Picspam: Da Qing (with a quick detour into Da Qing & Shen Wei)

[trobadora]

When I was pondering what to screencap for this weekend, it suddenly occurred to me that I don't remember seeing a Da Qing picspam in a very long time. And everyone loves kitty pics, right? Let's have some kitty pics. :)

Look at this kitty! Wouldn't you adopt him too?



Which is your favourite kitty? Modern-day jeans overalls kitty, long-haired YOHE kitty, or actual cat-shaped kitty? :D

The many facets of Da Qing:

This kitty's main hobbies are:

Food, of course:




Episode 13: fish snacks are even good against hypnotic Dixing powers! ;)
Episode 3: having a snack while on a stakeout
Episode 20: eating at the SID's Reunion Festival celebration
Episode 33: eating Zhao Yunlan's half-eaten lollipop

And sleep:



Episode 7: dozing in an armchair while Shen Wei talks about bears
Episode 3: asleep on a stakeout, a fish snack in his mouth
Episode 24: asleep on the couch

And also losing/regaining his memory by being knocked unconscious:


Episode 26: accidentally knocked out again by Da Ji

He seems rather dubious about being petted, but that may be because his amnesia gives him weird feelings about Shen Wei:


Episode 1: meeting Shen Wei again in cat form, then in human form

(Btw, we never see Da Qing in cat form back in YOHE, so we don't know how much he's changed, and whether he was a tiny black kitten back then! Which is a tragedy. But Shen Wei seems to recognise him anyway.)

Da Qing also enjoys sneaking around trailing suspicious people, with differing levels of success:




Episode 3: trailing a suspect (he falls asleep)
Episode 21: spying on Dr Feng and Prof Ouyang in cat form (success)
Episode 22: spying on Dr Feng in human form (he is caught)
Episode 23: trailing the Envoy (Shen Wei knows he's there, but doesn't mind, so it's a win, I guess!)

He has adopted Zhao Yunlan and especially enjoys teasing him:




Episode 6: "You didn't use to be like this. Didn't you say you'd arrest every Dixing person on sight?"
Episode 6: "I can't figure out, are you toying with Lao Chu or investigating Professor Shen?"
Episode 6: "Black-Cloaked Highness! Our Mr Zhao misses you!"
Episode 21: being playful with blind Zhao Yunlan

He likes teasing Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei about their relationship, but isn't always good at telling whether the tension in front of him is sexual tension or something else:


Episode 12: complaining about Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei flirting in front of him, when there's actually tension about Shen Wei's secrets.

In short, he is very much a cat. However, that doesn't mean he's not also very protective - which includes protecting Zhao Yunlan from mundane concerns as well as suspicious persons such as Shen Wei:





Episode 8: "Lao Zhao, gastritis again? I wondered why you weren't answering the phone."
Episode 2: "Why's this Professor Shen so concerned about Lao-Zhao? I have to inform Lao-Zhao."
Episode 6: "He's investigating us." (searching Shen Wei's flat)
Episode 23: "The more you get like this, the more I'm going to look out for you."

And when necessary, he's absolutely up for a fight - up to and including confronting the Black-Cloaked Envoy himself:



Episode 22: confronting Shen Wei after regaining a brief memory of Ye Zun and confusing the two
Episode 36: attacking the Nightmare Master

He also owns (at least) two suits, one good one for impersonating officials, one terrible one for going on undercover dates - prepared for all eventualities:


Episode : impersonating a Xingdu Bureau official
Episode : on an undercover date with Da Ji

But his best look is unquestionably his YOHE one, proving once again that men just look better with long hair:




Episode 34: Young Da Qing

And when he loses someone, his grief is absolutely heartbreaking:



Episode 37: Lao-Li dies
Episode 26: Da Ji dies (it doesn't take)
Episode 39: Da Ji dies (for real)
Episode 40: grieving Zhao Yunlan

But I can't leave things there, so let's just take a quick detour:

Three of my favourite happy Da Qing & Shen Wei scenes:

The pinky swear, of course (episode 23):



Da Qing going to talk to Shen Wei after he regains his memories (episode 26):


The brief reunion moment after Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei return from the wormhole, where Da Qing beams at them both (episode 35):



And with that, Da Qing and I bid you goodbye for today:



(Btw, you can still sign up to do a picspam yourself! There are still two slots open, come join us!)

Comments

[china_shop]

Ahhh, this is so delightful and happy-making!! DA QIIIIING!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ *applauds*

This kitty's main hobbies are: [...] And also losing/regaining his memory by being knocked unconscious

LOL! Poor kitty!

He seems rather dubious about being petted, but that may be because his amnesia gives him weird feelings about Shen Wei

Hee! I love how you framed that as an acting choice. <3

Episode 23: trailing the Envoy (Shen Wei knows he's there, but doesn't mind, so it's a win, I guess!)

<3 <3 <3

He likes teasing Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei about their relationship, but isn't always good at telling whether the tension in front of him is sexual tension or something else

Ha, yes, excellent point. That line always lands weirdly, however delightful it is out of context.

He also owns (at least) two suits, one good one for impersonating officials, one terrible one for going on undercover dates

Ha, but the terrible one fits so badly... I guess it can't be Zhao Yunlan's, though, or Da Qing would trip over the cuffs.

Which is your favourite kitty? Modern-day jeans overalls kitty, long-haired YOHE kitty, or actual cat-shaped kitty? :D

Much as I love actual cat-shaped Da Qing talking, for me it's the overalls all the way. I just love how he's settled into permanent goblin mode. I relate to that so much. *g*

And as far as the pics go, my favs here are the last two eating ones (at the reunion dinner and with ZYL's lollipop), cat!Da Qing being petted by Shen Wei (still loling), and all of the teasing Zhao Yunlan ones. *hearts hearts hearts* And of course, the YOHE ones, and the ones of "Da Qing going to talk to Shen Wei after he regains his memories (episode 26)" are especially gorgeous, too. Okay, really they're ALL my favs. :D

[trobadora]

Ahhh, this is so delightful and happy-making!! DA QIIIIING!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ *applauds*

♥ ♥ ♥

Hee! I love how you framed that as an acting choice. <3

What acting, we're talking about a Yashou! :p

Ha, yes, excellent point. That line always lands weirdly, however delightful it is out of context.

Yeah, it's the right sentiment in the wrong moment! But I think it works if you take it as Da Qing misinterpreting what he's seeing because he doesn't have all the information. :D

Ha, but the terrible one fits so badly... I guess it can't be Zhao Yunlan's, though, or Da Qing would trip over the cuffs.

Yeah, definitely can't be Zhao Yunlan's! And I don't think anyone else at the SID is a likely candidate either, so either he rented it, or it has to be Da Qing's ... Now, why he'd own a suit that doesn't even fit him, when he's perfectly capable of getting a fitting one (as proved by the other suit), I don't know. Surely someone must have some theory? *g*

Much as I love actual cat-shaped Da Qing talking, for me it's the overalls all the way. I just love how he's settled into permanent goblin mode. I relate to that so much. *g*

Hee! For me, my favourite in character terms is also overalls!Da Qing, but looks-wise, absolutely YOHE!Da Qing. He looks amazing with the long hair and everything!

(I still regret not getting to see YOHE!Da Qing as a kitty, though!)

Okay, really they're ALL my favs. :D

♥ ♥ ♥

[donutsweeper]

Ooh you are right we never see him in cat form in YOHE era. Now I am so curious if he was little kitten back then or teen-ish kittykat or what.

What an absolutely excellent picspam and you included my two favorite scenes (teasing Zhao Yunlan and the pinky swear) but there's no way I could chose a favorite version of Da Qing, they're all great. :)

[trobadora]

Now I am so curious if he was little kitten back then or teen-ish kittykat or what.

Right? It#s a glaring and tragic omission, we need to know!!!!! *g*

my two favorite scenes (teasing Zhao Yunlan and the pinky swear)

Which scene of teasing Zhao Yunlan? There are multiple ones. (I really love their dynamic, it's so fun.)

[amedia]

little kitten back then or teen-ish kittykat Such a wonderful question!

I can just picture him as a four-to-five-month-old kitten, still pretty small but with the long legs and overall gangly look!!! Sometimes looking very proper and other times still goofy and playful. Sooooo cute!

[amedia]

Just posting a quick SQUEEEEEE! to say how delightful I find this picspam! More coherent comments tomorrow.

I was tempted to say to YOHE Da Qing, "Hey, the 80s called, they want their headband back" - but on second thought, I lived through the eighties, I had a couple of headbands of my own, and I NEVER saw one as beautiful and complex as Da Qing's here! His headband could make a Lan jealous, even though that has to break at least three rules.

[trobadora]

♥ ♥ ♥

The headband is great. Everything about his YOHE outfit is great, I love the style and how well it suits him! And yeah, the headband is so intricate! Honestly, giving him a headband is just an excellent choice in general; along with the long hair it makes him look so different while still being recognisably Da Qing. :D

[autodach]

YOHE Kitty is my favourite ❤️

I still believe the checkered suit is borrowed from Cong Bo. My theory is that Da Qing tried to get out of the date by claiming he had nothing to wear and it backfired.

[china_shop]

My theory is that Da Qing tried to get out of the date by claiming he had nothing to wear and it backfired.

Ohh, yes, I'd forgotten. That absolutely works for me. ♥

[trobadora]

YOHE kitty is a delight. I wish we could have had more of him, and of YOHE in general.

I still believe the checkered suit is borrowed from Cong Bo. My theory is that Da Qing tried to get out of the date by claiming he had nothing to wear and it backfired.

OH, that is an excellent theory, I love it too! It makes an incredible amount of sense, both for Da Qing's character and for the suit's origin. So glad this question was asked, it's bringing out all the best ideas. :D :D :D

[china_shop]

More commentfic! :-)

With permission from autodach:

Episode 26
LJ: It seems, Da Qing, you are the best one to do this mission.
DQ: Why must it be me?
LJ: Look at that. Ideal partner should be outgoing, no limitation for height, better younger than her, and cat style is preferred! That’s you, isn't it?

Da Ji’s picture, smiling out of Cong Bo’s computer monitor, made Da Qing’s emotional tail want to lash, his ears want to flick. He was a cat, and it was rare for him to turn down a meal, but pretending to date this woman wouldn’t be relaxing. He wouldn’t be able to enjoy his food. You only had to look at her to see that if she realised he was lying, she’d get angry.

Da Qing bet she had sharp teeth.

“It can’t be me,” he said, decisively, drawing on his authority as the SID’s deputy chief. “Lin Jing, you can go. No limitation for height works both ways.”

Lin Jing grinned as if the whole thing was a joke. “I don’t qualify as cat style.”

“More like giraffe style,” muttered Cong Bo.

Da Qing folded his arms.

“Deputy, we need to uncover this woman’s mystery.” Lin Jing sounded earnest, but Da Qing could tell he was just being nosy. For him, it was like a web novel come to life.

For Da Qing, it felt too real. Something deep in his memory was backed into a corner, refusing to come out. He wouldn’t go. “It can’t be me. I don’t have anything to wear.”

There. That was final. He couldn’t go on a pretend date if he didn’t have the right clothes.

Lin Jing shrugged. “She said she likes younger men. She won’t mind if you’re casually dressed. Look what Lao Zhao wears, and Professor Shen still—”

Da Qing narrowed his eyes, and Lin Jing broke off.

“We’ll find you something to wear,” he said.

Cong Bo stood up. “What kind of thing did you have in mind? A regular suit or eveningwear?”

“What?” Da Qing didn’t like the sound of this. “What do you mean?”

But Lin Jing was following Cong Bo to a door in the corner. “Ah, Cong-ge, coming to the rescue once again.”

Cong Bo smacked him on the arm and beckoned, and Da Qing reluctantly went over to see what was behind the door.

Inside was as colourful and crowded as a tropical aviary. There were stripes and feathers and sequins and black silk. Stands of wigs and fake beards and moustaches, and a table covered in pots and tubes of makeup. It all smelled overpoweringly dusty, and Da Qing didn’t want a bar of it. But Lin Jing was delighted. He grabbed a maroon jacket with pink stripes from the rack of clothes and held it up, laughing. Then put it back and pounced on a nasty shiny green thing.

“Deputy, you should definitely wear this. You’ll look great. You’ll win her heart!”

Da Qing scowled, but he could already see there was no way out. He’d used up his excuse. He would just have to wear drab colours and hope this Da Ji thought he was boring. He looked around Cong Bo’s costume storeroom for the dullest, ugliest thing he could find.

Well, there was no shortage of ugly. He picked out a blue and tan checked suit. “This. But it’s too big.”

Cong Bo moved a mountain of assorted hats to reveal a sewing machine. “I can do alterations.”

“There’s no time,” said Lin Jing. “You’ll be fine as is. Here, try it with this tie.”

Da Qing gave a deep sigh and surrendered his dignity for the rest of the night. If he was lucky, Da Ji would reject him on sight, and he could go and curl up in Lao Li’s room in his own clothes and eat dried fish.

And if things didn’t go quite that smoothly, well, it was just for one night. Da Qing had sharp teeth, too. There would be food. And a cat’s dignity was never lost for long.

[maggie33]

Da Qing is delightful in all his forms. And this is a great picspam. ♥

[trobadora]

♥ ♥ ♥

I really love him! So glad you enjoyed the kitty pics. :D

[cathyw]

I learned recently that in the novel, Da Qing frequently uses something equivalent to the 'royal we' as his first-person pronoun and if that just isn't a vibe...

(and yes, YOHE Da Qing is an excellent look. All the YOHE costumes. What little money they had clearly went to the YOHE costumes and wigs and they deserved more camera time. Dammit.)

[trobadora]

That's fascinating about the novel, and yeah, so fitting for Da Qing! :D

100% agreed about the YOHE costumes. Since the YOHE sequence is so character-focused and there's not a lot of external stuff, it's all the more important the characters look good, and they definitely made sure of that!

[satsuma]

he is the king of cats, after all, of course he deserves royal pronouns 😆

[sakana17]

Yay, what a great picspam! I love all forms of Da Qing. ♥ The pinkie swear is one of my favorite scenes, too. And his YOHE look is fabulous. (Ooooo, thanks to your lovely pic -- the last one -- I notice for the first time that he's wearing the same silver bracelet in YOHE that he wears in modern day. How cool!)

[china_shop]

I notice for the first time that he's wearing the same silver bracelet in YOHE that he wears in modern day. How cool!

Oooh, excellent catch! That's so cool! (I love how jewellery and adornment are clearly a thing in YOHE -- bracelets and headbands and hairbeads and everything. It puts Shen Wei's pendant into context, too.)

[trobadora]

The pinky swear is awesome! I still remember seeing that for the first time and just staring. :D

And ooh, excellent catch about the bracelet, I never noticed that before! :D

[trepkos]

Da Qing is utterly adorable whatever he does!

[trobadora]

Yes, absolute best cat! :D

[mekare]

Best kitty! I enjoyed being reminded of Da Qing‘s awesomeness! Thanks for making this comprehensive post.

[trobadora]

His awesomeness deserves regular reminders! Glad you enjoyed it. :D

[profiterole_reads]

Adorable! <3

[trobadora]

Thank you! I love Da Qing. :D

[awanderingcoyote]

Ohhhh I loved all of these! I loved seeing all of Da Qing's happy expressions! He definitely gives off the air of happy catte in them!

I especially love his YOHE look. I loved the pop of color with his outfit!!!

But I would have to say my favorite ones are the ones where he's being playful with Zhao Yunlan :D It gave such the air of cat messing with his 'human' just cause XD

Thank you for posting these lovely pictures and the pic spam!! :D :D :D

[trobadora]

Yes, Da Qing's expressions are great, aren't they?

And I like his YOHE look so much, too - he looks fantastic in it, and you're right, tthe colour does a lot for him!

It gave such the air of cat messing with his 'human' just cause XD

Haha, yeah, he's SUCH a cat. And he and Zhao Yunlan are delightful together. :D