Chapter 201: Compatible
Sitting in the empty shop, drinking her favorite cocktail, and petting the cat that was her beloved, Jiang Xue unconsciously relaxed.
Even in a dream, she could feel the slight tipsiness, and she had the courage to be honest.
Burying her face in the Ragdoll cat’s soft, plum blossom-scented fur, she shyly shared her recent worries.
“Although I can work at Dr. Qi’s clinic after five years and become her assistant, learning by observing and assisting with treatments, which would also be very beneficial, since everyone is aiming for the ‘plus three’ master’s program, I feel that I should be able to learn more in-depth knowledge during the master’s program.”
“But the master’s program is another three years, what if… the time and effort I spend during those three years would be better spent working with Dr. Qi, for our benefit?”
She was still concerned about her and Xiao Luo’s congenital conditions and also remembered Xiao Luo’s wish to go skiing.
“To be honest, I’m greedy and want the best possible outcome, so I’m constantly torn between the two paths. But these two choices are like ‘Schrödinger’s cat.’ You never know if the cat is alive or dead until you open the box.”
Even with the connections she had accumulated during her four years of university, enough to ask for advice and experiences from seniors, even learn about the details of the master’s program, everyone’s understanding, specializations, and most importantly, aspirations, were different. No matter how thorough her research, she couldn’t simply copy and paste a path that was both satisfying and guaranteed to succeed.
After listening attentively, the Ragdoll cat Xiao Luo said, “Since you have the resources to try, why not continue?”
Jiang Xue paused.
—These were the words she had used to encourage Shen Xianyue. She had even recorded the conversation and played it for Xiao Luo later. She hadn’t expected Xiao Luo to remember.
“I remember the age limit for applying to medical school’s master’s program is 35, and you’re only 22 now. Even if you work with Dr. Qi for five years after graduating next year, you still have seven years to prepare for the entrance exam,” Xiao Luohan analyzed. “If you feel too tired, so tired that even venting doesn’t help, then take a break, or choose the path you truly want to try.”
“You have enough time and ability to experiment, and don’t equate giving up on your original plan with escaping reality. You’re simply making the most suitable choice for your current situation at a crossroads.”
Gently rubbing her fur against Jiang Xue’s palm, Xiao Luohan continued, “But no matter what you decide, I’ll support you.”
Having taken root in this world, found her passion, and secured a stable income, she had plenty of time and energy to support her lover’s career development.
Jiang Xue simply replied with an “okay,” not giving a definite answer, and hugged the giant Ragdoll cat tightly.
“I think I can transform back into my human form, do you need me to?” Xiao Luohan asked after a while.
The spacious bar counter and the soft sofa quickly became their playground.
Her fluffy cat tail wrapped around Jiang Xue, and using the round bar stool for support, Xiao Luohan placed one hand on Jiang Xue’s shoulder, the other reaching for the warmth at the edge of the stool.
In the quiet “Poem of Spring,” only soft moans could be heard.
At the end of June, Xie Xitong and Jiang Mei held their wedding.
The venue was the same hotel where Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan had their coming-of-age party many years ago. This time, almost a hundred invitations were sent out, and almost all the relatives and friends of the Jiang and Xie families attended.
“I never expected A-Xi to be the first to get married!” Dan Yuanyuan exclaimed, unable to contain her surprise. “And her pet clinic just opened last month. I thought she would at least wait half a year to build a stable customer base.”
But she also knew that with Xie Xitong’s connections and the Xie family’s reputation, even if the clinic closed for half a year after the wedding, there would be no shortage of customers when it reopened. After sharing her thoughts with Jiang Xue, her old classmate, she went to the preparation room to help.
As usual, Dr. Qi was in charge of Xie Xitong and Jiang Mei’s makeup, and Teacher Sui styled their hair.
During Jiang Xue’s busiest period of studies, these two mentors had also become a couple. Xiao Luohan had attended their wedding alone, bringing back four times the usual amount of wedding candies, which took Jiang Xue almost half a year to finish.
Today, Jiang Xue was her older sister’s bridesmaid—she had dreamed of having this “job” when she was little, and now, years later, her dream had come true.
Xie Xitong had originally planned to ask Dan Yuanyuan to be her bridesmaid, after all, they had been classmates for seven years, which was more than enough qualification.
However, Dan Yuanyuan felt that the four of them standing together would be a beautiful sight, so she wanted to see them in the same frame, and the bridesmaid role was given to Xiao Luohan.
Xiao Luohan had already accumulated a lot of experience from various school events, and she had prepared for any potential mishaps during the wedding.
Although she was inclined to believe Cang Ling’s divination of “everything will go smoothly,” Cang Ling herself felt that it was better to be prepared.
On the actual wedding day, Xiao Luohan carried the rings, walked down the long red carpet, handed them to the two brides at the end of the flower-lined aisle, and watched as they exchanged rings. An unprecedented feeling welled up in her heart, her heart racing.
Even before the banquet started, she felt a little drunk.
Weddings had evolved, and there were no longer any vulgar pranks targeting the bridesmaids and the bride during the banquet. When the newlyweds and bridesmaids went from table to table, making toasts, although some people would still jokingly urge them to “drink up!”, everyone knew it was just a joke.
As for whether the newlyweds and bridesmaids wanted to take this opportunity to drink more, that was a different matter.
Xie Xitong was especially happy today, drinking red wine until she hiccuped, even throwing up once midway, then rinsing her mouth and continuing to toast with Dan Yuanyuan, finally being carried away by Jiang Mei, who couldn’t stand it anymore.
Grandma Xie was always taken care of by the housekeeper and the nanny, who knew about the Xie family’s traditions, and with Cang Ling as a new member of the family a few years ago, there was no need for the younger generation to constantly be by her side, so Xie Xitong simply stayed at the Jiang family’s home, her belongings already moved to Jiang Mei’s bedroom.
Xixi, the white cat, chose to go with her, but as soon as it arrived at the Jiang family’s home, it started fighting with Xia Yun, the golden retriever, trying to establish dominance.
The funniest thing was that Xia Yun didn’t even bother with it. Whenever Xixi pounced, Xia Yun would gently grab it by the scruff of its neck and flip it over, exposing its belly, like a turtle flipped on its back.
Jiang Xue also smelled of alcohol when she returned home by car. She could handle quite a bit of alcohol now, and since today was her older sister and best friend’s wedding day, she had inadvertently overindulged. She was even a little unsteady on her feet, and when she greeted Xia Yun, she saw it transform into a “three-headed Cerberus.”
She didn’t even know how she got back to her room. She only woke up when her stomach churned violently, throwing up before finally regaining her senses. She quickly cleaned up, opened the window for ventilation, and sprayed some air freshener, afraid that Xiao Luo would smell the vomit when she used the bathroom.
“Being tipsy is romantic, being drunk is terrible!” Jiang Xue said, sighing, as Xiao Luohan brought her hangover soup. “On our wedding day, I’ll only have a little bit of alcohol!”
Otherwise, if she was too drunk, she might even miss their wedding night!
Three days after the wedding, Xie Xitong and Jiang Mei packed their suitcases and went on a trip to the province where Y University was located.
But they weren’t just visiting the ice and snow amusement park there, they also planned to travel from the northeastern border to another border in the northwest, seeing the grasslands and the mythical snow-capped mountains.
On the morning of their departure, the white cat, as expected, clung to Xie Xitong’s leg, meowing in protest.
Xie Xitong petted its head, smiled reluctantly, then produced a large pet carrier, opened the door, and gestured for it to enter.
“We’ve chartered a private plane and a car, we won’t leave you behind this time~”
While the white cat happily traveled with the newlyweds, the sign at “Poem of Spring” was changed to “The Shop Mascot is Currently Traveling.”
Even without the cat, thanks to the positive word-of-mouth and online reviews since its opening, Cheng Shizhu’s business wasn’t affected much.
“My university roommates also got married, and the reason ‘Poem of Spring’ opened so late was because I wanted to attend their wedding first, then focus on my business,” Cheng Shizhu said to Jiang Xue and Xiao Luohan, who had come to the shop to support her, as she was closing up. “They also asked me when I was going to find a partner, but I just want to take care of my mother. How should I put it… I’m probably the type who only likes watching other people’s relationships? If I were to actually be in one, I would overthink everything.”
She put away the clean cups, then couldn’t help but add self-deprecatingly, “Although I seem carefree, I actually overthink a lot, and it’s always about trivial details. Even my mother can’t stand me sometimes, let alone a stranger!”
“Some people think that you should find a complementary partner, I can’t even imagine that! How can you understand each other when your values clash?”
Jiang Xue, sipping her tea and coffee, thought about it. Although she and Xiao Luo were from different timelines, with completely different backgrounds and experiences, they were indeed very similar in many ways. If she had to say what was “complementary,” it was probably that she was slightly more extroverted?
So she nodded. “It’s true that it’s better to be with someone compatible.”
Xiao Luohan, however, thought of Yin Yuan.
This girl was also someone who paid attention to details, severely socially anxious, but incredibly reliable at work, passionate about innovation, and also enjoyed creating what she considered “romantic” moments in her daily life.
She told Cheng Shizhu about Yin Yuan.
“The girl from your studio?” Cheng Shizhu pondered, resting her chin on her hand. “Since she’s also someone who has taken care of you for years, her character must be good. From your description, her personality and habits seem quite to my liking. Why don’t you bring her over sometime? It’s on me.”
Yin Yuan was already a “veteran” at Ms. Silin’s studio. With the slower work pace, she had also grown her hair back and would even buy hair accessories from time to time.
Xiao Luohan invited her to “Poem of Spring” as a thank you, but Yin Yuan, with her sharp intuition, immediately sensed the true intention behind the invitation.
She wasn’t averse to it. Since Xiao Luo hadn’t explicitly stated it, it meant that Xiao Luo also wanted to observe her, so she would treat this as a free meal of high-quality tea and coffee. After all, she had been curious about the café the young couple frequented.
But as soon as she entered the shop and saw Cheng Shizhu’s distinctive lime green highlights, her eyes widened.
