The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

146. The Storm Is Coming

Looking at the cat carrier in Li Zichun's arms, Jia Hui finally couldn't resist his curiosity and asked, "Why do you take this cat everywhere you go? Is there anything special about it?"

Li Zichun laughed and woke up Qitong, patting its head and saying, "Alright, I'm talking to you, wake up."

Qitong stared blankly at the three of them, meowed a few times, and then went back to sleep, grumbling.

Jia Hui laughed at the sight and patted the cat's head, saying, "Hehe, this is really funny."

Li Zichun said angrily, "If this cat hadn't been so eager to go to the bar and drink, I wouldn't have been stuck half a street in a traffic jam."

Liu Wancun, who was in front, was completely bewildered and asked in confusion, "Can cats drink alcohol?"

Li Zichun nodded and said, "Now you know what's so special about it, right? This fat cat loves to eat, loves to sleep, and holds grudges. You two absolutely mustn't say anything bad about it, or it will scratch your car in the middle of the night and get other cats to throw dead mice at your doorstep..."

Jia Hui frowned and interrupted, "So, is this cat the king of cats in the neighborhood?"

Li Zichun nodded and snorted, "Who says otherwise? He's practically the king of cats."

Jia Hui clicked his tongue twice: "It's true that people of a certain kind raise cats of a certain kind."

Liu Wancun said with a smile, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Won't it disturb your singing practice if the two of us go to your place?"

"Hehe, a song is just a song, whether you practice it or not, it's all the same," Li Zichun said nonchalantly. "It's good that you're here, so take a look and see where it needs improvement."

Jia Hui looked at him with a smile and joked, "Aren't you afraid that we'll listen to the lyrics and leak them out? Then the new song will become an old song."

Li Zichun said nonchalantly, "You guys aren't like that. Besides, even if it gets out, it's no big deal. We can just change the song."

The three chatted happily and arrived home quickly.

Jia Hui and Liu Wancun marveled at the mansion before them. This was their first time entering such a high-end place. Before, they had only waited for them to come out at the entrance. Now, they were stunned by the artificial hills, fountains, and gardens. This kind of landscaped community was truly an eye-opener.

Jia Hui swallowed hard and looked at Li Zichun cautiously, asking, "Did you buy this?"

Li Zichun shook his head and said, "I would like to buy it, but I guess you can't buy a house like this even if you have the money. This is a vacant house in Zhao Qianfan's house, and I'm just staying here temporarily."

Looking at his confident manner, Liu Wancun asked in a low voice, "Won't he be angry that you brought us here so openly?"

Li Zichun almost rolled her eyes when she heard this. How could this sound so tacky? But she still smiled and said, "No, if he dares to get angry, I'll just move out. It's not like I can't afford to rent a place."

Jia Hui and Liu Wancun exchanged a glance without speaking. With Li Zichun's current financial strength, he could buy a house anywhere, but there was no need. It would be better to rent a house or stay in a hotel.

Only Zhao Qianfan and Li Zichun live in the house now, but they have everything they need for food and drink. There is also a vegetable garden and fruit trees in the back, making everything convenient.

Zhao Qianfan hadn't returned yet, so only the three of them were left.

Rather than saying Li Zichun invited Jia Hui and Liu Wancun over, it would be more accurate to say they were keeping him company. When Zhao Qianfan returned in the evening, he was surprised to see the two of them, but after seeing the table full of snacks, fruit, and leftovers, he understood. After a while, Li Zichun cooked, and the four of them ate and chatted together until evening before being sent home.

However, what they didn't know was that what they considered a gathering of friends was not what outsiders perceived it to be.

The next day, a whole bunch of trending topics suddenly appeared in the entertainment news.

Because of the commotion he caused in the cultural and creative district yesterday, which is still trending online, and with the spread of the video of him singing a cappella in the bar, his popularity is soaring.

Finally, it's worth mentioning the photos and videos of him being grabbed and run away on the pedestrian street, as well as the photos of the three of them returning to the villa together. Soon, Jia Hui and Liu Wancun were completely exposed, with nothing left to hide.

Rumors about the four people in the group were rampant.

The story of the Moon Emperor and those men and women.

A life of insatiable desires

Two or three things that must be mentioned

Secret training that no one knows

......

Because of Zhao Qianfan's meeting with Yuan Zi'an yesterday, there have been more trending topics about Zhao Qianfan on social media.

Life is getting worse and worse

Both sides are in a cold war and have found new lovers.

情变

In-depth communication before the match

......

When Li Zichun woke up in Zhao Qianfan's arms at midday, the news had already spread across the entire internet with an unstoppable momentum.

Many people messaged him asking if the story was true or false, telling him not to take it to heart. Li Zichun was initially too lazy to pay attention, but after thinking about it, he replied on his official account, "It's all rumors." Just when they were about to take a break, things were just getting interesting.

A few hours later that evening, the whistleblower released a video showing Zhao Qianfan proposing to Li Zichun on a mountaintop and kissing her. This exposure caused the internet to go viral, and the system was so congested that it crashed. It was a huge uproar.

Even the two of them, no matter how stupid, could see that this was a premeditated, organized, and targeted attack on the entertainment industry.

Many people forwarded the message and waited for Li Zichun and Zhao Qianfan's reply. At this moment, Li Zichun quietly looked at Zhao Qianfan, waiting for his answer.

Zhao Qianfan was also bewildered. Although the video footage was blurry, considering the two people's clothing and itinerary that day, as well as the surveillance video at the foot of the mountain, it was still clear that it was the two of them. It was impossible for a video to be leaked from his restaurant. He carefully examined the video posted online.

Judging from the distance and clarity of the video, it was likely filmed on a mountaintop several kilometers away on the opposite side.

The two sat facing each other in silence. Li Zichun looked at Zhao Qianfan quietly for a long time before slowly saying, "Let's end it here."

Zhao Qianfan stood up excitedly from the sofa and said, "Why? No...!"

Seeing his excited reaction, Li Zichun was actually quite gratified. If he had agreed silently, she would have felt heartbroken. Nevertheless, her remaining rationality told her that she couldn't hold Zhao Qianfan, the king of singers, back down.

After careful consideration, he finally decided to sacrifice the pawn to save the king.

The implications of this matter extend beyond a simple love story between two men; it involves a third party. From the outside, Zhao Qianfan is nominally Jin Dili's husband, Zhao Jinmai's father, the Jin family's son-in-law, and one of the heirs to the Zhao Group...

As a married man, the fact that he is having an affair with another man could threaten his life and the lives of those close to both of them.

Love is never just a matter between two people, but a matter between two families.

Those who are unrelated to this incident are simply innocent victims.

For example, Jia Hui and Liu Wancun, who were unjustly dragged into the conflict because they saved him from the crowd out of a moment of kindness, were already suffering from public opinion and various pessimistic emotions. Li Zichun felt deeply sorry for this.

He also called Jin Dili and Zhao Jinmai, who hadn't done anything but were suddenly affected, to explain the situation.

There were many other people affected as well, and Li Zichun called each of them to explain and apologize. He understood all too well the impact this kind of thing could have on people.

Although this era is open, it is fundamentally impossible to achieve complete acceptance.

Although many countries have agreed to and passed same-sex marriage laws, this sexual orientation is still subject to much criticism in this era, especially in traditional and historically rich East Asian countries.

Even a superstar like Leslie Cheung, after falling in love with Daffy Tong and considering him his true love, faced a barrage of public scrutiny and criticism following their decision to go public with their relationship. The criticism was largely negative, even containing insults. If it had only targeted Leslie Cheung personally, perhaps he wouldn't have gone to such extremes; however, unfortunately, he saw how this public scrutiny disrupted the normal life of his beloved Daffy Tong. Therefore, he felt that the criticism they faced and the impact on Daffy Tong's daily life were his own fault. Under this self-doubt, his depression worsened, leading to increasingly suicidal thoughts.

Li Zichun didn't want the two of them to reach this point of no return, nor did she want Zhao Qianfan to get hurt because of it. She just hugged him tightly and said with a smile, "Accompany me to record a song."

Zhao Qianfan didn't know what he was planning, but she smiled and agreed, saying that as long as they didn't separate, anything was fine.

The two arrived at the recording studio, and under Li Zichun's guidance, they recorded and released the song "Rumors" by Vivian Chow and Lin Longxuan that very night.

Li Zichun: I always thought I wouldn't care about what they were saying, even though I was surrounded by whispers.

Zhao Qianfan: But I see your beautiful face / gradually turning pale in the colorful life / gradually turning pale

Li Zichun: I always thought I wouldn't care about their gazes, even though I was surrounded by pointing fingers and whispers.

Zhao Qianfan: But I saw your radiant smile / gradually falling silent amidst the clamor of conversation.

Together: Gradually changing

Zhao Qianfan: Rumors keep spreading and going, I don't know when they will stop.

Li Zichun: Rumors keep circulating / Please believe that my heart remains as pure as ever.

Zhao Qianfan: Rumors come and go, fading away without a trace with each passing day.

Li Zichun: I hope you believe it.

Zhao Qianfan: I still believe

Together: The truest heart

......

Li Zichun: I hope you believe it.

Zhao Qianfan: I still love you

......

Li Zichun: I hope you believe it.

Zhao Qianfan: I still believe

Together: The truest heart

This is a duet, so Li Zichun used the voice of "Li Yuehe" to sing with Zhao Qianfan.

From the moment he entered the entertainment industry, Li Zichun's life was filled with whispers and pointing fingers, but he never cared. After all, he had already prepared himself mentally, thinking that he could leave after two or three years once the mission was over.

But today's "rumor" is different, because it is true.

What he needs to do now is to turn this truth into a rumor, and the price, of course, is to sacrifice himself.

It wasn't that he lacked confidence in Zhao Qianfan; he just lacked confidence in himself. He had always disliked trouble. For example, with the previous Eight Entertainments, the company's development, and the management of singers, he wouldn't interfere in everything. Instead, he would delegate the tasks to others while he provided guidance and planning from the sidelines.

His affair with Zhao Qianfan had long exceeded his capacity to bear. He had originally planned to leave quietly after three years and that would be the end of it. Who would have thought that something like this would happen now, far beyond his comprehension.

I don't care how much I, the transmigrator, am criticized, but Zhao Qianfan can't. He's a person living in this world. I can just leave when the time comes, but he'll have to face the world's criticism and be pointed at for the rest of his life. Just thinking about it makes me feel sorry for him.

The most brilliant solution he could think of right now was to get rid of himself.

Everything that began with him should also end with him.

After singing that song, he had Zhao Qianfan sing another song by Zhang Jie, "Rumors Have a Thousand Decibels":

I'm used to remaining silent and not arguing about those rumors; there's no longer any distinction between right and wrong.

I close my eyes. In this noisy world, there is only one person's face.

You know, love has no seasons.

Even at the wrong time and in the wrong place, you'll still meet them.

Is it right or wrong for me to fall in love and not regret it, and to not care about anything else?

Rumors can reach a thousand decibels; they are deafening and destroy all happiness.

All that excitement, I'm so exhausted.

Just wanting things to be simple is a sin?

Rumors can reach a thousand decibels; they are ambiguous and don't care how beautiful true love is.

I don't care what they say, I just want to protect your dream and get through the night...

I need no one's mercy. I will guard your dream forever.

This song was part of another round of promotion two hours after the release of "Rumors". Unlike the previous solo promotion, he used all his connections to help Zhao Qianfan promote this song, in order to "clarify" the truth as soon as possible within the golden 24 hours of dealing with "rumors" and avoid hurting more people.

After doing all this, Li Zichun finally breathed a sigh of relief, lay down in Zhao Qianfan's arms, scolded him a few times for his unclean behavior and told him to be more careful in the future, and then got up to have a late-night snack.

The delicious food that Li Zichun made for him was so good that just smelling it made him feel like he could temporarily forget all the troubles of the world.

After finishing their meal, the two exchanged a satisfied glance and went to bed. Li Zichun took the initiative to hug Zhao Qianfan and fell into a deep sleep in his arms.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Rumors" is a song with lyrics by Huang Guilan, music by Lin Longxuan, arrangement by Tu Ying, and sung by Vivian Chow and Lin Longxuan. It was included in Vivian Chow's album of the same name, released on November 6, 1992. The song topped the "Zhiyin Chart" for four weeks.

"Rumors Have a Thousand Decibels" is a song with lyrics by Tang Tiantian, music by Wu Mengqi, and sung by Zhang Jie. It is included in the album "13" and was released on July 25, 2007.