#I love xia yan so much

[actualbird]

Random thought. Pyromaniac Luke. Except he's trying to hide those pyromaniac tendencies and the NXX figured it out on day one because Artem mentioned a problem and Luke immediately went "we could burn it down" "that's a person" "oh"

as a luke kinnie who has pryomaniac tendencies, this ask is the PERFECT TO ME

i love this. i love luke having a probably unhealthy obsession with fire and starting fires. i like to think that this trait would be funniest if it didnt start during his NSB days (which wld seem logical) but INSTEAD began when he was a wee child experimenting with matches and stuff. and oh, mc's parents were horrified at the normally well-behaved lukey setting fire to scraps of paper in their backyard.

luke: isnt it cool?

mc: i dunno, i dont get it

luke, fire reflecting in his eyes uncannily: it's so pretty

mc's parents barging in with a fire extinguisher: NOPE NOPE NOPE

in high school, he probably bought a lighter from a convenience store and mc nearly had a heartattack because she thought he started smoking but no. no, what he was up to was more bizarre. he'd just watch the flame flicker. it was oddly calming to him

when he reached his NSB days, he probably solved a lot of missions with explosives. and it worked, the explosives were Productive At Achieving The Mission's Purpose, but aaron probably found it super weird how gung-ho luke always was at setting things ablaze, especially when luke would linger at sites on fire just to watch things go up in flames.

aaron: when there is a FIRE you are supposed to GET AWAY FROM IT

luke: but it's so nice being around fire :(

aaron: there is something wrong with you that even i cant fix (affectionate)

and now, at the NXX Team. im screaming at luke suggesting to set a PERSON on fire. unhinged. on brand for him. but now that he's re-assimilated into normal society and no longer has access to NSB explosives, he doesnt have an outlet!! the pyromaniac in him is scratching at the walls of his skull!!!

artem, trying to be supportive but also Not down on setting people on fire: why don't we have a team barbecue? you can man the grill

luke, bad at cooking but good at fire: SWEET

the barbecue he grills is rather....charred. but he had fun, and thats what matters to the team

[xelasrecords]

Vyn takes no prisoner in the Bakerlon event he just keeps attacking everyone UNPROMPTED

[yyeojj]

happy 1000 days of tears of themis !!

[natsumiheart]

Ever since I met you.

…Hello world! Lmao

Hi, I'm Natsumi, and I'm wondering who is even reading this but if you are, welcome to a very long post about how I got into Tears of Themis, how it helped me through such a hard time, and how I ended up falling in love with a certain detective.

I made this post for an event on hoyolab but I’m posting it here too in my trashcan! I already wanted to have a post documenting this online just for myself, even if in the future I cringe while reading it, I can look back and remember the emotions I felt through the year. I also wanted to share it with the world so that maybe people will feel like me, or come to appreciate this character that I love so much as much as I do. (you’re free to reblog btw!)

Warning: This post is mostly about Luke!

It contains spoilers about some Luke cards and some spoilers for his Blossom Chapter. There are small scenes from episodes 2 and 5 of main story as well. Oh, and Artem and Luke 2nd anniversary cards.

If you are here because you’re interested in learning or reading more about Luke and do not care much for the rest, I recommend the interlude, part 6, and The end: part 1. The other parts also talk about Luke and his stories but those are the most important in my opinion.

Due to Tumblr’s 30 image per post limit, this will be divided into 3 parts, each part added with a reblog.

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Index because this post ended up incredibly long so here are the parts laid out to read anything you’re interested in!

> Part 1: Introduction

(How did I learn about this game?)

> Part 2: Contact

(Getting the game)

> Part 3: The Beginning

(Starting the game and first impressions lol)

> Part 4: Falling

(FOR LUKE AHAH)

> Interlude: Luke Pearce’s Fear

> Part 5: Obsession

(How and why did this obsession start?)

> Part 6: Reflection

(Thinking back on Luke’s personality that attracted me)

> The end: Memories

(Extra memorable moments)

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Part 1: Introduction

I play Genshin (shocker) and I have some online friends who play it as well, so when Tears of Themis came out globally since it's made by Hoyoverse as well, most people who played genshin went to check it out. I discovered Tears of Themis through those people, and I was recommended the game by my online friends.

What was my response?

“I have no phone storage.” AAHAHAH, yes. I'm not a day one player. I only started during the second anniversary because back when the game came out despite being interested I could not play because I did not have any device that could handle the game. My phone could not handle Genshin's size either, it's not compatible to begin with- I played Genshin on the PlayStation [emoji]

However I did not forget about the game, I was just hoping that somehow one day, a miracle will happen and I will be able to play mobile games like other people LOL but what are the odds of that happening?... Well, a miracle happened 2 years later.

Bonus: I had a little beef at the time with Artem because I kept thinking drawings of him were actually of Jumin who is a very well written character I love like crazy from mystic messenger since 2016 BWAHAHA

Every masterpiece.. has its cheap copy.. IM JKJK PUT THAT KNIFE DOWN AHAHA

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Part 2: Contact

So one day I was visiting my aunt's house and met my cousin's acquaintance. I met the guy for like.. only 2 hours and during those hours my cousin told him about how I draw digitally but I have been drawing on an 8 year old phone that stays alive for like 30 mins at a time AHHAHA

The guy was like “That's it, I'm getting you an iPad to draw on.” I laughed, thinking he was joking- but then 2 days later I received TWO iPads, one for me and one for my little sister! W t f. Angels do exist on earth? And I was never able to thank him in person because he's a busy guy who only visited my village and I never saw him again o.o

Can you guess what I started doing when I got it? Download a bunch of games I wanted to try throughout the years but couldn't! Among them was Tears of Themis. My house didn't have the best Internet and had a couple hours of electricity a day so I downloaded it very slowly at my aunt's house.

I remember so clearly about how I sat next to my sister as I was downloading the game, and it started playing the second anniversary promotion video since it was starting during that time. At first I was like “aww, they proposing!” but suddenly things turned spicy and I almost dropped the iPad from my hand HAHA.

I did not know what to expect going into this game because I stayed away from spoilers and videos about it since I knew I wanted to get into it myself one day (I was interested in the main story). It made me sad too to be honest because I wanted to play it but couldn't, so I avoided it for years.

I however, did not expect at all that the game would get THAT spicy LMAO my sister noticed my reaction and she was like “What's up?” And I was like “you cannot see this” though she is older than the game’s age rating AHAHHA

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Part 3: The beginning

I was so excited getting into this game! When I started I was incredibly hooked to the main story, and at the time.. hear this.. I had a bias towards Artem because he looked like Jumin AHAHA

I was honestly more interested though in the main story than the boys, because the boys didn't make me feel much at the time- I do not have a “love at first sight” I never had that kind of experience for real life people or fictional people. (Anyone can experience it, and that's valid! It's just for me personally that never happens.)

After knowing characters and learning more about them, that's when sometimes- I fall in love with them as a character, they end up giving me so much happiness just seeing them, they give me comfort.. And they fill up my sketchbooks HAHA is this love romantic? Usually no, that's very rare!

I did not feel much for Artem (turns out the only thing he and Jumin have in common were their looks and being socially awkward, shocker-) but I had a little interest that led to me pulling for his second anniversary card when I started being able to wish. I lost- and got a standard Artem, but then I won and got his card LMAO you can get a lot of wishes starting off. However I was doing the stories of the standard SRs, along with the main story and someone.. someone was warming up a lot to my heart.

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Part 4: Falling

The boys were all very interesting and lovely characters! (The NPCs as well!!)

Artem, despite how he comes off at work, is actually just a shy guy who is bad at communication outside of work.

Vyn is actually a very interesting and well written character being very different than the rest of the cast due to his unique upbringing (honestly? His family feels like a cult, bro literally is running from a cult) and you learn more about his own psychology the more you get to know him.

Marius is literally just an artist who wants to chase the life he wants but is hindered by responsibility and his position.

And Luke- Luke stole my heart LOL

First off, he's a detective and I've already confessed online to having a thing for detectives by a drawing- that starting since I was a kid and I watched detective conan🧍‍♀️his introduction chapter.. was very interesting. It was literally the first episode, Rosa clearly knows and cares about this character right off the bat you're like hmm? What was this guy doing for 8 years? Why did he show up now after so long? Almost making him suspicious even. But he and Rosa seemed so close despite it all.

After that Luke had started showing up in the story here and there, a moment that made me go “ohh.. what a cool guy.” Was when after Marius’ case in episode 2, he shows up on a bike like “get in we outta here” and saved her from all the reporters.

His theme plays at this scene.. my heartttt

Revealing he'd been watching her and the case from afar and was literally waiting for her to get out and get her away.

I started reading the standard SRs, the first one I did was “Among the great blue” which honestly I recommend everyone doing again because I bet you all do not remember Luke saying this about Jellyfish

The card made me go *the rock eyebrow raise* GAHAH and at the time I was all innocent, not knowing anything about what Luke was going through, so when Rosa woke up and did not find him sleeping next to her (after she invaded where he's supposed to be sleeping lmao) and Luke was hunched over like “I'm fine I just accidentally swallowed gum lol” I actually believed him 💀 there were signs, but it would fly over a player's head until things are revealed ON THE FIRST FREAKING ACT OF HIS PERSONAL STORY and suddenly everything makes sense. Wow.

When I started personal story, I was just starting it because starting all of them is part of the “Rookie tasks” event you get when you start the game. Only to be punched in the gut immediately.

This is LITERALLY what you’re greeted with when you start his story 💀

I was starting to warm up to this guy and you're telling me.. he's sick and planning to leave us.. omg.

I got to choose one limited SR from the Rookie event, and I thought Luke looked adorable so I picked his card "A star in the palm" and the story.. omg that card, I'm weak. Everyone needs to see it, READ IT!

It’s illegal to be BOTH handsome and adorable smh

After that I started WANTING to do more Luke stories so I did the other standard SRs “Radiant Sunlight”, “Timely Rescue”, “Inner Sanctum”. They were all so good, my favorite being Inner Sanctum for how much it messed with my heart.

Dude is literally falling and he STILL makes sure to protect her.

I- was dying. I started pulling for Luke's anniversary card, starting to regret my choice going for Artem's. But he wouldn't come-

So I went back to main story because that's how you get the most schips, and guess what- I had reached episode 5…

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Interlude: Luke Pearce’s Fear

The way episode 5 starts, Luke joins the NXX and Rosa is incredibly surprised seeing him there introducing himself as an agent from the NSB. Meanwhile Luke… is mad.

At first he can't believe Artem would even make her do this but she confirms to him that it was her decision, and then he spills the truth about his identity, and about where he's been the past 8 years. He apologizes, for lying, for planning to leave her again, for everything.

And then this happens.

You guys, this scene made me go straight up insane. You can tell how much he had cared and loved her for all these years, and how his biggest fear is literally the main character getting hurt or something happening to her. I felt so emotional over it, that after this act I started DESPERATELY pulling for his card and I finally- finally got it

Episode 5 BTW is one of my favorites in the main story, it is 3 parts because it's THAT good. It's when people will start seeing what Luke is as a character, what's beneath the surface you see in episode 1. (Also this episode introduced the best character: Hugh Moss AHAHH)

The parallel between Rosa, and Jasmine (the reporter whose case you investigate), was not lost on me. That reporter died trying to expose the truth which is exactly what Rosa has been trying to do. I think the entire chapter literally is showing you why Luke is so scared of her continuing the path she's in.

But you know what's the best part? He's freaking terrified, yet he never forces her to leave. He says this:

People keep saying Luke is a red flag that keeps trying to control Rosa and her actions and I swear my reaction is always “Are you even paying attention?” Luke never forces Rosa, he only shows he's against it, but he always says he will support her whatever decision she makes.

A similar more light-hearted situation is the story of his summer card “Iridescent Heartbeat” where Luke is afraid of Rosa getting hurt or doing things that are too much for her so he doesn't consider doing things such as Bungee jumping or rafting. But Rosa insists that she wants to do it and when she's visibly afraid later, Luke teases her a bit (LOL)

but then holds her close to him and soothes her saying there's nothing to be afraid of cause he's there.

He encourages her to do what she wants! And when she does indeed get hurt because the rope was too tight around her leg, he does NOT put the blame on her, but on himself-

Y'ALL HOW IS THIS GUY CONTROLLING??

(The scene after kinda got on my nerves cause Rosa got “angry” that he’s not his usual “cheerful self” like girl I love you but please- can’t you see how much you getting hurt affects him? She pretends that she’s angrier than she actually is making Luke apologize over and over like 💀 but tbh it was also funny, I don’t like how she handled it but it was funny lol)

When they go rafting Luke lets Rosa take the lead and he will follow her because she wanted to prove to him that he doesn't need to plan everything, however Rosa's plan backfires, things go horribly wrong and she can't figure out how to get the raft to go straight. Luke again, does not reprimand her in any way and only helps her so she can do what she wants. Later on even after they've fallen off the raft and onto the water he immediately holds her and takes her up to the surface so worried like “are you okay???” And despite all that, he says she's right. That she's always right and he will stop trying to plan and go more with the flow. 

Luke never tried to control Rosa, he just loves her so much that he does not want to ever see her in pain or sad. He wants her to be the happiest girl in the world.

So who is Luke? Luke is the coolest mf, a guy that always jumps into action to help others with a heart so damn big that his own emotions slowly destroy him. He has felt an astronomical amount of guilt and regret since childhood- and has cared for and loved the main character just as long. The girl who is the reason he was able to keep his sanity, the girl who he always wanted to protect, and the girl who is the reason he is still here today. 

I wholeheartedly believe that without Rosa in his life, Luke would've ended up completely different, if still alive at all.

Bonus: I remember people being like, the characters have gemstones that match their color in the proposal ring, so why does Luke have Ruby instead of something like Topaz? This is why.. the ruby in the ring represents Rosa (getting emotional over here omg) and honestly that ring is freaking insane because not only did he design and make it and its box by himself for years.. but a ruby is inside the key that Rosa gave to him.

Remember how Luke when you click on the key in visit says “I wear it like this to have it as close as possible to my heart” now look at the key.. if the Ruby is Rosa, and Luke’s heart is the key, do you see what he conveyed in that ring? Yea, I’m crying too. 

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Part 5: Obsession

I have a bit of an obsession problem, I've been obsessed with stories, games, or characters and that obsession can last years of my lifetime. And it's understandable, when you're going through terrible things in your life, you get attached to what makes you feel happy and you hold on to that feeling. That's what starts that obsession.

When I got the second anniversary Artem card I did the story immediately and it was.. it was alright. Artem wants to propose, but in his attempt to keep it all secret distances himself too much and gets Rosa worried, but then wow! He proposes with the help of his coworkers and happy ending + things get a bit spicy at the end. 

But I felt like.. like I'm getting deja vu AHAHA like I've seen this kind of story a million times before. (Probably cause I did from watching a bunch of kdramas and having consumed a bunch of stories from a lot of media) It did not exactly get me to feel anything much, I'm sure it's different for Artem stans though having him propose after probably following his story for 2 years XD good on you guys have fun with your mans! 

For me though who had just started, it did not have that much of an effect. After I got the Luke anniversary card I was excited and went into the story oh so innocently not knowing back then that Luke cards are honestly heart wrenching. 

It led to me crying in bed while the sun was rising from the window as Luke says “That's because I love you.”

The way how he blocks the wind from her and lets it hit him instead at that exact moment is freaking PEAK writing.

That card showed me a lot more about this man who is so shackled by his own emotions and circumstance, that he's willing to sacrifice everything even his own wants and dreams for the one he loves.

Have you guys seen that one official art with Rosa posing as Themis? And the boys are represented by the objects around her? Luke is the sword, Artem is the balance, Vyn is the blindfold, and Marius is the snake by her leg.

It starts to make sense why Luke is holding onto her sword to the point of bleeding, he's bleeding yet he looks up to her in absolute devotion not caring for what happens to him and his eyes are only always on her. He’s willing to be her sword, to take all of the pain and protect her so she can be happy.

My life.. has not been what is considered “normal”. I'm not going to give my backstory in this post aHAHAH but at the time when I started Tears of Themis I was going through a very bad point in my life where I was close to have given up completely on my future and accepted my fate as it is. I had shut down completely, and I went back to becoming a shut-in which is honestly something I went through for four years before, it wasn't good. 

When you reach that point, you start becoming apathetic to everything.

Luke however, somehow started making me start having emotions again. Reading and learning about this character was actually affecting me in a way I have not been affected in a long time. He felt.. real, like I could feel his emotions, his love, his despair.

And that's part of why I got so attached to him and he became my comfort, because of him, I started to feel human again.

AHA CRINGE. OK enough with the sadness.

But I'll never forget how much Luke and Tears of Themis helped me keep a grip during those hard months. I'm in a better place now, it's not good- but it's better, and I still just open this game and visit Luke to help me ground myself.

One time after a bad day I accidentally touched him and he said this, I went insane-

I think that says a lot about the state of my sanity AHAHAH 

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[To be continued in reblog]

[laciefuyu]

marius definitely has the time of his life teasing our older duo with the notes they get (www rosa was also about to tease artem with "surprise attack snatching the notes, brats all of them (affectionate))

VYN AND ARTEM HELPLESS SMILE JUST MAKE ME WHEEZE. Then the follow-up response from vyn, like okay bestie you're also little shit (fond) and Artem just let it slide and read the note about Rosa instead ajsks.

Also love how luke and artem got the customer's crushes LMAO deserves 🫶 then also the first one think of foods and drinks for the hangout after LOL

NXX5 YOU ARE SO IMPORTANT TO ME 🥺🥺

They have Seaside holidays your honor, they're going for the iced drinks that luke wants to try, salmon meals that artem heard is good, playing at the beach like marius wants and have afternoon tea on the beach together.

I love you my NXX (yes even in Main Story, I love the pain you see)

[psychopomparia]

BRO THE NEW TEARS OF THEMIS PV FOR THE RPG-TYPE GAME EVENT

HOYOVERSE AND THEIR FUCKABLE DRAGON MEN BACK AT IT AGAIN!?!

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL AND ANGST OMG

[itzmirasona]

Enduring Light [CN SERVER]

Was screaming the entire trailer

[sillyhisui]

merry christmas :]

[aworldforastage]

quick reading/watching recap of my faves from May/June 2024

(Audiodrama cover for Professional Body Double, and audiobook covers for Nivarna in Fire and Bu Tiang Gang)

This post will talk about:

My Stand In (2024 Thai Drama)

职业替身/"Professional Body Double" by Shui Qian Cheng

琅琊榜/"Nirvana In Fire" by Hai Yan

步天纲/"Bu Tian Gang" by Meng Xi Shi

心上人来看我的坟头草/ "My Love Comes to See the Grass on my Grave" by Chang Yan

唐案无名 by 远宁

My Stand In (2024 Thai Drama from IQIYI)

Thai adaption of Professional Body Double by Shui Qian Cheng

Progress: 11/12 episodes

Personal rating: 8/10 -- recommend, but be warned parts of the show (and the gifs in its tumblr tag) are NSFW

The actors are fantastic and overall the show is just really well-done imo. My main complaints are removing the political aspects of Ming's family background, and making P'Wut notably older than Joe; it really changes the context of what the two main character are like socially before their relationship. But I also love some of the changes, like the back and forth between Joe and Ming in their final confrontation before the accident, and the funeral + crematorium sequence, which is so brutal and effective I'm not even mad they trimmed down one of most iconic scenes in the novel to make room for it in the episode.

Although WTF EP11??? You put the wrong person in the ICU!

职业替身/Professional Body Double by 水千丞

Modern romance, scum gong crematorium (188 Boys Club)

Progress: complete/reread

Personal rating: 8/10 -- guilty pleasure personal fave in the genre

I have been going through this novel with a fine comb after I got into the Thai drama adaptation. Is this a healthy wholesome relationship? No. But it is living in my head rent-free because there's something so raw about seeing Zhou Xiang's love for Yan Mingxiu, with all its flaws and hopes and vulnerability, finally blossoming into this devoted and loyal relationship that he has wanted his entire life. Anything for you, Xiang-ge.

琅琊榜/Nirvana In Fire by 海宴

Historical political intrigue, not Danmei/No CP

Progress: ~95%

Personal rating: 8/10

The source material behind one of the most beloved CDrama of the last decade, or, a compendium of parties ruined by the most epic quest for revenge. I think the drama is better at showing the action and political schemes that the protagonist doesn't participate in personally (which is most of them) but the characters have more depth and richness in the novel. I love Yan Yujin and Xia Dong so much more now!

步天纲/Bu Tian Gang by 梦溪石

Modern urban fantasy

Progess: ~30%

Personal rating: 7/10 -- generally good but ...

Protagonist joins the Department of Exorcism because its leader is a really hot guy with a sword (which is, you know, fair). I really like the action-focused plot about fighting demons in the modern world, but it can feel a bit jingoistic at times. The protagonist is a bit of a Mary Sue who is simply talented, handsome, likeable and has no substantial flaws, but it hasn't really gotten in the way of making the plot entertaining (so far).

心上人来看我的坟头草/ My Love Comes to See the Grass on my Grave by 长烟

Historical political intrigue, but actually a crack comedy

Progress: ~40%

Personal rating: 7/10

The protagonist is on a secret mission to avenge his wrongfully-executed family. The main love interest is the Crown Prince trying to take back his kingdom. They share the same enemies, which are the traitors at court who are colluding with foreigners for political gain. But despite that premise, the the novel is actually a crack comedy that's hilarious to read.

唐案无名 by 远宁

Roughly translated: "The Nameless Cases from the Tang Dynasty"

Historical mystery/procedural, no CP/ not danmei

Progress: complete (all four volumes expect for like two cases, and it took me around 8 months)

Personal rating: 7/10

The protagonist is a genius detective, who starts out as a local official and works on a series of independent cases. The protagonist dislikes the backstabbing in elite politics, and I really like that he actually commits to staying out of it. He never even meets the emperor even though he is solving important cases in the Capital! However, it is a bit episodic, and ... do we really need to have that many cases about the revenge of women scorned?

[a-fantasy-lover-surfing-the-net]

Modern Cdramas I watched in 2023

This was my first year in Dramaland (both Chinese and Korean). And I have to say that for the most part I have enjoyed my journey in discovering the dramas. This list includes dramas that were released before 2023 as well.

9. Love of Replica

This one of those dramas with lookalikes where the female lead impersonates her lookalike and solves the mystery about her backstory. Also, it's a bodyguard romance so I definitely expected some things going in. It's full of cliches and tropes some enjoyable and some irritating. I have to praise Yu Yue (actress portraying the female lead), she really made me believe that lookalikes were two completely different people. The chemistry between the main couple is fire. I did not enjoy the secondary characters' romance. However the overall squad energy and their team dynamic was great. I kinda guessed the twist but was surprised by how dark the drama went. Overall, I liked most of it and I was disappointed how some of the characters ended up. If you want a bodyguard romance with kinda obvious twists with very good cast chemistry then you'll probably like it.

8. Parallel Love

This is a time travel drama (you'll see more of these in this list) where Lin Miao, the female lead travels from 2020 to 2010 and she must help Jiao Yang, who is the Vice President of Hong Yu, become the president of the company within 3 months otherwise she will disappear forever. What I liked most about is that Lin Miao is very competant and smart, even if she is not experienced for the task she will still try her best and give it her all. I enjoyed the romance and the dynamic of the main leads. It definitely has plot holes regarding time travel and the rules were not properly explained. They also did not really focus much on the time travel part and did use the potential things that they could do with time travel. However, the interaction between the present and the future Lin Miao was very well done and something that many people would be able to relate to. The business plot was medium and not very interesting. The main leads' personalities and character arcs was the reason why I enjoyed the drama. However, they left the ending ambiguous so if you don't mind open endings then you'll enjoy this time travel/corporate romance drama.

7. Love under the Full Moon

Another time travel drama with a twist that Lei Chu Xia (female lead), who has time travelled 10 years into the future can't leave Xu Xiao Dong side beyond a certain distance. Together they work to recover her memory to unravel the mysteries of the past decade. This drama has great romance, unique time travel premises further in the series, good character development for the main and secondary cast, an antagonist that seems like a real person which makes it seem like we could meet someone like them in real life and a plot with unexpected paths. However, it does have a bittersweet open ending which could make some people hate the drama. Despite that I really liked the drama.

6. Mr. Bad

One day, Nan Xing, an online novel writer makes a wish for an "unforgettable love" in a wishing pool. Then, Xiao Wu Di, the villain of her story, suddenly appears before her! She tries to avoid him, but Xiao Wu Di finds her and threatens her into taking care of him. Unfortunately for him, Nan Xing's wish comes with a special power: whenever she needs help, Xiao Wu Di teleports next to her to fulfill her wish. It's fun, fluffy and sweet with not much angst. The romance is cute and the dynamic with the secondary cast is enjoyable. The ending frustrated me but I assume they did it to pass the censors so I just pretend the last 7 mins don't exist. This is one of those shows you can watch when you just want to turn your brain off and watch a sweet story.

5. My Lethal Man

It's premise is similar to Love of Replica however here Shen Man Ning, an art student takes the place of Zhuang Xin Yan, granddaughter of a business tycoon. Yan Xing Cheng, the mysterious male lead is ruthless in pursuing the mastermind behind the threats and is not really sympathetic to Xin Yan but as they face the difficulties together they fall in love. The romance is so good and their dynamic is very different from typical ones. I found the secondary characters' romance weird and poorly done. The plot was really good and the pace kept moving along nicely. Except for the secondary romance, I had a great time watching it, I really recommend this one if you want a drama that balances mystery/thriller and romance and does a good job at both aspects.

4. Love in Time

A time travel drama again ! This is the last one though. This one is unique because the appartment in which He Zhen Yu has recently moved into merges with it's past one. This is how he meets a rookie reporter Chen Jia Lan who is a former tenant from four months ago, and through some miracle, they are able to see each other. When they attempt to prevent future misfortunes by changing the past together, their romance blossoms. Their romance was so good that I really ended up hardcore rooting for them to get their happy ending. I don't want to give away too much so all I'll say is that the time travel and its consequences were handled very well for the most part and the plot was interesting and took surprising turns. He Zhen Yu's character arc was very well portrayed on the other hand while in the beginning I related to Chen Jia Lan, in the latter part of the drama I was frustrated with her choices and how she didn't have a character growth moment. All the actors did a good job but I have to say that the main leads' acting was very good and made me very immersed in their story. All in all, I had a very good time watching it as the ending brought it all together for me.

3. Lucky's First Love

It's one of those office romances which has a light tone for the most part. Xing Yun is competent and hardworking who was there with Xia Ke when he started the company. They have been working together for years and have deep understanding of each other and work well together. Thankfully, Xia Ke is not one of those CEOs who are jerks and cold hearted. He may be reserved but he is quite caring (not in an overt way) not only towards Xing Yun but also his employees. Xing Yun does go out with someone else in the start but it doesn't last long and love triangle shenanigans are not long drawn out. The main leads' romance is sweet and depicts their daily interactions and they have great kiss scenes. The secondary couples are also great. This drama has character development for main and secondary characters, wholesome workplace and family dynamics, no over the top melodrama, lifelike workplace and relationship issues, slice of life interactions and very little angst. This is a great watch for when you need something short and sweet that's not too heavy.

2. Ordinary Greatness

The show mainly focuses on novice police officers that are starting their one year long mentorship. They soon discover that the grass-roots work is different from what they imagined, and, after some struggles, they're gradually moved by the sense of achievement and honour gained in their work. Throughout the show we explore their characters, their comraderie with each other, with their mentors and with other police officers at their station. We also get to know their mentors and other police officers at the station which immerses the audience in the show deeply. It is a slice of life type drama, where most of the cases are not major crimes. All actors knock it out of the park with their emotional as well as subtle portrayals. This show depicts how even small acts and seemingly tedious and insignificant work really have great impact on people's lives and that the people doing such grassroots work contribute just as much and are just as important to the society if not more as the people doing big acts like taking down criminal gangs. While some situations and cases are specific to China, everyone will be able to relate to majority of them. I must say this is a must watch drama.

1. Arsenal Military Academy

This is a Republican era drama in which Xie Xiang assumes her brother's identity to join the Chinese army and is accepted in the Arsenal Military Academy. While she is the main lead the story also follows Gu Yan Zheng(main lead) - a spoilt quarrelsome rich kid, the gentle and introverted Shen Jun San, Qu Man Ting - a famous actress and singer and secondarily other cadets, their teachers and other locals. It has great comedy, really good romance (including their hilarious bickering), enjoyable action and entertaining dynamic of the cast. All the actors did an excellent job here, the standouts being Bai Lu, for portraying being able to convincingly play the female role and the female disguised as male role all while knocking out her emotional and comedic scenes and Xu Kai, who can forget his electrifying performance as a lovable troublemaker. I have to warn you that the story gets serious in the last 10ish episodes and that the love triangle does drag out a little bit longer than it should but it's resolution is still good. To me the drama didn't seem overly patriotic so I didn't have a problem rooting for the characters and their goals of protecting and improving their country. This ranked first because it's romance, characters and their comraderie won me over completely.

You can also check out my costumed cdrama rankings.

As I'm still a newbie to cdramas and kdramas, I welcome your recommendations.

[fateandloveentwined]

Nirvana in Fire fic recs

Nirvana in fire fanfiction recommendations in the link below, mostly chinese; descriptions in english.

(full list on notion): https://lycorxian.notion.site/Lyke-NIF-fic-recs-fd3ae22b066040a9993650a744203daf

Some of the favourites below:

鱀歌/狼牙 by 九月将霜🏔️

https://yueshuangjiang.lofter.com/post/1f532d67_eeb0d415

https://yueshuangjiang.lofter.com/post/1f532d67_1c62c345a

Jingsu but rather slight. Medium length. Post-war fic where Changsu lives and assists Jingyan in the court. It starts with a few outsider POVs and Changsu is so soft in this and everything is rly sweet haha.

踏雪寻梅 by 十八🌊

[Saved]

A/B/O. Jingsu. Long fic. Aww I'm aware of my tendency to ramble on about the author's writing style, but this author's prose is stunningly intricate. This would be the one I would recommend if one is to read any A/B/O fics. Get ready for a "moderate" truckload canonical of angst and many happy returns in its eventual HE.  I don’t really know, this is just so – good? Lin Shu was initially an Alpha who turned into an Omega after the Chiyan incident, and he subconsciously rejects that part of himself, more or less. It is rare in the world the author built for Omegas to take up huge roles in society, and Changsu hides his status in light of that and appears to other people as a Beta (but then the author spends so much time describing how beautiful he is and those descriptions are beautiful indeed lmao). So here comes Jingyan, who, by accident, discovers Changsu’s status as an Omega and becomes infatuated with his being → and so begins the courting.  But Point is, I really enjoyed the way Changsu’s resilience is depicted – the mental fortitude? determination? Ehh anyway there’s a scene on that and it’s beautiful. Also! there’s an explicit scene halfway that is so. well. written? not in the hot smutty way but it’s exquisite really I’m weirding myself out I’ll stop hahaha don’t know if that plugging worked.

月盈‧有憾 / 此生一诺 by 浅夏Surlinca🌔

http://surlinca.lofter.com/post/1d318138_124192b0

https://surlinca.lofter.com/post/1d318138_12483efa

月盈之时，尔有憾乎？ 相濡以沫，不如相忘于江湖。 ——《月盈‧有憾》 When the moon grows round again, have you any regrets? Like two fish in a dried lake, instead of giving each other moisture with the little that is left, let us let life be and forget each other in rivers and lakes.    身侧再无知交，国君茕茕而立：画地为牢、许此生一诺。 ——《此生一诺》 The emperor stands, tall and alone, by his side his peers no longer: he carves a circle into the ground and holds himself hostage; he makes a vow and has it as his life’s work. //Okay these aren’t actually quotes lol. Let me have my fun.   Jingsu. Very slight/gen. Oneshot.   How would things end, had MCS not returned to Meiling in his final days? How would it go on, had MCS died after his encounter with Xia Jiang at the Xuan Jing Bureau?    These are two separate oneshots from the same author. While 此生一诺 is very popular, 月盈‧有憾 is instead my favourite oneshot among all. It is so beautifully written and the angst is real in this one. Could be considered a BE perhaps? There’s joy in this nonetheless.

关山契阔 (Ch24) by patient-no-117 仰望🌊

https://patient-no-117.lofter.com/view  https://archiveofourown.org/works/15734247/chapters/36582438

Pre-Sujing uh… slow burn? Long fic. The only WIP that I highlighted in red uwu. It goes without saying that I am totally smitten with this fic. Jingyan is sent to the Yan Kingdom by his father as hostage. Changsu, who is aiding a Yan Prince at their behest, approaches Jingyan in such circumstances and offers him ascension to the throne back at Da Liang. The prose is stunningly beautiful and classical and it’s hard to describe, the “aesthetic 澹泊 and 君子之交淡如水 vibes” this piece gives off – just – I’m very very in love with this fic please give it a go.   The author has kindly uploaded their chapters on ao3, so you can use that for convenient reading! The latest few chapters, however, are only on Lofter so you might have to move over for that.

一时双壁 by 琴煮鹤🏔️

http://cookacrane.lofter.com/post/1e6c791d_1044d4da  

Jingsu and Shuhuang. Long fic. Changsu and Lin Shu are two separate entities in this fic! Story starts with a younger Changsu entering Jinling to bring a warning to the Lin family upon intercepting Li Chongxin’s counterfeit. Changsu then schemes with Prince Qi and Lin Xie among others to preclude Chiyan’s demise and secure Prince Qi’s position as the crown prince. Changsu may not be Lin Shu in this fic, but he is still very proficient as the Chief of the Jiangzuo Alliance and has experienced much upon the passing away of his father, the former chief of the alliance. Jingyan slowly falls in love with him (slowburn I suppose?) and he with him. A very complete tale with flowing prose (the way the dialogue is written in particular is chef’s kiss) and a super sweet ending :D    (I don’t think a completed version of this fic has been circulated about as much? Feel free to hmu for a full version for convenient reading; that said the Lofter version is pretty complete on its own I think.)

书中愿 by 琴煮鹤🏔️

https://cookacrane.lofter.com/post/1e6c791d_103d6c97   

Jingsu very slight/gen. Oneshot, set in a world where Prince Qi has passed away but Lin Shu and the like are still alive. Scholar/teacher MCS (again, not Lin Shu!) stands in for Sir Zhou at the imperial palace and gets acquainted with Jingyan.    Have I mentioned how much I love this author? Yes, same author as above; their prose is elegant in a flowing way and I’m in love. I would say slight BE/angst based on how you interpret it? (Personally I’ve become immune and it is a happy ending ><) Though short, this fic well conveys the core character of MCS in which he contributes in his own way despite not being subject to the Chiyan case in the past. I like how it is written a lot ^^.

Some are lost to the internet but most have been saved in text files and word documents. Enjoy!

[actualbird]

yknow, i really love the SR cards where the main plot is basically just NXX Boy Goes And Does A Thing, And He SUCKS AT IT!!!

vyn has SR Mercury In Retrograde where he does a fantastic job being absolute ass at household plumbing. marius has SR Overtone where he gets an A++++++ for being the last guy you wanna lend your guitar to, because hes really bad at playing the dang guitar. and at first i didn't know what artem's card was that followed this pattern but sam @samsspambox blessedly informed me that it's SR Thin Veil, the paywalled SR i dont have yet. and in that card story artem fucking SUCKS at PUPPETS

(sidenote: i generally weep at paywalled top-up cards but the concept of basically having to pay for artem's cringe is So Very funny to me)

but now here is where the injustice becomes apparent.....vyn, marius, and artem each have an SR Epic Fail: The Card Story

BUT WHERE IS LUKE'S?????????

to avoid any misunderstandings, here are the traits of what, to me, makes up an "SR Epic Fail":

one Main Thing is the thing our beloved nxx boy will suck at and what and it's also generally Main Focus of the whole card story (which then later leads to a sweeter core message about vulnerability and love and being okay with not being perfect etc)

our boy has to suck In The Moment. not in a flashback, not in a referenced past anecdote, no no. i want to have to tap through the entire excruciating scene/s of him failing at whatever hes doing

the story format has to be in a contained card story and not a recurring-but-brief theme in a personal story

with this criteria in place, it is IMMEDIATELY apparent that luke is the only one without an SR Epic Fail. the closest story instances would be the following:

SSR Through The Heavens (the skateboard card) since he fails at being a normal not-hypervigilant human being and also the NSB makes fun of him with memes, but this doesnt count because it wasn't the Main Focus of the story, there was a whole lot of other stuff going on and the Main Focus was the skateboarding which he did awesome at

some past anecdotes and flashbacks in SR How I Remember You (the luke blindfold card) about how luke sucks at drawing and sucks at charades, but this doesnt count because the drawing was just referenced in a few sentences and the charades fail was a brief flashback. it's also not the Main Focus of the story as well

his general inability/difficulty with cooking that is a recurring theme across his personal stories doesnt count because it's not a card, and thus isnt eligible

this is terrible. this is horrid. i love luke and i want a card thats all about him messing up at a minor activity. i want a full SR Luke Fucks Up At Cooking where the focus is what it says on the tin

i can even see the story so clearly in my mind's eye. it'd be so easy. maybe luke tries to make gingerbread man cookies but accidentally ends up with a gingerbread massacre.

luke mentions hes gonna bake and mc is excited about it because it seems he put a lot of thought and research and prep into it, maybe it actually starts with a scene of them shopping for ingredients together, and theyre both looking forward to luke's baking! but when it actually happens hes like "oh sorry a case came up, dont come over to my place anymore!!" which is sus

mc comes over anyway the next day to pick up some stuff she forgot and luke is there acting awfully nervous and his whole BUILDING smells of burnt gingerbread but there are no gingerbread treats to be found. luke keeps evading until mc finds The Massacre in a plastic container box haphazardly shoved into one of the kitchen cupboards

and it's an absolute baked-goods crime scene in there. none of the gingerbread men look like they were ever even men or homonids of any kind to begin with, it instead looks like all the dough just came together in the oven to create an amorphous Blob with the odd "limb" sticking out here and there. what luke has created is a gingerbread abomination.

mc stares at the gingebread abyss, and it stares back.

upon further investigation, mc even finds slight burn marks around the oven's door too and luke has his face in his hands, his shame is IMMENSE, just about as immense as the aroma of gingerbread treats everywhere. he was hiding it because he was worried that he got her so hyped up for the whole thing that it'd be SUCH a disappointment to her that he fucked it up!

and mc is like "hey no it's okay, as long as it tastes good, it doesnt matter how bad it looks!" and then she breaks off a piece from the gingerbread monstrosity and eats faster than luke can warn her "NO NO DONT DO IT---"

it tastes like shit

anyway they go out to get desserts from cafe instead and mc reassures luke that she obviously still loves him even if he created a baked treats atrocity and broke the genevabread convention. she tells him that if hes having trouble or if he fails, his instinct shouldnt be to hide it all and avoid her but to let her know and so she can help out, because she wants to be there for the wins and for the losses, for the good days and the bad. luke then goes all blushy grateful happy and they kiss and love is real.

the end. the post-story text conversation can go something along the lines of

luke: okay so i figured out why my gingerbread men went nuclear

mc: oh? why?

luke: i....misread "tsp" as "tbsp".........every time

mc: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA

luke:

[maleyanderecafe]

Hey! Do you review tv series? because I think the male lead in the chinese drama well-intended love is a yandere. He is really possessive and controlling. The plot twist too is very creepy. It's available in netflix and free on youtube if you want to trt watching it. Love your reviews❤

Phew, man I am not used to watching dramas. Cherry and I watched two seasons of Well Intentioned Love, but only the first season has the relevant yandere stuff going on. It’s got a lot from cancer, to car accidents, dogs, the driver, falling into a lake, kidnapping, cakes, amnesia and acting. There is so much going on and yet nothing going on at the same time. Sorry it took so long, but this will be a very long ask. I also found this wonderful review on this website that also tells probably a better summary from what I can tell.

Season 1 and Season 2 are sort of AUs of each other, with the first season set in the world where main character Lin Lin is a struggling actor and in the second season she’s a successful actress instead. We’re going to go season by season.

The first season starts with Xia Lin, an upcoming actor with bad luck who finds out one day that she has Leukemia. She's matched with a CEO Ling Yi Zhou, to which her and her best friend Jia Fei try to break into the company to talk to him. Lin is able to talk to the CEO about her situation, and he agrees under the condition that the two get married. The CEO wants to get married to make his grandmother happy, and we also run into An Ran, the CEO's childhood friend, who is in love with him. After an encounter at a rich jeweler show, Lin runs into her ex, and in a grand gesture of love, the CEO ends up buying the most expensive jewel to dunk on the ex and to court Lin with. The two get married, and Lin gets some visits from Chu Yan, a famous actor who seems kind of offended that Lin is ignoring him, and An Ran plots to separate the newly wedded couple. Lin gets a ring to further sell the idea of the two getting married for the grandmother, and Lin learns more about the CEO by finding a toy robot in his room, while the CEO helps her career by getting her into a movie. Lin ends up finding a dog one day by the park, and keeps it until she can return it to its owner. The man who owns the dog, Nan Jin Tian seems to be conspiring for something while the CEO and Lin bond over making cakes. Lin has to go meet Nan after he finds out he's sick to return his dog. The CEO ends up buying her a dog after because of how much she loved the dog she was taking care of. Also Jia Fei and the CEO's assistant/driver Wen Li get together. The CEO gets into a car accident (off screen?) and loses his memory of the past two years. Lin tries to win over his heart, and we learn that Nan seems to have had a hand in the accident. An Ran makes a soup for the CEO to make him feel better, but we find out that the soup was actually poisoned and that that she's been hypnotizing the CEO so that he will fall in love with her. While the driver and Jia Fei get closer, we find out that the CEO actually forged the documents about her having lukemia and the bone marrow transfer, something that makes Lin question their relationship. We learned the reason why the CEO fell for Lin in the first place was when the two of them met at a cake shop on their birthday (since they share a birthday) as well as helping him once when he was really drunk. For about two years, he's gotten the driver to essentially stalk her for the past two years. The CEO also eventually gains his memories of her back.

Lin gets framed by An Ran and Nan Jin to make it look like she was groped by Chu Yan as the two have been meeting up periodically. We also get more insight into Chu Yan's family as his father hits him with a cane for dishonoring the family image, as well as Chu Yan realizing that he has a crush on Lin. He ends up at the hospital because of his father, which leads to an explosion where he dies. They find Lin's earring at the scene of the crime, suspecting her as the one who caused Chu Yan's death, as well as a photo taken that made it looks like she was attacking him before he died. The driver (and CEO) find the culprit behind the photos and during a press conference, the CEO announces him and Lin's marriage towards each other. Lin finds out that An Ran was the one that framed her and that Chu Yan is actually alive. As it turned out, he was kidnapped by Nan Jin and met Xiao You who helped him escape (though initially unwillingly). Lin and CEO try for a baby and the driver and Chu Yan get into a car accident. Lin gets the driver to find the CEO's mother so that the CEO and him can bond (since she left when he was young). We find out that Nan Jin is actually the CEO's step brother and was the one who planted the earrings so that she would be arrested for Chu Yan's death. He seems to have done all of this for revenge for his mother(?), and we also find out that Lin is pregnant. Lin and Chu Yan get kidnapped by Nan Jin, and he and the CEO get into a fist fight after the CEO goes to try to look for the both of them. Chu Yan's dad gets a redemption arc and we find out that the CEO's mom was using him so that he could get Nan Jin's love, even though Nan Jin doesn't love her back. Nan Jin gets shot at some point and dies. Lin is saved and everyone is happy with the end credits having Lin and CEO get married.

The second season starts out in an alternate universe where Lin is a successful actor. She ends up being in fake engagement with the CEO and in a realty show with him to up the numbers. A lot of the season is fluff between characters, including going to sports together and eventually get married when they find out that CEO's grandmother may die soon. We also find that Xiao Yu is much more different in this version basically being a more naive girl who doesn't know much about the world and has a hard time talking with men. There's a person that tries to drag down Lin's reputation because of a car accident he was in. We also find out the manager is the one who is blackmailing Lin? The entire thing ends with the CEO and Lin having a child and living happily together.

Cherry and I watched the second season just to make sure that we were watching all of the yandere portions of the show, but really all of the yandere things by the CEO are in the first season. I will say if you do like the characters and a lot more fluff that you would probably like the second season as well.

This show is... I don't really watch a lot of dramas (and especially not a lot of C-dramas), but I felt like this show has really weird pacing. Often there will be important plot points that are then added with fluff, and specific important scenes will be shown off screen, like when the CEO gains amnesia from a car crash, or people who were built up will die very abruptly, like Nan Jing, who seems to die from a gunshot (not even from the CEO) and then never brought up again. I know that a lot of chinese media, like manhwa often have a bit of pacing issues where the stories can often be a bit choppy, but this one really takes the cake. It's not necessarily bad since there are quite a lot of cute moments and the characters are fun and endearing, but the plot is... kinda just all over the place. I feel like for the first season a lot of the important information was dumped near the end, with most of the middle being fluff, and there was just so much going on constantly, from drugging people to brain washing to kidnapping and not really in any order. The second season is more for fluff, but like I said, don't expect any proper plot or even that much yandere things going on.

That being said, the CEO, or Yi Zhou is pretty calculating all things considered. After falling in love with her, he got Wen Li to stalk her for about two years before swapping out the tests she got for anemia with results for leukemia so that the two would meet and he could get the marriage scheme going. I will say that the two of them meeting in a cake shop because they have the same birthday is super unorthodox as a love at first sight thing and it is pretty funny to see Yi Zhou drunk and attempting to drive on the wrong side of the car. I believe at some point Yi Zhou ends up also trapping Lin inside of the house after she learns that she faked the report. In the end with the giant plot of Nan Jing trying to usurp Yi Zhou, it is nice that Lin believes in Yi Zhou and that he won't betray her, and ultimately ends in a happy ending but... it does seem weird considering the vibe of the series tends to be more light hearted, so all of these random car crashes and people trapping the CEO and Lin inside of a storehouse to freeze are really weird out of context. Lin and Yi Zhou do care for each other despite these mishaps, which is something that I always find nice in yandere media.

I will now take this moment to talk about how Wen Li is the best character. He's the driver and he has the best surprised pikachu face ever thoughout the entire series, so much so that me and Cherry kept making jokes about him. He honestly does so much for the CEO and it was really funny watching him hang out with the girls only for him to be forced back into work despite him only wanting to play cards. He's the best character honestly and I think it would be super entertaining watching a show that is based around him.

Overall, this show was honestly kind of confusing, even though the characters themselves were pretty solid. I honestly watched like two episodes of this in a row once and got a headache because god does so much happen and yet so little happens at the same time. Big thanks to Cherry for helping me summarize all of this because lord knows that I wouldnt' be able to do it myself. If you are looking for a fluffy show that suddenly has a lot of drama and a yandere, maybe this one is for you.

[tiramisiyu]

god i love xia yan’s new summer card (from the pv that just got released) so much that if i also like the story enough i might translate it ajdfhkjafjask it is soooo beautiful!!!

[lazykatie]

Game, Set, Love: A Yu Qing Romance - Chapter 10

The match between Siyang and Dayong ended in Siyang's favor with a score of 6-1. Qi Lin, in awe, remained seated at the bench as the two players shook each other's hands.

It has never occurred to her that there was such a large skill gap between the captain and the other members, since the others were already highly exceptional in their play.

However, this match between the captain and vice-captain had just proved her wrong. It just makes her wonder just how far the captain could go.

Siyang and Dayong approached the bench as Qi Lin praised both of them for their efforts while handing them some towels. "That was a good game, guys!"

"I- thank you, Qi Lin, but as you saw, Siyang totally crushed me." Dayong said shyly, wiping off the sweat from the back of his neck.

"Don't undermine yourself, Dayong. You've made those fans cheer their hearts out," she said, pointing at the crowd of spectators.

Dayong blushed even more, whether from the cheers or the blazing heat of the sun, Qi Lin couldn't tell. She also didn't analyze it any further and just handed him a cold energy drink from the basket. "Here, this should help."

"Thanks," he murmured, taking the drink gratefully.

Qi Lin then turned to Siyang, who was silently watching the ongoing match between Yan Zhiming and Lu Xia. "Siyang?" she called, trying to get his attention. When he didn't respond, she gently tapped his shoulder.

Siyang turned to her, the drink near his face, his intense focus softening slightly as he acknowledged her presence. "Thanks," he said, taking the drink with a nod.

"No problem, Captain."

Qi Lin edged closer to Siyang, her eyes darting to the match, trying to see what he saw. She watched Lu Xia miss the smash from Ah-Yan.

"It won't be any loss to Yu Qing with those two on the team," she said, still looking ahead at the match.

Siyang nodded slightly, his eyes never leaving the court. "They both have potential.

Before Qi Lin could add anything, Siyang's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and sighed. "I have a meeting with the student council now. I'll see you later."

"Wait, why do you have a meeting with the student council?" Qi Lin asked, puzzled.

Dayong, who had been listening nearby, stepped in. "Siyang is actually the student body president."

Qi Lin whispered to herself, "So he has everything, huh?" She felt a strange mix of admiration and intimidation as she watched Siyang disappear from the court.

Dayong chuckled and said, "And Siyang gained another admirer."

Qi Lin blushed and quickly responded, "It's more like deep respect for his work ethic."

Dayong nodded understandingly. "He's really good at pretty much anything, balancing everything effortlessly."

They continued to stare at the spot where Siyang had exited when Dayong broke the silence, saying, "I'm gonna check Ah-Yan and Lu Xia's match. Are you coming?"

"Yes, just give me a second," Qi Lin answered. She picked up the empty basket, put her notebook in it, and then followed Dayong to the other court.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Qi Lin made her way to the 10th-grade classrooms, looking for Qi Ying and Peng Xiang for their tennis cheerleading club meeting. She arrived at the classroom and found the two girls drawing some posters for the upcoming inter-school tennis matches.

"Hey, girls! How's it going?" Qi Lin greeted, peeking at their work.

Qi Ying showed her a beautifully drawn chibi tennis player. "What do you think, Jiejie?"

"It's adorable, Meimei!" Qi Lin said, hugging Qi Ying from behind and playing with her hair.

She then analyzed the drawing some more before poking her cousin's cheek continually, saying in a teasing tone, "But don't you think it looks awfully close to a certain grape Fanta-loving tennis player?"

Qi Ying turned red, not refusing her older cousin's observation, which earned a giggle from Peng Xiang.

Qi Lin took a closer look at Peng Xiang's drawing. Confused by what it was, she asked, "What's this?"

Peng Xiang proudly displayed her work. "It's a dragon! Our slogan is 'full of vigor, like a dragon.'"

Qi Lin could only respond with an awkward "Ah, I see."

Peng Xiang pouted at her senior and asked, "Does it not look like it, Senior?"

"It does, Peng Xiang. Your artwork really brings the slogan to life," Qi Lin reassured, giving her a warm smile.

Satisfied by her senior's response, she went back to coloring the dragon.

Qi Lin could feel the girls' enthusiasm and continued to admire the posters. Qi Ying and Peng Xiang exchanged excited glances. Peng Xiang then urged Qi Lin to also draw something on the blank canvas.

"Come on, Senior, draw something too!" Peng Xiang encouraged.

Qi Lin laughed, feeling a bit nervous. "I'm not much of an artist, but I'll give it a try."

She picked up a pencil and began to sketch, the girls watching eagerly.

She first outlined some Chinese characters in the middle of the canvas then drew some starbursts around it. She proceeds to color the Chinese characters with a navy blue marker and starburst ranging from yellow-shaded markers to green-shaded markers to blue-shaded markers.

"There, all done," Qi Lin said, stepping back to admire her work.

"That looks great, Jiejie!" Qi Ying exclaimed.

Peng Xiang nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it fits perfectly with our theme!"

Qi Lin smiled, feeling warm inside. "Thanks, girls. Let's make these posters the best they can be and cheer our team to victory!"

After a few minutes of doodling, a tall figure entered the room looking for someone. Peng Xiang's gaze ran to that person, when she suddenly stood up saying, "Senior!"

"Yes?" Qi Lin asked, thinking it was her who she was calling.

"What are you doing here?" Peng Xiang and the other person asked simultaneously. Forcing a confused Qi Lin to look up.

To her surprise, standing in front of her was Siyang, holding a brown paper bag filled with a neatly folded tennis uniform. His eyes scanned the room before settling on three people in front of him.

Peng Xiang, being Peng Xiang, was too excited to share their progress and showed their posters but mainly flashing Qi Lin's. "Senior, what do you think?"

Siyang scanned the posters before he hummed and said, "It's good. Thank you for your hard work."

The girls nodded and the silence engulfed the classroom when Qi Lin decided to ask, "What brings you here, Captain?"

"I'm looking for Lu Xia," Siyang replied, stepping further into the room.

"Lu Xia has already left, Senior." Qi Ying informed him.

"He left?" Siyang inwardly asked, looking at the paper bag he's holding.

"Please give this to Lu Xia." Siyang handed the bag to Qi Ying.

Looking at the contents of the bag, Peng Xiang gasped and whispered, "It's a main player's uniform." This brought a smile to Qi Ying's face as she imagined what Lu Xia would look like in the uniform.

She turned to her senior with a smile on her face. "Will do, Senior, but tomorrow's Saturday. I might not see him either," she said, trying to return the bag to Siyang when it was snatched by Peng Xiang.

"You can count on us, Senior! A-Mu said that he asked Lu Xia to play tennis tomorrow. We can give it to him then."

Siyang gave his thanks before looking at Qi Lin. "See you on monday."

"See you when I see ya', Captain," Qi Lin said in a sing-song tone, watching Siyang as he left the room.

She turned back to the girls, who were both grinning at her.

"What?" she asked, feeling her cheeks heat up.

Peng Xiang giggled. "You totally have a thing for Senior Siyang, don't you?"

Qi Lin's cheeks burned at the straightforward comment. She tried to muster a composed response, but her voice wavered slightly. "It - it's not like ... it's not like that." Deep down, she wondered if there was some truth to Peng Xiang's words

Qi Ying smirked. "Sure, Jiejie. Whatever you say."

Qi Lin rolled her eyes playfully. "Says the one excited to see Lu Xia daily."

Qi Ying and Peng Xiang both gasped at Qi Lin's retort before laughing it all out. Qi Lin, also infected with their laughter, tried to put it to a stop "Alright. Alright, let's get back to work. We've got posters to finish."

As they sat back down, Peng Xiang asked in a hopeful manner, "Senior Lin, would you like to come with us tomorrow?"

Commence the puppy eyes from both Peng Xiang and Qi Ying, but Qi Lin didn't budge as she responded, "I'm really sorry girls, but I can't tomorrow. I have a doctor's appointment."

"I thought that after the surgery it would all be better, Jiejie."

----- To be continued -----

Previous: Chapter 9

Up Next: Chapter 11

cross-posted from wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/359772976-game-set-love-a-yu-qing-romance

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Nirvana in fire || Episode 6