#Cheng Feng Du

[dangermousie]

Chapter 30:

Chapter 31:

Chaos erupts and the Wang family decides to take down the Gus because civil society starts breaking down in throne fight X incipient rebellions X start of civil wars.

I’ve mentioned (in IMs) that the more I read the more Gu Jiusi is reminding me of straight Shen Miao from LSWW - easy going, used to the cushion of money and reveling in it, unorthodox ideas and smart as fuck even if originally too lazy to do much with it, spine of steel under laidback manner. It’s actually an incredibly rare ML type for web novels I’ve read, het or danmei, which love their intense alphas.

But the more I read it, the more it reminds me of LSWW in another way - the fluffy/cottagecore/everyday start but always with hidden underpinning - in LSWW, Shen Miao buys fancy things, acquires a built friend with benefits, bickers with family, builds a waterwheel and makes his estate profitable. In CFD, Yuru and GJS adjust to an arranged marriage which was not one they wanted but turns out well by giving each a friend, learn business (her)/classics(him), deal with petty family annoyances, play in the city etc etc.

And then, as in LSWW, the floor falls out with suddenness which in retrospect is not so sudden at all (LSWW has a darker underpinning from the start but still.) And we go from Shen Miao improving his fields to Shen Miao being crucified by the invaders. I still remember going !!!! because it was both so utterly unexpected and inevitable at once.

And it’s a bit like here, we go from two lovely young people getting closer and learning to like each other as best friends to dealing with their family potentially being wiped out and Gu Jiusi doing the utterly insane thing of getting Yuru safely out, leaving her a letter of divorce to protect her, and going off to rescue his father with chances of rescue close to nil. And this is where I started gibbering because ladylike, calculating, smart Liu Yuru takes the first impulsive, utterly irrational step in her life and goes after him:

The best part is just as when GJS whipped himself over and over to get her an apology from that Wang dude, when Yuru goes off to rescue GJS despite being a lone woman with no martial skills or anything, she is not in love with her spouse. She just likes him as a person. They are best friends, no love or anything and I love that.

You know I don’t even care if the drama adaptation is a disaster because finding out about it made me read the novel and I love it so so it’s worth it!

[sol1056]

destined

so I got to That Scene and thought, ah, this is what @dangermousie was talking about. glad to see the story is determined to not pull a single punch.

[superwholockian93]

Jiang Feng can't catch a break even in real life 😂😂😂😂😂

Live Reaction:

[fangcaodi]

Jiang Feng is getting his chance to shine in season 2 and I love it.

[starlitnightdream]

LMAOOO du cheng must be so confused bahaha

[lunarriviera]

[shadowsofmoonracer]

Me finding a new Chinese drama to get emotionally invested in: 😌👍🏻🤭

Said drama: Police/Detective lead and his Consultant friend (may or may not be wearing a khaki colored jacket)

Me: ….clearly I have a type

If anyone has any recommendations of such drama please hit me up I need my detective/consultant fix 😌

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Goodbye My Princess (2019)

Goodbye My Princess

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GblQ7fxVEaA

[luxhesperus]

oooohhhh hello! putting ruan nanzhu and luo fei in there gave me an existential crisis ngl 😭

thanks for the tag @affiesque !! 🫶🏻🫶🏻

Challenge: Make a poll with five of your all-time favorite characters, and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favorite.

i call this the officer-off

i don't know who to tag lmao, so if you see this: tag, you're it!

Challenge: Make a poll with five of your all-time favorite characters, and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favorite.

thanks for tagging me @nibupei 🖤

so this was more difficult than i expected :((( and much like everyone else i’m limiting this to BL/BL-adjacent peeps because trying to pick my all-time favs would be way too painful. if i had to take a stab at a common theme i guess it’s repressed/fucked up sad boys - no big surprise there…

tagging @thinkonce-acttwice, @ellieellieoxenfree, @friendlycoffeefiend, @luxhesperus, and @leofiat-bunny - absolutely no pressure tho 🌈

[linghxr]

My 2024 in cdramas, cmovies & cvariety

With 2024 now over, it's the perfect time to recap what Chinese-language shows and movies I've been watching since my previous write-up in spring 2024. I think I'll do one annually from now on!

This time I've added YouTube links (if available). I do my best with content warnings, but it's possible I've missed things. I only include warnings for things I have finished (not abandoned shows).

Shows/series:

Some of these were mentioned as “currently watching” in my previous post. They are marked with an asterisks*.

《微暗之火》 Tender Light

After Zhou Luo drops out of university and returns home under mysterious circumstances, he becomes a witness in a homicide case involving Nan Ya, a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. I watch a lot of Chinese crime/mystery shows, but this one was unique in that it focuses more on relationships. I enjoyed it but feel it would be stronger if it were shorter, maybe 20 episodes instead of 28.

Content warning: Domestic violence, death, sexual assault

Watch on YouTube

《猎罪图鉴2》 Under the Skin S2

Sketch artist Shen Yi, police officer Du Cheng, and the rest of the Beijiang team continue to utilize art to solve unusual crimes. I didn't initially plan to watch season 2, but after giving season 1 another try, the show grew on me. Season 2 didn't quite capture the magic of season 1, but it still had some strong moments. My favorite case was the Chinese opera one.

Content warning: Death, violence, child abuse, suicide, sexual assault

Watch on YouTube

《雪迷宫》 The First Shot

In the late 1990s, police officer Zheng Bei and his squad go after the drugs that have overrun their northeastern city, only to find that the roots run much deeper than they thought. The highlight of this show is the charismatic characters and their deep bonds. It was slow to get going, but I was on the edge of my seat the last 1/3 of the show. Definitely one of the most memorable of 2024 for me!

Content warning: Death, violence, sexual assault, addiction, and overdose

Watch eps 1-19/28 on YouTube

《我们与恶的距离》 The World Between Us

After a mass shooting, the families of the victims and perpetrator cross paths as they struggle to adapt to their new realities. This show deals with extremely heavy topics and felt quite realistic in many ways, so it was a difficult watch, frankly. There was a happy ending, but thinking back, I mostly remember feeling frustration throughout.

Content warning: References to death and a mass shooting event, violence, depictions of schizophrenic episodes

《新生》 Regeneration

At the funeral of a man named Fei Ke, the guests realize everything they know about the deceased is a lie and attempt to unravel the truth. I heard a lot of people didn't like the last 3 episodes, but I enjoyed the entire show. It was very satisfying seeing all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Might even check out the original webnovel!

Content warning: Death, violence (but not graphic)

Watch ep 1, ep 2, ep 3, ep 4/10 on YouTube

《不够善良的我们》 Imperfect Us

Two women, discontent with their current lives, grapple with misplaced jealousy and regrets over what could have been. Starring 许玮甯 Hsu Wei-ning and 林依晨 Lin Yi-chen, this series is quite different from what I typically watch. It's about the ordinary and mundane, but I found myself excited to sit down and watch each episode. I think everyone can find something to relate to.

Content warning: Serious illness

《异人之下1》 I Am Nobody S1

After his late grandfather's body disappears, Zhang Chulan gets sucked into the world of yiren (outsiders) and must compete in a supernatural tournament, aided by the mysterious Feng Baobao. This show was a breath of fresh air and sooo hilarious, even if I didn't understand a lot of the lore about their powers. And season 2 just started airing!

Content warning: Violence, death, zombie-like creatures (I'm very afraid of zombies)

Watch on YouTube

--There was also a recent film adaption (confusing, I know), but I heard it was not well-received.

《摩天大楼》 A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower*

Two police officers investigate the death of Zhong Meibao, a beautiful woman with a difficult past, only to find that her neighbors have secrets of their own. I'm so glad I finally watched this show after it had been on my list for so long. I felt it could have been a little tighter (maybe 13-14 episodes instead of 16), but overall it was a quality crime drama!

Content warning: Death, violence, voyeurism, domestic violence, child abuse

Watch on YouTube

Variety/reality:

《披荆斩棘4》 Call Me By Fire S4

Call Me By Fire is a bit like an idol survival show, but instead of young trainees, the contestants are established celebrities mostly ages 30+. I had such a blast watching season 4 week-by-week as it aired. The talent was out of this world! See my dedicated post about the franchise and its sister show, Sister Who Make Waves.

Watch on YouTube

《火星情报局6》 Mars Intelligence Agency S6*

I'm a massive fan of the singer 薛之谦 Xue Zhiqian, and I actually first became a fan due to his sense of humor. So why did it take me so long to check out this comedy show that he's on?!? I'd never watched a show like this before, but I loved it and surprised my self with my ability to follow jokes in Chinese! Sadly I haven't had time to start season 7, which is currently airing.

Watch on YouTube

Movies:

《谁先爱上他》 Dear Ex

After the death of his father and an argument with his mother, a boy bonds with Ah Jie, his father's boyfriend, all while a dispute over life insurance money plays out. I've actually watched film this twice, and I'm glad I did because I think I got a lot more out of it the second time! It's a sad premise, but there's ultimately a touching ending.

Content warning: Terminal illness, mild homophobia

《鬼才之道》 Dead Talents Society

A young ghost has only a month to become a ghostly legend, or else she'll fade from existence. I didn't think this movie sounded that interesting or original at first, but I watched it on a whim and actually REALLY enjoyed it! It struck the perfect balance of hilarious and heartwarming. I strongly recommend it if you don't mind some gore.

Content warning: Gore, body horror, death

《白日火焰》 Black Coal, Thin Ice

Former police officer Zhang Zili becomes entangled with Wu Zhizhen, a women who is linked to a series of murders that he's investigating. I watched this film after learning about its influence as part of the Dongbei renaissance. But it was honestly too grim for my liking. But if you like that kind of vibe, you might enjoy this.

Content warning: Death, violence, sexual assault

Watch on YouTube

Abandoning:

《唐人街探案》 Detective Chinatown

I only watched the first 8 episodes of season 1 because I heard the final 4 have a completely unrelated storyline and different characters (and is not as good). There was a season 2, but I think the Detective Chinatown humor is just not for me.

Watch on YouTube

《谁是被害者》 The Victims' Game

I watched the entire first season, but I'm not interested in season 2. The concept is strong, but I struggled to get through it. Also, I felt weird about how they portrayed the main character's autism/Asperger's syndrome.

On my watchlist:

Still have not gotten around to 《漫长的季节》 The Long Season or 《尘封十三载》 Thirteen Years of Dust...yikes! But also on my list:

《影后》 Born for the Spotlight

《莲花楼》 Mysterious Lotus Casebook

《我的阿勒泰》 To The Wonder

Happy 2025! I hope this year is filled with quality Chinese-language shows and movies for us all to enjoy ❤️

[whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst]

Incident Reports from Under the Skin, part 3

(Spoilers for s2)

Incident Report of Bambi-Snatcher Suspect Interaction and Arrest, written by ya boi Jiang Feng and edited by Li Han like whose side are u on

Incident Information:

January 1st, 2:09pm

Darkest Timeline IKEA Fang Kaiyi’s workspace

Reporting Party: Captain Du Cheng

Responding Officer: Jiang Feng

Victim/Suspect Information:

Victim: While no one was hurt, Shen Yi’s painting was slashed and his life endangered not to victim blame but pls stop bringing a paintbrush to a knife fight dude

Suspect: aspiring homewrecker Dr. Fang Kaiyi, a well-known researcher and businessman i just KNOW he’s a Reddit debatelord

Witness Information: N/A because SOMEONE keeps INSISTING on confronting bad guys on his OWN and every time we are all there like can u NOT?? dude has an entire precinct on call for anyThING EVER but noooooo u just keep on—

Narrative:

Preliminary Note:

Although he is the reporting party and headed the investigation into Fang Kaiyi, Captain Cheng has chosen not to comment on the arrest itself bc he's a class act and he’s taking the high road. That’s nice. But I’m his best friend so I’m not doing that.

Background: Fang Kaiyi is a person of interest Slim Shady as I’ve been calling him in a series of crimes our precinct is investigating. He has also been flirting meeting with Officer Shen Yi about their mutual interests in the intersections between art, psychology, and ethics nerds, which has resulted in a relationship clusterfuck so awkward and toxic we made a secret weekly drinks night about it strained coworker dynamics in the office. Captain Du Cheng in particular has been noticeably fucking livid/brooding concerned about Fang Kaiyi and his hoe behavior friendship with Shen Yi.

Shen Yi chose to confront that snake-lookin motherfucker Fang Kaiyi alone initially, with Officer Jiang waiting for fucking forever as backup. Shen Yi wished to convince Fang Kaiyi to turn himself in/surrender of his own free will ok but we could also yeet him off a cliff like that’s an option too.

The two conversed for a period of time before Shen Yi surprise surprise provoked the alleged criminal Fang Kaiyi “alleged” my Pilates toned ASS. Mr. Fang responded aggressively by slashing Shen Yi’s painting which is murdering a masterpiece of art so he can catch a charge for that too right, but Shen Yi was able to calm him and resolve the situation oh so he CAN deescalate effectively when he wants??

Property/Evidence:

One sheer cardigan dibs on that

One slashed canvas

Notes:

Officer Jiang has received a warning about his behavior during the subsequent interrogation, which involved excessive use of sarcasm and air quotes while discussing the suspect’s personal life and professional achievements I regret nothing

[isolatedcorner]

To be specific biggest dick refers to literal size not energy. Might make a MDZS and SVSSS version for a MXTX dick-off in the future.

There’s not enough space for all the characters so forgive me if I left your blorbos out :,)

RB for sample size pls 🗣️🫵🏻🫶🏻

EDIT: MDZS version and SVSSS version are here!!!

[thegodpleasingcrownprince]

YES PLEASE SOMEONE SAID THAT

Anyone wanna discuss unpopular danmei opinions with me? Like, it could be anything.

Hate comments will be deleted

[unfortunatelycake]

Finished watching Under the Skin 2 and like, I know we’re all here for Shen Yi and Du Cheng and we were fed this season!

But oh god do I have a soft spot for Jiang Feng and Li Han. That poor soft good boy just wants his crush to notice him, through the power of product placement!

[accio-victuuri]

wait.. i’m literally on here or weibo almost 24/7 ( as you can tell lol ) but I feel like i missed something. i’m seeing clowning related to xz’s photos and how it looks like he is a groom and it’s a wedding photoshoot. the place is also famous for wedding shoots ( allegedly, idk. i’m not from there ) so turtles are imagining again. lol. freakin coincidence that wyb’s GRA photoshoot was done at a wedding shop. plus the “wedding outfits” for weibo night. which is all clowning and galaxy braining.🌌

now, we’re joking around, like where’s yibo? he should be taking photos with his partner.

then i see comments that there is this one song WYB recently listened to. meaning, as recent as when XZ flew to singapore which is called 超人不会飞 (superman can’t fly) by Jay Chou. i know WYB and everyone else is a big fan of Jay Chou but the clowning comes from the timing of when he listened to it. let me get to that first.

here is the song if you wanna listen to it. 🎶

turtles are interpreting it as WYB longing to “fly” to where XZ is and be with him but he can’t because of all his work commitments. he wants to take a breather. thinking about what his life is and the constraints, and at times like this, when they spent days in Beijing, but now they have to be apart, it affects him even more.

however when i read the lyrics, it could also be because he can relate to what jay chou is singing about. here’s the english translation i found here. i have bolded the ones i felt like WYB relates too. literally no need for explanation. just read it. It fits with his status in life so much that it’s almost scary.

妈妈说很多事别太计较

ma ma shuo heng duo shi bie tai ji jiao

Mum said one should not be too fussy over most matters

只是使命感找到了我 我睡不着

zhi shi shi ming gan zhao dao le wo wo shui bu zhao

But my sense of mission found me and i can't sleep over it

如果说骂人要有点技巧

ru guo shuo ma ren yao you diao ji qiao

If scolding someone requires some skills

我会加点旋律你会觉得 超屌

wo hui jia diao xuan lu ni hui jue de chao diao

I will add a tune and you will feel it's very cool (diao)

我的枪不会装弹药（弹药）

wo de qiang bu hui zhuang dan yao (dan yao)

My gun is not loaded with ammunition

所以放心不会有人倒（人倒）

suo yi fang xin bu hui you ren dao (ren dao)

So don't worry, nobody will collapse

我拍青蜂侠不需要替身 因为自信是我绘画的颜料

wo pai qing feng xia bu xu yao ti sheng yin wei zi xin shi wo hui hua de yan liao

I don't need a double for The Green Hornet because confidence is the coloring for my painting

我做很多事背后的意义远比你们想象

wo zuo heng duo shi bei hou de yi yi yuan bi ni men xiang xiang

The meaning behind the things I did is far beyond your imagination

拍个电视剧为了友情与十年前的梦想

pai le dian shi ju wei le you qing yu shi nian qian de meng xiang

Filming a tv drama is for friendship and a dream 10 years ago

收视率再高也难抗衡我的伟大理想

shou shi lv zai gao ye nan kang heng wo de wei da li xiang

No matter how high the rating is, it can't match my noble ideal

因为我的人生无需再多一笔那奖项

yin wei wo de ren sheng wo xu zai duo yi bi na jiang xiang

Because my life do not need another award

我不知道何时变成了社会的那榜样

wo bu zhi dao he shi bian cheng le se hui de na bang yang

I don't know when I have become a society's role model

被狗仔拍不能比中指要大器的模样（怎样）

bei gou zai pai bu neng bi zhong zhi yao da qi de mo yang (zen yang)

Can't show the paparazzi the finger and have to put on a magnanimous front

我唱的歌词要有点文化

wo chang de ge ci yao you dian wen hua

The lyrics I sing must have some degree of literacy

因为随时会被当教材

yin wei sui shi hui bei dan jiao cai

Because it might become teaching material anytime

CNN能不能等英文好一点再访

CNN neng bu neng deng ying wen hao yi dian zai fang

Can CNN interview me when my English gets a little better

时代杂志封面能不能重拍

shi dai za zhi feng mian neng bu neng chong pai

Can i reshoot the Time magazine cover

随时随地注意形象

sui shi sui di zhu yi xin xiang

I must take care of my image at all times

要控制饮食不然就跟杜莎夫人蜡像的我不像（本来就不像）

yao kong zhi yin shi bu ran jiu gen du sha fu ren la xiang de wo bu xiang (ben lai jiu bu xiang)

I must control my diet or i won't look like the "me" in Madame Tussauds (it doesn't look like me in the first place)

好莱坞的中国戏院地上有很多手印脚印

hao lai wu de zhong guo xi yuan di shang you heng duo shou yin jiao yin

There are many handprints and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre

何时才能看见我的掌

he shi cai neng kan jian wo de zhang

When will mine be seen there?

如果超人会飞 那就让我在空中停一停歇

ru guo chao ren hui fei na jiu rang wo zai kong zhong ti yi ti xie

If Superman can fly then let me take a breather in the sky

再次俯瞰这个世界 会让我觉得好一些

zai ci fu kan zhe ge shi jie hui ran wo jue de hao yi xie

Overlooking this world again will let me feel better

拯救地球好累 虽然有些疲惫但我还是会

zheng jiu di qiu hao lei sui ran you xie pi bei dan wo hai shi hui

Saving the world is tiring, though I am a little tired, I still will

不要问我哭过了没

bu yao wen wo ku guo le mei

Don't ask me if I have cried

因为超人不能流眼泪

yin wei chao ren bu neng liu yan lei

Because Superman can't cry

唱歌要拿最佳男歌手

chang ge yao na zui jia nan ge shou

(You) must get best male singer award as a singer

拍电影也不能只拿个最佳新人

pai dian yin ye bu neng zhi na ge zui jia xin ren

A newcomer award is not enough if you act

你不参加颁奖典礼就是没礼貌

ni bu can jia ban jiang dian li jiu shi mei li mao

Not attending award ceremonies is considered rude

你去参加就是代表你很在乎

ni qu can jia jiu shi dai biao ni heng zai hu

And if you do, it means you are over-concerned about it

得奖时你感动落泪（落泪）人家就会觉得你夸张做作（做作）

de jia shi ni gan dong luo lei (luo lei) ren jia jiu hui jue de ni kuang zhang zuo zuo

When you won an award and teared, people will think you are fake and exaggerating

你没表情别人就会说太嚣张

ni mei biao qing bie ren jiu hui shuo tai xiao zhang

When you have no expression, others will say you are too arrogant

如果你天生这个表情 那些人甚至会怪你妈妈（妈妈）

ru guo ni tian sheng zhe ge biao qing na xie ren sheng zhi hui guai ni ma ma (ma ma)

And if you are born with that expression, they will even blame your mum

结果最后是别人在得奖 你也要给予充分的掌声与微笑

jie guo zui hou shi bie ren zai de jiang ni ye yao ge yu chong fen de zhang sheng yu wei xiao

In the end someone else gets the award, you also have to give ample applause and smile

开的车不能太好 住的楼不能太高

kai de che bu neng tai hao zhu de lou bu neng tai gao

The car you drive can't be too luxurious nor can you live too high up

我到底是一个创作歌手 还是好人好事代表

wo dao di shi yi ge chuang zuo ge shou hai shi hao ren hao shi dai biao

Am I a singer-songwriter or a representative of good men and good deeds?

专辑一出就必须是冠军

zhuan ji yi chu jiu bi xu shi guan jun

My album must be ranked top once released

拍了电影就必须要大卖

pai le dian yin jiu bi xu yao da mai

My movie must sell well

只能说当超人真的好难

zhi neng shuo dan chao ren zhen de hao nan

I can only say, being a Superman is difficult

如果超人会飞（超人会飞）那就让我在空中停一停歇（停一停歇）

ru guo chao ren hui fei (chao ren hui fei) na jiu rang wo zai kong zhong ti yi ti xie (ti yi ti xie)

If Superman can fly then let me take a breather in the sky

再次俯瞰这个世界 会让我觉得好一些

zai ci fu kan zhe ge shi jie hui ran wo jue de hao yi xie

Overlooking this world again will let me feel better

拯救地球好累（地球好累）虽然有些疲惫但我还是会（我还是会）

zheng jiu di qiu hao lei (di qiu hao lei) sui ran you xie pi bei dan wo hai shi hui (wo hai shi hui)

Saving the world is tiring, though I am a little tired, I still will

不要问我哭过了没

bu yao wen wo ku guo le mei

Don't ask me if I have cried

因为超人不能流眼泪

yin wei chao ren bu neng liu yan lei

Because Superman can't cry

=====

I don’t think there is anything wrong with how cpfs are relating this to cpn cause that’s just how it is. But sometimes, there are other reasons why they do what they do.

SO MY CONFUSION COMES FROM HOW THE HELL DO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT HE RECENTLY LISTENED TO. I can’t seem to dig up how or maybe it’s something we don’t talk about. I have never experienced this kind of tidbit related to them before so I wanna know the source. Or is this like the gaming cpn where certain people know and they will not divulge the boy’s account for privacy? if anyone knows, feel free to comment. If i find out in the future, I will share.

[anyreiart]

Heat

Tags: Du Cheng/Shen Yi, 杜城/沈翊, Du Cheng, Shen Yi, Xiaoxuan | Shen Yi's Cat, Jiang Feng, Season 2, Friends to Lovers, trapped in a walk-in fridge, Sharing Heat, First Kiss, Happy Ending

Summary:

Du Cheng and Shen Yi get trapped in an industrial walk-in-fridge and need to survive before they get rescued.