The Book of All Things: Born for Joy

94.

Looking at their awkward expressions, Li Zichun thought to himself, "I've already been more than fair to you by not letting you two do anything more under the guise of sex."

Finally, after the two learned what was about to happen, they still strongly protested and demanded to wear a vest, which was their final bottom line.

Li Zichun eventually gave in and asked Yan Xiaoli to get two leather vests. Afterwards, he stood to the side with her, looking them up and down with a regretful expression.

Zhao Qianfan and Li Ke breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the pity in their eyes, and with fake smiles on their faces, they began to sing the controversial and wildly popular hit song "Little Apple," which had swept across major websites, while swaying their bodies in a flamboyant manner to the rhythm of the upbeat music:

Li Ke: I planted a seed, and it has finally borne fruit. Today is a great day.

Zhao Qianfan: I'll pluck the stars from the sky and give them to you, I'll pull down the moon and give it to you, I'll let the sun rise for you every day.

Li Ke: I will become a candle, burning myself just to light your way. I will give you everything I have, as long as you are happy.

Zhao Qianfan: You make every tomorrow meaningful. Life may be short, but my love for you will last forever. I will never leave you.

Li Ke: You are my little apple, I can never love you enough.

Her rosy cheeks warm my heart and ignite the fire of my life. Fire, fire, fire!

Zhao Qianfan: You are my little apple, like the most beautiful cloud in the sky.

Spring has arrived again, flowers bloom all over the hillsides; plant hope and you will reap a harvest.

I never find you annoying. I love everything about you. Every day is new with you around.

Li Ke: With you, the sunshine is brighter; with you, the night is not dark. You are the white cloud, and I am the blue sky.

Zhao Qianfan: Strolling with you among the blooming flowers in spring

I'll watch the stars twinkle with you on summer nights.

Li Ke: Strolling with you through golden wheat fields at dusk in autumn.

Winter snowflakes dance with you, making it even warmer.

Together: You are my little apple, I can never love you enough.

Her rosy cheeks warm my heart, igniting the fire of my life. Fire~~~~

You are my little apple...

"Little Apple," a controversial hit song that swept across music, videos, and trending topics like wildfire, was once jokingly referred to by netizens as a "musical nightmare." It kept replaying in your head while you ate and slept, refusing to leave your mind.

Psychologists believe this "brainwashing" phenomenon is caused by "earworms." The word "earworm" is a direct translation of the German word "Ohrwurm," referring to the involuntary and recurring appearance of a particular fragment of a song or other musical work in someone's mind. An "earworm" isn't actually a worm, but rather a purely neural activity originating from the brain. Once activated, it triggers a "cognitive itch": certain musical fragments elicit abnormal responses in the brain, which, like an itch on the skin, cause the brain to constantly focus on the music. The result is a vicious cycle: the more you scratch, the more it itches, and the more you scratch, the more it itches, making it impossible to resist recalling the lingering melody.

Since its creation, "Little Apple" has been the subject of constant controversy, with criticisms ranging from "shallow" and "lacking musicality" to "making one's eyes go black."

But this song, with its unique retro music, joyful atmosphere, catchy lyrics, and repetitive, addictive dance moves, is incredibly rhythmic. The joy it brings to the public is genuine, and the collective participation of the older women is real. The happy emotions are contagious; just by dancing along, people can temporarily forget the troubles of life and enjoy a moment of pleasure.

Yan Xiaoli, who was listening to music and recording nearby, also started swaying gently. She couldn't say she liked this kind of music, but it sounded quite energetic, and she wanted to dance along.

After the recording was finished, Li Zichun simply blurred out the parts with a mosaic and then had Yan Xiaoli upload the song to the front page of the new "Fast Food Hit Songs" section of the "Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust" without any cuts. The mosaic part was naturally the scene where the two of them were putting on clothes. Even though they were wearing pants and only had a mosaic added, it looked funny and amusing.

That's all for tonight. The real recording of the hit song will begin tomorrow.

Nothing was said that night. Everyone was tired after a long day, so they all went their separate ways.

The next day, when Li Zichun woke up, he was startled to see three people with dark circles under their eyes waiting for him downstairs. He asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you guys?"

Li Ke said expressionlessly, "I don't know why, but when I went to sleep last night, all I could think about was 'You are my little apple.' I even wondered if I was still in kindergarten."

Yan Xiaoli rolled her eyes and said, "Shut up, don't mention it again, that damn melody is playing in my head again."

Zhao Qianfan yawned and said, "Alright, let's get ready and go record the new song. I want to forget about this damn melody for a while."

Li Zichun calmly packed up, and the three of them soon arrived at the recording studio to begin another round of producing hit songs.

Seeing that the two of them hadn't recovered yet, Li Zichun went up first, giving them a song's worth of time to recover quickly.

Li Zichun naturally couldn't sing with his own voice, so he had to let "Li Yuehe" break out of the music scene.

The first song Li Zichun was to sing, accompanied by a dynamic musical rhythm, was "The Lasso," a song once considered a form of sexual harassment against men in Northwest China, which he sang in a high-pitched and clear voice:

Give me a blue sky and a rising sun.

Give me a patch of green grass stretching into the distance

Give me an eagle, and a mighty man.

Give me a lasso and hold it in his hand.

Give me a white cloud, a pure white imagination.

Give me a gentle breeze, and let the fragrance of a hundred flowers fill the air.

Give me a chance encounter on a green pasture.

Give me a look, and I'll be burning hot.

Horse-taming hero, you are mighty and strong / Your galloping steed is like a swift wind / The boundless plains are your playground / Your heart is as vast as the earth.

The horse-taming hero, you reside in my heart / I wish to melt into your broad bosom / To wander with you across the boundless plains / May all my days be as bright as yours.

......"

The catchy melody, easy-to-understand lyrics, and strong rhythmic resonance make you feel as if you are seeing a valiant man embracing a woman with a heart as vast as the grasslands, holding a lasso and galloping across the vast plains, a simple and sincere love.

After listening to Li Zichun finish singing, Zhao Qianfan quickly got into character and sang Pang Long's "Two Butterflies":

My dear, fly slowly, watch out for the thorny roses ahead.

My dear, just open your mouth, and the fragrance of flowers in the wind will intoxicate you.

My dear, fly with me through the jungle to see the stream.

Darling, let's dance. In the spring of love, darkness will never fall.

We fly, entwined and inseparable, soaring beyond this mortal world, forever together. I will chase after you my whole life, loving you a thousand times over, never betraying my tenderness, your beauty.

We'll fly, entwined and inseparable, soaring beyond this mortal world, forever together. Even when the autumn winds rise and leaves pile up, I'll have no regrets if I can wither away with you.

"You and I are entwined, fluttering and flying..."

This is a classic and poignant love song. Unlike other hit songs with their dynamic and exaggerated rhythms, it leans more towards a lively and natural beautiful melody. Zhao Qianfan's voice is clear, delicate, warm, and emotional, perfectly interpreting this song.

Seeing that Li Ke was already in the zone, Li Zichun asked him to come over and record the next song, "Brothers, Give Me a Hug":

Bro, you've lost weight and look tired.

The dust and grime of the journey cannot conceal the face of time.

Brother, you've changed. You've become silent.

Tell me what's on your mind.

Brothers, our youth is etched in our hearts.

Flowers that bloom only after enduring wind and rain.

Brother, you said you wouldn't fight anymore.

I just want to be a fool in love, I just want a stable home.

Yes, we've all changed. We've become more realistic.

I'll stop talking about those youthful, passionate words.

Brothers, we are all like pebbles rolling down a hillside.

All of them lost their fangs in the bumps

Brother, give me a hug and tell me what's on your mind.

Tell me all the grievances and changes you've experienced over the years.

Brother, give me a hug. If you have tears, then let them flow.

All the bitterness and hardship buried deep within these years flowed away.

......

Brothers, let's hug, a gesture of remembrance for the passing years.

For those surging waves that once churned in my heart

The youthful years I spent side by side with my buddies

......

Let the buried words soothe those long-lost tears.

Strictly speaking, this song isn't exactly a hit, because its title determines its reach. But Li Zichun still chose it; he just used it because it came to mind, and since nobody knows the original's influence anyway.

After Li Ke finished singing, he felt something was off, but Li Zichun didn't pay him any attention and told him to go to the side and familiarize himself with the next song.

Next up is a duet between Zhao Qianfan and "Li Yuehe," where they will sing Phoenix Legend's "Free Flying":

Zhao Qianfan: Yo Yo Come On

Baby Go Yo Yo

It felt like a journey filled with fragrance and gentle, swaying waves.

Thinking about it from a different perspective, those rights and wrongs, causes and effects...

The fragrance along the way kept me pondering.

Yo Yo Baby Go Come On

Li Yuehe: Who is singing, warming the loneliness? White clouds drift by, the blue sky remains, and tears are floating.

Living alone in that vast expanse.

Seeing the distant heavens, those dazzling fireworks.

Yo Yo Come On Baby Go Yo Yo

......

Who listened to the song and forgot their loneliness? The long night was filled with fragrance, and time had flown by.

In that sea of ​​people, you too remained silent.

Our paths crossed as we drifted together to the ends of the earth.

Fly freely in your heart

The brilliant starlight eternally wanders, guiding my heart along the way.

The distant frontier, let me go far away

......

Don't Come Back

This is my feeling after traveling far away.

I shouldn't be left in this pain.

Don't cover it up. I will keep going.

The winds of the primeval world accompany our journey.

My steps are heavy, I'm becoming heavy, I'm losing myself.

I'm captivated by the scenery, and I'll relax to my heart's content.

A gentle breeze accompanies me on my journey, the years have been so heavy, my tears of emotion have long since melted away in your presence.

Drive, drive, drive! Yo Yo Baby Go Come On

......"

This song uses very old-fashioned funk-style drum beats and rhythmic progression, with Zeng Yi pulling the beat with rap and Linghua driving it with vocals, achieving an unprecedented balance and tacit understanding between the two.

Zhao Qianfan was basically providing backing vocals for Li Zichun; after the entire song was finished, all he remembered was "yoyo Come on".

Five Mandarin versions have already been released. Although there are still many songs he wants to sing, Kowloon Harbour is where he wants to stay, so dynamic Cantonese songs are the main focus.

Zhao Qianfan breathed a long sigh of relief. These viral internet songs had filled his mind with their lyrics, and he was finally free.

Next up was Li Ke. After confirming his voice and condition, they began recording Andy Lau's classic song, "I Hate My Devotion."

Last night I vowed to leave you, but you've grown tired of me and say I'm boring.

And then, taking advantage of boredom, they abandoned me on the road.

Yesterday, I held your hands; now I find myself weeping, filled with jealousy.

I want to separate from you and try my best to forget you. I regret that my courage was hasty and unprepared.

Seeing you again, I'm heartless and won't come; victory is hard to come by. Love and hate intertwine, like being trapped in a cage.

The internal struggle between giving you up and accepting fate is causing me immense pain.

I don't hate you for your betrayal, I hate my own infatuation.

Indifference and coldness are all pretense. You blame me for remaining silent, and I accept it.

I only wanted to preserve our dreamlike kingdom of love, but little did I know that two hands were already around me.

Even if we meet again, I will avoid you for now, wanting to separate from you and try my best to forget you.

I resent my hasty, unprepared courage; seeing you again, my heart is cruel, and victory is elusive.

......

I lacked courage and preparation; seeing you again, I was heartless and couldn't win.

......

I hate your betrayal, I hate my infatuation... I both love and hate, it's my infatuation.

This song is a cover of "I Hate Myself For Loving You," a classic single by American 80s female rock singer Joan Jett. The whole song is dynamic, energetic, and full of flavor, with male screams and resentment that get the listener's blood pumping.

(Andy Lau's live performance of this song is also considered a divine performance; it's an essential song for enlivening the atmosphere at concerts. Those interested can check it out.)

PS: Data is from the internet.

References: Cao Bangxian, "Why Little Apple Was So Popular Back Then"; AKA: [Red Hot] Professional Review of Chinese Square Dance Music

"Little Apple" is a song performed by Chopstick Brothers, with lyrics and music by Wang Taili and arrangement by Zhao Jialin. It is the promotional song for the movie "Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon". In 2014, the song won the American Music Award for "Best International Pop Song of the Year" and the Mnet Asian Music Award for "Most Popular Chinese Song".

"The Lasso" is a song with lyrics by Liu Xinquan, music by Guo Yongli, arrangement by Li Kaichou, and sung by Ulan Tuya. It was included in the album "Phoenix Flies" in 2011. In 2012, "The Lasso" won the DTS Golden Melody Award and was named one of the "Most Popular Newly Created Songs Among the Chinese People." Ulan Tuya's performance of "The Lasso" was featured on the 2014 CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

"Two Butterflies" is a song with lyrics and music by Niu Chaoyang, production by Zhou Yaping, and vocals by Pang Long. It was included in Pang Long's album of the same name, released on December 1, 2004, by Beijing Birdman Art Promotion Co., Ltd., and was also an insert song for the TV series "281 Letters." In 2005, the song won the China Gold Record Award. In 2009, musician Zhou Yaping received the "Asia-Pacific Cultural Industry Outstanding Person Award" for this song.

"Brothers, Give Me a Hug" is a song with lyrics and music by Cai Longbo, arrangement by Jia Yinan, and sung by Pang Long. It is included in the album "Beautiful" released on April 8, 2013.

《自由飞翔》是凤凰传奇演唱的歌曲，由张超作词、作曲、编曲，收录在凤凰传奇2007年7月1日发行的专辑《吉祥如意》中。2012年12月，该曲入围“回声33年——内地流行音乐100首金曲1979-2011”。

"I Hate My Devotion" is a song sung by Andy Lau, composed by Joan Jett and Desmond Child, with lyrics by Lo Wing-keung and arrangement by Joan Jett. It was included in the albums "Have Been Sad with You" released in 1989 and "Classic Reappearance" released in 2003.