Assistant Architect

Chapter 38: Saved

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Fortunately, Gu Yu’s line of sight didn’t linger. It was two-three seconds at most, but these three seconds were enough for Zhang Siyi with a guilty conscience, to break out in a cold sweat.

Until the other party turned and left, Zhang Siyi hadn’t recovered from his frightened state. He didn’t know if Gu Yu had found any problems.

Due to the classmates’ feelings, Zhang Siyi was polite and invited her to eat with him, but because of the blow given to her by Gu Yu she didn’t stay, and Zhang Siyi saw her out. She even forgot to ask Zhang Siyi about his portfolio. Witnessing Gu Yu’s attitude and knowing how much Gu Yu could teach him, Zhang Siyi felt relieved when she left.

Now, his top priority is to solve the problem of his cactus. He can’t concentrate on his drawing and never mind the energy it would take to console Yu Rui. Zhang Siyi passed the day with anxiety.

When he got off work at night, he secretly took a picture of the cactus and took a taxi to a specialized flower market at the fastest speed. Regardless of whether Gu Yu discovered it or not, the best way to cope with the problem now is to buy a similar ball as soon as possible and swap them, then wait for the I Love My Job awards.

It took almost 20 minutes to drive from the company to the nearest flower shop. He double checked the closing time and felt thankful that it was open until 7:30 in the evening. He had enough time. After arriving, Zhang Siyi quickly entered the shop and explored the stalls that displayed cactus. In order to close the shop, the shopkeeper was already putting away the various stalls for the evening. Zhang Siyi gasped and said: “I want to buy a cactus!”

The shopkeeper stopped what he was doing and asked: “What are you buying?”

Zhang Siyi turned his phone towards him to show the manager a photo: “What is this cactus? Can you help me?”

The manager squinted and looked at it: “It should be Jin Sheng Wan,” he pointed to an area behind Zhang Siyi.

Zhang Siyi turned around to look the various cactus, than compared them to the photo and said: “Yes, yes, that’s it!”

Seeing so many healthy cactus plants, Zhang Siyi remembered his dead one and felt bitter. He didn’t want to give up just yet! He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he asked the owner for advice anyway: “Mister, I have a cactus that turned yellow and the roots are black. Can it be cured?”

The shopkeeper was a businessman, waving his hand directly: “Did you water it too much?” Did you bask it in the sun? Too much water or insufficient light will make the root rot. You can’t cure it. Buy a new one, Jin Sheng Wan is not a rare variety so it’s very cheap.

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Zhang Siyi: “...”

Squatting on the ground for a while, Zhang Siyi took his time to examine every cactus plant. The owner is a little anxious to pack up his shop: “Just pick a pot. They are all very healthy!”

Zhang Siyi: “This is too tall.” The cactus is a long pile of balls.

The shopkeeper pointed at another pot with single cactus: “What about this one?”

Zhang Siyi: “It’s too big and it has a tumor.”

Shopkeeper.: “......”

Zhang Siyi pointed to the “tumor” and asked: “Can I have the small part?”

Shopkeeper.: “............”

The owner went into the back of the store and after a while, he dragged a snakeskin bag out with him and threw it in front of Zhang Siyi. It was full of small cactus balls that were almost the same size as Zhang Siyi cactus. The owner said: “You just want the seed ball. The wholesale price is one for one, and thirty for sale!”

Zhang Siyi: “... can I just have one?”

The shopkeeper angrily said: “One is five dollars!”

Five dollars!? Zhang Si Yi thought to himself, mouth wide open. Highway robbery!

He took the time to choose a ball carefully. He wanted it to match the other dead one. When preparing to pay the bill, Zhang Siyi found that the colorful cactus on the shelf was also very good-looking. He felt guilty for spending thirty minutes to pick one small seed-cactus, so he bought a few other ornamental plants.

When Zhang Siyi bought a bunch of plants, he could see the shopkeeper’s face relax. The shopkeeper was in better spirits now and smiled. Zhang Siyi payed for his plants and the shopkeeper helped him pack a bag. He said: “You go back and look at your ball. If it is not too soft, cut off the rotten roots and let it shine in the sun for a day. Then, put it in a ventilated place for three to five days. Afterwards, put it in a pot with slightly wet soil and maybe it will take root again.”

Zhang Siyi: “.........” Fuck! Being riddled!

However, knowing that the ball could be saved, Zhang Siyi was elated. He rushed back to the company that night and touched the body of the ball. It was not soft! Like discovering a person lying on the ground, seemingly dead, with a weak breath, alive. Zhang Siyi was so happy he could cry. In the dark, he took out a healthy seed ball with a similar shape to his original cactus and swapped it with the original. He carefully put the dyeing cactus into a plastic bag and snuck away.

After returning home, Zhang Siyi put the colorful cactus that he purchased on the coffee table. Fu Xinhui saw him and asked: “Since when do you like to raise plants?”

Zhang Siyi: “Hey, they say this stuff is radiation-proof! Take one to your room.”

Fu Xinhui smiled and took an ornamental, beautifully shaped one to his room. He also picked out another: “Let’s put this one in the living room.”

He saw Zhang Siyi squatting on the ground inspecting the rotten parts of his original cactus. Fu Xinhui wondered: “What are you doing?”

Listening to Zhang Siyi’s ins and outs, Fu Xinhui’s mouth twitched: “It’s just a cactus. Why are you making such a fuss? Is your Boss that terrible?”

Zhang Siyi thought with his heart. Hey, you don’t understand! That’s the little cactus that Gu Yu refused to give to anyone else! Not only is he afraid of being found out by Gu Yu, but also afraid of the girls at the company. What will happen to him if they found out he killed Gu Yu’s child!?

After carefully separating the rotten parts with the healthy parts, he tenderly placed the sickly cactus onto a big piece of newsprint and moved it to the living room next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. He seriously told Fu Xinhui not to throw it away as garbage.

Fu Xinhui was speechless. Ever since he started working, Zhang Siyi had gone to another world. He was completely dominated by another man. (=_=)

During the next few days, Zhang Siyi payed particular attention to the landscape wall housing all the staff members plants. Also, he kept an eye on the passersby to see if anyone noticed something different.

Fortunately, no one has said anything about it. Near the end of the year the company is very busy finishing out year-end projects. Gu Yu is constantly in meetings and the staff is rushing around trying to finish their respective design assignments. No one has time to pay attention to him. Zhang Siyi realized that he might have made a huge fuss over nothing. He wants to blame the pressure put on him from the female staff who raised the value of Gu Yu’s ‘child’.

At the end of December, it is the end of the quarter and they announced the awards for the I My Love Job. Since Zhang Siyi saw his name on the employee-list to get a bonus, he was convinced that he had successfully hid the mishap. He gave a complete sigh of relief.

At home, the cactus had been basking in the sun and now it was time to place it in a pot with new soil. It is said that cactus ball like a warm and dry environment, so he isn’t sure if it will survive this winter. However, since no issues came up with his transplant ball, Zhang Siyi wasn’t worrying over it, so he directly placed it on the window sill in the bedroom.

On New Year’s Day, several friends in the group are clamoring to gather together.

Zhang Siyi’s bonus has not yet been issued. His bonus won’t be issued until after the New Year’s Day with his December salary. Since his credit card have already been overdrawn, he is so poor now that he does not want to go out at all.

Jiang Hai took a few days off and planned to take his girlfriend to the new Matai five-day tour. Fu Xinhui also decided to go back to his home and ask Zhang Siyi if he wants to go with him.

In the past, Zhang Siyi has gone with Fu Xinhui home, but this year he refused. His family was having a large family reunion dinner, and Zhang Siyi was embarrassed to mix with such a rich crowd.

Lazy at home for a day, Zhang Siyi slept in the sun. He browsed his social media pages and saw Ren Mengyu fierce messages.

Ren Mengyu: “Didn’t she say she was only going to stay for a few days? It’s been ten days. Why haven’t you done anything about it yet?”

Su Yuan: “I don’t know, but I am embarrassed to chase her away.”

Ren Mengyu: “Find an excuse to go back to your hometown!”

Su Yuan: “If I go back to my hometown, then she will be at my house by herself. I don’t trust her enough!”

Ren Mengyu: “She is so thick-skinned! So, when the hell is, she going to leave?”

Su Yuan: “Probably when she goes back to school for the new semester....”

Ren Mengyu: “......Uh, huh.”

Su Yuan: “Hey, I regret it now. All right, all right, let’s not talk about it. What are we gonna eat?”

Ren Mengyu: “Ding Tai Fung. I want to eat dumplings! Is she going to come too?”

Su Yuan: “Yeah. She is still doing her make-up. We will head out soon.”

Ren Mengyu: “Ah! Then you’re going to lose your appetite!

Su Yuan: “By the way, I know of Ding Tai Feng because of Yu Rui.”

Ren Mengyu: “Why is that?”

Su Yuan: “Remember last year when she went back to England after the summer vacation? She told me that her domestic boyfriend invited her to eat at Ding Tai Feng. She said it was a place where celebrities eat, and it was so expensive and super delicious. She probably told me about it because, at that time for a month, I was only eating pizza and sandwiches.

Ren Mengyu: “Ha-ha-ha! Ding Tai Feng expensive! Now that’s a good one. Masquerade beginner!”

Su Yuan: “Well, when she told me about it, she was acting like she was a socialite with a group of ladies. In reality, Ding Tai Feng is just an expensive fast food place. “

Although Zhang Siyi did not say anything, he also chuckled. Thinking about her sudden visit and her embarrassment, he felt that this girl was a little sad. In fact, Yu Rui is a very motivated girl, but her energy is being channeled in the wrong way. Hey, what kind of family environment and education will raise such a person?

Zhang Siyi turned off the chat group and went to WeChat to check his circle of friends. He saw a loving photo with Jiang Hai and Tian Jing’s in it.

He screamed in his heart while he praised it... ah ah, too much love! Scrolling through his news feed, he suddenly saw a beautiful travel picture.

His heart jumped in to his throat in an instant. After one month and eight days, Gu Yu sent a message to his circle of friends. Next to a little cactus ball there are four words: “Waiting for your explanation.”