Chapter 66 Partiality Towards You

Beneath the white circular dome of the performance hall, a magnificent crystal chandelier hung, quietly illuminating the people gathered on the stage.

The tall, slender Gothic windows of the hall were inlaid with red, green, and yellow stained glass. The gentle morning sunlight filtered through these petal-patterned window panes, casting colorful, shimmering halos of light that gleamed brilliantly upon the clean marble floor.

On the stage.

After Yang Shu'an announced the vocalist for the performance, the enthusiasm among the members of the dance troupe remained unabated as they eagerly asked what the song was, whether it sounded good, and other similar questions.

"Anyway, you'll all find out at the evening gala on the fifth. Comrade Liu Xiaoli, thank you for your hard work in coming with us."

Yang Shu'an dropped these words and waved his hand.

"Understood, leader. I'll go change my clothes first."

"Alright, we'll wait for you at the theater entrance."

Liu Xiaoli watched the three figures turn and walk away through the grand doors of the performance hall, suddenly finding that tall, slender silhouette inexplicably familiar.

"Sister Xiaoli, are you going to sing today? When you come back tonight, will you sing it for us, please?" Wang Danping asked with a curious expression, tugging at Liu Xiaoli's sleeve and acting spoiled.

"Understood."

"By the way, Xiaoli, did you tell your partner? Otherwise, he might come looking for you later and worry," Xiao Caiyun reminded her.

"If Kaiyan comes, just let him know. I won't go looking for him right now since the leaders are in a hurry to record the song," Liu Xiaoli requested, looking at the three of them.

"Don't worry, we'll tell him."

The three nodded. During this period, this comrade surnamed Cheng had indeed brought them plenty of food.

Eating others' food makes one's mouth soft; taking others' gifts makes one's hands short.

They did not have a deep impression of Cheng Kaiyan, as he was, after all, a stranger they had known for less than ten days.

Yet, after interacting with him over these days, they had formed some impressions in their minds.

He was a male comrade from the capital city of Beijing, had a good relationship with Xiaoli's family, currently worked as a university teaching assistant, and was in a romantic relationship with Liu Xiaoli.

He had no major flaws, nor any particularly outstanding virtues.

If pressed to name a virtue, it would be his handsome appearance, coupled with a gentle demeanor, a constant smile on his face, and a polite, agreeable way of speaking.

Wang Danping, for instance, already thought he was wonderful.

Xiao Caiyun and Zhang Yi, however, felt that while good looks were a merit, one also needed genuine ability; otherwise, he would merely be a hollow showpiece.

"Xiaoli is probably going to make a name for herself in the literary and art circles this time... Recording a popular song is quite a rare occurrence in Jiangcheng."

Xiao Caiyun said with a hint of envy as she watched Liu Xiaoli's retreating figure.

"Yeah, ever since Brother Kaiyan arrived, Sister Xiaoli's luck has indeed been quite good. Meeting happy events always lifts one's spirits," Wang Danping said with a cheeky smile. Previously, she had always noticed a trace of melancholy lingering between Liu Xiaoli's brows. Later, ever since that comrade Cheng Kaiyan started delivering letters, that gloomy cloud had suddenly vanished.

"It's the blessing of bringing prosperity to one's partner."

Xiao Caiyun and Zhang Yi exchanged a smile. Although this comrade Cheng Kaiyan did not possess any grand talents, bringing good fortune to his partner was already considered a fine virtue.

Hu Yanzhang walked past them and, upon hearing their conversation, felt utter disdain in her heart. She thought to herself: 'What's so great about him? That fellow named Cheng is just a flashy showpiece. Professor An Shaokang is much more impressive—a great professor at Jiangcheng University is surely far superior to some mere teaching assistant! He's cultured and can even write poetry.'

"Jiangling, I'll be going ahead."

Zhou Xiaomin gave a brief notice and quickened her pace to catch up with Hu Yanzhang. "Yanzhang, I've arranged to meet Shaokang later. Make sure you dress prettily."

"Don't worry, Aunt Zhou."

...

In the dormitory, Liu Xiaoli took off her rather rustic black cotton-padded jacket and, after a moment of thought, took out several pretty outfits from the wardrobe to change into.

Once dressed, she stepped out of the dormitory and headed toward the theater entrance.

Beneath a camphor tree, Liu Xiaoli clearly saw three figures standing there, smoking and chatting.

Among them was the tall, slender man whose familiarity had lingered in her mind.

Who on earth could he be?

"Professor Tong, Leader Yang, sorry to keep you waiting. Apologies, I went to change my clothes."

Liu Xiaoli pushed away her wandering thoughts and internal puzzlement, walking up quickly with a slightly apologetic tone.

"No trouble at all, Comrade Liu Xiaoli. Our schedule is relatively tight, but we certainly have a few minutes to spare."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled and turned around. Upon seeing Liu Xiaoli's attire, his eyes lit up instantly.

She was wearing a wool sweater, layered under a gray wool-collared overcoat. Around her slender neck was tied a vibrant crimson scarf, creating a striking contrast between the white woolen sweater and the red scarf.

On her lower body, she wore loose black cotton trousers; it appeared she likely had woolen thermal leggings underneath. Though she was dressed warmly, her tall and graceful figure prevented the outfit from looking bulky.

On her feet, she wore a pair of snow boots, adequately keeping out the cold.

The girl stood bathed in the sunlight, giving Cheng Kaiyan the distinct impression of a female student stepping straight out of a Japanese pure-love film from the seventies or eighties.

"Kaiyan? Why is it you! No wonder I thought you looked so familiar!"

Liu Xiaoli's dark, beautiful eyes widened, her delicate and pretty face etched with sheer astonishment.

Discerning and intelligent, Liu Xiaoli instantly understood why the recruiters had come all the way to the dance troupe to find a vocalist instead of heading to the neighboring vocal music ensemble.

It turned out to be entirely because of this fellow!

Yet Liu Xiaoli found it difficult to fathom why Cheng Kaiyan had become entangled in this matter, and how he had managed to persuade Professor Tong from the Hubei Institute of Arts as well as Leader Yang...

Try as she might, no answer came to mind, so...

She blinked her charming, expressive eyes, looked toward her partner, and asked curiously, "Kaiyan, what is all this about?"

"Sister Xiaoli, it's like this. Do you remember the poem *Xiao Fang* written by Song Jingming in the first volume of *Fragrant Grass*?"

"Of course! Xiao Fang's story was so tragic..." The girl nodded vigorously.

"Actually, it's not just a poem. It's also a song—a song that can actually be sung. Because of that, when the editor-in-chief and the director discussed how to promote *Fragrant Grass*, I wondered if we could record *Xiao Fang* and broadcast it on the radio. We hit it off immediately, and we also have Leader Yang to thank for his broad-mindedness and progressive thinking."

"Um... So that's how it is. Did you want me to sing it?"

Liu Xiaoli blinked, looking at the fellow before her.

"Yes, my song can only be sung by you, Comrade Liu Xiaoli. Let's go."

Cheng Kaiyan extended his fair, clean hand, opening his palm wide right in front of Liu Xiaoli, and smiled.

*Whoosh—*

Hearing those words, Liu Xiaoli's face flushed crimson in an instant.

A gorgeous rosy blush spread from the girl's warm, full chest, up her slender, fair swan-like neck, across her delicate cheeks, and all the way to her two jade-like earlobes.

At that moment, the girl's heart felt as though it had been gently brushed by a searing flame.

She felt the fluttering heart within her chest contract abruptly, and in an instant, that sensation washed over her entire body like a tidal wave, causing goosebumps to erupt across her skin.

Is this what being favored feels like?

A thought flashed through Liu Xiaoli's mind. Then, lowering her gaze, she placed her hand upon Cheng Kaiyan's warm, broad palm. Following the lines of his palm, the smooth skin, and the slender bones of his fingers, she slowly slid upward, her small hand timidly pressing flush against his large one, as if measuring the size of their hands together.