#ye baiyi mode

[convenientalias]

Word of Honor Review

I finished watching Word of Honor so I thought I'd write a review of it! I feel like a lot of ppl I follow/who follow me have already seen this so I'm not gonna be too thorough/organized, just some thoughts that occurred to me. Also there will be spoilers, so the rest is under the cut.

The Plot

I didn't enjoy the intrigue side of the plot that much. Imo to properly enjoy a revenge scheme, whether or not it's carried out, it's better to know the details of the revenge from the start--who's seeking revenge, what they're seeking revenge for, how they're seeking this revenge, and who they're targeting. You don't need ALL that information from the get-go, but when a show does like Word of Honor and I only find out why Wen Kexing is seeking revenge halfway through the show, I'm just not as invested in it. Other ppl might enjoy the mysteries of Wen Kexing being slowly unveiled, and I wasn't NOT into that, but as regards secret identities, I prefer dramatic irony over curiosity. For that reason I wonder if I'd enjoy the beginning of this show more if I watched it a second time.

As for the entire jianghu fighting over the Glazed Armor, eh. Besides Zhang Chengling, there's just no one involved in that dogfight I cared about, so it took up more time than I would have liked.

The romance side of the plot (I would struggle to call this a bromance, though I know it technically is) is more fun, Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu getting to know each other, Zhou Zishu slowly learning more and more (often alarming) info about Wen Kexing while Wen Kexing grows more and more invested in Zhou Zishu's wellbeing and their relationship. They're also just very flirty and fun.

I wish the pacing had been a bit more even. The beginning feels rather slow, the middle's pretty steady, and the end is pretty rushed. If we had a few less "Oh no, everyone wants the Glazed Armor" episodes and a few more "fuck, Zhao Jing is dead but the whole jianghu still hates Ghost Valley and also Xie'er is a scheming, betraying asshole and also Zhou Zishu is on the verge of death" episodes (instead of like... two of those), that would be pretty nice. That said, I can't say there was a period of the show I didn't enjoy; even when things are slow, it's just fun watching Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu interact.

Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing (And Their Relationships!)

I thought based on what people say about the show that I would be all in for the antihero/villain protagonist aspect of this show, but eh. Actually Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing's (at least apparent) apathy towards killing in the first couple episodes really turned me off and made it hard to connect to them. I found it easier to empathize with them when 1) it became clear that Zhou Zishu DOES feel guilt over his past actions (yes this should have been obvious to begin with given the seven nails, but it's not always emphasized) and 2) Wen Kexing has Reasons for being fucked up. There's more angst that way, too!

I love Zhou Zishu, the one who led a secret spy force, being in some ways the more honest of the pair, and I love him as the one who's further down the road of "not evil anymore I want to be loved now". I love him just... taking his hair down after quitting Tian Chuang because he's officially in Soft Mode, and the unnatural vibe when Tian Chuang captures him and he's presented to Prince Jin with his hair up, forced back into that role. His dynamic with Prince Jin in general is super interesting--especially how Prince Jin doesn't seem to have valued him that much while he had him, and at first is only angry at him leaving, but later is willing to beg him to come back, realizing that without Zhou Zishu he's alone.

In more functional relationships, Zhou Zishu and Ye Baiyi's family friend dynamic is so perfectly polite, artificially familiar without really knowing each other. Zhou Zishu and Han Ying make me very sad. And Zhou Zishu and Zhang Chengling (and the rest of the new Four Seasons disciples) make me annoyed bc damn it, Zhou Zishu, it's one thing if you're going to die, but if you're going to be an immortal hanging out on an ice mountain in the middle of nowhere for the rest of forever, you could invite your disciple(s) up there for at least a while in order to finish his (their) training! Even the epilogue can't fix this for me.

For Wen Kexing, I enjoyed him being casually flirty, but whenever his eyes widen or start glinting and he goes either calculatedly threatening or actually mad, that's the good stuff ;). Maybe the first moment I really loved him was when he tried to convince Zhou Zishu that watching ppl fight to the death over Glazed Armor from an inn rooftop was Great Fun. He really thinks that! Wen Kexing, no!

I enjoyed his relationship with Gu Xiang a lot; at first Gu Xiang annoyed me but later I liked how he wasn't just protective of her but saw her as someone similar to himself, someone who'd been through similar trauma, whose personality had been forged into a similar shape of violence and a craving of affection, safety, and acceptance--someone who faced the same dangers as him (both physical and emotional) and who, too, might want to seek love and independence and leave Ghost Valley behind. While Gu Xiang understands Wen Kexing and accepts him in a way that many others wouldn't, too.

Also I love every time Wen Kexing and Ye Baiyi interact. The way they rub each other the wrong way from the beginning, and while Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing's bantering and mutual annoyance is harmless play, Wen Kexing and Ye Baiyi always are on the verge of something more dangerous--and in the end, when the facade of friendship between them breaks at the revelation that Wen Kexing is the Ghost Valley Master, it feels inevitable but still somehow upsetting because the fragile balance of friendship, even if it was based on deception, was still something real. Also every time they FIGHT fight, it's like... hand impact goes BOOM! what more could you want.

As for WenZhou itself, it's just fun to watch those two hang out. But also, they really do get each other. There's a moment where Zhou Zishu is remembering all his good times with Wen Kexing and there's this heartwarming montage of their past interactions, and then he (who currently thinks Wen Kexing is dead), says, "Actually, I knew what you wanted all along". And at the time I thought to myself, yes, he wanted to be with you forever/have sex with you, the montage makes that obvious. But Zhou Zishu says, I can't remember the exact words, something like, "You wanted to destroy this world and kill everyone in it", and like. What a great followup to a heartwarming montage. Wen Kexing almost always shows Zhou Zishu a smiling face, but Zhou Zishu knows the turmoil lying underneath, and although at first he wants to change it, later he's even willing to accept it and comes within an inch of saying Wen Kexing was right to feel that way. That's love.

Zhao Jing and Xie Wang

Finally, some thoughts on the villain villains of this show!

Zhao Jing is boring as hell but for this show that's pretty much what he should be. After all, this show (and Wen Kexing) doesn't see Zhao Jing as the root of all evil in the jianghu, the root of the MC's problems. It's the jianghu at large that is the issue, the accumulation of petty ambition and cowardice, ppl neglecting to stand up for what's right and easily accusing others of wrong. Zhao Jing is just the best person to represent this type of banal evil, and he really is fucking banal. Like, we know he had an inferiority complex to the rest of his friend group, and there's no apparent reason for it, he just did. Most of his big murders he didn't even commit but got someone else to do--Gao Chong wielding the blade he poisoned, Ghost Valley killing Wen Kexing's parents, etc etc. He's just this boring ambitious guy who knows how to manipulate ppl and get what he wants. I have no idea what Luo Fumeng saw in him but I guess that's her problem.

Also I think Zhao Jing would never have seen his ultimate fate coming. Like he could picture Wen Kexing or some other foe killing him, or his ambitions ending in disgrace. But Xie'er breaking his leash, betraying him, and keeping him as a helpless prisoner for the rest of his (admittedly short, but only by happenstance) life? It's not within his range of calculations; he really, really doesn't pay enough attention to Xie'er.

Liked Xie'er a lot! I've seen ppl say he's a lot like Wen Kexing but I don't really agree with that. I mean, they're both silk hiding steel, suave and friendly, obsessed with their man, and actually very violent with a terrible reputation, so there's that. But Xie'er's arc is him realizing his master is using him without valuing him, may betray him in the future and is not worthy of following, and ends with him betraying and not-quite-killing his master--seems more Zhou Zishu to me. And the Scorpions seem more similar to Tian Chuang than to Ghost Valley; sure, their personalities are similar to the ten top ghosts, but their function is that of an assassination squad, not that of a Bunch of Evil Fuckers Who Go Around Causing Trouble Bc They're Evil. Anyway idk I think Xie'er is more like Zhou Zishu than Wen Kexing BUT I also think Xie'er/Wen Kexing would be a more fun ship and I wish there was more fic for it. (If anyone has recommendations, let me know.)

Overall

A good show. I don't think it would go on my list of favorites bc 1) like I said, the intrigue plots bore me, and I usually love intrigue and 2) the uneven pacing is annoying. But I liked most of the characters and there was really some great fighting. As wuxia shows go, I'd say I liked it better than Ancient Detective but less than The Flame's Daughter or Handsome Siblings. That's very much a matter of taste, though. (If I ever did a review on The Flame's Daughter or Handsome Siblings you'd find out I recommend them only with a bunch of caveats).

Anyway I'm glad I watched a popular show for once, bc that means there's quite a bit of fanfic and fanart out there! I should have fun.

#word of honor #cdrama #review

[muqingseyeroll]

headcanons for woh characters

i pulled most of these out of my ass at 5am, don't take them too seriously (except the nonbinary wen kexing. i feel strongly about that one because self-insert)

wen kexing

sexuality: bi, switch, vers (they would be such a good service top to zzs omg)

gender: nonbinary (i could see them being an all pronouns user)

zhou zishu

sexuality: bi/gay, switch/lean sub, bottom

gender: genderfluid with two modes; "ni laozi" (your dad) or princess

gu xiang

sexuality: bi (she definitely thought she was a lesbian until she met cao weining), dom, power bottom

gender: female/demigirl (she/they)

cao weining

sexuality: token straight

gender: token cis male

zhang chengling

sexuality: may be aro ace? or may just be young

gender: idiot

xie'er

sexuality: pan, switch lean dom, vers

gender: genderqueer/sugar baby (they/them)

liu qianqiao/beauty ghost

sexuality: lesbian, switch, bottom

gender: female

luo fumeng/tragicomic ghost

sexuality: bi, dom, vers

gender: girlboss. i feel like she would be the type to not give a shit about her gender. like she's feminine, but she has more of a "my gender is your majesty" type thing going on

han ying

sexuality: gay, sub, vers, honestly just zishusexual

gender: ???

du pusa

sexuality: bi, switch, vers

gender: girlboss (she/her)

qiao luohan

sexuality: lesbian, dom, top (seeing qlh and dps bickering and subtly battling for dominance in the bedroom would be so perfect)

gender: assassin (she/they)

ye baiyi

sexuality: probably demi or ace, biromantic or homoromantic

gender: old monster (jk but probably some flavor of not-cis)

there may or may not be a part 2 (five lakes alliance, ghost valley, qiye etc)

#woh #made by suna

[sailoms]

thing is!! A-xu isn't even mad about his "evil" plan bc it's "evil" (tho wkx interprets it that way! 😭) He's mad bc A. He's not about that life anymore (not in a moral judgement way but in a IM RETIRED!! I WANT TO SETTLE DOWN and SLEEP way) and B. He doesn't want wkx to be hurt by the consequences. This is a parallel to caoxiang, how cao weining tells a-xiang he isn't judging her for killing, he fears for how it might effect her if she took innocent lives. This is a similar moment where wenzhou are just not on the same page. But it's not that zzs disapproves of revenge, he actually fully supports wkx in this, he just wants to make sure he's not making a mistake that's only going to hurt him in the end. I love them 🥺

anonie, i dont even know where and how to start my answer cus THERE ARE TOO MUCH STUFFS RUNNING IN MY HEAD WHEN I READ UR ASK BUT OK if this turns into an essay, forgive me 😭

1) the first, like, three sentences u said. i tried to summarize it for that wkx gif when he looked shooketh at ah xu's reaction BUT I WAS STRESSED OUT BY TOPAZ LAB and i was upset cus this gifset took too long for me to do despite my love for this project. additionally, the explanations gon be too long to put into the gif. thus, i didnt deliver it well cus i just chose the easiest word to describe that look but I ACTUALLY MEANT WHAT U ELABORATED ABOVE THANK U FOR REACHING OUT TO ME ABOUT IT 💖

the point is ah xu had the same experience of taking the wrong decision and the consequence that came after it -> he saw the same pattern in lao wen -> he got reminded of his past and the effect that took toll on him physically and mentally -> he got angry out of anxiety and worry cus that lao wen's gonna taste his own meds too and he wouldnt be able to bear the sight of him suffering.

2) he emphasized it too in the later ep after wkx spat blood due to shen shens confrontation. he didnt want more sin on lao wen's hand, he would help him take revenge on zhao jing and would stay as his advocate/consultant, whatever; who to be taken care of and who shouldnt. as long as all those choices wouldnt hurt lao wen in the future.

most "break up" moments between wenzhou were actually just both of em being not in the same page but the root of all his behavior was mainly

3) ah xu's motherly sense. what wkx said about him being soft-hearted, to me, later got translated as, like, a motherly love??? wkx is a literal child, both in his human wen mode and chief of ghost mode. he is a child in a 30 yo body, ngl as i rewatched the drama three times, i couldnt stop thinking about what my psychologist friend told me.

wen kexing is an overpowered baby with an adult tantrum, thats why he went around the town killing whoevers standing in his way.

and that makes sense cus he spent his childhood without parents and grew up in an environment thats not so child-friendly obviously. hes not used to expressing his emotions too (cus even before his parents died, he had to help his mom take care of his injured dad like he dont have time for tANtRum), thats why he blew up here and there cus he didnt know exactly how to vent?? plus, hes fighting the effect of the lethe water to his mind so, he was mentally exhausted.

and then appeared ah xu, who took care of him so patiently and always came back to him to stay and fix his mistake, to remind him of the consequence every time he went ballistic, and to stand with him against whoever that's against him, even ye baiyi the immortal.

i thought, ah xu became like a mother figure too who didnt want to see his "child" went astray and suffered after that. it's just his protectiveness that took the control and rationality. he cared so much about lao wen to the point of jumping into death to try to save him and he didnt even hesitate to fight a powerful immortal. he's so ready to fight fate fr. didnt say fathers cant be like this but in my experience, its more eminent in mothers. ah xu was so calm that hearing his name already eased lao wen's frantic mind.

(BET IF WEN KEXING LOST HIS HAIRPIN OR SHIT HED JUST GO "ah xu do u see my hairpin?" "its on the table" "no, i already looked there. theres nothing" then ah xu sighed and walked toward the said table and held up the hairpin like "tHerES nOtHinG -_-")

#ask inc. #from: anonie #wenzhou #ANONIE IM SORRY THIS TURNS INTO AN ESSAY FR

[onlyonewoman]

I’ve been visiting my pa and his partner for four days now and I’m soon heading off to ma and her partner for another four days. Also gonna meet baby bro with wife and 2 kids and big sis with hubby and not their kid, because she died this January. Will instead put yellow roses on her grave. I’m exhausted and happy and realise that going a bit Ye Baiyi on my pa and his partner, is necessary these days, because they’re “oblivious oldies” who no longer can hold up even a fake interest in something I talk about that they haven’t experienced while they happily talk about their stuff without realising they’re turning “agewise rude”. I handle this like I think Ye Baiyi would. He might be old as hell and blunt like a rock and with absolutely zero fucks left to give, but he does have a fantastic sense of humor. So, I just act like a snarky, old man back.  “No, I’d never put the radio on voluntarily and you know that.” “Nah, I hate trying out new foods.” “Books? Currently, I write a shit ton of fanfics.” “Yeah, those cucumbers look nice. No, I don’t wanna eat them.” “A high cultural show on the radio? Oh, but tonight it’s the first episodes of this white trash rich sociopatic criminal family show I’ve been waiting for. Is there anymore wine?” This is a great sanity saving method. I love them, but holy fuck I’m tired.

Pic source: https://www.tumbex.com/other-isms.tumblr/post/653639119323512832/kexing-wen-ye-baiyi-text-posts-1-2

#visiting family #parents #grown up kid #ye baiyi #ye baiyi mode

[oddishblossom]

I did NOT appreciate this scene enough the first time I watched it. Holy shit, the scene where wen kexing and zhou zishu first meet the greatest character of all time is hilarious.

#I think the first time I watched this I was like suffering from too many characters idc who this is illness #but now I couldn’t breath with how hard I was laughing #it’s also so strange to see wkx and yby politely introduce themselves and not be in insult each other mode #word of honor #shl #woh #shan he ling #ye baiyi #wen kexing #zhou zishu #video #my post

[janedrewfinally]

Well, if I’m engaging in this whole….string-covered wall-of-crazy calculation, I might as well post it.

Given how much of “Word of Honor” is a Glazed Armor quest/shell-game, it seemed useful to note exactly where the fool pieces start out and what happens to them. I’ve split up the “Glazed Armor pieces” and the “Armory Key,” because the Key doesn’t come up until later in the story and follows a different trajectory.

As we know, twenty years ago, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked Rong Xuan, the runaway disciple of Changming Mountain Immortal Ye Baiyi, gathered a group of martial artists from different sects, plus the Longyuan Cabinet, and together they created the World’s Armory, using an abandoned stronghold/library from an ancient kingdom, filling it with texts from the various sects. Their idealistic plan to combine all of that knowledge failed; Rong Xuan was poisoned; his wife, a member of the Miracle Healer Valley, saved him using forbidden techniques that caused him to go insane, whereupon he was defeated in a massive battle outside of Ghost Valley.

The Magical Wuxia McGuffin Glazed Armor, the key to the World’s Armory, was divided between the five young men who would become the leaders of the sects that make up the Five Lakes Alliance. They did not share the Glazed Armor or the Armory with the rest of the martial arts world- at least partly because, without the key, the doors won’t actually open. “Word of Honor” opens with an Armory/Rong Xuan-related flashback, setting up the extent to which the pieces of the Glazed Armor (and later the Armory key) will shape the plot.

The Glazed Armor Pieces:

Imaginary Glazed Armor: “Hanging Ghost stole my Glazed Armor!” Wen Kexing declares, in full murder make-up mode having a) just killed Hanging Ghost and b) never had a piece of the Glazed Armor. However, this imaginary Ghost Valley piece of Glazed Armor is the justification for sending out all of the Ghosts into the human world to supposedly try to track down Hanging Ghost, but really to start Phase One of Wen Kexing's complicated revenge plot. The idea that Ghost Valley has at least one piece of Glazed Armor also causes complications later.

Glazed Armor Piece 1 (round exterior bit): In the possession of Gao Chong, leader of the Yue Yang Sect and the leader of the Five Lakes Alliance. He hands it over to Mo Huaiyang, leader of the Gentle Wind Sect (Qing Feng Sect), before the Hero’s Conference. Later, Xie Wang (Scorpion King/leader of the assassin's group Venemous Scorpions, just wants his adoptive father Zhao Jing to love him and be proud of him) takes it off of Mo Huaiyang’s corpse, sadly without stabbing him some more.

Glazed Armor Piece 2 (round exterior bit): In the possession of Shen Shen, leader of the Da Gu Shan Sect, part of the Five Lakes Alliance. He gives it to Gao Chong when Gao Chong asks for it, and Gao Chong hands it over to Mo Huaiyang before the Hero’s Conference. Later, Xie Wang takes it.

Glazed Armor Piece 3 (small connecting bit): In the possession of Zhang Yusen, leader of the Jing Hu Sword Sect (Mirror Lake- and why I am having trouble finding the other sect names in English I could not say). When Mirror Lake is attacked by a group from Ghost Valley, Zhang Yusen makes a cut in the stomach of his youngest son, Zhang Chengling, and hides the Glazed Armor piece in the wound. Since everybody assumes (correctly) that Zhang Chengling is carrying his father’s piece of the Glazed Armor, Zhang Chengling becomes a target for kidnapping by the Begger’s Guild and the Scorpions and for very loud lectures from Shen Shen and Gao Cheng. After telling Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing about the Glazed Armor, Zhang Chengling tries to give the piece to them, but Zhou Zishu, who is extremely disinterested in it, tells him to give it to Gao Chong so that he’s no longer a target. Back in the Yue Yang sect, Zhang Chengling dramatically removes the piece in front of Gao Chong and hands it over. This is the third piece that Gao Chong collects and hands over to Mo Huaiyang before the Hero’s Conference, all of which are then taken by Xie Wang.

Glazed Armor Piece Four (the third round exterior bit): This piece originally belonged to Lu Taichong, leader of the Dan Yang Sect, who gets killed offscreen, along with almost all of the members of his sect. Before he dies, he entrusts his two remaining disciples and his piece of the Glazed Amor to Ao Laizi, leader of the Tai Shan Sect (which is part of the Wu Yue Sword Alliance). Ao Laizi fends off both Lv Liu Weng and Tao Hong Po when they come after the Glazed Armor, and then also manages to use the arrival of Zhao Jing and co. to fend off Shen Shen. Then he gets killed by Happy Ghost (it’s implied), and Long-Tongued Ghost puts the Glazed Armor piece into the bottom of his box of soul-winding thread, heading off to the ancestral hall (“Coffin House”) of the Zhao family to wait for Xie Wang to show up for the hand-off. Exceeept Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing manage to defeat the various traps, and Wen Kexing kills Long-Tongued Ghost and takes the box. When Zhou Zishou opens the box and discovers the Glazed Armor, he tosses it over to Wen Kexing, who a) is shocked that Zhou Zishu really was serious about not wanting the Glazed Amor and b) immediately starts trying to figure out how he can leverage this to cause maximum chaos. Wen Kexing later gives this piece to Xie Wang as part of their deal.

Glazed Armor Piece Five (the spiked circle in the center): In the possession of Zhao Jing, leader of the Tai Hu Sect. Zhao Jing takes advantage of the banquet welcoming Zhang Chengling and the murder of Ao Laizi to have his godson Song Huiren, who is one of the favored disciples of the Yue Yang sect, “steal” his piece from its hiding place and “escape” with it, killing Yu Tianjie when Yu Tianjie pursues the “thief.” Unfortunately for Song Huairen, Xie Wang is NOT here for their yifu having other sons he might like better, so Xie Wang kills him, takes the Glazed Armor, and tells Zhao Jing that Song Huairen had been a traitor. Xie Wang keeps this piece on a chain around his neck, as a statement of his loyalty, but also inadvertently kind of sort of as a future creepy trophy for Worst Yifu Zhao Jing.

Fake Glazed Armor One: When Wen Kexing gets Glazed Armor Piece Four, he cheerfully visits a glass maker and demands thirty copies, which he proceeds to scatter around in advance of the Hero’s Conference in the hopes of creating chaos (oops). In addition to interrupting a lovely moonlit date and causing his first quarrel with Zhou Zishu, the Fake Glazed Armor leads to the tragic deaths of the Four Sages of Anji… and, much later, to the tragic death of Han Ying. However, it also seems to have given Gao Chong a useful idea….

Fake Glazed Armor Two-Four: Gao Chong, having handed the real Glazed Armor pieces to Mo Huaiyang, comes to the Hero’s Conference prepared with three fake pieces, which he then very publicly smashes. Sadly, this does not fool people for long, and the Gentle Wind Sect becomes a target. Even more sadly, Mo Huaiyang does not get stabbed at this time.

The Armory Key

Yue Feng’er, senior disciple of Miracle Healer’s Valley and wife of Rong Xuan, gives the key to Gu Miaomiao and Wen Ruyu (the "Divine Hands" of Miracle Healer Valley) to take to Ye Baiyi at Changming Mountain. Unfortunately, this goes… poorly.

Imaginary Amory Key: In a vain attempt to take the target off of Gu Miaomiao and Wen Ruyu’s backs, Longyuan Cabinet leader Long Que spreads a rumor that Longyuan Cabinet has the Armory Key and then relocates the Cabinet to a more secure, secret location.

Fake Armory Key One: Wen Kexing holds up this fake key when he’s carrying out his fake death plan as a way to rile up his opponents (who, frankly, don't need any more riling).

Fake Armory Key Two: As part of their deal, Wen Kexing hands this fake key over to Xie Wang, who for some reason is shocked- SHOCKED- that it then doesn’t work.

Actual Armory Key: Gu Miaomiao and Wen Ruyu hide the Armory key by putting it in their son’s hair; he keeps it, and wears it frequently. Later, of course, he gives it to Zhou Zishu because they are very very married… and then uses it to open the Armory.

#word of honor spoilers #word of honor #word of honor meta #why do i do this to myself? who knows

[randomingoftherandomness]

Omg, I LOVE your omega wkx fics. So let me add another prompt: the whole fam is doing whatever and for some reason someone or something makes wkx super uncomfortable and he's letting out a distress omega scent and everyone else goes into overprotective mode - even senior ye and chengling but especially zzs. I headcanon that they're all alphas and wkx is the only omega in the group. Love to see him be coddled and appreciated :)

It’s a nest, his stupid hormone-addled mind finally rattles around to the realisation of. A nest made of bits and bobs, stuffed with their laundry and things that they’d thought had gone missing between the shuffling from one place to another. 

It’s an Omega’s nest. An Omega that was decidedly in the shape of one Wen Kexing.

Ye Baiyi finds himself moving towards it, sitting on the edges of it as he watches the gentle rising and falling of Wen Kexing’s naked chest. Qin Huaizhang’s disciple’s disciple is curled up tight against his side, cheek on his shoulder and drooling slightly. In a way, Ye Baiyi can’t blame the kid - between all the madness and the insanity, the kid probably hasn’t had time to properly mourn the loss of his Pack. He’s an Alpha, too. A newly presented one at that. His Pack Alpha wouldn’t have had enough time to teach him how to control his instincts or how to shift, or even how to rein in his second nature. Is it any wonder that he latches on to the first stable figures in his life?

Then to the other side of the brat with the surname Wen, Zhou Zishu has a hand over his heart; body pressed tight from his nose buried in his hair, to the way he blankets him from shoulder to belly, to hip, to thigh, to toes. As if he wants to climb into this man’s body and never leave. Ye Baiyi wouldn’t be surprised that if he or the kid weren’t here, that would be exactly what would happen.

The kid he understands. He even gets how Qin Huaizhang’s disciple can’t resist the need to comfort an Omega in distress from what he hears was a sudden turn in his health; especially if the Omega in question was one that he clearly had an attraction to and has that attraction reciprocated tenfold.

What Ye Baiyi doesn’t get is how there is an itch that licks up his spine like a wildfire and calls for him to cross the threshold of this nest and climb into the pile of bodies and limbs. The desire spits and snarls in him like a bloom that he never nurtured or seeded. But it is there. Present now in the forefront of his mind; this need to comfort and protect this strange Omega who would fight him every single step of the way.

He pinches the corner of the nest. One of that brat’s things come between his forefinger and thumb. Silk, his mind registers.

“Old Monster.”

Ye Baiyi snaps his head up, meeting the half-lidded gaze of that brat Wen. 

“Come here.” When Ye Baiyi doesn’t move immediately, he sighs, wrinkling his nose. “Come here, please.”

He takes off his socks when he climbs in behind Qin Huaizhang’s disciple’s disciple, gingerly wrapping his arm around the boy’s shoulder. Wen Kexing huffs, rolling his eyes as he grabs his hand, tangling it over Zhou Zishu and his disciple’s. 

“There. That’s better.”

#word of honor #ye baiyi #wen kexing #zhou zishu #gab writes stuff #wenzhou

[its-chelisey-stuff]

Word of Honor eps 11-20 (many confusing thoughts ft. the feels)

Well, the drama has finished airing (and I’ve seen a bunch of spoilers lol) but I’m watching it on youtube so every rant and ramble you read here is gonna be a pretense of me not really knowing the story and that includes what I know from reading the novel because it’s confusing to keep in mind what happens in both since the drama diverted quite a bit from the source. All that matters is that we got a happy ending, so now I can enjoy the delicious angst, pining and romance freely and without worries.

On the plot

I didn’t have enough of GuXiang and CWN in these eps but at least they’re safe and together, for now. They’re gonna romance each other and will eventually reunite with main OTP and their kid (who looks like a little Wang Yibo to me lol). And Ye BaiYi (aka captain of the WenZhou ship) has made his first appearance and wants to help save ZZS. Btw I love his dynamic with WKX, it’s hilarious!

Now, I’m a bit confused about the names and faces and who’s bad, and who’s not so bad but the main baddie has been revealed and it looks like the dude is controlling the Scorpion King via daddy issues which yikes. I’m worried that it looks like WKX doesn’t know who is pulling all the strings because that shows that his plan for revenge isn’t perfect and if he was wrong about Gao Chong, then he can be wrong about other, bigger things and that isn’t good.

Also, some of the valley ghosts want to take WKX out of the picture, which is of course not surprising considering killing the current leader is the only way to succession of what it seems like a dictatorship. What a nightmare to live in tbh, I’m surprised WKX is functional enough to walk so nonchalant and elegantly in public and that he managed to raise an equally functional GuXiang. But I guess that’s because he wanted to survive and get the justice/revenge he feels he deserves (I’m on his side, btw), so he had to act like a madman while trying to keep his sanity. He has some glitches,of course, but he did well, all things considered.

Which takes me to the whole Five Lakes Alliance and their “friendship”, which imo went to hell 20 years prior to the start of the story, and they all pretended for two decades, because they all wanted the Armory and each had a piece to get into it. Is it bad that I don’t feel that bad for them? Maybe just about little Chengling’s dad but other than that...*shrugs* Plus, their actions brought terrible consequences for innocents, namely WKX’s family.

On the love story

The romance is delightful!! On ep 11 WKX went to rescue little Yibo but found out ZZS was also there so he went full-on killer mode so hot because how dare these scorpion killers hurt his man? They made up (with he help of their adoptive son) and even took their time to have dates and enjoy a lot of alcohol until ZZS went “my dude, tell me the truth, you’re Rong Xuang’s son, aren’t you?” to which WKX offended, replied “Honestly? No, how fucking dare you?” but it is a theme with these two to part dramatically after an argument and then reunite in dramatically gay fashion when ZZS is in danger, which actually happened 3 times in these ten eps.

The reveal of ZZS’s condition to WKX was PERFECTLY done. I love gorgeous men crying and being all angsty under the rain so that scene with OTP afterwards was delicious and then WKX sadly playing the flute while getting drenched and reciting poetry (GONG JUN IS AMAZING AS WKX!!!!!!) has definitely become one of my fave moments so far. I love that despite their short time together, you can see and feel the bond between the two and that there’s a side of them, a vulnerable one, that they only show to the other and that’s how I believe in the depth of their feelings (plus the arguments and shared near death experiences lol you can’t beat those). You don’t need lots of time to actually get to know a person, and after the few weeks(?) of a rollercoaster of emotions these two have shared, it isn’t weird they’ve become soulmates.

We know ZZS has accepted his fate and is happy with the way things will end for him. He said it himself, he just wants a peaceful life or a peaceful death, and while the former is out of reach or so he thinks, he can certainly make reality the latter. I understand that he is perfectly happy as is, because he achieved his goal after years of being a muderous puppet and meeting WKX is like the perfect ending, a last blessing. However, that’s not the case with WKX. He hasn’t achieved his goal yet, he doesn’t have the same peacefulness and acceptance as ZZS. He has a lot of rage and hate inside him and he had just set his plan into motion when he met ZZS and although that hasn’t changed his mind about his revenge it has made him want things he didn’t know he even wanted before. Now he desperately wants a life with him. So finding out that the man he’s fallen for, is dying, is a cruel twist of fate, another one in his life. Why allow him to meet ZZS when he will lose him in a couple of years?

Anyway, as a man with a mission, WKX had to suck it all back up and go watch the shit show he thought he always wanted to see, which ended super bad. And at this point I don’t even know if WKX knows what he’s doing anymore or if the drama is fooling me they might be succeding.

cough cough eye sex cough cough 

 After a total of 3 caves, declaring their love for each other (ep 18 min 17:50), rolling on the grass super gay, saving their son yet again and a tragic backstory later, ZZS comes to understand who WKX really is and his heart broke as well as mine and everyone’s because damnnnnn that was heavy (but also, I wasn’t expecting the childhood friends trope, but I don’t I mind it, in fact I like it as it reinforces the narrative that OTP are meant to be). What broke me even more is that, amidst all that, WKX still has the state of mind to worry about ZZS’s health and ask if it’s possible to save him with the YingYang book of the Healer Valley. He might act like a monster but he isn’t one. If he was, he wouldn’t have compassion for others and that huge capacity he has for loving. Come to think of it, maybe it’s the terrible life he’s had what makes him being all devoted to the person he loves, to love without holding anything back.

Of course ZZS isn’t short of affection for his man, because while his love is on the more quiet, much more subtle side, he is always paying attention to WKX and is visibly worried about him and this hatred he has for the people of the alliance as well as his plan for revenge.

I just love how we went for “oh, they might like each other, but they each have their emo baggage and ZZS doesn’t look too willing to take on WKX’s troubles or even understand him” to “yep, they’re soulmates, they’re in this together and ZZS won’t let darkness eat WKX away and WKX will risk it all to save his man”. It’s beautiful.

#word of honor #zhang zehan #gong jun #shen he ling #cdrama #okay i have managed to turn off my brain when i'm watching the drama #i was obsessively comparing drama vs novel #it was driving me crazy #but now i'm on the right track #and doing that I found that i can enjoy the drama a lot lot more #also the romance in the drama is so soft #idk what happened i didn't have this problem with guardian #and the drama and novel were worlds apart #ugh i wasn't planning to do such a long post #if you made it till the end give yourself a pat on the back #also thank you!

[veliseraptor]

Hi, lise....now that you finished 'Word of Honor', do you enjoy it overall? What do you think of the characters and the plot?

okay, first off I want to say that I really enjoyed it and I am going to watch it again, because I feel like the rest of this answer is going to come off sounding a lot more critical. so I want to make that clear first.

it’s just always going to be easier for me to articulate things I don’t like about something than things I do. unfortunate.

first of all: I do genuinely and sincerely and completely love the villain4villain thing that wen kexing and zhou zishu have got going on. it is amazing. and I love that they’re both...people with dark and ugly sides to them, sort of at various points along the path of “not evil anymore want to be loved now” (and wen kexing bouncing back to “evil again” a few times. it’s hard! and he’s also just. very sexy when he’s being ghost valley master mode/murder mode in general.)

I love their dynamic, too, where they’re so playful. they tease each other, they joke, and it’s a pleasure especially to watch zhou zishu emerge from his depression over the course of the show, getting drawn out a little at a time, so you see more and more of his sense of humor and his smiles. he has a very cute smile, it’s good.

also: love gu xiang, she captured my heart pretty much right off the bat and never lost it. love how capable she was, love her struggling to figure out her humanity, love her relationship with wen kexing (especially that! so much!) and also her relationship with all the ladies of ghost valley. love all the ladies in general - this was a show with a lot of really cool women in it who were dynamic and interesting and, most excitingly in my opinion, had relationships with each other.

on the other hand, did not love that almost all of them died, bar one, and also was not a fan of gu xiang and cao weining’s romance, even though I did find cao weining endearing at times (and the way it was built as a clear parallel to wen kexing and zhou zishu was very nicely done. love those heterosexual proxies.)

(although like. wow. they really just...went for it, didn’t they.)

on the other hand, I found the plot...frankly borderline incomprehensible for much of the show, and I’m still not sure I get it overall. it was very macguffin, as many people have noted, and just...I was having a very hard time tracking everything. it is likely that things will make more sense on rewatch, but I personally found the plot of this one harder to follow than the plot of cql, and less compelling. I was definitely in this one for the relationship(s) and not the plot otherwise.

I also...I don’t know if this is an ~unpopular opinion~ or what, but I was not a huge fan of the reveal that wen kexing and zhou zishu had met before? I see why they did it, but I would’ve preferred if they’d been strangers prior to meeting at this point in their lives where they were both...at turning points in their (career) paths. I found that more compelling and was a little disappointed by that particular decision (which I understand is a departure from the novel).

the pacing of the last five episodes...definitely suffered, which I am given to understand is probably an effect of their number of episodes getting cut, but still impacted the viewing experience.

and of course I have not mentioned xie’er yet, or the scorpion squad in general, which is very remiss of me. love them. love them very much. love the relationship between da pusa and xie wang, but of course - of course - love even more the deeply, deeply fucked up relationship between xie’er and zhao jing. like. boy is that a mess and boy am I here for it.

(also just like. the way that xie’er lights up when he gets praised for something? adorable. I’m a sucker for characters who will casually kill people like it’s nothing and then get very “!!!!!” when people are happy with them.)

I feel like I have not mentioned chengling and that is because overall he did not make much of an impression on me. I liked him, and I definitely felt bad for him (boy does everyone keep fucking dying on this kid), but I didn’t have any particular emotional attachment.

ye baiyi was also amazing. especially every time he and wen kexing were in the same room together. so, so good. thanks for that, everyone.

I guess to sum up...I feel like this was a show where I liked a lot of elements and I really liked the main relationship, but there were a lot of the surrounding trappings that frustrated me and I didn’t find the overarching plot terribly compelling, which combined with the rushed feeling ending left me feeling...dissatisfied overall, I guess.

like I said, I’m going to rewatch, and I really, really loved a lot of pieces of it! particularly wen kexing, xie’er, and everything about wen kexing and zhou zishu’s dynamic and the way they played off each other.

(also, hoo boy, lots of quality whump material in there. that was nice.)

there were just some places where it felt like it fell a little short of what I wanted from it.

#word of honor blogging #boy that got long #anonymous #conversating

[agendratum]

as i continue to ignore final episodes, the game “can you find 3 extra seconds of flirting in a special episode” is back now with episode 17!

- failed to ignore the impending doom thanks to weining’s dreams in the very beginning of this episode. i’m trying NOT to cry today, shut up!!

KNOCK HARDER

- qianqiao, even a-xiang knows your dude sucks! listen to her! listen to her!!

- me, watching old episodes and thinking that maybe this time things are going to be different

- what a dumb question

you know he’s hot

- who allowed this to happen

- i rewatched this moment like 5 times and maybe it wasn’t intentional, but why does it look like xie’er’s hand is shaking while he’s playing with his yifu who’s negotiating with ghosts

(obviously you can’t see it on a screenshot but you know, why)

- ok i have something to say and i wanted to say this for a while

these three ghosts, these traitors, they call zhao jing ans xie’er mad, they call wen kexing a lunatic, they call luo fumeng a crazy lady or whatever.

when was the last time these three assholes looked in the mirror? i’m just curious

- YOU GET A CAR AND YOU GET A CAR

gotta say tho, i like this dude’s voice

- highly doubt that this is what he said

- says a 150 years old man that steals soup

- finally, a wolong nuts ad. wolong nuts my beloved

- i’m making a separate post for wxk and ye baiyi eating wolong nuts and drinking together because it’s just too funny for me for some reason

- “honey, we almost killed our son” chengling having his main character moment of realising he has secret powers, the only problem is he’s not the main character

- “i’ve seen better” *instant depressed mode* old man, stop making me emotional

- they’re spilling so much alcohol, this is physically painful to watch

but the question is - have they spilled more alcohol than wei wuxian?

- who allowed this to happen 2.0

- why are you giving me emoooooootions, old man

“i can’t remember” ;-----------------;

- oh right, i remember now, i’m here to find 3 extra seconds of flirting

- i think i found it. well i found something for sure

bruh, come drink with me, bruh

- this whoooole sceeene

“can you not die?” “i’ll try my best”

“look at me” “i don’t want to look at your pretentious mask” “i’m just scared”

“don’t leave” “i’m not leaving”

- tomorrow i’ll punch you in your face, today i’ll gently tuck you in bed

and that’s love

- i forgot he says these words, because like. wow. wow. ok. that’s a lot. that whole scene is too much

fellas is it gay to tuck another man in and, as you’re hovering over him, tell him that, if he doesn’t open his heart to you, even god won’t be able to take you away from him

#woh spoilers #have to put this tag here thanks to someone's shitty dreams #of things that DO NOT happen #maybe i'm watching woh #long post

[thegreymoon]

Word of Honor

Wait... what is this drug they are taking?

An antidote for what? And why do they need it so badly??

***

Of course that’s your plan 🙄🙄

I DON’T TRUST YOU FOR A SECOND. 

***

Who the hell is Lao Bi?

I just double-checked the number of the episode I’m watching. Why do I feel like I have chunks of information missing? First with the antidote, now with this. 

***

AND THE GHOST KING HAS LANDED!!

WEARING FULL RED AND NOT FUCKING AROUND!!

***

LMAOOOO, look at his stupid face 🤣🤣

You are so fucked, asshole 💀💀

***

OH MY GOD. HE SUMMONED THE GHOST ARMY!

THEY ARE STILL OBEYING HIM? AND AUNT LUO IS THERE?? 

HOW? WHEN??

SERIOUSLY, DID I MISS A FUCKING EPISODE AGAIN?

***

I AM SOBBING 😭😭

Also, this scene is positively biblical 😅😅

***

LMAO 😂😂

How (and when??) did you get away from the Scorpion, you disaster?

***

I had to go google these two elves to figure out who they are 😐

Frankly, I don’t understand how it was expected of me to deduce their link to Prince Jin and Zhou Zishu. Would it have killed them to give us a few flashbacks for them too?

***

THE HAIRPIN SCENE!!

BABIES ARE NOW MARRIED AND HAVE A SECT TO RUN!

I still don’t know how we got from where we were in the last episode to all this, but I’m not complaining!! 🤗🤗

***

You and me both, brother 😅

This entire episode has me feeling like I’ve somehow landed in a completely different show! 

***

Again. 

What secret medicine and since when??

The one thing that keeps coming to mind is WKX’s mother and the poison she used on Zhao Jing, but. How did Zhao Jing weasel his way out of that? And if it is the same poison, how is the Scorpion using it on the Ghosts now? Where did he get the recipe and the antidote?

***

Ah, so Scorpion’s second assassin is still alive!

Good to know! I was wondering what happened to her!

***

Anyway, I have all kinds of feelings about this 😶

***

Well, this is a whole new heartbreak 😢

***

But, Aunt Luo, why? 😢

Yes, he wants to kill everyone, the humans and ghosts alike, but he has been trying to save her department since the beginning! I never fully realized it until now, but it always bugged me a little when her maids would come crying to him and he wouldn’t take them back under his wing, sending them back out into the world instead. He’s been rejecting them, pushing them out, giving them money to start a new life because he wants to save them. 

***

I love the elves even if they feel like they wandered in from another story! 😆

I love this black one and his dedication to curing A-Xu’s alcoholism 👇

But the white one is a riot 😂😂

When he went, “I remember someone asked me to find to find him a girl with a great figure. I found a lot, but he...” and then drifts off into pointed silence 😂😂

***

Okay, truthfully, I am really not a fan of these last two episodes 😕 I’ve been informed that they apparently had to cut a whole nine episodes because they lost their funding and I feel for everyone involved, I really do, but it’s such a pity the story had to devolve into so much mess so close to the end. Nothing makes sense anymore, it feels like they are rushing to tie up storylines that don’t really fit together because they didn’t have the chance to grow organically. It feels like the entire story is taking place off screen and I’m just sitting here frustrated and confused. For example, this:

Didn’t we see the Scorpion King and WKX colluding, like, minutes ago? Why is he back with Zhao Jing, fighting against WKX now? I mean, it’s probably a scheme of theirs, but at this point, do we really need that ‘reveal’ when we are two minutes away from the finale? And if it isn’t a scheme and they are really fighting against each other, where is the fallout? We didn’t get to see anything that led to this, we didn’t get to see Scorpion returning to Zhao Jing. We are just ‘told’, oh, the Ghost King is surrounded and they are about to kill him 😕

I really hope they pull themselves together for the last four episodes because this lack of coherence and logical progression is really nuking all my emotional investment here. 

***

Wen Kexing in killer mode is always a treat, though 😋

I love his fight scenes so much! 

***

Zhou Zishu is here and all this is supposed to be very emotional but I feel like the story has folded in upon itself and I’m just... bored? I don’t believe any of them on anything right now and am just waiting for something to happen to draw me back in. 

***

OMG, yes, please stop talking and start fighting again!

Since the plot is apparently dead and buried, at least give us the blood! 

*** 

Oh, hi, Ye Baiyi! 🖤

My grumpy hundred-year-old baby, I missed you!! 

***

Yeah, Chengling can fuck all the way off now. I have zero patience for this. 

***

This alone makes it obvious that this is some scheme. 

I feel so sad for Zhou Zishu, though. Whatever it is they are doing, they should have told him. 

***

There is always the danger of a show going one twist and turn too far and that has definitely happened for me here. I have no idea what to do with all this, but he remains a work of art.

***

Very appreciative of your service here, sir 😋

***

Well, this looks ominous 😆

I feel like all three are plotting his demise. 

***

So many tragic gays on this show 🙄

Also, by this point they were not even trying to be subtle. He was clearly sharing a life with this man, loving him and grieving for him. He even refers to Rong Xuan as ‘their child’.

***

Is there even any doubt at this point?

*deepest sigh*

#word of honor #woh spoilers #woh ep31 #woh ep32