#jiang would be a boss to fight but not a threatening one

[kxmpfflieger]

dont have the money to play Black Myth Wukong but the tumblr fandom makes it look fun

also im doomed to insert Jiang into every JTTW adaptation regardless

[killerandhealerqueen]

Hi! I'm with Hadcanon again! What about the evil Jian Yuelou? Everyone is alive, Zhan Junbai is good and happy with her husband Yu Tangchun. Bai Jinbo reconciled with his wife and realized that she sincerely loves him. So, at one of the receptions, some official from Hong Kong / or Shanghai / seeing Chen Yuzhi began to show him signs of attention. Yuzhi at first talked sweetly with him, but the interlocutor began to get impudent and tried to hug him in every possible way. Yuzhi politely asked not to do this, but the official did not even think to stop and he was annoyed by the doctor's disobedience. Everyone who saw what was happening tried to stop the insolent man, saying that if Chen Yuzhi's husband saw it, then he was finished. The official didn't believe it and forcefully grabbed Yuzhi's wrist, causing him pain. Zhan Junbai saw this and hurried to Yuzhi's aid. He doesn't like that some scoundrel is bothering his friend and he doesn't want to see his house in the blood of this suicide/he knows the character of his friend, thank you very much/ Yuzhi slapped the official in the face, because this impudent man did not understand the words. When the enraged official wanted to hit the doctor in response, Jian Yuelou, angry as the devil himself, appears. And everyone around is like this: let's remember the idiot, I'll send flowers to his grave, I need to call the morgue. Jian Yuelou did not appreciate that his husband was being molested and ordered him to leave very harshly. The official could not believe that some policeman was ordering him and threatening to fire him. Jian Yuelou only raised an eyebrow. When the insolent man pulls his hands towards Yuzhi again, Yuelou punched him. The official is in shock and calls on others to witness that he was attacked. But everyone just pretended that nothing had happened 😁 Zhan Junbai tells him that if he doesn't disappear, he will provide Jian Yuelou with an alibi if the policeman wants to kill him. The official is furious, but none of the residents of Jingcheng will go against these two. Besides, everyone loves Chen Yuzhi and no one liked the way this scoundrel molested him. The official is promised that he will be provided with problems. But he is furious and does not want to listen and again tries to reach out to Yuzhi. Zhan Junbai at this moment just🤦Jian Yuelou grabs his hand and almost breaking it, drags him to the exit. Yuzhi wants to stop Yuelou, but Junbai won't let him. If a living official in his city is trying to cause trouble for Jian Yuelou, but his boss, when he found out what happened, just laughed, saying, are you seriously going to fight the Jingchen Demon? The government values Jian Yuelou too much, he is the best in the fight against drugs and they forgive him a lot. And his best friend is the Minister of Finance, who are you going to fight with? And Dr. Chen has treated so many influential people, his patients will give you a nightmare in reality.

I rolled up the whole sheet again😁

*gasps and makes grabby hands* Give it to meeeeeeee

Everyone knew about Jiang Yuelou

Everyone knew about him and his love for his husband, Dr. Chen Yuzhi while also knowing about his disastrous temper if Chen Yuzhi was ever bother, harassed, annoyed, or harmed

So, when they all saw an inspector from Hong Kong get…a little too close to Chen Yuzhi at a banquet…they knew shit was about to go down

Chen Yuzhi, on the other hand, didn’t think too much about the inspector (he had overly affectionate patients every now and then so he was used to it) but when the inspector got a little too…handsy, he would say, that’s when he started to get annoyed

“Sir…kindly do not touch me like that”

The inspector raised an eyebrow

“Why not? I’m just being friendly”

Chen Yuzhi narrowed his eyes

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m married.  And my husband wouldn’t exactly appreciate you touching me like this”

The inspector, however, just laughed and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him close

“I’m not scared of your husband…I doubt he’s that terrifying”

“That’s because you don’t know who his husband is”

Both Chen Yuzhi and the inspector turned to see Zhan Junbai slowly walking over to them, Yu Tangchun at his side

The inspector huffed

“And who is his husband?”

Yu Tangchun chuckled

“A demon”

The inspector stared at him in surprise before he barked out a laugh

“Now that’s a funny joke, Boss Yu.  A demon…hilarious”

While he was distracted by Zhan Junbai and Yu Tangchun, Chen Yuzhi tried to slip away and find Jiang Yuelou, but the inspector realized what he was doing and just grabbed his wrist, stopping him

“Now where do you think you’re going, Dr. Chen?”

Chen Yuzhi’s eyes widened, as did Zhan Junbai’s and Yu Tangchun���s, before he growled and slapped the inspector across the face, startling him as Chen Yuzhi yanked his wrist out of his grasp

“Get away from me”

The inspector looked at him with wide eyes before he growled and raised his hand

“You fucking bi—”

Before he could strike, however, his wrist was grabbed with such force that he nearly lost his balance, making him look over his shoulder to see a man dressed like a gangster standing there, his eyes cold

“You dare”

The inspector looked at him before he huffed and wrenched his wrist out of his grasp and turned to face him

“And just who are you?”

Jiang Yuelou smiled

“Commissioner Jiang Yuelou of the Jing City Police Department”

His smile then fell as his gaze turned deadly

“And Dr. Chen Yuzhi’s husband”

The inspector just looked at him before he laughed, not understanding the severity of the situation while around them, everyone was whispering to themselves, wondering just what Jiang Yuelou would do because again everyone knew about Jiang Yuelou

They knew about his temper and how short and volatile it was

But they also knew that it was nothing compared to the rage that he exuded whenever his beloved doctor, who was also a beloved doctor of Jing City, was hurt or bothered or harassed

Any fool that dared to slander Chen Yuzhi was honestly a dead man walking because the minute Jiang Yuelou got word, he was like a bloodhound, hunting the poor soul down until he found him

What he did with them, no one in Jing City ever knew…because no one in Jing City, no one in their right mind would go after Chen Yuzhi or say anything bad about him

Because how could you?

Chen Yuzhi was the sweetest, most caring doctor in Jing City

He treated people, criminals and non-criminals alike, with the utmost kindness, he gave money out of his own pocket to charities and to those in need…hell, if Chen Yuzhi could give you the shirt off his back, he fucking would

He was too nice

And although some people tried to take advantage of his kindness, Jiang Yuelou and the city wouldn’t let them

Even now, Jiang Yuelou and the city would not let this bastard get away with bothering Chen Yuzhi

They would not allow it

The inspector then looked at Jiang Yuelou before he smirked and stepped forward, getting in his face

“So what if you’re his husband?  What are you going to do to me?”

Jiang Yuelou shook his head

“You really don’t want to know, so I suggest leaving him alone so you won’t have to find out”

The inspector barked out a laugh

“I think I’ll do whatever I want”

He then turned and grabbed Chen Yuzhi, grabbing him hard enough to make him cry out and that was it

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back because before anyone could do or say anything, Jiang Yuelou swung, punching the inspector straight in the face, sending him to the ground

Everyone stared at him in shock, as it was still shocking every time, but they knew in their heart of hearts that the inspector deserved it

He hurt Chen Yuzhi

He was going to pay the price

The inspector then pushed himself to his feet and looked around, looking for any witness, but everyone had gone back to their own conversation, leaving him completely alone

He then blinked in surprise before he turned and glared at Jiang Yuelou

“How dare you.  Do you know who I am?  I can have you fi—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhan Junbai stepped in front of Jiang Yuelou and raised an eyebrow at him

“I think you’ve caused enough problems here already…kindly leave or else I will let Commissioner Jiang have his way with you and trust me, you will probably either end up in a hospital or in a ditch…so if you want to live, leave”

The inspector looked at him before he huffed

“Fine”

He then turned and walked away, but as he walked away, he reached out and grabbed Chen Yuzhi by the wrist, beginning to drag him away, much to the horror of everyone in the banquet because obviously he wanted to die and taking Chen Yuzhi was just asking for Jiang Yuelou to murder him

“Let me go!  Let go! Stop!”

The inspector, however, didn’t listen and continued to drag Chen Yuzhi, causing him to growl low in his throat before he raised his arm and chopped the inspector in the back of the neck, sending him to the ground

As soon as he hit the ground, Chen Yuzhi huffed and took a step back, rubbing his wrist as he glared down at the unconscious inspector

“Unbelievable”

Just then, Jiang Yuelou walked over to him and looked at him in concern

“Yuzhi. Are you alright?”

Chen Yuzhi looked at him and nodded

“I’m fine”

Jiang Yuelou then reached out and took his wrist in his hands, looking at how red it was, before he let out a growl and turned to look at the inspector

“Bastard”

“Yuelou, no.  It’s fine, I took care of it—”

Jiang Yuelou, however, didn’t listen and released his wrist as he walked over to the inspector, reaching down to grab him by the back of his suit before he began to drag him away, Chen Yuzhi staring after him with wide eyes

“Jiang Yuelou!”

He then made to go after him when Zhan Junbai walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder

“Let him go, Dr. Chen.  I’ll make sure he doesn’t kill him”

Chen Yuzhi huffed but didn’t argue, watching as Zhan Junbai followed after Jiang Yuelou, just as Bai Jinbo stepped over to him, a small frown on his face

“Are you alright, Dr. Chen?”

Chen Yuzhi looked over at him and nodded

“I’m fine…I just hope that Jiang Yuelou doesn’t get in trouble for this”

Bai Jinbo shook his head

“He won’t. Besides, that official started it first…he should have known better”

Chen Yuzhi hummed as Bai Jinbo looked at him

“Let me escort you home”

Chen Yuzhi glanced at him before he nodded, both of them heading out while the banquet continued as if nothing had happened

Later that evening, when Jiang Yuelou returned home, Chen Yuzhi ran over to him and looked him up and down

“Are you hurt?”

Jiang Yuelou laughed

“Me? No.  I’m fine”

Chen Yuzhi looked at him before he huffed

“You didn’t have to do that…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Yuelou cupped his face in his hands, making him look at him

“Yuzhi. He was bothering you.  He was harassing you.  I absolutely had to do what I did.  Nobody gets to treat you like that and thinks they can get away with it”

Chen Yuzhi looked at him before he laughed softly and reached up to gently grasp his wrists

“Are you a gangster or are you a police commissioner?”

Jiang Yuelou smiled

“Maybe I’m both”

He then leaned forward and gently rested his forehead against Chen Yuzhi’s

“But what I do know is that I am your husband.  And that I love you.  And that I will not let anyone harm you”

Chen Yuzhi smiled and gave his wrists a squeeze, humming softly

“I love you too.  My devilish husband”

Jiang Yuelou laughed softly and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before he hummed as well

“I will gladly become a demon for you, my love.  Gladly”

And he would

Jiang Yuelou didn’t mind owning up to the name “The Demon of Jing City” if it meant 1) protecting his husband and 2) protecting his city

He would become a demon for Chen Yuzhi and he pitied the fool that tried to harm his husband in any way…because he would show them hell

[ghostysword]

Ghostbusting Economics: The Great Cultivator Labor Shortage

(Or, an economics nerd tries to write meta)

Ao3 link here.

While I’m an economist by trade, I normally turn my economics brain off while thinking about MDZS. However, there is one theory about the economics of the MDZS jianghu that has crept into my head and won’t go away. My theory? The Sunshot Campaign transformed the labor market for cultivators by creating a labor shortage where there were not enough qualified cultivators to fulfill the demand for cultivation services. This shortage shaped the choices that both sect leaders and disciples made in the post-Sunshot world. Of course, economics cannot explain characters’ decisions on their own: social context and culture matters, and characters’ personal values and desires and worldview matter. However, economic considerations do shape the material stakes characters face in making many of their most important decisions. In particular, a post-Sunshot labor shortage could help explain why:

Mianmian survived to the end of the book

Wen Zhuliu was so deeply grateful to Wen Ruohan

Lure flags were the hottest item on the post-Sunshot market

Rumors of Wei Wuxian’s defection were so threatening to Jiang Cheng

Sect Leader Yao was probably a better boss than you’d think

Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan deeply believed in their dream of starting a new sect

Jiang Cheng never married

First, let’s talk about where money (seemed to) come from in the world of MDZS. The Great Sects made their money by taxing towns in exchange for cultivation services. In addition, judging by the importance of dividing the prey at occasions like the Phoenix Mountain Hunt, some prey may have produced valuable byproducts that the sects could sell or use in medicine and cultivation. Rogue cultivators accepted payment for dealing with cultivation matters that were outside of the geographic regions that the sects protected or otherwise fell outside of the agreements between towns and sects.

Before the Sunshot Campaign, we get glimpses of a cultivation world that was overstaffed and tightly controlled and where the sects competed fiercely for territory and prey. For example, Qishan Wen outright bans the other sects from night hunting in the year after Gusu Summer Camp. While the desire to take away revenue from other sects might have been a reason for this choice, this Wen declaration may also have come because the Wens were confident they had enough cultivators to snap up the prey the other sects were no longer hunting. In fact, the existence of territorial conflicts between any sects suggests that there were more cultivators than prey: if there had been more prey than cultivators, it would have been more profitable for a sect leader to focus their cultivators’ effort on expanding their hunting range and collecting more prey from unprotected areas rather than fighting battles with other cultivators.

Given this scarcity of prey and surplus of cultivators, the Great Sects likely held a monopsony on cultivator labor within their territories. A monopoly refers to when one company is the only seller of a good, like cars or oil; a monopsony happens when a company is the only buyer of a good. For example, a labor monopsony might happen when there’s only one large employer in a small town and thus only one buyer for workers’ labor. Firms like labor monopsonies because when workers have no other options, the firm can drive wages down. As the powerful sects had enough military force to punish cultivators who hunted on their land without permission, they could enforce a monopsony within their territories.

When the Great Sects had this much control over hunting in the best territories, the life of a pre-Sunshot rogue cultivator was unprofitable and dangerous. We know of three pre-Sunshot cultivators who were rogue cultivators at some point: Cangse Sanren, Wei Changze, and Wen (Zhao) Zhuliu. Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze died in Yiling, an area that no sect claimed because the locals were too poor to make facing the Burial Mounds’ extensive dangers worthwhile. Perhaps Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze chose dangerous and poor locations because they wanted to help, but it seems likely that parents of a small child would have placed some value on their own survival. Instead, Yiling may have been one in a string of unprofitable, dangerous hunts that were the only opportunities they could scavenge beyond the reach of the major sects. This is despite Cangse Sangren having been widely known as a very talented cultivator: if this couple couldn’t make it as rogue cultivators, such a life was likely even more brutal for everyone else.

These poor conditions may also explain Wen Zhuliu’s intense loyalty to the Wens. When Wei Wuxian asked Wen Zhuliu why he followed Wen Chao so devotedly, his response was that he owed Wen Ruohan his full devotion and loyalty for recognizing him. The strength of this loyalty had strong cultural grounding, but the terrible economics of life as a rogue cultivator may have also played a role: if the life of a rogue cultivator tended to be dangerous and poor, Wen Zhuliu may truly have felt he owed Wen Ruohan his life for inviting him into the Wen sect. Wen Zhuliu was also a classic example of what happens when workers have no bargaining power in a monopsony situation: employers know that their employees don’t have good alternatives if they leave, so they feel free to treat workers poorly in regards to both pay and general working conditions. In this case, Wen Ruohan handed Wen Zhuliu off to Wen Chao, a regular contender for the Jianghu’s Worst Boss Award. Despite Wen Chao’s abusive bluster and the consistency with which he ignored Wen Zhuliu’s advice, Wen Zhuliu still loyally stuck to the job up until the end.

Ironically, Wen Zhuliu’s death happened right around the time the Sunshot Campaign radically transformed the market for cultivator labor. First of all, cultivators were killed en masse. Out of the five major sects, Wen cultivators were wiped out entirely, the Jiang sect was decimated, and the Lan and Nie sects both suffered large losses. Altogether, I think we can reasonably guess that 50% or more of the Great Sect cultivators died. Mortality rates were high among the smaller sects too. The Yao sect was destroyed right before the Jiang sect massacre (remember an injured Sect Leader Yao stumbling into Sword Hall?), and there are mentions of other small sects being similarly wiped out or forced to battle. So there’s definitely not enough surviving lesser sect cultivators to smooth over the labor market effect of the massive losses of Great Sect cultivators.

At the same time, the war increased demand for cultivator labor. The dead in MDZS became ghosts or fierce corpses in two main kinds of circumstances: when someone died with resentment and when a dead person’s resting place was dishonored. A massive war like the Sunshot Campaign would have killed many civilians who had never received Soul-Calming Ceremonies, and being killed in a war is the sort of resentful death that could definitely leave behind some angry undead. In addition, the disruptions of war would have interrupted typical ceremonies for honoring ancestors and local spirits, causing some of them to turn resentful and harm people nearby. Wei Wuxian’s mass raising of the dead probably didn’t help matters either, since I doubt he always put his corpses away when he was done playing with them. Also, regular night hunting probably came to a near standstill during the course of the war. Who would have the time to chase down ghosts when there were other cultivators trying to chase you down with swords? By the end of the Sunshot Campaign, the need for cultivation work was at an all-time high.

This combination of a decreased supply and an increased demand for cultivator labor added up to create a post-war cultivator labor shortage that made the current burger-flipper situation in the United States look like small potatoes. A labor shortage happens when there aren’t enough qualified workers willing to work in a sector to fill the available jobs in that sector. Sometimes the Jin Guangshans of the world use this to describe any case where people aren’t willing to work under their terrible employment conditions at the low wages the employer wants to pay. However, the post-Sunshot shortage was a true labor shortage: since cultivators take years of training to be able to night hunt, no matter how much employers were willing to pay, there were literally not enough cultivators left alive to do all the night hunts that needed to happen. This meant the price that sects and cultivators were paid for night hunting rose drastically as desperate towns and households bidded against each other to attract cultivators, and some monsters would still remain un-hunted.

To deal with a labor shortage, employers have a few options. One is using labor-saving technology to try to get more done with less people. In the real world this might translate to automated checkouts at grocery stores, investments in self-driving trucks, et cetera. In the jianghu, the newest labor-saving technologies available for cultivators were Wei Wuxian’s wicked tricks. For example, spirit lures allowed cultivators to set up a trap and wait for their prey to come to them, a much quicker and less labor-intensive process than trying to individually track and kill each monster in an infestation. The Compasses of Evil were similar timesavers, helping cultivators go straight to their prey. It’s no wonder that these inventions and their knockoffs were wildly popular on the market and that Jin Guangshan desperately wanted Wei Wuxian’s inventions and notes. The value of these inventions in the face of a labor shortage may be the reason why even the conservative Lan sect was willing to adopt a demonic cultivator’s work. It was much easier for Lan Wangji to add the spirit lures to the curriculum when they helped solve a desperate problem for Gusu Lan.

Although new technology could solve some of the gap between supply and demand, I doubt it closed that gap entirely. There’s still far more night hunts to go around than the existing supply of cultivators could cover. In those conditions, the life of a rogue cultivator would be much, much better than it was before. With the main sects directing their energy at covering night hunts in their domain and raising the next generation of cultivators to replace their losses, they likely had little manpower available for chasing rogue cultivators off their territory, breaking the monopsony power of the Great Sects. In addition, rogue cultivators took the hunts that sect cultivators didn't, and this suddenly encompassed a larger number of higher quality hunts. With villages in urgent need of help, they would likely be willing to pay much higher prices to a passing rogue cultivator. After all, with cultivators so scarce, who knew how long it would be until the next one passed through? Jin Guangyao’s tower system would have been an enormous relief to these rural areas, helping to ensure that at least the most dangerous out-of-the-way night hunts were completed before the monster could take too many lives.

In this type of environment, a skilled rogue cultivator could be treated like a rock star, taking on hunts that won them fame and fortune (if they accepted the money, at least). Take Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan: they were so famous that a bunch of teenagers knew their swords on sight because they’d seen popular illustrations! When Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan fell to misfortune, it was sect politics and not a night hunt that brought them down. Similarly, take the case of Mianmian, who seemed to have built a comfortable life as a rogue cultivator. We don’t know exactly how much she earned through night hunting since her husband also worked as a merchant, but they jointly earned enough for a comfortable home and a happy child, and she was able to stick to night hunts that she could handle safely. For rogue cultivators, post-Sunshot life was good.

This labor shortage also made it a great time to start a new sect. With many towns losing the protection of the Great Sects, they would be happy to help fund a new sect while they got on their feet, and parents would be much more willing to offer their children or even pay for lessons so their children could enter the highly profitable trade of cultivation. Our canon example is Su Minshan, a cultivator skilled enough to spar with Lan Wangji and who felt underappreciated by Gusu Lan. The locals in Moling may have been very willing to fund the sect’s construction and expenses while Su Minshan trained up his first batch of recruits, and the Lan sect were too focused on their own rebuilding to block the sect’s development. Even though the cultivation world disliked him, Su Minshan was able to build a substantial sect during the timeskip, and the patronage of a town in need may explain why.

Since talented cultivators could now make a decent living as rogue cultivators, founding new sects, or getting hired by existing sects in dire need of new cultivators, the leadership of existing sects had to work much harder to keep and attract good people. Defections likely became more common post-Sunshot as cultivators decided they no longer needed to put up with poor conditions. Mianmian is our flagship example, of course: recognizing that the Jin sect would never respect her or care about the ethical standards she did, she decided to throw down her Jin robes and leave. This was still an impactful decision and real sacrifice on her part—she was probably well paid as a member of the cultivation world’s most powerful and wealthy surviving sect—but it was a fully survivable choice for her in a way that it might not have been if she had left before the Sunshot Campaign. This also explains why rumors of Wei Wuxian potentially defecting were so believable and so damaging in the year after Sunshot. In this cultivation shortage, Wei Wuxian could feasibly have struck out on his own, found someplace that needed help badly enough that they would take a demonic cultivator, and set up shop as a sect leader. What’s more, since the Jiang sect badly needed people, a rumor that Jiang Cheng couldn’t even hold on to the talented disciple who was raised with him like a brother would suggest that Yunmeng Jiang was on the edge of collapse.

In this world where cultivators were valuable and had abundant options, the true test of a great sect leader was their ability to attract and keep good people. Some sect leaders could do this through paying their people well: Lanling Jin’s deep pockets would be a big advantage here. Less wealthy sects would need to attract people by being a good place to work. Economists call this a “compensating differential”: people are willing to take lower wages to work at someplace where the work and people are more pleasant. Yunmeng Jiang’s successful rebuilding therefore suggests that Jiang Cheng was likely good to his people despite how brusque he could be towards outsiders. By similar logic, there must be more to Sect Leader Yao than meets the eye: his sect was also massacred by the Wen, and yet he managed to recruit enough people to remain among the prominent sect leaders at cultivation conferences. (And yes, I also cannot believe I’m defending Sect Leader Yao, but sometimes weird rabbit holes lead us to weird places and we just have to go there.)

Another way to attract and keep good people, of course, is to give them opportunities for advancement. Pre-Sunshot, leadership opportunities for cultivators not born to the inner clan of a sect were limited. In Wei Wuxian’s first class at Cloud Recesses, we learned that Qishan Wen sect founder Wen Mao reshaped the cultivation world’s leadership when he decided to put clan over sect. That leadership system elevating bloodline inheritance over talent-based leadership eventually became common to all the Great Sects. For the sect leaders, it guaranteed advancement for their children at the expense of quality of leadership and incentives to other disciples. When potential disciples were numerous, that system produced the occasional Jin Guangshan and cost the resentment of the occasional Su Minshan, but was a fairly painless tradeoff for the Great Sects to make.

Once the labor shortage bit, however, that math changed. The rebuilding sects like Yunmeng Jiang needed every incentive they could give to attract good people. For the most talented and most ambitious cultivators, the chance to be the next sect leader of Yunmeng Jiang would be the biggest prize Jiang Cheng could offer. As long as Jiang Cheng remained unmarried and childless—as long as he chased off matchmakers to ensure he would remain unmarried and childless—he could still leave the role of sect heir open for his most qualified disciple while not openly defying the inheritance norms of the Great Sects. This was a huge change from teenage Jiang Cheng’s plans to marry a sweet filial girl who could give him plenty of Jiang clan bloodline heirs, and it could mark a deliberate strategic decision to help Yunmeng Jiang rebuild despite the labor shortage. With no sect heir to limit their advancement, ambitious cultivators had a good reason to join Yunmeng Jiang and to work hard once they were there. Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen may have decided to follow Jiang Cheng’s lead and remain unmarried for similar reasons.

This shift in leadership illustrates the potential of a temporary labor shortage to create lasting change through changing institutions. Just like the Black Death labor shortage mattered in the long run because it ended the institution of serfdom, the Sunshot labor shortage could have mattered if people took the opportunity to change sect leadership structures and found new more equitable sects. If none of the institutions changed, the wage boosts of the post-Sunshot era would probably fade within a decade or two as the sects trained up the replacements of the lost generation. However, if the Great Sects really did change the norms around choosing heirs due to the labor shortage, that sort of shift could provide new opportunities for skilled disciples born outside of the inner clans for generations to come. Similarly, the new scrappy sects based on ability and brotherhood rather than blood might have stuck around, competing with the Great Sects and improving employment options for future cultivators. Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan’s dream of founding a new sect was not so much naïve as it was visionary, seeing the potential of a historic upheaval in the cultivation world to create lasting change.

Many thanks to @sometimesophie, Two4Joy, and @eicas for betaing!

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 20, part three(!)

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff) (Previous Post)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

This episode has so much crucially important stuff in it I had to write 3 posts about it! Part one is here, part two is here. 

Don't Start None, Won't Be None

Lan Wangji has never had a real fight with Wei Wuxian before--remember, in their rooftop fight Wei Wuxian never even drew his sword. And since this is going to be a verbal fight, Lan Wangji is going to lose, badly. He's an elegant and articulate speaker, but he's not quick with words, and he speaks directly and sincerely. Weaponized speech is not his area at all, so he's pretty much bringing a knife to a gunfight. A guqin to a flute fight. Whatever. He tries to turn it into a physical confrontation, twice, but Jiang Cheng holds him back.

This throwdown is 100% about religion and orthodoxy; something that is fundamental to both of these young men's lives. Lan Wangji has made it his mission to be as orthodox as possible, doing shit like volunteering to be beaten for drinking when he didn't choose to drink. He's constantly overwhelmed by emotion, and the Lan rules are a source of regulation and safety for him. His emotions around Wei Wuxian are among the most overwhelming he's got, possibly only second to his feelings about his mom.

Right now his feelings are extra overwhelming. 

It's complicated because his relationship with Wei Wuxian literally started off with him punishing Wei Wuxian for heterodoxy. All that time they spent together in the library? Was because Wei Wuxian talked--JUST talked--about using resentful energy for cultivation. Which is precisely the ability he's just shown them, along with a style of killing enemies that's borderline evil and definitely, DEFINITELY unsportsmanlike.

So this is not, Lan Wangji is lovingly worried about Wei Wuxian and Wei Wuxian is pushing him away to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. This is Lan Wangji freaking out because his entire system of belief is being challenged and he's in love with the person who's challenging it.  

Wei Wuxian has shown up to the party wearing an International Mr. Leather tee shirt with a enamel pin stuck to it that says "I get my kicks on route 666" and Lan Wangji just. cannot. deal.  

Never Start a Fight But Always Finish One

Wei Wuxian has a couple of options here. One is to accept, kindly, that he and his friend can't be friends any more because of religion. In this option, in order to preserve his friend's comfortable sense of being right, he would have to tacitly accept that he himself is bad in some way, and allow his friend to keep having his value system, while walking away from him.  

The other choice is to hit so hard that he makes his friend feel really, really bad, and potentially rocks him off of his comfortable foundation. In the short term, the friendship breaks, but if it forces him to actually question his value system, it might lay the groundwork for a new, more accepting friendship.  Anyone who is queer with an anti-queer-religious best friend is probably familiar with this dilemma.

Wei Wuxian chooses the second option, and goes all in from the first moment, calling Lan Wangji "Lan Er Gongzi" and then upgrading to "Hanguang Jun" and even bowing. If it's possible to bow sarcastically, that's what Wei Wuxian is doing. Then he meets his eyes and sticks his chin out, essentially saying "how do you like them apples?"

(more after the cut!)

Lan Wangji's feelings are probably hurt, but he's too busy being mad to show it, and he goes straight to grilling Wei Wuxian, asking him about the killing, the talismans, and giving up the sword, all while Jiang Cheng stands by and wonders what the fuck is happening. 

Lan Wangji is making a fundamental error here, which is he's speaking as if he's an authority instead of as a peer. Wei Wuxian has only ever accepted one authority in his entire life, and that was Jiang Fengmian. Jiang Cheng is the one who, for a change, is approaching as a worried friend, while Lan Wangji approaches as if he has the right to call Wei Wuxian to account.  

Wei Wuxian won't answer his questions and is getting in his face, provoking him in a very quiet and controlled way, and Lan Wangji responds by just being really aggressive. It's interesting to see Wei Wuxian completely mastering his emotions while Lan Wangji is completely....not.  Wei Wuxian pushes harder, saying he's being rude, saying he's being a bad friend.  Which doesn't make any difference to Lan Wanji, who keeps pressing for an answer while Jiang Cheng wonders what the fuck is happening.

Come to Gusu

Wei Wuxian says he already explained, that it's complicated, it will take time to explain, so then Lan Wangji makes the utterly dumbassed demand that Wei Wuxian return to Gusu with him to explain it. What, exactly, is his plan? Bring Wei Wuxian to Gusu and have Lan Xichen (at the very least) and probably also Lan Qiren help him to convince Wei Wuxian that resentful cultivation is bad? How is that likely to work out? Let's have our own flashback, to that classroom interaction that led to the punishment in the library.

Lan Qiren: How will you make sure the resentful energy will only listen to you and not harm others? [Note: he's not wrong, Wei Wuxian] Wei Wuxian: I haven't figured that out yet ["details," as OP's dad used to say] Lan Qiren: If you did, the cultivation world would not allow your existence [i.e. we, the Lan Clan of Gusu, will kill your ass]

Lan Wangji probably doesn't think he's threatening Wei Wuxian with death by inviting him to Gusu, but he kinda is, if Lan Qiren was serious back then.  Lan Wangji is so upset and fearful that he's not really thinking clearly at this point. He loves Wei Wuxian and he's certain that cultivating with resentful energy will destroy him. [Note: he's not wrong, Wei Wuxian]  But Wei Wuxian is beyond fear. He's already been destroyed once.

Wei Wuxian rips on Gusu and then says, in a super-provocative way, that he prefers Yunmeng, which prompts Lan Wangji to say "don't joke around" as angrily as possible. 

This part of the interaction always confuses me because...shouldn't he prefer Yunmeng? He's actually from there and lives there and belongs there and stuff? He's just saying "I think I'll go with my brother" yet WWX and LWJ both act like he said he'd rather go to Demon City.

Lan Wangji takes a big step forward and Jiang Cheng blocks him while Wei Wuxian continues to act unperturbed and puzzled while holding his demon flute out in between them. 

Finally, FINALLY, Wei Wuxian calls him Lan Zhan, and asks him a serious question: What do you really want. Lan Wangji calms down for a second--although he keeps leaning into Jiang Cheng's sword block--and gets to the point, which is that the unorthodox path is dangerous, and harmful to his temperament.  

Kill one turtle together and you think you're the boss of me

So, these dudes are talking about 2 different levels of unacceptable cultivation, in this episode and the next few. Netflix translates these as "wicked tricks" and "crafty tricks," which both sound absolutely ludicrous in English, so I'm going to use my own preferred terms, going forward.  

I think what they are calling "Wicked Tricks," which includes spirit snatching and feeding people to the murder turtle on purpose in order to harvest their resentment could be translated as Heresy--adhering to a forbidden belief or practice; standing in opposition to Orthodoxy.  

Edit: After rewatching Episode 35, in which Nie Huaisang explains why their whole blade thing doesn’t count as “wicked tricks,” I’ve changed my mind about what to call this. NHS says that “wicked tricks” specifically involve the use of humans & human spirits (killing, sacrificing, etc.). Which means Necromancy is probably the better term for this particular type of cultivation, although it is still (also) Heresy. 

"Crafty Tricks," which is using resentful energy to raise and control already-dead people (ghosts and zombies) as well as just generally using resentment for basic stuff like beating Jin Zixuan's ass, could be translated as Heterodoxy--deviating from the accepted belief or practice, but not to the point of complete opposition.

Wei Wuxian laughs while Lan Wangji tries to be convincing, but since Lan Wangji is just repeating what he's been taught, he's not making much headway. Instead of saying "there's no exception throughout history" he could have, instead, gone with his own actual observations, such as "you are acting like a sadistic prick" or "you seem amazingly miserable" or "you aren't hugging your brother, what the fuck is that about?" But no.

Wei Wuxian responds to the charge of heresy by saying nuh-uh, and explains his methods, sort of, while going back to calling him Lan Er Gongzi. Lan Er Gongzi responds by actually literally yelling at him, and saying he's not allowed to decide for himself about what he's doing, as if the words "allowed to" have ever meant a goddamn thing to Wei Wuxian.

Temperament

At this point Wei Wuxian is done. He goes and gets right up in Lan Wangji's face and sticks a metaphorical knife right in his heart, smiling as he does it. "How do others know my temperament?" he asks; "and why should it be their concern?" i.e. you are not in my heart. 

This makes Lan Wangji so mad he calls Wei Wuxian "Wei Wuxian" for possibly the only time in the show, and he also flashes a whole bunch of angry teeth. (Gifset here). In a callback to the JFM-YZY fight back in Lotus Pier before the war, Wei Wuxian just calmly says "Lan Wangji" back at him, and then tells him to go fuck himself.

Jiang Cheng still doesn't understand what the fuck is happening, but this is a sentiment he understands, so he also tells Lan Wangji to go fuck himself, reminding him that Wei Wuxian is Jiang clan property and it's not the Lans' place to discipline him. Adding "and I'm not going to discipline him any way, look how good he is at killing people!"

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji continue to stare into each others' eyes from a distance so close that it really should lead to making out, but they are both much too angry for that. 

Wei Wuxian is as cold as we ever see him, smiling as he silently confirms: I do not belong to you. Lan Wangji glares back, his anger maybe finally giving way, a little bit, to being hurt.

Finish Him!

Wen Chao picks this moment to wake up and crawl over to the trio, begging Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng to save his life, since he presumably knows it's pointless to beg Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian turns around and gives him the EXACT SAME dead-eyed smile he just gave Lan Wangji, and kicks him.

Then he tells Lan Wangji to please leave so he and his brother can finish torturing this dude to death, and caps it with an official Jiang Clan eye roll.  

Lan Wangji, poor bb, just throws in the towel, and turns and leaves, the anger finally starting to leave his face and be replaced with something else...chagrin, maybe? Or maybe just softer anger, for the moment. 

After he's out of sight Wei Wuxian turns and looks after him sadly, all of the cruelty and hardness gone from his expression, while Wen Chao says "forgive me,"  possibly voicing what Wei Wuxian is thinking.

Lan Wangji walks out the front gate, troubled, and hears Wen Chao scream. He stops and replays the most pointed part of the fight in his head - the part where Wei Wuxian asked him, "who do you think you are?" Lan Wangji went into the fight believing he was completely right and was entitled to judge Wei Wuxian, but he's come out of it with his certainty shaken. 

Family Time

The Yunmeng brothers go to the ancestral shrine in Lotus Pier even though the whole "reclaiming Lotus Pier" scene doesn't happen until Episode 24. So apparently they just kind of sneak into the the shrine, and then sneak back out. Or, you know, continuity error.  Anyway Wei Wuxian is nothing if not adept at sneaking around death-related places.

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng bow and offer incense. It's nice that the Wens didn't fuck up everybody's name plaques when they were in control of the place...or the tassels, candles, etc. 

Wei Wuxian quietly tells Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian that he did what they asked--taking care of Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli--and they can rest now. Nosy parker Jiang Cheng wants to know what he's saying, but Wei Wuxian just changes the subject. 

They talk about going to Qinghe for the final combat of the Sunshot Campaign. Wei Wuxian says that's why he returned, which...dude, you can't even pretend you came back to be with your loved ones? Ouch. Jiang Cheng doesn't really react to that, but he's happy when Wei Wuxian says he wants to see Jiang Yanli. Wei Wuxian wants to know if she's ok and if she's mad at him, and Jiang Cheng says wait and see, because direct answers are not the Jiang Clan way.

Jiang Yanli is helping tend to the wounded, and we see her telling a particularly fussy wounded dude to suck it up and stop complaining. 

When Wei Wuxian shows up she totally stops paying attention to the wounded dude so that she can smile at Wei Wuxian. 

He looks back at her tearfully, briefly managing to smile but then just trying to hold it together. He has been to hell and back, and doing his very best to hide it, but when he sees the person who loves him most--the person who will NOT spend 20 minutes yelling at him as soon as they see him--he starts to crack open.

[winepresswrath]

you got the same quiz result! now I need to hear what you think about Wen Qing & Madam Yu dynamic. imagine if Madam Yu hadn't died and Jiang Cheng marries Wen Qing and they all have to like, 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺. I can't decide if they'd absolutely hate each other, grudgingly respect each other, or end up getting on like a house on fire (baoshan-sanren)

\o/ Excellent. I feel like all of these options are plausible, but the inherent dysfunction of the Jiang household would probably tip them away from getting along for real. There’s only so much you can enjoy someone’s company when they’re kind of your boss and you’re constantly dreading the next time you have to witness a hideous couples fight between them and their husband who is also kind of your boss.

Even so, I think Wen Qing is one of the very few people who could not only survive but thrive with Madam Yu as an mother in-law. I don’t think she’d get particularly attached to either of the Jiang parents, but they’d be fine with her bringing her little brother to Lotus Pier and neither of them are the type to threaten to feed him to a zombie if she doesn’t comply with them, so they’re a pronounced upgrade. Wen Qing is fine with being outwardly deferential and demonstrating her value while inwardly thinking an authority figure is an asshole. They can bond a little over being extremely competent in their respective fields of medicine and making patients for people who practice medicine.

Wen Qing loves her work and is very good at it, so Yunmeng Jiang winds up with a thriving medical cultivation sub-specialty that’s prestigious and conveniently keeps her very busy. I think Madam Yu would also genuinely think Wen Qing is a better match than Lan Wangji, even if he is the Second Jade of Lan, so Jiang Cheng has won at marrying well and that’s inherently soothing. Whenever things are getting too tense Yanli miraculously sends a letter explaining why her brothers, their spouses, and Wen Ning are essential to her salon/conference/plans to redecorate the nursery in the most auspicious way possible and she generally gets away with it because the Jins suck but are indulgent enough as in-laws.

Alternatively Madam Yu says something terrible about Wen Ning three days after the wedding; Jiang Cheng tries to deflect and when Madam Yu goes for him his face goes tight and pinched and unhappy and Wen Qing decides the quickest path to peace is war. I don’t know who wins but Jiang Cheng has a very bad time.

[ibijau]

ooh, can i ask for jiang yanli/wen qing and 40 please?

Pride parade/parades in general

I’m cheating a bit but there’s a parade happening nearby so it totally counts.

I’m mixing different canons: Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing went to the Cloud Recesses like in CQL, but the discussion conference in Nightless City happens like in the novel/donghua

Jiang Yanli rarely goes to these discussion conferences if she can avoid them. Although the topics mentioned usually interest her, more perhaps than people might expect, she feels uncomfortable with having any attention on herself. It was bad before, when she was engaged, but now that she’s available once more, she knows she will be gawked at, with sect leaders trying to decide her worth as if she were a horse on the market. Her looks and cultivation don’t play in her favour, but an alliance with Yunmeng Jiang is no small thing, and perhaps her mother’s skill will skip a generation.

A mare to be sold and purchased, that’s what she feels like sometimes. 

There was little joy in her engagement, but at least Jin Zixuan unwillingly protected her from that for a long time. Now, though…

Still, she asked to come to this particular conference, knowing what it would be like. Jiang Yanli doesn’t make many requests but when she does, they are often granted. Her mother likes to see her more assertive, while her father feels guilty about not favouring his own children enough. If Jiang Yanli were of a different disposition, she could so easily use that against them. Knowing this is part of why she rarely asks anything, fearful to take advantage of their weaknesses. But this…

This is important.

Important enough to face the appraising gaze of men, important enough to ask for it.

There’s rumour of a war coming after all. And before it comes, destroying them all, Jiang Yanli wants a last chance to speak with Wen Qing before they inevitably end up on opposing sides.

The chance to do this comes earlier than Jiang Yanli would have expected. The Wens, eager to impress as always, have organised a number of demonstrations of their power to welcome their guests. There is to be an archery contest for junior disciples, demonstrations of new techniques for the elders, and of course the discussions themselves. 

First, though, the festivities open with a loud and elaborate parade.

While her father and brothers watch the parade with the other delegations of the Great Sects, Jiang Yanli glances to the side to meet Wen Qing’s eyes. The other young woman nods ever so slightly. The two of them silently step away from their relatives and move toward the back of the platform where they’re all standing, so they can talk without attracting too much attention. Wei Wuxian is the only one who notices her moving away, but he spots Wen Qing as well, and seems satisfied by that, returning his attention to the parade.

The two women find a corner hidden from view to have their chat. The instant it is safe, Jiang Yanli takes Wen Qing’s hands in hers, as she did dozens of times in the Cloud Recesses. She feels Wen Qing tense, her pulse quicken, but she doesn’t try to escape. Everything else is different now, but this hasn’t changed yet at least.

“I’ve heard about your engagement,” Wen Qing says, blunt as always. “How sorry do I need to be?”

“Not too sorry,” Jiang Yanli admits, something she wouldn’t tell anyone else. “I should be happy that I won’t have to marry a man who dislikes me. I know too well what it does to a person’s temper.”

Wen Qing’s fingers wrap around hers, a comforting gesture. She knows, of course, that Jiang Yanli liked her cold fiancé more than was reasonable. They talked about that, back in the Cloud Recesses, and about a great many other things.

Too many things, perhaps.

Jiang Yanli isn’t sure if women too can cut their sleeves. In those circumstances, she doesn’t want to know. It could never happen, anyway.

“You know, I’ve started thinking of marrying, actually,” Wen Qing announces, startling Jiang Yanli.

They’ve not spoken of that, but there can be women who only seek the company of other women, then Wen Qing has to be among those. The way she speaks of men compared to the way she speaks of women leaves little doubt on that subject.

“Have you met someone then?” Jiang Yanli asks, wanting to tear her hands from Wen Qing, fighting the heartbreak and betrayal she has no right to feel.

Wen Qing laughs, the same way she laughed the first time Jiang Yanli asked her if there was something going on with Jiang Cheng.

“It would just be more convenient,” Wen Qing explains. “Wen zongzhu will have to be a little more considerate about bossing me around if I have a husband, lest it starts looking like I’m his mistress. And I would be on firmer ground to protect my people if I had a man to speak my words for me. I just need to find someone who suits my purposes.”

Instantly, Jiang Yanli relaxes and grins. That’s more like the Wen Qing she knows.

“You are a difficult woman to please, Wen guniang,” she teases, just for the joy of making Wen Qing roll her eyes. “I hope you’ll find a husband eloquent enough to please you, useless enough not to threaten you. Might I suggest Nie er-gongzi? I’m quite sure he won’t, ah, bother you too much with marital duties.”

They both giggle, remembering a certain incident in the Cloud Recesses, and the secret Nie Huaisang begged them to keep.

“I’ve thought of it actually,” Wen Qing admits. “But his brother…”

Jiang Yanli wrinkles her nose and nods. She knows Nie Mingjue’s reputation, of course. He would never let his little brother marry into Qishan Wen. To be honest, it’s unlikely Nie Huaisang himself would have been on board either. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng befriended Wen Ning, but Nie Huaisang kept his distances, showing he shares his brother’s prejudice.

“I’m still looking for now,” Wen Qing sighs. “I’ll find someone, sooner or later. And when I do… well, I’m a busy woman. I have my clan to rule, and I’m a doctor as well, of course. I won’t have time to be much of a wife, I fear, so I’m thinking I’ll allow my husband to get a second wife.”

“Will you now,” Jiang Yanli says, half breathless because the way Wen Qing looks at her is…

“Things are about to get rough I fear,” Wen Qing whispers, glancing around to make sure nobody is nearby. “I cannot protect my friends. But someone linked to me by marriage would not have to fear the rage of Wen Ruohan. He needs me too much to risk angering me, and he knows it.”

“Wen guniang…”

Wen Qing squeezes her fingers tenderly, and brings up one of Jiang Yanli’s hand to the level of her face, dropping a brief kiss on her knuckles.

“I will understand if you decide you cannot leave your family, Jiang guniang,” she says. “But I’m offering you that choice anyway. I will protect you with all that I have, make sure you have the best life I can give you. I cannot promise you a husband who will love you, but I can assure you that whoever we would marry would know to respect you, and that I… well. You know how I feel, Jiang guniang. I do not offer these things lightly. I know what it could cost, for both of us. But I offer this anyway, because you are worth the risk.”

Jiang Yanli’s vision blurs, tears threatening to spill.

Once, she would have loved to hear these things coming from some handsome young man, perhaps from Jin Zixuan if she could only be so lucky. How lovely she would have found it, if he could have promised to challenge the heavens for her.

He could never have said those things as beautifully and sincerely as Wen Qing did though. And Jiang Yanli, who always thought she would sacrifice everything for her family, finds herself tempted to abandon them for the sake of the young woman before her.

It would be selfish, certainly, but Jiang Yanli can’t help feeling she might have earned that selfishness.

[shijiujun]

fear no more (when you’re with me)

Lu Yao is scared of almost everything, and Chusheng doesn’t get it.

“Why would you be scared when you have me?” he asks, genuinely bewildered.

(or once again, a nonsensical, incoherent and self-indulgent ficlet where Chusheng takes care of everything for his Lu Yao)

---

Chusheng lived on the streets for a few years where he got involved in too many fights to count, way before he met Boss Bai and was taken under the man’s wing. He had to stare down people that were larger than him, fiercer than he was, scarier too. When he slept on the streets, he shared the space with rats, cockroaches and the likes. If he didn’t want to go hungry, he had to fight for leftover food in the garbage too between buildings.

From early on, he understood that if he wanted something, he had to fight for it. What use was fear? Being scared didn’t fill up his stomach and it sure as hell didn’t keep other assholes from hitting and bullying him.

After he met Boss Bai, the man began to teach him how to fight, how to channel his strength efficiently and properly, and how to make sure that people respected or feared him. He was strong now and could fight anything that came his way as long as he faced it head on. The uncles and brothers he grew up around didn’t let fear control them either. 

There just aren’t that many things in the world left that scare him anymore. This is something that comes with experience and age. It’s the case for him, and it is the same for everyone else, Chusheng believes.

That is, until he meets Lu Yao.

“It’s a dog, it’s barking at me!” Lu Yao panics from where he jumped over Chusheng’s back earlier.

Staring at the chihuahua incredulously, Chusheng thinks he is hearing Lu Yao wrongly. “What- It’s a small, tiny dog, San Tu. What are you even scared of?”

“It’s barking at me! Shoot it!”

The dog continues to bark at Lu Yao and the tall, gangly genius refuses to get down from his back, even going as far as to grab his gun from the waistband of his pants. When the dumbass gets like this, shit always happens, and his theory is proven correct when the windows to his car shatter from a misfired bullet.

Chusheng has never seen anyone like Lu Yao. How can anyone be that brilliant and intelligent, and also this timid at the same time?

Where he has long since outgrew his fears, Lu Yao has them all, and more.

The man hides from trouble the second he spots it - hiding inside the train while Chusheng beat the hired goons up, averting his eyes when he saw the beheaded corpse, running away when people chase him, using Chusheng as a physical shield when You Ning or anyone else confronts him, and the list goes on.

Lu Yao is scared of everything except dead people (if the corpse is whole), which is ironic, if he thinks about it.

There’s a rat running around Chusheng’s office one day, and before You Ning can even take off her shoe and chase after the rodent, when Chusheng turns around, Lu Yao is already standing on top of his table, hugging his hands to himself.

Chusheng deals with the rat quickly, trapping it with his cup and then calling for Ah Dou to come in and remove it.

A few days later, one of their cases brings them to a dilapidated, dark and eerie warehouse at the ports. Lu Yao insists on standing outside the door, and when Chusheng rolls his eyes and moves to head in with his men, Lu Yao grabs at his elbow and stops him. He forces Chusheng, the great Inspector Qiao, to accompany him outside while his men checks out the place. It turns out to be empty and they find the lights to illuminate the whole space ten minutes later, but even then, Lu Yao is pressed closed to him at his back with every move after.

A confrontation with one of Boss Bai’s brothers, one of Chusheng’s uncles, has the men threatening to cut off Lu Yao’s fingers one by one for daring to suspect one of their brothers for the case they’re on. That has Lu Yao so frightened he actually faints.

Chusheng can only look towards the heavens and pray for mercy.

Lu Yao backs off when beautiful women at the club approach him with a predatory eye. When one of their enemies actually brings a gunfight to the station, Chusheng finds Lu Yao hiding under his table after he deftly knocks the culprit out. 

A trek through the forests on the outskirts of the city in the middle of the night has Lu Yao flinching and jumping at every little sound. A visit to an abandoned three-storey building which used to serve as a prison back in the older days and Lu Yao is clutching at his sleeve, refusing to let go as they check out the scene.

“I don’t understand,” Chusheng finally says one afternoon, turning around to look at Lu Yao who is crouched low in his seat in the car, hiding while Chusheng faced off with two men who followed them out of the restaurant, looking for trouble.

“What… what do you not understand?” Lu Yao asks as he straightens, confused and awkward.

“Why would you be scared when you have me?” Chusheng continues, absolutely exasperated as he crosses his arm, staring at Lu Yao with a raised eyebrow.

The man returns his stare from the backseat for a long while. Chusheng writes it off as a lost cause after Lu Yao has been silent for too long, and gets back into the driver’s seat.

Chusheng doesn’t know fear anymore, but a few weeks later, he supposes he comes rather close to the feeling again. Seeing Jiang Zhi Qing and his men carry a body in a potato sack, coming out of the restaurant Lu Yao went into earlier. Lu Yao is now nowhere in sight.

He manages to save San Tu then, but as his sources inform him of Lu Yao’s siblings and father moving, moving to remove him from Shanghai, away from him by any means possible, Chusheng begins to worry. He starts to fear, the first time in more than a decade. 

He fears that if he’s not careful, he’s going to wake up and Lu Yao will be nowhere to be found, whisked away to somewhere that Chusheng cannot reach.

Chusheng suggests to Lu Yao that he leave Shanghai for a bit with You Ning while he sorts all of this out. He is almost entirely certain that Lu Yao will agree, given his penchant for running away when trouble comes knocking, so when Lu Yao shakes his head and simply continues reading the case document in front of him instead, Chusheng doesn’t understand.

“Why don’t you want to go? You should go, San Tu. I’ll make sure they can’t reach you,” he frowns.

“I don’t want,” Lu Yao responds, almost indignant. “Why should I go? I like being here where I’m not disliked, and you pay me handsomely- well, not really, you could do better with my wages, but the thing is, I like it here. Where would I even go?”

“Anywhere,” Chusheng shrugs, helpless. “Anywhere at all. Anywhere is better than here. Jiang Zhi Qing already tried to kidnap you once. I don’t have to tell you how powerful your siblings are, right? And don’t try to hide it, when you heard that your Dajie was coming to visit you earlier, you shuddered. You’re scared of her, so why won’t you go?”

The more time he spends with Lu Yao, the more Chusheng understands that he is willing to do anything if it means Lu Yao is safe and happy. This is the most he can do for Lu Yao right now. The triads are a big thing in Shanghai, but against political power and status which Lu Yao’s sister has in spades, her talons sinking into places even they cannot reach, there’s only so much Chusheng can do.

He’s not confident that he can protect Lu Yao from this one.

“Well,” Lu Yao begins, peering up from the document and staring pointedly at Chusheng before looking away in a pout.

Chusheng gets distracted immediately as he actually finds the pout cute. He’s done for, he knows that.

“Someone asked me a while back why I would be scared… when I have him?” Lu Yao ends the sentence in a rush, as if embarrassed. “And he’s right. So this is me… trying to be less scared.”

He is floored. He truly is, and Chusheng doesn’t know if he should laugh or cry in this situation. However, Lu Yao’s response has strangely chased away the uncertainty he’s been feeling for a while now, just like that.

Sitting against the edge of the table right next to Lu Yao, Chusheng bends down and asks, “Are you sure? You’re so sure that I’ll be able to protect you?”

Lu Yao’s face is mere inches away from his as he looks up to return Chusheng’s gaze.

“You said that I have you,” Lu Yao swallows, his eyes unsure. “Did you mean it?”

Chusheng can say no right now. He can laugh it off, hit it where it hurts and get Lu Yao far away from Shanghai. Logically, he knows that, but when Lu Yao is looking at him like this, when Lu Yao relies on him, when Lu Yao needs him-

How can he say no to that?

He’ll deal with Lu Yao’s troublesome family when they come.

“Hnn,” he hums in assent, “You have me, for as long as you want me.”

At the answer, Lu Yao does a pretty good imitation of a deflated balloon as the tension in his body leaves him, and says, “I thought you were going to say no-“

Chusheng cuts him off and captures his lips with his own suddenly. A hand cupping the side of Lu Yao’s angular, handsome face, Chusheng deepens the kiss until Lu Yao can hardly remember his own name when they break apart.

He looks pretty dazed, Chusheng thinks smugly.

It takes Lu Yao a minute to come back to himself, but when he does, his face turns a lovely shade of red and he pushes Chusheng away, standing up.

Seeing Lu Yao scramble away and head for the door, the fondness that wells up in his chest at the sight is surreal. There he is, his timid Lu San Tu.

“Where’re you going?” he asks, amused. “Is that it?”

“I-“ Lu Yao spins around, then takes two steps to the left before regretting it and turning back. “I- I’m going home. You- You figure out what to do with my Dajie. I’m- I’m going home.”

“Shall I send you back-“

“No!”

Chusheng winces as Lu Yao strikes the back of the couch, then trips over a cabinet leg in his fluster to leave the office. Shaking his head, Chusheng decides that he will not press Lu Yao for now.

He’ll have to figure out some way to deal with Lu Yao’s Dajie and the rest of his family.

After all, Lu Yao is counting on him to drive away all his fears and Chusheng has resigned himself to the fact that he will give Lu Yao everything he wants, if only the man opens his mouth and asks.

===

*Dajie - Older sister

*Based loosely on the ending of ep 24, I took liberties with the timeline a little bit

*We’ll only know what happens when Lu Yao’s sister comes visit him this week probably, I await with bated breath

[girllovescomic]

Winter Begonia episode 3

This episode opens with the audience waiting on our little divo.  Minister Jin asks Boss Niu whether SXR has found a replacement for the violinist.  If not, he will make good on his threat. Weasel Dengbao repeats what Minister Jin said to his dad, like the man was not sitting right next to the corrupt politician.  The father replies if that is not exactly what he wants, to which Asian Crispin Glover bemoans that he is not that cruel. 

Meanwhile, Fan Lian acting like the typical fan wants to know what to know what SXR will be playing.  CFT like the good boyfriend he will become says that whatever his bae plays will be excellent.  Can I have my own Er Ye?  

Our pouty lips divo finally arrives on stage holding a Chinese violin.  Everyone is intrigued, wondering if he can actually play the instrument.  Daddy weasel Jiang explains that it takes hundred days to learn the dizi, a type of Chinese bamboo flute, a thousand days to learn the xiao (Chinese vertical flute) and ten years to be experienced enough to play the huqin/Chinese violin.  I guess all these instruments are used in the opera.  This worries Niu Bao Lan who clearly cares for our lil penguin. 

But no worries, our boy is a musical genius and he showcases it by playing the violin expertly, much to the dismay of the Jiang pair.  Fan Lian is obviously amazed by how talent his idol is, while CFT is all smiles and heart eyes.  Like bro, can you be more obvious in your fawning over your crush? He confirms what SXR had told him about being a hero.

Looking at his bae with open admiration.  Xirui share the wealth, sis!

Dengbao is clearly not happy that SXR will now be even more popular because of his prowess, but daddy tells him not to fly the white flag just yet.  SXR must have a weakness and they will find a way to exploit it. 

 Indeed, they find a way to manipulate SXR’s self-righteousness and stubbornness by loudly giving away the slush fund to Minister Jin’s secretary.  

It is obviously a trap to push the impetuous young man to make a major faux pas. Just as Daddy Jiang predicted, SXR decides to go back to the stage and sing an opera, as a laosheng (an older male role, something he hasn’t done in a while) about a corrupt Ming Dynasty minister who stole money from the empire. 

The crowd is clued in of the opera’s implication, including Fan Lian.  CFT, the opera novice, meanwhile is unaware of it and even claps thinking it is just a good performance.  When Fan Lian explains it to him, he even more impressed at how gutsy his crush is.

Hero gaze activated.  Anyone who touches bae will get the beating of his life.  I swear his attention perks up whenever someone threatens his lil penguin!

Minister Jin tells his secretary to send some guys after SXR.. Our little divo is no slouch in the martial arts department and is able to escape.  His dashing hero is waiting for him in the car and invites him to hop in.  

Minister Jin is surprised that SXR was able to slip through his fingers, but decides to not pursue him all the way to the opera house, not wanting to waste time on someone so insignificant.  Oh boy, if you only knew who is future boyfriend was!  Talking about boyfriend, CFT praises his lil divo’s martial arts skills; of course, SXR boasts that he is skilled in both singing and kung fu, without a hint of humility.  CFT asks if his little act was to his satisfaction and of course, Xirui answers in the affirmative.  CFT lets him know that his act will have consequences since he drew the ire of a powerful man by exposing his bad deeds and this matter will not be let go.  Xirui asks CFT what he should in that case.  CFT tells him he cannot do it alone, he will need help and then explains why Minister Jin tried to embezzled the money.  Apparently it is not really about the money, but about securing his position in Beiping against the juggernaut that is Commander Cao.  Unfortunately this flies over Xirui’s head who is probably looking at Er Ye’s beautiful profile and thinking of a few operas he wants to sing for him. Or how lucky he has found such a sexy daddy. Oh, I wish I was in your place sweetie. CFT promises he will take care of the situation for him and offers food, which he seems to know it’s something his crush understands. Then they gaze into each other’s eyes with Er Ye smiling softly and holy shit, like the gaze actually last more than a second! How this past censorship, I will never know.   

Xan Er Ye gaze at me like that too

We see Minister Jin acting like the pompous ass he is, walking down the street with his loot.  Someone shoots at his hat, creating a diversion to take said loot, which he realizes too late. 

Ohh so that is CFT’s plan, as we see his crew bring back the money.  He tells them to send it to the anti-Japanese coalition. This little act sinks Minister Jin who is accused of corruption and loses his fight against Commander Cao without the latter raising a finger.  

This obviously does not sit well with weasel Dengbao who complains, like the little bish he is, to his father.  Apparently, Xirui found another opera house to perform; it’s a popular house that has hosted many big opera performers (jue’er). His father tells him that they may not have to lift a finger, others will do the heavy lifting for them in dealing with Xirui.  He lets him on a secret about the so-called bad blood between Commander Cao and Xirui back when they were in Pingyang.   

Weasel Cao decides they need to spill the tea about the situation 

The next day, Xirui and his troupe come into the opera house and find Dengbao’s troupe, Longchun Troupe, in their space and the cattiness ensues.  I swear, it feels like watching the backstage of a theater or Hollywood, where rival actors get in each others’ faces for some primetime. 

Dengbao sneers, telling Xirui the opera house is now his territory. Whatever Asian Mr. World. There’s a staredown which is interrupted by the opera house manager.  

SXR demands an explanation for basically reneging on their agreement. The manager tells them he has his reasons for doing so, but if they want to perform they can take the morning spot, which is basically relegating a rising star, like Beyonce, to be the opening act instead of the primetime act, which is a major downgrade.

  Not only that, but it will be doing so until another performer, who is currently sick, returns.  Best girl Xiao Lai tells SXR to find another spot to perform, offended by the obvious downgrade.  

The manager lets them know that other houses will probably turn them down. It turns out that removing Minister Jin in favor of Commander Cao has made his previous encounter with the warlord resurface and no one wants to deal with this hot mess, in fear they will draw the wrath of Beijing’s new boss.  SXR looks at Dengbao and I believe he realizes this was his doing.

He discusses the matter with sexy crush while eating a steak like a country girl at a fancy debutante ball.  He tells CFT that the gossip is blown out of proportion; he doesn’t really have any feud with the commander. It turns out the commander wanted to keep the troupe as its personal entertainment, which goes against SXR wish of performing on stage. After all, the stage is everything for him.  He refused to continue singing, which led the commander to threaten him with a gun.  Our little divo showed his backbone, not flinching a tiny bit while feeling the cold barrel pressed against his head. . Xirui tells CFT that all the other things are unfounded gossips, there is nothing more between them.  A sidenote, in the novel, SXR was actually Commander Cao’s boy toy, which drew Meixin’s jealousy, forcing SXR to hide in his room to avoid her. He left for the same reason. Like a good boyfriend, CFT shows his understanding of the situation, replying that no one else was there so people ran with the gossip.  Xirui sees the people who believes the rumors as brainless, and I have to agree with him on this.  Even in modern time, people will believe whatever they want to believe about celebrities without using logic.

Can we take time to see how beautiful Yin Zheng look here?

Sexy CFT agrees and even brings up the fact that if the rumors were true, SXR would have been six feet under.  He knows his BIL very well.  Unfortunately, this does not change the fact that people will believe the gossip especially if the parties involved do not clarify the situation. CFT offers to remedy the situation by inviting SXR to sing at his son’s first birthday, where the commander will also be in attendance to celebrate his political win. SXR is honored to come sing for the Little Master and would have done so even without the added benefit.

We see two people walking and I smell trouble. The woman seems taken by the environment surrounding her, as if it is the first time she sees such luxury. Her husband is very sweet and soft-spoken and you can tell he is very much caring towards her. They are even holding hands like a pair of teenage lovers. Hmmm...could this provide a parallel between CFT and his wife?

Fan Lian greets them and we find out it’s the rumored couple mentioned in the gossip about SXR when he was still in Pingyang. The woman is Jiang Menping, Xirui’s former senior sister and her husband, Chang Zhixin, is Fan Lian and Er Nainai’s cousin. They have come to Beijing because the cousin works in government. Apparently the mention of Shuiyun is persona non grata around Meiping. She looks a shy and pensive woman, a complete contrast to the childlike and wild SXR.

They come to visit Er Nainai and CZX is taken by Er Nainai’s son, doting on him, which seems to sadden Meiping.  Er Nainai, after chatting incessantly about it until she notices Menping’s sad gaze. We learn she has been trying to get pregnant but her body is unhealthy or unable to produce children.  CZX showcases how much of a doting husband he is, stating that he actually does not like kids at all, which is a sweet lie.  He only wants her, nothing else.  Sigh...will I ever find someone like this.  

I digress...He adds that since he comes from a large family and had to deal with a lot of crying brats, he has grown to dislike kids.  You can tell he is saying this to make her feel good and she knows, but she is grateful and bask in his love. Er Nainai notices the sweet moment and you can tell she wishes that Er Ye was that loving. 

She gives Menping a pair of earrings as a wedding gift, which she could not attend.  Menping feels the jewelry is too luxurious, which makes me think they are a frugal type couple, despite the high level job he has and his aristocratic background. Er Nainai apologizes for her faux pas earlier, which Menping assures her it is okay.  CZX cannot stay a few moments away from his wife, acting all anxious as if she had disappeared.  She reminds him that it has only been 30 minutes, but in his mind, it felt like a day. I may get diabetes from all that sweetness. He quickly notices the earrings.  He tells Er Nainai that he notices everything about Menping, down to the details like new earrings. Oooh, the look of envy is all over Er Nainai’s face.

Is he for real??

We see Er Nainai trying out new earrings, obviously in the hopes that dashing CFT will notice.  Oh sis, your relationship is not the same as your cousin.  CFT comes in and thrown himself on the bed, fully clothed.  He looks like he had a full day. She helps him out of his jacket and tries to draw his attention to the earrings. Oh sis, i am telling you that you are wasting your time.  His heart eyes are not for you. He jokes that she looks chubbier (BRO!) and she pushes him back on the bed.  He wants to know what has gotten in her to make her irritated towards him. She pouts and walks back to her dresser, obviously disappointed that he did not notice the minute change. 

BRO! The last thing a woman wants to hear!

He’s like, okay fine, I am going to wash up, but by the way, next week is our son’s first birthday, so take care of the preparation, especially since my BIL will be coming for his big celebration. As he walks away, she mutters that she’s no better than a servant and takes off the earrings.

It’s the day of the Little Master’s birthday and Meixin is acting like a good hostess, guiding the servants and being the mistress of the house.  Apparently, Er Nainai is still pouting in her room.  One of the servants inform her the opera troupe is here and it is obvious that she has no idea who it is. By the way, let me pause again and talk about the fashion. Meixin’s dress and the mink she wears is gorgeous.  Good lord the details in this show!!!  Ok, so back to the program, she tells the servant to warn the maids not to go near the performers, again highlighting the prejudice carried against the performers, who were lower than even prostitutes.  Sigh, hierarchical societies are bleh. 

Meixin inquires about Er Nainai and right on cue, we see her, gazing into space, clearly still not over the fact that her husband does not pay full attention to her. Gurl, your marriage cannot be compared to that of your cousin! He married for love, while your husband married you for convenience.  Even if you are in love with him, the same cannot be said about him! He still showers you with affection and care, some people cannot even find that! 

Ugh, Meixin barges in and they have a little sister chat about the birds and the bees, the difference between men and women when it comes to love. Meixin wonders if she has a fever or something, and Er Nainai explains that she read an opera script (really sis?!) that claims if a woman has never or be loved, is she living in vain and I am sitting here, looking at myself, feeling forever alone... 

Sis, way to twist the knife in my wound

Meixin dismiss this nonsense, telling that most opera scripts are fake to fool young girls (that sounds familiar) and that as an housewife, she has obligations to fulfill. Er Nainai insists the stories are real and brings up the real reason why she feels out of sorts. 

 Meixin is like, the hell girl, why are you bringing this nonsense up? Did my brother offend you or something? Er Nainai says no, but she feels Fengtai is not like other men, which Meixin tells her it’s a good thing. 

 Every men are not supposed to be the same and Er Nainai acts like she’s a little girl. Meixin explains that some men are verbose with their love, while others carried in their hearts.  There are other men who sleeps around (hmmm is this a reference to novel Fengtai?) while others simply do not understand romance.

She thinks Fengtai is of the latter (maybe because he has not found the person to display his love to). Meixin reminds her of the type of man her brother is, someone who is bright and sensible, and she should be happy to have someone like this as a husband, instead of a gruff like Commander Cao.  No truer words spoken, sis!

Oh SIS! I hope you never see your husband’s face when he looks at his chubby cheeks bae.  You might be too mad to see such obvious display of adoration

Meanwhile Hot daddy CFT struts his stuff into the banquet area of his house, schmoozing to his guests.  Mr Hao Lan, who I believe is the head servant of the household, urges him to go outside and wait to greet the Commander. CFT tells him not to fret, the man of the hour will probably fashionably late. 

His mind quickly shifts to his bae and he inquires about the troupe.  As soon as he finds out there are already in his home, he goes out to check. Oh boy, the man is enamored, completely unaware that his wife is having a heart-to-heart about their relationship. 

He hears some of the singers fighting with their troupe leader, irritating Shang Lao Ban so much, he storms out. As soon as Xirui sees CFT, he is all smiles while CFT gives him his soft gaze that shows all the affection he has for our adorable divo.  Oh, if Er Nainai had seen this, she would have blown a casket.

If I could find a man who looks at me like Er Ye looks at Xirui

He claims to come and get a look at his bae check the preparations, wondering if it was bad time since he overheard the arguing. Sis, you are here to gaze at your crush

 SXR chuckles, dismissing the silly fight.  Er Ye tells him that he has hired photographers and reporters to help with dismissing the rumors. The headline, according to him will read “Shang Xirui’s beautiful voice caused Commander Cao to light up and smile”. Geez can I get a hype man like this? SXR is grateful at all the support CFT provided and wonders how he is going to repay him.

Sigh...

Right at this moment, the man of the hour arrives with all the pomp.  Lao Han rush CFT to the front door to greet the Commander. CFT reminds SXR that the rest is up to him to either fail or succeed in dispeling the rumors. SXR tells him not to worry and CFT replies with another one of his killer smiles. He runs to the door as Commander Cao steps out of the car. BIL tells him that he saw him running to greet him instead of waiting for him, all in jest.  

They clearly have a good relationship. CFT even jest that he doesn’t have another elder sister to give away for marriage when Commander Cao brings out all the gifts. Not to be outdone in the hilarious department, Cao tells him about the gift he brought to his little nephew and I swear I am endeared by the gruff old man when he describes the noise made by the toy train.  

Fan Lian is acting like the young master of the house, walking aimlessly towards the kitchen where he finds his cousins helping out. He’s like, what the hell are you guys doing? You are guests, not helpers! He tells them to go change and attend the banquet, hoping CXZ could rub shoulders with Old Cao for his career, but CXZ sounds like an honest politician.  

Commander Cao and Fengtai are jesting again, and you really feel their relationship is not based on hierarchy, but one of affection.  I think this is the first time I see a Republican Era drama that shows a warlord’s softer side.  Is this show for real???? They are discussing the tense relationship between his son, Cao Guixi who is also a top member of the army, and him.  Lol, he even calls him a son of a bitch, which makes CFT spit out the hazelnut out of his mouth. Apparently, the son is being ungrateful after his father gave him a golden ticket by sending him abroad, but he is turning out to be rebellious, even hanging out with sketchy people. 

Unfortunately for the Commander, since it’s his only heir, he can’t do much to suppress the young master. 

Oh, is the young master cause problem later?

Fengtai suggests that Commander impregnates his sister so she can give him another heir (no worries, this is said in jest) and he can shoot the current heir.  Fengtai asks why the Commander is so sweet with him (hmm because you are so damn charming, who can resist you?) while so stern with his son. The Commander does not want to talk his son because the latter infuriates him.  He then calls Fengtai using a feminized version of his name (Feng’er), which shows the kind of affection they have between each other.  Awww...Fengtai playfully acts embarrassed, which only prompts the Commander to yell out the girly nickname. LOL, I cannot! 

He then tells the Commander that he has brought Shang Xirui to perform for him, but if this offends him, he will send the troupe back.  He informs him of the situation the opera singer has found himself because of their nebulous past, but it seems, based on the Commander’s reaction, to be water under the bridge.  The Commander finds the gossip silly since he does not consider the lil divo as a worthy enemy.  Relieved, CFT tells him that he will make SXR sing a great piece for him and even apologizes, but the Commander knows the lil divo is a stubborn child who does not bend over for anyone.  The Commander requests a popular Shaanxi Opera called Qinqiang (I may actually make a post about the different operas). CFT orders the manager to inform SXR of the request.

SXR is not too happy about the sudden change, since he doesn’t have the right costume and makeup to perform this opera.  Oof, any creatives reading this will understand his fretting. We like to be perfect when we deliver our art and any last minute inconvenience can throw a major wrench in our delivery. 

Manager Han tells him it was a request from the Commander himself, so basically he has no choice. Despite having a well-know stubborn personality, SXR acquiesces, but he is not happy about it.  He knows he has no choice but to please the Commander since his future depends on it Even his troupe member comments at this overbearing commander’s unfair request.  SXR asks Xiao Lai if he should perform without all of his accoutrement, which best girl agrees. 

He is going to need far more food than the dainty offering from la casa de Cheng.  

She goes out to get something heavier, while Manager Han catches up with Meixin to let her know that her hubby is here.  She spots Xiao Lai and you know trouble is a-brewing.  She asks who that girl is as she looks familiar and learns which opera troupe was invite.  Realizing the impending trouble since Er Nainai’s cousins are also attending the banquet, she ask the manager to quickly fix this messy situation.

Ooph, there are so many good moments in this episode, especially with SXR calling out the minister for embezzlement, showing CFT that despite being a dan, he is no damsel.  We find out that he has martial art skills, which will probably be handy in later episodes.  We also finally get a chance to see the Commander and more family dynamics on CFT sides.  His relationship with this BIL is quite interesting and despite the obvious difference in status, they are quite affectionate with each other.  I feel like I am watching a more Westernized relationship than a typical Asian one.  Additionally, we get to see the much talked about Jiang Menping and her husband.  Their relationship is again a very Westernized lovey-dovey relationship, that of love, not one of arranged marriage, which contrast immensely to Fengtai-Er Nainai’s relationship.  This makes Er Nainai yearns for such devotion from her husband, which we know she will not get since a lil divo has bursted into the scene and crept up inside CFT’s heart.  I feel for her, you can tell she has love for her husband, but she is equally naive when it comes to relationship and how to deal with men in general.  She is after all a very conservative woman, who unlike her well-cultured husband, represents the vestiges of a fallen dynasty and society, that is still trying to hang on desperately.  I sense trouble brewing between Xirui, the cousins and Commander Cao

[thomwade]

The Force Awakens, in spite of conflicting reviews had made Disney enough money to feel confident in going forward with their game plan.  Disney had set a goal of a Star Wars movie every Christmas.

Since films of the blockbuster nature often can take at least two years of time to assemble, the answer Disney had was to alternate our visits.  Star Wars Episodes Seven, Eight and Nine would continue the adventures of the rebels.  In the alternating years would be a stand alone story within the Star Wars Universe.

Many ideas were bandied about, from Han Solo to Ben Kenobi to Boba Fett.  I suspect that, in part, this is one of the reasons the Extended Universe was declared not canon. They wanted that freedom to play around without any of the constraints of the extended universe material.

The first film announced was Rogue One, the story of how the rebels got the plans for the Death Star that allowed them to destroy it in A New Hope.  And so let us take a look…a spoiler filled look…like, do not go any farther if you have not seen the movie and don’t want to have it spoiled.

The film opens on a remote planet as a farmer watches the arrival of Empire ships.  He hurries his family away, wanting his wife and daughter to flee.  We soon find that the farmer is Galen Erso, an ex-imperial  architect to left their employ when he realized what he was building.  But he is needed to finish the work, and his former boss is insistent that he and his family return with them. Young Jade Erso witnesses her mother being killed from a distance, She runs to a hidden safe zone. Hours later, left all alone, Jade is found by Saw Gerrera, a friend of her father’s and a well known leader in the growing rebellion.

The film then jumps ahead to a now grown Jade who appears to a regular trouble maker, currently in the custody of the Empire. She is being transported when the transport vehicle is attacked.  She is grabbed by a large robot called K 2SO. A droll reprogrammed droid, he is working with Cassian Andor.  They are on a covert mission, trying to reach a an imperial pilot named Bodhi who  is in the hands of Gerrera.  Believing Jade is their ticket to getting Bodhi, they have broken her out.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story L to R: Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) Ph: Jonathan Olley © 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

They arrive on the planet where Gerrera is holed up.  Cassian and Jade find themselves in a fire fight between dissidents and Storm Troopers.  They are joined by a blind monk Chirrut Îmwe and his protector/companion Baze Malbus.  The monk is not a Jedi, but enters fights chanting “The Force is with me and I am with the Force”. Baze on the other hand puts more trust in guns. They are taken to Gerrera by the dissidents.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Chirrut (Donnie Yen) Photo credit: Lucasfilm/ILM ©2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Gerrera provides information to Jade and allows everyone to leave.  They rush from the planet s the Death Star fires on the planet.  They have learned where to find Galen, but unbeknownst to Jade, the plan is simply to kill him. Jade learns the truth and unsuccessfully tries to save her father, though he does at the hands of the Empire, rather than Cassian.

Things are looking bleak, but Erso is determined to see that her father’s death is not in vein.  While the leadership of the rebellion refuses to back an attack on the planet with the Death Star, Jade convinces Cassian, Chirrut, Baze, Bodhi and several pilots it is a needed mission.

While fighters take to the air, Cassian and Jade lead a team with the goal of stealing the Death Star plans that reveal the flaw her father built directly into the Death Star.  We know, of course, that they succeed, because A New Hope already told us that they did.

The first thing one notices in the film is that, unlike previous Star Wars entries, there is no opening scrawl. And the film is simply titled Rogue One on screen, no “A Star Wars Story”.  This seems to be an intentional signal regarding a way for the non-episodic stories to be set further apart.

Of course, they do not take a real risk of going to far afield, afterall, Rogue One takes place literally moments right before A New Hope.  And truth be told? This was the part that kind of annoyed me.  I did not need the film to end at that spot.  It was purely the silliest of fan services.

The biggest controversy I heard on this one was how much of a problem people had with the digital Tarkin.  I mean, it is an actor playing the role, but like Gollum, there is a digital actor laid over that actor. And, there is a certain…hard to pin unnaturalness to how he looks.

 Yet, for my money, the one that just creeped me out was only on screen for a few seconds.  Far more awkward to my eyes was the wax museum look of…

I do not get how people were excited by this sequence rather than unnerved by it. There are other little annoying bits of fan service, for instance, Jade and Cassian bump into the aliens that threatened in Luke Episode four in Mos Eisley.  It just feels kind of silly, especially when you consider the planet is about to be blasted by the Death Star.

Speaking of which, I notice they do pay a close enough attention to detail to have both times the Death Star is used in the film in a fashion where the planets are devastated, but not obliterated.  I note this because Alderaan certainly seems to be implied as the first full on destruction from the Death Star.  Though I could be wrong.

For the most part, though, I really do enjoy the film. I mean, they basically decided to make a heist sci-fi film, and it is a pretty tight one.  The cast of characters are pretty interesting, though admittedly the standouts are Donnie Yen and Chirrut and Wen Jiang as Baze, along with Alan Tudyk’s K-2SO. Chirrut and Baze have one of those solid movie friendships where they seem somewhat adversarial, but you know there is something stronger and deeper below the surface.

Baze blow’s off Chirrut’s mysticism, crediting himself as the true protector of Chirrut, not the Force (the film features no Jedi or hardcore Force Users).  Chirrut is also quite funny in his own right.  As the group is captured by Gerrera’s people, bags are being put over their heads and Chirrut incredulously states “Really? I’m BLIND.”

And then there is the droid.  K-2SO is kind of an anti- C-3PO.  Sarcastic and cynical he lacks 3PO’s refinement, but shares his tendency to appealing to the negative odds.  When Cassian gives Jade a gun, he starts to ask if Cassian knows the odds she will not use the gun against the,.  “Not very good” he says dryly.

Yet, just as pretty much everyone in Rogue Squadron, K2 gets his moment of glory.  But I definitely felt a twinge of disappointment that some of these characters would never make a return. I could totally sit through, say, a TV series about Chirrut and Baze on adventures.

If Rogue One is a sing of things to come for the Star Wars stories, I remain hopeful for that Young Han Solo film.

Nothing But Star Wars Episode Three and a Quarter (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, 2016) The Force Awakens, in spite of conflicting reviews had made Disney enough money to feel confident in going forward with their game plan. 

[mehiwilldoitlater]

oh my god i love tghese designs like a lot

dont have the money to play Black Myth Wukong but the tumblr fandom makes it look fun

also im doomed to insert Jiang into every JTTW adaptation regardless

[killerandhealerqueen]

Hi! How about Feral!Bai Jinbo? The commissioner will not allow anyone to hurt his family. Commissioner Bai liked Chen Yuzhi. He sincerely believed that he was a gift from heaven for his adopted son and seeing how much they loved each other, the Commissioner was happy and calm for Yuelou. Only some individuals absolutely did not understand that it was impossible to hurt Chen Yuzhi. Not if you don't want hell on earth. A foreigner comes to the Yuzhi clinic /no matter what/ and when he saw the doctor, he immediately wanted to appropriate him (suicide). He says he didn't think he would meet such a beautiful doctor in China. Yuzhi is confused and translates the topic. The foreigner, having received the medicine, leaves and promises himself that the handsome doctor will be his. He comes to the clinic almost every day and flirts with Yuzhi in every possible way. The doctor is very polite, but he begins to be annoyed by the intrusiveness of a foreigner. One day, having misunderstood Yuzhi's politeness, he began to molest him. Yuzhi is shocked at first, and then hitting him, orders him to get out of his life and in general he is married. The foreigner is furious, but he is stopped by the evil Yuelou. He throws the foreigner out of the clinic and comforts his husband. Only this does not stop the scoundrel and the next day, together with his gang, he breaks into Yuzhi's house to kidnap the stubborn doctor. Yuzhi resists, for which he receives a strong slap in the face. Yuelou, hearing the screams, runs to Yuzhi's house and attacks the kidnappers in a rage. He won the fight, but the foreigner shoots him several times. Jian Yuelou falls, Yuzhi screams his name in horror and rushes to him. The foreigner slaps him again and drags him to the car. Song Rong and Sun Yongren, hearing the shots, run to Chen Yuzhi's house and see the wounded Yuelou. Song Rong decides to pursue the kidnappers, and Sun Yongren has to take the boss to the hospital. When Commissioner Bayou was informed of the incident, he is furious. Some bastard dares to shoot his son and kidnap his son-in-law?! First he goes to the hospital and finds out that Yuelou has survived, but he is in serious condition. Song Rong comes back with and says, that Yuelou survived, but he's in serious condition. Song Rong returns from and tells where the doctor was taken. Commissioner Bai takes everyone and goes to rescue Chen Yuzhi. Arriving at the house where his second son is being held, he hears his screams and scattering everyone who tries to stop him, he bursts into the room. From what he saw, everything is in red. The bastard tore Yuzhi's shirt, bites him and tries in every way to undo his belt. Bai Jinbo throws the foreigner away from him and growls. How dare he??? The commissar sees that Yuzhi is in shock, takes off his raincoat and helps him put it on. He tells Jin Dacheng to take the tortured doctor away and stays with the kidnapper. The foreigner threatens the Commissioner, but he doesn't care. No one, not even the devil himself, dares to attack his family! Everyone was arrested and the Commissioner personally interrogated everyone. Everyone is shocked by his bloodlust, but Bai doesn't care. Before that, he asks Yuzhi, what did this scoundrel manage to do with him? Yuzhi tries to say something and can't. The commissioner hugs him and lets him cry, and then takes him to the hospital. When the mayor tries to threaten Bai Jinbo with problems that he attacked a foreigner, the Commissioner replied in an icy tone that no one dares to shoot his son and kidnap his son-in-law. And if someone repeats it, then he is not responsible for himself. The mayor is terrified and can't say anything. At this time, Yuelou comes to his senses and comforts his doctor in every possible way. I'm sorry that there are so many words, I could not express my thought in any way😶

No, no, no need to apologize. I like this. I'm always up for feral headcanons because now we get to see where Jiang Yuelou gets his feralness from (I always wanted Bai Jinbo to go apeshit in the drama and now I get to let him go apeshit here...this is gonna be fun)

Bai Jinbo loves Chen Yuzhi.  He thinks he’s God’s gift to his son, Jiang Yuelou.  He also loves his grandchild, Keying

When Jiang Yuelou proposes to Chen Yuzhi and he says yes, Bai Jinbo is very delighted, to say the least

Besides being very loved by Bai Jinbo and Jiang Yuelou, Chen Yuzhi is also loved by everyone in Jing City, even foreigners who come to visit

One day, a foreigner steps into Chen Yuzhi’s clinic because he’s feeling ill and the minute he lays eyes on Chen Yuzhi, he’s immediately enamored

Chen Yuzhi, of course, doesn’t notice the way the man looks at him and just treats him like any other patient, but he is a little surprised when the man takes his hands in his whenever he hands him his medicine

However, he doesn’t think too much about it because he knows that some foreigners are just really friendly, and they like to be more tactile than others

Over the next couple of days, the foreigner comes back to Chen Yuzhi’s clinic, at first under the guise of being ill but after that he just sort of…hangs out around Chen Yuzhi’s clinic, saying he wants to get to know Chen Yuzhi

Chen Yuzhi is flattered that the foreigner likes him but having him around his clinic is distracting because he can’t focus on treating his patients if he has someone looming or hovering around him while he’s working

After a while, Chen Yuzhi becomes fed up with the foreigner hanging around him and his clinic so anytime he hears the foreigner come into the shop, he quickly hides until the man gives up and leaves

The one day, when Chen Yuzhi is working on some paperwork, the foreigner comes into the clinic and grabs Chen Yuzhi by the wrist and pins him up against his medicine drawers before he begins to kiss and fondle Chen Yuzhi

Chen Yuzhi is shocked at first before he quickly regains his senses and pushes the man away, telling him that what he’s doing is inappropriate and that he’s engaged

The foreigner doesn’t give two fucks and pounces on Chen Yuzhi again, only to get socked in the face by Chen Yuzhi

“Get the hell away from me!”

The foreigner growls and goes to attack Chen Yuzhi this time when he’s grabbed by the back of his collar and dragged out of the clinic. He’s then thrown out, landing in the middle of the street, causing him and the others passing by to look up to see Chief Jiang Yuelou glaring at him, murder in his eyes

“If you ever go near or touch Dr. Chen again, I will kill you”

He then grabs the clinic doors and slams them shut, leaving the foreigner in the middle of the street, looking like a fool

The foreigner growls and pushes himself up from the ground and goes off to the plan because he is pissed

Inside the clinic, Jiang Yuelou walks over to Chen Yuzhi, who’s shaking out his hand and cups his face in his hands, making Chen Yuzhi flinch before he realizes who’s touching him

“Yuelou”

Jiang Yuelou looks at him before he leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to his forehead

“Yuzhi”

He then let go of Chen Yuzhi’s face and gently took his hand, the one that punched the foreigner in the face, and looked at it, humming softly

“You didn’t break skin, so that’s good.  You might want to ice it, however”

Chen Yuzhi nods before Jiang Yuelou takes his hand and guides him upstairs, both men sitting down on the bed as Jiang Yuelou looks over at him

“So what happened?  Who was that guy?”

Chen Yuzhi sighs and explains to him that the foreigner was a former patient, but he kept…coming to see Chen Yuzhi, almost as if he was stalking him.  He then attacked him today and that’s why Jiang Yuelou saw him shaking out his hand because he punched the guy in the face

Jiang Yuelou growls; how dare the foreigner try to touch his doctor.  Does he have a fucking death wish?  (Obviously, Yuelou, come on now)

He then offers Chen Yuzhi protection but Chen Yuzhi shakes his head and assures him that he’ll be fine and using police officers to protect him over something trivial is a waste of man power when they could be doing more important things

Jiang Yuelou growls and tells him that he’s important too but Chen Yuzhi just smiles and assures him that he’ll be fine

A few days later, as Chen Yuzhi is heading to work, he’s suddenly grabbed by the foreigner and a few of his men that he hired to kidnap Chen Yuzhi

Chen Yuzhi cries out in surprise and starts screaming for Jiang Yuelou, who thankfully is just coming out of his house, also about to head to work

The minute Jiang Yuelou sees Chen Yuzhi being grabbed, he rushes over to them but the foreigner pulls out a gun and fires a few shots at him, causing him to crash to the ground

Chen Yuzhi screams in horror and tries to fight against his kidnappers but they just drag him over to a car that’s waiting nearby and shove him inside, the foreigner getting in after him before they drive off

Little do they know, Chen Yuzhi’s little sister Keying witnesses the whole thing and runs out, screaming in horror to find Jiang Yuelou bleeding out on the ground.  She shakes him and he’s conscious enough to tell her to call for help so she quickly runs back into her house and dials two numbers

First she dials Zhan Junbai’s number and tells her that Jiang Yuelou has been shot and if he could come and take him to the hospital and once she’s sure he’s coming, she calls Bai Jinbo and tells him that not only has Jiang Yuelou been shot but that Chen Yuzhi has been kidnapped

Bai Jinbo is furious for two reasons: 1) his son has been fucking shot and 2) his soon to be son-in-law has been kidnapped

He assures Keying that he’ll find Chen Yuzhi and get the man that shot Jiang Yuelou before he tells her to go with Zhan Junbai and Jiang Yuelou to the hospital

After Keying hangs up, she rushes back out to Jiang Yuelou and presses her little hands into the gunshot wounds like she’s seen Chen Yuzhi do plenty of times to desperately try and staunch the bleeding

Thankfully Zhan Junbai arrives and rushes over to them, scooping Jiang Yuelou into his arms before placing him in the car, Keying getting in after him, the three of them heading to the hospital

When they arrive, Bai Jinbo is already there, waiting

Jiang Yuelou is rushed to surgery while Bai Jinbo paces back and forth, livid out of his skin

Song Rong and Sun Yongren then rush over to him and tell him that they followed the car that took Chen Yuzhi, since they were in the neighborhood for a different case

Bai Jinbo’s eyes widen before he looks at Zhan Junbai and asks him to stay here with Keying and Jiang Yuelou

Zhan Junbai nods while Bai Jinbo, Song Rong, and Sun Yongren rush off to go find out where Chen Yuzhi is

Meanwhile, in a love hotel, Chen Yuzhi is fighting against the foreigner, who’s already ripped off his suit vest, dress shirt, and suit jacket and now he’s trying to remove his belt.  Chen Yuzhi hates this, hates what’s happening to him and hates this fucking foreigner because for all he knows, Jiang Yuelou is dead and it’s this foreigner’s fault

The foreigner then reaches for his belt again and because the man is stupid and only ties Chen Yuzhi’s wrist to the bed and not his ankles, they’re free so he takes advantage of that and kicks the man in the face, grinning when he hears the man’s nose break with a sickening yet satisfying crunch

Just then, the door to the room bursts open and Bai Jinbo steps in, the same look in his eyes that’s normally in Jiang Yuelou’s when he’s beyond angry

The minute he sees Chen Yuzhi tied to the bed and with his clothes torn, he growls before he points to the foreigner, who’s still clutching at his broken nose

“Get him out of here”

Song Rong and Sun Yongren run over to the man and grab him, beginning to drag him away when he breaks out of their hold, pulling out a knife before running over to Chen Yuzhi, the knife above his head like he’s about to stab him

However, before he can get to him, Bai Jinbo grabs him by the throat and pins him into the wall, snarling

“You already shot my son…if you think you’re going to hurt my son-in-law, you’ve got another thing coming”

He then tightens his grasp on the foreigner’s neck until the foreigner is gasping for breath and once he’s almost blue in the face, Bai Jinbo throws him away, watching as he collapses to the ground, coughing harshly

“Take him away”

Song Rong and Sun Yongren nod and pick him up before dragging him out of the room to take him to the police station

Once they’re gone, Bai Jinbo rushes over to the bed and unties Chen Yuzhi’s wrist before he helps him up, immediately removing his overcoat before placing it over his shoulders

“We should get you to a hospital to make sure he didn’t do anything to you”

Chen Yuzhi shakes his head

“I’m fine…he just tore my clothes.  He didn’t try anything…I broke his nose when I kicked him in the face so I think I stunned him”

Bai Jinbo smiles before he carefully guides the young doctor out of the love hotel, first taking him home to change before they both head to the hospital where Jiang Yuelou is thankfully out of surgery

Chen Yuzhi heads to Jiang Yuelou’s hospital room, where Jiang Yuelou is resting while Zhan Junbai watches over him and Keying

The minute Chen Yuzhi sees Jiang Yuelou okay in the hospital bed, he starts crying, making Zhan Junbai look over at him before he stands to his feet and walks over to him, wrapping an arm around him

Chen Yuzhi buries his face in Zhan Junbai’s chest and cries, thanking him between sobs for saving Jiang Yuelou and taking him to the hospital

“Aiyo, so much like your little sister”

Zhan Junbai chuckles softly and tells him to not cry and to go be with Jiang Yuelou

Chen Yuzhi nods and wipes his eyes before he walks over to the chair by Jiang Yuelou’s bed, taking his hand while Zhan Junbai walks over to Bai Jinbo, his eyes dark

“I want to see this foreigner”

Bai Jinbo nods and motions for him to follow him, both men heading to the prison

They then head to the foreigner’s cell, the foreigner struggling against his restraints

Zhan Junbai asks Bai Jinbo to leave; that he’ll interrogate the foreigner and Bai Jinbo smirks before he turns and heads out of the cell to go deal with the mayor, who calls him as soon as he gets back to the station

Bai Jinbo then goes to the mayor’s office and immediately gets reprimanded but Bai Jinbo doesn’t care; the foreigner fucking shot his son and kidnapped his son-in-law.  You really think he’s going to just stand by and let the foreigner walk?!  Like fucking hell

Mayor Cai tries to scold him and Bai Jinbo just slams his hand down on his desk, growling that nobody touches his family and gets away with it

Mayor Cai trembles in fear at his face because Bai Jinbo looks a lot like Jiang Yuelou when he’s angry and now he understands where Jiang Yuelou gets his anger from

Bai Jinbo then leaves and heads back to the police station, where Zhan Junbai is coming out of the foreigner’s cell, his knuckles covered in blood.  He then raises an eyebrow, but Zhan Junbai just smiles

“He’s not dead, if that’s what you’re wondering. Just beaten to a pulp”

Bai Jinbo smiles and claps him on the shoulder

“You’re a good friend, Zhan-xiong”

Zhan Junbai huffs

“He shot my friend.  It’s the least I could do”

Bai Jinbo chuckles and gives his shoulder a squeeze before he heads back to his office to deal with paperwork since he’s not worried about Jiang Yuelou; he knows he’s in good hands

At the hospital, when Jiang Yuelou wakes up, he sees Chen Yuzhi sitting at his bedside and gives his hand a squeeze, Chen Yuzhi jolting in surprise before he lets out a gasp as he looks at Jiang Yuelou

“Yuelou”

Jiang Yuelou smiles weakly

“Yuzhi”

Chen Yuzhi stares at him before tears come to his eyes and he begins to sob, Jiang Yuelou’s eyes widening as he pulls his hand out of Chen Yuzhi’s and reaches up, gently wiping away the tears

“Shhh…shh…you’ll wake Keying”

Chen Yuzhi sniffles and wipes his eyes before he scoots the chair forward and leans down, pressing his forehead to Jiang Yuelou’s

“I thought I lost you”

Jiang Yuelou was quiet before he cups the back of Chen Yuzhi’s neck and gives it a squeeze

“I thought I lost you too”

Both men are silent before Jiang Yuelou gently presses a kiss to Chen Yuzhi’s forehead, letting out a shuddering breath

“Are you okay?”

Chen Yuzhi nods

“I’m okay.  Your father saved me”

Jiang Yuelou chuckles before he sighs

“Good…that’s good”

Chen Yuzhi smiles and presses a kiss to Jiang Yuelou’s forehead this time, gently stroking his cheek

“Get some rest.  Heal.  I’m here. I’m not going anywhere”

Jiang Yuelou nods but before he shuts his eyes, he wraps one arm around Keying, who’s asleep in his bed, and takes Chen Yuzhi’s hand in his, interlacing their fingers

Chen Yuzhi smiles and gives his hand a squeeze as he watches Jiang Yuelou’s eyes slip shut, letting the drugs pull him under

He then lets out a soft breath and makes a mental note to thank Bai Jinbo profusely the next time he sees him for saving his life

Because if it wasn’t for him, he probably wouldn’t be here at Jiang Yuelou’s side

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 13 first part

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Endeavors) 

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Don’t Have a Leg to Stand on

Wei Wuxian starts off asking Lan Wangji to let him help, citing, not for the first time, "all we've been through together" as a reason they should share their troubles. Later, all they go through apart will make it even harder for them to share their troubles. 

Using paperman, Wei Wuxian asks Wen Qing for help, and she calls for a rest stop. Lan Wangji sits down and Wei Wuxian goes to get him some water.

Wei Wuxian stupidly bows to Wen Qing to thank her, causing her to contemplate what a terrible spy he would be. She avoids talking to him while he looks at her with deep friend-yearning, in a moment of blatant het baiting.

Overly-dramatic backache guy is my hero. His back and shoulders are trashed after a stroll on a smooth path. Same, backache guy, same.

Jiang Cheng comes along to tell Wei Wuxian not to pay attention to Wen Qing.

Also, don't pay attention to Lan Wangji. Do you sense the theme here, bro?

(more after the cut)

Wei Wuxian actually takes the hint and cuddle-walks with Jiang Cheng for a bit, gossiping about Wen Chao and his girlfriend.

Jiang Cheng drops a seemingly-insignificant bit of information about swords requiring spiritual power. 

He will not think of this later when his brother starts wielding a flute.

Talisman Magic

After looking around a wide open beach area, the cultivators are unable to find the hidden cave, and are ready to give up. Wei Wuxian decides that's a good time for him to start looking.

Jiang Cheng continues his hopeless quest to get Wei Wuxian to stop doing stuff. Wei Wuxian decides to help Wen Chao find his "murder all the clan heirs" cave, locating it with hardly any effort.

Is Wei Wuxian the only cultivator who uses talismans at this point?  Seeing all the baby Lans using them in Episode 1 makes it seem like they're not unusual, but he seems to be the only one in this generation.

This makes a strong impression on a lot of people. Jiang Chang isn't happy about it, and walks away from his brother.

Side note: these two are the literal worst, and yet they have...kind of great chemistry? I want to see these actors as the secondary, comic-relief couple in a modern light-hearted romance. 

It's hard to tell from this look exactly what Lan Wangji thinks about Wei Wuxian's cave-finding, but from this point on, they are walking together, and Lan Wangji is letting Wei Wuxian hold his arm to help him. 

Wanting to fight monsters is kind of high on their list of shared interests, and every time they go questing, they get closer to each other.

Spelunking

The cave filming location is freaking awesome, with apparently real bats.

Sure, give torches to the two most dangerous prisoners, great thinking, Wen Chao. 

MianMian, who has been a perfectly sensible and competent cultivator up until this point, suddenly becomes clumsy and helpless, which is probably just as annoying for her as it is for the people who are used to relying on her. Everyone's entitled to a bad day, but jeez, writers.

Lan Wangji has stopped worrying about his busted leg and is super eager to find the monster. 

Wei Wuxian unwisely points out that they can’t see what’s at the bottom of the cave, which inspires Wen Chao to play a quick round of Fuck/Marry/Cliff with him. 

Reactions to seeing Wei Wuxian yeeted off a cliff are varied.

Down at the bottom of the cave, the cultivators stand around helplessly until Wei Wuxian uses a talisman to light up the back of the cave. Seriously, what do these wankers do on their night hunts? They’re hopeless at hunting. 

None of them remarks on the strangely turtle-shaped rock in front of them. To be fair, I don't think Wen Chao told them what sort of monster they're looking for.

Picking on Mian Mian Some More

Wen Chao wants to bleed someone in order to draw out the monster. Instead of just asking everyone to cough up some blood, which any c-drama character can do on command, he wants to cut someone up. 

His girlfriend is a nasty jealous person, so she wants to use MianMian as bait. Wei Wuxian starts to move to protect her and Lan Wangji beats him to it.

HEY HEY HEY now! I never noticed before, but Wei Wuxian isn’t actually an idiot for thinking Lan Wangji likes MianMian!

Lan Wangji might have leaped to protect her because he’s chivalrous--protecting the weak and so forth--or he might have done it to keep Wei Wuxian safe. 

*We* know he definitely didn’t do it because of a crush on her. When Lan Wangji has a crush on someone, he shows it by trying to stab them to death. But it’s not unreasonable for Wei Wuxian to interpret this as “man protects pretty girl he likes.”

Wei Wuxian breaks the terrible news to Jiang Cheng that they might have to actually help their friends to, like, not die.

Fight Fight Fight

Sure enough, fighting breaks out, and the three heirs and Wei Wuxian immediately grab swords away from their opponents and start kicking their asses. Feudalism really does bring the best quality people to the top!

After casually cutting a Wen dude’s throat, probably with that dude’s own sword, Wei Wuxian brings out his most lethal weapon, going verbal on Wen Chao. Initially this comes off like WWX being obnoxious and hassling an enemy when he should be focusing on sword fighting. But he's actually making a strategic move here to win the fight. 

Through the power of talking, and having actually done his homework, Wei Wuxian gets Wen Chao to insult his own ancestor. This is rude and hugely unlucky, and is also specifically against the Wen clan rules. In fact, it carries the death penalty, which Wei Wuxian gleefully taunts Wen Chao about.

Wen Zhuliu, who is a better Wen than Wen Chao, is super embarrassed by his junior boss's dumbfuckery...which distracts him.

As this goes on, Wei Wuxian’s companions become more and more aware that he’s about to make a move. Jin Zixuan has been on the receiving end of this play himself. 

Wen Chao is a really weak fighter, and always relies on Wen Zhuliu, carefully keeping himself out of danger whenever fighting happens. But Wei Wuxian's goading gets to him and he rushes forward. 

Wei Wuxian instantly disarms him and takes him hostage, while Jiang Cheng leaps into battle with the only really dangerous opponent in the room.

Jiang Cheng takes a scary but not core-crushing hand strike to the chest, but the battle stops when Wei Wuxian threatens Wen Chao's life.

He talks directly to Wen Zhuliu, who knows a killer when he sees one. Long before visiting the burial mounds, Wei Wuxian is entirely ruthless when necessary. Here he goes from whimsical to deadly in a heartbeat. 

This is a part of him that Lan Wangji doesn't really acknowledge...yet. 

Everyone drops their weapons. Unfortunately Wei Wuxian decided to stand on the turtle shaped rock, so this advantage won’t last.

Part Two coming soon!

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 03

(Masterpost)(Previous Episode) 

Warning: Spoilers for all 50 episodes!

 Wei Wuxian demonstrates the purple nurple technique of the Jiang Clan

Should’ve Used Trivago

The Jiang Clan’s reservation got cancelled while they were on the road, so they are going to wander around this small inn for hours being fussed about it, rather than trying another inn. Yes they say the other inns are all full but…so is this one, now. 

The Jin Clan sends an advance party to fancy up the inn for them.

Fuckboi Wei Wuxian

Wei Wuxian decides to use his considerable powers of prettiness to get them a room.  He drops some poetry on Mianmian and brazenly flirts with her before shifting to properly introducing himself and asking for a room. 

This actually works.

...until her boss shows up.

(Much much more after the cut!)

Worst Person // Best Jin

Jin ZIxuan is an ass and a snob. 

I guess we have to give him credit for having a beautiful sidekick and never hitting on her, given that his dad is a rapist and one of his half-brothers is (reputedly) a sex pest and the other half brother is (definitely) an incest perp. But I feel like it doesn’t take much to be the best Jin of his or his father’s generation.

The Jin folks are snobs and talk about how great their fancy and expensive stuff is. It’s an interesting contrast with true connoisseur Nie Huaisang, who loves everything that is fine and beautiful and can quote stacks of poetry off the top of his head, but is not even a little bit of a snob. 

This Tea Smells Like Farts

Ok, let’s talk about generation names in the Jin clan. Ru is the name for Jin Ling’s generation, hence his courtesy name Rulan. The name for the current generation is apparently Zi (子), because both Zixuan and his jerk cousin Zixun have that as their name.  Sect Leader Jin Guangshan would seem to be using the generation name Guang, but then names his son Jin Guangyao so…the whole system breaks down. 

Anyway, my point here is that even considering generation names, if I had a baby and named it Zixuan, and my sister-in-law promptly had a baby and named it Zixun, I would slap her. 

Find you a lover who does not make you feel like this 

Jin Zixuan is mildly intrigued by his betrothed, and expresses it by being rude to her in front of Wei Wuxian, starting a chain of events that will culminate with Wen Ning’s fist going all the way through Jin Zixuan’s chest.

Side Note: Look at these young Jiang Brothers and their casual shoulder hugs. Sigh.

Wei Wuxian’s Combat PlayBook

When Wei Wuxian wants to throw down, he starts with smack talk, moves along to boundary crossing, then to direct threats, and then brings out a weapon if he hasn’t won already. 

Here he starts shit with Jin Zixuan by complaining at him for taking up too much space and having too many sycophants.  Then he goes for the unwelcome shoulder touch. 

Having been sufficiently provocative to get someone to draw a sword and threaten him with physical violence, he shifts to formal verbal sparring. 

This gets the other guy to back down, because even at this age no-one actually wants to tangle with Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian gets to claim the moral advantage, although he still doesn’t get to keep his hotel room. 

Actually Not A Fan of My Sister’s Betrothal

Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli have the first of many, many moments of heterosexual ineptitude together. Wei Wuxian quickly rescues them.

Hi, I’m Young Master Cockblock.

Neither of the boys understands what Yanli sees in Zixuan and neither do I, at this juncture. He does improve later after multiple beatings from Wei Wuxian.

This Is The Day Your Life Will Surely Change

Yanli’s encounter in the Inn is the first step toward the inexorable end of the three of them as a unit, although it’s still a long ways off. They are all growing up and she and Wei Wuxian are both going to fall in love at summer camp, like in a 1980s teen movie but without the virginity betting (presumably). 

Meanwhile poor Jiang Cheng is going to be swept along just trying to keep up with events, which becomes the story of his life for the next two decades.

Welcome to Transylvania

We meet Wen Ruohan. He is boring and he sucks. Also I’m summarizing the Transylvania parts out of order because they break up the rhythm of the story. And are boring and suck.

We meet Xue Yang. He seems nice.

Wen Ruohan’s living room is like a shitty nightclub where everyone is too drunk to dance except Xue Yang.

Dee Jay: Undead undead undead, Bela Lugosi’s dead

[OP can’t get a video to embed in this post with looping enabled, so the alternate version of this joke has its own post right here. That will teach OP to get fancy.]

Anyhoo

We meet Wen Qing. She is the bestest most wonderful girl in the world but this isn’t actually when we find that out. 

Right now we just find out that she is absurdly pretty, that she loves her brother deeply, and that she is helping Wen Ruohan with his “take over the world by murdering cultivators” project. OKAY, PROBLEMATIC, BUT SHE IS THE BESTEST GIRL OKAY? 

Gatekeeping

The Jiang Clan don’t get another inn but they do manage to change into immaculate white robes while they’re out on the street, so - nice work, Jiang Clan. Be free!

They get stuck outside the gate because they don’t know that the secret to getting into Cloud Recesses is to set the gate guard on fire. 

Walking Thirst Trap Hanguang-Jun

Lan Wangji shows up and everyone except Yanli, who is already in love with Sir Golden Pants, makes thirst faces at him. Including Jiang Cheng tho he will never admit it. One girl in the background is actually biting her knuckle. 

Note: Lan Wangji knows exactly how fine he is. Look at his fucking hairstyle. 

He is sixteen years old. The only person in the entire cultivation world with fancier hair is Nie Mingjue, and that’s because he indulges his dìdi’s braiding hobby. 

Wei Wuxian loudly stage whispers that LWJ is their key to getting in and LWJ is is like, not fucking likely, person I didn’t glance at yet. 

But then Wei Wuxian says a smart cultivator thing about the puppet dude, and Lan Wangji turns around and has the first of many long mutual staring sessions with this boy he totally isn’t going to like at all.

Jiang Cheng has a bad feeling about the future: a 2-frame gif

Unrelated gardening note: the red-crack puppet is more commonly grown in Gusu and Dafan, while the black-line puppet is native to Yiling

I Must Arrange a Date with this Uninteresting Boy

The rest of the evening is a series of tests that Lan Wangji puts Wei Wuxian through. Wei Wuxian doesn’t know this and Lan Wangji probably doesn’t exactly know it either. 

First he sends WWX back to town to get the invitation. Yes, go get it. Not your entourage; YOU, talky person who thinks he can manipulate me and is smart and looks...intriguing. Go find it and come back. 

When Wei Wuxian complains, Lan Wangji silences him, which is literally the most boss move he could have used on smooth talking Wei Wuxian. 

You tried, Fuckboi.

Would you like to try some more because I think I would like you to try some more

Jiang Cheng is the Better Baby Brother

Sorry, he just is. Wei Wuxian is all about being taken care of and adoring Yanli without actually doing much for her. Jiang Cheng is the one who thinks about her feelings and giving her what she needs, even to the point of arranging that wedding rehearsal dinner so she can be with her favorite brother again -- the favorite who isn’t him, much as she also loves him. 

Date Test 1: Can You Get In.

Once Wei Wuxian is definitely gone, Lan Wangji shows up again and collects the entire retinue, guaranteeing that Wei Wuxian will be stranded outside the gate when he gets back.  LWJ doesn’t wait by the gate; he goes and waits up on the roof instead of going to bed or whatever else he’s supposed to be doing. Because he already knows the route Wei Wuxian will be taking. 

Wei Wuxian passes the “get in through the wards” test with no problem besides a minor headache and bent fingers. 

Is that Xiao Zhan’s hand or did they use a double-jointed hand model?

Date Test 2: Fight Me (Lan Wangji’s Combat Playbook)

As soon as Wei Wuxian shows up on the roof, Lan Wangji picks a fight with him. 

LWJ fights all the time; he’s perfectly comfortable when he’s fighting and it’s a good venue for him to express himself. His style is graceful and aggressive. 

Attack attack attack strike a pose, vogue, you know it.  

He starts by going all in on swordplay, but that doesn’t gain him the advantage; Wei Wuxian fends him off without ever drawing his sword. Which is probably the hottest thing that has ever happened to Lan Wangji in his young life.

Do you like me better when I’m horizontal? 

Next Lan Wangji deploys the pettiness by breaking WWX’s wine. Then when Wei Wuxian starts insulting him he upgrades to next level pettiness by dropping another silence spell, this time with the added bonus of preventing WWX from drinking. 

Wei Wuxian’s Combat Playbook, Redux

Meanwhile Wei Wuxian is running his own fight routine, starting with a charm attack, which doesn’t work at all. 

Are you admiring the moon? 

He keeps trying to de-escalate for the first phase of their fight, until they reach a pause and he reflects that Lan Wangji has real skills. As soon as he makes that determination he goes on the offensive - with words. 

He very formally says he’s too busy to continue fighting, and turns away, which is a pretty solid roast when you say it to someone who’s been trying really hard to kick your ass. Then he continues defending easily until Lan Wangji uses the wine against him. 

At this point the gloves come off, with Lan Wangji lecturing Wei Wuxian, Wei Wuxian making ad hominem attacks, Lan Wangji forcibly shutting him up... 

...and then throwing him on the floor in front of Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen. 

Sincere Grief for the Death of our Colleague

Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen feel really bad for their disciple who has been horribly turned into an undead creature. Ha ha j/k

Date Test 3: Face the Authorities

Lan Wangji gets to pick Wei Wuxian’s punishment.  This probably won’t awaken anything in him. 

Surprise surprise, Wei Wuxian actually passes the Authority test with flying colors. Lan Qiren doesn’t like him, but listens respectfully to his thoughts about the undead cultivator. And Lan Xichen clearly does like him.

When Wei Wuxian learns that Lan Wangji was nice to his sister, his entire demeanor changes, to such an enormous degree that Lan Wangji starts to run away.

He’s not going to let this boy (who has passed all the tests oh no he passed all the tests) make out with him in front of his family like he is obviously planning. 

But once again, Wei Wuxian’s cultivation knowledge captures Lan Wangji’s attention and breaks through his reserve. 

This Hardy Boys moment is the beginning of their cultivation partnership.

Lan Wangji is brave but is extremely constrained: by the authorities in his life and by his own rigid reserve. Wei Wuxian is brave and is also free. His companionship gives Lan Wangji an opportunity to engage with a much broader range of the things that interest him than he’s ever had before. 

After Wei Wuxian has been sent to bed, Lan Wangji stands outside and -- just as WWX had suggested at the beginning of their date/fight -- admires the moon, with an expression that’s anything but upset. 

Sure, sex is cool (probably), but have you ever analyzed a walking corpse with a beautiful boy in the moonlight?

If you’ve got your true honey Life can be pretty funny If you've got money, money to burn Rooty toot toot for the moon It's the biggest star I've ever seen

The Fine-as-Hell Brothers

Alone together, Lans Xichen and Wangji talk over the various things on their minds. 

Xichen: What the fuck is up with you? ...Rooftop fights and dropping spells on boys?

Wangji: You and uncle were ignoring me so I was making my own fun

Xichen: Yeah, we are dealing with this zombie situation; shit’s going to hit the fan

Wangji: what are you going to do about it?

Xichen: fuck-all

Wangji: Well, you can rely on me

Xichen: I totally do. So how about you get to know this Wei kid, he seems like a fun ride.

Wangji: *death glare*

Xichen: You know, since Dad died you’ve become even more uptight. I wonder if I’ve been too strict with you?

Wangji: Um, you think? 3000 fucking rules, dude. Fortunately I’m not going to go off the rails and fall in love with my polar opposite and cause havoc in the cultivation world or anything like that.

Xichen: good, me neither

Outtro

Writing prompt: Lan Xichen’s secret nightly letter to his Mom’s memory or spirit (your choice), in which he confides in her about his day. May be written in flute solo form. 

(As always if you use this prompt feel free to post a link to your fic in comments!)

Soundtrack: 1. This Is The Day by The The  2.  Bela Lugosi’s Dead by Bauhaus 3. Rooty Toot Toot for the Moon, Greg Brown version 4. Madonna, Vogue

Bonus: FineAsHell-Jun

Episode 04 Restless Rewatch coming soon!