Apparently, brides-to-be and wedding industry professionals tend to form temporary alliances during the wedding planning phase. It seems there’s also an unspoken rule that brides-to-be band together in a circle of positivity, sharing resources, tips, and encouragement until the big day. They vent collectively about clueless fiancés with terrible taste in suits, and when someone breaks down under the stress, there’s always someone to offer a sympathetic “I get it.”
What I hadn’t expected was for my temporary ally to be Gao Zi Yuan.
Having just erased Chu Ke Huan from my mental dictionary, I wanted nothing more to do with anything connected to him. However, Gao Zi Yuan was genuinely kind—a pure-hearted, positive-energy bride who was cheerfully extending her goodwill to me. I couldn’t bring myself to rain on her parade. Still, I wasn’t sure how she would react if she learned that my wedding plans were on hold. More importantly, I couldn’t risk this news somehow reaching Chu Ke Huan. So, pretending everything was fine and meeting her seemed like the best option.
Gao Zi Yuan and I hadn’t been close during our student days, but the choice of restaurant she picked for our meeting said everything about how we were fundamentally mismatched as friends. It was a trendy vegetarian place with a menu full of barely filling salads and light bites, accompanied by bubbly waters and wheatgrass juices. Spicy, savory dishes—the kind I loved—were nowhere to be found. Was this part of a weight-loss regimen for her wedding? I had clearly underestimated the determination of brides-to-be. If I’d known, I would’ve eaten something beforehand to tide me over.
“Hi, Wei Wei!” Gao Zi Yuan greeted me enthusiastically, dressed in a sleeveless athletic top and fashion-forward cropped leggings, carrying a sporty tote bag. Her entire presence exuded an effortless confidence and breezy energy. Compared to her, my stuffy button-up shirt, heavy commuter bag, and stiff high-heeled pumps felt painfully dull and lifeless.
“Were you… working out?” I couldn’t help but ask after we’d ordered.
“Yep! I just finished a Pilates class,” she replied, smiling brightly as she took her seat with poise. “I wanted to look my best for the wedding banquet, so I signed up at a gym. But for sculpting your body, strength training is the most effective. You and Hao Yi should consider it.”
“Mm-hmm.” I gave a noncommittal response. Sculpting my body was the least of my concerns—Hao Yi and I had much bigger issues. “But how do you have time to work out? Aren’t you working today?”
“Oh, you probably don’t know. I’ve been on unpaid leave for three months now,” she said breezily, as if recounting someone else’s gossip.
It was then I remembered that Hao Yi had mentioned this before. At the time, though, I’d been too preoccupied to process any news related to this couple.
“Why?” I asked. In my understanding, planning a wedding could be stressful, but not to the extent of needing to take a leave of absence.
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