The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

After Li Zichun finished his last note, the room fell silent.

After nearly a minute of silence, thunderous applause erupted and lasted for a long time. Many people looked at the man in the center of the stage with tears in their eyes, clapping so hard that they didn't even realize it.

Simple and natural, lively and cheerful, gentle and happy, desolate and poignant, tragic and free—you can find everything you desire in this romantic melody with its strong oriental aesthetic.

After finishing his performance, Li Zichun didn't feel exhausted; instead, he was filled with an indescribable sense of beauty—a beauty related to music and a sense of mission.

Musical works are refined through countless trials, creating timeless classics. We, the younger generation, should carry on the spirit of our predecessors and create our own future.

Although the Great Zhou Kingdom in this parallel world lacks Chinese characteristics, does that mean it cannot be created? If this era already has everything, then what use are we?

He sat motionless in his seat, seemingly shut out by the applause and cheers, feeling only a profound sense of inner fulfillment and ease. He knew he had succeeded. He was satisfied with his progress, proud of his astonishing memory, and at the same time, a profound and indescribable sorrow arose within him—for this world, for this era.

The same land nurtures people with different fates. They wallow in the same quagmire of entertainment, becoming so stained with colorful and unsightly things that they turn their attention to politics, science and technology, and other fields. Unable to enjoy appreciating art in their spare time, they can only shout the crazy words, "The domestic entertainment industry is finished."

Music is a professional and serious art form. Even the most lively compositions are meticulously crafted by their creators. Aesthetic appreciation, on the other hand, requires cultivation and training. As Li Zongsheng wrote in a letter titled "If you feed music listeners pig feed, they will become pigs" on the "Letters Alive" program: "Our greatest pain is discovering that most of the content is garbage, and there is not much that is truly valuable... Your aesthetic sense, your mental outlook, your cultivation of music, your understanding of words, and your feelings about humanity are what determine the entire landscape of Chinese pop music. Because the audience is innocent, what we give them is the most important thing. Let's all work together."

He knew he couldn't change the aesthetics of an entire sub-world single-handedly within three years, but in terms of influence, he felt he had already met the standard. However, it wasn't enough. He needed to move forward; the endless stream of music in his mind hadn't yet been expressed, and there was still much he could do. In three years, he would do as much as he could, helping the world move forward as much as he could—it was better than staying put and doing nothing.

Li Zichun slowly stood up and stood there quietly, arms outstretched, before bowing deeply to the crowd almost a minute later. Perhaps it was only at this moment that he decided to try to truly integrate himself into this era within this limited time.

The audience erupted in applause, whether moved by the beautiful music or excited by the emerging musician before them, it was hard to tell.

He slowly withdrew, and the entire Sino-foreign music exchange came to an end.

James, Carter, and Lily were also captivated by the unique Eastern aesthetic of the music and sent him a formal performance invitation on behalf of the academy.

Li Zichun naturally didn't want to go. He disliked arrogant attitudes, as if respecting someone was a favor. Without much thought, he politely declined with a lame excuse about not being qualified enough.

Upon hearing this, Carter, who was standing nearby, became furious and said, "Do you know what you've missed? The piano is in decline in the East and has no future."

Li Zichun looked at him sternly and said, "Mr. Carter, please watch your words. When the piano first appeared in the West, it wasn't universally known either. We may be declining now, but that doesn't mean we won't develop music with our own unique characteristics in the future. The potential of the East is limitless. Judging from the fact that you haven't penetrated into Eastern music culture for so many years, it's clear that you don't understand the East at all, and you don't know the resilience of this land or the joys and sorrows of its people."

Not satisfied with what he had just said, Li Zichun added, "Although you are exceptionally talented, you are too arrogant and outspoken in your behavior. Sooner or later, someone even more outstanding will come to suppress you. Of course, with your foul mouth, it's also possible that someone will physically assault you."

He replied in Chinese for the next part. Although Carter didn't understand it, he was still scared by the menacing look of the people around him.

Li Zichun ignored them and turned to leave.

The three piano pieces were endlessly reposted online, Zhang Xiaochuan released a special version on a variety show website, Rongcheng University shared the entire performance video on its official website homepage, and Li Zichun's performance was even edited into a separate version, which boosted the school's reputation and popularity.

The National Cultural Propaganda Department of the Great Zhou Kingdom and other national institutions jointly forwarded the news, and in no time, everyone knew his name, making him incredibly popular.

The people of the Great Zhou Kingdom's love for pure music like piano pieces was reignited, and even the previously popular "Ambush from Ten Sides" was brought back into the spotlight. Amidst Li Zichun's numerous and colorful titles, another one emerged: "Piano Prince."

When Fan Liwen saw the news online, she was so excited she wanted to worship him, exclaiming, "You really know how to get things done wherever you go; this time, the gold medal is probably in the bag." Acquaintances like Gu Quan and Jin Dili also called to congratulate him.

Li Zichun responded with a smile to each question until Li Xian called, saying that the chairman of the judging panel, Xu Chengfeng, wanted to meet with him and have a chat, and asked if they could schedule a time.

Li Zichun checked the time and knew it was definitely not possible today, so he said, "We've been filming a variety show here recently. Ask him if he can come over. If he can, I'll give him the address and he can come directly over."

Xu Chengfeng on the other end of the phone agreed immediately, and the two sides arranged a time to meet and talk.

The music and cultural exchange event continued into the evening. Li Zichun had been listening to compliments from school leaders and students all night, while Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei, standing on either side, were exhausted from hearing it all. Eventually, the two took turns drinking on him. Li Jiawei, not a heavy drinker, was helped back to the film set by Xue Qingrou and Feng Zhennian to rest. Knowing they might have many other things to do, Director Zhang Xiaochuan reminded him not to forget the recording date a week later before leaving with the other stars. Only the sober Li Zichun, who hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, was left driving the drunk Zhao Qianfan and the disoriented, drunk Qi Tong. Someone suggested taking him home, but Li Zichun quickly refused, saying he could manage on his own late at night, and drove home himself.

It took Li Zichun a lot of effort to get the tall and strong Zhao Qianfan upstairs. After throwing him onto the bed, he sat on the edge of the bed and started panting.

This thing is really heavy! Luckily, I exercise every day when I shower and before going to bed, otherwise I would have been crushed to death by it.

Li Zichun thought he couldn't get the bed dirty. After all, the guy had helped him fend off the drinks, so even if he hadn't done anything wrong, he had still put in the effort. So he decided to serve this big guy for once!

After Li Zichun took off his shoes and socks, she brought him water and a towel to wipe his body.

This was the first time Li Zichun had ever looked at a man so closely. In her previous life, the last time she had been this close to a man was when her son was a child. The brat was getting less and less attractive to people as he grew up.

Li Zichun began to remove his clothes, and a wave of strong, pungent smell of alcohol hit him, causing him to swallow hard and feel slightly dizzy. He had been raising his glass all night; Li Jiawei had drunk 20% of everyone's toasts, Qi Tong had licked 10%, and he had helped drink the remaining 70%. He had worked hard.

Li Zichun looked at his face, flushed from the alcohol. His fair, jade-like skin also glowed slightly red under the influence of alcohol. He exuded a powerful heat and hormones, his chest heaving with a perfectly controlled heartbeat. The mingled smell of alcohol and heat emanating from his pores created an intoxicating sensation. Below him were sharply defined, sculpted abdominal muscles, even the rectus abdominis was very prominent. At least, it was very noticeable to the touch. Li Zichun took a towel and wiped him down, essentially collecting interest while wiping him down.

As for the others, he didn't dare to touch them. He didn't want to lose one of his trump cards, and he was even more afraid that the boy would be disgusted when he woke up. His small body wouldn't be able to withstand a beating from him.

Because of his regular exercise habits, his skin isn't pure white, but rather more like a yellow jade mixed with wheat and milk. Judging from the quality of his entire body, it would definitely be a collectible in the Palace Museum no matter how it's carved. No wonder Xing Yiling, who is used to seeing handsome men and beautiful women in the entertainment industry, couldn't resist taking a few more glances.

Li Zichun secretly warned himself that he must never let him get drunk again, otherwise he would lose control before anyone else could do anything to him.

"Come on, keep drinking. I'll cover for you if anything happens." Zhao Qianfan pulled him into a tight embrace, shoes and all, with a toast. Li Zichun's face was pressed against his heart, the thumping sound bringing him back to his senses. He slowly pulled away from Zhao Qianfan's body, the lingering smell of alcohol hitting his face. Li Zichun couldn't help but understand Xing Yiling. This little vixen, radiating charm without even realizing it. Let him sleep peacefully.

Li Zichun went out but then came back, snapped a couple of photos with his phone, and ran out of the room. He was afraid that if he looked any longer, he really wouldn't be able to control himself.

Zhao Qianfan rolled over on the bed, a subtle, enigmatic smile slowly spreading across his lips.

Li Zichun stood outside for a while to calm down, then took the dizzy Seven of Bamboo and crumpled it up. Thinking that he had forgotten something important, he went back to his room.

When he came in, he found that Zhao Qianfan had already moved to a comfortable position. Just as he covered himself with the blanket and was about to withdraw his hand, he noticed a small tattoo hidden in the hair at the back of his head. He thought it was some kind of ash that had gotten into his hair somewhere, so he touched it. When he found that he couldn't wipe it off, he left.

Zhao Qianfan turned back around, and he gave up on going out to lie down on the sofa to rest.

After he left, Zhao Qianfan muttered to himself, "Lord Yang Si, could you please remove your transfer mark?"

After saying that, his eyes flickered, as if he had become a different person. He rubbed the back of his head with both hands and said, "Once your physical strength increases a bit more, you can completely disappear."

After he touched the pattern back and forth a few times, the pattern behind him turned into a small mole and disappeared.

Qitong got drunk and staggered around on Li Zichun, meowing so loudly that it stirred up Li Zichun's heart. Li Zichun wondered if he should neuter it, since the little guy was in heat!

Li Zichun fell asleep while lying down. When Zhao Qianfan woke up the next day, his whole body ached. He looked around and walked towards the door.

Li Zichun and Qitong lay sprawled on the sofa, sleeping in strange positions.

After gently covering him with a blanket, Zhao Qianfan went to the kitchen to prepare food, figuring that he would be able to eat something hot when he woke up.

The small room was filled with the faint scent of cooking smoke.

When Li Zichun woke up, he saw the steaming hot food and couldn't help but blurt out, "It's so good to have you."

With a few days left before the variety show started filming, Li Zichun had Zhao Qianfan wander around. The two of them visited all the properties for sale in the vicinity, but Li Zichun still couldn't find an apartment that suited his taste.

In the limited time he has left, relying on the memories of Earth, even if he were to retire now, he would be able to thrive in this era. He has money and savings, and all he wants is a poetic dwelling. And this so-called poetry is actually creation. This creation is different from what ordinary people mean by creation. It is when you face the world around you in a suitable state, and the world will reveal a meaning to you. The so-called "poetic dwelling" means that when you live in a place, you are like an energy source, radiating something. When you open yourself up, you create an atmosphere, and the things around you will suddenly show a state they never had before.

It's like renting a house. The feeling you get the moment you enter the room—whether it's cramped, spacious, cozy, or oppressive—can't be changed by simply replacing a light, painting the walls, or altering the furnishings. It's about the harmony between the person and the space.

Although he knew it had a superstitious element to it, who could truly escape such superstition?

The prerequisite for poetic living is having a house of one's own.

The two spent several days traveling around the city and its outskirts, and paparazzi followed them around as well. By the end of the last few days, the entire internet knew they were buying a house, and rumors were flying everywhere.

The couple's house-hunting scene is described as "Talented men sharing a peach to build a love nest," their walking pace to the real estate agency, one fast and one slow, is called "Waiting for you in a narrow passage," Zhao Qianfan opening the car door for Li Zichun is described as "Willing to bend down for you," and their happy meal together is described as "Enjoying food and drinks together with smiles on their faces," and so on.

Li Zichun laughed it off after reading it. What kind of rubbish was this? It had no talent at all. Such gossip headlines were much more vivid and engaging than those from Hong Kong and Taiwan in his previous life. Even if you didn't buy newspapers or magazines, you would still laugh when you passed by and saw those big characters.

After seeing the news, Fan Liwen and Gu Quan recommended two villas/townhouses to him for free. They went to see them. Fan Liwen's recommendation was a fresh, sweet-toned style, simple and luxurious, suitable for a successful career woman. Gu Quan's recommendation was a rustic and elegant style, more suitable for an elderly person to live in comfortably in their retirement. Neither was quite suitable for him now, so he politely declined both offers.

Many people asked Li Zichun what kind of house he wanted, and they were dumbfounded when they heard his requirements. They looked like an old man on the subway, wondering what he was talking about.

Finally, Li Zichun posted his housing requirements directly on his Weibo account, asking for recommendations if anyone had a suitable option.

He directly copied a short passage from Lin Qingxuan's essay "My Ideal Dwelling":

“From my teenage years, the home I wanted most was a small house surrounded by flowering trees in the forest. Open the door, and there would be cypress wood floors, white walls, and no furniture inside. I would eat, sleep, write, and meet with friends on the wooden floor. I called that house ‘The Empty House’.”

PS:

references:

"Heidegger / What Constitutes Poetic Dwelling?" — Wu Bofan

The greatest joy in life is simple pleasure. — Lin Qingxuan