1979: My fiancée is a goddess

The night was as dark as ink, staining the evening sky.

The wind howled, making Cheng Kaiyan's soft, black hair dance in the wind.

Standing on the 37th floor of the Hilton Hotel, one can enjoy a panoramic view of most of Tokyo.

The magnificent neon lights, the winding city streets, the bustling city night view, and the towering Tokyo Tower are all in full view.

The Hilton Nishi-Shinjuku is the first Hilton hotel in Asia.

Opened in 1958, it remains a synonym for modern international hotels in Japan to this day.

It is known for its views of the dense and towering skyscrapers of Nishi-Shinjuku and its classic American luxury hotel style.

It attracts countless high-end business travelers and serves as an international social venue for expatriates and the elite.

Kodansha, a giant in Japan's publishing industry, spent a huge sum of money to book the entire top floor of the Hilton Hotel to host this writers' salon dinner entitled "Gathering of Talents".

This dinner attracted many heads of publishing houses, magazines, and chain bookstores of all sizes in the industry.

Of course, the largest group consists of writers, including literary novelists, popular writers, mystery novelists, and so on, both famous and unknown.

After all, there's a saying that goes something like this: most young people in their twenties who haven't accomplished anything will fantasize about being a writer.

An unknown writer will always fantasize about his novel becoming a bestseller and persistently seek out various opportunities.

Cheng Kaiyan had only been there a short time, but the huge banquet hall was already very lively.

People chatted incessantly about whose book was a Waterloo and was canceled prematurely, and how an editor made a mistake and let a good manuscript slip through their fingers...

Fortunately, Cheng Kaiyan had recently been studying and reading books, and with her excellent memory, she had learned a little Japanese, which she could barely understand. Otherwise, standing here like an idiot would have been so boring.

I reached out and picked up a glass of golden champagne from the white silk-covered table. I took a sip, and the abundant bubbles and fruity flavors exploded in my mouth. It was quite pleasant with the breeze blowing.

"Brighten up!"

Not far away, a familiar, clear, and cool voice finally came from nearby.

Cheng Kaiyan turned her head and saw Zhao Ruixue and Uesugi Ayana, but they were accompanied by a young woman in her early thirties wearing large black-rimmed glasses.

With tanned skin and neat, short, black hair, she had a pair of sharp, bright eyes hidden behind her reflective glasses.

Is this the person Ruixue went to find?
He walked toward the three of them, his steps unhurried and leisurely.

"Editor Morita, let me introduce you."

This is my...good friend Cheng Kaiyan, who, like me, is from China and is a university professor.

Zhao Ruixue turned around and stood side by side with Cheng Kaiyan, introducing herself to the short-haired woman with a light laugh, while naturally placing her slender hand on Cheng Kaiyan's shoulder.

"Hello Mr. Cheng Kaiyan, I am Morita Koshiko, an editor at Ruixue. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Morita Koshiko smiled and extended her hand, her attitude calm yet friendly, but only because of Zhao Ruixue.

Her keen professional instincts as a literary editor made her aware of Zhao Ruixue's actions.

Did you subconsciously raise your hand to press your shoulder?
They really are good friends; they seem to have a great relationship.

But... such a young university professor?
"Ha ha……"

Editor Morita's gaze fell on Cheng Kaiyan, sharp as an eagle eyeing its prey, as if trying to see right through him.

"Hello, Editor Morita, I'm Cheng Kaiyan, nice to meet you."

Cheng Kaiyan responded in broken Japanese, shook hands briefly, and smiled, "Ruixue is unfamiliar with this place and people, and I'm afraid she will cause a lot of trouble for Editor Morita. I am truly grateful."

"Ha ha……"

When Morita Etsuko saw Cheng Kaiyan thanking her on behalf of Zhao Ruixue, she couldn't help but chuckle. This gesture clearly went beyond friendship and belonged to a more intimate level.

Clearly, their relationship is more than just friendship.

However, Morita Ekoko had no intention of interfering in Zhao Ruixue's romantic relationships, and instead began to explain in a serious and methodical manner:

"I'm afraid Mr. Cheng Kaiyan isn't quite clear about the literary landscape in Japan. Editors and authors are truly a community where they share both prosperity and adversity."

As Professor Ruixue's editor, I have an obligation to help her with the trivialities and troubles of daily life so that she can focus on her literary career and create even better works..."

"Then I can rest assured."

Cheng Kaiyan relaxed and nodded slightly.

Morita Koshiko had been observing him all along, and so had he.
It's clear that this editor, Morita, is a woman who is upright and serious, yet approachable.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered to give such a serious explanation about such a trivial matter.

In Japan, Zhao Ruixue has a female senior who takes care of her, Uesugi Ayana as a close friend, and she is also an outstanding student with excellent academic performance at school...

In this way, she generally won't encounter any major problems in her life, studies, or career.

That way, Cheng Kaiyan can truly feel at ease after leaving Tokyo in a few days.

……

At six o'clock, the banquet hall was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Cheng Kaiyan searched for a long time in the crowd, but she still couldn't find where Tachibana Chiai had gone.

Fortunately, none of us were the type to join in the fun, so we found a quiet corner to sit down.

They chatted while eating dessert to fill their stomachs.

The topic naturally centered on Zhao Ruixue, but Cheng Kaiyan was also taken into consideration, and questions about the situation in China were asked, so the atmosphere was harmonious and natural.

"I still vividly remember the first time I met Ruixue."

Editor Morita Koshiko leaned back on the sofa, holding a glass of cola in her hand, and looked at Zhao Ruixue with a half-smile, as if asking if she could talk about this.

"How exactly do you remember it so vividly? Tell me about it."

Cheng Kaiyan asked curiously, as he was very concerned about Zhao Ruixue's experiences after coming to Japan last year. After all, he had missed too much of her time, too much joy and sorrow.

Zhao Ruixue remained aloof, refusing to utter a word in the face of the inquiring gazes of the crowd.

Neither agree nor refuse.

"Then I'll say it. Our Kodansha is the top literary society in the country. Our submission standards are extremely strict, even harsh. Every year, only one in a hundred new writers can stand out."

Ruixue's ability to stand out from the crowd also involved a considerable amount of luck.

I remember it was a late autumn morning, after the rain had cleared up, and I was jogging in the community to relieve my stress.

As they were running, a figure suddenly appeared on the courtyard wall.

That really startled me; I thought it was some kind of thief or criminal!

Take another look!
Good heavens, it turned out to be an incredibly beautiful girl who climbed over the wall and sat on top of it, looking down at me. She was holding a brown paper envelope and said she wanted to submit a manuscript, asking if I knew the editor inside.

Honestly, I've never seen a girl like that before.

After some investigation, it was discovered that she had taken her manuscript to the entrance of Kodansha to submit it, but the security guard stopped her from entering...

Looking back now, I can hardly believe that Ruixue, so pure and ethereal, could have such a side.

Editor Morita recalled the events with a wry smile, his expression filled with emotion.

"Hahaha, Editor Morita, you're mistaken. Ruixue has always had a tomboyish personality. Climbing trees to steal bird eggs, there's nothing she won't do..."

After hearing this, Cheng Kaiyan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Um?!"

This caused Zhao Ruixue to glare at him with her pair of spirited eyes, and a pair of snow-white tiger teeth were revealed between her rosy, thin lips, gleaming sharply under the light.

The threat and dissatisfaction were quite obvious, but there was even more shyness and embarrassment. Looking back on those events, she found them unbelievable, but it was precisely those blurry, faded memories that were uniquely shared between her and him.

"Okay, okay, I'll shut up now."

Cheng Kaiyan quickly raised her hand to beg for mercy, and joked with a smile, "After all, someone is my sugar daddy, and I'm counting on her to give me a job."

"Go live on air."

Zhao Ruixue remembered that Cheng Kaiyan was already being kept by her, and immediately raised her snow-white widow's peak with arrogance. She then crossed her elegant evening gown, revealing her beautiful, snow-white legs, and crossed her arms over her chest, snorting coldly.

"Hahaha……"

Seeing this, Morita Koshiko and Uesugi Ayana also burst into laughter.

These two aren't usually the type to joke around, but their current teasing and banter is quite amusing.

After a while.

Cheng Kaiyan, in a fawning manner, pulled Zhao Ruixue to another table to choose food and desserts.

Taking advantage of this time, Morita Koshiko asked Uesugi Ayana about Cheng Kaiyan.

After listening, she looked at the two figures standing close together and couldn't help but shake her head.

It turns out they were childhood sweethearts who grew up together and had feelings for each other.

No wonder their words, emotions, and actions were so perfectly in sync and natural.

Even in her slightest smile or frown, Cheng Kaiyan understood Ruixue's emotions and feelings.

Childhood sweethearts, mutual affection... all these factors suggest that this young couple is a perfect match.

But to be honest, given Morita Eshiko's more than 30 years of life and romantic experience, she doesn't think they're a good match.

Liking someone may seem to be the most important part of a relationship, but it is also the most insignificant.

Liking each other doesn't mean you can be together.

Time, distance, the personal circumstances of both parties, and external factors all play a crucial role.

Ruixue is now a well-known writer with outstanding looks and temperament, some family wealth, and a student at Waseda University. As long as she stays in Japan, her future is limitless.

Although Cheng Kaiyan is also quite qualified, being a professor, an honorary professor is not a real professor.

He just mentioned that he had almost used up his savings, and Zhao Ruixue gave him her bank card...

Moreover, the one from the Yamamoto family seems to care about and like Ruixue quite a bit.

By leveraging the influence and power of the Yamamoto family, he managed to save Ruixue a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Although it was just out of male possessiveness, it was still a form of help.

From a realistic perspective, Morita Etsuko still felt that Yamamoto Tatsuto was more outstanding than Cheng Kaiyan and would be more helpful to Ruixue's future development.

"Truly a beauty made of snow, her beauty has always been a source of trouble for men... Oh, Ruixue, who will you choose this time?"

A variety of thoughts flashed through her mind, and Morita Etsuko couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

……

six thirty.

At the front of the banquet hall, a woman in a white dress sat at the piano and played a classical piano piece.

The ethereal and tranquil sound of the piano echoed in the hall, refreshing the senses and elevating the entire atmosphere.

Many men who pretend to be cultured and consider themselves elegant bow and invite their female companions to dance together on the dance floor.

Some women with exquisite makeup also took the initiative to invite men.

In an instant, skirts fluttered and dance moves were all around.

"Ruixue? Editor Morita, so you've all been here."

As Cheng Kaiyan and the others watched the people dancing and chatting in small groups, a magnetic voice reached their ears.

Turning around, I saw Yamamoto Tatsuto, with an elegant smile on his handsome, fair face, walking straight toward the crowd.

His gaze swept over Cheng Kaiyan from his superior position, but did not linger.

Instead, he looked directly at Zhao Ruixue, who was dressed in an exquisite, elegant, and noble black evening gown.

The high-low design of the skirt couldn't hide her pair of slender, snow-white legs, which were crossed over each other as she casually leaned against the sofa.

The delicate, rhinestone-strap high heels shimmered in the light, but they couldn't overshadow the exquisite beauty of those feet.

So beautiful……

Yamamoto Ritsuto's eyes were filled with deep admiration and passion.

"Yamamoto, you're here too."

Morita Eshiko stood up and greeted them with a warm smile.

As for Cheng Kaiyan and Uesugi Ayana, they completely ignored Yamamoto Ritsuto.

Although Zhao Ruixue disliked him, she couldn't ignore him at this moment, so she just nodded in acknowledgment.

"I've been looking for you for ages. I was just with Editor-in-Chief Yoshida and the others, and we happened to be talking about Ruixue, so I came over to introduce Ruixue to the literary figures."

Yamamoto Tateto smiled and explained, "Speaking of which, quite a few famous people have visited the salon today, including Professor Tsushima Yuko."

"Tsushima Yuko-sensei is here too?"

Editor Morita exclaimed with delight, then turned to Ruixue and said, "Ruixue, let's go and get to know more about the literary figures, especially Professor Tsushima Yuko. It will be of great benefit to your future literary career."

"But that is the daughter of Osamu Dazai, a leading figure in contemporary feminist literature."

Zhao Ruixue also stood up in surprise.

"Yes, that's her. Let's go."

Yamamoto Ritsuto reached out his hand in a gentlemanly manner, wanting to hold Zhao Ruixue's hand to prevent her from twisting her ankle in her high heels.

However, Zhao Ruixue ignored him and turned to Cheng Kaiyan: "Kaiyan, I'm leaving for a while to meet with some senior figures in the literary world."

"Well, let's go."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled and nodded. Ruixue wanted to develop her career in the Japanese literary world. In this country where seniority matters, making more connections would be of great benefit to her.

This was precisely why he insisted on having Ruixue attend the banquet.

"Yes, I'll be right back."

Zhao Ruixue nodded gently and followed Editor Morita, lifting her skirt lightly with her hand to avoid being stepped on by her high heels.

"Mr. Cheng Kaiyan is here too. Why don't we go over and meet this literary master?"

Before leaving, Yamamoto Riteng glanced at Cheng Kaiyan with a playful expression, casually left a remark, and then turned around and quickly followed Zhao Ruixue and editor Morita.

Watching the three figures gracefully depart, Cheng Kaiyan lowered her eyes, took a sip of champagne, and remained silent.

After all, he couldn't possibly take care of Zhao Ruixue everywhere.

"Hey! You're really just going to sit here like that?"

Uesugi Ayana slapped her thigh, looking disappointed.

"Let's follow them and see."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Kaiyan immediately stood up, her eyes regaining their firmness and brightness, and followed after them with her little round-faced friend. (End of Chapter)