The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

129.

Li Zichun wasn't opposed to being with Zhao Qianfan, but he was a little confused. There were some issues he needed to fully understand before he could make a decision and draw his final conclusion.

The reason I agreed to date Zhao Qianfan now is just to test the waters.

This probing was based on both curiosity about him and a form of self-exploration. He was curious about Zhao Qianfan's inexplicable obedience to his demands and his unwavering loyalty to him for the past six months since they first met.

This sudden show of goodwill had always made him feel panicked, panicked by his own sense of entitlement and his indifference. He was unaccustomed to this pervasive infiltration and acceptance.

Thinking about it carefully, they had known each other for half a year, and she could say she knew almost nothing about him. All her knowledge came from Yi Zhichun's investigation report. Where he came from, where he lived, what he liked to eat, what quirks or hobbies he had, etc., he never said, and she felt she had never cared.

Li Zichun took his efforts for granted, and this growing sense of dependence made him feel a little attached to this world, which was something he could not accept.

He must understand everything necessary before he becomes completely dependent on the other person, whether being with him stems from genuine affection or is merely a pretense and experimentation with a different kind of feeling.

Li Zichun has feelings for Zhao Qianfan, but these feelings are not enough for him to completely give himself to her.

But Zhao Qianfan treated him differently. From the beginning, she believed in him and accompanied him. Even now, after he became the King of Singers, she still stayed by his side. This kind of unconditional kindness is what he fears.

What made him even more uneasy was what Luo Feiyu had said to him in the backstage dressing room: "Did he tell you that you were his destined one?"

He has never believed in fate. He believes that as long as you work hard enough and scheme enough, you can always defy fate and change your destiny.

But he feared that Zhao Qianfan was blindly kind to him because he believed this pointless prophecy, which wouldn't make sense. Because this kindness could be directed at himself, or at anyone else.

If the kindness you give me is something anyone can feel, then I'd rather not have it.

After taking a leisurely shower, Li Zichun went downstairs to have breakfast. The table was full of his favorite foods, showing that he had put a lot of thought into it.

Zhao Qianfan stared blankly at him eating. Li Zichun pretended not to see it, only saying a few words to him. Seeing him respond with a shameless grin, he shut up and ate his breakfast by himself.

Ever since Li Zichun said he would give him a chance, Zhao Qianfan seemed to become very enthusiastic, wishing he could stay by his side 24/7 and give him his whole heart.

Li Zichun was almost consumed by Zhao Qianfan's fiery passion, nearly succumbing to it several times. Coupled with the fragrance emanating from Zhao Qianfan, he almost gave himself to her. Each time, he would drink some yogurt, ice water, or other frozen products to cool down, and signal Zhao Qianfan to stay away from him.

Zhao Qianfan was very obedient, staying quietly within his sight and never disturbing him.

Li Zichun turned a blind eye to his persistent, clingy behavior. He thought he might as well just give in to him and not have to suffer so much. He hadn't even had a chance to release himself since he came to this sub-world.

Li Zichun knew he wouldn't last more than a few days before he was spoiled rotten. A life where everything is done for you is too easy to corrupt.

Li Zichun was thinking of taking advantage of his current popularity as a singing champion to find him some jobs, but this guy's reply almost made him swoon: "Wherever you go, I'll go. I'll follow you."

Li Zichun shut up completely, letting him take advantage of her, as long as she held her chrysanthemum gate, everything would be fine.

Just as he was thinking this, Yi Zhichun finally called.

To prevent Zhao Qianfan from following him, he only said that he had made an appointment with an important person and had to go out, and asked him to go to the tax bureau and other places to handle company affairs.

After a flirtatious exchange of coy reluctance with Zhao Qianfan, Li Zichun finally snapped and berated him, making him obediently leave to run errands. Only after confirming that Zhao Qianfan had left did Li Zichun feel at ease enough to dress up and disguise himself. He patted Qi Tong's head twice, and Qi Tong followed him out the door, trotting along happily.

Li Zichun and Yi Zhichun met at a coffee shop in Kowloon Harbour. After a brief exchange, they got straight to the point.

The investigation into the figure in the flower market made progress. After close-up shots from various cameras, Li Zichun realized that it wasn't the person she had been longing for, and she was relieved.

The second report was about himself. It included some basic information about his original self, a recording of his old classmate Wang Xiaofang greeting him before the piano recital at Rongcheng University, and instructions from Lü Fang and Lou Yideng to their students. The gist of it all was that he was a boy who liked men!

The further he read, the more shocking the information became. Holy crap, the original owner of this body was quite the player... The original owner of this body wasn't exactly clean either. The reason he worked himself to death, giving him an opportunity to enter the body, was simply because the wealthy businessman he was keeping had grown tired of him. Frustrated and still clinging to him, the businessman, seeing his weakness, didn't take him seriously and sent some thugs to teach him a lesson. He accidentally injured his brain, initially thinking it was nothing serious, but he couldn't withstand it and died within days.

He happened to travel through time just as he left, which can be described as a resurrection.

Now everything seems to make sense. The reason Huating Entertainment abandoned its meteoric rise and joined forces with Eight Entertainments to stage the "Moon Emperor's Fall" incident is probably because they discovered these things. How far can an artist with a tainted background go? Giving up is understandable.

If they knew these things, the authorities could naturally investigate the matter thoroughly, and the subsequent postponement of the gold medal evaluation must have been influenced by this incident.

The headaches, fatigue, and constant urge to sleep that I experience from time to time are probably lingering effects from that experience.

Why hasn't anyone spread this story around? It's probably because they've been using the "golden duo" marketing gimmick of pairing up with Zhao Qianfan, making it hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Moreover, the school leaders and teachers have already refuted and clarified the matter, asking the students to keep quiet. After all, their school has finally produced a big star, so how could they not care?

Even though the media reported that their relationship was inappropriate, the fans only became more enthusiastic about shipping them. Who wouldn't be thrilled if their favorite couple became a reality? And they're such a good-looking pair, how could they not take a few more glances?

As for what happened next, it was simple. Those wealthy families had naturally done their research on them, and their situation was clear at a glance. How much of a threat could a man who liked men pose? This childless fellow was so talented and could make money for them, so playing with him wasn't a big deal.

Li Zichun's heart was churning with emotions, but he still calmly finished reading all the documents. He stroked Qi Tong's head and looked at it several times. After understanding all the information, he said a few words to Yi Zhichun, paid the money, and left.

It's always better to have fewer of these kinds of investigations; the more you know, the less happy you become.

Li Zichun was filled with thoughts. Now he understood why he had different feelings for Zhao Qianfan. It turned out that he was attracted to her.

So, is his feeling for Zhao Qianfan a primal, instinctive attraction to his body? Or is it a deep, soul-deep joy he feels for this relationship? Li Zichun is a little confused himself now.

Could it be that I was born with a liking for this kind of "abnormal love"?

Although this sub-world is progressing every day, the law still does not approve of such things, and many countries and regions can even directly imprison or even execute such individuals.

Although the Great Zhou Kingdom did not explicitly prohibit it, the general public turned a blind eye. As long as such things didn't happen to their own families, they didn't care what they did.

Li Zichun couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Chengdu was indeed a well-known capital city. He had randomly transmigrated here and never expected to run into a little egg-shaped juju.

Ugh, this is so frustrating!

Li Zichun was walking aimlessly down the street with Qitong on his hand. Because both he and Qitong were wearing masks and hats, no one recognized him. The man and the cat strolled around with an air of indifference, seemingly oblivious to everyone around them.

On Qitong Road, if a dog approaches and starts barking at it, it will swat it with its paw and continue walking without looking back, even as the dog whimpers in a pitiful way.

As Li Zichun followed Qitong, he suddenly ran to a public bench in the roadside square and lay down, not wanting to walk anymore. Li Zichun was also a little tired from walking, so the two of them sat there, watching the crowds coming and going in the square, quietly lost in thought.

The square was teeming with people, and various street performances were constantly taking place, including singers.

The singer was a young man in his early twenties, with a handsome face, but his voice was just average. He sang "Watching Over the Wheat Field," a song he had previously given to Li Ke: "...etched in my heart, I return with peace of mind; not that I have nothing, but having deeply loved someone, can a day be worth a year..."

The young man sang one song after another, each classic line flowing from his lips:

"...How can one, when at a disadvantage, not resort to cunning, but instead show reverence and test your laws, making even a nightmare seem beautiful..."

"...I have made you happy, and you have made me infatuated / You are already in my heart, there's no need to ask who I remember anymore..."

"...Though the road may be rugged, I fear not the trials; I wish to experience both pain and joy in life, letting happiness and sorrow swirl around me. I'll admire the snow in the wind, the flowers in the mist, and let joy resonate within me. Let go of worries, and appreciate the beauty around you every day. I firmly believe that beautiful scenery and wonderful moments are right at my feet..."

......

One song after another, though the tunes were consistently off-key and out of tune, Li Zichun listened with a thoughtful air. These songs inexplicably resonated with his current state of mind. If he couldn't live his remaining three years in this world to the fullest, then what was the point of his relentless pursuit of immortality?

If you don't even dare to pursue what you like, then why waste time on people you don't like?

As Li Zichun pondered, it seemed he had made up his mind, and he picked up Qi Tong and began to kiss and suck on her passionately.

"...Even if a thousand songs drift far away on my path in the future, even if a thousand stars shine brighter than tonight's moon, none of them can compare to the beauty of this night, nor can they make me appreciate it more..."

As Li Zichun listened, he got up and walked home. Life is a long journey, but it's all just a beautiful dream. It's enough to have the chance to accompany each other for a while.

He carried the seven bamboo tubes, humming the song "A Chinese Ghost Story" as he walked home:

Life's journey is long, like a beautiful dream; along the way, wind and frost batter the face.

In this mortal world, how many directions can beautiful dreams take?

Searching for the beloved in my dreamlike heart, the road stretches endlessly before me.

Life is a dream and a longing; in the dream, there is a faint glimmer of tears.

Where to go, where to find the direction in my heart?

The wind seemed to sigh softly in a dream; the road and people were lost and indistinct.

The road of life, a happy young man, is rugged, rugged and devoid of sunshine.

How many directions can happiness take amidst the mud and dust?

A wisp of dreamlike wind and rain, the road stretches endlessly before us...

As the theme song for the movie "A Chinese Ghost Story", this song composed by James Wong fully utilizes the characteristics of classical style. The babbling brook in the forest and the sound of zither and flute playing in the building are perfectly matched with Leslie Cheung's singing. It can be said that the song has achieved a melodious tune and a profound artistic conception.

Li Zichun's song wasn't sung casually; he just suddenly had a change of heart.

Fuxi and Nuwa were not only siblings but also husband and wife; Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen, this giant python, were able to sleep until they became immortals; Ning Caichen was able to fall in love with Nie Xiaoqian, who was a ghost...

Love itself triumphs over differences in status, race, and even the distinction between human and ghost...

Life is short, so why shouldn't Zhao Qianfan and I give it a try?

Li Zichun led Qi Tong home, and Zhao Qianfan had already sent a message asking where he was.

As soon as Li Zichun entered the door, he casually tossed the Seven Bamboos into the yard, opened his arms and gave Zhao Qianfan a bear hug, then showered him with kisses until Zhao Qianfan was completely bewildered.

What's going on? He's become so wild after just one trip? Although Zhao Qianfan was full of questions, she still cooperated and kissed him passionately, almost being pulled onto the bed by him.

They kissed for a while before they came to their senses. Li Zichun calmed her passionate heart and feverish body, and said to him breathlessly, "Zhao Qianfan, if I only had three years to live, would you still love me?"

Qi Tong listened expressionlessly from the side, looking at them with disdain. These two scoundrels were acting like it was a matter of life and death. They'd broken up and gotten back together countless times, and this wasn't the first time they'd been together. Every time they met, they had to put on this show. It was really annoying.

Zhao Qianfan was taken aback by his words, then smiled and kissed his forehead, saying gently, "It doesn't matter if it's been a few years. Meeting you in this life is my greatest fortune."

PS: Data is from the internet.

"A Chinese Ghost Story" (also known as "The Road is Long and Boundless") is the theme song of the 1987 film of the same name, starring Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong. The lyrics and music were written by James Wong, arranged by Dai Lemin, and sung by Leslie Cheung. The song exists in both Cantonese and Mandarin versions. The Cantonese version was included on Leslie Cheung's Cantonese album *Summer Romance*, released on August 21, 1987; the Mandarin version was included on his Mandarin album *Refuse to Play Again*, released on March 7, 1988. In 1988, the song was nominated for Best Original Film Song at the 7th Hong Kong Film Awards. In 2011, the song was selected as the end credits song for the 2011 film adaptation of the same name, starring Liu Yifei and Louis Koo.