1979: My fiancée is a goddess

Chapter 415 See you in spring, see you in spring!
Eight o'clock at night.

The pitch-black night had already enveloped the entire city, but the city lights still illuminated the sky.

The Tokyo Tower in the distance was brightly lit and very conspicuous in the night, while the exterior walls of commercial buildings were flashing with colorful neon lights.

On a giant screen on the exterior wall of a building in Ginza, an advertisement music video featuring popular actress Seiko Matsuda is playing...

"This is the iconic 'Saint Seiya' hairstyle that swept across Asia in the 1980s. It seems that Sister Xiaoli also suits this hairstyle quite well. I'll buy a few fashion magazines and send them back tomorrow."

Even from several kilometers away, Cheng Kaiyan could clearly see the clean and sweet facial features of this "eternal idol," as well as the thick bangs on her forehead and the outward curls on both sides of her cheeks.

He rested his chin on his hands on the table, admiring the night view outside the window.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom behind me; Comrade Liang Xiaosheng was taking a shower.

He's killing time here.

"what--"

A cool night breeze swept by, ruffling the soft black hair on his forehead and causing a slight tickle.

He yawned, a few tears welling up in his eyes, then looked away and returned to the table.

There was a book and an envelope on the table.

The book is "Salt Snow" written by Zhao Ruixue.

After arriving in Tokyo today, Cheng Kaiyan is even closer to this childhood sweetheart.

Whether it's for filming a movie or for their relationship, they'll eventually have to meet.

Having not seen each other for more than half a year, the two probably wouldn't have much to talk about.

Zhao Ruixue sent him this book personally, presumably hoping he would read it carefully.

There will be things to talk about then.

Furthermore, Cheng Kaiyan believes that this book was probably created because of him.

Otherwise, why would it be named "Salt and Snow"? Salt means smile and snow means auspicious snow.

"What does the falling snow resemble? It is somewhat like scattering salt in the air."

This is a single sentence written on the second page, the only sentence.

Cheng Kaiyan reached out and placed her hand on the manuscript, her fingertips gently tracing the slender, willow-leaf-like characters, and murmured with her eyes lowered.

He remembered it was a text he had studied in junior high school, from "A New Account of Tales of the World: Language".

The Xie family, a prominent clan in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, held a gathering of their sons and grand tutors on a snowy winter day. During the gathering, Xie An presented a question on the subject of literature to his family members.

What do the falling snowflakes resemble?
Xie Lang's "sprinkling salt" merely simulates the falling snow, focusing on the shape of the snow. Zhu Xi of the Ming Dynasty criticized it as "stiff and lacking in grace."

Xie Daoyun's "Willow Catkins" imbues the snow with dynamism, with the fluttering willow catkins subtly echoing the gentle beauty of spring snow, further emphasizing the charm of the snow.

People all praise Xie Daoyun's talent for composing poems, making her a symbol of talented women who have been remembered for thousands of years.

The analogy of salt and snow has been criticized for a thousand years, but it is also realistic and reasonable.

Zhou Mi of the Southern Song Dynasty pointed out in his "Miscellaneous Records of Gui Xin": "Salt is heavy and sinks, but only the sleet and snow in western Zhejiang are close to it."

It's actually snow pellets, the thin layer that forms when it first starts to snow, which is often considered a sign of heavy snowfall.

Salt and snow are like Yan Xue, an unfavorable love, a hateful act of embroidering gold thread year after year, only to make wedding gowns for others...

"So that's why you chose this name?"

Cheng Kaiyan stared at the sentence for a long time, pondered for a long time, and finally sighed softly.

"Of course, I need to read this book carefully. Otherwise, what will I do if Zhao Ruixue asks about it when we meet?"

Cheng Kaiyan took a deep breath. He had already mentally prepared himself while admiring the night view or rather, daydreaming.

"Wow—"

He turned to the next page, but the words that came into view made him freeze in place.

"Why is it all in Japanese?! This woman did it on purpose!"

For a moment, he felt a lump in his throat, extremely frustrated.

He'd already taken his pants off and was mentally prepared, and you suddenly pulled this stunt?
Cheng Kaiyan slammed the book shut, leaned back on the bed in frustration, and stared blankly at the ceiling, "Zhao Ruixue..."

……

"Cheng Kaiyan..."

Shinjuku Ward, Waseda University Faculty of Letters.

At 8 p.m., the elective course ended with the ringing of the bell.

The university students walked out of the classroom, heads held high, exuding confidence and pride.

This is the pride and style of students at Waseda University, Japan's premier private university.

They are like the chosen ones, destined for greatness. If they graduate smoothly, they will become future senior executives of large international corporations, key cadres in government departments, traders in large international securities and financial companies, or founders of high-tech enterprises...

However, compared to these futures, there are also many geniuses who have already achieved outstanding results while in school, showcasing their genius ahead of time.

"Did you hear that?"

"Zhao Ruixue, a talented young female writer from the School of Literature, has published her masterpiece 'Salt Snow' with an initial print run of 5,000 copies. The latest print run has exceeded 50,000 copies, making it a bestselling author."

Renowned literary critic Shun Akiyama wrote a 2,000-word review praising her as a genius female writer from an ancient Eastern country.

"Wow, Ruixue-chan! No wonder you're one of the four beauties of our Literature Department!"

"To achieve such success in less than three months, Kodansha's editor-in-chief Yoshida has truly a keen eye for talent, once again deeply imprinting Kodansha with the mark of nurturing new genius writers."

"It seems that Zhao Ruixue is another rising star in the literary world!"

In the corridor, several young men and women in the crowd were talking enthusiastically about the talented woman from the Faculty of Arts.

Among them, a handsome young man with an extraordinary demeanor was admiring the photos published in today's newly released newspaper.

Dressed in a plain white robe, he held a calligraphy brush and wielded it with great skill. His profile was cool and focused, and his posture was aloof and upright.

The young master couldn't help but be captivated, his heart fluttering with emotion. He exclaimed in a daze, "Truly worthy of being one of the four beauties of the Academy of Literature, possessing both talent and beauty, and unparalleled in her aloofness!"

The Faculty of Arts has always had some students who consider themselves literary figures, fond of writing essays and poems, and fond of beautiful women and fine wine.

Some busybodies have hailed Zhao Ruixue, along with three other female students from the Faculty of Letters, as one of the four beauties of Waseda University's Faculty of Letters.

The one who came in first was naturally the eldest daughter of a wealthy and noble family, and no one dared to treat her with disrespect.

Zhao Ruixue is beautiful and tall, which makes many boys hesitate. However, she is also talented in makeup and has a uniquely aloof personality, making her a strong contender for the top two spots.

He is a low-key person, and apart from a few public occasions, such as giving a speech as a representative of international students at the beginning of this semester, it is difficult to see his face at other times.

You can only meet this talented woman by chance in the library or classroom.

This mysterious and ethereal beauty, which can only be admired from afar, made some boys even more yearning for it, and they chatted more and more enthusiastically.

The female protagonist of the incident, however, quietly passed by the gossipers with her friend.

A high, flowing ponytail bounced behind her head, full of vitality.

But the fleeting glimpse of her profile, as aloof as in the photograph, remained unmoved by the gossip.

The two went downstairs and walked through the campus, arriving at a dessert shop that was open for business on campus, where they sat down by the window.

"Have something to eat before you go back, Ruixue-chan. What would you like? I think I'm on my period these days. How about a hot ginger and brown sugar milk?"

Zhao Ruixue turned her head and saw a round-faced, big-eyed, and pretty girl with delicate features standing in front of her. The girl was holding a cafe menu and turned to look at her, asking considerately, "Thank you, Cai Nai. I'd like two egg tarts too! I went to pick up my mail before class, but I forgot to eat."

Zhao Ruixue felt a warmth in her heart, reached out and gently rubbed her friend's round, chubby face, and said with a smile.

This is Ayana Uesugi, her best friend whom she met at Waseda University.

She is 21 years old, comes from a wealthy family, and has a kind and innocent personality. She is the class monitor.

Because Zhao Ruixue was a Chinese international student, she was unfamiliar with the class and the place, and there were also language barriers.

Therefore, Ayana often helped her, and since they were roommates, they naturally became very good friends.

"Okay, sir, two cups of hot milk and four egg tarts."

Uesugi Ayana's face was slightly red from being rubbed, and her lips were pouting, but she still calmly told the store manager what she wanted to order.

After some playful banter, the milk tarts were served.

The two sat down to rest, eat, drink, and chat.

Uesugi Ayana finally had a chance to ask Zhao Ruixue about the letter. "Ruixue, did you go to pick up the letter just now? No wonder I didn't see you before class. Was it a letter from your family?"

"That's it."

Zhao Ruixue smiled slightly, her delicate fingertips on the letter on the table tightening slightly. The deep blue penmanship at the end of the envelope was still as elegant and timeless as she remembered.

However, the feeling she got from the words was somewhat unfamiliar, just like when that person had just returned to the city.

Judging by the timeline, this letter must have been written after he finished reading the manuscript.

I'm reading a bit slowly... Cheng Kaiyan.

A faint sadness flashed in Zhao Ruixue's eyes. She didn't know whether she resented him for reading too slowly or for sending the letter too slowly.
She didn't quite understand her own thoughts, but she roughly understood what the letter was about.

Although that person is always indecisive, he has very clear principles and bottom lines on certain matters.

What good news could he possibly bring after taking so long to reply?

Zhao Ruixue clearly remembered that since she and Cheng Kaiyan parted ways last July, they had never exchanged a single letter.

If Zhao Ruixue hadn't pretended to send a letter home and asked her mother to deliver a letter to Cheng Kaiyan, Cheng Kaiyan probably would still have gone years without sending her a single letter, just like when the two of them had a falling out over going to the countryside and joining the army.
"Ha ha……"

Zhao Ruixue rested her chin on her hand, turned her head to look at the reflection in the glass window, and felt that the smile on the woman's face was somewhat bitter and ugly.

"What do you mean 'I guess so'? You can't take advantage of me just because I can't read Chinese!"

Uesugi Ayana puffed out her cheeks and glared angrily at Zhao Ruixue, but a sly glint flashed in her eyes.

The Faculty of Letters naturally studies modern and ancient literature, and Chinese characters are an indispensable part of Japanese literature studies.

Ayana Uesugi had recently learned some of these techniques, so she smiled sweetly as she fed the egg tart to Zhao Ruixue, and then took the opportunity to steal a glance.

"Cheng...Cheng Kaiyan? Oh! That's the despicable man!"

When Ayana Uesugi caught a glimpse of the name on the letter, a surge of anger ignited within her.

This name often appears inexplicably in Ruixue's writings, sometimes in her diary, sometimes in her homework, and then she quickly erases it...

Even the naive and innocent Ayana understood the significance of this man's name to Mizuki.

Moreover, she had read Zhao Ruixue's works, which seemed to be based on this name and Ruixue, and she understood even more how deeply this person had hurt Ruixue.

Why would this wretched man suddenly write to you?

Ayana Uesugi, filled with righteous indignation, grabbed Zhao Ruixue's arm.

"I don't know, I haven't seen it yet."

Zhao Ruixue chuckled and shook her head.

"It's good that you didn't watch it, it's good that you didn't watch it. I think it's best not to watch it."

Uesugi Ayana breathed a sigh of relief, affectionately snuggled up to Zhao Ruixue, and cheerfully changed the subject, saying, "Ruixue-chan~, to celebrate 'Salt Snow' surpassing 50,000 copies, how about we go to Ginza together tomorrow night? I heard a new two-Michelin-starred French restaurant recently opened, it's on me!"

Zhao Ruixue rolled her eyes at her, "Are you burning money?"

"I want to eat it...hehe."

Ayana Uesugi stuck out her tongue and swung her arm around her.

"Alright, alright, but since it's a celebration, I'll treat you. Kodansha just settled my royalties at the beginning of the month."

Zhao Ruixue waved her hand helplessly and said frankly.

"Okay, okay, let's go back and rest quickly."

After they finished eating and drinking, they walked hand in hand toward their dormitory.

It's 9:30 p.m.

After showering, Zhao Ruixue changed into a clean, soft bathrobe, wrapped her wet hair in a white towel, returned to bed, picked up the letter, and stared at it silently.

She is no longer the same person she was yesterday.

After a year of experience in Japan, at Waseda University, I met many exceptional individuals, including cultural scholars, world-leading scientific experts, and geniuses among my peers…

Their vision and perspective are undeniably broad.

Looking back now, Zhao Ruixue realizes that she was truly a frog in a well a year ago. Only after venturing out did she understand how vast, how wonderful, and how many opportunities the world truly offers.

Now she has seized the literary craze that is also prevalent in Japan.

He devoted himself to writing and submitted his manuscripts diligently, and finally Yan Xue was successfully published.

He won a newcomer award and received a considerable amount of royalties.

The naive and unsophisticated girl of the past has been transformed into a literary talent.

"Perhaps it's time to end this relationship in a dignified and respectable manner."

The faded, old memories flashed through Zhao Ruixue's mind again, along with the image of that young, handsome boy, and her eyes quietly welled up with tears.

She sniffed and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

He gripped the edge of the envelope and ripped it with a tearing sound.

I took out the letter and began to read it calmly and carefully.

After a long time.

She put down the letter, pressed her taut lower back against the pillow, curled up in the blanket, and looked up at the ceiling.

In my heart, in my eyes, and on my face, I couldn't contain my joy, and there were also a few tears glistening in my eyes.

"Greetings... We'll see you in the spring! See you in the spring, see you in the spring."

The woman's cool voice echoed in the quilt.

Although I understand that this is probably just a comforting remark.

China and Japan may seem close, but in a place where even train tickets are hard to come by and a letter of introduction is needed to travel long distances, going abroad is nothing short of a pipe dream.

but……

But she still longed for it, and she resisted the urge to see that boy again, even though there was no longer any possibility between them.

"Yes, see you in spring."

Zhao Ruixue muttered to herself as if trying to encourage herself.

(End of this chapter)