Chapter 30

Regarding the confidence in the Lai family’s Lin, Lin Yilan outwardly displayed a trusting expression, but inwardly she had already listed potential slip-ups he might make and formulated plans for how to handle them.

This approach was something a senior colleague from her previous life had once told her. Back then, they were discussing how to ensure a project proceeded smoothly when the leader or responsible person on the team was an unreliable connection.

It was amusing, really—they had even written a “paper” on the topic, though the only readers were the two of them.

Who would have thought that this lighthearted pastime would inadvertently prove useful when dealing with Lin from the Lai family?

On her way back to school, Lin Yilan couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of admiration.

Unbeknownst to her, something was unfolding in the department because of her.

Many male students from the Architecture Design Class of ’79 were heading to their dormitories, abandoning even those who had planned to study in the library.

Han Zhifang glanced back at the crowd behind him, a scowl on his face as he said to Zhang Jianlin, “Brother Jianlin, what should we do about those people following us?”

Zhang Jianlin glanced back and replied, “They’re just trouble-seekers who thrive on chaos. Once we get into Lao Ji’s dorm, just shut the door right away.”

Looking at them, he felt a mix of anger and resentment—how could classmates deliberately watch others’ misfortunes with such delight?

The two quickened their pace toward Ji Xuecheng’s dormitory, with the crowd behind them also speeding up.

Han Zhifang stopped in frustration and looked back at those behind them.

But the crowd didn’t slow down; they kept moving straight toward the dormitory, eyes fixed forward.

“Really shameless,” Han Zhifang shouted, “They’re so happy just watching others suffer!”

The students from the Architecture Design Class of ’79 behind him showed no reaction, as if they didn’t even hear him.

The path back to the boys’ dorm wasn’t only filled with ’79 students; there were also students from ’78.

“What are they talking about?”

“What’s going on? Hey, do you guys know what happened?”

“No idea, but aren’t those two from the ’79 design institute?”

More than a third of the ’79 Architecture Design Class came from families affiliated with the Design Institute, a fact that caught the attention not only of their own class but also the ’78 cohort and even the faculty.

The architectural design community was small and centered in the city, and it was common for teachers to know the parents of students personally.

Though the ’78 and ’79 classes were separated by only half a year, the difference still had a significant impact.

If the ’79 class had people in the spotlight, the ’78 class naturally had their own.

“Bao Ge, do you know what’s going on with them?” A boy gestured toward Han Zhifang and Zhang Jianlin’s group with a wicked grin.

Bao Jinwang raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

The boy shared the gossip he had heard. “It has something to do with a painting foundation course our department is organizing... No one expected that Ji Xuecheng, the renowned prodigy from the Design Institute, would lose to a girl in the class.”

Bao Jinwang looked toward Zhang Jianlin. “Do you know the girl’s name?”

The boy scratched the back of his head. “I think it’s Lin Yilan? Not sure though, we can check the department bulletin later.”

Lin Yilan—the name echoed silently in Bao Jinwang’s mind.

Interesting.

The boy nearby continued, “Bao Ge, if you were in ’79, maybe none of this about Ji Xuecheng and that woman would have happened.”

Bao Jinwang smiled quietly but said nothing.

He would not lower his guard against Ji Xuecheng’s group just because of rumors. He knew that even with a one-year difference in graduation, the job assignments wouldn’t differ much.

As Zhang Jianlin’s figure disappeared down the corridor, Bao Jinwang turned and pushed open the door to his own dorm.

“Lao Ji!”

“Xuecheng Ge!”

Zhang Jianlin and Han Zhifang entered Ji Xuecheng’s dorm and immediately closed the door behind them.

Ji Xuecheng put down his pencil, looking at the two anxious men with a puzzled expression. He peeked behind them. “What happened?”

Zhang Jianlin sighed. “Lao Ji, what are you doing in the dorm?”

Ji Xuecheng waved a scrap of paper on his desk. “Working on the professor’s assignment from last time.”

“What exactly happened? I see Xiaofang sweating at his forehead. It’s already autumn, why’s he so hot?”

Zhang Jianlin played dumb, pointing at Ji Xuecheng’s drawings. “Lao Ji, can I borrow your assignment to take a look? There’s a spot in my dorm I just can’t design properly.”

Ji Xuecheng felt something was off, especially with Han Zhifang, who had been avoiding his gaze since arriving.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at Zhang Jianlin with a serious tone. “What’s going on?”

Zhang Jianlin moved his lips but didn’t speak, instead poking Han Zhifang in the side repeatedly.

“Er... well, Han Zhifang, you say it.” After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Jianlin admitted he didn’t know how to explain.

Han Zhifang looked helplessly at Zhang Jianlin, and seeing Ji Xuecheng’s intense gaze fixed on him, he finally blurted out everything that had happened.

“...Xuecheng Ge...”

Feeling Zhang Jianlin’s angry glare nearby, Han Zhifang defended himself, “I really didn’t know what to say. You never told me.”

Zhang Jianlin quickly comforted Ji Xuecheng. “Lao Ji, I have to say, Lin Yilan’s no ordinary person.”

“I heard from the next dorm that she often goes to drink coffee, and someone even saw her sitting in a small private car on Liberation Street.”

“To me, she’s definitely not simple. Maybe we all underestimated her.”

“Exactly, Jianlin’s right,” Han Zhifang chimed in.

Ji Xuecheng’s expression wasn’t as bad as they imagined. It was just one grade; no matter how good he was, he didn’t expect to take first place every time.

He waved his hand casually. “What you’re saying has nothing to do with her professional skills.”

“But I am curious—what exactly did she design?”

Han Zhifang scratched his head. Could he say he didn’t see anything particularly outstanding about Lin Yilan?

Zhang Jianlin, who was more skilled, pondered for a moment and said uncertainly, “I think her work excels in the details.”

“When the professor graded, why do you think my work scored higher than Ji Xuecheng’s?” Back in the dorm, Lin Yilan asked Xiong Zhaodi with interest.

When she returned, Xiong Zhaodi was celebrating excitedly, but Lin Yilan didn’t feel much joy over beating an experienced student like Ji Xuecheng. Her mood was good simply because the project for the Lai family was finally about to start.

Seeing this, Xiong Zhaodi immediately sobered up.

Although they hadn’t known each other long, she was smart enough to feel Lin Yilan’s professional prowess, even if she couldn’t measure its extent.

This realization came when they discussed coursework in the dorm, and Lin Yilan’s casual remarks often inspired her.

Later, after collaborating once with some arrogant male classmates who thought highly of themselves, she had a point of comparison and truly understood how talented Lin Yilan was.

“I don’t know exactly. When I looked at your work on the bulletin board, I just felt your piece had more elements than Ji Xuecheng’s but wasn’t chaotic.”

Xiong Zhaodi smiled shyly, embarrassed to explain further.

Recalling her assignment, Lin Yilan said, “I remember the professor asked us to design a furniture factory—or maybe a lumber factory. Anyway, it was a department related to wood.”

She couldn’t remember the details clearly.

“Do you know what makes this kind of factory different from others? It’s quite simple, and you’ll notice once you have some practical experience.”

“For products like wood, the factory building’s height requirements are special, as are fire safety measures. Wood maintenance is tricky—too cold and it cracks; too damp and it molds.”

“Nothing extraordinary, really.”

“A detail I considered was adding some small mechanisms for placing processed goods and raw materials to make it easier for workers to access.”

After hearing Lin Yilan, Xiong Zhaodi admired her even more.

After their chat, Lin Yilan took out her notebook and began analyzing Lai Jialin’s character, jotting down the current project progress.

Yes, everything was nearly ready—the project could finally begin.

Lin Yilan sighed deeply, then took out her roughly sketched residential design assignment and resumed refining it.

Just as the two roommates were both absorbed in their work, a knock came at the door of Room 406.

“Come in,” Lin Yilan said, setting down her pencil and habitually covering her design before turning to the door.

A familiar girl pushed it open. “Lin Yilan, Xiong Zhaodi, sorry to bother you.”

“It’s like this—Professor Shen has something for Lin Yilan. Could you come with me to the professor’s office now?” Peng Junhua smiled warmly at Lin Yilan.