The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Li Zichun harbored some resentment, but he didn't say anything.

Zhao Qianfan didn't ask any questions, assuming he was just being childish, and quietly listened to the last song on the album "Four Seasons," titled "Four Seasons for You."

I send you the wind of March, the rain of June, and the scenery of September.

Let me spend the rest of my life thinking about you.

It was just like the first time we met, yet memories are spreading.

Like a dessert at night, even my dreams become sweet.

I'm willing to give up all my youthful impetuosity for you.

Stop caring about so-called wandering or distant places.

I just want to sing this love song slowly by your side.

I send you the wind of March, the rain of June, and the scenery of September.

Snowflakes fall heavily, becoming your wedding dress, how beautiful.

Sending you my love in every dream and every awakening, a lasting companionship.

Let me spend the rest of my life thinking about you.

......

If time is merciless, and we grow old, we will gradually forget everything.

I will engrave your name in my heart, because you are the only one in my life.

After finishing the song, Li Zichun's mind was already elsewhere.

He suddenly felt a sense of deception and manipulation from another world. Friendship, family, and even the love before him all seemed like a meticulously planned scam.

If it's understandable that Huating Entertainment didn't want to give up its shares and instead joined forces with the eight major entertainment companies to target itself, then the fact that the director of the welfare home is its own mother is a bit out of line. And then there's this man in front of it who's always clinging to it, saying he loves it, but actually doesn't care about it and only has two and a half years to live. It's just absurd.

When a normal person hears that their loved one doesn't have much time left to live, they should feel confused, shocked, or concerned. But he seemed to have known all along, as if it were a pre-programmed routine, his mission being to win him over.

Li Zichun's mind raced. Could all of this be part of the Underworld's scheme? To immerse himself in it, to numb his actions with emotions, and to deliver a powerful emotional blow when necessary.

He felt like everything around him was fake. He looked at Zhao Qianfan's face and pinched it hard. How could such a perfect man exist? No one is perfect; everyone has flaws and weaknesses. The legendary Four Beauties each had their flaws: Xi Shi had a heart condition, Wang Zhaojun had sloping shoulders, Diao Chan had small ears, and Yang Guifei had body odor. As for the Four Handsome Men, Pan An was talented and handsome but lacked character, Song Yu was an official but didn't understand politics, Wei Jie was physically weak and mentally unstable, and Lanling Wang was heroic but had a loose tongue.

Everything in the world is fair, just, and in accordance with the law; no one is perfect.

Zhao Qianfan winced in pain as he pinched her, saying, "What's wrong? It hurts."

Li Zichun snapped out of his daze and said with a smile, "It's nothing, I just wanted to mess with your face a little."

Zhao Qianfan raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Then do whatever you want. I'm all yours, you can do whatever you want with me."

Li Zichun narrowed his eyes, staring at him so intently that it made him uneasy, and said in a somewhat perverse tone, "Then I won't hold back."

Seeing his strange expression, Zhao Qianfan swallowed hard and said, "What... do you... want to do...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Zichun grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the bed. This time, however, Zhao Qianfan was the one lying on the bed, and Li Zichun took the initiative, tying him up and securing him to the bed.

Zhao Qianfan looked surprised and chuckled, "Wow, you're going all in?"

Li Zichun said with a light smile, "What? Is it not allowed? Or are you not going to listen to me?"

Zhao Qianfan didn't dare to argue and obediently shut up.

The next three days were equally frustrating; Li Zichun kept him up until he couldn't get out of bed.

On the fourth day, after Li Zichun had completely vented his emotions, he composed himself, got dressed, glanced at the bed, snorted, looked at Zhao Qianfan on the bed, and slowly said, "Heh, a useless piece of trash."

Zhao Qianfan was speechless with bitterness, his whole body aching. He really couldn't understand what he had done to offend him; he hadn't done anything wrong.

He himself did not expect Li Zichun to be so troublesome. When his hands and feet were untied, he felt as if his whole body was about to fall apart. God knows how he got through the past three days. He felt that his lower body was no longer his own.

Beauty and charm, captivating the soul and bringing unparalleled pleasure, are indeed wonderful. However, if this continues repeatedly, exceeding the limits of human endurance, it becomes an unbearable burden.

Zhao Qianfan tossed and turned in bed for two days before he finally came to his senses. He felt like he couldn't take it anymore. The dark circles under his eyes and his somewhat listless eyes seemed to be accusing him of excessive indulgence over the past few days.

Li Zichun naturally wouldn't kill him, but simply waited quietly for his confession. However, after waiting and waiting, Zhao Qianfan seemed to have no intention of speaking, and Li Zichun couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

Sigh... Did I misplace my trust?

Li Zichun thought this way, but continued to live her life as usual, only she was no longer as intimate and affectionate with him as before.

Although Zhao Qianfan found it strange, he felt both relieved and disappointed. He couldn't quite explain his thoughts, as if the person he was holding in his arms was not really thinking about him.

Li Zichun took some time to call Jin Dili in Beijing, asking her to investigate Li Ke's situation. Li Ke, this unpredictable variable, was giving him a major headache. Last time, during the national singing competition preliminary rounds, Li Ke had given someone else the song he had prepared for him. Now that he was the studio owner, Li Ke was causing trouble, deviating from the agreed-upon plan, which was very frustrating. He needed to know if this was Li Ke's own decision or Yan Xiaoli's instigation and arrangement.

Jin Dili naturally nodded in agreement. This man who kills without shedding blood, who knows what he's plotting now? Doesn't he even trust his own people?

Several days passed, and Li Zichun received neither Zhao Qianfan's explanation nor Jin Dili's reply. Instead, he received a call from his mentor, Lü Fang, inviting him back to the school to participate in the graduation ceremony performance.

Li Zichun glanced at the calendar; time really flies, and June was already here. It had been almost a year since she'd come to this world. After thinking it over, Li Zichun agreed to return to the school for the performance, considering it a favor to the school for protecting her privacy and controlling online comments, and also to boost the school's exposure, making student recruitment easier.

Li Zichun, wearing a mask and carrying a cat carrier, strolled through the campus, followed by Zhao Qianfan, who wore sunglasses to hide his weak dark circles. It was graduation season again.

He was greeted by Wang Xiaofang again, a refreshing campus girl.

Wang Xiaofang chatted with him casually. Because his piano recital was a great success last time, James and his students were all completely subdued, and their arrogance and aloofness disappeared. In the end, she was the one who was chosen as the student for the government-sponsored program.

She asked her teacher and learned that the spot wasn't originally meant for her; it was recommended by Li Zichun, who hoped she would study hard and make something of herself as soon as possible. She was deeply grateful. Her family background made it impossible for her to have such an opportunity to study abroad. She might have spent her whole life as a piano teacher in China. If it weren't for Li Zichun's efforts, she probably wouldn't have even caught the eye of the leaders, even with her connections.

Li Zichun said with a smile, "It's alright. Class monitor, your playing level is already very high, and your learning ability is also super strong. It's only a matter of time before you stand out. I'm just going with the flow."

Knowing he disliked beating around the bush, Wang Xiaofang said directly, "Anyway, thank you anyway. If you need my help in the future, just give me a call and I promise I won't refuse. Just come to me."

Li Zichun smiled and nodded: "Then it's a deal."

Wang Xiaofang smiled and nodded: "Yes, although I know that you basically don't need me given your qualifications, I won't forget you."

Li Zichun nodded indifferently and said, "Okay, I got it. Remember to work hard when you go abroad next semester. I'll be waiting to receive your concert invitation."

The two chatted back and forth, while Zhao Qianfan stood by, looking frustrated, unable to get a word in edgewise. He was, after all, the King of Singers, so how could he not be interested in him at all?

As graduation approaches, the school is filled with students taking graduation photos. Hearing that a celebrity will be performing at the graduation ceremony, everyone is excited.

Since the school hasn't announced who came, everyone is guessing, and we'll find out tomorrow night. Those in the know are incredibly excited, wishing they could provide 24/7 personal service to the two of them.

After settling in, it was already evening. The performance wouldn't start until the afternoon of the next day, so the two of them took advantage of the darkness and wandered around the school at will.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar campus, and then at the man beside her who was also full of secrets, Li Zichun thought, "How interesting."

Zhao Qianfan brought up a few topics, but Li Zichun responded with indifferent "uh-huh," "oh," or "I see," followed by a long silence.

The summer evening breeze on campus is languid; in the groves, couples whisper sweet nothings as they prepare to part; under the lakeside lights, graduate students memorize vocabulary; groups of friends chat about the day's events; restless youths play basketball shirtless, sweating profusely; the library remains eerily quiet, with a few diligent students sitting sparsely; in the dark corners of the corridors, couples steal kisses; and occasionally, people jog by on the narrow paths, stirring up a salty breeze...

That's probably what university life is like: the same place, the same youth, different choices, which ultimately create all sorts of people.

Li Zichun walked through it quietly, as if in another world.

The two were a little tired from walking, so they casually found a step to sit on. They didn't know where Qitong had gone; it was probably flirting with some female cat nearby again. Anyway, it would come back when they whistled on their way back, so they didn't bother with it much.

Li Zichun stared at Zhao Qianfan's handsome face with its distinct features under the dim streetlights, feeling momentarily dazed.

In recent days, Li Zichun has stopped worrying about Zhao Qianfan's secret. He suddenly remembered a line from "Grandma Rat" in "Big Fish & Begonia": "Don't assume you'll spend your life with someone else. Just be yourself and let fate take you wherever it takes you. If Heaven is just, it won't separate lovers; if Heaven is cruel, then people should follow its will."

His decision to date Zhao Qianfan was impulsive, and it would be excessive to dwell on these trivial matters for the remaining two years. The outcome of their relationship was predictable, and he was unlikely to give up his chance at immortality for her; why be overly fixated?

After thinking it through, Li Zichun let out a long sigh and said with a light laugh, "I'm sorry, I went a bit too far the other day."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qianfan blushed, coughed a few times, and said softly, "Yes, it was a bit excessive, but it was also because I was useless."

Seeing his shy expression, Li Zichun smiled and said, "Well, have you recovered now?"

Zhao Qianfan patted his chest and said, "Of course, the recovery is fantastic."

Li Zichun rolled her eyes and just stared at him without saying a word.

Zhao Qianfan felt a little uneasy under his gaze, and said with a slight glint in her eyes, "We have a performance tomorrow, so be a little more restrained."

Li Zichun was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "I know, I won't do that again, lest your legs go weak and you can't stand up as soon as you get on stage, that would be so embarrassing. But I'll still charge a little interest."

Zhao Qianfan frowned and said softly, "Interest?"

Li Zichun took his hand and followed his memory to a dark corner, where she hugged his head and kissed him.

The two were like travelers hidden in the darkness, doing things that couldn't be seen in the light of day in the abyss.

Another night passed, and the two slept soundly in each other's arms until noon the next day. After lunch, they went to the school stadium to prepare.

The students who were attending the ceremony, who had nothing else to do, screamed so loudly when they saw the two of them enter that they almost lost their voices. After a series of calls from classmates and friends, the entire campus soon became abuzz with excitement.

The arrival of the newly crowned singing champion nearly caused the entire stadium to burst into flames. Media personnel, having received the news, also rushed over, and the school, not daring to offend these eloquent media outlets, began urgently arranging seating.

The venue was packed to capacity, causing a sensation online. Even before the show started, there were already 70,000 to 80,000 people waiting in the campus live stream. At this time of year, the only entertainment group in China with this level of viewership and buzz is the "Seven Returnees from Overseas".

Because of their more than a month of lying low, the news on the entire internet has basically been about those seven people showing off over and over again, endlessly.

Despite having virtually no substantial work, it's been hyped up like a major conference.

For the past month, the seven returned overseas students have been arguing fiercely, sometimes cooperating and sometimes fighting, but on the surface, they still maintain a peaceful facade. Li Zichun sometimes notices the news about them on his phone; each of them smiles with hidden daggers, their eyes full of calculation, their desires and ambitions beginning to show on their faces, which he finds very distasteful.

After the school's usual speeches and introductions, and some encouragement, it was time for the graduation performance.

The two, as special guests from the left and right sides, made a dazzling appearance under the arrangement of Wang Xiaofang, and the crowd was in an uproar, as noisy as a concert.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Four Seasons for You" is a song with lyrics by Yan Shiba, music by Zheng Bingbing, arrangement by Liu Shenghua, and sung by Cheng Xiang. It was released as a single on December 19, 2020.