The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Ma Qian led Yi Ziqiang, a leader from the Propaganda Department of the Great Zhou Kingdom, over and quietly waited for them to finish recording and come out. The other staff members in the editing area who hadn't yet entered the recording studio were a little curious. At first glance, they thought the man looked familiar, but some recognized Yi Ziqiang and couldn't help but be surprised. Had these two gotten into trouble? Probably not, otherwise the police would have been there. If they hadn't committed any crimes, then it could only be an official invitation.

An official invitation at this risky juncture is either a shot in the arm or a crash.

Neither Li Zichun nor Zhao Qianfan had ever met Yi Ziqiang before and didn't know who he was. They simply glanced at him and walked away, assuming he was just a tired staff member resting there. They just wanted to get home quickly, lie down, eat a peaceful meal, and get some sleep.

Yi Ziqiang sat there looking embarrassed. Was he really that insignificant?

Fortunately, Ma Qian was waiting at the door and explained the situation to the two of them, which allowed the three of them to get together.

Inside the show's dining hall, Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan quietly savored their coffee. Yi Ziqiang, looking at the two expressionless faces, said, "I am the Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Great Zhou Kingdom. Can't you give me some face?"

Li Zichun smacked his lips twice, burped, and then slowly said, "Oh."

Zhao Qianfan raised an eyebrow, pursed his lips, and then said to Li Zichun, "It seems you have something important to discuss with me. Should I wait for you outside?"

Li Zichun looked at him, then at Yi Ziqiang, and said, "Okay. Let's go book a restaurant first; we want to have barbecue tonight."

Zhao Qianfan smiled and said, "Okay, no problem."

After saying that, he got up and left, leaving Li Zichun and Yi Ziqiang staring at each other.

Yi Ziqiang sat up straight and said with a smile, "Let's get to know each other again. Hello, I am Yi Ziqiang, the Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Great Zhou Kingdom. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Li Zichun put down his coffee and said with a smile, "Hello, I don't need to introduce myself, right? I'm sure you've investigated all my files countless times."

Yi Ziqiang's expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered and said with a smile, "Indeed, we were wrong to postpone the gold medal evaluation last time, and we admit that."

Li Zichun glanced at him sideways, but didn't reply, waiting quietly for his next move.

Seeing that he didn't reply, Yi Ziqiang smiled and said, "I hadn't met you back then. Everything was Gu Quan's idea. He hoped you could temper your youthful impetuosity, so..."

Li Zichun chuckled and said, "So you're going to set a trap to kill me?"

Yi Ziqiang frowned and said, "What's there to talk about?"

Li Zichun said with a smile, "In the past six months, I have commissioned someone to investigate the entire 'Moon Emperor's Fall' incident. If you were really interested, there shouldn't be anything you couldn't find out. But you still have such an indifferent attitude. Who would have any expectations for the Chinese entertainment industry after seeing that?"

Yi Ziqiang remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

Li Zichun paused for a moment, then continued, "Actually, you can't really blame yourself. After all, you didn't really do anything wrong. The entertainment industry is a breeding ground for troublemakers. This shortcut to glamour attracts anyone with a bit of looks and talent to try their luck. Everyone shows off their abilities and tries to win their own honor and status, which is perfectly understandable. But if you have ulterior motives and engage in capital monopolies, that's a different story."

The incident in the BL (Boys' Love) fanfiction community served as the trigger. On the surface, it seems my obsessive fan initiated the conflict, but the fact that this website has been able to maintain content for so long suggests that the administrators had already largely let go of the issue and didn't pay much attention to it. Male-male, male-female, female-female, and other literary pairings are inherently within the realm of creative freedom; people can write whatever they want. However, the intervention of capital has distorted everything.

Yi Ziqiang rubbed his temples and said, "Could there be another hidden story behind this?"

Li Zichun twitched the corners of his mouth and said with a smile, "It's not just a hidden story, it's outrageous. That entire website is one of the incubation companies under Dynasty Entertainment. The writer is one of the top-tier writers under Huating Entertainment. As for the person who acted as my 'sasaeng fan,' he was just a paparazzi who had been following me in disguise. He was an entertainment reporter from a magazine under Yixin Entertainment. The one who organized the attack and reporting on the website was Happy Storm. The one who fanned the flames was Linglong Culture, who was just watching from the sidelines. The one who made the matter escalate and get on the trending topics to attract official attention was Seagate Media. I haven't investigated what Feng's Group and Wanwanqingdiao did, but they ended up getting the copyrights to several songs, so they must have played a significant role in it."

Yi Ziqiang hesitated and said, "You found all of this by yourself?"

Li Zichun chuckled and said, "Hehe, I have no interest in these things. It's just that someone else found out and told me."

Yi Ziqiang smiled and said, "Really not your doing? The downfall of the Eight Entertainments is not something an ordinary person could do."

"What are you talking about?" Li Zichun said innocently. "How could I, a commoner, possibly bring down the Eight Great Entertainments?"

Yi Ziqiang laughed and said, "Hehe, but according to the information we found, you were behind all of this. There aren't many people in China who can take down the eight major entertainment companies at the same time in one go, at least they're not big shots, otherwise, with their informants and methods, it would be easy for them to miss it."

Li Zichun calmly sipped her coffee, listening to his reply.

Seeing that he didn't intend to respond, Yi Ziqiang didn't mind and continued with a smile: "Through the competition, I got to know and make friends with newcomers from various entertainment companies. We infiltrated and exchanged information internally. In the directing world, Zhang Xiaochuan helped me gather information; in the literary world, Xu Chengfeng provided support; in the Beijing circle, Dai Rong provided a foundation; and in the clothing market, Jin Dili competed with me. In addition, with the help and protection of Lin Ruhai, a big shot in the Hong Kong circle, and his daughter Lin Xuehua, Zhao Qianfan and Jin Dili's family wouldn't stand idly by and let go of this opportunity to expand their influence. So everything was proceeding quietly."

"Wow, you really think too highly of me." Li Zichun said with a smile, "I'm just a newcomer who hasn't been in the industry for long. How could I possibly stir up a big event involving a couple of thousand people in the entertainment industry? Every one of these people you mentioned is successful and comes from a wealthy family. How could I dare to order them around?"

Yi Ziqiang laughed and said, "If it were someone else, they naturally wouldn't have such methods, but if it were you, nothing would be possible. If capital offends you, you just overturn the table and crush their cake."

Li Zichun glanced at him with a smile and calmly said, "Haha, such a brilliant deduction, you might as well become a famous detective. Everything you just said is just your conjecture; there's no evidence to back it up. But whether there's evidence or not doesn't matter. Officials never need evidence to do things, do they?"

Yi Ziqiang laughed heartily and said, "How could that be! We have always been the most reasonable and trustworthy in our work, and we have never had a wrongful conviction."

Li Zichun took it all as a joke, clinked glasses with him, and said, "Of course, the government always acts with reason and evidence."

Bullshit! If I hadn't been so skillful in gathering all the evidence, I'd probably be nothing but bones by the time you guys made your move.

Li Zichun took a sip of coffee and said with a smile, "So, let's stop beating around the bush. What exactly did you come to see me about this time?"

Yi Ziqiang said with a smile, "This upheaval in the entertainment industry has had a huge impact, and we hope that you can take up this mantle."

Li Zichun laughed and said, "You're joking. I don't have that ability. This flag is too big. I'm afraid that if I carry it, I might lose my grip and accidentally crush someone to death."

Yi Ziqiang laughed and said softly, "Of course it can't be just you alone. It's just an invitation. All of this is on the condition that you can win the national singing competition. After all, only the most outstanding elites can be considered."

Li Zichun didn't reply, and continued drinking his coffee.

Yi Ziqiang wasn't in a hurry. He glanced at his watch and said softly, "Alright, I've said what I needed to say. The rest is up to you. I believe you'll make a smart choice. After all, the only ones who can accept the enormous capital of the eight major entertainment companies are another capital under the control of various families. Guess how they'll react if they successfully take over and stabilize the company, then investigate the whole thing and find out that you did it all? Joining the national team is your last resort."

Li Zichun smiled quietly, stood up, shook hands with him, and then finished his coffee. He had already thought of countless possibilities in his mind. He stretched and went out to meet Zhao Qianfan with a smile.

Zhao Qianfan didn't ask what happened, and Li Zichun didn't say anything either. Qitong nestled obediently in their arms, seeking affection. The two of them and the cat happily got into Ma Qian's car and returned home.

As soon as the two entered, they smelled the delicious aroma of food. Li Ke had already cooked hot pot and barbecue for them. The three of them happily ate and drank, not caring about their image or talking about work. After finishing their meal, they simply lay quietly in the garden.

Zhao Qianfan lay down for a while, but couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he got up and started cleaning up the leftover food on the table.

Li Zichun and Li Ke exchanged a glance, clapped their hands, and continued lying flat. Sure enough, family matters are something only they can't stand to watch.

Looking at him busy at work, Li Zichun smiled and said, "He really is an exceptionally good man. I wonder who will end up with him."

Li Ke rolled her eyes and said, "In the end, aren't you the one who benefits the most?"

Li Zichun touched the seven tubes in his arms and said softly, "I walk the path of ruthlessness, and mortals should not try to disturb my Dao heart."

Li Ke rolled her eyes so hard they almost flew to the sky, and shouted at Zhao Qianfan's retreating figure, "Oh dear, if that's the case, won't our little Qianfan be forced to live a life of widowhood?"

Li Zichun said expressionlessly, "Come on, with his looks, figure, and temperament, it's a miracle he's not being ripped off by those sluts. Several singers on TV were talking to him today! Fang Yujia and Qian Yuanyuan were practically glued to him, wishing they could just tell him their house number without the cameras."

After Zhao Qianfan finished tidying up, she smiled and whispered in his ear, "It's just normal interaction between singers, you're overthinking it. Are you jealous because you're paying so much attention to me?"

Li Zichun placed the seven tubes on his face as a face mask and casually said, "Why would I be jealous? I'm no one to you, so I have no right to be jealous."

Zhao Qianfan walked over and massaged his shoulders, saying, "Is that so? Then, may I give you an identity?"

Li Ke, standing nearby, exclaimed, "That's enough! Please, no more public displays of affection. I'm going back to my room to sleep."

Saying they were going back to their room was just a euphemism for hiding in a corner to quietly watch what would happen next; this kind of show doesn't happen every day. Would they approve or disapprove? How intriguing!

Li Zichun didn't make any move upon hearing this. Zhao Qianfan grabbed the pesky Qi Tong and threw it away. He then stared intently at Li Zichun, who was lying down, as if he wanted to devour him.

Li Zichun felt the warm breath getting closer and closer. If he didn't open his eyes soon, he was afraid he would be taken advantage of. But why did he feel a little expectant?

Li Zichun swallowed hard on the recliner, and after a struggle, she opened her eyes and looked at his face so close to hers, saying, "Don't you dare like me, it's illegal in China."

Zhao Qianfan cupped his face in her hands and said, "The law doesn't prohibit me from liking you."

Li Zichun sighed and said, "What you're doing is wrong. We're all men, we can't..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Qianfan kissed him, her kiss deep and simple, and then calmly said, "There's no reason why you should like someone. I've held back for so long, I don't want to pretend to be stupid anymore."

A pleasant fragrance lingered between his lips and teeth. Li Zichun licked his lips and swallowed.

It would be a lie for Zhao Qianfan to say she didn't know his feelings. They had been together for over half a year, eating and living together, and knew each other inside and out. Li Zichun wasn't a stubborn person either. Many countries in this world had passed same-sex marriage laws, and Beijing, Chengdu, and Kowloon were all very tolerant cities. He was aware of all sorts of strange couples and neither approved nor rejected them, respecting everyone's personal choices.

But when that happens to you, it's a different story.

Li Zichun's flushed face quickly returned to normal. She was about to leave this world; how could she have too many attachments? Feelings would only become stumbling blocks on her path forward. Although she had feelings for him—he came from a good family, was handsome, had a great physique, could cook, was easy to talk to, and knew how to take care of people… aside from being a little jealous and controlling, he was basically a perfect man.

Oh crap, don't fall for it, wake up! I only have less than two and a half years to live, and who knows who will be living in this body by then! Sigh~ We really can't be together.

Thinking of this, he stood up with a flushed face, swallowed hard, and said, "I'm going back to my room to wash up and go to sleep."

Seeing his blushing face, Zhao Qianfan didn't press him too hard and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll wait for your answer."