Taking advantage of the moment Jiang Yilu opened the door, Tan Yin quickly slipped out too, then followed Jiang Yilu into her room. As luck would have it, not long after Tan Yin entered, the thunder finally stopped.
Even though Jiang Yilu had been mentally prepared, she still jumped in fright. “Damn it, Tan Yin, are you trying to scare me to death? Where did you suddenly pop out from?!”
Tan Yin had no intention of confessing to last night’s mishap, so she could only explain, “I found the door locked, so I had no choice but to make do for the night on the sofa in the guesthouse’s living room.”
Although the earlier rain meant the beach was off-limits for now, it didn’t affect the plan to survey the high-end beachside hotels and resort buildings. Tan Yin and Jiang Yilu changed their clothes and headed out.
But the two of them ran into Chu Hang and Xu Yu again right at the door. Jiang Yilu and Xu Yu had just had a quarrel, and the two exchanged eye-rolls in lieu of a greeting, while Tan Yin, ever the sycophant, waved cheerfully at Chu Hang. “Hey, Chu Hang, morning!”
Chu Hang shot Tan Yin a cold glance, then turned his gaze away with a hint of unnaturalness.
Tan Yin, however, was determined to close the distance between herself and Chu Hang. She rubbed her hands together. “Why are the circles under your eyes so dark? Didn’t sleep well? Something on your mind? We’re all classmates here, you can confide in me about anything.”
Refusing to give up her shameless agenda, she hinted, “I know most people fall for someone they shouldn’t at least once in their life — I have a lot of experience in that department, really. Don’t feel like sharing your love troubles is wasting my time. If you feel bad about it, you could always repay the favor by tutoring me a bit.”
“I have absolutely not fallen for anyone!” Chu Hang’s voice came out practically through gritted teeth. He looked like he was about to explode, his usual aloof elegance completely abandoned, his voice rising involuntarily by a full decibel — the words came out almost as a low roar, carrying the flustered anger of someone whose secret had just been exposed.
He glared at Tan Yin, then changed the subject. “And don’t you dare try to bluff that you have any experience. Who have you ever loved that you shouldn’t have?”
Tan Yin looked at Chu Hang and blinked, saying nothing — she just raised her hand and made a heart shape at him with her thumb and index finger.
She tested the waters. “You?”
“…”
“Hey! Chu Hang, don’t walk away! I already told you I’ve turned over a new leaf and have no inappropriate feelings toward you anymore! Hey! Listen to my explanation! I was just making an analogy! I just wanted to say you can come to me if you have relationship problems! I’m really good at counseling people!”
But all Chu Hang left Tan Yin with was the sight of his back as he strode quickly away, his footsteps even a little unsteady, as if he couldn’t get away fast enough.
Because of the weather, the architecture students all headed to several five-star resort hotels along the beach to conduct their survey. Some practiced freehand sketching outside the hotels, some took photos from multiple angles with their SLR cameras, and some walked circle after circle around the hotels observing the facades. When it came to design research, everyone’s approach differed, so the direction and route of the survey weren’t necessarily the same either. For instance, Jiang Yilu preferred taking photos, while Tan Yin preferred sketching, and the two didn’t feel obligated to stick together, so they simply split up.
Normally, on a field trip like this, once Tan Yin finished her sketch she wouldn’t do much more work. But ever since she’d resolved to properly study architecture, she really had shed her old laziness. Tan Yin might not have many dazzling strengths, but this single trait — an unwavering, forward-charging persistence once she set her mind on a goal — was something she had always taken pride in.
She walked into the hotel lobby and began observing the design of this five-star hotel from the inside. To truly design well, one had to personally experience the environment and atmosphere of a building, and also understand its functions — which meant precisely grasping the service flow the building needed to support, in order to better understand its functional zoning.
For a high-end hotel combining resort functions, guests wanted not just accommodations but dining, entertainment, fitness facilities, outdoor gardens, in-hotel shopping, and more. How to divide these functions guests sought into appropriate proportions within the hotel’s design, how to design a scientific flow of foot traffic while also meeting the owner’s requirements so hotel management could operate smoothly — this was truly a significant field of study.
As Tan Yin walked and took notes, she realized that when she had boasted to Chu Hang earlier, her understanding of architecture had still been far too shallow. Now that she had truly stepped into this discipline, she found points of knowledge everywhere.
Tan Yin toured the hotel’s several high-end restaurants and bars, each with a different style and flavor, starting from the lobby. Coincidentally, almost everywhere she went, she would spot Chu Hang nearby, doing the same thing. His face showed no particular expression — he didn’t even lift his eyelids — he simply focused on writing and drawing in his sketchbook, as if he hadn’t seen her at all.
It was only when Tan Yin reached the hotel garden that Chu Hang, who had been coldly walking ahead of her the whole time, finally turned around as if he couldn’t bear it any longer.
He glared at Tan Yin. “Can you stop following me?”
“I’m not following you. I’m also surveying the hotel’s interior design.” Tan Yin blinked and opened her sketchbook. “Look…”
Tan Yin’s sketchbook was densely covered with drawings, and around the drawings, notes filled every margin.
“Chu Hang, I’ve really been obsessed with studying lately. No room in my head for romance.” Tan Yin seized the chance to clear up Chu Hang’s misunderstanding of her, declaring righteously, “Ever since I lost my mind that one time, I’ve been copying the Diamond Sutra every day, cultivating my character — I’ve truly reformed. Even if you got down on your knees and begged me to date you now, I wouldn’t agree! The only thing that makes me happy these days is studying! Chu Hang! I’m warning you, don’t disturb my studies!”
“…”
After this speech from Tan Yin, Chu Hang’s expression indeed turned even more sour, looking as though he might ascend to the heavens from sheer anger. But Tan Yin’s sketchbook had already proven her innocence, so Chu Hang could only glare at her fiercely one more time before turning and continuing on.
Tan Yin didn’t dwell on this little episode either, and quickly threw herself back into analyzing the surrounding functional zones. Because it was a beach hotel, aside from the water garden full of hydrological elements, the entire hotel had made the most of City C’s tropical climate, bringing the surrounding tropical plant elements into the hotel. Everywhere Tan Yin went was lush greenery and blooming tropical flowers. The garden she was currently in actually had no clear boundary from the hotel’s other functional areas, because the designer had made the entire hotel feel as if it had been transplanted into a botanical garden, with plants and flowers surrounding every functional zone, and coconut trees encircling the whole hotel like stars around the moon — pushing the tropical beach character to its extreme. It felt serene and natural, yet full of design sensibility and fashion.
Almost every time she reached a new functional area, Tan Yin would immediately pull out her sketchbook to draw, constantly pondering the designer’s key choices. Once truly immersed, she unconsciously lost track of her surroundings, and without realizing it she had been in Chu Hang’s company for the entire route — yet she hadn’t spared him a single minute of attention.
Once she’d seen everything viewable in the guest-facing areas, Tan Yin felt a bit unsatisfied. If only she could survey the hotel’s back-of-house areas too… The kitchen operations area, logistics management offices, mechanical and electrical equipment rooms, storerooms, staff dormitories — these were all important factors a designer should consider when designing a hotel, because a good back-of-house design was what supported the functions of the guest-facing areas. And these back-of-house areas, which most people paid no attention to, actually accounted for roughly 20% of a hotel’s total floor area.
But as an architecture student like Tan Yin, she had no chance to go deep into a hotel’s back-of-house areas. Feeling a bit regretful about this, she closed her sketchbook and was about to get up and leave when she finally noticed Chu Hang not far away. He was talking with a middle-aged man in hotel uniform.
“Uncle Lin, my father already spoke with you before — I’d like to survey the hotel’s back-of-house areas. Would you mind showing me around?”
Just as Tan Yin was walking past Chu Hang, she keenly caught his words and almost immediately stopped in her tracks, turning around. “Can I come along too?”
Although Tan Yin had a whole set of flattery and compliments prepared in her mind, she also knew Chu Hang would most likely refuse. An opportunity like this, obtained through his own family’s connections, wasn’t something he’d necessarily be willing to share with others — not to mention their relationship was already fairly tense…
Sure enough, Chu Hang swept a cold glance over her, ignored her entirely, and simply walked off on his own.
Just as Tan Yin was about to grumble about Chu Hang venting his frustration on her, she saw him frown and turn back. “What are you standing there for?” he said impatiently. “Aren’t you coming?”
Almost the instant she registered what he’d said, Tan Yin happily hurried to catch up. In her excitement, she couldn’t help reaching out to make the heart gesture at Chu Hang again.
But just as the gesture was gathering momentum, Chu Hang coldly warned her, “If you make that gesture one more time, you’re not coming.”
“…”
Tan Yin choked back her words and tried to say something else to lighten the mood. “Chu Hang, you should smile more, stop being so tense all the time. Look at me — I laugh happily every day, so naturally my mood stays relaxed, and I never have insomnia or sleep badly. Have you heard the saying? Girls who smile a lot usually don’t have bad luck…”
“Tan Yin.”
“Hmm?”
“If you don’t stay quiet, I’ll let you find out that girls who smile a lot usually have very bad luck indeed.”
“…”
“Then, Chu Hang, I’d like to ask you a quest—”
“And don’t ask me questions either.”
“…”
Tan Yin had no choice but to shut her mouth and try to minimize her presence, following meekly along behind Chu Hang and the hotel staff member called Uncle Lin.
Once the survey began, Tan Yin didn’t speak again. She diligently recorded the flow design of the back-of-house areas, observing the staff commute flow, the laundry room flow, and other flow designs. In hotel design, the back-of-house flow design was crucial — first it had to account for the practical operational needs of the hotel, and it also had to connect organically with the functions of the guest-facing areas. Good flow design ensured that guest flow and service flow avoided crossing paths.
Uncle Lin led the two of them through the administrative office area, the human resources department and staff area, the housekeeping department and laundry room, and the engineering department and mechanical/electrical room, before starting to lead them back. “All right, I’ll take you two out now.”
“What about the cargo area and the kitchen operations area?”
“Uncle Lin, can’t we see the loading dock, the trash disposal room, the storeroom, and the kitchen?”
Tan Yin and Chu Hang asked their questions almost simultaneously.
Uncle Lin smiled. “Hotel policy — the cargo area and kitchen operations area are generally off-limits for tours.”
Though Chu Hang seemed a bit disappointed, he nodded understandingly. “All right, thank you, Uncle Lin. Sorry for the trouble today.” With that, he followed Uncle Lin toward the guest-facing area.
Tan Yin didn’t say anything either. She lowered her head, flipped open her sketchbook, and began drawing quickly.
Just as they were walking from the administrative office area back toward the hotel’s front desk, Tan Yin finally finished. She looked up, smiled, and handed Uncle Lin several pages she had just torn from her sketchbook. “Uncle, these are for you! I really like drawing comics, and I’m very grateful you showed us around — consider these a small token of thanks, nothing much!”
Uncle Lin took the pages of comics, held them in his hand and looked them over, then smiled and tucked them into his trouser pocket. He narrowed his eyes at Tan Yin. “Thank you, young student. Tell you what — although touring the storeroom and kitchen isn’t normally allowed, since you two came all this way, and it’s a rare opportunity, I’ll take you on a quick tour.”
Chu Hang looked a bit surprised, then thanked him gratefully. “Thank you, Uncle Lin!”
“No need to thank me.” Uncle Lin looked kindly at Tan Yin, smiling warmly. “This young student here has a thoughtful heart.”
And so, the plump, middle-aged Uncle Lin led Chu Hang and Tan Yin through the cargo area and kitchen area as well. The chance to tour a hotel’s back-of-house areas so completely for the first time was truly precious, and both Tan Yin and Chu Hang felt they’d gained a great deal from it. In the end, the two of them said goodbye to Uncle Lin, still wishing they could see more.
Back at the hotel’s front desk, Tan Yin couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. “See that? Wasn’t it me who got Uncle Lin to come around in the end? You got to see the storeroom, cargo area, and kitchen area today — you should be thanking me! And you told me not to say anything! If I hadn’t spoken up, would you have gotten to see any of it? Would you have gotten such a firsthand feel for the hotel’s software and hardware facilities?”
Tan Yin went on, smiling. “I did my homework beforehand — the back-of-house area is actually even more important than the guest-facing area. It’s the back-of-house that really reflects a hotel’s service standard and philosophy. Any detail — like accessible bathroom fixtures, or whether the design is child-friendly — has a huge effect on a hotel’s reputation. What makes a five-star hotel five-star isn’t just that all the bathroom products are high-end brands and the hardware facilities are excellent — it’s the differentiated service that makes the real difference to guests. But without excellent back-of-house design, none of that service can be achieved.”
Chu Hang snorted coldly. “Tan Yin, do you really think Uncle Lin agreed to show us around because of those little comics of yours?” He glanced at her. “It’s mainly because of me — my dad knows Uncle Lin and gave him a heads-up in advance. That’s the only reason you got to tag along and see the back-of-house area. Did you really think he was so touched by two of your comic pages that he made an exception on the spot? How naive.”
“Mm, he certainly wouldn’t change his mind just because of a few of my comics.” Tan Yin nodded, staring steadily at Chu Hang. “It’s because of the five Chairman Maos I tucked inside the comics.”
Ignoring Chu Hang’s stunned, furrowed brow, Tan Yin said flatly, “I told him, through the metaphor of the comics, that I was offering him five hundred-yuan bills in exchange for bending the rules.”
“…”
“So — didn’t you hear him thank me for being thoughtful?”
“…”
Tan Yin grinned and patted Chu Hang on the shoulder. “So it turns out, your dad’s connections weren’t as useful as my five Chairman Maos, huh?” She shook her head, looking deeply pained. “Kids these days really are hopelessly naive!”
“…”
“Oh, right, speaking of which, you idiot, are you paying me in cash or by transfer?”
Chu Hang glared at her.
Tan Yin glanced at him and urged, “Come on, five hundred yuan for admission, split evenly — two hundred fifty each, paid in full up front, no installments.”
Chu Hang looked utterly exasperated. “Tan Yin, you are… truly beyond description.”
“Successful people are always beyond description.” Tan Yin pocketed the payment, looking pleased with herself. “Not to criticize you, Chu Hang, but earlier when Uncle Lin said the cargo area and kitchen weren’t open for viewing, you just gave up, right then and there, without even trying to negotiate. Does that really fit the style of us architecture students? If you become an architect someday, won’t the clients just walk all over you? If you can’t argue your case, you’ll spend your whole life staying up late revising proposals. Looking at your hairline, I don’t think it can take that.”
“…”
Chu Hang badly wanted to argue back, but in that moment, he knew Tan Yin was right. Being an architect required not just professional skill and the ability to listen to a client’s needs and study a building’s purpose and intended users, but also a tenacious, unyielding fighting spirit — and sometimes, even the kind of thick-skinned, unconventional approach Tan Yin employed.
Though Chu Hang was unwilling to admit it, Tan Yin really wasn’t entirely useless. There was a persistence in her — an unwillingness to give up until she achieved her goal — along with a flexibility and adaptability in pursuit of that goal, which somehow, in this moment, made her seem the tiniest bit more agreeable to him. Of course, truly only the tiniest bit.