The conversation was so repetitive it felt like triggering NPC auto-replies.
But they were going to see Grandma on the weekend. They could use her illness as an excuse for not having a wedding, but if they didn't even have wedding rings, their marriage would seem too fake.
So when she saw the ad, Jiang Ruoqi suddenly remembered this and hurriedly browsed major brand websites to pick a design before returning to Hangxiang.
She would make the aesthetic decisions unilaterally—no need for Dr. Meng's input. She was sure he'd listen to her anyway.
The only thing was the domestic pricing, which was a bit jarring for someone from Gangcheng. Jiang Ruoqi always followed the principle of saving where you should and spending where you should. Since she had resources in Gang, she ought to use them. So she asked Sophia to check prices at the counter.
Gangcheng would be on holiday for Christmas. Since the Bald Boss had a sudden inspection, Sophia, as the designated successor in the secretarial office, would probably be involved. She could bring the rings along, saving Jiang Ruoqi a lot of money.
"You're buying a gift? For a friend?" Duan Jinchen rarely gossiped, but he glanced at the rings and thought they were too plain for his standards.
"You can't be using them yourself, right? These rings are too simple. The diamond on the women's ring isn't even as big as the Graff you wear as everyday decoration."
Philistine!
Jiang Ruoqi's right eyelid twitched violently at his words.
She thought that the aesthetic standards of rich second-generation heirs were uniformly hard to describe. All the ones she'd met, including her stepmother's biological son, had very simple tastes.
Diamonds had to be big and dazzling; designs had to be new and unique. Setting aside monetary value and looking at it alone, even she, a "country bumpkin," found it hard to comment.
Jiang Ruoqi silently looked up, more determined than ever to pick a low-key yet luxurious pair of matching rings. Otherwise, Dr. Meng might be rumored at the hospital to have found a "sugar mommy" with peculiar taste.
"Where's our counter? Lead the way quickly. It's almost time to punch out; we need to get back to the office to clock in."
Jiang Ruoqi stopped wasting words with Duan Jinchen. She searched for a few more ring styles and forwarded them to Sophia. After that, she tucked her phone into her coat pocket and waited for him to lead.
Duan Jinchen gritted his molars: "Why should I lead the way..."
"Assistant Duan." Jiang Ruoqi smiled, her gaze actually fixed on a tie in the window display.
Duan Jinchen lost again, enunciating each word: "Fine, President Jiang."
Downstairs in the jewelry section, Glint's counter was quite far from the main Hengchang Jewelry brand, located in the fashionable affordable luxury area.
Whether it was because many people were shopping for gifts around Christmas and New Year, or because their promotions on various platforms were actually working, the counter had a fair number of customers.
Glint's new season focused on the Garden Colored Gemstone series, incorporating floral elements like rose, wisteria, iris, ranunculus, and viburnum, paired with colored gems in red, purple, blue, yellow, and green. Each set included a necklace, ring, and bracelet, with individual pieces priced around a thousand yuan, available as a set or individually.
Targeting the youth market, the new collection used bright dopamine colors. But most customers who actually made a purchase still preferred classic styles.
Jiang Ruoqi, with Duan Jinchen in tow, observed the customer flow for a while, then checked out a similar affordable luxury jewelry store. Their designers had made a breakthrough in new product designs, but their understanding of customer psychology seemed off.
Still, product design and business development weren't her responsibility; she didn't need to worry about it. But if sales didn't match up year-on-year, she'd definitely be blamed.
Jiang Ruoqi sighed deeply, considering hiring some young video bloggers to run targeted ads and boost her year-end bonus.
As for the important task of selecting bloggers, she handed it over to the ever-reliable Assistant Duan.
The young master grumbled, saying he had dinner plans with friends and would have to bring his laptop, which would ruin his reputation as a rich second-generation heir. He kept muttering all the way back to the office and until he clocked out.
Jiang Ruoqi really wanted to tell him to shut up. Working overtime? Even she had to go back to the office and put in a little face time.
She didn't need to work overtime to finish her tasks, but she had to go along with the office culture. Jiang Ruoqi also resented this waste of life.
Procrastinating until seven, her NPC Dr. Meng messaged her on time, saying he had a special case and would be late coming home to work on the surgery plan, telling her not to wait up.
Jiang Ruoqi replied "OK," once again ending the conversation succinctly.
This marriage was just as she had imagined—like not being married at all.
Jiang Ruoqi shut down her computer and left. After her ride-hailing order was accepted, she went downstairs early, thinking about what to eat with some alcohol when she got home.
For some reason, since returning to the mainland, her reliance on alcohol had grown. That feeling of needing to release something but having no outlet—only getting drunk could relax her a little.
As Meng Shang said, alcohol couldn't solve any problems, but at least it helped her sleep.
Jiang Ruoqi knew it wasn't good. Drinking also stressed her skin. If all kinds of stress accumulated in a vicious cycle, no external help would work.
So once this busy period was over, she really needed to rest for a few days.
After nightfall, the temperature seemed to drop again.
Coming out of the warm, air-conditioned office into the biting northwest wind, Jiang Ruoqi felt cold.
The car she booked was stuck in traffic on a main road, still two or three kilometers away, and she didn't know when it would arrive. Jiang Ruoqi slung her bag over her wrist, tucked both hands into her coat pockets, and waited inside the lobby for the car.
Just then, her phone vibrated. The caller ID showed her Gangcheng number—Sophia.
"Hello, thanks for your hard work..." Jiang Ruoqi thought Sophia had run into some issue while checking prices. Before she could even finish her melodramatic gratitude, the other party impatiently cut her off.
"You asked me to look at wedding rings—are you really going to marry Meng Shang?"
Sophia's Mandarin with a Hong Kong accent became even less standard when she was anxious. Jiang Ruoqi had to strain to understand.
Feeling guilty, she replied, "...In theory, yes."
In reality, she'd already done it.
Jiang Ruoqi thought it was hard to explain over the phone. Since it was already a done deal, she might as well wait until Sophia came to Xinhai and they could talk face to face.
"This isn't urgent. It's hard to explain over the phone. Are you coming for the boss's Christmas inspection? We can chat then."
"Urgent, extremely urgent! Knowing how fast you act, I'm afraid by the time I get there next Monday, you'll already have the marriage certificate!"
Damn, she knew her too well.
Jiang Ruoqi dared not make a sound. But clearly, Sophia intended to hash this out right now.
"I'll make it short. Shen Xuyan is back in Gangcheng. Just now, I ran into him on Queen's Road."
Hearing that name again, Jiang Ruoqi was momentarily stunned. She didn't understand the logical connection between Shen Xuyan and her getting the certificate: "So what if he's back? What does that have to do with me?"
"I chatted with him for a bit. Seven, he still cares about you a lot. He said it wasn't him who initiated the breakup, and he's been waiting for you to come back."
"Don't panic and act without considering the situation. If you have to marry someone, it's better to choose someone you know well, like Shen Xuyan, than someone you barely know, like Meng Shang."
"At least Shen Xuyan wouldn't make you buy your own wedding rings."