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dragonrajafanfiction · 4 years

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Lady’s Almanac

When Ru’Yi entered the offices for Lady’s Almanac she couldn’t believe her eyes.

Tiled floors, a professional reception area, and enlarged covers with famous Cassell women on the walls. It looked more like Vogue magazine than a humble college publication.

“Smells good in here.” Tom mumbled. It took some convincing to get him to come. He wasn’t sure what popularity would mean for him. Ru’Yi just wanted people to say hi to him on the street. He was worried about people finding out about his past history and avoiding him.

“Chu Ru’Yi? Thomas Allman?” A tall woman in high high heels, a short-skirted business suit clutched a clipboard and held out her hand. “I’m Maria Hernandez. Welcome to Lady’s Almanac. We’re running on a bit tight schedule so let’s get you back into hair and make up.”

“Uhh.. make up?” Tom asked.

“Yes, every interview comes with a photoshoot.” She frowned slightly when she looked at him, but didn’t comment.

Ru’Yi thought she probably was wondering how a photoshoot with a blind person would go. But if the professional nature of the office space was any indication, the photographers should be top notch and able to work with him. Still, she reassured him. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay nearby.”

The makeup room was amazingly crowded. Every seat was filled save two and staff wandered about like cattle milling in a pen. “Just take a seat here and we’ll get started.”

“Don’t worry, there’s no one here but professional people. It looks way nicer than I expected!” Ru’Yi said, sensing Tom’s nervousness. “It’s not like a doctor’s office at all.”

She looked to the cosmetologists. “Do you guys mind introducing yourselves first?”

These poor people looked a little amazed to be working on someone who couldn’t see. She imagined they just worked on head after head and face after face and may not have even been aware that they were coming.

“I’m Richard. I’ll be your hair dresser and this is Monica...”

Tom wasn’t sure where Monica was but she just stood there, arms crossed frowning.

“She’ll be doing your face...” Richard finished the sentence.

Ru’Yi swallowed.

“You’ll have to trust me, I guess?” Monica said with an incredulous laugh in her voice.

Ru’Yi’s hackles rose. She addressed Tom. “Don’t worry, Tom. I’ll be next to you in the chair to your right! Let me know if you need any help!”

Already, she was starting to doubt her decision. Not everyone was nice or discreet. She tried to cut ‘Monica’ some slack. Maybe she was having a rough day.

Under the bright lights and the noise of the makeup room, she had her hair washed, dried and styled. Even though she took care of it well enough, the quality of the products and the expertise of the staff made it shine and gave it bounce. Each dark curl was gloriously defined!

While her make up was being applied, she glanced over at what they were doing to Tom. Her eyelids flew open. He was just sitting still. He couldn’t see himself in the mirror. He was completely expressionless. They had swept his black hair to one side, expertly gelled it there. That removed the shadow of his bangs from his face and let the violet hue of his eyes shine even more!

They applied a little highlighter to even out his skin tone. Other than that, only moisturizer was needed. She always thought he was nice looking enough, but now?

He looked amazing!

Once they were done with hair and makeup, they were led to wardrobe. Tom was fitted with a button down shirt, slacks and a sports jacket. Ru’Yi got a summery yellow cotton dress. “Weird. It’s so cold outside...”

“This is for our Spring Issue.” The Wardrobe lady commented, not even glancing at her.

On set, they were on a backdrop of a greenscreen. Their pictures would be taken and set electronically on the page later. they had to wait for everything to get set up. Meanwhile, they to sit in a chair and eat snacks.

“You look really good.” Ru’Yi said.

“Is it just me? Or is everyone here miserable?” Tom asked quietly.

Ru’Yi looked up at him. He wouldn’t be fooled by the glitz and the glamour of the place. She turned and looked and she didn’t see a single smiling face. Everyone looked incredibly stressed out. No one was laughing.

“You’re right.” She murmured. She let out a little sigh. “The job seems... hectic and there’s a lot of pressure. But no one is looking at us like we’re a problem. We’re just one more in a parade of people.”

“I see. Well, I guess that’s comforting. It’s not like we’re going to ruin anyone’s day.” He bit into a potato chip.

“Oh! Haha. You’ve got a little on your face.”

“Huh?” He looked in her direction.

“Here let me...” She reached up to wipe it off.

“Oh that’s perfect!”

Ru’Yi froze. A photographer had snapped their picture! “I love it.” She said.

“Um... did we start?”

“No. But I’m your photographer and I’ve been wracking my brain for ideas. I’ve never photographed a blind person before. I wasn’t sure how to give direction, but the truth is, you two look so good together, I figured I’d get some candid shots just in case the actual shoot didn’t work out.”

She laughed when we both sat up, overwhelmed with nerves. “It’s too late now! It’s your turn on set! Tom, I’ll let you go first!”

“Oh boy...” He groaned.

“Hey at least you get it over with.” Ru’Yi walked to him on set standing him where there was an X on the floor and then turning him to the myriad of cameras. She gave his hand a squeeze. “Just do your best and focus on the here and now! I’ll be rooting for you!”

She let him go and walked off to watch.

“Try to visualize in your head the pleasantness of spring, waiting for your favorite person to meet you under the cherry blossoms...”

Interesting way to do it. He couldn’t see the studio, or the people around him, so visualizing in his head would allow the photographer to paint any picture she wanted. Ru’Yi watched as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them again, she could almost see the bright pink flower petals swirling around him, feel the gentle spring sun, and smell the freshly mown grass. A man on the phone talking about some sort of deadline, paused midsentence and focused his attention on what was happening in the studio.

That distant, subtle looking of longing. The poignant wistfulness of his smile. He was in the background all the time. But now he was front and center and everyone else had faded into the scenery.

“Hmph... incredible.”

In her daze, Ru’Yi hadn’t notice anyone come to stand beside her and was shocked to see Grant Baldwin, the head of the Executive Department! What was he doing at the Lady’s Almanac studio?

“It’s nice seeing you’re doing alright since your ordeal yesterday.” He said, his brown eyes casting down at her, flashing a bit of a smile. “Your report was impressive.”

“Oh... uh... thanks. Are you here for the magazine?” She asked, confused.

“No. I’m actually here to check up on our rising ‘campus star.’“

Ru’Yi gave a little gasp. “Are you listening in on me?”

Baldwin endured her fierce glare with an air of weary boredom. “Hybrids over fifty percent dragonblood purity can lose control at the drop of a hat and require constant monitoring. Yesterday was stressful on him. That’s why I sent agents to watch him for any signs that he was turning servitor.”

Ru’Yi’s heart dropped in her chest. She chewed her lip.

“Hmph.” He gave an amused snort. “I’m glad you finally appreciate the gravity of his situation. Fortunately for him, the minute you showed up he immediately relaxed and calmed down. And... now this. Who would have thought that a simple makeover and pleasant visualization could create such a change in a person? At this rate, he might actually survive.”

Ru’Yi could feel her emotions rising in her chest and her eyes started burning as she watched him continue to pose for the shoot. She brought him here in hopes to get him more friends, to cope with living without her. However, he couldn’t escape his unfortunate genetics. It was just like David said. The cruel world of hybrids lay just underneath the peaceful surface.

“I also came here to ask you to send me reports on his mental state. You have a knack for seeing people in a positive light.” Baldwin was also watching him, his expression calm.

She looked up at him. “Wouldn’t that make me the worst person to report to you?”

“I have my agents to give me bad news. I need someone to balance that out.” He handed her a piece of folded paper. “Shred that when you get that in your phone. It’s my personal contact.”

She accepted the piece of paper, reverently.

“You told me I’d regret expelling him. You were right.” Baldwin turned on his heel and headed for the exit.

Ru’Yi watched him leave, jaw dropped in amazement.

#Dragon Raja #Fanfiction #Writing #RuYi

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foxghost · 6 years

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鎮魂 Guardian [Zhen Hun] extra 3 full translation

No real spoilers in this one, just fluff and crack. [TN: the other extras are here, you may want to check out #4 for notes on names.] Original Chinese character count: 4363 English Translation + notes word count: 4042

===

Later, the Special Investigation Department moves away from 4 Bright Road to 9 University Road, just one pedestrian crossing away from Dragon City University.

Lin Jing lingers at their old address just before the move, reluctant to leave and goes around and around the empty office with his recently upgraded equipment — a long barrel SLR camera — and photographs every last detail; not even the cobwebs escapes his scrutiny. When he’s done, Lin Jing picks out the few he’s satisfied with and sends them to a magazine publisher, hoping to make a name for himself in the “Former Haunts” series.

Thus leading to the editor-in-chief of the magazine suffering a great blow to his delicate psyche.

The editor-in-chief ends up in the hospital over the incident, and reporting what they perceived as a 'malignant, intentional manufacturing of supernatural photographs for the purpose of scaring people" to the police. As familial shame cannot be spread abroad, Zhao-chu can only show his face and quietly settle things behind the scenes. When he comes back, he beats the crap out of that idiot fake monk in the path of his innocent gaze.

Eat, sleep, beat Lin Jing; the crew at 9 University Road finally fall back into their ordinary, everyday routine.

The accommodation at their new office is decadent to the extreme, with a sunny attic upstairs and a double cellar below. The second cellar houses their book collection, while the first cellar is a shrine-like space with a mahjong table surrounded by a circle of memorial tablets. During the day it provides a resting place for their ghost employees, and any individual suffering from insomnia can get up and play a round of mahjong.

… And so, during the day, one can often hear the sound of shuffling mahjong tiles from the mysteriously locked first cellar.

On the top floor, the attic is warm and bright with sunshine, painted with a thick layer of soundproofing paint; those who are tired can take a noon nap, and opening the windows affords one the view of the whole courtyard — unfortunately there is no beautiful scenery to be had.

Since members of the S.I.D. could not come to an agreement regarding a plan for the garden, there’s no unified theme. After they divided up the space, the courtyard has become a weird mixture of styles containing a little bit of everything.

Zhao Yunlan claims the entire rear courtyard for himself. With an oddly cultivated aesthetic that has nothing at all to do with the arts that he’s ignored his whole life through, he vetoes Zhu Hong’s favoured Japanese roses, vetoes Chu Shuzhi’s suggestion of vines, vetoes Lin Jing’s request of a Bodhi tree … ultimately planting an entire rear courtyard worth of vegetables.

There’s mini cole, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seedlings, pea sprouts, Chinese cedar sprouts … a veritable neighbourhood of assorted vegetables growing side by side. In the middle of it all stands a coquettish eggplant surrounded by all the other plants the way stars surround the moon.

[TN: 風騷茄子 / Coquettish Eggplant is a dish…this ia a pun.]

Zhao Yunlan hints that come winter he’ll even fill the entire rear courtyard with bok choi.

From then onwards, neither mortal nor ghost has played in the rear courtyard that has become a vegetable garden.

By the time Shen Wei finishes class, the sun has already begun inclining towards the west. It’s still warm outside, and the short stroll from school even counting the time it takes to wait for the light to change is only five, six minute at most.

The entire staff of the S.I.D. each holds a copy of Teacher Shen’s class schedule. They wait eagerly for his arrival daily as one watches for the stars and the moon. There was once a time that the soldiers skipping out on work along with the leader was routine, because when the ceiling beams are crooked the pillars came along; since their leader Zhao Yunlan stopped messing around and started calmly spending all his days in the office like a hermit though, those days are long gone.

In this respect, everyone feels a little depressed, even in light of their new surroundings.

Yet when Teacher Shen arrives he can always swiftly take the leader away. And if the leader is gone, naturally it implies that everyone else can leave work early as well.

As he steps through the door, Shen Wei is greeted by countless “good day Teacher Shen” and “good work Teacher Shen” and many more besides along with such fervent looks from everyone that it’s borderline like the staff are held in enemy territory awaiting a liberating army. Shen Wei finds it hard to adapt to this at first, but as time goes by he’s no longer fazed by all the attention.

Guo Changcheng is zoning out, Zhu Hong is doing some online stopping, Chu Shuzhi is watching the candlestick graph, Lin Jing is tinkering with a new model of wiretapping device: a fish scale-like thing the size of a girl’s fingernail that turns invisible and records in secret once it sticks to anything.

Black cat Daqing nests on the staircase handrail, waving his tail at Shen Wei. “He’s in the attic.”

Shen Wei makes an approving hum, nods as he says “Thank you,” but when he’s just about to pass by, he lifts a brow slightly and glances at Daqing. “Be careful, don’t fall off now.”

… The handrail only looks half as big as Daqing’s stomach. The way he’s lying prone on top of it looks extremely weird.

Daqing stares blankly for a full second, then with a wail he turns into an angry furball. “I’m practicing—Yo—ga! What’s wrong with practicing yoga? You got a problem with that?”

Keeping a smile on his face, Shen Wei reaches out to stroke his head, and goes upstairs.

Daqing furiously drapes himself back down on the handrail. Lin Jing asks, teasing, “Aiyoh, little princeling Daqing, which yoga pose are you practicing?”

Daqing says after a pause, “Cat pose.”

Those who follow the Way never lies, so goes the doctrine. Lin Jing appropriately shows his evaluation with a peal of laughter.

… As a result he gained two new bloody scratches on his face. The wiretap in his hand goes flying towards destination unknown, turning invisible.

Lao-Li, who’s always appearing without a sound and vanishing without a trace, appears now to quietly supply cotton swabs and bandages as if he’s the hapless master responsible for the aftermath of his cat’s crimes. Yet the cat has no appreciation for his love at all, and doesn’t bother with even a snort as he jumps off the railing into a cat stretch and leaving the scene.

There are times when such a thing as love is like a fragile pane of glass. It doesn’t matter what kind of love it is: nothing can glue it back together after it shatters, even if the ones involved no longer cared, even if they have already chosen to forgive.

That’s why a person should be faithful to oneself unto death. Whether choosing to be so selfish as to hurt countless without regrets, or to cherish another’s affection from the beginning, even at the risk of looking like a fool.

Shen Wei pushes open the door to the top floor lightly. There’s a sofa bed in the attic situated for a full day of sunlight, and Zhao Yunlan naps there with a blanket thrown across his waist, fingers still trapped between the pages of a book in his hands.

Shen Wei approaches quietly, stooping to kiss him lightly on the lips. Zhao Yunlan doesn’t bother opening his eyes, he hums lazily with sleep and says, “You’re done with class?”

Shen Wei answers with an agreeing noise, reaching out to prop up Zhao Yunlan by his back so he can sit down. “Wake up a little. It’s not early anymore, and if you fall asleep again you won’t be able to sleep later.”

Zhao Yunlan takes advantage of the shift in position to lie down on Shen Wei’s thighs. Yawning, he says blearily, “I didn’t actually want to sleep.”

With half-lidded eyes he waves the “Vegetable Planting Techniques” in his hands and grumbles, “I’m telling you, this book has to be cursed. I can’t ever get to the first chapter. Just the forward is enough to knock someone out. I only made it to the 8th page now and I’m still stuck in the introduction.”

Shen Wei picks it up and flips through its pages. It’s a textbook from the agricultural university, and not a single centimetre of white space is wasted — even the pictures are black and white and so serious it has no entertainment value whatsoever. Shen Wei puts it aside and says without thinking, “Why do you bother reading it? If luck’s on their side, whichever seed you sow may even chance into a refined essence and become Yao. There is no chance that any of them wouldn’t grow.”

Zhao Yunlan says, “No, only science and technology is the primary productive force.”

[TN. he’s quoting fundamental principle of Marxism here so that’s why SW makes fun of him.]

Shen Wei says after a pause, “Why don’t you go back to study science and technology then.”

Zhao Yunlan rolls his eyes, and harbouring ulterior motives, says, “The primary productive force and I are jinxed. It reduces me to sleep in a single glance.”

[TN. 犯克 roughly means “it disagrees with my birth hour.” So it does mean jinxed, but with him ONLY.]

Shen Wei looks down, discovering that whatever sleepiness in Zhao Yunlan’s pitch black eyes have already evaporated, and they stare up at him with wordless amusement.

Zhao Yunlan reaches around so he’s holding Shen Wei by the waist. “If I can’t keep reading, then I’ll forget my meals, my mood will plunge, and if it goes on any longer I’ll fall into a depression!”

Shen Wei just looks at him without saying a word.

One lie after another comes out of Zhao Yunlan’s mouth. “Listen, the suicide rate is really high in Northern Europe because the cold climate leads to depression. Kunlun mountain is covered in ice and snow that never melts — it doesn’t even have heat, so my bones must carry the genes for depression.”

Shen Wei is silent for a time before saying, “You must forgive my inability to see this.”

Zhao Yunlan says, “You must not love me anymore! You … man of easy virtue!”

[TN. ZYL says SW has a “nature as ever changing as running water and alights on all like flower petals,” and it’s usually a phrase meaning ‘fickle woman.’]

Shen Wei pushes at his temple as if to hold back a headache. “Stop acting so spoiled. What would you like?”

Zhao Yunlan laughs a mischievous laugh, revealing a row of neat white teeth.

“Fine. I’ll read it to you when we get home,” Shen Wei says, helplessly gentle, before uncomfortably averting his gaze. “But if you’re going to listen, then be good and listen. If you get drowsy listening then sleep. You’re not allowed to mess around.”

His ears are taking on a flush, and he looks like a half-willing young bride that’s just been picked on by an evil tyrant taking liberties, only half-willing because he’s left without a choice.

Zhao Yunlan grabs hold of Shen Wei’s collar indignantly and pulls him closer. “Can I trouble you not to be such a pure white lotus okay baby? From the fucking moment we met 'til now have I ever successfully taken a single dime of advantage of you … fine I’ll admit I’ve had more criminal attempts, but I haven’t any criminal reality!”

Shen Wei hastens to placate him. “Okay okay okay, get up. Let’s go home.”

“I can’t.” Zhao Yunlan turns his face to the side, expressionless. “The muscles in my lower back are strained.”

Shen Wei says softly, bashful, “Then should I carry you?”

Zhao Yunlan takes a look at him in silence, and stands up in silence. He finds that his back doesn’t hurt at all anymore — but he does feel a pang in his stomach.

As soon as they step through the front door, the rest of the staff scatter like birds and beasts. Zhu Hong’s the first to slip out, with Lin Jing closely following. Chu Shuzhi pours himself a cup of cheap tea, holding fast until the stock market closes before leisurely putting things away. As he’s about to go he raises his head to discover that Guo Changcheng still hasn’t left yet.

[TN. 茶水 / cha shui / lit. tea water / cheap tea is the kind of tea you get in diners, usually ceylon, comes in a plastic cup, made with cheaper leaves and brewed bulk in a metal dispenser.]

The room is empty save for them. Guo Changcheng sitting there staring into space without a word looks like a painted stage set, dazed to distraction. Chu Shuzhi asks casually, “Why haven’t you left yet?”

As if shaken from a dream, Guo Changcheng trembles violently and bumps the water-dwelling plant, spilling it all over his desk.

Chu Shuzhi subconsciously reaches for his own face; suspecting that maybe he’s been slack in the cultivation of his arts and his livor-mortis is showing, somehow managing to scare this unfortunate child until he’s beside himself.

Guo Changcheng stammers, “I um I’m leaving,” and cleans up in a flurry of activity.

Chu Shuzhi can read body language well enough, so he asks, “Are you planning to go bomb a bunker? Why do you look like you’re going to war?”

If Guo Changcheng has a pair of dog ears, he guesses now they would be drooping.

Twenty minutes later, the two emerge from 9 University Road with Chu Shuzhi furrowing his brow and coming to a conclusion. “That is to say, your second uncle wants you to go to a xiangqin.”

[TN. 相親 / Xiangqin. A marriage interview arranged by a matchmaker. A direct equivalent is the Japanese o-miai. The characters mean mutual-intimacy.]

A spray of sparks explodes out of Guo Changcheng’s pocket.

Chu Shuzhi quickly sidesteps. “Watch it. What’s with the groundless worry? Is this girl you’re meeting a tigress?”

To avoid setting his pants on fire, Guo Changcheng hurriedly takes the stun baton out of his pocket, but that only attracts the attention of passersby instead; they don’t even manage to make it to the parking lot before the traffic cop at the crosswalk yells at them, “What’s going on? You can’t set off fireworks within city limits! Where’s your sense of civic responsibility?”

Chu Shuzhi silently covers his face and pretends to look up at the sky.

The lich king is reclusive and detached; aside from the occasional garrulous words he exchanges with acquaintances, his entire person gives off an aura of do not approach， so he’s often lonely in the cold emptiness of his life. Outside of cultivating his essence, he has little to do in the long hours outside of work, leaving his well-hidden desire to gossip eternally unsatisfied. He feels a sudden curiosity of how this human custom of xiangqin is conducted, and with a tone like he’s volunteering to join a war, he says, “Ok, stop spraying fireworks. You’ll get a fine. Why don’t we do this — I’ll sit by you pretending to be just another customer the whole time for your xiangqin, alright?”

[TN. 屍王 / lit. corpse king. I suppose it could also read “necromancer” but he’s a corpse himself, so closer to a lich.]

Guo Changcheng gives him a tortured look, and from Chu Shuzhi’s solemn face he can just glean a hint of the curiosity of a gossiping fishwife.

They arrive more than thirty minutes earlier than the appointed time, and it’s only after Chu Shuzhi flip through an entire old magazine to pass the time before the girl arrives.

Chu Shuzhi looks on as Guo Changcheng freezes solidly into a human stick, and thinks with some amazement that he hasn’t seen a mortal with such great potential to become a jianshi for many years.

[TN. 人棍 / human stick is actually a brutal ancient torture that’s best not described here. CSZ uses some harsh language in his head…

殭屍 / Jiangshi / what Chu Shuzhi is, is a culturally unique mythological creature that originated from the way undertakers were said to have ordered corpses to jump as they led the dead back to their hometowns for burial. Depending on the telling, they eat flesh, drink blood, sleep in coffins, fear the sun, and only in some stories do they have minds of their own.]

Chu Shuzhi moves his gaze downwards, finding Guo Changcheng’s pant cuffs shaking uncontrollably, his entire body resembling a quail that found itself falling heavily on its ass on broken glass. He congratulates himself for confiscating Guo Changcheng’s little stun baton beforehand, otherwise he’s sure the young lady’s perfectly ironed straight fringe would have been fried immediately into natural curls.

“Oh, come on. Grow up,” Chu Zhushi thinks, feeling rather disappointed on his behalf.

Fortunately, the young lady has a good temperament, and doesn’t go on Weibo on the spot to start a post titled, “Ran into someone outrageous at the xiangqin” as a souvenir. Instead she confidently attempts to keep the conversation going by cycling through a list of seemingly endless topics. From the start Guo Changcheng acts exactly like a criminal at a trial, whatever question thrown his way he must tremble thrice, all the while sending a continuous distress signal in Chu Shuzhi’s direction. Unfortunately Chu Shuzhi feigns interest in the menu and is utterly unreceptive.

Ten minutes of trembling later, the lady finally can’t help asking, “You … are you a little nervous?”

Guo Changcheng, red all over, nods at her.

The lady smiles a little. “It’s not important. We’re only having a casual chat.”

Guo Changcheng, still red all over, nods again, and carefully gives her a single glance before looking extremely ill at ease, turning his gaze away.

Normally when coming across someone that can’t even speak clearly, the other side would flip desk and leave, but this young lady who’s come to this xiangqin seem to have an odd weakness. Facing someone like Guo Changcheng, a sense of protectiveness inexplicably grows in her heart.

“I think you’re just like Raj from the Big Bang Theory,” she says happily. “Especially cute — my aunt says you’re a police officer. Really?”

Guo Changcheng makes a sound of agreement that comes off like a mosquito’s hum.

The lady says, “Really! I can’t tell at all. Then what do you do normally when you meet a bad person?”

Guo Changcheng spends a moment recalling, then truthfully illustrates just how he catches ‘bad people.’ He makes a clawing gesture, pretending to pick up his ‘secret weapon’ and says, “Just like this, and I tell, tell it, ‘you you you you you can’t come over here,’ and then I catch them.”

The lady stares at him blankly a second, and realising that it’s possibly a joke, she laughs, swaying back in forth in her mirth. “You’re just too cute!”

With naive eyes Guo Changcheng stares at her, utterly clueless.

Chu Shuzhi watches with his cheek in his hand and all the coolness of a bystander. When he thinks back on what they actually get up to during work, he does manage to find a hint of what one may call ‘adorkable.’ As he takes another look at the still happy girl and the utterly out-of-form Guo Changcheng, he glances at his watch. It’s starting to feel rather dull sitting here.

But once these two start chatting they seem to go on and on; Chu Shuzhi reins in his impatience, takes out his phone and plays games for ages until his vision’s starting to blur and he can’t take anymore. He waves at the waiter, “Ready to order.”

The waiter diligently comes over only to hear Chu Shuzhi say in a quiet and eerie voice, “One order of Kung Pao chicken, make sure the meat is only three parts done and still bloody.”

The waiter is silent.

Guo Changcheng overhears this from across the room and immediate turn around to glance at Chu Shuzhi, recognizes the gloomy corpse-like scowl on the lich (corpse) king and finally realises that he’s gotten carried away.

But while he racks his brains trying to wrap up the conversation, the other side suddenly goes from easy to stern and says to him, “Oh, right, actually I still want to say that …”

She pauses then, as if what she wants to say may be too embarrassing to mention.

Guo Changcheng asks, “What is it?”

The lady stares down at her lap and seems to think for a moment before saying, “This is our first meeting, so it’s probably not appropriate for me to be saying this, but I really do like you quite a bit …”

Guo changcheng sits as straight and stiff as a red Songhum tree — even his eyes seem to turn vertical.

She continues to say, “So there is something I want to say before anything else. I didn’t really want to come here today at first because my aunt said you were a criminal police officer. I don’t think living with a cop is especially stable, really. Everyday I’d have to be on edge all the time thinking about how you are, and as time goes on,” she trails off then, sighing. “Is this line of work something you must do?”

Guo Changcheng stares blankly for a second, and before he’s able to answer, a hand grabs onto his shoulder without any warning, hauling him right up from his seat.

Guo Changcheng says, “Chu-ge?”

It’s too sudden for the lady at her xiangqing to react, and her gaze at Chu Shuzhi shows no reaction.

Chu Shuzhi gives her a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, before his attention shifts down towards Guo Changcheng, and he says with a tone that’s meant to cause confusion, “A Xiangqing behind my back? Why, you certainly have such gall!”

Guo Changcheng is shocked to silence.

What, what is this situation?

The lady’s eyes widen, captivated, completely in awe of the lich king’s aura and this utterly contrived plot. Chu Shuzhi reaches into Guo Changcheng’s pocket, digs out a few Renminbi bills and leaves them beneath a cup. Without another word of explanation, he stuffs Guo Changcheng beneath one arm and carries him out.

[TN. Renminbi, lit. The People’s money, the cash of the PRC.]

Guo Changcheng BSOD on scene and remains unresponsive until Chu Shuzhi stuffs him into the car. Chu Shuzhi stretches out his legs, and like an arrogant master of old, commands, “Start the car. Drop me off first.”

Guo Changcheng telegraphs ten thousand emotions tied up in knots in a single glance.

Chu Shuzhi says, “What are you glaring for, I’m doing this for her sake. To think she would dream up an idea like that, go digging at Kunlun-jun’s foundations. Really…”

[TN. 挖牆腳 - lit. dig at the foot of a wall. Applicable both in the case of someone seducing your husband or a competitor trying to lure away an employee.]

His speech halts, and a phrase comes to him unbidden like good fortune. He blurts out, "Stupid humans.

…Stupid human Guo Changcheng doesn’t say anything, and with his face still bright red, he silently starts the car.

On his satchel, a little round disc that resembles a scale invisibly transmits.

The next day, a rumour seem to spring up from everywhere at once: Chu-ge and Xiao-Guo’s gone steady, 9 University Rd is a nest for gays.

[TN. 搞大象 lit. setup-big-elephant. It came from 搞對象 lit. setup a partner. It’s just slang to replace the middle character with 大 / big, or 小 / small to indicate whether the partner is serious or casual.]

And what’s become of the person unfortunate enough to hear something he should not have, the Lin Jing who spread the rumours?

Oh, may the lord Buddha preserve us, he’s gained so many bumps on his head it’s wrapped in enough bandages to resemble a turban.

===

Much thanks to @lifeishwaiting for the final once over.

I’ve been sitting on this draft forever trying to get around the couple of derogatory terms the author used, and I did change them above, so I’ll note them here:

Raj from BBT was referred to as “The little Indian from BBT”

The last line used 印度阿三 and here’s the Baidu entry. I ended up using “turban” instead because it’s what she really meant as a description, and it’s a word used in Chinese history — think “Yellow Turban Rebellion” before the Three Kingdoms period.

#guardian #鎮魂 #weilan #guochu #guardian translations #fox translates 鎮魂 #fox translates zhen hun #zhen hun extra 3

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jieqionq · 2 years

Photo

cherry chu magazine.

#chungha #ioi #press #220730 #era: bare&rare pt 1 #unwhitewashed #smiling #windswept

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lilyqian · 6 years

Photo

Join us to find a cure for Duchenne. We are hosting a Pop Up Dinner in Washington DC @Reverie_Restaurant. Seven course tasting by 3 chefs with wine pairing. All proceeds go to the nonprofit @CureDuchenneMD (tickets & donations info link in bio) • Chef Steve Chu @Ekibenbaltimore Steve Chu is the Chef and Owner of Ekiben. With over a decade of restaurant experience spanning different cuisines and restaurants, he has brought a unique and exciting buzz to Charm City. He started off his career humbly working at his family restaurant. After graduating with a degree in Economics, he continued his career path by working in highly acclaimed restaurants such as Petit Louis and Kinshop. The restaurant has garnered high praise from both local and national publications such as the Baltimore Sun, Eater, Travel and Leisure Magazine, and more. He currently lives in Fells Point, Baltimore. • About the event: Three acclaimed Chefs, one New York fashion illustrator, and one California winery will come together for an extraordinary holiday dinner to help raise funds to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. When their friend’s 6-year-old son, Albert, was recently diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the close-knit group decided to do what they do best to help find a cure. All proceeds raised will go directly to #CureDuchenne, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization committed to funding promising early scientific research to find a cure for Duchenne. • https://give.cureduchenne.org/event/holiday-pop-up-on-cherry-alley/e215674 (at Washington, District of Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrGFBC7gFlY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xcvp7knfr721

#cureduchenne

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mihsignultra · 6 years

Video

youtube

001 - Dani-Earth

002 - The 0123

003 - Art Nature

004 - Nama Miso-zui

005 - Asahi Beer

006 - Asics

007 - Ajinomoto

008 - Ajinomoto Spice Ten

009 - Apple

010 - Arai Helmets

011 - Takeda Alinamin A

012 - Angle Air Merry

013 - Ishi no Oben-Tokun Meatballs

014 - Iseki Sanae Niagara Series

015 - Shibuya 100

016 - Wella Hair Softener

017 - Contac 600

018 - Contac Cough

019 - S&B Snack Sirichi-kun and Sato-kun

020 - S&B Dinner Curry

021 - SSK

022 - NEC Mr. PC

023 - NEC The Terminal

024 - Epoch Puzzle Perfection

025 - Epoch War Game Electronics

026 - Ozeki

027 - One Cup Ozeki

028 - Ozeki O’Sake

029 - Ozeki O’Sake

030 - Genmai-Shu

031 - Bon Curry Gold

032 - Autobacs

033 - Autobacs

034 - Autobacs

035 - Koyama Yuraenchi

036 - Ore-Ida

037 - Onward Skoal

038 - Kao Colgate

039 - Arbeit News

040 - Kagome Ketchup

041 - Kamimoto

042 - Calbee Osatsu Snack

043 - Calbee Potato Chips

044 - Calbee Kappa Ebisen

045 - Calbee Sapporo Potato Vegetable

046 - Kizakura Mild Pack

047 - Kizakura Ton

048 - Kikkoman Ganbare Genyusan

049 - Cathay Pacific

050 - Canon

051 - Kyushin

052 - Kyocera Crescanobert

053 - Kirin Disney Present

054 - Kirin Blue

055 - Kirin Can Beer

056 - Kirin Light Beer

057 - Kincho Mat

058 - Kinchol

059 - Kincho Gon

060 - Kincho

061 - Cuore Cosmetics

062 - Knorr

063 - Kraft Potato Salad

064 - Glico Yogurt Genko

065 - Glico Aphro’s

066 - Glico Cadeline and Snacky

067 - Kure 5-56

068 - Kure Targard ET

069 - Gekkeikan Time

070 - Gekkeikan

071 - Kelloggs Corn Flakes

072 - Ad Council Japan

073 - Kobunsha Bunko

074 - Coca-Cola

075 - Coca-Cola

076 - Coca-Cola Light

077 - Kuru Kuru Mecha

078 - Konica Videotape

079 - Coppertone

080 - Honkaku Shochu

081 - Sasuke

082 - Kirin Seagram Saturday

083 - Sun Chain

084 - Suntory Reserve

085 - Suntory VSOP

086 - Suntory Q

087 - Suntory Mild Vodka

088 - Sankyo Lulu Ace A

089 - Sankei Shimbun

090 - Sapporo Ichiban Hotate Ramen

091 - Shionogi Pharmaceutical

092 - Shiseido Active Make-Up

093 - Shiseido Ecoloa

094 - Shiseido Hair Color

095 - Sapporo Beer Citrus

096 - Shibaura Steiger Special

097 - Shimaya Tsume

098 - JAL Jalpak

099 - Japan Life

100 - JAL Okinawa Alliance

101 - Showa Gift Set

102 - Showa Shell Sekiyu

103 - Shogakukan Magazine

104 - Johnnie Walker

105 - Johnson Excellence

106 - Supergirl

107 - Kazu-ken no Chato-Shiki

108 - Suzuki Alto

109 - Snappers Zoo

110 - Sukarinaraku

111 - Seifu Koho

112 - Seiko

113 - Hattori Seiko

114 - Seiko Credor

115 - Sega

116 - Sekisui House

117 - Cecile

118 - Zett

119 - Zett Converse

120 - 7 Eleven

121 - Zendekyu

122 - Toyota Auto

123 - Sony Walkman

124 - Sony Hit Bit

125 - Sony Cassette

126 - Sony Dynamicron

127 - Kao Soft Wonderful

128 - Tiger Micron

129 - Taisho Lipovitan D

130 - Daido M-Coffee

131 - Daido Blend Coffee

132 - An Beere

133 - Takara Hon-Mirin

134 - Takara Can-Chu-Hi

135 - Namabe Aspara Ace

136 - Namabe Younath

137 - Chitose Desk

138 - Chacott

139 - Chugai Ichoyaku

140 - Chiyoda Shrine

141 - TDK Videocassette

142 - Technics

143 - Tess

144 - De Beers

145 - Den-Den Kosha

146 - Sakura Coote Pencils

147 - Toto System Kitchen

148 - Toto Toilet

149 - Tomy Gokiburi Bam-Bam

150 - Toyota

151 - Toyota Auto

152 - Toyota

153 - Towa

154 - Toray

155 - Tokyo Gas

156 - Tokyo Beauty Center

157 - Tokyo Mode Gakuen

158 - Tokyo Heian Kaku

159 - Toshiba Walky

160 - Toshiba Fridge

161 - FBL

162 - Tohato Chocolate Cakes

163 - Nagatanien Sprinkles

164 - National Microwave

165 - National OA

166 - National House

167 - Nabisco Parfait

168 - Nabisco Chipstar/Potelite

169 - Super Nikka

170 - Super Nikka

171 - Nishikawa

172 - Nikko Securities

173 - Nissan Cedric

174 - Nissin Demae Itcho

175 - Nishin Salad Cream

176 - Nippon Seifun

177 - Nissui

178 - Nippin Songai Hoken Kyokai

179 - Nippon Ham

180 - Nippon Radiator Car Air Conditioner

181 - New Touch

182 - Nescafe

183 - Nestle Brite

184 - Norshin Ace

185 - House Ribbongal

186 - House Sazae-chan Sprinkles

187 - House Honchukan

188 - Paon

189 - Hakugen Non-Cut

190 - Machi

191 - Hagoromo Bam-Bam

192 - Paloma Gas Table

193 - Bandai Board Games

194 - Hitachi

195 - Hitachi Qukullet

196 - Pippu Elekiban

197 - P! Pippu

198 - Hiyoko

199 - Fujisawa Picolet Pastel

200 - Fujisawa Wafuku Shouno

201 - Family Mart

202 - Fujicco Juntoro

203 - Fuji Super HG

204 - Fuji-Q Highland

205 - Book Loan

206 - Bridgestone

207 - Bridgestone

208 - Bourbon Kidori Ritsuko

209 - JNN slide

210 - Pola

211 - Pola XYZ

212 - Pola Belldona

213 - My City

214 - Maggi Bullion

215 - Maxell UD-II

216 - McDonalds

217 - McDonalds Peach Shake

218 - McDonalds Banana Shake

219 - McDonalds Happy Meal

220 - McDonalds

221 - Mapron Tonyu

222 - Marsan Tonyu

223 - Marushin Patties

224 - Marudai Hambag

225 - Maruchan Akaikitsune and Midorinotanuki

226 - Meet the Meat

227 - Mizuno

228 - Mita

229 - Mitsuko House

230 - Mitsubishi

231 - MMC

232 - MMC 4WD

234 - MMC Goody Day Fair

235 - MMC Minica

236 - MMC

237 - MMC

238 - Yuseisho

239 - Myojo Ramen Kikko

240 - Muhi

241 - Moranbon

242 - Noevir Cosmetics

243 - Yantagai

244 - Yantagaya

245 - Yamato Yama

246 - Black Tubes

247 - Yamamoto Noriten

248 - Yamasa Kosugi Shoyu

249 - Yamasa Yashimi Shoyu

250 - Yamaha Cute

251 - Yamaha Jog

252 - Yamaha Active

253 - Yamaha Electone

254 - UCC Can Coffee

255 - UCC Coffee

256 - UCC Coffee Cherry

257 - UCC Coffee

258 - Snow Brand (Yukijirushi) Cup Ice Cream Vanilla

259 - United Cosmetics

260 - Yodobashi Camera

261 - Yoplait

262 - Yokohama Aspec

263 - Lark Mills

264 - Lion

265 - Lion

266 - Rarabo

267 - Torabayu

268 - Shukan Shusoku Joho

269 - Shukan Jutaku Joho

270 - Kyukasan Etiquette

271 - Rinnai

272 - D’Urban

273 - Renown Addenda

274 - Ixiz

275 - Renown Wimbledon

276 - Renown Simple Life

277 - Touch 55

278 - Lawson

279 - Lotte

280 - Lotte

281 - Lotte

282 - Lotte

283 - Lotte

284 - Lotte

285 - Lotte

286 - Lotte Komenchan

287 - Lotteria

288 - Rawlings

289 - Oshibori Weppy

290 - Waseda Preliminary School

#japanese #commerical #logos

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