Chapter 72

Aunt Wu recognized Liu Si as soon as she saw her, since Liu Si's account mainly featured her introducing interior design and furnishings.

"Hehe, it's nothing special." Liu Si was a little shy, but the two became quite familiar with each other in no time.

After the renovation, Aunt Wu's bathroom became much more convenient to use. To match the original interior design style, Yoda chose retro patterned tiles, trying to satisfy Aunt Wu's preferences while avoiding a stark contrast with the surrounding interior space.

"Aunt Wu, is this alright?"

Aunt Wu waved her hand: "No need to look. I come to watch their construction every day. I see it being done with my own eyes. It's definitely not wrong."

Actually, there wasn't much to inspect. The bathroom was small overall, the plumbing and electrical checks were passed, the toilet worked fine, and the sink was installed properly. But even though it was a small project, Yoda still wanted to go through the process, just to be on the safe side.

Compared to the newly renovated bathroom, Aunt Wu is now more interested in Liu Si. Before, she could only see videos, but now that the real Liu Si is in front of her, she keeps chatting with her.

Aunt Wu: "Xiao Liu, I found the smart home technology you talked about in your video very interesting. Can I do that?"

Liu Si: "Yes, I can. As long as there is a demand, I can find a way to do it."

Aunt Wu: "I want a shoe cabinet that opens automatically when I walk in so I can change my shoes."

Liu Si: "That's simple, just install the sensor and the sliding rail at the bottom of the shoe cabinet."

Aunt Wu: "There are also those curtains that close automatically when it gets dark."

Liu Si: "That's simple."

Seeing Liu Si's relaxed expression, Aunt Wu's ideas gradually increased, and she began to ask questions about the new things she had seen.

The thing that can wash dishes—a dishwasher, simple!

The one that can sweep the floor—a robot vacuum, simple!

That thing that can care for clothes—a garment care machine, so simple!

Seeing Aunt Wu's increasingly excited expression, Liu Si's mood also gradually became excited, and he introduced the new gadgets he had thought of little by little.

The bedroom lights turn on and the curtains close automatically—that's great!

The water heater in my house automatically boils water – that's great!

Turn off all the water and electricity in the house with one click when you leave the house—amazing!

Yoda watched in stunned silence. The old man and the young man, one singing and the other responding, gave Yoda no chance to interject.

Liu Si suddenly remembered something, interrupting the rhythm, and said to Aunt Wu, "Oh, except for the refrigerator, the refrigerator still needs to work even when people are out."

Aunt Wu thought about it and realized it made sense: "Yes, yes, yes."

Yoda finally found an opportunity to speak: "If you put so much in there, you'll have to search the whole house."

Yoda's words made Liu Siguang stop talking. When he calmed down, he realized that the two of them had been walking around Aunt Wu's house and talking about how to renovate it, and before they knew it, it was almost dark.

Liu Si smiled somewhat awkwardly at Yoda, not even noticing that Yoda had been waiting beside her the whole time. Yoda shook his head, and the two were just about to say goodbye to Aunt Wu when there was no response.

Looking up, Aunt Wu, still feeling unsatisfied, glanced around the room, then suddenly put her hands on her hips and loudly declared, "Then let's renovate the whole house!"

"Huh?" Yoda and Liu Si were both taken aback, thinking that Aunt Wu had been talking to Liu Si out of curiosity. This wasn't supermarket shopping, where you can just load whatever you want into the car.

Yoda quickly spoke up, trying to dissuade the other party from acting impulsively: "Aunt Wu, everything needs to be changed, including the water and electricity systems. It's a huge undertaking. Besides, smart furniture isn't that useful; it's unnecessary."

Aunt Wu said to Yoda, "I'm already this old. If I don't get it done while I'm still alive, I might not need it someday." Then she looked at Liu Si and said, "Little Liu, just do what we just said. You'd better hurry up, because I could be here at any time, you know?"

Aunt Wu pretended to close her eyes and fall asleep, which startled Liu Si. She quickly assured her, "Don't worry, I'll come up with a plan as soon as I get back."

The two stepped outside, and the cool evening breeze brought Liu Si back to her senses: "Hey, Aunt Wu looks so energetic, her mind works even faster than mine. It's not as exaggerated as she makes it out to be. Right, Sister Yoda?"

Yoda shrugged and smiled: "You're only realizing it now? You're definitely not as quick as Aunt Wu."

From Yoda's perspective, Aunt Wu's home was well-maintained, and she lived alone in a spacious house. While smart home technology primarily saves time, effort, and space, these aren't essential for Aunt Wu.

Moreover, renovations inevitably involve some ups and downs, which is why Yoda wanted to persuade Aunt Wu not to make a decision based on her excitement after watching a video online.

However, seeing Aunt Wu's high spirits, Yoda couldn't do anything about it. Meanwhile, Liu Si, having gained Aunt Wu's approval, was full of energy and ready to make a big splash for this chance to find a kindred spirit across age.

Yoda, now an outsider, helplessly shrugged: "Looks like I'm getting old. I'm older than you, and I'm not as open to new things as Aunt Wu."

Liu Si laughed: "How are you old? We're about the same age."

As dusk settled, Yoda smiled and said to Liu Si, "I have to go back to the office. Shi Xing is still there. What about you?"

Liu Si quickly shook her head, her refusal obvious. The next second, she suddenly remembered something, glanced at her phone, looked up, and said with a mournful face, "I'll go back too. My dad's still here."

Without a doubt, it was obvious they were still researching the "cement eggshell." Liu Si couldn't bear to see her father racking his brains, so she could only join in. Although she couldn't help, she could at least offer some emotional support. However, with no progress in sight, even the most enthusiastic mood inevitably began to wane.

Seeing Liu Si's gloomy face yet her insistence on going back, Yoda asked curiously, "By the way, why would you rather stay with me than avoid Shi Xing? Shi Xing and I are the same age."

Liu Si scratched her head: "I don't know either. I always feel inexplicably nervous when I see the boss. Maybe it's a conditioned reflex for working people?" As she spoke, she put her arm around Yoda's arm: "However, I don't feel pressured when I'm with you. Instead, we naturally become close."

If Yoda hadn't emphasized it, Liu Si wouldn't have thought Yoda was the same age as Shi Xing. Liu Si looked at Yoda more carefully and nodded: "Yeah, he seems to be the same age as me."

Yoda smiled; she understood what Liu Si meant. After waking up, she and Liu Si had entered society around the same time, their experiences were similar, so they naturally felt like peers.

Holding Liu Si, who was full of youthful energy, by his side, Youda silently thought: Perhaps it's because he spent a part of his life alone with Shixing.

Upon arriving at the firm, Liu Si noticed Wang Mian winking at him and scratching his head. Following behind Wang Mian, Liu Si sat in the chair in Wang Mian's office, staring intently at Wang Mian's back with a serious expression.

Master Liu was at his wit's end. All his years of experience were useless; he just couldn't achieve the effect Shi Xing wanted. Having no other choice, he had to unleash Wang Mian's potential. After all, he'd promised to find a solution, and a promise must be kept, young man.

"Xiao Wang, why aren't you coming in? You've been gone for so long just to get a drink of water."

Hearing the voice behind him, Wang Mian frowned. He was at a loss; he racked his brains, recalling and reviewing everything he'd learned since his very first design class, using every imaginable resource he had. But none of his suggestions worked.

Sigh, Wang Mian turned around with the utmost slowness, not forgetting to adjust his tense expression to a smile. At this moment, he wished his cerebral cortex had a few more folds; that stubborn brain of his would hurry up and think of a solution!

Liu Si and Yoda exchanged a glance, then shrugged and shook their heads together.

There's nothing I can do to help.

Shi Xing opened the office door and came out. Seeing the group of people outside, he simply walked over and said together, "Master Liu, there's no need to try anymore. The original design plan is canceled."

Upon hearing this, Master Liu immediately stood up, incredulous: "Really?"

"Mm." Shi Xing nodded.

Feeling the weight lift from his shoulders instantly, Mr. Liu breathed a long sigh of relief and sat back in his chair: "That's wonderful."

After saying that, he realized he had spoken his true feelings aloud, and quickly added, "What I meant was, it's such a pity."

Yoda asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Shi Xing smiled apologetically: "Although this design is themed around science fiction, the final building is meant to be used by people. As a public building, my design is not safe enough."

He then looked at everyone and said, "Thank you all for your hard work during this time."

Shi Xing also knew that because of his design, even though it wasn't someone else's project, everyone was secretly on edge.

Although the question of how to implement the design wasn't solved, the problem itself no longer existed, and everyone felt relieved. Faced with Shi Xing's sincere gratitude, everyone waved their hands in response.

Wang Mian couldn't help but feel happy, finally free from the torment of his poor brain.

After everyone left, Yoda walked up to Shi Xing and asked, "Are you just going to give up like this?"

Shi Xing sat in the chair, looking at the entire desktop full of documents he had prepared for this project, densely packed together.

He grabbed Yoda's hand, which was resting on the back of the chair, and said, "The competition judges just contacted me. They made it clear that the key to my design is not the project's implementation, but rather that reality doesn't provide the motivation for the project to be implemented."

This design competition was originally set up to build a science fiction pavilion. If it were a small building for a tourist attraction, then it would be worth exploring trendy designs. However, as a public building, even if a trendy design were completed, the empty rooms would subconsciously make people feel unsafe.

"I've been asking around for help during this time, and the organizers know that. They kindly reminded me that otherwise, if they told me at the last minute that it wouldn't work, I would have wasted even more time."

Shi Xing's tone was calm, but Yoda couldn't help feeling sorry for him. It would be such a pity to give up after working so hard for so long, but she also knew that the judges' concerns were justified.

The use of steel and cement in architecture gives the building a sense of solidity and stability, making people feel safe inside. However, the absence of pillars in Shih Hsing's design does indeed create a feeling of unease.

When Yoda visited the newly built train station, he noticed that even in such an open space, people preferred to stand near supportive areas like pillars or walls.

Few people would willingly stand alone in the middle of an empty hall. While distancing oneself from subconscious intuition can certainly make a design more detached from reality, it has also become a reason for the rejection of trendy designs.

"Or, we could try other options. Using metal or glass in the design could also create a sci-fi feel, right?"

Shi Xing shook his head: "These are already standard materials for science fiction design. If I can't design the effect I want, then there's no point in blindly following trends. You know, I don't want to do repetitive designs."

Seeing Yoda's disappointed expression, Shi Xing smiled and comforted her, "It's really okay. I still lack experience and skills. Besides, the theme of each competition is different. If it doesn't work out this time, there will be another chance next time. Hmm?"

Shi Xing looked at Yoda in a daze and asked, "What's wrong with you?"