microphone to Jiang Qing.

Jiang Qing smiled as she took the microphone and thanked the staff.

He first looked up, his gaze sweeping across the boisterous audience.

Then, she smiled and brought the microphone closer.

"Hello everyone, I'm Jiang Qing. I didn't expect to be called out by Teacher Zhang in this way; it's a bit sudden."

His voice, gentle and steady, came through the speakers, calming the cheers slightly, but excited whispers continued unabated.

After speaking, he turned his gaze to Zhang Jingyi on the stage, looking at her across the rows of seats, a playful smile curving his lips.

"Teacher Zhang, your eye for choosing audience members... is quite unique. Did you give me a chance to speak because you saw I was sitting too far back and were worried I wouldn't be able to hear you?"

His familiarity with the conversation and his playful tone immediately drew knowing laughter from the audience.

Zhang Jingyi also held a microphone in her hand. Upon hearing this, she showed no stage fright whatsoever. She raised her chin slightly, her eyes sparkling with a bright and cunning light, and retorted with a smile.

"Professor Jiang, you are such an important person, and you have condescended to sit in the last row of our theater. I have to seize this opportunity to let you participate and feel the enthusiasm of our roadshow! Otherwise you will say that our crew has not treated us well."

"I felt the enthusiasm."

Jiang Qing nodded with a smile, her tone relaxed.

"It almost scared my old bones to death."

"Come on, you're kidding me!"

Zhang Jingyi smiled even more happily, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

"You're so young, yet you call yourself an old man. How are we, the working class who are really busy running around doing promotional tours, supposed to feel?"

The two chatted back and forth across the entire screening room, joking around as if no one else was around. Their tone was natural and intimate, and their tacit interaction and familiarity in their words seemed to fill the air with an ambiguous yet relaxed atmosphere.

The fans of the "Ming Yun Xun Huan" CP at the scene had their eyes shining and were so excited that they pinched each other's arms. Exclamations of "I'm totally shipping them!" rose and fell throughout the venue.

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, the host quickly seized the opportunity to intervene, smiling as he looked at Jiang Qing.

"President Jiang, I didn't expect you to come to the roadshow of our 'Changsha Nightlife' today. You just finished watching the movie. Could you give your opinion on Jingyi's performance in the movie?"

As soon as the question was raised, everyone perked up their ears, eager to hear what the actress's former on-screen partner would say.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qing deliberately lowered his head, as if he were thinking seriously. His gaze swept over Zhang Jingyi on the stage, who was holding her breath slightly and looking at him with a hint of expectation because of this question.

His mysterious manner made Zhang Jingyi secretly glare at him and silently urge him with her mouth.

"Say it!"

Jiang Qing's smile deepened before she slowly began to speak.

"His performance... well, he captured the essence of He Xixi quite well."

He didn't comment much on the film itself, nor did he discuss specific acting skills. Instead, he used a rather abstract yet precise word—"energy."

Then, he changed the subject, looking at Zhang Jingyi with admiration in his voice.

"However, compared to the movie character, I find Mr. Zhang's own vibrant energy more attractive."

"Wow!!!"

As soon as these words were spoken, an even louder jeer erupted from the crowd!
This isn't an evaluation of a movie character at all.
This is clearly using the character to praise the person themselves!
And the praise was so direct and so unique!
Zhang Jingyi was taken aback by his words. She was stunned for a moment, and then her cheeks quickly flushed red.

She instinctively wanted to retort, but looking at Jiang Qing's smiling face, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. Her heart felt like it had been gently bumped by something, a little sweet and a little embarrassed.

She tried to remain calm, picked up the microphone, cleared her throat to cover up her discomfort, and tried her best to maintain her composure, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, revealing her good mood.

"Ahem... You know how to talk! Considering Teacher Jiang has such good taste, next time... next time I'll treat you to a meal!"

Her words were a little arrogant, and also seemed to be an attempt to defuse the ambiguous atmosphere created by the overly direct praise earlier.

Jiang Qing raised an eyebrow and then replied.

"Okay, I'll be waiting. It's rare for Teacher Zhang to treat us to a meal, so I definitely have to accept."

"What are you pretending for? Have I treated you to meals without any? Braised pork trotters rice, rice in a wooden bucket, braised pork noodles... you ate a lot of these on set!" Zhang Jingyi immediately became unhappy upon hearing this and glared at her as she retorted.

This person really knows how to spout off without thinking!

"Hahaha!"

"Watching these two banter is more interesting than their roadshow!"

"They seem to have a good relationship, is there really nothing going on?"

"Absolutely, otherwise how many people in the entertainment industry would dare to speak to Jiang Qing like that?"

"Oh my, this is so cute..."

The audience was once again amused by the interaction between the two, and the atmosphere reached its peak.

After exchanging a few more playful banter, Jiang Qing returned to her seat amidst the host's thanks and the audience's reluctant farewells.

It's not good to let the secondary elements overshadow the main content.

Although he sat down, the focus of the entire IMAX theater remained, almost imperceptibly, on the corner where he was.

During the subsequent promotional segment, although the other main cast members also tried their best to interact, many viewers were clearly still immersed in the huge surprise of Jiang Qing's sudden appearance and natural interaction with Zhang Jingyi, as well as the gossip about the relationship between the two.

Nearly forty minutes later, the roadshow, which had been full of twists and turns, finally came to an end.

The creative team began to leave the venue under the protection of staff, and the audience also got up one after another, reluctant to leave.

Jiang Qing walked out with the crowd. He was tall and there was no way to avoid being surrounded by the audience.

"Jiang Shen! Can I take a picture with you?"

"Dr. Jiang, please sign your autograph! I really like your Xiao Heyun and Li Xun!"

"Jiang Shen, I'm your fan!"

"Did Jiang Shen come here specifically to see Jingyi...?"

Audiences flocked in from all directions, and their numbers grew larger and larger.

Although Jiang Qing disliked such occasions, he still maintained basic politeness in the face of these enthusiastic fans. He stopped and patiently tried to fulfill the requests for photos and autographs from several fans as quickly as possible.

But his appearance was so sudden that more and more people gathered around, and the scene became somewhat chaotic.

Fortunately, Chen Duo and Zhou Zhengkai had quietly appeared beside him at some point, protecting him tacitly on either side, whispering, "Sorry, President Jiang has other commitments," while struggling to part the crowd and move towards the underground parking garage.

After some effort, the three finally managed to escape the encirclement and enter the relatively quiet underground parking garage.

As Jiang Qing walked to the car and was about to open the door, her phone vibrated in her pocket.

He took it out and saw that it was a message from Zhang Jingyi.

Where are you? Did you escape?

Jiang Qing tapped her fingers on the screen.

"They escaped; they're in section B of the underground parking garage."

I received a reply shortly after sending the message.

"Wait me a moment!"

Jiang Qing looked at these few words, raised her eyebrows slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, which then turned into a knowing smile.

He opened the car door, but didn't get in immediately. Instead, he leaned against the door and nodded to Chen Duo and Zhou Zhengkai.

"You guys go back first, I have something to take care of here."

Chen Duo and Zhou Zhengkai exchanged a glance, immediately understood, and without asking any further questions, simply nodded.

"Okay, Mr. Jiang."

After saying that, they both turned and left.

Jiang Qing leaned leisurely against the car, her gaze fixed on the elevator leading to the cinema.

Less than two minutes later, a figure jogged out of the elevator, looked around, then pinpointed his location and ran over quickly.

The person who came was naturally Zhang Jingyi.

She had changed out of the refreshing dress she wore during the roadshow and put on a loose gray hooded sweatshirt, paired with light blue skinny jeans and white sneakers, looking simple and comfortable.

He was wearing a large black mask that covered almost half of his face, and a matching baseball cap pulled low over his head. He was completely covered up, looking every bit the part of a celebrity who goes out fully armed.

Only her eyes, which shone brightly as she ran, and the two braids that bounced behind her as she ran, revealed her unique vivacity.

She jogged to the car, still slightly out of breath.

Jiang Qing looked at her thief-like appearance and couldn't help but chuckle. He reached out and opened the passenger door for her.

"Hurry up and get in the car, or someone with sharp eyes might recognize you if you stand there any longer."

Zhang Jingyi didn't stand on ceremony. She bent down and climbed into the passenger seat with practiced ease, muttering complaints as she fastened her seatbelt.

"The underground parking garage should be fine... It's just that you, Jiang, are too conspicuous. Standing next to you, no matter how well I disguise myself, I'm easily implicated."

Jiang Qing closed the passenger door, walked around to the driver's seat and got in. Hearing this, he smiled, started the car, and glanced at her sideways.

"How did you sneak out? Aren't you with the roadshow team? Don't you have any plans for tonight?"

Zhang Jingyi adjusted her posture to make herself more comfortable, and then proudly raised her chin. Although most of her face was covered by a mask, her upturned eyes clearly expressed her little emotions.

"I have two movies coming out at the same time recently, 'Changsha Nightlife' and 'Unfamiliar Road, Life'. I'm practically a special forces soldier on a promotional tour! I've been working non-stop for almost half a month, and I can finally rest for a day tomorrow! I just talked to the director and producer and I've agreed that I won't follow the rest of the schedule. After resting for a day, I'll go straight to the 'Unfamiliar Road, Life' set. They all understand."

She turned to look at Jiang Qing, her eyes sparkling.

"Besides, didn't I just say I'd treat you to dinner? I always keep my word! There's no time like the present, so let's do it now! How about it, Teacher Jiang, will you do me the honor?"

Jiang Qing looked into her bright eyes, which were full of vitality. It seemed that all the fatigue and busyness could be transformed into a carefree and easygoing attitude in her eyes.

He smiled, turned the steering wheel, and smoothly drove the car out of the parking space.

"Since Teacher Zhang has extended such a kind invitation, I must accept."

Eyes fixed ahead.

"However, I'll decide where we eat. I'll take you somewhere you'll probably like."

"Oh?"

Zhang Jingyi's curiosity was instantly piqued, and she unconsciously leaned closer to him.

"What place is this? Why are you being so mysterious?"

Jiang Qing, however, remained in suspense and simply smiled.

"You'll know when we get there. Telling you now would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it?"

"Tch, trying to play mysterious with me!"

Zhang Jingyi pursed her lips, but the anticipation in her eyes grew even stronger.

She stopped asking questions, leaned back comfortably in her chair, pointed ahead, and spoke in her usual sweet and cheerful voice.

"Alright! Then... driver, let's go!"

Her soft, sweet voice echoed in the carriage, filled with anticipation for the unknown journey ahead.

Jiang Qing glanced at her sideways. The girl's eyes, hidden under the brim of her hat, were smiling and curved, as if they were filled with the sunshine of spring.

He smiled, lightly pressed the accelerator, and the car accelerated, merging into the traffic flow that was gradually illuminating the evening in Beijing.

(End of this chapter)