1979: My fiancée is a goddess

At seven o'clock in the morning, the sky outside the window was just beginning to brighten.

The room was dimly lit, with only a bedside lamp lit near the desk next to the bed.

The soft, warm light fell on the woman's face, which was whiter and more delicate than the finest jade, leaving a shadow of her elegant, delicate nose.

Liu Xiaoli was still immersed in the lake of dreams, only her slender and graceful eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her brows rippled like water, as if she had some worries in her dreams.

"Chirp chirp~~"

The clear chirping of birds woke Liu Xiaoli from a dream where faces were blurred and images kept flashing back.

"Screw rustle..."

She turned over in her half-asleep state, freeing herself from the embrace behind her, and smoothed the blanket under her neck with her slender, fair hand.

Then, with a whoosh, her thick eyelashes spread out like butterfly wings.

A pair of almond-shaped eyes, languid and gentle, opened, their black and white clearly defined, their gaze bright and spirited, making the entire bedroom seem a little brighter.

"What kind of dream is this? I actually dreamt of a little girl nestled in my arms, crying and calling for her mother?"

Liu Xiaoli blinked to adjust to the dim light, but muttered to herself with a strange expression on her face.

This dream is so strange. I'm clearly a 22-year-old virgin, not even old enough to get married yet.

Let alone being a mother?
Why would I dream about something like this?
"It's all that bastard Kaiyan's fault..."

Liu Xiaoli seemed to be thinking of something, so she pursed her lips, and a faint blush appeared on her fair face.

"call……"

She breathed a sigh of relief, quickly shook her head, and put the matter out of her mind.

However, instead of getting out of bed, I glanced at the sky outside the window. In winter, when it's just getting light, it's usually around six or seven o'clock.

Liu Xiaoli felt reassured and continued to curl up in bed, quietly watching the world outside the window.

I don't know when, but the golden leaves of the Chinese scholar tree by the window have all fallen off, making it look like a phoenix that has lost its feathers.

All that remained were branches covered in mottled patterns, looking gray and withered.

Two equally gray sparrows stood on a branch covered with a layer of cold frost, seemingly unafraid of the cold. One twisted its head to preen the feathers of the other, which then uttered a clear and melodious, pleasant chirping.

Liu Xiaoli gazed at them silently, her clear, almond-shaped eyes unblinking.

Then thoughts gradually surfaced in my mind.

To Liu Xiaoli's surprise, the year had already come to an end in the blink of an eye.

Today is December 31st, the last day of 1981.

It was also the day that the romance film "Love Letter," adapted from the novel of the same name, was officially released in China.

It was also a special day for Liu Xiaoli.

She was Cheng Kaiyan's fiancée and his destined lover.

A romantic film starring her fiancé and his childhood sweetheart, based on their story, was placed before her.

To watch or not to watch.

For Liu Xiaoli, this was a troubling matter that made her both curious and expectant, yet also filled with jealousy.

Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about it, because she and Cheng Kaiyan had made a promise long ago that they would go to the cinema together to watch the movie "Love Letter" when it was released.

Liu Xiaoli believes this should be considered her last bit of pity and tenderness as a victor.

Think for a moment.

The girl neatly threw off the covers and got out of bed. She slipped on her slippers, went to the wardrobe, and took out the pure white mink coat, putting it on.

This was their first gift to each other, and on such a special day, it was only right to change it.

It's very memorable, and it can also serve as a reminder to someone not to have any inappropriate thoughts.

This can only be described as a little trick used by a girl in love.

"Hmph! You're so lazy."

After changing her clothes, Liu Xiaoli glanced at Cheng Kaiyan, who was still sleeping in, but had no intention of waking him. She just snorted irritably and then turned to leave.

……

In the bathroom.

"Shhhhh..."

Liu Xiaoli stood in front of the mirror, meticulously brushing her teeth. The white toothpaste foam clung to the girl's rosy, full lips, making her look somewhat charming and adorable.

He took a mouthful of saliva and spat out the foam.

The unpleasant taste of mint mixed with toothpaste still lingered in my mouth, which suddenly made my stomach churn and a slight urge to vomit rose in my throat.

"vomit……"

Liu Xiaoli's face turned pale, and she instinctively braced herself against the sink, opening her mouth as if to vomit.

But soon, the feeling weakened and disappeared.

She leaned forward slightly, swallowed hard to suppress her nausea, and looked at the toothpaste in her hand with disgust in her beautiful eyes. "I won't buy this brand of toothpaste next time. It makes me want to vomit."

After venting her frustrations, Liu Xiaoli squatted down, pulled out an enamel basin printed with mandarin ducks and the character for "happiness" from underneath, and threw a towel into it.

He then turned back to the living room, found the thermos, and poured hot water into it.

"Um……"

Liu Xiaoli immersed her fair, jade-like hands in hot water. A wave of heat and comfort spread from her palms throughout her body, finally overcoming the discomfort and nausea she had just experienced.

I soaked it for a while.

Liu Xiaoli looked down at her jade-like hands, which were red from being soaked in the basin of water. She then carefully examined them and found that her fingers were still slender and beautiful, white and smooth like jade. She did not find any signs of cracking or frostbite, and nodded in satisfaction.

When I was a child, I practiced dancing in Jiangcheng. Sometimes in winter, I would get frostbite on my fingers if I wasn't careful. Later, when I got older, I realized that it was because I couldn't put my cold hands into hot water immediately, as the capillaries would be damaged by the sudden change in temperature.

As for now, my physical condition has improved a lot. As long as I don't put my hands outside, they are basically warm when I put them in my pockets.

The issue of frostbite does not exist.

"Apply some cream to your hands later."

Liu Xiaoli wrung out a towel, washed her face, dried her hands, and applied lotion to care for Xiao Cheng's delicate hands that she loved so much.

Finally, cover the basin with a towel to prevent the heat from escaping.

"I'm so lazy!"

After washing up, Liu Xiaoli glanced at the washing machine again and found that the clothes she had asked someone to hang out to dry yesterday were still inside. She muttered to herself helplessly.

I carried them all to the balcony to dry myself, and then cleaned up the house.

Seeing that it was almost time, he went back to his room and woke Cheng Kaiyan up to wash up.

The two left at exactly 7:40, and ate something quick along the way.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Xiaoli was delivered to the entrance of the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater.

"Come pick me up early at noon, we're going to see a movie after lunch."

Liu Xiaoli picked up her bag and took a few steps, then turned back to give Cheng Kaiyan some instructions.

"Okay! I'll bring the food over at 11:30."

Cheng Kaiyan responded and rode away.

Watching his figure gradually disappear into the distance, Liu Xiaoli turned and walked into the theater.

Upon arriving at the theater's training hall, one finds many people already warming up on stage.

"Xingjie!"

Upon seeing a familiar figure in the distance, Liu Xiaoli smiled and jogged over.

"Xiaoli, have you eaten?"

Lin Xingjie sat on a bench below the stage, her body upright and straight.

She was eating a meat bun when she saw Liu Xiaoli coming over. With the bun still in her mouth, she let go of the bun, took one out of the bag, and handed it to her.

"I ate something quick on the way."

Liu Xiaoli hadn't actually eaten enough, but she took the cup and sat down next to Lin Xingjie, pulling out a thermos from her bag. "Here you go."

"what?"

"Hot milk."

"Thank you."

The two ate breakfast while chatting about their recent work and life. For the past month, neither of them had been attending classes at the Beijing Dance Academy.

According to the Beijing Dance Academy's training program, this semester the two of them will be doing internships at outside theaters along with several of the most outstanding students from other grades at the academy.

People like Liu Xiaoli and Lin Xingjie were recommended to the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, the cradle of dancers, because of their outstanding qualities.

The monthly internship salary is thirty yuan, along with corresponding benefits from the company and the careful guidance of the theater teachers.

This internship covered training, assisting, and performances.

For Liu Xiaoli, a seasoned veteran who has been working in the theater for several years, it can only be described as effortless and easy.

Lin Xingjie had previously trained in dance at the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, and with her family background in dance, although she didn't adapt as easily as Xiaoli, she adapted quickly.

"Xiaoli, Xingjie! You two come here. Today we're starting a rehearsal of 'The Butterfly Lovers.' This is one of your final exams for this semester. Let's see how well you've practiced this month..."

After a while, a middle-aged female teacher with short hair and sharp eyes walked over and clapped her hands to greet them.

"coming!"

Liu Xiaoli and Lin Xingjie exchanged a glance and both saw the tension in each other's eyes.

Why do dancers become more and more skilled as they get older, between their teens and their thirties or forties, which is considered the golden age for dancers?

As people get older, they learn more dance dramas and dance moves, and their knowledge and skills deepen.

Dance is a field that heavily relies on skill.

Each dance drama contains hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of movements.

Dancers not only need to perfectly execute each movement and smoothly and naturally connect the movements, but also need to precisely step to the beat of the music.

Most importantly, it must also possess the beauty of dance.

This requires a very long period of training, and dancers need to practice every movement and every beat until they are ingrained in their bones and form muscle memory.

"The Butterfly Lovers" is undoubtedly a classic dance drama with numerous movements and a high level of difficulty.

Liu Xiaoli and Lin Xingjie are both exceptional dancers. After a month of practice, they only dared to say that they could perform fluently, but they couldn't guarantee whether they would make mistakes or achieve a beautiful performance.

However, the two did not back down or show any fear; on the contrary, they were eager to try.

After calming myself down, I rushed to the dressing room to change into a form-fitting dance costume, and then put on a variety of ancient costumes before going on stage to warm up and prepare.

More than an hour later, the stage was cleared.

As the melodious and poignant sound of the guzheng playing "The Butterfly Lovers" filled the air, Liu Xiaoli and Lin Xingjie took to the stage together.

Lin Xingjie is taller and plays Liang Shanbo, wearing neutral makeup and a white robe.

Liu Xiaoli plays Zhu Yingtai, wearing a light blue Wei-Jin style robe...

The two danced to the music, sometimes leaping, sometimes spinning, sometimes holding hands...

Half an hour later, the performance of "The Butterfly Lovers" came to an end.

"Hmm...not bad. Xingjie performed the best, and Xiaoli was also good. But you didn't dance well in the last scene. Why did your legs suddenly seem weak?"

The theater teacher clapped his hands and came up to comment on the two.

"It seems like my stomach is a little upset because I drank milk earlier."

Liu Xiaoli blushed and said somewhat embarrassedly after being criticized.

"Be careful next time, but overall it's pretty good that you two have been able to get to this level in a month."

The teacher's expression softened slightly, and she waved her hand, saying, "Put on your coats so you don't catch a cold. Take a rest, and I'll explain some of the movements to you in detail later."

"Yes."

The two nodded in unison, went back inside, and put on their warm coats before coming out to listen to the lecture.

While explaining, I demonstrated the movements, and it took about an hour to finally finish.

After changing back into their usual clean clothes, Liu Xiaoli and Lin Xingjie sat in the training hall watching others perform and chatting as they watched.

"Xiaoli, are you free this afternoon?"

Lin Xingjie asked tentatively.

"I made plans to go to the movies with Kaiyan this afternoon, what's up?"

Liu Xiaoli explained.

"No, I was originally planning to ask you to practice dancing with me this afternoon, but since you already have plans, I'll skip it."

Lin Xingjie shook her head.

"Oh, then let's practice tomorrow. I'll practice with you tomorrow."

"Okay, by the way, is the movie you guys watched the one that's been all over the news lately, 'Love Letter'?"

"Yes! It's Kaiyan's work, and he plays the male lead. Of course we have to go see it. It's his first time appearing on the big screen, so it's very memorable."

Liu Xiaoli raised her chin, looking quite proud.

"That's true. The photo of Cheng Kaiyan that was published in Popular Cinema a while ago really captivated a lot of the girls in our school."

Lin Xingjie made a rare joke.

The main event was on December 15th, when the second issue of "Popular Cinema" published an interview with the crew and personnel of the film "Love Letter".

This interview quickly became a bestseller after it was published, thanks to its stunning cover.

The photo on the cover is the most classic and heart-fluttering scene in "Love Letter".

A melancholy, slender, handsome young man, dressed in a white shirt, leaned against the window reading a book.

A cool summer afternoon breeze lifted a corner of the sheer curtains, ruffling the boy's hair, and sunlight streamed through the gap, illuminating his brown eyes.

In the other corner of the photo, a girl with a ponytail, slightly sweaty temples, and a rosy face rests her chin on her hand, holding a pen and secretly peeking at the scene.

This money contained a photo of young boys and girls in their innocent, shy, and beautiful youth, which was published.

It quickly sparked heated discussions among countless young literary enthusiasts, who claimed that this single photograph was enough to make "Love Letter" a part of world film history.

……

Before they knew it, it was 11:30 a.m., almost exactly on time, when Cheng Kaiyan came in from outside carrying a lunchbox.

"Who are you looking for? Oh! Liu Xiaoli? She's inside."

Someone pointed the way inside.

"Sister Xiaoli, I'm here."

Cheng Kaiyan caught a glimpse of a gentle girl sitting on a bench, chatting and laughing with a tall girl.

"Keep your voice down!"

Liu Xiaoli quickly noticed the gazes coming from all corners of the training hall, and hurriedly stood up and made a "shh" gesture.

Cheng Kaiyan nodded repeatedly, walked over, and asked softly, "Where are we going to eat?"

"Let's go to the cafeteria. It's almost time to get off work. Xingjie, shall we go together?"

Liu Xiaoli glanced at Lin Xingjie.

"No need, so as not to disturb you."

Lin Xingjie glanced at Cheng Kaiyan and said in a lukewarm tone.

This girl is as annoying as ever, Cheng Kaiyan thought helplessly. But since she's Xiaoli's good friend, she couldn't let things continue like this. So she smiled gently and invited, "Let's go together, Comrade Lin."

"OK then."

Lin Xingjie thought about it and agreed.

Although she disliked Cheng Kaiyan, feeling that he deserved Xiaoli to make so much sacrifice, and that he had quite a few suitors.

Just like the Popular Cinema magazine she was talking about with Liu Xiaoli.

Actually, she intentionally didn't mention the other person in the photo, Zhao Ruixue, just so as not to make Xiaoli feel uncomfortable.

But one thing is undeniable, and Lin Xingjie has to admit that Cheng Kaiyan and Liu Xiaoli are indeed in true love.

This is something she could sense from every little detail of Liu Xiaoli's daily life, from Liu Xiaoli's words, actions, and mental state.

The three of them went to the cafeteria, ate their meal, and then parted ways.

Cheng Kaiyan pushed the stroller and walked with Xiaoli towards the movie theater.

"Kaiyan, has Zhao Ruixue replied to your letter?"

On the way, my fiancée crossed her arms and suddenly asked... (End of Chapter)