Every syllable dripped with bloodlust, but his seething was broken off when Zhao Yunlan wrapped both arms around him. Instinctively, Shen Wei began to struggle fiercely, but then inspiration struck Zhao Yunlan. “Xiao-Wei!” he exclaimed. Shen Wei went utterly still in his arms. After a moment, Shen Wei turned and gave Zhao Yunlan a disbelieving look. Voice trembling, he said, “Wh-what did you call me…?”
Okay, I kind of love that Shen Wei was struggling fiercely against ZYL's hold. Even ZYL's presence isn't enough to contain all the seething fury -- he has to pull out the big guns! And aww, at least in the novel (sort of) there's some context for SW's reaction to "Xiao-Wei"... that works so well. (At this stage SW doesn't know how much ZYL has figured out, right? ZYL is the one keeping secrets now? Hm.)
So interesting to see the Crow tribe formally break ties with the other Yao. I wonder what their grievance is. I can't remember if we find out (or if we already know /o\).
Do SW & ZYL see DQ talking to the Crows? I assume not, but I feel like they're all in the same vicinity. (Poor DQ!)
Yay Lao-Li! How nice to see him, even if he's a lot creepier here. (They kept the bone-carving hobby in the drama, but it always reminds me of Lester Freamon making dollhouse furniture in The Wire.)
The whole party is really fun. It has a great festive/family vibe. Awwwwwwwww, Xiao-Guo! <3333 (And wow, it goes on until noon the next day! o.O I would have made my excuses at, like, 10pm and crawled off home to bed.)
I nearly quoted the conversation about where Shen Wei would otherwise be spending Lunar New Year. Not that Shen Wei had ever thought anything of it. He had lived thousands of years like that, each day exactly like the one before. -- ouch!
From the dawn of Chaos, when the spirits of all things came into being, to the present moment, the world had changed countless times and in countless ways. And yet Shen Wei still tenaciously honored the oath that had long since been forgotten by even the person he had sworn it to. His entire existence had been devoted to that single sentence.
That is some attention span!!! (I think this oath is probably what became, in episode 4, the Envoy thinking, "Once a promise is made, even mountains can't get in our way. I promised you that for the sake of the people, for the sake of Haixing's peace, even if I have to forever shoulder burdens whilst going the opposite way, I will bravely advance forward." *pets*)
I adore the conversation about Shen Wei's name -- both that ZYL recognises himself in the story (or at least, it sounds familiar), and his saying, “Who has the audacity to just randomly rename someone?” -- Gee, I wonder!!! LOL!!! <3 <3 <3
Aww, a little moment of DQ & Lao-Li. *hearts*
Daqing passes on the red envelope to Xiao-Guo -- which somehow turned into dinner with Guo Ying in the drama. <3
Re Daqing's socmed activity: personally, as an old, I appreciate the lack of social media in the drama. ;-p
Is Chu Shuzhi banned from the library because he'd be bound to abuse the sorcery books (ie, for safety reasons) or what? Is he just too disrespectful? (Has he tried using Changcheng as a book retrieval service yet?) And wow, 300 years! At least the drama cut that by 33%!
Aww, I love that Changcheng perks up as soon as CSZ arrives. <3
Shen Wei was multitasking, looking for the requested file with one hand while cushioning Zhao Yunlan’s head with the other to keep him from banging it on the coffee table.
Zhao Yunlan’s voice was nearly as sticky as his eyelids. -- so evocative!!
I have very mixed feelings about the "surprise! cohabitation" plan -- like, I'm a big fan of communication and consent, ot1h, and I hate surprises; otoh, this is So Them. And then it says, He had recently managed to force Shen Wei to reluctantly stay with him in this tiny apartment and how it's all about getting laid (presumably against Shen Wei's better judgement), and then I'm back to "ehhhhhhh, this makes me uncomfortable" again. ;-p
Zhao Yunlan’s eyesight was still recovering, so he didn’t see the little storage bin in the wardrobe, covered by a long trench coat. -- ooh, mystery! (Don't tell me! I've completely forgotten about this.) Love that the drama trench coat is from the novel, hee!
Aww, ZYL's innate connection with the Kunlun lock, and how it throws him off-balance. <333
The inscription on the Kunlun painting is so romantic (and the illustration in the official translation is gorgeous), and idk, I feel like the room is less creepy for an ancient immortal than it would be for a human? Like, when you've lived thousands of years, your perspective is inevitably going to be skewed anyway...?
No secrets could be kept when faced with the Soul-Executing Blade, which could discern right from wrong, kindness from evil.
Oh, wow! That's an incredibly powerful tool -- just as well it's in the hands of someone good, with immense self-control!
He was, after all, a gentleman. It could never have crossed his mind that someone might go to such lengths to lure him away just to move his belongings and steal a couple pairs of underwear. -- LOLOL!
Shen Wei blaming himself for ZYL's losing his eyesight made me go OMG NO! And then he goes home all panicky, and ZYL is grinning and smarmy, and Shen Wei starts fussing over him, and I'm like, this is not a dynamic that works for me, sorry. It's just mean to stress SW out like this and then act all smug and wring a hug out of the situation! (And I really don't like SW blaming himself for things beyond his control, especially when they were caused by ZYL ignoring his advice.)
The scenes at ZYL's parents' placeHa, the description of ZYL's mother is followed up with "Fathers and sons do often have somewhat similar tastes in partners, after all." But the way she talks to ZYL reminds me of the SID team all being so rude to each other, rather than SW. The whacks from the rolling pin are a bit much, but wouldn't be out of place in a lot of kdramas, so again, I can't tell how much of a dragon she's supposed to be compared to the norm.
I'm also not sure how much of ZYL's behaviour and nervousness is a side-effect of planning to come out and worrying how she'll react, which if it is, that seems pretty understandable to me -- I'd think even if he was bringing a woman home he was serious about, he'd be nervous about his family's reaction, and the fact the he's standing their expectations on their heads at the same time... (If he was really cowed, I'd think he wouldn't tell her at all?)
I like that all her first reactions are concern for him, rather than for her own status or what her friends will say, even if they're misguided fears. She's not thinking clearly, but she also her first instincts are protective rather than condemnatory.
He had imagined many possible ways she might take the news. -- so he's been thinking about this a lot. *pets him*
But Zhao Yunlan hadn’t expected this half-panicked, frightened reaction, perhaps because he himself had never been a parent. [...] Parents often feel moved as well as delighted when they see someone deeply in love with their child, but when it’s the other way around, they have mixed feelings. -- this feels like such an empathetic take from the novel/priest. <3 And in the end, after a bit of adjustment, ZYL's mother accepts the situation, effectively giving her blessing in the language of snark, if not in so many words. <3
My big question, as I mentioned above, is whyyyy would ZYL take SW along for this? If his mother hadn't come around straight away, that would have been so uncomfortable for SW, and not something he should have to deal with!! Though, otoh, maybe ZYL thinks the best argument for their relationship is SW himself, and that once his mum sees SW, any resistance will evaporate, lol.
(Does his mum know DQ can speak, I wonder? I don't think he says anything in the whole scene.)
no subject
Every syllable dripped with bloodlust, but his seething was broken off when Zhao Yunlan wrapped both arms around him. Instinctively, Shen Wei began to struggle fiercely, but then inspiration struck Zhao Yunlan.
“Xiao-Wei!” he exclaimed. Shen Wei went utterly still in his arms.
After a moment, Shen Wei turned and gave Zhao Yunlan a disbelieving look. Voice trembling, he said, “Wh-what did you call me…?”
Okay, I kind of love that Shen Wei was struggling fiercely against ZYL's hold. Even ZYL's presence isn't enough to contain all the seething fury -- he has to pull out the big guns! And aww, at least in the novel (sort of) there's some context for SW's reaction to "Xiao-Wei"... that works so well. (At this stage SW doesn't know how much ZYL has figured out, right? ZYL is the one keeping secrets now? Hm.)
So interesting to see the Crow tribe formally break ties with the other Yao. I wonder what their grievance is. I can't remember if we find out (or if we already know /o\).
Do SW & ZYL see DQ talking to the Crows? I assume not, but I feel like they're all in the same vicinity. (Poor DQ!)
Yay Lao-Li! How nice to see him, even if he's a lot creepier here. (They kept the bone-carving hobby in the drama, but it always reminds me of Lester Freamon making dollhouse furniture in The Wire.)
The whole party is really fun. It has a great festive/family vibe. Awwwwwwwww, Xiao-Guo! <3333 (And wow, it goes on until noon the next day! o.O I would have made my excuses at, like, 10pm and crawled off home to bed.)
I nearly quoted the conversation about where Shen Wei would otherwise be spending Lunar New Year. Not that Shen Wei had ever thought anything of it. He had lived thousands of years like that, each day exactly like the one before. -- ouch!
From the dawn of Chaos, when the spirits of all things came into being, to the present moment, the world had changed countless times and in countless ways. And yet Shen Wei still tenaciously honored the oath that had long since been forgotten by even the person he had sworn it to. His entire existence had been devoted to that single sentence.
That is some attention span!!! (I think this oath is probably what became, in episode 4, the Envoy thinking, "Once a promise is made, even mountains can't get in our way. I promised you that for the sake of the people, for the sake of Haixing's peace, even if I have to forever shoulder burdens whilst going the opposite way, I will bravely advance forward." *pets*)
I adore the conversation about Shen Wei's name -- both that ZYL recognises himself in the story (or at least, it sounds familiar), and his saying, “Who has the audacity to just randomly rename someone?” -- Gee, I wonder!!! LOL!!! <3 <3 <3
Aww, a little moment of DQ & Lao-Li. *hearts*
Daqing passes on the red envelope to Xiao-Guo -- which somehow turned into dinner with Guo Ying in the drama. <3
Re Daqing's socmed activity: personally, as an old, I appreciate the lack of social media in the drama. ;-p
Is Chu Shuzhi banned from the library because he'd be bound to abuse the sorcery books (ie, for safety reasons) or what? Is he just too disrespectful? (Has he tried using Changcheng as a book retrieval service yet?) And wow, 300 years! At least the drama cut that by 33%!
Aww, I love that Changcheng perks up as soon as CSZ arrives. <3
Shen Wei was multitasking, looking for the requested file with one hand while cushioning Zhao Yunlan’s head with the other to keep him from banging it on the coffee table.
Haha, that reminds me of the conversation about ZYL sprawling all over Shen Wei, post-canon. <333
Zhao Yunlan’s voice was nearly as sticky as his eyelids. -- so evocative!!
I have very mixed feelings about the "surprise! cohabitation" plan -- like, I'm a big fan of communication and consent, ot1h, and I hate surprises; otoh, this is So Them. And then it says, He had recently managed to force Shen Wei to reluctantly stay with him in this tiny apartment and how it's all about getting laid (presumably against Shen Wei's better judgement), and then I'm back to "ehhhhhhh, this makes me uncomfortable" again. ;-p
Zhao Yunlan’s eyesight was still recovering, so he didn’t see the little storage bin in the wardrobe, covered by a long trench coat. -- ooh, mystery! (Don't tell me! I've completely forgotten about this.) Love that the drama trench coat is from the novel, hee!
Aww, ZYL's innate connection with the Kunlun lock, and how it throws him off-balance. <333
The inscription on the Kunlun painting is so romantic (and the illustration in the official translation is gorgeous), and idk, I feel like the room is less creepy for an ancient immortal than it would be for a human? Like, when you've lived thousands of years, your perspective is inevitably going to be skewed anyway...?
No secrets could be kept when faced with the Soul-Executing Blade, which could discern right from wrong, kindness from evil.
Oh, wow! That's an incredibly powerful tool -- just as well it's in the hands of someone good, with immense self-control!
He was, after all, a gentleman. It could never have crossed his mind that someone might go to such lengths to lure him away just to move his belongings and steal a couple pairs of underwear. -- LOLOL!
Shen Wei blaming himself for ZYL's losing his eyesight made me go OMG NO! And then he goes home all panicky, and ZYL is grinning and smarmy, and Shen Wei starts fussing over him, and I'm like, this is not a dynamic that works for me, sorry. It's just mean to stress SW out like this and then act all smug and wring a hug out of the situation! (And I really don't like SW blaming himself for things beyond his control, especially when they were caused by ZYL ignoring his advice.)
The scenes at ZYL's parents' place
Ha, the description of ZYL's mother is followed up with "Fathers and sons do often have somewhat similar tastes in partners, after all." But the way she talks to ZYL reminds me of the SID team all being so rude to each other, rather than SW. The whacks from the rolling pin are a bit much, but wouldn't be out of place in a lot of kdramas, so again, I can't tell how much of a dragon she's supposed to be compared to the norm.I'm also not sure how much of ZYL's behaviour and nervousness is a side-effect of planning to come out and worrying how she'll react, which if it is, that seems pretty understandable to me -- I'd think even if he was bringing a woman home he was serious about, he'd be nervous about his family's reaction, and the fact the he's standing their expectations on their heads at the same time... (If he was really cowed, I'd think he wouldn't tell her at all?)
I like that all her first reactions are concern for him, rather than for her own status or what her friends will say, even if they're misguided fears. She's not thinking clearly, but she also her first instincts are protective rather than condemnatory.
He had imagined many possible ways she might take the news. -- so he's been thinking about this a lot. *pets him*
But Zhao Yunlan hadn’t expected this half-panicked, frightened reaction, perhaps because he himself had never been a parent. [...] Parents often feel moved as well as delighted when they see someone deeply in love with their child, but when it’s the other way around, they have mixed feelings. -- this feels like such an empathetic take from the novel/priest. <3 And in the end, after a bit of adjustment, ZYL's mother accepts the situation, effectively giving her blessing in the language of snark, if not in so many words. <3
My big question, as I mentioned above, is whyyyy would ZYL take SW along for this? If his mother hadn't come around straight away, that would have been so uncomfortable for SW, and not something he should have to deal with!! Though, otoh, maybe ZYL thinks the best argument for their relationship is SW himself, and that once his mum sees SW, any resistance will evaporate, lol.
(Does his mum know DQ can speak, I wonder? I don't think he says anything in the whole scene.)