The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Li Zichun had visited about 70-80% of the decent properties for sale in Rongcheng but still hadn't found a place he liked. Zhao Qianfan was also surprised to find that shopping with a man could be so tiring. They walked around the east district, then the west district, then the north and then the south, all because of a first impression. He was so exhausted from walking that he almost wanted to break his legs and start cursing.

Many paparazzi reporters followed them all over the city, running from east to west and north to south, until they were so tired that they couldn't even complain anymore and just lay down on the spot. Even the selection of concubines in ancient times wasn't this difficult.

Li Zichun sighed and finally gave up the idea of ​​finding a suitable place to live, because director Zhang Xiaochuan reminded him that it was time to come back to record the show.

Zhao Qianfan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could finish speaking, she covered his mouth and threw him into the car, then immediately drove towards the production crew. Although he knew that buying a house required careful consideration, if he had looked at half the city and couldn't find a single one that suited his taste, shouldn't he seriously reconsider whether his requirements were problematic?

As soon as Qitong got on the bus, he fell asleep sprawled out, completely unresponsive. No matter how I called him, he wouldn't answer. Good heavens! I've never hated walking this much since I was born. When I go back, I'll definitely have a grand sedan chair with him on both sides.

Li Zichun, still seemingly unfazed by fatigue, said, "Have you gotten a bit tanned? Your complexion looks so dull and gloomy. By the way, I saw online that there are some nice houses around Rongcheng. We could..."

Zhao Qianfan parked the car on the side of the road, grabbed the back of his head with one hand and covered his mouth with the other, saying, "Don't talk... My legs and ears are a little tired from walking today. You should rest for a bit. I'll call you when we get to the filming location."

Li Zichun nodded in agreement; it was the first time she had ever been slapped like that by a man.

Li Zichun got up and lay down in the back seat to play on her phone, glancing at Zhao Qianfan's profile out of the corner of her eye. When Zhao Qianfan noticed, she just grinned sheepishly, realizing she had indeed been talking too much lately. She made a gesture to shut herself up. Zhao Qianfan smiled and said, "No need to be so dramatic. As long as you're happy, just don't keep talking. I can't find a way to reply."

The two enjoyed the rest of the journey, chatting casually. Li Zichun gradually became sleepy. Zhao Qianfan then slowed the car down to ensure a smooth ride so as not to disturb him.

Time flies, and we arrived at the production crew's location in just half a day.

When Zhao Qianfan arrived, he found Li Zichun fast asleep, still smacking his lips. It seemed he was really tired from walking and dreaming about delicious food. He sat in the car and communicated with the director via text message. He knew that the recording wouldn't start until the evening, so he didn't want to wake him up and planned to wait until he woke up naturally.

Looking at his peaceful and serene sleeping face, Zhao Qianfan smiled gently. After all, he was still just an adult, so it was normal for him to be sleepy.

When Li Zichun woke up, he was still in the car. Qi Tong was still asleep, and Zhao Qianfan was also sleeping with his head tilted to one side in the back seat in front of him. So Li Zichun covered him with the blanket he was wearing.

He got up and quietly got out of the car to check the setup and recording preparations.

When Xue Qingrou and Feng Zhennian saw him finally get out of the car, they quickly ran over with smiles to greet him, preparing to sing a short song.

Li Zichun waved his hand and said, "No need, I want to see your own interpretations on stage. If you listen now, there won't be any surprises later."

Feng Zhennian said with a smile, "I think your understanding is the purest. These past few days, our voices have been hoarse from singing, all to meet your requirements."

Li Zichun chuckled and joked, "Even when you're smoking, your voices are still so delicate and beautiful. If they weren't smoking, would they be buried in the ground?"

Xue Qingrou said with a smile, "Please don't tease us. We showed this song you wrote to the company's chairman. There aren't many works that can get her approval. In the end, she personally supervised us to ensure that the song's content was perfectly interpreted. Now we're just waiting for you to test it."

Li Zichun exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, I am truly honored. I look forward to your wonderful performance. Don't let me down at the crucial moment."

Xue Qingrou and Feng Zhennian stood at attention and saluted, saying, "We guarantee to complete the mission."

Li Zichun smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, you guys get ready first. I'm going to check the scene and I'll come back to see you later."

Lu Fang and Lou Yideng were waiting for him. The three of them checked the setup together and had Yang Qingqing give a short demonstration. She danced well. Li Zichun briefly pointed out a few details that needed attention and then said no more.

Because they weren't very familiar with each other, he didn't dare say too much, only making minor adjustments, which was easy for professional dancers like them. If she could perform perfectly in every show, he wouldn't mind giving her a solo dance in the final performance. If she didn't perform well, there were still a large number of substitute dancers like Zhong Lingling. It didn't matter who he used; of course, he would choose someone capable and dedicated.

Director Zhang Xiaochuan was making final on-set adjustments, tweaking the camera placement and movement. Li Zichun was watching and learning from him, mentally considering where to use close-ups, where to use long, medium, and short shots, and comparing his mental images with the director's to see which was better.

Zhang Xiaochuan has maintained such a good reputation after so many years of doing variety shows, which shows he's really skilled. Li Zichun learned a lot from watching him, noting down unfamiliar professional terms to look up later, since his memory is already his strongest asset.

Soon it was time for the final live recording, and a large number of celebrities came to the scene. Everyone had worked so hard to compete for this final opportunity to showcase their new songs, so how could they miss this first performance!

Feng Zhennian and Xue Qingrou appeared on stage in ancient costumes. Their voices were very similar, and their attire was identical. They stood on opposite ends of the stage, like two flowers reflected in a mirror, performing the same movements, and slowly began to sing "The Moon Fills the West Tower" to the music:

The fragrant red lotus root leaves the jade mat in autumn

Lightly loosening her silk robes, she boarded the orchid boat alone.

Who sends a letter from the clouds?

When the wild geese return, the moon shines bright over the western tower.

Flowers fall and water flows on.

One longing, two places of sorrow

This can't be eliminated

The frown just left my brow but rose in my heart.

But it came to mind.

……

Xue Qingrou and Feng Zhennian sang with deep emotion and passion, moving the audience deeply and beautifully, expressing the emotions in the lyrics to the fullest. The two seemed to be immersed in the scene, secretly grieving and pitying themselves.

In the center of the stage was Yang Qingqing's solo dance. Li Zichun gave her a dance performed by Zhou Jie as Yang Guifei in "Tang Minghuang". The beauty of this dance lies in her pair of bright, tearful eyes, her forehead glistening with sweat, and her graceful and agile figure, which makes her appear stunning and captivating, revealing the universe in the smallest movements.

Yang Qingqing danced quite well, she was indeed a professional, but she always felt that something was wrong, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. After the whole song was over, no one dared to applaud, they just leaned against her and pondered, afraid of disturbing her creative process.

The room was silent for three minutes before Li Zichun came to his senses and signaled to director Zhang Xiaochuan that it was okay. There was no encore like Zhao Qianfan and Li Jiawei had done before. Although he was a little disappointed that his expectations were not met, judging from his expression, he seemed genuinely dissatisfied.

Li Zichun called over director Zhang Xiaochuan and the cast, and also brought over Lou Yideng. He told Zhang Xiaochuan, "Cut out all of Yang Qingqing's dancing. If you want to air it, just make it a behind-the-scenes clip. If the shots don't connect well, have Xue Qingrou and Feng Zhennian re-record or add some close-ups..."

Yang Qingqing was slightly stunned. Had a week's worth of effort gone to waste?

Her body trembled slightly, and she dared not say more. She was overjoyed, thinking that she would be given a good position here, but she did not expect that she could not even make a formal appearance.

Lou Yideng gently helped her up, and said with some confusion, "Why cut Qingqing's scenes? Wasn't she dancing very well?"

Director Zhang Xiaochuan and the other performers looked at him in confusion. They needed to hear a reasonable explanation and justification; otherwise, who would willingly waste a week like this?

Li Zichun looked at Yang Qingqing and said, "You danced very well, but it's not suitable for this song. I will add background music to your segment and edit it into a bonus clip. Zhong Lingling will take the lead position next."

The surrounding area erupted in uproar and discussion.

Seeing her absent-minded look, Li Zichun took a deep breath, clapped his hands loudly to suppress the surrounding noise, and continued, "Listen to me before you get sad, OK?! Listen carefully, I need you to learn a dance before the final episode, a dance that could make you famous nationwide. I will personally participate in the rehearsals and provide on-stage guidance with Teacher Lou Yideng. It could become an important masterpiece in your life. If you don't meet my requirements or perform poorly, then there will be no need for us to work together again in the future."

Yang Qingqing listened intently, her expression shifting from cloudy to overcast, until finally, her heart burst with joy. She was completely bewildered, her emotions fluctuating like a rollercoaster. But she could vaguely understand that the camera captured her face in a series of unpredictable changes, finally freezing on a look of utter astonishment. A masterpiece? Mine? Really? What a steal!

Her expressions shifted dramatically, from hell to heaven in an instant, and she nodded repeatedly to show that she would definitely do her best.

Li Zichun smiled gently and said, "It's not about going all out, it's about doing your best. My eyes won't misjudge people."

The crowd's mood shifted from worry and doubt to envy and jealousy, and Zhong Lingling's joy at winning the top spot was overshadowed by her own emotions.

The worst thing for people is comparison. With Li Zichun's talent, regardless of whether Yang Qingqing succeeds or not, at least the premiere is hers. Comparison is the thief of joy.

The next step is to determine the order of appearance in the next round.

The final results were Qin Yuzi and Cheng Xinghe, Jiang Yiyi and Lin Sishi, and Zheng Conghu and Yuan Zian.

After giving them the lyrics and accompaniment, Li Zichun gave them a week to practice. He and Yang Qingqing then discussed asking Lou Yideng for leave, actually to make up for their weakness in dance.

He had noticed this when he performed "The New Drunken Concubine" on stage before. He had consulted with the national-level senior singers invited by Gu Quan at the Chinese Style New Song Concert. In addition, the original owner of this body was a music student, so it was not a big problem and he handled it easily. However, he was not familiar with the water sleeve dance involved in the performance, so he just did a few simple movements like in the music video he remembered, without much stage presence.

So he planned to take this opportunity to practice diligently. There was a dance teacher readily available; why not take advantage of her? She was a teacher from his own school, so he could learn openly and legitimately.

To give everyone a little excitement, Li Zichun issued a small announcement in advance, saying that everyone should vote on two people in all the competitions to have a new song performance and be included in the final celebration performance.

Upon hearing this news, everyone exchanged glances, and those who had performed before were eager to try, wondering how to make a decision.

The final selection was based on performance, with 60% of the performance coming from all on-site staff, including the director, 5% from instructors Lü Fang and Lou Yideng, and the remaining 30% from online voting.

So in the following weeks, the scene became a battle of wits and schemes in the entertainment industry.

Everyone sent their own support food truck, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner all provided. There was also a milk tea shop where you could order whatever you wanted to drink on the spot. If there were no seats available, that was fine too. You could bring clothes, shoes, and socks that you endorse, and that was all provided. There were also small fans, essential oils, and other daily necessities that you might need.

There are no tricks they can't pull off, no matter how small. You get a vote, I get a vote, today I'm going to sing and dance.

Director Zhang Xiaochuan was also pleased with the outcome, and the staff on set were all delighted, but only they knew who they would vote for. Because it would be an anonymous vote with immediate ballot counting, no one would know who voted for whom.

Li Zichun was used to these unspoken rules of the entertainment industry. Such social interactions were normal in China; in his past life, if someone helped him, he'd be expected to give them a drink or a meal as a thank you. He didn't think much of it. He leisurely enjoyed the breeze from the small fan Li Jiawei had given him, and when he got thirsty, he'd grab a drink and a dessert from the food cart Yuan Zian had called. The gentle breeze felt wonderful.

Li Zichun sat on the bench, Li Jiawei helped massage his slightly sore shoulders, and Zhao Qianfan rubbed his aching calves, it felt so good.

Zhao Qianfan chuckled as he watched everyone bustling around: "Superficial. I'll give you a royal flush later. I'll definitely get one of the two spots."

Li Zichun looked at him with interest and said, "Why don't you call a support truck? Or I can help you get one? I won't show favoritism."

Zhao Qianfan said with great interest, "I can't do it. We have everything we need. If we add more, it'll just become a food street. I have a brilliant plan. Just wait and see how I win the performance opportunity."

Li Zichun looked at his sly grin, realizing he had a plan. He couldn't help but be very curious. "Young man, you've successfully caught my attention."

Li Jiawei felt that Li Zichun was so talented and hardworking, so she had to work even harder to crush these bastards who thought they were good enough.

PS: Information is from the internet.

"Full Moon Over the West Chamber" is one of the many songs sung by Teresa Teng, and it is also the theme song of the 1968 film "Full Moon Over the West Chamber".

Because of its age, the article uses a song sung by An Wen, with lyrics based on "A Spray of Plum Blossoms: The Fragrance of Red Lotus Fades and the Jade Mat is Cool in Autumn" by Song Dynasty female poet Li Qingzhao, and music composed by Su Yue.