#浮生梦

[aworldforastage]

A second subjective list of favorite danmei's I read in 2022

I Can Do It :: 我行让我来[电竞] 酱子贝

This Prince has Something To Say :: 孤有话说 楚寒衣青

The Legitimate Son’s Dilemmas :: 嫡子为难 石头与水

Woke up and Heard I Was Married :: 一觉醒来听说我结婚了 木瓜黄

After Dawn :: 黎明之后 冰块儿

Heart Eyes :: 心眼 北南

Cherish :: 钟情 静水边

Floating Dreams :: 浮生梦 白芥子

PUBG Online Romance of the Century :: PUBG世纪网恋 酱子贝

I Ship My Adversary X Me :: 我嗑了对家X我的CP PEPA 

Compared to my other list, this list contains some lesser-known titles and titles I read later in the year. They had something about them that made me start reading and not wanting to put them down.

I know it’s March but I swear I started this list back when I could reasonably hope to publish it before Chinese New Year, then Lantern Festival, and um… 

I Can Do It :: 我行让我来[电竞] 酱子贝 – [Esports] I had to look up quite a bit of LOL references for this novel, but it says something about its quality that made me want to do the research! The story follows Jian Rong, a mouthy LOL live-streamer who gets recruited into his idol’s professional team. For me, it combines the comedy of having a snarky troll protagonist with the passionate energy of Esports. The Gong is around five years older than the shou, who turns 18 just before they start a relationship; but the sense of the age gap is quite strong between them. The key source of angst in this novel is the stress of injury and retirement for the more mature players, but the story’s keeps a mostly positive and upbeat focus is Jian Rong’s growth in professional gaming (and his cool, handsome boyfriend). 

This Prince has Something To Say :: 孤有话说 楚寒衣青 - [NOT TRANSLATED] [historical, political, wuxia] – This novel is split down the middle across two genres. The first part is a political intrigue in which the crown prince Xiao Jianshen (gong) tries to consolidate power in a (hilariously) hectic imperial court, while the second part is a wuxia tale in which a sect master Fu Tinghuan (shou) sorts out his old jianghu rivalries. They cross into each other’s worlds for their own objectives, but also fall in love. Fu Tinghuan’s vulnerabilities in love are heart wrenching, especially considering his backstory. Xiao Jianshen reads like he is on the ace spectrum; his love seems a lot more reserved in comparison, but from his POV he is as devoted to Fu Tinghuan as he possibly could be and isn't attracted to anyone else. The novel is also focused on the Gong’s POV, which is typical for this author. 

The Legitimate Son’s Dilemmas :: 嫡子为难 石头与水 – [NOT TRANSLATED] [historical, transmigration, “household drama” aka 宅斗] – Though this story is technically a danmei, only 2% of the text is relevant to romance. It isn’t even a true HE (Maybe OE? It’s HE in the sequel), and it’s realistically cynical in that both the protagonist and love interest marry (and consummates their marriages with) multiple women. Protagonist Feng Mingzhan is in a very awkward position as the sole legitimate “di” Son of the Emperor’s brother, but seemingly born mute so unsuitable to inherit his father’s title. To appease the Emperor, Mingzhan’s father sends him to the capital as a political hostage. This enrages Mingzhan (who is actually a transmigrator) and prompts him to seriously compete to become the heir with his more favored half-brothers. The political maneuvering is fun enough to keep me going, and it’s also an interesting examination in the kind of familial relationships and dynamics that can be formed (and destroyed or rebuilt) under such a social context. But honestly don’t read this for the romance. 

Woke up and Heard I Was Married :: 一觉醒来听说我结婚了 木瓜黄 – [celebrities/actors, system, mystery] – This is a story in which the main characters are celebrity actors, but they are actually solving mysteries, mostly at the direction of a system inside the protagonist that doesn’t do much of anything else. The protagonist is smart but lazy, appears very uninterested in the world around him, but wouldn’t shy away from doing the right thing when it counts. His older love interest is doting and suave, (and light spoiler: also rich enough to buy them out of most problems). Despite its lighthearted tone and premise, the “cases” veers into surprisingly deep and dark themes like homophobia, cyber-bullying, and the human cost of such cruelties. I generally like mysteries and procedural novels, but I never thought I could somehow enjoy them with an entertainment-industry context, which gives such themes a much-needed touch of lightness. 

After Dawn :: 黎明之后 冰块儿 –[celebrities, reconciliation, rival families] – This story looks like it’s trying to max out dog blood tropes that can be fit into one novel: there’s misunderstandings, a returning ex, ‘indecent proposals’, framed for a crime, inter-family rivalry, a sex tape, bastard sons competing for recognition and wealth, (quite a few very steamy scenes,) and so on … but fundamentally it’s two people meeting again after years, and reconciling after several rounds of misunderstandings. It’s very angsty in the process, but rationally you just really just want to grab and shake these two characters because they keep on saying just enough of the wrong things to make their misunderstanding worse. Perfect read for when you want to take your heart on a ride with good old-fashioned melodrama, and perfect demo for how NOT to communicate in a relationship. 

Heart Eyes :: 心眼 北南 –  [NOT TRANSLATED][reconciliation, (eventual) step brothers, hurt/comfort, slice-of-life ] Liang Cheng enters Qiao Yuanlin’s life three times, as a stranger who saves his life during a cardiac event when he was 13, as a mysterious tenant living in his grandmother’s extra room when he was 16, and as his step-mother’s son six years later. However, there is another hidden thread connecting their histories together.  In many ways, this is a coming-of-age story for Qiao Yuanlin, who is born with a serious congenital heart defect that has permeated every aspect of his life. Still, he manages a very realistic blend of good nature, naivete, and bratty-ness as he moves through adolescence and young adulthood, and together with Liang Cheng, learn to confront and move beyond the hard patches in their histories towards something better. It also has the most satisfying hurt-comfort-recovery arc I have ever read thanks to Qiao Yuanlin's heart.

Cherish :: 钟情 静水边 – [NOT TRANSLATED][guides and sentinels, sci-fi, space opera] – In a interstellar society with Sentinels and Guides, a weak Guide who doesn’t even have a familiar accidentally encounters and hits it off with the the most powerful Sentinel in the world, the Emperor, and is then pulled into the schemes in elite politics. I really enjoyed the novel for it’s fast pacing, because it’s not often that I find myself really drawn into a novel halfway into the first chapter. I feel like it leaves much to be desired as a sci-fi because it only very, very superficially address the social and political implications of the setting (and events of the plot).  However, the story is a very fun ride, and is full of funny details like the Emperor’s familiar being a dragon with the “heart of a teenage girl” who would like pink rhinestones on EVERYTHING, thank you very much. 

Floating Dream :: 浮生梦 白芥子 – [NOT TRANSLATED][historical, political intrigue, mpreg, meta] – It’s kind of cheating to put this one here, since this is an AU the author created for her two other stories in a shared universe. The premise is that men can carry children if they take a special potion. In the first story, Crown Prince Zhu Yunjing is framed for a crime, deposed and sentenced to death. He escapes the capital with the father of his unborn child, and builds a life with the man whom he once thought of as a rival and one night stand. In the second story, his younger brother Fifth Prince Zhu Yunxuan becomes the emperor by making a deal with a powerful court official, and their tenuous relationship deteriorates rapidly as he takes the throne as their power dynamics grow more complex. In this AU, the Crown Prince manages to save himself from being deposed; his own situation becomes less desperate, and he is also able to stick around and look out for his little brother, who doesn't need to end up in complicated political bargains. In the net, everyone seems to have it a easier in this version of events, though the Crown Prince’s love interest needing to wait longer for the prince to work out his feelings, and their lively and mischievous son needs to learn to turn down his nature since he is now the crown prince.

PUBG Online Romance of the Century :: PUBG世纪网恋 酱子贝-- [online gaming, live-streaming, past trauma] – Conglomerate CEO Yi Chen accidentally becomes the first viewer of Yu Yan, a new PUBG live-streamer on his platform. As Yu Yan navigates this new career to pull himself up from lackluster living conditions, he takes generous viewer and noob player “Yi” under his wing in the game as a part of his streams, unaware that this is the platform CEO “learning about his business”. Out of the four gaming-themed novels I read from this author, this is by far the least lighthearted and most involved with game play, though thankfully Yi Chen is also a new player that needed noob-friendly “tutorials” from Yu Yan. While the premise sets up a struggling protagonist and a rich love interest, Yu Yan still forges his own path, moves on from his trauma and flourishes on his own terms, while Yi Chen has his own baggage to resolve. The ending is happy but more hopeful, and leaves you feeling like these characters will grow into better and happier people. 

I Ship My Adversary X Me :: 我嗑了对家X我的CP PEPA – [idols and celebrities, humor, fandoms] A hilarious story in which C-list idol actor Wei Yanzi stumbles into the fandom of his ship with his rumored adversary, B-list actor Gu Yiliang. When the shippers are the only ones imagining their idol as a loving and loved little angel, Yanyan decides to join them and actively produce “candies” to feed their content. Gu Yiliang ends up with some very confusing signals from his co-worker but chooses the “generous” approach, and somehow this ends up as an epic loves story. This story is written in a brisk style, first person pov, full of internet and meme references, but if you can handle the style it will be a fast-paced funny read. Things that would hint at major angst in other works ends up being a laugh that gets breezed through. If you ever liked idols, this work will be a blast regardless of you are a solo or CP fan.

[eirenical]

GYADL Novel Chapter 3: The Floating Life

To anyone who thought I'd abandoned this... I haven't. ^_^

“Shao-ye, the appointment time between you, Lin-shaoye, and Xu-shaoye has arrived.  Don’t you think it’s time to get ready to leave?”  An elderly butler-like servant standing by the pool reverentially and respectfully reminded him. The surface of the pool is calm and quiet, the water is clear and blue, and no one can be seen. Two minutes later, a man breaks out of the water and lets out a long breath and, stroking back a handful of wet hair from his forehead, sends water droplets scattering in all directions.  “Lao Jiang, how long this time?” “Eleven minutes, shao-ye.” The man suddenly slaps the water surface in an annoyed manner.  “Xu Xingcheng said that his foreign classmates can hold their breath for up to 13 minutes and 40 seconds. I’m still falling a little short.”

Continue reading at the Wordpress link above!

You can follow my translation group on Novel Updates or you can follow the translation blog directly on wordpress to know when new chapters are out.  Enjoy?  ^_^

[wenella]

Luo Fusheng 🩹

Cr: Weibo 森叮

[hideyseek]

wait ahahaha im reading fic for granting you a dreamlike life and ahahaha is the duan tianying / luo fusheng shipname really TIANSHENG that's so fascinating ??

taking the tian (天) from tianying and the sheng (生) in fusheng gets you 天生 tiansheng which means, "natural, innate, inherent". kind of obsessed with this, great work fandom

[harocat]

Hello Cdrama fans! The signups for the Yuletide fic exchange close in a little over forty-eight hours, and there are a ton of Cdrama fandoms nominated. I'd LOVE to see some more Cdrama fans on board (and not just because almost all my nominations are that).

Yuletide is an annual fic exchange for rare and obscure fandoms run through the Archive of Our Own. Participants sign up to write a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom someone else has requested, using the selected characters from that fandom. In return, they receive a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom they have requested, featuring requested characters.

Please read this FAQ and the Rules before deciding whether to participate.

I had so much fun doing this last year (and I got some great Cdrama fic), so I wanted to share it here in hopes of bringing in some more participants from these fandoms.

The following Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong Dramas are nominated:

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简��知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花开有时颓靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

藏海花 | Adventure behind the Bronze Door 

西出玉门 | Parallel World | West Out of Yumen

许你浮生若梦 | Xǔ Nǐ Fú Shēng Ruò Mèng | Granting You a Dreamlike Life

说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes (2022) 

还珠格格 | Huán Zhū Gé Gé | Princess Returning Pearl

追风者 | War of Faith 

重启之极海听雷 | Reunion: The Sound of the Providence 

长月烬明 | Till the End of the Moon

长歌行 | The Long Ballad 

长相思 | Lost You Forever 

长风渡 | Destined 

關於未知的我們 | Unknown

问心 | The Heart 

陪你到世界之巔 | Gank Your Heart

霹靂布袋戲 | Pili Glove Puppetry

风起洛阳 | Fēng Qǐ Luò Yáng 

飞狐外传 | Side Story of Fox Volant

骄阳伴我 | Sunshine by My Side

鬓边不是海棠红 | Winter Begonia

鹿鼎記 | The Duke of Mount Deer (Hong Kong 1984)

I apologized if I missed any. I went fast so I could actually get this posted. For DONGHUA and MANHUA look under 'cartoons & comics & graphic novels'. For Chinese language movies look under 'movies'. For Cnovels (danmei and other), look under 'books and literature.' There are lots of nominations there as well. Here's the tag set!

By the way, according to Yuletide staff, the most frequently nominated fandom was Mysterious Lotus Casebook.

[bittersweetresilience]

writing year in review

i like those artist summaries my friends are doing so i'm making my own. one excerpt from each month of the year. many words incoming.

JANUARY

metempsychosis (Miraculous Ladybug, 4,935 words)

“Adrien?” Félix asks. He can feel his arms shaking as he pushes himself up, his cousin’s face wide and startled beneath him. He’s okay. Félix saved him. There’s something wet weeping from under the silver platter, watermelon juice on his sleeves. The room smells like iron. Adrien’s breathing bleeds. When he starts to choke Félix pulls the platter away and reveals the seeds stuck to his clothes, the knife stuck between the seeds.

FEBRUARY

never been in love (Miraculous Ladybug, 1,559 words)

Maybe Félix had felt something like that before. It’s since been bled out of his memory. To his father, Félix was a church, an idea, a trophy; there was no room for yearning. He wears his crown of thorns on his finger now, but even so he is empty.

MARCH

silent things (Miraculous Ladybug, 1,379 words)

“Félix!” Adrien shouts. The slam of his hands against the wood is a heartbeat. “Come on! Open the door, Félix!” But Félix wakes up from the dream.

APRIL

watership down (Miraculous Ladybug, 10,965 words)

She’d dropped the memory somewhere between the hospital and the jeweler’s curb, between her fingers clenched white around the driver’s wheel and the set of Colt’s scowl as he pushed into the doors. But what’s one more funeral pyre? What’s one more cross to burn?

MAY

i want to hold the hand inside you (Miraculous Ladybug, 962 words)

Félix opens his mouth, breathes in thickly. Cold and hot, stage lights, his pulse sharp in his throat with sense-memory. It’s not his father. It’s still Félix. The tempered sensation of being held on a leash. It’s not real. Marinette hasn’t done anything.

JUNE

Meditations (Miraculous Ladybug, 800 words)

London, England, 2013. Shale damp firmament or something. You ran into the nesting grounds and startled the mute swans with your sneeze. Mute is in their name but they are not mute, really. Cygnus olor is the Latin. Other Latin words: exitus acta probat, cogito ergo sum, felix. Names don’t seem very accurate because mine is supposed to mean happy.

JULY

浮生若梦 (Honkai: Star Rail, 3,065 words)

Even the cycranes are mute in their nests, wings folded over themselves like mourning clothes. Blade walks along the vertebrae of the streets, and no one approaches him. Perhaps he is invisible. Perhaps he has lost the last of what made him human. People whisper amongst themselves, but Blade doesn’t listen. They wouldn’t know as well as him.

AUGUST

大鱼 (Honkai: Star Rail, 11,572 words)

When Jing Yuan finds himself here, he is always here as a witness. He cannot run; he cannot move; he cannot avert his view. This time, though, a fervency unravels in him, a lurch of desperate wanting. Mingled breath, a sanguinary abyss, and the ground tilts, sending him falling toward the eye of everything. “Jing Yuan,” Baiheng shouts, but it is Jingliu, but it is a dragon, but it is an exhale in his ear, seven centuries in the future, the scattering of stars like a Stellaron bursting under his skin. It is Blade, and it is Yingxing, and he is the one who is burning, and Jing Yuan is clawing at his shoulders, untangling at the seams.

SEPTEMBER

起风了 (Honkai: Star Rail, 7,164 words)

His hands land on Blade’s chest, and he finds himself craning his head up to regain his bearings, to reach—warm skin and scars and the tongue that sweeps into his open mouth, and Jing Yuan pushes up onto his tiptoes, just a bit, forgetting everything. Blade releases Jing Yuan as soon as he’d taken hold of him, so that he lands gently back on his feet. Jing Yuan blinks at him, his lips still parted, startled out of all his feelings. “Sit on the bed and don’t move,” Blade tells him, and then leaves.

OCTOBER

age has never made me wise (Honkai: Star Rail, 8,185 words)

He allows himself to touch Jing Yuan’s face, finally. Wipes the towel very softly over the drying tracks, washing away the tears and the blood and the grime as if they had never been there, as if it had never happened. But he can’t wash away the mark that sits starkly on Jing Yuan’s cheek, nor the shape of Blade’s fingers on the hollow of his neck— —you’re lying, you’re lying— —and Blade pulls his hand away abruptly.

NOVEMBER

tell me we'll never get used to it (Honkai: Star Rail, 2,101 words)

Wants. The word is a strange sort of notion. After all this time, Blade is still getting used to being allowed to want things. Things of his own, things that he can touch and take and keep. Things that aren’t broken bones or drying blood under his fingertips.

DECEMBER

mad wandering man (Honkai: Star Rail, 6,072 words)

Jing Yuan doesn’t have to think about this yet, not when the ending is still approaching. It isn’t something real, isn’t something that will last, isn’t anything more than an idle dream. And he already knows, as does the rest of the Quintet, that dreams are dead things walking.

THAT'S THE END OF THIS VERY LONG POST... will you join me @coffeebanana @ninadove @isabugs @mostmagical @asukiess...

...line break because too many spouses @hartwign @purplecatghostposts @teafig...

[freisende]

Faraway Wanderers Audio Drama Song - Faraway Wanderers《天涯客/Tian Ya Ke》(Hanzi/Pinyin/English) Lyrics & English Translation

✲ Faraway Wanderers (天涯客/Tian Ya Ke) Audio Drama Season 1 Song

✲ Singer: Kē Mùqīng (柯暮卿)

Youtube Music Lyric Video (+Dialogue): here

Youtube Music Lyric Video: here

📌Production ℗ 2021:

•Composer: Li Dabai (李大白), Chen Yiming (陈亦洺)

•Lyricist: Minghuang (冥凰)

•Arranger: Li Dabai (李大白)

•Vocal Solo: Ke Muqing (柯暮卿)

•Harmony Vocals: Chen Yiming (陈亦洺)

•Dong Xiao/Flute: Qiuniu (囚牛)

•Mixing Engineer: Li Dabai (李大白)

•Supervisor: Gugu (咕咕)

——————————————

Lyrics:

Verse 1:

这人间困境几何 

zhè rénjiān kùnjìng jǐhé

得超脱有几个 

dé chāotuō yǒu jǐ gè

如敢以生死来涉 

rú gǎn yǐ shēngsǐ lái shè

孑然是天涯客

jiérán shì tiānyá kè 

Pre-chorus 1:

谁辞别庙堂 

shéi cíbié miàotáng 

醉山河 

zuì shānhé 

沐得天光赏春色

mù dé tiānguāng shǎng chūnsè 

欲做仙云鹤 

yù zuò xiān yún hè 

偏又生纠葛

piān yòu shēng jiūgé 

Chorus:

飞絮身 偏走黄泉路 

fēi xù shēn piān zǒu huáng quán lù 

看尽英雄嗔癫群鬼舞

kàn jǐn yīngxióng chēn diān qún guǐwǔ 

黑白错 风崖起疑雾 

hēibái cuò fēng yá qǐyí wù 

妙手设局待谁入

miàoshǒu shè jú dài shéi rù 

六合渺渺 纵是无觅处

liùhé miǎomiǎo zòng shì wú mì chù 

携酒来 拔剑去 自有归宿

xié jiǔ lái bá jiàn qù zì yǒu guīsù 

Verse 2:

正邪道人心叵测 

zhèngxié dào ren xīn pǒcè 

甘苦自取自舍

gānk�� zì qǔ zì shě 

遇知己明眸澈澈 

yù zhījǐ míngmóu chè chè 

如举灯过渊泽

rú jǔ dēngguò yuān zé

Pre-chorus 2:

谁以鬼行世 

shéi yǐ guǐ xíng shì 

恨善恶

hèn shàn è 

红袍褪身谁识得

hóng páo tuì shēn shéi shí dé 

一眼竟万年 

yīyǎn jìng wàn nián 

情痴终不赦

qíngchī zhōng bù shè 

Chorus:

飞絮身 偏走黄泉路 

fēi xù shēn piān zǒu huáng quán lù 

看尽英雄嗔癫群鬼舞

kàn jǐn yīngxióng chēn diān qún guǐwǔ 

黑白错 风崖起疑雾 

hēibái cuò fēng yá qǐyí wù 

妙手设局待谁入

miàoshǒu shè jú dài shéi rù 

六合渺渺 纵是无觅处

liùhé miǎomiǎo zòng shì wú mì chù 

携酒来 拔剑去 自有归宿

xié jiǔ lái bá jiàn qù zì yǒu guīsù 

Bridge:

天欲晚 风雪袭巴蜀 

tiān yù wǎn fēng xuě xí bāshǔ 

何幸借这温存不孤独

hé xìng jiè zhè wēncún bù gūdú 

问余生 怎舍好眉目 

wèn yúshēng zěn shě hǎo méimù 

三秋如梦也愿赴

sānqiū rú mèng yě yuàn fù 

Last Chorus:

六合渺渺 自有自在处

liùhé miǎomiǎo zì yǒu zìzài chù 

竹林响 忘沉浮 寻光欲渡

zhúlín xiǎng wàng chénfú xún guāng yù dù

——————————————

English Translation:

Verse 1:

How many hardships are there in this mundane world? 

How many can be detached?

Daring to risk experiencing life and death,

Are the solitude, faraway wanderers

Pre-chorus 1:

Who bids farewell to the Manor;[1]

Travelling and drunken on the mountains and rivers, 

and bathing in the light spring vibes under the sky? 

Desiring to be as free as the immortal fairy crane [2] in the clouds, 

yet still with these remaining life entanglements…

Chorus 1:

As free as the flying catkins drift to the Underworld,[3]

Beholding the frenzied dance of the heroes and ghosts,

Black and white inverted; Fengya veiled under doubts and suspicions, 

For whom is the crafted trap set by the master?

The immense six directions are boundless, there is no specific place [4]

Carry a bottle of wine, wield the sword, reach their own destination

Verse 2:

Measurement of the good and evil are unpredictable, 

As well as the owned good times and spurning hardships

Encountering the destined soulmate with unwavering eyes, 

Holding a lantern illuminating across this abyss

Pre-chorus 2:

Who walks this world as a ghost, 

Who despises virtues and vice,

Unrecognizable disguise under the shed red robe

One glance lasting for ten thousand years, 

With this unforgivable mad and love-struck feeling

Chorus:

As free as the flying catkins drift to the Underworld,

Beholding the frenzied dance of the heroes and ghosts,

Black and white inverted; Fengya veiled under doubts and suspicions, 

For whom is the crafted trap set by the master?

The immense six directions are boundless, there is no specific place

Carry a bottle of wine, wield the sword, reach their own destination

Bridge:

As the sky darkened, the wind and snow blows towards Bashu [5]

How fortunate to still be able to linger with this warmth and keep accompanied?

Contemplate in giving up the beautiful world as life is nearing the end,

Willing to be intoxicated in these three autumns dreams. [6]

Last Chorus:

The immense six directions are boundless, each where they belong respectively

The sound of bamboo forests, forgetting the ups and downs of the world, seeking light to cross through.

——————————————

Notes:

[1]: In this context, refers to Four Seasons (Siji) Manor

[2]: simply, freedom like a flying fairy in the clouds. There is also a story of Chinese fairy famous for her eternal youth and brews immortal wine from magical plants

[3]: Flying catkins / dandelions; Yellow Spring or the Underworld.

[4]: north, south, east, west, up, down. 六合 can also mean the world/universe

[5]: 巴蜀, Province in Southwestern China

[6]: Three autumns means three years (ehem, Zhou Zishu’s remaining lifespan)

——————————————

Don't forget to check the Youtube Music Lyric video here.

Thank you for reading. Have a good day! ✨

Please feel free to tell me if you have any questions, or if you notice any mistakes-- whether they be the vocabulary, grammar or something else.

Navigation: ✤ Also read Faraway Wanderers Audio Drama Season 2 Lyrics Translation: Tian Ya Xun Chun ✤ For translations, here. ✤ For more discussions and perspectives, here. ✤ For meme, here! If you like my writing, please consider giving me a tip through Ko-fi! 😊 ✤ More information (commission, messages, requests): Carrd

[teafig]

AO3 Reading Year In Review

I went through my AO3 history and compiled monthly WIPs and Completed Fics I loved in 2024!

Turns out I read a lot of fanfiction and have no good bookmarking system so this is mostly based off of which months I associate most with reading the fic even if it was published earlier, and I picked based on thematic representation of the month as well

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug and Honkai Star Rail

January

to be something you miss by asukiess made me want to throw up I was so upset. Also I loved it

February

WIP: lies of attrition by Missnoodles, wackus_bonkus Ladynoir angst and lying!!! The character conflict is so delicious

March

WIP: thirteen by okayanna I'm still haunted by this fic, the family trauma and passage of time and Emilie's whole deal its just, in my head all the time now.

April

WIP: watership down by bittersweetResilience After reading this I did go a little insane and check out my library's only copy of the titular novel and was the first patron to do so since 1991

May

all your ribs are still your own by isabugs  May was my Felinette month and this really sums them up

June

LEVITICUS 22:29 by asukiess, bittersweetResilience The people are making High Art and yes it is about miraculous ladybug

July

WIP: Probably Not The Best Idea by CoffeeBanana I love everything from this author and their Ladrien is top-teir everyone be quiet this IS Ladrien take notes.

August

i miss you, i'm sorry by Monpetitchattriste I love this concept and take on Catwalker

September

[PODFIC] to bring back the fire in her eyes by bittersweetResilience  and original fic: To bring back the fire in her eyes by NinaDove

The quality in writing and production is unmatched!!

October

浮生若梦 by bittersweetResilience Genuinly I was sobbing reading this, this is how I knew I was cooked and obsessed with Renjing

November

Silver Lining by faecakes Ratiorine fic, very soap-opera drama, funny and heartfelt classic fanfic tropes

December

On the Road by bittersweetResilience (translation of Sweetie_tianyang’s 在路上) So beautiful and SO RENJING and I want this as a book so I can hold it in my hands

Hmm ok now that I've tortured myself with this I will also tag some people to do a reading review (if you want to LOL this was actually way more work than I though it would be)

@bittersweetresilience @hartwign @mushu306 @ninadove @haplessheresy

[la-muerta]

MY 2024 IN FIC BANNERS

Shadowhunters fic

Definitely Not Haunted (Anymore), rated E, 50,470 words

to the waters and the wild, rated E, 35,732 words

I've hungered for your touch, rated E, 2,976

chorus to the verse, rated E, 9,845 words

Lightwood After Dark, rated T, 6,310 words (no fic banner because it was for a reverse bang)

Mysterious Lotus Casebook 莲花楼 fic

it ends or it doesn't // 奈何吟, rated E, 5,480 words

this is the nonsense of love // 只想跟你说些温暖的废话, rated E, 6,008 words

now I've got you in my sights // 你眼里的一首情歌, rated E, 874 words

no sweeter taste // 特别甜, rated G, 1,055 words

again and again we look up to the moon // 细算浮生千万绪, rated E, 41,454 words

can't read my poker face, rated E, 52,575 words (collab with @exitvelocities)

the moon in the water // 镜中花，水中月, rated E, 5,160 words

one hand on the trigger (the other hand in mine) // 暗线, rated E, WIP

variations on a theme // 主题变奏曲, rated T, 2,348 words

river crossing // 彼岸歌, rated T, WIP (no fic banner, collab with @exitvelocities)

Li Lianhua, Private Eye, part 1 gifset, part 2 video edit, part 3 video edit

Fangs of Fortune 大梦归离 fic

no more yielding but a dream // 长于春梦几多时, rated E, 2,482 words

bedtime stories // 床边故事, rated G, 1,645 words

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation 魔道祖师 fic

being a teenager sucks, rated T, 8,513 words (no banner because it was for a reverse bang)

[danmei-action]

Danmei Gotcha for Gaza: Day 3 Update!

Attention danmei fans! Our fundraiser (link) has reached $470 USD for Palestine as of 8/3/2024 - thank you so much to all the prompters ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

Notice: We've seen several donations that cover much more than the number of prompts requested! While this is great for our fundraisers, prompters can also use the extra money to request two types of "free" prompts; you can either leave "creator's choice" prompts where the creators are free to make whatever they like (specifying a fandom is optional), or donate prompts for fans who are unable to donate at the moment.

For example, if you want to make a $20 USD donation but only want to request a single SFW prompt for $5 USD, you can specify that you want to donate the other $15 as prompts for the rest of the fandom or let 1-3 SFW contributors pick what to create. You can also consider leaving creator's choice prompts for the fandoms listed below, since they have not received any prompts yet:

Brother | Da Ge (大哥)

Pure White Devil (纯白恶魔)

Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire (烈火浇愁)

Itinerant Doctor | Youyi (游医)

Jin Se | 锦瑟

Nan Chan (南禅)

The Submissive Emperor | Jun Wei Xia (君为下)

The Wife is First | Qi Wei Shang (妻为上)

Drink, Drank, Drunk! | (千杯)

Global Examinations | 全球高考

Copper Coins | Tong Qian Kan Shi (铜钱龛世)

I Ship My Rival X Me | (我嗑了对家x我)

More under the cut:

City of Angels | (天使之城)

Legend of Exorcism | Tianbao Fuyao Lu (天宝伏妖录)

Dinghai Fusheng Records (定海浮生录)

Seizing Dreams | Duo Meng (夺梦)

Those Years In Quest Of Honour Mine (当年万里觅封侯)

AWM: PUBG | (AWM [绝地求生])

The #1 Pretty Boy of the Immortal Path (仙道第一小白脸)

First-Class Lawyer | Yi Ji Lushi (一级律师)

Judge | Pànguān (判官)

Wildhood Friends | Zhu Mu Lang Ma (竹木狼马)

Run Wild | Sa Ye (撒野)

Qing Kuang | (轻狂)

Antidote | Jie Yao (解药)

Wait for Me after School | 放学等我

PUBG Online Romance of the Century | (PUBG世纪网恋)

I Can Do It | (我行让我来)

Glory [e-sports] | Rong Guang (荣光[电竞])

My Underachieving Seatmate Doesn’t Need Any Comforting | (学渣同桌不需要安慰)

Game Loading | (游戏加载中)

How Did You Guys Become Boyfriends While Gaming | (你們打個遊戲怎麼就交到男朋友了)

Fake Slackers | 伪装学渣

Beyond the Outline | (这题超纲了) *The Guy Inside Me

They All Say I've Met a Ghost | (他���都说我遇到了鬼)

After Marrying the Evil God | (和邪神結婚後)

After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General (被迫嫁给煞星将军后)

After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian (女装招惹龙傲天后)

The Demon Venerable’s Wistful Desire | (魔尊他念念不忘)

After Crossing Through Ten Worlds, I Failed To Run Away | 穿越十个世界后我跑路失败了

Swallowing the Seas | Tun Hai (吞海)

Breaking Through the Clouds | Po Yun (破云)

Your Distance | Nĭ Dè Jù Lí (你的距离)

Is the Gentleman Feeling Alright? | jun you ji fou (君有疾否)

Encountering a Snake | Yu She (遇蛇)

You Boys Play Games Very Well | (你们男生打游戏好厉害哦~)

Waiting For You Online | (就等你上线了)

I’m Completely Clueless About Sockpuppet Accounts Being Unmasked [E-sports] | (被扒了马甲我一无所知[电竞])

That One Rich Fan of Mine | (我的那個有錢粉絲)

I Just Want To Be In A Relationship | (我就想谈个恋爱)

Heart has Ling Xi | (心有凌熙)

After Getting Gayified, I Swore Off Parody Mashups | (被gay后再也不敢鬼畜了)

Reborn with an Old Enemy on the Day of our Marriage | (和宿敌结婚当天一起重生了)

Transmigrated into the prince regent's beloved runaway wife | (穿成攝政王的侍愛逃妻)

After transmigrating into the book, I picked up the protagonist-shou | (穿书后我捡到了主角受)

Cold Sands | 漠上寒沙

I Know I'm About to Lose You | 我知道我快失去你了

Fanservice Paradox | 营业悖论

Fantasy Farm | Huanxiang Nongchang (不离)

The Emperor's strategy | (帝王攻略)

The Missing Piece | (貌合神离)

I'm using the interstellar live broadcast to raise cubs | (我在星际直播养崽)

Not in Vain | (不枉)

You use a gun, I use a bow (你们用枪我用弓[电竞])

I’m A Male Mom in a Nightmare Game |

I Like Your Pheromones | (我喜欢你的信息素)

Transmigrating Into The Heartthrob’s Cannon Fodder Childhood Friend | (穿成万人迷的炮灰竹马)

Pixiu Restaurant, No Way Out (貔貅饭馆，只进不出)

Mist [Unlimited] | 薄雾［无限］

[the-marron]

Fandoms: 许你浮生若梦 | Xǔ Nǐ Fú Shēng Ruò Mèng | Granting You a Dreamlike Life (TV), 美人为馅 | Memory Lost (TV)  

Pairing: Han Chen (Memory Lost)/Luo Fusheng

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Romantic Comedy, Romance, background Luo Qingeng/Jiang Yang, Kissing, LFS is trying very hard to establish this relationship, Flirting, Bai Yu/Zhu Yilong Character Combinations, Crush at First Sight, but they didn't realise it, Antagonistic Flirting, it should be a tag really, not graphic bullet wounds

Summary

“Don't flatter yourself, they weren't looking at you. They were looking at me. Must be the shirt,” Han Chen says, his smile challenging and his eyes sparkling with triumph. This audacity, the confidence of it all, it’s quite too much for Luo Fusheng to handle all of a sudden. His suit feels very hot for no reason.

[aworldforastage]

Imagine a story with so much angst that the AUTHOR decides to write a happier canon-divergent AU.

I'm talking about the sort-of trilogy by Bai Jiezi:

皇恩浩荡 – The Eternal Grace of the Emperor (NU)

江山许你 – Granting You Sovereignty of the Nation (NU)

浮生梦  -- A Floating Dream

皇恩浩荡/The Eternal Grace of the Emperor and 浮生梦/A Floating Dream are among my most re-read stories, almost fluffy comfort fics compared to the dog blood trauma conga that is 江山许你/Granting You Sovereignty of the Nation. It's still a very fun reading experience if you enjoy side characters or side couple getting the spotlight and happy ending in their own stories.

These stories, especially 江山许你/Granting You Sovereignty of the Nation, appear to be quite well-known in the "historical mpreg" sub-genre. They take place in the same universe, in which men can become pregnant by taking a potion. The timeline sort of overlaps in these three titles, but there is also a fourth installment which takes place generations later (haven't read that one).

Synopsis (reasonably spoiler-free):

皇恩浩荡 /The Eternal Grace of the Emperor: Crown Prince Zhu Yunjing becomes pregnant after an unintentional encounter with young general He Huailing. Though they do not get along, the Crown Prince soon has much bigger problems to worry about when he is framed for a crime, deposed from his position, and sentenced to death. Overwhelmed by grief and desperation, the prince casts aside his pride and begs the general to save him, for the sake of their unborn child if nothing else. He Huailing believes in Zhu Yunjing’s innocence, and helps him fake his death and escape. They start a new life together at the general's new post on the Northern borders.

江山许你/GYSN follows the story of Fifth Prince Zhu Yunxuan, Zhu Yunjing’s younger brother who is left alone in the imperial city after the Crown Prince’s departure. Liang Zhen, widely believed to be the Emperor’s bastard son (he is not), agrees to help A'Xuan secure the throne in exchange for the young prince himself. After A'Xuan's coronation, they continue the tug of war for power, which comes to a flashing point after Liang Zhen forces A'Xuan to take the pregnancy potion, and A'Xuan sets up a plot to frame Liang Zhen for treason. The young emperor finally consolidates his power, and both Liang Zhen and their child die during this fiasco, officially, at least …

浮生梦/A Floating Dream is the author’s canon-divergent AU in which Crown Prince Zhu Yunjing avoids being framed and deposed. Still pregnant, but also still the Crown Prince, he lays low pretending to be sick while Liang Zhen enters court as the Emperor’s new favorite. Liang Zhen still sets his eyes on Fifth Prince A'Xuan, who is much happier and more secure in a universe in which his brother is still around. Zhu Yunjing never has to beg He Huailing to save his life, but the young general can’t seem to stay away from the elusive Crown Prince after their encounter, and now the Crown Prince has a baby of mysterious origins …

Thoughts (minor spoilers)

皇恩浩荡 /The Eternal Grace of the Emperor is my favorite of the series, since I have a soft spot for the main characters. Zhu Yunjing is beautiful, spoiled, but good at heart. Having grown up with a title that is larger-than-life, he needs to relearn who he can be as a person when he is forced into a new life in traumatizing circumstances. He Huailing is really an angel of a man, who is very smart, kind and principled despite first impressions. There is a stretch of time when Zhu Yunjing is completely at He Huailing's mercy, but He Huailing just gives him the space to heal and process his trauma, never forcing his feelings on the vulnerable former prince. He is a man who looked at potential tropes like "manipulation" and "blackmail" and decided nope, he is going for a nice fluffy story and will just wait for his prince to defrost, and help him become who he wants to be. It's sort of a rivals-to-lovers kind of story, but with enmity comes from competing social and political interests rather than anything truly personal, so it dissipates quite naturally after they leave the capital.

I actually started this series with 江山许你/GYSN, which may be the most popular and angsty of the three. After their deal, A'Xuan and Liang Zhen can’t afford to show weakness (or affection) to the other, lest it affects the balance of power between them. During my re-read, it's more obvious that despite their true intentions and feelings, they understand nothing and have very little faith in each other. The situations, stakes, and misunderstandings underlying their conflict only becomes more entrenched as time goes on. They only reconcile when they meet again far away from the capital, literally off the lands ruled by A'Xuan, to get a reset completely removed from their history and context. I don't personally enjoy this kind of relationship, but it's a very "dog blood" emotional roller coaster if that's what you are in the mood for.

The AU is interesting exploration of how different circumstances can cause people and the trajectories of their relationships to change. Big brother Zhu Yunjing remains crown prince, therefore taking much longer to shed his proud exterior and lean into his feelings and vulnerabilities. Consequently, his relationship moves excruciatingly slowly despite He Huailing being just as warm and persistent (and them still sharing a child). However, as Crown Prince, he is able to ensure A'Xuan is protected, allowing him to keep his childlike naivete. This personality change, combined with the political pressure the Crown Prince can put on Liang Zhen, mostly obliterates the power imbalance and communication problems that initially doom in their relationship in GYSN; they manage in months the happy union that took them years in GYSN.

One funny consequence in the AU is the characters ending up in different positions from what the authors originally intended for them. In the original timeline, A'Xuan is a very competent and resourceful emperor, since he learned from having to fend for himself alone for five years in the capital after his brother's departure. Meanwhile, Zhu Yunjing is very unpopular as a bratty and capricious prince, and He Huailing explicitly thinks that he wouldn't be suited for the throne. In the AU, Zhu Yunjing goes from the crown prince with the bad temper to the emperor with the bad emperor, while A'Xuan just never learns statecraft at all and is only interested in playing.

The flip also happens for the children. Zhu Yunjing's eldest son takes after He Huailing, a restless child probably more suited for the military than at court. Unfortunately in the AU he becomes the de-facto crown prince and is stuck with studying for it. Meanwhile, A'Xuan's son is a precocious, studious child seems like a suitable heir to the throne in GYSN, but in the AU he is just ... nice and cute and loved by everyone and that's about it.

[eirenical]

Chapter 2 is finally up!  I have about 1/2 - 2/3 of the next chapter done, so I thought it might be time?  It’s... only been 5 months...  OTZ  I did warn you this was going to be slow, yeah?

Anyway, you can follow my translation group on Novel Updates or you can follow the translation blog directly on wordpress to know when new chapters are out.  Enjoy?  ^_^

[rose-tinted-vision]

Fic: 浮生若梦 | life is like a dream

Fandom: The Double (墨雨云间)

Relationship(s): Xiao Heng & Wen Ji & Lu Ji, Xiao Heng/Xue Fangfei

Summary:

Wen Ji peers at the couple, humming in thought, “have you prepared any baby names, then? How about Yue’er? or Xin’er?”

loosely based off this edited ending! | read on ao3

The sound of metal against whetstone was the only thing that occupied their camp, the harsh sounds mingling with the buzzing of mosquitoes that pierced the night air. The area was otherwise silent, with the three of them too exhausted to speak, much less do anything beyond the bare essentials.

“How long have we been out here?” Wen Ji caves first, hunched over his knees as he sharpens his sword. 

“Three weeks. You should know,” Lu Ji says, stoically cleaning the blood off his blades– they would just get stained again the next day, as it had been the last few days, but the repetition helped. 

It helped him to focus his mind, focus on something other than the exhaustion in his bones that was starting to hinder his movements, focus on something that was not the amount of times Wen Ji and their zhujun had nearly died earlier today.

It was a given that the war was tiring, more draining than what they were accustomed to. Their opponents this time weren’t some two-bit criminal who hardly knew how to fight– these soldiers were trained, well versed in their own martial arts, and they were heavily outnumbered, with their numbers declining with each passing day. 

Their zhujun had sent word for reinforcements, but who knew whether they would survive until then?

“Three weeks…” Wen Ji repeats slowly, “is that considered lucky? The army of Dai doesn't seem to be slowing down.”

“Idiot, are you scared of dying?”

“Of course not! Who's scared of death?” Wen Ji declares with his chin raised defiantly, which Lu Ji meets with an impassive stare. 

Wen Ji wasn't fooling anyone– not them, at least– they could see the fear written all over his posture, plain as day. But who wasn’t afraid of death? And if they died here, there would be no one to collect their bodies, no one to bring them back home. It was an understandable fear, and a commonly shared one. 

The silence between them stretches, with neither Wen Ji or Lu Ji backing down from what had evolved into a staring contest, until their zhujun shifts, clapping both of them on the back as he declares, “I promised my furen that I'll survive. So naturally, we'll survive.” 

…who were they to disobey their zhujun?

“Understood.”

—

So they hack, they slash, and they raze their enemies to the ground, never once straying too far from each other's sight.

There had been one too many near misses, some that Lu Ji was nearly too late to save them from– his hair might be greying from all the stress, if it wasn't already– he sees the exhaustion mirrored on his companions faces, and he doesn’t know how much longer he can hold on, with his arms only growing heavier with each shichen that passed.

(Lu Ji knows that he might not survive this war.

That was something he has made his peace with, oddly enough. The only regret he had would be that he wouldn't be able to protect zhujun and Wen Ji anymore).

He cuts down another two, dodges another three, and considers the merits of giving in to the fatigue beckoning him to death’s arms. He very nearly does give in to the temptation of sleep, when– 

“That's the army of Zhao’s flag!” Wenji shouts over the clamour, nodding towards the southeastern direction.

Sure enough, like rays of light piercing through the blanket of dreary clouds obscuring the clear blue sky, steadily approaching them were troops carrying the flag of the Zhao army, with Situ Jiuyue fearlessly leading the charge. 

The new addition rightfully scares the Dai army, who scramble to regroup, retreating by one li before the pressure of their reinforcements. It isn’t an overwhelming swoop, or an end to the battle, but it was a reprieve nonetheless. 

“My brother says we can’t spare any more men,” Jiuyue says regretfully, before looking their zhujun over, “Xiao Heng, are you injured anywhere?”

“No.”

“Good, don't let yourself get injured. I don't have much poisons with me.”

“Fine, you’re only asking him, are you?” Wen Ji says with a snort, “he is–” 

Lu Ji elbows him, fully aware of what he was about to say next. Trust the idiot to be so tactless– who didn’t know how Jiuyue felt towards their zhujun? To flaunt their zhujun’s marriage in the face of their saviour was just thoughtless, too thoughtless. 

“This one thanks the Princess for her help. Our Emperor should be reaching in a day,” their zhujun tells Jiuyue, before turning to address them at large, “just hang on until then.”

“Understood,” Lu Ji answers with a bow. The reinforcements would boost their troop’s morale temporarily, which gives them a chance to turn the tides. 

They would survive.

—

“You have no idea, niangzi,” Wen Ji cackles, expertly dodging his zhuren’s lethal fan that had immediately come flying at him, “zhujun looked so cool, picking up your jade pendant and holding it between his teeth! Just like a real general!”

“Eleven lashes,” zhujun says, catching his fan with a flourish as he perches on the side of his furen’s chair. 

(Lu Ji winces– that might cause Wen Ji’s injuries to reopen– they hadn't completely healed yet, it being a mere week since their return from the borders).

“I’m complimenting you!” Wen Ji protests, “and niangzi likes hearing of how dashing you were out there anyway.”

“Make that twenty-two,” zhujun drawls, raising a brow in warning, “or do you want thirty?”

Lu Ji shares a look with Fangfei niangzi, who gives him a knowing smile– he doesn’t know whether he should be scared or not, considering how scary she could be– he had bore witness to the entire play that she put on, after all.

(He briefly wonders how much she had seen, how much she knew.

She’s like a mind reader! Wen Ji had once exclaimed, after witnessing another of her brilliantly executed plans).

“Aiya, fujun, I was the one who asked Wen Ji to share more stories,” Fangfei says, slipping an arm around his waist, “and it was nice to hear about how you fearlessly took down so many soldiers of Dai.”

“You’re going back to acting again?” their zhujun smirks, seeing through her at once. 

But the fondness in his gaze is palpable as he looks at his wife, who had rest her head against his chest, smiling coquettishly at him– and that was Lu Ji’s cue to get out of the yard, dragging Wen Ji along with him– he did not want to play audience to whatever they liked to get up to together.

—

This time, it was their turn to watch as their zhujun and his furen put on a show, taking on the role of enamoured lovebirds exploring the night markets hand in hand.

“What do you say, how long until we become uncles?” Wen Ji lands silently beside him, failing to properly stifle his wince– he’d likely landed on his bad ankle which hadn’t properly healed yet– one of their spoils of war. 

Lu Ji himself had a shattered wrist bone, but that had healed faster than Wen Ji’s broken ankle, because unlike the fool, he knew how to properly rest instead of overworking his injured arm. 

“A year,” Lu Ji replies, continuing to silently shadow their zhujun. Word was that bandits had entered the city disguised as vendors, looking for an opportunity to cause chaos and set up their racketeering business. He’d spotted a few suspicious individuals earlier and taken note of their stall location– but their priority tonight was the furen’s protection– those thugs they could deal with later. 

“A year? You think they’ll move that quickly?” Wen Ji asks, scandalized, “I was going to give it at least two years, and that is the very least!”

“Are you blind, or just dumb?” Lu Ji deadpans, gesturing to the besotted couple below, who were clearly struggling to maintain their propriety in public. 

Their zhujun had offered his furen a spun sugar candy in the shape of a cat, leaning in to whisper something (no doubt improper) into her ear, which had her flushing a bright red. Lu Ji can only let out a long-suffering sigh as Wen Ji giggles at the scene. He had thought them more proper than that, but he’d underestimated the rush of being newlyweds, he supposed. 

Wen Ji peers at the couple, humming in thought, “have you prepared any baby names, then? How about Yue’er? or Xin’er?”

Of course he had prepared one. But he wasn’t going to tell the blabbermouth that.

(It proves to be not useful, when their niangzi announces her pregnancy a few months later, which catches the both of them off guard. They had clearly underestimated how far gone their zhujun was.

Turns out, they had already agreed to name their kid Tong’er).

[hideyseek]

ok one thing i am fascinated about re: zhu yilong ... what on earth is the pattern for his various pronounciations of "w"??? sometimes he says it like /w/ but sometimes he says it as /v/.

when he introduces himself as shen wei in guardian, he says /v/. usually when he says 我 wo ("i"), he says /w/. when he asks 为什么 wei shen me ("why") it depends, but idk on what.

just now (in 许你浮生若梦 ep 34), he said, 你问的这个问题— ni wen de zhe ge wen ti— roughly, "this question you're asking" or "your question". notice how that's the same word, 问 wen used twice there. (the first time it means "ask", the second time combined with 题 ti, it means "question".)

here's the thing. when he says the first 问, he pronounces it /wen/, but when he says the second 问 it becomes /ven/. i—???

[harocat]

Candy 💖 Exchange

Hello Cdrama fans! The signups for the Candy Hearts Exchange close in about a week (1/7/2025), and there are a ton of Cdrama fandoms nominated. I'd LOVE to see some Cdrama fans on board (and not just because almost all my nominations are that).

Candy Hearts is a multifandom gift exchange with a low minimum and a focus on relationships, both platonic and romantic/sexual.

Please read this FAQ and the Rules before deciding whether to participate.

This exchange accepts fanfic, fanart, and podfic.

You can see the schedule, tagset, and the app that shows submitted signups and letters here.

Note that since nominations are closed, you can ONLY request pairings and relationships that are in the tag set. All Cdramas will be under 'tv shows'.

Nominated Dramas:

HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped (TV)

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV)

一念关山 | A Journey to Love (TV)

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (TV)

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li (TV)

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You (TV)

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective (TV)

冰雨火 | Being a Hero (TV)

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal (TV)

四方馆 | Go East (TV)

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion (TV)

墨雨云间 | The Double (TV 2024)

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth (TV)

大梦归离 | Fangs of Fortune (TV)

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes (TV)

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (TV)

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace (TV)

少女大人 | Maiden Holmes (TV)

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021)

度华年 | The Princess Royal (TV)

想見你 | Someday or One Day (TV)

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher (TV)

时光代理人 | Link Click (Live Action TV)

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy (TV)

有翡 | Legend of Fei (TV)

梦华录 | A Dream of Splendor (TV)

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

永夜星河 | Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (TV)

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV)

流水迢迢 | Love of Nirvana (TV)

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin (TV 2022)

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo (TV)

琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV)

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note (TV 2019)

看見愛 | See Your Love (TV)

绅探 | Detective L (TV)

绝世千金 | Unique Lady (TV)

老九门 | Old Nine Gates (TV)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm (TV)

花开有时颓靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom (TV)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil (TV)

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook (TV)

西出玉门 | Parallel World | West Out of Yumen (TV)

许你浮生若梦 | Xǔ Nǐ Fú Shēng Ruò Mèng | Granting You a Dreamlike Life (TV)

镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018)

长月烬明 | Till the End of the Moon (TV)

长相思 | Lost You Forever (TV)

關於未知的我們 | Unknown (TV 2024)

陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)

风起洛阳 | Fēng Qǐ Luò Yáng (TV)

我们 | Wild - Xiao Zhan (Music Video)

我的师兄惹不起 | Fall in Love with My Bad Boy (2020 TV)

社內相親 | A Business Proposal (Hong Kong TV 2023)

九重紫 | Blossom (TV)