Assistant Architect

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

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Gu Yu was also afraid of falling asleep, so he chose tokeep himself busy before dinner. He washed up briefly in the restroom then wentdownstairs, leaving the collapsed Zhang Siyi on the floor. Not long after, hecalled Zhang Siyi. He was so tired he had lost his appetite. If Gu Yu hadn'tcalled him, he probably would have been able to sleep all night. On tiredwobbly legs, Zhang Siyi got up and met Gu Yu downstairs.

Because of his disappointment during lunch, he wasmentally preparing himself for more cheap snacks while walking down the stairs.He still felt bitter about his biscuit and cheap hotel.

They left the hotel and Zhang Siyi followed Gu Yu frombehind. Gu Yu was holding his phone and looking at it periodically, following amap. Once they got to their destination, Zhang Siyi was shocked. It really wasa rinky-dinky shack! The cheapskate!

However, despite its outward appearance it was a sand teanoodle restaurant. The place was full of customers - a good sign. Rich aromaand freshness perforated the air revitalizing his spirit.

After waiting for less than a minute, the they sat at thevacant table. Gu Yu ordered a lot of things; cuttlefish, pork belly, fish tofu,fresh shrimp, and beef tenderloin to name a few and the price is not expensive.He can hardly believe how good it tastes! He used to go to a Xiamen specialtyrestaurant for sand tea noodles in Haicheng but the bowl of noodles there can'tcompare with the bowl in front of him!

As Zhang Siyi eats the bowl of noodles, he can only thinkof the flavor permeating his senses. The flavor of peanut butter and spicytaste are melded together. So good! Fireworks are exploding in his brain.

“Is it delicious?” Gu Yu asked.

"uhm", he mumbles with noodles in his mouth.” Hedoesn't know if it's because he is so tired and hungry or not, but the food isthe best thing he has ever tasted. He can't stop himself from shoveling thefood into his mouth nonstop. He has little time to talk or even breath. At themoment he is tasting the definition of the word "delicious" and will be able togo to heaven!

“Ha ha……”

Hearing the laughter of GuYu, Zhang Siyi looked up with a few pieces of noodle handing out of his mouthand saw Gu Yu looking at him with a smile. Under the dim light of the old shop,A pair of beautiful eyes like black glass, were shining and full of warmth.

Zhang Si Yi stared at Gu Yustunned. Gu Yu lowered his eyes exposing his long lashes and looked at his bowlof noodles. While stirring the contents with his chopsticks he spoke: “Thisstore is very famous in the city of Z."

He swallowed the twicechewed, squid eggs and coughed then asked, “Have you been here?”

Gu Yu said: “No, Ichecked it last night.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

So, the information that GuYu asked when he slept last night was a place where he could take Zhang Siyi todinner. Zhang Siyi didn’t know what to say. For a moment, he felt that thetiredness of suffering during the day turned to dust and scattered in thebreeze. Is it over? Zhang Siyi isn't going to have Stockholm syndrome, anymoreis he? Gu Yu was so mean to him this morning on the plane. He said one thing,but his actions are totally different now.

Because of Gu Yu frequentteasing, in his mind Zhang Siyi doesn't want to acknowledge Gu Yu at all. Butthe care he experienced coming to this restaurant with Gu Yu tested hisresolve. The taste of soup has dispelled any negative feelings. He felt sopeaceful and relaxed that he couldn't help letting his heart grow in warmth.

Gu Yu ate for a while andasked him: “Do you have any thoughts on the venue today?”

If Gu Yu had asked him thisquestion earlier before eating, Zhang Siyi would have probably had one word todescribe his thoughts; tired. Feeling invigorated by the sugar-coated sand teanoodles, Zhang Siyi finally turned on his tired brain: “I feel theenvironment is very bad.”

Even though it's the samecity, the old Town of Z City is so prosperous, but the new district is sodesolate and defeated. The economical difference was very apparent between theparts of the city. Here in the city center, wealthy people can sojourn on saferoads, eat great food like the tea noodles and stroll around at the nightmarket. Across the way, the people on the other side of town are wrapped inquilts, dark and muddy hoping tomorrow brings a sunny day.

The government turned theland into a new area. For those who live there, it may be redemption. However,the method of saving them now requires a considerable amount of thought. ZhangSiyi suddenly understood the feeling of heaviness of the afternoon was. It wasa sense of responsibility. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t help but stirthe noodle soup and sighed in his heart.

Gu Yu just asked casually.He didn't expect him to have a thoughtful answer, and then asked: “Whenyou came, did you find that the road is blocked?” Zhang Siyi shook hishead. When he came, he wasn't really paying attention to the flow of traffic.

Gu Xiao Road: “Z City’scurrent population is 5 million people. There are 250,000 private cars, percapita.” He put a little tea on his finger and drew two circles on thetable. “Here we are now, the old town and that circle is the railwaystation, the city's transportation hub. "He used more tea to make another linein the middle. "This is the new riverside planning area, but the status of the middleroute is very bad. “

Zhang Siyi startled, is thata problem they need to solve? Gu Yu did not say more and continued to eatnoodles. Zhang Siyi didn't have the energy anymore to think about it deeply.

After dinner, they did notrush back to the hotel. Instead, Gu Yu took Zhang Siyi out to stroll around thenight market. At the side of the road, they continued to taste some of thelocal favorites such as four-fruit soup and friend kueh. After walking for alittle, Zhang Siyi started to understand the purpose of this night. Gu Yudidn't just want him to eat, but to experience the people in the vicinity andthe life they live in order to understand them better.

Gu Yu asked a stall vendor, "Wherecan I buy an old map?" The vendor refers them to an old bookstore, but it iscurrently closed and will reopen tomorrow morning at 8.

The two did not have a longtime to go shopping and returned to the hotel by 8pm. Gu Yu took the laptop andasked Zhang Siyi to copy the photos from the camera. The night was organizedand sent to the company. Poor Zhang Siyi got up at five in the morning and wasenslaved by Gu Yu in the hotel at 8 o’clock in the evening!

He handled hundreds ofphotos and was fighting to stay awake. He selected the images one by one andwrote a document describing the location of the photos in the classifiedfolder. When everything is done, Gu Yu was finished with his shower. Coming outof the bathroom he had changed into a white T-shirt, like the one coffeespilled on, and grey cotton pants. He was wiping his still wet hair when heapproached Zhang Siyi to look at his results.

When he bent down and leanedover to look at the computer screen, Zhang Siyi couldn't help but feel hispresence and smelled a touch of shower gel fragrance emanating from Gu Yu body.His memories of his youthful admiration of the person standing before him werestimulated. At the same time, he is somewhat embarrassed to learn the person headmired is now his Boss.

If they hadn't seen eachother then he may have forgotten about it entirely. But, seeing each otherevery day, Zhang Siyi has an inexplicable emotion that is buried deep withinhis soul. Once opened, the force, unstoppable will completely surround him andmake him feel drunk with joy.

When Zhang Siyi turned hishead, he saw Gu Yu's neck and collarbone close at hand. The other person’s skinis very smooth. Observing more closely he sees the cut of muscles on his arms.Since he is usually dressed in thin clothes, Zhang Siyi didn't notice it before.Zhang Siyi inexplicably remembered the “sexual coolness. Handsome”that Fu Xinhui described.

Gu Yu suddenly sighed:“Yes, I will take over uploading the information to the servers for now. It'syour turn for a shower.” Zhang Siyi took back his thoughts and quicklystood up and walked away. After taking a shower, Gu Yu said to him: “Yourcell phone has been ringing several times.”

Zhang Siyi saw Fu Xinfei’s manymissed calls. Even if they live together, he has been so busy that their liveshadn't intersected at all. Since he didn’t say hello to him after workingovertime last night and since he left so early this morning, he never explainedhis absence and his friend is probably worried.

Zhang Siyi went to thecorner and gave Fu Xinhui a call: “It is me, I am now in Z City, FProvince.”

Fu Xinfei growled,“Damn it, why are you running so far?!"

Zhang Siyi: “I’m on atemporary business trip …”

Fu Xinfei: “You don’tsay anything about a business trip! Jiang Hai and I thought you were abductedand sold!"

Zhang Siyi: “I was sobusy, I don’t have time to tell you. I'm too tired to explain right now. I maybe back tomorrow.”

Fu Xinfei: “Eh ah…”

In the presence of Gu Yu,Zhang Siyi did not have the nerve to continue talking. He hung up the phone, slowlyclimbed onto the bed and wrote Fu Xinfei a short message: "I'm here with my bossso I can't talk now.”

Just after finishing thissentence, Gu Yu turned off the computer and turned his head. Seeing ZhangSiyi's sneaky look, he raised his eyebrows and asked: “Boyfriend?”

Zhang Siyi:“………..”

Zhang Siyi was verydefensive: “No!!! “

After hanging the wet towelon the back of a chair, Gu Yu got into bed to lay down. He took a pillow andput it behind his back and said, “Is he the one you call Heartless Han?The one that picked you up when drunk?”

Zhang Siyi: “It’s him,but he’s just my roommate!”

With an indeterminateexpression Gu Xiao slowly formed “oh” then said: “I noticed alot of pictures with him on your social media page, especially whentraveling.”

Zhang Siyi suddenlyremembered that on the day of the cafe, his ex-girlfriend also accused him of thisproblem! Oh, my gosh, if Gu Xiao had always thought it was true … Oh, my God!So what kind of lens is he looking at Zhang Siyi with? Think of him as a gayguy? Zhang Siyi does not know how to prove his innocence!

“We are just roommates!His name is Fu Xinhui, and ‘ Heartless Han ‘ is his nickname! “Zhang Siyigrabbed the sheets and turned his back to Gu Yu. Gu Yu didn't think Zhang Siyiwas going to get so defensive and freak out."

Gu Yu gave him a meaningfullook and smiled: “You're so serious. I am just teasing you.”

Zhang Siyi:“………”

Ten minutes later, Gu Yu wasbusy on his iPad researching some of the construction information. He glancedover and saw Zhang Siyi completely encased in the blankets and bedding withonly his head sticking out. So as not to set off Zhang Siyi again, Gu Yu usedhis hand to hide his laughing and smiling face. Displeased with himself, in thebed Zhang Si Yi silently shed tears.

The next day when Zhang Siyiwoke up, the bed next door was empty. When he saw the time, he was surprised tofind the time illuminated on the bedside clock was 9am. Gu Yu didn't wake himup and let him sleep in! He quickly got up and washed, then sent a message toGu Yu on WeChat. "Where are you?"

Gu Yu: “Oh, you are upnow? I am in the old bookstore. I'll be back in a while. Wait for me in theroom.”

Zhang Siyi: “Is thereanything I need to be doing?"

Gu Yu: “No, go eatfirst.”

When Gu Yu came back, he hada big bag of books. He emptied he bag and showed them to Zhang Siyi. There weresome old maps, local customs, and city magazines.

He did not understand:“Why buy old maps?”

"Introducing the law ofurban development and expansion in Z province for past few years," Gu Yu simplyexplained, pulling out the room card, "Still hungry? Let's go eat another localspecialty: cat porridge."

“Aren’t we in a hurrytoday ” Zhang Siyi is a little flustered. Is it his imagination? It seemslike Gu Yu is in a particularly good mood today.

“We aren't in a rush.We need to wait until Chen Gong arrives before we can go to the scene again.Then we will return to Haicheng at night.” Zhang Siyi thinks Chen Gong isthe head of the landscape planning department. Zhang Siyi breathed a sigh ofrelief. He followed Gu Yu out the door then asked him what cat porridge was.

Gu Yu said that cat porridgeis similar to seafood porridge from home. There are fish fillets, meat,shrimps, oysters, etc. According to the locals, the story says a cook made itfor his cats, so it's called cat porridge. Ning Cheng, the hometown of the two,is also close to the sea so there are some similarities in food preferences.Like with the noodles, Zhang Siyi earnestly ate the bowl of cat porridge reallyenjoying the flavor. He is starting to like this business trip. Just a little.

At 10:30 in the morning,Chen Gong's plane arrived in Z City. The two men packed up and went to thescene to meet with him. Zhang Siyi couldn’t help much. He listened to Gu Yu andhim talk. Gu Yu said that it is necessary to devote more than half of the plot fora flood control system. Then the two talked about some water treatment methods,types of water diversion, dredging, microbial purification and so on.

Zhang Siyi heard the fog inthe clouds and looked at it. Aren't they just architects? Why should weconsider this ecological environment? And the most important thing is, why doesGu Yu know even these things? Is he omnipotent?

Although he is yearning forsomething in his heart, he is also very confused. The strength and maturity ofGu Yu is like a high mountain standing in front of him. Zhang Siyi cannot matchhim and cannot overtake him.

Especially after these twodays of contact, the adoration of this person from middle school seems toslowly awaken from the bottom of his heart. How can Zhang Siyi escape? He can'thide the influence Gu Yu has on him. Although Zhang Siyi was very unhappy whilebeing trained, as Du Rui said, Gu Xiao has the means and methods to educatehim.

Gu Yu and Chen Gongexchanged a few more ideas and took more photos. Then returned to Haicheng inthe evening with a successful business trip completed.

When Zhang Siyi returned tothe company on the third day of the morning. The colleagues of the team projecthad already completed the corresponding changes with the new photos they sentthe night before and did some relevant case analysis of sewage purificationcontent at home and abroad. After the Gu Yu's approval, they began working onthe next phase of the project.

Three days later, theproject team was divided into two. From the initial analysis, each of themsummed up their ideas and thus began the competition for the design bid.

Again, Zhang Siyi wasassigned to patch duties, but this time he no longer complained and didn't feelresentful. With rapt attention, he saw his colleagues joined forces; analyze,report, plan, argue, draw and create a wonderful plan. His excitement rose.

Sometimes, they are not justdesigners, but also salesmen and speakers. Before a design is selected, they mustconvince not only themselves, but also satisfy the other peoples' needs.

Demanding perfection, Gu Yuis like a general commanding his troops. As long he points the way with hiseyes and pen, the team can't lose. After 7 days of making corrections andrevisions to plan, it is finally time to reveal the designs.

At ten o’clock in themorning, the company’s largest conference room opened. The importance of theproject was evident by the company's rare appearance of several chiefarchitects as well as consultants from the X Institute of Planning.

Quietly sitting in a far cornerof the room, full of excitement, Zhang Siyi seized the opportunity to watchsuch a large occasion. The first report was given by Group A representative, JiFeiyu. Although Zhang Siyi was already familiar with his group’s plan, he stilllistened very attentively.

After comprehensivelyconsidering the conclusions from the previous analysis, they determined theplanning orientation of the new district. That is, to solve the problems ofresidence, flood discharge, landscape and traffic, and based on therelationships between them, divided the sections from the leading port, thenfurther divided the 250-hectare plots according to the area requirements ofeach function. Each block is again divided into small blocks, each of whichperforms its own functions. Some build houses, some do commercial use, and somebuild landscapes. In this way, more than 300 can be built. The land of thefootball field was completely digested.

Their plan has no special“concepts” and so-called “symbolic meanings”. Everything islogically planned according to actual analysis and needs. At first glance, therearen't flashy areas, but every step is methodical, and every detail of the planis impeccably thought of.

After Ji Feiyu's report wasover, all the members of Group A were applauded with confidence then PengShuang, the representative of the Child Labor Group, stood up and gave hispresentation.

Since the beginning of thedesign phase of the large project, the two groups of people consciously bannedcommunication so they wouldn't affect each other's design plans. Therefore,this is the first time that the group A partners have seen B group design inthe seven days.

The light in the room was dimmed down. Peng Shuang stood on the side of the projection screen and pressed the slide show button. Zhang Siyi was shocked at the image he saw. The first print plan of the lot that Group B designed was actually made into a huge lily!

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