Volume One, Chapter 162: I Won’t Keep You Waiting Long!
Page (1/3)
“Lu Jinnian…”
The anger that had filled Lou Ye moments ago vanished without a trace, replaced by a smile. “When all is said and done, I should actually thank you. If you hadn’t been such an unapologetically awful man, Sang Wan and I would never have come this far.”
Lu Jinnian’s gaze turned icy.
Lou Ye smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure our wedding invitation reaches you personally! And I can responsibly promise you that you won’t have to wait too long.”
He turned to leave, but just as his hand closed around the doorknob, he stopped and looked back at Lu Jinnian.
“By the way, I agree with you that the Lu and Lou families rank among the very best in the Chinese delegation’s entries. But what makes you so confident that the Lou family can only win the championship because you’ve withdrawn?”
“Lu Jinnian!”
Lou Ye stood tall, his voice clear and resonant. “Open your eyes and watch carefully. Even without you stepping aside, the Lou family will still be the most dazzling of them all!”
Lu Jinnian wanted nothing more than to sneer, You’re far too arrogant.
The competition had not even begun. The architects from the other countries had not yet appeared.
What made Lou Ye think victory was already within reach?
But Lou Ye seemed utterly certain of it and did not even give him a chance to speak.
The door opened, then closed.
The cramped lounge fell silent.
Thinking of Lou Ye’s silent provocation, Lu Jinnian felt a wave of suppressed anger rising in his chest.
When Lou Ye returned to the conference room and had just sat down, Sang Wan leaned over. “What did Lu Jinnian want with you?”
“He said…”
Lou Ye glanced around. Some people were typing away, perfecting their designs, while others were on the phone.
No one was paying attention to the corner where he sat.
Lou Ye leaned closer and kissed Sang Wan on the cheek.
Sang Wan quickly moved away, shooting him an exasperated glare.
Lou Ye remained completely unruffled. With an air of perfect ease, he said, “He praised our Mirage design. Said it was excellent.”
Sang Wan narrowed her eyes, plainly unconvinced. “Are you sure?”
Lou Ye nodded solemnly. “Of course. He also said the Lou family had what it took to win the championship and would surely bring glory to the nation this time.”
Sang Wan gave him a look that clearly said, I wouldn’t believe you if you told me the sun had risen in the west.
Lou Ye smiled until his eyes shone.
He reached beneath the table, took Sang Wan’s hand, and held it in his palm.
Lu Jinnian happened to walk in just then and saw the scene in full. Believing that the two of them were openly flirting in front of everyone, he darkened even further.
The two weekend days passed in the blink of an eye.
At nine o’clock on Monday morning, the Palace of Versailles was thronged with people.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
Representatives from more than fifty countries around the world had gathered together.
More than twenty delegations and 316 entries had been put on display by the organizers in the exhibition hall of the Palace of Versailles. Thus began the first day of the preliminary competition.
More than thirty thousand people took part in the voting, including architecture enthusiasts from all over the world as well as local residents of Paris.
On the second day, the semifinalists were revealed at a glance.
More than ninety percent of the entries had been eliminated.
Sang Wan had been nervous ever since she saw the list of semifinalists. By the time she entered the venue, she was practically holding her breath.
The last time she had seen so many judges and fellow professionals from her field had been during her senior year, when she took part in her graduation project.
But at least half the faces below the stage that day had been familiar.
Today, however, more than ninety percent of the people she saw were strangers.
Those seated among the judges were idols to everyone in the architectural profession—the kind of people whose presence alone could leave one so excited that speech became impossible.
For a moment, Sang Wan felt as though she were dreaming.
Of the twenty-six entries that had made it through to the semifinals, China occupied half the field.
The Lu family’s “Desert Oasis” and the Lou family’s “Mirage” were among them.
Most of the architects had drawn their inspiration from hills and the polar regions. Someone had even designed the Aurora Hotel that one of the Lou family’s architects had mentioned.
Only four entries incorporated desert elements.
The presentation segment began. Each design team worked together with seamless coordination. Some members explained the concepts and details behind their designs, while others operated the computers to bring up close-up images. Every entry was dissected and explained in meticulous detail.
Sang Wan’s nervousness was soon replaced by complete concentration.
Before long, it was time for the Lu family’s entry.
When Lu Jinnian rose and took the stage, not only the Lou family’s senior architects but also Sang Wan and Lou Ye showed unmistakable surprise.
“Good morning, everyone…”
His steady, powerful voice rang out. Lu Jinnian appeared onstage, and the design of Desert Oasis emerged on the large screen behind him.
He explained the scarcity of resources in the desert and the feasibility of the Lu family’s design.
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
It was obvious to the naked eye that the judges asked far more questions about his entry than they had about the previous designs.
After several more entries, it was the Lou family’s turn.
As Sang Wan stepped onto the stage, her sharp ears caught a child’s abruptly cut-off cry of “Mommy.”
She turned around and saw Lu Jinnian holding Lu Xiaomu in his arms among the audience.
Lu Xiaomu covered her little mouth, her eyes shining with excitement.
As for Lu Jinnian, he watched Sang Wan with admiration, as though silently telling her: Wanwan, keep going. You’re the best!
Once upon a time, this had been the scene Sang Wan had dreamed of day and night.
But now…
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
Her gaze passed naturally over Lu Jinnian and settled on Lou Ye.
The young man’s eyes were bright. He lounged lazily against the sofa, looking less like a contestant and more like an enthusiastic superfan.
When their eyes met, Lou Ye broke into a smile and said something.
They were too far apart, and the applause below the stage filled the air. Sang Wan could not hear a word.
Lu Xiaomu heard him.
So did Lu Jinnian.
Lou Ye had said: Sang Wan, you can do it! I’m proud of you!
Those were words Lu Jinnian should have been the one to say.
But soon, he had no time to dwell on that.
Compared with the industry symposium the previous Friday, Sang Wan’s presentation today was even more thorough. The already magnificent design was described in exhaustive detail, from its overall structure down to the finest particulars.
When she finished, the more-than-one-minute 4D tour displayed on the large screen successfully captured everyone’s attention.
Lu Jinnian could even hear his son’s breathless gasp of amazement.
The already highly immersive 4D design suddenly came to life as an animation.
It was as though they had been transported there themselves. As the camera shifted, everyone present saw the vast desert—and the magnificent structure rising from the ground, transforming from illusion into reality.
The Mirage fulfilled every imaginable need, from commerce and daily life to exhibitions, and its design was breathtakingly beautiful.
It was like watching a special-effects film.
By the time the animation ended, everyone felt as though they had just awakened from an extravagant, impossible dream.
The large screen faded to black. Onstage, Sang Wan bowed in thanks.
After a brief pause, thunderous applause broke out in wave after wave.
As Sang Wan let out a quiet breath and turned to leave the stage, Lu Jinnian’s eyes followed her every movement.
Then he met Lou Ye’s provocative gaze.
“Who told you I was only playing around?”
“You’ll receive the wedding invitation soon. I won’t keep you waiting long!”
Lou Ye’s two remarks echoed in Lu Jinnian’s ears for a long time.
For no reason he could explain, panic suddenly seized Lu Jinnian’s heart.
He spent the entire night awake.
When the first pale light of dawn appeared along the horizon, Lu Jinnian finally came to himself and realized that he had spent the whole night sitting blankly on the living-room sofa.
Page (3/3)