not to be controversial bc I know this is likeâŚnot in line with shifting opinions on fanfic comment culture but if thereâs a glaring typo in my work I will NOT be offended by pointing it out. if ao3 fucks up the formattingâŚI will also not be offended by having this pointed outâŚ
âlooking forward to the next updateâ and âI hope you update soon!â are different vibes than a demand, and should be read in good faith because a reader is finding their way to tell you how much they love it. I will not be mad at this.
âI donât usually like this ship but this fic made me feel somethingâ is also incredibly high praise. Iâm not going to get mad at this.
even âI love this fic but Iâm curious about why you made [x] choiceâ is just another way a reader is engaging in and putting thought into your work.
I just feel like a lot of authors take any comment thatâs not perfectly articulated glowing praise in the exact manner theyâre hoping to receive it in bad faith.
fic engagement has been dropping across the board over the last several years, and yes itâs frustrating but it isnât as though I canât see how it happens. comment anxiety can be a real thing. the last thing anyone wants to do is offend an author they love, and that means sometimes people default to silence.
idk where Iâm going with this I guess aside from saying unless a comment is outright attacking me Iâm never going to get mad at it, and I think a lot of authors should feel the same way. ESPECIALLY TYPOS PLZ GOD POINT OUT MY TYPOS.
Yue Qingyuan's trauma explains so much of his...everything, to me.
But I often come across people wondering why he didn't just tell Shen Jiu the truth. So here are the parts of the book that make me think trauma played a role in his silence.
From the scene where they first reunite:
Yue Qingyuan looked excited, his face flushed as he prepared to speak. But Shen Jiu opened fire first.
âYou joined Cang Qiong Mountain?â
Shen Jiu couldnât tell what Yue Qingyuan was thinking, but the excitement on his face faded a little. Indeed, his complexion paled.
âYouâve become Qiong Ding Peakâs head disciple? Not bad,â said Shen Jiu. âWhy didnât you come back to look for me?â
âIâŚâ
Shen Jiu waited for some time, but the next words never came. So he said, âWhy arenât you saying anything? Iâm still waiting. Iâve already waited so many years, after all. Waiting a little longer will be nothing.â
But how could Yue Qingyuan say anything?
Shen Jiu crossed his arms.
Finally, his waiting was rewarded with Yue Qingyuanâs quiet words: âSorry. Itâs Qi-ge who let you down.â
From the scene in the Lingxi Caves, where YQY helps SQQ through a qi deviation:
Shen Qingqiu suddenly felt that something was off about the hand Yue Qingyuan had on his back. Alarmed, he said, âWhatâs wrong?â
It was a long moment before Yue Qingyuan replied. âNothing.â
Shen Qingqiu shut up.
He couldnât see Yue Qingyuanâs expression where he stood behind him, but he could feel the hand passing him spiritual energy, and how it trembled slightly.
YQY is a calm and composed sort of guy, so I interpret these subtle emotional cues (his face paling, his hands shaking, his long moments of silence) as signs of internal distress whenever he has to remember his qi deviation.
SQQ is also the one who tends to disengage from conversations with YQY. SQQ removing himself from stressful situations is...far from the worst coping mechanism found in Scum Villain, to be fair. His distrust towards YQY is understandable from his perspective.
But still, it makes it difficult for them to have deep and personal conversations.
There's also this part of YQY's confession to Shen Yuan, and I think it shows some insight into his thought process:
âJust let me finish speaking, this one time,â Yue Qingyuan said resolutely. âAs you always say, âsorryâ is nothing but an empty word, completely useless. I also never explained myself, but today I must let you hear, not to ask for your forgiveness or sympathy, but because if I donât say it nowâŚit will be too late.â
To me, the bit about "forgiveness" and "sympathy" implies that YQY is worried that revealing the truth is a selfish impulse. He doesn't want to confess the truth if it just means he's begging for pity...because he doesn't think he deserves pity.
Qin Wanyue: Unsung Villain of Proud Immortal Demon Way
I know, I know, most of you are going, âwhat?â (and some, perhaps, âwho?â). Letâs just say that the interplay between several layers of narrative was one of my favorite elements in SVSSS, and I am delighted to share some of my findings! As you may have guessed from my enthusiasm, those are some messed-up findings, so: content warning for discussion of fictional s/exual a/ssault, though nothing that wasnât described or alluded to in the novel â ie, if youâve read the entire novel and were fine, nothing in here should extend past your tolerance.
But thatâs for the latter half of this meta. First, some context on what I mean by âlayers of narrativeâ: SVSSS, belonging as it does to transmigration-into-a-novel subgenre, includes both âthe original novelâ PIDWâs story and the altered by transmigration story (which I will be referring to as âthe new storyâ going forth, because while the new story kinda is SVSSS itself, it also really isnât). The situation is further complicated by mentions of âthe original outlineâ version of PIDW, the possibility of characters from âthe original novelâ crossing into âthe new storyâ and being influenced by it (as per extras), the fact that âthe new storyâ is still a story, and the limitations that imposes on characters and events, and, of course, our primary narrator Shen Yuan|Qingqiuâs unreliability â both regarding the events happening to himself, in the new story, and the events of the original PIDW.
Keeping in mind the interrelations between those layers is an angle that I found very rewarding for analyzing this novel â which leads me to writing this meta about a character who has⌠two, I think⌠in-person appearances in all of SVSSS. Qin Wanyueâs lack of page-time â and relevance â in âthe new storyâ makes sense, given the shift in events and narrative roles brought on by Luo Binghe falling for Shen Qingqiu, demoting her from a prominent love interest to background extra. But I believe that we, as readers, were largely misled about her relevance in PIDWâs story â because Shen Yuan, bless his heart, has all the facts but fails to put them together. Not in the âoh he is so obliviousâ way, but rather in a combination of âeffects of toxic masculinityâ way and âlack of critical engagement with reading materialâ way. Which are two topics that the novel delves into with some regularity, so hey, makes sense! Anyway, time for us to use our critical thinking and excavate the clues MXTX left us.
Oh great someone else did this instead of me, lazycore win!! (The reason I didnât mention this part is actually pretty simple: at the time I wrote the post, vol2 was not out yet, but fan tls were already deleted. And I didnât wanna base a part of analysis on my vague recollections, especially given that my case was strong enough as it was.)
But now that the scene from vol.2 is in front of us, thank you @mamiser, I figured Iâll add the relevant tidbit from IAC chapter for completionâs sake. Here it is:
(SVSSS Eng.edition, vol.1, p214)
Side by side with the scene from vol.2, itâs really another perfect example of how Shen Yuan|Qingqiuâs recounts of PIDW events are not necessarily accurate.
Once we see âSha Hualing tearing into Qin Wanyueâ on page, it turns out that Sha Hualingâs criticism of her is actually pretty factual and valid. this is part of why one day you may see me dust off my âarguing with Peerless Cucumber about PIDWâ hat to explain why Sha Hualing is in fact ~The Best PIDW Wife~
And as for Qin Wanyueâs âroleâ of always being âa victimâ⌠after looking at all the evidence of her true character, I think itâs pretty clear that the one casting her into that role is no other but herself.
Qin Wanyue: Unsung Villain of Proud Immortal Demon Way
I know, I know, most of you are going, âwhat?â (and some, perhaps, âwho?â). Letâs just say that the interplay between several layers of narrative was one of my favorite elements in SVSSS, and I am delighted to share some of my findings! As you may have guessed from my enthusiasm, those are some messed-up findings, so: content warning for discussion of fictional s/exual a/ssault, though nothing that wasnât described or alluded to in the novel â ie, if youâve read the entire novel and were fine, nothing in here should extend past your tolerance.
But thatâs for the latter half of this meta. First, some context on what I mean by âlayers of narrativeâ: SVSSS, belonging as it does to transmigration-into-a-novel subgenre, includes both âthe original novelâ PIDWâs story and the altered by transmigration story (which I will be referring to as âthe new storyâ going forth, because while the new story kinda is SVSSS itself, it also really isnât). The situation is further complicated by mentions of âthe original outlineâ version of PIDW, the possibility of characters from âthe original novelâ crossing into âthe new storyâ and being influenced by it (as per extras), the fact that âthe new storyâ is still a story, and the limitations that imposes on characters and events, and, of course, our primary narrator Shen Yuan|Qingqiuâs unreliability â both regarding the events happening to himself, in the new story, and the events of the original PIDW.
Keeping in mind the interrelations between those layers is an angle that I found very rewarding for analyzing this novel â which leads me to writing this meta about a character who has⌠two, I think⌠in-person appearances in all of SVSSS. Qin Wanyueâs lack of page-time â and relevance â in âthe new storyâ makes sense, given the shift in events and narrative roles brought on by Luo Binghe falling for Shen Qingqiu, demoting her from a prominent love interest to background extra. But I believe that we, as readers, were largely misled about her relevance in PIDWâs story â because Shen Yuan, bless his heart, has all the facts but fails to put them together. Not in the âoh he is so obliviousâ way, but rather in a combination of âeffects of toxic masculinityâ way and âlack of critical engagement with reading materialâ way. Which are two topics that the novel delves into with some regularity, so hey, makes sense! Anyway, time for us to use our critical thinking and excavate the clues MXTX left us.
Late to the party, but I'd like to provide the quotes because the need to do so cannot leave me otherwise.
All of it comes from the chapter 10: Huan Hua of the second volume from the official English release. They are below under the cut.
First: the introduction. To set the stage for those who don't remember, this is after Shen Qingqiu was captured after he woke up in the mushroom body and has helped Yang Yixuan free Liu Mingyan and other captured cultivators from the Sha Hualing in the Chi Yun Cave. Sha Hualing has captured him later with Luo Binghe's blood and after some drama he has ended up in a main hall of the Huan Hua Palace, observing Luo Binghe on the throne.
This scene shows the changes after the five years he has spent sprouting, few of them were the relationships between Luo Binghe and his 'harem members', which in turn supplies more confirmation on Qin Wanyue's character from the main post.
Before he knew it, the Little Palace Mistress had already stormily charged into the hall, her presence as forceful as spitting flames. Following alongside her was a comely slightly older woman in a light yellow robe. Her eyes were hazy, as if on a verge of tears. It was Qin Wanyue.
Then the first assessment of her character by the Little Palace Mistress.
"Little Palace Mistress, let's go backâŚ" Qin Wanyue said quietly.
"Do you imagine I don't know who you think of, day and night?" the Little Palace Mistress asked caustically. "The reason you endure humiliation and remain by my side, exhaustively thinking and scheming - isn't it all to lay eyes on him again? So why are you retreating now that you finally see him, acting all fragile and pitiful? Why not try to stop me before we got here instead of only attempting to dissuade me now?"
Head lowered, Qin Wanyue dared not to speak, her ears flushed.
Nice on the Little Palace Mistress for calling the woman out with logic, unlike the delusions she spouted in the Water Prison at Shen Qingqiu, I can see she grew up in this regard. I would be more suspicious of her assessment of Qin Wanyue's character, but later in talks with Sha Hualing she says harsh but acute judgment on her own position.
Anyway, The Little Palace Mistress asks about her dad, causes a (justified) ruckus, and is being dragged away.
Qin Wanyue followed alongside her, but sometimes she shot tearful glances at Luo Binghe out of the corner of her eye, as if hoping for something.
Before this point, Sha Hualing had been staring straight ahead, her posture perfectly upright, but now she wrinkled her brow and followed them out, standing in the corridor to berate them. "What have you been doing? You were asked to keep an eye on her, and this is how you do it?"
A paragraf of SQQ following out of curiosity, then:
"I'm sorry, I neglected my duties," Win Wanyue said while holding back tears. "I didn't stop the Little Palace MistressâŚ"
Sha Hualing swiftly cut her off. "It was entirely your fault! I've heard that saving face is especially important to Human Realm women, but even though you've failed to seduce the lord many times, you shamelessly refuse to leave - so that's all your face amounts to. Moreover, not leaving is one thing, but you can't even keep a proper eye on a single person. You're her shijie, so her cultivation is inferior to yours, yet you didn't stop her, and you even let her throw a tantrum before the lord. Who are you humiliating yourself and acting pitiful for?"
Listening to Sha Hualing point out her inadequacies to her face, Qin Wanyue wanted to die of shame and resentment. Even in the original work, Sha Hualing had deeply hated Qin Wanyue and always found fault with her. It seemed that though they hadn't entered the harem together this time, their relationship hadn't improved in the slightest.
A quick note that refusing to act counts as making a choice, and a very in character action for Qin Wanyue. Through enabling the Little Palace Mistress and pretending to be pitiful she can scheme while preserving the fragile, sad air. Qin Wanyue through passivity creates an opportunity to "organically" get in Luo Binghe's range, and then tries to manipulate him into feeling sad for her pitiful state, which would create another opportunity if it has worked.
From what can I leap to that conclusion? Because that's what she has done during the Immortal Alliance Conference, acting pitiful (I'm getting sick of using the same word over and over again) and encouraging for Luo Binghe to leave her and her group behind in an attempt at a reverse psychology to work its magic. The original post has pointed it out, with all the arguments along it, so I'm not diving again. She glances back at Luo Binghe when she's following the Little Palace Mistress out both to increase the sad picture and to check out if her act is working.
And it's no wonder that Sha Hualing finds faults with Qin Wanyue no matter the universe if the faults are tied to personality and a pattern of behavior. As we see, SHL has little patience for her act, she cuts QWY off when she bring it out and doesn't hold back in judging her actions while not caring about a propriety of at least pretending to look considerate to someone acting pitiful, whether it's honest or insincere. Yes, I can see how in the PIDW they would clash hard.
Then there's the thing that apparently Qin Wanyue tried to seduce Luo Binghe many times during the interlude. Seducing can be accidental (we have SQQ as an example), but at this point when it comes to QWY I somehow doubt it. Also - I want to read about them. Badly.
On a side, Sha Hualing telling someone that they are shameless is a top tier face slapping.
The best part of Scum Villain fics is that you could shove literally anything in there, mythology-and-worldbuilding-wise, and it could be legit, because you would have the ironclad excuse that it's something Airplane added in when he was drunk on shochu and energy drink mixers at 3AM and browsing Wikipedia because he ran out of ideas for Wife #378. Because he probably did. And all you need to do to make it sound legit is have Shen Yuan rage-bitching at it.
