#more Xiao Zhan is what this world needs

[anotherdescentintomadness]

Cosmic King Xiao Zhan

Inspired by his NARS live and his recent spacey L’Oréal ads. Want a print?

[accio-victuuri]

xiao zhan elle september issue cover story

Xiao Zhan believes in simplicity. But in acting, he increasingly likes multi-faceted and complex characters.In other words, this is an authentic state of human existence. At a time when everything is being simplified, Be willing to admit that people are different,Seek communication possibilities, Be sensitive and defend complexity, This must require love and courage.

01.

After entering the entertainment industry, these things quickly became part of his daily life - cameras, spotlights, display screens, shields. Due to his profession and popularity, countless "Xiao Zhan" have emerged, including huge portraits on the facades of high-end shopping malls, the projections of an astonishing number of fans, or the appearance of characters in the film and television dramas that have been released one after another.

Right now, in the dressing room after the shooting, Xiao Zhan is holding his box of whole grain salad, vividly imitating the scene of meeting director Zheng Xiaolong.

"I was a little confused, so I asked the director whether he wanted me to be thinner or stronger. He said, 'Thinner, of course thinner, it will look so good and sharp.'" After a while, when we were taking the final photos, Zheng Xiaolong saw him again, "He said, 'Wow, you look good like this.'" From then until now, he has lost more than ten pounds.

Xiao Zhan, the source of all fission, is decent and relaxed. The glamour seen by the outside world is an added value for him. Sometimes he even forgets about it, "Really no one will care about you." Then he continues to talk about his work.

The most recent one is "Legend of the Hidden Sea", which was filmed in Hengdian for 5 months. The previous one, which also took 5 months to shoot, was "The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Greatest Hero" directed by Tsui Hark. This is often the case with large-scale movies and long TV series. Once you join the crew, it takes four or five months. In 2022, his main filming work was "Where Dreams Begin" and "Sunshine by my Side", in 2021 it was "Yu Gu Yao", in 2020 it was "Ace Troops", and in 2019 it was "Douluo Dalu" and "Oath of Love".

There are constant offers for plays, so sometimes I can’t decide whether to lengthen or shorten the time between plays.

In the second half of 2019, when filming "Oath of Love", Xiao Zhan filmed during the day and recorded the variety show "Our Song" at night. Both were very challenging. The former was his first time to play the leading role in an urban drama, with little experience and great pressure; the latter was difficult because of the harmony, "You have to memorize all the harmonies that are different from the tune of the song and not be carried away."

"At that time, I felt it didn't matter. I would sleep for an hour or two and wake up feeling healthy again. But now my mind says it doesn't matter, but my body is protesting."

This year, he was filming in Hengdian. Later, one day, he found that his tonsils were inflamed and swallowing was very painful, but he went to work as usual. It was not until the director came over and asked him, "What's wrong with your eyes?" that he saw his eyes swollen in the mirror. By the afternoon, "I looked like a frog."

He had to go to the hospital. The symptoms themselves were common and could be stopped by taking medicine. But what he couldn't do was exactly what the doctor advised most: you need to rest.

More importantly, "My perception will become dull. I am really afraid of this, afraid of becoming mechanical and formulaic." He put the emphasis on the word "really". He chatted with his seniors, "They also said that you have to live and experience life."

In fact, a life in the spotlight is somewhat contrary to the life of ordinary people, but the profession of an actor requires him to touch as many wrinkles of life as possible.

A while ago, he watched a monologue in a variety show that depicted the current workplace situation of young people. Before entering the entertainment industry, Xiao Zhan had a studio and worked. He could understand the depression brought by work, but the new vocabulary and new tools that appeared in the workplace weakened his sense of resonance. He found that he was gradually disconnected to a certain extent.

02.

In early June, Xiao Zhan had a short vacation and went back to his hometown Chongqing. He likes to take walks very much, and one night he walked for several hours, visiting the old street, Jiefangbei, and the place where he used to work.

In 2014, 23-year-old Xiao Zhan graduated from university and worked as a designer in a design studio. Every weekday morning, he would transfer from Line 2 to Line 3 at Niujiaotuo Station, push through the crowds, and squeeze onto the light rail. Several times, he was pressed so hard that his face was pressed against the glass window.

He simply leaned against the glass to look at the Jialing River below, the strange reefs exposed in the dry season and the various people, some swimming in winter, some jogging, some fishing, with a very optimistic spirit.

He still likes to observe the people around him——

"Why are you still here so late?"

"People walking hurriedly must have just got off work and are in a hurry to go home. Their expressions and behaviors are just like when I used to catch the subway. It's the last one and you have to run. They are very panicked. Some takeaway guys are rushing forward regardless of their own safety. There are also some very leisurely people who sit there drinking beer, and then go home and start a new day."

"Everyone has their own wonderful story. It is everyone's life that makes up our society. So it's wonderful. Everyone is the protagonist. We are all filming our own biographies. What will the story of tomorrow be like?"

At that moment, he was like all those who have been busy working in a foreign country for a long time, and finally found that "I haven't been here for a long time, and there have been quite a lot of changes." "In fact, I am not particularly happy, and I don't have any other feelings. I am living, that's all."

Two and a half days later, Xiao Zhan left Chongqing for work and returned to Beijing, then to Shanghai, and then to France. This time he also called his parents. This was a long-awaited family trip, from France to Switzerland and back to France in a week. Every detail of the trip was magnified, their happiness, quarrels, or just ordinary walks, "all very vivid."

On the day they parted, they finished their meal at a restaurant in the south of France. The car that came to pick him up arrived and he had to leave first. Before leaving, his mother hugged him and told him to take care of himself. Rarely, his father also hugged him awkwardly.

"I used to think that work was everything and life wasn't that important. It was nothing more than having a place to sleep, getting up, going to work, finishing work, and resting. But now that my parents are older and I haven't lived with them for a long time, you feel as if each other's lives, even family members, are getting further and further apart." He especially doesn't want this to happen.

The way to avoid suspension and regain a sense of reality in life is not difficult to say. "When you have time, go out and take a look. The important thing is to feel life and the world. Even if it is something terrible or cruel, it is life, and it will burst out with energy when you need it."

03.

Halfway through the interview, Xiao Zhan suddenly said that he had a conflicting attitude towards long interviews. On the one hand, he was worried that he was not growing enough and would appear timid during the conversation. On the other hand, he wanted to unearth some subtle feelings through the conversation because he felt he was not good at recording them in words.

Observation, feeling, understanding and expression are the key to an actor's creativity.

"Dialogue is also muscle memory." Xiao Zhan said, "Although I am very i, I am not autistic. Because I think actors need to learn to express, express your inner thoughts, and digest the content handed to you by the other party."

Before the filming of "Sunshine by my Side" began, he met with the main creators and held several script meetings to deepen their understanding of each other and the characters. In the early stage of "Legend of the Hidden Sea", the producer also mentioned that he would discuss the script in detail and talk about a scene with many of his own understandings.

Xiao Zhan is not a professional actor. When he first entered the industry and filmed "Fights Break Sphere" and "The Wolf", he had strong doubts and asked himself, am I suitable for this? Constantly denying and overthrowing himself made him lose confidence.

Sometimes he is asked what he would be doing now if he had not participated in the talent show, debuted, or entered the entertainment industry at the age of 23. He has thought about it, but he has not looked back.

If you can't act well, then spend extra time taking acting classes, watching the monitor more often, and asking seniors for advice. With your full strength and hard work, you will slowly find the way.

Later, when the filming of "Sunshine by my Side" started, Xiao Zhan played Xiao Chunsheng, a child of a Beijing compound, who was completely different from him, even his accent was very different. He felt insecure. Before filming many scenes, director Fu Ning ran over and whispered to him, Zhan Zhan, don't be afraid, just speak bravely, if you feel it, just say it, in fact, the audience can feel your emotions and what you want to express.

He also gradually gained more self-awareness: "Technique may not be my forte, it depends more on feelings. Only when I have my own feelings can I have the confidence to interpret it. If I rely purely on some techniques, I think it is not moving enough."

It has been 8 years since Xiao Zhan made his acting debut. Looking at his resume, he has played leading roles in various TV series and movies. But he still feels that he is a newcomer and hopes to work with more experienced production teams in the future.

He doesn't think too much, and he doesn't actually know the work plan divided by year very well. He only cares about what the work arrangements for the next stage are, rather than "asking about things too far ahead."

"I still feel like a child, but actually I'm not anymore. It seems like I'm still in high school, but actually I've grown up." A child's mind means having curiosity, desire to explore, and imagination.

He puts these curiosities and explorations into the characters. "I mean, for me, when I dig into the character's background and past, I discover the complexity and contradictions of the character as a person and present them. In this way, some of his choices and motivations may be understood by the audience, and the work may be good, and you will have the current audience, right?"

source

[steppingonyourshadow]

Complete Q&A from Elle September 2024

Elle: When you're on a break do you think about things that happened on set?

XZ: Of course. I remember dreaming about it a few days after we had wrapped, that we were still shooting and I was there talking to the director about how we'd say those words, how we were going to deal with that scene.

Elle: Do you miss the atmosphere on set?

XZ: I really like it, I like the feeling of everyone creating something together, all pulling together to do the same thing really well.

Elle: When you first became an actor and during the time when your popularity grew really fast, you said it felt a bit unreal, magical. But now you seem pretty relaxed. How did this change come about?

XZ: Rather than it being unreal, magical, after all these years I think back then I hadn't gotten used to such a fast pace, and when I woke up each day, I'd barely know where I was and what I was doing. I think it's a process, like how everyone's so excited when they first enter employment, "I'm here, please take good care of me", "this young master is coming through, out of my way", "I can do it, I am good". [laughs] But after you've experienced a lot, you'll realise that everything needs long-term planning.

Elle: In several interviews you mentioned that you like to play characters that "can transmit energy". Why is that?

XZ: Because I think that's the life of a character. When I say "transmit energy", I don't mean just the usual, basic sense of positive energy. What I mean is being able to provide nourishment in a subtle way - like spring rains sinking silently into the dirt. I believe that every character has at heart a complete storyline, this is something I really like. If you dig deep, they can all move people. I don't like to label antagonists as "bad guys", as if you've already decided from the start that they're not good. But that's not right - he might have his own difficulties.

Elle: It sounds like "transmitting energy" is only an umbrella term, actually it's understanding different types of people through performance.

Xiao Zhan: That's right. If we break it down to each character, they all transmit different things. But if we make them into "good guys", "bad guys", I think that makes it less interesting.

Elle: So do you consider performance a method of communication?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, you could say that, I like that. Performance is a bridge connecting the actor and the audience. Like how when my shows are on, I'll read a bit of audience commentary and analysis and feel that their reactions to the work are really complex. When I see comments that coincide exactly with my thoughts when we shot it, I find that really magical, like we really connected along this bridge. In life we might not know each other, we've never spoken, but all of a sudden because they got what I was thinking at the time, it makes me feel that performance is a really wonderful, magical thing.

Elle: Do you watch or read science fiction?

XZ: I do, I liked Three Body. Recently I've actually been watching some sci-fi, like the American drama Constellation, and also Dark Matter, they're both multiverse, alternative universe shows. Because I think maybe there really are parallel universes. Each of your choices creates a new splinter alternative universe.

Elle: Do you think about the Xiao Zhan of those alternative universes?

XZ:  I really do. For example, is he still an actor? Maybe he is, then is he shooting right now? Is he still singing? Or is he still a designer? Is he still an employee or has he become the boss? [laughs] Really, I do think about it.

Elle: What about the future, what do you think it'll be like?

XZ: Woah, I actually think at that point the world might revert to its origins, maybe it will be more wonderful, with interpersonal communication returning to a more natural form.

Elle: That's really interesting. Why do you think that?

XZ:  Actually, at least at the moment I'm a bit sick of the internet being ever-present. When we were kids and we didn't have cellphones, we'd chat during meals, all the kids would be called downstairs from their apartment blocks to play together, doing hide and seek and other games. Those times were really precious.

Elle: Will actors still exist in that future?

XZ: I think so. I believe that so long as life continues, theater will exist. Because we need a form of expression, to experience empathy, and to have emotional sustenance, whether it's in images or sounds. So I think even if the world was destroyed, so long as people still exist, theater will surely still exist.

[dangermousie]

Upcoming 2024 cdramas (maybe???) from least appealing to most

We got less than two months, so let's gooooo! Now with cdramas, you never know if something will air until it drops and sometimes not even then, so this is rumored.

The Immortal Ascension - Yang Yang is my least favorite cdrama actor and that topic is boring as hell to me so yeah, nope.

Duoluo Continent 2 - aka "we can't afford Xiao Zhan any longer, sorry." I couldn't even get through the first season of this "Harry Potter Chinese edition" mess despite my love for XZ, so I am highly unlikely to check this one out.

Moonlight Mystique - aka a rainbow vomited. Honestly, I hated the trailer. And while I adore Bai Lu, her leading man? You know how there are apparently those antis who think Liu Yuning is ugly and I go are you blind? It's the reverse for ARP for me - clearly the industry finds him hot enough to be leading man material but I find him genuinely ugly, which is a feat for a cdrama actor to be. It might be OK if I found him a good actor but...

Brocade Odyssey - I hate women empowering themselves through business (of a suitably feminine nature, of course) narratives as much as I do ML is the specialiest wuxia boy in all the world narratives. I am fond of Seven though so here is hoping.

The Demon Hunter's Romance - I was way more excited for it before SZE got into a limbo. Now I am sort of meh. Plus, despite my soft spot for RJL, he's a terribly uneven actor so you never know what yu will get with him. This said, if this does air, we might actually have a chance to see Prisoner of Beauty.

A Moment But Forever - an old school xianxia in vibe from the trailers but sometimes that's what you need. Plus, Tang Yan being sent to kill fragile gorgeous Liu Xueyi but choosing to protect him instead is my jammy jam jam!

Blossom - out of all the trailers for upcoming dramas, this is my favorite, I adore Meng Ziyi, LYR is getting upgraded to ML status and it's the director of Provoke, Butterflied Lover and A Familiar Stranger.

Guardians of the Dafeng - can't believe it's my most anticipated but here we are. Now, this could either be truly terrible or truly sublime but I am a fan of high risk/high reward concept. I have never been impressed by Dylan Wang except for CLJ but I was blown away there. Director of Shen Li and screenwriter of My Perfect Husband. So...anyway, I want to gamble.

[p-h03n1-x]

Excerpt from Xiao Zhan’s interview and WeChat article posted by Elle "Xiao Zhan, The Simpler, The More Complex"

Part 3 Elle September 2024 magazine with Xiao Zhan. Link to part 1 here and part 2 here

ELLE: Do you watch any sci-fi movies or read sci-fi literature?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, I used to enjoy reading "Three-Body Problem." Recently, I’ve been watching some sci-fi shows, like the American series "Kaleidoscope" and "Chao's Adventure in Parallel Universe." They all touch on infinite loops and parallel universes. I find the concept of parallel universes fascinating because each choice you make could potentially create a different parallel universe.

ELLE: Do you ever imagine what Xiao Zhan in a parallel universe is like?

Xiao Zhan: Yes, I really do. For example, is he still an actor? Maybe he is, but is he still filming now? Is he still singing? Or is he a designer? Is he working for someone, or has he started his own business? (laughs) Yes, I really think about this.

ELLE: What about the future? What do you think it will be like?

Xiao Zhan: Wow, I actually think the future might see a return to simplicity. This world might become more beautiful, with people going back to more fundamental ways of communicating.

ELLE: That’s interesting. Why do you think that?

Xiao Zhan: Well, I’m personally a bit averse to the omnipresent nature of the internet. When we were kids and didn’t have phones, we’d chat over meals, and friends would call each other downstairs to play, hide-and-seek, and various games. I actually think those times were precious.

ELLE: Do you think the profession of acting will still exist then?

Xiao Zhan: I think it will. I believe as long as life continues, drama will continue. People need an outlet, and they need emotional resonance and solace, whether through images or sounds. So, I think that even if the world were to be destroyed, as long as people still exist, drama will definitely exist.

[very-grownup]

So a couple years ago, I fell into watching Chinese dramas and because my posts about the most recent one garnered some curiosity, here are the dramas what I have watched.

Hikaru no Go

DID YOU KNOW. DID YOU KNOW. THAT IN 2020 THERE WAS A CHINESE DRAMA ADAPTATION OF HIKARU NO GO AND IT IS AMAZING AND MADE ME CRY ALL OVER AGAIN? It is faithful in spirit while making understandable alterations both for the setting and to avoid managing child actors for the entirety of the series (there are about six episodes with Hikaru/Shi Guang as an elementary school student before a time jump to high school).

If you are unfamiliar with Hikaru no Go I recommend becoming familiar with Hikaru no Go, my first and still one of the best sports manga. It's what Takeshi Obata was the artist on before Death Note and my hot take is that Obata post-Hikaru no Go is mid at best.

Hikaru no Go is a sports series about the most normal boy finding an antique go board that houses the soul of an ancient go master who died too young and with go regrets, so he bullies/guilts the boy into helping him play go so he can see or play a divine go move. In the process he acquires a rival/stalker in the form of the genius son of a go master. It's amazing and the drama absolutely does it justice.

The heart of the series is the relationship between Hikaru/Shi Huang and Fujiwara no Sai/Chu Ying.

It's just a fucking good series.

The Untamed

According to one description on imdb, this is about two friends solving a series of murders. This is technically true, although it neglects to mention a few details.

Sixteen years after doing a whole lot of demonic blood magic shit and dying because of it, hated by society, Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan) is brought back from the dead by more super demonic blood magic and is recognized by his noble and esteemed peer/friend Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo) and trying to deal with why Wei Wuxian has been brought back from the dead leads to their investigating a series of murders that result in their becoming entangled in wider political schemes stretching back twenty years.

It's got weird pacing, prolonged flashbacks to explain a lot of the relationship dynamics, and basically an entirely self-contained sub-story that brings the main plot to a grinding halt. There are creatures and CGI effects of interesting quality. There are amazing wigs. There are piles of corpses. There's physical torture and emotional torture and some doomed love stuff and sword fights and musical instrument fights and a donkey and chicken theft and brotherhood and what you're willing to sacrifice for your goals and what goals you're willing to sacrifice for and it is based on a novel that ends in the protagonists raw dogging on the side of the road.

That part's not in the show.

Douluo Continent

Ignorant country boy Tang San (Xiao Zhan) finds himself involved in the world of martial arts and magic after discovering a hidden talent and ends up in the group of fellow martial artists who are all weird or unorthodox or hiding crucial bits of their backstory like girl who is actually a rabbit and immediately decides Tang San is her best friend/husband (Wu Xianyi), guy who needs to become powerful enough to kill his older brother (Gao Taiyu), girl who rejected an engagement to the would-be brother killer and wants to fight him (Liu Mei Tong), guy who wants to ditch martial arts to become a great actor (Liu Run Nan), and girl who is too rich to be here (Ding Xiaoying). They learn together, they grow together, they fight monsters and embark on a tournament arc, and there's an overarching mystery about Tang San and his weak but simultaneously super powerful spirit summoning.

Even though the best technique is clearly the one where the boy in question can summon a sausage that you eat and heals you.

It's very much of a specific genre that can be pretty samey, but Douluo Continent has a charming cast that makes up for its predictable plot beats.

It does end on a cliffhanger that is possibly resolved in the sequel series where ... all the main characters were recast with, I'm guessing, slightly less pricey actors. Such is the way of things.

Word of Honour

Do you like knowing what's going on? Then get the fuck out of here, Word of Honour is not for you. Real ones want to be immediately submerged into chaos and confusion and secret identities. You want Mr Bones' Wild Ride in plot form. Why has former superassassin Zhou Zishu (Zhang Zhe Han) abandoned the sect of assassins he created to live in wandering drunk anonymity as he slowly dies? Why is Wen Kexing (Gong Jun) stalking him aside from poorly censored horny desires? Is Wen Kexing actually a ghost? Can any of the impressionable youths attaching themselves to Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing be stopped from their very poor choices in role models? What is up with this legendary hidden armoury and why do Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing seem unable to escape the conspiracy around it? HOW HARD IS IT TO GET WOLONG'S FAMOUS NUTS?

Not recommended for people who constantly want to know what's happening or why X is doing Y, but great if you want to watch with someone and then after an episode, walk your dogs and try to figure out what's going on and what's going to happen (you will be wrong).

Advance Bravely

What if the most ridiculously unrealistic and unhinged slashfic by a teenage girl who doesn't fully understand anything was adapted into a drama series where censorship means everything must be painted with a special "no homo" brush? You get Advance Bravely which is the most incoherently homoerotic thing I've ever watched. No one thinks you should watch Advance Bravely and you watch Advance Bravely and you agree but sometimes you just have to watch a beautiful trainwreck where the protagonist explains his lack of a girlfriend with erectile dysfunction and the series climax involves his being, essentially, trapped in a well.

Love Between Fairy and Devil

DO YOU WANT TO GO FULL SHOUJO MANGA FANTASY?

Innocent fairy Orchid (Yu Shuxin) just wants to strengthen her immortal spirit and pass the exam that would let her serve in the palace of the fairy capital so she can catch glimpses of the War God Chang Heng (Zhang Ling He) who she is hopelessly in love with. Instead, an attempt to help her crush causes her to bumble her way into the high security spiritual prison that has held Dongfang Qingcang, the Moon Supreme (Dylan Wang), for 30,000 years.

DO YOU LIKE BIG NUMBERS BECAUSE YOU WILL GET TO SEE SOME BIG NUMBERS IN TERMS OF TIME SPAN AND AGES.

Because of some plot magic, Orchid and the Moon Supreme swap bodies and loophole out of prison, much to her distress. Their fates are tied together and Orchid becomes more familiar with the wider world and the politics between the realms and how much the fairy realm's supreme ruler fucking suuuuuuuuuuuucks while Moon Supreme finds himself having feelings again after they were tortured out of him in a mystical coffin prison as a child.

Moon Supreme's closest friend is a dragon. Orchid's closest friend is an opportunistic snakeoil saleswoman. There's a pissy younger brother and a bitchy but honourable love rival. There are secret origins and reincarnation and hidden identities and the way it alternates broad comedy and melodrama and sweet romance may give you whiplash.

I just love a bodyswap, you guys.

Sailor Moon vibes but Mamoru is actually interesting and becomes likeable.

Guardian

Okay so the best thing about Guardian is not only that it's a censored adaptation of a novel with a same-sex romance, but that /the entire premise/ is altered for television purposes.

The novel is steeped in Chinese folk religion and the Underworld is real and mythical creatures secretly walk among us.

In the show?

ALIENS, BABY.

Ghosts? THOSE AREN'T REAL BECAUSE HUMANS DON'T HAVE SOULS, THEY'RE JUST ENERGY BEINGS.

It's so ridiculous it's endearing.

Anyway, it's about bros solving mysteries with a Monster of the Week vibe until it becomes about possibly the end of the world and alien domination and evil twins.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

IT'S TIME TO SOLVE CRIMES. IN ANCIENT CHINA.

Quack doctor Li Lianhua (Cheng Yi) is just trying to live a quiet life with his dog and his horse-drawn house. Fang Duobing (Joseph Zeng) just wants to gain admittance into the martial art cop organization that's carrying on the legacy of his dead teacher, Li Xiangyi, who was maybe never actually his teacher and also wasn't killed ten years previously by Di Fei Sheng (Xiao Shunyao), the head of an evil martial arts sect who is also not dead. Not nearly as many people as people think are dead! Identities are cleverly hidden behind pseudonyms and various levels of mask!

Crimes are solved and Li Lianhua is very tired about the whole thing. It's an unwilling buddy cop sort of thing until it becomes about youthful hubris and the sins of the past and also one woman's determination to conquer the world and give it to the man she loves, even if he doesn't want the world and also doesn't love her. We love a woman who takes what she wants and if necessary cuts a man's tendons and imprisons him in a torture pool so his blood can't clot until he agrees to be her wife, don't we, folks?

Folks?

Story of Kunning Palace

The scheming empress Jiang Xue Ning (Bai Lu) dies and wakes up, eighteen-years-old, at the point in her life where she's on the verge of making the start of the decisions that lead her to the Very Bad End. She is going to make different decisions this time and prevent the things she regrets and avoid becoming the empress at all costs.

What you need to know about Story of Kunning Palace is that Bai Lu could have chemistry with a rock and she inadvertently collects a bisexual harem. Her end game love interest is Xie Wei (Zhang Ling He), the man who killed her, an advisor to the emperor, music teacher, double or triple agent, and sufferer of vampire snow madness and a fear of cats, whether adorably fluffy or badly CGI'd. But she's in love with noble civil servant Zhang Zhe (Wang Xing Yue), a pure and hardworking man who she seduced into betraying his principles, leading to his imprisonment and probable death. However, her childhood friend Yan Lin (Zhou Jun Wei) is in love with her and previously she rejected him VERY HARSHLY after his family fell into disfavour due to political machinations and Jiang Xue Ning had cemented the likelihood of her marriage to the next emperor. Also there's Princess Le Yang (Liu Xie Ning), who Jiang Xue Ning made an enemy of after the Princess fell in love with her when Jiang Xue Ning was crossdressing and did not take the reveal of her true gender well. Xue Shu (Elisa Ye) is an unfavoured daughter of a scheming lord who was the only truly loyal person Jiang Xue Ning knew as empress. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH JIANG XUE NING and you look at Bai Lu and go 'yes, that makes sense'.

It's mostly about the politics and scheming and Jiang Xue Ning trying to find a way to have a stable, satisfying life without betraying everyone she knows and standing on a pile of corpses, but the love shape Jiang Xue Ning isn't fully aware she's in is comparable in complexity to the plots between ministers and lords and dowager empresses and cousins and rebels.

The choices the characters make are maybe not always the best choices, but DAMN are they a good time.

Story of Kunning Palace is also one of the only times I have begged a character in a show to take a particular action and then she DID IT and fuck it was satisfying.

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

IT'S TIME TO SOLVE CRIMES. IN ANCIENT CHINA. AGAIN. BUT WITHOUT MARTIAL ARTS.

Tang Fan (Darren Chen) is a low-ranking government official and detective genius who loves food and hates routine work, but loves a fucked up crime. Since he spends most of his money on delicious food, he writes trashy porn under a variety of pseudonyms to pay his rent. Sui Zhou (Fu Meng Bo) is an imperial guard and ex-soldier with PTSD who has no time for nonsense but loves the passionate pursuit of justice and food. He's also From Money and has a very empty house that Tang Fan whines his way into after they solve a case together. Everyone is manipulated by dangerously powerful eunuch Wang Zhi (Liu Yao Yuan) who is the enemy of basically everyone, except for Tang Fan, who has the political and social awareness of a rock.

An amiably pathetic man solves a variety of mysteries, from murder to complex imperial assassination plots and also this really complicated one involving diluting the purity of silver currency, and also the executive producer is Jackie Chan.

It's missing the romance subplot that I understand is in the source novel and also apparently there's an overarching plot involving a cult?! which we don't get here, but there's lots of bombs which are almost as good as a cult, maybe? (They're not.)

Divine Destiny

This is the one we're currently watching and the ride that this show is. How many plots can be crammed into one show? How many ridiculous but true things can I say about this show?

Ji Ruochen (Ma Tianyu) is an orphan who dreams of martial arts adventures. Raised by a couple who run a Crime Inn, one day a customer robbery goes very wrong when the customer turns out to be the latest incarnation of Yin Feng, the Banished God (Marius Wang). Ji Ruochen accidentally kills the Banished God and his foster parents promptly take the body into the desert and dump it down a cliff, but not before taking a necklace made from a piece of Gu Qing, the Blue Stone Goddess (Xuan Lu), which is supposed to let her recognize the Banished God in their final incarnation. Accidentally stealing the Banished God's identity, Ji Ruochen finds himself a hotly desired commodity by the cultivation sects who are all eager to have the Banished God as a disciple for prophecy reasons. He goes with Zhang Yinyin (Angelababy), a feisty, argumentative girl who has had to work extra hard because her spirit was contaminated by a demonic root planted by the evil nine-tailed fox who is poorly imprisoned in a cave anyone can access.

MEANWHILE some dudes with amazing moustaches and a penchant for laughing in delight at their own evil have found the body of the Banished God and done some questionable mystical shit to put him in a new body and nurture a grudge against Ji Ruochen for stealing his identity.

THEN Gu Qing meets Ji Ruochen and like everyone else assumes he's the Banished God and she falls in love with him (Gu Qing having been a literal rock spirit who cultivated to immortality under the guidance of the Banished God, who followed her into the mortal realm and a cycle of 100 incarnations after Gu Qing accidentally Did A Crime) but then falls in love with HIM.

ALSO Zhang Yinyin is always at risk of succumbing to the temptation of using the demonic fox power that is within her even though that will literally turn her into a demon but maybe it's worth it if a woman who is actually a goddess who is actually a rock is making eyes at the junior you brought into the sect and are in love with and you want to be more powerful than her?

ALSO what's the mysterious power that let Ji Ruochen kill the Banished God in the first place?

IS the woman seeking revenge for the death of the Banished God's mortal incarnation his sister or his cousin or his "cousin"?

WHY is the only love language of immortals stalking?

There's a homunculus and a baby snake demon who is the most precious angel in the world and so many evil dudes delighted in how evil they are and TWO GOOD AND ALIVE PARENTS and a pair of comical monks who have a special attack with a name they have to shout out every time they use it.

Oh and the imprisoned fox demon may have an ex who just hangs out on a rock in something called the Endless Ocean wearing a mask and playing go against the homunculus he made.

And there's an ancient master who lives in an ice mountain and eats memories of love.

Also some people might be secret demons.

There's some weddings.

There's a tiny woman with an ice sword who brutally murders so many dudes.

Do you like CGI birds?

Do you like giant mechanical CGI birds that are for riding purposes?

There's a desert hermit who has a son who is a giant tortoise.

So many things are going on and terrible decisions are constantly being made and it's over a week before I can watch another episode and it's driving me mad. WHAT WILL BE THE FALLOUT OF THE MOST RECENT BAD DECISIONS?

[rainbowsky]

Привет, Sky! Снова спасибо за твой блог, обожаю тебя. Смотрела очередное выступление Сяо Чжаня и думала о том, что у него, и еще у некоторых певцов/актеров много песен о любви, но сами они не имеют отношений ��фициально, и иногда даже фанаты не знаю о каких-либо отношениях в принципе, как будто их никогда и не было. При этом они так эмоционально и трогательно исполняют песни о любви. Ок, про Сяо Чжаня всё понятно :) Но я задумалась может ли действительно человек, не имевший отношения, любовь, чувства и не пройдя весь этот путь в связи с другим человеком - петь о любви и понимать о чем он поет и как это выглядит в глазах других. Что ты думаешь об этом?

Translation:

Hi Sky! Thanks again for your blog, I love you. I was watching Xiao Zhan's latest performance and was thinking that he and some other singers/actors have a lot of love songs, but they themselves are not officially in a relationship, and sometimes even fans don't know about any relationship at all, as if they never existed. At the same time, they perform love songs so emotionally and touchingly. Ok, everything is clear about Xiao Zhan :) But I wondered if a person who has never had a relationship, love, feelings and has not gone through this whole path in connection with another person can really sing about love and understand what he is singing about and how it looks in the eyes of others. What do you think about this?

Hi retrojen, thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying my blog! 🥰

I don't believe that someone has to have experienced romantic love to give a beautiful, deeply compelling performance of a romantic song - no more than someone has to be religious to put a lot of power into a hymn, or need to have lost a loved one in order to put a lot of pathos into a song about grief. Art is about creation, and about tapping into the human experience.

One of the most beautiful aspects of humanity is the empathy that we often have for one another. If we are compassionate and open, and if we are creative spirits who seek to understand the world around us, we can tap into each other's experiences and feelings. We do not have to have experienced them firsthand to have a sense of them, or to share in another person's joy or pain (of course we can't live what we haven't experienced, but we can tap into an awful lot just by being open to it).

And our emotional experiences can also be a reflection of what is missing in our lives just as much as they can be a reflection of what we have in our hearts.

For example, someone does not have to have experienced a deep romantic love to be able to tap into a longing for love. Someone doesn't have to have a spiritual belief in order to experience spiritual anguish or need for greater meaning in their life. All of these emotional experiences can lead to incredibly powerful artistic expressions. Especially for performers and actors whose calling in life is to present a glimpse of human experience they might not have had themselves.

And we know that both GG and DD have experienced loss and hardship in their lives. DD spent his entire youth away from his family in another country, GG's grandfather passed away just a few years ago. There are no doubt a lot of other experiences we don't know about (and that are probably none of our business). Heck, just being a queer person in a country that is increasingly hostile to that is hardship enough.

Both GG and DD have talked about how they have a taste for sad and very emotional love songs. I think that is just a natural extension of any creative, sensitive, open-hearted person's taste for the human experience. Those kinds of songs speak to us because our hearts are open to the full scope of human emotion. Sweet songs don't always carry the same emotional intensity as sad ones, nor can they dig into our depths the way that sad ones can.

So no, I don't think that anyone needs to have experienced romantic love to be able to tap into those emotional depths and bring a powerful performance of a love song.

Having said that, you and I both know that GG and DD do have that deep romantic experience. Let's be real. 😅

I talked about GG and DD's creative and sensitive personalities in this post.

I commented on a similar topic related to aeroace people writing about love and sex a while back. You can find that post here.

I also talked about something similar in my post about queerbaiting, which you can find here.

[ourbeloved1011]

Grow tf up. It's been 4 years since that show finished. Yibo even removed it from his bio. Theres nothing wrong with liking a show but insisting on some delusional rpf that's harming actual people??

Hi Anon,

Thanks for spending your precious time dropping by & bravely leaving your not-so-kind comments anonymously (or should I say nasty & harsh for telling me to grow tf up) when this is OBVIOUSLY a fan blog dedicated to Yizhan. It's like you're knocking someone's door uninvited & forcing yourself to rudely barge in.

Well, there must be a good reason on why I've been purposely not hashtag individual artists' names in my posts & include only related tags & mention 'this is just my personal thoughts, CPN' to STAY IN MY OWN LANE - in my own bubble & space. This is to avoid from being discovered by people who's trying to 'start something' & serve as my own effort to protect the artists from being harmed by my words. I really despise unnecessary conflicts right when I've made myself clear on my dashboard that this is a shipper blog.

In simpler words, if you don't like it, it's not my problem. No one asked for your opinion, anon. You've got the wrong place to begin with. However, since you've dropped me an ask, let me enlighten you at the very least.

Before I start, here's some of translated versions of Xiao zhan's personal statement after the incident (which I refuse to elaborate more):

"Everyone has their own choices and freedom of expression. No matter if you like me or you hate, it's your personal right. Passion should be the source of strength for everyone. I hope that this passion doesn't exhaust or harm anyone."

You can read the rest of his statement in my recent reblog or here: https://www.tumblr.com/ourbeloved1011/723921396167819264/xiao-zhans-previous-personal-statement?source=share

Here's my personal thoughts, again, CPN.

I couldn't agree more. It's crucial for everyone to take his words seriously and it's my wish to be what he wished for. I admire, respect & support both xiao zhan & yibo whole-heartedly. It's not fair for you to judge & say that this isn't fan love.

Bjyx is a fandom made up of different individuals. Not only bjyx, any fandom or group of people in this world will have the same concept.

Now, let's talk about generalization.

You can't simply generalize a group or fandom & labelling them as a whole harmful existence. Every fandom has their own good & toxic fans. You don't have any control over that. Surely, all kind of people exist in bjyx BUT same goes with solo fans. There's no exception.

It's like labelling the whole Wen clan as evil when you know very well that Wen Ning and Wen Qing aren't the same kind. In fact, they are Jiang clan's life savior. It's totally unfair.

"You should punish the people who bit you. Wen Qing & Wen Ning have never gotten their hands on anything bloody. Or do you want to execute a collective punishment?!" -The Untamed, Wei Wuxian-

Why do you need to be the exact same way as Jin's clan judgmental behavior? We never learn, we've been here before. I won't take any sides on which fandom need to be banned or which one is the 'real' supporter. Collective stereotype will never be the final answer.

I see two people in everyone. There's no point in proving this.

However, I do believe in one same group commonality. If you continuously act excessively, intentionally crossing all the boundary of morality & bring harm to others, you will belong to TOXIC FAN and ANTIs regardless of where you come from- either you are a bjyx fan or solo. I will not support any act of sexualizing & harassment behavior towards them. There's always a limit, visible lines & common sense to conduct & follow. Sadly, EXTREMISTs do exist everywhere.

Just like what xz been telling us, it's your personal right as long as your passion doesn't harm others. Joining bjyx is our right & passion to support them in our own way. Doesn't mean that you've the right to speak up or write anything that you see as 'the right way', you also have the right to blatantly disregard those who don't share the same view as yours. That's why the word RESPECT is there in life dictionary. Otherwise, human can't co-exist this long.

If you don't have anything good to say, you can just remain silent. If you can't accept & respect, just stay away & ignore. It's that simple.

I don't understand why people needlessly hurting others with their unnecessary hurtful choice of words that can leave permanent scars to others. I personally feel sorry for these people. I don't get it. I really want to understand- what's the real reason for you to be so mean & harsh & hateful? For example, telling people to grow tf up. Who are you to judge? I'm just chilling with myself without causing trouble to others.

In bjyx point of view, we just adore & admire the beautiful & deep connection that both of these guys have. It's rare to have someone that you can click so well instantly in life. We wish to support them against all the odd. That's all.

Ironically, people who freely generalize about other groups get upset & butthurt if someone generalizes about a group that they belong to. The thing is - everyone is an independent individual & fully responsible for their own actions.This is why it's important to mind our own business & stay in our own lane.

Back to your statement. Delusional fans. I'm not actually delusional. I'm very self-aware as a person. In fact, I started as someone who's neutral. It's for my own self-satisfaction to feed my curiosity. I've always been the kind that will find & dig further to know something better. It's my personal trait. I'm not blindly being a delusional fan without basis and accept every rumors I heard about them. I do observations, selectively choosing, analyzing & eventually come to a conclusion. So here I am.

If you claim us to be delusional, you can say whatever you want because your opinion doesn't represent or reflect us. Just a side note, I don't agree with those fans who are intentionally keep overanalyzing these two with every single thing they do each time. People may get annoyed by it. I can see where it's coming from. They are two different individuals with distinct originality & identity. Hence, I only believe in whatever solid reasons I personally chose & filtered to trust.

It's not my job to convince you that they're real & it's not your job to judge, raise doubts & throw hateful comments in what I believed in. No need to make others feel bad & depressed further with your painful remarks. This world is cruel enough to live in. We don't need to be liked but respecting us is not an option. Be kind.

Yes. Yibo removed it from his bio. So what? To be honest, I don't really care much about it. Friendly reminder. He removed not only the untamed but he removed ALL his dramas. Seriously, I don't see any issue. If anything, I would be grateful to Yibo for keeping the untamed there for so long.

Let me remind you of the scene where wei weixuan is forced into a situation with practicing demonic cultivation is his only option to protect himself & survive. Again, everyone is being so judgmental towards him, only to find out later- the real reason why he chose that path. My point is, don't assume something as if we know everything. Anything people put out to share is calculated. You're allowed to see things that they ONLY ALLOW you to see.

What do you mean by these shippers harming actual people? There are plenty pictures everywhere during Yuehua concert, the whole arena was mostly filled with bjyx fans led lights, yellow, green & red- all coming to support Yibo. Not only concert, they've been continuously supporting both of them in other projects and events in the past until today.

'True' fans won't bring any harm to the artist no matter how good their intention is. Boycotting isn't the answer. It brings more damaged to the artist than good.

Tell me. Who's gonna be there if it's not for them?

Credits to respective owners. I don't own anything.

Yibo. Did they really bring harm to you?

Credits to respective pic owners.

Really? What were you looking at?

Credits to respective pic owners.

Few things to ponder:

If either xiao zhan or yibo hates bjyx & don't want any fans to associate them with each other, they would've addressed this many years ago to stop. Like how they made clear stand to some of other cps & supertopics. If you ask me for proof, again, you can just find them through my reblog posts. You can easily see them right away. That is, if you really care to read & bother to know.

Let me use back your words- It's been 4 years since the show finished- but the fandom is still standing strong & able to fill in the whole arena. Just to highlight, xiao zhan & yibo have zero public interaction together since the past few years but the numbers of new bjyx fan is still continue growing until today. The irony. How is this possible? For what reason? The normal cp fandom will eventually dies down once the main actors moving to the new project in the same year. Do you ever wonder what's the reason behind this fandom to stay this long for years? Both of them don't have any same project, no collaboration together. No promotion. Literally nothing. Then how? Funny isn't it?

It still remains mystery to think of why until today, xz & yibo never clarify & make statements to clear the air that they are just close friends. They can easily shut down the fandom in one go. Doesn't it bother you to be shipped with your own close friend for years if it's not the case? Well I do.

Also, why bjyx fans were not banned from entering the venue? Why their banners & led lights were allowed to go in? This is a sign that the existence of this fandom has never been denied. Or wait. Has this bjyx fandom been acknowledged indirectly?

People may find comfort in stanning both of them. Probably, it's the only source of joy in life to some. We never know. Don't be such an asshole trying to kill it. Spread love. Not hate.

Thanks anon for giving me the opportunity to rant :)

[rose-tinted-vision]

Fic: 当你醒来 我已不再

relationships: Li Lianhua & Fang Duobing

(link to ao3 fic)

Li Lianhua looks at the wangchun flower, and ponders.

It is not for him.

It is not Li Lianhua that Di Feisheng and everyone else wanted to save, it is Li Xiangyi that they want returned from the grave. They want the selfless hero, the beacon of peace and hope for the jianghu.

But Li Lianhua is not Li Xiangyi anymore.

He cannot bring back the young hero everyone coveted. He has long since regarded Li Xiangyi as a separate entity, a skin he has shedded long ago.

If he takes the wangchun flower, it means taking on the mantle of Li Xiangyi once more, putting on the cape again, trying to fill in the too-large shoes that that spectre of the past left behind.

Li Xiangyi is better off left undisturbed, ten feet under the ground, he tells himself. He is not as good as the people paint him to be. Li Xiangyi was arrogant, too trusting, too idealistic. The world cannot be saved by one man alone, nor can he save everyone with his words alone.

He once trusted all the wrong people, naively thought that by reaching the peak of the martial world, he could save everyone. Now that he has traversed the jianghu, he knows. He knows that his shifu had been right all along.

"I don't want you to be some big shot, I just want you and your shixiong to eat well, drink well and live well."

"Li Lianhua, what are you thinking about?"

A gentle shake brings him out of his spiralling thoughts, a never ending cesspool that only grew worse with each passing minute. He relaxes his death grip on the wooden box minutely.

"You haven't taken the wangchun flower yet?" Fang Duobing asks, fighting to keep his voice level.

Fang Duobing. His Xiaobao. The only person who genuinely wanted to save Li Lianhua.

He considers shaking it off with another lighthearted lie, but finds that he cannot bring himself to. He can't lie in the face of such pure, undiluted concern again.

"This flower isn't for Li Lianhua," he says, knowing that Fang Xiaobao will understand what he means.

Even in death, he cannot go peacefully. He has been told to live. It is demanded of him to live.

The man who was once known as Li Xiangyi finds that he does not know whether he wants to live. And perhaps that is the most telling point that he is no longer Li Xiangyi. Could no longer be Li Xiangyi. He has given so much of himself, even at the expense of his own life, that there was nothing left to give.

Fang Xiaobao, observant as always, picks up on his hesitance. He moves to sit next to Li Lianhua, clasping a steady hand over his trembling ones.

"If you choose to leave, it's fine," Fang Xiaobao says, letting out a shaky exhale, "you're not letting anybody down. It's this world that let you down. They don't deserve Li Lianhua or Li Xiangyi."

Li Lianhua makes a tired grunt in protest, which is quickly shushed by Fang Xiaobao, "But it's not just me that wants Li Lianhua to live. Su-mei also knows you. Zhan-xiong would rather you live happily. The one Xiao-gu fancied was also Li Lianhua, not Li Xiangyi."

Quietly, after a beat or two, he adds, "A-Fei also just wants you to be alive."

Perhaps. He can't quite bring himself to believe that statement, not when all Di Feisheng talked about was curing Li Lianhua to fight Li Xiangyi again. He already knew Di Feisheng's opinion on the matter; he did not need a reminder.

Fang Xiaobao, however, was another thing entirely. He has hurt him too many times to count, telling one boldfaced lie after another in the face of Fang Xiaobao's sincerity, and yet the other still chased after him anyway. Showed him forgiveness and patience, accepting Li Lianhua for all his deceit and lies, even after being pushed away repeatedly.

Though he knows the answer to this- it's damningly clear through Fang Xiaobao's every action- a part of him needs to hear it straight from his mouth.

"What about you?" Is it Li Xiangyi or Li Lianhua that you want to save?

Fang Xiaobao reels back as if he were slapped, hurt so openly displayed on his face that Li Lianhua wished to retract his words and swallow them whole.

"Li Lianhua, you should know by now" Fang Xiaobao says, his eyes alight with cold fury, "I will only recognize one zhiji in this life, and that is Li Lianhua."

Perhaps it is the conviction in his tone, or the grief that spilled over into his anger, or simply the mink coat that Fang Duobing had wrapped him in a few hours prior- but Li Lianhua finds himself pulled back slightly from the precipice he had been tethering on.

The realisation that he does not want to die is gut wrenching, suddenly overcome with guilt that Fang Xiaobao chose a dying man to recognize as his zhiji. Li Lianhua mourns the future that he is unable to live out. He will not be able to grow old with Fang Xiaobao in his rickety old home as the hair on their heads turn white, will not be able to travel all over the jianghu to solve crimes with his zhiji.

After all, the wangchun flower was not a guaranteed cure. Just one that held higher chances than any other cure.

He nearly says as much, clamping his mouth shut when his brain catches up. Fang Xiaobao might actually kill him for saying that, and then jump into hell to bring him back again.

Belately, he realises that he has not responded to Fang Xiaobao's declaration, and gives a stiff nod on response.

"Just…" Fang Xiaobao whispers, shifting to get up, "don't suddenly disappear without a word, okay?"

—

Li Lianhua stares at the wangchun flower. His legs are numb from having sat too long, and the mink coat is but a flimsy protection from the cold around him.

Behind him, dawn is breaking, varying shades of bright orange bleeding into the dusky blue, its rays of light illuminating the wangchun flower. In this light, it almost looks as glorious as the myths surrounding it make it out to be.

He hears Hulijing's barks growing closer, following the familiar cadence of Fang Xiaobao's footsteps, signalling that breakfast is ready.

Meeting Fang Xiaobao had disrupted his carefully laid plans to live out the rest of his limited lifespan, had brought forth several disturbing revelations, forcing him to bring back a dead man to resolve the many issues that sprang forth.

But Li Lianhua finds that he does not mind.

(In fact, when it comes to his closest friend, his zhiji, he finds that he can let quite a few things slide).

Maybe Li Lianhua would try to live, for the sake of one Fang Duobing, his Fang Xiaobao.

[toomanyplotbunnies-sendhelp]

Hello and welcome to Day 4 of "Let's Explore My Plot Bunnies"

Since yesterday's post was Long™️ I decided that the fic idea I wanna put forward today should be more on the short side (like a one-shot or less than 10 chapters short fic) just so I can claim that my brain isn't torturing me with fics ideas of the length and detail like yesterday's (which is a total lie on my part but claiming otherwise makes me feel better)

So, I present to you:

Unwilling cat!Shen Qingqiu and Very exited owner!Shen Yuan (feat. Panicking! Shang Qinghua because the Plot has gone off the rails and the System is having an... aneurysm?)

Edit: As of February 6th, this fic has a title:

"Dogs are dogs, but cats are people"

When Shen Yuan woke up (after he died) he did not expect to see himself in the body of a 12 years old child, all alone in the middle of nowhere. After a very much needed freak out given his circumstances, Shen Yuan did what he always did best: chose one direction and started walking in that direction in search of civilization. When he came across a village, it was not the way the people were dressed nor the way they spoke that surprised him; instead it was the name of the village. A name that he had only read once, in a specific stallion novel that he hated with a passion.

"Well," Shen Yuan thinks sarcastically, "this is fantastic, isn't it?" (At least he can be happy he was reborn as a non-essential character and not someone like the Scum Villain, right?)

With the amount of knowledge accumulated from the stallion novel, Shen Yuan managed to form a golden core in a couple of years and currently roams the lands as a rogue cultivator. He feels way healthier than in his previous life and prefers to stay out of the drama that is the main story line of "Proud Immortal Demon Way."" Why, you ask? Because he already died because he choked. All the deaths in PIDW are 100% worse and more painful. So, no, thank you. He is gonna avoid the Cang Qiong Sect (and all other sects) like the plague.

Two years after he transmigrated in this world, Shen Yuan finds a little white kitty with green eyes that hisses at him like the small little thing is ready to spew poison.

Shen Yuan thinks the little thing - it's a boy - is very much adorable.

Taking the little kitty in his hands, not minding how his claws are piercing through the skin of his palms, Shen Yuan looks at him with a big grin on his face. "Spicy little thing, aren't you?"

The kitten looks at him and lets out a very grumpy "Mrow" before bitting the finger that was massaging under the kitten's chin.

Seems Shen Yuan found himself a new travel companion.

----------------

Shen Qingqiu is having a bad day. Scratch that - his day is so awful, it is worthy of being put in his "Top Five Most Awful Days".

It started with that idiot Yue Qingyuan calling him "Xiao Jiu" - a name which he hates with his entire being - and telling him he is needed for a mission. Which, fine. It's not that bad.

But then the partner for this mission turned out to be none other than that Bai Zhan Brute of a Man, Liu Qingge. A man with whom he can never get along. But they have been through other missions together even if they have butted heads mid-way through the mission. So, again, nothing really new here.

What was new about his situation is that he is currently stuck as a four legged small animal. Like actually a small animal. And he has no sword anymore... or clothes. And he can't even feel his cultivation.

"Fantastic" he thinks sarcastically as he moves slowly through the crowd of people in search for that Bai Zhan Brute. (Liu Qingge has to be able to recognize him, right? Right?)

He never expected to be picked up by a child no older than that little beast of a desciple he has. He also never expected that, despite all the hissing, bitting, clawing and wiggling he used in order to escape from the kid's hold, the idiotic child (cause there is no way this kid has all mental faculties intact) would just laugh and seem... pleased?.

"This child, Shen Yuan, is weird." Shen Qingqiu concludes in his mind as he looks at the little idiot grinning despite Shen Qingqiu's fangs holding his finger hostage. "And this day is still awful."

(At least he won't starve tonight.)

------------------

Liu Qingge is not panicking. He really is not.

If that little spoiled young master of a scolar decided to up and leave mid-way through their mission, it's not his problem.

(Shen Qingqiu wouldn't leave during a mission however. That man is way too prideful for that. And he wouldn't leave his sword and clothes behind in the forest either.)

Liu Qingge checks the Warm Red Pavillion anyway; just to be sure that Shen Qingqiu isn't up to his nefarious deeds like before when he caught him sneaking out to drown himself in carnal pleasures.

(Shen Qingqiu is not there. Liu Qingge check the perimeter three times. Still no sign of that spoiled young master. He is getting worried.)

When Liu Qingge comes back to the inn they are staying at, Shen Qingqiu isn't there either. Nor is he there the next day or the day after that.

Liu Qingge is not panicking. (He is panicking)

He is not going to keep looking for that asshole. (He still checks the entire village for his fellow Peak Lord. There is no trace of him anywhere.)

A heavy sigh escapes from him as the Bai Zhan Peak Lord, the so called God of War, hides his face with the palms of his hands.

"Yue-zhangmen is going to kill me."

---------------

In the An Ding Peak Lord office, the current Peak Lord Shang Qinghua looks at the scattered papers on his desk with growing horror.

Not because there are a lot of papers for him to write or check.

Nor is it because some of them have splashes of ink on them which means he has to re-write them from scratch again.

The reason behind the horror in his eyes lies in the floating screen that glows red intermittently, as if it is a piece of wood in a see of fire. The words on the floating screen read as follows:

"SYSTEM ERROR! SYSTEM ERROR!

THE PLOT OF THE NOVEL "PROUD IMMORTAL DEMON WAY" HAS DIVERTED FROM ITS INTENTED COURSE.

OOC BEHAVIOUR DETECTED FROM SEVERAL CHARACTERS!"

Shang Qinghua's eyes are still wide with horror as he faintly wispers, more to himself than the System.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

--------

Luo Binghe doesn't know what to do. Liu-Shifu returned a month ago from a mission with his Shizun (his very mean Shizun; the Shizun that he still wants to be acknowledged by, be praised by) without well,... his Shizun.

Everything went downhill from there.

He, together with Ming Fan and Ning Yingying, are still taking part in the search parties for his Shizun. But the search still yields no result.

No one seems to have seen his Shizun at all. It's like the man was swallowed by the earth itself.

While searching around, Luo Binghe comes across a rogue cultivator by the name of Shen Yuan. He seems to be his age and is a very nice person. (Luo Binghe really likes this rogue cultivator. He is very kind to him and Luo Binghe can count the people that were nice to him in his life on one hand)

The only problem is that Shen Yuan's little white cat doesn't seem to like him - or anyone, besides maybe Shen Yuan - all that much.

Still maybe asking Shen Yuan to help them find Shizun is a good idea. (Plus he gets to spend more time with Shen Yuan too. That's a bonus.)

So what do you guys think?

Also here:

Cat!Shen Jiu towards everybody:

Cat!Shen Jiu waiting for his supposed fellow "Peak Lords" and "desciples" to realize that he is the cat (and they still don't):

Shen Jiu, throughout this whole fic: I am surrounded by idiots....

This idea was both fun to come up with and hilarious to boot too. I might actually take a shot at writing this, given that my brain doesn't make it an over 10 chapter long fic. I do have a question though: if you were to give this fic a title, what title it would be? (I need all the help to chose titles cause I am BAD at them)

Regardless, I hope you had fun reading this and that the rest of your day will nice as well (and good night to those that read this post just before bed).

I will see you guys tomorrow,

- TooManyPlotBunnies-Send Help

P.S.: This was low-key, the inspiration behind the idea of this fic

[rosethornewrites]

T & G reading since 3/18

I was going to wait a few more days to post but it’s getting too long.

Finished

Teen:

Everything Is Solved With Soup (And Poison), by Love_Psycho (reread)

Waking up from a nightmare – that may or may not just be a nightmare – Jiang Yanli decides she needs to stop that nightmare from becoming reality.

What Is Holding Is Also Being Held, by curiositea

“Congratulations,” Song Lan says with a grin that can only be described as ‘shit-eating’. “You’re haunted.”

“What.” Lan Zhan and Wei Ying say simultaneously, one sounding significantly less excited than the other. Honestly Lan Zhan, Wei Ying thinks, how can you not be ecstatic?!

—

Or, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan are haunted by the powerful and lasting echoes of their past lives and maybe, just maybe, it’s fate.

(Halloween/Wei Ying’s birthday prompt from the fantastic @/wwxwashere on twitter: wangxian are haunted.)

The Best Soup in the World, by Nyatci (reread)

Lan Wangji wakes to his husband missing from their bed. He happens to find him in the kitchens, peeling lotus roots.

Possible Works 3 - What If Number 4, by Hauntcats

Things go differently at the Yiling Supervisory office when Wen Chao shows up early.

Possible Works 4 - Tunnel Vision, by Hauntcats

A night hunt turns interesting.

Stop, In the Name of Love, by weenakohi2 (🔒)

Artist/art teacher in training/volunteer crossing guard-Wei Ying saves A-Yuan from a road accident and gets hurt in the process. Lan Zhan and A-Yuan insist on taking him out as thanks. One things leads to another leads to domestic bliss.

General:

The Greed is the Unraveling, by nirejseki (4 chapters)

“Don’t cough blood on me,” Lan Qiren said, voice as prim and proper as it had ever been.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Wen Ruohan replied, teeth clenched and brow furrowed as he fought off the pain. Blood leaked out from the corner of his mouth despite his words. “I suppose the stain of red on white is terribly hard to get out.”

His tone was bitter, angry, and he was probably making some sort of very clever metaphorical point, given the Lan sect’s white robes and Wen sect’s emblem of red and white.

But -

(Lan Zhan, Wei Wuxian said. Do you think we made it - worse?)

(no one else can) take me there, by azurewaxwing

In his recent article in Contemporary Theories of Cultivation, Lan (2019) sets out to study the correlation between instrument choice and outcomes in the liberation of spirits. While his main thesis appears sound, his decision to limit the study to the qin, dizi, xiao and pipa undermines his conclusions.

This decision falls prey to the fallacy that tradition cannot be questioned. It ignores, too, the fact that many practising cultivators will encounter spirits that will have no exposure to such “expectations.” In a small study comparing the use of a dizi with a theremin—undoubtedly a non-traditional choice—the theremin produced optimal outcomes in liberating spirits where: time since death was less than 6 months; spirit was younger than 25 and older than 17 at time of death; or spirit motivation included aspects of revenge. The conclusions reached in Lan (2019), while providing a foundation for future study, are therefore as yet incomplete.

Mo Xuanyu

Cultivation Studies, Center for East Asian Studies, Stanford University

Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian, and musical cultivation: a love story, told through academic articles, emails, texts, and videos.

just like glass, by sunflowersfield (🔒, 2 chapters)

Lan Zhan is grateful. Gratitude is a feeling that he can appreciate because it is not like the inky black guilt that runs hot through his veins. It is not like the dizzying paranoia that burns bright behind his eyes. His gratitude for Wei Ying glows like a flickering candle, and he hopes he can keep it alive.

Butterfly, by dragongirlG (🔒)

Lan Sizhui’s eyes widen. “Is it your birthday?” he asks, panic creeping into his tone. It occurs to him that he’s never asked about birthdays—Ning-shushu’s, his parents’, his sister’s—

“A-Yuan,” says Ning-shushu, his voice softer than normal, “it’s yours.”

Lan Sizhui blinks, stunned. “What?”

Lan Sizhui receives some unexpected gifts when he makes a visit to Wen Ning.

A reflection on family history, familial bonds, and identity written for Lan Sizhui's birthday.

Warmth in Winter, by rhysiana

Lan Wangji watches Wei Wuxian spend his first winter in Cloud Recesses.

(a song) greeting the dawn, by LadyKG (🔒, 2 chapters)

With a laugh he threw himself back over the seal painted on the floor, a hysterical bubble in his chest popping as he dug his hands into his hair. Of all the times to be sent back to. Of all the places he could have ended up. Why did it have to be now?

Unfinished

Teen:

Inchoate, by Marinelifeclub

“Where would you even go once you left? Wait a few more years before leaving." persuaded Jiang Fengmian,

“Will I live to see that long?” Wei Wuxian whispered under his breath.

Jiang Fengmian felt cold at those words. He always thought his children would be the ones to heal the scars left by their mother on Wei Wuxian, but just the concise way he spoke about them, he knows that wasn’t true. Now his best friend’s son sat in front of him, confessing to not thinking he will live to see himself become a man. Cangse and Changze must be furious in their graves as the sweet smiling son they raised endured pain because of a jealous woman and a cowardly man. Sighing, he did the only thing he could to make things right and accepted the boy’s wishes.

At age 14, Wei Wuxian left Lotus Pier and never looked back.

Wei Wuxian leaves Lotus Pier and while things change something’s are just set in fate.

Rabbit Charm, by aoeros (🔒)

“You gotta promise me that when you’re back home and settled in, I’ll be the first you come to see. Because I’m going to miss you more than anyone else will, Lán Zhàn. Except your brother, of course.”

“Of course. I promise to come find you first after I’ve settled back in.”

“Great! Then I promise to call you whenever I can. And, I will definitely not forget you.”

until only the mountain remains, by idleorbitals

Sizhui had asked why he wore it, and Lan Wangji had said something about restraint that sounded mysterious and grand, and Wei Wuxian had said it’s a no-fun ribbon. Once you put it on, you have to promise not to have any fun, and Lan Wangji had said Wei Ying, in that voice he had.

Can I have one? Sizhui had asked, and Lan Wangji had looked strange and fond, and Wei Wuxian had said, does no one listen to me around here?

- - -

The one where the Burial Mounds timeline gets expanded and Sizhui grows up a Wen.

Echoes, by LadyCrowned

Wei Wuxian heartbreak was so deep that broke time itself. Now, back in his youth, maybe this time around he can set the things right... But, how to change anything without knowing you have the chance to do it?

Your soul remembers what matters the most, even if your memory can't.

Something Warm and Safe, by Winxhelina

"Rich-gege!" A-Yuan exclaims happily.

"You can't call him that," Wei Wuxian admonishes gently. He puts an arm around Lan Wangji just as his knees give out, "Hey! I'm holding a child, you can't pass out on me like that. Oh. Oh, your back is covered in blood. Is that - is that your blood, Lan Zhan?!"

"Mn."

"Oh. Oh, you're bleeding a lot! Hold on! I'm putting A-Yuan down. A-Yuan, walk on your own for a bit. Can you also hold the basket for me? You're so mature and responsible! Okay, Lan Zhan, stay with me. I've got you."

"Is Rich-gege hurt?"

Lan Wangji doesn't hear the rest of that conversation.

In which Granny Wen manages to convince Wei Wuxian to take A-Yuan and hide away from the world. Lan Wangji manages to find them.

Shed Their Blood And Sealed Your Fate, by Eternal Scribe (Shadowcat)

The end scene at Guanyin Temple goes a bit differently...

General:

Pulled Against the Grain, by youleeyeah

“We found him walking injured just outside the Jingshi. He said-” Sizhui paused for a moment and then lowered his voice before continuing, “he said it was Young Master Jin who did this.” The boy couldn't look into Lan Wangji’s eyes as he spoke and turned his head to the side.

“You know,” Wei Wuxian started again after the pain subsided a tiny amount, “if I had my old body, I could've had intestines falling out of my gut and I’d still be able to fight for a few more hours.”

Lan Wangji furrowed his brows.

He has heard this before.

-----

Wei Wuxian wakes up in Gusu with a fresh stab wound he claimed was caused by Jin Ling. Lan Wangji is confused because the last time that happened was three years ago. Something is wrong with Wei Wuxian.

he, who died, is ignorant, by Maxciel_99

Jiang Cheng is thirteen when his eyes lose the shine that has always mirrored Wei Wuxian’s wild spirit. And then no longer is he a shadow of anyone but merely a shell of himself.

Here is a man who is served the world, for once, but he has turned a boy who finally stops wishing and wanting all at once.

_

Or basically, JC time travels but it's not your typical time travel fix-it.

By the River I Sat Down and Wept, by naolbedo

Wei Wuxian, while in the burial mounds, kept a small paper scroll. It is in this scroll that he filled his happiest memories.

When he eventually passes away and Lan Wangji arrives at the burial mounds, he finds only A-Yuan, clutching onto a qiankun pouch close to his heart as though he was holding on to the flickering warmth that once graced the burial mounds.

When the Hills Are All Flat, and the Rivers Run Dry, by stiltonbasket

Wei Wuxian feels her blood run cold.

Yu-ayi’s right. He really is going to choose me, she thinks. Oh, no. Oh, good Heavens, no!

She nearly bursts into tears on the spot; but just as her eyelids begin to sting, she remembers what her aunt said only two minutes earlier and breathes a sigh of relief.

The moment Huangshang lays eyes on you, he will know what choice to make.

In that moment, Wei Wuxian realizes that she can only be certain of evading the Empress’s throne if she ensures that the emperor never lays eyes on her at all.

Or: in the second year of his reign, Emperor Lan Wangji yields to the wishes of his ministers and holds a bride selection to find his future empress.

[sherlockholmeson]

Random kpop and celebrity culture personal mussings.

So I was not into kpop for the long time. I knew some things through „osmosis” let’s say. BTS, Stray Kids, Got7. I know this word firstly through kdramas. I new some idols first as actors secondly as kpop bands members. I wasn’t deep into it. But now after I started let’s use this word stan ZB1 and in general follow what is happening around them and in kpop world I see how toxic it is. Like some knetz are unbelievably toxic fan communities. I knew these things happened in China in a big big scale cause of Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo fandom scandals but it was also kind of politicaly/culturally motivated. In Korea however there’s no censorship per se. But I start to think otherwise. There’s no political censorship. But step out of some really fucked up narrow norms and you are being crucified.

I honestly don’t know how to deal with the amount of toxicity I keep seeing. I keep wondering why would you want to put up with it. Is being idol worth all of this?

I know it’s probably nothing new to some people who are deeper/longer in kpop fandoms, these kind of mussings. Just needed to get it off my chest.

I might just step away from all of this for a while.

Am going to The Rose concert on Friday so should hype myself up about this. But am off meds and I think anxiety starts to kick in.

The Rose is kind of safe from all of this being more popular internationally than in Korea. And no one cares if they date or have wifes and kids. If some people are delulu about it it’s not to the point where they need to worry it being some kind of hindrance on their popularity.

[accio-victuuri]

Reasons why we think the 26th bday message was from bunny laoshi. 🗒️

I know that a lot of us don’t need “reasons” to even cpn that xz made this letter, but it’s still fun to look at the clues that make the conclusion much stronger. a lot of us just knew once we read it, who the author is. as with all other candies, if you believe it, you do. if you don’t — there is no amount of evidence that will change your mind.

i’m so happy that the bday letter is back, last year was understandable (considering what was going on) so to have it this year made everyone emotional. as usual, it’s a beautiful letter. i am thankful that yibo is loved. that aside from us fans, he has someone close to him, who adores him that much to write something like that for him.

this post is only for the letter, not the bday photo/art. that will be a separate discussion.

A HISTORY,

As with most candies, context is key. We don’t usually react this much without it having some story behind it. There is almost always a pattern. The “birthday” message first popped up for Bobo’s 23rd bday. Then 24 and 26. You could say anyone can make a birthday message — but this is different. It’s way too personal and the way it’s written, to us who pay attention, is very xiao zhan. There were already CPNs for the past 2 years, so we were actually just waiting for the 26th bday letter — and boy did it not disappoint!

• They all start with saying hello to the *age* Yibo. It’s like this person wants to be the first one to greet WYB in his new year of life.

• The way it’s constructed is very similar. It starts with a recap for the year, what WYB has gained from the past and wishes for the future. I have to say that the 2020 letter was the start and then it evolved into what it is today because of the time they spent together. XZ now has more and more things to say.

• The message of growing up slowly is also there. I think XZ really wants this for him, that even if WYB had to “grow up” faster than other people his age, even if he has so many responsibilities — that he still gets to enjoy his youth. 🫶🏼

Even if you let someone else read this letter, and you tell them, “it’s from their s/o”, they will believe you. To those who look at it and think it’s an employee, i don’t even know what to say. You don’t even have to believe that it’s XZ, but it is most definitely WYB’s significant other. Look at UNIQ_OFFICIAL weibo account birthday caption, that’s what employees do.

Now onto the “reasons”. I have listed a couple and I know there might be more out there but here are the ones that made us 😭😭😭😭:

1. My absolute favorite part of the letter:

In the past year, you've gradually learned to relax while working hard and understood how to face the world with a gentler attitude. You've been willing to watch the stars while hurrying forward. You've been willing to enjoy a pouring rain happening one afternoon. You've been willing to quietly see the horizons at the other side of the sea. You've been willing to stop for a beautiful sunset.

A person who knows you will only be the one to write this. The level of understanding XZ has for WYB is just. I can’t. He really loves him. The things he decided to use : stars, pouring rain, sea and sunset is so THEM. He might as well add the moon to have the whole cpf symbol set completed. 😂😂😂

And for comparison, XZ wrote these words in his Oasis for the DC wrap-up:

There are two pictures that I really like, one is the beach outside of the Xiangshan hotel balcony, another is the scenery from the highway in the middle of the Hengdian Xianju forest where we frequently ran. These two different places and different views are both places that comforted me when I was lost and helpless. When I was down, I would sit on the balcony, and the sea breeze, the beach and the moonlight would give me the answer; when I was tired, I could rest on the path in between the forest scenes, and upon opening my eyes I would see the raindrops and the fog that would also give me the answer: in each and every moment, I chose to not complain or be negative, I put my all towards each choice and decision I make;

It’s how freakin descriptive he is. He has a way with words that make you “feel” what he is saying or even see it.

2. This part too, about stopping. Slowing down. It’s the same thing XZ said before. Plus in a couple of XZ’s videos, you will see shots of him admiring the sunset.

Time never pauses, but you seem to know the secret of making the world stop occasionally. You use your calmness and poise to welcome and get in touch with the world. Yibo, sunsets are beautiful, just like every dusk that you missed when you focused on forging forward.

AND THE “Yibo,” OMG. I can hear XZ’s voice in my head saying it. It’s too intimate. I know it’s his name but the way it’s written here — Are we even supposed to read this? It feels too personal 😭😭😭

But my answer is always, WYB wants to show off. He wants us to feel single. I’m in a long term relationship and even I felt single 😂😂😂😂

3. “The small number has changed again” referring to his age. There might be no hidden meaning, but some cpfs interpret this as the person who wrote it is older than him. Because he considers yibo’s age as “smaller” than his. Hello to their 6-year age gap. 👋🏼

4. There is 🎂 emoji in this letter compared to previous years. We think it’s because WYB is at home and they are celebrating together, no need to send a virtual cake. There is also some talk of XZ not being photographed today (8.4) on set. I won’t go to that part of Weibo but the fact that some people are nervous that he is suddenly MIA so close to Yibo’s bday is 👀

5. WYB went online for a bit, we thought he was gonna pull the same stunt he did last year and remove the automatic weibo bday post. He didn’t. What did he look at? The love letter? 🤔

6. Someone asked where was the quote “"stay cool, grow up slowly" on Baidu and the most popular answer is it’s from a book 君生我已老. We know XZ is fond of reading. I found a synopsis, and well, interpret it as you will…..

Excuse the google translate but you get the gist. It’s synopsis is also kind of similar to his drama SUNSHINE WITH ME. The part of age gap. Meeting and falling in love then having to separate, only to meet again. So if I’m to speculate that XZ got it here and liked it, maybe that’s why he chose to film SWM even if he has lots of scripts sent his way.

7. Similar with GG, who does not look at challenges in a negative way. How he regards it as a part of life and something he has to overcome.

Just regard all the adversities as the numerous mountains you have to climb and the endless waves you have to ride.

8. I don’t have to explain it that much. They both have a thing for “living with no regrets.” It’s all over their interviews.

As a young man full of mettle, you have no regrets.

I will stop right here. Again, to a lot of us, Xiao Zhan might as well sign his name at the end of the post and we would be like — Okay, we knew that. LOL.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KING YIBO! ♥️👑

[xiaozhan-appreciation]

The previous anon here. Just found out that the intention for the ending was that he is still dead and can only visit once a year. I do hate it now. A shame because the rest of the drama was so good.

Hi there anon! Sorry for not replying sooner, incl. to your previous ask.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the ending of the drama – it's always unfortunate when a otherwise good story leaves us wanting in the end. Watching it for the first time, it made me incredibly sad, and while my feelings have since changed, I understand that many viewers are not happy about the ending.

I'm curious though, from where did you get that the intention of the ending is that Shi Ying is dead?

I'm not aware of the scriptwriter or the director coming out and stating this. Judging by how open they left the ending, it would surprise me to hear that they would have clarified any intention afterwards in such a matter. And the intention can't be based on the novel for sure, because in the novel Shi Ying and Zhu Yan have their happy ending and most likely live out their 27 remaining years while keeping Kongsang safe.

So my advice would be to not let the interpretations of others limit you in how you see the ending. There are many ways to interpret the ending – some are sad, some are bittersweet, and some are happy.

I really want to write some longer posts about various aspects of the drama's plot or themes or characters, but I haven't found the time to do so yet. SoI have to keep it short for now, and just list some points and thoughts that imo work against a sad ending:

Shi Ying has come back to life once, there is no rule against him and Zhu Yan finding another way to get together.

There are several hints throughout the last episode that Shi Ying indeed has reached the true state, and it is said that this would make it possible to "change the course of all things". From then on, the possibilities for Shi Ying's future are endless.

In the genre of xianxia, it's not uncommon for immortal beings to have a "true" form. If we follow the idea of Shi Ying reaching a higher state of being by entering the true state, it's easy to conclude that a snowy rosa would be his true form. It's also not uncommon in xianxia for an immortal or cultivator to need some time to regain their strenght – in this case Shi Ying would have sacrificed his mortal body to seal Xu Yao, but his essence was still with Zhu Yan in the form of a petal, and turned into a flower and eventually a new body when he had recovered after some time.

This is a world full of magic, and there is no limit set to when the snowy rosa blooms. Remember how Shi Ying was able to restore or conjure the snowy rosa, and how the white petal that Zhu Yan had kept was able to make more flowers grow and bloom. Shi Ying may have transcendet his previous state of being, but that doesn't mean he's truly and completely dead (how could he then visit in the first place?) nor that he can only visit for a short time. Shi Ying and Zhu Yan still can find ways to travel the world together and enjoy each other's company. They are both very powerful cultivators after all.

If you have a lot of time at hand, I would also recommend this explanation of the ending, because it's very in-depth (especially the linked google doc), and provides lots of food for thoughts – including the question of what we even consider a happy ending. Xiao Zhan, for example, when asked about the happiest time in Shi Ying's life, answered:

“The happiest time, I think it should be, protecting Kongsang with the one he loved.”

Personally, I like the ending because it is bittersweet at first glance, but also a fullfillment with many possible ways to go at the second glance. While a definite happy end is easier to accept and to like, I believe the ending as it is provides a good closure to Shi Ying's main character themes and arc.

[askew-d]

sanctuary

a poem dedicated to xiao zhan

You don’t need to ask where I’ve been before, you don’t need to ask about a long past; how many people I encountered, how many paths I’ve crossed until reaching yours, you should know that it simply doesn’t matter anymore. I found shelter here, right here — in your eyes, in your arms, in your lips; and love is the way you continually struggle to understand me, to understand my ways, how you leap through the kitchen to prepare a new dish for us to taste, an odd kind of tea, a different type of pasta, a foreign type of bread — “hey, try this out, I think you’re gonna like it,” and I do, I do like it, I like how you cover my face in kisses as the first thing in the morning, as the most important thing before beginning the day, more important than opening the window or engaging into your routine of exercises, even more important than turning on the lights of our bedroom; you plant kisses on my face, pull the duvet close to my body and says “good morning, my love,” then sun embraces our curtains, and you stay. I like the way you focus on listening to what I have to say, although I mostly ramble about foolish stuff you don’t exactly care about, such as complicated games, a sports competition, a motorcycle race but you still nod to my ranting, and I like it when you nod still, I like it, I like the way you wash my hair at night, though I get home late and sometimes you’re too tired to wash my hair, you tell me you love the color, “blond suits you, it’s the color of oat and wheat,” I laugh because it’s stupid, but if you like oat and wheat then it’s fine; sometimes you’re better with your metaphors, and those are the times where I can barely hold my heart in the chest, sometimes, regardless if our sometimes are actually rare, you tell me, “blond suits you, your hair is the color of sunset,” and it’s really not fair, you’re such a wonder, my heart needs some rest — but oh, I like it, you know I like it. I like it when your hands find my hands most nights, and you hold me as if space has never, ever existed between us, then you tell me, “I love you,” and I am simply too weak, so these nights I sleep dreaming of red. I like it when you explain me art stuff I know too little about, you talk about indigo, cobalt, coral — colors I’ve never heard of, but I do know your eyes are color walnut, I only know it because of you, did you know I don’t care about artistic stuff if they’re not being used to describe yourself to me? I like it though, I like the way you ask sweetly about my day, and if I say that something upset me, you hug me protectively, then I fantasize that the world exists singularly for us both. I like it when your buy gifts for me and for my parents, because my parents love gifts, and you remember mom’s favorite color, dad’s favorite stamps, if they’ll enjoy this or that, we take pictures together and your first instinct is to send it to them, you three — friends, I imagine, must now know everything about each other, and it warms my heart, you know? I wish you to always know. I like it when you say my name — it’s a short-lettered name, but still, it sounds infinite when you claim; I like it when you get jealous, but you barely get jealous (I think you do recognize that there’s no competition, when you alone has dug a home here inside me). I don’t like it when we fight, but it’s fine because we almost never do, and if we do, we make it up soon, you continue to remember me to keep going further; I like it, no — I love it, I love how we’ll always find our route back to each other. Even right now, as you lay next to me beneath the covers, I strive to write you some words, because you’re so demanding, you’re so demanding and so lovely, how could I write you, if I already have you? How could I write about love, if you’re right here already? You see, love is in our bedroom, written in our walls, in the kitchen and backyard; whether this is a sin or not, let me rest inside your arms.

[jiannguo]

There is a famous YouTuber AvenueX, who mentioned about the dirtiness in the promotional tactics of the spring break films this year. Looking back, reminds me of the summer release of Jade Dynasty when the movie was badly attacked due to anti fans. So I can see why XZ stays away from this world.

Yeah anyone who's into Chinese social media would have seen this by now. But XZ's situation wasn't entirely similar. Let me explain. And I would rather fans not drag XZ in this messy world.

So the two big winners this season was "Wandering Earth 2" and "Man Jiang Hong" / Full Red River, and Man Jiang Hong now is the box office champion during the Spring Festival movie season in history.

The total with a cumulative box office of all of these films are now over 6.734 billion yuan (around 992M USD). Out if it, Man Jiang Hong is at 2.8 billion yuan, followed by Wandering Earth at 2.2 billion yuan. The third movie "Boonie Bears" has also crossed 1 billion yuan, and we still have nearly a whole month when these movies will stay in theatres.

With numbers like these, comes ugly promotional tactics. Fans of Wandering Earth 2 has reported back how their tickets were changed to Man Jiang Hong by the ticketing office. On top of this, WE2 also lost all its IMAX slots. There has also been reports of what they call "ghost screenings" midnight slots etc. MHJ team has now released a legal letter condemning all these rumors.

Where does Jade Dynasty come in? It was a online/TV movie made at a budget of 20 Million. Its box office total takings were 400 Million Yuan in the 18 days of its screening. For a TV movie, it did pretty well. But to compare it to the blockbuster movies with big names and big money isn't the right thing (some of the above movies were "made" at a budget of 500M). And the movie was released in theatres only when XZ became a huge hit from Untamed, hence the overall quality that is expected from a big screen viewing is missing.

But also at the same time, XZ also suffered from the huge baggage that comes from being an idol, the fan/anti fan fights, 1 starring in douban by haters and people who just in general terms, didn't like XZ who was a boy band member and getting popular froma BL drama landing a movie in theatres. Lots of jealousy afloated. Basically at that point XZ was just starting out, he or the movie didn't have the support system or PR budget to fight off or create any positive PR anywhere. And fans being fans didn't help in this case. If you notice, the downvoting in douban thing is something that traffic idols in general suffer from it.

Hence I really don't like getting Jade Dynasty stats during this period when there are really huge blockbuster films that are making good profits as expected. Its a bit like "setting ourself up" to get even more negativity flowing out way, and Jade Dynasty is a good benchmark for a TV movie only. One day if Xiao Zhan wants and if the time is right, he will do a film that's worthy of him. And at that time, he will have the proper PR, budget and support needed that will push the film to greater heights.