Assistant Architect

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

________________

Zhang Siyi's mind went blank for a moment. There are two bedrooms? Couldshe mean the guest room with all the stuff? To confirm his guess, he asked:“You mean the storage room on the second floor?”

When Gu Yao saw his question, she was taken back: "How do you know thereare two rooms on the second floor? Have you been to my brother's house?"

Zhang Siyi: “I spent the night at your brother’s house before we droveback to Ningcheng."

Gu Yao: “Oh, so where did you sleep at that time? The guest Room?”

While chatting with Zhang Siyi, she sat up and looked around her room.Every time she came to her brother's house, she stayed in this room. Thebedding was specially picked out for her and there was nothing moved on herdesk. Everything was as she left it. It didn't look like anyone had been in herroom.

Zhang Siyi: “No. Since it was a long time since someone lived in theroom, your brother said that the space was piled up with clutter. It was toocold to stay on the sofa, so I stayed with him.”

Jaw wide open, Gu Yao has never felt so shocked. OMG! They slept together!?Her neat-freak of a brother who would never share a bed, in fact spent thenight with Zhang Siyi! (=口=)

Becoming more excited, Gu Yao’s small heart burst with joy. And to thinkthat all this time, her brother has been acting so nonchalant. She has theevidence now!

Zhang Siyi asked again: “Where you able to clean up that room soquickly?"

Chuckling to herself, she understood immediately what happened. SeeingZhang Siyi continued questioning, she didn't want to expose her brother's ploy,so she went along with it.

"Well…… I spent the night packing up." She finished looking around the roomand snorted. Except for a few boxes of old books piled on the ground and thetwo blankets that were vacuum packed for storage, there was nothing else out oforder.

Zhang Siyi: “Oh …”

Changing the subject, Gu Yao returned the topic to Zhang Siyi original inquiry:"You were asking about my brother; is there something wrong? Don't you know hisWeChat?"

Zhang Siyi: “It’s nothing important. I sent him a message, but hedidn’t return it. I was curious to know what he was doing so I asked you."

What? Gu Yao felt confused. Isn't it normal for her brother to ignoreWeChat? Her workaholic brother usually took several days before he noticed textmessages. Once even, it took a week to return one of Gu Yao texts. Anyway,since the information wasn't important, she didn't want to disturb her brotherso normally, she didn't pester him about the delay. She understands his preferences,and thus, if it's an urgent matter she knows to make a phone call directly.Recently however, when she has sent him a text message, he has responded in ashort period of time. She found it very surprising. Thinking back to New Year'sat home, she witnessed her brother looking at his phone frequently and smiling.This change, is it not because of Zhang Siyi?

Gu Yao asked: “When did you send it to him?”

Zhang Siyi: “Fifteen minutes ago?"

Gu Yao: "……" If she were sitting on a chair, she would have fallen off!It was fifteen-minutes and not fifteen-hours! Running to Gu Yao to ask… Doesn'the have something better to do? Go take a cold shower and calm down! (#‵′) 凸

In order to settle herself, Gu Yu took a deepbreath and squashed her impulse to tease him: "What is the issue? I can seewhat my brother is doing…"

Zhang Siyi: “Well, it’s not urgent. I wantedto show him my photos of my cactus."

Gu Yao: “%#@……”

Hold back… you are a lady! Endure! ┻━┻︵╰(‵皿′)╯︵┻━┻

Half a minute later, Gu Yao got out of bed andknocked on her brother’s door. After hearing "come in" from inside, she pushedthe door in and entered. Gu Yu was bent at his waist slightly, standingintently at his desk with a brush in hand, practicing calligraphy.

The desk surface was covered with felt and on it,was a sheet of rice paper. The word cold (冷) was already half printed on the top and with afew more strokes he was finished. With the brush still in his hand, he pausedand looked up at her "Do you need something?"

Seeing the pile of used rice paper with his phoneon the top like a paper weight, she shook her head and retreated instead: "It'snothing. I wanted to know when you will be going to sleep."

Gu Yu glanced briefly at her, then continued writing:“You can go to sleep first. I'm going to write for a while.”

Gu Yao: “Oh…”

Horizontal, horizontal, vertical hooks… Gu Yuwrote another word: quiet (静). Noticing Gu Yao standing by the door he pausedagain, raised his brow and looked up at her: "What?"

Fiddling with the edge of her shirt, Gu Yaoquietly asked: "Brother, are you upset?"

Gu Yu stopped his hand: "Why do you say that?"

Feeling deflated, Gu Yao weakly confessed: “Todayduring our car ride, I chatted with brother Siyi and told him some of your childhoodstories."

Gu Yu smoothly dipped his brush into the ink jar andcontinued writing: "I know you two were chatting behind my back. You didn't sayanything so what could I say? It's nothing more than a few embarrassing storiesfrom Dad."

With a slight smile, Gu Yu voice is very serene.He didn't appear upset at all, however, by instinct, Gu Yao felt that herbrother is quite perturbed. Casually walking over to him, she said: "I think brotherSiyi is very curious about you."

Gu Yu’s wrist trembled, and the brush stroke wasshaken. Not lifting his head, he calmly continued writing. The layman couldn’tsee his word being poorly written.

She sifted through the pile a used sheets of ricepaper and picked out the best written words. He finally put down his brush andsaid: "Am I so easy to get angry? I don't know who I learned it from…."

Gu Yao: “……”

Gu Yu: “Go to sleep. I'll only write for alittle longer then I'll sleep."

Gu Yao: "Ok. What shall we eat in themorning?”

Unlike his slow practice, Gu Yu flicked his wristand quickly wrote a string of words: Fried rice fritters, bean curd brain?

Gu Yao laughed, put down the ink and went back toher room.

Gu Yu put down his brush and dragged over a stoolto sit. He quietly examined his work for a while then gently picked up hisphone to look at the latest WeChat message for the second time.

The last record entry that Zhang Siyi sent to GuYu was a kitten selling cuteness expression. The corners of Gu Yu mouth silentlyrose. With a flash in his eyes, he opened the dialog box and entered one word and….sent.

Zhang Siyi waited for what felt like the longestforty-five minutes of his life for a return message. When the phone vibrated,he ecstatically opened his phone to view the new message, but he only saw ——-Gu Yu: “Hmm."

Zhang Siyi: “……”

Zhang Siyi: “???”

In anticipation of receiving praise from Gu Yu orsomething that would make him happy, Zhang Siyi was picking up his phone everytwo minutes to check his messages. As they say, A Watch Pot Never Boils. Forty-fiveminutes took infinitely longer. Compared to a note on a message marked 'unread',seeing only "Hmm" from Gu Yu was more devastating.

Zhang Siyi mind was racing: Don’t you care aboutthis cactus? What was the long talk about it in the past for? Now that it'salive and well, all I get is "Hmm"? What do you mean, you!

Feeling utterly depressed, Zhang Siyi didn’t wantto reply. He turned off WeChat and threw his phone to the floor. His mood tosleep was ruined. Instead, he wrapped himself up in blankets and sat up towatch a movie in bed. Initially, his mind was so full of Gu Yu that he couldn'tconcentrate on the film. Feeling irritated, he opened up a game instead. Readyto blow off some steam he played a few rounds of a game he hadn't played for awhile. Each time he lost! Being defeated in both virtual and real-life leftZhang Siyi feeling even more aggravated and empty.

"Aaaaaaaaah!” Slamming the cover of hislaptop closed, he held onto his head and fell back onto his pillow. For threehours, he continued to feel restless and was unable to sleep. His mood: Likeshit! And it was all Gu Yu fault! His attitude on WeChat was too indifferentand cold.

Blinking back his tears, his emotions felt like atightly wound coil ready to snap. All of his previous speculations were crushedcompletely. Gu Yu likes him? No fucking way!

Alone, Zhang Siyi spent the last couple of daysof vacation at his apartment. Finally, it was time to head back to work. Althoughhe still felt confused over Gu Yu's actions, he felt excited to go to work toget the chance to see him. Also, it's been a while, so he was looking forwardto catching up with his colleagues. Returning from their hometowns, hiscolleagues all seem revitalized with springs in their steps.

Bi Lele wore a new coat and had a new hair style.She smiled at Zhang Siyi and said: "Auntie Four, you came back! I heard theoffice building plan you did was selected. Congratulations!"

Zhang Siyi: “Thank you. How was your break? Whydo you look heavier?"

Bi Lele: "…… Go to hell!"

Dodging, Zhang Siyi ducked to escape the trajectoryof the marker that Bi Lele had thrown at him. Laughing, he adjusted his deskchair then addressed his neighbor, Zhu Hongzhen. When he saw him closer, he didn'tthink it was possible for him to gain even more weight. Not wanting to stare hereturned his attention to his desk: "Piggy, you ate a few meals over News Year's,huh."

In self-condemnation, Zhu Hongzhen rubbed hisforehead with his hand: “Don't remind me. At home every day, all I did waseat and sleep. I feel like I really did become a pig."

Grabbing his own wrist and reaching over his head,Zhang Siyi stretched out like a cat and yawned: “Me too. When I stayed athome being lazy and not doing anything, it made me feel like I was wasting away."

Yuan Zhicheng looked up with two dark circlesunder his eyes: “You really are a good boy. You won't hear me complainingof doing nothing over break."

Surprised at Yuan Zhicheng outward appearance, ZhangSiyi whispered to Zhu Hongzhen: "The holiday just ended. How is it possible he canhe look like that?"

Zhu Hongzhen explained with amusement: “Oh. Heis like that three hundred and sixty-five days a year. Even if you gave himthree days and three nights to sleep, he will still look like that." He movedin closer and spoke quietly: "He must have only absorbed the Yin energies inhis mother's womb."

Yuan Zhicheng’s faint voice can be heard fromacross the room: “Pig. Don't think I didn't hear you."

Zhu Hongzhen: “……”

Powering on the computer, Zhang Siyi booted uphis machine and sorted out his unfinished drawings of the office building. Becausehe was in a rush at the end of the year, he didn't document his progress adequatelyand thus, he spent half of the day getting reacquainted with the plans. At thispoint, he urgently needed the guidance of Gu Yu to proceed with the project.

Since Gu Yu office was locked and dark, more the once,Zhang Siyi looked up in the direction of the company's entrance, waiting for GuYu to appear. His anxiety was growing and after lunch he asked Zhu Hongzhen: "Pig,why hasn't Boss come to work yet?"

Zhu Hongzhen stopped his work for a minute andreplied: “The higher-ups have longer annual leave than ours. I think hewill be back after another week."

Even though they drove back together, Zhang Siyicouldn't say anything: “……"

________________________