The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

Li Zichun thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "What song would you all like to hear for the last time?"

A little girl excitedly shouted, "Chiling, opera singing!"

Li Zichun said with a smile, "Oh my~ I didn't expect to find some old fans here."

When the little girl saw that he had responded to her, she excitedly shouted, "I love you!" and "Go for it!"

Zhao Qianfan rolled his eyes and said, "Just listen to the music, don't shout and make too much noise."

Li Zichun tugged at him, looked at the growing crowd, and said with a smile, "We never sing a song twice, but the Peking Opera style can satisfy you. Let's just sing a couple of lines for this last song, or we'll block the bridge."

Li Zichun picked up the microphone and casually sang a short passage from "Su Mu Zhe":

A gentle breeze, slightly chilly, stirs up a frown on a woman's face.

Preening before the mirror, listening to the bustling crowd

A passionate person naturally attracts many admirers.

My dream is shattered, I cannot return; I am somewhat haggard.

Autumn colors stretch across the waves, with cold mist rising from them.

Mountains reflected in the setting sun, sky and water side by side

The fragrant grass is heartless, lying beyond the setting sun.

Sweet dreams every night keep me asleep

Do not lean alone on a high building

Whose sorrow is poured into this wine?

Turning into tears of longing

Li Zichun's opera singing was smooth and captivating. After a brief rendition, the audience cheered. After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "I'll dedicate a song, 'Su Mu Zhe: Nostalgia,' to everyone."

Azure skies, yellow leaves on the ground, autumn colors stretching to the waves, with a cold mist rising from the water. Mountains reflect the setting sun, sky meets water, and the fragrant grasses, indifferent, lie beyond the setting sun.

A homesick soul, yearning for home, seeks solace night after night, only sweet dreams keep me asleep. Do not lean alone against the high tower under the bright moon; wine, entering a sorrowful heart, turns into tears of longing.

This song is based on a poem by Fan Zhongyan, so its inclusion here isn't entirely inappropriate. Li Zichun's recitation was deeply moving and melancholic, gentle yet strong, profound without being decadent.

After saying that, he smiled and bowed slightly: "Thank you. Now that I'm done singing, I should return the microphone to the stall owner, otherwise you'll all think this is my stall."

The street musician, looking bewildered, took the microphone from Li Zichun and said with a smile, "Thank you."

Zhao Qianfan patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to work hard and find a job if he had nothing to do.

The street performer was dumbfounded as he watched the number of viewers in the live stream surpass 100,000 and the continuous stream of donations. Were those two celebrities? They didn't seem like it.

The homeless singer in the live stream is back, and the number of viewers has plummeted several times within a minute. There are hardly any donations left, which makes him sigh that people nowadays really do care about looks. He can't bring himself to go back to school and start over, so he might as well go home and find a job and work hard.

The two quickly pushed through the crowd and slipped away amidst the throng of people wanting photos and autographs.

In a secluded alley, the two stood face to face, close together. Li Zichun could feel the intense heat emanating from Zhao Qianfan rushing straight to his forehead.

Damn, his chest is so hard from working out, like a hot rock, it looks like I could lean against it to sleep.

Li Zichun shook his head, kicking out the jumbled thoughts in his mind. He was a straight man, how could he be interested in the person in front of him... Hmm, get away, don't let your heart be moved, don't be swayed.

Seeing that most of the people who had been following them outside had left, the two emerged from the dimly lit alley.

Li Zichun pouted and said, "Luckily it was dark and no one saw us, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing."

Zhao Qianfan nodded and said, "Yeah, it was a bit awkward." Why didn't we bring more people? This kid has gained a little weight recently, but it still feels quite nice to lean against him. It's just a pity that it didn't last long.

Li Zichun changed the subject, saying, "Alright, let's hurry home. We've already exceeded the 100-step walk after dinner, and our clothes are all dirty. We need to take a good shower and relax."

Zhao Qianfan nodded with a hint of regret. The atmosphere between the two was slightly awkward, but it wasn't the first time. They had lived together before and nothing had happened, so there was no need to make a fuss.

I'm just fulfilling my duty as a friend of nine lifetimes; don't overthink it.

After thinking about it for a while, Zhao Qianfan felt relieved.

Li Zichun also felt something was off. This familiar yet strange feeling seemed like something he had experienced in his past life, but he couldn't quite place it.

Li Zichun patted his face to calm himself down.

With their own ulterior motives, the two returned to the villa, took a shower, packed their things, and went to sleep.

Li Zichun tossed and turned in bed, thinking about that familiar feeling. Her heart started pounding wildly. "Ugh, so frustrating. It must be because I haven't released my desires for too long since I came here. How could I have such thoughts about a man?"

Zhao Qianfan couldn't sleep, so he simply lay down on the sofa outside on the third floor and looked at the stars. How long had it been since he had experienced this wonderful feeling?

Hmm, was it the third incarnation of the young monk and the prince, or the eighth incarnation of the wandering swordsman and the fallen nobleman? It's certainly been a long time. This feeling of being so close, with only each other, is something I truly wish I could have forever.

As he lay there deep in thought, Li Zichun came upstairs, and the two looked at each other awkwardly.

Zhao Qianfan: "......"

Li Zichun: "......"

Zhao Qianfan coughed, breaking the silence first, and said, "Why aren't you asleep yet? Who can't sleep?"

Li Zichun swallowed hard as he looked at Zhao Qianfan, who was drenched in sweat. "I just finished packing. The room was a bit stuffy, so I came out for some fresh air. Did you just finish exercising?"

Zhao Qianfan said with a smile, "That's right, who told me to eat with you all day? If I don't exercise, I'll become a greasy middle-aged man."

Li Zichun teased, "If your lean, muscular body is considered greasy, then there are hardly any people in the world who aren't greasy."

Zhao Qianfan said with a pleased expression, "No, no, it's not that bad. You can praise me a few more times."

Li Zichun said irritably, "Ha, you're getting all worked up just because I said you're pretty. Someone who's been praised since childhood doesn't need to care about that, does she?"

Zhao Qianfan stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "It doesn't really matter if other people praise me, but if it comes from someone as high-standard and demanding as you, then it's truly wonderful."

Li Zichun chuckled and said, "Stop being so vain, it's just so-so."

Zhao Qianfan said with a hurt expression, "Is that all? Sigh, okay."

Li Zichun laughed and said, "Alright. Stop pretending, your acting is completely fake. Have you packed everything? When we arrive in the capital tomorrow, are we going straight to the venue?"

Seeing that he was getting down to business, Zhao Qianfan also said seriously, "Everything is ready. The official recording is the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow is just for reporting and getting familiar with the venue. The organizer has arranged a hotel. You can stay in the same room as me, or you can go and stay with Li Ke."

Seeing the question in his tone, Li Zichun smiled and said, "So, do you want me to accompany you, or not?"

Zhao Qianfan smacked his lips and said, "Well, it's up to you. Anyway, it's a large single room suite, you can stay with whoever you want."

Li Zichun shook his head thoughtfully, muttering to himself, "Then I'll have to think about it carefully. Who should I live with? I'm more at ease with you and me, but Li Ke's place is a bit messy. Maybe I should stay somewhere else."

Zhao Qianfan suddenly looked at him and said, "No way, that's such a waste of money. I'm counting on you to give me on-site guidance."

Li Zichun looked at him with amusement: "With your singing skills, do you really need my guidance? This is the National Singing King Competition, not just a casual game. If you can win the title of Singing King, I'll grant you one request."

Zhao Qianfan grinned mischievously and said, "One request? Anything is acceptable?"

Seeing his thoughtful expression, Li Zichun asked curiously, "You're not planning to do something weird to me, are you?"

Zhao Qianfan quickly denied it, saying, "No, absolutely not. This is slander, defamation. But if you want, I can also sacrifice for art..."

Li Zichun interrupted him, saying, "No, I don't want to. Stop talking. Just do your best. I'm going to sleep now."

Zhao Qianfan laughed as he watched Zhao Qianfan's retreating figure. He wouldn't really be thinking about it, would he? It's not impossible, ptooey, what am I thinking? Our relationship is friendship, and it can only be a simple friendship.

Li Zichun returned to her room, her mind a jumble of thoughts. "That jerk, he's getting more and more disrespectful, daring to make any joke he wants. Hmph, I need to find a chance to give him a good talking to."

Li Zichun fell asleep while thinking. Zhao Qianfan, on the rooftop, closed his eyes and gazed at the starry sky, smiling as he murmured to himself, "How many years have passed? Your peaceful dreams are the meaning of my existence."

The two woke up the next day and acted as if nothing had happened, just like countless times before. They went about their business as usual, ate breakfast leisurely, and then flew to the airport cleanly and efficiently.

Zhao Qianfan looked at Li Zichun, who had a natural expression, and said, "You, you shouldn't mind them, right?"

Li Zichun smiled and said, "Them? Who are you referring to?"

Zhao Qianfan pouted and said cautiously, "They are the people involved in the 'Moon Emperor's Fall' incident. The entertainment industry is as deep as the sea. Although the eight top entertainment companies compete with each other, they are actually connected and integrated. It is not easy to touch them. Even the authorities have to carefully consider how to distance themselves from them when they take action against someone."

Li Zichun understood what she meant. The entertainment industry has always been a breeding ground for top beauties. In the eyes of corporate capital, beauties are commodities waiting to be sold. All parties can compete for them, including government officials, top tycoons, literary families, and scholarly figures. Various forces collude to give them away. Sometimes, these top beauties are even busier than the company's CEO.

In short, it can be complicated or simple; after all, people are just dealing with a few simple things.

Li Zichun thought for a moment, then smiled innocently and said, "Even if I wanted to, what could I do for these big shots? I'm only here to help you win the title of King of Singers. I won't do anything else, at least not now."

Zhao Qianfan leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh: "Yeah, it's good that you're alright. I was worried that you might be too impulsive and ruin things again. Our company has just started to get going, we can't let it fall apart like this."

Li Zichun chuckled and said, "Heh, don't worry, I won't bother with a bunch of vermin. Since they won't include me, then I won't play with them. Let's just do what we're supposed to do, and leave the rest to time."

Zhao Qianfan nodded. Seeing that he had closed his eyes to rest, he didn't say anything more. The two of them traveled all the way to Shangjing, the capital of the Great Zhou Kingdom.

As soon as the two got off the plane, many media outlets were waiting at the airport. The incident of giving up a position in the national music company ranking competition had caused quite a stir before, and many people wondered if he was scared. Li Zichun usually handles such matters with a cold shoulder and does not respond. He is too lazy to care about words like "not treating the rules as rules" or "making a mess of things".

Currently, the National Music Company Ranking Battle and the National Singer King Competition are being recorded concurrently. However, his decision to skip the former and directly participate in the latter has led many to believe that he is being arrogant, wanting to win the title of Singer King right off the bat, and is somewhat ignorant of his own limitations.

Li Zichun frowned at the surging media, feeling so overwhelmed he didn't even want to leave the airport. Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he adopted a knowing expression.

Zhao Qianfan never expected that even after they had been gone for so long, they would still have such a great influence.

Are Kowloon TV shows really that popular in mainland China? That's a bit of an exaggeration; fans and media mingled and blocked the road.

Li Zichun thought that if he waited any longer at the passageway, the airport would probably have to use police officers to clear the way, which would make the news again. Normally, this kind of negative news wouldn't matter, but now it could directly affect the viewing experience of the competition and the judging results.

Li Zichun whispered, "How's that? Popular, huh? Now it's time to test your stamina. We have to squeeze through this crowd within five minutes, or we'll be on the news."

Zhao Qianfan took a deep breath and said, "Hold on tight to my... bag, don't let it get separated in the crowd."

Li Zichun smiled and nodded. The two of them darted through the crowd like bulls and arrived directly in front of the car arranged by the production team, all in one smooth motion.

Once in the car, Zhao Qianfan let out a long sigh of relief. Damn it, it felt like he was fleeing a disaster; his upper body had been touched by countless hands. Thinking of this, he looked at Li Zichun beside him.

Li Zichun, looking like a survivor, said indignantly and speechlessly, "Damn it, touching my back is one thing, but those bastards grabbed my butt just now, it hurts so much."

He had barely finished speaking when the driver in front chuckled, but then felt it was somewhat rude and struggled to suppress his laughter. The girl arranged by the production team, on the other hand, was much better; she simply smiled calmly and quickly regained her composure. He had seen countless singing champions and queens, and the appearance of people of that caliber always caused a stir, but he hadn't expected these two to have such a huge influence even before being crowned champions. It seemed that in the public's mind, they were the best candidates.

While the possibility of it being arranged cannot be ruled out—many celebrities hire people to be on set to show their popularity—it's not quite to the extent that these two people resorted to insults.

Especially the "Moon Emperor" Li Zichun next to her, she has read all his poems and essays. It is a pity that he was ostracized by the mainland entertainment industry and went to Kowloon Port. She can only watch the recordings online. She also really likes the song "Su Mu Zhe" last night. She can sing a small part of it. It would be great if he sang the whole thing.

Did the girl assigned by the production team signal that filming could begin?

Li Zichun consciously sat in the back row, leaving the front row for Zhao Qianfan and the production crew, and said with a smile, "Hello, I am his manager, Li Zichun. Do your best, big star."

The girl smiled and shook hands, saying, "Hello, my name is Ma Qian. It's a pleasure to meet you. I really love your poems. I've also read your teacher's 'To Live,' which is very well written."

Li Zichun smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words. But let's get down to business first, or you might lose your job."

Ma Qian said with a smile, "Yes, yes, yes."

After saying that, she looked at Zhao Qianfan and gave him a standard professional smile: "Hello, I am your music partner for this singing competition, Ma Qian. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Zhao Qianfan almost rolled his eyes out. You finally remembered that I'm the one in charge.

PS: Data is from the internet.

"Su Mu Zhe" is a song sung by Zhang Xiaotang, with lyrics by Bian Jiang and music by Jin Zhiwen. It was included in the album "Prosperous Times and Beautiful Scenery" released on October 18, 2012.