The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

143. In the end, they are all actors trapped in blank spaces.

Li Zichun's magnetic and melancholic voice brought many people to tears. The helplessness and loneliness in relationships were hidden in this song "Blank Space," and the powerless questioning of relationships led to the self-comforting words, "Separation may be a choice, but it may also be our destiny."

After all, there is no such thing as a relationship in this world that requires separation to fulfill each other. If there is, then it is a "karmic entanglement".

Li Zichun's sorrowful expression made it seem as if he had truly lost his love; the grief and acceptance in his singing couldn't be faked.

Li Zichun was simply projecting Zhao Qianfan's feelings onto the situation. Like the lyrics say, love between two people should be shared, but in all the time he'd spent with Zhao Qianfan—taking him to the orphanage, to see his mother, and walking such a long road together—Zhao Qianfan had never told him about her family, and it seemed she had no intention of facing it with him.

Li Zichun felt that there was always an invisible wall between them, and even when they slept together, she could not touch the real him.

We're all grown up now, so he won't actively ask questions. He tries not to overthink it, not to put each other in a difficult position, and not to pursue that vague and elusive answer.

He loved this man, who could disappear at any moment, day after day. He loved him as if every day were his last, and remained as clear-headed as if he were always ready to accept separation.

After Li Zichun finished singing, he closed his eyes, opened them, and immediately composed himself, bowing slightly as he left the stage. He was temporarily in the lead with 653 votes, winning the first round.

Zheng Conghu was waiting in the audience. He gave him a hug and said with a smile, "You sang so well. Even my cameraman was moved to tears by your singing."

Li Zichun said with a smile, "You sang quite well, you just misjudged the occasion."

Zheng Conghu shook his head: "It's a fact that I couldn't win everyone over, and there's nothing wrong with admitting that."

Li Zichun said with a smile, "It's just one match. We'll keep working hard in the next round."

The next contestants all gave it their all. Zhang Fenglin defeated Haoyu Fenghua with a score of 736, and Yuan Chengzhi defeated Du Zihua with a score of 556...

After a match, the contrast between the strong and the weak is more or less obvious.

Although the scores from the two rounds are added together, the second round will actually be very tough given the large point difference in the first round.

The first round of the second season has come to a temporary end. The next round will be a real direct elimination round.

Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan returned to their residence. As soon as they entered, Zhao Qianfan hugged Li Zichun from behind. Neither of them spoke, and they just stood there in a daze.

After a long while, Li Zichun felt a little itchy from the breath that rubbed against his neck and nose, coupled with the pleasant fragrance on his body, and let out a long sigh of comfort, saying with a faint smile, "Man, you're playing with fire."

After saying that, he turned around abruptly, grabbed Zhao Qianfan by the collar, and quickly headed towards the bedroom.

Another sleepless night.

Another morning I can't wake up.

-----------(Fill in the blank yourself)

The two of them didn't recover until the afternoon of the next day. Li Zichun didn't ask for much, and Zhao Qianfan also felt relaxed. She reached out and pulled him into her arms, whispering, "Come with me somewhere tonight."

Li Zichun turned around in confusion, looked into his affectionate eyes, and said with a smile, "Okay."

After saying that, he greedily inhaled the scent emanating from him, and despite knowing what was about to happen, he still smiled and fell asleep.

When evening came, Li Zichun changed his clothes and, led by Zhao Qianfan, took a cable car to the nearby mountaintop. The restaurant manager then led the two to a table next to the viewing platform.

The twinkling colored lights, the beautiful concerto, and the flickering candlelight as waiters served one delicious dish after another—Li Zichun raised an eyebrow and quietly smiled as he watched Zhao Qianfan. The romantic atmosphere and the alluring night scene showed that they had put in a lot of effort to book this place.

After the meal, Li Zichun patted his bulging belly, looked at the lights of thousands of homes below the mountain, and hummed a little tune with satisfaction.

Zhao Qianfan chuckled and playfully pinched his nose, then said with a smile, "You drank a bit too much, I'm going to the bathroom first, don't wander off."

Li Zichun burped and said nonchalantly, "Okay, go ahead."

Li Zichun stretched and moved around a bit. She walked slowly on the observation deck, gently touching the railing. For the first time, she felt that this alternate world wasn't so bad. Although it was unfamiliar, it was good that her loved ones were all around her. She even felt a little reluctant and nostalgic.

Zhao Qianfan came back and hugged him from behind, laughing as she said, "What are you thinking about? Why are you standing there like that?"

Li Zichun was a little startled by his sudden action and said with a smile, "Be careful outside."

Zhao Qianfan chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder, saying, "This restaurant is my mother's private property, given to me when I was nineteen. Everyone here is trustworthy, and no one dares to say anything."

Li Zichun rolled her eyes, chuckled, and gently nudged him with her head, saying, "You still need to behave properly and not go too far."

Zhao Qianfan pouted and said, "I know, you busybody."

Just as Li Zichun was about to reprimand him, a string of shimmering balloons slowly rose from outside the railing. The balloons stopped at a certain height, and there was a glowing basket at the bottom. Qi Tong sat inside, with an exquisite box next to him. He had a gilded red document in his mouth.

Seeing Li Zichun's stunned expression, Zhao Qianfan chuckled and pinched his cheek. Then, she took a small box and a red document from the basket and handed them to him with a smile. As soon as he opened it, Zhao Qianfan began to read aloud with a smile: "Two families unite in marriage, a covenant is made in this hall, a blessed union is forever bound, a perfect match is made. This marriage certificate is presented to the Heavenly Court above and to the Underworld below. It is reported to all the saints and communicated to the Three Realms, with all the ancestral masters of the heavens as witnesses. Heaven and earth bear witness, the sun and moon are of one heart. To betray you in the future is to deceive Heaven. If you betray me, you will be going against the will of Heaven. The crime of deceiving Heaven will result in being removed from the Three Realms, death, and eternal damnation, with no hope of reincarnation."

Li Zichun had heard of this Taoist marriage book before, but he didn't expect it to exist in this alternate world. Although the wording had changed slightly, the overall meaning remained the same, leaving him both shocked and somewhat panicked.

The gold-embossed vermilion characters shimmered on the paper, and below them was Zhao Qianfan's signature, just waiting for him to sign and stamp it.

Li Zichun felt a little dizzy for a moment, as if he were being watched by the world or someone far away. His palms trembled slightly as he reached out and slowly stroked each word on the marriage certificate. The certificate felt warm and pulsating in his hand.

Li Zichun swallowed hard, looking at Zhao Qianfan who was smiling broadly but looking at him with trepidation. He knelt down and held up the small box in his hand, which turned out to be two string rings.

On the mountaintop, where the lights flickered, a person with bright, beautiful eyes was staring at him expectantly. Li Zichun couldn't help but be captivated, becoming somewhat mesmerized by the sight.

In Li Zichun's world, such things had rarely happened, let alone being proposed to by a man. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. A cool breeze blew by, and the stray hairs on his forehead danced in front of his eyes, as if everything was shrouded in a dreamlike illusion of light and shadow.

His brain was still racing, processing everything before him, when Zhao Qianfan got up, took one of the rings, strung it together, and tied it around his neck. She smiled and said, "You don't need to give me an answer right now. You can think about it slowly. I have a lifetime to wait for your answer."

After saying that, Zhao Qianfan raised an eyebrow, held up the small box in front of him, and said, "It's your turn to put it on me, hmm?"

Li Zichun couldn't remember what expression she had on her face as she did all this. She was led around by Zhao Qianfan and was still in a daze when she got home.

Zhao Qianfan pressed him against the wall, rubbed his nose against his nose, and said with a smile, "Still daydreaming."

As he was speaking, because their bodies were so close, the matching rings on their necks stuck together, and with the ropes tilting slightly backward, they looked like two rings that were tied together.

Li Zichun was somewhat surprised; what kind of operation was this?

Zhao Qianfan explained with a smile, "This is the latest magnetic black technology. It reacts according to a person's heartbeat frequency. If you are still attracted to me, then they will stick together."

Upon hearing this, Li Zichun seemed to realize something, but was also a little embarrassed and annoyed. She blushed and pushed him away, saying, "Hmph, I'm not attracted to you at all."

Zhao Qianfan rolled her eyes, pursed her lips, and said with a smile, "Yes, yes, you don't. It's me who's smitten with you."

Upon hearing this, Li Zichun's ears turned red, and he grumbled as he went back to his room. Zhao Qianfan followed behind him with a grin, entering the room as well.

As the saying goes, "The wine is finished, the guests have dispersed, and under the shade of flowers, red candles dimly illuminate the silk curtains. In the mandarin duck quilt, two lovers face each other." Pearls are soaked in silver threads, and red chrysanthemums bloom...

This night was different from the previous one, when she "dared not speak loudly and frowned secretly," but instead "gently plucked and slowly twisted, stroking and picking," sighing softly day and night, "the lamp dim as if in a dream, the moon sinking low."

Over the course of several days, although Zhao Qianfan did not obtain the Taoist marriage certificate he desired, the natural bodily reactions of a person cannot lie. Li Zichun's high level of cooperation made him extremely excited and overjoyed.

On the day of the competition, Zhao Qianfan reluctantly got up to prepare for the match under Li Zichun's gentle persuasion.

Although the two have been going crazy this week, they still make time to practice their vocals every day and keep each other accountable.

Before leaving, Li Zichun repeatedly warned him not to show off in front of others or let his eyes wander, before he reluctantly got into the production crew's car. The two arrived at the venue and waited for the competition to begin.

Director Zhang Xiaochuan was delighted to see the two of them arrive and went over for a chat. Zheng Conghu, Jiang Yiyi, Li Jiawei, and others also joined the conversation. They were all old acquaintances, and since that "Investiture of the Gods" variety show, they had built an extraordinary friendship. Just thinking about the time they spent eating, sleeping, and practicing singing and dancing together still brings them warmth.

Du Zihua listened from the side and felt a little envious. This kind of friendship, forged through shared struggles, is truly rare in the entertainment industry.

Once everyone had arrived, the competition began quickly.

The order of appearance is the same as the previous round, but for the sake of fairness, the order of appearance within the same group has been reversed, with the higher-scoring performer singing first and the lower-scoring performer following.

Zhao Qianfan's order changed to second (upper), and he sang "The Actor" by Xue Zhiqian:

Keep it simple. Keep your speech simple. Please omit the gradual progression of emotions.

You're not an actor, don't devise those scenarios.

I have no objections. I just want to see how you're going to smooth things over.

Your sadness is too superficial, like an actor without talent; the audience can see it at a glance.

I should cooperate with you in the performance, but I will turn a blind eye

Forcing the person who loves you most to perform an impromptu act

When did we start to lower our standards?

Adapting to the changing times and watching those clumsy performances

But you loved me so much, why did you do this? (performance details)

What should I become to slow down this boredom?

It turns out that the real test comes when love lets down its guard.

I have no objection. I'll do whatever you want.

Your acting skills are limited, and you don't need to give a speech, so the breakup will be more uneventful.

I should play along and pretend I don't see it. Don't force the person who loves you most to improvise.

When did we lose all sense of decency?

By passively following others' lies, one doesn't appear pitiful.

But you loved me so much, why did you do this? (Performance details: What should I become to fit the role?)

It turns out that all those things that happen when love lets down its guard have an expiration date.

Actually, I was the only audience member.

I could tell you were a little reluctant to part.

The scene is used to our back-and-forth arguing, so what's there to fuss about?

Actually, it's not necessarily true that they can't be separated.

The worst thing about a relationship is dragging it out.

As the scenes became more intense, I found myself unable to cry anymore. Was it still worthwhile?

I'm doing my best to cooperate with your performance.

Like the guests on relationship talk shows who can be chosen by the audience.

If you can still see the side of me that loves you.

Please cut out those scenes so I can look presentable.

But you loved me so much, why did you act out the details? Your indifference was my final performance. It was because I loved you that I chose to act—this kind of selflessness.

"The Actor" uses simple words to continue the deep and sad story. The lyrics are from the perspective of a boy to a girl: since you no longer love her, you should express it openly.

Zhao Qianfan's singing style offers richer and more nuanced portrayal of inner emotions. In this love story with Li Zichun, he seemed to take it all quite seriously as he acted out the role.

After Zhao Qianfan finished singing, he was somewhat confused. His feelings for Li Zichun were naturally different from any love in the world, but he could not express them directly. At least before he got through this emotional ordeal, he could not tell him the truth, otherwise everything would be in vain.

In his love affair with Li Zichun, he experienced the joy of being human for the first time. He had to admit that he was moved and even began to envy ordinary people.

Soon it was Li Jiawei's turn to compete. This time, without Li Zichun's new song to help her, she sang an old song, the same one Li Zichun had given her that made Zhou Hui famous: "The distant bells echo in the rain / We hold hands under the eaves and listen / We imagine the wedding in the church / It's held to bless us..."

Li Zichun listened calmly. Her voice was no longer as clear and tender as when she first debuted. Instead, it carried a hint of bitterness from a difficult love life, as if she were recalling a promise she made to her lover, both intimate and melancholic.

Love is nothing more than a sweet and romantic fantasy.

PS: Data is from the internet.

《演员》是由薛之谦作词、作曲，郑伟、张宝宇编曲，薛之谦演唱的一首歌曲，收录在2015年5月20日薛之谦发行的EP《绅士》和2016年薛之谦发行的专辑《初学者》中。该曲2015年6月23日在全球中文音乐榜上榜夺得冠军。