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razberryyum · 5 years ago

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TGCF donghua Episode 11 Thoughts (SPOILERS for episode and novel!)

Ok I didn't think they were actually going to kiss, BUT for a heart-stopping second I thought they were gonna get close enough before cutting away. Just to tease us, if for no other reason. I actually held my breath. It was still a big tease nonetheless but I am still grateful for the scene because my God was it beautifully done. The focus on Dianxia's lips as he says Hua Cheng's name, the way his breath catches as HC leans closer, the world fading away around them, HC's ponytail gently falling forward just so, the way they just focus on his lips just as if from Dianxia's POV....all of it just screams romance. Once again, that was all the work of the donghua's team. In the book, this moment occurs when they're actually back at Puqi Shrine, and Xie Lian's actually in the middle of cleaning a table when he very nonchalantly addresses Hua Cheng by his name. It was cute because Dianxia did it so casually but hardly THIS romantic. So, really, hats off to the donghua team!

Actually other than that last scene, of course I am grateful to the donghua team for many other moments in this episode. To start, whenever they show San Lang protecting Dianxia.

We know Xie Lian can definitely take care of himself, but I appreciate that Hua Cheng's instinct is always to protect him anyway. I actually thought that's why he gave himself the name," Hua Cheng". The words translate to "Flower City", and in the olden days, a city had walls protecting the people in it, so I figured that Hua Cheng chose this name to represent how he will always protect Xie Lian, that his protection is all encompassing. Lol, I can't wait to find out how wrong I am.

Even though Hua Cheng's fight with Pei Su was mostly off screen and limited to quick flashes of swords clashing, what they did show of Hua Cheng in his "real" form was DELICIOUS.

I am grateful to the donghua team for Hua Cheng's adorable reaction to Dianxia being cheeky. Too precious!

Our General Hua looking like a god in armor...and the way he made bis appearance in that scene too, like a savior coming to rescue mankind...or in this case, Banyue.

This scene actually made me tear up. I don't remember thinking Pei Su was that attached to Banyue when reading the book, but that might've been my fault for not paying close enough attention when HuaLian weren't directly involved. I was actually wondering how they were going to conclude the Banyue arc in just one episode since it felt like they would have to pack a lot into just 20 mins or so, but I think they did a really good job of wrapping it up. Didn't feel rushed or that anything important was missing.

I love both of them already, but I want to especially commend the donghua team's character design for The Wind Master. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read the book, but trust me when I say THAT is a brilliant bit of character design. They will have to change two things about her next season but it's like she's mostly there already. 😂 I also love her voice and voice performance (by VA Qiu Qiu), so perfect for the character. I seriously cannot wait to see more of her next season, especially after hearing that news about the VA. 😁

I guffawed. This was a bit of brilliance too. Man, I just love the donghua team! They really did such a GREAT JOB bringing TGCF to life. I mean, is there really anyone who hates this adaptation?? I guess if you weren't into Xie Lian and Hua Cheng's relationship, the case of the week parts might be a bit underwhelming, but what I appreciate about them is that they inevitably link back to Dianxia and his past, or introduce us to new characters which then opens up the world. They always have a purpose, leading to bigger things. As a first season I think it was pretty strong, what they changed from the source material were usually positive alterations. I mean, I'm reading the book now because of this show, after putting it off for so long, so I'm definitely converted.

I do have to say though that the season did end on a rather odd note since it felt like there should have been just a few more beats before the end credits. It was a little abrupt imho, but it still is miles better than poor SVSSS's season finale, which ended on a freaking scene transition.

Of course there's still that special HuaLian episode on February 16th, so I guess technicallyyyyy this first season hasn't quite ended yet. The special looks to be picking up right where this episode leaves off: with Dianxia having a conversation with Hua Cheng back at Puqi Shrine about his role as Ghost King and other related topics. I'm not sure why it's airing a month and a half later, or why on February 16th instead of Valentine's Day, but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm just grateful we have more TGCF and HuaLian to look forward to. Second season is already in production, and apparently the theme song for it will drop tomorrow! A live action has been announced which they're still casting, and honestly some of those casting choices scare me so depending on who they end up deciding on, I might just gonna stay away from that completely and stick with the donghua and book.

Novel Reading Progress...about to finish Book 2... SPOILERS

MXTX-laoshi is a total sadist giving us THAT kind of sex pollen scene when nothing could be done cuz Hua Cheng's still a little bean sprout...I love Dianxia, love him more now knowing he was a pretty flawed human being, that he's absolutely not perfect...his heart is warm but his actions are sometimes quite cold...I blame his privileged upbringing and his youth and inexperience for some of his rash decisions...he means well but of course the road to hell is pathed with good intentions...wish he would stop forgetting about little Hua Cheng though, poor baby...the more I read about the human face disease the more I don't want to...just, overall, I feel this heavy weight on my heart now because I know things are going to go from worse to utter calamitous shit soon. I am SCARED, preparing my heart for breakage.

To read the TGCF novel: https://tgcfmxtx.carrd.co/

#Tian Guan Ci Fu #TGCF #Heaven Official's Blessing #HuaLian #TGCF donghua

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spockandawe · 4 years ago

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Hi....If you don't mind me asking, who are your favorite MXTX characters (top 5 from each novel)? And why? I'm sorry if you've answered this question before.

It’s absolutely no problem at all!! I don’t think I’ve been asked this before, but hey, I also have zero object permanence, so it keeps things fresh and new. And it’s interesting to see how my answers change over time! Lemme see, I think I’m going to go in reverse order, because I feel like then I’ll be doing the worst agonizing up front.

TGCF

Fifth favorite: YIN. YU. I know that he’s a minor character and him even making it onto the list is pretty solid performance, but I do feel guilty that he isn’t higher than this. He came out of nowhere in my first reading and punched me in the stomach with emotions. I find his sections so hard to read, and I was DEVASTATED when he died and BEYOND stoked to find out he was still alive in the extras. His story hurts so much! I am weak against characters who have relatively modest goals and still see them snatched away (see also: my next entry) and have to struggle on. I wish wish wish I had a way to see more of how he made his peace with things after being thrown out of heaven, and the nature of the (distant) relationship with Hua Cheng and what happens with Quan Yizhen now that he died in his arms, and still came back anyways, my god!

Fourth favorite: He Xuannnnnn. I have a hard time articulating particulars, but. I love him a lot. I love a character with a grudge, with a deep, painful grudge, where the grudge is hurting him almost as much as it’s hurting the people around him, and setting the grudge aside would also hurt, and then what has any of this been for-- I've used this metaphor for other characters, but I don’t care if I’m overusing it, because I love it. He feels like a character caught in a thorn bush, where simply being there... hurts, but trying to escape or move in any ways is going to hurt worse, and there’s no path forward that doesn’t involve pain. And like... I don’t love the way he hurt Shi Qingxuan (who didn’t quite make this list adfasgdafsd I’M SORRY) but I wouldn’t have liked to see him swallow back down all that pain and set aside everything that happened to his family and fiancee either! I’m always, always soft for characters who have no good path forward and who grit their teeth and set out anyways.

Third favorite: MU QING!!!!!!!!!! I have done... extensive screaming about him. And I love him veryvery much. I can already tell that this list is going to have a lot of mean boys on it, and like... no regrets. Especially since this is one of my FAVORITE flavors, an unapologetic mean boy who is rarely (but sometimes!) soft for the people around him, and who regularly tries to do decently by people, but who consistently gets shat upon and misunderstood and accused of acting in bad faith. I screamed when he and Xie Lian finally got to talk their friendship out in the book. I also screamed when I realized how immediately after Xie Lian’s return he started looking out for him again, and how sincerely, despite his horrible attitude about it. I still want to write more fic for him so badly. I love him so much.

Second favorite: Xie Lian! What a good boy! The best boy! He’s so sweet and gentle, but also the best fightboy this world has ever seen, and also so gently snarky with the people he loves! I just... really love me some traumatized characters who have trouble recognizing that they can be Loved, and I’m not going to write this whole essay right now, but I think in some ways, he’s the most... passive about his romance, out of all the leads? Shen Qingqiu is aggressively oblivious, but Xie Lian kind of gently shrugs off the idea that he might be Hua Cheng’s special someone, until he finally gets hit with the cluestick. I generally shy away from the idea of a character “earning” love, but he’s maybe the mxtx character who moves me most with ‘you deserve to be loved’

Most favorite: Hua Cheng. HUA CHENG. Oh my god, gotta love this boy. Gotta love this devotion. I love a mean boy who is soft for one person, and he EMBODIES it. I mean, I love Shen Jiu, but he barely manages to do the soft thing at all, while Hua Cheng is over here like ‘if I could only be the stone beneath your feet--’ It’s hard to talk about him separately from Xie Lian, because they’re a unit in my head more than just about any other characters on this list are. I don’t want to get this list to get out of control, so I’m not going to scream for too long, but... I could just watch him go forever. I want to write him forever, and that’s a huge aspect of what draws me to some characters.

MDZS

Oh god, I think I lied, I think this book is going to be hardest. Making these choices is AGONIZING.

Fifth favorite: .....Lan Wangji. Oh god, I feel bad about how low he is. But this story is just packed SO full of wonderful characters, and I’m already consumed with guilt over all the characters who aren’t going to make it. I don’t love them less! But my love for characters in this particular story is very evenly distributed. And I think that Wang Yibo’s acting is possibly scoring points with me that the book might not have earned all by itself. Microexpressions and subtle body language add SO MUCH to a character with such flat affect, and I would be drawn to such a closed-off character anyways, but it really helps. And I love, like... the combined subtlety and intensity of his relationships. It’s not that subtle once you know what to look for, and the brother/sworn brother network makes for varying degrees of how much other characters understand of the things he chooses not to explicitly express, and it gives a really interesting character to the way he interacts with the people around him. Also, love me a man with intense separation anxiety.

Fourth favorite: Jiang Yanli? I think it has to be Jiang Yanli, but these rankings are hard. So. I just talked about how much I enjoy the flat affect and closed off nature of Lan Wangji? Well, guess what, I also love it when m’girl is just very GENUINELY AND OPENLY an absolute sweetheart of a person, and I love the contrast between her genuinely kind nature and the uncomfortable pressure that her family’s dynamics put on her to start parenting at a very young age. It’s not necessarily a happy situation, but she adores her brothers so much and they adore her so much! And it’s... a very understated element of the story, but after her parents died, her baby brothers went off to war, and one wreaked havoc as a straightforward commander and one of them disappeared for months and returned as a creepy-ass zombie puppeteer. And she STILL dotes on them like before, despite knowing what they’re capable of. Like, yes, Wei Wuxian just raised an army of corpses and forced a man to eat himself, but I shall still boop him on the nose and feed him Soup. How can I not adore energy like that?

Third favorite: Wei Wuxian, I think. I do adore him a lot. He gives me some of the same vibes that make me ache most with Xie Lian, where he is trying his best, and is struggling to hold on in the face of lots of suffering, and I find it really interesting that when the suffering peaked, Xie Lian was forced go on because he couldn’t die, while Wei Wuxian... expired. That line about ‘he thought that no matter how large the world was, there was still no place for him’ always sticks with me, and hurts me deeply. Xie Lian had most of his personal attachments stripped away, and was left to wander on his own, while Wei Wuxian still had a number of strong connections left, but abruptly exited life. And that informs their respective trauma so interestingly! The way Wei Wuxian bounces between high energy chaos and drained exhaustion is really fascinating to me, and was the thread that held me attached to the book through a very confusing beginning. And I’m still very drawn to how intensely he loves, whether it’s Xiao Zhan’s fantastic acting, or it’s him busting out with how much he wants Lan Wangji in the middle of the Guanyin Temple scene. He’s a fantastic character, honestly, I don’t think such a convoluted book would have held together very well without a protagonist this strong.

Second favorite: Xue Yang :X Look, he’s a good boy and I love him. Who among us hasn’t done a few mass murders that we are completely unrepentant about, but that we would really like to keep hidden from our current boyfriend, actually? Anyways, as always, love me an angry boy who makes terrible decisions for understandable reasons. And I do love a character who is consumed by agonized ragrets (see my next entry), but I DO also love me a character who has no regrets at all and doesn’t even have much interest in trying to justify himself to anyone else around him. Just look at that confidence! Look at him go!!

Most favorite: Jiang... Cheng....... I knew he and Xue Yang were going to be at the top, but those were the only parts of this list that were easy. I mean. Love a self-sabotaging angryboy who is also super super sad and keeps hurting himself in his own confusion. And while I love the romantic thread in all of the mxtx books, the agonized family thread in mdzs is one of my favorite parts, and something that I don’t really see echoed in any of the other stories. I need ten million jc+wwx reconciliations, at LEAST. He’s so sad! And so angry! And I want to see him becoming less of that thing, and for Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian to demonstrate very firmly how much they love him, because they do. I am invested in his happiness in a way that goes far and beyond any of the other non-main characters, haha

SVSSS

Fifth favorite: Tianlang-jun. I think? Oh god, but moshang. THIS IS REALLY HARD, I HATE THIS ;-; But especially since writing my fic, Tianlang-jun has really won me over. And like, he already hurt me good in the novel, just thinking about how he was an innocent young guy, just! Trying to have a girlfriend! And instead got trapped in sensory deprivation, body-rotting-hell for twenty years, when he didn’t do anything wrong!!! He suffered, so much! And I live for his intensely strained relationship with Luo Binghe, because it’s! Perfectly understandable and painful, from both of their perspectives! And he wants to hate humans so badly, but in the end, when he’s told that Su Xiyan never betrayed him, he starts helplessly asking the people around him, ‘really? is it really true?’ and then in the end he loses the only family member he has left who cares about him, and it’s just! Everything is terrible! I have a su xiyan au brewing in my head because I can’t stand it! Someone just give this man a loving partner!!!

Fourth favorite: Shen Qingqiu. But... moshang??? Goddammit. Anyways, this dumbass. I find him so endearing, in his dumbassery. I sometimes get a bit frustrated with Wei Wuxian for being oblivious, and Shen Qingqiu is just asking for me to react the same way, but I... don’t, for the most part? Because he thinks he has good information, and he’s slow to react to a changing playing field, and I still haven’t read another transmigration novel that strikes the same balance of hypercompetence and intense incompetence :ppp It’s a funny book, and he’s a funny character! And I really vibe with him, in most parts of the story, which covers a pretty darn wide emotional spectrum. Plus, the running internal commentary is choice.

Third favorite: Liu Qingge. Look, I’m a woman of simple needs, and sometimes I just need a high-quality fightboy who clearly cares deeply and is absolute garbage at expressing his emotions. I can’t articulate it much better than that. I absolutely howl at the succubus extra, when Shen Qingqiu is talking to Madam Meiyin about his future partner, and Liu Qingge is like ‘oh my god, sHE IS CLEARLY DESCRIBING ME’ and Shen Qingqiu is like ‘haha, liu-shidi, i thought you thought this was stuupidddddddd’. They’re both so dumb. I love them so much. But stupidity plus war god fighting energy has a narrow lead over stupidity and internal commentary track.

Second favorite: SHEN JIU. GOD. I’m still arguing with myself over whether he should go first, but Luo Binghe hurts me consistently through the whole entire story, so I think he wins. Shen Jiu just stabs me in the heart at strategic moments. This is it. My ideal mean boy who is soft for one (1) person, and who BOTH does unconscionable things for terrible reasons (someone just. give him a pile of girls to teach, it will be much more pleasant for everyone involved), and who ALSO gets blamed for things he didn’t do even when he tries to act in good faith. It is the best of all painful worlds. And even at the end, when he has a powerful person who wants desperately to protect him, he still tries his hardest to shove that person away, to keep him safe. I’ve got like four aus where he gets to live. I’m so invested in this character, I love him so much.

Most favorite: Luo Binghe. He was.... made for me............ Like, the overwhelming amounts of childhood angst were baked in by Shang Qinghua, but the in-story pain and suffering is PRECISELY my jam. I love a character with separation anxiety! I love a character with massive anxieties over being unwanted! Over nobody ever, EVER just choosing him! I love a character struggling with the idea that the person he loves most in the world thinks that he’s intrinsically Disgusting! I love the kind of stubborn determination that leads him to preserve a corpse for five years, desperately hoping for a way to revive it, constantly cooking fresh food, in case, in case he someday wakes up. The way Hua Cheng loves is overpowering, but he’s had time to like... learn to be mellow when he needs to be. Luo Binghe doesn’t have a chill bone in his body, and if he’s acting chill, it’s probably because he’s done some mental math and decided that being more clingy right now will probably get him pushed away harder. I love the combination of manipulative tendencies and a very, very genuine fear of rejection and being unwanted. There is nothing I don’t love about Luo Binghe, including his worst decisions. I love him so so much.

#spock replies #long post/#svsss #mdzs #tgcf #thanad-zid

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moonwaif · 5 years ago

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Upon Reflection

Summary: After nearly a year of pining on his lonesome, Wei Wuxian returns to the Cloud Recesses when a suspicious attempt is made on Lan Wangji's life. While keeping his feelings for Lan Wangji a secret, staying out of trouble (mostly) and trying to be a decent teacher (debatable), it doesn't seem like Wei Wuxian's life could get any more difficult.

Then one morning he wakes up in Lan Wangji's body.

Aka, the post-episode 50 CQL body swap AU you need in your life.

Tags: Body Swap AU, Mutual Pining, WWX has one brain cell, instead of OCs I'm borrowing SVSSS characters, CQL Verse, might mess around and resurrect some people

Rating: T

Excerpt:

“Speaking of Hanguang Jun, what’s his opinion on all of this? Does he even know you two are here?”

Jingyi and Sizhui share another look, and this time it’s guilty. Wei Wuxian chuckles softly, a bitter taste in his mouth. As if Lan Wangji would ever send his disciples out to fetch Wei Wuxian and bring him back to the Cloud Recesses, like some lonely prince in a fairytale romance. If he wanted Wei Wuxian’s help, Lan Wangji would have sought him out himself, instead of letting the months slip past by the handful without so much as a word.

“We left without telling him,” Sizhui admits, “but we had to. You see . . .”

“See what?” Wei Wuxian asks, when it becomes apparent he’s not going to finish. Sizhui glances at Jingyi, who after a few seconds rolls his eyes and nods reluctantly. Sizhui swallows, then speaks.

“Three days ago, Hanguang Jun fainted.”

After parting from Lan Zhan, Wei Wuxian deliberately avoids the Cloud Recesses. He’s too brash, too lascivious, too everything for that place. Going back would only spell trouble. Apparently the Cloud Recesses don’t feel the same way, however, because eventually the Cloud Recesses go looking for him.

He’s in a little town just outside of Yueling when the voice calls out to him: “Master Wei!”

Wei Wuxian turns, smiling as soon as he sees the face it belongs to. “A-yuan! What are you doing here?”

Lan Sizhui beams. Beside him, a typically sour-faced Lan Jingyi crosses his arms.

“What am I, chopped meat?” he grumbles.

“Oh, sorry! It’s good to see you too, Jingyi.”

“Master Wei,” Sizhui exclaims, approaching, “we’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Is that so? Then you must be tired. Come on--let’s find a place to sit, and you can tell me about everything you’ve been up to.”

They choose a small restaurant close to the town’s entrance--one of the few public places available in the vicinity. Wei Wuxian manages to dodge most of their questions. What has he been doing over the past year? Oh, traveling here or there with Little Apple, going on the occasional night hunt, enjoying his newfound free and easy life. What about them? Have they heard from Wen Ning? How is everyone at the Cloud Recesses? Zewu Jun and the others, are they doing well?

How about Hanguang Jun?

At this question, Jingyi and Sizhui share an uneasy look. Wei Wuxian's gaze sharpens.

"What?" he asks, glancing between them. "Why are you making that face? What's happened?"

"No reason," Jingyi says quickly, and Wei Wuxian could swear that he feels him kick Sizhui under the table. "He's just busy with a lot of new initiatives."

A spot of warmth blossoms in Wei Wuxian’s chest, replacing the momentary anxiety. “Typical Hanguang Jun. What's he got planned?"

"He is opening the Cloud Recesses back up for lecture," Sizhui answers. "In just eight days, all sects will send their disciples to study cultivation methods.”

“Not all the sects,” Jingyi clarifies, and there it is again--the uneasiness. “But most of them, anyway.”

Wei Wuxian nods thoughtfully. “So the sects are willing to send disciples again, huh? That’s good. Hanguang Jun is wise to bring the clans back together that way.”

“Yes,” Sizhui agrees. “But, um . . .”

Wei Wuxian looks at him expectantly. Sizhui takes a deep breath.

“You see, the thing is, Master Wei . . .”

“We think you’d make a great teacher,” Jingyi finishes.

Wei Wuxian’s jaw drops. “Huh?”

Sizhui seems to sense that they’ve caught him in a moment of weakness, because he launches in full force.

“Your knowledge and innovation in talismans could be a great resource for students. Additionally, your experience and methods in deduction could really help the disciples when they are first learning how to do night hunts.”

“And the younger generation likes you,” Jingyi adds. “If you go, you’ll definitely be popular with the students.”

“Er, guys,” Wei Wuxian says weakly. “I’m flattered, but haven’t you heard the stories about when I was in the Cloud Recesses? I was a terrible student. I really don’t fit in there.”

“Your unconventionality is what will make you unique as an instructor,” Sizhui says, and Wei Wuxian can tell that he must have planned that line with Jingyi during the journey from Gusu.

“Maybe, I guess. I don’t really know anything about teaching.”

Besides, how could he teach cultivation when he didn't even have a golden core?

“You were a great teacher before!” Sizhui insists, and for a split-second Wei Wuxian is almost worried he read his thoughts. “Back when we were working together to escape from the Burial Mounds, you explained everything so well. All of the young people really understood and liked you.”

“Yeah but what about their parents?” Wei Wuxian counters. “If you announce that I’m going to be there--which I won’t be, by the way, because I’m not going--no one will want to send their kids to the Cloud Recesses. They’ll think it’s bad luck, or that I’m going to teach something unorthodox. Even worse, what if I attract unsavory disciples who just want to learn about demonic cultivation? That really won’t look good for the Gusu Lan sect."

“You’ll have the approval of his Excellency, Hanguang Jun,” Jingyi says calmly. “His word will be enough.”

Wei Wuxian's eyes narrow. “Speaking of Hanguang Jun, what’s his opinion on all of this? Does he even know you two are here?”

“We left without telling him,” Sizhui admits, “but we had to. You see . . .”

“See what?” Wei Wuxian asks, when it becomes apparent he’s not going to finish.

Sizhui glances at Jingyi, who after a few seconds rolls his eyes and nods reluctantly. Sizhui swallows, then speaks.

“Three days ago, Hanguang Jun fainted.”

---

They say that time changes everything, so why is it that visiting the Cloud Recesses feels like a journey to the past?

There are some marks of change. The reconstructed buildings, a memorial here and there for those who gave their lives defending the Cloud Recesses from the Wen clan. But it’s the same tranquility, the same warmth and sense of safety, that almost has Wei Wuxian believing that at any moment Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang are going to round the corner laughing, ready to pull him off on another misadventure.

Maybe the Cloud Recesses haven’t changed, but Wei Wuxian has.

The heart inside him is certainly different as he gazes at Lan Wangji's silhouette through the screened window, arms moving gracefully as the gentle tones of the guqin drift on the night breeze. Once upon a time, Wei Wuxian was willing to do anything to catch the eye of the Second Jade of Lan. Whether it was playing the clown, showing-off his martial skills or even risking his own safety, he never once felt shy about it. Now, over a decade later, just thinking about talking to Lan Wangji is making his stomach tie up in knots.

It’s been almost a year since he and Lan Wangji officially parted. During that year, they only met once or twice, when Lan Wangji surprised him with a visit. The visits had been brief, but there was a moment when Lan Wangji looked at him, pinned him with a dark, trembling gaze, and in that instant Wei Wuxian truly believed that he was going to invite him back to the Cloud Recesses. But he hadn't. Lan Wangji merely left with the promise to visit again soon, and then never came back.

Wei Wuxian isn’t bitter. It makes sense that Lan Wangji’s path would lead away from him, to a place of glory and light. A place where he probably doesn’t have time for the troublesome, complicated life of Wei Wuxian.

But now, as he watches Lan Wangji through the screen, head bowed, the familiar melody somewhat lonely and melancholy, Wei Wuxian feels like an ass.

He should have been checking up on Lan Wangji.

“Hanguang Jun was injured several months ago,” Sizhui had explained back in the restaurant at Yueling. "Afterwards, he secluded himself and went to cultivate in Cold Pool Cave. When he returned, he seemed to have healed. But as the leader of the four sects, he has many responsibilities. He was working so much, and going on night hunts, and then preparing for the lectures--he never got time to rest. Finally, just a few days ago, he collapsed. Jingyi and I overheard him talking with Zewu Jun. The doctors want him to rest, but with the lectures starting, there’s no time. He’s already committed to taking on the lion’s share of the classes. We’re worried that with all of his obligations, his condition will only get worse.”

Outside of Lan Wangji’s window, Wei Wuxian sighs. 'Lan Zhan,' he thinks. 'You really never change, huh.'

He watches for a few moments longer, then removes Chenqing from his belt. He raises the flute to his lips, waits for the right opening in the song, then softly blows.

The guqin goes silent.

The silhouette doesn't move once as Wei Wuxian plays. It sits, still as a statue, until the song finishes. Wei Wuxian waits until the last notes dissipate in the air, then lowers the flute.

"Lan Zhan, are you ready to tell me the name of that song?"

"Wei Ying."

The words are quiet, but once uttered send a smile spreading across Wei Wuxian's face. It doesn't last long. The shoulders of that silhouette suddenly tense, then spasm in time with deep, guttural coughs.

Wei Wuxian moves quickly. “Lan Zhan,” he calls, opening the door, “I’m coming in!”

The look Lan Wangji shoots him from across the room is bewildered, but he’s too busy coughing into his sleeve to say anything. Wei Wuxian rushes over, crouching beside him, one hand unconsciously settling on the spot between Lan Wangji's shoulder blades.

He’s beautiful as always, Wei Wuxian thinks, in that heavenly, elegant way that could make one believe he stepped out of a poem or a painting. If it wasn’t for the faint circles beneath his eyes, the sheen on his forehead, or the pallor of his cheeks, Wei Wuxian probably wouldn’t even notice anything off. He reaches for Lan Wangji's wrist, feeling his pulse. His brow furrows. He lets go of the wrist and quickly moves his fingers to the acupoints on Lan Wangji's chest.

He doesn't need to be an expert healer to know that something is wrong with the energy circulating in Lan Wangji's body.

"Lan Zhan," he murmurs, face darkening. "What is this?"

Lan Wangji coughs a few more times, then pauses, catching his breath. At last he lowers his sleeve. His eyes meet Wei Wuxian’s.

“Wei Ying, why are you here?”

He actually has the audacity to sound a little bit worried--as if Wei Wuxian has appeared because he’s gotten caught up in another dangerous situation and needs his help. Wei Wuxian leans back, suddenly angry.

“Because of you, that’s why! You shouldn’t make your disciples worry so much!”

Lan Wangji drops his gaze. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine! Don't you know Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi came all the way to Yueling looking for me? All because of you!"

“They did what ?”

Crap. Wei Wuxian didn’t mean to get them in trouble. He waves it away hurriedly. “Whatever, whatever, never mind that. Anyway, what's going on? How come your energy's so . . . stagnant like this? Is that why you went to cultivate in Cold Pool Cave, to balance things out?"

Lan Wangji’s expression shifts imperceptibly, growing a little sad, a little embarrassed.

"Poison," he says at last.

Understanding creeps over Wei Wuxian like nausea. "You mean that injury you received all those months ago--"

Lan Wangji nods. "Poisoned."

Panic seizes Wei Wuxian like a greedy ghost. “But there’s something we can do, right? What did the doctor say?”

“It’s not lethal,” Lan Wangji replies calmly, and Wei Wuxian’s shoulders relax. “But periodically, the flow of energy is interrupted.”

“Periodically. So like, only sometimes, when you’ve been using a lot of energy, right?”1

“Mhm.”

Wei Wuxian bites his lip thoughtfully. “I see. And the cure?”

"None."1

“Bullshit! There’s gotta be something. Check the Forbidden Library."

“We searched there. So far, nothing.”

“A poison that’s not even in the Forbidden Library? Lan Zhan, no matter how I think about it, this is really just too suspicious. Where were you when it happened?”

“A village, north of Xietang2. Night hunt.”

“Who sent you there?”

“Rumors. A ghost, disappearances on the western bridge. But when we arrived . . .” Lan Wangji looks up. His face is grave. “A demon.”

Every single warning signal in Wei Wuxian’s mind is blaring. A demon in a small village with an extremely rare poison, who Lan Wangji, the newly appointed Chief Cultivator, just happened to encounter?

“How did it poison you?” he asks.

“Its blade.”

Wei Wuxian wants to know more, but Lan Wangji suddenly lets out a stifled, dry cough. The sound shakes Wei Wuxian to the core.

The questions can wait.

“Now that I’m here you should just rest, okay?" he says soothingly. "Focus on getting better. I’ll be here to help out, so don’t worry about anything. Come on, let’s get you into bed.”

The hand on Lan Wangji’s back slips over his shoulder as Wei Wuxian prepares to raise them both up. Lan Wangji, however, remains seated.

“You’re staying?” he asks incredulously.

“Of course I’m staying! You really think I’d let you start that lecture series without me? Someone has to make sure the lessons are at least a little bit interesting, or the Gusu Lan sect will have all of those poor kids bored to death!"

Besides, if there really is someone who has it in for Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian is going to stick around and make sure they don’t get their way.

Lan Wangji straightens. “Then, a room--”

“Zewu Jun already prepared one for me. He set me up in the Silent Room.” Probably because it’s farther away, Wei Wuxian thinks. He’ll cause less problems out at the Shadow Bamboo Pavilion. Not that Wei Wuxian is complaining. The moments he spent in that room were warm and comforting, even if they took place during one of the most difficult times of his life. It has nothing to do with the fact it used to be Lan Wangji's old room, or anything.

The lines around Lan Wangji’s mouth soften. This time, he allows Wei Wuxian to lead him to the bed. Wei Wuxian waits until he’s settled before speaking.

“Do you need anything?”

“No.”

Wei Wuxian clenches and unclenches his fists awkwardly, then straightens. “All right, then. Sleep well, Lan Zhan. We'll talk later."

He turns and is about to step away, when Lan Wangji’s voice stops him.

“Wei Ying.”

Wei Wuxian's heart trembles behind a tightening smile. He waits for Lan Wangji to continue, to say, 'I missed you.' 'I missed you like you missed me.' 'Stay with me.' 'Come to bed.'

“Thank you," Lan Wanji says.

Wei Wuxian wants to laugh at himself.

“Lan Wangji, you already know words like ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ are unnecessary between us."

Something like a smile crosses Lan Wangji’s face, and he looks away. “Mm."

Wei Wuxian watches him for a moment longer, waits until Lan Wangji's eyes slip shut, and leaves. His stomach is heavy with worry and guilt. To think, this whole time he's been feeling sorry for himself because Lan Wangji hasn't come to visit. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji has been cultivating in isolation, struggling to suppress the poison in his body while still managing his duties as leader of the clans. Now that he knows the truth, Wei Wuxian feels like the biggest jerk alive. He sighs as he shuts the door, and swears a solemn vow.

He’s going to make it up to Lan Wangji. This time, he’s going to be the one doing the protecting, the one doing the aiding. And this time, he definitely, most certainly, absolutely will not cause Lan Zhan any problems.

TBC . . .

Footnotes:

1. This is basically just MXTX's "no cure" poison from SVSSS. (The cure will not necessarily be the same)

2. Xietang is a previous name for Xitang, one of the water towns in Jiashan county. (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xitang)

#wangxian #the untamed #cql #cheng qing ling #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #fanfic #wwx #lwj #my stuff

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