The Lighter and Princess Gown

10. Chapter 10

  10  

Maybe it was because she was able to make Boss Li laugh, but Zhu Yun was finally fortunate enough to see the project details this day.

The task list was very long. Zhu Yun looked over it quietly as Li Xun got up and leaned on the table next to her.

“You can earn up to two credits towards practical training. 0.2 for general items and 0.4 for special ones.”

Zhu Yun raised her head and asked, “What counts as a special item?”

“Things that make money.”

“……”

Boss Li was standing very close to her, so she had to turn her head up to see his face.

How was his skin so nice when he pulled so many all nighters?

A frown on his face, Li Xun continued smoking, his eyes unable to stay open.

Zhu Yun asked, “So, do the students get to keep all the money from this project?”

“Keep dreaming.” His hangover made his voice a bit coarse. He turned and looked at her, his still-wet shirt gently folded and resting in a heap below his waist. “Do you know what a school-enterprise co-op is?”

The classroom was still as a park in the early morning. Even the sun hadn’t been there to disturb them. Zhu Yun was curious as to how they’d chatted so natually until day arrived, as if they’d been old friends.

“Yeah,” Zhu Yun said. “Every department has something like it. Working together with an outside business.”

“Mmh. Of course, this would generally be an opportunity to earn some money, but the system isn’t exactly an efficient one. By the time the money reachers the school, there isn’t much left, and then that has to go towards the venue and management fees.”

“So all the money this project earns will go to the school?”

“Not quite. We get a split too.”

“How much?”

Li Xun didn’t answer. He pressed his cigarette butt onto a sheet of paper and then said, “You want to earn some money?”

“……”

Did I come here just to earn money?

Zhu Yun politely replied, “No, no. I was just asking.”

Li Xun sat on the table, his long legs dragging on the floor. In his lazy way, he said, “You’re starting again. What are you pretending for? Just say what you want to say.”

Zhu Yun had been acting courteously, but after Li Xun pricked at her, she automatically reacted. “At the mention of money, you’re suddenly so guarded. Just like your hair, your character is so crude.”

After she spoke, the two of them were both dumbstruck.

Flabbergasted, Li Xun said, “Say that again?”

“……”

“The refined and outstanding ** Zhu, say that again.” (t/n: In all cases that asterisks appear, it is because they were present in the original text.)

A single slip could cause her everlasting sorrow. Who would come save her.

“It was a mistake.” In a quiet voice that couldn’t be any quieter, Zhu Yun said, “I need to go to the restroom.”

With his long arms, Li Xun grabbed onto Zhu Yun’s collar, nearly choking her to death.

“Why are you running away?” Li Xun asked from behind her.

In a situation such as this, Zhu Yun truly felt that a man was a man and a woman a woman—she was speaking to physical strength. Zhu Yun couldn’t pull free. Li Xun pinched at her neck, and she stiffly turned around.

Those monolids again.

Are you some kind of fucking god.

“What was that about my character? And my hair?”

Zhu Yun blocked her neck and said, “They’re great, both of them… I was just being ridiculous earlier. It was a mistake, really. A mistake.”

A sound came from the hallway, giving Zhu Yun a fright. She whispered, “Someone’s coming! Let go!”

Li Xun scoffed. “Am I afraid of being seen? Or are you?”

His grip was as stable as Mount Tai, calm and leisurely, no concern for the approaching sound.

Just before the door opened, Zhu Yun gave a great push and strode back to her seat, burying her head in the project task list. Wu Mengxing walked into the room and saw Li Xun and Zhu Yun. He waved and greeted them. Then he grabbed a broom and started cleaning the room.

Li Xun yawned. Then he said to Zhu Yun, “Forget that. Bring your things over here. You’ll work with me.”

Zhu Yun lowered her head and responded shortly, “Okay,” before flipping closed the papers in her hand.

One after another, people drifted into the room. When Gao Jianhong arrived, his face showed his exhaustion. He’d wanted to sit and rest a bit, but Li Xun pulled him up and also called Zhu Yun over for a meeting.

Zhu Yun finally saw the contents of Li Xun’s laptop. His desktop was very clean. No games, not even project files or school documents. Zhu Yun suspected that his computer was just filled with compilers and software plugins.

Zhu Yun already knew that the project was for Languan Company, so Li Xun gave her a rundown on the progress so far.

“You two can work on the functions a bit. They don’t have to be too detailed yet. Just make sure to have a clear vision with them. We can work on them more in depth after getting the contract with the company next week.

Zhu Yun looked at Li Xun. “The contract hasn’t been signed yet?”

Gao Jianhong responded, “Not yet. But I’ve already looked into our biggest competitor, and they are of very mediocre quality. We should be able to win the contract.” With a laugh, he nudged Li Xun. “The great chief engineer, we’ll count on you.”

Zhu Yun looked over to see Top Score Li give a composed smile.

After she returned to her seat, Zhu Yun suddenly had a thought—so, right now, she was part of the core development team?

In the following days, Li Xun concentrated on planning the framework while Li Xun and Gao Jianhong prepared a website template. The pile of books on Zhu Yun’s desk grew larger while the hours of sleep she got descreased. And yet, her excitement only increased.

On Wednesday, Li Xun arranged for the three of them to be excused from class. Together with Zhu Yun and Gao Jianhong, the group headed to Languan Company.

Languan’s factory was located in the suburbs, so Zhu Yun had looked up the bus routes in advance. But the day of their meeting, Young Master Li hailed down a taxi and spent 500 dollars on it for the day.

They left at 7 in the morning, and twenty minutes later, the taxi got off the Second Elevated Loop (Highway) and started heading down a small road. There was construction on the roads, so the group spent more than an hour being shaken to and fro, as if riding on a boat.

Zhu Yun had worried that they’d be very busy in the morning, so she’d padded her stomach with two buns before they left. In the end, she threw everything up halfway through their journey. Fortunately, the taxi driver stopped for a bit, so at least she didn’t vomit in the car.

Gao Jianhong crouched down beside Zhu Yun and asked with concern, “Are you okay? How can you vomit this much?”

Zhu Yun’s face was very pale. “I-I’m fine.”

Li Xun stood further away, his arms crossed. “Must be the nerves.”

Zhu Yun’s eyes were red from vomitting. She raised her head and glared at him.

Li Xun said, “Just look at yourself.”

Gao Jianhong couldn’t help jumping in, “Can you just be quiet? She’s already suffering.”

Zhu Yun’s breathing was uneven. She’d already thrown up everything inside her stomach. Otherwise, she would have saved a bit for his face.

Li Xun tossed a bottle of water to her. “Hurry and finish vomitting. Let’s go.”

After their journey continued, Zhu Yun’s stomach started feeling better. She looked up and saw Li Xun in the passenger seat, continuously yawning. Zhu Yun took a deep breath. This time, he was right. She was a bit nervous.

They finally arrived at their destination around 8:30. The scene outside the car was a large, open space. The factory was made up of three buildings. The inner most one was the tallest and it seemed to be the office building. While the factory was large, it didn’t seem particularly conventional. The passing workers moved without hurry, much like people out shopping.

After they got off the car, Li Xun made a call. Shortly after, an employee came out to escort the trio.

“Everyone’s here already. Why are you so late?”

Gao Jianhong quickly spoke up, “We apologize. There was construction on the road.”

The employee said, “We’ve been waiting all day. Hurry up.” He led the group to the innermost building. It was very empty, and when they stepped inside, they felt a chill. Standing in the corridor, you could see the dust against the sunlight.

This was a food processing plant…?

When they arrived on the third floor, they finally felt a bit of liveliness. On either side of the stairs sat a flower pot with twisting wealth plants. They walked into the conference room from the back door. Inside, someone was making a presentation.

There were 20-something people inside the room. Sitting at the front were four men in suits and formal attire. They were the boss(es) of Languan and top-level engineers. Behind them were rows of software company employees, waiting to make their pitch.

After arriving to the room, the employee who escorted them took his leave. Zhu Yun sat down and listened attentively to the current presentation.

When her nerves started to dissipate and she calmed down, Zhu Yun noticed a problem… The man at the front was presenting a cool user interface (UI), talking about powerful function analysis, and the company’s bright future. But…

You’re trying to land a programming contract. What do you mean by giving a Powerpoint presentation?

The material they’d presented had all been downloaded from the net; their functions were ripped from other sites. They didn’t have any vision whatsoever. Zhu Yun frowned as she looked at the spokesperson with saliva spitting out from their mouth. Finally, she realized that he didn’t even have the most basic of plans set.

She felt warm air by her ear. Zhu Yun turned her head to see the blond devil at her right, his arms crossed, leaning over to her.

Quietly, she asked, “What are you doing?”

Upon closer inspection, Zhu Yun discovered that Li Xun’s eyelids weren’t strictly monolid. At the edge of his eyelids, they split a bit. Thin and delicate, they looked really nice. When soft, they were like a swallow’s tail. When intense, they were like a scissor’s blades.

He smiled and asked her, “Still nervous?”

……

Doesn’t seem like it.

As the presentations continued, Zhu Yun relaxed. Because she’d already seen Li Xun’s code.

It was finally their turn. Top Score Li pulled his laptop out from his backpack and got up. He walked to the front without a single warning, so Zhu Yun wasn’t even able to say “good luck.”

He was at the front making his presentation. That carefree voice that was neither high nor low eased all her emotions. As Zhu Yun listened, she started to forget what he’d said, and she just watched him.

How many nights had it been since he’d slept? Often times, Zhu Yun would leave the practice base, and Li Xun would still be working. Like he’d said in the beginning—”There’s no set time. When you’re free, come by. I’ll be there.”

He was dressed in an ordinary grey shirt, and his head of hair was the only bright point on his body. Li Xun’s stature was tall, shooting up like a young bamboo tree. Only, he never raised his head properly. When he sat, he would curl up and nestle into his seat. When he stood, his back would be slightly hunched over.

Zhu Yun looked at him. And then, she pulled her phone out from her jacket and took a photo.

Gao Jianhong looked over at her. “What is it?”

Zhu Yun put down her phone and said, “Nothing. I just thought… this would be a good momento.”

Gao Jianhong smiled and turned back to the front. “Yeah.”

Aside from the initial commotion at his hair, Li Xun’s presentation progressed without a hitch. Their presentation was the shortest, but they earned the most technical questions. Li Xun’s vision was very clear and thorough, so he was able to answer all the questions satisfactorily.

The old boss didn’t understand programming. With a frown, he said, “Your interface doesn’t look very attractive.” The engineer beside him quickly whispered a few sentences into his ear, and then the boss nodded, brows still furrowed.

Li Xun grabbed his laptop and walked back to his seat. Zhu Yun shot him a thumbs up. The corner of Li Xun’s mouth curved up, arrogant as ever.

They were the final group to present, and then the boss gave a final speech. He spoke seriously for a bit. After letting everyone know that they would be contacted at a later date, he dismissed them all. Zhu Yun and co followed the crowd out. Suddenly, she noticed a man.

Standing at the side was a thin, young man.

Then her collar was pulled by Li Xun. “You’re going to walk into the wall.”

Zhu Yun quietly whispered to Li Xun and Gao Jianhong. “Look at that guy over there.” She slyly pointed over to the young man. “Don’t you think he looks familiar?”

Gao Jianhong shook his head. “Never seen him.”

Zhu Yun frowned. “Why do I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

Li Xun said, “If you like him, go ask him. Your taste is pretty bad though.”

“……”

As they made a turn, Zhu Yun suddenly stopped in her steps. “I remember.”

Li Xun squinted at her.

Zhu Yun said, “I saw him when I went with Fang Shumiao to her meeting. He’s a graduate student in our department.”