The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei were rehearsing intensively on the viewing platform, while Li Zichun directed the lighting, set design, camera placement, and movement routes to keep the stage from becoming too boring.

An hour passed quickly, and Li Zichun had finished organizing everything. The reason for this sudden decision was not only because of the scenery, but more importantly, to train the two of them to remain calm under pressure and learn quickly, to see what they could do in a short time, and to see how far they could practice in such a short period of time.

After a brief discussion, the big test finally arrived, and everyone was watching their performance.

Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei quickly adjusted their breathing and mindset, cleared their throats, exchanged a firm look, and then nodded to Li Zichun.

As the captivating prelude began, Li Jiawei's voice, unlike her previous gentle and tender tone, became fresh and sweet, adding a touch of classical Chinese elegance to the atmosphere.

A piece of time is cut and flows slowly / It flows into the moonlight and ripples gently /

Playing a tune of delicate lotus fragrance / Beautiful melodies fall beside me /

Fireflies light up the night's starlight / Who will clothe me in a garment of dreams?

Pushing open that window of my heart, I gaze into the distance / Who plucked that flower of yesterday's sorrow?

I am like a fish in your lotus pond / just to wait with you under the bright moonlight / swimming through the seasons, the lotus flowers still fragrant / waiting for you, seemingly in the middle of the water..."

Because it was an emergency rehearsal within an hour, the two only knew how to sing and forgot everything else. They didn't know how to move or perform on stage, so they could only sway left and right to the lyrics and do simple movements. Little did they know that this would win them the love of many middle-aged and elderly people.

Many people at the scene could already foresee that this song would sweep the market like "Above the Moon".

Li Zichun simply watched quietly from the side, while searching his mind for any suitable songs or plans for the next move.

"Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" was created by Zhang Chao, the go-to musician for Phoenix Legend. The inspiration for the song came from Zhu Ziqing's essay of the same name. Li Zichun wondered if he should also copy this classic essay and share it with the world someday. Never mind, just do it!

"Back then, you were young, and your reflection in the water remained unchanged as you gazed up at the enchanting starlight. Who could enter your heart and pluck a lotus flower? Was it the fragrance of that night, or the scent of your hair?"

Zhao Qianfan's lyrical and gentle spoken word is like the whisper of the moonlight, blending into the song. Despite having few lyrics, he seems to be even busier than Li Jiawei.

"Lotus pond, oh lotus pond, sing slowly, slowly / Moonlight, oh moonlight, listen slowly, slowly / Fish, oh fish, swim slowly, slowly / The pale, pale, pale moonlight /"

I am like a fish in your lotus pond.

Just to wait with you under the bright moonlight /

The lotus flowers still smell sweet after all four seasons.

"Waiting for you, as if you were in the middle of the water..."

The song has a tranquil and classical style. The arrangement incorporates traditional Chinese instruments such as the guzheng and pipa, as well as sounds of flowing water, vividly depicting a beautiful scene of a lotus pond under the moonlight in summer.

The onlookers were completely bewildered. Why wasn't it the song from before? This was a live performance! It takes immense trust to write a song and have someone willing to sing it—they act without hesitation. And to perform it so well in such a short time—it's truly a masterpiece born from a powerful collaboration!

After Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei finished their song, the audience dispersed, and the two bowed deeply, prompting spontaneous applause. Li Zichun nodded in satisfaction and discussed post-production details with director Zhang Xiaochuan, such as adding fireflies or other decorative elements to the footage.

Although the director was a little reluctant to part with the budget, he still nodded in agreement. The show's current popularity is largely due to Li Zichun's brilliant creation. If you want to add special effects, just add them. There are so many advertisers who want to join the show now, just take a few more jobs, and then you can achieve any special effects you want.

Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei's performance ended perfectly, putting pressure on Xue Qingrou and Feng Zhennian, who will be performing in the next round in a few days.

Only they themselves knew what they were supposed to sing. This song was absolutely nightmare-level for them, so they had to undergo ruthless special training from Lui Fong every day.

They also asked Li Zichun if they could choose a slightly simpler song. Li Zichun smiled and said, "Of course there are simpler ones, but are you only participating in the show because of company arrangements? Every time you encounter a slightly difficult question, you choose the easy one. Life may be a little easier, but it doesn't actually help your personal growth. You should know that life is like rowing against the current. If you don't move forward, you fall behind. Trying hard is painful, but stagnation and lying flat is indeed enjoyable. It's up to you to choose."

They seemed to have taken it to heart and didn't ask for a change. They practiced diligently every day, and Li Zichun gave them a week, which was enough.

After the two finished singing, Li Zichun went to director Zhang Xiaochuan and told him his idea. The director agreed as soon as he heard that there was no problem with it.

After waiting for about ten minutes, the team brought a boat. He boarded the boat alone, gazing at the moonlit sky and the lotus pond, and recited the famous lines from Zhu Ziqing's "Lotus Pond by Moonlight": "I love liveliness, and I also love tranquility; I love being in a crowd, and I also love being alone. Like tonight, alone under this vast moon, I can think of anything, or I can think of nothing at all, and I feel like a free person. The things I must do during the day, the words I must say, I can ignore them now. This is the beauty of solitude, and I will enjoy this boundless fragrance of lotus and moonlight."

Everyone was moved by his beautiful language and watched his performance in silence, as if missing it would be a sin.

After filming for a while longer, and recording several preview clips, today's performance officially came to an end.

Spontaneous applause broke out, and after exchanging greetings, everyone dispersed.

The next morning, after Zhao Qianfan finished his run, took a shower, and tidied up, he personally came to pick up Li Zichun. He looked Li Zichun up and down and kept making "tsk tsk tsk" sounds, which made Li Zichun's skin crawl.

Zhao Qianfan said speechlessly, "Are you sure you want to wear this to school?"

Li Zichun looked at herself, then at him, and pursed her lips: "Wait, why are you dressed so formally?"

Zhao Qianfan rolled his eyes and said, "Take it off quickly and put on a formal suit, or at least a suit. I'll explain it to you on the way there."

Before Li Zichun could react, Zhao Qianfan forced him to strip naked. The pain made him quickly burrow into the blanket and say, "You go out first, I'll take care of my pants myself."

Zhao Qianfan didn't bother with him. She turned her back and rummaged through his wardrobe, then tossed him a white shirt and trousers. She then picked through a mix of minimalist and colorful clothes, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, she took off her own clothes and threw them to him. She was fine wearing a white shirt underneath.

Little did Li Zichun know that everything he saw was interpreted differently. A man in a suit, exuding an air of asceticism, suddenly removed his clothes, revealing bulging muscles beneath his half-buttoned shirt. Li Zichun instinctively clutched the blanket tighter and stammered, "You... what do you want to do! I... I won't accept it..."

PS: Data is from Baidu Encyclopedia.

"Lotus Pond Moonlight" is a Chinese-style song performed by Phoenix Legend, composed and written by Zhang Chao. It shares the same melody as "Love You Until My Teeth Fell Off" but with different lyrics. It is included in the album "I Come From the Grassland," released on May 7, 2010.