Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Chapters 3 & 4

[trobadora]

Welcome aboard for this week's chapters of our Guardian readalong!

Here are last week's chapters (the beginning of vol. 3). You can find all previous discussions on the schedule post (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4), or via the !readalong tag.

This week's chapters:

• Chapter 3: Zhao Yunlan escapes his father's scolding, keeps falling asleep, and is fed medicine by Shen Wei. Zhu Hong gets a visit from her uncle, who wants her to leave Dragon City. Zhao Yunlan surprises Shen Wei in the kitchen cutting his own chest with a knife, and learns what medicine Shen Wei has been feeding him.
• Chapter 4: Zhao Yunlan sleeps at the SID, and the team gossips about it. Shen Wei brings clothes while he's asleep. Zhu Hong refuses to leave Zhao Yunlan's side, gives him a gift from her uncle, and offers to sever ties with her tribe if he wants her to stay.

The corresponding part in the Chinese version on JJWXC/the fan translation are chapters 81-82.

Excerpts:

1) Shen Wei feeds Zhao Yunlan medicine

The noise in his ears only intensified, growing from a mere clamor to a cacophony. Zhao Yunlan knew he was dreaming, but the knowledge didn't free him. He remained ensnared in the dream, as if he'd fallen into a bog that was swallowing him up. The more he struggled, the less he could breathe.

Then a bowl that smelled of something raw was pressed to his lips. Ignoring his struggles, the person holding it pried his mouth open and forced him to take the medicine. Zhao Yunlan resisted instinctively, trying to push the stuff back out of his mouth with his tongue. The person seemed to sigh. Then hands cradled his head, and soft lips pressed against his. A familiar scent momentarily quieted Zhao Yunlan's thoughts of protest, and the other person seized their chance to make him swallow the medicine.

Zhao Yunlan's eyes flew open as he started coughing and found himself already home in bed. Dazed, he watched as Shen Wei set down the bowl and brought him a cup of tea that was at the perfect temperature. Shen Wei ducked his head and touched their foreheads together. "Here," he said. "Drink this and rinse your mouth."

Zhao Yunlan accepted the tea. His heavy lashes were lowered, and a trace of cold sweat from his nightmare still beaded his forehead. In a single gulp, he drank the tea to the last drop before asking hoarsely, "Did I catch a cold? Why am I getting sick so easily lately?"

There was a curious pause before Shen Wei replied, "It's nothing. Your time within the Great Divine Tree took too much of your energy."

"Oh." After a long look, Zhao Yunlan continued, deliberately drawing out each word, "I thought maybe..." Shen Wei's spine stiffened, only for him to hear the dumbass conclude, with a bit of a lilting whine, "I was carrying your child."


2) Kitchen scene: Shen Wei is caught

The other side of the bed was empty and already cold to the touch. It was impossible to say how long Shen Wei had been gone.

Startled, Zhao Yunlan sat up and saw light coming from the kitchen. He groped around the floor for his slippers, but when he couldn't find whatever corner they'd been kicked into, he headed for the kitchen barefoot.

Shen Wei was facing away, doing something with his hands as Zhao Yunlan entered. A little clay pot bubbled on the stove. The faint smell of a medicinal decoction wafted from the pot, as if Shen Wei was preparing some grand dish that needed to be stewed overnight.

Zhao Yunlan rubbed his eyes and walked over, rolling up his sleeves. "What are you making? I'll help-" His voice startled Shen Wei, who dropped what he'd been holding.

What clattered to the floor was a knife, dripping enough blood that the clean white cabinets were spattered when it landed. Zhao Yunlan broke off mid-sentence, pupils constricting. In an instant, all trace of sleepiness was gone. Shen Wei had been...had been cutting into his own chest .


3) Kitchen scene: Shen Wei explains

"Long ago...your left soul fire went missing, and your heart's blood became the Soul-Guarding Lamp's wick," Shen Wei responded, very low. "Your spirit was already weak. Your three souls were unstable. And for all that you forcibly elevated me to godhood, the fact remains that I was born from the Place of Great Disrespect. The gui are filthy and inauspicious. If you spend enough time in my presence, I'll start wearing you down. As I do, you'll become deficient in both qi and blood. Ultimately, I'll burn you out until there's nothing left."

Shen Wei dropped his gaze, hiding his ink-black eyes under lashes like crow feathers. Barely audible now, he said, "All those thousands of years ago, Shennong said that, as a King of the Gui, my life was fated to both begin and end badly. If you insist on protecting me and keeping me at your side, I'll inevitably kill you."

"So the 'medicine' I've been drinking has your blood in it... The purest blood from the tip of your heart." Zhao Yunlan's lips trembled. "That's your way of replenishing my 'lamp oil'?"

Shen Wei looked at him with a faint, soft smile. "Every part of me is dark, down to my very soul. Only the very tip of my heart is clean, and that's where I've kept you-where the blood runs red. I'll gladly use it to protect you."


4) Zhao Yunlan's dream

If it was at all possible, Zhao Yunlan wanted to regain Kunlun-jun's powers and true memories. Failing that, he at least wanted to know what was up with all these lies among truths, shrouded in layers of mystery, and learn what had motivated it all. He couldn't act rashly without seeing the full picture.

Shen Wei... The name alone overwhelmed Zhao Yunlan with worry. It was as though a flame was burning in his heart, steadily eating away at his energy, but he had to hold it in-and not only that, he had to seem outwardly peaceful while he was at it, as if he had everything under control.

He'd noticed at times that if he was just sitting there and no one else was around, his brow would furrow subconsciously. The same scene kept unfolding in his mind, no matter where he was or what he was doing: in some cold, dreary place, without a single beam of light or sign of life, Shen Wei was half swallowed by an endless darkness. Helpless to do anything but look up, Shen Wei desperately strained to glimpse the emerald seas and azure skies, but they were beyond him. His vision couldn't pierce the unending, absolute blackness. Sooner or later, inevitably succumbing to disappointment and despair, Shen Wei was slowly sucked away into the darkness...

Zhao Yunlan jolted awake as someone abruptly nudged him. He found his heart racing and his forehead beaded with sweat.


5) Zhu Hong's confession

Zhu Hong found her real feelings tumbling out of her mouth. "Director Zhao, just give me the word. One word and I'll sever all ties with my tribe and follow you to the end, through hell or high water."

It was as if she'd handed her whole life over on a silver platter, leaving her scared of Zhao Yunlan's response, but also anticipating it. However, a declaration of love was never guaranteed reciprocation. In the end, Zhao Yunlan still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "You and I have known each other for years, and we don't have any grudges against each other. Why can't I wish you well? As long as you're doing well, that's what matters to me."

The light in Zhu Hong's eyes flickered out.


Questions:

Do you like the worldbuilding around borrowing years? What do you think about the kitchen scene, and how it was adapted in the drama? Which is more intense? Which do you like better? Is Fourth Uncle right to make Zhu Hong leave? Do you think Zhao Yunlan actually wants Zhu Hong to stay, even if he won't say it? Does it help with understanding what's going on that Zhao Yunlan is actively trying to puzzle out what's true and what's a lie?

(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 current schedule (which is also where you can sign up to host a post - please do if you can!)

Comments

[autodach]

What do you think about the kitchen scene, and how it was adapted in the drama?

I like how violently Shen Wei is injuring himself in the novel. It’s the kind of injury a human wouldn’t survive – how terrifying to find your lover with a knife in his heart!
Also, the concept of a ghost’s mere presence being toxic to humans, and what that means for Weilan… this moment really hits if you’ve read the Shen San extra.😭

On the other hand, it’s amazing how closely the drama managed to replicate this scene. And it somehow still has the same themes of Shen Wei sacrificing something of himself for Zhao Yunlan (an ongoing process in the novel, a specific past moment in the drama).

These are both well-executed key scenes of their respective story arcs. I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite. ❤

Is Fourth Uncle right to make Zhu Hong leave?

He wants to protect his family member. Things like right or wrong go out the window pretty quickly in such circumstances. It’s certainly understandable.

Do you think Zhao Yunlan actually wants Zhu Hong to stay, even if he won't say it?

He probably does want as many allies by his side as possible, but not at any cost. He won’t lie to her. He won’t try to drive a wedge between her and her family.
If she wanted to stay purely out of loyalty to the SID, for her colleagues, or because it’s the right thing to do - anything but romantic love - I think he would want her to stay.

[facethestrange]

I haven't re-read the chapters yet (let's see if I do it before 520 Day reveals? *BOUNCES AND VIBRATES* :D), but kitchen scene tho!

Points for the novel: Bloody, gory deliciousness. (If anyone is interested in a very 'dead dove, do not eat' explicit fic about this: Taste the Flesh by Melons_And_Cocoa. One of my all-time favs, ngl. You're welcome. :D)

Points for the drama: Just about everything else? But especially the fact that Shen Wei isn't undoing harm that he caused himself. Because the drama went 'being inherently harmful to each other in any way is just not gonna happen', and I'm 100% here for it. :D

---

Hah, I did re-read the chapters before the exchange reveals. :D (= Tomorrow is just for reading that. :D :D :D) I'm adding my ~liveblog~ to my previous comment, since it's still editable. :)

First: *casually sets Zhao Yunlan's father on fire yet again*

"Maybe there was some truth to that common saying: one feels drowsy in the spring, feels tired in the fall, takes naps in the summer, and can never get enough sleep in the three months of winter."

Is it a saying? Someone must have been really sleep-deprived when they came up with it, poor ancient person, I feel for them. xD

"Zhao Yunlan knew he was dreaming, but the knowledge didn’t free him. He remained ensnared in the dream, as if he’d fallen into a bog that was swallowing him up. The more he struggled, the less he could breathe."

Damn, this is a fantastic description of a really horrible feeling.

"Then hands cradled his head, and soft lips pressed against his. A familiar scent momentarily quieted Zhao Yunlan’s thoughts of protest, and the other person seized their chance to make him swallow the medicine."

This is so beautifully and softly fucked up. ♡♡♡

“I thought maybe…” Shen Wei’s spine stiffened, only for him to hear the dumbass conclude, with a bit of a lilting whine, “I was carrying your child.”

Lololol, here it is. :D :D I went feral about this line for a moment there, on my first read. xD (And I had literally never been interested in mpreg before. :D)

“It’s almost the seventh day of the first lunar month.”

Wow, it's volume 3 already, and it's still only been a few days since the beginning of volume 2. These people are busy. :D

"She had her long snake tail out, trying to make sure the faint moonlight fell evenly on her entire body. That was the thing about northern cities: once winter arrived, most nights were foggy or snowy, and clear skies were few and far between. A night when the moon was bright and the stars were sparse was a rare commodity."

This is such a delightful piece of worldbuilding! (And I didn't even realize the yao needed moonlight to cultivate?)

"Cultivation is a process that goes against the natural order of things, so sometimes the cultivators must pass a trial to ascend to a higher stage of cultivation or godhood. This trial usually requires the cultivator to withstand the strike of a divine lightning storm or another natural disaster, and failure can mean death or significant loss of cultivation and/or power."

This is from the footnote. I have no idea if it's really badass or really stupid to risk death just to ascend, lol, but damn, I am impressed with Zhu Hong for trying! And yeah, she failed but at least she didn't die. :P (And her grip that can break a phone is really cool too!)

"“Just a petty thief who tried and failed to borrow a few years of life,” Fourth Uncle said without looking up."

How does he know? But then again, he can materialize a pavillion and tea out of thin air just for the vibe, I guess reading texts without looking at them is not a problem either.

"Besides, if you really had a place in his heart, I wouldn’t be here acting like an annoying stick prying you two lovebirds apart."

I have no idea if he's actually telling the truth (probably not), but if he is, I really like this. He really wants her to leave but he wouldn't be asking if she had an important reason to stay. And the way things are right now, she doesn't really have much of a reason.

"Zhao Yunlan had started setting his phone to vibrate at night and kept it under his pillow to avoid waking Shen Wei."

I sleep alone and I've always done that, to avoid waking me. :P

"His first instinct wasn’t to look at the text. Instead, he held his breath and turned over to see if it had woken Shen Wei up too."

AW, this is sweet.

"He carefully extended a finger, tracing it over Shen Wei’s now-unmarred chest."

Possibly my favorite line from the kitchen scene.

"Shen Wei dropped his gaze, hiding his ink-black eyes under lashes like crow feathers."

But also Shen Wei's eyelashes. ♡♡♡

"Every part of me is dark, down to my very soul. Only the very tip of my heart is clean, and that’s where I’ve kept you—where the blood runs red."

I am so impressed with how fully and thoroughly the drama recontextualized this quote - I think there's literally nothing left from the original (not the time, not the place, not the tone, not the meaning, not a single detail?), and yet they still successfully took it and ran with it. :D

"He had a tremendous case of bedhead, there were heavy bags under his eyes, and he was clearly enraged at being woken up. “Fuck off!” he snarled, his sinister gaze cutting right through Lin Jing."

Why is this funny and cute, it has no business being funny and cute. xD (Just this tho, not the throwing things part.)

“May the pieces bring peace.”

This makes a really cool pun in English, and makes me curious what it was translated from - if anyone feels like checking, thank you! :D

“Lin Jing, don’t worry about that. I’ll sweep it up later. I didn’t mean to take everything out on you. Just let me lie here for a bit, and you guys can carry on with whatever you’re supposed to be doing.”

Yeah, not expecting other people clean up your mess is kinda the bare minimum, but I like that he admits that he fucked up, before anyone even called him out on that.

"Traces of the owner’s lovely, clean scent still lingered on the collar"

I always like it when it's described how good Shen Wei smells. ♡ And Zhao Yunlan miserably cuddling the coat, aw.

"Daqing snarled and made to sharpen his claws on the coat, but Zhao Yunlan managed to reach out and block him just in time. Daqing retracted his claws the moment they touched warm human skin, but they still left white marks on Zhao Yunlan’s arm.

What kind of stupid coat couldn’t even be used for sharpening his claws?"

I LOVE Zhao Yunlan protecting Shen Wei's coat, it continues and it just gets more and more endearing. ♡ (Also this implies that Zhao Yunlan's coats are regularly clawed by Daqing, lol.)

"But here were the short boots he normally wore, set tidily by the sofa with a pair of thick knit socks stuffed into them. A full set of ironed clothes lay on the arm of the sofa, with underwear tucked into the innermost layer. His phone, wallet, and keys were on top of the clothing.

The only thing missing was a coat of his own. The obvious conclusion was that Shen Wei wanted Zhao Yunlan to keep his."

As much as I wish they would just talk about it instead, this is SO SOFT.

"Looking at his reflection, he wiped the water off his face and shaved off the stubble."

He could have kept that. :P /shallow :D

“The original plan was to take the train and go check out the black dog and the corpse with Lin Jing today.”

Oooh, I forgot that she was this close to ending up there too. (I don't think it's important per se, just interesting in light of future events.)

"You’d be kneeling on a motherboard and writing a ten-thousand-word apology letter, not here feeding me your crap."

I am so confused, what does kneeling on a motherboard mean? :P

"As Zhu Hong spoke, her eyes shone with terrifying brightness, as if a nod from Zhao Yunlan would make her hunt Shen Wei down and swallow him whole."

I'm just really loving Zhu Hong being badass in these chapters. :D (Even if she wouldn't have much luck swallowing Shen Wei of all people, no matter how huge her snake form is. xD)

"If it was at all possible, Zhao Yunlan wanted to regain Kunlun-jun’s powers and true memories. Failing that, he at least wanted to know what was up with all these lies among truths, shrouded in layers of mystery, and learn what had motivated it all. He couldn’t act rashly without seeing the full picture."

I was like 'wait what, he literally only ever acts rashly', lol, but maybe that's the point? That some things just are worth more consideration, even to him?

"Shen Wei… The name alone overwhelmed Zhao Yunlan with worry. It was as though a flame was burning in his heart, steadily eating away at his energy, but he had to hold it in—and not only that, he had to seem outwardly peaceful while he was at it, as if he had everything under control."

I really, really like that when this happens in the drama, they're separated not because they had a fight.

“What were you dreaming about? What made you cry out for Shen Wei so heart-wrenchingly?”

Aw, OUCH.

"“You have such a bright future ahead of you. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the Snake tribe’s next chief.”

He spoke as if he was getting his affairs in order before death, so calmly that it made her heart ache."

He's so extremely miserable and yet still so supportive. ♡ (Even if she doesn't take it as supportive.)

“You and I have known each other for years, and we don’t have any grudges against each other. Why can’t I wish you well? As long as you’re doing well, that’s what matters to me.”

And this too, ahhh. ♡ Yes, it's rejection, and it will never be anything other than rejection for her, but he means it - he does wish her well, he knows she's better off leaving city, he does think she can do great things there. It's really lovely to me. (And theoretically he could have been a whole lot more harsh in his rejection, in general, and especially considering how miserable he is.)

[trepkos]

I think he really wants Zhu Hong to stay, but not for the reason she wants to, so he can't tell her, and give her hope.

[trobadora]

Finally finishing my own comment!

but even as he drifted into slumber, Zhao Yunlan was confused. He hadn't been that busy recently. Why was he so tired?

Awww. He's young! Not used to being unexpectedly tired! *pets him*

Maybe there was some truth to that common saying: one feels drowsy in the spring, feels tired in the fall, takes naps in the summer, and can never get enough sleep in the three months of winter.

I had to check the Chinese because I want to adopt that saying! But alas, the JJWXC version (and the fan translation) only have "Maybe he caught a cold." Boo!

Then hands cradled his head, and soft lips pressed against his. A familiar scent momentarily quieted Zhao Yunlan's thoughts of protest, and the other person seized their chance to make him swallow the medicine.

♥ ♥ ♥

Shen Wei's ZYL-managing skills aren't bad!

a day upon which, via occult methods known among the common folk, one might borrow years off someone else's life

That's fascinating! I wonder if that's a real belief or superstition?

In older times, such a ritual might've been held when an elder fell ill. A filial child of the family would voluntarily burn the incense to show their willingness to lend their life. But these days, hardly anyone knew of these old customs and traditions, long since dismissed as outdated relics of feudal times. In the modern era, anyone who would attempt such methods was so terrified of dying that they'd hire an amateur to perform a ritual to steal from someone else's life.

So much of the worldbuilding around the supernatural just leads to extremely unpleasant things. It's all very cool! But still.

That was the thing about northern cities: once winter arrived, most nights were foggy or snowy, and clear skies were few and far between.

So this version of Dragon City is somewhere up north, interesting! I don't think the drama says anything about its location, and despite drama!GCC talking about cold winters about in the sub-zero lab, the temperature never appreciably changes, going by what people wear. :p (The drama does cover a good chunk of a year, with eps 1-19 already half a year, so you'd expect some seasonal changes ... I know, I know. Overthinking.)

Back when you failed to pass your tribulation and were injured by the divine lightning, I entrusted you to the Guardian's care. (...)
Dragon City isn't an ideal place for focusing on your cultivation. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that you haven't made much progress in the last twenty years.

These little glimpses are so fascinating. If she's been in Dragon City 20 years, is that also how long she's been with ZYL, or did that happen later? That's a really long time, anyway. I wish we knew more about Zhu Hong's history, and how she ended up at the SID! (In the drama, too, tbh. More backstory for everyone, please!)

Besides, if you really had a place in his heart, I wouldn't be here acting like an annoying stick prying you two lovebirds apart.

I'm really glad he says that!

When the phone vibrated in his palm, it silently jarred him awake. His first instinct wasn't to look at the text. Instead, he held his breath and turned over to see if it had woken Shen Wei up too.

Ooh, and that's why before the drama version of the kitchen scene, ZYL wakes up with his phone in his hand!

Shen Wei's lower back slammed heavily into the cutting board. Zhao Yunlan was genuinely furious. He suddenly understood how Shen Wei had felt back at the hospital, when he'd raised his hand and nearly struck Zhao Yunlan after he used the Ghost Army Summons.

Oh, these two! But I'm very glad there's no physical violence in the drama version.

"Every part of me is dark, down to my very soul. Only the very tip of my heart is clean, and that's where I've kept you-where the blood runs red. I'll gladly use it to protect you."

♥ ♥ ♥

Finally, he grabbed a thick jacket off the large coatrack in the foyer, bundled it around himself, and walked out the door without a backward glance.

It's so fascinating to me that in the novel, ZYL walks out, whereas in the drama, SW is the one who leaves.

Something must be up if he's not going home during the holidays. My guess is he's either being forced into an unwanted marriage, or he's been forced into a breakup.

Aw, Lin Jing! It's sort of sweet that the only reason he can imagine is imposed from the outside. He doesn't deserve to have bonsais thrown at him!

(Though I really enjoyed that little moment, hee! And ZYL even apologises for it!)

What kind of stupid coat couldn't even be used for sharpening his claws?

Aww, ZYL protecting SW's coat! And it's just hilarious that coats are for claw-sharpening in Daqing's world. ♥

The only thing missing was a coat of his own. The obvious conclusion was that Shen Wei wanted Zhao Yunlan to keep his .

♥ ♥ ♥

He'd never cared for anyone like this before, with such intensity that just thinking of the other person hurt as if his heart had been gouged out.

AWWWWWWWW. :D

He spoke as if he was getting his affairs in order before death, so calmly that it made her heart ache.

Ouch! Ominous ...

"Director Zhao, just give me the word. One word and I'll sever all ties with my tribe and follow you to the end, through hell or high water."

Oh, Zhu Hong. At least her timing here is better than drama!ZH's, who pulls this right in the middle of a crisis!

Version comparison: just minor edits this time. These are the only ones that were slightly more noticeable:

• In the fan translation, when they find ZYL sleeping at the SID, Zhu Hong takes off her jacket and covers ZYL with it, even though he's already covered with SW's coat.


• After ZYL shaves in the bathroom at work, this bit from the fan translation isn't in the official one - we get a bit more of ZH's POV:
  
  Zhu Hong is waiting at the door for him to come out. She struggles to say something, but Zhao Yunlan asks nonchalantly, "Anything to eat? I'm hungry."
  "...The canteen should have some food, you want to go have a look?"
  
  Zhao Yunlan nods, and walks to the second floor. Zhu Hong is shocked... The normal Zhao Yunlan would sit at his desk and act like a big deal, going "get me a bowl of congee". Rarely would he condescend to go to the canteen personally.
  
  Zhao Yunlan gets a regular breakfast set from the canteen, and silently sits down to eat. His entire person is in an eeriely peaceful state. Zhu Hong follows him quietly, thinking that even if the sky were to collapse, he would probably just look up for a bit, and keep eating his congee. She gets even more scared.


• Fan translation:
  "Don't talk crap." Zhao Yunlan flickers away some ash, "Why are you getting more and more nosy. Careful, nosy women can't get married."
  Zhu Hong says with melancholy, "The person I like doesn't like me back, so why does it matter? I am not going to get married anyway."
  
  Official translation:
  Zhao Yunlan flicked ashes from his cigarette. "Lately you've been gossiping more and more. Early menopause or something?"
  Sad and angry, Zhu Hong said, "What does it matter? Either way, the person I like doesn't like me back."

What do you think about the kitchen scene, and how it was adapted in the drama? Which is more intense? Which do you like better?

I think part of the reason the novel version isn't really doing it for me is because the reason it's happening (SW's ghost vibes being bad for ZYL) is something I don't enjoy, whereas I love everything about the background of drama!SW bleeding black energy so he can turn himself into a white energy bomb. And maybe the drama version just feels more intense to me because I'm more into it, but also, ZYL's reaction in the drama is so raw, and so revealing, and the novel's is just ... less, to me. Idk.

[china_shop]

Haaai, I'm finally here. Awesome post, fantastic quotes, yay!! :D

The scolding that resulted dealt a devastating blow to Zhao Yunlan’s ego, especially with Shen Wei there to witness it.

Ouch! But also, I don't understand what the scolding is about. Is his dad telling him off for being gay? For just being a bad son generally? Am I forgetting something obvious?

Other people get possessed by gorgeous fox demons, but he only managed to attract some stupid bowl.

LOL! I love the Beggars' Gang footnote, too. Sass!

It was as if he remembered only the carrot, not the stick.

?? Is that that he's only reacting to SW's helpfulness and not his earlier anger? Or something else.

Maybe there was some truth to that common saying: one feels drowsy in the spring, feels tired in the fall, takes naps in the summer, and can never get enough sleep in the three months of winter.

LOL, this is where his "sprawling/sitting/lying down all the time" characterisation came from, isn't it (even though here it's obviously about the effects of SW's presence)?

I like him/his subconscious wondering about the nature of life and death. That is a good question!

Aww, forehead touching! <3 I'm not really a fan of the non-consensual "drug" dosing, though. Like, I know it's for ZYL's benefit and that things would get way complicated if SW was up front about it, but it just feels like such a breach of bodily autonomy. (I guess I'm DNWing the whole "SW is physically detrimental to ZYL's health" plotline. ;-p)

Also, random question, does ZYL not recognise the taste of it as blood earlier because Shen Wei's blood isn't like human blood, or is it because he's disguising it in the "concoction"? I'm wondering how vital the concoctioning is to the process, and how SW learned to do that...

“Oh.” After a long look, Zhao Yunlan continued, deliberately drawing out each word, “I thought maybe…” Shen Wei’s spine stiffened, only for him to hear the dumbass conclude, with a bit of a lilting whine, “I was carrying your child.”

Omg, he's such a brat!! LOL! (Imagine going back a year and telling his younger self that one day he'd say that to the Emissary himself! LOL!)

Legend had it that the seventh day of the first lunar month was the Day of the Humans—a day upon which, via occult methods known among the common folk, one might borrow years off someone else’s life. These so-called “borrowed” years would be added to your own life span, thereby extending it.

This is so much like the Dial, I wonder if that's where the superstition came from.

Fourth Uncle saying, "I entrusted you the the Guardian's care" made me go, oh, I saw the drama version of that just yesterday when I was making the GCC poll: I remember back in the days, our tribe collectively mutated. But you little girl, you were stuck in the molting period and were not able to finalize the mutation. I think your fate with humans isn't over yet, so I trusted Chief Zhao to take care of you. (ep 11, 40:04, in case anyone else cares :-).

I love Zhu Hong cracking her phone in her emotion.

Ah, Chekhov's water dragon pearl!

The other side of the bed was empty and already cold to the touch. It was impossible to say how long Shen Wei had been gone.

This raises for me the question of whether, in the drama kitchen scene, SW had been in bed with ZYL before the cutting! Sadly, I think probably not: ZYL is lying on top of the covers, in pretty much the middle of the bed, with both pillows. *shakes fist at censorship*

He suddenly understood how Shen Wei had felt back at the hospital, when he’d raised his hand and nearly struck Zhao Yunlan after he used the Ghost Army Summons.

What's sauce for the gander is sauce for the other gander! ;-p

Long ago…your left soul fire went missing

That's an obfuscation, right? It didn't "go missing". And ZYL knows that, too -- he just hasn't told SW he knows. (I'm sure you've all already said all this. Apologies for stating the obv.)

The gui are filthy and inauspicious.

Hm, why am I so much less bothered by "inauspicious" than "filthy". I think "inauspicious" feels like a negative effect of the whole system (laws of auspiciousness). Like, this is actually a way that that system is broken, and ideally it needs to be fixed. Whereas filthy just feels essentialist. :-p

All those thousands of years ago, Shennong said that, as a King of the Gui, my life was fated to both begin and end badly. If you insist on protecting me and keeping me at your side, I’ll inevitably kill you.

Ow. What a thing to say to someone! These gods all just let the system be fucked up. glares at them

Aww, Shen Wei's "faint, soft smile". Awww! <3

Ooh, Zhao Yunlan is the one who leaves! So interesting how they changed that.

It turned out there was a kind of love that was like a knife to the heart.

For both of them! (One more literally than the other, lol.)

Daqing was crouched in front of the sofa, washing his paws with great satisfaction. A plateful of bones from tiny dried fish sat before him.

This struck me because I feel like tiny fish usually have very soft bones that you just eat along with the fish (like sardines). It feels so delicate and fussy to pick out the fish bones. (Maybe these are tiny fish with sharp, pointy bones, though.)

“May the pieces bring peace.”

For some reason, I just really enjoyed this. :D

Daqing referring to himself as "cat grandpa", haha. So, does he not shift again? Did he try and it decide he didn't like it? Much better to be in cat form and make other people look after him?

I like that everyone has different ways of spending Lunar New Year, all the different traditions. *hearts*

Awww, Shen Wei brought ZYL fuzzy socks! Awwwww! This is lovely -- a kind of non-invasive care-taking that I can totally get behind. <3 <3 <3

I love that ZYL immediately understands what Shen Wei means by his "own place", even if the meaning itself is really sad. (I mean, the kitchen scene basically confirmed all Shen Wei's worst fears about what would happen when ZYL perceived his true nature, right? Not that ZYL was actually thinking the way SW feared, but that he seemed to be?)

Ahhh, the novel version of that ZYL & ZH scene (one of my favs from the drama)!!! <3 <3 <3

If it was at all possible, Zhao Yunlan wanted to regain Kunlun-jun’s powers and true memories. Failing that, he at least wanted to know what was up with all these lies among truths, shrouded in layers of mystery, and learn what had motivated it all. He couldn’t act rashly without seeing the full picture.

This feels like such a fundamental ZYL truth, in novel and drama. He so badly needs to know what is happening so he can decide what to do. hearts

"Who knows, maybe you'll be the Snake tribe's next chief."

Ha, love how the drama doubled down on that! :D :D :D

What do you think about the kitchen scene, and how it was adapted in the drama? Which is more intense? Which do you like better?

I mean, the adaptation is amazing AND I just love the drama characters more, and all the time loopiness and ZYL's self-worth issues and confusion, so there's no comparison for me, really.

Do you think Zhao Yunlan actually wants Zhu Hong to stay, even if he won't say it?

I do think that, but I don't know how much I'm just importing that feeling from the drama. ;-p