#then as cao weining talks she’s like????!!!??!!

[theshenanijiang]

ZZS really just said: I'll confess first, since it's so hard. And then gently punch tapped WKX said: You, the one that I know. And then walked off like it was no big deal. Good job keeping it casual!

Gu Xiang does not know what to do with this boy (Cao Weining). He makes her like him. He is considerate and sweet and a bit silly. What is that saying that WKX told Chengling? Oh yeah, "Tough women like clingy men." BAHAHAHAHA

My guy Rong Xuan really said: Lets all learn each other's secrets and then proceeded to steal a bunch of the sect secrets. Fascinating.

Awww. ZZS is so proud of his little dumpling. ZZS just put it out there he thinks life is the most important thing and WKX looked startled. That is some good advice right there. Let them scramble for the thing. We don't have to be involved. I like you and you aren't greedy and I am going to teach you, so you listen to my advice.

Meanwhile WKX in the background: Why do I get the feeling ZZS is saying this to me... can I let go? Can I be done with this? Should I listen to his advice?

Gu Xiang I hope you don't have to fight your way out of this mess. Are you sure that Xioalian didn't throw you under the bus on purpose? Was it ignorance or spite?

Oooooohhhhhhhhhhh Cao Weining.

WKX is like: I get a HUG?!

Chengling really be healing these two grown ass men by being son shaped.

"You're like a mother who sent her son away." ZZS is daddy, WKX is mommy?

That Yueyang disciple" CWN you sly dog!" ROFLMAO

That is one of the most beautiful things I have heard a character say as reassurance. "A bad guy can be forgiven if he puts down the sword, so why should a good guy be sent to hell for doing something bad once."

WKX's heirarchy of needs:

Chengling is so brave!

WKX and ZZS talking about their childhoods and then "Lets go make a big mess of the Scorpion King's nest, like the troublemakers we are!" 🤣

Xiaolian, what are you doing? I'm with you on this one Gu Xiang. Also, that is the correct reaction to the news that Chengling has been accepted as ZZS' disciple. Gu Xiang cannot handle boys being nice to her. LOL I dunno Gu Xiang, why did you think of Cao Weining?

ZZS watching Gu Xiang and WKX interact and then Cao Weining come in: Aahhhh so that is why she doesn't want to leave. Ah, young love.

ZZS really went: WKX there is no reason to be jealous, I just wanna hang out with you, boo. Buut our girl should settle down with the guy she seems to like...

Cao Weining is so excited that they might think he is trustworthy!

[aiyexayen]

helloo!!!!!!!! itse me from ao3 (oh that rhymes!) im a chatterbox as well, i love long comment/reblog chains and generally talking about stuff im passionate for a normal amount, and after reading your reply i had a question that i thought, why not drop into your inbox and ask you (if you want) to share a bit of your process behind writing The Only Place You Wanna Be!!!! my initial question is actually that im wondering whether at any point you were uncomfortable, like, exhaustingly uncomfortable when tackling gx/wkx/zzs as a rarepair. because when i write and im trying to break some mental barriers of my own i oftentimes need to take very long breaks frequently to rest. uve written rare ships before but mentioned in your reply that it stretched u to write this fic, despite becoming passionate along the way. what about the fic challenged you, what is it that was difficult to explore? and what had u be very enthusiastic about? also, when i was reading the fic i kept wondering how u were gonna handle gx/cwn, in what manner u where going to address it (if at all), and i really liked what u settled on, but did u have different ideas for it? do u have ideas for how it might look like when cwn returns home alone? (if u would like to share) im wondering if gx is now firmly in the wenzhou camp or if she might be going to experience her romance with cwn later too? i think that could work really well, because he is her peer and has different views and thoughts about the world and society at large than wenzhou, which i think is still smth gx would/could be drawn to. like, wenzhou are very jaded, they have to relearn how to love and trust etc, and gx in a way has to as well. in canon her cute romance with cwn is a way for her to experience mundane young adulthood. do u think thats smth that could still happen, that would still attract her, and that would fit into the new dynamic of the AU uve written?

hello hello!! i also love talking about things a normal amount so you've come to the right place and i'm so glad you asked. [chin in hands] i would be completely delighted to talk about the only place you wanna be, because it's truly one of my favourite stories i've written thus far.

first--was i exhaustingly uncomfortable at any point writing this fic? i honestly wasn't! it wasn't an 'easy' ship to write, i.e. one i'm very comfortable in the dynamics of and don't have to think overly hard about. but i was not particularly uncomfortable, either (i do know what you mean, though--i've had ships before that have made me uncomfortable and i've had to really sit down and rest between wrestling through my thoughts on it)

hands down the biggest thing i struggled with was the question "what the heck does zhou zishu find so compelling about gu xiang?" not because she's not absolutely charming, but because zhou zishu is not easily charmed.

the wen kexing facet was easy--the way he and gu xiang grew up together and saved each other from the horrors of gui gu puts them in such a state of enmeshment, their bond so full of complex emotional tangles and twists that all i really have to do is tweak the strands and bam! ship.

but zhou zishu and gu xiang? i had to really sit with that facet, turn it over in my mind like a rotisserie chicken, because anytime i've put them in proximity before it's just been this volatile-yet-fond bickering that doesn't really go further, or get them closer. zhou zishu is prickly, and aloof, and only diverted from his self-destructive bent by one wen kexing. and in this au, he already quite contentedly has said wen kexing. what does he need some charming girl for? what has he ever needed a charming girl for?

i thought gu xiang could easily find a whole host of things in zhou zishu to like and admire, many of them not dissimilar to what wen kexing sees in him. but how the heck would they come together? how would it go beyond gu xiang's crush on this super impressive, stupidly beautiful guy?

i took a hard look at my other most favourite ships with zhou zishu (han ying, xie'er, jing beiyuan, ye baiyi, liu qianqiao) and sorted through what things i thought he might care about in a person, outside of "is too stubborn to let him push them away" at least. i realised i really had to face my gu xiang and interrogate her more serious side, ultimately, as much for the sake of figuring out the ship vibe i wanted as for writing her as a compelling pov character. because for a character like gu xiang, a good portion of her seriousness happens outside of her conscious awareness of it. it's all background noise against which the bright flares of her imperiousness shines very distractingly.

but really, she learned from the best; her silliness and her brashness and the whip of her tongue are just another version of wen kexing's smooth flirtations and gently waving fan. she's clumsy and charming while he's elegant and disarming, but aside from him being a thousand times more intentional about it, they're not altogether that different of masks. after all, gu xiang was taught to kill first and ask questions later, no matter who may or may not be innocent. she grew up with the firmly-seated knowledge that she was not human. and even when she was a literal baby, she smiled when she was hurt because to do anything less was to risk being abandoned.

and, most damningly, gu xiang cares. she cares deeply, and thoroughly, and she gets attached even when she shouldn't, even when she knows better. she takes to humanity so beautifully.

and i realised that if i put someone like that into zhou zishu's life, into zhou zishu's once-abandoned home, and let her breathe life into the place, i could make my problem *his* problem and that suited me much better.

it's really two sides of the same coin, what i wrestled with the most to get into shape and what i was enthusiastic about. like with most rare ship challenges, i find it compelling simply to do said wrestling. i enjoy sitting down and hammering out the details of character dynamics--what they find compelling about one another, what draws their eye, how they fall in together, what makes them stay. or not, as the case may be sometimes.

i was excited to dig into the challenge of this ship and this fic, because i knew once i started getting the pieces hewn into shape it would be very satisfying. i was excited to tackle a siji arc au that was a new flavour, and write something really properly from gu xiang's pov that explored her arc of stepping onto the path to the human world through a new angle and from the inside.

i was particularly excited to dig my fingers into her relationship with wen kexing--not even really from the ship perspective (i mean, you've read this story, it's almost not about the shippiness of the ship at all until the very end) but just them.

i have a lot of ideas for someday-fics where gu xiang is more present in the plot and i get to explore her and wen kexing's relationship, in any capacity, more intensely. i have so so so many feelings about the two of them, no matter which hats you want to put on their dynamic. and this fic was really my first larger-scale opportunity to do some of that examining and reveling.

they were just two kids in a world of ghosts, clinging to one another until they could get out. a teenaged boy half-raising a little girl, full of rage and spite and the confidence and inexperience of youth and the wholesale abandonment of humanity, teaching her how to eschew it from an even younger age than himself, teaching her how to be a killer to keep her safe--and then playing games with her behind closed doors, making snowmen for her when she cried, letting himself be silly and warm in spite of everything. they're a master and the maidservant that attends his whims. they're a gui gu guzhu and his right hand that stands ready at attention to keep every secret and enact his plans on the jianghu.

they're so many things--each other's first priority, most trusted person, with the kind of knowing that only comes from years and years. the loyalty. the love. the way wen kexing's plan always made room for getting gu xiang out into the world to live a human life as its ultimate goal, the way he couldn't help but continue to lean on her assistance and keep her close and project his own fears even as he kept trying to push her away into that human life he wanted for her. the way he needs her, the way he tries to push her away anyway and rescue her from the fire that he plans to let consume him. the way he's so proud of her and so terrified of how similar she is to him at the same time. the way she's grown up into a better woman than he could have hoped, not in spite of him but because of him, and the strength she shows in being able to embrace even the parts of them both that built them into who they are, in a way wen kexing has never been able to.

it drives me absolutely banana pancakes sometimes until all i can do is wail and point at them emphatically.

anyway, a fic in which i got to explore gu xiang choosing to stay at her zhuren's side over choosing to follow his orders--letting her desires override her duty, letting one kind of loyalty and one aspect of their dynamic rule over another--in which wen kexing has to gradually come to terms with his plans for her being utterly and completely foiled, come to terms with the fact that she isn't rejecting the human path but instead is absolutely going to keep walking it while dragging him down along it with her, that all his hopes and dreams for her are coming true except with him in the picture. ugh. i'm legitimately going to cry just talking about it lmfao. which is another very good reason this fic happened from gu xiang's pov.

i'm going to put a header here because this has gotten unconscionably long and you also asked about cao weining. so. here we go.

regarding cao weining

i would like to start off by saying he is my precious bean and i love him. but as much as i like cao weining and gu xiang together in canon, they are not otp material for me. i find it quite easy to break them up, largely because they are young and their bond at first is pretty devoid of genuine understanding or deep connection.

cao weining's persistence, a soft mirror to wen kexing's, and his graceful handling of a traumatised ghost, a soft mirror to zhou zishu's, both pay off in the long run. but it's not too hard for me to conceive a world where they didn't.

in this particular au, i think cao weining will always have done much to teach gu xiang about being human, and about what she wants in that regard. and cao weining will always probably be a little bit in love with her, because he strikes me as the kind of person who's a little bit in love with all his friends, and still holds a little bit of a candle for every person he's ever fallen for before since his very first crush.

but one of the things i like most about writing, particularly au's, is the nature of choice, and how the choices we make define us. it's not just that you can become someone different, it's that you are always, constantly becoming someone different. and at every stage of yourself, you look back and the road you took may seem perfectly logical, may seem like of course that's who you were going to become, because you only see the road you've taken to get there. but if you took a different path, if you made a different choice, and then each choice based off that choice, and looked back, wouldn't you feel the same way about that road? that's the way i like to write my au's.

so in this case, gu xiang didn't make that first crucial choice to be with cao weining instead of wen kexing. she didn't dutifully listen to orders, and let him say goodbye. she didn't let that distance from her zhuren, that closeness with cao weining, define her, and she didn't make subsequent choices based off that one, leading her down the road of canon. she didn't keep choosing cao weining--didn't choose to not only be with him but to be like him, to go back for shen shen to save gao xiaolian, to openly confess her desire to be human with him and be the kind of human that she thinks could stand at his side as his partner. still feeling that love, that loyalty, for wen kexing, but allowing love and loyalty to cao weining to grow up alongside it as the months go by.

instead, she chose wen kexing. she chose to follow him and stay close to him, even going against his wishes, against his orders. she chose to get involved in his new life with zhou zishu and zhang chengling, in all their daily intricacies instead. to make zhou zishu living or not into her problem, too. to make their home her home, and then defend it.

i'm being so long-winded about this, my apologies, i just love tracing all these little paths out, because i do so much of this thinking when i'm writing and it never gets said anywhere XD this isn't even really what you asked. but i guess, the conclusion of it is, to this end, no, i didn't really think of any other way their relationship could go at this point than to split here.

cao weining's loyalty to his sect being compromised in favour of staying with gu xiang *at* siji shanzhuang is an interesting concept, but it feels considerably less flexible of a choice than gu xiang's, and ultimately, this fic wasn't about him, so i was content to let him choose his sect first here. he does so reluctantly, but since he has that loyalty to his sect, he can only understand gu xiang's loyalty in turn, and part with that understanding, a little bittersweet but with his optimistic hope to reunite someday in better conditions when all this is over.

and i do fully think that they will reunite. but in that time, they'll have each done an awful lot of growing and changing. you really hit the nail on the head there, that gu xiang's romance with cao weining is a way for her to experience a mundane young adulthood, and take that path to growth together with him.

in a lot of ways, i think she's essentially forfeited the possibility of doing that in this au. it strikes me a bit like an imperial court drama--she had the choice to run away with her young lad, to be a new bride with a new groom, young lovers regarded as such by the narrative and the people around them, given space to indulge in this youth and build their own concept of a household together and grow up into the world at their own pace. and her other choice was to be inducted into a noble lord's household as his second wife, to enter into a space that already has define edges and considerable growth under its belt, and to grow up a bit faster into the responsibilities of her station, with the trade-off of, perhaps, a bit more security.

and sometimes--most of the time--the story is indeed about the young woman running away into freedom and romance. and this story is the alternate path.

by the time gu xiang meets cao weining again, she will practically be the lady of siji shanzhuang--something more than a housekeeper and less than a wife. i don't think she'll have had to grow up too fast for comfort, i mean, have you seen zhou zishu's sheer capacity for mischief? but i do think she'll have transitioned out of the phase of endless possibility that leaving gui gu afforded her, and into a place where she feels more secure in what she wants and who she's becoming. she has a place to belong, and responsibilities to live up to that go beyond the whims of a volatile zhuren.

and in turn, by the time cao weining meets gu xiang, he will have had to face the entirety of the revelation of her ghost-ness without her there as a counterpoint. without even the comfort of having gotten to know her so much better to lean back on to explain his disquiet and doubts. (i actually have a little oneshot i kind of want to write about him running into shen shen in that town, without gu xiang to pull him away)

he'll have faced the rest of the battles to come side by side with his sect, and have needed to find someone else, perhaps even there among his shixiongdi, to lean on. the du xie attack, the perceived betrayal of his shifu. it's a lot. maybe he'll have found some renewed place in his sect through that hardship, without gu xiang there presenting a clear way out. or perhaps he'll choose to leave, but wander alone. he has a lot of choices to make, still, and anything could happen.

but either way, by the time the two of them meet up again, they'll be very different people than they could once have been to one another, even if they're still very much themselves in all the ways that count. if they have any kind of romance, it will necessarily be more grown up.

he is, though, still more gu xiang's peer than either wen kexing or zhou zishu, and i don't think that cao weining has nothing to attract her. i think she definitely has the need for peers that can see eye to eye with her.

wen kexing and zhou zishu ride the generational line between all the horrors of the previous generation's grudges and the potential of the coming generation's healing past them. but for all gu xiang was raised in gui gu and suffered for it, she was also sheltered in a lot of ways by wen kexing. and she has a particular brand of optimism that someone like cao weining (and like gao xiaolian for that matter) can match. and while chengling can match it, too, i have distinctly other plans for him in this au.

i think it would actually be really sweet if gu xiang and cao weining and gao xiaolian end up quite close, once everything is said and done. and if this occasionally involves little trips to see one another in which she spends nearly as much time in bed with one or the other of them as she does at whatever restaurant cao weining has raved about in his letters lately or playing hide-and-seek with gao xiaolian's children, well, who's to say?

as long as she comes back home to wenzhou, how can they mind? they probably get off on rewriting the poetry of marks on her skin to fit the shape of their own lips, the dorks. not like she's any better either, the way she'd learn to taunt them and goad them about it right in front of all the disciples' salads all evening. pff.

anyway. i've been going on for ages and i'm not even going to go back and proofread this because i'm lazy. i hope some of this was entertaining at least, and feel free to reply more! though, as you see, asking questions is dangerous and you never know how long, and redundant, and irrelevant the answers might be XD

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

truly appreciate the pacing of these recent episodes. there is just this insane, ever-present dread that permits the very air. gu xiang is scared of losing cao weining and resigned to end a social outcast and make the best of it as much as she can. wen kexing is reliving the worst time of his life and thinks a lot about the inevitable. zhou zishu still doesnt feel worthy of (re)living in these halls when he has killed his people (his words not mine).

the grief of things yet to come is weighing so heavily, like stones tied to the domesticity and happiness. right now everything is good and well. they laugh and speak openly, and zhang chengling gains confidence and starts to talk back. but everyone knows (save for zhang chengling and cao weining, maybe) that it cant stay this way.

even zhou zishu, who doesnt know the depth of wen kexing's schemes and hatred and pain, knows that inevitably, that other side wen kexing keeps hiding from (him) is going to make itself known, one way or another.

im wondering if zhou zishu expects that his own past will also turn up again? hes very smart and calculative, he knows his cousin and he knows the organization hes left. he must expect that jin wang is gonna show up at his doorstep?

and if he does expect it, it would lend a different air to zhou zishu's hope of living with his disciple and his shidi at four seasons manor forever. he seems confident and sure of himself when he invites wen kexing to this life, but secretly, he might be aware it is but a beautiful illusion.

i love wkx so much he is so pretentious and absolutely unaware of how weird he comes off as. its adorable. these moments when he tries to give a grandiose impression like some elegant gentleman, refined yet competent, and it just doesnt land as he thought it would be, are so human. hes so cute

[mejomonster]

Episode 12 oh my god the scene about gu Xiang getting married off

Zhou zishu really just says: instead of treatment I’d rather travel with my soulmate

Then: we’re looking for a partner for gu xiang

In any way can that sound like Zhou zishu and wen kexing aren’t together? Man says soulmate then clearly states THEY are looking for a match for gu xiang as in THEIR daughter. Not wen kexings, THEIR gu xiang. Zhou zishu parent number 2 who also is discussing whos a good fit for her and trust worthy.

My god

Cao weining out here, doesn’t even have time to process “I’m dying. I don’t want treatment. I’m gonna travel with my soulmate wen kexing.” Before Zhou zishu hits him with YET ANOTHER EARTH FLIPPING revelation in “we’re looking for a trustworthy partner for gu xiang, you’re trustworthy.” And poor cao weining is short circuiting like “oh it’s Happening it’s HAPPENING her parents just ?!!! Did they just give me their blessing?!! Or at least a chance?!!!”

[foxstens]

when gu xiang says that wkx feels more like a person when zzs is around

[zhongwans]

i literally stayed up all night watching shl fans wilding on weibo 😭

for those who don't know, Chen Zihan (who plays xisang gui/traginomic ghost) posted a video edit of her character officiating wenzhou's marriage, and it blew up so fast she had to delete it. But the fandom (bless them) got a little TOO into it that "chen zihan hosts wenzhou's big wedding" trended #1 on weibo for a while

Cfans, probably: "hehe wenzhou married...SHIT OH SHIT IT'S NOT MOVING FROM THE #1 TRENDS SHIT OHH FUCK"

So to do damage control, fans desperately started spamming the tag with SHL poster edits that make it look like one of those 90s wuxia shows with ChengLing as the main protagonist. They also spammed some Cao Weining/Gu Xiang pics in there for good measure all the while insisting that it's just your good ol' average wuxia show nothing to see here.

After some time the tag dropped down to #9 very quickly, so fans speculated that Youku must have forked out some cash to drop the trend, but it rose again to #7 in a while 😭

Youku, probably: "C'mon guys work with us here,"

Cfans: "hehe wenzhou wedding go brrrr"

Everything's chill now but it was definitely wild as hell last night 😂 Chen Zihan probably did not know the chaos she would unleash with that one little edit and it's so fucking funny how freaking bold everyone on the show is, from Li Daikun (scorpion king) spilling the tea nonstop during his livestreams to Zhang Zhehan talking about how they had to retake a certain scene and how much better the original cut was than the one that was aired, only for c-fans to dig out the original footage and were shocked to see how bold it was. They were like "well no wonder the director had to tell those two many times to tone it down! The original cut would not have passed inspection!"

Anyway this is Chen Zihan, the queen herself, a harbinger of #1 top trending topics and an agent of chaos 🔥🔥🔥

[misanthropiczombie]

34 bro we're so close

also much as i do love ybi i dont want to see more fighting of this variety. i want them to go home and fight about zzs faking his death

zzs still mad AF

but HEeeeEEEy YBI coming in clutch to save them <3

zzs sitting there quietly at the other end of the table the TENSION

SHEN SHEN AND CHENGLING KNEW BUT ZZS DIDNT oh my god the blow up is gonna be amazing please

okay but hold please. in this YBI flashback he is wearing the hairpin he put in ZZS's hair that i thought he still had. consistency issue or just time passage. I'm still real focused on this thing

wkx sees zzs unhappy and is like just trying to hold it together

everytime someone says Wen-gongzi you see for just a second him being like 'please lets stop talking about me/this I have not had a chance to talk to ZZS and this is digging my hole deeper and deeper'

ohhh hes feeling The Nails too

but also has it been That Long. the passage of time in this has all been very hand-wavey

Xie Wang keeping his dad alive like this is Something and then Smiling Like That

Also love him in the lighter robes. There's something so satisfying about that.

GET ANGRY YESSS but also love it when he calms down and gets all intense

'abusing my loyalty was your downfall and you deserved it' nice nice nice

but also the good mouthfeel about how inspiring this kind of fervent loyalty in this particular manner (adopting a kid to manipulate him into your personal assassin force, yikes) being his ultimate downfall because he was Too Good at it.

Oh okay we're gonna have the domestic now, in front of a full table of people. He was really trying to hold it together but wkx poked teh bear. (well chengling poked the bear but)

"did I ASK you?" lol zzs is so bitchy some times.

his smile really is devastating

HIM MOVING HIS HAIR FOR HIM BC HES DRUNK

this is all very cute but THE HUG

wrong hair stick (none hair stick)

did he lose the medicine I wonder

man what stellar robe changes ALSO ZZS HAS THE HAIR STICK STILL

Gu Xiang's purple robes are nice AF

lmao she's SUCH a brat I love her "I've never seen you so pussy whipped either but here we are"

CHENGLING lmao "I'll protect u from her, don't worry BRO CODE"

ZZS is just liek WHO RAISED THIS CHILD IT SURELY WASNT ME WITH THAT KIND OF SASS as though he and WKX arent THE sassiest.

lmao cao weining nervours as fuck

ayeeeeeee

LMAO "mom said no, go ask dad" and zzs' expression reflects it lolol

oh so he's there to be a cunt about it because it is not master fan.

Word of Honor Liveblogging pt 3

OKAY PART THREE

Episodes 1-16 ⪻⨀⪼ Episodes 17-26

I realized I need to stub out everything if I actually want to make these directional and a new reblog for each episode. ITS FINE.

Anyways, onto Episode 27 and through the last episodes of the series. I'm so goddamned obsessed already.

dramatic xiao playing again. He doesnt eat his emotions, he plays the xiao.

Ye bai ye? oh its both of them lmao

and there's the drop but he really dont look that surprised

BECAUSE HES SMART AND IF WKX HAD JSUT TOLD HIM IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE

The fight WKX has been ITCHING for

YE BAIYE so stronk

Man i know im like a fucked up little gremlin, but Wen Kexing looks real nice with some bruises lmao

wkx's devastated look is making a lot of appearances and A) its so good like acting wise B) it's SO GOOD emotional wise

~sword glare~

Anyways I just want to say one of my least favorite things in cdramas thusfar is the plot armor/plot nerf. wkx and zzs both down from one singular blow? for a guy they've fought a few times? ((the wens eradicating all of lotus pier with ZERO casualties on their side?? im still salty)) anyways they definitely could have lasted longer.

ZZS going for the 'i'm not mad, i'm disappointed" route. Fatherhood has agreed with him

EHEHEEEEEEEEEEEEHEHHDF me, hyperventallating into a bag: HE HELD HiS FACEa;lsdkfj no notes your honor

helpless child act lmao i love them i love them brat4brat i love this zhou zishu

she is trying so hard to keep it together just TELL HIM

good for him for sticking up for her.

Nut Bar

br u h is he in the bath. surely they have restored the manor enough for some more individualized rooms. there used to be 81 of his generation

DAMN ZZS "im not good at lying like you"

listen STAB HIM Zhao Jing fucking sucks and you deserve so much better.

KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM i believe in you so hard kill HIM

ope we have vocalized lyrics, something Important is going to happen. MAYBE HER SECRET WILL BE OUT THERE CHRIST

lmao wkx getting chengling (presumably) drunk what a fucking gremlin. ZZS just letting him

gremlin wkx and zzs is doing that dramatic sigh like he hates it except he absolutely does not

[coreofgold]

Under the cut are my muses and what they’ll be dressed as and doing at the event !  This is like a plot call and starter call because once we plot i’ll end up doing a starter for them.  

Aloth Corfiser (2/Wei Wuxian, Kieran)

Elven mage

Elven mask

Is being dragged by his boyfriend to the event so will be a wallflower until someone pulls him out (or until Iselmyr decides to take over) 

Anya Forger (3/Loid, Yor, Katie)

Spy outfit

Spy mask

She is going because she wants to meet new people and have fun !  Also wants to spend her first Halloween having fun.  Might have to leave in the garden due to being overwhelmed in crowds due to her powers but will be back in

Arthur Pendragon (1/Aquata)

Formal wear

Golden mask

He’s going to get out more and to see what this Halloween is all about.  He’s also used to parties so he’ll go just to be immersed in the party 

Aziraphale (0/??)

Archeologist/explorer

Mask

Aziraphale simply adores the aesthetic of Halloween and while they’ll be more of a wallflower, Zira will enjoy people watching and enjoy the drinks and food

Ban Yue (1/Xie Lian)

Medusa costume

Medusa mask (though wont’ wear unless she can make it into a stick)

They have no idea what Halloween is but as a ghost, they can feel stronger so they 

Baymax (0/??)

Plague doctor with mask

See above for plague doctor mask

Baymax knows the history of Halloween but celebrating it as a human is new to him so they want to experience it and learn 

Beelzebub (1/He Xuan)

Frankenstein Monster (couple costume with Soo Oh) 

Half mask

Beel is going to have fun with his boyfriend and to eat the food.  He’ll have to be dragged away from the food

Cao Weining (1/Gu Xiang)

Zombie pastry chef

White mask

Fascinated by the aesthetic and wants to try the treats (maybe made some for the place but we’ll see) 

Choi Yeon Woo (1/Yoo Han)

Formal wear (matching with Yoo Han)

Gold mask (Yeon Woo gets the bottom one) 

Yeon Woo’s being dragged and being a wallflower until his boyfriend pulls him out.  Might spend his time in the gardens for a moment because all the colors will give him a headache. 

Dewey Duck (1/Hallie)

Indiana Jones

Brown mask

Is going to record the whole thing and stream it on his channel

Dizzy Tremaine (1/Sam Maek Jong)

Homemade Cinderella

Silver mask

Dizzy is going to live out her princess fantasy at this place while learning about Halloween 

Edrisa Tanaka (0/??)

Ghostly Marie Curie

White mask

Will be mingling at the part and talking to everyone about the history of Halloween if anyone would listen to her 

Gabriel (0/??)

1920s gangster

Forest mask

Gabriel always goes where the party is and the fact there’s desserts and candy ?  Sold.  

GIR (1/BEN)

T-rex

No mask because in T-rex costume 

GIR remembers Halloween from before and is so hyped 

Hua Cheng (3/Thanatos, Jin Guangyao, Mu Qing)

Himself (Demon/Goblin King; depends on what they want to call it)

Butterfly mask (Will take it off and shape shift into normal face to see if anyone recognizes them as Xue Yang or shift into anyone and cause trouble)

Is going to show Xie Lian a good time and cause mischief.  Also assuming they will have had an alliance with Jin Guangyao at this time so will also stick by his said and cause mischief 

Julian Alfred "Jaskier" Pankratz (2/Venti, Han)

David Bowie

Light blue and gold mask

Loves a good party and is going for the music.

Lan Jingyi (4/Wangji, Belphegor, Jin Ling, Rikki)

Morticia Addams

Black mask

Has no idea what’s going on but he loves it and is going with his boyfriend.  Might cause trouble because he’ll want to choose trick instead of treat

Lan Xichen (2/Nie Mingjue, Jin Guangyao)

Elven prince (pointed ears included) 

Silver mask

With everything in the past, Lan Xichen is uncomfortable with all the noise but he knows Nie Mingjue works int eh White House so he’s going to go and support him and learn about this Halloween.  He’ll either be in the garden or mingling in the back with his brother; he’ll also be with Jin Guangyao once he finds him and realizes he works at the White House

Legolas Thranduilison (1/Sersi)

Himself/Elven warrior

Forest mask

Has no idea what Halloween is but a party is a party so of course he’ll be going and dressed up from his home.

Luo Binghe (2/Shen Qingqiu, Shang Qinghua)

Grim reaper

Skeleton mask 

Is more excited to be learning about Halloween and hanging out with his husband Shen Qingqiu more than the actual party itself.  

Neil Perry (1/Orpheus)

Ariel from the Tempest

Bird mask

Is going to let loose and see what the others are doing.  Hoping to find Todd there 

Penelope Garcia (2/Sella, Ethan)

Eleventh Doctor

Tardis mask 

Is sad her friend Reid isn’t here to share the Halloween knowledge but she’s happy to be in the aesthetic and dress up

Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham (1/Wu Si Qi)

Formal wear/Demon

Red mask 

Only going because he wants to see how Halloween is being celebrated in America

Peter Regis (0/??)

Alchemist robe here and Alchemist hat 

Mask 

It’s Halloween and while they didn’t have the traditional Halloween back home (Not even sure he knows what it is) but he can feel the energy of the party and quite likes it

Prince Justin (1/Sophie)

Formal wear 

Yellow mask 

As an event planner he is compelled to go and have fun.  He’ll be on the dance floor and mingling around

Seo Haebom (1/Taeseong)

Cactus 

Green mask (if it can fit)

He’s nervous to be around so many people but he’ll be a wallflower and hang out with his boyfriend.

Seok Han-Seong (1/Misa)

Phantom of the Opera

See above for mask 

Han Seong loves a good party and he’ll alternate between dancing and mingling to just strolling alone and enjoying the scenery 

Taka (1/Apollo)

Samurai (Jin Sakai) 

Samurai oni mask 

Taka is fascinated by it all and will try and mingle and get used to Halloween parties

Vax'ildan Vessar (1/Lee Yeon)

Champion of the Raven Queen (Reaver with wings) 

Skeleton mask 

His costume may be way on the nose but whoops Halloween brought it out of him (since he’s dead and the veil between the moral and supernatural realm is thin).  Is going for the alcohol and to steal off people and gamble

Wen Ning (1/Wei Wuxian)

Himself (he thinks he’s scary) 

Cherry blossom mask 

Poor boy is so confused on what Halloween is and is scared of the crowd.  He’s sticking with his sister unless he has the courage to leave

Wu Xi (0/??)

Formal wear 

Forest snake mask 

He is only going to try and find his husband and to see what this Halloween is about.  He is fascinated by it but hates the chaos of it.  Will hit you if you touch his snake mask

Xiao Xingchen (2/Nam ra, Tylor)

Lady justice 

Bandages around eyes so not wearing mask 

While he can’t see the aesthetic of the ball or anything he’ll have a nice time in the corner and enjoying the atmosphere.  Will be asking for help and hopefully won’t bump into anyone

Xu Youyi (0/??)

Chang’E the Moon goddess 

Rabbit mask 

Is using the party as both an excuse to use as inspiration for her novel. . .and also even though she’s not as famous in America she still might be well known enough so it’s expected she’d arrive 

Zhang Chengling (1/Zhou Zishu)

Zhou Zishu hanfu 

Veiled bamboo rice hat (doesn’t know what a masquerade mask is) 

Listen Chengling has no idea what’s going on.  He’s kind of nervous to go to a party but it sounds fun and kids from college are going but he’ll end up ditched but he wants to show off to his dad his costume.  He also has no idea what a masquerade mask is and will be confused as to why they are hiding their faces

[verycharismaticdragon]

Something that kinda messed me up once I did the math: do you know how many scenes in the last few episodes of SHL are adapted from the novel? After the New Year’s celebration in episode 28 (which is adapted fairly closely, though I wish they’d kept Zishu nearly starting a house fire), it’s only six (6!) scenes, not counting previously shown flashbacks. And I’m not even talking ‘closely adapted’, just ‘at least using dialogue from the novel’.

Those scenes are:

the maid scene (ch70 – ep31)

The maid was carefully combing [Wen Kexing’s] hair, until she suddenly wasn’t careful and pulled a strand of his hair. The man slightly creased his brow, and she promptly thudded into a kneel; her entire body shook like a thin leaf in a huge storm, voice like spider silk. “Valley Master… I…” He gently reached out to lift up her chin, only to see the maiden’s face turn white with fright. He thus sighed. “Why, was someone offended? Did another force you to attend to me as a scapegoat?” A smile was put upon her face, uglier than crying, as she forced herself to talk. “Serving you, Valley Master, is… is this slave’s good fortune, is…” Eyes cooling down, he let her go. “If you’re unhappy, say so. If I were you, I certainly wouldn’t be willing to come throw my life away in the presence of a great devil. And yet, you actually…” He glanced at the girl who shook like a sieve, about to be scared to death, and suddenly stopped talking, losing interest in speaking with her. Standing up, he leaned over to pick up the comb that had fallen to the floor, then waved her off. “You can go.”

Cao Weining’s death (ch73 – ep35)

Cao Weining took a few steps forwards, then knelt, using his knees to crawl up before him. Mo Huaiyang looked at him with complicated emotions, shut his eyes, then put his hand on his head with a sigh, as if he was still a little child. “In your generation… I’ve cherished you the most.” The other choked up. “Shifu, I…” He couldn’t speak further, as this scene of tender emotions suddenly changed its tune. No one had expected that after Mo Huaiyang finished saying that sentence, his hand that was caressing the top of Cao Weining’s head would suddenly exert its strength without warning, pressing down upon his crown with the force of ten thousand catties.

In the novel, Mo Huaiyang kills Weining for publicly defending Gu Xiang after she was outed as a Ghost in a performance of righteousness in front of other jianghu ‘heroes’, so that Weining’s actions don’t prevent him from snatching leadership from Zhao Jing; in the show, he kills Weining privately instead, though perhaps for similar reason. Also, in the novel the scene happens outside the Valley – XiangNing having a wedding in the Ghost Valley is show-only; and the manner of killing is slightly different. But the general outline of the scene – Mo Huaiyang pretending to accept Cao Weining’s choice, then suddenly killing him when nobody expected it – is the same.

Gu Xiang’s death (ch75 – ep35)

“Ah… Xiang?” Her head was on his chest. Forcefully lifting it up, she gave him a smile, breath like gossamer. “Master, I said I was going to kill him, but that was a bluff. I don’t… have the skill… kill him for me, I’m begging you… kill him… for me.” He nodded woodenly. Gu Xiang looked pained, and she felt aching, cold all over. It was like all of her warmth was pouring out of her back. She had to hold tightly onto his lapels, like a little girl. “It’s f-fine if I die… Brother Cao definitely would have wanted me to live well… but I… I’m not going to… be able to… Master…” Wen Kexing covered her head with his bloodied hand. “Don’t call me Master,” he said, gentle. “Call me gege.” She attempted to force a smile, but failed. No longer obeying her, her limbs began to spasm, and her eyes gradually unfocused. “Gege, you have to… kill him… for me…”

In the novel Gu Xiang gets injured tackling Wen Kexing out of the way of a deadly attack, while in the show her injuries are from her fight with Mo Huaiyang, but the dialogue between her and Wen Kexing is fairly close.

Wen Kexing hunting down Mo Huaiyang (ch76 – ep35)

Mo Huaiyang believed himself to have escaped. He had fled more than half a shichen away from Fengya before he sighed in relief, yet, all of a sudden, a burst of rustling noises came to his ears. He quickly lifted his head up, then immediately took a huge step backwards in fright. Wen Kexing was like the King of Hell come to life. His pace was slow as he exited the other end of the forest. In one of his hands was a sword he had picked up from some unknown dead person, and its tip dragged as he walked over, step by step. “Sect Leader Mo,” he said. “This humble one was entrusted with seeing you off on your journey, if you please.”

The fight itself is slightly different: novel Wen Kexing at this point is already tired and badly injured, “hauling along half of his immobile body”, having fought against jianghu experts for over four hours (at minimum) – thus, he kills Mo Huaiyang quickly, while apologizing to Gu Xiang in his heart that he couldn’t give him worse death. In the show, Wen Kexing actually acquires most of his injuries while ensuring Mo Huaiyang suffers as much as he made Gu Xiang suffer before her death.

“There’s light...” (ch77 – ep35)

Wen Kexing stared at [Zhou Zishu] for a minute, entranced, then began to smile, reaching a hand up high to grab the air. Zhou Zishu frowned. “What are you doing?” “There’s… light around you,” Wen Kexing whispered. “I’m catching it so I can see.”

Few differences in a lead-up to the scene: 1) Zhou Zishu actually cuts off Scorpion’s hand in the novel, as opposed to just holding him at swordpoint; 2) Zhou Zishu’s response to Wen Kexing’s whispered “Idiot, why did you come here?” in the show is “To die with a lunatic like you”, while in the novel it is “To collect your corpse, you loon” – the show’s line plays off previous instances of WenZhou talking about dying together, while the novel’s leans on previous instances of Zhou Zishu calling Wen Kexing ‘madman’ as an endearment; 3) the show, maneuvering around censorship as it was, has different versions of Zhou Zishu’s line to the Scorpion (VO, actual line spoken, several variations of subs) – in the novel, the line goes “You dare act against who’s mine?” Also, in the show this line goes before the exchange from (2), while in the novel it is right after it.

The show also cuts the scene right after “there’s light” fragment, while in the novel Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing talk for a while more.

Going back to make graves for Wen Kexing’s parents (extra1 – ep34)

“Ah-Xu, after this bout, you’ll be fully recovered,” [Wen Kexing] said, after a long time of staring blankly. “Will you go with me for a trip down the mountain?” Zhou Zishu shut his eyes in rest, giving an mn at that. “I’m pretty much done with it right now, I can go. What are you going to do?” Wen Kexing was silent. The other waited for a long while. Feeling this a bit strange, he opened his eyes and tilted his head — gazing straight at him, the man still looked like his mind was wandering somewhere beyond the sky. “What is it?” Wen Kexing’s eyelids trembled, and he managed out a smile. “It’s nothing. Back then, my parent’s corpses were aired out in the wilderness, and they didn’t even get a monument. I’ve been unfilial. For over twenty years, I’ve never gone back to take a look. I should probably…”

You may notice that this scene is in a completely different place chronologically in the show compared to the novel.

In the show, Zhou Zishu is hiding that he removed the nails and hastened his death at the time of this scene, which means he won’t actually be able to go with Wen Kexing, so the scene is rather tragic on all sides. In the novel, however, this scene only happens after Zhou Zishu had woken up from his nail-removing surgеry and recovered from it. Which is honestly a good thing, as this scene is actually a lead-up to (I’m skipping a part for brevity, before anyone gets the wrong idea) WenZhou making love for the first time.

...Aaaaand that’s it. Literally, in episodes 29-36 these are the only scenes from the novel. The rest of the show’s finale is straight up original.

––––––

- TYK/SHL comparisons masterpost -

[simply-zhouye]

Zhou Ye: The Wonderful Ideas of Lotte Girls // Esquire Fine photoshoot & interview ~ a really wonderful interview with Yezi!

Read rough translation of interview below: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lY3oBM51ytlua7S8ZRdmlw

The lively character is like jumping candy, and the crisp voice is like summer honeydew. It can be a cute angel or a rebellious girl. Who wouldn't like a beautiful and free girl? We met Zhou Ye at a claw machine shop, and she caught the one she wanted five times!

Zhou Ye didn't laugh when shooting the magazine blockbuster, but she liked to laugh privately.

In the eyes of the people around, she is a simple and lively little girl, born optimistic, loves to joke, and loves to share all the fun and delicious. After catching up with the good-looking drama, she will also be ambitious to everyone, even if she encounters any troubles, she It will be resolved soon. She denied the title of "Girl's Heart"-when she was not working, she liked to lie at home and chase dramas, and science fiction and fantasy were her dishes. She enthusiastically gave an example. There is an American drama called "Stranger Things". It is about a little boy who disappeared in a small town in the United States. Everyone went to find him and found that there was an entrance to another world, exactly the same as this world. , But there is no one in that world. Such a story attracts her even more.

A few days ago, she took a four-day holiday, "very satisfied!" During the holiday, she made appointments with a few good friends for dinner, went to the playground, and watched dramas. If the vacation is longer, she would prefer to go home and stay with her family. Playing with mom and dad, playing with grandpa and grandmother, the family finds a beautiful place to go camping, and if you don’t go out, you can play mahjong with the whole family. She can stay away from looking at her mobile phone for a day.

Asked this girl who is not so girly what she wants, she said, "Now I want to accomplish everything in the moment, and every day will be better than the day before!"

Therefore, Zhou Ye, who hopes to be more progressive, raised his face and chatted with us about serious matters.

Before, people often said to me, "I like your performance of "Youth", but now everyone talks more about "Shanhe Ling". Let’s start the conversation with "The Order of Mountains and Rivers".

Gu Xiang in the play is a girl who is cold on the outside and warm on the inside. She helped Cao Weining, Zhang Chengling, and the singing sisters, but it didn't mean that she trusted them. She just felt that these people were very pitiful. Because Gu Xiang was picked up by her master when she was a child, she felt sorry for them and wanted to protect them.

She is defensive to everyone, and she will not trust anyone easily. In terms of character, Gu Xiang and I are a bit like. Both are more lively. What we don't quite resemble is our life experience and living environment.

When I first finished reading the script of "The Order of Mountains and Rivers", I loved Gu Xiang from the bottom of my heart. Gu Xiang grew up in Guigu where she was killed and beaten everywhere. Although she was lucky enough to meet Wen Kexing, the master who protected her, the rivers and lakes were sinister and Gu Xiang never really relaxed. Therefore, she can only protect herself by fierce methods. She looks acrimonious, slurs and curses, and she has to fight or kill at every turn. She looks very fierce and cruel, but her heart is really innocent and special. Kindness. When encountering people like Cao Weining, Zhang Chengling, and the singing sister Hua, Gu Xiang will rescue them and help them beat the gangsters. 

Many audience friends felt that the ending of Gu Xiang and Cao Weining was too miserable when they watched "The Order of Mountains and Rivers". Gu Xiang originally didn't know what the outside world was like. After she came to the world, she met Big Brother Cao, and the two people who loved each other were about to be happy. Unexpectedly, on the day of the wedding, Gu Xiang lost her lover so much that she would fight herself Life. I am also uncomfortable with this ending. It is not easy for them to get to this day. Why can't they live well? If I were to write an ending, it would definitely be two people living together happily forever.

For me, playing Gu Xiang should be more difficult than playing. This is my first time shooting a costume drama, and also my first time shooting a martial arts drama. "Shanhe Ling" really has a lot of martial arts, because it tells the story of the rivers and lakes, so I joined the group some time before I started, and learned some moves from the martial arts masters. 

In retrospect, the scene of the wedding was the most memorable. I had been shooting for three days in a row. I had been beating, killing, and hanging off Wia, and I would beat off some hair accessories from my hair. I didn't dare to hang on Wia at first, and the costume was so thick that I could easily trip on my feet. But I can’t take care of this when I shoot. This is Gu Xiang’s most emotional scene. I feel the same for Gu Xiang and can’t help crying. Until the end of my cry, I can’t tell whether my face is tears or saliva. , I hope that through this scene, everyone can feel Gu Xiang’s pain.

For me at this stage, whether it is a role that is more similar to myself or a completely different role, I am willing to give it a try. If the character of a character is very pleasing, I will have a sense of substitution when I read the script, I will like it, and I will really want to play it. 

In fact, my interest in acting began after I was in college. When I was a child, I learned piano, and I was not very sensible at that time. I thought it would be fine to play the piano every day after growing up and collect tickets. After being admitted to the Beijing Film Academy, we often watch movies. When the directors see their favorite movies, they will think "I can make such a great movie in the future". I am in the acting department, so I hope I can do it in the future. Acting in a particularly powerful movie may be the influence of the school atmosphere. I still remember that I watched some old movies when I was in school. I really liked "Scent of a Woman" and Marlon Brando. He played "The Godfather" very well.

In the film school, we had a lot of opportunities to meet the director and the crew. We tried again and again, and slowly met scenes that were willing to use our young actors, and started the road to filming. I will definitely read the script several times before filming. In addition to my own role, I have to read the whole story, write a short biography of the character, and talk to everyone at the script reading meeting. For example, when shooting "Ah Cradle", I often consulted sister Haiqing and the director. In the filming of "Youth in Youth", I would also ask the director: The girl I played has such a good family, why does she bully her classmates? The director told me that because her parents had very strict education for her, she was required to be particularly good since she was a child. She was under tremendous pressure and kept suppressing it, so she vented the pressure by bullying her classmates.

When taking the play, I don't worry about people comparing my previous works or achievements, as long as my requirements for myself will not change. My request is to do my best to shape each role. Every time I finish filming a film, I will have a certain evaluation of myself, and I will also look at other people's evaluations of me, as well as the opinions given to me by my predecessors, to integrate these. Every time, I hope I can do better next time. 

Up to now, I have been shooting for a few years, and I feel that I am not a talented actor, and I have to be a model worker. However, the sisters who brought me to the management team said that my biggest change and improvement is that I am more independent than before. When I first started filming, I would hide in the room and cry by myself every time I joined the group, especially wanting to go home.

Now I am more comfortable with the life of the crew than before. When I first joined the group, I still felt a little homesick. I hope to finish the filming soon, and become familiar with everyone. After work, I will play with the actors in the same group. When I was resting, I was playing with werewolf killing or something, so happy, I didn't want to kill it. I didn't want to be successful when I was filming "Shanhe Ling", and the same was true when filming "Ah Cradle". As actors, it seems that we can go to different places every time we film. In fact, there is not much time to spend in the local area, but we can eat a lot of local delicacies.

As I said just now, I want to do everything right now, and the current week is the best week.

 Do you often dream? Please share a dream that is more imaginative.

Zhou Ye:

I sometimes dream. Once, I dreamed that I received an acceptance letter from an owl, took the Hogwarts Express train to the magic school to learn magical magic, visited Hogsmeade Village, and met so many new friends. .

What is your dream day like? How to spend it?

Zhou Ye:

At this stage, my dream day is to sleep in late, and after waking up, I will lie in bed and watch a drama or hang out with my friends or watch a drama.

How to arrange the dream holiday? Stay at home or go out to play?

Zhou Ye:

Of course, it is best to have two days, so you can stay at home one day and go out to play one day!

What about the journey of your dreams? With whom, where to go, and how to play?

Zhou Ye:

With your family, you can go to the beach or play paragliding.

What is your dream job announcement?

Zhou Ye:

Go to Universal Studios to shoot hahahaha, I really want to go!

What kind of "dream skills" do you want to have?

Zhou Ye:

Teleport!

Which era is the dream era? why?

Zhou Ye:

Now, now is the best time. Grasp the moment.

[youareunbearable]

Word Of Honor fic idea where Chengling was born with the ablilty to see ghosts. It doesn't really change much with the plot, but it does change some of Chengling'ss modivations and aspirations.

Since he grew up seeing ghosts, and the tragic ways they died, he's always been afraid of killing someone and having them haunt him and knowing this his father and family let his martial arts practices fall to the wayside. His family and parents always believed him, since he used to play with an "imaginary friend" that looked and acted just like the late Rong Xuan. Through Chengling, Rong Xuan was able to send a message not to trust Zhao Ling and to hide their piece of Glazed Armor. After passing on that message, Rong Xuan passes on.

Chengling spends a lot of his childhood doing that, helping ghosts pass on, and normally he can judge a person based on what the local ghosts tell him about them, or if they have any ghosts haunting a person, then what they say.

He meets an begger one day, and Chengling can tell that his man must of had a hard life, since he has a couple of ghosts haunting him. There is a pretty young woman that looks just like a princess, and shes very short at him about how he's letting himself waste away like this, and there is another handsome young man trying his best to placate her, but also pleading with the begger to please try and live better, or go home. There are a couple other ghosts around him, young and all wearing a type of assassin clothing, none of them seem hostile though, and they all seem sad towards the begger. Not that the begger can hear or see them. The handsome young man is Qin Jiuxiao and the woman is Princess Jingan, the rest of the ghosts are some of the deciples of The Four Seasons Villa

When he meets Wen Kexing, he's a little afraid at first, mainly because there are hungery eyes watching the man in the shadows, and a few ghosts skitter away from him, calling him the Lord of Ghost Valley, but for all the death the man has caused, there aren't any ghosts personally haunting him besides a young couple, who are just straight up worried about him. At night, Wen Kexing's parents console him, talking about how they were friends with his father, and were sorry to see him pass on, and they tell him all about the hardships Wen Kexing has faced in the Ghost Valley, but also some good memories they have of their son and his adoptive daughter

After the Mirror Lake Sect burns down, all his family give him a parting good bye, but only his eldest brother stays with him to help him nagivate the world and promises to pass on once he knows his baby brother is safe and well.

The ghosts mainly allow Chengling to have some background info on other characters in the novel, to scout ahead for him, and to help teach him some other martial arts skills. They also help him warn his master and uncle just in time to save Gu Xiang and Cao Weining because that was bullshit those babies deserved to live!!!!!

They also act as a greek chorus to Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu awful shameless romance and flirting

[s1utspeare]

10 Characters I Fell in Love With in 2021

alighlaskdfjlaksdjf ok fuck. this is gonna be HARD because y’all know me you know i LOVE characters asdgihalsdkfjadslkjf. anyway THANK YOU @lasenbyphoenix​ for tagging me in this I love you!! and all your characters were so good! 

Alright I’m going to try and only choose one per show/actor otherwise they would all be from mystic nine or william characters and I can’t do that lmao

1. Fo-ye from The Mystic Nine

Is anyone even surprised? Cause I’m sure not. this man is the love of my life and my heart’s delight and FUCK i just love him so much. is it because he’s william? yes partially. but also just because fo-ye is SUCH a good character and SO tragic about it. like this mans is the embodiment of self-sacrifice and I’m never going to be over it. he wasn’t even my favorite character from m9 at first but he has slowly taken over my heart and soul and i would legitimately do anything for more Him npss pls give us season two PLEASE anyway i’m obsessed with him goodbye

2. Choi Myung-hee from Vincenzo

I FUCKING LOVE HER and not because she’s nice because she is the WORST and MOST EVIL but because of how important she is as a character. everyone’s like “jang han-seok my poor little meow meow” and then are like “choi myung-hee >:(” like if she were a male character people would LOVE HER but she’s NOT but she’s my favorite because she is EVIL and fucked UP and absolutely UNAPOLOGETIC ABOUT IT and i genuinely love how she is written and acted and GUH. she’s stellar. everyone appreciate her NOW

3. Saya from The Arthdal Chronicles

Sayaaaaaaaaa ok half of this i think is how good song joong-ki is at acting in this drama, cause he does like. two completely different characters with his choices i fucking love him (it’s mostly in his mouth too like GOSH when are actors going to stop Fucking Me Up with their acting choices surrounding their lips), but Saya is! feral! but like? elegant about it?? idk i hope there’s more of this show coming out bc i need to see him lose it just a little bit i think that would be great for me

4. Nam Seon-ho from My Country: The New Age

hghghgnnghgngghgngnghgngn SEON-HO MY LITERAL ANGEL. BB. YOU DID NOTHING WRONG EVER. jk he absolutely did make mistakes but FUCK this character just hit every single Good Button in my book. for me, he is the perfect character. if i wrote a drama it would be like this i.e. every time someone should be angry at their Misunderstood Best Friend, the Misunderstood Best Friend just gets Covered in Blood instead. like I think that’s great. i love him i love this drama i love everything about it if you haven’t seen it yet YOU WON’T REGRET IT

5. Ding Mao from Tientsin Mystic

he is. my baby. the love of my life. my son. i would die for him. i’ve talked a lot about tientsin mystic recently and I will keep talking about it because I literally adore him and i want to scream about it. he’s so so good. so well acted. trying his best, but also ultimately blinded by his privilege and seeing him work through that is just!!!! it’s really really good i love him and his curls

6. Gu Xiang from Word of Honor

GOSH SHE FUCKS SO HARD???? damn. like. damn. i want her to kick my ass. she’s so badass and competent and feisty and i am cao weining, following her around with heart eyes. she’s so so so fun and amazing, and i want to be her when i grow up

7. Lee Jae-sun from Meow! The Secret Boy

this drama was a blast and a half but lee jae-sun my gentle boy?? he’s so SOFT in this. just. he’s the softest. he’s got the type of background that could have made him angry and aggressive but instead he’s a cute shy introvert who has a combination coffee shop/leather working studio and he handmakes crafts and loves cats and wears soft sweaters and is just a really really good man all around. just his general aesthetic makes me 🥺

8.  Tang Fan from The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

admittedly i have only seen two and a half episodes of this show but tang fan already owns my heart. i too want to be an eccentric gay foodie detective that writes erotica as my side hustle. he’s such a bitch. so high maintenance. rip his boyfriend he’s going to have his hands FULL with this one. 

9. Han Ho-yeol from D.P.

i saw this actor first in Train to Busan: Peninsula, and he was great and crazy! his face is so interestingly structured! anyway i think i really like ho-yeol bc he treats his work as a job. like it’s a fun job for him, and he takes it seriously, but at the end of the day, he’s doing it because he has to, not because he feels like he’s being a hero or trying to save people. He’s just working, and would step away from the work in a second if given the opportunity, i think, which is very refreshing honestly. also he’s a little unhinged but in a good way, and i just think he’s neat

10. The Main Trio from 3 Will Be Free

3 WILL BE FREE MY BELOVED!!!! thanks to @mejomonster who clued me in on this one and finally made me watch it bc ghghghghghghh i loved it so much?? if you haven’t seen 3WBF yet, it’s free on youtube, PLEASE watch it. Anyway i went into this one expecting Shin to be my favorite and I loved him but Neo and Miw also own my heart? they’re all such different characters and so multi-faceted but so well written and acted and they break my heart and put it back together again, and I don’t think any of them are nearly as good without the other two. like??? shit. find me a better canon polycule (you can’t bc they don’t exist ahahahahahahahahaha :/) anyway i couldn’t choose just one of them bc i love them all and they are inseparable :)

ONCE AGAIN THANKS TO LASEN!!! THIS WAS SO FUN AND I LOVED IT! I am tagging @highpriestessofjogan, @pissmeoffanddie, @psychic-waffles, @bimingjue, and @rose-nebulijia, cause I wanna see what your favorite characters were!!! <3

[chalkrevelations]

So, Word of Honor Ep 23, and LISTEN. This is going to be another long one. We are in it, now.

(Clearly, spoilers, so if you’re thinking you might want to start watching and don’t want to know everything up front, scroll away and come back after you watch the ep.)

Look, I’m just gonna talk about this first because I can’t even process anything else, or function, until I get this out of the way: I came for the bl and the pretty boys, but at this point, I have to reiterate what I said after Ep 22, that I am so grateful Zhou Ye got her fingers into Gu Xiang and absolutely refused to let go of this role, through everything. She’s going on my actors-to-follow list, and I’ll also be following scriptwriter Xiao Chu into whatever she writes from now on. A little bit, I’ve come out of Ep 23 thinking, did anything else even happen, other than That Scene with A-Xiang and Wen Kexing? (Oh, yeah, That Other Scene with Wen Kexing and Cao Weining about Gu Xiang.) The show is going to have to work to top That Scene for me. The first time watching, I couldn’t even really focus on how the Gu Xiang/Cao Weining and Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu relationships continue to reflect each other and how everything A-Xiang expresses during this conversation is exactly what Wen Kexing feels/fears about himself but cannot say out loud. All of that was there, and I mentally picked through it and unpacked it some more on a re-watch of the scene, but the first time through, I was too busy being legit distressed about Gu Xiang’s fear and pain and how desperately she wants this new thing and how afraid she is, not only of fucking it up or having it fucked up for her, but of getting it. Last night at dinner I compared this storyline to a kind of reverse Persephone story, where she’s being pulled by her lover OUT of the land of death, but is nevertheless having to leave behind everything and everyone she knows and is familiar with, including her beloved brother/parent figure. And all this after being told for essentially her whole life that what she’s doing is forbidden and unworkable, that the human world and the world of Ghost Valley do not mix. (We just saw Wen Kexing have his own little mental stall over this, just so the show can make sure we don’t forget.) And Gu Xiang is so unprepared for all of this and so terrified by it, despite the fact she wants it so badly, that she literally cannot do anything - this shining, clever, fierce girl who will stab you if you look at her the wrong way because she’s been taught to survive above all else - she can’t do anything other than sit down with her arms wrapped around her knees pulled to her chest so that she’s the smallest target possible, protecting all the tenderest, most vulnerable places, and weep. Y’all, it is killing me even thinking about it. I might have to take a minute.

So, then they come at me with the second hit of the one-two punch, which is the scene between Wen Kexing and Cao Weining, where Wen Kexing talks about how this little girl not only saved him, but he calls her meimei, and at that point, I’m done. I’m just. There’s nothing else I need right now from this show. I realize this is supposed to be a story about Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu, and up until now, my ride-or-die has been Zhou Zishu, but whatever. Fine. I WANT TO LIVE HERE AT LI MANOR FOREVER, SHOW, WHY MUST A-XIANG AND CAO-XIONG GO BACK TO HIS SECT? Listen, I think it is a far, far better idea if Cao Weining marries in to Four Seasons Manor, and Gu Xiang’s paternal figure is the ... lol, I almost just called him the Ghost General ... he is who he is, so frankly, I don’t know why he should be so concerned about following social conventions, like having daughters of the house marry out. (I know you think you’re protecting her, Lao Wen, but YOU ARE BREAKING UP THE FAMILY. I need them to stay with the rest of you forever. I need Zhou Zishu to continue to call A-Xiang a “good girl,” because I suspect that hasn’t happened very often in her life, and she needs more of it.) Then, as a last kick in the ribs, once I’m down, the show has WKX tell A-Xiang that she’s not a wild girl because she’s his girl. Thanks, show, I didn’t need my heart for anything like pumping blood to oxygenate my brain or any of my body parts. It’s OK. I can do without it.

Anyway, going back and looking at multiple story-telling levels of all this, there’s the additional issue that during That Scene, A-Xiang is also a proxy for Wen Kexing, saying things that he can’t. (For emotional and psychological reasons within the show, and for practical reasons because they probably wouldn’t pass censorship.) Maybe some things that he can’t even let himself think, at this point. So every time, from here on out, when Zhou Zishu asks Wen Kexing about his past and Wen Kexing momentarily freezes with that trapped look on his face, we can think back to this conversation with A-Xiang and realize that Wen Kexing is terrified by his relationship with Zhou Zishu, despite how desperately he wants this new thing. He is so afraid of fucking it up, but he’s also so afraid of getting it, and he’s so unprepared for it that he literally cannot do anything - this fierce survivor, this ghost king, who will crawl over corpses and skin a guy alive and kill you if you look at him the wrong way because almost (almost) all he’s known is to survive above all else - he cannot do anything except mentally and emotionally curl up so that he’s the smallest target possible, protecting all the tenderest, most vulnerable places. So thanks, show, for what promises to be a repeated exercise of stabbing me in the heart.

Just a little bit more about these scenes: I also think we’re getting at least one, maybe two other foils in the story-telling, which are more about the Wen Kexing-Gu Xiang relationship. Maybe less supported but nevertheless intriguing, I have to wonder if, when he took on that little girl despite (or maybe because of) still being essentially a child himself, Wen Kexing was trying to re-create - even subconsciously - something of the shixiong-shidi relationship he experienced for that brief time with Zhou Zishu as a child. Yes, she saved him by making him keep his heart, because he had this actual nurturing relationship to at least try to model their relationship on. I also think that we’re maybe supposed to be seeing them as a foil to Xie Wang and his AWFUL yifu, who appears to have taken on a kid and turned him into a murder weapon not in any effort to help him survive, but to use him as a tool in his quest for power. Both Wen Kexing and Zhao Jing have produced Poorly Socialized Murder Babies Who Love Them Very Much, but I think Wen Kexing actually had his kid’s best interests at heart, as he understood them, and tried to do the best he could with the extremely broken tool box he had to hand. Also, he loves her back. All that doesn’t mean she’s not fucked up or necessarily any better prepared for the “human” world than Xie Wang, but it may have made the difference between an amoral murder baby who can learn better and an actual sociopath.

In other comparisons, that first convo of the ep between Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing - when ZZS says that he doesn’t want to see more sins on WKX’s hands - is essentially the same convo that Cao Weining had with Gu Xiang in the previous ep, when he tells her that he wants her to be more careful because he knows she actually will feel bad for killing innocent people. This is the same conversation because these two relationships are the same relationship. (Note, I don’t think they started out like this, or that their beginnings were all that similar. Cao Weining was much more of a pursuer and initiator than Zhou Zishu was, in the beginning. But I think the courses of the two relationships have converged, at this point, with Cao Weining and Zhou Zishu knowing what they want and being all in, while Gu Xiang and Wen Kexing also want it but are too fucking scared of it for practically the same reasons.)

Meanwhile, speaking of Xie Wang - what are you up to Xie’er? Do you want the Water of Lethe so you can drink it and get over your awful yifu? Are you finally at the point that you’re doing some critical thinking about this relationship? Or do you want the Water of Lethe so you can slip it to your awful yifu, so that he’ll forget about his obsessions with power that prevent him from focusing on YOU? You call Beauty Ghost an idiot, but I think you may be empathizing (though not sympathizing) a bit much with the women of the Department of the Unfaithful.

Finally, that brief little moment of Zhou Zishu’s face when Wen Kexing spits out his wine after stealing it from him ... Oh, god. You didn’t realize how bad it tasted, did you? Your sense of taste is going.

[sixteenthshen]

my rant on episodes 31/32

I feel so conflicted about them.

On the one hand, I wanted to watch the shared horse scene so much. On the other,  there were so many inconsistencies and WTF moments. I can't bring myself to touch those episodes again to make more gifs, which is such a pity because WKX falling down the cliff? SO PRETTY. 

Spoilers behind the cut. If you do follow the drama with Chinese fans, you’ll probably have heard the same things like a million times. To save yourself more angst/stress, skip my post. 

The upside is that the director took the fans complaints to heart. They were making edits until 2am last night. I heard it’s already live, but I’m still trying to prepare myself. There’re some things that can’t be fixed >< 

*hopes for the best on Tuesday* 

In episode 11, WKX wanted to tear the Scorpion assassins into ten thousand little itty bits because ZZS had some blood on his lip, which made me mentally scream so much from joy. In episode 31, he  LETS Duan Pengju, that evil dickface(TM) go, just like that? Where's the rage? Where's the anger? Do you see the colour of ZZS's face? Can you see what he's wearing? Do you know what dickface did? 

Although it's a very touching moment when WKX decides to acknowledge the shixiong/shidi relationship, it's super weird that the ghosts are behind. I mean, I suppose it can make sense if we focus on the fact that he's planning to "retire" from being the big bad CEO of Ghost Valley. But it seems careless to expose a weakness in case someone tries to take advantage of it since they have to kill you to get to be the new CEO. 

There's no follow up on the injuries sustained from being tortured by the evil dickface(TM). How could they make WKX seem so callous? Maybe a scene where ZZS asked Wu Xi to hide his injuries from WKX, but WKX's right outside. He overheard ZZS telling Wu Xi to hide it from him, so he pretends not to know. *cue angsty scene for WKX here* 

The only thing related to injuries was when Wu Xi said ZZS could be saved from his self-inflicted nailing. Okaaaay. What about the piercing of the scapula? (穿琵琶骨 (piercing pipa bones) - it's supposed to cripple your martial arts ability until you heal ok) 

WKX suddenly decides to go off and be a career man, which is perfectly fine. But he suddenly has Gu Xiang watch over ZZS like a hawk, not letting him drink. (Seriously, I forgot if this belongs in TYK or if this is yet another thing stolen from Sha Po Lang) Where is WKX showing any concern over ZZS's total loss of 2 out of 5 senses? I ASK YOU MS. SCRIPTWRITER. What have you done to WKX's character??? Poor WKX, poor ZZS. 

And did everyone laugh off the fact that ZZS can't taste, so why should he drink wine? Ok, I can make myself accept this if I remind myself that ZZS would not like people making a fuss and pitying him anyway... (but shouldn't someone, anyone care???) 

We get many hints that WKX has a sneaky scheme, but he doesn't tell Gu Xiang, his closest friend since childhood. He doesn't talk to his soulmate about this either. 

WKX and ZZS's dialogue just before he falls down the cliff... Seriously reminiscent of Silent Reading, when Fei Du makes the same self-flagellating confession & Luo Wenzhou stops him. 

ZZS draws his sword and stands beside WKX. What is going on?! How does he still have his martial arts ability? Did months pass since WKX saved him from evil dickface (TM)? Nothing makes any sense!  

ZCL's hidden weapon is what forces WKX over the cliff. If ZCL did not know about the sneaky scheme, then WTF is this kind of scriptwriting? ZCL's character turned from a good, young child to a prop-causing drama and angst. Even if he felt betrayed, was he not there to see how depleted WKX made himself trying to save Han Ying? Did he not see how WKX tried to keep his shifu safe? Or taught him how to fight? Did ZCL become stupid all of a sudden just to create angst? 

 It only makes sense if ZCL knew about the scheme because of all the info he was privy to, such as Zhao Jing as the villain behind it all (when he heard WKX and ZZS talking). How would he go from knowing that to thinking ZJ should be the new head of the alliance? As a matter of fact, how could Shen Shen?  

Ye Baiyi has to be in on it unless WKX suddenly gained so much martial arts ability in the short time since they last fought. I mean, it only makes sense that WKX got so much stronger because he got injured by YBY, then depleted his strength saving Han Ying. 

So ZCL, YBY, Scorpion King and his buddies, fellow ghosts, possibly Shen Shen... WKX only kept it from the two people closest to him? The two most likely to do something stupid when they find out? *flails at this logic* 

The scene where ZZS's nails magicked their way out of his body... It's so awkward!!! I mean, we're supposed to feel emotional, but the special effects are just awful. I tried not to skip through it, I failed. 

So now what? ZZS essentially sacrificed himself to help WKX complete his goal. He gave up on his chance to be saved to fulfil WKX's pursuit of revenge (and take revenge for WKX's death). And it's all because of a misunderstanding. 

Between ZZS's nails and the ZCL-issue, I'm drowning in dog blood. What happened to WKX and ZCL's characters/personalities???? 

Also episode 32 is VERY choppy, it seems like we’re jumping to scenes randomly, the flow isn’t there. 

I can only say that the "Priest" spirit is gone; it's not a bad drama by any means. I'm still watching & I'm still going to buy the new episodes on Tuesday. But the random angst and abusive scenes inserted without no reason nor much logic are very un-Priest-like. 

I feel a little cheated about the scriptwriter being a fan of Priest. Priest's novels always feature couples who communicate. The supporting characters can come off flat in a drama sometimes because they're so normal. They don't have ridiculous backstories that make them tragic villains, and they behave logically. 

The angst "created" in Priest's novels makes sense. Characters don't suddenly change their personalities so that we can watch something exciting. The "dog blood angst/drama" is the big failing of so many Asian dramas. *CRIES* 

Now, the GOOD & HAPPY STUFF. 

WKX SAVING A-XU. *heart eyes* 

NGL, no matter how short it was, I liked the horseback scene 

There was a cute moment between Qi Ye and Wu Xi, scriptwriter knows how to ship!! & knows how to make it clear who’s gong/shou lol. 

THE HAIRPIN SCENE. IT’S EVERYTHING.

Even though I’m 90% sure the no-alcohol thing is copied from Sha Po Lang... I have so much love for Gu Yun and ZZS that it made me happy. My drunkards <3 

Did I mention WKX looks extremely pretty when he falls down the cliff? How do you fall so prettily? Plz teach me. 

WKX also looks pretty fake-dead. ZZS looks pretty when he’s heartbroken

I ship xiangcao so hard even though I know what’s gonna happen. (Cao Weining & Gu Xiang) They’re too cute.

I love the Poisonous Bodhisattva, I thought the Tragicomic ghost would be my favourite because of how gorgeous she is, but she’s too tragic & not enough comic. Poisonous Bodhisattva is my new goddess.

[misanthropiczombie]

23 baybeee

food again so like who knows how much of this i will actually react to here

okay A) fuck yeah totino's pizzas are the SHIT. why buy expensive pizza when the $1.25 pizza is this good?

anyway

i love how they're being volunteered to pick up another stray. I AGREE but its still funny. Gotta get your babies somehow, if you can't make them, store bought is fine.

zzs coming to terms with his murderous husband and going "well if you can't be swayed i will help" True Love

they are so in love your honor

that seems like a pretty big nerf im just saying

god his outfit is SO GOOD. like WWX levels of good

they would make great babies

She sorta just gets dragged along with the narrative but I still love

her

father daughter moment

the mirror between gu xiang and cao weining and zhou zishu and wen kexing re: everybody hates ghosties is glorious. Make that boy confront himself via someone he obviously cares about

CAO WEININ WHO TAUGHT YOU TO CHOP

SHOVELTALK SHOVELTALK SHOVELTALK GET IT HE IS ABOUT TO MARRY OFF HIS DAUGHTER YOU BETTER APPRECIATE CAO WEINING

chengling sets the whole palce on fire just watch lel

cao weining looking all serious and sincere

YES THATS YOUR DAUGHTER ARE YOU JUST GETTING IT lmao baby

"hurt her and you're fucking dead"

god they're soi FUCKING MARRIED. Immediately rags on his shovel talk "if he's mean to you i'll handle him~"

lmao

mmmmmm what do you bet that manor is burnt

he's getting real annoying zhao jing is just super arrogant now. dear scorpion king your dad sucks please back alley knife him

lmao goddamn

:]

man i really really hope he shanks his dad

Word of Honor Live reaction, pt. 2

Okay so in an effort to not have stupid long posts even with every episode under a readmore, we're onto a new thread starting with Episode 17.

Episodes 1-16 ⪻⨀⪼[future third post link]

He's too earnest. i know its silly but i have such a hard time feeling anything for him. too pure not interested

I guess beauty is just like out and out with him for now? no questions asked. does he know she's also a ghost? or does he know and just not give a shit because of ~love~

couldn't keep it in his pants or break it off X years ago for a wife he disliked, but fuck the sects man

too pink and avocado for how much of an assholw both of theseguys are

look at her ears theyre so cute

;lksajfd "I wasn't hot but once you started speaking I did feel annoyed"

lmao BABY

j;hklas;dlkfj ZZS being a hardass as a teacher but also he loves that boy and keeps putting himself in The Situations to save him and smile at him and WKX being like "well this is a character shift be nicer~" the back and forth is so good

"he acts like a wife" i mean, buddy.

wooooaaah ALL THE GHOSTS?

wkx trying to sneak his child out of practice for ice cream but daddy said no

"how did you survive all of these years without someone strangling you?" "i'm good at martial arts" everyone is bratz or over-earnest those are the archetypes

zzs's resting bitch face is great

Ye Baiye is suuuuch a brat

there is ome 4d chess going on here and i am a 2d child

Man the mental hold he's got on scorpion king is something else. that relationship is the furthest from healthy

this is SUCH MARRIED COUPLE SHIT

god i cannot get over this a;lsdkfja;skldfj

THEYRE NOT FAKE IM GOING TO FUCKING DEVIATE MYSELF

lsitensltieslkjntesilsadkjlfha anyways im very normal about this

tell him how fucked up u are DO IT

RALEJHlk:JDS;flkj lsiten listen the man is ride or die you know.

also its not like he's not been a Bad Person just tell him and kiss and make mroe babies

[randomingoftherandomness]

Fic: The Act of Foisting Your Children Off for a Second Honeymoon

Fandom: Word of Honor, Lord Seventh

Pairing: WenZhou, XiYuan

Tags: Alternate Universe, This would make more sense if you have read the Qi Ye novel, but if not it’s still okay, slightly SPOILERY for people who are following the YouTube release schedule, no pain all fluff

A/N: Because I want Ah Xiang to grow up loved and cherished by her uncles and her dads and her little brother, and when she is older, she will be loved and utterly adored by her Cao Weining 🥲❤️ greatly inspired by this (kinda spoilery?) gif set by @zhuxinjie who had the tags that got this ball rolling x

—

“Again?”

Bei Yuan smiles at the two children that Ping An ushers in to his study. Gesturing for the bowl of sweets they keep just for these occasions, he beckons them close until they’re both settled on the cushions.

The girl, Ah Xiang, carries an air of deep grievances around her as she inelegantly folds herself to the cushion on the left, while Chengling, the younger, composes himself onto the one on the right with more grace.

It was clear which child favoured which parent.

Bei Yuan has to hide his smile in the rim of his teacup. “What is it this time?” He addresses them. “The kitchen caught fire? They ran out of clean clothes? They needed to cultivate together for another month? An impromptu journey to the mountains again?”

Ah Xiang pouts, then decidedly sulks.

“They said they wanted to try fighting for two days straight,” Chengling softly chimes in. Ping An shuffles over with the bowl of sweets which brightens the dark gloom over Ah Xiang somewhat but doesn’t seem to knock the sunshine off Chengling’s sweet smile.

“Uncle Bei Yuan, is Lu Ta coming back soon?” Chengling asks, craning his neck and looking around as if Lu Ta would miraculously appear between on blink of an eye and the next. Wu Xi had taken their foster son out on an excursion to the hills today. Part of his training as the Shamanet, he had said, as though Bei Yuan absolutely knows that it was because Wu Xi feels like he had been lacking in the passing of his knowledge to the boy.

“Not until the afternoon, I’m afraid,” Bei Yuan says. It warms his heart and endears him to Zishu’s silly disciple that he would befriend their Lu Ta without any hesitation. It had surprised Wu Xi too, but his beloved is pleased about the matter too and they had spent many hours in the privacy of their room talking about how to encourage this friendship.

Chengling merely nods and goes on a description of a strange creature he found a few days later ago that he would like to talk to Lu Ta about.

Bei Yuan pushes the bowl closer to them and mentally prepared a list of things they can do together. He should send Ping An out for more snacks to add to their table and maybe wrangle someone else to call on Young Master Cao to see if he is available. Ah Xiang might be denying it to the high heavens that she was sweet on the boy, but he’s sure that anyone who bothers to pay attention can tell otherwise.

If Zishu’s Lao Wen is to believed, Ah Xiang is already at the age where they can seriously entertain the prospects of marriage. With Chengling already arranged for the hand of his Xiao Lian-jie when he is a little older, there was only one of the two children available for such endeavours.

Here was Ah Xiang, who was already keen on this one person, but is obviously holding back. Why? Bei Yuan ponders the query. Perhaps because she has such an attachment to her Ge who had raised her all these years. Perhaps she is reluctant to entertain the yearnings of her heart because it had just been them both for such a long time until Zishu came into their lives and then Chengling too. 

There has never been a doubt that Ah Xiang was the apple of Wen Kexing’s eye and he would move mountains just to keep her happy. By that train of thought, she is protected by Zishu as well. Young Chengling seems to regard her highly as well and Bei Yuan hopes, in some small part of his heart that surprisingly has the space for it, that she knows that she is very much cherished by himself and the Great Shaman of Nanjiang for her friendship and the joy she brings them. No harm would ever befall her that would not reap retributions that come threefold.

He turns his gaze on her as she sullenly munches on the dried fruits placed in front of her by a placating Chengling. Maybe it would be good to push on Young Master Cao into spending more time here when she was.

Bei Yuan can’t help but snort. If Zishu and his Lao Wen hadn’t wanted him to meddle in their children’s prospects, they really should stop foisting their children off on his household when their moods strike them.

Sipping lightly on his tea, he cajoles Ah Xiang out of her dark mood and entices both children for a bit of lazing around the house until the hour that Lu Ta and Wu Xi would be shaking the dust off their robes. They will rouse themselves from whatever daydream they’d doused themselves in and welcome them home with smiles on their faces.