#lhl

[bbcphile]

WIP Wednesday (MLC Mind Control Bug Fic Edition)

Happy Wednesday! Have some of a new MLC fic I just started working on!

I realized I had very strong feelings about amnesia in fics (as someone who has experienced it before), and so a new MLC one-shot fic was born, in which amnesiac a-Fei discovers the mind control bug in his neck his first night in Lotus Tower. (This part takes place after his failed attempts to get it out.)

To anyone who is missing my MLC longfic excerpts, the plan is to continue with them next week! (I'm hoping to get this one up on AO3 by the end of the weekend!)

A-Fei’s head swam a little with each step, but the pain had mostly subsided to a dull, manageable thud in time with his pulse. He was distantly tempted to pull himself free from Li Lianhua’s hands and walk unaided back to Lotus Tower, gathering enough energy to collapse only once he had reached his bed upstairs. But Li Lianhua gripped his arm more tightly the first time he even felt like he might be about to wobble, and yanked it over his shoulder until he was using Li Lianhua like half a crutch. And suddenly, not touching Li Lianhua seemed unacceptable.

“What were you thinking?” Li Lianhua muttered again, wrapping his other arm around a-Fei’s back and resting his hand on his waist. “You probably reopened your stab wound, collapsing like that. I really should be charging you for this, you know. You’re getting my professional expertise for free.” His grip tightened on a-Fei’s waist too close to the stab wound, sending ripples of angry fire coursing up his torso. 

A-Fei hissed out a pained breath. “It’s worth exactly what I’m paying for it.”

Li Lianhua pulled his hand away from the injured waist like he’d been burned. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he said, putting his hand much higher up this time, closer to a-Fei’s ribcage. “I was just checking to see if you’re bleeding through the bandages. It’s a necessary part of the process.”

“Hmm,” a-Fei hummed, taking several more steps and relishing the sensation of the man’s hand against his side. His fingers were cold but the touch warmed him nonetheless. “And am I?” 

“Are you what?”

“Bleeding through the bandages?”

“I didn’t finish checking. You’re too terrible a patient,” Li Lianhua said, squeezing a-Fei’s forearm in what seemed like an apology. “I’ll have to examine it more inside.”  

“I see,” a-Fei said, taking another step, his mind still turning over the grip on his arm. Had they touched often? The idea of anyone else touching him made him want to unsheathe his dao, but with Li Lianhua, he would almost rather chance one of his bai hui’s acupoint’s lightening bolts of pain than step away. And as much as he disliked the idea of needing his wound examined, it would give him the opportunity to examine Li Lianhua. And to continue observing his own reactions to the man’s hands. “And what exactly does this examination entail?” he teased. “Based on your earlier example, I assume pinching or punching the wound? Or stabbing it again to check the durability of the healing skin?”

Li Lianhua snorted. “Only if you keep insulting my competence.” Then he paused, mid-step, his grip on a-Fei loosening. “Ah. I’m just going to look at the plaster. If blood has soaked through it, I’ll pour hemostatic powder on the wound first and then put a new plaster on. You’ll just need to untie your robes, but they can stay on. I’ll be quick.”

Huh. Unexpected. He had been joking, but actual information about what to expect didn’t hurt. Although something about the way he mentioned robes was strange. Almost as though Li Lianhua was uncomfortable about it. There was no reason for that to be an awkward request from someone providing medical treatment–

Unless they had been in a relationship, or at least had prior sexual history together.

It would certainly explain his response to Li Lianhua’s hands touching him. 

He’d have to investigate more to be sure, since asking would be sure to prompt more lies.

#mysterious lotus casebook #WIP Wednesday #lhl #lianhualou #my fic #mind control bug fic #Di Feisheng #Li Lianhua #Dihua #feihua #The opening better shows my thoughts on amnesia and what the tropes don't capture #but this was cuter and therefore made for a better excerpt #so here you go!

[nutcasewithaknife]

Fang Duobing character of all time. He commits identity fraud to become a detective because his mom won't let him. He imprints like a duckling onto the guy who scammed him. Onscreen kill count higher than the Jianghu's most infamous guy. On the run from a royal engagement. Absolute zero spending sense with money, a spoiled often inconsiderate brat. He's relentless and stubborn as a donkey and will get up every time he's kicked down. He bonds with his mom over the technical and practical applications of torture devices. He doesn't hesitate for a moment to choose the family that loves him. He has a celebrity crush on his shifu. He keeps getting left out of the loop. He changes his entire future plans in a matter of weeks to include the cunning old fox of a quack who is now his zhiji. He's sooo so so loved. He tries to reform the Jianghu's most evil man while the latter has amnesia. He doesn't eat watermelon. He can pick locks and is smug about it. Xiaobao my beloved

#fang duobing #mysterious lotus casebook #lhl #dragging this out of my drafts because im seized by immense love for my boy once again

[qpjianghu]

"All these years, he’s been alone. You are the only friend I’ve seen him with."

Li Lianhua & Fang Duobing | Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023)

#I can't even do justice to the stunning cinematography in this show #li lianhua #mysterious lotus casebook #fang duobing #fanghua #mlc #my mlc gifs #lhl #the way the transition worked out on that last gifset.... proof of god tbh #or just proof that the filmmakers Knew What They Were Doing!!!! #ahpsdfoaihsidof #this show is so brilliant

[potahun]

when you've accidentally tamed your a-fei

(difang is so important to me)

#difang #lhl #mysterious lotus casebook #fang duobing #di feisheng #bringing in some sillies #my doodles #di feisheng is debating whether to silence him while he still can #but of course he wont #he's the house's big cat now

[watch-grok-brainrot]

Three Times Fang Duobing was Abandoned and the One Time He Was Not

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (莲花楼）

Eps 3, 5, and 13.

#mysterious lotus casebook #莲花楼 #fang duobing #li lianhua #li xiangyi #方多病 #李莲花 #李相夷 #cdramaedit #cdrama #lhl #haoppo gifs

[seventh-fantasy]

我怎么可能为你停留 how could i possibly stay for you

一阵风

#this has been in my draft for weeks. hm. 不po白不po..........yeets it #also finally starting a proper lhl rewatch. but pulling choco in. i can't do this alone if not i'll jump right to ep 8 from donghai battle #🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧 #莲花楼 #mysterious lotus casebook #lhl #dihua #my posts #jielin's edits

[tiny-breadcrumbs]

They said, you can hear the bonk from across the river

#no martial artist was harmed in the game #they are sturdy #and petty #mysterious lotus casebook #di feisheng #fang duobing #li lianhua #(in spirit) #lhl #lhl fanart #silly sketch

[harrylights]

present day H&L but give them both long hair <3 done as a req for @loustomlinson ✨

#pls making them all domestic like this was sm fun #also I know. I KNOW Harry’s got a mug like this fgjkjfsghfskd #and I couldn’t not feature hair clippy not only bc I miss her but u already know lhh woulda been all over that shit #ty for the req logan ily 🫶💜 #mine #larry stylinson #larry stylinson fan art #lhh #lhl #hlcreators #trackinghome #eeeeeeeeeee <3

[ruiconteur]

li lianhua's final letter to di feisheng

i hear the official eng subs weren't great so here's my own attempt at a translation (under a read more bc fuck it's Long)

edit: translated qiao wanmian’s letter to li xiangyi as well, which mirrors this one!

十年前

Ten years ago,

东海一决

during the duel of the eastern sea,

李某蒙兵器之利

this unworthy Li made benefit of whetted blade

借沉船之机与君一战犹不能胜

and capsizing boat whilst battling thee but was yet unvictorious.

君武勇之处

Thy martial prowess and valiance

世所罕见

are unexampled in this world.

心悦诚服

Mine heart delights in it, and by mine own will yields to thine eminence.

今事隔多年

The affairs of today are by many years separated.

沉疴难起

By pains alone would a lingering malady be cured.

剑断人亡

The sword hath broken—the man hath perished,

再不能赴东海之约

and can no more honour the accord to duel by the eastern sea.

谓为憾事

Such is the cause for most sincere regret.

余感念君所赠之忘川

I recall in deepest gratitude the flower of oblivion bequeathed by thee,

然终有负君之所望

yet did forsake all thou hadst longed for in the end.

江山多年

The rivers and mountains of this land have many years endured,

变化万千

their changes reckoned in the tens of thousands.

去去重去去

Partings upon partings, farewells upon farewells;

来时是来时

the coming times shall be the coming times.

方多病习我之功法

Fang Duobing hath been studied in my skills,

资质上佳

and his own endowments of the utmost excellence.

不暇多日

Shouldst he not keep idle days,

定不在明月沉西海之下

he shall surely be not beneath the bright moon sinking into the western sea.

君今无意逐鹿

Thou hast not now any desire to pursue the throne,

但求巅峰

but instead to seek the height of skill.

李某已去

This unworthy Li hath since gone;

若君意不平

if thy desire be not appeased,

足堪请其代之

he shall suit, shouldst thou bid him succeed me.

李相夷绝笔

Thus end the last words of Li Xiangyi.

footnotes

i've translated this letter into (my best attempt at) early modern english to try and reflect the formality li lianhua is writing in. also because he uses 君 for di feisheng throughout, which is a literary second-person pronoun, and i wanted to emphasise that. i know thou is actually the informal pronoun, but given how archaic it sounds in comparison to you, the actual formal pronoun in early modern english, i thought it a better fit. (for all the feihuas out there: 君 was also used by women to address their husbands, so actually i thought the informality might work in my favour here LOL)

if you saw this post before, you might have noticed that my translation of the third and fourth lines changed slightly lmao. ty to @/presumenothing for the reminder and ofc my fav @/bat1lau4can4 for talking through it with me and being the 文言文 expert i need <3

for the purposes of my goal in the above footnote, i've had to take some creative liberties in my choice of vocabulary. for example: unexampled is not quite an accurate translation of 罕见, which actually means rarely seen.

i phrased 心悦诚服 as mine heart ... yields but that's a somewhat liberal interpretation of the phrase lol. there is a heart in it; it's just maybe not the thing that's yielding, to be precise. close enough imo though!

江山 literally translates to rivers and mountains but is often used as a metaphor for a country as a whole, hence my translating it as the rivers and mountains of this land.

grammar is not as important as Vibes.

逐鹿, which i've translated as pursue the throne, literally means to chase the deer, and stems from the 《史记》 / records of the grand historian.

绝笔, rendered here as last words, specifically refer to the last words written by one before their death.

#mysterious lotus casebook #li lianhua #li xiangyi #di feisheng #fang duobing #lhl #莲花楼 #rui rambles #look i'm just incredibly impatient okay #this translation may very well change by the time i get around to subbing ep 40 but for now i'm satisfied #mlc fansub

[peridot-tears]

NARRATIVE FOIL THIS NARRATIVE FOIL THAT HOW ABOUT DI FEISHENG AND SHAN GUDAO ARE NARRATIVE FOILS BECAUSE BOTH WERE MALADJUSTED KIDS WHOSE CARETAKERS WEREN'T GREAT AT CARETAKING THEM AND THEY GREW INTO MARTIAL ARTS ADDICTS WHO WERE DETERMINED TO BE THE BEST EXCEPT DI FEISHENG DESPITE LITERALLY BEING THE ONE RAISED IN A DEATH CULT STILL DEVELOPED THE MORAL COMPASS TO PLAY FAIR WITH LI XIANGYI AND SIGN A PEACE TREATY WHEREAS SHAN GUDAO'S DEEPLY-ROOTED INFERIORITY COMPLEX DROVE HIM TO JUST MANIPULATE EVERYONE INTO WARFARE INCLUDING HIS OWN BROTHER

#“caretaker” for di feisheng listen work with me here #di feisheng #li xiangyi #li lianhua #shan gudao #tears falling like peridots #mlc #mysterious lotus casebook #lhl #lian hua lou

[emmytheferret]

drew a xiaobao for my warmup today

#emmytheferret #emmy's art #mysterious lotus casebook #mlc #lhl #fang duobing #oh xiaobao we're really in it now

[bbcphile]

Is anyone else sad because Fang Duobing has a "Waiting For Li Lianhua On the Beach" outfit?

(On the left is the outfit in episode 40 after reading Li Lianhua's letter. On the right is the outfit in the special episode when he and Di Feisheng show up on the donghai beach to look for him 3 months later.)

While we're on the subject of costumes, @the-surreptitious-albatross and I just realized how different this outfit of Fang Duobing's is from his earlier outfits.

Here are some examples of a normal FDB outfit:

He prefers pastels, and his belts and wrist guards are often the same color as the pastel or a slightly darker version (and here, they have gold decorations).

Zooming in shows that he prefers his embroidery designs to be swirly and his hair accessories to be braided and color-matched or elaborate and silver (but still on the delicate side).

But check out this outfit: the embroidery is more angular and less swirly, as is the hair piece, and it and the belt and wrist guards are black with silver instead of matching the pastel of his outfit or being a slightly darker shade of it.

You know whose style he's echoing with all these changes? Who else tends to favor black wrist guards and belts with more angular designs?

Di Feisheng.

The images below make it a bit clearer: DFS's belt has gold decorations compared FDB's silver, and the shape is different, but you can see the similarities in the wrist guard design in particular.

It's not obvious how much their costumes are tying them together in this scene because we don't ever see them in the same frame; the camera constantly keeps them apart, as does the blocking of the scene, since DFS is on the rocks and FDB is on the beach.

That changes in the special episode when they both arrive on the beach at the same time, and DFS is wear his sect leader robes.

Here they are, in the same frame at last, and side by side, and you can see even more clearly with this DFS outfit how much the style of FDB's belt, wrist guards, and hair accessory is echoing his. The wrist guard pattern looks almost the same in these pictures! And the cut of the outer sleeveless robe is also very similar, which visually pairs them even more.

All this to say, FDB's clothing style shifts, the gentle swirls sharpened into points by his worry and grief for Li Lianhua, and it breaks my heart.

But the fact that he's visually echoing Di Feisheng now, that they're slowly becoming a matched set, is starting to put the pieces back together again.

#mysterious lotus casebook #mlc meta #Fang Duobing #Di Feisheng #Li Lianhua #costume meta #lhl #I really meant to write more of my fic today #and instead this happened #thanks the-surreptitious-albatross! #Difang #difanghua

[nutcasewithaknife]

Di Feisheng is just such a character. Assigned Final Boss by the entire world. Arguably has the strongest code of honour of anyone in the entire show. His blade is called 'blade'. He doesn't care about his sect or the throne, he only cares about being swordsman #1 by defeating his beloved arch nemesis. The only one he trusts with his life is said arch nemesis. He doesn't bat an eye at being called 'A-Fei'. He's so good at lying. He will bring down the house fighting a brat over who gets the spare room. He has the most glorious hair in a show full of people with glorious hair. He has a major arc about regaining agency over himself and escaping abuse. He loses all his memories and still recognises his ex's bullshitting instantly. He cannot taste food except when he loses his memories and thus his usual inhibitions. He's been forced to fight to survive all his life and still finds unmatched joy in being a swordsman. He will tow his boyfriend up a hill with a bamboo stick. I love him.

#i love him. so much #di feisheng #a-fei posting #mysterious lotus casebook #lhl #mlc #shoutout to istgidek1234 for walking me through this post like someone calming down their hyper cat <3 #(i swear im still working on the lxy and control meta I SWEAR)

[qpjianghu]

–ocean vuong [x]

Li Lianhua | Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023)

#HIM !!!!!! #blorbo of all time #li lianhua #li xiangyi #mysterious lotus casebook #mlc #my mlc gifs #lhl #i haz a sad #also yes that quote wrecked me forever when I first read it #ocean vuong #gorgeous gorgeous writer #everyone check out #on earth we're briefly gorgeous

[potahun]

Mysterious lotus casebook crew said ‘we are going to write a show about grieving the living and saying goodbye and how nothing is as it seems and the fleetingness of human life and we are going to make this the FUNNIEST fucking show ever’ and they did. It’s an A+++++ comedy

#lhl #cheng yi voice in the bts: ‘we are acting out a comedy!’ #they are #mysterious lotus casebook

[lei-llustrations]

JIU ZAI JIANG HU ZHI SHANG, SHAO NIAN QING KUANG

This is a fucking shitpost that got OUT OF HAND

#i hope I’m contributing to the mlc community here #It’s supposed to funny but it looks so sincere lmao #feihua #whoever makes the difeisheng is woman coded post plz tag me there #mysterious lotus casebook #mlc fanart #莲花楼 #mlc #lhl #di feisheng #li xiangyi #li lianhua #qiao wanmian