“Well, it’s nothing major. I switched to a new team last year, and the pressure was a bit much—I kept getting sick. Eventually, I discussed it with Ke Huan, and he thought I should take a break. So I figured I’d use this downtime to get married! That’s why we ran into each other at the bridal shop,” she explained in a tone so smooth it sounded like she’d rehearsed it a hundred times.
I processed every word she said. Even though she spoke effortlessly, something about the logic didn’t quite add up.
“But… getting married is expensive. Just the package from your bridal shop costs 70,000 or 80,000 dollars. Plus, daily living expenses will go up. Can you manage that?”
Gao Zi Yuan smiled warmly. “I was a bit worried about that too, but Ke Huan told me it’s not something I should stress over. He said I should take this year to rest, and if I ever run short on money, I should just ask him.”
In other words, Chu Ke Huan was covering all their expenses. I didn’t know if 2882’s salary (a reference to his industry or position) was that generous, but it certainly couldn’t be enough to support an unemployed fiancée lounging in Pilates classes for a year while also funding a stylish Taipei wedding.
“He’s really thoughtful, isn’t he?” Gao Zi Yuan added, a trace of sweetness in her expression.
“Mm…” My throat felt dry. Does sparkling water make your throat scratchy? “So, will you return to work after the wedding? Or…?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead yet, but if possible, I’d like to go abroad for further studies. Honestly, I wasn’t happy at that job for a long time…”
So, she was planning to spend even more money. Was Gao Zi Yuan a financial genius? Or did she live in luxury apartments like Taipei’s famed The Palace? I couldn’t tell anymore. Why did this lunch feel like it was twisting my perception of reality?
“Wait a second, this plan to study abroad—your family would be supporting you for that, right?” My head was spinning, and I couldn’t help but dig for clarity.
“Uh, how should I put this…” Gao Zi Yuan paused, choosing her words carefully, before flashing a self-satisfied smile. “It’s just an initial idea. I haven’t discussed it with Ke Huan yet, but he promised me that as long as I’m happy, he’ll support whatever I want to do. Would you call that ‘support’?”
In other words, all of Gao Zi Yuan’s aspirations would become Chu Ke Huan’s future financial obligations. As I absorbed her words, I couldn’t help but piece together fragments of what Chu Ke Huan had said in the past, constructing an image of a marriage with a glaring imbalance between effort and reward. And then, almost involuntarily, I found myself wondering—Can Chu Ke Huan really be happy?
But reaching this point, any further doubts or questions would feel like outright criticism. So, for the next hour or so, we locked our conversation on the intricate details of wedding planning: which bridal makeup artists created the cleanest looks, whose hairstyling skills were the best, which wedding venues had balanced layouts but terrible food, and the three essential tips every bride should know before picking a dress.
Thankfully, the vast and complex “science” of weddings spared me and Gao Zi Yuan from further awkwardness.
So, we managed to finish the meal without incident. Gao Zi Yuan and I walked out of the restaurant side by side, and I was secretly relieved that the ordeal was over. But Gao Zi Yuan wasn’t done yet.
“Wait, I still haven’t given you the photo props! You forgot, didn’t you?”
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