The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Zhao Qianfan's singing skills are undoubtedly impeccable. The whole song flows smoothly, making you feel like the God of Wealth is driving a roller coaster and crashing into you. It's hard not to get rich.

After working together for so long, he still understands me best what kind of feeling I want. He can basically get it right in one take, which is so good that there's nothing to say.

After he finished singing, Li Zichun just smiled and nodded. This song was not difficult for him; it was just something he could do easily.

Zhao Qianfan sat down and drank tea with Li Zichun, waiting for Li Ke to come in for the recording. The two chatted casually, and then Li Zichun suddenly asked, "By the way, it's almost Chinese New Year, aren't you going back to spend it with your wife?"

Zhao Qianfan noticed a slight pause in his teacup, then continued sipping his tea, saying, "It's alright, they'll come over once they've handled things over there."

Li Zichun, seemingly oblivious to what was happening, continued, "Hmm, it's been so long since I've seen them. I wonder how they're doing. Don't you, as their father, spend time with your children?"

Zhao Qianfan thought to himself, "It's really strange that a child over a hundred years old needs someone to accompany him." But he still calmly said, "I guess I didn't explain it to you clearly. Zhao Jinmai is a child that Jin Dili and I adopted together. We didn't have a marital relationship. It was just that fate brought us together to raise her."

This was the first time Li Zichun had heard him say that, and her mind didn't quite process it for a moment. She asked in surprise, "So you've always been single? But the news says..."

He paused suddenly at this point. Yes, entertainment news is not current affairs news. If it were all believable, people wouldn't be leaving the industry and the internet every now and then. Entertainment reporters are now called "paparazzi." They fabricate a baseless incident from a blurry photo, and even the headlines are "according to rumors" or "scandal." They fabricate facts and make up rumors for profit. Even if a celebrity can't stand it and wins a lawsuit, it will still greatly damage their reputation and influence. But if they don't sue, the public will think they are scared, and the rumors will spread as if it were true.

Logically, we often say "proof of existence, not proof of non-existence." As celebrities, they can only prove what actually happened and what they personally experienced. If they didn't do it, how can they prove it didn't exist or was unrelated to them? This is a paradox. Nowadays, the media and entertainment reporters fabricate stories out of thin air, no longer adhering to the principle of "whoever makes the claim bears the burden of proof." Instead, they forcibly slander celebrities for the sake of traffic and to bring them down, forcing them to prove their innocence. This creates a "reversal of the burden of proof"—if they didn't do or participate in it, how can they prove they were involved?!

Therefore, media and paparazzi revelations are increasingly ignored by the public; everyone just watches for the spectacle. Celebrity statements become ineffective, leaving them with no choice but to resort to legal action. However, these lawsuits are not quick or easy. From submitting materials and filing a case to the first instance, second instance, and final judgment, even with solid evidence, the process takes at least a month. For celebrities, the process from evidence gathering to public trial is often extremely lengthy. Even after a final ruling, a simple "appeal if you disagree" can add months to the legal battle. So why do they continue this endless litigation, knowing they have no chance of winning? Because of the allure of fame, because of capital, because of the difficulty of dealing with lawyers, and because of the challenge of collecting evidence...

Entertainment news, as the name suggests, emphasizes the word "entertainment." However, the current "entertainment" seems to have no bottom line or limits. In order to attract attention and satisfy the public's curiosity, it is characterized by strong plot and storytelling, weakening the authenticity and rigor that news must have. Baidu Encyclopedia summarizes entertainment news into three types: privacy-related, hype-driven, and fabricated—none of which sound good. Sometimes he can understand why those die-hard fans can still follow their celebrities without hesitation after they get into trouble. Reasons such as "capital's fault" or "being framed" are readily available. Even the credibility of the official authorities seems to have no impact on them, which is a unique and "peculiar" scene in the entertainment industry.

Zhao Qianfan was tricked and blacklisted by Xing Yiling back then, which was probably not just because of Jin Dili. If the two of them were a fake couple who adopted a child, then there would be too many twists and turns in the story.

Li Zichun pondered Zhao Qianfan's words in silence, then said uncertainly, "So the truth is...?"

Seeing an opportunity to speak, Zhao Qianfan frankly said, "The truth is that Jin Dili and I were just mutually benefiting. She had someone she liked, but her family wouldn't allow us to separate. The man took the money and went abroad. After she lost heart, she met Zhao Jinmai and thought about adopting her. At that time, I never thought I would get married in this life. Zhao Jinmai is also very well-behaved and lovely. So the two of us discussed and decided to start a family and adopt Zhao Jinmai to give her a warm and happy home. Then Xing Yiling, who had been watching us, exposed that I had secretly married and had a child. I couldn't defend myself. It was indeed an adoption after marriage. I couldn't hurt the child's feelings, so I admitted it and retired from the entertainment industry. I was doing well performing at the barbecue stall that I ran into you and asked me to sing. I thought it didn't matter where I sang, and Jin Dili and Zhao Jinmai agreed, so I just agreed."

Listening to the twists and turns of the story, Li Zichun had a gossipy look on his face: "So, you're still a virgin?"

Zhao Qianfan nearly sprayed the tea onto Li Zichun's face with a "pfft," but Li Zichun dodged it with an "I knew it" look on his face.

Just as Zhao Qianfan was about to say something in his defense, Li Ke knocked on the door and came in with the lyrics and music: "I'm ready... Hmm? Did I miss something?"

Li Zichun said calmly, "It's nothing, let's get started recording. We've got everything sorted out, just waiting for you."

Seeing that he seemed unaffected, Zhao Qianfan didn't press the matter further. After all, it was all in the past, and she was doing quite well now, so there was no need to waste time on such things.

Li Ke stood in the recording studio, took a deep breath, and then sang "Bless You" with a powerful voice:

May every day of yours be colorful and vibrant.

My heart is filled with all good things and will always remain beautiful.

May you be filled with joy throughout your life.

I'm so happy to be with my dear friend, always smiling.

The spring breeze will bring forth a mountain full of flowers for you, and the autumn moon will accompany you as you soar across the vast sky.

May the brilliance of a hundred nights permeate sweet dreams, and may winter's frost never reach you.

May you achieve your lofty ambitions and reach new heights!

May you smile every day of your life.

My heartfelt wishes are for you to always reach the realm of truth, goodness, and beauty.

...(I can't post the same thing repeatedly, you can search for it yourself if you want to hear it)

My heartfelt blessings to you, and may you always be blessed to attain truth, goodness, and beauty.

These kinds of New Year songs are actually quite easy to sing as long as you get the rhythm right. Even if you don't sing them well, people won't be too harsh on you because of the festive atmosphere of the New Year. Li Ke didn't sing very smoothly, obviously he hadn't reached Li Zichun's standard yet, so he was asked to practice some more and record it again later.

Li Ke wasn't dissatisfied. He had indeed been hoping for a lucky break, but he found it incredible that he could sing the song so well in such a short time. Back when he was at Taiwan Romantic Recording Studio, a song would take several takes in the recording studio, and it was extremely rare for a song to be perfect in one take. Those were veterans who had been singing for over a decade.

Thinking of this, Li Ke glanced at Zhao Qianfan, whose face clearly said "so-so, it's none of my business," and cursed inwardly, "Damn it," this guy's singing skills are really strong, practically perfect. If he's in a good mood and adds some of his own unique touches to his stage performance, it will be a textbook-perfect, stunning performance.

Zhao Qianfan looked back at him calmly, a smile playing on her lips. "Ha, you think you can compete with me as the second-place winner? You're ignorant and overestimating yourself. You should go look in the mirror."

Li Ke snorted and went out to practice singing. Li Zichun rolled her eyes at him and followed him out to correct his singing mistakes.

Zhao Qianfan sipped his tea contentedly. These days are so nice...

Under Li Zichun's guidance, Li Ke quickly adjusted his mindset and began the next round of recording. The second round of recording went smoothly. Although there were still some flaws, they were understandable, and Li Zichun didn't demand too much, letting him pass. Those few lines were supposed to be harmonies, but not everyone can be like George Lam or Tu Honggang, opening their mouths with the imposing presence of a thousand troops.

Although Li Zichun let him off the hook, he still advised him on what to pay attention to if he had the opportunity to sing live in the future, in order to avoid stage accidents.

All four songs have been recorded, but there's still one last one to go. Li Zichun checked the time, scratched his head, yawned, and said, "I haven't thought of the last duet yet. Let's leave it at that for today. Everyone go wash up and go to bed. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow after we wake up."

After saying that, Li Zichun went upstairs, grabbed the howling Qi Tong, and went to wash up, leaving Li Ke and Zhao Qianfan looking at each other in bewilderment.

Li Ke shrugged and went to wash up as well.

Zhao Qianfan sat down thoughtfully to continue sipping tea. He looked at his phone and the news for a while, as well as the messages Zhao Jinmai sent him from time to time. After thinking it over, he decided to go back to his room to rest.

After taking a shower, Li Zichun and Qitong sat in their room, enjoying the warm air while pondering Zhao Qianfan's words.

If we accept his explanation, then the favor he did for Jin Dili was actually given to her, which was somewhat unnecessary. No wonder he was furious when he heard that he had brought Gu Quan to meet Jin Dili, because Gu Quan knew all along that Jin Dili could not get married without a household registration book. Zhao Qianfan was not his brother-in-law recognized by his family at all!

But at the time, he probably wasn't sure if the two of them had slept together. After all, after disappearing for many years, a beautiful daughter suddenly appeared out of nowhere; anyone would suspect they were husband and wife. He pretended to be nonchalant, testing her back and forth, playing along. In the end, she even helped him organize a "traditional Chinese music concert," making him famous overnight. It's really ironic when you think about it.

As for the "Death of the Moon Emperor" incident, the fatal blow of the "Delayed Evaluation of the Gold Medal" incident, he, as the official propaganda head of the Ministry of Culture of the Great Zhou Kingdom, would definitely have participated in the evaluation. It's impossible that he didn't hear a word about it. The fact that he and Yi Ziqiang didn't send him a single message from beginning to end makes one wonder if it was because he couldn't tell anyone or Fan Liwen told him not to say anything. This is very suspicious.

Whether all of this was his own idea or the will of the Great Zhou Kingdom is hard to say.

While Li Zichun was lost in thought, Qi Tong bit his hand hard, and he screamed "Ah!" and quickly threw Qi Tong away.

Zhao Qianfan rushed up at top speed. Seeing him bitten, he glared at Qitong, who meowed in protest. "My fur is practically on fire from your hairdryer! Your glaring won't do any good, hmph!" After glancing at him, it quickly licked its fur, ignoring the two male dogs.

Li Zichun clutched his hand in pain. Zhao Qianfan helped him to the sofa on the balcony and asked him to take a look. He looked at it from left to right but couldn't see anything wrong. He looked at Li Zichun with a hint of doubt. Only then did Li Zichun realize that there was no broken skin at all, otherwise he would have had to go to the hospital for an injection.

Zhao Qianfan looked at Qitong, and it gave him a wise look. "I know my limits and what's important. I didn't even use my teeth. I can tell the difference between being full at one meal and being stuffed at another. I've created an opportunity for you. Why don't you take advantage of this? You indecisive human."

Li Zichun looked at the hand he was holding and said awkwardly, "It doesn't seem to hurt as much anymore, can I let go now...?"

Zhao Qianfan let go of his hand speechlessly, then looked at his still wet hair, stood up and said, "Let me help you dry your hair."

Li Zichun smiled and said, "No need... oh..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Zichun felt an electric shock. Oh my god, that feels so good! A little harder, yes, right there...

Zhao Qianfan massaged him with her hands to help him relax.

Li Ke, who had just come up, felt inexplicably disappointed when she saw this scene. Damn it, all that yelling! I thought I could secretly see a good show, but it turned out to be just a bunch of people dressed up and wailing.

Li Ke said awkwardly, "Sorry to bother you, please continue," and then slipped back into her room without looking back.

Li Zichun couldn't help but tease, "He, did he misunderstand something?"

Zhao Qianfan chuckled and said, "What do you think? You let out a random 'ah' followed by sounds of pleasure. Anyone would misunderstand that."

Li Zichun said embarrassedly, "It's because you massaged me too comfortably."

Zhao Qianfan suddenly withdrew his hand and said, "Okay, okay, I won't press it then. Come here, let's dry our hair."

The sudden, refreshing feeling left Li Zichun feeling a little lost. "I was just saying it casually, why did you take it so seriously?" He was too embarrassed to ask him to continue massaging him. "Ugh, so annoying."

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Bless You" is a song sung by Jenny Tseng, with lyrics by James Wong and music and arrangement by Joseph Koo. It was included in the album of the same name and released in 1981. In 1994, eleven Warner Music artists, including George Lam, Sally Yeh, Andy Lau, Dicky Cheung, Kenny Bee, and Alex To, covered the song, making it even more widely known.