Chapter 60 The Final Chapter

  Ji Sixuan and Wei Xing had always been in perfect sync at work, snatching business deals from their competitors with ease. One day, Ji Sixuan went to attend a bidding meeting, feeling rather complicated inside.

  As an architect, when bidding, you will encounter all kinds of familiar people. The most embarrassing thing is to meet your former teacher who is also bidding against you, and your former classmate is sitting in the evaluation seat. The most, most embarrassing thing is to meet your former teacher who is also bidding against you, your former classmate is sitting in the evaluation seat, and you won the bid. The most, most, most embarrassing thing is to meet your former teacher who is also bidding against you, your former classmate is sitting in the evaluation seat, you won the bid, and that classmate in the evaluation seat had once pursued you but was rejected.

  At the dinner table after the bidding ended, Ji Siyuan listlessly yawned and thought it was better to eat early and disperse early.

  Ji Sixun naturally became the object of siege by various design institutes as a big winner.

  "Xuān Huáng, which beer are you drinking, white or wheat?"

  Ji Siyuan didn't decline either, "I'll have white wine."

  Someone immediately gave a thumbs up, "Xuan Huang is indeed a straightforward person."

  Ji Siyuan raised her hand and called out to the waiter, "Bring a can of coconut juice."

  “……”

  The private room immediately fell silent.

  Ji Siyuan put down her hand and said to the waiter, "Just kidding, don't bring coconut milk."

  Everyone burst out laughing, "Haha, Xuan Huang is really humorous, how many degrees of alcohol?"

  Ji Siyuan replied seriously, "70 or 80 degrees is fine."

  "Uh..."

  Everyone was stunned again.

  "This is too much, Xiuniu can't take it anymore. Frowning, she asked, 'Can't drink coconut milk, not even boiled water? Is this how stingy people treat their guests when eating out now?'"

  Everyone was completely unable to keep up with Ji Siyuan's rhythm and after being rebuffed they finally became honest.

  What's known as a dinner gathering, eating has never been the main point. After Ji Siyuan finished eating and saw a group of people persuading each other to drink, she really felt it was boring, so she lowered her head and sent a text message to Qiao Yu.

  Qiao Yu asked her how much longer she would be and said he'd come pick her up.

  Ji Siyun raised her head and coughed lightly, asking, "I have something on, can I leave first?"

  Everyone certainly did not agree, unanimously opposed, "Certainly not!"

  Ji Siyuan truthfully reported back to Qiao Yu.

  Qiao Yu responded with a "got it" and then went silent.

  After more than ten minutes, the door of the private room was gently knocked open, and Qiao Yu stood in front of the door with a smile, looking at everyone.

  A group of people threw their wine cups and surrounded him to greet him.

  "Oh, Qiao is here too."

  "What a coincidence, Colonel Joe."

  Qiao Yu walked in with a smile and greeted everyone, "No need to be so polite, let's all sit down."

  "Sit here with me, Joe!"

  "Sit here! Sit here!"

  "I'll just sit here then." Qiao Yu sat down beside Ji Si Xuan, explaining, "I came to pick someone up, but it seems they won't let them go until the end. I'll just wait for a bit."

  Someone immediately jumped out to flatter.

  "What kind of person is this, and yet he still wants to be personally picked up by Director Qiao."

  "Qiao's family won't even let people come and pick them up, it's really humiliating!"

  "Exactly! Exactly!"

  "Since you say so......" Qiao Yu turned his head towards Ji Siyu, "Then let's go?"

  Ji Siyun couldn't help but laugh at the play she had been watching for half a day, "Great!"

  Everyone stared as the two people with their fingers intertwined walked out of the private room shoulder to shoulder, stunned on the spot.

  "What's going on?"

  "I don't know..."

  "Qiao Yu and Ji Siyuan... Never heard of them..."

  "Have we offended Old Joe?"

  "Hey, Old Zhang, don't you still owe Ji Siyuan the balance for the design?"

  The next morning, Ji Si Xuan's long-overdue design fees had finally arrived.

  A few days later, Qiao Yu noticed that Ji Si Xuan was unhappy when he picked her up from work. He took the opportunity to quietly ask her assistant while Ji Si Xuan went to the restroom.

  The assistant shook his head, "I don't know, I went to the design institute today and came back in a bad mood, didn't even eat lunch."

  Qiao Yu nodded and didn't say anything.

  Ji Siyun didn't say a word from the moment she got in the car. During the red light, Qiao Yu turned his head to look at her, "What's wrong, your face looks so terrible?"

  "Do you know that building award that the Architecture Association evaluates every year?"

  "I know, but the results haven't been announced yet this year."

  "For the past two years, they said I didn't have enough experience and wasn't qualified to participate. But this year, I finally met the requirements. However, when I went to the design institute to submit my papers today, I heard that the award has already been predetermined, it's either someone with connections or someone who's being bullied!" Ji Siyuan muttered indignantly, glancing at Qiao Yu with a resentful gaze, and then said, "..."

  Qiao Yu smiled wryly and said, "What does it have to do with me?"

  Ji Siyun was furious, "How can you say it's nothing? You're birds of a feather! You're in cahoots!"

  Qiao Yu comforted her, "It's just hearsay, it might be a rumor."

  Ji Siyuan stopped talking again.

  Qiao Yu held the steering wheel with one hand and reached out to hold hers with the other, rubbing her palm, "Alright, since we didn't even have lunch, I'll take you out for dinner."

  In front of Ji Siyu, Qiao Yu didn't say anything, but the next day he appeared in Xia Zhengping's office, the president of the Architectural Association.

  He rarely took advantage of his position for personal gain, and had a casual conversation with Xia Zhengping for half a day before asking, "Would it be convenient to let me take a look at the list of winners this time?"

  Qiao Yu, in order to avoid suspicion, had not been in charge of construction since he was with Ji Siyu, but the foreman did not dare to slack off and quickly had someone print a copy and bring it over.

  Qiao Yu pretended to be interested from the first page, but he just flipped through them. When he saw the third page, he suddenly frowned, "This award..."

  Xia Zhengping explained, "Oh, this is the boss of Guanghua Enterprise himself making a phone call. He's the young master of the Zhao family and now works as an assistant to Old Li at the city design institute."

  Qiao Yu didn't respond, pointing at one of the names on the nomination list. "Actually, I think... Ji Siyuan is not bad, in the previous voting results she was always ranked first."

  "In terms of talent and ability, Ji Siqi is unmatched, but in terms of background, she falls far short."

  Xia Zhengping had just finished speaking when he discovered that Qiao Bu, who was normally gentle, had a somewhat unpleasant expression on his face. Yin Hechang saw that Qiao Yu was subtly showing signs of losing his temper and felt inexplicably excited.

  Qiao Yu pursed the corner of his lips, and the lines of his chin were firm and sharp. On his face was a solemnity and determination that Yin Hechang had never seen before, but soon Qiao Yu was smiling lightly and opening his mouth, "So it still needs background..."

  A chubby middle-aged man smiled awkwardly and chuckled twice, "You know..."

  Qiao Yu closed the folder, stood up, "Alright then, I'll take it back and look at it slowly. I'm leaving first."

  Yin Hechang was stunned, is it over just like this?

  When Xia Zhengping sent Qiao Yu to the door, Qiao Yu suddenly turned around, with a faint smile still on his face. "By the way, President Xia, I have a girlfriend now."

  Xia Zhengping didn't know why Qiao Yu suddenly told him this, and he was stunned for a moment before smiling and congratulating him, "Congratulations, Director Qiao."

  Qiao Yu seems to be in a good mood, "Don't you want to know who it is? Someone you know."

  Xia Zhengping was bewildered, "Who is it... that I know?"

  Qiao Yu pinched the file folder and pointed at a name for him to see, "It's her."

  Xia Zhengping took out his old glasses and put them on, looked carefully, then froze.

  Qiao Yu closed the folder and handed it to Xia Zhengping, still smiling as if he had just been bathed in spring breeze. "I don't know if I'm enough of a background for her."

  Xia Zhengping nodded like pounding garlic, "Enough enough enough!"

  On the day of the awards ceremony, Ji Siqi had adjusted her mood and accepted the predetermined result, but when the host stood on stage to announce that award, she still had some expectations.

  Ji Siyuan stared intently at the stage, and Qiao Yu, who was sitting next to her, suddenly turned his head to look at her.

  Ji Siyuan was perplexed and looked back on the past.

  "It's you."

  "What?"

  Ji Siyun was in a daze for a moment, and the next second she heard her own name in Qiao Yu's smiling tone.

  The host warmly congratulated her and invited her to come on stage to receive the award.

  Ji Siyun had already been stunned silly, staring blankly at Qiao Yu.

  Qiao Yu smiled and reminded her, "Go on stage to receive the award."

  Ji Siyuan quickly regained her composure and walked onto the stage.

  Qiao Yu sat below, looking at the stage, under the bright lights, Ji Siyuan spoke slowly and steadily, when she said the last sentence, she suddenly looked at him, Qiao Yu felt infinitely satisfied.

  It's another graduation season, and Qiao Yu has received an invitation to return to his alma mater for a talk, the atmosphere is still very lively.

  When it came to the Q&A session, the host read from a piece of paper in his hand, "This one asks if Brother Teacher ever skipped class during college?"

  Qiao Yu shook his head, "No."

  A group of young students immediately burst out laughing and jeering, "How boring!"

  Qiao Yu smiled and said, "I was originally a very boring person."

  "Is there cheating? Of course not!" a male voice shouted loudly below.

  Qiao Yu thought for a moment, "This really exists, I've helped others with it before."

  The host was also excited, "Tell us quickly!"

  Qiao Yu glanced at the school leaders sitting in the front row below the stage, hesitated for a moment, "It's not quite right to talk about this here..."

  The audience below immediately erupted into exaggerated complaints.

  A professor who had taught Qiao Yu couldn't help but join in the teasing, "Go on, go on, the school won't do anything to you!"

  Qiao Yu glanced at Ji Si Xuan sitting in the corner and smiled slightly, "At that time it was a transfer exam, I was the proctor..."

  Ji Siyuan exchanged a glance with him and also burst out laughing. Yes, he had helped her cheat before.

  At that time she was sitting in her seat looking at him with a serious expression and couldn't help but want to tease him, soon raising her hand to ask, "Senior brother, is the ninth question wrong?"

  Qiao Yu was completely unable to predict this little girl's script, she seemed to be able to throw out a bomb at any time and place.

  Everyone looked up at him, he bowed his head and pulled out a scroll from the podium, glanced at it for a few seconds before looking back at her, "No mistake."

  She stood in the back half of the classroom, continuing to ask cutely, "Option C, right?"

  Qiao Yu hesitated for a long time, as if struggling for a while before finally speaking up, "That's right."

  "Alright, thank you Brother Shi." Ji Si Xuan sat down with a flying eyebrow and colorful expression, writing "C" in the blank space of question 9 on her answer sheet.

  Actually, Ji Si Xuan knew the answer to that question. The exam was very easy for her, she just wanted to tease the serious proctor and see if he would give up his principles because of her.

  Ji Siyuan came back to her senses and saw Qiao Yu smiling wryly, "That's right, she knew the answer to this question was C."

  "Oh!"

  "At that time I really thought she couldn't, but later I found out that she was pretending on purpose..."

  The atmosphere is getting hotter and hotter, with gossip written all over the young faces.

  "Is it a girl?"

  "She must be after you!"

  "Was Shixiong caught up later?"

  Qiao Yu nodded, "Yes."

  "Brother, don't you think dating is a waste of time?"

  "Time, it's all hers, what does time matter, waste it if you want."

  "What does Shixiong think about having both a graduation certificate and a marriage certificate at the same time?"

  "Getting married is fine as long as the timing is ripe, and any time will do. It's not impossible to get married after graduation either. I had planned to propose to a girl at her graduation back then."

  "What happened next? What happened next?"

  "Later on something happened and it didn't work out."

  "What a pity."

  Qiao Yuwei smiled slightly and looked at Ji Sixuan, "It didn't work out, fortunately it was made up for later."

  "What's the most romantic thing Qiao Shixiong has ever done?"

  "When she can't sleep, I read books to her."

  "What book is he reading?"

  "Outline of Ideas."

  “……”

  "What's the most romantic thing someone has ever done for you?"

  "When I couldn't sleep, she read books to me."

  "Is it also an outline of thought?"

  "No, it's architectural history."

  “……”

  The host couldn't help but mock, "Indeed, we don't understand Brother Shifu's world."

  "I've heard that boys who study architecture and medicine have very nimble hands. Can Brother Qiao give us a demonstration on the spot?"

  Qiao Yu thought for a moment, "I'll get a classmate to come up and help me."

  After finishing speaking, he stood up and swept his eyes around the room, finally stopping at a certain corner, "Excuse me, can I trouble you for a moment?"

  Ji Siyun was very cooperative and quickly stood up and walked to Qiao Yu's front, calling out "Shixiong hao" in a well-behaved manner.

  Qiao Yu patted her shoulder, "Don't move."

  Then he quickly squatted in front of her, untied her shoelaces, and then his own, and began to tie a surgical knot with extremely quick movements.

  The students sitting in the front row looked at each other and said, "Brother, you must have planned this!"

  "Big brother, have you taken a liking to her?"

  "Fireproof, theft-proof, and proof against the master's brother!"

  "Our school has such beautiful girls? I didn't know!"

  Hahaha...

  Qiao Yu stood up after a few rounds and held Ji Siyuan's hand to introduce her, "This is my wife."

  "Ahhhhhhh..."

  The screams from below continued unabated, while the two people on stage held hands and smiled at each other.

  After the interview, Qiao Yu held Ji Siyuan's hand and strolled around the campus until nightfall before returning.

  Qiao Yu plans to take Ji Siyu back to his hometown during the summer vacation, and before that, Ji Siyu had no idea that Qiao Yu's ancestral home was in the south.

  The night before departure, Qiao Yu took out the suitcase from the closet, wiped it clean and told Ji Si Xuan, "Little friend go lie on the bed and play by yourself for a while, if there's anything you want to bring, just tell me."

  Ji Siyuan lay on the bed hugging her quilt, rolling back and forth several times, then suddenly remembered something and loudly called out to Qiao Yu.

  Qiao Yu went back and forth between the bedroom and closet several times before finally packing up, then dragged his suitcase to the bedroom to sort things out slowly.

  Ji Siyun lay on the bed and looked at him for a while, then suddenly spoke up, "I suddenly want to be your little sister, grow up with you, call you 'Second Brother', and have you hurry over to see me whenever I call. How wonderful that would be!"

  Qiao Yu was picking up her pajamas, some wordlessly raised her eyes to look at her, "I've never helped my sister with her homework, nor have I ever cheated for her."

  Ji Siyun's face was serious as she weighed her options for a moment before finally making up her mind, "In that case, I'd rather not be your sister."

  Qiao Yu couldn't help but smile, and whispered, "You make it sound like you can just do it if you want to..."

  Half a day passed without any movement, and when he looked up again, she was already asleep with her arms around the quilt.

  Qiao Yu stayed in this southern city with Ji Siyuan for a few days. The southern climate was humid, but it was also nourishing. After playing for a few days, they planned to leave.

  On the morning of his departure, he stood in the center of the Qiao family ancestral hall, holding a brush to write a few words on red paper, and then hung flowers on the tall tree in front of the hall.

  Ji Siyuan stood by and watched for half a day, with a curious expression on her face, asking "What is this?"

  Qiao Yu wiped his hands and walked over to explain, "It's a Qiao family custom. When the men in our clan have a son after marriage, we use this method to inform our ancestors."

  Ji Siyun stroked her flat stomach, "But still don't know if it's a boy or girl."

  Qiao Yu pulled her hand and walked out, turning his head to look at her gently, "Men and women are the same."

  As he walked out of the ancestral hall, the quiet and secluded bluestone path was lined with ancient trees. Qiao Yu had taken several steps before realizing that Ji Si Xuan hadn't followed him. He stopped, called out to her softly, then stretched out his hand behind him.

  She smiled and followed, running over the bluestone pavement with a light step, bursting into brilliant colors, ethereal and elegant. Soon she took his hand, standing in the sunlight to give him a sly smile, extremely charming.

  Then Qiao Yu understood that he was done for this lifetime.

  Qiao Yu slightly lowered his eyelids and looked at her, curling up the corners of his mouth, "Really good, you're still the same as before."

  It's great that you're still the same as before, not silenced by the twists and turns of life and my abandonment. You're still the bright, spirited, and fearless Ji Siyu from back then.

  Ji Siyun suddenly spoke up, "Qiao Yu, I suddenly feel that I've been taken advantage of. Back then, it was me who pursued you first, and even the proposal was initiated by me."

  Qiao Yu gave her a sideways glance, "Don't you feel guilty saying that? Didn't you see the QR code?"

  Ji Siyuan's face turned arrogant, "I don't care, after all, I was the one who liked you first!"

  Qiao Yu's lips curled up slightly in a smile, his eyes gleaming with confidence as he said, "Alright then, let's have a little competition and see who fell for the other first."

  The person in the painting of those summer days, bright and clear eyes, smiling and blooming flowers, how could you be earlier than me?

  Love at first sight, finally white-haired.

  Her eyebrows and eyes remain unchanged, but years have passed.