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#bai yu #zhu yilong #bai yu art #zhu yilong art

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weilan university students!au anyone? I almost dumped this on the WIP stage but then @the-marron bribed me into finishing

the bribe is under the cut

Zhao Yunlan is barely awake this morning, which means that his awareness of anything leaves a lot to be desired. The fact that he managed to stumble into the right train with only minimal amounts of bumping into people is already far above Zhao Yunlan’s own expectations for today, so he feels excused that it took him an embarrassingly long while to notice he is being watched.

It's not exactly a new feeling, truth be told - Zhao Yunlan does attract attention, absolutely willingly and with intent, but he is fairly sure that his awake self is much more interesting than the zombie chewing on the lollipop in his mouth that he sees instead of his own reflection in the train’s window.

And yet. Someone is looking.

Subtlety is an art available only after noon in his experience, and so Zhao Yunlan looks around in a way that is as covert as he can make it - with dead stare and absolute lack of any finer thought marring his forehead, when he sees him - the Pretty One.

Zhao Yunlan has been aware of the Pretty One for a while now. He’s noticed him a few weeks ago when he was getting on the train with his eyes glued to a book in his hand. Zhao Yunlan's first thought was ‘oh, a nerd’. The second one was just ‘oh’, because the man raised his eyes to search for some space where he and his book would not be a bother, letting Zhao Yunlan see his face clearly.

And what a face it was.

Classic poets didn't know shit when they described otherworldly beauties because this guy is just perfect.

And now he is staring at Zhao Yunlan.

He is seated a bit away, by the window, staring at Yunlan rather unashamedly. Maybe he truly believes in the zombie impression and doesn't think he’s been noticed.

Maybe he is simply judging Zhao Yunlan's clothes - he is pretty sure he wore the same hoodie yesterday, and since apparently he and the Pretty One share their everyday commute to the university, he had to notice.

Well, it is the only one not stained with coffee, so the Pretty One would have to deal.

Trying to make this a bit less awkward, Zhao Yunlan looks down at the book in the guy's hand and almost jolts. Biology?

Shit. This one is smart.

Pretty, but out of Yunlan's league and most probably an asshole - all the sciency types were either assholes, or insane or both.

Well, better to check than regret, Zhao Yunlan thinks.

Even if he decides that Zhao Yunlan looks like an idiot. 

***

Zhao Yunlan looks as great as usual, Shen Wei decides, feeling heat in his cheeks and his neck.

Of course, he looks his best when he is animated and talking to his friends, surrounded by people who adore him, smiling and sharing his knowledge with a smile and a joke - Shen Wei sees him often on his way back from the tutoring sessions, after Zhao Yunlan leaves his own club. He’s never managed to come closer, intimidated by Zhao Yunlan's usual circle, and besides, in the evenings Shen Wei only shares a two stations-long ride with Zhao Yunlan, because of his job.

That's why Shen Wei prefers the mornings.

The mornings are just for them - they get on the same station and leave at the one closest to the university, parting ways when the crowd of other students swallows them and carries them towards the gates.

But before that, Zhao Yunlan is more often than not just within the reach. Today, he looks tired - there are shadows underneath his eyes and his gaze seems a bit unseeing: it’s stopped on Shen Wei, but there is no light of recognition, no surprise at some random guy watching him like he is the best part of his day, and so Shen Wei allows himself to look some more.

He cannot help but feel a bit worried - is it lack of sleep? Illness? He doesn't know.

He doesn't even know what Zhao Yunlan studies really, he didn't catch that when listening to the conversations for such a short time. All he knows is the other man’s name, his route, and the fact that the mere sight of him makes Shen Wei’s heart do stupid things.

It's plenty enough.

Shen Wei should look back to his book - the discussion will most likely rest on his shoulders again and he should be better prepared for Professor Ouyang’s questions, but his eyes refuse to move.

There is something thrilling in having Zhao Yunlan's attention, as illusory as it is. Shen Wei is not fooling himself here, he knows that Yunlan is looking past him, just letting his unfocused gaze rest on something, but even so, Shen Wei is glad to have this semblance of a contact.

With his coursework loaded as it is, with the tutoring sessions and the part-time job at the museum, Shen Wei doesn't have time to make friends.

All he has is this train ride and Zhao Yunlan's handsome profile.

He wonders what would happen if they talked. He probably wouldn't like Shen Wei much, losing interest after a few sentences, realising that Shen Wei is just as boring as he looks, but maybe he would smile before that? He would offer his name, a handshake maybe?

Something changes in Zhao Yunlan's eyes suddenly, and Shen Wei looks down onto his book immediately, feeling caught.

He feels Zhao Yunlan's gaze on himself for a long time, staring at the words without comprehension, but it's better than seeing accusation or disgust in Zhao Yunlan's eyes.

For the first time in forever, Shen Wei is glad that the train reaches the destination. He packs his book and adjusts his glasses, heading straight towards the door. He will not check if Zhao Yunlan is here.

Once outside, Shen Wei breathes a sigh of relief. He doesn't know where Zhao Yunlan is, but it's fine. He can observe him again in the evening after all, even if for a short while.

“Hello there,” someone behind his back says, making Shen Wei’s heart leap like a rabbit. He knows that voice. “Want to go together?”

When Shen Wei turns, he is faced with Zhao Yunlan's bright, friendly smile, the lollipop stick still in his mouth.

“Go?” He repeats dumbly.

The answer makes Zhao Yunlan chuckle.

“To the uni. I am conducting an experiment!”

Shen Wei blinks. People are milling around them in haste and some small part of his brain insists that they should move too, or they would be late, but that part seems not to be aware that Zhao Yunlan. Is. Talking. To Shen Wei.

“Ah. What is it?” He manages heroically, not stumbling on his words even once.

Zhao Yunlan grins.

“The ‘how many eye contact until date’ experiment.”

Shen Wei’s mind comes to a very violent halt.

#guardian

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Not sure whether the person who posted this is also the artist (it is a Thai website) but absolutely gorgeous fanart that I need to share. This is so soft.

Art taken from here

#guardian #kunwei #guardian art

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小神仙

#zhu yilong art #zhu yilong

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My 镇魂 Guardian fanart -)

#guardian #guardian art #weilan

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I think about him with long hair a normal amount probably

#guardian #guardian art #zhao yunlan

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have a quick ZYL doodle pls 🚬

#guardian #guardian art #zhao yunlan

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Sketch.

Kunlun.

#guardian #guardian art #kunlun

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A translation of a passage in chapter 93 of 鎮魂 [Zhen Hun]

for @lady-eden, or, Shen Wei’s explanation for why all his lies. EVERYTHING UNDER THE CUT IS A SPOILER.

Some terms before we start:

地府 / Difu — Netherworld Administration. There are layers of bureaucracy, ten emperors, multiple courts of judgement. It’s the broad terms for all things dead. You end up here first. Baidu has a translated video on the layers of bureaucracy.

黃泉 / Huangquan / Yellow Spring, also referred to as 九泉 / Jiuquan / Nine Springs. There’s a “Yellow Spring Road” where the dead walk towards a bridge where they’re fed some soup made from the water of the spring, so they can forget their current life before re-entering the Wheel of Reincarnation. 黃泉 is both the term that generally refers to the purgatory-like plane of existance where you can choose to exist. When you burn paper offerings, that’s where it goes. It’s not supposed to be grim or anything. (In the world of Zhen Hun, it’s VERY grim.)

元神 / Yuanshen — literally means “at the root” and “god.” It’s separate from the three souls. In Daoism, when someone is said to be meditating to refine their essence, they’re working on their godhood, the immortal part of themselves. (This is tied to the existance of yao. All yao were animals/plants/rocks/whatever that has spent time refining their essence.) This is a thing EVERYTHING has, at differing levels.

Keep reading

#guardian #translations #guardian novel

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Analysis: Lyric from “Flying Across Time”

In the Guardian promo song “Flying Across Time,” there is a verse that is translated as “How much practice is needed to become someone like you?” While technically accurate, I think the translation misses a subtle but critical point: it doesn’t mean “how much practice is needed for (me or someone else) to become like you,” it means “how much practice is needed (for you) to finally become as you are now?” The translation is unclear because the lyric doesn’t explicitly state who is doing the practicing, but it’s implied that it’s about one person becoming more fully who they are, not someone wishing they could be like someone else. I think it’s a beautiful lyric that deserves some unpacking.

*dusts off English major hat*

The lyric says “practice” (lian xi) in the way that you would practice a skill. You could lian xi playing the piano, for example. In the context of this lyric though, I think the meaning is more “hone” (muo lian) or perhaps “refine.” I don’t typically think of personal improvement or self-actualization as something you can lian xi, per se. The reason the lyric uses lian xi versus something more appropriate like muo lian is because xi rhymes with ni (you).

[Disclaimer: I’m American-born Chinese, meaning my Chinese language skills are generally limited to talking about the weather, or to my mom, or talking about the weather to my mom. Not anything useful like, say, reading a web novel in its original language.]

But if we go with the idea that the lyric is really talking about honing or refining yourself into something better, more true, more pure, then it relates to the Chinese idea of a soul’s progression toward becoming more and more itself. Each reincarnation is a chance to move closer to that ideal, toward nirvana. Either way, the idea also indicates the passage of time, usually a significant amount of time. Lian xi is not something you do once or for a short period. It’s something you apply yourself to over time.

And that brings us to the second part of the lyric: cai hui cheng wei zhe yang de ni/to become someone like you. Cai hui indicates consequence or causality, kinda like “finally.” Cheng wei I’m a bit fuzzy on, but I think in addition to meaning “become,” there’s a sense of achievement attached to it. For example, you could say “It’s because I put in years of dedication at my job, so I cai hui cheng wei/finally became the leader of this department.”

I think “zhe yang de ni” is an especially poetic construction, not just because it rhymes perfectly with the previous line, but because it conveys awe for the version of “you” (ni) being referenced. Again, while translating that into “someone like you” is technically accurate, it misses that sense of a person going through multiple iterations of refinement/honing to finally arrive at the version of themselves that they are today. “Zhe yang” means “this type” or “this kind” or “this version.” It implies not only that multiple versions of the same thing exist, but an appreciation for this specific version of the thing. Putting “de ni” (of you) at the end is what makes this such a romantic concept, because in normal everyday speech, you would never say zhe yang de ni (“this type of you”). It’s a poetic construction. There’s a sense of wonder, a sense of awe, toward the “you” in the lyrics, conveyed by putting ni at the end.

Putting it all together, you get roughly “Through/after how much practice/refinement did you finally become/achieve this version of you?” I think these ideas of practice/progress/refinement over time to create “this specific version of you” are relevant to both Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. We can easily think about each of Kunlun’s reincarnations as “practice” along a progression until he becomes the Zhao Yunlan of this current incarnation, but Shen Wei is also markedly different today than he was 5000 years ago. He, too, has been honed over time into this specific version of himself.

Add in the sense of wonder/awe—conveyed in the tone of the question, because remember that this lyric is asking a question—and you’ve got a deeply romantic concept that basically boils down to “how did you become this (perfect) version of you?”

In other words, I would never talk to another person like this unless they were my lover/romantic partner. Frankly, I can’t believe they used this song as the promo song and then turned around to say “it’s all about brotherhood!” with a straight face. Because no. This lyric is something you would say to your long-lost beloved while gazing into their eyes and tenderly stroking the side of their face.

#weilan #guardian #guardian music #translations

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Ghost Slayer/Ghost King: Shen Wei (I am strongly inspired by tteotm art.)

#guardian #guardian art #hei pao shi #shen wei

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"I was just a little cat who could only eat and sleep."

#guardian #zhao yunlan #da qing #guardian art #guardian novel #guardian novel art

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#guardian #guardian art #weilan #kunwei

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Guardian Translation Glossary

A few people said having a little glossary would be helpful so. Here we are 😅

Format: • Seven Seas novel TL term: fan novel TL term (drama verse term if applicable)

Soul-Guarding Order: Guardian Order/Zhenhun Ling - in previous translations, this term also refers to Zhao Yunlan's whip

Guardian to the Soul-Guarding Order: Lord Guardian/Zhenhun Lingzhu - sometimes also referred to as Lingzhu or Master of the Guardian/Zhenhun Token

Clarity: Bright-Mirror Wristwatch/revealing watch

Soul-Executing Emissary: Ghost Slayer/Zhanhun Shi (Black Cloaked Envoy/Heipaoshi)

Soul Executing Blade: Zhanhun Blade/Soul Slashing Blade/Ghost slaying blade (Heipaoshi's weapon, unnamed)

Reincarnation Dial: Sundial of Reincarnation (Longevity Dial)

Mountain-River Awl: Awl of Mountains and Rivers (River Mountain Awl)

Four Hallowed Artifacts of the Netherworld: Four Holy Tools/Four Mystical Artifacts (Four Hallows)

Netherworld: Difu/Underworld, sometimes also translated as hell (Dixing)

Ghost Faced Figure: Ghost Face/Gui Mian (Ye Zun)

Yao: Yao (Yashou)

Youchu: Youchu (Youchu, ghost-beasts)

I'll probably update this list as I read the novel and as new volumes come out, but if there's anything I'm missing from the first volume that I should include, let me know!

#guardian #guardian novel #translations

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20231123 白宇 BAI YU.

#bai yu

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Beloved

A commission for Yakkorat 🤍

#guardian #guardian art #weilan

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I know what I need to do and I DONT WANT TO

#guardian #guardian art #shen wei #hei pao shi