"You're proposing to Gu Ye? Did I hear that right?" Li Wan'er couldn't wrap her head around it for a second. "Shouldn't he be the one proposing to you?"
"Women can propose too! It's not just a guy thing. Gu Ye is always doing so many romantic things for me, and I want to surprise him for a change," Jiang Mo sighed, looking a bit troubled. "The only problem is, I haven't thought of a good way to do it yet. That's exactly why I need you to help me brainstorm."
Li Wan'er clapped her hands in admiration. "Girl, you are so cool."
"Stay humble, stay humble," Jiang Mo teased with a smile and a raised brow. "But first things first, we need to buy the essentials. Let's go ring shopping."
The two chatted as they made their way into a jewelry store. Li Wan'er asked, "So, after you pop the question, are you planning to tie the knot this year?"
Before Jiang Mo could answer, she mused to herself, "Then again, it's about time you two got married. Gu Ye is always so eager—I wouldn't be surprised if the guy has the entire wedding planned out the day after you propose."
Thinking back to how Gu Ye would casually show her pictures of wedding dresses and outdoor venues at home, Jiang Mo smiled. "Yeah, the plan is to get our marriage certificate and have the wedding by the end of the year."
Inside the store, the saleswoman asked what they were looking for and recommended a few diamond rings.
Jiang Mo shook her head, not quite satisfied with the selection. "No diamonds. I want gold, something with a bit more of a unique design."
"Look who's wised up. Nobody buys diamonds anymore," Li Wan'er teased, slurping her milk tea.
"Blame it on those old TV commercials that hyped them up so much. Maybe it's just my age, but I really think gold looks better now," Jiang Mo said, admiring the matching bands the saleswoman had brought out. "Haven't you seen them in museums? The gold and jade jewelry made by our ancestors is what you call true beauty."
Li Wan'er nodded in agreement.
Jiang Mo had come prepared with Gu Ye's ring size. She picked out a style, placed a custom order, paid, and arranged to pick the rings up in a week.
For lunch, the two of them went out for hot pot, ordering a split broth. Li Wan'er watched as her friend kept fishing food out of the spicy side.
Taking a sip of her drink, she asked, "Don't you think that spicy broth is a little too hot?"
Jiang Mo was thoroughly enjoying her meal. "Really? I don't think it's that spicy at all. I've been craving spicy food a lot lately; my spice tolerance is definitely going up."
"I can tell. You're definitely favoring stronger flavors now," Li Wan'er said, wiping the grease from her mouth with a napkin. "So, how exactly are you planning to do this proposal?"
"I was thinking about taking a trip to a tropical island and proposing while we're on vacation."
"That sounds perfect. The scenery will be gorgeous, and if you catch him off guard, he'll definitely be surprised."
Jiang Mo pictured the beautiful island scenery in her head and decided it really was a great idea. Her mind was pretty much made up.
Since she was going to propose, she needed to put her heart into planning it perfectly.
After a full day of shopping and eating, Jiang Mo headed home.
Gu Ye was at home playing video games. Seeing her return empty-handed, he asked, "What's wrong? Didn't you see any clothes or bags you liked while you were out?"
"I'm done shopping for now. If I buy any more, my walk-in closet is going to burst," Jiang Mo said, patting the sofa to motion for Gu Ye to come sit next to her.
"So, I was thinking... how about we go on an island vacation in a week or two?"
Gu Ye nodded, more than happy to oblige. "No problem. I'll book the flights and the hotel. What day do you want to leave?"
"There's no rush. Let me get my time off approved at work first," Jiang Mo replied. She figured she needed to wait a few days to pick up the custom rings anyway.
When a certain someone heard that the couple was going on an island getaway, he eagerly seized the opportunity to tag along.
"Sis, brother-in-law, take me with you!" Li Zheng asked shamelessly.
Li Zheng was currently in the first semester of his senior year of college. He was at that stage where classes were practically over, and students were left to their own devices to figure out their future career paths.
And so, he had dragged his suitcase right back to his hometown.
Jiang Mo thought about it for a moment. She could actually use an extra pair of hands to help her set things up for the proposal, so she agreed.
Over the past few years, Gu Ye had grown completely used to having third wheels around the house.
Just like that, their island getaway was officially booked. Afraid that her little brother might accidentally blow her cover, Jiang Mo decided to keep the proposal a secret from him for now.
