aystoria

[aystoria]

I'm rlly tired rn so idk if any of this will make sense but I've done some sleuthing and rewatched the episode, now with the highly likely chance that Cheng Xiaoshi has dived back too. Hear me out:

Xiaoshi definitely did dive, and I think it started from the moment we saw his face in black and white at 4:59 PM:

And I think he stays until the Vivian arc fades out after they ran away (that was at 3:45 AM according to the clock in the room) I think he left as soon as they were safe and before the 12 hour limit passed. After that, he is back to the same, more naive and youthful person (who doesn't know about Lu Guang's powers) we have seen before the above. Everything he does in between those 12 hours is completely in line with his late S1 and S2 behaviour, I found it extremely uncanny and interesting to watch with this in mind!

Other bits that I found particularly interesting was the conversation after he pulled Lu Guang back to the studio. Qiao Ling asks what they should have for dinner and Cheng Xiaoshi suggests hot pot. We know this is his signature food, but I found Qiao Ling's response odd, because in the original Chinese subtitles she asks him if he's sick, because nobody eats hot pot during such a hot day. It felt odd because she made it seem out of character for him?

There's also CXS bossing Lu Guang around - at this point in time they know each other for a very brief amount of time, but the way he asks all these things of him feels like a future timeline in which they've already gotten extremely used and comfortable as partners and living together.

With this in mind, calling him "Guangguang" doesn't feel like it came out of nowhere anymore.

A few other pieces of dialogue I found extremely sus:

Even Lu Guang is surprised by his out of character behaviour at this point (but also vice versa!).

Now, the way he behaves during the date - I wouldn't say it's completely out of character for a future CXS to act out of his own wits. I don't think this guy's been on a single date in his life lol of course he would freak the hell out in such a situation, during previous dives he at least had the safety of possessing someone else. His empathy never fails so he tries to be kind and guide Vivian home, something a future Cheng Xiaoshi would do as well.

But what REALLY tipped me off is that there is no way a non-possessed CXS would've known that LG would know where he is at this moment in time, because he wasn't told until after this scene that he took a photo. I don't think the Vivian arc happened before (and it's possible it was triggered directly by the changed node when CXS dragged LG back to the studio). Cheng Xiaoshi had no idea Lu Guang would ACTUALLY SHOW UP IN PERSON tho (my guy at this point are u actually even surprised?) and probably just thought he'd call the cops, seeing how surprised he was at Lu Guang's appearance.

I'm gonna post the screenshot of Cheng Xiaoshi with golden eyes again because it really baffles my mind.

I don't know if any of this makes sense and I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

[aystoria]

Link Click season 3 untranslated text

Hey yall! Since the subs on the new season of Link Click are ass (who would have thought) and also don't translate any of the on-screen text, I figured I'd just compile my translations of all of it in case anyone's curious.

These are all the texts from episode 1, as follows:

"Partner, let's play basketball together again tomorrow~" (the 啊 gives it a cutesy/friendly tone)

Top: But you do know

Bottom left: that once the contract is established, no matter whether you succeed, you will have no way of going any further into the future

Bottom right:

Hmm... in order to do my utmost to save the things I treasure, what is there to regret!

Bilibili Message

"Ranxi Chronicles" The signing event will begin next Saturday at 15:00. Every person will have three minutes of interacting time, and must book a slot in advance to obtain a signature or drawing. The order is determined based on the on-site queueing order.

BILI SEARCH (these are the same characters as bilibili, which is a fun easter egg)

"How to become a comic artist" (search)

1: how do I become a comic artist? Suggestions from those in the profession

Not only must you have a grounding in basic skills, you must also unceasingly practice and learn. You can do this by drawing sketches, and practising tracing lines until your foundation in drawing skill improves.

2: How do I become a qualified comic artist?

You first must set your mentality straight and clearly set your objectives. Your objectives must be established on the foundation of a strong mentality. If you want to become a comic artist, there is no harm in first asking yourself why you have this kind of goal.

3: How to become a comic artist? The state of comic artists in the profession

This specialisation is not as bright and pretty as it appears on the surface. The living and working conditions are also not as satisfying as you might imagine; right now they truly are frugal. (the word used here means skinny/sparse) So, listen to my advice:

SKY5690: There's no future in it, you won't earn any money in the first place

RAIN1352: Run away fast

CAT7931: Haven't slept in 3 days

Shen San Shui (lit. sink in three waters)

Today I went to a comic con, and joined a signing event for my favourite comic artist. I was inspired in no small measure, and from now on I plan to advance courageously on the path of becoming a comic artist! Fortunately a demon girl-jiejie (jiejie means sister, but is also used to refer to an older female friend/acquaintance) helped me find something very important, and if it weren't for her, I definitely wouldn't have been able to muster the courage. But this demon girl-jiejie left something of hers with me, and I have no way of finding her. If anyone knows this jiejie, please contact me anytime!

Description: wearing a demon girl cosplay, around 160cm tall, shoulder-length black hair

Top: My sister was hospitalised again today, the doctor said

Middle: My sister's treatment costs are accumulating. If the investment path is good, and you choose the right one, then the path will naturally be magnanimous

Bottom: Today's profits are in. I rarely do anything luxurious, can't forget to reward myself with food and drink while rushing about~

V: Xun-ge, the profits you entrusted me to handle before have arrived in the account <3

X: Heavens, you're impressive

V: Hehe, next time I can try investing a little more, and can earn even more <3

"Sorry I couldn't get there yesterday, can we meet up again? I want to chat with you"

That's all for episode 1, there weren't any in episode 2 that I saw. If I missed any please tell me and I'll add them, and I'll keep an eye out fot any text in the upcoming episodes!

[aystoria]

I saw a post talking abt how Zuko fought as the blue spirit in silence bc he couldn’t risk his voice being recognised, and how difficult it would’ve been for him to fight without yelling, which is very funny and also I agree, but I do have other thoughts on it!!!

I think this is a VERY VERY interesting theme to explore. Fire bending, as we know canonically, is all in the breath. Zuko, when bending, forces power into his breaths vocally. Azula and Iroh in comparison are very quiet when bending, exhibiting extreme breath control, and when Azula does start to lose control of both herself and her bending she becomes vocal. Screaming, grunting, yelling while bending.

Zuko fighting as the blue spirit both in silence and without his bending IMO is such a good way of highlighting where his strengths lie. He’s a good bender, of course, especially by the end of the show where he’s found a new source of strength, but he’s never been as proficient as other fire benders.

I think the blue spirit was such an easy role for him to slip into because while fighting, for once, he didn’t have to force his strength. He took time training with swords, hand to hand, etc because he knew he lacked in bending ability.

I like to think he found it easy to not yell while fighting as the blue spirit, because he felt confident. In his ability to fight, in the hidden identity aspect removing him from the role of the banished prince and the expectations that came with it. Putting a space between himself and the burn that has been used to identify and humiliate him many times.

I just think Zukos bending and fighting evolution is so neat….

[aystoria]

and this was supposed to be a meme, but something went wrong 💀

[aystoria]

ok but something something about how when 'Just a Man' is reprised in earlier sagas its always the part which goes

"when does a ripple become a tiddle wave, when does a man become a monster"

but in the last song 'Would You Fall in Love with Me Again' when its reprised it not that part but rather

"i'm just a man who's trying to go home, even after all the years away from what I've known, i'm just a man who's fighting for his life, deep down I would trade the world to see my son and wife"

and the symbolism of it because throughout the musical Odysseus was changed and his worldview different but at the core he is still the same man and ugh i cant articulate its so dhshshdgdwkakw

[aystoria]

what do you mean there are EIGHT banners in 3.0?? EIGHT

[aystoria]

i hope that in 2025 u get to take more walks, read more books, connect with more people whom u love and who love u, achieve ur goals (even if ur goals are having no goals and just living in the moment), exercise fun hobbies, move from a place of self-direction, and weave together a beguiling assortment of beautiful little moments. remember that no feeling lasts forever. love u

[aystoria]

Can't re-watch without overthinking, there are parallels with Xu Shanshan 's story?

this is ep 8, season 1 where Xu Shanshan comes as a customer in the time photo studio. Lu Guang asks her why didn't she ask Dong Yi herself afterwards if she cared so much?

Xu Shanshan answers : It's because I care so much, that's why I couldn't bring myself to ask. I'm so afraid that the answer is not going to be what I think it is.

Lu Guang stares for a while, our gaze is focused on Lu Guang and then he declares that they are gonna 'help'. Xu Shanshan came as a customer, Lu Guang after some consideration decided to 'help' without taking any money for exchange. After re-thinking a lot of other parallel stories, I can say this is one of those moments where Lu Guang feels the personal tug to help. It resonates with him.

Later Cheng Xiaoshi while diving in Xu Shanshan 's body converses with Dong Yi and when Dong Yi says

Dong Yi : I still have to choose to leave eventually.

Now we hear Cheng Xiaoshi saying, 'Leave?'

While watching this section, I could feel one thing, the original emotion may belong to Xu Shanshan but Cheng Xiaoshi really mixes it with his own subjectivity, it's not really Dong Yi directed anymore (actually it was never Dong Yi directed anyway, Cheng Xiaoshi was reluctant to dive because they were not getting paid for this). The song Cheng Xiaoshi sings...I am pasting the youtube link below.

I am mentioning a few lines from the lyrics

There are still endless words to say But the wind reminds us to go Only laughter and tears will be left behind Left behind in the summer of this year Regarding the future, there is too much doubt left unanswered About bread, about ideas There is also the ordinary and the mighty Just like that, we depart Goodbye ,to those of you who are in a hurry like me ... Time will give answer to growth ... River will give answer to wave Together we leap into the sea of people And be a surging wave

The melancholic yearning mixed with the concern of time and the ocean and wave imagery makes me think that this song goes more with Shiguang.

Let's just reminisce a few lines from OPs and EDs

Dive back in time

All the heartaches and the smiles never faded I know you'll be by my side when we make it

The Eye

I wish that I could tell you the truth

The Tides, Vortex, The Eye have multiple ocean/wave metaphor.

Also, there are some interesting shots that appear on the screen when Cheng Xiaoshi is about to begin singing

This seems to be Guidu's basketball court.

I don't think either Xu Shanshan or Dong Yi have anything to do with that scene. It's Cheng Xiaoshi's memories getting triggered by the word 'leave' and it also echoes the themes of the song 'Mao Buyi'. Now, after watching Yingdu episode 1, we know what basketball symbolism is in the context of Shiguang.

Lu Guang is really really moved. Look at his face, his expression screams that he very much understands that melancholy. And it is Cheng Xiaoshi singing so...I can't fathom (😭) what Lu Guang might be feeling at this moment.

Now.

There are a few lines Lu Guang notes from Dong Yi's speech to Xu Shanshan :

No matter how hard the future might be, I want to stay. Because leaving you, hurts more than anything else.

Either Yingdu episode 1 is making me hallucinate or this really is the reason Lu Guang stayed with Cheng Xiaoshi and promised he would never leave.

i have an exam on 3rd Jan and I am not liking, I crode.

[aystoria]

alright everybody, it's time we talked about Hostage. (buckle up because this is going to be long, but it'll be worth it)

season 2 episode 8 of Link Click was one of the most confounding episodes in the entire season while airing. starting with Lu Guang's insane boat crash/martial arts smackdown rescue of Cheng Xiaoshi and ending with Cheng Xiaoshi diving into a photo to possess Lu Guang to get answers for his actions, from start to finish it was a wild ass ride where we, the fandom, AND the characters spent the whole time questioning Lu Guang and his motives

and...puzzlingly... didn't really get an answers by the end of the season

Lu Guang wasn't granted any post-climax time to explain what happened that day from his perspective, and while Cheng Xiaoshi was possessing him he didn't get any answers because he literally WAS Lu Guang, just doing whatever the hell he thought he needed to do.

the thing about Hostage that has always felt extremely off to me, is that we DO get explanations for Lu Guang's actions during the episode, but they're from people wholly unqualified to be giving them.

Captain Xiao finds Lu Guang's phone, hidden in a folded towel, and concludes that Lu Guang had left them clues. Qiao Ling, after seeing that Lu Guang had taken a photo that night, came to the conclusion that Cheng Xiaoshi must have been the one possessing Lu Guang during his deranged rescue plan at the pier, seeing as Lu Guang wasn't an adept fighter at the dojo and he was acting extremely impulsive. She even goes so far to say, later in the episode, that Cheng Xiaoshi HAS to dive into the photo, because it's already happened, and needs to follow Lu Guang's words to not change the timeline.

all of these assumptions, to me, are horseshit

I refuse to listen to ANYTHING Captain Xiao says. one, because he simply does not know these kids and should not be making assumptions about them, and two he is in fact the worst cop in the world. and Qiao Ling, bless her heart, has only found out how their powers work mere DAYS ago and doesn't understand the nuances of them at all

so I'm gonna debunk all that nonsense and explain to you what Lu Guang's REAL actions were that night, and what was up with that cryptic photo he took

now you might be thinking, Kelly, you're not even starting in the right place, because those weren't Lu Guang's actions, they were always Cheng Xiaoshi's, just in Lu Guang's body!

FALSE. on two counts! we have evidence of Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi performing the act of escaping the hospital differently. Lu Guang does not use the kettle to break the window to distract the cops. we're not sure what he uses, but that kettle is still there.

Lu Guang also places his phone face down in the towel

while Cheng Xiaoshi places it faceup

so by the end of the episode we have literal, physical evidence that these two performed this timeline differently, and therefore it was not "Cheng Xiaoshi the whole time" like Qiao Ling tried to misinform us to believe. i also have another Big Brain post [x] that explains why Lu Guang being an impulsive, supposedly "good" fighter during that pier rescue scene are both in-character for him.

(and if we wanna get really nitpicky about how an injured Lu Guang could have raced across town in his condition, i simply believe that Lu Guang was smarter about it that Cheng Xiaoshi, and probably took a bus or cab. Cheng Xiaoshi, pure of heart and dumb of ass, ran because HE physically could while inhabiting Lu Guang's body. our injured catboy did not sprint across town while holding his organs in place)

so if we already have all this cold, hard evidence stating that Lu Guang really is THAT bitch and did all that shit on his own, what the hell is my problem? why can I not let this episode go?

BECAUSE I WANNA KNOW WHY LU GUANG TOOK THAT PHOTO

Captain Useless seems to think that Lu Guang took that photo as some sort of helpful clue left behind for the gang

but what, pray tell, was this photo supposed to tell us without someone with Lu Guang's powers there to interpret it? without Lu Guang to tell him what to do, Cheng Xiaoshi left to his own devices knows just as much as himself as he does possessing Lu Guang

and, the bigger question, is if this was supposed to be some sort of almighty clue for the gang, why did he not text this photo to either Qiao Ling or Cheng Xiaoshi before escaping the hospital? he took the time to text Qiao Ling the location of the boat, did he not? why not the photo too? seems like a crappy way to clue someone in, to take a photo and save it on your password protected phone that you just went out of your way to hide from plain sight

because that's the thing! after the season finale we discover that Lu Guang's password is literally a reminder of his dive, or even more specifically, a reminder of his trauma. we KNOW that he didn't share his password with Cheng Xiaoshi, he just just happened to figure it out on his own

so tell me how Lu Guang expected this trauma-password protected phone, with it's one singular picture, to get in the hands of Cheng Xiaoshi, hmm? riddle me THAT

so we've established by now that 1. Lu Guang's actions in the beginning of episode 8 were indeed his own and 2. that photo was never meant to be seen by Cheng Xiaoshi, who shouldn't have known Lu Guang's passcode

given the trauma-passcode, we have to believe that the only person ever meant to see this photo was Lu Guang. i've made ANOTHER post previously [x] stating that Lu Guang might have used his powers in a way we haven't known possible, by taking a photo and using his Blue Eyes White Dragon powers to see 12 hours into the immediate future

plausible, but not what i'm about to propose now.

because I think Lu Guang took that photo as a contingency plan

listen, the only person who had ANY credentials to theorize what Lu Guang was up to that night was his trusted partner. while Qiao Ling and Captain Xiao spouted their nonsense theories, Cheng Xiaoshi said the only smart thing that entire brainstorming session

and I think Cheng Xiaoshi was right. he wasn't wrong in assuming this photo was a Save Point of sorts, the only thing he was wrong about was who would be using it

the only other person in this show capable of diving into a photo, we find out during the finale, is Lu Guang

we also find out in the finale that powers are transferrable, and it looks like they transfer when the owner of that power dies in someone else's arms

Lu Guang took that photo that night NOT for Cheng Xiaoshi to find and use, but for LU GUANG himself to use. i believe Lu Guang firmly believed that Cheng Xiaoshi was to die that night, and he would do everything in his power to make sure he had a chance to change it again if he needed to.

that meant:

1.taking a photo on his phone as a Save Point.

2. hiding his phone in the hospital bathroom so it could not be taken from him or busted later in the night. and

3. racing to where he knew Cheng Xiaoshi would be, so he could either

4. a.) rescue him, or b.) ensure that during CXS's death, the diving power was transferred back to him so he could do the night over again.

Lu Guang took that photo as contingency plan to save Cheng Xiaoshi's life should he get killed that night.

but that plan was botched when Cheng Xiaoshi used it instead to possess Lu Guang, because each photo can only be used once.

which might also explain why Lu Guang was SO DISTRAUGHT when Cheng Xiaoshi was shot

they had deleted all their photos earlier that week to prevent the twins from possessing them remotely

that was the last photo Lu Guang had taken. the ONLY photo on his phone. if Cheng Xiaoshi died that night, there would have been no Save Point to return to

[aystoria]

LC - YINGDU EP1 SPOILERS, TW - blood, death scenes

Yeah I logged in just for LC to sum up things in my DMs with Forest (love u), mostly about dives.

Still have too many ideas about how mechanics actually work, as well as abilities transmigration, so I'll focus on differences of dives and some things from previous seasons.

Scene with Vein.

In my understanding, the opening scene already includes 2 different developments of events.

1, where CXS, after being wounded, was led by LG into the room, while Vein went to pick up the gun. We see bloody footprints, traces on the table, but that's all.

2, where Vein is already standing at the closed door, clearly shows other events - a chair, other objects scattered on the floor, according to the blood prints, the body seemed to have been dragged + there are no prints on the tabletop.

What is also interesting is that the background is slightly different in both scenes, if you pay attention to the shelves on the left.

There is a difference in the photos too - the first version shows only a crack, the second - a broken glass.

For me, the conclusion is that already here we see 2 different timelines.

Lu Guang's injury

In the first option, although Vein shoots at the door, he misses (time ~ 23:11), Lu Guang closes the door and is not injured

So , missing scene

We don't know what happened for about an hour. In the second version (cause it has stains on the floor, overturned things), the blood on the photo already speaks of the not shown scene. I doubt that Vein simply changed his mind and left, so Lu Guang had to "deal with" him.

At this point, he himself is deeply wounded, but the most important thing is that in these shots we are shown his yellow eyes - this is already a dive in a dive, some kind of repetition of the events.

s2ep12

At the same time, this drive is different from the drive that was shown in the second season.

The blood pattern on his clothes is similar, but even if we exclude the fact that he doesn't look out of breath/in pain, there are other details.

- blood stains on his face - furnishings, of objects on the table - blood on hands (by the way, in the scene with Vein, when he raised his hands in front of him, both of his hands were covered in blood)

Lu Guang's watch

For us as viewers, the watch on his right hand is a familiar part of the design, he wears it on his right hand in both s1 and s2

So, after diving, the first thing he tries to do is check the time, and looks at his right hand.

We still don't know the origin of his watch, since he didn't wear them in almost all the flashbacks. Except for the new one, where the watch is on his left hand.

Thus, Yingdu gives us a new diving point - April 12th (in addition to the dives on September 13).

Maybe the time of this dive will correlate with the time indicated in s2 (but with which there were no associated events)

Except for the poster, the watch on Lu Guang's left hand appeared in the flashback of CXS's death in s2, which probably separates this variant of his death from the ones shown in the scene with Vein, and perhaps the difference can give us insight into the timeline's chronologies later on.

September and April

To be honest, this whole thing makes me very excited, because of the existence of the old theory about the broken time in April and September - I wrote about it in detail a year ago in that post

Emma, April-September and chronology

For me, this means that circumstances of the case, who the unknown victim was, although they have faded into the background now, will still be a key.

Pretty sure this has all been discussed, but thanks for reading. Let's all… have fun with the new season ~

[aystoria]

first thoughts and things i noticed in the new link click trailer.

whatever im fine, this season will not be emotionally disruptive whatsoever ( <- lying)

[aystoria]

what if bridon arc but i pay attention to the times (ep 1) (at least the ones that i can notice since some look like they have something but then i cant make it out so shrug)

im really bad at dates so bear with me here. dates will be added to time when i can see it on that frame but unless stated otherwise just assume theyre following each other in order

23:10 - they hide in the darkroom

23:11 - he pauses before rushing to xiaoshi who is laying on the ground. xiaoshi takes his hand, apologies and tells him 'save them'

00:04 - lu guang is upstairs getting the photo (HE SPENT AN HOUR WITH XIAOSHIS DEAD BODY IM-)

00:05 (09-13) - he goes back in time

17:32 - he ends up back in the past (assumedly. his watch is missing but its the time on the photo)

05:29 (04-12) (it then ticks to 05:30) - bruhs sitting on his bed thinking. his eyes are still gold

05:31 - he puts his hands down

08:00 - xiaoshi is in his bed looking at his phone, at lu guang's contact (google translate tells me xiaoshi tells him that they should play basketball together tomorrow)

when he stops by at the time where he probably helps them paint the building his eyes are normal colored

13:30 (06-09) - xiaoshi is there to take pictures of the main coser (lu guang) of the anime club

12:30 probably..? (next day) - they arrive at the convention

13:34 - they get the kung fu master package (the bag) and qiao ling leaves to get it

14:35 (06-10) - qiao ling exits the line after getting the collector's edition of kung fu master 7

DONT BE SHY SHOW ME THE TIME

15:54 - lu guang gets the display book and opens it

15:55 - hes flipping through it

i cant read this. google translate says it says '13:30 start shooting' so i assume when they start taking pictures at the con

'13:35 separate actions' when qiao ling left to get the game?

'14:45 lost items' assumedly around when qiao ling and miaomiao switch bags (or maybe when she realized they had switched bags?)

'15:55 found the photo' the photo in the display book of her?

15:56 - lu guang says he knows how to find her through divination

15:57 - he tells them to close their eyes, xiaoshi protests but qiao ling says to give it a try

15:59 - hes about to look through the photo

16:00 - he looks (that is 16 right?)

(looking through photo) 14:35 - qiao ling and miaomiao say goodbye and switch bags

22:52 - miaomiao flashback (how do i describe this)

(past) signing event of RanXi Chronicles at 15:00 next saturday?

16:59 (06-10 2019) - xiaoshi talks about adding his divination (if it was real) as a side gig to the studio

17:00 - lu guang says he has to leave, qiao ling tells them to hurry up. he turns back but xiaoshi grabs his wrist and brings him inside

(flashback) 14:50 - vivian getting zhou xun into investing (also same time when he gives her 100k seemingly? or he was thinking it)

7:20 (pm?) - they beg lu guang to do his magic thing (I think? the seconds hand keeps confusing me). lu guang tells them to get out as his condition

next day at 7:20-ish pm - lu guang has their phones on call and puts one in xiaoshi's breast pocket

8 pm - xiaoshi meets vivian who thinks he is zhou xun

21:46 - vivian seemingly texted the bad guy (idk name) that xiaoshi (who she thinks is zhou xun) took the bait (again im using google translate so idk)

??? - vivian says that lu guang could get hurt (as an example, if he wanted to run away if he joined them?)

whatever this time is - vivian pretends to hurt him and has him fake his death

the guys enter the room

revealed vivian betrayed the bad guys, and xiaoshi n lu guang run away

11:30 - zhou xun sees the news of vivian being a suspect (his text to her is about meeting again since he missed it yesterday)

7:20 am (probably, its bright outside) - xiaoshi tells him that he worries about lu guang disappearing. lu guang tells him he can stay in the photo studio. they do the clap that means theyre partners for life

that.. should be it?

[aystoria]

well it was fun to- *starts sobbing uncontrollably*

[aystoria]

Spoilers for Ep 1 of Link Click's Bridon Arc

Did anyone else realize that all the people they ran into this episode were in some way a parallel to what Lu Guang was going through?

1. The Cosplayer was concerned that she would regret her choice to become a comic artist. She didn't want to commit to it and then have it ruin her love for art. I feel like that's something that Lu Guang would genuinely have to grapple with if he's gone back over and over. Would there be a point where he regrets it? What if he starts to resent the people he's trying to save?

Also, with that arc is the comic artist saying "Don't give up on your flashlight." And I feel like that ones kinds obvious. With Cheng Xiaoshi being the flashlight in the scenario. To keep going even if it seems impossible, even if you're taking the harder route.

2. With Zhou Xun, I mainly noticed when Qiao Ling was like, "He seems so smart but us so irrational because he's in love," and even platonically, it's so clear that Lu Guang loves Cheng Xiaoshi (you don't do the shit he does if you don't) and he is currently doing an irrational thing in his attempt to save him. There's no guarantee this works. There's no guarantee he doesn't actually tear time and space apart doing this. But he is. The same way Zhou Xun is (albeit kinda stupidly) trusting and enamored with Vivan. He has no reason to trust her after the others reveal her lies, but he's emotionally connected to her, and he doesn't want to let go. He doesn't want to give her up.

3. With Vivian, it was more at the end and less to do with her situation and more her thoughts on it. She mentions wanting a relationship free of lies, something that Lu Guang no longer has. Inherently, his relationship with Cheng Xiaoshi is built on lies. In a way, it comes back to Season 1, Ep 2, where Cheng Xiaoshi questions if they'd still be friends even if they disagreed on something. He is being kept purposefully in the dark (for his own benefit, yes, but still) by Lu Guang and its going to put a strain on their relationship even if he doesn't know its there (As a side note. I do really hope that at some point Cheng Xiaoshi learns about what Lu Guang is doing. It'll hurt so bad but I do want to see his reaction).

Also, Vivian mentions wanting to go to Bridon, which is a very fun (if not obvious) reference to the rest of the Bridon arc loll.

(It is very late, and i am emotionally drained from that episode, so if there's any mistakes in this please let me know 🥲)

[aystoria]

Link Click said what if I have known you for years but we just met, and this is the first time and the thousandth time you’ve said my name and what if i loved you in every single timeline and i’ll never give up because i can’t because i love you, and it’s nice to meet you again.

[aystoria]

i desperately need to know just how many times lu guang relived the same tragedies. for science.

Lu Guang dive in S2 final (left) vs his dive in Yingdu ep1 (right)

The difference in Lu Guang’s expression, Lu Guang holding the photo up while sitting in s2 but just laying it on the table in Yingdu, and finally, the time difference between S2 and Yingdu on Lu Guang’s watch and on the clock in the room.

These two dives are definitely not the same dive on the same timeline

[aystoria]

And Lu Guang makes it as another addition to the gay eye reflection collection