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sid_guardian2025-08-09 03:35 pm
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Guardian Readalong: Vol. 3, Bonus Stories: Sage 1 & Sage 2
Hi, and welcome to this week's installment of the Guardian novel readalong! We're finished with the main text of the novel, but the readalong continues - it's time for the first bonus stories. ♡
Here are last week's chapters, and you can find all previous discussions in the schedule posts (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5), or via the !readalong tag.
This week's chapters:
- Sage 1: Many SID team shenanigans happen, including but not limited to: They have acquired a Samoyed puppy named Xiaomi who plays with Daqing. They talk about the new office they're moving to, and have some theories why Zhao Yunlan is not at work. No one tells Guo Changcheng that he's the wick, they just confuse him with questions and occasionally pluck his hair to experiment on. Meanwhile, Zhao Yunlan talks to Shennong's mortar about the primordial past and Shen Wei's oath, and explains that some things are meant to be confusing. Shennong's mortar announces that he's leaving Zhao Yunlan's father's body. Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan take a walk together and cause spring flowers to bloom.
- Sage 2: The SID moves to their new office, which includes a sunny attic and Zhao Yunlan's vegetable garden, among other things. Everyone loves Shen Wei because his arrival means that Zhao Yunlan finally goes home. Lin Jing invents an invisible listening device. Daqing bickers with people, including Shen Wei. Zhao Yunlan falls asleep trying to learn gardening from a boring book, and cuddles with Shen Wei (while also bickering). Guo Changcheng goes on an arranged date with a girl. Chu Shuzhi accompanies him and listens in on their awkward conversation, and then interrupts the date and drags Guo Changcheng away. They start dating, which is revealed to the rest of the SID by Lin Jing's listening device.
The corresponding chapters:
Sage 1 = fan translation Extra 2
Sage 2 = fan translation Extra 3
Excerpts:
1) The SID team speculating about Zhao Yunlan's activities
Guo Changcheng ran a hand through his hair. “Director Zhao isn’t here?”
Without looking up, Zhu Hong said, “Officially, he’s off picking up the keys for our new office today and has to do a final inspection. Plus he’s moving today—ugh, why does this always freeze up? I hope we have better internet in the new place.”
Daqing, who was chasing Xiaomi all over the room, screeched to a halt upon hearing this explanation. He looked over and asked, “And unofficially?”
Despite the trace of jealousy in Zhu Hong’s tone, she clearly savored the words as she said, “He got fucked so hard that he can’t get out of bed, duh.”
Shock made Guo Changcheng tremble and miss his chair when he tried to sit. He nearly fell on his ass as it rolled away.
Zhu Hong gave him a bombastic side-eye. “Our boss is that fucking gay. What’s there to be shocked about?”
2) Shennong's mortar leaves, and Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan make flowers bloom
To Shennong’s mortar, he said, “Drive carefully on the way back. Don’t let my dad notice anything. Take care of his body.”
Shennong’s mortar stood up. With great respect, he said, “Thank you for your wisdom, Mountain God. In truth, I came to say goodbye today. Having carried out my mission, it would be inappropriate to continue occupying a mortal’s body.”
Zhao Yunlan was taken aback. “When are you leaving?”
“Today,” the mortar said. “After taking Mr. Zhao back now.”
“All right, then.” Zhao Yunlan thought about it, then gave him a casual wave. “Take care. If you ever need anything, come find me.”
Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan went downstairs together, while Shennong’s mortar stood at the window. Together, they ambled through campus toward the neighborhood across the street, as if taking a leisurely afternoon stroll.
Even further in the distance, in the green areas of the neighborhood, flowers on the large condo terraces quietly burst into bloom wherever they passed by. It struck the mortar then that spring had already arrived.
3) The new SID office
The new office space was an appealing one. It had a little attic that got plenty of sunlight throughout the day, and there was a two-level basement. The lower basement housed the library while the upper basement had a mahjong table surrounded by a bunch of memorial tablets that gave the ghost employees somewhere to rest. They could even play a game of mahjong during bouts of insomnia.
With all the natural light the attic got, and thanks to a thick layer of sound-absorbing paint, one could go up there for a nice afternoon nap. Opening the window offered a lovely view of the front courtyard…or it would have, if a lovely view existed. Everyone had wildly different ideas about what to do with the space, so after it had been divided up for everyone to do their own thing, the result was the polar opposite of a cohesive whole.
As for the backyard, Zhao Yunlan claimed it entirely for himself. After a lifetime spent learning absolutely nothing about art, his taste was…rather unique. He vetoed the roses Zhu Hong liked, vetoed Chu Shuzhi’s suggestion of vines, and vetoed Lin Jing’s request for bodhi trees.
In the end, after careful consideration, he planted a garden full of vegetables, including bok choy, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin sprouts, pea shoots, xiangchun…a whole array of vegetables all next to each other. And in the center, like a bright moon shining among the stars, was one single slutty eggplant.
4) Daqing 'practices yoga'
Daqing was curled up on the stair railing. His black tail waved at Shen Wei. “He’s upstairs in the attic.”
“Mn, thank you.” Shen Wei nodded, glancing over as he passed by. The railing was only half as wide as the cat’s belly, making it seem like Daqing might roll right off at any moment. The words “Why don’t you go somewhere roomier?” slipped out of Shen Wei’s mouth. “Take care not to fall.”
Daqing froze for a moment, then realized Shen Wei was calling him fat. He gave a yowl, fur standing on end. “I’m! Practicing! Yoga! What’s wrong with practicing yoga? Is there a problem?”
Shen Wei gave his head a pat and then headed up the stairs, still smiling.
In a huff, Daqing lay back down on the railing. Further annoyance approached in the form of Lin Jing. “Daqing-gongzi, which yoga pose are you practicing right now?”
“…Cat Pose.”
Following the precept of “monks don’t lie,” Lin Jing responded appropriately. “Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
5) Chu Shuzhi interrupts Guo Changcheng's date
Guo Changcheng froze. Before he could respond, a hand descended on his shoulder and he was hauled up out of his seat.
“C-Chu-ge?”
The girl looked at Chu Shuzhi, utterly perplexed. Chu Shuzhi glanced at her, his smile not reaching his eyes, and then his gaze landed on Guo Changcheng. In an incredibly ambiguous tone, he said, “Going on a date behind my back? You really think you’re hot shit now, huh?”
Guo Changcheng’s mind boggled. Wh-what?!
The girl’s eyes flew wide-open. She sat there in shock at the Corpse King’s aura and the dramatic turn of events. Chu Shuzhi grabbed a few bills from Guo Changcheng’s wallet, tucked them under a glass as payment, and stalked off with Guo Changcheng under his arm.
“What are you looking at? I did that for her own good. How dare she try to poach someone from Kunlun-jun? I’m astounded that the idea even crossed her mind.” Chu Shuzhi stuffed Guo Changcheng into the car, then he stretched out his long legs. “Drive,” he ordered. “Take me home first.”
Guo Changcheng didn’t say a word. Crimson-faced, he started the car.
On his crossbody bag, an invisible object shaped like a fish scale was sending signals.
The very next day, a rumor began to spread: “Chu-ge and xiao-Guo are dating! 9 University Road is full of gays!”
And what happened to whom? Lin Jing? The Lin Jing who just so happened to hear something he shouldn’t have and spread the rumor?
Heh heh.
Questions:
Favorite SID shenanigans moment? (Or several - there are so many!) Do you think Xiao-Guo should be told that he's the wick? Do you understand what Zhao Yunlan explained about the primordial gods, or are you also a few thousand years too young? Are Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan consciously making flowers bloom, or is it just what happens when nature gods are happy? What is your favorite thing about the new office? Whose garden idea do you like the best, and why is it (not) the slutty eggplant? Any thoughts about the drama adaptation of these chapters, especially Xiao Guo's date?
You can answer as many or as few questions as you like, or just comment without answering any of them at all! And if you see this post and you're not actually reading the novel, I would love to know what you think about any of this with limited context. :D
And here is the schedule, where you can sign up to host a post. (There are only two weeks left!)
no subject
"Someone down there was keeping a ghoul as a pet, resulting in negative societal repercussions. Chu Shuzhi took Guo Changcheng on a business trip there, and the two of them were gone for over a month before they finally managed to resolve the issue."
Wtfffff. :D :D :D I want to know everything about this, like, everything - was it a sentient ghoul, how did the person get the ghoul, what repercussions, why did it take so long to resolve, hell, how do you even resolve this?? xD :D
"The dog’s only two unlocked skills were once again grayed out and unavailable."
Lol, I love the gaming metaphor. :D
"In the aftermath, Shen Wei had almost single-handedly established a new system for the Netherworld."
OH, good! There are no details whatsoever, but still, good. :D
"The Soul-Executing Emissary, whom all Three Realms feared, was now even more powerful and venerated than before; naturally, this meant that collecting lost pieces of souls was effortless for him. All the pieces he collected went straight to Guo Changcheng’s little stun baton to fuel the conversion of fear into power."
Oh yay, one bit of connection between Shen Wei and GCC didn't get edited out of the official version. :D
"Despite the trace of jealousy in Zhu Hong’s tone, she clearly savored the words as she said, “He got fucked so hard that he can’t get out of bed, duh.”"
One of my favorite lines since I first read it, lol, OH ZHU HONG. :D :D (It's not even what is actually happening - he's talking to Shennong's mortar - but both me and Zhu Hong clearly don't care about the actual situation. ;D)
"Shock made Guo Changcheng tremble and miss his chair when he tried to sit. He nearly fell on his ass as it rolled away."
I love that I can always see drama GCC's body language in these descriptions. :D
“Our boss is that fucking gay. What’s there to be shocked about?”
I feel like GCC would be the exact same amount of shocked if Zhao Yunlan were super straight. xD Actually, I'm quite sure he would be more shocked because girls are terrifying. :D
"Lin Jing, whose game was sucking up all the bandwidth, kept his mouth shut and tried not to draw attention to himself. But it didn’t take long before Zhu Hong figured it out and gave him a good smack.
As punishment, Lin Jing’s computer was disconnected from the internet. His only option was to choose from among the offline games on his computer, like Plants vs. Zombies …which earned him another smack, this time from Chu Shuzhi."
All of this is gold. :D :D And also lol, is Plants vs. Zombies hate speech against the undead? :D And ALSO I love how his 'only option' at work is to play offline games - he doesn't even consider that he could work. ;D
“You’re just too idle. Xiao-Guo, stop writing that report. He’s got nothing to do, so give it to him.”
Is it Chu Shuzhi saying this, or Zhu Hong? (I don't remember if Zhu Hong calls GCC Xiao-Guo too?) Either way, lol, they're thinking the same thing - working at work is definitely an option that exists. ;D
“How do you know what it smells like?” Lin Jing asked. “Did you already try burning it?”
Lolol, they are so creepy, and GCC is basically like 'this may as well happen *diligently typing away*'. ;D
"Everyone was too afraid of disturbing Guo Changcheng’s peaceful state of mind to dare mention the Soul-Guarding Lamp in front of him."
Why are they so thoughtful all of a sudden? xD What they're doing is a lot creepier than just talking to him about it. :P
"If he knew that he had collected enough merits over his lifetimes that he should at least be obscenely wealthy, or should’ve even ascended to immortality, but could only be an ordinary mortal in the Reincarnation Cycle because of the Lamp…would he still be so peaceful and happy?"
Ah, they just don't know him well enough. :P Imo he totally would. :D
"Oh… I was just thinking, why was the plaque Kunlun-jun left behind called the ‘Soul-Guarding Order’?"
I love how this is so off-handed when Lin Jing says it, like, the readers want the answer to this question, but other shenanigans are just more important. ;D
"Guo Changcheng was like a swan that had been scooped up out of the water. He extended his neck, a little lost, with no clue why everyone was suddenly showing him so much interest."
The drama body language again! :D Srsly, A++ casting. :D :D
"Sitting back against the window, Zhao Yunlan had one leg lazily crossed over the other while he looked out over the central area of Dragon City University’s campus. It seemed that exam season might be coming up; Shen Wei was surrounded by a gaggle of students bombarding him with questions. A smile lurked in Zhao Yunlan’s eyes as he watched."
This is SO DOMESTIC and soft and sweet! ♡♡♡
“Why was the wooden plaque the Mountain God left behind called the ‘Soul-Guarding Order’?”
And Shennong's mortar asking this question doesn't exactly get any actual answer either. xD
"The mortar’s confusion just kept growing."
*HIGH FIVE* :P
"Maybe in another one or two thousand years, you’ll understand. Explanations are no use."
*SNORT* The lampshading of the confusion is honestly so fun to me, I'm not even being sarcastic at all. :D :D
“Aren’t you one of the ‘new gods’ yourself?”
I don't have to understand everything to find this really cool. :D (And Shen Wei is one of the new gods too. :D)
"He gave the mortar a chilly but polite nod, then turned to Zhao Yunlan, expression immediately softening."
*MELTS* ♡♡♡
“All right, then.” Zhao Yunlan thought about it, then gave him a casual wave. “Take care. If you ever need anything, come find me.”
Aw, I love this line and I don't even know if I can explain why, but mostly it's the adorable casual wave (and it's not his first instinctive reaction, he specifically does it after giving it some thought) and just a total lack of any dramatic reaction to this kind of big news, and also the offer to help that he didn't have to make. :)
"Together, they ambled through campus toward the neighborhood across the street, as if taking a leisurely afternoon stroll."
I was confused about this the first time around too - are they not just taking a stroll? :P Are they going somewhere special?
"Even further in the distance, in the green areas of the neighborhood, flowers on the large condo terraces quietly burst into bloom wherever they passed by. It struck the mortar then that spring had already arrived."
I love this SO MUCH, ahhhhhh. ♡♡♡ Just nature gods being happy, hee, and no one around them even knows that. :) I wonder if they're doing it intentionally or if the plants just enjoy being in their vicinity, and I love both possibilities equally. :D
"The magazine’s chief editor was so shocked when he saw the photos that he had to be hospitalized. He even called the police, accusing Lin Jing of “intentionally creating supernatural photos to terrorize people.”"
I don't think I understand this, lol, it says that he just photographed the office - were there also ghosts there while he was photographing, and somehow they showed up in the pictures? Or was there something else supernatural and terrifying about their old office?
"The lower basement housed the library while the upper basement had a mahjong table surrounded by a bunch of memorial tablets that gave the ghost employees somewhere to rest. They could even play a game of mahjong during bouts of insomnia."
This is ADORABLE. :D And the attic sounds so gorgeous and cozy too! ♡
"Everyone had wildly different ideas about what to do with the space, so after it had been divided up for everyone to do their own thing, the result was the polar opposite of a cohesive whole."
I want to to see this, and who did what. :D :D I'm assuming Daqing's cat tree is definitely there. :D
"And in the center, like a bright moon shining among the stars, was one single slutty eggplant."
Lololol. ♡
"Having heard his lofty aspirations, no one, human or ghost, had ever set foot in the garden again."
Why? :P I feel like I'm missing something here too? And ngl the garden sounds delightful, and so does the idea of making everyone pickled snacks. :D :D
"But as long as Shen-laoshi came, he could get their boss to leave immediately. Shen-laoshi was the bugle call of early dismissal, and by extension, the symbol of happiness. As a result, he always received the warmest possible welcome. Countless greetings—“Hello, Shen-laoshi!” “Shen-laoshi, you’ve worked hard!”—would ring out, accompanied by fond gazes."
I know they're not doing this for any altruistic reasons whatsoever, but it's still adorable in its own way. xD :D :D
"Only Lin Jing was still focused on work: he was tinkering with his new listening device. The bug was the size of a young girl’s pinkie nail and looked similar to a fish scale. Apparently, the power of technology and magic combined was remarkable."
Lin Jing is an inventor in the novel too! :D :D And the tech + magic has some major drama vibes. :D
"Daqing froze for a moment, then realized Shen Wei was calling him fat. He gave a yowl, fur standing on end. “I’m! Practicing! Yoga! What’s wrong with practicing yoga? Is there a problem?”
Shen Wei gave his head a pat and then headed up the stairs, still smiling."
Yay, Daqing is not afraid of the Emissary anymore! :D :D
"It was best if a person stayed consistent, whether that meant being selfish to the end, even at the cost of hurting countless other people, or carefully cherishing someone else’s feelings, however foolish the feelings might seem."
This is in the context of Lao-Li and Daqing (and possibly hinting at Weilan and/or other storylines too?) and I can't figure out what it refers to at all? I'd love to know what I'm missing and if anyone has any ideas, because sometimes those seemingly not-fitting lines are my favorite ones. :D I just straight up don't know what it's trying to say. xD
"There was a sofa bed up there, positioned for basking in the sun all day long. Zhao Yunlan had a throw blanket draped over his waist and a book in his hand, one finger tucked between the pages. Shen Wei walked over and bent to give him a light kiss."
Zhao Yunlan is clearly a cat, and also AWWW they're being all soft again. ♡♡♡
"Zhao Yunlan flopped across Shen Wei’s thighs as if he lacked bones."
♡♡♡!! And then he just keeps getting even more cuddly! :D
"You personally planted every seed out in the garden. If they’re lucky, they might even cultivate into spirits one day."
AWW?? ♡ :D
"The primary forces of production and I don’t get along."
LOL! Zhao Yunlan falling asleep because the book is boring af but stubbornly reading it anyway is so funny and precious. :D
"Shen Wei raised an eyebrow.
Zhao Yunlan carried on with his bullshit."
That's it, that's this book. xD xD
"Shen Wei’s head was starting to hurt. Rubbing his temples, he said, “Stop whining. What do you want?”
The smile Zhao Yunlan flashed him was full of pearly whites.
“I’ll read it to you tonight at home.” Shen Wei’s voice was mild and resigned. “But you have to pay close attention. If it makes you sleepy, just go to sleep. You’re not allowed to start anything.”"
Lolol, omg poor Shen Wei. xD But also it's really adorable in its own way that they understand each other this well - I had no idea what Zhao Yunlan was smiling about, but Shen Wei clearly did. :D And he apparently also knew that Zhao Yunlan wanted to use the book to get in his pants, but tbf he uses everything for this purpose, so that was easy to guess. ;D
"Guo Changcheng seemed to wake from a dream. He gave a great shudder, knocking over the hydroponic plant on his desk and drenching his entire workspace. Chu Shuzhi touched his own face subconsciously, worried that his cultivation had weakened to the point that his livor mortis was now visible and spooking the kid."
They don't even have to do much to be peak comedy, lol, and how considerate of CSZ to check for that just in case. ;D
"What are you so afraid of? Are you going on a date with the wicked witch?"
:D :D :D For some reason the fact that this is the first possible explanation CSZ comes up with is adorable to me. :D
"Afraid of setting fire to his own pants, Guo Changcheng took out his little baton and held it in his hands. Before he even reached his parking spot, the traffic controller at the intersection yelled, “What are you doing?! You can’t set off fireworks in the city! Where’s your sense of civic responsibility?”"
Putting SID weirdness and mundane life together is always delightful. :D :D
"Other than working on his cultivation, he had nothing to fill his free time, so he was never able to satisfy his hunger for gossip."
Why is he not bffs with Daqing? xD :D (Probably because they're too similar and piss each other off. :D :D)
"He suddenly found himself curious about human dates."
I know it's been a while but he used to be human, lol, but I guess times have changed (or maybe even back then he was not particularly interested). :D
"Right before Chu Shuzhi’s eyes, Guo Changcheng froze into a human stick. To Chu Shuzhi’s mind, it was a marvel, really. It had been many years since he’d last seen a mortal with such zombie potential."
:D :D :D I'm just loving the comedy in this scene. :D And GCC trembling like "a quail sitting on shards of glass". xD
"“Useless.” Chu Shuzhi was frustrated on Guo Changcheng’s behalf."
Awwww, so he's not frustrated with GCC, he's frustrated with the girl for not making GCC feel more at ease? :P
"After some thought, Guo Changcheng gave her an honest description of exactly how he would capture a “bad guy.” He made a grabbing motion, then pretended to take out his “secret weapon.” “Just like this. Then I’d say ‘D-d-d-don’t come near me,’ and then they’re captured.”"
Heeeee. ♡ Does he mean that they're captured because someone else from the SID comes and captures them, or that he just knocked them out with his stick? xD (Probably both. xD)
"“Take me home first.”
Guo Changcheng didn’t say a word. Crimson-faced, he started the car.
On his crossbody bag, an invisible object shaped like a fish scale was sending signals.
The very next day, a rumor began to spread: “Chu-ge and xiao-Guo are dating! 9 University Road is full of gays!”"
Damn, what were they
doingtalking about after they went home that this was the immediate conclusion. xD GOOD FOR THEM. xDAlso I'm very impressed and quite confused that the date scene didn't really get censored in the drama in any meaningful way. :D
Oh, and another thing I don't really get - why is this extra called Sage 2? :P The first one is about Shennong's mortar and primordial gods in general, so it makes sense. Is it because of SW in the second one, or because of GCC, or something else entirely?
no subject
Oh, excellent point!
I love that I can always see drama GCC's body language in these descriptions. :D
Yes! The actor really manages to embody the physicality perfectly!
All of this is gold. :D :D And also lol, is Plants vs. Zombies hate speech against the undead? :D And ALSO I love how his 'only option' at work is to play offline games - he doesn't even consider that he could work. ;D
At least he doesn't have to resort to Minesweeper like ZYL? LOL.
Is it Chu Shuzhi saying this, or Zhu Hong?
I 100% thought it was CSZ.
What they're doing is a lot creepier than just talking to him about it. :P
Entirely agreed!
Ah, they just don't know him well enough. :P Imo he totally would. :D
And entirely agreed again!
And Shennong's mortar asking this question doesn't exactly get any actual answer either. xD
RIGHT???? priest brings it up TWICE only to not answer it! This is just cruelty! :p
*HIGH FIVE* :P
*high five*
and also the offer to help that he didn't have to make. :)
Yeah, I really liked that!
I was confused about this the first time around too - are they not just taking a stroll? :P Are they going somewhere special?
They're heading home, but taking their time about it. That's how I understood it, anyway.
Just nature gods being happy, hee, and no one around them even knows that. :)
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I don't think I understand this, lol
Thank you, same here!
"Having heard his lofty aspirations, no one, human or ghost, had ever set foot in the garden again."
Why? :P I feel like I'm missing something here too?
*high fives* I don't get it either.
Lin Jing is an inventor in the novel too! :D :D And the tech + magic has some major drama vibes. :D
Yes, exactly! It fits so well. :D
This is in the context of Lao-Li and Daqing (and possibly hinting at Weilan and/or other storylines too?) and I can't figure out what it refers to at all?
I don't really get it either. Lao-Li definitely changed from being selfish in his past life to carefully cherishing Daqing in his present one. Is it saying he'd have been better off not changing?! *confused*
That's it, that's this book. xD xD
LOLOLOL, you're not wrong!
And he apparently also knew that Zhao Yunlan wanted to use the book to get in his pants, but tbf he uses everything for this purpose, so that was easy to guess. ;D
Haha, I love how you put that. :D
Does he mean that they're captured because someone else from the SID comes and captures them, or that he just knocked them out with his stick? xD (Probably both. xD)
I thought he meant he knocked them out. But yeah, both sounds right. :D
Damn, what were they doing talking about after they went home that this was the immediate conclusion.
I mean. Do they have to say anything more? That was already plenty enough for Lin Jing to start some rumours on!
why is this extra called Sage 2?
Huh, good question. In the JJWXC it was just "Extra 3". I have no idea either!
no subject
Lolol, is Lin Jing also hogging all the good games in addition to the bandwidth. xD Or maybe ZYL just likes Minesweeper. :D :D
"I 100% thought it was CSZ."
Yep, I can see it now too, because he's pissed about Plants vs. Zombies. :D
"RIGHT???? priest brings it up TWICE only to not answer it! This is just cruelty! :p"
It's so obviously intentionally cheeky that I can't even be mad, hahah. :D :D
"They're heading home, but taking their time about it. That's how I understood it, anyway."
Ahhhh, Zhao Yunlan is waiting for Shen Wei at the university? That makes a lot more sense! :D The way I read it before is that they are at home - because Zhao Yunlan is not at work (everyone is wondering where he is), and he's watching Shen Wei from the window (they said he's moving today, and the University grounds are visible from their new place), and the transition between the scenes makes it pretty clear that it's all happening at the same time ("The words seemed to float halfway across Dragon City until they came out of Zhao Yunlan’s dad’s—or rather, Shennong’s mortar’s—mouth.") so it couldn't be another day when he's at work again. But only now I realized that "they ambled through campus toward the neighborhood across the street" means they start at the campus (and not just cross it) and the neighborhood is where their home is. Thanks! :D
ETA: Okay, no, scratch most of that - he's at the new office! *facepalm* :D (I went back to what Zhu Hong said, and it's "he’s off picking up the keys for our new office today and has to do a final inspection. Plus he’s moving today", and especially the original translation specifies that he waited for SW so that they can move.) Damn, the setting of this scene managed to confuse me in at least three different ways. xD
"I don't really get it either. Lao-Li definitely changed from being selfish in his past life to carefully cherishing Daqing in his present one. Is it saying he'd have been better off not changing?! *confused*"
Yeah, same confusion here. Like, I'd understand if that's what it's saying, but in that case how/why would he be better off? I got nothing, lol.
"I mean. Do they have to say anything more? That was already plenty enough for Lin Jing to start some rumours on!"
Hah, very true! I thought he got it actually confirmed somehow, vs. just starting rumors, but tbh this scene alone confirms enough already. :D
no subject
LOLOLOL! But yeah, ZYL probably just likes Minesweeper. *g*
Okay, no, scratch most of that - he's at the new office! *facepalm* :D (I went back to what Zhu Hong said, and it's "he’s off picking up the keys for our new office today and has to do a final inspection. Plus he’s moving today", and especially the original translation specifies that he waited for SW so that they can move.) Damn, the setting of this scene managed to confuse me in at least three different ways. xD
Hee! Yeah, I think you're right about this, it's the new office, which (like ZYL's and SW's new place) is right next to the campus.
no subject
Damn, the setting of this scene managed to confuse me in at least three different ways. xD
LOL! I still think he's at the university. I think he went and got the keys/did the inspection, whatever, and then dropped by the uni to pick up SW and met the mortar there. But clearly it's open to multiple interpretations!! ;D
no subject
And Shennong's mortar asking this question doesn't exactly get any actual answer either. xD
RIGHT???? priest brings it up TWICE only to not answer it! This is just cruelty! :p
From chapter 17 when ZYL lights the true SGO to save SW's hand: The pair beat a hasty retreat from the area. Expression dark, Shen Wei said, “Don’t you realize that you don’t actually belong in the Reincarnation Cycle? That your status as Guardian essentially grants you protection? This was carved from the Great Divine Tree’s bark, and you…you…
So maybe the soul that the Soul-Guarding Order is meant to guard is Kunlun's? That could be why it kind of mesmerises GCC when he hears the full motto (because he's the reincarnation of Kunlun's heart).
In chapter 21, at the Yanluo Court, ZYL says, "You knew Kunlun’s divine spirit hadn’t awakened because the Soul-Guarding Lamp remained unlit, right?”
In the epilogue, ZH asks if the SGO still exists, and ZYL ignores/dodges the question.
But yeah, Sage 1 explains nothing at all. Unless part of Kunlun's soul that is being guarded is also the part Shen Wei wears in the pendant around his neck? But that raises way more questions than it answers...
They're heading home, but taking their time about it. That's how I understood it, anyway.
Me too. They met at the university and strolled home from there.
Lao-Li definitely changed from being selfish in his past life to carefully cherishing Daqing in his present one. Is it saying he'd have been better off not changing?! *confused*
I think it means he should have let the past lie forgotten. But I really don't know.
Do they have to say anything more? That was already plenty enough for Lin Jing to start some rumours on!
That's what I thought, too. *g*
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Huh, that would make some sense! Thank you for the quote, I would never have caught that.
I think it means he should have let the past lie forgotten. But I really don't know.
If so, I completely disagree! But yeah, idk either.
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Thank you for the quote, I would never have caught that.
YW. I did a search of "Soul-Guarding Order", trawling for lore. ;-p
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These stories were SO MUCH FUN - so much of the SID team being their ridiculous selves. :D :D :D
Yesss! *hearts them all so much*
Wtfffff. :D :D :D I want to know everything about this, like, everything
Haha, me too! :D
Oh yay, one bit of connection between Shen Wei and GCC didn't get edited out of the official version. :D
Yes, good point! I wonder if SW has more feelings about GCC now, because GCC unknowingly made SW's sacrifice redundant. (And maybe saved SW? LOL, I've already forgotten the sequence of events. /o) Like, SW (and the others) can really see GCC's goodness and worth now?
(It's not even what is actually happening - he's talking to Shennong's mortar - but both me and Zhu Hong clearly don't care about the actual situation. ;D)
LOL!! *hearts*
And ALSO I love how his 'only option' at work is to play offline games - he doesn't even consider that he could work. ;D
I don't think they have anything to do. It seems like the SID is mostly just ZYL's clubhouse, now. ;-)
Is it Chu Shuzhi saying this, or Zhu Hong?
Pretty sure it's CSZ. (Working is an option, except LJ has no work to do. It's CSZ & GCC who just went on the case.)
“Why was the wooden plaque the Mountain God left behind called the ‘Soul-Guarding Order’?”
And Shennong's mortar asking this question doesn't exactly get any actual answer either. xD
In ep 12, SW says “Some say that babies cry when they are born because they are one step closer to death. All of that is why Shennong, whose godhood was lost by then, had no choice but to borrow your soul fire. He wanted to use the Mountain God’s soul to safeguard all the resentful spirits who had died from battle and lessen their suffering, that they might find peace sooner. That’s why the wooden plaque you wound up leaving behind was called the ‘Soul-Guarding Order.’”
But I'm still confused. ;-p
(And Shen Wei is one of the new gods too. :D)
Yes! Oh, I wonder if GCC is, kind of?
Just nature gods being happy, hee, and no one around them even knows that. :) I wonder if they're doing it intentionally or if the plants just enjoy being in their vicinity, and I love both possibilities equally. :D
I think it's just happening, no intention. Just their happiness and love spilling out everywhere. :D (And aww, SW can't possibly see himself as inauspicious now, right?)
I don't think I understand this, lol, it says that he just photographed the office - were there also ghosts there while he was photographing, and somehow they showed up in the pictures?
Even then, wouldn't they just look photoshopped? I don't understand this at all.
I'm assuming Daqing's cat tree is definitely there. :D
Ha! Definitely. :D
And the tech + magic has some major drama vibes. :D
Yesss! :D :D :D
♡♡♡!! And then he just keeps getting even more cuddly! :D
Yes! I really love the casual, soft physicality in this scene. <3 <3 <3
That's it, that's this book. xD xD
HEE! :D
And he apparently also knew that Zhao Yunlan wanted to use the book to get in his pants, but tbf he uses everything for this purpose, so that was easy to guess. ;D
Ha, yes, I really don't think that's specific to the book.
Putting SID weirdness and mundane life together is always delightful. :D :D
Yes, agreed! These little moments of almost-outsider POV! :D :D :D
Awwww, so he's not frustrated with GCC, he's frustrated with the girl for not making GCC feel more at ease? :P
I'm really not sure about that. I thought the girl was doing pretty well, considering. ;-p But I don't think what else CSZ could be calling useless...
Guo Changcheng gave her an honest description of exactly how he would capture a “bad guy.”
They kept this in the drama, but he does actually mime with his baton -- which is pretty risky, now I come to think of it. ;-D
Is it because of SW in the second one, or because of GCC, or something else entirely?
Excellent question!! (Oh, hey, maybe GCC really is one of the new gods??)
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Thank you for that quote! It doesn't really clarify much, but I had forgotten about it, so I appreciate the reminder. *g*
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Do you get the sense that priest knew all the worldbuilding and just was a bit too oblique/vague for us to put the pieces together and make sense of it, or that priest was making shit up as she went and that's the reason we can't figure it out? ;-p
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It would be the ethical thing to do, but I understand if they don’t want to burden him/make him nervous with the knowledge.
Are Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan consciously making flowers bloom
I think it just happens, and I absolutely love the image. I can’t help but be reminded of the flowers where you step in Ookami.
Whose garden idea do you like the best, and why is it (not) the slutty eggplant?
I actually like the vegetable garden the best. Carries themes of life and nurturing. Not sure about the eggplant though.
Any thoughts about the drama adaptation of these chapters, especially Xiao Guo's date?
It’s exactly the same scene. I’m in awe that after everything, after having the main couple fucking die, they still circled back around to a 1:1 novel scene.
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Yeah, it is a pretty weird and iffy choice not to tell him, but it's also understandable in some way, I guess? I hope they do tell him eventually though!
"I think it just happens, and I absolutely love the image. I can’t help but be reminded of the flowers where you step in Ookami."
Aw, this is some gorgeous art, thank you for sharing! ♡ (I've never heard of this game before.) And yesss, I love this concept in the novel so much too. ♡♡♡
"I actually like the vegetable garden the best. Carries themes of life and nurturing. Not sure about the eggplant though."
It's my favorite one too, ITA, and there's just something really soft about Zhao Yunlan attempting to feed his people. :D ♡ And the eggplant is my favorite too, lol, especially since the narration seems to imply that he's intentionally inappropriate about it, and soft + inappropriate is my favorite Zhao Yunlan. xD
"It’s exactly the same scene. I’m in awe that after everything, after having the main couple fucking die, they still circled back around to a 1:1 novel scene."
Ikr?? :D I see it as some kind of f-you to the censorship, like, 'we did everything that had to be done, and now the secondary couple is going to literally get together on-screen because the censors don't pay enough attention to them'. xD
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Oh, that is lovely! :D
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I can’t help but be reminded of the flowers where you step in Ookami.
Ooh, that's lovely! ♥!
Not sure about the eggplant though.
LOL! :D
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Despite how long Guo Changcheng had been working at the SID, there'd been no notable improvement in his abilities.
Huh? He was pretty damn competent at the resort! He's doing fine, actually. *grumbles*
(GCC isn't even among my favourites, but these kinds of statement make me very defensive on his behalf!)
One thing led to another, culminating in Zhao Yunlan bringing it to 4 Bright Avenue to entertain Daqing.
Hee! That's delightful. :D
In the aftermath, Shen Wei had almost single-handedly established a new system for the Netherworld. After that, although he rarely made an appearance or involved himself in its business, the Netherworld no longer dared show him even a hint of disrespect.
I want to know more about this! Give me all the rebuilding in the aftermath!
(Same for the drama; I'm always here for more post-ending worldbuilding!)
naturally, this meant that collecting lost pieces of souls was effortless for him. All the pieces he collected went straight to Guo Changcheng's little stun baton to fuel the conversion of fear into power.
I don't think I understand this. What are "lost pieces of souls"? And they're used up to fuel GCC's fearstick, rather than being reunited with whatever they were pieces of? *confused*
he started watching stock reviews and scrutinizing the candlestick chart
I'm still so fascinated that CSZ is apparently interested in finance! (Though I had to look up candlestick chart.)
Despite the trace of jealousy in Zhu Hong's tone, she clearly savored the words as she said, "He got fucked so hard that he can't get out of bed, duh."
Awww, Zhu Hong! :D
Lin Jing, whose game was sucking up all the bandwidth, kept his mouth shut and tried not to draw attention to himself. But it didn't take long before Zhu Hong figured it out and gave him a good smack.
So delightful that this dynamic between them made it into the drama!
"Did you already try burning it?"
LOL, I love that both CSZ and LJ thought of burning GCC's hair!
Everyone was too afraid of disturbing Guo Changcheng's peaceful state of mind to dare mention the Soul-Guarding Lamp in front of him.
He doesn't even know?! And they're not telling him?! I don't like that.
why was the plaque Kunlun-jun left behind called the 'Soul-Guarding Order'?
Good question, yes! (Alas, it's not answered. Not either of the times it's asked in this extra! *headdesk*)
I wonder...was all of this the result of a colossal gamble by the great sages of old?
Yeah, we pretty much decided in the previous post that it was, didn't we?
This entire conversation with Shennong's mortar is so weird and I'm not sure what we're supposed to take from it. The mortar wonders if it was all planned; ZYL accuses him of being a conspiracy theorist, and then says, Maybe in another one or two thousand years, you'll understand. Explanations are no use. You have to experience it yourself.
Which honestly makes me scream. More lampshading of the lack of explanations! But these aren't irrelevant details! This is crucial stuff that affects how we look at the characters, so shrugging it off doesn't work for me.
In truth, I came to say goodbye today. Having carried out my mission, it would be inappropriate to continue occupying a mortal's body.
Well, it's nice that he's not planning to keep squatting in Papa Zhao's body, but ... where is he going? Does he need a host? Can he manifest a body of his own? I have so many questions, LOL.
Even further in the distance, in the green areas of the neighborhood, flowers on the large condo terraces quietly burst into bloom wherever they passed by.
Awwww! ♥
Version comparison:
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Sage 2
The magazine's chief editor was so shocked when he saw the photos that he had to be hospitalized. He even called the police, accusing Lin Jing of "intentionally creating supernatural photos to terrorize people."
LOL, I can't imagine what could possibly have been in those photos to shock anyone that much? I feel like the comedy is too exaggerated to work.
the upper basement had a mahjong table surrounded by a bunch of memorial tablets that gave the ghost employees somewhere to rest. They could even play a game of mahjong during bouts of insomnia.
Awww, that is lovely!
Having heard his lofty aspirations, no one, human or ghost, had ever set foot in the garden again.
I'm not following. What am I missing?
Ever since their boss, Zhao Yunlan, had stopped fucking around, he'd been leading a peaceful life at the office-he barely even set foot outside the vicinity anymore! It was a death knell for the SID employees' opportunities to follow in their boss's previous footsteps and skip work or leave early.
Aw, poor team. *pets them*
Shen-laoshi was the bugle call of early dismissal, and by extension, the symbol of happiness. As a result, he always received the warmest possible welcome.
Awwwwww! ♥ ♥ ♥
Only Lin Jing was still focused on work: he was tinkering with his new listening device. The bug was the size of a young girl's pinkie nail and looked similar to a fish scale. Apparently, the power of technology and magic combined was remarkable.
Oh! So yeah, no wonder they made him a mad scientist for the drama, that's 100% the vibe here. :D
"I'm! Practicing! Yoga! What's wrong with practicing yoga? Is there a problem?"
Daqing! Aw, he's snapping at SW, not afraid of him any more at all!
(But he's still avoiding Lao-Li. *sighs*)
Sometimes, relationships had the fragility of glass. Whatever kind it was, once it shattered, it could never be put back together-not even if one forgot...or even forgave.
It was best if a person stayed consistent, whether that meant being selfish to the end, even at the cost of hurting countless other people, or carefully cherishing someone else's feelings, however foolish the feelings might seem.
Well, that's just depressing, isn't it?
You personally planted every seed out in the garden. If they're lucky, they might even cultivate into spirits one day. They're certainly not going to die.
Awwww!
Zhao Yunlan grabbed Shen Wei by the collar and angrily pulled his head down. "Excuse me, can you drop the 'pure, innocent lamb' act? Shen Wei, babe, have I taken advantage of you even a single time...? Sure, I've always intended to, but I've never actually committed the crime!"
Oh, Zhao Yunlan. *headdesk*
The Corpse King was cold and solitary. Aside from joking around with his few familiar acquaintances, he gave off an unapproachable air. As a result, he was constantly lonely and bored. Other than working on his cultivation, he had nothing to fill his free time, so he was never able to satisfy his hunger for gossip.
Poor CSZ! At least he works in the right place, with the gossip. *g*
The very next day, a rumor began to spread: "Chu-ge and xiao-Guo are dating! 9 University Road is full of gays!"
It's hilarious to me that CSZ coming along on GCC's date, and the way it ends, is straight from the novel. Back in the day people were always saying that CSZ/GCC wasn't in the novel - I think this extra wasn't translated yet at the time, but LOL!
Version comparison:
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they just confuse him with questions and occasionally pluck his hair to experiment on
LOL, I love how you put that!
Favorite SID shenanigans moment?
All the SID shenanigans are glorious. :D
Do you think Xiao-Guo should be told that he's the wick?
Yes, absolutely! What does poor Xiao-Guo even think happened? They can't explain anything without that! (And then they complain about hijm being stupid, when he's missing crucial info ...)
Do you understand what Zhao Yunlan explained about the primordial gods, or are you also a few thousand years too young?
I am pretty sure that even ten thousand additional years would not make this any clearer, LOL.
Are Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan consciously making flowers bloom, or is it just what happens when nature gods are happy?
I thought it was just a side effect of them being who/what they are.
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"All the SID shenanigans are glorious. :D"
Ikr, it's like a crackfic. :D /compliment
"What does poor Xiao-Guo even think happened? They can't explain anything without that! (And then they complain about hijm being stupid, when he's missing crucial info ...)"
Yikes, I didn't even think of that. Would it even be possible for anyone to work with the supernatural post-canon without this knowledge? Everything has changed, the rules of the world are different. (Or does GCC know everything, including that they found the wick, he just doesn't know that it's him? I hope that's the case, at the very least.)
"I am pretty sure that even ten thousand additional years would not make this any clearer, LOL."
Lololol. ♡♡♡ SAME.
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Yeah, thinking about it, that really has to be the case. As you say, too much has changed!
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Right? He may be a slow learner in theory but he instinctively does everything right in practice, which in a way is even better, idk what their problem is. :P
"I don't think I understand this. What are "lost pieces of souls"? And they're used up to fuel GCC's fearstick, rather than being reunited with whatever they were pieces of? *confused*"
Yeah, the novel version of the fearstick has been slightly iffy from the start?
(From volume 1:
“I thought you’d just sealed an earthbound spirit into a regular baton. Resentful spirits and little ghosts feed on fear and turn it into their own energy,” Chu Shuzhi said to their boss. “What… What exactly did you make?”
Zhao Yunlan straightened his clothes. It was his turn to play the law-abiding citizen. “Sealing a soul is illegal. As a trusted servant of the people, how could I knowingly commit a crime?”
Chu Shuzhi waited.
“Instead, it contains scraps of souls from a hundred beheaded evil spirits. I got most of them from the Soul-Executing Emissary and acquired some from reapers using spirit money. Then I mixed the scraps with True Flames of Samadhi.”)
"Well, it's nice that he's not planning to keep squatting in Papa Zhao's body, but ... where is he going? Does he need a host? Can he manifest a body of his own? I have so many questions, LOL."
I assume he doesn't need a host or a body because purely spiritual entities exist in this universe.
"A comparatively serious demon-raising incident affecting a certain city in the southern part of the country needed the attention of Chu Shuzhi."
Hah, I like the pet ghoul better, if only because it raises so many questions. xD
"In the official translation, ZYL brings the dog to the SID to entertain Daqing; in the fan translation, depressingly, it's in an attempt to divert Daqing's gloominess on seeing Lao Li."
Yeahhh, and here I like the official version better too - let Daqing have fun instead of just avoiding bad feelings. :)
"I have no idea where this came from but you don't need to have testicles to say it."
:D :D The entire explanation was a delight, and especially this part, lol, thanks for sharing! :D
"Xiao Guo, you're so busy running around everyday. What do you do it all for?"
Oh, interesting that the part about cultivation was made more clear (I'm assuming the previous version of this scene was also hinting at cultivation).
"He's reminded of what Zhao Yunlan said, that he's been waiting for Shen Wei so they can move house together."
Ah, so this extra line confirms that all the events are indeed on the same day (the SID people were talking about Zhao Yunlan moving today). :D
"LOL, I can't imagine what could possibly have been in those photos to shock anyone that much? I feel like the comedy is too exaggerated to work."
Right?? :P I'm just assuming it's actual ghosts, but it doesn't say that Lin Jing was photographing people.
"Daqing! Aw, he's snapping at SW, not afraid of him any more at all!"
This was so gooooood. ♡ Shen Wei is one of his people now, to be grumbled at without worry. :D
"If they're lucky, they might even cultivate into spirits one day."
Oooh, in addition to this line being adorable, you quoting it now made me realize that Shennong's mortar must indeed be a spirit, if this is what inanimate objects can cultivate into. :D
"At least he works in the right place, with the gossip. *g*"
Hahah, indeed, they could probably gossip for years about the things that happened in the last few weeks there. xD
"Shen Wei finds it hard to adapt to this at first, but as time goes by he's no longer fazed by all the attention."
Aw, Shen Wei getting used to people liking him is so sweet. ♡
"Guo Changcheng telegraphs ten thousand emotions tied up in knots in a single glance."
This is a fantastic line, lolol!
"[TN. 挖牆腳 - lit. dig at the foot of a wall. Applicable both in the case of someone seducing your husband or a competitor trying to lure away an employee.]"
Ahhh, so there's more double meaning to this conversation in the original version. :D (And then CSZ catches himself and realizes he said too much?) I can understand better why Lin Jing's gossip had solid proof behind it. :D
"Oh, may the lord Buddha preserve us, he's gained so many bumps on his head it's wrapped in enough bandages to resemble a turban."
Lol, I like the official version a lot better, not just because it's less violent, but also because literally the only pissed off person would be CSZ - he's powerful and all, but everyone else would be eating up the gossip like popcorn and probably defend Lin Jing before the situation got this bad. ;D
Thank you for all the version comparisons, as always! ♡♡♡
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Right??? He's doing fine!
Yeah, the novel version of the fearstick has been slightly iffy from the start?
Oh, yeah, now that you say it it's starting to vaguely come back, but it had fallen right out of my brain. /o\
I assume he doesn't need a host or a body because purely spiritual entities exist in this universe.
True, that does make sense.
Yeahhh, and here I like the official version better too - let Daqing have fun instead of just avoiding bad feelings. :)
Same! Honestly, I find the whole Lao-Li situation so sad in the novel, drama!Lao-Li dies and I still feel like he got the better deal.
:D :D The entire explanation was a delight, and especially this part, lol, thanks for sharing! :D
I love these little translator's notes! And this one I just had to share. :D
Oh, interesting that the part about cultivation was made more clear (I'm assuming the previous version of this scene was also hinting at cultivation).
Yeah, I think so. There's also the earlier discussion (I don't remember where in the novel) about how the yao are doing it all for their cultivation, and everything becomes a means to an end, so I appreciate Xiao-Guo being contrasted with that!
I'm just assuming it's actual ghosts, but it doesn't say that Lin Jing was photographing people.
Yeah, it sounded like he just took pictures of the place itself, and I have no idea what we're supposed to imagine he captured, but ghosts would make some sense.
literally the only pissed off person would be CSZ - he's powerful and all, but everyone else would be eating up the gossip like popcorn and probably defend Lin Jing before the situation got this bad. ;D
Hee! Yeah, that sounds about right. :D
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Honestly, I find the whole Lao-Li situation so sad in the novel, drama!Lao-Li dies and I still feel like he got the better deal.
Oh, true. :-(((
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He was pretty damn competent at the resort! He's doing fine, actually. *grumbles*
Agreed! I wonder why there's this emphasis on his being slow and ordinary. Is it that priest is explicitly separating goodness and worthiness from quick-wittedness? Not that they can't overlap, but that they're totally separate things?
And they're used up to fuel GCC's fearstick, rather than being reunited with whatever they were pieces of? *confused*
I think the people they were part of no longer exist, fwiw.
THANK YOU for the candlestick chart link!
More lampshading of the lack of explanations! But these aren't irrelevant details! This is crucial stuff that affects how we look at the characters, so shrugging it off doesn't work for me.
I think if you connect it to the conversation at the SID, it stops being a lack of explanations and becomes a clue. (See my comment below.)
but ... where is he going? Does he need a host? Can he manifest a body of his own? I have so many questions, LOL.
Ha, good questions! I hadn't thought of that. Maybe he'll get a papier-mache head...
Yay, version comparisons! \o/
but it's closer to the saying, 'that makes my testicles hurt.'
Hee! The formal phrasing of that made me laugh. Presumably you'd say "that's a pain in the balls" or something?
If I'm right, priest very deliberately added the question about cultivation. (Oh, and now I'm drawing a line between GCC not recognising all the merits he's accumulated, and SW not knowing he's grown some souls! I think that's deliberate, too.)
LOL, I can't imagine what could possibly have been in those photos to shock anyone that much? I feel like the comedy is too exaggerated to work.
Yeah, I think she's just being silly at this point. (I don't really mind.)
Daqing! Aw, he's snapping at SW, not afraid of him any more at all!
Yes! \o/
(But he's still avoiding Lao-Li. *sighs*)
I know! It's so sad. I wonder what it's supposed to mean in terms of the story... I can't think what it's parallel to, except for ZYL being a brat. ;-p
It's hilarious to me that CSZ coming along on GCC's date, and the way it ends, is straight from the novel. Back in the day people were always saying that CSZ/GCC wasn't in the novel - I think this extra wasn't translated yet at the time, but LOL!
I mean, I think you can still read them as platonic (CSZ as GCC's over-protective ge), but it's definitely a bit flirtier/more suggestive than in the drama. (Otoh, the drama gives us a CSZ/GCC Sundial exchange. ;-p)
... And so, during the day, one can often hear the sound of shuffling mahjong tiles from the mysteriously locked first cellar.
Aww!
Shen Wei finds it hard to adapt to this at first, but as time goes by he's no longer fazed by all the attention.
Aww! All those thousands of years of lurking in shadows and everyone being terrified of him, and now everyone is so cheerfully pleased to see him. :D
Guo Changcheng telegraphs ten thousand emotions tied up in knots in a single glance.
Omg, I love that! :D
...Stupid human Guo Changcheng doesn't say anything, and with his face still bright red, he silently starts the car.
LOL, even with CSZ being so bossy, GCC is still driving.
The final bit re Lin Jing made me realise that if you just look at this extra on its own, Lin Jing starts off by getting someone hospitalised, and ends up getting hit a lot. So there's a kind of narrative justice to it, anyway. :-)
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Oh, that's a much nicer interpretation than I had - I just thought the contrast was supposed to be funny. But that would make some sense!
I think the people they were part of no longer exist, fwiw.
Yeah, I had forgotten about all of that. You all remember previous chapters much better than I do!
Hee! The formal phrasing of that made me laugh. Presumably you'd say "that's a pain in the balls" or something?
Yeah! I do appreciate them translating it literally, but it'd be much funnier like that!
If I'm right, priest very deliberately added the question about cultivation. (Oh, and now I'm drawing a line between GCC not recognising all the merits he's accumulated, and SW not knowing he's grown some souls! I think that's deliberate, too.)
Oh! Yeah, that does fit together very well! Another thing I would never have caught on my own, LOL. It's all very opaque to me.
I know! It's so sad. I wonder what it's supposed to mean in terms of the story... I can't think what it's parallel to, except for ZYL being a brat. ;-p
I'm not seeing it either. I'd love to know if we're missing something here!
I mean, I think you can still read them as platonic (CSZ as GCC's over-protective ge), but it's definitely a bit flirtier/more suggestive than in the drama. (Otoh, the drama gives us a CSZ/GCC Sundial exchange. ;-p)
Oh, I absolutely do read it as platonic; I don't ship them myself. But it's for sure not less shippy in the novel, what with the actual gay rumours! And I was told at the time that the CSZ/GCC subtext was all-new for the drama and hadn't been in the novel, LOL.
The final bit re Lin Jing made me realise that if you just look at this extra on its own, Lin Jing starts off by getting someone hospitalised, and ends up getting hit a lot. So there's a kind of narrative justice to it, anyway. :-)
Haha, that's funny! Still wildly unfair to poor Lin Jing, but funny. :D
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You all remember previous chapters much better than I do!
Different parts of previous chapters. Large amounts of it are just a blur to me. (I have no idea how I'd cope with a hard copy! Having a searchable ebook has been SO HELPFUL!)
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Ahhh, lovely post, yayayay! :D :D :D
Favorite SID shenanigans moment?
Daqing yelling about doing yoga on the bannister, I think, but there are a lot. :D These extras are so fun!! I love seeing the SID team just hanging out. :D :D :D
Do you think Xiao-Guo should be told that he's the wick?
Given how easily he sets off his baton (like fireworks in the streets!), I suspect the others are worried about the Lamp exploding or something if he finds out. But also, all his do-gooding is so pure, I kind of love that he just does it without a reason. Knowing about the Lamp might make him feel pressured or self-conscious or something. Idk. (If anyone's going to tell him, it should probably be ZYL, anyway.)
Do you understand what Zhao Yunlan explained about the primordial gods, or are you also a few thousand years too young?
LOL! I could make up some interpretations, but I have no idea if they're what's intended (if priest actually intended anything ;-p).
The mortar says "there are two kinds of people unafraid of death: the first is someone with a great obsession who walked on a path with no resentment or regrets; the other is someone who knows what lies on the other side of death." Zhao Yunlan ties that back to the Emissary ("Shennong asked you to keep an eye on the Soul-Executing Emissary, and somehow you wound up becoming a conspiracy theorist instead?"). So I ~think~ ZYL is saying SW started out someone with a great obsession without resentment or regrets, and then, when push came to shove, he became someone who knows what lies on the other side of death and chose it anyway. It was that transition that changed everything? Like, whether he'd make that choice was the colossal gamble? So it wasn't a coincidence: Shen Wei's choice fulfilled the oath, reawakened Kunlun, and freed Shen Wei from the oath. But I'm just randomly guessing, really. :-)
Are Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan consciously making flowers bloom, or is it just what happens when nature gods are happy?
Aww! I love that. I think spring is a metaphor for rejuvenation and love blooming (I watched a Kdrama once called "Daljal's Spring" and I've come across the metaphor in other Kdramas, too) -- and because they're them, it happens literally. <3 <3 <3
What is your favorite thing about the new office?
Definitely the attic. It sounds so cosy. I want it!!
Whose garden idea do you like the best, and why is it (not) the slutty eggplant?
Idk, I don't know enough about the other SID members' spaces to decide!
(Back in a bit with my notes.)
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Sage 1
Haha, I really want to know what the societal repercussions of keeping a ghoul as a pet are. Like, is it a euphemism for the ghoul eating people, or is it something lesser? :D :D :D Either way, I love that priest changed it to this, because it's really fun. (Also, ChuGuo were away together for a month! <3)
I'm calling bullshit on the "no notable improvement in [GCC's] abilities." ;-p (And aww, in the drama, Xiaomi is GCC's dog. <3)
Woohoo! Shen Wei establishing a new system for the Netherworld! \o/ I wonder what he based it on.
Collecting lost pieces of soul for GCC's fear baton reminds me of the tooth-necklace, lol. (And after all, GCC is kind of a part of ZYL, so it's even more natural than it would otherwise be that SW is protective of him. <3)
Thanks to Trobadora for linking to the candlestick chart wiki page. <3 (I wonder if drama!CSZ is into finance, too, and we just never see it.)
"bombastic side-eye" is such a weird phrase.
Our boss is that fucking gay.
The context makes me think that ZH is implying that bottoming makes ZYL more gay than he would be if he were topping (because it can't be that GCC doesn't know Weilan is a thing!), which is making me squinch my eyes.
LOL at LJ's gaming sucking up all the bandwidth. (He's such a punching bag in these chapters.) And ahahaha, love that CSZ objects to Plants vs. Zombies. :D :D :D
“Then why help so many people unconditionally?” asked Zhu Hong.
I find everyone's incomprehension about this a little alienating. Like, it's partly a product of living in a world where cultivation is real, but... is altruism really so foreign to them that they can't get their heads around it? ;-p There are other people in the charities GCC works with! It's not like he's unique in the whole world! And CSZ has helped when he hasn't had to...
Ohhhh, and now I'm wondering if this is here partly to parallel Shennong's mortar's incomprehension at Shen Wei sacrificing himself? Like, he can't understand why Shen Wei made that choice, and Zhao Yunlan is saying, "What's so hard to understand? He just did a good thing." ??
ETA: (I can't remember if I already said this elsewhere; sorry if I'm repeating myself!) And SW did things like tending the branch from the divine tree, not expecting anything from it (because gui = no soul = supposedly can't cultivate), and all his thousands of years of keeping the peace, too. With no expectation of a payoff.)
But the greatest kindness is to do no evil, and that alone is enough to save the world.
squinches again GCC isn't just doing no evil, though? He's actively doing good works!
I was really surprised to see Shennong's mortar in this chapter, given in chapter 25 there was this:
Shennong’s mortar lowered his head respectfully. “When my master left this world, he tasked me with watching over the vow between him and the Emissary. Now… Now that the Mountain God has returned, this humble god has fulfilled his duties and can depart.”
So I thought he would have already gone by the epilogue! ;-p
The "two kinds of people unafraid of death" got turned into Zhang Shi's voice over in the drama epilogue: There are only two kinds of people who are not afraid of death. One is someone who knows what'll happen after death. No fear, no terror. Another is someone who knows what his life purpose is. No complaint, no regret.
“The instant Shen Wei decided to erase my memories, his oath to Shennong was fulfilled.”
Ohhhhh! So I think that means the mindwipe was effectly an attempt to sever the connection between the two of them. (I had to go look up the oath again: “I swore to protect the Great Houtu Seal forever. As long as I existed, the Seal would exist too. If the Seal broke, then I would meet my death along with the rest of the gui.” Shen Wei’s fingers were ice cold. “And…for all of eternity, I could never see you again. If I couldn’t help myself, then I would drain your life force and you would die, your souls shattering into a million pieces.” (Ch 13.))
“Just wait,” he said. “Maybe in another one or two thousand years, you’ll understand. Explanations are no use. You have to experience it yourself. When you feel the call to sacrifice yourself, you’ll understand some things you couldn’t before.
I think ZYL saying this confirms my theory? (But when he says "Whether it was the Soul-Guarding Lamp or Shennong’s oath, back then, we only had a vague sense of the future." does he mean before the Lamp-lighting stuff or in the PP?)
Shennong’s mortar asked, “What if it didn’t develop in a good direction?”
“Someone else once asked me that. If we died, new gods would naturally arise in the world. If we could serve as an example for them, our deaths wouldn’t have been for nothing.”
They're basically scientists, lol. Negative results are informative and worthwhile!
It's strange to me that ZYL seems to have grown reconciled to the mortar being in his dad's body. Ousting him was on his "urgent" list before, but apparently Kunlun is like, okay, just don't scratch the paintwork. And then he's taken aback when the mortal says it's leaving. If the mortar had decided to hang around, would ZYL have done anything to get rid of him, I wonder. (I do like the "If you ever need anything, come fine me," though. ZYL likes it better now that he has the upper hand, lol.)
Awwwww, flowers! Spring has sprung! :D :D :D
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Yes, very good questions all, I'd love to know too!
Shen Wei establishing a new system for the Netherworld! \o/ I wonder what he based it on.
Yeah, it would be so great if we knew at least a little bit about it!
I wonder if drama!CSZ is into finance, too, and we just never see it.
Haha, now I wish I knew more about finance so I could write that into my next fic, LOL.
The context makes me think that ZH is implying that bottoming makes ZYL more gay than he would be if he were topping (because it can't be that GCC doesn't know Weilan is a thing!), which is making me squinch my eyes.
It's such a common attitude, and used to be even more common, so I wouldn't be surprised if that is what ZH means. *sighs*
I find everyone's incomprehension about this a little alienating. Like, it's partly a product of living in a world where cultivation is real, but... is altruism really so foreign to them that they can't get their heads around it? ;-p There are other people in the charities GCC works with! It's not like he's unique in the whole world! And CSZ has helped when he hasn't had to...
Yeah, all of that is very true! That's a good point about it paralleling the mortar's confusion, but it's still overall such a weird attitude from the SID.
SW did things like tending the branch from the divine tree, not expecting anything from it (because gui = no soul = supposedly can't cultivate), and all his thousands of years of keeping the peace, too. With no expectation of a payoff.
Very good point!
GCC isn't just doing no evil, though? He's actively doing good works!
I think it's referring to a Buddhist principle?
I was really surprised to see Shennong's mortar in this chapter, given in chapter 25 there was this
Yeah, agreed, I'd also thought he'd already left!
The "two kinds of people unafraid of death" got turned into Zhang Shi's voice over in the drama epilogue
Ooh, yes! :D
So I think that means the mindwipe was effectly an attempt to sever the connection between the two of them.
Yes! That makes complete sense to me.
But when he says "Whether it was the Soul-Guarding Lamp or Shennong’s oath, back then, we only had a vague sense of the future." does he mean before the Lamp-lighting stuff or in the PP?
I thought he meant the PP and was saying this wasn't all some kind of long-term plan that happened exactly as intended; they (Kunlun and Shennong?) had a vague idea and were hoping things would fall out the right way.
It's strange to me that ZYL seems to have grown reconciled to the mortar being in his dad's body.
Yeah, I guess it's because he's more Kunlun now and has a god's blasé attitude about such things.
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> > I wonder if drama!CSZ is into finance, too, and we just never see it.
> Haha, now I wish I knew more about finance so I could write that into my next fic, LOL.
Hee! Though come to think of it, I just don't think drama!CSZ is that worldly.
but it's still overall such a weird attitude from the SID.
Oh, maybe it's because they aren't human? Maybe the SID specifically has different mores from the rest of the world.
I think it's referring to a Buddhist principle?
Ah, thanks. (*continues to quibble with CSZ that it's not applicable* ;-p)
Yes! That makes complete sense to me.
\o/!
I thought he meant the PP and was saying this wasn't all some kind of long-term plan that happened exactly as intended; they (Kunlun and Shennong?) had a vague idea and were hoping things would fall out the right way.
Oh, right. Hoping they'd fall out a right way. Like, in a good general direction. Thanks!
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Yeah, that's what I meant!
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Right?? :D I want to know everything about this case, lol, I'd read an entire chapter just about it. :D (And I didn't think of that at all, but yeahhh, it totally could be a euphemism for eating people.)
"I'm calling bullshit on the "no notable improvement in [GCC's] abilities." ;-p"
*high five* :D
"Collecting lost pieces of soul for GCC's fear baton reminds me of the tooth-necklace, lol."
Damn, this is such a good comparison, and it's definitely had this vibe since volume 1! ("Instead, it contains scraps of souls from a hundred beheaded evil spirits. I got most of them from the Soul-Executing Emissary and acquired some from reapers using spirit money. Then I mixed the scraps with True Flames of Samadhi.") At least this time ZYL and SW did some macabre arts & crafts together, lol, progress. ;D
"And after all, GCC is kind of a part of ZYL, so it's even more natural than it would otherwise be that SW is protective of him. <3"
AW! ♡ And that's yet another reason why editing out their friendship from the official version is a pretty unfortunate choice.
"The context makes me think that ZH is implying that bottoming makes ZYL more gay than he would be if he were topping (because it can't be that GCC doesn't know Weilan is a thing!), which is making me squinch my eyes."
Oh, ouch. I totally didn't get it, but I think you may be right. D: Ftr my original, very generous, interpretation of 'he's that gay' was 'he can't stop having sex'. :P (At the same time, GCC's reaction is imo irrelevant - I'm 100% sure he's just freaked out that Zhu Hong is talking about sex, and using really crude words on top of that. xD Any kind of gay sex would have freaked him out the same, and any kind of straight sex too, and he knows that Weilan is a thing but he doesn't need to know THAT. xD)
"Like, it's partly a product of living in a world where cultivation is real, but... is altruism really so foreign to them that they can't get their heads around it? ;-p There are other people in the charities GCC works with! It's not like he's unique in the whole world!"
Fwiw, I understood it as 'why do you never do anything else?' (he doesn't seem to have a moment of free time where he's not helping someone, which I think is pretty unique), but other than that, yeah, agreed.
"squinches again GCC isn't just doing no evil, though? He's actively doing good works!"
That's what GCC says about himself ("I’m j-just trying not to do harm."), but yeah, CSZ may be running with it a bit too readily. :P
"But when he says "Whether it was the Soul-Guarding Lamp or Shennong’s oath, back then, we only had a vague sense of the future." does he mean before the Lamp-lighting stuff or in the PP?"
I think it's definitely about the PP.
"They're basically scientists, lol. Negative results are informative and worthwhile!"
Yesss, and I genuinely think this is where the science-focus in the drama came from. :D Like, they could have easily done sci-fi as a genre without having scientists as characters.
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LOL!
and I genuinely think this is where the science-focus in the drama came from. :D Like, they could have easily done sci-fi as a genre without having scientists as characters.
Damn, that's a cool thought! I think once they went with Dixingren as mutants, the science kind of came with the genre, but even so - it makes a lot of sense!
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At least this time ZYL and SW did some macabre arts & crafts together, lol, progress. ;D
LOL!! :D :D :D
And that's yet another reason why editing out their friendship from the official version is a pretty unfortunate choice.
I think that might be why their friendship starts to emerge here? Not because Shen Wei consciously knows about GCC as the wick, but because his wick-ness has kind of emerged/become visible?
Ftr my original, very generous, interpretation of 'he's that gay' was 'he can't stop having sex'. :P
That bothers me, too. (The implication that more sex = more gay, as if being celibate makes people less gay.) But it is what it is. (And totally agreed about GCC's reaction. *pets him*
Fwiw, I understood it as 'why do you never do anything else?'
Oh, that's a better interpretation! It's not how it read to me, but I might adopt it anyway. ;D Thanks!
I think it's definitely about the PP.
You're right. It makes a lot more sense that way. The "we" is the gods, not him and Shen Wei.
Yesss, and I genuinely think this is where the science-focus in the drama came from. :D Like, they could have easily done sci-fi as a genre without having scientists as characters.
*nodnodnod* PP!Shennong definitely has science-y aspects -- I'd totally believe that's where the drama's scientists came from. \o/ :D :D :D
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Do you mean that's why most of their scenes were removed, so that they could get closer now instead of earlier? (Not disagreeing/questioning, I'm just not sure I understood what you said. :))
"That bothers me, too. (The implication that more sex = more gay, as if being celibate makes people less gay.)"
And apparently here I was very generous again because I read this as 'he's obsessed with Shen Wei, and he was never this obsessed with women'. :D (Assuming that's what Zhu Hong is talking about, which I don't actually think is the case, lol, I'm about 90% sure is talking about bottoming.)
"Oh, that's a better interpretation! It's not how it read to me, but I might adopt it anyway. ;D Thanks!"
Hee, yay, I'm glad it works for you. :D The way I see it, the focus of "Then why help so many people unconditionally?" could be 'this is too much helping/it's weird to help so many people' and not necessarily only 'you should help them conditionally instead'. :) And now I'm thinking it's probably both - 'if you do this as a full-time job, you should at least get something back'.
"*nodnodnod* PP!Shennong definitely has science-y aspects -- I'd totally believe that's where the drama's scientists came from. \o/ :D :D :D"
Yesss, and ever since you said it, I'm actually sure that Professor Ouyang and Shennong were meant to be the same character (and obviously Shennong has elements of other characters too, and the gods = the science in general, because it wouldn't be this adaptation without a million really neatly arranged pieces). :D
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Do you mean that's why most of their scenes were removed, so that they could get closer now instead of earlier?
Yes, that's what I meant. Though it might just be that priest wanted to keep Shen Wei more separate from the SID until later, so that his being integrated more into the group could be part of the joyful ending.
Yesss, and ever since you said it, I'm actually sure that Professor Ouyang and Shennong were meant to be the same character (and obviously Shennong has elements of other characters too, and the gods = the science in general, because it wouldn't be this adaptation without a million really neatly arranged pieces). :D
Yes! (Definitely elements of Ma Gui as well -- we also see him doing experiments, and he made the Hallows. :D :D :D)
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Sage 2
I don't understand anything about the magazine editor's reaction to LJ's photos, but I love the idea of the photos themselves, awww. (I read a novel maybe last year where someone meticulously photographed a beloved place and then made a virtual 3D model of it, so they could still navigate their way through it. LJ should totally do that, too. Also, this reminds me of ZYL's childhood change resistance, being pissy because his father upgraded his car. *pets them both*)
Omg, sound-absorbing paint is an actual thing!! I need to investigate that further!! ;-p
Awwwww, ZYL planting veges. Does that mean he cooks now? Or does he give them to SW to cook, like a cat gifting a dead mouse?? I note that he says he wants a row of kimchi jars, not that he wants to make the kimchi. Maybe the SID team will have to do that for him. ;D :D :D (Maybe that's why no one goes into his garden? I don't understand that part otherwise.)
LOL that everyone loves Shen Wei because his presence means they can leave early. They're all so selfish in the small day-to-day stuff, and so selfless when it comes to putting themselves on the line for work. Why is that endearing?? Anyway, I'm glad Shen Wei is getting some love.
Lin Jing making stuff! \o/ Daqing curled up on the stair railing and yelling at SW! *dies*
Sometimes, relationships had the fragility of glass. Whatever kind it was, once it shattered, it could never be put back together—not even if one forgot…or even forgave.
It was best if a person stayed consistent, whether that meant being selfish to the end, even at the cost of hurting countless other people, or carefully cherishing someone else’s feelings, however foolish the feelings might seem.
I ~~think~~ it's saying that it would have been best if lao-Li had consistently kept his misdeeds to himself, to maintain their previous relationship, rather than confessing and upsetting the applecart. I also think it's deliberately placed as a transition to the SW/ZYL scene, and that it's an excuse for ZYL still being bratty in their relationship, lol. The brattiness is what SW fell in love with, after all.
(But I still think, "It was best if a person stayed consistent, whether that meant being selfish to the end, even at the cost of hurting countless other people" is wrong wrong wrong. ;-p)
And ahhh, this is so domestic. The lovely attic, and ZYL failing to read. (Sofa bed!!) SW nagging ZYL not to nap too much. ZYL sprawling all over him and complaining about his book. ZYL stubbornly refusing to take the easy route: "Science and technology are the primary forces of production."!! :D :D :D (Is that him being a good communist? And then a few paragraphs later: With a mischievous glint in his eye, Zhao Yunlan said, “The primary forces of production and I don’t get along. I fall asleep as soon as I start reading it.” LOL!)
I do love SW's point that seeds planted by a Mountain God are definitely not going to die, lol.
ZYL: But if I can’t keep reading, I won’t be able to stop thinking about it. My mood will plummet, and if those bad moods last long enough, I’ll get depressed!
I don't understand what it is he's distracting himself from? What is the "it" he won't be able to stop thinking about? Being apart from his mountain?
LOL, that ZYL just had to smile for SW to understand he wants to be read to. <3
*glosses over the whole "taking advantage" "committed the crime", ZYL complaining about bottoming part, la la la*
Changcheng is sooo nervous about his date. (Which means it's kind of mean for his uncle to set it up. I'm it's well-meaning, at least in the drama, but poor Changcheng -- not only for having to go on the date, but for his uncle and aunt not knowing him better, too.)
A tiny firework exploded out of Guo Changcheng’s pocket.
LOL! This is why they can't tell him about being the wick -- who knows what would happen?
Awww, CSZ offering to be GCC's emotional support zombie. <3 <3 <3
The girl on the date is pretty nice, though. She sticks with it, doesn't look down on him, and stays cheerful, even if she is a bit pushy at the end. It's not her fault GCC is incapable of talking to humans.
After some thought, Guo Changcheng gave her an honest description of exactly how he would capture a “bad guy.” He made a grabbing motion, then pretended to take out his “secret weapon.”
I... wonder if that looks suggestive. Is that why she laughs? /o\
In an incredibly ambiguous tone, he said, “Going on a date behind my back? You really think you’re hot shit now, huh?”
LOLOL! In the drama, CSZ just says, "He is sure," drags him out, and yells at him for not being more confident, and even then, it's flirty. No wonder Lin Jing gets confused here. :D
Lin Jing is such a punching bag. /o\
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Thank you! So glad we're all equally confused there, LOL.
I read a novel maybe last year where someone meticulously photographed a beloved place and then made a virtual 3D model of it, so they could still navigate their way through it.
Aw, that sounds lovely. Agreed, Lin Jing totally should!
Awwwww, ZYL planting veges. Does that mean he cooks now? Or does he give them to SW to cook, like a cat gifting a dead mouse??
LOL @ that comparison! I don't think gardening and cooking are connected? Pretty sure SW will be cooking.
I also think it's deliberately placed as a transition to the SW/ZYL scene, and that it's an excuse for ZYL still being bratty in their relationship, lol.
Oh, interesting thought, that hadn't occurred to me, but it would make sense!
But I still think, "It was best if a person stayed consistent, whether that meant being selfish to the end, even at the cost of hurting countless other people" is wrong wrong wrong. ;-p
*high five*
"Science and technology are the primary forces of production."!! :D :D :D (Is that him being a good communist? And then a few paragraphs later: With a mischievous glint in his eye, Zhao Yunlan said, “The primary forces of production and I don’t get along. I fall asleep as soon as I start reading it.” LOL!)
Haha, yeah, it's funny how he's all "Marxism!!!" and then "... but it doesn't agree with me", LOL. Makes sense, since he's an actual god. :D
(The very first thing that comes up on google when you plug in ZYL's first sentence is this, btw.)
I don't understand what it is he's distracting himself from? What is the "it" he won't be able to stop thinking about?
I thought he meant the book? That if he can't keep reading because it makes him fall asleep, he'll get frustrated about not reading it? It's all very facetious, or at least that's how I took it.)
Which means it's kind of mean for his uncle to set it up. I'm it's well-meaning, at least in the drama, but poor Changcheng -- not only for having to go on the date, but for his uncle and aunt not knowing him better, too.
Pretty sure it's just as well-meaning in the novel. They're trying to arrange a marriage for him, since he's clearly not putting himself out there, and the girl does seem to like him, so they didn't choose someone wildly unsuitable either. They don't understand the SID thing, but probably if they have any idea that she's not keen on a partner who's a cop, that would be a bonus from their perspective - they want him safe, after all. Totally agreed on them not knowing him better!
LOL! This is why they can't tell him about being the wick -- who knows what would happen?
I wish they said that explicitly in the scene, that would make more sense!
Awww, CSZ offering to be GCC's emotional support zombie. <3 <3 <3
LOLOLOL!
Lin Jing is such a punching bag. /o\
Yeah. Poor Lin Jing!
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I don't think gardening and cooking are connected? Pretty sure SW will be cooking.
Heh. (I think growing veges can be an inspiration for cooking, but yeah.) This made me wonder if any of the plants in the garden, front or back, are Yashou...
it's funny how he's all "Marxism!!!" and then "... but it doesn't agree with me", LOL. Makes sense, since he's an actual god. :D
Yes! I wonder if it's a sly dig by priest...
> > I don't understand what it is he's distracting himself from? What is the "it" he won't be able to stop thinking about?
> I thought he meant the book? That if he can't keep reading because it makes him fall asleep, he'll get frustrated about not reading it? It's all very facetious, or at least that's how I took it.)
I wondered if it was the mountain, and your quote on the other post about the burdens of godhood makes me wonder that again...
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"Daqing yelling about doing yoga on the bannister, I think, but there are a lot. :D These extras are so fun!! I love seeing the SID team just hanging out. :D :D :D"
Ikr!! :D :D :D The extras are basically slice of life crackfics, in the best way. :D
"Given how easily he sets off his baton (like fireworks in the streets!), I suspect the others are worried about the Lamp exploding or something if he finds out."
Lol omg, this is fantastic, and if that's how it was explained canonically, I would understand their decision a lot better. xD :D
"But also, all his do-gooding is so pure, I kind of love that he just does it without a reason. Knowing about the Lamp might make him feel pressured or self-conscious or something. Idk.
And that's a really good point too! What they're canonically worried about is that he wouldn't be happy if he knew that all his merits go to the Lamp and not to him. And I feel like he wouldn't care about that at all, and what you said is a lot more likely - that he'd feel uncomfortable about having this many merits in the first place, regardless of where they go.
"If anyone's going to tell him, it should probably be ZYL, anyway."
Oh, because of their connection? I didn't think of that, but I think I'd be okay with anyone telling him, including accidentally. :) (How did they all manage not to tell him accidentally btw?? xD)
"So I ~think~ ZYL is saying SW started out someone with a great obsession without resentment or regrets, and then, when push came to shove, he became someone who knows what lies on the other side of death and chose it anyway. It was that transition that changed everything? Like, whether he'd make that choice was the colossal gamble? So it wasn't a coincidence: Shen Wei's choice fulfilled the oath, reawakened Kunlun, and freed Shen Wei from the oath. But I'm just randomly guessing, really. :-)"
This is SO COOL, and far more than I could come up with, and it makes so much sense that honestly it could be exactly the intended interpretation?? I'm taking your random guess as the actual explanation of what they were talking about. :D
"I think spring is a metaphor for rejuvenation and love blooming (I watched a Kdrama once called "Daljal's Spring" and I've come across the metaphor in other Kdramas, too) -- and because they're them, it happens literally. <3 <3 <3"
Aww, yes, it's definitely the case here too (spring came in the final chapter already: "The ground that had been devastated by the destruction of the Great Seal was restored to how it had been; fresh green buds, so easily overlooked in early spring, burst from the soil."), and I love that they keep amplifying it just by existing. ♡♡♡
"Definitely the attic. It sounds so cosy. I want it!!"
Ikr, the sun sounds so good! :D
"Idk, I don't know enough about the other SID members' spaces to decide!"
Fwiw, there are two different areas - the backyard/garden ideas got described but no one got to do anything there other than Zhao Yunlan ("He vetoed the roses Zhu Hong liked, vetoed Chu Shuzhi’s suggestion of vines, and vetoed Lin Jing’s request for bodhi trees."), and then there's the front yard, where everyone did get their own space but it's not described at all. So I think my favorite garden idea is the vegetables, but I want to know their front yard ideas and I really want to see what exactly is happening there. :D :D
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Yes! That's totally how I see it too.
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What they're canonically worried about is that he wouldn't be happy if he knew that all his merits go to the Lamp and not to him.
It does say Everyone was too afraid of disturbing Guo Changcheng’s peaceful state of mind to dare mention the Soul-Guarding Lamp in front of him. but worrying about the merits side of things is only in Lin Jing's POV. Maybe everyone else has a better one? ;-p
> > "If anyone's going to tell him, it should probably be ZYL, anyway."
> Oh, because of their connection?
Their connection, and ZYL is the boss and a god and responsible (in some sense) for the Soul-Guarding Lamp. And the one most likely to be able to fix it if things go horribly wrong. ;-p
(How did they all manage not to tell him accidentally btw?? xD)
Ha! Excellent question!
I'm taking your random guess as the actual explanation of what they were talking about. :D
\o/ \o/ \o/ :D
but I want to know their front yard ideas and I really want to see what exactly is happening there. :D :D
Yes, exactly! I can't decide what's best without knowing what everyone's done to their sections. Chu Shuzhi's might be full of bones, or it might be awesome! ;p :D ...I wonder if GCC got one.
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Oh, I really like that interpretation, that makes a lot of sense! I didn't catch that at all, LOL.
I think spring is a metaphor for rejuvenation and love blooming
It usually is, and it definitely is here, yeah! Such fun. :D
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Oh, I really like that interpretation, that makes a lot of sense!
Yay!
It usually is, and it definitely is here, yeah! Such fun. :D
*facepalms at self* I didn't actually mean in the obvious way of "spring out in the world, with bunnies and lambs" is a metaphor for new love. I meant that when a person is in a time of new love and personal rejuvenation, it's referred to as their spring. So to me, here, it seems like that personal spring is spreading outwards (because they're gods). /this is too many words for this tiny usage thing, and I still don't know if I'm explaining it right, just ignore me /dork