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sid_guardian2025-06-29 08:57 pm
trobadora) wrote in sid_guardian2025-06-29 08:57 pm
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Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Chapters 15 & 16
Welcome aboard for this week's chapters of our Guardian readalong!
Here are last week's chapters. You can find all previous discussions on the schedule post (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5), or via the !readalong tag.
This week's chapters:
- Chapter 15: Daqing comes searching for Zhao Yunlan, finds Shen Wei, and is dispatched to buy breakfast. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei learn that Lin Jing is missing, and receive a delayed message from Lin Jing. Earthquakes from the Netherworld shake the city, and the team heads towards the resort Lin Jing was investigating, which is deserted.
- Chapter 16: Zhu Hong reacts badly to being sent off with Xiao-Guo, and takes off after Zhao Yunlan. Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei et al. investigate the resort and discover everyone's been turned to dust by something escaping from beneath. Zhao Yunlan realises this is a trap - and then gui come climbing out of the ground, and Shen Wei uses his blade ...
Excerpts:
1) Daqing buys breakfast
"Wait a moment." Shen Wei's smile seemed a little embarrassed. Politely, he said, "I have a favor to ask of you..."
Daqing, sensible cat that he was, darted back at once. Head raised high, he said, "Just say the word."
Ten minutes later, the door to the breakfast shop downstairs was pushed open by an outrageously fat cat. The cat's face was much too round, and his eyes were almost completely obscured by the fat, giving him a somewhat vicious look. A waitress nearly tripped over him and started yelling at once. "Hey! How did this cat get in?! Get it out! Hurry and get it out!"
The large black cat raised his head, leveling a contemptuous gaze at her. Then he jumped right onto the service counter and knocked on it with his front paw. Astonished, the cashier behind the counter watched as the cat spat out a piece of paper. The cashier shakily opened the note, which turned out to read, in very tidy handwriting, "Half a liter of soy milk, one basket of steamed buns, three fried dough sticks. Please put them in a sturdy bag. You'll find the money on the cat's neck. Please take what's needed and put any change back in the same spot. Thank you."
The cashier looked up, trying to locate the cat's neck by sight. The cat rolled his eyes and lifted his head, revealing a collar beneath his double chin. The cashier found 30 yuan tucked in there, hidden under the plush fur.
"Everyone, look at this!" The cashier's voice rang out loudly. "This is incredible! Even cats know how to buy things now!"
2) Shen Wei, hologram generator
Fossil that he was, Shen Wei had never used a smartphone before. His eyes swept over what Wang Zheng had written, and then he looked carefully at the photos of the scene. Being unused to touchscreens, he was unfortunately unable to figure it out even after a few attempts.
With a glance at Zhao Yunlan, who was currently gulping down his soy milk, he said, "Look away for a second. Don't peek."
Holding his palm above the phone screen, Shen Wei made a grabbing motion. The photo of the victim floated out of the screen, hovering in midair like a 3D projection. The visual effect was viscerally shocking. For a moment it was like the corpse, with its eggplant-purple face, was lying right there on the dining table.
Curiosity had kept Zhao Yunlan from obediently looking away, and now he was reaping what he had sown. He choked on a mouthful of soymilk, nearly spitting it all out onto the face of the corpse. This was a stellar example of feudal era superstitions triumphing over modern technology.
Shen Wei carefully examined the corpse's face, then reached out to "pinch" the eyes. It was as if he'd turned the very air into a 3D touchscreen, enabling himself to zoom in and out on different parts of the image!
3) Zhao Yunlan vs. Shen Wei vs. modern tech
"You used to keep up a facade, like a god among men who was above mortal desires. I'm tired of watching you pretend. I get tired on your behalf just from watching." Zhao Yunlan casually stuck his sticky note on the back of one of Shen Wei's lesson plan drafts. "Come, Adonis, there's a scanner beside the computer on the desk. Scan this for me and send it to the office. Tell them to find out as much as they can before I get there."
Shen Wei accepted it, only to wind up standing stiffly in front of the computer. After turning it on, he just stared at the contraptions in front of him. This "god among men" essentially only knew how to do two things with computers: turn them on and off and deliver PowerPoint presentations that other people had prepared for him. Everything else was his TA's job. He wasn't even sure which device was the printer and which was the scanner.
Zhao Yunlan suddenly came up behind Shen Wei. Wrapping his arms around Shen Wei, he guided his hands through the steps, starting with putting the sketched outline into the scanner. That done, he deliberately blew into Shen Wei's ear under the noise of the machine. "You should've said something if you didn't know how to use it. Why didn't you ask your husband to teach you?"
4) Turned to dust
Walking over, Shen Wei swiped a finger through the dust on the ledge. He rubbed it between his fingers and then said, "It hasn't been here long."
"The dust?" Zhao Yunlan asked. "You can tell from just that? How?"
Shen Wei dusted his hands off. "With most types I wouldn't be able to tell, but this is human ash that collected here within the last two or three days. It's still very fresh." [...]
Chu Shuzhi chose his next words carefully. "It sounds as though my lord knows how these people died...?"
Shen Wei gave a polite nod. Humbly, he said, "I'm not terribly knowledgeable, but I do happen to know a little in regard to this. In the ancient past, after Gonggong knocked down Buzhou Mountain, the sky burst and the earth split. The gui surfaced in the Mortal Realm for the first time, dripping with the ruthlessness of their birthplace thousands of zhang below the Huangquan. When that happened, every human and beast within a ten-li radius turned to dust in a heartbeat, just like this, and within one hundred li, not a single blade of grass grew."
5) The blade strikes
Zhao Yunlan hurriedly said, "Shen Wei, hold on. This doesn't seem like-"
But it was too late. The Soul-Executing Blade grew several meters, effortlessly cutting down countless gui. Shen Wei's expression was glacial. With a flip of his wrist, the blade pressed down with thousands of tons of pressure, far too sharp for anything to block. He split the thick black mist beneath the resort with one swing, and it dispersed before disappearing entirely. Then the blade struck the ground, opening a long, narrow crack dozens of meters deep. A bloodcurdling scream rang out. Shen Wei glared viciously down into the fissure. "Get the hell out here!"
With the astounding force and lightning speed of his attacks, it wasn't until then that Zhao Yunlan, who was not even five steps away, finally managed to grab his arm and hold him back. "This doesn't look like the Great Seal breaking! I think it's some distorted kind of Ghost Army Summons! Don't do anything rash!"
Laughter echoed from all around them before he was even done speaking. "Yes," a voice said. "Too bad the Guardian's brain and mouth aren't as fast as the Lord Emissary's blade."
Questions:
What's your favourite part in these chapters? Which SID member gets the best moment? What do you think about Shen Wei's carefree fatalism here? And about Zhao Yunlan's treatment of Shen Wei? How well are you following events here? Any thoughts about the parts that made it into the drama?
(As usual, these are just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like!)
Our schedule - please sign up to host a post if you can!
no subject
WHAT AN OPENING. :D :D :D Daqing ringing the doorbell, and Zhao Yunlan's chaotic doorbell choices (and games!), and Shen Wei sending Daqing to buy breakfast, and then Shen Wei's softness, ahhhhh, all of this is absolutely one of my favorite sequences from the entire novel. :D :D :D
"His forepaws pressed the doorbell with perfect precision.
Button pushed, Daqing turned into a squashed-flat pancake of a cat and slid down to the floor."
I love that getting squashed against the wall is clearly part of the precise plan. xD
"At a single push of the button, the soul-stirring song “The Hottest Ethnic Trend” played in its entirety, loudly enough to be heard from outside."
Shen Wei lives with this doorbell now - he REALLY loves Zhao Yunlan. xD xD
"The black cat paced anxiously before the door and unconsciously started chasing his own tail, turning into a black tornado on the spot."
He's SO CAT. :D :D
"With a flick of Shen Wei’s fingers, the interminable doorbell went silent."
And Shen Wei also uses his powers to silence the doorbell - fair enough. xD :D
"That shirt was unmistakably Zhao Yunlan’s!"
Awwww!! ♡
"Zhao Yunlan, the absolute weirdo, liked to wear his sleeves rolled up. He always made a point of asking the laundry workers to iron his shirts with the sleeves that way so they would fold neatly."
The drama just gave the rolled up sleeves directly to Shen Wei. :D :D
"All unwilling, Daqing found a whole sequence of events popping into his head. First, the two would have taken off their clothes, and then… And then…
The black cat lowered his large round head, trying to get his mind out of the gutter."
Having just recently written two separate fics about how much DQ doesn't want to know anything about Weilan's sex life, I feel very validated in my life choices. ;D :D :D (Here they are, since they're unexpectedly relevant to the readalong right now: Emphatic No and Cat-astrophe. xD)
"Very quietly, Shen Wei said, “He’s back, but he’s resting now.”"
AW. ♡ He's still quiet even though the doorbell was already extremely loud.
“Wait a moment.” Shen Wei’s smile seemed a little embarrassed. Politely, he said, “I have a favor to ask of you…”
This is SO SWEET?
(I do feel for DQ having to pretend that he's just a regular cat, tho!)
"“Your cat.” Shen Wei closed the door. “He came to see you. I asked him to go buy breakfast. Sleep a little more.”
As he spoke, he gently nudged Zhao Yunlan back into the blankets before tucking his hands back in. Then he bent down and kissed Zhao Yunlan on the forehead; with a fingertip, he smoothed out Zhao Yunlan’s brow, furrowed from awakening."
Omg AWWWWW?? ♡♡♡ This is so incredibly soft and tender and domestic, I'M JUST-- ♡♡♡♡♡
"Once Zhao Yunlan’s breathing was even again, Shen Wei walked to the window and looked at the plants on the windowsill, which were half-dead with neglect. He cupped a pot with his hands, and milky white light radiated from his palms.
The sickly plant responded like the earth tasting sweet rain after a long drought. It quickly became fresh and radiant. Its stem straightened. Soon it stood, graceful and elegant once more.
Shen Wei quietly washed the spray bottle, then carefully misted the leaves."
I just love everything about this so so so much, he's so incredibly gentle and kind for no reason at all, no one can even see him. ♡♡♡ Why can't he see that this is who he REALLY is?
"At the far reaches of the busy world, even further than the sky’s edge, a wisp of black drifted up from beneath the ground. But one glance was all Shen Wei spared it. Seeming to turn a blind eye, he looked away again and carried on with his task. The Great Seal was about to break, but there was an unfamiliar tranquility in his heart. His entire body felt lazy and relaxed, as though even dying at that very moment would be no big deal."
1) It's interesting that it's something you could see, but I'm assuming only Shen Wei can see it? 2) I absolutely love this entire vibe, he's HAPPY for once. ♡
"On the rare occasion when special circumstances forced someone to act solo, they had to contact the office at least twice a day to keep everyone advised of their location."
I caught it on the re-read that it was Zhu Hong who was supposed to go with Lin Jing, and the 'special circumstances' were her staying with Zhao Yunlan.
"He pulled out a Soul-Guarding Order and wrote Lin Jing’s name on it with a chopstick dipped in soy milk."
I adore his choice of writing utensils. :D
"Shen Wei, who had been immersed in his lesson plan, looked up and exchanged a glance with Zhao Yunlan. Then he bent down and picked up the broken string. At that light touch, it crumbled away like ash.
Shen Wei withdrew his hand and carefully sniffed his fingertip. “He should be fine for now. There’s no scent of death or anything foul. He’s still alive. You just can’t reach him. Try not to worry.”"
They are being so mundanely domestic while doing completely not mundane things, aww. ♡♡♡
"Plus, he looks powerful and formidable enough that even his selfies work to ward off evil."
The combo of modern tech and magic is delightful. :D
"Hearing this, he finally raised his gentle gaze from his own checked-off name on the notebook. A trace of a smile curved the corner of his mouth. There was no sign that he minded Zhao Yunlan writing his name as messily as a dog who’d been given a pen."
This is ADORABLE, and also lol, he would not mind being a literal item on a literal to-do list, of course not. :D If anything he would mind bad handwriting, which of course he doesn't mind either. :D :D
"It was as if he’d turned the very air into a 3D touchscreen, enabling himself to zoom in and out on different parts of the image!"
This whole concept is so cool!
“Still better than our shoddy moonlighting tech analyst could do.”
So Zhu Hong does work with computers, and that's indeed why she used the motherboard metaphor a few chapters back? :D
“People used to say that a killer needed to destroy their victim’s eyes after the deed was done or else the victim would retain the silhouette of the last person they saw, allowing the police to solve the crime,” Zhao Yunlan said, still tracing. “But that’s obviously impossible. If it were true, criminal investigators wouldn’t need anything but eyeballs to solve cases. Looks like that particular rumor didn’t sprout from nothing, though. Sometimes stories spread in the Mortal Realm for a reason.”
Ahhhhh, we talked about this trope when someone (was it Ying Chun?) knew just by looking at Zhao Yunlan that a Crow blinded him. So I guess it's possible that there was some information left in his eyes (even if he wasn't dead, let alone died unnaturally), since this is a thing that sometimes actually happens in-universe. :D
"Shen Wei’s dark expression made it abundantly clear that he was displeased over Zhu Hong’s name coming up."
But why tho? Not only is Shen Wei actually jealous of Zhu Hong (?), he's also specifically jealous at this point, which is when Zhao Yunlan literally said that Shen Wei did better than she would? Good for Zhao Yunlan that at least he's happy about it. *shrug* :P
“You used to keep up a facade, like a god among men who was above mortal desires. I’m tired of watching you pretend. I get tired on your behalf just from watching.”
This, on the other hand, is extremely true and valid!
"Zhao Yunlan casually stuck his sticky note on the back of one of Shen Wei’s lesson plan drafts."
Very domestic of them, again! ♡
"Wang Zheng? You’re still awake? Thanks for your hard work. Make sure the curtains are closed tightly—yes, I know. Something’s happened to Lin Jing."
AW, he really, really cares about his people. ♡ He has a really urgent message but the very first thing he does is thank her and express concern! And it even seems to be Wang Zheng who finally changes the subject to Lin Jing.
"Zhao Yunlan turned to look at him. Their gazes met, and then, in unison, they both said, “The earthquake just now.”"
I don't know what exactly they understood, but I like when they do this. :D :D
"Zhao Yunlan loaded his gun with special bullets and sheathed his talisman-inscribed dagger under his pant leg."
I was going to say that at least he doesn't have the knives in his pants at all times, but he probably wasn't wearing pants until like a minute ago, so maybe he does after all. xD
"The villages that had been nearby had all been relocated so as not to mar the glorious scenery."
Villages make for even better scenery, if you ask me. :P
"The resort was too quiet—practically a ghost town."
YEAH UM ABOUT THAT.
"It still had its full load of fresh fruits and vegetables, with no sign of anything missing…except the driver."
This random detail is consistent with the other random detail where vegetables didn't count as 'alive' when Zhao Yunlan was blind and Shen Wei was cooking.
"You won’t be much help here, and xiao-Guo might not be able to communicate very well. Help him out."
Vague spoilers: I do love that CSZ is looking out for GCC, but he also underestimates him a little bit in this case. :D (He obviously has no way of knowing what the situation actually is.)
"Her new phone’s life was cut short. It died in her hand with a crunch"
I think her bonuses may all go to buying new phones that she keeps squishing to death. xD
"Driving a car wasn’t like entering a public restroom. He’d never heard of any gender-related rules about it."
He's such a sweetheart and I love him, lol.
"It all happened without Guo Changcheng ever having a chance to voice a single full-fledged opinion. Swift as the wind, Zhu Hong was already gone."
Another person Zhu Hong left to do their two-people mission alone because she'd rather follow Zhao Yunlan. :P
"Daqing and Chu Shuzhi, riding along in Zhao Yunlan’s car, weren’t having a good time either, due to the presence of the esteemed deity in the passenger seat. Now that they knew Shen Wei was the Soul-Executing Emissary, neither the Corpse King nor the old cat could take their usual innocent joy in teasing anyone they could get their hands on."
I love these awkward vibes, I want to see more of it. :D :D
"Upon arriving, they saw the grandiose words “Spring Harbor Resort” carved in marble relief on a sign in the beautifully designed flowerbeds."
This made me think of the Dragon City University monument thingy in the drama. :D
"It read, “Unit 10A, Mr. Li, pack—” cutting off mid-word. The person writing had been interrupted too abruptly to even finish."
This is quite chilling! Somehow it gets to me more than other horror scenes in this book.
"Thank goodness he’d already sent Guo Changcheng away—if this sight had scared the poor boy half to death, they all would’ve suffered ten thousand volts…"
LOL! I'm glad he gets to keep the stick and simply gets sent away instead. xD
"The gui surfaced in the Mortal Realm for the first time, dripping with the ruthlessness of their birthplace thousands of zhang below the Huangquan. When that happened, every human and beast within a ten-li radius turned to dust in a heartbeat, just like this, and within one hundred li, not a single blade of grass grew."
I would say that it could have something to do with the 'meteor' that threw all the (soul)fire around, and not with the gui themselves, but I'll wait to see if that's correct. xD (Things are not as they seem in the present scene, but once again I don't remember what the situation actually IS.)
"He might not care at all about the Great Houtu Seal at this point; Zhao Yunlan suspected he might not even care about his own life or death."
Well, he is very, very correct in his observations!
"“I suppose the Netherworld must be in complete chaos right about now.” Shen Wei smiled as he spoke, then realized he was perhaps letting his schadenfreude show a little too blatantly. As that was a bit ill-mannered, he wiped the smile off his face and quietly cleared his throat."
Heeeeee. Why is this so cute.
"Chu Shuzhi and Daqing deserted their boss at once, opting instead to stick close to the boss’s mighty “wife.”"
Srsly I want more of their interactions. :D :D
"At first, when he’d casually handed this life-lending case off to Lin Jing, he hadn’t given it too much thought. But thinking back on it…wasn’t “life-lending” what had set off the Reincarnation Dial case?"
*high five to y'all who pointed this out earlier* :D
"With his other hand, Zhao Yunlan felt for the little dagger hidden in his sleeve."
Apparently it's not just his pants that can stab any unsuspecting person. :D :D
"The setting sun hung on the horizon, but its light was no longer a warm reddish orange. A dull, bloody red reminiscent of the color on the cheeks of paper dolls at funeral stores, it gave off a chilly glow. The light dragged their shadows on the ground, turning their silhouettes disturbingly long and dark."
I really like the setting! It's not as sweepingly cinematic as some of the other settings, but still atmospheric and cool. :D
"Before he even turned, he was already holding his dagger up to the middle of his back. There was a tooth-grinding clang as youchu fangs met the steel blade. The youchu lost a few teeth, and a crack appeared in the steel."
Kudos to his skills, this is really cool!
"Countless bells rang out at once in the distance as a black mist rose half a meter high on the little resort’s clean roads."
The setting is seriously so good! Also BELLS AGAIN.
"He had been born a gui, and his deep-rooted loathing for his own kind only deepened as they dared to appear in front of Zhao Yunlan."
Ouch. :(
"Zhao Yunlan hurriedly said, “Shen Wei, hold on. This doesn’t seem like—”"
Oooh, and he already figured out that things are not as they seem. :D
"With the astounding force and lightning speed of his attacks, it wasn’t until then that Zhao Yunlan, who was not even five steps away, finally managed to grab his arm and hold him back. “This doesn’t look like the Great Seal breaking! I think it’s some distorted kind of Ghost Army Summons! Don’t do anything rash!”"
YES, I love Zhao Yunlan being smart. :D (And Shen Wei was too preoccupied with his hatred for the gui to figure it out too. OUCH.) I also love that ZYL is not even five steps away, and yet completely unharmed by the meters-long blade. ♡
“Yes,” a voice said. “Too bad the Guardian’s brain and mouth aren’t as fast as the Lord Emissary’s blade.”
OUCH YET AGAIN.
no subject
Sleep well! :D
I'm loving the excerpts (Daqing!! :D) and especially their titles, lol, perfect! :D
Yay!
I love that getting squashed against the wall is clearly part of the precise plan. xD
LOL, yeah! This entire part is just delightful, hands down my favourite part of these chapters.
Shen Wei lives with this doorbell now - he REALLY loves Zhao Yunlan. xD xD
Seriously! If he was even a tenth as violent as he thinks he is, he'd have murdered someone about it already. *g* (Either ZYL or the person daring to ring the bell, but SOMEOLNE would have had to suffer for it!)
"That shirt was unmistakably Zhao Yunlan’s!"
Awwww!! ♡
The drama just gave the rolled up sleeves directly to Shen Wei. :D :D
Oh man, great catch! I didn't even think of that. (But sleeve garters are much classier than what ZYL is doing with the ironing. Big surprise, LOL.)
Having just recently written two separate fics about how much DQ doesn't want to know anything about Weilan's sex life, I feel very validated in my life choices. ;D :D :D
You win! :D
Omg AWWWWW?? ♡♡♡ This is so incredibly soft and tender and domestic, I'M JUST-- ♡♡♡♡♡
Yes, this is really sweet! And I love that the drama managed to get the tucking-in into a scene, even if the context is different.
he's so incredibly gentle and kind for no reason at all, no one can even see him. ♡♡♡ Why can't he see that this is who he REALLY is?
RIGHT????
It's interesting that it's something you could see, but I'm assuming only Shen Wei can see it?
Yeah, that was my assumption.
I caught it on the re-read that it was Zhu Hong who was supposed to go with Lin Jing, and the 'special circumstances' were her staying with Zhao Yunlan.
Yeah! I noticed that too.
The combo of modern tech and magic is delightful. :D
Yes, great point!
This is ADORABLE, and also lol, he would not mind being a literal item on a literal to-do list, of course not. :D If anything he would mind bad handwriting, which of course he doesn't mind either. :D :D
Very true about all of this!
So Zhu Hong does work with computers, and that's indeed why she used the motherboard metaphor a few chapters back? :D
Oh yeah, excellent point, I'd already forgotten that again ...
But why tho? Not only is Shen Wei actually jealous of Zhu Hong (?), he's also specifically jealous at this point, which is when Zhao Yunlan literally said that Shen Wei did better than she would?
I have no idea. She was never even any competition for him, so his jealousy is really offputting to me, and at this point it's even more baffling.
"Zhao Yunlan casually stuck his sticky note on the back of one of Shen Wei’s lesson plan drafts."
Very domestic of them, again! ♡
Villages make for even better scenery, if you ask me. :P
True.
This random detail is consistent with the other random detail where vegetables didn't count as 'alive' when Zhao Yunlan was blind and Shen Wei was cooking.
Ooh, great catch!
Another person Zhu Hong left to do their two-people mission alone because she'd rather follow Zhao Yunlan. :P
Oof, yeah, I didn't even think of that! I really don't like how irresponsible she's being, and that after the person she left alone because of ZYL clearly got into serious trouble, she's leaving someone alone because of ZYL again. /o\
I would say that it could have something to do with the 'meteor' that threw all the (soul)fire around, and not with the gui themselves, but I'll wait to see if that's correct. xD
And either way it hardly seems their fault!
Srsly I want more of their interactions. :D :D
Daqiing and CSZ interacting with SW is really fun, I'd definitely like more of that too!
no subject
I really don't like how irresponsible she's being, and that after the person she left alone because of ZYL clearly got into serious trouble, she's leaving someone alone because of ZYL again. /o\
Maybe because no one's called her on the first time? (If she hadn't left LJ alone, ZYL wouldn't have got the dragon pearl, would he? That would have changed the course of events dramatically!)
no subject
Oh, that's a fantastic point! So she only got it reinforced that her presence is really helpful and vital, and of course she's going to choose ZYL and not GCC as the person she can potentially save again.
no subject
Despite GCC clearly being more in need of protection!! (I know it turns out fine, but it so easily might not have.)
(LOL, imagine if LJ was just the first of various disasters brought about by ZH defiantly following ZYL; one by one the other SID members are picked off... /o)
no subject
True facts! Both because he's completely alone (while ZYL has a lot of people with him, including the Emissary) and because he's still inexperienced.
"(LOL, imagine if LJ was just the first of various disasters brought about by ZH defiantly following ZYL; one by one the other SID members are picked off... /o)"
D: I sure hope she would only need two instances of that to realize what she's doing. :P (Since instance one was clearly not enough.)
(no subject)
no subject
2) Shen Wei wanted ZYL to go down there, didn't he? But he didn't know about the pearl/scale, so did he have some other plan for how to get ZYL down there? Is that part of why he's so sulky about the scale? :p
no subject
I think he knew about it, but idk what his plan was if ZYL never got the pearl. xD (Or maybe his plan to lead ZYL down there only started when he saw that ZYL had the pearl??)
The reason I think SW knew about it:
This is the first thing he does when he meets ZYL again: "Rather than reply, Shen Wei reached out again, this time ripping the water dragon pearl from Zhao Yunlan’s wrist. In his hand, the pearl acted like cold water hitting a hot pan: there was a sizzle and a plume of black smoke as it transformed into a scale."
Zhu Hong puts it on ZYL's wrist before they go to the Netherworld, and when SW saves them he must have seen ZYL wearing it. WAITTTT, the scratches are on his wrist! I don't know if it's the same wrist but omg, is this why the scene is even there?? :D
"After some time, he gently pushed Zhao Yunlan away, only to grab him by the wrist, brow furrowing at the sight of the scratches left by the little ghoul.
no subject
(If he only had the idea then, did SW have time to go down and edit the memories while ZYL was already on his way down? I absolutely buy that he has a much faster way down, but still, he'd have cut it pretty close.)
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
Lololol, facts. :D :D :D
"But sleeve garters are much classier than what ZYL is doing with the ironing. Big surprise, LOL."
Do sleeve garters help with the bottom part of the sleeve being rolled up? Maybe drama SW also does the ironing, additionally. :D Either way, big kudos to the drama for sleeve garters! :D ♡
"Yes, this is really sweet! And I love that the drama managed to get the tucking-in into a scene, even if the context is different."
Yes! ♡♡♡
Now also forehead kissing and soft fingertip touching plz. xD :D"I really don't like how irresponsible she's being, and that after the person she left alone because of ZYL clearly got into serious trouble, she's leaving someone alone because of ZYL again. /o\"
Yeah, her logic may be reverse - if things are already this dangerous for others, she needs to protect ZYL even harder.
"And either way it hardly seems their fault!"
Indeed!
no subject
Yeah, her logic may be reverse - if things are already this dangerous for others, she needs to protect ZYL even harder.
Except last time he was on his own and mopey; this time he has Shen Wei with him, you know? (I don't think she's really thinking at all; she's just "I want to follow ZYL! How dare he sideline me, that asshole?!")
no subject
no subject
And most of the questions are accidentally answered, hah.
Hee! <3
I love that getting squashed against the wall is clearly part of the precise plan. xD
LOL, right? :D :D :D (How often does he have to do this?? Could they not just install a catdoor?)
Fwiw, I found The Hottest Ethnic Trend on youtube. LOL!
> > "That shirt was unmistakably Zhao Yunlan’s!"
> Awwww!! ♡
Yess! I love clothes sharing. (I feel like ZYL's folded-up sleeves could have been mentioned earlier, but I love that they got transposed to SW in the drama, as you say. :D :D :D)
Having just recently written two separate fics about how much DQ doesn't want to know anything about Weilan's sex life, I feel very validated in my life choices. ;D :D :D
LOL! Yay! :D :D :D
I caught it on the re-read that it was Zhu Hong who was supposed to go with Lin Jing, and the 'special circumstances' were her staying with Zhao Yunlan.
Yeah, I was aware of it at the time because of ZYL's NYE speech about special safety precautions. He made ZH move into the SID for security, but she just let LJ go off alone. *side-eyes her*
> > "He pulled out a Soul-Guarding Order and wrote Lin Jing’s name on it with a chopstick dipped in soy milk."> I adore his choice of writing utensils. :D
Yes, I loved that too. :D
and also lol, he would not mind being a literal item on a literal to-do list, of course not. :D
I think he actively likes it. ZYL was thinking about him!
But why tho? Not only is Shen Wei actually jealous of Zhu Hong (?), he's also specifically jealous at this point, which is when Zhao Yunlan literally said that Shen Wei did better than she would?
He seems very insecure, and I don't think ZYL has ever given him the slightest cause?
> > “You used to keep up a facade, like a god among men who was above mortal desires. I’m tired of watching you pretend. I get tired on your behalf just from watching.”
> This, on the other hand, is extremely true and valid!
Yeah, I think ZYL makes a great point here, that SW has been ruthlessly hiding his desire (for millennia, but also in their relationship to some extent), and that that self-denial must have taken a toll. I kind of wish they would actually talk about this properly, rather than it getting lost amidst all ZYL's other teasing and bullshit. ;-p
He has a really urgent message but the very first thing he does is thank her and express concern!
That's true. I liked that too. It's a big contrast with vol 1. ch 1:
Zhao Yunlan answered the call, looking ready to unleash a torrent of abuse. “What now?”
On the other end of the line, Wang Zheng got right to the point. “Director Zhao, there’s been a death.”
“When?”
I was going to say that at least he doesn't have the knives in his pants at all times, but he probably wasn't wearing pants until like a minute ago, so maybe he does after all. xD
Hee!! :D
Villages make for even better scenery, if you ask me. :P
Yeah, I was raising my eyebrows at relocating villages for the scenery!! WTF??
This random detail is consistent with the other random detail where vegetables didn't count as 'alive' when Zhao Yunlan was blind and Shen Wei was cooking.
Great point!
I think her bonuses may all go to buying new phones that she keeps squishing to death. xD
LOL, right?
Another person Zhu Hong left to do their two-people mission alone because she'd rather follow Zhao Yunlan. :P
Yeah. *sigh*
This made me think of the Dragon City University monument thingy in the drama. :D
Ooh, good point. I wonder if that was deliberate...
Things are not as they seem in the present scene, but once again I don't remember what the situation actually IS.
AGAIN?!?? Oh no! *makes Munch scream face*
Apparently it's not just his pants that can stab any unsuspecting person. :D :D
LOLOL!
Also BELLS AGAIN.
Oh, yes, I missed that. Always bells!
I love Zhao Yunlan being smart. :D (And Shen Wei was too preoccupied with his hatred for the gui to figure it out too. OUCH.)
SW's self-hatred is such a(n unacknowledged-by-him) weakness, and Ghost Face knows exactly how to weaponise it. I kinda wish SW was more self-aware about that, you know?
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OMG!!! Thank you for tracking that down.
(Why is that song so familiar? I swear I've heard it before, but I have zero idea where ...)
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(It's so familiar, and I can't work out why either! Was it used as the theme music for something?)
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I thought it might have been riffing off the Monkey theme or something, but that's completely different. Hm. It doesn't appear in Guardian at any point, does it?
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Is there a way to have a catdoor in an apartment building? I've never heard of one and I'd assume not, but who knows. :D (I wonder if this topic is as complicated as locks. xD :D)
"Fwiw, I found The Hottest Ethnic Trend on youtube. LOL!"
Oh yay, thanks! :D :D (I literally went to do it yesterday, clicked the wrong version - a crowd of people singing, I couldn't hear a thing - and promptly got distracted by suggested Guardian videos in my sidebar. xD :D) This is sure a doorbell choice. :D :D It doesn't sound familiar to me btw, fwiw. :)
"I feel like ZYL's folded-up sleeves could have been mentioned earlier"
Yeah, I don't remember them ever being mentioned either, but they're in illustrations, so I wasn't surprised. :)
"I think he actively likes it. ZYL was thinking about him!"
Oh, he absolutely likes it. :D :D It's just hilarious to me that any regular person's problem with this would be 'wtf, I'm not a to-do list item??', while Shen Wei's theoretical problem in this situation could only be bad handwriting. :D
"He seems very insecure, and I don't think ZYL has ever given him the slightest cause?"
He definitely never did, he's so absolutely uninterested in anyone who is not Shen Wei.
"Yeah, I think ZYL makes a great point here, that SW has been ruthlessly hiding his desire (for millennia, but also in their relationship to some extent), and that that self-denial must have taken a toll. I kind of wish they would actually talk about this properly, rather than it getting lost amidst all ZYL's other teasing and bullshit. ;-p"
Hah, ITA. I was going to say that this is how they generally communicate, lol, but that's not true, they do have some sincere moments. They could keep this conversation for one of those. *nods*
"It's a big contrast with vol 1. ch 1:"
Oh, true! I looked up the context for that, and he didn't sleep the entire night (plus he doesn't actually end up unleashing any torrent of abuse, he's just curt and grumpy), but still, there is a difference!
"AGAIN?!?? Oh no! *makes Munch scream face*"
Lolol, just trickery on both sides that is not spelled out yet, but the way I remember it, it does feel a bit similar to the other times when things were not as they seemed. :P
"SW's self-hatred is such a(n unacknowledged-by-him) weakness, and Ghost Face knows exactly how to weaponise it. I kinda wish SW was more self-aware about that, you know?"
Yeah. He has exactly two weaknesses (his self-hatred and Kunlun), and Ghost Face indeed knows exactly how to push all the right buttons. I wonder if SW is more aware of his ZYL weakness than the self-hatred one. Probably? Not that it helps, if it can still be successfully used against him, self-awareness or not.
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Is there a way to have a catdoor in an apartment building? I've never heard of one and I'd assume not, but who knows. :D (I wonder if this topic is as complicated as locks. xD :D)
LOL! :D (I expect it depends on building regulations.)
I literally went to do it yesterday, clicked the wrong version - a crowd of people singing, I couldn't hear a thing - and promptly got distracted by suggested Guardian videos in my sidebar. xD :D
Hee! *hearts you*
This is sure a doorbell choice. :D :D
Right? Oh ZYL! (And presumably DQ has been living with it all this time, too, with his sensitive cat hearing. Luckily, I doubt anyone much uses the doorbell except for DQ.)
Yeah, I don't remember them ever being mentioned either, but they're in illustrations, so I wasn't surprised. :)
Oh, that's cool! Visual foreshadowing, lol. Great spotting!
while Shen Wei's theoretical problem in this situation could only be bad handwriting. :D
Tbh, I can't tell if that's SW's reaction or authorial mocking-of-ZYL, which does seem to be a theme. ;-D It's fun either way, though.
Oh, true! I looked up the context for that, and he didn't sleep the entire night (plus he doesn't actually end up unleashing any torrent of abuse, he's just curt and grumpy), but still, there is a difference!
Oh, true about the lack of sleep. I was sure there was another phone call and that was the only one I could find. There might be others? Anyway, a possible sign of character growth (or at least not feeling shitty (which I guess means he's drinking the blood)). :D
I wonder if SW is more aware of his ZYL weakness than the self-hatred one. Probably?
I think he probably thinks he's being ruthlessly objective about the gui and, by extension, himself. *sighs at him in get-therapy*
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There's also not much of a point if cats can't open the main door - they'd be stuck either inside or outside the building until some human happens to open that door. :P
"And presumably DQ has been living with it all this time, too, with his sensitive cat hearing. Luckily, I doubt anyone much uses the doorbell except for DQ."
Lol yep, and DQ doesn't seem to mind in this scene - I wonder if he's another gremlin who also enjoys this doorbell, or if he just picks his battles. xD
"Tbh, I can't tell if that's SW's reaction or authorial mocking-of-ZYL, which does seem to be a theme. ;-D It's fun either way, though."
It's probably both. :D (In the same chapter Shen Wei's handwriting on the shopping list is described as "very tidy". :D)
"Anyway, a possible sign of character growth (or at least not feeling shitty (which I guess means he's drinking the blood)). :D"
Hah, true, he must be drinking it if they just had sex and he's not even feeling shitty, let alone actively dying. :P
"I think he probably thinks he's being ruthlessly objective about the gui and, by extension, himself. *sighs at him in get-therapy*"
Hah, very good point. OUCH.
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There's also not much of a point if cats can't open the main door - they'd be stuck either inside or outside the building until some human happens to open that door. :P
Are they still in ZYL's old flat? If it's not fancy, it might not have a security door at ground level. (Again, this is going to vary wildly by culture. ;D)
Hah, true, he must be drinking it if they just had sex and he's not even feeling shitty, let alone actively dying. :P
Exactly. (I wonder if that's one of the reasons SW didn't try to welcome DQ into the flat...)
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Damn, that's a good point. I completely missed that!
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Like I said above, I wonder if that's one of SW's reasons for wanting them to be alone. Given how strongly ZYL reacted to the blood drinking concept, SW must know everyone else would be Very Weirded Out by it.
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I find it hard to take, that either of them is a fan of trot music!
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