Chapter 8
The speed at which Zhuang Zhuoyuan and Iris's relationship progressed surprised everyone. The ring Zhuang gave her, though small, was certainly dazzling; Pauline noticed it less than five minutes after Iris entered PC Bar. So, when Zhan Hantao appeared, Pauline, who had come to deliver snacks again, immediately launched her marriage-urging offensive.
Although Zhan's mother tried to pull Zhan Sir aside, Iris, with her sharp ears, still overheard a few words: "...You're not getting any younger, and you and Huihui have been dating for so long, it's time to get married. Look at Ayuan and Ashi, aren't they doing so well? Don't wait until they've both had children while you and Huihui are still single."
This was the first time Iris had ever heard a friend being pressured by their parents to get married like this. The more Iris listened, the more amused she became. She held a fry to her mouth but didn't eat it, just laughing the whole time. The rest of Team A thought she was still in a sweet mood, but the most outspoken Ah Xing teased her directly: "Sister-in-law, you two don't need to be like this. We've seen Ah Yuan grinning like an idiot all day at the base, and now that things have changed, it's just the two of you laughing together. Should I bring sunglasses next time so I don't get blinded by your loveliness?"
Zhuang Zhuoyuan, fiercely protective of his wife, immediately retorted: "The fact that you can see a beautiful woman smiling means you're luckier than if you found a treasure."
Guangzai and Jianren immediately punched Ah Xing in the chest on the left and right, and cheered, "Did you hear that? You've struck gold!"
Having observed the commotion from both sides, Iris finally spoke up to help Zhan Hantao out of the predicament. Although she knew the root of the problem wasn't with them, it was always good to say something to calm Pauline down: "Pauline, actually, Zhan Sir and Huihui are adults, they must have their own plans. Just like Ah Yuan and me, we're not getting married right away, we're just locking in each other out."
Upon hearing this, the ancestor was surprised: "Aren't you two about to go look at matching rings? Aren't they wedding rings?"
“It could be an engagement ring,” Iris said, holding Zhuang Zhuoyuan’s hand and smiling at him. “Actually, we’re not even planning to have an engagement ceremony. We can do that when we get married. We’re going to look at wedding rings tomorrow because A-Yuan has a ring that holds me in place, but I don’t have a ring to lock him up. I just want to assert my ownership.”
Mom silently gave him a thumbs up. If we're talking about having fun, this couple really knows how. When he gets home tonight and reports on their relationship progress, his wife will probably scream again. It's true what they say, watching a real-life drama is better than reading a novel.
The shop where Iris chose the rings was a store she invested in herself. This general store, called "Wandering Wonderland," had three owners. Iris only provided the money, Elaine occasionally designed a few items to sell, and the head owner, Alice, was the hardest-working permanent resident. She held multiple positions, so even with an advance reservation, she didn't have much time to look after Iris and Elaine during this peak tourist season.
When Iris entered, Alice was busy operating the sewing machine, modifying the artwork according to the customer's wishes. She simply nodded to the two of them and then went back to her work. This reminded Zhuang Zhuoyuan of the florist, and the people Iris was close to all seemed to have a special passion for their work; sometimes they could be so focused that they seemed out of place in the world.
"So, some people might think they're eccentric, even describing them as 'crazy,' but in reality, they're a group of people with such perseverance that it's admirable. And I think that being able to stay true to your original aspirations regardless of the will of others is also a great courage."
“You’re right,” Zhuang Zhuoyuan agreed with Iris. He followed her gaze into the display case, hoping to find a surprise in this unusual little shop. As he looked around, his first question came to the “One For One” note on the card next to it: “Does this mean that these pieces of jewelry aren’t traded for money, but rather you have to exchange one piece for another? What if we don’t have any prepared?”
Iris could tell that Zhuang Zhuoyuan had never been a boss before. She smiled and said, "If you don't have anything prepared, you can exchange it with a design or a story. For example, last time, after we heard the love story of an elderly couple, we gave them a butterfly brooch. Here it is, the brooch and their photo."
Iris flipped through the exchange logbook, where every item was listed in great detail, with photos and text combining to showcase the charm and value of each piece of jewelry from different perspectives. As she flipped through, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise and leaned over to ask Alice, "Elaine's 'Wander Land' pendant was exchanged? That's our store's prized possession!"
“A handsome guy swapped it out.” Alice had just finished her work and helped the customer settle the bill before coming over to formally greet Iris and Zhuang Zhuoyuan: “Nice to meet you, Mr. Zhuang, I’m Alice, I’ve heard so much about you.”
After shaking hands, Alice brought up the pendant again: "Yesterday evening, a handsome guy named Si came into the store and immediately fell in love with 'Wonder Land'. I originally wanted to call Elaine over, but she happened to be out at sea and I couldn't reach her, so I could only tell Mr. Si my requirements. He's really amazing; he designed a pair of rings on the spot, with the theme 'Chance Encounter'. 'Strolling in the garden' and 'Chance Encounter'—the crush feeling was so strong, I really had no reason to refuse."
Alice took out her treasured manuscript. Iris glanced at it and realized why Alice had only mentioned his surname, Si; it turned out his signature was just that one character. No photograph, no name, no contact information—Elaine would likely have a difficult time finding this kindred spirit. Iris silently shook her head, then examined the rings more closely, finding them increasingly beautiful.
The simple water ripple design, though not immediately striking, truly reminded her of Xu Zhimo's poem—
"I am a cloud in the sky, occasionally casting my shadow on your heart's waves."
How romantic!
She looked up at Alice, who understood her perfectly: "If you want these rings, I think Elaine can handle it. What she wants is a soulmate, not this finished product. I can send them to the factory to be made first. You can just call her later to let her know."
Iris immediately turned to Zhuang Zhuoyuan with delight and asked, "BB, do you like this?"
Zhuang Zhuoyuan nodded with a smile; he had no reason to say no. The row of rings in the display case were all beautiful, their gemstones sparkling, but when it came to simple, practical wedding bands, he couldn't really see much difference. Since Iris particularly liked this pair, he was happy to buy it: "But what should we use to exchange it?"
Alice spoke up before Iris could, already with her camera ready, clearly prepared: "Let's take a picture of a kiss. I believe that will make it easier for Elaine to agree to give you the ring."
She counted down three, two, one, and after pressing the shutter, Iris kissed Zhuang Zhuoyuan's lips again: "Don't worry, BB, Elaine has always been generous."
She led him around to another display case and asked him to help her choose earrings to give to people: "I'll choose the lesbian ones, and you can choose the Madam ones."
Zhuang Zhuoyuan knew that Iris wouldn't change her address until she met Zhuang Zhuohua, so he put his arm around his future wife's shoulder and asked as he looked at her, "And who is Lala?"
“It’s Professor Pandora, my future mentor! We hit it off online immediately.” Just the night before, Iris had told Zhuang Zhuoyuan that she was going to pursue a folklore degree at the International University of Hong Kong. Due to time constraints, she only had time to explain that the reason for her decision was that she had taken on Zhang Zhanchao, the college student she had frightened on the mountain, as her assistant, and that he had influenced her to become interested in Hong Kong’s folklore. She hadn’t had time to introduce her mentor, Pandora, in detail: “Lala is a beautiful and intelligent woman, calm, wise, and meticulous. She’s very good at peeling back the layers of appearances to find the hidden truth. She’s really super, super cool! But she’s different from Madam Zhuang. Madam can do everything very well; she’s a perfect career woman. Lala can be a little confused about small things and has a bit of a girlish temper. Anyway, she’s a very cute girl.”
At this moment, Zhuang Zhuoyuan could not foresee how many adventures Iris would have after becoming Dr. Pun's student, but he had already sensed a hint of jealousy in his intuition: "I feel that you are more looking forward to seeing your Dr. Pun than to seeing me."
“How could that be!” Iris retorted, but that was all. She enthusiastically picked out a pair of pearl earrings and a pair of diamond studs, compared them again, and nodded in satisfaction before briskly going to Alice to pay. Zhuang Zhuoyuan followed behind, somewhat surprised to see her swipe her card: “Don’t you need to exchange these for anything?”
“Hey,” Iris turned her head smugly, winking like him, “that’s the privilege of being a boss.”
Alice took the opportunity to give Zhuang Zhuoyuan a second lesson: "Brother Yuan, remember to swipe your card next time you come."
“His card is still with me.” Iris took out the “betrothal gift” that Zhuang Zhuoyuan used to propose and showed it off. It’s good to have someone witness before returning it. “A Yuan said he would try his best to support me.”
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