So, I‘ve watched the silent criminal and the chemistry between the two leads was through the roof. I enjoyed it the series quite a lot and I needed to draw them.
I don't consider this scenario canon, in fact it explicitly ISN'T, but... a Meng Yao who is actually a year OLDER than Zixuan but realises after being thrown down the stairs that being a threat to his half-brother's inheritance would not only dash all his chances of acceptance but probably get him killed if the wrong people in lanling found out. So he uses his baby face to pretend he's 2 years younger than he actually is, a year younger than Zixuan instead of older. (Jin Guangshan genuinely forgot when he slept with Meng Shi so he buys the lie)
I mean just... secret true heir of lanling Meng Yao and no one except he knows it. What a concept.
Xiao Shunyao looks so good! Can we get some leaks with him already?
Edit: Xiao Shunyao is playing Shen Langwei in the new drama Shui Long Yin, alongside Luo Yunxi. The booting ceremony was only in December 2023, so it might air in 2025. It's based on a novel by the same author as Mysterious Lotus Casebook.
Sect Leader Yao: *loudly ranting about WWX being evil and how he shouldn’t have ‘been invited’ as if the man hadn’t been forcefully summoned like a demon of some sort*
Nie Mingjue: …Sect Leader Yao?
SLYao: -what?
Nie Mingjue: *pointing down* Your robes are on fire.
SLYao: *runs out of the hall screaming when he can’t get it put out*
Other leaders: *trying to figure out if WWX was the one that set him on fire*
Wei Wuxian: *sitting behind a shielding array, both stuck and not wanting to tempt someone to attack him, actively hiding a confused A-Yaun behind his skirts* :)
A-Yaun: ??:)??
Jiang Yanli: *eagerly showing him Jin Ling and probably thinks WWX and JC managed this so WWX could be at his 100 day celebration, isn’t gonna ask where they can get in trouble*
Jiang Cheng: *thinking exactly the same thing but about Yanli and WWX, showing off his nice new hair pin Yanli got him*
Jin Zixuan: *just happy this is less horrible than he expected*
Lan Wangji: *giving WWX blinks of affection and love*
Wei Wuxian: :)
Nie Mingjue: …but who set Sect Leader Yao on fire?
Lan Xichen: I don’t know, but it’s so much more peaceful now :)
Meng Yao: *appears at NMJ’s elbow, holding hands with NHS and looking pleased* I found that array in Jin Guangshan’s office :) it’ll wear off in about five hours. They’ll be so excited when they realize they can pass him random objects through the shield :)
Nie Huaisang: I set Sect Leader Yao’s robes on fire :)
Nie Mingjue: Ohhh you two are just so cute, I am giving you both presents when we get home.
So first of all, let me start by saying that JGY & LXC knew each other for far longer than Wangxian knew each other, or even WWX & the Jiang siblings were together. (Cloud recesses got burnt down and LXC went on the run when LWJ was around 17. At the time of the events of the Guanyin Temple LWJ was around 34. In the CQL, LXC & JGY first saw each other (& developed a huge crush at first sight) when LWJ was 15, and at the end of the story LWJ was 36) so all that talk of "LXC being too naive and blind for trusting JGY & thinking that he knows him"? Or hating him for defending his savior, supporter, and friend of 17/20 years? No. Wrong. Enough of that.
Now getting to the main point, IDK exactly when that teacher/student roleplay of them takes place but it must be shortly before NMJ's qi deviaton. Which is well into Xiyao's relationship. So my question is if these two have only now heard each others' guqin playing as is implied by these lines:
Jin GuangYao laughed, "Well, now that I've heard Brother's guqin skills, I might as well smash my guqin the moment I get home."
Lan XiChen, "Your skills are also considered quite fine outside of Gusu. Were they taught by your mother?"
Jin GuangYao, "No. I taught myself by watching others. She never taught me such things. She only taught me reading and writing, and bought a handful of expensive sword and cultivation guides for me to practice."
And they only now talked about JGY's family history with Meng Shi, and with how when telling his parents' story to WWX LXC talks like he hasn't talked with anyone about this story before, then wtf have Xiyao talked about all those years?!