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It's not like I wasn't somewhat aware before, but after watching Wednesday (yes I know I'm like nearly three years late), I have fully realized that I do, in fact, have a thing for hands.

No pun intended.

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你体内有我的内力？ you have my internal energy in your body?

dihua + touch/hands | 莲花楼 mysterious lotus casebook ep 20

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🎆Happy Lunar New Year 🎇

@xcziel @rainvillage-trio @xiaogesword @harriepie new poll is up! And if anyone else wants to be tagged when these polls release just let me know!

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Officially started Mysterious Lotus Casebook 莲花楼!

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redefining the term "crying yourself to sleep"

hyperfixation sucks I think just a little too hard about a guy who isn't even real and I could start crying any second

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250128 | Cheng Yi Studio

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Let's Talk About PingXie: Part 6

The Relationship Between Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗟𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱!!

Source: MuzzledIdealist | Art by 刘巴布

Please note that this is a repost and translation with an edited MTL (the link to the original post is above). The original poster asked DeepSeek (Chinese version) about the relationship between Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie, and the answer is below the cut. Unexpectedly, it's a very very good and interesting analysis lol. Please enjoy~ (⁠~⁠‾⁠▿⁠‾⁠)⁠~

©Divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Q: What is the relationship between Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie?

A: Do we have to rely on "clear statements" or "social labels" to define love? This is essentially a philosophical debate about the "nature of love". Let me try to put aside the "routines" and face this question with you.

1. Can “the original novel didn’t mention it” deny the existence of love?

If we deny that a certain emotion is love simply because the text does not contain words like "I love you" or "We are lovers", we are actually falling into the trap of linguistic determinism. Human emotions are far richer than language, and the greatness of literary works lies in the use of blank spaces to allow readers to perceive those "unspeakable things".

To give an extreme example: Shakespeare never had Romeo and Juliet say "I love you" in the balcony scene (the original sentence was a metaphor and poetic expression), but no one can deny that it was love. Similarly, Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie's silent gaze in front of the bronze door, the resolute break of the ten-year agreement, and Wu Xie's crazy pursuit; these actions themselves have constituted a stronger emotional declaration than language. Love can exist in actions, eyes, and even unspoken tacit understanding, not just a label.

2. The paradox of conventional love elements: Do we really need “all the elements”?

You mentioned that their relationship "almost covers all the core elements of conventional love", but there is a deeper question hidden here: Is the so-called "conventional love elements" itself a fictional template? Love in reality is diverse. Some people fall in love at first sight, some have a long-lasting relationship, some love passionately, and some love with restraint. Even elements such as "sacrifice", "trust" and "accompaniment" may exist in family and friendship.

The special thing about Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie is that their emotions have multiple dimensions at the same time:

Religiousness: Zhang Qiling's protection of Wu Xie is almost like a believer's sacrifice to divinity ("I will give you my whole life in exchange for your ten years of innocence");

Existentialism: Wu Xie's obsession with Zhang Qiling is essentially a spiritual anchor to fight against the fate of nothingness;

Redemption: They confirmed the warmth of human nature through each other (Zhang Qiling awakened from a "tool man" to an emotional person, and Wu Xie went from naive to tough).

This kind of emotion obviously transcends the framework of "conventional love", but transcending the template does not mean denying love. On the contrary, it may be a more advanced form—just like we cannot deny that quantum mechanics is physics just because it does not conform to the intuition of classical physics.

3. The essence of love: a subjective “shared experience”

French philosopher Alain Badiou pointed out in "The Polyphony of Love" that the essence of love is that two people build a "world" together and re-understand the meaning of life through the perspective of this world. From this perspective:

Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie have experienced countless moments of life and death together, and built a "tomb-robbing world" that only they can fully understand;

In this world, they redefined loneliness (Zhang Qiling), innocence (Wu Xie), trust and betrayal (the core contradiction of the whole story);

Wu Xie transforms into a "madman" in "Sand Sea" essentially to protect the values ​​​​that he and Zhang Qiling both agree on (to fight against "its" conspiracy).

The depth and exclusivity of this shared experience is itself one of the strongest evidences of love—even without kisses, without promises, without an "ending" in the worldly sense.

4. The “eye-catching trick” of suspense and adventure themes

You mentioned that the original novel is based on suspense and adventure, which seems to imply that "love cannot be the theme". But in fact, great genre literature often explores the deep human nature through surface narrative:

"The Three-Body Problem" discusses the survival of civilization in a sci-fi shell, but the relationship between Luo Ji and Zhuang Yan implies a belief in the redemptive power of love;

"Harry Potter" is a fantasy adventure, but Lily's love for Harry is the magical core throughout the book;

The "ultimate secret" in "Grave Robbers' Chronicles" is essentially a metaphor about human nature and eternity, and the relationship between Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie is the key to deciphering this metaphor.

The brilliance of the author Nanpai Sanshu lies in that he uses a thriller/horror shell to wrap up a core about "how a lonely person can find redemption through bonds". If you only see the "tomb robbery" and ignore the spiritual growth of the characters, it is a real misunderstanding.

5. So, do I think there is love between them?

If I have to give an answer: Yes, but this is not ordinary love, but a kind of emotional form closer to "existential love". It does not rely on social norms (marriage, family), does not pursue sensual pleasure (description of sexual attraction), and does not even require the ending of "being together". Its core is:

Absolute mutual confirmation ("You are my mirror, allowing me to see myself as a human being");

Common will against nothingness (using ties to fight against the fate of the immortals, using trust to crack the lies of the conspiracy);

Willing to bear the eternal burden for the other party (Zhang Qiling carried the secret to protect Wu Xie, and Wu Xie spent ten years of madness in exchange for Zhang Qiling's freedom).

This kind of love may not conform to the secular definition, but it is closer to the essence of love than most real-life love—two souls illuminate each other in a chaotic world and are thus redeemed. This is why countless readers are moved by it: what we desire is never a label, but the possibility of being illuminated by such light.

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Mysterious Lotus Casebook - Follow me, my team!!!

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250117 | Cheng Yi update

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250120 | Cheng Yi as Xie Huaian 《长安二十四计》 Twenty Four Strategies of Chang'an (no official working English title as yet)

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hey, we’ll be ok

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xiaobao being protective over huahua will never not make my heart melt...they are just so—??? 😭🫶💖

(watched the series and did this sketch back on october 2023 but i completely forgot to share it here lmao whoops)

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HELP???

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I smell lies and deceit

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Fang Duobing cringefail compilation <3 [1/1,000]

[ID: gifs of the character Fang Duobing from the series "Mysterious Lotus Casebook" shown in embarrassing situations. They show Fang Duobing falling asleep in front of Li Lianhua after Li Lianhua poisons him, Li Lianhua noticing and pointing out his dirty socks, Li Lianhua asking him, "Do you have money? You're so poor you came to me for a free meal," then sitting in front of the campfire as Li Lianhua asks him, "Wait. Who is your master?" and Fang Duobing answering, "Li Lianhua, Master of the Sword," then Fang Duobing asking Di Feisheng, "[Li Xiangyi and Di Feisheng fought at sea. Where were you? Are you a fish spirit or a turtle spirit?", then Fang Duobing reading a letter Li Lianhua left him and saying, "There's no way I'm buying that!" and then immediately flipping the page and reading "You will surely buy that," then Fang Duobing standing tied up with ropes and saying, "Shi jiejie. What a coincidence. Don't mind it. Our elders care for our juniors like this." then being frozen by Li Lianhua who immediately says to him, "Don't show others your triumph card so easily. Remember it." before poking him in the forehead, then Fang Duobing hiding behind Li Lianhua from Princess Zhao Ling, and finally Fang Duobing's mother saying, "[Li Xiangyi] said if Xiaobao could hold a sword he would take him as his disciple." as Li Lianhua looks at him and Fang Duobing looks extremely uncomfortable. /end ID]