There is a common misinterpretation among international fans that Xie Lian was mean to Xiao Ying, calling her ugly, or that XL is very mean and sarcastic/critical in general. However, this is a misinterpretation for a few reasons, including mistaking the 3rd Person Narrator's voice for Xie Lian's voice.
1. 3rd Person Omniscient Narration in TGCF
The TGCF novel is written in the 3rd Person Omniscient Perspective, not the 3rd Person Limited Perspective. This means that some parts of the novel are a separate narrator speaking, not XL.
See also this post by @baiwu-jinji about how MXTX often inserts her own thoughts & opinions into the narration, even sometimes in the middle of XL's POV, which gets mistaken for XL's own thoughts.
CN fans also do not perceive XL as mean at all, instead separating the narrator's opinions from XL's. See this tweet from a CN fan that I have translated:
Here is also a good thread by luoreos with examples of when it's the 3rd person narrator speaking, or other characters' thoughts, not XL.
2. MXTX's use of the "ĺ槽" style of sarcastic, hyperbolic, comedic writing
MXTX has a distinctive writing style that shines through in all her novels' narrations. This is distinct from XL's voice as a character. In SVSSS and MDZS too, you can see how MXTX's writing can have an ironic/sarcastic sense of humor, sometimes exaggerated for comedic effect or coming off harsh in English, but it's not meant to be literal.
See this post written by @baiwu-jinji about the "ĺ槽" style of chinese comedic writing that MXTX uses, which is exaggerated, hyperbolic and not meant to be taken seriously as the protagonist's actual thoughts.
3. Xiao Ying's character arc
Although the donghua did not portray Xiao Ying as "ugly", in the novel it is clear even in the English translation that Xiao Ying's character was deliberately written by MXTX as objectively having facial features considered very unpleasant by many people, hence being unfairly bullied for it - which is meant to highlight certain themes of the novel regarding injustice. It also is an example of XL's philosophy of treating others with kindness instead of judging them by superficial metrics.
(continued below)
Many characters had strong, extreme reactions to Xiao Ying upon seeing her face, which shows that the novel deliberately wanted to portray her as someone who happens to have facial features that people consider extremely off-putting. She is hence unfairly bullied & ostracized by others for this.
(This is a common theme in the novel - being misjudged & mistreated by the masses, or being born into unlucky circumstances that cause someone to endure unjust suffering.)
However, while the other characters call Xiao Ying "ugly freak" & ostracize her, unlike them, XL treats her with kindness, sympathizes with her & considers her a strong, good-hearted person who did not deserve the bullying she got. He even honours her dying wish (for Lang Ying to be taken care of), long after her death.
In fact, the first time XL ever saw Xiao Ying, he didn't even notice or care whether she was ugly or pretty. instead, he was only concerned with how her skirt had been ripped and how he didn't want her to be humiliated by others for it, hence he covered the tear in her skirt with his own robes. (See this thread by luoreos about how XL actually treats Xiao Ying, VS how other characters treat Xiao Ying.)
XL treating Xiao Ying with kindness even though she was bullied for her appearance that was deemed hideous by others, is also a direct parallel to XL treating Hong Hong-er with kindness even though HHR was bullied and ostracized for his appearance by others.
tl;dr in the novel, Xiao Ying was deliberately written to have an appearance (that the narrator described harshly, not XL) that others ostracized her for, to highlight certain themes and characterization points.
Saw a piece by @xnighten which had this cool black out poetry style look! ^^
I thought it was so cool and wanted to do something like it with the ORV boys :D
The result turned out pretty nice in my opinion~
Finally finished drawing all the default sprites for hualian. And I'm not looking forward to drawing all the needed variations of expressions for each outfit...
Now that I have a good look at them lined up together, I can't help but think I missed an opportunity to give Xie Lian red robes. I think the outfit for Gambler's Den could've easily been red (the one with white patterns on the robes and XL having a low ponytail). But I have already made a couple of CG's featuring it, and I'm not going through trouble of repainting them.
The only other suitable outfit is the one with tiny white flowers in XL's hair but...I don't know. I can't imagine it being red for the story it's used in. It's melancholic, maybe a tiny bit sad and white just fits better with this mood.
Guess I have no choice but to let go of it. You can't squeeze in every possible idea in a tiny passion project :')
Also, please appreciate my Xiao Hua looking like an actual 16 year old teen! (he looks small in comparison to his sequoia-tree brothers but I think he ended up being the same height as Xie Lian)
The way Hua Cheng says "it's not your fault" and "you, not the state of you" and "there's no banquet that doesn't come to an end" and that all of these Xie Lian said first. It truly showcases just how highly Hua Cheng thinks of Xie Lian, that so often he decides the best way to support Xie Lian is by repeating Xie Lian's own words back to him, like he can't think of anything better or more fitting in these moments. And every time he does it he's saying, "I listen when you talk, I hear what you say, and I think you're right" to a man who has been ignored and maligned and alone for almost all his life. It's one of the sweetest possible things Hua Cheng could do.
inspired by the gladiator backstory hehe
this is my take of it
Next
It hurt to breathe.
A sharp pain flared every time my lungs expanded, like something was lodged beneath my ribsâjagged and wrong. I curled tighter into myself, pressed against the cold wall of the holding cell. Blood soaked the torn fabric around my waist, seeping slow from the gash the monsterâs claw had left just above my hip.
They hadnât even cleaned the arena yet. I could still hear the crowd screaming for the next fight. For someone elseâs suffering.
Footsteps. Fast. Heavy.
I tensed, expecting one of the wardens. But it was Sylus.
Of course it was Sylus.
âIdiot,â he muttered as soon as he saw me. âYou didnât dodge.â
âI did.â My voice came out a whisper. âJust not fast enough.â
He crouched beside me, silver hair falling into his eyes, streaked with grime and dried blood that wasnât all his. He looked furiousâbut not at me. Not exactly.
âYou were supposed to wait for me to draw it out,â he said, tearing open a small white packet. My eyes widened.
âIs that...?â
âFirst aid kit,â he snapped. âI cashed in thirty points.â
âThirty?! Thatâsââ
âShut up.â He was already tearing the seal open with his teeth, fingers shaking as he pulled out gauze, a needle, antiseptic. âYou were bleeding. What did you want me to do? Wait until your lungs collapsed?â
I bit back a groan as he peeled the fabric back from my wound. His hands hovered, and for a second, he hesitatedâSylus Qin, who never hesitated.
âYouâre too soft,â I said, trying to sound like him. Cold. Unbothered.
He didnât look at me. âAnd youâre too reckless.â
The antiseptic burned worse than the claws. I hissed and nearly doubled over, but he held me stillâone arm around my shoulders, the other pressing the gauze against my side. There was pressure in his grip. Pressure and heat. His Evol was active, flickering like a spark beneath his skin.
âI can match it,â I breathed, my fingers brushing his wrist. My Evol trembled just beneath the surfaceâResonanceâa whisper ready to rise.
âNo,â he said instantly, tone steel. âYouâre too weak. If you match my energy now, youâll burn your own out.â
âI can do it,â I insisted.
He finally met my gaze. His red eyes were glowing, just slightlyâbut enough to let me know he meant what he said next.
âNot now. You donât get to prove something to me while youâre half-dead.â
There was something terrifying in how gently he wrapped the bandage, how quiet he went. I realized, in that stillness, that Sylus wasnât just angry. He was afraid.
âIâll earn the points back,â he muttered, voice low. âIâll take the next match solo. Just... donât die. Thatâs not allowed.â
âSylusââ
He stood quickly, like the words made him uncomfortable. âRest. Heal.â
I watched his back as he walked to the bars. His posture was straight. Confident. Already planning the next move. But I knew him too well.
He only walked like that when he was breaking inside.
I rested my head against the wall, the bandage warm with fresh blood, and whispered into the empty air between us:
âI didnât dodge because I was protecting you.â
inspired by the gladiator backstory hehe
this is my take of it
Next
It hurt to breathe.
A sharp pain flared every time my lungs expanded, like something was lodged beneath my ribsâjagged and wrong. I curled tighter into myself, pressed against the cold wall of the holding cell. Blood soaked the torn fabric around my waist, seeping slow from the gash the monsterâs claw had left just above my hip.
They hadnât even cleaned the arena yet. I could still hear the crowd screaming for the next fight. For someone elseâs suffering.
Footsteps. Fast. Heavy.
I tensed, expecting one of the wardens. But it was Sylus.
Of course it was Sylus.
âIdiot,â he muttered as soon as he saw me. âYou didnât dodge.â
âI did.â My voice came out a whisper. âJust not fast enough.â
He crouched beside me, silver hair falling into his eyes, streaked with grime and dried blood that wasnât all his. He looked furiousâbut not at me. Not exactly.
âYou were supposed to wait for me to draw it out,â he said, tearing open a small white packet. My eyes widened.
âIs that...?â
âFirst aid kit,â he snapped. âI cashed in thirty points.â
âThirty?! Thatâsââ
âShut up.â He was already tearing the seal open with his teeth, fingers shaking as he pulled out gauze, a needle, antiseptic. âYou were bleeding. What did you want me to do? Wait until your lungs collapsed?â
I bit back a groan as he peeled the fabric back from my wound. His hands hovered, and for a second, he hesitatedâSylus Qin, who never hesitated.
âYouâre too soft,â I said, trying to sound like him. Cold. Unbothered.
He didnât look at me. âAnd youâre too reckless.â
The antiseptic burned worse than the claws. I hissed and nearly doubled over, but he held me stillâone arm around my shoulders, the other pressing the gauze against my side. There was pressure in his grip. Pressure and heat. His Evol was active, flickering like a spark beneath his skin.
âI can match it,â I breathed, my fingers brushing his wrist. My Evol trembled just beneath the surfaceâResonanceâa whisper ready to rise.
âNo,â he said instantly, tone steel. âYouâre too weak. If you match my energy now, youâll burn your own out.â
âI can do it,â I insisted.
He finally met my gaze. His red eyes were glowing, just slightlyâbut enough to let me know he meant what he said next.
âNot now. You donât get to prove something to me while youâre half-dead.â
There was something terrifying in how gently he wrapped the bandage, how quiet he went. I realized, in that stillness, that Sylus wasnât just angry. He was afraid.
âIâll earn the points back,â he muttered, voice low. âIâll take the next match solo. Just... donât die. Thatâs not allowed.â
âSylusââ
He stood quickly, like the words made him uncomfortable. âRest. Heal.â
I watched his back as he walked to the bars. His posture was straight. Confident. Already planning the next move. But I knew him too well.
He only walked like that when he was breaking inside.
I rested my head against the wall, the bandage warm with fresh blood, and whispered into the empty air between us:
âI didnât dodge because I was protecting you.â
Summary: Thirteen missed calls and twenty unread text messages. Not even Mephisto could track you. âYouâre really starting to worry me here, kitten.â Sylus pressed the phone to his ear, eyes glued to Mephistoâs live feed as he soared through the N109 Zoneâs darkest alleys, âIf it was something I did, let me make it up to you.â
Tags: Sylus/Reader, gender-neutral, slight angst, hurt/comfort, reader is mc, established relationship
Word Count: 1.8k
A/N: requested by @hrts4hanniehae
read on ao3 | masterlist
Crystal clinked loudly against a mahogany table as Sylus put the empty glass down with a seething glare. He wouldâve slammed it were it not for your sleeping form just several feet away, however. Your chest rose and fell under his satin sheets, and he counted each breath like a rosary bead; youâre fine, youâre fine, youâre fine. He unstopped a priceless bottle of whiskey and poured himself another drink, but the tremor in his hand sloshed amber liquid over the sides. Sylus huffed but didnât bother wiping up the mess. Instead, he downed the whiskey in one go and squeezed his tired eyes shut. The burn was nothing compared to the chill down his spine when he found you.Â
Thirteen missed calls and twenty unread text messages. Not even Mephisto could track you. âYouâre really starting to worry me here, kitten.â Sylus pressed the phone to his ear, eyes glued to Mephistoâs live feed as he soared through the N109 Zoneâs darkest alleys, âIf it was something I did, let me make it up to you.â The begging in his voice grew more obvious as the voicemails went on, ââPlease. Just let me know youâre okay.â Sylus drew closer to the hologram, helpless, as Mephisto investigated another possible location, âI canâtâŚâ Another dead end. The mechanical crow cooed softly before swooping into another street, and Sylus heard his voice catch in his throat, â...I canât feel you anymore.âÂ
Beep. The call ended, leaving a loaded silence in its wake.Â
He considered leaving yet another voicemail when Mephisto turned a sharp corner and pointed his eyes at a dark figure slumped against a wall. No, no, no. His worst fears were realized when the crow perched himself on your knee and cawed loudly, as if scolding you for causing so much trouble. Then his lens panned over the blood. So much blood. Sylus couldnât recall the ride there, which car he took, how fast he was going. Trivial details, to be frank. Your name was the only thought in his mind, the only language he understoodâyou, you, you. Sense returned to him when he clutched your limp body in his tight embrace, and you groaned weakly in his arms. âIâm here,â Sylus sighed against your ear, âAlways here.âÂ
The sheets of his bed rustled as you shifted your weight, and Sylus shot you a look. âSylus,â You called weakly, and winced as you sat up.
âDonât lean on your arm.â Despite your discomfort, his narrowed gaze remained fixed on the empty glass in his hand. He made no move to approach you, âYouâll disturb the bandages.â Out of the corner of his eye, he watched you take note of the gauze wrapped around your bicep. The bleeding stopped a while ago. âThat wanderer missed your artery by a hair,â Sylus drawled, and your confused gaze met his cold look, âYour luck never ceases to amaze me.â Then he stood, your confusion morphing into panic, âLet Mephisto know if you need anything.â
âSylus, waitââ You outstretched your hand, the bandaged one, and immediately hissed in pain. Sylus froze, but like before, remained where he stood, âHow long have I been out?â
His lip twitched. âThree hours now,â A beat, then he was reaching into his pocket, âHere.â Your phone bounced against the mattress at your feet, and Sylus watched you pick up the shattered screen. Wincing, you turned it on, and he quietly studied your distress.
âIâm sorry,â You began softly, but Sylus forced his eyes to the floor. He couldnât stand the guilt in your eyes, âI got so caught up I didnâtââ
His raised hand cut you short, âDonât.â And he turned away sharply, âJust focus on resting.â The lump in his throat was difficult to swallow around, so he grabbed the leftover whiskey and rushed out.
Cooling down with some vinyl records had been his first instinct. Dusting them off, running his fingers over the plastic covers, then finally settling on just one. Fretting over their display was a nervous habit of his, his go-to when he needed a distraction. But it proved too difficult to position the needle correctly with trembling hands, and Sylus watched the needle stutter over the grooves with a grimace. Instrumentals kicked in over the stereo quietly, but it still wasnât enough to drown out his swirling thoughts. He should be with you right now. Tending to your every need and shushing you gently to get some rest. Instead, he hid away with his records, inhaling and exhaling to relax the tight ball in his chest. Youâre fine, youâre fine, youâre fine.
He repeated this useless prayer to himself to prevent other thoughtsâdarker thoughtsâfrom bubbling up. It didnât work, though. âSylus?â His eyes widened at the sound of your voice, before they suddenly narrowed in suspicion. As if on cue, Mephisto breezed to his perch in the corner of the room, and Sylus shot the crow a withering glare. So much for keeping you away from him, damn bird. Mephisto only pricked his feathers innocently in response. Your bare feet then padded across the room, but Sylus refused to turn around. You shouldnât have to see him like this. âSylus, would you please look at me?â You insisted again, stronger this time, âAre you angry?â
Usually, he craved your bluntness. Right now, he resented it. âI should have locked him in his cage.â Your steps drew closer, and Sylus concentrated on the spinning vinyl.
Your tired sigh gripped his heart. âI heard your voicemails,â You announced quietly, âItâsâŚItâs okay if you are. You have every right to be.âÂ
Itâs just so like you to put his feelings first. As if he had been the one bleeding in an alley for hours. Sylus pinched the bridge of his nose, âAnd if I was?â He turned to face you, finally, and noted the half-step you took back. Sylus couldnât help the scowl that tugged at his lips, âWhy arenât you?â
You frowned at him and rubbed your arm distractedly. âIâŚfeel bad for making you worry. Iâm sorry, and I totally understand where youâre coming from.â You then tugged nervously at your clothes, avoiding his sharp gaze, âI would be angry with me too, believe me. Especially after I said Iâd be moreââ
Sylus couldnât help it, a humorless laugh erupted from his bitten lips. You only stared in bewilderment as he raised a hand to cover his mouth, âAngry at youâŚ?â He shook his head as another wave of trepidation passed through him, âYou misunderstand,â Then his voice fell ominously low, âIâm not angry at you.â
Surprise gripped your expression, âI donât understand, then. Why are you angry?â
âWhy?â It was Sylusâ turn to give you a bewildered look, âWhy?â The answer was so obvious, he almost felt ridiculous spelling it out for you. Through gritted teeth, he tried anyway, âBecause I failed to protect you, thatâs why.â That lump in his throat returned, so he promptly shut up. His words clung to the air for several moments, but he didnât dare take his eyes off you now. A flurry of emotions overwhelmed you; perhaps you were realizing that, yes, he did fail you tonight. That realization never quite reached your eyes, though. Instead, you slowly shook your head before falling back to get comfortable on his couch.Â
âCome sit with me.â You patted the area next to you and watched him expectantly. Sylus stared. You always did find new ways to surprise him, somehow. He fought three wars in his headâbefore losing them allâand hesitantly took his place by your side. The big, bad Onychinus leader avoided your soft gaze. âWhat happened tonight, neither of us is to blame.â Your voice fell hush, and he didnât need to look at you to know you saw right through him, âYou can be angry, but please donât hold a grudge.â You scooted yourself closer to take his hand in yours, and his eyes numbly flicked to your linked fingers.Â
âIf Mephisto hadnât found youâŚI didnât know what to think.â His voice trailed off, and he swallowed thickly, âYour aether core. I couldnât feel it.â His thumb caressed yours gently, âFear like that isnât easy to forget.â
Guilt brimmed in your eyes again, and he wished he hadnât said anything. âYou found me,â You began fiercely, âAnd Iâm okay now, thanks to you. Because of you. You could never fail me.â Your words only deepened his scowl. It should never have gotten to that point in the first place. You should never have been in that positionâalone. Your interlocked hands tightened, âSylusâŚâ Your murmur, spoken like a wish, was accompanied by a sudden warmth between your palms. He inhaled sharply as he watched your hands glow, evols linking as you resonated with his. The feeling was difficult to explain. Resonating with you blanketed him in a warmth like no other, like he was morning dew glowing under the rising sun. Like it was the first and last time heâd ever feel sunlight. You were alive. You were well. And if you harbored any ill will toward him, then resonating wouldnât have come so naturally to you. Heâs glad it did.Â
The resonance ended all too soon, however, and the light of your evols dimmed to nothing. Sylusâ record played softly in the silence. âThank you,â He murmured at last, feeling calm for the first time that evening, â...And Iâm sorry.â You made it difficult to stay upset. You had no idea how much power you held over himâover his mind and body alikeâhow easily you could mold him like putty in your precious hands. Right now, though, you guided those precious hands to his chin and looked him over properly. The dark circles, the disheveled hair, the cracked lips; you drank all of it in and let worry settle in the crease of your brow. He hid his embarrassment behind wisecracks, âLike what you see? A picture might last longer.â
You shot him a look, âYou should take a shower, youâll feel better.â Your expression then softened, and your thumb caressed the side of his smirking mouth, âBut hurry, so you can join me in bed.â
He swore he felt traces of your evol smoldering within him, âEasy, kitten, youâre still recovering.â
Amusement sparkled in his ruby eyes when you abruptly pulled away, flustered, âYou know what I meant!â Tsk, it was too easy sometimes. Sylus tried and failed to hide his smile before unexpectedly lifting you off the couch, âSylusââ
âIâve got youâyes, I do, now stop squirming,â Hanging on with your good arm, Sylus held you tighter than heâd ever done before. Letting you down would never be an option again. âSave the struggling for later, sweetie.â You merely huffed and settled into his secure embrace, but your free hand clutched his shirt just as tightly. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.Â
Consider if you will for a moment: Like and/or Keiran accidentally calling MC âmomâ
please, anon this is literally so cute :â)
whipped a lil something, i hope i did you justice
. Ýâ âš . Ý âĄ Ý . âš â Ý.
It was just a normal day made special simply by spending time with Sylus. The two of you had been rather busy the past few weeks, only seeing each other here and there, but never for as long as you really wanted.
You were the one who suggested taking time off, to which Sylusâalbeit surprisedâeagerly agreed, which was how you found yourself in the kitchen of Onychinusâs base, apron wrapped around your waist as you and your boyfriend made cupcakes.
The twins sat at the island behind you, impatiently waiting to eat the sweet treats.
âHow much longer?â Luke whined.
It was the third time heâd asked in the span of ten minutes. The first batch of cupcakes were currently cooling off to the side so Sylus could frost them, he was surprisingly deft with a piping bag. You were mixing the batter for the second batch.
You glanced at Luke over your shoulder. âIf you keep whining, you wonât get any.â
Kieranâs shoulder shook with quiet laughter.
Lukeâs head lowered. âSorry, Mom.â
Everyone went still.
You looked up at Sylus in shock, but he only offered a slight raise of a brow and a tilt of his lips. Was he enjoying this? Of course he was, what a silly question.
If you were being honest with yourself, hearing Luke call you Mom fill your heart with warmth. Since dating Sylus, youâd become quite close to the twins, creating what you felt was a little family of five (including Mephisto, obviously). Youâd often joke with Sylus that you and he were like their parents. Sylus would go along with the joke, saying you were a great mother and asking if you thought he made a good father. Youâd always answer him with the upmost sincerity, telling him Yes Sylus, youâre a fantastic dad. Theyâre lucky to have you.
But Luke hadnât called Sylus Dad, heâd called you Mom.
Sylus watched you, curious to how youâd respond. It had warmed his own heart, hearing Luke call you his mother, not that heâd ever admit it. Sylus held a deep-rooted fear that youâd one day leave him because you didnât feel at home in the N109 Zone. This slip of the tongue served to ease that fear, but your reaction was what was most important.
Saying nothing, you gently took the piping bag from Sylusâs hands and grabbed one of the cooling cupcakes. It was still a little warm, but it didnât stop you from piping the frosting onto the top. Passing the bag off to Sylus, you took the cupcake to the island, to Luke.
You offered it to him with an affectionate smile.
Luke hesitated for a moment before taking it.
âHappy now?â you teased.
Luke lifted the mask enough to reveal a wide grin before shoving the cupcake in his mouth.
âCan I have one too, Mom? Please?â Kieran asked from beside his twin.
Your smile widened. âOf course, how can I say no to my boys?â
â
After eating nearly half of the two dozen cupcakes made, the twins had retired to their rooms for a post-cupcake nap, leaving you and Sylus alone to clean up.
Sylus nudged you with his elbow. âI guess we really are parents now.â
You chuckled. âThat was the last thing I expected to hear today.â
âYou didnât seem to mind.â
You smiled fondly up at him. âNo, why would I? The twins mean a lot to me.â
Sylus mirrored your expression. âIt makes me happy to hear you say that, sweetie.â
You turned to face him, looping your arms around his neck. âI love nothing more than spending time at the base with you and our boys, and Mephisto, of course. I feel at home here, Sy.â
Sylusâs arms encircled your waist, his heart filled with so much love he thought it might burst. âTheyâre never going to stop calling you that.â
Your smile grew. âThatâs okay, if it makes them happy, then thatâs all that matters to me.â
Sylus dipped his head to whisper in your ear, âHow would you feel about adding a few more crows to our flock?â
âI thought a group of crows was a murder, not a flock.â
Sylus scoffed and nibbled at your ear.
You laughed, unabashed, slapping his back lightly. âYou owe me a ring first before we even think about that.â
âMmm,â he hummed, his arms tightening. He placed soft kisses on your neck. âI think that can be arranged.â
Hua Guan Wu Shen @flwrxielian - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
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