#poor Xiao Ge ;_;

[lilianhuas]

Zhang Qiling: “His life should have ended a thousand years ago, as mine should have. PangZi: “Hey, don’t let WuXie hear you say that! He’ll turn into a fountain of tears.” Lost Tomb 2 Episode 25

[sleeps-au-bag]

yanqing didn't expect to wake up in a box in all honesty. he hadn't expected to fall asleep at all. the last thing he remembered was practicing his forms in his room as he waited for the general to call him for breakfast. there was no way he could have fallen asleep, not when he was training. unless...

a groan was heard right next to him. suddenly, he was hyperaware of the two other people stuck in the box with him. he couldn't move that much considering how little space there was but he did catch a glimpse of white and blue hair respectively. thankfully the box was big enough where they wouldn't be smushed together but it was still tight enough that they were forced to lean against each other.

one of the people snuggled into him, presumably still asleep. whoever says his face felt hot is a liar. the other person (who apparently had their arms around him) adjusted their grip around him. now he was effectively trapped.

the other two were mostly likely still asleep. yanqing started to think about their situation. most likely, they've all been drugged and kidnapped. but by who? it couldn't have been the disciples of sanctus medicus, their numbers have been dwindling by the day and it's impossible to sneak into the general's house without being noticed. that is unless they have someone insane enough in their ranks to do so. another option could be ransom or assassins but neither make sense. why not just kidnap him? why take these two others? why not take on the general directly like all the others?

"huh? where are we?"

yanqing didn't jump. "i don't know myself. i've been awake for a few minutes now." the one with white hair just hummed. she must've noticed they were touching because she suddenly tried to give him space. "oh my gosh, i'm so sorry! i didn't mean to-"

"hey, it's okay! there's not enough room to move in here and you were asleep."

"nnnnngh, my head hurts... huh?! wha-?!" it seems like the other person is awake now. they immediately tried to let go of him but he heard a thump. not big enough to let them move around. noted.

"well, now that we're all awake and stuck here with absolutely no explanation, we should probably introduce ourselves." yup. absolutely a great idea. great job yanqing. totally didn't make things awkward.

"um, i'm clara! i, uh, live in the underground of belobog with mr. svarog." belobog sounded somewhat familiar. isn't that the only city left on that one planet? he'll focus on that later.

"i'm lieutenant yanqing of the cloud knights. i live on the xianzhou luofu which is part of the xianzhou alliance." he could practically feel the person holding him vibrate with excitement.

"greeting, my name is misha. i serve as a bellboy at the reverie hotel on penacony." three different people from three different planets and factions. unless the other two were also important on their own planets, yanqing couldn't see why clara and misha would be taken as well. unless... no. he doesn't want to think about it.

the other two conversed as he thought about reasons as to why they would have been taken. doesn't mean he didn't notice the sudden rise in heat. misha must have noticed as well. could he also use ice or are bellboys just like that? no time to think as the box suddenly opened and they all tumbled out.

he could hear someone talking but he could only focus on clara and misha. no he didn't focus on their faces because he found them kind of pretty! he was just concerned that they were hurt! that's all. yeah.

he heard more groans coming from the room. it seems like they weren't the only ones taken. he looked over and froze. no way. maybe it's just the blue fire making him see things because there was no way.

but there was some way.

"QING-GE?"

"XIAO-BAI?"

not only did they take clara, misha, and him, but whoever kidnapped them also took lady bailu, future ten lord huohuo, and another little girl who clara seemed to know.

just who took them?

[cintiri]

Thinking about my big brother ghost Yuan au again, specifically the relationship between Shen Yuan and Yue Qi, because you know there's no way Shen Jiu doesn't tell his Qi-Ge about his tag along.

At first, Yue Qi was probably somehow MORE suspicious of Shen Yuan than Shen Jiu was, because who's this freeloader in his Xiao Jiu's head!!! What does he want with poor Xiao Jiu? You can't have him, evil ghost!!!

Eventually, he and Shen Jiu get used to Shen Yuan though, and Yue Qi starts to actually really appreciate Shen Yuan's presence. There have been multiple times where Shen Yuan has convinced Shen Jiu to seek out Yue Qi for help with things he otherwise would have hidden, and clearly SY is keeping SJ safe with his interference, as SJ has been getting caught less, getting hurt less, and getting into less fights than usual.

What really ends up solidifying the bond between Yue Qi and Shen Yuan, though, is when their Si-Jie was sold. Wu-ge had died the winter before, and Liu-Jie had run away, so after Si-Jie, Yue Qi was the oldest, and therefore it was his job to protect the younger slaves like Wu-Jie had. Xiao Jiu was inconsolable, having retreated into his mind and leaving Shen Yuan most of the control, and Yue Qi didn't have time to mourn or anyone to hide behind.

He was only ten years old.

Yue Qi was limping back to the building and surrounding alleyways the slave masters had claimed as their own, carrying the Bao he had run on his twisted ankle to get for the other slave children. They needed to eat in order to stay healthy, to stay healthy in order to survive.

It was getting dark, but if he hurried now he would be able to slip out and go beg in the red light district. He knew some ladies who had taken a liking to Xiao Jiu and himself, they wouldn't chase him away, and then he could make up the money from Shiba missing today because of her sickness, and from Shiwu who was too busy mourning Si-Jie, and-

"Xiao Qi?" It was the familiar too-soft version of his Xiao Jiu's voice. Shen Yuan, then. He paused, turning towards him. "Yes?"

"You've been gone since before morning, Xiao Qi. And what happened to your leg?"

"it's alright, Shen-Xiangsheng. I've just been getting food for the others, and I'm going to go to the red light district-" he heard Shen Yuan tisk, before stepping forwards and putting a hand on Yue Qi's shoulder.

"Not on that leg you aren't. Come sit down, I'll bring the Bao to the others and help you with that leg."

Yue Qi felt his face scrunch up, his brow furrowing as he looked down at the man in the body of his closest friend. "If I don't, then Shiba and Shiwu are going to get beaten! And maybe even you too! And then Shiba won't recover from her sickness!" Yue Qi shouted, balling up his fists.

"Is that what you really want? To ruin the lives of some slave children while acting nice? Cause if that's true, you're a really pathetic ghost!"

Yue Qi froze. He just yelled at an adult. Sure, maybe that adult was in Xiao Jiu's body, and so he was little, but Xiao Jiu could be really strong when he wanted to, and Xiao Jiu had been so sad when Si-Jie went away, would he even notice that his tag along was beating up his Qi-Ge? Or maybe even if he did he wouldn't intervene, because Yue Qi was an awful little brat who raised his voice and barked like a dog at someone who was better than him, and-

And Shen Yuan's face didn't twist in anger like the slavers or the men in the markets might have. Instead, his face was filled with pity. No, not pity. Sympathy.

Maybe Shen Yuan was an adult, but he was also a ghost. A ghost that was stuck in the body of a little street kid like Yue Qi. So maybe he wouldn't beat him. Maybe Shen Yuan would just be sad for him, because he knew how bad it was out here, and maybe he wouldn't make it worse. Maybe he would just leave Yue Qi alone.

So caught up in his thoughts, Yue Qi didn't notice Shen Yuan had moved until he felt the warm arms around him. He froze.

Shen Yuan's hugs didn't feel like Si-Jie's. They weren't as warm and gentle, his hand didn't run over Yue Qi's back gently with shushing sounds coming from his mouth. They didn't feel like Xiao Jiu's either. Xiao Jiu was all sharp knees and elbows, chipped nails digging into his skin as if at any second Yue Qi would disappear if he didn't hold on.

Shen Yuan's hug was tight, and though he was shorter, he used a hand on the back of Yue Qi's head to tuck his face into his shoulder. The other hand rubbed gentle circles on his back, slowly pulling Yue Qi's mind back into his body.

Distantly, he heard Shen Yuan speaking. "That's right, breathe in, and out. You're doing so well, Xiao Qi. It's okay, I have you, you'll be alright."

His hands tightened into little fists in Shen Yuan's clothes and he felt himself lean against him, letting out a sudden sob he hadn't even realized had been caught in his chest. Before he knew it, he was sitting down, laying on Shen Yuan's chest and sobbing into his shoulder, holding on for dear life and shaking like a leaf in the wind. Shen Yuan was speaking, and it sounded soothing, but Yue Qi couldn't tell what he was saying through his sobs.

"Yuan-ge-" he whimpered, his voice cracking as he tried to burrow further into Shen Yuan.

"Shh, It's okay, it's okay, your Yuan-ge is here."

Yue Qi cried for a long time, until the sun had set and he had fully exhausted himself. Yuan-ge pulled him onto his back, somehow managing to carry him despite his small stature, and carried him into the alleyway where he and Xiao Jiu slept. He placed Yue Qi down, before pulling out the bricks that they hid their straw mat behind, pulling it out and laying it on the ground.

He watched as Yuan-ge placed one of the bricks at the end of the mat, before pulling Yue Qi onto it and pushing his sprained ankle up, placing the foot onto the brick.

"Keep your foot elevated, like this, okay? I'm going to go to the red light district. I'll get the money that Shiba and Shiwu need. You just rest, alright? He said. Yue Qi opened his mouth to protest, and suddenly found a warm Bao bun pushed into his mouth. At the taste, he couldn't help but grab it and begin to chew, but as he ate, he looked up and complained, "These were supposed to be for the others!"

Yuan-Ge sighed. "You're a growing boy, eat it. I'll get another Bao to make up for this one, okay?" Yue Qi could only glumly nod, and continue eating his bun.

Soon after Shen Yuan left, he felt himself slip into sleep, exhausted.

-

"Qi-ge, Qi-ge wake up!" He heard a familiar voice whisper shout in his ear. "Xiao Jiu?" He murmured, still hazy with sleep.

"Yuan got us some stuff, but he told me I should be the one out here to give it to you. Here." He blinked, as half a stick of tanghulu was shoved in his face. Squinting in the dark, he could make out a few bits of crystalized sugar stuck to Xiao Jiu's cheeks.

"Hmmmkay." He murmured, taking the stick and going to have a bite, when he felt a sudden rush of cold on his ankle. He yelped in surprise, but strangely, his ankle felt much better. Looking down, he saw Xiao Jiu using cloth scraps with a strange blueish paste on them to bind his ankle.

"Wha-"

"Yuan says it's called the winter's night lily of ice pack. Or something"

"Everwinters night lily! It's just basically an ice pack." Chimed Shen Yuan, making little sense as usual, before he faded away once more."

"Okay, that. The colds sposed' to help with your leg. Somehow. And also keep it elevated or something."

"It does feel better than it did before." Yue Qi agrees.

"Good. Keep it that way. Oh, also Yuan made a deal with some courtesans. Made a whole bunch of posters for some brothel called the Autumns Iris. They gave us some coins, so he said not to worry. Oh, and he got the Bao."

Yue Qi let out a long breath, as Xiao Jiu climbed onto the mat, flopping halfway on top of Yue Qi and accidentally elbowing him in the ribs. "I'm going to sleep now." He said, before curling up like a hissy cat.

Yue Qi stayed awake for a while longer. Yuan-ge did it. He did exactly what Yue Qi needed, maybe even better than Yue Qi could have. He didn't get mad when Yue Qi yelled at him. He helped him fix his ankle, even though it really wasn't that bad.

He cared. He wanted to protect him. And he was older, and smarter, and stronger than any of the other slaves had ever been.

Maybe, even though Si-Jie was gone, with Yuan-ge here, he and Xiao Jiu would be okay.

[gaywarcriminals]

Remember that time Xiao Jiu wanted to beat a kid with a brick?

The scene where Shen Jiu threatens Shi Wu is possibly my favorite scene in the whole novel because it tells us so much about qijiu's dynamic, both past and future, and namely, that they're both little freaks (affectionate) who show love in weird ways. I think it particularly exemplifies several of Yue Qingyuan's traits that often go overlooked!

I am just going in order. All excerpts are from the Seven Seas official translation, Volume 4, Chapter 24: Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Jiu fights for resources

“Shen Jiu, don’t think you can just throw your weight around. You don’t own this street. What gives you the right to tell us we can’t stay?!” This main street was wide and even, and many people came and went upon it. If one wanted to beg, it was the best and prime location. Some of the passersby watched this group of children fight, but even more hurried on their way. And this new brat had the gall to challenge him. Shen Jiu looked down and around, preparing to find a brick with which to teach him a lesson, when a tall youth happened to walk over. He saw Shen Jiu rolling up his sleeves, head lowered, and hastily went to stop him. “Xiao-Jiu, let’s go somewhere else.” [...] With Yue Qi standing in front of him, Shiwu grew bold. He leaned forward and yelled, “Every time we go to a new place,you always hog the best spot!

From this we know that Shen Jiu, without fail, tries to claim or fight for the best begging spots in every city. This isn't fully textually supported, but add to that the later section that mentions how Shen Jiu was far better at begging than Yue Qi and I think that, on some level, SJ feels responsible for both his and Yue Qi's wellbeing. Chasing off the other children is not just a selfish act, but also a protective one.

According to the orders given to them, Yue Qi should have wailed and wept, but no matter what, he never could manage to cry. Therefore, this task had instead fallen to Shen Jiu, even though he was faking an illness that supposedly left him too feeble to weep. But he was small and his face wasn’t too unsightly to look at, so whenever he sobbed and bawled, the passersby found him pitiful and generously opened their wallets. It would have been no exaggeration to call him a money tree.

Xiao Jiu fancies himself the breadwinner lol.

How Yue Qi reacts to accusations against Shen Jiu

That first youth took the opportunity to tattle. “Qi-ge, he’s bullying me.” “That wasn’t bullying, Shiwu,” said Yue Qi. “Xiao-Jiu was just joking around.” “Who’s joking?” said Shen Jiu. “I’m telling him to get lost. This is my territory. I’ll kill anyone who tries to steal it.”

I've anyways found this passage so telling of their eventual adult relationship! First of all, Yue Qi implicitly takes Shen Jiu's side, and immediately defends him. This seems to be taken for granted by all characters, so we can assume this is their standard dyanmic. Yue Qi, notably, does not deny that Shen Jiu was threatening Shiwu. In this situation where SJ is actively gearing up for a fight, it would be a very poor defense, and that's probably true of most messes Xiao Jiu got himself into! 

Most of Yue Qi's actions in the scene are attempts to de-escalate. This is just my theory, but I think in Yue Qi's mind, who's at fault is much less important than making sure no one gets in trouble with a higher authority. Even if he knows SJ could win the fight, it would only gain SJ more animosity, and possibly the attention of someone who would be a real danger.

I think it's evident how Yue Qi's ethos of keeping their heads down and not causing trouble or drawing too much attention would feed into how he handled Shen Qingqiu's less commendable behavior as an adult and complaints against Shen Qingqiu.

In the brothel scene later in the extras, we can see that he's conscious of their image. 

Yue Qingyuan yanked Shen Qingqiu off the bed. He was in a rare fit of anger. “Why are you like this?” “Why am I like what?” asked Shen Qingqiu. “Two of Cang Qiong Mountain’s head disciples getting into a huge brawl inside a brothel—does that sound good to you?”

Imo, now entrenched in the politics of the cultivation world, YQY sees protecting SQQ's image/reputation as an important part of protecting SQQ. Yue Qi spent his childhood managing Xiao Jiu, and as an adult, he's not able to so easily break the habit, not matter how SQQ scorns him

Shen Jiu does not get upset by attacks on his character, only from Shiwu calling Yue Qi "Qi-ge"

With Yue Qi standing in front of him, Shiwu grew bold. He leaned forward and yelled, “Every time we go to a new place,you always hog the best spot! Everyone’s been sick of you for ages! You think you’re all that? That everyone’s afraid of you?” “Shiwu,” Yue Qi scolded. Amidst the struggle, Shen Jiu kicked Yue Qi in the shin. “If you want a fight, I’ll give you one. Only losers would blame their spot for their incompetence. You bastard—who’s your Qi-ge? I dare you to say that again!”

Now granted these aren't the most cutting insults, but it's SO interesting to me that Shen Jiu doesn't react to the insults directly. To me, this is a little bit of evidence that, even at this age, Shen Jiu had already decided he was a bad guy, and stopped caring about what others thought of him. The glaring exception to that was, ofc, Yue Qi. I think part of the reason that SJ reactions to the "Qi-ge" specifically, is that Shiwu just said that no one likes Shen Jiu, and then tried to align himself with Yue Qi. I think to SJ, he sees a real threat in the idea of someone else stealing Yue Qi, the one person who likes SJ. SJ is so possessive of Yue Qi not just because he's Qi-ge, but also because, without him, Shen Jiu would have nothing and no one.

Yue Qi tries to deescalate by coaxing/appeasing Shen Jiu

“You’re the bastard! I bet you’ll get sold off soon and end up a pimp!” Yue Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. “Where did you learn that kind of nonsense language?!” Then he dragged Shen Jiu off to the side of the road while coaxing him. “All right, you’re the most competent one here. Even if you didn’t pick and choose your spot, you’d be the best. So let’s change streets.” Shen Jiu stepped on his foot. “Get off me! Like I’m scared! Come on, fight me! Wanna gang up on me? Go ahead!” Of course Yue Qi knew he wasn’t scared. If he really let Shen Jiu brawl with the other kids, he would fight dirty. He’d gouge at their eyes and kick them in the belly or crotch or shin. He was terribly vicious, and the other party would be the one to end up suffering and bawling in terror. Yue Qi forced down a smile. “Are you done stepping on my foot yet? If you are, stop it. Qi-ge will take you somewhere fun.” “What shitty ‘fun’?” Shen Jiu asked savagely. “The most fun I’ll have is if they’re all dead.” Yue Qi looked at him helplessly and shook his head.

Yue Qi only barely scolds Shen Jiu, even when Shen Jiu in the wrong (tried to steal Shiwu's spot and then almost beat up Shiwu). Instead, his reaction is to distract, coax, bribe, and praise him until SJ looses interest in whatever trouble he was going to cause. Yue Qi is so biased, and he spoils him 😂. Even when Yue Qi has so little he can give, he managed to spoil Shen Jiu by giving him so much favor, attention, and affection. 

I think this is something that comes naturally to Yue Qi to the point that he can't help himself from doing the same thing as an adult, even when SJ scorns him. It's just the correct response to seeing a Xiao Jiu! He's the "why do we have hands" meme fr 

Yue Qi smiles imagining Shen Jiu beating up the other kids

Of course Yue Qi knew he wasn’t scared. If he really let Shen Jiu brawl with the other kids, he would fight dirty. He’d gouge at their eyes and kick them in the belly or crotch or shin. He was terribly vicious, and the other party would be the one to end up suffering and bawling in terror. Yue Qi forced down a smile. “Are you done stepping on my foot yet? If you are, stop it. Qi-ge will take you somewhere fun.”

I don't have much to say about this, I just want to remind everyone Yue Qi finds SJ's violent, feral tendencies adorable. This man has no desire to train his cat, and he will insist it's friendly even as it gnaws on his arm.

In Conclusion?

This single scene shows us the trajectory of qijiu's relationship going forward, the strengths of their relationships that became pitfalls. It allows to imagine what they could have become if not torn apart by a world set to doom them.

[gludgenbell]

head disciples get overworked sometimes! thankfully, Xiao Jiu has always been there for his Qi-Ge, even if the poor fool fails him

[yuhua-a]

"does zhangmen shixiong bother all his shidi in their spare time, or is this qingqiu particularly troublesome to need such supervision?"

poor qi-ge just wants to visit xiao jiu 😿 me too yue qi, me too 😹

[alittlelessalone]

Reunion!!!! They’ve waited so long! My poor Xiao Jiu came home over a year ago, but at long last his Qi-ge has come for him! He says “stupid Qi-ge, making me wait for so long!” but we all know how happy he is!

[lilapplesheadcannons]

We know Jin Ling ran to his xiao shushu any time he got in trouble. And HuaiSang ran to his San-ge anytime he got overwhelmed.

Imagine Jin Ling started a beef with HuaiSang, and they both got into trouble! Poor Jin GuangYao trying to console his precious nephew and calm HuaiSang's theatrics down and placate a raging MingJue while trying his best not to throw a cup at a sarcastic Jiang Cheng! All before he had his morning coffee!

Edited to add: Jiang Cheng and Nie MingJue are full on passive-aggressive parents who scream at their own kids while not so subtly implying that the fault lies with the other child's upbringing.

[rarepears]

It would be funny if the groom wasn't automatically Liu Qingge.

Funnier if they, Jiu and Liu, thought it was.

FunniEST if there was a world-wide contest/tournament.

Firstly, a quick comment that Jiu and Liu are not appropriate ways of shortening Chinese names. Qingge and Shen Jiu, A-Jiu and Xiao-Liu, Jiu-ge and Liu shidi, etc. are good options. One syllable names are NOT a thing in Chinese; you'd need to attach suffixes/titles to make it acceptable.

Secondly, if there's a world wide tournament... why would there be one? The assumption here would be that ghost!Shen Jiu is so resentful and powerful that the only way to placate the angry ghost is to sacrifice a bride and no one wants to do it... so there is a tournament? Because let me tell you that in PIDW, the people who kind of sort of likes Shen Jiu is a very tiny pool. And of that pool, it's like only Yue Qingyuan that would be the sole cultivator in that group.

There is no massive line to marry Shen Jiu, must less a (presumably angry) ghost version of Shen Jiu. As a peak lord, his ghost form mus be pretty powerful, so the living bride wouldn't be able to marry others... So a contest/tournament wouldn't make sense. To not even talk about Shen Jiu's poor reputation, people want kids.

[atangeledskein]

A cracky Yizhan idea

I get so bored re-reading the same collection of stories to my kiddo every night that I've started fantasizing fic ideas into the scenarios to cope. Most of them are simple retellings of fairytales and I like to give them the 'ole LGBTQ twist now that I'm back into writing -- it's a female soldier that gets together with the princess, or it's a poor but handsome servant who gets the wish granted to go meet the prince. And then a few nights ago this idea spun out of my head...

Yizhan... but its Rapunzel...??

Wang Yibo, handsome prince and heir to a small kingdom. Restless, full of wanderlust to see the world around him, which is a fine way to escape the doldrums of court intrigue and the endless bickering.

Xiao Zhan, devastatingly handsome and blessed with a beautiful singing voice, thought he was finding a better life for himself but ends up getting kidnapped at a young age and locked away in a tower.

(Wajijiwa plays the evil witch? Or just a generic (yes this is a metaphor for the idol industry) character has Xiao Zhan trapped in his tower?)

Wang Yibo is riding through the forest one day and hears the most alluring but saddest singing voice through the trees. Follows it to the biggest tower he's ever seen. Circles it a hundred times trying to find a way up, listens to the stunning voice go through several heartbreaking songs, but eventually it becomes too dark and he has to give up and go home.

Comes back, day after day, lounging in the tallest trees near the tower, hoping for a glimpse of the owner of the voice. Is already half-way in love just listening to this person singing.

Finally witnesses the famous moment -- old witch comes out of the woods, stands at the bottom of the tower and calls up: "Zhanzhan, let down your hair!"

(Would I keep the hair trope? Not sure. We all love XZ with long hair though...)

WY watches the whole thing, about to vibrate off the tree in his excitement. Watches the witch leave. Goes back home to his castle and MAKES PLANS for operation "Meet Zhanzhan" that he will execute asap the next day.

WY goes back, calls for Zhanzhan, gets up into the tower. It's a giant mess of meet-cute with a splash of canon-typical violence when XZ starts throwing punches at the sight of a stranger coming over his window sill. Of course they eventually calm down, WY is charming and ready to woo, he's even brought gifts for his favorite singer. XZ is embarrassed his singing can be heard so well, but also flattered, and warms up quickly to having a new friend.

They talk for ages but eventually WY has to leave. XZ gives him a rough idea of the witch's visiting schedule so WY knows when its safe to come back.

Lots more clandestine meetings happen over the course of a month or so. WY is heavily smitten now that he's got the real thing in front of him, XZ is in love but (as typical) a bit slower to get with it. It's scary to have big feelings for the first person you've met since being locked up in a tower when you were twelve.

Eventually they have their first kiss/make-out session, and now when WY asks XZ to come with him he's all on board and ready to blow this joint. Tower life sucks when you've got a hot boyfriend that wants you to come live with them for the rest of your lives.

They make plans, all seems to be going well... until XZ accidentally drops the ball and lets his new relationship status slip to the witch during a visit.

Witch does witchy things, banishes XZ to some far off place. WY comes back to the tower and goes up the hair, only to get a face-full of ugly witch and then- then----- I can't even write it. Ugh. 🥺

So much angst. WY is blind and miserable and depressed and wanders around for what feels like forever and all he has left to go on is his love and devotion and conviction that he'll find his Zhan-ge again somewhere in the world.

One day WY hears a beautiful voice singing that makes his heart soar with happiness and rushes to find the arms of his love once more. They embrace, lots of ugly crying, some of XZ's tears get on WY's face -- bam, blindness cured. Turns out the witch was even more of a jealous prick than WY realized.

And they lived happily ever after 😁

[zykamiliah]

shen jiu is ashamed of his past

it's interesting because shen jiu concludes that by abandoning him yue qinyuan wants to put his past behind and remake himself but the one that actually does that is shen jiu.

Once the peak lord gave their head disciple new names, their original ones would be discarded (…) of the thousands of possible names in this world, the peak lord had just happened to name him “Qingqiu.” But no matter how laughable, no matter how it made him gnash his teeth, Shen Qingqiu still wanted that name, for this name represented that from now onward, a shining new life was his. “That name irritates me whenever I hear it. I’ve long forgotten it. So please, Zhangmen-shixiong, you should also discard it.” Yue Qingyuan said, “Then the day you respond to it would be the day it no longer irritates you?” A pause. Shen Qingqiu sneered. “That will never happen. Yue Qingyuan, allow me to say it once more: never let me hear that name, ever again.”

he's projecting his own thoughts and self-worth issues on yqy. yqy doesn't want to let the past behind. he's the only one sad the new sqq doesn't remember it. he's the one that tries to use sj's old name and nickname. he's the one asking "Are you determined to never call me Qi-ge again?"(Chapter 21: Always Together) and every single time yqy tried to call him xiao-jiu sj would shut him down.

he'd rather have the "Qiu" character reminding him of his old master and abuser than be called by his old name, because he doesn't want to be shen jiu anymore.

he lets people like liu qingge think he is an young master from a wealthy family rather than tell others he was a poor orphan. he'd rather let people think he's similar to qiu jianluo than admit his true origins.

[this-blurry-photograph]

The Lost Tomb 2: Ep. 12

Wait, weren't they setting Wu Xie up to steal the copper fish from them? Why do they they want it back now? Or was that a lure to get him there so Qiu De Kao could talk to him? But weren't there other ways they could do that? I'm not understanding the villains' motives at all right now.

I'm choosing to read Fatty's 'time for you to perform' as very salty because of Xiao-ge's absence because that's how I'm feeling. He's my favourite character and I am loving all the drama he creates by being socially inept and resistant to human connection but that does not mean that I am not also immensely disappointed in him for slacking on his saving Wu Xie duties and breaking our poor boy's heart.

Also the stare down he has with Xiao Hua I'm choosing to read as jealousy.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone be so dramatic while stealthing.

Oh my goodness! *crying* Dude came out like he was setting himself up to be Xiao-ge's narrative rival. And Xiao-ge just goes 'nah'.

Xiao-ge makes his dramatic entrance. Wu Xie sees him, calls his name, then faints. Xiao-ge slices through the chain with his sword to free Wu Xie, then carries his down from his tower in the most visually awkward and most Chinese drama way. Xiao-ge cradles Wu Xie as Wu Xie blinks awake and the electric guitar cuts to gentle piano music. Xiao-ge feeds him water and they smile at eachother. Then as they walk away arm and arm they take turns gazing at each other's faces while the other isn't looking. Truly a master work of cinema.

NO. Nooooo. Xiao-ge how could you? How could you. Why is it that the traits I love the most about Xiao-ge are the same traits that make me want to strangle him.

I'm still not convinced this is the real Wu Sanxing. Maybe this is actually Xie Lianhuan and Wu Sanxing is the one who died in the underwater tomb. 

[w2writesstuff]

What W2 Wrote in 2023

Considering that I'm prrrrrobably not going to manage to put out anything else this year, yeah, let's do a roundup now while I've got a moment. (Note: Only includes fun stuff; no professional shit here.)

January

I can't even remember January. Nothing happens in Januaries.

February

to the beat of your heart, ch. 3 (MDZS) The ongoing adventures of a self-indulgent happy-ending everybody-lives-and-also-bones WangXian canon-divergent AU; a joint project between my wife and me.

It’s Hard to Say “I Do” When You Don’t (@shousetsubangbang) Original story about a guy whose long-time crush asks him to pretend to be his boyfriend at a family wedding. Fake dating ensues.

March

Kintsukuroi (DMBJ) This heihua piece may be the best thing I've written all year? Look, I'm just very proud of how I made it exactly what I wanted it to be.

April

Head (@shousetsubangbang) This was a last-minute fill because the story I wanted to write failed to make itself writeable. Oh well! Still a funny and cute blowjob.

May

to the beat of your heart, ch. 4 (MDZS)

I want to be where all the stupid shit I say sounds so romantic and true (Guardian, WeiLan) Someday I will write a longer and more complicated series of Guardian sex pollen shenanigans, but until then, enjoy this one.

The Rightful Ruler (The Blood of Youth, Lei Wujie/Xiao Se) Still the only English-language story on AO3 for this pairing! Includes maybe the funniest line I wrote all year? You make the call!

The Doctor is In (Psych-Hunter) I know nobody watched Psych-Hunter, and with good reason, but I did, and I think Jiang Shuo should get to spy on the sexy gay doctor if he wants to.

June

A Single Explosion (DMBJ, Pangxi + Xiao Ge) For PingPang Week, with @pangzi in mind. Here's the missing part of Ultimate Note, where Pangzi takes care of Xiao Ge in the hospital.

Dog (The Disguiser, Ah Cheng/Ming Lou) This was actually written before I saw the post going around about how the sexiest thing one guy can be is another's dog. But it's true!

And I am green, and you are wood (DMBJ/Mystic Nine) Another exchange fic, where Liang Wan gets a chance to meet all of Zhang Rishan's old (boy)friends, especially Ba Ye.

Reverse Cowgirl (Not Gay as in Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Queer as in Dude Ranch) (@shousetsubangbang) Is this the hottest thing I've ever written for SSBB? Might just be. Lesbian ranch hands recruit a city girl.

July

Stay (Beyond Evil, Oh Jihwa/Yu Jaeyi) Because you know what that show needed? Small town lesbians.

Little Spear (The Blood of Youth, Sikong Qianluo/Xiao Se) This show has some cute het, but how it would work in bed is another matter entirely; or, two gay people try to have straight sex.

动须相应 (live-action Hikaru no Go, Yu Liang/Shi Guang) It's hard to get much gayer than the actual show without adding explicit sex, so ... here you go! Post-series boyfriends.

One Quiet Night (Kingdom, Seobi + Lee Chang/Yeongshin) This is the other thing I'm really proud of, because it too came out pretty much exactly the way I envisioned it. A nurse, a prince, and a scrappy piece of shit more or less all fall in love.

August

Hooks in My Sides (Beyond Evil, JWDS) This certainly was the most popular thing I've written all year. It's unfortunately easy to write poor Juwon having a gay meltdown.

A World Made Up of Silver and Copper (@shousetsubangbang) A prince-and-pauper scenario, this time focusing on the prince's adventures in being mistaken for himself. (Hint: they are sexy.)

September

...Funny how the first months of each semester are usually a complete wash for me creatively, huh?

October

to the beat of your heart, ch. 5 (MDZS)

Over My Dead Body (@shousetsubangbang) Nothing like the romance of possessing a corpse only to find he's not actually dead. (Note to DMBJ fans: This should taste like heihua.)

November

A fair amount of November was spent writing something that I just couldn't finish for December's SSBB, once I realized how long it'd have to be and how little free time I had. Maybe next year!

December

Antivenin (@shousetsubangbang) A mean bisexual and an even meaner lesbian team up to distract their gay boss from his terrible crush.

-

And that's it! It always feels kind of weird to see it all gathered in one place, like ... wow, that's not nearly as much as I thought it was. But at the same time, it involves a couple of pieces I feel very good about, so overall I'm going to take the win.

The most fun I had was doing my Small Fandom Summer thing, where I wrote fic for fandoms that had <1000 English-language works on AO3. Maybe I'll do that again next year!

Anyway, if you do wind up reading something, especially the original stuff, thanks. A lot of this can be a very lonely process, especially when there's not much of a built-in audience. Saying you liked something makes me feel a little less like I'm screaming into the void.

Onward to 2024!

[hils79]

Hils Watches Cross Fire - Ep 23

Oh, so she didn't actually ask him to apologise because she thought he'd done something wrong. She just wanted to clear the air and make everyone be friends again. WHY IS NO ONE CONCERNED ABOUT POOR QIQI?

Because he's a sweet innocent boy and you're a disgusting piece of shit?

I swear to god Xiao Feng is the only reasonable member of this team.

Oh shit isn't that the team Xiao Feng is about to play?

No but I bet you'll do some underhanded bullshit

Ooh look at him being all pretty and bringing her lemon and hot water because she has a cold

I recognise those cold meds! Pangzi gave the same ones to Piaopiao in LTR. Something something Pangsang crossover something.

DO. NOT. Look, I know you want to win your game but he is gross, doesn't respect the other members of your team, and doesn't give a shit about whether you win or not. If he cared about winning he'd still be there. If he cared about Chang Sha he'd have apologised instead of being a dick.

Yes, the key to winning is don't make mistakes

Honestly, I hope they win without Qilin coming back because fuck him.

Yeah, look. They won without you and now everyone is cheering for your team and they're all hugging each other. Sucks to be you!

OH FUCK NOW HE'S PLAYING THE GUITAR. Please, I am only a weak and smol Hils

AND HE'S SINGING! I NEED TO GO AND LIE DOWN

Yeah, I don't blame you for being mad that someone that pretty and talented is making eyes at the girl you like

I'm so stupid. I was like 'aww they haven't actually met before because Liu Sang wasn't in Sha Hai'. I legit forgot that Wang Can was also played by Liu Chang 😂

God, they are both being dicks (affectionate). Why are there so many boring 'two men fight over the same girl' storylines when everyone could just be an OT3. Not you Xu Wei and not you Qilin though. You do not deserve a boyfriend or a girlfriend.

The three of them are apparently going to see a movie together. Maybe I will get one OT3 out of this

PRETTY!

I love that they're implying that the cinema is so cold that Liu Xiaobei got sick before the movie was even over, but everyone around them is just wearing regular clothes

TAKE THE BOYFRIEND HOODIE

Sorry, Lu Xiaobei. Gao Bosong is way better at this than you are

HAHA! Chu Ge left them so they could have some alone time. Now they are arguing about the Uncharted games. Oh, boys.

I feel like they probably giggled a lot while filming this

They've gone from bickering to gazing at each other. They definitely kissed.

OH MY GOD

The rest of the team are like 'Lu Xiaobei went out for a date with Chu Ge and came home bisexual with a pretty boy'

Si Jiayi definitely ships it

Yeah, see. This is what happens when you kill someone and get someone to dispose of the evidence. You get blackmailed and mugged. I have zero sympathy

Nooooo badass bisexual An Lan can do so much better than him

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

WIP Wednesday Things I’m Working On Thursday

I actually worked on the next chapter of Soldier, Poet, King a little bit this week!

—//—

“His readings are all over the place,” Mo Xuanyu reports over the sound of Xue Yang’s screaming. “It’s a miracle he’s not dead, the Kaiju seem to have completely rewired his brain!”

Jin Guangyao takes note of that in a distant sort of way as he stands in front of A-Qing in a futile attempt to shield her from watching Xue Yang’s shockingly rapid deterioration. The Immortals are standing at his head, Xiao Xingchen attempting to keep him from thrashing so much he injures himself and Song Zichen pressed up behind his husband to hold Xue Yang’s shoulders down with a grip so firm his knuckles and fingertips have gone white.

Whatever it is that’s happening to the veins in Xue Yang’s neck is spreading, the same spidery blue veins standing in stark relief in his temples and across his forehead, and he can only assume it’s spreading downwards as well. (With a detached sort of interest he wonders what’ll happen if it reaches his heart, but it’s highly likely that they don’t want to find that out if they also want Xue Yang to survive. Which he does.)

The Wen siblings arrive just as Xue Yang’s screaming is choked off, quite literally, by a profusion of foamy blood, and as Jin Guangyao turns to usher A-Qing fully out of the room he hears Wen Qing calling out orders to her brother and everyone else in the room, taking charge of the emergency with her usual deft authority.

“Wait — is he dying? For real?” A-Qing asks, suddenly sounding every bit her very young age. “Wait stop, Yao-ge, stop! He’s not allowed to die unless I kill him!!”

“He won’t die,” Jin Guangyao says smoothly, though he and A-Qing both know that’s not something he’s actually capable of guaranteeing. “I promised him I’d send him away from all of this, somewhere nice in the countryside where no one would ever bother you or him or the daozhangs again. I’ll keep my promise, but you must calm down.”

A-Qing is small but she’s ferociously strong; Jin Guangyao grapples with her in an attempt to keep her from running back into the lab, their heights evenly matched. For a long moment they stand there locked in a struggling stalemate until A-Qing bites his shoulder and Jin Guangyao manages to get a foot hooked around the back of one of her ankles to kick her feet out from under her and bear her to the ground with the loud clang! of (his) bone on metal.

Jin Guangyao winces for the bruises that definitely left on his knuckles, but that’s preferable to giving poor A-Qing a concussion simply because she’s afraid for Xue Yang’s life. He grits his teeth against a pained shout as A-Qing throws her head back to grind his bruised hand hard enough into the floor that he feels the slight texturing of it for grip start to grate the skin off his knuckles, but he still refuses to let her up.

“Alright come here pipsqueak, up you get.”

Jin Guangyao doesn’t even entertain the thought that Wei Wuxian would dare talk to him like that, so he simply rolls to the side to let A-Qing pop up off the floor — to barrel straight into a much more secure hold in Wei Wuxian’s arms, where she struggles hard against his superior height and strength, and loses.

[londonhigh-society]

+ new wanted connections

AUDREY LIEW, our TIAN XIWEI is searching through the Ton to find THEIR BROTHERS. they should be 34-40 and resemble HU GE, DYLAN WANG, HUANG XIAO MING, YANG YANG, LUO YUNXI, NI HAN JIN, ANY CHINESE MALE FC . you DO NOT ( BUT CAN! ) need to contact them before applying. the liew parents are a formidable couple who have long held incredibly high standards for their children, wanting them to be perfect and successful in everything they do. their heir and spare so far have either quite met their expectations or exceeded them, either way, their parents are quite proud of all their children with the exception of their youngest, Audrey. the eldest would have to be already married or widowed. their personalities and other characteristics are utp! you can read more about their family in the house blurb or contact me. ( @ofintentions )

AUDREY LIEW, our TIAN XIWEI is searching through the Ton to find THEIR SISTERS. they should be 26-30 resemble MENG XIYI, LI QIN, CHELSEA ZHANG, AMANDA ZHOU, BAI LU, SUN ANKE, ANY CHINESE FEMALE FC. you DO NOT ( BUT CAN! ) need to contact them before applying. audrey sisters are quite different from her. they are both considered conventionally more stunningly beautiful, witty, graceful and both of them also individually possess a highly admirable creative talent that impress many nobles during social events. my idea is that both are considered beautiful swans and jewels of the Liew family, especially by their parents who have very high expectations of their children, whilst poor audrey is considered to more of a disappointment by their elders. whether they are both close or distant from audrey is very much open for plotting & their personalities and other characteristics are utp! the oldest sister should be married and have kids by now whilst the second oldest is either also married or betrothed. both sisters have secured matches with either a very popular/ powerful/ wealthy/ influential family. you can read more about the Liews in their family blurb or contact me. ( @ofintentions )

AUDREY LIEW, our TIAN XIWEI is searching through the Ton to find THEIR CLOSE FRIEND WHOM THEY HAVE SECRET FEELINGS FOR. they should be 25-33 and resemble WI HA-JOON, PARK SEO-JOON, THOMAS DOHERTY, MICHAEL EVANS BEHLING, SEAN TEALE, LUCIEN LAVISCOUNT, DAVID CORENSWET, ASK MUN. you DO NOT ( BUT CAN! ) need to contact them before applying. extra information here. audrey and y/m have been friends for many years now and for as of late, audrey has begun to develop romantic feelings for y/m who seem to be one of the very few people to truly understand her, see her and value her. however, due to her nature and also not wanting to jeopardize their friendship, audrey has kept mum about her feelings and just treasures them in her heart. i would very much love for y/m to also secretly be harboring feelings for audrey or have begun to see her in a romantic light. other details can be plotted out after you have joined!