The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Li Zichun transferred between the subway and two buses before finally finding the branch of "Youjian Detective Agency" in an old building in the suburbs of Beijing.

As always, a male and a female doorman led the way. Li Zichun asked their names out of curiosity. After their introduction, he learned that the doormen of the branch offices all over the world are called "Duan Sheng" and "Qiusuo," which is said to be a rule set by the first president.

After paying the fees, Qiu Suo led him to Yi Zhichun's private office.

The room was still filled with the pleasant scent of sandalwood. Yi Zhichun was typing away behind a pile of documents on his computer, his features delicate, his face as white as paper, as if he hadn't seen sunlight in a long time. Seeing him arrive, she gestured for him to sit down and talk.

Li Zichun waited for a while, secretly surveying the entire room, and had a strange feeling of time rewinding. Because every plant, every tree, every book, and every ornament in the room was exactly the same as when he first saw it in Kowloon Port.

After being busy for a while, Yi Zhichun finally came to his senses, let out a long breath, and silently recited, "Li Zichun, Delta number 276, right?"

Li Zichun nodded, took out a pair of cards from his wallet, and placed them perfectly on the corresponding button on the table.

When a case is successfully commissioned, a matching token is given as a gift. The detective agency and the client each keep half of it. It can be used as proof of identity or as proof for someone else to collect the investigation results later.

After verifying that everything was correct, Yi Zhichun took out a red folder and a blue folder from the bookshelf behind him and handed them to him. Before he opened them, she said, "The red one is Zhao Qianfan's investigation results, and the blue one is Li Ke's. Because the red file is a special file, you can only look at it here. How much you can remember depends on yourself."

Li Zichun took the document and began to browse through it slowly. Yi Zhichun didn't rush him, but simply brought him a dessert, a plate of fruit, and a drink and placed them on the table, indicating that he should take his time reading. Then he went back to typing on the computer.

Li Zichun first looked at Li Ke's file and was immediately amazed. Every turning point from birth to the present was recorded in it, from personal information such as name, age, hobbies, and talents, to growth and learning experiences such as primary school, junior high school, high school, and university, to work experience such as which jobs he has held, which companies he has worked for, and where he has performed, as well as personal private information such as past relationships and health conditions. All the data was clear at a glance.

The important thing is that this data is not made up, because each one has pictures and identity as references, pictures from childhood to adulthood, group photos from school days, group photos in the studio, photos with your partner, etc., you could say they know you better than you know yourself.

The data is astonishing, because the detective agency's use of the images is so flawless that it neither violates personal privacy nor is it overly offensive; they truly have people firmly under their control.

Li Zichun even saw a photo of the three of them having a barbecue on a rooftop in Kowloon Harbour, which was practically a record of a person's entire life.

Li Zichun read very slowly, going through all the information about Li Ke up to this point, and then filtering out the useful information and recording it in his mind.

Next up is the mysterious red file about Zhao Qianfan.

Li Zichun opened the file and began to look through it. The first page was a family kinship and power tree diagram of Zhao Qianfan, which clearly marked his location.

Li Zichun now understood why it was red. Only a prominent family, a large clan with a clear lineage and many talented individuals, could use a chart to illustrate family relationships. And this first page was a folded scroll that could be opened and closed!

This was the first time Li Zichun had ever heard of the phrase "investigating your ancestors for eighteen generations." The Zhao family had produced emperors in their lineage, and even after the change of dynasties, many members had entered politics, some even rising to the position of prime minister. There were also many businessmen, many of whom were local tycoons. In this diversified era, things have become even more interesting. This large family of a thousand people even includes many scientists, medical experts, national athletes, and so on.

Li Zichun was completely stunned. It was truly a family with a long tradition of learning and a wealth of talent. Of course, he couldn't possibly remember all their faces; that would be too much of a task. He only briefly learned about their direct relatives before moving on to their personal information from childhood to adulthood.

Li Zichun savored her dessert and sipped her drink, slowly observing. "Wow, she was so cute as a child, a soft and cuddly little dumpling, I just want to take a bite!" she thought. "She was already so cool and stylish in middle school! She won so many awards in college, that's impressive! And after graduating, she joined Dynasty Entertainment and found a boyfriend..."

Wait, you've started dating someone?

Li Zichun flipped directly to the corresponding page, and sure enough, it was him. The boy who looked eight-tenths like him, Li Xiuyuan, whom he had encountered on his way home after dinner at Qianzhen Pavilion last time.

In the photo, Zhao Qianfan smiles brightly, her right arm around Li Xiuyuan, who is making a "?" gesture towards the camera. Behind them are the Eiffel Tower and romantic scenery, suggesting a long-lasting relationship...

Li Zichun felt as if he had been punched hard for no reason. He took a deep breath and closed the file.

Yi Zhichun glanced at him from the side but didn't urge him; he just continued typing.

Li Zichun was a little at a loss, so he decided to take a break. He slowly finished his dessert, drank his beverage, and finally ate the fruit with a toothpick. After calming down, he started looking at the file again from the beginning.

He forced himself to remain absolutely calm and detached, so that he could analyze the data seriously and objectively. He read through a file more than a dozen times before finally finishing it, and the last page had the detective agency's annotation: "Unknown, unclear."

Li Zichun found it a bit strange that there was such a slogan, and looked at Yi Zhichun, who was typing away, with a puzzled expression.

After Yi Zhichun finished typing, he smiled and replied in a break, "That's our president's annotation. Only she and the members of the elders' council know its specific meaning. No one else has the right to ask."

Li Zichun reviewed the file again, and only after confirming that he had a good grasp of the important information did he slowly hand it back.

Yi Zhichun smiled and looked at him: "You've memorized them all?"

Li Zichun didn't understand what he meant, but he still nodded and said, "More or less. We know what we should know, and we also know what we shouldn't know."

Yi Zhichun took the folder, opened it, and tossed the pages into the metal basin in the corner, saying with a smile, "Then you've completed this order."

Li Zichun was puzzled, but then he saw Yi Zhichun strike a match and say with a smile, "The money and goods are settled. Welcome to come again."

After saying that, he threw the match into the iron basin. The burning match was quickly ignited by the paper until only a handful of ash remained. In the end, only a handful of ash remained in the entire iron basin. Yi Zhichun pressed a button, and the ash drifted out into the vegetable garden through the garbage pipe, as if the document had never existed.

Yi Zhichun looked at Li Zichun, who seemed puzzled, and said, "The information in the red folder can only be used once. Once it's known to one person, if they want to see it again, they need to be commissioned again. This is because everyone's information and life are unique, so our analysis and investigation of these people needs to be done again each time, checking for omissions and filling in gaps. It cannot be reused. Maintaining the authenticity and irreplaceability of each case is the obligation of our Youjian Detective Agency."

Li Zichun was now convinced and smiled, extending his hand to say, "Thank you, I hope we can work together again sometime."

Yi Zhichun smiled and shook his hand, then asked the doorman Qiu Suo to take him to the bus stop.

When Li Zichun arrived at the bus station, he was still numb. He had just received too much information and hadn't finished processing it yet.

A person boarded, got off, transferred buses, and finally arrived at a lakeside square, where they sat quietly to rest for a while.

His mind was still filled with information about Zhao Qianfan: born into a prestigious family, with six siblings, he was the face of the family, highly capable, and had been in relationships...

He's now in a state of confusion because his ex, Li Xiuyuan, looks so much like him. Does he love Li Xiuyuan through his own eyes, or does he love the person who looks like him? It's a good question that's hard to laugh at. The former is heartbreaking, the latter is frustrating.

This report also resolved one of his own questions: his innate fragrance. Like his sister Luo Feiyu, he was born with a natural, smooth, and sweet scent that had an intoxicating and inviting quality, like milk soothing the heart, making everyone who approached him feel joy and want to possess him. Therefore, the two had always been very close from childhood.

Because the two sisters entered the entertainment industry and both have exquisite and elegant appearances, they are often referred to as "fragrant beauties" and "enchanting princes".

So, that impulsive kiss wasn't out of instinct, but rather I was seduced by the fragrance?!

Li Zichun quickly composed herself and went through all the events since she met him. After understanding them, it was as if she had seen her own feelings clearly.

Yes, I don't like him.

After figuring this out, Li Zichun felt as if she had lost something, but also a sense of relief. She decided to remain friends. The survey results also made Li Zichun realize that only by understanding herself could she rebuild her life; only by being better than her past self could she have a promising future; and pleasing herself was the best form of self-discipline.

True growth is living according to your own desires, not thinking according to life's expectations. Li Zichun doesn't want to be in a relationship right now; she just wants to pass the three-year test as soon as possible. She'll leave everything else to fate.

After figuring this out, Li Zichun felt relieved and his mood improved considerably.

The lakeside wasn't far from his lodgings, so he decided to walk back by himself.

As he was walking happily, he was suddenly stopped by a young girl in a school uniform. He glanced at her school badge—oh wow, she's from Tsinghua University! Pretty impressive. After a brief exchange, the three learned it was a random live street interview. Li Zichun, thinking about how difficult their lives were, agreed to the interview, leading to the following conversation.

"Hi sir, do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend is fine too."

"nothing."

"Then what do you like?"

I don't like any of them. I walk the path of ruthlessness.

"Um, were you hurt before?"

"No, I just don't want to talk about it."

"What message would you like to give to people who are dating or planning to get married?"

"If you want to get married, then get married; if you want to stay single, then stay single. In the end, you'll all regret it anyway. There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what you want, and the other is getting it."

"Such profound words, did you come up with them yourself?"

"No, it was my teacher who said it."

"May I ask what you do for a living?"

"A street performer."

"Could you play us one of your own songs?"

"Okay."

"Isn't this just walking into a trap? As for songs, well, that's just something I can improvise." After thinking for a moment, Li Zichun took the small pink microphone she handed him and said with a smile, "Your microphone is quite cute. Is there any song you'd like to hear?"

The little girl smiled and said, "We're still students. Have you ever written a song about your student days? Just give us any one."

Li Zichun laughed heartily. Even though they were wearing masks, the young girl was completely captivated by him. The photographer next to her couldn't help but cough a few times and whispered, "Mind your manners, you're conducting an interview!"

The comments section was filled with laughter: "This guy is so handsome! I wonder where he's busking; I want to go see him."

Li Zichun thought for a moment, then picked up the small microphone and softly sang a classic song from his student days, "My Deskmate":

Will you remember what you wrote in your diary yesterday tomorrow?

Will you still think of the you who used to cry the most tomorrow?

The teachers can no longer recall you, and you can't guess the question.

I only remembered you, my deskmate, when I happened to be flipping through photos.

Who married you, so sentimental? Who read your diary?

Who styled your long hair? Who made your wedding dress?

You used to be so careful, asking me to borrow half an eraser.

You once casually mentioned that you liked being with me.

Back then, the sky was always so blue, and the days always seemed to pass too slowly.

You always said graduation was a long way off, but in the blink of an eye, we're all going our separate ways.

Who will encounter you when you're sentimental? Who will comfort you when you're prone to crying?

Who read the letter I wrote to you? Who threw it into the wind?

Those days are gone, and I will have my wife soon.

I also show her photos and tell her about my deskmate.

Who married you, so sentimental? / Who comforted you when you cried? / Who styled your long hair? / Who made your wedding dress?

La...la...la...la...la...la...la...la..."

PS: Data is from the internet.

《同桌的你》是老狼1994年演唱的一首歌曲，由高晓松作词、作曲、编曲。收录于1994年4月2日发行的专辑《校园民谣1》中。1995年，这首歌曲获得1995年中央电视台春节联欢晚会“观众评选最喜爱节目金奖”。2010年，“华语金曲奖”30年经典评选于12月12日广州影音展揭晓，《同桌的你》入选“30年30歌”。