Chapter 10: Huh? My Fiancée Is a Celestial Mother?

"Well, I won't beat around the bush. I'm here for one main reason today: to deliver some letters."

Jiang Ting glanced at the two people in the room, her tone somewhat detached. She didn't know much about her sister Jiang Wan's letter, but as for her niece's, she had a rough idea. As Liu Xiaoli's aunt, Jiang Ting kept in close contact with her, and they both shared the same opinion on this arranged marriage—they were against it.

What era was this, anyway? Still sticking to the old ways of arranged marriage? It was nothing but feudal thinking. Furthermore, after seeing Cheng Kaiyan, Jiang Ting didn't think he was worthy of her niece. Liu Xiaoli was only twenty, yet she was already a first-tier artistic assistant and the star performer of the Jiangcheng Song and Dance Theater. Becoming a national-level dancer was practically a certainty for her. And if she got married, wouldn't she have to abandon her artistic career in Jiangcheng and move to Beijing?

Jiang Ting knew her niece well. Beneath that gentle and intellectual exterior lay a stubborn, calm, and highly ambitious young woman. If she were forced to abandon the dance career she had poured her heart and soul into since the age of six to marry a man she didn't like, it would be the end of her! That was why Jiang Ting fully supported her niece's decision and had volunteered to come and handle the cancellation of the engagement. It had to be settled today.

With that in mind, Jiang Ting took two letters from her handbag and placed them on a stool nearby. Why had she offered to find Cheng Kaiyan a job at the beginning? It was just bait. After all, with Liu Xiaoli wanting to break the engagement, Jiang Ting was on the front line and expected to be scolded quite harshly.

"You can take a look, Sister Yuxiu. I'm going to step out with Kaiyan for a moment. There’s also a letter from Xiaoli for him," Jiang Ting said, pushing one of the letters forward before rising from her seat.

Xu Yuxiu didn't suspect a thing. "Go on then, go with your aunt. Xiaoli is such an excellent girl."

...

Cheng Kaiyan and Jiang Ting stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind them. The courtyard was empty; it was cold, and everyone was huddled inside for warmth. The desolate sky was dim, looking as if it might rain soon. A gust of wind blew, ruffling the short, chin-length hair by Jiang Ting's ears. She took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts, and turned to look down at Cheng Kaiyan, saying calmly, "Actually, I am here today to dissolve your engagement."

"Oh, I see," Cheng Kaiyan nodded, signaling that he understood.

"Huh?" Jiang Ting couldn't help but raise her voice, staring at him. "Why aren't you the least bit surprised?"

"Why would I be? Our families haven't been in touch for years; I had already guessed it. Besides, Comrade Liu Xiaoli and I have never met, let alone developed any feelings. Who knows what kind of woman she is? What if she’s ugly, uneducated, and has a terrible temper?"

Cheng Kaiyan leaned against a pillar and shrugged. He had never really cared about this childhood engagement. He wasn't particularly eager to get married, either; there were so many beautiful women out there—a vast number in China, a great many in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and countless in Japan... Why should he hang himself from a single tree? He was a bit unique in that regard; he was quite the enthusiast for beauty.

"???" Jiang Ting clenched her fists. This man was technically agreeing with her, but why did his words feel so irritating? How dare he call Xiaoli ugly?

"Our Xiaoli is not ugly at all! She loves literature and she certainly doesn't have a bad temper!" Jiang Ting pointed at Cheng Kaiyan’s nose, her voice cold. She then began rummaging through her bag, looking for a photo.

"Why? Do you want me to throw a tantrum, threaten to die, or shout, 'Don't bully a young man for being poor'? That would cost extra, you know." Cheng Kaiyan touched his chin, then said thoughtfully, "I assume the job you mentioned earlier is a form of compensation?"

"You're a young man, aren't you? But what you said makes sense; after all, you’ve never met. This job is indeed compensation. If you agree to break off the engagement, I will arrange it for you in a few days. But you cannot tell Sister Yuxiu or my sister right now—they wouldn't be able to handle it. Wait a few years, then tell them you fell for someone else. Don't drag Xiaoli into it."

"You really are a..." Cheng Kaiyan stopped mid-sentence. He shouldn't just blurt things out, and even though this woman was shameless, he was still counting on her for that job.

"What did you say?" Jiang Ting asked, finally finding the photo and looking up.

"Nothing. Is that the photo? Let me see." Cheng Kaiyan reached out curiously. Even though the engagement was being broken, he was quite curious about what his fiancée looked like.

"No! You have to agree to the breakup first!" Jiang Ting pulled back, looking wary.

"Fine, fine, I agree to break off the engagement." Cheng Kaiyan scoffed. He had seen countless beauties in his time; he looked at hundreds of them every day.

"Here, and take this letter too. You can't back out now, so don't get too distracted by it." Jiang Ting handed him the photo and the letter, thinking to herself that this kid had been staring at her earlier, and he clearly wasn't a gentleman.

"This is..." Cheng Kaiyan took the photo and examined it closely. A tall, slender girl in a white ballet costume was captured in the middle of a pirouette, her swan-like neck arched gracefully. The face looked somewhat familiar. Suddenly, a figure flashed through his mind, and his eyes widened in shock.

*What?* This... isn't this Auntie Liu, the mother of the 'Celestial'? Liu Xiaoli... so it was this Liu Xiaoli, the one who worked at the Jiangcheng Song and Dance Theater and was from Harbin...

*Holy crap!* It's 1979, and my fiancée is the mother of the 'Celestial'?

Jiang Ting watched his shocked expression, assuming he was stunned by her niece's beauty, and smiled triumphantly. "Well? Our Xiaoli is a great beauty, isn't she?"

Cheng Kaiyan’s tone was complicated. "Yes, yes, yes. I was blind." Well, forget it; a twisted melon is never sweet.

...

After Jiang Ting finished handling the engagement dissolution and went inside to chat with Xu Yuxiu, Cheng Kaiyan returned to his room to read the letter.

*[Dear Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, greetings! On this quiet night, I am writing to you with a heavy but honest heart. I hope you will read this patiently and understand the struggle and decision within me. Our engagement was arranged by our parents when we were young and had never met; it was a beautiful wish from our elders for our future happiness... I know that we have never had the chance to truly know each other, let alone cultivate deep feelings. I firmly believe that marriage is one of the most important decisions in life; it requires mutual effort and commitment from both sides...]*

Cheng Kaiyan nodded with a sigh. The lines were filled with the girl's sincerity and apology. In fact, he thought she didn't need to be so apologetic; arranged marriages were what they were, and it was normal for educated youth to reject them. Since Comrade Liu Xiaoli felt this way, he would simply accept the breakup.

He continued reading.

*[Therefore, I have made a difficult but necessary decision—we must re-evaluate this relationship that has yet to begin. If possible, I would like to propose an agreement. Over the next year, I hope we can write to each other every week to get to know one another. If we cannot develop feelings for each other within the year, we shall go our separate ways...]*

"??? She wants to try and build a relationship?"

Cheng Kaiyan pondered the meaning of the letter and glanced outside at Jiang Ting, who was chatting happily with his mother. *Auntie, it's not that I'm breaking our agreement; it's Sister Xiaoli who requested this herself. I'm just a little curious—if we ever had a daughter, would she look like the little 'Celestial'? I'm just satisfying my curiosity, definitely not breaking my promise!*