Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 230: Extra 3

Of course, Zhang Siyi had no clue what was really going on at the time. After Gu Yu had told him the truth of the matter, Zhang Siyi felt uncomfortable. Any time he saw the Hong Kong girl, he wanted to hide.

In order to appease any hard feelings that had developed, she organized a Halloween party and invited many classmates and friends outside of the department to attend which included Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu.

At the party, Zhang Siyi discovered that he and Gu Yu had long been known as a same sex couple and because they had outstanding appearances and behaved like common people, they were rather famous.

The key to their popularity was that, although Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi didn’t do anything out of the ordinary in public, together they involuntarily exuded a loving and sweet vibe that infected their surroundings. The fact that the two of them were in love was as natural as breathing air and it was hard for anyone to ignore.

A Spanish classmate said: “You’re a very different kind of gay from the gay that I know of. I thought all gays were like Marvin.”

Marvin was a short Malaysian man who originally came to Big A for interior design, but switched departments to Architecture. He was quite flamboyant and often wore women’s accessories. His character was distinct and made no effort to hide his sexual orientation.

The Hong Kong sister came over with her wine and said with a smile: “Are you talking about Marvin? He’s lovely, like a girl……But I prefer the type like our Zhang Siyi here.” She smiled coyly at Zhang Siyi, winked at him, then walked away.

During the party, they had many opportunities to talk to the various guests. All of which wanted to hear more about how they met and what their aspirations where. When they heard the story of their relationship, they became the envy of the party. The fact they had found their true love, followed their dreams and were able to build a life together was something everyone wanted to obtain, but difficult to achieve in reality.

After talking with the people at the party, Zhang Siyi also adapted to their environment and was able to enjoy having an open relationship with Gu Yu.

For Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu, being treated like ordinary people, neither being singled out nor expressing contempt towards them, was showing the most respect. In truth, such a tolerant environment wasn’t possible at home in a short period of time.

Since they were focused on their coursework and studying rigorously throughout the year, they didn’t have excess energy to use for picking out birthday gifts. On Zhang Siyi’s birthday, Gu Yu gave him a painting that he had done. For Gu Yu’s birthday, Zhang Siyi gave him a gadget that he had created in the studio.

In the UK, there were three main holidays throughout the academic year; Christmas, Easter and the summer holiday. The former holidays were only a couple weeks, while the summer holiday lasted much longer. Due to the short holiday period, they didn’t return home to China and instead, chose to visit nearby countries in Europe.

In order to grow and develop as an architect, it was also important to experience architecture from different parts of the world. During his undergraduate years, Zhang Siyi and Fu Xinhui visited quite a few places together. As evident one night while together, Gu Yu seemed to have taken this matter to heart. He arrogantly claimed he was going to replace Zhang Siyi’s travel memories that he had with Fu Xinhui with his own. It left Zhang Siyi speechless…. He and Fu Xinhui were more innocent than Mother Goose!

Traveling with Gu Yu was a completely different type of experience compared to when Zhang Siyi toured with his roommate. When he was with his friend, Zhang Siyi mostly ate, drank, and quickly visited places for fun. In contrast, at each destination he visited with Gu Yu, it was like a full-on investigation. In advance, they wanted to read about the history of the area and look up materials related to each of the various buildings.

In the past, Zhang Siyi would have complained about it. Since when he had become assimilated, Zhang Siyi didn’t know, but now he was excited and happy to delve deeper into it!

Where ever he went, in his excitement, he dragged Gu Yu with him to take snap shots. Being able to converse in-depth with him on the same level at every step of the way was simply a joy. The absolute spiritual pleasure that engulfed him was far more enjoyable then eating, drinking and sleeping at fancy hotels.

In this way, like floating in a sea of knowledge, as an absorbent sponge, Zhang Siyi filled himself with information and rapidly grew. Not only did his designs improve, the growth in his writing was exponential and even his usual mannerisms and speech patterns have gained a sense of depth that wasn’t present previously.

To paraphrase the master photographer, Ansel Adams: “We don’t just take pictures with our cameras. What we bring to photography is all the books we’ve read, the movies we’ve seen, the music we’ve heard, the people we’ve loved.”

This is also true for Architects. While designing, Zhang Siyi incorporated all of the things he has read about in books, the places he has traveled to, the people he has talked to, and his deep love for Gu Yu.

Even though summer break was three months long, the two of them returned to China for two weeks to visit their families. Since they didn’t stay for a long time, they didn’t inform many friends. The short time passed quickly and soon they had to return to London.

Since Gu Yu course of study was only sixteen months long, the only thing he needed to do to finish his certificate and graduate was to write a short dissertation. Gu Yu’s friend and colleague, with the use of his connections, set up work for Gu Yu early.

Naively, Zhang Siyi thought Gu Yu was going to wait for Zhang Siyi to grow as an architect, but reality didn’t reflect his wish. While Zhang Siyi continued to learn at University, once Gu Yu started working, he began to make a lot of money.

Even though his job was located at the other end of the city, Gu Yu didn’t move. He chose to remain close to the school and take the Underground to work in the mornings and from work in the evenings.

With Gu Yu remaining by his side, Zhang Siyi didn’t think his living arrangements were any different then when they were in Haicheng. The main difference was their food. While breakfast became toast, bacon and eggs, dinner often consisted of a quick pizza or pasta.

After two years of hard work, Zhang Siyi graduated from University with a high score on the RIBA part 2 assessment. As a result, he received job offerings at several British architectural firms, including the well-known Richard-Rogers and TFP Farrells Firms. In addition, the firm that Yu Rui’s worked at also extended an invitation.

With strength, job opportunities, like water at the end of a faucet, flowed freely. For Zhang Siyi, it was the same and looking back, he was confused why his friend Xue Wenhan had such a hard time.

At first, Zhang Siyi wanted to work with Gu Yu, but Gu Yu said with his current ability, he didn’t have anything to teach Zhang Siyi and it would be better to continue his growth at a different Firm. As long as they could continue to live together and work in the same city, there was nothing they couldn’t figure out.

As soon as Zhang Siyi heard Gu Yu, he felt it was reasonable. Like a baby chick, he couldn’t always seek refuge behind a mother hen.

All three well-known Firms were good choices. However, as one was located in Scotland, he looked more closely at the other two offers. Either of them would add brilliance to a resume and allow Zhang Siyi to further his career by leaps and bounds.

Since Zhang Siyi posted his job opportunities on his social media page, many classmates and friends sent their blessings. At this time, Yu Rui contacted him again and warmly welcomed him to the same Firm as a colleague.

Zhang Siyi was moved by the fact that many of the well-known projects throughout the world, such as Hong Kong’s new airport and Tokyo’s Millennium Tower, have come from Firm F, but because Yu Rui was there, he was rather hesitant about working in the same company.

Two years ago, when he returned to England, Yu Rui offered to help him and wanted to go out to dinner. It seemed rude to repeatedly decline her offer. Under the pretense of working at the same company, he decided he could meet with her and hear what she had to say, nothing more. With this in mind, he didn’t discuss it with Gu Yu and went to meet her by himself.

They choose to meet at an English teahouse and once she arrived, Zhang Siyi was very surprised as he hadn’t seen her for a few years. Since her appearance radiated maturity and a refinement that wasn’t known before, Zhang Siyi second-guessed his previous assumptions about her that were solely due to his friend’s gossip. He tried his best to adjust his state of mind and treated her with a neutral and calm attitude.

As they both exchanged pleasantries, Yu Rui was surprised to discover Zhang Siyi’s ring, and exclaimed: “You are already married!?”

Zhang Siyi had no reason to explain further and replied: “It’s just a token of love.”

Yu Rui: “Is your girlfriend in China or here?”

Zhang Siyi took a sip of tea and said: ” Here, with me.”

Yu Rui smiled: “Since you returned to London, I’ve asked you out many times, but you have always refused. Did your girlfriend prevent you from seeing me?”

Zhang Siyi was a little flustered: “Ah? Eh?” What’s with that? Clearly, the reason he didn’t want to meet was because of her! However, it wasn’t something he could say so bluntly. (=_=)

Yu Rui said: ” I know that I have a bad reputation.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

So, she knows it? Zhang Siyi was a little curious. Did she really do all the things that were gossiped about her?

Yu Rui seemed to have read Zhang Siyi’s mind. As she gently lifted the tea pot and refilled his cup with tea, she said: “In fact, I think you see me as doing anything to get what I want by any means. I think you are too naïve.”

Zhang Siyi didn’t know what to say. The only history he knows about her was hearsay. Now that she was right in front of him, he got caught up in the moment and asked her: “I’ve heard rumors about you. They all said you would find a boyfriend to help with your coursework and when the project was completed, you would throw them away.”

Yu Rui: “It’s true.”

Her frankness was unexpected and Zhang Siyi shocked expression was obvious.

Yu Rui smiled softly: “Do you think they didn’t know what was going on? They all knew and yet, they were willing. Why do you think that is?”

The corner of Zhang Siyi’s mouth twitched. Why would he know?!

“Because they were stupid to choose me.” Yu Rui laughed.

“They knew what they were getting into and even so, they risked their own morals and choose to be my boyfriend. Oh, I don’t think I did anything wrong. Since childhood, I’ve been told that society isn’t fair to girls. We praise scholars for using their natural gifts for their own self-interests. In order to step up in the world, I just used all of my natural gifts. If I didn’t really have skill, do you think I would continue to be allowed to fish at F Firm waters?”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Zhang Siyi didn’t agree with her world view. Since he couldn’t understand it, he always felt that something was wrong.

As he was digesting what she said, Yu Rui looked up at him and grinned: “But, you were different and were never on my hook. You were too smart for that.”

In his heart, Zhang Siyi knew he wasn’t that smart. In reality, it was due to the reality check that was given to him by his friends. (=_=)

Whether it was an appreciative sigh or not, Yu Rui exhaled deeply: “To find a boyfriend like you, your girlfriend must be really happy.”

Hearing her, Zhang Siyi suddenly understood what the underlying problem was.

Life wasn’t a project to manipulate. She may be able to use people to get ahead, but she doesn’t realize that things like friendship, love and the self-satisfaction one feels by the success of your own hard work, wasn’t something you could calculate.

There are many types of women. In contrast to Yu Rui’s do-what-ever-it-takes attitude, Su Yuan, Bi Lele, and Zhang Siyi’s classmate from Hong Kong, has treated life with sincerity and through hard work, have gained the respect in their careers.

Zhang Siyi believed that people who take short cuts as Yu Rui has done are everywhere. One meeting was enough. In order to maintain his shallow friendship, eventually Zhang Siyi decided to decline the job opportunity from F Firm.

After they said their goodbyes, he opened his WeChat App on his phone and typed a message to his former classmates: “I’ve fired F-Firm.”

His bold behavior ticked off Su Yuan. She blamed Yu Rui for the loss of Zhang Siyi’s job opportunity. Regardless of Su Yuan’s irritation, Zhang Siyi was upbeat and sent a [Kitten Power] sticker in the group. With everyone’s cheers and well-wishes, his new journey had begun.

___________________________

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 229: Extra 2

Shocked at the news, the man eyes widened in surprise. He stared at them openly like he saw a rare species of mammal for the first time, but quickly turned around to recover and stammered: “You, you, you are, are this… uhh.” He seemed a little embarrassed to speak further so he stopped. Even though his reaction wasn’t as calm as the British real-estate agent, he didn’t seem to have any ill-will towards them. While his voice remained neutral, he shook his head and said: “I remember all of the beautiful women that chased you… and you would ignore them. I really thought it was because you were dedicated and only interested in architecture.”

He happily shook hands with Zhang Siyi and asked Gu Yu to give a detailed account of Zhang Siyi’s background. Once he learned that Zhang Siyi was in London to complete RIBA part 2, he was rather envious as he also wanted to apply for a Royal Architect license. Even if he wanted to apply, with a degree from China, he was an unqualified and had no desire to redo his undergraduate studies in England.

“Hey, in this line of business without a Royal Architect license, it’s difficult to move up. In the end, only those with a license can reap the rewards. At least, after your experience in a foreign country and returning to China, the work experience could be added to a resume. However, it’s probably not what you are looking for…..”

The man sighed and continued: “When I heard your request, I also advised you to reconsider and revaluate what you wanted from coming to England. I could help you get a work visa, but to what end? Your professional and social status wouldn’t be as great as it was in China. But…” He glanced at Zhang Siyi and smiled: “I didn’t expect you to bring someone so valuable. When your lover passes the exam, it won’t be a problem for the both of you to get a foothold here.”

Zhang Siyi: ” … ” Having hidden his relationship with Gu Yu for so long, he got goose bumps when he heard himself being called Gu Yu’s lover.

Hearing the man’s optimism, Zhang Siyi felt positive, however, in the back on his mind, due to his friend’s experience, he also thought there was a catch. Even if he graduated with a RIBA 2 license, he needed work experience in England to establish a network of contacts and build a portfolio for his later testing of his Royal Architect license.

Zhang Siyi expressed his concern: “Yesterday, a classmate of mine said architectural positions were hard to come by in England.”

The man asked: “What degree does your classmate have? What was his specialty?”

Zhang Siyi replied: “He has a one-year degree at W University. I‘m not sure of his specialty.”

The man chuckled: “A one-year Master’s wasn’t the same as a gold-plated RIBA 2 license.  With the saturation in the market, what Firm is going to hire and train a recent graduate without both a prominent pedigree and work experience? However, your circumstances aren’t the same. British architectural firms often take on Chinese projects. With Gu Yu’s work experience and Chinese license, he will be highly valued. If you can successfully graduate with a RIBA 2 license and since I have connections, with a few introductions to people in the industry, you don’t have to worry about finding a job. For now, just study hard and lay down a solid foundation.”

Consoling him, Gu Yu patted his back and smiled confidently toward him. His calm and positive attitude eased his anxiety. Realizing he wasn’t in the same boat as his friend from University, he became excited. He was eager to take the next step and grow and learn and reach an even higher level. With this in mind, Zhang Siyi wanted to hurry home and start fighting for it!

After they exchanged contact information, they gracefully gave their thanks and said goodbye then returned to their studio apartment.

A few days before school, since the University was close by, Gu Yu bought a bunch of books from the campus bookstore. In the UK, at few hundred each, hardbound text books were expensive, especially the large format ones with full color images.

While Zhang Siyi was studying in England before, due the expense, he was reluctant to buy books. In addition, he thought the text might be too difficult for him to fully comprehend. As a result, not wanting to waste money, he used the books he needed for classes from the library.

Of course, with Gu Yu’s intellect and his wealth, Gu Yu never had those types of concerns to begin with. When Zhang Siyi saw the newly built bookcases being filled with books, Zhang Siyi wanted to kneel down and worship!

Even if it seemed like Gu Yu was spending money without regard, in fact, he didn’t buy them for the sake of pretty pictures. Gu Yu bought them to use as reference and teaching material for Zhang Siyi.

During his undergrad, Zhang Siyi hadn’t developed proper researching techniques. In order to help him, Gu Yu pointed out the important parts of the text and let Zhang Siyi read it to specifically discuss the topic together afterwards. In this way, Zhang Siyi’s attention was focused and his enthusiasm grew. Gradually, with increasing self-confidence, he was able to ascertain the important parts of the books himself.

In the beginning of the school year, the unexpected intensity with which the material was taught during his classes made Zhang Siyi feel out of breath. However, even though he felt there was a huge disparity between his knowledge and what the professors expected, Zhang Siyi had Gu Yu by his side to help. In this way, Zhang Siyi felt like he had his own personal step-by-step guide.

Since Zhang Siyi didn’t excel at studies naturally, he needed to spend more time reading his coursework more thoroughly. He often spent extra time at his desk to read his books and look over paintings and other related architectural images. In contrast, whether Gu Yu was laying on the floor, sitting by a window, or at a desk, it didn’t affect how efficiently Gu Yu could learn the new material. Many times, he even cooked or baked while studying.

Being surrounded by effective methods of learning all the time made Zhang Siyi feel great and his ultimate goal was one step closer. He came to understand that his knowledge wasn’t far behind his other classmates, but rather it was his lack of focus and poor habits from the past that were the culprit. In this focused learning environment and under Gu Yu’s influence, Zhang Siyi was slowly catching up to him.

As an Architectural design major, in addition to having creative design ideas, a graduate was also expected have a certain amount of hands-on practical skills. The field required students to know how to transform their ideas into drawings and 3d models and finally into a building for human use.

Although they were at the same University, since they were in different courses, their schedules didn’t overlap. Gu Yu’s direction was professional development and as such, required more research related tasks with less design and hands-on modeling. In contrast, Zhang Siyi’s coursework for his Master’s was RIBA part 2 and the principle aspect of it was learning how to navigate through the multiple steps required to develop complex large-scale plans. If Zhang Siyi wasn’t home, he was still at school experimenting with materials and building models.

If a job was like a game of chess and you had to play it according to the rules, then being at University was like a game of chess without rules. As long a you can think of it, there wasn’t anything you couldn’t do.

Finally, Zhang Siyi found something he excelled at. His design ideas were extraordinary and different. Unlike Gu Yu’s rigid way of designing, Zhang Siyi’s creations were fanciful, romantic and avant-garde.

Every month, the department of Architecture assembled for a group meeting and critiqued each other’s work in progress. At the meeting, students displayed their projects and both the professors in the department and invited architects in the industry gave feedback about them.

At the first assembly, Gu Yu came to Zhang Siyi’s presentation without telling him. Quietly entering the conference room, Gu Yu stood to the side with his arms crossed, watching attentively.

In their class, there were more than two Chinese students. In the Department of Architecture, there were more than thirty in both undergrad and graduate students combined currently studying at Big A University. One student from Hong Kong, a beautiful girl, showed great interest in Gu Yu on the first day they met at their student orientation. Having noticed her interest, on several occasions, Zhang Siyi deliberately position his left hand in plain sight and flash his ring that matched Gu Yu’s in her direction. Knowing that they often arrived and left together, he thought she was a fool for not knowing they were a couple.

When Zhang Siyi caught site of Gu Yu quietly sneaking into the conference room during his presentation, his eyes widened for a moment in panic. His anxiety increased when he saw the girl from Hong Kong immediately walk over to Gu Yu and talk. Several times, he saw Gu Yu laughing and smiling at her. Watching their interactions caused Zhang Siyi to burn with jealously. Filled with anger, his mind went blank and as a result, he never heard any of the constructive feedback about his project from his peers and professors.

When the critique was finished, he walked over to where Gu Yu was waiting for him. Gu Yu criticized him: “You rehearsed it so well yesterday, but today… What happened with your presentation?”

Zhang Siyi clenched his teeth: “So now you criticize me.”

Gu Yu was confused with his attitude: “What’s the matter?”

Neither did Zhang Siyi want to show nor admit to him that he was jealous. Instead of answering him, he evaded: “Why didn’t you tell me that you were coming to the presentation? You made me so nervous.”

Chuckling, Gu Yu smiled at him: “If I want to see you, do I have to ask? We live together now, so why are you so nervous?”

Zhang Siyi: “…” That isn’t the issue right now. It’s a presentation and he didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of his lover!

As the next person was presenting their project, Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu kept their whispers to a minimum. Soon, the girl from Hong Kong stood up and got her materials for her presentation. When Gu Yu stopped chatting with him all together and focused his attention at her, he got even angrier. Grabbing his arm and pulling him away, Zhang Siyi inwardly thought: God Damn. Did you come to see me or see someone else?

It was only when Zhang Siyi pulled Gu Yu away into a corner and hugged him that Gu Yu realized what was wrong. Happy to coax him, Gu Yu smiled and said: “Fool. Why are you so jealous? You know I can’t be with women.”

Burying his head into Gu Yu, Zhang Siyi kept his mouth shut. He knew Gu Yu wouldn’t do anything to that girl, but even so, he wasn’t happy about his lover being coveted by others. Even though Gu Yu was wearing his ring, that Hong Kong Girl kept persisting and continued to talk to Gu Yu at every chance.

Gu Yu teased him for a while before telling him the truth: “Actually, she likes you.”

Zhang Siyi: “… What!? “

Gu Yu smirked and looked at Zhang Siyi: “Every time she approached me to talk, she wanted to tell me her thoughts about you. Since she liked how well you speak, she comes to your presentations to listen. She also has mentioned you in private.”

Zhang Siyi’s face suddenly burned up: “She, what did she tell you!?!?”

Squeezing Zhang Siyi’s left hand, Gu Yu laughed: “Even though she never asked, she knew that we were together. Don’t you always show her your ring? She said you are childish and cute.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

This news was completely embarrassing for Zhang Siyi. He wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in it. He acted like that in front of her because he thought she didn’t know. He was so angry with himself that he shouted at Gu Yu: “If you knew all along, why didn’t you say something? Was it fun to watch me embarrass myself?”

Gu Yu pinched his nose and grinned: “Yes. I’ve already told that. Heh”

Zhang Siyi was so angry that he vomited three liters of blood!

More than that, in private, their classmates already knew they were a couple. However, they were afraid of embarrassing them so they never spoke up.

____________________________

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 228: Extra 1

After arriving in London, first Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi decided to check into a hotel in the neighborhood that they wanted to reside in. Gu Yu had a high standard of living so they wanted to take their time in choosing an apartment instead of signing a contract through online advertisers in advance.

Even though Gu Yu had money, since the cost of renting an apartment in London was more expensive than back home, Zhang Siyi urged Gu Yu to be economical in picking a place to live. Even with economics in mind, since they didn’t have time to travel far from the suburbs to the city center where the University was located, they wanted the convenience of living within walking distance to their classes. The high rental cost of the area proved how desirable it was. In order to keep costs to a minimum, Gu Yu compromised and choose a studio apartment to live in.

Zhang Siyi was a bit flustered: “Isn’t it a bad idea to live in a studio apartment?”

Typically, a Studio was very small with 1 double bed and could be rented by either a single person or a couple. The one they were inspecting had an open kitchen area, one small bathroom and one main living space that was roughly 30 square meters.

Gu Yu replied: “What’s so bad about it? You can see the park out the window and there is a supermarket downstairs. Since it’s only ten minutes to the University, it’s very convenient to live here.”

Zhang Siyi glanced at the strange-looking real-estate agent and whispered to Gu Yu in Chinese: “Two men living in a studio with one bed. What do you think, other people will think?”

Gu Yu thought it was funny: “What’s gotten into you? We are already a couple.” As he spoke, he reached out to hold Zhang Siyi’s hand.

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Agent: “…”

Now that the rental contract was signed, they could move in without problems. As they waited for the elevator, the real-estate agent asked: “So, you guys are a gay couple?”

Gu Yu generously admitted: “Yes.”

The agent smiled broadly and commented: “You look very loving together. I wish you happiness.”

Gu Yu thanked him, and turned to Zhang Siyi after the man left: “The people in England certainly seem more relaxed about it than the Chinese.”

Written all over his face was a myriad of facial expressions; anxiety, shock, irritation. Zhang Siyi raised his voice and exclaimed: “Wait! You weren’t planning on hiding our relationship?”

Gu Yu squeezed Zhang Siyi’s hand: “We are already wearing rings, what is there to hide?”

Zhang Siyi was a feeling angrier. Without knowing, he always felt like he was caught up in the act. He couldn’t help but complain: “But you gave it to me while I was on the phone.”

Gu Yu grabbed his hand: “You don’t want it? Then …”

Zhang Siyi thought he was going to take it back. Immediately alarmed, he clenched his hand into a fist and yanked it away. Protecting his fist with the other and holding it to his chest, he said: “No one said anything.”

Peering at him, Gu Yu smirked: “Heh.”

Zhang Siyi: “…” (= 皿 =)

Gu Yu went on to explain: “Since I’m not your boss anymore, we don’t need to be so careful. Besides, we are abroad and we don’t have to worry about how others see us, so just be free. Anyways, when we return home to China, we will never see these foreigners again.

Zhang Siyi was somewhat moved by Gu Yu. Indeed, not worrying about how other people think of you was a step that required courage to take. As it was with the real-estate agent, if you are open and honest, then perhaps they could also receive the sincere blessing from others.

Zhang Siyi joked: “What if we become famous one day, like winning the Pritzker Prize. When we receive the prize on stage, someone is bound to recognize us. They will point us out, laugh at us and make fun of us. If they have proof, they could tell everyone we are gay.”

Zhang Siyi’s exaggerated tone made Gu Yu unable to listen to him. He raised his hand and flicked his forehead. He said: “The Plitzker Prize… Keep dreaming.”

Covering his forehead, Zhang Siyi was so angry that he shouted: “You haven’t thought about it? You must have a goal!”

Gu Yu chuckled: “Yes, but your goals of fame and fortune are too unrealistic. For me, designing and building is in itself worth enjoying. It doesn’t matter whether or not I become famous or win awards. If it’s true, then it’s fine to be recognized, but all celebrities have to endure what  others say about them. Regardless, it shouldn’t affect our ability to do our jobs.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

A few days later, they made plans to visit IKEA to buy furniture and a bed and bath home supply store to buy sheets, blankets, bathroom accessories and kitchen supplies. On their way home from the suburbs, they discovered a home improvement store that sold supplies for renovation projects. There, they were able to purchase enough wood and tools to make custom shelving and bookcases for their apartment.

At home, utilizing the new materials they purchased, Gu Yu set to work on optimizing the space by making a few partitions within the apartment and building custom shelving thereby eliminating any dead space present.

Now finished, they carefully unpacked the specialty boxes that were shipped from home that contained one large cactus and one smaller one and set the plants on the windowsill. During the shipping the plants had been jostled around substantially. When they removed the outer packaging, there was dirt spilled all around the inside of the inner package. While the exposed cactus roots were troubling, the more problematic issue was the damage to the ball.

Having went through great lengths to save it in the past, Zhang Siyi was emotionally attached to this particular cactus. He panicked and asked: “Will it die?”

Unlike Zhang Siyi, Gu Yu remained very calm. He casually replied: “It’s okay. This cactus is a hearty plant. We can buy some potting soil later and replant it, but for now, go outside to the flower garden a bring in some soil.”

As for why Gu Yu could take the big cactus ball away from the office without being obstructed…..  Who’s the director? He had the privilege.  ╮ (╯_╰) ╭

In addition to the furniture and accessories to decorate their home, Gu Yu also bought office supplies and the necessary tools specific for architectural work. Furthermore, despite the small home, he bought a scanner, printer and light table, and even a drafting table, which was normally very bulky, for Zhang Siyi to use.

With regards to Gu Yu’s recent spending habits, Zhang Siyi was shocked. “Why did you buy the equipment yourself? There are facilities and printers at the University to use!”

Gu Yu explained: “If you want to do well, consistency is important. Before we left, I asked Tao Fei about the facilities in the department and he said that the printers are heavily used and often times you need to wait in a queue. It’s better to have your own, especially earlier in the school year because of the large volume one needs to print. Overall, in two years-time, the cost will be about the same. Besides, since it’s the two of us, it’s definitely not a poor investment.”

Not understanding his thinking, Zhang Siyi asked: “But what about the drafting and light table? My drawing skills aren’t so good and I mainly use a computer.”

Gu Yu raised an eyebrow and scoffed: “You aren’t good at drawing? Then practice! I’ve tolerated your shortcoming for a long time. As an architect, how can you not know how to draft and draw by hand? You are even embarrassed to admit it yourself!”

Zhang Siyi was choked with anger. He looked around at the now over crowded space in the apartment. Having a bone to pick, he debated: “But it’s so expensive and you bought too much!“

Gu Yu laughed: “I am rich.”

Quickly, Zhang Siyi reproached him and stated: “Why didn’t you just buy a 3D printer then!?”

Gu Yu looked him in the eye and said: “You just can’t let it go.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

He gave up. It seemed like Gu Yu had already calculated the size of the room and purchased the exact necessary equipment to facility their growth with nothing more and nothing less. While the room appeared crowded, it was in fact very easy to move around and live in. After approximately ten days, the two were able to finish decorating their new home.

Other than the bathroom, there weren’t separate rooms. Without walls to hide behind, one was visible at any vantage point in the room. This feeling, as if it wasn’t possible to have a secret between two people, was really amazing.

In the evening, as Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu relaxed together in bed cuddling, Zhang Siyi still felt like he was in a dream. The fact that Gu Yu followed him to England was incredible and he continued to feel like it was unreal. As time went on and Zhang Siyi accepted the facts in front of him, he had a profound sense of well-being and felt happier than ever.

Since their bed faced south, sunlight poured into the room each morning illuminating them just like it had in Gu Yu’s bedroom in Yuanshan Garden. It was clear he took this fact into consideration when he chose this studio apartment to rent.

With a week to go until the start of the school year, spending their time care-free, they toured London, went shopping and hung out with friends. Some of Zhang Siyi’s classmates were still living in London. When they learned he was returning to England to study for a Master’s degree, each of them asked Zhang Siyi out for a reunion dinner.

Unexpectedly, even Yu Rui messaged him and invited him out to eat. While he wasn’t particularly close with the girl, he remembered his friend’s comments about her and as a result, he kept his distance and rejected her invitation.

Having maintained a good relationship with Xue Wenhan, he met up with his friend. He learned that after graduation, Xue Wenhan stayed in London and ultimately decided to work for a Chinese travel agency.

Zhang Siyi was dumbfounded: “Why did you spend all that time earning a Master’s degree if you were going to change your career!?”

Distressed, Xue Wenhan rebuked him: “Hey, if it was so easy to find an architectural position in London, I would have. I was turned away by more than a dozen offices. On the other hand, a company outside of architected wanted to hire me so I decided work there for the time being and figure it out slowly.”

Zhang Siyi: “Did you know that Yu Rui was hired by F Firm?”

Xue Wenhan: “Yeah, I know. She’s really good.”

Harboring some bitterness, both of them looked at each other with understanding and laughed. They didn’t gossip about her further. Instead, they talked about the employment situation in the construction industry of Britain.

The overall situation in the UK wasn’t much better than that of their own country. Like that of China, there was also a saturation of architect’s and not enough projects. Zhang Siyi was worried about his prospects: “When I graduate, will I be able to get a job?”  ….Then what was Gu Yu’s investment for???

Xue Wenhan laughed: “It’ll be different for you since you applied for RIBA part 2. Study well and you will certainly be able to find a nice job in the future.”

The following day, Gu Yu took him to see one of his friends who was a former classmate from T University. He also graduated from Big A Master’s program and stayed in London ever since. Although he wasn’t qualified to obtain a RIBA license, because of his strong ability and experience over seven years, he was a senior project leader at a well-known architectural firm.

When Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi mentioned that they weren’t thinking of applying for work in Britain, Gu Yu’s friend offered to help.

The man interviewed them at a restaurant in Chinatown and was so excited to see an old friend that he vigorously shook Gu Yu’s hand and said: “Hello, hello! How many years has it been? I didn’t expect you to come to England.”

Recounting a few warm moments in the old days, they enthusiastically greeted each other. Noticing the ring on Gu Yu finger, he was surprised and exclaimed: “Shit! Are you married? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Gu Yu laughed. Tilting his head, he gestured to Zhang Siyi who was standing foolishly on the side. He pulled him over and said: “Here, let me introduce you. This is my lover, Zhang Siyi.”

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