#here is hua cheng being so polite

[blue-mood-blue]

How to care for your beloved in the case of venom/infection

DO apply a temporary tourniquet to your beloved to isolate the venom

DO suck the excess venom from your beloved’s wound

DO acquire an unsullied herb that has not been fertilized by the previously-human-face taunting you from the dirt and apply to your beloved’s wound remove the remaining venom

DON’T chase your beloved

DON’T corner your beloved in an alley

DON’T force your blood into your beloved’s mouth as both a cure for infection and a tracking device

[neithoftheveil]

Neith’s TGCF Fic Recs:

I’ve never made a rec list before, but for Christmas, I wanted to share some (not all—by god, we’d be here forever) of the fics saved to my kindle, some of my bookmarks, and some of my friends’ works (with overlap between those categories).

In no particular order:

tell you every day by scrapimmortal

Adorable amnesia Wulian oneshot that makes me smile.

melt (i’d tell them; put me back in it) by scrapimmortal

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve read this, I would have many dollars; perfection.

The flap of a butterfly’s wing by Ameji

Really enjoyed the political and personal drama in this one. A fun, exciting read that got me thinking about how to approach my own fics.

Pig in the Garden by illuminatingsceadugunga

I love FengQing’s heads exploding over hualian being married pre-third ascension; it’s delightful—very fun fic!

The Supplicant by ardenrabbit

The anticipation in chapter 1 was literally killing me; so excited to see more!

Land of the Callous by starvingwritist

A very fun, well-constructed truth serum Xianle quartet fic; Hualian are perfect for each other, truly. Couldn’t wait to see what would go wrong (and right)!

Heaven is Overwhelming by crispytaco

I love selective mutism fics; this one is very sweet! Comfort read.

there’s no rush by miska_za

Very sweet marathon sex; another comfort read.

quiet like stains by haysel

This soulmate AU has permanently altered my brain. It’s my favorite modern AU.

and the rain won’t make any difference by haysel

The atmosphere and the emotion? Out of this world. Love at first sight that takes your breath away. So sweet.

Your Courage, Your Despair by boomchick

I think about this fic at least once a week. Hualian hurt/comfort is my favorite thing.

‘Til our compass stands still by edenwolfie

Cannot watch the s2 opening of the donghua without getting nostalgia for this fic. Love the OCs. Love the characterization of XL. I would live in this fic if I could.

The Road I Walked Alone by aewea

Gives me literal chills every time (love it). What would happen if the play at the Mid-Autumn Banquet was actually the 100 swords scene.

We Stan Scrap Gege! by paidsubscription

Couldn’t stop laughing and smiling. Love this author’s AUs. Always so well thought out. And the “ghost citizens” are amazingly written!

The southern guide to a happy marriage by illuminate

The way this author writes Mu Qing makes me feral. FengQing get married before Xie Lian ascends a third time. It’s horny. It’s fun.

I can feel your halo by illuminate

Probably my favorite fengqing fanfic; I’ve read it a dozen times! Mu Qing’s spiritual powers are stolen, and he takes full advantage of them being gone to fulfill some long-buried desires.

common love isn’t for us by nobirdstofly

A really fun, dynamic piece that plays with FengQing’s deputy disguises. Hot too!

I Want to Ki** You by tyelperintal

I love every interaction Xie Lian and Mu Qing have in this piece, especially when XL gives way too many details about his sex life in order to help MQ navigate his desire for FX.

Wu Ming Loving Hours by featherpoet

A cute and inventive what-if. A canon divergence from Wuming’s death.

When I Was Older by corduroyserpent

An emotional time travel fic I love. Read it twice. Plan to reread soon!

Nameless Longing by corduroyserpent

A follow-up to the above fic; the “good boy” lives rent free in my brain. A roleplay Wulian fic with a twist ending.

Against All Odds by yuushoku

A really sweet royalty AU where Hua Cheng has to pass three trials to wed Xie Lian. Comfort read.

bring a light by uraa

A cute wangxian/hualian crossover!

charcoal daydreams by beesinspades

One of the first fics I read for this fandom! The first tgcf fic I ever downloaded! Artist HC runs into his old crush when XL applies to be his model.

steady love (in a place we know) by beesinspades

Hurts my heart but in a good way; it’s like missing someone who’s right in front of you. Hualian go on a road trip.

Is he, you know, a follower of Ju Yang? by airawyn

Very cute! Love the fengqing dynamic and banter!

Your Touch Means Everything to Me by fayleen

Love the tension in this one! A canon-divergent first kiss after the Banyue arc.

The State of You by peppaspray

Hot and sweet! Hua Cheng trying to seduce his husband in different forms.

to be seen by blessinglanterns

An interesting look at Hua Cheng coming back from being dispersed on Tonglu. Very sweet.

If you love me for me by fullmetalpotterhead

A really adorable royalty AU where Hua Cheng needs to marry Xie Lian for political reasons but quickly falls in love with him after he disguises himself in order to meet XL before their wedding.

[csilla-nocturne]

Plotbunnies Collection Post!

Here is where I will post links to my plotbunies, and fics inspired by them! Also ALL BUNNIES ARE UP FOR ADOPTION! Please take as many as you want!

Tian Guan Ci Fu:

Ruoye recognizes Hua Cheng as Wu Ming

Calamity Xie Lian kills gods AU

Alternate fate switch AU

The one where I realize I'm bad at titling these, anyway Hua Cheng gets a collar and is very happy about it.

Probably one of the meanest things I've ever done to Yin Yu.

Jun Wu amnesia spell backfire AU

Modern AU where Feng Xin, Mu Qing, and Hua Cheng learn to work together to make Qi Rong miserable.

Hualian ascend together at what was supposed to be Xie Lian's 3rd ascension.

Someone hands Hualian a baby.

Xie Lian recognizes Hua Cheng as Wu Ming, and has to avoid awkward conversations.

Modern AU paleontologist Xie Lian meets artist Hua Cheng.

Paradise Manor bed and Breakfast AU

Duel memory loss AU where Hualian drive Feng Xin, and Mu Qing crazy by being even more love sick than usual.

Feng Xin figures out Hua Cheng is traumatized, and gets kinda protective.

AU where Wulian run off together, and Feng Xin, and Mu Qing find the cave of 10,000 gods centuries later.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing find out Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are together because of the drinking game AU.

Hong-er's Mom stays as a ghost AU.

Modern AU Feng Xin, and Mu Qing find out Hualian are married travel bloggers.

Hualian babysit Guzi, and I'm mean to Qi Rong.

Qi Rong gets himself killed trying to murder Hong-er AU.

Xie Lian get severe traumatic memory loss from the temple incident, but Wu Ming is there to help AU.

Ghost kings are actually like royalty AU.

35 gods challenge AU.

Hua Cheng teaches the kids at Puqi Village all the games he was never allowed to play as a kid ;_;

Fairy AU.

Hua Cheng photography modern AU.

Hong-er is a fox spirit AU. Fanfiction based on this one:

the good prince and his fox spirit by good_vs_evo ❤️

Time travel AU

Omegaverse AU where Xie Lian is like a mantis shrimp but with his nose.

Hong-er gets adopted by Feng Xin's family AU.

Xian Le Quartet have to live through each other's memories curse.

Jun Wu's sword collection.

AU based on the Planet Crafter game.

Hualian meet early, because Xie Lian volunteers to be a human sacrifice AU.

Vampire Hunter AU

Modern Vampire AU

TGCF as SVSSS, but the MC is Jun Wu before Wuyong was destroyed.

The reason Fengqing know Xie Lian's cooking is so bad.

Xie Lian finds a tiny piece of Wu Ming's soul AU

Task Failed Successfully!

If the donghua had filler episodes.

Hua Cheng and Feng Xin keep running into each other looking for Xie Lian.

Sorcery AU.

Silly Xie Lian is never banished AU idea.

Wu Ming confesses to leaving the flower AU.

Any kinda rivalry AU really.

Modern Hualian reunion AU

Calamity Xie Lian doing revenge his way! AU

Xian Le Quartet, and silly curses.

Hua Cheng will die again of embarrassment this time.

"That little shit."

They tolerate each other! YAY!

Warning: Xian Le quartet poly NSFW

Xie Lian isn't banished after his 2nd ascension AU Fanfiction based on this one:

A Ghost to Call my Own by Soapy_Soartp ❤️

Modern AU Charity date auction.

Mu Qing finds Xie Lian doing laundry for him, and is not ok.

Xie Lian pregnant when he ascends the 3rd time AU.

Calamity Xie Lian and Wu Ming somehow take over heaven AU.

Documentaries of reality TV in the TGCF universe?

Sleeping Beauty Xie Lian AU?

Feng Xin-Ge agenda.

Mu Qing makes a discovery.

All of heaven: PLEASE GO BACK TO HATING EACH OTHER.

Modern AU date stalking.

E-Ming gets a human form

Xie Lian's Mom comes back post canon.

Virginity sword scene, but Hua Cheng already put a bun in that oven, and it's obvious.

Personal Assassin Hong-er AU.

I am mean to Feng Xin.

Modern AU Hua Cheng gets stuck with the worst wing men.

Animal Days! *Check the notes for yea-baiyi's adorable froggy drawing!*

Xie Lian kills the Reverend of Empty Words for the Shi brothers AU.

Personal servant Wu Ming AU.

Political hostage Prince Hua Cheng AU.

Go home Grandpa, your drunk.

Embarrassing parent Jun Wu.

Hua Lian soul bonding.

Modern ghost hunting AU.

Hualian baby.

Someone want to make a video game about the TGCF gods. Mu Qing has opinions.

I am mean to Feng Xin again.

Qi Rong is going to do some self reflecting whether he likes it or not.

The saddest one, featuring He Xuan.

Mo Dao Zu Shi

MDZS modern courtroom drama where cultivation is still a thing.

Reverse orphans AU.

Wei Wuxian, and his army of crows

Lan Zhan gets Wei Ying to come back to Gusu with him AU.

Wei Wuxian, camera man.

Jin Zixuan's date night plans go awry.

Crossovers:

MDZS/TGCF Hua Lian adopt Lan Huan, and Lan Zhan

MDZS/TGCF Lan Zhan drunk adventures, and the reason Lan Qiren retired from teaching.

MDZS/TGCF Hualian please save Mo Xuanyu!

MDZS/? Wei Wuxian in a zombie apocalypse.

MDZS/TGCF Please give me all the Hualian helping Song Lan with Xao Xingchen, and A-Qing's souls please.

MDZS/TGCF The Wens disturb He Xuan's vacation.

TGCF/Ranma 1/2

[lurkinginnernarrator]

Hello, it's MXTX Ask Game :

1.) From the 3 works by MXTX, who is your favorite (canon) couple? Why?

2.) From the 3 works by MXTX, do you have any non canon fav ships?

(FYI, I have at least 10 non canon ships from those 3 series, sorry)

3.) From the 3 works by MXTX, do you have any favorite quotes (from each series)?

4.) Who is your favorite love interest in MXTX three novels (luo binghe, lan wangji, mobei jun or hua cheng)? Why?

5.) Who is your favorite mc in MXTX three novels (shen qingqiu, wei wuxian, shang qinghua or xie lian)? Why?

6 a.) Which do you think is more tragic : Yi City arc or BeefLeaf arc or the Fallout between Shen Jiu - Yue Qi? Why?

b.) Can I ask your opinion on the comparison between bingqiu, wangxian, moshang, and hualian (their plus and minus sides)?

1:

I love all the main couples, but just based on the pairing alone I'd say Hualian, from aesthetics to the journey they went through, it's all very pleasing to look at. As some say, Hualian invented love

2. All of the ships of SVSSS, a rarer favourite of mine being Zhushen. But I enjoy all of them, and I enjoy the character dynamics in any flavour of romantic, platonic or something more unique.

3. That one passage in SVSSS where it talks about Qing Jing being a daycare for ADHD children kills me every time, Xie Lian's iconic "I cannot get erect" and Wen Qing's and Wei Wuxian's whole "Thank you, and I'm sorry."

4. They're all super entertaining! No shade to Bingmei, Wangji-xiong and Mobei-jun but I'd have to say Hua Cheng, reason one being: He's the cuntiest. His jangly boots? Cunty. His monologues? Yes. (When his little monologue to Qi Rong was animated in the donghua I was OBSESSED. I need to be him.) Also I love what he's done with ghost city specifically.

5.Shen Qingqiu, AKA Shen Yuan.

The narrative style immediately hooked me due to its humor, and the special way he looks at the world in part due to transmigration and in whole due to his own mindset and character made it so much sweeter. His journey from beginning to end, especially when we get to the extras makes it so impactful when you return to the beginning and see such a stark difference. His little quirks, and how he's practically unarmed against politeness is hilarious.

Watching him struggle and come to terms with the personhood of the people around him was gratifying, and unfortunately for me, slightly relatable.

He's just so supremely enjoyable.

(Honorable mention here for Wei Wuxian, I adore the sibling dynamics in MDZS so much, especially Yunmeng Trio. I will be forever thankful to the untamed for it.)

6.a)Oh this is HARD.

I am only on Volume Six of TGCF, but from what I've seen of beefleaf so far... It wins. Qijiu devastates me continually, but He Xuan offing Shi Wudu in front of Shi Qingxuan? The tragedy is incomprehensible. The connection between beeflead is worse than dead, it's tainted irrevocably. And the worst part is I can't bring myself to blame just one person. Shi Wudu's motivations compel me, and He Xuan's are completely justified.

And Shi Qingxuan is caught in the middle. Losing a brother to a dear friend. He's the nexus of tragedy in this case.

6.b)

Devotion is the characteristic that strikes me as a throughline of all the pairings, Bingqiu, Moshang, Wangxian, Hualian.

(I'm going to try and keep this short lol)

Shen Qingqiu's devotion is fully demonstrated in the Holy Mausoleum arc, and Luo Binghe's is clear to anyone besides Shen Yuan.

Shang Qinghua's devotion is demonstrated during Maigu Ridge, and when Mobei-jun is left vulnerable during his subsuming of the ancestral Mobei martial aspect. And Mobei-jun's devotion is so beautifully and gently demonstrated through the pulled noodles.

Wei Wuxian's devotion isn't given as much of a spotlight due to the circumstances and time it takes him to get to the point of realization and acceptance, but his continual attentiveness and inherent trust in Lan Wangji, are clear even in his first life. The confession is a clear moment of devotion to me.

Lan Wangji's devotion is well chronicled. His very life is built around devotion. His musical compositions reflect it, his ideals are inspired by it, his family is grown by it. In Wei Wuxian's second life there isn't a moment where Lan Wangji isn't in a mindset of devotion. I think his greatest act of devotion, (though I think there was more than simple devotion at play) was his decision to take in Wen Yuan.

I cannot speak as well for Hualian, as I don't have the full context yet, but what is the bond between God and believer if not devotion? A beautiful form of devotion is worship, and Hua Cheng is a skilled master at all forms of it.

Thank you for the ask, and I hope I answered it adequately!

[dearmyloveleys]

@trade-of-fairies interesting that you also brought Hua Cheng and someone absorbing so much negative energy that they become demonic… to me, it sounds kinda like Wen Ning. I mean, at the same time, i also can sense that it probably is not the same…? Would you mind thinking aloud at me on this one, please?

—

Hello! Long essay ahead. I think it all boils down to the differing character type semantics of TGCF and MDZS as fiction in different genres.

So where does the difference between HC’s transformation into a Ghost/Demon and WN’s transformation into the Ghost General lie?

We need to understand that while there are similarities because both are written from baselines of Chinese fantasy stories, we cannot apply fantasy concepts for TGCF and MDZS interchangeably. Their types of xianxia differs: TGCF is a high level xianxia (Gods, ascension, wars, magic, Demon kings). Think in terms of Western media, sort of like like the Illiad and other Greek Mythology. In C-novel and C-drama realm, think Til The End of the Moon and Three Miles of Peach Blossoms.

MDZS is low level xianxia, with a bit of wuxia mixed into it (differing martial sects, with differing cultivation manuals and gongfu training). There is a larger focus on styles of mortal Dao cultivation and intersect politics. Think Mortal Instruments or even Avatar The Last Airbender (not so good examples because this genre is very unique to Chinese fiction). In C-novel and C-drama realm, think Mysterious Lotus Casebook and Blood of Youth.

Where these two books share similarities is that the in-world characters often separate “good” and “evil” as themes for characters. Anything involving “demons” or “demonic” are viewed as bad. HC = Demon King, bad. WN = Ghost General, bad. As mentioned previously, this is probably where everyone goes wrong and pins modao on WWX, because they are more familiar with mo compared to guidao, which he newly pioneers.

HC is so decisively a Demon/Ghost is because of the nature of his path of becoming one. In TGCF, it’s clearly stated that in order to become a Ghost King, one has to be the surviving ghost in the battle of Tonglu Mountain. This battle was written precisely for Ghosts/Demons only, which is also why it can be more directly inferred that HC is a Demon/Ghost. Also, as TGCF is more of a fantasy story rather than a cultivation sect based story like MDZS, the characters do not have their transformation, whether into Gods or Demons, from explicitly stated “sword path” or “demonic path”. It is never explicitly mentioned that HC is a Demon/Ghost because he “cultivated a demonic cultivation path/manual”, as what characters from MDZS are likely to say. We only know for sure that he is a Demon/Ghost because 1) everyone says he is the last Ghost King 2) He was victorious in the battle of Tonglu Mountain. Most importantly, he holds his own consciousness. This is usually the case for most Demons in a lot of higher level xianxia stories.

Comparatively, Wen Ning was almost always under WWX’s control as a fierce corpse, to reduce or increase his brutality in battle with Chenqing. He is unique because WWX precisely manages to save his consciousness and part of his original personality, compared to other fierce corpses.

Okay, to add on even more confusion (for me as well when I was reading the book), what we know about WN’s change into a fierce corpse is that according to WWX (feel free to correct me here):

1) WN wasn’t completely dead even though he was literally skewered by the Jins

2) The Zhaoyin Flag that they used to stab through him not only severely injured him, but also lured resentment and negative energy into him. WN was already susceptible to such negative forces, and now being so injured, his soul/spiritual consciousness/ghost was waaaaay more gone and likely to turn into a fierce corpse like other dead prisoners/soldiers.

Despite WN being unique and retaining his consciousness as a fierce corpse, he is at the end of the day, a product of WWX’s pioneered guidao as a cultivation manual/style. I doubt there’s a similar concept of guidao used in other novels/dramas to control fierce corpses, which makes WN all the more unique to guidao and MDZS.

When you’re looking at how both HC and WN transformed into “demonic” figures, yes they’re similar. It’s a commonly used character development device in all kinds of fiction; the good character turning dark. But at the end of the day, they’re different because of the nature of how they transformed, the book stating how they transformed, and the two different genres of Chinese fiction that they belong to. Guidao is unique to MDZS and Demons/Ghosts are unique to TGCF. If WN was written in the same genre of TGCF, perhaps we could term him under a product of modao. Semantics, semantics. Hope this helps! 🫡❤️

[beautifulsnake2162020]

We have it all (Hualian adopted daughter fanfic) Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I only do this for fun.

Premise: Not long after comforting a bullied girl named Meng Ai, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian find themselves adopting her and together they form a family they didn't know they had needed for awhile.

Story/Genre tags: Slice of life-ish (mainly), Family focused, Hua Cheng's houses finally become homes, there may be an overarching story but that's not the focus, Hualian being parents, Fengqing being uncles, Lang Qianqiu falling in love with someone who was raised by the Xianle squad, technically post-canon (though I haven't read the books so if there are some ooc moments please forgive me).

AO3 Link

Chapter 1

Follower tags: @anonimgato1507

Chapter 2

"My name is Meng Ai, I'm 6 years old and just like my baba I could see and talk to ghosts." She says as she finishes her first cup of water. The rain has become stronger now and Hua Cheng decided to carry her while Xie Lian held the crimson umbrella so that all three of them would fit under it as they made their way back to Puqi Shrine. Now stable enough to withstand a storm but still quite modest and humble compared to other temples. The public area of worship was separated from the living quarters where the three of them were in now.

"And where do you live Meng Ai? My name is Xie Lian." He says as he gives her a bowl of broth prepared previously by one of Hua Cheng's servants. While Hua Cheng may not mind consuming Xie Lian's cooking no matter how awful it was, his worshippers and any visitors to the shrine were a different story.

"You honestly think that your worshippers will endure this kind of suffering?" Mu Qing asks him frankly one day as he and Feng Xin were visiting one time. They in their guises as Fu Yao and Nan Feng and Hua Cheng in his San Lang appearance. While their identities were no secret among the four of them, for the sake of mortals they kept their disguises whenever they dwelled in the mortal realm.

"It's still sustenance."

"For your husband maybe, but his tastes have always been questionable."

"Hmph, you're saying that as if your tastes are any better."

"Now now you two." Xie Lian says as he settles himself beside Hua Cheng and across from Nan Feng. If someone were to listen to their voices alone they would easily tell that it didn't have the same level of malice in their earlier days. Though they were still arguing. Hua Cheng had a smug expression and Fu Yao relaxed in his seat and leaned towards Nan Feng.

"You know he does have a point Dianxie." Nan Feng added as he joined the conversation.

"If your followers could get something more palatable then they would be encouraged to come here more often."

And ever since then broth previously prepared by someone else was made to be consumed for any hungry visitors to the shrine. Meng Ai had just finished her first bowl of it and politely asked for more.

"I actually don't know the name of our village. Mama and Baba just tell me to first look for Puqi village, pass the ghostly forest, walk straight the main road on the rice field area until you see the entrance of the village."

"By any chance." Hua Cheng starts as he relaxes in his seat across her.

"Is this village the one surrounded by a forest?"

"Yes."

"Oh that would be Hu village." Xie Lian says as he sits beside Hua Cheng and pours more water in Meng Ai's cup.

"It used to be a place where tigers were plentiful."

"What happened Xie Lian?"

"The ones who first built the village drove them out."

"Oh no."

"It was a long time ago Meng Ai."

"But it's still so awful, is that why our village is so isolated?"

"One among many Xiao-Ai, is it alright if I call you that?"

"Oh yes, but I'm confused what to call you. Xie Lian your husband calls you San Lang. But I overheard the other ghosts say that your name is Hua Cheng." Hua Cheng chuckles lightheartedly.

"I'm not close with those ghosts. But you may also call me San Lang." She raises one of her eyebrows at him.

"But I'm not married to you." Now Xie Lian couldn't help but laugh with Hua Cheng.

"San Lang is the name I give to those I want to be close with." He couldn't help but feel lighter as her smile grew.

BANG

"AH!" She runs to the space between them to hide from the thunder. She finds herself being lifted ontu Xie Lian's lap since he was seated further away from the window.

"Does the thunder frighten you?"

"No - but I hate sudden surprises."

BANG

She hides her face beneath Xie Lian's robes and he cradles her head to calm her down.

"It's why I ran to the forest with many ghosts. Some of them have followed me to the rice fields when I was delivering one of my mama's works to a farmer's wife. And then when I turn around to go home, they all scared me suddenly with scary masks."

"What does your mother do?" Xie Lian asks as he adjusts her so that they were more comfortable and he was facing Hua Cheng.

"She's a seamstress and puts the embroidery on clothes. She just began teaching me after I pricked myself with a needle when I was trying to copy her."

"Oh? Do you want to be like her?" Hua Cheng asks curiously.

"No, I'm not sure I would enjoy being a priestess. It's clothes that I enjoy more."

"A priestess you say."

"Yes San Lang, she recieves visions every now and again."

A brief flash of lightning appeared by the window. But now having become comfortable with them she now faces Hua Cheng while still sitting on Xie Lian's lap.

Bang

She doesn't wince or hide anymore now that she was given a warning that a thunder might follow.

"Is that so? Which God does she serve Xiao-Ai?"

"Xiwangmu."

"Ah, how interesting." Hua Cheng says in a relaxed tone while sharing a glance at Xie Lian who gives him a subtle nod.

"Does she tell you her visions?"

"No, she always says that it's a burden only she and the other priests or priestesses have to bear. I think this is also why sometimes some of her embroidery are more interesting than other seamstresses."

"Why is that Xiao-Ai?" Xie Lian asks as he gives her another cup of water with the hand that wasn't supporting her.

"Mama says that she cannot directly say her visions when she's not serving as the oracle. But mama couldn't help but warn those who would be affected by some of them. So she embroiders more interesting patterns hoping that someone in the family could decipher it."

"Does it work?"

"No Xie Lian, I think that's why mama cries a lot more nowadays. Because nobody could read her warnings no matter how much she tries to warn them." It's something else little one, Xie Lian thought as continues cradling Meng Ai who has leaned into his arms as another bout of thunder and lightning make their appearance outside. He doesn't need to look at Hua Cheng to know that they are both thinking of the same thing.

This was the test.

Xiwangmu says to not overthink it and to just be themselves and they would pass the test with ease.

I hope she's right. Xie Lian thinks as he feels the storm's wind easing up. It won't be long before the storm would be over, even though it is late at night.

"Xiao-Ai" Hua Cheng begins, tone still gentle but a little bit more persuasive than earlier. "You've mentioned earlier that your father could also see ghosts. What does he do for a living?"

"Oh baba is a magician."

"A magician?"

"Well, I like to call him that. I actually don't really know what his title is. But I always see him mixing and making potions and studying dirt. Sometimes it changes the color of the water and sometimes if I've been really good he'll make a potion that makes so many sparks and show it to me. People go to him and ask him to make fireworks, paint, ink, and other things. Mama says that it's because of baba teaching something to the farmers that the fields are now consistently fertile."

"And what does he do when it comes to ghosts?"

"He just talks to them, he explained that sometimes people are doing things that ghosts don't like but because ghosts can't talk to them so they need to be more disruptive to try to make people stop." She then gives Hua Cheng a smile.

"But I think he'll like you because you took care of me San Lang."

"Oh? And how did you know I was a ghost?" He says now teasing.

"You don't have a heart beat. And there's some sort of clinginess to keep yourself the way you are. Whereas with Xie Lian there's a lack of clinginess but there is a heartbeat. So Xie Lian must be another type of spirit." There was silence after her revelation.

"I'm sorry San Lang, my baba could explain it better than I could. But that's how it makes sense to me."

"Don't be Xiao-Ai." He says as he opens his arms and she goes into them. The storm is weaker now and is on it's way out. Now in his arms Xie Lian makes preparations to return her to her parents. He doesn't want to return her empty handed and since he is the God of this shrine, he takes some of the fresher and better food offerings he received and begins packing them for Meng Ai's family.

"If you don't practice explaining it, then how will you be better at it hmm?"

"Oh you have...a...point." She let's out a yawn. It was obviously well past her bedtime and she's struggling to stay awake.

"Shh sleep now, little one."

"But ... mama and ... baba." Hua Cheng gently shifts his position to make it more comfortable for Meng Ai to sleep in his arms.

"You'll be with them soon."

The next time Meng Ai woke up she was back in her bed with her parents hugging her. A part of her thought that they would scold her for not returning home before the storm but instead they were just grateful that she is back. Along with her return were gifts of fresh fruit which she recalled were some of the offerings in the Puqi shrine that San Lang and Xie Lian brought her to as shelter from the storm.

Later when she was alone she found a little tied parcel attached to her belt. Opening it she found a beautiful necklace with a silver butterfly pendant on it.

She couldn't help but shed tears of joy.

_____________________________________________________________

"See, I told you that you would like her." Hua Cheng couldn't help but raise his eyebrow at the sudden visitor waiting for them on the shrine's entrance when they returned.

"What are you up to Xiwangmu? Are you really going to remove that girl from her family just to give us a wedding gift? You need not bother - I already knew Gods could do despicable things."

"San Lang, let's listen to her. Maybe she has an explanation for all of this."

"I do, but I'm not the best person to explain it. Ask her parents why and you will find out why if you choose to accept her and raise her as your own, you will be doing all of us a favor." She vanishes before either of them could say a word.

"She's really insistent isn't she?"

"Insistent that she deprive one of her oracles from being with her daughter that is."

"Hmm...she says that the best people to ask are her parents. Let's invite them over to have a chat."

"We'll need to keep her distracted while we talk to her parents. Her mother cannot talk directly to anyone involved in her visions. She must have had a vision involving her early on which is why she doesn't want to share any of her visions with her."

"You have a point San Lang. But who would be able to keep her distracted? Oh." He has a pleased expression while Hua Cheng couldn't help but laugh at the hilarity that would ensue.

____________________________________________________________

"Couldn't you have called someone else to babysit her?" Mu Qing in his Fu Yao appearance complained as he and Feng Xin in his Nan Feng appearance arrived at Puqi shrine.

"Shi Qingxuan is ill and there is no way I'm letting Ming Guang anywhere near her."

"She's just a kid San Lang, I don't think Pei Ming would do anything to her."

"He has a point Dianxie, who knows what that womanizer would do." Feng Xin says as the four of them settle down in the living quarters of the shrine.

"Couldn't you have Yin yu do this instead?"

"Is your fear of women that debilitating?" Hua Cheng asks provokingly as Feng Xin's face becomes red.

"I'm not scared of little girls!"

"Good, then you two will have to do. Besides, Yin yu is currently on an assignment that he shouldn't be disturbed from. Unless of course it is an emergency."

"Fine. What do we do?"

"Stick with either Puqi village or a nearby area. And don't let her out of your sight and make sure she's always protected." Xie Lian says in a calm yet authoritative tone.

"What is important is that she shouldn't be anywhere within hearing shot of us. Her mother is an oracle and a priestess of Xiwangmu any information about a vision involving her might change certain things should she learn about them."

"Alright. Any other-"

"SAN LANG! XIE LIAN!" The little girl in question yells in urgent panic as she enters the shrine's grounds. All four rush out to meet her.

"Xiao-Ai what is it?" Xie Lian asks hoping to calm her down.

"Mama says baba is going to be killed today and she told me to run to you to help him!"

"Where is he?"

"He won't tell me where, he just says he's going on a trip to get moon cakes for my birthday gift. But I overheard him say something about getting the perfect vessel from porcelain."

Jingdezhen

Xie Lian telepathically says to all four present.

"You did well Xiao-Ai, San Lang and I will go there to help your father. Will you stay here with our friends Fu Yao and Nan Feng to watch over the temple?" She nods, the worry for her father's life is weighing on her.

"They will make sure you are safe."

"Okay, Xie Lian - if my baba dies, could you still bring him back to mama and I? He asked us to bring his remains to the capital of Fu Dao."

"Of course little one, we will bring your father back." Hua Cheng says reassuringly.

And with that they made their way to the porcelain capital.

AN: Thank you for reading.

Meng = Dream, Ai = Love (I don't know what the total meaning of that is in mandarin but I love the meanings of these names that I found in Chinese name websites)

Up next - Fengqing's first experience as uncles hahaha.

[transmascxielian]

its MY tumblr blog and i get to painstakingly write out an animatic i'll never make. SO ive got a heaven official's blessing piano man animatic in mind and i just can't shake it

ages ago i was listening and came up with this stupid concept just for the sake of funniness where i was imagining it as xie lian singing, mu qing and feng xin passive-aggressively going back and forth at each other with piano and harmonica respectively, hua cheng backing xl with the accordion, and shi qingxuan playing the lyre/mandolin in the background. and that was it for the longest time and was just a joke. but then i listened again and now have accidentally associated the lines with everyone

'he says 'son can you play me a memory? i'm not really sure how it goes, but it's sad and it's sweet and i knew it complete, when i wore a younger man's clothes''-- this is fairly nebulous because i don't know enough about him (sorry!) but this just makes me think of mei nianqing.

'now john at the bar is a friend of mine, who gets me my drinks for free, and he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke, but there's someplace that he'd rather be'-- shi qingxuan. their whole feeling of lost potential. 'he says 'bill i believe this is killing me', as the smile ran away from his face, 'well i'm sure that i could be a movie star, if i could get out of this place'' once again. you're there and you have a role and youre good at your role. but can't shake the feeling that you could do so much more.

'now paul is a real estate novelist who never had time for a wife, and he's talking with davey who's still in the navy, and probably will be for life'-- this may be a little bit gauche but pei ming and shi wudu. pei ming's fuckboy reputation which may or may not be a front for just not having enough energy to give to one person. and the navy -> sea association aside, spending time with the other person there who can't commit. and they both definitely fucked but regardless of that this brings us onto

'and the waitress is practising politics as the businessmen slowly get stoned, yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone'-- ling wen. reduced to serving the other gods despite being more than capable (or perhaps because she's more than capable) intellectually. finding escapism from this place she's put in through others who are similarly disregarded in a sense based on reputation. the three tumours as three people who bonded initially only out of having nobody else really to turn to.

'it's a pretty good crowd for a saturday, and the manager gives me a smile, cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see to forget about life for a while'-- jun wu, and how xie lian is such an emblematic figure for better or worse, representing everything idealistic and perfect about the heavens, and in the end being such a figurehead (and, when needed, an easy punching bag) that everything wrong with his heavens goes unnoticed for so long.

'and the piano, it sounds like a carnival, and the microphone smells like beer, and they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar and say 'man, what are you doing here?''-- hua cheng, watching and waiting for him the whole time. giving xie lian support and sustenance in everything he does for the heavens, and never telling him to leave, but wondering the whole time why he does all this for a system that doesn't deserve him. loving him enough to let him live by his own choices, but loving him too much to not be eaten up by watching him do this and receive nothing in response.

this is by no means perfect nor the best character analysis/song application. and it does bug me that nothing stood out to me to be right for mu qing and feng xin (i think about the xianle quartet a lot.) but i had such a vivid feel for everyone i mentioned here that they didn't feel right for the song. anyway if you've read all of this i love you and please talk to me about tgcf

[ge]

PLEASE TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS AU🙏 😌

TEEHEE HEE ANYTHING FOR YOUUU its based on the bl cdrama winter begonia which i highly recommend watching so u can see my vision more clearly since idk how well ill be able to fully encapsulate it...its like the only cdrama ive actually finished and it holds a very dear place in my heart.. its all translated on youtube if ur interested (smile

this au takes place in 1930s shaanxi and follows chung myung, a semi-retired peking opera dan (an opera performer who takes on the roles of women in plays) who was once wildly famous and well known for his talent and passion for the arts in his youth until a tragic "accident" struck him and his former troupe, leaving his troupe to fall out of favour of the public eye and into (physical as well as financial) ruin; and tang bo, a wealthy business man from sichuan who became captivated w peking opera after watching a performance from chung myungs troupe for the first time and ends up making an acquaintanceship w chung myung and becomes the troupes main sponsor and avid supporter, helping them rebuild their huashan house as well as their former prominence and fame...

my au follows the show pretty closely and i was going to keep the political plot kind of vague since i wasnt sure how to touch on it but its a really integral part of the story so im keeping it in, the drama focusing closely on the preservation of the art during the japanese occupation......... not that im ever actually going to write anything for this au but still, it exists in my head and i need to connect the dots so

chung myung, as per always in my canon and aus, is a trans man here and that plays a pretty significant role in his life and lore of this au.. historically, women werent allowed to play in opera so men would take on the female (aka DAN) roles.. chung myung being a trans man playing a dan role is like, for him, a middle finger to the status quo and period typical transphobia he'd face if it were known as well as a spiteful internalized gesture OF 'if only you knew'.. the world would see him as a woman who isnt good enough despite him being the man who is the best.. rubs chin.. im not good w words, this makes way more sense in my head but if u get wat im trying to say then u get it..

they also all have short hair in this au SORRY i know i said i would never give them short hair in any aus i did but it has to be this way for this au, taking place during the chinese republican era where short hairstyles were mandated (this, again, ties into trans chung myung)

cheng fengtai and shang xirui are just so tangchung I CANT EXPLAIN IT YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW.. wealthy businessman whose had everything fed to him on a silver platter his whole life finds himself unhappy & wanting more from life and lonely orphan boy raised in a strict martial arts setting grows up to be the best at his craft but still wants for more.. cheng fengtai and shang xirui are soulmates.. tang bo and chung myung are soulmates.. can i make it anymore obvious..

everyone in rotmhs has an obvious counterpart in this au, like tangchung are the mcs of course but chung myungs troupe are the mt hua disciples/elders, the great sects/families (sans tang family, which is plot relevant) are involved in the opera scene in some way, the magyo are also an opera troupe in this au LOL..

but one thing i wanted desperately to keep in this au was tang bo and his wife/family/child, which is kind of hard to do since there are literally like no fucking women in rotmhs so i have to make ocs... the subplot in the drama of cft (tang bo) "cheating" (in quotations cuz they never actually crossed any lines but it was obvious there was deep unspoken romantic tension there + the wife suspected) on his wife w sxr (chung myung) is so vindicating to me.. closeted gay people cheating on their opposite sex arranged marriages/spouses for someone of the same sex.. its so real.. so freeing.. gay people trapped in straight marriages, especially in the 1930s.. i really adored the nuances in the way it was handled so beautifully in the drama so i HAD to adapt it here.. its such a guilty pleasure of mine weehehehe twirls hair

the drama ends in a bittersweet hopeful kind of way, nothing bad happens to anyone i just want to put that out there..in case ur worried, no buried gays or wateva

umm well im tired so i cant think of anythign else to say but if u love beautiful costumes, drama, heart aching romance.. IF U HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS JUST ASK CUZ IDK WAT ELSE TO SAY..... please watch winter begonia so we can frolic in the flower fields that are my winter begonia tangchung au...... plugging this again since who knows when yall'll see it again.. goo bye.... (chung myung in 'drunken concubine' play costume⬇️⬇️⬇️)

[baiwu-jinji]

Hi. Firstly, I want to thank you for sharing many analysis posts and answers here. They are very interesting and insightful. It gives me a lot of motivation to continue studying mandarin!

I've seen your post about Hua Cheng's speech pattern which is the topic that I'm always interested in. You mentioned that his speech is usually polite and concise. Many of the words/phrases he uses sound old-fashioned by modern day standard. I first read TGCF in English, but I've been trying to read the simplified CN version recently. I noticed sometimes HC uses modal particles. For example,

“不错。我不是说了吗，谁也惦记着我这地方呢。戚容想鬼市不是一年两年了，可偏生他最多也只能想想，眼红得紧，所以时常派些跟他一样的废物来捣乱。见怪不怪咯。”

花城微微挑眉，传音道：“撒谎咯。”

那少年嗤笑道：“嗯，水横天嘛。”

I'm still not familiar with how modal particles are used, but the general impression I got about modal particles are that they make the sentence not concise. Like, you reply someone with 好 instead of 好啊 if you want to be concise. Am I correct?

Also, is it true that 咯 is used instead of 了 to convey a cheerful manner and is normally used by girls and children?

I would like to hear your thoughts about this. Thank you very much!

Hi! :) Thank you for your kind words, you're right that modal particles make the sentences less concise, but sometimes they're necessary to convey the speaker's mood, tone, or even personality trait. I also understand how modal particles can be difficult because they're very flexible and their implications sometimes depend entirely on the context of the sentences.

咯 adds a playfulness and lightness to speech, and with the first quote you mentioned, it expresses Hua Cheng's flippant and scornful attitude, and emphasizes the expected nature of Qi Rong's troublemaking. 咯 in the second quote softens the tone of sentence and makes it more playful, since Hua Cheng is basically flirting with Xie Lian. 嘛 in the third quote shows Hua Cheng's irreverent and scornful attitude. So you see modal particles here are necessary in conveying Hua Cheng's personality. Its true that 咯 sounds more cheerful than 了, but I don't think it's restricted to being used by girls and children.

[user-needs-new-hyperfixation]

Now that you've finished both, what do you think are the difference between WangXian or HuaLian? Which mc and ml do you love more between both series? Which couple do you love more?

P.s Do you plan to read SVSSS? I think the best for fanfics inspiration from 3 MXTX works are SVSSS.....

This answer got way longer than I meant for it to 😅

I am all about Hualian 10000%. It's just a matter of preference, and I'll explain why I like one better than the other, but I'm not crapping on Wangxian shippers at all. Something for everyone haha!

Here's the thing. I like a lot about Wangxian. They've got a very Kirk/Spock thing a lot of the time that is eternally entertaining. But I just don't like the way they have sex. I dislike the way they have sex so much that it kind of retroactively made me less interested in the pairing as a whole. More specifically, I don't like how Lan Wangji does sex. People had warned me about it and I was like, "Eh, but I'm fine with CNC, all I need is that first C, so it's fiiiine." But. Nope. Thankfully this isn't a personal trigger for me, just a very firm preference, but I just...to quote myself in a previous post, "while the book did a good job convincing me that Wei Wuxian is into everything Lan Wangji does to him, it didn't do a good job convincing me that Lan Wangji knows that for sure, or is in control of himself, or would stop if Wei Wuxian didn't like something." That just isn't to my taste.

On the other hand, Hualian are also implied to be having rough and kinky sex, but there's much more of a feeling that they're communicating about it. I'm not expecting them to like, have a formal safeword or anything, but even just:

"Sorry, I went overboard last night," Hua Cheng apologized. It took a moment for Xie Lian to realize what he meant, and he quickly waved his hands. "Wh-what are you saying? That's not it at all--everything's fine!" Hua Cheng arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? If everything is fine even after that, does that mean I didn't go overboard last night? Does that mean I can...?"

Or

"Is gege not coming up to join me?" But if he went up there, when would Xie Lian have a a chance to come back down? At that point, they could forget about doing anything else for a while. "Nah." Xie Lian declined politely. "My San Lang has overworked himself." "Nah," Hua Cheng laughed. "How could San Lang ever be afraid of hard work when it comes to working gege hard?"

Like. They're goofy about it and Hua Cheng loves to tease Xie Lian but they are actually talking about sex when they're not having sex. There's a degree to which they're communicating outside of the heat of the moment. And even in the amnesia extra (which makes me feel so bad for Hua Cheng omg he's being surprisingly chill but I need to write some meta about how miserable he must be during that) Xie Lian's fuzzy memories of what he at first assumes was a rape are full of the sense of being gentled and cherished and of their fingers and red strings tangling even as he's held down and roughed up.

Also the chapter opening with,

Laughing, Xie Lian pushed Hua Cheng off him -- his crushing weight was making it hard to breathe. The heat and passion had yet to subside when something suddenly occurred to him. "Oh yeah, San Lang," he began offhandedly.

That's so stinking cute I can't. They are so comfortable. Nothing in their relationship overall or in the hints of their sex life we see implies in the slightest that Hua Cheng isn't in control of himself in the most important ways (I do tend to think of him being a shaking crying coming-too-soon mess the first few times, but that's a very different kind of out of control lol). He worships Xie Lian, literally. Lan Wangji has this underlying layer of horny anger born in a repressed childhood; Hua Cheng's horny is all built on reverence. THAT IS MY JAM.

As for SVSSS, I think I will probably read it if only to try to figure out what on earth its fandom is talking about. It's...like an isekai I think? Which is not usually my thing, but at this point I feel like I gotta round out the trio haha!

[one-flower-one-sword]

what's your favorite part of TGCF, and what about it do you like so much? ignore me if you've shared this before

omg it's been so long since you sent this ask, I am so sorry T_T I was really grateful to for you sending it, but stuff kept coming up and I simply did not have the emotional energy, and also did not want to give a half-hearted reply. that said I often struggle at articulating exactly why I like something, but I'll try!!

okay first thing that comes to mind when I think of why I like TGCF so much is that I really enjoy MXTX's writing style - of course, what I read was the English translation but I assume her style still comes across. I find the way the novel is written both very easy and very engaging to read. I was never bored and on the contrary had a really hard time putting down each volume so as not to read it all in one go. All the emotions came across really well, the novel succeeded both in making me laugh and making me cry. That's another thing I like about it, that with this story you get the whole range of comedy, action, romance, and horror. It's rare that a story manages to both incorporate and balance these at times contrasting aspects so well.

I also really liked how poetic the writing was at times, and how both philosophical and political concepts and ethics were woven into the plot and expressed through the characters.

Speaking of, I enjoyed all the characters so much. They're so well-rounded and feel so real, and there are so many interesting side characters. Jun Wu is a fantastic antagonist and Hualian are such an engaging pairing. I love both Xie Lian and Hua Cheng as individual characters as well as a couple - right from the start you can tell how much they simply enjoy each other's company, and their romance is just… it really moved my heart.

As for a favorite scene… there are so many!!! it's really hard to pick. I love Xie Lian meeting Hua Cheng “for the first time” at the beginning of the story and being so immediately intrigued with him, it's such a peak romantic encounter. I also love the reveal in the caves, even though (or because) parts of it are so heartbreaking, since it's rare to see Hua Cheng so vulnerable and emotional. I enjoy angsty moments like that a lot, I have to admit….

If I have to pick a single favorite moment, it'd be the battle between Hua Cheng and Jun Wu in Vol 8. First of all, super engaging fight scene, love that. Also epic as fuck!! like them fighting on top of The Heaven-Crossing Bridge that shakes every time their swords clash from how powerful the blows are while Hua Cheng's wraith butterflies face off against the vengeful spirits below? damn.

Then the delicious angst of Xie Lian being absolutely terrified for Hua Cheng, especially when Jun Wu starts to ruthlessly take advantage of Hua Cheng's disability*… and then it all culminating in Xie Lian still defying Jun Wu and sticking to what he's always known is right, and then ending in Hua Cheng's sacrifice, another peak romantic scene that had my heart race and made me cry so many tears. All of it exceeded my expectations for that final confrontation, I was just completely emotionally satisfied.

*Not gonna go into it here in detail since I've already posted it about several times and more in depth, but given the topic of this ask I can't not mention how intrigued I was by the way Hua Cheng navigates their world while disabled, the way he can compensate for it in some ways but not in others. It's a not insignificant part of why I love him as a character so much.

Last but not least the novel accompanied me all through last year and the beginning of this one and got me through some tough times. more than that, it made me take up meta and fanfic writing again after a long creative drought, and I will always look at it fondly and with gratitude for that.

hope this turned out a satisfying answer! what's your favorite part of the novel? :3c

[potionwine]

Oooh, you’ve also seen Nirvana in Fire?!? That was SO good. And as inspiration for PF?? That, explains some things, dang! It works

My friend. My dear. My lovely Cimi—

WHAT in the world—

Have I seen the drama that bloody changed my life; my favourite comfort c-drama; the series that I rewatch yearly the way I rewatch lotr every Christmastime; that exquisite story with the most incredible breadth and variety of characters with impeccable character work and amazing themes and an ending that respects its viewers which however tragic is thoroughly earned and identity porn and politics and pride and grief, god, so much grief—and an Emperor who is shakespearean in his tragedy and—

Okay. Okay, no, you could not have known, tis a failure of my part if I have not spoken enough about it—I probably mostly reply to other people's posts as they liveblog their watching but. BUT. God when I saw your ask it felt like you came up to me to remark "hey wow so you also ship PF?" that's how gobsmacked I was lol!!!

I have dragged everyone in my life into watching this show! I have mutuals on here who can testify to my introducing them to it omg. I just checked and the earliest NIF post I reblogged was in 2016 so I have been watching it every year since 2016 hahaha!!! Although it's pretty complex chinese, and since so much of the show is made up of characters sitting around talking the intricate plot into existence, it's not really a beginner-friendly c-drama either!!!

NOW I DIDN'T KNOW YOU'VE WATCHED IT TOO???!!!

I. have. been. going. UTTERLY MENTAL. at the lack of anyone with whom I could talk about it? OR SO I THOUGHT. So many times I thought of going into our discord to be like "has anyone ever heard of NIF because hhhhhhh the phoenixflare resonance" or like "so is anyone into TGCF perhaps perchance mayhap???"——because heh. hehehehe. heheheh??? My fic is practically a NIF/TGCF mashup, it's a Lin Shu+Xie Lian!Joshua Rosfield & Jingyan+Hua Cheng!Dion Lesage——and I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I wanted to ask god please does anyone else see my vision please god does anyone?? but no one would even understand the references, and I couldn't even ask in areas (asian fandom) where there would be a higher chance of people knowing what crack I'm on because asian fandom is all about that...you know...that I loathe—and I have been in pain and I thought right well fine I'm writing the fic anyway it's fine if I have no one to scream about it with because I'm writing it and then I'll find fellow competence porn+politics enjoyers if they find my fic and—and.

God. What an earth-shattering message to receive in my askbox! You are some sort of miracle <3

Do you see it??? Do you see it? A boy who burned to death in an inferno as an innocent betrayed youth in a catastrophic event caused by his own family, his father slain, his entire clan (and all the troops under his banner) wiped out or scattered. A boy reborn after extensive and horrific injuries after an agonisingly long period of recovery: a ghost who crawled his way out of the gates of hell, the last of his broken once-noble house.

That boy's transformation into his new identity of Mei Changsu/Margrace. His off-screen discovery of the truth that led to Meiling/Phoenix Gate and his continued on-screen quest to learn more. His determination to hold the true culprits accountable at immense personal cost and suffering. His dogged persistence despite incredible odds and visibly failing health. Being surrounded by people who love him and want to protect him, and himself constantly undermining their efforts because his goals are more important than his health. (Because in truth he knows perfectly well that he won't survive, but he can make a difference while he is alive.)

Something that amuses me hugely is how Lin Shu and Joshua literally both come back as 宗主? I love it so much! They come back with the same title! Both of them come back as clan leaders of an organisation that obeys their every command! Margrace is the 不死鳥教団の宗主(=leader of the cult of the undying bird) and Mei Changsu is 江左盟的宗主(=leader of the Jiangzuo alliance).

AND. Hooooo yea this PF fic is just JingSu at this point because oh, a handsome, principled, prideful, and stubborn prince who is a decorated warrior famed for his numerous military accomplishments and the man who is essential to the success of Lin Shu's/Joshua's plans? The resurrected boy barging into his prince's life: no matter how insane it is to choose your side, still "I choose you, Your Highness Prince Jing"??? The fact that the undervalued prince has a history with our secretive ghost protagonist? And (arguably) frequently thought about and missed the bright boy he knew once upon a time in happier days—"I know you," says Dion Lesage without a shadow of a doubt, extremely normal of him to instantly recognise a dead boy he met 20 years ago?

Mutual admiration of each other's integrity and capabilities? Reciprocal faith and remembrance? The foundation of deep respect and enduring friendship, their shared goals and shared family??? I froth at the mouth. JingSu are cousins, PF are stepsiblings by their parents' marriage. Each pair is bound by destiny and by choice—other people have made choices that permanently entangled each pair's lives together forevermore (Joshua+Dion and Jingyan+Xiaoshu), and the choice they themselves personally made to choose each other—

DO YOU SEE THE VISION.

How difficult it is to pursue justice when everyone involved is family and how impossible it is for Lin Shu the nigh-extinguished Chiyan fire for Joshua, the guttering flame, to indict Jingyan's father the Emperor of Liang Dion's father the Emperor of Sanbreque of his crimes against Joshua's family without opening old wounds and hurting many loved ones in the process including Dion himself. The people directly responsible for the tragedies are related to the protagonists in one way or another! If Lin Shu Joshua ever wants resolution for his grief unending, he has to strike at his beloved's father, and plot meticulously to avoid all of the dangers of attacking such a powerful enemy.

(Of course, I acknowledge the critical difference in Jingyan's versus Dion's feelings about their respective fathers.)

Now if only Joshua had done the famous blizzard scene with Dion instead of letting him go off to carry out his ill-advised coup—"Xiao Jingyan! You stand where you are! If I don't stop you today, what are you going to do? What do you think you can possibly accomplish if you charge in to challenge imperial power like this? Do you think you can simply force the Emperor [to do what you want/change his mind about Anabella Wei Zheng]? You have honour and valour but why do you just not have brains! How many more people must be hurt, you tell me!"

Anyway Joshy doesn't have the insufferable smugness of Xiaoshu but he does absolutely have Xiaoshu's pride, the sort of pride that is not just personal pride but familial pride too (after all Joshua comes from extremely prestigious lineage)—just look at how he speaks to Ultima in every scene, his lordly manner. Joshua I think has more Consort Jing to him, and Consort Jing is only my favourite character in all of NIF, in a drama where I love every character to bits—steel in softness, ever gentle ever polite yet not to be bullied and not to be underestimated and also extremely perceptive and learned and patient. Extra sweet bonus that Consort Jing is also a healer. Elegant, restrained, and very repressed. Who knows the depths of Joshua's Consort Jing's grief and loss?

But you know, Jingyan, near the end he is completely in charge—the prince who was always a great and respected general on the battlefield is now more than that, he's directly taking responsibility for all of his people as their future ruler—that means thinking on multiple fronts and exerting control over all of the key governing officials, not merely his military officers. He's leading with confidence, and there's that little scene where he apologises to Xiaoshu for taking action on several plans without consulting him, and Xiaoshu says no, this is the way it should be, this is the correct state of affairs: you are the crown prince, and this is rightfully your arena. You lead, you decide, you command.

Jingyan now sees clearly, he's found out and accepted the truths of his father's role in the atrocity at Meiling and everything that happened back then. He rightly perceives the failings of his family and seeks to redress past wrongs and avoid repetition of past mistakes, he weeds his court of the corrupt and the cowardly, he's become the best possible version of himself: stronger than ever, not just a powerful wartime commander-in-chief but an inspiring leader in the imperial court, careful, thoughtful and politically up-to-speed, finally stable in his sense of self instead of being permanently stuck as that angry and lost and hurting child. He has renewed purpose, he possesses hope for the future, he is able to dedicate himself fully to what he truly believes to be right and act in furtherance of righteous causes—

Critically, this is the man he becomes only because Xiaoshu came back into his life to shake it up. Without Xiaoshu he wouldn't even have the opportunity or means or knowledge. The radiant and fiery boy who Jingyan missed all his life came back to save him. From the outsider prince without contacts or support within the imperial court->to the crown prince who has the court subdued within the palm of his hand. From his pitiful existence as a neglected, unfavoured prince, his lowkey constant simmering resentment, his half-dutiful half-forced obedience of paternal orders that chafe at his conscience->into the steadfast and self-assured prince who is capable of fighting for the betterment of his country and the rallying point for virtuous officials who share those aspirations. The drama shows the audience that Jingyan is unquestionably ready to assume rulership, and together with the person he loves most, they achieve their goals, they save each other and their country (by arresting its downward slide due to the rotten state of its governance).

It's just a strong headcanon of mine (albeit one that I can absolutely present extensive arguments for) but to me Joshua Rosfield is the one and only character able to perform that same abovementioned function for Dion Lesage. Catalyst, turning point, spark that ignites the fire—whatever you call it, this is salvation. It is beautifully poetic that both Lin Shu and Joshua are characterised by fire. They are the fires of change that burn away the old life: before their arrival, the two war princes exist in a state of wearying routine, long-suffering and almost hopeless. Both Jingyan and Dion are shackled by their stations and duties, both are unloved sons with virtually no chance of their circumstances improving without drastic action, and both are trapped in precarious situations where they are subject to the whims of their father (if their imperial fathers turn on them, it will result in irrevocable loss of their status).

Dion's position is weak in the Oriflamme imperial court—pretty sure this point isn't up for debate, since no one ever speaks up in support of him despite the obvious injustice of his ill-treatment. His degree of influence in the court is much, much, so much less than any reasonable person might expect someone who is literally Bahamut and crown prince to have. The Council of Elders and other officials stand by haplessly while he is progressively stripped of power in favour of Olivier. Nobody defends him, nobody objects. (Or maybe some did, and were eliminated.) Even Dion himself submits to the abuse despite inherently superior abilities. Career politicians know which direction the winds blow—they don't defy their Empress, meaning they are either her cronies or too fearful of her to make themselves a target by any raising any opposition. Added to that is the implication that Dion was often away for long periods—and as Xiaoshu explicitly tells Jingyan in the drama, the crown prince cannot leave the imperial capital untended because that is the surest way to lose power. Dion may be Sanbreque's mightiest weapon and revered by the populace, but in practice his political sway is almost negligible. He is not able to leverage himself effectively.

Don't get me wrong, for these reasons I extra extra love the canon portrayal of J*** obeying Joshua against her wishes and T****** obeying Dion against his wishes—I absolutely think their obedience is, to them, the truest and highest and final demonstration of their love and understanding of their respective masters. And both Joshua and Dion expected no less from them. [I've not typed the names out just in case the search function ends up capturing the post and putting it in their tags, not because I hate those characters; I just don't want to be uncivil within fandom.]

But the very point here is that, you know, sometimes you aren't supposed to leave someone just because they say so. Sometimes it is the worst possible course of action to obey someone just because they command it. Sometimes it is undesirable at best and disastrous at worst to support someone's every decision out of unchanging (if uncharitable, one might even say unthinking) loyalty. That is a fundamentally unequal relationship, and while beautiful in its own way, is also uniquely doomed. The truth is, Joshua was always going to pull that trigger, and Dion was always going to pull that trigger: the master was always going to sever the relationship. Those pairs were doomed as soon as they began, because one party can only ever say yes, and yes means the end, you see? That is The End, that is the final break. By their very subordinate nature and by their established personalities within the game, "yes" is the one and only answer J*** and T****** can ever or will ever give. Their master will say, "Leave me", meaning it is over, and they will reply, "Yes, I obey". Because this is the only answer that proves their devotion, leaving them totally incapable of changing the script. Both J*** and T****** knew it and played their parts to perfection, and my heart hurts for them.

In NIF terms, I reckon J*** is Gong Yu, and T****** is Lie Zhanying. Zhanying will follow Jingyan to the end, whatever it may be—in fact in one episode he explicitly says so, and his loyalty is never in doubt. He will go to his death if Jingyan orders it. He will always support Jingyan's decisions. He and the rest of Jingyan's men have been following Jingyan even when the prince was out of favour and cold-shouldered and constantly dispatched to safeguard the country's frontiers—inconvenient places where comfort is low and the environment harsh. Jingyan's favoured brothers live in the lap of luxury within their palaces (like Olivier), while Jingyan himself (like Dion) has always been at war. And as with Zhanying, T****** will never be able to change this status quo on behalf of Jingyan (Dion). For all his boundless dedication to his lord, Zhanying will never be able to improve his prince's standing in the court, never be able to secure more political power for his prince (unless his prince decides to revolt/coup), never be able to make his prince's father love or prize his prince.

It is not a problem of character or willpower or desire. It is, simply put, a problem of power. It is a problem of class. The servant rises as their master rises, and falls as their master falls. In other words, the servant's status is determined by their master's status. Zhanying is Jingyan's deputy. When Jingyan's status was elevated, Zhanying naturally also assumed commandership over more troop divisions because those were allocated to the prince by the Liang Emperor. (There is no doubt in my mind that T******'s status as second-in-command is because of Prince Dion. He's too young to have earned that position by gradual promotion through meritorious accomplishment. Unless you're telling me that the knights dragoon don't have a single officer above age 30.) Zhanying is invaluable to Prince Jing in security, in warcraft, and in a variety of generic daily tasks. However, he is part of the rigid imperial system and lower in the hierarchy. He may persuade his lord, but he cannot order him. He may disagree, but he cannot defy. He may privately despise the Emperor/Empress, but he cannot show it and cannot act on it (literally treason). His role is to follow and obey. If he does not perform that role for whatever reason, he fundamentally negates his utility to his lord.

Ergo, endgame Jingyan is only possible because his true equal and soulmate, his real zhiji, came back to challenge the status quo. In fact, came back to challenge him. It is not merely the fact that this person understands him above all, it is also the fact that this person has the ability to act on that understanding. Jingyan is technically also Xiaoshu's prince, master, and eventual Emperor—so where is the difference?

The difference is, Lin Shu is comparable in nobility. Lin Shu is the cousin of princes and the incumbent Emperor's nephew, Lin Shu was raised amongst the imperial household, and played and studied and fought and hung out with them as peers of roughly equal rank. In this respect Joshua actually outstrips Lin Shu: Joshua is a prince by blood, and had Rosaria not fallen (especially if Sylvestre had not risen to the throne), would have been higher status than Dion. It's a massive pet peeve of mine that so many fans in XVI fandom don't seem to realise that Joshua was crown prince? Everybody knows Dion is crown prince, but do they realise Joshua is the original? In the English version prologue, the knights do call him "prince" and "your highness". The Rosarian throne is Joshua's by right of birth. At the time of their meeting as children, Joshua outranked Dion. They were equals as Dominants of their nation, but Dion back then was the child of a Cardinal and not the child of Sanbreque's ruler at that time; i.e. he was not a prince and not in line for the Sanbrequois throne.

The other wonderful similarity is Lin Shu's and Joshua's statuses as outsiders to the system when they reintroduce themselves to Jingyan/Dion. As Jingyan's strategist, Lin Shu has more leeway with regards to making his prince listen to him and take his advice. But importantly, he is now Mei Changsu, and that means he is able to play outside of the system. The imperial system effectively cast him out when it killed him. The strict codes of imperial conduct no longer chain him as they chain those confined within its structure. As a free agent unlike Zhanying, he has the right and privilege of choosing his own master. That includes the right to leave or to change his mind. And although the prince's strategist is supposed to be subordinate too, Xiaoshu would never truly be subordinate in the same fashion no matter how many times he bows his head, because at his core he is still high nobility and it still shines through despite everything. His manners are still perfect. He still navigates life with the easy expectation that people will serve him. He grabs the Duchess' hand and yells at Prince Jing and gloats at Marquis Ning. It's all the little ways that remind the audience, over and over, that this man was raised as a posh lordling. You can remove the boy from the upper class but you can't remove the upper class from the boy. It's the same with Joshua. His manners are still court-perfect. He still moves through life accepting that he will be served. He may bow his head to Dion and call him "your highness" but he also takes the liberty of throwing himself at Dion for a hug. Because to him, the prince is not some lofty and untouchable figure to be addressed with unfailing deference, he's just a friend.

(I know T****** is minor nobility, to be honest Zhanying definitely is too. The deputies of high level royals aren't going to be commoners. But I don't think I have to explain the gulf between ruling class/a close blood relative of the monarch versus lower nobility.)

Joshua too is an outsider that isn't beholden to Sanbreque's Emperor in the way that all of Dion and his knights owe their fealty. Again in this respect Joshua has it better than Xiaoshu—Joshua is his own sovereign master, and that should impact his perspective, his sense of self, and therefore his behaviour with others and how he navigates the world.

Gong Yu... I think anyone who's watched NIF will know exactly why I say that J***'s counterpart is Gong Yu lol. I think the s/h/u/a/t/e/s want her counterpart to be Princess (Duchess) Nihuang and they certainly produce fanwork in that vein, and I respect them for it because fans be doing what they love and hooray for that. But..... she's Gong Yu.

For all these reasons I am utterly obsessed with a Joshua that pushes back at Dion. The person able to challenge the status quo and challenge Dion. An equal who listens to Dion's absurd speech in the palace at Twinside and calls utter bullshit, who says, "A matter for the imperial family? are you joking? that's my mother, that's my younger brother. an imperial matter for you to resolve? say rather, our family, OUR problem to resolve. You don't get to go off half-cooked to arrest or kill my mother without actual political strategies, notwithstanding your military capability to launch a coup. And also, what about your dad? However much I love you, my darling Dion, we have to talk about the way that you insist on poor little meow meowing your awful father because my dear old mum didn't do Phoenix Gate alone and she for sure didn't immaculately conceive Olivier."

Endgame Dion isn't satisfactory in several glaring ways and it annoys me hugely that even unto the end he never grapples with and confronts the truth of his father instead of the idealised version that lives in his head. It's a little bizarre how Dion's arc is often praised by fans, since it feels very incomplete to me. Or, well, fine, perhaps just unsatisfying (since XVI simply isn't his story). His deep-seated need to be loved by his father prevents him from seeing anything clearly, which is so ironic for the only character to possess a third eye in canon? His honour and his might have been squandered in service to a selfish, uncaring, and objectively bad monarch, yet despite how earnestly Dion wants to be a good prince to his people he seems wholly incapable of recognising this fact? His mind repeatedly shies away from his father's shortcomings. In one scene he calls his father out for words befitting a tyrant, yet ultimately he persists in the belief that his father simply needs to be saved from Anabella's evil influence as if Sylvestre Lesage isn't a 50-year-old adult man who schemed his way to the throne and killed a woman's whole family and happily married that woman to beget legitimate offspring with her.

Soooo....... I've just spoiled the whole plot of my fic but it's really just NIF nonsense as usual and that is actually extremely predictable of me. But honestly the spoiling is not a big deal, because as with NIF, fundamentally my story is not meant to be plot-twisty and suspenseful—the real storytelling skill of the NIF drama is that the audience should be able to quickly grasp the overarching plot with no difficulty because the pleasure of this particular type of story is to watch the protagonist achieve their heart's desire, step by delicious step. The objective of this type of story is to properly pay off what it promises. NIF=the wronged protagonist seeks justice. We already know Lin Shu will obtain justice by the end of the tale, what we are here to enjoy is the journey! Same really for IEM I reckon; by the end of chapter 1 Joshua's goals should be really obvious, and since my little fic will have the happy ending tag because I only ever write happy endings, the audience basically knows he'll succeed—it's very much a journey not destination kind of story.

Ooof the post is crazy long and took me 3 nights to compose an answer and I haven't even managed to go into any TGCF elements but that work mainly contributes to characterisation instead of plot. One of the craziest XVI scenes was the Hideaway's sickbay after Twinside, the genuine regret Joshua expressed and how he blamed himself for not reaching out to Dion sooner; now the Empire and her prince lie in ruins etc. Surely he remembers this is the country that destroyed his own? Surely??? What kind of person, robbed of home and throne, can find it in himself to respond with so much empathy and kindness? Sanbreque has now experienced pretty much the same tragedy they inflicted on Rosaria two decades ago, and isn't that just the funniest parody of divine retribution? Instead of viewing this as Sanbreque's just deserts, Joshua Rosfield pities them and wishes he could have helped them avert this disaster.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wonderfully Xie Lian-coded. Something something someone who has been through the worst and nevertheless chooses goodness and kindness. Someone who intimately understands the ugliest and lowest depths that people sink to, yet refuse to lose themselves in that temptation even when vengeance would seem perfectly justified.

You've known for a long time now that I love a Joshua who is very similar to his mother. This is why lol. It's about that delicious, delicious contrasting foil. It is the difference between Jun Wu & Xie Lian, as it is the difference between Anabella & Joshua. That the indestructible integrity we see from Xie Lian or Joshua didn't come easy, they weren't born perfect, their ethics were tested and forged and earned through suffering the likes of which most people will never know. The person that they have each become is the sum of their choices actively made. In the canon of TGCF and XVI, both of these ex-crown-princes live on in disgrace, in circumstances best described as reduced and humiliating, their respective kingdoms fallen, their wealth and glory spent—but they are better and braver human beings than everyone around them, they are beautiful and noble souls, quiet and unacknowledged, and only Hua Cheng and Dion truly see and fully understand that (and therefore cannot help but love them utterly).

I've a few more thoughts regarding Joshua swirling around as captured in other Xie Lian posts: here, here, here, and here. Not sure if you know TGCF or are into it as well, but just leaving links to those posts here for my own benefit too. I've been gravitating towards phoenixflare comparisons in various hualian meta posts since early 2024 so clearly these concepts have been stewing in my head for some duration, but I haven't fully teased out what it is about these two ships that gives me that niggling sense of connecting similarities.

^ Whereas I clearly know exactly what it is about JingSu that makes me point and holler "THEM!"

[xueyuverse]

I don't know if it has anything to do with misogyny (after all, bottom and femininity are directly linked to women socially speaking), and I don't know how far to go with this reasoning when it comes to this fandom.

Some seem to throw hate just because they know it brings engagement, others use it to persecute other people (the real objective being persecution), others because they seem to like to think that they are different and, therefore, "special" and "superior" (that's also why there are so many people who refuse to recognize that TGCF is a romance and keep saying that it's a "high political fantasy", as if it couldn't be both too), others just because of the hype, after all, lately a wave of hate has been growing huge against several protagonists and their fans (mainly protagonists considered heroes, good and bottom), among many other things I've seen in this fandom. It can be either about the misogyny and homophobia that people don't realize they are spreading, or the simple desire to cause chaos and make people harassed for their opinions.

I like Xie Lian top, just like I like Hua Cheng bottom, and that's purely because I like hot and seeing a 178 guy fucking a 190 giant, I like to see what it would be like if Xie Lian was muscular and Hua Cheng was a twink, but I also like its canonical versions, and I know people with the same tastes who think like me.

So I also don't know if the problem is just "people don't accept a strong male protagonist being androgynous and bottom because many of two characteristics are desirable to readers", but I also think that this makes sense and is just one part of several problems that exist here.

It just seems to me that the hole is much lower.

Making it clear: I don't disagree with the op, I just wanted to add other possible reasons for these things to happen.

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Autumn's Concerto (2009)

AKA Next Stop Happiness, AKA the reason that I don't hate time jumps anymore

Synopsis

Liang Mu Cheng has had a tough life. Between her parents dying young, having to give up her passion for playing the piano, and being forced to live in a house with her step-mother's predator boyfriend, she can't seem to catch a break. When fate forces her in the path of one Ren Guang Xi, a law-school-flunking rich kid with anger management issues, things only seem to get worse. Meanwhile, Guang Xi, though he appears to have it all, is being torn apart from the inside--physically and emotionally. The accidental meeting sets in motion a drama that takes place over the span of years, complete with political intrigue, amnesia, courtroom trials, and of course, beef and carrot stew.

MZ Overview: 11/10, can't wait to watch it again!

I watched this at the recommendation of one of my friends who said it was a good entry into the world of Taiwanese dramas, and she was absolutely right! Each one of the 34 episodes was a treat where I was left wanting more. I went into this knowing nothing about the plot, so I was confused at first at the pacing of the show. Surely, I said, there isn't anywhere to go from here? But reader, there WAS. In the best way possible. One major component was a time jump, which was done so well and with so much story afterward that I didn't even mind. Hell, I even liked it! The cast of characters in the second half are so endearing that I kept forgetting that they weren't there the whole time. Don't even get me started on Liang Xiao Le.... one word: ADORABLE. I will most definitely be watching it again, especially when I need to constantly ask "WILL THEY JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY?" (Because that's a thing I need in life, apparently) Be prepared for major second lead syndrome!

MZ Review (spoilers): I'm not crying YOU'RE crying

CW: Sexual Assault

We meet our heroine, Liang Mu Cheng, as she is trying to transport an expensive fish back to her family, who have designs to use it in a VIP's lunch. The VIP, of course, is none other than the president of the university where Mu Cheng's family now runs the cafeteria. She is warned as she sets out on her journey that the fish needs to be brought home in a certain time, otherwise it will go bad and will not be suitable to be served to such an important person.

With this warning she hops on the bus to her house, which is stopped dead in its tracks by a couple in a fancy sports car ahead of them. Desperate to arrive home on time, Mu Cheng decides to intervene. That is when Ren Guang Xi, the driver of the sports car, is introduced.

What ensues from this point on is in turn touching and traumatic, yet it manages to toe the balance between them, as any good drama does. Yet I do have to say that if I didn't love the characters I would have major issues with the plot lines in this show. Mostly because of the use of sexual assault/trauma over and over again.

I would say its definitely worth watching even with this in mind. The characters are SO GOOD. Not so much in a character development way, but in an exaggerated personality way. Take Mu Cheng for example-- she is the ultimate martyr. Time and time again through the show, she makes the decision to sacrifice for others over herself. While this could get annoying, I appreciated that she was consistent. You know what to expect from her, which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of other main leads.

The best (or worst) part of the love triangle was that I had MAJOR second-lead syndrome from the jump. Hua Tuo Ye is so cute and wholesome, despite the hard edge he tries to portray as a farmer who isn't afraid to throw hands when necessary. We should really call him Hua "I'm his human dad while his alien dad isn't here" Tuo Ye. When he said that to Liang Xiao Le, my heart MELTED. I knew the entire time there was no chance for him and Mu Cheng to end up together, especially since he was already the "big boss" of the house, but I HOPED. At the same time, I couldn't be too mad about this development, because SIX YEARS? Dude, you have to make a move in that time. C'mon.

Everything between Ren Guang Xi and Liang Mu Cheng developed as I expected, so it was nice to watch their love overcome the multiple hurdles that were placed in their way. The only thing that I hadn't really predicted was the way Guang Xi's mom would develop. She starts off as your typical chaebol mom who wants to control the life of her kids, but ends up a loving grandma. I was surprised since I thought she was going to be evil the whole time. So it's not 100% true none of the characters had any development, but I'd say its still pretty accurate.

I'm really glad I watched this show! It was a journey from beginning to end, and as promised the next stop is happiness!

[papillon-de-porcelaine]

Hi! I'm not trying to fight, I'm just trying to offer my perspective on this, as a huge fan of both pieces of media, who still voted destiel. (I mean, look at my icon! Its literally Hua Cheng!)

So. Supernatural is a show that started in two thousand and five. It is a show that lasted 15!!!! Years and was quite literally constantly reshaped by the evolving political and cultural landscape around it. Destiel was a thing for 12 of those years. It went through three different showrunners, countless writers, several presidents. It's a behemoth of a ship that shaped a lot of fandom culture to this very day! And calling ALL the writers and actors homophobes is kind of an insane take. Misha has always supported the ship even way back when, and more and more writers are coming out and saying they always wrote with Destiel in mind, even as far back as SEASON 5, in 2009!! This was 6 years before gay marriage was legalized in the US, by the way. The true villains here are the studio execs, who always tried to suppress the relationship and told the writers to bury it more.

The last three seasons of the show, destiel is canon in every way that isn't a kiss/saying it out right. Dean goes through an entire widower arc, for God's sake. There is a mixtape involved. The villain of the last season is literally a heavy handed metaphor for a TV executive trying to control everything!! And the characters breaking free from the narrative!! So many writers were on our side. And the confession this website memed to oblivion ? So many people fought so hard for it behind the scenes, including an openly gay writer. It was edited down to pieces, but it still somehow aired , on prime time TV, for the world to see. It quite literally changed the status quo.

Now TGCF is great. It's amazing, and I love it dearly. But it does not and never will have the cultural significance and depth of destiel. I mean, Hua Cheng, for how cool he is and how much I love him, has the character depth of a piece of cardboard ; he solely exists as Xie Lian's love interest, a fully devoted believer, MXTX said it herself. Compare that to the years and years of layering and development Dean and Castiel both have, and it's not contest for me.

And like, I am aware China is very repressive of gay media, I'm not trying to invalidate that. But TGCF is more niche than SPN and it exists in a "danmei bubble" where there weren't ever any fights about those guys being in love or not.

I think it's the contrast of supernatural starting as a macho for-cishet-men by-cishet-men show full of beer and cars and hot women and ending up as a queer narrative and a quest for freedom that gets to me. That "against all odds" flavor, not solely within the narrative, but in the meta-narrative too.

Honestly, it made me kinda sad to see so much hostility towards Destiel in the Hualian shippers' tags. We shouldn't be fighting guys, we should be holding hands and working together against the one true enemy: censorship.

Tumblr Top Ships Bracket - Semifinals

This poll is a celebration of fandom and fandom history; we're aware that there are certain issues with many of the listed pairings and sources, but they are a part of that history. Please do not take this as an endorsement, and refrain from harassment.

[kaesficrecarchive]

TGCF fic rec

hua cheng x xie lian

coffee and pine trees by orangemints (6/6 | 37,402 | E)

Xie Lian was in his senior year of being a law major and his reputation was impeccable. Renowned for his beauty, talent in dance, astounding grades, and polite disposition, his name was whispered about all over campus. He was practically flawless, and would have been even more popular, if not for how untouchable his love life was. It seemed the campus Crown Prince was completely uninterested in dating.

Then he meets the sophomore upset, Hua Cheng, infamous for his wanton behaviour and easy smiles, in a cafe - and the rumours start flying.

“Have you heard? The Crown Prince is having an affair with the literature department’s number one bigshot!”

Digging for Orchids by betts (6/6 | 43,684 | E)

“It is possible,” Hua Cheng began slowly, for once looking like a real person and not a god who had meticulously chosen a human suit in which to travel this petty and boring mortal world, “I may have lied a little, to my cohort. I may have told them, a few of them, not many, I was married.”

“Okay,” Xie Lian said, assuming he was talking about his special someone.

“To you.”

“WHAT.”

Or: After a meltdown goes viral and ruins his acting career, Xie Lian moves to LA. Unable to find work, he slips into a severe depression, until Shi Qingxuan hooks him up with a new roommate, an art student who has apparently been telling everyone they're married.

hold the quiet of my heart by moonsteps (3/3 | 53,441 | T)

San Lang laughs. It’s low and raw and makes something in Xie Lian’s chest dance. Pitter patter, pitter patter, like ballerina toes. “So why are you meeting with Hua Cheng?”

“To ask him to live with me,” says Xie Lian immediately.

(Or: Xie Lian and Hua Cheng become roommates.)

feng xin x mu qing

little beastie by Annabec (1/1 | 6,613 | T)

Mu Qing.

Mu Qing is a kid.

Feng Xin needs to sit down.

But not here, because this is Mu Qing’s bedroom, and Feng Xin wouldn’t ordinarily have barged in at all but Xie Lian had asked and Mu Qing is sitting in a puddle of his sleeping robes, silky hair flopping into his eyes. He tries to brush it away, pouting. His hand doesn’t even emerge from his sleeve. He pouts harder.

Feng Xin possibly makes a noise like a tea kettle and sits down right where he’s standing. Because fuck chairs and propriety.

Mu Qing apparently gives up on his hair, because he scoots to the edge of his bed to peer down at Feng Xin, head tipped to the side like an adorable little bird. Feng Xin is going to die.

Mollycoddled by wanningcore (1/1 | 7,980 | T)

“Uh, I made you ginger congee. I assume you haven’t eaten recently.” Feng Xin nudges the bowl across the table so it’s a little closer to Mu Qing, eyes flitting back and forth between him and the food. “Also I made peppermint tea if you want some afterwards. And I threw away your half-cooked eggs, which was disgusting by the way, they were stuck to the pan—”

Knowing that Feng Xin rambles when he’s nervous and won’t stop once he gets going, Mu Qing snaps, “What are you doing back here?”

Feng Xin’s head jerks up, brows furrowing angrily. “Fuck, just shut up and let someone take care of you for once. Eat your fucking congee.”

(Or: Mu Qing is sick and Feng Xin takes care of him. Lots of feelings and emotions ensue.)

Tear out this graceless heart (and hope that you will treat it well) by juurensha (1/1 | 8,964 | T)

“However you have changed, Feng Xin hasn’t,” Mu Qing says bluntly. “He’s still—loyal to a fault. He’s as dumb as a bag of rocks, and he can never figure anything out or notice anything, but you fell in love with that, so you can’t fault him there. He likes to fight too much, but he’s also—so kind. Kind and loyal to all those who are lucky enough to be in his affections.”

(And he has never been all that lucky in the end.)

Jian Lan’s eyes widen as she stares at him.

“What?” he snaps.

“…I am no longer in love with him, but I think you are,” Jian Lan says finally.

Mu Qing and his Cursed Luck by heartbeatangel (1/1 | 10,927 | T)

"I can't believe you two are seeing each other! You two love each other now, don’t you?”

Feng Xin plastered on the fakest smile Mu Qing ever seen him flash. “Yes, so much in love.”

He wrapped an arm around Mu Qing’s waist, drawing him closer to his body. Mu Qing tried not to push him away on reflex and hoped his disbelief was interrupted as shyness. Curse his stupid, shitty luck!

(The five times Feng Xin and Mu Qing faked being in love, and the one time they didn't need to.)

Beyond Our Fighting Borders by UnhookedStar (1/1 | 24,311 | T)

“So what’s the issue then?” Xie Lian asks.

Feng Xin takes a deep breath in, lets it out, and then breathes in again. “What I’m trying to say is, I think I’m homophobic.”

Or, Mu Qing starts going out on dates, and Feng Xin starts slowly losing his mind.