"omg why do you always have to say they're gay, they're just friends, it's BROTHERLY love"
my brother in christ, my sister in twister, my sibling in nibbling, if they were 2 people of opposite gender they'd be a canonical couple shipped by everyone.
Suho had one braincell, Sieun had two. None of them were working when they ended up kissing on Sieun's bed a certain night, ever so casually learning about romance through films together.
“Why are you here?” Sieun questioned.
“I told you. I’m delivering.”
“What—”
Suho delivered a kiss to his mouth.
Of course, it’s inexperienced. Neither of them knows what to do for a second — until Suho guides him, calmly, into what he’s seen in films before. It’s not perfect, yet it’s passionate and raw, carrying a bit of sorrow.
In which Suho goes back in time after his coma, and his only desire is to kiss Sieun.
DRAWTOBER #25 - How To Build A Triangle (or accidentally fall headlong into one, or whatever the fuck) by SquaresAreNotCircles
“Brutally honest,” Jamie says, as if he’s still trying to get the point across. “No more secrets.”
Roy stares at him. “Yes. I know what words mean.”
“Okay,” Jamie says, and then he says, “I talked to Keeley about maybe being bisexual because that night we fought over her I wasn’t just jealous about her.”
Or: Roy Kent finds himself in a situation. Fuck everyone, and Jamie Tartt in particular (gently, on soft sheets, all night long – ugh).
it was SO hard to choose which bit of this fic to draw because it was just hilarious brilliant moment after hilarious brilliant moment. I ADORE the writing style, and the characterisation was so spot on, and I can't think of anything else to say that isn't just gushing about what a hilarious piece of genius this delightful fic is.
Shen Wei, corporate magnate who was in trial and died in prison for having relations with an underground criminal group, has an eighth son called Shen Zechuan. From the first three sons, Shen Zhouji died in prison with the father, the other two was killed by gangsters. The fourth died when young, the fifth vanished, and the sixth is a timid guy who is now taking care of this broken business.
Shen Zechuan's mother was a famous dancer and singer, but died from an early age, and some conspiracies say it was Shen Wei who killed her. SZC was taken away by Ji Guang, a former bodyguard of the Li family, when he was a kid, and was later adopted by him. Shen Wei hid that from the public though.
She Wei was hated by many. And during his downfall, he betrayed many corporate people, and spilled their secrets to the media, which was a huge controversy. After he dies, everything goes even further downhill.
Shen Zechuan, 18 years old, whose aspiration has always been to pursue internacional relations, learns of this and tries to run to another country. Ji Mu, his older brother who was struggling with sickness, dies and tells him to leave too. However, on the day of his escape, some bandits that were after the Shen family remnants capture him, and he's only saved by Xiao Jiming, CEO of Libei Corporate, who runs down business near the place where he's attacked.
That attracts the eye of people, causing Shen Zechuan to be known. After being taken by Xiao Jiming his squad to face interrogation with the people from Qudu Organization, he ends up encountering Xiao Chiye along the way, who kicks him fiercely.
He tries to explain that he had no part in anything, but everyone puts the blame on him. Ji Lei further makes up proofs against his person. Then, he's set to trial, is spanked in prison, gets a lot of debts, and stays locked in for a while until he's put into probation after Ji Gang and Qi Huilian, a famous lawyer, accepts his case.
For 5 years after he's finally released of all charges, nobody sees him.
During these five years, Shen Zechuan travels internationally with Qi Huailian and becomes a lawyer too, but he wants revenge. Suddenly, there's a murder case of an associate of Qudu. Qudu has strained Libei and incorporated part of its business (they have horses and big farms), but Xiao Fangxu has been resisting, and Xiao Chiye, CEO of Libei's associated company, Hongyan, is enraged by it.
Shen Zechuan comes as a lawyer by surprise to defend Yao Wenyu, and everyone is aghast. In the middle of the court, he's more elegant and beautiful than everyone else, and gets to make Yao Wenyu innocent so effortlessly, he becomes THE talk.
Since then, Shen Zechuan goes on colluding with Yao Wenyu to fuck up Qudu's big names, builds his own law office and helps people out, meanwhile his path crosses with Xiao Chiye back and forth, who frees himself from Qudu's custody but starts fighting for land against Hansen, from the Biansha Group, at the north of Libei's farmland.
At the end, SZC ends up inheriting and building a large corporate at expense of the remnants of his father's company after his brother passes it down to him, owns the most renowned law office of the city and ends up buying the six corporate offices of Zhongbo. And it just so happens that him and Xiao Chiye join hands and start getting closer and closer....
Note: this timeline ━ that can barely be called a timeline, actually, because the specifics of time are vague in the story ━ , together with the notes, were created after I started rereading TGCF so that I could go back to their moments in the future, so the chapters in which these moments happen are written down in italics and bold right after, if you want to use it for this purpose too. This chronology is in accordance with their first meeting onwards, not with the order of books. ⚠️ There will be spoilers of the entire story.
XIANLE AND THE WAR
Kingdom of Xianle, during its prime days — The Crown Prince, during the Shangyuan Festival, catches a bandaged boy that fell off a tower. That boy saw the face of the Crown Prince and was in awe. He started clinging to Xian Lian's clothes, but when Feng Xin carried him, he escaped. One of Xie Lian’s red coral earrings was missing later that day. Unknowingly to them, the boy had taken it. [Originally chapters 39 and 40 | Vol. 2 chapters 38 and 39, Seven Seas Version]
Kingdom of Xianle, their second encounter — Xie Lian, together with Fengxin and Mu Qing, find Qi Rong dragging around the boy who fell off the tower, severely wounded. Xie Lian takes him to the healers. They discover that he’s assumedly called Honghong-er. He says he’s been kicked out. He’s only docile towards Xie Lian, and when the Crown Prince leaves him in the Royal Holy Pavilion by himself, the spirits from the pagoda attack him. He screams and only calms down once Xie Lian embraces him, telling him good things. Later, though, the boy escapes again. [Originally chapters 44 to 46 | Vol 2, chapters 42 to 44, Seven Seas Version]
Kingdom of Xianle, three years after Xie Lian’s ascension — Xie Lian encounters a plain temple that worships him within the kingdom. That bandaged boy has been changing flesh flowers every day for the statue of the temple. Xie Lian isn’t sure if he’s the same kid he saved, but he sees him getting bullied and saves him. He leaves the red umbrella for the boy. He tries to make him eat the food in the temple, but is not successful. When he’s leaving, the boy calls for him asking what he should live for in that world. Xie Lian says that, if he doesn’t have a purpose, he should live for him and make him that purpose. That tiny devotee eats the food, at last. [Originally chapters 45 and 46 | Vol. 2, Chapters 43 and 44, Seven Seas Version]
Kingdom of Xianle, during its war against Yong’an — The boy, now older, fought in the war continually trying to protect Xian Lian in the battlefield. During an incident with Qi Rong being kidnapped, he tags along with Xie Lian to fight and the Crown Prince praises his swordsmanship, telling he should try using a saber. They end up encountering the aphrodisiac Land of Tender. Xie Lian suffers with its effects inside a cave while the boy guards it, worried and embarrassed for having to deal with its flowers that take Xie Lian’s possibly naked form. Their interaction is awkward. They are saved by Mu Qing and Feng Xing. [Originally chapters 80 and 83 | Vol. 3, Chapter 37, until pg. 154, Seven Seas Version]
Kingdom of Xianle, the start of human face disease — Once they’re saved, Xie Lian tells Mu Qing to introduce the young soldier to the army. He praises his swordsmanship and again states that he should use a saber. Later when he’s walking, he discovers that the boy was actually kicked out. The boy, however, is happy to know it wasn’t Xie Lian who wanted him away. They are interrupted by a commoner infected with human face disease, the first known case. [Originally chapter 83 | Vol. 3, Chapter 37, pages 161 and 162, Seven Seas Version]
Kingdom of Xianle, amidst Xie Lian’s downfall — After the commoners start seeing Xie Lian differently, in a burned down temple, Xie Lian spots the boy again, extinguishing fires. As he realizes Xie Lian is there, he swears that, one day, he’ll build big temples for His Highness. Xie Lian tells him to forget. The boy screams desperately that he will never forget Xie Lian. [Originally chapter 88 | Vol. 3, chapter 40, Seven Seas Version]
WU MING AND THE BREAKDOWN
After Xianle’s fall, hiding in a remote cabin — It’s the Zhongyuan festival. Xie Lian catches a sketchy guy trying to sell lanterns keeping captive the soul of ghosts. He buys it and frees them, but a ball of ghost fire recognizes him; he died for the kingdom of Xianle and wants to hang around because of his beloved. His Highness becomes melancholic, while the ghost insists that he’ll never leave him. Xie Lian says he doesn’t believe his words. [Originally chapter 181 | Vol. 6, chapter 95, Seven Seas Version]
After Xianle’s fall, in a lonely graveyard — The ghost ball indeed doesn’t leave. He watches as Xie Lian gets drunk in the graveyard, curses out in frustration, stumbles, and tries to offer His Highness some comfort. Xie Lian vaguely hears a pitiful voice pleading to God to wait for them and give them a little more time. [Originally chapters 185 and 186 | Vol. 6, chapter 98, until pg. 176, Seven Seas Version]
After Xianle’s fall, the Blessed Land incident — After the fight with the thirty-tree heavenly officials, Xie Lian encounters the White No-Face again. The ball ghost fire tried uselessly to attack the calamity as White No-Face hurt Xie Lian and was a threat to other ghost fires who laughed. It supported Xie Lian as it moved away from White No-Face’s attempts of bringing Xie Lian to his side. Curious by the ghost fire, the calamity held it in his hands. [Originally chapter 187 | Vol. 6, Chapter 99, until pg. 206, Seven Seas Version]
After Xianle’s fall, the Hundred Swords breaking point — Xie Lian is drawn to a forest, the ghost fire tries to block his path. He’s enraged and goes anyway. That’s when he finds a crowd with human face disease in a temple, and the incident ends with White No-Face putting Xie Lian into great pain and making the ghost fire watch as the crowd continually stabs His Highness. Xie Lian is brutalized and “dies”. The ghost explodes in power, burns everyone in the temple, and screams in agony in front of His Highness' corpse. That’s when he becomes a wrath. [Originally chapters 188 and 190 | Vol. 6, chapter 100, Seven Seas Version]
After Xianle’s fall, sparks of revenge in Yong’an Palace — After awakening and he is all alone, Xie Lian seeks revenge against the people of Yong’an. He disguises himself as the White-Clothed Calamity and a nameless young ghost soldier with a smiling mask bows to him, deciding to follow His Highness. Xie Lian calls him Wu Ming. Together, they enter the palace of Yong’an, kill Lan Ying and burn the place. [Originally chapter 192 | Vol. 6, chapter 101 and 102, Seven Seas Version]
After Xianle’s fall, in a broken-down temple of the Crown Prince — Xie Lian finds a fresh flower in a statue of his and thinks someone is mocking him. Wu Ming denies it being him. Xie Lian throws the flower on the ground and steps over it. The ghost offers to be the one using the sword to spread the plague of the Human Face Disease in Yong’an, but Xie Lian finds him odd and denies it. [Originally chapter 194 | Vol. 6, chapter 103, Seven Seas Version]
After Xianle’s fall, Lang-er Bay and the Plague of Human Face Disease — Wu Ming prevents Xie Lian from being attacked by the black spirits of the plague taking matters into his own hands, he lets the souls devour him and disperses. White No-Face tells a confused Xie Lian that that was his last believer, and he remembers him as the voice he heard screaming and takes the hint that he was the one who left him a flower. He’s sad, then furious when White No-Face mocks Wu Ming. [Originally chapters 196 to 198 | Vol. 6, chapter 104, Seven Seas Version]
After Xianle’s fall, Xie Lian’s second banishment — To start a journey as a brand new person in the mortal world, Xie Lian crouches next to a red flower on the road and says that he hopes they shall meet again, him and Wu Ming. The flower shakes as he leaves. [Originally chapter 198 | Vol. 6, chapter 104, pg. 348, Seven Seas Version]
