The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Listening to Jin Dili's eloquent explanation, Zhao Qianfan suddenly said with a look of understanding, "I see. No wonder everyone says there are many treasures in front of the Gate of Longevity. It turns out that they are left behind by those powerful people who suddenly passed away overnight."

Jin Dili chuckled and said, "They're just a bunch of reckless fools who courted death. There's nothing to worry about. To be able to knock the main star down to the point where several meteorites fell, it must have been a self-destruction. But that's exactly what Zhao Jinmai wants. If we find these remaining fragments, she can digest them and grow up slowly, without having to go to elementary school or kindergarten all the time."

Zhao Qianfan was stunned upon hearing this and said, "Although I know that the main star has a long history, it seems a bit of an exaggeration to say that a few fragments can help her grow stronger."

Jin Dili yawned and said, "You yourself said it has a long history. And the fact that these wondrous lands, which contain endless years, have not turned into dust in the torrent of time is enough to say something, isn't it?"

Zhao Qianfan asked doubtfully, "Then wouldn't the soil from this planet also work?"

Jin Dili rolled her eyes at him: "How could that be? The air on this garbage planet is so polluted, where would there be any pure soil? Even if there were, their governments would protect it and use it for research, and they wouldn't even know how to use it properly. Besides, soil is something that becomes more precious with age. Every piece on the main planet is a crystallization of hundreds of billions of years. If it weren't for those geniuses who sought death and self-destructed, ordinary people wouldn't be able to pry it off."

Zhao Qianfan nodded and said, "Understood. So, what are the chances of you finding it this time?"

Jin Dili pointed to Zhao Jinmai, who was licking a lollipop, and said, "Look at her."

Zhao Jinmai nodded and said, "It's fifty-fifty. It's just that the soil is too rare, and we never know which stupid fish or whale might swallow it. That's why we came to ask you for help, Dad."

Zhao Qianfan nodded in realization and said, "So you came to me because you wanted me to help you find Suirang?"

Zhao Jinmai chuckled and said, "Dad, you know a lot of people, so please help me out for my height."

Zhao Qianfan snorted and looked at Zhao Jinmai, who was over a hundred years old and still acting spoiled, and said, "I know, I will send a message to the little dragon and have it help you."

Seeing that he had already nodded, Jin Dili smiled and said, "Let's not talk about her anymore. Let's talk about Li Zichun. You really don't plan to kill him?" After she finished speaking, she nodded to herself and said, "That's right. If we were going to kill him, we should have done it the first time we met. Why wait until now?"

Zhao Jinmai chuckled and gossiped, "So Dad, did you two sleep together or not? It's just the two of you in the whole house now, so you have to make the most of the opportunity. Drunkenness leads to promiscuity, knocking you out and dragging you away, or even forcing yourself on you—it's all possible. You're both thousands of years old; there's no need to pursue pure love."

Zhao Qianfan coughed twice and said, "Stop watching those inappropriate TV dramas and reading those messy articles with your mother. Don't meddle in your father's affairs."

Zhao Jinmai, with an attitude of "I don't care, who cares?", said, "Your business is my business. Even Lord Tianling would mind if you just killed him."

Jin Dili interjected, "Hmm? Lord Tianling? Which deity is this?"

Zhao Qianfan calmly said, "An annoying porcelain doll, a being beyond gods."

Jin Dili stood up in surprise and said, "A person from the Eternal Heaven? How is that possible?"

Zhao Qianfan shook his head and said, "I already said it's not human, it's a porcelain doll, a wisp of the soul separated from a high-level traveler. It's not something you or I can defeat."

Zhao Jinmai continued licking his lollipop, saying, "Dad, since you got the Kowloon Harbor Singing King title, the time it takes for you to merge with this body has been getting longer and longer, so we're relieved. I guess Zhao Qianfan's last obsession is the Singing King trophy. I wish you success soon. Although it only took three years, it's not bad. Remember to contact the Little Dragon of the Deep Sea for me. Alright, it's getting late, we should go. I wish you success in sleeping with Little Chun Chun soon, Dad."

Zhao Qianfan said indulgently, "You're so clever. Alright, wearing this necklace into the sea will allow you to sense the location of the little dragon. Don't keep bothering him; he'll be transforming into a dragon in a hundred years, and he still has his own life to live."

Zhao Jinmai nodded and said, "Okay, Dad, I'll go after the New Year."

Jin Dili followed Zhao Jinmai away, not forgetting to say as she left, "By the way, we won't be having New Year's Eve dinner together. The Jin family wants me to come over, and I'll bring Jinmai with me. You and your little lover should just enjoy your life together."

Zhao Qianfan watched them walk further and further away before returning to the house.

He took off his shoes and tiptoed upstairs, only to bump into Li Zichun, who had just finished showering and was coming out. Her long, wispy hair was almost up to her shoulders.

Li Zichun said with a smile, "Why did they leave so quickly? Aren't they going to stay and sleep with you?"

Zhao Qianfan coughed twice and said, "Don't make trouble, we are innocent. Besides, Jin Dili would never sleep with a man."

Li Zichun gasped: "She likes girls?"

"..." Zhao Qianfan was speechless, not knowing where to begin. Celestial maidens were not allowed to have love, or perhaps they were people whose emotional roots had been removed, and that once they were with a man, it would be the moment of their death. But he couldn't say it outright, so he just touched his head and said, "She has no worldly desires, and she hates it when others interfere in her affairs."

Li Zichun pouted and raised an eyebrow at him, but he pretended not to see it and went back to his room to take a shower.

Enraged, Li Zichun went up to the third floor and furiously masturbated to the seven-bamboo ball.

When Zhao Qianfan finished washing up and went up to the third floor shirtless, he saw a person and a cat fighting fiercely. He grabbed one on each side, threw the smaller one back into its den, and carried the larger one back to his bed.

Li Zichun was annoyed when he threw her onto the bed and said speechlessly, "You're a grown man, why are you arguing with a cat? Okay, stop pouting, come over here and I'll blow-dry your hair so you can go to sleep."

Li Zichun reluctantly went over, muttering, "I need a head massage too."

Zhao Qianfan nodded indulgently, her fingertips skillfully running through his black hair, giving him a gentle massage. Just as she was massaging him, Li Zichun, who was almost asleep, suddenly felt water dripping from his hair onto her face, instantly waking her up.

Li Zichun stood up and glared at him. Seeing his embarrassed expression, she gestured for him to sit down and said speechlessly, "Come here, I'll help you blow-dry your hair."

Zhao Qianfan wanted to say no, but seeing his expression, she obediently sat down and let him do as he pleased.

Li Zichun picked up a dry towel and rubbed his hair thoroughly to make sure it wasn't dripping wet before picking up a hairdryer to dry it.

Zhao Qianfan's hair was jet black and dried quickly, but he couldn't help but feel playful. Touching his soft hair, he unconsciously began humming "My Hand Through Your Black Hair": "My hand through your black hair..."

Through my eyes, through your mood

Such deep affection, if it were to vanish in the blink of an eye, would turn to smoke and clouds.

I don't understand why the ocean can turn into mulberry fields.

Your hand holding my helpless hands.

Your eyes illuminated my dull eyes

If the cold world we live in remains unchanged

At least I still have your face that can melt away the ice and snow.

I no longer need their promises.

I will no longer believe their lies.

I no longer care about the rumors people want.

I know we don't understand sweet talk.

......

My hand cannot hold onto your image.

My eyes couldn't hold onto your departing figure.

Such deep affection, if it were to vanish in the blink of an eye, would turn to smoke and clouds.

I don't understand why the ocean can turn into mulberry fields.

My hand through your black hair

When Li Zichun sang "cannot be kept," Zhao Qianfan softly murmured, "can be kept."

After Li Zichun finished humming a song, his hair was almost done. He ran his hand through the strands of hair, feeling its warmth and softness like brocade. It was so nice. It also had a faint fragrance, just like the scent emanating from him, which made people feel calm and at ease.

Zhao Qianfan enjoyed the treatment he received, smiling with her eyes narrowed.

After drying his hair, Li Zichun's gaze shifted downwards, and he swallowed slightly. Damn, looking down from head to toe, this undulating inverted triangle shape meant that even a man couldn't see his feet. Thinking about this, he glanced at his own flat chest, and his face immediately darkened.

Without comparison, there is no harm.

Li Zichun quickly finished drying his hair, then pushed him out the door, said "See you tomorrow," and closed the door.

Zhao Qianfan was also bewildered by his sudden change; his mood shifted faster than flipping through a book. What had happened? Helpless, he knocked on the door repeatedly but the other person wouldn't open it, so he could only go back to his room alone.

Li Zichun patted his slightly flushed face, took a bottle of ice water from the small refrigerator and drank it, telling himself to calm down, but his body's inexplicable reaction left him completely bewildered.

The two of them tossed and turned in their respective beds until they finally drifted off to sleep just before dawn.

-----------

Inside a villa on a private island in Kowloon Harbour, Lin Xuehua is reporting to her father, Lin Ruhai, on the family's earnings over the past month.

Lin Ruhai listened calmly, picked up his grandson who was only a few months old, and said, "Alright, since I've entrusted the business to you, I naturally trust you completely. You don't need to report to me every month. Just report to me once every six months or once a year. Also, spend more time with your son. Look, he hardly recognizes you anymore."

When Lin Xuehua was a child, she always complained that her father spent too little time with her. It wasn't until she took over the family business that she realized her father had done his best to spend time with her. Now, she spends even less time with her own children than her father did with her. She realized it was because she lacked the ability to do so; otherwise, she would have been able to find the time.

Lin Ruhai coaxed his grandson in his arms to giggle, and said with a smile, "But don't underestimate yourself. You've only been in charge of the company for less than a year, and you've already done quite well to get to where you are now."

Lin Xuehua nodded, took her youngest son, who was rolling around in his arms, and said, "I heard that you personally called Li Zichun of the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, Dad? Do you think he can do it?"

Lin Ruhai took a small sip of the Mother Tree Da Hong Pao tea and said with a smile, "If he's not good enough, then you're even less capable. Xuehua, what do you think of him?"

Lin Xuehua pondered for a moment, then quickly gave her answer: "He is quick-witted, and his lyrics and music compositions are both excellent. Those songs in the style of classical Chinese poetry are masterpieces that can be passed down through the ages. I just can't figure out why he ended up in Kowloon Port?"

Lin Ruhai laughed and said, "They're just victims of the chaotic power struggles among capitalists. Under Sun Tianxing's leadership, the domestic entertainment industry was practically finished long ago. The upper management is constantly fighting for power and profit, the middle management is conservative and seeks stability, lacking ambition, and the lower-level employees think that once they're in, it's a secure job, and they want to make money without lifting a finger. And the stars under these eight entertainment giants are even worse. Which one of them doesn't cause some kind of scandal every now and then, with a chaotic private life? There's nothing wrong with these things and pursuits in themselves. After all, youth and beauty are assets. But without any bottom line, they're no different from pheasants sneaking into a vegetable garden to steal food. Their behavior is ugly and disgusting."

Lin Xuehua nodded to herself, stroking her son's head in her arms, and said, "That's true, but Li Zichun is just one person, and even with Zhao Qianfan, it's just a small group. Why would they not even let go of a small star who hasn't even risen to prominence yet?"

Lin Ruhai sipped his tea and said, "Would you have let it go if you were in his shoes?"

Lin Xuehua nodded and said, "No. If we can't win them over, we have to destroy them with one blow."

Lin Ruhai smiled and nodded, saying, "Not bad, he has improved. People with outstanding talent are naturally a bit arrogant, but we should fully support someone with such extraordinary talent as him."

Lin Xuehua asked in confusion, "If we can't befriend them, can't we just eliminate them?"

Lin Ruhai looked at his daughter, who was calmly discussing life and death, and shook his head, saying, "The entertainment industry is already chaotic enough. It's time to pour a bucket of cleanser into it. There aren't many people like him who are patient enough to do things. If we suppress them all, what will we watch?"

After Lin Xuehua took a moment to react, he touched his grandson's head and said, "We are a wealthy family. The existence of a wealthy family is not just about accumulating wealth and stabilizing the local economy. We should also have our own vision, help young talents and people of noble character, and give these younger generations the opportunity to develop. Only in this way can we continuously enhance our reputation, status and popularity in the local area, and ensure that the family prospers for a long time."

Lin Xuehua nodded in deep agreement and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Father. I know what to do now."

Lin Ruhai smiled and said, "Well, it's like when you put that song 'Castle in the Sky' on the website as background music. Although it's effective in the short term, people will inevitably say it's petty in the long run. What we want is never just to cultivate some superstars, but to lead the times. And I think Li Zichun has that ability."

Lin Xuehua hesitated and said, "But I think his relationship with Zhao Qianfan is ambiguous, and their relationship is probably not that simple."

Lin Ruhai smiled and said, "You can't befriend someone who has no quirks. In this day and age, men can get married. You need to broaden your horizons. I know what you're worried about. Even if he has the appearance of dying young, so what? As long as he can keep our Lin family standing among the elite for a few more years, that's enough to stabilize your position in the family and the company."

Lin Xuehua then instantly understood her father's good intentions and couldn't help but deeply admire him.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"My Hand Through Your Black Hair" is a love song written, composed, arranged, and sung by Lo Ta-yu. It was released by Rock Records in October 1984 and included in the album "Home".