1979: My fiancée is a goddess

After briefly discussing the matter with Director Fang, Jiang Ting returned to her office and took Cheng Kaiyan to the cafeteria for lunch.

You shouldn't have classes this afternoon, right?

Jiang Ting took a sip of the plain, oil-free soup provided by the cafeteria, and asked with a slight frown.

"No, but I plan to take the paper back to the editorial office later and have the proofreading department check it."

Cheng Kaiyan explained that there are far fewer courses for graduate students compared to undergraduate students, and humanities courses are also easier than science courses.

"There shouldn't be such a rush, right?"

Jiang Ting asked a question, then added, "It's better to take a nap at noon so you'll have more energy to work in the afternoon."

"it is good."

Cheng Kaiyan vaguely understood that her aunt wanted her to accompany her for a nap at noon.

After lunch, the two did not return to the office to rest.

Instead, he went straight home.

Because Cheng Kaiyan and Jiang Ting have been busy writing and translating papers recently, Cheng Kaiyan and Liu Xiaoli have been staying at their aunt's place for the time being to facilitate communication.

It's much more convenient to go to and from school from the teachers' compound area than from the Tuanjiehu area, and the distance is also very short.

When they got home at noon, the two of them had just entered the door when they heard a running sound coming from the bathroom.

"Xiaoli?"

Cheng Kaiyan called out, which surprised her somewhat.

Because it was too far from Tuanjiehu, Liu Xiaoli usually didn't come back for lunch. During her lunch break, she would rest in the school dormitory with her friend Lin Xingjie.

I've moved back to the teachers' compound recently, so I only come back occasionally.

Cheng Kaiyan and Jiang Ting were both at school and rarely came back at noon, usually spending their lunch breaks in the office.

The three of them just happened to run into each other.

Liu Xiaoli finished her dance practice in the morning and worked up a sweat; she's taking a shower now.

As the girl lathered up with soap, she called out to the outside, "Kaiyan, you're back too?"

"came back."

Cheng Kaiyan responded and turned to look at the beautiful woman beside her who was bending down to change her shoes. Her expression remained calm and composed.

Xiaoli's sudden return to home did not elicit any unusual emotions from her.

"what happened?"

Jiang Ting gave him a strange look and asked casually.

"It's nothing, I just didn't expect Xiaoli to be home."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled and shook her head.

"Xiaoli is perfectly normal at home, what's wrong with you? I think you've probably misunderstood something because of recent events..."

Jiang Ting seemed to understand what he meant, frowned unhappily, and said coldly.

"what?"

Cheng Kaiyan asked, puzzled, "Why did this guy suddenly change his expression?"
"What's up?

I am your aunt and your teacher.

All my actions and mental activities are guided by this principle, without any transgression or change.

what about you?
There's something wrong with your mindset.

Think about what you've been doing and thinking lately.
Finally, let me remind you one last time: don't let anyone disrupt your normal life.

Jiang Ting gave him a deep look, her tone very flat, even somewhat disappointed.

The beautiful woman then casually tossed out a remark before turning and going back to her room: "Take a shower in a bit, then get some rest."

"Ah."

Upon hearing her aunt's words, Cheng Kaiyan froze on the spot, her mind churning with a multitude of complex thoughts.

Although my aunt's words were not pleasant to hear, her meaning was actually very clear.

Liu Xiaoli stood there pondering for a long time until she finished washing up, her wet hair flowing freely, and she came out with a fresh, moist fragrance.

She walked up to him, who was leaning against the wall deep in thought, and said in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Kaiyan! Help me dry my hair!"

"coming!"

When Cheng Kaiyan heard his fiancée's sweet and bright voice, all the distracting thoughts in his mind vanished. He felt as if something that had been troubling him for some time had suddenly been untied, and a weight had been lifted from his heart, leaving him feeling light and free.

Compared to the complex and unspeakable emotional entanglement with her aunt.

His love for Xiaoli was genuine and pure; this girl was the wife and lover he truly wanted to spend his life with.

Thinking about this, he finally understood the hidden meaning in his aunt's words:

You and Xiaoli should just live your lives peacefully. You don't need to care about others, nor do you need to respond to or be responsible for other people's love.

"Let's go to the sofa."

Cheng Kaiyan sat on the sofa, and Liu Xiaoli sat on the carpet in front of him, her fair and delicate arms, still damp with water droplets, draped over his legs.

With her eyes closed, she leaned against him, her upper body relaxed, letting Cheng Kaiyan dry her hair.

"I'm done washing, Auntie, you can wash now."

At the same time, Liu Xiaoli called out towards the bedroom.

Soon.

Jiang Ting's voluptuous and graceful figure appeared in the corridor, holding a change of clothes in her hands and placing them in front of her lower abdomen.

As always, Cheng Kaiyan gave her a calm and gentle smile.

The next instant, a smile also appeared on the beautiful woman's cold and indifferent face.

She quietly looked at the two people on the sofa and thought to herself with a sense of relief, "You finally understand that Xiaoli is your true love, the one you will spend your life with."

The others were decisive, Zhao Ruixue, Ning Wanjia, you handled things very well, how come you've become so indecisive...?
Do I need your response? Do I need you to take responsibility for these feelings? I don't need any of that, and I don't want any of it.

"Peach blossom eyes, peach blossom eyes...hehe."

The beautiful woman turned and went into the bathroom, carrying her clothes, a faint hint of sarcasm playing on her lips.

It was truly a tragic fate, but... all she wanted was for him and the others to be with her in her life.

Now, she also wants to see Xiaoli and Cheng Kaiyan live a happy and fulfilling life.

……

At 1:30 pm, Cheng Kaiyan woke up and woke up Xiaoli next to her, then rode her bike and took her out.

"Come pick me up after school this afternoon! Kaiyan, you've been so lazy lately, you haven't come to pick me up at all."

In less than ten minutes, we arrived at the gate of the Beijing Dance Academy.

As Liu Xiaoli got out of the car, she gave him a disgruntled reprimand.

"Good good."

Cheng Kaiyan had let go of her worries and felt exceptionally light and relaxed. She no longer felt any unusual emotions when facing Xiaoli.

As usual, he asked with a smile, "How about I bring you some more good food before I come?"

"I want ice cream!"

Liu Xiaoli stood on tiptoe, adopting the demeanor of an older sister, touched Cheng Kaiyan's hair, then waved goodbye and turned to leave.

However, at this moment, Cheng Kaiyan grabbed his wrist and pulled him into her arms, embracing him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Sister Xiaoli, I think I've neglected you a bit lately. I apologize."

Cheng Kaiyan breathed in the familiar scent emanating from her almost greedily, a scent that stirred his heart the most, and whispered an apology in the girl's soft, pink ear.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaoli slowly wrapped her arms around his back, gently inhaling his scent, her fingers lightly caressing his muscles, the lines of his bones, and his warmth.

After a long silence, she asked in a barely audible voice, "Cheng Kaiyan, will you love me forever?"

"Yes, Cheng Kaiyan will always love Liu Xiaoli, and they will always be together. There will be no change."

"Well, I believe you."

Liu Xiaoli raised her bright and charming face and smiled at him: "Even if you made a mistake, remember it's a small one. Your sister Xiaoli can forgive you. After all, this is something I owe you."

You don't owe me anything.

Cheng Kaiyan shook her head firmly.

"Okay, okay, I got it. Go back now, I have class."

Liu Xiaoli cupped his cheeks and gently pecked his lips, softly comforting him. Then she turned and disappeared into the corridor of the teaching building with unhurried steps.

"Cheng Kaiyan, never let her down, never let down this girl who only has eyes for you."

Cheng Kaiyan stood under the tree, quietly watching the girl's figure disappear, murmuring a reminder to herself.

……

After leaving the Beijing Dance Academy, Cheng Kaiyan returned to the editorial department of "Ark" with her thesis.

It was not yet 2 PM, the start of the workday.

But in the empty office, a familiar slender figure was buried in his manuscript at his desk.

"Is that Comrade Fang Yuan? This girl is indeed a model worker, she works very hard."

Cheng Kaiyan sighed as she walked over.

"Editor-in-chief? You're here?"

Hearing footsteps, Fang Yuan looked up.

"Comrade Fang Yuan, the translation of the thesis is complete. I've checked it and there are no problems. Please give it to the proofreading department for another look. If there are no problems, send it to the printing plant and bring it back to me after it's printed."

Cheng Kaiyan got straight to the point, took the manuscript out of her briefcase, handed it over, and gave the instructions in a deep voice.

This translation is the result of my aunt and him working together over this period of time, writing it word by word with great effort.

Cheng Kaiyan planned to keep it as a memento later.

"Understood, Editor-in-Chief."

Fang Yuan held the translated manuscript in his arms as if it were a treasure. Just as he was about to turn around and sit down, he suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Editor-in-chief, it seems that Chairman Chen has something to discuss with you these past two days."

"Okay, I'll go find him when he arrives."

Cheng Kaiyan returned to his seat and began to look through the several manuscripts piled on his desk that required his review. He soon became engrossed in them.

Time ticked by, and before we knew it, it was 3:30.

The sunlight outside the window gradually began to slant westward.

At this moment, Comrade Fang Yuan walked over and whispered, "Editor-in-Chief, Chairman Chen is here."

"You're here? I know."

Cheng Kaiyan put down her pen, leaned back and stretched languidly until the discomfort from sitting for so long was gone. She then got up and left the office to find Chen Zijun.

"I was just looking for you. How's your paper translation coming along? It'll be ready in a few days."

On the sofa by the window, Chen Zijun saw him arrive and asked in a somewhat urgent tone,

"It's all done. I just brought it over for the proofreading department to check."

Cheng Kaiyan sat down, poured herself a cup of tea, drank it all in one gulp, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"That's good."

Chen Zijun breathed a sigh of relief, but then sighed again, "Recently, I've been trying to figure out how to make the sales of the first issue of our 'Ark' magazine look better. I've sent letters to some friends, scholars, and organizations in academia to inquire about it."

However, so far, only a few universities, such as Zhejiang Normal University, which have research interests in children's literature, and a few dozen scholars have subscribed to "Ark." The initial order was around four hundred copies..."

Their initial plan was to sell 2,000 copies, but so far they've only received one-fifth of that.

This achievement was made even with the specific mention of Cheng Kaiyan's thesis.

How can I prevent him from worrying?

"You don't need to worry too much about that. No matter how excellent or of high quality it is, it's still hard to find a niche. It will probably only get better after our journal publishes it simultaneously in China and the United States."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled and reassured him, saying he wasn't worried about sales: "By the way, Beijing Normal University has already confirmed that they will subscribe to one hundred copies."

"That's great."

Chen Zijun's complexion improved considerably.

"How about this, we'll visit some universities and literary research institutions in Beijing again to promote it. We should be able to get another batch. If that doesn't work, we can send some out as well."

Cheng Kaiyan pondered, resting her chin on her hand.

"deliver?"

Do you know how many words and pages the ten papers in the first issue of "Ark" totaled?
Your essay alone, "On the Impossibility of Children's Literature," has over a hundred pages.

The ten papers are all approaching three or four hundred pages.

Including paper, printing, binding, and plate-making costs, the cost per book is over one dollar.

Chen Zijun felt that Cheng Kaiyan was joking, and counted on her fingers to make some calculations.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. Comrade Chen Zijun, we publish journals not to make money. A reasonable loss is worthwhile as long as it builds our reputation. Besides, in the end, we might not even make a profit."

Cheng Kaiyan earnestly advised him.

"Alright, I'll do as you say. If all else fails, I'll just give it to you for free."

Chen Zijun was silent for a moment, and finally said helplessly.

"Who said it's free? What I mean is that we can hold knowledge quiz events at various universities to get young people involved, and then we'll give it away."

"Huh? Tell me carefully!"

In the afternoon, the two chatted about work details on the sofa.

At five o'clock, Cheng Kaiyan was going to pick up his fiancée from school. He stood up and said, "Tomorrow we'll visit various universities and colleges in Beijing."

"Okay, let's meet at the gate of Beijing Normal University at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

Chen Zijun nodded and saw Cheng Kaiyan out the door.

……

The next morning at nine o'clock, Cheng Kaiyan asked Jiang Ting for half a day off and went out with Chen Zijun and Professor Pu Manting.

Their first stop was Peking University.

With the titles of three presidents of the Children's Literature Research Association, they entered easily and were received by the head of the Chinese Department.

Actually, it was Mr. Ji Zhenhuai, an acquaintance whom Cheng Kaiyan had met several times.

"Ark? I heard a professor at our school mention it. You've only been established for less than two months, right? You're already planning to release your first issue?"

Mr. Ji Zhenhuai was surprised when he learned the purpose of the visit.

"Yes, our first issue of 'Ark' already brought together the essence of the domestic children's literature community."

In addition to the paper co-authored by Comrade Cheng Kaiyan and Professor Ansel from the United States, it also features the participation of many well-known scholars, including Jiang Feng.

Director Ji must have already heard about this, right?

Chen Zijun proudly introduced the product with her head held high.

"Of course! Last year's Sino-US Children's Literature Exchange Conference was a sensation in Beijing, and Comrade Cheng Kaiyan's paper was published in the US earlier this year, causing such a great stir. It has set a good example for our countrymen!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Zhenhuai's eyes lit up immediately, and he made the decision: "Then on behalf of the Chinese Department of Peking University, let's order twenty copies first!"

"Twenty books?!"

Cheng Kaiyan and the other two looked at each other, wondering if this was a bit too little.

Beijing Normal University has ordered 100 books.

"Twenty books is already a lot!"

Director Ji explained with a smile.

"alright."

The group left Peking University with no other choice, and then went to Tsinghua University. Out of courtesy, they heard that Peking University had ordered twenty books, so they also ordered twenty books.

I ran around until noon, visiting every university and workplace in Beijing, and finally sold a little over 160 copies.

No one really wanted them. The main reason was that "Ark" was newly established and had little reputation. Secondly, it was children's literature research, which is relatively niche, so the audience was naturally small.

The three stood in the middle of the road, sweating profusely under the sun, facing each other with wry smiles.

"Forget it, let's just give it away for free."

Professor Pu Manting sighed, "We'll send out as many copies as each school orders."

"You're underestimating us. Which university doesn't subscribe to those well-known humanities academic journals? From leaders and professors to lecturers, even many graduate students in Chinese literature subscribe to one!"

President Chen Zijun was furious. He had high hopes for "The Ark," but it almost died before it was even printed.

"That day will come; wait for the first issue to be published."

Cheng Kaiyan remained quite calm and spoke in a composed tone.

(Here's another beautiful photo of my aunt) (End of Chapter)