If Zhou Yi’s head wasn’t so waterlogged, the whole family wouldn’t need to worry so much about her.

Zhou Cheng even regretted giving Jiang Hong that 30,000 yuan. It wasn’t about the money – it was Zhou Yi’s thoughtless attitude that irritated him. Why let her have such a comfortable life abroad? She should experience some hardship!

Zhou Wengang was also troubled seeing Zhou Yi.

While the family was desperately cleaning up her mess, who was looking after Yuan Han’s ex-wife Ye Xiaoqiong?

Seeing Zhou Yi dare to roll her eyes secretly, Zhou Wengang’s face darkened:

“What’s that expression for?”

Caught red-handed, Zhou Yi panicked, “No expression at all!”

Zhou Wengang took a deep breath: “Zhou Cheng is running around everywhere for your sake. Even if you’re not grateful, you should show some respect. Is this how your mother and I taught you?”

“Uncle—”

Zhou Yi hadn’t given up yet, and it wasn’t time to discuss this. Zhou Cheng quickly intervened.

Zhou Yi felt bewildered by the scolding. She knew Zhou Cheng had taken special leave to visit her at the hospital, and his current presence at her home was likely about her going to America, but surely it wasn’t as serious as her father made it sound.

She was grateful to Zhou Cheng.

She just felt uncomfortable hearing her mother praise Xia Xiaolan to the skies again.

It already felt humiliating having to seek refuge with Xia Xiaolan in America.

Under Zhou Wengang’s stare, Zhou Yi couldn’t handle the pressure and mumbled:

“I know Zhou Cheng and others have worked hard. I’ll call Xiaolan myself in a few days to thank her. Dad, I’m really tired, can I go to my room?”

Zhou Wengang waved his hand dismissively as if shooing away a fly.

Zhou Cheng looked at Jiang Hong, then at Zhou Wengang. Since Zhou Yi started causing trouble last year, both have visibly aged.

The change was more obvious in Jiang Hong, while Zhou Wengang hadn’t aged much but the furrows in his brow had deepened.

“Uncle, I should head back now. I’ll let you know when there’s progress.”

Jiang Hong put down the Pekingese, “Zhou Cheng, eat before you go!”

“He needs to get back to his unit, don’t keep him,” Zhou Wengang said.

Jiang Hong relented.

After Zhou Cheng left, Jiang Hong lowered her voice to ask Zhou Wengang, “Did Zhou Cheng come for something important? What were you two discussing behind closed doors in the study?”

Zhou Wengang took her to the study and closed the door.

“Xiaolan has contacted Yuan Han’s ex-wife.”

Jiang Hong gasped, “Really? They found her?”

Zhou Wengang nodded, “They want to invite Yuan Han’s ex-wife to talk to Zhou Yi. Now I think we’ve been too easy on Zhou Yi!”

Too easy, not enough hardship.

Because Zhou Yi nearly didn’t make it through childbirth, the Zhou family couldn’t bring themselves to be harsh.

Now thinking of how badly Ye Xiaoqiong had suffered, Zhou Wengang felt Zhou Yi needed some proper tempering.

Jiang Hong was confused, “You mean…”

“Let her go abroad first, then we’ll see!”

They shouldn’t even use Zhou Cheng’s money – let Zhou Yi live carefree abroad. Zhou Wengang had already decided to make sure Zhou Yi would suffer proper hardship once she got overseas!

…

New York.

As Zhou Cheng had said, today was the bidding day for the Wilson Hotel Washington project.

Three firms were submitting final designs and project proposals. After several consecutive days of overtime, Xia Xiaolan’s eyes were red from exhaustion.

She wasn’t afraid of performing, only afraid of not having the chance to perform.

Thanks to her risky display of modifications last time, Xia Xiaolan was finally allowed to participate in the Wilson Hotel project. In the final days, she fought alongside Hoffman’s team for the ultimate bid submission… One’s true ability couldn’t be disguised in front of an experienced architect like Hoffman.

Xia Xiaolan didn’t show the same kind of brilliance as Ning Xue, but having lived two lives and experienced the future’s information explosion, her aesthetic level exceeded her expectations.

Her designs had a strong commercial sense, focusing on practicality.

In Hoffman’s view, she seemed like an experienced hand who had already been through practical work, not an undergraduate intern!

Currently, Hoffman was still observing. He wasn’t sure if Xia Xiaolan truly had consistent skill levels, or if her close relationship with Harold Wilson had given her “inside information” from the client.

As partner Kissinger had said, the Wilson Hotel project alone couldn’t fully prove Xia Xiaolan’s worth.

However, even Hoffman’s attitude had wavered. Xia Xialan’s demonstrated abilities were enough to make her assistant, Matthew Carlton, gradually calm down from his initial anger and resentment to consider things more rationally.

It wasn’t that Matthew had been completely won over by Xia Xiaolan in just a few days, but he had indeed calmed down and begun to acknowledge her abilities objectively, setting aside the influence of rumors.

Xia Xiaolan was still two years behind him academically and theoretically hadn’t taken some important courses yet, but her knowledge wasn’t any less than his!

Matthew had been secretly waiting for Xia Xiaolan to embarrass herself, but she never gave him the chance to gloat.

Following Hoffman to submit the final bid, Xia Xiaolan and Matthew walked behind. Matthew, half a step behind, couldn’t help muttering while staring at Xia Xiaolan’s back:

“How exactly do they teach architecture in China…”

After drawing lots in Professor McCarthy’s office that day, Jonathan apologized to Xia Xiaolan and mentioned Hua-Tsing University.

Now Matthew was very curious about Hua-Tsing’s architecture department. He hadn’t been interested in any Chinese universities before, but given Xia Xiaolan’s performance, Matthew wondered if Hua-Tsing’s architecture department had been greatly underestimated.

Those crazy Chinese people – did they perhaps require students to complete 4 to 5 years of professional courses in just two years?

It wasn’t just Xia Xialan – among those who came with the P&W firm, there was indeed Ning Xue.

She was also a Hua-Tsing University student studying abroad.

Matthew hadn’t seen Jonathan.

Among those who went to firms and participated in projects, it seemed only he, Xia Xiaolan, and Ning Xue had made it.

The architecture wasn’t suitable for women – Matthew used to think this way too.

Female architecture graduates more often turned to interior design. Those who entered major firms were all grinding away at their careers like Grey, finding it harder to stand out compared to male architects.

Yet Matthew had encountered these two exceptions.

Only Foster’s hadn’t brought any interns. But Foster’s partner Dick had deep impressions of both Xia Xiaolan and Ning Xue. He didn’t fixate on Ning Xue, but seriously greeted Hoffman:

“GMP is open-minded, boldly using interns! Did you know, nowadays even interns’ work can be built.”

Dick hadn’t forgotten about Xia Xialan refusing to sell her design copyright.

If she didn’t want to sell, fine, she could have used other excuses, like an unsatisfactory price.

Why use such an absurd excuse? Dick felt his intelligence had been insulted!

He was looking at Xia Xialan as he spoke, originally meaning to tease.

Previously when P&W’s Holmes praised Xia Xiaolan, Hoffman thought it was mockery. After working with her for several days, he still had doubts about her true abilities, but if they were saying interns’ work couldn’t be built – were Foster’s people mocking GMP? Xia Xiaolan participated in designing the Wilson Hotel project!

Foster was going too far, making such remarks before the bidding results were even out, openly disparaging GMP!

While Dick felt his intelligence was insulted, Hoffman felt Dick’s teasing was ill-intentioned. He immediately defended GMP, his design team, and by extension, Xia Xiaolan’s interests:

“Why can’t interns’ work be built? Dick, anything is possible!”