#Xiaofei Ye

[llhmua]

Photo: Ahuei Zhang

Model: Xiaofei Ye

Makeup: Ara Wu

Hair: Veson Yang

Stylist: Rina X

[ulkaralakbarova]

Ip Man’s peaceful life in Foshan changes after Gong Yutian seeks an heir for his family in Southern China. Ip Man then meets Gong Er who challenges him for the sake of regaining her family’s honor. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ip Man moves to Hong Kong and struggles to provide for his family. In the mean time, Gong Er chooses the path of vengeance after her father was killed by Ma San. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Ip Man: Tony Leung Chiu-wai Gong Er: Zhang Ziyi Razor: Chang Chen Ding Lianshan: Zhao Benshan San Jiang Shui: Xiao Shenyang Zhang Yongcheng: Song Hye-kyo Master Gong Yutian: Wang Qingxiang Ma San: Jin Zhang Jiang: Shang Tielong Gong Er Di Zi: Song Tao Uncle Deng: Lo Hoi-pang Iron Shoes: Cung Le Gong Clan Elder: King Shih-Chieh Chan Wah-shun: Yuen Woo-ping Master Yong: Lau Ga-Yung Master Rui: Shun Lau Primo: Julian Cheung Sister San: Zhou Xiaofei Brother Sau: Berg Ng Dark Spirit: Lo Meng Gong Er Stand-in: Fang Chengcheng Women of the Gold Pavilion: Jeana Ho Young Gong Er: Wu Yixuan Gong Clan Elder: George Wang Mr. Hung: Elvis Tsui Kam-Kong Master Ba: Wang Man-Cheng Cho Man: Cho Man-Keung Brother Ping: Siu Ping-lam Foshan Martial Artist: Tony Ling Chi-Wah Peking Opera Singer: Li Jing Brother Shui: Water Hung Funeral Procession Leader: Tong Han Ma San’s Disciple: Ni Haifeng Gold Pavilion Client: Yuen Cheung-Yan Razor’s Disciple: Yin Chunxiong Zhang Yongcheng (voice): Charlie Yeung …: Benz Kong To-Hoi Film Crew: Screenplay: Wong Kar-wai Director of Photography: Philippe Le Sourd Original Music Composer: Shigeru Umebayashi Producer: Jacky Pang Music: Nathaniel Méchaly Compositors: Erik Classen Screenplay: Xu Haofeng Executive Producer: Dai Song Executive Producer: Chan Ye-cheng Martial Arts Choreographer: Yuen Woo-ping Executive Producer: Megan Ellison Co-Producer: Cheung Hong-Tat Co-Producer: Ng See-Yuen Story Consultant: Ip Chun Co-Producer: Ren Yue Music Consultant: Steve Macklam Co-Producer: Michael J. Werner Screenplay: Zou Jingzhi Makeup Artist: Kwan Lee-na Associate Producer: Johnnie Kong Art Direction: William Chang Suk-Ping Art Direction: Alfred Yau Wai-Ming Costume Design: Shandy Lui Fung-Shan Movie Reviews: CinemaSerf: I’m a fan of Wong Kar-Wai’s films but I reckon that I still prefer Wilson Yip’s 2008 version of the Ip Man story. Set amidst the turbulent times in China that saw the end of the rule of Manchu dynasty, the embryonic republic established and then the Japanese invasion, we meet a man (Tony Leung) who lives peacefully in the small town of Foshan until he meets Wing Chun grand master Gong Yutian (Qingxiang Wang) who is looking for a successor. That is the beginning of a journey that will see him become a grand master of the martial art himself, whilst meeting, marrying and surviving! It’s a superb looking film but for me just a little too over-stylised. The combat scenes are creatively choreographed but the use of the slowed-down visual effects didn’t always work. Leung and the director are clearly on the same wavelength, and the story itself is a fascinating look at the rise of one culture through the wreckage of an ancient one. It’s also clear that women too had their place in this society – and it wasn’t always where stereotype might assume. A strong contribution from the adept and nimble Ziyi Zhang (Gong Er) demonstrates that well as battle lines between the old and new, the powerful and the aspirational are drawn and a good old dose of ancient tribal warfare sets up a proud story of heritage, loyalty and skill. Though a little soporifically scored at times, this is an enjoyable mix of history with touch of romance and plenty of action, and is well worth a couple of hours.

[azeofspades]

Consciously? 12. Unconsciously? 8.

Wattpad

*sigh* the ant trilogy

Fairy Tail and Genshin

Both

Fluff

I don't remember what I titled it 💀

Idk

"Watching, helpless" for the one (1) angst fic I've ever written or "Little talks" for an agere fic

Yes lmao

Drunk Wriothesley waking up in Neuvillette's apartment

Don't have one in mind rn

Wip

one shots

Hurt/comfort

Xiao

Have

Not that I can think of

24k words

500 words

yes LMAO (bloodstones)

"Look forward, my angel. Look forward. The night will be long, but you know that the next day wil always come."

One about a trans guy going back in time and meeting his pre-transition self to reassure him and thank him for surviving

Bloodstones

A Xiaofei one about Xiao getting injured and crashing at Yanfei's

Cyno & Xiao injured fic

Fic writer asks

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[thecollectibles]

Art by Xiaofei Ye

[honeybadgerx]

Artstation -  Xiaofei Ye

[ravenkult]

Colorful Pterodactyl by xiaofei ye https://www.artstation.com/artwork/8exZ0q

[cultofthewyrm]

Assassin by Xiaofei Ye

[scifi-fantasy-horror]

by  xiaofei ye

[fearspiration]

ArtStation/Xiaofei Ye

[manfrommars2049]

Skull Knight, by Xiaofei Ye via ImaginaryKnights

[underbardk]

The Bronze Bird Terrace Tile Inkstone of the Matsumae Domain

It’s not everyday that I come across a historical tidbit that manages to connect several areas of my interest. The Matsumae clan based in southern Hokkaido, in charge of the northernmost domain of Japan until the modern period, claims to possess an inkstone made from a roof tile from Cao Cao’s Bronze Bird Terrace in Ye.

According to the Bunmei 17 (1485) entry of the Fukuyama Hifu (1780), the official clan documents of the Matsumae clan:

In this year, the northern barbarians presented an inkstone made from a roof tile. This is a tile from the Bronze Bird Terrace built by Cao Mengde [Cao Cao] of Eastern Han. Later people inscribed seal script on the inkstone, the words which say: “The Providence of Heaven grants me with this disc of Cao. The time was Qingming when it presented itself to man. This ceramic disc is of considerable antiquity and quality, and I write to tell of its provenance.“

On its underside are the five characters “Jian’an Year 15 [210 CE]“. From then to An’ei 9 (1780) now in Japan is 1570 years. The Register of Inkstones says Bronze Bird Tiles often came from the Bronze Bird Terrace, then chiseled into inkstones. The antiquity of such artifact is evident. The inkstone is now stored in the treasure vault.

And sure enough, the Matsumae Castle has the inkstone on display:

(Image source)

Seeing this, two questions naturally arise:

“Is this real?“ and “How did it get here?“

Inkstones of the Terrace

The Bronze Bird Terrace, or Tongquetai, is an iconic structure in Cao Cao’s base city Ye built in 210, the 15th year of the Jian’an era. Ever since Cao Cao invited his sons Cao Pi and Cao Zhi to write poetry atop the terrace, the place has been surrounded by a poetic tradition that far outlived the physical destruction of the city in 580, such that the words Bronze Bird themselves would immediately evoke in the minds of the literati images of Wei’s former glory, of the women continually condemned to perform for the dead, of the impermanence of human life, and of the rise and fall of dynasties.

Writers and poets began to collect memorabilia of the Bronze Bird Terrace by the Tang dynasty. They would go to the ruins of Ye to look for roof tiles and carve them into inkstones where they can grind inksticks and dip their brushes. The inkstones made from the Bronze Bird Terrace tiles were apparently “quite well made“ and can “hold water without drying up for days” according to a Song dynasty guide to writing implements. It also describes what sets these inkstones from others:

In the past, when the terrace was being built, the tiles were made by pottery workers who would filter the clay with fine linen and then add walnut oil to it before firing; therefore they were different from ordinary pottery tiles.

Su Yijian (958-97), The Four Lineages of the Study (trans. by Tian Xiaofei)

The Southern Tang minister Xu Xuan tested it out to his amusement:

As soon as water was poured in, it infiltrated the inkstones; however much water was poured into them, they were dried out right away, and the wet surface made a sort of sucking sound. Xuan said with a chuckle: “Ain’t the Bronze Bird thirsty!” In the end the inkstones could not be used; they were no different from any ordinary broken tile and brick.

Yang Yi (974-1020), Yang Wengong tanyuan (trans. by Tian Xiaofei)

Regardless of their utility (or lack thereof), the allure of “owning a piece of history“ was attractive enough that the demand created a market for fake Bronze Bird Tiles:

The authentic ancient tiles from Xiangzhou [Ye] are decayed and useless. The world merely values their name. People nowadays purify the clay and then mold it in the shape of the ancient tile and bury it underground. After a long time they [dig it out again and] make it into an inkstone.

Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072), Lineages of Inkstones (trans. by Tian Xiaofei)

Some locals would fake such inkstones in the shape of ancient tiles, and have sold a great many of them.

Su Yijian (958-97), The Four Lineages of the Study (trans. by Tian Xiaofei)

It would seem that the Bronze Bird Terrace tiles commonly found were mostly fakes, since authentic tiles from the Wei period would likely have been disintegrated in the centuries, not least because the whole city had been razed. Even if an intact tile was found, there is no guarantee that it came from Cao Wei since the pavilions atop the terraces had been remodeled and rebuilt several times, including during the Later Zhao in 337 and the Northern Qi in 558. This is why a fake tile would have to include obvious features that would link it to Cao Cao’s time, such as a year number, despite there being no indication that Cao Cao required the tiles to his buildings to have year numbers (though the practice exists in Chinese buildings like the Great Wall, where bricks would be marked with the date of their production and the name of the supervisor in charge).

Ultimately, unless proven otherwise by techniques like carbon dating, it is most likely that the Matsumae inkstone did not originate from Cao Cao’s Bronze Bird Terrace.

Mass-produced Appraisals by a Thirteen-year-old

The description in the Fukuyama Hifu does not fully transcribe the words on the Matsumae inkstone. It leaves out some details, including the following words on the bottom which gives some clues on its true origins:

Gotten from the depths of the Zhang River bank for 39 copper coins. Calligraphy added for the amusement of the cultured and aficionados of antiquity. Appraised by Dixian on Chongjiu day, Xinwei year of the Hongwu reign (October 7, 1391)

There is a tradition of literati adding words onto artifacts, works of art, and natural landforms. But instead of adding his name onto an ancient artifact, in this case Dixian seems to be trying to add value to a piece of clay dug out of the ground sold on the market. Dixian (翟仙) may be a variant of Quxian (臞仙), the courtesy name of the Ming dynasty Prince of Ning Zhu Quan, a man of literary pursuits. However, Zhu Quan was only 13 years old in 1391. If the identification is correct, one must question the value of the appraisal or if someone else was using his name to add value to the tile.

In fact, the Matsumae inkstone isn’t the only tile to bear this inscription of Dixian’s appraisal on October 7, 1391. Similar Bronze Bird Terrace Tile Inkstones with this exact inscription (including the price of 39 copper coins) show up in museums in China, Taiwan, and even Japan (and some ended up on auction sites), suggesting that these inkstones may have been mass-produced in the early Ming dynasty. So the Matsumae inkstone is not unique in this regard. What is unique is the way the inkstone reached Matsumae.

The Bronze Bird Flies Northeast

The Fukuyama Hifu says the inkstone came via “northern barbarians“, which means the Ainu in this case. The later source Matsumae Kaki (1878) elaborates that the “barbarian chiefs from Karato presented the Bronze Bird Terrace Tile Inkstone“, where Karato (Karafuto) is the Japanese name for the island of Sakhalin. If this is true, then it means that the inkstone began its journey from China around 1391, went northeast to Manchuria, crossed the Tatar Strait to Sakhalin, then went south from there to Hokkaido where it reached Japanese hands on the southern shores in 1485.

The Ainu’s role in the inkstone’s transmission is interesting, since the Ainu wasn’t known for their appreciation for Chinese literary culture. On the other hand, foreign goods were often emblems of Ainu wealth and prestige, which makes it plausible as a item they would present to the Japanese regardless of whether they recognized the alleged history attached to the inkstone. It is not entirely clear how the Ainu came across the inkstone. It could have been bestowed by the Ming court to the Tungisic peoples of the Amur Estuary as part of the so-called tributary trade in return for local goods (though Ming records show no evidence of inkstones being given), and from there ended up in the hands of the Ainu as part of a regional trade connecting Sakhalin, Hokkaido, Manchuria, and Kamchatka. Otherwise, they could have taken it from Manchuria, as the Sakhalin Ainu were in the habit of crossing into Manchuria when the sea ice froze over. In this scenario, the inkstone would be part of the stationery set of a Ming scholar-official sent on business to Manchuria, likely the headquarters in Nurgan (today Tyr, Russia); and somehow got left behind when the Ming abandoned the area after the Tumu Crisis of 1449, only to be picked up by the Ainu or one of the indigenous groups in the Amur Estuary.

The retreat of the Ming from the Amur Basin had a ripple effect on Ainu-Japanese relations. According to the Hokkaido researcher Kazuyuki Nakamura, the Ainu depended on trade for metal products, and as the Chinese left the area they had to look to Japan. Increasing contact and trade disputes were a contributing factor to Koshamain's War of 1457, where Takeda Nobuhiro, ancestor of the Matsumae clan, made a name for himself defending the Japanese outposts in southern Hokkaido from the Ainu. In 1475, Ainu chieftains from as far as Sakhalin presented tribute to Nobuhiro as a sign of nominal submission. One would imagine that the inkstone ended up in Matsumae through similar efforts.

Map of relevant locations

Engagement with the North

Interestingly, there is another record of how the inkstone reached Matsumae, which has nothing to do with the Ainu at all. According to the Toukai Santan written by shogunal inspectors on tour to Matsumae in 1806, their hosts explained the inkstone as part of a dowry given to the Matsumae by the court aristocrat class (kuge) in Kyoto. If this is the case, the inkstone would have entered Japan through the usual Ming-Japan trade routes by sea. The Matsumae had close marriage ties to the kuge, so there were ample opportunities for the inkstone to be included in a dowry to the Matsumae.

On the surface, this explanation sounds more plausible than the Ainu route, but researcher Yasushi Kubo casts doubt on this simpler explanation. The Matsumae hosts had reason to lie to the shogunal inspectors, considering this was the time when Russia began to encroach upon Japan’s northern borders, and the shogunate was sensitive about where Matsumae stood. (There was a misunderstanding in 1799 where oversensitive shogunate inspectors saw a plaque on a shrine that read 降福孔夷 and interpreted it as “Fortune to the red barbarians”, when in fact it was a line from the Classic of Poetry that means “greatly blessed by fortune”. If not for the Confucian scholars in Edo, Matsumae domain would have been abolished then and there.) According to Kubo, the Matsumae had to play down their ties to the north to not rouse suspicion, so instead they made up an excuse for the inkstone that emphasizes Matsumae’s ties to central government. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why the earlier Fukuyama Hifu did not have the dowry story and instead has a less plausible-sounding origin story involving the Ainu. After all, Fukuyama Hifu was written by the well-learned Matsumae samurai Matsumae Hironaga, and it is hard to imagine that he would be unaware of the kuge dowry or had any reason to conceal it.

Remarks

Of course, there is the possibility that both routes described above are made up, since both descriptions are published hundreds of years after the purported event. The earliest independent eye-witness account of the inkstone being physically in Matsumae possession is an appraisal dated 1669, close to two centuries after 1485.

The Matsumae Castle Museum supplements the inkstone with a 1594 document stating that a Nakarai Shunran went to Ming China in the Zhengde era (1506-21) to learn medicine and returned to Japan with a Bronze Bird Terrace Tile Inkstone, gifted to him by his Chinese teacher. However, I wasn’t able to find out whether this is the same inkstone (as there is a number of such inkstones in Japan), or if Nakarai Shunran went to Hokkaido.

Regardless of how the inkstone came to Matsumae, it remained there as heirloom until it was sold off around 1922. For most of the 20th century it was considered missing until it was rediscovered in 2007. While not the finest specimen of a Bronze Bird Terrace Tile Inkstone - and most likely not from Cao Cao’s time - the Matsumae inkstone is nonetheless special for all the roles it might have played throughout its journey from China to Japan. From stationery to plaything to merchandise to emblem of prestige, the inkstone now rests as an exhibit in a display case in the Matsumae Castle Museum.

Selected sources

Kubo Yasushi [久保 泰] (2008), 松前家の家宝「銅雀台瓦硯」について

Nakamura Kazuyuki [中村 和之] (2008), アイヌの北方交易とアイヌ文化 : 銅雀台瓦硯の再発見をめぐって

Tian Xiaofei (2018), The Halberd at Red Cliff: Jian'an and the Three Kingdoms 　　

[zeonmiku]

big shout-out to lawful neutral characters for trying their best and being cold, heartless bastards. luv you.

[marshmallow-phd]

Secret in His Eyes

Spinoff of Sins of the Father

Genre: Mafia Au

Pairing: Luhan x Reader

Summary: A vacation exploring China’s famous city was supposed to be relaxing. When you witness a horrifying murder, you instead find yourself in police custody, unable to run. Trying to stay alive, you meet Luhan, and you believe you can trust him. You never imagined that he might be the one you should be running from.

Part: Prologue I 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I Final

**

This city was beautiful. The touristy parts, anyway. You were sure that – like every other city in the world – Beijing had its ugly scars, too. But you stayed in the areas that all the brochures and websites bragged about, saving you from having to see those not-so-shiny places.

You’d been saving up for this trip for the past year and a half. All your life you wanted to experience just one place new. Then you’d be perfectly content going back to your ordinary life with your office job. Or maybe this trip would just make you eager for the next one. It was kind of a toss up at this point in your youth. But you wouldn’t worry about whether or not you could be content with your boring routine until you were back home. For now, you’d continue exploring, taking in the beautiful, ancient architecture that was so unique to the region, visiting the art and history museums to learn more about what you were seeing, and trying all the street food you could get your hands on. Your main focus was to take in all that you could and not forget a single moment.

When you’d first arrived in Beijing, a nauseated feeling had bubbled up in your stomach. You were in foreign territory, completely on your own, with very little knowledge on how to navigate this roaring city. The feeling refused to die down as you checked into your hotel and searched the maps you’d been given by the front desk worker for something to eat. Even with as exhausted as you were from traveling, sleep didn’t come easy. By some miracle, however, you woke up the next morning much more at ease with your surroundings. Still nervous about getting lost or accidentally offending someone, but it wasn’t as threatening a feeling as it had been before. Going throughout your day, you nearly forgot all about your worries, too absorbed in your findings to pay attention to it.

By day three, you were practically a local. It was so magical, each new finding, that you couldn’t believe this was truly your reality, like soon you’d wake up to find it was all a dream.

“Oh, back again?”

You blushed as you bobbed your head in greeting. There was one vendor in the market place near your hotel that you kept coming back to. A mother and daughter team sold the most delicious baozi you’d ever tasted. Granted, your experience was limited to a few blocks, but it was a common street food and none compared to this dynamic duo’s. While the mother didn’t speak English, you were able to communicate with the daughter well enough.

“It’s my favorite treat,” you admitted shyly. The daughter waived you closer before pulling out two steaming, fresh buns, wrapping them carefully before holding them out to you. When you started to pull out your wallet, she shook her head. “No. These are just for you. Since you like them so much.”

You pursed your lips. “That doesn’t feel right.”

“You’ve been a loyal customer,” she laughed. “It’s the least we could do! However,” she rounded the cart, coming up close to you as she lowered her voice, “tonight is the Shangyuan Festival. My mother will be staying in, but if you would like to join me to make her happy that I won’t be alone, we’ll consider that payment.”

It still didn’t seem fair, but you laughed anyway. “Yes, of course!” You’d noticed the streets being decorated with paper lanterns since your arrival – some were the traditional round red ones you were used to, but others were shaped like flowers and animals, beautifully crafted and painted, making you stare in awe. “It’d be nice to have someone show me the festival.”

“Good! It’s settled then. We will close before the sun sets, so meet me here then. We’ll walk my mother home and then I will show you the festival!”

You nodded eagerly. Before parting so you could hurry to your other planned activities for the afternoon, you finally learned the daughter’s name: Shishi. It was cute and not something you’d really heard before.

The afternoon hours seemed to fly by and before you knew it, the sun was beginning to disappear from the sky. As quickly as you could, you ran back to the stall, careful not to ram anyone down in the process. Shishi was still waiting for you patiently, her mother shaking her head at you in a scolding manner.

“I’m so sorry,” you huffed, half doubled over from your exhausting sprint.

“It’s okay,” Shishi laughed at you. “Let’s get Mother home and then we’ll attend the festival.”

You nodded and stepped back for her to lead the way. Their home wasn’t too far from the stall and once Shishi saw her mother inside, the two of you took off towards another district in the city where a big crowd had gathered near the Chaobai River.

Lanterns of all shapes and sizes hung from nearly ever ledge. Children ran around the streets while carrying sticks that held small paper fish on the ends of strings, making it looking like schools of fish were swimming through the air. Different sweet scents drifted up to your nose, making your mouth water.

Perhaps seeing that ravenous look in your eye, Shishi pulled you over to one of the vendors, getting each of you one of those sugar coated sweets made by the true experts of the trade. The artists didn’t have fancy, expensive culinary schooling; they simply had tradition and a love for the for food.

You continued to walk along the street in order to take in all the sights happening around you. This was the reason you’d come to the beautiful city of Beijing. The joy and laughter around you was infectious and you felt as if you were on the receiving end of a precious gift. All the pictures and blogs in the world couldn’t truly capture the feeling, the essence of the festival and the deep rooted traditions happening before your very eyes. No matter what happened to you on this trip, you knew tonight would be something that you would never forget.

**

Luhan leaned back in his chair and waited rather impatiently for the underling to arrive. It was ten minutes past the time he was told to be here and Luhan was losing his patience.

For the past month, he’d had a man inside the main police department of Beijing and he needed his updates. Lately, the cops had been one step ahead of him while conducting his deals, putting several of his suppliers behind bars and ruining his business. His own customers were getting antsy, hence why he needed the information to squash the rat.

Leaning up against the wall to his right, Kris chewed on a toothpick between his teeth. “I thought he was supposed to be here by now.”

“Unfortunately, Xiaofei isn’t known for his punctuality,” Luhan huffed. He picked up the glass ball he kept on his desk and inspected it, although there was nothing wrong with the small paperweight. In the low lighting of his office, he could only make out a faint shadow on the smooth glass rather than his reflection. The small globe was almost completely see-through except for the etched continents covering the surface. While he couldn’t quite say that he held the world in his hands, the little globe gave him a sense of accomplishment, even when things went a little askew.

“I still think we should have sent someone else,” Tao whined from the couch. He was staring up at the ceiling, hands folded behind his head for a pillow as he reclined on his back. His suit jacket was draped across the back of the couch to save it from wrinkling.

Luhan rolled his eyes. He was tired of having this conversation over and over again. “Xiaofei already had connections within the office, I’ve told you that. Plus, he’d be able to blend better than most.”

There weren’t many people in the world Luhan could trust, the top two being in this room. Everyone who worked for him was under constant surveillance and he occasionally had to clean out the filth with little crumbs of fake information. It was how he survived all these years. The Chinese underworld was ruthless. He hardly had a moment where he wasn’t watching his back.

Just then, the door to the office creaked open. Tao sat up, eyeing the crack that wasn’t quite big enough to let a human through while Luhan placed the globe back down on the desk with a heavy thump. The vaguest outline of a shadow, visible against the white door frame, flinched at the sound. Luhan could practically smell the stench of fear radiating off of the underling from his seat.

Picking up his feet and placing them back down on the floor, Luhan growled, “Just come in before I lose my patience and shoot you through the door.”

That little threat did the trick. Xiaofei scurried inside the office, closing the door behind him with a sound that was halfway between a click and a slam. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as if he was trying to keep the contents of his stomach from spilling out onto the rug. The police uniform Xiaofei had been given was wrinkled and half untucked. Were his men really such slobs?

Clearing his throat, Xiaofei straightened up and then bowed at a ninety-degree angle. He was putting on a brave front, they all knew. And Luhan would let him play his little act.

“Sir, I have not been able to find the leak within the department as of yet.” The voice that left Xiaofei’s mouth didn’t match the round, burly face he was born with. It was of a higher pitch, not fit for his age. The face that Luhan imaged the voice belonging to was one of a rat, pointed and sharp, all the features focused in on the center. It was a face that fit Xiaofei’s character much more closely.

“Did you even really try?” Tao spat. His dark eyes were narrowed at the underling. He was not one to take kindly to a lack of results.

“Y-yes, sir,” Xiaofei bowed quickly to the silver-haired boss. “The department is very tight-lipped. They don’t take too kindly to new faces. It’ll take me another few months to get them to trust me.”

“We don’t have another few months,” Kris snarled, flicking the toothpick at the trembling man. The little piece of wood stuck to Xiaofei’s shoulder, but he made no attempt to brush it away, accepting the small but humiliating action.

Luhan let out a long sigh in order to make his displeasure known in a much more subtle manner. “Xiaofei.” The man flinched at the sound of his name even though Luhan didn’t raise his voice above a causal level. “Before I sent you in there, you swore to me that you had connections inside. Now, that wasn’t a lie, was it?”

“No, sir, I swear!” Xiaofei staggered on his feet as he tried to plead for his life. As soon as Luhan stood, the coward fell to his knees in a showy sign of respect. “My connections are good. It’ll just take a little more time. Please. I will find the leak. I swear it.”

Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, Luhan bent down and stared Xiaofei down. “You have one month left. I suggest you bring me back something viable at the end of that time frame. If you don’t, then you’ll be replaced.” Letting him go with a forceful shove, Luhan headed for the door. He only paused long enough to give one last warning. “I like to think of this organization as a well-oiled, well-maintenanced machine. The only way to keep it working is to upgrade the parts that have become useless. And there’s only one thing to do with useless parts, isn’t there?”

Though Xiaofei didn’t look back at Luhan, the shiver that ran down his spine and shook his shoulders was visible enough proof that the message had been received. With confident steps, Luhan glided down the hall of the mansion he called home. Soon, he would find out who was undermining his operations and he would make sure they regretted ever going up against The Deer before he ended their life for good.

**

Your feet were aching and throbbing, but you still weren’t ready to go home for the night. Stuffed full of delicious street food made only during this special time, you continued to follow Shishi through the crowds, stopping every once in a while to watch a choreographed dance by a group of performers ora magic show put on by a man you suspected might be tricking the audience in more ways than one.

The stars above were beginning to come alive for the night, adding to the mystical atmosphere. Only the strongest were able to be made out against the fading backdrop thanks to the stronger lights of the city. It made you a little sad, not being able to see a sky full of twinkling stars, but you pushed that emotion away, preferring to focus on the happier commotion around you.

However, when you brought your eyes back to the festival, Shishi was gone. You whirled around several times, but you couldn’t find her. Over and over, you called out, but no reply was ever sent back your way. Frantically, you shoved through the crowd. Had something happened to her? Or had you simply been separated? It was your own fault for dawdling and not paying attention. Panic was starting to set in. Until you saw a familiar bun of black hair resting on top of a head that was about Shishi’s height.

You followed the bun through the crowd until the owner disappeared into an alleyway. She took a few more twists and turns before you finally caught up to her, grabbing her shoulder in relief.

“Shishi!”

When she turned around, however, you were frustrated to find that it wasn’t your friend, but a stranger you’d never seen before. She threw you a snarled look even as you bowed out an apology over and over again. Soon you were alone again and utterly lost. The only light to see by came from the more occupied main streets, but you weren’t sure which one you should head towards to try and find your way back. Every direction looked the same. You cursed yourself for not paying more attention the further you got from the main street.  

Crash!

You jumped back against the brick wall, collapsing down to hide in the shadow of a dumpster when you saw a man fall to the cracking asphalt, his head bouncing off the ground as he landed hard on his back. Even in the dim light, you could make out a stream of blood running down from his nose and over his lips before dripping off his chin. When another man stepped into your line of vision, you shrank farther back, practically melding with the grime-covered trash bin.

The man who was still standing pulled out a gun and pointed it down at the one on the ground. As if knowing that his end was near, the first man simply groaned and turned his face upwards towards the sky. The man with the gun chuckled and began speaking in Mandarin. You couldn’t understand a majority of the words leaving his mouth, but one word did stick out to you: Lu. He repeated it a few times, mixed around in sentences that you couldn’t make out.

Then he shot the man on the ground, the bullet slicing through his forehead.

You couldn’t stop the gasp that your shock and horror forced out. Immediately, you slapped a hand over your mouth, praying that he hadn’t heard you. Seeing that there was just enough space between the wall and the dumpster, you scrambled to better hide yourself, hoping that you weren’t simply jumping into the barrel for an easier target.

Footsteps slowly headed in your direction, crackling the loose pebbles under his shoes with each step. You squeezed your eyes shut and sent up a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening. And apparently, someone was.

Sirens blared from a street close by. You barely caught the man disappearing around the corner when you risked opening your eyes. Slowly, you crawled out from behind the dumpster. Your hand landed warm and sticky, making you jump back with a scream when you realized it was blood pooling out from the dead man’s head.

Two new voices shouted and you threw your hands up to show you were unarmed. A bright light made you squint and you couldn’t tell who was approaching you, but you hoped it was the police. The light finally lowered. You let out a sigh of relief. The two officers lowered their guns and exchanged dumbfounded looks.

You had no idea what kind of mess you’d stumbled into.

[thecollectibles]

Dragon Rise: The Forgotten Realms - Golden Age - KeyFrame Design by Xiaofei Ye

[niunaico]

Day Off - Character Interview

(Originally released between chapters 6 and 7.)

Sudden Interview! Shi Dongyun x Hua Xiaofei

Q = Qingcai (author)

D = Shi Dongyun

X = Hua Xiaofei

Q: May I ask what your sexual orientations are?

D: The first question‘s this blunt already!?

X: I began to realize I was attracted to men in junior high~ How about you, Chief?

D: Um...You’re the first man I’ve fallen for...

X: ! *Happy*

Q: Alright, next question. What are your hobbies?

D: Cleaning the house, I’m a bit of a neat freak.

X: I like buying food and drinks for the person I like!

D: Now that you mention it, you’re always preparing all kinds of food for me. How considerate! *Laughs*

X: My wish is for you to have energy all the time!

Q: Have energy for...?

X: The chief’s work is really tiring, it’s no good if he doesn’t have energy!

D: Don’t try to mislead Xiaofei!

Q: Me? *Hurt* ...Okay, never mind, next question. What do you like the most about each other?

X: Me me me! I’ll go first! Every~thing~ about the chief! I really love both his appearance and his personality!

D: *Embarrassed*

Q: Chief, you’re blushing like crazy! What about you?

D: There’s a difference between his attitude towards me and his attitude towards others. I really like that.

X: I only listen to the chief and my mom, haha.

Q: Okay okay, I see. Next question. How did you come to like each other?

D: It was love at first sight.

Q: Just like that?

D: Well, he’d also invite me out to lunch at noon, which no one else at the office would really do...

X: The others are kinda afraid to talk to the chief, I guess I’m more impudent than the rest? Hahaha.

Q: Does the chief think he’s impudent?

D: Not at all, he’s honest and cute.

Q: (Why didn’t I bring sunglasses) I see. Next question. What are your families like?

X: My family’s just just my mom and me! But I have a great relationship with my mom, she’s the coolest woman I’ve ever met!

D: You’ve talked about her before, Ms. Hua’s truly an outstanding person. My mother is a more conservative woman, so there are many things I don’t talk to her about. Sometimes it’s like there’s an impassable divide between us and I might as well give up on getting through to her.

X: That’s no good! I might be a man, and your mother might be incapable of accepting me, but I’ll try my hardest for her to understand!

D: Let’s talk about that later. *Bitter smile*

Q: On the topic of family, I’ve heard the chief is the second son?

D: Yes. I have a brother who’s older than me by three years, he’s currently managing branches of our company overseas.

X: What~ So Chief has an older brother? Are he and the chief similar? *Starry-eyed*

D: Not. Similar. At. All!

Q: What’s wrong, Chief? You seem a little agitated all of a sudden?

D: You’re thinking too much into it! Nothing’s wrong!

Q: Oookay- Next question, do you have any weak points?

X: I tend to feel insecure? My ex probably left me with some bad memories.

Q: Ex? Chief, he has an ex! Aren’t you gonna ask about it? This is piquing my curiosity!

D: He’ll tell me about it once he wants to. *pats Xiaofei’s head*

Q: What a mature adult... Then does this mature adult have any weak points?

D: I hate carrots, I absolutely can’t stand how they taste.

Q: Saying you’re mature was too high a complement.

X: I like that part of the chief too! If there’s anything he doesn’t like, I can eat it for him!

Q: Chief, you’re grinning quite happily, is there something you’d like to add?

D: Hmm~ If I had to say, my weak point would be seeing any harm come to Xiaofei.

Q: Mmm, I get it. Next question. Which base have you gotten to?

D&X: ............

Q: Hello!? Why’d you both go silent!! We’re all adults here, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about!

X: *Glancing at the chief* ...Kiss...kissing.

D: It’s fine to end the interview now, right? We’re both very busy, we have a lot of work left to do.

Q: Huh!? Wait! This is a really important question! Why else would I save it for the end!!? *Xiaofei gets pulled away by the chief*

Q: Heyy~!! Come back!! The readers want to know!!

......This concludes Qingcai’s irresponsible interview. The characters are too strong-willed, please be forgiving.

[ravenkult]

A miss in the mist by xiaofei ye https://www.artstation.com/artwork/kDvOZ6