#((Qiu never gave him her name lol))

[ask-cohabitation-2pita-archived]

Sooo Andrea have you heard from Qiu ever sense you helped her out of the forest?

“Qiu?” Andrea tilted his head, and Survith followed. “Someone I helped out of the forest… Was that her name? She never told me…”

Neo and Orvan proceeded to nudge their brother with grinning faces. “A girl? What is she? Will we get to meet her?” The questions seemed to be unending until Survith gently pulled the trio apart.

“Well, whoever she is, I only ask that you exercise caution. As we all know, the cover is not all there is to a book.” Survith’s words got a nod of affirmation from Andrea, and he assured her that he would be careful.

((Mentioning @ask-cohabitation-2pnyochina owo ))

[drwcn]

CQL Ladies Appreciation Hour, sister edition: Can I say I absolutely *adore* Jiang Yanli's relationship with Wei Wuxian? I mean, the whole Yunmeng Trio speaks to my found family loving heart, but those two in particular... It's so rare to have an adopted brother-sister pair that isn't at risk of some weird romantic subplot (or maybe I just watch the wrong dramas lol), and here they're allowed to be *siblings* and tender with each other with no ambiguity. It's wonderful. Jiang Yanli is best.

Thank you for your prompt! :) 

exam went to shits so i need a distraction that’s nice.  So here it is, Yanli as a head of her family on Wei Ying’s his wedding day. Maybe not what you were thinking of, but I wanted to show off Jiang Yanli’s importance as the woman who pretty much raised Wei Wuxian in a ceremonial way. :) 

///

“The grooms are coming, the groom are coming!” 

A throng of novice Yunmeng Jiang disciples announced as their feet pitter-pattered up the steps to the main hall. Behind them, novice Gusu Lan disciples were hot on their heels, grinning excitedly despite the fact they were breaking several sect rules. 

This was not your usual Gusu wedding. 

Cloud Recesses was splendid in red. In the courtyard of Songfeng Shuiyue Pavilion, guests gathered in anticipations. At the hollering of young disciples, heads turned towards their direction where around the bend of the path a parade of disciples, two lines of purple and two lines white, could be seen making its way towards the outer entrance. At the front, leading the entourage side by side were the groomsmen Lan Xichen and Jiang Wanyin, their robes proudly displaying their clans but brightened by their matching red accessories. The two figures of interest, swathed in crimson and protected at the center of the procession, marched amidst the music and cheers towards the ceremony that awaited them.

Behind his brother, Lan Zhan sneaked a glance at the man who was to be his husband, so utterly beautiful under the warm golden sun. Wei Ying’s eyes turned crescent by his mirthful smile when they met his, and Lan Zhan had to steady his breath. Patience. Remember your teachings. But what man could remember Gusu’s 4000 clan rules on his wedding day? 

When the wedding company arrived before Songfeng Shuiyue, all music ceased, and a hushed quiet fell over the crowd. 

Taking measured careful steps, Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng crossed the threshold one foot at a time. Today, they were not Sect Master of Gusu Lan nor Sandu Shengshou. Today they were just groomsmen, brothers of two lucky young men about to be joined together in matrimony. Hands clasped together in deference, they bowed. 

“The grooms have come to pay respect to the elders and head of family of Yunmeng Jiang and Gusu Lan.”

When the idea of marriage had been initially brought up, how the wedding was to be done became a hotly debated topic amongst the elders of both clans, as neither could agree which side was to be （���） qu and which to be（嫁） jia. In the end, having convinced Grand Master Lan, Sect Master Jiang Yanli proposed a modified ceremony which would satisfy the traditions of both families. Now, seated within Gusu’s sacred pavilion, the elders of Yunmeng Jiang lined one side of the room, while the elders of Gusu Lan lined the other. Today marked not only the beginning of a marriage, but the beginning of an alliance between two great sects which had never been so intimately bound before. All eyes were on the two young grooms without whom none of this could have been possible. 

Side by side, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian approached Jiang Yanli and Lan Qiren seated in equal positions of distinction at the center front, with only a small table separating them in between. Behind them, on an altar which had been erected for this special occasion rested four ancestral plaques - Cangse Sanren, Wei Changze, Lan Qirong*, Qiu Baiti* - none of whom could be present in person. May their spirits watch over their children and bless them on this holy day. 

Back in his room when he’d been getting ready, Wei Wuxian had desperately told himself he would not cry, but seeing his shijie now, holding him in her gentle gaze shining with dignified approval and joy, Wei Wuxian could not help the tears welling in his eyes. 

Jiang Yanli was magnificent in embroidered indigo silk, like a midnight sky adorned with lilac clouds. Today her hair was gather up by her most formal headdress, silver pieces curled and shaped into lotus petals with pearls pinned into place like seeds. Nodding, she gave him a reassuring smile. 

Lan Xichen cleared his throat and declared for all to hear, “First Bow, to Heaven and Earth!” 

And so it began. 

When the three bows were complete, the groomsmen carried cups of tea to the grooms. Lan Zhan picked up his from Jiang Cheng’s outstretched tray and presented it to Jiang Yanli with his head bowed. 

“Zhang-jie (长姐), please accept this cup of tea from your new brother.” 

Wei Wuxian watched as his sister smiled at his new husband and took hold of the cup, downing the tea elegantly behind the wide expanse of her sleeve. 

Then from a velvet cloth resting on the table, Jiang Yanli picked up a silver bell, the bell of clarity of Yunmeng. “Wangji,” she addressed him firmly. “From this day till your last day, you shall be of Yunmeng Jiang. I gift you with this bell, may it protect you and show you the light in your darkest moments.” 

Then, she bent and leaned down to loop the ties of the bell around his belt. With her this close, only Lan Zhan himself and Wei Ying kneeling beside him could hear her gently whisper,

“Please take care of my A-Xian, Wangji, as I’m sure he will take care of you.” 

Lan Wangji nodded stiffly in response, looking as overwhelmed by the day and as close to tears as Wei Wuxian already was. (Not to mention, he saw Jiang Cheng make a quick swipe at his eyes when he thought no one was looking.)

Then it was Wei Wuxian’s turn. 

Tearing his eyes away from his shijie, he focused on the man directly in front of him who he was soon to call shufu. Lan Qiren had never liked him, but hopefully his acceptance of this marriage meant that his opinions were starting to change.

Picking up his cup of tea from Lan Xichen, Wei Wuxian presented it to Lan Qiren. “Shufu, please accept this cup of tea from your new nephew.”  

Lan Qiren did not have any words of comfort or wisdom, but he accepted the tea with dignity and said, “From this day till your last day, you are of Gusu Lan.” He held a short white ribbon in his hand, not enough to tie around the head, but enough for the wrist. “This ribbon is a piece of your husband’s. Now, it is yours, as he is yours.” 

“Thank you, shufu.” Wei Wuxian bowed and quickly made a dab at his damned leaking eyeballs. 

He barely noticed when Jiang Cheng’s voice rang out with the last call,  “礼毕!” (Conclusion of Ceremony). 

“Elders, honoured guests, please proceed to the banquet hall. Meals and beverages have been prepared. Tonight, Gusu and Yunmeng and our dear friends shall celebrate!” Ever the magnanimous host, Lan Xichen led the way for the wedding party. 

Jiang Cheng, not as quite charming but grew up as the heir of the clan, also played his part guiding the guests to their designation. As he left, pulled along by Nie Huaisang and his other brother-in-law Jin Zixuan, he tossed one last glance over his shoulder, just in time to see his sister take Wei Wuxian’s hand. 

“Silly boy, why do you cry?” 

“I-I am just s-so glad and - and happy.” Wei Wuxian blushed and sniffled, a tad bit embarrassed. Thank heavens he didn’t make this scene in front of the elders. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan took his other hand, but his eyes were red and glassy too. 

“There, there, you two,” Jiang Yanli lifted their chins and dabbed their tear streaks with her handkerchief. “War heroes or not, I see you are still children. Do not cry anymore, or your eyes will be puffy and you will not be pretty for your new husband later tonight. Do you not think so, Grand Master Lan?”

Lan Qiren harrumphed, the tips of his ears turning pink. 

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian exchanged incredulous looks. Did their sister just…just…?????  

“Oh there now,” teased Yanli with a laugh. “Not even a smile on such a happy day, Grand Master Lan? Not even on my account?” 

“Unfortunately, we cannot all be blessed with your amiable personality, Sect Master Jiang,” replied Lan Qiren as he stood. 

But Yanli paid his grumpiness no mind. “Perhaps a couple of drinks shall soon fix that. Sect Leader Lan explicitly told me alcohol is not forbidden for weddings.” She stood as well, smoothing the non-existent wrinkles in her robe. “After you, Grand Master.” 

Then with a mischievous side glance to the newlyweds, she said, “Well, what are you two still kneeling there for? Are you not joining us at the banquet and skipping straight to the -” 

“Of course - of course not - c’mon Lan Zhan, let’s go!” 

“Mn.” 

Jiang Yanli laughed. 

All was well. 

—

Zhang-jie (长姐) - formal way of saying ‘older sister’. 

Lan Qirong [蓝启容]

Qiu Baiti [邱百瑅]

My own hc names for LWJ’s parents

[casually-inlove]

Hi! I love your analysis and i want to know your opinion about he tian and jian yi jealous How did you think they gonna react if they see xixi and Mo with others o maybe if xixi and Mo have a good friendship, did you imagine he tian and jian yi watching them jealous?

UPDATED: added the Jian Yi bit I missed.

Gosh, you guys make me embarrassed lol. I honestly never expected these kinds of posts to get positive feedback. But I’m very excited that you enjoy reading it so thank you so much!

Back to your question. Firstly, as preamble, I’d like to state that I do not consider jealousy an entirely healthy sort of reaction nor do I endorse it in any way. A little jealousy is natural, but extreme jealous outbursts are truly unbecoming, nor do I want to romanticize them in any way.

(This is gonna be long, so better grab a chair).

Now when it comes to He Tian, I truly believe that feeling jealous will be a new and entirely unnerving experience to him. Looking back at his past experiences and childhood traumas, it’s quite obvious that he’s somewhat disconnected and detached from his own feelings. This is most evident in the emptiness that fills his life: he has no real passion (save for basketball maybe), no close relationships (until he meets MGS and co, and still he’s not open about himself yet), no deep ties to his family, and he practically stripped himself bare of any personal possessions. Hell, with all the money he has, his apartment is empty and all his stuff fits nicely in just a couple of cardboard boxes. So bottom line, He Tian isn’t used to getting attached to things or people, consciously or subconsciously he ends up avoiding it. That, of course, can be traced back to the puppy incident which basically splits itself into three points: 1) the puppy he came to love and care was gruesomely taken away from him 2) his brother, the person who He Tian trusted the most, betrayed him 3) He Tian was weak, so he had to entrust something he loved into another person’s care, and thus it ended up in a disaster, because he couldn’t protect the puppy himself.

Now that he is becoming more and more attached to MGS, I’m pretty sure that some of his deep-rooted fears will intensify, particularly the ones that relate to his past inability to protect something he cherished. On the other hand, He Tian clearly wishes Mo well. It’s evident from the way he went out of his way to find him a well-paying job at the photography studio, and even tried to compliment Mo on being industrious and finally looking like somebody. I do believe that He Tian is somewhat familiar with Mo’s reputation, at very least he probably heard the rumours and we know for sure that he had been checking the detention board. So he probably knows that in fact, MGS doesn’t have that many friendships outside his henchmen. With that said, I believe a part of He Tian would want to be supportive of Mo building healthy connections with other people.

And that’s where He Tian’s inner conflict will come into the light because he’ll be faced with his deep-running internalized fears that he may not rationally understand battling his desire to be supportive and selfless. Considering that He Tian’s upbringing probably caused him to shut off his own emotions, this is going to be very hard for him. The novelty of it, the inner turmoil of conflicting feelings, his inability to adequately process and express his emotions – all of it will likely put a strain on He Tian. While I don’t see him throwing a jealousy fit (he just doesn’t seem like the type, besides as I mentioned, he ultimately wants to be good for MGS even if he doesn’t always know how), I could see him getting crabby to the point Mo notices and wonders wtf is going on. Or, more likely, I could see him becoming extra-clingy, invading Mo’s personal space or y’know, going all “excuse me, let me borrow Little Mo for a sec”. What I do not see is He Tian being downright nasty about it and fending off anyone who comes into close vicinity of Mo. Absolutely not.

As for ZZX, I believe that as of right now he’s taking Jian Yi a little bit for granted, however, once Jian Yi gets kidnapped, his attitude will change. We know that ZZX is somewhat annoyed by Jian Yi’s antics. It just happens that our lovely airhead fits the bill of a boy who cried wolves. OX scattered these moments throughout the narrative, like when Jian Yi does that careless hide-and-seek thing making ZZX worry for nothing. So I expect that as the story goes on, ZZX will be taking him with a grain of salt.

Obviously, ZZX worries for him. And I think we’ve noticed something like distrust mixed with maybe some airs of disapproval when Brother Qiu gave Jian Yi a lift on his bike. The face that ZZX makes doesn’t look like one that endorsed Jian Yi being so careless around a stranger.

There’s also a strip from the earlier short comic series (it takes place after Jian Yi reappears), where a drunk older Jian Yi apparently ends up leaning against a very imposing stranger, to ZZX dismay at that. ZZX, who had previously pushed Jian Yi off, now quickly rectifies himself and tugs Jian Yi away from another dude. He’s silent but yeah, you can see it written all over his face: ZZX does not approve Jian Yi hanging around older men, haha.

Anyway, back to my original point. I think that post Jian Yi’s return, ZZX gonna treat him with greater care, precisely because he had lost him once. Those feelings of loss and inability to prevent it will probably cause ZZX to act low-key possessive like he did in that strip. Sure, he’s worried about his safety, but I cannot help but feel that ZZX feels a bit inadequate when he sees Jian Yi get close to someone older… and bigger? If we go waaaay back to the first kidnapping attempt, we see that in the aftermath ZZX feels down allegedly because he wants to grow up and become strong in order to protect Jian Yi. Perhaps that is why he appears slightly pissed when Jian Yi ends up close with someone ZZX can’t take on?

As for ZZX and Momo… well, I just don’t see them giving off couple vibes. They are probably gonna spend their time in rather comfortable silence. For Momo ZZX is someone who doesn’t annoy him with endless chitchat, and for ZZX Momo is someone who doesn’t indulge in silly ideas. So no, I don’t imagine them spending time next to each other would somehow bother Jian Yi or He Tian. It’s just not that type of bond.

EDIT

Apologies to the anon who asked the question. I seem to have misread it a bit. I usually answer these things when I’m back from work and by the end of the day, I’m thoroughly braindead and confusing 3’s for 8’s, lol. Again, my apologies.

So the question was actually about how would Jian Yi react to seeing ZZX with other people, not the other way around.

I do see Jian Yi as someone prone to jealousy. In fact, I think we can safely assume that Jian Yi displays some signs of anxious attachment style. Attachment styles are, by and large, the behavioural patterns that define our habits of building and maintaining long-term and short-term relationships. Anxious attachment forms in children when the parental figure vacillates between being there for them (caring, feeding, being emotionally supportive, etc) and being either distant/absent, or insensitive and otherwise not providing them with attention and care. The child thus undergoes greater levels of distress, because the parent is unpredictable, and the child doesn’t understand what to expect and whether they will be cared for or left on their own. As they grow up, they start displaying such behaviours as being clingy or smothering, since they subconsciously believe that the only way for them to survive is to cling close to their attachment figure, often both in the emotional and physical sense of it.

Now from what we know of Jian Yi, his father was absent from his life, while his mother seems to be frequently missing. We have seen tell ZZX that some auntie is picking him after kindergarten. Some flashbacks also show him being lonely and apparently alone at home. There’s also a scene where a young Jian Yi is weeping and coming up with an idea that “mother doesn’t want him anymore”, which are also quite telling.

From the narrative, we learn that it is ZZX who becomes a significant attachment figure to Jian Yi. Hell, during the kidnapping, Jian Yi isn’t thinking about seeing his mom again, he’s thinking about ZZX. Apart from clinginess, people with an anxious attachment style may indulge themselves in constantly testing whether their partner worries about them. Now I’m not saying that Jian Yi is manipulative in any way or that he plays games with ZZX, however, he does often want his attention/approval, like when he does that pounce thing or when he half-heartedly tries to play hide-and-seek in an inopportune moment. Also, quite clearly Jian Yi doesn’t like being separated from his boyfriend, lol.

Typically, jealousy in people with anxious attachment manifests itself from their own deep-running insecurities. Insecurity makes people become very critical about themselves, so they may often have these lines of thinking: “you are so desperate/needy/selfish, of course, he/she will be annoyed by you” and thus they may often feel unfulfilled because they tend to suppress their need for affection. These suppressed feelings, in turn, may result in short anger outbursts and some distrustful or controlling behaviour. We have seen bits of both when Jian Yi had to deal with a love-letter from a girl who had a crush on ZZX (what’s her name again?).

How Jian Yi would behave if he became jealous: likely he’ll become emotionally withdrawn due to deep-seated insecurities, might fluctuate between emotional outbursts and clinginess. Will he be nasty to the other person? No, not very likely. However, he did display the so-called behavioural jealousy (the set of defensive measures against the perceived threat of a romantic rival): he agreed to help the girl deliver the love-letter on condition that she’ll never approach ZZX again.

So yes, I do see him being inclined to some jealous behaviours, but again not towards Momo x ZZX. As I said, there isn’t anything remotely romantic about them spending time together.

[onceuponanaromantic]

A Match Made in Hell (i.e. hellverse)

i mostly just want to talk about the characters in hellverse esp the main group because i love them and they’re all such idiots.

Hellverse is basically an urban fantasy story set in a similar-but-not-quite Singapore and the key premise is they need to get to a wedding held in hell for someone who’s supposed to have died 3 years ago.

So :> the group of idiots includes:

Chen Liyan (陈丽炎) (psst @a-blue-hoodie)

- studying in university as a biochem major and a Proper ScientistTM

- An Actual Proper Scientist Thank You who Knows What She Is Doing (she doesn’t)

- bi demigirl human

- tries to get the nonhumans to pay rent when they live with her

- 3 days later has to put in the stipulation that all the money has to be legally acquired

- 1 day later that the money cannot be in 10 cent coins good god

Autumn Qiu

- lol her name literally translates to qiu qiu like cos autumn in chinese is 秋 and the surname qiu is 丘

- Bi Cis Artist human

- constantly suffering from battery dying stupidly fast and slow wifi

- ‘is there a charging port in hell please say yes’

- does art commissions to fund their bullshit journey trying to get into hell

- does some really dubious shit in the name of Art and has to explain that to her neighbours

- at least they never question like caihong, phoenix or seph wandering around

- or actually hazel tbh but hazel is nice and not a hell disaster like the above

Caihong (彩虹）

- name literally translates to rainbow

- according to @a-blue-hoodie, has big crowley energy and blue’s not wrong tbh

- forgot his gender at some point but uses he/him for convenience, functionally agender

- snake shapeshifter

- as in can transform into snakes but may or may not transform into a human when shocked

- does not Think Things Through

- actual dumbass

- he really likes snakes and knows an almost ridiculous amount about different species

- phoenix and him joke abt it but like one time he was in this old lady’s flat and like she screamed when she saw him and he transformed and screamed and the old lady had a heart attack and died. so now both phoenix and him just have a running joke when caihong does stupid shit like ‘at least no one died this time’

Phoenix

- looks legit until you actually talk to her for a while and know her

- stays and goes everywhere with caihong

- same situation as caihong as in she forgot her gender at one point but uses she/her for comfort

- will go from legit to crack like in an instant and crack to legit again like a goddamn switch on a wall

- bird shapeshifter

- technically like any bird but she prefers sparrows and pigeons because they’re common enough

- cares a goddamn lot abt caihong and he for her and theyre like siblings

- ‘sir, that’s my emotional support dumbass’ yeah that them

- (is actually worse at impulse control than caihong but like u don’t see it that often cos caihong is ard like literally all the time)

Seraphim Quek or as she prefers ‘Seph’

- disaster bi vampire

- that’s it that’s like the entirety of her

- Can Not Get A Date

- lowkey has a crush on hazel

- has zero impulse control

- slept through her orientation as a vampire becos she thought a three month long nap was a good idea

- uses vampire skills for a) drinking games b) intimidating assholes at the gym c) being lazy like she jumps off 2 stories just cos she doesn’t wanna take the stairs and scares the ever living fuck out of phoenix, liyan and autumn

Hazel Xu

- sweet soft summer child

- dead

- is a ghost who has no clue how she got onto the living plain again and has No Clue how to go to hell

- permanently confused

- does Not Understand Seph’s crush induced flailing

- lowkey demiro ace

- hazel’s a sweetheart okay

- her way of getting money was to move ouijia boards and demand the medium gave her a cut of the profit

- accidentally scares the ever living fuck out of people when she doesn’t mean it

that it

also

the two beings getting married are both idiots cos they forgot to put like how to actually get to hell in the invitation becos they’re bad at planning okay.

[chromemuffin]

Quan Zhi Gao Shou / The King’s Avatar Manhua (Chapters 0-5)

What I really enjoyed right from the start of the animation was the realistic nature of the game and characters. I only play games sporadically myself, and usually handhelds at that, but even I could relate to Ye Xiu’s journey to the top of the new server. I mean, usually you just take for granted that the main character is aiming for the top of something, but it’s difficult to relate to saving the world or leading a gang of misfits across the land fighting monsters. Climbing to the top in a game, however? We’ve probably all tried it in some way or another, even if we failed along the way (I still haven’t completed the National Pokedex in any Pokemon game, ok).

This also could have been stated at the beginning of a review for the whole series, but this is a long one, the novel translations aren’t even complete yet. So it’s here now as a preface.

And now it’s time for my far less composed liveblogging! This is not going to be as detailed as my Shoukoku no Altair one by a long shot, I think I’d collapse of exhaustion before I finished.

Chapter 0: Cause

It is both unnerving and relaxing to not obsess about language nuance like I do when I read Japanese stuff. On the other hand, it feels weird being back to the state of not understanding more than a few words here and there...

Colored panels are the best. The color (cold tones) to black & white to color (warm tones) back to black & white is a neat contrast.

I’m honestly really excited to get all these names and teams straight. I watched several groups’ subs for the early episodes and all the names were translated differently, leading me to have no clue who anyone was or which team they belonged to except the currently teamless Ye Xiu lol.

Chapter 1: As we drink, the lute signals to go to war

Look at that smug smirk. Ye Xiu’s relationship with Su Mucheng is just really nice with how supportive they are of each other.

Damn it, I said I wasn’t going to go panel-by-panel! But I like the contrast between these two shots. One is as he is turning away, after having reassured Su Mucheng that he will be returning and it really is fine that his old team literally kicked him to the curb. The other is once he is turned away. He seems fine in the first shot, sort of indifferent, while the dark shadow over his eyes in the next panel suggests differently. But he’s not one to complain.

Unexpected comedy shot lol. I appreciate the life in the internet cafe, everyone excited about Glory and the new server haha. In the animation, it was very quiet when he walked in, and they had to 3D animate it.

“As a female Launcher player, Mucheng never stopped smiling even when she blew up her opponent to pieces... It’s actually quite scary when you think about it.”

haha. He’s more expressive in the manhua. It lets you have these cute little musings in between scenes that the animations never have time for.

lol he just goes and hijacks her account. who does that. “the battle started already so I finished it for you. but don’t worry, I won!” that. isn’t the point.

Hi scary demon Ye Xiu! Side note: they’re doing a good job giving the background characters different features.

Also, thanks to not looking at the characters for their names, I keep getting Ye Xiu and Ye Qiu mixed up. I...really need to go find out how it’s written.

Not going to feature all of Chen Guo’s fun expressions, but so far there have been a lot of them and they’re great. (edit for Chen Guo’s name which I derped on and forgot at the time of writing this post. lol the manga doesn’t mention her whole name - Chen Guo - until a few chapters later. I think the other patrons call her ‘Sister Chen’ and the reader finds out her given name when Ye Xiu does. but in the novel, I think the narrative switches over to her at some point, so you find out her full name before Ye Xiu does...)

I love sayings, and how they are so weird when translated literally - Japanese ones are like this, too, because a lot of them are Chinese in origin. My favorite is probably 亀毛兎角.

I hope this is a translation thing because damn, what a way to sugar-coat the truth.

Chapter 2: Since ancient times, how many have returned from war?

I wish I knew the references to classical Chinese poetry/literature, it makes the series 10x more fun when you know the origin of some of their usernames and such.

Ok, overdoing it much, Sun Xiang’s posse? You don’t need to be extra nasty about it to his face.

I always really liked this expression of his reluctance, this human emotion from a guy who looks rather calm and composed (or sheepish, occasionally) most of the time. He takes things in stride, but here you definitely get the bitterness of his situation.

And now he has to laugh it off with a smile! He does a good job of keeping it together throughout this whole deal though.

lol what kind of expression is that. “I like working nights!” why the cat face/ears. why. that was such a quick interview lol.

“Actually, we aren’t lacking people, the advert you saw was from a long time ago.”

That’s...actually, interesting. So Chen Guo is hiring him anyways? Or am I missing something in the translation?

You are a surprisingly funny man, Ye Xiu.

This is me. (it says ‘Verify faster!’)

lol Ye Xiu looking at the beginner’s guide. I never read the instructions though, even for a complicated games I’m new to, I just sort of jump in and hope I don’t die in the first few stages. Pretty sure the only game I had to actually read the instructions for was Final Fantasy Type-0? It’s difficult getting into a good rhythm without reading the in-game tips for that game...plus, some of the more advanced techniques are hard to pull off.

Chapter 3: Don’t laugh at those who lie drunk on the battlefield

If I had time, I’d totally make edits, buuut I do not and photoshop is on my other computer. but when did he get those noodles...?

lol and he just outs himself right on the spot.

That is one dark expression, I love it. The retirement thing is definitely a sore spot for him.

“you’re a professional. but also an amateur.” lol must be so weird to be Ye Xiu

“Don’t fake it, actually you’re not even retired. You didn’t get a spot and got kicked out, right?”

Ouch. Hit it where it hurts, why don’t you. Though she isn’t aware of who he actually is yet. He did indeed get kicked out, and it’s probably worse because he did have a spot previously, he was at the top even.

Starting avatar! I love the character designs in this series, across the animation and manhua.

“Suddenly I miss those games that let people pass through each other!”

HOW COULD THEY WITH SO MANY PEOPLE PLAYING. It reminds me of the Sims flailing their arms because you stuck a cabinet in the wrong spot and they can’t get through.

“Such a civilized way to kill monsters, I’m not used to it.”

“This only happens when a new server opens, you’ll definitely wish you can queue again in the future.”

I really like the side comments. I don’t play multiplayer games, but the comments definitely breathe some life into it.

LOL. “How to endure the shame? I was once known as Glory’s textbook level expert and now I have to use a beginner’s guide to do beginner’s quests.” You can feel his soul dying little by little in these panels...

I love how many titles he earned...”Does no commercials”.

And, of course, him trying to reveal who he actually is, only for her not to believe him.

lol this comment: “It’s so hard to play in first person view!” That’s actually how I feel, I dunno, I mostly play handhelds and older games. I flipped out when I tried to play Final Fantasy: Dirge of Cerberus in first person, before I figured out there was actually a third person view...I’m just really lame when it comes to games, ok.

Ooh, it’s here! The umbrella! What an odd choice of weapon, usually they’re the joke weapons. Well, it’s better than the bus stop sign from Persona 3.

I’ve read spoilers about who this guy standing behind him is, and I am not ready to actually come across that part in the novel.

Side note: I like the avatar’s design better here than in the animation. Wonder if he changes outfit later on...

Chapter 4: Green Forest’s Sleeping Moon

“Let me help you, I’ll give you the drops as well.” “I’m [a] male.” Lol. I really do love these little dialogues.

I also love the usernames, I really am hopeless with it comes to naming things myself.

Hello, Sleeping Moon! I remember you! Sort of.

I love how Ye Xiu totally has a plan going into this, and his thought process is written out. It’s a mundane detail, but I like it. (I’m the type of person who doesn’t read the instructions provided by the game, but will go look everything up online because regardless if I played the game before or not, I like having a Plan when I go into it...I’m impatient, Shadow of the Colossus is the only game I actually take time to explore.)

The two modes of communication for Glory also make it interesting...Both text and audio. It’s fun having both.

haha these drawings have so much life in them

Including these.

Way to look awesome and dramatic with your umbrella in hand.

lol “You planning to advance into a Cleric? Why don’t you just be our caretaker for good?” dying inside, I tell you, dying inside

Knowing the spoilers like I do, THIS ISN’T OKAY. no sad flashback scene so early on. c’mon.

I like how Sleeping Moon keeps talking to him like he’s a newbie, too. It’s pretty funny.

Chapter 5: You reap what you sow

Finally, a chapter title I’m familiar with!

The naaames: Sleeping Moon, Just a Passerby, Not Just Cannon Fodder, Lord Grim, and Fallen Sun

I like ‘Just a Passerby’.

Hey, you even get to say some last words after your HP hits 0 haha.

“Don’t you know that if you die in a dungeon in Glory, you can’t come back?!” lol I’m side-eyeing all the other ‘if you die in the game you die in real life’ stories...

They gave Sleeping Moon some really awesome expressions, gotta say.

“But your acting isn’t at all convincing.” Actually, this is vaguely terrifying.

Also, I appreciate how Ye Xiu is calling him out on this whole plan and how he meant to cheat everyone while Ye Xiu is basically doing the same. haha

I’m not going to screencap it all, but the sequence of the boss slowly killing Sleeping Moon like the cat it is, and Ye Xiu’s reactions, are gold.

The umbrella is also really cool of course.

And here starts the drama on the 10th server! It’s honestly great, and quite true to real life haha. Well, real life can probably be weirder than even fiction...

AAAND that’s finally it! 5 chapters + the 0 chapter done! Oh geez that took forever...Anyway, I love all the little details the manhua can fit in that the animation can’t and I look forward to reading the novel version of these chapters sometime soon.

onward →

[fishylife]

spoilers for ep 17 of the rise of phoenixes

just my thoughts on stuff that happened

The story was stagnant for a little while leading up to the Crown Prince killing the fifth prince, and Feng Zhiwei finding her footing at the academy. But the story is back up to speed in this episode.

I like that Zhao Yuan, the steward of the emperor, is exerting a little bit of his own power and influence. In Nirvana in Fire, the steward to the emperor was a good guy, but he didn’t exert that much power (because he wasn’t that kind of guy). But Zhao Yuan here is taking a stance. I don’t know if I’m reading his actions correctly but it’s clear that at the very least, he came to his own conclusions about how the ring from the Crown Prince was supposed to slowly poison Ning Yi to death.

Ning Chuan decided to take the offensive and go straight to the emperor when he realized that Ning Yi probably knew what he was up to. Zhao Yuan popped in while Ning Chuan was in the middle of his offensive. My guess is that Ning Chuan was going to push the blame on to Ning Yi. However, Zhao Yuan was there when Ning Yi had received the gift from the Crown Prince, and Ning Yi had immediately gifted it to him, seeing as how he liked the ring so much. So if Ning Chuan lied about anything, Zhao Yuan could challenge it. While Ning Chuan is the emperor’s son, the emperor is already super suspicious of him, and it’s likely the the emperor would trust Zhao Yuan over the Crown Prince. In addition, Zhao Yuan and Ning Yi have struck up a good relationship. While they keep secrets from each other, I do think they are on the same wavelength at the very least.

When Ning Chuan and Ning Yi were together, Zhao Yuan greeted them both, and put on the ring as he was speaking to them. Now that action, I’m still not 100% sure about. I’m not sure whether he’s telling the Crown Prince to watch out because he’s onto him, or another reason.

Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei’s stories also became more connected this story, which is probably why I found this episode quite interesting.

Through the princess and the head groom, Ning Chuan found out that Wei Zhi has discovered that the grooms are assassins working for the Crown Prince. Of course, the Crown Prince gave orders to them to kill Wei Zhi. However, the young groom whom Feng Zhiwei had helped earlier really appreciated what she did for him, and decided that he would repay her. The young groom told his father that he no longer wanted to live in the shadow under the control of someone else. To be honest, I thought this came a bit out of nowhere, because we weren’t really given any clear signs that the young groom hated the assassin life. He’d only told Wei Zhi that she had to keep quiet or else she could die. I think it might be more likely that the young groom wanted to help Wei Zhi (because he probably never really had any personal friends), and him wanting out of the assassin life came second. In any case, the young groom died in the chaos of the assassins trying to get to Wei Zhi :(

I wish the groom didn’t die, but I guess it served as a link between Feng Zhiwei and the old groom (the young groom’s father). The conversation between the two of them was intriguing. When Feng Zhiwei came to terms with the idea of dying there, she started thinking of her mother and got emotional. Feng Zhiwei hadn’t thought of her family for a while (since she was focused on surviving), but you tell the exact moment she thought of her mother and wanted to cry. We all have moments when we think of our parents and want to cry, and I really felt the exact moment she teared up.

On the groom’s side, he recognized Qiu Mingying and Zong Chen. However, upon recognizing their names, he decided he’d kill Feng Zhiwei. (Of course, this will change, but as most of the episodes do, this one ended on a cliffhanger) It makes sense that the groom would be on the opposite side of Qiu Mingying and Zong Chen. I would assume that he’s been working for the Crown Prince for at least 18 years, since the dynasty was overturned. But I wonder if he will later on have a change of heart and decide to help Feng Zhiwei because of what she meant to his son.

Feng Zhiwei galloped all the way to Lanxiang House to get help from Zhu Yin. I’m a little surprised that she went there instead of Chu Wang Manor, but I guess it makes sense because Zhu Yin is a lot more accessible than a prince.

Zhu Yin also died in this episode. I really didn’t see this coming. Zhu Yin was a valuable part of Chu Wang’s information network, and I had assumed that they were going to get to the bottom of everything together. She tried to distract Duke Chang from finding Feng Zhiwei. But along the way, she saw an opportunity to seek revenge and decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, she couldn’t, and was killed in return. Zhu Yin told Duke Chang her father’s name, but he didn’t recognize it. In any case, she told him that he’d gone down because of the treason case 8 years ago. I guess Duke Chang realized that she’d actively work against him and he didn’t see any harm in taking her out to prevent any further obstacles down the road. I liked her character though, and I’m sad that Zhu Yin died :(

Xin Ziyan found Gu Nanyi, presumably in the stables. Gu Nanyi was super skeptical because he wasn’t hired by Ning Yi or any of the royals, but eventually realized that Xin Ziyan was probably trying to help Feng Zhiwei. They tried to brainstorm where Feng Zhiwei could be, and guessed that the young groom had probably saved her. He didn’t, but technically Feng Zhiwei was still in the grooms’ hands.

I liked this episode because I think the #squad is starting to come together a little more. Before, the squad was pretty much just Ning Yi, Xin Ziyan, and Zhu Yin. Feng Zhiwei was still just a pawn.

As a side note, I don’t know if Xin Ziyan is for real or not, but he kept trying to assure Ning Yi that Feng Zhiwei was just a pawn. I don’t know if he truly believes that, or if he’s trying to get Ning Yi to realize that he likes her. I hope it’s the latter. 

Feng Zhiwei has gotten herself more stuck in court politics (first with the fifth prince, and now with the Crown Prince’s assassins). This time, Ning Yi really feels that she’s in true danger, and he’s going to do what he can to help her. After they get over this obstacle, I think that Ning Yi will try to keep a tighter leash on Feng Zhiwei. Not in that he’s going to imprison her or something, but I think he might start to ask her to do some real spy work for him (also as an excuse to see her more). All this is to say that Feng Zhiwei is probably going to become part of the squad officially lol.

I think the fact that Gu Nanyi and Xin Ziyan met without Feng Zhiwei as a mediator probably means that Gu Nanyi will end up helping Chu Wang, but he’ll do it begrudgingly because Feng Zhiwei asked him to or something like that.

In this episode, Ning Cheng caught Steward Wu eavesdropping on Ning Yi when Ning Yi was asking his subordinates to bring Feng Zhiwei (the little leopard) back to his Manor. We all know that the Stewards that were assigned by the Emperor were eavesdropping. After all, why else would the Emperor do such a thing. Ning Yi chose to forgo any punishment on the Steward though. I think by doing this, Ning Yi is trying to get into the Steward’s good books, and when he reports back to the Emperor, he’ll only have nice things to say. Something like that. Or, he’s trying to get the Steward to be a double agent (without him knowing), and a means through which he can get more information about the Emperor.

Right at the beginning of the episode, Ning Chuan forbade Duke Chang (his uncle) from saying any treasonous things about killing his father the emperor. Then Duke Chang laughed and said it was just a joke. This is incredibly suspect. As Ning Chuan had said before, the second prince is also Duke Chang’s nephew, so the Duke has more than one way of becoming the Emperor’s uncle. I don’t think this a direct sign of anything in particular, but the trust that was already suspect between Ning Chuan and Duke Chang is probably going to erode more throughout the show.

I don’t think that Ning Chuan is a super smart guy, but he is very conniving. I think that he thinks that that’s the only way to survive in the court. His sister also thinks that in order to survive, one must play dirty and be cold-hearted. On the other hand, we see Ning Yi who is pretty kind to most people around him. I like that in this story of court politics, we get to see the kind and nice people rise to the top rather than those who plot and murder.

I’m still puzzled about the emperor and Ning Yi being ill at the same time. Was it a “curse?” If so, there should probably still be a technical reason for it, right? In this case, it was probably that Zhao Yuan was making the emperor’s tea while wearing the poisoned ring, and also that Ning Chuan kept sending tea to Ning Yi which was probably laced. But was there evidence of Ning Yi and the emperor getting sick at the same time in the past? I wonder if this might have something to do with Ning Yi’s mother too, who died when he was young.

Ok, I think that’s all I got for now.