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sid_guardian2025-02-16 11:18 am
china_shop) wrote in sid_guardian2025-02-16 11:18 am
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Guardian readalong: chapters 27 & 28
Hi, all! Sign-ups are open for the coming round of the Guardian readalong (the start of volume 2).
Welcome to this week's installment - the end of volume 1! If you’re just joining us or need to catch up, here are last week’s chapters, and you can find previous discussions on the schedule post or via the !readalong tag.
This week we're looking at:
Chapter 27: Return to the city. Drinking with Lang-ge. A drunken Shen Wei kisses Zhao Yunlan violently and slashes his shirt open. When Zhao Yunlan protests, Shen Wei's body shuts down completely. Zhao Yunlan calls an ambulance. Doctors try to resuscitate Shen Wei, and Zhao Yunlan lights talismans. Shen Wei wakes up the next day in the hospital, and Zhao Yunlan calls him "my lord Emissary".
Chapter 28: Shen Wei confirms his identity. Zhao Yunlan is excruciatingly embarrassed about his behaviour over the last six months. Back in Dragon City, the SID team corners Zhao Yunlan into driving Shen Wei home. Zhao Yunlan invites himself in, and they talk about the Hallows and Ghost Face. Zhao Yunlan goes home and asked Daqing about his past incarnations.
ETA: Official translation chapter 27 corresponds to a little after the start of chapter 42 up to the end of chapter 43 in JJWXC, and chapter 28 corresponds with the start of chapter 44 up to the end of chapter 45.
Excerpts
1) Lang-ge is honoured by Shen Wei's toast
With a smile, Shen Wei continued, “Mr. Lang has taken such incredible care of us all this time, but unfortunately these are all poor students who haven’t earned a cent in academia. We truly have no way to repay you. This drink is out of gratitude.”
He clinked his glass with Lang-ge’s and emptied it in one swallow.
Lang-ge paused. “Aiya,” he exclaimed, a little surprised. It was one thing to call a thug like Zhao Yunlan “bro”; arrogant scholarly types were quite another matter. He fully expected them to look down on him, so he tried not to bother them if he could. He’d certainly never imagined that Shen Wei would pay him such respect.
2) Drunk, Shen Wei pushes Zhao Yunlan against a wall and kisses him
Shen Wei’s reactions were slightly delayed. It took a moment before he slowly raised a hand, and then, instead of taking the towel, he reached right past it and took hold of Zhao Yunlan’s wrist instead. Zhao Yunlan found himself being dragged into Shen Wei’s arms by brute force.
He had noticed earlier that something wasn’t quite right with Shen Wei, and the mood was a bit off, but Zhao Yunlan was still delighted by this development. He offered no resistance when Shen Wei yanked him close, or when Shen Wei pushed him up against the wall roughly and found his mouth, nearly tearing at his lips.
3) Zhao Yunlan puts the brakes on
Suddenly, the lights went out with a pop, plunging the room into darkness. The only sound was a man panting like a wolf that had known only starvation for many, many years.
Something abruptly slashed across Zhao Yunlan’s shirt, which hadn’t had many buttons to begin with.
“Nnh… This is a little too wild… Shen Wei!” Zhao Yunlan’s heart might have been alight and burning, but this kind of drunken craze wasn’t what he had in mind. He deftly rolled to the side, shouldering Shen Wei and pulling his arm free.
As soon as Zhao Yunlan protested, Shen Wei froze. Then, without a word, he toppled into Zhao Yunlan’s arms and went utterly still.
4) Shen Wei confirms his identity
Eventually, Shen Wei sighed. With a wave, he banished the hospital gown and replaced it with his vast black robe. The Soul-Executing Blade was suddenly there in his hand. He secured the unremarkable-seeming blade at his waist. But for the first time, he didn’t conceal his face.
“How did you know?”
Zhao Yunlan just looked at him, seeming thoughtful. When he finally opened his mouth, what came out was, “I didn’t. I was bluffing.”
The expression that spread across Shen Wei’s face defied description.
5) Zhao Yunlan reluctantly offers to drive Shen Wei home
Shen Wei smiled. “No need. I can get a taxi.”
With others present, what could Zhao Yunlan say? He could only take charge of Shen Wei’s luggage again. “Let me drive you,” he said. “It’s already dark. If I drive you, it’ll be…”
He’d meant to say “it’ll be safer,” but before the words escaped, he was revisited by the memory of that day in the alley when he’d beaten up a bunch of thugs for Shen Wei—and worse, had acted so cool about it, exactly like a stupid peacock displaying its feathers when it was already showing its ass.
It was a real struggle to keep smiling. Recalling the past was truly unbearable.
6) Zhao Yunlan leaves Shen Wei's apartment
He made his farewells and went downstairs, but before getting in the car, he couldn’t help looking up. Shen Wei’s light was still on. The apartment wasn’t many floors up, and Zhao Yunlan’s keen vision let him see a silhouette at the window, watching him go silently.
It gave him the sense that Shen Wei was always silently watching him depart.
7) Daqing says he looked for Zhao Yunlan for five hundred years
“I don’t know,” Daqing said. “Back then, my cultivation wasn’t complete. You… Your attitude then was very similar to now—an insolent asshole. Then one day, you were just…gone. For a long time, maybe dozens of years, no one knew where you went. When you finally came back, the True Flame on your left shoulder was gone. You held me and roasted a fish for me. After I ate it, you took out your whip, turned it into three paper talismans, and gave them to me.”
Daqing curled up in Zhao Yunlan’s warm embrace and shut his deep green eyes.
“What did I say?” Zhao Yunlan coaxed gently.
“You said… You said you’d messed up big time. That you probably wouldn’t be able to come back again. I carried the Soul-Guarding Order with me and worked hard on my cultivation. I looked for you for five whole centuries.”
For a moment, Zhao Yunlan thought the heartless black cat was about to cry. His heart melted. He sighed and was just about to say something when Daqing struggled out of his arms, gave his shiny black fur a great shake, and stood on his thigh to issue a decree.
“So you have to treat me better! The microwave has already beeped five or six times. Bring me my milk and little sausages!”
Questions
- If you're familiar with the drama, how do you feel about the differences between the novel's identity reveal and the one in the drama? What about other differences in these chapters?
- Which "Zhao Yunlan & team member" moment is your favourite in these chapters? Zhu Hong's wordless understanding and helping Wang Zheng and Sang Zan out of Clarity? Lin Jing giving Zhao Yunlan a terrible neck rub? The conversation with Daqing at the end? Something else?
- If you're reading the official translation, do you have any thoughts about the Appendices: the character and name guide, the terminology, etc?
(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 schedule starting from next weekend (and please do sign up to host a post if you can!)
Welcome to this week's installment - the end of volume 1! If you’re just joining us or need to catch up, here are last week’s chapters, and you can find previous discussions on the schedule post or via the !readalong tag.
This week we're looking at:
Chapter 27: Return to the city. Drinking with Lang-ge. A drunken Shen Wei kisses Zhao Yunlan violently and slashes his shirt open. When Zhao Yunlan protests, Shen Wei's body shuts down completely. Zhao Yunlan calls an ambulance. Doctors try to resuscitate Shen Wei, and Zhao Yunlan lights talismans. Shen Wei wakes up the next day in the hospital, and Zhao Yunlan calls him "my lord Emissary".
Chapter 28: Shen Wei confirms his identity. Zhao Yunlan is excruciatingly embarrassed about his behaviour over the last six months. Back in Dragon City, the SID team corners Zhao Yunlan into driving Shen Wei home. Zhao Yunlan invites himself in, and they talk about the Hallows and Ghost Face. Zhao Yunlan goes home and asked Daqing about his past incarnations.
ETA: Official translation chapter 27 corresponds to a little after the start of chapter 42 up to the end of chapter 43 in JJWXC, and chapter 28 corresponds with the start of chapter 44 up to the end of chapter 45.
Excerpts
1) Lang-ge is honoured by Shen Wei's toast
With a smile, Shen Wei continued, “Mr. Lang has taken such incredible care of us all this time, but unfortunately these are all poor students who haven’t earned a cent in academia. We truly have no way to repay you. This drink is out of gratitude.”
He clinked his glass with Lang-ge’s and emptied it in one swallow.
Lang-ge paused. “Aiya,” he exclaimed, a little surprised. It was one thing to call a thug like Zhao Yunlan “bro”; arrogant scholarly types were quite another matter. He fully expected them to look down on him, so he tried not to bother them if he could. He’d certainly never imagined that Shen Wei would pay him such respect.
2) Drunk, Shen Wei pushes Zhao Yunlan against a wall and kisses him
Shen Wei’s reactions were slightly delayed. It took a moment before he slowly raised a hand, and then, instead of taking the towel, he reached right past it and took hold of Zhao Yunlan’s wrist instead. Zhao Yunlan found himself being dragged into Shen Wei’s arms by brute force.
He had noticed earlier that something wasn’t quite right with Shen Wei, and the mood was a bit off, but Zhao Yunlan was still delighted by this development. He offered no resistance when Shen Wei yanked him close, or when Shen Wei pushed him up against the wall roughly and found his mouth, nearly tearing at his lips.
3) Zhao Yunlan puts the brakes on
Suddenly, the lights went out with a pop, plunging the room into darkness. The only sound was a man panting like a wolf that had known only starvation for many, many years.
Something abruptly slashed across Zhao Yunlan’s shirt, which hadn’t had many buttons to begin with.
“Nnh… This is a little too wild… Shen Wei!” Zhao Yunlan’s heart might have been alight and burning, but this kind of drunken craze wasn’t what he had in mind. He deftly rolled to the side, shouldering Shen Wei and pulling his arm free.
As soon as Zhao Yunlan protested, Shen Wei froze. Then, without a word, he toppled into Zhao Yunlan’s arms and went utterly still.
4) Shen Wei confirms his identity
Eventually, Shen Wei sighed. With a wave, he banished the hospital gown and replaced it with his vast black robe. The Soul-Executing Blade was suddenly there in his hand. He secured the unremarkable-seeming blade at his waist. But for the first time, he didn’t conceal his face.
“How did you know?”
Zhao Yunlan just looked at him, seeming thoughtful. When he finally opened his mouth, what came out was, “I didn’t. I was bluffing.”
The expression that spread across Shen Wei’s face defied description.
5) Zhao Yunlan reluctantly offers to drive Shen Wei home
Shen Wei smiled. “No need. I can get a taxi.”
With others present, what could Zhao Yunlan say? He could only take charge of Shen Wei’s luggage again. “Let me drive you,” he said. “It’s already dark. If I drive you, it’ll be…”
He’d meant to say “it’ll be safer,” but before the words escaped, he was revisited by the memory of that day in the alley when he’d beaten up a bunch of thugs for Shen Wei—and worse, had acted so cool about it, exactly like a stupid peacock displaying its feathers when it was already showing its ass.
It was a real struggle to keep smiling. Recalling the past was truly unbearable.
6) Zhao Yunlan leaves Shen Wei's apartment
He made his farewells and went downstairs, but before getting in the car, he couldn’t help looking up. Shen Wei’s light was still on. The apartment wasn’t many floors up, and Zhao Yunlan’s keen vision let him see a silhouette at the window, watching him go silently.
It gave him the sense that Shen Wei was always silently watching him depart.
7) Daqing says he looked for Zhao Yunlan for five hundred years
“I don’t know,” Daqing said. “Back then, my cultivation wasn’t complete. You… Your attitude then was very similar to now—an insolent asshole. Then one day, you were just…gone. For a long time, maybe dozens of years, no one knew where you went. When you finally came back, the True Flame on your left shoulder was gone. You held me and roasted a fish for me. After I ate it, you took out your whip, turned it into three paper talismans, and gave them to me.”
Daqing curled up in Zhao Yunlan’s warm embrace and shut his deep green eyes.
“What did I say?” Zhao Yunlan coaxed gently.
“You said… You said you’d messed up big time. That you probably wouldn’t be able to come back again. I carried the Soul-Guarding Order with me and worked hard on my cultivation. I looked for you for five whole centuries.”
For a moment, Zhao Yunlan thought the heartless black cat was about to cry. His heart melted. He sighed and was just about to say something when Daqing struggled out of his arms, gave his shiny black fur a great shake, and stood on his thigh to issue a decree.
“So you have to treat me better! The microwave has already beeped five or six times. Bring me my milk and little sausages!”
Questions
- If you're familiar with the drama, how do you feel about the differences between the novel's identity reveal and the one in the drama? What about other differences in these chapters?
- Which "Zhao Yunlan & team member" moment is your favourite in these chapters? Zhu Hong's wordless understanding and helping Wang Zheng and Sang Zan out of Clarity? Lin Jing giving Zhao Yunlan a terrible neck rub? The conversation with Daqing at the end? Something else?
- If you're reading the official translation, do you have any thoughts about the Appendices: the character and name guide, the terminology, etc?
(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 schedule starting from next weekend (and please do sign up to host a post if you can!)
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"As he headed for the door, Shen Wei called after him. “The other day, when I acted out of sorts after drinking, I—other than my soul leaving, did…did I do anything else disgraceful?”
Zhao Yunlan paused. Shen Wei stared at the table, too afraid to look at him.
Smiling, Zhao Yunlan turned back. Where his smiles were so often cold or cocky, this one was unusual. It was intentionally gentle and reassuring. Pointing to himself, he said half-jokingly, “Oh, you absolutely did. You threw yourself at me very enthusiastically. It still overwhelms me just thinking about the favor my lord showed me."
♡♡♡ *melts into a puddle*
And then there's also this, THE SOFT.
"When their eyes met, Shen Wei looked down with a soft smile. His expressions and language were always so reserved; to Zhao Yunlan, it seemed like every single look on Shen Wei’s face concealed thousands of words.
His heart skipped a beat as he thought about the look in Shen Wei’s eyes the night before, when he’d awakened to find the professor watching him. It made him feel as if someone had pinched the tip of his heart, leaving it feeling tender in more ways than one."
And then there's blanket adjusting, of course. ♡♡♡
That said, I really do like the making out too, it's just the right amount of wtf. :D
And omggggg THE IDENTITY REVEAL. ♡♡♡ The drama one, in this case. :D The novel one is kinda cute and all, but the drama one was THE reason I couldn't be in any way casual about this fandom anymore. Like, 'need to step away and have feelings for two days before I can even continue watching' level of not-casual. :D For my entire fandom life I've seen other people being excited about identity reveals, and I kinda wanted to understand the appeal because the people clearly had a lot of fun with it, but I just really, really couldn't. And then the Guardian one happened and I was like 'hooooooooly shit, THIS is how, THIS is why, OKAY I GET IT NOW". :D BEST. THING. EVER. ♡♡♡ The novel one really didn't do this for me, which means I continue to be the person who's just not affected by identity reveals, lol, other than that one. :D
"When Lang-ge, who was taking them to the airport, heard about this, he stomped his feet and pounded his chest with regret. Tugging at Shen Wei’s hand, he cried, “Bro, if your laoge knew you couldn’t drink, I never would have let you have a single sip!”
When Zhao Yunlan contemplated just whose “laoge” Lang-ge was claiming to be, his eyelid developed a tic."
Everything about this is A++ comedy. :D
"I thought I was like a male Sailor Moon."
I ADORE ZYL, k.
"Zhu Hong's wordless understanding and helping Wang Zheng and Sang Zan out of Clarity?"
This was SO NEAT, yes! And the Lin Jing neck rub part is so endearingly ridiculous. :D
And I liked the mythology stuff in the appendices - a lot of it was already in the footnotes, but I still learned A LOT of new things from just this one book so it was nice to have it in one place. :)
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Oh, niiiice! What is it about it that you like? I really like that ZYL is being reassuring, not taunting or hiding his feelings or anything. *gives him an approving pat*
And omggggg THE IDENTITY REVEAL. ♡♡♡ The drama one, in this case. :D
THE DRAMA ONE OMG!! SO AMAZING, ALL OF IT, RIGHT FROM THE PUTTING SHEN WEI TO BED AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ZHENG YI CASE!! :DDDDDDDDDDDD
And then the Guardian one happened and I was like 'hooooooooly shit, THIS is how, THIS is why, OKAY I GET IT NOW". :D BEST. THING. EVER. ♡♡♡
Heeeee! *hearts you forever*
And I liked the mythology stuff in the appendices
I really should take the time to read it properly, lol. It felt too much like homework -- I'm really 99% here for the characters.
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Yessss, he is just so soft and sincere and protective, and so much himself still, and I just can't. ♡♡♡ It might be that the softness is so similar to drama ZYL and I just want him to be like that more. AW.
Also for some reason the line "It still overwhelms me just thinking about the favor my lord showed me." just embedded itself in my mind ever since I read it first. :D :D
"THE DRAMA ONE OMG!! SO AMAZING, ALL OF IT, RIGHT FROM THE PUTTING SHEN WEI TO BED AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ZHENG YI CASE!! :DDDDDDDDDDDD"
The thing that entirely short circuited my brain was Shen Wei offering himself up and then teleporting and falling down, like, 'I need to TAKE A STEP BACK rn and FLAIL and then be 10000% FERAL about this show'. :D :D :D
But if I consider everything else that is not this, my favorite part is ZYL's drawings!! :D They're THE CUTEST DAMN THING, and the funniest, and for some reason Shen Wei's hair not being colored in is one of the details that makes it even funnier to me. xD
"I really should take the time to read it properly, lol. It felt too much like homework -- I'm really 99% here for the characters."
It's really not much more than what the text and the footnotes already say (I don't even know if it's more at all?), it's just more systematized. I don't think it's required reading at all. :)
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Yeah, it's so good, isn't it? :D
Though my heart is more in the making out bit - not because of the making out itself, but because of the perfect dichotomy between feralness and control. (Sorry, I already rhapsodised about that in my comment below, I just had to mention it again ... *g*)
And omggggg THE IDENTITY REVEAL. ♡♡♡ The drama one, in this case.
YES. I'm also much, much more into the drama one!
And yay that it gave you identity reveal feels for the first time! That's amazing. :D
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Hahah, I am in fact quite into it because of the making out itself. :D And also I totally see this point! I think it's literally just that I had expectations for this scene and it only met them halfway (on re-read it got better, not worse, at least that's something :D), that's why I'm not flailing about it as much as I could. xD
But the aftermath conversation would still win for me either way, since it's my favorite novel Weilan scene overall, and the competition is TOUGH. :D Like, the really lowkey car scene with the earlobe touching from a few posts back, that's a very close second for example. :D
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I think it’s hilarious that Zhao Yunlan calls an ambulance for Zhanhunshi. It’s so mundane. Just what you do when someone collapses (as opposed to, say, hooking them up to a drip on your own).
I also like how unhinged drunk Shen Wei becomes, giving us and Zhao Yunlan a glimpse of his carefully held-back nature.
It’s impossible to pick a favourite, though, I love the drama reveal too much for that.
Iirc they actually filmed a hospital scene for the drama, but it was cut.
and worse, had acted so cool about it, exactly like a stupid peacock displaying its feathers when it was already showing its ass.
Ahaha, what delicious embarrassment XD. I love that the mugging gets brought back up.
It gave him the sense that Shen Wei was always silently watching him depart.
Aaaah, poor Shen Wei! He’s been pining for so long!
And Da Qing as well!
If you're reading the official translation, do you have any thoughts about the Appendices: the character and name guide, the terminology, etc?
I saw the name guide, snorted at the phonetic spelling, and forgot about the appendix from then on. I looked up anything I didn’t understand on Wikipedia, haha.
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Yep! ♡♡♡ Embedding apparently doesn't work, but the scene is here on youtube. :)
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Right? It's so good. I'd forgotten, I think. (I believe IVs are more common in China, so that's probably not as strange as it seems to us?)
I love that the mugging gets brought back up.
Yesss! He totally should feel embarrassed about that, even though he had no reason to know. :D
snorted at the phonetic spelling
LOL! :D
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Right????
(Though to be fair to the drama, they were still in the mountains there; calling an ambulance wasn't exactly an option.)
I also like how unhinged drunk Shen Wei becomes, giving us and Zhao Yunlan a glimpse of his carefully held-back nature.
Yes! And I really love that a) for the most part, Zhao Yunlan is into it, and b) when he isn't, Shen Wei - no matter how drunk he is - IMMEDIATELY stops. ♥ ♥ ♥
Iirc they actually filmed a hospital scene for the drama, but it was cut.
Yeah, and they definitely made the right call there - the scene as it stands is so much better!
I saw the name guide, snorted at the phonetic spelling
OH GOD IT'S SO BAD! So bad and wrong!
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100% agreed! Those are both excellent points♥
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Yessss. ♡♡♡ I somehow noticed both of these things more clearly on the re-read and my first impression improved. :D
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And Lin Jing told a ghost story, like in the drama. And there was that same "Wait, where's Shen Wei? Why are people being weird about his absence?" moment, followed by his innocent appearance.
When their eyes met, Shen Wei looked down with a soft smile. His expressions and language were always so reserved; to Zhao Yunlan, it seemed like every single look on Shen Wei’s face concealed thousands of words.
This made me aww! Has Shen Wei stopped hiding his feelings now? (Oh, is this the Romeo & Juliet moment in the drama when Shen Wei's on the balcony smiling down at Zhao Yunlan, and Zhao Yunlan stares at him suspiciously and then smiles back?)
I'm still not over the fact that novel!Shen Wei drives.
I'm so interested in the attitudes to alcohol. Like, people clearly drink for fun in some contexts, but in other contexts, drinking is a terrible obligation to be endured. Which makes complete sense of course, especially given the competitiveness of it and the impossibility of bowing out, but ugh. So glad this is not my cultural norm!
Ahhh, Shen Wei drinking Zhao Yunlan's drink! I love it in every incarnation!!! :D And I also love Lang-ge's reaction:
Lang-ge paused. “Aiya,” he exclaimed, a little surprised. It was one thing to call a thug like Zhao Yunlan “bro”; arrogant scholarly types were quite another matter. He fully expected them to look down on him, so he tried not to bother them if he could. He’d certainly never imagined that Shen Wei would pay him such respect.
It was a new milestone in Lang-ge’s social-drinking career.
Given that when Lang-ge first met them, he was thrilled to have a new public-official bro, I don't know why ZYL got demoted to thug, but it's still hilarious. Lang-ge is climbing the social ladder in leaps and bounds. (Also, the whole thing is kind of obnoxious and lacking in awareness, but Lang-ge did provide a ton of supplies for the trip! He should get something out of it!)
Haha, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei team up to
take over Sunnydaledrink Lange-ge under the table.And then Shen Wei is super drunk and handsy, lacking self-control, and Zhao Yunlan's all With thoroughly indecent ideas running through his mind, he said, “I’ll, ah, help you back to your room?” and He had noticed earlier that something wasn’t quite right with Shen Wei, and the mood was a bit off, but Zhao Yunlan was still delighted by this development. ... and I have to switch off my noncon/dubcon squick as much as I can for the rest of the chapter. ;-p (I'm also not really into feral!Shen Wei unless ZYL is actively kinking on it, so I prefer the drama version about 1000%. Does that put me in the minority? Drama!ZYL figuring out Shen Wei's identity and his own heart at Shen Wei's bedside is so gorgeous.) I do like that Shen Wei stops before things get completely out of hand, even if it does it by leaving his body. (Is that semi-voluntary, do you think -- withdrawing in shame or mortification -- or did his system just shut down?)
I love that ZYL manages to find safety-pins to fix his shirt, and that this is a priority for him even in the middle of an emergency. (Couldn't he just help himself to one of Shen Wei's shirts?) And the "didn't even have a nail clipper on him" line is classic priest. :D)
And then he starts putting the pieces together. \o/ I love it when he's smart. Asking the Book of the Dead seems entirely justified here. (Presumably the equivalent in the drama is asking the Dixing Archives in ep 6.)
At this point, he knew there probably wasn’t anything wrong with Shen Wei at all. The most likely scenario was that whoever was possessing the body had gotten drunk and was temporarily out of it, or the soul had straight up left.
Does "whoever was possessing the body" mean that ZYL thinks Shen Wei's body is not his own? Does he think Shen Wei is a ghost?
Shen Wei in this universe doesn't know that he has such a low alcohol tolerance. Interesting! So the drunkenness wasn't a deliberate sacrifice the way it is in the drama.
And then the reveal, with Zhao Yunlan bluffing and Shen Wei confirming it. (I'm head over heels for the drama version, so this feels a little bit of a letdown. But I'm glad it's happened.) What I do think the novel does better is having Zhao Yunlan be so mortified by his earlier behaviour -- his conception of the Emissary as immensely alien and awe-inspiring really adds to his confusion and embarrassment, and I like that a lot. In the drama, sure he broods in his office for a while, but after that he seems to fairly easily accept that the professor and the Envoy are both Shen Wei... and thus almost forces Shen Wei to start to integrate his identities.
Anyway, Zhao Yunlan is embarrassed but still sticking around. *hearts* And then he's "suddenly on his best behavior." Aww!
When Zhao Yunlan contemplated just whose “laoge” Lang-ge was claiming to be, his eyelid developed a tic. -- LOL! Vicarious embarrassment as well as personal. I love him!
During the entire drive, Zhao Yunlan had nothing to say. -- such a contrast with the morning-after drive to the Inspectorate in the drama! :D
Okay, I love that what gets Zhao Yunlan to overcome his chagrin and embarrassment and ask to be invited in is his seeing and having empathy for Shen Wei's obvious distress about the whole thing. That's lovely. <3 <3 <3
The apartment was pristine, but somehow it didn’t quite feel like a home. Looking at the immaculate sofa, Zhao Yunlan almost felt bad for sitting on it. -- This is a little heartbreaking, but also, the comparison with ZYL's flat could not be more stark, lolol!
Shen Wei apologising for the tea being stale. Aww!
Aww, they get to talk shop. That makes them both feel better, I think.
Smiling, Zhao Yunlan turned back. Where his smiles were so often cold or cocky, this one was unusual. It was intentionally gentle and reassuring. Pointing to himself, he said half-jokingly, “Oh, you absolutely did. You threw yourself at me very enthusiastically. It still overwhelms me just thinking about the favor my lord showed me.”
Okay, I love that he says it outright, not dragging out a misunderstanding or secret. And I love even more the "intentionally gentle and reassuring" part. <3 <3 <3
It gave him the sense that Shen Wei was always silently watching him depart.
That's just really lovely and poignant and ahhhhh!
And then, aww, the conversation with Daqing, with the backstory and everything. (Uh, what does the Sailor Moon comparison imply? I don't know that source.) Love that Daqing doesn't prevaricate but also can't remember everything because he was uncultivated. <3 <3 <3
Daqing saying "I looked for you for five whole centuries" hit me almost as hard as drama!Shen Wei's ten thousand years. Aww! And then it ends on snark, because of course it does. Love it! :D
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Yeah, so many great team moments! (Also the students wondering where the cat suddenly came from, hee!)
And Lin Jing told a ghost story, like in the drama. And there was that same "Wait, where's Shen Wei? Why are people being weird about his absence?" moment, followed by his innocent appearance.
Yes, they translated that into the drama so well!
(Oh, is this the Romeo & Juliet moment in the drama when Shen Wei's on the balcony smiling down at Zhao Yunlan, and Zhao Yunlan stares at him suspiciously and then smiles back?)
Oh, I didn't make that connection! But yeah, that smile ...
(I don't think I've ever heard it described as a Romeo & Juliet moment, either, but I knew immediately what you meant, so clearly it's spot on! *g*)
So glad this is not my cultural norm!
10,000% agreed, ugh. Compulsive drinking sounds horrible.
Ahhh, Shen Wei drinking Zhao Yunlan's drink! I love it in every incarnation!!! :D
Yep, same! Though I love the drama version more, because like you say below, Shen Wei knows he can't handle alcohol, and he's doing it anyway, deliberately, for Zhao Yunlan. ♥ ♥ ♥
and I have to switch off my noncon/dubcon squick as much as I can for the rest of the chapter
To be fair, I think Zhao Yunlan is probably too drunk himself to have the self-control to hold back, not until he gets jolted out of it by things turning less fun for him.
I do like that Shen Wei stops before things get completely out of hand, even if it does it by leaving his body. (Is that semi-voluntary, do you think -- withdrawing in shame or mortification -- or did his system just shut down?)
I don't think he actively decides to leave his body - I think he just stops himself as hard as he can, and at that point, because he is drunk, and also even under the best of circumstances he always (needlessly) worries about his self-control, that involves pulling out of the situation entirely. Yeeting himself out of his body is just the quickest, most immediate way to do it.
And the "didn't even have a nail clipper on him" line is classic priest. :D
Haha, right?
Asking the Book of the Dead seems entirely justified here. (Presumably the equivalent in the drama is asking the Dixing Archives in ep 6.)
Yeah, great catch!
At this point, he knew there probably wasn’t anything wrong with Shen Wei at all. The most likely scenario was that whoever was possessing the body had gotten drunk and was temporarily out of it, or the soul had straight up left.
Does "whoever was possessing the body" mean that ZYL thinks Shen Wei's body is not his own? Does he think Shen Wei is a ghost?
I took that as two separate options - either someone was possessing the body, or the soul belonging to the body left. But idk if he knows whether the Emissary has a physical human body, or whether he's possessing a human corpse or some kind of construct ...
What I do think the novel does better is having Zhao Yunlan be so mortified by his earlier behaviour -- his conception of the Emissary as immensely alien and awe-inspiring really adds to his confusion and embarrassment, and I like that a lot. In the drama, sure he broods in his office for a while, but after that he seems to fairly easily accept that the professor and the Envoy are both Shen Wei... and thus almost forces Shen Wei to start to integrate his identities.
I do like that about the drama, myself! Because Dixingren aren't otherworldly creatures, and the point is that they're people - so I like that he doesn't look at the Envoy as something alien, either. And I love that at the same time, that means he actually underestimates what Shen Wei being the Envoy really means, and seeing him with the Regent, and then in Dixing, comes as a shock. It's a great character arc.
This is a little heartbreaking, but also, the comparison with ZYL's flat could not be more stark, lolol!
100% agreed!
That's just really lovely and poignant and ahhhhh!
RIGHT???
Uh, what does the Sailor Moon comparison imply? I don't know that source.
I never watched Sailor Moon either - I just took it to mean he thought he had a special destiny as a superhero. But I just looked at the wikipedia page, and now I see why Sailor Moon: "One day in Juban, Tokyo, a middle-school student named Usagi Tsukino befriends Luna, a talking black cat who gives her a magical brooch enabling her to transform into Sailor Moon: a guardian destined to save Earth from the forces of evil." Hee!
Daqing saying "I looked for you for five whole centuries" hit me almost as hard as drama!Shen Wei's ten thousand years. Aww! And then it ends on snark, because of course it does. Love it! :D
Yes! It's all really great, touching and fun and everything. I love these two.
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Yes, that adds such a lovely layer. <3 <3 <3 But even here, I like the attentiveness that prompts him to intervene.
To be fair, I think Zhao Yunlan is probably too drunk himself to have the self-control to hold back
See, that just means it's two-way dubcon, and doubly doesn't work for me. ;-p (Not to harsh anyone's buzz, but
my interpretation
Ot1h, we have Shen Wei, who unequivocally wouldn't be doing this if he were sober (and ZYL knows it but goes along with it anyway). And otoh, I feel like ZYL isn't really into it the way it plays out, and Shen Wei is too drunk to pay attention to that. ZYL is super into *Shen Wei*, of course, and he's up for the enthusiastic making out for about two and a half paras, but I feel like he makes an attempt to change the tone and mellow things out at this point:Fortunately, the hotel’s pillows and bedding were thick enough that the impact didn’t hurt, but Zhao Yunlan yelped, half in earnest. He dabbed at the blood on his lips and gave a faint laugh. “Babe, you’re a little wild.”
He doesn't want to *stop* -- he's desperately wanted Shen Wei for months -- but *this* isn't what he bargained for. He tries to slow things down, takes off Shen Wei's glasses and kisses him "leisurely", but Shen Wei soon goes back to being over-eager and feral... and I recoil.
BUT I suspect this is the same problem I had with the sex scene in vol. 2 that nearly made me stop reading altogether: that danmei doesn't allow for sex scenes in a way that works for me. There has to be an edge of domination/violence, and at least one of them being left with a feeling of bitterness and/or dissatisfaction. So I'm trying to just gloss over it, la la la. No point arguing with genre conventions, after all.
I think he just stops himself as hard as he can, and at that point, because he is drunk, and also even under the best of circumstances he always (needlessly) worries about his self-control, that involves pulling out of the situation entirely.
*nodnod* That makes sense!
I took that as two separate options - either someone was possessing the body, or the soul belonging to the body left. But idk if he knows whether the Emissary has a physical human body, or whether he's possessing a human corpse or some kind of construct ...
I don't think he knows Shen Wei is the Emissary at that point?
I do like that about the drama, myself! Because Dixingren aren't otherworldly creatures, and the point is that they're people - so I like that he doesn't look at the Envoy as something alien, either. And I love that at the same time, that means he actually underestimates what Shen Wei being the Envoy really means, and seeing him with the Regent, and then in Dixing, comes as a shock. It's a great character arc.
That's a really good point. It works much better in the drama context. *is 100% convinced*
"One day in Juban, Tokyo, a middle-school student named Usagi Tsukino befriends Luna, a talking black cat who gives her a magical brooch enabling her to transform into Sailor Moon: a guardian destined to save Earth from the forces of evil."
Haha, awesome! Thanks for that! :D
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SAME. :D
"(I'm also not really into feral!Shen Wei unless ZYL is actively kinking on it, so I prefer the drama version about 1000%. Does that put me in the minority? Drama!ZYL figuring out Shen Wei's identity and his own heart at Shen Wei's bedside is so gorgeous.)"
Also same. :D Well, generally and with caveats, but same.
"I do like that Shen Wei stops before things get completely out of hand, even if it does it by leaving his body. (Is that semi-voluntary, do you think -- withdrawing in shame or mortification -- or did his system just shut down?)"
I kinda read it as 'this is the only way he can stop himself, and he wants to stop himself'. "As soon as Zhao Yunlan protested, Shen Wei froze. Then, without a word, he toppled into Zhao Yunlan’s arms and went utterly still." This line sounds like that, but it's obviously open to interpretation.
"(Couldn't he just help himself to one of Shen Wei's shirts?)"
I am so amused by this idea because Shen Wei would implode with shame if ZYL was like 'I took your shirt because you sliced mine up'. xD (But also not because I want the soft af conversation as it is, without any unnecessary details. ♡♡♡)
"During the entire drive, Zhao Yunlan had nothing to say. -- such a contrast with the morning-after drive to the Inspectorate in the drama! :D"
Heeee. :D Both are fun in their own way, but I do like ZYL having a lot things to say. :D
"Okay, I love that what gets Zhao Yunlan to overcome his chagrin and embarrassment and ask to be invited in is his seeing and having empathy for Shen Wei's obvious distress about the whole thing. That's lovely. <3 <3 <3"
Yessss. ♡♡♡
"Okay, I love that he says it outright, not dragging out a misunderstanding or secret. And I love even more the "intentionally gentle and reassuring" part. <3 <3 <3"
I already made it more than obvious how much I love this scene, and yet I'm going to bask in this some more because I can. :D ♡♡♡
"That's just really lovely and poignant and ahhhhh!"
It's a gut-punch of a line because HE HAS NO IDEA. ♡♡♡
"Uh, what does the Sailor Moon comparison imply? I don't know that source."
It's already been explained by
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Binary Shen Wei -- completely turned on, or completely turned off. ;-D
I am so amused by this idea because Shen Wei would implode with shame if ZYL was like 'I took your shirt because you sliced mine up'. xD
Hee! It could come up later on?
Both are fun in their own way, but I do like ZYL having a lot things to say. :D
I adore it when Shen Wei says, "We could just not talk," and ZYL starts singing. :D :D :D
I already made it more than obvious how much I love this scene, and yet I'm going to bask in this some more because I can. :D ♡♡♡
<3 <3 <3
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If you're familiar with the drama, how do you feel about the differences between the novel's identity reveal and the one in the drama? What about other differences in these chapters?
So many differences! And yet so many parallels! (This is true about the novel and the drama in general, of course ...)
I definitely prefer the drama's identity reveal - somehow it feels more dramatic and momentous, though possibly that is because Shen Wei doesn't immediately confirm it and in fact I'd say the actual reveal doesn't happen until Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei face Zhu Jiu at the SID ...
The novel of course has the great drunken make-out scene, and Zhao Yunlan developing some shame over his behaviour towards the Emissary, but the drama has all the great push-and pull between them, which is so fundamental to their drama dynamics! And I love it so much.
Which "Zhao Yunlan & team member" moment is your favourite in these chapters? Zhu Hong's wordless understanding and helping Wang Zheng and Sang Zan out of Clarity? Lin Jing giving Zhao Yunlan a terrible neck rub? The conversation with Daqing at the end? Something else?
They're all great, but I think my favourite is the Daqing scene. Because it's so them, but also, Daqing has been keeping this stuff from Zhao Yunlan all this time! And how often has he done this before ...? Poor kitty!
If you're reading the official translation, do you have any thoughts about the Appendices: the character and name guide, the terminology, etc?
I appreciate the character guides and the mythology stuff, but OMG the pronunciation guide hurts my soul. WHYYYY.
Some notes from me:
Maximum suspiciousness, and Zhao Yunlan still drinks what he's given without hesitating. ♥ ♥ ♥
(Seriously, I love it. And I love the drama version where the suspicion is played up a lot more, and taken more seriously, even more - but any version of Zhao Yunlan would have drunk that medicine. *g*
LOLOLOL! Also, poor Zhu Hong, having to manage this kindergarten.
His heart skipped a beat as he thought about the look in Shen Wei's eyes the night before, when he'd awakened to find the professor watching him. It made him feel as if someone had pinched the tip of his heart, leaving it feeling tender in more ways than one.
Truer words and all. I love this. ♥ ♥ ♥
I looked it up, and the first bit is ambiguous in Chinese, since 超人 can be "Superman" in particular, or just "superhuman" in general. So he might or might not be making a pop culture reference. *g*
Also, poor Zhao Yunlan! And I love how well Zhao Yunlan's expressions in the drama get across how he feels about the whole thing.
Such a difference from the drama, where Shen Wei keels over after one drink! I feel like regardless of what he says about his tolerance later, he's not actually a lightweight here, just isn't a seasoned social-drinker like Zhao Yunlan.
(I've seen the passing out after one drink thing in multiple dramas - now I wonder if it's more common in dramas vs. novels, because it's more a immediately dramatic visual? Idk. Does anyone know?)
He had noticed earlier that something wasn't quite right with Shen Wei, and the mood was a bit off, but Zhao Yunlan was still delighted by this development. He offered no resistance when Shen Wei yanked him close, or when Shen Wei pushed him up against the wall roughly and found his mouth, nearly tearing at his lips.
I love this whole scene. Seriously, I love it. Shen Wei losing his inhibitions and really going for it! Zhao Yunlan absolutely being into it despite definitely knowing there's something weird about it all! And I love that it seems like Shen Wei's gone totally feral, but actually, the moment Zhao Yunlan is no longer into it and protests, Shen Wei hits the brakes so hard, he yeets himself right out of his body. The best part about it is that contrast between feralness and self-control, which I think is a great image for novel!Shen Wei's character and background overall. He shouldn't be as in control as he is, and he doesn't always think he is, but actually when it comes right down to it, when it matters, yes, he absolutely is in control. ♥ ♥ ♥
What a visual! We were ROBBED. I want to have seen that in the drama!
A line of text appeared on the yellowing paper: Great evil. A soulless being.
I love how that description 100% doesn't faze him. Of course he knows the Emissary's origins, and also, I guess he correctly interprets "evil" as a state of being here, not an actual judgment of a person's ethics. But still! That is not a reassuring thing to hear about the guy you've been pursuing!
Just for the record, in the Chinese (or the JJWXC version, anyway) it's just "daren", no emissary.
He has some shame, after all! Awww. (Serves him right, LOL.)
That's a misstep on his part, I think, much like drama!Zhao Yunlan when he has to keep undercutting things because he's allergic to earnestness - making Shen Wei think he's not serious is definitely NOT the right strategy. *g*
Zhao Yunlan had vaguely indicated to Shen Wei that he should "cooperate" with the hospital. How exactly Shen Wei cooperated was unclear, but one way or another, after two days he was diagnosed with a severe allergy to alcohol that had paralyzed his heart.
I love that Shen Wei gets himself an actual diagnosis for why he essentially "died" and had to be revived!
When Zhao Yunlan contemplated just whose "laoge" Lang-ge was claiming to be, his eyelid developed a tic.
So delightful!
Hee! I'm really enjoying this, and all the bits about Zhao Yunlan looking back at himself and cringing.
On the other hand, I'm really NOT enjoying this reminder of how very UGH he's been with Shen Wei prior to this, and how he's really only regretting it now because Shen Wei happens to be an otherworldly figure of immense power. As if this kind of behaviour was fine with a normal human. No! It's not! Boo!
(Seriously, whenever the idea of Shen Wei not reciprocating comes up, he's just straight-up awful in his determination to keep battering him with his advances until he gives in. SO MUCH HATE.)
Oh, he's sharp! He's piecing that together from so little information!
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100% agreed about the drama and momentousness! It's so good!! But don't you think the actual reveal is in the lab when Shen When changes into his robes and offers himself in ZYL's place? Or does the fact that he believes ZYL to be hypnotised negate that for you?
And how often has he done this before ...? Poor kitty!
Oh! *clutches heart* I hadn't thought of that!
and Zhao Yunlan still drinks what he's given without hesitating. ♥ ♥ ♥
The trust!! :D :D :D
And I wonder when and how he learned to drive - back when cars were new, or more recently?
Ooh, great question! Maybe early on. I mean, he has his own car, so he's had the opportunity to update his skills as cars have changed.
And I love how well Zhao Yunlan's expressions in the drama get across how he feels about the whole thing.
It's so good! <3 <3 <3
Also, so great that Zhao Yunlan's first reaction is to perform CPR and call an ambulance, and only then does his brain catch on and he figures out what's going on. And then using talismans to call him back into his body!
Yes, I love how practical he is about it all.
> > Please don't take it too seriously, my lord.
> That's a misstep on his part, I think, much like drama!Zhao Yunlan when he has to keep undercutting things because he's allergic to earnestness - making Shen Wei think he's not serious is definitely NOT the right strategy. *g*
Yes, but what else is he supposed to do when he's lost so much face, and feels like he's offended the Emissary? The Guardian can't be on bad terms with him! (And I think he's flailing a bit.)
It's a shame that novel!Shen Wei doesn't actually live in his flat, but I love him heating the tea water with his hands!
Yes! Agreed on both counts. :D
Thanks so much for the missing excerpts!! I wonder if the second one was left out because it contradicts the earlier description of ZYL's attitude and tone. Personally, I'm glad they stuck with him being gentle and reassuring, even if he spoke jokily.
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Yeah, it doesn't count to me because he's not revealing himself to Zhao Yunlan, who he thinks is hypnotised, and who's giving his best glassy-eyed, not-really-here impression.
Yes, but what else is he supposed to do when he's lost so much face, and feels like he's offended the Emissary? The Guardian can't be on bad terms with him! (And I think he's flailing a bit.)
Yeah, I don't blame him, but it's not having the effect he wants because Shen Wei doesn't want him to downplay things. *g*
I wonder if the second one was left out because it contradicts the earlier description of ZYL's attitude and tone. Personally, I'm glad they stuck with him being gentle and reassuring, even if he spoke jokily.
Yeah, makes sense about the tone! Though I do like Shen Wei's "everyone else is afraid of me" from the missing bit ...
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Wow. That actually makes for a big difference in Zhu Hong's characterisation and relationship to Zhao Yunlan. She is completely ready to assume he's a rapist!
Really makes me grind my teeth. I hate the passage but I'm still on team "make up your mind the first time rather than cutting things out left and right later". Hngggh.
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FACTS. :D ♡
"And I love that it seems like Shen Wei's gone totally feral, but actually, the moment Zhao Yunlan is no longer into it and protests, Shen Wei hits the brakes so hard, he yeets himself right out of his body."
YES, that's how I see this too and I love it so much.
"The best part about it is that contrast between feralness and self-control, which I think is a great image for novel!Shen Wei's character and background overall. He shouldn't be as in control as he is, and he doesn't always think he is, but actually when it comes right down to it, when it matters, yes, he absolutely is in control. ♥ ♥ ♥"
His background is one of my absolute favorite things about the novel (but not because I'd prefer it this way in the drama - I kinda see him as a separate character here and I want both to be exactly the way they are :D), and now I realize that maybe this is why this scene improved for me on re-read. ♡♡♡
"What a visual! We were ROBBED. I want to have seen that in the drama!"
OOOOOOF, YES. :D
"Just for the record, in the Chinese (or the JJWXC version, anyway) it's just "daren", no emissary."
Oh, cool! I wonder if it would give Shen Wei a little bit more of a way out, which he would obviously never take anyway because lying to Zhao Yunlan is both pointless and not something he wants to do, but still. :D
"I love him heating the tea water with his hands!"
I find it really cool especially because he's canonically COLD, and here it turns out that he can do heat instead, with no effort and for no reason, idk, it's fun. :D
"Shen Wei can't tell if he is telling the truth, but his tone does sound indecent and flirtatious. Shen Wei looks at him helplessly, "Everyone else is frightened of me, you have a lot of nerve."
Zhao Yunlan is all smiles, but his heart sinks."
Ooooooh yay, more content for my favorite scene! :D I would love it to stay, but without the first sentence? As much as I adore ZYL being indecent in general, here he's just not and it doesn't fit. Otherwise this is really sweet. ♡♡♡
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