The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

128.

After Li Zichun finished singing, he left, and the entire awards ceremony came to a complete end.

Yi Ziqiang, sitting in the front row, left the scene without a word, his face ashen. He couldn't understand why anyone would be so arrogant these days. They could rise to the top simply by being polite to him; would it kill a young person to bow their head?

In his opinion, this young man was not up to the task, but he had to admit his talent. He was good at both lyrics and music, had good looks, and was young. Given time, he might even become an international superstar. It was a pity.

Nevertheless, he underestimated the power of the awards ceremony.

Because Li Zichun's "Left Finger Pointing to the Moon" has completely shattered the ceiling of the entire domestic entertainment industry, stunning audiences across the country, covering television and the internet.

The announcement of the official award ceremony winners sparked widespread public debate. Li Ke's declaration of Li Zichun's departure before the ceremony concluded further fueled the controversy.

Public skepticism about the unfairness of the official judging panel's selection process, the questioning of the winners, and doubts about their own aesthetic taste in the songs have sparked heated discussions across the nation.

"Is there something wrong with my taste? Why don't I like any of the songs that the official selection chose for the awards?"

"You're not alone upstairs. I could tolerate it if it were just a regular song, but 'It's hard to be perfect in this world, but I hope we can all live long and share the beauty of the moon, even though we're thousands of miles apart' can't beat those love songs with their lyrics. Does the officialdom only consider love songs to be songs?"

"Even love songs, such as 'Love is Just One Word,' 'Love Like a Tide,' 'Love You,' and 'I Will Love You Till I Die,' are all phenomenal hits. It's a bit too biased that none of them were nominated."

"Are these two a cursed couple? They won the title of Best Singer this year, but they're still not the Best Mandarin Male Singer. This is just outrageous! Did the organizers not plan this out? Why are they contradicting themselves?"

"The lessons learned from the collapse and reorganization of the eight major entertainment companies have failed to shake the domestic entertainment industry in the slightest. It seems that the arts and culture circle is rotten to the core from top to bottom."

"It's really disheartening that even the authorities couldn't be fair in such a big event. No wonder the Moon Emperor said he was leaving the mainland entertainment industry and returning to Hong Kong. If I were in his shoes, I would have left too. Who would want to put up with this kind of bullshit here?"

"I can tolerate pop songs, but it's a bit outrageous that piano pieces weren't even nominated. 'Wedding in a Dream' and 'Butterfly Lovers' have gone international, yet they can't gain recognition domestically. Are these judges' standards sky-high? The ones they selected are all mediocre. The Chinese entertainment industry is truly unbearable to watch."

......

Public opinion and outcry grew louder and louder, with many expressing dissatisfaction with the result. However, the entire entertainment industry seemed to have agreed to remain silent. Even the winners didn't pay for press releases or post photos of themselves receiving awards on Weibo, probably because they felt they didn't deserve the honors.

Amidst a chorus of doubts and confusion, Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan, after completing their routine final interview for the program, bid farewell to Li Ke and Yan Xiaoli that very night and boarded a plane back to Kowloon.

Zhao Qianfan was still a little confused. Li Zichun had openly confessed his feelings to him amidst the clamor of the awards ceremony. He was still somewhat bewildered, but he held Li Zichun's hand tightly the whole way, afraid to let go, lest the dream suddenly end.

The two disembarked from the plane and returned to their three-story villa in Kowloon Harbour. Now, with Li Zichun's instruction and Zhao Qianfan's intervention, they had bought it as their love nest.

The two stood awkwardly in the room. Zhao Qianfan swallowed hard and hugged him tightly, whispering, "Was what you said before true?"

Li Zichun feigned ignorance and joked, "What are you talking about, is it true or false?"

Zhao Qianfan said somewhat anxiously, "It's...it's about being with me."

Li Zichun raised an eyebrow and said with a look of sudden realization, "Oh~ this? I just said we could give it a try."

Zhao Qianfan pulled him into a hug and said, "Really?"

Li Zichun was startled by this intimate gesture. She reached out and pushed him but couldn't move him. She smiled helplessly and said, "I just said I could give you a chance to pursue me. If we don't feel anything for each other after spending time together, or if you find someone you love more, you can leave at any time."

Zhao Qianfan hugged him tightly and said, "No, you are my dearest love."

Li Zichun's ears turned red, and she suddenly broke free from his embrace, saying, "I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I'm a little tired today. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."

Zhao Qianfan smiled indulgently: "Okay, I'll go prepare dinner for you."

That night, the two still shared a bed. Zhao Qianfan hugged Li Zichun tightly from behind. The heat in his body made them both a little uncomfortable. After breaking through the last barrier, something seemed to have changed.

Feeling the heat coming from behind him, Li Zichun swallowed hard and said, "Don't hug me so tightly, I can't breathe."

Zhao Qianfan's blushing face slowly relaxed a little. Li Zichun moved slightly and his body touched something indescribably hot. He was so embarrassed that he was stuck there, unable to move forward or backward.

Zhao Qianfan also felt a little embarrassed, so she moved closer to his body and said, "Don't move around. You're prone to feeling cold. You'll feel better in a bit."

Li Zichun made two barely audible "hmm" sounds without speaking, and slowly relaxed, enjoying the unique fragrance emanating from him. Before long, she fell into a comfortable sleep.

Listening to the rhythmic breathing of the person in his arms, Zhao Qianfan smiled with a touch of affection. "Well done, it looks like it's going to be another difficult night."

Li Zichun has always been a light sleeper, so Zhao Qianfan naturally didn't dare to go any further. He just awkwardly exhausted himself and fell asleep that night.

The next morning, when Li Zichun opened his eyes, he saw Zhao Qianfan's peaceful sleeping face. With such a beautiful woman lying beside him, he couldn't help but move slightly and kiss her.

Zhao Qianfan was awakened by his kiss and couldn't help but feel a little moved. She hugged him tightly and pressed him down, saying with a hint of provocation, "You're playing with fire."

Li Zichun could naturally sense his suppressed, fiery heat, but he just smiled and said, "Don't do anything rash. I'm just reminding you that it's time to get up and make breakfast."

Zhao Qianfan raised an eyebrow slightly and said with a smile, "Is that so? In that case, you'll have to use this method to wake me up from now on."

Li Zichun raised her hand and slid it from his lips to his Adam's apple, smiling as she said, "Okay."

Zhao Qianfan kissed him again and then got up to make breakfast.

Li Zichun watched him go downstairs, turned slightly, looked at her phone, and sighed, "Old Yi, how long will it take you to finish gathering all the information? I'm about to lose my health."