#cheng xiaoshi is actually JUST as protective of lu guang

[falling-star-cygnus]

i wanted to practice writing Xia Fei and somehow spawned the perfect plot line for it >W•

takes place in Bridon! before- er, after?- meeting Vein, but before the session with Wang Xing -> so they're familiar with Xia Fei, but not so much with anybody else yet

Or: that white cat that disappeared before Lu Guang stepped into the frame makes a reappearance and Xiaoshi is just a man with a camera

This... was the greatest moment of Cheng Xiaoshi's life.

It was a warm day, with just enough cloud cover to offer a breeze, and the two boys had found themselves at a park close to their hotel. He hadn't actually wanted to venture too far, despite the new area.

Shocking, he can hear his sister sass at him, but- well! Lu Guang wasn't the type to kick a sickness so fast, so... it was just a precaution.

Besides, it was also a pretty quiet area. So... double- eh, triple win!

Cheng Xiaoshi could keep an eye on his partner, Lu Guang couldn't tire of humanity and murder someone, and their new friend could [hopefully] unwind away from prying eyes!

And there were cats.

Which brings the dark haired boy back to his original train of thought.

Currently, his fair skinned friend was holding the fluffiest white cat up to his eye level- because god forbid he crouch down and dirty his fragile Victorian child knees.

The kitty itself was sort of a scrawny thing under all that fur, with half-lidded blue eyes and a deadpan expression. It tilts its head one way, in time with Lu Guang. They tilt their head the other way.

Qiao Ling was going to love this.

Ah- ...once she's done yelling at them for eloping. Platonically eloping! Not- not actually- you know... not that Cheng Xiaoshi would be opposed- he clears his throat.

Not now.

The dark haired boy will think about that... later.

When he refocuses the lens of his phone camera, the white kitty has raised a paw to his fair friend's cheek and it's perfect. Obviously, his phone is not as good as his actual camera but it does it's job.

Or it should do it's job.

But when Cheng Xiaoshi looks at the picture there are fingers in it. And they totally obscure the image!

They're not his, he's sure of that, thank you very much. The dark haired boy knew how to take photos!

Plus, these ones looked a little paler than his... and intentionally cover Lu Guang's face.

"Hah.. uh, sorry," a new voice calls his attention, a little bashful but not really all that apologetic.

Cheng Xiaoshi turns towards it, hoping his fair friend stays distracted enough for him to get a few.. choice words in... but they die in his throat when he sees who, in fact, ruined his photo. The sun glints off a single silver hoop.

"Ah? Xia Fei!" Ire momentarily forgotten, the photographer lowers his phone, "I didn't notice you got here, sorry man."

And then the confusion hits.

"Why would you-"

The blond raises his hands apologetically, and then glances over at where Lu Guang is still having a stare contest with that cat.

"Sorry about that- really," he insists, before lowering his voice, "This is probably an overstep but- is... he okay with that?"

With what? With Xia Fei talking to him? Probably not, if he thought about it. At least not yet.

It could never be said that Lu Guang was a social butterfly, not even if it was true that he had joined an anime club in their younger years. And true to form, he didn't like talking to new people. Or when new people talked to him. Or when people talked.

Maybe he was just paranoid actually.

As if reading his confusion- which wasn't hard- Xia Fei explains.

"With pictures that.. he's not aware of?"

Oh!

Well that was actually kind of sweet.

"I mean- I'm really sorry if it is! It's just- ah.. I know I don't really like having my picture taken outside of shoots," that was good information to know, "And your friend seems.."

Xia Fei pauses, as if searching for a friendly word to describe Lu Guang's overall... Lu Guang-isms. Good on him.

Cheng Xiaoshi could forgive a lot, but really only in regards to himself. He didn't spend so many of his high school days defending Lu Guang from harsh comments [unnecessarily, because Lu Guang didn't seem to care one way or the other] just to let anybody talk about him however they wanted.

Sure, he poked and prodded and annoyed the pale haired boy whenever he could. But he was a younger brother! It was literally in his nature.

He pointedly ignores the fact that he's older than his best friend.

"Introverted?"

Good choice.

"He is," Cheng Xiaoshi admits, feeling the tension drain from his shoulders, "but don't worry! We had a talk about it after-"

Aaand that was a paw on his mouth.

At some point during the conversation, Lu Guang had migrated over- kitty in tow- to the two chatting extroverts. His ears were bright red.

Heheh... his partner was not immune to love and care.

Or maybe he was just embarrassed at where the conversation was about to go.

"Cheng Xiaoshi and I run a photo studio back home," he explains to Xia Fei, who's orange eyes are wide like he'd been caught, which- well, technically he had, "But he's always enjoyed photography."

The dark haired boy nods emphatically.

The dual toned blond relaxes minutely, his hands lowering back to his sides as he huffs an audible sound of relief.

"Ah.. that's a relief then."

The blush on his partner's ears darkens.

Heheheh.

"Don't... feel too bad about it," the pale haired boy nearly mutters, raising the cat like a barrier between them, "The idiot has tons of pictures already."

"But only a few of you with Elizabeth!"

Cheng Xiaoshi feels himself bluescreen for a second after speaking up.

Not only is Lu Guang absolutely gorgeous when he's all bashful, the pretty bastard, but he's also going out of his way to comfort someone!? Someone he was prickly with not even a day ago?

AND he was holding a cat that looks like the near splitting image of him?

click.

Goddamn fucking shutter sound on phones.

Xia Fei flinches when it abruptly breaks whatever moment he was having with the dark haired boy's best friend and Lu Guang shoots him a resigned look.

"See."

When the duel toned model laughs, it's an awkward thing.

Oh.

Oh shit.

"You're not in the frame!" Cheng Xiaoshi frantically checks just to make absolutely sure and crops out the strand of of blond he had managed to catch, "I wouldn't do something like that, I swear-!"

He shows Xia Fei the picture, and only feels a little bad at his partner's bitten off protest. He probably should've asked before- just showing the candid of Lu Guang to someone still relatively a stranger, but it's not like he showed him the whole album!

Although... Xia Fei is looking at his phone with his pretty orange eyes- so drastically different from Lu Guang's own cool blue and grey- with something.. that Cheng Xiaoshi doesn't want to name.

[It's wonder, he's looking at the photo with bewilderment and wonder- and how dare he-]

The model looks back at Lu Guang, then at the photo, and then at Cheng Xiaoshi.

"So he just- he just always looks like that!?"

Yeah, that was a fairly standard reaction.

"Everyday."

Two hands, a little wider set then his roommates yet still slender, grip his shoulders. The kitty hisses at the scene, though it's quickly soothed by some scritches behind the ear by fair fingers.

Lucky cat.

"Everyday?"

Every. Day. Even when he was sick. Or out of breath. It wasn't fair! Cheng Xiaoshi wasn't unattractive but he was surrounded by models. Literally now! Lu Guang only got prettier the more you got to know him too...

"He's going to put me out of a job," Xia Fei wheezes.

"I am right here-"

"PRETTY PEOPLE DON'T GET TO SPEAK!"

[protect-namine]

this post is about qiao ling. but first, I want to talk about the power rangers of this show.

so. I'm really glad YE2 is putting the triple star warrior mirroring in a more interesting context

because that's clearly the intent and it's not like it doesn't make sense back in S1, but the actual execution of that mirroring seemed shallow at best with just S1 knowledge

(look! qiao ling even bought cake of them in the S2 finale)

I think it's because I couldn't quite place qiao ling's role in this until now. she's the star of wisdom, but she's the one who is the most out of the loop and lacking in knowledge... or so we thought. but with the S2 ending giving her tianxi's ability, and YE2 showing that it's a pattern for her to keep relevant information, then yeah, it's starting to make sense. the triple star warriors really are their character arcs.

star of justice, bringing hope (cheng xiaoshi's kindness being both a strength and a weakness that can either uplift or endanger other people; "even if you don't see hope, it doesn't mean it's not there")

star of courage, conquering fear (lu guang timelooping himself is the most extreme response to fear he has over cheng xiaoshi's death)

star of wisdom, serving knowledge (qiao ling and the burden of knowledge that she keeps from people out of guilt or protection)

and they really do need to overcome all of that to get the good ending.

anyway, I just think it's neat. I thought the triple star warriors mirroring was cute back in S1, but now I love it even more knowing qiao ling's place in all of this. I actually love this trait about her. she is always taking care of other people and has "big sister" vibes. she's the one who actually goes out of her way to find clients for shiguang to help and hearing their clients' troubles, even when she had no idea how their abilities worked. she's the one who truly connected with tianxi and knew how to communicate with her — even better than cheng xiaoshi could, and cheng xiaoshi was the one who actually got to live as tianxi.

it's in her nature to care for others, but it's also her biggest flaw. much like lu guang, in her desire to keep cheng xiaoshi safe in her own way, she hides relevant information from him. and the act of secret keeping causes her to keep doing it out of guilt too — as we've seen in the doudou case. it's a very human trait to have.

it puts the earthquake arc in a new context. a young cheng xiaoshi went to qiao ling, distraught over the possibility that maybe his parents died in the earthquake. young qiao ling, wanting to comfort cheng xiaoshi but also knowing that her parents were advised that it's safer for cheng xiaoshi to not go to bridon, tells him that his parents are probably somewhere "far away" and wasn't caught in the earthquake. this isn't just words for the sake of comfort. she has reason to believe this is actually true.

she's in a tough spot when S3 rolls around, because she should, by then, know about cheng xiaoshi's death, if not possibly everything that happened in bridon (through tianxi's power/memory transfer). unlike lu guang, who is dead set on timelooping himself as a way to fix things, qiao ling is in a precarious spot.

should she honor aunt shao's wish and keep cheng xiaoshi safe, which she also wants? or should she tell cheng xiaoshi information he rightfully should know, thereby allowing him to exercise full agency over his own future, even if that future has the risk of death? and whatever she chooses will affect lu guang too. what is the wise thing to do here?

on that note, others have pointed out how this recontextualizes S1E1 cheng xiaoshi talking about his parents. looking back, it's insane to me that S1E1's opening scene (not the dive rules, the one after the op plays) has cheng xiaoshi saying, "I won't go anywhere until my parents come back. if you drive me away, I'll hang myself here! then your father will never get a new tenant."

(it's looking like whatever he learns in bridon won't carry over to the cheng xiaoshi of S1, but I digress)

he says this, and both lu guang and qiao ling are sitting there calling him a childish idiot, all the while harboring knowledge about his parents that cheng xiaoshi doesn't have. (lu guang also has the extra knowledge of cheng xiaoshi's death and what happened in bridon at this point probably, but this post is not about lu guang)

like... in S1 this could just be seen as a little "haha okay so this is exposition and this is their dynamic" scene but now... man. qiao ling knew all this time, in this scene, where his parents might be. she knew during the earthquake. she knew while they were renovating the shop.

I understand the reasons behind it, and in her eyes it probably was the wise thing to do. but when S3 comes around, should she still keep hiding it, like she did with the doudou case? when she confronts lu guang about his memories, what will she do?

I have hope that she'll bridge the two boys together. we saw how her strength has always been communication and delivering words. she is the person the clients look to. she is the person that gained tianxi's trust and knew how to meet her where she's at. she is the person who knows cheng xiaoshi and lu guang best.

here's hoping that she can overcome her guilt and desire to protect cheng xiaoshi from himself, and become the star of wisdom the show wants her to be

[mysterialistic]

I have an issue with the fact that Qiao Ling and Xiao Li are dead too. (Long ramble)

For me, this undermines Lu Guang's complexity and motivation. Why? Because they're portraying him as some kind of hero—the great "last hope."

For over a year since the Season 2 finale, we've believed the opposite about Lu Guang. We saw him as hypocritical and deceitful because he was trying to change the past and break a death node—a rule he established and even scolded Cheng Xiaoshi for disobeying. At the end of Season 2, Lu Guang says, "I want to use the last chance to go back to the beginning and save YOU." For so long, it’s been clear that he only cared about saving Cheng Xiaoshi. They've repeatedly emphasized and convinced us through songs and promotional material of this: that his sole focus was Cheng Xiaoshi, and no one else mattered to him.

The fact that Lu Guang prioritized saving Cheng Xiaoshi, despite the potential consequences for others (like the theory that avoiding Cheng Xiaoshi's tragic fate caused the deaths of Li Tianxi, Chen Bin, and Emma), is what made Lu Guang a great character. He wasn’t a typical hero—he was human. He was afraid of loss and suffering, of living without his best friend. This fear consumed him to the point where he never even allowed himself to grieve. Cheng Xiaoshi brought meaning and color to his life, and Lu Guang deemed him the only one worthy of saving because of his good intentions and kind heart.

If they now include Qiao Ling and Xiao Li among those Lu Guang wants to save, it completely changes the essence of his character. It takes away the personal, deeply human motivation that made him so complex and relatable. We could relate to him because, if we were in his position, with the power of going back in time after tragically loosing a loved one, many of us would do the same or at least consider it. And now, instead of Lu Guang being driven by personal loss and denial, he becomes a stereotypical hero trying to save everyone. It’s an absolute cliché that even goes against the main principle of the series back in season 1: "past or future let them be".

Maybe Qiao Ling being dead could make sense, since she’s close to him, but even that feels off. Lu Guang has never shown a strong desire to save her specifically. Besides, it doesn’t align with what we’ve seen: in Lu Guang’s memory, Qiao Ling didn’t see herself die like Cheng Xiaoshi did. Killing her off would also strip away an interesting aspect of her character—her determination to protect her younger brother. In Season 3, she could confront Lu Guang about his actions and actively try to help him. If she’s meant to die too, it reduces her to a damsel in distress, reinforcing the unfortunate tendency of Link Click to mishandle its female characters.

As for Xiao Li, his inclusion feels completely random. He wasn’t close enough to Lu Guang to justify being a major motivation for him. If anything, he would be at the very bottom of Lu Guang’s list of priorities.

Anyway, I’m sorry for the long ramble—I just needed to get this off my chest. I still hope this might be a red herring and that they’re not actually dead yet. Or perhaps they died in the first timeline, but Lu Guang managed to save them while still being unable to save Cheng Xiaoshi, no matter how hard he tried. I don’t know. I’ll trust Link Click and wait to see how they justify or resolve this in a way that makes sense and preserves the characters’ essence.

[pastorfutureletthembe]

Unpopular opinion probably, but everyone is set on vidding and animating this song in Lu Guang's POV.

And it's very popular:

X X X X X

But to me, Penelope's part would be Cheng Xiaoshi's pov, actually.

I mean, I get why the lyrics echo Lu Guang's feelings. Oh, I do. But also, Odysseus is the one who went through decades of longing and pain and loneliness and betrayal, with only reason to keep living the hope to see his (dead) wife once more. He left worlds and pieces of himself behind.

He isn't the same man. Cheng Xiaoshi... Is. He'll always be who he is because Lu Guang is the only one with a future, but the only future he accepts is his past life with his best friend.

He would go through billions of repeats if there is one chance of growing old with the man he loves.

Odysseus' theme is "Just A Man". And it is and will forever be my favorite song of all Epic the Musical.

Going through the Yingdu Chapter through Lu Guang's prism feels familiar and foreign. We know who Lu Guang is but not who he was. We have no idea what he went through.

An other unpopular trope in this fandom is that all these repeats somehow made Lu Guang lose his humanity, his compassion and his morals. He would become more and more selfish, blinded with his wish, making difficult choices and leaving people behind. Qiao Ling. With a godlike power, he would still be profoundly human. Doing whatever it takes to save Cheng Xiaoshi. Going back to the start to live in peace with Qiao Ling and Cheng Xiaoshi, unable to move on.

Why doesn't he say anything to Cheng Xiaoshi? Why does it try so hard to follow the script? Who is he protecting in the end? I would actually love to see Lu Guang do something unforgivable in order to save Cheng Xiaoshi.

In another meta, I mentioned Cheng Xiaoshi would be kind of pissed at Lu Guang for his hypocrisy. But no matter how pissed he would be, he would move mountains to help him come back from the dive back in time. Cheng Xiaoshi would never allow Lu Guang to sacrifice himself or his own happiness for him. He wouldn't let him erase himself from reality, from their story.

I do think Future Cheng Xiaoshi is diving in Yingdu, at the very beginning, because he won't let Lu Guang go. He keeps holding his hand. Again and again and again and he pulls him in right before Lu Guang gives up and gets sucked into self-sacrifice.

And I cannot wait for the reveal.

People asked me before what I thought would be Cheng Xiaoshi's reaction to learning the truth. I still don't know how to answer that, to be honest. Actually, I don't think it is relevant. I don't think Lu Guang would admit what happened, what is happening. Cheng Xiaoshi would realize what kind of horrors his best friend went through only when there would be no going back...

And after that?

He would get him back.

This part is exactly what I imagine the end of Link Click to be:

And whatever was said and done, who cares if billions of versions of their stories have been written? The core of them is the same.

Also. Penelope's game of asking her husband to move an unmovable bed just to prove a point is soooo Cheng Xiaoshi.

Anyway.

I hope someone will make an edit with the reverse possibility.

[sleepingdeath-light]

love language hcs ; lu guang & cheng xiaoshi

requested by ; nobody / self indulgent

fandom(s) ; link click

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; cheng xiaoshi, lu guang

outline ; “hcs for how lu and cheng show their love”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

cheng xiaoshi

trust

trust and honesty are two things that cheng values above just about anything else, meaning that for your relationship to work he needs to know he can rely on you and, likewise, he needs you to know that you can rely on him — and that includes him telling you about the nature of his ability and how he’s able to do his job, which wasn’t the easiest conversation to have

likewise, he’ll be deeply appreciative of anything you do that shows an immense level of trust in him — whether that means telling him things about yourself you’ve never told anyone else, or trusting his judgement enough to do what he asks without any questions other than whether he’ll be alright (especially if he asks you to, say, run as fast as possible away from a threat)

playfulness

being a (loving) menace to those around him is basically his default state of being and you, as his loving partner, get to experience the full extent of his playful side — including lighthearted pranks, the corniest jokes and silliest pet names you will ever hear in your life, surprise visits, spontaneous dates, and random comments about the strange people you see out and about that you have to physically force yourself not to laugh at

and if you happen to match his energy in this? oh he’ll be in heaven (lu, not so much though…)

physical touch

cheng is a pretty tactile person in general with those he cares about, but with you he goes from a solid eight to a ten — like when he’s not hugging you or pulling you down to sit on his lap, he’s resting his hand on your thigh/hip/waist/shoulder and leaning over every so often to peck your lips/cheek/temple (lu is sick of the both of you, honestly)

and when you combine that with his energetic and playful nature you’re sure to end up in plenty of situations that will leave you laughing and grinning until your cheeks and sides hurt — such as tickle fights, kiss attacks, and him picking you up and carrying you around as you laugh and flail and try to free yourself

words of affirmation

nothing beats being showered in praise by the love of your life after a job well done (or just because they happen to feel like it) and cheng could easily spend the whole day laid in your lap being pampered with your touch and told how loved he is, how pretty he is, and how well he did at work today — that’s his own little slice of heaven right there!

and rest assured that he gives as good as he gets — this man leaves you no room to doubt how much he loves you because he tells you it constantly (whether that be through compliments and praise or through outright declarations said far more casually than they’re meant)

lu guang

white lies

if lu guang loves you then his first instinct is always going to be to protect you — to protect you physically (e.g. taking a bullet for you), to protect your reputation (e.g. by dispelling rumours that are being spread), and to protect your peace and mental wellbeing, the latter of the three often resulting in him telling little white lies in order to protect you from something or another (the dangers of his job, the truth about what happened to someone, etc.)

he’s not doing it to be malicious, honest, he just doesn’t want you to suffer with the same knowledge he has and wants you to be able to live as normal and as peaceful of a life as possible

quality time

while his work does tend to keep him quite busy, lu always does his best to set aside some time in the day where the two of you can be together in one way or another — sometimes that couple time is limited to a phone call at the end of the day, and occasionally it can mean actually getting the chance to spend a whole day together (usually over the weekend when neither of you have any work to do), but more often than not he’s only able to fit in a few hours throughout the day where the two of you can be alone, which, naturally, you both try to make the most of

acts of service

while he absolutely does what he can to take care of you, this love language is one that is much more impactful for him when he’s on the receiving end of it — and it’s clear as day how much it puts him at ease when you’re there to help, even if he’s too busy or exhausted to thank you properly

having you there to take care of him when he’s sick or injured without complaint or hesitation, having someone that’s willing to look out for him and the people he loves, having someone put in the effort to know him and meet him half way, having someone who wants to take care of him as much as he wants to take care of them… there’s nothing on earth better than that, in his eyes

trust

knowing that you trust his judgement and believe that he’s doing what he does to keep you safe is so very important to lu guang that it cannot be overstated — especially when it comes to the more dangerous aspects of his job, he needs you to trust his calls and act accordingly (e.g. to go and find shelter the second he tells you to hide, or to set off running the moment he says the word)

likewise, if he’s in a relationship with you it means that he trusts you immensely and won’t ever doubt your judgement unless you’re noticeably impaired at the time (e.g. intoxicated, sleep deprived, etc.) — i.e. if you tell him to run he’ll run, if you tell him that he has nothing to be jealous about then he’ll believe you, and if you ask him not to take someone on as a client then he’ll turn that person away, and so on

[anulithots]

Can. we. just. talk. about. how. QIao. LIng. and. Cheng. Xiaoshi. protect. each. other. sksksksksiafjasdklfj. the most siblings ever.

So Qiao LIng worried for her entire childhood that Cheng Xiaoshi would never be able to make freinds. The first thing she did when meeting Lu Guang was ask why he liked Cheng Xiaoshi. She let Cheng Xiaoshi believe that his parents were coming back, slapped lawyer dude in the face (I forgettt hisss nameee QJ are the initals???) for him, and comforted him when he freaked out over the earthquake. (the backstory scene where she makes him drink milk gives me lifee she cares about him so much)

Cheng Xiaoshi taking the blame for stabbing Lu Guang, saying that Qiao Ling was innocent, that one chibi short where he noticed that Qiao Ling was upset and ordered all her favorite foods alskdfdkalsdjf, trusting her when she tells him to dive into the photo to save Lu Guang, both Lu Guang and Qiao Ling being the ones that ‘shine light onto [CXS’s] life’.

(Also the first time QIao Ling mentioned being CXS’s landlady he got excited, and when he proposed the business idea to Lu Guang he was excited to ‘pay off all the debt’. Like IDK I don’t think there’s actually a debt here. It’s just something there to support CXS and aldfkjasdkflj.

you could even see QIao LIng taking the second bowl of noodles as helping CXS. She’s the biggest shiguang shipper of us all.)

[muninnhuginn]

You know what's gonna kill me when we get the inevitable Lu Guang flashbacks?

The fact he's always described as "mature" as his post-dive self implies he must be different now than before. It's hard to imagine exactly what his personality was like before, and if it's written well, he shouldn't be completely unrecognisable. But we know he's been changed.

Imagine a first timeline where Lu Guang just follows along with Cheng Xiaoshi, no attempts to reign him in whatsover. Cheng Xiaoshi having the opportunity to come up with more of his complicated tricks but channelling it into lower stakes stuff like pranks and Lu Guang actually enabling him in that and having fun with it. Imagine tragedy striking when Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi are both allowing themselves to be genuinely happy, no facades.

We know that Cheng Xiaoshi used to put on a brave face in light of his parents' disappearances and what that meant for how he was treated and what he was missing out on. But we also know that Qiao Ling and Lu Guang together have been able to lift that into something more genuine. Imagine a world where Cheng Xiaoshi was able to do the same for Lu Guang. Where they both mutually brought that light into the other's life.

It's still true to some extent in the current worldline, but it's complicated by Lu Guang's own actions. Lu Guang can never be fully honest with Cheng Xiaoshi without (in his mind) losing him forever. But he has to stick by his side in order to have any chance in his hopeless quest. And so, he must distance himself in other ways, protect Cheng Xiaoshi, enforce the rules. Swallow the guilt. It leads to a more lopsided relationship, one where one side is always hiding something from the other and refuses to open up themselves. A relationship that in the original timeline must have been more equal, as partners.

There's something that's been lost here, and it's not just the original Cheng Xiaoshi.

[clickedwrong]

on running motifs & Lu Guang:

- Cheng Xiaoshi's always just a little faster, a little better, always a little out of reach. His fingers just can't touch him sometimes.

- Lu Guang's always caught in a mix of momentary awe and envy whenever Cheng Xiaoshi pulls off a brilliant plan on the spot that somehow works. (think Red Eyes, almost saving Emma, the Liu Siwen fight)

Falls in love just a little bit more with Cheng Xiaoshi each time he shows him something can change. Something's he's never been able to account for on his own, despite all the overthinking he does.

- Even at the boat scene - rewind or not, he knows he can't catch up to save Cheng Xiaoshi, he's probably failed at it himself. So he leaves him one last clean chance, a photo for him to do it himself.

- Their first meeting is Cheng Xiaoshi inviting him to play - holding his hand out. Join him, he asks. Run with me. Play this game with me, won't you? Lu Guang is hesitant to join (why is he on the court in the first place?), hesitant to even return Cheng Xiaoshi's friendliness although the game goes well.

- "Why so serious? It's just a game." - Is pre-CXS Lu Guang that aloof, or is that just rewind!Lu Guang speaking? Has he already ruined them by interfering at the very first time they meet?

Is he just protecting his own heart here, trying not to get too attached?

- Also consider the "I don't lose basketball games. Ever." CXS dunk scene + cut to Lu Guang remembering how they first met, then finally reminding him (and himself) that this isn't his life. But for that one moment he hears that, he's filled with hope again somehow - maybe somehow Cheng Xiaoshi could actually fix things? It's maybe why he gives in to let him "try" to save the mother - a small tiny burning hope in him that he wouldn't ever admit.

anyway, tldr: Lu Guang can never catch up with Cheng Xiaoshi, and he knows it from the very start. It's exactly what draws him to Cheng Xiaoshi over, and over, and over again ("What I see in him? He asked me to play") He answers honestly when Qiao Ling prods him again: "Maybe it's because he's naive". That light, that hope, that want to reach for something more - despite the way everything is. Maybe he can change things.

[timetravellingtelepath]

Yingdu is a prelude to the main series and is only going to have a substantial impact on Lu Guang (if this happened in another time line only).

That means that everything we've seen thus far from Lu Guang needs to be reconsidered in a new light. When he was anxious and insistent for Cheng Xiaoshi to not deliver a warning to the residents (and importantly the boy's mother) in the earthquake dive, was there another time CXS tried to protect others (especially family) from an unavoidable event? Very likely. Just what happened in Yingdu to instill even more caution and fear in Lu Guang?

Link Click is known for making us reconsider past events when given new information, it's the basis of most their dives and the biggest example is the last line of S2 WHICH MADE US REFLECT ON 2 WHOLE SEASONS OF CONTENT, THE OP AND ENDINGS (like the fact that Dive Back In Time is actually from LG POV not CXS as we first thought).

I'm really excited for the arc and staying clear of spoilers/discussions as it airs so I can watch it in one go (I do not need the cliff hanger waiting thank you very much).

Edit: Honestly more information might just make us feel worse (more upset) about certain events. Like Cheng Xiaoshi waiting for his parents to return. If Lu Guang knows something about them that he's been withholding all this time (how would he explain to CXS how he acquired the information without making him seem suspicious/telling half the truth?) that will just make his information hoarding a whole lot more painful and the eventual reveal and parting more severe (and we already have foreshadowing of the split up from the noodle dive in s1).

[reitsuki13]

Quick thing I just did. This is not an actual line from the show, but I'd imagine something like this might've happened if Cheng Xiaoshi ever pushed for an explanation as to why he must leave the past and future be.

[ID: A Link Click edit. Lu Guang is sitting in the photo studio, and his speech bubble says, "We can't change the past. We must protect the world." Next are two captioned images, as follows:

What Cheng Xiaoshi imagined Lu Guang meant by "the world": A photo of the Earth.

What Lu Guang actually meant by "the world": A screencap of Cheng Xiaoshi smiling in the season two finale. End ID]

The above ID was written by princess-of-purple-prose, added in just now because I forgot.

[protect-namine]

yingdu episode 5 spoilers

ohhh my god this is everything I want from cheng xiaoshi. yes. perfect. sorry, but I'm a cheng xiaoshi whump liker and link click always brings out the best of them in episode 5 of each season.

there's just something cathartic about how when cheng xiaoshi becomes an emotional mess, it's also when he's most disconnected with the people he knows (physically, as he's diving in a photo and his only link to his home timeframe is a disembodied lu guang in his head) but it's also when he's most connected with strangers (when their own personal trauma lines up with his). to me, it's a showcase of empathy and a strange manifestation of his own agency. something about how the disconnect gives him the space to blow up, and the connection heightens it and grants him permission, almost, to express his anger more freely for his own sake and for another person's behalf.

like. listen, okay, I'm gonna ramble now because cheng xiaoshi is my favorite character in this entire show, but listen. sometimes some fans will conflate adjectives to his character that are usually associated with his character archetype, but they aren't necessarily true about him as a character. and I don't mean it in a, "he's not like that because he grows out of those traits" kind of way. I mean it in a, "he was never like that" kind of way.

one of those adjectives, for me, is when people call him immature. he isn't! to me! imo! he's got big emotions, yes, but I personally don't think the presence of big emotions indicates anything about maturity. because you know what? as long as his primary trauma (feelings of abandonment) isn't touched, he is very good at handling interpersonal conflicts, and that's what's interesting to me.

qiao ling hides relevant information from him? he removes himself from the situation to give himself space and sort out his feelings. he tells her he's fine and that he'll be back.

post-earthquake arc? I'll just copy paste what I already said in a previous ask:

what initially got me was when I was first watching S1, I thought the earthquake arc would have devastating effects on [shiguang's] relationship. listen, I didn’t know what I was getting into with link click, but I thought that was expected. it’s ripe for drama! but how do they handle the fight? they put their side business on hold but they still keep being roommates. they still do their day job. they still talk. they’re still upset but they give each other space but not to the point where they can’t stand existing in each other’s spaces. that’s when I realized that oh, they really trust each other. they have a very solid foundation for their relationship that not even the earthquake arc can break. they’re pretty level-headed about this, actually, all things considered? all the doomed yaoi stuff came later, but that’s just the cherry on top. it’s the way they handled conflict and disappointment in S1 that got me.

okay, protect-namine, why go through that whole tangent? BECAUSE! circling back to yingdu episode 5, we finally, finally get to see cheng xiaoshi let out some of his anger. and it's precisely because his primary trauma point was on the table. he can forgive a friend lying, and he can forgive being told not to change the past. because at the end of the day, qiao ling and lu guang stayed. they never left him.

but he cannot handle abandonment. he cannot understand why people leave. he cannot understand why he's been clinging on to false hope this entire time. and more importantly, he cannot understand how someone can be such a hypocrite about it. "a man who'd rather be kind to strangers than face his own son" like fuck man. cheng weimin you fucked up so bad.

it's the disconnect/connect thing again too. thematically, it makes sense. when does cheng xiaoshi blow up? when he's alone, far away from the people that ground him. alone, the feeling he hates the most. he's not even in his own body. he blows up when he's inhabiting a stranger's. he doesn't even get to be angry as cheng xiaoshi.

how fucked up is that. man. I love him so much.

also I'm going crazyyyy over the family themes going on in link click. much to say about the show itself across all seasons (the twins, qiao ling and cheng xiaoshi, even the liu siblings), but for this episode... god. okay this is slight speculation territory now and I'll try to keep this very short, because this is only tangential to the post. but. imagine xia fei getting the good parent figure in cheng weimin that cheng xiaoshi never had. and he doesn't know!! he's bitter inside about his dad and he's having hotpot with xia fei and he doesn't know he was in that school!! fuck that's so good. that's so juicy.

okay, sorry, I have a lot of feelings about cheng xiaoshi. he's my link click blorbo of all time, and I love when he experiences The Horrors™ because it's also when other sides of him gets to shine.

on a brighter note:

VEIN AND CHENG XIAOSHI MEETING AGAIN!!! their greeting was so cute. also omg does xia fei know? that his boss is maybe possibly a cannibal? actually, wait, I don't think I'd be surprised if he does know.

ah and finally. finally:

I've been having many thoughts on how yingdu approaches "friendships" and their transactional nature (mostly with regards to liu xiao) but I mostly thought they're headcanon stuff. but now. I'm so so happy that episode 5 is bringing out more of the quid pro quo theme. liu xiao with the gift giving. wang qing's "friends" (bullies) demanding her to cheat on the exam for them. and now, vein and cheng xiaoshi having a friendly greeting but also exchanging favors. so good. so good. it goes along with how there's so much handshakes and handholding this season (not just with lu guang and cheng xiaoshi, but with cheng xiaoshi and the the antagonist trio too, who have all met him by "helping" him in some way). something something trust and favors. probably something that deserves its own post though, but I wanted to point this out because I am soooo here for that. it's goes hand in hand (ha!) with the whole fraud/lies vs innocence/honesty theme this season, and deals/contracts being an equalizer to the two. very good. very tasty.

edit: ooh they also point to this in the YE6 trailer too. nice, nice. if you knew someone's true colors, would you still be their friend?

man, I love episode 5. it just hits all the stuff I personally wanted to see. the only flaw is that we still haven't seen the older version of wang qing, but yeah I kinda expected that they'll hide her until episode 6. they're giving her the liu xiao treatment from season 2. sigh. really wish she'd keep showing up in S3, we need more female characters in this show 🙏

[archivistea]

in the aftermath of me finishing yingdu arc episode 6 (bc first of all. WTF.) the theory about xia fei being/possessing vein in the first episode makes a whole lot more sense??

aside from how ppl pointed out that vein was shooting with his left hand in ep 1 despite being right handed (and xia fei also being left handed)—lu guang killing vein death note style could have been xia fei’s motivation for attacking them as vein in the first ep…

xia fei obviously cares for vein in some way and is very grateful for all his help, and clearly wants whoever was responsible for his “death” to be brought to justice (end credits scene ignored for now). after liu xiao has his whole convo with xia fei in the theater about the truth about everyone coming to light eventually…if xia fei finds out lu guang fucked with the timeline to kill off vein in HIS timeline—even to protect cheng xiaoshi—once he eventually somehow gets hold of powers of his own (it’s gonna happen) i feel like he would definitely want to get even with lu guang for his actions??

it would also explain why vein exclusively goes after lu guang in the first ep…maybe…(also didn’t he say something about wanting to punish lu guang i forget)

idk if it would even be possible for xia fei to go back to that point before lu guang goes back in time himself to cause the events of vein dying early…but that’s just what i was thinking after i finished the ep and r most def not 100% right at all. LMAO. and i don’t even know if vein was Actually brought back to life or if he’s just been reanimated 😭 anyways yeah it’s so joever. I HATE IT HERE

also lu guang becoming more and more unhinged as yd arc progressed was crazy to witness oml. + i wanna know what his answer to the psychological test was </3 maybe he said the detective himself caused it or something lol that would line up with his story so far

[mysterialistic]

THIS SPECIFIC PART OF THE PV AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN.

I have three theories:

1. This is just Lu Guang expressing, in a rather cheesy way, that he has Cheng Xiaoshi's back and will help him achieve his goals. Despite his reluctance to embark on this mysterious journey to Yingdu, he’s willing to use his powers for Cheng Xiaoshi’s sake.

2. This one’s a bit crazy, but I’ve theorized before that Yingdu Chapter could happen on Lu Guang’s first attempt to save Cheng Xiaoshi, meaning he has no idea what to expect—including how his powers will work. Perhaps Lu Guang believes he still has Cheng Xiaoshi’s powers, which prompts him to say this, only to later discover that he actually NO longer possesses them.

3. This is Lu Guang revealing to Cheng Xiaoshi that he has powers. Perhaps he tried to keep them hidden to protect Cheng Xiaoshi, but seeing his desperation to find clues about his parents, he decides to reveal his abilities. This, in turn, leads to Cheng Xiaoshi discovering his own powers during this trip.

I NEED ANSWERS.

[pastorfutureletthembe]

Down into the VORTEX: the Curve Theory

I mentioned the Curve theory in a meta before but I wanted to dive even deeper into the fuckery of it.

I'll remind you what I call a Curve so you're all up to speed (cf: Rick and Morty):

The curve basically walls off the infinite number of universes, in which INSERT CANONICAL NODE happens, from the rest of the infinite multiverse. A model often used to explain is that the definition of a Finite Curve has no set parameters; it's just wholly random and infinite therefore can be represented as a repeating, immeasurable shape modeled with a circle. A Finite Curve would then present a finite collection of dimensions.

How is it relevant to Link Click? Well, I'm glad you asked.

I argued in the past that cakes on promotional artworks could represent curves and each curve would have hypothetically 12 repeats to offer. This is a conclusion I came to after my treasure hunt for the 5th timeline (for which I keep finding daily proofs of, by the way).

For the sake of understanding exactly how it can apply to Link Click lore, let me walk you through the basis.

Rick&Morty season 6 // Link Click BREAK! PV Note: I'm using this analogy because it is the most accurate way to bring you where I want.

By the way, we kinda already saw what resembles a curve according to the LCverse

BREAK!

If you count the circles, you'll find that five different rings turn around Saturn in BREAK! PV.

This being established, since the purpose of a Curve is to put a set of timelines sharing the same parameters together, I will argue the LINK here is a canonical unchangeable node. You guessed it:

Cheng Xiaoshi's death.

But honeslty, I don't believe that CXS is supposed to die in every possible universe - and for the sake of the argument, let's assume he isn't.

Actually, when we see flashes of him dying in LG's arms, my first thought was the first one to change the timeline and die doing it was probably CXS; that's why LG freaked out when his friend took a shot for Qiao Ling.

But let's review LG's side of everything first, shall we?

LG used up 4 pictures to save his friend

LG's ultimate goal is to save Cheng Xiaoshi's life and he failed four times. Death is supposed to be an unchangeable node and LG knows that by trying to keep it from happening, he will destroy time itself. Does he care? (/rethorical)

We know little about his previous dives, except that either he never made it this far or Li Tianchen and Li Tianxi weren't part of the timelines he knew. And, CXS died in his arms at some point, giving him access to his Back In Time power, alike what happened between Li Tianxi and Qiao Ling.

Here are some theories about them though:

If the Live Action reveals itself to be canon, it could be the Prime Timeline for Lu Guang. (We'll know for sure by the end of the month, I guess.)

In the Manhua, LG is protective and affectionate around CXS, in a very melancolic way. I'm not kidding, he's so soft it hurts.

The Daily Life in Lightime happens in another timeline and we can actually point out the moment Lu Guang dives in.

This time around, LG went and met CXS earlier than in the original timeline. (//Live Action)

It could be a coincidence that Lu Guang's character is more and more bored as we go through these examples. Keep an open mind here.

Lu Guang from the LCLA has dark hair but the promotional poster show one photograph of him with white hair. Why? There are so many jokes on LG's age in the donghua but mostly: he is so frail and remains in a sitting position if he can help it. Just like in Dive Back In Time, where he's the only one not standing. The man is exhausted. I'm just saying, perhaps his white hair isn't supposed to be white and the fact we see him with dark hair only in LCLA, played by a man of flesh, could be THE clue hidden in plain sight that this version is the original.

Note: I purposefully didn't include the musical here. The repetition of the media itself is quite interesting. Every performance is unique but the script itself is the same. It could very well be a curve on its own. Just a idea, nothing consistent.

What tells us LG isn't at his first dive is the music! Now, I won't go too deep into it because I really want to craft ONE post about this particular topic. Dive Back in Time and VORTEX are the most obvious because most of us probably never skip the intro, aaaand we get it: they are doomed by the narrative.

So yeah, this is basically why I call those "chances":

Overthink

3 more to go

Qiao Ling's birthday // Dive Back In Time

If you pay attention to the titlescreen, you'll notice free spaces in the center of the circle. By the end of the opening, one is filled, hinting that this picture has been used.

There are other winks on the number 3:

Cause I'm about to lose my- Cause I'm about to lose my- Cause I'm about to lose my mind >> Dive Back in Time When my friend are holding hands, heading into abyss I ran my lungs out so I wouldn't have missed But I missed, I missed, I missed >> Keep in Mind So what's that sound sound sound Spinning all night long long long Temperature goes down down down Got my mind feelin' drown drown drown >> The Tides

Let's assume that there are three chances left at the begining of the show. We still don't know when the inner monologue at the end of season 2 happens on the timeline, but LG mentioned his "last chance" to save CXS. The synopsis for Yingdu Chapter announced CXS died, as if it was common knowlegde (I love them for their audacity).

Are those the three last chances? To be continued.

The One True Curve

All these timelines happened inside the same Curve. Now, why do I think there ARE other curves to begin with when we already had to work so hard to get this far?

The camera isn't the same depending on who, Lu Guang or Cheng Xiaoshi, is taking the picture. The reflection changing is a way to show alternative timelines, which is different from repeats. It is a common visual clue, FOX used this technique to promote their show FRINGE for example (2 different universes crashing into each other).

There are some visuals with several clocks (I'll make a post per PV one day eventually). The first one shows a lot of different broken clocks and two merged ones as the biggest, central. This is our current curve. Our three protagonists and the antagonists are fighting over it; Light against the Shadows, as bilibili's accounts often dub the artworks. This could be our time paradox. On the second screenshot, the word LEAVE is over distorded clocks, fracturing space. Also a hint on several other realities, which have probably been left behind.

Train Trail // XETROVerthink

About that, the Vortex concept can be associated with a way to travel from one curve to another. Lots of science-fiction tvshows use this tool (Star Gate or SLIDERS).

The general idea is that, in the center of another curve the unchangeable node is different: Cheng Xiaoshi is the one trying to save Lu Guang's life.

There is of course, another explanation, just as valid as the Curve Theory: they are repeating this cycle of saving their friend over and over again. Once they run out of repeats, they die and the other go back in time to save them, completely unaware of the repeats; turning the hourglass over once again. The biggest clue for this one is... Well, the hourglass, for obvious reasons.

Link Click BREAK! PV // XETROVerthink

In XETROVerthink, we have LG appearing in the hourglass, probably in a bad shape, drowning perhaps, and CXS is swimming to him to save him; it's his turn. They are both unaware of their predicament.

By the end of BREAK! CXS's hair also turns white. It implies that he, too, went through many repeats to change their fate.

~

That's all folks! Of course I'm not close to other theories. I find the Curve Theory pretty cool. I would like to see them fight to actually get out of this canonical node, and find a place for themselves when they live their best idiots life.

I also have many additional thoughts about all of it: (Edit: you can find the meta here)

Some character presentations also hint at more than five repeats. Five repeats would be the current score for Lu Guang but Cheng Xiaoshi would have a higher number.

Some PVs enlight V for Lu Guang but X for Cheng Xiaoshi.

Some promotional posters or even VORTEX show LG and CXS as each other's reflection, as if separated by glass or water.

I'll will post more about it but 'nough said for now haha

[renthefox]

What makes Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi canon even though there's no vocal confirmation or a kiss on the mouth?

{BECAUSE I NEED MY SANITY AFTER FOLLOWING S2}

First of all, for whoever doesn't know, it's illegal to show gay "sexual practices" in China. As a result, the creators, even if they wanted, they are restrained by laws. It has to be expressed as strong subtext.

First of all, we have the name of the series itself, where "shiguang" means time and is created by taking our boys' names and compounding them into one: Cheng XiaoSHI + Lu GUANG. It's obviously also related to their front shop cover business as photographers, but this is what one would also call this pairing ship.

Secondly, as I've noted in previous post, the posters show them with yin & yang colours. But even the clothes used in the doghua imply their relationship is something more; CXS's bomber jacket combines both yellow/orange (his signature colours from the promos) and blue (LG's signature colour). Doesn't it have the same vibes like a girlfriend wearing her boyfriend's shirt?

Thirdly, in the chibi show, LG is a cat and CXS is a dog. I'm not Chinese, so I'm not 100% sure on this one, but many cultures will associate cats with femme fatales or with female characteristics, while dogs with masculinity as guards. In Japan, that's an actual gay lingo, with neko being the "bottom" partner, not to mention similar manga depictions in BL manga and doujinshi.

Fourthly, we are granted a short where our two protagonists are entangled in red string, while playing string ladder. Red string is a very prominent symbol for fated lovers in East Asia.

Last but not least, can we all acknowledge the "irony" of them being roommates? This has become such a meme, especially withing historical context, that I doubt it's not intended. As for the bunk beds, they're a matter of lack ofspace and money, not to mention the concept of "saving face".

Anything else comes directly from the dialogue or parallel scenes and the characters' interactions. See below.

In ep2, s1, the scene is most likely a reference to Lady and the Trump, where the couple shares a plate of pasta and somehow end up being connected by a single noodle. We don't really see the boys eating, but the arrangement is the same, and CXS even names the dish the "male dormitory's bowl" much like the women had named theirs the "female dormitory's bowl". And the ladies, not married until their early 40s, starting a business together, using ingredients of emotional significance to each other... they are definitely together as an item.

I think this one is pretty straightforward. They almost had a fur baby together.

In another chibi episode, LG and CXS are meant to fight one another as training, and both are unwilling to badmouth each other as a fight starter. Even the immature CXS, who one would guess could be the guy to make a laundry list of complaints, uses his own flaws and secrets to provoke LG. And by the way, two things are revealed: a) CXS basically confessed through a fake account, and b) LG protected CXS, putting the blame for breaking the cups on himself.

I don't know about you, but this sounds so very gay flirting to me.

The personal space these two share is very tight many times, beyond just friends who care for each other or shy people who feel embarrassed by admitting what they like in their "friend".

I don't know that many male friends who would rub against each other in an effort to charm the other into persuassion...

[shimmeringweeds]

Pondering the thematic decision to rip the hope from our hands in the season one finale. The show begins soft and balanced. Then emotion comes crashing down hard before the expectation of hope rises again. Up and up and up and up......! just to be snatched away at the literal last minute.

Chasing elusive hope is a major theme of this story. So here I want to explore: how does hope relate to these character's fates?

To play with some thematic personification here, let’s reintroduce the Triple Star Warriors: Courage, obliterating fear (represented by Lu Guang); Justice, rekindling hope (represented by Cheng Xiaoshi); Wisdom, light the way (represented by Qiao Ling.) Do you remember what strongest attack of the Warrior of Justice is? "It's the heart of hope! Give me the power of Justice!"

Season two’s finale showed "Courage” desperately trying to defend "Justice," who is in danger of being lost. Meanwhile "Wisdom" is trapped in thought, keeping her light dim while desperately trying to find the justice, the truth, buried under hard facts.

Desperately. The word "desperation" comes from the Latin "de"-without, and "spes"- hope. 绝望 - the mandarin word for despair, also means “to give up hope.” Falling into despair means you have lost hope. To pick yourself back up out of that bleak darkness, that hole, takes courage. We say, "the only way out is up." But when you have the power to go back in time, accompanied by grief and regrets, how do you know what direction that is?

The hole of despair has multiple paths. Perhaps the only thing you can do by yourself is pick one direction and stubbornly stick to it. You're not wandering. You have a path, and with a little hope, you believe you've picked the right direction.

But actually, every path leads to an exit, good or bad, though all will be difficult to travel. Some are dark and ridden with traps and setbacks to prevent you from moving on. Many twist and turn, going up and down, connecting with other dangerous paths along the way. A few paths are safe but endless and steep. You pick one and you walk, you run, you fall, you get thrown back; but you've come so far you can't possibly start over. You're chasing this hope, specifically, and you want it. The thought of turning around and finding new hope is too much. So you persist. Is this persistence out of courage, or is it out of fear?

Which choice truly overcomes fear? Persisting desperately down a path of traps, facing regrets head on towards the hope and light you chose? or turning away, making peace, and beginning the steep, bittersweet climb towards a new life?

And how many carrots of hope will be dangled and snatched away in the process? How many times are you willing try? Won't giving up and turning around just drive you deeper and deeper into despair?

"The heart of hope. Give me the power of justice." If Cheng Xiaoshi is "Justice," then who is his heart of hope? and vice versa? You know, no one said you had to escape the hole of despair and regrets alone. Sometimes a friend or two jumps down after you.

To pursue justice takes courage. To side with justice takes more courage. In an unjust world, justice cannot exist without courage. Fear prevents justice from acting.

It's a good thing, then, that Courage is dead set on this path to protect Justice. Even better, Justice stands as a heart of hope on one side of Courage, while Wisdom lights the way on his other.

..... but, Justice will always follow the righteous path. Courage cannot determine what that is. Wisdom will always choose to shine her light on Justice and those who choose to follow him, wherever he may go. "Fear" can still guide Courage to look away from Wisdom's light, and betray what Justice stands for.

Justice rekindles hope. And Courage must face whatever hope Justice is want to bring.