#meng rui

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Fangs of Fortune (2024)

Zhuo Yichen stabs Zhao Yuanzhou || Fangs Of Fortune EP 29

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ARIIiq0MgSg

[rinbylin]

公主，将来的事，此刻谁又说得准呢？

FANG DUOBING and PRINCESS ZHAOLING | 莲花楼 Mysterious Lotus Casebook

[staydandy]

The Golden Eyes (2019) - 黄金瞳 - Whump List

List by StayDandy Synopsis : A simple pawn shop worker, Zhuang Rui, had his own eyes mutated after an accident during a robbery attempt of an ancient Jade carving. His mutated eyes subsequently brought many changes to his life in many unexpected ways he could ever imagined. (MDL)

Whumpees : Zhuang Rui played by Lay Zhang (center) • Peng Fei played by Meng A Sai (2 eps) (far right)

Country : 🇨🇳 China Genres : Adventure, Martial Arts, Fantasy, Tomb Raider

Notes : This is a Full Whump List • This is the a revision of my Partial List, which only had 4 episodes on it! It really deserved better than that. • My favorite episodes are pink : 00

Related List : The Golden Eyes (2019) - partial list

Episodes on List : 37 Total Episodes : 56

*Spoilers below*

01 : Glass gets into Zhuang Rui's eyes, knocked out … hospitalized, eyes bandaged … blurry vision, overwhelmed by new eyesight … unsteady, rubbing eyes

02 : Headache

04 : Attacked, hooded

05 : Handcuffed … falls through a trapdoor

06 : Protects someone from an explosion, knocked out … protects someone from a 2nd explosion, knocked out

09 : Rubbing his eyes

10 : (near end) Attacked, fight

11 : Shaking head in slight pain

13 : Fight, knocked out … dizzy, eye/head pain.. unsteady

14 : Car crash, knocked out … treated in hospital

17 : Drunk, unsteady, helped to walk

18 : Shaking head, pain.. unsteady, passes out, caught … nauseous … locked in a wine cellar

19 : … continued from previous ep. ... Locked in wine cellar, shivering

22 : While driving, shaking head, pain … revealed he's been shot in the leg, bleeding, limping … temporary amnesia, migraine, collapses.. leg infected, fever

23 : … continued from previous ep. ... Limping, exhausted, eye pain.. blurry vision, collapses, passes out … headache

24 : … continued from previous ep. ... Passes out, hospitalized

25 : Chased, rolls down a hill, migraine, unsteady, blurry vision, temporarily blind … blurry vision

26 : … continued from previous ep. ... Still partially blind … vision slowly returning, blurry … steps on a landmine

27 : Peng Fei is captured, tied up, whipped

28 : … continued from previous ep. ... Attempts escape, tied up again … Zhuang Rui is captured, tied up … Zhuang Rui & Peng Fei are knocked out with smoke bomb … Zhuang Rui nightmare.. headache, ear ringing

29 : Not feeling well, not eating, depressed

30 : Wrestling match, sore after … lightheaded

31 : Lightheaded … out of it, collapses against a pillar, barely conscious, helped to walk … blurry vision, migraine, helped to walk, saying he can't see or hear, writhing in pain, given a shot to sleep

32 : Unsteady, starts to collapses, supported … slightly unresponsive … headache … nightmare

33 : Hit with a shovel

35 : (near end) [flashbacks to eps 22, 25, 31] migraine, amnesia, blind, migraine, writhing … [present] drunk

36 : Admitting he's lost his sense of taste … eye strain, headache, exhausted … (@ 13:16 Huang Fu Yun looks so much better without the birdshit highlight in his hair) … drunk

37 : … continued from previous ep. ... Drunk … captured, hands tied

38 : Shock, dizzy, migraine, collapses, caught … briefly knocked out from explosion

42 : Eye strain … captured, hands tied.. hit with bats in a fight

43 : Drugged … tied up

44 : MIgraine

45 : Dizzy, collapses, migraine.. unsteady … starts to collapse, supported

50 : (at end) Tied up

53 : Attacked, knocked out … migraine … captured

55 : Headache, backhanded, falls & hits head on a pipe, barely conscious.. carried … unconscious … hospitalized

56 : … continued from previous ep. ... Hospitalized, drugged asleep … hospitalized for brain surgery.. seizure during surgery

More Whump Lists for this show: love-me-a-lotta-whump whumpetywhump

[shuuenka]

OC introduction cards / updated

[movielosophy]

Mysterious Lotus Casebook | Princess

[scorbleeo]

Drama Gossip: The Spirealm (致命游戏)

Source: Google Images

It started off peculiarly; first, his domestic cat refused to let him cuddle it. Lin Qiushi soon found that a sense of disharmony and incongruity began to pervade everything around him. Then, one odd day, he pushed open a door, and he discovered that the hallway he was familiar with turned into a boundless corridor. At both ends of this corridor were twelve, identical iron gates. Thus, the story began.

Source: MyDramaList (2024)

Action, Adventure, Augmented Reality? Sign Me Up!

I do not consume everything that has the 'entering a virtual game with real life consequences' plot-line but when I do, I more or less will enjoy them. The Spirealm is exactly that plot-line and after just finishing 19th Floor (another Chinese drama with similar concept), I was expecting more and hoping for lesser disappointment.

This drama did not disappoint at all. Lets first talk about the roles and the cast. Brilliant job on the casting, everybody pulled off their role so wonderfully, it felt like they were made for their roles. As for the characters these actors portrayed, wow. I haven't been obsessed with a fictional Chinese character in such a long time but Ruan Lan Zhu is so easy to be obsessed with. The writing was brilliant because I very quickly grew attached to the main people and when shit hit the fan, yeah, I felt everything as if I was a part of them.

Spoilers going on from here so if you haven't watched the show, go and watch it now, please?

As I was saying, I was so attached to some of the characters, I really, wow... Say Li Dong Yuan first. I actually already was spoiled with his death, I even knew which door was going to cause his death yet when it happened, I physically gasped. Then his farewell scene came about and goodness gracious, Xiao Zhuang's reaction was absolutely heart-wrenching. It really did not help that right before getting stabbed, the door Dong Yuan went through for Ling Ling was one of the most entertaining and comedic doors.

After that Zao Zao's death? She was already trying her best in the real world, she tried her best in the spirealm. She gave one of the best speeches ever. Yet that chandelier... I never hated chandeliers as much as I do now.

That's the thing about The Spirealm. This show has plenty of heartbreaking scenes but at the same time, it has a bunch of hilarious scenes too. You really can go from laughing one second and then depressed the next. Exactly like when Cheng Yi Xie sacrificed himself for his brother? One second I was laughing at Lan Zhu begging for Ling Ling's forgiveness and suddenly I was pissed but before I could even get real mad, I was hit with a broken heart. This may sound like a complain but the roller coaster of emotions made this drama ten times more interesting than other dramas.

Moving on to the game or doors or levels (however you want to call them). I really, really enjoy shows with this concept but many a times, the stakes just aren't high enough. Not The Spirealm though. I mean, look at Dong Yuan, Zao Zao and Yi Xie. They are part of the main leads and that world did not go easy on them. As much as I hate that they died, I really appreciated the high stakes in this drama. It made watching the show so much more worth it.

Anyhow, despite thoroughly enjoying this drama, I have so many questions. First things first, did I miss the significance of the necklace Lan Zhu gave Ling Ling during the first door?

Also (this is not that important by the way), when the time comes, the players have no choice but through the door. We've watched Ling Ling enter his doors plenty a time. Now tell me how did Wu Qi survive?

I may be someone who loves an ambiguous ending but if the theory that everything was not real is in fact real, I hate it. Yet, everything being a part of Ling Ling's dream or "hallucination" does make sense, as much as I hate it. Remember where Ling Ling walked into upon completing the first door? He entered the door in the middle of the road and exited it into his house? The discrepancies started right from the beginning. Which (if I did not miss anything) might explain the lack of significance behind the necklace. It will also explain why Ling Ling's time between each door is never long yet Wu Qi's not worried about his next door when he witnessed Dong Yuan's death? Or that Chen Fei's advancement is so much slower than Ling Ling. Furthermore, I'm supposed to believe the crew learnt about a mysterious man who helped Xiong Qi reunite with Xiao Ke in the spirealm and they did not investigate more?

I really do hate the everything was not real theory but I also cannot deny it's the most reasonable one. There was another theory I chanced upon on Douyin a while back and have since forgotten most of the information. However, I like that theory a lot even though it was quite farfetched. Long story short, the user theorised that after Lan Zhu walked into the portal and cleaned the program, Ling Ling woke up and regained consciousness after being hit, right? That's not reality but the 12th door and the door god for this last door is Lan Zhu. That was all I remember but the user did provide explanations and timestamps for their theory and upon reading it, it did make sense too. Therefore, if I ever come across that video again, I will link it here.

In the meantime, let's wallow in the conclusion of The Spirealm. It was a quick and short ride but an extremely memorable one.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

More productions from China here: 19th Floor (19层) | Under the Skin (猎罪图鉴)

[nikkotinamide]

language use in kiseki

I don't think this has been mentioned before but the kiseki scriptwriters/directors actually use language to reflect the characters' backgrounds/level of education. This is purely from observing the language shown in the drama, I'm unsure if it is reflective of Taiwanese society.

We know that whilst not well to do, Bai Zong Yi is a top student. He's well-educated and learned. Fan Ze Rui, given his privileged background, is also the same. This is reflected in their speech: they use standard mandarin, and I don't remember them having used slangs. This is one of the reasons they click.

Contrast this with Ai Di, Chen Yi, and the soy milk shop owner. The owner mainly uses minnanyu (taiwanese hokkien), interspersed with mandarin. For Ai Di and Chen Yi, they mainly use mandarin but with certain minnanyu words interspersed. Ai Di also uses quite a bit of slang.

Here Ai Di says "我爸妈毒kiang了啦". Kiang is minnanyu slang for tripping on drugs.

Here Chen Yi says "an zua 变这样" (how did you become like this).

We know that Ai Di left school, and given how Chen Yi's speech pattern is similar to Ai Di's just with less slang, we can assume Chen Yi also left (and may even have been more educated). This suggests that the use of minnanyu is intentional to show that they are less privileged in terms of education/background.

This lends some insight into the boundary between Fan Ze Rui and Ai Di & Chen Yi. Fan Ze Rui is only affiliated with Yiyun Meng because the 2 of them treat him as a friend and the Fan family has ties to Yiyun Meng. He is called 哥 because he is a friend, not because he is a brother. And this stems from his privileged background. He can't speak the same language/lingo and he finds himself unable to assimilate.

The writers go on to juxtapose the reality of Bai Zong Yi (now affiliated with some Yiyun Meng members) and Ai Di, against the normal lives peers their age lead.

This scene was quite funny. Fang Zi An thought Fan Ze Rui and Ai Di were undercover policemen, and he thought it was as though he was in a Stephen Chow film, getting into character as a calefare speaking cantonese (“meng ngo ah a-sir. ngo hai ho yan ah. nei hai caai lou. nei hai caai lou!”). Cantonese isn't widely spoken in Taiwan and we can see the faces Fan Ze Rui and Ai Di make at each other showing that they don't really get what Fang Zi An is saying at all.

And Fang Zi An is an example of how kids their age should be - carefree, nerdy, passionate etc., which Bai Zong Yi and Ai Di do not have the privilege of. Bai Zong Yi has to worry about his family/finances, while Ai Di has real danger to contend with at every turn.

It's just so interesting how kiseki decided to use language to add flavour to their characters. And I love how these characters from vastly different worlds have collided with each other.

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Fangs of Fortune (2024)

He's so shy 😆🤭 Fangs of fortune chinese drama #cdrama #chinesedrama #tianjiarui #shorts

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KcOIE6k8HFg

[bunnakit]

your top five favourite soft scenes in bl <3

ask me my top 5 bl anything 🌸

AAAA I LOVE SOFT SCENES THANK YOU AL (and happy new year beloved!)

BE MY FAVORITE | PISAENGKAWI

i could just make this entire list scenes from Be My Favorite, to be honest. Pisaeng and Kawi are so, so fucking soft, but this is one of my absolute favorite moments. you just know Pisaeng's heart was crawling up his throat.

HISTORY 3: TRAPPED | TANG YI x MENG SHAOFEI

your former enemy now lover, one of if not THE most powerful man in Taipei, stopping in the middle of heated kissing to kneel at your feet and reverently press a kiss to the wound you received while protecting his sister? FUCK. i didn't consider this one of my favorite BLs but i literally can't get this scene or them out of my head, so i might be wrong about that.

NOT ME | SEANWHITE

Is that the sound of your heart beating? Thump, thump, thump, thump.

GAWD. what the FUCK man. i feel like crying just briefly rewatching that scene alone, it's such a gentle reprieve from everything going on in their lives, an impossibly soft moment captured between them. and seeing White so playful in love? AUGH.

MOONLIGHT CHICKEN | FINALE

i could also fill all 5 of these just with Moonlight Chicken moments but i wanted to include a moment that wasn't necessarily between a couple. i love this moment of family and peace at the end of everything, the way everyone comes together and things are different but that's okay. there's so much i always want to say about MC but i feel so much for it i can't ever really properly put it into words (shocking from me, i know.) this show is just so special to me.

SEMANTIC ERROR | JANG JAEYONG x CHU SANGWOO

I was so nervous.

it's Sangwoo's acceptance and Jaeyong's palpable relief. it's how Jaeyoung looks like he still can't believe this is happening. it's how they fit so perfectly together like they were always supposed to find each other. I NEED MORE OF THEM.

because it was so hard to pick just 5 here are 3 honorable mentions:

LAST TWILIGHT | MHOKDAY

i'm still here. i'll probably be here for a while. i'll probably never forget this.

KISEKI: DEAR TO ME | ZE RUI x ZONG YI

the reunion was so incredible and soft and UGHHHHH. the way i felt so fucking relieved like it actually affected me at all

KISEKI: DEAR TO ME | CHEN YI x AI DI

it was so nice to see them so soft after all the shit they had to go through to get together. they're so comfortable and at peace with just about the only people they can be that way with and it makes me want to bite someone.

[bl-bam-beyond]

Spotlight Series:

Spotlight On Something Old, But New To Me...

Title: Irresistible Love.

Also Called: Uncontrolled Love

Novel Title: Force Majeure

Directed By: Sun Cheng Zhi & Meng Rui

Written By: Lan Lin

Starring: Meng Rui as Xie Yan

Wang Bowen as Shu Nian

Release Dates: June 28, 2016 (First Movie)

August 20, 2016 (Sequel or Part 2)

Country: China

Language: Chinese

Shu Nian is a orphan and meets wealthy boy Xie Yan who "adopts" him. The two are inseparable friends with Shu Nian calling Xie Yan "Young Master"

Shu Nian is gay and in love with Xie Yan. Xie Yan is a self entitled asshole in many occasions but he can't deal with his feelings for Shu Nian often using force and dubious consent to touch Shu Nian.

As adults Xie Yan has a manipulator girlfriend who is jealous of the obvious closeness between the two.

Final Thoughts: I had a love hate thing with this movie. Honestly I never heard of it. I did like the actors. I felt so bad for Shu Nian. He reminds of MODC'S YU XI GU in that he had no parents and always seemed to get the short end of the stick. And I like Xie Yan almost as much I hated him. He was so entitled but when he was sweet he was a sweetheart. I'm not sorry I watched these two films. According to my research 2 Endings were made. One where you Shu Nian dies from injuries due to a car accident and Xie Yan learns of this and is devastated and isolated him self. (I didn't see this ending)

The ending I saw was Xie Yan went to a location hoping to see Shu Nian after a long time. Supposedly Shu Nian doesn't show. As Xie Yan prepares to leave he notices a man watering grass or plants wearing a mask and baseball hat. He immediately notices its Shu Nian. When the mask falls it is indeed Shu Nian who is limping and is slightly disfigured from the accident. Xie Yan professes his love. The two kiss...the end.

Asking some BL Fam if they've heard of this one. Of course @absolutebl having an impressive numbers of BL's watched. And @pose4photoml & @lutawolf

Or @wanderlust-in-my-soul have you heard or seen this?

[teabreakpancakes]

Ardent Sentiment

Wanderer x GN Reader, slight Baizhu x GN Reader, Little Lulu, Little Meng, Little Fei, and Qiqi

He accompanies you in meeting a doctor, only to be hit with jealousy. Also, who knew that he was good with kids? he doesn't really look like the type no?

@fruityvegetable

hey lovelies, DO YOU GUYS LIKE YOU OR (NAME) MORE aka second person or third person, yk what, here, a poll

also, they're all ooc... probably

A scowl paints the wanderer's face as you drag him by his wrist but despite his visible displeasure, he still continues to accompany you on your day-to-day errands, of course, mixed with your typical nonsense. Indigo eyes roamed the bustling street, listening to you prattle on about how you were excited to see an immortal herb gatherer named Qiqi.

"And last time, Qiqi and I explored a rui—ack!" you yelped out, stumbling after bumping into someone. Scaramouche catches you, to your relief. He sends the kid a pointed glare, "Watch where you're going brat" he hissed out, opting for a more family friendly word instead of cursing at them.

Little Fei bowed towards you both, "I'm sorry! I'll look where i'm going next time, a, are you alright?" he asked, a frown resting on his gentle features. You smiled, approaching the kid only to be pulled back by a hand on your upper arm. Looking back, you meet his unsure eyes—you give his hand a reassuring squeeze, lacing your fingers together before tugging him with you to talk to the kid.

"I'm alright kiddo, but be careful, had the person you bumped into not had been so lenient, you would've been in a lot more trouble" you huffed softly, chuckling while ruffling Little Fei's hair. The kid's frown is replaced with a small smile, and for a small period of time, he begins to focus on how pretty you both are. His ears are dusted slightly with pink, wondering about how such pretty people could exist. A distant voice breaks him out of his stupor, forcing him to return to reality.

"Fei! there you are!" another boy calls out, running up to the three of you. The boy nearest to you, presumably named Fei, looked towards the other boy. The other boy crosses his arms across his chest, sending Fei a pointed stare "Lulu and I have been looking for you y'know!" he exclaimed, almost pouting.

Little Fei looks to him before looking back to you, "Goodbye! sorry to leave but my friends are looking for me" he says, waving goodbye to you and the wanderer.

"Meng! sorry for disappearing" Little Fei apologises sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Little Meng rolls his eyes, putting his arm over Little Fei's shoulders, "Yeah yeah, whatever, let's just go already" he says, pulling Fei along with him.

Before they disappear from view, the two boys look back, waving goodbye to you both for the last time. You wave back at them—with a lot more energy might I add. Scaramouche stares at you with fond eyes, They remind us of me and you, just a bit he smiled slightly, shaking his head.

He rubs the part of your palm below your thumb, drawing your attention back to him. "Didn't you say that you had to meet Qiqi? let's hurry up then" he remarked, narrowing his eyes at you. Snapping your fingers, you point towards him with sparkles in your eyes, "Right! let's head to Bubu Pharmacy then!" you chirp, once again tugging once more on his hand.

"Oh? (Name)? I see that you've come to visit us once more, here for my little Qiqi I assume?" the green haired doctor spoke, smiling genuinely towards you. His snake-like eyes fall on the wanderer behind you, meeting his skeptical gaze, "And who might this be?" he inquired.

Scaramouche remains aloof, "Wanderer" he replies in a curt manner. Changsheng huffs, "How rude, not even a proper introduction" she berates, stilling slightly when the anemo vision user glares at her. You laugh nervously, patting Scaramouche's shoulder. "Hello once more, Dr. Baizhu and Changsheng" you greet, cutting in between the heated stare your travel partner was sending towards the both of them.

The wanderer keeps his guard up, not wanting to trust the doctor, something about him just felt off. "Sorry about him, he isn't really quick to open up, and yes, i'm here to see Qiqi, well, not just her of course, but to see you too" you spoke, bashfully tucking a strand of stray hair behind your ear.

Baizhu waves off your apology with an odd quirk in his smile, "It's quite alright, Changsheng is just a bit sharp tongued, please do excuse her, but I'm afraid Qiqi isn't here, you see, she went out to deliver some Lotus Heads to Little Lulu at the harbor" the doctor smiles, an unreadable glint appearing in his gold eyes when they land on your intertwined hands.

You smile, letting go of the wanderer's hand in order to run up to Baizhu. "Thanks! I missed you by the way" you crooned, wrapping your arms around his exposed waist. Scaramouche could feel his anger levels rising, irritated by the smile on the green haired man's face. Baizhu smiled, sending a smug teasing look towards the other man as he wraps his own arms around your small frame. "I missed you as well, a lot more than you think" he whispers against your ear, having to bend down so he could reach.

Scaramouche rolls his eyes, frowning, not missing the way you shuddered because of the doctor's actions. "Let's hurry up, I still want to go to other places today" he grits out, pulling you away from the green haired man. You pout waving goodbye to the handsome doctor as you're dragged away from the pharmacy.

"Hey! what was that about" you sulked, frowning at Scaramouche. He huffed in irritation, staying silent, he won't tell you because how the hell do you expect him to say that he felt jealous of the green haired man, he'd rather not, already knowing how you'll react.

Soon enough, you spot Qiqi, along with the two boys you both saw beforehand, and in addition to them, a little girl.

As you both near them, the little girl spots you both. "Are they the pretty people you told us about Fei?" she questions, a bit too loudly because soon enough, Little Fei covers her mouth. "H, Hey, don't be so loud, they'll hear you!" he chided, embarrassed. "Well, they might've already heard you" Little Meng scoffed, pushing up his glasses.

You couldn't help but giggle and feel bashful, he thought you both were pretty you smiled. "You hear that? they think you're pretty!" you faced the wanderer, only to tilt your head to the side—you were a tad bit confused on why he looked a bit stunned.

"Hey," you spoke, closing the distance between your faces. "You alright there buddy?" you ask, worried. You cup his face, rubbing his cheeks, blinking owlishly. Gorgeous indigo eyes bore into your own, his eyes that were wide slowly relaxing until they returned to their usual size. Unintentionally, you had began to admire his face; his eyes sparkled naturally, nose high yet not too pointed, his porcelain skin soft, his cheeks rosy with natural blush that noticeably kept getting darker? huh, I wonder why they shrugged it off, eyes still trained on the man before them.

Your eyes wandered to his lips, you didn't know why but you wanted to touch them. His lips were plump but they remained on the thinner side, sure enough, with a gentle swipe of your finger, they really were as soft as they look. The pinkish red hue dusting your cheeks began darkening as thoughts of how they'd feel against your own lips clouded your mind. Scaramouche, noticing your flustered state, smirked slightly, "I do wonder about what you're thinking about, mind telling me?" he teased, lacing one of his arms around your waist. He pulls you closer to him, leaning down towards you.

You squeak pathetically, nearly whimpering as he closes the distance even more. He smirks down at you, caressing your side with his nimble fingers.

"Mister, please let go of them" a periwinkle haired child interrupts, tugging on one of the tassels attached to his hat. The wanderer, stares down at the zombie, begrudgingly letting go of you. "This isn't over" he mouths towards you, brushing his hand through your soft locks briefly.

"H, Hey there Qiqi" you greet, looking at her as if she were your savior. Qiqi smiles, hugging you with her small arms. "I missed you, did you miss Qiqi?" she asked, voice holding a tinge of expectancy. You chuckle at her question, wrapping your arms around her and giving her a bearhug, "Of course I did Qiqi!" you said. You asked about her day and from then on, the conversation flowed like water.

The wanderer eyed you both, smiling, only his peace to once again be interrupted. What now? he grumbled internally, looking down at the source of disturbance. The sight of another child greeted him, a bashful one at that.

"W, We were wondering if.. you'd play with us?" Little Lulu asked, eyes never leaving the ground. Scaramouche's lips parted, hit with another wave of surprise. His mouth moves to utter the words no but before he could, the two boys backed up the girl. "We'd really appreciate it if you did!" they chimed in, looking at him with a hopeful gaze. Y'know, usually, he'd just outright refuse but he felt a bit hesitant—they resembled you whenever you'd "solicit" him for something and that made him hesitate.

He sighed, utterly exasperated with his decision. "Alright you brats, what do you want to play?" he asked. The kids all looked at each other as if communicating with each other through simple glances, the wanderer could only watch with interest. Upon finishing their "discussion" and coming to a verdict, they face him once more.

"Let's play hide and seek!" Little Meng proposed, the other two cheering with him. Scaramouche felt rather amused, you really were similar to these kids. "I assume that I'm it?" he asked, quirking his eyebrow. Little Meng nods, "But, there's a catch," Scaramouche hums, as if to show that he's interested, "Once you find us, you have to catch us" Little Meng continues, smiling almost cheekily.

Little Lulu and Little Fei possess the same smile, no longer showing the shy demeanor they portrayed beforehand. The wanderer held no expression, a complacent glint in those gorgeous indigo eyes.

"Found you!" the wanderer called out towards Little Fei, the first one to be found. "You won't get me!" the boy cries out, running away with a smile on his face. Scaramouche laughs slightly, racing after him.

With the help of his anemo vision, he captures Little Fei, lifting him up to the sky. "Who said anything about me not getting you?" he singsongs, spinning the boy around before returning to the ground to let him off.

Little Fei was in awe of his ability, wanting to be picked up by him again. "It must be so freeing to fly" he whispered, staring up at his figure. Everyone in the harbor marvels at the display, including you of course, "Wahh, he got even better at flying" you praised, clapping, Qiqi copying your gesture as she nibbled on some sweet flower and henna berry jelly.

He soars above the ground, eyes landing on the figure of Little Lulu peeking behind a crate. He lands behind her without a sound, placing his hands on her shoulders, "Boo!" he exclaims, laughing slightly as she jumps.

"You found me mister!" she cheered, only to be picked up. He jumps onto the roof of the vendor selling fish, using platforms he made using his vision to leap towards the area he set Little Fei down. Setting Little Lulu down, he turns to leave, only for his sleeve to be tugged.

"Mister, you're really pretty y'know" Little Lulu says, smiling with an honest face. Scaramouche turned away, lowering his conical to hide his growing smile. "Thanks" he blurted before leaving in pursuit of the last hider. Getting genuine compliments from people wasn't anything new to him—getting called pretty was another thing though. He always liked it when he was called pretty, well, unless he didn't like you.

He takes his time, walking around the harbor in a leisurely manner. Little Meng watches him from a boat, smiling at the thought of him not being found. But before the kid got too complacent, Scaramouche zeroed in on his figure, once again soaring through the air. He picks him up, a mischievous smile plastered on his handsome face.

"Found you, now, let's get you back to your friends" he mutters, barreling past all the obstacles below them. Little Meng held onto his glasses, fearing that they may fall off his fave without how fast they were going.

Little Lulu and Little Fei cheered once Littls Meng was put down on the ground. "I can't believe you found us all so quickly!" Little Lulu beamed, visibly impressed. The kids went on to comment about his abilities, asking if he could do it again. Surprisingly, the wanderer entertained their requests, taking them on a short trip around Liyue harbor.

It was a pleasant surprise to see him smiling so genuinely as he manoeuvred in the air so gracefully with each kid individually. Perhaps, this was one of his real sides that he kept behind those icy walls of his.

Soon enough, once the kids had to leave and he had bid them farewell. He met up with you at Yansheng Teahouse. Upon climbing up the stairs, he's met with the scene of you enjoying your tea, a content smile on your serene face.

"I didn't know you were good with kids" you began, speaking in an almost teasing manner. He fights the urge to roll his eyes, taking the seat in front of you, "Yeah, believe it or not, kids actually like me" he retorts, fiddling with the tea cup in front of him.

You raise the teapot, pouring him an appropriate amount of tea. "So, was it still a waste of time to come here?" you asked, smiling as you gazed at him with earnest fondness.

He met your gaze for a moment, eyes soft with uncharacteristic tenderness. "Perhaps I may have been to quick to judge this place" he spoke, trying out his tea.

He smiles from behind the tea cup, enjoying the bitterness of the tea you picked. The two of you bask in the moonlight, enjoying each other's presence. There's no need for conversation when you both feel at ease and comfortable with the silence—perhaps, this has been the most idle moment of the day.

[baoshan-sanren]

best cdramas I’ve watched since the last one of these posts in 2022 (and some I’m still looking forward to seeing)

Heroes (watch on WeTV VIP | watch on bilibili) Adapted from the novel "Shuo Ying Xiong Shei Shi Ying Xiong" (说英雄谁是英雄) by Wen Rui An (温瑞安) starring Zeng ShunXi, Yang ChaoYue, Liu YuNing, Baron Chen and Meng ZiYi. I would’ve watched this thing for the cast only. Everyone is queer vibes. Not a flashy drama, but will emotionally shred you. The character development is totally worth it. Throughly entertaining, even when it punched you in the gut. 8/10

The Wind Blows From LongXi (watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) Adapted from novel "The Wind Rises in Longxi" (风起陇西) by Ma Bo Yong (马伯庸) starring Chen Kun and Bai Yu. I’ve been waiting for this drama for two years and it was worth every second of the wait. The cinematography in this thing is bonkers. The use of light and shadows, the muted colors, the indoor shots opening up into well-lit courtyards, the gritty sound mixing, the whole thing just blew my ass away. Chen Kun and Bai Yu are masters of their art. Fckn masterpiece. 11/10

Who Rules The World (watch on WeTV VIP | watch on Netflix) Adapted from the novel "Qie Shi Tian Xia" (且试天下) by Qing Ling Yue (倾泠月) starring Yang Yang, Zhao LuSi, and Xuan Lu. One of the rare romance dramas that really appealed to me. A well-balanced mix of court intrigue and martial world heroics. Unlimited blorbo potential. It’s hard to outshine Yang Yang (who gives major Mei Changsu vibes through like the first third of the drama) but Zhao LuSi and Xuan Lu together? Magnificent. Breathtaking. Brilliant. 8/10

The Legend of Hao Lan (watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki | watch on tubi) starring Wu Jinyan and Nie Yuan. So this was like, The Story of Yanxi Palace cast, remixed. Was it great? Not really. Did I watch every episode? Yeah. I honestly think that Wu Jinyan could just make faces for 50+ sixty minute episodes, and I’d still watch every minute of it. Still, a fascinating take on the Warring States Period, and actually based on a woman who helped her son become the King of Qin, then ultimately the First Emperor of China. I think 99% of the budget went to costumes, and tbh, it was totally worth every penny. 7/10

(yeah, after all this, I rewatched Nirvana In Fire again)

The Silent Criminal (watch on Apple TV | watch on Bilibili | watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) starring Li Jiaming and Wen Sheng. So incredibly gay. Hilarious, yes, but predominantly gay. Murder, intrigue, suspense, pining; this little drama literally has everything. Did it impact my life and leave a long-lasting impression? Not really. But I was most throughly entertained. 7/10

My Heroic Husband (watch on Amazon Prime | watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) Adapted from the novel "Zhui Xu" (赘婿) by Fen Nu de Xiang Jiao (愤怒的香蕉). Starring Song Yi and Guo Qilin. Actually, the majority of Joy of Life cast is in this drama, including a cameo by Zhang Ruoyun in the very beginning. Cast aside tho, I fckn love this drama to pieces. Song Yi and Guo Qilin have amazing chemistry, and they’re so goddamn adorable together I can’t even stand it. The plot is far from complex but immensely satisfying. Excellent drama on a mediocre budget, one I plan to regularly rewatch. 8/10

Still waiting on: 

Immortality - based on danmei novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 starring Chen Feiyu and Luo Yunxi (you can think I’m a clown but you’d be wrong bc I’m a wholeass circus)

Winner Is King - based on the danmei novel Sha Po Lang by Priest starring Tan Jianci and Chen Zheyuan

Step By Step Lotus - based on historical novel Return to Ming Dynasty as Prince by 月关 starring Zhang Binbin and Luo Yunxi

Eternal Faith - based on danmei novel Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu starring Zhai Xiaowen and Zhang Linghe

Joy Of Life Season 2 - based on wuxia novel of the same name by 猫腻 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin

A League of Nobleman - based on danmei novel The Society of Four Leaves by Da Feng Gua Guo starring Song Weilong and Jing Boran

Flying Phoenix - based on danmei novel of the same name by 風弄 starring Dai Jingyao and Shu Yaxin

The Story of the Bat - based on danmei novel Bat by Feng Nong starring Mao Zijun and Zhang Yao

The Longest Promise - based on xianxia novel Zhu Yan by 沧月 starring Xiao Zhan, Ren Min, and Zhang Yunlong

Song of The Moon - based on wuxia novel 奔月 by 蜀客 starring Zhang Binbin and Xu Lu

Story of Kunning Palace - based on the the web novel 坤宁 by Shi Jing starring Bai Lu and Zhang Linghe 

Under the Microscope - based on the novel 显微镜下的大明 by 马伯庸 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Qi Wei

Till the End of the Moon - based on the web novel 黑月光拿稳BE剧本 by Teng Luo Wei Zhi starring Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu

[ellieellieoxenfree]

made this post before and i WILL make it again but there is something so infuriating in browsing old kiseki tags and 99% of the chen yi discourse is reductive 'gee he's such an idiot why doesn't he understand his feelings.' like yes, i am not free from the sin of calling him an idiot (with love), but it's just...the kid was born into a gang, lost his parents early, was raised by an emotionally detached, abusive predator who enjoyed manipulating children and teenagers into doing his dirty work (sorry, CDY stans, but i'm right -- i too love the old man yaoi but the guy is a certified piece of shit), was given the almost insurmountable goal of being the primary caretaker, probably even before he hit puberty, of an incredibly damaged, abandoned little boy with documented issues from his mother's drug use while in utero, and was thrust into a leadership role in the criminal underworld at the age of fucking seventeen.

it's no fucking wonder he doesn't have his shit together -- who's there to teach him any kind of healthy relationship modeling? -- but it's often not noticed that as he got older, he would have been trained to set himself slightly apart from the other men (and teenage boys, argh) in yiyun meng, because he was a leader and he had to command respect and authority. ai di is capable of making friendships, albeit surface-level ones, or at least feigning himself as a good-time party boy to hide the massive roiling trauma underneath, but chen yi would have had responsibility and the massive job of heir hanging over him since childhood and would have constantly been chasing that dragon in the hopes of impressing CDY. which was never going to happen because as an abusive predator, CDY knew he would always have more power over chen yi if he consistently withheld his affection and approval. fear breeds loyalty. chen yi says CDY raised them both, but ai di was always a sort of uncontrollable, extraneous son whose loyalties started and ended with chen yi, whereas chen yi is fucking pliable to CDY's emotional manipulations because he has literally no other frame of reference to say 'hey, that's fucked.' he's the first, the primary, the heir, the one to pin all the hopes on. CDY semi 'parents' him, but ai di doesn't fall for the bullshit in the same way. he's loyal to those who have shown him kindness -- chen yi, zong yi. (ze rui is his own tangent.) chen yi was raised to think of CDY's 'kindness' to him as an immense debt he would spend a lifetime repaying.

and then i could go on for hours about how the fuck a character who has been raised to put himself in last place his entire life, after his boss and his sworn brother and his men, is supposed to know how to learn to take things for himself. how is he supposed to know how to want, when he's never been told that's even an option?

just annoys me so goddamn much we got characters who are so complex and whose traumas are so firmly rooted in the same fixed point that makes untwining them a joy and the fandom looked at them and went 'hee hee funny little idiot man doesn't get emotions.'

[kdramacrybaby]

The Double (2024)

Genre: Historical, Revenge, Romance

Synopsis: Xue Fang Fei is killed by her husband - or so everyone thinks. Left for dead, Fang Fei is saved by Jiang Li and her maid Tong'er. When Jiang Li is then killed, Fang Fei sees the chance to take on her identity in an attempt to avenge them both for the injustices they've suffered. With the help of Tong'er, Fang Fei makes a return to society with a new name and a new life. But getting justice will not be as easy as first hoped, as the players she is up against are far stronger than she realizes. At least the powerful Duke Xiao Heng on her side.

Episode info: 40 episodes / Runtime around 50 minutes

Lead cast: Wu Jin Yan (Xue Fang Fei), Wang Xing Yue (Duke Xiao Heng), Liang Yong Qi (Shen Yu Rong), Li Meng (Princess Wan Ning), Ai Mi (Tong'er), Chen Xin Hai (Ye Shi Jie), He Feng Tian (Jiang Jing Rui), Zhao Jia Min (Liu Xu)

Link to watch: You can watch on Netflix, Viki and Youku

Drama rec masterlist | Drama rant thread (beware of spoilers)

This had been showing up on my Netflix constantly, and was then recommended to me, so I decided to give it a go - and I'm so glad I did!

I will be the first to admit that Chinese dramas (specifically historical ones) usually lose me at some point, as I have trouble following all the political intrigue and the way they use conversation more than action at times. It's a genre style that is not for me, and that's okay. I can still usually enjoy the drama despite not understanding everything 100%.

And while this drama did have that, since it's a large part of the historical genre overall, I enjoyed watching this so much. Were there parts I didn't fully understand? Of course, but I would watch this again in the future for sure.

I loved Xue Fangfei so so much - she's intelligent, kind and strong, and not afraid to do what needs to be done, though never at the cost of someone other than herself. Even with all this, she is not perfect, and that makes me love her even more. She makes mistakes, admits when she was wrong, and is not afraid to ask for help when she knows she is not strong enough on her own.

Her story is so heartbreaking that I found myself crying several times throughout the drama. She endures so much and yet still remains kind and compassionate.

The plot is amazing, the romance is even better, and the characters are all so nuanced that they even make you sympathize with the bad guys. I loved it!