#jin ling finally has friends

[twistedappletree]

Jin Ling: *meets the rest of the juniors* leave me alone, we’re not friends

Jin Ling: *follows the other juniors* stop following me!

Jin Ling: *purposely shows up wherever the other juniors are* the universe is obviously making it impossible for me to avoid you idiots

Jin Ling: *sees the other juniors in danger* you’re all so stupid *moves in to defend them* deal with it yourself, i’m not helping you! *viciously stabs a corpse and curses its entire existence for even trying to lay a finger on one of the others* this doesn’t mean ANYTHING

[shanastoryteller]

Happy birthday, Untamed Bruised fruit, please!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5

Wen Qing doesn't know why she bothers to doubt him, other than that if someone doesn't then he'll stop being at all tethered to reality.

Everyone else arrives, and seeing Nie Mingjue in her village is enough to send her blood pressure up, but Nie Huaisang seems to have leashed his brother for at least one evening, and is fluttering around everyone and loudly complimenting the architecture. Really, the only attendants besides Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan who don't get her hackles up are Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen, who who calls her niece with spark of humor she didn't know he had.

The Lan arrival sends everyone into a tizzy. A-Yuan attaches himself to Lan Wangji, who doesn't seem to mind, and he and Wuxian fall instantly into conversation, like they hadn't spent their teen years at each other's throats and most of the war not much better. Wuxian really can make friends with anyone.

Then, just as he predicted, the Jiang are the last to arrive.

Jiang Cheng appears up the lit path, what looks like almost the whole Jiang clan behind him and not doing a very good job to contain their excitement - even from here she can whispers about Senior Brother Wei, despite the very public break Wuxian was supposed to have from their clan.

Wuxian is holding Suyin when Jiang Chen storms up to him. Everyone goes quiet, watching, as lightning arcs up his hand and he sets his face into a scowl that had been the last thing a lot of people had seen on the battlefield.

Wuxian is so still, not even breathing, because Jiang Cheng has always been the one who could break him and the one he never thought would, but the war changed a lot of things.

"Well?" Jiang Cheng snaps.

Wuxian stares.

He holds out his impatiently, still what that same scowl.

Wuxian grins, carefully placing their daughter in Jiang Cheng hands, who holds her easily and competently, probably due to his experience with Jin Ling.

Jiang Cheng looks down at his niece and his face softens. When he looks back up at Wuxian, the sneer isn't nearly as believable. "Well, it looks like you finally managed to do something right."

"Hey!" Wuxian shouts, crossing his arms and pouting, and the rest of Jiang are surging forward, pushing forward to get a look at Suyin, and Wen Qing sighs and goes to find Jin Zixuan.

Maybe he has tips on dealing with in-laws.

[miyamiwu]

Unpopular opinion: There is no Link Click “trio.” It’s just the ShiGuang Duo + Qiao Ling

Now, before the Qiao Ling fans come after me, I just want to make it clear that I do not hate Qiao Ling. She’s a queen, and I love her. What I do hate, however, is the writers’ neglect of her character.

Warning: This will contain major Link Click season 1 and 2 spoilers.

Cheng Xiaoshi, Lu Guang, and Qiao Ling have been marketed as the main trio right from the OPs and EDs all the way to the different official artworks and PVs. But despite this, Qiao Ling has never been portrayed like a protagonist in the story itself. Her value has always been tied to some other character, and what’s sadder is that even as a supporting character, she’s still being neglected by the writers.

Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang both have something in themselves that push the story forward. Cheng Xiaoshi’s recklessness in s1 is what gives tension to the dives and what leads to the overarching plot related to Emma. His planning in s2 also keeps the plot going. On the other hand, Lu Guang acts as the voice of reason, grounding the fantasy aspect of the show. His hypocrisy revealed in s2 also reshapes how we view the entire story.

But what about Qiao Ling?

Throughout most of season 1, she’s been kept in the dark about ShiGuang’s powers, which in turn excludes her from a big part of the story. In s1, it was only during the kidnapping arc that we see a bit more about her, but the focus wasn’t on her at all but on some random extra. And at the last episode when she finally gets to be in on the whole eye power thing, Li Tianchen possesses her, overshadowing Qiao Ling entirely and redirecting our attention and interest to him. (Extra: In season 1, between Qiao Ling and Emma, would you dare say Qiao Ling is the protagonist? I bet you won’t.)

Then in s2, despite Qiao Ling’s extra screen time and more involvement in the plot, the neglect of her character is even more palpable. She got possessed by a murderer, nearly killed her friend, and even tried to stab her own brother, but even after all these, we barely get to see how she had to process everything.

It’s really no surprise many people loved this scene:

This, for me, is the one time, the ONE time Qiao Ling is portrayed as a character on equal grounds with Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang. If Link Click were a sports anime, this would be the scene where she discards her role as the female manager over a bunch of male athletes and expresses her desire to become a player as well.

But unfortunately, after this episode, Qiao Ling is once again pushed to the sidelines. She’s a player now, yes, but a player who’s just being pushed along the game. She may take the initiative in some things (like talking to Li Tianxi), but even then, the things she do are all still just to help her friends. You know, like a supporting character. None of what she’s doing is for herself alone. (If any Blue Lock fans are reading this, Qiao Ling has no “ego,” so to speak.)

Qiao Ling has no goals of her own, and this is how the writers failed her.

All the other major characters have their own goals. Heck, even the antagonists are more like protagonists than Qiao Ling.

Cheng Xiaoshi wants to find his parents. And he also just wants to help the people he meets in dives

Lu Guang selfishly broke the rules of time travel just to keep one man alive and will do it again if he must

Li Tianxi betrays her brother and Qian Jin just to find a way home

Li Tianchen approaches ShiGuang and later kidnaps Cheng Xiaoshi because he also wants to go home

And Liu Xiao wants to, I don’t know, change the rules of time and space entirely?

God, writing that last bullet makes me realize that even Liu Xiao, who only showed up in the last episode of season 2, has more weight in the story than Qiao Ling. This is ridiculous.

Seriously, what is Qiao Ling even here for??? Play big sister???

Just market her as a supporting character. It’s fine. She’s still badass.

I also don’t have much hopes over how she will be in season 3 because of how season 2 ended. Qiao Ling seeing Lu Guang’s memories means her worth in s3 will inevitably be tied to this secret. It’s the s1 ending all over again. At the end of s1, her worth was tied to the mysterious Red Eyes. At the end of s2, it’s tied to Lu Guang.

If the Link Click writers are gonna keep pushing her as a protagonist, then they better start treating her like one!

It’s not enough to just give Qiao Ling a goal, by the way (although it is very important too). She must also become a player who has the power to control how the game goes. If she ends up inheriting Li Tianxi’s powers, as many theories have said, then may the drama around her not be focused on how she may leak Lu Guang’s secret at any time.

I don’t know what she could do with her powers, but I think it would be very interesting if she ends up opposing Lu Guang.

Lu Guang wants to keep Cheng Xiaoshi alive, but...

...he’s no longer alive. The Cheng Xiaoshi we see is just a glimpse of the past...

What if… as Qiao Ling sees more of Lu Guang’s memories, she sees more of the real Cheng Xiaoshi and suddenly… wants to let go… wants to move on?

The fandom have talked a lot about how ShiGuang may react once the secret is out. But what about how Qiao Ling would react to it over time as she realizes those memories weren’t just her overthinking things?

In season 1, she couldn’t bear to face that kid’s father for years, and at the end of s2, she couldn’t bear to confront Lu Guang… In s3, how long can she bear looking at her dead brother?

The chances of her “giving up” Cheng Xiaoshi and returning to the original timeline is slim, though. I’m just giving an example of how she can be more like a protagonist.

Anyways, I’ll end here… I still have so many thoughts, but I can’t figure out how to organize them. This has also been in my drafts for over two weeks and I just want to post it already!

[chirpycloudyrobin]

Previous || Masterlist || START || Next

Interlude: godly husband and wife break some heavenly rules to take care of son, new heavenly emperor finds this adorable and lets them get away with it

jiang yanli ascends first, despite dying after jin zixuan. turns out fate sees sacrificing yourself as a non-combatant with very low cultivation for a demonic cultivator who is at the brink of insanity takes some insane balls. fate sticks her in the water master role immediately after ascension and heaven sighs in relief that shes not another water tyrant.

jin zixuan ascends second as the new martial god of lanling or maybe shandong. technically he got his heavenly calamity shortly after dying but he wanted to stay behind and wait for his family to pass on naturally before ascending. fate saw it as very romantic and let the man do his thing.

they both agree that wei wuxian is not to be blamed for their deaths and to bring him up as a deputy god when the time comes.

their first and foremost worry is, of course, their baby jin ling. they cant go to him immediately as they have to settle in their new roles as gods. they have to establish themselves first, and that means amassing believers.

it takes them a few years but eventually they have a good cluster of worshippers within lanling and yunmeng and other, scattered areas. nobody really recognises them as the former lanling jin heir and the former young mistress of jiang since most of their worshippers are either non-cultivators or rogue cultivators who dont want shit to do with the formal cultivation sects. righteous clan cultivators, after all, dont have time to practice something so common as the common folk's religion.

they first appear to jin ling through dreams. jin ling knows them as his parents as soon as he was able to understand. granted he still gets pretty upset that he only gets to be with them through his dreams but jiang yanli and jin zixuan are stretching the rules pretty thinly already.

it's through his dreams that jin ling gets the full picture surrounding his parents' deaths. he still hates wei wuxian just a little bit, but that's just grief for you.

when jiang yanli and jin zixuan get their own deputy gods, they assign a couple of them to infiltrate jinlintai and end up working close to jin ling. through them, jin ling was able to have an additional way of contacting his parents short of actually, physically meeting them. the couple essentially strong armed their way into raising jin ling from beyond their mortal time, but heaven and fate are apparently okay with it.

so jin ling grows up with his parents' influence. he has jin zixuan's tsundere tendencies, but around those he is closest with he is a bit of an extreme mother hen. he has few friends around his age, still, but hes a lot less lonely compared to his canon counterpart. he has his martial aunts and uncles, the deputy gods his parents sent to teach and take care of him. when he grew old enough to go on night hunts, he often takes detours with his caretakers to help his parents' worshippers. he does it enough that he ends up being known as his parents' messenger or (more embarrassingly) their priest. he cannot let the cultivation world know of that. absolutely not.

does jiang cheng know of his sister and his brother-in-law's ascension and their active participation in the raising of jin ling ? absolutely. the first thing jiang yanli did when they met in the dream world was apologise for leaving him all alone, but also whack him upside the head for the absolute stupidity he and wei wuxian got into after her death. jiang cheng had to confront his complicated emotions about wei wuxian a lot sooner. jiang yanli is severely unpaid as the family therapist.

jiang cheng makes up for it by helping build temples of her around yunmeng and the hubei area.

overall, their family is as perfect as can be. almost.

one final question lingered: where was wei wuxian ?

wwx had died, yes, but they found no sign of him in the heavens. according to (reluctant) heavenly emperor xie lian, he wasnt in ghost city either. they scoured the earth but no fragment of his soul could be found.

maybe jin ling hates wwx a little for worrying his mother and uncle with his disappearing shenanigans. maybe.

and then the dancing goddess of dafan mountain happened. his jiujiu thinks wwx somehow took over the body of the dude who was with mo xuanyu. who he proceeds ??? to whip ??? jin ling is definitely tattling to his mother.

in their shared dreamscape that night, he does tattle to his mother. unfortunately, his jiujiu also tattles on him for taking the dancing goddess head on. theyre both scolded to hell and back that night.

whatever. at least they have a clue where wwx's soul had gone. does it weirdly coincide with heavenly news of a newborn calamity level ghost ? yes. but what is a calamity-level ghost against the wrath and worry of a big sister ?

[curapicas]

I find it curious Link Click uses the twins flashback to shove on our faces right away the parallels between Cheng Xiaoshi and Li Tianchen. Both combative boys, protective of their family, somewhat naive in different ways and quite enamoured with looking cool. So yeah, there's parallels, but to be fair the writing is good enough that you can find parallels with the main duo regarding any of the new s2 characters. And I think Link Click cleverly does that so we only realize closer to the finale what is, in my opinion, the strongest parallel: Cheng Xiaoshi and Li Tianxi.

They are both "the babies" of the group. Whereas Cheng Xiaoshi has two endlessly nagging friends who often scold him and push him to do better, Li Tianxi lost both her mother and a brother capable of caring for her, thus her needs go ignored as she grows up with Qian Jin. Qiao Ling and Lu Guang work together with CXS to earn a living/pay off his debt, LTX is used by her family to carry out the shady stuff they don't really need to do (both CXS and LTX get in extremely emotional and vulnerable situations because of it).

Cheng Xiaoshi eventually grows and understands his powers as a duty, and even though LG and QL still try to shield him from the worst*, they look proud whenever he shows what he's capable of (QL even calls him cool!). LTX's one "act of rebellion" is framed as a betrayal and she's straight up murdered. In the confrontation, she even prefers hiding behind CXS, whom she met hours beforehand, exactly bc she knows what her family is capable of.

Both are sensitive people, burdened by well-meaning actions with over-the-top consequences (it hurts to try and explain this one). In (this specific trauma for) CXS case, he was already an adult and in s2 spends the entire time reevaluating and adapting; in LTX's, she was a child and hardly knew how to deal with this guilt and /waves hands/ everything after

I really like this parallel of their running and emotional actions setting off this part of the plot. They cross paths, but the people they help do not have their fate changed significantly by this. But those moments where they FEEL Emma (+Lu Guang in this specific parallel) and Chen Bin were enough to carry LTX and CXS both into their roles in the story.

LTX finally "goes back" to the home she idealized, CXS is waiting at home for his parents. They cross paths, both get shot in that tunnel, but just as quickly go down opposite directions. LTX out of care for her (criminal) brother, parts with him; while CXS waits, he also built a new home for himself with new people he can call family. There's hope for him yet.

*tbh they're a biiiit controlling, but I can see that habit developing through the years, not because they don't mean well

[noonecaresaboutmyreview]

The Double - Cdrama Review

Hi everyone! I am back again with another historical chinese drama review! I first saw The Double on Netflix with only 12 episodes released. After binge watching all 12 episodes in 1 day, I was hooked and immediately re-subscribe to Youku for the full 40 episodes. Personally, no regrets there.

My all time favourite drama will always be Love Like the Galaxy and The Double have come close to being second. There are a lot of similarities between the two dramas that I am not mad about.

The Double is about Xue Fang Fei (Wu Jin Yan) who was betrayed by her husband Shen Yu Rong (Liang Yong Qi). He, along with the eldest princess, Princess Wanning, plotted to annihilate the Xue family (her father and younger brother). She was saved by the daughter of the Secretariat Director, Jiang Li would was sent away in the mountains due to a false accusation. There original Jiang Li died and Xue Fang Fei took over her identity for her own revenge and to avenge original Jiang Li's death. She meets Duke Su (Wang Xing Yue) who took her as his pawn to fight against the corruption in the imperial court and defeat a potential rebellion that was bound to happen.

This review is going to be a long one, with spoilers.

Story: I love that there was no boring episodes. Each episode moved quickly and the revenge plot remained the main plot. I have a habit of fast-forwarding scenes especially for cdramas but I barely did it here. Each episode kept me at the edge of my seat. I love how each scheme, both from the good and bad side of the drama is cleverly plotted. No lazy plots here.

The romance in this one is slow-burn but not boring. Each interacting Xue Fang Fei had with Duke Su was intense. I am impress by how we could see their chemistry without them even physically touching or using romantic words. The drama is also good at showing us stories about the villains. They all have back stories and reasons to why they turn out that way. Of course, it didn't evoke sympathy when they finally got their retribution but it is good to know that no one was born evil.

Characters:

My favourite character in this drama is Xue Fang Fei. She was a good wife to her husband until he decides to murder her. When she came back with a vengeance, she did not hesitate to scheme and take opportunities. She is not too proud to ask help from Duke Su as she knows that she alone is not influential enough to carry out her plan. Every action she makes serves a purpose, but she always make sure that she doesn't hurt the innocent.

Wu Jin Yan was the perfect Xue Fang Fei. It was my first time watching her and she impressed me. Her eyes showed a lot of anger and pain yet her demeanour is always calm. She is eloquent and has a sharp tongue. I love that she is not so blinded by her revenge that she becomes reckless.

Oh Duke Su, Duke Su. He reminds me so much of Ling Bu Yi from Love Like the Galaxy. He is a loyal servant of the Emperor whom he's friends with since childhood. He is ruthless and always alone with his two trusted guards. He always carry this ice cold stern expression. Nothing seems to amuse him other than his own play that he orchestrate with his own pawns.

Wang Xing Yue as Duke Su is the perfect casting. I watched him in Story of Kunning Place and wasn't too wow-ed by him there. But here, his acting is so mature and strong; I am surprised by how young he really is. And thank you to whomever who thought his character needed eyeliner cause it make him look more vicious and charming.

Their relationship and how it developed was everything. They didn't even kiss till the last episode but I could feel the love and trust they had for each other. Their conversation turns from a push and pull to full on flirting. They never hide their attraction and worry for each other. Duke Su never tried to "baby" Xue Fang Fei in the name of protection. He trust that she is capable enough. When there are scenes of jealousy, Duke Su was never aggressive nor blame Xue Fang Fei. He was her safe place where she knows she could go to. Duke Su was a whole green forest.

Just simple gestures like this was enough to make my own heart flutter. Ah the chemistry.

Xue Fang Fei + Duke Su love story is very much on par with Cheng Shao Shang + Ling Bu Yi to me.

Special mentions to Princess Wanning and Shen Yu Rong. Their scenes together make me so uncomfortable, like I am watching a man cheating on his dead wife.

Princess Wanning as a character was complex. She was a hostage princess before she was rescued. When she was a hostage, she was tortured and beaten to the point where she cannot bear children anymore. When she is finally free, she feels the need to overpower everyone. She will get rid of anyone that gets in her way. She would make the perfect evil princess, except, she fell in love.

Out of all the villains in this drama, the one I hate the most and have zero sympathy for is Shen Yu Rong. He was a poor scholar who wanted to work for the imperial court. He had to work really hard to get to his position and he always blamed his poor background for the disadvantage he faces. When Princess Wanning took a liking towards him and ordered his family to kill his wife, he did it with the excuse that he is powerless to go against the royal family. When Xue Fang Fei came back as Jiang Li, he kept his head down and went with it because he doesn't want to face the guilt of killing his own wife.

To me, where he lost it all was when he got angry that Xue Fang Fei likes Duke Su. He started to plan and scheme and kill, with the excuse to protect Xue Fang Fei. He truly lost his way and had a terrible case of victim mentally.

But I got to praise Liang Yong Qi. He acted very well as Shen Yu Rong. It was very hard to tell how he truly feels. It was hard to tell if he truly cares about Xue Fang Fei, if he did like Princess Wanning or he was just became a terrible person. Shen Yu Rong always had this dead eyes with no emotions, it was creepy. Amazing.

Overall, this drama was surprisingly impressive. The costumes, make-up and accessories were all so charming. The scenes are shot beautifully. With a good script, plot and good acting, The Double is a good drama to watch.

Rating: 4.9/5

-- Fary

[s2pdoktopus]

I found Lilai!! My baby <3

Since I have this, I'm gonna gush about her

Lilai is born between a Yu disciple who followed Jiang Cheng in the name of the Violet Spider and a rogue cultivator who followed him during the Sunshot campaign. Her parents' love story is quite famous (or infamous, depending on the person retelling it.) Its popularity rivals the stories about Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan.

Yu MeiSi is a stoic woman, borderline emotionless and her falling for a clumsy no name rogue cultivator was a hilarity nobody saw coming. (Jiang Cheng was busy wrangling a wayward Wei Wuxian to witness the events)

After the Sunshot campaign MeiSi basically approached Gui Peng and asked him what he thinks of her. (When she first saw him she thought he was hot. No one else saw what she saw in the guy but it's love at first sight for her.) Peng, not sure why one of their best generals was asking his opinion, said that he thought she was strong and that he's honored to have fought with her in the war. MeiSi was pleased (it didn't reflect on her face) and left. After that she kept coming back to him for tea time, joined him in his errands and kept insisting that she wanted to help in the area where he was rebuilding. Hanging out with her made Peng fall for her and he later complained to his friends that she's out of his league. The response of his peers at the time being, "I thought you're already seeing each other?" (MeiSi definitely thought they were dating) Peng got a realization and in a drunken fit of confidence, asked for her hand in marriage. MeiSi accepted gracefully (in her head she thought "FINALLY!! how long should the courtship be??") They gathered everything they could for the wedding in a ruined, rebuilding sect and surprised Jiang Cheng with the request to officiate the wedding.

Jiang Cheng was teased for officiating a wedding when he wasn't married himself. When he broke this news to Yanli she told him to collect her money from Hao Fei (there's a bet between the girls on whether Peng will realize or not. The guy is very oblivious.)

The wedding between MeiSi and Peng happens then the canon plot happens, Jin Ling is born and then almost a year later Yu Lilai is born. (Her dad chose to give her the surname Yu to show her connection to a clan)

Yu Lilai is the first child born to a Jiang disciple in the Jiang clan.

She is currently the best swordswoman in her age group, as if she was born with a sword in her hand. She is considered to be a genius at it. Although it does appear as if the gods took away her ability to understand social cues in exchange. She's strong, she knows she's strong and she isn't afraid of many things, her sect leader included. Whenever the disciples want to ask their leader something (like, for example: a torture dungeon) they ask her to do it.

Jiang Cheng is exasperated about her lack of tact. (He has learned from the many many interventions he had to do between the children that she has no ill intentions. And has small to zero emotional sensitivity. Or social awareness) Small mercies, she's well mannered, polite and obedient. She's learned that asking for his permission to speak first is important to avoid offending diplomatic guests. Jiang Cheng is happy when she's racking up points for Yunmeng Jiang in cultivation conference exhibitions though.

She is often with her XinXue Shijie and Lian Shixiong. XinXue enables her bad habits and Lian made it his responsibility to dodge possible diplomatic problems made by them.

She was also Jin Ling's friend as a young child. But since Jin Ling isn't spending all of his time in the Jiang Sect, and with the new kids her age joining the sect giving her more options, they kind of just fell off. She's too oblivious to notice that this affected him. She does remember that as kids she and Jin Ling promised to marry each other.

One day, in Jin Ling's attempt to reconnect with her, he asked her to join him and his new friends on a night hunt. She offhandedly mentioned the childhood promise, wondering if they'll fulfill it now because he needs a wife. This embarrasses Jin Ling (Lan Jingyi wouldn't let him live it down) and vehemently disagrees. Yu Lilai doesn't get why it's a big deal but promises Jin Ling that she'll wait for him anyway. (Jin Ling is embarrassed but also weirdly touched)

(Whether there's actually anything there, the adults only wish they would figure it out)

Every time she emotionally compromises someone important to her, she gains a little emotional maturity. Her dad feels kind of bad about it because she definitely got it from him. Her mom consoles her husband by saying that it was cute. They are one of the Jiang Sect's weirdest families, second only to Jiang Cheng's own.

[horsegirlwarcrimes]

Alright, you have answered me again (SY gets two daemons sounds extremely interesting! The "what the fuck happened to Shen Qingqiu" Peak Lord meeting in this AU is going to have some shit to talk about, huh!) so now I'm moving on to the next in my list of WIPs I'm really super curious about - Scooby Gang Juniors? Juniors fics are so fun what shenanigans are they getting into?

auw im literally dead u r so kind ( ;´ - `;)♡

scooby gang juniors, actual title some 'Never Love An Anchor' lyrics bc thats the theme song of this fic, is actually the first longfic i ever started writing! it has also been a WIP for mmm. four years or so. i started writing it right after watching the untamed for the first time in 2019 lmao, but never finished it because at that point id never written ANYTHING as long as it was gearing up to be (the outline is 20k). i hope to finally finish it and post it some time soon, probs after WINR and the ZZL&YQY fics are done. its probs some of my fav writing ive ever done but never shared with anyone haha

summary: Wei Wuxian may have drafted a ritual for willingly bringing someone back from the dead somewhere in his madness in the caves of the Burial Mounds, but if he did it was never found. In the absence of a convenient literal ghost from the past to help exact his revenge, Nie Huaisang turns to the next best thing: his old friend's son.

Meanwhile, Lan Sizhui finds a man buried deep underground with soft, familiar eyes.

[Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling, Ouyang Zizhen, and Wen Ning go on a life changing field trip, dodge their worried parents, and dig up some corpses, in approximately that order.]

“When I realized how deeply affected by the Yiling Patriarch Hanguang-Jun was, I began to realize where this slip in righteousness had come from. You see, while I and the rest of the cultivation world believed that Lan Wangji had been in secluded cultivation for three years to move to a new level in his cultivation, or because he had been wounded fighting the Yiling Patriarch, the truth is much the opposite. Hanguang-Jun was in seclusion as punishment, for siding with the Yiling Patriarch at the Siege of the Burial Mounds. All along, these famed enemies had secretly been allied.”  Jin Guangyao shook his head, expression deeply sympathetic even as the cultivators of the room began to turn to Hanguang-Jun. Hands went to swords, only remaining undrawn due to the thick tension in the room that had yet to break. Hanguang-Jun stood immovable through it all, flawless as jade and cold as ice.  “I believe the Yiling Patriarch must have altered his mind, and had been using his demonic arts to corrupt him as far back as the Sunshot campaign. Now, with the feared patriarch dead, it seems this would no longer be such an issue. But Wei Wuxian left one final plan even after his death, a fail-safe to bring ruin to the cultivation world once again even when he was long gone, and he entrusted that plan to Hanguang-Jun before his death.”  At last, his eyes met Sizhui’s again. Sizhui’s mouth tasted electric, the buzz of the room crashing into him in waves even as it narrowed just to himself, his uncle at his back, his father, and the man before him. He inhaled through his nose and straightened, perfect Lan posture and the ribbon on his forehead proudly on display. He narrowed his eyes back at Jin Guanyao and did not drop his gaze. Jin Guangyao smiled, a flicker of amusement, before he regained his expression of earnest concern to address the crowd.  “I found proof in the records of the Wen work camps, and writings recovered from the Nightless City. You see, Lan Sizhui, ward of Hanguang-Jun and First Disciple of Gusu Lan, was neither a war orphan nor a poorly concealed bastard, but instead a child smuggled out of the Burial Mounds before the siege.”  Jin Guangyao swept a sleeve over Sizhui’s group.  “Honored cultivators, I stand before you to reveal the surviving heir of the Qishan Wen Sect. Called Lan Sizhui but born Wen Yuan, the son of Wen Xu and his first concubine. Cousin of the Ghost General, and former ward of the Yiling Patriarch, already beginning the work of reviving the Wen and overwhelming the righteous sects with demonic cultivators.”  In the chaos, only one voice cut so bitingly through the noise. Calm and cold and sure, Sizhui latched onto it with all his heart. Anything to avoid looking behind him, at the friends he had lied to.  “So you admit it.” Said Hanguang-Jun, unmoving from his spot amidst the Lan. Jin Guangyao blinked wide eyes at him.  “I’m sorry?”  Hanguang-Jun stepped forward. Even with his name being almost literally dragged through the mud, cultivators still parted around him with automatic deference.  “You admit you knew children were being tortured, in your work camps.” 

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

@cullen-blue23

😴😥😰 (Lan Qiren doesnt know how to explain to his nephew and in-law their friend is dead. Wen Ning just wanted a nap dammit)

Lan Qiren looks solemnly over his nephew and his husband, his expression stony, even more so than usual. He appears incredibly solemn, as if he is about to deliver life-altering news, and Lan Wangji distantly remembers this is the same expression he wore when he told him and his brother that their mother was gone.

A chill runs down Lan Wangji's spine. Had something happened to the juniors? Sizhui? Or Lan Xichen? Lan Jingyi? Jin Ling?

"I will not mince my words." he begins, at last, his voice grave and level as always. "Wen Ning is dead."

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian blink, twice, in sync. Lan Qiren tries not to sigh at the ridiculousness of that - this is a serious matter after all. He can mumble to himself about how those two just have to be... like that later

"Teacher Lan," Wei Wuxian carefully begins, speaking slightly slower and enunciating every word with clarity, "Wen Ning has been dead for over 15 years."

Lan Qiren closes his eyes and sighs. He's trying so hard not to yell at Wei Wuxian right now, does he think Lan Qiren's lost his mind or something?! Of course he's dead, he's a fierce corpse!

"I am trying to say," Lan Qiren begins, pressing onto every syllable, "that he is completely dead now. As in, he is unresponsive."

There is no expression on either of the two's faces. Now Lan Qiren can't say he's particularly fond of Wen Ning, but to see him laying still, stiff beneath the tree overlooking his little house did... stir something within him.

He had expected some kind of reaction, if not from Wangji, at least from Wei Wuxian. He did, after all, die to save the Wens and he always appeared very friendly, almost brotherly, to the fierce corpse... shouldn't finding out that he was gone elicit an emotional response of some sort?

"Uncle, Wen Ning can't die twice." Wangji finally says, reading the slight confusion on Lan Qiren's face.

"I think he took that sleeping potion again." Wei Wuxian sighs. "I told him to hang a sign about it around his neck or something."

"A sleeping potion?"

"Yeah, he misses sleep, apparently, and found some kind of doctor that's invented a concoction that'll knock him out. He just randomly takes it and falls asleep wherever. People always think he's dead dead, but he's just..." And Wei Wuxian smiles, wide and mischievous, "...dead asleep."

Lan Qiren hurls a book his way but Lan Wangji catches it with ease before it lands on target.

[rosethornewrites]

T & G reading since 9/11

Finished

Teen:

parley, by cafecliche (reread)

“Hmph,” Jiang Cheng says, when Wei Wuxian is finally finished. “Here I thought you already took your bows on some dusty mountaintop.”

Wei Wuxian laughs halfheartedly. “It was more of a hill.”

“Whatever its height,” Jiang Cheng says, louder, “why am I expected to attend a wedding for two people who’ve already been wed?”

(Or: two times Jiang Cheng unintentionally saved the Wangxian wedding, and one time he meant it.)

Sect Leader Yao Has Died, by JiangChengLotus

“Sect Leader Yao was a great man-”

Lan Wangji snorted out loud.

All heads turned to him, horrified, and Jiang Cheng wheezed, tears coming to his eyes as he laughed at everyone else’s expressions. He could hardly care about his reputation at that moment.

Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling looked mortified, but they too were struggling to hold in their laughter. Ouyang Zizhen had to furiously bite his lip and avoid his father’s watchful gaze. Lan Jingyi was struggling the most.

Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang were covering their mouths with the back of a sleeve and fan, respectively. Lan Xichen was sighing, but his eyes were twinkling.

“My apologies for my husband and my brother.” Lan Xichen explained to the crowd in a neutral voice. “They are still processing this terrible loss."

~

(Or, Sect Leader Yao finally dies, Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji are overjoyed, struggle to keep straight faces at his funeral and strike poses next to his coffin.)

Murder, by snowberryrose (6 chapters)

In which Jiang Cheng lives up to his title

canon divergence from episode 28

To Our Eternity, by SZFiction

“Wei Ying.”

It processes slowly. The hint of gentleness in that tone, the slight hesitation. The dozens of other messages hidden in his name that, had he not known Lan Zhan down to his core, he would have missed.

His fear melts away. Even in the most vivid of illusions, he could not so perfectly emulate the sound of Lan Zhan’s voice. He’s here. He’s here.

General:

the future haunts the past, by sysrae

in which feelings about the parallels between Wei Wuxian and Madam Lan produced a poetry-adjacent chatfic

but I figured it out, then made my way back, by MichelleFeather (7 chapters)

It was an extreme, a desperate decision fueled by anger towards the entire cultivation world, a grief deeper than the deepest trenches in the ocean. The realization that Lan Wangji would now have to continue on living a second time without his beloved, where Wei Wuxian had died once again. Where, once more, his love had been taken from him by cruel, unrighteous men who thought they knew better, that they were doing the world a justice.

Lan Qiren had seen the state that his nephew had been in after Wei Wuxian’s first death, what Lan Wangji had done in his grief then, and he feared what Lan Wangji would do to himself if he was left alone with this repeated grief.

And the North Wind Carries My Words to You, by stiltonbasket

In which Jiang Fengmian, Wei Changze, and Cangse Sanren share ten years, five letters, and a lifetime's worth of friendship.

That's just my ghost, by FloweringSkulls

Wei Wuxian moves into a newly renovated house haunted by Lan Wangji. Who is a ghost. Obviously.

Unfinished

Teen:

journey of no envies, by spicymooncakes

When Wei Wuxian was expelled from the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, Jiang Yanli rushed to the Burial Mounds.

Nie Huaisang is content to be the useless second child his entire life. But for all his willful ignorance and indulgent cowardice, he worried for his brother. He then decided to visit an old friend.

Lan Wangji struggled using his words. But he yearned. He learned.

Wen Qing and Wei Wuxian encountered a series of strange curses in Yiling.

The different trails meet, and the paths diverged.

every world, every universe, by glitteringmoonlight

It is well-known that the resources offered by the great clans simply cannot be matched by smaller sects. The greater clans have the most renowned techniques and the best teachers. They have built their reputations over centuries, striving to be the best of the best. It is these clans that most young cultivators aspire to join, and so, they have their pick of recruits and are free to pick the best of the best. To anyone in the cultivation world, it is unquestionable that the great clans reign supreme.

It is, thus, quite understandable that even Wen Ruohan— a man largely known for being arrogant and unflappable— looks surprised at the announcement that the first place in the archery tournament has been won by the Head Disciple of the Tingshan He sect.

Or, Wei Wuxian is raised in Tingshan He. Some things change. Some do not.

Time Does Not Pass, It Continues, by Maze_VK

Chief Cultivator Wei Wuixan's favourite set of juniors (don't let anyone know, he isn't supposed to have favourites) are missing, and it is his duty to bring them home.

If he ends up creating an alternate universe where most persons remain untainted by the actions of others? Well, that's just a pleasant side-effect.

General:

Lies and Truth, by parodismal (🔒)

What happen if Lan Wangji decided to actually check Qiongqi Path after Wei Wuxian leave?

....

It leads to a domino effect towards a new Chief Cultivator

Is it a better?

Or worse?

Jaded, by Anonymous

When Lan Xichen asked the newly acknowledged Jin Guangyao to become sworn brothers with him and Mingjue, he thought the latter would jump at the chance. He himself was excited at the prospect of fostering better relationships between their respective clans and hopefully reconciling his two friends.

But in order to become sworn brothers, the three must take an oath to never harm each other in any way. And though the latter readily agrees, Lan Xichen had noticed his brief hesitation and the damage is already done.

The cultivation world is left reeling as the Lan Sect Leader gradually realizes that he has been a little too blind, and takes actions that will change the future as we know it.

[dontmind-thismess]

Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed fanfic recommendations, pt. 1

Rewrite the stars by moonlit_dewdrops (@/moonlit_dewdrops)

Summary: "What if Jiang Cheng found out about the golden core earlier? What if he had tried pulling Suibian out from its sheathe right after recovering the sword from the Wens? AU story about how Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian's relationship is affected by the suddenly reveal of truth and how it will affect the rest of the plot"

Tags on Wattpad: jiangcheng, mdzs, wangxian, wattys2021, yunmengbros

Status: Prologue + 23 chapters, complete (Wattpad; AO3 ver. has an additional story with 10 parts that are extra scenes)

Wattpad AO3

Everyday means everyday: Untamed fanfiction by moonlit_dewdrops (@/moonlit_dewdrops)

Summary: "Lan Wangji and Wei Wu Xian have reunited again two years after their departing in the mountains. After taking the role of Xiandu (or Excellency) and restabilizing the cultivation world, Lan Wangji finds Wei WuXian again and brings him back to Cloud Recesses. After 15 years total of separation (the time LWJ waited for WWX + their 2-year separation), both of them finally confess their feelings to one another and eventually accept each other hands in marriage. Lan Xichen struggles to forget the events of Guanyin Temple until Jiang Cheng offers a helping hand while battling his own demons. Meanwhile, Lan Sizhui, Jin Ling, Ouyang Zizhen, and Jingyi enjoy their playful youth as friends but what if something new emerges? As the cultivation world prepares itself for an upcoming marriage between Lan Zhan and Wei WuXian, what other challenges will arise before they truly accomplish true happiness?"

Tags on Wattpad: cql, jiangcheng, jinling, juniors, mdzs, the untamed, wangxian, weiwuxian, xicheng, yunmengbros, zhuiling

Status: Prologue + 28 chapters + 2 extras, complete

Wattpad AO3

Sequel: Untamed Hearts

Tags on Wattpad: mdzs, wangxian, xicheng, zhuiling

Status: 16 chapters, WIP

Wattpad AO3

Protective by dreameh [AO3] / 🌸(@/dreameh) [Wattpad]

Summary: "Wei Wuxian would die for the junior disciples, anyone who knew him personally knew that much. He also likes cuddles (he's clingy, okay?) and the boys are more than willing to give him those. When Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling and Ouyang Zizhen go on night hunts with him, it normally gets chaotic, fast. This time around it happened to be chaotic well before the night hunt had started. Or: Wei Wuxian is such a mother hen and Ouyang Zizhen's father is a dick. The junior quartet are as close as brothers."

Tags on Wattpad: cql, gdc, jinling, lanjingyi, lansizhui, mdzs, modaozushi, ouyangzizhen, theuntamed, weiwuxian, wenning

Wattpad AO3

The Twin Prides of Yunmeng Wake Up In The Past by Rika (@/HarukiUsagi46)

Summary: After the dual between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin, the two of them doesn't know that when they fall asleep that night they don't know what is about to happen to them. While sleeping in his bed Wei Wuxian hear, "A-Xian time to wake up. A-Cheng and you already sleep pass your breakfast." Wei Wuxian shot straight up, 'Jiang shushu? No way, isn't he suppose to be dead,' Wei Wuxian look around the room, 'I'm back? I'm back in my room, back in Lotus Cove. No way is this happening.' "A-Xian, I'm coming in," when the door open Wei Wuxian eye went wide, 'Jiang Shushu' he got out of bed, rush toward Jiang Fengmian and hugged him. This surprise Jiang Fengmian a lot since Wei Wuxian never gave him a hug, "A-Xian what's wrong?" "I.....I....I'm just so happy to see you again Jiang Shushu," 'I will do my best to change the past,' "Oi Wei Wuxian!" Wei Wuxian look out the door to see a heavy breathing Jiang Cheng. "A-die can I talk to Wei Wuxian?" Wei Wuxian and Jiang Fengmian let go of each other, " Okay but don't take too long, you both need to be at the training field to train okay?" The two boy nodded their head, Jiang Fengmian left the two of them along. When Jiang Fengmian is gone, Jiang Cheng walk into Wei Wuxian room and closed the door. "WEI WUXIAN WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE? HOW IN THE HELL DID WE END UP HERE IN THE PAST?!" What will the two boys do? Will they change the past? Will they keep everyone alive including the Wen remnant?

Tags: changingthepast, jiangcheng, jiangwanyin, lanhuan, lanwangji, lanxichen, lanzhan, mdzs, theuntamed, wakingupinthepast, wangxian, weiwuxian, weiying

Status: 24 parts, complete

The Fake and Real Wei Wuxian by Rika (@/HarukiUsagi46)

Summary: What happen if Wei Wuxian drop his fake personality when Yu Ziyuan try to whip him with Zidian? He use his fast speed and went to slashed Wen Chao women across her throat before she can scream for Wen Zuliu. "Wei Wuxian what have you done?" Yu Ziyuan shouted at Wei Wuxian Wei Wuxian put on a smirk, his eye narrowed at Yu Ziyuan, "what have I done? What have I done?! I stop this women from making up lies! Lies that you fell for! I stop her from calling for reinforcements! And you! I am sick and tire of you using your hatred and jealousy toward me just because Jiang shushu use to love my mother!" Yu Ziyuan sent out her Zidian at Wei Wuxian only to have him grab it by his hand, "I think that is enough out of you!" He pull Zidian away from Yu Ziyuan and throw it toward Jiang Cheng. "You better be grateful that she haven't call for reinforcements yet and if she did, this clan will become a bath blood full of your disciple." What will happen next?

Tags: dropact, fakesmile, hurt, jiangcheng, jiangwanyin, lanhuan, lanwangji, lanxichen, lanzhan, mdzs, sadness, theuntamed, truefeelings, wangxian, weiwuxian, weiying

Status: 26 parts, complete

[twistedappletree]

Thinking about Jin Ling becoming a sect leader at 15 and crying because no??? he’s a baby. He IS baby. he’s a baby boy and he needs to be a kid pls someone stop this right now LET HIM BE A KID

[minsarasarahair]

I'm actually surprised there are people who believe Wei Wuxian don't love Jiang Cheng and his action of saving him is just out of debt. First of all, its a "Duty vs What They Actually Felt" conflict. My favorite type of story conflict trope btw. Just because they care about their duty didn't mean they never cared for each other.

Yunmeng shuangjie have genuine friendship during childhood. Its just their relationship became more complex as they became older because Jiang Cheng will become the sect leader and Wei Wuxian as shixiong is expected to support his shidi. That's their obligation or responsibility as part of Yunmeng Jiang sect. When Jiang Cheng became the sect leader, it become hard for him to continue supporting Wei Wuxian's hero journey (yeah, he used to support Wei Wuxian in a way he used to clear up the other's mess while complaining according to Wei Wuxian himself) because he has people on his back now (Also, his wound still raw and has strong hatred too toward the Wens as a whole/he also dont know what the Wen Siblings did to help them because its a secret) while Wei Wuxian is thinking about the debt toward Yunmeng Jiang sect and Wen Siblings. Their duty became too much to them so their true feelings are overshadowed by it but they still care about each other. Wei Wuxian defect from Yunmeng Jiang to protect them while helping the Wen Remnants and Jiang Cheng tried to persuade Wei Wuxian to return to Yunmeng Jiang once he's done helping the Wens so he can be safe.

If I think about it. Xianle trio of TGCF has similar conflict, teenager Xie Lian treat FengQing like close friends despite how FengQing continue to do their servant/guard tasks for him so it make sense why from Xie Lian's perspective, he don't understand why his friends will leave him even if he treat them kindly because he has this ideal frienship image in his mind. But from FengQing's perspective, they are still not equals so they think their current relationship will not work out because they are below Xie Lian similar how Wei Wuxian start to view his relationship to Jiang Cheng as he became older. He start to think about his debt to Yunmeng Jiang sect even if he still care about Jiang Cheng like a brother. Jiang Cheng and Xie Lian are both similar in a way they are the one who's above the hierarchy and don't understand why the other will leave them.

The two just have different development. Yunmeng Shuangjie's ending is a closure to partways. Jiang Cheng still care about Wei Wuxian so he let him go and be free from debts. Wei Wuxian still care about Jiang Cheng so he gave his own golden core as part of debt and get updates from Jin Ling about Jiang Cheng sometimes. On the other hand, Xianle trio's separation is a beginning of friendship because they are finally equals. All of them are gods now.

I guess what I love about Yunmeng Shuangjie and Xianle Trio story is it tells us friends come and go. Their life don't revolve around you forever unlike lifetime romantic partner and that's okay if they leave or stay. What matters is we treasured those memories together and what we learned from them. I just hate how loving platonic relationships in this story and loving the romance of main couple divided the fandom. Its annoying that Jiang Cheng and FengQing are villainized. But well, I did listened to SOARA's songs where they usually reminscing how friends partways after graduation and because of the different paths they take in life so that's probably why I have a different take. One of my bestfriend also tell me how its hard to make new friends in workplace because of the hierarchy and competition whatnot so its probably similar to that.

[mxtxfanatic]

Jin Ling and the Curse of Escalating Abuse, Pt. 2

This post will cover Jin Ling and Jin Guangyao’s relationship in much the same way that the first part, here, analyzed Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng’s relationship. Note: just as with the first part, I will not be addressing Jin Guangyao’s (supposed) love for Jin Ling. As I said before, the love an abuser has for their victim(s) means absolutely nothing in the face of that unchanged abuse. For each scene I analyze, I will be using one source per scene, but if I have multiple translations for a scene, I will put them under the cut for comparison.

As discussed in the first post to this duo, Jin Ling does not grow up with a caring uncle from his mother’s side. However, I rarely see people discuss the abuse that Jin Ling faces from his paternal uncle, Jin Guangyao, and I think this is because 1) we don’t see Jin Ling and Jin Guangyao directly interact for much of the story the way that Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling do and 2) Jin Guangyao’s style of abuse looks vastly different from the very straightforward toxicity that Jiang Cheng displays. But still, there are a lot of tidbits in the story to give us insight into this uncle-nephew relationship, so let’s get into it!

From the very beginning, we are shown the ways in which Jin Guangyao cares for Jin Ling, such as that he gifts Jin Ling his spiritual dog who serves as his first and closest friend, pre-canon, and Jin Ling regards this highly:

Jin Ling’s black-maned spirit dog was of a rare species, and it had been given to him by Jin Guangyao.

–Chapt. 20: Sunshine II, fanyiyi

“How could your donkey compare to my spirit dog?” Jin Ling said. “Xianzi was given to me by my younger uncle. If something happens to it, even ten thousand donkeys wouldn’t make up for it!”

–Chapt. 34: Flora II, fanyiyi

Jin Ling is also very protective of his paternal uncle, warning “Mo Xuanyu” away from “his people” even as he is reluctantly charmed by Wei Wuxian’s personality:

“...Don’t bother or mess around with other men, especially if they’re my people! Otherwise, don’t blame me if I do something about it.”

By “my people,” Jin Ling meant both the Lanling Jin Clan and the Yunmeng Jiang Clan. It appeared that his tolerance for the passion of the cut sleeve had increased—as long as Wei Wuxian wasn’t trying to involve himself with men of either clan, he could look the other way.

–Chapt. 45: Beauty III, fanyiyi

He even gets upset that “Mo Xuanyu” has returned to Koi Tower given the scandal of his banishment and especially when he finds “Mo Xuanyu” outside of Jin Guangyao’s private rooms:

As Jin Ling was just about to speak again, he glanced behind Lan WangJi and finally saw Wei WuXian. Temporarily astounded, he blurted, “Why are you here?!”

Wei WuXian, “To get a free meal.”

Jin Ling was somewhat angered, “How dare you still come?! Didn’t I warn...”

–Chapt. 47: Guile, exr

Jin Ling felt goosebumps climb over his body, “Shut up right now! Who’s all lovey-dovey with you?! Didn’t I warn you already not to mess with our sect’s people? Why have you come back?!”

–Chapt. 47: Guile, exr

The first to hurry over was Jin Ling. His sword was already unsheathed in his hand as he asked, “Why are you here?”...

...Jin Ling fumed, “Just what do you want? Everyone is here because of you! This is my uncle’s bedchamber, bedchamber, you understand?! Haven’t I told you not to...”

–Chapt. 50: Guile, exr

But unlike with Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling’s turbulent relationship, the feelings of care seem to be overtly reciprocated between Jin Guangyao and Jin Ling. In the first direct interaction we see between uncle and nephew, Jin Guangyao acts as shield and comfort to Jin Ling, being the calming buffer between Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng:

Jin Ling followed Jin GuangYao out here. He still didn’t dare meet Jiang Cheng alone. Hiding behind Jin GuangYao’s back, he mumbled, “Uncle.”

Jiang Cheng replied harshly, “So you still know that I’m your uncle!”

Jin Ling quickly tugged at the back hems of Jin GuangYao’s robe. Jin GuangYao seemed as though he had been born to resolve conflicts, “Now, Sect Leader Jiang, A-Ling realized his mistake a long time ago. During the past few days, he’s been so scared you’d punish him that he hasn’t even been eating well. Children just like to make mischief. I know you love him the most. Let’s not bother him about it so much.”

–Chapt. 47: Guile, exr

...as well as calming Jin Ling down when he gets upset at “Mo Xuanyu” being present at the discussion conference:

Jin Ling was somewhat angered, “How dare you still come?! Didn’t I warn...”

Jin GuangYao rubbed Jin Ling’s head, pushing him behind himself, and smiled...

–Chapt. 47: Guile, exr

And Jin Guangyao manages to do this all without appearing as overbearing or condescending towards his nephew, allowing Jin Ling to be a vulnerable child with him in a way that he refuses to be with the ornery Jiang Cheng. However, it is this same chapter, still, that we begin to see cracks in the relationship. Not long after the above interactions, Jin Ling runs into his childhood bullies. After Wei Wuxian helps him deal with it, this is what Jin Ling has to say:

Jin Ling glanced at him and couldn’t help but answered, “Why are you like this? My younger uncle has always advised against this, but you’re egging me on.”...

...Jin Ling’s face betrayed faint yearning, yet he still sounded contemptuous, “What are you talking about? Uncle’s advice is for my own good.”

–Chapt. 47: Guile, exr

Despite being Jin Ling’s guardian and leader of the Jin Clan, and despite being aware of the bullying Jin Ling is experiencing by his peers, Jin Guangyao’s solution is to tell Jin Ling... not to defend himself. We are given no other indication in the text, either through Jin Ling or other characters, that Jin Guangyao takes any other steps to mitigate this bullying. He simply washes his hands of the situation and leaves Jin Ling to fend for himself. Wei Wuxian even notes the strangeness of this, how a man who is so good at people-pleasing and reading the room would act ignorant on how to solve his nephew’s issues with socializing:

After a while of silence, he replied, “With Jin Ling’s temper, he offends other people whenever he opens his mouth, he pokes at the hornet’s nest whenever he raises his hand. Your sect’s JingYi calls him Young Mistress—well, he’s right. The many times before this, if it weren’t for how we protected him, he’d have no lives left. Jiang Cheng isn’t at all someone who knows how to teach children. Jin GuangYao, on the other hand...”

–Chapt. 47: Guile, exr

If not for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, Jin Ling would have been dead many times over, particularly at the goading of his maternal uncle, but Jin Guangyao seems illogically unaware of this. But is he really, or does he simply not value Jin Ling’s life outside of his facade as a loving uncle? Enter the second siege and Guanyin Temple, where Jin Guangyao’s true feelings towards his nephew are revealed. At the second siege, Jin Ling is amongst the kidnapped children used as bait to draw in the rest of the established cultivation clans, meaning that Jin Guangyao was perfectly willing to sacrifice his nephew to keep his secrets hidden. And when Jin Ling stumbles upon Guanyin Temple, Jin Guangyao continually betrays Jin Ling’s former affections, from not saying anything to stop his lackeys from taking fatal aim at his nephew, to ordering them to kill Fairy, to even personally threatening Jin Ling’s life:

Within the courtyard, all the cultivators were attentive and high-strung. With arrows drawn on their bows, they aimed at the gate, holding the bowstring tight, waiting for an order...

...The moment Jin Ling reached the top of the wall, he was confronted by an entire courtyard of bows drawn and aimed at him. His pupils shrunk instantly. One of the monks had either never seen Jin Ling before or had already prepared to annihilate any and all intruders. The monk released his bowstring and the arrow soared towards Jin Ling!

–Chapt. 98: A Hatred for Life Part 1, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

Jin GuangYao said, “Find it and kill it. This spiritual dog is very intelligent. We wouldn’t want her to lure over other people.”

“Yes sir!”

The monk left with a sword in his hand and the temple’s gate closed behind him. Jin Ling was beyond stunned. “You’re really going to kill her? You gave Fairy to me!”

–Chapt. 99: A Hatred For Life Part 2, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

Shrugging, Jin GuanYao smiled, “I can’t help it. Even after doing all the worst things imaginable, I still want the sympathy of others. That’s just the type of person I am.”

At the word “person”, he sudden flicked his wrist. A piece of red qin string looped around Jin Ling’s neck.

Jin GuangYao’s eyes were still brimming with tears when he warned in a low voice, “Don’t move!”

–Chapt. 106: A Hatred For Life Part 9, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

Jin Ling is completely surprised by this seemingly 180 his uncle has pulled on him. After all, this was the uncle that had appeared to care for him the most and that he regarded highly:

Jin Ling had always been close with his Youngest Uncle. In the past, Jin GuangYao had often doted on him. Even now, Jin GuangYao still had that pleasant, compassionate look on his face, but it would be near impossible for Jin Ling to ever see him with the same eyes again. Quietly, Jin Ling walked towards Wei WuXian and Lan XiChen, obediently standing by their side.

–Chapt. 99: A Hatred for Life Part 2, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

So what was the point? Why care for Jin Ling if he didn’t, you know, care about him? Well, simple: Jin Ling represents that perfect life Jin Guangyao thinks Jin Guangshan barred him from. When asked why Jin Guangyao plotted to kill Jin Zixuan, Jin Guangyao finally explains his reasoning:

Turning to Jin Ling, he continued, “A-Ling, can you tell me why then? Why is it that even though I always put up a smiling face for everyone, I rarely received one in return? Meanwhile, your father was arrogant and proud everywhere he went, yet everyone was always chasing after him? Can you tell why is it that, though we had the same father, why is it that your father could leisurely stay at home and tease his child with his most beloved wife while I, who barely dared to stay alone too long with my wife, who’s frightened every time I gaze upon my own son, got sent out to deal with these things by my own father as if it was only natural for me to handle them— to ambush an unstable, dangerous man who could lose control of his fierce corpses at any moment and turn everything into a massacre?!

“Why is it that, though we even shared the same birthday, Jin GuangShan could be throwing a lavish celebration for one of them while watching the other one get kicked off from the Koi Tower on the very same day, all the way from the top of the first stair down to the very bottom?!”

–Chapt. 106: A Hatred For Life Part 9, boat-full-of-lotus-pods

On the outside, Jin Guangyao had a perfect life similar to Jin Zixuan, but on the inside – from being trapped into marrying his sister, to unwittingly (or not) having an incest baby, to being forced to do his father’s dirty work – it was clearly inferior to his arrogant half-brother’s, who had to suffer nothing to be valued by their shared father. Jin Guangyao may have only truly hated Jin Guangshan in this equation, but that hatred made everyone else disposable to him. Jin Zixuan had to die and Mo Xuanyu had to be permanently banished because they stood in the way of Jin Guangyao inheriting what he thought was his due from his father. Jin Rusong had to be killed because he would have revealed the terrible deeds Jin Guangyao committed in the name of protecting his image for his father’s benefit, despite the original sin being committed by his father to begin with. However, Jin Ling was just useful enough to live, because Jin Guangyao couldn’t have another child with Qin Su now that he was fully aware that she was his sister, but he also couldn’t divorce her, cheat, or kill her without risking his alliance with the Qin Clan that helped solidify his power to begin with. So Jin Ling became his neat little pawn: a potential heir that makes his need for biological children unnecessary, but also one who is so endeared to him that Jin Ling (if he were ever to become clan leader) would serve as a new shield and enabler for whatever Jin Guangyao decided to do after he stepped down (if he ever stepped down).

And once Jin Guangyao’s actions are exposed to the cultivation world with his reputation in tatters, he no longer has a need to preserve his “nice uncle” facade to Jin Ling or spare his nephew’s feelings. Jin Ling is no longer useful to Jin Guangyao so they may as well be strangers, and Jin Ling is left to pick up the pieces of what he thought was a loving relationship with one of his last living close relatives who, in reality, only saw him as a bitter rival’s son. Unfortunately, this kind of abuse is more shattering to deal with once the betrayal happens and the victim has to face knowing that they meant nothing to someone they loved (with assumed reciprocity), more so than the overt physical and verbal abuse Jin Ling experienced from Jiang Cheng. But fortunately, Jin Ling has Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji to lean on as he deals with the emotional fallout of these reveals.

Information on Fairy:

This black-haired spiritual dog was a prized species gifted to Jin Ling by Jin Guangyao.

–Chapt. 20: Harmony Part 2: Husband and husband going down the mountain as a pair, taming wangxian

This black-haired spiritual dog was a rare species given to Jin Ling by Jin GuangYao.

–Chapt. 20: Contenment, exr

Jin Ling, “How can that donkey be more important than my spiritual dog? Fairy was given to me by my youngest uncle. If something happened to it, not even ten thousand donkeys could pay for it!”

–Chapt. 34: Grasses, exr

Jin Ling being protective of Jin Guangyao:

“...Don’t go about messing with other men, especially people from our sect! Or else, don’t blame the results on me.”

The “our sect” that he said included both the LanlingJin and the YunmengJiang Sect. It seemed that his ability to tolerate cut-sleeves had increased, that as long as it wasn’t anyone from the two sects, he could turn a blind eye to it.

–Chapt. 45: Allure, exr

Jin Guangyao showing his true disregard for Jin Ling:

Within the courtyard, all the cultivators were tensely braced, bows taut, facing the door and awaiting orders...

...When Jin Ling reached the top of the wall, he was greeted with the sight of an entire courtyard of arrows aimed at him and his eyes widened in shock and fear. One of the monks had either never seen Jin Ling before or was determined to silence any intruders, released his arrow, aiming straight for Jin Ling’s heart!

–Chapt. 98: Hatred – Time to Beat Sister Yao, chiaki_himura

Amid the courtyard, all of the cultivators held their breaths. Resting on the bows, the arrows pointed towards the direction of the doors, waiting for orders...

...On the other hand, Jin Ling saw an entire courtyard of arrows aimed at him as soon as he arrived. His pupils shrank. One of the monks had probably never seen Jin Ling before, or perhaps he had the determination to kill off any intruders. He let go, and an arrow shot towards the direction of Jin Ling!

–Chapt. 98: Hatred, exr

Jin Guangyao rebuked, “Find it and kill it! This spirit dog is very intelligent. It would be highly inconvenient if it manages to attract the attention of others.”

“Right away, Sect Leader Jin!”

The monk then drew his sword and left the temple, closing the doors behind him. Jin Ling was shocked speechless, and implored, “You􏰞re really going to kill Fairy? Fairy was given to me by none other than yourself!”

–Chapt. 99: Hatred – Scars, chiaki_himura

Jin GuangYao, “Find it and kill it. The dog’s quite bright. It wouldn’t do us well if it led someone over.”

 “Yes!” The monk left with his sword, and the doors finally closed.

Jin Ling was more than astonished, blurting, “You’re really gonna kill it? You were the one who gave me Fairy!”

–Chapt. 99: Hatred, exr

Jin Guangyao’s smile remained on his face as he played with his fingers, “It can’t be helped. Still trying to seek others’ sympathy after committing all these evil deeds. I’m just that kind of person.”

Just as he finished saying “person”, he suddenly flicked his wrist. A thin, red zither string wrapped itself around Jin Ling’s neck. 

His eyes still watery, Jin Guangyao growled, “Don’t move!”

–Chapt. 106: Hatred - Gathering Together, chiaki_himura

Jin GuangYao shrugged as he smiled, “I can’t help it. To seek pity even after doing all the bad things—that’s the kind of person I am.”

At the word ‘pity’, he suddenly flipped his wrist. A red guqin string wrapped around Jin Ling’s neck.

Tears still hung at the corners of Jin GuangYao’s eyes as he spoke, voice low, “Don’t move!”

–Chapt. 106: Hatred, exr

Jin Ling’s care for Jin Guangyao:

Jin Ling had always been on amicable terms with his uncle; Jin Guangyao had always spoilt him, and he had always donned a cheerful and affable personality. But as of today, Jin Ling found it very hard to look at Jin Guangyao the same way. He broodingly moved to where Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen were standing, looking very sombre.

–Chapt. 99: Hatred – Scars, chiaki_himura

Jin Ling had always had a good relationship with this uncle of his. In the past, Jin GuangYao doted on him quite a lot. Right now, he appeared to be as nice as always, but with the way things were, Jin Ling found it difficult to view him in the same light as before. Quietly, he walked towards Wei WuXian and Lan XiChen, looking quite obedient.

–Chapt. 99: Hatred, exr

Jin Guangyao revealing the reason for his hatred:

Turning to Jin Ling, he said, “A-Ling, then can you tell me, why? Why is it that even though I always treat everyone graciously and courteously, I might not even get half an ounce of greeting in return, but your father can ignore everyone, but everyone still flocks around him in awe and respect? Can you tell me, why is it that even though we have the same father, your father can stay at home comfortably with his beloved wife and dote on his own child, but I don’t even dare to be alone with my wife for too long, even getting goosebumps when I see my own child? Why I was sent by my own father to ambush a dangerous man who could lose control anytime and summon hordes of fierce ghosts and corpses?!”

“Why is it that even though we have the same birthday, Jin Guangshan would host a huge banquet for one son, yet watch as his subordinates kick his other son down the stairs of the Golden Pavilion, from the highest floor all the way to the lowest?!”

–Chapt. 99: Hatred – Scars, chiaki_himura

Nie HuaiSang hurried to pull back Jin Ling, who seemed as though he wanted to fight with Jin GuangYao. Jin GuangYao returned the question, “Why?” He turned to Jin Ling, “A-Ling, then could you tell me why? Why is it that even if I face everyone with a smile, I might not even receive the lowest form of respect, while even though your father was extremely arrogant, people flocked to him? Could you tell me why we were born from the same person but your father could relax at home with the love of his life playing with his child, while I never even dared be alone for long with my wife, shivering out of fright at first glance of my son? And I was ordered to do such a thing by my father as if it was natural—to kill an extremely dangerous figure who could flip out and conjure up a bloody massacre with his corpses anytime!

“Why is it that even though we were born on the same day, Jin GuangShan could host a grand banquet for one son, and watch with his own eyes how his subordinate kicked his other son down Koi Tower, from the first stair to the last!”

–Chapt. 106: Hatred, exr

[friedwizardwhispers]

List of the questions we had this season

After episode 8, I made a list of questions we had this season (you can find it HERE if you want to check it out) and I figured I would return to it at the end of it to see if they did answer and.... I'm going to break it down and see what questions are left to answer after season 2

Here are the list of questions we had after episode 8 and how they answered them:

Who gave Lu Guang the photo and wrote “save my good brother” in childish letters ?

Li Tianxi wrote "save my good brother" and Li TIanchen gave the photo to Lu Guang.

How does Red eye’s power work ? Is there more than one person being Red eyes ?

Red eyes was mostly Li Tianchen with Li Tianxi's help. Li Tianxi can see a person's memories and feeling through photo and Li Tianchen can control them by touch, if they work together, they can control someone through photos in the present, they can't go back in time like Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang though.

Does Li Tianxi has powers ?

Yes, she did.

Who killed Liu Lan, who was possessing her when she finally defended herself and what happened before the end of the night ?

We got so much answers in the last episode. The husband killed her by stabbing her and she was possesed by LI Tianchen because he wanted her to defend herself, making the whole thing even more tragic.

What is the end of the fox story and what is the significance of said fox story for the plot ?

Well... The fox story was just Li Tianchen and Li Tianxi's story so technically it only ended for one of them, "she returned home" by dying (we think ? is she confirmed dead ?)

What happened during the investigation of his wife’s murder to make Qian Jin so resentful and so okay with killing his ex-colleagues ?

I was so sure this was going somewhere. turn out I asked the wrong question. The question I should have asked was, what happened to his wife ? He killed her after he assumed she was cheating because this guy was genuinely the worst and he was okay with killing his ex-colleagues because he is just awful.

Who is the unnamed friend ?

Hat guy, Yay.

Which leads me to who is hat guy ?

Liu Xiao, Liu Min's younger brother.

What was the vision of Cheng Xiaoshi dying in Lu Guang’s arms ?

Well... We had that answered.

Lu Guang is from the future and is actively trying to change it and that was his memories (or did change it and is now living in the changed present, a bit unclear ?)

All of this options means another question, what are Lu Guang’s power actually ?

That we don't really have the answer. He clearly had, at some point, Cheng Xiaoshi's powers but considering we think Qiao Ling just got Li Tianxi's power after she died, it is pretty likely that the original power belonged to Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang got them after he got shot and died in the first timeline and his original power where seeing 12 hours in the past with a photo.

What else is he hiding from us and Cheng Xiaoshi ?

Well.. a lot, see above answer. Let's just say he is a teeni tiny bit of an hypocrite who couldn't deal with Cheng Xiaoshi's death and went back in time to save him.

Who saved Cheng Xiaoshi the first time ?

Who knows ? Not that important in the grand scheme of things actually. I think now it was always Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang's intent was to always sacrifice himself anyway.

Was the phone and the photo for Cheng Xiaoshi or was it a way for Lu Guang to see what happen in the next 12 hours (or both) ?

I think it was for Cheng Xiaoshi, Not really answered though.

Are the numbers of the code significant ?

They are. The time and date of Cheng Xiaoshi's death. Lu Guang really is out there torturing himself by putting that on his phone so that he can see it everyday.

What are the significance of the other objects in the opening ?

The gun was both a foreshadowing of the last episode and it is what killed Cheng Xiaoshi in the first timeline.

The diary... I don't really know, maybe I'm forgetting something.

What is the significance of the entire opening actually ?

Well...foreshadowing that big twist at the end of episode 12.

Leftover question from season 1

What happened to Cheng Xiaoshi’s parents ?

We still don't know

What happened during that summer vacation ? Can we have more information on this ?

Well that's not answered yet but considering the date on the phone was in early (ish) september, it is possible this is when Cheng Xiaoshi died the first time.

Here is some unanswered questions left after episode 12:

How, when, where Cheng Xiaoshi died and who killed him in the first place ?

It was hat man in the study with the chandelier. I think it's been pretty much confirmed that he was killed with a gun and I think he died during the summer vacation (but that's just a theory as far as we know) and we have no idea who killed him in the first place and why.

Did Lu Guang save Cheng Xiaoshi from death several times ?

I got the impression he did it once and just continued living with him in that reality but timeline shenanigans could still be at play here.

How will Cheng Xiaoshi react to the twist ?

Probably very badly.I hate to say this. I have a bad feeling that would make him very furious (I mean that's fair I think) and he might get dangerously reckless/sacrificial ? (how do you deal with living a life you were never supposed to be living because you are supposed to be dead)

Did Qiao Ling actually get Li Tianxi's powers ?

I want her to get them. I think she did.

Is Qiao Ling going to be the one figuring out what Lu Guang's vision is and what she saw ?

Yes more proactive Qiao Ling. Gimme it.

Is Li Tianxi even dead ?

I mean she was shot and looked pretty dead to me but they didn't really confirm it.

What does Hat man want (I know he has a name but hat man is funnier) ?

Is he going to target Cheng Xiaoshi because he is supposed to be dead ? Is this what happening ?

And the biggest mystery of them all...How did Xiao Li get a promotion when he is terrible at his job and one of the civilian who was under his supervision got killed under his watch and two others got kidnapped, tortured and/or shot ?

Like How ?

[softwired]

WIP Wednesday

Today is a sangcheng roommate scene that has been sitting around for who knows how long. I will be repurposing it whenever I write an actual roomie au story~

___

Jiang Cheng had a rotten day. He’s not used to crying when or where anyone might see him. But, the day had truly been awful. He breaks down the moment he stops moving, after locking the apartment door, hanging up his keys, setting his bag next to the sofa. He’s at the kitchen counter with a can of grapefruit hard seltzer in front of him, unopened, condensation slowly beading up and sliding down the white metal.

The first tear slides down his cheek as he stares at the can. The tear is hot on his wind-chilled skin. He wipes it away reflexively, but the motion is like flipping a switch and more burning tears follow. Soon it’s an unstoppable torrent and he’s gasping for air between shuddering sobs, the cuff of his sleeve soaked and his face raw from being rubbed dry over and over. His throat feels tight and the anger comes. Why can’t he stop crying? He pounds his fist on the counter hard enough to hurt. The seltzer bounces and falls, racing to roll off the counter and hit the tiled floor. He jolts, watching it come to a stop against the side of his socked foot. It doesn’t break open, but there’s a significant dent in the can.

“Fucking fuck, Jesus motherfucking Christ,” he half-groans, half-shouts to the silent apartment.

“Jiang Cheng?” the apartment calls back.

“Fuck,” he curses to himself, trying harder to rub his face dry. His heart is racing as he jerks around, blinking hard, willing his stinging eyes to stop leaking his emotions all over the place.

His roommate, Nie Huaisang, is peering at him from the shadowy hallway. He looks sleep-tousled, pouting and squinting. “What’s going on?” he asks. His voice is thick with sleep, so he clears his throat. “Are you okay? I heard a loud noise,” he elaborates.

Jiang Cheng whips himself back around. He inhales sharply, trying to clear his swollen sinuses, and bends down to snatch up the dented can of seltzer. “I’m fine, I—” his voice cracks. “Everything’s fine. I just dropped something.” He wants to sound normal, but he can’t. He hopes Huaisang will at least be merciful enough to pretend he doesn’t notice. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“I was sleeping.”

Jiang Cheng has lived with Huaisang for four months. They’ve been friends for almost ten years. He knows immediately that he’s not going to escape this moment unscathed. He opens the fridge and puts the seltzer back on the middle shelf with the other undented cans. His tears have finally stopped by sheer force of will. He holds his breath for the few seconds it takes to close the fridge door. He clears his throat.

“I’m gonna study in my room. You should get takeout.” It’s a stilted series of words, missing a section that might have made it sound natural. He tries to force it back in, tacking on, “I didn’t get time to go to the store. Can’t cook. I—sorry.”

He has to face Huaisang to get to his room, unable to stop himself from glancing up from the carpet just before the living room fades into the hall.

Huaisang stops him with wide eyes and a hand reaching across his chest to grab his shoulder.

“Hold on—have you been crying? What happened?” He sounds so genuinely concerned that his words hit Jiang Cheng right in the softest part of his armor. He feels the tears brimming again and jerks out of his friend’s hold, trying to make a run for it.

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

Huaisang grabs his arm with both hands and yanks him back around. Jiang Cheng is too surprised by his strength to protest.

“Hey! Don’t run away from me! You’re obviously upset!”

“I’m fine!” Jiang Cheng has to swipe at his eyes, sniffling like a child.

“Jiang Cheng! What happened? I haven’t seen you cry since Jin Ling was born.” Huaisang’s eyes are red-rimmed from lack of sleep, his hair sticking up on one side and his too-big shirt cocked at an angle. Still, he holds on to Jiang Cheng’s arm.

“I didn’t cry when A-Ling was born,” Jiang Cheng protests, “There was just some smell in the hospital room that set off my allergies.”

Huaisang huffs in surprise, then smiles, then lets out a snap of laughter.

“You idiot,” he says with affection.

“I’m not—”

“Go sit on the couch. I’ll bring you some tissues.”

Jiang Cheng wants to protest but the fight goes out of him when Huaisang raises an eyebrow. He wipes his face again and sniffles once before trudging away to sit down on their second hand couch.