#xia fei pv

[rainibao]

My body's on the line, now

I can't fight this time, now

I can feel the light shine on my face

Did I disappoint you?

Will they still let me over?

If I cross the line?

Merely a shadow of your facade

[miyamiwu]

Link Click is so sneaky, they inserted one frame, ONE frame in Xia Fei’s PV where the Red and Green title card is cracked as the Yellow light shines upon it

It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, so here’s the same gif but with that one frame’s duration extended to 1 second:

And here’s the screenshot:

Red and Green are Vein’s colors, but Xia Fei’s PV is full of them even though he is Yellow

oh, traffic light theory, we’re really in it now...

EDIT: It’s not that the Yellow light is cracking the Red and Green! It was because the Yellow light was withdrawn at that exact moment that Red and Green were disconnected!!!

As long as Yellow can pass by smoothly, Red and Green, Past and Future, shall be connected

[kuravix-art]

Liu Xiao recruiting Xia Fei like

[90108s]

gang 🔥

[ID: A three-panel illustration of Xia Fei, Vein, and Liu Xiao, shown from left to right. Xia Fei is shown winking, with his elbow propped up and his cheek leaning against his hand. Vein has a toothy grin, displaying his sharp canines, and has a hand outstretched. Liu Xiao is smiling slightly, hand reaching up to his glasses as if to adjust them on his face. They all have blood on them, particularly their hands.]

[degenerateshinji]

wake up babe new guy just dropped

[veifei]

notes on veifei and reciprocation of the gaze

(or, rethinking the PVS as taking place After yingdu, and thinking about vein and xf looking at each other, basically. is this even anything)

- xia fei's PV — in a post Yingdu context we see 'influencer' xf, the news report at YE6 refers to him as such, prior to that he's just a part time model:

- liu xiao's appearance in XF PV is transactional; conversely vein's appearance doesn't have that implication — its one sided; vein gazes upon XF with a smirk/smile, a look of (personal) interest

- what's the point of showing this scene?

- POST yingdu context/interpretation — vein is overseeing/watching over (an unaware) XF? Amusement? (endearment?) (veifei stonks are UP because xf would have to have really captured vein's attention for him to still be looking at him 'beyond the grave'/from the shadows)

- other instances of the (un)reciprocated gaze? the ED; vein looking towards the light, XF looking out towards the rain; the first meeting in which there is a reciprocal gaze (tho really the focus/framing is on vein looking down at XF); XF 'looking up to vein' in the metaphorical sense (what he says to shiguang in bahati), gazing up at the clocktower (which vein is atop of in the OP)

- XF is Unaware of vein's gaze, but looks at him/up to him regardless; vein is Aware of XF's gaze, and does seem to gaze back (reciprocation of the gaze)

- the role of surveillance -- suggesting control/dominance (vein's PV, and his appearance in XF's) - but we see XF's 'self surveillance' in his PV too - submission/acceptance/...reciprocation? A 'please watch me' - XF is looking For vein/looking AT vein -> what he does ("i got nothing left to lose / all i do is pursue") is for vein's return(ed gaze)

[dragonselkie]

HES JUST A REGULAR LIL GUY???? 🥺

[kuschelkissen]

Gonna ramble about Xia Fei, buckle up.

Right now, I'm the most interested in how his character will actually be in Yingdu chapter... because we really know the least about him.

We know that Vein is unhinged and dangerous. That was obvious from the very first trailer and every single thing that came out afterwards. (no normal person says they like the smell of rotten flesh)

And we've already known that Liu Xiao is someone working from the dark, manipulating the people around him.

We don't know anything about their powers (I mean, we don't even know if they have any, we just assume that. It's highly probable, but nothing has been confirmed afaik), but we know that they will be dangerous villains.

Xia Fei? Well. His PV looks like he's just a normal guy. A student, vlogger, waiter, who gets... well, recruited (? to whatever?) by Liu Xiao. It's not really obvious whether he was a model before that or if Liu Xiao is responsible for making him famous?

The imagery and lyrics have a really depressing undertone, he's faking his smile, pretending whenever cameras and spotlights are put on him, and the way his smile drops in the end... ugh. (The title being translated as "lending skin" and "body for rent"... yeah, that gives a bit of a darker tone, and that scene where he's being watched by Vein... icky.)

So this, paired with the pawn imagery from that chess picture, kinda makes it look like he's being used by Liu Xiao (and Vein?). Not sure for what and how. Maybe he has powers, too? Not unlikely, I guess.

From the lyrics he doesn't seem to feel like he's being used, though. I guess both Vein and Liu Xiao are too shady to not notice it. He sings "I don't care what it takes to stride", so he's probably okay with the shady business as long as it helps him getting to the top?

Then you have the creator's notes to the song and...

"Beneath XF's polished exterior lies a rich and conflicted emotional world" "conflicting voices inside XF's mind" "these elements blend his outward glamour with the undercurrents of his inner struggles"

So to me that sounds like he knows that these guys are shady, but he still takes their help, even though he's "conflicted" about it.

"No matter how exhausted he feels" "his breaking point" "his act begins to crumble" and he "retreats to his unassuming identity as an ordinary college student"

HNNNG what does all of this meaaaan xD There is definitely a lot more to his character as it seems at this point.

"Others may have the option to step away, but XF has no choice"

Ok why though. Is it because of the other two? Why does he have no choice to step away?

I feel at this point, there are more things pointing towards him being used than anything else, he is a pawn, after all. And a WHITE one, too. So this is interesting, why is he the same colour as the guys' team?

I think right now, there are 2 things that still make me very cautious about him.

talking in chess language, if a pawn reaches the other side of the board, he can be exchanged for another, more powerful piece. For example, a Rook. The piece represented by either Vein or Cheng Xiaoshi... idk, can't even really put my finger on the WHY, but it DOES give me a bad feeling.

in the House of the Hot Headed video/Artwork he sits on the couch with Liu Xiao, while Vein sits on the floor, beneath them. I'm not the first one to point this out, but as others have said... this makes it look like he's on the same level as Liu Xiao? And Vein is the one being used by them. Idk. Everything else points into a different direction? Is this just to throw us off? Will he be a big plot twist character?

I mean, he probably will be, one way or another. For now I kinda want to believe that he may be on the guys' side? Maybe help them in the end?

He's definitely gonna die, though. I hope he will die on the guys' side, though.

For now we have to wait. I'm looking forward to meeting him, ngl. He's definitely gonna be a surprise, no matter what happens.

[keiicom]

I've only had xia fei for three hours and I'm ready to die defending his honor what is wrong with me

[stridingseer]

Thank you link click for dropping the antagonist pvs. I cannot wait to ship them as a polycule + li tianchen for peak chaos.

[lusguang]

Link Click: Bridon Arc Character PV Xia Fei

[rainibao]

What Xia Fei says(FINALLY...or so I presume) at the beginning of the PV:

"Do you all(he's addressing multiple people) believe that superpowers exist in this world?"

It COULD be because he himself has powers, or that he met Liu Xiao and Vein who have powers?? Or both??

[miyamiwu]

The 3 times Xia Fei talks about Vein in YE3

[mysterialistic]

Random thoughts from Yingdu episode 3:

-Lu Guang definitely has PTSD. Nightmares, hallucinations, triggers. It’s all there. That scene with Cheng Xiaoshi’s corpse was genuinely disturbing.

-Cheng Xiaoshi sleeping on Lu Guang’s shoulder and LG almost touching his head?? I’m DECEASED.

-Okay, so the timeline from the first Yingdu PV isn’t the same as the current timeline. Does that mean that the one from the PV was the original one? Such a cool little detail.

-I can’t tell if Lu Guang knows Liu Xiao or not. He seemed to recognize him)? I mean, they probably did met at the airport on the original timeline given how the first PV included LX. Guess we’ll have to wait.

-Xia Fei is… interesting. He’s a liar that never shows his true face to anyone (except Vein and LX, maybe). I don’t trust him, definitely not. He’s obviously not only a model, he also does some shady jobs for Vein and Liu Xiao, including befriending a couple of strangers to keep an eye on them.

-Related to the previous point, I can bet that the Xia Fei/Vein shippers are happy with the outcome of this relationship lol. Even I’m surprised at how close they are! Let’s just hope that Vein doesn’t kill him when he deems him useless.

-Also, Xia Fei was studying physics)? That’s so cool. My quick theory is that he’s actually VERY smart and has a small obsession with powers since in his music video he mentioned them.

-It seems like everything that is happening in Yingdu is completely set up by someone who knows exactly how it all must go down (Liu Xiao or Vein?) The airport fight, the library guy keeping and eye out for someone coming to look for that specific book, Xia Fei meeting them, Vein appearing right on time. There’s no way this is how it happened on the original timeline, back then it probably was spontaneous, but now? They’re manipulating the outcomes and that’s why Lu Guang is so confused with all the changes.

[pastorfutureletthembe]

Checkmate ♚

Apparently a temporary AR (Otome) game is coming soon and the artwork for it is just breathtaking! It is also full of details I want to explore OF COURSE. My brain is doing tetris things again, oops.

Looking for a senseless meta about chess pieces? You're in the right place, come on in~

>> Chess Theme

White vs Black

The first topic is obviously the chess theme. Of course, this part is to be taken with a grain of salt since the pieces aren't correctly disposed on the board. However, the characters themselves are walking on their respective squares except for Vein (because he's all powerful and he's above your stupid rules. Probably). Notably, Liu Xiao himself seems to be leaving a white square. And if there is any meaning to it, I'd like to believe it makes a gray character out of him.

Now, what can we say about the chess pieces themselves?

White: rook, pawn, knight

Black: rook, mystery piece, king

Each character is paired with a chess piece.

The most reassuring clue to me is that a white piece has been given to Xia Fei. Which, there is a fat chance this makes an ally out of him. He might be only a Pawn ♙ for now. For those who are not familiar with chess, a Pawn can only move ahead, never back, one square at a time. It has some cool moves too but it depends on the game you want to play. If the path is open, a Pawn can reach the other side of the board, turning it into a Queen ♕. If a Pawn can only move ahead in small range, a Queen literally rules over the whole board. She's quick, vicious and dangerous once she has enough space to move as she pleases. Of course, he can also be a mere Pawn, a tool to manipulate Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi.

[Edit: since I always turn mine into Queens because I like to inspire fear and admiration from my brother, a Pawn can also turn into a Rook, a Bishop, or a Knight. I like to think of Xia Fei as a Queen but it's very interesting that he could turn into either Vein/CXS, Liu Xiao or Lu Guang by the end of Yingdu Chapter. ]

Cheng Xiaoshi and Vein both getting paired with a ♖ Rook ♜ could mean they use the same kind of power or are equivalent in some ways. Rooks have a large range, can move horizontally and vertically, ahead or back. They are better used when paired with other pieces, though, cause a lonely Rook ♖ is an easy pray. I think the main focus here is the similarity more than the piece itself. Lu Guang seems to be the one being punished and haunted, but Vein probably offered his power to Cheng Xiaoshi (or Lu Guang, according to the last Yingdu Chapter PV). My personal theory is that Vein mirrors or shadows Cheng Xiaoshi's shape because he is the source of his power. Vein's position, if there is any relevance to it, keeps Lu Guang's Knight ♘ from moving at the center, his natural and most efficient position.

Toppled King

Liu Xiao has two pieces by his side, a King ♔ and a mystery piece. The merch revealed the later to be a Bishop ♝.

Note that only amateurs tend to topple the King. It is regarded as some kind of pop culture-only approach to chess. Because of this, let's take a look a what an actual checkmate is (where we don't get to step on the vainquished).

Checkmate is any game position in chess in which a player's king is threatened with capture and there is no possible escape. In chess, the king is never actually captured. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. The player loses as soon as their king is checkmated. In formal games, it is usually considered good etiquette to resign an inevitably lost game before being checkmated. (cf. wikipedia)

If Vein, the current character we might recognize as the ultimate villain of the season, is only a Rook ♜, equivalent to Cheng Xiaoshi, who does the King ♔ represent? My personal opinion is Time, Fate itself. The song "Mastermind" supports this theory, and Lu Guang himself really is defying the natural order to save Cheng Xiaoshi, after all. It would make perfect sense. Stopping the clocks at a tournament is the sign of surrender. So basically, the game is over when one gives up and stops when the King has nowhere to go.

The character of Liu Xiao is given a lot of care in this specific artwork. He actually always stood out, since his very first appearance in the season 2 artworks, walking past Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi's portrait, looking away from us. Here, again, he's not interested in the audience, focuses on the photograph of what fans reckon as Lu Guang from "Dive Back in Time".

The truth is, he's playing the long game, he has no time to spare, and he regards people as puppets. There has been theories about him having a hidden agenda, independently of Vein, using/working with Li Tianchen and Li Tianxi for his plan. His intervention in "Trial Train" speaks volume of his strategic mind, "they wanted to escape but didn't realize I blocked the exit a long time ago". Also, one hundred years wouldn't be enough to escape.

This merciless sharpness makes the Bishop perfect for Liu Xiao. Funny story, the Bishop ♝ is not actually a priest, but it represents a war elephant. Historically, the war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks, and instill terror and fear. That's fitting.

Another possibility regarding the toppled King could be that it refers to Liu Xiao's background. The fallen piece could be a resolved situation but the motivation behind Liu Xiao's intent to manipulate the timelines. Perhaps he played this game before and lost. Does Lu Guang know him or is Liu Xiao a mere stalker? Did they play this same game together or against each other?

There's a lot that can be speculated but it is hard to say what these pieces represent for now. As I said before, this read is based on popular imagery of what chess is, not on the actual strategy on the board itself. Secondly, these three new characters we have yet to meet, they don't have a defined role in the canon, not until Yingdu Chapter finally aires.

>> Tokens

Each character is giving a object. I guess it might be relevant to the type of gameplay the AR game will offer but for the sake of this meta, we're still gonna try to understand why those in particular.

Cheng Xiaoshi has a camera. I don't think it deserve further analysis, his powers exist through the lens after all.

Xia Fei has a clock. Guess the time? 10:10. For those unaware, it is a very recurrent time. Put the promotional poster aside, I recommend you pay attention to the time on the clock in the Studio, above Lu Guang's head, right before the gang gets a ominous call from Xu Shanshan's phone at the end of 1x09. If it should mean anything about Xia Fei himself: I won't say it enough but, really: DO NOT TRUST HIM. Or, you know, perhaps he's doomed: it is worth mentioning that except for Xia Fei's Pawn ♙, each character is affiliated to a piece which can move forward and backward on the board.

Liu Xiao has a gear. I find this one intriguing because, so far, this object has belonged to Cheng Xiaoshi's imagery (cf. "BREAK!"). For someone on an ambitious project such as controlling timelines, he is giving a small tool that cannot be used on its own, is part of a machine. Could be relevant to the way he does things, never getting his own hands dirty, working through others. Or it could be that he's himself just another player, played by Fate. Or perhaps, he has the missing piece that Lu Guang needs to save Cheng Xiaoshi, who knows?

Vein is already using his own item: the pipe. He's the only one owning his object and aware of it.

>> The Case Study of Lu Guang

Because of course, our favorite character is actually the shadiest of all, I will dedicate a whole section about him specifically. Why do I insist on calling Lu Guang shady? We know and we see his chess piece is white. But you have to take a closer look to make out the White Knight ♘. The value of a Knight ♘ is equivalent to the Bishop's ♝. But ultimately, its worth less than Cheng Xiaoshi's Rook ♖.

L shaped path

Moving only in an 'L' shaped path, Knights ♘ are the most effective from the center of the board. This is because they get a broader reach in all directions from the central part.

Now, this is very important. Why should it be a mystery that Lu Guang's piece is a knight? What is a Knight ♘? The answer resides in the mechanism of his maneuver.

Part of the idea of the knight maneuver is to flank. And since the Knight is not a horse but a man on a horse, the odd maneuver reflects the knight's ability to guide the horse he's riding (to an extent). In other words, since the Knight comprises two entities (the man riding the horse), the move should sensibly consist of two parts as well, to reflect the added agility of the athletic horse. Conversely, the Knight has access to a maximum of 8 squares (as opposed to the "equal" Bishop's maximum of 13) because the horse is still an animal with a mind of its own.

Note that if you place a Knight ♘ somewhere on the margins, its efficacy will diminish exponentially. Additionally, if he only moved two squares, straight or diagonally, the Knight ♘ would always be restricted to the color squares that he started the game on.

Lu Guang being the Knight ♘ doesn't only means that he moves unconventionally. It is reflective of his duality. Perhaps, the fact he's using his power and Cheng Xiaoshi's. There is another aspect of him we could address here:

Burning Palace

For one thing, "BURNING PALACE" brings back the theme of strategy board game with the checkers this time (you see black pieces falling). It also introduce the Four Heads from playing cards. The fact they bothered to mention it implies a Fourth character.

Xia Fei: ♠

Liu Xiao: ♣

Vein: ♦

The fourth color ♥ is missing and I'm secretly convinced that it's Lu Guang's color.

Enygmatic Tokens

The portrait behind Lu Guang is Lu Guang himself, from "Overthink". This image appears in the first bridge, when the lyrics goes "how did my sight got stolen once more?", superposing Lu Guang's face with mysterious shapes, erasing his eyes/power. This particular line comes to confirm what we already know: Yingdu Chapter isn't a resolution, let alone a happy ending, but a repeat of a tragic event in an unchangeable node. The end is the same, once again. Lu Guang's hope and happy ending has been stolen once more. And STOLEN also implies that there is an intent behind this failure.

A portray is still a photograph though, and it can be used to dive back in time.

What is the most curious to me is the familiar eagle on Lu Guang's chest. Eagles belongs to Cheng Xiaoshi's imagery so why does Lu Guang is wearing them here?

An interesting take would be that Yingdu Chapter isn't actually from Lu Guang's perspective, but from Cheng Xiaoshi's, diving in a picture taken by Lu Guang. This would be some kind of plot twist and would definetely makes the big reveal easier but not less painful.

I'll probably make a whole meta about this symbol at some point but in the meantime, I'll let you know the eagle is associated with strength, power, wisdom, and freedom. The eagle's ability to soar high in the sky was believed to be a symbol of divine protection and spiritual guidance. Additionally, eagles are tied to the sun. Some people see them as signs of a bright future on the horizon. As a symbol of light, they embody both the intensity and heat of the sun as a fearsome force of nature, as well as the warmth and benevolence of the heavens.

This positive symbolisms are deeply rooted in Cheng Xiaoshi's nature, but if Yingdu Chapter actually brings us back to one earlier repeat, we can assume that Lu Guang had initially a brighter outlook on his mission.

The glasses are back and I'll say it again: once is weird, twice is a coincidence and thrice it's a pattern. The portrait shows Lu Guang without eyes but his item is a pair of glasses. Might be a subtile hint of denial there. As far as glasses go, pink is a peculiar color. It helps to 'voir la vie en rose', as the french says: "look at the world through rose-coloured glasses." Meaning, being delusional.

Might it be the eagle or the glasses, I'd say they're both representative of Lu Guang's state of mind at the time: hopeful.

~

[Edit: I recommend you take a look to these threads regarding this very same artwork: | X | X | X | I don't agree with everything but it's always cool to have other perspectives.]

[degenerateshinji]

okay so its like actual nothing this week so im just gonna cross off these 2 again since whatever it happened hopefully hopefully hopefully next week more cause ep 4 looks insane based off the pv

happy yingdu/bridon to all who celebrate

how the bingo's looking so far