The Stars In Your Eyes

Bai Yutang was relieved he finally managed to pass the final exam. He lost 3kg during this last month. He only manages to sleep 4 to 5 hours everyday. His energy and soul drained during his last project and exams. He studied so hard because he needed to maintain his scholarship. This hard time for him led to a big fight once again between him and his lover.

Bai Yutang knows that his lover means well. But he's so stressed and tired, and just snapped when he heard his lover told him to sleep more and didn't need to worry about scholarship. Bai Yutang knows his lover is more than capable of paying for his tuition, but he doesn't want that.

He wants to stand as equal with his lover. He's a man. In Bai Yutang's view, a man needs to be able to provide for himself and his loved ones. Just like his father did to his wife and family.. Money is a sensitive topic for Bai Yutang.

Bai Yutang regretted when he let his emotion take control and told his lover to mind his own business. Bai Yutang could see his lover hurt, and silently read for the rest of the night. Bai Yutang wants his lover to understand that this is not about money.

Bai Yutang hoped Jian Kang Lu could understand that he wanted to achieve something with his own capability.

Maintaining his scholarship is one of his ways to prove his capability, to grow, and to hold on his last strand of dignity. It was hard for him to be the one who always received something from his lover. Not even mentioning right now he depends financially on Jian Kang Lu. 

Bai Yutang feels his lover can't understand his position as someone who needs to ask for money. Because his lover was never in that position.

Bai Yutang understands when his lover told him the analogy about money on his birthday. That's why he accepts all the gifts from his lover, and never fusses about small things his lover sent to Bai Yuren and his mom. But still, scholarship is his bottom line.

Bai Yutang just wants to sleep and rest today. He's so tired. Thus he rejects his lover's offer to celebrate it with dinner outside.

[I just want to stay at home, Gege. How about we just order food tonight and eat at home?]

His lover agreed with that, and told Bai Yutang just order whatever he wanted to order. Actually, Bai Yutang wants to cook. He didn't cook for almost 3 weeks due to his final exams. But he was really tired, and decided just to cook starting from tomorrow.

Next week, Bai Yutang will start his internship in B city. Tang Yuxuan and Liu Xiang also got internships in B city. Only Yu Dong applied for an internship in S city. They teased Yu Dong so hard last time. It was obvious why Yu Dong applied in S city. It was all because he wanted to be close to Mu Xiaoya this whole summer break.

Tang Yuxuan is the one that teases Yu Dong the most, "Daddy can see that you'll be a henpecked husband. Tsk tsk.. Daddy pity your dark marriage life in the future."

That word made Tang Yuxuan had to dodge from Yu Dong's ultimate move, the elbow spear.

Even though three of them will have their internship in the same city, Liu Xiang didn't go to the same firm with Bai Yutang and Tang Yuxuan. Surprisingly, Liu Xiang managed to get an internship in Zhen Guo's firm. While Bai Yutang and Tang Yuxuan in their professor's firm. 

Since his professor already knew their capability, he agreed immediately when Bai Yutang submitted his internship application.

Bai Yutang knows that Liu Xiang asked his lover about the chance for internship in Zhen Guo's firm. His lover told Liu Xiang just to submit his CV and application. His lover could help him to make sure he will have a chance for the interview, but Liu Xiang needs to pass the interview with his own capability.

Liu Xiang truly deserved the title of Zhen Guo's number one fans. His face just beams so bright and keeps repeating the same word over and over to everyone he met.

"I can't believe it, I really did manage to get an internship at Zhen Guo's firm, the God himself!!!"

Bai Yutang could hear a lot of comments with envious tones from their friends. All of them asked him how Liu Xiang managed to get there. Zhen Guo's firm didn't accept internships every year. For all they know, Zhen Guo's firm didn't accept any for last year. And this year, only two people accepted. Liu Xiang, and the other one is their senior in his last year.

That senior was famous for being a prodigy in his year. His designs won the junior architect competition. He was also one of the Zhen Guo's faithful followers, and was really disappointed when he couldn't apply for the internship there last year. No wonder this year he was determined to accept there.

No one will question this senior accepted in one of the best architecture firms in their country. But even though Liu Xiang is also one of the best in their year with his clean and distinctive beautiful designs, he still is not on par with this senior.

Bai Yutang already warned Liu Xiang not to tell others that they know Zhen Guo from Jian Kang Lu. Bai Yutang believes Liu Xiang really accepted due to his own capability. But if others heard, they will think that was because they're close to Jian Kang Lu. And Bai Yutang didn't want many people pestering him to introduce them to Zhen Guo through his lover.

Liu Xiang agreed, but still he couldn't bury his excitement. Bai Yutang could understand, thus he just smiled and shook his head every time he heard Liu Xiang bragging about it to everyone.

Bai Yutang is waiting in Tang Yuxuan and Liu Xiang's dorm for his lover to pick him up tonight. Even though this is Friday, since this is the last day of their exam, Bai Yutang and his friends agreed to celebrate it by going to a nearby cafe for dinner. Bai Yutang didn't order heavy food, only drinks and one basket of chicken wings. He wants to have dinner together later with his lover.

Bai Yutang and his friends accidentally meet Fei Hong and Feng Mian in the cafe. It was kinda awkward at first when Liu Xiang and Tang Yuxuan invited both of them to sit together with them.

Bai Yutang finally managed to tell Feng Mian last month that he already had someone he liked, and he doesn't want the person he liked to misunderstood his relationship with Feng Mian if they keep meeting on campus and lunch together.

Bai Yutang thought that Feng Mian would ridicule him for being overconfident. Surprisingly, Bai Yutang saw Feng Mian's face pale, and then just nodded. Say that she understood, with a low voice. Bai Yutang even saw her eyes' corner reddened. She just turned back, and walked away with an unsteady pace.

This is the first time Bai Yutang met Feng Mian again after that. But after a few minutes, the awkward atmosphere eased and they talked about their exams and internship preparations. Mu Xiaoya and Ling Yue just finished their third year, thus they didn't apply for scholarships like their seniors.

"It must feel like a dream comes true for you. Ah, i also sent my CV and application to Zhen Guo's firm. But I didn't even manage to get an interview there." Fei Hong can't hide her envy when Liu Xiang bragged for the hundred times that he will have an internship in Zhen Guo's firm.

Liu Xiang waved his hand and tried to sound modest, "It's my luck. Maybe I already spent my whole lifetime's luck to get an internship there." Even he tried, but somehow all of them still heard that bragging and smug tone from Liu Xiang.

Feng Mian managed to act like nothing happened, and chat leisurely with Bai Yutang and Ling Yue. When Bai Yutang's chicken wings were delivered to their table, she suddenly said, "Yutang, I still remember you promised me to try your cooking."

Bai Yutang felt guilty with her, so he could only nod and said with a soft tone, "Okay, maybe next term. I will tell you if i cook again."

Feng Mian also will have an internship in one of the big companies. When Bai Yutang heard the company's name, Bai Yutang knew it was a company belonging to Sun's group. But he said nothing and just listened to Feng Mian bragging that this company is famous for the difficulty and if they manage to work well in their internship, they will have a bigger chance to be accepted there when they graduate.

"My senior said that the salary there starts at 6000 yuan1 with a lot of benefits. I really want to work there after i graduate." Feng Mian's eyes brightened when she talked about that company.

After seeing how rich Sun Hongjia is in real life, Bai Yutang wasn't surprised that his family's company offered a first grade salary for fresh graduates. The average salary for fresh graduates in B city is 4000 yuan.

Bai Yutang was actually glad they could talk and laugh like nothing happened. As a man raised to treat women nicely, he really felt uncomfortable when he saw Feng Mian that time almost cried because of his words.

They have a lively dinner, and promise to meet again when they already begin the internship. Then they walk back to their own dormitory, play games while waiting for Jian Kang Lu to pick Bai Yutang.

When Bai Yutang left, Tang Yuxuan said, "I didn't understand why Jian Ge always treated TangTang like a toddler. It was not necessary to pick him up every time Bai Yutang went back late from campus."

Liu Xiang just shook his head, "Why? Maybe Jian Ge just worried that TangTang was too tired. And our campus is not really that far from Jian Ge's hospital. I still can't understand why TangTang didn't apply in Zhen Guo's firm. I'm sure that if he applied there, he would be accepted without any interview."

Tang Yuxuan closed his game, and said, "TangTang said he wanted to work at Professor Lu's firm because he was getting a lot of side jobs from Professor Lu. So he wants to work there because he is already familiar with a few architects there."

Then he added, "Maybe TangTang just doesn't want to use his connection with Jian Ge. If it were me, I also don't want to stack my debt to one person. It will be hard to pay it later."

Liu Xiang frowned, "I don't think it counted as debt between friends. Friends help each other, why need to think that way?"

Tang Yuxuan said nothing. He knew Liu Xiang wouldn't understand. But he himself knows it better than anyone else, from his father's attitude. Friends help each other, but sometimes, receiving too much will make you uncomfortable if you can't provide equal treatment to your friends.

That's why, for Tang Yuxuan, the best friend is someone equal to you. Nothing will turn bad if your friends are equal to you. Someone that too high or too low, definitely will create a rift between them sometime in the future. And that rift, will destroy your friendship.