Chapter 10: The Tension Continued to Build up until It Became Quintessential
“Young Master Cheng, I’m just trying to make a living on solid grounds. I don’t want to talk about the past, neither do I want to get involved with the people from before.” Song Yu spoke quickly, in case she was interrupted again, “The seven-star leisure hotel that Qilin wants to develop is a great opportunity for every architect in the country.”
“Typically, only foreign architects are hired to take part in a landmark project like the seven-star hotel. Even if local architects were to bid for the project, they wouldn’t be given a chance. Hence, this time it’s not merely a big project for me. It’s an opportunity for me to gain a foothold and a name in the industry. I’m going to give my all this time.”
“I have to admit, I don’t have a huge advantage over my competitors. I’m relatively inexperienced and all my previous designs were for residential developments. But if there’s one thing I can say for sure about myself, it would be that my design style is unique. It’s going to be topical if Qilin hires someone fresh for the project.”
She did not know whether her statements struck a chord, but Qi Chengzhi had turned the pages and begun to read the document in detail.
Song Yu was fidgety throughout the dinner. She had no idea what she was eating, as she paid full attention to Qi Chengzhi’s expression. Unfortunately, he did not reveal any of his thoughts. She had no idea whether he was satisfied or not.
Qi Chengzhi closed the document. “I will take this back and look into it in detail. This time around, there are a lot of companies bidding for this project. I need to make a comparison, and hence I can’t give you an answer straight away.”
“I understand.”
“Let’s go. I will send you back to the company.” Qi Chengzhi stood up.
“I will take a cab back.” Song Yu followed suit.
“Do you want to skip the afternoon’s work?” Qi Chengzhi looked at his watch.
Song Yu took note of his action and glanced over her watch as well. She then realized it was already a quarter past one, and in fifteen minutes’ time, she would need to clock in at work. She only took the morning off.
“I will have to trouble you, Young Master Cheng.”
There was less space in the car than in the private room. Seated at the passenger seat, the man next to her exerted a forceful presence, so she was careful not to breathe too hard.
She did not have anything to say, as was the same with Qi Chengzhi. The tension continued to build up until it became quintessential.
Her phone hummed in her bag. Song Yu let out a sigh of relief and picked it up. “Mum.”
“Come home for dinner tonight. Call Jian Yi along too. He has helped you a lot in work and I’ve been wanting to thank him,” Yu Qianyin said.
“Why so sudden? I’ll have to call and ask first. I’m not even sure if he’s free.”
“I asked. He said he’s free and he’ll pick you up after work,” said Yu Qianyin.
“Mom.” Song Yu sighed, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Am I not telling you ahead of time? Jian Yi is a great guy and I can see he’s interested in you. If you like him, you should tell him soon. Otherwise, a great guy like him will be snatched away if you keep mum about it.” Yu Qianyin spoke matter-of-factly, “You two exchange flirting glances all the time, but just don’t want to decide on the relationship. Do you know how anxious it makes me to just watch from the side?”