Focus on: Da Qing and his bells

[undeadrobins]

This is my first time doing a scene focus, and one of the first times I've ever really looked at anything like this in detail. Meta is not my strong suit, so if anything I've put here makes no sense, please let me know!

This scene is just one small part of the whole "Zhao Yunlan returns to the present/future" scene that happens in episode 35 around the 15 minute mark. It's also the scene that had the most impact on me when I first watched the show, and influences a lot of my Guardian-related thoughts and writing ideas.

So the team have gathered all of the Holy Tools and Zhao Yunlan has just told Shen Wei that he's leaving. Da Qing, always the eavesdropper, overhears and comes running over.




"You're leaving? Where are you going?"

Zhao Yunlan tells him they'll meet again, but Da Qing won't hear any of it.

After calling him "Damn Cat" (or Dead Cat, depending on your translation), Zhao Yunlan stands up. It looks to me like he purposely holds himself straighter, maybe trying for some sort of authority – which we all know he'll never really have over Da Qing.

"If you keep acting like this, I may not want you anymore."



"But I…" Da Qing's voice trails off and he looks so young and so scared. This is the point he realises how much Zhao Yunlan means to him, and how he's frightened of being alone. After all, he's the only cat Yashou we've seen in the old Haixing era.

When he speaks, the camera is looking at Shen Wei, rather than him (while this may be because they added the line in post or something like that, I prefer to think it was an artistic choice). Shen Wei doesn't want to look up and interrupt what's happening, but I like to think he appreciates Da Qing for being able to say what he can't.



The translated subs by Solo give this line as "I'll miss you", but the Chinese is 我舍不得你, which I understand translates more as "I hate to see you go" or "I hate to be parted from you". There is a slight difference in the tone of these, in my opinion, although I can't quite put it into words properly. You'd never believe I work in comms for a living, would you?!

Anyway, Zhao Yunlan laughs softly and puts his hand on the back of Da Qing's neck. "One day you'll find the person you want to follow and want to guard. Whether human or cat, love is what makes us greater. You'll understand it then."

I read this as Zhao Yunlan explaining why he has to leave – that he needs to return to the people he loves, human, Dixingren and cat. From Da Qing's point of view, it could be seen as a typical "you're too young to understand, but trust me" type of comment that I used to hate as a teenager.

Interestingly, despite just telling Da Qing that he'll one day find the person he wants, Zhao Yunlan then tells him he's Da Qing's "Master for life, whether for now or in the future", and Da Qing's little face lights up beautifully.



That's when he pulls out his bells. (As an aside, I regularly mistype when I'm talking about this, and call them his balls, which I suppose is also accurate in a way…)

He knows who he wants to follow, and he's just been told, implicitly, that Zhao Yunlan will be that master forever. "I'm used to freedom," he says in the flashback. "I won't need a master." Oh, kitten. You're so naïve. It's telling that he believes – at that point – that a master is someone to control him.

Speaking of which, the use of the word 主人 – master – is interesting here. Fu You, Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing all use it when talking about the bells, but Fu You also mentions it being an 'approved master'. To me this indicates that it's a choice for Da Qing, rather than a master/slave type relationship, which is what I would usually expect from that word. This may be a Chinese cultural difference, of course. I'd be interested to hear what you think.

When he hands over the bells, that he's been cradling gently in his hand, he doesn't explain to Zhao Yunlan what they are or what they mean. He's so scared, even though he's literally just heard Zhao Yunlan essentially pledge to be with him throughout time.



Obviously, Zhao Yunlan recognises them from the present/future (I HATE writing about time travel!), and he knows where they belong. He fastens them around Da Qing's neck and says "You keep them". Da Qing's sad face turns into another smile.



And then the moment is broken by Ye Zun and his buddies. When we see Da Qing next, he's running towards Zhao Yunlan with the Holy Tools in his arms, and is flung to the ground by Ye Zun. Zhao Yunlan looks between Shen Wei (also on the ground) and Da Qing, and seems to make the choice to run to Da Qing first, relieved to discover that he's still alive. And Zhao Yunlan is pulled back into their weird wormhole.


What I love most about this scene
When I watched the show the first time, I was, like most everyone else, focused on the Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan relationship. Right up until I got to this scene.

This scene to me is more 'romantic in a platonic way' (yeah, I know, but I'm not sure how else to describe it) than anything else in the show. Da Qing is literally giving his heart away, to a man he's not known for long. Zhao Yunlan understands the depth of that love so completely, and in that moment understands how much he means to Da Qing and, in turn, how much Da Qing means to him.

Even if Da Qing never remembers this, Zhao Yunlan will, and his relationship with the cat he's known for so long will change.

We see Zhao Yunlan doing what he usually does in moments of heightened emotions and feelings – laughing – but he does it in such a fond way that it hurts my heart a little. It's a laugh that says "I know you so well" and "I care about you so much", and isn't meant in a bad way at all.

It hurts my heart that Da Qing doesn't get to know what happened to Zhao Yunlan. At least Shen Wei watched the Holy Tools pull him away; Da Qing was still unconscious at the time and then woke up with amnesia. Poor kitten.

It's been a while since I rewatched the whole show, so I might just have to do that, and keep my focus on Da Qing (and his relationship with Zhao Yunlan) this time. I feel like I need to note down everything we know about him!

Thoughts and questions

• How does Da Qing feel about Zhao Yunlan? Are his feelings purely platonic, or does he have some romantic love in there too?


• What was it about Zhao Yunlan that made Da Qing so sure that he was the one who deserved his bells?
  
• How might this conversation have continued if they hadn't been interrupted? How does Shen Wei feel hearing this conversation?


• What happens to Da Qing between this time and the time we meet him in the present? I would like all of the theories and suggestions (and fic! art!) about him through the years.


• Does this differ to the story in the novel? I've never read it, but I'm interested in how the relationship between Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan is portrayed in that.


• Where are the other cat Yashou? Apart from the annoying female that turns up, we never hear or see anything about them.

Comments

[awanderingcoyote]

Ahhhhhhh. Da Qing love! Congrats on your first write-up!!

That's when he pulls out his bells. (As an aside, I regularly mistype when I'm talking about this, and call them his balls, which I suppose is also accurate in a way…)
-OMG I'm so glad I'm not the only one who does this. Hahahaha.

We see Zhao Yunlan doing what he usually does in moments of heightened emotions and feelings – laughing – but he does it in such a fond way that it hurts my heart a little. It's a laugh that says "I know you so well" and "I care about you so much", and isn't meant in a bad way at all.
-Agreed! To all of this! Yes yes. That fondness and love is so spot on during this scene.

Question 1:
I never saw it as romantic love like SW and ZYL, but I thought it definite familial love. Like: ZYL is part of my pack and I will kill anyone who hurts him.

Question 2:
Hm, that's a tough one, obviously it was rushed because of show schedule, but to dig into meta possibly the fact that ZYL treated him like he already knew him. Instant trust, that instant familiarity, and the affectionate humor versus two actual strangers meeting for the first time, where you're typically reserved/polite/trying to figure each other out before showing your true self and ZYL was all: Welp here's my whole true self, just gonna let it hang out.

Question 3:
Oo such a good question. It's hard for my brain to say how it'd have played out or how youngling SW would have reacted. A moment of jealousy? Though I lean towards no, but when you're young it's so easy to read into things and see things that aren't necessarily there. Such a good question!

Question 4:
Ahhh I would love to see fics and art about this too. I always imagined that someone told him he got sucked into a portal (and SW fell into the earth) and that throughout the years he looked for familiar faces, up until his memories got muddled.

Question 5:
I'm curious too! I've never read the novel :D

Question 6:
She was rather hard to like, wasn't she? And I'm curious too! I assumed in my own HC that something terrible happened to the cat tribe and they scattered and DQ just so ended up there.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the episode and writing about it! Woo!!

[china_shop]

Instant trust, that instant familiarity, and the affectionate humor versus two actual strangers meeting for the first time, where you're typically reserved/polite/trying to figure each other out before showing your true self and ZYL was all: Welp here's my whole true self, just gonna let it hang out.

Yesss, this!

[undeadrobins]

ZYL is part of my pack and I will kill anyone who hurts him.

I think this hits harder when you remember that Da Qing doesn't really have a tribe of his own. So he makes one...

[awanderingcoyote]

Yes, definitely heavy feels of found family with Da Qing which is just so many sad feels. So many.

[trobadora]

and ZYL was all: Welp here's my whole true self, just gonna let it hang out

YES!!!!! That's a fantastic way to put it. :D

[china_shop]

Ahhhh, great post! I love it! ♥___♥ And yes, I love this scene, too. It's easy for me to read it as a censorship-inspired artistic choice where Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan get to implicitly pledge themselves by proxy (Shen Wei's expression when Da Qing says all the things Shen Wei wishes he could say!! *cries* And later Shen Wei wears a token of Kunlun around his neck, too!!), but I definitely enjoy the deep bond being pledged/confirmed between Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan, as well.

After calling him "Damn Cat" (or Dead Cat, depending on your translation), Zhao Yunlan stands up. It looks to me like he purposely holds himself straighter, maybe trying for some sort of authority

Ohhh, I'd never really thought about it, but you're right -- his posture as Kunlun is quite different from his contemporary Dragon City posture, isn't it? There's no slouching or hip-cocking, and no pockets for him to stick his hands into. Thanks so much for pointing that out. I wonder if this is maybe his having dropped all his pretence at casualness and disreputableness and meeting Shen Wei and Da Qing honestly and openly, defence shields down! Or if it's part of his playing the part of Kunlun, the same way Shen Wei's body language subtly changes between Professor Shen and the Envoy... hmm...

"If you keep acting like this, I may not want you anymore."

In the original subs, it says, "Catty, can you be more mature? Don't forget, you are on the top of the food chain, okay? I won't admit I am your master if you are still acting like this." And it breaks me every time. (I love it. But ouch! Let them express their love for you, ZYL! Don't call Da Qing immature and threaten to cut him off, just because he openly cares! *cries*)

Whether human or cat, love is what makes us greater.

I feel like this is the mission statement of the show. ♥ ♥ ♥ And it's important for Da Qing to hear so he doesn't shut himself off from other people over the next 10k years (including, eventually, ZYL himself), and it's important for Shen Wei, who's been a soldier most of his life and endured so much, to hear it, too. It's not just battles and stuff that make you great! This is Zhao Yunlan's hard-won lesson that he learned from the SID's and Shen Wei's loyalty and love (once ZYL had overcome his entrenched feelings of unworthiness enough to let them in), and now he's imparting it to the SID (in the form of Da Qing) and Shen Wei in turn. *SO MANY HEARTS*

Interestingly, despite just telling Da Qing that he'll one day find the person he wants, Zhao Yunlan then tells him he's Da Qing's "Master for life, whether for now or in the future", and Da Qing's little face lights up beautifully.

PERFECT SCREENSHOT!! Ahhhhhh! <3 <3 <3

but Fu You also mentions it being an 'approved master'. To me this indicates that it's a choice for Da Qing, rather than a master/slave type relationship, which is what I would usually expect from that word. This may be a Chinese cultural difference, of course.

I wonder if it's like master & acolyte or something like that? I don't think it's a slave thing.

Zhao Yunlan looks between Shen Wei (also on the ground) and Da Qing, and seems to make the choice to run to Da Qing first

I always assumed that's because Shen Wei is visibly alive (albeit winded), while Da Qing isn't. And after all, ZYL has just pledged to take responsibility for the cat. :-)

This scene to me is more 'romantic in a platonic way' (yeah, I know, but I'm not sure how else to describe it) than anything else in the show.

Platonic life partners!! They are the best!! (Plus, they provide such a pleasing contrast with the sparky chemistry between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei, which is Very Clearly Not Platonic. :-)

We see Zhao Yunlan doing what he usually does in moments of heightened emotions and feelings – laughing – but he does it in such a fond way that it hurts my heart a little. It's a laugh that says "I know you so well" and "I care about you so much", and isn't meant in a bad way at all.

Yessssss! That's such a perfect description of it. asklfdja;skldfj *loves*

How does Da Qing feel about Zhao Yunlan? Are his feelings purely platonic, or does he have some romantic love in there too?

I think it's platonic love and loyalty and trust and family and belonging. I don't think there's any erotic/romantic component, so I don't see it as romantic at all.

What was it about Zhao Yunlan that made Da Qing so sure that he was the one who deserved his bells?

I think the fond, casual familiarity and caring that Kunlun shows Da Qing right off the bat is total catnip. *g* He immediately treats Da Qing as a friend, special and valued. Plus, he's obviously a great man who deserves allegiance. *g*

How does Shen Wei feel hearing this conversation?

I think Shen Wei feels every word like a pain in his heart. Da Qing is saying everything he wants to, offering most of what Shen Wei wants to offer (albeit in a different way). And Kunlun is leeeaving! *cries*

Where are the other cat Yashou?

I don't know! I always believed Da Qing when he said he was the only one, so I was really surprised and confused when Da Ji showed up! (She is so annoying! I wrote fic about her, so I like her a bit more now, but yeah. /o\)

Thanks again for such a great post, and especially for mentioning the different translations of phrases, too. That's always really interesting to hear! (Sorry this got so long! /o\)

[china_shop]

ETA: Oh, and this scene always makes me think of ep 6 when Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan are searching Shen Wei's apartment, and they have this exchange:

ZYL: Not only does he live in our neighborhood, but he lives right in front of my apartment. How come I only saw him recently?
DQ: In this world, two people can be so close but have never seen each other. But maybe one day, they will begin to see each other every day. Destiny is unpredictable.
ZYL: Dead Fatty, I never knew that you were a poetic cat.
DQ: I don't know how I came up with that. Maybe it was my ex-owner who said that.
ZYL: Cut it out. Didn't you have Alzheimer's a long time ago? You don't even remember the name nor the gender of your ex-owner.
DQ: Stupid human. This is called the mark of life. Marks don't go away even with memory loss.

(I like to think Da Qing is actually quoting Kunlun, and since it's not something we ever see ZYL say in the past, it's proof that he was there longer than was shown. :-)

(Also, why would Kunlun have said this to Da Qing???)

[shadaras]

I wonder if it's like master & acolyte or something like that? I don't think it's a slave thing.

Master and acolyte(/disciple) would be usually be shifu 师父 and tudi 徒弟 (or dizi 弟子); this isn't that.

More thoughts on my reading of 主人 below in my own post!

[undeadrobins]

his posture as Kunlun is quite different from his contemporary Dragon City posture, isn't it? There's no slouching or hip-cocking, and no pockets for him to stick his hands into.

I think part of it is simply the costuming, but I wonder if it's also that he feels he has a different type of responsibility as Kunlun. Like he knows how important Kunlun is to history, and he feels the need to live up to that?

[trobadora]

It's easy for me to read it as a censorship-inspired artistic choice where Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan get to implicitly pledge themselves by proxy (Shen Wei's expression when Da Qing says all the things Shen Wei wishes he could say!! *cries* And later Shen Wei wears a token of Kunlun around his neck, too!!), but I definitely enjoy the deep bond being pledged/confirmed between Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan, as well.

I never read it as censorship-inspired, but as a deliberate mirroring of the two relationships. Of all the things that might have been different without censorship, this one never occurred to me! *g*

(I think it's very in character for Shen Wei to not be the one to say such things out loud, especially at this point in time, whereas it's very in character for Da Qing to blurt them out!)

I wonder if this is maybe his having dropped all his pretence at casualness and disreputableness and meeting Shen Wei and Da Qing honestly and openly, defence shields down! Or if it's part of his playing the part of Kunlun, the same way Shen Wei's body language subtly changes between Professor Shen and the Envoy... hmm...

I think it's a little bit of both, but more the first than the second. He doesn't really put a lot of work into pretending to be Kunlun-like. *g*

I feel like this is the mission statement of the show. ♥ ♥ ♥ And it's important for Da Qing to hear so he doesn't shut himself off from other people over the next 10k years (including, eventually, ZYL himself), and it's important for Shen Wei, who's been a soldier most of his life and endured so much, to hear it, too.

Oooh, yes, that's an excellent point!

I think Shen Wei feels every word like a pain in his heart. Da Qing is saying everything he wants to, offering most of what Shen Wei wants to offer (albeit in a different way). And Kunlun is leeeaving! *cries*

Yes! *sniffles*

[velithya]

I really love the relationship between Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan it makes me very happy!! I love things that really emphasise that Da Qing is Zhao Yunlan's cat (even though he's sometimes human shaped) and I think this exchange about Zhao Yunlan being Da Qing's owner fits in perfectly :3

> How does Da Qing feel about Zhao Yunlan? Are his feelings purely platonic, or does he have some romantic love in there too?

I don't see any romance in here - just platonic love, trust, and loyalty.

> How does Shen Wei feel hearing this conversation?

I think from the moment Zhao Yunlan says he's leaving, Shen Wei is devastated and remains so this whole time. I think Da Qing is saying everything Shen Wei wishes he could say but refuses to let himself because he thinks he shouldn't / he thinks he has to uphold Heipaoshi's reputation / he wants to be strong for Kunlun ;_;

> What happens to Da Qing between this time and the time we meet him in the present?

I think he wanders around looking for his person (and maybe other cat Yashou?), and gradually the oldest memories would fade as newer memories take their place (the weight of ten thousand years worth of memories is a lot for anyone to carry!) but he would always remember that he had an owner somewhere in the world, and that they would meet again.

[undeadrobins]

I love the idea of him always being guided by that knowledge that he has an owner, and that keeping him going throughout the years ♥

[china_shop]

I think Da Qing is saying everything Shen Wei wishes he could say but refuses to let himself because he thinks he shouldn't / he thinks he has to uphold Heipaoshi's reputation / he wants to be strong for Kunlun ;_;

I always wonder how much ZYL's saying, "Catty, can you be more mature? If you're like this, I won't admit I'm your master" to Da Qing stays Shen Wei's tongue, too... :-(

[trobadora]

I think from the moment Zhao Yunlan says he's leaving, Shen Wei is devastated and remains so this whole time. I think Da Qing is saying everything Shen Wei wishes he could say but refuses to let himself because he thinks he shouldn't / he thinks he has to uphold Heipaoshi's reputation / he wants to be strong for Kunlun ;_;

Yes! *sniffles*

[nnozomi]

A great writeup! I always forget how good Da Qing looks in his Olde Haixing clothes, I'll take those over the overalls any time.
There is a slight difference in the tone of these, in my opinion, although I can't quite put it into words properly. You'd never believe I work in comms for a living, would you?!
Ha! I feel this very much.
(I feel like "I'll miss you" is focusing on "how I'll feel when you're gone" and "I hate to be parted from you" on "how I feel, now, saying goodbye to you," but maybe that's too obvious?)

How does Da Qing feel about Zhao Yunlan?
I think it's just--this is My Person. It's a relationship that's unique in both their lives and really does work for me as "person and cat"--not exactly friends or brothers and not, at least in my view, at all romantic, but absolutely belonging together and taking that belongingness (in the modern era) totally for granted.

[undeadrobins]

I love his look so much in these scenes ♥

I think "I'll miss you" feels a little shallow for this, as though it's a single moment in time and then it's over. While "I hate to be parted from you" is looking more at the fact that they're being pulled apart by outside forces against their will.

And yes, "My Person" is the best way of describing it, I think.

[trobadora]

think it's just--this is My Person. It's a relationship that's unique in both their lives and really does work for me as "person and cat"--not exactly friends or brothers and not, at least in my view, at all romantic, but absolutely belonging together and taking that belongingness (in the modern era) totally for granted.

Yes! This is exactly it. ♥ ♥ ♥

[velithya]

I also love his YOHE look! All the YOHE looks were so good it was such a shame we only saw them for a short time ;_;

[shadaras]

<333 This is a fantastic write-up!

Speaking of which, the use of the word 主人 – master – is interesting here.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about 主人 in the context of SHL. xD Over there, it's mostly used in the context of a master/servant relationship. Here, because it's only used in YOHE, there's less context, but 主人 as a word feels like it's being used more like "boss" than like "owner" to me?

(...tbh the other way I read that scene is as affirming/creating a kink-relationship, with Da Qing letting ZYL collar him and them both agreeing that ZYL is "master" in that context. Why does Da Qing want to be a sub like that? idk but the vibes are there.)

Does this differ to the story in the novel? I've never read it, but I'm interested in how the relationship between Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan is portrayed in that.

From my memory, which isn't perfect but I really did like Daqing's backstory in the novel:

In the novel, Kunlun was a fickle/flighty god and Nuwa gave him a kitten to take care of in hopes that it'd settle Kunlun down. Kunlun named the kitten Daqing and took care of him very well, and he grew into an adult spiritual cat and cultivated to immortality and the ability to shapeshift. In the novel he spends most of his time as a cat, and everyone (including Daqing) is like "wait you can be human-shaped?" and he's like "...I guess but I like being a cat more" when he first turns into a human.

Daqing is also Zhao Yunlan's fat and lazy cat in the novel. He can talk, he's still the deputy of the SID, and they have a strong platonic relationship. I think the drama makes it more obviously affectionate, since it tones down the swearing/scolding tone novel!ZYL often has and makes Da Qing's baseline form human instead of Daqing being almost exclusively a cat.

So uh it's quite different! And the bells have a different significance in the novel, too. :)

[undeadrobins]

Oh, I absolutely read it in a kink way too, so you're not alone there! But I definitely feel it's more of a two-way relationship than just 'owner'.

I'd love to know more about the bells in the novel too!

[china_shop]

because it's only used in YOHE, there's less context, but 主人 as a word feels like it's being used more like "boss" than like "owner" to me?

Oh cool. Thanks!

[trobadora]

I have spent a lot of time thinking about 主人 in the context of SHL. xD Over there, it's mostly used in the context of a master/servant relationship. Here, because it's only used in YOHE, there's less context, but 主人 as a word feels like it's being used more like "boss" than like "owner" to me?

I already said this below in my own comment, but from what I can tell 主人 is what you'd use for a pet's owner, so it would sound natural for Da Qing being Zhao Yunlan's cat. I'm not sure why Da Qing would want an owner either - that sense of belonging, yes, but why in those terms? I'd really love it if someone had a theory about that (other than "leftover from the novel").

(The kinky parallels are there, but I just can't read their relationship as kink-based.)

Thanks for sharing that info about the novel!

[trobadora]

This is a fantastic write-up! ♥

It looks to me like he purposely holds himself straighter

Oooh, yes, excellent observation! I think I always interpreted it as him striking a pose, more or less - body language to underline his words, making it clear this is important - but in true Zhao Yunlan manner it also carries a hint of teasing in how deliberate it is. Idk, maybe I'm overinterpreting.

"If you keep acting like this, I may not want you anymore."

I always go OUCH when I hear that, because it's so close to "I don't want to see your feelings", and that's got to hurt for both Da Qing and Shen Wei to hear from "Kunlun" ...

When he speaks, the camera is looking at Shen Wei, rather than him (while this may be because they added the line in post or something like that, I prefer to think it was an artistic choice).

Oh, yes, I think that's absolutely a deliberate choice, to make it visually obvious that what's being said between Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan also applies to Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, a mirroring of the two relationships.

the Chinese is 我舍不得你, which I understand translates more as "I hate to see you go" or "I hate to be parted from you". There is a slight difference in the tone of these, in my opinion, although I can't quite put it into words properly.

Yeah, they feel very different to me!

the use of the word 主人 - master

I don't speak Chinese, but from what I can tell, 主人 is both "master" (as in master and servant) and "owner", and it's the word used for owning a pet/an animal, which is presumably why they're using it here. I guess the question for me is why Da Qing should want an owner - though for cats, I guess "owner" is just another word for "can-opener". *g*

Da Qing is literally giving his heart away, to a man he's not known for long. Zhao Yunlan understands the depth of that love so completely, and in that moment understands how much he means to Da Qing and, in turn, how much Da Qing means to him.

Yes! It's so good! :D

The show does such an excellent job with these two, always showing how close they are in a very cat-and-human kind of way that doesn't map well on normal human relationships. ♥

Even if Da Qing never remembers this, Zhao Yunlan will, and his relationship with the cat he's known for so long will change.

I think Da Qing eventually ends up remembering everything, doesn't he? He says in episode 26 he has his memories back, and I always assumed, going by the conversation he has with Shen Wei afterwards (in episode 27), that it was all of them - he definitely remembers Kunlun.

We see Zhao Yunlan doing what he usually does in moments of heightened emotions and feelings - laughing - but he does it in such a fond way that it hurts my heart a little. It's a laugh that says "I know you so well" and "I care about you so much", and isn't meant in a bad way at all.

Yes yes yes to all this!

How does Da Qing feel about Zhao Yunlan? Are his feelings purely platonic, or does he have some romantic love in there too?

I definitely read it as platonic. There's nothing romantic/sexual, they just belong with each other. And I love that.

What was it about Zhao Yunlan that made Da Qing so sure that he was the one who deserved his bells?

I figure it's pretty similar to how Shen Wei was so invested so quickly - Zhao Yunlan paid attention to them and showed them he really knew/understood them, and how important they were to him, and that's got to be heady. Zhao Yunlan is usually someone who puts up a front a lot, and it's not that he doesn't do it as Kunlun, but he's not hiding his feelings, and that kind of earnestness just shines through, you know?

Where are the other cat Yashou? Apart from the annoying female that turns up, we never hear or see anything about them.

I always figured Cat Yashou were mostly loners, and back in YOHE they used to run into each other on occasion because the world was so much smaller, but nowadays there are so many people, Da Qing hasn't actually seen another Cat Yashou other than Da Ji in forever.

[velithya]

> The show does such an excellent job with these two, always showing how close they are in a very cat-and-human kind of way that doesn't map well on normal human relationships. ♥

I still love the scene early on when they're discussing things in ZYL's apartment and DQ is just cozying up all over him and ZYL has zero reaction like this is totally normal for him? I LOVE IT

> it's the word used for owning a pet/an animal, which is presumably why they're using it here

I know google translate isn't the best reference but it told me 主人 was "owner" so that's how I've always seen it. And since the traditional relationship between a human and a cat is quite different to human + other pets, I've always thought it was appropriate for ZYL and DQ - more a representation of the bond between them and the feelings they have for each other and the care they will take for each other than anything more "master" like!

[china_shop]

I don't speak Chinese, but from what I can tell, 主人 is both "master" (as in master and servant) and "owner", and it's the word used for owning a pet/an animal, which is presumably why they're using it here. I guess the question for me is why Da Qing should want an owner - though for cats, I guess "owner" is just another word for "can-opener". *g*

Ahh, thanks for that!!

Zhao Yunlan is usually someone who puts up a front a lot, and it's not that he doesn't do it as Kunlun, but he's not hiding his feelings, and that kind of earnestness just shines through, you know?

Ooh, that's such a good distinction! *tucks it away in my heart* <3