#dmbj and pingxie archives

[lotusflowerbreakingthesurface]

Happy year of the Dragon!

Artist: 刘巴布 — the artist of 《藏海花漫画》 Tibetan Sea Flower Comic/The Secret of Metok, and some scenes in 《雨村笔记》 and 《花夜前行》.

[tuna-fish-in-the-cloud]

Wu Xie: I'm really funny

Xiaoge: My wife is so cute ▼‿⁠▼

Xiaoge's dirty face is so cool! And Wu Xie, you're so cute~

But I just found out that Feikun Balu's gesture is ✌🏻

[pingxie-exchange]

A very large thank you to laireshi for writing the rules and guidelines being used for this exchange.  They are presented here with minor changes.

Hello, everyone! Apologies for the short notice on this post going up, the month got away from me for a bit. OTZ

Pingxie Exchange 2024: Schedule and Guidelines Post

Hi and welcome to the Pingxie Exchange: a fic, art, and fanvid exchange about the Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling pairing.

In this exchange, participants will be anonymously matched to create gifts for one another during a five week creation period. The gifts will be revealed on August 17th: the day Wu Xie welcomed Xiaoge back after his 10-year-long absence behind the Bronze Gate.

This exchange is open to all the DMBJ canons (adaptations featuring Wu Xie or Xiaoge and the original novels). It will take place on AO3, so you need an AO3 account to participate--if you don’t have one, you can request it here; if there isn’t enough time, no worries - contact the mods at pingxie-exchange@hotmail.com, on DreamWidth, or on tumblr, and we can send you an invitation! There have been some changes this year, so please read this post carefully before signing up!

(Updated) Schedule

Sign-ups open: June 9th Sign-ups end: June 22nd 11:59 PM Anywhere On Earth (what time is it for me?) Matching: June 22nd Assignments out: no later than June 23rd Assignments due: August 10th 11:59 PM Anywhere On Earth (what time is it for me?) Gift reveals: August 17th Creator reveals and treats deadline: August 24th

Further information behind the cut...

Guidelines

This is a ship exchange: as such, all the works created for this event must be focused on Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling. Works with threesomes/moresomes or other pairings involving Wu Xie and/or Zhang Qiling are not appropriate for this exchange, but background ships of other characters are fine.

You will be expected to create a gift matching your recipient’s request. Filling any specific prompt is not obligatory, but try to create something you honestly think your recipient will enjoy!

You must not include anything stated as “do not want” in your recipient’s sign-up.

The minimum requirements for the gifts are 300 words for fic, one sketch on unlined paper for art (traditional or digital; no manips), or 30 seconds of video for fanvids.

After the matching is done, all the requests will be made visible to everyone to allow for treating! There are no minimum requirements for treats (but remember to mind your recipient’s do not wants!). You can also create manips for treats.

Please note: Now that AO3 has changed the way that gifting works on the archive, if you wish to be eligible for treats, you need to select the option "Allow anyone to gift me works" under the "Collections, Challenges and Gifts" section of your AO3 preferences.  You must also indicate that you are open to treats in your exchange sign-up.

This is an anonymous exchange: refrain from discussing your assignment in public. After the works are revealed, there will be a one week anon period when the creators remain anonymous before the creator reveals. DO NOT post your creation anywhere but the AO3 collection (e.g., Tumblr, Twitter/X, Dreamwidth, etc.) before authors are revealed on the 24th. If you do this, you will not be allowed to participate next year.

If at any point you need to drop out, just click on the “default” button on your AO3 assignment page (https://archiveofourown.org/users/YOURNAME/assignments); we’ll find a pinch hitter to create a gift for your recipient instead. If you need an extension to finish your gift, contact the mods before the deadline.

After the reveals, comment on your gift.

Most importantly: be excellent to each other!

Sign-Up information

Sign-ups will take place on AO3 here, starting on June 9th. There, you can fill out details about your request and offer. You can edit your sign-up at any time until the sign-ups close.

When signing up, you will be able to choose fandom, "character" (this is actually going to be the fanwork type: fanart, fanfiction, or fanvid), and genre tags, as well as specify any additional details.

You will have to select the DMBJ canon you’re interested in creating for and receiving a gift in:

Novels: The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles

TV: The Lost Tomb 1

TV: The Lost Tomb 2 - Explore with the Note

TV: The Lost Tomb 2.5 - Heavenly Palace on the Clouds

TV: Ultimate Note

TV: Tomb of the Sea/Sha Hai

TV: The Lost Tomb Reboot/Reunion: The Sound of Providence

Movies: Conjuring Curse (2023) & Misty Creed (2023) -- rare canon

Movies: Time Raiders -- rare canon

Video Games: Time Raiders (mobile game) -- rare canon

Note: If you choose a rare canon, then you must also choose at least one non-rare canon.

You are not limited to requesting or creating a work during the canon timelines for those series/books. It’s just to mark which canons you’re familiar with to allow for easier matching: some participants might have a preference for a particular canon era, some might not be familiar with all the versions. You still have to choose your preferred canon eras even if you want to create or receive an AU.

You will have to specify which "characters" you’re interested in:

Fanart

Fanfiction

Fanvid

(That's right, this isn't really a character selector; it was the only way I could include fanwork type preference in the matching.)

You will also have to specify genres you’re interested in:

Action/Adventure

Angst

AU

Canon Compliant

Canon Divergent

Dark

Domesticity/Slice of Life

Fluff

Humour/Crack

Hurt/Comfort

PWP (only select this if you’re 18+)

Request

In this section, you describe the gift you would like to receive.

Note: please make sure that if you are requesting something that you really would be happy to receive a gift for it. Don't try to pad out your signup by requesting something you would not enjoy. The goal is for everyone, creators and recipients, to have fun, after all!

The requests will be made publicly visible after matching is done, so that others will be able to create treats (additional gifts) based on them! So, please don't write anything in your optional details that you wouldn't want everyone to see.

Fandom - you have to choose at least one. If you’re willing to receive a gift in any canon era, you can just click “Any”!

Character (remember this is really fanwork type) - you have to choose at least one tag.

Genre - you have to choose at least three tags.

Optional Details - here’s where you can go into more detail about your perfect pingxie gift! You can include:

General Likes: your creator may, but doesn’t have to, include them. This isn’t a place for detailed prompts, just general themes you enjoy, like getting together or established relationship.

DNW (Do Not Wants): things that your creator must not include - squicks, triggers, things that you simply don’t like. Remember that you don’t owe anyone an explanation about why something is a DNW, and that DNWs are not meant to be taken personally. Just list the things you don’t like, “DNW: X, Y.”

Prompts/specific ideas: if you have any prompts, you can also put them here! You can be as general or as detailed as you’d like but remember that while your creator will try to make the best gift for you, filling a specific prompt is not obligatory. You can include a crossover prompt (with other DMBJ versions or other canons), but make sure it’s not the only prompt you have.

If you chose novels as one of your fandoms, you can use this field to list the ones you’re familiar with. If you're interested in receiving a Buried Tree Devil - Book 3 Donghua gift, you can also mention it here.

Optional Tags: You may use the optional tags to share more about your preferences, if you like.

Offer

Note: please make sure that if you are offering something that you really would be happy to create for it. Don't try to pad out your signup by offering something you could not easily create a gift for. The goal is for everyone, creators and recipients, to have fun, after all!

Fandom - you have to choose at least one. If you’re willing to receive a gift in any canon era, you can just click “Any”!

Character (remember this is really fanwork type) - you have to choose at least one tag.

Genre - you have to choose at least three tags.

Optional Details - in this field, you can tell us more about the kind of works you like to create, for example if you really prefer established relationship, feel best with certain kinds of AUs, or like writing darkfic. You can also tell us if you have a preference of which type of gift you will create (fic or art). We’ll take all of these optional details into account when matching!

If you chose novels as one of your fandoms, you can use this field to list the ones you’re familiar with. If you're interested in creating a Buried Tree Devil - Book 3 Donghua gift, you can also mention it here.

In the optional details of your offer, you can also name one person you don’t want to be matched to, for example your regular beta, and we will do our best to avoid matching you!

Optional Tags: You may use the optional tags to share more about your preferences, if you like. The offers will only ever be visible to the mods; never to anyone else.

Your assignment

You will be matched to create a gift for someone who requested at least one of the fandoms that you offered and one of the fanwork types you offered, with as many similar genres/likes as possible. This exchange will be matched using the AO3 algorithm to generate the initial matches and then tweaked by hand, if necessary, based on the information provided in everyone's optional details.

If you have any issues when you receive your assignment (you have a question about it or think there’s an issue with it), contact the mods as soon as possible. Do not contact your recipient on your own.

You will have to create a gift for your recipient, fulfilling the minimum requirements, and avoiding any stated "do not wants". Filling exact prompts is optional but try to create something matching your recipient's likes that they will enjoy!

You will have to post your gift to the exchange AO3 collection before the due date (August 10th), using the "gift this work to" option to give it to your recipient. Your work will remain in the collection only visible to you and the mods until the reveals happen. Remember to tag your work appropriately, especially if any of the major archive warnings apply, or use the "choose not to warn" warning.

Treating

Treats are additional gifts for the participants! To allow for treating, the requests will be made visible when matching is done. You can create treats at any time until the creator reveals! There are no minimum requirements for treats, and in addition to the fanwork types allowed for gifts, manips are also allowed. As with assignments, you have to respect the recipient’s Do Not Want, and while the optional details are optional, try to create something fitting the listed likes. One treat can only be gifted to one person.

Please note: Now that AO3 has changed the way that gifting works on the archive, if you wish to be eligible for treats, you need to select the option “Allow anyone to gift me works” under the “Collections, Challenges and Gifts” section of your AO3 preferences.  You must also indicate that you are open to treats in your exchange sign-up.

Pinch Hits

In case someone needs to drop out, we will look for a pinch hitter to complete their assignment. Pinch hits will be posted to the DreamWidth community and advertised on tumblr.

Extensions

If you think you can finish your assignment, but you need a day or two more, you can always ask the mods for an extension!

Other important information

Make sure to check the email you use on AO3 frequently during the exchange, as it will be the primary means of communication. We might contact you if there is an issue with your sign-up or if your gift creator has a question for you. If you’d rather we contact you on your twitter or tumblr, please leave your handle in the offer section of your sign-up. Follow us on DreamWidth and/or on tumblr to avoid missing an announcement or a deadline! If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact the mods at pingxie-exchange@hotmail.com, on DreamWidth (anonymous comments are allowed), or on tumblr.

A very large thank you to laireshi for writing the rules and guidelines being used for this exchange.  They are presented here with minor changes.

[eirenical]

Let No One Be Forgotten (4,951 words) by eirenical for @fixaidea

Summary:

Ten years ago, an accident left Wu Xie in a coma from which he has not yet awoken. With their Triangle too long broken, Pangzi and Xiaoge are willing to do anything, to sacrifice anything, to get him back.

“A picnic. Picture a forest, a country road, a meadow. Cars drive off the country road into the meadow, a group of young people get out carrying bottles, baskets of food, transistor radios, and cameras. They light fires, pitch tents, turn on the music. In the morning they leave. The animals, birds, and insects that watched in horror through the long night creep out from their hiding places. And what do they see? Old spark plugs and old filters strewn around... Rags, burnt-out bulbs, and a monkey wrench left behind... And of course, the usual mess—apple cores, candy wrappers, charred remains of the campfire, cans, bottles, somebody’s handkerchief, somebody’s penknife, torn newspapers, coins, faded flowers picked in another meadow.” ― Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky, Roadside Picnic

Today

“Did we forget anything?”

Xiaoge, still stuffing essentials into pockets of his backpack, slowly shook his head.

“Did you get any sleep this afternoon?”

Xiaoge paused, considered the easy lie for a moment, then slowly shook his head once more.

“You went to go say goodbye, didn’t you. Spent the whole damned day at the research institute hospital sitting at his bedside instead of resting.”

Neither of those were questions, but Xiaoge nodded in response, anyway. He would be ready for tonight. Pangzi understood that, even if he scolded. He would be able to protect them in the Zone better with the memory of Wu Xie held clear and tightly in his mind than with any amount of sleep. Pangzi understood that, as well. Xiaoge had seen Pangzi sneaking out as he’d snuck in, having spent the night in the hospital watching over Wu Xie before going home to get some sleep.

It was good.

They would both need all the memories of Wu Xie they could gather, to do what they had to do tomorrow.

The impossible.

Continue reading on AO3

Notes, tags, and other fic info beneath the cut.

August 24, 2024: This fic was written for @fixaidea for the @pingxie-exchange and is based off a book called Roadside Picnic whose virtues Fixa has been extolling for some time. ;D Anyway, she was right, the book is SO GOOD and I highly recommend it. I've been told you can understand this fic without having read the book, but here's a little help: the basic premise of the book is that aliens have (very briefly) visited Earth and left behind several zones of altered space. Within these altered spaces, the laws of physics do not necessarily always apply and there are also altered objects that humans have since repurposed for their own uses. People periodically visit the zones legally, for research purposes (scientists), and illegally, for profit (stalkers). That should be all you need to know. ^_^

And I'd like to say a GIANT thank you to @bbcphile for an extremely last minute beta and boatloads of encouragement. ^_^

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi & Wu Xie & Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi & Zhang Qiling Characters: Zhang Qiling, Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Wang Pangzi Additional Tags: Roadside Picnic AU, The Iron Triangle | Wang Pangzi & Wu Xie & Zhang Qiling, Angst, Coma, Angst with a Happy Ending, Whump, Zhang Qiling Needs a Hug, Zhang Qiling Gets a Hug, Cuddling & Snuggling, Kisses, Caretaking, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Alternate Universe, Wu Xie's Curiosity Gets Him Into Trouble... Again, Established Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling

[mekare-art]

Xiaoge.mp3 Challenge Reminder

This challenge will keep running until November 30th (it's Xiaoge's birthdayin November).

Excitingly, there is a new entry for the challenge! Read the fic here:

A Crescent Moon in the Sands (2792 words) by wispafloat Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei, 東邪西毒 | Ashes of Time (1994) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi Additional Tags: Mild Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Grief/Mourning, A slightly grumpy Wu Xie (which is his normal anw), I'm trying to think of tags but can't really think of any, Umm I'll explain in summary? Lol, no beta we die like.., Ok I can't be that cruel Summary:

Therefore, I tried my best to be a good watch buddy in Pangzi's absence and sat next to Menyouping, hoping it would get me some more boyfriend points. But only four minutes in, this show made me want to spit blood in anger.

Without a past, every day would be a new beginning. Wouldn’t that be great?

 Or the story where Pingxie watch a movie and have feelings about it. .

Check out the whole Xiaoge.mp3 Collection for more fanworks created for this challenge!

[emotional-mess-of-jellies]

Found a very promising dmbj fic on AO3. It has everything pingxie, heihua and Licu and Liu sang as their kids! 🥲

[lunarriviera]

dmbj ficrecs: a pingxie diptych

a winding path, an empty page, a silhouette (2519 words) i think of loss and i can only think of you (2643 words) by: A (mumblemutter) [@programmedradly] fandom: 终极笔记 | Ultimate Note, 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei pairing: Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling rating: T, M warnings: no archive warnings apply characters: Zhang Qiling, Wu Xie, Wang Pangzi tags: amnesia, kissing, sharing a bed, episode related, post-episode 15, episode 31 summary: Xiaoge finds his way back, and makes new memories.

am i biased in loving these two fics, since the author graciously gifted them to me? possibly. should you read them anyway? DEFINITELY. her xiaoge pov is so quiet and subtle yet tensile and strong, like spun silk. and wu xie is just—i don’t have words, really. always the brightest thing in any room, to xiaoge. i feel a very normal way about them. and the sword-giving scene, and huo nainai separating them—this fic so deftly fills in all of the interstices of xiaoge slowly coming back to himself after the jade cavern, remembering and reconnecting, and starting over again where he can’t mend. yes. so good. you will be glad you read them.

[humanlighthouse]

I posted 6,360 times in 2022

That's 475 more posts than 2021!

37 posts created (1%)

6,323 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@merinnan

@firlachiel

@autobahnmp3

@akindplace

@galahadwilder

I tagged 635 of my posts in 2022

#my fics - 16 posts

#heihua - 11 posts

#pingxie - 10 posts

#zsx love of my life - 9 posts

#dmbj - 8 posts

#xiaoge my beloved - 7 posts

#hei xiazi - 6 posts

#wu xie - 5 posts

#xiaoge - 5 posts

#me - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#so it often happens that miserable bastards try the passive aggressive approach with me and it fails completely because i go :d :d :d at em

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Surprise! 🎉

37 notes - Posted February 12, 2022

#4

Okay so

today i found the best qilin

behold

The Boy!!!

39 notes - Posted November 25, 2022

#3

I was tagged by @frenchvanillaorchid to post the last song I listened to in order to predict how 2022 will go for me. Making a new chain because the vibe here is probably not gonna be what they expect 😂 but thanks for the tag hun!

And the winner is...

Welp. 🤣 @s1utspeare i'm blaming this on you, also tagging you 😘 and @jaecomments @mythochondrion @jockvillagersonly @mejomonster @xcziel @rose-nebulijia feel free to ignore this if you don't want to do it or do it even if you're not tagged if you do! ☺✌

43 notes - Posted January 13, 2022

#2

Happy Xiaoge Gets Home Day to all who celebrate 🎊🎉

72 notes - Posted August 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Two random DMBJ headcanons that may or may not be related:

Xiaoge is afraid of flying. He never sets foot in airplanes and takes trains/ cars/ boats or hitchhikes wherever he needs to go.

Hei Xiazi has a flying license from like, 1942, but can figure out how to operate most machines. He even once stole Xiao Hua's brand new jet and managed to land it safely back after a little joyride.

The former might be due to the latter 🤷‍♀️

75 notes - Posted July 29, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[jockvillagersonly]

Hi everyone! I finally finished Basket of Bone, the companion piece to @humanlighthouse‘s fabulous fic, and sleep my senses in forgetfulness. 

I’m a little too tired for a customary meme, so here’s the chapter summary instead ;) 

Wu Xie looked over at him, expression calculating, and Zhang Qiling knew, with the surety of the damned, that he was about to pay for the tricks he’d played to get the other man in the shower.

[lotusflowerbreakingthesurface]

The official account of Southern Archives on Weibo is pretty active recently. The event below is one of their events, it's a relay event of 24 beautiful artworks based on the Southern Archives (Zhang Haiyan and Zhang Haixia) If you haven't read it, be careful of the spoilers or read it on MereBear's site.

⚓ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞: 「生者不幸」 “𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓻𝓮 𝓤𝓷𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓾𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓮”

⚓ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: August 18, 2024 10:00 - 22:00 (24 Fanworks in Total)

⚓ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦: Weibo

⚓ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐠: #南部档案中元节产粮活动# or #南部档案洄游季#

⚓ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:

“𝑯𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒍𝒚, 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉.”

“𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒙𝒊𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕, 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔. 𝑯𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚.”

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒌𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕���� 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒎. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏�� 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈.”

“𝑵𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒚-𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒌𝒚, 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒂, 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒛𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔, 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒙𝒊𝒂'𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍.”

“𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒙𝒊𝒂'𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏, 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉. 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒂 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.”

“𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏, 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝑿𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑿𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆.”

“𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒈𝒐. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅, 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.”

“𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.”

“𝑶𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒇-𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑮𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔.”

“𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔, 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑿𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒔, 𝒏𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑯𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒈𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒘 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒌𝒚. 𝑺𝒖𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒍𝒚, 𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒈𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔. 𝑰𝒕 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆.”

“𝑨 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒋𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆, 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 ��𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉.”

“𝑵𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔, 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔, 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒐𝒅𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒗𝒂, 𝒏𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅. 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓.”

“𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒃𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒛𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒖𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏.”

“𝑨𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉. 𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎.”

“𝑵𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅. 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝑯𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒙𝒊𝒂 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑.”

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒎𝒆.”

“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓.”

“𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑫𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒓, 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒑. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒔𝒆, 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔.”

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒂𝒏'𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑯𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒅'𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚.”

“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒙𝒊𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌. 𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒍𝒚.”

“𝒁𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒎, 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒐. 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈.”

“𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎.”

“𝑾𝒉��𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒅?”

“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒌𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅.”

-mtl

[s1utspeare]

First Lines Tag Game

Meri-jie!!!!! Thank you @merinnan for tagging me in this!! i’m always a slut for first sentences, so this is gonna be FUN! >:)

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favourite authors!

Just by coincidence, I have exactly twenty stories on the archive now lmao. So these are the first lines of my twenty posted fics (I have other fics in progress lol). 

He’s getting intimately familiar with his toilet bowl. - 刀疤印跡 (DMBJ, Li Cu venom detox) 

Tiezui is upside-down on the couch when Fo-ye gets home. - to catch the conscience of a King (DMBJ, FoBa theatre AU)

Wang Meng does not like being underground. - The Cold Light of the Stars (DMBJ, space AU)

“Chen Pi!” Yatou’s voice chimes, like the sweet trill of a songbird, from across the courtyard. “Er-ye’s home!” - for want of a rope (DMBJ, Er-ye/Yatou/Chen Pi smut fic)

They find, eventually, that there’s no cure. - and you will find me (DMBJ, PingXie)

“Your guard is shaped wrong.” - the play’s the thing (DMBJ, PingXie theatre AU)

Su Nan was never one for teaching. - can’t be bothered with the teachers (DMBJ, Su Nan & Wang Can)

Pangzi gets jealous sometimes. - like the moon in the midday (DMBJ, PangXie smut)

The door to his hospital room swung open, but Wu Xie didn’t yet know that he was fucked. - cause it’s easier to bury my head in the sand sometimes (DMBJ, Wu Xie & Li Cu post-Reboot)

It’s a long way down the mountain. - falling backwards, falling backwards (DMBJ, Liu Sang post-Thunder City)

there’s a time, when he returns, when he realizes he doesn’t know where home is. - astroturf and lamplit nights (DMBJ, Wu Xie & Li Cu post-Sha Hai)

If Wu Xie were music, he’d be clarinet. - i wish that you would love me (DMBJ, PingPangSangXie)

Liang Wan is not sure which one of their dates should be considered their first. - Twin High-Maintenance Machines (DMBJ, Zhang Rishan/Liang Wan post-Sha Hai)

When they get back, Bai Haotian is going to kill Shouling. - A Swiftly Tilting Planet (DMBJ, space AU)

As he gets punched in the stomach for the third time, Ben thinks, This would be a lot easier if you weren’t so fucking short. - lock and load (baby, i got your back) (King Falls AM, bodyguard AU)

The caravan dropped Sammy off outside the walls of King Falls. - looms but the horror of the shade (King Falls AM, zombie AU)

He had expected the news to come with the Amulet. - Precursor (Trollhunters, Draal-centric)

The old shopkeeper does not turn when you enter. - At the Beginning of the End of the World (Deltarune)

“Hey, Dirk, do we have any more—Jesus Christ, what are you wearing?” - Two Sane Dudes Doing Normal Things (And Falling a Little Bit in Love) (Dirk Gently, Brotzly)

“There is always some madness in love.” Nietzsche said that, and with him, it was true. - Eulogy (Hamlet)

And there you have it!! all my first lines! they are! so short! someday i need to start a fic with a giant rambly run on sentence and you’ll all think that someone’s kidnapped me (wait what’s the feral zhang rishan first line???? nvm that ones short too :/ i would check the psychic detectives au but i’m 90% sure that one is like five words. oh never mind i checked it and it’s a good line and a half! nice.)

tbh tho i think my favorite first line I’ve written as of late is from an untitled pangxie ficlet that I wrote under a @psychic-waffles post that i can’t find the link to rn rip. But that’s 

Tianzhen looks like spring. 

so there u go lol 

ANYWAY I’m tagging @mejomonster, @gaiahenshin, @elletromil, @bookjoyworm, @undyingsunshine, @rose-nebulijia, @pissmeoffanddie, @highpriestessofjogan, @fizferret, and @alxina, if you all want to do it (but no pressure as always), as well as anyone else who would like to gift us some first sentences (i literally love first sentences so much alsgialfkjafjsdf)

[pingxie-exchange]

Hello, everyone! Apologies for the short notice on this post going up, but it's been a doozy of a week for me. OTZ

Pingxie Exchange 2023: Schedule and Guidelines Post

Hi and welcome to the Pingxie Exchange: a fic, art, and fanvid exchange about the Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling pairing.

In this exchange, participants will be anonymously matched to create gifts for one another during a five week creation period. The gifts will be revealed on August 17th: the day Wu Xie welcomed Xiaoge back after his 10-year-long absence behind the Bronze Gate.

This exchange is open to all the DMBJ canons (adaptations featuring Wu Xie or Xiaoge and the original novels). It will take place on AO3, so you need an AO3 account to participate--if you don’t have one, you can request it here; if there isn’t enough time, no worries - contact the mods at pingxie-exchange[@]hotmail.com, on DreamWidth, or on tumblr, and we can send you an invitation! There have been some changes this year, so please read this post carefully before signing up!

Schedule

Sign-ups open: June 5th Sign-ups end: June 15th 11:59 PM Anywhere On Earth (what time is it for me?) Matching: June 16th - June 21st Assignments out: no later than June 21st Assignments due: August 10th 11:59 PM Anywhere On Earth (what time is it for me?) Gift reveals: August 17th Creator reveals and treats deadline: August 24th

Further information behind the cut...

Guidelines

This is a ship exchange: as such, all the works created for this event must be focused on Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling. Works with threesomes/moresomes or other pairings involving Wu Xie and/or Zhang Qiling are not appropriate for this exchange, but background ships of other characters are fine.

You will be expected to create a gift matching your recipient’s request. Filling any specific prompt is not obligatory, but try to create something you honestly think your recipient will enjoy!

You must not include anything stated as “do not want” in your recipient’s sign-up.

The minimum requirements for the gifts are 300 words for fic, one sketch on unlined paper for art (traditional or digital; no manips), or 30 seconds of video for fanvids.

After the matching is done, all the requests will be made visible to everyone to allow for treating! There are no minimum requirements for treats (but remember to mind your recipient’s do not wants!). You can also create manips for treats.

Please note: Now that AO3 has changed the way that gifting works on the archive, if you wish to be eligible for treats, you need to select the option "Allow anyone to gift me works" under the "Collections, Challenges and Gifts" section of your AO3 preferences.  You must also indicate that you are open to treats in your exchange sign-up.

This is an anonymous exchange: refrain from discussing your assignment in public. After the works are revealed, there will be a one week anon period when the creators remain anonymous before the creator reveals.

If at any point you need to drop out, just click on the “default” button on your AO3 assignment page (https://archiveofourown.org/users/YOURNAME/assignments); we’ll find a pinch hitter to create a gift for your recipient instead. If you need an extension to finish your gift, contact the mods before the deadline.

After the reveals, comment on your gift.

Most importantly: be excellent to each other!

Sign-Up information

Sign-ups will take place on AO3 here, starting on June 5th. There, you can fill out details about your request and offer. You can edit your sign-up at any time until the sign-ups close.

When signing up, you will be able to choose fandom, "character" (this is actually going to be the fanwork type: fanart, fanfiction, or fanvid), and genre tags, as well as specify any additional details.

You will have to select the DMBJ canon you’re interested in creating for and receiving a gift in:

Novels: The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles

TV: The Lost Tomb 1

TV: The Lost Tomb 2 - Explore with the Note

TV: The Lost Tomb 2.5 - Heavenly Palace on the Clouds

TV: Ultimate Note

TV: Tomb of the Sea/Sha Hai

TV: The Lost Tomb Reboot/Reunion: The Sound of Providence

Movies: Time Raiders -- rare canon

Video Games: Time Raiders (mobile game) -- rare canon

Note: If you choose a rare canon (Movies: Time Raiders or Video Games: Time Raiders (mobile game)), then you must also choose at least one non-rare canon.

You are not limited to requesting or creating a work during the canon timelines for those series/books. It’s just to mark which canons you’re familiar with to allow for easier matching: some participants might have a preference for a particular canon era, some might not be familiar with all the versions. You still have to choose your preferred canon eras even if you want to create or receive an AU.

You will have to specify which "characters" you’re interested in:

Fanart

Fanfiction

Fanvid

(That's right, this isn't really a character selector; it was the only way I could include fanwork type preference in the matching.)

You will also have to specify genres you’re interested in:

Action/Adventure

Angst

AU

Canon Compliant

Canon Divergent

Dark

Domesticity

Fluff

Humour/Crack

Hurt/Comfort

PWP (only select this if you’re 18+)

Request

In this section, you describe the gift you would like to receive.

Fandom - you have to choose at least one. If you’re willing to receive a gift in any canon era, you can just click “Any”!

Character (remember this is really fanwork type) - you have to choose at least one tag.

Genre - you have to choose at least three tags.

Optional Details - here’s where you can go into more detail about your perfect pingxie gift! You can include:

General Likes: your creator may, but doesn’t have to, include them. This isn’t a place for detailed prompts, just general themes you enjoy, like getting together or established relationship.

DNW (Do Not Wants): things that your creator must not include - squicks, triggers, things that you simply don’t like. Remember that you don’t owe anyone an explanation about why something is a DNW, and that DNWs are not meant to be taken personally. Just list the things you don’t like, “DNW: X, Y.”

Prompts/specific ideas: if you have any prompts, you can also put them here! You can be as general or as detailed as you’d like but remember that while your creator will try to make the best gift for you, filling a specific prompt is not obligatory. You can include a crossover prompt (with other DMBJ versions or other canons), but make sure it’s not the only prompt you have.

If you chose novels as one of your fandoms, you can use this field to list the ones you’re familiar with. If you're interested in receiving a Buried Tree Devil - Book 3 Donghua gift, you can also mention it here.

Optional Tags: You may use the optional tags to share more about your preferences, if you like.

The requests will be made publicly visible after matching is done, so that others will be able to create treats (additional gifts) based on them!

Offer

Fandom - you have to choose at least one. If you’re willing to receive a gift in any canon era, you can just click “Any”!

Character (remember this is really fanwork type) - you have to choose at least one tag.

Genre - you have to choose at least three tags.

Optional Details - in this field, you can tell us more about the kind of works you like to create, for example if you really prefer established relationship, feel best with certain kinds of AUs, or like writing darkfic. You can also tell us if you have a preference of which type of gift you will create (fic or art). We’ll take all of these optional details into account when matching!

If you chose novels as one of your fandoms, you can use this field to list the ones you’re familiar with. If you're interested in creating a Buried Tree Devil - Book 3 Donghua gift, you can also mention it here.

In the optional details of your offer, you can also name one person you don’t want to be matched to, for example your regular beta, and we will do our best to avoid matching you!

Optional Tags: You may use the optional tags to share more about your preferences, if you like. The offers will only ever be visible to the mods; never to anyone else.

Your assignment

You will be matched to create a gift for someone who requested at least one of the fandoms that you offered and one of the fanwork types you offered, with as many similar genres/likes as possible. This exchange will be matched using the AO3 algorithm to generate the initial matches and then tweaked by hand, if necessary, based on the information provided in everyone's optional details.

If you have any issues when you receive your assignment (you have a question about it or think there’s an issue with it), contact the mods as soon as possible. Do not contact your recipient on your own.

You will have to create a gift for your recipient, fulfilling the minimum requirements, and avoiding any stated "do not wants". Filling exact prompts is optional but try to create something matching your recipient's likes that they will enjoy!

You will have to post your gift to the exchange AO3 collection before the due date (August 10th), using the "gift this work to" option to give it to your recipient. Your work will remain in the collection only visible to you and the mods until the reveals happen. Remember to tag your work appropriately, especially if any of the major archive warnings apply, or use the "choose not to warn" warning.

Treating

Treats are additional gifts for the participants! To allow for treating, the requests will be made visible when matching is done. You can create treats at any time until the creator reveals! There are no minimum requirements for treats, and in addition to the fanwork types allowed for gifts, manips are also allowed. As with assignments, you have to respect the recipient’s Do Not Want, and while the optional details are optional, try to create something fitting the listed likes. One treat can only be gifted to one person.

Please note: Now that AO3 has changed the way that gifting works on the archive, if you wish to be eligible for treats, you need to select the option “Allow anyone to gift me works” under the “Collections, Challenges and Gifts” section of your AO3 preferences.  You must also indicate that you are open to treats in your exchange sign-up.

Pinch Hits

In case someone needs to drop out, we will look for a pinch hitter to complete their assignment. Pinch hits will be posted to the DreamWidth community and advertised on tumblr.

Extensions

If you think you can finish your assignment, but you need a day or two more, you can always ask the mods for an extension!

Other important information

Make sure to check the email you use on AO3 frequently during the exchange, as it will be the primary means of communication. We might contact you if there is an issue with your sign-up or if your gift creator has a question for you. If you’d rather we contact you on your twitter or tumblr, please leave your handle in the offer section of your sign-up. Follow us on DreamWidth and/or on tumblr to avoid missing an announcement or a deadline! If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to contact the mods at pingxie-exchange@hotmail.com, on DreamWidth (anonymous comments are allowed), or on tumblr.

A very large thank you to laireshi for writing the rules and guidelines being used for this exchange.  They are presented here with minor changes.

[highpriestessofjogan]

Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: 怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | Explore with the Note & The Lost Tomb (TV), 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV), 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV), 盗墓笔记 | The Lost Tomb (TV 2015), 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi, Wu Sanxing Additional Tags: no beta we die like a-ning, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Protective Wu Xie, protective xiaoge, these boys deserve a fairy tale and so i'm gonna give it to them dang it, Nightmares, Napping Summary:

Ever since he was little, Wu Xie had been told stories by his uncle. Little did he know then they were actually part of a larger scale plan for his life. The plot went off the rails for him when Xiaoge went behind the Bronze Gate in his stead. Ten years later, when the doors to the Bronze Gate open and Xiaoge returns to his life, Wu Xie realizes it's time for them to pick up the pen and start a new chapter...

*****

This was my submission for the 10 Year Reunion Pingxie Exchange.  It was my first time participating in an exchange (I had a ton of fun and am definitely going to keep signing up for more) and my first work posted on AO3 (I haven’t posted any fanfic online in well over ten years).  I hope you all enjoy!!!

[eirenical]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei, 怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | Explore with the Note & The Lost Tomb (TV), 盗墓笔记重启 | The Lost Tomb Reboot (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Wu Xie/Zhang Qiling Characters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Zhang Qiling

Additional Tags: First Time, Porn With Plot, ...a little plot, as a treat, Little Black Dress, Lingerie, oversensitivity, Riding, Disguise, Manhandling, Hair-pulling, Slow and Gentle, Anal Sex, Top Wu Xie/Bottom Zhang Qiling

Summary:

Just one date, Ershu had said.  Just keep up appearances long enough that I can complete this deal with her father, he’d said.  Who knows, you might hit it off, he’d said, with a distinct flavor of ‘I’d like to hold a great-nephew in my arms before I die’ when he’d said it. Wu Xie sighed.  Erushu had cornered him almost the second Wu Xie had crossed the threshold, bombarding him with information, requests, admonishments, reminders of bills due, money lent, Wushanju’s falling profit margins, anything and everything Ershu could throw at him so that by the time Wu Xie had been offered an out—any out—he’d grasped at it like a drowning man to a piece of driftwood.

He should have known better.

Wu Xie gets... persuaded into going on a date by Ershu.  Xiaoge is less than pleased by this turn of events.  So, he takes solving the matter into his own hands, in a way that even Wu Xie doesn't see coming.

Now that authors have been revealed on the @10yearpromise exchange, I can now share my contributions!  ^_^  This one was for @amidalogicdive and was the first of two that I wrote.  Inspired largely by this scene from TLT2.  (Pangzi has been captain of the Pingxie ship for a long, LONG time.  ;D)  There is... some plot?  But very, very little.  Enjoy?  ^_^

[amidalogicdive]

Rating: Mature

Archive Warning: Major Character Death

Fandoms: 盗墓笔记 - 南派三叔 | The Grave Robbers' Chronicles - Xu Lei, 沙海 | Tomb of the Sea (TV)

Relationship: Wu Xie/Zhang QilingCharacters: Wu Xie (DMBJ Series), Zhang Qiling, Wang Pangzi

Additional Tags: Main Character Death, Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Depression, Sadness, Loneliness, Murder, Implied Feelings, Realization of Feelings, after the ten year promise, Sad Ending, the tags are not a joke, don't read if you don't like a sad story with a sad endings, hijie made me do it lol, implied but unrealized pingxie

I love him... very much.

By LogicDive

Summary: It was hard to explain, but time moved differently in the bronze gate.

There were times he felt he'd been there for centuries, and at the same time, it was as if he'd only just entered. What threw him off what the fact that Xiaoge couldn't judge time within the gate. He didn't have to eat or sleep, and there was nothing to distract him. It was just the world without, the gate, the Ultimate, and himself as a silent guardian over it all. It was his duty, after all, what his family had protected for generations and the reason behind their prolonged lives.

Note: Please read tags... seriously, read the tags.

*

Read the full story here...

*

It was hard to explain, but time moved differently in the bronze gate.

There were times he felt he'd been there for centuries, and at the same time, it was as if he'd only just entered. What threw him off what the fact that Xiaoge couldn't judge time within the gate. He didn't have to eat or sleep, and there was nothing to distract him. It was just the world without, the gate, the Ultimate, and himself as a silent guardian over it all. It was his duty, after all, what his family had protected for generations and the reason behind their prolonged lives.

However, this time was different. While it was his duty, Xiaoge had entered for an altogether different reason. For a man who had made him feel again in ways he had never known was possible. Whose smile made him feel that everything would be okay and had helped him with his memories. After all, he'd promised to meet him again, if Wu Xie remembered.

He did not doubt Wu Xie would.

So he sat there and waited for the door to open. Sat and thought over the time he'd spent with Wu Xie. After all, there was nothing to do but sit and think, and wait. Xiaoge thought back on their time together, and all the words they had exchanged. Everything he'd done for the man and came to realize he'd loved him. He knew he'd cared. Wu Xie was the one person that he considered his home. The only connection that he could think of when it came to the world outside of the gate. Well, the only one that mattered.

Sitting there in the darkness, he made a decision. If Wu Xie was waiting for him when the gates opened, he would tell him all the world he'd never said. Would admit how he felt... but the wait was too long and too short. At times, some moments of clarity came in the form of emotions. Xiaoge wasn't sure if they were his, or Wu Xie's, or even the emotions of the world as a whole.

Sadness. Companionship. Fear. Desire. Loneliness.

[kolachess]

Pingxie Quote Translations / Analysis - Ten Years Promise + Origin

Ah yes, this is the most famous Pingxie quote, and also the reason why I jumped on the Pingxie fic-writing / Tumblr posting train. This quote is a little special, because it wasn’t spoken directly in the novel, but rather by the original author in an interview. Hence, I will explain the quote, the context in which it came about, and why it’s such a nightmare to translate and interpret.

Original Text (adapted):

用我一生, 换你十年天真无邪

Translation:

My lifetime, in exchange for you a decade of innocence and purity.

Analysis / Callouts:

用我一生 - This technically says, ‘use my one lifetime’. The word 生 here is interesting, because it means life, but when used in conjunction with ‘一‘ or ‘one’, it gives the connotation of ‘lifetime’ more so than straightforward ‘life’. 

天真无邪 - The words here are ‘tian zhen wu xie’. Look familiar? They should be! First off, 天真无邪 is a common Chinese phrase meaning ‘innocent and pure’. You can read more here (MTL). Second, 天真 is Wu Xie’s nickname meaning, again, ‘naive’ or ‘innocent’. 无邪, which means ‘no evil’ is homonymous with 吴邪, Wu Xie’s name. So these last four words are poetic in that it means Zhang Qiling wanted to keep Wu Xie innocent and pure, but it’s also a beautiful play on his two names.

Do you see how a straightforward translation can’t capture the multi-dimensional artistry here? 😭 (Side note: I’m not sure if perhaps Wu Xie’s nickname was derived from this saying, but ah... still beautiful IMO.)

Background / Source:

Nanpai Sanshu AKA Xu Lei, the original author, had an interview in which in the interviewer asked about the fate of Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling. This interview was conducted around 2010(?) and somewhere on the internet (Chinese internet archive is terrible, especially back then), but there doesn’t seem to be any question of the authenticity of this interview. I believe I found a whole ‘transcript’ here? I’ll have to read it in original Chinese at snail pace sometime... because the MTL version has me cracking up in confusion and a little skeptical of just how they could be so blunt about the fan service (but then again, Nanpai Sanshu has sold out to fujoshi... ah, more at the end).

Original Interview Text:

南宫苓 ：吴邪在整部书里会不会是最惨的那个人？他和瓶子最后是不是真的要死一个？

南派三叔 ：吴邪最惨 一生都是一个注定的悲剧 但是老张也不容易

南宫苓 ：然后？

南派三叔 ：延迟了整个悲剧的发生

南宫苓 ：然后他们了一起杯具了？

南派三叔 ：用自己的一生，再换你十年的天真无邪

Translation:

Interviewer: Is Wu Xie the most tragic character in the entire novel? Is it inevitable that, between him and Pingzi [Menyouping AKA Zhang Qiling], one of them will have to die in the end?

Nanpai Sanshu: Wu Xie’s fate as the most tragic is a set tragedy, but Lao Zhang [Zhang Qiling] doesn’t have it easy either. 

Interviewer: And then?

Nanpai Sanshu: Delayed the inevitable tragedy.

Interviewer: And then they encountered tragedy together?

Nanpai Sanshu: Using [his] own lifetime to exchange you another decade of innocence and purity. 

Analysis / Callouts:

You might notice the quotes are slightly different. I presume fans adapted / simplified it so 1) it sounded like it was actually being spoken by Zhang Qiling, rather than the author speaking for him, and 2) it was more poetic sounding without losing any of the meaning. Hence why that version is more broadly circulated. 

The difference of Nanpai Sanshu’s quote and the adapted quote is 1) the replacement of 自己的 with 我, or ‘[his] own’ with ‘my’, and 2) the omission of the word 再 or ‘another’. I’m a little less sure why this second change happened, but I guess it’s somewhat implied enough.

The implication from this interview is that (at least originally), Pingxie is supposed to have a tragic ending. Perhaps Zhang Qiling was supposed to die in the Bronze Gate.

Confused? What does this quote / interview actually mean in the broader context of Pingxie! Why is translation / interpretation of this so hard?

So normally, in a fandom, fan theories can always be traced back to the original text. But in DMBJ verse, we have the added chaos factor in that... the original author himself has no idea what’s going on anymore. Nanpai Sanshu started DMBJ as a fanfiction of another series, ‘Candle in the Tomb’ or ‘Ghost Blowing out the Light’, it then exploded into a craziness of its own that he did not anticipate, and he has since been widely accused of catering to fans and selling out (the growing shameless milking of Pingxie is the result 🤣).

And so it’s very possible that his original plan was indeed to give a rather tragic ending to the Pingxie relationship and DMBJ series, but since this is now his cash cow, he’s a bit reluctant to part with it. Although I think more so than money, he probably just doesn’t want to disappoint fans; he was / is very stressed as result of all the mounting pressure. And hence all the back-peddling and trying to explain away what appear to be plot gaps / holes to make it so that Pingxie can continue.

As a writer, this has me face-palming big time. Don’t sell out to your readers unless you were planning on that kind of input to begin with! As a fan though... I’m glad Pingxie continues! 😂. But ultimately, I have no qualms with someone adapting the course of events to fan input as long as it stays true to the characters and you can still have a smooth plot (and yes, I want Pingxie to continue). 

So Nanpai Sanshu, I feel you. I still think you’re brilliant, and I thank you for keeping the Pingxie boat afloat! And I do understand the desire to not disappoint fans. But you’ve really written yourself into a corner haven’t you... best of luck.