#I imagine it works very well on Hua Cheng | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

user-needs-new-hyperfixation · 16 days

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Can I ask from this ask game : https://www.tumblr.com/toomanyfandomsthings/749729499738996736/send-me-a-ship-and-a-number-and-ill-tell-you?source=share

No. 2, 10, 11, 12, 15 for Sherliam, Albert/Mycroft and HuaLian.... Thanks 🌻

2. What their love letters look like

Sherliam: I think while they were separated before they came back to London they probably wrote a fair amount (though that might have been complicated by Sherlock being on the move so much.) Some of their letters were long and sentimental and filled with the kind of stuff that prompts a historian 150 years later to call them "besties." Other times it was just telegraphs like: arrived safely STOP terrible weather the whole trip STOP miss your butt.

Mycal: Albert writes long poetic love letters in beautiful penmanship and Mycroft is very dry and droll and they're both incredibly pretentious in their own ways.

Hualian: They never write love letters because they're always together, they have a telepathic private chat even when they're not, and Xie Lian can't read Hua Cheng's handwriting. 😂😂😂

10. What TV shows they watch together, and which ones they hide from the other

Sherliam: They like to watch NatGeo documentaries and mystery shows together. Sherlock is pretending he doesn't like Dateline and William is pretending he doesn't like Hallmark Channel movies.

Mycal: they watch The Great British Bake Off together. Albert hides that he cries over soap operas and Mycroft is inexplicably secretive about his love of PBS Masterpiece Theatre.

Hualian: (with the caveat that I'm referencing all western shows, I don't know Chinese TV, I'm sorry!) They watch grumpy detective shows together. Hua Cheng secretly watches HGTV and rants about the decorating choices. Xie Lian secretly watches kids' cartoons.

In every set of couples, they are all actually entirely aware of and endeared by their partner's "secret" faves.

11. What their first impression was of each other

I think we have this pretty well established in canon for both Sherliam and Hualian, but I do wonder about Mycal, because I have the (perhaps entirely wrong lol) impression that the first time we see them interact is not the first time they do interact. I imagine their first meeting as polite but with a bit of a strange edge to it: some recognition in both of them that this is someone to Keep An Eye On. Cautious but intrigued.

12. What they do for their anniversary

They are all basic bitches who plan to just go out for a nice dinner and exchange gifts and then have a bunch of sex. However, Mycal are the only ones who actually manage this without Shenanigans and Escapades along the way. Sherliam and Hualian both have anniversary stories involving things like getting lost and getting robbed and accidentally solving a murder and breaking a bone and having a near death experience.

15. What they would change about each other

Sherliam: Sherlock would (and did!) change William's self-loathing. William would (and also probably did at least to a degree) change Sherlock's smoking and drug habits.

Mycal: Mycroft would also change Albert's self-loathing. (It's a work in progress.) Albert would want Mycroft to be a little more open about his emotions.

Hualian: they would both want the other to stop sacrificing themselves. They're getting there.

#asks #sherliam #mycal #hualian

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ghooostbaby · 1 year

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i have a budding head canon (that relates to huaxuan, stay with me) that hua cheng's relationship with sex got pretty damaged by witnessing xie lian being enchanted by the sex flowers when hua cheng was just a teen. think about it - the first and only person he has a crush on when he's so young, he sees going into orgasmic pleasure in this atmosphere of danger and shame, and that person stabs themselves and undergoes great pain to avoid feeling sexual pleasure. AND after hua cheng's childhood of abuse that gives him a rage at the idea of hurting someone he loves. AND that's just the first of the times hua cheng witnesses xie lian being stabbed and we know what xie lian being stabbed comes to be extremely significant for his whole existence as a ghost. so I think hua might be afraid of sex, pleasure, desire, etc, initially, associate it with this violent act, and balks at the idea of having sex with xie lian even in his fantasies, because he only wants to offer to xie lian things that supports him and gives good things, and from his earlier times with xie lian he knows sexual pleasure is not something xie lian wants.

when they go to the cave with his horny art, hua cheng wants to hide it. i imagine he did those paintings originally in a state of great suffering when he couldn't help but pour those desires out of him, but he never wanted to bring to the surface for others to see. it's just that xie lian is so surprisingly open to it, and into kissing him and touching him from the time they meet. and ... well, we know how things go from there.

i think it would be very interesting that young budding ghost king hua cheng associates sex with violence or suffering, and doesnt want to inflict on xie lian anything that will hurt him, and works hard to exercise self control over his desires. but somehow centuries before meeting xie lian he learns to deal with this...

ENTER coordinating he xuan head canon...

so, I've been gradually reading the black water arc and been especially interested reading closely about the reverend of empty words and generally how ghosts work and/or develop in tgcf. there is a part where they say when a ghost eats another ghost they retain the consciousness, abilities, etc of what they ate. it is suggested that the more ghosts one eats or the more powerful a ghost that one eats is, the more it dilutes the sense of self of the ghost doing the eating. myself and my fellow he xuan obsessed mutual have had some fun exploring head canons on how he xuan would have started cultivating amd developed as a ghost, how this would play out as he absorbs other consciousnesses into himself before he has the cultivation to master them... and when he might have met hua cheng along this process, who perhaps helped him... :3

the reverend that hunted he xuan and shi qingxuan is said to be one of the most powerful of these jinx monsters. and as xie lian observes, they feed on fear, and their hunting method is to use their magic to declare a curse to their prey that when it comes true creates a surge of fear that the jinx monster feeds on which gives it more power to create worse curses which leads to increased fear, on and on until the prey is totally destroyed.

so i think that no matter how good he xuan's cultivation got, this thousand years old reverend of empty words would be a hefty mouthful for he xuan. i imagine him having just devoured the reverend finally and feeling filled to the brim with its feelings, instincts, needs, abilities, still struggling to hang onto himself as he xuan. the desire to eat fear is overwhelming but he is also himself, he cares about justice, not harming the weak.

and then i imagine hua cheng, as powerful and cool and sassy as he is, underlying it all is a lot of negative emotions, that jinx monsters find especially tasty, fear, and anxiety, and frustration. hua cheng's fear he'll never find xie lian again, that he'll never have enough or be enough or do enough to help him, fear of his own desires for xie lian as well and of hurting xie lian if he lets himself impose his own desires or expectations on xie lian, like all the people hua cheng saw around xie lian doing in the xian le years...

and hungry reverend/he xuan happening upon this tremendously tasty source of fear and despair and flinging himself out of nowhere and clinging onto him all teeth and limbs chomping on those bitter feelings hungrily. hua cheng could easily toss off this pathetic excuse for a ghost, barely holding itself together around a petty jinx monster, but it is actually slurping up all his fear, and it ... feels kind of nice. because it is the reverend, but also still he xuan who is not interested in causing harm, locking a victim in an endless cycle, he just needs to satisfy his hunger for this moment so he can get control back.

with hua cheng, he xuan is able to satisfy the hungers of the jinx monster to get it in check and eventually get control over its consciouness, while not doing harm to an innocent victim... feeding from this boundless source of fear, otherwise known as having sex with hua cheng. ^^ he doesn't need to send out harmful curses to incite fear, just slipping his robes a little off his shoulders as he slowly walks toward hua cheng is enough for a delicious wave of fear to emanate towards him. and hua cheng at first just wants to get rid of these awful feelings, and maybe discharge some of these base desires he despises with someone with whom it doesnt matter, someone he's not trying to keep safe ... but he finds that as they're clinging onto each other and he xuan is gobbling up every mouthful, without the murkiness of fear haunting everything, he experiences the physical sensation of lust and sexual pleasure with a clarity that makes it feel pretty good, and he can experience sex without losing his will to love and his devotion.

#huaxuan #he xuan #hua cheng #tgcf

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khattikeri · 3 months

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Mdzs for the shipping grid? 👀👀👀

YESSS here we are! v surprised at how strong my opinions are for this fandom but probably shouldn't be sldkfjlksd

**I COMPLETELY FORGOT THE YI CITY CREW ON THIS BUT I DON"T WANT TO DELETE THE IMAGE AND RE-ADD IT INKLDSFHKLDSJ so

- xue/xiao compels me and is in the middle of the makes sense line - song/xiao is closer to makes sense but compels me a bit less - song/xue/xiao is somewhere in between them.

further explanations of all other pairings under the cut!

quadrant by quadrant bc my explanations are Long for this one

out of the way: wang/xian undoubtedly peak! xuan/li v cute, love em. xi/yao is my favorite of the possible 3zun pairings, they're just too juicy and such good narrative foils to wang/xian...

nie/yao is also fun to me because of how much tension and strife they have.

i like nie/lan the least of all possible 3zun pairings just bc i like the conflict jgy brings to the table LOL

even though zhui/ling is the most popular junior pairing i... am not a huge fan of it? they're not blood relatives at all but both are still family to wwx in ways that make me feel weird about them romancing each other. in no war/wens are good aus i'd be more into it...

jingzhui isn't on the chart but they're also both inner lan clan members. so. weird to me! i like ling/yi best. they banter a lot but still get along well as friends

i can see why people are compelled by wen ning and wwx. i love their fucked up codependency too. i just don't see it romantically

i also see why people might ship cheng/xian, i just sincerely think their relationship is most compelling as siblings or pseudo-family due to the social class tensions.

chang/mian is quite rare just bc both characters are so minor but like... god can you imagine all the jiang cheng & wwx parallels. pointing. those are their dads

sang/cheng is like... most of the time it feels very pair the spares-esque. BUT. they both have a lot of similarities underneath the surface and if people tap into that i do like it. BUT (again) i just really prefer it platonic. jiang cheng is like peak "this man is aroace and does not know what either of those words are" to me. celibacysweep and all that

sang/yao. honorable mention to my favorite fucked up ship that literally nobody ships (including myself!). i can't like em romantically, only enjoy the dynamic, but it's so fun to think about. like spy x spy but worse.

and finally stuff that i don't like

no real reason for sang/yu, i just don't see em that way. i'm too novel-only to like wen qing/jc.

LWJ/anyone else feels too much like blasphemy. similar to shipping hua cheng tgcf with people who aren't xie lian LOL

AND FINALLY. THE MDZS SHIP I LIKE LEAST. <3 </3 xi/.cheng

this is like peak pair the spares to me. they're literally coworkers. they're just two people who lead clans and only talk business with each other. they aren't friends, they don't even make smalltalk. their relationship is the equivalent of sometimes bumping into a linkedin connection at the grocery store. come on. COME ON. they have zero personal ties except for the fact that their brothers are deeply in love and have a torrid romance spanning decades

for lxc especially this just feels like such a weak ship to me bc you have TWO whole other people he has fascinating, actually existing dynamics with (nmj and jgy), and xi/yao especially has so so so many parallels to wang/xian. 3zun ships have so much angst and what-ifs and there's so much more meat to it.

see also my thing about jc just... honestly i cannot see him romantically working out with anyone. nobody. whatsoever. this is a man for whom romance is not the solution, ever

so i can't. it literally drives me crazy. i cannot make sense out of xi/cheng whatsoever it doesn't compel me one bit and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say i hate it when there are other ships right there ahahahghdskljfdslk

#ask #kish-mish #ILU THANK U FOR THIS #my god i am so tilted over these books gkalsdhklfds

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ying-an-sanren · 2 years

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I saw this photo and thought...

⚠️ DARK HUMOR WARNING ⚠️

Imagine Hua Cheng who works as a shop assistant in a conveniant store.

The store has recently had problems with shop-lifting and so the owner tells Hua Cheng to write a sign so that ppl know that SHOPLIFTERS WILL BE PROSECUTED.

Hua Cheng's handwriting is very poor. He did do his absolute best nd even then the sign ends up being only half legible, so there's no wonder tht the shoplifting problem continues.

— Until one day when poor homeless Xie Lian is caught red handed by none other than Hua Cheng.

The tall shop assistant points at the sign and says, “Well you know what happens now.”

Xie Lian looks at the sign, squints at it in his best efforts to decipher wht it says. Then looks back at Hua Cheng with those big doe eyes and says “Am I going to be prostituted?” 🥺

Hua Cheng blinks, “You—...

Yes, such is the law. This way to the back-room please.”

#mxtx #mxtx crack #tgcf #hualian #modern au #hua cheng #xie lain

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powwidge · 1 year

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You reblogged stuff from both my wc blog AND my danmei/tgcf blog which is how i got here buut im now here to a ask an extremely specific NICHE question

if hualian, beefleaf and fengqing were warrior cats what would their individual wc names be in your personal opinion :3c (Cause ive thought about this in my spare time myself)

I'm dying. Drop the blogs. Don't be shy. Psppspss. I'm very into both tgcf and waca. Omfg.

Since I'm mainly a beefleafer let's start wirh them, but.

Shi Qingxuan: let's not fool ourselves, she'd 100% be a kittypet, then fall in love with hx, decide to join the clans, and cause havoc. I'd imagine her kittypett name could be sth sorta compatible though (...unlike. bellaleaf .), like Puff maybe? Cuz I feel lkke Puffleaf would be very cute and fitting

He Xuan: I think we oughta opt for the obvious "Blackpool" here n call it a day. Anyways I can actually imagine him being a medicine cat cuz he DID use to be a scholar n all and also romance between a medicine cat and kittypet? Let's go

Xie Lian: I'd opt for some kind of flower name + the -heart suffix def. Some kind of white flower, but my brain is a little empty rn so make of that what u will- also he should be deputy under Jun Wu so he can receive his trauma accordingly

Hua Cheng: torn between using crimson and rain here ngl. Crimsonrain mifht actyally work bur that sounds kind of stupid. I feel like maybe Crimsonclaw would work becayse it'd scare everyone like "IS HE VIOLENT???" and Hua cheng is like "in theory no because I'm a softie in practice if u hurt gege, yes :D" or maybe sth like Rainfire? I'm indecisive, so

Feng Xin: is like to opt for sth that's brown because in my head he's just brown???? If that makes sense??? I might go for Woodpelt with him since most "pelt" cats seem to be a bit aggressive, so it'd fit- also he's the kost annoying warrior ever I bet he's like. Overachiever, hunts from morning to night, gets injured 24/7 becayse of it, probably voluntarily does mouse bile tick elder duty. (I love him really)

Mu Qing: can I say Crowfeather? Can I? Becayse they both jusg rlly wanna be loved bur fail at expressing that unless driven into a corner? No? No??? Goddamnit. I'd actually like to go for something incredibly soft wirh Mu qing just so that some cats at gatherings would go "oh my god xxx is such a pretty name whY DID YOU JUST CLAW MY EARS OFF DUDE ITS A GATHERING" as for the name. Uh. I'm elly mad rhat any berries just have such stupidly long names rlly. Maybe Current since they don't have the berry suffix? (Is it Currant? God I don't remmeber. Those rply small sour berries that r either red or black. Currant I think. English isn't my first language Im sorry HAJSKSKS) sth like Currantflower maybe; stuff that makes people expect a she-cat who's a forever queen whos super kind n then they meet mu qing (and rlly their assumption is right, he's just tsundere)

Ok im sordy I sont think u wanted THAT extensive of an answer !!!!!!!!! All I can say in my defense is I've got autism 🙏🏻 all insults to the charactwrs r said with tons of love btw I love all of these idiots very dearly. Jun wu included. Sadly. I think that one mifht be a bir invalid. Hmm.

#anon i love u i would die for u be my best friend #Jandkdkd SORRY #tgcf #warrior cats #im so sorrg about the poll #i dont use tumblr on phone for typing out things #but this got me so excited

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eyes-of-mischief · 1 year

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weekly fic recs | 34

fandoms: bsd, dbh, hq, tgcf, svsss

bsd

Who Needs Money Anyway? (Spoiler Alert: It’s Us) by fandomsandshit

Their funding has been cut.

Akiko stares blankly at the sheet Haruno is holding out to her, hands sweaty and shaky, and resists the urge to scream.

It’s been a long time coming. As much as she hates to admit it, Akiko is honestly surprised it took this long for them to lose some of it; what with the monthly shootings, consistent suicide attempts and general shenanigans of the Agency members.

But how on earth are they going to make enough money now?

---------- (modern-ish au where the ada causes too much property damage for proper funding, and so yosano leads them into the wonderful world of twitch streaming to make money)

A Study in Mafia Black by eluvion

If he’s being honest, good and bad don’t matter so much to Ranpo as truth does. Good and bad are subjective, clouded with human error, and honestly, they’re quite boring. Mystery has always been more interesting than morality with the way each string weaves together, creating a tapestry of crime, blood and ash writing their own story. Dazai is still as much of a mystery as he was at first glance, and Ranpo is just as ready to pick apart the truth from whatever plays behind those eyes.

Or; a friendship, of sorts, between the two smartest members of the Armed Detective Agency.

dbh

preconstruct by aworus

(graphic depictions of violence)

Connor’s preconstruction software is activating much more often than he’d like. Who knew an android problem could actually be so human?

(Five times Connor has intrusive thoughts and one time he tells someone about it.)

a dictionary definition by shoutowo

“Well, yeah!” Bokuto says. “When I say stuff like ‘the world’, sometimes, like, in my head, I’m really only imagining one person.”

The interviewer looks like she hit the jackpot. Bokuto doesn’t notice. “Can we get a name?”

or, Akaashi is Bokuto's world. This creates more problems than it solves.

tgcf

centuries since paradise by parsnipit

Xie Lian has spent long enough around sirens to have some grasp of their communication, and some of it is even a little similar to mer noises. This sound, for example, is like the one podmates use to call for each other—curious, beckoning. He suspects it means much the same thing for sirens. Has this siren lost someone, maybe? Hopefully it will find its lost someone soon, so Xie Lian can go back to sleep. Then, because nothing good can ever happen to Xie Lian, the siren peeks beneath the overhang. It hangs its head over the jut of stone, its hair billowing like a crown of ink and the yellow sclera of its eye bright against the black. That singular eye catches on his, its pupil dilating, and Xie Lian stiffens.

Windmaster's Heavenly Confections by IceEckos12

Eight years after a personal tragedy derailed his life, Xie Lian is hired to work at the local candy shop, Windmaster's Heavenly Confections.

He has no idea what he's just gotten himself into.

Including: cooking disasters, reunions with old friends, and the sweetest possibility of romance.

A Wolf’s Snare by UmbraSoleil

(explicit)

By all accounts, Hua Chengzhu is a terrifying, wicked king. But, as much as Hua Cheng is feared, he is also favored.

So then why would such a man request to marry him—the prince of a kingdom in decline? Xie Lian did not think he would ever be able to understand.

Then, during Xie Lian’s escort to his betrothed, a peculiar spirit tethers itself to him; a youth who calls himself San Lang.

“You’ve kept me waiting for a very long time.”

svsss

Into This Wild Abyss by Lbhs_left_tiddie (HungryPoet)

(explicit) (graphic depictions of violence, rape/non-con)

Shen Qingqiu stood at the edge of the cliff, his back lit up by the fiery light of the Endless Abyss. The blood from the wound on his chest spilled out between his fingers, splattering onto the shattered remains of Xiu Ya laying at his feet. When he looked up, his expression was half-wild with the heat of battle, shoulders heaving with his ragged breaths, and his eyes, which were normally like green jade, glowed blood red-

-The very same red shining from the demon mark etched onto his forehead.

Or: Shen Qingqiu is the protagonist of PIDW

#weekly fic recs #bsd #bsd fic recs #dbh #dbh fic recs #hq #hq fic recs #tgcf #tgcf fic recs #svsss #svsss fic recs #no prompt

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veliseraptor · 2 years

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You left me thinking about Xue Yang and Xie Lian interacting in general. I’m sure Xie Lian would remind him a lot of his self-sacrificing Daozhang.

I actually think about this situation in the context of like...well, more Hua Cheng-like, actually, where it'd be Xue Yang when he's younger (though it'd really have to be with a post-exile Xie Lian to work). Xie Lian trips over a(nother) battered street kid and is like "is anyone going to do something about that who isn't me and doesn't have terrible luck" (the answer is no)

I'm imagining Xue Yang around like. 10/11 here. long enough past Finger Incident to be decidedly embittered and angry at the world but before the murdering kicks in. at that point I think a weird, semi-incomprehensible trash god with literally the worst luck of anyone Xue Yang has ever seen would be pretty irresistible

(for various reasons I think later on, and post-Xiao Xingchen in particular, Xue Yang's reaction to Xie Lian would be...colored very differently, in one of a few different ways.)

#conversating #shockingheaven #aggressively headcanons #xue yang #xie lian

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abigail-nicole · 1 year

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tgcf liveread part 12

hey u know i love this book. i am trying to preserve the feeling of reading if for the first time. if you've never had that joy then go buy it

originally tweeted 4/3/2020:

book five, boss fight with Jun Wu continue:

cw tw cw tw abusive dad jun wu

This I Hurt You Because I Love You & I’m Teaching You makes this boss fight 800x more emotionally charged and horrifying

even the phrase “to discipline him” in this passage is Fucked!!!! Up!!!!! but i’m literally yelling for hua cheng in my empty house

So many things about this passage:

interesting because How Much Spiritual Power Does Hua Cheng Have? From a narrative standpoint, functionally limitless. Perhaps being a ghost king he doesn’t use it the same way Xie Lian does, because otherwise why couldn’t he just take down Jun Wu himself?

Second NOT A CRITICISM I LOVE AN OP DEMON GHOST KING and clearly them working together is what’s making the fight work. It has to be the combo of jun wu seeing xie lian as his son + hua cheng’s power able to exploit that weakness

Thirdly FINALLY THE SHACKLES ARE OFF!!!! THIS IS THE LITERAL GUN IN THE SECOND ACT WHICH HAS, JUST NOW, THREE HUNDRED CHAPTERS LATER, GONE OFF

Fourth activate Ghost King SPIRITUAL POWER GIVING KISS!!!! *magical girl pose*

I don’t wanna see this in donghua form because i dont want them to censor any kisses & i cant imagine the story without them

How does this fight hit EVERY SINGLE ANIME FIGHT TROPE AND THE EMOTIONAL BEATS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM????? It’s the anime fight to end all fights

“There is no banquet in this world that doesn’t come to an end”

SOMEONE GET ME EPI BECAUSE IM IN ASYSTOLE

I BETTER BRUSH UP ON ACLS BECAUSE I NEED TO CODE _MYSELF_ AFTER THIS PASSAGE

I SAID I DIDNT WANT TO DIE FROM COVID BEFORE FINISHING THIS BOOK, NOT KNOWING THIS BOOK WOULD _KILL ME_

Butterfly reprise

Ugly crying in hualian

Everyone incl Ling Wen very matter-of-factly Team Hualian

This passage is incredibly wistful, poignant, bittersweet. Taicang maple forest reprise

oh my god oh my god this passage is so good I'm dying

Remember in twilight new moon when bella falls into a depressive fugue for months well THAT SONG IS PLAYING IN MY HEAD

POSSIBILITY - LYKKE LI

this chapter is SLAUGHTERING ME i need the manhua to catch up bc i need heavenly lantern hualian art to go with this

This chapter is like THE TWELVE STATIONS OF THE CROSS IM NOT JOKING

my HEART IS A TINY HUMMINGBIRD IN MY CHEST

*sobbing in hualian*

GODDAMN IT I BETTER GET A WEDDING SCENE

How My Lord Aches For The Flower; How I Ache For My Lord is an incredible chapter (243). Someone please enlighten me on which piece of poetry this comes from if you know

oh my god the softest husbands

this is everything I wanted or could possibly want from a book. the bible wishes it had this range and romance. thank you for coming, I love you all, I love mxtx and hualian, goodnight

天官赐福百无禁忌

#tgcf #tgcf liveread #there is no banquet in the world that doesn't come to an end

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nyerus · 2 years

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Unpopular opinion: yin yu's return aside, i absolutely loathe the amnesia extra, it's the only thing of mxtx's that i hate, hua cheng going around letting xie lian think he got raped? yeah no.....i felt so bad cause they kept toying with xie lian and gaslighting him and he felt so confused like imagine waking up like that and panicking cause you don’t know what’s going on and whatever happened might’ve ruined everything you’ve worked for your whole life it’s too sad....

Sorry did not mean to rant here, nyerus....Can I ask, what is your opinion on this extra?

I love the extra, and besides the Birthday extra, it's one of my favorites, so I'd have to disagree. But that's alright, since different people will engage with something differently! To give my perspective....

Xie Lian certainly jumped to conclusions, which I think were understandable for his situation. But he didn't really make that concern known at any point, so I don't think Hua Cheng assumed that as well. (My only ?? moment was don't gods have accelerated healing so how come he's still got marks on him, instead of it being long-healed up.) It's definitely a terrifying prospect, though even Xie Lian was a little unsure of what actually happened until towards the end, right before the actual reveal and before he got his memories back.

I think saying Hua Cheng was gaslighting him is extreme, as Hua Cheng was very carefully trying to control the situation to ensure that Xie Lian -- who was unknowing of said situation and unpredictable as a result -- wouldn't do anything extreme. (There was absolutely no way that Xie Lian would believe him if he just came out and told him everything. That would probably have done a lot more damage.) Definitely, Hua Cheng played up trying to be very seductive, knowing that Xie Lian would be attracted to him, but he was at no point cruel nor did he take advantage. He knew very well how to best approach Xie Lian to not only pique his interest, but to keep it -- because doing so would ultimately keep Xie Lian safe. He had to get Xie Lian back to Paradise Manor at all costs, for Xie Lian's safety, and getting Xie Lian to trust him on his own was a much better option than either kidnapping him or telling him things that would potentially terrify the hell out of him. He was already confused and sacred, and that would just terrify the shit out of him. You could tell at points that Hua Cheng felt extremely conflicted, but seeing as it was temporary, knew it was a matter of waiting it out until he could find that monster and return things to normal. In my opinion, he was pretty respectful while still being a little bewildered and charmed himself by this brand-new side of Xie Lian that he never got to see. I don't fault him for enjoying seeing that side of Xie Lian while also clearly feeling bittersweet for countless reasons. It's a complicated situation, so the feelings involved are going to be complicated.

The ending as very touching to me, with Hua Cheng reassuring Xie Lian that in the end, he did get everything he worked for. They can't change the past nor run from it, but no one could have done better. He did his best and in the end, found his happiness. The journey was hard and he went through horrors he did not deserve, but his own strength saw him through to the end. That he needn't be afraid of facing that truth, because he was not alone anymore.

It's completely okay if you dislike it, as we cannot expect to like every aspect of something, and that's just normal! Especially when it comes to things which mention sexual assault, it can be very triggering or upsetting. I myself have things that have affected me badly, but that's just how it goes in life. We all have different perspectives and reasons for either liking/disliking something, which will affect how we see it as a whole. As long as we can all respect that for each other, it's all good!

#anon #asks #i also think MXTX wanted to explore that very specific side to xie lian and hualian as a whole #and on that front i enjoyed seeing that even if i felt bad for xie lian at points!#ultimately not everyone has to like everyone or agree on something!#that's just the nature of fandom

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stufftippywrote · 3 years

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infinities within infinities

"Don't get me wrong," Xie Lian says, "I'm really grateful for the donation, but I don't think it's right to name the library after me."

But the man in the three-piece suit seems insistent. "You're a groundbreaking force in the world of philosophy," he says ardently. "I've read your Man, Thrice Ascended at least ten times. What you have to say about the concept of self as the infinite is revolutionary." He grins. The leather of the eyepatch over his right eye gleams in the sunlight. "The least you deserve is to have libraries named after you."

Xie Lian looks him over. This Hua Cheng is known as a reclusive billionaire, but there’s nothing withdrawn about him now, as he surveys Xie Lian with a bright eye. Instead, he’s almost preternaturally relaxed, hands in his pockets, smiling as bright as if he’d captured the sun. Despite the money and the insistent words, there’s nothing intimidating about him.. Xie Lian rather likes him.

“Well, thank you, I suppose, Mr. Hua,” he says carefully. He still isn’t sure about the Xie Philosophy Library concept. He looks up at the building and tries to imagine his name on the placard; it just seems preposterous. The dreams of a very young graduate student who thought he could change the whole nature of philosophy. Now, a fool’s wish. That it would be granted so suddenly, and by the young man in front of him who can’t be out of his twenties? Unimaginable.

“No need to thank me,” Hua Cheng says, shaking his head. “The very least I could do. Do you need a ride anywhere, Professor?”

Hua Cheng’s car might as well be a spaceship for how much it sticks out among the dumpy minivans and compact cars that surround it in the parking lot. Black, sleek, and gleaming, it truly seems to have beamed here from some point in a glittering future. Hua Cheng unlocks it with the touch of a button, and then, with another, the passenger side door swings open of its own volition. Xie Lian peeks inside. The interior is black as well, but for some touches that stand out in burning crimson.

“Go on, Professor.” Hua Cheng is leaning on his side of the car, casting a sideways glance at him. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Xie Lian obeys, ducking his head to get in. “You really needn’t call me Professor,” he says as Hua Cheng joins him on the driver’s side.

“What should I call you, then?” Hua Cheng’s smile is devastatingly brilliant, and Xie Lian is glad he’s sitting, because his knees have just gone to jelly. “I could call you gege, if it’s not too informal.”

He’s teasing -- at least, Xie Lian thinks he’s teasing -- but honestly the word comes out of his mouth more naturally than professor, and Xie Lian likes the sound of it better. “Gege is fine,” he says lightly.

“But in return,” Hua Cheng says, starting up the car, “you have to call me San Lang.”

“Why?” There’s something buzzing in Xie Lian’s brain now about the concept of naming, what we call ourselves versus what others call us, but he shunts it aside.

“Why do you think?” The car pulls out of its space, and a low rumble echoes in Xie Lian’s gut as it starts to navigate the parking lot. Hua Cheng is glancing at him between peeks in the rearview mirror. “You know what they say about us billionaires, we’re eccentric. Humor me.”

“Very well, San Lang,” Xie Lian replies, and he likes the sound of that, too.

It’s ten minutes of buzzing around the downtown streets before Xie Lian realizes he never gave a destination. “San Lang,” he says carefully, “where are we going?”

“Here and there,” Hua Cheng says. “I want to pick your brain about Man, Thrice Ascended.”

“Oh.” Xie Lian is flattered, and honestly the concept of riding around aimlessly in this sleek machine appeals to him. “Go right ahead, then.”

“To tell you the truth,” Hua Cheng says, “I have trouble wrapping my head around the concept of the self as infinite. Unless you believe in a higher power, the concept of self seems painfully finite to me, as it only exists between birth and death. Isn’t that a pretty limited span?”

“Only temporally,” Xie Lian replies. “Did you know that there are 22 million seconds in the average lifetime?”

“22 million is a lot, but it’s not infinity,” Hua Cheng counters.

“Ah, but a second isn’t instantaneous. Seconds take time. If you’ve ever tried to hold a plank for more than a minute, you know that well.” And he really does look like the type who could hold it. If not for two. “The unit of time I’d rather use is the moment.”

Hua Cheng glances at him. The car pulls onto the highway. “The moment?” he asks, gently spurring Xie Lian forward.

“Exactly,” Xie Lian says. “The moment is instantaneous. Maybe there are hundreds of millions of moments in the span of a single second of time. Maybe more than that. We can conceptualize, then, that each second of a lifetime contains within it infinite moments, and each lifetime 22 million infinities.”

“But a moment is hardly an appreciable measure of time,” Hua Cheng says. “How many moments can we experience as moments with our limited consciousness? The moments experienced are still finite to the mind of the human who tries to count them. Even if you count as fast as you can, you can’t count to 100 within the space of a single second, much less infinity.”

“You’re asking good questions,” Xie Lian comments.

Hua Cheng glows a little. “I told you, I’ve read the book a thousand times.”

“Well, if you did read the book, then you know that our concept of moments here is merely a framework.” They’re driving along the coast now, the bay blue and the sun starting its daily fizzle from yellow to red. “The infinities that truly populate the self are not of time, but of possibility.”

“Infinite choice in each moment.” Hua Cheng nods. “Explain it to me one more time, please, won’t you, gege?”

There’s a little plaintive moan in his voice - just a sliver of an entreaty - and it gives Xie Lian the goosebumps. Here is someone who’s truly appreciating his work, and he’s pleasant to look at and his voice is pleasant to the ear, and Xie Lian is reeling with how much good sensation is rolling into him with every second of this drive. It’s like the best of good dreams, and he doesn’t want to think of it ending.

“In any moment -- and I do mean moment, with our earlier definition,” he says, “I could lean to the left. I could lean to the right. I could blink. I could lean to the left but just a little bit harder. I could think of the color red. I could think of the color blue. I could speak. I could stay silent. I could open the door and throw myself out of this car, if I wanted.”

“Please don’t,” Hua Cheng interjects, sounding a little unnerved.

“It’s just a possibility,” Xie Lian reminds him. “There are, essentially, an infinite number of things I could do with each moment of my life. Each of them takes some time, but the process of choosing is instantaneous. So you have infinite possibilities in every single moment of infinite moments.”

“Not infinite possibilities," counters Hua Cheng. "What you decide to do in one moment, as you said, takes time. The time it takes to perform that action necessarily negates the infinite nature of the next moment. You can’t make certain decisions while performing other actions.”

“Your possibilities are still infinite in each moment,” Xie Lian argues. “Just because some actions can’t be taken doesn’t mean there aren’t still infinite possibilities open to you. Think of numbers. An infinite number of numbers end in the digit 4. It’s still an infinite set, even though numbers that end in the digit 5 aren’t included.”

Hua Cheng frowns. “Perhaps my limited mind isn’t fully able to capture it,” he says after a time. “You’re very impressive, gege.”

Heat blooms in Xie Lian’s cheeks. “Thus,” he says, “we have the three ascensions. When the mind is able to grasp the concept of infinity within limited time, it ascends once. The second ascension comes when one accepts that infinite actions can be performed within that limited time. And the third ascension…”

“...is when the mind grasps that the possibilities are infinite for each of an infinite number of moments,” Hua Cheng fills in. “Infinities within infinities, all within the self.”

They’ve pulled off to a scenic outlook point on the bay. Hua Cheng eases the car into one of three parking spots and turns off the engine. He turns to Xie Lian. “Gege always explains it so well,” he says brightly. “Thank you for indulging me.”

Xie Lian can feel the flush creeping into his cheeks. He looks away. “You’re welcome.”

Another beep, and the car’s doors are opening again. Hua Cheng gets up, rounds the car to Xie Lian’s side, and holds out his hand.

They stand for a time side by side, watching the reddening sun dip its toes into the rippling water of the bay. There’s a strange peace to standing here, Xie Lian thinks, with this person he barely knows but is so ardent about his work. I’m safe. I’m appreciated. The sureness of that is unexpected but so, so welcome. Xie Lian thinks back, trying to remember the last time he felt that way. He can’t recall.

“It’s beautiful,” he murmurs. Cars thunder past on the road behind them.

“This is one of my favorite spots,” Hua Cheng says. “I’m always taken by the vastness of the ocean here. It seems so full.” He gestures down to where the water buffets the base of the cliffs below them. “Like it’s a moment from overflowing.”

Xie Lian ponders this. “I’ve never thought of the ocean as full or not,” he says. “The implication being that no more water can be added; that it’s complete as is, existing within its bounds.”

“It’s a philosophical puzzle, isn’t it?” says Hua Cheng lightly. “Of course, climate change is solving it as we speak. Rising sea levels and all. It seems the ocean has the potential to be boundless, even as we denote lines between sea and shore.”

“And the question then becomes, how accurately can we draw those lines? And is it human folly to even attempt to do so?”

“Of course,” Hua Cheng says, “none of these problems has practical application.”

Xie Lian laughs. “Most of philosophy has no practical application. That’s why it’s philosophy.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Hua Cheng replies. “Your philosophy has had effects on my psychology, at the very least. To think of myself as infinite has changed the way I look at the world.”

“And how does it look?” Xie Lian inquires, tilting his head.

Hua Cheng gazes at him, then turns back to face the sea. “Boundless,” he says.

Xie Lian nods. The wind whips past them, whispering coldly against his cheeks and ears. He shudders.

Without a word, Hua Cheng removes his long coat and drapes it over Xie Lian’s shoulders. The coat is warm with his body heat, and all that heat seeps into Xie Lian in a rush. He draws in a breath. When Hua Cheng’s fingers touch his neck to adjust the collar, he wants to shiver again, this time not from the cold.

“Gege.” Hua Cheng’s honey-rich, low voice touches his ear like the strains of a cello. “Would you let me take you someplace nice?”

Xie Lian looks out at the darkening bay. He thinks of the view from his office window, the wall of an adjoining brick building. He could go back there, write and read until the early morning hours. Perhaps he would sleep on the cot he’s laid out in there. Staring at the mottled ceiling, contemplating eternity.

Or he could go with Hua Cheng, who is holding out his hand, looking hopeful.

Xie Lian takes it.

They drive for another 10 minutes along the coast, then take an exit into an area filled with green fields. Huge houses dot the landscape -- this is the domain of the super-rich, Xie Lian thinks, because these fields aren’t used for farming. They’re simply green as far as the eye can see, well-manicured, sometimes interrupted by copses of grand old trees with outstretched branches. Some of the houses are surrounded by lush flower gardens. It’s not an area Xie Lian’s ever been too, nor does it seem like the kind of place he would want to live. But it’s fascinating just to see it for the first time.

Hua Cheng pulls down a narrow road, then turns onto another. Xie Lian squints as he makes out something odd on the horizon. Whatever it is, it’s silver, and a cluster of buildings sit low and flat around it. When wide concrete paths start to interrupt the endless greenery, he realizes what he’s looking at.

“I thought,” he says gingerly, “when you said someplace nice, you meant a fancy restaurant.”

“We can go to a restaurant,” Hua Cheng answers airily. He pulls the car into the yard, and they park. Holding Xie Lian’s fingers loosely, he leads him along the paths toward the airfield. The private jet sits on the runway like a horse at the gate, already humming. A movable staircase leads up to the main entrance. A number of people are working around it. One of them sees the pair approaching and offers Hua Cheng a bow.

“How soon can we be ready?” Hua Cheng asks him.

“Twenty minutes,” the man says. “We’ve been prepping since we got your text.”

Xie Lian wonders when Hua Cheng had managed to text them. “This is your plane?” A silly question; Hua Cheng nods easily, as though everyone has a private airfield with a jet ready to go at any moment. “Where are you taking me?”

Hua Cheng meets his gaze with a smile. “Where would you like to go? Tokyo? Hong Kong? Thailand is stunning this time of year.”

“San Lang,” Xie Lian starts, his heart pounding. Hua Cheng smiles that much more widely at the sound of the name. “Isn’t this a little…”

“Much?” Hua Cheng finishes for him. “Not at all. Not for gege.” He lays a hand on the small of Xie Lian’s back -- Xie Lian gasps at the touch -- and ushers him forward until they are both standing at the bottom of that staircase, the airplane’s door a wide unblinking eye at the top. Hua Cheng bows and makes a gesture with his hand toward the staircase -- after you.

Xie Lian’s brain rockets into high gear. He has brought nothing with him but his briefcase, and even that is still in the car. No one knows where he is or where he’s going. He’s traveled a little in life -- nothing too far from home -- but this would be a trip like no other, totally unplanned and utterly irresponsible. Every ounce of common sense in his brain is urging him to shake his head politely and back away.

But this man. This fascinating man, who is offering him the world. For every voice inside Xie Lian that says no, there’s a current of pulsing blood in his veins whispering yes, yes.

“I’m not sure,” he begins, tentatively.

“Gege,” Hua Cheng murmurs, “You speak of self as containing an infinity of possibilities for every moment of life. But the paradox of infinity is that some infinities are larger than others. At this moment, you have more possibilities than ever before. Given those infinite possibilities, at this moment, what will you choose?”

He’s right. The possibilities facing him right now are truly endless. And hidden in Hua Cheng’s words, there is a challenge -- do you dare? And Xie Lian finds, to his surprise, that he does. He not only dares, he wants. To see this through, to learn more about this man, to take a crazy chance. His heart is pounding with the force of his desire. And once, just once in his studious, conservative life, he listens to it.

He smiles at Hua Cheng, lifts one hand to the railing of the staircase, and begins to ascend.

#hualian #hualian fic #hualian au #tgcf #tgcf fic #tgcf au #heaven official's blessing #heaven official's blessing fic #stuff tippy wrote

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tracer85s · 3 years

Text

yizhan fic rec (2)

part 1

glute bridges by sunstainedsheets

[explicit, 29k, complete]

personal trainer and dancer yibo and graphic designer xiao zhan. GYM AU omg i love this. xiao zhan signs up for a gym membership and personal training sessions where he’s totally not ogling his coach. there’s also a scene with xiao zhan attempting to converse with yibo in korean that got me cackling lmao, our resident koreaboo indeed. it was also great to see mentor yibo here, it reminded me of his prod 101 days when he was so intimidating as a mentor, also... very sexy. anyway i adore this, they’re just thirsting over each other, especially yibo checking out the zhass, it’s okay bobo we’ve all been there

i’d wear gucci for you by Anonymous

[teen and up, 16k, complete]

abo au where alpha yibo and omega xiao zhan are photographed going into xiao zhan’s apartment together so they’re forced to pretend that they’re mated to prevent a scandal. this has become my favourite fics because i’m an absolute sucker for fake/pretend relationships and the way the writer incorporated canon stuff like yibo answering interview questions for xiao zhan ugh guys i love this fic. when yibo was so exasperated near the end and said “i’m wearing gucci for you” & waving his hand i really lost it. JUST READ THIS I PROMISE IT’S A GOOD READ

if you would only let you by gdgdbaby

[explicit, 32k, complete]

ah where do i even start with this one? xiao zhan gets drunk and texts yibo, yibo shows up at his house and whisks him away on a road trip. i felt so much emotions reading this fic, everything was so raw and it really deals with the pressures of being famous and homophobia. this is a super realistic fic and there’s a lot of emotional hurt/comfort, you’ll literally end up wanting to wrap these two in a big blanket and just protect them from the world (lol like we don’t already want to do that). my absolute favourite part was the confession scene, like it was so messy and funny, and it’s just so them, especially the pokemon part lmao. this art is based on that scene and it’s exactly how i imagined it 🥺 this is just so well written and it’s one of my favs!

love in the time of coding by theivoryflute

[explicit, 26k, complete]

hacker yibo and cyber security engineer xiao zhan. yibo cyber flirts with xiao zhan and also flirts with him in real life. *SCREAMS* i never thought we’d have a hacker au in the fandom but i’ve been blessed, this was literally the cutest online romance fic with a bunch of mutual pining. my favourite dialogue is “the whiplash from wanting to ride yibo to wanting to coddle him was severe” i’m literally wheezing, this is a perfect representation of the fandom, also the usernames that yibo picked got me cackling there’s one in particular that made me laugh, you’ll know what it is when you see it so go read this gem!

Peace & Love by ella_minnow

[explicit, 51k, complete]

my favourite writer is back again with this baby! idol dance captain xiao zhan and non-famous dancer yibo!!! ARE WE KIDDING? slow burn sdoc au? I’M SO IN WTF. guys listen to me. yibo has a low ponytail and arm tattoos *goes feral* one of my favourite scenes from this fic is when xiao zhan had to convince yibo to join his team (bro. he didn’t even have to try) because yibo says “no, Xiao-laoshi. I would of course never leave you.” i’m screeching, totally gave me tgcf hua cheng vibes. my absolute favourite scene, however, is when yibo says xiao zhan doesn’t have to worry about sending him home because he’s going to win everything... like... the sheer bde this man exudes in real life and fiction... very sexy of him. i also love how this showcases how well they work together and of course the *whispers* celebratory sex!

Hyacinth by stickyriceu

[explicit, 76k, complete]

racer yibo celebrates after a competition and meets hyacinth’s number one host, zhan-er. slow burn with LOTS of pining and angst. i finished this in one sitting and i’m still screaming over it, it’s so good!!! genuinely felt my soul leave my body reading this because zhan zhan with shoulder length hair? tied up in a messy bun? *SCREECHES* everyone go read and get your angst on, don’t worry, there’s a happy ending ;)

Song of the Sea by LaMachina17

[explicit, 48k, complete]

mermaid xiao zhan and pirate yibo !!! xiao zhan meets yibo and has one very exciting night with him so he ends up following him aboard their pirate ship! i’m literally on my knees praising this fic. i will re-read this until i die, it’s perfect. AND THEY’RE CAT DADS IN THIS FIC TOO. seriously i don’t need to say anything else go read this gem

The Dragons by MadFilaments

[explicit, 31k, complete]

xiao zhan is his village’s marriage offering to dragon lord yibo. are you kidding me? shapeshifter yibo? arranged marriage fic? YES. this is one of my favourites, i always re-read it because the way their relationship just naturally progresses in the story warms my heart 😩 AND they call each other husband and i just *melts* they’re ! so ! domestic ! there’s angst but it’s not too bad and i’m in love with yibo’s speech about how dragons love forever *cries*

golden hour by Deinde

[explicit, 35k, complete]

professional snowboarder yibo teaches actor xiao zhan how to snowboard in a show! OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO GOOD *SCREAMS* it’s literally just them flirting and being absolutely thirsty for each other, especially in the photoshoot scene dear lord. i’m so annoying, this fic tab has been open in my safari for forever and i forgot about it until i watched ddu’s snow sports episode so don’t do the same thing as me and go! read! this! fic! immediately!

Falling In Love by beeswaxing

[mature, 65k, complete]

celebrities yibo and xiao zhan star in a we got married/hello baby inspired reality show! oh my god. the domestic fluff in this i am reeling, THIS IS JUST ADORABLE. this is definitely the domestic kid fic i so desperately needed 😭 and the way the writer added in those canon bjyx details is just perfect, everyone go read this please!!

Legend of the Jade Rabbit: The Musical by emma_screams

[explicit, 12k, complete]

high school au with lion hybrid yibo and bunny hybrid xiao zhan. this fic has musicals! it’s really quite fluffy, yibo literally calls zhan zhan “bunny gege” and i’m just *SCREECHING* also i love protective yibo 😭 i really love this it’s so cute & has a very refreshing plot!

pick me, pick me up by domeeneec

[mature, 10k, complete]

college/uni wrong number au where xiao zhan keeps accidentally calling yibo to bail him out of his bad dates and yibo ends up becoming his “personal dating assistant” this was the FLUFFIEST. although there is some light angst when xiao zhan drunk dials yibo and cries about not being able to find love, but i swear this is super soft and fluffy!!! READ THIS FOR SEROTONIN

Ruby and Gold by aces_low

[explicit, 16k, complete]

mob boss xiao zhan and his trophy husband yibo. HELLO? MURD3R HUSBANDS YIZHAN? this was such a fun read! trigger warnings for blood and violence though so look out for those! yizhan will literally not hesitate to beat you tf up in this fic they’re so badass here but they’re so soft with each other. xiao zhan literally calls yibo gǒu zǎizǎi and tiánxīn i am. Melting. also there’s a proposal. it’s unromantic but still so romantic, i love it. i also saw this art and i think this would be how they look in the fic

To Be Human by purplemonster

[teen and up, 19k, complete]

humanoid yibo and ceo xiao zhan. xiao zhan tests out his company’s newest creation and falls in love along the way. android aus always hurt me so. good. and this one’s not an exception. it’s pretty slow burn and definitely angst-y but it has a happy ending! i love the domesticity, i have no idea why i love grocery scenes so much? but anyway this is perfect for a rainy day and you’ll coo at the ending

Falling by brooklinegirl

[explicit, 42k, complete]

yb and xz behind the scenes while filming. this was such a melancholic read for me (even though there’s so much papapa) because they pine SO HARD at the start, don’t get me wrong though, it’s also cute because there’s so much canon flirting!but my heart really broke when filming was ending and yb’s thoughts were “We could run away together. Miss our flights. Stay here in Hengdian, or fuck it, go somewhere where no one knows us and just...” *sobs* pls go read!!!

What’s Your Emergency? by bluefloral

[general, 2k, complete]

police officer yibo and single father xiao zhan! yuan, xiao zhan’s son calls 911 for help with his math homework and officer yibo helps him 🥺 this was such an adorable short read!

#bjyx #yizhan #bjyxszd #yizhan fic rec #fic rec

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hualianff · 3 years

Text

Untethered (Bonus I) 《III》

In the Shadow of Ghosts — The Newton Brothers

Three years ago….

Tap. Tap.

Xie Lian thinks he imagines it at first. After all, it had been a long day of handling commoners’ affairs, entertaining visiting royalty, and carrying out other menial tasks that are required of him as a prince. Not that he minds too much. Xie Lian thoroughly enjoys helping whoever he can and making the kingdom a better place for his people.

But it is exhausting work, and takes both a mental and physical toll on Xie Lian. This is why more often than not, on busy days like this, he requests the servants to have a bath drawn right before he retires to his room for the night. The steaming hot water mixed with Xie Lian’s favorite-scented bath salts loosen his muscles wonderfully, as well as clear his senses.

In the dimly lit washroom, Xie Lian lets himself unwind. It’s a gradual process, one that his body initially rejects after being so wound up for hours on end. Xie Lian lathers a dollop of lavender oil along his waist-length hair, holding it above the water to let the oil properly soak in before rinsing it under the spout.

Simply put, Xie Lian chalks the strange noise up to his restless mind making him hear things that are not there. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened.

Besides, who in their right mind would dare break into a prince’s bedroom chambers, where royal guards surround the premise?

Tap.

At the dusk of twilight?

Tap!

Xie Lian is sure no one is crazy about him enough to scale the palace walls to the third level-

Tap.

-except for someone coming to assassinate him!?

Tap tap tap tap tap-

Okay, now that he didn’t imagine. That incessant tapping is very real.

“Goodness me-” Xie Lian mutters, dunking his head under the water in a lame attempt to hastily clean his hair. He then stumbles out of the tub to grab a gown, flinging it around his body to cover himself up.

Luckily, there are no windows in the washroom. The doors also remain shut, providing the prince with the utmost privacy during his bath times, but also serving as a protective barrier at this moment. However, the distinct tapping continues, clearly coming from the other side of the doors.

Against his better judgment, Xie Lian flattens himself against the wall next to the entrance and knocks back.

The tapping stops.

A muffled “Your Highness” follows in response.

Xie Lian’s stomach violently drops at the familiar drawl. It couldn’t be...

“Prince Xianle,” his tempter calls again.

Xie Lian quietly gasps.

The prince cautiously opens the doors leading into his bedroom. He spots a silhouetted figure standing outside on his balcony, and if the build and height were not a familiar sight, Xie Lian would certainly be freaking out more. By subconsciously wrapping the robe tighter around himself–Xie Lian realizes just how flimsy and inappropriate the garment is for others to set eyes on–and approaches the glass doors

He also realizes he does not care.

Xie Lian pulls aside the sheer, golden velvet curtains.

A lanky, strong-built man in dashing red attire greets him through the glass. Xie Lian’s eyes bulge impossibly wide, mouth parting in surprise.

Crimson Rain grins like the devil he is. He doesn’t say anything more, letting the devious look in his eye do the speaking. When the pirate captain lifts a palm to lay flat against the glass door’s surface, Xie Lian feels a growing urge to intertwine it with his own.

Xie Lian places his own palm on the opposite side of the glass. He knows how terrible of an idea it is to enable intruders onto palace grounds, to let Hua Cheng in and the detrimental repercussions awaiting if they were found out.

City of Stars – Yan Chaojie

Th-th-th-th-thump. Hua Cheng drums his fingers upon the glass, raising an expectant eyebrow. Xie Lian stubbornly shakes his head, making a cutting motion at his neck. The pirate seems to take this as a challenge. He can probably see how close Xie Lian is to giving in, just needs one last push to lure the prince in opening the doors to his chambers.

Hua Cheng frames both hands against the glass, blowing hot air in between, effectively fogging up the surface. He draws a massive heart in the condensation. Xie Lian fails to bite back his smile, yet another one of his actions Hua Cheng notices with a smug look.

The pirate proceeds to drag his finger through practiced strokes, writing backward so Xie Lian can read normally on his side. From where he observes, the concentration apparent on Hua Cheng’s face greatly amuses Xie Lian. The characters are still barely legible. Fortunately, Xie Lian has the experience in deciphering Crimson Rain’s infamous scrawl with the intermittent letters he receives.

谢怜 x 三郎

Xie Lian’s face twists in confusion. He immediately unlocks the glass doors, yanking them to the side.

“Who is San Lang?” Xie Lian demands with a pout, forgetting all about his current state of appearance. Hua Cheng smiles into his fist, then graciously enters Xie Lian’s bedroom.

“Another name I go by,” the pirate answers nonchalantly, sliding the door closed behind him. He towers over Xie Lian, dressed in his trademark black heeled-boots with silver chains, whereas Xie Lian’s feet are bare. Plus, Hua Cheng has only continued to grow since the first time they crossed past nearly two years ago. “Should the weather permit fog in the next few days and anyone happens to see, they will not be able to connect San Lang to me.”

“Hua Cheng, your fingerprints are all over the glass,” Xie Lian reminds in exasperation. Hua Cheng frowns when he is addressed, as if he had eaten something not to his liking. He seamlessly replaces it with a mischievous smirk.

“My fingerprints are not documented in the first place,” he says.

“Oh, I see.”

Pirates abide not by any kingdom’s rule but by the laws of the ocean.

Hua Cheng briefly turns to look back at the fading image of their names, his expression calculated but determined once he meets Xie Lian’s gaze again.

“I believe it would also be safest if you referred to me-” Hua Cheng points to the door. “-as such.”

“As what?”

“...”

“How should I call you?”

Hua Cheng narrows his brooding eye.

“Why ask when you already know the answer?”

“Just spit it out, Crimson Rain.” Xie Lian smiles cheekily.

“Your Highness, do not test me.”

Despite his threatening words, Hua Cheng’s posture is stiff, and can even be described as awkward. His arms have obediently remained by his side the entire time, keeping a respectful distance away from Xie Lian. The prince laughs out loud at how constipated Hua Cheng looks.

Without further adieu, Xie Lian throws himself at the taller man. He glomps onto Hua Cheng like a child grabbing onto a stuffed animal, straining his arms to grasp around the pirate’s broad shoulders.

“If San Lang ever wants a hug, he needs only to ask,” Xie Lian admonishes light-heartedly, squishing his cheek against Hua Cheng’s sternum. Hua Cheng chuckles happily, body finally relaxing into the embrace. He winds his arms around Xie Lian’s middle.

“Gege’s benevolence knows no bounds,” Hua Cheng murmurs tenderly. Xie Lian squeezes tighter around him, having no intentions of letting go soon. He missed his pirate dearly, after all. Three months apart had felt like three years. “This San Lang is gladly indebted to His Highness.”

Hua Cheng gently caresses Xie Lian’s head but pauses when he realizes how slippery the prince’s hair is. The pirate rolls the end of a strand between his fingers, droplets of water escaping the tips.

“Gege, did you recently wash?” he asks. Xie Lian shyly nods, containing his blush when Hua Cheng slightly pulls back to take in his satin gown.

“I was bathing when you arrived,” Xie Lian says. With some space between them, Xie Lan realizes with horror that his damp hair created a huge wet spot on the front of Hua Cheng’s robes.

Before he can apologize, Hua Cheng quickly ushers Xie Lian to sit on the cushioned stool in front of his vanity, muttering “please forgive this San Lang for his untimely intrusion” and “allow me to tend to gege’s hair as atonement for such despicable behavior.”

Xie Lian doesn’t know what to say. Hua Cheng’s submissive words render him speechless. It’s a stark contrast to the way Hua Cheng treated him in the beginning, when they were just rivals holding each other at swordpoint. Only in the last year have they been secretly meeting without the pretense of dueling, and even then, Xie Lian only sees Hua Cheng every few months, whenever the pirate happens to sail near Xianle Kingdom. It would be unfathomable for his past self to consider Crimson Rain anything less than a cunning, vicious pirate.

Now, Hua Cheng stands in the Prince of Xianle’s private chambers, offering to brush his hair.

Xie Lian stares wordlessly at Hua Cheng’s reflection. Hua Cheng’s earnest expression does not fade. How absurd it is that a captain of his own pirate ship would reduce himself to the duty of a simple palace servant. Though the thought often crosses his mind, Xie Lian hasn’t turned Hua Cheng in yet. It feels somewhat treasonous to excuse a pirate trespassing and sneaking around on Xianle territory.

Then again, Hua Cheng hasn’t stirred up trouble in public for one whole year. He merely comes back for Xie Lian. This notion alone makes Xie Lian giddy inside.

Xie Lian reaches for a lavishly jeweled comb, then presents it to Hua Cheng. The pirate accepts the comb with a grateful hum, then takes hold of Xie Lian’s wrist to press his lips to the top of his hand.

Xie Lian’s heart sings.

“Would gege be partial to sharing what a day in Prince Xianle’s life looks like?” Hua Cheng asks as he releases Xie Lian’s hand. He begins running the comb through the prince’s long, weighted locks, effortlessly detangling the lower ends. The sensations are heavenly.

“Only if San Lang tells me what a day in Crimson Rain’s life looks like after,” Xie Lian answers with a sluggish tongue. Through the mirror, he sees Hua Cheng smile in satisfaction. Xie Lian slowly closes his eyes as the continuous brushing motions to his hair send pleasant tingles down his spine.

“Whatever His Highness wishes.”

《Bonus II》

#tgcf #heaven official's blessing #hualian #hualian au #xie lian #hua cheng #pirate & prince au #tian guan ci fi #TBC #cerdrabbles #a look into hualian's past #developing relationship #hua cheng finally asks xie lian to call him san lang

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razberryyum · 3 years

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TGCF donghua Special Episode Thoughts (SPOILERS for episode & novel!)

Favorite moment:

Of COURSE that amazing ending sequence, which is the mirror of Dianxia's backstory at the end of the first episode, except this time from Hua Cheng's point of view. Speaking of, holy mother of YUM, dear gods, Hua Cheng:

Look at this "hideous" man. I am DROOLING.

Funny thing is, I didn't even know his appearance was supposed to be a secret, that we technically hadn't seen his face yet all this time. I remember we had a super quick glimpse of him in the Banyue pit and I thought that was his reveal, that that'll be all we'll get for now and I was fine with that...that is, until this ending sequence happened and we actually see him in his entirety. My eyes will forever never be the same. What was I even thinking??? The flashes in the pit were absolutely inferior to the real thing. No comparison. He is so gorgeous; I can't WAIT for Xie Lian to meet him next season.

Second favorite moment:

What I love about this scene is first of all it features some of my favorite lines from the novel, "If you don't know what to live for, then just live for me. If you don't know the meaning of life, then take me as the meaning your life." Even though Dianxia was playing it up for dramatic effect, I loved how he crawled towards San Lang and then uttered the lines with such conviction. I LOVED the way the music reached a cresendo during his words--hell, I love the music in this entire episode, this entire show, period. I also love how bittersweet this scene is: here Dianxia is so embarrassed by his own words that he even laughs about them, dismisses them, not know just how much of an effect they had on the person he said them to, how they really did serve to motivate that person to live on, to exist, utterly for him. Not knowing at all that that person he said what he now thinks were silly words to is right in front of him. The irony!

I'm still making my way through the book so I haven't gotten to the part where all is revealed to Xie Lian yet, but I can only imagine how shocking and emotional this particular revelation would be. It'll probably be ten years before we get to see all that in the donghua, if we ever do, but I'm gonna keep on crossing my fingers and hoping.

"I swear, whether in Heaven or or on Earth, you cannot find someone more sincere than me". The subs left out the Heaven or Earth part but it's still such a good line. Love also how San Lang precedes that by trying to reach out to touch Dianxia but is like too afraid to. The donghua really captured his feelings of...I guess I'd call it timid inferiority...so well.

I have a strong suspicion what that ring is (irl, I've seen companies advertising turning ashes into diamonds as a keepsake of your loved ones...never tried it so I don't know if it's the real deal or some kind of scam) and I cannot wait to get to that revelation as well. Putting aside the potential significance of this momento, the fact that Hua Cheng left Dianxia a ring to wear around his neck is already a beautiful gesture on its own.

I already miss seeing how San Lang looks adoringly at Xie Lian. In fact, I think I'm going to miss San Lang for quite a while since next season I think we'll be mostly spending time with Hua Cheng. Not complaining at all since Hua Cheng will no doubt look at Dianxia just as adoringly, but I will miss this cute guy.

Also already missing the cuteness that is Dianxia. I love all his expressions...the way he said "San Lang" just made my heart explode. How can he be this adorable??? Really, bravo to Jiang Guangtao-laoshi, his voice actor, for such an endearing voice performance. I actually started listening to the Qiang Jin Jiu audio drama because I've become a fan. Imagine Xie Lian being super seductive all the time. That's the ear candy I'm enjoying now, even though I only understand like less than half of the plot due to my shoddy Chinese comprehension.

Proud of how San Lang didn't just lose it when Dianxia cradled his face like that. This man really has unbelievable self control.

I loved that they were chatting in bed like an old married couple. I'm sure this is a glimpse into their future married life. 😁

Besides SanLian, I know Banyue was in this episode as well, I still think she's adorable and love her voice, and I'm glad she gets to enjoy a torture-free life now (I am assuming she does).

I'm glad we got this special episode to really close out the season, but I'm still kinda confused as to why we didn't get it at the actual end of the season but rather as an odd stand alone episode like this. Obviously it picked up right where the 11th episode left off, so it would've slotted in perfectly well. I was hoping the reason they held on to it was because they were going to attach a teaser PV for the next season, but alas that wasn't the case. I wonder if they just needed more time to finish the episode. I still don't quite understand how the Chinese donghua industry works: for something seemingly as popular as TGCF, you would think they'd have good enough budget and resources to finish episodes in time and to make more than just 12 episodes. There are other donghua shows I've seen on Bilibili that have blown way past 12 episodes, so I don't understand why they have to stubbornly stick to a dozen only for something like TGCF. Or is it a danmei thing, I wonder. They just don't want to devote the time and resources to danmei shows beyond just 12 episodes? So weird. Again, VERY GRATEFUL we're getting a second season. SINCERELY praying that we get many more seasons after so that eventually they'll finish out the book. God I hope I finish reading before the donghua team finishes putting out the show.

And that brings me to: Current Reading Progress...chapter 160. Look, I'm gonna be honest, I'm just not a fan of the whole jinx demon concept or the Brocade Immortal. I know all mysteries of the week lead back to the gods and their backstory, but as CONCEPTS, I was just NOT into them so I constantly got distracted. I know MXTX-laoshi was under a LOT of pressure from both censorship and just ridiculous deadlines (I was told she had to produce a chapter a day, which is INSANE), so I feel like a douchebag for even thinking anything negative about the book...not to mention I'm only on Book 3 still so maybe all of this will be wrapped up nicely at the end. But for now, yeah, those two as ideas are a bit underwhelming and almost silly (especially the Brocade Immortal) and maybe I don't need the backstory of ALL the gods. Anyway, before anyone yells at me, there's always a chance I might change my mind about all this by the end...which I hope to get to soon. Didn't finish the book in time for this special episode which was my goal, so readjusting the goalpost back a little further...hopefully just a tad...like a few weeks, because I DO want to get to the unrelenting pain soon so that I can get through the suffering and finally to the HuaLian happily ever after ending.

#Tian Guan Ci Fu #Heaven Official's Blessing #HuaLian #SanLian #TGCF donghua

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inhumanescreeching · 3 years

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tgcf headcanons i have if i were ever to make a modern au about them because lets be honest here why would i need these if they were either canon gods or canon ghosts smh:

- aurorian (fluid between alignments) non-binary xie lian! he knows his galactian alignments and he taught the whole enby group about it so now they align with the stars (also very fitting considering he's a freakin god and a freakin ball of sunshine) xie lian has no preference, for both pronouns and sexual/romantic interests and yes this is me saying and projecting she/he/they pansexual panromantic xie lian because i can

- hua cheng is a singularian enby fight me, he just does not care and will reject all ties to alignments lmao he loved this label when xie lian introduced them to the galactian alignment system so that's that. he/they but he's exactly the type to joke about just not referring to him at all he actually means it lol this person's too far gone for xie lian to actually care about labels but i feel like he's omnisexual and at least biromantic

- feng xin had the Biggest Crisis known to man having grown up very . conflicted but he can admit he's bisexual w a preference for women, biromantic too. as for gender, he's experimenting with like a lot of things so he's not really ready to commit to a label yet. loves being referred to by they/them but he/him and she/her work fine too

- mu qing is galaxian non-binary, so a combination of lunarian (feminine aligned), solarian (masculine aligned) and stellarian (neutral aligned) just because. any pronoun works just fine for them! they also don't really like the hassle of finding labels so they just go by "queer" both out of pettiness to claim the word back and as a reassurance during pride parades that they are one with the rainbow lmao

- ling wen is genderfluid, did you expect anything else? mainly uses they/them but their pronouns can change depending on what they currently feel so always! ask! first! ling wen is also asexual and demiromantic because i said so

- pei ming is a playboy, it's canon but i think he just likes playing people periodt. drop the boy tag, he's non-binary solarian aligned because he likes to be likened to the sun, and his energy is just immaculate. he/they polyamorous pansexual pei ming!!!

- pei su is stellarian non-binary with they/them pronouns (yes they were there when xie lian gave a galactian alignment lecture) so they're neutral aligned! they are demisexual and panromantic!!!!

- ban yue is trans mtf nebularian non-binary (so a combination of lunarian and stellarian) who uses she/they pronouns. be nice to her please she is my child- she's graysexual and omniromantic with a preference for fellow enby beans

- shi qingxuan experiences genderflux both in canon and my headcanons. i like to think she's trans ftm who experiences girlflux, and she mostly goes by she/her especially during flux but again! always ask first. she's greysexual and omniromantic and i would like her hand in marriage please heavenly officials let me marry her

- he xuan is agender, you cannot change my mind. they also don't feel much attachment to pronouns so any works fine with them. oh and he xuan is demisexual and grayromantic i have decided

- okay so hear me out, qi rong is spacilian non-binary so xe is xenine aligned and uses xe/xem/xyr pronouns. xe is also ace aro and yes xe is annoying but xe kinda grew on me lol so that's why xe's here

- yu shi huang is asexual panromantic with she/they pronouns and yes i love her i would marry her too if given the chance. she is, you guessed it, lunarian (feminine aligned) non-binary! her steed is singularian non-binary like hua cheng heh

- idk why but i think shi wudu is cishet (maybe it was from that time he chided qingxuan to change back to her other form) but i also think he's bisexual so im gonna settle on gay and homophobic (unironically so)

did i miss someone important? and no idc about jun wu pls don't mention that bastard ever

yes these are all just headcanons and all of these are set in a modern time and xie lian being non-binary and knowing all about the galactian alignment system is a headcanon i will always , always cradle close to my heart also just imagine most of these gods and ghosts being non-binary conforming and instead aligning themselves with heavenly bodies like?? i HAVE a point with this don't i?

anyways feel free to hit me up if we share the same headcanons tho i do think that's highly unlikely lol plus i was thinking about making this for mdzs but how tf am i gonna do that when there are clans upon clans of characters rip my poor brain like i do have hcs but compiling them is such a bitch so i settled for this chaotic bunch instead

i feel like i definitely missed someone but oh well yolo ig

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