"There is a small problem now." Chief Director Li Yong's excitement gradually froze as another matter occurred to him.
Li Yong said, "'Always Go Home and Visit' is a great song, but it cannot be placed in the slot we originally planned."
The original plan was to place it in the second-to-last slot. That position suited red-themed songs and songs with traditional Chinese style, but "Always Go Home and Visit" did not fit.
Anyone familiar with the Spring Festival Gala would know that the program lineup is never arranged on a whim or purely by personal taste. The grand finale has, for years, been the unchanging "Tonight We Reunite." The final songs are always main-theme works—either praising the beauty of the motherland or celebrating life.
No matter how good it is, "Always Go Home and Visit" does not fit the Spring Festival Gala's five-section structure. Family-reunion emotional performances are usually placed in the second or third section.
If there were still time, the best approach would be to adapt "Always Go Home and Visit" into a skit expressing family affection—that would have been a perfect emotional climax. Unfortunately, there was no "if." The final full-dress rehearsal was already over. It could not be inserted into the middle; otherwise, if anything went wrong with the overall flow, no one could take the blame.
It was a problem—bigger than Hamlet's "to be or not to be." Then, could it be placed at the opening?
Li Yong answered his own question almost immediately: "Putting it at the opening is even more impossible."
He quickly searched online for the Spring Festival Gala's program list from the last two years. The first items for the previous two years had been "Spring Ocean" and "The Zodiac Celebrates the Chinese New Year."
"What do you think, Teacher Chu?" Li Yong asked.
What did he think? Emperor Beast did not have much of an opinion on this. He had originally planned to ask if he could sing with another performer, since in his memory "Always Go Home and Visit" had been a male-female duet. But before he could say that, the order arrangement had already become a problem.
"No particular opinion. I'll follow your and the station's arrangement," Chu Zhi replied.
"Please wait a moment, Teacher Chu. I need to discuss it with the deputy station director," Li Yong said apologetically, excusing himself.
To be honest, Chu Zhi found it strange that Director Li seemed so hasty. By the time one reached the position of variety show chief director, one's personality should have been tempered into steadiness.
What you personally like is not necessarily suitable for others or for the occasion. Therefore, never force your recommendations on others.
As a working adult, Chu Zhi understood this logic well. But… his mind wandered, and he unknowingly sank into a memory—
It was a Chinese New Year's Eve on Earth. Chu Zhi was only eleven years old. The house was lively for the holiday.
After playing soccer with friends, Chu Zhi came home, opened the door, and, before even seeing his mother, called out energetically:
"Your cat has returned! Mom, what's for today?"
In real life, few people call themselves "this cat." It would be awkward for most, but young Chu Zhi only used this self-reference with his mother to convey cheerfulness.
"Your favorite tomato beef brisket and spicy lemon chicken feet," his mother said with a smile.
His mother's original family was not happy—his grandfather was an alcoholic who could not live without liquor, and constant quarrels and fights between his grandparents were the norm. So, after graduating from university, she decisively married his father.
Unfortunately, she had trusted the wrong person. When Chu Zhi was five, his father cheated for the first time. After endless apologies and kneeling, she firmly wanted a divorce, but for the child's sake, they stayed together.
Cheating has only zero times or countless times. As expected, when Chu Zhi was eight, his father cheated again. This time his mother found out and left for good.
This marriage left her heavily burdened, with severe anxiety and depression.
Even so, she worked hard in life and at her job to raise her son. The only thing Chu Zhi could do was to be more obedient and avoid making her angry.
They lived in a one-bedroom apartment. His mother slept in the bedroom, Chu Zhi in the living room. She had considered renting a bigger place, but each time young Chu Zhi refused.
Of course a bigger place would be nice, but the rent would be expensive.
That New Year's Eve, young Chu Zhi sat at the bed's edge with the coffee table doubling as a dining table. His mother sat to the side, the TV on, waiting for the Gala to start after a few repetitive commercials.
Then came a public service ad: an elderly lady in a red vest had prepared a table full of food. But one phone call after another from her children told her they could not come home.
In the end, the grandmother sat alone on a stool as a deep male voice said: "Do not let your parents feel lonely. Always come home and see."
Chu Zhi's heart tightened. He knew his mother also wished she could occasionally return home, but her relationship with her family was in complete conflict. Seeing her still smiling, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Good—she wasn't affected. They could have a happy New Year's Eve.
"Kitten," his mother suddenly called him by his nickname. In Chongqing, it was common to call children "puppy" or "kitten" as a term of endearment.
He looked up to see his mother's expression was a bit unusual.
"I saw some news on TV today," she said. "A stepfather was arrested for murder. During police questioning, he said, 'That kid was strong. When I tried to smother him, I almost couldn't hold him down, so I called his mom over. Then he stopped struggling.'"
"If something like that happened to you, Kitten, what would you do?"
It was as if he was walking down the street and someone suddenly jumped out to yell in his face. He panicked. Why ask him such a thing? Even though he was mature for his age, he was still only eleven.
"Mom would never do that," he said loudly after composing himself. "My mom is the best mom on Wentili Road."
"Today's food is really good. The Gala's about to start. Let's watch the Gala," he said, his words slightly jumbled.
"If something like that really happened, no matter who it was, Kitten, you must protect yourself. Only by protecting yourself can you do anything else," his mother said.
"Got it, Mom. Let's watch the Gala," Chu Zhi said, unwilling to linger on the topic.
The tomato beef brisket was delicious that night, but the beef seemed especially tough—he chewed for a long time. From that night on, his mother's condition worsened.
Later he learned that relatives from their hometown had been introducing her to potential remarriage candidates non-stop at that time, but she had refused every time because of her child.
That is partly why Emperor Beast's Bilibili username, "I'm Not That Cat," had its story.
"Teacher Chu, Teacher Chu?" The call from reality brought him back from his memories.
"Sorry, Director Li. I was a bit distracted. Could you repeat what you said?" Chu Zhi asked.
"After discussing with the station director, we've decided to place 'Always Go Home and Visit' after the family reunion skit," Li Yong said. "I'll handle the order adjustment."
Whether it would be by cutting some host time or some other method, he did not know, but changing a fixed sequence this late was bold.
"Teacher Chu, I noticed your song is a male-female duet. What do you think about singing with Tan Yule?" Li Yong asked.
Chu Zhi had never heard the name. Li Yong introduced her: Tan Yule is a coloratura soprano, graduated from the conservatory, and won the silver medal in the national vocal competition in 2007. She was specially recruited into the Navy Art Troupe in her third year and has long focused on the national singing style. She may not be famous, but her skills are top-tier—on the "national team" level.
"I have no problem. Collaborating with an excellent female singer will help me improve," Chu Zhi said.
With things settled, Li Yong relaxed. If possible, he did not want to serve as Spring Festival Gala's chief director for a fifth time—the pressure was immense.
The next day, Chu Zhi went to Studio 1 to meet Tan Yule. At 37, she wore her hair in a ponytail and dressed neatly. She greeted him warmly.
"I've long admired you, Teacher Chu. When I heard 'Left Hand Pointing to the Sky' and 'Opera 2,' I could tell you have a strong bel canto foundation, even though you didn't study professionally. Your self-learning ability is remarkable," Tan Yule said.
"'Autumn Ballet' and 'Puppet Dance'—your singing is stunning," Chu Zhi replied.
They chatted for a few minutes. Tan Yule felt a connection with him, having participated in the 2018 China-Russia joint concert marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the Soviet Great Patriotic War and the Chinese War of Resistance Against Japan. Chu Zhi also had considerable fame in Russia.
They began rehearsing "Always Go Home and Visit." Some say the Spring Festival Gala is all lip-synced—half true. In reality, it's a mix of lip-sync and live singing. With many celebrity actors singing, lip-sync prevents mishaps.
Chu Zhi and Tan Yule sang live.
As New Year's Eve approached, Chu Zhi still found time to fly to Saint Petersburg to accept an honorary title.
The city hall's official statement read: "For his outstanding contributions in cultural exchange at the Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum, Mr. Chu Zhi is hereby granted the title of Honorary Citizen of Saint Petersburg."
Honorary citizen titles exist worldwide, including in China, usually granted for exceptional contributions to economic development, international exchange, and public welfare.
The award was presented by Aleksei, director of the Russian Ministry of Culture's Foreign Affairs Department, who was born in the Lomonosov District—making him a fitting choice to present it.
In truth, it was just an honorary certificate. Honorary citizens enjoy better benefits than regular citizens; for Chu Zhi, it meant discounts on food, lodging, and transportation. For example, staying in a star-rated hotel in Saint Petersburg came with a discount, the exact rate depending on that month's city hall subsidy.
"I hope for more cultural exchange. The languages, customs, and histories of the world are like a white curtain blocking the path of communication. But when cultures collide, sparks can burn through that curtain, making exchanges faster," Aleksei told Chu Zhi.
Emperor Beast wanted to take a step back—at 1.8 meters tall, he wasn't short, but he still looked up at the 1.9-meter Russian.
"Your works have great value for cultural exchange, Mr. Chu, so I find them excellent. This afternoon there's a Russian cultural salon. If you're free, please join us," Aleksei said.
===
Hey everyone~! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
I just had this idea to make a Spotify playlist with all the "real songs" mentioned in the novel! I named it RATFI, and it's on my account Reiya Kei Alberich (obv lol).
Since I'm currently translating the last volume, The World Stage Awaits, the songs aren't in order from the start of the story. Chu Zhi just released the Western album The One Gazed Upon by Gods, and I've already added the referenced songs from that too. I'll keep adding more as I find them! ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪
Feel free to check it out if you want~ ♡