#ning-ge called us 'baby'~~

[heymeowmao]

2022.10.24 - https://weibo.com/l/wblive/p/show/1022:2321324828208393749453

I’ll stream for a little while~~ Just a short while!

LYN: Hallo everybody, good evening. I am Modern Brothers’ Liu Yuning. Welcome! C: How long are you streaming today? LYN: Just a “little while”. You didn’t look at the caption before you came in? I said a “little while” so it will only be a “little while”. 

C: Are you a ~melancholy guy~ today? LYN: I’m not very? If I am able to stream then that means that I’m in pretty good condition. That is- I’m very happy! :)  LYN: We started off on set and then when we did our last scene, there were other actors around and I just happened to ask what time it was. They said it was 8p. ! No way, how could I have finished my last scene of the day but it’s only around 8p? Unbelievable, that we would wrap so early today! Then my actor colleague asked me- “So, are you going to head back to stream? Are you planning on streaming?” I said, “Stream, what stream? I’m so tired I’m about to die. How much do I love streaming? I definitely won’t stream today. I’m going to tidy up and look over the script before going to sleep.” ... Look at me now. On the way back I was looking at the script, remembering my lines for tomorrow, and I suddenly thought... “Why don’t I stream?” I don’t know when the next time I’ll get to wrap up this early is, so I played the “saying one thing but doing another” trick.

C: Ning-ge, just admit you missed us. LYN: I didn’t. Let’s not go there. Do you think we’re shooting some sort of idol drama here? I didn’t miss you- I just wrapped up early today and came to stream... because I was afraid you might miss me.

LYN: I won’t stream for too long, today. I haven’t even removed my makeup yet. I’m probably going to remove my makeup, tidy up, look over the script and then head to sleep. I won’t stream for too long, so don’t put so much pressure on yourselves. I won’t interfere with your shopping. It’s around that time of year, now, and I’m sure a lot of friends are going to.. exhaust their funds. C: I’m not buying anything! LYN: There’s no need for that. Some friends are saying that they’re not buying anything because they’re waiting for my brand collab to come out. I do have plans for it. So... if you want to buy it then you can wait a bit.

C: Ning-ge, no matter what I do, it’s not as important as watching you. LYN: That’s touching. Is watching my stream the most important thing in the world to you? But why don’t you have an “iron-clad fan” label stuck to the end of your username? You can check it out for yourself.

C: In order to watch you I am holding in my need to poop. LYN: There’s no need for that. You can take your phone to the bathroom with you. Alright? You don’t need to hold it. Please don’t do that- it’s bad for your health. I still want you to have a smooth life. Go. It’s alright. Jiayou.

C: These fans are too fake. LYN: That means this person isn’t my fan either, if they can say that the people in my stream are fake. LOL. /deadpan/ What nonsense are you saying?! What’s fake? I’m telling you- there’s such a thing in this world called a “white lie”, you know. It’s not FAKE, it’s a kind lie. The intent is out of kindness. It’s just like when you were little and your mom would tell you, “Baby, you’re the cutest child in the world.” Are you really, though? It could be that at times you are the worst child in the world, in your mother’s eyes. Your mother lies to you too, doesn’t she? But it’s a white lie, in the hopes that you can be cuter. So this doesn’t count as having fake fans, it’s just a hope. A white lie. C: Wow, Ning-ge called us “baby”! LYN: Oh, my goodness. Am I your mother now? Please, no. There’s no need for that. You should be lucky that I’m not pushing any products right now. Otherwise, you’d all be my “baby”. “Hey, babes. Check out the third link in the shopping cart~ My babies in the stream~” Isn’t that all how it goes? “The babies in my livestream” or “The fam’ in my stream. Check out what benefits I’ve brought to you~” They’re clearly selling you things but they say they’re bringing you benefits. Shouldn’t you be thankful?

C: If you reply to me, I’ll start being you fan. LYN: This person is probably not my fan but has some curiosity towards me, and wanted me to reply to them during my stream... so they said that. Um.. I replied. Start “pink (粉)”-ing (liking) me, then. See, friends. I cherish every person who is just passing by and have stopped to take a look. It’s my hope that every one of them can become my fan. Alright, then. Start to “pink”. I replied to you. I’ll have my moderators remember your ID and then have them check whether or not you like any other artist. I’ll have them check whether you’re posting about or liking other artist’s posts. If you are, then I will forever consider you as a person whose words cannot be trusted. C: Reply to me, reply to me! I like you! LYN: I have replied. But also I’m streaming here! Aren’t I already replying to you? This counts as customer service, I’m non-stop replying to you all right now. There are so many people, of course I can’t @ you. But this is already a service (客服, kè fú) to you, so can’t you try to overcome (克服, kè fú) it a little? Overcome your selfishness. LYN: It’s almost 11/11 (when there are lots of promotions&sales) and everyone else is trying to sell you things but here I am providing customer service. Our salaries are different, too. :(

LYN: We wrapped up early so I thought I’d come here and stream, but I won’t stream for too long. I’ll simply chat with everyone and if I’m in a good condition I’ll sing a song or two. I just want everyone to have a happy and wonderful Monday.

C: How long will you be shooting this drama for? LYN: Until the end of December, probably. We can wrap sometime in January. Not that much longer to go, now. There are just two more months.

C: Ning-ge are you going to run a marathon? LYN: I saw someone post to my group that Hengdian has some sort of marathon competition going on and there are going to be a lot of artists there, like Jing Tian, etc. That they will be taking part. Ah... I don’t know if they will be going, but I’m guessing that they signed up for it? I don’t know if they signed up, but in this case for the OP to include my name in the list of participants must mean that they think highly of me. Running a marathon, with my stamina? I think I’d run halfway and then pass out. I can’t run. I can’t go. LYN: I also saw that of the participating artists, there’s also a feature where you can run for a section of it alongside an artist. There’s an “accompany you while you run” benefit. For example, if you like LYN, you can pay them 200RMB and they will find a section of the race where you can run alongside/behind him and shoot a video. Or something like that. I don’t know. C: Taking “chasing stars” literally. LYN: Yeah. You need to keep in good health. I also heard that if you shell out enough money you can have your idol piggyback you while they run, too. If you pay three times the price, maybe they’ll princess-carry you while they run. X’D I’ve heard that there are those commissions, but I don’t know if anyone actually believes them. 

C: Ning-ge, everything that comes out of your mouth is nonsense? LYN: This is my streaming style, and it’s always been like this. What, are you here to learn English? Should I teach you some online lessons? Trigonometric functions??

C: Ning-ge, are you alright? LYN: I’m alright. I only said that I am unlikely to run a marathon, that’s all. I don’t think I’m ready to try one. But the problem here is you asking if I was alright. Just because I can’t run a marathon doesn’t mean I’m in poor health. But I’m not doing the marathon- I’m just unfit. I don’t know if any of the other artists are going, though.

C: Yes, Ning-ge. I’m here for online lessons. I’m about to enter the 16th level of English and I came here to supplement. LYN: You’re entering the 16th level and you’re here to supplement your English? Because the things we talk about here, honestly, are more useful- it that right? I think that your mentality towards this is very “good”. You are a very “clever” person. “You are” very “beautiful.” See? English is a very colloquial thing, that we can add into our stream and everyone here can learn a little something. C: You can speak English now? LYN: Of course. Very good English.

C: Ning-ge, aren’t you hot? LYN: I’m okay, not hot. In order to keep up this appearance I can bear it. I want to keep you in a good mood. Because my hair is really flat right now- you all know it’s been squashed under a wig all day- so I’m wearing the hat so as not to give you an unpleasant viewing experience. // It’s not that I don’t wash my hair. It’s because when they put it up in the wig they have to comb it back, then it’s under the wig all day and when the wig comes off my hair is sticking to my head. It’s kinda ugly so I just use the hat to try to cover it up. C: You can take the hood off? LYN: This is a solo hood, I bought especially. I can take it off- /lifts the edge to show it’s a single piece/ /tries to fix his hair/ I’m just a comedian in so many people’s eyes. That’s no good. I need to see if I can convert a small group of you into my visual-fans. /messes his hair up/ Ok, whatever. Is it better now? C: I am a fan of your visuals. LYN: You have good taste. :)

C: Ning-ge, is your taste for revenge rearing its head again? LYN: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?? How much do you think I like taking revenge on people?? It’s not that- it’s purely because I wrapped up early today and wanted to stream a bit more.

C: I’m a fan of your songs. LYN: :) In that case, I think it’s time for a song, then. [t/n: “song” pronounced more like “pot” (锅/guō)] What should I sing...? Let’s see how my condition is today. I’ll sing one of LYN’s songs. let’s see what he has. “Floating Life”? I’ve never sung it live before, I’ll give it a try. LYN: /narrating/ A long, long time ago... there was a man called Modern Brothers Liu Yuning.  - /浮生 (Floating Life) [Floating Life: Fantasy World OST]/ [t/n: this is a really cool OST] LYN: This song is the OST to Floating Life: Fantasy World, and I haven’t sung it once since it was released, so I might not have sung well. Please understand. 

LYN: I hope everyone who is tuning in right now is having a wonderful Monday night. It’s a night with LYN to accompany you~ Cheers, everybody~ C: I finally have a LYN to make me not hate work that much. LYN: No way. I’m don’t deserve that honor.

C: You sang that song better than the original (also LYN). LYN: You can say that. I think the original version is... no good. You can say the version I sang just now eliminated the original singer. C: You’re beating up the original singer again? LYN: It’s enough that we eliminated him, we don’t need to beat him up. What for??

C: Ning-ge, do you have a “guazi lian”? [t/n: ”melon seed face” ; traditionally a face in the shape of an upside-down sunflower seed, with pointy chin] LYN: Yes, but not in the way that you’re thinking. I’m more of a white guzazi. The round flat ones. My face is a big pancake.  C: A pumpkin seed. LYN: Yes, that’s what I mean. “Pumpkin Seed Face”... it’s alright. It doesn’t matter. C: Do you have baby fat? LYN: It’s not baby fat, I’m just fat. Well, “fat” isn’t it either. That’s just the natural shape of my face.

- /still trying to fix his hair/ LYN: My hair is so long! I haven’t cut it for a long time. It’s too long... it’s a little ugly. I should go cut my hair.. see if that membership card Li Gengxin gave me still has money on it. I’ll have to see when I can get it cut, but I can’t leave (Hengdian) right now. Maybe I’ll try to cut it myself.  LYN: I’ll put on these glasses (to cover). If there’s anything you want to chat about, you can type it into the comments and we can chat!

(~30 min. mark)

LYN: I heard a song lately.. what was it called? It’s from an opera... is it called “Wu Jia Po” or something...? It is! The story of Wang Baochuan and Xue Pinggui/Wujiapo. // My friends keep sharing music, so I take a listen. This song is nice. Let me see if I can play it for you. --  C: Do you want to “dig wild herbs” with us? LYN: What does that mean? I really don’t know. What does it mean..? -- C: I thought my grandma turned on the television (and was watching the opera). LYN: This is music, what’s wrong with it?? I shared it with my colleagues today and... they could not accept it. They were like, “?? LYN. I never thought you would like this type of music.” “That’s a little too... in line with your age.” XD ...But what does that have to do with my age... -- C: “Dig wild vegetables” means to have “love brain” LYN: Is that so? I don’t really know it. /reading/ “Wang Baochuan dug wild herbs for 18 years.” Wow, amazing. She likes to eat wild veggies, alright. / Today my internet is down, I really can’t keep up with you. Sorry. I really don’t know what it meant. You won. Count this round as your win. :c -- [t/n: stems from the Wujiapo story, the phrase is a mockery of having the mindset that “love comes first” because, if I am understanding correctly, in the original story a wealthy girl (Wang Baochuan) insisted on marrying her poor lover boy (Xue Pinggui). He was the descendant of a general, and she encouraged him to take the imperial exam so he did, and later was called away to the army. By herself, she fell on hard times and had to resort to digging for wild herbs for food for 18 years.; So... “digging wild herbs” = “a fool for love”?] -- LYN: I want to sing this for you. I haven’t really learned it all the way, but I want to try. Mostly just the chorus part. Just listen to that one line, alright? Everything else is not important.  - /武家坡 (Wujia Slope)/ - /takes a couple tries, keeps messing up the tempo./ - /stares into the camera like this:/

- /valiantly continues trying/ - /gets to the end of the song and regrets life choices/ LYN: I thought I knew it, but it turns out I didn’t. It’s alright, it doesn’t matter. It was just for fun. The important part was just that part: /sings the start of the chorus again/. That part. Now that I’ve gotten to show you that part I am satisfied. 

C: Ge, did you get to eat your two-ingredient sauce? LYN: No. I haven’t been able to go back to my hometown. There aren’t those specialties here.

LYN: Alright, that’s enough. Change the subject, will you?? - /t/n: Idk what they’re grilling him about.../ LYN: Stop spamming. Be careful I don’t kick you out! // When you keep spamming this stream becomes meaningless, and I have nothing to say. We’ll just end up staring at each other. Change the subject, let’s talk about something different.

C: Is Zi Chuan airing soon? LYN: I really don’t know. I don’t know the details of which drama will air at what time. I’ve heard it’ll be soon... so it’ll probably be soon. But not THAT fast- what ever airs as quickly as they say it will? Just wait for it. LYN: I already said last time, I have very little scenes in Zi Chuan. There are 48 episodes and I shot for 200 or so scenes. I don’t have many scenes in it. If you’re interested in the drama and the story, please check it out. If my friends are looking to see more of me, you’re not going to see that much, but I hope you can still support the drama anyway.  C: Is ALZ soon? LYN: I doubt it. There are so many dramas out there, you can watch something else first. C: Does Hao Du have more scenes than in ZC? LYN: It’s about the same- HD also had around 200 scenes. You can think about it- ZC has 48 episodes and I only have 200 or so scenes. [t/n: The Long Ballad was 49 episodes so... it’s comparable. LOL.] Also in post they might edit a lot of things out, so I doubt that when it airs I will even  still have 200 scenes.

C: How did LYN get famous? LYN: /laughs/ I’m not. Since that’s the case, friend, why don’t you subscribe to my weibo. Let’s await the day I become famous together. if you subscribe to me you will know how I got famous, and each step along the way. I’m not famous yet, but I will be. At least I hope so. I want to slowly become famous. But first, subscribe to my weibo. We can watch it happen together.

LYN: My hair is killing me! Let me play you a video while I try to get it sorted. I don’t even like seeing it myself. I’ll play you a video and see if I can do something about it. Wait for me. -- break #1 - /comes back with a wig instead/ LYN: This is much better. C: This wig sure was worth it. LYN: Isn’t it?! I wore it for two streams, is it not worth it?? One was enough, but I’ve worn it for two now. It’s super worth it. C: You’re wearing a wig but still have the hood? LYN: No- because the sides are coming out, see? I didn’t have time to put in on properly so it’s just on there, to cover it up. If I block it even more, then you can’t tell that I just slapped it on.

C: Ning-ge, you’re trending. LYN: I don’t believe you. I don’t think I’m worthy of such a thing. Didn’t a friend asl earlier, “How did LYN get famous?” I’m not even famous- do I have the right to be trending? // What they meant by that question is how did I get here. It could be that they’re wondering “Why is this person called LYN suddenly showing up everywhere? He sings OSTs and he acts, where the heck did he come from?” A lot of people don’t know where I came from. Since I have nothing better to do, I’ll introduce myself to you. LYN: I’m a handsome young man that hails from Liaoning, Dandong. I’ve liked music since I was a child. I loved to sing. But unfortunately, my family didn’t really have the means, so there was never any chance for me to learn music. I’m not just saying that my family didn’t have the means to make you pity me, but I want to let you know because right now I’m doing alright for myself. It’s better now. Anyway- I’m not trying to make anyone pity me, just saying that I didn’t have any opportunity to go learn music when I was younger. If I wanted to take a music class or something it would have cost too much money. Not just the classes- we didn’t have the means to buy any instrument either. So then I didn’t do very well in school, and later went to a technical school- I went to learn how to be a cook. I learned there for two years and after that started working in restaurants, cooking for people. After doing that for a few years, I didn’t enjoy it. Just like the kids born after ‘00 nowadays, when they don’t like something they just quit. XD I don’t know if anyone watching is, like me, born after ‘00? When we aren’t satisfied with something, we just quit. LYN: I always wanted to sing. After I stopped being a cook I needed something to do, but work was hard to find because the truth was I didn’t have the education nor did I have any skills- other than cooking, but I didn’t want to do that anymore. I had enough of cooking, so I “cooked” my boss. Which is to say... I was not very professional- so I quit. Now what? Liaoning, Dandong is a very small city- I had wanted to find a bar I could sing in- but Liaoning didn’t have very many of those. But I still had to work. So I found a job as a waiter and did that for about three years. It was removing dishes, serving dishes, and taking orders. After three years, I didn’t enjoy it anymore either. I “cooked” my boss. See, I never lost my skills as a cook- I “cooked” my boss again. What could I do, then? That was when I realized that I was pretty tall and had an alright EQ, so I did the thing most young people do. I went to sell clothes. I worked in retail and sold clothing for about a year. After a year I didn’t like it, and “cooked” my boss again. All ‘00 babies and after are like this! I don’t know though, are they? Being born after ‘00 like myself- I didn’t like it, so I quit. So I sold clothes for some time. A lot of my old fans all know what jobs I’ve had. LYN: I had a friend who was singing in a bar, and asked me what I was doing. I told him I “cooked” my boss and didn’t have anything to do. He told me his bar was looking for singers, and wanted me to try it out. I went, and it was a lot like taking a test- even working in a bar requires an interview. A lot of people are in students now and when you graduate you will need to go out for job interviews. Even as a singer, there are interviews. The boss took one look at me and said I looked the part... but he didn’t know if my singing was any good. He told me to sing a few, and I asked him how many. He said four- two fast and two slow. So I sang, and it went alright. There were some customers there and they clapped for me. It was just testing the market. After I sang the boss told me to go home and wait to hear from him. I’d heard that enough times. No matter where you go, if you hear “Wait for us to contact you.” 100% you’re never hearing from them again. So I knew then that I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t in a good mood, so I turned off my phone- for about 4-5 days. I didn’t want any contact from the outside world and I’d isolated myself, feeling like the world was full of hopelessness and uncertainty. I was wasted- as someone born after ‘00- I couldn’t just spend the rest of my life just sitting around and waiting for death. I felt like my world was so dark. On the fifth day I turned my phone back on and my friend called me, asking me why my phone was off for the past few days. I asked him what he was calling for and he told me that his boss wanted to use me, and to come work at the bar. XD I started working, and was there for a few years. LYN: I’d also participated in some survival shows.. but I never got famous from them. I’ve told my fans about this before. I was in Super/Happy Boy... I was in that show but in the end I was a very UNhappy Boy. I’d also given Sing!China my demo- absolutely no response. I felt like I didn’t sound good. I felt useless. LYN: Now a lot of people ask if my sudden recognition is brought about because I have someone backing me or resources like that- do you think I would have sung in a bar for three or four years if I had?? I’m just a person from a small city, who would know Liu Yuning? I had no one to support me. After not passing the variety shows I decided to start streaming, and that’s why you feel like I am a professional streamer right now. I was a streamer for a few years and didn’t have any sort of results so I nearly “starved to death”. That was in 2018, when I made a prediction and it was the best one I would ever make. I predicted that the next few years following it would be the time for the short video genre. I awoke from sleep that day and had a sudden feeling- it was like someone lit a light in me- I feel like I had a dream, and in that dream I was a celebrity. (I’d always wanted to be a celebrity!) Since I had dreamt it, I started thinking of how I can make it happen. I occurred to me that after 2018 it would be the era for short videos- because young people- like those born after ‘00- don’t have the time to sit there and consume lengthy media. Everything happens in broken pieces, so it was prime time for the short video genre and platforms like weibo. :p So I decided to do short videos... and I succeeded. LYN: That’s why a lot of my antis like to say that I’m just an internet famous individual- it’s because I made my way into the entertainment industry starting from that circle of short video content creators. I started making short videos and gained a bunch of fans. I’m guessing that right now it would be nice if even half of them are still with me. I had fans, so I decided I would make my debut. How does someone debut? It’s very easy- just release a song. I released a song and that’s how I made it. LYN: People still wonder who’s behind me and who is sourcing me- I don’t have anyone. People who really know me know every single step I took to get to where I am. I’m built up from nothing. Also- if I had started taking commercial/business jobs in 2018 when I first started, I would have made a LOT of money. But I never took and still have not taken any of those types of jobs. How many artists can you say have done the same? Of course there are, but very few. It’s one thing I ask of myself though, to not take commercial performances. I don’t want to exhaust myself, because my focus is on becoming a celebrity. Let’s bring it back around- let’s say I do have resources, and there is someone backing me. Why would they? Because there’s money to make off of me. It’s not as if they like me for my talent. Investors like you because you can make them money, and that’s why they will indulge you and give you opportunities. The problem here is- if I am not contracting any commercial performances, how are they supposed to make money? I even turned off the gifting option in my stream. How are they supposed to make money off me? I don’t even try to sell you things during my stream. Again, what money is there to make? Every year I don’t go over two branded spokesmanships- how would they make money off me? Are they dumb? In your eyes investors are all just idiots?? // People who have half a brain would know that there is no one backing me. You think they would let me stream all the time if I did?? If I had the time they would have made me sign a contract for some other commercial promotion. I’d be going to some event to sing and gain a little bit of money. There’s no way I would have the freedom I do now, to sign with what I want to and not sign with what I don’t want to. I don’t have any resources/investors. LYN: My capital lies in my fans. I’m not saying this to be nice. Honestly. Take any artist- who would they be without their fans? How talented do you think you are? How amazing? Platforms, producers, and directors don’t find you because of how talented you are by yourself- it’s because of what the fans have made you out to be. You can say you sing well- there are many people in the world who sing well and even better than you do. Why should a platform use you instead of someone else? It’s because you have the fans to support you. There are so many people who can act and who have graduated from a drama academy that don’t have anything to act in, so why is that you get to act? It’s because you have fans to support you. It doesn’t matter how amazing you are on your own. 

(~1:07 min. mark)

LYN: So, back to “how did LYN get famous”? I’m not. I crawled up to this point step by step. It’s possible that in some people’s eyes I could have crawled a little too quickly. Why? I don’t let myself have downtime in the year- I won’t let myself have the free time. Sometimes I meet some colleagues and ask them what they’ve got lined up and they tell me, “Nothing, I want to rest. I might to to Sanya and hang out for while. I’m tired. I want to take half a year and rest in Sanya, then get back into it.” When I hear them say that I don’t understand. I mean- I CAN understand, but I don’t think I would be able to do the same. As someone born after the ‘00′s, it’s already a little to late for me. LYN: In the recent years some people could get the feeling that LYN has suddenly started appearing in within their field of interest. But what you don’t know is how much I’ve done quietly, without you knowing. It didn’t matter if I was paid or not, I went. I’ve done so much, just to get to this point. I took every opportunity and crawled here step by step. If you think about it, it was a little fast.  C: Ning-ge, artists can depend only on their fans. They also need to have a strong sense of their own business capability. LYN: Of course, that’s a necessity. Having fans just determines whether you are given the opportunity. If people like you and indulge you, then the platforms are willing to use you. They give you the chance but whether you can grab it and hold on to it depends on your own ability. If they gave you ten chances and you only succeeded at three, there might be some chances left for the future. But if they gave you ten chances and you didn’t succeed at any... then you have a problem. No matter how many fans you have, you still won’t be able to make it (if you yourself doesn’t have what it takes). I’m very aware of this myself. I know that my fans are the reasons I have these opportunities. Sometimes I’ll go to shoot some commercial and find that the workers there are my fans. This makes me wonder if I got the job because my fans recommended me for it. That’s why my fans are my capital. LYN: I believe that I have to strike the iron while it’s hot. Some things you have to strive for yourself. First of all I have a strong Northeastern personality and secondly I’m not young. So I can see things very clearly and it makes me not want to beat around the bush, to put it nicely. Why are there people who are always with me in my streams, or why do people like watching me stream? It’s because I tend to be a little brutally honest. I don’t like using flowery language- I mean, who can’t say pretty words? Everyone can say them, but it’s not me. If I were the exact same as everyone else, I’d be done for. I’m not even as handsome as they are. I don’t have a strong backing like they do. I just think that when I stream I tend to be, comparatively- honest. Of course, I don’t dare to say EVERYTHING. I thought about saying some things before, but I’m already being cursed at to a laughable degree. LYN: I’m not saying these things as an artist. I started off as an extremely ordinary person, and have walked here step by step. It’s not because it got to my head that I want to share the life of being an artist. I just want to share it with you. Honestly I didn’t have the chance to become an artist- this is something that my fans have put together, piece by piece. My very first fans weren’t here to chase stars, they illuminated me. They created me, made me the LYN that can accept these types of jobs (singing and acting). That’s why I want to share with them- how I started off as a singer busking on the streets and made it to this point today where I can accept all these jobs. I want to share with them my thoughts and feelings. But sometimes after I share now, I am very easily targeted and cursed at. As if I’m trying to brag about it or something, you know? So I don’t much say nonsense and just want to work hard on being myself. And by that I mean I have to keep working hard, not “be myself” in the sense that I’ll tell myself not to care about what people say about me. For any industry, and even when you eventually enter society you have to remember one thing: you have to continually improve yourself. Time wont stop for you if you’re not moving forward. As long as you’re standing still, you’re falling behind. You have to keep moving forward. LYN: To reply to that person’s question from earlier. “How did LYN get famous?” I’m not famous. I’m going to keep working hard and hope that I can become better and better in the future. I’m just an ordinary person. Extremely ordinary. I didn’t grow up with a golden spoon or under wondrous circumstances- I got here today from my own hard work. “Success”- although I wouldn’t call myself successful- or having opportunities, rather... other than through hard work, luck is a big factor. I’m just a little lucky, and so was able to go from an ordinary person to the person I am today, sitting here streaming for you and having so many of you like me. That’s my luck, my fortune. LYN: A lot of people ask, “Why LYN? Why does he deserve it?” There is no “why”- it’s just like buying a lottery ticket and winning the jackpot. Would you go to the winner’s house and shout at them, asking them why they deserved to win the lottery?? “Why didn’t /I/ win??” I think this way of thinking is very strange. They won a prize and you’re unhappy and so you go up to them and ask why they deserve it? But the problem is that you’re not even buying the tickets!! If you did, you would also get the chance. So why would you be unhappy that someone else won a game you’re not even participating in?? C: (you got here) Because you can talk yourself up. LYN: I didn’t get here because of my mouth- and it has brought me no small amount of trouble. LYN: But if you have the time to be envious of other people or feel that something is unfair, you should use it to work on bettering yourself. Before you ask why someone else deserved to win the lottery, you can ask yourself why you never even tried to buy a ticket to gain the opportunity to win. LYN: I think a good thing about me is that I have a good state of mind, in that I will never envy someone else. If someone is living better than I am, I never envy them and wonder why they deserve it. I’ve never had that thought, even when I was young. How other people are living their lives has nothing to do with me. I only know that I have to take care of my own. I know that I was put on this earth to live for 60-70 or 70-80 years at most- to live for myself. It shouldn’t matter to you how other people are living their lives.

LYN: Am I trending? I’m not even famous yet, but I have the opportunity to be trending? I don’t believe it. I don’t believe I have the right to be on the list of trending topics. I don’t believe it so I’m going to go check it out. LYN: Honestly a lot of the people watching my stream here, even the one who aren’t my fans, your family environment and your lives aren’t all that bad. You’re probably much better off. But even so... keep working hard. Keep working hard and make your way- there will always be opportunity, so there’s no need to feel down. Someone earlier was spamming the chat, saying, “Ning-ge, I still have four day’s worth of homework to finish.” If you can’t even finish your homework, what do you expect to do with your life??? Also, if you have four day’s worth of homework left to do, what are you telling me for?? Do you want me to do your homework for you? Go do your homework, stop watching the stream. Later when you enter society you’re... you’re going to be crying and begging to go back to the days where you needed to do homework. C: If you don’t do your homework, what do you want to do? Pick big shit? (挑大粪) [t/n: 挑大粪 (tiāo dà fèn) = used to scold children who don’t like to learn. If they don’t study hard, they won’t be able to get into university, and then land a “lowly” job.] LYN: Don’t say that about other people. C: Ning-ge, your hard work is exactly what I like about you. LYN: I’m not really working that hard, though? Please don’t say that I work hard. I’m not, and I don’t want to make myself out to look like someone who puts a lot of effort into things. I don’t- I also sleep every day. It’s not as if I’m forgoing sleep in my attempts to “make efforts.” When it’s time for me to sleep, I sleep. When it’s time for me to play games, I also play games. When I have time I also watch a movie or two. I’m not working hard 24/7- that’s not the path I’m taking.

LYN: I think one of the good things about me- I guess it’s not a “good thing”- but something about me is that I don’t like to consume alcohol. Some people seem to have the misconception that I am a very good drinker, who goes out to have a drink with people and leave with a job- that’s not the case. I’m pretty much down with one glass. I don’t like drinking, and I don’t have much of a tolerance. That’s why when there are gatherings after work is finished for the day I very rarely go to them. If I had the time for that, I would choose to come back and stream instead. I would stream, even if it came off as for “revenge”. I count not drinking as one of my pros. Of course, I’m sure that many of you like to drink, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I just think that in regard to my work ethic, it’s a good thing. I don’t actually have the time to be going around drinking with people, and it happens that I don’t like drinking anyway. Once in a while is okay- a few sips while chatting with friends- but my tolerance is extremely low. So that’s why when we wrap up for the day and people want to get together for a meal and drinks, I come home to stream.

C: I came from the trending topics. LYN: Is it very complicated to enter my stream if I’m NOT on the trending topics? It’s not that hard, but I’m guessing it’s because you haven’t subscribed to my weibo. Subscribe, alright? That way when I start the stream it will notify you right away. Immediately- they’ll send you a message. It’s a 1-on-1 service. C: Weibo doesn’t tell me. // I’ll subscribe right now. LYN: Really? Thank you. Thank you to everyone who is following me. I think many of you who are watching are really kind. Many of you might not be my fan at all, but because I asked if you could bother to subscribe to my weibo, you did. It doesn’t bring them any benefit to subscribe to me, but it’s actually a big help to me. Because every single fan and subscriber I get means that later when I am contracted for some work or another, I can bring in an extra 3-5 bucks. It’s a possibility. X’D C: I came in from the topic trending at #28. LYN: Am I really on it? Let me go take a look. Is it the entertainment tab or the main one, can someone look for me? - /cue: ~you are my destiny~/

LYN: I’m happy :)

C: Ning-ge, I’ve subscribed to you. Aren’t you on good terms with ZLY, can you ask her for an autograph for me? LYN: >.<; Ehm... AREN’T YOU GETTING AHEAD OF YOURSELF?!? - C: Ning-ge, If you’re too cheesy about half the people will leave. LYN: That’s unwarranted. They wouldn’t. - LYN: You guys, friends- Honestly, once you get to talking with me, you’ll realize that I am someone who has been around the social ringer. Like the person earlier who told me that they subscribed to my weibo and asked for an autograph from ZLY in exchange- it’s clear that this person is not someone who entered society and lived through hard times. If they were, they wouldn’t be able to request such a thing. When you ask someone to do something for you, you should say it like this, “Liu Yuning. I really admire you. Could you.. um- give me your autograph? But, I have a friend who also really likes ZLY. Could you, if it’s convenient, ask her for an autograph as well?” That’s how you should do it. First of all, you have acknowledged me; then secondly you have a FRIEND who likes ZLY, not yourself. If you ask this way your success rate will increase by 50%. Do you understand? That’s how you should properly do things. And if one day I really send you my and ZLY’s autographs, and you tear mine up- I wouldn’t know about it but I would still be happy. Coming here to ask for other people’s stuff right off the bat- do you think you would be successful? If you’re going to beg someone to do something for you, you have to pander to who you’re asking first. That way you’re more likely to successfully reach your goal. Got it? Now you’ve learned. C: Ning-ge, the method you talked about is a bit of hypocritical. As an upright person, I don’t fall for such underhanded tactics. LYN: You don’t have to use them. You can just think of it as me saying some nonsense. Just listen to me for entertainment. C: Ning-ge, if you say that then people will really consider you a hypocrite. LYN: I mean- the people who say this, I mean the one who is teaching you this method- You still think that’s hypocritical?? You must not know what that word means. I’ve already spelled it all out for you such great detail- what else do you want me to do? LYN: I can answer in the standard ways. If you don’t believe me, you can ask me questions and I’ll answer. I’ll use the previous question as an example and prove that I can answer beautifully. That is, asking me if I can get a signed autograph from ZLY for you. If you want me to answer the proper way. First you’ve got to acknowledge ZLY as a person- “Oh, I see this friend likes ZLY? Wow, I didn’t expect you to have the same taste as I do. I also think that ZLY is amazing and I also admire her. Therefore, I think we have good taste. However, I don’t want to bother her, so as a friend I don’t think I can just ask her for her autograph whenever people ask me. I hope you understand. Unfortunately, I am unable to get that autograph for you. But, I do have LYN’s autograph, if you don’t mind it, you can give me your address and I can send it to you. What do you think? If you need it, you can give me your address and I can send it over.” That’s the “standard” answer, friends. I also know how to say them. C: No, Ning-ge, that’s even worse. LYN: Wow, I really hope you all can live in the real world. Jiayou. I hope you maintain that attitude forever.

C: LYN, I admire you very much. Can I have your autograph? LYN: LOLOL. Let me think of a standard answer... Thank you for your admiration. I’m not an amazing person but I am very thankful the fact that you like me and I hope you are happy every day. As for the autograph, my company-my boss- does not allow me to just give them out to anyone. That’s the company rule, I hope you can understand. I hope that you continue to do well in school or work, and everything goes smoothly for you. If there comes a day when I can end my contract with my company, I will definitely make it up to you with an autograph. My current company is called “Liu Yuning Studio” and the boss is... myself. But the boss does not allow it. Please understand. It’s not me that does not allow it- it’s my boss. The boss is no good. It has nothing to do with me, no one in my company is allowed to give autographs. The boss is LYN. I hope you can understand. Thank you. LYN: The trick is to put the responsibility on the company, and this not only does not offend the asker but also thanks them. Right? It’s a perfect answer. // Even though I am a person who likes to “cook” their boss. If I am unsatisfied with the work I’ll just “cook” them!  C: Ning-ge, then I don’t want your autograph. Your boss’ will do. LYN: LOL. LYN: Usually that’s not the way I answer, though. When people ask me for my autograph I always say you’ll get the chance. Don’t worry, there are always chances. As long as you like me there is nothing but chances to get my autograph. You’ll have it one day. Don’t worry, just wait.

C: Ning-ge, is that a wig? LYN: What else can it be? Did you just come in? When I started the stream I had black hair- am I holding a salon stream today? I’ll teach you how to bleach your hair?? I just felt like my hair was too messy- it’s too long - so I went to find this wig that I bought a while ago. It’s good that I get to make use of it.

C: Liu-ge, “kill” me. LYN: A white haired boy just “kills” you?

(~1:34:50 minute mark)

C: This is a little non-mainstream. LYN: For someone like me.. someone as old as me.. who hasn’t gone non-mainstream before? I remember at that time, what my favorite song was called. - /玫瑰花的葬礼 (The Funeral of Roses)/ C: Ning-ge, weren’t you just saying you were born after ‘00? LYN: ... What about it? Are those born after ‘00 not allowed to listen to this song?? Does music have an age-limit now, and minors can’t listen??

- /不分手的恋爱 (Unbreakable Love) by WSL/ - /海绵宝宝 (Sponge Baby) by WSL/ LYN: Those of us born after ‘00 all listen to these types of songs. :p C: I love this song! LYN: Of course, those born after ‘00 also like songs like “寻一个你 (Searching for You)” :) LYN: ... How come I can’t find any accompaniment?

- /该死的温柔 (So Damned Gentle)/ C: That’s too old. LYN: Then let me find something newer. - /吻得太逼真 (Kiss Too Realistic)/ LYN: Every song can stir up the memories of us ‘00+ -ers. - /兰花指 (Orchid Fingers)/ - /Always Online/ LYN: These are all the memories of ‘00+ -ers.

LYN: Someone just requested a song that I think is VERY suitable for those born after ‘00 to listen to. - /面具 (Persona)/ [t/n: Kangta?!?]

LYN: Someone requested something else, let me look for it. - /秋天不回来 (Autumn Doesn’t Come Back)/ LYN: It’s a little difficult for me.

- /等一分钟 (Wait One Minute)/ - /断点 (Break Point)/ - /was going to play 求佛 (Pray to Buddha) but switched to 那女孩对我说 (She Told Me)/ -- [t/n: that little bit of 求佛 (Pray to Buddha) we heard from Liu-Guo-Zhou in The Truth was nice tho!] LYN: The lyrics aren’t moving. They’re frozen. In that case, sorry, I won’t sing this one (那女孩对我说 (She Told Me)).

- /单身情歌 (Single Love Song)/ - /0932/ LYN: A lot of you have probably never heard of this song (0932)...

- /我爱的人 (The One I Love)/ LYN: ... I forgot how to sing it!

- /这是我的爱 (This is My Love)/ LYN: (singing the wrong part of the lyrics?)

- /你爱我像谁 (Who Do You Love Me Like)/ LYN: (quoting the lyrics, a little) Honestly, I’m very worried, you just can’t see~ C: These are such old songs. LYN: I’ll find something even older for you. - /芹菜 (Celery) by Jimmy Lin/ LYN: This is old enough, right? This is a very early song.

- / 下個, 路口, 見 (Meet You at the Next Intersection)/ LYN: I can’t really do this one. The key is too high. It’s too high for me.

- / 丁香花 (Lilac)/ LYN: What else is there? Another old song.... 涛声依旧? How about this- if your mom is home, call her over so she can listen with you. LYN: Friends- no one can succeed so easily. There are simply too many songs that I know. - / 涛声依旧 (The Sound of Waves Remain)/ LYN: Sorry- I’m actually not too familiar with this song. I failed on this one.

LYN: Cheers, everyone. I’m suddenly acting drunk- I don’t know why. - /月半弯 (Crescent Moon)/ C: Oh, so it was this song. LYN: Yes, this song is also very old.

LYN: 千千阙歌? People have been singing this one a lot lately, so I didn’t want to play it... - /千千阙歌 (A Thousand Songs)/ - /突然的自我 (Suddenly Myself)/ LYN: I need to grab my guitar again!

LYN: Let’s try one of Li Zhongsheng’s songs. When I sang at the bar I was known as the “Little Li Zhongsheng” - / 山丘 (Hills)/ LYN: This accompaniment sort of makes my head hurt. This.. this version doesn’t seem to be very good. - /凡人歌 (Song of an Ordinary Man)/

LYN: I think it’s about time, but I’m having a good time. - Happy New Year~ (It’s 12am) LYN: Thank you friends, for spending a few hours with me. Someone said this hairstyle was non-mainstream, which suddenly sent us on this wonderful musical journey. My goodness- I’m... I’m happy. So I kept singing a few older songs and I hope they helped you remember some happy memories of your own. I want to wish you a happy new year- we’ve crossed the 12am boundary together, which means we’ve spent another year together. Happy New Year! The thing is, one of the rules of my stream is that if we go from one day into the other, that counts as having spent the year together. It’s already 12:01am so a lot of you have spent the new year with me. Since that’s the case, could you also subscribe to my weibo? Please subscribe. Thank you, everyone.

C: Ning-ge, turn off the special effects. LYN: I never had them on? Or are you talking about the snow? Or did you think my white hair was an effect? It’s not.

C: I put you on special notifications. LYN: Thank you for that.

LYN: Alright, it’s about time. It’s past 12a and I was thinking I would stream up until here and then sign off. We didn’t really talk much, but it counts as having chatted a little. We listened to a few songs and sang a few songs. When you get off from school or work you could go to a KTV to sing, but Ning-ge doesn’t have that opportunity. I can’t go to a KTV to sing, so I can only come here to release some stress. Today it counts as having gone to a KTV together, then. LYN: I hope you had a relaxing, happy, and wonderful night. It was great to have you and I hope you had fun. Let’s meet the next time. Good night, everyone!

#Liu Yuning #lyn livestream #(2:31:39) #this is his 1314th post #and it's a stream for fans #(一生一世) #topics: #ning-ge called us 'baby'~~ #there's a marathon in hengdian and a bunch of artists are participating? not lyn tho #lyn tries peking opera style #self intro #(he put on the white wig and suddenly started pushing that he was born after the '00's. LOL) #bit of a song relay #he sure knows every song alright

[lilapplesheadcannons]

Nie MingJue was welcomed by the gust of cold air from the air conditioner as he walked in. The long anticipated rain did very little to dissipate the summer heat. Instead, the outside felt like a sauna. His shirt was sticking to his back, and the skin under his wristwatch was itchy. Baxia meowed in welcome.

Before he could finish taking off his shoes, though, his phone rang. It was Meng Yao.

"Heyyy." Meng Yao sounded perky. Like the way he sounded when Jin GuangShang got busted in a hotel room with two prostitutes. Or after the son of Meng Yao's old boss, the obnoxious greasy git that tried to grope Meng Yao in a lift, drove straight into the railings of a bridge. (A miniscule part of MingJue will resent Xichen until the next life for never telling him about the groping incident, for allowing Wen Chao to die painlessly in a hospital bed instead of begging for his life, choking on his own blood while MingJue tore him into pieces). Anyway...

"Is everything ok?"

"I am going with Mo-shi to A-Yu's school. He has been suspended."

"Damn!"

"Don't worry. I'll talk to the principal. I am sure he can be persuaded to see how that can easily be misconstrued into an attack against a non-binary student by the press. A-Su will meet us there." Meng Yao's voice sounded silky smooth.

Nie MingJue isn't worried. He doesn't know Mo XuanYu's principal well enough to care for the man. But he knows the mottled bunch his in-laws are. Especially after the shovel talk Qin Su and Mo XuanYu, two people not even reaching his sternum, gave him while the oldest ZiXuan stood calmly smiling at him with his back blocking the only door. All lives must go through some trials and tribulations. It was Mo XuanYu's principal's turn.

"Can I help?" He was quite free for the rest of the day.

"Well, not us. But Saozi needs someone to look after A-Ling for an hour."

"Ummm, me?" MingJue was pretty self-confident in his capability to deal with anything. That anything, however, wasn't a baby that couldn't even walk. He had taken care of HuaiSang since their dad passed away, but HuaiSang was a 5 years old child then. Albeit he came with his own set of challenges, but at least he wasn't a fragile 6-month-old.

"Yes, she's got to run to a venue, client is throwing tantrum. But don't worry. My mom and Mrs. Jin will come pick A-Ling as soon as they can. They went to an auction to Caiyi. If not, Xuan-ge will try to sneak out."

"OK."

The bell rang. It must be Jiang Yanli. MingJue opened the door while hanging up the phone.

Yanli smiled apologetically. She was carrying the baby in a carseat. Behind Wen Ning was packed like a mule with miscellaneous bagpacks and diaper bags. He was also carrying a teddy bear under one arm and a bassinet under the other. The baby was fast asleep.

"Sorry. One of my clients is having a major issue at her wedding. A-Yao said he was free, but I guess he got called away by A-Yu."

"It's ok, it's ok. Don't worry about it." Nie MingJue took the carseat. Wen Ning walked in to drop off his load while trying not to trip over a curious Baxia. In the next ten minutes, MingJue was familiarised with the baby food, formula, bottles, clothes, diapers, and enough syrups, drops, and creams to open a pharmacy of his own.

"He was just fed and changed. This is his naptime anyway. Don't worry, popo will come around to pick him up in an hour."

Nie MingJue smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, Baxia and I will keep him safe."

Yanli relaxed. "Again, terribly sorry. I'd ask mom, but she and dad are out of the country. Give me a call if you need anything, ok? Let's go, A-Ning."

The duo rushed out. MingJue smiled at the seeming nonchalance that the Jins had for anything as he closed the door. Jiang Yanli acted as if her divorced parents going away together on a vacation abroad was the most natural phenomenon. A-Yao acted as if Mrs Jin taking her ex-husband's mistress to her latest fad was nothing out of ordinary. Even A-Yao going with another one of his dad's ex-mistresses to his half-sibling's school was just daily bread and butter. They functioned as a pack, a pride that had already devoured it's wayward patriarch, and one MingJue hoped he would never run afoul.

He could guess why it was him and not anybody else who was left holding Jin Ling. There was a silent, cold war of the uncles going on between Jiang Wanyin and Meng Yao to establish invisible territory, aided and abetted by HuaiSang, who very likely had a betting pool running somewhere. Wei Wuxian was a part of it, too, with strong backing from Lan Wangji, who would happily find a match if Wei Wuxian ever wanted to set the world on fire just for funsies, but they recently got their paperwork sorted and took a toddler with extreme separation anxiety home. It was obvious it would be a major loss for A-Yao if he couldn't provide impromptu babysitting on a day he was supposed to be free.

Jin Ling frowned , squirmed in his bassinet, and then opened his eyes. He was very clearly not impressed by what he saw because he broke into the howls of anguish.

Poor baby! MingJue picked him up and patted his back while pacing. Must be jarring going to sleep in your bedroom and waking up in an unfamiliar room with a semi-familiar giant staring at your face. Jin Ling simmered down into occasional whimpers. Baxia closely followed MingJue, obviously concerned for the deformed furless kitten. MingJue's phone rang again.

"Hello," Meng Yao sounded grimly determined, "how are things in your end?"

"Good, good. We are just getting along, " MingJue reassured. Over his shoulder, Jin Ling broke into a babble of babytalk with Baxia.

"That's better than us."

"How bad are things?"

"He fought with another kid, one of his cousins from the other side. That brat has to be hospitalised. School is thinking of getting police involved."

"Shit!" MingJue remembered his youngest half-brother-in-law. He was a twig of a child, surly and shy. He must have been pushed really hard for him to retaliate so badly.

"Yeah, Xuan-ge is on his way to here. If we can combine some legal threats, bad press, and monetary compensation, we can probably make things go away. Love you."

Meng Yao hung up. MingJue slowly whistled. He could understand why A-Yao was trying so hard to get XuanYu off without any blemishes. The Jin siblings were a hyperambitious, over-achieving bunch. Having one of their owns kicked out before completing high school with allegation of assault was not something A-Yao's delicate sensibilities could live with. His thoughts were interrupted by Jin Ling, who turned his head to make direct eye contact with him and said, "Shit!"

Nie MingJue almost dropped him in panic. Even not taking Jiang Yanli into account, a woman whom he had personally seen physically pull Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin apart, what Meng Yao would do to him if he ever learned that Nie MingJue taught his precious nephew to swear boggled minds. It wasn't even the cursing that was the worst part. One of the major bones of contention between A-Yao and Wanyin was whether Jin Ling would say shushu or jiujiu first. Jin Ling, like a good deplomat, had avoided saying any meaningful word so far. But when did things go in MingJue's favour anyway?

"No, no, A-Ling. Bad word. We don't say it."

Jin Ling tilted his head inquisitively. "Shiiiit?"

"Oh no, oh no. I am sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You shouldn't say it either."

"Shit!" Jin Ling spoke in conviction. He had found the first catchphrase of his life, and it was obviously getting all the right traction.

Maybe he'll forget if he gets distracted?

"Look here, this is kitty. Kiii-ttyyy. Say kitty. Meow, meow."

Baxia stared at him at mild contempt. Jin Ling spoke enthusiastically, "Shit!"

MingJue could feel himself breaking into a sweat despite the AC. This was exactly the type of stressful event Dr. Wen advised him to avoid during his checkup this morning. She was overall impressed with his blood pressure and his cholesterol and even smiled at him when he confirmed he got 9 hours of sleep every day. Now, he had gone and undone a year's progress.

"No A-Ling, kitty. Come on, Baxia, help me out here, old girl."

Baxia continued to look as unimpressed as ever. Jin Ling stuffed his left fist in his mouth.

MingJue decided to use threat because it was obvious his rotten old cat had no better nature he could fucking appeal to.

"What do you think will happen to you when Meng Yao kills me? Do you think he won't try to make it look like a burglary gone wrong and murder you too?"

Baxia finally said something, "Mrrrrrrrrrowwww!"

"I am glad you trust him so much. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but he knows you peed in his shoes that time. He's just biding time, you'll see."

Baxia simply turned her tail and walked off. Jin Ling continued to slobber on his fist like it was a lollipop. MingJue took a deep breath. Why was he, a man in his late 30s, arguing with a cat over a baby? His phone went off again.

"Oh, hello, darling," Meng-shi sounded like a bubbly teenager over the phone, "How are my two favourite boys doing?"

Light-weight, light-voiced, a hummingbird of a woman; Meng-shi was the exact opposite of the stoic, statuesque mother figure MingJue was used to having. He informed her that they were, in fact, doing perfectly well.

"Well, you see honey, there was an accident on the highway." Meng-shi's singsong voice was tinged with anxiety. "We are waiting for the road to clear. Won't take long. Will you two be ok?"

MingJue reassured her and then hung up. Great! How hard can looking after a baby be? He just needed to not swear anymore.

Jin Ling looked thoughtful as he took his fist out of his mouth, then with the sound of ripping papers came the stench of the deepest, darkest depth of hell. MingJue felt a hot liquid on his forearm leaking from the baby's diaper.

It took ages and an insane amount of babywipes to clean Jin Ling up. MingJue also made the effort to scrub his forearm raw and sniffed A-Yao's cologne to clear his sinuses. On the brigher side, Jin Ling was so delighted by his gagging that he seemed to forget the swearword.

As he was spraying the house with airfreshner, his phone went off again. Finally! Please let it be Meng-shi. Or better yet, Jiang Yanli herself. But no, all his hopes were dashed at the sight of the caller id.

"Hello, Xichen."

"Oh, hi, hi. How are things?"

Before MingJue could answer, Lan Xichen continued, "So Wanyin called to say that A-Ling needs babysitting. Wanyin isn't in town, but I'd be happy to take him off your hand. I am quite free today."

MingJue stared at the phone in disbelief. Et tu, brute! Xichen had shared ice creams with him in kindergarten when they were expressedly forbidden to buy those without grownups. Xichen cried with him at his dad's funeral. Fuck, the man slept off his first break-up in the sofa MingJue paid for. (Ok, A-Yao helped too because he's so much better at vouchers and sales). But here was the smiling serpent, stabbing MingJue for petty personal gains.

"No, I wouldn't want to presume." MingJue tried not to sound curt.

"Oh, come on," the treacherous snake purred, "Do you really need the aggravation? Why not take the time to plan a special meal for A-Yao? I bet he'd like that."

The backstabbing beast. As if A-Yao won't castrate MingJue for surrendering his precious nephew to the opponent team.

MingJue copied the purr, "Oh no, Jin Ling and I are already planning a special meal for A-Yao when he gets back. Thanks for your offer. Bye."

"But..."

"BYE!"

Things some people would lower themselves to do for gaining brownie points with a dimpled shortie! MingJue shook his head mournfully. Jin Ling restarted his whimpering.

"What is it, A-Ling? Do you miss mommy? She'll be back soon. Don't cry."

Just on the cue, Jin Ling's stomach rumbled. Nie Mingjue put him down on the carpet with a sigh and went to heat up the water. Midway making the bottle, he got suspicious of the sudden silence and came out of the kitchen to see Jin Ling tugging on a fistful of Baxia's fur. A terrified MingJue was about to jump in, but it was obvious the baby had carte blanche. MingJue, who still bore the marks on his forearm from the time he picked up kitten Baxia and brought her home, sighed at the unfairness in the world and went back to the bottle. He was sighing a lot today.

Jin Ling drank his bottle with much gusto but took a serious offence at MingJue's paltry attempt to burp him. He turned his head and babbled in complaints and seemed quite close to saying "Shit" again. So MingJue gave up and started giving him a tour of the flat.

It was when he was showing the baby Baxia's cat tree that Meng-shi rang back.

" Sorry, sweetheart, we need to take a detour. It'll be another hour. I'm really sorry," She sounded breathless.

MingJue wasn't too bothered. He had changed the baby. He had fed the baby. Surely the worst was over? Just to prove him wrong, the baby broke into tears again.

MingJue checked his diapers. It was dry. He checked his clothes too for good measures in case there were any rogue insects. But A-Ling was all clear and still yelling. MingJue carried him to the kitchen this time with him and made another bottle with one hand, but A-Ling spat it out. He was beginning to go red in his face. Desperate for a miracle, MingJue took him to the bedroom. He put the baby on his knees and tried to rock him side to side, just like how he had seen his own mother rock HuaiSang. Baxia meowed, then jumped up on the bed. He asked the cat, "What do I do now, Baxia?"

But the baby stopped whimpering. Baxia had crawled next to him and put a paw on his tummy. The baby yawned, then closed his eyes.

Within half an hour, MingJue felt his leg go numb. It was also lunchtime, and he skipped breakfast this morning for fasting blood glucose levels. But he didn't dare to move the baby.

Another half an hour crawled away. Finally, he heard keys rattling in the door.

"Da-ge?"

He could hear Meng Yao's whisper.

"Over here, in the bedroom." He whispered back.

It wasn't just A-Yao, though. Jiang Yanli and Jin ZiXuan peeked from behind him, three of them showing matching grins. Probably, the baby could sense his mom nearby because he blinked his eyes open.

It was an... impressive reunion, to say the least. If MingJue hadn't witnessed the whole thing, he'd easily believe that the mother and the child hadn't seen each other for aeons. Jin ZiXuan updated him as he put the baby items back into the bag.

"He's going to be fine. After school detention. The other kid is in trouble, though. He's been hitting A-Yu for a long time. Other students spoke up. He's the son of Mo-shi's sister, and well, it seems Mother dear has been talking nonsense to the boy. His dad works in a company affiliated with us, though. He came in to apologise. We'll also bring this up in the next school board meeting. I am sure people would be interested to know how the school was so quick to punish my brother without proper investigation. " His smile reminded MingJue of a documentary he had seen only the night before on great whites.

He felt Meng Yao touch his arm. He was almost blinded by the beatific, grateful smile. Well, he couldn't blame Xichen anymore. A man could go a great length for some dimples.

"Thanks! I owe you one." Meng Yao whispered.

MingJue felt a pleasant tingle in his spine. A-Yao was generous in his paybacks. He was in luck.

The Jins were ready to leave. Yanli waved Jin Ling's chubby fist for him.

"Say goodbye to shushu, A-Ling. Say goodbye to Gufu."

However, Jin Ling opened his mouth and said, "Bai-ya!"

Everyone paused.

"He said bye! His first words!" Jin ZiXuan was in tears. But Jin Ling protested, "Baiii-yaaa!"

As if in response, Baxia walked up to Yanli and meowed. It dawned onto people only then.

"My son's first word. It's a cat's name!"

MingJue struggled to maintain his smile as he waved them goodbye. If only ZiXuan knew the original first word his son had uttered. MingJue kept his fingers crossed that Jin Ling wouldn't say "Shit" until he was at least one.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #mdzs crack #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #cql fanfic #nie mingjue #meng yao #jiang yanli #jin zixuan #jin ling #lan xichen #mo xuanyu #meng shi #baxia #nieyao #xuanli #xicheng

[stiltonbasket]

Age reversal au~! Can we have that moment where jyl asks wwx how does he know love is or how he knew that he was in love. Or at the very least jiang fam bonding 🤭🤭🤭

"Da-ge?" Jiang Yanli asks, when her oldest brother comes back home to Lotus Pier for the first time after his wedding. "How did you know you were in love with Hanguang-jun?"

"Hanguang-jun? Who's this Hanguang-jun?" Xian-gege chides, holding baby A-Yuan up to plant a wet kiss on Yanli's cheek. "He's been your brother-in-law for a year now. You can just call him Wangji-gege."

"No, I can't!" Yanli says, horrified by the mere thought of it. "But ge, I didn't want to ask about him, really. I just wanted to know how you realized he was more than a friend to you."

Wei Wuxian squints. "Are you in love with someone, A-Li?"

Jiang Yanli coughs, flushing darker than the embroidered lotus flowers on her ruqun, and her brother jumps up from his chair so suddenly that Yuanyuan yells out a protest. "A-Die is sorry, Baobao," he soothes, stroking the baby's head until he settles down again. “But A-Li, who-?”

“Gege!” she wails. “Just tell me how you knew, first!”

“All right, all right. Hm, how I knew I liked Lan Zhan...I think it started as soon as the day I met him, but I didn’t know it was anything more than friendship until he asked if he could court me,” Xian-gege tells her. “Once there was a choice to be with him, I knew there would be no other way forward for me. That’s a good way to think about it, meimei--if the person you’re thinking about came to you tomorrow and asked you to marry him, and you knew that he loved you with all his heart, could you bear to say no?”

Yanli blushes even harder. “No, I--I don’t think I could.”

“Then you have your answer, don’t you?”

“I guess I do,” she says quietly. “But he doesn’t like me.”

Oh, Jin Zixuan likes her well enough, as well as boys like the baby sisters of their sworn brothers, but he’s never looked at her as anything more than Er-ge’s sweet meimei, no matter how earnestly she tried to make him see that she wasn’t a little girl any more. Yanli is already eighteen, and her eighteen years aren’t so few in comparison to Jin Zixuan’s twenty-three as eight would be to thirteen, so why won’t Zixuan-ge forget the little young mistress she used to be, and treat her as the grown guniang she is?

“Are you sure?” Xian-gege says gently. “You’re the dearest and wisest girl I’ve ever known, A-Li. Who wouldn’t love you?”

A tear runs down Jiang Yanli’s cheek.

“He’s engaged to someone else,” she sniffles. “I know it’s wrong to--to like someone who wouldn’t be free to love me back--but the engagement’s not his choice, and he and his intended don’t like each other, so I thought...”

Her brother closes his eyes, looking as pained as Yanli feels, and draws her into his arms.

“Is it Jin Zixuan?”

Jiang Yanli bursts into sobs.

“It is,” she chokes. “I’ve liked him all my life, and I tried to stop after I knew he was supposed to marry Su-jie, but I couldn’t--”

“Did that peacock lead you on?” Wei Wuxian demands. “If he did, I’ll drag him here from Lanling this very minute to kneel and beg forgiveness in front of Jiang-shushu, betrothal or no betrothal!”

“No! No, it wasn’t like that.”

Xian-gege draws back. “All right, then,” he says decisively. “A-Li, don’t cry. Your gege will fix this for you.”

Yanli blinks at him, perplexed. “I don’t see how.”

“I’m going to tell Wen Ning to hurry up and make his move,” her brother mutters. “He’s been delaying his coronation because he’s afraid being Wen-zongzhu will distance him from Qing-meimei and his little cousins, but he really can’t afford to put this off any longer.”

“Put what off?”

“Go bathe your face and have lunch with Auntie,” he urges. “Gege has letters to write.”

So Jiang Yanli goes, more bewildered than ever. She takes A-Yuan with her to visit Mother in the south pavilion, and Xian-gege runs off to write to Wen Qionglin, though Jiang Yanli can’t imagine what he could do to resolve a foolish matter of the heart like this one.

But two months later, after Wen Ruohan steps down and yields the zongzhu’s seat to his nephew, she finally gets her answer: because Wen Qionglin shocks the whole cultivation world by kidnapping Qin Su from her manor in Laoling, and forcefully taking her to wife before Qin Cangye could even send word of her disappearance to Jin Guangshan.

"I don’t care,” Wen Qionglin shrugged, when emissaries from Laoling and Lanling came to plead for Qin Su’s release, reminding Wen-zongzhu of her lifelong engagement to Jin Zixuan and the dowry Qin Cangye was supposed to sign over to Jin Guangshan in return for his daughter’s bride price. “I’ve already married her. Maiden Qin and I are one from now unto the world’s ending, and I will not even think of parting from her until Jin Zixuan himself comes to challenge me for her hand.”

But Jin Zixuan did not go, unwilling to take his sect to war for a woman already wed; and Qin Su remained in Qishan as Wen Ning’s lawful bride, giving birth to a daughter by him within ten months of the wedding. She had turned out to be a very competent Wen-furen, using the education she was given as the future mistress of the Jinlintai to govern the Qishan Wen sect, and she hid her despair over her kidnapping so well that no one could pity her for it.

“You knew,” Yanli accuses her brother, after the jianghu finally recovers from the backlash. “Gege, you planned this!”

Wei Wuxian laughs and pats her head.

“It was a love match, A-Li,” he grins. “How do you think A-Ning managed to steal her so easily, ah? Qin-guniang went with him willingly.”

The next time Yanli sees Qin Su is at baby Wen Xuan’s full-moon celebration, and indeed, there is no shadow of pain about her. The new Wen-furen is radiant, glorying in every look and gentle touch from her husband, and baby Xuanxuan is perfect: the very picture of her mother, and so healthy and strong that Wen-zongzhu named her the heir to his clan the very day she was born.

“A-Li?” someone calls, while Jiang Yanli is busy leaning over the baby’s crib and letting Xuan-bao squeeze all the blood out of her poor, unsuspecting fingers. “A-Li, you’ve been there a while. Can I fetch you something to eat?”

She turns, scarcely recognizing the voice--for while she knew it, it had never been directed at anyone so reverently as this before, and certainly never at her.

“Zixuan-ge,” she gasps, trying to pry her hand out of Wen Xuan’s iron grip. “What are you doing here?”

He quirks a brow at her. “I was invited, remember?”

“No, I know that. But what are you doing here? All the men are with Wen-zongzhu in the feasting hall, aren’t they?”

“En, they are,” Jin Zixuan replies, rubbing his neck awkwardly. “But I thought that you must be hungry, and I knew you wouldn’t want to eat in there, so I was wondering if...”

Jiang Yanli’s heart flutters.

“You thought right,” she says, meeting Jin Zixuan’s eyes with her own. “Go fetch us some dinner from the feasting hall, Zixuan-ge. I’d like it very much.”

#wangxian #xuanli #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #ningsu #age reversal au #my fic #ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh #wen ning finally did it lol #please reblog if you liked it! <3

[robininthelabyrinth]

CQL-Verse: Wen Ning did a whole lot of risky stuff saving JC and the bodies at Lotus Pier. What if NMJ hears and gets talked into helping protect him and the Wen remnants by the Jiang bros, because even if he's a wen, he still 1. whole ass poisoned wen chao 2. straight up commited treason and was punished for it to protect sect heirs and 3. is extremely baby brotherable. you can fit so much h/c into this bad boy

ao3

Untamed

1

Wen Qing was angry about the trials, but Wen Ning thought they made a reasonable amount of sense.

After all, how was the rest of the cultivation world supposed to know what they did in the war without a proper trial? It was only reasonable for them to make certain assumptions about them based on their surname, the same way everyone assumed that those surnamed Jin were rich, those surnamed Lan were beautiful, those surnamed Jiang were bold to the point of arrogance…

The Nie were supposedly known for their tempers, but Wen Ning hadn’t seen much evidence of that so far.

In fairness, his only experiences with a Nie were, firstly, with Nie Huaisang at the Cloud Recesses, which he was fairly sure didn’t count, and now, during the trial, with Nie Mingjue.

Nie Mingjue laughed the entire trial.

“You poisoned the wine,” he sniggered. “At their own celebratory feast…! And then you just went straight to Yiling, where your sister was in charge. And it still took him how long to find you?”

“Weeks,” Wen Ning meekly admitted.  

“Can we go back to the bit where you saved Wei-xiong from the giant dog beast using stolen needles?” Nie Huaisang asked.

“No, we cannot,” Nie Mingjue’s deputy – a somewhat long-suffering looking man that they all called Meng Yao – said. “He’s already gone over it four times, Huaisang.”

“But –”

“No.”

“Spoilsport! Look at how much fun da-ge’s having; it’s not fair.”

“He’s the sect leader. If he wants to hoot like a shrieking monkey, he’s entitled to it.”

“I’m not hooting,” Nie Mingjue protested. “I am recognizing talent.”

“Talent.”

“Exactly. Talent.”

“At…what, exactly?”

“Causing trouble,” Nie Huaisang volunteered. “I recognize it from Wei-xiong, I could spot it anywhere.”

“Could we possibly proceed with the trial?” Meng Yao asked, obviously deciding not to continue with that discussion. “We have six more to finish today. Can I assume that given the evidence of Wen-gongzi’s subversive activities and his subsequent imprisonment throughout much of the Sunshot Campaign, he is absolved of all crimes and allowed to go free?”

“You spoilsport,” Nie Mingjue said, rolling his eyes at him. “Yes, I think so. Wen Qionglin, you are free to go your own way – though if you wish to stay here in Qinghe as a guest cultivator, we would be glad to have you for however long you wish.”

Wen Ning thought that sounded all right.

2

The Nie sect were known for their tempers, and justly so, but Wen Ning quickly figured out that he didn’t need to be afraid of Nie Mingjue’s occasional outbursts (quickly roused, quickly doused) or Nie Huaisang’s temper tantrums (petty) and occasional grudge-holding (rarer but much more dangerous).

No, Wen Ning figured out very quickly in his first weeks that the one to be afraid of was clearly Meng Yao.

Wen Ning had been weak and sickly his whole life in a sect that valued strength above all; he had survived hiding behind his sister, but she couldn’t always be there for him, no matter how she tried. He’d soon learned that surviving on his own meant being quiet and obedient, never making trouble or drawing attention to himself, and it also meant being extremely attuned to the minute expressions that might signal the difference between Wen Chao being angry enough to throwing a teacup at his head and being angry enough to order him to be taken outside and beaten until unconscious.

The same skills helped him in the Nie sect, where people were very often angry. Wen Ning could tell the difference between Nie Mingjue raging to let out steam (moderately common and generally innocuous, easily ignored) and being actually upset (typically only dangerous to the furniture, which was a nice change, but more worrisome in the sense that he might go and do something stupid afterwards), and he could tell that Nie Huaisang’s true anger, so rarely triggered, tended more towards the cold and hidden (definitely a sign he was going to do something, but unfortunately for everyone involved it’d invariably be far more malicious - enough to make you long for stupid).

He could tell that Meng Yao was, despite all his smiles, very often angry.

Like Nie Mingjue, Meng Yao’s temper was easily roused to the point of fury; like Nie Huaisang, his anger lasted a long time and usually called for some malicious action before it could be properly assuaged.

“Senior Meng,” Wen Ning tentatively said one day when his curiosity got to be too much for him. “Could I ask a rude question?”

Meng Yao’s temper, hidden deep in his eyes, flared at once, preemptively, and Wen Ning shivered and looked down at the ground. He had known what he was risking, but he hoped that asking permission in advance might allow him to get the question out with minimal reprisals – cold meals for a few days, perhaps, or being assigned to the training yard only when the most sadistic training-master was supervising, but only for a week or so.

“Of course, Wen-gongzi,” Meng Yao said, and he sounded nice and pleasant and like no question could possibly be rude enough to cause him any disturbance. It was a little frightening how good he was at that. “I can’t imagine what you would want to know that would be rude.”

“Are you related?” Wen Ning blurted out. “To Sect Leader Nie, I mean – his family –”

Meng Yao stared at him. His mouth was slightly hanging open.

“…it’s a stupid question,” Wen Ning concluded, feeling ashamed. Of course Meng Yao had been promoted entirely on merit; it was only his imagination getting away from him. “I’m sorry. I’ll go –”

“No, wait,” Meng Yao croaked. “Related – to the Nie sect – forgive me. How did you reach that conclusion?”

“I mean, you’re obviously treated as part of the main family,” Wen Ning pointed out. There were plenty of Nie cousins that weren’t treated anywhere near as well; both Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang were not only protective but almost possessive over Meng Yao’s time and dignity - surely by now everyone knew that the surest way to get them each angry in their own ways was to slight Meng Yao. “You wear Nie braids like them – you wear clothing like them – you have a temper like them –”

Meng Yao started laughing.

“…did I miss something?”

3

“I’m surprised you didn’t go to the Lotus Pier after you’d been absolved,” Nie Huaisang said, tapping the weiqi piece on the board a few times before making a move. “Given your fondness for Wei-xiong and all that.”

“Wei-gongzi’s very nice,” Wen Ning said vaguely, staring down at the board. He’d played a lot of weiqi in his life – including against Wen Ruohan when the man had still been remotely sane, mostly because he’d been the only one stuck back at the palace with him more often than not – but playing against Nie Huaisang required all of his attention. The first time he looked away, he’d get lured into a trap. “Very kind.”

“And yet you stay here,” Nie Huaisang prompted. “In Qinghe, with us, when even your sister picked the Lotus Pier.”

Wen Ning had never been without his sister this long before. He knew that she still expected him to come to the Lotus Pier. She hadn’t expected him to last the week without her; she’d said as much when she first went, huffing at him for being ridiculous – a Wen as a guest cultivator in the Nie sect, of all places? – and telling him, in between reminders to take his medicine on time, that she’d prepare a place for him there so that he would be comfortable when he arrived.

Her letters, in the weeks and now months since that time, had never overtly asked when he was going to finally get around to moving there, and had recently developed an almost quizzical tone, as if she’d finally realized that he wasn’t.

“I like it here,” Wen Ning said, and moved his piece.

Nie Huaisang moved his own almost immediately in response, which meant that Wen Ning had made a horrible mistake that played straight into Nie Huaisang’s hands. Not an uncommon occurrence. 

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “We like having you here, too.”

Surprised, Wen Ning looked up.

Nie Huaisang was smiling at him – he smiled nearly as often as Meng Yao, but unlike Meng Yao, he never smiled if he didn’t want to, so his smiles were actually sincerely meant each and every time. He had a wide range of smiles: nervous smiles, cheerful smiles, devious smiles…

Wen Ning was good at reading expressions, but he had to admit he’d never had to work as hard at it as he did with Nie Huaisang.

“We’re a very nice sect, really,” Nie Huaisang said, and even seemed to believe it. “We’re always open to people who are like us. The only thing we can’t tolerate is injustice and betrayal; as long as you stick with us and put us first, you’re ours, and we’re yours.”

That sounded nice, Wen Ning thought, and moved a piece blindly. “You think I’m like you? My sister doesn’t think so.”

“I think you fit in very nicely,” Nie Huaisang said, and his smile had teeth to it. He moved quickly, again. “You’re angry and resentful, but you don’t let it get in the way of what you want - just like us. Your sister probably doesn’t think that about you, either, but then again, that’s why she’s in the Jiang sect, with their heads in the air, dreaming of the impossible. I bet she never even noticed that you had a temper.”

She hadn’t. Wen Ning had been her baby brother and nothing else for a long time; he never had to defend himself as long as she was around. 

He’d never had the chance to defend himself.

(He didn’t resent her for that. He didn’t. She was his big sister, his favorite person, and he loved her so much that he didn’t mind the way that all her fussing sometimes made the world feel cramped and small, as if he were being forced into a place that he’d long since outgrown.)

“Do I have a temper?” he asked, and moved another piece.

“Oh, yes,” Nie Huaisang said. “You’re like me – slow to boil – and like Meng Yao, hiding it behind your eyes. You’re even a bit like da-ge: you don’t need to be the one get the frustration out as long as something deals with it, but if nothing does, it nags at you and wears at you, like a thorn stuck in your flesh, until you can’t be silent any longer. Until you have to do something, or else you’ll explode.”

That sounded about right, Wen Ning thought. He’d never really had a chance to explode in the Wen sect, out of fear of what they’d do to his sister if he did, and he’d been sick with it – he’d limited himself to little rebellions, nameless pranks, right up until he met Wei Wuxian, who was kind to him, and couldn’t stop himself from helping him. He sometimes thought, in the days he’d spent in the dungeons, that if he died he’d come back as a fierce corpse, soul-calming rituals or no, and he’d might even enjoy it if only for the opportunity to finally vent his feelings – to finally pay back every single injustice that he’d ever seen, each one marked down in his heart in an indelible list of regrets.

Maybe Nie Huaisang was right. 

Maybe that was why he stayed here, in the Nie sect, the sect of do not tolerate evil instead of the Lan sect’s chivalry and righteousness or the Jiang sect’s attempt the impossible.

Maybe he wanted to fight back for once. To have a temper, to have rage, to be something more than Wen Qing’s shy, stuttering shadow.

“I like it here,” he said again, but if his words were the same then the flavor was different: he meant it this time.  

He understood, this time, what he meant by it.

Nie Huaisang smiled at him and moved another piece. Winning the game, Wen Ning noticed.

“Good,” he said. “Now move over – sit in front of the mirror. I’ll show you how to do your hair right.”

“Really?”

“Really. Also, Da-ge’s been practically champing at the bit to teach you saber, and Meng Yao has been making grandiose plans about redoing the way we recruit and train doctors with you leading the charge, so if you’re not up for either of those, now’s the time to say something.”

Wen Ning settled down in front of the mirror.

“No,” he said. “Those sound good to me.”

#mdzs #wen ning #nie mingjue #nie huaisang #meng yao #my fic #my fics #be happy #plotdesigner

[meltingheartsandcores]

This is just something that came from a different story I’m writing, so, it’s just a one shot. And it’s not really editted (sorry). 

 This is A/B/O, with Omega wwx and Alpha lwj, but honestly it doesn’t really show up much, like it’s not a focal point of the story for the most part, it’s just kind of, there. There’s minor NieLan, and past wangxian with hopeful future wangxian (hopeful future IMO), and it’s modern non cultivation!

 Other than that, enjoy? And if you have questions feel free to hop into my inbox.

It had been years.

Five, to be exact.

Wei Wuxian wouldn't lie and say Lan Wangji never entered his mind, he did almost constantly. But he had long accepted he would never see the Alpha again. Lan Qiren had made it rather clear he was to never contact Lan Wangji again.

That hadn't been a pleasant conversation. Well. Argument.

For once Wei Wuxian was glad he was no longer in contact with the Jiangs, even if it wasn’t for long, he'd hate for them to have been involved. He's not entirely sure who's side Madam Yu would've been on, but he hoped she would've been on his. Although, if she was, he's not entirely confident Lan Qiren would still be walking around. Lan Qiren might be a hard ass, but he had nothing on Madam Yu.

He should write Nie Huaisang. See how the Jiang's are doing.

"Are you alright?"

Wei Wuxian blinks, brought back to the present, silently filing the idea to write Nie Huaisang for later, and looks up at Lan Xichen. Who he had just run into. Literally.

Wei Wuxian ignores the hand and stands on his own, "Perfectly. Just distracted. Sorry to bother you." Wei Wuxian says, nodding and turning, deciding he could get A-Yuan's candy later, after the milk. He had made it a few steps before Lan Xichen grabbed his arm. Wei Wuxian tenses, snapping around with a glare on his face before he registers that Lan Xichen isn't going to attack him. Not physically at least. So he lets the glare fall. "Sorry."

Lan Xichen drops his hand, "No, I should not have grabbed you. I apologize." An apology from a Lan. Maybe he died.

A-Yuan would be heartbroken. A-Yu probably doesn't know what Death is and probably wouldn't understand for a few years.

Lan Xichen was talking. Wei Wuxian should be listening, not thinking of his death. Lan Xichen smiles, as he normally does, "You were not listening."

"Sorry. My brain drifts, it pissed your uncle off to end, remember?" Wei Wuxian says, shrugging.

Lan Xichen nods, "Uncle seemed to anger easily around you, yes. I was wondering if you had the time, we could talk. Perhaps over tea?"

He can't ask for alcohol instead. For one, Lans don't drink. For two, he has to pick A-Yu and A-Yuan up in half an hour.

"I have a half hour, I guess we could finish up shopping and go to the Starbucks down the block." Lan Xichen's eyes tighten at the mention of Starbucks, which makes Wei Wuxian remember the heavily disturbed and deer-in-headlight look Lan Wangji had when Wei Wuxian dragged him there. Repeatedly.

Lan Wangji never seemed to get used to Starbucks.

None of the Lans seem to like it either.

Lan Xichen nods though, so Wei Wuxian does a U-turn to grab the candy he promised A-Yuan and then made a bee-line for the two other things he was missing. He loses Lan Xichen at some point, but when he gets to the check out, Lan Xichen is waiting by the door with a bag.

Wei Wuxian smiles at the Cashier, Mingyu, who seemed slightly concerned for him. But Wei Wuxian waves off the concern, even when Mingyu decides to ask, "Is he a friend or should I call security?"

Wei Wuxian considers this, Lan Xichen isn't a friend, but security isn't necessary. Wei Wuxian grins when he comes to a response, that's both honest and fun, "He's Daiyu's uncle." Wei Wuxian informs, finishing with his payment and taking his items. "See you in a week Mingyu!" Wei Wuxian calls as the other man is clearly trying to figure out how he hasn't met this uncle until now.

"A friend?" Lan Xichen asks as they walk down the road.

"Eh, more I'm a regular." Wei Wuxian shrugs. He only talks to Mingyu when he buys groceries. Not much other reason to talk to the teenager.

Especially since he tends to remind Wei Wuxian that, uh, he is only twenty-two.

That's not something he particularly likes to remember. Especially when he's on his way to pick up his kids. He looks older enough that none of the other parents comment on him being A-Yu and A-Yuan's brother, and none of them comment on the utter shame of having a child at seventeen. And presumably fourteen if A-Yuan was actually birthed from him. As he so often jokes, especially after A-Yuan learnt where babies came from.

A-Yuan thinks it's funny.

Wen Qing thinks it's stupid.

But it's meant to entertain the eight year old so it's not a problem.

"So you live around here." Lan Xichen comments, more to himself than to Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian has to mentally curse himself. For five years, no Lan has known where he lived. No one from that life knew where he was except Nie Huaisang. And for all he can be a coward, Wei Wuxian knows he wouldn't have given away his location to anyone.

But he just confirmed to Lan Xichen that he lived in this town.

Fuck.

"What're you doing here?" Wei Wuxian asks, opening the door for Lan Xichen and gesturing for the man to enter the Starbucks. Lan Xichen gives him a tight smile and enters, clearly not liking being inside the store.

Tough. Wei Wuxian doesn't want to be having this conversation, neither of them get to be comfortable. Wei Wuxian follows Lan Xichen in, walking up to the register and ordering a drink with a smile before turning to Lan Xichen for his order. Which he gives with a tense smile. The barista nods, repeats the order back and then Lan Xichen pays, because this was his idea and Wei Wuxian would much rather be at home right now.

They amble over to a table to wait for their drinks to be made. Well. Lan Xichen got his at the till since it was just a Green Tea, but they have to wait for Wei Wuxian's. Might as well get this chat over with.

"The Nie have a lakehouse a mile out of town." Oh right. Oh fuck. "Mingjue and I are having a little vacation." Lan Xichen says in response to his earlier question.

"And you came to get some groceries."

"Just a little. Mingjue will be back for the rest." Lan Xichen winces when he sips at his tea, clearly not liking it. He sets his cup aside, "You know, Huaisang seemed very against us going to this partical vacation house."

Oh for fucks sake. "Huaisang's specialty isn't subtly." Wei Wuxian says with a shrug, then stands and gets his drink when the barista calls out his name.

Lan Xichen waits for him to sit back down. "No, it isn't. Might I ask, why Huaisang knows where you are when no one else does?"

"I don't like the Jin. I don't want to burden the Jiang. The Lan want nothing to do with me." Wei Wuxian shrugs, "Nie Huaisang is the only friend I have left." Outside of the friends he now lives with. Wei Wuxian sips at his flat white.

Lan Xichen's brows twitch in a furrow before smoothing out, "What do you mean we want nothing to do with you.

Wei Wuxian raises an eyebrow, "Was there a part of Lan Qiren's order that was unclear?"

Wei Wuxian's response only seems to confuse him further. "I believe, there has been some miscommunication." Lan Xichen suggests politely.

"Not really." Wei Wuxian refutes. "Lan Qiren told me to get the fuck out and never contact any of you again. Not much room for miscommunication."

"He said what?" Lan Xichen asks, sounding light and a little confused. But Wei Wuxian had spent enough time around Lan Wangji, and hence Lan Xichen since Lan Xichen was Lan Wangji's favoured company, to know he was getting very pissed off.

Huh.

Wei Wuxian shrugs, too little too late, in his opinion. It's been five years. "It was shortly after I left the Jiang, I went to stay with Lan- Wangji." Wei Wuxian catches himself before using the familiar address. Lan Xichen seemed to catch the slip up too. "Just for the night. The departure went a little more explosively than I meant for it to, I came to spend the night. Lan Qiren told me to leave and never return, that Lan Wangji wanted nothing more to do with me. Not to contact anyone in the family. Obviously I argued, but I had already argued with Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang that night, so, he won. I left. And then a week later he sent me two hundred thousand Yuan." That wasn't a pleasant night to remember. It wasn't a pleasant week. He found out he was pregnant, then the Wen shit happened, and he was moving across the country with Wen Ning and his family. Wei Wuxian shrugs again, drinking his flat white.

Lan Xichen's brow furrows slowly, and he shakes his head, "I'm sorry, Uncle told us nothing about this. All Wangji and I have known is that you left the Jiang and disappeared. Wangji certainly didn't say anything about not wanting your company anymore." Lan Xichen seemed offended at the very idea.

Oh.

Huh.

Lan Wangji doesn't hate him.

Oh fuck.

Lan Wangji doesn't hate him.

But he probably will. When he tells him about A-Yu.

Fuck.

"Is everything okay?" Lan Xichen asks, making clear that Wei Wuxian's panic is clear on his face.

"Um." Wei Wuxian swallows, twisting the paper cup in his hands, "In theory. If, uh, when I left, I had been uh," No. Nope. He can't think of a good way to say this. He checks the time. "Uh, do you have twenty minutes?"

"I'm supposed to meet with Mingjue in ten."

"Great. Uh. Meet me at the park with the giant octopus sculpture in fifteen, bring Da ge, I need to drop my groceries off at my house." Wei Wuxian doesn't wait for Lan Xichen to agree, picking up his groceries and hurrying out.

When he gets home, he dumps the groceries on the counter, giving Wen Qing a quick, "Lan Xichen's in town and he's metting A-Yu and A-Yuan, see you in fiften minutes. Thanks bye!" before running back out, not responding to her shout of 'what' that followed.

When he gets to the octopus sculpture, he doesn't have to wait long fo Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue to show up, thankfully. He bounces over to them, the nervous energy coursing through him a little too much to keep still. "Hi Dage."

"Wuxian." Nie Mingjue greets, as if Wei Wuxian hasn't been off the grid for five years and was still popping into his house every other weekend to do weird shit with Nie Huaisang.

Nice to know somethings don't change.

"What is it you wanted to show us?" Lan Xichen asks politely.

"Um, this way." Wei Wuxian takes them to the school, which was only a few minutes away.

"A school." Nie Mingjue deadpans.

Wei Wuxian looks at the other parents waiting, a few of them looking back at the group with furrowed brows. One of the mothers makes a very harsh 'come here' gesture, so Wei Wuxian turns to Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen, "Uh, I'll be right back. Don't move." He was clearly confusing the pair, but they nod so he rushes off to Mrs. Yang.

"Is that Daiyu's father? Other father?" Mrs. Yang demands, almost glaring at Lan Xichen.

"It's his older brother." Wei Wuxian corrects with a tight smile. "Please don't go yell at him."

"Oh, his family decides it's okay for you to raise a child for five years on your own, and I shouldn't yell?" Mrs. Yang demands, already gearing up to go.

"Uh, I'm, about to tell him Daiyu exists."

Mrs. Yang blinks, clearly taken aback. "Wei Wuxian." Wei Wuxian flinches at her tone, oh no. He's in trouble. "Did you not tell the Alpha family you were pregnant?"

"In my defence," because he needed one if he wanted to survive, "their uncle had already told me their family wanted nothing to do with me before he found out I had gotten pregnant. I don't think that opinion would've been changed in my favour. Given we were seventeen, and unmated."

Mrs. Yang hmphs, but nods. "Fine. But if he seems anything less than overjoyed, I'll be having words."

"Yes Mrs. Yang. Thank you." Wei Wuxian says, nodding. He meant it. Mrs. Yang was one of the more supportive parents. Like Granny Wen she had more or less started treating him like family.

It probably helped that her eldest was only two years younger than Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian smiles and then hurries back to Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue as the elder grades started to be let out.

"I'm sorry, do you babysit?" Lan Xichen asks, clearly very confused. Nie Mingjue doesn't seem to be much better.

"Uh. Sometimes." Wei Wuxian shrugs, "Not today." His answer only served further confusion, but he wasn't paying much attention to the pair. Instead to his incoming missile.

"Xian-gege!" Wen Yuan yells, and Wei Wuxian picks up the eight-year old as the boy had launched himself at Wei Wuxian.

"A-Yuan! My, I think you've grown!"

Wen Yuan pouts, "You saw me this morning gege! I haven't grown at all!"

Wei Wuxian shakes his head, "Hmm, nope! You've grown a full inch! I know it."

"No! A-Yuan hasn't grown at all!" Wen Yuan counters, pouting more deeply. Ah, not in the mood to be teased today. Okay.

"Ah, ah yes. A-Yuan is correct." Wei Wuxian agrees, and puts A-Yuan down. "A-Yuan, this is Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue. They're old friends." Wei Wuxian introduces.

Wen Yuan was half through a bored wave when he actually looked at Nie Mingjue and his eyes utterly lit up. "You're so tall!"

Nie Mingjue barely blinked, very used to this reaction, but he seemed delighted at A-Yuan's very prescence. "Yes." Seeing as A-Yuan was practically vibrating, Wei Wuxian gently encourages him, and really that was all that was necessary before A-Yuan was attached to Nie Mingjue's leg and asking a million questions a minute.

Nie Mingjue seemed amused, and politely answered every question he caught.

With A-Yuan distracted, Wei Wuxian looks around the schoolyard for his other charge. Normally Daiyu would be attached to his leg by now. He finally spots her hiding by a tree, or, behind a tree. Her eyes widen when they meet his, and he waves her over. She hesitates, but eventually decides to come over. She walks, and then runs the last little bit, entirely hiding behind Wei Wuxian's legs, peeking a little to look at Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue.

Lan Xichen had frozen.

As expected, given Daiyu's golden eyes.

"Daiyu, this is Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen. Lan Xichen is your Bobo." Daiyu seemed very doubtful of that, making almost the exact same expression Lan Wangji did when Wei Wuxian had tried to convince him necromancy was a perfectly viable career path. Wei Wuxian would like to be offended. "I'm telling the truth."

"I thought Baba's family didn't want anything to do with us." Daiyu counters, doubt clear.

Ai. Who told her that? They didn't but still. "Who told you that?"

"Qing-jie."

...Ok. Wei Wuxian wasn't going to yell at Wen Qing for telling Daiyu that. Even if he wanted to. He was going to call her a liar.

"Well, she's wrong." Wei Wuxian crouches, turning to pick Daiyu up before standing straight. "It's complicated, and something I'll talk to you about in private. But Lan Xichen hasn't been able to be around until now."

Daiyu narrows her eyes but shrugs, "Fine." She didn't sound fine. But Wei Wuxian was not about to argue with a five year old. Not in public.

"Ok. Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, this is Wei Daiyu."

"Hi."

"Hello."

Daiyu looks at Wei Wuxian before responding, "Hello."

Well. This was awkward. And Lan Xichen looked like he was about to faint. "Why don't we go to the park?" A-Yuan seemed all for that idea. A-Yu looked like she'd rather not but when Wei Wuxian put her down she ran with A-Yuan toward the park. Wei Wuxian lead the adults in following after them.

While the kids played at the Octopus park, Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen sat down at a bench, as Wen Yuan had dragged Nie Mingjue into their game.

"You were pregnant."

Wei Wuxian nods. "Lan Qiren didn't know. I, didn't know, until a week after that argument." Wei Wuxian shrugs, "I took Lan Qiren's words to heart, and didn't contact Lan Zhan about her."

"But you told Huaisang." Lan Xichen states.

Wei Wuxian blinks, "Huaisang doesn't know. I only talk to Huaisang for updates on the Jiang." And other things, but, mostly the Jiang. Once or twice Lan Wangji, but not all that often. He probably wouldn't take it well if Nie Huaisang sent back that Lan Wangji had gotten married.

"You, didn't tell anyone?"

"Nope. You're the first person outside of this town that knows." Wei Wuxian shrugs, and Lan Xichen just, stops. Wei Wuxian worries he's broken him, but soon enough Lan Xichen shakes his head.

"I can't- Apologies, this is a lot to process."

"How do you think Lan Zhan will react?" He's expecting anger. That's what some of the other omegan parents tell him to expect, whenever he considers sending Lan Wangji a message about Daiyu. No Alpha ever takes a pup being kept from them well. That's what they always say.

Lan Xichen's eyes widen, then he winces slightly, "I imagine, you are the not the one to worry about Wangji's reaction." Eh? "I'm sure he'll be happy. Saddened to have missed her first few years, but happy none the less."

Wei Wuxian opens and closes his mouth, trying to figure how to phrase his question before giving up and just asking, "Is he with anyone?"

Lan Xichen blinks and turns to look at Wei Wuxian, confused for a moment before understand dawns and he shakes his head slightly, "No. Uncle has tried for arrangements, but Wangji refuses them all. but I'm certain if you contact him, he'll be happy to see you." (Lan Xichen does not mention that he's rather confident Lan Wangji will immediately run to Wei Wuxian's side and help in raising Daiyu if Wei Wuxian even hints that that is what he wants. That seems a little much for right now.)

Wei Wuxian nods, not entirely believing that, but not willing to argue. "Now I just have to get Daiyu to come around." He did not expect his daughter to be the stickler here. Then again, Wen Qing had made her opinion on Lan Qiren years ago and wasn't quiet about it.

"She's aware of what Uncle said?" Lan Xichen asks.

Wei Wuxian shakes his head, "Uh, my friend, Wen Qing, yeah, that Wen Qing, I'm living with her family, long story, anyways, Wen Qing knows, and she holds very unfavourable opinions about it and she's not quiet about them. So, even if Daiyu doesn't know the full story, Wen Qing has given her enough to go on that she's formed her own, unfavourable opinion." Wei Wuxian shrugs, he couldn't really argue against it. Up until half an hour ago, he was rather confident the Lan's hated him and wanted nothing to do with him.

Now he has to explain a five year misunderstanding to his daughter.

Fun.

“I have to tell Wangji what you just told me.” Lan Xichen states, clearly not looking forward to that conversation.

Wei Wuxian shrugs, “It’s Lan Zhan, he’ll make a displeased face and not talk for a week.” It wasn’t that big of deal. Lan Wangji doesn’t do grudges, not really. At least, he didn’t five years ago.

Lan Xichen’s face was pure pity, which Wei Wuxian didn’t understand but it was gone before Wei Wuxian could formulate a question. “Do you want us around or shall we leave you alone?”

Oh. Wei Wuxian hadn’t considered that. “Um, maybe leave us alone for tomorrow? I guess I can give you my number and, if A-Yu is agreeable you guys can hang around. If it won’t mess up your vacation.” Because, who wants to spend their vacation with their little brother’s ex and daughter?

“That would be wonderful.” Lan Xichen says, pulling out his own phone and letting Wei Wuxian type in his number. Wei Wuxian then texts himself so he’d have the number on his phone too. “We should be getting back, I believe Mingjue wanted to stop by the butcher and they close at five.”

“Yes, they do. Because he needs to eat supper and spend time with his kids.” He kne Changpu, he was nice. Stodgy, but nice.

Lan Xichen nods and stands up, walking over to the playing trio and speaking quietly to Mingjue, he bids goodbye to the children, before the pair start walking away, they wave goodbye to Wei Wuxian, which he returns, and then they disappear.

Then, Daiyu runs up to him, “A-Niang, does that mean A-Die doesn’t hate us? Will he come live with us? Will we see Xi-bo a lot? Are they going to live with us? Like Granny and Uncle Four?”

Fuck.

Upon returning to the cabin, Lan Xichen’s day wasn’t going any better. Nie Mingjue was cooking supper, so Lan Xichen was alone with the decision to call Lan Wangji about Wei Wuxian. Obviously, he would. How much to say though?

Wangji, as it turns out, would make that decision for him.

After exchanging greetings, Lan Xichen barely got out, “So I ran into Wei Wuxian today in the city near where Mingjue and I are vacationing.” Before the call was dropped. Lan Xichen blinked, staring at his phone where it said ‘Call Ended’, meaning Wangji hung up on him. Lan Wangji hung up without a word. Without letting Lan Xichen finish. He was never so rude. He normally at least made a sound to indicate a goodbye. Nie Mingjue laughed at him when Lan Xichen explained why he was so flabbergasted.

Lan Wangji showed up the next morning.

#Wei Wuxian #Lan Xichen #Nie Mingjue #A/B/O #wwx #lxc #nmj #cql #mdzs #Modern Au #my writing #my fics #Wei Daiyu #I forget the characters for her name but I have them written somewhere #She’s like #my Wangxian go to child for any fics Im writing where they have a child aside from lzs #I haven’t posted in forever #I don’t remember how I used to tag these #Five Year Misunderstanding

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 18, second part

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff) (Previous Post)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Hey OP where’s the funny header gif for this post? Sorry, it was murdered by an angst demon and the framing of these shots.

My Found Family Came to Find Me

Continuing our flashback from last time, we see Baby Wei Ying up a tree, refusing to come down because he's afraid there are dogs. Eventually he falls out of the tree, like a dumbass a child, and Yanli tries but fails to catch him. 

Unlike his grownup counterpart, Baby Wei Ying doesn't pretend he's unhurt when he is hurt. I'd like to put the change at Yu Ziyuan's door, but actually he admits to being hurt during his Gusu summer - he mimics Lan Zhan's stoicism when they're getting beaten, but it doesn't come naturally to him, and he whines a lot afterwards. 

By the time of the Animatronic Dog incident, however, he's laughing off obvious injuries that have secret trauma behind them. By the time he comes back, coreless, from the burial mounds, he won't confide in anyone about his hurts any more, except possibly Wen Qing.

Yanli carries Wei Ying, in a sequence that will be echoed much later in his life when Lan Zhan carries him (gifset here). While they head back, she tells him that Jiang Cheng has a bad temper and to ignore whatever mean things he says. This will also be echoed in the future, when Wei Wuxian says it to Lan Zhan after their argument with Jiang Cheng in the shrine.

Yanli also explains that Jiang Cheng loved his dogs and that he's been very sad since Jiang Fengmian sent them away, demonstrating once again that Jiang Fengmian is a terrible father. Yanli says that Jiang Cheng will be happy to have a friend with him, though. This kind of makes Wei Wuxian's role in Jiang Cheng's life "replacement dog."

Jiang Cheng, after getting over this particular snit, got worried about Wei Wuxian and woke up Yanli to find him, and then went wandering around in the dark like a dumbass a child, and is banged up and crying when the other two find him. Yanli encourages him to apologize to Wei Wuxian and he does, which will not happen again until the very end of the show.  

They all smile and laugh together, as Wei Ying looks to Yanli to guide him through the insanity that his life has suddenly become. 

(more behind the cut!)

They head back to Lotus Pier in a sweet montage of walking and smiling together, with Jiang Cheng carrying the world's most beautiful candle holder with the world's most wind-resistant candle in it, to light their way back. Back in the present day for a brief moment, Jiang Cheng pretends to sleep and listens to his sister insisting that the three of them should always stay together, while a single tear rolls down the side of his face.

Soup is Love, Chapter 1 of 1000

Then we head to the past again. In Jiang Cheng & Wei Ying's now-shared room, Wei Ying sits on the bed trying to figure out how to deal with his grumpy new roommate.

Wei Ying is unsure what to do when confronted with pajama game this strong. Tiny Jiang Cheng is already a fashion king. 

Then he tells Jiang Cheng he's not going to narc him out to the clan leader, since it was his own fault that he hurt his leg. This is all Jiang Cheng needs to hear to decide Wei Ying is all right, and he says that he will help Wei Ying chase away dogs in the future.  In fact, Wei Wuxian will protect Jiang Cheng from punishment basically forever, while Jiang Cheng will continue to threaten Wei Wuxian with dogs...forever.

They shake hands on their new understanding and then jump up and down laughing, Wei Ying's leg being all better now, apparently.  When Yanli arrives (carrying a tray of...can you guess? I'll let you guess), they stop jumping. Wei Ying dives in to give Jiang Cheng a little tickle/embrace in an adorable moment that would have me saying "oh, my ovaries!" if I hadn't surgically sent my ovaries to hell a few years ago.

Yanli introduces Wei Ying to the emotional and gustatorial miracle that is her lotus and ribs soup. He hesitates a long time before tucking in because he's so unused to being fed.

Consent? I Don’t Even Know Her

The flashback wraps up with Yanli conked out on the table from the drugs in the incense burner, while Wei Wuxian, who is somehow unaffected despite sitting almost as close to the smoke as she was, checks on her. Jiang Cheng and his Uggs period-appropriate sock thingies get out of bed to come stand with Wei Wuxian, and have feelings about sending Yanli away after she JUST said she doesn't want to be parted from them.

Wei Wuxian: If she didn't want us to do this, she shouldn't have signed that blanket consent-to-medical-treatment form.   Jiang Cheng: Wen Qing made me sign one of those plus a durable power of attorney, is that bad?

This episode is all about people overriding each others' agency and making massively important decisions without the consent of the people who will be affected. But in a feudal context, it's not a violation, no matter how it feels to the person being controlled. In feudal life, your body belongs to your lord -- your sect leader, in the world of CQL. Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng's choices are overridden by their clan leader's final command to Wei Wuxian.  Wei Wuxian's core is arguably Jiang Fengmian's property--Wei Wuxian certainly sees it that way, just as his hand was Yu Ziyuan's to take if she wished.  

The brothers tenderly tuck Yanli into bed in the rolly cart and hand her off to Song Lan. They talk about how important it is to get her to Lanling and that she's probably going to be mad, as they thank Song Lan for helping them. 

Yanli listens while she sleeps and, in what is becoming a trademark Jiang move, lets a single tear roll down the side of her face. Jiang Cheng points out that Yanli never gets mad at Wei Wuxian and Wei Wuxian is like, true dat.

How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?

Song Lan is always so emotional about every damn thing, I love him. Here he's like OH GOD NO DON'T FORMALLY THANK ME! STOP!!!

Then he starts to ask Wei Wuxian to pass a message to Song Xingchen for him, but then decides not to say anything, making it super obvious that they fought and aren't together. 

Wei Wuxian reacts to this with confusion and distress, probably because he doesn't want to imagine ever having a breakup with his own soulmate. Which he soon will be having.  But possibly he's just upset that his OTP broke up.

After Song Lan takes off, Jiang Cheng gives Wen Qing a rude & perfunctory thank-you bow, turning away before she can return it. Wei Wuxian tells her not to take it to heart - basically everyone who deals with Jiang Cheng gets a version of the "ignore what he says" speech. She says she understands and that in his place she would have behaved worse, which is so totally not true.  

Then she asks Wei Wuxian if he's sure about the core transfer (not in so many words, because the script is being kind of being vague about it, without actually hiding what's happening). His reply pretty much encapsulates the whole Wei Wuxian experience.

Then he and Jiang Cheng walk off, with Jiang Cheng giving us a rear view that had me googling Wang Zhuocheng's fashion shoots to determine if that wagon he's draggin’ is really as delightful as this belt makes it look. Alas, there is not a wealth of photographic evidence for this research, as compared to, for example, photos of Xiao Zhan's outstanding ass.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning see them off, with Wen Qing wishing they valued their lives more. Although, what she and Wen Ning are doing is massive treason, so their lives will be pretty much forfeit if they're caught, so...

The Sunshot Campaign of Like 60 Dudes

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng walk up the mountain for the whole beginning of the Sunshot campaign, which...okay. Maybe it's like Dunkirk or The Witcher where they intercut stuff that is happening in different timeframes, which is one of my least favorite new film style thingies.

You know, for a guy Wei Wuxian constantly calls "peacock," Jin Ziyuan really doesn't wear a lot of adornment; just some subtle metalwork on his belt with no dangly bits at all, and a single reasonably-sized hair crown. Compared to the extremely fancy Lan Wangji he's almost plain. We already know that Wei Wuxian is a massive hypocrite when it comes to his idea of a perfect boy, however.

So, this is the Lanling Jin army, which consists of literally 60 guys, including the ones on the stairs and Jin Zixuan and Douchebag Dad. How are they going to fight a war with this tiny group? Why do they have such a big plaza? Hasn't anybody on this production learned CGI cloning?

That’s better.

Nie Mingjue and his best bitch Baxia make quick work of the 4 Wen guys who were assigned to hold the Unclean Realm. 

Hello, Daddy Da-Ge!

Squeeee, it's Lan Wangji! He's taking back Cloud Recesses! Ooooohhh we've missed you Lan Wangji.

Look guys he's here! Look how beautiful he is. He's looking at the gate of cloud recesses and thinking thoughts that Lan Xichen or Wei Wuxian could probably see in his bewitching eyes if they were here to see him, which they aren't. But at least he is here!

....and now he's gone again. *cries*

Hares On The Mountains

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian continue roaming prettily around this pretty mountainside. The locations in this show are such eye candy. 

Young laddies they run like hares on the mountains Young laddies they run like hares on the mountains  Young laddies they run like hares on the mountains  If I was a young lass I’d soon go a hunting

Jiang Cheng starts to have doubts about the whole Baoshan Sanren thing. Wei Wuxian's reply pretty much encapsulates the whole Wei Wuxian experience.  

Then we have just the tenderest blindfolding scene, (more gifs here), which is fodder for your ChengXian dreams, if you have those.

Here's a good place for a sidebar about what is and isn't incest. Whee! In the CDrama context, relationships tend to be more clearly defined than in western media. The mechanism of confession & acceptance means that people either are or are not in a romantic relationship, with few grey areas. So a character can literally say "we grew up as brother and sister, but now we are dating" and when someone looks startled they just say "there's no blood relation" and everyone is like "cool cool" and that's the new definition of the relationship.

For a strong example of this, the extremely wonderful Go Ahead is about a contemporary family in which a girl and two boys, who are not blood relatives, are all raised together, and call each other brother and sister. When they become adults, they and everyone around them expect the girl (now a woman) to marry one of the two men who have been her brothers, while whichever one she doesn't choose will carry on as her sibling. It's treated as the most natural, logical thing in the world; the only question is whether she wants to make that transition, and with whom.

Looked at through this lens, Wei Wuxian's relationships with his adoptive siblings have just as much potential to turn into romances as his relationships with his friends do, and there's nothing creepy about it. As such you can expect my meta to always get into ChengXian moments without treating it as a wrong or forbidden love. Hopeless, of course, because Jiang Cheng is such a prick the power of WangXian is stronger, but that's a different matter.

What is wrong is wearing this fantastic hat & veil combination when the most fashionable person on the mountain is blindfolded and can't see it.

In the course of this blindfolded encounter with Wen Qing, Jiang Cheng gets to kneel before a powerful woman, be led along by a length of silk that's placed in his hand, and then knocked the fuck out and operated on. He'll wake up in a hotel room in a tub full of ice with "we took your kidney" written on the mirror in lipstick, and he'll love every minute of it.  

Soundtrack: 1. Still Fighting it, by Ben Folds 2. Hares on the Mountain, by Steeleye Span

Writing Prompt: The NEXT time somebody blindfolds Jiang Cheng

#fytheuntamed #the untamed #the untamed gifs #chengxian #cql #restless rewatch the untamed #canary3d-original #my gifs

[biwenqing]

Drabble prompt! 2. “None of this is your fault.” Have a lovely weekend!

Thank you so so much for this prompt! Because you didn’t send any character names, I hope you enjoy this little AU that has been rattling around in my head where WWX never goes through Qiongqi Pass. Jiang Siblings feels ahead!

Wei Wuxian was so excited to meet his nephew that it took him longer than usual to figure out he and Wen Ning were being followed. He came to a halt, spinning towards the woods. Wen Ning stopped as well, head cocking to one side to listen.

"A-Yuan, come out." Wei Wuxian tried not to be upset. And when he saw Wen Yuan wide eyes, dirt smudged on his cheeks as he tumbled out of the underbrush, any frustration left him.

Wen Yuan ran forward, stopping himself by grabbing Wei Wuxian's leg. "Xian-ge, I wanna see the baby!"

"A-Yuan, how have you walked so far on your own?" Wei Wuxian put chenqing in his belt before he leaned down and picked Wen Yuan up. Balancing the boy on his hip, he tried to figure out what they should do now. Looking at Wen Ning, he sighed. "Can you go back and let them know a-Yuan is okay? Don't worry about making it back, a-Yuan, and I will continue on our own."

Wen Ning frowned, "I-is that safe?"

Wei Wuxian wanted to shrug but gave a reassuring smile instead.

 Wen Ning complied and he patted Wen Yuan's head. "Be good."

A-Yuan beamed, nodding.

"Tell your sister not to worry," Wei Wuxian called after Wen Ning. He thought he might have caught an almost laugh from the retreating, ghostly form.

"Sleepy," a-Yuan declared, leaning his cheek against Wei Wuxian's shoulder.

Looking down a the little boy, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but kiss his forehead. So much for his intimidating Yiling Patriarch image. But he couldn't stop the thrill that hit him at the thought of Jiang Yanli meeting Wen Yuan. Turning, Wei Wuxian started walking once more.

"A-Yuan, I can't carry you the whole way," Wei Wuxian murmured, but the little boy had already fallen asleep, arms looped loosely around Wei Wuxian's neck. He thought about his few memories with his parents, of being seated on top of their donkey with the supplies, one of them always at his side to catch him if needed.

This was going to take longer if Wei Wuxian tried to find a donkey... but he decided it would be worth it. Wen Yuan would love it.

[...]

It wasn't that hard to acquire a donkey, once he came across one on a little farm. Wei Wuxian wasn't sure what he looked like, his outer robe being used as a sling for Wen Yuan, but apparently, it was either trustworthy or pitiable. He left with the two women who owed said donkey the ivory lotus and tassel that were on chenqing and explained, "If I don't bring your donkey back, this should cover a new one. Or most of one."

The taller woman just smiled with a shrug. "Thank you. I assume you have to pass back this way on your trip home?"

"We should, yes," Wei Wuxian looked over to where the other farmer had charmed Wen Yuan by giving him an apple and had even managing to get him to allow her to scrub the dirt Wen Yuan's cheeks. "Thank you both."

"Thank you!" Wen Yuan chimed in, with a grin and mouth full of apple.

"You're welcome little one. Now be good for your baba, okay?" the second woman said, handing Wen Yuan back to Wei Wuxian.

Setting Wen Yuan on the back, they made their way back to the road, the couple waving to them before going back to their chores. This stop did put them rather out of the way from Wei Wuxian's original planned route. There was nothing to be done about it now, so Wei Wuxian continued walking. The donkey let itself be guided by a long switch, so Wei Wuxian could walk at its side and make sure Wen Yuan didn't slip.

"What's her name?" Wen Yuan asked, patting the donkey's little puffy mane.

"Hmm." Wei Wuxian hadn't thought to ask. "What do you think her name should be?"

Wen Yuan looked thoughtful. "Turnip?" 

"No! She's a nice donkey," Wei Wuxian protested dramatically, causing Wen Yuan to laugh. It always amazed Wei Wuxian how the little boy could laugh so hard even after everything he had been through. He was healing. "What about... Apple?"

"No," Wen Yuan shook his head.

"No? Not even going to consider it?" Wei Wuxian put his hand over his heart in mock hurt. "What about Lotus?"

Wen Yuan's little forehead scrunched up in thought before he nodded. "Yes. Lotus!"

"A good name," Wei Wuxian smiled. "Now we must be nice to Lotus. She is going to help us get to see the baby."

Wen Yuan nodded seriously, reaching out to pet Lotus once more. Wei Wuxian put his hand on Wen Yuan's back to help him balance. "Good Lotus."

"I have something important to tell you," Wei Wuxian said once Wen Yuan was sitting back up. "Will you listen closely?"

"Yes Xian-ge," Wen Yuan turned to look at Wei Wuxian, and he wobbled a bit. Wei Wuxian stabilized him and Wen Yuan giggled.

"The baby will be very small, so you need to promise you will be very careful and gentle." 

Wen Yuan's face grew serious once more, which was adorable with his chubby baby cheeks. One of the things Wei Wuxian was most proud of was the weight Wen Yuan had regained in the last year. He was looking like a healthy little kid once more.

"The baby is too small to play, but he will be very happy to see us," Wei Wuxian said. "We have a present for him!"

"Can I have a present?"

Wei Wuxian laughed so hard that Lotus stopped and looked back at him. He managed to say, "Yes, you can if you are very good on this trip."

"Yay!" Wen Yuan cheered as Lotus huffed and continued down the road.

[...]

The sun had begun to set by the time they made it to Lanling. Wen Yuan had found a way to nap on Lotus, laying down on her neck while Wei Wuxian kept a hand on him. He perked up as they entered the city, looking around in awe. It was clear that the celebration of Jin Ling's birth had expanded into the city as a whole, as beautiful lanterns swayed in the light breeze.

"Is this where rich gege lives?" Wen Yuan asked.

"No, but we might see him," Wei Wuxian said, and realized he hadn't planned for that. What would he say if he saw Lan Wangji? Not an immediate issue, so he pushed it down. "But first we need to see my shijie and the baby."

"Baby!" Wen Yuan agreed, his excitement high. Wei Wuxian was going to have to find a way to tire him out, or he was going to rebel against bedtime with all his napping.

The guards at the bottom of the first of the many stairs looked at Wei Wuxian, Wen Yuan, and Lotus dubiously. It didn't seem like they recognized Wei Wuxian, which was fair. His outermost robe was still draped around Wen Yuan from his nap, and he knew the dust of the road clung to them all. 

"I have an invitation!" Wei Wuxian said, reaching into his sleeves. He took it out and handed it to the first guard, before picking up Wen Yuan and balancing him on his hip.

The first guard's face paled as he passed the invitation to his companion. The woman raised a brow, looking between the invite and Wei Wuxian.

"I can do a little demotic cultivation if you need proof, but I'd rather not," Wei Wuxian joked.

"Ah, not necessary," the woman assured, mostly hiding her alarm. "You may enter."

"Thank you," Wei Wuxian said. "If I leave my donkey here, will she be cared for?"

"I can find someone to take her to the stables," the woman said and looked surprised as Wei Wuxian put Lotus's lead in her hands and took his invite back.

"Thank you! She should get some treats if possible," Wei Wuxian said over his shoulder as he began the climb. Wen Yuan leaned away from him, trying to see all around them. "Careful, I don't want to drop you."

Wen Yuan rested his head on Wei Wuxian's shoulder with a sigh and he would bet Wen Yuan was now pouting. As they got to the top of the stairs, Wei Wuxian decided he should have brought more water. Who the hell needed this many stairs, to be so separated from the common people?

"Wei Wuxian!" His name had been said in that exact tone too many times, and Wei Wuxian couldn't help rolling his eyes as he turned to find Jiang Cheng storming his way. He seemed to pause at the sight of Wen Yuan peeking over at him, blinking in surprise at the child.

"Jiang Cheng!" Wei Wuxian beamed as his brother came to a stop in front of him. "A-Yuan, this is Jiang Cheng. You met him once before."

"You ate some dirt," Jiang Cheng informed Wen Yuan. Wei Wuxian wondered if this was as surreal for Jiang Cheng as it was for him.

Wen Yuan just snuggled closer. "Aw, you're scaring him a-Cheng," Wei Wuxian scolded teasingly, which got Wen Yuan to giggle.

"I'm not!" Jiang Cheng sounded offended. "Why'd you bring him here anyway?"

"He's my son, of course, I brought him," Wei Wuxian gasped, as Wen Yuan continued to giggle. "Also he followed me. That's why we're so late."

Jiang Cheng nodded, and seemed to relax, only to surge forward. Wei Wuxian found himself pulled into a tight hug, Wen Yuan squirming as he was squished. It wasn't until Jiang Cheng pulled away and quickly scrubbed his face that Wei Wuxian realized something was very wrong.

"What happened?" he whispered.

"They were going to ambush you," Jiang Cheng spit the word as if they were poison in his mouth. "Shijie and I had no idea. Neither did the peacock. If you had gone through Qiongqi Pass, they would have..." Jiang Cheng's hand clenched, zidian sparking.

Wei Wuxian let out a breath and a quiet, "Oh," as the words sunk in. Wen Yuan could tell he was upset and patted his cheek. This helped him focus once more on Jiang Cheng. He could see the anguish in his face, and rested a hand on Jiang Cheng's arms.

“None of this is your fault," Wei Wuxian murmured. "Or shijie's."

"You could have..." Jiang Cheng took a deep breath. Wei Wuxian set Wen Yuan down so he could pull his brother into a proper hug.

"I'm okay, I'm here," he murmured once more. 

Jiang Cheng nodded slowly against his shoulder, before straightening and pulling away. "We need to go to shijie! She's been so worried, it's not good for her."

Wei Wuxian picked Wen Yuan back up. "Lead the way."

Jiang Yanli, Jin Zixuan, and Jin Ling were back in their rooms. Jiang Yanli looked up as soon as Jiang Cheng knocked and Wei Wuxian could see she had been crying. Her face slowly lit up when she realized it was him, and she passed her baby over to Jin Zixuan before running to him. Wei Wuxian passed Wen Yuan to Jiang Cheng so he could catch her, holding her close.

"A-Xian, you came!" Jiang Yanli said softly.

"Of course," Wei Wuxian rubbed her back. "I couldn't miss meeting my nephew and seeing my favorite shijie."

Jiang Yanli pulled back enough that she could look at his face. "You're okay."

"I'm okay," he assured, reaching up to gently wipe away her renewed tears. "Little a-Yuan here slowed me down enough."

Jiang Yanli let go of Wei Wuxian when she saw Wen Yuan, who was looking at her with wide eyes. Or maybe that was just because Jiang Cheng was now holding him, neither Wen Yuan nor Jiang Cheng seeming to know what to with this fact. 

"Who is this little man?" she cooed.

"Wei Wuxian says Yuan is his son," Jiang Cheng said with an eye roll.

"Because he is!" Wei Wuxian protested, reaching out to take Wen Yuan back. Wen Yuan happily went back into his arms.

"Stop, we don't want to overwhelm him," Jiang Yanli scolded gently. "Hello a-Yuan, it is very nice to meet you."

"This is Jiang Yanli," Wei Wuxian explained. "She's the baby's mom."

Wen Yuan's eyes went wide. "The baby!"

"A-Yuan wanted to come along so he could meet Jin Ling," Wei Wuxian explained and watched as his sister became completely enamored with the little boy. It made him feel warm, his family coming together.

"He's sleeping right now, but you can come see him," Jiang Yanli said, walking back to Jin Zixuan. Jin Zixuan nodded at Wei Wuxian, so he nodded back. That was probably the best they were going to get at the moment.

Wen Yuan gasped as Jiang Yanli took her baby back and cradled him where Yuan could see. "He's tiny," he whispered.

"He is, but he will grow big and strong like you," Jiang Yanli smiled.

"He needs turnips," Wen Yuan suggested wisely. "Turnips make you grow strong."

Jiang Cheng snorted a laugh. "Is this what you’re teaching him?"

"Hey, we only recently have lotuses," Wei Wuxian pouted. "We've had to make do."

"I will have to make you both soup tomorrow," Jiang Yanli decided. "But Jin Zixuan will go get you and a-Yuan some dinner now."

Jin Zixuan nodded, and left, but not before pressing a kiss to his wife's cheek. Wei Wuxian made a face and glanced at Jiang Cheng to find he was too. Jiang Yanli just shook her head at her brothers, moving to sit. "A-Xian, come sit beside me."

"Thank you, all those stairs are a nightmare." Wei Wuxian settled, leaning to rest his head on Jiang Yanli's shoulder and settling Wen Yuan to sit in his lap. He looked down at his little nephew. "Did I miss all the festivities?"

"Not at all, we saved most of them," Jiang Yanli said. "We couldn't do them without you."

Wei Wuxian smiled, and let himself relax. He might be in the middle of enemy territory, but he was also with some of the people he trusted most in the world. While tomorrow would no doubt be a new challenge, for now, he could bask in the warmth of his family. Jiang Cheng settled across from them and began to give an update on Lotus Pier, his and Jiang Yanli's voices washing over Wei Wuxian and making the gilded rooms feel like home.

#wei wuxian #jiang yanli #jiang cheng #lan sizhui #the untamed #lan yuan #thank you again! and i hope you also had a good weekend! #my fic #jiang sibs #wangxian family #will i write a sequel to this with wangxian? maybe.... #wen yuan #did a little edit on 7/11/23

[rosethornewrites]

Monday’s T & G fics

Here are the fics I read today! Some of these are ones I’m subscribed to (and behind on).

Finished:

Rated T:

Encounter - Grass Butterfly, by ArchiveWriter

LWJ POV - set just after WWX's death and LWJ having suffered his punishment.

Context: Timeline mash-up. In my interpretation of events, Wen Quing and Wen Ning go to Jinlingtai alone; a lynchmob of clansmen led by Jiang Cheng besiege Burial Mounds whilst WWX is away with little Wen Yuan to try and get them back; when he returns, he can only hide the child in the charred tree before flying to face the massed clans in his last battle. LWJ chases after him – trying to find him after learning of the Wen siblings’ fate, he races to the old mountain, finds the child and rescues him to Cloud Recesses, then flies to the battlefield at Nevernight where he defends WWX and injures the elders of his own clan, who on behalf of his brother and uncle try to capture him and whisk him to safety before the clans overwhelm WWX (and potentially LWJ with him), then gets dragged off to Cloud Recesses after WWX jumps off the cliff.

two scheming babies scheme murder, by anxiouswreck0_0 (second in a series)

SangYao get married! Knowing how the last wedding went, how will this one go?

Mourning for Love, by bingolin

Lan Wangji had not thought about him in a while. But all who looked at him could almost see the ghost embracing him from behind and weighing him down- regardless of whether they knew to whom the ghost belonged.

Lan Wangji had not thought about him in a while.

But tonight, he was thinking about him.

Home is in Your Arms, by kitsyu

Lan Wangi is trying to grade papers; his husband is a welcome distraction.

(Just a short bit of post-canon fluff and domestic life in the cloud recesses. Minor spoilers if you squint)

Rated G:

In Which Lan Xichen Finds His Brother’s Behavior Concerning, by AshurbanipalJones

“He drank the wine he drank, suffered the wounds he suffered.”—Módào Zǔshī

But you're somebody else, by hamlets_ghost (second in a series)

Two brothers reunite for the first time after many, many years...

Wei Wuxian's plan for sneaking alcohol into the cloud recess is less than successful

Now I can't stand to be alone, by hamlets_ghost (third in a series)

Wei Wuxian is out night hunting alone and bites off more than he can chew.

Luckily a handsome rogue cultivator comes to his rescue.

Don't need you, by Poitre_4

Prompt: 178. "Don't do it. If you attack now, then I won't be able to keep you safe"

Character: Jin Ling

The Best Medicine, by BaconnEggs

Wei Wuxian knows something is wrong when he wakes up before Lan Wangji does.

It's nine in the morning. Waking up at this time is par for the course for Wei Wuxian, but absolutely unheard of for Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian turns over to look at him, and even in the dim light filtering in from the curtains, the drawn paleness of his skin is hard to miss.Wei Wuxian grazes a tentative hand over Lan Wangji’s forehead and he seems to wince at the touch, face tightening as a low groan escapes his lips. The knuckles of Wei Wuxian’s fingers are met with dry, unpleasant warmth.

A fever.

(AKA Wei Wuxian takes care of a sick Lan Wangji because dammit Lan Wangji deserves to be taken care of and given soup as much as Wei Wuxian does)

Alternate Evil, by enchantingmiranchahalo

Post-canon Wei Wuxian time travels to the moment he's reunited with Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng after the Burial Mounds.

Serial Killer, by nirejseki

“So what are you going to do about it, Xichen?” Jin Guangyao heard Nie Mingjue demanding, and paused, tilting his head to the side to listen rather than proceeding to enter the room.

Nie Mingjue had gotten increasingly irascible as of late, no doubt in large part to the growing influence of the Song of Turmoil that he’d been playing for him, and much of his ire was (correctly, although unknowingly) aimed at Jin Guangyao. It therefore would be better to stay outside and listen, to figure out what argument Nie Mingjue was using and design appropriate countermeasures – to convince Lan Xichen that Nie Mingjue was, as usual, making a fuss when there was no reason, and that it was safe to simply ignore him or downplay his concerns.

“Da-ge…”

“Don’t da-ge me! He’s killing people!”

Jin Guangyao tensed.

intersections, by sasamelons

He had just made it to the streetcar stop when he heard his name being called.

“Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying clattered his way down the street with his hastily-thrown on jacket and wild shoulder-length hair falling out of his ponytail. Lan Zhan had given up on trying to fight his way across the crowd before he left, had only managed to catch Wei Ying’s eye and wave from the other side of the room. His heart sped up at the thought that the other man had run out of the bar to say goodbye.

"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan,” he said in between pants as he caught his breath. Despite his exhaustion and eagerness to get home only a moment ago, Lan Zhan had the sudden thought that he might be happy to stand on this street corner forever, if Wei Ying kept saying his name like that. “You’re leaving already?”

--

Growing up, at five intersections.

A Game of Chess..., by Ladycroft4evr

Just WangXian hanging out at Cloud Recesses, Life after Yi City... specifically after that insanely adorable bunny lantern/heart eyes at Tanzou market <3

Of course WangXian have a heck of a lot of free time between then and the Epic Confession @ Jinlintai :D So A bored Wei WuXian suggests a game of Chess (Weiqi/Go), small bet between WangXian...juniors make a cameo too lol.. Have fun, folks :)

Unfinished:

Rated T:

I've Heard of Second Chances, but This Is Ridiculous, by velvet_green

One of Wei Wuxian’s experimental talisman arrays sends himself, his husband and his brother to that mythical land of long ago – the Gusu Lan lectures of their youth.

Wei Wuxian is amused. Lan Wangji is silent. Jiang Cheng is angry.

And their younger versions are mostly just very, very confused.

Muted, by Akabara_13

Jiang FengMian thought the boy would talk again once the storm passed, but Madam Yu praised his silence. The boy would not talk to anyone, but his brother and sister.

demons run when a good man goes to war, by Miranda_Aurelia

In their attempt to consolidate power, Wei Wuxian is framed and executed by the Jin Sect.

A pity, because Wei-xiong was possibly the only person that could have stopped Lan Wangji from razing Koi Tower to the ground, thought Nie Huaisang uncharitably. As for him? They really should have left his brother alone.

Serendipity, by midnight_soul

Lan Wangji is tired of his family’s passive-aggressive persistence in his love life. He will not go on another blind date; the first two times were disastrous enough.

Wei Wuxian has had enough of his family telling him no one would want to stick with him, no one decent at least.

One trying to live his life peacefully and another wanting to prove his family wrong, how can their plan fail? They’re practically meant for each other.

Decay exists as an extinct form of life., by Amanie

Wei wuxian dies after years with the people he loved.

And then he woke up.

——

A jar of emperor’s smile crashed to the ground.

And Wei Wuxian screamed.

“How do you kill an immortal?”

Rated G:

The Undesirable Son, by FragranceLotion97

Wei Wuxian has been living with his Master, Baoshan Sanren, ever since his parents died at a Night Hunt when he was ten years old. Years later, his Master sends him off to join the lecture in Cloud Recesses for a special secret mission to save the entire Cultivation World from the heinous dictator, Wen Ruohan.

Wei Wuxian's journey in finding the real meaning of family and love in Cloud Recesses.

Patriarch, by nilavu

In which Hanguang-jun sends a letter to the Yiling Patriarch inviting him to Jin Rulan's one-month celebration and receives a surprising letter back.

#the untamed #untamed fanfiction #mo dao zu shi #chen qing ling #cql #mdzs

[tanoraqui]

[Part 1] [Part 2]

[now all on AO3!]

As Nie Huaisang pulls his horse to a halt, as he clumsily dismounts and begs his san-ge to speak with him in private and they walk off to the side of the road together, Nie Huaisang’s eyes down and his fan covering most his face in embarrassment, he thinks very quickly, and decides faster. He’d promised himself he would do that, next time something like this happened

Here is some of what he thinks:

if the lifeblood of Qishan was power and the heart of Qinghe is strength, then the vital spark of Lanling is appearance. Nie Huaisang has always admired this, even yearned for it - imagine being born to a sect in which it was okay to just sit around and look pretty! Sure, they go a bit overboard with gilt, but who wouldn’t, if they had the money? QingheNie has a fortress in the mountains; LanlingJin has a golden tower overlooking one of the biggest ports in the empire, trade and art and culture all within reach

Conversely, they also thrive on secrets - the dark side of golden, glittering appearance. They’re not so different from QishanWen like that, because information is power. That’s why gossip is a thing 

Nie Huaisang has no particular reason to distrust Jin Guangyao, personally. He’s always been very kind to Nie Huaisang, bringing him lovely new fans and paints and a beautiful finch one time. Da-ge doesn’t trust him, for reason of some things JGY did in the war, but da-ge has such high standards for conduct that it’s a miracle he trusts anyone after the Sunshot Campaign. (And it’d help if he told NHS anything about those alleged untrustworthy “things”...) Wen Qing doesn’t trust him, but in fairness, it was her side that he betrayed. That could sour anyone. Even putting aside the possibility that she’s deliberately sowing discord for some devilish Wen reason. 

Admittedly, anything that Nie Huaisang says to him will almost certainly get back to Jin Guangshan, unless it’s of a truly personal nature - and perhaps even then. Secrets and gossip and power, after all, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that Jin Guangyao is desperate to please his father

even if the old bastard doesn’t deserve it an inch

So the question is, what is Nie Huaisang comfortable having known, and to whom? What does he want to appear as, to whom? And what is he willing to risk coming to light?

He thinks very fast, and soon as they’re well-out of earshot of his disciple-assistants and newly acquired Wen grandmother, he flings himself into Jin Guangyao’s arms, wailing. 

(it’s a little difficult, because Jin Guangyao is one of the few men Nie Huaisang knows who’s shorter than he is.) 

“San-ge, it’s not my fault! It’s all gone wrong! I just wanted to get out of saber practice, but then Wen Qing told da-ge something completely different, and then she made be get a baby, and - ”

The whole story comes out, in stops and starts mixed with helpless, hapless sobs. Nie Huaisang downplays Wen Qing’s successes with his brother, or at least mostly ignores them. He mentions A-Yuan’s nightmares only so far as they inconvenience himself, doesn’t comment on the Wens’ state of life at all, and generally exaggerates every terrible and bewildering situation he’s found himself in since he first happened to glance at Jiang Yanli at Phoenix Mountain

He figures Jin Guangyao probably sees through at least 20% of it, but that’s okay - that’s only deep enough to pierce the outer layer of overdramatics, which are mostly embellishments of the truth anyway, and maybe judge that Nie Huaisang has a soft heart for a cute kid

it’s a very cute kid, okay. NHS saw Nie Mingjue sneaking A-Yuan a piece of candy once. No one is safe

he doesn’t tell Jin Guangyao that

Nearly an hour later, Jin Guangyao peels Nie Huaisang gently off of his (now quite tear-damp) shoulder and smiles at him. It’s gentle, sympathetic, and the only thing it seems to be hiding is a laugh

Nie Huaisang is 99% sure of this assessment. Fortunately, he’s free to let his relief show, along with some healthy trepidation

“I won’t tell da-ge,” Jin Guangyao says, and there’s barely any humor to be seen dancing in his eyes. It’s really impressive, now that Nie Huaisang is learning what to look for.

“Really?” Nie Huaisang sniffles. “I just- He tries so hard, you know. I don’t want to disappoint him, not really.”

it really is all about using the truth. if it wasn’t so stressful, it’d be an incredible high

“Of course not.” Jin Guangyao squeezes him gently by the shoulders. “What is a san-ge for, if not to look out for his littlest brother?”

Nie Huaisang could definitely make a crack about his height smiles shakily and flings his arms around JGY’s shoulders again. “Oh, thank you! Thank you for your help!”

Jin Guangyao hugs him back gently and efficiently, then starts to tug him back to the waiting horses and by-now-dismounted companions. “Go on, get your A-Yuan’s granny back to Nie Sect and get yourself a good night’s sleep. I’ll make sure they’re both marked correctly as requisitioned for labor in Qinghe”

Nie Huaisang thanks him several more times, wiping away his tears like someone who just remembered that he’s not supposed to appear so weak in public. Jin Guangyao waves goodbye as he mounts his sword and flies away, and Nie Huaisang waves back, and then he and his assistants and his newly acquired A-Yuan’s Granny ride home

[they’re never going to be relevant again but I want you all to know that in my mind, these two dumb bastards are brothers with rhyming names, like, Xi Ping and Xi Ying or something. RIP Xi Ping and Xi Ying and their eardrums after NMJ reams them out for helping NHS do something stupid again]

And then...

they actually have peace for several months. 

Oh, the cold war between Jing and Jiang - or more accurately, between Jin and Wei Wuxian - is still brewing like fine tea, and Nie Huaisang finds himself paying more attention than usual to the gossip about it, because Wens come up as often as not. They're the prime example of the destructive power of the Stygian Tiger Seal, after all. And NHS has four of them living in his house, now

the gossip spikes deliciously when Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan get engaged, though it somehow neither eases nor increases the tension in either side

{the timeline is rubbish anyway, so it’s whatever’s convenient for this fic, thank you very much}

Nie Sect’s physicians are too proud to let Wen Qing take over their infirmary wholesale, but they don’t hesitate to consult with her on pretty much everything. Wen Ning turns out to be pretty fun to play checkers with, whether he lets Nie Huaisang win or gets invested enough to actually put up a good fight. Despite Granny’s addition to the orphan-caring staff, A-Yuan still slips away most days and follows Nie Huaisang around like a particularly persistent curse-construct. On the plus side, he’s learning how to be patient enough that the bolder birds will sit on him as readily as on Nie Huaisang himself, and he painted an entirely acceptable butterfly the other day.

Oh, and the veins in Nie Mingjue’s neck are only visible when he shouts, now, and enough time has passed that he’s forgotten about Nie Huaisang’s earlier, rash promise to practice saber for an extra half hour each day. Or maybe he’s just resigned to the fact that such promises never last. This is truly the best timeline!

And then the worst happens, out of the blue yet in retrospect inevitable: Nie Mingjue has a severe qi deviation

He’s coming back from a meeting in Lanling, which wasn’t so much a discussion conference as Jin Guangshan calling a handful of sect leaders together to bitch about the Wei Wuxian and the Tiger Seal again. Wen Qing is in the infirmary, setting a young disciple’s broken leg. Nie Huaisang is in his bedroom, trying to write an ode to snowflakes that, read aloud, is a single tone off from a recitation of curse words for the entire poem. They both hear the shouting from the main courtyard

Wen Qing has a doctor’s reflexes; she leaves the leg to an assistant and arrives in the courtyard in time to watch Nie Mingjue collapse out of the air. The disciples who accompanied him to Lanling are there to catch him, ease him down gently, but Baxia clatters to the ground

Nie Huaisang sees it from his window. By the time he gets there, his brother is laid out flat and Wen Qing and the Chief Physician are snapping clipped phrases at each other as they assess his status, in the mode of emergency responders everywhere

the Chief Physician doesn’t like Wen Qing, doesn’t like Wens, but he can respect her medical talents. Both sentiments are mutual - Wen Qing has a much more comprehensive skillset, but if there’s anything Nie healers know, it’s how to handle qi deviation

qi deviations are difficult and dangerous to treat - the spiritual energy starts cascading through a cultivator’s body, untamed and harmful, and adding soothing energy may help but it may make it worse, or even cause the chaos to spread to the would-be healer

{I actually have no idea how any of this works, and will henceforth be making up my own worldbuilding}

Nie Mingjue’s eyes have rolled back in his head, bleeding, and he shakes like a leaf in the wind, incongruous to the warrior who led attacks on the Nightless City itself. Who held his brother like a guarding stone wall at their father’s funeral. Nie Huaisang cannot breathe

they get him stabilized enough to move up to the infirmary. Someone eases up their grip on Nie Huaisang’s body so he could follow (he won’t remember until later that he was being held back)

It takes four hours to stabilize him fully (unlucky). His golden core tries to collapse three times, his heart stops twice, and his fucking saber tries to attack them once, seemingly of its own initiative. Several other healers join in as needed, even Wen Ning - he’s always been good at getting seizing patients to still. Wen Qing rates it below the 39-hour golden core transfer with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, in terms of worst surgeries of her life, but above nearly everything else, including the emergency liver transfer where the girl turned out to have all her organs on the opposite side and a side order of demon-induced pneumonia

Nie Huaisang has been sitting in the corridor outside, on the floor. Someone's put a cloak on him. He looks up when they exit, forgetting how to breath again.

“He’s unconscious,” says the Chief Physician, who is probably some sort of distant uncle/cousin. “But he should wake. He will wake,” he corrects. 

Wen Qing takes a deep breath. “We need to talk somewhere private.”

By the time Nie Huaisang has at least gotten to see his brother, get proof that he’s still breathing, the First Disciple has joined them as well (I mean, that position is sure as hell not held by NHS). Her name is Han Xiaoshi and she’s built in the same mold as the sect leader: tall, broad, wields her saber like a third hand. She leans against the closed door of the Chief Physician’s office while the Chief Physician - let’s say Nie Fengji - gives a slightly less brief explanation of the sect leader’s current state. 

(it’s not good. he’s in a semi-medically induced coma. he is bleeding neither blood nor spiritual energy. he...should wake, in his own time, if they continue to carefully feed his healing energy)

(if he wakes within three days, he will be fine. for now)

Nie Huaisang’s blood pounds hot and panicked in his ears; an unthinking fan covers his face. 

they all turn to Wen Qing, who wanted privacy. 

Wen Qing soothes hands over her skirt, still blood-flecked, and lifts her chin calmly. Addresses the First Disciple more than anyone. “Before I begin, would you please put a guard each on my bedroom and the apothecary, and my brother’s room as well?”

“What? Why?” asks Nie Huaisang, bewildered. Han Xiaoshi echoes more sternly

She smiles thinly. “I’d rather not be accused of trying to assassinate Chifeng-zun.”

Nie Huaisang’s blood turns cold

“Keep talking,” says Han Xiaoshi

Here’s what Wen Qing explains: there’s an herb grown on the same volcanic slopes into which the Nightless City is set, a grass that absorbs so much yin energy from the volcano that it carries it over into anyone who consumes the stalks, offsetting the natural balance of their spiritual energy. A closely guarded inner clan secret. It can allow for rare, advanced cultivation techniques (including demonic ones)...or it can spark a fatal qi deviation the next time the user tries to do anything spiritually strenuous. Like flying from Carp Tower to the Unclean Realm

“It’s almost impossible to detect in the blood,” she finishes. “But I recognize the pattern of its effects.” Her hands are clasped loosely in front of her. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find some planted in a place that draws suspicion to A-Ning or myself.”

“Who else would know about it?” Nie Huaisang demands, trembling even as the ice is settles into his veins 

“Someone who was close to Wen Ruohan,” she says calmly

they all know who she means

(oh, how she wants to tremble, too, too aware of every sword in the room that could be turned against her. Aware of A-Yuan and Granny and Wen Ning, her brother in the corridor just outside, and how it still hasn’t been a year since Wen blood ran in the flagstones of this castle. But Wen Qing has never been one to shake)

“There’s something else I should say,” she admits, to Nie Huaisang more than anyone. “I don’t actually know much about qi deviation - I’ve had a crash course, obviously, and I’m not a fool, but I’m mostly been treating it as a blood pressure problem - ”

“Obviously,” the Chief Physician scoffs

“ - but my Uncle Six is a true expert. Wen Zhichen - he was friends with your aunt, Huaisang-gongzi; your older sister, Fengji-shifu [the previous Chief Physician, killed in battle in the fifth month of the Sunshot Campaign]. If anyone can wake Nie-zongzhi, it’s him - ”

she could have said this earlier, could have said it weeks ago, or even from the start - but she had Wen Ning to think of before anyone else, and then A-Yuan who was too young to have accumulated crimes even as a Wen...

Wen Qing had once noted that the second son of Nie had likely never felt fear, true fear, in his life. That’s not true anymore. His brother is unconscious in the next room over and it’s not sure if he’ll ever wake. And it’s consequences catching up with him again, for real this time, this maybe-first time - was it the Wens, villainous duplicitous Wens that he brought into their home himself? Was it someone else, equally traitorous, suspicion roused to a killing intent by something Huaisang did himself?

People do a lot things when they’re feel fear deep down to their souls. They scrape and bow; they make bargains they shouldn’t, accept costs they can’t. They bend or they break

Nie Huaisang is a fop by preference, but it turns out that he breaks like a Nie

He shoves Wen Qing against the wall, hand on her throat. “Tell me this isn’t a trick. Tell me this isn’t some fucking ploy to get more Wen-dogs into my home, so you can finish killing my brother.” He shakes her, drops the fan to put his hand on the saber he's terrible with (it still hums eagerly for blood.) “Tell me.”

“I am,” she gasps

There is a tableau. Then Nie Huaisang drops her and strides for the door. “Shijie, put guards on her rooms, her brother’s, and Granny’s,” he snaps to Han Xiaoshi. “Don’t let anyone enter. Gather the Wens all in the third guest bedroom and keep them there - make sure A-Yuan has some paints to keep him quiet. And I’ll need your two fastest - no, those with the best strength and endurance in flight - ”

“Nephew - ” says the Chief Physician, and “Young Master,” says the First Disciple, a little impressed and a medium dubious

the closest Nie Huaisang has ever gotten to this commanding before was the early days of the Sunshot Campaign when there were no battle lines to hide behind yet, when he sometimes followed Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji as they tore across the country and directed the clean-up of their wake

“The best strength and endurance,” he repeats over them. The fan stays on the floor. “We’re flying to Qishan - we’ll be back with an extra expert for you in a couple days, Uncle. In the meantime, you can have Wen Qing if you need her, but otherwise they all stay in the third guest room.”

It takes a full day to fly to the Wen settlement in Qishan, at Nie Huaisang’s best pace. Starting already late in the afternoon, full of anger and terrified panic in equal measure, it’s beyond late by the time they near - and all but the anger has simmered away. Nie Huaisang lets them settle near the nearest halfway decent city instead, forces himself to lay on the ground and try to sleep, and sends one of his disciples out to buy the nicest fan they can find. He left so fast, he forgot to pick one up again

When they land in the filthy little town just after dawn, he stumbles off his sword more than lands (he is genuinely tired, at least) and runs to hammer on the door of the supervisory office, all terror and panic. “Jin-guniang! Jin-guniang! Help, help! It’s me, Nie Huaisang! I need - ”

“What?!” The captain yanks the door open (she sleeps above the office) and he very much does fall into her arms

“Ah, you have to help me!” He’s disheveled with flight and weepy with tears. “Wen Qing poisoned my brother and now he won’t wake up, so I have to find her sixth uncle - ”

“What - Nie Huaisang, what? Is she threatening - that Wen-bitch - ”

“No, no, we beat up her brother until she said - please! He’s the best at qi deviation, even Uncle Physician admitted it - ”

make sure to have Wen Ning beaten up just enough to look good, he notes in a small, back corner of his mind. in case there are spies in the castle. I’d have spies, if I could

“Okay, okay!” Jin Qixian ushers him into the office, half-holding him up. “Let me check the list of residences - sit down, Huaisang-gongxi, someone will brew tea...”

[five minutes later...]

“A different camp?” Nie Huaisang cries, fluttering his new fan in dismay

“They needed a healer...” Jin Qixian says apologetically. “But you just wait here, I’ll send someone - ”

“No, no,” Nie Huaisang gets to his feet, shaking his head. Happy to let the exhaustion of a 10-hour flight and 4 hours fitful sleep in the woods show, and the desperate helplessness that’s really not hard to fake. “I have to- Da-ge is counting on me - ”

He waves off all her attempted reassurances, bullheaded with anxiety, and accepts an officially sealed note of authority with babbling gratitude, and...

[about an hour and a half later...]

the other town the remnants of the Wen sect and soldiers have been relegated to is more of a city, really - cramped and filthy, where the other one was merely destitute and filthy. Families living all in one room or worse, and it’s okay because they’re only home to sleep; the fields are already filled with everyone old enough to work. They probably do need healers, because there’s not enough attention being paid to waste management. But - 

“What do you mean, he’s gone?” Nie Huaisang demands more sharply than he’d intended

Focus, A-Sang. It’s Nie Mingjue’s voice in his head, always, as though this was just another hated saber practice

“I’m sorry, Young Master Nie,” says the disciple in charge of this place - Jin Guangchao, another stray cousin. does everyone in that family spread seed like a watering can? “There was an incident a few days ago - ”

“He’s dead?” Nie Huaisang wails, sinking to ground

“No!” Jin Guangchao looks a little disgusted at his helplessness, but bends down to pull him up anyway. “Jin Zixun came around on an inspection and that one you wanted, he was impudent. Jin Zixun ordered him sent to the work camp at Qiongqi Pass.”

mother of fucking fucker [meaning Jin Zixun; meaning the whole situation]. the man probably made eye contact and that overbearing asshole - 

“That’s so far away!” Nie Huaisang whined, staying limp, crying into his fan

“Nie-shixiong, it is on the way - ” one of his disciples offers uncertainly (poor bastards - he’s really yanking them around. They’re not sure if they’re helping a con or offering real support)

“We’ll get him back to Chifeng-zun, and get Chifeng-zun back on his feet,” says the other, slipping her arm under his and pulling him to his own feet. “Come on, you’ll see”

(whether it’s for the con or not, Nie Huaisang appreciates it. They’ve never been this genuinely nice to him before)

there’s a conversation in the air halfway to Qiongqi Pass. It goes like this:

“Nie-shixiong, we have to rest. You have to rest.”

[gritted teeth] “I’m fine.”

“You’re going to fall off your sword.” (Liu Lifang, the older woman)

“Then you’ll carry me, won’t you? We’ll already have Wen Zhichen - we’ll double up.”

“Your, uh, dramatics - ” (Zhao Huandi, younger, male - there aren’t a lot of Nies, in Nie. There’s a lot of guest cultivators. There’s a lot of turnover.)

“Will be just as good, if not better, when I’m fainting from spiritual exhaustion.” [slightly bitter, mostly factual] “Don’t worry, I won’t deviate - I don’t use my saber enough for that.” [definitely exhausted] “We don’t stop.”

The work camp at Qiongqi Pass has all the bully-filled charm of Jin Qixian’s town and all the overworked labor je-ne-sais-quoi of the other one, and it’s started raining so there’s a really nice note of despair. If Nie Huaisang had any room left in his brain, he would mourn the beauty of the frescos being destroyed, grand and glorious works of art even if their glory was that of the Wens

he slides off Liu Lifang’s sword in the middle of the densest group of workers, cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, “Hey! Wen Qing’s Sixth Uncle, Wen Zhichen of DafanWen! Nie Sect requisitions you!”

the prisoner-workers all shrink away; an inspector hurries over. “Hey, who are you - ”

“You will respect Second Master Nie Huaisang,” snaps Zhao Huandi, hand on his saber while Nie Huaisang starts to cry on cue for the third time that day, and god, either they’re really getting it or he’s just blessed with a sect full of perfect straight men.

“Please,” Nie Huaisang begs, leaning on his disciple and waving the letter from Jin Qixian. “I need a healer - that healer, it’s my brother, he’s been poisoned - ”

they’re real tears of exhaustion. maybe he should have let them talk him into a rest

(Da-ge will be fine, he knows, he insists to himself and the world. He was stable 24 hours ago and Nie Huaisang left him with the most competent people he knows)

the inspector has no idea what to do with him and neither does the Chief Inspector, really, when he rides up. That’s perfect - it means their half-hearted objections are easy to push past

they’re still shit at actually helping, because they don’t know a single person in this goddamned work-prison, and all the Wens just shy away, or pick up a pickaxe and try to keep working if anyone comes too near. The inspectors seem to regard this as ideal

Nie Huaisang honestly doesn’t care right now, but he does notice

Finally Nie Huaisang has wailed loudly enough up and down the valley that one prisoner hesitantly steps forward and admits to being the Dafan Wens’ Sixth Uncle. He has Wen Ning’s ears and Granny’s eyes and the same needle callouses as Wen Qing, so Nie Huaisang calls it a day

except they still have to fly back to the Unclean Realm, a flight of six hours unburdened

Nie Huaisang’s groan is entirely genuine

Wen Qing has taken to pacing by the time the Chief Physician comes to fetch her, personally, from the third guest bedroom. Night has come and gone and come again; A-Yuan and Granny are both asleep in the bed and Wen Ning is lying beside them, though she can tell he’s only pretending to sleep to make her feel better. What a good boy. 

Sixth Uncle is sitting by Nie Mingjue’s bed in the infirmary, eating soup. There’s a couple Nie disciples in the room as well, one sending a slight stream of energy into Nie Mingjue and one simply watching the Wen, a hand on his saber hilt 

(no one’s told her if they’ve searched her or anyone else’s rooms, yet; if they found anything)

“Keep sitting and eating!” snaps Nie Fengji, the Chief Physician, before Sixth Uncle can leap up at the sight of Wen Qing. “I need you talking qi balance, not falling over again.” He mutters under his breath, “People can’t even work if you let them get so weak - can’t trust a Jin to do anything with care.”

She sinks to her knees to hug her uncle instead - and notices a cot that’s been brought in to sit beside Nie Mingjue’s, its occupant also as still and wan as the grave.

“Huaisang!” She springs to her feet. “He didn’t - ”

“Exhaustion. The boy overworked his golden core and passed out.” Nie Fengji pushes her back with a roll of his eyes. “Bullheaded as their father, the both of them.”

He rolls up his sleeves and nudges the attending physician out of the way, to take over easing calming energy into Nie Mingjue without a single quiver in the stream. “Now, you two prove to me why I should trust any sort of Wen.”

To be continued...but Part 4 really will be the last, so, that’s p good actually. By my standards of mis-estimation of how long a piece of writing will be. And it’ll definitely be a short one! Unlike this Part 3, which is...*checks* 4.5k WTF.

#mdzs #the untamed #nie huaisang #wen qing #jin guangyao #a bunch of OCs who i named by mashing together random syllables and i'm not checking if any of them are real names bc it's 3am #ALSO wildly made up as i went: how to address anyone with any sort of title #just went with my gut #so like...apologies if i wildly messed up

[littlemdzsdump]

haunted hayride

spooky season is here! since Halloween is coming, here’s some spooky updates, coming to you all week! it’s a mdzs halloween update special!

summary: it’s time for Mingjue to help his baby brother get over his fears, and that starts with a haunted hayride.

~

“Da-ge, don’t be like this” Nie Huaisang begged, pulling onto his older brother’s sweater. But Nie Mingjue pushed on, a set look on his face. 

“Don’t make me go! PLEASE! I’ll DIE!” Nie Huaisang was close to tears at this rate. Despite his younger brother’s dramatics, Nie Mingjue sighs, turns around and clasps a solid hand on his shoulder.

“It’s just a haunted house. Everything’s fake. We’re also going with all of your friends,” Nie Mingjue tries to assure, though Nie Huaisang just shakes his head.

“They’re your friends,” Nie Huaisang mutters, as his brother huffs at him.

“Doesn’t matter; you’re not going to be alone, if that’s what’s scaring you,” Nie Mingjue says. Nie Huaisang shakes his head hard, begging, pleading, anything for his brother to just turn back and go to any other attraction except for the haunted house. 

“Da-geeeeeeeeeee” Nie Huaisang cries, using all of his strength to drag at his brother’s arm. He even digs his heel into the street. His older brother huffs at him again and turns fully around to grab his shoulders. They’re just around three steps to the entrance.

Nie Huaisang quakes slightly in his boots; his older brother is wearing that no more bullshit look on his face.

Instead of reprimanding him like Nie Huaisang expects, Nie Mingjue simply stares hard at him. 

“You’re the one that told me you wanted to get over your fear of blood. And this haunted house is gonna help you. We’re gonna help you get over it together. Okay? Believe in me won’t you?”

Nie Huaisang stares back at his brother with wide eyes, but takes in a deep breath.

“You can’t leave me alone in there,” Nie Huaisang says, like a warning.

His older brother just laughs, “I won’t.”

~

True to his word, Nie Mingjue decides not to ditch Huaisang for the goblins and gremlins that jump out to scare him. He lets his younger brother keep a tight hold on the edge of his hoodie (because they’re adults, he still has to act like an actual adult). And Huaisang tries his best not to be too frightened even though he is squeamish. They’ve made it through just about halfway through the house (judging from Wei Ying’s hysterical laughter).

And to think that he only screamed 10 times!

“Okay, okay okay, we’re doing fine. We’re doing fine” Huaisang reassures himself. His hands tighten automatically as they turn into another dark corner and disappear into the red tinted hallway. “It’s okay, Jiang Cheng and the others are just behind you and Da-ge and everyone else is in front. No worries, no worries, everything is dandy”

 When Huaisang digs his hand a bit too hard, he realizes that there's a hole in his brother’s hoodie that he hadn’t noticed before. Which is an odd thing and of itself because his Da-ge wouldn’t ever leave the house with a hoodie not intact. Husiang tries to reassure himself that maybe his brother just hadn’t noticed (they were in a rush when they were leaving after all) and so what if the material of his brother’s hoodie is a bit fraying, or that it didn’t exactly feel like cotton anymore…

Nie Huaisang unwraps his fingers from the hoodie and takes a deep step back. The breath is leaving his mouth too fast. He doesn’t dare look up from the floor. Because the person that’s in front of him is definitely not his older brother.

He’s still looking at the floor, so of course he notices immediately when the person’s shoes come into his vision. They’re not the same dark sneakers that his brother had been wearing before (how did something like that completely slip his mind); they’re grey sneakers. Nie Huaisang gulps as his eyes travel up from the floor, going up up up. He goes slower as he gets up to the face, because he doesn’t know who he is going to be looking up when he fully looks up.

“Are you sure you want to stay here by yourself?” the deep glottal voice sneers at him.

Nie Huaisang's eyes widen at the blood smeared face that stares back at him, a crazed smile breaking out onto a pale skin.

He remembers screaming; then everything goes dark.

~

A cool breeze wakes him up, along with the noisy ambiance of the fair. The first thing Nie Huaisang notices is that Wen Ning is fanning him (with a pamphlet). The second thing he is laying down. 

“Ge,”

At the call of his name, his older brother stops talking to whoever he was talking to and looks down. His brother’s face enters his vision and Huaisang blindly lets himself be helped up. When he’s sat up against his brother, there’s a cold water bottle thrust into his hands.

“Dude I think the EMT people carrying you out of the haunted house was scarier than the actual mansion,” Mo Xuanyu comments. Jin Zixuan smacks his younger cousin’s shoulder, though Wei Ying adds his own agreeing comments. 

“Hey,” 

Nie Huaisang looks to his brother. He feels a warm hand rub the back of his neck. It’s something that his brother hadn’t done since they were much much younger.

“Are you hungry? We can get you a snack?” Wen Ning (the blessed kid) asks gently. Nie Huaisang manages a shaky nod in response. But it’s enough for Wei Wuxian to hustle everyone off to the food stall. Huaisang is glad that his brother doesn’t follow after them. In a moment of tiredness, Huaisang leans into his brother’s arms. Mingjue lets him, which is a surprise in and of itself. 

“You scared me, Huaisang” 

“I mean I did  get scared,” Huaisang sasses lightly. His brother gives him a little knock behind his head and a deadpan look that he doesn’t need to see to know that he’s received. Huaisang rubs the back of his head as he sits up again. “Sorry, I  didn’t mean to-”

“Why didn’t you stay with me?”

“I didn’t even realize that we all were switched.” Huaisang interrupts, a headache already building up in the back of his head. He can’t imagine his brother blaming this one on him, it wasn’t even his fault, he really didn’t know that they were separated--

“I should have kept a better eye on you,” Mingjue admits. Huaisang can’t believe his ears, his brothers words are almost lost with the ambiance of the autumn fair behind them. 

“I should have paid more attention during the walk,” Huaisang tells him, before clinging onto his brother’s arm. It takes Mingjue back to how Huaisang used to act when he was much smaller. His brother manages to laugh at the show of affection, and to Huisang’s surprise, draws him close. 

With his brother’s strong arm solidly laid on his shoulder, Nie Huaisang doesn’t feel the fear much any more. 

#mdzs #cql #mo dao su zhi #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #mdzs wei wuxian #mdzs wen ning #mdzs wei ying #mdzs wwx #mdzs nie huaisang #mdzs nie mingjue #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #mdzs modern au #mdzs spooky au #mdzs halloween special #mdzs fanfiction #mdzs fanfic #cql fanfic #mdzs manhua #mdzs donghua #wen ning #mo xuanyu #jin zixuan #mdzs gang #mdzs au #mdzs fic #mdzs fic rec #mdzs halloween #mdzs siblings

[peridot-tears]

MDZS but it’s Percy Jackson

Idk. Consider this PT’s coming out of retirement to make her last contribution to the fanfiction world. Will be moved to AO3 soon. Enjoy.

--

The new boy could shoot better than Wen Ning.

Wei Ying, everyone called him. The “ying” stands for “baby” or “infant”; not “hawk,” as he first thought.

Strange. It was more a nickname than a proper name, but one look at his boyish, sunshine face, and it was evident that something more proper would be unsettlingly serious. He had a big, stupid grin that was equal parts coy and...more stupid.

“Earth to Lan Zhan.”

He startled. “Ge.”

Lan Huan smiled at him indulgently, which Lan Zhan knew to be his big-brother smile before he thrashed him like a normal sibling. “If you’re so into him, why don’t you go make friends with him?”

“Ge...,” he said, only changing the intonation half a dial.

Lan Huan’s smile changed serious, just a little bit. His eyes flicked towards the new boy, whose arrow flew across the sky, and struck the target dead—because of Wei Ying’s hawk-like eyes.

“A-Zhan,” he said. “You’ll be claimed someday, and move to a cabin other than Hermes’s, but they are still good to us for taking us in. And, it is prudent to have friends in other cabins. He’s already made friends with those two from Apollo’s cabin.”

Lan Zhan felt his lips thin.

He didn’t respond, didn’t need to. But when it was his turn to shoot, and the new boy whooped for him and called him, “Lan-er!” he did not ignore him; he spared him a glance, and then refocused on what was important there and then.

His arrow thudded into the target. Dead and center.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Wei Ying said to a boy next to him—someone Lan Zhan had seen with him before, attached at the hip—“let me go again, Jiang Cheng. Let me go, let me go, let me gooooooo.”

“My gods,” said the boy, rolling his eyes. “Fine, if it’ll make you stop whining.”

Wei Ying whooped; Lan Zhan hardly registered as he brushed past him to reach the spot he had been standing in seconds ago, because he was busy registering Wei Ying brushing past him. “That was a good shot, Lan-er,” he said.

Lan Zhan bit. “How do you know my name?”

“Who doesn’t know the great and refined Lan Zhan, brother of Lan Huan, who sleeps across my bunk in the cabin?” Wei Ying asked, eyes sparkling with mirth, like a naiad’s. “They say you’re the next Percy Jackson.”

Lan Zhan wasn’t sure that he liked the sound of that.

Wei Ying winked at him, like a naiad trying to seduce him, and turned back to face the target, nocking his arrow. “看好了蓝湛“，he said casually, in their shared language.

Without realizing it—no one else was shooting on the range, all eyes on Wei Ying, so of course he would too—he obeyed.

Wei Ying had chosen a classic bow, all wood and strung with something hand-coiled. He stretched it back, all angles between the bow, the taut string, the cock of his arm. The feather of the arrow moved over his profile. It slid past his eye.

With a smirk, he released.

That was why he had chosen to take up Lan Zhan’s target...before anyone could collect the arrow Lan Zhan had shot. Wei Ying’s arrow touched the end of his in the blink of an eye; in another blink, it had pierced his through.

Wei Ying was not done. Before any demigod had the chance to bring their hands together, he had pulled and fired again, twice, three times, until there was a neat stack of arrows pierced together in a pile against the center of the target.

“You can clap now,” he told the stunned demigods gathered around the range.

They did, breaking into claps. Wei Ying turned back, casting another glance at Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan felt his breath catch in his throat.

—

It was the first in a series of episodes in which Wei Ying played a game of Rile Him Up, with Lan Zhan as the main goal. And each time, it stirred up a raw feeling in him that made him go absolutely mad.

“He seems to want to make friends with you,” Lan Huan commented on their outing for strawberries.

Lan Zhan stopped their trudge up the hill—glide, more like, he refused to let his back bow more than necessary even on an upward incline—to sweep the horizon, the valley in the sunset. It was an orange sunset today, drowning Camp Half-Blood more than the sparkling sea in the distance could reach.

“He spilled my soup yesterday,” Lan Zhan said, and his older brother was kind enough to not add, But he immediately offered you his entire lunch and claimed he wasn’t hungry anyway. No, he just let it hang silently in the air instead. Lan Zhan had the best older brother in the world.

“He can be thoughtless at times, but still so thoughtful,” Lan Huan finally said, and this thought must have circulated in his mind for quite a while, because he said it after they had picked a basketful of strawberries in comfortable silence.

Sometimes, Lan Zhan thought he should be more talkative when they had these moments together; his brother was spending more and more time with that Meng Yao, also unclaimed, and if he were Wei Ying, he would probably be begging for Lan Huan’s attention back the way Wei Ying did Jiang Cheng. But he had such a secure attachment to his brother, who had been here when Lan Zhan was born silently as he lived. Lan Huan could go far, far away, but he would always come back for Lan Zhan to treat him with cold indifference. That was his love language, after all.

Why does Wei Ying want my attention?

Why does Wei Ying cringe at every mention of Cerberus, Hades’s hound?

Why does Jiang Cheng keep telling Wei Ying not to bother me, but then roll his eyes and look at me like I was the one bothering them?

Why am I thinking so much about Wei Ying?

“Didi,” Lan Huan said.

Out of it, Lan Zhan found his brother’s gaze. They were almost back at the Hermes cabin. “Ge.”

He just smiled. Lan Zhan was not sure whether to be annoyed or endeared. Well, it was his brother—so both.

The Hermes cabin was so loud this time of day, when everyone ought to be tired right before bed. But instead, it was crowded, and bustling, and there was one particularly guilty culprit in the middle of it all. Its name was Wei Ying, and its laughter could power an entire skyscraper in Monsters Inc.

Which he, of course, was narrating in great detail.

“Mike Wazowski is a Cyclops with amnesia!” he argued, while Jiang Cheng hovered in the background, rolling his eyes.

“Mike Wazowski took his girlfriend on a date to a sushi restaurant,” said another of the boys—Nie Huaisang, an actual, born son of Hermes. There had been a vague sense that he and his brother, Nie Mingjue would take on the legacy of the Stoll brothers as Cabin Eleven’s co-head counselors...until Mingjue had been claimed by Ares.

It was none of Lan Zhan’s business, but everyone wondered what kind of woman had managed to snag both Ares and Hermes as fathers to her children.

“Therefore,” Huaisang was continuing, seeming almost offended, “why would he eat fish? Poseiden’s pretty much all of them’s dad, that’s like eating his brother!”

“Well, yeah,” Wei Ying fired back, “that’s why he doesn’t know. Because amnesia!”

“The body remembers when the mind forgets!” Huaisang responded. “J.L. Moreno, the creator of psychodrama.”

“How do you even know that, when you can’t read?” Wei Ying fairly shrieked, obviously seconds away from calling his friend a nerd.

“You and I both have dyslexia, you know we can still read a little!” Huaisang actually shrieked.

Lan Huan cleared his throat.

All heads turned towards them. Lan Zhan wanted to be the younger brother rolling his eyes right now—Lan Huan had stage presence when he wanted to, didn’t he? But he had been taught to never, ever, ever roll his eyes, so he settled for giving everyone the cold shoulder as he walked away instead.

“We have procured some strawberries,” Lan Huan said goodnaturedly, and the entire cabin exploded in the sudden rush to gently wrest them from him before they were all gone.

“Me first!” Huaisang said, drowning somewhere in the middle. “I want to give some to my brother!”

“The Ares kids can pick their own strawberries!” Jiang Cheng huffed, strolling back to his bunk. He slept under Wei Ying. Wei Ying had the top bunk. And Lan Zhan had the next top bunk. They were next to each other.

Below him, the entire, considerable mass of Hermes demigods had turned into a sea of sardines. Had he and Lan Huan even picked enough?

Out of that sea exploded Wei Ying. “There aren’t anymore!” he exclaimed to the crowd that he was probably trampling his way out of right now. “No more, no more...sorry, guys...”

“You just put them all in your pocket!” one of the Hermes kids shouted. There was a split second of silence, before the shrieking cabin kids flung themselves at him. Those shrieks turned from accusing to disappointed as they realized...surprise, his pockets were flat and empty against his legs.

They pulled back, leaving him blinking innocently. “Why would I do that?” Wei Ying asked, sounding offended. “Why would I get more than my share? I don’t even like strawberries.”

“Uh-huh,” some of the demigods said, disbelievingly, but there was nothing else they could do. They drifted back to their beds, or the front stoop of the cabin, cradling their precious red-flavored catch of the day.

It was only once Wei Ying was left to his own devices that Lan Zhan turned his head to see him huddled with his brother and sister in the corner, gently pressing strawberries into their hands. Squint, and he could see them rolling from his sweater sleeves.

That clever little...

Truly, he was a son of Hermes. Lan Zhan could not wait until he found out who his father was, and he could finally go someplace where he would not have to hear Wei Ying snoring at night.

And yet, it was nine. Wei Ying was still huddled in the corner, giggling and whispering with his siblings. These sounds were keeping Lan Zhan awake, though his eyelids were heavy and he wanted to give in to that lull.

It was not until Wei Ying clambered his way into the bunk across Lan Zhan’s that his soft, happy snores filled their side of the cabin.

As he finally fell asleep, Lan Zhan realized that he had familiarized himself with the sound of Wei Ying’s snores.

—

Spring had finally burst into a full, ripened warmth that was gentle to them even at night. Wei Ying walked around in short sleeves now, which meant that he had to find a better way to hide things.

Lan Zhan sat by his brother as food appeared on his plate.

“Ah, your favorite! Watery soup!”

He twitched. “Wei Ying!” he said sternly, just barely stopping himself from covering his soup with his hands.

“Ah, I’m not gonna spill it this time, promise, promise!” Wei Ying said. “I said sorry for last time too, right? You can even have some of my food this time around! Or I could climb over and get some strawberries for you right now.”

Lan Zhan could feel his brother’s gaze on them both. “That will not be necessary,” he gritted out, picking up his spoon with deliberate care and slowness. And that would be the end of that.

According to him, not Wei Ying, who could not be stopped, “Ah, but those strawberries you and your brother picked the other day were so good. And you never got to taste them? What’s the point of a climb like that if you don’t even get a little bit? I could return the favor.”

“That will not be necessary,” Lan Zhan repeated. Maybe it would make him finally go away.

And on it went, Lan Zhan falling silent, Wei Ying bothering him still until his sister called him away.

“Sorry about that,” Jiang Cheng said, sounding not very sorry at all. “He’s adopted.”

Suddenly, there was a hush.

Lan Zhan could not describe it if he tried—the chattering camp fell silent, and he was compelled to follow. Nothing had happened. No sudden appearance of anything in particular. But he was sitting there next to his brother, all at once heavily aware of an uncomfortable silence.

He exchanged a glance with Lan Huan. It was not the sort of silence that led them to think there was some imminent attack oncoming, but he tensed slightly all the same.

At the front, Chiron stood, frowning slightly. He opened his mouth, but needn’t have bothered.

It became cold—the kind that felt like opening a refrigerator too fast on a steamy summer day. Lan Zhan was used to the coolness of clouds, but nothing like this. It was bone-deep, and that was how he knew who had come.

Not very far from him at all was Wei Ying, and Lan Zhan twisted his neck to see him let go of his siblings’ hands; he was standing between them, now staring straight at Lan Zhan as though confused. His eyebrows furrowed as he opened his mouth to speak, but for the first time, nothing came out. Black smoke furled gently from his clothes, rising above him, curling its tendons around them all. Lan Zhan refused to recoil when one touched him, and his unflinching bravery was met with a brief sense of...something. Resentment, maybe. Something dark. Something deeper than he could understand, though he understood perfectly.

As the wisps caressed his hands, his face, whatever smoke rose evaporated into a cloud above Wei Ying, whose eyes still never left Lan Zhan’s. He was stark, stark pale next to the black, and Lan Zhan was sure he looked much the same way.

Eventually, the cloud coiled into a shape. A crescent, though it stood like a tree.

A hush, for real this time.

Chiron trotted forward.

“All hail the son of Hades,” he said.

Wei Ying’s eyebrows dragged all the way up into his scattered bangs, as he finally blinked and looked around at anyone else that was not Lan Zhan.

Hades...the children of Hades rarely ever led happy lives, and yet here was Wei Ying, the brightest mark of light in anyone’s life.

But his large, puzzled doe eyes snapped back to Lan Zhan. Some part of them, Lan Zhan realized with a startle, was accepting. He even saw the hint of a smirk scratching the edge of his lip, like the revelation no longer troubled him. Like he embraced it, was excited for it.

“A-Zhan.”

Lan Huan. And, not just him, or Wei Ying—when Lan Zhan finally looked around, everyone was staring at him now. And he saw why, because his brother must be mirroring him: The two of them were surrounded by a reddish-brown glow, that slowly melted away. Nothing had changed otherwise, but there was viscerally something different—like his brother stood taller, his chin tilted higher.

“Oh,” someone gasped.

“Ah,” said Chiron. “All hail the sons of Aphrodite.”

—

[A/N: The “ying” in Wei Ying is a homophone for “hawk” and by extension, “eagle.” The more you know. I will be abusing the hell out of this wordplay.

This all started because of a talk I had with my good friend, whom I converted, and who I will love forever and ever. Crackhead culture? Mayhaps.]

#mdzs #untamed #wangxian #cql #魔道祖师 #陈情令 #percy jackson #pjo #rick #perry johnson #lan zhan #lan wangji #lan huan #lan xichen #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #jiang yanli #wwx #lwj #wei ying #wei wuxian #chiron #fanfic #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #mike wazowski #he's here too #meng yao #jin guangyao #jgy

[heymeowmao]

2023.06.22 - https://weibo.com/l/wblive/p/show/1022:2321324915504857874452

bgm: 隆里电丝 (Lonely Dance) - 盛宇DamnShine ft Key.L刘聪

LYN: Hallo everybody, good evening. I am Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. Welcome! LYN: It's the Dragon Boat Festival today. So I want to wish you peace and health today. That's why I purposely wore green today- to make myself look like a zongzi. In order to celebrate the festival, I made my self look like a zongzi. C: I didn't think you would come. LYN: I just wanted to give you a surprise on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. C: I knew you would come. LYN: Don't say nonsense, as if you know me very well and can see right through me. PLEASE don't see through me. If you're going to be like that then I'll leave. Bye bye~ I don't like being predictable. Don't guess.

C: This morning my mom and I were talking about you for a long time. LYN: What are you and your mom talking about me for? Did you tell your mom that I would be going to your house to celebrate? That she should be expecting a young kid to come to your house and celebrate the holiday with you, to eat zongzi?

C: Where are the special effects? LYN: The last time you were complaining. I saw someone say they watching the playback and got car sick. So I didn't turn on any of the effects today- only the beauty filters. I've got some brightening and blur going on. I didn't turn on any effects. But since you want to see it, I can turn on a little.

C: I just finished dinner. Have you eaten zongzi yet? LYN: I ate. You don't need to worry about me. My portions have been growing lately, because when I have time I will try to work out. My food intake has been growing.

C: What have you been busy with? LYN: I've been working on dubbing. Yesterday I left a message in the chat- that I've been recording songs. I told that my goal in coming back to Beijing was to work on my album, first, and record for OSTs that I still owe. For the most part, I came to do the dubbing. We've been very detailed with it. I've been using my voice a lot. The reason why I came to stream today was... honestly I almost didn't. I told you- I haven't been streaming lately because I've been needing to use my voice a lot. Lately I haven't been able to do my hair or get styled up- I just brush my teeth and wash my face and I'm out the door. I wear some sweatpants with sneakers and a t-shirt. Very relaxed. I've been eating a lot, too, since I haven't had to be on camera for this period of time. I've gained some weight, but it's okay. I need some strength so I can work out, anyway.

LYN: Yesterday I saw a lot of you couldn't take it anymore and you started commenting that you missed me. I told you I would stream until you threw up but I just don't have the time. I can't stream ALL THE TIME. I should have work to do. It's better for me to work. So... excuse me. But I felt guilty- the last time I streamed was the 6th or 7th?- so I figured it was about time for me to squeeze a stream out.

C: Baby, you're the best. LYN: Don't call me "baby." I see that and am resistant. Don't call me "baby" please, thank you. I'm so old and you're calling me "baby"?? Oh, my goodness. I can't take it. Don't call me that. LYN: Just call me "Ning-ge". If you're older than me, you can call me "Xiao Ning" or if you're younger you can also call me "Liu Yuning".

C: The presents aren't turned off. LYN: Are you serious- Is the gifting option open? I can't close that function myself, I need the weibo staff to do it for me. Let me find a staff member to contact. I'll tell them. C: It's not on. LYN: It's not? Then what are you messing with me for?? It's not on, right? C: It is. LYN: Is what you're seeing the special effects, perhaps? C: I have it. LYN: Well, maybe weibo can tell that you're a big spender. They think that you're not lacking the money, so are giving you this opportunity to exhaust some funds. But I don't need you to spend money on me. C: People are gifting. LYN: Those are special effects, not presents. Those are free! C: I can't send them, but other people can. LYN: Is the age of big technology catering to individual preferences, now? No, right? C: "Send Gift" is presents. LYN: That's not presents though, is it? It's a special effect. I can ask, it's no problem. Don't worry. My weibo live stream is like a benefit for the fans. I want to make sure you get enough. So you don't have to send presents or anything. C: Why don't I have it? LYN: It's not that big of a deal that you have to compete with everyone else!! Why are you so competitive? Just because someone else has something, you have to have it, too?? If you were just as competitive in your studies it would be much better. Why do you have to be competitive when it comes to watching a live stream? It's not worth it. There's no need. If you don't have it, it's okay. Don't send me anything. C: I have it. LYN: What's there to brag about? Stop showing off. Haven't your elders ever taught you not to reveal your wealth?

LYN: Today is June 22nd. I remember when I debuted it was five years ago in June sometime, right? 6/18? No- that's not it. I remember it was near the end of June. As for what specific day, we never set one. It's not like I made a post that read, "Starting from today, I have debuted." But in general it should have been around the end of June, five years ago. Just about. Friends, I've debuted for five years, now. Time goes by so quickly. LYN: Many of you may have started liking me around June, five years ago. Honestly I hadn't officially debuted yet but they had already won. Five years... it's been fast. C: It's been five years since I won the lottery. LYN: If you're going to be like that, then... - ~ Time has really gone by so quickly. Before I knew it, many of you have already spent five years with me. In these five years I've experienced so much but I've also received so much. I want to thank the friends from five years ago who have kept me company along the way until now. Thank you. You've also experienced the happiness, the pain, the troubles, and the ups and downs with me. But it's been five years together- five years. ~ - ! Do you know how I've spent these five years?!? Do you know?? ! - ~ You don't know. ~ LYN: ~ Of course, there are also the friends who have only known me for a year or two, or even more recently. ~ C: Genre switch? LYN: I'm sorry! I have a little... I'm a little crazy. Sorry. I suddenly thought of a scene in a movie: "Five years. Five years!" From Zhang Dehui's (?) movie. C: You scared me to death. LYN: I'm sorry I'm just like this- a little insane. That's why when you're watching my stream you need to keep alert. You can be scared at any moment. But here's the thing- normal people aren't as interesting. You have to encounter someone insane like me every once in a while. They'll give you small surprises and amusement in life. As long as this person is not insane AND harbor ill-intent, I think it's okay. I'm insane. A lot of you are already used to it. LYN: But I still want to thank all the friends who have been by my side until today. Thank you for believing/trusting me and standing on my side if I face any trouble. You've faced it head on with me, and we've come out of it together. Compared to five years ago, I'd say I've become more stable. I'm not as anxious as I was before, worrying about whether I would continue to have work or not or whether I would be needed by people/this industry or not. I'm not as... removed. No longer at a loss (as to my place). I've come to understand a lot. I've experienced all that there is to. So... I want to thank you for staying throughout all of that. Thank you to all the new friends, too. It's a pleasure to know you. I hope we can continue to face the next five years together as well. Thank you.

C: Are we spending the new year? LYN: I don't think so. We'll see. If I'm in a good condition I'll stream a little longer, but if I'm in a bad condition then I'll wrap up early. These days I have a lot of work that requires the use of my voice so please be understanding. If I have time, I'll definitely come to stream. When I'm not streaming- I kid you not- I'll feel guilty. So you really don't need to come and urge me. You don't need to call me out all the time. I know, I have awareness. I know that it's been a long time and I should be streaming, but sometimes when you come push me- of course, I understand, though. Because you all rely on me and want to see me and miss me. That's why sometimes I will force myself to stream. It's a way for me to relieve stress as well.

LYN: It just happens that today is a holiday, so I came to stream. It's all good. I'm happy! I've even worn this zongzi-colored clothes to come meet with you. How thoughtful am I?? Actually, I had thought of the outfit I would wear the next time I streamed. Every time I stream I put a lot of consideration into what I want to look like- because I respect this stage very much. This stage, that lets me show myself. So the last time, I had already thought of what I would wear next. I went online and bought everything I needed- three things in total. Only two of them have arrived. The most important piece isn't here yet. I even contacted customer service today. I told them I was expecting the package on 6/15, but why haven't I received it yet?? I already asked them about this four days ago, too. At that time, they said, "We're sorry. Please expect your package in the next 2-3 business days." So today- it's been four days and they haven't contacted me yet. So I asked them again. They said it was a holiday, so they are taking two days of break. I almost wanted to ask them were they worked, I want to work there, too. But today I am not wearing what I had planned because one of the items has not arrived. The next time I stream I'll give you a surprise.

C: When are you entering the new crew? LYN: What crew? I don't have work. I'm at home, idling. I don't have work. /fake cries/ I've just been at home, crying. I don't have a crew. C: Didn't you say that yourself? That you were entering a crew next month? LYN: The "crew" I mentioned then was a community group that focuses on waste disposal and sanitation. Don't a lot of artists go around Sina to sweep the corridors? (?) I'm not qualified to go, so I'm just going to sweep around my community. Other artists can get a trending topic for doing it, let's see if I can get one too. So I've joined a small... sanitation crew in the community I'm living in right now. Next month I will officially join it. XD C: Come clean up my dorm! LYN: Clean your dorm?? Has chasing stars twisted so much that you want your idol to become your cleaning lady? Also, I want to say, I'm guessing this friend is a girl- if you don't even want to clean your own dorm, you're too dirty aren't you?? Sweep it yourself. Wipe it down. Organize your stuff. Let's be clean and neat.

C: I thought you were going to count beads? LYN: Yeah, I am. I have been, but it's not really a nice thing to do while I'm streaming, is it? So I won't. I don't want to be clacking around- I'm a pretty busy person. The last stream made people dizzy enough already. What if they think it's too annoying and stop watching my streams?

C: What's happening on the 29th? LYN: If I remember correctly, it's some sort of nighttime gala. I might go and sing a song. If you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten. Then, I should start losing some weight in the next few days.

LYN: Ever since I left the ZY drama group I've let myself go a little. You might now know but when you're in a drama crew, you'll have about one meal a day. I can't say it's only one meal, rather one proper meal. During lunch you'll eat some rice and sides. All the other times, and especially at night, you don't dare to really eat. Because we're afraid of looking fat when we're on camera. But after we wrapped I headed out to a lot of cities- Shanghai, Hanzhou, Beijing- and I was eating the whole way. Right now I eat three meals a day, at the least. Some days I eat four. So I've been more... heavy.

LYN: You saw this week's episode of Hello Saturday (6/17), right? I took a look at it- oh my goodness. I was so ugly I could d*e. How could I be so ugly? I looked alright when I first got out of the crew, and it'd only been a few days since then. How could I look so ugly on the cameras?? I seemed like I was so bloated. I didn't even have a jawline anymore! I felt like my neck and chin were connected as one. Oh my goodness! What was that?? LYN: Also, my hair was more yellow. I hadn't bleached it to this color yet. But since it was a variety program, the color couldn't be too... vibrant. You'll rarely see a male artist with dyed hair on stage or on a show. You can have it dyed it daily life but for the most part, they don't allow it on shows. But I had to be on the program, so what could I do? It's not like I would dye my hair back just for a show, after all it took for my to bleach it in the first place. So my hair stylist sprayed some dark colorant in my hair, to make it look more neutral. But on the camera you can still tell it's quite messy yellow/orange. It wasn't a wig. It was a spray. But who knew we would be playing with water?? LYN: I'm sure all my fans have seen it already- we were playing with water on that episode. It just so happens, on the episode that I would be on, that we would be playing with water. They had sprayed the color into my hair. If they dumped water on my head it'd turn into black soup on my face. Just- ink, running down my face. What is that?! So I was thinking, maybe I should... not record this episode, and come back next time? But that didn't really work, either. So I went. They saw me in the afternoon, because we still need to do rehearsals, and they commented on my hair color. I told them it would be okay, because I would be spraying temporary coloring into it. They said, "But we're playing with water this afternoon, will it work?" I replied, "I don't know." But the friends who were on that episode were all really nice. They knew that the color was a spray so in order to help me avoid looking ugly they didn't really throw the water onto me. After we finished recording, I even told them "Thank you for looking out for me today." If they had poured the water on me there would just be dark water flowing down and no way we could continue recording. I'd have to go wash my face. LYN: But anyway, I watched the episode and thought, "How could I look so ugly??" Oh my goodness... I felt like I was a fat-headed fish. Everyone else is looking handsome and pretty, but here I was looking like a carp. It's outrageous. So I'll have to start losing weight in preparation of the next time I'm on camera. People always tell me I'm ugly. I worry. >.< I just want to make it so that their words aren't as real. We could sometimes be handsome and sometimes be ugly- and in this way we can mix it up.

C: Did you do your own hair? LYN: I didn't DO it. This is just what it looks like after I got ot of the shower. I don't have the time to style my hair. I need to stream for you, quick.

C: Man, are you questioning my taste (esthetics)? LYN: No- it's just really like this. If you want to compare my visuals with someone else's there's really no competition. I am aware that I am not the "visual" you expect and that's not what I'm banking on anyway. I was a singer, wasn't I? For a singer, the visuals aren't as strict of a requirement. Of course, the more handsome the better. As a singer, if you're handsome and sing well, then your paths to success are slightly smoother than others. But it's not a sure thing. In any case, the more handsome the better. If you include acting, then people are going to start having something against you. There's no helping that. I can understand. As long as I make myself presentable, it's all good.

C: When you enter the drama crew will you dye your hair back? LYN: Of course! If I join a crew I'll dye it back to black or a dark brown. Pure black makes it seem as if you're not lively. Some brown/yellow mixed in is okay too. LYN: Oops. Someone heard something they can use against me. C: I thought you were entering into a community sweeping crew? Why would you need to dye your hair back for that? Are the requirements for entering a community crew so big, that you need to due your hair back?? LYN: Uhm... it's like this. I need to dye it back because when we are cleaning there will be a lot of dust. The dust. If my hair were this color (currently: grey/silver) you wouldn’t be able to tell if it got into my hair. But if it were black and the dust got into it, then you could see it clearly. So I will dye it back so I remember to wash my hair promptly and do a better job at work. LYN: Was that believable? Hm… my original lines aren’t bad! It’s very.. Round? [t/n: pun on “original” (原) and “round” (圆); both pronounced “yuán”.]

----------

C: I saw the ZY trailer and you looked cool! LYN: Thank you, thank you. I’m happy because I saw a lot of people praising me. But I do have self-awareness and can see where I could have done better. Praising me is a form of support; though I did see the comments that were critical. I’d be afraid it were all praises- there’d really be a problem, then. There SHOULD be people against me. It’s all good. I saw a comment that someone posted and they said, “LYN’s voice is so nice.” :) They said my voice was very nice, and it was “perfect”. Right? And then, at this moment some others couldn’t take it anymore. “Who the heck is LYN? What are you all- have you never had fine dining? His voice? Let me tell you- his lines have absolutely no emotion behind them at all. He’s just banking on the fact that he’s a singer, and his voice is on the nice side. His lines have no emotion!”

LYN: Friends, let me tell you- this commentary is very high. The thing with art is- not saying that I am someone well-versed in art- but art, entertainment, like singing, dancing, acting. If you want to call into question the matter of “art” you just need to say the words “there’s no feeling” and you can’t go wrong. No matter how well someone sings, you just have to say, “There’s no emotion.” That’s another way to put it. Do you understand? You can think about it. That is- I’m over hear singing and I’m in so much suffering that I’m nearly crying, but they can say, “It’s no good. No feeling. I’m not impressed.” This applies to my voice as well, when they say that I say my lines without feeling. First, you have to hear what I’m saying. Let me think of what lines I have… “Do you really think you’re such an outstanding beauty, that you can make me waver?” I have to say this line with EMOTION, right? Let me try. /breathy & slow delivery/ Does that work?? There’s another line, “You want to use a marriage to erase fourteen years of hatred?” /but delivered… kinda cutely/ Does that work? Is it emotional? There’s another line, what is it? “Execute my command. Eliminate the Qiao family. Before this hatred is returned, I won’t marry.” Is it enough emotion? I feel like this person should be speaking on their knees, already. LYN: “Climb on. I’ll carry you back.” // D: Does it have feeling? C: The emotions are here. LYN: But the lines said I shouldn’t use emotion! He has to be cold-hearted! You need to distinguish between individuals. It’s not like everyone can come on screen and speak with ~emotion~. You must not experience many emotions throughout your life (and thus can’t tell), but you want to hear emotion from MY DIALOGUE?? Aiya. LYN: If there really was a character that spoke like that- /light, breathy/- it’s so cheesy!! Who would speak with emotion like that. It’s like something’s ready to happen! [t/n: /eye emoji/ wdym ning-ge….]

LYN: Of course, it’s not like I care about this topic very much. I’m just using it as a point of conversation for my stream. You can listen to it for entertainment. My stream is just like this. I like to take some seemingly strange things and talk about them during my stream so that you can find it interesting. These are the basics to my stream. I’ll look at people’s comments and whether its complimentary or critical, I’ll take those comments and use them as my material for streaming. If I didn’t have all these people picking at me I’m guessing I wouldn’t have much to talk about. What would I come here to tell you? I’d just come to look cool? But then people have said that my visuals are no good, so there’s no way I can pull it off. So the name of the game here is “making fun of myself.”

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C: Ning-ge, do you have a script for your streams? LYN: I have the hand-card. It’s all written on my hand. Let me take a look- The next topic is… okay. I got it.

C: Talk about the next crew. LYN: /laughs/ Is this your first day being my fan? When have I ever been able to tell you the details about my next drama? They haven’t even announced it officially yet. LYN: It used to be like this- I used to be a bit of a big mouth. This was when I first started off in this industry, I didn’t really understand how it all worked. When I had work before, I would be so anxious to tell you all about it! At that time I didn’t know enough of the world. As soon as I got a job I would be so happy and then come to tell you about it. And then two days later the job was poached. /stares into the camera/ Two days later I get a call from the program, “We’re sorry but we’ve encountered some difficulties. Let’s work together next time.” … So! I figured it out- before the contract is signed or completed and before they provide me with payment, I will never tell you. I don’t want to tell you, because if I do, the job is likely to turn pear-shaped. That’s the first thing. Secondly,  whether it is a drama, a show, or whatever project, they all have their own timeline for announcements. You- the male lead or 2ML- can’t just come online and reveal the whole cast. You think I’m a tabloid blog? It doesn’t work. I can’t tell you. C: Have you signed the contract? LYN: … What’s it to you?! LYN: Also, even if the contract is signed, there’s still a possibility of the job falling through. Forget about contracts- some drama reach the filming stage and then fall through. It’s not an impossibility. For a drama, only BEING BROADCASTED counts as having “ended”. If it doesn’t get to air, then even filming it is no use.

C: It’s fine as long as you get the money. LYN: What kind of way of thinking is that? Honestly- If I were only interested in making money and that was the only thing that mattered. How much more money do you think I could make by promoting products? I shouldn’t say that. But I figure if I WERE I would probably be able to make a decent living. It’d be easy for me and I wouldn’t have so much stress, either. I’ll start selling you things- Just 9.9RMB, add it to your cart. ~ How much is market price? How much are we selling it? Only 9.9RMB! Add it to your cart~! ~ I could do that, too! I know how. I figure even with my talents I won’t fall too far behind. LYN: But in the end it’s still about putting your passion into making a product. After having spent four months in a drama crew putting your all into the drama, you still want to make a something that people can see and label as a work. - /continues singing a.. Idk.. online shopping song?/ C: What joke is this? LYN: You must not have seen it. There are a lot of things in this world, that you have to experience before you know what it is. C: Show it to me. LYN: Yeah, yeah.

-/pours sparkling water into his cup/ LYN: ASMR. C: Are you drinking “Snow-Green” (Sprite)? (xue-bi 雪碧) LYN: I’m drinking “Thunder-Green” (Sprite​​ϟ). (lei-bi 雷碧) [t/n: bc the characters for “snow” and “thunder” look a lot alike.] LYN: I’ve been lowering my sugar intake so, I’m not drinking Sprite. It’s sparking water. - [t/n: they’re talking about drinks idk the English names of and can’t figure out, now XD. Skip.]

C: Physical. Physical. LYN: You all keep asking me if I’ve done my physical. Are you TCM practitioners, by chance? Can you tell through seeing my pallor or some maybe facial twitches that maybe I’m ill?? Is that it? You can feel my pulse, somehow? You can diagnose my Wang, Wen, Wen, Qie (Inspection, Listening & Smelling, Interrogation, and Palpation) and all it takes is a look to determine that I am sick? So you want me to quickly go do my physical?? Please, let’s not be like this. Don’t scare me. I have work these days. I’ll pick a day when I have a bit of time and will get myself checked out. I’ll go draw blood and everything. It’s not a rush. Don’t worry. LYN: Some of you have started again, saying that you want to come steal my urine. Are you SICK?? You pervert?! Stop messing around. I’ll go do my physical and you’ll come steal- /sigh/ You must be sick. C: We’l come give you fan support. LYN: I don’t need it. I think when I go I’ll be the only artist there. There’s no one else so you don’t need to come and save a spot or anything. You don’t need to. I don’t need that. No fan support, okay? Be obedient and stay at home. You can await my results.

C: The jokes today are so mysterious. LYN: No, there are no jokes.

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C: You’re so pale you look like a ghost. LYN: /laughs/ Is that a compliment? I saw that they had a “super fan” tacked on to the end of their username but they said I was so pale I look like a ghost. Is that some sort of praise? Don’t people usually describe it like, “You’re as white as a…” Um… what was it again? What’s the best way to compliment someone for being pale? “Cold White Skin (冷白皮)” is it? But what is “white as a ghost”?? But actually they phrased it gently enough, since they’re my fan. If they weren’t they would have phrased it like, “You look pale like you’ve been dead three days. Not even a three-day old corpse would look as white.” LYN: So. That’s just how it is… First- why am I so pale? Let me tell you a secret to being pale. /puts on his product pusher voice/ This is a very good method that I am telling you for free and it’s also very effective. What is it? Let me tell you. First you need some BB Cream in shade no.1. Put some on your face. The next step is to put a very bright white light in front of you. You can see the reflection here in the glass. The third step is to turn your beauty filter’s brightening aspect up to 100%. As long as you do these three steps… even if you were coal, you’d be white.

bgm: Young Captain队长 & ODD Chen Sijian - 超感 (Super Sense)

C: Ning-ge, why don’t you have Zuo Bufan try it. LYN: ZBF’s fine. Even though he may not look as handsome as some of the roles I’ve played before, but he is… a unique character. He’s from a drama of a different kind than my previous and current guzhuang dramas. His role requires this look/appearance. I think it’s great. Isn’t the expectation of dramas nowadays that the story takes precedence over the face? [That an actor’s appearance and performance is different from one drama to the next, so that each character is distinct.] I always see people commenting that an actor’s puts the drama over their face. Right? Rather, if an actor always looks about the same and acts the same in all their dramas, then you would not find them very impressive. LYN: All the roles I’ve played so far- of course, there have been similarities- but in terms of appearance and stature there is always something different. I want to be able to continuously give the viewers something new. Let’s say two dramas happen to air at the same time and you’re watching both but feel like the characters in each drama (but played by the same actor) are the same person- that would be weird. So one look for one drama- I think that’s perfectly acceptable. LYN: Even though I don’t think ZBF is very cool or handsome, his role was very meaningful to me. C: ZBF’s really cool, though! LYN: Wait until the drama airs before you say that. I wonder if you would break your molars trying to say those words after the drama airs. Just you wait.

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LYN: Yesterday I was chatting with my staff. Life has its ups and downs, right? When I first debuted I was down low- because I was internet famous- but slowly after I kept on singing, I started to rise. I’m talking about my reputation. I sang a lot and then people started to realize I was the one who sang Rang Jiu and they were saying, “Not bad!” But then it reaches a point where my reputation starts to go down again, due to some small nonsense issues. Then it started going up again because I was starting to shoot dramas and people liked my roles. It went up until it inexplicably drops again. My life is like this. But lately, because of the YNGS and ZY promos, people are starting to figure that I’m not so ugly in them. I’m okay- visually acceptable, even. Now my reputation is slowly on the rise again. There are just a few more people starting to support me, now. It’s not like before, when people would indiscriminately curse me out. LYN: But we were chatting and I was thinking… will I go through another round of criticism when my next project comes out? I’m starting to worry. I’m already preparing myself for the downward slope. That’s why I want to say- preventatively- IF my next project gets released and people start to criticize me, don’t engage. Please don’t. Just say, “LYN is a rookie actor. We’re working hard to learn from each teacher. We’ll continue to make an effort. Thank you, to all.” LYN: But I discovered a problem the other day. I was very angry after I saw it. Some trailers were released a few days ago and I saw you all liking it. But I noticed that there are some comments- from my own long-time fans, no less- saying that I still need to practice my lines. “I don’t think they’re quite… good enough. You still need practice, lao-da. There’s still a difference between him and professional voice actors. He still has a lot to learn. No good, no good.” I just want to say, friend- fam’?- you don’t need to use such tactics to incite me. Because I already get enough of that from everyone else. Even an idol’s own fans are saying he’s no good?!? You can choose NOT to compliment me, but you CAN’T say I’m not good enough! As if you know very well??? I don’t care what anyone else says about me, but I think that if it’s coming from my FANS that’s really strange. Other people can say what they want, but if my fans tell me I’m not good enough, then what’s the reason that I’m sticking around in this industry?? What am I doing, everyday? I feel like this industry has lost its meaning. I want to go back and be a cook. XD LYN: So… there’s no need for that, ok? If you think I’m not good enough then just bear with it for a while. I will continue to work hard. If you look back on the past five years, you can tell that I am someone who knows what he should be doing. You can rest assured.

---------- /promo time/

LYN: Friends! There’s a drama recently that’s a very good watch. Now, what it is called? Destined (CFD). It’s really very good. So many people in my friends circle are sharing this drama. You have to check it out, because I also sang an OST for it. I choose to believe that the drama’s actor (BJT) was the one to recommend this job to me. I don’t care if it’s true or not, I’m going to attribute this to him and treat him to a meal or something. If you haven’t got a lot going on and want to watch a drama, you can watch Destined. Okay? LYN: The song hasn’t been released yet! LYN: Every time I accept an OST, I am grateful to the publishing, platform, and music company for acknowledging me and giving me this work to do. Truly grateful. Also I’m very serious about it (music). That’s the first thing. Secondly, I always thank the actors in the drama. Really. Singing an OST for them is my honor. If I happen to know the lead of the drama or if we’re friends, I will attribute this kindness to them.

LYN: A while ago I received a request for an OST, so I was looking at what drama it was, and I told that friend, “I’m going to be recording an OST for your drama. Don’t worry, Ning-ge will sing it well for you. I know this job came from you.” They replied, “It wasn’t me.” I told them, “I don’t care!” and sent them 200RMB. Whether they accept it or not is their problem. But as a human being, you have to have that etiquette. I sent them 200RMB and didn’t look back. Accepting or not is their problem. I still need to do through the process. C: Why 200? LYN: Because the limit for wechat red envelope gifts are 200, isn’t it? There’s a limit- I’ve already given them the highest amount I could. C: Send more than one. LYN: If I send more than one, does it increase the worth of my thanks or what? What do you take them for? Giving more is a sign of DISrespect, friends. At New Year’s you give each person one envelope. What would you be doing by handing them ten at a time?? One is enough. More than that and the whole meaning behind the transaction changes. C:Just do a money transfer, then. You can send it all in one. LYN: Em… It’s not like it doesn’t work- I think you can do a money transfer for up to 500RMB a day. But! The problem is… let me think of what I can make up… are a red envelope and a money transfer the same thing?? A red envelope encloses your well-wishes, but a money transfer looks like you want to send them spending money. How can they be considered the same thing?? This would be an insult to them. Right? In this case, how could a money transfer be appropriate? The red envelope holds my sincerity- also, it’s packaged with the hightest amount it can go. A money transfer makes it seem like you’re sending them spending money. Do you think they’re lacking that much, when they’re doing so much better than you to begin with?? It’s like you’re trying to show off your wealth or something. Thanks should be a sign of sincerity. A red envelope is auspicious, right? Every time I send one I can write “Congratulations and I wish you wealth!” I CAN write a note with money transfers, too but it’s not as festive. That’s why… I’ll keep sending red envelopes.

LYN: Friends, it’s like this- honestly- all the friends and actors I sing OSTs for are all doing well for themselves in their own right, right? So you tell me how much money is appropriate to send them. 200RMB per envelope isn’t little. Back in my hometown when friends get married the most they receive is 200RMB. Unless they’re those friends you’ve grown up with since you were little and would through life and death with- they might get 500RMB. For marriage and children, 200 is the max. This (recommending him for work) isn’t up to par with marriage and children. 200 is good enough. Let’s say I give them 300- it’s unwarranted. As for 500… our relationship isn’t that strong yet. It’s the thought that counts. C: Life and death for 500RMB? LYN: It was just an expression. It’s a standard price in Dandong, to give to those you grew up with. 200-500 isn’t a small amount. Also… on the topic of marriage, you have to remember something- let’s say you give someone 500RMB as congratulations for getting married. When you get married yourself they’re probably going to give 500 back. It’s like that. Do you understand? Let’s say you give someone 1M; when its time for you to get married they’re going to… run. XD It’s a mutual exchange. It doesn’t matter the amount. It’s all like this. You get married, and you write down what and how much your friends gave you. Let’s say they give you 500RMB. When they get married you’re probably going to give them 500RMB. It’s the same principle. Or are you going to give them 1000RMB? Then, good for you. That’s also okay. Normally you return however much you receive. - /there are different customs for each region/

C: How did we get on this topic? LYN: It’s because I said I give the people who recommend jobs to me 200MB. :| But of course, just listen to the contents of my stream for fun only. You don’t have to believe it.

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- /comment that his clothes looks like a green zongzi; lyn: that’s what I was going for!/ - /comment that they want to see him in a variety show; he’s currently in talks for them. He had a goal of doing 1-2 variety shows a year but now he has less time because he is started to receive main lead roles in dramas, as opposed to the supporting roles he had before. It all depends on the timing./

LYN: I’m guessing- making a prediction- that one of my dramas will air in July. But as for which one, it’s unclear. There should be one at  end of July, but I’m not sure which. // I honestly don’t know, but even if I did I wouldn’t be able to say. But al the dramas I was working on before are all completed- the ost and voice acting is completed, on my part. I always sing an OST for my dramas- so all the ones for my previous dramas have been recorded. Now I am only missing the one for ZY and YNGS. As far as I know post-production is pretty much done and they’re just waiting to be aired. So July- but I don’t know which drama. LYN: Voice for TXJ and ALZ are done. BYOL used original sound but I did go in to the studio to supplement a few lines. These three, and ZC… so these four total are all awaiting broadcast. C: Only a few lines? Awesome. LYN: That doesn’t mean I say the lines well. It was only supplement for a few lines because, as I told you before, for BYOL I could use the same tone I use when I’m streaming to act. I didn’t need to speak Standard. I asked the director how they want me to act the character, and they told me just to be how I am when I’m streaming. I said, “But I speak with my Dongbei dialect during my streams” to which they replied, “That’s okay.” Okay then! I talk like this normally, so this is how I’ll be speaking in that drama, too. If I supplement, it’ll be for a word I spoke incorrectly or in order to edit some interactions. When you hear me later, you won’t be hearing Standard. C: It was created based on you. LYN: No. The scriptwriter had finished writing the role first, and later they found out that there existed someone in this industry that fit it to a T. Su Xiaoyuan-laoshi wrote the script first; she didn’t know who I was. After she finished writing it, she never could have imagined that in this world exists an actor that fits the role so well. As soon as she got to know me she was astonished. What character was it? A cook…. who streams. :D Right now I have say I have four professions: 1. Cook. I have certifications. 2. Streamer. If I say I am quite a pro at it, would you say otherwise? You can say I don’t sing well and I can’t act, but you can’t deny I am a cook- I’m certified!- who streams- you’re watching one right now. My two strongest attributes are really suited to playing this character. It all fits.

- /comment of doubt/ LYN: What do you mean?!? I learned how to cook through proper channels! LYN: The other day I saw a video where someone took cuts of all my lines- to see how I’ve changed over the last five years. Someone in the comments replied, “I know LYN spent 4000RMB to find someone to teach him.” /laughs/ There was someone tacking on to that, too. “No- he paid the teacher but ended up being tricked, so he didn’t end up learning anything. They just gave him a bunch of tongue twisters.” I saw something like that- I spent 4000RMB to learn how to say my lines. LYN: These two people definitely watch my streams. But one understands them and one doesn’t. I thought that was pretty funny. LYN: I told you last time. Before I was an artist, when I was just streaming all the time- this was 5-6 years ago now- I used to enjoy listening to the voice actors of guzhuang dramas. I liked hearing them speak, and thought they were so cool. There was something they used to do- like give a picture, let’s say it’s of a manhua- and the actors woud narrate the story. You feel like you’re reading the manhua, but people are voice acting for it. I don’t know what it’s called- but there used to be something like that. I heard this one guy’s voice and always thought he sounded so good. Very with emotion.

C: Audiobook? LYN: Not the same- audiobook is only sound. This also had pictures. It would give you a picture and then tell you what’s going on in it. With sound effects and everything! I really wanted to learn from that voice actor, so I tried contacting him to make him my master. I told you about this story before- I asked if he was taking disciples. He ignored me; he didn’t reply. I contacted him for two consecutive days and he didn’t respond. I would send him private messages, “Are you taking disciples? I want you to be my master. Please teach me. I’m begging you, shifu. I can even beg on my knees, as long as you’re willing to teach me. I really do want to learn. I really like voice acting and want to learn.” He ignored me. In the end I couldn’t take it anymore and I added, “I can pay you for classes.” He immediately replied, “Okay. Wait for me a minute. Wait until I stop streaming.” I was thrilled, because I finally had the chance to learn. I had wanted to do it for fun. At the time I wasn’t thinking that I would want to become an actor. I just liked it. So after he stopped streaming I asked him how much it would cost for a month’s worth of teaching. He told me to name a price. I told him I was afraid he wouldn’t accept, but that I really did want to learn from him. If he could just tell me how much it would cost, then we could settle and proceed. I told him I really liked his sound. LYN: If it were up to me I would have said 200RMB/month- because that’s the limit for red envelopes, right? But I was afraid he wouldn’t accept this and block me because I was trying to set him up or something. But he told me, “How about 6000RMB a month?” I replied, “I’m sorry- I’m a student. I don’t have that much money. I’m a junior high school student.” Five or six year ago- I was in junior high, right? But I told him I was a student and didn’t have much money, and would 4000RMB/month be okay? He accepted. The deal was done. He asked me if I had a microphone at home- at that time I was already streaming. so I told him I did and it was very professional. So we started chatting, and he asked me, “You’re a junior high student? You don’t sound like one…” Friends- you all know- five or six years ago my voice was really husky. Do you remember? It was before I had surgery. My voice was really husky. But he said, “You don’t sound… like a junior high student.” But he was afraid I wouldn’t want to learn from him, so he also tried to cheer me up. “You can give up on trying for the “youthful teenager” tone but you can learn the “young uncle” tone. Fitting for those in their 30-40s. Or even around 45.”

C: Did you pay tuition first? LYN: Yeah. I paid first. Do you not pay first, for school??

LYN: He said he would prepare a bunch of teaching materials for me, and I just had to follow materials and practice. “I’ll give you a class every day. As long as I have time, I’ll teach you for 40 minutes. I’ll listen to you recite the materials and if you say anything wrong I’ll correct you.” So he sent me a whole bunch of tongue-twisters. /recites/ He had me practice. Another thing was tones of voice. I was practicing at home all the time. It got to the point where I thought it wasn’t really effective. It was like this- I don’t know if any of you have ever learned how to play the guitar? If you have- you’ll know that they have you playing chords first. After a couple days of that, you’ll want to start learning songs, right? So I asked the teacher if I could just jump right into it; could I voice act for a few scenes? I wanted him to find me dialogue to practice with, so I could get the feel for it. He found a bunch of lines for me and I sat there reciting them. I took the classes for about a week- 40 minutes per day, and two of those days we didn’t have class. Later when I wanted to have class with him again, he always said he was busy. It got to the point where I never picked it back up, and I didn’t ask him to refund my money. C: A waste of 4000RMB. LYN: I don’t think it was. At the time, of course you would think it’s a waste. But thinking back on it, it exposed me to the job early on. Now that I’ve debuted and in the recent years while filming and saying my lines, I’ll think back on things I learned back then. It was an enlightenment. At the very least he taught me a bunch of tongue-twisters. Who would even think to learn that many?? If it were any normal person, you’d think there’s a problem. So it was an enlightenment.

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- /someone asking abt ALZ; he doesn’t knowww/ LYN: It’s okay, we can be more lenient. There are some friends who come to my stream to take part in the fun and boost my popularity. At the very least, they add one more comment to my weibo. It’s alright. At least they’re willing to join in. As long as they’re not saying anything too much, it’s fine. If it’s crossing the line then we can moderate. It’s alright. We can all learn to be more lenient.

LYN: There’s something I really wanted to talk about with the fans. There’s something… /thinks/ I am not the type of person who likes to add insult to injury/hit someone while they’re down. I don’t like it because for most of the time I have been on the receiving end. When bad things happen to me or when I am at a low, there are always going to be people who want to hit me when I’m down. At those times I feel helpless. I start to wonder, “Why can’t these people be a little kinder?” I’ll think, yes, there are ways I could have handled the situation better, but there are still going to be people who want to drag you through it. In this situation, there’s also no way to resist. It’s true that you were lacking, in some way. I’ve endured a lot of this type of thing. But I always tell myself that when others are in the same position, I would never stoop low enough to be the person who hits them when they’re down. I will never. Rather, I would probably help them. I am that type of person. I’ve been subject to the rain, so I would gladly lend my umbrella to keep someone else out of it. Even if I don’t have the ability to block the rain, I hope at the very least that I am not going to be the person who throws water in someone’s face. I hope my fans can also be like this, okay? I hope you can be like this in life and at work. Don’t be the person who hits others when they’re down. We are self-sufficient and we can survive on our own. You can play with me and I will come to stream and chat with you. This is our own little paradise, as long as we don’t hit others while they’re down. Okay.

C: Buddha Liu, I’ll listen to you. LYN: I’m no Buddha. It’s just that there are some things where you reap what you sow. There’s such a thing as the butterfly effect in this world. In any case, let’s try our best not to make ripples.

LYN: There are times I also fall into the well. I will always remember the people who help me out of it. There are people who hit me when I ‘m down, and I believe I won’t hold a grudge. But I will be aware. I’m very clear minded. I won’t hold a grudge, but I will remember. As for the people who helped me, they could ask me for anything. I am really grateful. I believe that anyone can gild the lily (锦上添花), but not everyone can provide help in one’s hour of need (雪中送炭).  

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C: The NCEE results are the day after tomorrow, someone save me! LYN: Um… were you here to make a wish when I first started my stream? I specialize in after-sales here. If you were here at the time I last streamed and there were a bunch of people telling me that they were taking the NCEE, and to help them. If you were here at that time, I probably… can’t afford to bear the responsibility of your result. My well-wishes won’t be of much use. But in my heart, I do wish you have good results. I wish your future is bright.

- /asks whoever is watching his stream for the first time to please subscribe to his weibo./ LYN: I am Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. Lately I’ve been working on being a singer and actor, as well as cook and streamer. I have four jobs, though I’ve given up on being a cook for the time being. Streaming, acting, and singing are still going strong. I’m just a… three-legged toad.

C: I’m a new fan, who fell into the pit because of your visuals. LYN: I advise you to be more aware when using your eyes. Like when you’re playing on your phone, you should do so in a brightly lit room. Don’t play with your phone in a dark room- it will affect your eyesight. When you’re reading a book, too. Make sure that you have proper posture. Let’s be careful. Alright? Thank you to this friend, who starting liking me because of my visuals. C: It’s not that bad right, Lao-da? LYN: Of course not. I was just making a joke. I’m wearing bb cream today! If I weren’t and you say that I was disrespecting you, that would be fine. But I do have a base on, so I am visually passable, at least. There are so many people in my stream right now. I’m sure that if I weren’t at least passable, they wouldn’t have stuck around. What else do you want?? I look like a normal person. LYN: Aren’t I very confident, friends? I’m both “basic” and “confident”. This is the legendary pu-xin-nan- the “most trustworthy man in all the world.” (普天之下最适合信任的男人)

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C: We’re graduating. Please wish us a happy graduation! LYN: Am I some sort of… Wish Hotline? I used to listen to the radio and there were people calling in all the time, “Hello. I am [OO]’s school’s [OOO]. I want to request a song for the kids in my class. I hope that we can get good grades and when we graduate, we can all get into a good college. Thank you.” Am I a wishing well? Even if I were- even if I were that tortoise in the pond- /pause/ Oh, but my clothes really do look like it. What the heck?! I suddenly feel like I don’t want to wear this green anymore. I want to take it off. LYN: Even if I were the tortoise in the wishing well, you still have to throw some money in the pond before you can make your wish. I’m not trying to spread superstition, but you still have to throw money into the pond first! How can you expect me to fulfill your wish if you don’t give me anything in return? It doesn’t work. C: Tortoise? LYN: Yeah, isn’t there always a turtle in the pond, with it’s mouth open? To see who can get a coin in its mouth. Have you never seen one? How about this- let me pull up my QR and you all can transfer money at your will. Next time we will use this method for all wish requests. You can send me 1RMB when I pull up my code. C: Alright, let’s do it. LYN: Are you insulting me? I say 1RMB, and you want to pay. How about I make it 10RMB? You can skip a bunch of people in the queue. /chuckles/ LYN: I’m just joking, friends. Please don’t think that that was a serious request. Do you think I’m tired of living??

---------- break #1 (the neighbors are fighting) LYN: I’m back. The neighbors were just about to throw fists but I stopped them. They thought I was nice, to be able to go over and mediate, so they kept me for two mouthfuls of food. They were fighting over dinner, because one of the dishes was too spicy. Such is life- it’s normal to fight over small things. They thought I was nice, so they gave me a bowl and chopsticks and I had a bite. Then I came back. LYN: Oh, wait. Didn’t I go just to use the restroom? How did it turn into eating…?

C: I can recite the video now. LYN: If that’s the case, then it’s been a long time since I’ve seen this friend make new videos. Did they stop being my fan? // It’s okay- later I’ll download a few more and change it up. The break videos need to be “fresh”. LYN: You see? Do you see how serious it is when these fans who make videos for me stop being my fan? It means that I start lacking content for my stream. That’s the first problem. Secondly, I recall that I told them I would send them an autograph, but split it into four parts and distribute over four years. At the time, I was too soft-hearted and didn’t implement this method. I mailed them a complete autograph and now look where we are. I should have implemented that method. Split my autograph into four parts so that it would take them four years to complete one. I’m done for.

LYN: I’ve seen a bunch of new friends lately, and they’ve drawn lots of things for me. I really like it when you draw manhuas and some of them even make them into animations and give voices and everything. // But I haven’t been able to look through the posts lately, but also maybe you’re just not posting… C: Ning-ge, that’s on you. It’s because you haven’t been streaming lately so we have no material to work with. LYN: You’re right.

LYN: The other time I mentioned the friends that make videos for me, and how professional they are. Later I was scrolling and came across them again and they were saying how the person I mentioned was probably them. They didn’t care if it were anyone else, they were convinced it was them. It’s you, it’s you. There are really a lot of you who make videos for me, but the reason why I never say the creator’s name is just because there are so many. I can’t credit EVERYONE- I like to play fair. If I mention one person’s name but leave out someone else, they’re going to be unhappy and stop being my fan. “Ning-ge, I made so many videos for you but you didn’t say my name but did say someone else’s. Fine. I won’t make videos for you anymore. Bye.” LYN: I’m afraid of something like that happening. So in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings I just don’t mention anyone at all. But I watch them all. Think about my net speed. My idol is LYN. In this big data world everything is going to recommend me articles related to LYN. Even if I weren’t interested, they would still recommend posts to me. Of course, there’s no way I wouldn’t be interested. I am TOO interested in myself. I always like those posts, too.

C: What about consecutively responding to the same person? LYN: It really is random. I can’t really see each of the usernames, anyway. Also, you all can tell that it’s perfunctory anyway. Sometimes I see when you post in the Super Topic, you’re being perfunctory, too. There’s no helping it- it’s just how it works. We can be perfunctory with each other but still gain happiness from it, and that’s enough. We don’t need everything to have meaning. There’s no need. Let’s leave the meaningful stuff for the stream.

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C: Ning-ge, you’re trending. LYN: I don’t believe it. How could I be, I don’t have the right. I’m not worthy. C: Entertainment #46. LYN: That’s good. It’s just that when I start trending, people will know that I am streaming and maybe come in to check it out. You can think about it this way- if one of my streams can gain me 50 fans, if I stream ten times, how many fans would that get me? 5000! [??] Of these 5000 people, maybe about 500 of them could buy my concert tickets. Isn’t that great? That’s development. C: 50,000. LYN: Right. 50 new fans for 10 streams each. That’s 50,000 fans. LYN: See? This is why I didn’t make it to college. XD LYN: Some of you are really calculating for me, They’re telling me, “Ning-ge, 50 x 10 = 500.” Ehm… you can rest assured. When it comes to payments I will definitely calculate it correctly. That’s enough. It doesn’t matter if I say some nonsense the rest of the time.

LYN: I used to have this problem- which is that every time I find out I’m trending I want to sing a song. I want the people who come in to my stream because of the trending topic to be welcomed in to the sound of song. But something happened to me before, which is that as soon as I started singing, my ranking in the trending topics dropped. I don’t know why it happened- did that trending topic expect me to promote something that I didn’t deliver? No. But now I’m afraid to sing. So… C: You’re at #50. LYN: Okay. I hope it doesn’t drop off the list, is all.

LYN: When I first started streaming a lot of friends came in to ask if I was streaming because I needed to dispel some rumors. Dispel what rumors? Is there some project recently that mentioned me, I want to know. Was there any project that stated I was a part of it, lately? No, right? At least I didn’t see it. LYN: I’ve said this before- there’s something about fans… as soon as a project mentions their idol they will all go to leave a comment, saying stop trying to profit from their popularity. It’s not true if it isn’t officially announced. But I look on it kindly. If a project mentioned me it means that at the least I have some credibility behind my name. - C: (Trending at) Main tab at #16 LYN: Really, I don’t believe it. Wasn’t I just in the Entertainment tab at #39? C: Main #17. LYN: Really? Don’t trick me. C: #16. LYN: Let me take a look. /// I see it at #20. Not bad, not bad. Thank you. I really want to thank you, because for an artist at my level I am not very popular. I am very satisfied having a trending topic on main. I thank all of you good friends. It’s because you are here keeping my company and watching my stream that I am able to have this topic. Thank you. Now I… thank you. LYN: If you haven’t yet subscribed to my weibo, please do so. I am Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. You can subscribe. It’s not shameful. Thank you. - LYN: But back to what we were saying- I think it’s nice that people can think to mention me. But- /cuts himself off/ C: You have a great mindset. LYN: Yeah. I think in work and in life it’s important to have a good state of mind. I used to be a person who would go through extremes, but after these few years of tempering I’ve developed a better way of thinking. I’m more mature. Since I am older, after all.

C: How did you change? LYN: How do people change? Through experience. If you don’t experience anything and just smoothly sail through life and don’t encounter problems, if you live in your little bubble- you won’t change. You need to experience things in order to change. I’ve experienced a lot. But I’m thankful for them because they allowed me to become stronger. I think I am a better person than before. C: NIng-ge, you sound like my dad. LYN: You don’t need to be so polite. Perhaps your parents will try to tell you reason, but maybe not everything they say is correct. Still, they want to share and whether or not you accept their advice is up to you.

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C: Are you the ML in Yue Ming Qian Li (In the Moonlight)? LYN: /laughs/ YMQL is…?? Um…  Isn’t it Ming Yue Qian Li? Or is it Yue Ming Qian Li? [t/n: it’s both] I don’t know about it. It is Linmon’s production? Oh- if you put it that way, then I DO know about it. Linmon’s projects are definitely going to be very good- why? Because I’ve worked with them before. YNGS is Linmon’s. I’ve also sung a few songs for Linmon productions. Like that one with Wu Lei and Zhou Yutong (Nothing but You). YMQL is also Linmon’s? In that case it won’t be bad! LYN: Is the ML in that drama a monk? What is that one? In any case, I haven’t heard any news from Linmon about it. I’m guessing that after YNGS, Linmon wasn’t very satisfied with me. (X’D) They weren’t satisfied with me, so they haven’t come to contact me. I haven’t received the script for it.

-/gets sidetracked by types of zongzi for a little bit/

C: Is the second pairing true? LYN: With who?? HZT? QJJ? GJ? Who am I going to be working again with? LYN: I might work again with Zhao- with HZT. He’s always telling me his company has a project they’re looking to hire me for. I’ve been waiting for three years. He keeps telling me they want to hire me for something but I’ve waited three years and heard nothing. I don’t know why that is. C: Do you have any projects with the Big Support Bro (ZSX)? LYN: We probably have a chance to work together again. - LYN: This song- why is it that the more I listen to it the more down I feel? - /switches the song/ - LYN: If I work together with ZSX again, it will be for the third time. - C: What does “down” mean? LYN: That you are in low sprits. Up and Down. Up is happy. Down is less. Not to say that it means I am unhappy, but your spirits aren’t as high. LYN: “What does “down” mean?” See- you can even learn English in my stream. I know my English isn’t that great but you’ve learned a new vocabulary today: “down”. There’s a related word, and that’s “emo”.

C: What about Chu Shen (God of Cooking)? LYN: I actually do know about that project. /doesn’t elaborate/ LYN: Someone mentioned Shi Jin (什锦) earlier, I really don’t know about it. LYN: Even though I am someone who is on the path to becoming an actor I know that to an actor, it’s “one minute on screen and sixty seconds off.” You can think about it.

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C: Can you change the bgm? LYN: You came to request songs? Yes, I can change it. I just want to create the right mood for the stream. This song is more upbeat, so I hoped that it would brighten your mood. /switches the bgm  to Ling Yun Ji & sings along/ -- 凌云寂 (Ling Yun Ji) C: You’re on the main tab at #16. // Trending at #12. LYN: Then I should stop singing, because I don’t want it to drop. I should collect myself, right?

C: I want to hear it. LYN: Then I should sing one properly. /starts playing Rang Jiu/ Not this one. C: Praying. LYN: But I think I have to sing that at another upcoming event. Shh. I can’t sing it too often. C: You Say Love. LYN: Okay. Let’s do it. - /starts playing the track, misses the timing to  start singing/ LYN: I was nervous. Excuse me. I’m nervous because I’m trending. Let’s try that again. Let me add some special effects- so that you can think it’s cooler. -- 你說愛情啊 (You Say Love) LYN: I don’t even need to guess to know- my trending topic dropped.

C: Ning-ge, let’s hear a ballad. LYN: I actually quite like ballads. I heard one from Zhao Lei the other day. This song is called… -- 我记得 (I Remember) LYN: It’s so low?? This song has me dumbfounded. Why? Because the high notes are too high and the low notes are too low. This person is extraordinary! C: Lower it an octave. LYN: No- X’D. The other day I couldn’t hit the high notes. Today I can’t hit the low. Oh my goodness. And I call myself a singer?? This is it. I’m BBQ-d. Let me try again. I’ll cotnrol myself. /deep breath in, loonnggg breath out/ /low voice/ Okay. I’m ready. I’m sure it won’t be a problem now. -- 我记得 (I Remember) (Take 2) LYN; This song is very nice, but I can’t sing it well. Honestly I can’t get that low. But it is a very nice song that I want to share with you.

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C: Ning-ge turned the brightening feature on. LYN: I’m finding that a lot of you tonight are questioning how white I am, asking if I have turned on the beauty whitening feature. Is that even something you need to ask?? Of course it’s on! You don’t need to doubt. LYN: Be more confident! If you come into my stream and think that I look a little handsome, you don’t need to ask whether I’ve turned on beauty filters or not. I have. Blur, beauty, and brightening are all on. C: Ning-ge, you’re a big customer of the beauty filter. LYN: Do you think you’re very funny? I’m sure that even without it I look better than you do. LOL. I’m comparing my looks to that of a fan’s.

C: Ning-ge, is there a staff member behind you? LYN: Don’t try to scare me. There are always people who ask me how many people there are in the streaming room with me, to control the laugh track, music, and special effects. Friends, it’s just me. I have a habit, which is that when I’m streaming there can’t be anyone else in the room with me. Otherwise I won’t be able to let loose. Sometimes I go crazy and if there’s someone else in the room with me, my attention will be split. But as long as I stream, there’s no one else in the room with me. LYN: I can have my dog, though. She’s very quiet, so she can stay with me. C: I want to see Daimi. LYN: She’s celebrating her birthday- no, she’s sleeping. I saw someone say that it was their birthday at the same time I was trying to say that Daimi was sleeping. Sorry about that. Happy birthday! To everyone who is celebrating a birthday today, Happy Birthday. I hope your year goes smoothly and you’re happy every day. C: There used to be people, though. LYN: You’re talking about Da Fei and Ah Zhuo! They exist but they don’t really talk much. That’s the first thing- second, I’m already used to them. But my staff- won’t be here with me.  

C: When is ZY airing? LYN: It just finished being filmed. I don’t think it will be coming this year. Maybe next year. Many of you here probably aren’t my fan- you might be fans of other artists or singers. Let’s say an actor finished filming for a drama. If it’s a guzhuang drama, it will take about a year for post-production. No less than 7-8 months. It will air more or less in a year. Could be less, could be more. ZY wrapped in May. It’s only been a month since then. C: I’m looking forward to it! LYN: Don’t have too high expectations. If you expect too much, you won’t be as surprised by it. Even if a drama were actually a nice watch, if you expect too much then it won’t live up to your imagination. You’ll think it’s just okay. A lot of things are like this. Why do you think so many people are saying that actually LYN can act pretty well? It’s because they had low expectations for me to begin with. They consider me a singer, so don’t expect my acting to be very good.

---------- /gaming/

LYN: Lately I’ve come across a video- there are some that praise me. There was one that was saying, “Actually, LYN sings very nicely” and they were praising my line work, but I know that my lines need work. I’m saying it here first- I know I need work. But there are some people who think I’m doing a good job. I saw a comment that read, “Of course LYN’s lines are good. He’s a singer. It’s normal for a singer to be able to say their lines well.”  ?_? What sort of logic is that?? After I saw that I was so confused- because it wasn’t just the one person, so many people were saying the same thing. It’s normal for a singer to be able to say lines well???

LYN: I know I’m not good. But they were just using this expression. Up to this day I still don’t understand what they mean by it. Like.. WHY would a singer be able to say lines well??? From a scientific perspective, maybe it’s because a singer would know how to control their voice. As a singer, they would understand their tone and how to execute sound- is that it? I think.. If we’re looking at it from that perspective, it works. It can be explained well. “As a professional singer, they’ve learned and know how to produce sounds. They know from where the sound comes and how to adjust. So singers have an inborn talent for saying lines.” This is how they explained it. This might work for other people but I never LEARNED how to sing. People all say that I am just an “internet famous” singer- I never learned. I learned how to be a cook. But the problem is- I’m saying this as an actor myself-  shouldn’t it be normal that an actor can say their lines well? I don’t get why it would make sense that a singer should say lines well- this logic doesn’t track. Of course, /I/ can’t say my lines well- I’ve said this three times already.

LYN: You can’t use the word “should be able to” to deny other people’s hard work. How can that work? Do you know how much they sacrificed, silently? When others were playing Honor of Kings, what was I doing? /fake cries/ I was playing League of Legends! Do you think I could be the same as everyone else? I worked harder than them- when they were playing HoK, I was playing LoL AND [OO] [t/n: idk games]. I was doing two things at the same time- I worked harder than them. This is why you shouldn’t use the word “should be able to” to deny the efforts of others, okay? Thanks. - /comments saying how amazing he is./ LYN: What’s amazing about that? You just play for a couple hours on one account and then switch to another. You can do it, too. You can even play three games at the same time. If you did that then you’re even more hard-working than I am. I’m sure you can surpass me. Jiayou.

C: I need a computer and two phones. LYN: What are you telling me for? Go buy them yourself. Go online. Choose your accessories- what type of phone you want and what type of computer. Don’t tell me; it has nothing to do with me. Once you mention that you need something in my stream, I always suspect that you are asking me to buy it for you. You want me to raffle it off. C: You want me to play more games. LYN: No. I want you to read more books. Our efforts are focused in different directions. Friends, honestly, you don’t need to play Honor of Kings well as an artist in order to be superior. As long as you put your heart into doing one thing, you will always find a path. There used to be game-playing variety shows that looked for me and asked me how well I played. I told them I was sorry, that I didn’t play very well. At those times, I had missed my opportunity to be on a show. There were really so many events and game platforms that had inquired about how well I played. My studio relayed the message and asked me, and I replied, “What is that? Is it like Minesweeper?”

C: Ask Keyu-didi to teach you. LYN: I’m sure he can play very well. These young kids are all very quick to pick things up. When I was in the drama crew there were always actors playing HoK in their free time. It was after we wrapped for the day and they wanted to get together to play a round. I didn’t know how to play. But if I didn’t join in, maybe they would seem like I was not interested in getting along with them. I didn’t want them to think I thought I was better than them and didn’t want to associate. It was okay at first but later I found out that more and more people were into playing it! Honestly, I’ve played it before. When it was first released, I played it for a short while but then I started working; I got popular. I couldn’t afford to let myself play games. But one day I couldn’t take it anymore. SInce everyone else was playing it, I thought I would also start. So I downloaded the game/ Friends- I do things differently from normal people. There’s always a process. Once I decide on doing something, I have to do it the best. The first thing I did was go to Baidu… and look-up: “What type of Hero should a newbie playing HoK choose?” There were so many suggestions. I piicked a Hero. Okay. Next, “What should a newbie playing HoK do?” I spent about two hours that day looking at all the suggestions and tips. By the time I was done I was sleepy. I went to sleep. The next day all of a sudden, I didn’t feel like playing anymore. So in the end, I never got to playing.

C: You looked up all that stuff for nothing. LYN: Not necessarily. Friends, never think that anything you do is for nothing. One day it will become useful. At the very least through this study, I learned how many heroes there are in HoK. If someone comes to ask me about it and if I play, at least I have something I can say in return. I can manage to hold some conversation. LYN: See- Didn’t it become useful, in the end? Even if you don’t know very much, you can pretend that you understand it. They will think you actually play, but it becomes a common topic of conversation and you can more easily become friends.

C: Do you play Genshin Impact? LYN: I do! I have to know a little about a lot of things. I’ve tried Genshin Impact. I had a good buddy and I asked him what he was up to and he told me he started playing GI. This was many years ago. I said, “What is... Genshin Impact?” He told me to play it so I went to download it. I’m the type of person who starts putting their money into the game- it started asking for money so I can choose a character. There were some for 20RMB that looked so cool. So I picked two cards and ended up getting two really good characters. After that I… stopped playing. Because there was no auto-play. I hate that I had control even the walking and climbing on my own. I play games to release stress, but this game GAVE me stress. I had to walk on my own?? I couldn’t stand it. I spent money on the game, but felt like I was the one putting the work into it.

- /more talk about games/ - /can’t take the too intense ones, because his heart can’t take it/ - /can’t take the games where there is no VIP status- the ones with freebies once you reach a certain level/

C: He got excited talking about games! LYN: A lot of you aren’t interested, is that it?

- /a bit more about games- basically people asking if he’s played [OO] game or not. He says yes or no and a little about what ended up happening with the game./ - /can’t take strategy games and ended up losing bc he doesn’t want to work his brain/ - /downloaded some but haven’t played because the intro is too long and he doesn’t have a lot of time to wait around for gameplay to actually start/

LYN: In a few days I’m planning to play a new game with HZT. But I won’t tell you the name of it, or it’ll seem like I’m trying to promote it. He called me the other day and told me the game was going to go live, and if we should play. I told him I’ve played games with him for three years but he’s never reimbursed me once. I said, “How about I put 500RMB into the game, and you reimburse me 500RMB?” At the time I told him I would play with him. I would put 1000RMB into the game, and he would only need to reimburse me 500RMB- because the other 500RMB is mine. I would be happy with that arrangement, and is that okay with him? He said, no and that we had to play during the initial release or it wouldn’t be any fun. I made plans with him for the end of the month LYN: I played a game with him before- he wanted me to play with him. He told me we had to fight with another team, so we did. We put so much money into that game I was dizzy. Later when I saw the bill my wallet hurt. But then he turned around and became the spokesperson for that game! He got the money back. Do you think that was something a human would do?? We were playing together- we both put money into it. I think he spent three times more than I did, though. And then later he becomes the spokesperson for the game and pretty much makes that money back. Was it wrong for me to ask him to reimburse me? I don’t think so! You tricked me into playing a game with you and later made the money back by becoming the game’s spokesperson, but I am still left with nothing. If you made some money and then shared even one-third of your earnings with me, that would be fair wouldn’t it? XDD C: This just means you didn’t spend enough. LYN: It’s not about how much money I put into it… LYN: The more I think about it the angrier I get. /joking/

LYN: Alright, let’s end the talk of gaming here. I am someone of the age of the internet. People who have been with me for a long time know that I used to dabble as a gaming streamer. But… I probably can’t do that now. I don’t have the rights. The other platform used to have some collaboration so it wasn’t a problem but copyright might be an issue now. But Minesweeper shouldn’t be a problem. LYN: I always play Spider Solitaire, do you want me to play for you? Let me see if I can do it. Does this computer have it? Or Minesweeper? // It’s not here. Does this system not have it? How could it not have such an amazing game?

C: Don’t be too excessive. LYN: My stream is always excessive. If it’s not, then I don’t do it.

C: There’s a web version. LYN: If it’s not on the system, then let me look it up online. Okay. It wants me to download- can I not play if I don’t download it first? …Let’s forget about it. These websites look shady.

LYN: Alright. Talk of gaming ends here. But it seems like a lot of you enjoy playing games as well. It’s great to have a common topic. LYN: That’s why, friends, you have to work hard in life. When other people are playing HoK, as a singer or an actor you have to start playing LoL and etc. >.>

- /continues to talk about games. :p he doesn’t like playing vs games because it requires a lot of time to practice/train your heroes  in order to win. he doesn’t have the time to grind, and thus always loses. no one feels great about losing./

C: Ning-ge, I’ll take you with me. LYN: Meaning you are a skilled player, right? I don’t like playing with people who play the game well. Because then I will feel worthless. If all I had to do was follow you around and you were over there telling me, “Follow me, follow me. Hide! I’ll fight them for you. Don’t come out. I’ll save you, I’ll save you.” I’ll feel useless. No. I need to face it on my own.

---------- break #2 LYN: That reminds me. I have a trailer for BCF. Some other day I should download the trailers for YNGS and ZY. I could play them during breaks in my stream. Later when the platforms find me, I have another method of promotion. Not only do you have after-sales services for OSTs but there are now after-sales services for dramas. Next time I will download all the trailers- including TXJ. I’ll play them during my stream. As long as it plays through once, I will contact the marketing team and ask them for 200RMB. I’m sure that price isn’t too much, for the platforms I’ve worked with. Right? Right now I can contact three different teams. In one day I might be able to make 600RMB.

LYN: This is coffee! Not beer. /shows the can/ This isn’t an advertisement! I was just telling you that this is coffee. I needed to dispel the rumors in advance. When I poured it into my cup I realized it might be a strange color. C: Drinking herbal medicine? LYN: LOL. I’m drinking dark soy sauce.

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LYN: Because I’ve started playing with the beads, I’ve started to wash my hands more often. When you count the beads you have to have clean hands. So when I feel like my hands are dirty I go to wash them. C: Can we see them? LYN: What’s there to see?? You’re making it out to seem as if I am trying to sell you products! Am I here to sell you beads? C: Let’s see. LYN: Are there really so many bead-friends in the stream? The last stream I told you I wanted to started playing with beads and I was afraid that it would age me. But you told me that now elementary school kids play with the beads. What do they call it “rao zi rou”? I see their small hands can move quite quickly. Since you told me that elementary school kids play with it, then that means it’s okay for me to pursue this hobby that those born after ‘00 enjoy. C: Let’s see! LYN: Okay, wait for me to get them. Since we’re going to start counting beads I should play more fitting music. Let me go get it, hold on. LYN: It really seems like I’m trying to sell you something. I can’t take it. It’s just a string of beads… LYN: Here, these are the beads I’ve been playing with.

LYN: This is a string of 百香籽 (Passion Seed/Cedar Seed/Bodhi Bead). Here, you can look at it. LYN: I just started. I also have another set that I haven’t started working on.  C: Open the lines! (for purchasing) LYN: /sigh/ I’m not selling it. If you want to buy it, go online and buy them yourself. C: They must be fake, right? LYN: See? You must not have seen good things. C: Wutaishan has the same thing for 30RMB. LYN: The worth of this thing is not how much money it cost you to buy. The more you use them, the more value you hold. If you think they’re worth 30RMB, then they are. If you think they’re worth 1M, then they are. If you think they’re worthless, you wouldn’t take them even if I gave them to you. It’s just wood- seeds. It’s a plant- how much money do you think it could be worth? It’s not as if these are gold pieces, where it would be difficult to acquire more. These grow every year- they won’t have a very high price, but they’ll have value in your heart. They’re worth however much you think of them.  C: You spent too much. The fake ones are all 15RMB. LYN: Okay.

C: The most valuable thing is on your arm. LYN: Are you talking about my watch? … WHY are you looking at my watch?!?

C: It looks like you’ve played with those beads for 30-40 years already. LYN: I just bought this and I’ve only had it for a month! I told you during the last stream that I would start. I bought these right after that. It hasn’t even been half a month. It wasn’t that long. 

C: Buy a string for Daimi. LYN: It would change color right away. These change color quickly. In any case it’s for fun. It’s nice to have something in hand that you can use to relieve stress. I saw a lot of friends were showing off their own strings in the group chat. You’re amazing. Certainly better than me, because I don’t quite get it yet. C: Watch out for Daimi. It might be dangerous. LYN: Do you think she’ll mistake these for peanuts and eat them? Daimi’s special in that she doesn’t like to eat peanuts. Sometimes when I try to give them to her she doesn’t eat them. So you don’t have to worry. She’s not interested in these things. She only eats sausages. 

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C: Is this a real person streaming? LYN: I am an AI. LYN: Hello. Welcome. To. Modern Brothers Liu Yuning’s. Livestream. /blink/ LYN: Hello. If you have not subscribed to this weibo. Please subscribe. Thank you. /blink/

LYN: I want to say something though! I’ve been seeing that you’ve been using some AI programs to switch my face in to a video. Please don’t do that. They’re not something that just anybody can play with. You don’t have the right to use my likeness to make anything you want. If you like to make them, you can watch them in the privacy of your own home- that’s your freedom. Just don’t spread it around. Alright? Don’t mess around. LYN: You think it’s fun and there is no ill-intent, but these things themselves are prohibited. Try not to play with them too much. If you have spread it already- delete it.

C: Can you wish my 13 year old daughter a happy birthday? LYN: Of course I can. But… I think the thing she needs the most is your company. Stop watching my stream. Go play with her. She’s thirteen- you should be playing with her. Stop watching my stream. Hurry and go. LYN: I wish your daughter a happy birthday. I hope she can grow up happy and healthy and do well in school. But the thing she needs the most right now is you. Either make her something nice to eat or play with her a little. My blessings aren’t that important. LYN: I want to gift this song to everyone here. -- 祝你平安 (Wishing You Well) [Sun Ye]

LYN: This song is for the girl who is having her thirteenth birthday today. Happy Birthday and I wish you well. C: Is 13 very young? LYN: I never said it was young. I just mentioned that her mom was here, when she should have been keeping her daughter company. My meaning was that what she needed the most was her mom to keep her company, not me telling her “Happy Brithday.” She probably doesn’t even know me. I don’t think thirteen year olds are interested in me.

C: I’m 12. // Lao-da, I’m 13. // I’m 15. // 16. // 19. LYN: There’s even a six year old?? C: Ning-ge, I’m 18. // 16. // 20. // 17. 15. /// I’m 8. LYN: /sigh/ I don’t know if what you’re saying is true or not, but I believe at least some of you are telling the truth. If that’s the case I think we need to adjust my streaming degree and content to cater towards these younger individuals. Isn’t that right? And I should also be more aware and watch the things I say. Right? - /plays the Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf theme song/

LYN: Now we will become a model for young youths. C: Little kids don’t watch Pleasant Goat anymore. LYN: Yeah, they’re watching Heroes (SYXSSYX) now. I’m sure they’re planning on watching my dramas now. C: They’re tricking you. LYN: What do I care? They can’t fool me.

C: Lao-da, are your eyes open? LYN: /doubting life/ Someone asked me if my eyes were open… I think those are the cruelest words I’ve heard tonight. Many of you were saying that I’m so white I look like I’ve been dead for three days, and I didn’t get angry. But this friend just asked me if my eyes were open… they feel like I’m about to fall asleep. This… this comment deals double damage. I’ve been attacked. 

LYN: It doesn’t matter. I don’t want you to be able to see my eyes, so you can’t tell what I’m thinking. People’s eyes are the windows to their soul, right? By looking into someone’s eyes you can tell what they’re thinking or how they feel. Right now you can’t see my eyes. So that means you can’t see through me. LYN: Dear Friend, in the next few days you might receive a document from LYN’s Legal Team. My studio will put in a request for a document and send it to you. Prepare to receive it. Make sure you are reachable by phone. 

- /looking at his drink/ LYN: ?! Why would there be sediment in this?? /makes barfing sounds/ /pours it out/ LYN: I’m not drinking that anymore. It wasn’t coffee grounds, it was something white. LYN: Let’s just drink some water.

C: Ning-ge, are you doing magic? There was something dark in the glass and now it’s clear water. LYN: You really are 13. Now I really BELIEVE you’re 13 years old. Why else would you be here, pretending to be cute? Either that or you truly are a bit foolish. I believe it now. You don’t need to convince me.

C: You put on lipstick? LYN: No. I don’t put on lipstick. Even though I do have a makeup collaboration- with Givenchy- I didn’t apply any lipstick today. /wipes his lips/ It’s because this beauty filter is on. It gives me a lip color. :P To make my complexion look better. C: Ning-ge, if the filter is on then why are your eyes still so small? LYN: My filters are different from your filters. My filters don’t alter my features. I only adjust the skin settings- I turn up the blur and brightening, but I don’t change my features. I’m an actor- you have to see my every day. If I- - LYN: Hold on, someone’s ringing my doorbell. Let me play a video and I’ll go see who it is. Is it takeout or something? LYN: They ordered some food for me. My staff were worried I was going to starve to death. They probably figured by this time of night I would have already stopped streaming already. C: Scared me to death! Call the cops, quick! LYN: Meimei- I’m 1.89cm tall and I;ve been working out lately! Also, this community is pretty nice. Plus I have a dog! Are you messing with me? I have a dog keeping me company- if anyone tried anything on me Daimi would eat them! She’ll eat them! So don’t worry, Everything’s fine.

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C: Ning-ge, you actually know English? LYN: Of course. A little. I only know a little. I know I didn’t go to college, but I still went to school. C: Marry me. LYN: Areyou crazy? You think I don’t understand what that means?? Or do you know that I know what it means and you’re provoking me on purpose?? Someone typed “Marry Me” into the comments. I will reply to you with two words: Get out. Shut up. C: Can you kiss me? LYN: Go to sleep. You can have a good dream.

LYN: My stream suddenly went from a Gaming Cafe to the English Corner. There are some kids in here who are only 8 years old. They might not have started learning English in schools yet. So now when we’re talking they can’t understand. I already told you we were entering “Young Youths” mode. We can’t speak for too long in English, because I also don’t know that much. If I keep going I’m might expose myself.

LYN: Are you not ashamed by the English you’re typing out?? You’re just a young girl, how could you not watch out for yourself? I’m going to take a screenshot and send it to your mother! If you keep sending me untoward English I’m going to take a screen-cap and send it to your mom. I’ll show her what her kid goes around saying online. “Go to sleep with me”??? Your imagination is getting ahead of yourself. If your mom knew you were online saying those types of things she would beat you to death! Just you wait- I’m going to send it to your mother.

C: My mom can’t understand. LYN: I’ll translate it for her! I’ll tell her, “Look at what nonsense your daughter is saying. How improper!” 

C: You have my contact info? LYN: You think that’s a good thing? This story is to tell you that the internet is not a lawless place. If I want to find you, I can. Remember my words. C: Oh, there’s such a good thing? You’ll come find me? 

LYN: If you’re chasing this star, we provide door-service. I’ll come up to your door and knock on it. “Hello. I am Liu Yuning. I’m here. See?”

C: My mother not at home. LYN: Oh my goodness! If you’re using such simple  English to talk to me I feel like you’re insulting me! But if you use too complex English, I won’t understand. I’m conflicted. The English you’re using is too simple, so I feel like you’re insulting me because you don’t think I can understand anything more. But if you really type out something complicated, then I REALLY won’t understand. 

LYN: Okay, that’s enough. Okay. Okay. Stop. Thank you.

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C: You changed so many topics all night. LYN: A stream is like this. Do you think this is a math class and I’m going to spend all night telling you about math? It’s random- I just talk about whatever I want to. Someone even asked me if my stream has a script. There’s no script. I just see what you’re commenting and pick up a topic. That’s the charm of a stream- it’s live and I’m just here chatting with you. I don’t really prepare anything. LYN: At most I just make note that I need to promote CFD. I’ve sung an OST for it. It’s currently airing and pretty hot, so if you have time you can check it out. LYN: You want me to sing it, but the song hasn’t been released yet! The drama is airing but the song isn’t out. I’ll sing it when it’s out. 

C: I don’t want to hear OSTs anymore. I want to watch your dramas. LYN: Shut your mouth! You’re going to make me lose the market! This is one of my own fans lamenting the fact that I keep releasing OSTs, but the last time one of my dramas was released was already two years ago now. Has it been two years? No, right? A little more than one year. This is normal though. It’s not like a song or a variety show- when you can film it one month and it will air the next. People can see it with a quicker turnaround. Normally for dramas it takes one year, up to two, before it airs. LYN: Luckily I’ve been continuously filming for the past few years. I’ve been in Hengdian for three years straight. So I have some in stock, at least. Once my dramas start to air I’m guessing there’s no stopping them. They’re all about ready to air.

LYN: Someone came to ask about ALZ again. I really don’t know. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. But I really don’t know. I hope it can air soon- I hope all of my dramas can air soon. Otherwise what’s the point of letting them sit there?? I want them to air! I feel the same as you. What’s the point of keeping them? LYN: I don’t have a drama or an album. I need the drama to air so that my fans can maintain their attachment to me.I don’t have a drama or anything right now, but were are still able to maintain this familiarity with each other which I think is great. 

LYN: This is really normal. Let’s say an actor’s drama airs and because of this role, many people start to like this actor. If they don’t release anything for a long time after that, it’s normal for people to turn their attention elsewhere. I also hope that the dramas I’ve filmed- I’ve been filming for three years, now- can also quickly be aired. Even if I can’t attract new fans, at least my old fans can watch. I need to give them something to look at, so they stick. 

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C: Ning-ge, the day after tomorrow is NCEE results, what do I do? LYN: What are you asking me for? How would I know? Do you want me to give you a job?? LYN: “What do I do”? That sounds like you didn’t test well or something. You don’t need to be nervous. Everything that happens is for the best. “What do I do”? What do you want to do? Are you planning to run away? Don’t do that. It’s okay. A test is only a very very small experience in your life. If you don’t do well this year, maybe you can take it again next. Or if you didn’t get the results you wanted, it really doesn’t matter. Look at me and you’ll understand. I didn’t even go to college, but I went to culinary school. I went to a technical school. But I still made it to where I am today where you can recognize me, and that’s my honor. But look at me. I may have had a lot of failures in my past. But if the light doesn’t shine in the east, it will shine in the west. This test is not your only path forward, but it is a better path. What happens if you don’t have good results? There will be other opportunities. This test doesn’t determine the rest of your life. No way. LYN: You don’t need to have too much pressure. There are a lot of things you’ll experience that will make you feel really sad/upset about them. It might devastate you and make you think you can’t live anymore. But once half a year has passed- maybe three months, even- if you look back on this thing that made grieve and upset, it’s actually nothing at all. After half a year you’ll think even less of it. After a year you’ll look back on this moment and wonder why you were so weak. You might make fun of yourself, thinking, “I was too young. I was too weak. This is nothing.” LYN: Anything you’re experiencing right now isn’t very important. It’s not something that can make you stumble. After a while you’ll look back on it and think its laughable. LYN: A friend shared a poem to describe this: 轻舟已过万重山. (A brisk boat sails through thousands of green mountains. // You’ll encounter thousands of hardships but still sail through)

- /comments of poems start to flow in/ LYN: I just want to say my fans are so well-educated. Two minutes ago we were using English to communicate and now we’re using poems! If you want to question how well-cultured LYN’s stream or the people who watch the stream are, you’d better think twice. 

C: Left foot Tsinghua and right foot Beida. LYN: What is that? Now you’re being too obvious. Our current segment is using metaphor and allusion. You’re being a little too forward with that comment. 

LYN: To that person who was wondering what they would do when the test results came out, many of your friends here have used a poem to advise you. But I can’t always let them take the credit, so let me also tell you a poem, too: You are a light in the darkness. You’ll illuminate- … How do the lyrics go?? Oh- You’ll illuminate the ashes of the past. - [t/n:these are the lyrics to 黑夜一束光 (Praying)]

C: 三十年河东,三十年河西. 莫期少年穷. *(Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. (Feng Shui turns and the world changes.) Don’t bully the young man because he is poor now.) LYN: I think you can gift this saying to me. Thirty years (old) in the east and thirty years (old) in the west… But if this is directed towards that friend who has taken the NCEE, then it’s an attack. For example, let’s say they still can’t get a good result after three years. Then you’re basically telling them that they can only meet west after they’re thirty. That means they have to be patient for more than a decade. This saying doesn’t suit them.

LYN: Of course, playing is playing and joking is joking. But this is really nothing. If you don’t get a good score you can retake the test. That’s the first path. Secondly, if you don’t want to take the test again, then maybe it was for the best. But when you face your next test/chalenge, I hope you can seize the opportunity. But in the end, it’s really not a big deal. Really. I honestly feel like it’s not a big deal. LYN: As long as you’re alive and healthy, and everyone you love is also alive and well, then that’s the best place you can be. Nothing else really matters.

LYN: People who know me a little should all know what all I used to do. I learned how to be a cook. After that, I worked in a restaurant- learning the trade on the job. I did all sorts of work. Later I got sick and couldn’t be a cook. Since I already understood the industry, I worked as a waiter in the restaurant instead. I would deliver dishes and take orders. It wasn’t a temporary thing while I looked for something else- I did it for 2-3 years. Just as a waiter. I worked as a waitstaff in a bathhouse. I worked as a clothing shop clerk. I worked in each of these jobs for many years. At the time I thought of myself as without a place- I thought that was all I could amount to and that’s just how life was. It was useless to have dreams and aspirations because that was reality. Reality can make you stumble. It will make you accept your fate. There’s this sort of cycle. It will make you think that your life at the time is very hard. But to me, at this point in my life I am thankful for those experiences. LYN: I’m not saying that to be nice. I will think on those experiences and apply it to whatever I do whether that’s singing or acting. As an actor- let me just say what I want to, though I know it might not be accurate- let’s say that you’re supposed to act as someone who has been locked in a place and hasn’t eaten for three days. How are you supposed to act out those feelings? There are limits to a person’s imagination, but if you’ve real-world experience and take from those experiences to apply it to acting, that’s the best you can do. I have never experienced having gone without food for three days, but I know what it feels like to be hungry.

LYN: Let me tell you when I was at my poorest. I had just come back from a competition and I didn’t have a penny on me. I’d been like like for a long time, with only 1RMB that I asked my grandpa for every day. I had found a job but only made 1RMB a day- I was already over twenty years old. In the afternoon I would sell clothing, and we would eat in shifts. After the first shift came back from their lunch they told me to go. So I went. What did I eat? I didn’t have the money to eat. I only had 1RMB, what could I eat? But I went downstairs, and found some corner- because I didn’t want my coworkers to see me. I just sat there and watched the people pass. After around 20-30 minutes, I went back upstairs and told them I had eaten. I continued to work. I spent about a month like that- it’s not long, but that’s how I spent it. C: You couldn’t go home to eat? LYN: At that time I was living with my grandpa, and he doesn’t cook. My aunts and uncles would prepare food for him and send it to him. It’s not that they didn’t care about me, but that I didn’t let it show that I was doing poorly. They thought I was living well. So, they would prepare good for him and I would find something for myself to eat. I would go home and just cook a pot of rice- very small, it only makes about two bowls? I would make rice and have some Chinese broccoli. One meal a day. I’d go home and make a pot of rice that equalled to about three bowls and just furiously eat the rice.

LYN: That’s just one of my experiences- I’ve been through a lot. But now that I have come to be an actor, I am thankful for those experiences. I know how it feels to have dreams but be unable to chase them. I know what it feels like to have a desire for something, and what it feels like to have gotten that thing. I’m thankful for the experiences I had when I was living at the bottom of society. It wasn’t just for one or two years. I spent 5-10 years like that, but I’m thankful for what I learned. As an actor now, I can borrow from those memories. If I grew up in a well-off environment where everything came to me easily and I didn’t want for anything, and the director now wanted me to be in a desperate state, do you believe they would be able to pull it off? I’m sure they would understand, but they might not get the reference. Because they didn’t personally experience these hardships. Those experiences have become my advantages now. LYN: I’m not trying to make you feel sorry for me. I just want to share. I want you to know that the things you are experiencing at this moment may become a benefit to you in the future. They’re your assets. I don’t like playing the pity card because I am doing well for myself now. I’m worlds different from where I was before. But you still have to experience those hardships in order to cherish what you have now. I don’t want to make you feel sorry for me, because that time has already passed. I’ve gotten over it. So I’m not trying to make you pity me, I’m just sharing. 

LYN: I’ve always believed that most things were up to life. I firmly believe that the reason I am here today is because I am lucky. You can’t gain a lot of things through hard work alone. I’m not trying to say that I worked so hard for what I have today. That I am able to know you and accept these acting roles is because of all my hard work. No. This is not something you can gain through hard work. - [t/n: idk what song he is referring to, here.] LYN: Hard work isn’t the reason I have what I have today. But the problem is if you DON’T work hard, then you definitely won’t gain anything. That’s a definite. If you don’t work hard, you won’t gain anything. (It’s a catch-22).

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LYN: It’s about time. I’ll stop streaming at 11p. I’ll chat with you for ten more minutes. LYN: I’m not sure about when the next time I stream will be, but I definitely will come if I have time. I just have a lot of work piled up right now. I didn’t really sing much today because I have to reserve my voice- I’ve already SPOKEN enough. But the work in the next few days will require my voice. Next time I stream… won’t be too long. If you haven’t subscribed to my weibo yet, please do so. I am Modern Brothers Liu Yuning. Thank you. 

C: When are you entering the new crew? LYN: It’ll be soon. I can enter it anytime- no, what am I saying?? There’s the possibility that I can enter it at any time, so I have to make sure I finish everything I need to do in Beijing first before I can enter the crew and start getting into character. 

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LYN: Where’s our rising star? The rising star of 2023? (Daimi) LYN: /trying to lure her over/ Want a sausage? How about a sausage? LYN: The rising star of the 2023 Entertainent Industry is here. LYN: /to Daimi/ Can you have a sense for the camera?? Where’s supposed to be at the top of the industry, here. You might become the biggest star this year, so can you steal the camera at all? /manually adjusts her head/ Okay- let’s keep it at this angle. Don’t move. Perfect. Don’t lift your head. Shots of the chin make you look fat. LYN: Okay, whatever. - /Blows in her face to get her to stop looking at him. It doesn’t work. Gives up./

C: Daimi only has eyes for you. LYN: Friends, don’t think of this so beautifully. Even though if a dog licks you it means they like you, they’re also… waiting for you to feed them. She’s waiting for me to feed her. Okay. She’s hungry. - /gives her his hand to rest her head on uwu/

C: Is she willing to sleep with you? LYN: No. I was thinking I would try a day after she had gotten washed- to see if I could hold her to sleep. She didn’t even stay there for a minute before she kicked me and left. 

C: Why is she called Daimi? LYN: Because this little dog is quite foolish. (呆) /sigh/ She’s not very smart. She’s not impatient or ill-tempered like other small dogs can be. She’s just simply very foolish. 

LYN: Okay, you can go.

LYN: I’ll give her a sausage to eat later, after I stop streaming.

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LYN: Thank you for keeping me company tonight. LYN: The next time I stream I think the things I bought specifically to wear on the stream would have arrived. Next time I will have an appearance that surprises you. So let’s definitely meet up in the next stream. LYN: I hope you had a relaxing, happy, and wonderful night. It was great to have you and I hope you enjoyed yourself. Let’s meet in the next stream. Goodnight, everyone. - /closes it out with Fall in Love/

#Liu Yuning #lyn livestream #(4:03:34) #topics: #his hair & hello saturday #on how to say lines with ~emotion~ #attributing ost jobs to the main actors of the drama (if he knows them) #how he got into voice acting #new role: tortoise in the wishing well #gaming chat (he's played a lot but not for long) #showing off his beads #~English Corner~ #sharing life lessons

[silverseedthings]

Jin Ling is a little younger Fix-It AU

Alright, so I had a silly thought:

I’ve read a lot of fic where Jin Guangyao didn’t love Qin Su but wanted the political connections of marrying her (plus the appearence of respectability inherent in being a married man) and he seduced her in order to force her family’s hand since they wouldn’t let them marry. 

So far, this makes sense. Jin Guangyao is an experienced manipulator, he has charm, he has dimples, he’s a war hero. A sheltered girl like Qin Su would probably be easy prey for him. Equally logically, Qin Su’s mother would be Extremely Against this marriage. But she’s not going to admit to having been raped when she has the handy excuse of “But he’s the son of a whore!”

Now, what if Qin Su’s maids heard about what their mistress and her suitor were planning? The scandal! The juicy gossip! The extremely hefty tips they could receive in Jinlintai for that piece of intelligence on one of Carp Tower’s most disliked inhabitants!

Qin Su and Jin Guangyao quietly cease their association. But the Jin Sect is really gross and sexist even beyond the standards of the really gross and sexist cultivation world. Who’s going to get the worst of the backlash? Qin Su.

And Jin Zixuan notices. Madam Jin makes SURE he notices, anyway, with how she rants about shamelessness and dishonorability, even if in her case it’s mostly so she can say that she didn’t expect any better from JGY.

Now, Jin Zixuan had been quietly hopeful that he could get some action before the wedding, but he has just gotten a brutal reminder of how insidious Carp Tower gossip is, and he’s humiliated Jiang Yanli enough for a lifetime. He would never even look at her nonconsensually -he’s not his father- but he rather thinks Jiang Cheng would still take him aside for a quiet conversation with Zidian if there was a blowup of this magnitude (probably worse considering their station) with his sister. So he keeps it in his pants.

(Do I know if the timeline works for this? No. Do I care? Also no)

Now, fast forward most of a year past the wedding. The situation is thus:

Wei Wuxian is quietly farming in the Burial Mounds. Nobody has heard of the Yiling Patriarch in months beyond vague rumour-mongering.

Jiang Yanli is only just starting to show a baby bump. No official announcements have been made.

Jiang Cheng absolutely refuses to commit to an attack on the remaining Wens. Without Jiang support for the Jin’s proposal, Lan Xichen feels comfortable mantaining neutrality. Nie Mingjue hates Wens and demonic cultivation, but he has his priorities mostly straight. He won’t launch an offensive unprovoked, and is considering retracting his support of the siege plans out of spite since he Really Fucking Hates both Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao.

Jin Guangshan’s patience is wearing thin.

Now, Jin Guangyao knows very well he’s disposable. It’s why he wanted to marry Qin Su in the first place: a bastard son can be quietly (or loudly, depending on what is most convenient) expelled from the Sect once he’s no longer useful. If he was married to a lady from a prominent family that could be taken as an insult to his in-laws. But that plan backfired.

The social capital from his heroic deeds in the war is drying up. The scandal has left him in an even more precarious position, and to the public it looks like not even his sworn brothers are supporting him.

(It legitimately cracks me up that the outside perspective is that Lan Xichen is quietly disapproving of his actions while Nie Mingjue still gives him the benefit of the doubt, based on who’s standing with his clan on the Yiling Patriarch issue)

His assets are: one (1) easily-manipulated, bitter and petty minor sect leader with a disturbing obsession with Lan Wangji and one (1) out of his myriad of siblings (sworn, recognized, unrecognized or otherwise) that still likes and trusts him.

He goes to talk to Lan Xichen.

Here’s when what I like to call “The Tea of Misunderstandings” happens.

JGY, with earnest eyes and a pitiful expression: “Er-ge, I really don’t know what to do about the issue of the Yiling Patriarch. My father is convinced he’s an evil man that is amassing an army, but I haven’t seen you agree with him. Do you think his opinion is unfounded? Do you know anyone who could give an accurate account of his character? Please advise”

LXC, who always errs on the side of thinking the best of everyone’s intentions: “Well, I never had many interactions with Young Master Wei. I really couldn’t say for sure what he’s thinking, even if his chosen cultivation method is deeply troubling. If you want to hear what someone that has fought with him in the past has to say, perhaps you could ask Wangji?”

JGY, internally: “Perfect. Everyone knows Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian can’t stand one another. Er-ge won’t want to risk a large battle unless he’s attacked when his sect suffered so much so recently, but it will be easy to get him onboard once I give him a good excuse”

LXC, internally: “It’s so nice of A-Yao to be worried about doing the right thing, even if it might not align with his sect leader’s opinion. So inspiring! I hope Young Master Wei really is the man Wangji thinks he is, and that Wangji can convince A-Yao to speak to Sect Leader Jin on his behalf. We might be able to solve this situation without bloodshed.”

Remember, at this point in time Lan Wangji is still an Extremely Repressed Gay, and he and Wei Wuxian have had many very public disagreements. You can forgive JGY for not realizing that everybody knows they hate each other in much the same way everybody knows the Yiling Patriarch is amassing a terrifying Wen army.

You may blame Lan Xichen for his word choice when he meant “Someone who fought beside Wei Wuxian in the Sunshot Campaign and other occasions”. Poor jiggy interpreted “Someone who fought AGAINST Wei Wuxian”.

Convincing Su She to curse Lan Wangji is easy. Convincing him that the Yiling Patriarch: 1) Will be pleased about this and welcome him with open arms; 2) Can and will get rid of the curse backlash; 3) Will be easy to fool into revealing his plans so Su She can access glory and reknown in the same way JGY did is easier.

Jin Guangyao is prepared for every outcome: 

If WWX kills Su She on the spot (which seems unlikely), Lan Wangji will still have suffered a direct attack “from the Yiling Patriarch” and Lan Xichen will feel compelled to support Jin Guangshan’s agenda. The Jiang will have no choice but to bow to the other three sects’ will and join. The death of a minor sect leader will get the minor sects foaming at the mouth to mount his head on a pike. Win.

If WWX lets his grudge cloud his judgement and actually welcomes Su She into the Burial Mounds (possible), the movilization to eradicate him and his camp will be even faster. Win.

If WWX tries to get Su She to pass him information and push his own agenda on the cultivation world (most probable, since he’s in desperate need of both information and people speaking for him, even if they come with the ticking time-bomb of a curse), Su She will just report on his forces and condemn him for “forcing him” to curse LWJ, as planned. Win.

Even in the unlikely event that WWX actually can (and the even unlikelier scenario that he does) get rid of the curse mark, JGY can blame Su She for everything and present himself as the one who uncovered their sinister plots so as to not share the glory. Win.

....Or so he’d thought. WWX trussing up Su She like a turkey and presenting them both at the gates of Cloud Recesses in a very public show of concern for LWJ was not something he’d thought he’d need a contingency for.

When LWJ turns out to believe everything WWX tells him even after Su She shockingly doesn’t sell JGY out and they team up to uncover the mystery, jiggy is ready to just throw up his hands in disbelief. That’s just unfair.

(WWX would probably have killed Su She on the spot, because he Cannot Even at the idea of LWJ being the slightest at risk, but Wen Ning was the one who found him and got the spiel about joining them and having cursed LWJ as a mark of his sincerity. It didn’t particularly endear him to Wen Ning either, but WN is smart enough to realize that a moron incompetent enough to get lost on the way to the Burial Mounds, in such a way that they had to split up to find him after he tripped the wards because apparentely?? he can’t feel the strongest fucking focus of resentful energy EVER?? is probably not smart enough to figure out a way to curse Hanguang Jun. Much less through the GusuLan sect’s barriers. So WWX and LWJ investigate to find out who’s the mastermind)

#I don't know if JGY sets his father up to take the fall #and lives to scheme another day #or if both of them bite the dust #but I know he won't risk something with this much of a chance to blow up in his face again #can you tell I hate the trope of masterminds that can predict fucking everything? #JGY's plan is solid #all of them are #but they still have a very good chance of backfiring #canon worked out for him #because he was lucky #he took a lot of very big risks for big rewards #but it could have easily gone the other way #and it amuses me to write an AU where that's exactly what happens #mdzs #JGY #WWX #LWJ #WN #LXC #silverseed writes #my theories #my AUs

[stiltonbasket]

Can we have a ficlet on Jingyi and Sizhui discussing their respective parent-reveals? (Sizhui finding out that his long-dead a-niang is WWX and Jingyi realizing he's nielan baby.)

"Well," Sizhui says, after a long, awkward silence. "It looks like neither of us are exactly who we thought we were."

Jingyi gives him a doubtful look. "Didn't you know about me, though? Hanguang-jun said you did."

His cousin--still his cousin by blood, Wen though he is--sits down beside him and shrugs.

"I mean, I was only around three and a half when you came along," he offers. "I remember Bobo being sick for a long time, but he was always ill when I was little, so I didn't remember the month you were born as anything out of the usual."

Lan Jingyi nods, even more downcast than before, and Sizhui gives him a sad, lost look before putting a hand on his shoulder.

“How are you feeling now?” he asks tentatively. “Have you talked to Uncle about it at all? Or Chifeng-zun?”

“What can I even say?” mutters Jingyi. “My grandfather isn’t my grandfather, and my parents aren’t my parents, and Hanguang-jun and Nie-zongzhu are my uncles by blood. I have a father I never met before this week, and Zewu-jun had me himself and sent me away to keep me safe. That’s all.”

Sizhui looks more anxious than ever. “Are you angry with them?”

“I am angry!” he chokes, drawing a grubby palm over his eyes. “I’m so angry, A-Yuan, but I’m not angry at them! I’m Zewu-shushu’s own flesh and blood, his own son, and he couldn’t claim me because Jin Guangyao might have killed me if he knew who my father was! A-Yuan, do you know--I spent my first two years with him in seclusion, hidden in a warded house so no one could find us, and he had to teach me to call him uncle so I wouldn’t give myself away when Yifu and Yima adopted me! It wasn’t--that wasn’t what he wanted to hear me say, not even close, and in all this time he never--never got the chance to be my---”

He bows his head and bursts into tears, clawing at the soft earth beneath him as he sobs about how unfair it all was. Sizhui was in the Guanyin temple with Jin Guangyao, a witness to Zewu-jun’s furious reply when Lianfang-zun dared to say that he never once thought about hurting you, er-ge, and yet you won’t spare me a single moment of life--

You left me a widower, left my child fatherless! Lan Xichen had screamed, half-mad as he shielded Jingyi’s unconscious body under his. You killed your own son, Jin Guangyao, and if I had been a little weaker, or A-Yi a little stronger, the both of us would have died along with Mingjue-xiong, and your father would have elevated you to heir in return for you killing his last rivals for him!

A-Yuan leans forward and hugs him.

"It's not too late for either of you yet," he says thickly. "Look at me and Xian-gege."

At least it wasn't so bad as all that for Zewu-jun, Jingyi thinks. He was there for Jingyi's first steps, his first words, his first day at school: never daring to leave his son when he might be needed, never willing to let Jingyi believe he came second to anything in Zewu-jun's heart.

He says goodbye to Sizhui a little while later, starting the trek up the mountain to find his parents, and stops short when he comes in sight of the Hanshi's bamboo-patterned gate. Chifeng-zun is standing just inside it, gazing out into the night with the moon reflected in his dull black pupils, and Zewu-shushu is beside him: young and strong and glad-looking as he has not been since before Jingyi's father died.

"Will you come in?" Chifeng-zun asks. Senior Wei hasn't fixed his voice yet; he still sounds a little like a corpse, since even Wen Ning's voice is livelier.

But the warmth in his voice is bone-deep and real, so much so that Lan Jingyi weeps and runs to throw his arms around him and Zewu-jun together.

You haven't won! he wants to shout: at Jin Guangyao, or perhaps Jin Guangshan, or perhaps at everyone in the world who played a hand in their crimes.

Zewu-jun and Chifeng-zun have each other, and I have them.

The three of us are together now, and we'll never be parted again.

#mo dao zu shi #nielan #lan jingyi #lan sizhui #a saber sheathed a battle cry #prompt fill #my fic

[robininthelabyrinth]

Light on the Door (ao3) (aka WWX in the Nie sect); tumblr: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

Wei Wuxian woke all at once when someone dropped something onto the floor, but he kept his body relaxed and his eyes closed. It was only when the smashing sound was followed by a very familiar muttering – “Shit, shit, shit, da-ge’s going to kill me!” – that he relaxed.

“How expensive is it that you think he would care?” he asked, opening his eyes and frowning when he found himself somewhere unfamiliar.

Nie Huaisang, who had been standing in the middle of the room and looking at the shards of a (admittedly very expensive looking) broken teapot with some dismay, promptly forgot all about the teapot and dashed over to him. “Shixiong! You’re awake!”

“You say that like it’s a surprise,” Wei Wuxian said, reaching up to rub his head. “Am I – wait, is this Jiang sect grounds? How’d we get to the Lotus Pier, of all places?”

The last he remembered, he and Lan Wangji had remained behind in the cave with the Xuanwu of Slaughter, distracting it while the others went out through the underwater exit, which had closed up when the Xuanwu had thrashed around. After a few days, when inedia would no longer help them and they knew their strength would begin to decrease, they had decided to fight it, and then…

“Is Lan Zhan all right?” he asked, abruptly concerned. “What happened to him? Did he –”

“He’s fine, you big baby,” Nie Huaisang said, throwing himself down on the bed next to him and promptly snuggling in for a hug. He had zero grounds to call anyone else a big baby. “He woke up two days ago and already left for the Cloud Recesses. He didn’t want to worry them any longer, and they need him, what with his brother still being missing.”

Wei Wuxian spared a moment’s thought for Lan Xichen, who was very nice and also a good friend of Nie Mingjue’s in addition to being Lan Wangji’s precious older brother, but reminded himself that there was no point in worrying when it wouldn’t do any good. That settled, he complained, “Oh, that’s rude! He left before making sure I woke up?”

“Oh, you woke up yesterday before he headed out,” Nie Huaisang said breezily. “You were sleep-drunk as anything, but you were awake and saying something about musical masterpieces. Possibly you might have started to say something about kissing, but tragically I was forced to gag you for your own health before Lan Wangji disintegrated from embarrassment.”

Wei Wuxian put his head in his hands. “…and so he left.”

“And so he left,” Nie Huaisang agreed. “Don’t worry, he left you a nice long letter to read when you feel up to it – and when I decide to give it to you.”

“Cruel.”

“Caring! You must think of your health, shixiong.”

“Shixiong this, shixiong that,” Wei Wuxian teased. “Were you worried about me?”

Nie Huaisang glared death at him. “Of course I was! Do you know what you put me and Jiang Cheng through?! We left you in a cave with that thing, we got ambushed by the Wen sect the second we emerged –”

“You did? Are you all right?!”

“Shut up, I’m fine, Jiang Cheng handled it,” Nie Huaisang said, which – fair. Wei Wuxian would have to give Jiang Cheng many relieved thank-you-for-saving-my-little-brother hugs. “We then ran for days to get someone to rescue you –”

It make sense. The Lotus Pier was closer than the Unclean Realm, and Jiang Fengmian had always been a little unreasonable about Wei Wuxian; it was a good bet to make.

Still, even if they’d travelled down from the Nightless City, they hadn’t gone that far, and the Lotus Pier was a long way away.

“Are your feet all right?” he asked.

“No! They are not! They are awful! There was blood! But not as much blood as we found all over you when we broke into the cave to find you lying there unconscious!”

Wei Wuxian resigned himself to spending the next shichen calming down Nie Huaisang from (admittedly somewhat reasonable) hysterics.

-

“So I’m worried about the Jiang sect,” Nie Huaisang said the second they crossed out of the Lotus Pier – by horse, since that required less from his torn-up feet.

Wei Wuxian looked at him sidelong. “And this wasn’t something you could mention while we were there? To them?”

“I’m not so stupid as to start a fight with our allies by implying that they can’t handle themselves,” Nie Huaisang said. “Even if…”

“Even if you don’t think they can?”

Nie Huaisang sighed. “It’s not that!” he protested. “They’re very capable. Extraordinarily capable, even. But Sect Leader Jiang doesn’t take things seriously enough – the way he tried to scold Jiang Cheng for lecturing you..!”

Wei Wuxian winced. He’d managed to head that off at the pass, luckily, but Jiang Cheng’s face had gotten that mulish expression of mixed envy and hurt that he hated to see, and it hadn’t cleared up until Nie Huaisang fainted in order to escape the awkward conversation. It was a trick he pulled often, one that worked on adults virtually all the time and also amused Jiang Cheng every single time.

“And he doesn’t take da-ge seriously, either,” Nie Huaisang said, sounding as if that were the worst possible crime imaginable. Wei Wuxian understood his feelings. “Not even after the indoctrination camp…I just don’t know if he’ll take the steps he needs to in time.”

“You’re right,” Wei Wuxian said regretfully. “Uncle Jiang won’t want to think about it, so he won’t, but that won’t stop the war from coming…Wait, hold up. You think the Wen sect would come here? Why?”

“I mean, it’s the logical next step to quash another one of the Great Sects,” Nie Huaisang said. “Also, remember that time I fainted from the heat and they took me inside the guardroom? I looked at some of their papers; they were definitely planning on a siege.”

“But why here?” Wei Wuxian asked, deciding to reserve comments on Nie Huaisang’s unexpected foray into espionage to a time when he could appropriately lose his mind over it, preferably with Nie Mingjue in the vicinity to add to the effect. “Why the Lotus Pier? Jiang Cheng wasn’t involved with sticking it to Wen Chao; that was Lan Zhan and Jin Zixuan, and then after that it was mostly me. No Jiang sect at all!”

“He helped later,” Nie Huaisang pointed out. “Anyway, where else would they go? They attacked the Cloud Recesses once already, Lanling Jin is so slimy and double-dealing that they might as well count as a Wen ally, and if you had to pick between attacking the Lotus Pier or the Unclean Realm, between wishy-washy old Sect Leader Jiang or da-ge, who’s been preparing for war since before you joined us, which would you pick?”

“Well, shit,” Wei Wuxian said, because Nie Huaisang wasn’t wrong at all. Nor was he wrong to keep this from Jiang Fengmian, who would probably just pat them on the head indulgently before dismissing them. “What’s the plan, then?”

“Shopping,” Nie Huaisang declared.

Wei Wuxian knew his little brother too well. He started grinning. “Just a couple of young masters going on a shopping trip? With a nice, small retinue?”

“We could hardly be expected to travel with anything less,” Nie Huaisang agreed, grinning back. “Especially with there being both of us, heir and spare! It would be disgraceful to send us out with anything less than at least a squad of Nie culivators. We could stay in Yunping, maybe? That’s not far.”

“Yunping? There’s nothing in Yunping.”

“Not recently, no,” Nie Huaisang said, and shrugged when Wei Wuxian shot him an inquisitive glance. “Personnel issue, someone da-ge met recently…not a big deal. I’m just curious about him, that’s all. I’ll tell you about it on the way.”

“I love how you just decide these things and then pretend that I have some input into how things are going to go before doing what you want anyway,” Wei Wuxian remarked. “I take it that you’ve contacted da-ge already, then?”

“Of course! Sent him a letter first thing once we arrived at the Lotus Pier. Are we going?”

“Yes, fine,” Wei Wuxian said, rolling his eyes. “We’re going, we’re going.”

-

“So, I think we can all agree that that went badly,” Nie Huaisang said. “Can we all agree on that?”

“Shut up,” Jiang Cheng said. His impression of being above it all was somewhat ruined by the tears still streaming down his face and the way he wouldn’t stop hugging them both intermittently.

“Listen, it could have gone worse,” Wei Wuxian said placatingly. “Right? Could have gone much, much worse. At least Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu made it out, and they’ll go crazy trying to find us.”

“Yeah,” Jiang Cheng said, and sniffed, rubbing his nose. “Yeah. That’s true. Thanks.”

Even with the best river-watching intentions in the world, the attack had come so quickly that they’d only shown up midway through the assault on the Lotus Pier, just in time to find Jiang Cheng tied up in Zidian and floating downriver, a sure sign that Madame Yu had given up all hope of maintaining a defense, and naturally they’d grabbed him and rushed in to help her.

A single moment of surprise had been all she’d needed to finish Wen Zhuliu.

Unfortunately, even two full squadrons of Nie sect cultivators – Nie Mingjue hadn’t stinted – couldn’t change the end result, not against the massed forces the Wen sect had brought with them, not even if they sold their lives into the bargain. It was only enough to hold them off for a little while. 

At Wei Wuxian’s order, they had gone back in again and again, getting as many Jiang sect disciples out as they could. It’d been a good plan.

Getting captured hadn’t been part of the plan.

Getting thrown into the Burial Mounds was definitely not part of the plan.

Fucking Wen Chao. Just because his smarmy stupid core-melting servant got killed and he didn’t want to risk them returning as ghosts…

“Somehow, the possibility of it being worse doesn’t actually make me feel better,” Nie Huaisang said, scowling. He had the weakest core out of all three of them, so they’d given him the one blanket they’d managed to smuggle along with them – though technically, that had been Wen Ning who’d done the smuggling, actually, a Wen disciple that Wei Wuxian had befriended in the archery contest. 

He’d apparently remained very sympathetic despite the war.

It would’ve been pretty funny, if anyone had been in the mood to laugh: Wen Ning had arrived to the Lotus Pier late in a panic, nominally to provide medical services, although Wen Chao had implied in a snarl that it was actually to claim credit for helping. He had stuttered his way through excuses and apologies, offered to go start work right away, and then promptly beelined straight for the room where they’d been trapped, sneaking them a qiankun pouch with a few supplies in hopes that they could use it when they escaped.

He hadn’t known that they were bound for the Burial Mounds at that time, of course.

Maybe he’d have included some weapons they could use to fly out of here if he had.

Wei Wuxian had whispered to him “Find a way to tell Sect Leader Nie,” as they’d been dragged away after hearing Wen Chao declare that he was going to dispose of them where they’d never escape, and he could only hope that between that avenue and the Jiang that they would be found soon.

Ideally very soon.

They were running out of protective talismans, and night was approaching.

“Still could be worse,” Wei Wuxian said, thinking to himself that if Wen Zhuliu hadn’t been garroted by Zidian they might have found their way here without even their golden cores. Definitely worse. “Okay. So. I have – an idea.”

“Oh no,” Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang chorused.

“…you two are so supportive.”

“It’s going to be a dumb idea,” Nie Huaisang said. “We can tell. Your tone of voice tells us.”

“He’s not wrong,” Jiang Cheng said. “It’s going to be dumb and self-sacrificing.”

“Dumb, self-sacrificing and with a less than fifty percent chance of –”

“Must you throw all my past failures in my face?” Wei Wuxian said mournfully.

“Yes,” they both said.

“…fine. I’m still going to do it.”

“We never doubted that for a moment,” Nie Huaisang said. “Now tell us what heart failure we’re going to be dying of today.”

“Well…” Wei Wuxian said.

-

“I think I’m hallucinating,” Wei Wuxian announced. “It may be the resentful energy going to my head.”

“Nooooo,” Jiang Cheng said. “You think?”

“Could be the reduced rations and extended inedia,” Nie Huaisang said, looking very tragic. “Or maybe these sad excuses for potatoes we’ve been picking.”

“I am never eating wild-grown potatoes ever again in my life,” Wei Wuxian agreed fervently. “But also, no, seriously, I think I’m hallucinating, which we should write down as a possible side-effect of demonic cultivation.”

Jiang Cheng groaned from where he was lying on his back and staring up into the ever-clouded sky above the Burial Mounds. He’d gotten tired of the writing-things-down portion of the experimentation process early on, especially when they’d had to carefully unbind the one book Wen Ning had (rather inexplicably, but helpfully) shoved into the bag for them in order to get enough paper to do it after they’d run out of space on Nie Huaisang’s fans.

“We have to keep notes!” Wei Wuxian insisted.

“Fine, fine,” Nie Huaisang said. “What are you hallucinating?”

“Suibian,” Wei Wuxian said. “Flying right at me. From the northwest, if that’s relevant.”

“It is extremely relevant, actually,” Jiang Cheng said, sitting up. “Because it’s not a hallucination if I see it, too.”

Jiang Cheng was their control group, insofar as they could have a control when they were all stuck here being slowly consumed by the Burial Mounds. He and Wei Wuxian were about evenly matched in cultivation strength, so it only made sense for one of them to try demonic cultivation and the other not, and then Nie Huaisang had also started doing it, over Wei Wuxian’s protests, when they’d realized that they needed two people for some of the arrays Wei Wuxian invented.

So if he was seeing things as well, that either meant that the Burial Mounds were affecting them faster than expected, or else –

“Wait, you can see Suibian too?” Wei Wuxian jumped up to his feet. “Suibian! Suibian! Over here!”

“Wait,” Nie Huaisang said. “We don’t know how Suibian will react to demonic cultivation –”

Oblong meat boy! Suibian shouted in Wei Wuxian’s brain across their bond, familiar and perfect as always, descending like a whistling arrow. You left me alone! With evil people!

Wei Wuxian leapt up as high as he could and wrapped his arms around his saber. “I’m so glad to see you, you jackass of a saber!”

Apology accepted.

“Is he talking to his saber?” Jiang Cheng murmured to Nie Huaisang, who nodded. “I know he told us about the whole Nie sect cultivation thing - which I understand I shouldn’t know about, but whatever - but I’ve got to say, it’s kind of weird to see it happening out loud.”

“You think that’s weird? You should see my brother and Baxia.”

“How did you get out?” Wei Wuxian asked, ignoring them both.

Baxia tore open the wall where we were being kept, Suibian said, which probably meant that the war was going well and also that Nie Mingjue was on the warpath and very likely that Wen Ning had not managed to deliver the intended message, which would explain the delay in anyone finding them. Baxia’s master gave me energy and told me to go find you, while he followed behind.

“Da-ge’s coming!” Wei Wuxian shouted, and Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang dropped their supercilious commentator façade in order to cheer.

Hey, jerkface master. Why do you feel funny?

“…uh, about that…”

#mdzs #wei wuxian #nie huaisang #jiang cheng #my fic #my fics #light on the door

[linxuelian]

The various MDZS fans // Under The Magnifying Glass

Alright, fans! As a fellow fan, I know you’re out there - I’ve lurked, I’ve chatted with, and I’ve disturbed a great many of you. Now I’m going to treat you like a specimen, and you can’t escape!

I’ve compiled a short meta piece about the various fans in the MDZS fandom, one that should be taken, once again, with a grain of salt. You know I love all of you, but here’s a sprinkle of, “I see you, I’m calling you out”. 😉

This is by no way accurate, obviously, but I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Wei Ying fans are shameless

And they tend to be more open in the real world than most other fans in comparison. Cheerful and belligerent, these fans are the ones who’ll loudly push their agenda and rope you into the slippery, slippery rabbit hole of the MDZS fandom, shouting about how “LAN ZHAN IS THE MOST WONDERFUL BOYFRIEND.”

You’d look into what a Lan Zhan is, and fall into the trap of Xianxia hell, unable to claw your way out of it until you’ve completed at least forty different works, either in paint or in letter. This is when they’ll cackle and attempt to figure out what your AO3 username is.

When dealing with Wei Ying fans in the real world, consider employing a milder approach. Do not allow them influence you into making more explicit fanfiction than you probably should, if you can. Apply caution in public, for they can be extremely boisterous in their sharing of many overly-stimulating pictures with your friends who may not know or want to know what WangXian is about.

Lan Wangji fans

Are Wei Ying fans. No person who can directly relate to Lan Wangji would read a BL light novel like that.

Or they do, but you just don’t know it.

Lan Xichen fans

Secretly want to sleep with him.

Jin Guangyao fans are social animals

When they’re not sobbing over their coveted redemption arcs for their favorite character, or coming up with excuses reasons for his misconduct, that is.

Small gatherings are likely to be favored by fans who relate to Jin Guangyao, enjoying parties and the like that are quiet and easy to mingle in. It is either this, or they enjoy in-depth online discussions, mostly involving intrigue and character building or thesis, and spend much time on social media networks.

More than half the time, people in the real world don’t even know that Jin Guangyao fans read fanfiction, look at fanart, or create them. At least 80 to 90 percent of Jin Guangyao fans would have read the novel, since they are more or less discourse and/or research-driven.

Just like the two-faced Jin Guangyao, many fans of his hide their true nature very well, appearing in public as general mass-media consumers. However, upon further engagement, they may reveal themselves to the possible Er-ge’s in their lives.

Jiang Cheng fans are mama dragons

Whatever you do, don’t make them angry.

This doesn’t mean that they’re not sympathetic, however. It’s just that their quick tempers and fiery typing skills can break your e-legs. Whether it’s a disagreement about a pairing, or about an interpretation, they’ll want to come up on top and victorious.

On the flip side, if a Jiang Cheng fan favors you and you’ve gotten into a spot of trouble, they’ll be out there on a war path trying to find out who bullied you in an attempt break the perpetrator’s legs. Using their keyboard typing skills, of course.

Lan Sizhui fans are anxious helicopter parents

Generally wishing to keep their little baby A-Yuan safe and happy, Lan Sizhui fans are mostly mama bear types. If a piece features even a miniscule part about Lan Sizhui, say, falling down in the mud or getting told off in an argument, be sure to receive comments almost entirely about said scene, even though it may only be a minor part of an entire 10,000-word story.

Stories and art revolving around Lan Sizhui put out by his fans are most likely to include either carrots, rabbits, radishes, Uncle Ning, or the WangXian parents. Similar to Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui fans tend to be fans of Wei Ying or WangXian.

A smaller subset of Lan Sizhui fans are fans of Jin Ling, but mostly in context of Lan Sizhui being the only one courteous enough to be polite towards him.

Jin Ling fans are split between two types

Namely those who’ve always dreamed of being a little prince/princess, and those who relate to Jiang Cheng or Wei Wuxian.

More than half of Jin Ling’s fans are fans of his uncle Jiang and Wei, and may relate to them in terms of being a parental figure, looking over their emotionally injured baby prince. Wei Wuxian fans are louder when it comes to demanding for a happy ending for Jin Ling, while Jiang Cheng fans may explicitly include him in every piece of fanfiction or fanart they’ve ever created.

Whether Wei Wuxian has started a family with Lan Wangji, or Jiang Cheng has gotten married to Lan Xichen or Nie Huaisang, you can be sure that any intersecting Jin Ling fans would have included him in their grand scheme of adoption, or eventually have him married to their only-begotten son.

The ones who’ve always dreamed of being a little prince or princess? They have very few friends in real life, and may have just written an article about you since they had the free time, for having no one to socialize with.

Ouyang Zizhen fans don’t like to be left out

He’s part of the quartet, dammit! It’s not a trio! Be it to your face in real life or over the internet, Zizhen fans would be sure to remind you that he’s part and parcel of the junior unit.

Usually also helicopter parents of the Sizhui Fan variety, Ouyang Zizhen fans desire him to find romance and inherit the sect safely, and may prefer pieces that depict him as intelligent, resourceful and the leader or champion of the junior QUARTET.

Lan Jingyi fans

Are the worst. 😤🖐️

Wen Ning fans are elusive

Likely because they don’t want to be the reason to split the canon couple up. Most Wen Ning fans may or may not prefer stories where Wen Ning pines for the extremely unavailable Wei Wuxian, or ones where he is seen as an uncle figure to Lan Sizhui. In some stories and artworks, Lan Wangji simply does not exist.

Wen Ning fans may also be periphery Lan Sizhui fans.

Wen Qing fans suffer from Aerith Lives Syndrome

She doesn’t actually die in a fire, guys!

They may also enjoy Wen Qing-marries-Nie Mingjue/Jiang Cheng-and-gets-pregnant stories.

Nie Huaisang fans like his nefarious, scheming nature

Have a piece depicting Nie Huaisang as a head-shaking idiot? There’s a fat chance that his fans won’t enjoy it, even if they won’t explicitly grill you for it. Hiding behind their virtual fans, watching you persistently every day while coldly plotting the closure of your account, these fans in particular are more inclined towards the unfolding of his crafty, terrifying nature, revealed only in the end.

Nie Huaisang fans tend to favor articles revolving around Nie Mingjue as well, and greatly enjoy pieces depicting brotherly affection in general. Whenever they write Nie Mingjue in their fiction, he is either extremely doting, or gruff but sexy.

As one might find it hard to question the gruff but sexy bit with a straight face, another alternative victim of fiction writers centering works around Nie Huaisang would be Jiang Cheng, who is usually manipulated into a happily ever after.

Nie Mingjue fans like putting him in leather pants

In most works created by fans of the mighty Chifeng-Zun, he’s usually smiling dotingly at his younger brother, Nie Huaisang, or at Meng Yao, his trusted aide, or at least giving them the best things in life.

In Mingjue County, Nie Mingjue has never kicked anyone down the stairs nor called them a son of a prostitute. In Mingjue County, nobody has ever burnt fine art. In Mingjue County, nobody dies of Qi Deviation. Mingjue County is civil, beautiful, and full of abs.

Wen Ruohan fans think he’s cute and sexy

Well, he is in their fannish pre-canon depictions of him as a young man, anyway. If Lan Qiren has grown his beard out for anyone, it would have been for the adorable Wen Ruohan, fifty years ago in the Cloud Recesses.

Lan Qiren fans don’t think he’s a joke

Never mind that the novel jokes about him all the time - having his beard shaved by Cangse Sanren, ignored by the juniors, and above all, getting up just to spit out blood after getting mad at Wei Wuxian for playing his flute very, very badly - he’s no joke, everyone!

Many Lan Qiren fans may also express desire to see his character adapt and open up to new ideas and rulesets, including a relationship with Sisi, or to explore a possible past where he is young, handsome and sexy, most probably also romantically entwined with Wen Ruohan.

Sect Leader Yao fans are SJWs who don’t know they’re SJWs

The irony lies thick in the fact that they actively dislike Sect Leader Yao as a character. Nobody knows that they’re actually a Sect Leader Yao fan, even after contracting the disease themselves.

Aaaaaand, I’ve run out of gas. If I’ve missed describing the fans of your favorite character, consider yourself lucky~

For now. I’ll be back! 😒✊

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #fandom meta #wei wuxian #wangxian #characters #fandom #random observation