#all简

[ellie2001]

Chapter 39

简隋英无力的趴在桌子上让人从身后狠狠地操干着自己，他的身体被干得一前一后的移动着，胸口被磨得疼了就开始哭“好疼…宋居寒你他妈的混蛋…”

宋居寒听见简隋英的哭声后慢下了动作，虽然有满肚子的欲望还没有发泄出来但他还是好声好气的哄着简隋英“怎么了？宝贝哪疼了？”

“胸…胸口疼…！”简隋英转头怒视了他一眼，眼角哭红了一大片像是被人欺负得很惨的模样。

宋居寒望着简隋英羞愤的脸傻傻���笑然后才把外套折成了方塊狀垫在简隋英的身下，虽然没有继续感到摩擦的疼痛感但简隋英依然是哭得全身颤抖，而宋居寒只能低下头亲了亲简隋英安抚着他“别哭…宝宝不疼了…”

此时简隋英感觉到有人碰到了他肿胀又敏感的性器，尖叫一声“啊…！”

“晏明修…！”宋居寒意外的望着蹲在简隋英身前抓着他性器的晏明修。

晏明修红着脸撸动着属于男人的器官然后哑着声音就说“这样才能更快帮他释放…憋坏了对身体不好…”

“你他妈就是想趁机碰他吧？”宋居寒咬着牙说。

“难道只准你碰吗？”晏明修冷声道“更何况他刚才求的人是我。”

“你…！”

晏明修伸出舌头舔了下那圆润饱满的冠头，那味道没有他想像中的那么腥臭反倒还带了点香气，他想大概是只有简隋英这人才有的独特体香吧。

简隋英在前后夹击下爽得淫叫，也成功的取悦了正在为他服务的两个男人然后换来了更加猛烈的攻势。

晏明修大胆的将简隋英的性器吞了下去，这是他第一次帮男人口交但意外的感觉并不差，他见简隋英的大腿正在不停颤抖，随手就扶着简隋英的双腿卖力的替他服务，而此时宋居寒往前用力一顶就将简隋英的性器顶到了晏明修的喉咙里，这突然的深喉让晏明修差点窒息。

还不等晏明修发怒宋居寒就故意挑衅晏明修疯狂的往前顶弄简隋英，让他措手不及地只能扶着简隋英的双腿接受持续的深喉同时还得注意到不让自己的牙齿碰到脆弱的器官。

“啊啊啊啊啊…不行了！要射了！”在前后的双重夹击下简隋英很快地就来到了高潮的边缘，崩溃的尖叫着。

滚烫的精液直接灌入晏明修的喉咙里，但还好那都是属于简隋英的东西才让晏明修没有表现得那么排斥。

而宋居寒也如愿地射到了简隋英体内，满足的叹息一声“哈…”

因为受到药物的影响简隋英在高潮过后依然感觉欲求不满，性器也再次高高的翘了起来“再来…快点儿…我还想要…”

这一次晏明修接手了宋居寒的位置，将被操得双腿发抖的简隋英抱到桌子上然后从正面进入了他，因为刚才宋居寒射在里面的东西起了润滑效果才让他非常顺利的���插了进去，虽然他是嫌弃碰到了宋居寒的東西但只要想到他是进入到了简隋英的身体里就足以让他感到兴奋不已。

“隋英…你好温暖…”

简隋英半眯着眼像只没吃饱的猫“嗯…操我…”

晏明修一进到简隋英道体内后就忍不住抱着他的两条长腿疯狂的往他身体里顶弄，而被紧致的软肉包围着的感觉让他爽得仰头直喘。

“啊…啊啊啊…”简隋英被干得下半身酥麻，两脚无力的垂挂在晏明修强壮有力的手臂上。

突然间，他感覺到眼前黑了一片什麼也看不見，疑惑的就喊了一声“明修…？”

随后耳边传来宋居寒独特魅惑的声音“别怕…我们来玩个游戏吧…”

“什么…？”

“这个游戏叫…猜猜谁在干你。”宋居寒低笑着说“很简单的…怎么样？要玩吗？只要猜对了就有奖励…但是猜错了也会有惩罚…”

此时简隋英的脑袋还有些混乱“什么惩罚…”

“这个不能说，说了就不好玩了。”

“狗屁…”

之后简隋英感觉到身上的人明显放慢了动作，粗大的性器正缓慢的磨蹭着他的穴壁，酸麻的感觉瞬间就传遍了全身“嗯…啊….好爽…”

“现在干你人是谁？”宋居寒一边捏着简隋英小巧粉嫩的乳头一边舔弄。

简隋英一手扯住宋居寒头发自信一笑“晏明修…”

而这时他听见晏明修笑了一下后才用力的顶进他的体内“这是奖励。”

简隋英被顶得惊叫一声然后破口大骂“这他妈算个屁奖励啊？！”

之后晏明修就恢复了正常的速度继续操弄他，宋居寒则低头吸吮揉弄着他饱满诱人的胸肌，惹得简隋英嘴里不停的喊骂。

不知道过了多久简隋英已经射了两回，高潮过后意识不知道飘去了哪里，直到他回过神来才感觉到身上一直有个人压着他。

因为眼前看不见任何东西所以耳边粗重的呼吸声以及肉体的拍打的声音都被迫放大了好几倍，简隋英挣扎着想起身因为他实在是不喜欢这种被人限制住以及超出自己控制范围內的事情。

“嗯…啊…滚开…”简隋英被下得药量其实并不多，所以在他释放过两回之后就渐渐缓了过来。

“简隋英…现在是谁在干你？”

简隋英不耐烦的叫喊“宋居寒！我他妈叫你滚！”

“错了，宝宝，不是我在干你。”宋居寒一边亲吻着简隋英一边说道“必须惩罚。”

“嗬…疯子…”简隋英呻吟一声“不要…”

“不可以拒绝惩罚。”

晏明修低下头咬住简隋英饱满红润的下唇，直到尝到了血腥���后才松口“真甜…”

简隋英疼得握紧拳头打了一下晏明修的背后喊着“别咬我！你他妈属狗的吗？！”

晏明修像感觉不到疼一样的在高潮前快速的在他体内冲撞几下后释放了出来，而简隋英原本平坦精壮的小腹不知道已经装了多少精液看上去竟是隆起了一小块，让晏明修爱不释手的抚摸着他的肚子“隋英…你现在简直就像怀了孕一样…”

肚子被人压了一下惹得简隋英的下腹酸麻惊叫一声“啊！别压！”

在挣扎的过程中他感觉到男人的性器已经从他体内退了出去，随即而来的是比粗大的性器来得纤细很多的手指，那明显属于男人的手指伴随着啧啧水声在他的体內不停的搅动与抽动。

“啊…啊…停下…不要…”

“隋英…现在是谁在干你…”

简隋英伸手就想打人可却被男人先一步的牵制住了，毕竟他现在什么也看不见动作自然的也就慢了别人一拍。

“真不乖…怎么总想打人？”男人低沉的嗓音在他耳边响起“我说了只要你猜对了我就给你奖励。”

简隋英咬着牙大吼一声“滚开！去你妈的！”

“不想要奖励了吗？”

“要个狗屁奖励！晏明修你给我松手！”简隋英听出了晏明修的声音，此时晏明修还趴在他的身上用手指在他的肠道里捅来捅去的。

晏明修低头吻了吻他然后替他拿掉了挡在眼前的领带“真棒…说好了会给你奖励的。”

在简隋英还没来得及适应眼前的事物时晏明修那粗大凶恶的性器就这么捅了进来，他低吟一声绞紧了后穴“啊…不要了…不要再…啊！”

“哈…隋英…真舒服…”

简隋英抱住眼前的男人故意夹紧自己的后穴，果然如愿的让身上的男人低喘了一声“太紧了…你是想让我射吗？可是我现在还不想射…”

“該死…！快射啊…！你大爷的…”

——-。

简隋英自己都不知道他是怎么回到家的，也不知道昨天他究竟是被两个男人轮流压着干了多长的时间，他只知道自己一觉醒来全身酸软无力，简直像个残疾人士一样只能躺在床上无法动弹。

“操你妈的宋居寒！晏明修！简直不是个东西！禽兽不如！”

两小时之后，简隋英费了好大的劲儿才终于从床上移动到浴室里，然后看到自己身上满满的性爱痕迹顶着怒火就暴躁的刷起了牙，连牙龈被刷出血了也没管。

“最好别被我逮着！两个狗东西！疼死老子了！”

——。

一早简隋英的心情就非常的暴躁，暴躁到整间公司的人都能感受出来。

“简总…”此时简隋林拿着一叠资料走进简隋英的办公室里“怎么了？”

“别问！东西放着就滚！”

“哥…梁秘书说你今天骂了几个员工…你把他们都吓哭了…”

“操！哭个屁哭啊！有什么好哭的？！简直一点儿承受压力也没有！”

简隋林将会议资料放到了简隋英的桌上，好声好气的哄着他哥“别气了，这样对身体不好，我帮你按摩吧？”

“随便。”

简隋林得到同意后开心的就绕到简隋英身后帮他按了几下肩，低下头闻着简隋英头发上的香味，心情愉悦的说着“隋英…你早上洗澡了吗？好香啊…”

简隋英神情不自然的闪避着简隋林“别闹。”

“怎么了？哥？”

简隋英推开他一脸烦躁的说“这里是公司！你能不能懂点儿分寸？”

被阻止接触的简隋林有些不开心“可这里没人会看见。”

“行了，別废话了，你先出去吧，午饭再找上李玉我们三一块儿去吃。”

“嗯，那我先出去了。”

待简隋林依依不舍的出去后简隋英才放松了刚才紧绷的心情，毕竟他现在满身都是吻痕，要是一个不小心被简隋林或是其他男人看见的话那肯定又会引来一些不必要的麻烦，毕竟他的男人里就没有一个是不会吃醋的，要惹急了那些男人到时候吃亏的也还是他的屁股，而且他的屁股被宋居寒和晏明修干完之后还在疼呢！就算要玩那也得等他养好伤了再说。

“啊…对了！”放松心情后简隋英才猛地想起昨天他似乎是答应了邵群要和他联系的，所以急忙打开手机拨了通电话给对方。

而邵群那头正在开会手机就这么不合时宜的响了起来，其实是因为他怕简隋英随时会打给他所以就没有开静音，随后他也光明正大的拿起手机就在众人好奇的目光下离开了会议室，毕竟他们的邵总从未在开会的时候接过谁的电话，所以人人都非常好奇到底是谁让邵总打破了原则。

『喂？隋英啊。』

『邵群，昨天等我电话了吗？』

『等了啊，但某个小混蛋就是死活不肯给我打电话，偏偏要在隔天我开会的时候打来…』邵群走出会议室后一路就往吸烟区走去。

『操！我还真没想到你在开会！那先挂了吧！』

『别啊，我为了接你的电话都走出会议室了，你就陪我聊一会儿吧，至少给我一支烟的时间让我听听你的声音也好啊。』

『邵总这是��撒娇吗？哎，我可真是好福气啊！居然能有这个荣幸让邵总对我撒娇！』

『你快别损我了，我是真的���想你的。』

『那明天一起吃个饭，能否赏个脸啊邵总？』

『行，怎么不行？我哪敢拒绝老婆大人的邀约？老婆喊我出来我当然要随传随到啊。』

『去你的。』简隋英翘起脚愉悦地哼笑『谁是你老婆啊？叫老公！』

『哎，老公。』

『小群子乖，老公明天给你奖励。』

『是什么奖励啊？』

『哎，别说，最近有款新出的手表样子还不错也挺适合你的，怎么样？邵总有兴趣吗？听说还是限量款的呢，你要想要我就想办法给你弄来。』

『宝贝儿送的我都喜欢，不过…你知道我现在最想要的东西是什么吗？』

『什么呀？』

『宝贝儿的香吻，最好是再附加一个香香软软的拥抱。』

『你大爷的。』简隋英坐在椅子上笑得乐不可支，一边笑一边说着『邵群你个骚货，亏我还认真和你说。』

『我是认真的，好久没抱抱我家宝贝儿了，真想立刻到你身边好好的抱你。』

『抱？你这是正经的还是不正经的那种的啊？』

『怎么办？我正经和不正经的都想要啊。』

『行了，邵哥哥，烟还没抽完啊？怕不是抽了一支又一支啊？』

『你怎麼知道？』那头的邵群笑了笑低沉又充满磁性的嗓音围绕在简隋英耳边，就像是邵群本人现在就在他身边一样让简隋英感到心跳不止。

『他妈的…！』简隋英意识到自己又再一次的沦陷在邵群的温柔乡后气得咒骂一声。

『怎么了？隋英？』邵群还以为是简隋英那头发生了什么事，急忙就问了一声。

『没事儿！我先挂了！明天见！』

『知道了，那明天中午我去你公司接你。』

『嗯，就这样吧，邵哥哥。』

简隋英在挂断电话前故意还在话筒边亲了一下，邵群那头也扎扎实实的听见了啾的一声，让嘴里还叼着一支烟的邵群笑得满脸幸福“真的可爱死了…”

而简隋英将电话挂断以后张扬的大笑着“小群子！谁让你瞎撩了？看这会儿是谁被谁撩啊？我难道还拿捏不了你了啊？”

[swdgf]

《我的一个朋友》 by 孔恰

[extraordinarilyextreme]

on 妖 yao (and 慕声 Mu Sheng) in 永夜星河 Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024)

crossposted from a twitter thread!

there are SO many things i love about YYXH, but something i really appreciate is their portrayal of 妖 yao.

in ep. 10, Mu Sheng says, “人心有七窍，妖心只有一窍。所以大多数妖物的品行都简单执拗。” / "Human hearts have seven apertures [are complex and calculating]; but yao hearts have only one [are simple]. That's why the conduct of most yao creatures is uncomplicated and obstinate."

窍 / apertures (openings; orifices) are where the human body is connected to the outside world. as such, 七窍 seven orifices usually refers to the eyes (2), nose (2 nostrils), ears (2), and mouth (1). BUT...

in the context of the heart, it more often alludes to the virtuous character of 比干 Prince Bigan from the Ming dynasty novel 《封神演义》 Investiture of the Gods.

there, it was said that 圣人之心有七窍 / the hearts of saints [good men] have seven apertures...

...so, of course, the righteous and smart Bigan was rumored to possess a 七窍玲珑心 / lit. delicate seven aperture heart.

Bigan's story didn't end well (his heart was cut out by order of the infamous King Zhou of Shang), but 七窍玲珑 still means "clever and quick-witted."

now... 窍 can mean "opening"—but another way to say so could be 眼 / eye (or, "hole"). that is, we can draw a near-equivalency between 七窍玲珑心 / lit. seven-chambered heart and 多心眼 / lit. many heart's eyes; an overabundance of concern...

in particular, 多心眼 (or to say that someone 心眼多) not only implies wit and sharpness (i.e., "having a lot of thoughts"), but also some level of cunning and shrewdness. that is, to be "mindful of many things" means one is "considering of many things" and "calculating."

hence, returning to Mu Sheng's explanation: humans are crafty, always thinking of a hundred other variables and planning another hundred steps ahead. (that's why humans betray and deceive and hurt one another...)

but yao are simple.

yao don't have so many of these excess considerations. if they are hungry, they will seek to feed. if they are hurt, they will fight back. if they are scared, they will hide. if they are cared for, they will respond with equal gentleness.

in other words: yao are not human.

and this distinction is what made so many classic xianxias and yao-centric stories so compelling (think 白素贞 Bai Suzhen from the romance folktale 白蛇传 White Snake Legend).

to discuss our beloved 慕声 Mu Sheng as an example: it can be easy to say he has a jiejie-complex or is almost yandere-like about 慕瑶 Mu Yao, but we have to remember that as half-yao, he doesn't operate on the same frame of reference as humans. Mu Yao is the one person who has been consistently kind to him since he was young, and so he will reciprocate that kindness to (human standards of) extremity. likewise, when our cutie-pie 凌妙妙 Ling Miaomiao regards him with kindness, Mu Sheng will feel inclined to answer that with affections a hundred or a thousand times stronger.

though he grew up among humans, Mu Sheng's yao half should not be forgotten. humans may be fickle in their feelings; but yao (in general) will not be. once they have found someone worth their affections, they will love fiercely and to a terrifying degree. you can also understand it as yao not necessarily posessing the same understanding of 分寸 / "propriety" that humans do.

so, again, yao are not human—and that is why their stories have always been so compelling to us. we place limits on our conduct and behavior for a variety of socially-imposed and learned reasons, but yao as an imperfect reflection of our human selves allow us to live out our "fantasies" of extremity.

i think the new era of xianxias have largely traded that yao-human distinction for other things, like eye-catching CGI, flowy costumes, and the three lives, three worlds formula—which are, of course, not inherently bad.

YYXH itself is part of this new chapter of storytelling/the genre of xianxias after all (esp. given its existence as a 古偶), but that is ultimately precisely why it stands out so much to me.

is it the first or only xianxia in recent years to show that yao are nuanced? that yao are neither all good nor all bad? — of course not!

but i think it is undoubtedly among the very, very few in recent years that has successfully portrayed just what it is that makes yao so uniquely compelling. and that is due in large part to both strong writers (who also did 《苍兰诀》 Love Between Fairy and Devil) and strong actors.

in short, YYXH feels like a labor of love. love for the original 《黑莲花攻略手册》 novel; love for the xianxia genre; love for storytelling, in an era driven by capitalistic cash-grabs and the ruthlessness of c-ent.

the reality of that is up for debate, but as one individual viewer, i want to say that this drama has made me very happy. it is both respectful of and pays homage to the yao of classic xianxias.

and to be able to share and enjoy that cultural artefact—something that is so uniquely and immutably Chinese—with others, is something that brings me a lot of joy. ✨

[harocat]

Hello Cdrama fans! The signups for the Yuletide fic exchange close in a little over forty-eight hours, and there are a ton of Cdrama fandoms nominated. I'd LOVE to see some more Cdrama fans on board (and not just because almost all my nominations are that).

Yuletide is an annual fic exchange for rare and obscure fandoms run through the Archive of Our Own. Participants sign up to write a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom someone else has requested, using the selected characters from that fandom. In return, they receive a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom they have requested, featuring requested characters.

Please read this FAQ and the Rules before deciding whether to participate.

I had so much fun doing this last year (and I got some great Cdrama fic), so I wanted to share it here in hopes of bringing in some more participants from these fandoms.

The following Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong Dramas are nominated:

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花开有时颓靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

藏海花 | Adventure behind the Bronze Door 

西出玉门 | Parallel World | West Out of Yumen

许你浮生若梦 | Xǔ Nǐ Fú Shēng Ruò Mèng | Granting You a Dreamlike Life

说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes (2022) 

还珠格格 | Huán Zhū Gé Gé | Princess Returning Pearl

追风者 | War of Faith 

重启之极海听雷 | Reunion: The Sound of the Providence 

长月烬明 | Till the End of the Moon

长歌行 | The Long Ballad 

长相思 | Lost You Forever 

长风渡 | Destined 

關於未知的我們 | Unknown

问心 | The Heart 

陪你到世界之巔 | Gank Your Heart

霹靂布袋戲 | Pili Glove Puppetry

风起洛阳 | Fēng Qǐ Luò Yáng 

飞狐外传 | Side Story of Fox Volant

骄阳伴我 | Sunshine by My Side

鬓边不是海棠红 | Winter Begonia

鹿鼎記 | The Duke of Mount Deer (Hong Kong 1984)

I apologized if I missed any. I went fast so I could actually get this posted. For DONGHUA and MANHUA look under 'cartoons & comics & graphic novels'. For Chinese language movies look under 'movies'. For Cnovels (danmei and other), look under 'books and literature.' There are lots of nominations there as well. Here's the tag set!

By the way, according to Yuletide staff, the most frequently nominated fandom was Mysterious Lotus Casebook.

[linghxr]

5 common words my Chinese classes and textbooks didn't teach

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy learning with classes and textbooks. But no single resource or method can teach you the entire language! Here are 5 words (do particles count as words?) I see/hear all the time in native content that I never learned from classes or textbooks. Looking back, I'm surprised these weren't taught!

不仅 | 不僅 bùjǐn - not only (or 不仅仅 | 不僅僅 bùjǐnjǐn)

有这种看法的不仅是我一人。 他的病情不仅不见好转，反而更加严重了。

即 jí - namely / that is / i.e.

闽即福建省的简称。 元旦，即公历的1月1日，是世界多数国家通称的“新年”。

平时 | 平時 píngshí - ordinarily / in normal times

你平时都喜欢做什么？ 他的打扮跟我平时遇到的人不大一样。

稍 shāo - somewhat / a little

请稍等。 说到这儿，他稍停了停。

呗 | 唄 bei - modal particle indicating lack of enthusiasm / modal particle indicating that things should only or can only be done a certain way

你不同意，那就算了呗。 既然不懂，你就好好学呗。

PS: I actually checked the textbooks I used in college to confirm that these weren't covered. But of course they could have been included in your textbooks.

Definitions are adapted from MDBG.

[mxtxfanatic]

Hi! If you don't mind me asking:

What does mxtx says about jc's character? Like some jc stans claim that she has said he has a knife tounge and tofu heart, (I don't believe it still) is it true? I don't know where to find her interviews, so I asked you instead:)

Thank you 💕

MXTX speaks on Jiang Cheng’s character in two places that I know: the old version of the postscript of the novel (absent from the official 7seas release) and an interview from before she left socials.

In the postscript, she only has this to say about Jiang Cheng:

Everyone should know what Jiang Cheng’s keyword is without me saying it. In the beginning, I thought with with XY’s [Xue Yang] existence, Jiang Cheng’s negative energy would definitely seem skimpy. Who knew he became the ultimate superstar of the comment section? Compared to him, XY was almost a poor, has-been idol. Only now and then would someone decide to drag him out again. Of course, in the end, under the combined PDA attacks of WWX and LWJ, the past and present superstars were obliterated.

And in this interview, she goes more in-depth. Sidenote: while I appreciate the interview for what it, I do not appreciate the ways in which they insert their own opinions about how they think MXTX should feel about Jiang Cheng into the actual interview commentary, and it shows how much of a bias even the interviewer had towards his character to have asked so many leading questions in an attempt to get a positive response out of her about him.

Anyways, here's some expansion by @jiangwanyinscatmom on the nuance of what mxtx meant by “not heinous/evil” that was lost in translation here and some more re-translation (still of the same interview as above):

墨香铜臭：本性不是特别坏，但是有人要讨厌他的话，那也没办法。因为你讨不讨厌一个人，也是……也是自己的问题。

He is not a 坏 (basically spoiled broken, corrupt) person by nature, but if someone wants to dislike him, there is nothing I can do about it. Because whether you dislike someone or not is also... your own choice.

MXTX's answer about why Jiang Cheng never could marry and how she sees him as a character (parenthesis section for jiangwanyinscatmom's own translation notes):

墨香铜臭：就性格比较差劲吧，谈了几个，吹了。 (He just has an 差劲 (average/lame/disappointing, let down) temperament, he dated several times but they were all failures) 墨香铜臭：我眼中的江澄……我眼中的江澄，就……其实没怎么样，我写文还是比较客观的。我看他……我看他就、就像是在看一个作品。 女主持：如果让大大本人来介绍江澄这个人的话，你会怎么介绍他？ 墨香铜臭：我觉得他是一个负能量比较……重……的人。 女主持：这么简单吗？ 墨香铜臭：对，负能量比较重，但是也不是个、也不是个十恶不赦的人吧。对。 MXTX: In my eyes, Jiang Cheng... In my eyes, Jiang Cheng is... Actually, it's nothing special. I am relatively objective when writing. When I look at him... When I look at him, it's like looking at a work of art. Female host: If you were to introduce Jiang Cheng, how would you introduce him? MXTX: I think he is a person with a lot of negative energy... Female host: Is it that simple? MXTX: Yes, he has a lot of negative energy, but he is not a heinous person. Yes.

In short: MXTX describes Jiang Cheng as a character that is filled with negativity and unable to date, but he is not inherently evil nor to the point of being irredeemable. He is a product of the story and fulfills the role he was created to fulfill in the plot. He's not a good person, not overtly and not secretly. That's it.

[yibo-best]

I wanted to say a few words. One of the Chinese TV awards is happening today. Of course, I hoped and wanted Yibo's films to receive all the recognition possible. Mainly because Wei Ruolai's role in War of Faith holds a special place in my heart. But even though the cdrama was shortlisted (out of 100), it is unlikely to win an award. None of the actors were nominated. Was I upset? Probably not, we all already experienced the shame of the Magnolia Awards, what can we expect from another one, lol. I just wanted to remind you about this cdrama, although it makes me sad to mention it now, but Yibo's role is still near and dear to me. I am very glad that Yibo has such a role in his resume. The playlist has all the episodes with subtitles, the episodes after the 27th one are after the video for sponsors - below.

[hami-gua]

收下的香囊 Shōu Xià de Xiāng Náng

In ancient China, girls would give friends and love interests 香囊 （a sachet). If the love interest accepts, then he accepts to be her significant other. Proposal is a different case though, as it’ll be very costly for the man :)

Warning: Chinese is used (translation provided), not proofread, attempt on classification of things (i.e. a tree), a lot of culture drops, a few historical inaccuracies, anxiety (maybe near panic attack)

The story takes place in a Han dynasty-esque period (not really)

Dan Heng x gn! Reader (third pov)

Please read to the end for credits and explanations

A warm glow emitted through the paper window at the dead of night. There a figure sat, weaving a needle between the silk fabric. Silken thread of teal jade** wrap around the woven fabric, drawing out the form of a teal jade dragon flying between mountains and amongst clouds. When the figure was done embroidering the body, they finished off the stitch and swapped the thread out for one of pure gold. This has to be perfect.

The next day, the figure leaves their room, opting to head down to the pavilion overlooking the koi pond. Maids hurriedly followed suit, carrying whatever the figure desired. And when they made it to the pavilion at last, the figure wasted no time and sat down — beginning their work immediately. They pulled out their work, already been strung on the loom and began stitching again. A gentle pink thread weaved this time, shaping out peach blossoms. A soft breeze passes through, swaying the liusu tree** a bit a way. I don’t have much time left. The figure thought, I only have a three days before I depart for the capital. I’m sure he’ll be there.

The figure worked well into the afternoon until their friend had come along bringing snacks to feast upon. She brought something to work on too, as it was customary for the two to do so.

“你今儿怎么这么不安呢？你这个香囊不是做了很久了吗？这已经看的很完美了，为何还要再加呢?” [Why are you so restless today? Isn’t this the sachet you’ve been working on for so long? It already looks perfect, why do you still want to add more?]

“前面是完美的。但后面的必须得要跟前面一样完美。” [The front is perfect. But the back needs to be as perfect as the front.]

“这么拼命啊。是要送给谁啊？等等，让我猜猜！是不是。。。丹王子**？” [You really are giving it your all. Who are you going to gift it to? Wait, let me guess! Is it… Prince Dan (Heng)?]

The figure looked up at their friend in shock, having never told her despite working on the sachet for a while.

“三月。。。你是怎么。。。” [March… how did you…] The figure trailed off, their whole face starting to heat up.

“这不简单嘛。我上次来看你的时候，你绣的那个图案是个青龙。咱俩之间知道的青龙不是丹王子的话，那还会是谁啊？“ [It’s simple. The last time I came to see you, the pattern you embroidered was a teal dragon. If the teal dragon isn’t Prince Dan (Heng) as we know it, then who else could it be?]

The figure looked at the work in their hands and remained silent as March stared at them. A period of silence held between them until the figure spoke, “Do you think he’ll accept it?”

“I don’t see why he’ll reject it.”

The figure sighs, a thumb running over the even stitches softly.

“He’s so aloof. I don’t know if he likes me or tolerates me to not…”

“To not…?”

“To not ruin his image.”

Rustling was all the figure heard before a pair of hands enclosed around theirs. They look up to see March looking at them with a smile.

“It’s okay. You go along with what you planned, and if he breaks your heart, I’ll go beat him up. Princely title or not. No one’s allowed to hurt you.”

Reassurance began to settle in within the figure’s heart and a smile quickly followed.

“Thanks March.”

A day has since passed, the figure having finished their sachet before bed. The brass wind chime sang as they left their room, dressed thicker than usual. They still felt rather cold underneath layers, and the see-through silk did nothing to warm them. The figure tucked their hands in their sleeves while hurrying towards the carriage, the clicks of their muji** echoing through the courtyard. They nearly trip over themselves upon crossing the threshold as a gale races by. It’s times like these where the figure is thankful for choosing to apply beeswax** on their hair. A maid carefully helps the figure into the carriage, getting on after them. Right as they disappear behind the curtains, the carriage takes off for the capital.

Along the way, unease began to fester within the figure’s heart, unsure if Dan Heng will accept their sachet. They tried to calm themselves down, yet to no avail. When one worry is eased, another blooms. What if I’m too late and he’s already taken? The figure sighed.

“What’s wrong my liege?” The maid asked.

The figure shook their head and solemnly replied, “Nothing.”

The longer the ride became, the more nauseous the figure grew. Negative thoughts plagued their mind, many scenarios of them ending up heartbroken. Suddenly, the carriage feels more stuffy than usual. Yet at the same time, a cold feeling rushes down their body. As if reading their mind, the maid drew back the curtain for fresh air and comforted the figure.

“It’s okay my liege. His highness won’t reject you. I know it.”

“How?”

“Well it’s been quite the talk amongst us maids. Especially since your last meeting with him. We all saw how he looks at you.”

“What do you mean look at me? Isn’t he suppose to see?”

The maid giggled, “Not that kind. I mean yes, he is suppose to see. But I’m talking about those kinds. You know, the ones where a person yearns for the other?”

The figure is left confused. Never had they ever seen the look where one yearns for the other. Yet somehow, her words had left the figure feeling better.

The figure’s legs were weak by the time they descended the carriage. Their maid held an arm, helping and guiding them through the street as they sought out a familiar face. And soon enough, they found him standing right in front shop. Upon approaching him, the figure could tell he’s been focused on staring at the neatly shaped rice papers — trying to choose between the different quality of paper. With their right hand on top and left on bottom the figure bowed** — mustered up courage and spoke, “Greetings, Dan Heng.”

His gazed snapped from the paper and onto the figure. A miniscule smile is seen, as he does the same: Left on top, right on bottom.

“Greetings.” he paused, observing the figure. “Are you well?”

Their hand clutched the sachet tightly — trying to remain composed, “Yes,” a deep breath, “I have something to give you.”

Dan Heng’s eyebrows raised at this. Something to give him? Him, of all people? The figure pulls out the sachet from their sleeves and with both hands, hands it to Dan Heng. He looks at it for a brief period and with two hands, accepts the sachet. And upon having it in his possession, he unravels the strings then loops it through his silk belt. The figure watched with wide eyes as the butterflies dissipate, leaving behind only warmth. Dan Heng looks up to see the figure, now his beloved, standing there meekly.

“从认识你的时候，我一直都没见过这样的你。原本活泼的你现在变害羞了。哎呀，你怎么会这么可爱呢？” [Since meeting you, I have never seen you like this before. The lively person you were, have now turned shy. Oh, why are you so cute?] He softly teased.

Upon hearing his comment, his beloved’s face started flaring — resulting them to hide behind their sleeve as they averted their gaze. Dan Heng giggled as his hand rose to lower their arms and cup the side of the face. They looked up at him as he brushed his thumb across their cheek. His hand lowered only to take a hold onto their hand, intertwining it. With a gentled tug, he led her deeper into the market, leading the couple to spend the rest of the day wandering from stand to stand with fleeting affection.

When their gaze met Dan Heng’s, they understood what those around them were saying. Dan Heng isn’t one to display emotions freely, yet his actions speaks louder than words. And his eyes — his eyes will always be the first to say how he’s feeling.

We’ve all heard of method actors, and now get ready for method writers. No seriously though (TMI) I gave myself anxiety all because I was writing about MC getting anxious. What MC goes through is actually how my anxiety goes which is why I bring snacks or sour candy to hold down nausea. So I’m sorry that it sounds rushed. It doesn’t help that I bilingual too hard to the point that when even as I’m typing, my brain is just going “oonga boonga”. Anyways, here’s the cultural explanations and credits.

Teal jade is a literally a combo I made up. I’m under the assumption that Hoyo never truly confirmed if Dan Heng actually is 青龙。I know 青 translates to green, but in actuality, the green that is referred looks a little more blueish. Teal isn’t exactly it, but jade isn’t either. It’s very complicated to explain as it’s a color that isn’t really popular in the west. Think of the color this way, under certain lighting (and sometimes angle) the green will look more teal-ish. almost looking blue. Other times, it’ll have a more light jade color. I can’t remember the very ceramic style that uses this sort of “green”.

Liusu tree [流苏树] scientifically named Chionanthus retusus, is a tree with flowers that makes the tree look like it has lots of snow on it.

王子 means prince. Initially I had wanted to use 公子. But knowing how Xianzhou alliance had only allied with Vidyaharas, it only makes sense (in my brain at least) to have him be a prince. Not a king though, cuz that means they would have to meet and travel under different circumstances.

The use of muji 木屐 (commonly called ‘clogs’) can be dated as far back as pre Qin dynasty (Yellow emperor’s rule). It comes in many styles, very similar to how modern day slides look. Another style is one that is similar to geta. It remained popular until about the end of Song dynasty. Clogs are mostly worn in the south where there’s lots of rain and mud. Xishi is said of have worn clogs due to her insecurity of having big feet — so when she walked the skirt hid the clogs, but the clogs are still able to produce rhythms (think how catchy those rhythms must be).

Beeswax was used in ancient China as a way to hold back hair and to keep away fly-aways. Think of it as mousse or gel for ancient civilization.

Different dynasties had different ways of greeting each other. Though one thing remains roughly the same. Women (in this case feminine leaning) would have right hand on top, and left on bottom. Men are vice versa. The only time when it’s swapped are times like funerals. Although MC is gn, Dan Heng is masculine — thus to balance that out, MC would have to have a more feminine personality.

As for bowing, this depends on class. Kneeling or ketou 磕头 would not be done with (han-majority ethnic group) towards someone that aren’t parents. Of course, these are base rules as circumstances also apply — but it’s a good thing to note.

I wish I can attach links that I got these from, but I had obtained these info from the span of 2-3 years :’(. So if anyone finds these, feel free to link it so others who are interested can take a peak.

Divider Credits

All dividers used came from animatedglittergraphics-n-more

[nitefise-art]

The names of the Ruinous Quartet

So I’ve been playing Pokemon Violet and the names of the four Ruinous Pokemon are clearly derived from Chinese, so I thought I’d share some thoughts on what they mean.

The Ruinous Quartet comprise:

Wo-Chien

Chien-Pao

Ting-Lu

Chi-Yu

The first thing to note is that the names seem to use the Wade-Giles system of romanisation, as opposed to the Pinyin system used today. I don’t know Wade-Giles, so I’m going to be translating these to Pinyin for the explanations.

Wo-Chien

The Pinyin equivalent of Wo-Chien is Wo Jian. This doesn’t tell us what the tones are, but the Mandarin name for Wo-Chien according to Bulbapedia is 古简蜗 - Gǔjiǎnwō. 蜗 (Wō) means “snail” (more commonly said as 蜗牛 - wōniú). 简 (Jiǎn) is more difficult to translate because it can take on a lot of meanings depending on context and what words it’s paired up with (it can be a noun, adjective or verb), but in this context it refers to the strips of bamboo that were used for writing in Ancient China before paper was invented. These were strung together so they could be rolled up (kind of like sushi mats lol) when not being read:

This is why Wo-Chien is the Tablets of Ruin. This version of 简 (Jiǎn) isn’t commonly used anymore, instead it’s more usually used to mean “simple” (简单 jiǎndān).

Chien-Pao

This one is fairly straight-forward. The Pinyin of Chien-Pao is Jian Bao. This “Jian” is a different word from the one above referring to the bamboo slips, which was 简 (Jiǎn) - this one is 剑 (Jiàn), meaning “sword”. And Bao here is 豹 (Bào), meaning “leopard” (not buns, which incidentally is 包 Bāo). Hence the Mandarin name for Chien-Pao is 古剑豹 (Gǔjiànbào), meaning ancient sword leopard. So Chien-Pao is literally Sword Leopard, which makes sense as it’s the Sword of Ruin.

Ting-Lu

Ting-Lu in Pinyin is Ding Lu, and the Mandarin name is 古鼎鹿 (Gǔdǐnglù). Lu here refers to 鹿 (Lù), meaning “deer”. Ding refers to 鼎 (Dǐng), which are ancient Chinese cauldrons with three legs and two handles (below). This is depicted on Ting-Lu’s head and is why it’s known as the Vessel of Ruin. So Ting-Lu is basically the Cauldron Deer.

As a bonus, the character 鼎 (Dǐng) can be traced back to a hieroglyphical depiction of the actual cauldron itself (source):

Chi-Yu

This one is a bit of a mystery. The Pinyin for Chi-Yu is Ji Yu. Now Yu is obviously 鱼 (Yú), meaning “fish”, but it’s unclear what character the Ji refers to. All three previous Pokemon’s names derive from the animal and their associated item (tablets, sword, cauldron). Chi-Yu’s associated item are beads, but that translates to 珠 (zhū), not “ji”. The Mandarin name for Chi-Yu is 古玉鱼 (Gǔyùyú), meaning ancient jade fish. This is another example of different Chinese characters being apparently spelt the same but said differently -  玉 yù vs 鱼 yú. Maybe this is why they didn’t go with Jade for the English, both because Yu can stand for both and Yu-yu would look somewhat silly. 

One possibility (which is what Bulbapedia goes with) is that Ji Yu is  鲫鱼 (Jìyú), which is a type of carp (note also that Bulbapedia records it as goldfish, but goldfish is 金鱼 jīnyú). 

Another (less likely but I think more interesting) possibility is that Chi-Yu isn’t Wade-Giles at all, but just Pinyin, in which case “Chi” could be 赤 (Chì), which is a fancy word for red (红 - hóng), kind of like how you can just have red but if it’s scarlet or crimson then all of a sudden it’s more exciting even though no one’s actually thinking about the precise shade differences. This would fit given Chi-Yu’s fire typing.

Aaaaanyway I hope this has been interesting and happy 2023!

[tendaysofrain]

Random Stuff #12:  What is Simplified Chinese?

For people like me who grew up speaking and using Chinese in day to day life, the vast majority of us have at least a basic understanding of what Simplified Chinese is, but it wasn’t until some days ago when an English speaker asked me “what is Simplified Chinese?” that I realized not many people here understand what Simplified Chinese is.  So, I’ve gathered some misconceptions I’ve encountered both in real life and online, and I will try to answer them in a concise but factual manner.

But first, let us talk basics.  There are three things we must cover first before going into this topic.  The first is the fact that both Simplified Chinese (简体中文) and Traditional Chinese (繁體中文) used today are modern standardized systems of written Chinese, as in both were compiled within the past 100 years or so (modern Simplified from 1935-1936, then again from 1956 and on; modern Traditional starting from 1973), and the two currently widely used versions of both systems were officially standardized in the past 50 years (modern Simplified current version standardized in 2013; modern Traditional current version standardized in 1982).  However, since simplified characters already exist in history (called 简化字/簡化字 or ���体字/俗體字/”informal characters”), and “Traditional Chinese” can be taken to mean “written Chinese used in history”, in this post I will use “modern Simplified/Traditional Chinese” or “modern Simplified/Traditional” when referring to the currently used modern standardized systems.  

Second is the evolution of written Chinese.  Usually when this is taught, instructors use examples of how certain characters evolved over time, for example one might encounter a linear diagram like this in Chinese class:

(Original picture from Mandarinpedia)

However, this diagram only gives a very general idea of how characters evolved from more picture-like logograms to the more abstract symbols we call characters today, and does not reflect the complexity of this evolution at all.  To get into these details we will need to talk about Chinese calligraphy.  In terms of the evolution of written Chinese, Chinese calligraphy--all those scripts like oracle bone script (甲骨文), bronze/Jinwen script (金文), Seal/Zhuan script (篆书/篆書), Clerical/Li script (隶书/隸書), Regular/Kai script (楷书/楷書), etc--they aren’t just calligraphy fonts, but actually change the way characters are written, and are representative of the commonly used forms of written Chinese at different points in Chinese history, as in the appearance of a certain script on a historical artifact can actually be used to estimate how old the artifact is.  Below is a (very) rough timeline of when each script appeared and when they are most popular:

Oracle bone script/Jiaguwen (甲骨文):  Shang dynasty (~1600 BC-1046 BC)

Bronze/Jinwen script (金文; includes Large Seal script/大篆):  Western Zhou dynasty (~1046 BC-771 BC)

Seal/Zhuan script (篆书/篆書; sometimes called Small Seal script/小篆 or Qin script/秦篆):  compiled in Qin dynasty by chancellor Li Si/李斯 around 221 BC, was the official script in Qin dynasty (221 BC-207 AD); popularity went down after Qin dynasty but was still in use for ceremonial purposes like official seals (the archaic meaning of 篆 is “official seal”, hence the English name); still in use today in very specific areas like seal stamps, calligraphy, logos, and art.

Clerical/Li script (隶书/隸書):  appeared in Qin dynasty, became the main script used in Han dynasty (202 BC-220 AD); popularity went down after Han dynasty but was still in use; still in use today in specific areas like calligraphy, inscriptions/signatures on traditional Chinese paintings, logos, and other art.

Regular/Kai script (楷书/楷書):  appeared in late Han dynasty, became the main script used in Tang dynasty and has been popular ever since (618 AD-present).

(Note:  there are other calligraphy scripts like Semi-Cursive script/行书/行書 and Cursive script/草书/草書 that were never mainstream yet were also significant, especially in the case of modern Simplified Chinese, but I will mention them later so this won’t become too confusing)

So if we plug the information from the very rough timeline above into the linear diagram, it becomes this:

But wait!  There’s even more!  Because there is a thing called variant Chinese characters/异体字/異體字, which basically means that there have been multiple ways in which a character can be written (“one character, many forms”/一字多形), and these can come about as a result of homophones, personal preference of historically significant people, historical trends, mistakes in the past that stuck around, or the result of stylized scripts like Cursive script/草书/草書, which simplifies and connects strokes in a liberal manner.  The reason Cursive script is important here is because of the logographic nature of written Chinese, meaning the simplifying or connecting of strokes actually changes how the character is written.  Because of this, 马 and 馬 were forms that have already existed before modern Simplified and modern Traditional were compiled.  A diagram that takes variations and evolution into account should look something like this:

And since the above diagram did not take Cursive script into account, here’s another picture of a myriad of scripts/fonts (not in chronological order) that includes 馬 in Cursive script (mostly on bottom left):

Now you may have an idea of where modern Simplified and Traditional Chinese came from:  they are both compiled from existing variants.  Since both modern Simplified and modern Traditional are supposed to be standardizations of written Chinese, they each set a single variant for each character as the “standard”.  Modern Traditional Chinese kept the more historically mainstream 馬, and modern Simplified Chinese substituted it with the simpler variant 马.  Taking all of this into account but still keeping it concise for our topic here, our linear diagram from the beginning should be modified to look like this:

And that’s just an example of a single character.  This evolution diagram can differ depending on the character too, due to there being other rules for simplifying characters.  This is why standardizing written Chinese is an immense amount of work, but once standardized, the written language will be streamlined and much easier to use in communication.

Finally, we are ready to clear some misconceptions.

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About Common Misconceptions Regarding Modern Simplified Chinese:

“Simplified Chinese replaced all Traditional Chinese characters”. Untrue.  Modern Simplified Chinese only standardized 2274 of the most used Chinese characters and 14 radicals with simpler variants.  That’s really all there is to it.   For reference there are a total of about 60,000 Chinese characters, and about 3,500 of these are deemed to be often-used characters; so only ~3.7% of all Chinese characters and ~65% of often-used Chinese characters are simplified in modern Simplified Chinese.  Play around with any online tool that can switch between modern Simplified and modern Traditional, and you will find that many characters stayed the same.

“Simplified Chinese is the opposite of Traditional Chinese”.  Untrue.  Modern Simplified Chinese is just a simplified and standardized system of written Chinese.  Modern Simplified Chinese and modern Traditional Chinese are not “opposites” of each other at all, just different standardized systems serving different purposes.  Modern Simplified was compiled with ease of use in mind, since Traditional characters can be time-consuming to write, for example imagine writing 聲 (sound) when you can just write 声 instead.  Also back when Simplified was being introduced to the public, a huge part of the population was illiterate, especially farmers, poor people, and women, so Simplified Chinese was a great way to quickly educate them on reading and writing, and to improve efficiency in all aspects of life. Knowing how to read and write is key to education, and education is a must if people's lives were to be improved at all.

“Simplified Chinese is Mandarin”.  Untrue.  Mandarin is a spoken dialect that came from Beijing dialect, and both modern Simplified and modern Traditional Chinese are modern standardized systems of written Chinese.  One concerns the written language and the other concerns a spoken dialect.

"Simplified Chinese was invented by the Communist Party". Untrue.  As mentioned before, most characters used in modern Simplified Chinese are already present in ancient texts, artifacts, and inscriptions as variants.  Apparently the only character simplified by PRC was 簾 (blinds/curtain), which became 帘 in modern Simplified Chinese. History wise, Republic of China was the first to start compiling Simplified Chinese in 1935 and introducing it to the public, but this was called off after 4 months.  PRC modified and built on the original plan, and introduced it to the public again starting from 1956.

"Simplified Chinese is to Traditional Chinese as Newspeak is to English in 1984". Completely untrue.  Modern Simplified Chinese is just a simplified way to write commonly used Chinese characters and does not alter the meaning of the characters.  There are some Traditional characters that are combined as one simplified character in modern Simplified, but the meanings are not lost or altered.  For example, 發 fā (development) and 髪 fà (hair) are combined as 发 in modern Simplified, resulting in 发 having 2 different pronunciations (both fā and fà), and each of these pronunciations carrying their original meaning.  The meaning of neither 發 nor 髪 was lost, 发 will just have a longer dictionary entry.

"Simplified Chinese is a huge change from Traditional Chinese". Only partly true in that it is a change, but it is a change justified by the evolution of written Chinese throughout history.  The origin of most modern Simplified Chinese characters come straight from history itself, since many characters had alternative ways in which they were written (sometimes for convenience), for example these characters below.  Each row contains different forms of a single character (smaller characters indicate what time period these variants are from; ex:  汉碑 means the variant is from a Han dynasty inscription).

In reality, written Chinese has always been standardizing itself.  Less-used variants become forgotten over time, sometimes only rediscovered through archaeology.  Besides, effective written communication does partly rely on standardization of the written language (imagine everyone writing in the various variants...how horrible would that be?).  Modern Simplified just took this one step farther and made some characters easier to write.

“Traditional Chinese is no longer used in Mainland China”.  Untrue.  Modern Simplified is the commonly used form in Mainland China, but Traditional is still used in a variety of places, such as on store signs/brand logos, particularly for stores/brand that are old.  For example the old Beijing brand 天福号 below (est. 1738).  On their logo, 天福号 is written as 天福號 from right to left, which is the traditional way of writing horizontally.

Traditional Chinese is also used in the logos for many universities in China:

Another way in which Traditional Chinese is commonly used in mainland China are personal seal stamps.  Often times when people carve seal stamps for personal use (for example showing ownership on artwork they created or collected), they would put their name/courtesy name/nickname on the seal stamps in Zhuan/篆 calligraphy font, and Zhuan font use Traditional Chinese.  Of course, the ways in which Traditional Chinese is still used in mainland China isn’t restricted to these two examples here.  There are other places where Traditional Chinese is still used, such as traditional paintings/国画, calligraphy/书法, and many many more.

“People who grew up reading Simplified Chinese cannot read Traditional Chinese”.  Depends on who you are asking.  I grew up learning only modern Simplified, and I can read Traditional/modern Traditional Chinese just fine without having to actually learn it from anyone.  Most people who grew up with Simplified Chinese should be able to read at least some Traditional without help.  There are some people who say they can’t read Traditional without taking the time to learn it, but I doubt they’ve really tried, to be very honest.

---------------------------------------------------

And that’s it for the misconceptions!  

My personal philosophy regarding modern Simplified Chinese and modern Traditional Chinese can be summed up as 识繁写简, or basically “know how to read Traditional and know how to write Simplified”.  In a way, knowing how to read Traditional is a bit like knowing how to read cursive:  a lot of history could be lost if we completely stopped using/learning about Traditional Chinese, but to meet the fast pace that modern life demands, I think modern Simplified Chinese is the more convenient choice for writing for day-to-day purposes.  Since quite a few posts on this blog concern history, you will find that I usually use both Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese for historical things, since modern Traditional Chinese is closest to what people used in the past, and modern Simplified Chinese is more often used now.  If it appears that I didn’t put modern Simplified and modern Traditional side by side, that usually means either the characters stayed the same and there’s no need for me to type the same thing out again, or the topic does not call for both to be shown.

Finally, the fun part.  Here’s a Seal/Zhuan script calligraphy work by Mi Fu/米芾 (1051-1107):

Does something look familiar there?

[dustzvacuumcleaner]

I just wanna post my process video I’m sorry for all-chinese website

[sweetd3lights]

All rights reserved  by 至简J 

[meraki-yao]

Translation of a Bilibili Video Analysing the Paris Love Making Scene

HOLY SHIT THIS LITERALLY TOOK ME ALL DAMN DAY

Preface from me: PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT MY ORIGINAL CONTENT! THIS IS JUST MY TRANSLATION OF THE FOLLOW VIDEO MADE BY 搭火箭都要追剧 A CHINESE RWRB FAN. I REPEAT, THE CONTENT IS NOT MINE, I'M JUST A TRANSLATOR (that being said I did a little bit of commentary, anything in brackets is my own thoughts)

All photos are unedited screenshots taken directly from the video

Preface from OP: The content of this video is very subjective and shallow, if it's different from your opinions, you're the right one (a Chinese saying which basically means "this is just my thoughts don't come at me") and it's most likely to be very different from any official BTS.

Didn't translate the first part because 1, I can't really translate it well due to cultural references 2, I... don't really agree with it, but did like 90% of the video

Also since it's about the Paris love-making scene, there's sexual content, you have been warned

For the moment when Alex slips his hand under Henry's shirt

When Alex slides his hand across Henry's naked waist, his fingertips, the most sensitive part of the hand is touching Henry's bare skin and stirring his desires, which is why Alex's body tenses: he clenches his jaw and takes a deep breath in.

In contrast, Henry is absorbed in the romance of it all. He's been in love with Alex the whole time and finally, the man of his dreams is here with him, touching him.

For the couple of shots where they stand naked with Henry touching Alex

1, Close Up Shot of Henry's hand gliding up Alex's arm

Henry told Alex that he's in good hands, therefore Henry's the one to lead this dance and set the atmosphere, so most of the light is on him, with the bright spot being shone on Henry's wrist which leads the audience to focus on that point

He starts with his fingertips running along Alex's vein, but the brightest spot doesn't follow the movement of his hand and stays focused on his wrist and the lower part of his thumb while the rest of his hand is in darker lighting. This is to strike a contrast and to put the focus on Henry's hand and therefore his movement. The reason only part of his hand is illuminated is because his entire hand is lit, the frame's lighting loses its balance and looks abnormal, and won't match the more subtle, softer tones of the romance in the movie

A highly saturated orange/golden light is chosen, which increases the feeling of content and ambiguity (I don't that sounds weird but it's the closest word I can think of, but a more accurate description… Imagine the use of steam in a shower sex scene) which also hints that this is going to be a lovely night

The use of light and the contrast of brightness on different parts also serve to convey Henry's emotions and internal thoughts. Even though their first night in Alex's room and their hook-up during the polo match were both really intense, but it was more about the surging, frantic sexual desire between the two. Now Henry doesn't actually know how Alex will react and is somewhat worried about it, which is represented by his fingers in darker lighting. But at the same time, Paris is the first time Henry can be so physically close with his long-time crush and be extremely honest/vulnerable with him, and later understand and feel each other on a spiritual level (… Woah.). He feels contentment from that, which is what the brighter area conveys.

In this single shot, the bright and dark areas are fairly equal, which also means these two emotions are in equal conflict at this moment

Then Henry's hand slides up towards Alex's shoulder and he switches to touching him with his fingertips, which, with its sensitivity, means Henry can feel any tiny change on Alex's skin. He feels Alex's excitement and comfort, which in turn makes him happy and bolder, which is also conveyed in the change of the light in the frame: the fingertips that were previously in dark lighting gradually shift into the brighter area, representing his worries fading

2, The following shot of Henry facing Alex's camera right, Alex's back against the audience, camera left

The light is still on Henry which means this shot is still conveying Henry's feelings

There's a clear contrast of light on his face which makes his face seem more 3D (again sorry for the weird translation but I can't find any other words) and attracts the audience's attention more.

The contrast is also represented in Henry's characterization. To explain this, we need to understand what a cognitive schema is: cognitive schema is a psychological concept which can be summarized as when a person is exposed to an object, event or person, they will use precious experience and knowledge to make a general judgment and description of them thus predicting their next actions. So in the case of Henry, at first since he's a prince, the audience and Alex, using their cognitive schema will assume he's prim and proper, when in reality he's horny (ha), flirtatious and adorable (so in conclusion, he's actually a babygirl)

Henry then lingers his hand on Alex, and glances at Alex with a flirtatious smile, enjoying Alex's shiver under his touch.

3, Shot of Alex facing audience camera left, Henry back against audience camera right

The light is now mostly on Henry's back, increasing the romantic atmosphere of the shot.

The light is also on Alex's torso and cheek forming a light contrast, which turns the audience's focus onto Alex. The larger dark area indicates he's being led by Henry in this situation, and he doesn't really know what Henry's gonna do, therefore his nervousness is the dominating emotion, represented by the dark area.

But he's also enjoying Henry's touches, which is why the light is still mostly on Henry but also partly on Alex now, almost like an extension of the contentment that Henry feels

The lamp that in-universe is providing the lighting is on the right side of the frame. If a similar light source isn't placed on the left side, the left side of the frame would seem too cold, which would destroy the atmosphere previously created. Therefore a mirror was placed there both for spatial balance and to create a reflection of the lamp's light, creating a small light spot on the left, balancing the coloring and lighting of the shot.

To the right of the mirror where the light can't cover is a small cupid statue. The statue not only adds to the romantic atmosphere but also indicates what's about to happen, as cupid symbolizes love and sex. Cupid is also a mischievous God who enjoys pranks, which also somewhat describe the boys' relationship: cupid shoots out the silver/lead arrow of aversion and revulsion that leads to their misunderstanding and subsequent hatred, but the shoots out the golden arrow of fall that led to them falling in love with each other and living together happily ever after.

Alex keeps watching Henry's hand as his hand slides down and looks back up when Henry touches his chest and takes a deep breath. Henry smiles brightly at Alex's reaction.

Alex then becomes intoxicated by Henry's touch as his sexual desires take over him

When Henry picks up the key that means a lot to Alex, Alex clenches his jaw. The highlight in his eyes allows the audience to immediately catch the change in his eyes that's filled up with lust.

So to conclude this part, a lot of attention was given to the placement of props and the lighting: the saturated golden creates a romantic but steamy/foggy (meraki seriously can't find the right word) setting, which is a filmmaking technique often used by Wong Kar Wai, in fact a similar lighting was used in "In the Mood for Love" (Matthew is a true fan)

For the shots of them kissing on the bed

There's a red mark on Henry's chest which OP explained in an earlier video that would have been caused by Alex grabbing there when thrusting forward

There's another possibility which is Alex getting excited when being behind Henry but he doesn't really know what to do so all he can do is grind against Henry. But Henry feels and sounds divine, and Alex gets impatient so he leaves marks on Henry's arm and chest

To prove her hypothesis op did an experiment with her own arm: she chose her arm because just like the part of Henry's chest that's marked, part of the muscle curves (into the elbow just as the chest muscle curves into the armpit) it's not a easy place for fingers to exert force, thus can draw a closer, more subjective comparison.

Experiment process: open uses her other hand to grab onto her arm and pull backwards forcefully, to 1, observe the shape of the mark and if it's identical to that of Henry's, 2, observe the time needed to create the mark in order to be the same as Henry's

As shown in the photo, the (faint) red marks are approximately the same shape, width and redness as the ones on Henry's chest. It took 28 seconds to reach this. This approximates the time taken by Alex to "do stuff" (I think she means prep?) from Henry's behind

With how loving and gentle Alex is with Henry it's not that likely that he started groping Henry's chest from the beginning, so the conclusion is when Alex was trying to "move forward" when he was behind Henry (I seriously don't know if she means prep or like, doggy style) but doesn't really know what to do and groped Henry in his nervousness, and this failed attempt lasted at least 28 seconds.

OP thinks the failed attempt was done in front of the window with Henry bending over, gripping the back of one of the chairs, and deduced from the DNC scene: the boys were originally chatting in bath robes on the couch with the curtain mostly closed, but when Zahra barged in, the blackout curtain was out, leaving just the mesh layer closed. There was a bathrobe on the far side of the couch and another in front of the window. So presumably after the talk, they went for another round, Henry ditched his robe on one side of the couch and pounced on Alex (similarly to how he did on Alex's couch), they tumbled around and switched position and ended up in front of the window, Alex remembered he failed attempt in Paris and wanted to make up for it so he pulled open the blackout curtain but left the mesh layer closed, and then he got to work. (...tbn personally I think this is a stretch?)

Henry thinks Alex is adorable but he's also really intoxicated and wants to get down to business asap, so he grabs Alex's neck and presses Alex towards him, kissing from Alex's lips to his neck. He kissed Alex's neck because from their first hook-up and the way Alex immediately stretched his neck to give Henry space when he kissed his neck then, that this is the quickest way to stimulate him. Which is why you can see a faint hickey on Alex's neck

As they kiss they walk towards the bed. During their first hook-up, Henry pushed Alex onto the couch, so now it's Alex's turn to pounce on Henry, which is what we see in the shot: Henry falls onto the bed first, then Alex follows. Alex is really happy and a bit proud that he can drive Henry crazy like this, while (and I quote directly) Henry can't think of anything anymore, and has "please hurry up and fuck me" painted on his face

The mark/hickey on Alex's neck takes the shape of an inverted triangle, with the vertical side and the diagonal side (left down right up, in math it's a positive slope) being more red, which means those two points experienced the largest amount of force

Red Mark on Henry's Chest

Screenshot from In the Mood for Love using a similar lighting

Red Mark Result from OP's experiment

Blackout Curtain Closed on DNC Night

Bathrobe (presumed to be Henry's) on the far side of the couch

Bathrobe (presumed to be Alex's) near the window, Blackout Curtain Open in the background

For the process, deduced with the shot of them laying in bed during the afterglow

The trajectory of sweat on Henry's temple runs downward vertically. If he was fucked lying down, the sweat should run into his ear canal horizontally. Which means he was fucked in a sitting position. For example in the polo match hookup, Henry's sweat is visible in the form of drops running vertically down his face. Also in the afterglow, the sweat also seems to be splattered, which required Henry to have vigorously moved either up and down or front and back. So yeah this further proves that there was a cut riding scene.

Alex also has sweat on his face, and his fringe is wet. So riding should have happened right before they lied down and started talking.

So the process deduced by OP is 1, they tried doggy style in front of the window and failed 2, what was shown in the movie 3, doggy style on the bed 4, riding (OP wasn't aware of the details of the extended Paris love-making scene, but all RWRB fans in China know that there's doggy style and riding that got cut, this is OP's deduction of the order)

Even without looking at the sweats and marks, from the way Henry's signet ring is turned in the movie you can tell that something's deleted, since before Alex intertwined his fingers with Henry, the letter H was facing outwards, and when their hands join the movement causes the ring to turn and for the letter to face inwards. But then the next shot with Henry's hand on Alex's shoulder shows the ring worn normally again, which means something in between was deleted or reordered.

Hickey on Alex's Neck

Henry's sweat in the afterglow

Henry's sweat during the polo hook-up

Alex's sweat in the afterglow

tagging @sanneannelies7 and @na-18dia who mentioned wanting the translation in my original post

[qilingxiong]

hello chinese-speaking fanghua enjoyers i need you all to set aside an hour and fifteen minutes to go watch this game transmigration au edit with xiaobao and multiple cheng yi characters as soon as possible

[harocat]

Yuletide assignments have gone out, and that means all the prompts are now public (ao3 link). If you're me, you just enjoy reading people's prompts and letters, but also, it's a chance to see what people are longing for so you can give treats. Treats are 'extra' fics beyond the normal Yuletide assignment. Anyone can give them even if they didn't sign up for the actual exchange (although unfortunately you won't get a fic in return). Note that there also options for artists to provide treats. I'm definitely eyeing some prompts to see what I might be able to do on that front if I have the time. 👀

Here are the Chinese language dramas that have prompts available, with the amount of requests listed next to them:

HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped (2)

一念关山 | A Journey to Love (4)

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (3)

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li (2)

且试天下 | Who Rules The World (1)

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag (1)

云之羽 | My Journey to You (4)

以家人之名 | Go Ahead (1)

伪装者 | The Disguiser (3)

你安全吗 | Are You Safe (1)

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile (1)

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory (1)

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective (3)

偷偷藏不住 | Hidden Love (1)

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (2)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins (3)

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors (1)

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace (1)

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman (3)

四方馆 | Go East (2)

回响 | Echo (1)

墨雨云间 | The Double (6)

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You (1)

女世子 | The Heiress (1)

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (1)

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace (4)

将军在上 | Oh My General (2)

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV) (6)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV) (2)

庆余年 | Joy of Life (7)

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace (2)

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice (1)

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner (2)

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer (1)

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty (7)

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy (4)

有翡 | Legend of Fei (1)

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV) (3)

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (4)

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact (1)

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells (1)

猎狐 | Hunting (1)

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin (5)

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo (1)

琉璃 | Love and Redemption (2)

种地吧 | Become A Farmer (1)

绅探 | Detective L (3)

老九门 | Old Nine Gates (3)

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (1)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm (4)

花开有时颓靡���声 | Meet You at the Blossom (12)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil (6)

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook (22????!!)

藏海花 | Adventure behind the Bronze Door (1)

西出玉门 | Parallel World | West Out of Yumen (3)

说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes (3)

还珠格格 | Huán Zhū Gé Gé | Princess Returning Pearl (1)

这！就是街舞 | Street Dance of China (2)

追风者 | War of Faith (4)

长月烬明 | Till the End of the Moon (3)

长歌行 | The Long Ballad (1)

长相思 | Lost You Forever (5)

關於未知的我們 | Unknown (2)

陪你到世界之巔 | Gank Your Heart (1)

霹靂布袋戲 | Pili Glove Puppetry (2)

风起洛阳 | Fēng Qǐ Luò Yáng (2)

骄阳伴我 | Sunshine by My Side (1)

鬓边不是海棠红 | Winter Begonia (2)

鹿鼎記 | The Duke of Mount Deer (1)

琴師 - 音頻怪物 | A Stringed Instrument Player - Yīnpín Guàiwu (Music Video) (1)

Have fun!

[linghxr]

Tricky words that differ between 普通话 and 国语

Usually tone and other small pronunciation differences between 普通话 and 国语 don’t phase me much. In context I don’t even notice 期望 qīwàng vs. qíwàng. But recently I stumbled across 颤巍巍 and realized that it’s a lot harder when both/all syllables in a word are pronounced differently!

Here are 8 words (including 颤巍巍) that sound pretty different in 普通话 and 国语 (definitely not exhaustive).

Format: 简体（繁体）普通话读音 | 国语读音 Simp. (Trad.) Putonghua pron. | Guoyu pron.

【1】 颤巍巍（顫巍巍）chànwēiwēi | zhànwéiwéi - trembling / swaying / flickering / tottering / faltering

【2】 血液* xuèyè | xiěyì - blood

【3】 差劲（差勁）chàjìn | chājìng - bad / no good / below average / disappointing

【4】 熟识（熟識）shúshi or shúshí | shóushì- to be well acquainted with / to know well

【5】 血迹*（血跡）xuèjì | xiějī - bloodstain

【6】 垃圾 lājī | lèsè - trash / refuse / garbage / of poor quality (this is probably the most well known difference!)

【7】 倏地 shūde | shùdì - swiftly / suddenly

【8】 惋惜 wǎnxī | wànxí - to regret / to feel that it is a great pity / to feel sorry for sb

Definitions are from MDBG.

*The pronunciation of 血 is all over the place. You can hear xuè, xuě, or xiě. I’m generalizing here, but I actually tend to say xuě.

Under the cut you can see some bonus words that I found (I didn’t include them since I have not seen/learned them).

【9】 夹击（夾擊）jiājī | jiájí - pincer attack / attack from two or more sides / converging attack / attack on a flank / fork in chess, with one piece making two attacks

【10】 突击（突擊）tūjī | tújí - sudden and violent attack / assault / fig. rushed job / concentrated effort to finish a job quickly

【11】 削发（削髮）xuēfà | xuèfǎ - to shave one's head / fig. to become a monk or nun / to take the tonsure

【12】 综括（綜括）zōngkuò | zòngguā - to summarize / to sum up

【13】 敛迹（斂跡）liǎnjì | liànjī- to refrain / to give up evil (temporarily) / to cover one's traces / to lie low / to retire (from view)

【14】 档期（檔期）dàngqī | dǎngqí - slot within a schedule / timeslot (for a TV program, a session with a photographer etc) / range of dates in which an event is to be held (film screening, exhibition etc)

【15】 质朴（質樸）zhìpǔ | zhípú - simple / plain / unadorned / unaffected / unsophisticated / rustic / earthy

【16】 血泊 xuèpō | xiěbó - pool of blood

【17】 稍息 shàoxī | shāoxí - (military) Stand at ease!

See similar posts: Who knew! These characters are pronounced differently in Taiwan Cross-strait tone differences