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sid_guardian2024-11-16 09:43 pm
trobadora) wrote in sid_guardian2024-11-16 09:43 pm
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Guardian readalong: chapters 3 & 4
Hi, everyone, whether you were already here last week or are just joining us now! Last week's discussion post for the prologue and chapters 1 and 2 will remain open, of course, so feel free to comment there at any time. :)
Today we're on to chapters 3 and 4.
- Chapter 3: Shen Wei takes Zhao Yunlan, Daqing and Guo Changcheng to the admin building, where they encounter much creepiness and ghostly happenings.
- Chapter 4: Shen Wei saves Zhao Yunlan from falling off the roof, and Zhao Yunlan questions Li Qian.
Excerpts
1) Guo Changcheng's impression of Shen Wei
For some reason, after a few steps, Guo Changcheng looked back.
Shen Wei had yet to take even a single step from the spot. He'd removed his glasses and was absentmindedly wiping them with the corner of his shirt. In the dim hallway, his shadow stretched out, long against the floor, looking lonely and dejected. The eyes that had so determinedly avoided Zhao Yunlan were now fixed on his back.
There was a dark distance in that intense gaze. His expression held both a sort of restrained yearning and an affection that was almost palpable...but at the same time, there was deep, crushing pain.
Out of nowhere, Guo Changcheng got the feeling that the man had been standing there for thousands and thousands of years.
2) The SID's history
The Soul-Guarding Order had existed since ancient times. It served to conduct Netherworld business in the mortal world, act as a medium between yin and yang, and coordinate the Three Realms. Historically, it had fallen under the Imperial History Bureau. After the People's Republic of China was founded, the Soul-Guarding Order came under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security. That was when the Special Investigations Department had been established.
The current director of the Special Investigations Department, Zhao Yunlan, was also the Guardian. This Guardian was equally comfortable in the Netherworld or in banquet halls. He was talented and smooth, able to hold his alcohol and exchange cups with anyone in the Three Realms. Eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, or putting on a show-he was an expert at it all.
3) Shen Wei rescues Zhao Yunlan
Zhao Yunlan hesitated, but then, despite the fierce wind atop the tall building, he met Shen Wei's eyes and saw himself in their depths-himself and, somehow, the night sky, impossibly intermingled. For some reason, looking up into those eyes, Zhao Yunlan instinctively let go and placed everything, including his insignificant little life, in Shen Wei's hands.
He regretted it the moment he let go. Is lust rotting my brain?
In the next second, Shen Wei hauled him up by sheer force. His unimposing, scholarly appearance belied an unusually powerful grip-Zhao Yunlan's wrist was rapidly going numb, his fingers purpling. The friction pushed his sleeve up to the elbow, scraping a layer of skin from his forearm.
Then he was being held tightly in Shen Wei's arms as they both collapsed on the roof-tightly enough that his bones creaked in protest, as though Shen Wei were hugging something he'd lost long ago. A strange feeling stirred in Zhao Yunlan when he glanced at his wrist and saw the bruises from Shen Wei's hold on it.
4) Have you seen me before?
"Shen-laoshi, have you ever seen me before today?"
Surprised, Shen Wei met his gaze, mind going blank. For two full seconds, he could only stare at Zhao Yunlan, unable to look away. Finally, his throat a little dry, he said, "I... Yes. I saw you before."
Zhao Yunlan raised an eyebrow and waited for him to finish.
"I..." A conflicted expression flitted across Shen Wei's face. Just as Zhao Yunlan thought he was about to tell a fantastic story of how incredibly their lives were entangled, Shen Wei's tone lightened. "Actually, I saw your team working on a case."
Zhao Yunlan felt a sudden pang of disappointment, as though his hopes had been lifted just to be let down gently.
Questions
How are you enjoying things so far? What's your favourite line or moment in these chapters? Any particular bits that drew your attention? Any favourite worldbuilding elements or character details? Parallels or contrasts with the drama? What do you make of the hints and foreshadowing we're given? What's your impression of Li Qian? If you're reading a different translation or a Chinese edition, how do the excerpts above compare? Any other thoughts? (Note: these are just conversation starters. Feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like!)
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Re: your comments about how fun reading the novel has been — I've read two fan-translations, and the first one I read had a very similar tone to it that just made it so fun and easy to read. The second one (and the only one I still have access to) has a much more serious tone and feels a bit more flat to read. I still love it and am grateful for its existence, but it did have me wondering if that more fun version didn't actually exist and was only a result of it being my first time reading the novel, but the seven seas translation also has that same fun writing that is just so intrinsic to priest's novels and I'm very much enjoying it!!
All the little details of things you caught that made it into the drama is so good!! Reading the novel, it really does make it clear how much love and detail went into the drama. They kept as much as they could while changing things for alien and timeloop reasons haha
Shen Wei: tries so hard to keep his distance
Also Shen Wei: scolds Zhao Yunlan about taking better care of his health
Still Shen Wei: gets in a small elevator with him and takes him up to the top floor
Shen Wei Again: pulls him up from nearly falling off a roof
Clearly, he’s doing great at the hole. Distance thing.
Also, when you highlighted that section about Da Qing (where Zhao Yunlan comments about how much he likes ghosts and eating dried fish found near where corpses were hidden) - it made me wonder, how much of that instinct is tied to Da Qing's early existence and his companions in the primordial past? And that had me picturing little kitten Da Qing curling up on the little ghost king's lap and the little ghost king feeding Da Qing fish he'd caught himself and it's just. Such a soft image that I wish I could paint!!
Oooh and thank you for pointing out those translation differences! I knew something felt different about those scenes, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. That insight from Shen Wei especially, I knew there was more to that scene, and I wish that bit had made it in because it adds a little more mystery to Shen Wei, and a little more yearning too (and we all love some good yearning and pining and longing, right?)
no subject
Reading the novel, it really does make it clear how much love and detail went into the drama. They kept as much as they could while changing things for alien and timeloop reasons haha
Yes, I really love how respectful and homage-y they were.
Clearly, he’s doing great at the hole. Distance thing.
Hee!
And that had me picturing little kitten Da Qing curling up on the little ghost king's lap and the little ghost king feeding Da Qing fish he'd caught himself and it's just. Such a soft image that I wish I could paint!!
Awwww! <3
no subject
Hee! I appreciate your twice-thought thoughts! :D
That's fascinating about two fan translations - as far as I'm aware there's really only one, which existed in an unedited an an edited version. From what I remember, the edited version is more readable, but I didn't think they changed the tone. If they did, that's fascinating! Either way, yeah, I'm really enjoying that the official translation is be hitting just the right tone for me, which is worth a lot.
All the little details of things you caught that made it into the drama is so good!! Reading the novel, it really does make it clear how much love and detail went into the drama. They kept as much as they could while changing things for alien and timeloop reasons haha
Yes! And they put so much love into the things they made up to replace what they couldn't use, so everything they did manage to use could hang together well in its own, different way and still have its impact. I really admire that.
Clearly, he’s doing great at the hole. Distance thing.
LOLOLOL! That's basically the Guardian motto in the early parts, isn't it?
And that had me picturing little kitten Da Qing curling up on the little ghost king's lap and the little ghost king feeding Da Qing fish he'd caught himself and it's just. Such a soft image that I wish I could paint!!
Awwwww! Now I really want that! Art or fic, I'm not particular, but I want it!!!
That insight from Shen Wei especially, I knew there was more to that scene, and I wish that bit had made it in because it adds a little more mystery to Shen Wei
Yeah, I find it fascinating that the version in the official translation has a more opaque Shen Wei, and I wonder about the reasoning for that ...
no subject
LOLOLOL! That's basically the Guardian motto in the early parts, isn't it?
100%, that's the whole beginning of the show, watch as Shen Wei, totally normal professor, fails at keeping his distance lol
As for the more opaque Shen Wei, I wonder if it might be another case of the source text they used for the official translation being different? maybe it's to make it harder to guess Shen Wei's identity? I don't know, but I am also very curious about it
no subject
I wonder if it might be another case of the source text they used for the official translation being different? maybe it's to make it harder to guess Shen Wei's identity?
Yeah, I could definitely see that! I really wish we could actually know. I wonder if someone on the Chinese side of fandom might know more about the different versions ...