Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 160: Panic

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Feeling self-conscience, Zhang Siyi brought his hand up to the back of his neck and said: “Actually, when I started speaking to the group of tourists, I started remembering a little about what my professor said…. I guess some details stayed in my subconscious so they weren’t all my own thoughts.”

Gu Yu smiled gently and accompanied him around the periphery of the church. While walking slowly he said: ”This is very normal. As our predecessors have guided us and told us what is right, what is wrong, what is beautiful, what is ugly, etc…  Like Newton’s phrase ‘If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants,’ not all of our ideas come from thin air. Greek mathematicians from ancient times discovered the golden ratio which is still used today. Since humans have their own minds and ideas, we aren’t machines that rigidly recall information exactly as it was inputted. We refine our thoughts and use our own judgement to extract ideas and express ourselves. If you simply reiterated the ideas that were presented in a book, I would not compliment you. Just because your ideas reflect something said by your professor, it doesn’t mean they weren’t your own. It is proof that the ideas Tadao Ando wanted to express through his Church of Light are being received.”

Gu Yu’s continued compliments caused Zhang Siyi heart to flutter. He was very excited to hear Gu Yu talk positively about him because in contrast, Zhang Siyi remembered how it was when they first met. At that time, Gu Yu only seemed to hurt and severely criticized him. However, look at him now! Gu Yu praised Zhang Siyi non-stop! – Is it true that I am better, or is it because Gu Yu is blinded by love?

In his heart, Zhang Siyi snickered a bit. Regardless, he gladly received the good words.

Today, the weather was perfect. A cool summer breeze kept the temperature comfortable for everyone. Inside, afraid of disturbing God’s house, only whispers could be heard.

Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu finally wandered back to the entrance of the Church. Once inside, they sat in the back row. As they watched the sun light project a cross on the wall in front of them, they felt time slowly pass.

Gu Yu’s mellifluous tone broke the silence: “When I got my job with X Firm, the company won a bid for a project in Xi’an. Several of the designers went to inspect the project site. Since we were nearby, we went to Lintong and visited the Tomb of the Terracotta Army**.

Zhang Siyi marveled: “Wow, isn’t that one of the eight wonders of the world!? I’ve only seen it on TV. How was it?”

Gu Yu chuckled: “The viewing area wasn’t extravagant. It simply was a large pit full of soldiers and horses. Standing on the viewing platform looking down into it, visually the scene was very shocking. Even though you understood the history a little bit in the recesses of your mind, being there in person made it difficult to comprehend. It was an indescribable feeling. At the time, there were also some foreign tourists. I remember them saying that because the Terracotta Army was incredibly famous, they thought it would be exceedingly special, but in reality, they thought it wasn’t interesting at all.

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Gu Yu paused and continued: “At that time, a group of about six young people came up behind us that was led by an old man. All of the members of the group expressed a moment of shock before changing to sadness. With solemn faces, some members of the group wiped tears from their eyes. The old man eyes were red as well and his voice trembled. Since we thought he was probably an Archeology professor with some graduate students, our design group quickly followed them to listen to what the old man had to say as they moved on. The Terracotta Army represented the history of two thousand years ago. One can imagine the eight thousand statues in the army and all of the people who were enslaved to them. The craftsmen who were buried, the servants, horses, carriages… Everyone’s perception of what they saw will have a completely different meaning because of their own knowledge and understanding. In the eyes of an architect, a house isn’t just a home, but a work of art. It is also a craft that lasts through time and bears human civilization and history. The deeper your knowledge, the more you will understand and the more you will love it.”

Extraordinarily calm, the passage was said as if Gu Yu was talking to himself. However, Zhang Siyi knew Gu Yu was talking to him instead. Listening to his calm voice, Zhang Siyi could feel the deep love that Gu Yu had for his profession.

 “It’s great to be an architect…” Zhang Siyi said sincerely.

“Yeah.” Gu Yu smiled, a simple conversation. The two seem to have the same heart and mind. It was not only Zhang Siyi that heard Gu Yu’s speech. Lu Qiao and Tao Fei were nearby as well.

While taking photos outside, Tao Fei spotted Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi going back inside the Church. He followed them quietly and sat in the pews not far from where the two were sitting, listening.

Since peaking at Zhang Siyi’s sketchbook last night, Lu Qiao had been caught up in an extremely complex mood.

He was very fond of Zhang Siyi, especially when he learned how hard-working Zhang Siyi was despite coming from a well-off family. Since Lu Qiao thought Zhang Siyi was different from a spoiled second-generation rich kid, he believed Zhang Siyi was worthy of being a friend.

Lu Qiao ideology was very deeply rooted. He involuntarily ranked people based on their social and economical status and used that as a basis to determine who his friends could be. There was a sparkle that Tao Fei and Gu Yu exuded that Lu Qiao greatly admired. He thought Zhang Siyi had it too, but contrary to the seniors’ ability, in Lu Qiao’s mind, he and Zhang Siyi were at the same level.

Family background aside, Lu Qiao was proud of his accomplishments. After all, his starting point was vastly different and despite the gap, he was currently working and socializing with the same wealthy people. To some extent, it proved his own determination and work ethic.

Since he saw how useful Zhang Siyi was during the C-City project and because they got along well during their business trip, he requested Zhang Siyi to be his roommate for the company’s trip to Japan. Because he thought that Zhang Siyi had similar ethics and hobbies, he felt it would be easy to chat with him.

But in two days, Lu Qiao found that the balance he had in his life was broken. In every respect, Zhang Siyi wasn’t acting in the way the Lu Qiao imagined he would. When he was playing with his mobile phone, Zhang Siyi was sketching. While he wandered aimlessly, Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu were talking about philosophy and life. Suddenly, Lu Qiao realized he misjudged his own position.

Zhang Siyi, Gu Yu and Tao Fei were people of the world. As a result of being Zhang Siyi roommate and Tao Fei’s game partner, he was always besides them. In comparison to these bright and glamorous people, he was very humble and felt pathetic.

Feeling inferior and anxious, he sought to vent his frustrations. At that time, he saw Zhang Siyi’s sketch book and uncovered a huge secret. Panicked, his discovery made him feel even more confused and began to doubt the world.

In these past two days, his original understanding of Zhang Siyi has been completely overturned. In addition, his working relationship with is boss was destabilized. Over the course of working with Gu Yu this past year and a half, he really admired his work ethics and thought he was a perfect boss, but it turns out….

His favorite colleague and most respected boss…… They’re gay!

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T/N: Terracotta Army: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 159: The Church of Light

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Demonstrating his excellent ability, Zhang Siyi didn’t disappoint as he played a few rounds. Watching him play in disbelief, Tao Fei hung his mouth open in an O shaped and glared at the score on the screen: “No fucking way! Are you cheating?!?! How can you score a 99.9% success rate with such a fast song?”

In the beginning, Zhang Siyi didn’t think he was doing anything special while he played the game, but now, not only did Gu Yu and his sister praise him, Tao Fei acted like he was witnessing an other-worldly being. Zhang Siyi smiled with self-satisfaction.

Gu Yu lifted his chin to peek over at the screen and smiled at him. Zhang Siyi was clearly playing very well. Gu Yu acted more proudly then Zhang Siyi.

Tao Fei ignored Gu Yu’s conduct. –Even if your wife was great, that doesn’t mean you will defeat me!

“Come on, it’s my turn. I don’t believe in cheaters!” Eager for a fight, Tao Fei rubbed his hands together then raised his sleeves. Zhang Siyi passed the iPad back to Tai Fei. He scored a little better than in his previous rounds, but it continued to be a far cry from Zhang Siyi’s score.

Next, it was Gu Yu’s turn to play the game….. Zhang Siyi couldn’t bear to look at Gu Yu play so he covered his eyes.

Tao Fei laughed out loud ‘ha-ha-ha-ha!’ and spoke to Gu Yu: “You are way too slow! How can you miss such a simple rhythm?”

Saddened by his poor performance, Gu Yu tactfully handed the iPad to Zhang Siyi as if to tell him to take revenge.

At once, Zhang Siyi understood what Gu Yu wanted and again, Zhang Siyi displayed masterful ability and scored an A+. Even though he received a 100% success rate, Zhang Siyi continued to feel that the game wasn’t very challenging.

Tao Fei held out the iPad and exclaimed: “Too awesome! You have God’s skill!”

With eyes full of admiration and love, Gu Yu looked at Zhang Siyi tenderly.

Bashful, Zhang Siyi looked away feeling embarrassed. Since he didn’t feel as though he put any effort into mastering the game, he didn’t think it was something to be proud of. Be that as it may, Zhang Siyi really liked making his boyfriend happy.

Compared to his talent playing the game, he much rather have the innate learning skills and excellent memory that Gu Yu possessed; abilities that were necessary to live a comfortable life!

With the rigorous academics needed to attend the best university in the country, never mind the additional talents required by the prestigious Department of Architecture, Tao Fei and Gu Yu must be very intellectual people. However, in disbelief, as with Gu Yu, Zhang Siyi witnessed Tao Fei’s lackluster performance.  –But It’s easy! What is wrong with their brains?

In order to outdo one another, the friends continued to compete with one another. In the end, Zhang Siyi’s score was impossible to reach. Both Gu Yu and Tao Fei urged Zhang Siyi to evaluate their games and decide who was the better player. Unaffected by their cries, Zhang Siyi simply shook his head slowly in pity.

Tao Fei: “…”

Gu Yu: “…”

Tao Fei narrowed his eyes: “Your little boyfriend seems to be looking down on us.”

Gu Yu also narrowed his eyes at Zhang Siyi: “I think you’re right.”

Suddenly scared, Zhang Siyi waved his arms and hands all over: “I did not! I did not!”

Gu Yu leaned over to Zhang Siyi and slipped his hand under his shirt and pulled him close by his waist. In front of Tao Fei he gave Zhang Siyi a kiss on the lips.

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Caught by surprise, Tao Fei let out an audible sound then turned around and laid down on the other bed with the iPad: “I’ll give you ten minutes. Be quick about it!”

Gu Yu glanced at Tao Fei then smiled broadly. Having needed to suppress his feelings all day, like opening a floodgate, now Gu Yu couldn’t stop the torrent of desire that welled up inside him and kissed Zhang Siyi passionately.

Taken by surprise, at first Zhang Siyi wanted to protest – wait, but Tao Fei is still here! – but, once he felt Gu Yu’s soft lips pressed upon his own, he couldn’t resist. Responding to Gu Yu advances in kind, he reached out and held him close. Zhang Siyi opened his lips slightly to meet Gu Yu’s tongue and they kissed deeply…. The body is far more honest than the mind.

One part of Zhang Siyi’s mind knew that there was another person in the room and that he should feel embarrassed, but there was another part of his mind that thought having another person present made it more exciting. Concentrating on the sensations on his skin, Zhang Siyi grew numb to his surroundings and solely focused on Gu Yu’s touch. With only the tip of his tongue meeting, Zhang Siyi could feel his whole body start to tingle. Gu Yu’s gentle caresses heightened his feelings and made his body tremble.

Tao Fei watched ten minutes slowly pass.  Behind him, the sounds of kissing and heavy breathing intensified. They didn’t seem to care that Tao Fei was in the room since the two didn’t hold back. Damn it! Was he supposed to go straight to Lu Qiao’s room with a pillow? He called out: “All right, that’s enough….”

Finally, he could quietly hear Zhang Siyi say a sensible ‘stop’ but, in the next second the sound turned into more erotic noises. Gu Yu had pressed his lips upon Zhang Siyi again.

…… God Damn it!  Am I just a dog!

After a few minutes, the two of them separated and Gu Yu brought Zhang Siyi to the door. Even though Tao Fei heard them say good night to one another at the door, it was some time later that he heard Gu Yu finally open and shut the door to let Zhang Siyi out.

Looking down at the iPad screen, Tao Fei saw his score was actually higher than Gu Yu’s. Even though he ‘won’, there was nothing to feel happy about. With a heavy heart, Tao Fei felt that he really lost.

As though he ate a pound of honey, Zhang Siyi returned to his room in a very good mood.

When Zhang Siyi returned to his room, a single small bedside lamp was lit. Since Lu Qiao was quiet and already in bed with only the very top of his hair visible out of the quilt, he thought his roommate feel asleep early. After quietly turning off the bedside light, Zhang Siyi got into bed and soon fell asleep.

The next day was another full day of scheduled events. The main agenda for the day was Tadao Ando’s famous building: Church of Light** It was located outside of Osaka in the small town of Ibaraki. Since the space was small, the Church required reservations to tour the site in order to regulate the flow of visitors properly. Half of the people from Borderless went to see the Church early in the morning.

At the time of the visit, there was a group of Chinese tourists already inside looking around. Since they weren’t there for religious reasons, they respectfully walked through the space in a rush and were going to leave. When the group of Borderless people arrived, they were whispering excitedly and snapping photos non-stop in order to capture every detail. Being architects, the group had inside knowledge about the building as it was a place that many studied at university.

Witnessing the group of young people acting so enthusiastic about the Church, they remained inside for longer. Now curious, they approached Zhang Siyi and one of them struck up a conversation with him. After learning that they were all architects, they asked Zhang Siyi to explain why the building was special.

Since it was four years ago that his professor at university gave a lecture about the Church, he had forgotten many details about it and thus, felt an immediate pressure.

However, these people are all without an architectural background. He took a deep breath to gather his thoughts and told them what he thought: “The interior of this church is in a  minimalistic style. The designer used geometry to effectively make a cross made out of light that is illuminated by the sun outside. The image of the cross projected inside changes with the position of the sun’s rise and fall in the sky and thereby making the inside feel like a mysterious, sacred space.

He pointed to the slope inside the church and said: “The concept that diverges from traditional churches is the location where the pastor stands. Since it is at the same height as the people in the pews, the design reflects the architect’s idea to express the idea of equality for all.”

The group of tourists listened to Zhang Siyi’s explanation attentively and thanked him. As they were gathering themselves to leave the building, Zhang Siyi breathed a sigh of relief. From behind him, he heard Gu Yu speak: “You spoke very well.”

“Ah? Really?” Zhang Siyi said feeling slightly embarrassed. He looked back at Gu Yu: “It’s been so long since hearing my professor lecture about Tadao Ando’s work that I’ve forgotten the details. I simply told them my thoughts and opinions.”

“Your quick thinking was very good.” Gu Yu walked over to him. On the basis of Zhang Siyi’s explanation to the visitors, he added a few points of his own which included the materials used in the building and a formal analysis. “Since the ideas expressed in books are summed up by others, you don’t need to remember the details printed in them. On the contrary, the points you expressed just now are what you personally feel. It shows that you are able to appreciate the merits of master works and prove that you already have the aesthetics and judgment of a professional architect.”

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T/N: Church of Light:  https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7ZtfYOD5I8M/maxresdefault.jpg

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 158: Heart Lock

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At the moment of being released, Zhang Siyi felt the loss. As much as he wanted to remain in Gu Yu arms, he knew they couldn’t show such intimate embraces in public.

Zhang Siyi believed that Gu Yu also felt the same loss as he did. Emblazoned on their hearts, the feelings transmitted between them for five sweet seconds were precious.

As they moved around the observation desk, they came upon a stall that was selling heart padlocks! If requested, the salesperson could engrave both names on it so they could hang it together a kilometer above ground in the sky. Even though it was just a gimmick to make more money, how could a couple pass up the opportunity to express their love for one another?

Gu Yu asked Zhang Siyi: “Should we buy one?”

Zhang Siyi: “……” Really? Gu Yu still believed in this kind of thing?

Even though Zhang Siyi wanted to buy one, he didn’t have the courage to speak up. Also, if his colleagues found out….

It’s a shame. Zhang Siyi casually found an excuse: “A thousand Yen is too expensive. Forget it.”

Suddenly, Zhang Siyi was being pushed from behind towards the direction of the stall. Certainly, for Gu Yu if ‘expensive’ was the only reason, it was no reason at all.

“Hey…” Zhang Siyi blushed and looked around alarmed. Quickly, he walked up to the stall and bought a lock with Gu Yu by his side.

A very gentle women was selling locks at the stall. Watching them smiling brightly, she spoke while handing them a lock. Unfortunately, neither of them could understand Japanese so they didn’t know what she said. Perhaps, it was a blessing….? She gestured to a book where it was obvious the people buying the lock wrote their names. Gu Yu wrote down an acronym: GX.ZSY-6.20.2015

Afterwards, the two walked to the side of the guardrail and snapped the lock together onto the chain links. At the moment they heard the locking mechanism ‘click’ into place, not only did they physically lock the padlock, but their hearts were locked together forever as well.

When they turned around, Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi froze. Not far away, Tao Fei and Lu Qiao were standing staring intently in their direction.

It took only a moment hesitation until Gu Yu walked up and greeted them calmly. Zhang Siyi wasn’t a very good actor. He started to sweat and panic. It doesn’t matter if Tao Fei watched, but what about Lu Qiao? What would he think?

Tao Fei smirked and said jokingly: “Oh, you two are being so romantic. You bought a lock?”

Until he heard Tao Fei, Lu Qiao was wondering what the heck were those locks for. He felt very strange…… For the first time, he began to wonder if Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi were real lovers. If they weren’t, was it necessary to buy a love lock as part of the game?

However, Gu Yu’s performance was so smooth. He calmly and indifferently asked: “Would you like to buy one too?”

Tao Fei laughed: “With me? Get in line!”

If Lu Qiao was asked, he would say ‘fuck off’. Isn’t that the normal response? But Tao Fei also joked, leaving Lu Qiao feeling confused. Is he the only one that thought it was strange for Gu Yu and Zhang Siyi to buy a love lock?

Truthfully, it wasn’t just him. When Zhang Siyi and Lu Qiao went to the bathroom, Tao Fei yelled at Gu Yu: “You are being too obvious!”

Gu Yu looked away. He also felt perhaps it was too much, but he couldn’t help it. His actions were completely dominated by his emotions. “I know, I’ll pay more attention.” Even saying thus, he wasn’t at all expressing concern and instead, he had a dazed look and broad smile on his face. Not for a moment did he regret buying the lock with Zhang Siyi.

Tao Fei glared at him: “Get it together! The stench of love is too strong!”

Gu Yu: “……”

After spending an hour and a half visiting the Umeda Sky building, they were feeling a little reluctant to descend to the ground. The end of the day’s trip was spent eating ramen at a restaurant that Gu Yu took them too.

Combined with the need to wake up early in the morning to get to the airport and walking around touring in the afternoon, they were completely exhausted upon returning to the hotel. In particular, Lu Qiao was both physically exhausted and mentally exhausted.

At home in Haicheng, Lu Qiao thought his lifestyle was very stable. He was satisfied with his home and had enough pocket money to enjoy a few things he wanted. Now that he was with his colleagues, reality hit him in the face at full force. Any excitement he felt in the beginning of the trip vanished and what remained was confusion and sorrow.

When Zhang Siyi returned from his shower, he saw Lu Qiao awake on the bed unmoving. He asked: “Aren’t you going to take a shower?”

Lu Qiao looked at his phone and lazily said: “In a little bit.”

While drying off his hair, Zhang Siyi took out his sketch book from his bag to sum up the day’s events.  After a few weeks, he developed the habit of writing and sketching every day. Now, if he does not write a few thoughts down, he felt like his day wasn’t complete.

Compared to when he first started, his sketching ability has greatly improved. Even Gu Yu praised him a few days ago for drawing more professionally. As a result, Zhang Siyi gained a sense of accomplishment that gave him the confidence he needed to persist in his task and take notes in his sketchbook every day.

Lost in thought, Zhang Siyi was diligently writing his notes that included the details of the airport in Kanai, the size of the seats in the Japanese subway as well as the main design points and features of the Umeda Sky Building.

 Lu Qiao felt bored and checked the WeChat group that Zhang Siyi had set up for the office staff long ago. He suddenly spoke up and asked: “Four, why don’t you chat in the group anymore?”

“Ah?” Zhang Siyi closed the notebook and turned around to face him.

Lu Qiao: “In the WeChat group that you created….. Everyone is chatting in it.”

Zhang Siyi smiled and said: “I forgot about it. I’ve been too busy recently.”

In truth, it’s not so much that he is busy, but having Gu Yu by his side has subtly influenced his habits. At what point did he start thinking that chatting in WeChat was a waste of his time?

Now, Zhang Siyi felt that it was better to use his time more productively such as reading or writing in his sketchbook. He felt like his life was becoming more enriched as compared to his state of being before meeting Gu Yu and as a result, he didn’t feel the need to look at his social media pages all the time anymore.

Ironically, Zhang Siyi mobile phone sounded. There was a text message from Gu Yu: “Come over.”

Zhang Siyi: “What are you doing? Its half passed eleven and you haven’t slept yet?

Gu Yu: “Just come.”

Speechless, Zhang Siyi put the sketchbook under his pillow then informed Lu Qiao: “Boss requested me. I’m going to his room for few minutes. Then I’ll come back.”

Lu Qiao: “Oh.”

Watching Zhang Siyi leave the room, Lu Qiao withdrew his eyesight. He meant to returned his attention to his phone but instead, he noticed the sketchbook under Zhang Siyi’s pillow.

….. Why was it hidden? Isn’t it just a sketchbook? Is there something to be ashamed of?

Throughout the day Lu Qiao’s noticed a variety peculiar actions between Zhang Siyi and Gu Yu  like the same fragrance on their cloths, the closeness they displayed on the airplane, and the incident with the lock. All of these occurrences left questions in Lu Qiao mind which served to increase his desire to find answers. With his curiosity piqued, he climbed out of his bed and peeked at Zhang Siyi sketchbook.

Opening the book, he glanced at few pages from the beginning of the book and saw a few sketches of various dimensions and didn’t think too much of it. Clearly, these are drawings from an architect. Since his drawings weren’t very good, perhaps Zhang Siyi was embarrassed about them and felt like he had to hide his sketchbook?

Looking at the poor quality of the drawings, Lu Qiao felt better. He was about to close the book and put it back when he saw a different style of drawing on the follow page. It was a very professional drawing of a log cabin in perspective with extensive notes beside it. He recognized the handwriting right away. It was his Boss’s. Strange, why did Gu Yu draw in Zhang Siyi’s sketch book?

As Lu Qiao continued to turn the pages, his expression grew darker and darker. The rate at which Zhang Siyi drawing improved was too fast. The drawings at the beginning were like a child’s, but further along in the book, they were quickly getting better and better. In addition to the sketch, Zhang Siyi wrote many notes about the architectural details related to the image.

Looking through the book, Lu Qiao witnessed the growth of a person first hand. If at the start, he felt a little disdain for Zhang Siyi, now he broke out in a cold sweat.

Although they are colleagues, they are also competitors. Knowing how quickly Zhang Siyi caught up to him, Lu Qiao felt an enormous pressure. With a heavy heart, Lu Qiao turned to the last page; a sketch of a lock leaped into view. A beautiful line of English text wrapped around the edge: “Lock our love forever.”

As if he was caught at discovering a terrible secret, he frantically closed the book and put it back under Zhang Siyi’s pillow and quickly went back to his own bed to lie down.

………

Zhang Siyi knocked on the door of Gu Yu and Tao Fei’s room: “What is it?”

Tao Fei was lying in bed with his full attention to his iPad. Hearing the burst of music, Zhang Siyi knew he was playing a game and stated: “Playing the Era of Music, huh?”

Just as Tao Fei finished the round, he regretfully called: “Damn it! I missed five!”

Noticing Zhang Siyi’s presence he smiled: “Brother said you are very good at this game.”

As if he presented his own trophy, Gu Yu eagerly pushed Zhang Siyi forward: “Quick, play a game and let him see your score.”

Zhang Siyi: “……” Dang! Gu Yu called him over in the middle of the night for this?

Zhang Siyi reached out to take the iPad from Tao Fei and realized Tao Fei had been playing the game on Gu Yu’s iPad. –Gu Yu installed the game on his own iPad??

Not really understanding what was expected, he glanced over at Gu Yu questioningly. Zhang Siyi saw Gu Yu looking at him intently with all seriousness. Zhang Siyi sat down then took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Ho-ho-ho….. he couldn’t embarrass himself in front of Gu Yu!

He flexed his fingers then selected a song he hadn’t played before…….

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