#lin ming is the one who blacked out probably

[zintranslations]

Kaleidoscope of Death, Extra 8

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu Link to Chinese / Novel Updates

Extra: Tan Zaozao

Tan Zaozao had filmed many movies, had played countless characters. She'd been the bewitching dancer, the heroic swordswoman, the loving mother, the young woman who just could not extricate herself from the throes of love.

Every character was different, just as every person led a different life.

When Tan Zaozao first got into the entertainment circle, she had had an accident: while she was shooting a scene on horseback, she had been careless, and fallen off the horse. Her injuries had been terrible, and she'd almost lost her life. A close friend of hers came to visit her in the hospital and completely chewed her out, asking if she wanted to die, why didn't she use a stunt double for such a dangerous occasion.

Tan Zaozao had answered with a smile: "My life's not worth that much."

Tan Zaozao had been young back then, and completely without fear of death. She’d thought she would always be that way, until one day, she went on a talk show. When Tan Zaozao walked out of her dressing room, she discovered that the corridor that ought to have led to the soundstage had turned into twelve metal doors. Every single door looked exactly the same, emanating an icy chill.

Seeing such a thing, the smile on Tan Zaozao's face went stiff. Her first reaction was to wonder if this was a prank organized by production, and so she forced down the unsettled feeling in her chest. She kept it up until…she pulled open one of the doors.

When the door opened, she appeared in an unfamiliar location. All around her was a desolate graveyard, and before her loomed a dark and enormous castle.

Tan Zaozao followed the path slowly forward. In the clearing in front of the ancient castle, she spotted several people standing together, discussing something in whispers. All their faces were strange to her, and when they saw her, they just tossed over momentary gazes before looking away again.

"Excuse me, where are we?" Tan Zaozao asked.

Nobody answered her question.

"Is this for a show?" An onslaught of bad feeling was crashing over Tan Zaozao's chest, and she asked this question with great caution. Only, somebody in the crowd took on a mocking expression.

"For a show? You've seen such a realistic show before?"

Tan Zaozao went silent.

Though she held onto a thread of hope, wishing this were a hyperrealistic prank show, that hope was ruthlessly dashed when she saw the first person die. That person's death was miserable—they were covered from wounds from head to toe, and all of their blood had been sucked out. They could not have been more dead.

Tan Zaozao stared at that corpse, frozen where she stood. That was the first time she became truly conscious of the fact that this wasn't a prank, nor was it some sort of realistic game. Here, death was a very real possibility.

Tan Zaozao's first door wasn't too difficult, relatively speaking. She was pretty lucky, and came out alive. When she returned to the real world, she almost immediately had an emotional breakdown, terrifying the assistant beside her.

"Zaozao, are you alright?" the assistant asked in worry.

"Where were you?!" Tan Zaozao said angrily. "Why didn't you help me?"

The assistant looked back at her blankly.

"What do you mean…where? Haven't you been sitting here the whole time?"

Tan Zaozao startled, saying, "I've been sitting here the whole time?"

"Yeah," the assistant answered. "You've been just sitting here, spacing out…"

Tan Zaozao went silent, and faintly came to understand something. But before she could figure it all out, the assistant was rushing her onto the stage. The interview was starting.

Onstage, Tan Zaozao was inattentive, answering the host's questions on and off and absently. The host saw that something was off, and just as he was rearing to ask, there came a terrified yell from offstage. Before the host even had time to react, there was the sound of shattering glass above his head. He looked up, and saw a black shadow plummeting toward him.

Tan Zaozao had been sitting right next to the host. She got a close-up view of that giant hanging light plunging heavily from above and smashing to the ground before her very eyes.

The host, who had just been laughing and chatting with her, became a dismembered corpse in the matter of a moment. Tan Zaozao stood there blankly, looking as if in a trance.

For Tan Zaozao to have survived this accident was practically a miracle. Lord knows she'd been sitting right next to the talk show host. The heavy lighting equipment had practically grazed her as it fell, but didn't leave a single scratch on her.

This incident that gave Tan Zaozao severe shock, and she was forced to take a break for a while.

And during this break, she finally figured out what that door was.

It was torment, and also rebirth.

Without the doors, she would already be dead. But with the doors, she still might not survive.

Through a friend, Tan Zaozao met Ruan Nanzhu, and also learned there was a whole group of people selected by the doors.

"Do you want to simply cross the doors or train in the doors?" Ruan Nanzhu asked Tan Zaozao.

Tan Zaozao, "is there a difference…"

Ruan Nanzhu, "the difference is, the first one, you don't have to think about anything, you only have to follow me. The other, you have to rely on yourself."

Tan Zaozao's answer was decisive: "I choose the first one."

"But Obsidian doesn't take doors after the fifth," Ruan Nanzhu said. "If you choose the first option, maybe you'll have an easier time surviving in the beginning, but there's no guarantee for later."

Tan Zaozao's smile was forced.

"But I really am scared."

Ruan Nanzhu went quiet. It was his agreement to Tan Zaozao's request.

Tan Zaozao really was just a normal girl. She was scared of the dark and scared of ghosts. Out of the people in Obsidian, the one she was most like was Cheng Qianli. But this likeness also meant that neither of them were suited to the doors.

Tan Zaozao made her decision. She knew her own ending, and had her doubts in the middle. But in the end, she never changed her mind.

After the fifth door, Obsidian didn't take on gigs anymore. And Tan Zaozao's journey had come to an end.

"Zaozao, how about I take you in." Lin Qiushi was a good guy. There was worry for Tan Zaozao in his eyes, but Tan Zaozao turned him down with a smile.

Deep inside her heart, she'd once worked up a bit of jealousy toward Lin Qiushi—she'd been jealous of Ruan Nanzhu's preferential treatment toward him. But after the jealousy faded, Tan Zaozao discovered that she actually understood Ruan Nanzhu very well. Lin Qiushi was so utterly lovely—he was clever, and brave, and kind, just like a glittering gemstone. Anybody would be attracted to those qualities of his. Not only Ruan Nanzhu, herself included.

If she were Ruan Nanzhu, she would probably make the same decision.

Tan Zaozao thought, melancholic: who wouldn't want a strong and brave companion?

In the end she chose another organization. That org promised her that they would bring her out of her sixth door, but they failed.

This was also within Tan Zaozao's expectations. The only thing that wasn't part of the plan was dying on her most beloved stage.

It was honestly a kindness she'd asked for. She'd wanted to die quietly, but found that she couldn't do it. In the terrifying world of the doors, a pair of hands dragged her into an endless black. And when she came out from the door, the extravagant stage was before her eyes. Beneath the stage were blinding lights, and in her ears were the shutter clicks of cameras. The audience was seeing everything, and all of it was being recorded.

When she knew death was descending, Tan Zaozao couldn't help a scream of misery—she regretted it now. She didn't want to die yet. There was still so much she wanted to do.

This wasn't fair…

But it was all too late.

Her final path had already been determined by her decision way back at the beginning.

Above her head came once more that familiar sound of shattering glass. Tan Zaozao looked up and saw the bright lights, as well as the countless shards of glass plummeting toward her. That chandelier was like a crown, crashing heavily atop her body. It broke her to pieces.

Before the darkness fell, Tan Zaozao heard panicked shouts from the people offstage. She even saw some frantic faces. As Tan Zaozao lied on the floor, a faint smile came to her lips. She felt the darkness encroach on her vision, and the eternal silence tasted, to her surprise, a bit sweet.

She sank into a long sleep from which she would never be disturbed.

[Extra: Bai Ming and Zhang Yiqing]

#kaleidoscope of death #xi zixu #cnovel #chinese translation #死亡萬花筒 #this is it folks!!!! #thanks so much for sticking around #next plans are going back and translating KoD chapters I haven't done yet #also editing #I've casually started on I Heard You Want to Hit Me #which i highly recommend!!!! it's another xzx novel #much shorter #weirdly similar vibes to kod #considering the subject matter is completely different

[azaisya]

no art for this week bc its been crazy so have 1.7k of alternate ending/sequel to Sleeping Awake (my de-aged shen jiu fic). This was where I was going with the original before I decided I wanted to focus more on the qijiu, so some of the stuff in the beginning is repeated. If I was writing a sequel (which I probably won’t), then this would probably be how it started.

“Take one of my robes?” Yue Qingyuan asked, voice small. 

Shen Qingqiu hesitated, his awareness of how underdressed he was going to war with the instinct to refuse anything from Yue Qingyuan. He’d spent the last however-many-decades violently exploding every time Yue Qingyuan gave him a gift. He’d assumed they’d been given out of pity or obligation, expensive baubles to cover up the dirt of Shen Jiu’s past. 

But—

He really was very underdressed. This robe was one of the outfits he’d worn to sneak out to the Warm Red Pavilion, back when he’d been a lesser disciple and in need of subterfuge to get off his Peak. 

Wordlessly, Shen Qingqiu picked up Yue Qingyuan’s outer robe from where they’d carelessly dumped it the night before and slid it over his arms. It was a little too big and he chafed at wearing another person’s colors, but the look on Yue Qingyuan’s face was worth it. 

With a sarcastic wave, Shen Qingqiu turned on his heel and strode from his room.

The robe was a little less worth it when Yue Qingyuan’s head disciple dropped a teapot in shock when she saw him. 

He ignored her. She was the overly candid girl who’d intercepted him and Luo Binghe yesterday, but that didn’t surprise him. Yue Qingyuan was too soft with his disciples, and she was clever. Of course she would be outspoken. 

At the thought of Luo Binghe, Shen Qingqiu grimaced. He’d specifically ordered that the beast wasn’t to be fed all weekend. Ning Yingying had probably ignored that and brought him food anyways, charmed as she was by Luo Binghe’s pretty, pitiable face. 

He should lock him in the woodshed for another week, just for that. 

The thought made him falter, and he spared a moment to be intensely grateful that nobody was around to see him trip on nothing. 

He’d always told himself that he was nothing like Qiu Jianluo. That he’d only ever beaten boys who deserved it, that they should be grateful that he hadn’t done worse. 

He’d never touched any of them, after all, no matter what the rumors said about him. 

But his younger self hadn’t even needed to think before equating Luo Binghe’s shizun with Qiu Jianluo. 

That was another revelation, Shen Qingqiu supposed, to add on to all the others he was having. He didn’t like that one very much. It wasn’t earth-shatteringly surprising in the way that Yue Qingyuan’s apparently unconditional devotion was. 

Perhaps that said something about him. 

He didn’t like that very much either. 

He was still turning the matter over in his mind when he arrived at Qing Jing Peak’s familiar landscape. It was late enough in the day that his disciples should already be at their lessons, and they would survive a few more hours without him. 

The bamboo house was almost exactly as he’d left it, but somebody had made his bed and moved the black and silver fan—Yue Qingyuan’s latest gift—onto a table. It was a deceptively plain thing, despite the value of its skeleton. Shen Qingqiu suspected that the painting—bamboo and distant birds—had been done by Yue Qingyuan himself. It had the hesitant, detailed brushwork of somebody unused to painting but had tried their best anyways. 

It was the most sentimental gift that Yue Qingyuan had ever given him. His other gifts were impersonal things worth exorbitant amounts of money that suit Shen Qingqiu’s carefully cultivated image. 

Shen Qingqiu would’ve thrown them away, if there wasn’t some part of him that balked at wasting that much money. Mostly, they just languished in the backs of drawers or vanished into boxes. He’d thrown some of the more egregious pieces into Yue Qingyuan’s face. 

The fan was different, though. He could see the time that Yue Qingyuan had spent on it, could see the care and emotion poured into every brush stroke. 

It’d broken him. 

With a sigh, Shen Qingqiu shrugged off the borrowed robe and, after a beat, laid it out on his bed. His own clothes were more complex. His younger self would have despaired at all the finicky ties and complicated layers, but Shen Qingqiu managed with ease. 

With each layer he pulled on, the more that strange, nervous energy in his chest settled. It was as if something inside of him had been knocked off-kilter by his qi deviation and then shoved even further askew by the discovery that Yue Qingyuan had returned for him and the sudden realization that he’d come far too close to the line that Qiu Jianluo had drawn. 

The clothes made him feel more like himself. A doubtful boon, given the scum that he was. 

He turned to leave again but then hesitated, eyes lingering on his bed. Yue Qingyuan’s robes were a streak of shadow across the green sheets. 

He’d been so afraid, when he’d woken up the morning before. 

He wondered if Qiu Haitang was still alive. He hoped she was. He hoped she was happy. 

Was that fucked up?

Maybe.

Setting his jaw, Shen Qingqiu snatched the closest fan—Yue Qingyuan’s fan, the one that had started this all—and swept from the room. He made his way towards the woodshed with a calm, steady stride, the black and silver fan held loosely in his hand. 

He could see the distant shapes of his disciples running around the mountain, tiny blobs of white and green. A sudden anxiety struck him, so sharply that the fan creaked as his grip tightened around it. 

What if Luo Binghe had told them?

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t imagine how his disciples—the children of wealthy lords and poor farmers alike—would look at him if they learned that he was nothing more than a worthless slave. 

A couple of his disciples—the quicker ones, talking cheerfully while their peers tried to finish their laps around the peak—noticed him and ran over. Shen Qingqiu panicked and opened his fan with a flick of his wrist, raising it over his face. 

“Shizun!” the short-haired girl—Lin Xieran—called, as uncomplicatedly delighted to see him as ever. Neither of them looked alarmed or disgusted. If anything, they seemed a little more cheerful than usual to see him, although they were well trained enough to bow instead of run up him and cling. 

Shen Qingqiu rewarded them both with gentle pats on the head. If his hand trembled, none of them mentioned it. 

Luo Binghe, he thought, that off-kilter uncertainty creeping back into his chest, What game are you playing?

Well. He would find out soon enough. Voice as smooth as ever, Shen Qingqiu asked, “Where is your Ming-shixiong?”

The shorter one—a round-faced boy named Sun Tiandou who looked younger than he was—wrinkled his nose. “Ming-shixiong is still running with everybody else.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded imperiously. That was good. Ming Fan had been raised by respectable parents on a comfortable estate, and so he was prone to panicking over even the most minor of injuries. If he’d gone out to run willingly without his shizun’s prompting, then he couldn’t be terribly injured. “Good. And—” The beast died in his tongue. 

Had Qiu Jianluo called him a beast? He couldn’t remember. 

“—and Luo Binghe?”

Sun Tiandou’s expression tilted uncomfortably, but Lin Xieran’s lip curled at the name. “Oh,” she said, waving a hand flippantly, “He’s still in the woodshed.”

Shen Qingqiu idly poked at his newfound disgust with himself and discovered that it didn’t extend far enough to compel him to scold Xieran for her coldness. “Very good,” he said instead, “You’ve both done well today.” 

Their expressions turned instantly starstruck, and Shen Qingqiu continued down the path towards the woodshed. 

To his displeasure, there was a figure sitting against the woodshed’s door. He would’ve thought it was Luo Binghe if it weren’t for the bright orange of Ning Yingying’s favorite hair ribbons. She spotted him and leaped to her feet, waving her arm with the enthusiasm of a child who’d never been punished before. 

Shen Qingqiu flicked his fan open and waved it gently at his face. “What are you do—” All his breath left him in a rush as Ning Yingying threw herself at him, hands flying around his waist. 

Shen Qingqiu sighed and waited for her to let go. She did quickly enough, dancing back a couple steps and grinning up at him. “Shizun!” 

He examined her over the edge of his fan, tracing the shape of her bright brown eyes and her round face. He wondered if she really did look like Qiu Haitang, or if his mind had just seen a bright girl with gentle smiles and made the connection for him. “What is Yingying doing here?”

Ning Yingying’s expressions turned as sly as it ever went. Mostly she just ducked her head and scuffed her feet. “Yingying is, um—” She looked around, spotted the dirty dishes lying where she’d been sitting earlier, and hastily said, “Cleaning! Yingying is cleaning.”

Shen Qingqiu raised one eyebrow and didn’t bother replying. 

Ning Yingying fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve. “And, um, waiting for Shizun!” She looked up, lips curling into a hopeful smile. “This one is glad that Shizun is feeling better!”

Fear beat another staccato rhythm against Shen Qingqiu’s spine, a desperate rattling of what did Luo Binghe say. He revealed none of it on his face. “Did Yingying bring food to Luo Binghe during his punishment?”

Ning Yingying visibly drooped. “He’s so small, Shizun—”

Shen Qingqiu opened his mouth and then shut it, feeling suddenly tired. The rebuke on the tip of his tongue faded, and he just sighed. “Take the plates back to the kitchens.” 

Ning Yingying peeked up at him, hope lighting her eyes. “Yes, Shizun!” She ran to grab the plates and then scuttled back, eyes wide. “Shizun isn’t going to punish A-Luo, right? He didn’t ask me to bring the food.”

Any other day, and Shen Qingqiu’s temper would have flared at the familiar address. Instead, he just said sharply, “I’ve warned you to keep your distance from him, Yingying. Do as I say.” 

Ning Yingying nodded. “Yes, Shizun.” 

Liar. He didn’t call her on it, though. “Go.” 

She sketched a bow, shallower than she should’ve, and dashed off. But that was alright, because she was his favorite and she knew it.

#hhh should i put this in the character tags?? #im just gonna do #shen jiu #svsss fanfiction #scumbagged villains #candleswriting #ok good enough #dw im v aware that this cuts off right when its about to get interesting #i too would like to know how the confrontation between sj and lbh would go #pity that my past self didnt write it #sleeping awake

[translations-by-aiimee]

Dig a Grave to Dig Out a Ghost - Chapter 28

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 28 - Immortal

In some remote mountainous areas in the south, Miao women used clay pots and menstrual blood to raise hundreds of insects. They sealed them, placed them in a damp place and cast curses on them. Once the day was done, the poisonous insects will have killed each other and the last one was embodied with Gu poison*. The curse made with Gu poison could make someone's love interest fall helplessly in love with them for the rest of his life, and it could also plague one's enemy with nightmares, madness, and even death. The women who concocted Gu poison were typically loners, often muttering to no one, avoided by the general public.

*(T/N: 蛊 - Gu poison was believed to be the combination of all the venoms from the insects that died and would be used for black magic in southern regions of China)

In Nanyang Black Magic, they would use the body of a baby that died recently, boiled out the toyol*, poured it on a puppet doused in human blood and placed it in the home. The imprisoned baby ghost would protect the house but the curse-caster will be punished. They would also carve birthdates into wood, causing the other to die.

*(T/N: 尸油 - literally 'corpse oil.' I'll spare you the graphic details but basically taking a dead body's chin and boiling it until oil drains out of it)

This black magic flourished in the Ming Dynasty. The Eastern Depot eunuchs* were in turmoil. Everyone was reporting each other, no one would speak to each other, eyes darting between each other daily. These curses were developed as a branch of Daoism to oppose political rivals. A-Yan said that the Daoist practices used to drive out ghosts and save people were declining, but this black magic has stuck around. It was one of the biggest spots in Daoist history.

*(T/N: 东厂 - a secret police & spy agency run by eunuchs meant to suppress political opposition towards the emperor)

Saturday morning was a beautiful day. The sun was shining but not to the point of being unbearably hot. The distant mountains stood silently under the blue sky. A black Audi passed quickly through the country’s tree-lined roads, raising a cloud of grit and dust. A white goose with its head held high on the roadside was startled by the car, flapping its wings and stretching its neck to hide behind a fence.

The car stopped at a small farmhouse in the northwest corner of the village.

In the courtyard, a tall Shuzi tree stretched out dense branches, looking extraordinarily vibrant. In contrast, the entire courtyard was strangely decrepit. A well was covered by a millstone and the stone-paced path was full of weeds. The doors of the three mud-brick houses were closed, with straw curtains covering the doors and windows covered with dust.

Everything was very different from a month ago. Lin Yan remembered that the last time he came here, there were hens and rabbits. The old lady in blue embroidered clothing was kneeling on the futon with her eyes closed. The small courtyard was filled with the mysterious atmosphere of the countryside. The current yard would give people the impression that the homeowner hadn't been home for years when, in fact, a fresh grave in the back of the mountain had only been built a month ago. Rural people were convinced that the houses inhabited by the living were blessed by the gods and sheltered from the elements for decades. Once the owner of the house dies, the gods will follow, so the empty house often collapsed and was destroyed in less than six months.

"When Second Immortal Gu was in the village, she would help children that fell sick with fever, and the adults that were dealing with evil spirits. Young men would ask her when they'd get married and, for the right price, she'd tell them." The village chief said with a cigarette in his mouth.

The village leader knew Yin Zhou’s mother well. He heard that Yin Zhou wanted to bring someone to pay tribute to Second Immortal Gu and waited at the entrance of the village to welcome them. It took ten minutes to drive from the village leader's house to Second Immortal Gu’s house. The village head smoked four cigarettes in a row. Yin Zhou squeezed his eyes shut while Lin Yan and the little Daoist priest twisted their heads out of the window every 30 seconds to gasp for a breath of fresh air. The village chief was the only one of them chatting in the smoky car. Lin Yan saw how the complaints of three people and a ghost just flew over his head.

If a ghost could complain.

Lin Yan found a roll of incense from the little Daoist's bag and lit it. He put the incense burner at the door of the mud-brick house and offered his respects.

"Last time, we left just before Second Immortal Gu had her accident. I should have come to offer some incense sooner, it's just things with school got busy and I haven't been able to make it until now." Lin Yan brushed the straw curtain and the accumulated dust fell on his face. "Cough, cough. Does - Does anyone take care of this place?"

"Of course not. You big city kids wouldn't know. Doing this line of work is only good for putting food on the table. Immortal Gu came out here in her twenties. In less than ten years, her husband and two sons had died and she was the only one left. She couldn't even save herself." The village leader stuffed his yellow striped shirt into his pants. "Don't feel bad. No immortal in this village could escape that fate."

"Come on, let's go, you guys are here to see her grave. We don't put up any gravestones here. We just build a stone platform, but the villagers will remember who it's for. I'll take you up there."

The sun was growing hotter. Several of them used broken branches to smack the grass in case of snakes while they hiked up the rugged mountain trail. A rural cemetery wasn't as neat as an urban cemetery. Each family claimed a spot, with every newly deceased buried next to the rest of their family. The grave was a prominent mound of dirt with a large stone on top. Some of the graves were too old to even make out the mound, the ground studded with small light blue flowers. A date palm tree grew wildly, and they needed to watch their step when walking so they wouldn't disturb the resting dead.

Second Immortal Gu's grave was off on its own. The mound was freshly dug. Other than a crooked wreath lying on it, it was indistinguishable from the older graves that had been abandoned for years.

The scene made Lin Yan feel incredibly guilty. He burned a large stack of paper dollars in front of the grave, playing with his branch while saying silently in his mind: Auntie, if you're still here, please come back and tell us who harmed you. We'll avenge your death.

The village chief took the cigarettes Lin Yan had bought him and squatted off in the distance to smoke. Lin Yan winked at the little Daoist priest and said softly, "Let's start?"

A-Yan nodded and took out a crumpled photo from his pocket that he had found in a frame in Immortal Gu's house. The immortal in the photo was still very young, wearing a floral cotton jacket and staring vacantly ahead.

"Now isn't a good time. The s-sun is too high. The mountains are filled with Yang energy, and the ghosts may not be able to be reached." A-Yan said. He jumped up and grabbed a twig from the date tree above his head. He hung a spirit summoning flag on it and patted the dust off his shoulders. "Here's a picture, here are the bones. Um, Lin Yan, I'm going to borrow your birthdate for this."

Before Lin Yan had time to ask, the little Daoist priest handed him a dagger. Unlike his usual mahogany sword, this one was actually made of metal. The handle seemed to be a few years old, and the tip of the blade gleaming a bright white in the sunlight.

"H-Hold this for a minute. You might feel a little uncomfortable, but don't let it go." A-Yan instructed: "I-I'll read one sentence and you read the next."

Yin Zhou chuckled but he felt that it probably wasn't the time to laugh so he quickly turned his laughter into a string of coughs.

Surprisingly, A-Yan never stuttered whenever he talked about Taoism and charms, Lin Yan muttered.

Time passed by and it was almost noon. The date trees in the mountains couldn't block the hot sun. After standing there for a long time, most of them were covered in a layer of sweat. The village leader couldn't bear the heat and left to join some nearby people to drink some tea. Lin Yan stood in front of the grave with the dagger in his hand. He rubbed the sweat on his cheeks off with his shoulder, hoping that this time it would be over quickly.

The little Daoist started reciting. His voice didn't sound like proper speech, but the slow rate of speech wasn't too difficult to follow. Lin Yan held the hilt of the dagger and along with the chant. Not even halfway through the incantation, Lin Yan already began to feel that something was wrong. The temperature around him began to drop, and the hot sweat condensed on his back. He kept shivering like he was suffering from heatstroke. A chill came from the handle of the dagger. First, the temperature seeped into his palm, and then his whole arm, up to his shoulders, through the bones in his spine to the back of his head in a numb wave. It was as if he wasn't holding a dagger but a frozen fish that had been left in the bottom tray of the freezer for a year.

The spirit summoning flag above his head began to move.

"It's cold." Lin Yan took a breath and scanned the silent mountains around him. "Have you reached the soul?"

"I t-think I found her." The little Daoist hesitated. "Huh. . . that's weird. . ."

After reciting two more incantations, the bone-chilling cold air had spread to his calves. Lin Yan's teeth chattered and he shivered out: "A-. . . A-Yan, are you sure this is okay. . . it's too. . . cold. . ."

The chanting continued, the little Daoist priest shot him a sideways glance, his eyes cold. Lin Yan can only brace himself to keep follow the mantra incantations, a heavy cold sweat forming on his forehead.

"Hold on for a little longer. The soul is bound to something, I want to break it free." A-Yan gritted his teeth, and a piece of talisman paper was slapped against the blade. All of a sudden, the cold washed over him like a tsunami. Lin Yan's whole body felt like it was being stabbed by needles, veins popping on his forehead from the pain.

"A-Yan, what are you doing?!" Yin Zhou knew something wasn't right when he saw Lin Yan's lips turn blue. "If you can't do it now, someone's going to get hurt. Lin Yan, use the ghost that's following you!"

"Almost there. Don't let go!" The little Daoist was flushed a sickly pale colour and he rapidly chanted the mantra. The spirit summoning flag above his head was being whipped by the wind. There was a ripping sound and the whole piece of cloth was torn in half and fluttered down onto the old grave in the distance.

"I-It's okay. . . A-Yan, go faster. . ." Lin Yan was so cold that he could barely get his tongue to work. He tried to move the hand with the dagger to it but he found that his skin was stuck to the metal and he couldn't budge it. He was shivering from his arms all the way down to his legs. Lin Yan staggered back and stepped on the bag they'd brought, almost falling backwards.

A force of strength supported his back. Xiao Yu's voice sounded right when he needed him, but his low voice didn't let him retort: "Let go."

Xiao Yu's hand covered the back of Lin Yan's hand. Compared to the temperature of the dagger, his palm was actually warm. It was just right to block the cold air that kept pouring into Lin Yan's arm. A-Yan's expression changed in an instant and he shouted loudly: "Back off, beast!"

"I'll fucking finish this. . ." Lin Yan abruptly closed his eyes and pressed his palm to the blade. All at once, the bone-chilling cold air felt like ten thousand needles running through his palm up to his arm. At the same time, there was a cold that grew behind him. He quickly opened his eyes but Second Immortal Gu hadn't appeared. On the contrary, Xiao Yu snapped Lin Yan's wrist with completely overwhelming strength, forcing the sharp weapon out of his hand.

The moment the dagger was taken out of Lin Yan's hand, he felt like he was immediately torn out of an ice block and thrown into a fire. The ritual was broken, the hot sunlight licked his back, making his whole body numbly feel like it was going to dissolve. However, he couldn't care less about his body's reaction. What happened next made Lin Yan and Yin Zhou - who was freaking out off to the side - shocked. They saw Xiao Yu holding the dagger inching towards A-Yan, frigid eyes filled with killing intent. When the palm of his hand touched the hilt of the knife, it sounded like searing flesh. But he didn't care. He grabbed A-Yan's collar with one hand, and violently plunged the dagger toward his left eye with the other!

Lin Yan's mind kicked into action. He subconsciously rushed over to hold Xiao Yu's waist, using all his strength to drag him back. However, something was wrong with the little Daoist priest, too. His usual cowardice was gone and his eyes burned with rage. He rolled away and broke free, rapidly taking out a handful of cinnabar and tossing it towards Xiao Yu. His voice changed because of the trembling: "An evil beast is an evil beast. You can't stay!"

"What the fuck is going on!" Yin Zhou couldn't see Xiao Yu. He could only see the little Daoist tumbling on the ground alone trying to avoid a shimmering dagger. Lin Yan's nerves were fried. While dragging Xiao Yu back, he roared towards Yin Zhou: "How the hell should I know? You grab A-Yan!"

He had never seen Xiao Yu so angry. The midday sun was burning and blinding. The ghost's whole body was emitting a faint greenish-black aura. The knuckles of both hands snapped open, sharp claw-like nails grabbing the back of the Daoist priest's head. Lin Yan thought he was seeing things and closed his eyes, but the scene stayed the same. The place where the ghost stood glowed a greenish-black and the place where the human stood was a dancing orange fire, intertwining with each other, but the orangish-yellow flames were gradually dying out. . .

Later, he would learn that people have yang energy and ghosts have yin energy. When the energy was extremely concentrated, he could directly perceive the yin and yang without his eyes confusing it in his mind. This was the foundation of excellent Taoism. He had inadvertently opened a long-closed door to the mystical arts.

However, the current situation was extremely dangerous. Xiao Yu held A-Yan’s neck with one hand and the dagger cut inch by inch into the little Daoist priest's arm blocking it. The hand holding the knife was searing black from the contact with the blade of the evil spirit's. A Yan's face grew purple, his eyes bulging. Lin Yan didn't dare to hesitate for a moment and scrambled over to protect A-Yan from behind. There was a clanging sound and the dagger rolled to the ground.

The little Daoist broke free from the evil spirit's hands, clutching his bleeding wound and groaning intermittently: "Lin Yan. . . Immortal Gu. . . Immortal Gu's spirit is trapped. . . I couldn't get her. . ."

Lin Yan supported the little Daoist's shoulders. His eyes gleamed, and the soft deer-like eyes were different from those when he had when he cast the spell. "The curse. . . Be careful." A-Yan whispered. Lin Yan hadn't gotten the chance to ask what was going on before his thin body couldn't support his own weight. His eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Lin Yan and Yin Zhou looked at each other, shocked by the outcome, unable to utter a word.

#dig a grave to dig out a ghost #dig a grave to dig out a ghost translation #english translation #chinese bl #chinese novel #danmei novel #danmei #yaoi novel #yaoi #bl novel

[endetithei]

in-progress list of books I read this year (2021)

finished books only. listed in random order, because I’m just trying to write them down as I remember them. Starred are books I particularly enjoyed or felt a connection to in some way. Commentary included/coming along. i’d love to talk about any of these books with anyone *The Jasmine Throne-- Tasha Suri (probably my favorite book of the year) *She Who Became The Sun-- Shelley Parker-Chan *Earth Logic-- Laurie J. Marks *Water Logic-- Laurie J. Marks *Air Logic-- Laurie J. Marks (I wished this book was like twice as long, mostly because I know it’s the last one) *Summer Sons-- Lee Mandelo (I don’t know if I’d recommend this to other people, but it had a specific and explicit queer masculinity in it that meant a lot to me to see in a published novel) *-The Bone Shard Daughter-- Andrea Stewart *-The Vanished Birds-- Simon Jimenez *-Felix Ever After-- Kacen Callendar  *-In A Lonely Place-- Dorothy B. Hughes *-The Decagon House Murders--  Yukito Ayatsuji -The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu-- Tom Lin -*The House in the Cerulean Sea-- TJ Klune (provided comfort where and when it was needful) -The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet-- Becky Chambers -Star Eater-- Kerstin Hall (where... are... the... trans... people...) -Malice-- Keigo Higashino -Elatsoe-- Darcie Little Badger  -*Witchmark-- C.L. Polk -Stormsong-- C.L. Polk -Soulstar-- C.L. Polk -Magic For Liars-- Sarah Gailey (this had... such a shitty ending) -Skyward Inn-- Aliya Whiteley (there was like half a wonderful novel in this and the rest of it I just really didn’t enjoy very much) -*Master of Poisons-- Andrea Hairston  -*Wyrd Sisters-- Terry Pratchett (the first Discworld I actually finished) -One Last Stop-- Casey McQuiston  -Out of Salem-- Hal Schrieve  -*Witness for the Dead--  Katherine Addison  -The Memory Theater-- Karin Tidbeck And a ton of Greek and Latin stuff and DNFs; life’s too short and I’m too grumpy

In progress: -The Black Coast-- Mike Brooks (I’m loving this so far-- reading it currently) -The Natural-- Bernard Malamud -Celine-- Peter Heller -Paul Takes The Form Of A Normal Girl-- Andrea Lawlor -Blame-- Nihei Tsutomu

[vermemesol]

College! AU | Nine Percent - Part 3

Pairing : Nine Percent x Fem!Reader

Genre : College!AU, Fluff

Note : From this part on, Justin will be referred to by his actual name, Huang Ming Hao.

College! AU Masterlist | Normal Masterlist

Previous | Next

.....

The weekend has ended and it’s back to school again.

When you arrived in the classroom, there was a huge present box next to your table. Literally everyone was staring at it. 

“Ming Hao... What’s this box doing here?” you ask.

“I’m not 100% sure, but I think I have an idea on what’s in it...” he says, followed by a sigh.

You lifted up the lid of the box and inside it was...

“SURPRISE Y/N-” 

Lin Yan Jun.

Instantly, you put the lid of the box back on.

Yan Jun popped out from the box again. “Am I not good enough a present for you???” he pouts.

“Uh... how long have you been in that box?” you answer with a question.

“A long time!!! And you didn’t even appreciate it!!!” he crosses his arms.

“Yeah, what took you so long? You’re usually really early?” Ming Hao adds.

“Cheng Cheng asked to meet me this morning.” it was when you said this, that both the guys left and right of you, notice that you had a necklace on. It wasn’t that noticeable but they still noticed the tiny aquamarine gem that rested on your skin.

“Did he give you that necklace?” Ming Hao asks. Both of them were sure that they’d seen Cheng Cheng looking at that necklace through the window of a jewelry shop when they were hanging out during the weekend.

“Uh-huh.” you responded, continuing to write in your notebook.

Ming Hao felt defeated by the thought that he was one step behind Cheng Cheng, then again, he always was. Yan Jun on the other hand, a mixture of feelings, kind of upset and betrayed, the fact that you practically rejected him doesn’t help.

Yan Jun picks up the box that he was sitting in earlier and gets ready to leave, not saying anything.

“Yan Jun.” you call out to him before he’s out the door. You grab his hand and put a piece of paper in his palm. You then head back to your seat. 

Yan Jun is out the door and decides to look at the piece of paper you slid into his grasp earlier. On the piece of paper was a simple ‘thank you.’. It was just a ‘thank you’, but it made him feel way better than he did a few seconds ago. 

“Ming Hao.” as you called his name softly, he looks towards you, and to his surprise, you were smiling at him. “Cheer up, I’m not sure what is wrong, but you look better when you smile.” you pat his head before turning back to continue reading your notes. 

You weren’t the most oblivious when it came to the people around you. You always care for your friends, making sure that they aren’t upset, even if you don’t know the source of their sorrows. That’s why you did what you did, accepting Cheng Chengs present in the end when initially, you said he should give it to someone else; saying thank you to Yan Jun despite him making a somewhat big scene in class; and cheering Ming Hao up when you noticed how he didn’t look so happy.

Whilst everything was happening, what you didn’t notice, was all the glares that you had received from the girls inside and outside of your classroom. Basically anyone who could hear your conversation with Ming Hao and Yan Jun or could see what you guys did, they were damn right jealous and furious. 

.....

“Y/N, We’re all going to the recording studio. Wanna come with?” Ming Hao asked. “I’ll catch up with you guys later. I gotta get these papers to the office first.” you tell him. He insisted that he goes with you, but you insisted that he not. Because although you aren’t sure what it was, you felt that something wasn’t right. 

Right after Ming Hao left the classroom. The girls in the class surrounded you. “Come with us.” it was the girl from before, the one that poured milk all over you. You knew it wasn’t good news, but you complied and they brought you to a deserted part of the school. 

.....

“You know, I really didn’t like you ever since you came to the school.” Yi Lan, the girl that poured milk all over you, said. “Mhm.” you replied as you leaned on the wall behind you. “You think you’re so much better than all of us?! You slut!!!” Mei, her ‘minion’, yelled at you. Not a few seconds later, the girls start to attack you. Pulling on your hair, tugging on your clothes, hitting you anywhere they could reach. You didn’t just stand there of course, you defended yourself, trying not to hurt any of them still. Some of them fell down or maybe hit the wrong spot and ended up hurting themselves. 

Soon enough, they got tired and stopped coming at you, but you were on the brink of fainting because you hadn’t had anything to eat for the entire day and it’s already 3PM. They just left you there. As the coast was clear, you reached for your phone that fell out of your pocket during the situation. It was probably stepped on. The screen was badly cracked and probably not usable anymore. 

You tried standing up and walking, but once you did, you fell after three steps. First of all, you were beaten up in an unfair situation. Secondly, you had low blood sugar. You gave up after a few tries and just lied down on the ground.

.....

When you started to open your eyes, all you could see was a familiar ceiling. It was... the hospital? You slowly sit up, looking around, you saw someone next to your bed. His face was buried in his arms so you weren’t 100% sure who it was. Upon carefully looking at him, you could finally tell who it was. It was Li Nong.

You just continued to lie on the bed, not waking him up. It was really boring since you didn’t have your phone. A few minutes later, you hear the door open and a few soft footsteps.

“Y/N!!!” as soon as the eight other guys saw you, they couldn’t help but feel relieved, calling out your name a little too loudly, which resulted in Li Nong waking up. 

They bombarded you with questions like, who, how, why. 

“Can I not tell you guys?” you sigh.

“Why not???” Cheng Cheng asked.

“I don’t want to cause any more trouble. Plus, I’m capable of defending myself.” you answer.

“Says the person who’s in the hospital bed.” Zheng Ting retaliated. 

“It was like 20 people against 1??? Zi Yi couldn’t even take them out if he was there!!!” you explained. “Okay, maybe he could- Wait, did you guys call my parents?” you added.

“No, your phone was a goner so we didn’t have any of your contacts.” Xu Kun answered.

“That’s good...” you sigh in relief. “I probably look really bad right now huh...” you lightly touched your face, feeling pain in a lot of places. They stayed silent. “How did you guys find me by the way?” 

“We were waiting for you at the studio...” Zhang Jing said first.

“But an hour passed by and you never showed up. So we went back to the classroom. And we saw your stuff there but not you.” Ming Hao added.

“So we spread out to look for you.” Li Nong added.

“Zi Yi found you first and then we called for an ambulance.” Lin Kai said.

“Hm... I’m heavy aren’t I?” you looked at Zi Yi with a small smile.

“How could you still smile at a time like this???” Cheng Cheng asks, almost furious.

“... It’s not the first time...” you fiddled with the blanket that was covering your lower half. They all just stared at you. “Have I ever mentioned that I have a 3rd grade black belt in Taekwondo?” you say. 

“And you’re telling us that because?” Xu Kun asks.

“I fought a lot, in matches of course. But also outside of matches because I didn’t have a choice. It was defend yourself or get hospitalized. And the last time I had to make that choice, it resulted in getting hospitalized. My left leg and arm were both badly messed up.” you explain. 

“Why’d you have to fight?” Zhang Jing asks.

“Because I was always picked on for being rich??? But this time wasn’t the case I guess... I think they might have picked a fight with me because I was always with you guys? So maybe we shouldn’t hang ou-” before you could finish, one of them cuts in.

“Hello??? We’re not gonna stop hanging out with you over this.” Lin Kai says.

“We’re gonna teach them a lesson for even daring to hit you.” Ming Hao adds.

“Uh... I don’t think it’s a good idea to hit girls?” you chuckle. Somehow they all had the same thought at this moment, ‘How could you still act like this in this kind of situation?’ 

“I think I should be fine after tonight... But I can’t go home with all these bruises, my parents will kill the people who hurt me and then kill me too.” you were starting to think about what to do about this.

“Maybe you could stay at my place?” Zi Yi speaks up. “My parents won’t mind and we have a couple of empty rooms.” 

.....

The next day, you were discharged from the hospital and you contacted your family attendant to help you get a new phone and some clothes delivered to the hospital that you were staying at. It was okay for him to see you because you trusted that he wouldn’t tell on you. You also let your parents know that you were staying over at a friends place, noting the fact that it was a couple of friends, plus there are adults and girls. The girls part, big lie.

Later on, when you arrive at his house, you see this, huge mansion??? Okay, mansion was exaggerating, but it was bigger than your place, just a little bigger. 

“Zi Yi, I knew you were rich, but this??? This is... wow... I’m at a loss for words???” you stare at his house. He scratches the back of his head and just smiles awkwardly.

He brings you to your room and you rest for a while before heading out to the garden. “This place, really is huge...” you look at everything that was surrounding the house. “What are you doing out here?” you turn around to see Yan Jun really close to you, like ten centimeters close. Naturally you take a step back. “I wanted to get some fresh air?” Ah, yes, the others were staying at Zi Yi’s place as well because only an idiot would let a girl stay under the same room as another guy. 

After walking around and chatting for a while, you remember something. The necklace that Cheng Cheng gave you. You wanted to return to your room to look for it but you couldn’t just leave Yan Jun. 

In the end, you could only look for it at night, after dinner. 

You dug through every inch of your belongings. You looked through your stuff over and over again until you heard a knock at the door. You get up to open the door and saw Zi Yi standing there. “Did I disturb you?” he asked politely. “No. Not at all. Is something wrong?” you replied. “I think this belongs to you. “ he held up a necklace in front of you. “Oh my God, yes. Thank you so much Zi Yi!!!” you gave him a hug. You didn’t know but Xu Kun saw you hugging Zi Yi and he didn’t feel great about it.

“Did it mean a lot to you?” Zi Yi asked as he looked at you examining the necklace. “Cheng Cheng gave it to me yesterday. If I lose it now, I’d feel really bad.” you explain. “I see... It’s getting late, sleep early, even though you don’t have to go to school tomorrow.” 

“Mhm. Goodnight!” you smiled and gave him a small wave before shutting the door.

- END -

Previous | Next

College! AU Masterlist | Normal Masterlist

#idol producer #idol producer imagine #idol producer imagines #idol producer scenario #idol producer scenarios #nine percent #nine percent imagine #nine percent imagines #nine percent scenario #nine percent scenarios #nine percent college au #idol producer college au #cai xukun #wang ziyi #wang linkai #you zhangjing #lin yanjun #fan chengcheng #huang minghao #zhu zhengting #chen linong #xiao gui #justin huang #fluff #angst

[razberryyum]

Positive Things about Guardian as a series (spoilers)

So I’ve been pretty harsh about the production team behind Guardian (writers, directors, set designers, wardrobe, the crew…including the extras…basically anyone who are not Bai Yu, Zhu Yilong, the actors who played Old Chu, Little Guo and Zhu Hong, who are Jiang Ming Yang, Xin Peng and  Gao Yu Er, respectively) and about the quality of the show as a whole when it doesn’t involve our main characters/leads, and I’ve actually been feeling bad about that now that the initial sense of shock has worn off a little. As a result, I woke up this morning and decided to make a list of all things that are GOOD about the show. Now, I am still hurting about how it ended and the things that went wrong which imho could have easily NOT (f.e. the 10,000 years dirt nap), but…BUT I will try my best NOT to let that negativity seep into this. 

So here goes, in no particular order, the positive things about the show:

- the show even exists. I mean, really, God bless, especially considering where it’s made. How did that even happen?? Despite all my bitching, I still marvel (almost DAILY so far) at the fact that Guardian exists and I got to watch it cuz China could’ve easily never put it back online. 

- the existence of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. But that’s pretty much a given. Especially since my life is forever changed because of them.

- every Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan scene together. That’s a given also. I would not be surprised if the writers literally used all their meager talent and energy on constructing those moments so that’s why they didn’t have much juice left for everything else. I mean, that’s a good thing, right? Kinda.

- they got Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong to play Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. I really hope the two actors got compensated well for their performances, though somehow I doubt it, especially since, from what I understand ZYL (omg I just stupidly realized the acronym for his name is the same as Zhao Yunlan’s. Wtf that is so cute!) was still very slowly rising in the ranks. But hopefully their current popularity as a result of the show has made up for it.

- the score and songs. Bought the OST from iTunes like one or two episodes in, loved the score and themes. I even bought Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong’s duet “Time of Flight” a few times (different platforms, different devices) cuz I just wanted to contribute to them…even though…who knows if they even see a cent from it, and pretty sure my few measly dollars probably isn’t helping anything. Probably just makes me seem stupid and insane. 

- the cute episode titles. Which I wasn’t even aware of until @avenuex123 pointed it out. Adorable.

- the censorship. Ok, censorship is never good imo, but in this singular case, perhaps because there were existing restrictions on the BL subject matter, the actors therefore were willing to sign on since they knew they didn’t have to do anything explicit (or maybe they would’ve been willing, this is just my own stupid assumption because of how Chinese society is…I say that as an Asian American with many…erm…”old-fashioned” friends and family members) AND they probably saw it as challenge to find creative ways to convey the nature of the characters while working within the confines of censorship laws. Although, this might be a case of me just trying to look on the bright side.

- the easter eggs. I agree with fellow Guardian fans who have pointed out that there was some love put into the making of this show, which is clearly exemplified in the small momentos scattered throughout the series. 

- the time travel concept. Not that the delve into the past was done well because I did have problems with it, but I did really appreciate the fact that Zhao Yunlan was the one and only all along due to his being sucked up into the wormhole and spit back out 10,000 years in the past to meet Shen Wei for the first time. I thought it was a tremendously romantic idea…even if the general execution of the past left a lot to be desired. I promised that I wouldn’t be negative, but I still have to say that while love at first sight is a lovely notion, it was still a bit hard to swallow that SW would fall SOOOO head over heels with ZYL after just conversing with him for like a few hours, to the point that he would pine for him for 10,000 years (though it’s probably technically more like a few decades due to his dirt nap, but I’ll buy it felt like 10K years to him). I just wish ZYL spent more time in the past with SW, and actually @xparrot‘s fic (”Now Lie In It" on AO3) made me feel a LOT better about the whole thing since they successfully fixed the problem by awesomely separating each scene we saw into days and years. But I did like the time travel idea; it was cool, even though it’s different from the novel.

- the nature of the necklace. I really liked the candy wrapper core. Broke my heart into bits and pieces in a GOOD way. Really loved everything about it. I understand it’s different in the novel as well, but in the context of the changes done for the show, I thought that was a pretty brilliant move. 

-  the Da Qing and ZYL ownership scene in episode 35 with SW listening. Loved that scene and the multiple purposes it was serving: establishing Da Qing’s relationship with ZYL, giving voice to how SW was feeling about ZYL leaving,   inspiring SW with the necklace idea, and then of course, the censorship workaround because it was like very homo while being nohomo at the same time. 

- SW and ZYL’s wardrobe. Probably a given since the fact that I love them means I love everything about them, but, like, SW even looked good as the Black Cloak Envoy and ZYL as Kunlun and those outfits (and their hairstyles) could’ve gone wrong so easily…thank God no one thought it was a good idea to make them wear a stupid looking afro wig or feathers on their heads.

- Old Chu/Little Guo. They were adorable, my second OTP from the show, and I was seriously jealous of all the PDA they were getting away with.

- recurring characters. Even though some of their acting abilities were highly questionable, I did appreciate how certain characters introduced in the beginning of the show would pop up again later on. I’m sure a good part of that was to save on hiring more people, but I still thought it was neat. For example, I wasn’t too fond of the merit brush dude (cuz his story was dumb and draggy), but I did like how this innocuous store owner that was little more than a background character at the start eventually became one of the villains. 

-  Ye Zun. He’s so CUTE. I mean, ok, Zhu Yilong playing him helped, but just seriously, his character is so fucked up and misguided and emo and adorable that I just wanted to give him a big hug all the time. When that shitty cockatoo he calls “Boss”** started smacking him around, I wanted to reach into the screen and throttle that ugly POS. I wouldn’t even be surprised if that asshole more than physically abused Ye Zun. Anyway, I just felt bad for the little puppy. I wish we got to spend more time with him and that he got redeemed earlier so that he could enjoy some love and hugs before being led into the wormhole (or…wherever it was that his big bro was heading off with him…wait, would it be the wormhole? But they died, right? So technically it should be like the reincarnation hole?) **(btw, why “Boss”? Why not “Leader”? Are the head villains paying their henchmen to follow them? So weird that they call their leaders “boss” which would imply they’re being paid wages which I truly doubt is the case)

- Da Qing. He’s a cutie too. Really wish the kitty girl had lived so that he wouldn’t be all alone, now that ZYL is gone. I guess Tech boy Lin Jing is going to take care of him now?  

- Zhu Hong. When she wasn’t inexplicably screaming her dialogue, I did like her…but a huge part of that is probably because I remember the actress from Yanxi Palace (she was playing a small villainous role but she did a good job) and I felt sorry for her. Putting the unrequited love aside, it must also be tough seeing ZYL now and yet knowing that’s not even the same guy she loves at all. Damn, that actually must be so unsettling for everyone who knew the old ZYL. 

-  the personality swap episode (ep 25). THAT was freaking adorable. Just wish it lasted longer and that eventually it affected SW and ZYL. Although, since they already eye-fuck each other like 99% of the time, what would be different? I guess SW would be a little looser…and ZYL would be a bit more sad and pining-er? (Btw, I literally never heard of the word “microexpressions” until Zhu Yilong entered my life). Omg, an image of them switching outfits just popped into my head. Oh shit, that would’ve been FUN to see. Dammit.

That’s all I could come up with for now…I’ll probably add more as I think of more things. Please feel free to contribute if you think of positive things I’ve left out. I might not agree but I’d still love to hear them.

#Guardian #Zhen hun #镇魂 #spoilers #Shen Wei #Zhao Yunlan #WeiLan #Shen Wei x Zhao Yunlan #Ye Zun #Chu/Guo #Chu Shu Zhi #Guo Changcheng #Da Qing #Zhu Hong #coping mechanism

[pengiesama]

I Wanna Be Yours (Fic, TGCF, HC/XL, Modern AU)

Title: I Wanna Be Yours Series: Heavenly Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) Pairing: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Summary:

Xie Lian wants to make Hua Cheng's birthday a special one. Luckily, this is achievable as a simple four-step plan:

Step the first: go to his place. Step the second: take off your clothes. Step the third: you're wearing lingerie under your clothes. Step the fourth: tell the birthday boy to unwrap his present.

Link: AO3

Check out my commission info here.

Read on Tumblr!

What was he doing. What was he doing. Oh, this was so foolish. Oh, this was going so wrong already.

Xie Lian was currently undergoing a crisis in the bathroom of Hua Cheng’s apartment. He’d had crises in much worse settings, certainly – at least here there was a lovely view of the city skyline from the window, and a nice big bathtub to sit in and reflect on one’s actions. But the – setting of it all only reminded Xie Lian of why he was having this crisis.

Xie Lian again caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror, and let out a miserable groan. He retreated to the tub for some of that aforementioned reflection time.

--

 It was Hua Cheng’s birthday, and Xie Lian had been at a loss. What do you get the man who has everything, especially when you’re a man who emphatically does not? He’d asked him, of course, what he wanted, and Hua Cheng had assured him that the pleasure of Xie Lian’s company would be a precious gift to last him through the year. And Xie Lian had flushed, and Hua Cheng had smiled, and kissed his knuckles, and – satisfied that he had properly flustered Xie Lian enough for the day – had walked Xie Lian back to his apartment. And.

And.

And that had been it.

Hua Cheng was charming. He was smooth, and suave, and a complete gentleman. This much had remained the same over the years. They’d had…well, there was something there between them, when they were attending university together. Something big and mysterious and so, so tempting and so, so scary – something they’d never had the nerve to act on, back then. They’d lost touch after Xie Lian dropped out, though not through any fault of Hua Cheng’s. Xie Lian had packed a bag and walked out of the dorms without so much as a goodbye to anyone – too ashamed of everything that had led to this to give even the slightest courtesy to the few people who still gave a shit about him. It wasn’t a proud time in his life. But years later, years later, he’d found himself staring at a familiar figure at his apartment doorstep, and welcoming him in for tea.

It was a second chance that Xie Lian didn’t think he deserved. But Hua Cheng still wanted to give it to him – still felt the same about him as he did when he was a silly, lovestruck kid barely out of his teens. And oh, Xie Lian could relate, could relate to the way his skin burned when Hua Cheng offered his hand to help him out of his seat, could relate to the way his heart felt as though it would burst from his chest when Hua Cheng kissed him goodnight at his apartment door. Could relate to the way his spirits soared whenever Hua Cheng caught a glimpse of him and smiled, smiled so warm and wide no matter what they were doing. Could relate to the frustration he surely felt when they were kissing on the couch and Xie Lian’s body froze up whenever hands began to wander too far.

He wanted to give Hua Cheng more than just – handholding and forehead kisses. He himself wanted more than that. But here was the thing: he was a thirty-year-old virgin with a whole lotta baggage to unpack about intimacy. What was a lovestruck idiot such as he to do?

His first mistake was seeking the advice of Shi Qing Xuan.

“You are in the presence of a gift-giving guru,” Shi Qing Xuan assured him. “Remember what I got Ming-Xiong at our joint party last year?”

“I do,” Xie Lian said politely, hoping that Shi Qing Xuan wouldn’t force him to re-live the memories of an evening that had traumatized everyone witnessing it.

  A giant cake, being wheeled out of the kitchen. Ming Yi’s eyes going glassy and dark at the sight of it; the eyes of a shark, overcome by the smell of blood. Shi Qing Xuan, popping out of the cake in a sexy bunny-suit, only managing to sing a few notes of his birthday serenade before Ming Yi lunged in and—

And—

Overcome, overcome by the smell of blood and fondant, and the terrible sounds of screams—

  Xie Lian shivered and tried to bring himself back to the present. He’d survived that night, as most other restaurant patrons had, and that was all that mattered in the end.

Shi Qing Xuan leaned in, giving Xie Lian a too-bright, too-manic smile. Xie Lian had half a mind to excuse himself and escape out the nearest window, but found his wrists seized before he could put that plan into action.

“We’re going lin-ger-ie shoppiiiing,” Shi Qing Xuan trilled in a sing-song voice.

 --

 And that was how Xie Lian wound up in the tub, dressed in something vaguely resembling underwear.

The plan, as Shi Qing Xuan had outlined it (on pink, perfumed stationery), had been so simple on paper.

 Step one: go to your San Lang’s place.

Step two: excuse yourself to the bathroom!

Step three: take off your clothes!!

Step four: you’re secretly wearing your sexy new lingerie under your clothes!!!

Step five: strut your whole self out of that bathroom!!!! Pose also!!!!!

Step six: tell your birthday boy to unwrap his present!!!!!!

 Step one had been simple. Hua Cheng had welcomed him warmly at the door; pressing a kiss to his forehead, the tip of his nose, and finishing with a sweet, chaste kiss to his mouth. At the sight of the love in his expression, at the curve of his lips as he pulled back and rested his forehead against Xie Lian’s…Xie Lian immediately initiated step two and ran off to the bathroom, locking himself in.

Hua Cheng had immediately called after him, concerned, and Xie Lian had begged his pardon, his patience – he’d just – he’d eaten some bad yogurt, that was all, and he needed a few minutes. He’d be out soon.

Step three (which was also step four, honestly; Shi Qing Xuan got a little too excited to pay attention to numbers when plotting was afoot) was simple enough. It was easy to hide the…birthday surprise…under the oversized sweaters and shapeless thrift-store jeans that made up the majority of his wardrobe. The lingerie was gauzy, lacey; gleaming pearl-white and nearly translucent against his skin, such a contrast with the ever-present black choker around his neck. He slid his jeans off easily, and tried to adjust his garter belt the way Shi Qing Xuan had shown him, without ripping his thigh-high stockings in the process. He gave up after a few attempts, snapping one of the straps against his thigh irritably.

This was the point where he had first glimpsed himself in the mirror, and noticed that his panties – the ones that Shi Qing Xuan had spotted in the store and instantly insisted he wear – had a heart-shaped cutout in the back, framed with a big silky bow, showcasing his butt for the world to see. The lace was so thin, the fabric so sheer, that touching him here would hardly be any different than touching bare skin. This began the crisis that drove Xie Lian into the bathtub, preventing all hope of going through with step five in the foreseeable future. He would remain in this tub, in what passed as underwear by some bizarre standard, and proceed to ruin Hua Cheng’s birthday; just as he always knew he would.

Xie Lian heard whimpering at the bathroom door, and the sounds of pawing. This proved to be catalyst enough to prod him out of the tub. He bustled over to the door and bent down, peering under the gap between the door and the floor. A single, blood-red eye stared intently back at him. There came more whimpering, and then a pink, slobbery tongue questing under the door to swipe Xie Lian’s face.

“It’s alright,” Xie Lian soothed. “Good boy, E-ming. I’m fine, I’ll be out to pet you soon.”

The thought of having to wait a moment longer for Xie Lian to pet him seemed to only upset E-ming more, and the whimpering and crying redoubled in force and volume. Xie Lian moved away before that tongue got him again, and took a deep breath. He really had to come out, now – E-ming was the size of a direwolf and had the emotional neediness of a toddler, and Xie Lian doubted Hua Cheng’s bathroom door would be able to withstand much more pawing.

Xie Lian spotted a red silk robe hanging on a hook and took it down to shrug it on over his not-really-clothes. Hua Cheng probably wore this when he was fresh out of the shower. He was probably usually naked under it, considering the shower thing. Wet and naked. Xie Lian needed to stop thinking about this.

The moment he opened the door, E-ming’s long black snout poked through the crack, and he was able to project the sounds of his crying directly into Xie Lian’s face. Quite literally, considering he was a very big and tall boy. Xie Lian made comforting noises, and scooped him up, cradling his massive body in his arms as if he was a wee puppy.

“I kinda wanted to get you some like, lacy opera gloves to wear,” Shi Qing Xuan had said, squeezing Xie Lian’s bicep. “But I don’t think anything’s gonna fit over this gun show you’ve got going on.”

Xie Lian would pass on the opera gloves and keep his muscles, thank you very much. They were hard-won, and far more useful than some flimsy decorative gloves – for example, he would not be able to carry around three hundred pounds of crying dog otherwise.

“Gege? Are you alright?”

He heard Hua Cheng shifting around in the living room, and swallowed hard.

“I’m—I’m fine! Don’t come in here, just…go sit on the couch and close your eyes. Don’t peek.”

There was a pause as Hua Cheng processed the request, but he made no protest.

“Of course.”

Shy and awkward and completely unappealing as he felt, Xie Lian still didn’t want to spoil the surprise. And if Hua Cheng saw him wearing his silk robes, carrying his giant half-wolf-half-bear-half-horse-half-shadowbeast-probably-a-dog around like a baby, well…well, that would probably spoil the surprise? Maybe.

Xie Lian settled E-ming onto his dog bed, and stroked his head a few times before bidding him to stay put for a while. Exhausted from his emotions, E-ming sighed and settled his enormous head onto his front paws, and was asleep in seconds. Xie Lian patted him once more, smiling. Such a good, sweet boy. He couldn’t understand why more people didn’t see past his exterior – his exterior being an enormous black dog with blood-red eyes and a booming bark that could shatter glass, but still.

With E-ming tended to, there was to be no more dawdling. Xie Lian clutched at the breast of his borrowed robes and breathed deeply. Even if – even if Hua Cheng didn’t like this “present”, maybe they could at least have a good laugh about it, and Hua Cheng could tell him what he really wanted. Xie Lian could try to bake him a cake, maybe.

Hua Cheng’s penthouse apartment was large, but comparatively little of it was lived in. Hua Cheng scoffed at the idea of entertaining any guests other than Xie Lian (and occasionally Shi Qing Xuan and Ming Yi, when the former insisted on dropping in and the latter was bodily dragged along), and any guest receiving rooms seemed to be decorated with this disdain in mind: stylishly decorated with the most obnoxiously expensive and outrageously uncomfortable furniture, with unnerving and aggressively surreal artwork lining the walls. It seemed to serve less as a home, and more as a symbol of Hua Cheng’s self-made business empire.

When he and Xie Lian had first reconnected, the only room in the house that had any signs of life was his own bedroom – as if he’d never really felt the need to grow out of the art-student-in-a-rundown-studio-apartment mindset. It evoked a sort of warm nostalgia in Xie Lian, but still – he did feel the urge to suggest some…expansion. Hua Cheng’s art supplies and the fumes that accompanied them were moved to a proper studio room, his gaming equipment was hooked up in the living room, facing the couch, so Xie Lian could sit next to him and watch in polite confusion while he talked to Ming Yi over his headset and engaged in relentless trolling campaigns against foulmouthed players who had the same lack of maturity and emotional control that Xie Lian associated with his cousin. It already felt like a more comfortable place to live – and Hua Cheng deserved a comfortable, welcoming home.  

Shyly, Xie Lian peeked into the living room. True to his promise about waiting patiently, Hua Cheng was seated on the couch, hands folded politely in his lap. True to his promise about not peeking, he had swapped his eyepatch over to the other eye. Xie Lian felt a laugh bubble up from his chest, relieving some of his tension.

“San Lang.”

Hua Cheng tilted his head and twiddled his thumbs. “Hmm? I hear a lovely voice calling for me.”

Xie Lian stepped into the room properly.

“You—you can look now.”

Hua Cheng moved his eyepatch back over, opening his good eye just in time to see Xie Lian slide the robe off his shoulders; letting it pool on the ground around his feet.

“H-happy birthday.”

He’d never really noticed how chilly Hua Cheng kept his apartment. He supposed it was usually because he was dressed in more layers than…this. He shivered, and wrapped one arm around himself. Hua Cheng wasn’t saying anything, and Xie Lian couldn’t bear to look at him. He really should’ve just tried making a cake.

“It’s…it’s okay if you don’t like it, or if you don’t want to—”

“No! No, I…gege. This is…”

Xie Lian nearly jumped out of his skin at Hua Cheng’s exclamation, and finally looked over at him. His face was so, so red. He was staring at Xie Lian, jaw tense and lips just slightly parted. He looked – embarrassed, and eager. And like he was only seconds away from swooping in and pinning Xie Lian to the nearest wall.

It was encouragement enough to walk forward, and sit next to him on the couch. Hua Cheng’s molten gaze didn’t leave him for a moment. Xie Lian might be a thirty-year-old virgin, but he knew Hua Cheng, and he wasn’t stupid.

“…Shi Qing Xuan helped me pick it out,” Xie Lian quietly said, breaking the silence. He continued, trying to figure out a topic of conversation – what did you even talk about when you were about to…do this kind of thing? “And helped me figure out how to put it on. The stockings kept rolling down my legs, so we had to buy the rest of the…architecture…to keep them up. These garter things are a pain, so fiddly to get hooked up…”

Xie Lian snapped one of the garter straps against his thigh again to demonstrate, making an audible noise as the strap connected with his skin – pa! Hua Cheng swayed, glassy-eyed, and briefly looked like he was going to pass out on the spot. Xie Lian grabbed onto his shoulder to steady him, and they locked gazes for a long moment.

That was all it took. They both started laughing, helplessly, melting into each other’s arms for support, for warmth, for no reason at all other than that the other person was there to be held.

“So gege has been plotting with others!” Hua Cheng swooned dramatically backwards, sprawling on the couch with the back of his hand pressed to his forehead. “A plot most devious!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Xie Lian said. He’d allowed himself to be pulled along with Hua Cheng as he toppled himself over, and was laying across his chest. He wasn’t in any mood to move – this was a wonderful way to warm up from the chilly apartment. “There was no way I would’ve been able to figure this out on my own. Shi Qing Xuan buckled me in before I came over, and…”

Hua Cheng peeked his eye open. “…you came wearing that underneath your clothes?” he managed, after a moment or two. “You took the bus like that?”

“Well, yeah. It wasn’t very comfortable, but it wasn’t such a big deal. I might just go without underwear on the way home.”

Hua Cheng’s expression was unreadable. “…tomorrow morning, I’ll call a cab to get you home instead.”

Xie Lian instantly started to protest this generosity. “San Lang, there’s no need, I have a bus pass, I can just…”

The rest of the sentence died in his throat. Tomorrow morning, Hua Cheng had said. Xie Lian supposed that meant he’d just been invited to stay the night. Xie Lian supposed he knew what Hua Cheng wanted to do, tonight. Xie Lian certainly knew what he wanted to do. He squirmed, and buried his reddening face into Hua Cheng’s broad shoulder.

“Gege.”

He felt Hua Cheng’s hand on his back, felt that hand and its long elegant fingers trace down, down his spine. Xie Lian’s face only burned hotter when Hua Cheng’s fingers reached the hem of his panties, and that big ridiculous silk ribbon atop his rear end.

“There’s a bow,” Hua Cheng said aloud, high-pitched and almost hysterical. “Gege, at this rate I won’t make it until my next birthday.”

Xie Lian squirmed and reached back to grab Hua Cheng’s wrist, guiding it even lower until his fingers could brush the outline of that silly heart-shaped cutout, until the palm of his hand was properly settled on the curve of his backside. He could keenly feel the heat of his touch through the gauzy material.

“…look at me.”

Face tucked into the join of his neck and shoulder, Xie Lian felt the rumble of Hua Cheng’s request more than he heard it. Slowly, he picked himself up, and managed to look Hua Cheng in the eye. It…wasn’t as difficult as he thought. Xie Lian was nervous, of course, and unsure, and shy, and completely out of his element. But he was with Hua Cheng, and there was nothing but love and adoration and care in his expression.

Hua Cheng cupped Xie Lian’s face in his hand, and Xie Lian nuzzled into his palm without even so much as a second thought.

“You don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable.” Hua Cheng’s hand slid back into his hair, and tilted his head down just so, enough for Hua Cheng to press another kiss to his forehead, his brow, his cheek. “Do you want this?”

He wanted. He wanted, and Hua Cheng made him feel like he deserved to have it and so much more. He made him feel like he was something precious, something worth treating gently, something that belonged here, in Hua Cheng’s arms. It was a difficult sentiment to put into words.

(Though, honestly, he thought he’d made himself clear when he marched out of the bathroom in lingerie and put Hua Cheng’s hand on his butt. Maybe he wasn’t being the shy one here.)

“I do,” Xie Lian breathed, turning his face so those roaming lips properly met his own. “San Lang…San Lang!”

The squeak of Hua Cheng’s name that came out of Xie Lian’s mouth sounded almost affronted. Hua Cheng had scooped him up and clambered to his feet with him in tow without so much as a warning – they were having a Moment and they were kissing and now they were not. Xie Lian pouted at Hua Cheng, expecting an explanation for this. As always, Hua Cheng thought his pouty face was just the funniest thing, and he leaned in to press a loud, wet, smacking kiss to his cheek.

“My prince. This San Lang begs your forgiveness for his presumption. Being as I am a hopeless and completely irredeemable romantic, I wish to unwrap my present in the privacy of our bedroom.”

Xie Lian eyes went wide, and his cheeks beet red. He tucked his face against Hua Cheng’s shoulder. Hua Cheng made a low noise that reverberated and shivered its way into Xie Lian’s bones.

“Does my prince accept such a proposal? May I carry you off? Throw you onto my sheets? Put my hands and mouth all over you?”

“San Lang,” Xie Lian whined desperately. The apartment definitely wasn’t chilly anymore. His whole body felt like it was prickling to life with a thousand tiny embers. “Please. Please.”

Hua Cheng was a man who kept his promises.

Alas, a bit too well.

“San—ah!” Xie Lian gasped and clutched at Hua Cheng’s thick, silky hair. This did nothing but encourage him to keep mouthing Xie Lian’s erection through the lace of his panties. The thin fabric was damp from his tongue, and clung to Xie Lian’s skin uncomfortably. “I…oh, please…please, i-it’s your birthday, I should be…I should be…”

Hua Cheng made a savoring noise, and pressed his face more insistently into Xie Lian’s crotch. He breathed in deeply, then cracked open one eye to stare at Xie Lian; his gaze wild and blazing under the mussed fall of his bangs. It made Xie Lian want to cover his face, want to hide in the red silk sheets, want to melt away into Hua Cheng’s mouth. But it was so rude of him! So rude! It was Hua Cheng’s birthday, and he was the one – p-providing service, taking care of Xie Lian. Xie Lian should be the one with his mouth on Hua Cheng; should be the one touching him and making him feel good.

Hua Cheng’s grip was relentless on his thighs; his fingers tangled under the garter straps and under the flimsy stocking fabric. His mouth climbed higher until his lips were pressed to the line of Xie Lian’s hipbone. And oh, those were his teeth –

“Gege. So beautiful, gege. I’m—” Hua Cheng shuddered into silence, and his hips jerked against the mattress. His hands twisted in the straps and lace covering Xie Lian’s body, clutching hard enough to bruise. Xie Lian’s mind raced at the thought. “—I’m sorry. I’m sorry, you deserve more, I wanted…I wanted to—”

“San Lang.” Xie Lian stroked that lovely head of his, and waited until he looked up at him again. “Lay on your back? Against the pillows.”

Stiffly, as if he could hardly control his limbs, Hua Cheng clambered into position as requested. Xie Lian crawled to him, slowly, taking in the sight before him. Pale skin, midnight-black hair, muscles shifting under Xie Lian’s touches. He was just so lovely, his San Lang. Xie Lian reached out to trace up his long legs, bidding him to bring his knees up and apart. He’d managed to get Hua Cheng’s shirt up and off his head before Hua Cheng had dove in between his legs, but hadn’t gotten the chance to free him from his trousers quite yet. Xie Lian eyed the – rather large tent in the fabric. He thought of Hua Cheng flipping him on his stomach, yanking his panties to the side, and sliding that big thing into him. His thighs shifted against each other, seeking friction to relieve the rush of want.

Hua Cheng made a small, desperate noise when Xie Lian went for his belt and zipper, carefully and gently tugging the fabric down until he could get a good hold on his erection. It was…well, it was intimidating, sure, but it was also just so cute. Xie Lian brushed his fingers against the tip, experimentally, and Hua Cheng gasped aloud and scrabbled for purchase on the sheets. Cool on the outside, but just as cute as can be on the inside. Just like all of Hua Cheng.

Xie Lian didn’t really know exactly what to do next, but, well, he was creative, and he thought it would be rather nice to have a taste of Hua Cheng. He smiled up at Hua Cheng, stuck out his tongue at him, and before Hua Cheng could try to be a gentleman and tell him he didn’t have to, he dove in and swiped his tongue across the tip of his cock.

“Gege!”

That didn’t sound like a shout of pain, so Xie Lian figured he wasn’t doing too badly so far. He looked up at Hua Cheng, trying to carefully judge his reactions as he put his mouth more properly on his cock. Hua Cheng looked like he was – about to ascend to the heavens, about to die. About to cry, even. Xie Lian made a concerned noise, and stroked his free hand against the back of Hua Cheng’s own, where it fisted white-knuckled into the sheets. It was nice to know that he wasn’t the only one nervous, here. Xie Lian smiled up at him, lips curling around the tip of Hua Cheng’s cock—

Hua Cheng gasped, and one hand flew up to grab at Xie Lian’s hair and yank him back. Something hot and salty flooded his mouth and spilled over his lips as Hua Cheng’s cock slipped out, dribbling down his chin and onto the red sheets. Xie Lian lifted a hand to catch any further mess, only belatedly realizing that he could probably swallow instead of drooling all over himself. He gulped down the remainder of the stuff, feeling it slide thickly down his throat and into his belly. Not bad. He knew his palette was…questionable, but he didn’t hate the taste of it, not at all.

Xie Lian swiped his thumb across his chin and lower lip to try and clean himself, and was turning over the idea of licking his fingers clean before Hua Cheng lurched forward and collided into him, knocking him onto his back on the bed.

“You are going to kill me,” Hua Cheng croaked out, sounding half-dead already.

“Hmm?” Xie Lian tilted his head to the side. “Did I not manage? Should I try again?”

“Oh, please, let’s,” Hua Cheng purred in his ear. “Though I think I’d like to return the favor.”

Xie Lian had always thought his San Lang had lovely hands. Long and elegant fingers, a strong and warm grip to hold Xie Lian’s hand in turn. Those long pretty fingers proved to be talented and gentle and relentless, sliding into Xie Lian and working him open until he was ready for him, so ready, so ready, please, San Lang, put it in me, I need you.

Once he was fully seated inside him, Hua Cheng heaved a sigh that was at least partially a sob and rested his forehead against Xie Lian’s. He was such a gentleman, so kind to Xie Lian, so kind and patient, waiting until Xie Lian adjusted to that thick, hard cock of his instead of just grabbing onto his hips and fucking him inside-out.

“San Lang,” Xie Lian breathed into his ear. He squeezed down on him, and tilted his hips up, insistent. “San Lang.”

Such a gentleman, such a gentleman. He tried so hard, his sweet San Lang, to go slow, afraid of hurting him. Xie Lian kept squeezing on him, kept tugging his hair, kept crying out his praises until Hua Cheng’s patience and remaining composure finally broke. He was such a gentleman, until he wasn’t. Xie Lian found himself being nearly bent in two; his legs over Hua Cheng’s shoulders, in the perfect position for Hua Cheng to fuck him deep and hard and desperate.

His San Lang was so pretty. Xie Lian couldn’t imagine a lovelier sight than this: Hua Cheng’s furrowed brow, his eyes wild and intense and fixated directly on Xie Lian, his mouth open and wet and panting out praises, exhalations, panting Xie Lian’s name. It didn’t take long for Xie Lian to reach his own release, with the feeling of Hua Cheng’s body on his, in him. Distantly, as he was riding on the last waves of it, he felt Hua Cheng’s warmth spread inside of him, filling him up. Ah. No matter what hole he took his San Lang into, the results were so wonderfully sweet. He could get used to this.

Xie Lian cradled Hua Cheng’s head against his chest, stroking his hair and allowing him to gather his senses. After a moment or two to catch his own breath, Xie Lian turned his head to the side, frowning at the nagging sense that someone was watching.

E-ming stood at the side of the bed, waiting patiently, holding his favorite butterfly toy in his massive jaws. His tail began to wag once Xie Lian’s attention was on him, stirring up a small tornado in the room. He delicately put a paw on the bed, indicating his intent.

“E-ming,” Xie Lian said firmly. “Wait.”

E-ming began to shake and whimper, putting more weight onto his paw, pushing the issue.

“Not right now. No cuddle time. No bedtime yet.”

Hua Cheng grumbled and tried to get up. “I’ll take care of him, gege. It’s my cuddle time.”

Xie Lian cunningly distracted him with a kiss, and slipped out from under him and off the bed to escort E-ming out of the room and back to his dog bed. He heard the shower start up on the way back, and was intercepted and stripped of the lingerie that had survived the bedroom before being bustled into the shower alongside Hua Cheng to clean up.

“Was this…was this enough?”

Hua Cheng hummed happily. “The loveliest and most precious gift I have ever received. The heavens themselves could not bless me more.”

Xie Lian’s cheeks reddened, even after everything. Honestly, he’d hoped he was going to be less easy to fluster after this.

“I thought—I thought I could bake you a cake, maybe? A birthday cake.”

“That sounds delicious, gege. Did you have a recipe in mind?”

Xie Lian squirmed off the couch, straightening out the oversized shirt he was wearing that he’d borrowed from Hua Cheng to keep himself decent. “I did! You can just – you can stay in here so it’s a surprise?”

Hua Cheng smiled sweetly at him, and folded his hands on his lap like a patient schoolboy. “Of course. I can’t wait to see what gege bakes for me.”

And he had a broom closet full of fire extinguishers, just in case.

--

#天官赐福 #tgcf #heavenly official's blessing #tian guan ci fu #hualian #a tenderly crafted fanfiction

[thelonglazyworm]

[TKA Fan Radio Drama] Glory Professional Alliance Sports Meet (with translated transcript)

One of those fan radio drama from a couple of years back. It’s pretty fun~

Many of the voices actors that took part in this ended up officially in the animation for characters such as Ye Xiu, Huang Shaotian, Steam Bun, Han Wenqing. This fan radio drama is actually one of the reasons why they ended up in their respective roles. I really love the voice acting here!

Someone put up the transcript so I took liberties to loosely translate it here. Many thanks to Amsdia & Merlin for doing a quick proofread!

I was halfway into the translation when I realised that people who finished the book probably don’t need this translation. -o- People who are following the English translation of the novel probably aren’t familiar with half of the characters here. There’s also bunch of spoilers... Oh well.... You’ve been warned.

Translation:

Glory Professional Alliance Sports Meet

Chairman Feng: We are at the tail-end of summer, as the autumn wind rounds the corner. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Sports Committee and the participants, the first Glory Alliance Sports Meet opens today! (Applause) Blah blah blah…...

  Wei Chen: Damn it. Why is Old Feng so long-winded today? He was never this bad during the pro-league prize presentations.

Ye Xiu: Yeah, it’s been almost an hour. Man, I’m about to be burned to death.

Wei Chen: What the fuck are you doing?

Ye Xiu: I can barely stand. Come on, let me lean on you for a bit.

Wei Chen: Get off. Can’t you see that I’m in the same situation?

Ye Xiu: Get Cold Hands to recover your HP.

Wei Chen: Why don’t you do that!?

Fang Rui: Hey, will the two of you keep it down? Have some restraint.

Wei Chen: Fang Rui, you shameless fucker. Saying that when you’re about to fall onto Tyranny’s side yourself.

Ye Xiu: Say, Old Han, aren’t you Tyranny people feeling the heat in all that black clothing? Who’s the designer? Does he hate you?

Huang Shaotian: Hot like hell hot like hell hot like hell hot like hell hot like hell hot like hell! Captain, don’t you think that the Alliance must be brain dead from the heat? What’s with organizing such a stupid Sports Meet before the competitions? That’s totally heartless and inhuman! Don’t you agree, Captain? Don’t you agree?

Yu Wenzhou: Chairman Feng has mentioned that the body is essential to playing games. Therefore pro-players also need to train up.

Wei Chen: Haha. Do you really buy that explanation?

Yu Wenzhou: Ah. Hello Captain Wei.

Huang Shaotian: Say, Boss Wei. How could you eavesdrop on others’ conversations?

Wei Chen: Bullshit, kid. Who needs to eavesdrop when you’re that loud? Didn’t you see Old Feng glaring at you from the corner of his eyes? [Pang Guang = corner of his eyes]

Huang Shaotian: Side glance, Boss, it should be side glance. “Pang Guang” is for pissing. [Pang Guang = bladder]

Wei Chen: Piss off! I meant “pang” as in side! Are you looking for a beating?

Huang Shaotian: Hey, hey, a gentleman doesn’t raise his hands.

Wei Chen: (hitting while saying) I am so raising them! Raising and using them!

Huang Shaotian: Sidestepping, sidestepping. Haha, heh, you can’t hit me~

Cheng Guo: (speechless) Seriously, that’s enough...

Tang Rou: Frankly, it’s a pretty daunting task for people who aren’t used to working out to compete in such sweltering heat.

Ye Xiu: Sigh. Should have applied for sick leave. I’m starting to miss the keyboard and in-game world.

Lin Jingyan: God Ye is sick? What illness?

Han Wenqing: Final stage of lazy cancer.

Everyone: Pft! (laughter)

Steam Bun: What? Boss has cancer? Oh no! When did that happen?

Ye Xiu: Steam Bun, you...

Su Mucheng: Shh. Quiet, quiet. The Chairman is almost done with his speech.

Chairman Feng: … And I hereby announce, the Glory Alliance Friendly Sports Meet, starts now!

  Pan Lin: Hello everyone, I am Pan Lin, your announcer for today.

Li Yibo: And I am Li Yibo.

Pan Lin: First up is the Men’s 200m heats. Let us put our hands together to welcome our first group of competitors!

Li Yibo: They are: Wei Chen from Team Happy, Huang Shaotian from Team Blue Rain, Xiao Shiqin from Team Thunderclap, Wu Yuce from Team Void, and Li Hua from Team Misty Rain.

Wei Chen: Thank you! Thank you, everyone, for all your wishes and support towards me.

Huang Shaotian: Boss Wei, please keep your shamelessness in check. Are you sure those cheers are for you? Take a closer look. See, those are obviously banners for Blue Rain!

Blue Rain Fans: Blue Rain, Blue Rain is the best! Blue Rain, Blue Rain beats the rest!

Wei Chen: Hah. It even rhymes.

Pan Lin: Ok, everyone is prepared and ready to go. And the referee raises his gun.

(Cheers)

Pan Lin: And with a bang, Huang Shaotian is the first to head off, as expected of the best opportunist of the Alliance!

Li Yibo: Right on his heels is Wu Yuce. Ah! And Wu Yuce has overtaken Huang Shaotian! He is fast!

Pan Lin: But Huang Shaotian is not giving up. He is speeding up, and it seems… That he’s shouting something?

Huang Shaotian: Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you! Look, here’s my triple slash speed boost! AHHHH!

Li Yibo: Huang Shaotian sure is energetic...

Pan Lin: Ah, Li Hua is also close behind! And Misty Rain’s female fans are screaming their hearts out!

Li Yibo: Over at the finishing point, Dai Yanqi is waving her arms wildly, cheering for her team captain, Xiao Shiqin. Such touching team spirit!

Dai Yanqi: Good luck, Captain! All the best! Captain is the coolest! (squeals)

Pan Lin: And so, Wei Chen is the last of them! He’s quite a distance from the finishing line, it’ll be quite hard to catch up.

Li Yibo: Well, it does seem like this level of activity is somewhat taxing for the old guard.

Pan Lin: Yeah.

Wei Chen: (sounds of panting and slow steps)

Pan Lin: As Wei Chen gets slower and slower, Wu Yuce becomes the first to cross the finishing line! That’s truly rare athleticism for a professional gamer!

 (Wei Chen stops, panting)

Wei Chen: (gasping)

Ye Xiu: Say, can you still go on?

Wei Chen: Old… Old me… Is… Is just… Just...

Ye Xiu: I understand, I understand. This elderly one is proving a point~ Shall I call an ambulance for you?

Wei Chen: … Fuck off...!

 Li Yibo: Next up, the 2nd heats of Men’s 200m is about to start. In the order of their respective lanes are: Wang Jiexi of Team Tiny Herb, Zhang Jiale from Team Tyranny, Zhou Zekai from Team Samsara, Yang Cong from Team 301, and Zou Yuan from Team Hundred Blossoms.

Zhang Xinjie: You’re up, Senior Zhang Jiale.

Lin Jingyan: All the best! We believe in you.

Zhang Jiale: No sweat. 200m is nothing.

Ye Xiu: Good luck, Le Le. Aim for number 2~

Zhang Jiale: (shows the middle finger) Fuck you!

 Jiang Botao: Captain, do your best too.

Zhou Zekai: Mm!

Ye Xiu: Xiao Zhou looks like the kind who exercises regularly.

Zhou Zekai: Yes. Every day 20.

Ye Xiu: 20?

Zhou Zekai: 500m, 20 rounds.

Ye Xiu: …(awkward cough) Erm, go on quickly, the referee’s calling for you.

 Pan Lin: Great, everyone’s now in their respective lanes.

(Gunshot)

 Li Yibo: And the race starts! Zhou Zekai is staying put in the lead position and behind him are Zhang Jiale, Zou Yuan, Wang Jiexi, and Yang Cong.

Huang Shaotian: The hell? Does Zhou Zekai intend to run all the way with this speed? Good looks, great gaming skills, and this good at running? Heaven is being absurdly unfair!

Ye Xiu: Uh-huh, it’s quite unfair.

Huang Shaotian: You think so too, right?

Ye Xiu: Why are his conversation skill points all given to you?

Huang Shaotian: … You asshole!

 Pan Lin: There’s 50m left! 30m! And Zhou Zekai has started sprinting! He’s sprinting!

Li Yibo: Awesome! Zhou Zekai leads all the way and is the first to cross the finishing line! That was superb!

Pan Lin: Zhang Jiale also meets everyone’s expectations, doing a good job of taking the number 2 spot. Ah, he’s pointing his... Middle finger at me, expressing his current, erm, enthusiastic feelings...

 Ye Xiu: Take it easy, Old Sun.

Sun Zheping: Thanks.

(Ye Xiu turns, almost bumping into incoming Zhang Jiale)

Ye Xiu: Whoa! Hey, aren’t you too eager to see Old Sun? After all, Zhang Xinjie’s also in this round. You should put on your professional best to support your team, Tyranny.

Zhang Jiale: (gasping) Pah! As if you have any right to criticize me. Who’s the one that’s been going around all morning, putting a wedge among the rivals in competition?

(Zhang Jiale turns to wave at Sun Zheping)

Zhang Jiale: Do your best, Big Sun!

(A sudden burst of fangirls screaming among the spectators)

Fangirls: Zhang Jiale! Sun Zheping! One million years of Blossom and Blood! One~ Million~ Years~ [Blossom and Blood: their famous combo move]

Zhang Jiale: (shocked) What the hell… What is this!?

Ye Xiu: Just focus on watching the game...

(Zhang Jiale drinks water)

Zhang Jiale: (swallows) Sigh, I can’t tell what Sun Zheping is thinking. He usually doesn’t exercise. It’s a miracle if he even bothers to sweep the floor…. Hey, don’t spread this around. I’m screwed if he finds out I’ve been complaining behind his back.

Ye Xiu: No problem~

(Ye Xiu turns his head to shout)

Ye Xiu: Dear friends from Heavenly Sword! I’ve heard that Old Sun doesn’t even sweep his own floor! Send my heartfelt regards to your cleaning lady!

(Zhang Jiale spits out his drink)

Zhang Jiale: (coughs) Fuck, do you want to die? Don’t run!

Ye Xiu: I am off~

(Ye Xiu runs off)

Zhang Jiale: (shouts) Just you wait, Old Ye! I will get my revenge someday!

 (At Samsara)

Du Ming: This looks nice. This one’s also good. So hard to choose...

Lu Boyuan: Du Ming! What are you doing, acting so suspiciously?

Du Ming: Ah?! No...nothing in particular!

(Phone is snatched)

Du Ming: Hey! Give it back!

Lu Boyuan: Yo! Pretty lady Tang Rou huh~ Not a bad photo.

(Jiang Botao walks over)

Jiang Botao: Tang Rou?

Du Ming: Um.. Taken just… Just now during the Women’s 200m race.

(Swipes the phone)

Jiang Botao: Well, this one looks nice.

Du Ming: Thank you, Vice Captain.

Jiang Botao: What is it for?

Lu Boyuan: Need you ask? For his handphone wallpaper, of course~

Du Ming: Go away!

 Li Yibo: The morning matches have all ended. We will continue in the afternoon at 1.30pm. Have a good break, and we’ll see you again in the afternoon!

 Li Yibo: Hello everyone, good afternoon! I am Li Yibo.

Pan Lin: And I am Pan Lin.

Li Yibo: Welcome back to the live of the first ever Glory Sports Meets. You probably still can’t get enough of the exciting matches from this morning. Worry not, as there’s more to come!

Pan Lin: First up is the finals for Men’s Long Jump. In this match, we have our famed Glory Textbook, God Ye Xiu! A rare sighting indeed!

Li Yibo: That’s right! What else could be more exciting than that?

(Behind the scenes)

Ye Xiu: Say… Is it too late for me to back out...?

Chen Guo: Too late! Go, go!

Su Mucheng: Do your best~

Steam Bun: Good luck, Boss! Good luck!

(Ye Xiu is pushed out)

(Crowd cheering)

Pan Lin: Oh? Speak of the devil! Team Happy’s Captain, Ye Xiu, has just appeared on the pit.

Li Yibo: God Ye Xiu immediately strikes up a conversation with Sun Xiang who is also competing in this category.

Pan Lin: The two of them have a somewhat delicate relation in the Pro-Alliance. I can’t help but wonder what they might talk about before the match.

Li Yibo: Now that you’ve mentioned it, I’m curious too!

(Ye Xiu walks over)

Ye Xiu: Comrade Sun Xiang looks spirited. But are you prepared to admit your loss to this awesomeness in front of you?

Sun XIang: You…!

Jiang Botao: Sun Xiang, it’s your turn!

(Crowd cheering)

Sun Xiang: Hnn!

(Sun Xiang left)

Ye Xiu: Ah, that kid’s still as impulsive as ever.

(Sun Xiang aims)

Sun Xiang: Hng!

(Sun Xiang jumps)

Pan Lin: Sun Xiang’s record is a little unexpected… But to be able to jump 2.5m, it’s already not bad for a professional gamer, right? Yibo?

Li Yibo: Haha! That’s right. After Sun Xiang, we’ve now come to Ye Xiu’s turn. Fans here are pretty worked up right now! Ah, someone just threw a water bottle from Tyranny’s side.

(Cheers and Boos)

Ye Xiu: Fans are way too passionate. Oh well, with my overwhelming popularity, that can’t be helped.

(Ye Xiu walks over)

Pan Lin: God Ye Xiu is getting ready to jump! What will his result be? Let‘s keep our eyes peeled!

Ye Xiu: 1, 2, 3… Hey ho!

(Ye Xiu jumps and lands)

(Crowd boos)

Pan Lin: (awkward).....Erm… Ah…. This is a friendly match after all, nobody is a professional athlete. 1.9m is already quite good...

Li Yibo: Yes, yes… Ye Xiu is probably much better performing in Glory. Erm…. Moving on to the next match!

  (Behind the scenes of Team Happy)

Wei Chen: My back is about to break!

Ye Xiu: Don’t say anymore. I have a headache – it’s as if I’ve listened Huang Shaotian perform a crosstalk…. For that team captain friendly something-or-other match later, can I pretend I’m dead?

(Chen Guo jumps up and slaps Ye Xiu’s back)

Chen Guo: Of course not!

Ye Xiu: Oooh ouch ouch pain pain pain!

Chen Guo: Other teams have gotten quite a few champions! We have nothing except for Steam Bun’s win at discus throwing!

Ye Xiu: Sis, it’s just a friendly match…. Surely you don’t have to be so serious?

Chen Guo: Even if it’s a friendly match!

Wei Chen: Girl, you’re getting desperate...

Chen Guo: Shut up!

 Pan Lin: Everyone! We are now at the most exciting part of the day! The final match of this Sports Meet, the Three-Legged 200m Run!

Li Yibo: This is a friendly match where all the team captains participate together in groups of two. Each group is decided by random draw. Isn’t it exciting? Aren’t you looking forward to it?

(Crowd cheers and screams)

Li Yibo: Let us take a look at the final outcome of the draw.

Pan Lin: Okay.

Li Yibo: Blue Rain’s Yu Wenzhou with Samsara’s Zhou Zekai; Void’s Li Xuan with Hundred Blossom’s Yu Feng.

Pan Lin: Tiny Herb’s Wang Jiexi and Excellent Era’s Qiu Fei….. Oh? Who’d have thought, who’d have thought!? Team Happy’s Ye Xiu and Tyranny drew the same lot! Hahahahaha! This must be destiny!

(behind the scenes)

Ye Xiu: Are they trying to make a joke out of me?

Fang Rui: My, my! What a rare matchup! O’ Great Ye Xiu is lucky today!

Tang Rou: Do your best, I favour you two.

Wei Chen: (claps Ye Xiu’s shoulder) I truly admire the close relationship you two share.

Qiao Yifan: Captain, be careful not to trip.

An Wenyi: Captain, you… are really my idol.

Luo Ji: Captain, we’ll all be cheering for you!

Su Mucheng: I needn’t say anything. You know~

Mo Fan: Er… Good luck.

Chen Guo: (claps Ye Xiu’s shoulder) Get a hold of yourself! See, even Mo Fan is cheering for you. Do a good job and don’t tarnish Happy’s reputation!

Ye Xiu: You all definitely planned this together...

(Tyranny’s F4 comes over)

Zhang Jiale: Hahahaha! Serves you right! Karma’s a bitch!

Zhang Xinjie: (serious) All the best. I believe in the unspoken understanding between Captain and Senior Ye Xiu.

Lin Jingyan: (gleefully fanning fires) Haha! Me too!

(elbows Han Wenqing)

Ye Xiu: Wipe off that suffering look, Old Han. Do you think I’m happy? This is the fault of the ballot...

Han Wenqing: Don’t drag me down.

Ye Xiu: Che. That’s my line. Don’t you dare trip in the middle of it. Many pairs of eyes will be staring hard at you.

Han Wenqing: Same to you.

Steam Bun: Boss, you can definitely do it!

Fang Rui: Good luck, good luck~

Steam Bun: Good luck, Boss!

(Crowd cheers)

Tyranny Fans: Tyranny! All the best! Tyranny! All the best!

Happy Fans: Go Happy, go! Go Happy, go!

Su Mucheng: What’s there to fight about when those two are already tied together… Do the fans still want them to fight each other while tied up?

Wei Chen: Must be a sin...

Huang Shaotian: Captain good luck good luck good luck! Zhou Zekai, don’t you dare drag our Captain down!

Sun Xiang: For all you know, it’s the other way round.

Huang Shaotian: What about it? You looking for a fight? Tonight 8pm PK in the arena! Whoever doesn’t turn up is a scaredy cat!

Sun Xiang: Fine! What’s there to be afraid of?

 Ye Xiu: It’s real lively, huh.  Say, Old Han, let’s start with the tied legs first. Look at Xiao Shiqin and Yunxiu discussing, (leans over to whisper) I’ve heard all their tactics.

Han Wenqing: So did I.

Ye Xiu: Bravo, Old Han. Never knew that your heart’s pretty black too.

Han Wenqing: Hn, not as black as yours.

Ye Xiu: Hah.

 Li Yibo: All the groups have been announced and the team captain’s legs are all tied together. Everyone’s ready to go.

Pan Lin: I’m sure all the fans with us are as excited as we are. Let’s cut the chatter. An amazing race is about to start!

Ye Xiu: (whisper) It’s this leg.

Han Wenqing: Shut up.

(Gunshot, Crowd cheers)

Fans: Go! Go!

Pan Lin: This three-legged match demands synchronisation from both partners. And as everyone knows, all the captains are opponents.

Li Yibo: That’s right. Will they be able to overcome their enmity in such a short time and become friends?

Yu Feng: (impatient) Li Xuan, is the rope a little loose? Why do I feel like my legs are getting lighter?

Li Xuan: (panting) That’s because my leg isn’t even reaching the ground okay!?

Qui Fei: (cautiously polite) Senior Wang Jiexi, aren’t we being… a bit too cautious? We have only moved four steps...

Yu Wenzhou: Wait a moment, Cap’n Zhou, hold on! You’re going too fast, I can barely keep up… Ah… now it seems too slow...

Chu Yunxiu: (testily) Darn you, Xiao Shiqin, run slower! Mind the pace, the pace! Counting 1, 2… That’s not 1! 1 is the right leg! Right! You are using your left!

Xiao Shiqin: Sis, my left leg is your right leg!

(Fans cheering)

Li Yibo: Looks like this particular competition is of some difficulty for these long-time rivals.

Pan Lin: But the most unbelievable thing is Ye Xiu and Han Wenqing, who are in the lead right now! And they’re ahead of the current number 2, Yu Feng and Li Xuan, by almost 50m!

Li Yibo: That’s right! Speaking of which, they’re both nearing the finishing line!

Li Yibo: Go for it!

Pan Lin: They’ve passed it! That’s simply incredible! The number 1s are actually Tyranny’s Han Wenqing and Happy’s Ye Xiu, who’ve been bitter rivals for 10 years! Have they just proven that “your enemy knows you best”? This is crazy! The fans of Tyranny and Happy are also ecstatic! They’re waving the team flags enthusiastically!

Tyranny fans: Tyranny! Champion! Tyranny! Champion!

Happy fans: Happy! Champion! Happy! Champion!

(Ye Xiu bends to untie the rope)

Ye Xiu: Damn it....

Han Wenqing: (impatient) What’s taking you so long?

Ye Xiu: Fuck… Who was the one who tied the rope on us!? It’s a dead knot!

 Chairman Feng: To all the participants, referees, and people involved in this event. After a long day of intense matches, we’ve come to the end of the first ever Glory Alliance Sports Meet. Each exciting moment shall be a part of our memorable journey with Glory. Regardless of winning or losing, glory is forever in our hearts. Among all the blessings we’ve received, to be able to stand here together is our greatest blessing….

(below the stage, everyone is whispering/chatting)

Su Mucheng: Hahaha~

Cheng Guo: What’s so funny, Mu Mu?

Su Mucheng: Guo Guo, see this. Pictures of Old Ye and Old Han tied together are being spread all over Weibo by fans.

Tang Rou: That looks like the Alliance’s Weibo interaction with the fans, doesn’t it?

Fang Rui: Let me see! Let me see! Oh~ The photo’s pretty good.

Wei Chen: Hey, hey, this angle is a bit too….

Steam Bun: Woah, it’s trending like crazy! Boss, you’re a super hot topic~

Huang Shaotian: What is it? What is it? I want to see too, I want to see! Let me see! Damn it, Su Mucheng! Don’t you switch it off! Hey!

(ruckus)

Ye Xiu: Eh, Old Han. Maybe we should take a selfie of ourselves and post it up.

Han Wenqing: (black face) Go away!

Chairman Feng: …..and friends, thank you everyone for your eager participation in the Glory Alliance Sports Meet. Next year we shall continue to do our best!

  Huang Shaotian: Geez! It’s finally over~ Seriously, the Alliance organising such a stupid sports event. Pah! Zhou Zekai you bugger! Getting three golds for Men’s 200m, 1000m and high jump alone! Where’s the fairness in that? And that Wu Yuce, so what if he has long legs? What’s so great about that? And that Yu Feng! And that, that Bao something! I protest! The Alliance should seriously consider banning these buggy people from competing! Oh~ Right, right~ Old Ye and Old Han’s photo broke a million views! That’s definitely a headline for the next Gaming Weekly Magazine! It totally proves that what goes around comes around~ Heaven has eyes and you can’t hide~ Hahahahahaha!!!

 Ye Xiu: What is Shaotian muttering to himself over there?

Han Wenqing: His skin itches [for a good thrashing.]

 [END]

P.s, If you liked this, do check out another fan radio drama, 全职高手之全员闹微博配音剧 (TKA: Chaos on Weibo). Because that’s another awesome production!

And if you need a translated transcript for that (shameless plugging =P):

https://thelonglazyworm.tumblr.com/post/162012493344/

#the king's avatar #quan zhi gao shou #全职高手 #全職高手 #qzgs #fan radio drama #translation

[korrasamitrouble]

Kyalin AU Stories.

I have two in mind. One being a Black Lagoon AU and the other being a Logan AU. Hear me out.

Black Lagoon AU.

If I was to go with the Black Lagoon AU.

Lin would be a United Forces Navy Captain who is captured by Animal Rustlers (Ganbat) who tried to take Queen Hou-Ting’s Bear cubs from their ship. She basically sacrifices herself to make sure her crew gets away safely only to put herself in danger. Instead of killing her Ganbat and his crew try to use her for ransom. At this point Lin is tied up trying to escape when their ship is intercepted by Kya’s crew. Kya gets her revenge on Ganbat and steal what he has only to find Lin.

Basically down the road of this story, Kya takes Lin back to this island of crime (still thinking of a name for it) so she can get in contact with the United Forces so she can get back home. Kya tells Lin of a former military connection on the island that might help her (which is Kuvira) but it would come at a price. Lin is reluctant but wants off the island so she agrees to do a job with Kya and her crew to get back home.

There will be a lot of lok characters on here who I haven’t really gotten a chance to write for. Such as Tahno who is a bounty hunter. Ming-Hua who tries to kill Kya every chance she gets. Kuvira who is at war with Varrick on the island (Earth vs Water) and a few OC’s I haven’t gotten a chance to use. Also Suvira is in this so I’m excited for it!

This story won’t get out of my head and if I ever get around to watching Black Lagoon again I will probably write a Kyalin version. Also not sure if I should make this a bending or non bending story. *Note: Lin is nothing like Rocky.

Logan AU.

Now if I go with the Logan AU. *Spoilers for those who haven’t seen it.

I would have Lin trying to protect a child (still debating if its OC or Korra as a kid) and bring them to a safe haven with Kya’s help of course. She’s the one who brought the child to her. Lin objects until those after the child make it her business.

It will not be exactly like the movie Logan just the plot. I will still make it my own and in the Avatar universe. Also tempted to add Toph but it would be a very uncomfortable trip for all (which makes me want to add her more).

This story would most likely have bending in it. I’m just not sure if I should have an OC child related to Lin or Korra herself. And if I go with the OC it will be a boy.

I really wanna write for Kyalin since they’re my second favorite ship in the Lok universe. I only had them in the background for a few of my current stories but I want them front and center in these.

Not sure when I’ll ever get a chance to write these but when I do its going to be fun. - KT.

#Kyalin #Kya II #Lin Beifong #My Fics #AU Ideas #Future Stories #Korrasami Trouble #KT: Blue Lagoon

[heroineimages]

Jedi AU, part 3

Here’s part 3 of the Korra Jedi AU I’ve been tinkering with. No major character deaths this time. Just Korra recovering from her injuries and getting a new arm and leg out of it. I also establish a little more backstory here. Also, I made Sokka a Jedi. Feedback is always welcome. (Part 1, Part 2)

Korra felt the rock strike her hand again, breaking bones and sending the lightsaber flying from her grip. Zaheer hurled another barrage of rocks and debris into her chest and face faster than her poisoned legs could dodge, throwing her backward to the rocky ground. Unable to focus to get her saber back, she watched helplessly yet again as Zaheer pulled her weapon to himself and sliced it in half with his dual-saber.

The lightsaber had belonged to Tenzin’s uncle, a great Jedi Master named Sokka. Losing the weapon still made Korra ache inside when she thought of it.

The dream continued, as it always did, with Korra feeling Zaheer slam her against yet another boulder while the poison continued to ravage her body. Ribs and a shoulder fractured at the impact, and Korra could feel the ache once again as her body reacted to the memory.

As before, she felt the terror and helplessness as Zaheer used the Force to lift her broken body by the neck, holding her several feet off the ground. Again, she felt the iron grip of those unseen fingers, crushing the life from her throat. She remembered preparing for the end to come.

But a new presence intervened—a presence darker than Zaheer and all of his Red Lotus combined.

Horrifying mechanical breathing filled the darkened canyon, and the sound of another lightsaber ignited from somewhere behind Korra, adding a red glow to the blue from Zaheer’s saber. She saw Zaheer’s face turn pale as he dropped her to the dirt in a heap. Barely conscious, Korra watched again as her attacker backed away in panic. The last thing she recalled before blacking out was a massive, black presence striding past her as Zaheer continued to back away.

Whether in this nightmare from her past or in visions of possible futures, that black presence now haunted her dreams almost nightly. Korra felt her breathing calm as the darkness subsided. Alerted to the presence of the Red Lotus and its anarchist Dark Jedi—Zaheer, Ming Hua, Ghazan, and P’Li—Darth Vader and the 501st Legion arrived to deal with the threat.

According to Suyin, none of the Red Lotus on planet survived Vader’s visit.

How Korra was alive, no one knew. Lin and Jinora found her and got her to safety while the Imperials were busy wiping out the Lotus. Days later, some of Su’s scouts discovered Zaheer’s saberstaff while investigating the battle site. They gave it to Su, who gave it to Tenzin, who gave it to Korra as a replacement for the saber she’d lost.

But three years after her defeat, it was that dark shadow, not Zaheer, that continued to haunt Korra’s nightmares. Though he’d poisoned, broken, tortured, and brutalized her for hours, Zaheer was somehow less terrifying than the dark presence that she’d only seen for a moment before passing out.

Korra’s mouth felt dry as she began to wake up. She found herself baffled at the fact that she was waking up at all. Her last memories were of battling the Empire. She’d been burned by a Flametrooper and took at least one clip from a blaster bolt, but continued to fight on. She’d resigned herself to dying at the Imperials’ hands to defend those she cared about, rather than risk meeting Vader again.

And now she was waking up.

Korra opened her eyes, then gasped and closed them again against the light. Why did people insist on keeping her in bright rooms every time she awoke from unconsciousness?

“Korra?” a familiar and welcome voice asked to her right.

“Hey, Jinora,” she rasped, opening her eyes slowly this time and trying to focus on her young friend.

She felt Jinora take her right hand. Her left hand and arm felt… wrong somehow… heavy…

“I am really, really glad you’re alive,” Jinora murmured, clutching Korra’s hand. “We weren’t sure you’d make it.”

“I was pretty sure I wouldn’t,” Korra admitted, her eyes finally focusing. She could see the tears in Jinora’s eyes as she pressed her cheek against Korra’s hand.

“I don’t think I could have handled losing you and Dad in the same day,” Jinora said, squeezing Korra’s hand again before laying it back on the bed.

“I am so sorry about—” she cut off as she started to reach her left hand across to comfort Jinora. Her left hand that was now made from metal and wires and tiny hydraulics…

In her peripheral vision she noticed Jinora bite her lower lip apprehensively, but Korra’s attention was focused on the metal appendage attached to her left shoulder.

“Huh,” was all she said, flexing the cybernetic digits. “So that’s why my arm felt weird.”

“Yeah, they had to replace your left arm, and Aunt Kya says they’ll replace your left leg once the prosthetics arrive tomorrow,” Jinora explained.

“Neat!” Korra laughed, moving the arm back and forth. “Who’s ‘Aunt Kya’?” she asked, watching the servos move in her elbow.

“That would be me,” a new voice said from the door. Korra looked up to see a handsome, middle-aged woman with greying hair standing in the doorway. She wore blue and white medic’s robes and a rank insignia that Korra couldn’t identify. “Welcome to the Alliance medical frigate, Redemption, Jedi Korra,” she continued, stepping into the room and sitting on the bed next to Korra’s. “How’s the arm working out so far? We’ve got ways to cover it if you’d prefer. Some of them almost look as convincing as the original.”

“It’s great,” Korra smiled as she repeatedly picked up and dropped the edge of her blanket. “Can we cover it in plastoid armor? Maybe even paint some old pieces of Stormtrooper armor dark blue with a light blue stripe down the center and attach them to the prosthetics.”

“I’ll see what we can do,” Kya promised, chuckling. “We’ll get the leg attached as soon as it arrives, then give you a couple weeks to recover and learn how to use and maintain the cybernetics.”

“Sounds perfect,” Korra assured her. “So, Aunt Kya, huh?” she inquired next, resting her chin on her metal palm, just for the novelty of being able to do so.

“Yeah, it turns out Jinora’s dad is my long-lost brother, Tenzin,” Kya laughed, leaning back. “I was about four or five years old when the Jedi Temple took him away for training, like they did my Mom’s brother, Sokka, when he was a kid. Uncle Sokka I actually met a few times, but my little brother I never saw again.”

“Aunt Kya and I got to comparing notes while you were recovering and figured out that we’re related,” Jinora added, finally smiling. “Her older brother, Bumi, actually led the transports that came to evacuate Su’s people after the battle a week ago. Weird coincidence, huh?”

“You know what your dad would say about coincidences,” Korra chided, smirking. “But, yeah, the Force works in weird ways, sometimes. More than one Jedi philosopher has theorized that it even has a sense of irony.”

“That makes a weird kind of sense,” Jinora agreed. “I remember Dad talking about that.”

“Anyway, I figured you were hungry, so I’ve got food coming up from the galley already,” Kya informed her. “Other than that, it’s probably best if you rest up for now.”

“I doubt I can go very far,” Korra laughed it off.

“I’ve got other wounded to check up on, and we had to evacuate a listening post a few hours ago, so I’m expecting even more here really soon,” Kya apologized, standing. “But I’ll try to find time to check back on you later.”

“Sounds good, and thanks,” Korra assured her.

Kya winked and left.

Korra was sipping tea and working her way around these dry Alliance rations when a familiar boisterous voice sounded from the doorway.

“Korra!” Bolin laughed, rushing in to hug her. “You’re okay! Oops, right, mind the arm, sorry…” he trailed off, eyeing her new arm.

“I’m glad to see you’re alright,” Opal added, entering just behind Bolin. “You looked really bad when they brought you in.”

“I’ve had worse,” Korra assured them as Opal leaned over to hug her.

“Yeah, sure you have,” Mako chuckled from the doorway. Behind him followed an attractive young woman with long, wavy dark hair. The woman wore a baggy, crimson flight uniform, but somehow managed to look shapely and elegant in it.

Mako and Bolin both wore drab-grey Alliance infantry uniforms, while Opal wore a charcoal infiltrator jumpsuit with clips at the shoulders and waist to attach light combat armor. Hugging Mako in turn, Korra was fairly impressed with how professional and military her friends looked.

“No, actually, she’s had worse injuries. Like, a lot worse,” Jinora confirmed for Korra.

“Jeeze, when was that?” Bolin asked. “Oh, this is Asami, by the way,” he added, introducing the pilot.

The elegant woman with the wonderful light-green eyes smiled graciously and extended a gloved hand. “Lovely to meet you,” Asami assured her. “I’ve never met a Jedi before; it’s a pleasure to finally meet one.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Korra smiled, raising Asami’s hand to smooch a gloved knuckle. Asami looked surprised but not unflattered by the gesture.

“But to answer your question, Bolin,” Korra went on, releasing Asami’s hand. “Did you hear anything about that Red Lotus group that infiltrated Imperial City back home three years ago?”

“Um, yeah, some kind of anarchist group, right?” Bolin answered, searching his memory.

“And several of the higher-ranking members were exiled Jedi, according to some reports,” Asami added, sitting by Jinora.

“I remember hearing from Su that you got hurt during that, but she never said how bad,” Mako frowned.

Korra nodded, suppressing a grimace at the memory. “Tenzin, Lin, and I were among the first to respond. I got captured during the Lotus’s evacuation from the city. They poisoned me before I could escape, and I ended up fighting two of their leaders. I took out Ghazan, but that maniac Zaheer broke half the bones in my body and was about to crush my neck when–when—” she cut off with a shudder, gasping and struggling to control her breathing as Vader’s shadow loomed across her memories once again.

“Maybe we should talk about something else,” Jinora suggested carefully.

Korra just nodded, closing her eyes and leaning back. She focused on clearing her mind to slow her breathing. As her breathing calmed, so did her heartbeat.

“Um, okay, so I have a question,” Bolin offered, sitting on a nearby bed next to Opal. “So back when we were playing Shockball, back in Zaofu and Imperial City, were we technically cheating by having a Jedi on our team?”

Korra chuckled and opened one eye. “Yep,” she answered, grinning. She could almost hear Mako roll his eyes as the others laughed. Asami had a particularly pleasant laugh that Korra made a goal of trying to hear more often in the future.

#my writing #my stories #The Legend of Korra #Avatar Korra #Jinora #Mako #Asami Sato #Bolin #Kya #Zaheer #Jedi AU #Korra AUs

[margotgentrywrites]

third and fourth chances 1

Ai Xue has put her dreams on hold for her family’s sake. She doesn’t believe she’ll ever be able to live life the way she wants to and relieves the doldrums of the everyday with escapist dramas. When a vision from her fantasies steps into her life, will she discover that living to escape isn’t living at all and finally confront her family and reality? Or will she choose to continue living a lie for the sake of peace?

Yu Hai has lived with a secret for over fifteen years. The mask that he wears in public, as the CEO of the successful technology company Heaven’s Gate, has become a part of his everyday life. But when Ai Xue becomes an intern at his company, his steady, boring, well managed life is suddenly in danger of being turned upside down. Will he realize that he can’t and shouldn’t fight his emotions? Or will he continue to deny himself the normalcy he has always craved?

To start with, he had long, straight black hair, always slicked back in a half ponytail or braid. Instead of being a distraction it added an air of elegance and power to his appearance, something his subordinates often tried to cultivate, but failed at miserably. 

To say he was a fashion icon was a bit of an overstatement, though - his suits, while of fine material and tailor-made, were not eye-catching. His shoes, though designer Italian and all leather, were a timeless, modest style. Not to mention he was hardly personable - aloof was putting it nicely.

His appearance was, over-all, nondescript, and his personality was definitely not the ‘inner beauty’ type.

Except that hair.

God, ever since she’d come to work for this company, she’d had fantasies about that hair. She could still remember her first time seeing him, the day she’d interviewed for the internship: he’d walked into the building and across the lobby with just two other men by his side, flipping through a folder - looking completely bored and unimportant. She never even would’ve looked twice at him, except at that moment he’d turned his back as he and his companions waited for an elevator, and his hair had swished about his shoulders neatly, then come back to rest against his back in a glossy, graceful, black waterfall.

She was captivated. What she’d thought at first was just longish, slicked-back hair was actually a mane. Like he was the damn emperor in a drama. It was the hottest thing she’d ever seen, and she’d done a semester abroad in California. Unconsciously, she’d pressed her thighs together as she watched the man turn his head to speak to one of the men. His nose was straight, his profile strong. The hair suited him so well...

Without another thought, and without taking her eyes off the man, Ai Xue had leaned over to the girl next to her. “Who,” she’d whispered hotly, “is he?”

The girl next to her, faceless, nameless, had looked from the man to Xue and back again. “That’s the CEO here. Yu Hai. Don’t you know anything?” Then she’d gone back to her own business. 

Ai Xue didn’t know anything, apparently. She’d just agreed to come apply for the internship at Heaven’s Gate to get her father off her back about not caring about her future, or having enough ambition, blah blah blah.

Well, that had all changed in a moment. She was going to give the interview of a lifetime and absolutely slay the competition. The world would soon see what Ai Xue was made of - he would soon see. After all, if he was an emperor, surely he needed an empress.

Of course, it would be easier said than done. As she’d watched the elevator doors gradually open and Yu Hai and his companions board, she’d vowed to herself to finally make her father proud. He’d never be able to complain about her lack of ambition or obsession with dramas ever again. She would make CEO Yu Hai and all his subordinates look to her for answers, to need her so desperately that Heaven’s Gate could never survive without her. 

She would help this company and that man surpass them all.

She would make him look at her, not just pass her by.

And as the group of men turned around in the elevator, as the doors began to close, she could almost have sworn he did.

___________________________________

Heaven’s Gate was a company that specialized in technology research and development, then brought in contractor groups to produce the systems they created. It was a complex business that relied on its various departments getting along and working together for a common goal. It was a large enough company that it was able to hire two interns to each department, and sometimes took on assistants for the chief administrative and operating offices as well. Over all of it, CEO Yu Hai led the charge in development, providing the ideas and the impetus for the company to continue producing innovative technology and systems.

Perhaps because of this, he was more demanding than anyone would ever guess from a first glance at him. He worked closely with his COO, Yun Qing Li, to ensure the employees did their jobs well, that the compensations were adequate in the case of overtime - and there was always overtime - and that no one ever, ever left Heaven’s Gate for another company. Get a job working for Yu Hai and you were employed for life. The cost was only your unwavering loyalty in the face of an ever shifting economy and market, and an unchallenged belief that Yu Hai was the genius your superiors told you he was. It didn’t matter that the man rarely smiled, rarely spoke to his underlings directly, and was basically sequestered in the ivory tower top floor of the Heaven’s Gate building. Believe in the company and it would believe in you...and believing in the company meant believing in its CEO.

Now, in the intervening weeks since her interview and then the offer of the internship, Xue found herself coming to work early and leaving late nearly six days a week. She ran messages for the department she’d been assigned to, answered phone calls, and made coffee. It wasn’t glamorous, or challenging. In fact, she thought being a delivery driver for her uncle’s restaurant had probably been more difficult. The job was turning out to be just as tedious as every other job she’d had in this industry...but she wasn’t bored of it yet, a fact over which her father and cousin took every opportunity to tease her. Well, her cousin teased her. Her father just alternated between fawning over her newfound ambition and scratching his head, utterly bewildered. Maybe, underneath it all, what was motivating her was the pressure to be the best for the best, but really, Xue thought it was more likely the hair still holding sway over her better judgment.

Finally free after another long day on the job, she’d gone straight home, hoping to relax some before going to bed and waking up to do it all over again.

“I’m home!” she called softly into the darkened front hallway, carefully taking off her shoes in order to put on the house slippers. 

From deeper inside the apartment, she could hear a cheerful voice calling, “Xue is back!” followed by a “Finally. Tell her to make dinner!”

“You all are heartless,” she groused as her cousin, Lin Wei, appeared in the hallway. Wei laughed and took her bag as she tossed it aside.

“Your father has been begging you to cook for him all week.”

“So? Tell him to ask Uncle for leftovers.”

A new voice added itself to the discussion. Quiet, but distinctly masculine. 

“Sorry, Xue. I offered to make it in your place -”

“Feng Li.” Xue smiled up at him as she finished fitting the slippers on her feet. “It’s okay. You do this all day for a living. I don’t mind.”

“That’s right. Besides, you’re so good at it,” Wei interrupted, shooing Xue along the hallway until they got to the kitchen. She turned and stuck her tongue out at Feng Li as they passed him and he just gave a small smile in response, crossing his arms and leaning in the doorway. Xue rolled her eyes at him and his smile broadened. 

Xue began bustling about the space, pulling out this pan and that one, along with some basic ingredients. Taking a particular spice down from the spice rack, she frowned at the jar. 

“What’s wrong?” Feng Li asked quickly. 

“Just...I didn’t realize we were almost out of the curry powder.” She shrugged and went to set the jar back in the cupboard. Before it even reached the rack, Feng Li had plucked it from her fingers and was regarding it seriously. He looked back at her. 

“I’ll get more for you.”

Wei was quick to weigh in. “Great idea. I’ll go with you,” she said. Xue looked at them askance.

“It’s not a big deal. I can make something else.”

“No, no, you can’t,” Wei replied. “Your dad loves your curry. Come on, Feng Li.”

Then Wei was pushing Feng Li out the door without even a goodbye, chattering the whole way. Xue gave a quiet laugh to herself, shaking her head at the couple’s antics, and turned back to the counter. Her slim fingers held freshly washed vegetable firmly and she deftly wielded her knife, chopping the onion, julienning the carrot and radish. It was all second nature to her and she allowed her mind to wander as her hands went through the familiar, relaxing motions. 

Zhang Feng Li was the sous chef for her uncle, Lin Ming. She’d known of him for a long time, and had known him as a friend for a couple of years. He was quiet, hard working, and always happy to lend a hand in the kitchen, or show her how to do something she hadn’t yet mastered. She liked him as a chef and as a person, but she wondered more what her cousin thought of him. In the last few years that he’d grown closer to the family it was obvious that her Uncle Ming wanted Wei to consider Feng Li as more than a friend. 

As she considered her cousin’s romantic predicament, Xue couldn’t help picturing her own predicament. It had been two months since she’d started her internship and she didn’t feel she was any closer to her initial goal of landing a full time, permanent placement at the company. CEO Yu Hai still haunted her daydreams like the proud young dragon she fancied he was, and he still had no clue she existed, except as a peon who occasionally washed his coffee cup. She was afraid to even think it, but it might be time to admit she was stuck. And being stuck usually led to boredom, which led to eventually quitting, then bouncing around from one part-time gig to another until her father hassled her into applying for another tech industry job. It was a cycle she’d been in for years, ever since she’d graduated, and she was getting older, getting tired, and had nothing to show for all the hard work she’d put into her degrees. Of course, if her father had let her just go to culinary school like she’d originally wanted to, she wouldn’t be in this mess at all. Just because a person was good at something - like she was with business and technology - didn’t mean it was what they were supposed to be doing in life. 

She’d always had a dream, hadn’t she, of becoming a chef - not even a big-time one, just a small street cafe would be adequate - and spending her days cooking for people the way her mother had, showing them love and the possibilities of life through her food. Then, at night, snuggling under a blanket with a glass of wine in hand, satisfied with a hard day’s work, ready to dream with her favorite drama or even just stargaze… Instead, here she was in another dead-end job, with a hopeless crush, and nothing to show for it except her father’s pride. Well, he could be proud all he wanted, but the truth was that his daughter was an aimless, foolish woman...

“You’re deep in thought.”

Her father’s voice interrupted her thoughts, breaking the circles she was mentally running around herself, and she cast a grateful, tired smile in his direction.

“Dad. Look, I’m making dinner.”

“I see that! Finally, you’re meeting your filial duty.”

Xue laughed, her strange mood easily lifted by her father’s humor, and pushed the vegetables to one side of the cutting board. Then she lifted the wok that was heating up and swirled the oil around in it. 

“Maybe,” she admitted. “But only if I can turn this internship into a full time job.”

Ai Liang Bo moved further into the kitchen to watch his daughter work. He dismissed her concern quickly. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about that! You’re brilliant! How could they let you go?” 

Xue set the wok back down and turned to face her father. “I’m one of dozens of brilliant, new workers - and I’m older than the average intern.” She shrugged. “It’s my own fault if I don’t get it.” She hesitated and then went on, her voice much quieter, “I just want to make you proud.”

“Xue. My girl. Don’t think like that. Don’t even say it. You work so hard. If your mother -” he stopped short and then sighed. He moved toward her and Xue allowed him to pull her into a warm embrace. 

“Your mother and I are both so proud of you already. So you’ve had a few extra years to find yourself. Who hasn’t?” He laughed some. “You should have seen me before I met your mother. I swear, your grandmother despaired of me.” He shook his head some, lost in a memory. “But my point is, you’ve finally settled down and are ready to really work. All you have to do is ask and destiny will open the door of Heaven for you now.”

“Maybe,” Xue repeated, but she returned her father’s embrace gratefully before pulling away to continue cooking. The vegetables she’d chopped up earlier hit the pan with a sizzle and the cheerful sound managed to dispel at least some of her anxiety.

Heaven’s door might open for me, Xue couldn’t help thinking to herself, but will Heaven’s Gate?

Later that night, long after the dinner dishes had been cleared away and most of the household was in bed, Xue sat up by herself with only the glow of the television to keep her company. She sat curled in a ball on the couch, knees drawn tight to her chest, arms wrapped around her blanket-covered legs, and tears streaming down her cheeks from beneath her glasses. 

She stifled another sob and wiped her cheeks quickly, then tucked back into a ball, completely engrossed in the drama playing out before her. The second prince of the realm was in the middle of sweeping the woman he loved into his arms and finally getting her to confess she loved him when his father, the emperor, had stormed into the tent to reclaim his concubine. In between sniffles, she eagerly absorbed the actors’ every expression and movement, all the words that went unsaid in the longing glances the prince was exchanging with his father’s concubine. 

“It’s so awful! Xue, you’re not actually crying over this?”

Xue jumped, scared out of her skin. She’d been so intent on the TV show she hadn’t heard Lin Wei come into the living room. Her cousin plopped onto the sofa beside her and tugged at the blanket. “Come on, let me have some,” she insisted and Xue sighed and relented, holding the blanket up so Wei could thrust her own legs under it as well. The younger woman snuggled close and pouted at Xue.

“Hold me?”

Xue clucked her tongue and then wrapped her arms around Wei. “So demanding.”

“But you love me...and it’s more cuddles than you’re getting anywhere else right now.”

Xue smacked Wei’s shoulder and Wei laughed before settling back down. “Hey, if you can’t have the second prince there’s always Feng Li.”

“I’d rather join a convent,” Xue remarked off handedly, trying to focus on the drama again. “And how did you know he’s the second prince?”

“I said it was awful; I never said I didn’t watch it,” Wei said nonchalantly. “Besides, the thwarted lover is always a second prince.” 

Xue laughed and then settled her cheek against her cousin’s head. It was a comfortable position, and one they’d engaged in for well over fifteen years. First, because Xue had always wanted a little sister when her cousin had been born, and second, because when both their mothers died they’d needed one another desperately. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” Xue asked a few minutes later. Wei nodded.

“You can tell me anything,” she said.

Xue hesitated, caught between escaping into the drama in front of her and the possibility of creating a little drama in her real life. Wei sensed her reticence and sat up, untangling herself from the woman she’d always thought of as an older sister. She searched her face and Xue brought her eyes up to hers.

“I’m working for a real-life second prince.”

Wei’s eyes widened. “Tell me everything. Tell me!”

Xue chewed on her lower lip a moment, then nodded and began to explain just what could be waiting for her behind Heaven’s Gate.

For the first time in a long time, the drama on the television continued to unfold, but this time Ai Xue wasn’t watching it. It was always nice to escape for a little while, but knowing the intricacies of life in ancient China as a screenwriter imagined them was hardly going to help her get unstuck. And if she wanted her own real-life fairytale, unstuck was exactly what she needed to be.

___________________________________________

Yu Hai woke up slowly, as he usually did. His meditation routine wouldn’t allow for anything else.

Become aware. Stretch your limbs. Feel the smooth, cool surface of the sheets. Feel the soft warmth of the blanket. Take a moment to be grateful for waking up to another day. Picture the day as a blank piece of paper, ready for brand new ink. Open your eyes. Gradually sit up. Feel the cool, dry air of the room. Feel the warmth of the sun coming in the window pane. Take deep breaths. Place your bare feet on the floor and feel. 

Feel everything, so you can feel nothing. 

After going through these motions, he did a series of Sun Salutation. Then he finally, finally allowed himself to tend to his physical needs. But even then, he was guided by years of routine. 

Use the bathroom, wash your hands. Wash your face, brush your teeth. Brush your hair, tie it back. Brush it again. Leave the bathroom, step to the closet. Draw out the suit laid out the night before. And so on and so forth into eternity.

While he was getting dressed, his phone rang. He asked his assistant, the brain of his smarthouse, to answer. The call was connected without any clicks or buzzing - perfectly silent and efficient, as it should be. He waited for whatever was so important his morning needed to be disturbed. Not a moment later, a bright, cheerful voice accosted his ears.

“Yu Hai, it’s your day off.” 

He paused in the act of straightening his cuffs and looked to his left, eyeing the orchid the caller had given him for his last birthday. “Something to appeal to your OCD,” she’d joked at the time. He smiled slightly.

“Yun Chen, I don’t take days off,” he replied.

“You do today.”

“What’s the matter? Are your parents giving you trouble? You know, if your father has too much free time I can always -”

“No, no...well. Yes, actually. But no, if you pile any more work on my father my mom will come to your office personally to demand an answer.”

Yu Hai shivered. He liked the Yuns, but he had no desire to spend more time around more people, especially not spontaneously. 

“Fine,” he said. “But if you need an excuse, just come to my office for dinner. I can’t skip work for you.”

“Will you ever skip work for anyone?” Yun Chen wondered. When he didn’t respond, her laughter came over the line, mirthful and genuine. “All right, all right. I’ll come for dinner. But you have to come downstairs to greet me properly.”

Yu Hai pressed his lips together, reminded himself to be present, and forced his shoulders down and to relax. “All right. Just call me when you arrive. I’ll see you.”

“I knew there was a reason you’re my best friend! Thank you! Kiss kiss!”

There was silence and Yu Hai knew she’d hung up. He lowered his head, took a deep breath, and then left his room. 

He didn’t take days off.

__________________________________________

It was a sunny day and Hai shielded his eyes some as he got out of his vehicle in front of the building. He thanked his driver and moved forward, feet making pleasant, reassuring tup tup noises from the leather soles and hand-hewn wooden heels as he crossed the flagstones in front of the building. 

The doors slid open without a sound and the change in air pressure ruffled his hair some. He felt the tickle of a stray strand of hair across his forehead and cheek and he lifted a hand, brushing it away without much thought. The elevators were straight ahead. Rows of comfortable chairs on either side of the lobby. A large, half-circle welcome desk sat adjacent to the elevators. He knew people were nodding to him - they always did. It was only normal to greet your employer, the head of the company you worked for...but it didn’t get any easier to acknowledge the constant, countless hellos, bows, smiles, waves, and head nods.

Then it was over, as his personal secretary approached him, the usual folder with daily tasks listed in his hands. He went through the motions with the man, never breaking stride until they reached the elevators. His secretary pressed the button and then stood back, hands clasped in front of him, waiting for the inevitable. 

“You were late.” Hai didn’t look up from the folder. His secretary cleared his throat slightly.

“Ah. About that. I’m sorry, Sir. I had to take the train today because my car wouldn’t start.”

“You should take the train more often,” Hai responded. When there wasn’t a reply, he looked up to see his secretary clearly confused and struggling to find the correct meaning. He smiled very, very slightly. “That was a joke.”

“Ah. Ah! A joke. Very good, Sir. Sorry, I didn’t - you don’t normally...ahem.” He trailed off as Hai glanced back at the folder, the exchange clearly over already. 

A few feet away, an elevator opened and Hai could hear the the group of employees gathered in front of it whispering furiously to one another, debating whether they should allow him to take it instead. He closed his eyes briefly and then very deliberately ignored the whispers, pretending instead to be engrossed in the schedule in his hands. 

The moment passed, but the clamoring of his nerves remained. Yu Hai finally snapped the folder closed and passed it over to his secretary, who accepted it with surprise, but was kind enough not to say anything. Hai glanced over at the now empty space in front of the other elevator and he suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about how Yun Chen was going to make him leave his office, walk through the halls, take the elevator down and then back up again...all those eyes on him. All those greetings. Every whisper, every smile, every blatant stare - 

Hai was abruptly reminded of that moment, months before, when he’d caught the unabashed gaze of one of the people who’d come to interview during their annual intern search. He’d gotten on the elevator with his secretary and COO Yun and had turned around just as the elevator doors were closing, only to see the round, bright face of a young woman turned in his direction, the blatant curiosity in her expression bordering on rude. And yet…

“Sir?”

Yu Hai came to himself to see his secretary gesturing to the now open elevator before him. He gave a brief nod, somewhat irritated with himself for his confusing reverie, and stepped into the elevator. He turned around, rolling his shoulders back subtly to try and release some of the tension and that was when it happened.

“Oh, wait, please!” 

No. This could not be happening. Everyone knew that no one outside of his secretary and the COO or honored guests was ever supposed to ride the same elevator as him. They made up all sorts of reasons for the exception and truth be told, Hai didn’t really care what was said about him. As long as the rules were followed, his employees could believe he ate baby lemurs for breakfast. 

So who in their right mind thought they could catch a ride on this elevator this morning?

He lifted his gaze to the lobby outside the elevator and saw a woman hurrying towards them. Then he reached down, intending to be the bigger person for once and hold the door, and pressed the button - and the doors began to slide shut.

“Wait!” came the now panicked cry, and suddenly a hand was thrust between the nearly shut doors, causing them to open again.

“I’m so sorry,” the woman was saying, no, practically gasping. “I -” She stopped short as her gaze traveled from his chest up to his face and then all the way down to his shoes and back up.

Yu Hai couldn’t help his own gaze doing the same and he realized, with a sinking feeling, that this was the same woman who’d caught his eye briefly two months ago. The intern with the round, bright face was suddenly a reality and he could see every detail of that shining face up close as they were. A rosy pout, pink cheeks, gracefully tilted eyes, and a playful blunt cut with bangs that cradled a smooth forehead and gentle brows.

“I’m sorry. I meant to hit the open door button.” He confessed so quickly that he was sure he’d muddled the words, not to mention the look of rising panic on the intern’s face. She opened her mouth and a rush of confusing apologies came out.

“I’m sorry, Sir! I...I forgot my badge! I’ll take another elevator later. Thank you! I’m sorry!”

“Huh? How did she get through the security if she didn’t have her badge? So rude. Sir, I can talk to Human Resources if you-”

“No,” Hai replied quickly. “Just....forget it.”

“Yes, Sir.” 

Yu Hai was extremely proud of himself for staying quiet after that, especially considering he was suddenly worried he might be about to have the first anxiety attack at work he’d had in over three years.

#novel #original novel #in the style of a Chinese drama #Chinese drama #my dream cast includes #luo yunxi #yang zi #third and fourth chances #margot gentry #tumblr authors #author

[translations-by-aiimee]

Dig a Grave to Dig Out a Ghost - Chapter 15

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 15 - Stage

Since it wasn't time for the audience to enter the venue yet, the auditorium, which could accommodate two thousand people, was only sparsely occupied, and the person in charge of the event was still shouting out instructions about the final arrangement of the rostrum. After entering from the staff passage, Lin Yan pulled A-Yan and found their seat in the middle of the fourth row. Indeed, as Weiwei said, he had a good view of the stage, only sitting behind the pink-labelled school officials and special guests.

Unexpectedly, there was already a boy sitting next to Lin Yan's seat. "I'm sorry, can we squeeze by." Lin Yan said. When the boy looked up, it turned out to be the guy playing on the PSP he saw in the front hall. He had a long face, like a grasshopper, with acne covering the young appearance. After having his game was interrupted, his mouth pinched into an impatient expression and leaned back slightly to give the little Daoist priest and Lin Yan room to pass.

He probably also came in through the back door. I saw him queuing at the door just now, Lin Yan thought. To make A-Yan feel more comfortable, he left the left seat closest to the PSP guy open for Xiao Yu, sat in the middle, and opened the event pamphlet to start reading. The booklet was well-made and had some weight in his hand. Lin Yan could get a general idea of the event by skimming through the pages. This lecture focused on the identification of cultural relics from the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty. The colour pages were printed with images of porcelain, jade, calligraphy, and paintings. After the portion of interactive activities, there was no more detail on the event. Lin Yan handed the book to the empty seat on his left and asked softly, "Do you recognize anything?"

The PSP guy sitting next to him turned his head and looked at Lin Yan puzzledly. Lin Yan was a little embarrassed, took the pamphlet back, and said nonchalantly, "I wasn't talking to you."

PSP guy gave him an irritated glance.

The rostrum had been set up, and the audience filed in through the side doors on the sides of the auditorium, and noise flooded into the lecture hall. Xiao Yu didn't seem to like crowded places. He tore Lin Yan's hand from the pamphlet and gripped it in his hand. Lin Yan was a little flustered. From the perspective of others, his left hand was hanging stiffly in the air. He tried to twist his hand away a few times but to no avail. He compromised and rested their hands on the armrest.

After the audience was seated, Professor Chen, with his file folder aura, walked out onstage. His black suit and red striped tie made him look very refined. The professor sat down at the podium, cleared his throat after fiddling with the microphone and notebook, and then the host appeared on the stage. The auditorium darkened, leaving only the background Powerpoint and the spotlight on the host.

"The lecture has officially started. Today we are honoured to invite an expert in cultural relic identification. Professor Chen, an identification researcher from the Palace Museum, will give you a lecture on the appreciation and collection of antiques from the Chenghua period. . ." the host read.

The auditorium was dark, the audience was very polite, and even though the lecture hall was filled with 2,000 people, it was completely silent. Lin Yan turned his head to the left and almost jumped up in fright. There was a person sitting in the empty seat. He looked out of place among the crowd of well-dressed students. His long hair blocked most of his face, which was partially visible from Lin Yan's point of view. With a straightened nose and pale skin, his thin lips were pressed together tightly, staring at the podium intently. In the blue light and shadows from the stage, the large bloodstains on his clothes were particularly strange. Lin Yan's hands unconsciously shook. Xiao Yu turned his head to look at him. A pair of fierce black pupils appeared behind his black hair, and his hand squeezed harder as if he thought Lin Yan was going to run away.

He wasn't sure if the ghost's image was frozen from the time of his death. Lin Yan tried to calm his heartbeat. While wondering if he could change his clothes, he thought it would be a good idea if he could freshen up and change so as not to scare him to death by showing up in the middle of the night. Lin Yan touched Ah Yan, nodded his head in Xiao Yu's direction, and whispered, "Can you see him?"

A-Yan suspiciously shook his head.

Lin Yan heaved a sigh of relief. He really didn't want to be compared to the unlucky actor in "Coming Soon" sitting next to a ghost in the movie theatre.

"In the first part of the lecture, we asked Professor Chen to explain the basic knowledge and rules of antique identification with a few pieces of his own collection as examples. The second part is for interaction. We will invite ten students to come to the stage for a small activity. Whoever wins the activity can ask Professor Chen to engrave a seal as a souvenir. . ."

There was a commotion in the audience. Lin Yan was a little puzzled. He turned his head and asked A-Yan what was so strange about it. "This--this teacher's seal cutting, books, and calligraphy are very famous, and it's not cheap to get him to engrave something," A-Yan said softly.

The host closed the script and continued: ". . . and you can ask any questions you have after the event. Professor Chen will be happy to answer your various questions about the field, career orientation or professional-related questions."

Lin Yan frowned. This sounded tempting. It would take longer to ask Xiao Yu about things. Maybe he had to play psychological warfare. . . Lin Yan thought.

After the applause, the host left the stage, the spotlight went out, and only the Powerpoint on the backdrop was left on, dowsing the entire venue with blue shining light. Professor File Folder took a sip of water and said a few simple opening remarks before beginning his lecture. The first photo released was a small blue and white crane with an elaborate pattern on it. It was an ordinary shape, but the colour was elegant and sophisticated, the material texture was fine and the enamel was thick. It was in line with the solemn and simple characteristics of the Chenghua period.

"During the Ming Dynasty's Chenghua period, porcelain pieces were minimalistic and light, and it was typically tooth-white or blood-red when seen in the light. It was a milky-cream finish, lustrous and clean. The piece's glaze was also very precise, very skilled application and accentuating the colour. In terms of colour, the decorative lines are slender, and the double-line outline filling method is used to make the filling colour appear lighter. It's worth mentioning that in this period, the Doucai technique was an innovation with its exquisite and delicate application of colour. . ."

When Professor File Folder moved on, a girl wearing a light green phoenix skirt flashed into view backstage. In the vermilion lacquer tray in his hand were a pair of bamboo-leaf bowls. They were decorated with a sky-blue background covered in green bamboo leaves. Lin Yan thought it was a little disdainful. These things were available on the market; the pair would only cost 50,000 yuan, which was much cheaper than the pieces the professor was presenting.

After finishing the discussion on the porcelain, the powerpoint slide changed to a daffodil hairpin by the famous engraver Lu Zigang. Even though it was only a picture, it was clear to see that the carving was exquisite, the details so fine they were as thin as a hair. Professor File Folder began to explain the appreciation of jade illustrated faintly in the photo, and the girl from backstage came out with one. She held the white jade seed high up in her hand. The white jade was crystal clear in the light of the small spotlight, and its carving is also finely detailed. The girl turned the tray to reveal the skin on its back. Lin Yan frowned when she saw it.

"Can anyone evaluate this carving?" File Folder asked melancholically.

No one answered, and the audience stayed silent. Lin Yan murmured, "It's a duplicate." He thought that his voice was low enough, but the auditorium was too quiet, so his voice reached the podium with ease.

The professor's eyes lit up and he called out to him, "Go on."

Lin Yan's face flushed red. He hesitated for a while, stood up reluctantly, and motioned to it: "There is no doubt that the quality of jade is a good seed material, but in the process of refining it, in order to ensure it would sell at a good price, the merchant re-skinned the jade. A layer of fake autumn pear skin does not affect the price, nor does it make it a fake, it just looks awkward."

File Folder nodded approvingly. When Lin Yan sat down, his heart was still thumping. He didn't like speaking in public. Even if this were a normal lecture, there were still 2000 people in the room. If he said something wrong, it will be embarrassing so Lin Yan was anxious.

"Your--Your vision is really good." The little Daoist said softly: "I doubt I'm the only one who thinks so."

The low and soft voice made Lin Yan's heart relax. Just as he was going to brush off the compliment, a hand clamped over his shoulder, and Lin Yan fell directly on Xiao Yu's lap with a hard tug. An icy breath brushed over him. A chilled hand pinched his chin, thumb lightly stroked his cheeks, long hair hanging down and tickling his neck. Lin Yan tried to push off Xiao Yu's knees to prop himself up, but Xiao Yu refused, and the two of them sat in a stalemate in the dark.

Lin Yan forgot that he was the only one who could see Xiao Yu. This scene must be extremely weird in the eyes of others. The boy who had just answered the professor's question practically fell into the empty seat next to him, looking like he could not get up no matter how hard he tried. . .

"What's wrong with you?" The PSP man rolled his eyes at Lin Yan and shifted away in disgust.

Lin Yan struggled to sit upright. He apologized to the PSP guy embarrassingly and continued to listen to the lecture focusing on the back of the seat in front of him. Only he knew what was actually happening. A ghost, a person who no one can see, was holding his waist unscrupulously, slowly kissing up his neck. The tip of his cold nose brushed the side of his face, around his ears, and let out a low breath: "Hah. . ."

Lin Yan developed a layer of goosebumps, his arm stiffly supported on the back of the chair, his expression closed off. He licked his earlobe, a wet, soft and waxy feeling. His whole body shook, and the tip of his tongue licked around the mouth of his ear. Licking around, even poking his tongue in occasionally, the extremely ambiguous voice seemed to be infinitely louder in his ear. Lin Yan reached under his bangs to prop up his forehead with his hand and covered his eyes. He didn't have the dignity left to face anyone; he could only grit his teeth and try to control his breathing.

He couldn't hear what Professor File Folder was saying and suddenly his vision was blocked. Xiao Yu leaned in front of him, with his hands on the armrests on both sides of Lin Yan. His tongue licked back and forth on his lips. Itching, his heart twitched. He was angry, anxious and uncomfortable. Lin Yan desperately tried to recite the values of Marxism as a distraction; capitalism is characterized by squeezing surplus value. . . surplus value. . . squeeze out socialist surplus value. . . the doctrine will squeeze out surplus value. . . everything is all messed up. . . This was the worst possible time to be teased by the ghost, so what should he do. . . Lin Yan's eyes filled with tears. He looked at Xiao Yu pleadingly, pinching his arm gently and shaking his head.

The hand that had almost reached the top of his thigh finally retracted. Xiao Yu leaned over and kissed Lin Yan's lips before he sat back on the seat.

Thank god it's over, Lin Yan thought sullenly.

"Next we move on to the second portion of the lecture. Ten students will be invited to the stage to participate in a mini-game of antique identification. We have prepared ten collections for you to authenticate. The person with the most correct answers can specify to Professor Chen what they want specially engraved." The host had changed to a girl in a red jacket skirt, she spoke sweetly into the microphone.

Lin Yan was still in a state of adrenaline surge and hadn't recovered.

"The student who spoke just now, Professor Chen invites you to come up."

There was silence in the auditorium. Lin Yan raised his head and looked at the host blankly, wondering why he didn't continue? A-Yan pushed Lin Yan and whispered, "They--They're calling you."

Lin Yan stood up hesitantly, pointed to himself, and asked the girl in the red jacket skirt, "Me?"

There was a burst of laughter in the audience. The host was afraid of being rude. She held the mic and joked: "This classmate must have been asleep."

The temperature of Lin Yan's face that had finally cooled off soared again. He was terrible at playing games in public. A single mistake would make him nervous. Lin Yan cautiously pushed off the back of the chair and headed up. He couldn't help but looked back and give Xiao Yu a fierce look. The ghost calmly followed him through the rows of people blocking the way. He walked with a unique posture. Even though he was barefoot and covered with bloodstains, he doesn't look decrepit. He stood tall with his back straight, unlike the current students around him with slumped shoulders thanks to their education system.

Lin Yan walked onto the stage, shifting his posture to avoid having to turn and face the crowd.

The purple curtain behind the podium opened, exposing the wide space behind. Under the warm stage lights, there were ten antique square tables lined up with grand tutor chairs, and an elegant mahogany brocade box was placed on a raised platform in front of them. The other nine people had already stood at the tables to the right, and the closest person Lin Yan was the PSP guy.

The host raised his hand to signal Lin Yan to join them: "In order to be more in line with today's discussion, these ten students will go backstage to change into some costumes. Professor Chen and the audience are invited to take a break while they get changed and return soon."

Lin Yan glanced out into the audience and saw that the stage lights were blinding. The three rows of school officials and guests near the front of the stage were sitting in plain sight. Beyond that was a crowd of people that he couldn't make out because of the lights. This was only one floor. Lin Yan's legs felt like noodles when he looked up, and the crowd on the second floor remaining silent. Four large cameras with small red lights were facing him. Lin Yan felt that his whole body was covered in crawling ants. His chest was being crushed by a large stone, and his lungs were being squished until they couldn't get any air into them.

If he could, he wanted to escape and drive away immediately. After taking a few deep breaths, Lin Yan clenched his fists and followed the team backstage behind the curtain.

#dig a grave to dig out a ghost #yaoi novel #chinese bl #chinese novel #english translation #danmei #yaoi

[translations-by-aiimee]

Dig a Grave to Dig Out a Ghost - Chapter 14

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 14 - Lecture

For most people, it was just like any regular Monday afternoon. The temperature was high and there hadn't been any rain in over a week. A black Audi stopped at the entrance of the school's auditorium and really stood out. In the distance, he saw a big red banner at the entrance of the building: "A warm welcome to Professor Chen XX, appraisal researcher from the Palace Museum, for holding a cultural relic appraisal lecture in our school."

The auditorium had been recently built in the past few years. The entrance hall was very magnificent, with a light blue dome and wall, and the entire wall near the gate was made of glass. From the outside, he could see the crowds of people in the hall. Different from the usual modern style, the overall layout of the hall was more reminiscent of ancient designs. There were two large vases with impressions of a Ming Dynasty maid enjoying spring peaches. The promotional posters were framed by carved wooden windows. It was almost like walking into an antique shop.

The air-conditioning in the hall was turned too high and Lin Yan rubbed the goosebumps on his arms as he stood in the queue, staring at the posters to pass the time.

The professor on the poster looked like an unopened file folder, and even the reflection on his glasses looked like the transparent plastic wrapping paper on the file folder. Lin Yan was stumped, and then suddenly realized why he thought he looked so familiar. This person is the editor-in-chief of "Research on the History of Ming Dynasty Clothing". You could see his headshot when you turn to the first page of the textbook. It was said that he was quite famous in both professional research and folk antique auctions. He had probably seen him in a treasure appraisal program. Lin Yan recalled that he hadn't met him during the internship. Maybe because he had been an irrelevant excavation member.

On the other hand, why would someone ask him to participate in the excavation of a Ming Dynasty tomb?

"There are still 20 minutes before the doors open. Please wait patiently in the queue. Our staff will provide you with an introduction pamphlet for the event and free drinks." A sweet female voice came from the lobby intercom. Not far in front of Lin Yan, a tall boy who had been playing on a PSP with his head down turned his head and smiled wryly. He said to the person behind him: "The girl's voice is so sweet."

What's peculiar is that this person is wearing a modified Hanfu outfit, tailored to fit his body but with wide sleeves. With his pimples on his face and the PSP in his hand, he looked very strange. Lin Yan glanced around the room and was surprised to find that not only the PSP guy was dressed up, but many others had certain ancient style elements in their outfits. One girl even had her hair curled, and the ebony crested hairpiece swaying down by her sideburns.

Lin Yan stared, bored, outside the glass wall, and a familiar figure in a blue cloth robe caught his eye.

It was the little Daoist priest, squatting by the flowerbed not far away, feeding a lazy big yellow cat with some ham in his hand. The yellow cat curled up with a comfortable look, and his chubby figure resembled a large snail with a lot of privilege.

As soon as the little Daoist looked up, he saw Lin Yan beckoning to him. He threw the rest of the ham to the yellow cat in a hurry and ran into the hall with his schoolbag on his back. Lin Yan stepped out of line, and the cold surrounding him moved with him, although it seemed a little reluctant.

"At least A-Yan is a living person. You don't know how long you've been dead." Lin Yan couldn't help muttering. The series of events such as the exorcism and giving him talismans made Xiao Yu disgusted with this little Daoist priest. Every time in the past week that he had called A-Yan to ask about sending away spirits, well, his reaction was clear.

"Come here and wait." Lin Yan greeted the little Daoist priest who had just rushed into the hall. "It wasn't eating well, so I brought some ham for it." A-Yan was still holding half of the red plastic container in his hand. His face suddenly flushed red and he looked at Lin Yan with bright eyes.

His arm was squeezed by a cold hand and it pulled him away from the little Daoist priest. Lin Yan was already uncomfortably cold by the air conditioner, so he frowned and pushed down Xiao Yu's hand.

The lingering cold leaned against him, and abruptly shook against him. Lin Yan thought he must be really angry. When he looked up, he saw a group of students dressed in ancient costumes coming out of the golden gate of the auditorium. Unlike the people wearing the modified Hanfu costumes, these dozen or so people wore put-together Ming Dynasty outfits. Boys wore blue or white cloth with trimmed edges and silk scarves on their heads. Girls wore outer coats with gold and jade pendants and outer sleeves with beautiful embroidery. Some blouses and moonflower skirts were plainer for everyday Ming women, and some of them dressed as graceful ladies with big red sleeves. They each held a plate. There were small disposable paper cups inside, which the staff brought out to distribute.

Something wasn't right with Xiao Yu. His whole body was trembling against Lin Yan. Lin Yan was startled. He tried not to move his lips too much and asked him in a low voice, "Did you remember something?" Xiao Yu didn't answer, but Lin Yan remembered when he saw the ghost on the computer screen for the first time, he was not wearing a high hat at all, it was a futou.

"I'll take over, you guys go on break," a clear voice rang out. Lin Yan was shocked. A familiar figure stood in the staff's team, with short hair set against the various pieces of brocade. While distributing black tea, she turned around and laughed with her acquaintances. No matter how she changed her style, Lin Yan would never mistake that it was Weiwei.

Lin Yan wanted to lower his head and pretend that he hadn't seen her, but Weiwei had obviously noticed him. After a second of pause, Lin Yan called out and walked straight over to the buffet table. The colours of the rice farmer outfit she wore were interlaced and she was wearing very little makeup. There is a small Hetian seed around her neck, which is kind of chunky and stiff, which made a very natural look.

"Long time no see, are you here alone?" Weiwei smiled and handed a cup of black tea to Lin Yan. "Do you want to join us?"

Straightforward people like Weiwei never took embarrassing memories to heart. Lin Yan couldn’t do it. He always felt that he could never be friends with his past love affairs. Since they broke up, he did his best to avoid any situation where he might run into Weiwei, whether it was class reunions or birthdays, he always went with someone else. Of course, there were times he couldn't escape her, such as right now. Lin Yan reluctantly raised his head, forcing a laugh.

"No, no, I came with A-Yan." Lin Yan's face felt very hot, and he hurriedly pulled the little Daoist priest to hide behind.

Probably because of the little Daoist's strange reputation, Weiwei glanced at A-Yan in surprise. She quickly adjusted her expression, took a cup of black tea from the plate and handed it to A-Yan. She also gave Lin Yan two laminated pamphlets. Shee said: "This is the biggest activity of our club this semester. I have been busy preparing for more than two months. I'm losing my hair from how tired I am."

"Sounds great." Lin Yan's answer was a bit awkward.

"I hope you like it." She grinned.

A team of staff members rushed forward as they called her name. When they saw Weiwei and Lin Yan standing face to face without speaking, they began to mock: "Hey, is this the guy you used to go out with?" Shu Shengfu gave Lin Yan a once-over, shifting their gaze from the plaid shirt with good texture to the CK label on the jeans. He said, "You know how to pick the lookers. Such a nice little boy."

Weiwei didn't get angry. She simply turned around and said calmly: "What kind of look? This was the man I almost married. It doesn't matter what kind of person he is, he will marry into someone else's family." Everyone's face changed into realization in the shift of tone, and there was a wave of awkwardness. Shu Shengfu had a grimace on his face, and he pat Lin Yan on the shoulder. "So that's who you are. You had such an amazing girl get away from you. Too bad we don't have time to catch up" The words were addressed to Lin Yan, but his eyes kept staring at Weiwei.

Lin Yan smiled and said faintly: "If you want to know my methods, it'll be 100 yuan per lesson. Although you should look at my state now to see how it turns out."

There was another burst of laughter. Weiwei was a little embarrassed. She glared at Shu Shengfu and turned her face to Lin Yan and said with a straight face: "Don't pay attention to them, they're just fooling around. By the way, you two don't need to line up here. There are a few rows of seats reserved for the staff. We all have to be on duty at the door and can’t go in. It’ll be a pity for them to be empty, and it doesn't look good for the photos. Go sit there.” She pulled out two blue tickets from the bottom of the pamphlet tray, which were similar to those in Lin Yan's hand, except that there was a small yellow VIP logo in the upper right corner.

Lin Yan instinctively wanted to refuse, but when Weiwei said that there was a question-and-answer session in the lecture, she was too nervous to sit in the front row and talk directly with the professor. He clutched the pamphlet hesitantly but eventually accepted the tickets.

"However. . ." Lin Yan thought for a second: "I need three seats, can I?"

Weiwei glanced sharply at the girl behind Lin Yan. Lin Yan shook his head with a strange expression: "No, my friend hasn't come over yet."

Weiwei asked the girl next to her for a ticket, She seemed reluctant to ask, but she whispered: "Lin Yan, are you. . ."

A large group of well-dressed girls swarmed behind him, and the one who took the lead was surprised when she saw Weiwei, gesturing to the handsome guy that was in front of her. Weiwei glanced at Lin Yan helplessly. She wanted to say something, but Lin Yan suddenly interrupted her: "I'll go now if that's alright. My friends are still waiting for me."

A group of people huddled Weiwei and she continued to hand out drinks. She was a very social person. No matter where she went, people always flocked around her. Lin Yan was the opposite. Although Lin Yan was popular, he felt more at ease alone as opposed to being in the crowd every day. Lin Yan handed the three VIP seat tickets to the little Daoist priest, and the two walked along the red carpet to the staff seats together.

The backstage corridor was completely different from the front hall. The western-style decoration was magnificent. The gilded flowers float across the wall. After staring at them for a while, they seemed to jump off the wall. Lin Yan stroked the wallpaper with a finger, unsure of what to feel. He was a little embarrassed, a little nostalgic, he didn't know what expression he should wear. He wasn't sure what to do with himself.

His life shouldn’t be like this. Lin Yan looked up at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. He had felt that the world was splitting apart when he and Weiwei broke up half a year ago. In a normal world, he and Weiwei would have been the ideal couple, standing at the door of their home together to welcome their guests. Here, he walked down the corridor alone in a daze, and fell into an abyss behind the main entrance of the lecture hall, falling endlessly to the ground.

The cold fingers touched the back of his hand. He held his wrist a little harder. His thumb slid into the palm of his hand and opened his fist, giving his hand a light squeeze. Lin Yan paused and sighed, his fingers curling back around the other's hand. It was as if holding Xiao Yu's hand was natural. It was cold, firm and slender, like holding a piece of porcelain. Xiao Yu turned around and wrapped Lin Yan's right hand in his palm. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so calm. He thought it was always good for someone to stand by him through the most embarrassing moments, regardless of whether or not that person had been dead for almost 500 years.

#dig a grave to dig out a ghost #chinese bl #chinese novel #english translation #yaoi novel #yaoi #danmei

[translations-by-aiimee]

Dig a Grave to Dig Out a Ghost - Chapter 13

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 13 - Doubt

In the archaeological internship Lin Yan participated in, the Ming Tomb was undoubtedly a very peculiar place. The excavation work lasted three months. Before the excavation started, Lin Yan didn't even get any relevant background information. He asked his professor several times but never got a response. When he was told that would be staying at the tomb for only a week, he thought he was coming to be the team's water boy. Instead, he was unexpectedly sent to the site as soon as the plane touched down and was given one of the most important jobs of cleaning the body found in the main room of the tomb.

It was a medium-sized underground mysterious tomb. Bluestone blocks were built into arches. The apse in the room was about forty meters long. A large black lacquered coffin left slightly ajar rested peacefully on the stone platform. Lin Yan and the rest of the crew held their breath together. When the golden nanmu wood coffin lid was slowly lifted, and the gold, silver, jade and rosy brocade around the corpse were exposed, a soft cheer erupted from the tomb. Everyone couldn't help but celebrate that they found such an magnificent mausoleum that had been left completely untouched by tomb robbers. After a long while, all nonessential personnel evacuated one by one. Lin Yan remembered that the professor was the last one to leave the scene. When he left, he rested his hand heavily on his shoulders, as if he wanted to say something but never ended up getting anything out. In the empty and dark main room of the tomb, only Lin Yan and a few lights, both bright and dim, were left. Sometimes, the miner's lamp was often extinguished inexplicably. He later recalled that the owner of the tomb might have been watching him ever since then.

The corpse in the coffin had rotted into a skeleton, but the hair that remained was soft and shiny. However, when Lin Yan sat alone by the coffin and skimmed through some history books, doubts arose. The identity of the owner of the tomb was like the bronze of this mysterious palace, unrecognizable under the green rust. There was no record, no genealogy, nothing even mentioned in town and county chronologies. The tomb's eternal light placed in front of the coffin had long been dried up, and a two-foot-long black name card behind it was coated with thick old blood. The place where the name should be written was empty, and it turned out to be a non-character memorial tablet.

When the last artifact in the coffin was successfully taken out, Lin Yan was told he could return. It only took them seven days and no one had ever told him about the origin of the tomb that whole time.

The sun was shining on Friday morning, and the roses in the flower bed were rushing to bloom. There was a soft fragrance of something oily like burning opium in the air. Lin Yan parked his car at the school gate and hurried through the small square in front of the building to get to the professor's office. He was in such a rush that he went through the ground fountain in the square. After he took a few steps, bells and drums started playing and spurts of water shot from the jets, the surrounding area immediately turning into a forest of water columns shooting up.

"Shit. . ." He couldn't dodge them and got completely soaked. Lin Yan internally cursed as he rushed forward, wringing out the hem of his shirt. A few school girls had just come out of the main entrance of the building and giggled at the embarrassing scene.

Lin Yan blushed a little.

Shiny drops of water splashed off his hair and a droplet fell into his eye. When he raised his hand to wipe it away, his wrist was caught by someone. The cold fingertips wiped the drop off one of his eyelashes. Lin Yan blinked and stood there silently.

When he walked up the steps, he saw a new large poster on the left side of the automatic door. A gentle-looking middle-aged man with glasses was holding a pen, and his demeanour resembled an unopened folder in a stationery store. There was a large line next to him: Chen XX, a well-known Chinese history professor, is coming to our school to give a lecture. All students are welcome to participate. This will be a great chance to interact with the professor.

The tune played was one typically used by the Propaganda Department, the following rows of small letters are written with the specific time and content of the event. Lin Yan struggled to twist the hem of the wet T-shirt and walked towards the hall, muttering that this was probably the reason that the fountain suddenly turned on. Turning back, he frowned and stood in front of the poster for a minute. He always felt that the man on the poster was a bit familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was. After thinking about it for a while, Lin Yan shook his head and stepped through the hall.

The professor's office was on the fourth floor.

"Professor, are you kidding me? From the preliminary preparations to the end of the tomb excavation, so many people participated in it. How could it be possible that nothing about the tomb owner's origins could be found until now?"

"That tomb was already considered to be average to wealthy for the time period. Even if the owner of the tomb was not of official origin, there is always a record in historical records for wealthy businessmen."

University institutions were never busy on Fridays. Everyone was waiting for the weekend. Lin Yan’s professor was no exception. He was sitting in the office with his legs crossed when the drenched student burst into his office. Behind the table, he held a heavy purple sand teacup in his hand. Because he often went to the West in his early years, his skin was wrinkled by the wind and frost. His midsection was blessed by some middle-aged fat, and the bags under the eyes were hanging loosely behind the glasses.

The professor grew impatient with Lin Yan's aggressive tone, and patted a stack of books on the table: "Isn't that so? You see, I'm more worried about writing a report on the excavation. I've been busy for more than a month and I haven't made any progress."

Lin Yan leaned forward impatiently with his hands on the glass plate of the tabletop: "The mausoleum was left untouched. The body and burial items were intact. Isn't it possible to determine the identity of the tomb owner?"

This student had always been known for his politeness and patience. It was rare for him to be this anxious.

"That's the problem. Comparing the data compiled based on the unearthed cultural relics with the records at the time, I can only say that he's completely unknown." The professor put down the cup and tapped his finger on the cover of the book a few times: "Ming Dynasty history is not my specialty. Tell me, why don't you do some research yourself? The students in our school must be able to research independently. You should make good use of the school library resources."

Lin Yan shook his head disappointedly. Just like the professor said, there was a lot of historical data to go through. He wouldn't make any progress in the next three months. Even three years might not be enough time to go through all the information. By then, he would have run out of ten lives. What's more, he has searched through the relevant history books of the library for the past week and even asked Yin Zhou to search through the database in less legal ways, but the strange thing is that no matter what keywords they use - the age, name, location - he couldn't find any information. It was common sense that, in ancient times, even a talented person would be written about somewhere in the county annals, but this Xiao Yu was like a person from another world. The records passed over him like he had never existed.

The faint scent of book pages and wood was floating in the air, and the light blue shutters broke up the rays of sun leaking in. Lin Yan subconsciously glanced back, as if there should be a companion waiting to respond to his doubts. But Xiao Yu does exist, he thought.

Trying his best to stay calm, Lin Yan lowered his head and lowered his voice: "Teacher, this is really important to me, can you help. . ." While speaking, his gaze was fixed on the table. Under the glass plate were many old photos of the professor when he was young. There was a row of people wearing work clothes and hard hats in the black-and-white pictures. Compared to the middle-aged man with swollen eyes in front of him, there was a strange sense of contradiction in the gray-headed but happy-looking man in the pictures.

Time really did wonders.

The instructor tapped two fingers on the table. He didn't look at Lin Yan when he spoke. His eyes were a little dodged: "Why do you need to know the owner of the tomb? Do you need to write a paper?"

Lin Yan took a deep breath. He had always had a keen insight into people's emotions. When he had been sorting through clues last night, the situation that occurred in the tomb flashed in his mind. He had already had his doubts at the time, but he was so nervous and excited that he didn't think too much of it. For example, ever since he joined the team, everyone had been keeping secrets, and the professor also looked at him with that dodgy look when the excavators all left the tomb. The whole thing seemed to have been arranged long ago, so Lin Yan hadn't cared about interrupting the teacher's off-time and grabbed the phone to set up a meeting time.

"Professor, you should know why; this is a matter of life and death." After hesitating for a moment, Lin Yan frowned and said this sentence with emphasis. He pressed his hands on the table hard and turned away.

When I walked to the door of the office. He paused, one, two. . . Lin Yan counted silently in his heart.

Three.

"Wait." The professor's voice sounded from behind.

"Lin Yan, this project isn't under my control. I just heard that a lot of strange things happened when the tomb was opened. Someone came to me and asked you to go. I didn't agree with it. . . If you really want to know more, you can go ask the coordinator of the excavation yourself." The finger tapped twice on the desk. "His name is Chen, he'll be at our school next Monday for a lecture. There are posters downstairs." After speaking, he took a few volumes from the neatly arranged books and put them back on the table, gesturing that he could leave. "You can get more out of him than me"

"Last question." Lin Yan held the door frame and poked his face in: "Teacher, do you know Xiao Yu?"

"No, I don't." The answer was quick this time: "Who's that?"

Lin Yan sighed and held the railing as he quickly walked downstairs.

#dig a grave to dig out a ghost #dig a grave to dig out a ghost translation #chinese novel #chinese bl #english translation #yaoi novel #yaoi