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The Quest for the Perfect Wife Plan
墨書 Inktalez
In the evening, the sun quietly lay on the western horizon, its color a deep crimson. Wispy clouds drifted across the sky, and under the sun's scattering light, the colors blended like spilled paint, creating a sense of hazy beauty.
Shu Ran leaned over the balcony to admire this beautiful scene. As the sun slowly descended, a gentle evening breeze brushed against her cheek. She extended her hand, and the wind slipped away through her fingers. The surrounding lights gradually brightened, and some families had already set out chairs, fanning themselves while chatting leisurely.
As Shu Ran gazed at the fireworks from various homes, the weight in her heart dissipated, leaving only a calm appreciation for the view.
However, this tranquility did not last long. Shu Ran's phone rang, and on the other end was her friend Zhou Jiajia's voice: "Shu Ran, Shu Ran, do you remember Qin Xian and our classmate Cao Yun?"
With one hand propping up her chin, Shu Ran tilted her head in thought before replying, "Yeah."
Zhou Jiajia's excitement grew as she continued, "He's having a gathering at Shanggu Mansion tonight at eight o'clock and invited us old classmates to come."
Shu Ran yawned. "Do I have to go? I want to take a nap. I'm so tired; school just started and the kids are really rowdy."
Zhou Jiajia's tone turned serious on the phone: "No way! Think about it carefully; since high school until now, how many gatherings have you attended besides those in high school? We haven't met up in ages."
"You were in B City for college before, so that was one thing. But now that you're back in S City to develop your career, we have to get together. I don't care; you must come! I'll pick you up at eight. That's final."
With that, she hung up the phone.
After listening to her friend, Shu Ran sighed lightly, stretched lazily, and glanced at her phone—it was 6:55 PM.
She closed the balcony door and headed downstairs.
Shu Ran, Zhou Jiajia, and Cao Yun were all high school classmates.
During their time with Qin Xian, Shu Ran was not very familiar with them; they merely knew each other.
Shu Ran had a reserved and gentle personality and performed well academically. She was the English class monitor and was favored by their homeroom teacher.
They were both students who didn't particularly enjoy studying, often dozing off in class and disappearing without a trace during breaks.
At that time, the class was almost polarized; the diligent students gathered together, mostly sitting in the front rows.
The underperforming students hung out together, mostly in the back rows.
During class, the front row focused intently on the lessons, while the back row was chaotic.
The subject teachers generally let them be and were too lazy to deal with them, while only the homeroom teacher continued to make efforts to treat everyone equally.
The two of them had little interaction until one unexpected incident led Zhou Jiajia and Shu Ran to become good friends.
Zhou Jiajia loved to join in on the fun and got along well with the group in the back row. After getting to know Shu Ran, she began bringing Shu Ran along when hanging out with her back-row friends.
Over time, they would invite Shu Ran to their activities, and Shu Ran would help them avoid a few recitation tasks from the English Teacher.
However, later on, when Shu Ran went to university and changed classes, along with her tendency not to take the initiative, many of those connections faded.
If it weren't for Zhou Jiajia suddenly bringing it up this time, Shu Ran would have almost forgotten about those classmates.
Night always arrived unexpectedly. Sitting in front of the mirror, Shu Ran raised her hand to touch the dark circles under her eyes.
She had been a bit worn out from dealing with the new kindergarten students these past few days and sometimes dreamed of them crying at night.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up a concealer brush and dabbed it into some concealer, gently sweeping it around her eyes before applying a light makeup look and putting on some lipstick.
Just then, her phone rang, displaying Zhou Jiajia's name on the screen.
Shu Ran got up and answered the phone, "I'm heading out now."
Shu Ran's home was somewhat remote, but not secluded.
People were coming and going both nearby and far away; some were enjoying the shade, others practicing Tai Chi, and a few children were running around laughing and playing, making the small community quite lively.
Zhou Jiajia stood in front of a red Beetle Car, pressing her phone while waiting for Shu Ran.
Before long, she saw Shu Ran walking down from upstairs, her steps slow and light, unhurried.
Today, she wore a light purple pleated long dress, her delicate black hair casually draped over her shoulders. Shu Ran had always had fair skin, and today she had applied lipstick, making her features even more pronounced.
She carried a quiet and gentle aura about her, as if being next to her would slow down whatever one was doing.
As Shu Ran approached, she noticed Zhou Jiajia staring at her intently and asked in surprise, "Why are you suddenly looking at me? Is there something on my face?"
Zhou Jiajia blinked and pretended to be angry, saying, "How is it fair that the heavens gave you such a beautiful face and such great temperament? What are those of us who are not as good-looking supposed to do?"
Shu Ran playfully slapped Zhou Jiajia's hand and laughed, "You think you're not good-looking? Don't joke around. Be careful or the heavens might really make you ugly."
"Alright, alright, I'm not joking anymore. Let's go; we're going to be late," Zhou Jiajia said as she opened the car door, and both of them got inside.
...
The streetlights came on, and the summer breeze was cool and refreshing as pedestrians strolled leisurely along the road.
"Hey, you said that if I hadn't run into you yesterday afternoon, when were you planning to tell me you were back?" Zhou Jiajia asked while driving.
Shu Ran, sitting in the passenger seat, bit her lip. She knew she couldn't avoid answering this question.
After graduating from high school, Shu Ran got into one of the top universities in B City, while Zhou Jiajia stayed in S City.
The two had been inseparable during their three years of high school, but after graduation, they ended up in different places. They kept in touch for the first two years, but during the third year, Shu Ran suddenly went silent, and Zhou Jiajia couldn't reach her at all.
In the end, Zhou Jiajia was so anxious that she pulled some strings to get in touch with her.
Shu Ran's excuse was that she had lost her phone, which made Zhou Jiajia furious, and she scolded her without holding back.
Gradually, they resumed their communication.
Until yesterday afternoon, Zhou Jiajia was leisurely driving her red Beetle on the road, waiting at a traffic light.
She spotted a slender figure walking on the sidewalk, passing right in front of her. A sense of inexplicable familiarity washed over her. Before her brain could process it, her mouth called out.
"Shu Ran!"
Hearing someone call her name, Shu Ran turned around and looked for the source of the voice.
When Zhou Jiajia saw it was her, she immediately opened the car door and jumped out, rushing over to give her a big hug.
After hugging, she scolded again, "Look at you, Shu Ran! You come back and don't even tell me, huh?"
The cars nearby honked their horns, criticizing Zhou Jiajia for blocking the road and hindering people's progress.
Zhou Jiajia turned around and shouted, "Hey, what's all the noise about?"
Then she made Shu Ran stand by the roadside and not move, before returning to the car to move it to the side of the road.
After doing all this, she planned to continue settling accounts with Shu Ran.
Not long into their conversation, Zhou Jiajia's father called her, urging her that there was an urgent matter.
After leaving Shu Ran her phone number and address, she hurried off.
"Why aren't you answering?" Seeing Shu Ran sitting quietly without saying anything, Zhou Jiajia asked again.
Shu Ran hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "Actually, I just returned in September too. There are many tasks I haven't completed yet. There are a lot of things I don't know how to bring up, so I didn't rush to contact you. Let me take my time for now, and when I'm ready, I'll tell you everything you want to know, okay?"
Zhou Jiajia raised her chin as if thinking it over, and after a moment, she readily agreed, "Alright!"
Shu Ran smiled slightly at her. After all these years, her temper was still as fiery as ever. But she was always particularly tolerant towards her.
"I went out with Cao Yun and the others last night. When I mentioned you, they all said it's been a long time since they saw you and that we should get together." Zhou Jiajia said playfully, "So that's how today's gathering came about. We really have to thank Miss Shu for that."
Shu Ran couldn't help but laugh at her.
"By the way, someone came to today's gathering. He's Cao Yun's cousin. This guy is quite impressive; I'll tell you more about him when we meet." Zhou Jiajia said mysteriously.
"Okay."
As one topic ended, another began. Throughout the journey, their conversation seemed endless.
Shanggu Mansion.
Located in the most bustling area of this small city.
The streets are vibrant, filled with lights and colors, creating a dazzling atmosphere.
Shu Ran has a very small and monotonous social circle, almost just a routine of work and rest. Sometimes she goes out to watch movies or eat, but she rarely visits places like this.
Zhou Jiajia, on the other hand, comes to KTV almost every few days, for both socializing and relaxation; it has become a part of her life.
After parking the car, as soon as they got out, Zhou Jiajia's phone rang.
She closed the car door, linked arms with Shu Ran, and answered the call: "Hello, we’ve arrived, yes, we’re downstairs."
The lobby is dazzling with lights, featuring a new concept design that is uniquely crafted, adorned with gold and jade. The crowd consists of wealthy patrons coming and going.
Shu Ran gazed at the luxurious surroundings, feeling a bit dazed.
The private room reserved by Cao Yun is on the right side of the third floor, and as they approached the door, someone inside suddenly opened it. Seeing them startled, he regained his composure and said, "You scared me! Why did you take so long to arrive?"
Before they could respond, he turned back and shouted into the room, "Class Flower is here! Class Flower is here!"
Instantly, all eyes in the room turned towards the door, making Shu Ran feel a bit shy under their intense gaze.
The instigator of this situation had already headed towards the restroom, while Zhou Jiajia calmly held Shu Ran's hand and walked into the private room.
Inside the room, the lighting was dim, and the table was filled with various types of alcohol.
Shu Ran glanced around and noticed there were about ten people in the room, all classmates from the back row.
Two female classmates from their class were singing, performing Xue Zhiqian's "Ambiguous." The tune was somewhat melancholic, and they were singing with some difficulty.
Seeing them arrive, everyone greeted them.
Cao Yun, who had been playing dice, heard Wu Wang's loud shout and looked towards the entrance, finally spotting Shu Ran and Zhou Jiajia.
One was a gentle lady, and the other a fashionable mature woman. The two contrasting styles were exceptionally eye-catching, drawing people's attention.
Cao Yun, a social butterfly with a warm and humorous personality, approached them and joked, "It's been a while since I've seen our Class Flower Shu. After seeing countless beauties, I still think our Class Flower Shu is the most beautiful."
Shu Ran's face flushed slightly as she smiled lightly and replied, "Thank you, you look great too."
Hearing her response, Cao Yun burst into laughter.
Zhou Jiajia stood next to Shu Ran and kicked Cao Yun playfully. With a sidelong glance at him, she said, "Get lost! Don't tease our Shu Ran."
Shu Ran stood by watching them playfully banter, a slight smile on her lips.
In the corner of the private room, a deep and sharp gaze had been fixed on her since the moment she entered.
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