City of Love

Author: Eileen Chang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-03-01
Features: A pair of ordinary and mundane individuals, tossed together like dice in the chaos of war, experienced a "moment" of "genuine affection" in the midst of their lives as an "average couple." Eileen Chang exists in the history of modern Chinese literature as an outstanding writer, not as a strange or eccentric figure. Perhaps she will not only belong to the history of modern literature. Imagine decades or even centuries from now, she might occupy a stable position in the history of Chinese literature, much like the Li Qingzhao she admired. And we know that by then, many of the modern writers we are familiar with today will likely be forgotten.
Jiacheng held its first "Youthful Elegance Competition," with contestants flooding the city and causing a sensation. For a time, "beauty has a price" became a topic of widespread discussion. Business tycoons such as Xi Jie, the owner of Jiacheng Hotel, Liu Cheng, the boss of Haxing Advertising Company, and Lin Shan, the director of Mengli Fashion Factory, among others, all sought to use this "beauty pageant" to promote their businesses. Thus, a captivating story unfolded around the themes of "beauty" and "money," weaving together a battle of wits in business and a battle of the heart. The romantic and commercial worlds coexisted, revealing the diverse lives of contemporary society through the struggles of material desire, physical desire, power desire, and sexual desire, creating a strong sense of the times.