#xiao heng x xue fangfei

[zhoufeis]

THE DOUBLE 墨雨云间 (China, 2024) Dir. Bai Yun Mo, Lu Hao Ji Ji, Ma Shi Ge – Ep. 26

[fairytaehl]

(both gifs by bellesdiaries, tumblr gif search function kicks rocks)

we are intertwined and tangled just like that (xue fangfei x xiao heng)

summary:

Late afternoon; that was when she would arrive in a carriage to meet her husband as he left after completing his duties for the day in the Imperial Court. The gates would be guarded, but they knew her and her purpose, and would not say a word when she stepped down and waited for his arrival. The doors opened, and she craned her neck to see her husband walk past the threshold, however it wasn’t him at all.

notes: short (1.1k) one-shot canon-divergent / semi-compliant (squint hard) of "what if she met xiao heng face to face as xue fangfei before dying?" just had writer's block and wanted to do something canon-adjacent for them. cross-posted on ao3 here. enjoy!

Late afternoon; that was when she would arrive in a carriage to meet her husband as he left after completing his duties for the day in the Imperial Court. The gates would be guarded, but they knew her and her purpose, and would not say a word when she stepped down and waited for his arrival.

There was nothing different about today; Mrs. Shen scolded her only twice, once for waking up late (despite that she had simply fallen back asleep after bidding Yurong a good day), and again for discarding her guqin and not using it to teach Ruyun, even though she knew she sold it in order to help her son work for his top scholar position. She still did the laundry, brought her in-laws snacks during their resting periods, and didn’t take precious time she wasted sleeping with going to the market.

So as she waited, Fangfei clasped her hands together in front of herself and smiled. He typically walked down the steps around the same time each day, and she loved the routine of being the one to pick him up. Usually, that was.

A few days here and there, Mrs. Shen would insist that she and Ruyun go instead, so she kept herself demure and let them, wondering if he’d be just as happy to see them as he was her.

Other times, he had to spend days away from home on some teaching retreat, though those were few and far between, and he always brought back plenty of gifts and loving touches upon his return.

Lately, there had been a lull in any romantic engagement, but she chalked it up to stress from such a demanding job. After all, since they had moved to the capital many months ago, she noticed how his muscles were more tense, how he sighed more and kept himself locked in his study for hours on end, even forgoing coming to their bedroom some nights.

It made for a rather lonely pit in her stomach to grow, but each time she got to see him when he came out, it dissipated as quickly as it formed.

The doors opened, and she craned her neck to see her husband walk past the threshold, however it wasn’t him at all.

She recognized the face that it was, though. How could she not? The emperor’s best friend, his General and Advisor, and man to be feared.

Duke Su.

They had met before, in a way, while she was exploring the market for new cloths to choose from. Haitang noticed him and his two guards, who followed behind him currently, watching her, warning her, and she let curiosity take hold of her to meet the eyes of this mysterious admirer.

Back then, she didn’t like the look on his face, especially from what Yurong had said about him before. Her view of him only came from one person, but she valued his commitment to good morals and virtues and took it like it was gospel. Considering that her husband also had detailed his role for the emperor and things he did, she believed him fully.

Languidly, in no apparent rush, he graced each stair with such arrogance, as if they were built just for him to walk down. Fangfei wanted to sneer at the pompousness, but remained straight-faced instead.

She would’ve presumed he was going for a leisurely stroll around the palace, after all, she wasn’t entirely well-versed in his duties, but when another carriage came up in front of her own, she knew he was heading straight towards her.

Her body stiffened, wondering if she should turn her head in a timely manner as an excuse to not have to bow to him. That was rude, she knew, but she didn’t appreciate the way she had been stared down shamelessly that day. He didn’t seem the least bit apologetic, and she could see lips moving, gossiping about her, of course. What of, she wanted to know deep down, though it couldn’t have been anything good. She wasn’t guilty of anything, yet somehow still felt as if she had done something wrong.

Again, she could see his two subordinates whispering in his ear as they grew larger, three pairs of eyes trained on her. Her eyes flitted down momentarily from the wordless pressure she felt, glancing back up in time to bow down when he was close enough.

“Su guogong,” she said as she lowered herself and head, dropping her eyes once more out of respect this time. When she tilted her head up, he had stopped not far from her, close enough to see the tiny slant up the corners of his lips. How smug.

“Mrs. Shen,” he greeted, inclining his head towards her. “I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting before. Properly, that is,” he added, his voice honeyed.

Fangfei bit her tongue, plastering a well-practiced fake smile on. “I do remember that day in the market. I hope I haven’t offended you in some way,” she responded.

He blinked and smiled wider. “Not at all. I was merely observing the happenings of the market that you happened to be at at that time,” he tried to clarify, but she didn’t believe it. Observing like a hawk scouring for its prey, she was sure. Someone like him could never do anything without a purpose.

Still, she nodded. “I hope not to disrupt you from wherever you must be going, Su guogong,” she told him, hoping that would push him away, well aware he had trained his deduction skills to perfection for this position, though she couldn’t care. Her husband would be out soon, and she wouldn’t want to stick around him any longer.

Duke Su seemed to chuckle quietly, amused, only fueling her ire. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Shen, everywhere I go waits for me, whether it knows it or not,” he mused, staring off as he spoke before glancing back. “Your husband is currently speaking with the emperor, and you may have to wait. I would suggest heading home and meeting him there.”

That had her furrowing her brows as she processed his words before forcing herself to relax, blinking a few times. “I can wait. Thank you for your concern for me, Su guogong,” she replied, studying him. Surely there were hidden intentions behind all his words. She wondered what it was like, having to live each moment like a game of chess.

He bobbed his head once, looking tickled pink, making her wonder if she had somehow told some sort of joke.

“A talented and devoted wife. No wonder we have such an enlightened and capable top scholar this year,” he said, almost as if he was speaking to himself, stepping over to his carriage. “Well met, Mrs. Shen.”

And swiftly, not even caring to see her hesitant bow at his departure, he was off, leaving her alone.

She should’ve been glad about it, but for some reason, she could not shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of what would be many encounters.

[talea456]

Thoughts on The Double rewatch

tl/dr: The FML & SML romantic contrasts sum up like this:

Shen Yurong: Hello my darling, self-sacrificing trophy-wife. Your hands shouldn't touch weapons. They should only do dainty female things.

Xiao Heng: What's up, my fierce wild-cat? OMG your brain is sooooo freakin' sexy, btw. What? You need help learning how to kill someone? Hell yeah, Queen! *grabs her hand and head straight to the armory*

Like, seriously. Every time Shen Yurong has visions and/or flashbacks to his wife, it's basically Xue Fangfei giving c-drama tradwife vibes every time. She's either playing music, doing some calligraphy, or helping him out by selling her things and/or giving him advice constantly.

BUT every time Xiao Heng is seen thirsting over Jiang Li/XFF, it's when she's doing 5-D chess with politicians and talking herself and her family members out of trouble.

Just LOOK at him absolutely LOVING her fucking up the Li family plans. Man is totally turned on by how fucking SMART and CAPABLE she is.

Like, one thing about this scene in episode 16 is that I thought the ML was going to come running to protect/help out the FL here. I've watched enough c-dramas to expect that, ya know?

But not our man Duke Su! He's like: She's totally got this...And I should probably stay seated to manage my giant boner rn anyways.

And how green flag is that "advice" he gives her about not compromising herself & become a different person for someone else in ep 31???? It's pretty dang green, guys.

Point is: Shen Yurong only saw her as a trophy/trad-wife. Xiao Heng sees, and loves, ALL of her.

[jcs-singular-slut-strand]

+ unnecessary commentary

[yingtan]

The Jade Cat Pendant

In battle, Xiao Heng bites into a white jade cat pendant belonging to Xue Fangfei, whom he affectionately calls "Xiao Li Mao" (little leopard cat). Jade represents human virtues in traditional Chinese culture. As the Confucian saying in the Book of Rites goes: "A gentleman never parts with his jade without a reason." Jade pendants were worn on the body as a constant reminder of one's virtues. In The Double, Xiao Heng keeps A'Li's pendant close to him. It is a token of love, respect, and their shared quest for justice. According to Chinese folklore, it is good luck for a stray cat to enter the house, as "cats bring five blessings, cats enter blessed places." Similarly, jade carvings of cats were believed to bring good fortune and health to their owners. Xue Fangfei treasures her jade pendant. It was given to her by her father, who hoped it would bring her protection and a smooth and peaceful life. The cat-shaped pendant also represents Xue Fangfei herself, her ability to survive in harsh environments, and how, like a stray cat, she unexpectedly enters Xiao Heng's life and captures his heart. (x)

The Double 墨雨云间 (2024), directed by Lu Hao Jiji, Bai Yunmo & Ma Shige

[fiftysevenacademics]

2024 in the rearview mirror

This was a difficult year for me, not in any particular way but in many small ways that all added up. Due to being stuck at home for most of the year, I watched an ungodly amount of television.

Cdramas and danmei came to my rescue as escape pods. It started with The Untamed popping up in my Netflix recommendations and I remembered I’d been meaning to watch it, so I started that either at the end of last December or early January and things spiraled out of control from there. So here is my “Best of List.”

Chinese shows or movies I watched or partially watched:

The Untamed (four times)

Handsome Siblings

The Longest Promise (couldn’t finish because it’s awful)

The Double

Sunshine on my Mind (it’s pretty good but I haven’t finished it yet)

Snowfall

Meet You at the Blossom

Word of Honor

Fangs of Fortune

My Journey to You

The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity

Kill Me Love Me

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

Hidden Blade

Danmei

The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi or MDZS- read it twice)

Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (SVSSS)

Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Ci Guan Fu or TGCF- still in progress)

English-language shows of note. (I watch a lot of American and British shows but only these stand out)

We Are Lady Parts

Superstore

Baby Reindeer

The Tourist

Doctor Who

The Brothers Sun

This Fool

Fantasmas

Interior Chinatown

Best of 2024

Best show: Fangs of Fortune (One of the best TV shows I’ve EVER seen and one of only 3 that had me sobbing like a baby at the finale.)

Best M/F pair: Xue Fangfei and Xiao Heng (The Double). A het ship so good it almost made me genuinely miss men. Almost.

Best mortal M/M pair: Wangxian (MDZS; The Untamed)

Best immortal M/M pair: Yuanyi (Zhao Yuanzhou and Zhuo Yichen- Fangs of Fortune) I couldn’t choose between these two pairs and I love them both intensely in different ways so I cheated and broke it down into two categories.

Best F/F pair: Wen Xiao and Pei Sijing (Fangs of Fortune)

Best polycule: The Fangs of Fortune crew

Most fun ship: Bingqiu (Luo Binghe x Shen Qinqiu SVSSS)

Most delicious toxic couple: Jin Xiaobao and Zongzheng Huaien (Meet You at the Blossom)

Character I feel closest to: Jiang Cheng (MDZS; The Untamed)

Character that makes me feel rabidly feral: Zhao Yuanzhou (Fangs of Fortune)

Most valuable player (fictional): Luo Binghe (SVSSS) Always there when I need him.

Most valuable player (real): Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Most fun: Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System (SVSSS); We Are Lady Parts

Funniest show: Superstore; Interior Chinatown

Most angst: Fangs of Fortune

Most beautiful: Fangs of Fortune

Best developed characters: MDZS

Best female characters: We Are Lady Parts; My Journey to You; The Double

Hottest female character: Ayesha (We Are Lady Parts)

Best adaptation of a novel: The Untamed

Best fandom: SVSSS; Fangs of Fortune

Best (only?) happy ending: Handsome Siblings

Best reveal that I saw coming that made me cry anyway: Wen Yuan-Lan Sizhui

Best villain: Li Lun (Fangs of Fortune)

Most fuckable character: Xue Yang-Untamed version (I’d pounce on it without even thinking twice.); Wen Kexing (Word of Honor) (I’d change gender if I had to.)

Poorest little meow-meow: Jin Guangyao

Goodest boy: Fairy

Simultaneously the most fun and the biggest letdown: Doctor Who (It always is LOL.)

Only cdrama where the the logical effect of tea on insomnia is considered: My Journey to You

Queerest: Fangs of Fortune

Best acting in a torture scene: Wang Yibo in Hidden Blade (Not that I seek these things out, It’s just in the movie and his performance was really really good.)

Most highly specific kinks: Snowfall

Director whose work I want to follow: Guo Jingming

Show I broke up with: Star Trek Discovery

Show I didn't want to watch but ended up liking: Star Trek Lower Decks

Best action: The Brothers Sun

Weirdest: Fantasmas

Biggest disappointment: Chevalier

Best nostalgia trip: Rewatching all of Star Trek TOS, STTNG, DS9, and on to Voyager with my wife, who had never seen them.

Character I like much better now than I did 30 years ago: Quark.

Dislike that has held up over time: Bajoran religion; Neelix and his wife (can't stand them).

[gravitasmalfunction]

The Double characters with doubling as a thematic motif:

Xue Fangfei/Jiang Li: betrayed by family, framed for crimes of morality, cast out and left for dead

Xue Fangfei + Xiao Heng: clever, drama-loving schemers, plotting for justice; soulmates, each other's other halves

Princess Wanning: her life as a hostage princess, being treated worse than dirt, and her life after her return to Great Yan, where even the emperor doesn't dare say no to her directly

Shen Yurong: spouse murder x 2

You KILL Wanning? You murder Wanning like the ex-wife? HELL for Shen Yurong! Hell for ten thousand years!

[zhoufeis]

THE DOUBLE 墨雨云间 (China, 2024) Dir. Bai Yun Mo, Lu Hao Ji Ji, Ma Shi Ge – Ep. 17

[zhoufeis]

THE DOUBLE 墨雨云间 (China, 2024) Dir. Bai Yun Mo, Lu Hao Ji Ji, Ma Shi Ge – Ep. 19

[jcs-singular-slut-strand]

These people have got to stop saying that they'll "put on a show" for the other whilst looking at each other like that