Assistant Architect

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

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Not paying attention to anything, Zhang Siyi spent the week in a daze. In orderto get his project back on track, he sought the help from Ji Feiyu and hisother colleagues. Lu Qiao also returned from his holiday. Even though he had agoal and was working towards it, he continued to feel listless and unfocused.

Without motivation, every day he functioned like clockwork; wake up, go towork, draw, come home, sleep: rinse and repeat. Zhang Siyi has experienced GuYu's absence before without issues. Often, Gu Yu was away for long periods forbusiness. So why in only a couple days, does Zhang Siyi feel like his soul islost? There was nothing different about him now from the past except for onething and that was easy to answer. Zhang Siyi didn't have to ruminate much. Ilike my Boss who is a man. Zhang Siyi slumped at his desk.

Even the completely average Zhu Hongzhen found Zhang Siyi behavior out ofthe ordinary. Eating lunch together, he saw Zhang Siyi slouching in his seat,aimlessly poking the rice with his chopsticks in his lunch box. Ten minuteslater, Zhu Hongzhen finally asked: "What is the matter with you!? You have beenin a daze for two days!"

Like a terminally ill patient, Zhang Siyi softlymade a sound: “Mmm…”

Reaching out his hand, Zhu Hongzhen waved it infront of him. He guessed: “Are you lovesick?"

Zhang Siyi: “……”

Nodding vigorously, Zhu Hongzhen had no doubts: "Youhave the same lovelorn symptoms of a friend of mine from my previous workplace."

"Auntie Four is lovesick!?" Hearing part of theirconversation, a passerby sat themselves at the table for lunch: "Four, when youtalk about love, how come we didn't even know!?"

Since many colleagues have already heard about ZhangSiyi love out loud and knowing how fast gossip spreads, it was too late torefute. The lunch room broke out in discussion over Zhang Siyi state of being:

“Is it the beautiful woman who came to theoffice after Christmas last year?"

“Wow, that’s a good job of secrecy, isn’tit?"

"I’m so jealous!"

"But how many months has it been? It’s a littletoo soon for that!"

“When love is short, it's not so deep."

"I prefer the long-lasting type, like watereternally flowing……"

“Early acknowledgment, early relief. Don’tbe sad!”

“Aunt Four hasn't looked quite right theselast couple of says. He is our A-Group mascot!"

"Quickly, Aunt Four, go cheer up!"

"Well, we haven't seen Boss in a few days. Whoelse feels sad?"

"When will Boss come back?"

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Since lunch is over, by now, everyone in thecompany thinks Zhang Siyi is lovesick. After the photography contest, ZhangSiyi became famous within the company. When people hear his name, they can imaginethe photo of him sleeping like a child. In fact, imagination wasn't necessary. Representingthe style of Borderless, along with the other outstanding photographs from thecontest, there was a huge poster of him hanging up at the company entrance!

Everyone is looking at him at a distance withsympathetic eyes. Zhang Siyi really wants to argue and explain himself, but noone has taken the initiative to ask him directly about it.

In the afternoon, feeling depressed, Zhang Siyiwent downstairs to the convenience store to buy something to drink. Also, hewanted some fresh air. Being with everyone staring at him in the company wassuffocating. As he walked towards the landscape frame, he saw someone deeply inthought.

Carrying a briefcase, Gu Yu was standing at theentrance, looking up at the new poster hanging in the foyer.

Zhang Siyi wasn't paying attention to what he waslooking at. It only took a glimpse of Gu Yu's figure to make his heart start torace in panic. Having been upset previously by Gu Yu's "Hmm", he never repliedto the text message and not having a definitive reason to contact Gu Yu, ZhangSiyi's texting remained dormant. He felt so awkward in the absence of communicationbetween them that he wanted to rush past Gu Yu.

Zhang Siyi even harassed Gu Yao. In retrospect,he felt he had made a big deal out of nothing. He was afraid that his curiosityabout Gu Yu would alert his sister. As a fault for his feeling for Gu Yu, ZhangSiyi didn't want any problems to occur.

Neither Zhang Siyi texted, nor did Gu Yu and thusa whole week passed by in technological silence. Although there was a longer period,seven or eight days, during the New Year's, after he received 'little-fox-kiss'by Gu Yu, without contact, he didn't feel any psychological pressure becauseZhang Siyi wasn't aware of his own feelings at that time.

But now it's different. Was he in so deep that hecouldn't live without Gu Yu? For how long could he endure? Steadfast, he stubbornlyheld onto his principles, however at the moment Gu Yu appeared, all hispatience was just self-torture and meaningless!

Zhang Siyi's dead soul suddenly flowed with life.Every cell in his body trembled excitedly. His mood couldn't be described bywords, for at this moment, from the depths of his spirit, a singular thoughtenveloped his mind and soul, echoing.

I like him. I like him. I like him. I like him.……

In his peripheral vision, Gu Yu noticed someone, sohe turned to look and was startled at seeing Zhang Siyi in front of him. Hewatched Zhang Siyi slowly approach him smiling at him and nodding in greeting,and then slowly walk right passed him.

In the eyes of Zhang Siyi, time also seemed toslow down. What felt like forever, he walked foolishly down the hallway untilhe could no longer heard Gu Yu and mechanically moved into the elevator.

After the elevator door closed, Zhang Siyi croucheddown in the narrow space and covered his throbbing chest, gasping for breath.

Fuck, Gu Yu is back!

Isn’t it a couple days before he comes back towork? Zhang Siyi specially went to the personnel department to inquire abouthis return. Why did he come back to the office two days early?

With his drink in hand, Zhang Siyi rushed back tohis desk and saw the lights on in Gu Yu's office. I should have known. I didn’t want to be angry with Gu Yu. Ah, what should I do, so nervous……

When Gu Yu returned, he began to call in everyoneone at a time to his office to assess the current work situation. First, JiFeiyu was called, followed by Gu Rui, and then Be Lele…… After an hour, ZhangSiyi saw a message pop up on his computer.

Gu Yu: “Come to my office and bring me the latestwork you have done."

Holding his drawings, Zhang Siyi quickly stood upand went towards Gu Yu office while brainwashing himself. Now in the company,Gu Yu is just your Boss. He did not cook dinner for you. You didn't spend time withhim over New Years. He has nothing to do with people who are called Gege andyou didn't spend a night playing Truth or Dare! Ok! Calm!

Taking a deep breath to adjust his frame of mind,Zhang Siyi knocked on Gu Yu's office door. When he went in, he began to lookdown at the floor, but when he sat down, he couldn't stop himself from staringat Gu Yu's face.

Gu Yu reached gently for the drawings and lookeddown. While reviewing them he asked: "Are there any problems with the officebuilding?"

Zhang Siyi: “Well, I asked Ji Feiyu for help.He suggested further development of the design since the preliminary scheme hasbeen determined. Lu Qiao is working on the façade and I am working on thefloorplan."

In this 'early-expansion' stage of development,it is common to further evolve the layers and details in the overall plan, butnot to the extent of a construction blueprint.

Like always, Gu Yu circled areas on the drawingsand made notations. Continuing his evaluation calmly for several minutes, he didn'tseem like he was in any rush to talk about the plan's problems. Instead hesuddenly said: "I heard that you are lovesick."

Zhang Siyi： "……"

Turning bright red, Zhang Siyi quickly replied indefense: "I'm not! They are just joking!"

Gu Yu: “Oh. Is that so? But you don't look sogood."

"……"

Zhang Siyi felt angry again, but being in closeproximity of Gu Yu, his feelings were short lived. Looking at Gu Yu's smile waslike a breath of fresh air, filling up the energy necessary for his soul. Ah, I really want to stay in the room withGu Yu… (o////o)

After reviewing the problems on the drawings, he returnedto the topic at hand: “You have never drawn blueprints, right? How aboutyou try to draw them yourself this time?"

Zhang Siyi was stunned: “Ah?"

Borderless is biased towards design, so unlessthere is a very special need to follow-up the initial design, there is rarelyan opportunity to draw blueprints. It isn't cost effective. Almost always, the degreeto which the plans are finalized are only in the 'early-expansion' phase of drawing.Normally, there is a construction company that Borderless partners with tocomplete the blueprints.

Gu Yu lowered his eyes and began to list all theproblems in the blank space at the edge of the drawing. He continued: "This isyour first project after all. Don't you want to do it yourself from start tofinish?”

With each of his hands on his knees, Zhang Siyi rubbedthem under the desk and exclaimed: "But, I have never drawn blueprints!"

Gu Yu looked up directly into Zhang Siyi's eyeswith a smile: “There is a first time for everything."

Paying attention to the details on Gu Yu's facelike his beautiful eyelashes and the light reflected on his head, in a daze, ZhangSiyi stupidly replied with: "Ok."

Gu Yu finished with his notes and handed thepapers back to him. Looking over the work schedules of the groups members, hesaid: "After Lu Qiao finishes the façade, I want to transfer him to anotherproject. You can learn a lot from Du Rui. I'll have her help you with theblueprints. I'll let her know in advance."

Again, Zhang Siyi blankly replied with: "Ok."

Gu Yu drummed his fingers on his desk and asked:"Is there anything else?"

Zhang Siyi was motionless for a few minutes,before shaking his head and said: "Uh, no."

Gu Yu smiled at him and softly said: “Ok. Goout and get to work."

Face hot, Zhang Siyi fled his office with hisdrawing. Was he staring at Gu Yu like a lovesick idiot? Aaaah! So embarrassing!

Being so influenced by Gu Yu, Zhang Siyi collapsed on his desk like a dead fish, feeling hopeless.

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