Guardian Readalong: Vol. 2, Chapters 13 & 14

[china_shop]

Welcome to this week's installment of the Guardian novel readalong! Here are last week's chapters, and you can find all previous discussions on the schedule post (vol. 1 part 1, vol. 1 part 2, vol. 2), or via the !readalong tag.

This week's chapters:

Chapter 13: Zhao Yunlan calls Shen Wei "Xiao-Wei" to defuse his fury at the Crows, and they leave the Yao Market. Daqing asks the Crows about his bell. The SID celebrates Lunar New Year's Eve with a party. Zhao Yunlan asks about Shen Wei's name. Chu Shuzhi leaves the SID library in a mood; Daqing tells Guo Changcheng to accompany him home. Zhao Yunlan arranges for Shen Wei to be called in to work so he can present Shen Wei with fait accompli cohabitation, but then he finds the portrait room and sends the movers away. Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei and Daqing go to see Zhao Yunlan's parents, and Zhao Yunlan comes out to his mother.
Chapter 14: Changcheng follows Chu Shuzhi home; Chu Shuzhi tries to scare him off with cannibalism talk. Changcheng perseveres. Chu Shuzhi advises Changcheng to stop wasting time collecting so many merits; then he disappears. Zhao Yunlan tells Shen Wei he came out. Daqing tells Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei that Lao-Chu's merit shackles were due to be removed but the Netherworld reneged. Shen Wei's knowledge and questions make Daqing suspicious about his identity. Zhao Yunlan sends a message telling Chu Shuzhi to come to the SID.
Phew! That's a lot!

The corresponding chapters in the Chinese version on JJWXC and the fan translation are:
Vol. 2 Ch. 13: ch. 64-66
Vol. 2 Ch. 14: ch. 67 and about the first fifth or so of ch. 68

Excerpts:
1. The SID Lunar New Year's Eve party
Toward the latter half of the night, after the New Year’s bell had already rung, drunk humans and ghosts alike started to run wild. Guo Changcheng flopped down on the table, sobbing loudly for some reason. After he finished crying, he tucked himself into a little corner and ignored everyone, meticulously polishing his work ID over and over with a microfiber cloth. Finally, he rolled under the table and fell into a deep sleep.

Chu Shuzhi, Lin Jing, Zhu Hong, and Daqing were gathered at a mahjong table. Other people’s chips automatically became dried fish when they arrived in front of Daqing. The cat’s expression was deadly serious. He had no choice but to keep winning, having eaten almost all his chips.

Lao-Li pulled a giant femur from out of nowhere and started pole dancing in front of everyone. Sangzan grabbed Wang Zheng’s hand, pulling her unexpectedly into his arms. He held her waist and lifted her up high; she laughed, humming a little tune from a faraway time, and danced a Hanga tribe dance with him.


2) Zhao Yunlan asks about Shen Wei's name
Zhao Yunlan silently put Shen Wei’s hand on his chest. Perhaps because of the alcohol, Zhao Yunlan’s pulse was a little fast. After a while, when Shen Wei thought he was about to fall asleep, Zhao Yunlan quietly asked, “‘Wei’… How did you come by that name?”

“It was originally the character Wei that’s made up of ‘mountain’ and ‘ghost.’” Shen Wei’s gaze dropped, seeming to gaze right through the gleaming floor; there was no knowing how far into the past he was looking. “But someone once said to me that while ‘mountain ghost’ was fitting, it was perhaps naming me into a corner. He told me that in this world, the mountains and seas are all connected, and lofty peaks stretch out endlessly. He suggested, ‘Why don’t we add a few more strokes and make it a proper name?’”

Zhao Yunlan touched his nose. This mysterious “someone” had a way of speaking that sounded rather familiar. “Who has the audacity to just randomly rename someone?”

Shen Wei smiled. “Just someone I met by chance on the road.”


3) Zhao Yunlan sees the portrait of Kunlun-jun
Eventually, the beam of light made its way to an ancient ink painting on the southern wall. It was huge, nearly occupying the entire wall on its own. The paper was as thin as a cicada’s wing, the surface as smooth as snow…and like all the others, it was a painting of a person.

The person was drawn with delicate brows and an almost lifelike expression. His long hair reached the ground, and he wore the simplest green robe imaginable. His head was tilted slightly, lips curved in the faintest hint of a smile. The brushwork was so vivid that it seemed the man might step out of the painting at any moment…and it was clearly none other than Zhao Yunlan himself!

Along the edge of the painting was a small line of text. It wasn’t modern simplified or traditional Chinese. In fact, it wasn’t any sort of writing he was familiar with. Zhao Yunlan had never laid eyes on it before. And yet, somehow, one quick look told him exactly what it said:

Laying eyes on Kunlun-jun for the first time, in the shades of the grove. A single fleeting glance and the melody of my heart faltered.
By Wei.

Was…was he, Zhao Yunlan, the Mountain God of the Great Wild…?


4) Zhao Yunlan comes out to his mother
She still seemed dumbfounded. Finally, stumbling over her words, she said, “Is he… The man you brought with you, is he…”

Zhao Yunlan nodded. He had both hands on the door, as though blocking it with his body. “I, your son, spent over half a year doing everything I could—cajoling and lying, consulting all thirty-six stratagems and seventy-two transformations… I used every trick I know. It would’ve been easier to start an uprising. And now he’s finally, finally mine. If you feel like you need to kill or maim someone, come at me, but please don’t go out there and ruin all my hard work. It’ll break my heart.”

To an onlooker, it would’ve appeared as though her soul had left her body. Her eyes far away, Zhao Yunlan’s mother began robotically wrapping dumplings without another word.

“Mom?”

His voice didn’t reach her. For a minute or two she was simply in a daze, completely unaware of what she was doing or what she had just heard. She was on autopilot.

Suddenly, after Zhao Yunlan’s repeated attempts to talk to her, she snapped out of it. Words began tumbling from her mouth before she could think. “What about your job? Will people gossip about you? What about your future? That’s right, I… I think your dad said you bought a house a few days ago. Do you still have money?”

Zhao Yunlan blinked, not at all sure how she’d jumped from him coming out to him not having money. If there was any logic there, he couldn’t see it. It seemed like she’d latched on to a few key terms and strung them into random sentences, and they all rushed out at once.


5) Chu Shuzhi gives Guo Changcheng some advice
A thick layer of glowing merits emanated from Guo Changcheng, who was about to cough his trachea into a bow. The impossibly white light seared Chu Shuzhi’s eyes.

The hand that had gripped Guo Changcheng’s neck suddenly lifted and came to rest on that messy bird’s nest atop his head. Guo Changcheng shivered instinctively. Chu Shuzhi patted the top of the man’s head, voice calmer and a bit tired now as he said, “You didn’t study properly as a kid, did you? Have you read The Injustice to Dou E? It clearly states that ‘those who act in kindness often suffer through poverty and live short lives, while those who do evil enjoy riches and long lives.’ Do you remember that?”

Guo Changcheng really wasn’t wired for studying. At the end of every year, he’d return everything he’d learned that year right back to the teacher, every last bit. So now he just squatted on the ground, looking up at Chu Shuzhi with a blank expression.

Chu Shuzhi tipped Guo Changcheng’s chin up and examined him for a while. “Your forehead is somewhat flat and narrow, which means the fate linking you and your parents is shallow. Your ears are thin, which means your youth was full of troubles. The middle third of your nose bridge protrudes a bit, which means you will lose the protection of your elders after you leave middle age, and the latter half of your life will be unpredictable.

“Overall, your face says you’ll have a hard life and ultimately won’t amount to much. There’s no point in collecting so many merits. Donating money and doing good will only make you even poorer. Try to be smarter from now on. Live in comfort like the nepo baby you are. Enjoy what you should and live a few good days while you can.”

Guo Changcheng kept looking up at him, confused.

“You really are a bit dense,” Chu Shuzhi said.



Questions:
On a scale of 1 to 10, how many feels do you have about the "Xiao-Wei" moment and how hard it mashes Shen Wei in the feels? Do you have a sense of why the Crows are breaking up with the rest of the Yao / helping Ghost Face? Thoughts on Daqing's being the one to send Guo Changcheng to accompany Chu Shuzhi, and generally taking up the mantle of leader in Zhao Yunlan's absence? Would you subscribe to the “Lord Meow Number One in the World” account? Zhao Yunlan's "Surprise! We're living together now!" plan: good idea / bad idea / it only works because it's them idea? On a scale of 1 to 10, how discomfiting is it for Zhao Yunlan to find Shen Wei's portrait room? On a scale of 1 to 10, how discomfiting is it for Shen Wei to meet Zhao Yunlan's mother? (Where is Zhao Yunlan's dad? Surely he should be there!) Zhao Yunlan's coming out speech: any notes? Does Chu Shuzhi really think Guo Changcheng's accumulating merits is a pointless waste of time, or is he just bitter because the Netherworld screwed him?

Poll #32943 SID Lunar New Year's Eve party

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6

View Respondents

What's your favourite detail from the SID Lunar New Year's Eve party?

View Answers

Guo Changcheng polishing his work ID with a microfiber cloth
3 (50.0%)

Chu Shuzhi, Lin Jing, Zhu Hong, and Daqing playing mahjong
0 (0.0%)

Daqing's mahjong chips turning into dried fish (and him eating them)
5 (83.3%)

Lao-Li pole-dancing around a giant femur
1 (16.7%)

Sang Zan and Wang Zheng doing their Hanga dance
1 (16.7%)

Shen Wei letting Zhao Yunlan use his thigh as a pillow
3 (50.0%)

other
0 (0.0%)

(As usual, these are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the readalong!)

Our schedule for this round -- please sign up to host a post if you can!

Comments

[autodach]

Love the excerpts you chose ❤

Zhao Yunlan arranges for Shen Wei to be called in to work so he can present Shen Wei with fait accompli cohabitation, but then he finds the portrait room and sends the movers away.

These two are so perfect for each other. Stalker4stalker ❤

Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei and Daqing go to see Zhao Yunlan's parents, and Zhao Yunlan comes out to his mother.

I love this so much. Zhao Yunlan bringing his boyfriend to see his mom. Coming out to her, and her realistic reaction.
„He’s finally, finally mine“ is such a raw line, it demonstrates him being vulnerable in front of his mother perfectly. This is how he really feels about this relationship.
I do question the wisdom of mentioning “cajoling and lying” though XD

The cat’s expression was deadly serious. He had no choice but to keep winning, having eaten almost all his chips.

Hahaha that’s hilarious! Reminds me of that meme.

[china_shop]

Love the excerpts you chose ❤

Thanks! So much happens in chapter 13, it was hard to choose! And I nearly quoted the entire coming-out scene, lol. :D

These two are so perfect for each other. Stalker4stalker ❤

Haha, right? Zhao "I will nag you into a relationship and have you lured away so I can rifle through your underwear and move you into my flat" Yunlan pulls up short when he encounters Shen "I have stalked you across lifetimes and built you a shrine" Wei. :DDDD

I love this so much. Zhao Yunlan bringing his boyfriend to see his mom. Coming out to her, and her realistic reaction.

Yes, I liked it a lot, too. I really empathised with his nervousness (been there!), and he's so eloquent about his feelings, aww. (The one thing I do question is the wisdom of bringing Shen Wei along for the coming out. I mean, that's a lot of pressure to put on your new partner! But it's them, so of course he did, and it worked out fine in the end.) And I thought his mother's reaction showed a lot of concern for him, along with the inevitable unease given how conservative their society seems to be.

I do question the wisdom of mentioning “cajoling and lying” though XD

Heh, she could probably guess that even if he didn't say, don't you think?

Reminds me of that meme.

HEEEE! That meme is perfect. :DDD

[autodach]

Yunlan pulls up short when he encounters Shen "I have stalked you across lifetimes and built you a shrine" Wei

Exactly! Zhao Yunlan thinks he's the weird one, but Shen Wei has been at it for 5000 years! XD

The one thing I do question is the wisdom of bringing Shen Wei along for the coming out

Was that the plan, or did it happen spontaneously? I don't remember if he meant to introduce Shen Wei as a friend or a lover.

[china_shop]

Exactly! Zhao Yunlan thinks he's the weird one, but Shen Wei has been at it for 5000 years! XD

At which point, Zhao Yunlan has to throw himself into it even more!! :DDD

Was that the plan, or did it happen spontaneously? I don't remember if he meant to introduce Shen Wei as a friend or a lover.

Ohh, excellent question! I'd been assuming the coming out was a plan (if his father wasn't around), but it might well have been impromptu. Hmm...

[autodach]

It's hard to say. On one hand, he immediately introduces Shen Wei as his lover, only in such a way his mom takes it as a joke. But he also asks whether his father is/will be home, and only then does he actually come out to her.
My personal guess is he meant to do this, but only if daddy Zhao isn't around(which he didn't except him to be).

[china_shop]

Yeah, that sounds right to me. (But I still don't understand why daddy Zhao isn't home on a significant family holiday. Maybe that'll become clear when we finally meet him.)

[facethestrange]

I haven't gone through the actual chapters yet, but POLL! :D :D Can't resist poll. :D

I feel like it's unfair for Weilan to even be an option when I'm voting, lolol (not just the thigh pillow, I mean, definitely the thigh pillow, but also the absolute softness that they are :D ♡♡♡), but damn, I adore drunk GCC's entire vibe, omg, SWEETHEART. And DQ's dried fish is such a fun and creative idea, and whatever lao-Li is doing here, I support him. xD xD

"Would you subscribe to the “Lord Meow Number One in the World” account?"

Not if I thought he's an actual cat - too many cat accounts already, can't possibly keep up with them. xD Definitely yes if I knew he's a talking cat and runs his own account. :D :D

[facethestrange]

"Zhao "I will nag you into a relationship and have you lured away so I can rifle through your underwear and move you into my flat" Yunlan pulls up short when he encounters Shen "I have stalked you across lifetimes and built you a shrine" Wei. :DDDD"

BWAHHHH omg, this is the best descriptions of them. :D :D *CACKLING* THE BEST. :D :D :D

[facethestrange]

"Zhao Yunlan thinks he's the weird one, but Shen Wei has been at it for 5000 years! XD"

Ahahahah, ZYL: Maybe I'm being a bit creepy. SW: Hold my beer. xD xD xD

[china_shop]

I feel like it's unfair for Weilan to even be an option when I'm voting, lolol (not just the thigh pillow, I mean, definitely the thigh pillow, but also the absolute softness that they are :D ♡♡♡), but damn, I adore drunk GCC's entire vibe, omg, SWEETHEART. And DQ's dried fish is such a fun and creative idea, and whatever lao-Li is doing here, I support him. xD xD

Hee! Yes to all of this. I nearly left Weilan out of the poll, but then I thought the "other" option would win, so... :D

Definitely yes if I knew he's a talking cat and runs his own account. :D :D

Ha, right? :D :D

[facethestrange]

Heee, Weilan is not even close to winning, so I guess it's only unfair when I am voting, not necessarily everyone else. :D :D I did vote for the others too because multiple choice, can't be tamed. xD In a one-choice poll that doesn't have Weilan, it would definitely be Xiao Guo being a pensive drunk, MY BB.

[china_shop]

Not even an exaggeration! Those things are 100% literal facts!! :D :D :D

[china_shop]

Xiao Guo imprinted on the entire SID like a baby duckling, and he will never, ever get over it. *hearts him so much*

[facethestrange]

*CACKLING AGAIN* :D :D Ikr, it's beautiful, and not only it's all just literal facts, it's also not even ALL of the facts, hahah. :D Minor details like SW appearing in ZYL's apartment when he's asleep just to look at him and disappear again. xD

[china_shop]

LOLOLOL! They deserve each other SO MUCH! :DDD

[facethestrange]

AWWWW. ♡ He loves them SO MUCH he has no idea how to even start processing this emotion, but he's clearly trying very hard, lol. *CUDDLES HIM*

[trepkos]

Great summary!

[trepkos]

What strikes me is that he finds the stalker wall/room, and what he takes away is "Was…was he, Zhao Yunlan, the Mountain God of the Great Wild…?" He doesn't even seem shocked at the mass of portraits!

[china_shop]

LOLOL! That's so true -- I hadn't even thought of that. Maybe he takes the portraits as his due? Hee!! :D :D :D

[china_shop]

My notes on chapter 13. (Chapter 14 to follow.)

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.)

[facethestrange]

Oh hi, it's me with my giant-ass comment. xD And one more question I didn't answer before because I didn't remember how it went. :D

"Does Chu Shuzhi really think Guo Changcheng's accumulating merits is a pointless waste of time, or is he just bitter because the Netherworld screwed him?"

According to GCC "Chu Shuzhi hadn’t really seemed like he was trying to convince Guo Changcheng; rather, it had seemed like he was just grumbling about his own circumstances." But also he's not wrong - if they can screw people over like that, it kinda does mean that its pointless to even bother. But GCC doesn't do good deeds to collect merits, so to him it's not pointless. :)

XIAO-WEI! ♡♡♡ I want Zhao Yunlan to be holding Shen Wei in this scene in the drama too plz.

"Even Winter Jasmine peeked out from the vines wrapped around the bridge and peered at the others, completely lost."

Why is this image so cute. :D :D

"Winter Jasmine cried out in shock. “Crow Elder!”

Fourth Uncle held her back."

This is what the entire connection between Ying Chun and Ya Qing in the drama was built on, isn't it. :D

"In that moment, he was the epitome of the lazy elegance unique to felines. One could almost forget that he was a furry sphere of a cat."

I'm loving DQ being spherical and majestic at the same time. :D And then after the crows leave "He suddenly looked like a desolate stray cat." I love how his emotions are visually expressed! (And the Crow Elder being mostly civil and giving him the information! I guess they
don't hate the other yao this much, or they just hate them as a collective, but talking to an individual one is mostly fine?)

I already squeed about some of the Lunar New Year's Eve party in my other comment (drunk Xiao Guo MY BELOVEDDDD, Weilan thigh pillow asdfghfdjskl;; AND ALL THE SOFT), but this is also soooooo cute and precious:

"With great joy, lao-Wu from the gatehouse and his daytime colleague with the penchant for carving bones were finally able to be together. Lao-Wu happily toasted lao-Li with a stick of incense, and the other man returned the toast with alcohol in a bone china cup. Lao-Li always seemed to have a nearly unhealthy obsession when it came to bones."

Also Wang Zheng who "laughed, humming a little tune from a faraway time" needs to be somewhere on the list of my favorite moments too!

"The Flower Yao’s Nectar of a Thousand Essences had proved to be as miraculous as he’d hoped. His vision had already started to return"

I'm happy for him and all, but DAMN the storyline of getting his vision back in the drama was a million times more satisfying. :D (The other parts of the blindness arc in the novel are either really similar or really cool in their own way, Shen Wei's inner colors especially! ♡ But the resolution? Gimme me the drama version. :D)

"Despite being unable to distinguish between six dots and nine dots on the mahjong tiles, he still squinted determinedly and ignored his current disability. With his face pressed close to the table, he was backseat driving Daqing. “Pung, pung, pung!”

Daqing shoved him with a paw. “Pung, your ass! Shen-laoshi, hurry and lead this noisy donkey away—four bamboo!”"

LOL AW I love determined and squinty Zhao Yunlan!! I love snarky DQ calling Shen Wei to deal with him!! I love everyone so much. :D :D

"Daqing’s heart shattered as he lost custody of his dried fish. Furious, he roared, “Hurry and drag him away!”

Shen Wei obligingly dragged Zhao Yunlan away. In his hands, a full-grown man or a fifty-kilogram lacquer box seemed equally weightless, as easy to carry around as a thin old book."

Lololol, is Zhu Hong even going to eat his dried fish or what. xD

And AWWW, why is the Shen Wei thing so sweet. ♡♡♡ He's part of the team now, and also carrying Zhao Yunlan around is so precious. :D (I really want to mention a future scene here but I'm not gonna. xD It's not big or anything, but kinda too funny to spoil, at least imo. :D)

"Zhao Yunlan shut his eyes, completely blissed out."

Okay, I need to go back to commenting on the SOFT WEILAN just for this. ♡♡♡ His head on Shen Wei's thigh, his temples being massaged, ahhhhhhh. ♡♡♡ *MELTS* (Also, he continues to be a cat. :D)

"He was long since accustomed to passing his days like that, but now a feeling washed over him: the feeling that he couldn’t bear a single day more of it."

AW. :( *cuddles Shen Wei*

"Dawn had just broken, and the entire street was filled with the cacophony of firecrackers. Inside, the mahjong players shouted at each other while little ghosts tried to avoid the light of sunrise."

I remember reading this for the first time and finding it really calming, and it's all so memorable to me - the harmony between the inside and the outside, and the first snow, and the entire vibe of the first morning of the new year, so lovely. ♡♡♡

"Daqing poked his head in, saw that the floor was a mess, and pulled his paws back, afraid of being roped into doing work." / "You’re the only one left again. Kids these days, they’re getting more and more disrespectful."

These are, like, a paragraph apart, lolol - so leaving Lao-Li to work alone is disrespectful, but not wanting to do the work while being there is not disrespectful. xD xD

"“Li-ge! Let me help you! I’ll—”"

Mid-sentence, he tripped over a chair leg and fell on his face."

I LOVE THIS DISASTER SWEETHEART.

"He logged into the “Lord Meow Number One in the World” account and started idly taking selfies with the webcam and uploading them. Meanwhile, lao-Li and xiao-Guo quietly dealt with the sad state of the office."

DQ is not being disrespectful at all, not even a little bit. ;D And the entire concept of his Weibo account is delightful. :D :D

"Furthermore, there was something deeply strange about his expression: he looked a little haggard, but also somehow derisive.

Guo Changcheng perked up at once. “Chu-ge!”"

You see this and you perk up, that totally makes sense. xD xD (I mean, it does when you're GCC and have a crush. :D)

"It was as though Chu Shuzhi had lost his soul. He just let Guo Changcheng take what was in his hands with absolutely no reaction."

Oh, ouch. It is one of the most concerning things he could do, ngl.

"With Zhao Yunlan stuck to him like a barnacle" is my favorite image rn, especially considering that he's doing it entirely on purpose. :D

"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. File found, he tucked a cushion behind Zhao Yunlan’s head."

Why always SO SWEET, ahhh. ♡♡♡ This whole scene is so SOFT (idec that Zhao Yunlan is pretending to be drunk the whole time, again xD), and vaguely horny Shen Wei is wonderful, and also, you know me by now: "He gently caressed Zhao Yunlan’s lips with his thumb." *DED* ♡♡♡

"Zhao Yunlan had too many thoughts, messy and unrefined, and sometimes his imagination was too far-ranging."

I like this description of his brain. :D

"He was beginning to regret opening the door at all. But the fact remained that it was open"

This reasoning too! I just always enjoy how he thinks. :D

"A single fleeting glance and the melody of my heart faltered."

I love the whole Kunlun painting thing and its description, and also this is always so funny to me because of their actual first meeting. :D

"Shen Wei left without a backward glance, anxious fury filling his mind with hundreds of possible scenarios."

Seeee, mutual stalking and shrines and looking for used underwear? You do you, I guess. xD But this though? Especially with how it escalates before he can calm down? Especially while he thinks that Zhao Yunlan is unconscious/asleep? I'm a bit hmpfff that ZYL would worry SW like this and make him think that something was actually wrong, even if it was temporary.

"Teasing Shen Wei had already become a habit. Most of the time, Shen Wei ignored it, but this time, he walked over and swept Zhao Yunlan into his arms. Burying his face in the dip of Zhao Yunlan’s shoulder, he slipped his arms around Zhao Yunlan’s waist, pulling him away from the windowsill and closing the window."

AWWWW, but rly, don't make him worry like this, even if you get a hug out of it. xD

[skipping the entire mother thing, I didn't have a good time the first time around]

"His courage must surely have been cut off at birth along with his umbilical cord. He was afraid of everything, so how could he not fear the unpredictable Chu Shuzhi? But in this secluded, quiet alleyway, even as he looked at Chu Shuzhi’s fangs and found it all too easy to picture them stained with blood, the appropriate fear just never came.

In fact, the thought that flashed through his mind was incredibly bizarre: No wonder Chu-ge doesn’t eat peas."

This is really sweet, and really weird indeed, and I just love the whole 'GCC following CSZ and making sure that he's safe NO MATTER WHAT' thing, and how much of it they took for the drama. :D

"The hand that had gripped Guo Changcheng’s neck suddenly lifted and came to rest on that messy bird’s nest atop his head. Guo Changcheng shivered instinctively. Chu Shuzhi patted the top of the man’s head, voice calmer and a bit tired now"

Damn, the gays are all being really weird at each other in these chapters (and also in general, but in these chapters specifically). xD xD

"Your ears are thin, which means your youth was full of troubles."

This whole concept that the shape of your face can predict your future, I've never heard of anything like that before, is it a thing? Like, people who look similar would have the same future, it doesn't exactly hold up. :P (Also this specific line threw me for a loop for a second because I was like 'but your ears can't just randomly change shape because of what happened?', lol, but I guess this also just predicts your future, at birth, that your youth is going to be full of troubles.)

"Probably some garbage like ‘he hasn’t collected enough merits.’ As if there’s even a quota. They never name a target for how many merits someone has to collect, and they’re the ones who say whether the target’s been hit or not."

"So when they finally manage to shackle someone with real abilities, of course they have to squeeze every last drop out of him. Prolonging the sentence on the merit shackles seems to be normal practice."

Oh, fuck the Netherworld.

"Shen-laoshi’s scope and depth of knowledge are as impressive as his efforts to hide them."

I love how Daqing phrased that, and he's not wrong at all. :D

"Someone wrecked Chu Shuzhi’s cultivation for no reason, and you reap what you sow. That’s how the world works. Of course he was going to take revenge."

I find it so cool that this story is the other side of the 'don't mess with things you don't understand because they will fuck you up even if what you did was an accident'. Normally the POV is the person who angered some mysterious ancient being, not the being who is just really pissed off.

"Before a little yao can cultivate a human form, the thing they most fear encountering is a child under seven."

This is so messed up and chilling, and again such a cool, unusual POV!

[china_shop]

Chapter 14 notes:

Aww, so much of the Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng scene made it into the drama in various parts and ways. I love how they adapted all that. <3 <3 <3

“I don’t owe a thing to the Heavens or Earth! My conscience is clean! I’ve been atoning for my crimes for three hundred years—I paid it all off ages ago. Who the fuck do they think they are? What right do they have to judge me?”

Ah, the Netherworld "justice" system. They kept that in its essentials, too. /o\

The young man was truly a little tail. Every day he carried a little notebook around, following Chu Shuzhi everywhere, taking note of everything, and meticulously writing down every word anyone said, up to and including Daqing calling someone a stupid human. In ancient times, he would have been like a little eunuch keeping records of the emperor’s daily life.

Aww, that bit during the popcorn scene in the drama (ep 5, 5:50), where people are theorising why the Hallows won't respond, and DQ says, "Maybe, it's just that your detector is garbage," and GCC dutifully writes it down, word for word. :D

And then CSZ calls himself a minor character, cf the "Maybe we're just characters in someone else's story" drama line. <3

After leaving Zhao Yunlan’s family home, Shen Wei felt like he’d just endured a huge tribulation. He was exhausted in both heart and mind. While he’d been careful not to reveal anything in front of Zhao Yunlan’s mom, her eyes constantly scanned him like X-rays trying to discover his inner secrets. He felt like all that excess radiation was about to part his flesh from his bones.

Oof, I feel this. (Again, I'm all, "ZYL, take better care of your bf!" ;-p)

And it wasn’t you in particular she was being paranoid about. It was because earlier, when we were making dumplings, I accidentally came out to her. -- right, right, "accidentally". *facepalms* He can't be upfront about anything, can he? (I guess he's acutely conscious of all the things SW is keeping from him...)

Chu Shuzhi's whole backstory is a LOT, and I'm interested that Daqing knows all the details while ZYL has never heard it before. Huh. Plus the cut-off of 7 years old for being untouchable... ooookay?

He folded the Soul-Guarding Order into a paper crane, which flew out the window. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared like a wisp of smoke.

I keep being befuddled by magic, and especially by ZYL doing magic. Like, is this something just anyone can do? If it's because deep-down he's Kunlun, why hasn't he questioned why he can do it?

(But I'm really glad he's going to help CSZ. <3)

Thoughts on Daqing's being the one to send Guo Changcheng to accompany Chu Shuzhi, and generally taking up the mantle of leader in Zhao Yunlan's absence?

I love that -- I love how he's a cranky wise old mentor sometimes, or a deputy leader, and at other times a brat, a parental figure, or a fish-obsessed CAT. He is (very) large, he contains multitudes. :D

Does Chu Shuzhi really think Guo Changcheng's accumulating merits is a pointless waste of time, or is he just bitter because the Netherworld screwed him?

I mean, I think once you gamify ethics, principles for their own sake kind of go out the window. It makes it perfectly reasonable to have a "why bother?" attitude when the rules aren't in your favour. (I DNW a points-based ethical system! ;-p)

[facethestrange]

"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!)"

I also assume not, but I love how this scene sort of cinematically panned away to a different place in the same area. :D

"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*)"

Lol at the attention span, and also yes, I think so! One of the very, very few things that they grabbed from the novel and didn't build quite enough context around it - they're always so good at it otherwise! ♡

"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"

Hahah, yes, and he says it after it sounded like him, lol awww, self-awareness. :D ♡♡♡

"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?"

Probably a condition of his sentence - the Netherworld doesn't trust him to have access to such things, whether they have reasons for that or not?

"(Has he tried using Changcheng as a book retrieval service yet?)"

Changcheng can't even see the door to the library, can he? :) But also CSZ didn't even read anything when he had access to the library (this time), so I guess he doesn't care all that much. xD

"Haha, that reminds me of the conversation about ZYL sprawling all over Shen Wei, post-canon. <333"

Omggggg, YES. :D :D :D I was equally melting into a puddle from both of these concepts but didn't put them together. :D :D :D ♡♡♡

"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!"

I literally just assumed that this is where the underwear was and that's why he didn't find it. xD :D No idea if that's correct. xD

"The inscription on the Kunlun painting is so romantic (and the illustration in the official translation is gorgeous)"

There's beautiful fanart of this scene too. ♡♡♡ (I've recced this artist here before for the 'Shen Wei's inner colors' scene, and she's also drawn other things from the novel. ♡)

"It's just mean to stress SW out like this and then act all smug and wring a hug out of the situation!"

Ikr?? Needlessly worrying Shen Wei is the one thing that actually didn't work for me here. But also I don't think Zhao Yunlan thought at all about worrying him or getting a hug out of it, I think he went straight to acting smug and inappropriate and annoying to hide how hard he was thinking about the secret room.

[If my comment had anything to with you cut-tagging the last part, I really appreciate the sentiment, but honestly I don't really like the implications of it...? Having been on the other end of squickiness, feeling like it would be appreciated if I cut-tag my bathroom-kissing-Weilan squee would make me feel a lot more unwelcome than people just saying they were squicked by it (which was very 'fair enough' to me, and I actually genuinely loved that everyone could express their feelings exactly as they are). So I really don't want to be on this end of squickiness in this way - it's a lot more comfortable if everyone talks freely about all the things. ♡ (Also I'd probably still read your full comment even when it's cut, but I already read it before, I just had no time to reply, lol. :D)]

"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."

I saw it as just her looks - all elegant and refined, and wearing glasses. I didn't even consider it would imply anyting about the personality - if it's supposed to, then it kinda really doesn't work. :P

"(Does his mum know DQ can speak, I wonder? I don't think he says anything in the whole scene.)"

I think she thinks he's a totally ordinary cat - in the phone call she said they've had him for so long that he's going to die soon.

[facethestrange]

"Aww, that bit during the popcorn scene in the drama (ep 5, 5:50), where people are theorising why the Hallows won't respond, and DQ says, "Maybe, it's just that your detector is garbage," and GCC dutifully writes it down, word for word. :D"

Heeeee omg yes. :D :D I watched this scene so many times in the last few weeks but I didn't put these together, and now I'm all DUH, it's very obvious that this is where they took this bit from. :D (I love Wang Zheng's face when she laughs at it. :D /random)

"Chu Shuzhi's whole backstory is a LOT, and I'm interested that Daqing knows all the details while ZYL has never heard it before. Huh."

Daqing was there when CSZ started working for the Guardian, and I guess Zhao Yunlan just didn't care to find out why exactly CSZ got the punishment?

"Plus the cut-off of 7 years old for being untouchable... ooookay?"

I kinda highkey hate that I know, but it's pretty much exactly the same in the catholic church (or at least it was, and at least in some parts of it - I'm happy for all the other parts where it's not, if they exist :P), so this was unexpectedly super familar to me.

"I keep being befuddled by magic, and especially by ZYL doing magic. Like, is this something just anyone can do? If it's because deep-down he's Kunlun, why hasn't he questioned why he can do it?"

I think here it's the Soul-Guarding Order doing the magic. And generally it's always related to the magic objects he has, isn't it? And I guess only he can use some of them as the Guardian, and others, like the talismans, can be used by pretty much anyone who knows what they're doing.

"He is (very) large, he contains multitudes. :D"

:D :D :D ITA, and the fact that he's always in his cat form, no matter which role he takes, makes it even more fun. :D

[facethestrange]

Lmao, I guess someone who is in the process of secretly uprooting someone's place and looking for their used underwear doesn't get to be shocked that this person in turn has built him a shrine. xD :D :D