Tired Juliet
The next morning, Youlin ordered breakfast to be delivered to her room. Xuanyu ate breakfast with her in the room before going to wash up. Youlin also gave him a few bags of clothes.
Xuanyu said, "I'll take those clothes back and wash them myself."
"It's okay, I've had it washed and left it here instead of sending it back to you. You can exchange it next time."
"By the way, I went for an interview at AIA yesterday."
"Leno acted quickly this time; the French are known for their casual approach to things."
"You'll be starting school soon, right?"
"Yes, school starts next Monday."
"You're running around all day and doing your internship, so you can drive the car. I'm not used to driving sports cars myself. We'll have them get me a new car later."
Sure enough, Xuanyu received a call from AIA before lunch that day, asking him to come and sign the internship contract. Management trainee internships have always been highly sought-after opportunities for MBA students, and Xuanyu himself didn't expect to actually get this offer. Although he would have to go three days a week, fortunately, he had basically completed all his credits, so his time this semester was relatively flexible.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Zhiwei and May began their internships at the studio.
Maggie took them to see the apartment near Central Park. When the door opened, the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the park amazed both girls. The apartment was square but a bit dark, so good lighting was the primary concern.
During the on-site survey, May was busy recording data, while Zhiwei was attracted by the scenery outside the window and quickly sketched out sketches and light and shadow.
Back in the studio, while discussing the plans, Maggie encouraged them to think creatively. "If it were you, how would you design it?"
Looking at the floor plan, Zhiwei's art student-like casualness came through: "If I lived alone, I would knock down all the non-load-bearing walls to let the light in completely! With such a beautiful view, who would want to hide in the bedroom?"
May laughed at her: "Miss, knocking down your bedroom in New York is such a waste!"
Zhiwei laughed too: "Anyway, it's not my money, so of course I should enjoy my dreams to the fullest."
Her wild ideas inspired Maggie. She made bold changes to the plans: knock down the master bedroom wall and turn it into an open-plan art studio; knock down the kitchen wall and replace it with a kitchen island; use glass bricks to increase the amount of light in the bathroom…
“Here,” Maggie pointed to the former master bedroom area, “the best lighting, right facing the park, what are we doing here?”
“An art studio!” Zhiwei blurted out. “If you put a big easel there and a comfortable beanbag chair that you can sink into, this place will be paradise.”
Listening to their ideas and watching Maggie transform old houses into gleaming renderings on computer modeling software, Zhiwei felt for the first time how captivating the process of bringing imagination to life could be.
By the time we finished all that, it was already past 8 p.m. We even had a quick dinner of pizza at the studio. It was the first time Zhiwei and May had worked on such a specific project, and although it was a bit busy, they were also very happy and learned a lot.
Just as he was about to leave work, Xuanyu called Zhiwei. He originally wanted to tell her about his internship at AIA that day, but he was surprised to hear that they were still at the company. "Do you want me to pick you up? I just finished dinner with my colleagues. It's not far from here. I'll drive you home."
Zhiwei guessed that he probably got a car for the convenience of his internship, so she arranged to wait for him downstairs.
Twenty minutes later, just a few minutes after she and May arrived at the office building entrance, a golden sports car pulled up in front of them. The window rolled down, and Xuan Yu inside gestured for them to get in. The back seat was a bit cramped, so Zhiwei let May sit in the back while she sat in the front.
As May got into the car, she exclaimed, "Johnny, when did you get such a cool car? This car must be very expensive!"
Xuan Yu glanced at Zhi Wei, who was focused on fastening her seatbelt. "It's a car rented by one of my seniors. He's going to California for a three-month internship. The three-year lease is about to expire, so it's not worth returning it early. He transferred it to me at a low price, asking me to drive it for him until the lease expires and then return it."
Zhiwei excitedly told Xuanyu, "It's my first day at work, so busy! Ah May is amazing, she's already got the hang of so many things, I just come up with random ideas. How's your internship going?"
As Xuanyu drove, he said, "It was alright. I just went there this afternoon. Coach introduced us to the department, and we went to each floor. Then we went through things like opening accounts. In the evening, the department head treated us interns to dinner. I had just finished when I called you guys."
He didn't expect that their supervisor was already an MD, which showed that he valued them, the interns, highly.
After about half an hour's drive, we arrived at Zhiwei's building. May opened the door and went downstairs first. Xuanyu came over, and Zhiwei smiled and turned her face to let him kiss her twice, then got out of the car.
Xuan Yu watched them go upstairs, momentarily lost in thought. Zhi Wei didn't usually like wearing makeup. The girl's delicate fragrance and smooth, soft skin made him feel as if he were kissing a rosebud glistening with dew at seven or eight in the morning. It was a youth and beauty that no amount of expensive cosmetics, skincare products, or jewelry could replace.
He was lost in thought for a moment, but eventually started the car and drove off.
When they got home, May asked, "Why didn't I see you and Johnny playing Romeo and Juliet at the window today?"
Zhiwei said, "If Juliet had worked all day, she probably wouldn't have had the energy to stand on the balcony with roses and sing an aria."
The two chatted and laughed about work for a while before going to rest.
The next morning, Zhiwei and May arrived at the studio again. It was Friday, and they would be starting school next week. If they could finalize the plan as soon as possible, they would have more flexibility in their schedules, and some work could be done remotely from school.
That evening, Zhiwei and a few of her classmates invited them to go out for fun to celebrate the end of winter break and the start of the new school term.
May said, "I don't understand what's so great about this to celebrate. Are they that excited for school to start?"
Zhiwei said, "It's just an excuse. I'll ask Johnny if he wants to come along."
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