#link click yingdu theory

[ollieyingdu]

VEIN PV — Analysis and Discussion

“ollie ur a week late” shut ur bitchass vein analysis is never late 🙏

ANYWAY.

welcome to my first analysis post of yingdu about the Vein PV released a couple days ago.

NOTE: this is a lottt of rambling that I’ve tried to categorize for easy consumption. if i repeat stuff or it feels clunky, i apologize!! im still working out how i wanna format these things lmao. thank you for your patience.

OKAYYYY LETS GET INTO IT !!!

lets start with the colors of this PV, shall we?

this PV is FULL of bright colors, nearly eye-strain level with a strong presence of red. Red is obviously Vein’s character color, representing violence and passion that he holds as a mafia boss, but what about the other colors?

in the screenshot I sent above, you can see a presence of bright blues and purples. in my opinion, i think the colors have less of an actual symbolism meaning, but moreso encourage us to draw conclusions about Vein. the bright colors paint his violence as fun, explosive and overpowering. as disturbing as the pv is, it’s clear that Vein is nowhere near disturbed by the things hes doing. the colors back this up perfectly.

also this pv is soooo pretty and i just want all of us to nod in acknowledgement of how PRETTY it is. studio lan i fear u ate

ANYWAY ANYWAY

as present in the lx pv as well, link click likes to show symbolism of their characters in the quick flashes before the pv actually starts. this is one for Vein: The Venus Flytrap.

according to google dot com and plant symbolism, venus flytraps represent persistence and deception. yep good all of this checks out, but why specifically a venus fly trap? can’t they show this with something else? i personally think it has to do with Vein as a character, and we don’t see a lot of that in the pv besides him being a major freak LMAOO. looking at what venus fly traps actually do — they secrete this nectar stuff that attracts flies, and using little hairs on the leaves, they can sense when a fly lands on a specific area and triggers the reaction of the plant closing. the flies outer layer is then digested and the plant feeds on what it really wants; the flies blood. i find this very interesting as i think it depicts how Vein meets shiguang. draws them in with something, closes around them and ends up feasting on their blood (whether literally or figuratively). maybe to trigger the trap, someone has to challenge him, like cxs will most likely do?? there’s definitely a lot to look at with that and I don’t think we have enough information to make concrete guesses 😭😭 but i wanted to bring it up!

along with the flytrap stuff, before the pv begins we see a video game visuals of Vein killing pigs, which I can assume depict random ass ppl in bridon. pigs being used in place of random ppl paint this picture of Vein as a butcher, and this is SO clever on link click’s part. there’s multiple scenes in the pv where vein is handling meat, whether that be killing, cutting or eating it. he’s a carnivore, through and through.

fitting that his symbolism is a carnivorous plant, isn’t it?

the video game aesthetic also gives the idea that Vein killing people is fun for him. he thrives on it. and it dehumanizes the people he kills, both through the pig imagery and that they matter as much as random enemies in a video game level. just a look into Vein’s psyche, very very interesting.

another detail that’s interesting to me; whenever Vein kills anyone in this pv, it’s always depicted with either face or head injuries, such as decapitation. this enforces how BRUTISH Vein really is. let me put it this way; if this pv showed Vein killing people with one methodical shot to the chest, our takeaway of his character would be vastly different. instead of that, vein deals injuries to the face and brain, to identity and control. he takes away people’s sense of self, either sweeping them under the rug or making them submissive to him.

and Vein does this gleefully. he’s shown laughing as he kills those around him, takes away their sense of self—he’s sadistic, incredibly so.

but, even scarier, he is drunk on power.

power is the biggest takeaway I get from this pv. they are telling us, to our face, that vein is the most powerful character we’ve met (before any of you say lx, his analysis with cover that, and i stand by my claim 👍 justtt wait and see).

okay, this considered, how is vein shown to be in power? how do we know he’s the most powerful? I think the answer to all of this lies in comparing him to past link click villains.

a big thing abt this pv is putting Vein on a different level than the villains we’ve seen before in how he exercises his power. qian jin (s2 villain if u don’t remember his name lmao), for example, typically exercises his power through manipulation. albeit, compared to lx he’s definitely worse, but his status and physical prowess allow him to have a good control of situations, such the scene at Chen bin’s house where he plants the money to frame him. Vein, on the other hand, has not only WAY more power, but a much more messy and brutal way of exercising it. in the pv we can see a lot of vein hurting people and it is messy. there’s blood everywhere, on him and on the ground, and he’s laughing maniacally surrounding by braindead henchmen. this is a BIG point on how powerful Vein is in the mafia. he doesn’t care for precision like qj does. Vein kills people, finds joy in doing so, and knows that nobody can stop him. his just has that much power. and comparing him to qj again: qj’s lackey guy had a mind of his own and ended up exercising his own agency at the end of s2. Vein’s lackeys are braindead and submissive, meaning that he surrounds himself with people who do not have the means to challenge him. my guess if that if anyone does, he gets rid of them quick, high off the adrenaline and the fact that nobody stands a chance against him.

this is backed by the loud, cocky rock music and eyestrain level visuals. it’s a nearly overwhelming amount of stimuli to display vein’s nearly overwhelming amount of power.

and in the screenshot I sent above, he’s walking outside the central bank with hooks behind him, flashy hair and all, without a care. the amount of power Vein has to do that is astronomical.

OKAY! big points from this analysis:

Vein is represented by a Venus Flytrap, one of a few carnivorous plants

Vein typically deals injuries to the face or head, which represents the way Vein takes away the identity of those around him.

Using pigs as depictions of random people, it makes Vein look like a butcher, as well as his scenes with meat everywhere

Vein finds a lot of joy in killing people, and is incredibly messy in how he handles it

Vein is powerful beyond comprehension through his Chinatown mafia

one thing i have left out is speculation around vein’s power (or if he even has one in the first place). because my theory for it is connected to another theory surrounding Overthink (the s1 ed), ill go in depth about it there! I’ll try and get that post out before yingdu airs, but be warned it is HEAVY speciation lmao

well guys, that seems to be it!!! i adore this PV, the song is a BANGERRR and we all cheer as we await yingdu!!

next up, lx pv analysis 🙏 drop a follow if ur interested in seeing it (trust me there is SO much to say about it) and check out the tag #ollieyingdu for anything yingdu related i have posted before or will post in the future.

thank you so much for stopping by! please feel free to comment/reblog ur thoughts, i welcome any and all discussion as long as everyone remains respectful.

that’s all for now! see you later 🫶

[inkinthetypewriter]

so i looked up “the eye” on tiktok to see if the intro was there and found this:

BOOKS ARRANGED IN MORSE CODE???

assuming black books are dashes and white books are dots, this is what it says,

STUDIO LAN DOES NOT FUCK AROUND WITH SYMBOLISM AND THE BOOKS ARE BEHIND LIU XIAO THIS MEANS SOMETHING

whoever spotted this first is a genius fr

[sonchop]

okay, just hear me out!!

since cheng xiaoshi's mother is also a time traveler and wants to save her husband by changing the past, WHAT IF her actions GREATLY influenced the development of events? i mean, of course they did, but what if cheng xiaoshi WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DIE in THE VERY FIRST timeline?

what if it was his mother's attempts to prevent her husband's death that led to this series of events??? to xiaoshi's death??????

JUST IMAGINE. it's the first time she's changed the past, SO liu xiao & co start looking for her AND cheng xiaoshi's father (because SHE is looking for him)

is that why they find cheng xiaoshi and everything leads to vein killing him?????? AND THEN lu guang jumps in time, trying to stop it.

WHAT IF he doesn't succeed precisely because cheng xiaoshi's mother dives in a few years before him and changes events there, condemning him to failure in advance???

WHAT IF THE ONLY WAY to save cheng xiaoshi is to give up saving his father??

imagine a conversation between lu guang and cheng xiaoshi's mother. she proves that if her son and lu guang don't interfere, she will save her husband and everyone will live happily, and lu guang tells her about cheng xiaoshi's death. aaaaand they both understand HOW to prevent it. a choice between a husband and a child. and it seems to me that she would have chosen a husband (seriously, it feels like both parents consider their goal and each other more important than their son..)

NOW IMAGINE she apologizes to lu guang and promises to save cheng xiaoshi as soon as she saves her husband and then disappears, and Lu Guang now has a certain enemy. not the whole flow of time, but the mother of the one he is trying to save. aand now he knows who needs to be stopped in order to achieve his goal.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS?

[neo--queen--serenity]

When I rewatched the Bridon Arc, I noticed that each time Lu Guang has a nightmare (once in episode 3, and again in episode 4), his watch is stuck on the exact time and date that he chose to abandon his original timeline to try to save Cheng Xiaoshi. More specifically, it's the date and time that he associates with Cheng Xiaoshi’s death: September 13, at 00:05.

[luguangssandwich]

I'm rlly tired rn so idk if any of this will make sense but I've done some sleuthing and rewatched the episode, now with the highly likely chance that Cheng Xiaoshi has dived back too. Hear me out:

Xiaoshi definitely did dive, and I think it started from the moment we saw his face in black and white at 4:59 PM:

And I think he stays until the Vivian arc fades out after they ran away (that was at 3:45 AM according to the clock in the room) I think he left as soon as they were safe and before the 12 hour limit passed. After that, he is back to the same, more naive and youthful person (who doesn't know about Lu Guang's powers) we have seen before the above. Everything he does in between those 12 hours is completely in line with his late S1 and S2 behaviour, I found it extremely uncanny and interesting to watch with this in mind!

Other bits that I found particularly interesting was the conversation after he pulled Lu Guang back to the studio. Qiao Ling asks what they should have for dinner and Cheng Xiaoshi suggests hot pot. We know this is his signature food, but I found Qiao Ling's response odd, because in the original Chinese subtitles she asks him if he's sick, because nobody eats hot pot during such a hot day. It felt odd because she made it seem out of character for him?

There's also CXS bossing Lu Guang around - at this point in time they know each other for a very brief amount of time, but the way he asks all these things of him feels like a future timeline in which they've already gotten extremely used and comfortable as partners and living together.

With this in mind, calling him "Guangguang" doesn't feel like it came out of nowhere anymore.

A few other pieces of dialogue I found extremely sus:

Even Lu Guang is surprised by his out of character behaviour at this point (but also vice versa!).

Now, the way he behaves during the date - I wouldn't say it's completely out of character for a future CXS to act out of his own wits. I don't think this guy's been on a single date in his life lol of course he would freak the hell out in such a situation, during previous dives he at least had the safety of possessing someone else. His empathy never fails so he tries to be kind and guide Vivian home, something a future Cheng Xiaoshi would do as well.

But what REALLY tipped me off is that there is no way a non-possessed CXS would've known that LG would know where he is at this moment in time, because he wasn't told until after this scene that he took a photo. I don't think the Vivian arc happened before (and it's possible it was triggered directly by the changed node when CXS dragged LG back to the studio). Cheng Xiaoshi had no idea Lu Guang would ACTUALLY SHOW UP IN PERSON tho (my guy at this point are u actually even surprised?) and probably just thought he'd call the cops, seeing how surprised he was at Lu Guang's appearance.

I'm gonna post the screenshot of Cheng Xiaoshi with golden eyes again because it really baffles my mind.

I don't know if any of this makes sense and I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

[floafl]

Glasses metaphor in Link Click

So we've all seen and wondered about Lu Guang's rose glasses, i believe part of the metaphor in these glasses was hinted at this episode via cheng xiaoshi

with both blue and red tinted glasses, someone with 3d glasses can see the full depth intended by a picture. each color filtering out specific hues and only making sense when combined

this scene of cheng xiaoshi immediately whips around and shows us Lu Guang in his uni-colored glasses again, reminding us of them while he gives us his explanation for what is occuring

Lu Guang's glasses are a metaphor for him not being able to see the full depth of the situation. he only see's one side, leading him to filter out certain colors that would be obvious otherwise. he is possibly stuck in how he views their powers and this entire arc.

Lu Guang's glasses have been a metaphor for his skewed POV of the situation the whole time.

[egoitsharu]

¿Did you know that LC characters are represented with flowers?

Checking the wiki I noticed that detail, the characters of Bridon Arc represent a flower

Cheng Xiaoshi is associated with the flower "Bellis". In the language of flowers, Bellis perennis, commonly known as the common daisy or bellis, symbolizes innocence, purity and loyal love. It can also represent new beginnings and love that overcomes difficulties. Additionally, in some cultures, they can also be associated with youth and joy.

Lu Guang is associated with the flower "Forget-Me-Not". It symbolizes eternal memory, true love and fidelity. It is associated with memory and affection towards someone special, even from a distance or after their departure. It also has a meaning in friendship and unwavering loyalty.

Qiao Ling with the "Hyacinth" flower. Hyacinth has different meanings depending on its color, but in general it symbolizes play, joy and rebirth. The hyacinth is a flower with many nuances in its symbolism, depending on the context and color.

Liu Xiao is associated with the "Spiderwort" flower. The Spiderwort (Tradescantia) symbolizes adaptability, resilience, and long-lasting love. It is associated with the ability to overcome challenges due to its resilient nature and ability to flourish in different conditions. It also represents ephemeral beauty, as its flowers typically last only a day before wilting. In some cultures, this flower is believed to have spiritual significance related to renewal and connection with nature.

Xia Fei is associated with the "Sunflower". The Sunflower symbolizes worship, happiness, energy, and loyalty. Because of its ability to follow the sun (heliotropism), it represents the search for light, positivity, and devotion. It is also associated with strength and longevity, as it is a resilient and vibrant flower.

Vein is associated with the flower "Dahlia". The Dahlia symbolizes elegance, strength, creativity and commitment. In the language of flowers, it is associated with dignity and determination, reflecting the ability to face changes with grace. It can also represent passion and the eternal bond in love, which is why it is common in weddings and romantic events.

Wang Qing is represented with the flower "Datura". Datura, also known as devil's trumpet or thorn apple flower, has an ambiguous and mysterious symbolism. Because of its exotic beauty and its connection to the forbidden, Datura represents both temptation and enlightenment.

[theuntoaster]

I'm really curious what Lu Guang was actually planning when he dove back in time, because it looks like he _was_ planning on sticking to the 12h rule at first and then, literally at the last minute (5:31 am when he dove into a photo taken at 5:32 pm) he decided to stay instead. And then texted Cheng Xiaoshi at 5:33 am (one minute after the 12h limit) to say he would play basketball the next day. I can't help but think that maybe he planned to just never go back to the basketball court and never become friends with Cheng Xiaoshi in the first place, but then he couldn't go through with it and decided to break all the rules, stay longer than 12 hours, and find some other way to change Cheng Xiaoshi's fate.

[sarshles-cheescake-li]

My favourite analysis on Lu Guang's answer to the animal riddle is that he said detective, partly because he sees himself as guilty, by @curapicas (2025). (thanks muninnhuginn for finding the link!) However, I posit another answer: everyone.

You can set a forest aflame with a match, sure, but that doesn't cause devastation on the scale of lifeless charcoal. Where I live, our forest are born to be burned. Pockets of wildfire open up cracks in the canopy, letting sun shine on young trees; nutrients are released back into soil; the jack pine tree needs fire to reproduce (Natural Resources Canada, 2024). Wildfires have become an issue for us recently for one major reason: mismanagement.

Forest fires are bound to happen. Delay it endlessly, leave thousand of acres of standing, old wood, and that's when a forest fire becomes truly ravenous. Was it any one creature's fault? The fault of the elephant for dutifully putting out small sparks whenever they were seen? The fox for watching the forest grow thick and overcrowded without speaking up? The rabbits for planting the grasses that they adore as food? No one could have seen it coming, yet, everyone could. It wasn't anyone's fault. It was everyone's fault. It was a tragedy. It was an inevitability. Lu Guang would know: he's been fighting that inevitable fire for years.

A forest fire, and a death node. Never any one singular person to blame, one single factor that caused the fire: always a collision of dozens of entangled threads. Cheng Xiaoshi's death was never caused by one singular person, and the fire was never set by any one creature. The animals of the forest, in their attempts to make the forest a better home for themselves, set the stage for it to burn. The people who love and are loved by Cheng Xiaoshi, in their actions to protect him, attract the attention of executioners. 引火上身。*

Fundamentally, it's the same as Cheng Xiaoshi's answer -- that sometimes lightning strikes your life, and that's that. Only, Cheng Xiaoshi says 'it wasn't anyone's fault, no one did anything to start it'. Lu Guang, and maybe Vein, too, say 'they were all at fault, no one did anything to prevent it'. Lu Guang answers everyone, because he has come to see disasters as not the result of a singular person's actions, but rather a product of everyone's decisions. Even though Vein may not be a time traveler well-versed in the crowdfunded nature of tragedies, he still may well be cynical enough to write off the idea of innocent victims.

Lastly, consider that Lu Guang doesn't plot Vein's death because it would prevent him from killing Cheng Xiaoshi. He does it because it creates a new node; a new fire. Controlled burning**.

*Meaning "to attract fire onto one's own body." An idiom for when you cause your own problems, especially by attracting the attention or ire of others.

**An actual forest management technique where you set small, controlled fires, which clear out the dead wood and fulfill the same purposes as a big fire without it getting out of hand. Many Indigenous peoples have been doing it since forever. (BC Wildfire Service, 2022)

BC Wildfire Service. (2022, May 5). How cultural burning enhances landscapes and lives. Government of British Columbia. https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/how-cultural-burning-enhances-landscapes-and-lives/

Curapicas. (2025, February 5). Why I think Lu Guang's answer to the riddle was the detective:. Tumblr. https://www.tumblr.com/curapicas/774647863305256960/why-i-think-lu-guangs-answer-to-the-riddle-was

Natural Resources Canada. (2024, August 1). Why forests need fires, insects and diseases. Government of Canada. https://natural-resources.canada.ca/our-natural-resources/forests/insects-disturbances/why-forests-need-fires-insects-and-diseases/13081

[lonavvvv]

unhinged freaky lu guang, i support lu guang's rights and wrongs etc etc

[xia01i]

what i find really interesting is that when qiao ling was possessed, she talked about punishment and the "game" restarting due to breaking the "rules"

but you know the only other character that really talks about punishment:

which is odd to me, meaning that the Red Eyes we saw in S1 cannot be the same red eyes as in S2, because if that truly was the case, Li Tianchen technically should enjoy killing and know about this "game" or so-called punishment throughout S2. Moreover, the killing styles are different since Li Tianchen kills others through suicide and specifically remembers his first kill as such.

however, i find it interesting when Red Eyes makes these claims because throughout S2, we never see Li Tianchen address this ever again or try to take Cheng Xiaoshi's powers via death which we see when qiao ling gets hers from li tianxi or when cheng xiaoshi died in the previous timelines. this means that Red Eyes already knows of the existence of other powers, i.e., probably lu guang, and how to take them as well; either from their own knowledge, or perhaps someone else (i'm looking at you, liu xiao). it could also explain lu guang's surprise when he learns about "someone having the ability possess spirits" as he probably never reached this far into a dive (assuming this actually takes place in 22/10/2021). this is also supported by the fact that in the yingdu/bridon arc when lu guang had a nightmare, cheng xiaoshi didn't say anything about the xu shanshan case.

and the only way to reset the "game" is technically to kill off the one who keeps doing that and the one who possesses the powers to dive back in time.

[ollieyingdu]

Vein, Overthink and The Eye — Theory

WELCOME TO MY MANGUM OPUS

ive had this theory for quite a long time and i have commonly dubbed it the core of my delusion. when i made it I was like 95% sure it wasn’t right and it was simply a coincidence. however, with new songs and promotional material IT MIGHT JUST BE RIGHT!

so, without further ado, strap in for a WILD ride of Vein, Overthink and the secret meaning of The Eye:

first off, link click LOVES their use of color. they give characters, settings, powers, and even THEMES their own color. both to visually cue us in on what’s going on, and to allow people to draw connections between two seemingly different things.

for example: Vein’s character color is red. we know this and we’ve seen it everywhere, especially in his pv. and what else in link click is noticeably red? Overthink’s visuals.

now what does this say exactly? well, in my opinion, i think it gives us a BIG clue into Vein’s character and lg’s relationship with him if we examine the lyrics of Overthink like the song is a call and response between TWO people. M

this part of my theory I’m currently iffy about. i don’t think overthink is actually a call and response song, but some of these line up a little TOO well. the two speakers of this song are represented by the fact overthink is in both mandarin and english. mandarin speaker is lg, and english speaker is vein.

ive prepared a couple examples:

mandarin speaker: being watched by the eye of time english speaker: yeah

english speaker: stop thinking bout it, why ya mind overclouded? mandarin speaker: I unconsciously glance towards my right hand

english speaker: stop thinking bout it, why ya mind overclouded? mandarin speaker: in the gap of time I stopped thinking, I realized that my troubles were just me troubling myself

OKAY! so what do all of these mean? good fucking question. i think all of this hints at Vein being an “eye of time” or someone who watches over the events of time travel. this ensures that nobody fucks up the past too much. it would also mean vein is aware of shiguang and their powers, which is confirmed from the trailers.

this also hints at vein possibly having powers related to the mind and dreams. a lot of the lines in this song involve the mind being “overclouded” and how people need to stop thinking too much. this would fit PERFECTLY for vein being the time police. if he has mind powers he’d be able to manipulate people to not abuse time powers (cough cough LG) and maintain the status quo. a lot of lines also talk about dreams, and we know lg gets “visions” or something of vein. what if that’s vein in the mind, in this weird dreamscape? nods nods stuff to consider.

alright, we got all the stuff about overthink down. vein is the time police. nods okay. but what about The Eye?

btw before I say all this, I know baishajaws did not know the plot of yingdu when making their song, which is why im going to try and base my analysis on the visuals instead. the song matches my theory very well but it is purely coincidence 🙂‍↕️ and i am aware of that

ANYWAY! what i noticed when watching The Eye was how vein was portrayed. he was the only character we didn’t see the eyes or face of (of the new villains, anyway). we know eyes are windows to the soul, so I think it hints at vein’s overall intentions. watching over everyone, near a clocktower no less!! it gives him this eerie feeling, like he always knows what’s going on. idk…spoooky stuff

so yea, my thought is that vein is basically the Time Police. new trailers have all but confirmed it, so im pretty excited abt that LMAO

fun fact: i fully wrote out this theory twenty-ish days ago in a server thread and im so upset i didn’t post it earlier cause with all of the trailers it seems like im onto something with the eye of time thing. oh well 😭 at least it’s here now.

anyway! hope the delusion was amusing for you all lmao. if I’m even SLIGHTLY right I’ll take this as a win cause WOW this is a stretch

but yea, check out #ollieyingdu for more, and happy first episode 🙂‍↕️ stay safe LMAOO

[matchacreamlatte]

he’s in his s1 clothes here. (and watch on right hand)

This might be a nightmare/flashback (possibly induced by veins theorized powers) of cxs’s death.

For the watch, in the previous cxs death scene from s2, the watch is on the left. In s1-s2 his watch is normally on his right.

different deaths, different timelines.

Also his watch is on the left here.

Does he switch his watch every timeline as a reminder. Or can he not stand to look at his left hand with the watch as it reminds him of cxs’s blood?

[just-honey-dewd]

LINK CLICK S1 EPISODE 5.5 - The Silly Goose allegations

This is a post dedicated to collecting instances showcasing Lu Guang's uncharacteristic behaviour throughout the episode. Compared to other episodes that take place in S1, I find that he never actually takes things as seriously as he would elsewhere. Which genuinely raised alarm bells for me, so here's my attempt at providing evidence of my accusations!

1) THE COCKINESS OF THIS MAN

"I don't hit girls" is one of the earliest instances of Lu Guang betraying his mature and sensible image -- specifically displaying immaturity in admitting his incompetence at video games. BONUS IMAGE: Still blushing in the background even after the moment's passed.

2) NOT GIVING HIS FULL ATTENTION TO A MISSION'S DETAILS

Granted, there is precedence to Lu Guang doing tasks in the background while Qiao Ling relays information about the case and client (in s1 e2), but Lu Guang usually spares a glance into the photos before determining whether he'll need Cheng Xiaoshi's involvement.

3) THE SNACKING AND AFTERNOON NAP

This is the only time Lu Guang is seen literally sleeping on the job -- not including the Emma case, because sleeping while the client is inactive is valid practice. In this case, it communicates a carefree disposition that Lu Guang knows he can afford. Which reads differently to how he usually acts during dives that don't require his constant supervision for a long period of time. For example, his behaviour during the first third of the Chen Xiao case -- a mission which partially involved Cheng Xiaoshi remaining on the bench for 20 minutes. The actual goal was getting Chen Xiao's message to Lu Hongbin, the outcome of the game wasn't important -- but Lu Guang remained on high alert and in constant communication with Cheng Xiaoshi (until he went ominously quiet for unconvincing reasons, but that's sth else). Point is, Lu Guang usually remains awake to watch over Cheng Xiaoshi, and doesn't usually snack on the job -- the way he leaves a mess on the table also feels more callous than typical Lu Guang fashion.

4) TIMING RIGHT DOWN TO THE SECOND

"Don't move a muscle!" You don't need glasses to see how extra Lu Guang's being with his insistence on accuracy right down to the second. Does the moment Liu Siwen's foot touches the last step matter in the long run? I doubt it. But apparently it matters to Lu Guang -- who's literally looking at his watch to confirm the seconds -- which seems incompatible for the same guy who teaches Cheng Xiaoshi that the major nodes are what must remain unchanged. It feels like misplaced priorities. Since the mission is "learn Ouyang Bubai's secret move", and the automatic outcome will be losing to him -- the major node won't change if Liu Siwen was slightly tardy or too early. And another thing I find strange are that in similar instances where Lu Guang is timing events down to the second, he's not looking at his watch to do it -- rather he seems to have a sixth sense for counting in sync with time's rhythm: in s1e1 he only opts to close his book audibly in order to alert Cheng Xiaoshi to initiate the event (no need eyeing his watch), and in yingdu e3 he drums his fingers to the last seconds before a canon event occurs.

5) Backseat gaming

This manner of instruction is superfluous and doesn't align with other instances which display Lu Guang's rather hands-off approach to instructing Cheng Xiaoshi. The approach he adopts immediately afterwards is much more successful in aiding him (also note that it's Cheng Xiaoshi who instructs Lu Guang to adopt this approach): CXS: Just predict the attack's direction. I will handle everything else.

Knowing to only give Cheng Xiaoshi limited prompts necessary for him to intuit his next course of action is crucial Lu Guang 101 behaviour. From what previous episodes have established of Lu Guang's character -- he usually knows what to say, and what little needs to be said, in order to coordinate Cheng Xiaoshi to do what is required to meet the objective. This backwards behaviour suggests Lu Guang's inexperience in understanding how Cheng Xiaoshi's mind operates. Inconsistent since the Ouyang case takes place after the EMMA case, which shows Lu Guang utilising the hands-off approach.

6) The genuine shock

Between these scenes, there's a very visible shock marring Lu Guang's expressions that simply isn't present in other episodes, and isn't seemingly appropriate for the context of the revelation, nor with his time traveller status in mind. When Cheng Xiaoshi looks as though he's about to land a critical hit on Ouyang Bubai, Lu Guang sighs pre-emptively -- as though he expects that Cheng Xiaoshi has the upper hand against Ouyang Bubai (though that would also suggest it slipped his mind that the mission was to observe how Ouyang Bubai's secret technique works). Then after Ouyang Bubai's move is executed on Cheng Xiaoshi, Lu Guang's jaw drops. Something we only get the luxury of seeing in s2, when he's possessed by Cheng Xiaoshi. In the next scene, when Qiao Ling reveals the full context of Liu Siwen's determination -- Lu Guang full body flinches, which contrasts Cheng Xiaoshi's relatively conservative head tilt. This is not the body language of someone who's gone through this before.

7) The open hypocrisy

Cheng Xiaoshi points out Lu Guang's blatant disregard for his rules. Specifically "Past and future. Don't ask questions" -- directly involving themselves in Liu Siwen's life is interfering with his future which is technically a violation of that rule. But Lu Guang snubs him with a half-hearted "I came to watch over you."

What we see immediately after seems to be the key to understanding the driving force for Lu Guang joining to support Liu Siwen against his strict rules. If we were to believe this was Lu Guang's first experience with the Ouyang case, he came without the knowledge that Ouyang Bubai would finally surrender and allow Liu Siwen and Ouyang to be married. So he came to witness Liu Siwen's determination first-hand. If this wasn't the first experience, Lu Guang expects Ouyang Bubai to surrender, so he approaches the old man to understand the reasoning behind his stubbornness.

Let's say I'm of the opinion that it's the former... then the question becomes this:

Why does Lu Guang take a particular fascination in Liu Siwen?

To that, I think this scene in particular provides some suggestions.

The dramatic lighting and music accompanying this exchange emphasizes the weight of Lu Guang's conviction in Liu Siwen's resilience. And Cheng Xiaoshi voices the sentiment aloud. "What is it that gives him the strength to keep fighting?"

Following this train of thought, Lu Guang wasn't looking to ask Ouyang Bubai to understand why he finally lets go, but came to watch how Liu Siwen persists against all odds.

Thematically, that's why Liu Siwen has the last words in this episode. He embodies the theme of this episode: to cherish and fight for that which you hold dearly.

[miyamiwu]

Red and Green; Up and Down

Red and Green are very prominent colors in the Yingdu Chapter. They are the two main colors in the OP:

red and green album behind the camera; red and green basketball court

They’re even more obvious in the ED with the traffic lights:

Red phone booth, green light; red and green lights (+yellow if you count XF lol)

But Miya, they are primary/secondary colors. Of course, they’re everywhere!

Okay, but look again at this frame in the OP:

Red on the outside, and green on the inside.

Now, look at the same basketball court, but as shown before the OP in YE1:

The colors are reversed. It’s now green on the outside, and red on the inside.

There is probably more to this discrepancy if we analyze the relevant dialogue in this scene for the pre-OP and in the lyrics for the OP, but I don’t have time for that right now. Let’s just take this as a signal from the animators to focus on those two colors.

Okay, so Green and Red are relevant, but what do they have to do with Up and Down?

In YE1, there was this scene where CXS passes the ball to LG, but it then unusually focuses on the camera and not on the ball:

Our eyes can’t help but be drawn to the camera…which is pointing to the down arrows on LG’s tie. And what are those arrows pointing to?

The green lane Lu Guang is standing on. However, this lane is red in the OP. Is it really pointing at the green? Or is it pointing at the red? And why focus on the camera first instead of just focusing directly on the arrows to get the message across more clearly? Camera + Arrows. What could they mean? This is something to think about...

Then in Lu Guang’s nightmare in YE3, Vein is chasing him in a green hallway, and he escapes into a green exit with a green down arrow:

He then falls into a dark room full of red:

The Green arrow from above is pointing down to the Red room.

So, does that mean Green is Up and Red is Down? I can’t say...

In the Bloody Storm PV, we have people descending green stairs:

Only the steps are green, though. We can say that there’s green light shining from above to make it appear green. This green light can also be seen on the backs of the men.

It is also worth mentioning that @rainibao has pointed out that, in the flashes, the people are ascending the stairs:

Moreover, the green light is lost here, and we’re left with a gloomy frame full of neutral colors against a plain red background. This also happens in the part of the song where the tension builds up and Vein is about to go crazy. This is definitely relevant, seeing as in the YE3 nightmare, Lu Guang finds himself in a red room and Vein finally catches him.

Something something about Green and Order (men obediently going down the stairs; Vein forcing Lu Guang down a green hallway), and Red and Punishment (men going up the stairs as the tension builds up, Vein catching Lu Guang in a bloody room).

Anyways… Is Red up? And Green down? Or, going by the green being light from above, then is Green up and Red down? I still can’t say...

Why does it matter what direction they are?

Because in Mandarin Chinese, time is viewed in a vertical fashion. The past is above you, while the future is below you. Knowing whether red/green is up/down can help us ground ourselves in this time travel show.

There’s also this:

Red light on Lu Guang; Green light on Cheng Xiaoshi.

I’ve always found the color assignment here odd because in traffic light language, Green means go, while Red means stop. Shouldn’t CXS, who is already dead, be the one in Red since his time has stopped? They even made it a point to color him in cold neutral colors without the green light shining on him, as if to hammer in the point that he’s dead (in contrast to Lu Guang who is in warm colors when not under the red light). (It was too difficult to get a screenshot of this, but I remember seeing a draft of this animation sequence where CXS was clearly transitioning from grey to colored, while LG was more warm to colored. If anybody can find that again, please send me a link!)

Anyways, if Green Cheng Xiaoshi is Dead, then does that mean Green is Future/Down? Red Lu Guang would then be Past/Up, signifying him going back in time.

But this doesn’t align with the nightmare sequence, where Green is Up and Red is Down… But then again, it was a nightmare. Can we even trust it? Can we trust anything in this show???

Or maybe Red/Green is constantly cycling between Up/Down. Maybe one moment Red is Up and Green is down, while in the next it’s reverse. An indication of time being a closed loop in Link Click?

I don’t fucking know.

There are no conclusions here. I just thought I’d point this out so I can have more people be just as confused as me hehe.

Dumping this to you, specifically, @protect-namine

[xinruixxag]

Link Click Latin Translations ‼️

2 instances where it happens:

Lu Guang’s notebook:

and 2. a book

I made all of these last year right as Yingdu was airing, but never posted them here. Enjoy!