#s.c.i. 谜案集

[xiaobaosnoona]

[xinyuehui]

⸺ You said you're heading off to the US tomorrow. Why are you staying here? Hurry up and go home.

[killerandhealerqueen]

A prompt that Zhan Zhao is having a panic attack and Bai Yutong calm him down

Oh...I'm listening anon, I'm listening...

Zhan Yao liked to consider himself a man in control of emotions.  That’s not to say that he didn’t sometimes have instances where he let his emotions get the best of him (he was human after all).  But for the most part, he liked to think that he didn’t let his emotions override his ability to do his job.  Until one day, when he was sitting in his office at S.C.I., an email came in, causing him to look at his computer in surprise before he headed to his inbox to look at it.  It wasn’t rare for him to get emails, as he was a professor, so he had students emailing him all the time at all odd hours.  He also worked with the Psychology Department every now and then when they needed assistance, so maybe it was an email from one of them with a question (because no one liked to make the trip all the way from one side of the department to the other where S.C.I. was located).  However, when he clicked on the email, instead of getting a simple message or a question, like he was expecting, multiple pictures of very gory images began filling his desktop until there wasn’t a single piece of his desktop that didn’t have a horrifying image on it.

            ‘What is this?!’ he exclaimed, staring at his desktop with wide eyes before he shook himself out of it and began looking at the images, trying to decipher what was on them.  As he looked at them, realization slowly dawned on him that each bloody image was that of what looked like to be a mutilated human body.  He of course couldn’t tell their gender or age, but it really didn’t seem to matter because every picture seemed to be that of a different body…and some of them, he realized, looked like they belonged to children.

            “Oh my God” he whispered, staring at the images in horror.  He then quickly began to search for a way to get rid of the photos, to clear his desktop, and his mind, of the horror he had just seen, but there was no way to get rid of them.

            “God damn it” he hissed, just as there was a knock at his door, making him look up with wide eyes before he quickly grabbed the power cord and yanked it, the computer screen immediately going black just as Bai Yutong poked his head in.

            “Hey—” he started when he paused, frowning at Zhan Yao’s paler than normal complexion and wide eyes.

            “Cat, you okay?” he asked.  Zhan Yao looked at him before he nodded.

            “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine” he assured, making Bai Yutong hum as he stepped into the office and closed the door behind him before he walked over and sat down on the edge of his desk.

            “Are you sure?  Because you look like you’ve seen a ghost” he stated.  Zhan Yao gave him a look before he shut his eyes and took a deep breath, only for the horrific images to flash behind his eyes, making him flinch and quickly open his eyes before he looked at Bai Yutong again.

            “Mouse, you know I don’t believe in ghosts” he reminded.  Bai Yutong huffed.

            “Just because you don’t believe in them doesn’t mean you couldn’t have seen one” he stated.  Zhan Yao tsked.

            “Now you’re just being illogical” he murmured before he looked at him.

            “Did you need something?” he asked.  Bai Yutong chuckled softly.

            “Yeah.  I need you to get up out of your seat; it’s time to go home” he replied.  Zhan Yao blinked before he looked down at his watch, his eyes widening in surprise to find that it was quite late.  How had he let time slip away from him?  He then looked up at Bai Yutong and nodded.

            “O-Oh.  Okay” he agreed before he began packing up, Bai Yutong frowning at him.

            “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.  Zhan Yao nodded.

            “Yeah, just tired” he replied.  Bai Yutong hummed.

            “I get that” he agreed before he pushed himself off of Zhan Yao’s desk and walked over to the door of the office, waiting for Zhan Yao before they both headed out of the office, heading home.

~*~*~*~*~*~

As they headed home, Zhan Yao’s phone buzzed, making him look at it to see that he had an email.  He stared at the notification for a moment, hoping that it would just be a normal email, before he swiped it open, only for more gruesome photos to suddenly start crowding his screen.

            “Shit” he hissed before he quickly locked his phone, making Bai Yutong look over at him with a raised eyebrow.

            “Everything okay?” he asked.  Zhan Yao looked back at him and nodded.

            “Yeah” he answered.  Bai Yutong hummed.

            “Bad email?” he inquired.  Zhan Yao’s eyes widened slightly before he shook his head.

            “No, no, I just uh…forgot that I had to do something when I get home.  It completely slipped my mind” he stated.  Bai Yutong hummed and nodded slowly, not saying anymore as Zhan Yao looked down at his phone with narrowed eyes.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night, after dinner, a shower, and some last-minute work, Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong were lying in bed, Bai Yutong fast asleep while Zhan Yao laid there…wide awake.  It’s not like he didn’t want to sleep…he just couldn’t.  Anytime he closed to his eyes, all he could see were the bloody pictures coming out at him from the darkness, causing him to startle out of his sleep every damn time.  He then let out a heavy sigh; looks like he wasn’t getting any sleep tonight.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, as they were heading to work, Bai Yutong looked over at Zhan Yao and frowned.

            “Zhan Yao, are you okay?  You look tired” he stated, making Zhan Yao huff internally; he didn’t know the fucking half of it.  He then looked over at him and nodded.

            “I’m fine.  Just…didn’t sleep well last night.  Too much on my mind” he explained.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “You want me to turn around?  Tell the others you’re taking a day off?” he asked.  Zhan Yao shook his head.

            “No…I’ll be fine.  I’m just going to shut my eyes for a bit.  Wake me when we get there?” he replied.  Bai Yutong hummed, and Zhan Yao smiled slightly before he shut his eyes, allowing himself to relax in the moving car.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at the department, Bai Yutong parked the car before he looked over at Zhan Yao, noting how haggard he looked, and sighed softly before he reached out and gently gave his shoulder a shake.

            “Zhan Yao” he called out.  At his name, Zhan Yao all but bolted awake, his eyes wide like a startled prey animal, before he let out a sharp breath and looked over at Bai Yutong, who was looking back at him with wide eyes.

            “Oh.  Thank you” he thanked before he quickly unbuckled his belt and got out of the car, grabbing his briefcase on the way before he slammed the door shut, Bai Yutong staring at him with wide eyes before he also got out of the car and rushed after him.

            “Cat!” he called out, making Zhan Yao pause and glance over at him and rushed over to his side and looked at him.

            “Are you okay?  Like, really?” he asked.  Zhan Yao smiled and nodded.

            “I’m fine, Mouse.  Really” he assured.  Bai Yutong hummed, as if he didn’t believe him, but didn’t say anything as they continued into the Hong Kong Police Department and up to S.C.I.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When they reached their department, they headed to their respective offices, Zhan Yao shutting his door before he eyed his desktop nervously; would the pictures be there when he plugged it back in?  He hoped not.  He then hesitantly walked over to his desk and placed his briefcase down before he plugged his computer back in and waited, watching as the computer booted itself up before it showed him his log-in screen, causing him to holding his breath as he typed in his password before he pressed “enter”, expecting the worse.  Thankfully, his desktop seemed normal, causing him to let out a soft breath of relief before he headed to his inbox to check the emails that came in overnight.  As he was checking his inbox and replying to emails, he didn’t notice that a new one came in until he absentmindedly clicked on it, only for more gory photos to suddenly flood his desktop, making him violently flinch and cover his eyes before he quickly reached out and yanked out the plug again, letting out a sharp huff.

            “God damn it” he hissed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After getting the horribly violent email, Zhan Yao refused to check his email and instead just decided to work on paperwork and grading his students papers because that didn’t require him to touch his fucking computer, which he was pretty sure he was going to have to send to IT if he had to keep force shutting it down by unplugging it every time.  And every time his phone buzzed, he visibly jumped and glanced over at it with wide eyes before he hesitantly reached out and picked it up, checking it to see what it was.  If there were emails from students or from colleagues, he quickly responded to them before promptly shutting off his phone and placing it away from him as he didn’t want to be subjected to another flash email. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

It continued on like that for the rest of the day, Zhan Yao nearly jumping out of his skin at every buzz of his phone or at every knock on his door, making him feel as if he was going crazy.

            ‘You’re not going crazy…you’re just sleep deprived.  That’s why you’re acting paranoid’ he chided before he shook his head and let out a soft huff; he was better than this.  He just needed to take a few deep breaths, push the horrifying images out of his mind, and continue working.  He could do that.  He did it before and he could do it again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

However, the flash emails didn’t stop, causing Zhan Yao to forgo using emails practically almost all together because every time he checked to see just who was sending him the images, the address would be different every time and he could never seem to trace them back to the original sender.  So to him, every email was just a ticking time bomb and he couldn’t afford to open one and have those photos spam his phone or desktop every time, so he just…stopped using them.  Was it inconvenient?  Yes, very.  But he was just trying to protect himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Thankfully, after a while, the emails seemed to cease, allowing Zhan Yao a little bit of a reprieve until one day, Bai Chi walked into his office holding an envelope. 

            “Dr. Zhan” he called out, making Zhan Yao look up at him.

            “Yes, Bai Chi?” he replied.  Bai Chi held out the envelope.

            “For you” he stated.  Zhan Yao frowned and took the envelope, turning it over in his hands before he looked at Bai Chi.

            “No return address?” he asked.  Bai Chi shook his head.

            “Doesn’t look like it” he answered.  Zhan Yao hummed.

            “Do you know who sent it?  Or who brought it?” he inquired.  Bai Chi shook his head again.

            “Nope.  The postman just brought it up here and gave it to me, saying it was addressed to you” he stated.  Zhan Yao hummed.

            “I see” he murmured before he looked at him and smiled.

            “Thank you, Bai Chi” he thanked.  Bai Chi smiled slightly and nodded before he turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.  Once he was gone, Zhan Yao hummed and looked at the envelope again before he opened it and pulled out what looked like a stack of photographs.

            “What’s this?” he murmured.  However, he didn’t even have to look at the first photo for very long before his eyes widened and he let out a gasp, dropping the stack of photos in shock.  Each photo, every single one, was that of a mutilated body.  Just the like ones he had been receiving in the flash emails.

            “Who is doing this?!” he exclaimed softly before he took a deep breath and knelt down, picking up the photos one by one.  Nothing about them, other than the content.  There were no distinct markings from the lens that could point him to a specific camera, the photo paper was one that was pretty much sold in any store…there was nothing that stood out about the photos, nothing that could tie back to who sent them.  He then let out a shuddering breath before he quickly collected the photos, shoved them back into the envelope, and threw the envelope into an unused drawer of his desk before slamming the drawer with a loud slam.  This was getting fucking ridiculous.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After the first anonymous envelope, Zhan Yao continue to receive envelopes with no return addresses on them, as well as flash emails, leaving him almost practically trapped.  Of course, he tried to ignore them or throw them into a drawer where no one could find them, but whoever was doing this to him…wanted to invade every part of his life, including his school life.  He hadn’t even realized that they had gotten to him there too until one day, when he was about to give a presentation for his class, he opened his PowerPoint to present when suddenly the screen began filling with the horrific images that he had been receiving for almost the past few weeks, causing his eyes to widen before he quickly slammed his laptop closed and looked out at his students.

            “Um…I’m suddenly not feeling well, so…you’re all dismissed” he declared, his heart hammering loudly in his chest.  At his dismissal, his students looked at him in concern before they began asking him if he was okay, if they needed to call the school’s nurse, or if he needed to go to the hospital.  Zhao Yao, of course, just put on a fake smile and shook his head as he looked at them.

            “I’m fine but thank you for your concern.  I’ll be okay next week, so I will see you then” he stated.  His students, of course, didn’t seem to believe him, but he just waved them out with a smile and an assurance that he would be okay the next time they saw him.  Once they were sure he was really fine and there was nothing life-threatening going on, they all packed up their books and notebooks before they headed out of the classroom, Zhan Yao watching them all leave before he sank to the ground and placed his head in his hands, letting out a shuddering breath.

            “Damn it.  Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it” he cursed before he let out a hiss and shifted so that he was sitting and leaning against the podium instead of kneeling before it, his head resting against the cool wood.  Nothing was safe anymore.  

~*~*~*~*~*~

After the last piece of his life that he thought was untouched was taken away, Zhan Yao slowly began to lose it.  He hardly slept, he jumped at the slightest sound, he refused to look at or touch any electronic device unless it was a landline phone, and he just…wasn’t acting like himself.  And it was concerning everyone, especially Bai Yutong, who decided to take it into his own hand and check on him.

            “Hey.  You okay?” he asked one day as he stepped into Zhan Yao’s office, making Zhan Yao look up at him before he nodded.

            “I’m fine” he replied.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “You keep saying that, but I don’t think you actually are” he stated, making Zhan Yao give him a look.

            “Oh, are you psychoanalyzing me now?” he sneered.  Bai Yutong tsked.

            “Oh come on, Zhan Yao, anybody with eyes can see that something’s wrong.  You jump and flinch at the slightest sounds, you hardly ever touch your computer or your phone, you look at mail like it’s going to suddenly come to life and attack you…” he started before he sighed softly.

            “And I know you haven’t been sleeping at night” he stated.  Zhan Yao was quiet before he sighed softly.

            “I’m just under a lot of stress right now” he murmured.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “Do we need to talk to Bao Sir?  Do you need time off?” he asked.  Zhan Yao shook his head.

            “No.  No, I’m okay” he assured.  Bai Yutong made a face.

            “Zhan Yao—” he started.

            “God damn it, Bai Yutong, I’m FINE!” Zhan Yao snapped, causing Bai Yutong to look at him in shock as he let out a harsh breath.

            “I’m fine.  Just…leave me alone.  Please” he requested.  Bai Yutong was quiet before he turned and quietly exited his office, Zhan Yao staring after him before he let out a heavy sigh and ran a through his hair.

            “Fuck” he whispered.  Just then, there was a knock on his door, making him jump before he looked up at it and huffed.

            “I thought I said—” he started when the door opened and Bai Yutong poked his head in.

            “I know what you said, but we got a case” he stated.  Zhan Yao looked at him before he took a deep breath and nodded.

            “Alright, let’s go” he declared.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at the scene, everyone made their way inside the house, but the minute Zhan Yao stepped inside, his eyes widened and he took a step back as he shook his head.

            “No” he whispered, making Bai Yutong look over at him in confusion.

            “Zhan Yao?” he asked, only for Zhan Yao to shake his head again.

            “No, no, no” he breathed before he turned and all but bolted out of the house, making Bai Yutong and the others stare after him in shock.

            “Zhan Yao!” Bai Yutong shouted before he looked over at the others and motioned to the scene.

            “Start processing, I’ll be right back” he declared before he turned and ran out of the crime scene, searching around before he finally found Zhan Yao crouching against a tree, his head buried in his knees.

            “Zhan Yao?” he whispered, staring at the forensic psychologist in concern before he slowly made his way over to him and knelt before him.

            “Zhan Yao?” he called out softly.  When Zhan Yao didn’t answer, Bai Yutong reached out and placed a gentle hand on his arm, just as his head snapped up, his eyes wide like a frightened deer.

            “Zhan Yao” Bai Yutong breathed, staring back at him with wide eyes before he shook his head.

            “Zhan Yao, what’s wrong?” he asked.  Zhan Yao, of course, didn’t answer, causing him to frown.

            “Come on, Zhan Yao, talk to me” he begged.  Zhan Yao just shook his head.

            “So much blood.  So much blood, so many body parts…it’s too much, there’s too much.  It’s all red.  It’s all red and it’s real and—” he started when Bai Yutong frowned.

            “What are you talking about?” he asked.  Zhan Yao shook his head again.

            “It’s real.  My nightmares are real and they’re here.  I thought I locked them away.  I thought I locked them away, I thought I ignored them, but they’re here and—” he started before he began to hyperventilate, something Bai Yutong had never seen him do before, causing Bai Yutong’s eyes to widen before he reached out and grasped him by the arms.

            “Zhan Yao” he breathed, making Zhan Yao look at him with wide eyes, his chest still rising and falling rapidly, as he nodded.

            “Breathe.  Breathe, it’s okay.  I’ve got you.  I’m here.  Breathe for me” he instructed.  Zhan Yao nodded weakly and tried to take deep breaths, but his breaths kept catching in his chest, causing him to shake his head.

            “I can’t.  I can’t, Bai Yutong, I can’t—” he gasped, just as Bai Yutong reached out and gently grabbed one of his hands, placing it over his heart before he began to breathe deeply.  Zhan Yao stared at him for a moment before he began to copy his breathing, both men breathing deeply until Bai Yutong could hear that Zhan Yao’s breathing was less haggard and more steady, making him nod encouragingly.

            “There you go.  There you go, Cat, good” he praised as they continued to breathe together until Zhan Yao let out a soft sob and shook his head.

            “I’m sorry” he croaked.  Bai Yutong shook his head.

            “You have nothing to apologize for” he assured as he released his hand before he slowly stood to his feet and looked down at him.

            “Can you stand?” he asked.  Zhan Yao looked up at him and nodded weakly.

            “I think so” he replied before he slowly pushed himself to his feet, using the tree to stabilize himself before he looked at Bai Yutong.

            “Mouse, I—” he started when the world suddenly spun and he nearly collapsed had Bai Yutong not surged forward and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close.

            “I’m taking you home” he declared.  Zhan Yao frowned.

            “But…the case…” he started.

            “Fuck the case, the others can take care of it.  Right now, I’m taking you home and that’s final” Bai Yutong declared.  Zhan Yao looked at him before he nodded.

            “Okay” he agreed.  Bai Yutong then led him over to the car and helped him inside before he got into the driver’s side and turned on the car, speeding away.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When they reached the apartment, Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong headed inside, Bai Yutong’s grip on Zhan Yao’s arm firm yet and comforting as he guided him over the couch and sat him down, waiting for him settle before he sat down beside him and looked at him.

            “Talk to me” he instructed.  Zhan Yao was quiet before he let out a shuddering breath.

            “I don’t…remember exactly when it happened but…one day I got an email.  I thought it was like any other email, so I clicked on it but…it was full of images…bloody, gory images so horrible that I didn’t even have time to process what I was looking at.  And they just kept coming.  I couldn’t stop them or close the email, so I had to unplug my computer just to make it stop.  But I also get emails on my phone, so they came through there too…that’s why I cursed that day in the car.  Because I had received another email” he explained.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “Do you still have the email?” he asked.  Zhan Yao nodded as he pulled out his phone.

            “I never deleted them…I wanted to keep them as evidence” he explained before he headed to his inbox and pulled up the most recent email he had received before he clicked on it and handed it to Bai Yutong, the gory images immediately filling the screen, each picture more gruesome than the last.  As Bai Yutong stared at the images, he glanced over at Zhan Yao, whose eyes were squeezed shut as to not see them, before he clicked off the phone and placed it down.

            “And you received how many of those emails?” he asked.  Zhan Yao shook his head.

            “I’ve lost count” he answered before he looked at him.

            “And it’s not just emails…I have printed photos as well” he stated.  Bai Yutong’s eyes widened.

            “Printed photos?” he repeated.  Zhan Yao nodded.

            “They came to me in an envelope with no return or address or sender…just my name.  They’re locked away in a drawer in my desk, I don’t know how many envelopes I have in there…I’ve lost count of those too” he murmured.  Bai Yutong shook his head.

            “How long has this been going on?!” he demanded.  Zhan Yao shook his head.

            “I don’t know…a while” he answered.  Bai Yutong looked at him in shock.

            “And you never said anything?!” he exclaimed.  Zhan Yao huffed.

            “I was trying to take care of it on my own!  I thought if I ignored the emails and the anonymous envelopes, whoever was doing this would stop…but they didn’t” he replied as he shook his head, tears coming to his eyes.

            “I can’t sleep because any time I close my eyes, all I see is blood and body parts and I’ve seen so much at this point that it’s all just blurring together into one big, massive blob.  And every time I close my eyes, that blob is reaching for me, trying to drag me in, just like that drawing from Zhao Jue’s cell our first case together” he explained before he took a deep breath and wiped his eyes, looking at Bai Yutong.

            “And that’s what I saw at the scene…I saw that blob.  Just this mass of blood and body parts and I thought…I thought my nightmare and come to life, and I just couldn’t” he croaked.  Bai Yutong was quiet and didn’t say anything for a moment before he reached out and pulled him in for a hug, holding him tightly as he rested his chin on his head.

            “Oh Zhan Yao” he whispered, causing Zhan Yao to let out a soft sob.

            “I’m so tired, Yutong” he whimpered.  Bai Yutong nodded. 

            “I know.  I know you are” he murmured before he pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

            “Come on, let’s get you to bed” he offered, only for Zhan Yao’s eyes to widen as he shook his head.

            “No!  No, I can’t sleep.  If I sleep, then—” he started when Bai Yutong shook his head.

            “You can’t stay awake forever” he argued.  Zhan Yao nodded.

            “I know.  I know I can’t but…” he started before he trailed off, trying to find a good excuse when Bai Yutong nodded.

            “Alright…alright, how about this?  I’m going to go and figure out who’s been sending you the emails and photos and after I take care of them…I’ll come back here and we’ll go to bed.  Together” he declared.  Zhan Yao looked at him hopefully.

            “Together?” he repeated.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “Together.  So can you hold out a little while longer?” he asked.  Zhan Yao nodded.

            “I can” he assured.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “Okay” he replied before he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, his lips lingers for a moment before he pulled away and looked at him.

            “I’ll be right back” he declared.  Zhan Yao nodded again.

            “Okay” he replied.  Bai Yutong nodded before he pushed himself to his feet and headed towards the door, opening it before he stepped out, quietly shutting the door behind him before he walked away from the apartment, his eyes full of rage.  Someone…was going to die.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After leaving their apartment, Bai Yutong headed back to S.C.I. and made a beeline for Zhan Yao’s office, stepping inside before he walked over to Zhan Yao’s desk and pulled open every single drawer except one, which was locked.

            ‘That must be the drawer’ he thought to himself before he quickly picked the lock and pulled it open, his eyes widening at the sight of what looked like over a hundred plan envelopes addressed to Zhan Yao.  At he stared the envelopes, he felt rage begin to bubble up within him, causing him to growl softly before he reached into the drawer and grabbed out an envelope, opening it before he pulled out the stack of photos, his stomach twisting as the gore that he had seen on Zhan Yao’s phone stared back at him.  He then took a deep breath and shoved the photos back in the envelope before he closed it and slammed the drawer shut, making sure it was locked before he headed out of the office and shut the door behind him.  Now it was time to see an old nemesis.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Bai Yutong arrived a building he had visited many times and quickly headed inside, looking up at the spiral staircase before he took a deep breath.

            “Zh—” he started.

            “It’s rare for you to come by yourself, Chief Bai” a voice called out, making Bai Yutong spin around, his eyes widening at the sight of Zhao Jue, who seemed to have just materialized out of thin air, before he huffed.

            “Trust me, if I didn’t have a good reason for being here, I wouldn’t be here” he stated.  Zhao Jue raised an eyebrow.

            “Oh?  And why are you here?” he inquired.  Bai Yutong pulled out the envelope he had taken from Zhao Yao’s desk and handed it to him.

            “Zhan Yao’s been receiving these photos for god knows how long and I want to know who might be torturing him like this” he explained.  Zhao Jue hummed and opened the envelope, puling out the stack of photos before he went through them, humming softly.

            “These are quite graphic” he mused, making Bai Yutong scoff.

            “No shit” he replied, just as Zhao Jue looked at him.

            “And you said Zhan Yao’s been receiving them?” he asked.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “Yeah.  He has over a hundred envelopes full of photos just like those in his desk and the department and I don’t even know how many more emails full of the same images” he explained.  Zhao Jue hummed softly.

            “This is some serious psychological torture.  I’m amazed Xiao Yao held out as long as he did” he murmured.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “Me too” he admitted softly.  Zhao Jue looked at him in surprise before he hummed.

            “So, you came to me to figure out who might want to hurt him so badly?” he asked.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “Yes” he replied before he shook his head.

            “He had a panic attack at a scene today and I’ve…I’ve never seen Zhan Yao so scared” he stated.  Zhao Jue hummed softly before he held up the photos.

            “Well, whoever wanted to hurt Zhan Yao knew that he has an aversion to scenes like this” he declared, making Bai Yutong frown.

            “But he’s seen bloody scenes before” he argued.  Zhao Jue huffed and held out the stack of photos.

            “Yes, but did you notice that in all of the photos, the bodies belong to children and teens?” he asked.  Bai Yutong frowned and reached out, taking the stack of photos from him before he analyzed the photos, his eyes widening in horror when he realized that Zhao Jue was right.

            “Oh god…Zhan Yao hates cases that have to deal with kids” he murmured.  Zhao Jue nodded.

            “Whoever sent these photos knew that…and exploited it” he declared.  Bai Yutong looked at him.

            “Are these photos…real?” he asked.  Zhao Jue nodded.

            ‘They are very much so real.  There’s no sign of any editing or manipulation…these are real bodies” he declared.  Bai Yutong growled.

            “What sort of monster—” he started.

            “One who has some sort of grudge against Zhan Yao” Zhao Jue interrupted.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “A grudge?” he repeated.  Zhao Jue nodded.

            “Yes” he replied, making Bai Yutong shake his head incredulously.

            “Are you kidding me?!  A grudge did this?!” he exclaimed, pointing to the stack of photos.  Zhao Jue nodded again.

            “Yes” he confirmed.  Bai Yutong shook his head.

            “What a sick bastard” he spat.  Zhao Jue hummed.

            “I believe I have to agree” he replied, just as Bai Yutong shook his head.

            “But who would have a grudge against Zhan Yao?” he asked.  Zhao Jue hummed and inclined his head. 

            “Have you considered the people closest to him?” he inquired.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “None of us have a grudge against him” he argued.  Zhao Jue chuckled.

            “Not you, silly boy.  Others.  From the Psychology Department” he stated.  Bai Yutong raised an eyebrow.

            “You think someone from the Psychology Department has a grudge against him?” he asked.  Zhao Jue smiled slightly.

            “It never hurts to look into it, does it?” he replied.  Bai Yutong was quiet before he nodded.

            “I’ll take a look” he declared.  Zhao Jue nodded.

            “See that you do” he replied.  Bai Yutong dipped his head.

            “Thanks” he thanked before he turned to leave when Zhao Jue looked at him.

            “Bai Yutong” he called out, making Bai Yutong pause and turn to look at him as he looked him in the eyes.

            “When you find them…please do give me a call.  I’d like to…have a little talk with them” he stated.  Bai Yutong’s eyes widened slightly before he smirked.

            “I think that can be arranged” he replied before he turned and continued out of the building, Zhao Jue watching him leave with the faintest hint of a smile on his lips.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After Bai Yutong left Zhao Jue’s, he returned to S.C.I., where the others were waiting for him.

            “Bai Sir!  Is Dr. Zhan okay?” Bai Chi asked, concern in his eyes.  Bai Yutong looked over at him, and the others, before he shook his head.

            “No.  He’s not” he replied before he looked at Jiang Ling.

            “Jiang Ling, I want you to talk to the IT department and have them give you access to Zhan Yao’s emails.  He’s been receiving flash emails full of gory mutilated bodies for well over a few weeks now but has no way to figure out who’s sending them.  I want you to figure it out.  But be careful and take breaks so that you don’t make yourself sick” he instructed.  Jiang Ling frowned.

            “Gory…photos?” she repeated hesitantly.  Bai Yutong nodded as he pulled out the envelope he had shown Zhao Jue.

            “He also has at least a hundred of envelopes, just like this, in his desk drawer full of the same photos” he stated before he looked over at Gongsun, who had come out of his office.

            “Gongsun, I need you to see if any of the envelopes has saliva on the seals or if the seals were sealed another way.  And if there are any fingerprints on the photos.  I know there will be fingerprints from Zhan Yao, myself, and Zhao Jue, but I’m sure some of the envelopes have to be unopened so see if our mysterious sender got sloppy” he stated.  Gongsun nodded and walked over to him, taking the envelope as he looked at Bai Chi.

            “Bai Chi, go collect the other envelopes from Zhan Yao’s office and help Gongsun” he ordered.  Bai Chi nodded and rushed to Zhan Yao’s office to grab the other envelopes as Bai Yutong looked at Zhao Fu, Wang Shao, and Ma Han.

            “I want you three to start checking out the Psychology Department.  Zhao Jue thinks that whoever sent the photos has a serious grudge against Zhan Yao” he stated.  Ma Han looked at him in shock.

            “You went to talk to Zhao Jue?!” she exclaimed.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “He’s the only person I could think of that could help with this, so yes, I went to him.  Now figure out who has a grudge against Zhan Yao, let’s go!” he barked.  Ma Han, Wang Shao, and Zhao Fu nodded, quickly rushing out to start questioning those who worked in the Psychology Department to see if maybe someone had an idea as to who might hate Zhan Yao so much that they would subject him to such psychological torture. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Bai Yutong walked over to Jiang Ling and raised an eyebrow.

            “Jiang Ling.  Are you okay?” he asked.  Jiang Ling looked up at him, her bright brown eyes glistening with tears.

            “It’s awful, Bai Sir.  Dr. Zhan had to deal with this?” she asked.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “Yes, he did” he replied before he tilted his head.

            “Were you able to find anything?” he inquired.  Jiang Ling shook her head.

            “No.  Whoever this person is, they’re using zombie emails and probably a VPN…it’s making it difficult for me to trace it back” she replied.  Bai Yutong hummed.

            “But you can do it, right?” he asked.  Jiang Ling looked up at him.

            “For Dr. Zhan?  I can” she assured.  Bai Yutong smiled.

            “Good.  Thank you” he thanked.  Jiang Ling nodded before she steeled herself and clicked on another email, quickly shutting her eyes as her desktop flooded with gruesome images.  While she was working on finding out who was sending the emails, Bai Yutong headed to Gongsun’s lab and poked his head inside.

            “How are we coming?” he asked.  Gongsun and Bai Chi looked up at him before Gongsun shook his head.

            “So far, nothing.  I’ve swabbed at least a dozen seals and nothing is coming back with any DNA but I’ll keep looking because he probably got sloppy.  Nothing is popping for fingerprints either right now” he stated.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “Keep looking” he instructed before he stepped back and closed the door, just as Ma Han, Wang Shao, and Zhao Fu rushed into the department.

            “Bai Sir!” they exclaimed, making him look over at them and raise an eyebrow.

            “You got something?” he asked.  Wang Shao nodded.

            “Yeah.  We asked around and everyone kept pointing us to one person in particular: Tian Xiao Jie” he declared.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “Tian Xiao Jie?” he repeated.  Ma Han nodded as she handed him a file.

            “His file, sir” she stated.  Bai Yutong hummed and opened it, looking it over before he looked at them.

            “Bring him in” he ordered.  The three members nodded and quickly turned, heading out to find Tian Xiao Jie while Bai Yutong pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

            “Hello?” a voice answered.

            “We found him” Bai Yutong declared.

            “I’ll be right there” the voice confirmed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, when Bai Yutong arrived at the interrogation room, Zhao Jue was already there, waiting for him.

            “You got here quickly” he mused.  Zhao Jue smirked slightly before he glanced at him.

            “Does Heizei know what you’re doing?” he asked.  Bai Yutong shook his head.

            “No, but I think he’d be okay with this” he replied.  Zhao Jue chuckled.

            “I won’t hurt them, if that’s what you’re worried about” he stated.  Bai Yutong laughed.

            “Oh no, I’ll do the hurting.  You just get them to talk if they won’t talk to me” he instructed.  Zhao Jue nodded.

            “Of course” he replied before they both headed into the interrogation room, Tian Xiao Jie looking at them with wide eyes.

            “What’s the meaning of this?  What is going on?” he demanded.  Bai Yutong looked at him.

            “Tian Xiao Jie, correct?” he asked.  Tian Xiao Jie nodded.

            “Yes.  Can you please tell me what I’m doing here?” he demanded.  Bai Yutong crossed his arms.

            “I hear you’re a little bit bitter towards Zhan Yao.  Care to tell us why?” he inquired.  Tian Xiao Jie was quiet before he huffed.

            “He thinks he’s so great and so smart and so clever…he’s really not” he grumbled.  Zhao Jue raised an eyebrow.

            “And do you think you’re smarter and more clever than him?” he asked, even though both he and Bai Yutong knew that no one was smarter than Zhan Yao.  Tian Xiao Jie scoffed.

            “Of course I do.  He’s so young, he can’t possibly know as much as me” he declared.  Bai Yutong hummed.

            “So you’re angry that Zhan Yao has all of these accolades and awards and is a deputy leader while you’re stuck in the Psychology Department.  Is that it?” he asked.  Tian Xiao Jie looked at him before he growled.

            “He doesn’t deserve any of it” he hissed.  Bai Yutong nodded slowly, just as there was a knock on the door, making him look over at it before he walked over and opened it to reveal Gongsun standing outside, an envelope in one hand and a piece of paper in the other.

            “You got something?” he asked.  Gongsun smirked and held out the piece of paper.

            “See for yourself” he replied.  Bai Yutong hummed and took the piece of paper, reading it through carefully before his eyes widened and he slowly looked over at Tian Xiao Jie, who was looking back at him, before he looked back at Gongsun, a feral edge slipping into his gaze.

            “We’ve got him?” he whispered.  Gongsun nodded.

            “We’ve got him” he confirmed.  Bai Yutong grinned and took the envelope from him before he dipped his head and took a step back, closing the door before he turned and walked back over to Tian Xiao Jie and Zhao Jue, slamming the envelope down in front of Tian Xiao Jie. 

            “So you think he deserves this?” he asked.  Tian Xiao Jie looked at the envelope and frowned.

            “What is this?” he replied.  Bai Yutong motioned to it.

            “Open it” he ordered.  Tian Xiao Jie frowned and opened the envelope, pulling out the stack of photos before he let out a gasp and quickly put the photos down, shoving them away just as Bai Yutong shook his head.

            “Oh no, don’t you look away.  Don’t you dare look away” he growled as he pointed to the photos.

            “You don’t get to look away when you’ve subjected Zhan Yao to this for weeks, maybe even months.  So look at them!  Look at your work!” he roared.  Tian Xiao Jie looked at him before he shook his head.

            “I didn’t send these to Zhan Yao” he argued.  Bai Yutong raised an eyebrow.

            “No?  Then why did we find your DNA on the envelopes that were sent to him?” he asked before he slammed down the results Gongsun had brought, making Tian Xiao Jie’s eyes widen as he looked at the results before he looked at Bai Yutong and shook his head.

            “Just because my DNA were on the envelopes doesn’t mean I sent these photos to him” he argued.  Bai Yutong huffed.

            “We also found your fingerprints on a few of the photos that were in the envelopes” he stated, tapping the results paper again just as his phone rang, making him pick it up and answer it.

            “Bai” he answered.

            “Bai Sir” Jiang Ling greeted.

            “Jiang Ling” Bai Yutong replied.

            “I was able to finally trace the emails back to someone” Jiang Ling declared.

            “Tian Xiao Jie?” Bai Yutong inferred. 

            “Yes sir” Jiang Ling confirmed.  Bai Yutong grinned.

            “That’s all I need, Jiang Ling, thank you” he thanked before he hung up and looked at Tian Xiao Jie.

            “Besides fingerprints and DNA, we also have evidence of you sending flash emails full of images to Zhan Yao.  We traced all of your zombie accounts back to you” he declared, Tian Xiao Jie’s eyes widening in shock before he shook his head.

            “I’ve done no such thing!  You’re making it up!” he shouted.  Bai Yutong raised an eyebrow before he looked at Zhao Jue.

            “Would you like a crack at him?” he asked.  Zhao Jue smiled.

            “Only if you’re done with him” he replied.  Bai Yutong motioned to Tian Xiao Jie.

            “He’s all yours” he declared before he turned and headed out of the interrogation room, quietly closing the door behind him before he leaned against it, letting out a heavy sigh.  Now Zhan Yao could finally rest.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Zhao Jue came out of the room, Bai Yutong raising an eyebrow at him.

            “Did he say anything?” he asked.  Zhao Jue nodded.

            “He did.  And I got it in writing” he stated before he held out a pen and pad to him, much to his surprise.

            “He just…wrote it all down?” he asked.  Zhao Jue smirked.

            “Of course” he replied.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “You didn’t coerce him?” he asked.  Zhao Jue huffed.

            “I’m not so stupid as to use techniques that could get Xiao Yao’s case thrown out on a technicality.  You can check the cameras to see that everything I did is perfectly by the book” he stated.  Bai Yutong frowned.

            “But I turned the cameras off for the particular interview” he murmured, making Zhao Jue smirk.

            “Then you’re just going to have to trust me” he declared.  Bai Yutong hummed and looked at the confession before he reached out and took it from him.

            “Thank you” he thanked.  Zhao Jue nodded.

            “You’re welcome” he replied as he reached and patted his shoulder before he walked past him, only to pause and look back at him.

            “Take care of Zhan Yao, understand?” he instructed.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “I will” he assured.  Zhao Jue nodded before he continued on his way, Bai Yutong watching him leave before he looked down at the confession again and sighed; time to get this to Bao Sir.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After dropping the confession off to Bao Sir and explaining the whole situation, Bao Sir assured him that he would quietly deal with Tian Xiao Jie as well as figure out where the remains from the photos were, making Bai Yutong smile slightly before he turned and headed out of the Hong Kong Police Department, heading home.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When he arrived home, he quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside, looking around before he found Zhan Yao sitting on the couch, mindlessly watching a movie.

            “Cat” he called out, making Zhan Yao look over at him and when he saw him, he smiled weakly.

            “Mouse” he replied before he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to him, tilting his head.

            “Did you find them?” he asked.  Bai Yutong grinned.

            “I did” he replied.  Zhan Yao looked at him hopefully.

            “So it’s over?” he asked.  Bai Yutong nodded.

            “It’s over” he confirmed before he reached out and gently cupped his face in his hand, stroking his cheek.

            “You can rest now” he whispered, causing Zhan Yao to shut his eyes and let out a soft sigh of relief before he leaned forward and rested his head on his shoulder.

            “Thank you” he whispered.  Bai Yutong nodded as he pressed a soft kiss to the side of his head. 

            “Come on, let’s go lie down” he suggested.  Zhan Yao nodded and pulled away before they both headed to the bedroom and crawled into bed, Bai Yutong wrapping his arms around Zhan Yao as he pulled him close.

            “I’ve got you.  I’m not going to let any nightmares scare you or hurt you, okay?  You’re safe here” he assured.  Zhan Yao smiled and nodded as he tucked himself against him.

            “I know.  Thank you, Mouse” he murmured.  Bai Yutong nodded as he pressed a soft kiss to his hair.

            “You’re welcome, Cat” he replied.  They both then shut their eyes, Zhan Yao allowing himself to relax in the safety of Bai Yutong’s arms as Bai Yutong held him tightly.  He wouldn’t let any nightmares get to Zhan Yao.  He had suffered enough…he wasn’t going to let him suffer anymore.  While he was holding Zhan Yao tightly, Zhan Yao slowly began to drift off and as he felt sleep begin to take him, for the first time in a long time, he found himself at peace; his mind finally silent.  It would take a while for him to return to “normal”, but with Bai Yutong here, by his side, to keep away the nightmares…normal didn’t seem all that far out of reach.

[emotional-mess-of-jellies]

Op doing lord's work!

Ji Xiaobing as Zhan Yao | S.C.I.

[save-the-data]

S.C.I | S01E02

Chinese Drama - 2018, 24 episodes

[eat-tea]

Danmei family trees

Ey guys turns out making family trees is such a fun way to reminisce after reading 😁

I’ve made a few whiteboards, anyone is free to collab on MDZS if interested hehe~

[crazydash]

Guess who started re-re-re-re-[∞]-watching S.C.I Mystery ?

Well

It's me ! What a surprise

I just love their dynamic so much and also their micro-expressions, their glances, their "wtf" faces they do sometimes and also the chaos this serie is xD

I think it was the first modern/crime/bromance c drama I watched and no matter how many times I watch it I still like it just as much

It's not the BEST serie but it's a comfort one

[lunarriviera]

I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS??? because i've had a wip for like three years that i couldn't get off the ground and NOW I'M GONNA FINISH IT, this is going to be so much fun! thank you organizers!!

[brain out of nowhere: but what if…femslash. WHAT IF. 😳 ]

Hanahaki for Hanami Prompts!

It's time to grab your picnic basket because flower viewing season is upon us. This way you can collect all the flower petals that come falling out of your mouth. Hanahaki for Hanami will run from April 1st - 30th and it is back with four new flowery prompts.

💮PROMPTS:💮

💮Week One: Hollyhock (Ambition) 💮Week Two: Aster (Symbol of Love, Daintiness) 💮Week Three: Belladonna [Deadly Nightshade] (Silence) 💮Week Four: White Clover (Think of Me)

Use as many or as few prompts as you like. All original or fanworks accepted as long as they are hanahaki-themed.

💢The use of generative-AI, art theft, and plagiarism will not be tolerated.💢

Post to Bluesky, Tumblr, or AO3 and use the tag #hanahaki4hanami or #h4h and tag the account to share! And check out the full event details!

[lunarriviera]

bonus: whatever this is, plus bts ft. cat:

[xinyuehui]

No touchy 💢

S.C.I. Mystery · 2018

[killerandhealerqueen]

Hiii are you maybe still taking prompts? Wanted to know if you could write something about SCI hahah

Was thinking about BYT and ZY getting into a car accident of some sort. BYT gets away lightly but ZY is more injured. Bonus if they were arguing before it happens heh

Hello anon! My ask box is always open for prompts! And I haven't done an S.C.I. prompt in a hot minute so I'm down! Also owww...I've never done a prompt like this so we shall see what happens! (It'll be a happy ending, of course but oh my god, is it going to hurt)

‘It’s all my fault’.  That’s all Bai Yutong could keep repeating in his head over and over as he sat outside in the waiting room of the hospital, a steri-strip taped just above his eyebrow while bruises and other scrapes adorned his arms and hands.  He then placed his head in his hands and let out a heavy sigh; God, it was all his fault. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

It had been a rather normal day in the S.C.I. department, what with Wang Shao and Zhao Fu bickering over Wang Shao’s snacks, Bai Chi doing his best to stop their bickering, and Ma Han and Jiang Ling side-eying them from their desks.  Meanwhile, Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao were in Bai Yutong’s office, Bai Yutong working on paperwork while Zhan Yao sat across from him grading papers from his class that he taught at the local university.  As they were working, the door to the office opened and Bai Chi popped his head in.

         “Bai Sir, Dr. Zhan.  Sorry to disturb you, but we got a case” he stated.  Both Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao looked up at him before they nodded and put down their pens, pushing themselves to their feet before they headed out of the office and into the bullpen to listen to the case they had received. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

After getting briefed on the case, which was a case where an entire family was murdered, the youngest being only six weeks old, Bai Yutong, Zhan Yao, and the other headed out of the office, Bai Yutong and Zhan Yao getting into Bai Yutong’s car before they sped off towards the scene. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

As they headed towards the scene, Bai Yutong looked over at Zhan Yao.

         “Are you going to be able to handle this case?” he asked.  Zhan Yao frowned.

         “Why wouldn’t I be?” he replied.  Bai Yutong huffed.

         “Because I know how you get when we get cases that involve children” he explained.  Zhan Yao rolled his eyes.

         “I’ll be fine.  I’ll take breaks if I have to” he assured, only for Bai Yutong to frown.

         “Are you sure?  You could always sit this one out” he offered.  Zhan Yao huffed.

         “If I sat out every single case that involved children, I might as well quit my job” he snapped, making Bai Yutong give him a look.

         “Cat—” he started.

         “No, Bai Yutong!” Zhan Yao shouted, causing Bai Yutong to look at him in shock as he huffed.

         “When I became a cop, I knew I was going to see some horrific things.  I knew that.  If I thought I couldn’t handle it, I would have stayed an academic” he spat.  Bai Yutong was quiet before he huffed softly.

         “You should have stayed an academic” he murmured, making Zhan Yao look over at him with wide eyes.

         “What did you say?!” he exclaimed.  Bai Yutong tsked.

         “You heard me” he replied.  Zhan Yao growled.

         “No, no, say it again.  Say it to my face.  What did you say?” he demanded.  Bai Yutong huffed.

         “I said you should have stayed an academic!  You shouldn’t have gone to the academy!  You should have just moved to America like your dad wanted!  You would have been safer there!” he exclaimed.  Zhan Yao’s eyes widened before he shook his head.

         “Don’t treat me like some fragile piece of glass, Bai Yutong!” he shouted.  Bai Yutong huffed.

         “But you are!  You can’t shoot a gun, you’re susceptible to hypnotism, your stamina is absolutely shit, you can’t fucking remember to eat or sleep 95% of the god damn time unless I remind you…the only thing that’s going for you is your high intelligence!” he snapped.  At his words, Zhan Yao looked at him with wide eyes as if he had been slapped before he shook himself out of it and scoffed.

         “Well if it hadn’t been for my intelligence, half of our cases wouldn’t have gotten solved!  Without me, S.C.I. is NOTHING!” he roared, making Bai Yutong bark out a laugh as they began to speed through an intersection.

         “Oh give me a break.  We can do just fine without you” he assured.  Zhan Yao scoffed.

         “You wouldn’t last a day without me” he sneered.

         “That’s a lie” Bai Yutong retorted, making Zhan Yao raise an eyebrow.

         “Is it?” he asked.  However, before Bai Yutong could answer, a truck suddenly slammed into Zhan Yao’s side, causing both Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong to cry out as the car skidded across the pavement before it suddenly flipped and rolled a few times before it came to a stop on its hood, leaving Zhan Yao and Bai Yutong suspended.  As they hung there, thankfully still strapped to their seats, Bai Yutong let out a soft groan and slowly opened his eyes before he looked over to see Zhan Yao limp in his seat, his hair matted to his head as blood dripped down his face.

         “C-Cat?” he called out.  When Zhan Yao didn’t answer, Bai Yutong frowned before he reached out and took his hand, giving it a week squeeze.

         “Zhan Yao” he called again.  However, Zhan Yao still didn’t respond, causing Bai Yutong’s heart to drop to his stomach.

         “Zhan Yao.  Zhan Yao, please” he pleaded, but Zhan Yao didn’t answer.

         ‘Shit…I need to get us out of here’ Bai Yutong thought to himself before he released Zhan Yao’s hand and turned off the car before he unbuckled himself, making sure to protect himself with his arms on the way down so that he didn’t get any glass on his face (and boy was he grateful that he decided to wear his white leather jacket that day).  Once he was safely out of his seat, he looked over at Zhan Yao and reached out, carefully placing two fingers to his pulse point.  Thankfully, he could feel a pulse, but it was weak, causing him to take a shuddering breath.

         “Hang on, Cat.  I’ll get you out of here” he promised before he pulled his hand away and turned his attention to his car window, slowly beginning to crawl out feet first.  As he crawled out of the car, he hissed every now and then as the glass pierced his hands but he could worry about himself later; right now he had to get Zhan Yao out.  Once he was safely out of the car, he ran around to Zhan Yao’s side of the car and crawled inside, carefully placing himself directly under Zhan Yao before he reached up and cupped the back of his neck, making sure to support it before he unbuckled his belt, Zhan Yao all but dropping like dead weight onto him.  Once he was safely out of his seat, Bai Yutong carefully shimmied himself out of the car, still holding Zhan Yao protectively, just as fire and rescue arrived on scene, a few firefighters running over to them.

         “Sir!  Sir, are you alright?” one firefighter asked.  Bai Yutong glanced up at them before he nodded. 

         “I’m fine” he assured before he motioned to Zhan Yao.

         “But my partner…my partner’s hurt.  He’s bleeding” he stated.  The firefighters nodded before one of them knelt before him and held out his arms.

         “I’ll take him, sir” he stated.  Bai Yutong looked at him, then down at Zhan Yao, who was still limp in his arms, before he carefully handed Zhan Yao off to him, the firefighter taking Zhan Yao in his arms before he rushed over to the EMTs, who had taken the gurney out of the ambulance.  While they were working on Zhan Yao, the other firefighter who had run over to Bai Yutong held out his hand.

         “Sir, you need to get looked at as well” he stated, only for Bai Yutong to shake his head.

         “No, I’m fine—” he started when the firefighter gave him a look.

         “Sir, you were just in a terrible car accident, we need to take you to the hospital to make sure nothing is broken and that you don’t have a concussion or have internal bleeding” he explained.  Bai Yutong was quiet before he sighed and reached out, allowing the firefighter to help him to his feet and guide him over to the ambulance before he carefully climbed inside and sat on the bench beside the gurney Zhan Yao was strapped to.  Once they were both inside, the firefighters closed the door and as soon as the doors were closed, the ambulance took off, speeding towards the hospital while the firefighters and the police officers remained behind to process the scene. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

As they sped towards the hospital, Bai Yutong watched as the EMTs worked on Zhan Yao, making sure that his heartrate was steady and that he was still breathing while also checking to see if anything else was broken.  While they were checking him out, Bai Yutong slowly reached out and took Zhan Yao’s hand, giving it a gentle yet firm squeeze.

         ‘You’re gonna be fine, Cat.  You’re gonna be fine’ he assured, even though it sounded more like he was reassuring himself more than anything.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Once they arrived at the hospital, Zhan Yao was quickly taken out of the ambulance and rushed to the ER while Bai Yutong slowly exited the ambulance and followed behind, almost in a daze, until a nurse walked over to him and gently grasped his arm.

         “Sir, let’s get you checked out as well” she suggested.  Bai Yutong glanced over at her before he nodded weakly and allowed her to guide him over to a room to get checked out, all the while keeping his eyes on the hallway that Zhan Yao had been rushed down.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After he had been checked out and deemed “okay” (as in nothing was broken or bleeding and he was conscious), Bai Yutong headed to the waiting room and all but plopped down into one of the chairs, letting out a shuddering breath as he placed his head in his hands.  It was all his fault.  It was all his fucking fault.  He shouldn’t have fucking said anything about the case or about how Zhan Yao should have sat it out or about how Zhan Yao should have stayed an academic and gone to America…He shouldn’t have fucking said anything.  Because the last words he said to Zhan Yao before they were hit…was that they would be just fine without him.  Which was a god damn fucking lie.  It was a god damn lie.  Bai Yutong was not fine without him…and he never would be.  Because they were a pair.  They were each other’s other half.  They were soulmates.  There was no Bai Yutong without Zhan Yao.  Where one went, the other followed.  And to think that he had the audacity to say that he didn’t need Zhan Yao and that he would be fine without him?  God should have struck him dead.  He should have been the one who got t-boned, not Zhan Yao.  Zhan Yao didn’t deserve that, but he definitely did.  As he sat there, wallowing in self-hatred, Gongsun, who sometimes took shifts at the hospital, walked over and stood before him.

         “Bai Sir” he called out, making Bai Yutong look up at him with wide eyes before he shot to his feet.

         “Gongsun” he breathed before he took a deep breath.

         “How is he?” he asked.  Gongsun sighed.

         “He’s currently unconscious” he answered.  Bai Yutong frowned.

         “And his injuries?” he asked. 

         “He sustained a head wound and a broken arm on impact, along with some lacerations to the face from the glass as it entered the car when the other vehicle crashed into you” Gongsun replied.  Bai Yutong was quiet before he took a shuddering breath.

         “But is he…okay?  Will he…live?” he whispered.  Gongsun sighed.

         “He’s currently in critical condition, so I can’t answer that right now.  But have a little faith, Bai Sir.  Dr. Zhan is strong” he assured.  Bai Yutong nodded weakly before he looked at him.

         “Can I see him?” he requested.  Gongsun shook his head.

         “Not at this time.  If his condition improves and he regains consciousness, then we can allow you to see him” he stated.  Bai Yutong nodded again before he turned and walked back over to his seat, making Gongsun frown.

         “Bai Sir…you should go home.  Get some rest” he suggested, only for Bai Yutong to shake his head.

         “I’m not leaving” he declared.  Gongsun made a face before he sighed heavily and turned, heading down the hallway; he knew better than to try and talk reason into Bai Yutong when Zhan Yao was involved.  After he left, Bai Yutong continued to sit in the waiting room, just as the other members of S.C.I. came running over to him.

         “Bai Sir!” they exclaimed, making Bai Yutong glance at them as they surrounded him.

         “We heard what happened!  Are you and Dr. Zhan okay?” Zhao Fu asked.  Bai Yutong sighed.

         “I’m fine…Zhan Yao’s unconscious and in critical condition” he answered, making everyone gasp before Ma Han looked at him.

         “What do you want us to do?” she asked.  Bai Yutong was quiet for a moment before he slowly lifted his head and looked at them.

         “Figure out who’s in charge of this case and take it from them.  Then figure out who hit us.  They weren’t at the scene, so that makes it a hit and run” he declared.  The S.C.I. members nodded and turned to leave when Bai Chi paused and looked at him.

         “Sir…shouldn’t you go home?” he asked.  Bai Yutong shot him a glare.

         “Shouldn’t you be out trying to figure out who hit us?” he hissed.  Bai Chi flinched before he nodded.

         “Yes sir” he replied before he and the others rushed off, Bai Yutong sighing heavily before he placed his head back in his hands.  He wasn’t leaving.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A little while later, Bao Sir came to visit and the minute he saw Bai Yutong sitting there with his head in his hands, he sighed softly before he quietly walked over and sat beside him.  Neither man said anything for a while before Bao Sir cleared his throat.

         “Take as much time as you need” he instructed, making Bai Yutong lift his head out of his hands and look at him before he dipped his head.

         “Thank you, sir” he thanked.  Bao Sir nodded before he pushed himself to his feet and walked away, not even bothering to suggest that Bai Yutong go home and leave Zhan Yao because he knew that Bai Yutong wouldn’t.  When it came to Zhan Yao…all other priorities were thrown straight out the window.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Over the next couple of days, Bai Yutong practically lived at the hospital, refusing to move from his seat in the waiting room until one day, his older sister Bai Qingtang walked over to him and grabbed him by the arm.

         “Get up” she ordered, only for Bai Yutong to shake his head.

         “I’m not leaving” he replied, making Bai Qingtang tsk.

         “Yes, you are” she declared before she released his arm and snapped her fingers, Da Ding and Xiao Ding quickly walking over before they all but yanked Bai Yutong out of his seat, much to his annoyance.

         “Jie, let go of me.  I’m not leaving Zhan Yao” he snapped, just as Bai Qingtang gave him a look.

         “Yes, you are.  There’s no point of you just sitting here waiting for something to happen.  You need to take care of yourself too, baby brother.  Because it’s not fair that only one of you is trying to get better.  Remember, when Zhan Yao recovers and gets out of the hospital…you need to be there for him.  And you can’t do that if you end up in the hospital yourself.  Got it?” she demanded.  Bai Yutong looked at her before he nodded.

         “Yes jie” he murmured.  Bai Qingtang nodded.

         “Good” she agreed before she turned and began walking through the hallways of the hospital, Bai Yutong, Xiao Ding, and Da Ding following behind her.

         “But…what about Zhan Yao—” Bai Yutong started.

         “Don’t worry, Yutong, I’ve instructed Gongsun to call me the minute Xiao Yao’s condition improves” Bai Qingtang assured, causing Bai Yutong to frown.

         “Why you?” he demanded.  Bai Qingtang glanced over at him and smirked.

         “Because I still have a car” she replied.  Bai Yutong narrowed his eyes.

         “Not funny, jie” he snapped.  Bai Qingtang smiled sadly.

         “Sorry, too soon” she apologized, Bai Yutong humming in reply as they continued out of the hospital.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After finally going home and showering and getting a good night’s rest, Bai Yutong decided that he was just going to…stay home.  Bao Sir had said it was fine anyways and to take as much time as he needed so…he was going to take that time and just sort of…spiral.  Which, you know, wasn’t exactly healthy but he knew that if he went to work, the others would just give him sad looks of pity when they thought he wasn’t looking or he would want to talk to Zhan Yao about something only to go into his office and find it empty, reminding him that he wasn’t in his office but in the hospital.  And Bai Yutong didn’t need any reminders…his brain already reminded him enough with the nightmares every night.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Then one night, after another nightmare tore him out of his sleep with a loud gasp, Bai Yutong let out a low groan and flopped back onto his bed, throwing an arm over his eyes.

         ‘Stupid brain’ he grumbled before he let out a heavy sigh.  He wasn’t much of a prayer, as he and Zhan Yao both believed in science and didn’t believe in the supernatural, but…if there was something or someone out there…who could make or help Zhan Yao get better…then a simple…pleading prayer couldn’t hurt…right?

         “If you’re…out there…and you’re listening…please…please let Zhan Yao wake up.  Please.  I can’t…lose him” he whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A few days later, after he had prayed his pleading prayer, Bai Yutong was sitting on his couch, watching TV when there was a loud knock on his door, making him look over at it before he pushed himself to his feet and walked over to it, opening it to find Bai Qingtang standing outside.

         “Jie?” he greeted.  Bai Qingtang looked at him.

         “He’s awake” she replied.  At the news, Bai Yutong’s eyes widened and before Bai Qingtang could say anymore, he turned and rushed to his bedroom, quickly changing out of his pajamas and into a clean outfit before he rushed back over to her and motioned her away from the door.

         “What are we waiting for, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” he exclaimed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When they arrived at the hospital, Bai Yutong all but ran to Zhan Yao’s room, bursting through the door before he rushed over to Zhan Yao’s bed, Zhan Yao looking at him sleepily.

         “Mouse” he murmured.

         “Cat” Bai Yutong breathed, staring at him in awe before he walked around to the other side of the bed and reached out, gently taking his right hand in his, as his left arm was in a cast.

         “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry, Cat.  It’s my fault” he apologized.  Zhan Yao frowned.

         “What is?” he asked.  Bai Yutong sighed.

         “The accident.  You getting hurt.  It’s my fault” he answered.  Zhan Yao shook his head weakly.

         “You didn’t know that the car was going to crash into us like that.  How could you predict that?” he asked.  Bai Yutong huffed.

         “I was the one who was driving, I should have seen it” he grumbled.  Zhan Yao shook his head again.

         “Even if you had seen it in time, it would have been too late.  It’s not your fault, Yutong” he assured.  Bai Yutong was quiet before he let out a shuddering breath.

         “I’m the one who should be lying here, not you” he whispered.  At that statement, Zhan Yao’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to argue when Bai Yutong looked at him.

         “You were right, you know.  When you told me that we wouldn’t last a day without you.  You were right.  We wouldn’t last a day.  I wouldn’t last a day…hell, maybe not even an hour” he stated before he took a deep breath.

         “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry for saying all of those horrible things and for saying that I don’t need you…because I do.  I do need you, Zhan Yao.  I need you and want you by my side, always.  I don’t want you to go anywhere.  You’re my other half, Zhan Yao.  And I can’t lose you” he confessed.  At his confession, Zhan Yao’s eyes widened again before tears began to pool in them and he let out a shuddering breath. 

         “I can’t lose you either” he whispered before he looked at him and laughed weakly.

         “I heard you, you know.  In the car.  After we rolled and came to a stop.  I heard you…calling me.  I felt your hand squeezing mine.  I wanted to reply, to squeeze your hand back but…I couldn’t.  It was dark.  And I…I was scared.  I was scared I wasn’t going to wake up…or see you again” he admitted, causing Bai Yutong to smile tearily before he gave his hand a squeeze.

         “But you’re here now.  And I’m not going anywhere” he promised.  Zhan Yao frowned.

         “But what about work?  Or the person who hit us?” he asked.  Bai Yutong shook his head.

         “Don’t worry about work or about the hit and run, the team can take care of it and themselves.  Right now, you need to focus on getting better” he stated before he smiled.

         “And Bao Sir said to take as much time as I needed before I came back so there’s no rush” he added.  Zhan Yao shook his head in disbelief.

         “You’re doing all this for me?” he whispered.  Bai Yutong gave him a fond look.

         “I’d do anything for you, Zhan Yao” he replied.  Zhan Yao was quiet before he nodded, Bai Yutong smiling in reply before he gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

         “Get some rest.  I’ll be right here when you wake up” he assured.  Zhan Yao nodded again before he shut his eyes and began breathing deeply, soon slipping off to sleep.  As he slept, Bai Yutong watched his chest rise and fall for a while, just taking him all in, before he quietly sat down in the chair beside his bed and gave his hand another squeeze.

         ‘I’m not going anywhere, Cat.  Not now…not ever’.

[lunarriviera]

SƆEPIAL cRIME

If I ever stop laughing at how much they mangled the word ‘special’ in this shot, that will mean I am no longer alive.

[harocat]

Hello Cdrama fans! The signups for the Yuletide fic exchange close in a little over forty-eight hours, and there are a ton of Cdrama fandoms nominated. I'd LOVE to see some more Cdrama fans on board (and not just because almost all my nominations are that).

Yuletide is an annual fic exchange for rare and obscure fandoms run through the Archive of Our Own. Participants sign up to write a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom someone else has requested, using the selected characters from that fandom. In return, they receive a story of at least 1,000 words in a fandom they have requested, featuring requested characters.

Please read this FAQ and the Rules before deciding whether to participate.

I had so much fun doing this last year (and I got some great Cdrama fic), so I wanted to share it here in hopes of bringing in some more participants from these fandoms.

The following Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong Dramas are nominated:

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花开有时颓靡无声 | Meet You at the Blossom

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

HIStory3 - 圈套

S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery

Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀

一念关山 | A Journey to Love

不良執念清除師 | Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

与凤行 | The Legend of Shen Li

且试天下 | Who Rules The World

九州缥缈录 | Novoland: Eagle Flag

云之羽 | My Journey to You

以家人之名 | Go Ahead

伪装者 | The Disguiser

你安全吗 | Are You Safe

你微笑时很美 | Falling Into Your Smile

你是我的荣耀 | You Are My Glory

侠探简不知 | Ancient Detective

全职高手 | The King's Avatar

冰雪谣 | Snowfall (TV 2024)

卿卿日常 | New Life Begins

南风知我意 | South Wind Knows My Mood

双夭记 | The Silent Criminal

原生之罪 | Original Sin

双镜 | Couple of Mirrors

后宫甄嬛传 | The Legend of Zhen Huan | Empresses in the Palace

君子盟 | A League of Nobleman

唐朝诡事录 | Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty

四方馆 | Go East

四海重明 | Love's Rebellion

回响 | Echo (TV 2023)

墨雨云间 | The Double

夜色倾心 | Night of Love with You

大唐女法医 | Miss Truth

天盛长歌 | The Rise of Phoenixes

女世子 | The Heiress

如懿传 | Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace

宁安如梦 | Story of Kunning Palace

将军在上 | Oh My General

少年歌行 | The Blood of Youth (Live Action TV)

少年白马醉春风 | Dashing Youth (Live Action TV)

庆余年 | Joy of Life

延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace

很想很想你 | Love Me Love My Voice

御赐小仵作 | The Imperial Coroner

心宅猎人 | Psych-Hunter

恨君不似江楼月 | Killer and Healer

惜花芷 | Blossoms in Adversity 

成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

扫黑风暴 | Crime Crackdown

无眠之境 | Desire Catcher

星汉灿烂 | Love Like the Galaxy

有翡 | Legend of Fei

某某 | The On1y One 

棋魂 | Hikaru no Go (Live Action TV)

沉香如屑 | Immortal Samsara

沙海 | Tomb of the Sea

法医秦明之幸存者 | Medical Examiner Dr. Qin: The Survivor

浮華夢 | Fu Hua Meng 

涂山小红娘月红篇 | Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact

消失的痕迹 | The Evidence Tells

漂亮书生 | In A Class Of Her Own

猎狐 | Hunting

猎罪图鉴 | Under the Skin

玉骨遥 | Yù Gǔ Yáo 

琉璃 | Love and Redemption

盗墓笔记2之怒海潜沙&秦岭神树 | The Lost Tomb 2: Explore with the Note

相逢时节 | Challenges at Midlife

种地吧 | Become A Farmer

绅探 | Detective L

美人为馅 | Memory Lost

老九门 | Old Nine Gates 

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV 1983)

致命游戏 | The Spirealm 

花轿喜事 | Wrong Carriage Right Groom (2023)

苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil 

莲花楼 | Mysterious Lotus Casebook 

藏海花 | Adventure behind the Bronze Door 

西出玉门 | Parallel World | West Out of Yumen

许你浮生若梦 | Xǔ Nǐ Fú Shēng Ruò Mèng | Granting You a Dreamlike Life

说英雄谁是英雄 | Heroes (2022) 

还珠格格 | Huán Zhū Gé Gé | Princess Returning Pearl

追风者 | War of Faith 

重启之极海听雷 | Reunion: The Sound of the Providence 

长月烬明 | Till the End of the Moon

长歌行 | The Long Ballad 

长相思 | Lost You Forever 

长风渡 | Destined 

關於未知的我們 | Unknown

问心 | The Heart 

陪你到世界之巔 | Gank Your Heart

霹靂布袋戲 | Pili Glove Puppetry

风起洛阳 | Fēng Qǐ Luò Yáng 

飞狐外传 | Side Story of Fox Volant

骄阳伴我 | Sunshine by My Side

鬓边不是海棠红 | Winter Begonia

鹿鼎記 | The Duke of Mount Deer (Hong Kong 1984)

I apologized if I missed any. I went fast so I could actually get this posted. For DONGHUA and MANHUA look under 'cartoons & comics & graphic novels'. For Chinese language movies look under 'movies'. For Cnovels (danmei and other), look under 'books and literature.' There are lots of nominations there as well. Here's the tag set!

By the way, according to Yuletide staff, the most frequently nominated fandom was Mysterious Lotus Casebook.

[save-the-data]

S.C.I | S01E01

Chinese Drama - 2018, 24 episodes

Surprise! It didn't win the poll, but as many still voted for it and it doesn't get as much love like Guardian, why not :D. Stand by Me left a hole in my schedule for a good partners in crime drama, so it was either this or Original Sin (which will probably be next).

[indigostudies]

a very incomplete list of cdramas (plus a few chinese films) i've watched and my rating for hsk proficiencies for them below the cut!

i've watched some shows that aren't included on this list, but i didn't watch enough of them to get a good sense for the level of challenge they pose, so they're omitted from the list. i've also included links to the mydramalist pages, if you want to get a sense of the plot.

i had to remove the list format, since tumblr decided i had too many characters per block of text, so i apologise for that. a number of these can be watched on youtube with english fansubs, but if you can't find something, you can always dm me and i'll get you a link!

沙海/tomb of the sea: this fits into the extended daomu biji/grave robbers' chronicles/lost tomb franchise, but you don't have to have seen the other shows or read the books to watch it, and the pov character is an outsider who also doesn't understand what's going on 90% of the time. this show is contemporary, and you could probably start watching it at a fairly low hsk level because it doesn't have a ton of complicated technical or genre-specific terms. the subbing in english decent, since it came out a while ago, but there are some errors that crop up with names and nicknames. if you wanted to watch it without subtitles, i'd say you could probably get the gist of what's being said at around an hsk 4 or hsk 5 level. it has 52 episodes, each around 45 minutes long. (mdl link)

双镜/couple of mirrors: set in the republican era, so some of the terms used are a bit outdated in terms of colloquialism, and it also has a mystery/detective element to it, so that could pose a bit of a struggle. that said, the show isn't actually too challenging in terms of vocab—i would say you could watch it without english subtitles at an hsk 3 level with some struggle, and with a fair amount of ease at hsk 4. 12 episodes, at 46 minutes each. (mdl link)

云泽传/legend of yunze: wuxia/xianxia, which makes the amount of unfamiliar terms higher if you aren't used to the genre, but the episodes are all very short, and the plot itself isn't overly complicated, which makes it easy to sit down and watch in one go. on a level of difficulty, as long as you're familiar with wuxia/xianxia terms, you could probably watch this at an hsk 2 level without too much issue, and the subbing in english is very thorough. has multiple seasons, but the first season is 12 episodes, between 3-7 minutes each. (mdl link)

神探/detective l: this is a procedural detective show, and it's set in the 1930s republican shanghai, so there's a combination of more formal/outdated language and specialised detective/case-related phrases. the english subs are decent, though, and the actors all enunciate clearly, which helps if you need to look up words. i would say this would probably be a bit of a struggle below the hsk 5 level, but you'll pick up a lot of new, crime-related phrases. 24 episodes, 40 minutes each. (mdl link)

不良执念清除师/oh no! here comes trouble!: i'll be honest, this one was a struggle for me because of the taiwanese accent. i can understand what they're saying, it just sounds like the auditory equivalent of someone coming into my house and moving everything a few centimetres to the left. this is also a procedural show, but contemporary, so not quite as challenging in terms of vocab to detective l, in my opinion..........but it's also got a heavy supernatural element, which does come with specific vocab. the subbing is good, but if you're going to watch it, this one probably requires a higher hsk level to keep up—hsk 5, at a minimum, in my opinion. 12 episodes, 52 minutes each. (mdl link)

s.c.i谜案集/sci mystery/sci: another contemporary procedural mystery show, but from the mainland, so there's no elements of supernatural. surprisingly simple vocabulary; you could watch this at an hsk 2 level and get the gist, and an hsk 3 or hsk 4 level would let you watch it just fine. has fairly good english subs, and i believe they set the show in hk, which accounts for the higher than usual amount of english usage, up to and including in dialogue. the only bit that might make it challenging is the heavy lean into the psychology, but it's all largely explained directly, since most of the characters aren't familiar with the terms either. 24 episodes, 45 minutes each. (mdl link)

成化十四年/sleuth of the ming dynasty: ming dynasty (mid 1400s, under the chenghua emperor) setting, but a fairly colloquial vocabulary. there are some specialised titles used, but those are fairly self-evident by the way the show is shot, and easy enough to look up. the english subs are good, and i would put this at an hsk 4 level—but even at an hsk 3 level you probably won't struggle too badly. my hangup here was, again, one of the leads being played by an actor with a taiwanese accent, though it's not too heavy. 48 episodes, 45 minutes each. (mdl link)

老九门/the mystic nine: dmbj prequel, set in the tail end of the republican era (1939, if i remember correctly?). has a lot of tomb- and tomb-robbing specific vocabulary, alongside the more dated modes of speech, so i would put this up at an hsk 5 or hsk 6 level, but there's decent subs, so you could watch it at lower levels, it would just be a bit of a challenge. 48 episodes, 42 minutes each. (mdl link)

猎罪图鉴/under the skin: contemporary procedural show; there's a lot of emotion- and motive-specific words used, and the fact that it's a procedural makes it a bit more challenging, in my opinion. i would recommend that don't start with this show, just because of the fact that it's pretty easy to get lost if you don't grasp some of the vocabulary. i'd put it at an hsk 6 level, but that said, the subs are good and you can watch it at an hsk 5 level with some effort, i think. 20 episodes, 45 minutes each. (mdl link)

春风沉醉的夜晚/spring fever: honestly not as challenging in terms of vocabulary as a lot of things on this list, and fairly contemporary (set in the 2000s). i would say if you're at an hsk 4 level, you will probably do alright with it. 116 minutes in total. (mdl link)

关于我和鬼变成家人的那件事/marry my dead body: another case of struggling to acclimate to the taiwanese accent; otherwise, not too complicated in terms of vocab, though there are some spirit/marriage-specific terms used. overall, though, i'd put this at an hsk 4 level as well. 130 minutes in total. (mdl link)

陈情令/the untamed: heavy on the wuxia/xianxia elements, so unless you're familiar with that, you might struggle a lot to get through it. this is a lot of peoples' entry into cdramas, though, so it's not utterly inaccessible, and has decent english subs. i would put this around an hsk 5, if you want to watch it without subs, though you'll probably still have to pause and look up some words here and there even then. 50 episodes, 45 minutes each, making it the longest on this list. (mdl link)

山河令/word of honour: arguably the hardest on this list, i would say, because it's so plot-heavy. i, as a native speaker, struggle to follow along with this for extended amounts of time because there's a combination of 1. a lot happening, 2. a lot of wuxia terms, and 3. a lot of references to literature/art/etc. i would put this up at an hsk 7 level, honestly. that said, the subs for this are very good. 36 official episodes with a 37th mini-episode, 45 minutes each for the regular ones. (mdl link)

天官赐福/heaven official's blessing: one of the easier shows on this list; i would put this at an hsk 3 or hsk 4 level; there's some words you probably won't know, but while it does fall under xianxia, it doesn't go into that as much in terms of vocabulary as cql/the untamed does. i believe both seasons have both official subbing and official dubbing into english available, but that's not how i watched it, and i've only seen the first season, which is 11 episodes and about 20 minutes per episode. (mal link)

致命游戏/the spirealm: not particularly challenging in terms of actual vocab, but as of yet, only the first few episodes are subbed, since it came out literally this month, and the other subs are all auto-generated and.............very lacking. that said, it's a contemporary setting, and i would put this at an hsk 5 level, give or take; there are some references to folklore, but the characters research and explain or deduce the explanations of what is happening as it occurs, and you aren't left to struggle to figure it out yourself. 78 episodes, but each one is a bit under 20 minutes long, so it actually isn't that much content in total. (mdl link)

[missfangirll]

Congratulations on the 200 subs on youtube! That's awesome! Um...I don't have a video ask, but may I request a fic for S.C.I.? I'll let you choose what the fic is about, I trust you

this is deeply hilarious to me because I now have almost 1000 subscribers 😅🙈 anyway, here is the fic, finally 🤣

jealous of tragedies (2698 words) by missjudge Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: S.C.I.谜案集 | S.C.I. Mystery (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Bai Yutang/Zhan Zhao Characters: Bai Yutang, Zhan Zhao Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort Summary: Zhan Yao wakes to silence.