Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Chapters 3 & 4

[trobadora]

Welcome aboard for this week's chapters of our Guardian readalong!

Here are last week's chapters (the beginning of vol. 3). You can find all previous discussions on the schedule post (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4), or via the !readalong tag.

This week's chapters:

• Chapter 3: Zhao Yunlan escapes his father's scolding, keeps falling asleep, and is fed medicine by Shen Wei. Zhu Hong gets a visit from her uncle, who wants her to leave Dragon City. Zhao Yunlan surprises Shen Wei in the kitchen cutting his own chest with a knife, and learns what medicine Shen Wei has been feeding him.
• Chapter 4: Zhao Yunlan sleeps at the SID, and the team gossips about it. Shen Wei brings clothes while he's asleep. Zhu Hong refuses to leave Zhao Yunlan's side, gives him a gift from her uncle, and offers to sever ties with her tribe if he wants her to stay.

The corresponding part in the Chinese version on JJWXC/the fan translation are chapters 81-82.

Excerpts:

( 1) Shen Wei feeds Zhao Yunlan medicine )

( 2) Kitchen scene: Shen Wei is caught )

( 3) Kitchen scene: Shen Wei explains )

( 4) Zhao Yunlan's dream )

( 5) Zhu Hong's confession )

Questions:

Do you like the worldbuilding around borrowing years? What do you think about the kitchen scene, and how it was adapted in the drama? Which is more intense? Which do you like better? Is Fourth Uncle right to make Zhu Hong leave? Do you think Zhao Yunlan actually wants Zhu Hong to stay, even if he won't say it? Does it help with understanding what's going on that Zhao Yunlan is actively trying to puzzle out what's true and what's a lie?

(As usual, these are just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like!)

Our current schedule (which is also where you can sign up to host a post - please do if you can!)

520 Day Reverse Exchange: about 24 hours to reveals!

[trobadora]

We expect to open the 520 Day Reverse Exchange collection tomorrow at or shortly after 9pm UTC!

If you're like us, that means it's time to get some last-minute edits in. (You can find your entry via your Statistics page on AO3.) If you're not like us, congrats, and what's your secret? *g*

Only one more day to wait! *gets ready to break out the champagne^[1]*

^[1] Or water, or other non-alcoholic alternatives, for Shen Wei and other non-drinkers!