Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 162 - 159 Adding Bricks and Tiles

Two months ago, Qi Yi had asked Yan Yan for her graduation portfolio and such, telling her he wanted to get a feel for the "emotional journey" of a graduate. (note 1)

At the time, Qi Yi also nosily inquired about when Yan Yan’s family had started making shoe machinery, and when her uncle had begun making shoes, questioning her with the thoroughness of a journalist.

Knowing the boss was naturally a shortcut to an internship at Ferragamo, but since the boss neither handled design nor took interns, a solid portfolio was essential. Without it, the design director, who was actually in charge, might ignore you if they wished.

For the internship application, in addition to the portfolio, a personal statement or similar written materials were definitely needed. It seemed that after Qi Yi’s "interview," he took it upon himself to write it up for Yan Yan.

The graduation gift from Qi Yi, which was related to Yan Yan’s brand dream, was indeed something she really wanted, and also something she never thought she could obtain so quickly.

Ordinarily, internship opportunities for Polimada students were in the hands of the department head. As a visiting student, Yan Yan had planned, after arriving in Italy, to see if she could win the department head’s favor and secure an out-of-queue internship chance. She wasn’t even daring to hope for an opportunity in the shoe-making department, as long as it was at Ferragamo.

Unexpectedly, before Yan Yan could even start paving her own way to her dream, Qi Yi had already gone ahead and dropped such a huge surprise on her.

"Uh, when I was chatting with your aunt just now, I got a message from Ian. I saw it while we walked out of the living room, right before I started having improper thoughts about you," said Qi Yi, now beginning to worry about the adverse consequences of his previous behavior.

Would Yan Yan’s parents think less of him for getting handsy with Yan Yan?

What if they confined Yan Yan to the house, not even allowing her to step out the door? Qi Yi was deeply concerned about this.

On the other hand, Yan Yan was ecstatic.

"Qi Yi, you really are so great." Yan Yan threw herself onto Qi Yi, kissing him.

Yan Yan kissed with unrestrained enthusiasm, wholeheartedly, as if there were no one left in the world but her and Qi Yi.

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When Yan Dabang and his wife came down from upstairs, ready to formally greet Qi Yi, what they saw was the scene before them.

This time, Qi Yi could see Yan Yan’s parents, but she couldn’t.

The more Qi Yi tried to evade, the more Yan Yan wouldn’t let him because she thought Qi Yi was definitely imitating her from just now.

"This isn’t good... your parents seeing us," quipped Qi Yi in between dodging kisses.

"What’s so bad about that? Let them look if they want to," Yan Yan paused briefly before deciding to continue what she hadn’t finished.

Yan Dabang, standing behind Yan Yan, coughed once.

That was what made Yan Yan stop her outrageous behavior tormenting a "good family man."

This was the eager anticipation of two people from opposite hemispheres; Yan Yan figured her parents surely could understand.

However, this was not at all the scene Qi Yi had planned for his first formal meeting with Yan Yan’s family.

"Hello, uncle. Hello, aunt," Qi Yi greeted Yan Dabang and his wife, all prim and proper.

Except this politeness seemed to have come a little late.

Poor Qi Yi, even though this time he was dodging and being bullied, was destined not to escape his fate of having Yan Yan’s father blame him.

Today, Qi Yi had intended to deliver a wonderful surprise to Yan Yan, but instead, he ended up facing a series of shocks.

"Dad, what are you doing standing here?" After realizing her actions had been exposed, Yan Yan showed not a hint of repentance.

As her heart had already faltered, she knew she absolutely could not afford to lose her composure any further.

"Isn’t it you who hurried us to come downstairs?" her mother, Lu Bingran, immediately spotted the flaw in Yan Yan’s bravado.

"Where does uncle plan to go today?" Yan Yan swiftly changed the subject, determined not to continue discussing with her parents the two dramatic "soap opera" scenes that had just unfolded.

"Let’s go to the Great Ocean Road today. Qi Yi, have you been to the Great Ocean Road?" Lu Bingran asked, looking at the two who had just been caught in the act.

The question was intended for Qi Yi, but because of the recent scare, he hadn’t quite recovered yet.

"He hasn’t been anywhere in Melbourne. Last time he came, he left after just a day," Yan Yan decided to answer her mother’s question for her still slightly shell-shocked boyfriend.

"Then let’s go together," Lu Bingran decided cheerfully.

"But, all those travel agencies in the City that go to the Great Ocean Road leave early in the morning, and now it’s almost noon. We definitely can’t join halfway. If we drive ourselves, six people can’t fit, and it’s hours of driving," Yan Yan also wanted to take Qi Yi to the Great Ocean Road, but she considered her mother’s suggestion to go today as not very feasible.

The most convenient way to go would be to eat in the City later and then head over to a travel agency like Evergreen Travel to sign up, starting the trip early the next morning.

After all, any travel agency in Chinatown would have arrangements for a popular Melbourne day trip like this one.

"Not just six; your father’s newly met friends and their family want to join too," Lu Bingran clarified the situation to Yan Yan.

"New friends? The family that does housekeeping?" As far as Yan Yan knew, since her father arrived in Melbourne, he had made just this one friend.

Following the lead from chatting with the housekeepers, they got to know the boss of the housekeeping company from Wenzhou.

Yan Dabang and his wife hit it off with the couple from the housekeeping company and got along very well.

Together, they could get a card game going and pass the time, having agreed to get together for a fishing trip on their first weekend of acquaintance.

In short, both new immigrants from Wenzhou, the congeniality of fellow townspeople was well exemplified between these two pairs of similar-aged Wenzhou parents.

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note 1:

Every design student needs a portfolio, both in domestic and international circles.

However, when domestic students create graduation portfolios, they most often list competitions they’ve entered and awards they’ve won.

In contrast, portfolios abroad, including those needed for overseas study applications, pay more attention to the designer’s philosophy.

It’s not about emphasizing the awards you have won.

It’s about your design approach, why you want to make such a design.

Whether your series of designs have any cause and effect.