Chapter 24: Binder Battles, Cake Chaos, and Mei’s Wisdom

Ava had foolishly believed that the fake engagement fiasco would fizzle out after her highly publicized "breakup" with Ryan. She had imagined the café latte-throwing spectacle would quash the gossip, setting the record straight and allowing her life to return to its carefully curated chaos.

She was wrong.

Instead of fading into obscurity, the rumor seemed to mutate into a full-blown phenomenon. Suddenly, clients who had hired her for matchmaking were more interested in her "relationship" with Ryan than their own romantic prospects.

The first sign of trouble came bright and early Monday morning. Ava walked into the office feeling cautiously optimistic—that is, until she saw Ryan sitting at her desk, looking far too comfortable.

"What are you doing?" Ava demanded, dropping her bag onto the nearest chair.

Ryan didn’t even flinch. He looked up with the lazy confidence of someone who knew exactly how to get under her skin. "Eating breakfast."

Ava’s eyes narrowed. "Is that... cake?"

Ryan shrugged, gesturing to the plate in front of him. "Technically, it’s a ’test cake.’ One of your clients dropped it off."

Before Ava could form a response to that nonsense, Kelly appeared in the doorway, her arms straining under the weight of a hefty three-ring binder.

"And one of my clients dropped this off," Kelly said, marching over and unceremoniously plopping the binder onto Ava’s desk. Its floral cover and overly decorative lettering screamed Pinterest fever dream. "Apparently, it’s a detailed plan for your ’dream wedding.’ You’re welcome."

Ava stared at the binder, then at Ryan, who was now casually reaching for a second slice of cake.

"This is ridiculous," Ava muttered, flipping open the binder. Each page was tabbed with sections like Venue Ideas, Bridesmaid Dresses, and Color Schemes That Scream Romance. A handwritten note on the first page read: "To Ava and Ryan—Congratulations on finding true love! Here are my ideas for the perfect day. –Mrs. Chang."

Ryan leaned over her shoulder, peering at the binder as he stuffed another forkful of cake into his mouth. "Ooh, lavender and gold. Classic combo."

Ava snapped the binder shut and turned to glare at him. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"

Ryan smirked, unfazed. "What can I say? Free cake, free entertainment—it’s a win-win."

Ava pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You’re encouraging them!"

"I’m not doing anything," Ryan said, holding up his hands in mock innocence. "I’m just being a supportive fiancé."

"We’re not engaged!" Ava shouted.

Kelly snorted from the doorway. "Tell that to Mrs. Chang. She’s already knitting you matching monogrammed napkins."

---

By mid-morning, it became painfully clear that Mrs. Chang’s wedding binder was just the tip of the iceberg. The office quickly transformed into a bizarre staging ground for unsolicited wedding contributions.

At 10:30 a.m., a courier arrived carrying a package labeled: "For Ava and Ryan—Cake Tasting Box #2."

By noon, Mrs. Patel—one of their most persistent clients—arrived in person, insisting that Ava and Ryan try a lineup of cake flavors she had personally curated.

"This one," Mrs. Patel explained earnestly, sliding a plate toward them at the conference table, "is vanilla bean with raspberry filling. It’s light yet bold—a metaphor for your relationship!"

Ava plastered on a polite smile while elbowing Ryan under the table. "Thank you, Mrs. Patel. That’s... very thoughtful."

Ryan, who had already started cutting himself a slice, barely stifled a laugh.

"Stop encouraging her," Ava hissed under her breath.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "I’m just being polite."

"You’re being a bottomless pit," Ava muttered.

By the time Mrs. Patel left, Kelly popped her head into the room, her expression far too gleeful for Ava’s liking. "Just a heads-up—Mr. Jenkins is in the lobby. He brought a mood board for your wedding photos."

Ava let her forehead hit the table with a groan.

---

By the time Ava finally escaped to Mei’s office that afternoon, she was teetering on the edge of a full-blown meltdown.

"You need to fix this," Ava announced, storming in and slamming the wedding binder onto Mei’s desk. "Your clients are out of control."

Mei barely looked up from her notebook, where she appeared to be sketching something suspiciously resembling a compatibility chart. "I think it’s sweet. They’re just excited for you."

"They’re excited for a fake wedding that’s never going to happen," Ava snapped, sinking into the chair across from her. "And now I have Ryan eating his weight in cake and offering unsolicited opinions on color schemes!"

Mei glanced up, her expression unbothered. "He’s very good at lavender and gold. It’s a classic choice."

Ava stared at her, incredulous. "Not. Helping."

Mei’s lips twitched in amusement as she gestured toward the teapot on her desk. "Tea?"

Ava groaned. "Grandma, we need to talk about Ethan."

Mei’s expression didn’t change, but Ava caught the subtle shift in her posture—the kind of stillness that meant she was preparing for a debate.

"What about him?" Mei asked calmly.

"You’re working with him," Ava said, her tone sharp. "You’re supposed to be on my side."

"I am on your side," Mei replied evenly. "But sometimes being on your side means challenging you."

---

Ava frowned, crossing her arms. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means you’re too focused on proving yourself right," Mei said, her voice gentle but firm. "You’re so determined to beat Ethan that you’ve lost sight of what really matters."

"And what’s that?" Ava snapped.

Mei set her teacup down, meeting Ava’s gaze with quiet authority. "Helping people. Love isn’t about algorithms or intuition alone. It’s about balance. About understanding people—not just their data, but their hearts. And right now, you’re so busy fighting Ethan that you’re forgetting why you became a matchmaker in the first place."

The words hit Ava harder than she cared to admit. She opened her mouth to argue but found herself hesitating.

"I’ve been doing this for a long time, Ava," Mei continued, her voice softening. "And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that love doesn’t fit into neat little boxes. It’s messy. Complicated. And sometimes, the best matches come from unexpected places."

Ava slumped back in her chair, her frustration deflating. "So... what? You want me to work with him?"

"Not necessarily," Mei said, her tone lightening. "But I want you to open your mind. Ethan’s methods aren’t perfect, but neither are yours. The question is: What can you learn from each other?"

---

Before Ava could fully process Mei’s advice—balance, open-mindedness, helping people, blah blah blah—the door burst open with the kind of unceremonious energy only Ryan could muster.

He strolled in holding yet another slice of cake, this time precariously balanced on a plate that looked suspiciously like it had been borrowed (stolen) from the office break room. A fork dangled casually from his fingers like he was starring in some low-budget infomercial about dessert etiquette.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked, his grin so unapologetic it practically glowed.

"Yes," Ava said flatly, crossing her arms.

"No," Mei said at the exact same time, setting her teacup down with an audible clink.

Ryan raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased by the mixed responses. "Great. Because I just tried the chocolate hazelnut one, and we really need to talk about incorporating it into the—"

"Ryan!" Ava interrupted, her voice hitting that high-pitched octave she saved for only the most ridiculous of situations (read: Ryan).

"What?" Ryan blinked innocently, sliding into the chair beside her and taking a deliberate, dramatic bite of the cake. "Relax, fiancé. I’m just here for the snacks."

Ava glared, her fingers twitching toward the folder on the desk. If it hadn’t been full of important algorithm data, she would’ve lobbed it at his head. "We’re not engaged!" she snapped.

Ryan grinned mid-chew, looking entirely too smug. "Tell that to Mrs. Patel. Pretty sure she already booked a tasting with this bakery for your real wedding."

Ava’s groan could’ve powered a small city. "You’re impossible."

"And yet," Ryan said, pointing at the cake with his fork, "here I am, helping. You’re welcome."

"I don’t need your help!" Ava shot back, her words laced with exasperation.

Mei, who had been quietly watching the exchange like it was the highlight of her day, suddenly chimed in. "I like him," she announced, her voice calm but decisive. She reached for the teapot, pouring herself another cup as if she’d just delivered a groundbreaking decree. "He brings snacks."

Ryan beamed. "See? Mei gets it."

Ava turned to Mei, her glare shifting targets. "Grandma, please stop encouraging him."

Mei sipped her tea, her expression serene. "Encouragement is the foundation of a healthy partnership."

Ryan leaned back in his chair, his grin widening. "Did you hear that, Ava? Partnership. Maybe you should write that down."

Ava threw her hands in the air. "I cannot deal with both of you at the same time."

"You mean two highly intelligent individuals who happen to be right about everything?" Ryan quipped, his tone so deadpan it was almost believable.

"Stop talking," Ava muttered, burying her face in her hands.

---

Later that evening, after a day filled with chaos, cake, and unsolicited wedding advice, Ava found herself back at her desk. The office was quiet now, the muffled hum of the cleaning crew down the hall the only sound.

In front of her sat two things she’d been trying to avoid: the ridiculously elaborate wedding binder from Mrs. Chang and the algorithm folder Mei had given her months ago.

Ava hesitated before flipping the binder open, her eyes immediately landing on a section labeled "Floral Centerpiece Inspiration." Inside were magazine clippings and handwritten notes like: "Roses are classic but overdone. Think peonies or ranunculus!" Someone had even taped in a sketch of a bouquet, complete with glitter accents.

Ava rolled her eyes, but a reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her lips. As absurd as the whole situation was, she had to admit the thought behind it was... kind of sweet.

Her gaze shifted to the algorithm folder, Mei’s words from earlier ringing in her ears:

"Love isn’t about algorithms or intuition alone. It’s about balance."

The phrase repeated itself like a mantra, forcing her to reevaluate her approach to everything—not just her rivalry with Ethan, but her career as a whole. Had she been so focused on proving herself right that she’d forgotten why she became a matchmaker in the first place?

The soft buzz of her phone pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen to see a text from Ryan.

Ryan: "Did Mrs. Patel bring more cake? Asking for a friend."

Ava stared at the message, half tempted to throw her phone across the room, but her lips betrayed her by curling into a grin.

Ava: "You’re impossible. And no, we’re out of cake."

The response was almost immediate.

Ryan: "Tragic. Guess we’ll have to stage another fake engagement soon."

Ava shook her head, laughing softly as she set her phone down. She stared at the wedding binder and the folder one last time before closing them both, the chaos of the day still swirling in her mind like the lingering scent of vanilla bean frosting.

Despite herself, she couldn’t ignore the faint glimmer of something new—something Mei’s words had planted and Ryan’s teasing had nurtured.

"Balance," she murmured under her breath.

For the first time, the concept didn’t feel so impossible. And maybe—just maybe—Ryan wasn’t the worst person to help her figure it out.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read