Chapter 29

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Lin Yilan put everything in order, then rose and stood beside Xiong Zhaodi, the two of them leaning against their desks.

“Though I could give you a long speech about how rural houses are just as worthy of careful design as urban ones, the reality is that I based this assignment on one of my earlier designs.”

“Of course, I didn’t use the previous design in its entirety. But it is indeed an earlier work of mine.”

Xiong Zhaodi nodded thoughtfully. Lin Yilan had not elaborated, and she did not feel it appropriate to ask. She was somewhat surprised to learn that Lin Yilan had completed work before, but not all that astonished.

When Xiong Zhaodi fell silent, Lin Yilan did too.

For many years to come, rural housing would remain a field neglected by the vast majority of domestic architects. Who could have imagined that, decades later, when cities were filled with towering buildings and swarming crowds, usable land had gradually dwindled, and the country turned its attention toward rural development, rural architecture would become a stage upon which many of the nation’s architects could finally display their talents?

It was only then that Lin Yilan herself began paying attention to the countryside and taking an interest in rural architecture.

Unfortunately… it was not long afterward that she came here.

In this lifetime, rural architecture might still be overlooked. But perhaps she could make a small contribution to it.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yilan turned and asked, “Do you have any ideas for your assignment, Sister Zhaodi?”

Xiong Zhaodi shrugged helplessly. “No. I was thinking of designing a small two- or three-story villa in the city, just like everyone else.”

Lin Yilan nodded. “That sounds great. Keep fighting, Sister Zhaodi!” She raised a hand and made an encouraging gesture.

After finishing her conversation with Xiong Zhaodi, she returned to her seat and used her key to take a file folder from the small cabinet beside her feet.

Apart from a backup of the design drawings for Director Lai, the folder contained nearly all the materials related to the project, along with some details for room designs she had sketched casually when bored and a budget sheet.

As she took out the budget sheet, she let out a quiet sigh and began revising the labor costs one figure at a time.

The next day arrived. As usual, Lin Yilan began packing her schoolbag after hearing the professor announce the end of class.

“Everyone, wait a moment. There’s one more thing I haven’t mentioned.” Professor Shen suddenly spoke from the lectern.

Lin Yilan stuffed her schoolbag back into the drawer, propped up her elbow, and rested her chin in her hand as she began to daydream.

Once the classroom had quieted down, Professor Shen took out a sheet of paper buried beneath his textbook and teaching materials.

“We have reached an arrangement with a professor from the Fine Arts Department. Beginning this week, your class will have an additional basic drawing course every Saturday afternoon.

“This is the list of students required to attend. Those whose names do not appear on the list may also attend the Saturday class, but they must register with the class monitor in advance. After counting the students, the monitor must submit the final list to me by Friday at the latest.

“Now I’ll read out the names on the list.”

“…Han Zhifang… Xiong Zhaodi…”

Although the Class of ’79 architectural design program had only one class, it contained fifty-six students. This time, fifty-one of them were required to take the extra course. By a simple count, only five students had been exempted.

Lin Yilan was one of them.

Clearly, the list had provoked considerable discontent among the students with connections to design institutes. They did not particularly mind taking an extra class, but they could not accept what the course implied.

This was especially true of those who believed they already possessed experience in architectural design. To be placed in the same group as Xiong Zhaodi, who still needed a ruler to draw her plans, was almost unbearable to them.

Seeing the sour expressions on the faces of several male students nearby, Lin Yilan could easily imagine how unhappy they were.

“Professor Shen, may I ask how this list was decided?” one student demanded. “Why do we have to attend a basic drawing course together with the class monitor?

“Of course, Comrade Monitor, I have nothing against you personally. I simply feel that our levels are different, that we are not on the same tier. I’m only stating the facts. I hope you can understand.”

Lin Yilan glanced toward Xiong Zhaodi and saw her struggling to force a smile onto her face. Lin Yilan sighed.

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“I—I’m not angry, of course.” Feeling Lin Yilan’s gaze upon her, Xiong Zhaodi puffed out her cheeks. Then she suddenly remembered that Little Lan’s name was not on the list, and a little courage filled her heart. “But I imagine the list was not drawn up arbitrarily. The professors are only doing this for the sake of our studies.”

In other words, no matter what any of them said, they were all considered to be at the same level in the professors’ eyes.

Lin Yilan was not the only one to catch the implication. The others heard it as well.

Professor Shen had watched everything unfold before him, his brows drawing tightly together. He suddenly remembered the discussion he had held with his colleagues in the office.

Many of the students in the Class of ’79 architectural design program had some connection, however slight, with a design institute. The professors were naturally well aware of this.

What they had not expected was for those connections to create divisions within the class.

Professor Shen was reminded of events from the previous decade. His expression darkened at once, and the gentle tone he had used earlier disappeared.

“This list was decided collectively by many of the professors in our department, with reference to your grades on previous assignments. I’ll discuss it with the other professors and have the work of the five exempted students posted on the department bulletin board. When you have time, go and take a look. Then you can see why we professors consider their work superior, and why the rest of you need additional training.

“Anyone capable of getting into university should understand basic reasoning. So let me be perfectly clear. In our eyes, some of you may indeed have a slightly stronger foundation than most ordinary students, but the difference is only slight.

“If you do not work hard and build a solid foundation, those students will soon surpass you in the years ahead. They may not even need several years. One or two might be enough.

“Whatever connections you have, and whatever you studied in the past, are not reasons for any of you to feel smug. If you are truly so capable, then perhaps you should be standing at this lectern today instead of sitting below it listening to me speak.”

“All right. Class is dismissed. Go and do whatever you need to do.”

Professor Shen left the classroom with a stern expression, his books and teaching materials tucked beneath his arm.

Lin Yilan lazily rested her chin in her hand and surveyed the classroom.

Seeing the barely concealed hostility between the students, she sighed speechlessly.

The professor had already put it so plainly, yet they still insisted on carrying on like this. It was pointless.

She pursed her lips and gently blew away a stray lock of hair that had fallen against her cheek.

Thinking the matter would have little to do with her, Lin Yilan paid it no further attention. She continued to exist on the margins of the class, as she always had.

Until—

The freshly graded assignments of the five students who had been exempted from the extra course were posted on the bulletin board.

And, for some inexplicable reason, the professors had even ranked the five students.

The students from the Class of ’79 architectural design program crowded around the bulletin board, staring blankly at the works displayed at the front.

Their gazes moved back and forth between the first- and second-place designs.

“Am I seeing this correctly? First place is really Lin Yilan?” The speaker even rubbed his eyes.

The student beside him slapped him on the shoulder. “You’re seeing it correctly.”

“Well, this is unexpected. Truly unexpected. I never imagined that Ji Xuecheng, who struts around like he owns the world every day, would only come in second.”

“I didn’t expect it either. Our class’s real expert is actually Lin Yilan.”

“Let’s see how arrogant those people who rely on their families can be now. People with genuine talent and ability usually keep a low profile.”

“Hah, exactly. They only dare act smug in front of us.”

“Stop talking. Stop. Shh!”

“Tch. Are people not even allowed to speak the truth now? He puts on airs every day, acting like some young master. Who does he think he is impressing?”

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Hearing this, Han Zhifang glared furiously at the speaker. “Say that again.”

Seeing that he was about to lose his temper, Zhang Jianlin hurriedly seized his arm. “Enough. Let it go.”

“Brother Jianlin!” Han Zhifang turned toward Zhang Jianlin, furious and aggrieved.

At that moment, Xiong Zhaodi came over.

The others immediately greeted her when they saw her.

“Monitor, isn’t Lin Yilan with you?”

“Monitor, where is Lin Yilan?”

“Monitor, can I borrow Lin Yilan’s assignments to look at them?”

“Monitor!”

“Monitor.”

Xiong Zhaodi felt as though she had become Sun Wukong from Journey to the West, with a golden band tightening around her head.

Master, stop chanting!

She had been class monitor for so long, yet never once had she felt such overwhelming enthusiasm from her classmates.

In the past, she had wanted everyone to be a little warmer toward her. Now all she wanted to say was: Save me. Save me. Save me.

“Everyone—

“Fellow students!

“Little Lan—no, I mean… Lin Yilan probably won’t be coming today.”

She knew this for certain. Since there were no classes that morning, Lin Yilan had gone out early to take care of business.

Once the people around her had calmed down, Xiong Zhaodi immediately darted beneath the bulletin board.

When she saw that the professors had ranked Lin Yilan’s work first, she instantly understood where all their enthusiasm had come from.

Sure enough, she had not been wrong about her.

Little Lan was the absolute best!

Xiong Zhaodi maintained a calm expression, while inwardly she roared with excitement.

“Achoo! Achoo!”

Rubbing her nose, Lin Yilan placed the budget sheet in front of Lai Jialin.

“Mr. Lai, do you have any other opinions about this budget? If not, we should be able to begin construction.”

Lai Jialin took the budget sheet and raised his brows. It was somewhat lower than he had expected.

“This should be about right. Let’s proceed according to this.”

“Then shall I tell Grandpa and the others to prepare for construction?”

Lin Yilan thought for a moment, then nodded. “That’s fine. But we absolutely must not delay the autumn harvest. Remember that. It’s better to work a little more slowly.”