#Huaien having emotions

[omgtheregoesthefuckidontgive]

Can't blame a guy for trying lol

[yannig]

I fucking love Xiaobao

I was expecting Huaien to be a fucked up gremlin with no morals, I wasn't expecting Xiaobao to be a sheltered, spoiled, naive, arrogant brat with negative rizz. Yet here we are.

That guy is going through life with principles and dreams learned from books and clearly not real life lessons. That's what happens when you spoil and shelter your kid this much.

At least he's cute? He clearly wants someone to pamper and cover in gold. He's just being very self-centered about it. This is not a man who is used to consider other's people emotions - no wonder he can't find a wife!

And he's certainly dedicated. Ridiculous, and without any of the skills to actually succeed in what he wants, but dedicated. He did one (1) mostly effective thing in the whole episode, and it was tricking the assassins with a poisoned wallet. That's all.

Not only he doesn't know how to fight, but he isn't even well-read nor good with people. The only reason he's still there is because his parents are rich, and because nobody ever actively tried to get rid of him. And despite all of that, he still manages to preen like the arrogant brat he is.

Beyond that, he called a woman his wife every 5 minutes despite knowing nothing about him, jumped into a fight despite not knowing how to fight, and still promised he wouldn't be swayed by beauty.

He doesn't really understand the concept of consequences, uh?

Huaien is going to have a field-day with him.

[guzhufuren]

When you remember XB and H are both 19 it explains a lot

No one makes good choices at 19

I have hope for them though

Xiaobao and Huaien are literally kids figuring shit out and it explains it all!! plus if you add Huaien being detached from emotions because of horrifying parental abuse through his whole life and Xiaobao being sheltered and pampered, it explains everything in their story

[dangermousie]

I was thinking why I spent the bulk of My Stand In wanting to strangle Ming and never did warm up to him from beginning to end and I genuinely love Huaien in MYATB and a small part of it is any emotion Huaien feels is directed solely for/at XB unlike Ming's obsession with boring Tong

BUT

That's not really it. It's because my reaction to behaviors/characters is setting-dependent. And my atittudes on them are strongly dependent on whether it's a period or modern setting.

I have a very different attitude to actions of a period era killer brought up in a feudal society where human life has no value and killing of a whole clan for kicks is a matter of course, and who's been brought up in a fucked up rebel/imperial family with nonstop abuse and a spoiled modern day dude.

I will accept a hell of a lot more murder/dubcon/noncon/unhingedness/red flag/you name it in a period setting. Because it just fits.

It's sort of like Fei Wo Si Cun novel adaptations - MLs of Goodbye My Princess, Siege in Fog and Too Late to Love You do some truly unhinged stuff but I can understand it more because they are a period royal or a 1930s warlord. The one ML in her adaptations I can't stand is the ML of Sealed With a Kiss. I hated his blackmailing/abusing/rapist self but in watching I realized if that story was set in eg the Wei Dynasty, I'd put up with his "daughter of people I want revenge on must pay for their wrongdoing so I force her to be my mistress and humiliate her and threaten her to give her to my friends and oh I am also married" shenanigans a lot better. I mean, I can't say he'd be a love's young dream under any circumstances but then neither is the murderous rapist ML of GMP and while I can't say I root for him, he is a mesmerizing character, tragic as much as repelling - a shark in a tank full of other sharks.

Like - the sole time Boys Over Flowers' ML's actions made sense was in Gong which basically transposed the whole thing into the Qing Dynasty.

Or think of Meatbun's CFC, which I ended up loathing. I'd still have issues with how the last third blew up the themes set up in the first 2/3, but MC's actions would be less repellent to me if it was a period setting.

It can all be summed up as - if a modern man murders people on the reg, believes women are inferior to men while married to ten of them at once, and owns slaves, he should be in jail for life. If he's a 10th century dude, he's just average warrior dude.

Ming is a modern dude, a spoiled kid of a rich family who's never lived in an extreme, death is a second away and the whole world is like this, society. I have different standards for him than a period dude.

[bahoreal]

ill be real i think that myatb missed the mark a little bit for me because the character journeys were a little bit flat?? some rambling under the cut ig

huaien went from i hate that guy can he stop proposing to me to ill kill his whole family to get him to rely on me to im ok being a wife guy without like confronting or dealing with the hyperpossessive shit he just kinda lost it between one episode and the next

xiaobao went from i wish to marry the most beautiful woman in the world to im ok with this guy sexually assaulting me to i hate him but i still deeply love him (which i still dont understand lok huaien never treated him well what did he love...) to i just love him ill marry him and spend the rest of my life with him

and the plot influenced the characters a lot but the drive felt a bit like it was missing? like. i saw the characters progress but the lack of motivations for the character progressions made it feel a bit flat to me like the characters just went ok! i am now feeling x (and i saw ppl say the same abt the book lol sometimes it is something i feel is missing esp in romance focused dramas and novels my standards are high and i love to see emotional journeys.. just aro things i guess)

even su yin whomst i adore went from i must do everything to protect xiaobao and stayed on that reaching extremes and then right turned to ok you will love huaien thats fine i will leave ig (and the scene where they talk wasnt even in the book? like. ok?)

idk i did enjoy the series overall but the whole 'look at this concept of a couple arent they hot together they want to spend the rest of their lives together' without much substance never worked on me. anyway i still hope they make the jinbao siming sequel i think they could have a fun journey and flesh out those characters a bit more. its sad when i fall in love with a character and then their journey is cut short or just not done justice the way i imagine lgmfkgjrk

[acequinz]

Okay the 4th episode didn't hit my emotions like 3rd ep did.

Cause I almost cried at xiaobao saving XiaoYu scene but was just a little upset at the Huaien backstory...

I am blaming it on the pacing though, they went past that way too fast while I had to watch xiaobao stumble for 3 mins before he found xiaoyu.

A little disappointing but I get it they have only 10 episodes..

[bats-after-dark]

SINCERELY, WHAT THE FUCK? Su Yin could not handle the emotional damage but I'm eating it up like I haven't seen food for a month. You just had this lying around in your drafts, doing nothing?

Again, what the fuck. I am a firm believer in Xiaobao and Huaien having planned this, and I wish someone (not naming names) would write how the scheming session went, because, again, what the fuck. If we thought Zhaocai and Xiaoyu had it bad, would someone just please think of the children (Su Yin)?

Sorry, bluescreening at unfaithful temptress wife Huaien so I don’t have a lot to give. I need to think of a way to one up you for this.

In my defense, I had the first two sentences abt how I’m a bad vibes throuplepilled idiot written. the rest of it i had to drag back out of storage yesterday when I spotted the draft.

The planning session comes abt bc Huaien is furious abt a sloppy seconds situation because how dare Xiaobao let Su Yin fuck him and then crawl into their marriage bed!! no!!! IS IT NOT ENOUGH THAT THIS IS HAPPENING IN HUAIEN’s HOUSE that Su Yin owns and pays for js. that is his HUSBAND tyvm. once Huaien gets finished fucking Xiaobao with a possessive fervor to make sure that Xiaobao is very clear on whose bed he belongs in (and who he belongs to), Huaien asks Xiaobao how he would feel if Huaien went around sleeping with other people and Xiaobao starts out galant and polite bc actually!! he would be okay with that!! mostly!! or he wants to be ok with it bc he knows that Huaien Hates Sharing, but he’s still letting Xiaobao fuck around with Su Yin. also Xiaobao thinks it would be sort of hot? he’s spent time in brothels; he is not opposed to watching his friends fuck. he could be into that!

Huaien finds this baffling. he’d rather die than watch Su Yin fuck Xiaobao, actually?? Xiaobao very sweetly tells Huaien that he’d be no less Xiaobao’s wife if he wanted to let someone else fuck him and kisses his hand and looks up at him through his lashes and it’s so obvious that Xiaobao is Into It that Huaien caves. but! Xiaobao has to finger Huaien open beforehand because he is not letting Su Yin do anything that intimate. Xiaobao gamely agrees. but then he makes his little frown face and pouts and says that, well, there is one thing. and Huaien arches an eyebrow. what fresh bullshit is this? Xiaobao’s gaze slides guiltily away and he says, “he can’t finish inside of you.”

Huaien, who has just finished angrily fucking Xiaobao bc of this very issue: oh????????????

Xiaobao has so many whiny little arguments (it’s just one little thing and Huaien doesn’t even like creampies and isn’t Huaien his wife? doesn’t he want Xiaobao to be happy?) that boil down to DON’T WANT THAT, but also definitely ends with Huaien demanding that Xiaobao make it up to him, even though Huaien would rather die than let Su Yin come inside him anyway.

anyway in addition to their weird cuckplay scene I’m pretty sure Huaien extracts a promise from Xiaobao not to let Su Yin come inside him anymore, which is Huaien’s true revenge.

[orsuliya]

The Rebel Princess Carry Top 8 List

Rebel Princess who?

If you are reading this list, you probably already know everything there is to know about The Rebel Princess. For all the newcomers: I advise you to strap in, watch, enjoy and prepare yourselves for any unreasonable expectations towards prospective male partners that you may acquire in the process.

Carrying of princesses or princess carries

For the purposes of this list we shall define a princess carry as an act in which person A carries person B in their arms, with one arm placed beneath either thighs or knees, the other supporting the back and the body of person B being held close to person A’s chest. Just like a groom carrying his bride, hence the alternative name of a bridal carry.

Furthermore, we shall only accept those attempts in which a defined element of lifting the carried person can be observed. A carry is a carry, a catch is a catch, no matter how delightful such a princess catch happens to be. This automatically disqualifies catches performed by Zitan and Xiao Qi in, respectively, episodes 2. and 4.

Similarly disqualified are all instances of potato sack hefts, such as the one performed by Potato in episode 4. with Xie Wanru playing the role of the sack, as well as any other hefts, lifts or carries where the carried person is not merely supported, but rather fully embraced by arms coming at them from opposite directions.

Attention! Despite the name stating otherwise, the carried person does not, in fact, have to be a princess, thus any titles carried by the carried person will have no influence on the final score.

Why Top 8

Why Top 8, you might ask. Well, there are exactly eight proper princess carries in the whole 68-episode-long drama. Which, by the way, gives us one princess carry every eight and a half episodes or 0.12 of a princess carry per single episode.

Scoring criteria

Since the purpose of this list is to objectively estimate the respective value of each princess carry and then use those results to rank all the attempts accordingly, from the feeblest to the most admirable, we are in need of a comprehensive scoring system. After some deliberations the judging panel (namely me) has managed to create exactly such a system, which was then approved by an independent third party (also me, but in a different hat). Each attempt shall receive a score from 0 to 10 points; this score being the sum of four components: Style, Technique, Hotness and Excellence. Those four main components encompass partial, specific criteria; see the explanation below.

Style: This particular component is mostly used to give proper value to such vital characteristics as artistry and flair. However, those are not by any means the only considerations the judging panel will take into account while awarding the total score. The intention behind any given attempt is to be established and subsequently used to judge how well the chosen style suits the purpose of the carry in question and whether it adequately fulfills any goals and needs that may have been expressed or set before the commencement of the attempt itself. The judging panel reserves the right to make demerits based on handling of clothing and accessories, as needed.

Technique: While proper technique of executing a princess carry is most important and ought to be assessed with exceptional care, it is far from the only criteria taken into account while rating general technique of any one attempt. After all, lifting a person in one thing and actually carrying them a very different one. Thus, whenever possible, we will observe and judge the endurance exhibited during the attempt in question; if such an observation proves to be impossible for any reason, a reasonable estimation may serve as an acceptable substitute. Moreover, since any princess carry has to be judged on its merits, the overall difficulty of any attempt must be first established, depending on the probable disparity between the strength of the carrier and the weight of the carried person as well as other factors, such as any floppiness or lack of a proper latch on the neck of the carrier.

Hotness: Recognizing that overall hotness is not a criteria that can be judged objectively, the judging panel hereby undertakes to use more precise methods of measurement, such as: reaction of any independent witnesses, if any are present, emotional reaction of the carrier, the carried person or both, whichever applies and the general mood set by any particular attempt. If any of the aforementioned methods cannot be used for any reason, the judging panel reserves the right to supplement this component with individual hotness assessments made by qualified experts (also me, but horny).

Excellence: Any exceptional elements or unique characteristics, which the judging panel feels might not have been rewarded properly while scoring the other components, will be subject to a rather subjective criteria of overall excellence.

The individual components can receive the following maximum point values:

Style: 3 points

Technique: 3 points

Hotness: 3 points

Excellence: 1 point

AND NOW TO THE LIST PROPER!

Number 8. Song Huaien gets recruited to escort a rather shaken Yuxiu to a doctor – episode 36.

Style: 0.5 points

What style can we even speak of when one of the parties involved makes no attempt at hiding their utter lack of interest in anything even remotely approaching artistry or feeling? Truly, never has there been a carrier less gracious; that the purpose of this exercise is to escort Yuxiu to a doctor is neither here nor there and serves as no excuse for the decided lack of any flair. After all, technically this is an engagement carry, seeing as Song Huaien announces his intention to make Yuxiu his main wife halfway through its duration. Moreover, he has the easiest possible dress to deal with and still manages to bunch it up, if only a little.

Technique: 2.5 points

A truly great lift it is not, although a more or less correct one, at least if we were speaking of pure utility. Still, Song Huaien manages to position Yuxiu in his arms in one move, no further jostling into place needed. Although this may be helped by the fact that she hooks her own hand around his neck even before he gets her off the ground. What is rather impressive is Song Huaien’s undeniable endurance: he not only manages to carry Yuxiu through two entire courtyards, going up and down the stairs, but also makes it look surprisingly easy. Why, at one point he even breaks into a trot. That Yuxiu is hands down the smallest female to be carried in this drama is another matter; he still does rather well and his posture leaves nothing to be desired throughout the entire carry.

Hotness: 0.4 points

There is much to be said about the utter lack of any emotion from Song Huaien other than pure unwillingness to even exist in this particular time and place. No show of strength or endurance will ever compensate for that. The witnesses do not seem to be overly impressed either; why, Awu cuts off Song Huaien’s declaration of intent and physically hurries him away, while no other person present at the scene pays any attention whatsoever to Huaien’s feat. Sheer competence might have been enough to raise the final score, if not for one thing: Yuxiu holds herself very, very stiff for most of the time, trying to look smaller and not, by any chance, lean into Song Huaien’s chest. It’s only at the very end that she makes a conscious effort to do so and that finally brings the element of positive emotion into play.

Excellence: 0.1 points

We admit that there is something rather special about the sheer awkwardness of this princess carry.  It certainly is not easy to forget this heap of stiff, sad mess.

Total score: 3.5 points

Number 7. Potato does his absolute best to show Xie Wanru his love – episode 45.

Style: 1.2 points

There is something to be said for Potato’s (faulty) confidence as well as for his single-minded intent to show Xie Wanru the depth of his care for her and Miracle Fetus. That he doesn’t properly succeed is a different matter altogether. Yet it cannot be denied that there is a certain flair to his approach, if not to the actual execution of the princess carry itself. One also has to question the validity of deciding to princess carry one’s wife while standing at the foot of the bed, although that might simply mean that Potato chose to be surprisingly realistic about his capabilities.

Technique: 1 point

The fact that Potato even manages to lift Xie Wanru, much less to a proper princess carry height, is a rather impressive feat, particularly taking into account that he is, well, Potato and Xie Wanru is no sylphid. Moreover, he really does rather well on the upswing, applying a reasonable amount of force, certainly enough to get her to the required, if not particularly awe-inspiring level. What is surprising is that - when the scene is rewatched closely - it does seem like he actually manages to lock his grip and stop Wanru on the downswing, if only for a moment. What does get him is her fearful reaction; and even then he does manage to let her down in a controlled manner. Sadly, Potato’s attempt should be properly classified as a princess lift rather than a princess carry, since there is no actual carrying going on; this makes it hard to estimate his endurance.

Hotness: 1.4 points

The judging panel would like to notify all sundry that its opinions are meant to be devoid of any personal prejudices and as close to true objectivity as it is even possible. Which means that it must be admitted that there is something rather… warm about the pre- and post-carry playfulness exhibited by both parties, regardless of the momentary fear and panic shown during the latter half of the carry itself. Moreover, the general mood of the scene remains in place in spite of Potato’s incompetence and objective failure. Truly, it is a great pity we cannot see how any of Wanru’s maids might have reacted to Potato’s shenanigans. “It’s a rather lovely moment of marital playfulness,” says our expert, “one perhaps made even more spectacular by Potato’s failure to fulfill his original goal. And really, it does prove once and for all that potatoes should be served warm, not cold!”

Excellence: 0.8 points

It may not be quite fair to award points based on the sheer unexpectedness of ever seeing this particular carry, but there you have it. Objectively speaking, Potato’s sheer excitement and playfulness alone might have managed to win the judging panel over, but the fact that a root vegetable somehow managed to pull off a princess… lift is even more impressive.

Total score: 4.4 points

Number 6. Gatekeeper steps in for Zitan and carries Su Jin’er out of the dungeon – episode 57.

Style: 1.1 points

It is debatable whether there is much flair or artistry to this particular princess carry, despite it being executed in rather dramatic circumstances and in no less dramatic surroundings. However, that is not the purpose of this attempt; what Gatekeeper is actually meant to do is to conduct a rescue, which he certainly does in a rather professional, matter-of-fact manner. There is, however, one element to his behaviour, which may seem rather out of place; notice that he stops before Zitan in such a way that Su Jin’er’s legs actually bump into Prime Minister Wen. As to whether he does it on purpose, well, that certainly seems to be the case.

Technique: 2.9 points

That Gatekeeper is a surprisingly competent man, especially for an Imperial Mook. Not only does he manage to lift an unconscious Su Jin’er from a slumped, almost horizontal position, but he also attempts it while in full mail. What’s more, he does pretty well with arranging her in his arms despite her overall floppiness and then moves around tight spaces with no visible effort. As if that was not enough, he then carries her up a great number of very steep stairs and then, presumably, all the way to the palace proper. Really, the only thing one might find any problems with is Su Jin’er’s relatively low position in Gatekeeper’s arms, especially where her legs are concerned; and even that might be the result of trying to provide more support for her head.

Hotness: 0.6 points

While an unconscious Su Jin’er is unable to express any kind of reaction and even if it was not so, she would most probably act disappointed in the identity of her actual carrier, there is something very reassuring about the matter-of-fact manner in which this particular princess carry is executed. “Competence is something rather attractive, no matter its source,” says our expert, “and there is a certain romantic air about the idea of being literally carried out of danger.”

Excellence: 0.5 points

There is something to be said for a competent substitute, although this rather novel approach to princess carries might be not to everybody’s taste. And yet it spared us from having to watch Zitan making his own attempt, for which the judges are, for one, undeniably grateful.

Total score: 5.1 points

Number 5. Xiao Qi rescues Awu from the evils of excessive alcohol consumption – episode 13.

Style: 2 points

Never has there been a carry more utilitarian in purpose; Xiao Qi makes a decision to get his wife to bed and immediately executes it, no hesitation or half-measures needed nor wanted! And yet even then he cannot deny himself that one tiny show of flair on the upswing. Why, I do believe that at one point Awu’s knees are positioned higher than her head, if only for a moment!

Technique: 3 points

There is much to be admired about Xiao Qi’s technique; he manages to lift Awu up in one fluent move, using the considerable power of that upswing to position her in one go so well that it requires no further corrections. Which raises a question of where and when he might have learned to do that, seeing as it’s the very first attempt we see on-screen (somebody must have brought Awu back from the bridge, don’t you think?). Xiao Qi carries Awu all the way to bed, which may not be a great distance, but still a considerable one. Especially as she is out of it and thus unable to help support her own weight by holding onto his neck or shoulders, although she still tucks her arm in, stopping herself from achieving total floppiness.

Hotness: 1 point

Since Awu is out of it and Xiao Qi’s face is full of determination to get his wife to bed… but for altogether too innocent reasons, there is little that can be said for overall hotness of this scene. The only witness for whose reaction we might have hoped, namely Yuxiu, is also unconscious, which forces us to ask the experts for their opinion. “Somewhat hotter than lukewarm by the sheer force of Xiao Qi’s competence in executing that carry,” said I, nodding with great authority.

Excellence: 0.7 points

The judging panel remains in awe of the exceptional fluidity with which Xiao Qi manoeuvred Awu’s body into his arms.

Total score: 6.7 points

Number 4. Zilu starts celebrating Mi’er’s birthday in a very appropriate manner – episode 22.

Style: 2.4 points

From what little we can observe, Zilu, who is a rather artistic man on any given day, is no less artful when it comes to celebrating his beloved’s birthday. A proper princess carry is just the way to go; still, there remains a question of whether a planned and possibly rehearsed carry is just as good or maybe even better than an improvised one. Zilu’s is certainly planned, judging from the way he arranges himself in the doorway and then carries Mi’er through the entire courtyard, door-to-door. What is admirable is that he miraculously manages to deal with her very difficult dress; perhaps it could have been arranged better, for it does get somewhat bunched up… but it’s a good attempt nonetheless.

Technique: 2.1 points

Sadly, we have been robbed of seeing the actual lift, all thanks to Pang Gui the Inept Ninja. Still, there is much that can be assumed based on the prelude, which we do see, and the carry itself. Zilu’s stretched out hand is undoubtedly very steady, which speaks to his confidence in the subsequent maneuver. The carry itself is rather less steady – Mi’er seems to rest rather low and even sways at one point, although that can be excused since Zilu is climbing the stairs at that very moment. All the same, Mi’er does clutch onto him rather tightly with a fully functional grip.  And yes, Zilu does manage to climb a few stairs, which, together with the fact that he carries Mi’er through the entire courtyard, is a surprising feat for a Ma prince. Those, as you know, are not particularly known for their fitness.

Hotness: 2.2 points

It is rather hard to say what Zilu’s two servants might think about his princess carry, even if they do go to their knees. What is quite remarkable, on the other hand, is that Pang Gui stills for a good moment or two, seemingly for no other reason than to observe this great feat. Unfortunately, we do not see Mi’er’s face, although it is obvious from Zilu’s pre- and post-carry reaction that he at least must take great enjoyment from the very idea of surprising his lady in this manner. “There is a tangible promise of great enthusiasm and surprising endurance right in that princess carry,” says our expert, “which raises the temperature quite considerably.”

Excellence: 0.3 points

Not a memorable princess carry by any means; there is a reason why it was missing from the original list of contenders despite the rather unexpected carrier. Still, it is a birthday carry, which certainly makes it one of a kind.

Total score: 7 points

Number 3. Xiao Qi rescues Awu from the evils of lonely garden strolls  – episode 18.

Style: 2.7 points

Excellent handling of a rather difficult multi-layered dress on Xiao Qi’s part! Somehow he manages to lift Awu in such a way as to fan out all the layers for maximum aesthetic effect, while at the same time not leaving them to hang so low as to hinder his steps. The overall style is rather sentimental, which suits their surroundings, if not the occasion itself.

Technique: 2.1 points

The lift itself is not quite forceful enough to allow Xiao Qi to arrange his wife correctly on the first try; he does have to jostle her into position. Although this is pretty understandable, seeing as they go straight from an embrace to a full carry with no space to catch momentum in between. Awu is quite a helpful princess on this occasion, holding onto Xiao Qi’s shoulder with a solid, if not overly firm grip and bringing her head close to his chest, which redistributes her bodyweight in a rather helpful manner. The distance to their bed is presumably not that great, taking into account the general layout of the house, but it would still take more than a few steps to get there.

Hotness: 2.6 points

No witnesses to be had, but Awu seems properly impressed during the lift itself. In fact, there might have even been a tiny gasp! Once properly in the air, she shows proper appreciation as well as undeniable trust in the strength of her husband’s arms. Xiao Qi, on the other hand, may look rather restrained to an untrained eye; make no mistake, though, there is undeniable pride there and a not very subtle promise of things to come in form of a smile. “Trust,” says our expert, “is a very warm feeling in proper circumstances” and we concur heartily with this opinion.

Excellence: 0.5 points

There is little else to be said about this particular carry, although there is something truly remarkable about Awu’s helpfulness and utter trust; the judges hold an opinion that a proper carry is just like a tango – meant for two.

Total score: 7.9 points

Number 2. Xiao Qi bridal carries his princess of a bride to their chamber – episode 33.

Style: 3 points

There is masterful handling of clothes and then there are miracles. What Xiao Qi is doing on this occasion can be nothing but the latter; somehow he manages to execute a princess carry while managing his own floor-length ceremonial robes, Awu’s difficult dress with exceedingly long sleeves and a train as well as both of their trailing cloaks. All the while displaying this unwieldy finery to its full magnificence and somehow not landing on his face. Although he noticeably deploys no other dramatic gestures nor tricks except for some very touching and impressively prideful sweet-talk, so it seems like this miracle does require a lot of concentration. But do we really need additional bells and whistles in this case? The judges seem to hold a rather firm opinion on that matter: a bridal carry it is supposed to be and a bridal carry it is, for it really does not get any more bridal, at least not without some reality-shattering shenanigans.

Technique: 2.2 points

Unfortunately, we are again devoid of the opportunity to see the actual lift, which seems like a true pity, taking into account the probable level of difficulty caused by all this wedding finery. Once again Awu is being held rather high, although, to be fair, rather unsteadily – for Xiao Qi, that is, not unsteadily in a particularly dangerous or even visible manner. There is also the matter of her grip; this time Awu locks her hands around Xiao Qi’s neck, which might indicate the need for further support. It is hard to estimate the distance which they might have crossed as we do not know the starting point, but it must have been a rather considerable one and those robes cannot be light.

Hotness: 2.7 points

Having female attendants literally giggle once hit with the aura of overwhelming hotness should be proof enough that this princess carry is truly something special. If it is not, then there is always the look of undisguised manly pride on Xiao Qi’s face, only further affirmed by his words. “Few things can fan the flames quicker than a prime display of manly confidence,” confirms our expert, blushing violently, “as long, of course, as it does not cross over into toxic machoism. In this case we can feel absolutely safe, there is no doubt as to that.” The judging panel, however, decided to award a demerit for a visible lack of surety or excitement on Awu’s face; although caused by external matters, it does seem to retract from the overall mood.

Excellence: 1 point

I am sure that nobody can deny that this particular bridal carry is the most bridal of them all. There is literally no further height to strive for, as far as bridal carries are concerned.

Total score: 8.9 points

AND NOW FOR OUR NUMBER ONE PRINCESS CARRY...

Number 1. Xiao Qi cannot wait to give Awu all the children – episode 29.

Style: 3 points

There is showing off your wife’s beautiful clothes and there is just plain showing off your skills at the former. Xiao Qi shows himself to be the master of both, somehow allowing Awu’s train to hang very close to its full length and yet managing it in such a way that it doesn’t hinder his steps in the least. He also does it while seemingly paying no attention to his own steps, which takes it to a wholly different level, and while at that, he adds a lot of eye-contact and even a heartbreakingly gentle nuzzle. No wonder that towards the end we can observe a quietly triumphant look under all that manly confidence… and no wonder that this particular carry gets its very own rather dramatic music accompaniment.

Technique: 2.4 points

It is rather unfortunate that we were not able to observe the execution of the lift, although there is no doubt that it is was correct at the very least. What we do see, however, is that Awu is being held very high, which indicates an application of considerable force on the upswing, something that Xiao Qi has already proven himself to be more than capable of. At the same time, the difficulty of this particular carry is rather low due to a rather trifling distance as well as Awu helping quite a lot with how she holds her body and with that gentle, yet very solid grip. However, the judging panel is forced to admit that the steadiness of Xiao Qi’s hold is truly a sight to behold; it takes a true master in order to maintain such a minute face-to-face distance without touching and yet avoid any unpleasant bumps.

Hotness: 3 points

Never has there been a carry more deserving of an NC-17 rating. Even without the prelude there is no doubt whatsoever as to the purpose of this particular exercise; the look which Xiao Qi and Awu share speaks just as loudly as five full-blown kisses would have in any other circumstances. And a smouldering look is not the only thing they share: why, at one point they seem to share the same breath, which turns the chemistry up to unimaginable levels. At the same time, this scorching hotness is masterfully tempered by a sense of pure tenderness and intimacy, which causes the judging panel to bitterly regret their promise not to exceed the maximum score for any single component.

Excellence: 1 point

This princess carry really has everything that an ideal princess carry should have, which is undeniably a kind of excellence in itself. However, that is not what convinced the judges to award the highest number of points possible in this category, but rather the fact that more than one expert has pointed out this particular scene as the reason of their own imminent pregnancy, sometimes with twins or even triplets.

Total score: 9.4 points

[all the amazing gifs used in this list were provided by the ever-generous @storge​]

[shangyangjunzhu]

THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY VERY LONG POST AND I AM NOTIFYING Y’ALL

SPOILER ALERTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

a lot has happened and it is kind of hard for me to remember the sequence but i’ll go through it one by one

a) asu knows that su jin-er’s kid is not zitan’s; from what we’ve seen in the drama so far it can only be tattoo general

b) su jin-er gives birth and apparently it is quite evident that the kid is not zitan’s, which means zitan has no use for her anymore and he is about to kill her tell awu asks for su jin-er and he is like okay take her away

c) su jin-er thinks awu is gonna give her poison wine but it turns out that she isn’t and instead sends jin-er and her baby off to jiangnan to live the rest of their lives together

d) there is this very interesting conversation that takes place between awu and xiao qi about how he is willing to take revenge against everyone even awu’s family, and that kind of sets the tone for future episodes

e) nanny xu misses the grand princess and goes to the monastery and ends up seeing jing-er there and that’s when huaien offs her on wang lin’s command

f) awu goes to look for nanny xu but asu tells her that she wasn’t here (he knows, he saw it and he breaks down but you know he can’t go against daddy wang); xiao qi’s soldiers dig around the monastery to find nanny xu dead; awu is devastated and she is aware that it must have something to do with asu and she obviously like i can’t trust you anymore

g) huaien and yuxiu finally visit awu and xiao qi; difference is yuxiu is here to meet them; huaien is here to plot; he reveals evidence that it was indeed zitan who plotted against him using helan zhen. s/n yuxiu tells awu that she was better off in the yuzhang mansion and that she can’t talk with huaien at all and that she can’t seem to read his mind

h) xiao qi is ready with his troops to kill zitan but awu is like wait what’s going on and after he gives her the evidence she is like “zitan is still the emperor think about the people of the country and the mess it’s gonna create” and xiao qi notices the calm in her eyes and is like “you knew all along” ( which isn’t true she found only two episodes ago)

i) xiao qi is in the court with his army and he is on the verge of killing him but awu intervenes and basically stops from doing so but not without chopping off a block of wood from zitan’s throne; it is then that he leaves but not without awu sending him off by standing on the fortress and they nod to each other (ahhh my heart) and it is then a flashback is shown which may be hinting towards the fact that all of this was done so as to let xiao qi and the soldiers leave the city so as to find out who is plotting what and then come in.

j) zitan has this whole mope session about how xiao qi almost killed him and it is then that awu gives him a whole deal of reassurance that her zitan gege shouldn’t be that way and all (i skipped through it cuz it was just so boring)

k) now that xiao qi is out, daddy wang and co. are ready to put their plan into action and they do but not without yuxiu trying to stop huaien with every bit of might left in her by literally holding onto him but huaien flings her aside and tells her that she isn’t capable of stopping him.

i) they march into the palace and it is then that yuxiu is seen from a very high part of the palace, begging huaien to not continue and telling him how they would have nothing if it were not for awu and xiao qi. she also tells him that all they ever wanted when they were back in ningshuo was world peace and that he is trying to destroy it. she tells him that she could beg awu and the emperor to forgive him and that everything will be alright. huaien is like nope and he shoots an arrow right at her and barely misses probably to deter her. but in this moment yuxiu is like so you want me dead and JUMPS OFF THE BUILDING. I kid you not he does not even go to her ; he has this little scream and his eyes just dilate and then he is like keep going. hu yao, who was left behind by xiao qi to protect awu, sees huaien and rages at him trying to kill him but ends up getting killed instead.

l) they charge and awu is like i am gonna get you out of here safely zitan and tries to use the secret passage but guess what that has been infiltrated as well. so they have no choice but to go to throne room where all the soldiers are there and daddy wang makes his epic entry shocking awu and zitan.

m) daddy wang sits on the throne and is like hahah i made it and awu is like this seat isn’t for you and threatens to kill herself the same way the grand princess did and wang lin is terrified and tries to stop her, which he does but now song huaien is like haha i am gonna be the new king now and he is like get daddy wang out of here.

n) he goes to awu and says xiao qi is useless, be with me, i am useful and pulls out the hairpin she asked huaien to give xiao qi on the day of their wedding and gives it to her. awu slaps him and is like get the fuck out of my face

o) xiao qi comes to the rescue and shoots an arrow at huaien and it is then that he reveals that he never really left and that he has known all long about him being a traitor it’s just that he never knew for whom and it is then that huaien gets up and brandishes his sword saying he did it for himself only for him to injured by a couple of spears. he says a bunch of stuff that i didn’t understand and then he dies. xiao qi breaks down and wails (oh god i cried)

p) awu finds wang lin and they have a really emotional conversation and then he dies right in front of awu.

q) awu, xiao qi, asu and caiwei are seen walking together after a brief time skip and awu tells asu that they plan on leaving the capital and going back to ningshuo, which asu tries to convince them against but realizes they are at peace there. yuxiu’s kid is shown playing with awu’s other adopted children and awu is seen crushed at how yuxiu left behind her child without even giving the kid a name. awu entrusts asu to caiwei and ask them to live a happy life. asu and awu part emotionally and awu and xiao qi leave for ningshuo.

r) zitan steps down from being the emperor and i assume jing-er is placed on the throne with asu acting as the regent.

s) awu and xiao qi are shown in ningshuo with dozens of kids and their friends from hulan assembling a map of cheng and letting their adopted daughter jump on various locations in the map the same way awu did when she was younger. awu is pregnant and they talk about how they want to watch all of their adopted kids and now their kid grow up happily

closing thoughts:

- i loved how they depicted the impact of the greed for power. wang lin, the dowager, huaien, potato, wanru are all dead and the reason lied in their insatiable greed. unfortunately collateral damage takes place too as seen with the hu siblings and yuxiu.

- i will be forever mad at how yuxiu died but jin-er is still alive; i mean i understand how awu still cared for jin-er despite her treachery and i know yuxiu wanted nothing to do with huaien and his evil ways and that she would rather die than be complicit with him but still i am so sorry yuxiu baby you deserved way better

- i do like the fact that the whole show off between awu and xiao qi was actually a secret plot; they’re good actors ngl

- i can see that a bunch of stuff has been cut off because the flow isn’t very clear but that’s forgivable as i know a bunch of stuff was cut down

- the dowager die btw like i don’t even care

- the happy ending was all i ever wanted!!!!!

- it’s confirmed; monarch industry takes the place of #2 on my list and will probably not move down further any time soon.

if you’re still here throw a comment so that we can share our feelings!

[skullsandwineglasses]

The Rebel Princess - Final Review (SPOILERS)

I tend to be quite critical right after I watch the finale of a drama since emotions are high, so my review might be a little harsh. My feelings might simmer over the next few days while I digest things, but for now, I’ll break down my impressions into 3 parts: The “Good”, The “Didn’t Make Sense”, and The “Could Have Been Better”. 

The “Good” 

The final scene. That’s the first immediate good thing that comes to mind. That’s probably the only good thing tbh. To be clear, these last 5 episodes weren’t bad. Everyone got their comeuppance, our leads live happily ever after, and Wang Su finally sees the light and goes against Daddy Wang by saving baby Jing’er. But, there were quite a number of things that frustrated me while watching. 

I will note one other good thing, which is that we got to see our favourite OTP act out a show to misdirect the rebels in hiding and lure them out. We finally get to see our leads collaborating and putting their smarts together! But, this meant that they had to separate again for the millionth time in this drama. And even though it was just an act, the fake confrontation scene between them still stung. As a trashy romantic, I wish we got to see more scenes of them together, especially towards the end of the drama. 

The “Didn’t Make Sense”

But because we finally get to see them work together, I wished we got to see more scenes with them plotting together. This is the first time that they’re working together to uncover a political plot, and yet it’s only relegated to one short conversation scene between them after Awu returns from meeting with her brother who refuses to tell her who’s behind the scenes pulling the ropes. 

ALSO, the drama never really addressed how Xiao Qi kind of handwaved Zitan’s involvement in the Neem Yu Shan plot. How did Xiao Qi go from “I need to have vengeance for my betrayed fallen soldiers” to “I need to help uncover the plot against the crown”. It’s kind of implied that Awu might have already told Xiao Qi about the truth before Song Huaien does, but the drama never makes that clear because we never see that scene if there was one. If Xiao Qi learns about the truth from Song Huaien first, does he then talk about to Awu? Again, we don’t know because it’s never shown to us. Instead, right after we see him learn about it from Huaien, it then immediately cuts to the confrontation scene with Awu. BUT, since this confrontation scene was revealed to be planned by them, it means that they’ve already discussed the Zitan problem in private beforehand, and Xiao Qi already knows that Awu knows, but we never see this conversation. It’s also revealed that they’ve long been suspicious of Huaien, but when did this suspicion start? Again, we don’t see this conversation. We just have to guess. 

This is just one example of how these last 5 episodes made it VERY obvious where scenes were deleted. A lot of scenes were cut abruptly where one scene would suddenly cut to the next, and you kind of had to infer what happened between those scenes. Things still made sense and you could still follow along, but you could tell that they cut out scenes that would have helped flesh things out and make the transitions smoother.

Villains: Nearly every villain in the drama (Jin’er, Zitan, and Song Huaien) turned back into their “good” old selves again during their downfall. And because of this, it made the finale of the drama pretty underwhelming. Jin’er expressed how she misses the old days to Awu and calls Awu one of the most important people in her life, Zitan sees the light and promises to yield the throne to his nephew and face punishment for his actions, and Song Huaien uses his last dying breath to ask Xiao Qi to take him back to Ning Shuo and how he doesn’t want to be in the capital anymore (when he literally has an arrow to the heart while sitting on the throne he just stole). These characters take an abrupt 180 degree turn when they’ve been blind with envy and hatred for most of the drama. Just moments ago they were shooting daggers out of their eyes, and then suddenly they regret everything they’ve done. Their downfall felt too easy, and their redemption felt even easier and unearned. And Awu forgives all of them (as expected). When she pitied Zitan, I was like, girl, he doesn’t deserve your pity. I get that she needs him to sober up in order to discourage the rebels, but still. He had his own brother killed and tried to have her husband killed. Instead she consoles him like a lost puppy. I know that Awu’s a saintly character, and I’ve talked about the virtues of her character before, but sometimes I wish she’d be a little less saintly. 

I think Daddy Wang’s final scene fit most well with his character. He’s defeated, but doesn’t entirely express regret for his actions. Which makes sense for his character. He’s never doubted his decisions all throughout the drama, so why would he start now. Even when Awu asks him if he ever loved her mother, he doesn’t answer her. Instead, he deflects the question back to her to ask if she loves Xiao Qi or Zitan, which is such a laughable question. How is Zitan even still considered a potential love interest for Awu at this point? In response, Awu tells him “此愛非彼愛”. Which I’m still trying to interpret?? To directly translate it, it would translate to “this love is not (comparable to?) love”. I’m having trouble interpreting  非 彼. 非彼 means “not comparable to”. Is Awu saying that this love isn’t comparable to another love? Is she saying that this love isn’t considered love? Love for whom? Is she taking about her love for Xiao Qi and how it’s not considered “love”. Does she mean what she feels for him is more than love, or different from love? Or, does she mean her past love for Zitan isn’t love? Why is her response so vague? Her dad asks her if she loves Xiao Qi or Zitan, and she instead gives him such a dense, poetic response. Maybe my mandarin isn’t up to par to translate these historical dialogues, so I’ll be curious to see how the subs translate this line. Anyway, in the end, Awu asks her father if he would agree to being buried next to her mother, and after ignoring the question for a bit, he finally says that he wants to be buried next to her.

The treatment of women: The Elder Princess and Yu Xiu both sacrificed themselves in hopes of getting their loved ones to stop rebelling. And then Awu pulls the same move with her father in order to remind him what her mother had done in hopes of stopping him. And this was after we see Hu Yao and Nanny Xu needlessly die in the previous episodes. So all these female deaths and sacrifices made it feel like the female characters in the drama are disposable and can be easily killed off by the writers. It just didn’t really sit well with me that on 3 instances in this drama, a female character tries to use herself as leverage against a male character who’s about to commit treason. I’m also still not over Hu Yao’s death at the hands of Song Huaien, and we never get to see a proper burial for her because she’s a minor character, so the drama couldn’t be bothered to show it. The Dowager Empress also had a very anticlimactic end. She was such a major player pre-episode 50, and then suddenly she was bedridden and only heard about palace news from her maid and wasn’t able to exert much influence over the court. It was a little disappointing that we don’t get to see her wield any of her old power again after episode 50.

The “Could Have Been Better”

This might be unpopular opinion but, I think Awu and Xiao Qi kind of lost their spark in the last couple of episodes, or at least, it’s more subtle now. Probably because the plot was focused on bigger things, which I understand. These are the final episodes after all. They’re also a long-married couple now, they don’t need to constantly reaffirm their love to us. And the final scene was sweet, so I shouldn’t be complaining, but I wish we got more scenes of them alone together. I said this in a reply on another post, but their sexual tension peaked during the early episodes of the drama. It’s too bad we don’t see that level of chemistry again.

Something that I found funny was how we see Awu stand next to Zitan by the throne twice to protect him. The setup was almost exactly the same between the two scenes where Awu stands to his right. It was like the writers couldn’t figure out a new configuration for how to block the scene. The first time was during the “pretend confrontation” with Xiao Qi, and the second time was against Huaien. I just felt the the repeat setup of this scene was kind of boring and uncreative to watch. It was like the writers couldn’t come up with another way to stage a potential rebellion, so we’ll just have Zitan be cornered around on the throne twice. 

Also, Huaien wanting to suddenly take the throne and also Awu as his Empress? First of all, I don’t understand why people, who don’t have the approval of the masses, always want to become Emperor. Do they not realize that by forcibly seizing power, you’re going to lose it just as quickly because no one likes you and they’ll try to take you down? I have the same criticism for Daddy Wang and Zitan. But does Huaien think that he has enough military power to become Emperor? And unlike Daddy Wang, Huaien doesn’t have any significant political impact over the lords. Also, does he think that Xiao Qi would just never come back? Second, him asking Awu to become his wife? We don’t really see him feeling tortured over his affection for Awu again since his wedding with Yu Xiu, and now suddenly, years later, it’s revealed that he still yearns for her? And he declares his love right after stabbing her dad? I mean, writers, please. I know you want to create drama, but it has to make sense.

To be honest, I’ve always found Huaien’s character arc a little hard to believe. He’s such a noble character for the first third of the drama, and then it’s revealed that he’s always secretly harboured a greedy side. A side that craves status and recognition. He then downward spirals into this monster who kills nannies and female comrades and wants to be emperor. We see small hints of his desire for the throne, like when he eyes Daddy Wang’s tailor-made royal robes. But this desire is not fleshed out enough. Huaien’s arc could have worked, but because the drama didn’t focus enough on his internal struggle at the beginning since he isn’t the main character, the change felt abrupt. I don’t know how the book handled it, so I can’t speak to that. 

Things just escalate so quickly in this drama. I can now see AvenueX’s criticisms about the political plot of this drama and how it looks like it could have be written by a 10 year old. The writers seem to want to make things as surprising as possible, while also using a lot of old tropes that it becomes predictable. It’s very unrealistic. And the villains’ motivations and ambitions seem limitless. It felt like anyone could lay claim to the throne. 

The political scheming in this drama has never impressed me, so I suppose that I shouldn’t be surprised that these last few episodes were just as lukewarm. The problem with the political plot of this drama is that there were no smart characters except Daddy Wang. It’s just a bunch of drama queens(TM) who want power, but do a poor job of thinking things through. 

The highlight of the drama was the romance, which was a huge surprise since I didn’t start watching this drama for the romance. And yet, despite the romance being the highlight, the OTP is constantly being separated, and we barely got to see them together in the last few episodes. And the scenes that they did have together in these last few episodes weren’t memorable. If anything, their chemistry kind of fell apart during these episodes because we barely see them communicate directly with each other. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’d still recommend this drama just for the leads alone. You don’t see that kind of chemistry in idol dramas, and I don’t know when we’ll be able to see this level of acting between two well-matched actors in dramas again. Watching them is almost like a once-in-a-life-timeline thing. However, I think the average viewer might become frustrated with Awu halfway through. The drama’s also very bingeable (in fact it should be binged, instead of dragged on for almost 2 months). I think I would have enjoyed more if I watched all the episodes at once, instead of waiting for episodes as they came out every week, which meant that while waiting, I started to pick apart little issues that I had with the drama. 

[tomorrowsdrama]

Oh Huaien, you really shouldn’t have married her and dragged her into a doomed loveless marriage.  My best girl Yuxiu deserves better than that!

Looks like Huaien likes to hear his name called out as much as Ji Ye from Novoland Eagle Flag likes to shout his own name.

Man, he’s really piling on the alcohol to try to forget that he’s not marrying Awu.

That’s nice and everything but Yuxiu, I’m going to need you to leave his ass if he ever betrays Xiao Qi.  Do NOT go down with that ship.  Also, Awu already has one maid betraying her for unrequited dick, she doesn’t need another.  

Oof, that is not the face you should be making on your wedding night.  The tragic thing is, I think Huaien actually liked Yuxiu.  But the problem is, he’s madly in love with Awu. My poor girl Yuxiu.  

So Huaien sets out to leave to deal with the floods and plague (the next day?) and remember all of those epic and emotional good byes Awu and Xiao Qi always had before they separated?  You know, the ones where they embraced each other tightly and demonstrated to all the troops how much they loved each other?

All Yuxiu gets is a nice bro pat on the shoulder and then Huaien is out of there.  I’m sure this was done on purpose to show the parallels and differences between the two couples.

Sigh, but my man does look good in his armor and high ponytail, I can’t deny that.

Oh my poor girl Yuxiu x2

[guzhufuren]

I don't know if I am alone in this. I know the series is in Xiaobao's pov mostly and he's a bit unable to see the bad in people, but Im a bit frustrated that a lot of viewers seem to see Suyin as the good guy when I also find him slimey and manipulative.

Like Huaien is toxic af but he is pretty open and upfront about who he is as a person. He displays his emotions rather openly with Xiaobao (including the rage lol)

Suyin is all smiles and good intentions, he meams the best but has also been constantly lying to Xiaobao, manipulating him, taking credit for things he didn't do. I see him distill information to people around him in a way that benefits him and how he sees is best. He leaves very little agency to Xiaobao, has his friends and family lie to him or hide the truth (i was scandalised when jinbao took Suyin's side as opposed to Xiaobao and participated in hiding the truth. I know he's a little dumb but i thought loyalty would outweigh this). He never gives him a big picture and lets him make choices for himself. He is VERY controlling in a way that I find more extreme than Huaien?

He has a nicer attitude and would not physically hurt xiaobao but I find him just as toxic, just in a different way? He doesn't grab Xiaobao by the neck but he does create an invisible cage for him to stay in (I am not talking about staying inside because of the poison, i mean he controls him in more subtle ways in general). He has to deal with difficult situations regarding xiaobao but he does it in a way that excludes xiaobao from having control.

Suyin has the best intentions but damn his methods are infuriating. Xiaobao is just "lucky" he's on Suyin's good side.

That being said, Huaien is far from better as a person. They're fucked up in different ways. But yeah I just am a bit irked by slimey Suyin.

The only person who gave him agency while he was at Suyin's was the doctor.

that's interesting!! i don't agree with all, but with some parts i do, lemme get in this

i don't think Su Yin is slimey or manipulative. in my eyes he is a man in power in a period setting, which right away makes it impossible for him to be a good guy, he is kind of righteous but with some wrong ways about it. he loves his family deeply and Jins are absolutely a part of his family

i haven't been able to see any romantic feelings between Su Yin and Xiaobao at all, ever, i see them as a possessive older brother and his little brat didi, who were all at each other's throats in first episodes but now that shit hit the fan they are keeping close and became nicer, as it usually is with with siblings in real life who have this kind of relationship dynamic

so the thing about Su Yin is that he cares about his didi deeply and wants him to be happy. and when Huaien came in the picture he first became a bit possessive and concerned, then when Xiaobao got hurt he turned into "break up with your goddamn abusive boyfriend, i will kill him for you" bestie. he means well, but he has a very narrow picture of Huaien and doesn't know everything about their relationship. to him it's all about protecting Xiaobao from a toxic relationship that he thinks is already over (and killing Huaien in return for Shaoyu's flower, two birds with one stone)

at the moment i'm "friendship with Su Yin is over" even if he is a hot ass daddy at all times, but i believe he will get back on my good side in next episodes

[bats-after-dark]

It just awakened something in me, okay??? It came to me. For some reason I keep wanting to make Huaien degrade Xiaobao a little as a treat but it's really hard to achieve without making everyone sad and weird in the process, but is it really even degradation if it's on the basis that Xiaobao loves Huaien's dick too much to fulfill his marital duties and is simply too perfect to fuck? Is it? If we want to add weird genderplay into the mix we can have Huaien "complain" about how everyone is telling him he should be eating for two by now, they’re asking intrusive questions in nosy older relative style, and Xiaobao has two wolves inside him, because he wants to perform, he really does, but maybe he also feels empty in the way only Huaien can fix. What can they do, filthy cumplay acrobatics really is the only way, I'm afraid.

Xiaobao deserves a little a degradation as a treat!!! I think it's difficult bc there are probably kinds of degradation that we could pull off in a fic at Length with enough emotional structuring around it for context, but here in the shorthand of INBOX SCREM they just come off as kind of sad? (Not you, impactplay, you're in depressing bummer jail.) UGH this is just me justifying that I could find a way to write Huaien calling Xiaobao a whore and have it be hot and not fucking depressing. I will Find A Way.

is it really even degradation if it's on the basis that Xiaobao loves Huaien's dick too much to fulfill his marital duties and is simply too perfect to fuck? Is it?

I AM SCREAMING. i mean this is exactly what Huaien hisses into Xiaobao's ear, right? in between desperately fucking him like someone might make him stop. obviously we're going for the genderplay!!! obviously Xiaobao's beautiful wife is complaining about how he can't give Xiaobao an heir like this. the Jin line is going to end because Xiaobao is too desperate to get fucked to do his husbandly duty and fuck Huaien properly. (he is not allowed to fuck Huaien properly.*) at some point, I feel like Huaien escalates this into sniping at Xiaobao that he isn't allowed to come unless he's inside of Huaien, which, well, good luck with that, buddy. so really, Xiaobao is just sort of doomed to fail.

oh, no, okay, so taking this idea to its absolute limit (behold the orgasm denial train! leaving the station!), Huaien refuses to let Xiaobao finish, period. he is tracking down an ancient Chinese cock ring (inventing if necessary; I believe in his ingenuity) and putting them to vicious use. won't touch Xiaobao's cock during sex, won't let him touch himself, just slaps his hands away. he gets bitchy when eventually Xiaobao comes anyway because it's not like Huaien has stopped fucking him regularly or existing in his general vicinity and Xiaobao is only human. he is only a man!! I'm stuck on what the punishment would be for this because it can't be Xiaobao not getting fucked since that just rebounds on Huaien. or maybe it can? idk that is. hm. hm. yes ok i could be into that. THOUGHTS??

*he might do it anyway.

[bats-after-dark]

XIAOBAO WHIMPERING WIFE, the man has a wife kink, it's essentially canon and this point. And yes to buying Huaien everything! That he doesn't even need! Because all Huaien needs to be content is to be at Xiaobao's side, but I can so well see him become overwhelmed by the general indulgence of it, like what do you mean he's not only getting what he needs to stay alive, but love and all of these extras too? (Also, Xiaobao should lovingly suck him off while he's dressed as the wife, you know, just by pushing the robes aside a little. No need to undress for that.)

I have a lot of thoughts about painplay! But they’re very undefined. I think there's a lot of potential, but that things could be complicated because of Xiaobao's whumpy past, and I think it was implied that he was left with some chronic pain he needs medication for. Idk why my sex vault fodder is getting emotional again, but it would probably mean a lot of him if he got a break from all that and it was Huaien giving him the pain, in moderation of course. But I don’t have any clearer ideas.

Xiaobao desperate to get on his knees and suck his wife off! Yes!!!! He is not getting Huaien to their bedroom; everyone is just going to have to deal with possibly walking in on them in any possible room, hidden in an alcove AT BEST. (Huaien finds all the gifts kind of overwhelming and weirdly emotional. At first he’s convinced it’s performative, some kind of guilt from Huaien giving up being emperor and Xiaobao having yelled at him, like, two times. No, nope, Xiaobao is just a wife guy.)

Speaking of taking a hard right turn into feelings town, I do think Huaien gets incredibly emotional abt all the little gifts. No one has ever gifted him anything without strings attached before. Even Xiaobao’s early gifts were effectively meant to win Huaien over. But these are just…gifts because Xiaobao loves him.

Ohhhhh, painplay as pain that Xiaobao has control over! As a way of exerting control over his body and also a certain surrender to Huaien, knowing that he will take care of him and he’ll feel better afterward. Mmm, I can see it! (And also just sometimes smacking Xiaobao’s ass while Huaien is fucking him for the hell of it. XD)

[bats-after-dark]

Sorry for flooding your inbox, this is my last scream to the void of this batch because alright, genderplay. Wife top Huaien, yes. The thought is making me malfunction a little and most likely Xiaobao too. Even though it's something Huaien would probably do for Xiaobao and to please him, I think he would be terribly, terribly into it as well, because of all the devotion of it and also because he's jealous of Xiaobao's earlier "wives." Do we get to see Huaien making Xiaobao say that none of his earlier wives or wives to be have pleased him like Huaien has? Do we get a heady cocktail of sugary sweetness and possessiveness?? What do you see?

You also mentioned pain play earlier. I am intrigued.

I’m incredibly weak for a wife top!!! And Xiaobao is so insistent that Huaien is his wife and I am NOT OKAY ABT IT. Jin furen!!! Huaien is family now and he belongs to Xiaobao and Huaien feels some kind of way about that.

You just know that Huaien is relitigating every single prior proposal. Is he more beautiful than those women? Does Xiaobao wish he were married to those women? Does Huaien fuck Xiaobao better than them? (Xiaobao did not in fact fuck any of the women he tried to marry, but he’s telling Huaien that Huaien is a better lay anyway bc Xiaobao wants to live.)

As for Xiaobao, he’s activated A Wife is Meant to be Cherished mode. He tries to buy Huaien so much jewelry Huaien won’t even wear. New hair pieces!! New robes!!! Huaien has to try all the local delicacies he’s never been allowed to try. He will experience luxury at Xiaobao’s hands OR ELSE.

Su Yin: you will spoil him.

Xiaobao: yes :) yes I hope so. :))

Which makes Huaien ABSOLUTELY BONKERS. He has lived his entire life in weird loveless austerity and now this shit and sorry but he’s going to have to go ravish Xiaobao in a convenient side room bc he’s having big emotions and he needs to process them by bending Xiaobao over something. But also I am just obsessed with Xiaobao whimpering wife while Huaien fucks him.

I don’t remember exactly what I was thinking with painplay! My first guess is some kind of impact play? Or overstimulation? I tend to lean into the eroticism of pain in general, so I might’ve just been trying to get a general temperature check on my bullshit. 🫣

[bats-after-dark]

HI FIC ANON. okay so here is my incredibly ramshackle solution!! no one follows me here so I can scream freely. and you can send me asks here too of course.

I aaaaaaaaam also having more... thoughts that are on the harder side, maybe, about the special married jingles and all that entails. I haven't even opened the pandora's box of the show's portayal of aphrodisiacs, coma, and whatnot, like, what about consensual somnophilia, how do we feel about THAT? This is the kind of stuff that makes me wish myatb had a bigger fandom and more widespread kinky content like some other BLs do. And I don’t only want that, obviously, I love my fluff too, I just think my sense of fluff may be a bit atypical. And yes, as you can see, still on anon.

I’m so desperate for kinkier content!! Idk my other fandom rn is also less interested in that, which is fine, EXCEPT THAT I HAVE TO FEED MYSELF. I feel like myatb is tiny enough that this may remain The Situation, alas.

Re somno, my first thought was the obvious one bc we all know that Xiaobao craves being pushed around, BUT. BUT. what if they have a conversation about this and Huaien comes away from it with the assumption that Xiaobao wants him to fuck him awake sometime, sure, which fits with all the other games they play—except then Huaien startles awake in the middle of the night from a vivid dream and he realizes that Xiaobao is riding him bc he woke up feeling needy and Xiaobao is allowed! he got permission! and Huaien is both desperately turned on by his husband fucking himself on his dick in the middle of the night bc he couldn’t wait and couldn’t be bothered to wake him up AND weirdly emotional abt it bc in that little spaghetti brain of his this is a demonstration of love and devotion that proves that Xiaobao needs him! really loves him! Xiaobao is not just putting up with him!!!

anyway as you see I kind of can’t be remotely normal abt this and that is why I can’t reply on the main timeline.