The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

151.

After taking a deep breath, Little Geeta quickly regained her composure. As a travel blogger, she had seen all sorts of things and couldn't let herself be intimidated by this little scare.

Little Geeta patted her chest and asked hesitantly, "Sorry, I was a little...amazed. Um, we're a self-media creator, is it convenient for us to do a simple interview?"

Li Zichun thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay."

Little Geeta adjusted the phone camera and said, "Let's begin."

"it is good."

Could you briefly introduce yourself to everyone?

"Garen, 21 years old, male."

"Could I ask how long it took to grow this hair?"

"Half a year."

What are your hobbies?

"Reading, writing, drawing."

"Can I ask if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? If not, how many have you dated?"

"One of them broke up, and now I'm single."

"May I ask about your current job?"

"Street singers."

Could you briefly rate your singing ability?

"It's nothing special, even a bit ordinary."

Little Geeta was taken aback by his sudden sincerity, but still hesitated before continuing, "Um, is it just so-so? Could you sing us a couple of lines? We like to hear you sing off-key."

Li Zichun was amused by his expression, gently touched his wrist, and said with a smile, "I'm afraid I can't sing a couple of lines, but I might be able to sing a couple of songs."

Little Gita pouted and said, "Whatever, I never have many viewers in my stream anyway, so just help me increase the stream duration."

Li Zichun smiled and nodded, saying, "I can tell, otherwise no one would have recognized me until now."

Little Geeta tilted her head and looked at him: "Tch, are you that famous? Although you look stunning, you're only twenty-one years old. You're still a long way from being a big star. Young man, don't get too cocky."

Li Zichun chuckled: "Yes, yes, yes, do you still want to hear me sing?"

Little Geeta shrugged, casually placed her phone on the tripod, and said, "Go ahead and sing, but you can't sing foreign songs. This is the base voice, and the audience is all from China. Just sing a few Chinese songs."

Li Zichun smiled, nodded, took the small megaphone handed to him, and frowned as he said, "Aren't you a self-media creator? How come you're so poor that you don't even have a microphone?"

Little Geeta said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do. Not many people watch the live streams, so there are no gifts or income. We're planning to go back to China after this month. Even the strongest enthusiasm can't withstand the loneliness of having no one to share it with. If I continue to promote the travel show, I'll probably end up in debt."

Seeing his sighing appearance, Li Zichun smiled and said, "No, because you've met me now."

Little Geeta looked up at him in confusion, chuckled, and simply gestured for him to hurry up and sing, as he still had to find the next person.

Little Geeta's live streams are travel-related, and at their peak, the number of viewers reached one or two thousand. Now, because she mostly goes to well-known scenic spots, there are basically no viewers. Occasionally, one or two people will pass by, glance at what the place is, and then quickly leave.

But today was different. The number of people remained around a dozen or so. Little Geeta knew it was because of his good looks. Compared to a rough old man like herself, who wouldn't like a handsome man and a beautiful woman?

Little Geeta's screen was filled with question marks and exclamation marks, but he just assumed everyone was teasing him and didn't pay much attention. He took out a sausage and instant noodles from his bag and started eating them by himself, signaling to Li Zichun that he could start singing, and didn't bother to look at his phone again.

This was the first time Li Zichun had ever heard anyone dare to urge him on. Watching him skillfully munching on instant noodles, he laughed, did a quick sound check, and began singing Cheer Chen's "The Meaning of Travel" to Little Gita:

You've seen many beautiful sights, you've seen many beautiful women.

You get lost in every fleeting moment on the map.

You savored the Parisian night, you walked through snow-covered Beijing.

You memorize every single truth you love from the book.

But I can't explain why you love me.

But I can't say which of my expressions you appreciate.

But I can't say in what situation I made your heart flutter.

Unable to explain why they left

You've accumulated many flights; you carefully selected souvenirs.

You collected every sunny and breezy day on the map.

You embrace the passionate island, you bury your memories in Türkiye.

You linger over the beautiful, unreal scenes in movies.

I can't explain why you love me, nor can I say which of my expressions you admire.

But you can't say in what situation I distracted you.

The meaning of travel cannot be explained

You could only manage to explain why you love me, but you couldn't say which of my expressions you admired.

I can't say when or where I touched your heart, nor can I explain the meaning of travel.

I can barely recall that every letter you sent me was a reason for your departure.

Your leaving me is the meaning of the journey.

The simple and touching melody, the poetic lyrics, all weave through Li Zichun's clear and bright voice, telling stories about travel, about leaving and forgetting.

The simple humming calmed the restless hearts of the tourists taking photos under the scorching sun, and many people stopped and gathered around. Little Gita said with a smile, "Not bad, brother, it's pretty good. Did you write it? Play another one."

Li Zichun smiled at him, then held up the megaphone and said, "How about I play you another song to suit the occasion?"

Little Gita said doubtfully, "What beautiful scenery can you find in this endless sandstorm and stone tower?"

Li Zichun laughed upon hearing this. Looking at the endless yellow sand and stone towers, he thought for a moment and began to sing "A Thousand Years Later," a song that had moved countless people:

My heartbeat is out of rhythm, and even my dreams are not free.

Love is an absolute promise, unspoken, yet it lasts a thousand years.

Let helplessness pervade, engulfed by dust. I wait for you as you walk through the ruins. Oh.

My tears can't hold back all the love you wanted.

Because a thousand years from now, I will no longer exist in the world.

Unable to hold your hand tenderly, unable to gently kiss your forehead

Don't wait until a thousand years from now when everyone has forgotten me.

The desert at that time was red at dusk

Who can untangle this loneliness that has bound us for a thousand years...?

JJ Lin considers "A Thousand Years Later" to be the most "pleasant to listen to" track on the entire album "Number," and it still sounds great now.

Actually, Li Zichun originally planned to sing "The Mummy," but he quickly rejected it as soon as he started, because in this sub-world, people call mummies "cloth strip men" or "coffin lid mummies," and there is no such thing as a mummy.

After Li Zichun finished singing, the crowd that had gathered around him gave him a sparse round of applause. He looked at Xiao Gita, who was happily munching on instant noodles, and laughed. This girl was starting to slack off. She wasn't even coming over to clean up the mess, and she was too lazy to even check her phone. He wondered how shocked she would be when she saw the number of people.

Li Zichun smiled and looked at Little Gita, then walked closer and shouted loudly at the screen, "Wow, thanks for the carnival, bro!"

Li Zichun's sudden shout startled Little Gita. Looking at his ambiguous smile, she knew he was lying to her.

Carnival? Hmph, we didn't receive a single one even when our numbers were at their peak.

Little Geeta leaned closer, speechless, looked at the screen, and suddenly exclaimed, "Holy crap, how come there are so many people?"

Li Zichun smiled and pinched his chubby cheeks, then handed the megaphone back to him: "Now that you've eaten, go ahead and do your live stream. I have to go visit the next place. Goodbye."

Little Geeta smiled and said goodbye to him, shouting, "Okay, Garen, goodbye, see you again sometime."

Li Zichun chuckled and waved goodbye.

Little Gita was baffled by his laughter. After glancing at the comments on the screen, she asked curiously, "Long live the Moon Emperor? Who is the Moon Emperor? Is that the nickname for the mummified corpse lying in this stone tower?"

Li Zichun, who hadn't gone far, stumbled upon hearing this, shook his head speechlessly, and walked away.

By the time Little Gitta realized who everyone was talking about, Li Zichun, carrying the Seven Bamboo Stalks, had already walked far away and disappeared from sight.

This unexpected move brought Li Zichun, who had been out of the public eye for six months, back into the spotlight as a trending topic.

Walking CD

A human-shaped vote-buying machine that comes back from the dead

Most beautiful passerby A

Triangle Pyramid ticket sales are fully booked.

.....

In the grand mansion in the capital, Zhao Qianfan watched the man appear in the online screen recording. His long hair flowed freely, and his smile was radiant—a smile of happiness she had never seen when they were together. Her heart ached. Was this her destined love tribulation? Why was it so unbearable?

Jin Dili and Zhao Jinmai, standing to the side, simply watched the man in the camera and thought that he might actually succeed.

The major powers in the capital were taken aback by this sudden trending topic. Some were happy, while others were worried. This man really could cause bloodshed wherever he went.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye, and it's already the end of the year.

Li Zichun had nowhere to go. He originally wanted to go back to the Rongcheng Welfare Home to see Li Xian, but he was afraid of running into Zhao Qianfan, so he decided against it. He was also the one who bought the house in Kowloon Harbour, so he guessed that someone was looking after it there. Sigh, where should he go now?

Just as he was hesitating and pondering where to go, Du Zihua sent him a job offer.

I'm really sleepy and I give you a pillow.

Li Zichun readily agreed. After wandering and studying for so long over the past six months, it was time to go back and visit. Xiao Jita's live stream was his first stepping stone.

Li Zichun also asked Du Zihua to rent him a place to stay, somewhere secluded so he wouldn't be disturbed by others.

Without a second thought, Du Zihua invited him to stay at his home. He was alone, and since his parents were abroad for the Chinese New Year and he didn't have many friends to keep him company, he could come and stay with him. Moreover, if he wanted, he could invite a few more people to have hot pot together.

Li Zichun thought that it didn't matter where he went, so he might as well go and take a look.

After settling everything in, Li Zichun took Qitong and boarded a plane back to China.

Li Zichun was picked up at the airport by Du Zihua's agent, Sister Li. Looking at the "woman" with big breasts and a perky butt in front of her, she fell into deep thought.

To avoid embarrassment, Li Zichun smiled and hugged her, whispering in her ear, "This is a disguise technique I learned abroad. There are many surveillance cameras here, let's talk in the car."

Only then did Sister Li, still somewhat suspicious, lead him into the car. Du Zihua, waiting in the car, looked at the "woman" before him and asked Sister Li in bewilderment, "Weren't we here to pick up Li Zichun? Why did you bring me back a woman? Wait, how did Li Zichun's chubby cat end up in your hands? Its fur color isn't right..."

Li Zichun hugged his head and buried it in her fake breasts, laughing in a female voice, "You're so cute."

Du Zihua felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and when he opened them again, his face was flushed. He shouted at Sister Li, "This crazy woman is harassing me!"

Sister Li rolled her eyes, poked at the fake thing on Li Zichun's chest, and her eyes lit up: "How come it feels so good? It's just like the real thing."

Li Zichun said with a smile, "Do you like it? It's yours."

Sister Li nodded and said, "I'm so sorry, I'll accept it without hesitation."

Li Zichun immediately prepared to unbutton his shirt and start taking it off, while Du Zihua, who was standing to the side, was going crazy and shouted, "Ah~ you guys..."

Li Zichun and Sister Li stopped teasing her and said in their male voices, "She really can't be teased. Sister Li, is he still a virgin?"

Du Zihua then realized what was happening and pointed at Li Zichun, saying, "How could this be? You're Zichun? But why did the cat change color?"

Li Zichun smiled and took out a makeup remover pad to wipe her face. In no time, her hair was back to normal. Looking at Du Zihua, who was staring in disbelief, she said, "What, don't you recognize me? I just dyed my hair a new color."

Du Zihua shook his head and said, "No, not this one. By the way, is this thing really that real?"

After saying that, he reached out and touched the fake thing on Li Zichun's chest, comparing it to his own as he touched it, and said with emotion, "This thing is so realistic."

Li Zichun smiled helplessly and said, "If you keep touching me like that, I'll report you for workplace sexual harassment."

Du Zihua glanced at him and continued touching it, saying, "It's fake anyway, what's wrong with touching it?"

Li Zichun rolled his eyes and said, "Even though it's a fake, I can still feel how strong you are."

Upon hearing this, Du Zihua awkwardly withdrew his hand and apologized with a smile, "I'm sorry, I was just a little too curious."

Li Zichun took off her earrings, necklace, bracelet and other jewelry, and said with a smile, "It's good that you know. Don't tell anyone else that I'm back this time. I don't want any trouble for now. If I'm disturbed, I'll move out immediately."

Li Zichun gave all the jewelry to Sister Li, saying with a smile, "These are for you, they're pure gold, and I won't be able to give them to you again."

After saying that, he turned to Du Zihua and said, "Have you been practicing your voice properly lately? If you don't meet my recording standards, I'll leave halfway through."

Du Zihua nodded and said, "Yes, yes, but I don't know how big the gap is between my current performance and your requirements, but I will continue to work hard."

Li Zichun smiled without saying a word. After Li Jie took the two of them and the cat to the mansion, she left and told them to stop causing trouble.

Li Zichun smiled and nodded as he toured the large detached villa under Du Zihua's guidance. Overall, he was quite satisfied with his new operational base.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"The Meaning of Travel" is a folk song with lyrics and music by Cheer Chen, arrangement by Li Yuhuan, and vocals by Cheer Chen. The acoustic guitar version was released as a single on March 24, 2004, and later adapted for strings and included in Cheer Chen's album "The Magnificent Adventure," released on September 25, 2005. The song was also selected as an insert song for the film "Miao Miao."

"A Thousand Years Later" is a song with lyrics by Lin Qiuli, music by JJ Lin, arrangement by Cai Zhengxun, Chen Jianwei, Xu Huanliang, and David Koon, and sung by JJ Lin. It was included in JJ Lin's album "Number" released on April 1, 2005. On January 28, 2006, JJ Lin performed this song on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala stage.