Set Visit
The news of the media visit to the set was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples throughout the production team. The recording schedule was readjusted, and the laboratory made an exception, allowing some reporters to film in specific areas. The air was filled with a slightly restless atmosphere, different from the usual rigorous scientific research.
Jiang Mo was in the lounge, having her makeup touched up by a makeup artist. Linda repeatedly reminded her, "Remember, be natural, relaxed, and occasionally show a hint of awe and bewilderment towards science—that's very appealing. When interacting with Professor Shen, be careful with your demeanor; that subtle feeling, somewhere between unfamiliar and familiar, is the most attractive..."
Jiang Mo looked at herself in the mirror: her makeup was radiant, her smile impeccable, and every strand of hair was perfectly styled. This was a familiar battlefield for her, only this time, her opponent (or rather, her partner) was the unpredictable Shen Zhiyan. She recalled his comments about her "variable acting skills" from yesterday, and a faint sneer curled her lips. Today, she, this actress with "excessively high variance," would have to give a good performance.
The set visit took place in the common rest area outside the laboratory. Cameras and lenses were set up, and the lights illuminated this area, usually used for coffee and casual conversation, as bright as day. Jiang Mo and Shen Zhiyan, as the core partners of the program, were seated together for a group interview.
Shen Zhiyan was still wearing that dark gray cashmere sweater, and he frowned slightly under the bright light, seemingly unaccustomed to the exposure. He sat upright, his hands resting flat on his knees, like a precision instrument about to be questioned.
The reporters' questions were initially quite routine, revolving around the program's original purpose and the significance of popularizing science. Shen Zhiyan's answers were concise, logically clear, and the occasional use of technical jargon left the reporters nodding in agreement.
Soon, the topic shifted to the interaction between the two.
"Mr. Shen, what do you feel is the biggest challenge in guiding a non-professional like Ms. Jiang Mo on the show?" a male reporter wearing glasses asked.
Shen Zhiyan glanced at Jiang Mo, his gaze calm and unwavering: "The challenge lies in conveying complex scientific principles in a simplified way without losing accuracy. This is in itself an interesting cognitive communication experiment."
His answer still confined everything to the category of "experiment".
"And what about Ms. Jiang Mo? What are your special feelings about spending so much time with a top scientist like Professor Shen?" The female reporter handed the microphone to Jiang Mo.
Jiang Mo gave a perfectly timed smile, tinged with a hint of teasing and sincerity: "My impression is that Teacher Shen possesses a very unique 'language system.' Communicating with him requires constant learning, and occasionally you'll be precisely hit by his 'sharp tongue.'" She cleverly packaged yesterday's "acting variance" incident into a harmless anecdote, "For example, yesterday, Teacher Shen just gave me a vivid 'micro-expression management lesson.'"
The reporters chuckled good-naturedly, and the atmosphere became lively. Everyone looked at Shen Zhiyan, anticipating his response.
Under everyone's gaze, Shen Zhiyan paused for a second, then looked very seriously at the reporter who asked the question and explained, "That wasn't entirely 'sharp-tongued,' but rather an objective analysis based on the facial motion coding system. The synchronization rate between the zygomaticus major muscle and the orbicularis oculi muscle is indeed used to determine..."
"Ahem!" Researcher Zhou coughed twice, interrupting his academic discourse that was about to begin.
Jiang Mo gently touched the side of Shen Zhiyan's shoe with the tip of her high heel under the table.
Shen Zhiyan's words came to an abrupt halt. He turned his head slightly, somewhat puzzled, glanced at Jiang Mo, and then at the reporters around him with their varied expressions. He seemed to finally realize that this was not the place for a scientific report.
He paused, then abruptly changed the subject: "...Miss Jiang has a strong learning ability and has made remarkable progress."
This somewhat clumsy attempt to patch things up contrasted sharply with his usual composed and confident scientist image, which made the reporters find it genuine and interesting, and the sound of camera shutters went off again.
After the group interview, the reporters were allowed to film some scenes freely within a designated area. Jiang Mo and Shen Zhiyan were asked to engage in some routine interactions, such as reviewing data together or discussing issues.
In front of a computer displaying complex data visualizations, the two stood side by side for the media to take photos. Following the director's instructions, Jiang Mo leaned slightly forward, pointing to a specific area on the screen, feigning attentive listening and questioning. Shen Zhiyan then provided the explanation.
Just then, a reporter who had gotten too close, in an attempt to find a better angle, accidentally bumped into a small cart that was moving nearby. The cart carried several cups of coffee prepared for the staff. A half-finished cup of coffee shook violently, and the dark brown liquid was about to spill onto Jiang Mo's expensive custom-made dress.
The incident happened so suddenly that Jiang Mo only had time to slightly open her eyes.
Almost simultaneously, Shen Zhiyan, who was standing slightly behind her, swiftly wrapped his arm around her from behind, precisely blocking her from the coffee cup. Most of the warm coffee spilled onto the sleeve of his cashmere sweater, quickly spreading into a dark stain.
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry!" the reporter who bumped into the cart apologized repeatedly.
A minor commotion broke out at the scene. Staff members immediately went to handle the situation.
Jiang Mo turned around in surprise, and the first thing she saw was Shen Zhiyan's sleeve stained with coffee, and his calm, expressionless face so close to hers. He was even still in that half-encircling-her-posture position, his arm suspended there, not touching her, but forming an effective physical barrier.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, looking down at her, his tone still flat, as if it were someone else's sleeve that had been splashed with dirt.
"...It's nothing." Jiang Mo came to her senses, but her heart belatedly skipped a few beats. Not from shock, but from...his quick reaction and that unwavering, purely protective stance. This was a huge shock to his usual detached "observer" demeanor.
A staff member handed over a tissue, and Shen Zhiyan withdrew his arm, took the tissue, and began wiping his sleeve with his head down. His brows furrowed slightly, as if he was thinking more about the composition of the stain and how difficult it would be to remove.
"Your sleeves..." Jiang Mo felt a little guilty.
“The caffeine and pigment mixture is highly absorbent in cashmere, so timely treatment should prevent permanent staining,” he analyzed without looking up. Then he instructed Xiao Chen, who was walking over, “Go to my office and get the spare coat.”
The set visit finally ended in chaos. The media were satisfied with the plenty of material they had gathered, especially the "coffee spill" and "hero saves the damsel in distress" episodes, which were worthy of extensive coverage.
The crowd dispersed, and the rest area returned to silence. Jiang Mo watched as Shen Zhiyan changed into the spare jacket Xiao Chen had brought—a dark blue cashmere sweater that was almost identical in style.
"Thank you for earlier." Jiang Mo walked to his side and sincerely thanked him.
Shen Zhiyan straightened his cuffs, looked up at her, and said, "It's no trouble at all. Your dress is made of delicate material, and coffee stains are more troublesome to deal with. From a cost-effectiveness point of view, this is the best solution."
He started using his own logic to "explain" his behavior again.
But this time, Jiang Mo didn't feel offended. She watched his profile as he meticulously adjusted his cuffs, looked at the dirty jacket that had been quickly removed and likely sent for emergency treatment, and suddenly asked softly:
"Teacher Shen, how many cashmere sweaters of the same style do you keep in your office?"
Shen Zhiyan paused, seemingly surprised by her question. He remained silent for a few seconds before answering, his voice lower than before: "Five items. Rotate them. This can reduce unnecessary decision-making costs."
Jiang Mo nodded and didn't say anything more.
She turned and headed towards the dressing room to remove her makeup. But her mind kept replaying the image of his arm that had unhesitatingly blocked the spilled coffee, and the five identical cashmere sweaters in his office.
A strong intuition told her that beneath Shen Zhiyan's extremely rigorous data logic and cost-benefit analysis, there seemed to be a more complex internal algorithm that even he himself might not fully understand.
And this algorithm seems to be quietly changing because of her "outlier case" of constantly inputting new data.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
