#also that shot with them face to face and a Ning

[beforetimes]

transmigrator luo binghe au where he's been an ardent reader of pidw for so long. like from first year in high school to third year in university it's been stretching. and he's fallen in and out of love throughout the years but the one thing that he's never shaken on is that shen qingqiu is probably the most one-sided evil character he's ever read in his life. like it's comical how much bad this guy will get up to but he's so easy to hate.

binghe tragically dies and wakes up as luo binghe, pure little disciple shortly after shen qingqiu's brought him up to the mountain and dumped tea on his head. and if this was the original luo binghe, he would have sat back and taken it and eventually gone batshit nuts as the original intended.

this binghe knows that trying to be nice and do his best doesn't do shit. so he starts engaging in what some would call mild psychological warfare and many verbal sparring matches with shen qingqiu.

this starts with pulling pranks that can't be traced back to him from experience doing such in the modern world with a little sister that ning yingying reminds him of before eventually escalating as he grows older to the kindest, most polite fluffed up words being used exclusively to talk to his shizun with. they both know that binghe absolutely does not mean them. but it's so fun to go back and forth with the scum villain

like, pidw has made a great point of stressing how much of a dick shen qingqiu was but the novel never mentioned how funny he was. a quarter of binghe's verbal repertoire is from catching snags of conversations shen qingqiu has with liu qingge and yue qingyuan and pretty much every other peak lord. there's an art to crafting benign sentences that have insults weaved into them.

now, shen qingqiu, in another version of this world? intensely abusive. not a good guy by a long shot. in this world? his smart mouthed disciple who went from meek and shy to immediately getting on the defensive and hitting back after shen qingqiu dumps tea on his head is more than enough to throw him off from his initial plans.

because, like, he's not sure why he hated luo binghe immediately upon seeing him. maybe because luo binghe reminds him of himself but acts so damn weak that it drives him to lash out. but this one bites back, has teeth and uses them, refuses to give an inch and can honestly stand up well enough. it's intriguing, sue him! almost every single other disciple on this mountain is too scared to speak to him with any degree of familiarity, while luo binghe acts as though there's no real social conventions between them while very carefully pretending to adhere to them.

like shen qingqiu has picked up on the fact that it's definitely on purpose that luo binghe is polite in class but only makes needling little remarks like "this one apologizes for the subpar performance, begging shizun's forgiveness. the composition of the piece is unique and this one only knows how to play more conventional pleasant melodies expertly." outside of class and away from anyone he could lose face around. longest way to call shen qingqiu's sheet music dogshit that he's ever heard. it's almost funny

but, at the same time—so disrespectful! he has to punish him somehow. laps hardly work because luo binghe is a physical cultivator and actually quite benefits from the exercise which is the last thing he wants to do. and writing essays also doesn't work because luo binghe just squeezes in more little asides like "this one has reflected on his actions and expresses guilt should it please shizun" and "this disciple was stupid for the assumption that the scholarly peak would appreciate my current language, in the future this one will persevere to wield shizun's teachings to the best of my ability."

so, next best thing; shen qingqiu makes luo binghe act as his personal hand. making dishes, cleaning the home, basically treating him like a de facto servant in all but name. luo binghe is more than used to the amount of chores he gets assigned during to living on his own during university and finds it almost? relaxing!

but the proximity to shen qingqiu leads to luo binghe getting a far different view of the man than he's ever read or seen yet: a human one.

which, like, luo binghe wasn't under the impression that every single person he met in this world would remain two dimensional book characters but he wasn't expecting to see it happen with shen qingqiu. there's a world of difference in seeing shen qingqiu during an argument with yue qingyuan and seeing the immediate aftermath, mask of a face stuttering to reveal a deeply troubled expression before he's wearing that infuriating—manufactured?—ice cold demeanour again. and making breakfast in the morning just to see how long it takes for shen qingqiu to come outside of his room, reminding him far too much of his old roommates depressive episodes where he's left laying in bed until duty drags him out. and he notices how no one visits and shen qingqiu is almost always alone and when peak lords do visit it's to needle at him or start fights or official business and nothing much inbetween. and luo binghe knows it's not an excuse to abuse him but he hasn't been whipped yet and everything bad that's happened so far hasn't been that bad at all. so now he's stuck with this realization that shen qingqiu is real and he's going to be here for a long few years. wouldn't it be in his best interest to try and make things more bearable for himself by making shen qingqiu a bit happier?

which. he doesn't know how to do that. so he tries a bit of everything. a lot of his ideas don't work and inspire more ire in shen qingqiu than he was expecting. so luo binghe decides to try being on his best behaviour. the picture of a perfect disciple when they go out on a trip down the mountain to deal with disappearances and a possible demon.

shen qingqiu is probably the most annoyed he's ever been then. snapping at him more, barking commands, insulting him to his face in front of the juniors he's brought along, because for some reason, luo binghe is the only disciple who isn't new and fresh who's been brought along for this trip.

everything to do with the skinner demon sucks. luo binghe always feels some sort of amusement or annoyance when it comes to shen qingqiu's jabs but he actually feels hurt this time. getting captured is the last straw—the trip up the mountain is dead silent and shen qingqiu lays into him unlike before behind closed doors, a few comments about false faces and idiotic attempts to manipulate thrown in there. and luo binghe is 100% expecting to get whipped for this before shen qingqiu just. tells him he'll be confined to the side room in the bamboo house until the morning. and nothing else.

luo binghe doesn't try to test his luck: he shuts his disciple ass up and listens. and wakes up the next morning to greet shen qingqiu with a tea and a mild comment about undue stress to the vocal cords leading to ailments and won't he try this honeyed tea he liked as a small child because (this he doesn't say out loud) it feels fitting for the situation? and shen qingqiu is stiff shouldered until this comment and they both continue onwards as though the mission never happened.

and etc etc etc. i will expand on this later trust. but if you want anything specific elaborated on just shoot me an ask :^)

[tossawary]

While I do think that Wangxian would still be obsessed with each other in a Human/Cybertronian pairing, whichever one of them is the robot, I keep leaning towards Wen Ning being the robot in a "Transformers" AU for MDZS. I think it really fits the "I rebuilt you into an abomination" angle for the Ningxian situationship.

Also, I keep making myself laugh by thinking about bitchy-faced Lan Wangji sitting awkwardly in Wen Ning's passenger seat, because Wen Ning passive-aggressively won't let LWJ sit in the driver's seat even if Wei Wuxian isn't in the car. 

Which led me to thinking about the worldbuilding and plotting of a MDZS TF AU in which only the Wens are Cybertronians. (For the Sunshot-Era characters, at least.) Young WWX and LWJ are roughly the equivalent of human characters like G1's Spike, Carly, and/or Chip. (Though it would also be fun to do a different AU where WWX and/or LWJ are transforming giant robots, of course.)

In my mind, this story would take place in a modern-ish sci-fi setting. Start close to a Bayverse-like setting (live-action TF movies), but quickly morph into a "Pacific Rim"-style mecha setting (humans building mechs to fight monsters, not necessarily with a "Drift" co-piloting setup) as the equivalent of the Sunshot Campaign war starts and continues, before ultimately the setting becomes more of a retro-futuristic space opera like the original 1986 TF movie and the third season of G1 (the original TF cartoon). 

So, Wei Wuxian is a teenage genius at some prestigious robotics university/college, which does important research on a handful of alien artifacts. Lan Wangji also goes to this school and teenage Wangxian have the usual interpersonal conflict between them. 

Alien robots have been visiting Earth with increasing frequency over the past few decades, usually flying in and out without doing much, sometimes causing some destruction, so they're somewhat known, but a lot of people still think it's an elaborate hoax of some kind. The recovered pieces of these alien robots have provided a technological boost to humanity, which has caused some serious problems all over the world, but mundane life goes on for many people even if mech programs are apparently a real thing now. 

(Wei Wuxian's parents (who were humans) had dealings with Cybertronians. He does not initially know this.) 

The Cloud Recesses school possesses some very important alien artifact that serves as our story's MacGuffin. I'm thinking that it's either the Allspark or the Matrix of Leadership. Whatever it is, it's been dormant and useless for a very long time... basically a rock... until Wei Wuxian manages to build technology that actually manages to interface with the MacGuffin. No one else has ever managed this before. He can make it do stuff. 

Unfortunately, in achieving this, he accidentally sends out the equivalent of a signal to all Cybertronians pretty much everywhere saying: "YO! Earth has got your stuff! The MacGuffin you've been searching for for a million years is over here! Come and get it!" 

So, the school gets attacked by a group of Cybertronians, probably led by Cybertronian Wen Chao. The school possesses enough technology for some of the more daring and reckless students (Wei Wuxian) to fight back a little, using a combination of smarts and highly volatile projects, until some mech pilots arrive to chase them off. Wei Wuxian manages to knock one of the transformers down, but he doesn't take the killing shot, because the transformer looks scared, and Wei Wuxian also saw this transformer trying to step carefully around the humans. The transformer retreats with the other Cybertronians. 

Insert some plot and character stuff here. Then, in the next action-y sequence when Wei Wuxian gets attacked by Cybertronians again, he's saved when a car pulls up in front of him (it looks like either LWJ or Jiang Cheng's fancy car) and flings open a door for him to jump inside. It's only as they're driving away that Wei Wuxian realizes that no one else is in the car. 

Wei Wuxian: "...You're a Cybertronian, right? Was this a bad idea? Did I fuck up?" 

Cybertronian Wen Ning (the transformer whom Wei Wuxian didn't kill earlier): "Yeah, kind of. I'm surprised that you just went along with that? I'm kidnapping you. Sorry." 

In this universe, the Wens are essentially the Decepticons, but if the Decepticons had basically already won the war. There are some remaining Autobots out there, Wen Ning actually has a few Autobot ties, but the Autobots are largely scattered. Wen Ning and Wen Qing are both Decepticons here to get the MacGuffin (Allspark or Matrix), so that Decepticon victory will be complete, and Earth will probably be destroyed or conquered in the process. 

Well, they were here to do that. Wen Ning isn't really feeling that plan so much. He feels bad for the humans. And he thinks Wei Wuxian is really cool! He's never seen anyone that small and squishy humiliate Wen Chao that badly! Wow. 

Wen Ning doesn't like Lan Wangji so much, however, which is mutual. Currently, I'm thinking about this with polyamory vibes. Wei Wuxian would love to have car sex with Lan Wangji in Wen Ning's back seat, but he's not looking directly at that thought because he's pretty sure that LWJ hates him, and he refuses to reflect at all on why he wants this fantasy to be happening inside Wen Ning specifically. WWX is too busy dealing with a robot war to face being gay, much less being gay(?) for a giant robot as well, he doesn't have the time to learn what polyamory is yet! 

Insert series of events here that ultimately lead to a Humans versus Decepticons war, where the humans have mechs and a growing force of New Autobot allies, but the struggle against these lethal transforming robot soldiers is still grueling. 

The great sects in this AU are all giant tech and/or weapons companies of various types. Which is, you know, morally not great, probably, but this is what these kids have grown up with. They're feeling additional pressure to "do their duty" to protect Earth. The Nie family are heavily involved in some mech program that's been running for a few generations now and has some disastrous health effects, but is not going to stop Nie Mingjue from piloting Baxia until it kills him. Jiang Yanli is already married to Jin Zixuan, son of the CEO of the Jin Corporation, which will play its usual role of "shadowy, greedy company" this time with cyberpunk-esque aesthetics. 

I'm not sure what the Jiangs do, but I'm learning towards something to do with space. Jiang Cheng could be in business school, or doing some form of military service, or participating in some astronaut program (still not good enough for his mother), in preparation to take over the family company someday. His life plan gets completely wrecked by giant robots. Specifically, when the giant robots destroy most of the company's buildings and factories, early on in the war, and then his parents also get killed. The insurance alone is a fucking nightmare to deal with. 

In this AU, the only person whom young man Jiang Cheng has ever experienced any kind of attraction towards is a 20ft+ robot "woman" (Wen Qing) who is allegedly a doctor and can turn her arms into buzzsaws (see Knockout from TFP). No, he doesn't want to talk about these feelings. You could physically force JC's ass into therapy and he'd still never talk. 

Anyway, everyone is having a really bad time in this war! Wei Wuxian grows out of his teenage years desperately pulling useful information out of the MacGuffin (Allspark or Matrix) and developing new technology to fight back. Work sucks. War sucks. The state of his family is a tragedy. His relationship status with now coworker Lan Wangji is a solid: "???" Every day, New Autobots like Wen Ning seem to get a little broken and Wei Wuxian can't fix it all. 

Eventually, Wei Wuxian develops something really dangerous that helps to kill off the leader of the Decepticons and win the war. I was thinking some kind of spacebridge technology, perhaps? Because I was thinking that a spacebridge accident should be what "kills" Wei Wuxian for 10+ years, before popping him back into his usual reality, back into a world that has seemingly moved on without him. 

After the Decepticons are first defeated, the situation is tense. Wei Wuxian is sitting on a goldmine of dangerous and powerful technology, capable of developing more. He somehow managed to bring Wen Ning back from the dead this one time and even the Cybertronians seemed weirded out by that. After the war, a lot of people aren't kindly inclined towards the New Autobots, and some people want to take them apart to see what makes them tick. 

Including Wen Yuan, a brand new Decepticon who was created during the war and then rescued by the New Autobots at the very end of it, taken under their wings before he could be forced to do anything to hurt anyone. Wei Wuxian is not this kid's dad. Wen Yuan isn't really a "kid". But he's still relatively small (only like 10ft-tall) because they don't have the parts to get him good upgrades yet and so inexperienced. I need you to picture a six-month-old robot very, VERY carefully picking up a human Wei Wuxian who is about half his size, who drank himself to sleep in the lab again, so that Wen Yuan can put him to bed. It is sad. 

The character who is probably the closest equivalent to an Optimus Prime figure here is Granny Wen. Optimus Prime if Optimus Prime sounded like someone's grandma. I think it would be fun to make her the leader of the New Autobots. Not sure yet whether or not she has or at one point had the Matrix. If she ever did, maybe it was ripped out of her chest at some point. 

I'm disinclined to kill off all the Wen remnants again in an AU, so I'm leaning towards Wei Wuxian helping them escape Earth through a spacebridge in the face of some "unofficial" mercenary attack. Wen Ning gets "killed" again (captured by the Jin Corporation, who are not identified at the time). Pretty much everyone else manages to get away. Except for Wei Wuxian, who gets caught in a spacebridge accident, and banished to the Shadowzone, assumed dead. 

Many years later, young scientist Mo Xuanyu uses Wei Wuxian's spacebridge research to bring him back from the Shadowzone. Wei Wuxian does not have a good sense of how much time has passed. He was wearing an exosuit, which kept him from dying outright, but being in stasis in between realities takes more than a minute for recovery. Damn. That was weird.

The situation more than a decade later is actually apparently less dire than he might have feared. The New Autobots managed to negotiate a treaty and a safe return to Earth, and have built a new base here, working cooperatively with allies such as Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng, who have put much of Wei Wuxian's work to good, productive use helping Earth rebuild. How do Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng work with the New Autobots when they can't stand speaking to each other and hate agreeing with each other ever? Well, that's what personal assistants are for. 

Lan Wangji apparently only got hotter as he got older and Wei Wuxian is having a hard time dealing with that! It seems unfair! (Wei Wuxian is going to cry when they find and rescue Wen Ning again. And someone will finally force him to talk about his desire to make out with Lan Wangji across the hood of his car who is also his friend who is also a giant robot.) 

I don't know what has happened to Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan here. They could be alive? Maybe not? In the AU, however, Jin Ling is the equivalent to Daniel Witwicky, who is son of Spike and Carly. Jin Ling in this AU is a cute human tweenager / teenager with the roundest, rosiest cheeks you've ever seen. 

And all the other "Juniors" are giant robots. 

Lan Wangji took Wen Yuan under his wing. Lan Sizhui has gotten his first few rounds of upgrades, so he's at least twice his previous size, in good repair now, and pretty much unrecognizable. I need you to imagine giant robot Lan Sizhui very carefully picking up "Dr. Lan" to demonstrate to the other junior New Autobots how such a thing is done with humans. Lan Sizhui is very roughly equivalent to the TF character of Springer at this point. 

Ouyang Zizhen is roughly equivalent to Arcee. Lan Jingyi is roughly equivalent to Hot Rod. They were brought to Earth because Cybertron is still partially under Decepticon control and the Earth base is safer for young Cybertronians. They are also roughly the same age as Lan Sizhui and Jin Ling.

As far as little human Jin Ling is concerned, he has just as much right to "leadership" of this friendship group as any of the others! They're alll the same age!!! 

And yes, one could also move Lan Sizhui into the "Hot Rod" position here, but Lan Sizhui has vibes that are closer to Ultra Magnus than Hot Rod in my opinion, and I like Hot Rod. And it is just funny to think about Lan Jingyi becoming a Rodimus Prime equivalent and having to deal with being the new bearer of the Matrix of Leadership. No one considered him a potential candidate, least of all himself. He did Not Ask. He does Not Want. 

There's a potential plot here regarding the Jin Corporation and Mech Pilot Nie Mingjue's murder and potentially some Unicron equivalent threat to the planet, but it's too heavily dependent on whatever has happened previously in this plot to create solid thoughts. And it's late! I would much rather amuse myself thinking about Lan Jingyi as Rodimus Prime. He would like to Get Off This Ride.

[sillygoofyqueer]

Mad scientist Wei Wuxian AU!!! Wowowowhahahhhh *checks notes* I feel like I've gone off the rails with this in a way that is incomprehensible to everyone but me. Where was I?...Oh yeeeaaaahhhh!!!! Wen Qing is in a state of panic. Ever since the Wen and Jin invaded the war camp, she has been basically fending off the fuckers trying to attack her patients with nothing but her needles, medical knowledge and a sword she had grabbed from one of the dead bodies. It's safe to say that she's covered in blood, to the point where the Nie robes she's been wearing are heavy with the liquid dripping from her hands. It's a bit discomforting - she's a doctor, killing someone in such gruesome fashion isn't the norm for her. Of course, that doesn't mean that she doesn't know how to swing a sword, she's still a Wen after all. This, in all honesty, is not what she's really focused on as she steps over a resentful spirit feasting on a dead body to get to where Wei Ying is basically being cradled by the Burial Mounds (who does look like the doodles he has shown her). She doesn't even notice that Lan Wangji is also being held in the Burial Mounds' arms (much to Lan Xichen's concern).

She looks around frantically, not seeing the people she has been panicking over throughout the whole battle, and then just yells "Wei Ying, I can't find them!" Wei Ying seems to be utterly exhausted as he looks down from where he's being cradled, but a truly harsh expression flits across his face before he nods, reaching up to whisper something to the Burial Mounds. It's only then that she notices Lan Wangji, who neatly drops out of Its arms as It starts lumbering off with Wei Ying darting away on Suibian, instead transferring himself onto his sword and flying down to say something or other to Lan Xichen. She doesn't wait to hear what they're saying, sprinting back the way she came to see if the boys could be hiding out somewhere together - oh, she hopes they're together. A-Yang is just a kid, no matter what act he puts on, and she watched Lan Wangji push A-Yuan into his arms before yelling (actually yelling) at him to run just as the first arrow shot through the wards. And A-Ning, she hadn't even seen A-Ning-

No, she can't think like that. She will find them. She just needs to think, just think for a second! A-Ning isn't nearby, and he wouldn't shy from a fight unless he has a reason to, a reason like protecting their didis. So, the question is, where would he hide the boys? Her eyes dance around as she thinks, and she notices a very familiar arrow sticking out of a body nearby. She knows each and every arrow that A-Ning has, because he names every single one of them after carefully constructing them with his bare hands - the characters carved into the shaft are a marker of his work. It doesn't take long to find almost a trail leading out from his tent, and she follows them almost desperately until they come to abrupt halt with a body that has an arrow stuck fully through its neck. There's no other sign of A-Ning or any of the boys. Wen Qing starts panicking once again, worried that if she looks through the faces of the corpses, she will find one of her boys laying there - then she sees the hand.

It's resting near a tent that has a cluster of bodies in front of it, A-Ning's arrows the indicator that he took them down, but...this hand isn't A-Ning's. She picks it up; she's used to dealing with body parts of all kinds, but there's something sickening about seeing the scars from injuries she herself had treated on a young boy be displayed on this dismembered hand cradled gently within her own. The war camp is near silent as everyone tries to recover from this unexpected blow from the enemy, and she can barely breathe as she traces her fingers over the creases on the palm, so it's possible to hear a very faint cry of a baby nearby. It takes her a moment to register it, but when she does, she can barely think before she's taking off in the direction she heard it from, because there's only one baby in the war camp and if he's not dead then that means that he was saved by someone else. She tears through the forest, severed hand still pressed to her chest with one hand as she shoves branches out of her way with the other, heart in her throat at the blood-stained scene she's picturing in her mind-

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

30. End of the Tour

Note: end of Arc 4 is here! One of my fav chapters ngl. Also 🦈anon, hope this arc was fun for u!

Masterlist here

The lights dimmed, and the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as the final concert of aespa's international tour reached its emotional high point. The LA venue was packed with thousands of fans, their cheers echoing off the walls as the group stood on stage, soaking in the moment. It was a monumental day—not just for aespa but for everyone involved in making this tour a global success.

“Thank you so much!” Karina’s voice echoed across the massive venue. “This tour has been a dream come true, and it wouldn’t have been possible without your love and support!”

The other members added their thanks, but the biggest surprise came when the lights dimmed, and a large screen flickered on behind them. The girls turned around, confused at first, but quickly realized what was happening when the familiar faces of their team began to appear on screen.

The video started with clips from rehearsals, behind-the-scenes moments, and heartfelt messages from the production crew. The girls watched with wide smiles as their stylists, makeup artists, choreographers, and even the catering staff took turns congratulating them. The atmosphere backstage was filled with a mixture of excitement and sentimentality.

Then, the teasing started.

Jihoon, one of the managers who had helped Y/n during the tour, appeared on screen with a grin. “Congrats on the successful tour, aespa! And to Y/n… man, I still can’t believe you survived that viral Supernova dance. Legendary.”

Another manager, Joon, chuckled as his clip played. “Y/n, you’re one strong and brave guy. I heard fans are still talking about your dance cover. Better watch out—they might ask for an encore!”

Minji's turn was no less short of teasing her junior. "Congrats, my junior aespa! And I'm glad you have one heck of a guy to take care of you all!"

Y/n, watching from backstage, was already starting to feel the heat rise to his cheeks. He groaned and rubbed his face, knowing exactly what was coming next.

The final clip appeared, and sure enough, it was Y/n’s turn.

Y/n’s face appeared on the screen, and the audience erupted into laughter and cheers. He wasn’t on stage, but the entire arena felt his presence through that screen. The video began with him nervously rubbing the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable in front of the camera.

“Uh, hey,” Y/n started awkwardly, glancing away from the camera for a moment. “I wasn’t expecting to be included in this video, but I guess it’s happening… so here we go.”

The crowd’s laughter intensified, and Y/n’s video was only beginning.

“So, I just wanted to say congratulations to the idi- I mean, aespa. You girls have worked incredibly hard—like, seriously, harder than anyone I know. You’ve been amazing this entire tour, and I’m so proud to have been part of this journey with you.”

As he spoke, a short montage of clips featuring Y/n played on the screen. There was footage of him frantically managing logistics, goofing off with the group during rehearsals, and—of course—his now-famous viral dance cover of the Supernova dance break. The camera had finally caught him sneaking into an empty practice room, trying out the choreography, only for Ningning to catch him in the act and film the whole thing.

Y/n’s face on screen turned beet red as the audience erupted into more laughter at the dance clip.

“Okay, this part—” Y/n’s voiceover interrupted the dance clip, “—I wasn’t supposed to go viral, but thanks to our maknae Ning, the whole internet knows about it now. And, uh, yeah, I’m still alive… barely.”

The clip switched back to him, and Y/n was visibly flustered. “So, congrats again, aespa. You deserve all the success you’ve achieved, and here’s to many more moments like this—preferably without me becoming more viral than you guys.”

The screen faded to black, but not before showing one last shot of Y/n attempting to crawl under a table backstage, clearly wishing he could disappear after all the attention he had received.

The entire venue erupted into laughter and cheers once again, and even aespa couldn’t stop giggling. Winter was doubled over, clutching her stomach as she tried to catch her breath. Karina wiped tears from her eyes, still laughing.

“Oh my god,” Winter wheezed, barely able to stand straight. “I’m never letting this idiot live this down.”

Karina nodded, playfully wiping her eyes. “Y/n, you’re a legend now.”

Backstage, Y/n was leaning against a wall, watching the screen from afar. His face was flushed with embarrassment, and all he wanted to do was dig a hole and hide in it. He could hear the crowd’s laughter from where he stood, and it only made things worse.

“Why did they have to show that video?” he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair. “I’m never going to hear the end of this.”

-

After the concert, the group gathered backstage for some celebratory snacks. The energy was still high, but now the girls were riding the wave of their triumph. They sat around, laughing and chatting about the show while the staff and other available SM groups came in to congratulate them.

Y/n sat in the corner, trying to keep a low profile after the video fiasco, but that didn’t last long. Karina spotted him and made a beeline straight toward him, dragging Winter and Giselle with her.

“You thought you could hide?” Karina teased, nudging him with her elbow. “Nice try.”

“Please,” Y/n groaned, covering his face with his hands. “I’ve had enough teasing for a lifetime.”

Giselle grinned and crossed her arms. “Oh, no, no. You’re part of us for a long time now. You’re never going to live this down.”

Winter giggled, sitting down beside him. “You’re famous. Own it.”

Y/n let out a long sigh, peeking out from between his fingers. “Can we just pretend the whole Supernova thing never happened?”

“Not a chance,” Winter replied with a mischievous smile. “In fact, I think we should make a new challenge for the next comeback. Armageddon Y/n full dance cover, anyone?”

“Yeah!” Giselle chimed in. “We’ll film you this time too.”

Y/n groaned again, but he couldn’t help but smile. As embarrassing as it all was, he couldn’t deny how much he’d come to love the chaos. The teasing, the laughter, the bond—it was all part of the journey.

-

The plane ride back to Seoul was quiet, the hum of the engines the only real noise in the cabin. Y/n sat in his seat, eyelids heavy from the whirlwind of the last few days. After their final world tour concert, the team had celebrated, laughed, and finally packed up for home.

Of course on their business seats, he glanced around—Karina was fast asleep, head leaning against the window, while Ningning was out cold under a blanket. Giselle was watching something on her tablet with headphones in, and Winter, sitting next to Y/n, was idly scrolling through her phone.

Y/n rubbed his face, letting out a yawn. "Finally", he thought. "I can get some proper sleep." The tour had been a massive success, but the constant planning, logistics, and running around had left him mentally and physically drained.

-

The moment the plane touched down, Y/n was ready to collapse. As the group disembarked, the girls chatted about how excited they were to go home, grab some rest, and eat their favorite foods.

“You okay, Y/n? You look like you’re about to pass out,” Giselle teased as they walked through the airport, dodging the early morning paparazzi and a few lingering fans.

“I’m good,” Y/n muttered, waving her off. “Just looking forward to sleeping for a week.”

Winter, who had been quietly observing, snickered. “You deserve it. But, you know, we might have a surprise for you, idiot.”

Y/n shot her a tired, suspicious glance. “A surprise? Please tell me it’s not more work.”

Winter just gave him a mischievous smile, remembering a crucial info from Sora back then. “You’ll see.”

-

Back at the dorm, Y/n barely had time to kick off his shoes before collapsing onto his bed. He didn’t even bother to change, just falling face-first into the pillows. "Sleep", he thought. "That’s all I need."

Meanwhile, the girls were bustling around in the living room, whispering to each other.

“So,” Karina began, keeping her voice low, “we’ve been talking, and we think we should get Y/n a gift. He’s been working non-stop for us, and I feel like he hasn’t taken a break this whole tour.”

Ningning nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, let’s do something nice for him! We could get him something he’d actually use. Maybe new sneakers? Or a watch?”

Giselle chimed in, “A gift card for a spa day, maybe? He needs to relax.”

But Winter remained quiet, her gaze drifting toward the closed door of Y/n’s room. After a moment, she smirked, an idea forming in her mind.

“Or,” she began, crossing her arms, “we could skip all that and give him something… a little more personal.”

The other members turned to her with raised eyebrows. Karina’s eyes narrowed. “What are you plotting?”

Winter shrugged, pretending to be casual. “I mean… why waste money on stuff? I’ll be the gift.”

Ningning nearly choked on her laughter. “You? The gift?”

“Hey, I think he’d appreciate it,” Winter said, her voice playful but with a hint of seriousness.

Karina blinked. “Wait, you’re actually serious.”

Winter simply grinned. “You’ll see.”

-

A few hours later, Y/n was woken up by a knock on his door. Groaning, he glanced at his phone—he had only been asleep for a couple of hours.

"What now?"

“Y/n, can I come in?” It was Winter’s voice, soft and sweet, but with a hint of something… else.

Y/n sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, sure.”

Winter slipped into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She leaned against it for a moment, eyeing Y/n with a smirk.

“You okay?” he asked, feeling a bit uneasy under her gaze. “Something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Winter said, pushing herself off the door and walking over to him. She stood over his bed, her smile turning a little mischievous. “I just wanted to… thank you.”

"…Jeong, if you break something just say it. I won't be mad." Y/n raised an eyebrow.

"Aish, I'm being serious. Representing aespa, just wanna thank you."

“…For what?”

“For everything. The tour, the hard work, the way you always look out for us.” She was closer now, standing right in front of him, her presence making Y/n’s heart race for some reason. “You’ve been amazing, and I thought you deserved something special.”

Before Y/n could respond, Winter suddenly placed her hands on either side of his head, pinning him against the wall . Y/n’s eyes widened, his heart nearly stopping at the sudden move. It has been something Y/n subconsciously dreamed of but never brought it up to the surface. He was definitely not ready for this.

Winter was dangerously close, her face mere inches from his.

“Uh… Jeong?” Y/n stammered, his mind racing. “What are you—”

“Shhh,” Winter whispered, leaning in closer. “I told you, I’m the gift. And you deserve it.”

Y/n’s brain was practically short-circuiting. This was Winter, the same Winter who usually teased him and gave him a hard time. But now, here she was, pulling a move straight out of a drama.

Did she put on perfume? Why did she smell so good?

And then, before he could say another word, Winter closed the gap, pressing her lips softly against his. It was quick, barely a second, but enough to make Y/n’s entire body freeze in place.

When she pulled away, Winter’s smirk returned, but there was a softness in her eyes now. “Surprise,” she said, her voice low.

Y/n, completely stunned, could only blink at her. “W-What was that?”

Winter stepped back, crossing her arms with a satisfied grin. “That was my way of thanking you. Consider it a bonus for all your hard work.”

Before Y/n could open his mouth to respond, the door suddenly burst open, and the rest of the girls piled in, laughing and clapping.

“Winter! I can’t believe you actually did it!” Giselle giggled, practically doubled over.

Karina was grinning from ear to ear. “You’re so bold, Winter! I thought you were joking!”

Ningning shook her head, snickering. “That was legendary.”

As the laughter died down, Y/n leaned back against the wall, still trying to process everything. His face was warm, either from the embarrassment or the relentless teasing. Maybe both. He looked over at Winter, who was now sitting on the edge of his bed, casually leaning back with a satisfied smile.

"You guys…," Y/n started, shaking his head, "this was a prank, wasn’t it? The whole ‘Minjeong being the gift’ thing?"

Ningning couldn’t help but snicker. "Of course! You really thought Winter would just do something like that out of nowhere?"

Karina grinned, clapping Y/n on the shoulder. "Come on, you know we love messing with you. We all pitched in for this. Consider it payback for all the chaos you've survived."

Giselle added with a laugh, "You should’ve seen your face. You were so flustered!"

Y/n sighed, rubbing his temples, trying to hide the sting of disappointment in his chest. "Of course it was a prank. I should’ve known." He laughed lightly, but it was clear the whole thing had gotten to him a bit more than he expected. "It does make me feel better, so thanks about that, but I don't realllly like using something like that as a prank…"

But before anyone could pile on more jokes, Winter abruptly stood up from the bed, her smile fading into something more serious. The teasing atmosphere in the room shifted slightly as she looked at Y/n.

“Ya, it wasn’t a prank,” Winter said firmly, her voice cutting through the laughter. The other girls exchanged glances, surprised by her sudden change in tone.

Y/n blinked, confused. “Wait, what?”

Winter crossed her arms, standing tall despite the redness creeping up her neck. “I mean, yeah, the girls might’ve thought it was a prank, but I wasn’t kidding. I planned it… and I meant it.”

The room fell quiet for a moment as Winter’s words hung in the air. Karina, Ningning, and Giselle looked at Winter, wide-eyed, before they exchanged knowing looks and slowly backed away, giving her space.

Y/n, still trying to understand, looked at Winter, speechless. "Jeong, you’re… serious?"

Winter bit her lip and gave a small nod. “Yeah, I am.” Her eyes softened, and for the first time that night, she looked a bit nervous. "I just wanted to… thank you in my own way. You’ve been there for us, more than you probably realize, and… well, I don’t always know how to show that. So yeah, that’s why I did it."

She held Y/n’s gaze for a moment before the tension became too much for her. Winter quickly glanced away, her tough exterior cracking as her cheeks flushed. “Anyway… I’m heading to bed.” She cleared her throat, retreating toward the door. “Goodnight. You worked hard, idiot.”

And with that, Winter left the room, disappearing into the hallway without another word. The remaining members watched her go, a mix of surprise and amusement on their faces. Ningning was the first to break the silence, shaking her head with a smirk.

“Well… that escalated quickly,” she muttered.

Giselle elbowed Karina, grinning. “I knew Winter was bold, but I didn’t know she was that bold.”

Karina chuckled. “Honestly, neither did I. Guess we can expect a nephew next year.”

Y/n, still processing Winter’s unexpected confession, sat there in stunned silence. His heart was racing, and his mind was replaying Winter’s words over and over. The girls, noticing his dazed expression, started to smirk knowingly.

“Well, looks like you’ve got something to think about,” Karina teased, giving Y/n a playful nudge.

Ningning laughed. “Or maybe someone to talk to later.”

Giselle winked. “Good luck with that.”

Y/n sighed, feeling a mix of confusion, amusement, and something else he couldn’t quite put into words. “You guys are never going to let this go, are you?”

Karina grinned. “Not a chance.”

As the girls filed out of the room, Y/n leaned back against his pillows, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn’t shake the image of Winter’s serious expression, the way her voice softened when she said she meant it.

"Maybe it wasn’t a prank after all."

And with that thought lingering in his mind, Y/n let out a deep breath, wondering what was going to happen next. For now, all he could do was smile, because whether it was chaos, pranks, or something a little more serious, life with aespa never failed to surprise him.

But first, sleep is king.

[tinesleftnipple]

JITD Episode 17 (non-final) script synopsis

"Mentor's Final Words"

Episode 11-12

Episode 13

Episode 14

Episode 15

Episode 16

At SID. Xiao wu (Wu Ning) brings everyone breakfast. His wife is expecting in a month.

LWZ sighs in his office, bored. He takes out his phone and checks messages from Pei su: nothing. He clicks into Pei su's social media page and sees Pei su feeding yiguo. LWZ sighs, and the phone pings. LWZ: you still have some conscience...

Pei su texts LWZ to ask about extra parking spaces in LWZ's neighborhood. LWZ sents a voice message saying there are some available for rent, deletes that message, then replies:" yeah, no more parking spaces, haha"

LWZ tells Pei su to use his car for the time being, and to stay home if he can. The phone pings again, and he smiles. A new notification appears on his computer: Yufen (now changed to university) students collectively run away.

Pei su in LWZ's car. The last message Pei su sent to LWZ was "relax, I will stay at home". Du jia calls to update him on the people in Du ju's graduating class.

Pei su visits prof Pan. On his desk is a paper with Yang xin's name written on it. Pei su wants to research about the duality of those with criminal and victim identities, and lists the Dong family as an example. Pei su asks to view old cases, the zero degree project in particular, to research on. Before he leaves, he points to Yang in the group photo from Pan's desk. Pan explains that Yang xi is also studying under him. The fifth person cut out from the picture "took a wrong path" and is different from Yang.

SID: team is talking about the new case. Yufen is a private university, where all its students live on campus. 5 second year students ran away over the weekend. One of the 5, named Feng bin, posted a letter online prior to this that gained some traction. The students have now been missing for 3 days.

Yang xin asks LWZ for a few months off. LWZ asks if something is wrong, and she shakes her head.

It's night, and LWZ is ready to bike home. Tao ze stops him and gives LWZ a box of cured meat from Shiniang (Yang's wife). Tao ze just found out that Shiniang has late-stage cancer.

A car is parked amongst the autumn leaves. LWZ peddles through the wind and glances at the car, then backs up to stare at it. Pei su came to pick him up. LWZ looks into the car to see Pei su asleep with the heat on, car windows shut. LWZ panics and pounds on the window for Pei su to wake up. Pei su doesn't wake, and LWZ elbow smashes on the window to try to break it open. Pei su, finally awake, opens the door. But before he could speak LWZ is already scolding him

On the drive home, Pei su tries to explain that he was cold and wanted to warm up inside the car. His eyes were closed because he was just resting. LWZ: do you close your ears when you're Just Resting too? Shot of the 2 of them in the car. LWZ: after leaving hospital, don't you listen to the doctors? Shot of Pei su's face. LWZ: when you go out, don't you look at a map? Zoom in on Pei su's face. LWZ: if you're afraid of the cold, why don't you wear some long underwear! Pei su KO. He blinks in defeat.

In LWZ's bedroom. Pei su is looking down at a pair of very unfashionable long underwear. Pei su: how can someone be so distasteful... LWZ, from outside: I'm listening! If you want to go outside, you must wear it, or else stay home.

Pei su steps out of the bedroom fixing his pants to try to hide the ugly pattern underneath. LWZ sees him and cracks open a smile, but hides it when Pei su looks up. LWZ makes Pei su wash the vegetables

They eat dinner. Pei su recalls the first time he came over, when LWZ didn't even know how to make instant noodles. Pei su asks about the cured meat, and LWZ tells him about shiniang.

Night: two shadows on a wall. One of them falls to the ground. Blood splatters. A girl hiding in a trash bin, shaking. The killer approaches her, singing a nursery song. Suddenly, he flips open the trash lid.

11pm. Pei su sleeping on the bed. LWZ stands at the door. He turns off the light, closes the door, and goes to the kitchen to unpack all the cured meats. At the bottom is a thick folder. A handwritten letter falls out - Yang's will written for shiniang. He writes that some people have changed, and for her and Yang xin to be careful not to become too close to them. Yang mentions the 327 highway case and Gu zhao. He finds a picture of an escaped convict and begins searching on the police web, and suddenly looks up to see Pei su at the door. LWZ fumbles to get up to get Pei su water.

Pei su comes to the conclusion that it's not convenient for LWZ if he continues to stay here. He takes the glass of water and closes the bedroom door behind him.

Flashback: LWZ examining yiguo. Pei su sits on the couch, and says he will take care of all the stuff yiguo needs, and asks if LWZ can take yiguo. LWZ refuses and push them out the door - he needs to go to work. Flashback: LWZ asking Pei su why he stopped coming over to his place.

There's a knock at the door. LWZ opens it and tells Pei su what he was doing on the computer. He's investigating the real reason behind Yang's death, and it might be related to Pei su as well. LWZ: a lot of things aren't clear yet, and I can't tell if I'm allowed to tell you, how much to tell you. I can be honest to this degree, is that okay with you? Pei su looks at the ceiling and says yes.

Morning. A new notification from fm 88.6. A new story: Demons

At the crime scene. They've identified the victim as Feng bin. Feng bin's eyes have been smashed in. Flashback to what LWZ saw about the 327 highway case - same injuries on those victims. Other wounds on Feng bin are knife wounds, except his eyes, which were likely done with a dull metal object. Xiao hanyang asks if LWZ has heard of the 327 highway case. LWZ is suspicious why he knows about it

The survivor, Xia xiaonan, is currently sat in the ambulance. She's traumatized and screams when anyone tries to approach her. Tao ze suspects she hid in the trash bin while Feng bin tried to fight off the killer. Xia xiaonan's grandfather arrives on a wheelchair. He calls for xiaonan. LWZ turns around.

[drawthethingdoppelganger]

Bob's Burgers Fanfic Rec List!

Babs thinks she can just trick me into trying whateeeeever things that involve making a list (she can. she's evil). A ship-oriented list cuz umm, I think that's all I've ever read.....

Boblin

do I really have to tell you how he brought me back to life? by @jimmypesto - Linda is unhappily married to Hugo, when she meets her soulmate in a bar. Rated E.

for a moment, I knew cosmic love by @jimmypesto - Boblin Soulmate AU. Rated G.

still my patron saint by @jimmypesto - A Boblin Ghost AU. Rated E.

everything’s alright when she calls me back by @jimmypesto - Bob and Linda relive a decades old memory. Rated M.

I see you every day now by @jimmypesto - Five times Bob and Linda should’ve moved in together (and one time they actually did). Rated T.

Old Cape Bob by @babsvibes - Old Boblin Beach Day fic. Rated G.

Stairway to Lemon by @babsvibes - New parents Bob and Linda spend a well-earned night off… sitting on the stairs. Rated G.

i want to know what love is by @https-hunter - A collection of short fics for boblin week 2024 on tumblr.

An Indecent Proposal by @golden--doodler - Bob has decided that the day has finally come: He's going to propose to Linda. Rated T.

Tinimmy

Honey Combed Hair by @babsvibes - (summary? what summary? incredibly important fic to me personally is what it is)

Beach Glaze by @babsvibes - At face value, Tina's goal was quite simple: Have a beach day with Jimmy Jr., just the two of them. So why did it always have to go wrong? Rated G.

the night we snuck into a yacht club party, pretending to be a duchess and a prince by @jimmyjrsmusoems - Tina and Jimmy Jr. decide to sneak into the Glencrest Yacht Club's annual Christmas party. Rated T.

a message in a bottle is all i can do (standing here, hoping it gets to you) by @jimmyjrsmusoems - that time that Jimmy Jr. texted Tina on the emergency phone. Rated G.

all i know, is this could either break my heart or bring it back to life by @jimmyjrsmusoems - Tinimmy Faking Dating AU. Rated T.

don't be afraid to jump, then fall (into me) by @jimmyjrsmusoems - Jimmy Jr. plans a (semi-)romantic surprise for his girlfriend. Rated G.

it always leads to you in my hometown by @jimmypesto - Over the years, Tina and Jimmy Jr. reunite when he returns to Seymour's Bay for Christmas. Rated M.

my gold rush to cold touch favorite ex by @jimmypesto - After a nightmare, Jimmy Jr. pays Tina a late night visit. Rated T.

Bits and Pieces by @eroticfriendfictions - A collection of ficlets and one shots. Rated T.

After Hours by @eroticfriendfictions - Tina and Jimmy Jr. have a closing time rendezvous. Rated T.

Dance Me to the End of Love by @waytoomanyhobbies - With their wedding about a month away, Tina has been going out until very late every night for the past two weeks. Rated M.

Wagstaff Side Story by @https-hunter - West Side Story AU.

Louigan

Logan's Run (-ning away) by @babsvibes - (something something roadtrip romcom). Rated T.

Territorial Swisspute by @babsvibes - Louigan Coworkers AU. Rated E.

Stacy's Cardamom by @babsvibes - Logan commits unthinkable crimes to get Louise’s attention. But in like a romcom-y way. Rated M.

Dread String of Fate by @babsvibes - A soulmate AU where each person has their own identifying tell, and Louise isn't happy with hers. Rated T.

Cry Me a Liver by @babsvibes - Louise and Logan break up for a reason unbeknownst to a pair of deeply concerned and meddling siblings. Rated T.

Pie v. Cake by @babsvibes - Louise and Logan have their stupidest argument to date. Also, there's a puzzle. Rated T.

i don't blame you for being you, but you can't blame me for hating it by @jimmyjrsmusoems - Jimmy Jr. and Logan fighting to figure out who, exactly, is Bob and Linda's "favorite". Rated T. (This is both louigan and tinimmy and I love it sooo much)

take a dirty picture, babe by @jimmypesto - Louise can’t let Logan leave for his trip without giving him a surprise first. Rated M.

small talk in the kitchen (dated, dumb traditions) by @jimmypesto - On Christmas, Logan and Louise have a disagreement about the merits of PDA. Rated T.

Christmas Proposal Proposition by @sailoreuterpe - Louise asks Logan an important question about an important question on Christmas Eve. Rated T.

Rarepairs

BLT- A Commit-y of Marriers by @sailoreuterpe - Bob and Linda are marrying Teddy. Of course, thing don't all go according to plan. In the end, however, their wedding is still (almost) perfect. Rated G.

Chloise - we might just get away with this by @jimmypesto - Chloe and Louise meet up in private. Rated T.

Tinimeke - Veals Like The First Time by @babsvibes - Tina, Jimmy Jr., Zeke. Where one goes, the other follows and usually with a hand tugging the last along with them. Rated T.

Tedmort - Unpack Your Heart by @cosmic-hoboandthehighlander - Teddy gives Mort the key to his house - indicating he wants him to move in with him. Rated G.

[scholomancefan]

Hihii, here with a bit late prompt delivery 🚚

Bingqiu + Gifts

OR

Bingqiu + Beach Day

Thank you for your prompt! Sorry for the delay, I'm not very good at tumblr... Hopefully it'll go smoother next week ^-^;

Shen Qingqiu looked out across the water at Ning Yingying, sternly disapproving. Ning Yingying registered none of it, and continued to splash and play in the sparkling water of the ocean. Gentle waves lapped at her ankles as she frolicked. When she saw Shen Qingqiu looking, she moved deeper into the water.

Ning Yingying! Do you not care if Luo Binghe gets sunburned?!

Shen Qingqiu cared, which was why he was currently rubbing white medicinal creams into Luo Binghe’s shoulders. 

“Mnh, mnh, Shizun,” Luo Binghe made happy little noises as Shen Qingqiu smoothed white lotion over tan skin. 

“Almost done,” Shen Qingqiu reassured Luo Binghe, moving down Luo Binghe’s back and carefully tracing the knobs of his spine. “I just want to make sure I don’t miss any spots.”

Shen Qingqiu was straddling Luo Binghe, who was lying facedown on a towel in the hot sand. The sunshine beat down on them both–perfect weather for a day at the beach, but also terrible for Luo Binghe’s latest weakness.

Shen Qingqiu wasn’t sure why Luo Binghe’s skin was so prone to sunburn. It hadn’t featured at all in Proud Immortal Demon Way, but then perhaps Airplane had just left those bits out. It did sort of wreck the impressive image of Luo Binghe, PIDW protagonist and Emperor of the Three Realms, to know that the last time Qing Jing Peak had made a trip to the beach Luo Binghe had gotten so badly sunburnt he had turned lobster red.

Shen Qingqiu had needed to spend *days* applying xianxia-aloe to every bit of Luo Binghe’s skin–and even some bits Shen Qingqiu was shocked were exposed enough to burn. And poor Binghe whimpering the whole time! 

Shen Qingqiu was *not* going to let his poor bun suffer so again, not on his watch! He would instead diligently apply Mu Qingfang-approved sunscreen to Luo Binghe twice a shi, to be absolutely completely certain his precious disciple would not be hurt again!

Shen Qingqiu slipped his fingers under the waistband of Luo Binghe’s swim trunks to make sure that he got lotion in that seam where the fabric ended. Luo Binghe made more little sounds at this, probably enjoying the massage he was getting. He had turned very quickly into a happy little puddle, and was now more relaxed than Shen Qingqiu had ever seen him. Shen Qingqiu was happy for the chance to spoil Luo Binghe like this. Luo Binghe worked too hard!

Ah, but this was why it should have been one of Luo Binghe’s future wives applying the sunscreen! Shen Qingqiu shot Ning Yingying another despairing glance. She ignored him again and launched a wave of water at Ming Fan, drenching him and making him splutter. No help there.

The swimwear everyone wore was entirely inappropriate for traditional xianxia, but as Proud Immortal Demon Way had degraded into basically just porn, standard swimwear was just tiny scraps of fabric. Luo Binghe had so much skin to cover! Shen Qingqiu finished by rubbing lotion on backs of Luo Binghe’s thighs.

There. That was enough, and Luo Binghe could get the rest.

“And now Binghe, you can do mine,” Shen Qingqiu said, passing Luo Binghe the bottle and getting off of him.

“Yes, Shizun!” Luo Binghe said, rising to crouch next to Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu looked closely at Luo Binghe–he seemed like he was turning red already! Mu Qingfang’s sunscreen seemed pretty ineffective, Shen Qingqiu would have to reapply it *very* frequently. Perhaps four times a shi.

“Let me add a bit more to your face first,” Shen Qingqiu insisted.

Luo Binghe closed his eyes and leaned in eagerly, a bright smile on his face.

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Chapter 4: [alt tab]

Shen Qingqiu was going insane. That must be it. The world was completely out of wack, but that’s fine. It’s all… fine. So what if Ning Yingying was apparently his Head Disciple rather than Ming Fan? So what if she was three, no four, times more mature and insightful then the Ning Yingying of his memories was at this age!

ẗ̫͢͠ǫ͍̼͇̏̉͊͂o̳̣̟̊͛̾ ̦̟̖̦̋̒́͐o̊͟l͎̤̳͎͐͛͛́d̡͚͒̑,̤̍ ̦́w̡̢̠̬̼̆̐̍̂͛hÿ̡̜͗ ȉ͚͉̓š͈̖̤̬̽̂̎ ̨̻͔̂̾͛s͔̺͉̬͈̑̿̍̀̈ẖ̡͕̗̿́̀̀ĕ̛̘̟͖̓.͈͙͗͑..̦͆?̦̃

Shen Qingqiu has nothing but respect for the responsible, headstrong woman Ning Yingying eventually matured into, so seeing it far earlier… was good. Excellent, no problem whatsoever, what do you mean Ming Fan was a Qian Cao Peak disciple??! If he was going to end up anywhere else, it’d surely be on Bai Zhan out of pure stubbornness, regardless of the fact he was more inclined to spiritual cultivation!

He shakes his head in disbelief. What is with this world? Surely time travelling wouldn’t have had this much of an effect. It must be System fuckery. Or perhaps… Airplane? The System didn’t mention if Shang Qinghua remembers the future, but if he knew- or even if the System was simply prompting him- surely that would explain some of these alterations? He sighs in frustration, a new fan he’d picked out after the unfortunate demise of the other currently fluttering in front of his face.

He’d certainly startled Yingying, her eyebrows had shot up in shock at the rather, ahem, noticeable overreaction at her presence. But he’d been really quite startled himself, and with barely a micro-expression alighting his face, he’d quickly directed the conversation. How are your studies going? Well apparently, she’d just learnt a new composition for the dizi – which she seemingly now favours. Good, good, how about those of your Shidi’s and Shixiong’s? They too seem to be preferring alternate interests, one even picking up entomology when previously they were terrified of bugs!

Really, of all the information he’s been carefully extracting from Ning Yingying, there was one in particular that interests him most.

This version of Shen Qingqiu was both more hands on, and less hands on then the OG he remembered. Where as before he had a stronger presence in both the direct instructing of (despite his obvious dislike of teaching) the students and their discipline (of which he took way too much pleasure from), this time he seemed to delegate the teaching far more.

Between the Elders proficient in their specialised fields of study, the Supervisors and Hall Masters in their more general knowledge of the core cultivation practices and Qing Jing Peak sword forms, and with a few core disciples tutoring as well, Qing Jing has created a far more structured approach to the disciples education. This allows for the intake and training of more outer disciples, and inter-peak learning opportunities. Shen Qingqiu of course, supervised and planned out the curriculum. And there was a curriculum, and actual lesson plans! The discipline was also far closer to his own than the OG’s, however still harsher than he could bare.

It had taken him years to try an undo what the OG goods had set in place before him. He had been arrogant enough to believe he needed to more or less dictate the classroom. He was distrusting enough to never truly give his teachers the means to adjust or adapt their teaching strategies for the disciples who needed it. It had critically hindered the disciples ability to learn and improve, and perhaps that was the point in the end. No one could displace him if they didn’t know all he did. He was safe from all opposition in that position of power. But that came at the cost of crippling his student’s growth.

Despite his best efforts he’d struggled to implement even a fraction of what he saw before him now, for too much damage had been done. The ever turning cycle of abuse had churned out resentful masters, resentful teachers, who sought to replicate what was done unto them, unto others. All trickling back from the source. He’d made great strides however, his students were happier, had enjoyed learning under him. So he had to dispose of some trouble starters, well, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs! You can’t undo years of abuse, without breaking a few heads! Or something to that effect. So to have the set up of his dreams just handed to him? Well of course he is sceptical! What on earth would have led Shen Qingqiu v1 to not be as spiteful this time around? He rubs at his brow, lips pursing in frustration.

He’s instructed Yingying to walk with him towards the dorms, idly listening as she chatted about her day. All while carefully surveying the differences. That pavilion was new, there wasn’t a sparring area set up there, and oh look, young ones with unfamiliar faces. It felt like someone had gone into the bamboo house and rearranged just enough to set off alarm bells. Which had also happened. At least those changes were more in line with his own decorating ideals, and harmonised with the feng shui best suited to his own internal Qi alignment. Which… was concerning in its own way. Thinking on it was just leading him in circles, a useless waste of his already straining mental fortitude.

There they were, a crowd of little sheep staring up at him with wide eyes! A chorus of sweet, high-pitched ‘Greeting Shizun’ crying out in concert, only a bare hint of flustered panic behind it. He hides the curve of his smile behind his fan, and cast his gaze over for- there! Noticeably standing apart from the crowd, head and shoulders above them in height, Luo Binghe! The youth, fresh-faced and dewy eyed, was staring at him with a… strange sort of gaze. Not fearful or hiding hidden anger, but searching, almost... confused. His focus seemed, well, he was rather intently staring him in the eyes! Which, come to think of it, has been happening quite a lot since he woke. Was there..?

do̢̻͆͞n̘͈̞̏̑̽͘͜'��̛̝͠t̨̥͌͠

“Disciple Luo, with me.” He motions with his fan, a gentle curving arc, and turns with a nod to Ning Yingying. She mentioned she’d been in charge of leading all her shimei’s and shidi’s through the chore roster this morning, and he’d already pulled her from her task long enough- even if he hadn’t known at the time. She bows back with a beaming smile before turning back towards her peers with the harsh bark of a general.

“What are you all looking at? I can already tell half these jobs aren’t done right!” Ah, she had it well covered. Go Yingying! Binghe blinks in surprise, and jogs up to greet him.

“Greeting Shizun, has this disciple done something?” To catch your attention or ire was heavily implied. Shen Qingqiu huffs, sending a sideways glance to the boy.

“This master merely wishes to check in on Disciple Luo. How has Luo Binghe been doing with his studies hmm? Has he been getting along with his martial siblings?” With everything that has been different so far, surely this too had changed. For one he was working and living around his martial siblings, so it was likely there truly hadn’t been abuse… surely there would be more trepidation in his demeanour if there was. His Binghe had been trembling like a hyperactive lapdog those first few years!

“Shizun, this disciple has been learning well.” He replies demurely. His eyes are cloaked in the shadows of his long eyelashes, sweeping his cheeks with each slow blink. “This one has no issues with his peers.” He once more hit Shen Qingqiu with that indecipherable look, head tilting like a snake looking at a mouse! Binghe you’re only-

h̦̬̖͖̄̅̾̑̏͟e̹̗̼͋̾̄'̭͖̠̞̆̐̽̍ṡ̭ ̹̦͑̓sup͇͉̈́p̗̺͚̀̈́̈́́͜o̥͆́͢s̪̣̤̄͗̊́͢é̏͢ͅd̥͍͉̃͋͞ ̗̲̃̍ṫ̰ọ̦͖̿̄̀ ̩̿̑͢b̖͖͍͓̃̔̉͘e̤̳̔̈́ ̩͋1̮͖͚͇̈́̽́̊4̧̮͉͖͛̒̎̃

- 17 years of age at this point. Shen Qingqiu tilts his head back with an inaudible sigh. A young man indeed, almost an adult, but still shedding the last flushes of youth. So, how do you manage a gaze that predatory?! His face suddenly lights up, as if he’s had some unthinkable realisation, his lips twitching into a glowing smile, black eyes sparkling like stars in the night, “Is that pleasing to Shizun?” His voice has deepened just a bit, low and silky in inflection.

…? Abort!

“I’m pleased that Binghe seems to be excelling in his cultivation and studies. It’s the joy of any teacher to see their student learn and grow.” He defers, feeling like he’d only barely managed to avoid a trap. Binghe, you have better targets to use that voice on otherthanthis old master! Luo Binghe’s smile grows even wider. Showing pearly white teeth. He once again tilts his head in a way that would be quite cute, if it wasn’t paired with an ever more unsettling light growing in his eyes.

“It’s the joy of this disciple also, to bring Shizun such joy.” He finally averts those eyes, his smile once more falling to ‘coy’, “It’s good to see you, Shizun. To talk to you. I almost thought-” He pauses, before shaking his head with a rueful grin, “Ah this one is being quite forward. I merely mean that Shizun seems so separate from mortal affairs, it’s like a dream that you’ve deigned to talk to this lowly one.” He bows, a shockingly poor attempt at ‘meekness’ settling over him in an uncomfortable skin.

This boy… If this is the way these disciples react, no wonder the original goods spent no time with them! He feels his eyes narrow and his brows furrow. He wasn’t unlike his Binghe, but he was also nothing like him at all! What happened to sweet fluffy sheep? His pure white lotus?! This boy was a wolf! It really was… quite different here. A pang in his chest, his heart aches.

“Disciple Luo should take more care with his words. They could be misinterpreted by someone less forgiving than this one.” Binghe nods frantically, his eyes wide and deceptively innocent.

“This disciple is thankful for the guidance.” An awkward silence begins. He… didn’t know this youth. He was a different person from the one he’d guided and cared for. And hurt. For all that had-

ȇ͜n̟̝̬̊̐͌d̦̐ed̢̨̹̉̿͘,͚̗͖͔́̅͠͝ ͚̖̓̀͘̚͟͢ȁ̡̫͠n̳̓d̩̱͐͡ ̜͘b̹̼̍̎̾͟e̲̤̓͜͞͡g̘̾ư̧̧̥̞̈̚͞n͙̿͛͜.̡̳͌̕ ̥̺̺͊͆́Ō̤̯͖̿̇ű̜͎̜̦͑̉͞r̻̅̀ͅ ̪̥̖̈́̍̈͗ͅs̼͓̟̋͒͌̄͟ṱ̙̔͡ō͉r̦͑ŷ̘,͚̹͂̈́̿͢ ̼̹̯̖̎͛̑͐t̗͠ṓ̼͖̳̇̚͢͝ͅg̻͓͚͇̅̀͐͌e̛̥̳͚̔̐t̜̚͟͝h̯͎̖̅̅̀er.̡̽.͉̓.͓͋ ͈͛m͓̙̊̽y͚̹̞̩̾̂̀͞ ̖̞̺̫̇͆̂͂̕͢h̲͘ủ͙̫̰̒̕s̛̘̞̝̫̰̃̇̈͝b̩͉̘͒́͂a̛͉͚̠̕͘nd̡̨̢̰̊͆̑͝.̙̙͇̟̰̆̆̽͡͡

He clutches at his skull, hissing through his teeth. These headaches will need to be checked. His chest ached strangely.

“Shizun?! Are you okay? Should this one fetch Peak Lord Mu-” He waves Binghe off with a hand, this old man is just fine thanks!

“This master is fine, merely still recovering.” Binghe’s face clouds over, once more sending him that searching look, before he finally nods.

“If Shizun is sure, and this one is not needed, he’ll rejoin the rest of his peers.” Shen Qingqiu finds himself nodding, a little shocked at his disciple’s sudden capitulation- something his Binghe would furiously cry out against- and watches as this Binghe bows before turning to leave.

~0~

Since joining Qing Jing Peak, Binghe has known three things to be true. One; though it will be hard, succeeding on Qing Jing will guarantee success in every facet of his life. Two; he was destined to be on Qing Jing Peak here and now, that fact could not be disputed. Three; there was something wrong with Shen Qingqiu.

The first one was obvious, Qing Jing Peak was run to the most strict of standards, everything taught was hand picked to ensure its disciples success in any of their future prospects – should it be immortality or otherwise. No one who left went jobless, their careers always flourish, and those who dedicated their lives to cultivation? A shockingly high amount of them gain reknown.

The second was less obvious… some would say insane. But before he’d climbed the steps to begin his destiny, before he ever stood on Qing Jing soil, he had known who Shen Qingqiu was. He has had dreams of this place, and the peerlessly beautiful immortal who governed it, for as long as he could remember. Dreams of what could only be another life, of a cruel master turned endlessly kind. Of failure, and success, of conquest and love. Of marrying the beautiful, kind, perfect person who hurt him so sweetly and loved him so fiercely. Of blood, of bone, of ash raining from the sky. Of him dying. He would do anything to bring this vision to life, except for his cruel final fate.

Shen Qingqiu his Shizun, was not Shen Qingqiu his husband. But Shen Qingqiu his Shizun was not even the cold cruel Shizun of his early dreams. Shen Qingqiu his Shizun was barely even a person. The second he laid eyes on him he knew, the cold genteel mask was not that of a jade-like immortal. It wasn’t hiding depths of emotion beyond his view. It was all this man was, strangely hollow.It was all in his eyes, the lack of anything resembling person-hood, almost dead inside. If he didn’t know better, he’d assume Shen Qingqiu was an empty shell being puppeteered by someone.

But then the peak was abuzz with the rumour, ‘Peak Lord Shen has Qi Deviated!’ and his hope grew. In the endless dream everything changed with a Qi Deviation, so why wouldn’t it change here too? For three weeks he waited as the gossip spread further, ‘High fever, he’s not waking! They’re doing all they can! He might not make it.’ It scared him, the uncertainty. Would he live? Would he change? Does it even matter in the end? Then another Qi Deviation. This one worst than the first. This one they were sure he wouldn’t wake from. But he did. He woke. Within hours the Sect Leader was chased off Qing Jing, and he was walking around like nothing had happened at all. But something had. He had changed, like a shapeshifter finally crawled into his corpse and brought it to life, and everyone can see it.

It was his eyes that gave him away. They held light, they were alive. They burned, and it was divine. For the longest time there was something wrong with Shen Qingqiu. Now, finally, there was something right. He just needed to make sure he stayed this way, and that no one succeeded in removing the divine spirit made flesh that was his new Shizun.

...But he might have come on a little strong… Don’t worry Husband, your future wife is here!

[First] [Ao3] [Next]

[hoonieyun]

blink twice (coming soon)

blink twice

pairing: lee heeseung x reader “y/n”

genre: dark, psychological thriller, angst

warnings: death, violence, drugs and alcohol, manipulation, assault, very dark themes and as always, MDNI 18+ (lmk if i forgot anything)

summary: after hitting it off with big shot tech ceo, heeseung “evan” lee, he whisks you away to his private island for the vacation of your dreams, but when days start to blend into one another, your memory becomes hazy, and your best friend goes missing; you’re forced to face the truth. 

characters:

reader "y/n"

heeseung “evan” lee (enhypen)

jay park (enhypen)

jake sim (enhypen)

sunghoon park (enhypen)

yizuo “ningning” ning (aespa)

karina yoo (aespa)

aeri “giselle” uchinaga (aespa)

minjeong “winter” kim (aespa)

notes: so i watched this insane movie called blink twice and i- !!!!! it was so good, aside from certain parts that were definitely triggering so instead of writing about those parts i’ve just “hinted” at them instead. the movie was really good i suggest for you to watch it if you can! but obviously there will be spoilers for that movie through this but not everything is exactly the same, i’ve taken certain plot points and omitted them due to their dark nature that i personally am not comfortable writing about. i also want to say that credit for the story and plot line goes solely to those who worked on that movie! i have no intention of stealing their work, this is all fiction based on that movie! i'm not sure when i will release this as it's still in the works but i also wanted to release it during october but we'll see how it that works out as i'm also working on my enhypen horror series!

[romchat]

Story of Kunning Palace Ep. 24-25: Over the threshold of regret and possibility

There are very few things I love more than a good doorway shot.

Doorways symbolize many things. They're the boundary between what is seen and unseen, what is known and unknown. They're the threshold between the pasts we leave behind and the futures we seek ahead. They're full of regret and possibility.

And we see them everywhere in Episodes 24 and 25.

Seeing how one of the threads that connect Jiang Xuening and Xie Wei is their ability to truly recognize the good and bad within one another, something that struck me about Episode 24 was the ways in which doorway coverings were used to represent the barriers to that fragile understanding. These coverings allow the characters to gaze at one another from a distance (and avoid confronting their feelings) while also obfuscating the reality of what they’re looking at.

For example, after apologizing to him about her role in the Tongzhou battle, Ning-er doesn't quite know how to interact with Xie Wei. On one hand, his quick thinking not only saved her and Zhang Zhe but also everyone on the mountain. It's just one more addition to the increasingly long list of good deeds Xie Wei has done for her. And yet she still doesn't see the significance of those acts.

And for Xie Wei, gazing at Ning-er and Zhang Zhe walking through the snow together catapults him into a fit of jealousy, not realizing that would be the night Ning-er starts pulling away from Zhang Zhe. Because he shut his door, he completely missed how she returned to her room alone.

Side Note: I want to take a moment to appreciate the actor blocking and camera language in this rejection scene. It's subtle but devastating.

When Ning-er first sees Xie Wei through the door coverings, we get a close-up shot of her hopeful face. She steps towards the door so Xie Wei can see her as Xue Dingfei asks if he wants to attend her dinner. She is waiting FOR HIM.

But when Xie Wei declines, we get a long shot showing the seemingly irreparable distance between the two of them before the camera settles once again on her face. This time her expression is hurt. For a moment, she thought things could be different between the two of them.

When Xue Dingfei asks Xie Wei again, we see he is about to say no, but then he notices Ning-er outside and he pauses FOR HER. He wants confirmation that she wants him there. The camera then racks focus on Ning-er through the doorway. Stung by his earlier rejection, she gives him an excuse not to come.

I adore how the camera work starts intimate with all those close-up shots of Ning-er and Xie Wei's faces and gets more and more distant to represent their inability to communicate. He didn't want to stay away and she wanted him to be around but they missed each other's cues. These two are a bittersweet comedy of missed opportunities. And poor Xue Dingfei has to play wingman sober.

While some thresholds can be crossed with little thought, others require courage.

And we finally see that courage in Episode 25 when Xie Wei notices Ning-er through the doorway of Zhang Zhe's home and chases after her. His comforting embrace is pivotal for her awareness of him as something more than a tentative ally in her schemes.

Neither knows what is next but they have crossed the threshold into possibility.

[heymeowmao]

2024.04.29 - https://weibo.com/l/wblive/p/show/1022:2321325028561374544131

I'll stream for a while then go~~

bgm: 落了白 (Falling White) - Jiang Xue’er

LYN: Hallo everybody, good evening. I am Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. Welcome to my livestream~ Long time no see. I feel like I haven’t seen you in a long time, so I wanted to have a nice chat with you before my next drama starts airing. C: Act more normal. LYN: I’m not acting abnormal?? Are you starting to have something against me, now? Is it that you havent seen me in too long so I feel unfamiliar? I’m being very normal right now, and you want me to “act more normal”? What counts as “normal”? C: Ning-ge, you’re so gentle. LYN: In your hearts am I a very fierce and cruel person? Or do I normally have a bad temper and I yell a lot? No, right? I’ve always been this gentle.

C: The sound is much lower. LYN: /speaks directly into the mic/ Is it too low? I just need to pull the mic closer. 

C: You haven’t eaten, so you have no strength? LYN: No, I’ve eaten. I had a meal before starting the stream. I ordered some takeout. Otherwise I was afraid I would pass out in the middle of the stream. I ate something before I started.

C: Don’t be so gentle. I feel uncomfortable when you’re not backtalking at me. LYN: Are you sadistic? You need me to backtalk you in order to feel comfortable? That’s weird. 

LYN: I don’t know if I’ll have the time to stream once filming starts up, because shooting a drama keeps me pretty busy. My last drama ZLYM- I actually didn’t have that many scenes. I had very few, and I didn’t have time to stream. I’ll have more scenes in this drama (SJYM/A Dream Within A Dream), so if I had to predict then… I would have even less time to stream. Today’s stream is a preemptive measure- so that you’ll be aware that my future streaming schedule will not be very frequent. Please understand.

bgm: 狂風襲來 (Fierce Wind Raid) - West Out of Yumen/Parallel World OST

LYN: I have a lot to do. If I were only an actor I would probably have more time. But I can’t let go of music, and there’s also the streaming so… I don’t have enough time. I guess I’m also getting older, too… C: You also have variety shows. LYN: The Truth is almost finished- I’ll go one more time and we’ll be done shooting for it. After that, I’ll stay in the drama crew a while. I just need to go to shoot The Truth one more time- a two-day session, then it’s over. LYN: It’s a variety show I like a lot. I went to the first season, and the people there were great. Honestly, I rarely make friends. I can only make some if I’m working with them, shooting a drama or variety show together. I made a lot of friends after shooting season 1, and I’ve made a lot of friends after this season as well. Of course, some of those friends are already old friends. Zhou Keyu and Bai Yu, for example. We shot the first season together. I’m close with Reba, because we’ve worked together twice already. This variety show counts as our third partnership. Now there’s Zhang Linghe and Xun-ge. Xun-ge, I actually did work with before, but that was just roughly. Jin Jing also came to film with us this season. It’s nice to be able to make some friends. It’s a happy thing. Later I will be properly focused on shooting the drama and I won’t have much of anything else going on. 

LYN: There are people making fun of me for being scared. Friends. You already saw how scared I got when we shot the prologue. Friends- you might not understand. I was pretending on purpose. Honestly, I wasn’t scared one bit. I wasn’t afraid. I was pretending. Pretending to be cute. I was thinking since my face is so old, if I acted a little cute, would it make the viewers like me a little more? I was just pretending. You can see my performance in the later episodes. I stop pretending, then. I come clean. Don’t believe in what you see, I was just pretending. Pretending to be scared. What’s there to be afraid of? It’s not scary. Just watch me in the later episodes- there’s not one shred of fear in me. Yeah… really. Believe me. C: I can’t believe you at all. LYN: Believe me. I’m not afraid at all, later. You’ll see. 

LYN: The second season should be a pretty good watch. We could tell when we were shooting it- it’s actually very interesting. We’re a good group of people and we had fun together. The other thing is that I don’t record variety shows often- I don’t much have the time, and there are few I want to be on- so when I am on a show I’m always very happy. I’m happy and relaxed. When I’m not too busy with work, I can find a fun project. While I’m playing, it also counts as work which is nice. I was happy to record this variety show. LYN: Every time I go to record for a variety show, I- 

bgm: Truthfully = A1 Trip/DOBI

LYN:  When I go to record for a variety show, when the time comes for it to end, I feel like I don’t want to let it go. I feel like I only just got close with my new friends and we’d only just worked out how to get along. We’d only just reached the point where we could rely on each other, so having to part with them makes me sad. So… the last time we recorded, I had asked the producer, “Will this program have a season three?” They said, “There will be.” I told them, “I remember the last season, I asked you this same question. You made me wait three years.” /sigh/ And then I asked, “What about the third season?” They told me the third season would come quickly. I replied, “Does it depend on how well this season rates? If KSTLB2 flops, would a third season be hard to pull off?” They did not respond. They used silence as the answer. LYN: The moment they lowered their head I understood. I saw clearly the truth of the situation. The cruelty of it. So, friends, when KSTLB2 starts airing, I hope that each one of you here can promote this very good variety show, this easily consumable variety show, this show that makes you think, this show with a group of youthful and good-looking men and women- to your parents and elders, and brothers and sisters. Okay? Thank you, everyone.

C: I’ve watched the whole first season and can tell you all about it from memory. Looking forward to S2. LYN: There’s a problem with S2… wait- would saying this be bad for the program? /laughs/ The gameplay of the second season is different from the first. Our trust will be on thinner ice. Our mutual trust in one another- that friendliness and closeness one feels upon first meeting- will come back to hit us in the face. For example, when we first see each other: “Good morning! How did you sleep? Not bad? Let’s see what we’ve got for us today. I hope we can solve the mystery quickly.” We’re smiling and everyone’s faces are full of… kindness. But once this game starts- there are five fixed players and each week we’ll get a guest sixth- there’s a murderer among the six of us in each episode. So… the whole process is just us suspecting one another. Indiscriminately suspecting, indiscriminately provoking, indiscriminately attacking. Which leads to…

LYN: Last week, I know you saw me wearing a red wig, right? I’m telling this to my fans, since they would probably follow the spoilers about me- I recorded an episode in a red wig. While we were recording that episode, BY kept singling me out. He kept saying, “LYN’s not normal today.” “Liu-ge, you’re not normal today. This is too out of the ordinary. I have a feeling you’re the murderer.” I asked, “Why?” He said, “Because you’re not talking. This is too different from normal. You haven’t spoken a word all day.” I replied, “It’s not that I don’t want to talk, it’s because my hair is being pulled too tightly. The wig is too tight and it’s affecting my ability to think and respond to people normally. Those functions have disappeared. They suffocated.” Half an hour with that wig was okay. Over an hour and it’s a headache. I feel like it was leaving stress marks on my skull. I filmed with it for several hours. After that day I felt like my soul was squeezed out. I was trying to explain to him, “My wig hurts too much. It’s so uncomfortable. I know it looks good, but the cost is too great. It hurts so much.” He said, “I don’t believe you. We’re all adults. How could a person as smart as I am be tricked by your excuses? I’m right. You are the murderer.” Of course, I can’t tell you if he guessed right or wrong. :) LYN: You can imagine- The wig starts from here, and it’s wrapped around your whole head. All that’s left is a mouth. XD It separates your brain from your mouth- do you know that feeling? It’s like a barrier in the middle. Your thinking, logic, and speech is no longer under your brain’s control. 

C: What are you drinking? LYN: Tea. It’s uh... some tea.

C: How many episodes is KSTLB? LYN: It should be around 10 or so? I think it’s 10, and they’re spilt between part 1 and part 2. I’m not sure. Are parts 1 and 2 aired on the same day? I’m not clear on the specifics. They only gave ten episode’s worth of pay. XD I’m guessing how many episodes there are based on how many episode’s worth I was paid for. 

C: How much do you get paid an episode? LYN: /whispers/ What’s it to you? Does it have anything to do with you? LYN: Also- they pay you for this variety show? I had to buy tickets to get inside. It’s a restricted area and you normally need a ticket to get inside. I bought tickets. They pay? I didn’t know! The production team didn’t tell me. Next time I’ll ask the other guests if they were paid to come on the show. At the time, they told me that if I wanted to be on the program I’d have to send the producer a 200rmb red envelope. I thought about it for three days and in the end I didn’t send it. They were supposed to give me money? Wasn’t it that I had to pay to be able to be on it??

C: If I give 400rmb, can I go in and be a ghost? LYN: You want to be an NPC? You want to PAY to be an NPC? I don’t think you can do that.

C: Is Zhuo Bufan coming? LYN: I saw online that Heroes (Tian Xing Jian) would air on May 4th. I think it’s fake news. I saw the posts- someone online said that TXJ would air on 5/4 and many of my fans were discussing it, saying, “Waa~ ZBF is coming!!” I think it’s fake news. Why? Because they only send me the OST yesterday. They send me the OST yesterday, and I need to go record it. Think about it- the OST isn’t even recorded yet, so how can it air?? So that’s… probably false.

LYN: Later when I’m not doing this job anymore, I can… become an yxh that knows more accurate information than any other yxh. C: Ning-ge, it seems like you would be happy to do it. LYN: No- I’m just saying some nonsense!! It looks to me like being an yxh is really easy, is all. If I want to do it, I’m sure that I could be successful at it. I could be big. Even a media company. I think I can make it. You’ve just got to think of different paths. Being in more than one industry is useful.

- /hears some banging from upstairs?/ LYN: ??? - C: Let us know when you’re looking for employees. LYN: Ok. - C: What’s that sound? LYN: I think the upstairs neighbors are fighting. I don’t know who lives up there, but sometimes in the middle of the night I’ll hear things falling on the floor. There are always some sounds that rouse me. But it’s okay because I always make noise for other people, too. I can sit here in the night listening to music and no one complains about me. So if other people bang and drop things on the floor, I won’t complain about them either. But these past few days I’ve gathered that the people upstairs are playing mahjong. The sound is of the tiles hitting the floor. I’m guessing that after the machine shuffled the tiles they accidentally drop the tray of tiles on the floor. They were probably about to win, got excited, and their tiles dropped.

bgm: 天光 (Heaven Light) - Chongzi OST

LYN: I went to record a song the other day. It’s one I sang with another person, and it should probably be released in a few days. It’s… you’ll know when you hear it. It was a pretty good job, so when it comes out please pay it some attention. I’ve sung a song with someone, and it’ll come out in a few days. I’ve actually done a lot of things in secret.   

C: I’ve finally caught up to a fresh stream. LYN: Alrighty. A “fresh” stream is nice.

C: Lao-da, talk about your music variety. LYN: The thing on Jiangsu Satellite TV? (音乐潮计划/Music Wave Project) We’re still in talks about it, but if there’s any progress I’ll let you know.

C: When is KSTLB officially airing? LYN: This, I really don’t know. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. So don’t ask me. You can just wait for the news. It should be soon, because I know the first couple of episodes are already made. There’s a… song that we recorded and they’ve sent that to us to listen to as well. 

----- Bodhi Seeds > Walnuts

C: I saw the walnuts. LYN: Lately I’ve gotten into polishing walnuts. I don’t know if any of you are like me- once you start with something, you start also thinking about how you can apply it to other things. One thing at a time, you start buying more and more. The more you see, the more easily you buy it. Are any of you like that? There’s just more and more. I can’t stop myself. In the past two years, when I first got into it, I was handling bodhi seeds (passionfruit hashplant). I kept buying them, of all sorts of different varieties. After playing with those for a couple of days, I didn’t find it fun anymore and gave them away to my friends and staff. At a certain point, I had enough of playing with the bodhi seeds. I started playing with Xingyue bodhi. I kept buying them, of all sorts- /describes the types/- and when I was done with them I gave them away. Then I spent a little more and started playing with the Fengyan bodhi. Fengyan bodhi are- to my understanding- the more expensive of the bodhi types. The pricing is actually a little ridiculously expensive. You see me wearing a strand around a lot. (People comment on the price of them, and he just wants you to know they’re a more expensive/higher grade.) Don’t call then cheaper than they are. LYN: At first I bought a 9mm-108 strand, but no matter how I handled it, I felt like they were too big so I gave them away. How did I do it? I separated it into three sections, and gave the two smaller sections to friends. There was a longer strand and the last time Da Fei-ge came for the Carnation Music Festival, right? When they came, I gave Ah Zhuo a strand of Passion Bodhi seeds. Then I gave a larger set of Qilingyan- a lot of you probably don’t know what I’m talking about. I gave him a set of Qilingyan, but he also wanted a set of smaller ones so I gave him that longer section of the Fengyan. After that, I started playing with the 8mm, not 9mm. Now I’ve moved on to the Jingang bodhi. It’s not particular, and I can play with it however I want.

LYN: And nowadays I’ve set my sights on walnuts. I’ve bought a bunch like the baishizi, guanmo, hamatou, and whatnot. I kept buying them, so now I’ve started to polish them. 

C: You’re a health and wellness streamer. (?) LYN: I’m not. But if I brought you my box of beads to show you, you would really think I am. C: Show us. LYN: Nah. - /makes a comment that he really shouldn’t be playing anymore because it’s a waste of money and it’s addicting./ - [t/n: I got lost, so this is the best I could do.]

LYN: I think I’m going to stop at walnuts, though. One day I was recording for the show and I told ZLH I was starting to polish walnuts. When we’re there, both as guests, isn’t it a good thing to try and find common topics of conversation and get some screentime? Friends- in your life and work, if you want to get closer to a person you have to find a topic of conversation that the other person enjoys talking about. For example, if they like talking about skiing, you can ask them about it. Through this topic, you can speak more to each other and understand one another better. So that day I struck up conversation with him, “ZLH. I’ve started to polish with walnuts lately. I heard it’s also a hobby of yours?” But it wasn’t because I knew that he polished them that I started! I just coincidentally saw that it was related to him, so I asked him about it. But he said, “I don’t polish them.” I said, “Oh?? Then…” It was a little embarrassing. “I heard that your fans are called “Walnuts”? I thought that because you liked to play with them, your fans started calling themselves that as a linkage.” Because people who like to play with the walnuts polish/rub them, so I thought his fans called themselves “Walnuts”. But… (that’s not the case). It was pretty awkward. C: Why would you make that connection? LYN: Because a lot of you tell me to stop playing with the beads and to play with you instead! I thought it was some preference for fans to adopt the name of the thing that their favorite artist likes. For example, some artist likes driving cars, so their fans would call themselves “Little Cars”. I don’t know if that’s actually a thing, though? Like, “Don’t drive cars, drive me instead.”?? 

C: Ning-ge, then we are called “chuan” (串)]! LYN: This name isn’t really good… C: Then from now on we will be called “chuan-jie”. LYN: No, no. It’s not a good name. “Chuan” isn’t normally used to describe humans. It’s used to describe… other things. So please, friends, don’t stick yourself with nonsensical labels. 

bgm: Young Captain队长 & ODD Chen Sijian - 超感 (Super Sense)

LYN: Some of you don’t get what “chuan” means, right? It’s used to describe small dogs. I’m explaining because you don’t get it, I don’t mean to insult you. It’s just that someone asked me what it meant, so I’m letting you know. “Chuan” is typically used to describe animals like small dogs. Let’s say you have a dog and it’s a golden retriever. If it has a pup with a samoyed, that mixed-breed would be called a “chuan.” If I say it like that, do you get it now? It mean it’s a mixed-breed. Yeah… That’s how people usually use the term. 

-----

C: We’re called “Yang Di.” LYN: XD I saw your comments on that. Did it air yesterday or today? I forgot. Hello Saturday. Oh, it was the day before yesterday. I was partnered up with YD and there were some activities that required me tohold on to him. And then- - LYN: Wait- hold on. I just saw a comment that read, “Did you do cosmetic surgery again?” Hey- where do you think I look good? :) Do you think that I am better looking in some way? Where? Tell me. Say it out loud. Tell me. I want to know. Someone just asked if I had cosmetic surgery, so I want to know where they think I look nicer. Hm? - *clicks his tongue* C: Your eyes look prettier. // You eyes are bigger. LYN: Did I get double-eyelid surgery?? I opened up the corners of my eyes? C: Your skin looks more exquisite. LYN: No- that’s because of the beauty filter. LYN: I didn’t get surgery. I wouldn’t have the time to recover. Also I don’t think that cosmetic surgery can save me. If I want to change myself- change this face- I’d have to change my whole head. A project so small as cosmetic surgery can’t save me anymore. - LYN: Continuing on with YD, for the game I had to hold on to him, right? I saw there were some of you who wished you could become him. You really… Did you know in fighting there’s this method called- called… /has to do the action to get the word/ a headlock? Normally, I think a person would pass out within five seconds if they were really subject to one. 

LYN: It’s kind of hot. Let me turn on the AC. I’ll go turn on the AC. Watch a video first, and I’ll  use the restroom while I’m up. Let me find something. There are a lot of new videos but I haven’t saved them. I’m sure you’ve already seen enough of the ones I already have. 

---------- Break #1 - 52:35-52:45 Daimi Time! LYN: Is this what they mean when they say “so hot you become a dog”? “Hot like a dog”. Is this what they mean? /to Daimi/ I’m talking about you. It’s okay- you can open your mouth to pant. It’s okay. Continue. LYN: She just got back from a bath. My ge sent her back. She just went for a wash so now she's excited. We’ve given her a blow-dry so her fur is fluffy. C: She looks quite heavy.

LYN: Yes. C: How many kgs is she? LYN: I think she’s about 14kg now.

C: The mic receiver is too good. LYN: Yes, nowadays mics are really good.

LYN: Let me sing a song! What do you want to hear? I’ll sing it. LYN: This song is good. Let me gift it to all of you and I hope that if any of you are lost in the dark and can’t find your way, you can find you light in the darkness. This song is for you.

-- 黑夜一束光 (Praying)

LYN: I heard a song the other day I really liked, so I want to sing it. /looking it up/ Oh, that’s what it’s called. … There’s no arrangement for it. I was thinking I would sing it for fun, but there’s no track for it. LYN: ??? Why is there so much white noise?? /troubleshooting/ Let me turn off the AC. LYN: /testing/ Oh, whatever. I don’t care. Let there be white noise. It’s not the sound of rain.

bgm: 世世 (Lifetime) - The Legend of Shen Li OST

C: I want to hear 啊默契 (Till the End) LYN: Okay. I can sing that. - /starts/ /stops/ LYN: Hold on. Sorry, let me start again. -- 啊默契 (Till the End)

bgm: 撞地球 (Earth Collision) by Yu Er Qi

LYN: Let me drink some water, hold on. C: 昨日少年 (Youth of Yesterday) LYN: /sings(?) it/

C: When will you get a new drama? LYN: You- you must not be my fan. Of course, it’s okay even if you’re not my fan. There’s still a chance- a slim chance that you could still become one. My next drama starts filming tomorrow. Today is night before recording starts and I will officially start my new role tomorrow. 

C: Use that style of singing to sing 奉上 (Offer). LYN: /does it/ LYN: I usually sing just like this, and what you hear when it’s released is what they’ve fixed during editing and production. This is how I usually sing. LYN: /sings more/ LYN: Isn’t it nice? It’s perfection. -- 奉上 (Offer) - A Journey to Love OST (tone deaf ver.) -- 奉上 (Offer) - A Journey to Love OST (ft. Daimi)

-- 一念关山 (A Journey to Love) by Richie Jen LYN: ?! Is it going to keep playing? 

-- 立剑 (Establish A Sword) by Zhang Jie Daimi: /barking/ LYN: /to Daimi/ Have you gone crazy? Huh!? What are you barking for?? LYN: I don’t really know this song ^^; Also the key is too high. It’s too high. I remember there was a previous stream in which I swore I would never sing Zhang Jie-laoshi’s songs again. Because they are too high. There’s no need to make things difficult for myself, you know?

-- 别梦寒 (Don’t Dream of the Cold) LYN: This song tires me out. I don’t really have the strength to sing this one. I can’t sing it. 

LYN: I can sing OSTs today! Let me see what OSTs LYN has sung… C: 拂晓 (Dawn) LYN: The one that just came out, right? Harbin 1944 (In the Name of the Brother)? -- 拂晓 (Dawn) - Harbin 1944/In the Name of the Brother OST LYN: Thank you. C: This song is amazing. LYN: When I received this OST, the main reason I accepted was because I haven’t released this type of song lately. I haven’t had this style of song, and it was quite nice sounding, so I accepted it. 

LYN: Am I trending? For real? I’m such a small-fry artist, but I have the honor to be trending? I don’t believe it. Let me find another OST… LYN: Hold on… there’s no rush… - /hums a little of 如果爱还记得 (If Love Still Remembers) - Wonderland of Love OST/ LYN: I know what to sing. I should sing this, shouldn’t I? By all means, I should sing it. (bc LYT is the lead ) -- 朝暮 (Morning and Evening) - Warm on a Cold Night OST LYN: Thank you. C: What song is this? LYN: I can’t believe so many of you are asking what song this is. My fans all know it, right? If you don’t know, then I think that’s also okay, because I release a lot of songs so if you can’t remember them, that’s fine.

C: Trending in the Entertainment tab at 32. LYN: It’s all positive, right? What I mean by that is no one is in there hating on me, right? “What gives LYN the right? When he looks so ugly??” It’s nothing like that, right? What are the contents of the trending topic at 32, friends? It’s not a new “melon” that says I’m in a new drama and who I’m acting alongside, and the comments are all people asking “What gives LYN the right?”, right? C: It’s positive. LYN: Oh, okay. Then it won’t get a very high ranking. I’ll drop off of it in a bit. C: It’s “LYN_Livestream”. LYN: That’s okay, then. I’ll drop off of it later. Usually all the topics that are hating on me rise up in ranks quickly. But for a small-fry like me, just being trending is thanks enough. I’m thankful to have you.

C: I want to hear 愿光 (Wish Light). LYN: Let me see if I have it. I really haven’t sung this live before, have I? I can’t sing it, because it’s not on this platform… Forget it. I won’t sing it, then. I won’t open the other app because it’s complicated to go between them.

LYN: There is one song I really like! I don’t think I’ve sung it before. Sometimes I don’t sing them live because I’m afraid that I won’t be able to. There are some songs that I know while I’m recording them are so difficult to sing and record. When I look back on them, I’m afraid to sing them because I’m afraid I won’t be able to pull it off. Oh, but there isn’t a track for this song. - 隐侠 (Hidden Hero) - 赘婿 (Zhui Xu/My Heroic Husband) Donghua Opening Theme LYN: Let’s forget it, since there’s no track for it.

LYN: This works, right? It’s also an OST. If I’m remembering correctly it’s for the Palace Museum, right? An OST to promote the Palace Museum… I really like this song. It’s about the inheritance of our national treasures. -- 传承 (Inheritance) - Palace Museum Cultural Relics Promotion Song

C: 千里江山 (The Vast Land) LYN: I can do that.

C: 一生有多远 (How Long is a Lifetime) LYN: How does that one go? It’s one of my songs, right? /looks it up/ Oh, it is my song. You know what is suitable for this song? If you have a cup of coffee- oh, no. Coffee doesn’t work. It’s a more nostalgic song. I don’t think I’ve ever sung this live. Let me give it a try. Actually I don’t remember if I have sung it or not. I forgot. I can try. - /misses the timing/ LYN: The mic just broke. There was just a little problem with it. Excuse me. It’ll be good in a sec. Let me make adjustments. Sorry. Yeah, the stream froze. - /water asmr/ LYN: Let me try that again. Apologies. - /Daimi starts barking & growling/ LYN: ?!? LYN: She’s trying to steal my limelight. /sigh/ - /walnut asmr/ LYN: Is the sound of them loud? D: /growl/ LYN: Shush! -- 一生有多远 (How Long is a Lifetime) - The Curious Tale of Mr. Guo LYN: Sorry- I’m not really familiar with this song. I’ve already forgotten it; it’s been too long. Next time I’ll learn it properly and sing it for you. Sorry. /keeps apologizing/ C: It froze! LYN: It didn’t freeze, I just forgot how to sing it. It’s been way too long! And I haven’t ever sung it. Sorry.

LYN: Let me see what else I have… what other OSTs. /types in “OST”/ Oops. I meant to type “LYN”. /sigh/ - 专属蓝天 (Always Be With You) - Dance of the Storm OST - 烟火星辰 (Fireworks and Stars) - You Are My Glory OST LYN: This will do. - /narrates/ -- 莫问前程 (Don’t Ask About the Future) - White Cat Legend OST LYN: Thank you. How awesome is this song?!

C: 向死而生 (Live to Die) LYN: I don’t think I can sing it live. I’d have to be in really great condition to be able to pull it off. When I finish singing that song I “want to die”. (向死 (towards death) vs 想死 (thinking of death) - homophonic joke) I really like the song, I really do. But it kind of makes me “want to die” when I sing it. Let me see… How about I give it a try? -- 向死而生 (Live to Die) - Burning Flames OST - /cracks at the chorus/ /clears his throat/ LYN: The mic broke a little just now. It’s super unstable. Let me try again. -- 向死而生 (Live to Die) - Burning Flames OST [take 2] - /pulls off the chorus this time/ /clicks his tongue/ /finishes up with minimal difficulty/

C: Let’s chat. LYN: /nods/ Ok.

-----------

bgm: Fall in Love

LYN: I want to thank everyone who is watching my stream right now. If at this moment you have not subscribed to my weibo, please do so. Thank you. I know many of you might be watching my stream for the first time. It’s nothing special and there’s no particular uniform. I just come when I have some time and chat with my fans, sing a few songs, and help everyone relax a little. That’s all.

C: How do I send presents? LYN: My presents are closed, here. This stream is a benefit for you all. You don’t need to spend a dime for it. But I hope that one day when I have a concert, you have enough money to buy a ticket and see me live. Okay? Thank you.

C: Ning-ge, when will you start filming? LYN: I start tomorrow, but I don’t know when the official “start” date is. I’m not sure because I don’t really care about that type of thing. As an actor, all I need to do is work on pulling off my scenes well. As for promotion… /trails off/

C: When you were being interviewed didn’t you tell us “Just you wait” because you were going to scare us? LYN: I wanted to at first, but I thought about it and decided to forget it. I thought about scaring you by telling you I was going to stream tonight, and then not streaming. Do you think that type of scare is big or not?

C: Why didn’t you sing this song on Hello Saturday? LYN: Right- because I needed to sing a song with a “beverage” in the lyrics, right? “Whiskey and ice, my music and you.” You’re right. I didn’t think of it. There were too many songs, I couldn’t react quickly enough. 

LYN: The thing I like about streaming on weibo is that it is always upgrading with new functions. Many of you have the special effects, when you type. You can also turn the special effects off, so it won’t affect your typing. In the menu, you can select to turn off the special effects.

C: Ning-ge, will  KSTLB still have a press conference? LYN: The Truth… press conference… we recorded it already, that day. There are spoilers online, aren’t there? Of us wearing school uniform-style? That’s the press conference and it will probably be aired later. I don’t know. I’m sure it will at some point. The program prepared a huge amount of content. Other than the main episodes, we recorded a lot of… other stuff.

bgm: 万物盛开法则 (The Law of Everything in Bloom) - Da Zhangwei

C: Is  KSTLB2 scary? LYN: It’s terrifying. But I was not afraid. This time around I show a very manly side to myself. I’m more firm this time, because I’ve already seen through all of the program’s tricks. LYN: I was only scared into crying, is all. LYN: It’s okay. You can watch when it comes out. It’s quite fun.

C: Lao-da, please I’m begging you to flip me. LYN: I’ve flipped you.

C: Tell me, is Reba really beautiful in person? LYN: /laughing/ Why are you spamming that? There’s really no meaning in you doing that. There’s no point. Other than someone who’s “250” (a fool or someone who doesn’t take things seriously) like me, no one else would dare to respond. LYN: The way I see it, if you only think of a girl in terms of “pretty” or “not pretty”, then I think you’re really shallow. Do you understand? My stance is that if you only care about her appearance and not her mind, then you’re a little shallow.

LYN: My hope for KSTLB2 is that- Ive said before that it’s a program that I really like. We had great time shooting the first season. When it aired us cast and viewers had a great time watching. There was a great atmosphere around it. I hope that this time the atmosphere will be equally as good. Because… when you record together for a few days you start to develop this inexplicable group cohesion. I hope that when you’re watching- to my fans, at least- you don’t watch with a competitive eye. You’re not watching to compare who is better looking or smarter than the others- it’s not that type of show. We’re watching for entertainment, and relaxation is the key. If you’re watching with any intentions in mind, you won’t be able to “see” anything. 

C: You look a little like LYN. LYN: Really? I get that a lot. 

C: Did you have fun playing with water on Hello Saturday? LYN: It was quite fun, actually! Last time I went to Changsha I had the time to shoot two episodes. The crew is really great. If there’s any ever plans for fun content for the show, they will contact my studio to see if I have time and am interested in going to play. We’re having fun. I’m pretty close with the group, too. Before, I was always in the drama crew and didn’t dare to go. But this time I happened to have two day’s worth of time, so I asked them how many episodes they were planning to record for. They told me they were recording two episodes, so I asked if I could do both. I was going to be in Changsha anyway, so if I could record two eps in the same trip, wouldn’t that be great? They agreed, so I went and got shot with water. It was pretty tiring, though. And I… didn’t come out of it uninjured. I was pummeled. LYN: You saw the episode the other day, right? The part when we needed to grab the flowers off a player’s back? I was able to grab it and then fell to my knees, right? And then I started heading for the goal- C: Face breaks. (when he was intercepted and scooped up by Yu Yang) LYN: No, not the face break. It doesn’t have to do with that. I was on my knees and the pants- they’re like exercise pants- they rubbed off a layer of skin on my knee. When I went to Disney later my knee hurt. It straight removed a layer of my skin. It’s okay now, though. /shows us his knee/ It was fierce. I gave it my all. LYN: I thought it was a lot of fun, though. I used the time to relax. It’s nice to be able to record for a show and have fun doing it. The guests were all great and we had fun playing together. C: In the end the flower was stolen by someone else. LYN: It’s okay. I’m really just gong there to have fun. Some variety shows are like a vacation for me. I don’t consider them as work. Hello Saturday is one of them- I only go to play.

C: What’s the scar on your left hand? LYN: Huh? There’s no scar. What scar on my hand? I don’t have one. Do you really think I’m so fierce? I used to have a nickname called “Knife Scar Liu”. /laughs/ I am the “Boy with Knife Scars”- I have scars from knives on my hands. Super fierce.

C: /commenting it’s their b-day/ LYN: Is someone celebrating their birthday today? What a coincidence. Since it’s your birthday and I’m streaming, I’ll wish you a Happy Birthday. Okay? Happy Birthday~ 

C: It’s my 13th marriage anniversary, and I hope to get your blessing. LYN: You have my blessings! I’m jealous that you have such a happy marriage. 13 years today, is it? Then, I’ll gift a song about love to you. What’s a good song to celebrate your 13th marriage anniversary with? And don’t you joke with me, saying 分手快樂 (Happy Breakup). A proper song. Something that wishes people health and happiness. Is there any song like that? C: The Song of Tui Town (KSTLB S2 Theme) -- The Song of Tui Town

LYN: Not that! I was just kidding. What song is there? C: 甜蜜蜜 (Sweet on You) LYN: … C: 给你给我 (Give You, Give Me) LYN: Alright, let’s do it. All of his songs are on the other platform. I’ll give it to you and open it up… LYN: Let me find the lyrics. I just wanted to try, to see if I could sing it in this key. // There are no lyrics, here. It’s okay- let me look them up on my phone. LYN: This is for the friend who is celebrating their 13th year marriage anniversary, and for all of you who are celebrating your 10th year marriage anniversaries. I hope your marriages are all full of happiness and fulfillment. I’m happy that you’re able to be together. -- 给你给我 (Give You, Give Me) by Mao Buyi LYN: That’s about enough. But since I’ve opened this app I might as well look at what other songs I can sing.

LYN: Okay, forget it. They don’t have it. That’s enough, I guess. I couldn’t find it. C: 愿光 (Wish Light) LYN: Oh yeah. Well, since I have this app open, I might as well look it up. LYN: There’s no track for it. There’s really no track for it. - /hums along instead/ -- 愿光 (Wish Light) - The Legend of Anle OST

----------- Break #2 (the neighbors are fighting) bgm: 如果爱还记得 (If Love Still Remembers) - Wonderland of Love OST

C: What is the story of SJYM about? LYN: I don’t know. I’m not even in that drama. I told you last time, didn’t I? The account followed me because they want me to sing the OST. How would I know what the story is about? I’m not qualified to look at the script. C: Didn’t you accept the OST? LYN: Yeah, but do I need to read the script to find out the story in order to sing it? You must be joking. Do you think there are no rules in this industry? C: Ning-ge, you lied. You’ll gain 10kg. LYN: I didn’t lie. How would I know what the story is about?

bgm: 黑夜一束光 (Praying)

LYN: Maybe it’s because we had made a prior agreement, that they would let me go cameo in a role. We’ve worked together before, so maybe I could cameo for them. The agreement was a song and a cameo. I agreed and told them that if I had more time, I could cameo in more than just a few scenes. I could show my face and it’d count  as another project with them.  

C: What are you doing tomorrow? LYN: … I’ll be filming with a drama crew tomorrow. I have my own scenes to do. We start filming tomorrow and I’ll have to log off later and do my homework. I’ll be starting in my new crew tomorrow. What about it? C: What drama is it? LYN: It’s a secret right now, I can’t tell you. The project is too large-scale. I need to keep it secret. LYN: Fine, I’ll tell you. It’s called- Rebirth: I am an Alien. Its a scifi drama. Ill be joining it tomorrow.

LYN: Some of you have been asking about “Chang Ling” since I’ve started streaming. I’ve never heard of it. It’s not that I’ve bever heard OF it, but just that I haven’t heard from my studio that this project has ever looked into me. Maybe they were looking for someone else, and you’ve misremembered? I haven’t heard of this project coming in.

-----

C: Lao-da, are you not off on 5/1? LYN: Ever since I started working, I’ve never known what it is to have a “holiday.” I used to be in the bar singing and and in a restaurant as a waiter. Back in those days these holidays are the days I was the busiest. Dadong is a tourist city, too. So when I was a waiter back then it was my busiest times of the year. I’ve never had a job with consistent holidays like that. C: Did they give you 3x salary? LYN: No, we didn’t get any bonus pay. You don’t see that very much in the service industry… or, I don’t now- maybe because my city was smaller. There was never any 3x salary on holidays. I’ve never heard of it.

C: Have you had 五险一金 (five types of insurance and housing provident fund)? LYN: Never. I’ve never worked in any official enterprise. I was working in restaurants and bars- there’s usually no guarantee and you don’t sign any contracts. It’s just a verbal agreement of work. Usually, like when you go to work- - D: /starts barking/ LYN: Shush! D: /growling that sounds like an engine revving/ LYN: Are you pretending to be a motorcycle?? Are you getting ready to take off? - LYN: - I’d never been in any standard job. Many of you are in college now, right? All of you who are in college or grad school will likely move on to work in a company, and those places will have the insurance and standard pay. People in the servie industry don’t have that. Most of the time we’re in verbal agreements with no official contracts. They’re afraid of you walking out or stealing a piece of rib. This is why most places will make you give a deposit. For example if you get 1200rmb for the first month, they’ll keep 800 and let you take home 400. When you want to quit, theyll return that deposit to you. When you want to quit you have to let them know one month in advance so they can find another worker, and then they’ll return the deposit to you.

C: They keep more than half of your month’s salary? LYN: Just about. C: It should be regulated now, right? LYN: I doubt it. I don’t think it’s totally unregulated, but- not like I understand it very well. When I was in the bar a few years ago, it was still like that. That’s just the way the industry is. It’s not very formal to begin with. There are no contracts, just agreements. There’s a high turnover.

C: Ning-ge, did you ever want a 9a-5p job? LYN: I don’t know. I think it’s more stable for sure, but ever since I was little I wanted to be a celebrity. So I probably decided early on that there was no way that I’d be in a 9a-5p job at some company. You all know that I’m not very highly educated, either. After high school I went straight to culinary school to learn how to be a cook. Of course, a lot of people use my education to ridicule me, saying “LYN is uneducated.” That’s why I admit to it. I’m jealous of those of you who are good at school. Many of you are in college or graduate school, learning to become doctors and professors. I’m happy for you and jealous of you. You’re all very great, so keep doing well in school. I’m sure that you’ll be doing even better than I am in the future. LYN: If you really wanted me to work 9a-5p, I don’t think I would be used to it. I have a break out personality. (does not want to be constrained)

C: Making something you like into your job is the greatest thing. LYN: It’s fun at first. Um… everyone has their own difficulties. No matter what industry you’re in, what you’re doing, or what position you hold, everyone has their own hardships. It’s just that the hardships are not all the same thing. For example, I like to sing. After I made singing into my profession, there were bound to be things I didn’t want to do. You’ll find out that things aren’t as nice as you thought they would be. Taking something you like and turning it into your job to be able to make a living IS a happy thing. But once you actually start doing it you’ll find that it’s not as happy as you thought it would be. You’ll start to feel like you’re losing something you once enjoyed. 

bgm: 我只愿朝着光 ( I Only Wish to Face the Light) - BYOL OST

C: Lao-da, I hope that you are happy. LYN: I am very happy. I’m very happy now. I’m very happy. I’m not unhappy. I’m very happy. Right now I’m… extremely happy. - [t/n: why does it sound like he’s trying to make himself believe it??] LYN: Why wouldn’t I be happy? What right do I have not to be? I have so many people who like and indulge me. I have work and people who support me. Why wouldn’t I be happy? There’s not reason to not be. Really! The reason is because “happy” or “not happy” are not important to me anymore.

C: What is important? LYN: What’s important? Of course, there are things that are important to me. That is… Wow, forget it. Do we have to talk about such deep topics?? I don’t want to. Let’s not go there. I don’t want to talk about it. Weibo is a public platform. If I speak too much on it people will say that I’m pretentious. No one will think I’m being transparent or whatever. They’ll only think I’m being pretentious. What’s there to say? Everyone has it hard. No- it’s not hard on me. Everyone has their own way of living and their own life. Our experiences are not the same. There’s no way to have empathy, so I don’t see the need to share too much. It’s all okay.

-----

C: When you were recording for KSTLB, did you have nightmares? LYN: No. It’s actually not that scary! I already told you I wasn’t afraid. Honestly! I wasn’t afraid. Not one bit.

LYN: There are more people in the comments saying, “Lao-da, I hope that you are happy.” I’ve never presented myself as a weak/vulnerable little boy, have I? I don’t need it. I’m already a man who’s into his thirties. I don’t need you to comfort me. I can get by on my own. LYN: There’s nothing wrong with me! I don’t know why, all of a sudden, the mood has taken this turn. You’re making it seem like I’m very sad right now. I’m not! I’m very happy!! If I dropped off the trending topics, I would be sad. Have I dropped? Have I dropped off the trending topic ranking, friends? Am I still there? If I am, then I won’t be sad. If I’ve dropped, then I’ll cry right away. C: You dropped. LYN: /sobs/

C: Lao-da, I want to see you act as a dominating CEO. LYN: Dominating CEO? ~ You mean to say, that you wish to see my shoulders carry a whole business empire? Alright, no problem. I want to know who the girl that posed this comment is. Get me all her information within three minutes. ~ ~ Later you can find my butler to discuss the details of our collaboration. Remember- this isn’t a discussion. It’s a notification. ~ C: That’s so greasy. LYN: How was that greasy? Aren’t they all like that??

C: I want to be the butler. LYN: ~ You wish. ~

C: Dominating CEOs themselves are greasy. LYN: That’s bs. How are they greasy? Aren’t the really popular dramas lately of the dominating CEO variety? Maybe I was overexaggerating a little bit in my demonstration. That’s the type of performance you’d see in mini dramas. But honestly… aren’t all the characters in dramas right now the dominating CEO type? They’re just not modern drama CEOs, but historical drama CEOs instead. Right? In guzhuang dramas there are the kings or whatever- aren’t they all the dominating CEO? It’s all the same, we’ve just changed the identity. The model is all the same. The guy who would rather fail the world than fail this one girl. Isn’t that the dominating CEO’s M.O? LYN: ~ Look. Ahead of you are the lands I’ve won for you. From now on, you will be my only empress. If anyone dares to touch you, I’ll have them beheaded in front of the masses. ~ LYN: Aren’t guzhuang dominating CEOs like that? It’s all the same! LYN: ~ Look. This is a hall I’ve purchased for you. You can go in and take whatever you want from any of the shops inside. ~ LYN: It’s all the same, isn’t it? Your dominating ceo is just showing up with a different identity in a guzhaung drama, is all. // A lot of warlords are the dominating ceo type. So when you tell me to act as one, I actually already have. 

C: Then, how would an alien dominating ceo act? LYN: /laughs/ Ohh, is that how it is? I was telling you that tomorrow I’ll be starting a new crew, for a drama called Rebith: I Am an Alien. How does an alien dominating ceo act? Hmm… LYN: ~ You want the Earth? Okay. I’ll take down the Earth for you. From today on, you are the lord of this planet. ~ LYN: ~ What was that? You want the Sun? Alright. I’ll order my army to move the sun over for you. ~ LYN: It’s the same. The content of the dialogue changes, but the status and aura doesn’t change.

LYN: It’s about time. I should log off early today. I’ll chat a little longer, then leave. I need to shower and then do homework for tomorrow. I’ll really be starting to film tomorow. Rebirth: I Am an Alien. I hope that when this drama airs- Since I’m just starting filming tomorrow and it’ll take about four months, so if you’re new to my stream, just passing by, or maybe you came in because of the trending topic, I hope you can subscribe to my weibo. Okay? Thank you, everyone. Tomorrow I’ll start filming for a drama called Rebirth: I Am an Alien. I hope that when it airs, you can support my drama. Okay? Now I’d like to sing a song for all the people who are watching my stream for the first time today. This song is especially for the first-time viewers, okay? Um… what should I sing? -- /tries to play 刀剑如梦/ LYN: There’s actually no track for this song. Oh my goodness. - /looking for a suitable track/ LYN: Let me pull RJL’s version, then. -- 刀剑如梦 (A Life of Fighting is But a Dream) LYN: Sorry- I didn’t get the beat right. And I don’t have any props. Let me bring my sword and it’ll have more of the right feel. Wait for me a sec. -- 刀剑如梦 (A Life of Fighting is But a Dream) [take 2] - /misses the timing to start bc he was playing with the sword XD/ - /LYN: Why is this interlude so long??/ - /EDM remix???/ LYN: I didn’t think the arrangement would be like this.

LYN: Anyways, sorry. It was a gift for new friends but it was a little rough. Let me switch to something else. What’s another song that’s very jianghu-esque? Is there any? 走天涯 (Zou Tian Ya)? 让酒 (Rang Jiu). Let’s not do Rang Jiu. 剑魂 (Soul of the Sword)... there’s probably no track for that. -- 剑魂 (Soul of the Sword) [jaunty ver.] LYN: When I sing this song It’s like I’m self-helping my back problems. If you are experiencing shoulder discomfort you can exercise it with this song. It’s great.

LYN: What other song has that feeling of the jianghu? Let me look up something from my Qi-ge. (死不了/天涯). Hey wait- why do I want to move my shoulders to every song I hear? See, this works too! It works. This has already become one of my- C: 寻一个你 (Finding You) LYN: Who sang that? /looks it up/ Oh, WHD’s song. XD -- 寻一个你 (Finding You) - Love Between Fairy and Devil OST LYN: /sigh/ That’s about enough. So if you haven’t subscribed to my weibo yet, please do so.

C: Why did you stop moving your shoulders? LYN: I started sweating. D: Friends, I really think that move has a practical function. So if you’ve got nothing to do, you can practice it. It could help straighten your spine. Or... flex your joints, or something to that effect. 

C: I hope the filming for your new drama all goes smoothly. LYN: Okay, no problem. It’s alright this time, because I’m acting as an alien. I’ll be wearing an alien’s grey skin most of the time. You pretty much won’t be able to see my face, in this drama. I’ll wear a suit. The directors chose me mostly for my height. After they add something to my shoes I’ll be more than 2m tall and I’ll look even less like something from this Earth. 

C: I look forward to your alien. LYN: Okay. You can. No problem. Don’t worry. C: Does the alien talk? LYN: I have lines. Because normally when aliens talk to you, they’ll translate it to Earth language. So I’ll be speaking Chinese like normal. LYN: ~ You foolish Earthlings! ~ C: Standard Mandarin? LYN: No, with a Northeastern accent. LYN: ~ You dumb Earthlings. I’m your alien overlord. ~ C: Does the alien have emotional scenes? LYN: Um… yes. Think about it- for a story about aliens, if you ONLY talk about aliens there’s no way you can shoot a 40 episode drama. You’d never make it. There have to be emotional scenes. Maybe he’s just wearing the shell of an alien to fall in love. A lot of dramas do that, don’t they? This one is the same. The alien and scifi aspect of it is just to draw in an audience. Mainly it’s a love story between a man and a woman.

C: Will you be alive in the end? LYN: Maybe not. Friends, it’s like this: for roles that I’ve played, you can- From the moment I started acting until now, of the roles I’ve played…staying alive was an accident/unexpected. For roles that I play, as long as they’re alive, the reaction should be, “OMG, he’s alive! He didn’t die!!” I’m sure you’d be surprised. But for most of the roles that I’ve played the death rate is extremely high. Very high. Maybe I didn’t have a good start. The very first drama I ever shot- I died. C: Jiang Junhao in BYOL didn’t die. LYN: You want me to die in a slice-of-life drama, too?? That’d be too cruel. I meant in guzhuang dramas. In those, my death rate is about 80%. In 10 roles, 8 of them die. 

bgm: 热辣滚烫 (YOLO) - YOLO Movie OST

LYN: Alright, it’s about time. Thank you for your company and support. Tomorrow I’ll be entering into my new drama crew. I hope you have a fun 5/1 break, okay? Thanks for keeping me company and for your support. It was great to have you tonight and I hope you enjoyed it. Let’s meet again in the next stream, okay? Even though I don’t know when the next time I stream will be! LYN: Goodnight, everyone!

[whetstonefires]

10 and 29 for the ask game?

10. Is there a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?

I try not to have expectations, so I'm sure it's happened a lot and I didn't remark upon it enough to remember.

I do recall that All the Roofs of Uncertainty was originally a one-shot that was much better-liked than I expected, so I wrote into the what-happens-next and changed the original open ending into a whole plotline, that consisted almost entirely of Jason Todd talking to people in a hospital.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

Oh gosh I have so many fics that lie unfinished because the work necessary to complete them exceeded my interest in the premise. I could do this for weeks and not run out. Let's see.

Okay, the funniest fic that I will never ever finish is the one that was me trying to draw up a plausible background scenario for an AU (which I couldn't decide if it ought to be modern or not) where Su She was dating Wei Wuxian.

(This in turn was inspired by the fact that I kept reading modern AUs where various canon villains were cast as wwx's shitty boyfriend or ex and it was never Su She, aka the bargain bin version of Lan Wangji, who seemed to me to be the least improbable option on offer. Like if you feel the need to lampshade repeatedly within your fic that it's incomprehensible that Wei Wuxian would ever voluntarily date Jin Zixun, maybe that's a sign you should change that bit.)

The plot of the story that Su-She-uses-his-words-and-pulls-wwx embedded itself in would have revolved around Lan Wangji subsequently agreeing to a date with ten-years-younger Mo Xuanyu, presumably in an attempt to move on, and Su She picking up on his hopeless pining when both couples happened to be in the same room, as dates to the same function or something, and then following a characteristically self-destructive course where he got so wrapped up in rubbing it in Lan Wangji's face that he finally had something the Lan scion wanted and couldn't get that he wound up entirely destroying his own relationship.

Wei Wuxian is a very good judge of people who also attracts strong personal loyalty once people get attached to him in the first place, and notably something that simply never happens to him is someone betraying him who he trusted not to do that. (Jiang Cheng does not count; Wei Wuxian maneuvered him into most of it, he wasn't taken by surprise.) So it could be really neat to finesse the character work of him understanding Su She's basic character flaws, but not expecting them to manifest or affect him quite the way they end up doing.

In the same way he mostly gets Lan Wangji as a person from the start but, lacking insight into certain things he's hiding, is unable to reliably reconstruct his perspective. To an increasingly noticeable degree, as lwj acts on that aspect of his motivations more openly.

I am never going to write that though, because I just don't care enough about that kind of story, although concept free to a good home.

I did write out a little of the backstory to how Su She could have wound up in a position of wanting to date Wei Wuxian on his own merits, which was a fun bit of character study because Su She is basically Jin Guangyao's Wen Ning, you know? Evil Wen Ning.

His understanding of Jin Guangyao as someone who respects and values him earned an insane amount of personal loyalty from a basically very selfish guy--like sure, it's clear he got a steady stream of favors out of the bargain, but he also puts himself on the line way in excess of the practical value Jin Guangyao has provided and is likely to provide; the real inducement was the validation.

So, if Wei Wuxian had happened to be carelessly kind and supportive to Su She the way he was to Wen Ning, having met him in a weak moment before Su She had had a chance to make an impression as a petty asshole rather than just a bit of a dumbass (not that he actually in canon managed to make any personal impression even by shooting him in the arm) you could probably arrange for him to glom onto Wei Wuxian instead, as someone like him, who didn't get the respect he deserved because of his birth station.

And Wei Wuxian would be perfectly willing to reciprocate that friendship, even though (as with Wen Ning) if Su She didn't reach out promptly he'd have totally forgotten he existed until prompted lmao. Su She would never forgive that insult.

You can see in the passage here where I still kind of wanted it to be a modern AU so they're texting, but the setup I'd written previously worked as a clean canon divergence because that's my usual preference, and I really wasn't interested enough in a plot that's entirely about romantic relationships to figure that out and write the rest.

But I did enjoy doing this study of how Su She could have gotten stuck on Wei Wuxian, only to later go on to fuck himself over with his Lan Wangji complex.

It was nice to have someone to complain to who got it. When Su Minshan talked about having no family to turn to, about owing everything to the Sect that had raised him when, to the Lan, everything came down to the clan and he would never have a chance to truly distinguish himself— Sometimes I think about just leaving, Su Minshan wrote, because Wei Wuxian wouldn’t scold him for being ungrateful. You can, if you want, Wei Wuxian wrote, as if it was that easy. Only if you came too, Su Minshan had written back, shaken by his own daring. Of course, Wei Wuxian refused. Jiang Cheng would never forgive me if I ran off. Because he’s counting on you to run his Sect for him. He absolutely is not. Jiang Cheng will work himself into the ground before he lets me do his job for him. He didn’t admit that of course the Sect Heir was counting on him, but he didn’t disagree, which was basically the same thing. Wei Wuxian worked very hard and was rewarded for it, but Su Minshan knew that even in Jiang the equal opportunity only went so far—he was the Sect Leader’s pet for personal reasons, not just on merit, and even so he could never rise to be the equal of the blood heir. It was infuriating sometimes how that didn’t bother him. Have more ambition! You’re so lucky, Su Minshan wrote, because he was jealous, he was so so jealous. I am! <3 But let’s see, outside the main family how important can a person get in Lan Sect? You can make a plan. Weeks of effort did not produce any particularly good plans. The most realistic one took forty years to show results. Maybe I should just kill Lan Wangji and use a spell to disguise myself and take his place, Su Minshan joked. Haha! Minshan-xiong, I’m sorry, you couldn’t pull off being Lan Zhan. That hurt, an unexpected cold dagger to the ribs. Wei Wuxian was his friend! Why not! he typed angrily. Was his playing too weak, his swordsmanship, his deportment? Would even Wei Wuxian tell him he was just not good enough? Because you could never resist saying something bitchy when you had the chance, and he keeps all the bitching inside his head. Su Minshan put his head down and laughed until he thought he might cry.

I have the sneaking suspicion I already shared this one for one of these games, because it really is by far the funniest thing I'm definitely never going to finish, so I'll reblog this post later with another offering.

[sillygoofyqueer]

Happy Birthday Four!!! I hope you like my humble offering of fanart for you!

This was inspired by one of my favorite tidbits from your mad scientist au, when you said that Wei Ying would sometimes hop onto Lan Zhan's back and they would just walk like that. Well, I drew it in a sunny meadow filled with flowers because nothing bad ever happens to them, and they deserve it. (Please ignore LWJ's face, I cannot do side profiles for the life of me, as well as WWX's hand apparently TwT)

These two require no introduction: they're the two forms of He Xuan, whom I know you love! I hope you enjoy these and have an amazing birthday!!!

LYN!!! HOLY SHIT!!!!! THANK YOU SO FUCKING MUCH! This is genuinely so so sweet, I'm so happy. I was fucking around on Tumblr and then I get THIS?!?!?!?! FOR MY BIRTHDAY!?!!?!!? FROM ONE OF MY FAVOURITE MOOTIES?!??!!?!? THANK YOU. I'm going to blow you up but out of love and affection because how else am I supposed to react to this like OH MY GOD.

I love that you drew my mad scientist Wei Wuxian (possibly the most traumatised of my AUs) and his boyfriend Lan Wangji (who was just crying about the horrors of war) in a field of flowers and butterflies because yeah they're the happiest teenagers alive. They're so content and happy. ALSO THE FACT THAT YOU REMEMBERED THAT?!?! THAT WAS SO MANY POSTS AGO. I'M SO HAPPY. THAT'S SO CUTE. I like to think that he started out trying to tackle Lan Wangji because that was how he'd greet Wen Ning and Xue Yang (never Wen Qing because she would fucking stab him), but of course this was after he was in the Burial Mounds so he's got no muscle. Plus, Lan Wangji is a brick fucking wall so there is no shot Wei Wuxian is taking him down. Well, now Wei Wuxian can't just let himself look like a moron so he hops onto Lan Wangji's back. Lan Wangji loves this. I think it's so fucking cute and I love that you've drawn this I'm so happy.

AND YOU DREW HE XUAN. YOU DREW MY PRECIOUS BABY. THE FIRST GUY I EVER MARRIED. AS A LESBIAN. Lyn this is fucking gorgeous, I've never felt so loved in my LIFE. YOU DREW MY FAVOURITE GUY IN THE WHOLE WORLD. Ohhhh Ming Yi I want you...please you're so pretty and Lyn drew you so welll.....Black Water I love you.....you sad pathetic freak....Lyn I specifically love how you drew their outfits. They're so pretty, like holy shit. They're gorgeous. I like the belts and the colour comparisons are so cool - silver vs gold AUGHAUHGHGHH. Then there's also the NAMES!!! I love love love how you decorated them, it's so sick as hell and I have lost all comprehension of words the more I stare at it. Thank you so much for drawing these for my BIRTHDAY! I'm so grateful and I'm actually dead because of it. I'm dead! You killed me. Congratulations!!!!!!

[llycaons]

ep49 (3/3): lwj dismembering a man and looking so so cool diverts attention away from the true man of the hour (👀👀👀)

and he's also calling out in concern for wwx now, not just jl! man, this is great. a lot of postres meta relies on them having this horrible twisted relationship after the temple, and they ABSOLUTELY need to work on shit, but jc trusting wwx and being openly concerned for him is huge compared to their previous dynamic

they love him!!!! his uncles!!! give him open affection and physical comfort!!!

this panning up was done SO well god he is so fucking cool 😍

ik wen ning isn't in control of his body but there's something a bit delicious about him stepping on the arm of the man who helped murder his entire family

ohhh another juicy scene! jc trying to protect jl from wn, and in front of both their eyes they see 1. wwx try to stop him and 2. wn grsab a blade with his bare hands to try to stop himself. he wants so much not to hurt this boy after killing his father 🥺 I'm sure he remembered jyl giving him soup too. I'm sure he did

lwj's eyes are so pretty...dark brown forever

and here! lxc warns wwx off about using the STA, but lwj intervenes. convinces him to step back, then gives the green light to wwx. lwj trusts him, and supports him, and will back him up 🥺

and here!!! jc returning chenqing! wwx's old friend and strongest weapon. it's about trust!! wwx can do what he needs to do and his closest friends and family won't turn on him for it

pied pipering this sword over here

uh oh. get some cleansing on ya bud

it's so funny that ss accuses nhs of doing this to himself because he's literally right, but he looks like a maniac for it

this is so dramatic and romantic...WAIT THIS IS HOW THE JIANG PARENTS DIED WTF!!!!!

these scene always reminded me (tonally) of the one in iasip where liam was about to fall off the roof and ryan grabbed his wrist like "i've got you, brother" and then frank comes behind him and goes 'no you don't!' and pushes him off the roof with a piece of plywood and ryan screams 'NOOOOOO', obviously it mirrors the cluff scene very closely but the absurd tone is so different I never associated them. this though. this is a kind of pathetic guy dying and his employer using his courtesy name for the first time in like. 30 episodes. a bit silly

ooof. ough. wwx rubbing his thumb slowly over this powerful tool that saved him and cost him so much. another goodbye, to another part of his former life

I love you sooo much nhs ♥♥♥♥♥♥

NHS HORSE MOMENTS god I love saying that. what a great shot

aww jc patting jl's neck

nhs tearfully: I'm just a little guy I can't fight I'm just a little birthday boy GOD he's such a good character I love him he's so funny

oh right significant Look At wwx time

aw man this fucks

THE HALF FACE SHOTS!!!!! I go crazy every time I love then so much. they've never been used wrong in this show

oh god help that is so fucking funny. why was jgy behind them and not tied up at all anyway. also lxc immediately turning and stabbing without realizing jgy was completely motionless and no threat??? a high-level cultivator like lxc didn't even register he had no sword to parry? and why was he working with his back to jgy anyway!!! I mean ik it's all for plot and that's fine but stil. lmao

personal highlights:

all of jgy's excuses are so insane and absurd and infuriating but they contrast wwx's actions and behavior SO nicely. if there was a way to prove wwx is The Good Guy to the gathered sect leaders, this is it. not that he has many people to convince who are here

various asides about lxc's relationship with jgy

"I don't deny it'/"You can't deny it!'

the creepy wedding scene was really well done

jgy making a fake tell for jzx to pick up on is truly a masterstroke

yayyy physical affection and comfort for jl from wwx (and jc)

jgy mockingly bowing after being kicked down the steps really did fuck severely

"I've done so many bad things, yet I still hope for pity' *half face shot 'PSYCH!" *takes jin ling hostage by ripping a string out of his body* what a scene

jc calling on wwx for guidance, trusting him, seeing him protect jl, returning him chenqing. nature is healing. they'll never be exactly what they were before, but that's okay. it's a start

'clan leader, abandon me' 'sure thing lmao'

slow shot panning up from jgy's severed arm to lwj standing tall with bichen fucked SO hard god lwj looks so good esp postres they nailed him

wn stepping on jgy's arm

lwj beautiful dark brown eyes <3

jgy and su she's absurdly dramatic reaching-to-each-other deaths. yes kind of jiang parents of them

wwx bidding farewell to the STA. I love closure and acceptance

all of nhs's shenanigans including eating like a horse from lxc's hand and then the half-face shots

everyone turning around like that meme of the girls at the party but it's because lxc just STABBED jgy

[aishangotome]

Chapter 2-5 Youth Under the Moonlight (月下少年)

Chapter 2-4

.

.

.

I suddenly realized that someone like Wu Hai wouldn't easily expose his whereabouts... He did this on purpose.

Wu Hai: The gunpowder on these boats is enough for half of Sheng Ning City to enjoy. How long do you think it will take them to discover...

Wu Hai: That the Princess of Dacheng is among them?

Princess: ...!

Despite all my calculations, I didn't expect Wu Hai to be this insane, willing to perish together just to destroy the evidence.

But in such a critical moment, I calmed down and quickly strategized in my mind.

Chen Xiu: Princess...?

Princess: Get ready to take them away.

I lowered my voice. Before Chen Xiu could respond, I seized the opportunity while Wu Hai was unprepared and attacked directly, my sleeve dart grazing his cheek.

Princess: Now!

Chen Xiu: Princess!

Princess: Didn't you say you'd tell me the answer in hell?

I pressed the sleeve dart against Wu Hai's throat, but he just casually wiped away the smear of bright red on his face, his smile even more gleeful.

Wu Hai: Say goodbye to your loyal dogs, after all... This is the last time!

???: Whose last time it is, remains to be seen!

I followed the voice and looked up, seeing a young man under the bright full moon.

The young man was dressed in a green robe and white clothes, with a high ponytail. He was leisurely lying on the roof of the boat, waving at me with a grin.

Chen Qi: Hello, Princess Jie Jie (sister)!

Princess: You...

Chen Xiu: Chen Qi?! Why are you here!

...Chen Qi?

I remembered. My second brother once mentioned the "Nan Cang Twin Heroes," chivalrous and righteous, who achieved fame at a young age and were close friends of my second brother.

He's... Chen Xiu's younger brother.

Chen Qi: Of course, I'm here to rescue the damsel in distress - Hey, you pervert! Yes, I'm talking to you!

Chen Qi: Luckily, I had nothing to do and wandered around here first. I found some nasty things and took care of them all.

Chen Qi sat up, and a bunch of something was thrown in front of him. When I saw clearly, I realized they were bundles of gunpowder fuses.

Chen Qi: Oh, just burying those sulfur and grease in sand and pouring water on them made my back ache~

The young man flicked his wrist, drawing his bow.

Chen Qi: Just need to catch you!

Before he finished speaking, several sharp arrows shot through the air, and Chen Xiu's spear also thrust forward. The two attacked Wu Hai from both sides.

The Chen brothers cooperated seamlessly, and Wu Hai, already injured, quickly fell into a disadvantage. But he wouldn't be captured easily and jumped to the stern of the boat.

Wu Hai: Heh... How interesting. I had a lot of fun today. So...

Wu Hai: Princess, we'll meet again~

Princess: ...!

A smoke bomb was suddenly thrown in front of me, and Wu Hai, spreading his arms, jumped backward into the water.

The last image I saw was that chilling, maniacal smile.

Chen Xiu: Chase him!

The Yulin Guards followed Chen Xiu's order and jumped into the water, while Chen Qi turned around and looked at me with a smile under the moonlight.

Chen Qi: I've long heard of Princess Jie Jie's great name, and finally, we meet today! Hmm... Jie Jie...

The young man suddenly approached, his delicate face quickly magnified in front of me.

Chen Qi: ... You're even prettier than I imagined!

Princess: ....... Eh?!

Chen Qi: Let me introduce myself, I'm Chen Qi! People call me Little Captain Chen~

Chen Qi: Although my fame doesn't compare to my brother's, in Sheng Ning City, this young master is also loved by everyone and very popular!

Princess: ......

Princess: Little... Captain Chen, thank you for just now.

Chen Qi: Hehe, it was nothing! A little trick like that can't trouble this young master!

Seeing me worriedly looking in the direction where Wu Hai and Chen Xiu left, Chen Qi comforted me---

Chen Qi: Don't worry, Jie Jie. The Nan Cang disciples are excellent swimmers. My brother will definitely catch that pervert!

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Chapter 2-6

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[wisedawn13]

#xiantober Day 14: Bartenderxian

CW // Alcohol, Attempted Drugging, Violence, Wen Chao, Cops

Friday nights are always swamped. The bar Wei Ying works at is in the middle of a busy area and attracts a lot of attention.

He has to say, he loves working there. He gets to meet and chat with people from all walks of life. It also keeps him distracted.

That isn't to say it's an easy job. It's not. It takes a lot of effort and energy and he has to stay vigilant, especially when it's crowded.

Tonight is one such night.

The unfortunate reality is that he can't keep track of everything and everyone. The other staff help that, but tonight just happens to be an understaffed night. He's a little on edge and not willing to put up with any shit.

He's had three different guys kicked out tonight already and it's not even 8 pm.

Wei Ying had noticed the young lady who came in alone (having lightly flirted with her as she ordered from him), so he tried to keep an eye on her as much as possible, but he was simply overwhelmed.

So, you can say he was kicking himself a lot when she came up to the bar and ordered an angel shot with ice.

He froze, eyes trailing where she came from to see a man staring directly at her.

"Sure thing," he said to her with forced cheer as he pulled.

Just as he finished ordering a ride for her there was a commotion that drew his attention. The man he clocked earlier was standing really close to another man, squaring off.

He swears under his breath and tells Wen Ning to man the bar while he goes over there.

As he gets closer he overhears what they are talking about.

"Back the fuck off, dude! It's none of your business!" the creepy dude exclaims.

The other man (stunningly gorgeous now that Wei Ying is getting a better look at him) doesn't budge. "I saw what you did."

"Oh? And what's that?" the creep sneers.

"You put something in her drink when she got up," the beautiful man says darkly and Wei Ying sucks in a breath. Fuck. He signals back to Wei Ying to call the cops.

The creep laughs. "So what? I saw her first. Why? You want in?"

Wei Ying's skin crawls. What an absolutely disgusting person.

He sees the beautiful man's face morph into a disgusted look before he replies, "No, and I am not letting you do anything to her either."

The creep snarls and Wei Ying doesn't get there in time to stop the punch.

Thankfully, he's apparently not needed because the beautiful man mostly dodges and swiftly punches the creep, knocking him out immediately.

The bar is absolutely silent.

"Holy shit," Wei Ying breathes. "You okay?"

The beautiful man looks at him and nods. "Yes, I apologize."

Wei Ying laughs and waves him off. "No need, that was amazing. I would have done that myself if I got here sooner, so thanks. Sorry you had to deal with that, though. You shouldn't have to."

The man shrugs. "I saw it and chose to act, that is all."

It's a bit of a blur after that. The cops arrive to take statements, get the footage of the incident, and take the creep (Wen Chao, a cousin of Wen Ning, who is now permanently banned) away.

The woman's name is Luo Qingyang and she profusely thanks them before leaving.

Wei Ying later finds out that the beautiful man's name is Lan Zhan. He doesn't drink alcohol (Wei Ying had offered him a glass of their finest wine for his trouble) and was here to accompany his brother and his brother's friends.

"Brother claims I do not get out enough."

Wei Ying laughs at that.

Lan Zhan ends up staying even as his brother and co leave. Wei Ying talks animatedly with him every chance he gets.

It's nice.

By the time the bar closes, Wei Ying has asked for Lan Zhan's number so they can keep in contact.

Lan Zhan obliges easily.

After that, he visits the bar often on nights he knows Wei Ying has a shift. They text and call every day and hang out when they are free.

They both become friends with Luo Qingyang as well and she often joins Lan Zhan at the bar so she isn't alone.

Eventually, Wei Ying asks Lan Zhan out on a date and it's the best night of his life.

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