The Stars In Your Eyes - Chapter 165

Days go by faster within a blink of an eye when you’re busy. Summer sun was so bright, scorching the earth and blinding the eyes of people walking on it. Bai Yutang starts to adapt with his workplace, and earn trust from his colleagues.

Next month is August, the wedding of Zhong Fan. The project they handled right now is almost finished, but there’s two projects on the bidding process right now. After this one is done, Bai Yutang’s team will start to help the bidding process of this new two project.

In fact, Bai Yutang already helped. The other team was overloaded so their boss, Mr. Yao, divided some of their jobs to Bai Yutang’s team. Since Zhong Fan was busy handling his marriage, he often asked Bai Yutang to take over his part.

“Yutang, let’s have lunch.” Yan Qiuyue appeared beside him.. Bai Yutang didn’t turn his head and only answered while his hand was still busy sketching the pillar’s details for the bidding project.

“Okay Yan Jie. 5 minutes?” His hands were dancing in the pad while his eyes fixed on the screen.

“Okay!”

Fifteen minutes later three of them walk to the restaurant across the street. Zhong Fan didn’t join them, saying that his fiancee will come to have lunch together while discussing their last minute wedding preparation.

While waiting for their lunch to be delivered, Yan Qiuyue ranted. “How come team 2 split their job to us? No wonder I’m still single until now, worked to death! Mr. Yao was unfair!” She yelled while fanning herself with her hands. The summer was humid and hot.

Zhu Meng nodded, “Don’t mention it. I even almost forgot my daughter’s birthday next week. My wife almost locked me out last night.”

“Poor Zhong Fan, he is still busy with his wedding too. I heard him yell and fight with his fiancee yesterday on the phone. I’m glad they have lunch together today.” Yan Qiuyue gladly sipped her ice tea which was delivered to their table.

“Don’t even mention it. Every wedding is a nightmare. Suddenly you won’t recognise your partner and your parents again. And don’t get me started with the in-laws.” Zhu Meng reminisced about his own experience.

“True, i still remember my brother’s wedding. My mom almost told him to cancel the wedding. It was chaotic. Hope my own future wedding won’t be like that. Yutang, later when you have a girlfriend and plan to get married, you need to help her and don’t let her stress out by herself.” Yan Qiuyue suddenly wave her chopstick in front of Bai Yutang’s face.

“I will, Yan Jie.” Bai Yutang’s short and obedient answer always satisfies Yan Qiuyue. She smiled and advised Bai Yutans some more about the future girlfriend she thought Bai Yutang planned to have. Little did she know what Bai Yutang was thinking about right now.

Zhu Meng listening to this single Yan Qiuyue lecturing this poor young man, then he added after a while, “But i admire Zhong Fan still manage to finish his work fast. Maybe working under pressure gives him extra energy.”

Bai Yutang didn’t tell them that he was working extra for Zhong Fan’s part too. Basically all the jobs for the bidding project that fell on Zhong Fan were done by him. Bai Yutang did it to help him, and he didn’t feel he needed to clarify it. In his university days, he was taught that architects are team work.

He often helped his friends, and his friends helped him too. Even on his final project he was helped by Fei Hong, Mu Xiaoya, and several of his classmates too. He also lent his 3D printers to his classmates for their final projects.

“Do you think we could win the bid?” Yan Qiuyue’s slender hands pick the food from the plate and bite the fried tofu after she blows it, cooling it down.

Bai Yutang silently bit his fish when he realised it was a question thrown at him. “I don’t know, Yan Jie. I never came to the bidding process, and didn’t know which firm would compete with us.”

Zhu Meng nods, “I think for the villa project we’re superior compared to the competitor. But for the employee housing project, I also have no idea who will be our competitor. It was still on the early bid, and might take another three rounds until it was decided.”

Bai Yutang never came to the bidding process. It was always Mr. Yao and the team responsible for the new bidding project come to fight on the bidding presentation. Their team was responsible for the new bid if there is another new project. Bai Yutang hoped he could come attend the bidding process someday. It will be a new experience for him.

“I hope this is not another price shoppers.” Yan Qiuyue said after finishing her lunch. Price shoppers are clients who are just looking for the cheapest price after bidding, and stole some of the ideas from the bidders to implement on the winning firm.

Zhu Meng finished his ice water. “Better price shoppers compare with ceaseless demander.” These sentences followed by Yan Qiuyue laugh. “Yeah, right. That one is a nightmare.”

Ceaseless demander was their term to describe clients who never ever satisfied, leading to thousands revisions. Then when the prices were over their budget, they asked for another revision, and so on, and the worst is the fee payment sometimes delayed on their own basis that the architects were not satisfying.

The architecture firm basically already stated on their contract regarding how many times they could revise the design from the initial design which agreed upon the bidding. But often the revision exceeds the number stated in the contract. This due to their line of business was often based on good relationships, establishing the firm’s name and reputation in the process.

As the lowest part in this architect firm’s chain, Bai Yutang only holed in the office, doing numerous tasks assigned to him. But later when he climbed the ladder, he needed to attend the bidding. Meet the clients and the contractor. They need to maintain good relationships with both parties, often leading to dinner and alcohol talking after the meeting.

Three of them finish their lunch fast and after a while, they walk back to the office. Bai Yutang was back to his seat and replied to his lover’s message before going back immersed in his sketch.

His lover was asking him to pick a birthday gift for his future mother in law together today. This is Wednesday, but Bai Yutang didn’t dare to promise his lover since he predicted he will work over time again today. This sketch needs to be done by tomorrow. Bai Yutang already apologised and even sent a lot of heart emojis to his lover, promising they will pick a birthday gift together on Saturday.

Lin Caihong, his future mother in law, will turn 60 in the next two week. Bai Yutang and Jian Kang Lu agreed to pick some jewellery together for her birthday. Jian Kang Lu’s father planned to have an afternoon garden party on the next two Sunday to celebrate his wife’s birthday. There will be a lot of Jian Kang Lu’s family attending the party.

Bai Yutang knows the party not only invites his lover’s family, but also his future father in law acquittances. A lot of them are figures in the marketing and financial leader. Since his lover’s family’s garden is not big enough to hold a party consisting of more than 100 people, the party will be held in one of the biggest resorts in this city.

Luckily his lover’s family are not people who like to overwork themselves. The party is basically handled by the party organiser, they only need to choose and make decisions. Bai Yutang often held every Sunday until late to meet this party planner and give his opinion.

Quoting Lin Caihong, “My sons are useless in this. The colours they know are only black and white. So what do you think about this, TangTang? Mint or Moss?”

Her words were true. All Jian Kang Lu and Jian Kang Se could see are the colour of green, they could not even point out which one is mint and which one is moss. Bai Yutang is different, because his job is to differentiate a lot of different palettes of colour.

He didn’t mind helping his future mother in law. The only thing that makes him suffer is the fact that Zhou Qunfei and Wu Yajun also often come and pull him to discuss the birthday party together. Luckily his lover firmly rejects their idea of kidnapping Bai Yutang to meet the party planner.

“No. If you need his advice, invite the party planner to come here. There’s no need for you girls going there and torture TangTang for hours.” His lover calmly rejected his own mother, resulting in Lin Caihong accusing Jian Kang Lu as an unfilial son who deserved to be single because he didn’t understand the woman’s heart.

How could Jian Kang Lu let his kitten be taken away from him? He rarely spends quality time with his kitten since his kitten is working. And this rascal Wu Yajun kept putting her hands on his kitten’s shoulder, even sometimes pinching and poking his kitten’s cheek. He even once roughly sat between them when he saw this little devil queen keep whispering something in his kitten’s ear.

“Woah, this area is restricted for single humans below thirty five. Old uncle was not allowed to be here!” Wu Yajun stood up and tried to shove herself in between Jian Kang Lu and Bai Yutang again. Her rash movement almost kicked Bai Yutang out from the sofa.

“Don’t you think i can’t see your dirty trick? I know you must teach TangTang something illegal or even worse, something lewd.” Jian Kang Lu pulled his kitten and prevented this devil queen from hugging his kitten.

“Oh, how do you know? Let me think. Mmm.. It must be because you’re the one who teaches those things to me.” Wu Yajun plaster her innocent smile which they all know behind those smiles was an intention which was not innocent at all.

Bai Yutang silently retreated and sat next to his future mother in law. This is the safest place. He let his lover bicker with Wu Yajun. This way, he is also safe from Wu Yajun’s pester. This is how he spent his three last Sunday lunch with his lover’s family.

Bai Yutang’s mind goes back to the computer screen. He already finished Zhong Fan’s task, and now moved to finish his own. The sketch was sent to Zhong Fan’s email. Bai Yutang looked at the time, it was 6 o’clock. He decided to work another 1 hour before going down. His lover was already downstairs to pick him up again.

While he concentrates to finish his own task, his phone rings. Bai Yutang looked at his phone and was surprised to see the name of the caller. It was from his future mother in law. He hurriedly picked up.

“Hello, Auntie Lin.”

“Hello TangTang, did i disturb you?”

“No auntie, not at all. Is there something I can help you with?”

“No no no.. I just want to talk with you”

Bai Yutang was quite confused. He thought his future mother in law needed some advice regarding the party again. But it seems she didn’t want to talk about that. He have no idea what his future mother in law need to talk to him.

“Yes auntie, i’m listening.”

“Not by phone. Can i talk to you face to face?”

Right when Bai Yutang still digests this sudden information, Lin Caihong’s stern voice comes again in his ear.

“I need to talk to you privately. Can you spare your time for me this Friday? And I expect you not to tell my son about this.”