Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 202: Decision

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Without financial independence, there was no real freedom and it is for this reason that Zhang Siyi chose to work directly after graduation. At twenty-something, which boy doesn’t want to enter society, stand on their own two feet and showcase their ambitions as soon as possible?

Liao Jun slightly nodded in agreement over Zhang Siyi’s thoughts and also put forward his own ideas about jobs with stable income: “In fact, I was very happy in the beginning to simply work and have a salary. Although there were times I would be disappointed with the type of work I had to do, having received a paycheck every month was very comforting. The more money I had in hand, the easier it was to ignore the aspects about work that I didn’t like and over time, I gradually felt numb. I was just like a cog in a wheel going with the flow. Looking back, that feeling was really terrible. In the end, I think it depends on the situation on how best to achieve financial independence. If you aren’t able to work from your heart, you will regret it later even with a high salary. It’s better to plan ahead and endure a short period of poverty to lay down a solid foundation for the future. From the get go, the time spent might seem like an arduous sacrifice, however for me, three years have already passed in the blink of an eye.”

Zhang Siyi was deeply touched by Liao Jun’s heartfelt remarks and couldn’t help but reflect on the status of his current life.

Indeed, Zhang Siyi rapid growth in the workplace has been going very smoothly. He is already capable of working on various small projects alone.  However, as time progresses and investment projects increase, he knows that the material he learned during his undergraduate period was increasingly becoming inadequate. The way forward in his career has become blocked.

For this reason, Zhang Siyi knows that earning a Master’s degree is imperative. Even though he  knows that a Master’s degree is no longer an impulsive choice, in the current situation, he wasn’t willing to separate himself from Gu Yu. As a result, Zhang Siyi has been putting his decision to apply for a Master’s program on hold indefinitely.

….. One day I’ll go back to get my master’s degree…. But when? When I’m thirty? Thirty-five? ….

Looking ahead six years, he would be the same age of Gu Yu now. Without further education, he would continue to be doing the same type of work day after day and ultimately continue to be Gu Yu’s subordinate.

Knowing that there is someone nearby who was always looking out for your best interest and wellbeing, it was easy to live day-by-day, without a plan for the future, worry free. Thinking along these lines, Zhang Siyi started to feel guilty and the more he thought about it, the more anxious he felt. In a panic he quickly asked Liao Jun: “How did you make the decision to go back?”

“I asked friends and senior coworkers who had a Master’s degree whether or not they ever regretted their decision to go back to study.” Liao Jun smiled at Zhang Siyi then continued: “Ten out of ten times, people told me they didn’t have regrets. In addition, they had advised me to return to school earlier rather than later because the workplace relies on efficiency and thus, people are rather rushed in the development of projects. There wasn’t time to slow down and think about the process in its entirety and without that, it’s impossible to show comprehensive knowledge about the field and grow as an architect. The longer you wait to go back to school, the harder it was to return.”

Zhang Siyi nodded in agreement over Liao Jun’s well-spoken thoughts. When he first joined the company, he was given half a day to work on an apartment project with Du Rui. During school, there was ample time to create a design, discuss it for problems and then make revisions accordingly. The disparity between corporate work and his University work was clear.

“Moreover, hesitating about it might simply be a product of insecurities. Afterall, to willingly giving up a very comfortable lifestyle for the unknown can be scary.” Liao Jun paused for a moment to drink from his bowl of noodle soup: “Anyway… laying down a solid foundation for your future is the best course of action.”

After their meal, the two men walked back to the hotel. Outside, the rain came down even harder and the pitter-patter of droplets splashing against the window echoed in the quiet room. As the drops flowed downwards, they left streams of lines on the glass like a loose pencil sketch on paper. Nearby, sitting cross-legged quietly at a table, Liao Jun was reviewing the photographs of the area they surveyed…..

With the gloomy weather and unique odor of a sterile hotel room, Zhang Siyi laid in bed ruminating about the ideas that Liao Jun expressed all afternoon. For the first time, he seriously   thought about the realities of earning a Master’s degree.

The next morning, even though the day was somewhat gloomy, the group resumed their work and continued with their survey.

In quiet observation, Zhang Siyi watched the process that Liao Jun used to carefully record each set of measurements and note the data down. When Zhang Siyi didn’t understand something, he would question professor Teacher Cui. In their exchange, the professor discussed how to differentiate the architectural styles of ancient times. By carefully inspecting existing monuments and reviewing the urban history of the city, one could extrapolate the timeframe by which the city evolved.

Since Zhang Siyi went to University abroad, he didn’t study ancient Chinese architecture. Originally, he thought all ancient Chinese architecture was similar however, after talking with the professor, he learned about the different styles of each dynasty. There was a large difference between folk architecture and royal architecture.

The style used to renovate the ancient city isn’t based on the architect’s preferences. Rather, in order to maintain the correct details of the building style, there was a rigorous process of thought and deduction to adhere to. For example, many buildings in the Xi’an area have traces of Tang Dynasty influences because of their boldness. In comparison, Qing Dynasty and Yuan Ming architecture is simpler. The prosperity of Chang’an City during the Tang Dynasty had a profound impact with the future development of urban cities in later generations.

The depth of knowledge from a specialized expert was vastly different compared to someone without a background in ancient construction. If Zhang Siyi lead the project, even if he had a greater aptitude for design methods, he wouldn’t know where to start on renovating an ancient city.

When dealing with ancient buildings, graduate students in ancient architecture have to dig deeper and inspect all of the details and nuances in a building as compared to peers who only study modern construction. This mode of thinking, formed from the meticulous observation and evaluation of ancient construction, allows them to see a problem more readily than those who haven’t had such rigorous training.

Before, Zhang Siyi hadn’t thought about such details. Now, in the presence of the experts, he had become more diligent and more concerned about his efforts.

In addition, he slowly became aware of the educational gap between himself and Tao Fei. Even though Tao Fei had a year Master’s program, no matter how hard Zhang Siyi worked to catch up to him, he would be unable to because, not only was the starting point between them too great, Tao Fei would inevitably grow professionally at a faster rate than Zhang Siyi.

In an architectural firm, a post-graduate is commonly the person in charge of large-scale projects and it is conceivable that in two years’ time, a person would be able to take over and assume the responsibilities that GU Yu has.

 At Zhang Siyi’s current position, would he be able to? Even if he were given three years or five years, he wouldn’t. There is just too large of a difference between skills of those with a graduate degree versus ones without, both theoretical creativity and practical stylization.

For the past few nights at the hotel, Zhang Siyi started searching the internet for RIBA part 2 information. Specifically, the application deadline and which institutions to apply to. If he wanted to enroll in September next year, then he had to start preparing now. Although it seems far away, in reality there was only a short window of time he could use to prepare his portfolio for the application.

The easiest place to apply to was his Alma Mater as the department gives priority to those whom graduated from their undergraduate program and besides, Zhang Siyi graduated with decent grades.

However, studying at the same university under professors who teach in the same style might be too narrow of an education. Zhang Siyi thought it would be better to learn from another institution in order to broaden his knowledge to a greater extent and thus, he focused his efforts on two other universities.

Tao Fei has earned his Master’s from one of the most prestigious University in the UK. In addition, many internationally renowned architects have also studied there. While Tao Fei studied for one year, the real golden nugget is the multi-year program that is recognized by RIBA part 2.

However, the application for this course is the most difficult. As it stands, 80% of Zhang Siyi’s undergraduate projects won’t even be qualified to use in the application. Even so, with the amount of progress he has made at the company, Zhang Siyi felt like he could give it a shot and apply.

Another option is the University that Yu Rui graduated from. Setting aside Yu Rui’s negative influence in the circle of friends, the architectural department was indeed a very worthwhile program, but since the degree offered by the program isn’t the same, the value isn’t as great.

After deciding on the three schools to apply too, the next step was to think about financing his education and thus, Zhang Siyi encountered the second problem: money.

All three schools were located in the London area. In addition to high tuition fees, he would also have to deal with the high cost of living. For a two-year Master’s program, it would require something along the lines of one million yuan.

Now that he thought about it, he knew he wouldn’t be able to acquire the large sum of money on such short notice alone. One option would be to wait until he earned enough money, but that would be self-defeating and prolong the process.

On the bed, Zhang was laying on his side with bitter feelings….. What should I do? Speak to my parents?

In spite of his brave declaration of independence to his father, it was the first thought that came to mind. In reality, if he was in real economic need, he instinctively thought about his parents first because he knew that they would do everything they could to meet his legitimate demands.

However, this transpired a year ago and if he had asked at that time, he had no qualms about asking. After all, he was used to his father’s antics, but now it was different because he was with Gu Yu. For this reason, Zhang Siyi felt he had no right to ask his parents for anything for the rest of his life so he immediately withdrew the thought.

Facing the reality of the situation, Zhang Siyi roughly shut his laptop in frustration and grabbed his iPad to play games….

To take his mind off his problems, he opened Era of Music and cleared all nine levels on hard mode with ease. Tapping the keys with all ten fingers, Zhang Siyi imagined this was his battlefield…. Ah! Ah! Bo! Bo! Why can’t learning architecture be as simple as playing a game?  Why did he choose a career path that was so difficult to clear!

After an hour of games, Zhang Siyi collapsed on the bed. He felt even more depressed at the hurdle he must overcome if he wanted to continue his education. As his thoughts were becoming darker, the phone rang. Looking at his phone, Zhang Siyi saw the caller ID: Gu Yu

Afraid of being overheard by Liao Jun, he quickly put on his shoes and went outside to answer the call. Making himself as nondescript as possible, Zhang Siyi leaned against the window at the end of the hotel corridor and listened to the soothing sound of Gu Yu’s voice over the phone.

Gu Yu had asked him how he has been since his departure, what he has been doing during the day and what he ate at night…. Gu Yu soft and attentive voice had the power to heal his somber heart. Zhang Siyi’s mood slightly improved.

To be fair, Zhang Siyi’s life has been very lucky. Not only was he born into a well-off family with good educational conditions, he also met a great boss at the first place of work and now, this person has become the perfect lover….

Was Zhang Siyi too ambitious? Perhaps it was better to lower the bar and consider going to a domestic college so he doesn’t have to be separated from Gu Yu…… But if that was the case, his royal registered architect’s license was defunct. What was the point of getting it in the first place?

In order to move forward with his career, he had to get a Master’s degree and it was imperative that he earn his RIBA part 2 license. One was to enhance his skills and the other was to obtain an industry pass. The two were inseparable.

After chatting for a little while, Gu Yu picked up on Zhang Siyi’s mood and asked: “What’s the matter? Are you ok?”

Zhang Siyi hesitated. A thought suddenly popped into his mind. What if he asked Gu Yu to borrow money? He was surprised by his own idea.

Since Gu Yu was rich, he subconsciously thought the idea wasn’t unimaginable. Knowing Gu Yu personality, he was likely to give him the money, but this wasn’t in line with Zhang Siyi’s principles of life and love. He had always advocated for economic independence between lovers when possible. Moreover, with such a large sum of money, even if Gu Yu was willing, Zhang Siyi felt like he would be indebted to Gu Yu forever. He didn’t want the issue of money to affect their relationship. No sooner did the thought come to mind did Zhang Siyi push it aside.

Of course, the most fundamental issue was the fact that Zhang Siyi hadn’t mentioned the idea of going abroad for a Master’s degree with Gu Yu yet. Even if he was reluctant to leave Gu Yu’s side, was Gu Yu feeling the same?

The voice on the other side of the phone jokingly asked: “Do you miss me?”

Even though Gu Yu’s teasing prompted Zhang Siyi to reply with ‘I miss you’, Zhang Siyi instead replied: “Well….”

Zhang Siyi suddenly plucked up the courage to talk about it and in a serios tone, he said: “Boss.”

When Gu Yu heard the sincerity in Zhang Siyi’s voice, he became serious and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Siyi knew that he could not take back his thoughts and the only thing he could do now was to put the greatest trust in his love and confess all his ideas and concerns with Gu Yu.

Zhang Siyi bit the bullet and asked: ”I want to ask you a question.”

Gu Yu: “Hmm?”

Zhang Siyi: “If I said I wanted to go back England to study for a master’s degree, what would you think?”

Falling into silence, the conversation abrupted stopped. After waiting for a bit, Zhang Siyi suddenly regretted opening his mouth and hastened to retract his statement: “I… I was just casually thinking about it. I’m not sure I want to go. The tuition is very expensive and I can’t afford to go now….”

Gu Yu remained unresponsive.

Zhang Siyi panicked and asked: “Are you listening?”

Gu Yu replied with a soft ‘well’ then paused. In that time, Zhang Siyi could hear a quiet contemplative sigh.

Zhang Siyi didn’t know what to say. The concern over Gu Yu’s wellbeing was far greater than any of the problems associated with applying for a Master’s in England.

After a minute of silence, Gu Yu finally said: “I need some time to think about it. I’ll give you an answer then.”

Zhang Siyi didn’t understand why Gu Yu didn’t answer him. Wasn’t it as easy as saying ‘it’s a good idea’ or ‘that’s a bad idea’….? Is the answer so complicated? In fact, if Gu Yu thought it was a bad idea, he would obediently stay home because he was willing to stay by Gu Yu side in the same capacity for the rest of his life.

“It’s getting late. Don’t think about it too much. Get some sleep,” Gu Yu said and ended the conversation with a “good night.”

After Gu Yu hung up, although Zhang Siyi regretted his candid outburst, he paradoxically was looking forward to Gu Yu’s reply.

With Zhang Siyi attention focused on the renovation project, time flew by. With two days remaining of the two-week business trip, they were nearing the end of their work assignment. Professor Cui gave them the last day off to become a tourist and enjoy their surroundings.

In order to plan for a fun day off, Zhang Siyi and Liao Jun were surfing the Internet in their room. A sudden knock on the door interrupted them. Since Liao Jun was closer to the door, he got up quickly to answer it. When he opened it, he lifted his brow in surprise and said: “Guh.…”

Liao Jun wasn’t quite sure how to address the unexpected visitor. Since he wasn’t an employee of Borderless, he wouldn’t be able to say ‘Boss’ like Bi Lele does and Professor Cui has some familiarity with him so he uses ‘Young Gu’ often. Zhang Siyi is on a first name basis so ultimately, Liao Jun said: “Director Gu.”

Gu Yu nodded down and asked: “Is Zhang Siyi in?”

When Zhang Siyi heard the familiar voice, he instantly turned around to see what was going on. Gu Yu was standing at the door with a small overnight duffle in one hand and holding a key-card in another. Apparently, he just arrived and hadn’t yet gone to his own room.

……… Why does that guy always pop-up at the most unexpected times? Fuck! His heart is going to explode!

“Room 0302. Come with me for a little while.” Gu Yu held up his key-card, expressionless.

Zhang Siyi quickly got off the bed, put on slippers, and gave a nod to Liao Jun before leaving the room.

After they went inside Gu Yu’s room, Zhang Siyi immediately asked: “Why are you here? Did you have dinner yet?”

Gu Yu simply put his bag on the bed, loosened his tie then turned around to grab Zhang Siyi, kiss him and hold him close.

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Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 201: Ring

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Even though it was Zhang Siyi’s Birthday, Gu Yu still had his way. Witnessing Zhang Siyi coquettish exuberance, Gu Yu suddenly switched roles and let Zhang Siyi experience what was called, being plundered. Like a beast, Gu Yu was being rather aggressive, but nevertheless, his affectionate gazes, gentle caresses, and tender kisses let Zhang Siyi feel completely loved.

Normally at home, Zhang Siyi always thought about Gu Yao next door and being considerate, he often felt hindered. In contrast, they were currently at a high-class hotel with good sound insulation and thus, not being afraid of being heard, while holding GU Yu tightly during the throes of passion, Zhang Siyi let out his voice without constraint.

At the height of the climax, Zhang Siyi’s spirit and body were greatly satiated. Feeling spent, he languidly sank into Gu Yu arms and snuggled up close to him comfortably.

At nine at night, it wasn’t terribly late, but even so, Zhang Siyi definitely wasn’t going back to his hotel room where his colleagues were. However, since he didn’t have a cell phone, he didn’t have a method of contacting his roommate, Liao Jun. Afraid his colleagues might worry without notification, he decided it would be best to contact Bi Lele to pass on a message.

Gu Yu took a moment to collect his thoughts then dialed Bi Lele’s phone number: “Hello, Bi Lele?”

Glancing at Zhang Siyi’s stretched out body that lazily wrapped his arm and leg around him, Gu Yu couldn’t help but smile. When Bi Lele answered, he quickly adjusted his mindset and collected himself to answer: “I got a call from Zhang Siyi asking me to pass a message to you. Please let his roommate, Liao Jun, know he bumped into an old friend while he was out shopping for a new phone and won’t be returning to the hotel.”

…… An old friend?  Zhang Siyi squinted his eyes and smiled smugly at Gu Yu. Now he finally understood the meaning behind Gu Yu’s deception by telling the group he was returning to Haicheng. No one would suspect Zhang Siyi was with Gu Yu for the night!

He had to admire Gu Yu’s acting ability. Not only did he have perfect control over the tone of his voice, but he also had total control over his facial expressions. How was he able to make it sound so convincingly serious while maintaining a straight face?

Gu Yu continued to explain the situation to Bi Lele: “He didn’t remember your phone number, so he used his friend’s cell phone to call me first…”

The contrast between Gu Yu’s previous tone of adoration to his current formal attitude spurred Zhang Siyi on. He was feeling rather playful and subconsciously let his hand gently caress his torso, leaving his fingers to trail down his body while he rested his head momentarily on Gu Yu’s abdomen.

Zhang Siyi could hear the slight tremble in Gu Yu voice while speaking on the phone. Since his reaction encouraged Zhang Siyi further, he continued to move further down to take Gu Yu in his mouth.

Burying his face in his crotch, Zhang Siyi teasingly used his tongue to caress the tip before enveloping him whole. While listening to Gu Yu’s quivering speech, Zhang Siyi felt his slender fingers comb across his scalp and hair. In a hurry, Gu Yu ended his conversation: “Well, he will return to work tomorrow morning on time.”

From below, Zhang Siyi looked up at Gu Yu in surprise at his inability to maintain his act. He didn’t think Gu Yu would respond so quickly making him wonder if in fact, Gu Yu wasn’t such a great actor or if it was his technique that was just too good.

Soon, he wasn’t pondering it anymore. Once Gu Yu hung up the phone, he curled his fingers against Zhang Siyi’s hair, grasping it tightly and forcefully pushed Zhang Siyi’s head against his hips making him go deeper. Then he heard Gu Yu say: “Do you want to eat?”

Zhang Siyi: “….”

Sitting up, Gu Yu pulled at the waistband and let the remaining portion of his robe fall off revealing Zhang Siyi completely.

Even though Zhang Siyi himself knew he was playing with fire and wanted to confess his mistakes, instead he was further pressed onto Gu Yu to eat.

Having cum once already, it can be particularly slow for a second time. Zhang Siyi was left eating and eating and ultimately left his mouth feeling sour. Never the less, once the arrow has been drawn taut on a bow string, it had to be released. Even though Zhang Siyi resolutely increased his oral maneuvers, eliciting Gu Yu’s moans, Gu Yu suddenly grabbed Zhang Siyi’s hair: “Stop eating.”

Rubbing his head, Gu Yu grinned then turned him around. Standing up, Gu Yu plunged his rock hardness into him saying: “You need to cum again.”

Zhang Siyi’s long, sweet, erotic moans, excited Gu Yu further. This time, ‘looking after’ Zhang Siyi inside and out, Gu Yu made him take three different positions until he was allowed to touch his front and release himself.

Forced to ‘eat then support’, Zhang Siyi lamented…… It’s my birthday so why does it always feel like I’m the one that lost?

After a night of ‘torment’, neither of them had much energy. Once bathed, they went to bed in each other’s arms. Leaning closely against Gu Yu’s shoulder warmly, Zhang Siyi lazily said: “I dreamed last night that you told me Happy Birthday.”

Gu Yu: “… Hmm? “

Zhang Siyi mumbled: “I thought you had forgotten my birthday because you chose to leave the group on this day. I was very angry and went to bed early. In the middle of the night, I dreamt that you kissed me and said Happy Birthday to me”

While Zhang Siyi’s tone continued to be somewhat resentful, in reality, he had already forgiven Gu Yu long ago. He was simply being greedy for attention and acted like a brat in front of his lover in order to obtain his solace and comfort.

Gu Yu smiled and softly responded: “You weren’t dreaming. I went to your room last night.”

Zhang Siyi raised his eyes in surprise: “Ah?”

Gu Yu pinched his ears: “In fact, before, I wanted to go with you for a walk and tell you, but what could I do about your bold temper?”

Zhang Siyi grabbed his hand and asked, “Wait. Were you really looking for me? Liao Jun and I are in the same room. Aren’t you afraid of being seen?”

Gu Yu: “I had prepared to tell Liao Jun that I had something to talk to you about, but as it turned out, when I went to see if you were asleep, his phone rang and left the room to answer it. I kissed you while he was away.”

Zhang Siyi’s heart melted. The sweet feeling wasn’t a dream…….

Gu Yu bopped his nose and said hoarsely: “Don’t expect too much in the future for your birthday. Today was special because we are together now. I will never forget it.”

“Uh-hm.” Finally feeling content, Zhang Siyi grabbed his hand and held him close.  Continuing their dialog, they talked about the rest of the days’ events, but soon, because they were too exhausted to stay awake. They fell asleep in each other’s embrace.

In the middle of the night, Zhang Siyi woke up with a full bladder probably because he had too much wine to drink late at night. When he got out of bed barefoot, the urgency his bladder demanded made him rush and as a result he stumbled on the ground while getting to the bathroom. Not seeing well in the dark, he stepped on a hard object and in pain, he covered his mouth to Stifel a hiss.

From the illumination of the night light from the bathroom, Zhang Siyi looked down and saw the messy floor. Last night, they haphazardly undressed in a rush and discarded their layers all over the floor. He noticed a lump under one article of clothing. Reaching down, he pulling it out to examine it. It was a small square box. When he opened the box, Zhang Siyi saw two plain platinum rings lying quietly inside.

With his heart now pounding in his chest, Zhang Siyi was fully awake.

Glancing at Gu Yu’s sleeping form under the covers on the bed, he hurriedly closed the box and stuffed it back into the pocket of Gu Yu’s pants then crawled back into the bed.

Disturbed by his movements and temperature difference, Gu Yu frowned slightly in his sleep and leaned over to wrap his arm around Zhang Siyi. Once his lover was close again, Gu Yu quickly fell back to sleep.

Zhang Siyi felt that his heart was so loud, it was going to wake Gu Yu back up…..

…… Oh, my God ! (≧_≦)

Could that ring be the gift Gu Yu originally wanted to give him?

 …… Oh, my God !! (≧/ / / ≦)

When Zhang Siyi entered the suite, it’s no wonder that it felt so romantically decorated. It was like a proposal scene from a tv drama. Was Gu Yu really planning on proposing to him? But they only have been dating for half a year! Was he seriously thinking about it?

…… Oh, my God !!! (≧ ▽ ≦)

Feeling both excited and sullen, Zhang Siyi was too excited to sleep. After a long time thinking about having a ring on his finger, he was able to calm down and close his eyes feeling relaxed and ready to fall back asleep.

Just as he was about to drift off, he suddenly thought about the gift being swapped with a cell phone and as a result, he jolted himself awake again. His mood, like a rollercoaster, swelled up to the clouds and then down to the bottom of a valley. (= 皿 =)

Zhang Siyi inwardly pondered the situation and questioned his motivation. Gu Yu must have had a reason for not giving him his true birthday present. What was it? Gu Yu made a solemn decision to buy the rings, and yet, Gu Yu chose to give him something else. Maybe Gu Yu decided he wasn’t ready and ultimately swapped the gift at the last minute…… ?

Ahhhh! …… Doesn’t he like him enough? During our initial confessions, we clearly stated we wanted to spend a lifetime together, so Why!?

Once again, Zhang Siyi regretted losing his phone. If he hadn’t lost his phone, he would have a matching ring on his left ring finger already. Fantasying about it, he imagined two hands entwined with each other with matching rings in his mind’s eye. The idea dazzled him…. Gu Yu hand clasped with my own….. Ooooooh! I really want it!

Indeed, people can be really greedy. Originally, Zhang Siyi thought his birthday was perfect, but now that he learned his Birthday could have been even better, he felt a little dissatisfied.

Zhang Siyi opened his eyes to stare at Gu Yu’s sleeping face. He reached out and tenderly caressed his face. The corner of his mouth raised in a grin. Before next years birthday, I must get that present!

Early the next morning, Gu Yu packed his bags and officially returned to Haicheng. With a new mobile phone in hand, Zhang Siyi went back to the ancient city project location.

Arriving at the hotel just before eight o’clock, Bi Lele saw him. She smiled at him and asked: “Auntie Four, where did you go last night?”

Zhang Siyi touched his nose and repeated Gu Yu statement from last night: “I… I bumped into an old friend.”

Squinting in disbelief, Bi Lele drilled him: “What old friend?”

Trying his best to maintain his expression, Zhang Siyi continued to lie: “Someone I knew from before whom happened to be visiting the city as well.”

Bi Lele continued to interrogate: “They were also on a business trip?”

Zhang Siyi: “Yeah …”

Bi Lele: “Was it a man or a woman?”

Zhang Siyi: “Man.”

Inspecting him meaningfully, Bi Lele let out an unbelieving affirmation ‘uh-huh’ then spoke: “Your relationship must be rather close to have shared a room last night.”

Zhang Siyi shivered, shit! How is it possible to convince this rotten girl! Even if he was lieing, any two friends could have shared a room for one night!

While taking a break at noon, Zhang Siyi took a taxi to the shopping district to re-apply for a mobile phone card. He removed the new packaging, placed the sim card inside and powered the phone on.

His contacts and photos could be restored through the iCloud, but all the chat records from WeChat, including the first time Gu Yu sent him ‘Little Fox Kiss’, was gone.

Even though he could feel the tears start to well up, he held them back. Instead he sent a ‘Crying Buckets’ expression to Gu Yu on his new phone.

When Gu Yu exited the plane, he checked his messages and saw Zhang Siyi’s text. Perplexed, yet concerned, he asked: “What’s the matter?”

Zhang Siyi didn’t want to admit his reason because, knowing Gu Yu, he didn’t want to be teased and laughed at.

Gu Yu text came quickly: “Miss me?”

Zhang Siyi admitted: “Yeh… “

Gu Yu: “Good. Work hard and I’ll call you when I have time.”

Their short dialog had the desired effect and quickly calmed Zhang Siyi down.

Later in the day, several delayed unread messages popped up in WeChat, including Happy Birthday sent by his Mother. Zhang Siyi read them one by one and replied to some of them here and there. Someone in Borderless chat group also wished him a Happy Birthday.

Chicken Wings: “Yesterday was the fourth aunt’s birthday!”

Xu Jia: “Really? How do you know?”

Chicken wings: “I just got back from the personal department. There, Ms. Wang was talking about Zhang Siyi getting his birthday benefits next month because of his business trip.

Piggy: “Oh! Happy Birthday Four!”

Du Ruixuan: “Happy birthday!”

Many of his colleagues wished him a happy birthday and Zhang Siyi quickly responded with a thank you.

Not long after, Bi Lele bumped into Zhang Siyi again. Surprised, she asked him: “It turned out, it was your Birthday yesterday! Did your ‘old friend’ come to meet you for your birthday?”

Zhang Siyi denied: “Don’t be ridiculous!”

Bi Lele smirked a little and slowly walked away. In the group chat she asked: “Yesterday, did the Boss return to his office at the company?”

Chicken wings: “No.”

Watching the chat window Zhang Siyi saw her question and froze in his tracks. What does Bi Lele know?

He looked suspiciously at Bi Lele’s back as she walked away. As if telepathic, Bi Lele turned her head and looked at Zhang Siyi in the eye. With a broad, ridiculous smile on her face, she winked at him as if she could see right through it all.

“…… ” Fuck!  Heeeelp! There’s a rotten girl here!! (t 皿 t)

During the next six days, the survey and investigation of the area continued and under Professor Cui’s leadership, several people completed half of their workload. In order to be considerate of everyone’s health both mind and body, Professor Cui generously granted a day off and let the group explore wherever they wanted. However, after several days of physical labor, everyone was exhausted. As a result, most everyone elected to stay at the hotel to rest.

Zhang Siyi also felt tired and elected to stay in his room to rest. That day, he slept in until noon and when he woke, he wasn’t happy to discover the gloomy day with threatening, dark, rain clouds.

Noticing his roommate sitting by the window, Zhang Siyi casually asked: “Is it raining outside?”

Liao Jun turned his head: “It’s drizzling out.”

Making light of the matter, Zhang Siyi joked: “Did Professor Cui watch the weather report? Knowing it was going to rain, is that why he gave us a day off?”

After his joke, Zhang Siyi became concerned that he offended Liao Jun. After all, Professor Cui was his mentor and he didn’t want to give Liao Jun a reason to dislike him.

Unexpectedly, Liao Jun laughed when he heard Zhang Siyi and replied: “The Professor has a black belly and already knew he was using us for cheap labor.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Finally, on the fifth day together, Liao Jun seemed much more relaxed. His smile and warm attitude towards Zhang Siyi were a rarity.

Zhang Siyi climbed out of the bed and asked: “Did you eat? Want to have lunch together?”

Liao Jun accepted with a ‘hmm-mm’ then sat by the bed to wait for Zhang Siyi to wash up and dress.

Moving quickly, Zhang Siyi was finished in a few minutes. He grabbed his wallet and mobile phone then walked downstairs with Liao Jun.

Having eaten at all the restaurants along the street next to the hotel, they chose to go further away to find a different place to eat. Walking under an umbrella together, they found a place that served the local delicacy; beef noodles.

During the meal, the two talked pleasantries. Since Liao Jun’s attitude was much better than before, he took the initiative to talk about his situation with Zhang Siyi. It wasn’t that he was indifferent and cold, he was simply a person that took a while to open up.

Through their conversation, Zhang Siyi learned that Liao Jun has been a graduate student for one year. Since he and his classmate were still studying, they didn’t earn a salary under Professor Cui. Other than airfare and accommodation, they had to pay for the rest of their expenses.

Zhang Siyi asked: “If we get the project, will you be reimbursed?”

Liao Jun replied: ” It’ll be divided among us so it wouldn’t amount to much. However, the opportunity is very rare.”

With emotion, Zhang Siyi replied: “Ahh. It’s difficult.” In contrast, Zhang Siyi felt his situation was much better since he not only had a wage, he also had a subsidy that paid for the trip.

Liao Jun laughed: “Studying is like that. How can there be such a good thing as making money while reading books?”

Zhang Siyi nodded. That’s true. When Zhang SIyi was studying, he was like a parasite that only spent his parent’s money. He recalled Gu Yu university days making money and told Liao Jun about his ‘Legendary Deeds’.

In admiration, Liao Jun replied: “He is a rare person who is favored by the Gods.”

“Yeah!” Zhang Siyi agreed. Thinking about university, Zhang Siyi considered his path towards earning his RIBA Part2 certificate back in the UK. However, with his current savings, he doesn’t have nearly enough to cover the cost of tuition fees for two years, let alone supplies and living expenses. Although he really wanted to rely on his own ability, it was only now, while living with Gu Yu that his income and life was stable. He worried about whether or not he would get an opportunity to go back to school.

His curiosity piqued and wanting to know further about graduate school, Zhang Siyi asked: “Since there wasn’t money to earn in going to graduate school. Why bother going back for another degree?”

Moreover, the master’s degree in architecture in China is a three-year program. Since Liao Jun specialized in ancient architecture, the opportunity for project development was much less than commercial buildings. Even after graduating, he was reliant on ancient city renovations, antique architecture and the maintenance of monuments. The direction was quite limited. Like Zhang Siyi, did he simply like architecture and was willing to overlook the meager wages?

Sure enough, after slurping up some noodles, Liao Jun replied: “Because I like it.”

Feeling like he met another person with a similar passion towards architecture, Zhang Siyi eyes brightened and excitedly continued to ask him why he liked it and where he wanted to work in the future.

Liao Jun: “In college, when I saw Mr. Liang Sicheng’s “History of Chinese Architecture”, I felt moved. After graduating from undergraduate school, I went to work in the Design Institute and found that most of the projects were residential buildings. I drew plans every day. Eventually, I thought that my years studying architecture was a waste if all I got to do was draw templates. It was so boring. I decided to go back to school and study ancient architecture. If given the opportunity, I really want to do something, whether it was design or research that continues the Chinese architectural tradition. Japan has maintained their cultural traditions and history through Kyoto Nara and other ancient structures. Since China hasn’t done as well in this regard, it’s somewhat lacking.”

Speaking of his dreams of the future, Zhang Siyi could see Liao Jun eyes glaze over full of hope.

Feeling like the distance between them lessened, Zhang Siyi opened up and told him about his own pursuit of architecture. He also told him about his company’s trip to Japan.

Zhang Siyi said: “But I still admire you. You committed yourself to graduate studies despite the lack of wages. If I want to go back, I would have to rely on my family to support me. I feel stressed about asking my parents for more money.”

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Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 200: Mobile Phone

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Staring at the words on the screen, Zhang Siyi’s initial dead zombie face turned radiant instantly. Giggling to himself, he looked at the words again. He knew it! How could Gu Yu forget about his birthday!? Suddenly, from across the room, Zhang Siyi found Liao Jun staring at him. Zhang Siyi coughed lightly, then put his phone away.

Knowing Gu Yu played him, Zhang Siyi held off replying right away. If you are going to pretend to forget, then I’ll let you feel anxious too!

While working during the morning, Zhang Siyi wondered what excuse he could use to slip away. In November, the sun has already started to set noticeably early and by 5 in the evening, it was already dark. Normally, the Professor called off the work day by quarter of and had the group return to the hotel to eat dinner at a small restaurant nearby.

The time that Gu Yu asked him to meet was particularly convenient. It wouldn’t conflict with his work and allowed him time to wash up. He only needed a reason to not eat with everyone.

By noon, finally Zhang Siyi couldn’t hold back his excitement any longer and wanted to return Gu Yu’s text. However, when he reached to his pocket, it was empty…. Huh? Where is my phone? Is it lost?

Panicking, Zhang Siyi patted all the pockets around his body. Thinking about it, he vaguely recalled a moment this morning when he squatted down to take measurements and heard a noise like something had fallen to the ground. At that time, he was daydreaming about his birthday so he thought it was simply a stone on the road.

“Professor Cui! I lost my cell phone!” Zhang Siyi shouted.

Startled, everyone stopped what they were doing momentarily to look up at Zhang Siyi. Professor Cui replied: “Just now? Hurry back and see if you can find it.”

Zhang Siyi immediately ran back through the areas they already measured and searched for his phone, but to no avail…….  Was it picked up?

Zhang Siyi ran back to the group and checked with everyone to see if someone had seen it. Unfortunately, everyone shook their heads no. Thinking maybe he could hear it ring, he borrowed a phone to call his own, but the phone wouldn’t connect. It seems like someone had powered it down.

Nervous now, Zhang Siyi dialed it again, but since it didn’t connect for the second time, he gave up. He really lost it!

Bi Lele nervously asked: “Is it the 5S with the One-Piece character Luffy on the case? Hurry call the support line and make sure you report it quickly so you can lock the phone number!”

Since the phone was an Apple phone with ID protection, Zhang Siyi wasn’t so concerned about it. He had set a pin number and fingerprint to unlock his phone so even if someone picked it up, the stranger wouldn’t be able to access his information. He was only worried about contacting Gu Yu.

No one knew that Gu Yu hadn’t actually left the city yet. Even though Zhang Siyi was told to meet at 6pm, he never texted Gu Yu back to confirm the time.  Since Gu Yu’s phone number was stored on Zhang Siyi’s phone, Zhang Siyi never had a reason to memorize it. How could he get in contact with Gu Yu!?

…….. Aaaah! What do I do?! Wait, doesn’t Bi Lele have his phone number?

Zhang Siyi politely asked Bi Lele to borrow her phone. He moved a little bit away to make the call. Fortunately, Gu Yu quickly answered the phone: “Hmm, Bi Lele?”

Sorrowfully, Zhang Siyi replied: “This, this is Zhang Siyi. I lost my mobile phone.”

Gu Yu: “…What happened?”

Zhang Siyi quickly explained the situation to him. Gu Yu asked: “Did you see the text I sent you last night?”

In a quiet voice, Zhang Siyi replied: “Yes.”

With relief, Gu Yu let go of his held breath: “Good. Remember to come in the evening. Don’t worry about the phone.”

Listening to Gu Yu’s calm voice alleviated Zhang Siyi’s anxiety and comforted his heart. He hung up and walked back to Bi Lele to return her phone.

Bi Lele quietly looked at the call record. – What the fuck! The first thing he did was call the Boss? How dependent on Gu Yu can he be?

Noticing Zhang Siyi despondent attitude, Professor Cui frowned: “One’s mobile is very important. Shall we all go back and help look for it?”

Zhang Siyi shook his head no: “My cell phone wasn’t turned off and the battery was fully charged. I just called it and it seems like someone picked it up and shut it down….”

In addition, Zhang Siyi didn’t want his own problems to affect the group. He smiled and replied: “Thank you, but don’t worry about it. It was my own carelessness. I’ve had the phone for three years old already, so it’s about time for a new one anyway.”

Professor Cui smiled and quipped in a jovial manner “I guess Gu Yu will have to give you a bonus to make up for the lost property while you were fulfilling the company’s duties. Let’s work hard and make sure to win this project!”

With laughter and smiles, the positive atmosphere returned. Even though Zhang Siyi appreciated the concerns and jokes, in reality, he was very distressed. After three years with his phone, he was very attached to it. All of the correspondance with Gu Yu was gone!

Well, this years’ birthday certainly had a twist!

At least now, in the name of going to the city center to look at a new phone, Zhang Siyi had an excuse to leave the group.

At six in evening, Zhang Siyi took a taxi to the hotel that Gu Yu mentioned in his text. Although it couldn’t be compared to the luxury hotels in Haicheng, the place was relatively luxurious compared to the other hotels in the area.

Since Gu Yu knew Zhang Siyi didn’t have his cell phone, he waited downstairs in the lobby for him.

As soon as Zhang saw Gu Yu, like a puppy seeing his master after a long day, he quickly ran over to him. All of the sadness and worries of the day disappeared.

Gu Yu led him upstairs into one of the nicest suites the hotel had to offer. First, he opened the door then pushed Zhang Siyi into it.

When Zhang Siyi entered the room, he was shocked. Not only was the suite full of roses, there were colorful balloons floating around the room and a banner hanging on the wall. On the banner, the elegant calligraphy said: I love Siyi. Happy Birthday!

Zhang Siyi was so happy, he could die!

He heard Gu Yu quietly shut the door behind him then whisper to him: “Since we were on a business trip I couldn’t prepare anything special. I don’t know if you like it or not.”

Zhang Siyi: “…” He doesn’t think this is special? This is the equivalent to being possessed by the god of romance!

In fact, as long as Gu Yu remembered his birthday and ate dinner with him, Zhang Siyi was very happy. Having spent his time preparing for Zhang Siyi’s surprise, Gu Yu got a free pass for his absence.

Turning around, Zhang Siyi excitedly rushed over to pounce on Gu Yu. He held him tightly like a koala bear then grabbed Gu Yu head and kissed him all over his face: “Yes, I like it!”

Struggling for a moment, Gu Yu looked at him in the eye and smiled: “Ok, ok. You are getting heavy.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

When they heard a knock on the door, Zhang Siyi quickly removed himself from Gu Yu’s grasp.

Room service had come to deliver dinner. Gu Yu opened the door, offered thanks then asked the waiter to leave the cart outside. Gu Yu wanted to bring the meal cart into the room himself for Zhang Siyi.

Zhang Siyi leaned over and asked: “What are we having to eat?”

With a glamorous arm motion and a bow, Gu Yu motioned to the table and opened the plate cover to reveal Zhang Siyi’s favorite; a steak. In a gentlemanly manner, he said: “If you please.”

Smiling broadly, Zhang Siyi sat down in a trance. Gu Yu was so cool! It would be nice if every day was a birthday!

In addition to the steak, there was a small cake with candles. Even though Gu Yu knew Zhang Siyi didn’t care for cake, a birthday wasn’t complete without it.

After Gu Yu’s out of tune rendition of Happy Birthday, Zhang Siyi made a wish and blew out the candles. From behind Gu Yu’s back, he revealed a birthday present for Zhang Siyi in his hand; the newest Apple iPhone.

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Zhang Siyi was surprised: “Did you buy this after I told you I lost my phone?”

Gu Yu lightly coughed and confessed: “Yeah.”

Curious now, Zhang Siyi inquired: “What was your original gift?”

Gu Yu mysteriously replied: “Since I didn’t give it to you yet, it will be kept a secret.”

In this way, Zhang Siyi’s curiosity was completely stimulated. He pushed the phone back and stated: “Then I don’t want a mobile phone. I want the original gift.”

Gu Yu insisted: “No, now you need a mobile phone. I will give it to you next year.”

Zhang Siyi protested: “What!? That’s so unfair!”

Gu Yu smirked. No matter how much Zhang Siyi asked, he didn’t comply.

The only thing Zhang Siyi could do was accept the new phone. Since everything exceeded his expectations, he wasn’t going to argue with him.

As he was eating the steak, Zhang Siyi commented: “To be honest, this was over the top. In fact, even a small gift would be would be better then last year’s tape measure.”

Gu Yu raised his eyebrows in question: “What do you mean?”

Zhang Siyi found himself saying something wrong and quickly wanted to smooth over things: “No, no. I mean, the tape measure was also very good!”

Gu Yu laughed and said: “This is your first birthday since we have been together. Of course, I have to do something otherwise you would be disappointed. Besides, I think it’s necessary to make special plans for the first time, but I can’t guarantee it will be like this every year so don’t expect too much in the future.”

Zhang Siyi giggled: “Hey…”

Refilling their glasses of wine, Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi chatted about various subjects while they finished their meal. Soon satiated, softly kissing him, Zhang Siyi was pulled down from the table and onto the sofa by Gu Yu. Even though he enthusiastically responded to Gu Yu, Zhang Siyi thought Gu Yu was being uncharacteristically gentle. Taking advantage of the situation, Zhang Siyi took the initiative to roll and switch places with Gu Yu.

Gu Yu laughed out loud: “Do you want to be on top?”

Not really thinking about it before, Zhang Siyi froze. For so long, he had been accustomed to playing a more passive role in bed. Reversing the roles now felt a little strange. What pure man doesn’t want to be on top? Since Gu Yu mentioned it and it was his birthday, Zhang Siyi thought he could try it for one night.

Blushing, Zhang Siyi: “Can I?”

Gu Yu smiled. Suddenly he used his strength to maneuver Zhang Siyi below him. Staring deeply into Zhang Siyi’s eyes, Gu Yu said: “No.”

Zhang Siyi: “…” Bastard! (╯‵皿’)╯(┻━┻

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