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welcometothejianghu · 26 days

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Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 重啟之極海聽雷/Reunion: The Sound of the Providence/The Lost Tomb Reboot/this thing has too many names

Reunion (I'm just going to call it that) is a 2020 action drama about the most specialest little babygirl in the tomb-raiding world, his two husbands, and the cadre of assorted weirdos they pick up as they try to follow a set of directions left by a dead (?) man in the thunder.

Imagine if someone showed you the Mandalorian, and you were like, gee, that was a neat little sci-fi one-shot! because you'd never heard of Star Wars. That was basically my experience watching this show, having no idea that the Lost Tomb franchise (DMBJ) was even a thing. Turns out that not only is there a whole big continuity out there with these characters, but that Reunion takes place a few years after the main story's resolution. Don't worry, though -- Reunion doesn't spoil you for that resolution. It doesn't spoil you for much, period. Look, DMBJ has a weird relationship to endings, okay?

I have written a more thorough where-to-start guide for DMBJ as a whole, so if you want to consider other entry points, well, that information is there for your consideration. Yet it is my opinion that this is the best entry into the overall franchise, and a fun thing to watch just in general, and I'm here to make my case for both of those.

The rest of this rec will assume that you have no familiarity with the DMBJ series. That's okay; you don't need any. All you need is to trust my five reasons you should watch this.

1. Old Man Yaoi

As you begin this show, you are introduced to the Iron Triangle. That's them in the picture up there. Left to right, you have: Xiao Ge, magically tattooed immortal hottie who just got back from ten years in [scene missing]; Wu Xie, our protagonist, who's just a little guy and it's his birthday; and Wang Pangzi, the literal best.

(And yes, Wu Xie is in his 30s and Pangzi is in his 40s, which is not technically old man anything, but ... look, if you watch, you'll see why I think I'm justified in calling it that.)

They are extremely married. They are a disaster trio of disasters so disastrous that no one else should ever be subjected to their chaos. They're going to make sure lots of people are, though, don't you worry about it. Sometimes those people even deserve it.

However, because the show (tragically!!) decides that Xiao Ge has somewhere else to be like 95% of the runtime, most of the relationship you get to see is between Wu Xie and Pangzi.

I'm saying this now as an old gay nerd who just this year celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary: I have never, never felt so represented in media as I have watching Wu Xie and Pangzi interact. There's a little wake-up song they sing together near the end of the show, and it just ... it packs so much character development into thirty seconds. These boys have been living adjacent lives for so long that they've made up their own little shared songs about the mundanities of daily living. That is just what happens when you marry your best friend and then decide to get old and weird together. Ask me how I know.

Look, if you want to know whether this show is for you or not, watch to the end of the first episode, to the part where Pangzi flips over the table. If your heart is filled with joy (as it should be), keep going.

Love makes a tomb-raiding syndicate family.

2. A fun-filled action-packed romp of nonsense!

If you're familiar with Hellblazer canon, this will make sense to you: Reunion is Dangerous Habits. If you're not familiar with Hellblazer canon, try it like this: Reunion is a terrible place to start because it plays on your extant affection for a character who gains a terrible status effect almost immediately. It's a also great place to start because it throws you right in the action with measurably high stakes and gives you a reason to build that affection very quickly.

I'm also going to warn you right off the bat: The plot of this show got cut to ribbons by censors.

See, the DMBJ books, being books, are allowed to get away with supernatural shit! So you've got zombies and ghosts and curses and monsters and immortality and all your other standard ooky spooky semi-urban fantasy trappings. But the DMBJ adaptations, being live-action, are heavily regulated in their content. This is why, in the early Reunion episodes, our heroes are menaced by human-looking creatures that are actually ancient mannequins made of leather that are piloted, mecha-style, by evil clams. Because evil clams are more scientific than zombies. I guess.

So yeah, the plot of this book already had to get mangled into a more "science"-compliant shape even before it made it to filming. The real problem is that a whole lot more of it got cut after it was all filmed and put together. I have read an explanation of what the actual storyline was supposed to be, and yeah, if you know what you’re looking at, you can see (and hear) the scars where major elements got hacked out with a weed whacker.

Therefore: You cannot expect this plot to make sense.

But that's okay! You're not here for the plot to make sense! You're here to watch some characters you love run around through ridiculous and sometimes beautiful labyrinths, trying to solve puzzles you're never given enough information to understand, all in search of the resolution to a mystery that had half its guts torn out before you got to see it -- and you are here to love it. If you have ever laughed and cheered your way through a Mission: Impossible film without pausing to care too much about the plot holes it’s dodging left and right, you are in the correct frame of mind to appreciate this. Just believe that whatever engaging nonsense the show tells you is correct for the time being and go with it.

You cannot watch DMBJ and care about the laws of physics. You simply cannot.

Do not, however, let me give you the impression that the shoddy plotting is accompanied by equally shoddy performances. A major part of this show’s incredible watchability comes from how the cast is shockingly good. There are some serious heavy hitters among the actors. A major part of why this Wu Xie and Pangzi are my favorite together is the incredible chops both Zhu Yilong and Chen Minghao have, to say nothing of their real-life affection for one another. (See that scar on Wu Xie's neck? That scar is there because Zhu Yilong commits to the bit.) Effortlessly charming Mao Xiaotong turns potentially irritating wunderkind Bai Haotian into a perfect precious weirdo baby. Wu Erbai's entire second-season character arc could have been unintentionally comedic, but veteran of queer cinema Hu Jun sells even the undignified moments as relentlessly tragic. And of course Baron Chen absolutely kills it with...

3. This giant fucking loser

This is Hei Xiazi. That's not his name, but it's close enough. Allow me to do a dramatic reenactment of my watching his first scene:

[camera pans over to him]

me: Ugh, I recognize this kind of wannabe badass character design. I hate his type. He's self-important, hyper-masculine, and just a big jerk, and the show thinks he's soooo cool. Barf.

[thirty seconds later]

me: Oh no. I was so wrong. I love him forever now.

This is because he is (as indicated above) a giant fucking loser. Yes, he's a good fighter who knows lots of things. He's also a wet potato chip of a man. Sure, he can get you into a headlock, but he can also annoy you into submission, and that's honestly more fun for him. My wife has used the phrase “Vash the Stampede-coded” to describe him. My wife is not wrong.

And the kind of ridiculous thing is, being such a loser is what wraps back around to making him cool again. He's a loser because he just doesn't fucking care. His masculinity is the opposite of fragile. You tell him to wear a dress and makeup, he'll do it -- and sure, he'll complain, but only because he enjoys complaining. He has no dignity. He’s tits-out. He's gender. He's the worst and also the best.

Hei Xiazi is a major character in the other installations, to the point where he and his boyfriend (more on him later) even have their own movie. But of course, I did not know this on my first watch, so I kept expecting the show to explain his whole deal. It does not, but you don't really need it to. He sees better in the dark. He doesn't age. He's a thug for hire. There, that's all the bio you need.

One of the things that makes him great is that he is the least sexually threatening person ever. Across all the properties he's in, he spends a fair amount of time with women -- sometimes in very close quarters -- and they are perfectly safe around him. I actually wrote a whole post about it once upon a time (warning for tiny spoilers for a series that isn't this one) wherein I claim that not only Xiazi but Reunion in general is the television equivalent of the shirt that says I RESPECT WOMEN SO MUCH I DON'T HAVE SEX WITH THEM.

That said, this loser does get a sort-of romance plot here -- and honestly, I find it very cute! It's not even the only instance in this series of a bisexual guy in a long-term same-sex relationship getting a girlfriend, and I like that other one too! Look, the handle of my DMBJ sideblog is @katamaricule because I joked that Wu Xie treats polyamory like a katamari, and if you don't move fast enough, you're going to be rolled right up into his gay little cuddle puddle.

This is not a show for exclusive ships; this is a show for inclusive ships. The Jiumen Association is a polycule. You don't even have to know what the Jiumen Association is to know it's true.

4. The power of friendship

This show has a lot of characters.

I'd say the supporting cast is divided into three categories: characters who have been in previous installments, characters who have not been in previous installments, and characters who probably should have been in previous installments (or at least mentioned) but who were only created for Reunion so we have to pretend like we've known about them all along.

There is no way to tell which is which -- which is part of my argument that this series makes a good entry point to the franchise.

Take Huo Daofu. Huo Daofu is a brilliant doctor masquerading as a donut stand operator who treats Wu Xie with all the cold disdain of a man confronting the person who left him at the altar years ago. On the one hand, yes! We do know Huo Daofu from a previous series, and we've known he's both a doctor and a bitch. On the other hand, oh, we have no idea why he's like this about Wu Xie, and we probably never will. The show just treats it like it's for an excellent reason, and you know what, from what you know about Wu Xie, it probably is.

Consider also Jiang Zisuan. One of the show's principal antagonists, Jiang Zisuan turns out to be the brother of ... well, let's just say it's someone whose having a brother really should have come up before this. It has not come up. (And that's even before we get into the issue of his surname.) His stated identity as that person's brother is so bizarre that my favorite interpretation is that he isn't actually that person's brother -- all the flashbacks we see are just his delusions about a relationship he's completely invented. But there's no way you'd know how fucking weird this is on your first run.

Then there's our friendly little support himbo, Kanjian, who shows up to all occasions with two tickets to the gun show and not a thought in that beautiful head. (His name just means "vest," which is par for the course when it comes to the author's naming conventions.) He was a lot more menacing in the last series (where they kept putting sleeves on him, geez), where most of what we learned about him is that you can loan him out to other tomb-raiding families. Now he's a golden retriever with great aim and a slingshot. It's an upgrade.

The trick is, you cannot be surprised when someone shows up and the show treats them like you should know who they are, even when there's no possible way you could know who they are. I mean, for heaven's sake, Liu Sang arrives in the middle of an obvious beef with Pangzi, the origins of which are never satisfactorily explained, while also having a giant do-I-want-to-fuck-him-or-do-I-want-to-be-him crush on Xiao Ge, which is also never satisfactorily explained. Whatever, you just roll with it. He's got good hearing, a bad attitude, and questionable taste in idols. Now you're good to go.

(I should throw in a special note here that Liu Sang is many, many people's little meow meow, and not undeservedly. For a fuller explanation of why that is, please consult this other post I made.)

Part of the fun of this big cast is the adorable interactions you get. All the characters have appropriately big personalities, and the show loves letting people you wouldn’t expect bounce off one another. It’s not your typical action-hero show where nothing happens without the protagonist in the room. There are lots of exciting combinations and tons of charming dynamics! Unlikely friendships form all over the place! Enemies become allies! Allies become friends! Friends become friends with other friends! Some friends become enemies again! You'll need a scoreboard to keep up!

This is not to say the show treats all its characters perfectly or equally -- one of the precious few main female characters doesn't even get a real name, for heaven's sake, and the less said about the brownface racism, the better. It is, at its heart, a dude show for dudes made in China, with all the troubling decision-making that implies. Where it does deserve credit, though, is in understanding that its supporting characters are actual people with personalities apart from their function in Wu Xie's narrative. Sometimes the show just asks "what if [random character A] and [random character B] had to interact?" and has fun considering the answer! Which is almost always a delight to watch, and sometimes even breaks your heart.

5. Amazing rewatch value!

And by this I mean the experience of watching this show is remarkably different once you have any understanding of the rest of the DMBJ universe.

For instance, there's a point where two characters are scuba-diving past some submerged coffins, and one character tells the other whose coffins they are. Working only on information Reunion has given you, you're like, oh, that's where they buried the guy who built this creepy place, that's a little weird. Once you recognize that name from other series, though, your reaction is far more, excuse me, they did WHAT to WHOSE corpses?

Or another point where a character you've already met is on a train, and there's a handsome gentleman who just happens to be riding with her. He hands her his business card! Aw, that's sweet, he seems like a nice guy! Well, no, Xie Yuchen is not nice, but he is one of our allies, and he's Hei Xiazi's boyfriend, and a lot of what he's doing hits real different when you have a fuller grasp on why he's doing it and for whom. (Honestly, a major reason to watch Reunion first is so you're not fully and appropriately upset by how your black/pink gays merely have one teeny tiny scene together.)

From the way the series treats the persistent absence of Wu Sanxing, Wu Xie's third uncle, I absolutely, 100% assumed that he was a completely new character to this installment of the series, an extremely long-lost relative that we've somehow conveniently managed to never talk about before now. So imagine my gobsmacked surprise when I went to watch a different series, set much earlier in the timeline, where the opening scene prominently features Wu Sanxing as an actual character in the present-day narrative! ...Well, sorta. Look, there's a lot of fuckery with his identity in earlier parts of the story, and fortunately you need to know none of it to understand Reunion. But when you do, it suddenly makes a lot more sense why Wu Xie talks about someone who was a major part of Wu Xie's adult life like he died when Wu Xie was nine.

AND THE FLASHBACK SCENE WHERE A-NING GETS KILLED BY THE SNAKE, AND YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, AND THEN YOU WATCH ULTIMATE NOTE AND IT WASN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL look, I know there are kinda reasons for this, different production companies and all, but seriously, what the fuck

All of which to say is that the experience of watching Reunion the first time is, hey, this self-contained romp is a lot of fun! The experience of rewatching it after watching any of the other DMBJ installments is a transcendently wonderful head-clutching avalanche of one moment of recognition right after another.

And here's the thing: You will watch more. Reunion is a gateway drug. If you are interested enough to make it through all 62 episodes, you're going to be interested in watching more. Which is great. The English-speaking fandom needs more people. Come down into the tombs. It's great down here. We've got snakes and arguably unintentional homoeroticism. Join us. Join usssssssss

Are you ready for an aventure?

There are a couple different ways to watch the first half, but there's (weirdly) only one way to watch the second, so for both of them, I'm going to send you straight to iQiyi: Season 1 (32 episodes) and Season 2 (30 episodes).

And just so you’re ready when Reunion is done, here’s how you find the rest of the DMBJ series, in the absolutely non-chronological order in which I, personally, think you should watch them:

The Lost Tomb 2 (AsianCrush, YouTube)

Ultimate Note (iQiyi)

The Mystic Nine (iQiyi, Viki)

Sand Sea/Tomb of the Sea (Viki, WeTV, YouTube, also YouTube)

Also, there's a lot of movies and side series and other pieces that are worth seeing, and even a couple of full series I've left off the list, and you can just slot them in wherever. And maybe we'll get Tibetan Sea Flower someday? Look, hope springs eternal.

They're so perfect. Perfect triangle. Perfect boys.

#dmbj #重启 #重启之极海听雷 #盗墓笔记 #Reunion: The Sound of the Providence #the lost tomb reboot #rec post #i made this

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missfangirll · 11 months

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The Big Puppy and His Feisty Cat Liu Sang

Fandom: The Lost Tomb: Reunion Rating: General Relationship: Kan Jian/Liu Sang Tags: fluff, smut, meet-cute Words: 2683 Summary: When Kan Jian sees the pretty boy in the crowd, walking determinedly towards the parking lot, he forgets to breathe. Meet-cute with obstacles, so to say 😁

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- - - - -

For Reasons the incident with the little girl either happens before Liu Sang meets his escort or not at all, depending on how important you find that for character-building. Either way it didn’t fit in my timeline, so it had to go. Kan Jian is suitably impressed anyway. (Get it? Yeah, I’ll see myself out.) On that note: Timeline? What timeline? I tried, but eh. TLT chronology is a burning trash can lost cause anyway, so...

- - - - -

When Kan Jian sees the pretty boy in the crowd, walking determinedly towards the parking lot, he forgets to breathe.

The pretty boy is wearing a sharp grey suit, even if a bit wrinkly from the train journey, a rather battered-looking black pack that doesn’t quite seem to match the rest of his outfit, and an equally battered metal suitcase. His hair is pulled back in a loose ponytail which flares in fiery red and gold when the sun catches on it as he walks. He is not so tall to tower over the other passengers surrounding him, but he walks with a detached air around him, an aloofness that is making him stand out regardless of height.

Kan Jian catches himself staring and closes his mouth with an audible click, ignoring his burning ears and the questioning gazes from the side. Wu Erbai didn’t deem it necessary to inform Kan Jian who exactly he was picking up, so his sign – which he now feels rather silly for, he made an effort to use his best handwriting – only says “Expert”, not elaborating further on the nature of said expertise. In hindsight though, he could have known, if he had been paying attention, he realises later, but at the moment he is only able to gape wide-eyed at the slender figure weaving through the throng of people.

“Wu Erbai sent you?”, the pretty boy says as he arrives, and it takes Kan Jian, still staring, a moment to nod and hop down from the car hood he has been perching on. The other visibly suppresses an eye-roll as he strides past them, tossing his pack carelessly to Da Cheng and leaving his suitcase in front of a baffled Kan Jian.

The ride to Wu Erbai’s camp is uneventful, possibly due to the fact that Kan Jian is driving himself and has no brain power to spare to stare at the other, or run his mouth, and so it is up to Da Chen and A-Jiu to chat up their expert – Liu Sang, as he introduced himself reluctantly twenty three minutes into the trip. Kan Jian can’t blame him, if he’s honest – Da Cheng has a tendency to talk people into a migraine, and that says a lot, coming from his friend.

Anyway, Liu Sang looks rather relieved when Kan Jian finally turns the jeep from the paved road onto the sandy path leading to the camp, the first tents coming into view shortly after. After unloading their passenger and his luggage, the other two trail off towards the rest of their team, scattered around the beach trying to look busy, leaving Kan Jian alone with his thoughts. He didn’t expect someone like Liu Sang to join their operation, much less Wu Erbai specifically hiring him, but it does make sense when he thinks about it. They need to find the tomb entrance quickly after all, on a beach no less with no discernible features, so making use of someone with such unique skills is only pragmatic. And Wu Erbai is, Kan Jian muses as he locks the jeep behind himself and turns towards the tents, nothing if not a pragmatic man.

- - - - -

The second time that day Kan Jian sees the pretty boy, he startles so badly he almost drops the plate he is about to put away. Liu Sang weaves gracefully into the empty tent-turned-kitchen, letting the flap fall closed behind him. He has changed out of the suit, Kan Jian notices wistfully, and is now wearing standard dark green tomb raiding gear. It should not be possible to look that gorgeous in that kind of attire, Kan Jian thinks as the other stalks closer, the baggy shirt and pants still doing nothing to hide his slender frame. His hair looks more brown than golden now in the fluorescent lights, which is the last coherent thought Kan Jian has before the other has reached him, crowding him against the large table and kissing him determinedly. A hand comes up to grab the back of his neck, the other resting on his hip while Liu Sang presses closer, closer, until Kan Jian pulls back with a small laugh, brushing a strand of fiery hair back behind the other’s ear.

“I missed you too,” he says softly, still smiling, even as Liu Sang makes a low noise that sounds almost like a growl. Letting his head fall onto Kan Jian’s shoulder he mumbles, “It was torture. I didn’t know you would be the one picking me up, if I’d known I would have–”

Kan Jian interrupts him with a small peck to his forehead, which wrinkles adorably at that. “I didn’t know either,” he says. “I knew you were away on a job but I also could have...” He trails off, smiling wryly. “Anyway, when I saw you in that parking lot I was so surprised I didn’t know what to say, and with the other two there...”

“Yeah,” Liu Sang sighs, face still smushed into Kan Jian’s shoulder. “First it was awkward and then..”

“...it became more awkward,” Kan Jian finishes with a chuckle. Liu Sang snorts. “Yeah.”

He tightens his grip for a moment, then lets go entirely, taking a step back. “We can’t tell them,” he says finally, meeting Kan Jian’s gaze almost in a challenge.

“Who?”

“Wu Xie, my ouxiang, and..” A pause, then with a little curl to his upper lip, “Pangzi.”

“Oh.” Kan Jian nods slowly, then pauses. “Why?”

Liu Sang sighs. “Because they would... have opinions,” he says finally. “And I really don’t need to deal with more of Pangzi’s opinions.”

Kan Jian shudders minutely, then nods. He remembers vividly being on the receiving end of Pangzi’s never-ending stream of commentary, and as much as he admires his laoban, a curious Wu Xie is a dangerous Wu Xie. And a bored and curious Wu Xie has a tendency to leave scorched earth in his wake, figuratively and literally. No, it really is better not to tell them, Kan Jian silently agrees.

“We won’t have to pretend for long anyway,” Liu Sang muses, “I’m only here to find that entrance, and maybe devise a map of the place.” He shrugs one shoulder. “Shouldn’t take too long.”

“Mhh,” Kan Jian agrees, and leans in to press a kiss to the other’s lips.

Maybe they really jinxed it that day, Kan Jian thinks later, when the Iron Triangle and their expert go missing, only to return Wu Xie style a few days later, in an explosion – singed and exhausted, smelling of smoke and a number of unspeakable tomb things, but largely unharmed.

That night they don’t talk much. Kan Jian too frantic, Liu Sang too tired to do more than curl up into each other on the uncomfortable camp bed in Kan Jian’s tent, potential witnesses be damned.

- - - - -

The next time Kan Jian sees Liu Sang, the latter is thrown out of a car, not a moving one at least, but still landing hard with his hands tied behind his back. Pangzi is with him, and it should be what has the team in a panicked frenzy, but then Wu Xie starts coughing and Liu Sang starts talking and after, nothing is the same again.

- - - - -

They are sitting together, on uncomfortable wooden chairs, pulled up from different rooms of the house, with Wu Erbai and Erjing, listening to the former roll out plans and schemes and orders, while the latter tries to be the voice of reason. Kan Jian doesn’t understand much, the only thought echoing in his head that his laoban is going to die, will die, is actively dying right now, hence Wu Erbai’s machinations. It is not that he was never worried for Wu Xie before, the man has an unhealthy habit of causing and ending up in all kinds of troubles, but in all of those he has had the rest of the Iron Triangle, Zhang Qiling and Wang Pangzi, equally determined to not let any harm come to their Tianzhen. But now is different. Now it is different, their enemy not tangible, only surfacing in Wu Xie’s shorter breaths and longer coughing fits, manifesting in the haunted look on Pangzi’s face and Zhang Qiling’s helpless silences.

It is not fair, Kan Jian thinks, and risks a glance at Liu Sang, when he catches the tail-end of Wu Erbai’s speech.

“...he won’t survive the week.”

And with that, it is too much. With a hitched sob, he buries his face in his hands, not able to suppress the tears anymore. A light touch to his shoulder startles him, but when he recognises Liu Sang in front of him, he hunches over again, burying his face in Liu Sang’s lap. If Wu Erbai has any thoughts about their sudden closeness, he doesn’t voice them, only clears his throat, then continues talking at Erjing. After a heartbeat, Kan Jian feels a familiar touch to the back of his neck, tentative at first, then more confident. Slowly, Liu Sang is stroking his neck, his hair, his shoulders, letting him cry without saying a word.

The bleak mood follows Kan Jian the whole day, looming over him like a particularly dark rain cloud, ready to open its flood gates and drown him. He is sitting on his creaky bed in one of the hotel’s smaller rooms, staring miserably at his feet, when the door opens silently. Liu Sang takes a step into the cramped room, closing the door behind him. After taking a look at Kan Jian’s sorry state he draws closer, lowering himself next to him on the bed, not without wincing slightly at the dust cloud that movement disturbs.

“Hey.”

Kan Jian only nods. If he actually says something, he is sure he is going to cry, so he just sits there, staring at nothing in particular. Liu Sang bumps his shoulder lightly, then wraps an arm around Kan Jian’s back, pulling him closer. Kan Jian moves without protest, leaning his head against the other’s shoulder, hiding his face in the crook of Liu Sang’s neck. They sit like this for a while, not moving, only breathing deeply, and after a few minutes, Kan Jian can feel himself relax bit by bit, Liu Sang’s heartbeat a steady drum in his ear.

“I’m sorry,” Liu Sang says quietly. It takes Kan Jian a moment to place the apology, realise that Liu Sang knew all along, but chose not to tell him. He sniffles, inhaling shakily.

“I..,” he begins, but has to clear his throat. Not looking at the other, he continues, “I think I understand why you didn’t say something. I mean, laoban didn’t even tell Pangzi, or his uncle, and he probably made you promise not to tell them either.” He pauses, waiting for Liu Sang’s nod. “I mean I get it, but still.. I wish.. I wish it wasn’t..” He trails off, feeling his throat close up. Liu Sang tightens his grip.

“I’m sorry,” he repeats, then, after a pause, “I’m sorry for your laoban. I know he means a lot to you, and... yeah,” he finishes quietly.

Kan Jian only nods, burying his face deeper, inhaling Liu Sang’s scent of earth and cinnamon and wishes things were different.

- - - - -

Even though finding Thunder City in the end proves easier than finding Wu Xie’s Sanshu, it is not particularly uncomplicated, and when Kan Jian finally has Liu Sang for himself, after entirely too many weeks, he is past caring who else might see – or hear – them. It is dark anyway, most hotel guests asleep or on their way there, when he pulls the other into his empty room, kicking the door shut behind them.

Liu Sang snorts a short laugh, which is swallowed by the hungry kiss Kan Jian presses to his mouth, weaving both hands in the other’s loose hair. They both desperately need a shower, but neither seems to particularly care, only pressing closer, grinding against each other. Grinning, Liu Sang takes a step back, then another, and another, until his back hits the wall. Wrapping his arms around Kan Jian’s neck he smiles up at him, a dangerous glimmer in his eyes. His hearing still isn’t back to normal, so Kan Jian doesn’t bother asking, instead grabs the other’s thighs, hoisting him up against the wall. Going by the noise Liu Sang makes as he crosses his legs behind his back, it was the right decision, Kan Jian thinks smugly, as he steals another kiss.

“I love it when you do that,” Liu Sang says breathlessly, a bit too loud, but Kan Jian only grins. Crowding the other against the wall, he grinds his hips up as he slots their mouths together. Liu Sang isn’t weightless, but he has always been slender, even more so after days of excursion food, and Kan Jian’s short sleeves aren’t only for show. Biting back another laugh, Liu Sang tilts his head up, exposing his throat to Kan Jian’s teeth in an invitation. He takes it, trailing biting kisses down the other’s neck, freeing one arm to pull impatiently at the offending material to bite at a newly exposed collarbone.

“Eager, aren’t we?”

Without an answer, Kan Jian repositions his hands on Liu Sang’s ass, pulling him closer, which elicits a wonderfully hoarse sound from the other. Fastening his grip around Kan Jian’s neck, Liu Sang begins moving his hips, slowly but insistently. Kan Jian takes a moment to drink him in – dishevelled hair and tomb grease and all, teeth worrying his bottom lip, trying not to make too much noise, eyes closed in bliss – and gives in. With a choked groan of his own he buries his face in Liu Sang’s shoulder, tightening the grip on his ass as he meets the other’s movements. They are both breathing faster, and Kan Jian spares a thought about the ridiculousness of coming in his pants like a teenager, when Liu Sang grips his hair with one hand, and that is what does him in. With a hoarse shout he tenses in the other’s grip, vaguely aware that Liu Sang’s legs tighten around him as well.

As he becomes more aware of his surroundings again, they are still propped up against the wall, Liu Sang chuckling softly while caressing his hair. With a groan he takes a few steps back, still firmly gripping Liu Sang’s backside, and gingerly sits down on the bed. Moving his hands up to the other’s back, he envelops him in a tight hug, burying his face in his chest, tomb grime be damned. With a hum Liu Sang leans his cheek against Kan Jian’s hair, still caressing the back of his neck. “I missed you,” Kan Jian says, knowing the other probably can’t understand him. Liu Sang hums in answer, slightly swaying from side to side.

After a while Liu Sang stirs. Pulling back a fraction, he enunciates slowly, “Shower,” and Kan Jian nods. Gliding gracefully from his lap, Liu Sang smiles at him, then pulls him to his feet.

As he follows him to the tiny bathroom, Kan Jian watches the other rather gracelessly shed his pants, and can’t help but grin to himself.

“I love you,” he says to Liu Sang’s back.

- - - - -

“Where is your boyfriend,” asks Wu Xie innocently the next morning over the rim of his teacup, and Kan Jian almost drops his bowl.

“My... what?” He stares aghast at his laoban, who only grins mischievously.

“Your boyfriend,” he repeats slowly, a dangerous glint in his eyes accompanying the grin. “Lanky kid, good hearing. Liu Sang?” he adds, as if that had been the question.

Kan Jian, wisely, says nothing.

Wu Xie’s grin grows impossibly wider. “Anyway, when you see him, tell him Xiaoge has a job for him.”

“How... When?,” Kan Jian starts, but can’t seem to find words to follow these questions.

Wu Xie chuckles. “Since when do I know?”

Kan Jian nods meekly.

“Hm, let me think.” Wu Xie makes a show of scratching an invisible beard. “Probably around your second date,” he shrugs, and Kan Jian, lastly, drops the bowl.

#the lost tomb #the lost tomb reboot #reunion: sound of the providence #kan jian #liu sang #kansang #my writing #tlt exchange #exchange 2023

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