#xue zhengyong's fan

[web-novel-polls]

Web Novel Weapon Tournament

[Please be courteous in the notes.]

Bu’gui [“No Return”] / Guilai [“To Return”] - Mo Ran’s sword from 2ha

“No Return… Affairs of the past upon vermillion bridge in emerald green; Another year goes but still you do not return.”  - The Husky and His White Cat Shizun, Chapter 81 

Bu’gui was Mo Ran’s sword in the original timeline that he received by bringing a plum blossom branch to an old dragon named Wangyue. He had Chu Wanning seal it until he could think of a name for it, and it was only named “No Return” after Chu Wanning’s death.

In the second lifetime, he received Jiangui instead, but Bu’gui appeared once more at Xuanyuan Pavilion and was auctioned off to the Rufeng Sect for 5 million; this time it was referred to as Guilai or “To Return.”

Wiki Link

Cheng Luan - Liu Qingge’s sword (SVSSS)

Submission: 

It is very large and is obviously enough to carry Liu Qingge and company. The sword is the size of his ego…

Final battle sword (TGCF)

The sword of several gods put together to fight the final Boss of TGCF. I think it at least deserves a chance lol

Wind Master Fan (TGCF)

Owner: Shi Qingxuan

[No Propaganda Submitted]

Wiki Link

Xue Zhengyong’s fan (2ha)

“Xue is beautiful, others are ugly.”  - Chapter 31

While this fan is never named, Xue Zhengyong’s fan is well-known due to the writing on it - “Xue is beautiful” (which faces others) and “others are ugly” (which faces him). It really is iconic

Zheng Yang - Luo Binghe’s sword (SVSSS)

Submission: Something about a childhood sword that was broken, then preserved, then restored, and in the end was the one that remained, instead of the more powerful one that brought only misery. 

[variouspolltournaments]

Propaganda

Shen Qingqiu: After waking up in the mushroom body, Shen Qingqiu decides that one of the first things he should be doing was procuring a new fan.

"The first step to starting his all-new life would, of course, have to be proceedings with which Shen Qingqiu was most familiar. First, for a prop, he needed a folding fan, one with a white silk base, decorated with an ink wash painting of mountains and rivers. Shen Qingqiu snapped the fan open and waved it before his chest, sending his long hair and whiskers flying. Perhaps his image wasn't ideal and was slightly unsuited to said prop, but that didn't matter. With a folding fan in hand / Badass act at my command."

Xue Zhengyong: His fan says “Xue is beautiful” on one side and “others are ugly” on the other side. I think that’s reason enough.

[tweetsongs]

2ha is the PIDW that SQH could’ve written if he weren’t a coward

[danmeichael]

i definitely want a vtuber au as a means to explore genderfuckery but i think objectively the funniest option is corpo vtuber agency sisheng peak

chu wanning is a rescue, he used to be employed under rufeng productions but suddenly graduated. after his graduation it slowly came to light that rufeng is extremely exploitative and neglectful with it's livers.

he's the first liver in sisheng peak -- honestly, sisheng peak wasn't even supposed to be an agency at the start, xue zhengyong just noticed his specialest princess was feeling down now that he couldn't stream anymore and decided to lend a hand

tanlang elder/xie fengya becomes cwn's manager, they have a very endearing bickering relationship.

xfy nags him in chat to end stream and sleep/eat/etc.

xzy is affectionately called tianshi-laoban by fans, as he is also anonymous for the most part and is extremely beloved.

in rufeng cwn had the persona of a scholarly, tortured (musical) idol with extremely deep lore, he was adored for his guqin streams as well as asmr.

im sorry to say this but the funniest option for cwn's new vtuber persona is xia sini. extremely deep-voiced child saying "mods, ban him". he is obviously immediately nicknamed the boss baby.

the guqin streams return, the asmr streams do not. it is heavily theorized he was being forced to do the asmr.

cwn, partly due to his previous renown and the drama tied to rufeng, is a massive success

there's more than enough to profit coming in to fund any projects cwn wants to carry out (mostly some extremely ambitious charity streams) and xzy can't think of anything better to do with all this anime boyfriend cash than support more up-and-coming creatives and make more anime boyfriends.

thus enters their conservative second wave! the promos are angel-and-devil themed, which briefly makes people very excited that maybe tianshi-laoban is debuting but alas, that is not the case

shi mei and taxian-jun drop and some people are sad there's no ceo

most of them are just excited about the femboy and the daddy dom

shi mei (irl: hua binan) is the most sickeningly sweet powerfully pink femboy you have ever seen in your life. he opens every stream with a charmingly cringe "hi honeys! <3"

he does a cutesy voice and plays up a sweet adorable character during his debut but his first non-debut stream is "getting over it" and that image is shattered very quickly and he gets a reputation for being surprisingly foul-mouthed. probably for the better, he was liable to kill someone with an icepick if he had to keep doing that voice.

he plays a lot of horror games with a heart rate monitor and gets clipped for the fact that his heartrate never spikes.

taxian-jun (irl: mo ran) is the sort of obnoxious sultry daddy dom you expect him to be. he's the only one who really bothers with a lore video. a demon emperor who died lonely, nobody willing to love him due to his out of control temperament, only to be reborn and shown his first scraps of kindness by tianshi-laoban and xia sini.

he does so much asmr. a nauseating amount of boyfriend experience asmr

his model has tiddy jiggle, a massive amount of cleavage, a shirtless toggle, and has toggles to hold a cat-o-nine, handcuffs, and a blurred out sounding rod. he calls his fans his "kittens"

the only reason he doesn't get into controversy every other week is because he's indebted to xzy, and also doesn't want to disappoint shi mei or his shixiong.

collabs with all three members are kind of a nightmare.

it quickly becomes clear that both shi mei and taxian-jun are a little bit obsessed with xia sini and are competing for their shixiong's attention

shi mei usually wins these competitions

this makes for a lot of very funny fanart of #foreveralone txj.

where is xue meng, you ask?

well, what is any vtuber without their extremely beloved manager? he sometimes joins in on streams with a little pngtuber

the pngtuber is an extremely glamorous ikemen prince holding a clipboard.

his voice cracks constantly.

there is a disproportionate amount of porn fanart of him compared to sm and txj

[llostwriter]

The Husky And The White Cat Shizun With Their Baobei

Chapter 5

It was the same scene as before, with the same exact alluring phoenix eyes looking down at you, bringing back memories of your second past life. The aura of the individual was like that of a celestial being. His beautiful face was paired with that bone-piercing coldness and indifference. If there was a reincarnation of the word "divine," it would be him. His beauty could even rival that of the gods above. Even the most beautiful woman, Song Qiutong, is no match for him. As expected of the true protagonist.

He was patient with you, like you were with him.

You missed him. Waiting all those years for him. Practicing to your limits just to impress him. To save him. You wanted to embrace him tightly in your arms, telling him that everything was going to be fine.

Human lives are short, so you know that you can't say hundreds, even if you know deep inside that you would wait hundreds of years for him.

You could only pray for the best. You watched the other children choose their elders. Leaving you and some others still remaining. You were looking at Chu Wanning, almost ashamed to approach him. The guilt that you weren’t able to save him in your past life was eating you alive.

Were you even worthy to be basked in his godly presence? What if you failed him again?

The uncertainty was creeping in on you. It wasn’t long before; it felt like only you were left out of the entire selection. You mustered up the courage and walked up to Chu Wanning.

—-

You still ended up leaving the village and settling off on your quest. As in past lives, the grandmother didn't stop you but instead encouraged you to work harder to get into a good sect. The only difference was that in this lifetime, you weren't alone; your acquired holy weapon accompanied you. You went to Tinyau, a village on a mountain near the other mountain, Sisheng Peak. In your male form.

The village wasn't extremely far from your original village; after all, if it were, Sisheng Peak wouldn't send disciples to assist with your village's agricultural development. However, you assumed that it would be easier to be much closer so that you wouldn't have to run late to the disciple-selecting ceremony.

The disciple-selecting ceremony isn't that easy. At least not in your previous life. Since you weren't friends with Xue Meng, like Shi Mei, You couldn't pretend to be the son of a dead family member of Xue Zhengyong.

In your previous life, once those participating arrived at the ceremony, they were teleported to a wide forest area that lacked any high-level creatures. There were some creatures; however, they were all small-ranked creatures, in order to prevent any accidents from happening. The task was to find feathers that only meant-to-be cultivators could see; non-cultivators would be unable to see the features. Unless the non-cultivators are from a noble family and have some ancestral weapon that can assist in the findings,.

It sounds easy; however, if there were tons of participants and only a limited amount of feathers, people would tend to fight for it. You were smart to pretend that you don't have any and were successfully able to fool those arrogant people into trying to get you as well.

With Xian'ye (your holy hand fan), you were able to get one of the feathers. Remembering that Chu Wanning and the other sect teachers are watching, you made sure to prevent any further incidents from occurring between the other participants. In your past life, without any holy weapon, you weren't able to do much since you didn't want to be dragged into the drama.

——

"From now on, you're my disciple. You would be committed to the pursuit of righteousness and cultivation. This choice will reshape the very essence of your journey and your destiny."

You got accepted by him.

[nacrelysis]

the xue family is alive and well. xue zhengyong helps xue meng name his spiritual fan; the name sucks, as is expected, but xue meng can't think of a better one. madam wang tends to sisheng peak's affairs and spoils veggie bun rotten, so to this day, xue meng can't get the cat to favor him over his mother. she sends medicine and small trinkets from the market to chu wanning, reminding mo ran he's always welcome no matter his past. she asks after taxian-jun's flowers, while xue zhengyong insists that ranwan come pay them a visit - don't they miss madam wang's cooking?

the hanxue twins court xue meng, and it takes five months before he notices and another year and a half before they start making wedding preparations. chu wanning and mo ran get married. they have a ceremony on sisheng peak. madam wang prepares chu wanning's favorite sweets and leaves the wontons for him to make himself. xue zhengyong gifts them things both extravagant and ordinary - a jar of aged peach blossom wine, matching guan sets, lotus seeds for taxian-jun.

at the end of the celebration, madam wang brings over a basket. mo ran moves to pull back the blanket, but the little kitten pokes its sleepy face out before he can do so. veggie bun had kits, they're told, perhaps you'd- and mo ran has already jumped to say yes before madam wang can finish. the hanxues hang around to tease xue meng and get matching whacks over the head from his war fan. mo ran passes the kitten to chu wanning and watched his beloved's face melt in affection. madam wang and xue zhengyong preside over this little family, and xue zhengyong's fan is broadly, proudly turned to the side that says "xue is beautiful."

now you wake up.

[shen-daozhang]

@majestictortoise got an ask about recommendations for more Chinese shows for someone who enjoyed The Untamed, and opened the floor for more recommendations.... ... My time has come. I actually have a watch list here that's filterable by genre, as well as some other things (including my recommendations for those new to Chinese shows), but I wanted to pull out a couple of those that I think are good for people who are looking for something to watch after The Untamed, that might not be the first shows you'll hear about here on Tumblr.

If you like political intrigue, complicated characters, bromance, and women who can kick your ass (both metaphorically and literally)

THE SECRET OF THE THREE KINGDOMS

54 eps. Viki. Youtube.

199 CE. Yang Ping grew up alongside his foster-brother Sima Yi, unaware of the fact that he is the Emperor's identical twin brother. When the Emperor dies, Yang Ping is secretly placed on the throne in his brother's place. He quickly learns that his brother was emperor in name only, and spent his entire reign under the control of one warlord or another; currently he is under the thumb of the infamous and ingenious Cao Cao. But Yang Ping lacks the the viciousness and cunning that those closest to him think he needs to survive as the emperor, let alone unite a war-torn nation and revive a fading dynasty. Can Yang Ping survive the power-struggle and become an emperor in his own right while remaining true to his principles?

This is a (highly) fictionalized history of the fall of the Eastern Han and the start of the Three Kingdoms period. It start off a little rough (I honestly almost dropped around episode 5), but I got pulled in and find this to be very bingeable and just a fun show with a cast of really interesting characters. While they all have knives at each others throats, no one is truly a villain- even those people who are traditionally seen as being 'bad guys' are given depth and complications. These are people living a terrible period of history, who have very different ideas of how to fix it.

Speaking of history, if you know nothing about this period you'll likely need to do a little bit of Wikipedia-ing if you want to really get the most out of the show. While I do think it's mostly accessible to someone who is going in without knowing what happens, I actually think the liberties taken with history are an interesting way to play with the historical characters and why they did what they did, and how they became who they were; it's constructed in such a way that it assumes you know what happens to these people, which often makes their early actions and statements ironic looking at you Cao Pi, my poor little meow meow I've actually been debating about making a simple guide to the characters, so if that's something you're interested in let me know.

You might recognize: Bian Jiang who provided the voice for Lan Wangji voices Sima Yi Su Shangqing (voice of Meng Yao, Cao Weining, Tang Fan) voices several characters I am almost positive Yang Ping is voiced by Jiang Guangtao (voice of Xie Lian, Sheng Lingyuan in Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire, Chu Wanning in the Erha voiced manhua). Tan Jianci (Cao Pi) is playing Gu Yun in Winner is King Tse Kwanho (Cao Cao) is playing Xue Zhengyong in HYX/Immortality

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If you like a drama queen of a main character who is willing to do (almost) anything for what starts off as a just cause, a great friendship that gets twisted as the show goes on, found family, and fantastic chemistry between the actors (not just the romances)

RISE OF PHOENIXES

70 episodes. Netflix.

Banished prince Ning Yi claws his way back to power and favor, methodically eviscerating all who stand in his way. All the while he's drawn to the independent and intelligent Feng Zhiwei who has disguised herself as a boy and become a trusted scholar to the Emperor. But will they survive the schemes and hurdles thrown their way?

If you've watched Nirvana in Fire, Ning Yi is the person that Mei Changsu thinks he is, while thinking that he's the person who Mei Changsu really is. Chen Kun is one of my favorite actors, and the role of the histrionic and morally complicated Ning Yi really shows off his strengths. He's also my fancast for Yan Wushi for what it's worth, and this show is my Powerpoint for why.

I will say that I think this show embodies both the good and bad things about pseudo-historical c-dramas, especially one of this length. I've already touched on the acting, but it's really fantastic from nearly all of the cast, and the actors are allowed to actually react to each other which is a lot of fun to watch. The design is also very cohesive- in addition to the costuming, the set dressing is also really well done with lots of nice details.

However I will say that generally this is a show that you need to turn your brain off and just watch when it comes to the plot. There's also some pacing issues, with important information being skipped over or seeming like entire scenes were jumped over... which might actually be the case because rumor has it this was originally 90 episodes (!) but they were told to cut it down. I honestly recommend you end this show at episode 68. The ending of that episode is more satisfying than what the show gives you (which, spoiler, is a sad ending), and some of the story and plot issues of the later episode really snowball in the last two episodes, with characters acting really OOC and some pretty extreme ridiculousness.

But now that I've said all of that this show is incredibly bingeable and just a fun watch! And I can't understate how excellent the acting chemistry is.

You might recognize: Wen Ruohan as Feng Zhiwei's teacher Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty's Lao Pei is one of Feng Zhiwei's fellow students

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If you like a main character who has a lot of growing up to do (and does it), brothers with a relationship that's #it's complicated, and a xianxia setting focusing on gods and monsters.

ASHES OF LOVE

Viki 60 eps; Netflix 63 eps

Jinmi- a carefree spirit who is unable to feel love- finds herself caught in the sibling rivalry between the two sons of the Heavenly Emperor, Fire Deity Xufeng and Night Deity Runyu.

A personal comfort show/guilty pleasure. This was also a super popular show in China when it aired. The more fantastical xianxia setting gives a lot of room for interesting costume and set design, and while there are some hard fails, there's a lot more that really works! Honestly though I think this show is as popular as it is because of the three leads- Deng Lun, Luo Yunxi and Yang Zi are all really good actors, and make this more than what could have been just another xianxia romance soap-opera of a show. All three of them grown and change, and end the show as completely different people. I do want to say this show changes tone- it starts off almost as a romantic comedy with goofy elements before taking a much more serious turn in the later half.

If you can, watch this on Viki rather than Netflix because the subs are much better (I strenuously disagree with a lot of the choices, but I'll spare you my rant), and the Netflix version is the extended one which makes the show too long while not adding anything worthwhile, and actually messes up the ending of a pivotal episode, weirdly enough. EDIT: It appears the episode ending has been fixed! If you're curious, it was the ending of episode 45, which.... yeah kind of a major episode ending. If you would like to join me in waiting-for-HYX/Immortality hell, this is made by the same production company, and Luo Yunxi (Chu Wanning) plays Runyu, and He Zhonghua (Nangong Liu) plays the Heavenly Emperor (if you've spent any time in the Erha/Dumb Husky tag you have almost certainly seen people using clips of Luo Yunxi in this show for Chu Wanning edits)

------------------ If you like a coming-of-age fantasy that's a sprawling heroes-journey type story, but with the twist that the seemingly chosen hero is more of an anti-hero

EVER NIGHT

61 episodes. Viki

Teenagers Ning Que and Sang Sang try to survive despite the odds stacked against them, while Ning Que attempts to avenge the massacre of his family. Meanwhile, a prophesied darkness has awakened, and the threat of a humanity-ending Eternal Night looms.

I love this show. I adore an amoral main character, as much as I love a character who does bad things for what they think are good reasons and this show has BOTH, AND sets them in contrast to each other! I also love the design choices and the cinematography. Be aware however that as far as I'm concerned, season 2 didn't happen (a lot of the actors didn't return - including lead Chen Feiyu - and it just has a lot of issues). I think season 1 ends by closing out a major plotline enough that it's satisfying in that regard. I like to say this is a show for people who can enjoy the journey rather than the destination, since there are still a lot of things left open.

EDIT: It's back on Viki as of Jul 27!! I'm so happy you have no idea

You'll recognize: Meng Ziyi (Wen Qing) as Ye Hongyu Chen Feiyu (Mo Ran in HYX/Immortality) plays Ning Que, who is a very Mo Ran character (Like Ashes of Love, you've probably seen Chen Feiyu's role in this show used in Erha/Dumb Husky edits)

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If you want a show that has it all- comedy, drama, meet-cute, poetry references, court intrigue, scifi, spy thriller, wuxia, and is filled to the brim with interesting characters

JOY OF LIFE

Viki, 46 eps

Fan Xian was a modern guy who died and was reincarnated in ancient China. Since he's maintained all of his past life's knowledge, he plans to take advantage of his modern smarts and knowledge of classic poetry to live an easy life. However, larger forces have other plans for him, and they don't take kindly to the idea of someone who wants to control his own fate...

This is, hands down, one of the best c-dramas I have ever watched and it kills me that it's not more well-known. Everyone is fantastic and all of the characters are compelling (Haitang Duoduo, please marry me). It also has a twist to it that you will not see coming! I also want to give a special shout out to the actor who played young Fan Xian because he nails the adult actor's mannerisms and speech pattern (seriously, go back and watch the first ep again after you've seen further into the show, it's uncanny).

Heads up this ends on a cliff-hanger, and season 2 filming has been delayed for various reasons, but is supposedly starting in September. HOWEVER I think this show is more than worth watching without season 2 lined up because it's just so good. Also please don't read the Viki summary, it somehow manages to not be the show at all while also giving a major spoiler.

You'll recognize: Xiao Zhan (Wei Wuxian) as Yan Bingyun. He also sings the closing credits song.

This has gotten long, so I'm going to post this for now, and I'll probably make another post with more recs later (edit: I did! This one has more danmei-inspired shows) ! Let me know if this is something that you like to see.

[buajai]

Yet another rumbling and incoherent post.

As usual, 2HA Spoiler Warning. On re-reading Chapter 181 but this time in my native language (This is far too long, I'll place it under cut) . . . . Of earthworms, Chu Wanning, Mo Ran, the beginning of their master-disciple relationship. So, the official 2HA vol.5 has recently come out in my mother tongue, and it covers from Chapter 156 to 189.

I personally find the saving earthworms scene is pivotal to Chu Wanning finally accepting young Mo Ran as his third and final disciple. (One can even argue the only one he chooses out of his own volition, no less.) And, later, when pressed by Xue Zhengyong of the reason. He supplies with "He [Mo Ran] rescues earthworms." The scene is sweet, heartwarming, accentuating how kind-hearted and good both our protagonists are. But, there is a minor difference in how the scene plays out in the official release in my language.

Needless to say, I was surprised and went on to blindly comb my way through RAW on JJWXC. "方便他救蚯蚓", this is Chu Wanning's answer to Xue Zhengyong. 方便 (fāngbiàn) here is the key. I consult with several dictionaries; the definition, as I understand, is roughly something along the line of "convenient/handy" (adj.) and "facilitate/to make things easy" (v.) The MTL, sadly, seems to leave this particular word out entirely. (Alas, such are the limitations of these tools. Still, I am forever grateful for the efforts and the hard works all fan-translators and MTL-editors have done to bridge the gap between the RAW and non-Chinese speaking audience. Truly, thank you.) Additionally, the finding also corresponds with the official version in my language. So... when asked by Xue Zhengyong, Chu Wanning doesn't just say, "He rescues earthworms." Instead, he says, "So that he can conveniently rescue earthworms." And, to me, this slight alteration changes everything. How can I put this into words? Suddenly, it's no longer the case of a Master (Shizun) who is impressed by a would-be disciple and decides to accept him because the youth managed to pass the test/his standard. This interpretation, I feel, implies that Chu Wanning somehow "stoops down" to accept Mo Ran. It places him on a higher level and status. It's "Ah, he shows himself as worthy. I'm impressed. Very well, I'll accept him." However, with this, it now shifts. While, yes, Chu Wanning is impressed by Mo Ran and his act of kindness. This isn't about Mo Ran passing the metaphorical test. There is no test. Chu Wanning sees something in Mo Ran, goodness in him and its potential. It ignites in him a desire to promote/support, to give whatever in his power/at his disposal to nurture/equip Mo Ran with the necessary tools/skills so that he can grow and continue to do good deeds. It's "Oh, his heart is pure, and if I can be of any help at all, then, I gladly teach him everything I know." It reads as if Chu Wanning himself feels honoured to be Mo Ran's Shizun. I think it fits with how *sighs* lowly Chu Wanning views himself.

Sure, he may be prideful of his skills and inventions, however, that never extends to his sense of self. He judges himself and his worth on what he does or can do. Anything outside of that realm, he practically views himself as expendable, possibly worthless, even. (Thanks to... yeah, we all know why.) His default state is always "to help/to give" in any way that he can with what little (in his opinion) that he possesses. This brings me to another point on my endless list of why I love Chu Wanning. While one can argue that the man is unfit as a teacher as he harbours inappropriate thoughts/feelings towards his disciple (Mind you, he has never and would never plan to act on it). Or that he is not the best teacher since he is always hard on them and never once compliments them or give them positive reinforcement. Still, in my eyes, his heart and intention remain true. He genuinely cares about his disciples and their education. He's proud of them (albeit silently) and always want them to grow and excel at what they do. ;_____;

[fulltimehabibti]

fave part about xue zhengyong is that he walks around everywhere carrying a fan that basically looks like this:

[web-novel-polls]

Web Novel Weapon Tournament

[Please be courteous in the notes. Don’t make me block you.]

Xue Zhengyong’s fan (2ha)

“Xue is beautiful, others are ugly.”  - The Husky and His White Cat Shizun, Chapter 31

While this fan is never named, Xue Zhengyong’s fan is well-known due to the writing on it - “Xue is beautiful” (which faces others) and “others are ugly” (which faces him). It really is iconic

Zidian - Jiang Cheng/Madam Yu's whip (MDZS)

Wiki Link

The Jiang Clan’s family heirloom that transforms from a ring into a whip. It was originally used by Madam Yu until her death when she (and separately her husband) used it to bind and protect Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian from the invading Wens. 

A symbol of family and honor given from Madam Yu to Jiang Cheng, Zidian’s owner can allow others to use it, as shown by Jiang Fengmian realizing Zidian recognized him before his and Madam Yu’s death and Jiang Cheng leaving Zidian with Jin Ling.

[variouspolltournaments]

Propaganda

Xue Zhengyong: His fan says “Xue is beautiful” on one side and “others are ugly” on the other side. I think that’s reason enough.

Shiver Hohojiro: shes so cool man. she rides an entire fuckin shark in her boss battle and the shark wears sunglasses and shoots laser beams

[huacheng-zhu]

ok so 2ha. vague spoilers ahead (important spoilers are warned but watch out)

that’s a solid 4.5/5 for me. this novel RUINED me and I loved it for it. it made me feel like very few novels (and even stories in general) did. today I’m STILL shaken over a part of it that I read two days ago, despite the happy ending. I have A Lot of thoughts (shout-out to @whateverwuxian​ who can testify that I couldn’t shut up about it, love you buddy!!) so I just went ahead and [gestures below]

starting with the negative so we can enjoy all the positive later. feel free to discuss but I’m extra sensitive and these are only my personal feelings so they probably won’t change anyway, so be nice please!

what I didn't like:

too many r*pe scenes. I get that the non-con """makes sense""" narratively and thematically but like. they didn't have to be explicit. at the very least not all of them. sorry but too much is too much. there are more non-con sex scenes/flashbacks than consensual sex scenes! stop! we get it! enough now!

not a fan of a 26yo falling in love with a 16yo. if cwn had initiated Anything I would’ve thrown the novel out the window. but thankfully it didn’t happen, I got invested, and nothing mutual happened until mo ran was 22, so I mostly got over it, but I’m still somewhat uncomfortable with it for very personal reasons.

their first time putting it in. it felt so unfair and I was very upset over it. it could’ve worked without going There? why. was that necessary. and it's heartbreaking for both of them, because mo ran didn't want to do it either. he wanted them to take all their time. he wanted to go step by step. all he wanted was to make sure cwn would be happy and comfortable and never hurt again in bed. for their first time that way he wanted it to be special. but it was just. taken away from them, and for what? for nothing there’s absolutely no reason for it. I get there’s the metaphorical foreshadowing of the upcoming reveal aspect (spoilers) both of them not consenting, mo ran being horrified -> the reveal that mo ran was cursed and so would’ve never wanted to treat cwn like this in the past either if he’d had control (end spoilers) but still?? and it’s never brought up again? I know they don’t get the time until the very end but hhhh. yeah I have Feelings over this

some plot twists hit good emotionally but had no point? thinking of the one about xue meng here.

there’s horny, and then there’s mo ran. it’s not a bad thing, it’s just not the kind of stuff I like reading about and book 1 and 2 are A Lot on that side so in book 2 after a while ME, THE BIGGEST ASEXUAL WHO COULDN’T CARE LESS ABOUT SEX SCENES, WAS LIKE, “oh my god have mercy please just fuck already I beg of you” and indeed they chilled a bit after that. like they were still horny but. less intensely and less all the fucking time. thank god (I still think the farm arc was hilarious to witness though, and I did love it)

kinda wish their reunion at the end was longer and more emotional but that’s just because I love that shit

(spoilers) kinda wish we got to see shi mei again before he went off doing his blind wandering doctor stuff. a talk with ranwan would’ve been very interesting. (end spoilers)

xue meng didn’t get a hug

that one thing at the end you know the one. maybe I'd be more into it if it'd been given time to be explored seriously and wasn't played off as a joke. it kinda ruined the mood of their last scene for me. (spoilers spoilers spoilers this is the end of this section if you don’t want to get spoiled) in that scene I wanted chu wanning to ride off into the sunset with mo ran, not txj. like, txj is the alternate world’s “if there had been no transmigration” version of mo ran 2.0. the whole point is that mo ran IS txj in book 1, but changes and becomes mo ran 2.0. mo ran 2.0, who by the end of the novel has already done all the redemption and deconstruction of his dubious habits. who he was as txj is long behind him. at this point txj will always be a part of who he was, but they are pretty much two 'different' people now. txj disappearing into dust after everything that happens at the end was beautiful symbolism. it meant something. to me there was no point keeping txj around after all that other than for “haha split personalities fighting over cwn’s attention uwu” THAT SAID the fact I'm not a fan of the idea doesn't mean I don't like txj. I care txj a lot and have Emotions over him, and I will definitely eventually explore this in my writing

(still spoilers) the demonic blood reveal was a bit.... deus ex machina? plus I personally would've preferred mo ran staying a regular person (end spoilers)

alright what I liked now:

the themes, both regarding the characters and the various plot elements. this novel really challenges your morals and what you think is right or wrong, what’s redeemable, what’s punishable, and how much one relies on first impressions, amongst other things. this novel is the definition of “don’t judge a book by its cover” but also “look further than the first page” in so many ways

the romance. like I don’t need to say anything there. just, the slow burn, the longing, the yearning, the romance [clutches heart]

the plot twists/reveals. I’m so glad I was barely spoiled (I was spoiled two Big things but very vaguely so I was still surprised) because pretty much all of them had me shouting “WHAT” and/or gaping and/or various “what the fuck!!!”/”holy SHIT”/“NO” reactions

the way a lot of those reveals just completely change your view on things/characters?? that’s my jam

wontons. that was the first time I cried and my first very physical reaction to an event in this novel. I literally felt like time froze. I heard my heart beating. it was painful but AMAZING.

might be nothing in the grand scheme of things but honestly, all the food! I love that mo ran is an excellent cook and can make all those delicious dishes for cwn. as someone who loves to cook for their loved ones I think it’s so lovely that he gets to do that

the character growth. for everyone, but mo ran in particular? like I just. I started off not liking mo ran very much, straight up despising him at times, and in the end I was fucking sobbing over him and cried myself to sleep only to wake up in the middle of the night to cry some more so there’s that

chu wanning? there were aspects of him that I related to heavily, and that felt both like the Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known and very special because it doesn’t happen to me that often

the whole deaging arc. that was deaging done right and it had a purpose in the narrative and their relationship growth, I was “!!!!”

I LOVE how they took their time with EVERYTHING once they got together? that it spanned over several weeks? that it started with the confession, then just holding hands, then kissing, then making out, then sex, and even the sex was step by step! it said A LOT about mo ran’s character growth and it respected SO MUCH the fact that cwn is a 32yo (unrelated but (spoilers) I like to argue that yeah he’s been alive for 32 years but when you’ve been asleep and not aging physically nor growing mentally for five years in a way that makes you a 27yo. so when he calls his body “mature and old” and compares himself to shi mei I’m just. buddy your body is just three years older than shi mei’s there’s barely any difference in maturity right there. I know it’s your lack of self-worth speaking, and believe me I get it, but don’t be so hard on yourself. (end spoilers) anyway, this is an unimportant and unrelevant thought that I had during the mirror scene) who has no experience in any of these things whatsoever. he's not pushed into sex like he's going to be comfortable right off the bat and like it isn’t such a big change in a life that’s been ascetic so far. mo ran is aware of that! and when they have their first time mo ran, who’s been maybe even more horny than cwn all this time - seriously horny is that guy’s middle name, who initiated the sex, what does he say!!! "don't worry about me, tonight, I just want to make you feel good"??? mo ran?? your character development??? I appreciated that so much.

the pain. I’m still bleeding on the floor despite the happy ending but yeah. I like angst and I was not disappointed. it didn’t feel that gratuitious to me, more like, brutally honest? I don’t cry that easily but by the end I think I’d cried, what, close to ten times??

quite a few excellent quotes [lies down] “I realized - I had grown into the you in my heart”?? “hell is too cold”??? I highlighted more but those two are the ones that always come to my mind first

most of the time the flashbacks were perfectly inserted for maximum emotional damage and I respect that skill

xue zhengyong. like he’s not my favourite, my favourites are xue meng, nangong si and ye wangxi but? I just adored him so he gets a special mention

the side characters? like, I legit loved Everyone? when I cry over side characters you know it’s serious

THE CONFESSION SCENE. LIKE. HOLY SHIT MY HEART. it comes reaaally close to the vocal one (because hua cheng confesses so many times without words) at the end of tgcf for me. it was beautiful. I was so emotional. the fact that cwn can't say it no matter how much he feels it. like it's always been plain and clear just how much he loves mo ran. but he can't say the words yet and I just. the fact that mo ran gets it? that he doesn't need the words, just that squeeze of fingers, just what cwn is, at that moment, able to give him, and it doesn't mean less to him than words would? it hit home real hard

unless I think of something else, that’s about it! I can’t recommend 2ha enough, that said, I beg of you, heed the warnings. they are NOT overstated. and even if there were no warnings, take care anyways. the angst is serious, it haunts you. angst always makes me feel like my chest is being squeezed and that’s precisely the feeling I’m looking for when I choose to read angst. I have good tolerance to it, so despite not doing entirely well lately, I thought I was tough and went for it, but I’m a CLOWN. the way it’s written ruins you. this morning despite reading the hardest part of the angst on saturday evening, I still had some physical chest pain. so I recommend it with all my heart, but take care of yourselves. 2ha doesn’t fuck around.

[danmeichael]

danny whats your favorite rarepair and why

buddy i've got second lead syndrome, everything i ship is a rarepair.

i usually like main pairings, but i think the designated and set roles of romantic relationships as played out in romance are often less compelling to me than the dynamics allowed between characters who aren't supposed to end up together. there's less priority given to cultivating romantic or sexual chemistry to endear the reader to the ship. for platonic relationships, the author looks at the characters and goes "okay, what is their dynamic. how can i make it interesting. how do they connect" rather than defaulting to "how can i make these characters seem like a good couple"

(granted this is also partly bullshit because i do this with non-romance too and i will most likely ship at least one half of the fan-favorite pairing with someone who is not the fan favorite pairing, so??? my brain just loves rare vintage ships.)

as far as danmei goes i think my first rarepair was wen ning/wei wuxian. i expected this to be a popular ship but apparently not? i guess it's not the rarest pair out there for modao but most people seem very content with wangxian (understandable i do love them), or the rarer chengxian (my particular manifestation of madness) i guess even rarer is wn/wwx/lwj because polyam ships always have a pretty modest fanbase, and i am a pretty big polyam shipper.

currently i've been talking to a friend about chu wanning and xue zhengyong so that's both reignited my deep and abiding affection for them and also given me brand new brainworms. i don't have a favorite rare pair, really, but they are my current fixation of choice!

i think that cwn and xzy make a good team, that they rely on and support each other in ways they can't with other people. xzy has to be a good sect leader. cwn has to be the beidou immortal. but not with each other, not in the quiet of the night when they drink together and they are just men. just human.

i think xzy's patient and unconditional love is good for cwn. his compassion, is willingness to meet people where they are, his ability to see right through cwn's guarded demeanor and see him as a human being with a soft heart who needs somewhere safe to sleep. he makes a habit of picking up strays and cwn is a feral cat he has lovingly socialized.

cwn is a lot less guarded and a lot more relaxed around xzy, too, imo, and i think xzy gets something out of that little slip of cwn's internal softness. the fact that xzy can laugh at cwn and cwn gets huffy and yells at him but doesn't completely retreat into himself is a sign of how much trust they have in each other.

chu wanning has proved his kind heart to xue zhengyong, his selflessness. how can xzy not love someone who has hurt so much and who has gone through hardship who has seen the coldness people treat him with and has decided that's unimportant? that he just wants to be good, no matter what people think of him.

and xue zhengyong has proved that his affection for cwn comes with no catches, no caveats. he's proved that he loves him unconditionally, that nothing chu wanning does, no matter how hard he tries to push xue zhengyong away, could actually make him turn his back on him.

i think they're best friends. and that they should kiss.

[se-hos]

Xue Meng really out here becoming the main character huh. Why did it end on him???? lmfao wtf Meatbun?? I’m so unsatisfied with the ending. I read 311 chapters of RanWan romance and they’re hardly even in the last chapter!

The last book is so WEIRD. Like all of the plot is in it and I didn’t care about half of it or the characters that it was about because they weren’t properly established the first two books. I’m so???? Confused?? I don’t care about Xu Shuanglin’s sob backstory, I don’t care about Mu Yanli’s backstory and I don’t care about Jiang Xi being Xue Meng’s dad (it added literally nothing to the plot and it created a plot hole with Xue Zhengyong and Mo Ran). Nangong Si and Ye Wangxi were great characters because we got to know them within the first 100 chapters. I really didn’t like the Mount Jiao arc but I cared when Nangong Si sacrificed himself and I cared about Ye Wangxi’s wellbeing for the rest of the novel because we got to see them grow. I didn’t give a fuck when Mu Yanli or Xu Shuanglin or whoever else died. Except Hua Binan, he’s a good character too (when he doesn’t have plot armor), I actually felt sad and pity when he died.

Most of the RanWan stuff in the last book was fine except for some plot fuckery (how did Hua Binan know they were at Mount Longxue? and neither of them bring up the fact that current RanWan is ALSO married? HELLO?) but it’s still so disappointing at how they took a backseat, especially towards the end. Book 1 & 2 was the good stuff for them. God, that sweet spot from the reunion to their first night together *chefs kiss* oh mY GOD. The longing! The sexual tension! INCREDIBLE! Ugh peak romance, I swear.  

In short: book 1 & 2 - good top tier romance, book 3 - plot got too buck wild 4 me lol

This is a RanWan and Ye Wangxi fan blog only.

[serpentinerose]

Can you tell me ALL the side ships in 2ha? Its for research sake, curious what fandom sees as side ships here :D

Oh, interesting question! I think there are several levels:

Canon sideships

- Xue Zhengyong/Wang Chuqing 

- Ye Wangxi/Nangong Si (Wangsi)

Heavily supported by canon sideships

- Xu Shuanglin/Luo Fenghua (Xufeng)

- Mei Hanxue/Xue Meng (Meimeng; more on this behind the cut for Mei Hanxue spoilers)

I think the subtext really supports Older Mei Hanxue/Xue Meng (Meimeng) as a romantic pair more so than Younger Mei Hanxue/Xue Meng (Meimeimeng), which is characterized more as a deep friendship with some accidental physical stimulation. If you read all of the extras, including the last untranslated Xue Meng Blind Dates chapter, the gege/Xue Meng subtexts are really, really strong and have a different flavor (way more jealousy and horny gripping, less gentle teasing).

That said, I think the fandom as a whole is really into Shuangmeimeng (both twins/Xue Meng, and I am, too!).

- Jiang Xi/Wang Chuqing (usually flashbacks only)

Sideships with some Ao3 fics and very little canon subtext

- Younger Mei Hanxue/Jiang Xi (yeah I wrote more than half the fics in this tag; this is because Meatbun herself came up with this crackship and I take that as the Will of God)

- Shi Mei/Xue Meng (yeah ok I also wrote more than half the fics in this tag; small ship but with some really passionate fans)

- Jiang Xi/Xue Meng, no comment

- Jiang Xi/his adopted son

Sideships that I hear people talk about sometimes but little to no fics or art and little to no canon subtext

- Ye Wangxi/Song Qiutong (it’s just because they’re both... yeah)

- Jiang Xi/Hua Binan (ok I ship it a little ngl)

[variouspolltournaments]

Propaganda

Rufus Barma: He is a scheming old man who uses the fan to attack people. He even has bird-like features.

Xue Zhengyong: His fan says “Xue is beautiful” on one side and “others are ugly” on the other side. I think that’s reason enough.