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rtfics · 2 months ago

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Seeing BJ2 the 3rd time.

LONG & FILLED WITH SPOILERS

SO much to think about, and my memory is shit.

I rapidly scribbled notes during the film. But when I got home and tried to read them:

So here's an overview. I'll post other details if I ever translate my notes.

First, the casting was perfection. I'd never seen Jenny Ortega, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci before, so for me they were the characters.

It was interesting that the film opens with the Warner Brothers Studio lot in black & white. Why B&W? It sort of sets the tone.

Donna Summer singing lines from "MacArthur's Park" was a foreshadowing. This film was made by a guy who was a teen in the 70s, and it's for others his age (he's only 2 years older than me). BJ2 is packed with 70s nostalgia that only those who were alive then would get.

This sequel was also made for die-hard fans of the original Beetlejuice. Burton took special care to give us the Winter River we love, but updated it to show the story and its characters aren't stuck in the past. The covered bridge is there, the church, cemetery, Miss Shannon's, and fire station are there, and so is the Maitland's building, but it's a coffee shop now.

Seeing Lydia as shell-shocked and pill-popping threw me, but the plot gave it sense (I'll go into detail in a separate post).

Rory, OMFG, I've known Rory. Anyone who's had anything to do with the entertainment/media biz, even peripherally, knows Rory. His "enabler" bullshit was so spot-on; faking that he's going to get Lydia off her dependency on drugs while keeping her hooked by making it seem that he's doing it because she's begging him. Classic user methodology. You just know he's the one who got her on "coping" pills in the first place; all the better to manipulate her. I loathed him immediately.

I adore what they did with Delia. It completely fucking made sense, and followed what's happened in the modern NYC Arts scene. I love how she and Lydia now get along, I mean, shit, Lydia's in her 50s and Delia's in her 70s, they're both middle-aged women, and, bless their hearts, the screenwriters and Burton made them act like grown women.

Astrid seemed older than 16 to me, but hey, I'm not around teenagers these days. I appreciated that she wasn't a brat. Her resentment and having her back up were appropriate for her family situation; a beloved father whose body was never found (I think); a mom always working or promoting because of Rory, doped on pills and famous for being a ghost-seeing nutjob, who can't see Astrid's father. That's a lot to deal with.

The way they handled Charles was perfect, especially his claymation demise. His afterlife body was comically gross, and an ingenious way of including Charles in the film without having to recast another actor, except for his voice. Charles being in the Netherworld provides a great thread to Delia's later death. His headstone being the shape of a shark's fin was a humorously grim touch.

The Sylvia Young Theatre School Choir sang at Charles' funeral, and their voices were beautiful.

Arthur Conti was fantastic as Jeremy (70s teens remember his grandfather, Scottish actor Tom Conti). His American accent was flawless. He was the perfect balance of cute and mature, and his niceness made his being evil all the worse; while Astrid says the incantation you can see him slightly out of focus behind her, smiling in a chilling way. I love that there isn't the slightest hint that he's a multiple murderer, and of his own parents! When he's about to get his passport stamped he shows absolutely no remorse toward Astrid, which makes his damnation all the sweeter.

Beetlejuice . . . . What can I say? Michael Keaton created Beetlejuice as we know him, and he fit right back in character as easily as drawing breath. His body language, his weird way of walking, his expressions, everything is just as you'd expect Beej to be. But then we get to see more! I can't express how happy I was to see Beej's origin story, which turned the throw-away line about having a pretty good time during the Black Death into something more substantial. Seeing Keaton as human Beej was a delight.

An important detail was that, even though Beej says his heart had long since withered, he fell for Delores. He says he was "bewitched." Perhaps not love, but lust certainly. It's quite clear that Delores was much higher in social station than Beetlejuice, so he must have thought he'd won the lottery with her choosing him. My god, his ego had no problem with his drunken ass being hauled to bed by his new wife, and his enthusiasm was huge. I love that they gave him the gut in his human form (Keaton doesn't have one).

Richard was the nice guy I hoped he would be. But it was telling that, when he says goodbye to Lydia at the ladder in the mausoleum, they don't hug. They don't even shake hands. It shows the truth of Lydia's previous statement to Astrid that she and Richard's relationship had ended long before his death.

Wolf is every 70s crime drama/movie distilled. Hammy, over the top, constantly spouting his Catch Phrase.

Why are there so many shrunken head guys? And why did Beej hire people who can't talk to answer his phones? It's loony and fits the Netherworld random logic. They're Beej's Minions.

I've seen a lot of people on tumblr, as well as professional movie critics, say there were "too many villains" and that the plot was "too hard to follow."

For those who agree with this, I recommend you never attempt to read anything by Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Edgar Allan Poe's detective stories, or Agatha Christie. Because your brains would fry.

Look, there are two villains. Just two.

Delores poisoned Beetlejuice, he killed her with an axe in revenge, in the Afterlife she reassembles and hunts him down, killing others in her wake, which sets Wolf Jackson and the Ghoul Squad after her, until she's defeated with a sandworm.

Rory has been manipulating Lydia, keeping her doped, gas-lighting her, until under the Truth Serum injected by Beej he spills the beans and Lydia rejects him, until he's eaten at the same time as Delores by the sandworm.

As for "Delores and Rory weren't given enough story," what more do you want? How Delores joined a soul-sucking cult? How Rory became a user, seeking out vulnerable, grieving women to exploit? We learn as much as we need to. Anything more would have stuffed the film with unnecessary crap.

The only shit I didn't care for was the baby.

The whole Counseling scene was a big gross-out, and I'm sure Tim Burton intended it that way. The original couldn't have been more gross than it was or it would have earned an R Rating, keeping out everyone under the age of 18 (21 in some states; this was the 80s). But now, Burton could be a lot more graphic. I was stunned that he had Lydia go through the "pregnancy," but it obviously didn't hurt her. For me Babyjuice has no point. It doesn't advance the plot, and its reappearance only drives home the weirdness of the ending.

What the ever fuck was the ending??

Especially Astrid giving birth to the Beetlebaby. It would suggest Beetlejuice is its father, which means he and Astrid had sex. Which we can be pretty sure they didn't . . ? In the counseling scene Beej refers to the baby as his "inner child." So its not his literal child? Even so, why would Astrid give birth to it the same way her mother did?

I've read all the theories about the ending, and at this point one's as good as the other. Perhaps that's the point: To keep us all guessing. Because I'm sure, all along, there's been a plan for Beetlejuice 3, IF this movie was a hit. If it wasn't, if it bombed (since 2010 all of Burton's films have bombed), the ending would lead to speculation forever, to people writing fucking dissertations about its symbology and metaphors, etc.

But if it was a hit, which it is, the seeds are there for a third and final film. But so fucking murky no one can guess what it'll be like.

The only part of the ending I liked was Beej shaking awake and saying, as he glances at Lydia, "I just had the weirdest dream." And Lydia looking over. Not terrified. Not screaming or leaping out of bed. Not seeing the indentation in the pillow and yelling in protest. Just staring.

Do I want a third film?

I love Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I love it more every time I watch it. I accept everything in it as canon, even the baby, resentfully.

But Burton might fuck up the last one. He might do things I never wanted to be canon. When a sequel is made of a hit film, the creators sometimes become self-conscious. BJ2 wasn't, because it'd been 36 years since the original. They had no idea whether this version would fly. Since it has, massively, I'm afraid the screenwriters and Burton may become too aware of the audience and try to cater to it. OR they'll go the opposite direction and try to come up with a plot they think fans would never imagine.

So I'm pretty much stuck in the same place I was before I saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Wary, skeptical, and cynical.

#Beetlejuice Beetlejuice #beetlejuice #Beetlejuice 2 #Beetlejuice sequel #Beetlejuice 2 review sort of #Michael Keaton #winona ryder #jenny ortega #catherine o'hara #justin theroux #monica bellucci #willem dafoe

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hitomisuzuya · 2 years ago

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Yandere! Scaramouche x fem!reader. College AU (by request of sorts from @that-one-gay-writer1227. They really said they really liked College AU Scara) Smut. Halloween themed. Chase in the woods. Obsessive behavior. Possessive!Scaramouche. Choking. Praise. Degradation. Outdoor sex at night. I think I covered it all.

Tagging @xxventiswindblumexx cause smut soulmate <3

When you asked him to go to the haunted attraction the campus set up every year for Halloween with you, he'd told you it was stupid. He asked you what the point was. You said the idea was to have fun and get scared. He'd been all set to shut you down and spend the night watching horror movies with you.

Until you said that Halloween was your favorite holiday.

Now Scaramouche couldn't say no.

So here he was, standing in line with you and one of your friends, who came with her boyfriend from the campus choir class. At least that was what you told him. He didn't expect the gaggle of geese that followed you around the equestrian facility to come along. Uninvited.

Scaramouche had a glare reserved for each one of them. They were intruding on his time with you. He even considered paying off the stupid brats so they would leave. Your friend and her boyfriend were going to leave you alone since this was a date for them too.

Putting arm around you, he pulled you against him, inhaling your scent. He'd taken great care in making sure your clothes smelt like him, unmistakable to anyone breathing near you. He sprayed your perfume on your clothes to, mingling the two scents together. You even smelt faintly of *sweet fresh hay.

Even making sure it smelt faintly like cigarettes, weed and leather. It was a further sign of possessive dominance.

All scents you loved and made you feel comfortable. Damn it, he really does love you.

It started off exactly like he knew he it would. People jumping out and trying to scaring everyone. Screaming people and shrill laughing. Scaramouche swore he thought his ears were going to bleed. Until he watched how you were acting.

You having fun, but not in the way everyone else was. No, you were having fun in a different way. A way that captivated him. And excited him.

Scaramouche watched you approach someone who was overacting. He thought he recognized from some classes or another but he couldn't be sure. He was dressed as the stereotypical chainsaw welding horror movie characters. It was easy to see where they got the inspiration for the costume, seeing as how he watched a few movies from the franchise with you. You were picky about your slasher movies. You preferred more supernatural horror than anything.

You calmly approached what's his name, smiling somewhat at him, completely unfazed by him being in character.

He loved that you seemed so fearless and unfazed. Of course, why would you be easily rattled? You navigated a very hateful creature who outweighed out by a thousand pounds at least around a course of jumps with more than five or six feet in height. He'd never seen anything like it before. Your posture always perfect and straight, your eyes focused ahead but around you at the same time, looking for anything that might disrupt you. The tedious multitasking almost seemed unreal to him everytime he watched. Watched more often than not with jealousy. Jealousy that you weren't riding him instead.

Scaramouche enjoyed seeing you act this way. But here is where it got unfortunate for the other boy. He knew no one was supposed to touch anyone during this. But Scaramouche still felt threatened. No one was allowed to touch you. Ever. Only he was allowed. Platonic hugs with your friends who were girls were the only thing acceptable to him.

So when Scaramouche felt that this poor unfortunate fellow got too close to you, his life flashed before his eyes. He couldn't decide who scared him more. Not only was he unnerved by your reaction to him, but Scaramouche was staring into his eyes with a look that he had never seen before.

One that made his blood run cold. It was a dark, possessive look, one with cold rationality. It said if you even think about touching what's mine, I will end you.

Scaramouche put his hands on your shoulders to further push his point. Mine. Not yours. All mine.

He suddenly felt an interesting reaction that quivered through your body. He felt it vibrate against his fingers like electricity. Scaramouche had startled you. And you smiled, like you were aroused.

He had to be sure. Scaramouche could read your body like a book. But he wanted to test his theory. His fingers itched to. He waited for you to relax and continue passing everyone trying to scare you by, giving them a wave or reminding some of them that a paper was due in a few days. There was that disgusting consideration for other people showing again. Why were you like that? He didn't understand.

Scaramouche capitalized on your letting your guard down when you came to a room with a wooden owl on the table. "Aww, look at the cute owl!" The girl jumped out from under the table. You screamed, blushing embarrassed but you were only startled.

Not scared.

"Boo," he whispered in your ear, suddenly wrapping his arms around you. You jumped, giggling. Since it was dark, the air hanging cloudy from a fog machine and flashing lights, Scaramouche groped you discreetly, making you whimper. "You are getting off on me scaring you, aren't you," he whispered, his fingers brushing against one of your nipples for a moment before anyone noticed.

Why not wind you up more? Make you cave a little faster before he fucked you tonight.

Rinse and repeat until you reached the end of the of the maze in the woods. He scared you a little more each time. You were wet by the time you said goodnight to everyone and started to walk back to the dorms with him.

"You wanna try something that I think you'll like, and one I will enjoy?" He poised the question with anticipation.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" You replied, feeling suspicious. Scaramouche had made it evident that he was only tolerating tonight because you enjoyed Halloween. So why wasn't he grumbling about how long it took or how stupid it had been?

"Let's have some fun. Why don't I chase my little kitten through the woods and catch you. I'm sure you know where this is headed, now get moving. I'm not giving you a headstart," laughing as he tried to grab your hair.

You giggled and yelped, darting around him and running into the woods.

"Here kitty, kitty, I'm coming for you. Your body looks extra soft today, pliable in my hands," Scaramouche called out when he saw you cut a hard left, looking over your shoulder for a moment to see how far behind you he was. Your heart was pounding. The more he called out to you into the night, saying he was getting closer made you feel even wetter. But you weren't going to make it easy for him.

And Scaramouche didn't want you to either. He wanted you to run fast. He knew you were fast. You had to be to deal with horses, especially thinking fast. Which is what you did.

You danced away from him with ease, making it feel impossible for him to reach you. And it turned him on. "Run, run, slut. My hands are going to wrap around your pretty throat when I catch you."

When you showed one second of fatigue, your ankle rolled out from under you, making you trip. You tried to scramble to your feet but you just weren't fast enough. Or maybe you wanted to be caught.

"Gotcha!" Scaramouche exclaimed, laughing as he grabbed your ankle, dragging you back down onto the ground. Pinning you down, he put a knee between your legs.

You mewled, your body immediately going limp underneath him. "Ha! You were always the best at submitting to me in every way," he rubbed his knee roughly between your legs, feeling your arousal dampening against your pants onto his knee. "I knew you were getting off on me scaring you. You are absolutely wet and no doubt throbbing for me."

Scaramouche pressed a thumb down on your windpipe, smirking when you struggled to moan as the air was cut off from your lungs gradually. He unbuttoned your pants and thrust two fingers inside of you. "You really are a slut for me! I don't have to prepare you. Your pussy is going to swallow my cock well, you are that wet."

You moaned, grinding desperately into his fingers. He held your legs open when you tried to close them around his arm for more friction. Your fingernails clawed at his arm, your body twitching from harsh stimulation.

Scaramouche took his thumb from your windpipe, his hand tearing your shirt and your bra as he did away with your pants and your panties. He shivered when he saw just how wet you were. Your slick was shining wet in the moonlight. He licked his lips.

"Go on, kitten! Tell them all who pleases you like this! And you'd better call me Master, slut. I own everything about you!" He glared down at you, his eyes hazy with a feral lust.

You cried out in pleasure when Scaramouche roughly thrust inside of you, snapping his hips to bottom out against your cervix. "Go on! Say it! Tell them who is fucking you dumb! Did I stutter, slut?!"

AH! AH! It's you, Master! It's you, Scaramouche!" You cried out, digging your fingernails into his back.

Grunting, he moaned huskily in your ear, his pace ruthless and rough. His fingers dug into your hips. Each thrust practically made you see stars. He kissed you roughly, growling as he licked inside of your mouth, curling his tongue around yours.

Scaramouche grinded his teeth harshly against your lower lip as he reluctantly pulled away. Panting, he squeezed your throat, making your body jolt with with pleasure.

His thrusts remained frenzied, but they turned sloppy the more your walls clamped around his cock. The more he squeezed the tighter you felt. Hissing in pain, he pried one of your hands from his back. He put it against your clit. "Rub yourself while I cum inside of you," he ordered, his eyes transfixed on his cock sliding in and out of your cunt, your fingers circling your clit desperately trying to chase the high you felt building up in your core.

"Fuck, I am cumming.." Scaramouche babbled, releasing his hold on your throat. His cock twitched inside of you. You gasped when your felt his cum spill inside of you. The feeling of him cumming and rubbing your clit ushered in your orgasm.

Snatching your hand, he licked your fingers, fucking you through your orgasm. When he was satisfied, he collapsed on top of you, burying his face in your neck. You stroked his hair to calm him down.

"You tore my shirt and broke my bra," you giggled, making him scoff against your neck as he nuzzled his cheek against your jaw.

"So what? You threw your jacket over there," he pointed in the direction where it lay a few feet away without picking his head up.. "I would've taken off your jacket myself. I don't want any assholes leering at what's mine. You belong to me, remember."

"Of course, dear. That fact will never change," you replied, rubbing your fingers against his scalp.

Scaramouche laughed softly, lifting your body so he hold you against him, his fingers stroking behind your ear. "Damn right it won't."

*fresh hay smells really good.

#genshin impact #genshin smut #fem!reader #scaramouche #scaramouche smut #yandere scaramouche #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche x y/n #scaramouche x you #suzu after dark

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usamifriends · 2 months ago

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IDOLiSH7 Anime vs Game Comparisons

First Beat - Episode 1

Banri & Tsumugi’s first interaction

Takanashi Productions was in charge of a few other talents before: models, dancers, choir. But i7 is their first boy idol group.

Banri calls the i7 boys as a Japanese multi-course bento (Kaiseki Bento). Tsumugi is confused in both the anime and game, but we don’t get an explanation for why he calls them this in the anime.

It’s actually Banri’s temporary group name 🤣 He says the it’s a name filled with the agency’s hopes and dreams!

Basketball Game

There’s more dialogue in the game that shows us more of their personalities and dynamics. But we’ll learn that eventually~

Sogo, Riku, Nagi team is disorganized. Nagi does what he wants. Riku gets distracted by Nagi. Sogo tries to keep things under control.

Tamaki, Mitsuki, Iori team is super competitive. Tamaki and Mitsuki says, “I hate losing!”, while Iori says, “My life has no room for defeat”.

Unlike in the anime, we actually see parts that show that they’re unfamiliar with each other. Mitsuki and Iori were taken aback at Tamaki’s nicknames. Sogo got a bit weirded out by Nagi’s monologues. They don’t feel like they’ve known each other for a long time like Tsumugi observed (probably bc she was watching from farther away).

Auditions! We get to see Tsumugi’s reactions to this in the game.

Iori is good at singing and dancing. He makes it look effortless!

Yamato is great at expressing things both in singing and dancing. It’s interesting because he’s always repressing his feelings.

Mitsuki has great energy. He brings life to the room.

Tamaki is great at dancing and is athletic.

Sogou is an all-rounder, ready for a professional debut.

Nagi has the elegance of a Prince but also a touch of sensuality to him. On top of that, he’s handsome! A girl’s ideal type.

Riku!! He stumbles on his introduction 😆 He’s really, really good at singing!!

The anime moves these comments to Tsumugi’s report to Takanashi papa. I like this change because we’re not just watching Tsumugi listen and watch the boys as they perform one by one.

When telling the boys about the audition results:

I like the little detail when Tsumugi goes, “Iori-kun… Iori-san.” Iori can be quite intimidating when you first meet him. Although he has a very sharp tongue, he doesn’t come off as some high school brat; he speaks really formally and is really serious about the task on hand, so it’s hard to treat him like a younger person. He has an aura that commands respect.

Side Story I

This side story is from Riku’s POV. We start from Riku walking over to Takanashi Productions to sign the contract. He was calling his mom! He tells him mom about how he won’t be like “that person” (Tenn) who abandoned his family. He calls Tenn “that person” because he doesn’t want to call him “Tenn-nii” anymore, but his mom points out how he called Tenn “Tenn-nii” just yesterday 😂😂 And then he just fully returns to calling Tenn, “Tenn-nii”. He also promised his mom that he will buy her something amazing once he gets famous 🥺❤️

Riku explains that he wants be an idol because he got curious about the job that convinced Tenn to abandon his family (Gon, is that you?)

We see Riku’s first impressions of the members. His interactions show more of his carefree, no sensor, shameless self (ily Riku), which is quite different to the good boy who works hard that we see from Tsumugi’s POV in Part 1, Ch. 1.

Riku -> Nagi: “Wow, this person has a beautiful face unlike any I’ve ever seen! Is he Japanese? …Maybe a foreigner? He face looks as pretty as a sculpture… He seems like a cool and elegant person. He must be a calm person.” (🤭). Riku says Nagi looks 25. Nagi replies that he’s nineteen in English. Riku didn’t understand but just assumed Nagi is younger than him. Iori was speechless. Mitsuki explains that nineteen = 19. Later, Riku introduces Nagi and the Izumi brothers to Sogou and Tamaki. He says the Izumi’s brothers ages normally in Japanese but chooses to use English to say nineteen for Nagi 😂😂 (He’s adorable)

Riku -> Izumi brothers: “Looks like a bright younger brother and a somewhat cold older brother. They’re probably both younger than me?” After making this assumption, he immediately treats them like younger people. He calls Iori “Iori-kun” and Mitsuki “Mitsuki-kun”. Iori immediately criticizes him, but Riku pays him no mind.🙂‍↕️😂 Mitsuki explains that he’s the older brother and that he’s probably older than Riku as he is 21. Riku…. Asks if that’s his shoe size. 😭😭😭😭😭 Mitsuki shouts, “That’s my age! And I’m not that small!!”. Riku is not bothered at all. He just goes “Oh ok!” Then, he POINTS HIS FINGER at Iori and asks, “Then what about this kid over here?” 😂 Iori says, “Don’t point your fingers at other people.” (Is this why they chose NOT to be in Riku’s team? 😂)

Riku -> Sogou: He looks like a nice person!

Riku -> Tamaki: This guy looks like a punk (punk with a cat ears hoodie? Rikuuuu 😂😂)

No first impression for Yamato :(

Side Story 2:

Most of this side story actually makes it into the anime! It’s the part with Sogou and Yamato buying drinks and the rest of the five’s reaction to the auditions.

We get to see a bit more in the game because we get to hear the boys’ thoughts. One of my favorite parts is seeing Iori’s more dangerous side 😌

He calls Takanashi papa a “smug, opportunistic old man”

And threatens to file a complaint, drag Takanashi Production’s reputation down, and drive Takanashi papa to bankruptcy if Mitsuki doesn’t make it in.

#idolish7 #First Beat #re experiencing i7

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ruanbaijie · 1 month ago

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During the Republican Era, Shen Zhiheng, a member of the Tianjin gentry who happened to be a vampire, offended the Japanese and became the target of an assassination attempt. He was saved by a blind young lady, Mi Lan, and his best friend Situ Weilian. When he went to repay Mi Lan for saving him, he discovered the terrible family situation that Mi Lan was in, and so began to pay more attention to her. Meanwhile, Shen Zhiheng’s plan to take revenge on Li Yingliang, the mastermind behind his assassination, fell short of success thanks to Li Yingliang’s Japanese superior, raising suspicions about his identity. Since then, Li Yingliang and the Japanese were in hot pursuit of Shen Zhiheng, determined to dig out the truth about his secret.

Please do not repost this anywhere else or retranslate it!

MAIN DIRECTORY ☾ READ ON AO3 ☾ PREVIOUS CHAPTER

That very day, outside the chapel, Mi Lan got her wish and met Shen Zhiheng.

Shen Zhiheng arrived in a hurry, asking the moment he alighted from the car and saw Mi Lan, “What’s the matter?”

There was anxiousness in his voice, and Mi Lan immediately suspected that she had given him a fright. When it came to Shen Zhiheng, she “treasured” him a lot, as if she had saved him once, and he was now hers. Or at least, she owned a small share of his person. Ever since she was a child, it always felt as if she was just temporarily staying in this world, with nothing to her name, and could leave whenever she wanted to. Shen Zhiheng was the one who gave her a small connection to this world. To a certain extent, Shen Zhiheng himself seemed like her private property.

She smiled softly at Shen Zhiheng, replying, “I’m fine. It’s not about me.”

Shen Zhiheng measured her, noticing that there were no new wounds on her face and hands, and that her complexion was not that bad. It was only then when he guided her into the car.

“If it’s not about you, then who is it about?”

“It’s Li-shushu,” she replied. “The one we met at the entrance of Victoria Hospital.”

Shen Zhiheng stared at her suspiciously, “What… about him?”

If Mi Lan could see, that suspicion in Shen Zhiheng’s eyes would have probably made her heart run cold. It was blatant suspicion, accompanied by blatant scrutiny, as if she were a slowly unravelling mystery in the midst of revealing its true face one layer by one layer.

Her blind eyes protected her at this moment, and she answered honestly, “He came to find me, asking me to pass a message to you. He said that he wants to reconcile with you, and even wants me to mediate.”

“Then how do you intend to mediate?”

“I’m only passing his message, I won’t mediate.”

“Why are you doing as he asks? That brat is not a good person.”

“He’ll ultimately find someone else to pass you his message. Instead of someone else, it might as well be me. At least, I won’t be in cahoots with him and lie to you.”

“This is not something you should be interfering in.”

Mi Lan grew silent.

Shen Zhiheng spoke again, an undercurrent of anger faint in his voice, “You’re right, he’ll ultimately find someone else to pass me his message. Even if it’s not you, it’ll be someone else. But you were willing to do it for me, and so he now knows that both of us still remain in contact with each other. He’ll also know that your opinions and words matter to me, and he’ll even be able to find out that you were the one who saved me that night! Do you believe or not that his eyes and ears are hiding outside right now? Do you believe or not that he’ll continue coming to you in the future, and even use you to threaten me?”

Mi Lan froze. She had never considered what Shen Zhiheng had just said.

“I won’t let him use me to threaten you,” she said. “I won’t go for choir classes in the future. I’ll hide at home and refuse to leave. He wouldn’t dare to barge into my house to find me.”

Shen Zhiheng sighed. “I arranged the choir classes for you with the hope that you could come out and see the world, make some friends, and live well. In the future, when you leave your family, you can also pass your own days happily.”

“I know,” Mi Lan replied softly. “But, in the past, I hid in the house because I had nowhere else to go. Now, I’ll hide in my house because I want to help you. Both cases are similar because I’m hiding at home, but they’re different because my feelings are different. I’m willing.”

“Do you still remember my phone number?”

“Yes, you gave it to me in the past.”

“If there’s a need, find a way to call me. If it’s not convenient at home, then find a random store. A café or a grocery store. As long as it’s a place that has a telephone installed, you can borrow it, just give them some money. The money that I gave you after you left the hospital, have you kept it well?”

“Yes.”

Shen Zhiheng extended his hand to ruffle her hair. He really wanted to save her, but her father was General Mi, and if he were to really abduct her and flee, General Mi would be humiliated and would definitely not spare him. Besides, after abducting her and fleeing, what next? Would he set up a residence and support her like a mistress [1] , letting her live alone? Or would he keep her by his side? This young lady seemed to have a third eye. If he kept her by his side, it wouldn’t take her a few months to discover all of his secrets.

Shen Zhiheng suddenly felt a twinge of regret. He should not have been so friendly with her these few days. His intentions were good, but the outcome might end up harming her. He was destined to be a harbinger of misfortune and destruction for his entire life. That he could get to know a dumb, happy-go-lucky Situ Weilian was already an unexpected joy, he should have been satisfied with that.

“Run along. Cry as you go back, pretend that I just scolded you.”

Understanding what he meant, Mi Lan pushed the car door open and fumbled out herself. Just as the wind hit her face, she opened her mouth and lowered her head, starting to heave in huge sobs. As she walked alone to the chapel, she even specifically used her sleeve to wipe her eyes. Shen Zhiheng watched her enter the chapel in amazement, because he realised that Mi Lan was both beautiful and intelligent, understanding him in a second and not needing any further explanation, as if she were his close friend who could implicitly understand his thoughts and feelings [2] .

However, Mi Lan did not make good on her promise. The afternoon of the second day, she went to the chapel again.

Li Yingliang found a chance to get a hold of her outside the chapel. In a daze, she froze, and spoke with her head lowered, “Li-shushu, don’t come and find me anymore. I can’t help you.”

Li Yingliang asked her, “Did you pass my message to Shen Zhiheng?”

Mi Lan’s face was ashen. “Mr. Shen is not happy.” She sobbed, “He said I was a busybody and scolded me.”

Extending her walking cane, she found where Li Yingliang was standing, and looped around him in a hurry to return to the little classroom where her choir class was held.

Then, starting from the third day, she no longer left the house. Li Yingliang did not know just how Shen Zhiheng had scolded her, he only felt that this Young Mistress Mi had suffered a terrible blow. He could not get over this line of thought. This Young Mistress Mi had always lived a miserable life, and had finally gotten the chance to leave her house everyday to go to the choir and have some fun, but this had all been ruined by him, who had not gained anything out of the process either. If he had known earlier that she did not have much say with Shen Zhiheng, he would not have approached her.

Li Yingliang gave up with Mi Lan, and decided to try to find a new path. When it came to Shen Zhiheng, the closer he got to him, the harder it was for him to disentangle himself from him. All day long, he would be brooding over this demon surnamed Shen.

Unexpectedly, one afternoon, Shen Zhiheng invited himself, showing up on initiative at the main gates of his Development Committee.

Hearing that Shen Zhiheng had come, Li Yingliang could not believe it at first. Shen Zhiheng was always very cautious and rarely left the concession zone. He had no reason to take the risk and run over to where he was; what difference did this have from walking straight into a trap?

It was only when he went to take a look and welcome him that he realised that Shen Zhiheng had not gone insane. This time, he had brought with him some twenty to thirty people, and their cars, parked outside the Development Committee, made up a huge contingent. The backseat window of the car in the lead opened, and Shen Zhiheng himself hung his elbow outside the window, tilting his head and looking up. As a pair of glasses, tinted the colour of smoky quartz, sat on his nose bridge, no one knew exactly what he was looking at.

Li Yingliang revealed a smile in advance, welcoming loudly, “Mr. Shen, what a rare guest.”

Shen Zhiheng raised his hand to remove his glasses, nodding at him, “Chairman Li.”

Li Yingliang looked at him with a smile. His smile was so wide that his eyebrows were curved, the corners of his lips were upturned, and his teeth were revealed. There was nothing but joy on his face. Judging by his smile that was so full of delight, Shen Zhiheng figured that this would be followed by a round of pleasantries, and so he waited quietly, intending to let him speak his fill before he started talking himself. After all, he knew that in negotiations, striking first did not necessarily give one the upper hand.

He thought this way, and so too did Li Yingliang, so the two of them stared at each other. Li Yingliang stood still in the cold wind, smiling till his front teeth were freezing, yet still not knowing why Shen Zhiheng kept staring at him without saying a word. Meanwhile, Shen Zhiheng was equally clueless, and began to suspect that this smile of Li Yingliang’s had become frozen on his face because of the freezing wind.

In the end, Li Yingliang’s smile slowly faded, and neither could Shen Zhiheng bear with it any longer, “Why don’t you invite me in to have a seat?”

Li Yingliang opened the door of the car, his attitude still as respectful as before, “I couldn’t ask for more. Please, Mr. Shen.”

Shen Zhiheng extended a hand towards the driver in the front, who understood and immediately pulled out a Browning pistol from under the seat and handed it to him. He tucked the pistol into his coat, and then got out of the car.

“Chairman Li, this time, I’ve come prepared. If you still dare to pull any tricks inside, I’ll kill you.”

Li Yingliang laughed loudly, “Based on Mr. Shen’s abilities, do you still need a gun to kill me?”

Then, he gestured towards the gate, “Please.”

Shen Zhiheng strode in as Li Yingliang guided him to his office. Meanwhile, Li Guisheng led a group of men to hide in ambush outside the windows. If anything happened in the room, they would immediately smash the windows and barge in. Even so, after Li Yingliang closed the door, his heart still slowly rose to his throat.

Shen Zhiheng walked one round around his office. Since he was here, he might as well take a look at the headquarters of this Chinese traitor.

Li Yingliang personally poured a cup of hot tea and placed it on the coffee table, saying, “Mr. Shen, please have a seat. I’m truly very pleasantly surprised that you’ve taken the time to come today. I was of the impression that Mr. Shen hated me, and we would never have the chance to resolve our misunderstandings and shake hands and speak in peace.”

Shen Zhiheng turned around in front of the large desk, facing Li Yingliang, “Whether we make peace or not, that’s something that’s between you and me. You should not have urged Young Mistress Mi to be a middle-man. If General Mi found out about this, how do you think he would react?”

Li Yingliang replied, “Mr. Shen wouldn’t complain about me to General Mi, would you?” Then, he grinned, “But, even if General Mi found out about this, I would have an explanation for him. After all, Mr. Shen’s and Young Mistress Mi’s relationship is a little… how do I put it? Haha, not that normal!”

At this point, he stared directly at Shen Zhiheng, “Mr. Shen, it’s rare for us to get the chance to have a peaceful conversation like this. I once dealt you a heavy blow, and neither did you spare me. That you didn’t die is proof of your good fortune, that I didn’t die is also proof of my good fortune. Since the heavens have arranged it such that you and I are both alive to stand here today to speak to one another, I think that we should accept and treasure this chance. I know you look down on me. That’s okay. Many people look down on me, you’re not the only one. You’ve never pointed at my nose and scolded me before, that’s already proof of you giving me face. Recently, you’ve also seen my attitude; I was really trying every method to get close to you, to mend ties with you, but you never gave me the chance. So, I had no choice but to try anything in desperation and seek out Young Mistress Mi. I know that you give her face, and you owe her a favour. But you can rest assured that I’ve never threatened or scared her. What’s the point of me scaring a young lady? I just asked her to help me pass you a message. But it seems like you didn’t give her face. These few days, Young Mistress Mi has not appeared in public at all.”

Shen Zhiheng said, “You’ve gotten it the wrong way round. It’s not that I owe her a favour, she is the one who owes me a favour. Without me, she would have died in the hospital last month.”

Li Yingliang raised his head and thought, and then smiled, “Yes, yes, you have a point. If you hadn’t been there to take care of her, perhaps she really would have died of her illness. And that night, if she hadn’t been there to save you, you probably would still be able to live.” He waved his hands towards Shen Zhiheng, “Don’t be mistaken, I’m being frank here, I mean you absolutely no ill intention.”

Shen Zhiheng could hear through it, Li Yingliang was testing him. This rascal was not stupid. Everything he said was accurate, yet, Shen Zhiheng was just the type of person who was not afraid of being tested.

Meeting his gaze, Li Yingliang took a few tentative steps in his direction. “Mr. Shen, can you tell me, how on earth did you… why are you…”

For a moment, he did not know how to phrase his question. “What I mean is… logically speaking, you definitely died without a doubt. But after disappearing for a month, you reappeared, having not died at all. How?”

Shen Zhiheng shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I’m truly extremely curious.”

Shen Zhiheng suddenly smiled. “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes! Can you tell me?”

Shen Zhiheng sighed, “Then you must keep it a secret for me.”

“Of course!”

“I don’t trust you, you must swear on your life.”

Li Yingliang raised his hand and straightened three fingers, “I, Li Yingliang, swear that whatever Mr. Shen tells me today, I will keep it a secret until the end. If I go back on my word, I will be punished by the heavens and get struck by lightning!”

Shen Zhiheng raised a finger and pointed at him, “You will also die without descendants and be sent to the eighteenth level of hell when you die, never to reincarnate for eternity.”

Li Yingliang really used all of his patience on Shen Zhiheng. “Okay, okay, I’ll die without descendants and be sent to the eighteenth level of hell, never to reincarnate for eternity.”

Shen Zhiheng turned his head to glance at the windows, then walked towards Li Yingliang. Li Yingliang suspected that he could sense the people waiting in ambush outside the windows. Seeing him approach him closer and closer, Li Yingliang’s calves seemed to cramp a little. But if he turned around and ran now, everything he had done these past few days would go down the drain.

Shen Zhiheng stopped in front of him. Because he was taller than him by half a head, Li Yingliang pretty much just fell into his shadow. Shen Zhiheng lowered, moving to the side of his ear, and said in a low voice, “Actually, I’m a demon.”

Then, he straightened his body, stared at Li Yingliang, and nodded his head once with certainty. “A demon.”

Li Yingliang was tongue-tied. “No–Mr. Shen, can you stop joking around with me? I’ve even already sworn on my life, and yet you’re telling me now that you’re a demon. You’re not being serious.”

Shen Zhiheng said seriously, from the bottom of his heart, “I’m really a demon. If you don’t believe me, come to my house tonight, I’ll reveal my true form to you.”

“That I don’t dare.”

“What’s there to be scared of, it’s not like I can eat you.”

Upon saying that, he could not help but swallow his saliva. He was due for a meal tonight, and so now, the second he smelled the breath of a live person, his hunger would grow. Li Yingliang glanced at the way his Adam’s apple moved up and down, and immediately felt his hairs standing. Until now, he did not believe a single word of what Shen Zhiheng said. Perhaps, demons really existed in this world, but Shen Zhiheng was definitely not something as simple as a demon.

His mouth dry, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, “Then, what’s your true form?”

“I’ve been human for so long, I can’t remember. If you’re interested, why don’t you just see for yourself?”

Shen Zhiheng’s tone was lively, and so Li Yingliang also put on a false smile, “But to tell you the truth, I really feel like you want to eat me.”

Shen Zhiheng extended a hand and patted his shoulder. “It’s good that Chairman Li is so cautious. It’s better to be safe than sorry. But Chairman Li can rest assured, if you just concern yourself with rising through the ranks, while I just concern myself with making money, both of us minding our own business, then I wouldn’t eat you. But if you really can’t contain your curiosity and insist on playing tricks on me, then don’t blame me for a moment’s rashness.”

At this point, he lowered his voice, “Chairman Li, let me tell you, what person I am isn’t important; what’s important is whether you can live well or not.”

Li Yingliang raised his head to look at him, “So, you came here today to warn me.”

Shen Zhiheng shook his head continuously. “I’m not that kind. I never give any warnings before doing things. Wouldn’t you be wary once I give you a warning? I’m not that stupid.”

As he said this, his voice bore traces of anger as he smiled, and it was fairly gentle and kind, as if he were nagging at his little brother about the housework. Li Yingliang’s character was already quite volatile; who knew that Shen Zhiheng was actually one level above him.

Seeing Shen Zhiheng retrieve that pair of tinted glasses from his pocket, as if he was about to leave, he said in a hurry, “Can I invite you again for dinner? It just happens that it’s no longer early now, it’s just the right time.”

Shen Zhiheng put on his glasses. “I don’t eat food, I eat people.”

Then, he raised his hand and pulled Li Yingliang by his shoulder, making him turn around. With his arm draped across his shoulders, he pushed the door open, saying, “I’ll trouble you to see me out.”

The force he exerted was startlingly large, and Li Yingliang could not help but walk forward. “Mr. Shen, I feel that we should continue talking. The Japanese really want to be friends with you. I, too, personally–”

“Shut up!”, Shen Zhiheng suddenly turned towards him and roared.

With his abrupt change in demeanour, even though Li Yingliang could not see his eyes, he could see his ferocious expression, like he had lost his temper. Previously, he had been babbling pleasantly and amicably, and his temper had been better than anyone else’s. Li Yingliang had not thought that he would roar in anger without any warning. Stepping out of the doors of the committee, he watched agape as Shen Zhiheng slid into his car and left.

Li Guisheng ran up from behind him, muttering angrily, “Sir, he actually dared to yell at you.”

Li Yingliang glared. “Is it strange that he yelled at me? He even dares to kill me!”

Leaving the Japanese concession zone, Shen Zhiheng went straight to Keats Hospital.

Every alternate day, Situ Weilian would bring blood for him. And every two days, just before having his meal, he would be starving. At this time, if he was alone in a quiet place and did not get agitated by anything, nothing much would happen. But if he was suffering from starvation and a warm, fragrant live human was put in front of him, the flames of hunger would burn him to madness.

Earlier, Li Yingliang’s endless chatter had made him see red. He had tried to endure it, but in the end, he had still snapped, and had shut the bastard up with a single roar.

Seeing Shen Zhiheng’s car from inside the hospital, Situ Weilian immediately grabbed his canvas satchel and ran out, two heavy glass bottles knocking against each other in it. He opened the car door and looked at Shen Zhiheng, and as if he could read Shen Zhiheng’s mind, he placed the satchel in the car.

“You go first, I’ll come and find you tonight!”

Shen Zhiheng only glanced once at him, before instructing the driver to drive off. Arriving home a short while later, he held the canvas satchel and raced up the stairs, dashing into his bedroom.

Taking deep gulps, he drained the two large bottles of icy cold blood.

Then, he went limp in satisfaction and bliss. In the middle of his daze, he faintly felt a twinge of sorrow. He knew that he was deteriorating at an increasing rate. Perhaps, one day, he would lose his wisdom, his thoughts, his speech, leaving behind only a bloodthirsty hunger.

But he had not been born a monster. When he was fourteen, he had passed the first examination to be an official, and he had once been a talented youth with a bright future.

It was a pity that he had been a human only until the age of fourteen.

After getting off work, Situ Weilian went straight to the Shen mansion. When he entered, Shen Zhiheng had just regained his consciousness, coming down the stairs to welcome him. Situ Weilian brought the cold in with him as he stood in the building, looking around. He saw that Shen Zhiheng had evidently just taken a bath, and was now adjusting the collar of his changpao as he descended the stairs.

Looking down, Shen Zhiheng nodded and asked, “Have you had your dinner?”

“No, I ran over as soon as I got off work.”

Shen Zhiheng lifted a hand and pointed at the telephone on the wall beside the door. Situ Weilian understood. He turned around to grab the telephone, giving the nearby restaurant a call and ordering a table of dishes.

Putting down the phone, he saw that Shen Zhiheng had already walked to the sofa and was seated down there. He moved over, asking, “You were hungry in the afternoon?”

Shen Zhiheng was busy finding his cigar and a matchstick. “I was hungry.”

Situ Weilian ruffled his curly hair with a hand. “You got hungry early?”

Shen Zhiheng lit his cigar, inhaling deeply. “Weilian, one day, if, because of my hunger, I end up attacking a live person, what would you do?”

Situ Weilian felt that he was saying this a little decorously and stiffly. He smiled at once, “What would I do? What else could I do? Of course I would think of a way to find you food!”

“You won’t be afraid of me?”

Situ Weilian immediately shook his head. “You won’t suck my blood, I trust you.”

Shen Zhiheng laughed. “I don’t even trust myself, on what basis do you trust me?”

“Because we’re good friends, we care for each other [3] .”

Shen Zhiheng suddenly changed the topic, “Do you have enough money?”

“What? Are you offering me financial assistance?”

“I can offer you financial assistance, but you must help me think of an idea.”

“Go ahead!”

“When Mi Lan is at home, she can’t pass her days well. I arranged it such that she could attend choir lessons everyday and relax, but because Li Yingliang found out about our relationship and wanted to target her, it’s no longer convenient for her to leave the house. I’m very worried that she’ll get bored at home, and that she’ll also get abused by her mother.”

Situ Weilian slouched on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling. After staying silent for some time, he slapped his thigh. “Why don’t you go and tell Mrs. Mi that if she beats her daughter again, you’ll give her a taste of how formidable you are!”

“Nonsense, what do you mean taste? Do I give her a beating as well?”

Situ Weilian revealed a cunning smile. “Who said anything about beating her? Isn’t it enough to just give her a fright?”

Shen Zhiheng thought, I’ve done nothing much today, but I’ve just been scaring people. I scared Li Yingliang this afternoon, and now could it be that I’ll have to go and scare Mrs. Mi?

Situ Weilian began animatedly narrating his ingenious plan, and the more he listened, the deeper Shen Zhiheng’s frown grew.

“No way, no way. That’s a child’s game. I can’t do that.”

“Do it or not, it’s up to you. In any case, I’m not friends with Mi Lan. If her mother beats her child, I’m not the one who feels the pain.”

Shen Zhiheng laughed bitterly, still feeling that this plan of Situ Weilian’s was like a child’s prank and he was simply too embarrassed to carry it out.

Situ Weilian added on, mumbling, “Actually, you’re treating the symptoms, but not the cause. As long as she still stays in that house, you won’t be able to save her.”

“I’m simply repaying a favour,” Shen Zhiheng said.

“Without her, you won’t die. If you could die, you would have died a long time ago.”

Shen Zhiheng stared at the burning end of the cigar, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with him.

The restaurant waiter sent the dishes over and Situ Weilian had a huge feast. Full and tired, he stayed the night at the Shen mansion. At dawn, he was pushed awake by Shen Zhiheng. Then, as if they were playing around, the two of them got to work.

As they were preparing, Shen Zhiheng still felt fairly embarrassed. After busying themselves for a while, he stopped, and said to Situ Weilian, his face reddening, “Actually, I’m quite old.”

Situ Weilian laughed and “tsk”ed, “It’s alright, you look young.”

“For an old man like me to do something like this, it’s really unseemly.”

Situ Weilian squatted on the floor, laughing so hard his face had also become red. “Stop nagging, if you nag any more the sun is going to rise. Besides, what’s wrong with this? The Westerners celebrate Halloween, and even put on make-up like this on purpose!”

Shen Zhiheng stood in front of the full-length mirror. The person in the mirror was dressed in a white gown [4] , which was stained with streaks of blood. This blood happened to be the remnants from the blood bottles. Other than that, his usually meticulous hair had been messed up by Situ Weilian, and Situ Weilian had used the leftovers from his own meal to put on make-up for him. After soaking some dry bread in soup and mashing it into a glutinous paste, Situ Weilian had spread it across his face, and then dug out a packet of white powder from his leather bag and blown it across his head and face. Once the make-up was complete, Shen Zhiheng truly no longer looked like a human. He also kept gagging, the smell of food making him extremely uncomfortable.

Finally, after drenching half of his face with bright red strawberry jam, Situ Weilian turned off the lights, suppressing his snickers as he and Shen Zhiheng went their separate ways. He had driven the hospital car over, so he drove the car when he left now. He appeared to be leaving, but he actually drove the car to the back door of the mansion to pick Shen Zhiheng up.

The two of them hid from the patrol officers, driving speedily to the Mi mansion. Situ Weilian’s driving skills were quite good, and before long, he was already quietly parking the car by a wall behind the Mi mansion.

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other clamped over his mouth, he said, laughing, “Haha, Shen-xiong, go, quickly. Haha! If not, you’re going to lose your face!”

Shen Zhiheng did not dare to make any expression, but even when he was expressionless, there were still half-dried flecks of bread that dropped off from his face. He clearly knew that Situ Weilian was making use of this opportunity to find joy at his expense. Pointing at him, he made a warning gesture, and then pushed open the car door and got out of the car. Situ Weilian collapsed onto the passenger seat, extending his neck to see his silhouette. He saw him walk up to the wall. That wall was higher than him, he had to raise both of his arms high up in order to reach its top.

So, he raised both of his arms high to reach the top of the wall, and easily jumped across it, flipping himself over the wall.

For Shen Zhiheng to enter the Mi mansion, it was really effortless.

The security of this area was very good, and under Mrs. Mi’s lead, everyone in the Mi mansion lived their days muddle-headedly. If the old maids remembered to close and lock the main gates at night, that could already be considered as something done conscientiously. Shen Zhiheng pried open a window and jumped in. Previously, when he was chatting with Mi Lan, he had gained a slight understanding of the Mi mansion. So, he went directly to the second floor, entering Mrs. Mi’s bedroom.

He carefully opened the door and closed the window, and the cold wind instantly blew the curtains around, the window shutters banging around noisily as they opened and closed. In her drunken sleep, Mrs. Mi opened her eyes, only to see that a dark wind was blowing around in her room and in the pale moonlight, a tall and large figure stood before her bed. His face was an uneven mess of blood and flesh, and he was looking at her with his head lowered.

Terrified out of her wits, she opened her mouth and was about to scream, but that person suddenly raised his hand and single-handedly covered her mouth. His other large, cold hand wrapped around her neck.

That person said in a trembling, strange voice, “I am the great-grandfather of the Mi family. You evil, poisonous wench, torturing my Mi family’s descendant every day and night. Tonight, my spirit has returned just to take your wretched life.”

Mrs. Mi shook her head as if her life depended on it, becoming a shivering ball on her bed.

Then, that person said, “Since you are my descendant’s biological mother, if you repent and mend your ways, I will spare you this one time. If you dare to do it again in the future, I will definitely bring you before the ancestors of the Mi family and make you suffer in the Hell of the Blood Pool [5] !”

Then, the large, cold hand was gone, and that person flew up and out of the window. When Mrs. Mi was able to move her muscles and drag herself off the bed, the area outside the window and outside the building had long become silent again. Occasionally, a few sounds rang out as cars drove past in the distance.

Shen Zhiheng was extremely embarrassed. The second he escaped back to the car, he used his lapel to madly wipe his face and hair. After wiping for some time, he suddenly realised that Situ Weilian had disappeared.

The next second, the car door opened, and Situ Weilian jumped into the car, bringing the cold wind with him. “You’re back? So fast?”

Shen Zhiheng relaxed, and continued to wipe himself madly. “What were you doing?”

Situ Weilian started the engine, and first drove off the small lane that the Mi mansion was on. “I went to pee–”

He suddenly noticed what Shen Zhiheng was doing.

“Ai, ai, ai, stop, stop, stop. You’re making my car dirty. How can I drive it back to the hospital later? Our hospital only has this one car, my cousin would eat me!”

Shen Zhiheng ignored him, pushing the door open and jumping out. Bending down, he started retching. Just as his insides were doing somersaults, patrol whistles suddenly started echoing from nearby. He dove back into the car in a hurry.

Situ Weilian was also shocked. “They can’t be here to catch us, right?”

Shen Zhiheng was too weak to reply. Just at this moment, a patrol officer on a bicycle rode past them at the speed of lighting, shouting loudly as he went, “Guards! A demon’s on the loose!”

Situ Weilian waited until the patrol officer disappeared, before asking in a whisper, “A demon? It can’t be the one in the newspapers? What’s that, the weasel demon? The one that sucks blood.”

Shen Zhiheng paused. “I don’t know. Perhaps?”

“Sucks blood… Say, this so-called weasel demon, do you think it could be that brother you’ve been trying to find all along?”

“I still don’t know.”

Situ Weilian suddenly became spirited. “I have an idea! From tomorrow onwards, don’t sleep at night. You should come here and saunter around, and wait for that demon to come over and suck your blood. When he makes his move against you, you’ll make use of the opportunity to catch him and clarify things with him.”

Shen Zhiheng sighed, casually saying, “But what if he’s really just a demon, then what?”

“Aiyo, this old brother, what do you mean ‘just a demon’? You’re already in this state, and you’re still looking down on demons?”

“What do you mean ‘this state’? I’m even lesser than a demon?”

“You’re a vampire–”

“Shut up!”

Situ Weilian shut his mouth, driving the car straight back to the Shen mansion. When the car came to a stop at the back door of the Shen mansion, he could not help but turn around again to Shen Zhiheng, “Have you ever thought that you’re also a demon?”

Shen Zhiheng also turned to him. “No.”

The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Finally, Shen Zhiheng opened his mouth, “It’s just that my luck is bad, and got struck by this rare misfortune–”

Situ Weilian finished his words for him. “Fortunately, you met me, and all things considered, you gained a friend who knows your heart like you do.”

Shen Zhiheng nodded his head earnestly. “Yes.”

With Shen Zhiheng, Situ Weilian was never serious, and never expressed his personal thoughts. Now, in the silence of the night, he turned back to the front, and suddenly said, “I will always be a doctor. If I can’t be a doctor, I’ll be a butcher. I will supply you with blood, and I won’t let you starve to the point that you’ll attack people. I will… I will be responsible for you until the end.”

Shen Zhiheng smiled, one hand pushing open the door while the other patting Situ Weilian’s shoulder. “Okay, okay, I know. Even if you don’t say it, I know.”

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

I translated 外宅 (wài zhǎi) very loosely as “mistress” as this is probably the closest word in modern day. It literally means “external house” and refers to the women that some men “kept” and supported during the days when they could still marry one wife and have multiple concubines. These women and their children usually did not live together with the man’s main family in the same compound, hence “external”.

My wordy attempt at translating 知音 (zhī yīn), which I’ve seen translated as “bosom friend” or “soulmate” before, but I felt that none of these really accurately reflect Shen Zhiheng’s and Mi Lan’s relationship here. 知音 literally means “know sound”, and refers to someone who knows you so well, more than you know yourself. It does not necessarily have a romantic connotation. It originated from the legend of Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi from the Spring and Autumn Period (~770-481 BCE). Yu Boya was very good at playing the qin, while Zhong Ziqi was very good at listening to the qin, and Zhong Ziqi could always understand what Yu Boya was thinking of just from how the latter played the qin alone. When Zhong Ziqi died, Yu Boya destroyed his precious qin and snapped its strings, vowing to never play the qin again, because he no longer had a zhiyin and there was no longer anyone who could understand him.

The phrase used here was 有感情, which literally means “have feelings” for each other. However, I did not use this as a translation because in Chinese, it does not necessarily have a romantic connotation like it does in English.

As in changpao.

The thirteenth level of hell in Chinese mythology, where those who disrespect others are thrown into and submerged in a pool of blood.

#snowfall #冰雪谣 #the shadow #如月 #snowfalltl #userdramas #vampires #translation #*transl #tuserashinlae #lextag #roserayne

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ckret2 · 11 months ago

Note

Gideon as Stan stepson is hilarious.

Not only for the shenanigans, but the fact Stan cares 1000% about his family. Eventually he will care about Gideon, and have to deal with the mental shutdown of realizing he cares about him

You know what I don't even think he'd have a mental shutdown over it. He'd just gradually slide from "HE'S THE WORST AND I'M ONLY PUTTING UP WITH HIM FOR BUD'S SAKE, can't WAIT to ship 'im off to college and the feeling's mutual"

to "I mean what the kid really needs is a little discipline around the house to straighten him out, Bud's been too lax on him"

to "he's a brat but he's got his good points, I'll give him that"

to "yeeeah, the kid's a holy terror, but he's my holy terror, ya know?"

to "HEY, HEY, WHAT'D YOU SAY ABOUT GIDEON? MY BOY SINGS LIKE A CHERUB AND HE'S TWICE AS CUTE. Which off-key brat did YOU contribute to the school choir, come on, I'd like to see yours do better—!"

Stan's probably still fully convinced he doesn't like that kid even as he's stitching him a "GIDDY" fishing buddy hat.

Inevitably they'll have some big emotional argument that culminates in "Stan Pines, don't you forget who you're messing with! From now until the day you die, I am and shall always be your arch-nemesis!" "MAYBE YOU ARE my arch-nemesis... but you're ALSO... my SON." And then Gideon starts crying.

#anonymous #ask #grunkle stan #gideon gleeful #gravity falls

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gojoshooter · 2 years ago

Text

They say, all good boys go to heaven — Gojo Satoru

Pairings : atheist!gojo x choirboy!reader, m/m

A/N : doing smth with my angst skills since people seemed to like the previous post, so here goes another one :P reblog if u like? ♡

Genre : angst, fluff, hurt and comfort

WARNINGS : homophobia, gojo doesn't have powers, no one has — actually, claustrophobia, male reader is not geto, secret relationship

Disclaimer: this hc is based on catholic beliefs where few of the description might be exaggeration of reality. so if you feel uncomfy, u may kindly exit.

"N' if I win, you stop bringing yer' church boy to our place".

"Got it." a darker hue of blue seemed to fill in Satoru's crystal orbs, as he sits down the wooden chair. A new sense of raw competitiveness swirling in his eyes.

You can hear the smirk in his voice though the man you're looking at is Satoru's supposed opponent, who appeared rather scary with a buzz-cut and cat eyes.

You were far from where you were supposed to be — watching men arm wrestle in the wilder outskirts of your town that Satoru once assured you to be a 'fun place'.

Your thoughts were cut short the moment the white haired male locked eyes with you, a way to make you look at him win the round.

You caught him biting his bottom lip too, either in an attempt to take the opposing arm down or his cocky trademark that he liked to show you off, you'd never know.

And if the way his muscular biceps flexed in his tight grey hoodie made your cheeks hot, he wouldn't know either.

It was a matter of seconds and the buzz-cut's arm banged on the wooden table, the slam unforgiving. He hissed as the small crowed erupted from Satoru's side, the said male standing and patting his toned left arm with the right, pompous of his built.

"I told you! Maybe you can catch up to me in a few years, ay? " Satoru's mocking sweetness dripped off him as he patted the lost boy's head.

You expected him to join the boo-ing of the losing team, but then he turned around to walk you towards the exit of the run down cabin they used as a common party place, clutching your hand.

"Satoru, what was that? " you sighed, trying your best to hide the funny proud feeling.

"That? Just a friendly match with kids." He grinned, swinging your hand lightly in his hold. You couldn't help but shake your head.

"Yeah... friendly... you kept beating the kids." He chuckled at your comment, head thrown back slightly. "Hmmm, I was about to let them have the last round y'know. It's that brat's fault " he shrugged with his pouty lips.

You gave up the never ending argument, but for some reason, that made you feel giddy inside.

"I think you enjoyed my choir practice session more than I enjoyed that " you add with a huff, trying to convince no one but yourself about who gave the other a 'better part of the evening'.

The beautiful orange hue was starting to darken, the wind howling loudly.

Satoru was too lost in his thoughts to speak, meanwhile you were suddenly too shy to start up a conversation. There was a comfortable silence between the two of you as Satoru walked you home.

Your teeth chattered lightly at a particular gust of wind, making Satoru's head snap to the side. That was him, the young tire shop owner from the outskirts — Satoru

"You're cold." He frowned, already removing his grey hoodie.

"Oh no, it's fine-" you began before he threw the soft fabric on your petite body. You blush furiously, grateful as it was getting dark out.

"Thank you." You mumble softly, unconsciously sighing when you inhaled Satoru's minty cologne. The sweater was definitely big on you, creating cute sweater paws that had Satoru smiling. It amuses him — your doe eyes, your big cute grin, brown hair with curls similar to the men in old greek sculptures.

He couldn't bring himself to ask. What if you don't see him as a friend? And all your 'subtle' shy glances were friendly gestures? Or worse, what if you see him more than a friend? Then good lord, he's sure he'd mess up someday.

Satoru presumes it possibly can't be the later one, considering you're the town's renowned pastor's only son and the local church's choir boy. Following the 'right' path and doing 'holy deeds' runs in the blood.

He talked for the reminder of your way home, his cold hands in his pockets. You were two houses away when you giggle adorably at something he had said.

Walking further close, Satoru becomes aware of the dark figure standing on top of the porch of your house.

His smile drops, and you must have noticed what Satoru was looking at as well, appearing nervous. He lowered his voice as both of you reached the front of your house, very aware of the person watching them.

Satoru was about to say goodbye to you but a loud harsh voice from the top of the stairs stopped him from doing so.

"Get inside."

His eyes stayed solemnly focused on the small boy that was you, as he gives you a weak smile. "Shit, isn't his father a crazy one?" he thinks to himself.

Satoru looked up only to see the angry eyes of pastor staring down at him.

He glared back at him, watching as you silently disappear behind your father into the house.

You had already informed your father that you'll be gone in the evening for the choir practice so he wouldn't go crazy looking for you. So why does he sound so mad? You lowkey agree with Satoru, sometimes he's too much.

Once inside, you realize Satoru's hoodie is still on you. The loud slam of the front door had you flinching lightly, cutting your thoughts off.

"I thought you were going to church to practice your singing " He spat out in rage. You shrunk lightly under his burning gaze, feeling so small.

"I-I was. It's just that my friend came along and we practiced together." That wasn't a lie, was it?

"I better not see you near that boy again. He's a good for nothing street rat. Do you understand me? " He ordered, jerking you by your shoulders as he spoke, tone threatening. He never stops screaming, never. Sometimes you wonder if he will bargain his way into heaven with that skill of his.

"...Yes father." you whispered, head bowed down. You want to cry, but held your breath instead.

"Speak up you disgrace of a child! " He roares, stepping closer to you. "Dad, stop it " came a shaking voice from you, tears building up in your eyes. You did not notice her, just heard the sound of your mother that tsked behind you. It wasn't going to get easy for your tonight.

Your breathing hitched the same time your body fills with fear, palms sweating profusely as the town pastor approaches you with big steps and grabs your hand rather roughly. Your father ignores you as he opened a familiar dark closet at the end of the hallway.

"No, please." You whisper, knowing that no one could save you in that moment.

"You want to go against the Lord and hold hands with that dirty street rat like some fag, then have at it with the consequences."

You sob loudly as you begged your father not to do it, body shaking uncontrollably. You shook your head furiously, trying to pull away and making your father angrier in the process.

"Please, don't, dad " you screamed helplessly as your father shoved you inside with a harsh push. "You will stay inside untill you learn to follow the lord. " The pastor sneered, closing the door just when you ran up to it.

Only if you knew he cared less about the 'lord' and more about his reputation in the town.

No one liked the poor 'outcasts' of this region you often marched proudly with. You never understood the whole point, wasn't it in our own will wether to or to not believe in god? He would love all his children equally.

"Dad please, I can't breathe in here " you screamed, your fear of the haunting little spaces of the empty closet kicking in as you desperately banged at the door. The room was small and stuffy, your breathes coming out labored as sweat truckled down the soft damp skin.

It was dark but you've been there enough times to know where the flashlight was by now, reaching out blindly. You sniffled and sobbed, grasping the flashlight once you found it. You quickly turn it on, feeling less panicked now.

You flash it towards the floor where a Bibble and a Rosary were sitting together. With gritted teeth, you shakily reach out to grab the book as hot strings of tears flowed through your red eyes. A whimper leaves your lips, opening the book to recite passages in a soft whisper.

You cried and cried until your eyes felt puffy and sore. You couldn't help but inhale Satoru's lingering scent from the hoodie you were wearing.

It was a vein to wait for the dinner, you'd probably not even get a breakfast the next morning. That's how it has always been.

It must've been a few hours later when the door finally opened, the bright light blinding your sight.

Your tears have already dried on your cheeks, feeling your face numb as your stood up from the floor with blank eyes.

"Go to your room" your father barked before turning away, leaving you disoriented and traumatized.

You shakily grab the Bibble from the floor as you made your away to your room.

"God is good. " You whisper.

The day went in a blur of you practicing for your new prayer this Sunday, futile attempt at reading something in the local library, and in the town's school teaching the young kids of the town. That was probably the only good part of the day, you loved children as much as they loved you, though the fact that your father kept an eye on you the whole time kept you bugging. You need a release.

You wave at the little kids in distance as they ran around happily at the sound of the class dispersal.

"Get in the car "

You turn around to see your father waiting for you in his white truck. The smile on your face fell quickly, eyes losing their shine.

School just ended for the day and the pastor was not joking about bringing you home right after. You sigh as your father drove off with a straight face.

After the whole incident with your father catching you and Satoru, he forced you to read three passages of Bibble before you eat breakfast. You read and read until the letters seemed like an unreadable mess, tears clouding your eyes every two minutes. It only made you feel worse as you read about all the things that lord considered to be sins.

You wanted to be good. You wanted to be pure and clean of heart. To be a son of God.

"F-father?" you ask softly, terrified of his unleashed hot temper. Your father grunts in response.

"Could you...um- may i be dropped at the church? " came your unsure voice like a small whisper. Once again the pastor did not reply, eyes focused on the road. You had already accepted defeat, trying not to seem too upset.

It was a few moments later that you notice your father take a left turn instead of right. You release a breathe you did not know you held, relieved that you wouldn't be stuck at home.

You looked out of the window watching cars and people pass by and wondering when will you be free again.

The truck came to a complete stop, you snap out of your thoughts to see you're now in front of the church. You hesitantly look to your father, waiting for him to say something.

"Are you going to get off? " he barked. You quickly scrambled to unlock the door, muttering a quick apology.

"I expect you home by seven. Remember to pray for your sins! " the pastor spoke before driving off.

You watch your father leave with blurry eyes, tears waiting to fall. It seemed like these days all you did was cry, but he couldn't help it when his father accused him of betraying God.

It wasn't fair.

A loud sob left your lips once your father's pick up truck disappeared down the road. You quickly turned and ran inside the church, not wanting anyone to catch you crying.

Unfortunately you failed to notice the tall figure walking down the opposite side of the street.

Satoru.

He had been on his way to his repair shop when he caught sight of you being dropped off at the church. It's the first time he sees you after your father had caught you and Satoru together.

His eyes focused on your faint distraught whimpers, listening to you cry before you disappeared into the building.

His heart broke the second a pitiful sob left your small body.

Satoru frowned, crossing the street quickly. He stood by the lawn in front of the church, eyes contemplating his next move.

He bit his lips harshly, remembering the promise he made to himself about never entering a church. The nasty people of big name — the reason of his and his little family being out-casted preached and prayed here.

But the memory of the your tear-stained face had him more determined to be by your side. All he wanted was nothing more than to comfort the beautiful boy he's in love with and wipe his sadness away.

"Fuck it. " He whispered angrily before stepping forward, into the sacred building.

Sinking to your knees in front of the alter, you ignored the pain in your bones at the impact. You were glad the church was empty, this way your emotional release would be easier to get off. In that moment you didn't try to hold back your sobs, letting them out freely.

You wanted to scream your lungs out, but the only sounds that escaped you were your loud sobs.

"Please God," you cried, bottom lip quivering "take this pain away." you croaked, staring up at the statue of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Hot tears rolled down your cheeks but it felt so good to just let go.

"I can't take it anymore." You grab at your heart. Memories of your father cursing and telling him he's a sinner flashed through his mind. He never seemed happy regardless of what you did.

The thought of him punishing and locking you made you cry even harder, feeling like a failure of a son.

"I-I need a sign, please I-" you begged desperately, vision blurry with tears.

"y/n"

You heard your name echo throughout the church hall, making you whip your head towards the sound.

Satoru stood at the back of the church looking around unsurely before he ran down the asile towards the broken boy. The sound of his heavy leather shoes hitting the floor sounded loud in your ears.

You felt relief fill your body at the sight of Satoru there with you.

When the male finally reached you, he gently squatted down placing his hands under your arms, hoisting you up.

"Come on, get up." he whispered softly as you got up off your knees. Satoru did not want to focus on the sacramentals starring down at him, he focuses solemnly on the boy in front of him.

Pressing your face into Satoru's chest, you sobbed your little heart out as he quickly wrapped his arms around your body.

Satoru's heart broke the second you screamed into his chest, the sound muffled but still there.

"Shh, let it all out " he whispered, rubbing small circles with his warm palm around your small back.

"He hates me" you cried, looking up at Satoru with a messy damp face. "Trust me, nobody can." He took it upon himself to wipe your tears with gentle strokes of his thumb.

Satoru knew the pastor was a bad guy, but being an asshole to his own son? A sense of protectiveness kicks in him as he holds you tighter into his muscular arms.

"N-No matter what I do, I upset him. I'm a bad son." you sniffled.

"My, my, little baby. That's not true. They're lucky to have someone like you as their son. You're... a perfect boy."

Satoru gently cupped the boy's cheeks with both hands, feeling your breath begin to even out. "If beating up your dad doesn't work, we can just run away." The seriousness in the white haired male's voice made you chuckle into his arms.

There was something about your tears that made his heart crack.

Perhaps it was because someone like you didn't deserve to shed a single tear.

Or perhaps it made him want to hurt whoever made the angel in front of him upset. He thinks — if heavens exist, that's where you truly belong.

"Let's sit for a bit, okay? " Satoru suggested, holding your shoulders and making you sit in one of the benches.

"Hmm. Let's see, what can we do to get your mind off things? " Satoru spoke softly. His mere voice calms you down every time. There is this thin string of bliss and delight wrapped around his vocal cords that enchants you, brings you closer and closer to Satoru the more he talks. And you, as if in a trance, can not help but be pulled no matter what how harsh the punishment your earn each time.

"I... I like to pray the Rosary." you pulled out the beaded necklace out from under your shirt.

"Okay let's do that." Satoru encouraged with a smile, watching with curious eyes as you grab the wooden cross from the necklace.

You breathe in deeply before starting, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Satoru watched fascinated as you did the sign of the cross, with head slightly bowed, making him do the same.

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty" you began focusing on your prayer.

You carry on as if nothing happened, but you can feel Satoru's warm hand slip in yours. He closes his eyes as well, listening to your sweet voice reciting the prayers.

Satoru had no idea what they meant, but if that brought you comfort and peace, he would sit there to accompany you.

Because whether you knew it or not, God did give you a sign, in the form of a troubled boy named Gojo Satoru.

A/N: aaand that's it! i didn't plan to extend the hc this long, but oh well. reblog if you enjoyed it <3

Tags: @luckimoon @nanamikentoseyebags @jspenft @aikaisnika @gh0stwish @dianagracesworld @Icheerymotion @tamakin7

#satoru gojo #gojo satoru #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #gojo headcanons #gojou satoru x reader #gojou satoru x y/n #gojo stan #gojou satoru x you #gojo fluff #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #gojo sensei #gojo #gojo x male reader #jujutsu gojo #gojo sfw #jjk satoru #gojo fanfic

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