The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

148. Start over? Where do I get the courage?

With Li Zichun's departure and Du Zihua's addition, the popularity of the singing competition soared to its peak, becoming a phenomenon that garnered nationwide attention.

It's not that the show is so good, everyone is just curious about what great abilities Du Zihua, who can replace the Moon Emperor, has!

Zhao Qianfan was chatting with Du Zihua in his dressing room backstage at the show: "When did you two get in touch?"

Du Zihua tilted his head slightly and asked in confusion, "Weren't you right there when I went to find him?"

Zhao Qianfan frowned and said, "You two haven't been in contact privately?"

Du Zihua laughed and said, "Of course not, everyone is very busy. I have a lot of activities to attend, I'm busy all day long. Every time I see him, aren't you always there for me?"

Zhao Qianfan squinted and pressed, "Then why did you go to pick him up?"

As Du Zihua showed him the phone records, she said strangely, "He asked me to come pick him up, so I went."

As Zhao Qianfan scrolled through their chat history and found nothing suspicious, she handed the phone back to him and said, "You two aren't that close, are you? Why would you go to pick him up?"

Du Zihua said with a smile, "Because he wrote four songs for me, and he even called me to come see him off right now, otherwise I would have to go on the plane with him. Do you think I would be so bored as to go see him off in the middle of the night? I've only met him a few times, and we're not that close."

Zhao Qianfan sighed speechlessly; it seemed he couldn't find any useful information from him.

Over the past few days, I've tried everything I can, but I still haven't been able to find any trace of him. All I know is that he went to Europe, changed his phone number immediately after getting off the plane, and the balance on his card was converted into a considerable sum there. I estimate that it will be impossible to find him anytime soon, and he has completely cut off all contact with everything here.

Zhao Qianfan understood Li Zichun's personality: talented, stubborn, afraid of trouble, decisive... When he said he would let go, he really meant it.

What about all the time I spent with him?

He had originally hoped to get some information from Du Zihua, but now it seemed impossible. He just hoped that Du Zihua wouldn't run away and wanted to tell him that he really wanted to be with him forever.

While he was deep in thought, the assistant director had already run over to prepare him for going on stage.

He changed the program for today's performance at the last minute for Li Zichun's sake.

Thanks to Li Zichun's self-destructive protection, all the rumors were dispelled. Zhao Qianfan stood on the stage, still the beloved prince under the spotlight, every move he made, coupled with his dazzling clothes, made him seem to glow.

Looking at the radiant man on TV backstage, Du Zihua thought to himself that only someone like him was worthy of the Moon Emperor's willingness to give up his own career to fulfill his legend. If he hadn't accidentally gone too far and been photographed, he probably wouldn't know how long he'd have to wait to get a chance to sing the Moon Emperor's songs.

Standing on the stage, Zhao Qianfan calmed down, composed herself, and slowly began to sing "Courage":

I've finally made this decision. I don't care what others say.

As long as you are equally sure

I'm willing to follow you to the ends of the earth, I know it won't be easy.

My heart keeps rehearsing and convincing myself, my biggest fear being that you'll suddenly say you want to give up.

Love truly needs courage to face gossip and rumors.

My love has meaning as long as you give me a single affirming look.

We all need the courage to believe we can be together.

In the crowded streets, I can feel you; your true heart is in my palm.

......

If my stubbornness and willfulness accidentally hurt you

Could you gently remind me that although I'm too impatient, I'm even more afraid of missing you?

......

We both need courage to believe we'll be together. Even in the crowded streets, I can feel you, your true heart held in my hand.

The song "Courage" was inspired by a new relationship that Fish Leong was about to embark on, and it is an uplifting and healing love song.

Zhao Qianfan chose this song in the hope that Li Zichun would hear it, and that he would respect his own choices, love himself, and not care about other people's opinions. If he comes back, he will take his hand without hesitation and tell the world that this is his love.

This touching and hopeful song, sung by Zhao Qianfan, is warm and moving, and people today are healed by his voice.

Looking at the songwriters, it's still the same golden duo, Li Zichun. Those who know, know. This pairing never gets old, it's truly a "divine friendship".

Zhao Qianfan advanced without any doubt, and her opponent simply shrugged helplessly and left the stage after her performance. It was initially thought that she might underperform due to previous public opinion and other factors, but she remained remarkably composed, proving the rumors were false.

I wonder how many candidates Li Zichun has left for him. It seems that winning over the God of Songs is definitely not a problem.

In this top-four showdown, Du Zihua, as a recommended contestant who had been eliminated but returned, was actually a little uneasy. He had originally planned to take a break to create a new album, but he didn't expect to be recommended to participate in the competition again, which was a pleasant surprise.

When it was his turn to go on stage, the songwriter displayed on the screen caused a small commotion in the audience. Unexpectedly, it was also "Li Zichun's" new song.

Zhao Qianfan, who was waiting on the side, was also clearly stunned. He was delighted by the song title "Start Over," but as Du Zihua sang the lyrics, his turbulent heart calmed down again.

Du Zihua was selected because of his own strengths, and he slowly began to sing "Start Over" with the music:

Have you ever loved someone more than they loved you? Do you still remember?

Did you ever love him? He was like a soulmate to you. Do you still remember him?

They finally broke up after falling in love.

Want to get back together after breaking up

If I could do it all over again, I would treat it honestly.

If neither of us has any doubts, there's no reason for us to separate.

If I could do it all over again, I'd treat memories like dust.

A heart that has never been hurt can love flawlessly.

However, starting over does not guarantee the success or failure of love.

How many times will it take before I understand?

Have you ever loved someone you can't forget day and night? Do you still remember them?

We've loved different kinds of people with different faces. Which one do you remember?

They fell in love but eventually broke up. After the breakup, they wanted to get back together...

Every beautiful love story eventually comes to an end. Starting over might be a choice, a beginning, but it could also mean repeating the same mistakes. That's how love is. In the beginning, two people see each other's strengths and fall in love. After the initial passion fades, arguments may follow. If you break up, it's okay, just don't make the other person feel bad. For the rest of my life, even if it's not you, it's still my good fortune.

Not everything can be started over, and there's no such thing as a second chance in life; the only option is to forge ahead.

Du Zihua's song was clearly aimed at Zhao Qianfan, and it was also at Li Zichun's behest. He sang it with trepidation, fearing that Zhao Qianfan would stand up and yell at him. But it was precisely this careful and measured way of singing that made his song more charming, completely conveying the feeling of being cautious, anxious, and finally letting go in love.

When Du Zihua heard Li Zichun's analysis in the car, he was still somewhat skeptical, and even secretly complained, "What do you want from me?" versus "We Shouldn't Be Like This"...

Among them was the song "Courage" that Zhao Qianfan was supposed to sing, and Li Zichun's response to him was "Start Over".

Du Zihua felt a sense of relief after finishing the song, but suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He glanced back and saw Zhao Qianfan staring at him with eyes that looked like he was spotting prey. He couldn't help but shiver.

He swallowed hard, nervously patting his heart. Sure enough, it was the King of Singers; his eyes looked like he was about to kill him.

The public was charmed by his adorable little gestures and suddenly understood the meaning of the two songs.

I give you "Courage" so that you have the courage to break free from your constraints and move forward, not to dance on ruins and repeat the same mistakes over and over again!

Du Zihua secretly gave Li Zichun a thumbs up in his heart. What a load of rubbish, the King of Singers, he was easily controlled by the Moon Emperor.

With Li Zichun's talent as a boost, Du Zihua easily advanced to the next round.

After the entire competition, the four finalists were Zhao Qianfan, Yuan Chengzhi, Du Zihua, and Zhang Fenglin.

Zhang Fenglin's entry into the finals was indeed somewhat unexpected. Others might not know the details, but Li Zichun, who had dealt with the Eight Entertainments before, knew it all.

On the day the video was released, they spent money to have Yi Zhichun send people to investigate the IP address of the person who posted it. With their professional investigation and tracking methods and connections, they expedited the investigation by going through the layers of the video poster. It was actually quite simple, and they knew the results that very evening. In the end, they found out that Zhang Fenglin was behind it all. However, he didn't make a fuss and just quietly chose to withdraw because he suddenly felt he had "had enough."

Actually, he was quite grateful for Zhang Fenglin's little tricks, which made him suddenly realize that his relationship with Zhao Qianfan was, to put it mildly, "terrible".

His sudden awakening left him feeling somewhat disoriented.

Zhao Qianfan is a dazzling star in the sky. For a young master from a wealthy family like him, no matter how talented he is, he is just a temporary plaything. If he doesn't like him anymore, he will be thrown away like a tattered rag on the table.

He can turn around and go back to a normal life, but what about me?

People won't say goodbye until they've exhausted all their expectations. Li Zichun had fantasized countless times that Zhao Qianfan could take responsibility, like he would take him to see the place where he grew up, to meet his close friends, to get to know his friends, to satisfy his worldly desires, to acknowledge his place in Zhao Qianfan's life, and that only by facing problems together and moving forward could they go far.

Li Zichun couldn't bring herself to watch herself sink deeper into depravity, so she seized the opportunity presented by Zhang Fenglin's underhanded tactics to say goodbye. Giving up on a lover who doesn't belong to her and can't grow up is difficult, but continuing is truly exhausting.

I went through so much trouble to come into this world and persevere to the throne of the Moon Emperor, not to have a fruitless romance. The farewell I'm doing today may be hard, but it may be a gift to myself in the future.

What he found laughable was that Zhao Qianfan was still expecting him to love him even more and never leave him after the incident, showing no sense of responsibility whatsoever. At that moment, he was completely heartbroken.

In his previous life, Li Zichun had seen a profound statement in the People's Daily: "No matter what kind of relationship it is, if it cannot provide emotional value, economic support, or positive companionship, and it doesn't offer any of these three things, then giving it up is the wise thing to do."

Zhao Qianfan is too good, so good that she is too good at deceiving, forging vows, pretending to be romantic. She stands there under the dim light, surrounded by fragrance, and anyone who comes will be confused.

After careful consideration, Li Zichun realized that Zhao Qianfan had done nothing but keep her company throughout the past year. He couldn't provide the emotional support she needed, let alone offer any financial assistance. If it weren't for the romantic gesture he made for her last time, she probably wouldn't even know that rich people give property deeds as birthday gifts. All of this made her previous companionship seem utterly ridiculous.

Perhaps from the very beginning, our encounter was a trap from which I could not escape. All those street performances and barbecue stalls were just rich kids coming out to experience life. I was so eager to find them to sing and collaborate with, but now it all seems so ridiculous.

Looking back now, I realize how incredibly foolish I was. There were many clues I could have found, but I was too prejudiced and mistakenly assumed they were like me. A woman who could easily solve the costume problem for a traditional Chinese music concert with a wave of her hand, a man with a handsome face and a steady voice, plus a little kid with a blessed look and no sign of distress in his eyes—it all seemed like I was the one who needed help and attention.

After figuring all this out, Li Zichun felt a mix of emotions. He felt like he had come to believe the family's lies, and that he had gone out of his way to help them, giving them songs and money. He seemed like an idiot no matter how you looked at it.

The competition has entered its final stage, and the advancement of the last four players has made everything exciting, with the decisive moment finally arriving.

Discussions about the story between these four men once boiled over online. The showdown between the Moon Emperor's "new love" and "old flame," the ultimate showdown between two top-tier celebrities, the covert battle between the four "Heavenly Kings," the old and new grudges between veteran Heavenly Kings and those boosted by top stars, the power struggle between the Three Heroes and Old Wang...

The man who created everything, Li Zichun, had already secretly contacted director Zhang Xiaochuan and obtained Yuan Chengzhi's contact information. He turned this final battle into a three-way drama, a "turtle" game, where the moon emperor beats the villain, completely manipulating the unsuspecting Zhang Fenglin.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Courage" is a healing love song composed by Michael Wong, with lyrics by Rui Ye, and sung by Fish Leong. It was included in Fish Leong's second solo album of the same name, released on August 2, 2000. The song was also chosen as the ending theme for the Taiwanese version of the period drama "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and the urban drama "Lotus in the Water." In 2005, the song won first place in an online poll for classic songs of hope.

"Start Over" is a song sung by Huang Xiaohu, with lyrics and music by Tanya Chua and arrangement by Terence Teo. It is the opening theme song of the TV series "Naked Wedding Era".