Chapter 120: You

“This is an internal performance; don’t stare at the performers—sit over by the wall. I’ll go tell Aunt Qu.”

After entering the rehearsal hall, Wen Guohua and the others, unfamiliar with the rules, upset the practicing models.

Tan Qin quickly had them sit against the wall and ran toward a middle-aged woman seated on a chair in the distance.

After sitting down, Li Ye asked quietly: “Are they all actors?”

It wasn’t surprising Li Ye was curious—actor training demands high standards; if these models were truly actors, their facial control was terrible.

They generally had decent figures and passable faces, but compared to models meticulously selected in the future, there was a big difference—height alone was insufficient.

Only a few were over 1.7 meters; most were around 1.65 meters, and standards for hip or waist measurements were nonexistent.

Bai Mingyan replied: “I heard they’re called models abroad, but here they’re called fashion performance actors.”

“Oh~~”

Li Ye understood—model was a foreign term, slightly awkward; calling them actors felt much better.

Tan Qin returned quickly, sat beside Wen Leyu, and whispered: “We can only watch for a little while—too many people came today, and Aunt Qu isn’t happy.”

Everyone had seen Tan Qin approach the middle-aged woman earlier; she clearly wasn’t pleased.

Though petty, Li Ye could understand.

When fashion modeling first appeared, newspapers actually called it a “flood and ferocious beast”; for a long time, there was no publicity or reporting—only internal viewings.

In 1979, Pierre Cardin held an internal fashion show in Shenzhou; twelve foreign models shocked the attending media.

Similarly, it sent a signal of fashion to Shanghai’s clothing industry professionals.

In 1981, Shenzhou’s first modeling team was established in Shanghai under a clothing company’s auspices, originally to better promote their own products—and it succeeded enormously.

Yet all fashion shows remained internal, attended only by clothing companies from various regions or overseas.

Models couldn’t even be called models—they had to be called actors.

Moreover, the Shanghai Theatre Academy truly spent long periods training the first models in posture and demeanor; calling them actors wasn’t wrong.

But Li Ye understood; Wen Guohua thought the woman was being stingy.

“Just let us watch for a little while? Xiao Qin, you went through so much trouble bringing us here, and now we get only a little while?”

“Wen Ge, this is internal training,” Tan Qin pouted. “Look at that woman sitting on the bench—she’s from the Textile Company, three ranks higher than you. If you’ve got that much clout, go chat her up?”

Wen Guohua smiled. “We don’t have that kind of face. So what exactly is this team?”

Tan Qin whispered: “The Textile Company commissioned the Art Academy to select and train fashion performance actors. I heard Shanghai already has a professional team; we’re still processing paperwork!”

Compared to fashion-forward Shanghai, Beijing’s atmosphere was still conservative; by 1982, Shanghai’s modeling team had been trained for a year, while Beijing was just catching on.

Watching these girls’ performances, Li Ye felt they still had a long way to go before stepping on stage.

Mainly their mindset was off—some girls nearly stumbled in their heels after Wen Guohua and Bai Mingyan stared too hard.

Wen Leyu watched the girls walking back and forth and couldn’t help asking Tan Qin: “Xiao Qin-jie, did you learn to walk in heels from them?”

“Exactly! You noticed?”

Tan Qin enthusiastically told Wen Leyu: “I used to feel awkward walking in heels, but after learning from Aunt Qu for a while, it felt completely different—this is fashion.”

Wen Leyu was clearly intrigued and whispered with Tan Qin about foot, waist, hip, and arm coordination—nonsense after nonsense.

Eventually, Li Ye couldn’t take it anymore—if Tan Qin kept misleading her, his perfect bride would be led astray.

Have you ever seen Gigi Hadid walk? The kind who earns hundreds of thousands per step?

Even her runway walk isn’t entirely suitable for everyday life.

Do models walk nicely?

In some contexts, yes.

But Wen Leyu was different from these models; the day she wore heels and walked two laps for Li Ye, he knew she’d mastered Teacher Ke’s true art.

Her casual, natural gait radiated quiet elegance effortlessly—nothing like the forced “catwalk” these girls practiced.

Tan Qin’s straightforward, tomboyish nature made her fit right in learning to walk like the models.

But Teacher Ke’s decades of guidance had already engraved grace and gentleness into Wen Leyu’s bones—now you want her to learn this bouncy strut?

Only because Tan Qin was Wen Leyu’s friend did Li Ye not spit in her face right then.

【Trading blue-and-white porcelain for glass cups—what an idiot.】

Hmm, couldn’t spit—look at the two big guys beside them; spitting at Tan Qin now would make enemies.

Li Ye tugged Wen Leyu’s sleeve; when she turned, he nodded toward Wen Guohua and Bai Mingyan.

Wen Leyu was confused—her brother looked fine.

But when she followed Wen Guohua’s gaze and saw the two men’s eyes fixed on the models’ swaying waists and legs, her face filled with disgust.

But when the girl followed Wen Guohua’s gaze and realized the two men’s attention was fixed on the models’ swaying waists and legs, her face twisted with disgust.

“Okay, let’s go!” Wen Leyu nodded happily, then squinted at Wen Guohua: “Bro, we’re leaving—coming back with us?”

“You go ahead—I’ve got to stop by night school later!”

Wen Guohua waved them off without hesitation.

Wen Leyu shot her brother a sideways glance and left the rehearsal room with Li Ye.

But after they walked several dozen meters, Li Ye pulled Wen Leyu back, tiptoeing quietly toward the door.

However, after the two walked dozens of meters, Li Ye pulled Wen Leyu back, tiptoeing quietly toward the spot.

“Shhh~”

The two little cats crept to the doorway and heard Wen Guohua say: “Hmm, this one’s good…”

“The one behind is better—taller.”

“The one behind is Liu Jingjing—still a college student! Wen Ge, shall I introduce you?”

“That girl behind us is Liu Qingqing—still a college student! Wen Ge, let me introduce you?”

“Oh, by the way, Wen Ge, don’t you think your little Yu is perfect for fashion performance?”

“Oh, by the way, Wen Ge, don’t you think our little Leyu would be perfect for fashion modeling?”

Li Ye: “Hmph hmph hmph~”

Wen Leyu stepped forward to enter, but Li Ye quickly pulled her away.

Only after leaving the company gate did Li Ye say: “They’re older than us—it’s natural, not illegal.”

Wen Leyu huffed: “I saw how they looked at you—don’t you ever do that again! Understood?”

“Understood, understood,” Li Ye mounted his bicycle, lifted Wen Leyu onto the seat, and softly said: “I’ll only look at you from now on.”

“I heard, I heard,” Li Ye said, mounting his bicycle and riding off with Wen Leyu, then softly adding: “I’ll only look at you from now on.”

The huffing Wen Leyu turned shy, silent—she clenched her fist to punch his back but couldn’t bring herself to, instead gripping his shirt tightly.

But Li Ye kept going: “Don’t listen to Tan Qin’s nonsense—you’re different from these girls; don’t learn any of that weird stuff.”

But Li Ye continued: “Don’t listen to Tan Qin’s nonsense—you’re not like those girls. Don’t pick up any of that garbage.”

Wen Leyu fell silent for several seconds, then leaned close to his ear: “Now it’s weird? Didn’t you just this morning tell me to wear heels?”

“Cough cough cough,” Li Ye coughed. “You misunderstood—I like seeing you in heels, but after learning from these girls, you won’t walk as beautifully as you do now.”

Wen Leyu blushed softly: “No, no—I thought those girls looked nice. Xiao Qin said they’re very fashionable, and they’re pretty too...”

“Come on,” Li Ye cut in. “Think carefully—compare each one to yourself. Height? Leg length? Beauty? Which one compares?”

【So in his eyes, I’m Xi Shi?】

She was confident about her height, but as for figure, she thought he was seeing her through rose-tinted glasses.

A slightly fuller figure was still the ideal standard of the era.

But Wen Leyu didn’t know how far-sighted Li Ye’s taste was.

Girls weighing eighty to ninety jin weren’t considered beautiful, right? After marriage and motherhood, they’d gain twenty jin—perfect.

At this moment, Wen Leyu was still a bit youthful, but once she matured, she’d have a long blooming period—unlike some flowers that burst brilliantly too soon, exhausting themselves and wilting quickly.

“Hehe, if you keep saying stuff like that, I’ll get too proud.”

Wen Leyu was in great spirits, swaying lightly on the seat, her long legs swinging like willow branches in spring breeze.

But Li Ye was serious: “I’m telling the truth—don’t ever change your best qualities. The way you walked in heels that day was beautiful—better than theirs.”

Wen Leyu thought Li Ye exaggerated, finally arguing: “Even if you want to praise me, don’t put down others. Xiao Qin said those actors train hard—four or five hours a day!”

“But you’ve trained for over ten years already!”

Li Ye immediately taught Wen Leyu the theory of “example and immersion.”

“You’ve spent every day with Teacher Ke—you absorbed her grace without even realizing it. Her level? Not even in the same league as those girls. Do you know the difference between palace maids and imperial consorts?”

“Of course I do—everybody in Beijing knows that.”

“Exactly. Those girls still learning to walk? They’re like new palace maids. But your mother, Teacher Ke? She’s reached the Empress’s level.”

Wen Leyu stared for several seconds, then laughed: “My mom’s the Empress? Then what am I?”

"You're the Princess!" Li Ye turned back with a smile. "But I'm just comparing—don't go acting like a princess and bullying your prince consort."

Wen Leyu stared for several seconds, then laughed: “If my mom’s an empress, what am I?”

Wen Leyu opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out.

Without realizing it, her head leaned against his back, lost in sweet reverie—even when Li Ye deliberately took a detour, riding half an hour longer, she didn’t notice.

Li Ye wasn’t in a hurry.

A beautiful flower has countless beautiful moments between bud and bloom—rushing past, even if you harvest its fruit, you miss its countless beauties.

So two young people who love each other, even if they’re patient, even in a summer night alone, affection grows—doesn’t that pure love come naturally too?

A beautiful flower, from bud to bloom, passes through countless lovely moments in haste; even if you take its fruit, you’ve missed its endless beauty.

So when two young people who like each other sit together calmly on a summer night, feelings quietly grow—doesn’t this pure love naturally come?

"Eight o'clock tomorrow morning!"

"Mm-hmm, exactly eight!"

Li Ye dropped Wen Leyu off at the courtyard gate; she skipped home like a little deer.

As soon as she entered, she found Wen Qingsheng and Teacher Ke watching TV—the 1982 version of Wu Song.

Though the production conditions of the 1982 version were limited, its quality was quite high.

The male lead had been a martial actor in a Peking Opera troupe since age fourteen, later trained in acting; every movement carried authentic power, far from the lazy, fake gestures of later generations.

Seeing her daughter return beaming, Teacher Ke smiled and asked, "Where did you go to be home so late? I thought you weren't coming back!"

Wen Leyu sat down beside Teacher Ke and said, "We were already at the gate before dark, but then—"

Wen Leyu recounted the day’s events; Wen Qingsheng and Teacher Ke paid no mind—parents of their generation wouldn’t interfere in children’s affairs.

But when she mentioned watching the models rehearse, both Teacher Ke and Wen Qingsheng took notice.

"Mom, you wouldn’t believe it—Xiao Qin said I’m suited to be a fashion model, but Li Ye said I walk better than them because I’ve been learning from you for over ten years."

Wen Leyu spoke clearly and rapidly, filling the room with words that made Teacher Ke and Wen Qingsheng delighted—their daughter was growing livelier by the day.

Wonderful.

But Wen Qingsheng sternly said, "Li Ye is right—if you ever become a fashion model, I’ll break your legs."

In 1981, China’s first fashion show was held at the Shanghai Friendship Hall; a shoulder-baring outfit sparked fierce controversy, and even then, it had to be hastily modified before the models would wear it on stage.

So to expect someone like Wen Qingsheng, of his generation, to be open-minded enough to let his daughter walk a runway? That’s a joke.

But Teacher Ke nodded approvingly: "Li Ye is right—you don’t need to deliberately learn anything. Just be yourself."

How could she not be satisfied?

Their daughter wasn’t ashamed of her looks, and she’d gone so far as to praise her own mother-in-law to the skies—where could they find such a son-in-law?

"I think Mom looks great too. Li Ye is absolutely right."

Wen Leyu grinned and agreed, then her eyes flickered as she added, "Mom, when we left, my brother was still staring, transfixed! We called him, but he wouldn’t come—he said he’d go to school later."

"."

"When he comes back, I’ll break his legs!"

"Yes, give him a good beating!"

(End of Chapter)