The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

113. Thank you for letting me meet you.

The director signaled that the singers backstage had finished changing and were ready to begin their performance.

Because this was a last-minute addition, all three candidates had to sing a cappella. How many people they could move depended on how much the public liked them and what the immediate feeling the song conveyed was like.

Haoyu Fenghua, dressed in simple, loose sportswear and shorts, sang their debut hit "Brave Youth." Their clean, clear voices, full of youthful passion, sounded like a pair of young people just entering society, charging forward fearlessly.

Fang Yujia wore a floral dress and sang "Kite," a song she liked but which was relatively "unpopular" with the general public. Her voice was like a gentle and melodious breeze, and she herself was like a kite held in the hands of the audience. If you listen carefully, I am right beside you.

When it was Zhao Qianfan's turn to appear, he had already changed out of his costume. He wore a white shirt with jeans, exuding a mature and abstinent aura. His prominent Adam's apple, slender hands, and subtly visible collarbone, along with the toned muscles honed through years of training, were all accentuated by the close-fitting shirt. Above him was his handsome face, somewhere between a boy and a man. Furthermore, the "red glow" that Li Zichun had given him in recent days made him even more radiant, dashing, and dashing—he was practically a walking aphrodisiac.

Zhao Qianfan chose a new song given to him by Li Zichun, a song that was originally supposed to be on his new album. He felt it suited the current atmosphere, and most importantly, he had someone he wanted to sing it to. The spotlight shone around him, and he slowly began to sing "A Little Happiness."

I heard raindrops falling on the green grass.

I heard the school bell ringing in the distance.

But I didn't hear your voice.

Call my name earnestly

I didn't understand love when I fell in love with you.

It's only when you part ways that you realize how unforgettable it is.

Why didn't I realize that meeting you was the best thing in my life?

Zhao Qianfan smiled at Li Zichun, then looked at the camera to avoid appearing deliberate.

"Perhaps they were too busy smiling and crying at the time."

Busy chasing shooting stars in the sky

People naturally forget who has been silently protecting them through wind and rain.

So you are the luck I want to keep most

It turns out we were once so close to love.

That decision to stand up to the world for me, that rain I shared with.

Every scene is filled with you, your pure and untainted heart.

I'm so lucky to have met you.

But I have lost the right to shed tears for you.

I hope that in the horizon I cannot see, you have spread your wings.

How lucky she will be to meet you.

As Zhao Qianfan sang, her voice inexplicably choked with emotion. "If I hadn't met you, I would probably still be asleep, or perhaps already dead. If you are destined to face a tribulation of love, then let me give you the grandest love and pain, even if you might hate me in the end!"

He quickly regained his composure and continued singing:

Youth is a journey full of stumbles and falls.

Possessing beauty that is only realized in hindsight

I didn't have time to thank you because you gave me courage.

Let me be myself again

Perhaps at that time...

Meeting you was destined. Oh, how lucky she will be.

Zhao Qianfan's voice seemed to be recounting the past moments of longing, yet it also carried a kind of resolute forbearance. "I will ignite the flame of love that remains by your side, build a castle of love for you, and trample down the shackles of this mortal world. I will make you love me to the point of hating me completely, and I will grant you immortality."

The audience was moved by the song, which was full of stories, and in the end, the number of votes displayed on the screen was 1883.

In the end, Zhao Qianfan emerged victorious, having secured his place on the stage with his own strength and becoming a new king.

Yi Ziqiang, the Minister of the Propaganda Department of the Great Zhou Kingdom, crowned him, and director Zhao Xiaochuan presented him with the trophy.

Amidst a sea of ​​flowers and applause, he didn't immediately ascend the throne. Instead, he stepped down and embraced Li Zichun, his eyes welling with tears as he asked, "Can you come with me?"

Li Zichun was clapping along with everyone else, thinking it was finally over. But Zhao Qianfan's actions almost made him urinate, which he had been holding in for so long.

Li Zichun nodded, letting him lead her towards the throne. Amidst the golden ribbons, flowers, and applause, the two walked towards the throne with smiles. Qitong lay on their laps, wagging her little tail proudly.

The two people and the cat slowly rose into the air with the throne, and the singing competition finally came to an end amidst cheers from the crowd.

Not long after he went up, Li Zichun threw the seven of bamboo balls into the air and quickly ran to the toilet. He finally understood why everyone ate so little and drank so little water at these competitions, parties, and banquets, even though they knew it was free. It was because when the urge came, they couldn't hold it in.

Li Zichun thought he could leave and return to Kowloon after the show ended, but he was told that he would have to participate in the awards ceremony recording two days later.

If Ma Qian and the others hadn't reminded him, he would have forgotten about this major competition held only once every five years. It wasn't just a competition, but also an official awards ceremony for the arts and culture industry. He and Zhao Qianfan had been invited, one to sing the opening song and the other to sing the closing song. He even suspected that this arrangement was to prevent them from leaving early.

He even asked Zhang Xiaochuan if this was the arrangement for the past few years. The other party looked at him strangely, but still kindly explained, "This is the convention for the National Singing King Competition. The opening performance is usually given to the Singing King, and the closing performance is given to the most anticipated Best Newcomer."

In other words, their awards were already predetermined.

Li Zichun asked again, "How long will this awards ceremony last?"

Zhang Xiaochuan thought for a moment and gave a conservative estimate: "No less than three days. The main part is the red carpet event. Each guest will walk for one to five minutes, and just taking photos and making a commemorative album for each person will take two days."

Li Zichun thought for a moment and said, "Is everything free time during the awards ceremony?"

Zhang Xiaochuan nodded and said, "Yes, apart from the formal award ceremony, participation in other events such as cocktail parties, trade fairs, and chambers of commerce is voluntary."

Li Zichun nodded thoughtfully. This was indeed the perfect opportunity to promote Li Ke. Zhao Qianfan, like himself, preferred staying at home, so let Li Ke stir up trouble.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"A Little Happiness" is a song performed by Hebe Tien, with lyrics by Hsu Shih-chen and Wu Hui-fu, and music by JerryC. It is the theme song for the movie "Our Times," released on October 21, 2015. In October 2015, the song was nominated for Best Original Film Song at the 52nd Golden Horse Awards; on December 31 of the same year, it ranked first on HitFM's "100 Best Singles of 2015." On May 13, 2016, it was nominated for Song of the Year at the 27th Golden Melody Awards, and JerryC was nominated for Best Composer for the song.