Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 178: Lecture

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At a loss for words, Zhang Siyi was stunned at Bai Rui’s rebuttal.

Even though he didn’t know the exact amount of Bai Rui true income, he heard from Ren Mengyu in their chat group that he owns his own company and lived in a wealthy district in Haicheng. Certainly, Bai Rui has a lot of money!

Aside from the info that his friend provided, he noticed the clothing he was wearing. On Bai Rui neck lay a Hermes grey scarf. Although he wasn’t so keen on luxury goods since he couldn’t afford them, Zhang Siyi had experience in fashion and fine arts and understood that most luxury goods focued on cutting-end designs that enhance one’s image and aesthetic. Coincidentally, Zhang Siyi knew about the value of Bai Rui scarf because he went shopping the other day with Gu Yu and saw the exact same scarf in the Hermes shop window. The color was a unique shade of grey that left a lasting impression on Zhang Siyi.

If the article of clothing was genuine, the value of the scarf was at least two months’ worth of Zhang Siyi’s salary. Since the consumption level was so high, ordinary people couldn’t afford it. Before his friend’s family went bankrupt, Fu Xinhui regularly spent money on items such as that.

With Bai Rui’s disposition, it would be impossible for him to be wearing high-end imitations, right? Knowing this, Zhang Siyi couldn’t say anything directly.  (→_→)

Bai Rui’s background was told to them in private. Although commoners in society continue to use one’s financial status as a way to judge the worth of an individual, Zhang Siyi and his friends are well educated and know that asking a stranger about their income is rude. If not for Su Yuan’s situation, normally Zhang Siyi wouldn’t have divulged his salary.

Being caught between a rock and a hard place, Zhang Siyi was hesitant. He wanted to defend himself, but he didn’t want to reveal his own knowledge about luxury brands. Zhang Siyi said: “Didn’t Ren Mengyu say you were going to treat us? I didn’t want to step on your toes.”

If Bai Rui wasn’t present, Zhang Siyi would step up and treat his friends, but today was a day for Ren Mengyu to show off her boyfriend. He didn’t want to make a fuss over it.

Bai Rui lifted his cup and sipped his tea then smiled: “It’s all right. Today, I gave you the opportunity to treat. Next time, be sure to pay.”

Zhang Siyi: “………” Shit! Is Bai Rui scheming something? And besides, what about a next time? Who knows if that would be possible!

Ren Mengyu finally couldn’t stand it anymore and quickly solved the problem: “Master Bai Rui, do you like to bully others? Today is the first time my classmates have met you.”

Bai Rui let out a soft chuckle then closed his mouth, ending his taunts. However, having made the remark, Zhang Siyi felt obligated and said: “Coffee is on me. Let’s stay for a little while longer.”

The group gently laughed then remained quiet. Feeling forgotten because of the exchange between her boyfriend and Zhang Siyi, Ren Mengyu went pale.

After they finished eating, Bai Rui took the initiative to pay with his credit card. Afterwards, they walked to the coffee shop nearby. When the order was finished, Zhang Siyi was digging out his wallet, but before he could pay for the coffee, Bai Rui already swiped his credit card.

 “Hey!” Zhang Siyi exclaimed: “Didn’t I say I would pay the bill?!”

Before addressing Zhang Siyi, Bai Rui waited for the charge to go through. He turned and said: “Oh, I forgot.”

Zhang Siyi: “……” Fuck. Is he being toyed with?!

Intending to smooth over the issue with Zhang Siyi, off to the side, Ren Mengyu turned to speak with him, but instead she watched the scene unfold before her. Bai Rui got his phone out from his coat and created his own electronic payment QR-code. He smiled and handed the phone to Zhang Siyi and said: “Six cups of coffee came to two-hundred and fifteen. You can transfer the money to me.”

Zhang Siyi: “……”

Ren Mengyu: “………”

Even though he felt irritated over the exchange, Zhang Siyi felt duty bound and instead he quietly got his phone out to make the electronic payment for Bai Rui.

If she hadn’t seen it, Ren Mengyu wouldn’t have believed it. Was there something wrong with Bai Rui? Did he forget to take his medicine? Why is he acting so abnormal?!

Fortunately, the rest of the group didn’t notice anything out of synch. After they found an empty table to sit around, with their coffee in hand, every continued to chat about their prospects. Zhang Siyi told his friends about his intentions to return to the UK to study for part2. With Blessings, everyone expressed their support.

Thinking of Gu Yu and the lecture, near three o’clock, Zhang Siyi frequently raised his arm to check his watch.

Observant as always, Su Yuan noticed and asked him if he had other arrangements.

Being caught in the act of not paying attention to his friends, Zhang Siyi felt a little embarrassed and said: “No. Originally, I was going to attend a lecture at the Haicheng library with a friend, but I haven’t seen you guys in a long time, so he went alone.”

Jiang Hai urgently replied: “Why didn’t you say so? If you would like to go, then go! We can meet up at another time! It’s not a problem!”

Ren Mengyu also smiled and said: “Yes! We can make arrangements for another time.”

Zhang Siyi apologized: “Then I will head out first. Thank You.”

Su Yuan waved her hand: “We’ll be in touch soon.”

Watching the back of Zhang Siyi’s departure, Ren Mengyu said with emotion: “Little Yi is really grown-up now.”

Jiang Hai: “Look at him working so hard. It puts me to shame.”

Tian Yujing squeezed Jian Hai’s hand: “Aren’t you already ashamed? Every day I watch you get lazier and lazier. All you do is play games after work.”

Jiang Hai: “Aren’t you the same? You just look at social media every day after……”

Sipping her already cooled coffee, Su Yuan listened to the lively banter between the couple sitting beside her. As she unconsciously tuned out the lovers’ squabble, it became background noise and Su Yuan became lost in thought.

She remembered how obsessed she was with the profession when she first came to love architecture. At that time, she was already in college and not in the architecture department. She attended architecture classes and went to the library to read architecture-related books. She visited every design pavilion in the city. Every morning when she saw the architecture students with their drawing boards, T-squares and rulers running to and fro, looking worn-out and disheveled, she became quite envious.

Despite everyone telling her ‘architecture was a difficult path’ and ‘you’ll regret it for sure’, she took the IELTS exam without hesitation and applied to the major then embarked on a long journey towards a career in architecture.

During her studies in the UK, since she never wanted to miss an opportunity, she also kept a close eye on various architectural related lectures and events. At that time, any extracurricular activities concerning architecture made her heart sore. Her eyes would glow, just like Zhang Siyi’s.

When was the last time she went to an architectural lecture or to a design exhibition? Comparing her attitude during university to present, what happened? In the past six months, she really regretted her choice. The pressure of reality extinguished all her enthusiasm for architecture and forced her to a cliff. If it wasn’t for meeting Zhang Siyi today, maybe she really had forgotten why she wanted to study architecture in the first place.

***

Even though Zhang Siyi rushed to the Haicheng Library, the lecture was coming to an end. He didn’t want to cause a disturbance, so he quietly found a seat in the back and listened while watching the crowd in front of him.

With one glance, Zhang Siyi easily spotted the familiar figure of Gu Yu. Even the back of his head was the most handsome. With only two rows between them, Gu Yu wasn’t seated far away…… But why was he surrounded by beautiful women? (=_=)

Gu Yu listened very attentively. Although he was surrounded by all kinds of women, he didn’t pay any attention to them. When the speaker took questions, he bowed his head for a little while. Zhang Siyi didn’t know what Gu Yu was doing.

Moments later, Zhang Siyi could feel his mobile phone vibrate. Gu Yu had sent him a message.

Gu Yu: “Are you still with your friends?”

Gu Yu: [Little Fox Question Mark]

Zhang Siyi grinned mischievously. He wanted to surprise Gu Yu, so he said: “Yes. Sorry, I can’t meet you there. Is the lecture finished?”  [Cute Kitten]

Gu Yu: “It will be soon. Want me to pick you up?”

Zhang Siyi: “Oh, no need!”

Gu Yu: [Little Fox Depressed]

After several rounds of on-site questions-and-answers, the lecture was officially closed. As most attendees were in the industry, it was a good time to network. Everyone got up to mingle.

Because Shishang is a younger architect, there were some girls in the audience who came up to the stage and asked for an autograph. It was a bit like chasing idols.

Gu Yu wasn’t interested in socializing, so he gathered his belongings and prepared to leave the library. Zhang Siyi wanted to rush up and surprise him, but Instead, the girls around him addressed Gu Yu before he had the chance to move.

One of the beautiful girls actively called out to him and stopped him: “Excuse me, are you an architect?”

Gu Yu’s figure turned to address the girl quietly: “Hmm…”

The girl blushed and said: “Can I get your business card?”

Zhang Siyi: “……” Damn it! That bold girl is hitting on him!

Gu Yu politely replied: “’I’m Sorry, I didn’t bring a business card.”

Although his refusal made Zhang Siyi feel better, the corner of Zhang Siyi’s mouth was twitching. How does he not have one? Gu Yu normally places a few business cards in his wallet. However, this fact didn’t stop the girl. She eagerly took out a small notepad and directly asked Gu Yu for his phone number. Looking at her for a few seconds, Gu Yu sighed then reluctantly picked up her pen and wrote a string of numbers on the book.

Zhang Siyi: “!!!” Fuck! With one look, anyone could tell that the girl is interested in you! Why did you leave your phone number with her? Won’t you refuse her again?!

Not only did she get Gu Yu’s number, but the few other women surrounding them also saw the number.

Clearly, they were there to seriously listen to Shishang’s lecture but now, they acted like blushing schoolgirls excited to get a boy’s phone number. Zhang Siyi was quickly becoming agitated. …. Damn it. When the girls aren’t even paying attention to the lecture anymore, can Gu Yu be more effective at rejecting them?

Waiting for the girls to move away after asking for Gu Yu’s phone number, Zhang Siyi squinted angrily. The small group of girls around Gu Yu caused people to notice them. One passer-by recognized Gu Yu and called out: “Hey isn’t he the director of Borderless?”

Zhang Siyi: “……” (=_=)

Haicheng architectural circle is too small… The girls were shell-shocked and the people nearby where amazed at hearing the news; so young and dazzling!

One older woman recognized Gu Yu and made her way towards him in an effort to start a conversation. Finally, not being able to take it anymore, Zhang Siyi rushed forward and called out his lover’s name: “Gu Yu!”

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Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 177: Comparison

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Jiang Hai: “How did she get in if she doesn’t have a Master’s degree in urban development and architectural research?”

Ren Mengyu: “Yes, that’s right. I remember the time when Su Yuan only had a Bachelors and applied to The Firm after she graduated, but was rejected.”

Feeling depressed, Su Yuan’s mood plummeted even further. She flatly stated: “A Master’s degree was one of the requirements needed to apply to the company. I simply took the chance and since I didn’t fulfill those requirements, I was naturally refused.”

Quickly, Ren Mengyu spoke up to comfort her: “Anyways, maybe she only used her embroidered pillow talk to get herself in the door.  Who really knows what the current state of Yu Rui’s design abilities are? Maybe her shortcomings would be exposed and she would have to leave after the internship.

Jiang Hai also followed up: “Yes. That’s true. A prestigious place like The Firm wouldn’t retain someone who didn’t have real talent.”

Silently listening to the group’s conversation for a while, Bai Rui wondered: “Who is Yu Rui and why do you hate her so much?”

For a moment, Ren Mengyu was surprised at Bai Rui’s interest with their conversation. She immediately told the narrative of Yu Rui’s deeds in University throughout the years with her. And thus, she speculated the real reason why she had an internship at The Firm.

While Su Yuan and Jiang Hai occasionally echoed a few sentiments, Zhang Siyi remained silent and only listened.

Not only did Gu Yu dislike gossip, he also didn’t want Zhang Siyi talking about other people’s opinions in his presence. As a result of Gu Yu’s influence, Zhang Siyi stopped gossiping about others people’s business. Once he remained silent, he realized how good of a habit it truly was because his thoughts were quite clear from outside influence.

His ‘wake-up-call’ wasn’t because he was confused before, but rather, he was able to think about the situation clearly and was better able to determine whether or not a person was biased.

Zhang Siyi believed that Ren Mengyu’s remarks had malicious exaggerated elements. Perhaps she used her phrasing as a means to comfort Su Yuan.

Thinking about it in detail, Zhang Siyi didn’t have direct conflicts with Yu Rui. His prejudice against her was in fact due to his group of friends gossiping about Yu Rui’s poor behavior several times.

Of course, there were indeed bad behaviors that she exhibited. As far as he knew, Yu Rui’s undergraduate design thesis wasn’t entirely her own. She had used her boyfriend’s help to complete it. After Christmas last year, she came to find Zhang Siyi and tried to use him as a stepping-stone into Borderless. However, aside from Yu Rui’s style, one-point Zhang Siyi had to admit was that she was very ‘hard-working’.

Even though she used a variety of men to help her get ahead with her designs, written papers, and employment, she seized the opportunity at every chance to gain an advantage. This task is no less difficult and as a result, she probably didn’t have an easier time then her classmates had.

Thinking of his work experience this past year, Zhang Siyi realized that peer relationships in the industry are far more complex than architectural calculations.

The fact is, society can be cruel and dark and that lesson wasn’t taught in University. Since the environment at university was sterile and invigorating, Yu Rui actions seemed to taint their learning experience. Since Yu Rui seemed to be doing quite well, the others felt resentful.

“Anyway, I don’t like her attitude and her usual way of doing things. Anyone in contact with her would know she is such a bitch!” Ren Mengyu looked up at Bai Rui coyly and firmly stated: “Ah! I hope you never will meet that kind of women. By eating men whole and leaving nothing, those types of women are like evil cannibals that will stop at nothing to get what they want!”

Bai Rui smiled and didn’t seem to be so concerned: “I’m not that stupid.”

Ren Mengyu followed up: “How can you remain so calm after hearing the methods she used?”

Faintly, Bai Rui replied: “What’s so bad? She used her skills.”

Ren Mengyu raised her eyebrows in surprised and asked: “What skills? Do you think she did the right thing?”

Bai Rui smiled a little and said: “There is an absolute right and wrong in this world. One only needs to be yourself.”

Ren Mengyu: “…”

Listening to the slight sad, self-deprecating tone, Zhang Siyi glanced at Bai Rui subconsciously and noticed Bai Rui was looking down, squinting in thought. With his face hidden, his thoughts were also hidden.

Su Yuan’s warm nature seemed to be in total opposite of Yu Rui nature in multiple aspects. Unlike Yu Rui, who wasn’t fluent in English as a freshman, Su Yuan studied English for two years before going abroad. Su Yuan is a kind hearted person that is willing to help others. Although she put some distance between them once she learned of Yu Rui behaviors, she maintained her connection with her. She even extended a hand when Yu Rui needed a place to stay in Haicheng.

Along the way, she was supposed to be better than any of them, but at the moment she felt crushed by everyone else’s achievements. Jiang Hai’s good family background provided him a leg up with the start of his career. In addition to having help from family, Ren Mengyu also has a perfect boyfriend. Even the unremarkable Zhang Siyi has come from behind to be successful. Of course, the biggest blow to her psyche would be a person like Yu Rui who used questionable means to get ahead in life.

Su Yuan sighed. Feeling jealous and useless, she felt trapped in a dark abyss. It was suffocating. She was at her limit and the last straw was about to break her back.

Looking at Su Yuan’s despondent expression, Zhang Siyi thought of Lu Qiao when he was desperately crying under the tree in the garden of the inn in Kyoto.

Su yuan reached up to caress her forehead. She spoke to everyone revealing her quivering voice: “Although I know it isn’t something as simple as right or wrong, when I see how well her career is going, it has made me second guess my actions. I’m a little confused about whether or not it’s the way of the world or it’s something about myself…”

Zhang Siyi suddenly interrupted her and cut her off:  “You are not wrong!”

Su Yuan: “…”

Startled at Zhang Siyi’s unexpected and sudden outburst, everyone turned to stare at him.

Immediately, Zhang Siyi followed Su Yuan: “If Yu Rui really relied on special means to get the job at The Firm, then she is not worthy of envy. She has a Master’s and a good job, but so what? How much of her effort was actually her own? Su Yuan, you are different. You are a hard-working down-to-earth person and from the beginning, you were our role model in University. Fame isn’t measured by your success of failure. You have true friends and by this fact, you are already better than her!”

The group remained silent at Zhang Siyi’s unexpected statement.

Knowing how cheerful Su Yuan normally was, Zhang Siyi was anxious to comfort her as he was afraid she would become depressed. He continued: “One of my seniors told me, impulsiveness mostly comes from being unconfident and the root of the cause is not having enough experience. I used to feel architecture was very hard and a difficult path to pursue in life. No matter how hard I tried, there was someone else who was always better. The fact is, I don’t have to compare myself to anyone else.”

Zhang Siyi learned his lesson while working with Tao Fei. After finishing his drawings, Zhang Siyi thought he was keeping up with him. When the project was presented as a whole, the difference between their abilities were clearly evident. Zhang Siyi’s sense of achievement was crushed in a heart-beat. It wasn’t until he changed his goal from peer-to-peer comparison to an overall goal of being as good as Gu Yu that his hasty decisions and outlook in life changed. Since then, his sense of impetuousness has gradually disappeared.

Zhang Siyi said: “We only need to compare ourselves with our past performance. It has nothing to do with others. As long as I am a better person them my past self, isn’t that all that matters? Su Yuan, I know you like architecture. I still remember a time when you were up late designing and you told me that you gave up two years of college in order to pursue your architectural dreams….. Have you forgotten?”

Under the stress of life, Zhang Siyi also forgot about his youthful dream. Gu Yu had reminded him and now, he has been standing in the distance with open arms, waiting for Zhang Siyi to catch up.

Not only was Gu Yu his favorite person and eternal goal, he was also like a beacon, constantly guiding him and leading him forward. No matter how many obstacles were around Zhang Siyi, Gu Yu didn’t let him retreat.

With determination, Zhang Siyi simply gritted teeth and exhausted all his energy to just struggle and move forward. He didn’t allow setbacks and distractions to get in his way. With such dedication and perseverance, he would achieve his goal. Then, when his youth was gone, Zhang Siyi wouldn’t need to complain about the injustice of the world and the cruelty of fate.

……………

“I know that the domestic construction market is also very bad at the moment. We can’t change the world, but we can stick to our own path. Life will inevitably have some ups and downs. When you hit rock-bottom and feel tired, take a break, then move on. It is better than giving up. Su Yuan, you also mentioned the years spent learning architecture. How bitter would you feel if you tossed it aside? Remember the original reason you wanted to study architecture and focus on it to propel yourself forward.

Caught in the moment, Zhang Siyi’s serious lecture finally came to an end. When he looked around, everyone at the table was staring at him wide-eyed like they were noticing him for the first time.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Zhang Siyi shrunk back and said: “Um….”

Breaking the silence, Jiang Hai spoke first. He exclaimed: “Wow, Siyi! Look at you!”

With admiration, Tian Yujing looked at him and spoke up: “So philosophical!”

Ren Mengyu: “When did you become so wise about life?”

Even Bai Rui looked at him full of thought.

Feeling moved, Zhang Siyi’s words reached her heart. Su Yuan looked at Zhang Siyi for a long time and softly said: “Thank you, Siyi.”

Capturing the moment in a playful manner, Ren Mengyu started clapping: “Ah! He deserves a round of applause!”

Jiang Hai: “Ha-ha-ha” <clap><clap>

While they were applauding, Zhang Siyi felt embarrassed: “I, I just mentioned…..”

Now feeling a little better, Su Yuan raised her soda cup and touched Zhang Siyi’s glass: “I didn’t expect to be lectured by my little classmate.”

Zhang Siyi: “Well, I included some of my own feelings since working….”

Su Yuan drank from her cup and said with emotion: “As you said, I should really think about my reasons for being an architect. Right now, the situation is dragging me down and I feel like dying. Whether it is temporary or not, a job change might help me readjust my outlook and help me decide what I want.”

Zhang Siyi nodded. Knowing his own words seemed to help his friend, he was really happy. He couldn’t help himself: “My company’s working environment and wages are good. In fact, I can also ask my company about employment. With your abilities, I feel like it would be a good match.”

Su Yuan thought her experience at her company was common among the businesses in the domestic construction industry. Now listening to Zhang Siyi, she was curious and asked him for details.

Zhang Siyi: “Currently, my wage is almost nine thousand, before tax.”

Except for Bai Rui, in amazement, everyone else exclaimed: “Wow! It turns out, the richest man here is you!”

Su Yuan was both shocked and excited: “More than twice as much as I earn now!”

Scratching his head, Zhang Siyi said: “Well…. actually, the wages aren’t my main source of income. Project bonuses are.”

Jiang Hai joked: “Looks like you are treating tonight!”

When he heard Jiang Hai comment, Zhang Siyi quickly stopped bragging: “What! Why? I thought we were guests of Ren Mengyu’s boyfriend! I don’t believe he earns less than me!”

Raising his eyebrows, Bai Rui looked at Zhang Siyi with a smile and asked: “Who said that?”

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Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 176: French Fries

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Since the ambient temperature inside the restaurant was warm, Bai Rui took off his coat and hung it on the back of his chair. The silk shirt that wrapped around his torso accentuated his wide shoulders and broad chest. With his well-muscled physique, he looked both elegant and masculine.

Now that Zhang Siyi has met him in real life, it wasn’t surprising how obsessive Ren Mengyu was behaving. Regardless of his temperament and appearance, his presence was above all others. Bai Rui lived outside ordinary people and like Gu Yu, some people were born to shine above everyone else.

Tian Yujing began to stare at him unabashedly. Although she already had Jiang Hai sitting beside her, it didn’t stop her from appreciating an exceedingly handsome man.

Among them, only Su Yuan has seen Bai Rui before. When she saw Ren Mengyu with her boyfriend again, she couldn’t stop herself from feeling envious.

Presumably Ren Mengyu was out with Bai Rui.  With someone as high status as Bai Rui, she felt overjoyed at being able to flaunt her perfect boyfriend. Since she easily attracted the stares of onlookers, who wouldn’t want to be the center of attention and show off?

Fortunately, as Zhang Siyi was with Gu Yu every day, he was immune to Bai Rui’s charms and remained completely calm.

The group sat together around a small rectangular table. While the couples sat two by two on the long side of the table, Su Yuan and Zhang Siyi sat on the narrow ends of the table opposite each other. Bai Rui happen to sit to the left of Zhang Siyi.

After everyone introduced themselves, Ren Mengyu asked: “Did you already order?”

Jiang Hai smiled: “We were waiting for the gold master! Come now, pick out the food!”

Ren Mengyu opened the menu and leaned towards Bai Rui affectionately. She said: “Hmm, what do you want to eat?”

Bai Rui look at her and politely said: “Don’t worry about me. You are here to enjoy your time with friends. Let them pick out the food.”

Attitude; full marks, etiquette; full marks, intonation; full marks…… simply impeccable!

Holding her face, Tian Yujing admired Ren Mengyu: “Your boyfriend is so handsome!”

Jiang Hai’s mouth twitched: “Hey, I am still sitting here.”

As the crowd laughed, the previous tense atmosphere was broken. Even though Bai Rui also smiled and looked very gentle, Zhang Siyi felt that he was detached from the group. Just as Gu Yu said, he can’t control other people’s affairs. He had nothing to do with Bai Rui and was simply present to at the restaurant to reminisce and visit old classmates. After eating, he planned on meeting Gu Yu at the lecture.

Su Yuan responded: “Well, unlike the typical family style way that Chinese cuisine is served, this is an English restaurant so we should order our own plates. There are a lot of hand-held foods in western cuisine.”

Having decided to order separately, the group readily opened the menu.

British cuisine is rather heavy and rich. They chose this restaurant, not for the joy of the food, but to remember the good times in the UK during University.

Since the owner of the restaurant is a Londoner, the English cuisine here is fairly authentic. The raw materials for all ingredients are imported from abroad. They also serve other western styled dished like steak and pasta. However, when the restaurant opened in China, the boss had to do as the Romans do….. British cuisine is definitely not attracting Chinese customers.

The girls were afraid of all the calories typically associated with British food, so they ordered something simple; skinless chicken breasts. Jiang Hai and Bai Rui ordered a steak.

Zhang Siyi was used to eating western food that was Italian and was pickier about the quality and freshness of steak. Ironically, he had no problems eating fish and chips from British street vendors.

Although the reputation of the restaurant was very good, in the eyes of Chinese, fish and chips was considered a snack food and not something to order for dinner. Today, they were Ren Mengyu’s invited guests so naturally, Bai Rui felt responsible for summing up the order. When he saw Zhang Siyi only ordering fish and chips, he couldn’t help but ask: “Nothing else?”

When he spoke to Zhang Siyi, he attracted the attention of Ren Mengyu. She smiled and said: “How can you still order this type of food that children eat?”

Jiang Hai followed up: “You should eat less junk food. The online review said the steak is very good.”

 Su Yuan: “Yes, French fries are very high in calories.”

Zhang Siyi isn’t afraid of high calories. He insisted: “I want to eat them. I haven’t had English food for a very long time.” It is precisely because he eats very healthy at home every day with Gu Yu that he wants to indulge today. In addition, the menu had both nutritional information and photographs of the available dishes. The meal would certainly be large enough for an adult to eat.

Zhang Siyi thought that they really didn’t understand the joys of eating junk food while chatting. One of life’s simple pleasures is snacking on French fries while gossiping!

When the dishes were served, Zhang Siyi’s plate was really huge. The golden French fries were on a wooden cutting board with fried potato skins, bacon pieces, and roasted tomatoes. The unique color and delicious aroma of Zhang Siyi’s plate immediately made the food the focus of everyone’s attention.

Zhang Siyi sprinkled a bit of salt and pepper on the fries then picked up his favorite condiment and squeezed it on top. The English style fries were cut thick and fat. Zhang Siyi speared one with a fork and bit down on one end. The outside was crisp and the inside was soft and delicious.

“Ah, Little Yi, those look really delicious….”

“Let me try one.” Jiang Hai was close to him and directly used his fork to spear a fry from Zhang Siyi’s plate. Everyone witnessed his casual attitude so everyone else at the table followed suit.

Zhang Siyi didn’t mind sharing a few with his friends, but he didn’t have an inexhaustible supply on his plate. Seeing that the fries on his plate were being reduced at a visible speed, Zhang Siyi was starting to panic. He quickly blocked his plate with his hands: “Hey! That’s enough! This is my food!”

Ren Mengyu laughed: “Don’t be so stingy. Ha-ha-ha, you can just order more!”

Su Yuan: “You heard the boss! Don’t worry about saving the gold master’s money.”

Zhang Siyi: “…….” Whatever happened to the concern of junk food and high calories!?

Bai Rui sat aside quietly and smiled at the group of friends. He was older than all of them and although he came as Ren Mengyu’s boyfriend, he always treated them as youngsters. He never intended to fit in with the group.

Watching Zhang Siyi’s anxious expressions over his fries spurred Bai Rui on. He couldn’t help but want to tease him. As a result, like the others, Bai Rui impulsively speared a fry directly from Zhang Siyi’s plate.

Since Zhang Siyi had already been a bit irritated at watching his cherished french fries disappear, his line of site followed the latest fry into Bai Rui’s mouth. Zhang Siyi stared at him for a moment. Having food casually stolen from your plate by friends was one thing, but having it taken away by a stranger was another. Bai Rui was somewhat embarrassed at his action and ducked out of sight.

Bai Rui’s move also surprised Ren Mengyu. He always did what a boyfriend was supposed to do; he brought her out to eat fancy dinners, they watched movies together, went shopping; lavish gifts weren’t uncommon. Although Bai Rui was gentle and very considerate towards her, his attitude was always rather remote. It was as though he was simply following a list of routine chores to finish. As a result, there were neither heartfelt moments nor mood fluctuations between them. Since the beginning of their relationship, her “perfect boyfriend” has always maintained a safe distance from her.

Even though Ren Mengyu posted many photos on dates with him to her social media pages, she knew deep down, she was just deluding herself. She pretended that they had a close, sweet relationship, but on the contrary, their relationship wasn’t sweet and was at an impass.

Some say that woman have a natural and very accurate ‘sixth-sense’ and Ren Mengyu is no different. Subconsciously, she felt that her interactions with Bai Rui were just a game and rather absurd. Since she felt that something wasn’t quite right, in order to maintain her self-deception, she repeatedly asked the people around her for their opinions.

Even so, Ren Mengyu wasn’t able to pull herself out of her own fantasy of love because she was too self-absorbed with the image that Bai Rui brought her when she went out with him.

In fact, Ren Mengyu devised a little test for her boyfriend. When he met Su Yuan for the first time, Ren Mengyu wanted to know if he would treat her any differently. As with Ren Mengyu, he maintained a similar polite distance with Su Yuan. Since Bai Rui didn’t make any ambiguous actions towards Su Yuan, Ren Mengyu felt satisfied.

In addition, she used other meetings with her colleagues to check out Bai Rui’s behavior. Tonight, Ren Mengyu brought Bai Rui with her to meet her classmates in order to verify his feelings and her status.

However, watching Bai Rui so easily stick his fork onto Zhang Siyi’s plate to grab a fry made Ren Mengyu think deeper. Out of all the times Bai Rui has dined with Ren Mengyu, there was never a time when he touched her plate. His action tonight was particularly unexpected.

Even in the face of an anomaly, Ren Mengyu wasn’t surprised. After all, everyone in the group was eating french fries from Zhang Siyi’s plate. She thought Bai Rui could be affected by the cheerful and happy atmosphere.

Zhang Siyi was totally robbed. Looking at his empty plate, he sighed, helpless. Instead, he ordered an egg benedict.

While everyone was enjoying their meal, they continued to talk about the current trends in the construction industry. Since Su Yuan didn’t want to talk about her bleak status with outsiders, Zhang Siyi didn’t get the chance to further encourage her. After telling each other about the projects they have worked on, it turned out that the person with the most enriched work experienced was Zhang Siyi.

If he was like himself a year ago, he would want to brag about his current position, but now that he had been part of the industry for a year, he was well aware of his own shortcomings. It was especially so because his role model, Gu Yu, was with him every day. He served to remind Zhang Siyi just how limited his current abilities as an architect were.

The incident in Japan with Lu Qiao also made Zhang Siyi realize the importance of being modest and low-key. The last thing he wanted was unwanted attention both for private matters and for the sake of his friends who were struggling.  Despite trying his best, when Zhang Siyi mentioned a couple of things, his friends were rather envious.

Ren Mengyu: “Oh my God! Your company can afford a business trip abroad!?”

Zhang Siyi scratched his head: “They go every few years. I was luckily enough to have started working at a time that permitted me to go on the company’s trip.

Jiang Hai: “It’s better than nothing!” “

Su Yuan: “Hey, when I first started working, the company also mentioned a business trip, but now they can’t even afford to pay their employees, let alone travel!”

Ren Mengyu: “Yes, if we want to travel we have to spend our own money!”

Zhang Siyi said: “Well, the company didn’t pay for the whole trip and we weren’t there for fun. It was primarily for educational purposes and we had a strict schedule to visit architectural sites.”

Afraid of being hated by his friends due to his good situation, Zhang Siyi hastened to change the subject: “Has anyone been in contact with our other classmates?” Both Yu Rui and Xue Wenhan had stayed in England to earn a Master’s degree. Zhang Siyi surmised they probably finished their studies by now. “How have they been doing?”

Ren Mengyu: “Actually, the other day I saw something about Yu Rui online !”

Su Yuan interest was piqued and was eager to ask: “How was she?”

Ren Mengyu: “She has an internship with The Firm!”

Su Yuan’s face changed: “The Firm?”

The Firm was a very famous architectural design company in the UK located in London. It has always been the gilded company that British architectural students yearn for. With the state of the construction market, a job in China wasn’t easy to find, let alone in the UK. It was practically impossible to get a position within the most prestigious Firm in England.

Ren Mengyu had always felt that Yu Rui used alternate methods to succeed. Ren Mengyu never would have guessed she also used the same methods to climb up the corporate ladder instead of using her own abilities.

With emotion, Ren Mengyu continued: “Yes. In school she had poor grades and relied on boyfriends to help with projects. How can she get a job like that without being the boss’s secret mistress? With just luck?”

Hearing the news, Su Yuan was hit hard mentally and began to doubt herself.

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