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Mysterious Lotus Casebook - Follow me, my team!!!

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the inner monologue of one xie yuchen, estimated timeframe 2.4 seconds

this is what happened right

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shout out to characters who are prevented from spending several nights googling "am i gay" quizzes on their phone through the unfortunate fact that the media they're in was written or set too early for them to have google or phones

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This is just for fun!!! Please be civil in the notes 😂 Thanks to @jianghushenanigans for brainstorming with me, I know which one you’re choosing

*In universe war crimes

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while you studied the blade i studied the forge so i could make you the very best blade in the world! love you baby

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chinese high-end business war by 双面笑笑

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肖顺尧Aero studio shares new video tidbits of the booting ceremony for 水龙吟

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DAI YANNI 戴燕妮 | hanfu photoshoot

Dai Yanni: more photos here hanfu photoshoot: more photos here

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Li Lianhua's morning routine

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In episode 23, Fang Duobing trades a secret to A'Fei for a favor and thereby reveals that Di Feisheng had been what iQiyi translates as a "supervillain." Once A'Fei departs, Li Lianhua is visibly annoyed with Fang Duobing and scolds him. If Li Lianhua were asked why he's angry with Fang Duobing, I do think he'd say that Di Feisheng's mind can't handle being exposed to that particular memory yet. He says as much, more or less.

(Many thanks to @guzhufuren for making the gifs for this! My hero.)

But that serves to conceal that Li Lianhua's irritation stems from what it means for him personally that Di Feisheng can't remember being Di Feisheng anymore. As long as Di Feisheng is just A-Fei, no one knows Li Lianhua is Li Xiangyi, except when Qiao Wanmian shows up briefly. But Qiao Wanmian has an entirely different approach to Li Lianhua having been Li Xiangyi. She isn't desperate for him to be Li Xiangyi again the way that Di Feisheng is. Because that is vital here! Li Lianhua knows that if Di Feisheng starts to remember being a "supervillain," he's going to remember Li Xiangyi and he's going to go back to wanting Li Lianhua to be Li Xiangyi.

Li Xiangyi as nemesis is a core part of Di Feisheng's identity and memories. Once anyone leads him up to the edge of his own identity, he is going to start to remember Li Xiangyi as part of who he is. Li Lianhua knows that, from the moment Fang Duobing tells Di Feisheng that he's a supervillain, Li Lianhua is on the clock for Di Feisheng remembering not who Di Feisheng is but who Li Lianhua is. No lie is putting that genie back in the bottle.

In fact, once Fang Duobing tells Di Feisheng about his past supervillainy, Di Feisheng almost immediately starts remembering things related to Li Xiangyi in ways that are profoundly inconvenient for Li Lianhua. Chiefly, of course, Di Feisheng tells Fang Duobing that he's using Yangzhouman, which at least seriously expedites Li Lianhua's identity being exposed. (And let's not forget that, the moment Fang Duobing so much as mentions Li Xiangyi in front of Di Feisheng, he flashes back to the memory of the battle at the Eastern Sea—and with it of course recovers the knowledge that Li Lianhua is Li Xiangyi.)

But the amnesia arc is the first time since Di Feisheng confronts Li Lianhua in episode 8 that he has been able to go back to being just Li Lianhua. The pressure is off. He (wrongly) thinks he doesn't have to worry about Di Feisheng blowing his cover anymore and exposing him to Fang Duobing. Di Feisheng's amnesia allows Li Lianhua to go back to being a single reconciled person, rather than having to actively navigate between his two identities. He doesn't have to be Li Xiangyi in a proximate way anymore; he can go back to something closer to what he had before Di Feisheng came back into his life.

So when Li Lianhua tells Fang Duobing that he isn't Li Xiangyi after the Girls' Mansion case in episode 25, I would argue that is much closer to being true for Li Lianhua than it would be if Fang Duobing had asked at any time between episodes 8 to 20. When Di Feisheng is absent, Li Xiangyi can be too—and that's all Li Lianhua wants. Li Lianhua doesn't tell Di Feisheng who he really is because then Li Lianhua has to go back to being who he really is, too.

(Originally inspired by this post.)

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Inaugural Balling (testicles optional) is a prompt meme for anyone who wants to be distracted from politics, starting right now.

1. Submit prompts in any fandom or for original work. Prompts for political RPF and/or Nazis are not welcome. Everything else is fair game.

2. Fulfill prompts. Mature or Explicit-rated fanworks are encouraged, but not required. There is no minimum length or effort; all good-faith efforts are welcome.

3. Enjoy other people's fanworks and let them know you liked their work.

4. Profit Escapism!

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Listen I don’t know what this is. It is also past midnight, I have 100% forgotten loads, please add as you see fit

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Hate it when someone I know gets poisoned and suddenly it's their whole personality

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[ID: screenshots from the series "Mysterious Lotus Casebook." Fang Duobing is standing looking over at Li Lianhua while he is sleeping. Li Lianhua says "Di Feisheng" in his sleep and suddenly wakes up. Fang Duobing looks shocked and repeats, "Di Feisheng." Li Lianhua looks up with a fist clenched. /end ID]

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Ding Yuxi for L'Officiel China - January 2025

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I like this song from The Ingenious One (雲字訣) a lot--I don't know, a lot of themes are dramatic and beautiful but not really singable songs, if you know what I mean? And this one is, somehow? I don't know music words, as you can tell.

(As a bonus my partner and I recently finished Ultimate Note, so we can now picture Hei Yanjing singing all the theme songs from our favorite shows lol)

There is of course a peachey blossom video with lyrics in English (more or less) and pinyin

tbh I wish the instrumental score were available for this drama too, but I haven't been able to find it. I don't know what makes the difference between a drama that gets a full score/BGM release and one that doesn't. Pretty much all the ones I've found are great writing music, so I wish I could find more.