Everything is Tagged! Made this to just say everything I think or feel without pressure to please anyone If you want to send Asks feel free to do so for anything this can be your place to say what you want too (Keep it classy not vulgar) Obessions for Life: JJK, DGM, BSD, BTS...
all chapters are organized over at my sideblog + available on wordpress
Central Avenue was still congested with traffic at eleven o’clock at night. When Chen Wan got home from his overtime, Zhao Shengge was building Legos.
This Lego set was a non-retail, giveaway edition newly released by the foundation under Chen Wan’s name. It was printed with the foundation’s logo and could be obtained by donating a certain amount to the foundation’s projects. Chen Wan had asked someone to set aside one set for him to take home.
“How come you’re not asleep yet?” Chen Wan changed his shoes, stretched his neck, and took off his tie, tossing it carelessly onto the sofa.
Zhao Shengge took a glance at him and said nothing, continuing to assemble the LEGO pieces with his head down.
The Lego puppy’s round head was already beginning to take shape, its two eyes dark and bright, with a small section still missing from the tail.
Chen Wan didn’t mind. He reached out with a finger and poked the doggy’s head, chuckling, “Oops, it fell off.” Zhao Shengge lifted his face, raising an eyebrow. The corners of Chen Wan’s lips lifted up, and he decided to not tease him anymore. He stepped into the kitchen to check something, lifting the lid of the ceramic bowl, and admonished helplessly, “Zhao Shengge, this won’t do. I specifically asked the auntie to brew it for you.”
Zhao Shengged calmly and unhurriedly reattached the dog’s head and said, “I won't do?” ¹ Chen Wan choked slightly. He poured out half of the herbal tea and brought it out of the kitchen. “This prescription soothes the liver and regulates the qi. It's not too bitter either. Try a sip.” Every year during the flu season, Zhao Shengge became a priority target for protection. Chen Wan was hypervigilant, taking preventative measures as soon as the seasons changed. “You can't wait until you're sick to go find medicine. I read in the traditional Chinese medicine texts that treating stomach ailments is the most effective way to go. It’s fundamental to strengthen your constitution.”
Zhao Shengge nodded, putting down the Legos in his hand rather cooperatively and accepting the herbal tea. His brows furrowed as he drank, "Professor Chen also dabbles in traditional Chinese medicine."
“......”
Before the New Year, the project team led by Chen Wan made groundbreaking developments, earning a highly prestigious award in mainland China. Subsequently, Chen Wan was awarded the title of “Bay Area Young Science and Technology Representative of the Year” by the Haishi authorities and participated in a series of technology forums and academic conferences in the Bay Area and even the Asia-Pacific region, receiving extensive coverage from all major media outlets. ²
At the same time, because Phase II of the Po Lai Bay project overcame three critical technical hurdles, the core members of the technical team were invited to various research institutes and universities to share their theoretical theory and practical experience. Both Chen Wan and Fang Jian received numerous invitations.
Due to the enthusiastic reception, Chen Wan was hired as a visiting professor by his alma mater, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He was required to give lectures and attend seminars at the university, but these were not frequent, only a few times per semester. However, Chen Wan had also recently led the young team from Kexiang to sign a collaborative research project with the HKUST, so he had been frequently spending long hours in the lab, returning home very late. Chen Wan himself felt a little guilty and cleared his throat, saying, “Professor Chen has also dabbled a little in psychology, and he can diagnose that someone seems a little unhappy right now.”
Zhao Shengge’s expression was undisturbed, “Who?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe I misdiagnosed.” Chen Wan rolled up his sleeve and supervised Zhao Shengge as he drank the herbal tea, smiling good-naturedly, “But if it wasn’t a misdiagnosis, I hope that he won’t be upset anymore. It was just these past two weeks that I was a little busier. After I give one more lecture tomorrow, this semester will be over.”
“......Oh.” Zhao Shengge wrinkled his nose and finally finished the herbal tea.
The lecture on the following day was scheduled for the afternoon, giving him a rare free morning. Chen Wan took a shovel, a watering can, and a small trowel to go see his flowers.
They had added quite a few varieties of hydrangeas and Chinese peonies. The peonies were a hybrid between the Bowl of Cream and the Dynasty varieties, a new cultivar developed by the laboratory of the botanist Yan Xingshu. The hybrid bloom could flower year-round in subtropical climates and were resistant to harsh weather conditions. Currently, there were fewer than two hundred plants in circulation on the market, and even the soil was directly air-shipped from the mainland.
The new peony variety was still in the experimental stages, and the other party had originally been unwilling to sell. However, Zhao Shengge’s offer was really too much, and the deal was struck.
Chen Wan cherished and nurtured his flowers with the utmost care. He worried about rain when the weather was cold and high temperatures when it grew hot. Chen Wan’s doting attitude and treatment toward his flowers even made Zhao Shengge slightly regret his purchase at one point.
The flowerbed also welcomed several other new additions: golden osmanthus, red osmanthus, and angel wing begonias. Chen Wan cared for them all equally. He was the most meticulous and gentle gardener, cultivating each bloom with great care as they grew.
Zhao Shengge woke up late and only felt more awake after he had showered. Through the large wooden-framed window, Chen Wan looked like a busy honeybee flitting among the flowers, showing none of the steady composure and restraint he would display at the negotiating table. His expression was relaxed and content, his steps light and quick, as if he had grown a pair of wings on his back.
The golden osmanthus was the least delicate, easy to care for, but the weeds had to be removed. Chen Wan looked around and could not find where he’d put the hoe, so he simply squatted down, put on gloves, and started pulling the weeds out by hand. Zhao Shengge immediately strode over and handed him the tool.
Chen Wan lifted his head, a light sheen of sweat glistening across his forehand, looking into Zhao Shengge's face looming over him. Zhao Shengge’s brows were furrowed, making him look a little stern, and his gaze carried a hint of reprimand.
Chen Wan grinned, raising up both hands in an explanation as much as an act of surrender, “The gloves are thick.” His hands wouldn’t get hurt.
Zhao Shengge’s face still had no hint of a smile, but he squatted down in front of him, silently handing him the hoe and watering can.
While Chen Wan weeded, he sat with his hands clasped on his knees, watching silently.
Chen Wan raised an arm to wipe his forehead, “Go sit on the swing.”
Zhao Shengge remained silent, and Chen Wan didn’t press. He mentioned as he watered a new tree sapling, “This tree should be blooming by the time of your birthday. When the time comes, we can pick some flowers to make osmanthus honey. We can pair it with the put chai pudding or use it in cakes.”
Zhao Shengge’s birthday was in the autumn, on October 25th, right after Frost's Descent, the time when the osmanthus flowers were in full bloom.
“We can even brew tea—the seeds from this tree are the largest. We can add them to that jar of Tai Ping Hou Kui.” Though osmanthus was most commonly paired with oolong, as long as the tea base for the green tea was good enough, “It should be quite fragrant as well. What do you think?”
Tai Ping Hou Kui. Zhao Shengge was nervous that Chen Wan would bring up old grievances and averted his eyes, replying curtly, “Either is fine.”
Chen Wan had to tease him, “But do you like it?”
Zhao Shengge shot him a look and pointed at the watering can in his hand, “Your tree is about to drown from overwatering.”
Chen Wan muffled his chuckle, stood up, and helped him brush the grass clinging to his clothes.
The two of them picked up the tools and headed back, encountering a roadblock midway.
The tortoiseshell cat that regularly came to them for food was a stray. They had no neighbors, though squirrels and birds were frequent visitors.
The first time they saw this stray tortoiseshell cat, Chen Wan was in the gardens loosening the soil for the Damask roses, while Zhao Shengge was dozing on the swing. The swing had been specially commissioned for him by Chen Wan, its location chosen next to the flowerbeds; taking care of Zhao Shengge required plenty of sunlight, just like Chen Wan's flowers.
The tortoiseshell had approached him cautiously. Zhao Shengge lazily lifted his eyelids to give it a glance.
Strangely enough, Zhao Shengge had an imposing aura, making most people afraid to get close to him, but animals, on the other hand, did dare to approach him—whether it was the stray dog by the side of the road from over a decade ago or this feral cat in the mountains.
One man and one cat stared at each other for a long time, neither moving.
Chen Wan found it amusing and played the mediator for them, “Zhao Shengge, could you grab some fish from the fridge for me?” He held up his two white gloves to show that he had no free hand.
Zhao Shengge lowered his gaze, looking into Chen Wan's dark, luminous eyes before shifting to look at the tortoiseshell cat's round, grape-like eyes. He remained still.
Chen Wan didn’t get upset, the corners of his eyes still crinkling with a smile. As he loosened the soil, he said softly, “It’s not Bozhu.” It would not lose its life because of a young man's well-intentioned act of help.
Only then did Zhao Shengge slowly get up.
The tortoiseshell cat’s fur was getting ever glossier. Chen Wan bent down to greet it, saying, “Hey, you're eating well these days.”
Zhao Shengge retorted cooly, “Almost all the dragon-eye, phoenix-tail kois in the pond have been eaten. If it’s not getting plump, who will?”
The tortoiseshell cat wasn't stupid. It bared its teeth and let out a small growl. Chen Wan raised an eyebrow, “Quite fierce, too. I don’t think we have fish today, but there’s chicken breast. Do you want some?”
The cat rumbled again, holding its head high with its chest sticking out, and followed the two into the house.
In the afternoon, they headed to the University of Science and Technology, with Zhao Shengge driving. To avoid drawing too much attention, neither wore business formal attire. Zhao Shengge draped a long trench coat over his shoulders, while Chen Wan wore black pants and a casual shirt. Both appeared youthful and blended into the campus environment without seeming out of place.
Chen Wan's special lecture classes were always packed to capacity. While master's and doctoral students formed the core audience, undergraduates also came to join in on the excitement. Beside his position as the lead engineer for the Po Lai Bay project, Chen Wan's individual charisma was simply too immense; before the lights even came on in the lecture hall, a long line had already formed at the door.
Zhao Shengge dropped off Chen Wan at his office and waited near the exhibition wing. This was Chen Wan's alma mater; which library Chen Wan had once studied in, which cafeteria he tended to frequent, which convenience store had his favorite lemon tea—Zhao Shengge knew every detail by heart.
“Hey, buddy, how can you cut the line?”
Zhao Shengge turned around. The college student was taken aback for a moment but did not become intimidated by his imposing presence. Standing tall and straight, he said, “It’s not okay to cut, even if you’re handsome.”
“......” Zhao Shengge was quite the gentleman and graciously stepped aside for the other.
The student saw that he had misunderstood and felt a bit embarrassed. He kindly told Zhao Shengge that he could come earlier next time—the seats for Professor Chen's lectures were harder to snatch than concert tickets. If all else failed, he could pay someone to queue up and save a seat for him; everyone did it like this.
He had originally planned to swipe Chen Wan's ID card to go to the library to handle some work, but after listening for a while, he became too lazy to leave.
A lecture lasted for approximately three hours. The students weren’t interested in hearing about materials from the textbook; they all wanted to hear about real-world examples from the Po Lai Bay project.
Chen Wan might not be the professor with the highest academic credentials at HKUST, but he was the only one who worked on the front lines of Asia's largest deep-sea operation project.
“In fact, the internationally recognized standard depth for RUE (remote underwater exploration) is 1,762 meters, but our country’s penetration technology had already surpassed this depth a year ago. This time, the Po Lai Bay project at the mid-ocean ridge also deployed this surveying technology. The technical challenge lies in balancing the penetrating optical path with the water pressure.” (Note: the standards, surveying technologies, etc., are fictionalized by the author.)
Facing a group of extremely eager students below, Chen Wan spoke patiently and gently, his explanations calm and steady, serious but not stern. The students respected him but were not afraid of him. The classroom atmosphere was extremely lively, with many questions being asked.
“Engineer Chen, if the penetration technology had not surpassed 1,762-meter below sea level, would the Po Lai Bay project have used RUE? Or would there have been alternative proposals? What were the main data points being evaluated?”
“Engineer Chen, during the deployment of the penetration technology, was the water pressure consistently within tolerable limits? When there are pressure differentials, how is it addressed? Did the Po Lai Bay project encounter these kinds of incidents during construction?”
“Professor Chen, my question is: during counter-current operations, how can this error be minimized? What standards does Po Lai Bay use?”
“The 1,762-meter deep-sea threshold is not the sole decision criterion. It is merely a reference data point. If penetration technology had not been advanced yet, the Po Lai Bay project would have opted to collaborate on building RUE, and the evaluation standard is primarily based on simulated data.”
Chen Wan explained each point one by one, concisely and to the point, getting straight to the heart of the matter without a single word of fluff.
The young students were not only interested in practical case studies—they were even more fascinated by business gossips. They did not let Professor Chen catch a break even during the twenty-minute recess, bombarding him with questions: Is Minglong really hard to get into? Is the boss super strict? How intense is the pressure of working on Minglong projects?
Minglong was the pinnacle of employment achievement for people in their field, and furthermore, Zhao Shengge was the textbook model example for businessmen. He was typically as elusive as a dragon, and everyone's impression of him was limited to the vague, sparse descriptions by Haishi’s media. They were all incredibly curious, and Professor Chen was their only connection to him.
Chen Wan took a sip of water to moisten his throat and glanced at the back door. The corner of his lips couldn't suppress his smile, “Minglong has a great atmosphere, rich in diversity, and its work culture is also very humane. You guys don't need to worry about that. As for Mr. Zhao……he is indeed rather strict, but he greatly respects and values talent. Everyone’s welcome to submit their resumes to Minglong and the Po Lai Bay project.”
Undergraduate students were indeed bold: “I’ve heard that Mr. Zhao is a really handsome guy. Is that true, Professor Chen?”
Chen Wan answered without hesitation, extremely seriously. “Yes, it’s true.”
The second half of the lecture mainly discussed the impact of ocean current activity on deep-sea operations and the countermeasures. Everyone was so enthusiastic that even though Chen Wan only covered the basic fundamentals for the entire time, the lecture still ran fifteen minutes over.
Zhao Shengge gazed at Chen Wan's sparkling eyes from the back door. Chen Wan’s face displayed a smile unlike any of the ones he wore at negotiation tables or during business social engagements. “Thank you all for your questions, but another professor will be giving a lecture in this hall in half an hour. You all have my email. If you have any further questions, you can send it to my inbox. I’ll respond to every email that I see.” This was the university email address Chen Wan had specifically requested to dedicate to answering student questions and concerns.
Zhao Shengge had logged in to this email before. There were all types of inquiries: questions on field prospects, career directions, research methods, how to resist when being oppressed by one’s supervising professor, whether they should see a psychologist due to excessive stress from publishing papers, whether delaying graduation would affect employment, sending a transcript to ask Chen Wan whether it would be possible to get an offer from Kexiang with this GPA, and even confiding in Professor Chen about a painful breakup with a girlfriend.
Chen Wan responded earnestly to every single email.
He gathered his teaching materials. The students below lingered, reluctant to leave. They called out with huge smiles, “Happy birthday, Professor Chen!”
The corners of Chen Wan’s mouth lifted, “How did you guys know?”
The students replied, “There’s a notification on the campus network system.”
Chen Wan nodded and didn’t explain. He said his goodbyes, smiling, “Thank you, everyone. See you next semester.”
The Wraith was parked on the main road. When Chen Wan opened the passenger door. Zhao Shengge had already warmed up the car.
The wind picked up in the evening. He shrugged on his coat and chatted casually with Zhao Shengge, “Everyone’s really interested in the Po Lai Bay project. Several promising candidates even asked me if the project team would be taking interns or holding a competition for the selection like Minglong’s other projects.”
Zhao Shengge turned the steering wheel, “It's up to you.”
Chen Wan said, "okay," and slipped his hand into his pocket. After a pause, he pulled it out and smiled wryly, "You know perfectly well it’s not today."
His real birthday was on May 7th, around the start of summer. The date on his official documents was only forged by Song Qingmiao back then in order to evade detection when she secretly gave birth to him.
The light turned red. Zhao Shengge stepped on the brakes, resting one arm on the window, glancing at him sideways. He had his own particular reasoning, “Are gifts only allowed on birthdays?”
Chen Wan smiled, humbly asking, “Then what kind of gift is this?”
"A gift to celebrate the end of classes."
Chen Wan nodded along readily, opening the cap to examine the pen. He couldn't tell the brand of the fountain pen. It had no logo, most likely a custom-made piece. The metal was slender, the nib smooth and shiny, already filled with ink. He looked around but couldn't find any paper. Just as he was about to test the pen on his own hand, a large hand suddenly covered his. Chen Wan turned his head.
Zhao Shenggao lifted his chin, gesturing for him to try it on his own hand.
Chen Wan's eyes crinkled as he wrote several letters across Zhao Shengge's palm. After he finished writing, he smiled again in satisfaction and contentment.
The light turned green. Zhao Shengge didn't look at what he had written, simply gripping the steering wheel, and stepped on the gas to speed away.
On Fendoli Avenue, as the streetlights were beginning to illuminate the night, the Wraith pulled up outside the Jiang exhibition hall. Both car doors opened simultaneously, and two tall men with long legs stepped out.
For the public, Zhao Shengge and Chen Wan's relationship had always been shrouded in ambiguity—intimate friends, confidants, business partners, ride-or-die allies—speculations were rampant.
The two of them did not flaunt their relationship, but neither did they hide it.
The valet stepped forward to assist with parking.
Zhao Shengge did not typically make public appearances, but tonight was Jiang Ying’s exhibition’s opening banquet, and their friendship demanded it. Chen Wan had been busy with his experiments recently and had missed several gatherings with friends; with his classes wrapped up today, it would be inexcusable for him not to attend.
With the doorman leading the way, layers of grand doors swung open one after another. Zhuo Zhixuan was the first to spot Chen Wan. Tan Youming, like a moon surrounded by stars, was crowded by people and waved from the center of the group, beckoning him over.
Some elders from the Jiang family came over to greet Zhao Shengge, and the two naturally parted ways. Zhao Shengge finished his pleasantries with the hosts quickly and slipped away for a break on the circular terrace on the second floor with Shen Zongnian.
Zhao Shengge browsed back and forth through a row of wine racks. “I thought you wouldn’t come today.” The guest of honor for tonight’s opening ceremony was the award-winning actress who had been recently photographed dining with Tan Youming.
Shen Zongnian neither drank nor smoked. He ignored the frantically vibrating phone in his pocket and rested both hands on the railing, surveying the banquet hall below, “I didn’t expect you to come either.”
Zhao Shengge was picky, only settling on one bottle after much difficult deliberation. He poured himself a small glass, “Chen Wan’s classes are over. We’re going to the island tomorrow.”
Shen Zongnian turned around to glance at him evenly and caught sight of the pen writing on his palm. He said coolly, "Can't you be less unconventional?"
Zhao Shengge pretended not to hear.
At the center of the round banquet hall, Tan Youming was a natural socialite, while Chen Wan was the hottest rising star in Haishi—a recognized promising upstart in tech.
“Congradulations, Engineer Chen.” That technology award from the mainland carried significant prestige, and Haishi’s media covered it for half a month straight.
In the past, everyone had addressed Chen Wan as “Executive Chen.” Now, decorated with his newfound glory and prestige, he no longer needed to navigate business networking dinners or gatherings, focusing solely on research and development. Accordingly, everyone respectfully referred to him by a title that more accurately reflected his status—“Engineer Chen.”
“Thank you. It was all the team’s efforts,” Chen Wan responded modestly with a smile.
Someone raised their glass and said with a laugh, “I hear that Kexiang has submitted bids for all the projects in Half Bay and the Outlying Islands. Engineer Chen is young and talented, with lofty ambitions!”
Chen Wan quipped back, “I’m just participating actively. I also have a family to support, after all.”
Even bystanders didn’t believe that, teasing him, “With Engineer Chen’s current worth, who couldn't he afford to take care of?”
Chen Wan chuckled, “I think I still have to work a bit harder.”
With a full smile, he met the pair of dark eyes on the small circular terrace. Under the brilliant lights, one man raised his gaze, while the other lowered his. It was as if time had reversed, and yet—today was no longer yesterday. The person on the stage and the person below communicated silently across the distance; separated from the surrounding clamor, two gazes locked, shining like brilliant stars.
Translator’s Note:
¹ Chen Wan choked after Zhao Shengge said this because Zhao Shengge made a suggestive joke here. In Chinese, Chen Wan’s previous line was 你这样不行的, translating to ‘you can’t do this’ or ‘this won’t do,’ referring to Zhao Shengge refusing to drink the herbal brew. However, 不行, depending on the context, can also mean impotency, similar to saying ‘you can’t get it up.’ So Zhao Shengge was purposely messing with Chen Wan using a double entendre, asking, ‘[You think] I can’t get it up?’
² This is NOT the San Francisco Bay Area. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is also commonly referred to within these regions as the Bay Area.
chapters are organized over at my sideblog + available on wordpress
Chen Wan pulled along his suitcase, chatting with several young colleagues from Kexiang as they walked out of the airport, when he suddenly paused.
With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, the airport receiving area was especially crowded. There were those who were holding posters, those who were playing on their phones. Only Zhao Shengge did nothing, just quietly standing like that in the back of the crowd, looking in the direction of the exit gate, his expression calm and patient.
His tall stature couldn’t be blocked by the crowd. As soon as Chen Wan raised his head, he was caught in his dark gaze.
It wasn't until Zhao Shengge pulled his hands out of his trenchcoat, reaching out towards him, that Chen Wan snapped back to reality. Turning back to the youngsters on his team, he said to them, “You guys go on ahead. Stay safe.”
“Got it, Engineer Chen¹.” Everyone was already more than used to this. “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”
“Happy Mid-Autumn.” Chen Wan raised the plane ticket in his hand and pushed through the crowd in big strides to grab Zhao Shengge's arm. “How come you’re here?”
They had agreed to meet at the underground Exit B3.
Zhao Shennge took over his suitcase with one hand and wrapped the person in his embrace close with the other hand. He asked, “Are you the only one who can one-sidedly pick someone up at the airport?”
“......” Chen Wan let out a laugh, “Hey—”
Zhao Shengge was unfazed as he naturally slipped an arm around Chen Wan’s shoulder, holding him as they walked together toward the underground parking garage.
Yesterday, a No. 8 typhoon signal warning was issued again. As the typhoon passed through, the world outside turned dark and gloomy, the wind and rain lashing fiercely.
Originally, Chen Wan hadn’t wanted him to come to the airport at all; Kexiang had arranged for a driver to pick everyone up.
Zhao Shengge repeated the same old line, “It’s not like the driver is wooing you.”
Chen Wan found he had nothing he could say to that.
“The Series B round didn’t go smoothly.” The typhoon lifted the hems of both of their trenchcoats.
Chen Wan shed his usual composed and dignified demeanor in front of younger employees and spoke frankly with Zhao Shengge, “Andrew’s got some nerves. Using his homefield advantage to make outrageous demands……”
Zhao Shengge lowered his head slightly and listened to him quietly.
Riding the same moving walkway was a pair of father and son. The little boy looked up at his father and complained, “Daddy, it was Lucas being greedy. He wanted to take my model away.”
Chen Wan wasn't paying attention. Looking up, he continued, “He even got his eyes set on the Haishi market, pushing the export price down to a new low.”
The little boy added, “He even sent people to threaten me.”
Chen Wan remarked, “Such a voracious appetite. Once the time comes and Kexiang raises the price on the exclusive patent license, he might not be able to exit the market in time even if he wanted to.”
The little boy declared, “Once I launch my attack and destroy him, he'll see how formidable I am.”
Zhao Shengge suddenly lowered his head and let out a soft laugh. Chen Wan caught on and felt a sudden pang of embarrassment.
He really was living backwards. All his years of struggling and establishing himself on his own, and he was acting like a child running home to complain about occurrences that couldn’t be more common at the negotiation table.
Zhao Shengge leaned down and whispered close to his ear, “No worries. You can launch an attack and destroy him, too.”
“.....” Chen Wan choked and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “It looks to me that you’re launching an attack to take me out first.”
Zhao Shengge's lips twitched upward for a moment.
The two of them chatted softly all the way to the B3 Exit. Once they got into the car, they both fell silent simultaneously, sharing a look with each other.
Zhao Shengge’s gaze was deep and lingering, sweeping from Chen Wan’s brows to the bridge of his nose to his bottom lip. Chen Wan’s face heated as if scalded, but he feigned composure and looked away first.
Zhao Shengge raised an eyebrow and didn’t look at him anymore. He turned the keys unhurriedly and slowly reached up to grip the steering wheel.
Sure enough, the moment before he stepped on the gas petal, Chen Wan seized his hands. He rose swiftly, legs crossing over the center console, and straddled Zhao Shengge with both legs wrapped around his waist. He lowered his head, staring intently at his face with dark and silent eyes.
Zhao Shengge reached to steady him immediately, one large hand clamped around his waist, the other supporting his lower hip.
They couldn’t pretend anymore.
With just a single glance, dry kindling was ignited by a spark of ember. Their kiss was familiar, as if rehearsed countless times before.
The facade of restraint and feigned composure put on in front of others was finally torn to shreds in the enclosed space.
“Ngh……”
Chen Wan wrapped his arms around Zhao Shengge’s neck, while Zhao Shengge firmly held the back of his head in place. Their waists and abdomens pressed together, their bodies intimately close to each other; like two entangled caged beasts, exchanging and absorbing each other’s scent and warmth, becoming each other’s oxygen, as though they wouldn’t be able to live without the other.
Zhao Shengge’s lips and tongue were as domineering and relentless as he was. Chen Wan was kissed until his cheeks were flushed crimson, his mouth unable to hold in all of his saliva, and a shimmering string of silver stretched between them when they parted.
Chen Wan’s chest heaved as he gasped for air. He stuck out a tender pink tongue, curled it, and rolled it back into his mouth.
Zhao Shengge watched him with dark, heavy eyes.
Chen Wan averted his gaze. He shifted his waist and hips slightly, turned back again, and looked down at him. “Zhao Shengge.”
“En.” Zhao Shengge pushed aside some of his hair.
“I used the money I earned this time to buy you a present.”
Zhao Shengge thought he looked like a slightly smug cat. Brushing his cheek with the back of his hand, his gaze tracing over every feature inch by inch, he asked encouragingly, “What did you buy?”
Chen Wan's lips were bright red from being bitten. “The 570S.”
The custom, limited-edition super racecar.
Zhao Shengge gave him a look full of meaning for a moment and chuckled softly, “Then, you’re about to have gone on this trip for nothing.”
The starting bid had already been driven sky high.
“I can always make more money, but,” Chen Wan sighed dreamily, “You really look so good driving a race car.”
Not too long ago, Tan Youming had closed off the Kadoorie Hill bend for racing. While others floored the accelerator madly, Zhao Shengge cruised along unhurriedly. As he passed by the platform section, he even leisurely rolled down the car window.
On the viewing platform, Chen Wan was being pulled into small talk by someone, a cigarette offered by the other person held between his teeth, unlit. The corners of his mouth carried a hint of unconscious tenderness and smile. The dusk sky was deep blue, and the mountain breeze billowed his shirt, highlighting his slender waist and long legs.
Chen Wan’s gaze locked on him practically the moment the car pulled over. He strode straight toward the car and removed the cigarette from his lips, bending his waist and lowering his head to lean his body on the window. His gaze darkened.
Zhao Shengge in his racing suit and helmet was so dashing it made one weak in the knees. Chen Wan swallowed hard and said softly, “Just one more lap and then we'll head back, okay?”
It was unsafe, and…there were too many people watching.
Zhao Shengge looked at him with an ambiguous half-smile and murmured, “I thought you would want to chat for a little longer.”
Chen Wan gazed at him besottedly, “No, there’s nothing much to talk about.”
Zhao Shengge smiled and tilted his head. He offered very magnanimously, “It’s okay. Go ahead. I’ll wait for you.”
Chen Wan lightly shook his head. He checked the seatbelt and helmet up and down, before his infatuated gaze stuck back onto Zhao Shengge’s face.
Having gotten what he had wanted, Zhao Shengge lovingly gave several light pats to his face and leaned close to his ear to whisper, “Chen Wan.”
“Tone down the look in your eyes a little.”
Chen Wan shifted his gaze away. He—he couldn’t hold it in.
Zhao Shengge’s expression seemed a bit mocking and also a little smug. He tilted his head, like he wanted to say more, but an impatient honk blared from behind.
He’d been parked for too long and was blocking Tan Youming, who was behind, from being the Racing God of Kadoorie Hill.
He itched to stick his head out to loudly demand if he was going to move or not.
If he wasn’t, he should let him move to the front to run another two laps. Once Shen Zongnian arrived, he wouldn't even be able to run half a lap.
Tan Youming, with an unfriendly expression, picked up the walkie-talkie and barked orders into the channel, “0120, from now on, please put up a sign on the road: ‘racing curve, no loitering’.”
“Hello?” After waiting for a long time without any response from Zhuo Zhixuan or Jiang Ying, suddenly, a cold voice like that of a dark, brooding male ghost rang out over the channel. “Are you going to get out by yourself, or should I come get you?”
“Holy shit.” Tan Youming was so scared, he threw the walkie-talkie, pressed the horn furiously, floored the gas pedal, and sped away.
Zhao Shengge snapped a picture of the rear end of the fleeing car, sent it, and only then addressed Chen Wan, who was still looking at his face, “Chen Wan.”
“Meet me at the finish line.”
“Okay.” Chen Wan’s lashes were lowered and his demeanor demure, very obedient.
But that night, after they had finished, Chen Wan refused to let go of Zhao Shengge at all. Zhao Shengge had been about to pull out, but Chen Wan clung tight, his voice hoarse, “No…”.
Zhao Shengge studied him for a moment. Then, scooping him up like a child, he carried him, and they did it again from the bedroom to the living area, from upstairs to downstairs, once at the island counter, and once at the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Chen Wan especially loved doing it while being carried face-to-face. Zhao Shengge's arms were extremely strong and hot, like iron chains, imprisoning him tightly.
Chen Wan took him in deeply. Every part, every inch, and every drop of Zhao Shennge was all his. Several times, Chen Wan was fucked until he wet himself, the corners of his eyes red like he'd been crying, the dignified man as he was.
Zhao Shengge cradled his face, peppering him with kisses, soothing him, “It's okay.”
“It's okay.”
“Chen Wan, you're mine.”
“It's alright.”
“I love it all.”
Recalling these memories, Chen Wan's body heated up again.
Zhao Shengge glanced down briefly and didn't take notice. As if he were truly being considerate, he said, “If you give me the 570, Tan Youming is going to be upset again.”
Only one car was available for sale in Asia.
Chen Wan paused for a moment, pursing his lips. “I brought another gift for him.”
Zhao Shengge's phone vibrated. He glanced at it.
Hmph. News traveled fast.
Zhao Shengge straight up hung up on Shen Zongnian’s incoming call, caressing Chen Wan’s lower back as he said, “It would’ve been fine even if you didn’t get him anything.”
“...” Chen Wan chuckled. “I had to.”
Shen Zongnian wanted to buy it for Tan Youming; Chen Wan also wanted to buy it for Zhao Shengge. Who came out on top, who won the prize in the end—it all came down to their own abilities.
“Once the car arrives, I’ll have someone customize it. You can see when you have time to decide on the style.”
Zhao Shengge did not reply right away, merely flipping the statement back to him, “Well, then, when do you have time to take a look at the newly revised agreement from the assistant?”
“......” Chen Wan looked at him helplessly. He was still not letting this go.
Before the business trip, Zhao Shengge had started their voluntary guardianship paperwork, and part of it involved the matter of personal assets. Chen Wan raised some minor objections to the joint ownership clause.
Zhao Shengge’s gaze was steady and unwavering—not forceful or aggressive, but showing no signs of compromise either. “Chen Wan.”
“Do you still want to give me gifts?”
This sentence stopped Chen Wan in his tracks.
Zhao Shengge was definitely not only talking about the car from this time. If he didn’t accept the conditions for the joint ownership, he would probably never be able to give Zhao Shengge anything from now on.
That was too horrifying! To Chen Wan, it was downright cruel!
Zhao Shengge pulled out both hard and soft tactics. Lifting him up slightly, he stroked his back and coaxed gently, “Chen Wan, I’ve been reasonable enough with you.”
He hadn’t even factored in the shares from Minglong yet.
“At the very least, you have to be fair in return.”
His tone was warm and gentlemanly, as if he were really magnanimous and had made all sorts of compromises and concessions.
Chen Wan didn’t speak, so Zhao Shengge pressed on, “Those have nothing to do with the Zhao family, nor anything to do with Minglong. They’re my personal assets—a part of me.”
Chen Wan pursed his lips, and Zhao Shengge continued on the offensive, “If you don’t want them, do you not want me either?”
As expected, Chen Wan immediately furrowed his brows.
The man Zhao Shengge was really rotten from the outside to his core. He asked in a low voice, “Do you want me, Chen Wan?”
Chen Wan immediately wound both arms tightly around his neck and clung to him. “I do. I want you.”
Zhao Shengge did not return the embrace. He pushed him away lightly, needing to finish what he had to say first, “Then, you can’t just want a part of me.”
Chen Wan’s dark eyes fixed on him intently.
Zhao Shengge gently but firmly shook his head at the calm yet frenzied look in the gaze. Slowly, he said, “It doesn’t work that way, Chen Wan.”
He was so calm it bordered on being ruthless, as he said, “If you want me, you have to want all of me.”
After a moment of standstill, Chen Wan sighed internally and completely abandoned all of his principles, “I want you. I want all of you.”
Getting him to relent wasn’t easy. Chen Wan was stubborn, and the two of them had already been engaged in a semi-covert exchange of push and pull for a good while; in the end, it was Zhao Shengge who emerged victorious.
He breathed an inward sigh of relief and no longer stopped Chen Wan from shifting closer to kiss him.
Chen Wan’s round and full bottom kept rubbing against Zhao Shengge’s lower body. Zhao Shengge’s breaths were uneven, yet he leisurely wiped away the sweat on his face, clicked his tongue, and smiled, “Chen Wan.”
“You really do like doing it in the car.”
Chen Wan licked his Cupid's bow, lost in passion, and thought, why else would I buy this Cullinan?
He only wanted it for its high ground clearance and spacious interior, good for doing ‘things’ in.
At Chen Wan’s puppy-like licks against his lips, Zhao Shengge finally parted his own lips, guiding him in. He gave him his own tongue, indulgently allowing him to suck as he pleased, hands sliding downward to undo his belt.
Zhao Shengge’s hands had been handling guns from childhood, and his fingertips were calloused.
Chen Wan became wet down there, moaning from pleasure for a good while. His clothes were completely disshelved, his pants nowhere to be found, while Zhao Shengge still remained impeccably dressed.
Chen Wan made a mess of Zhao Shengge’s suit pants and shirt, almost like he was about to die on him. When Chen Wan went to unbuckle Zhao Shengge’s belt, his hand was grabbed.
Confusion and disappointment flickered for a moment across Chen Wan’s expression, and Zhao Shengge immediately drew him into his arms, very tightly. He firmly held onto the back of his head and said with his lips pressed against his forehead, “You’re too tired.”
To make it back in time for the Mid Autumn Festival, Chen Wan had taken connecting overnight flights. With Zhao Shengge’s pent up longing and desire from these past days, he had to admit he’d have a hard time controlling himself; Chen Wan would also probably struggle to bear it, so he absolutely couldn’t initiate anything.
Chen Wan dragged both hands across his face. He smiled a little helplessly, “I look pretty haggard, don’t I?”
Zhao Shengge lightly brushed his hair that had grown slightly longer and admired it for a moment. Tilting his head like he hadn’t understood, he said, “You look very handsome."
Chen Wan laughed and cradled his face using both hands, saying gently, “You’re the good-looking one. You’re the best-looking.” “.....”
“Chen Wan,” Zhao Shengge scrutinized him. He mused, “You really do love this face.”
He recalled that he had already praised this face many times already.
“I do love it,” Chen Wan caressed his features, sighing with feeling, “Zhao Shengge, you don’t realize how handsome you are.”
Zhao Shengge raised his chin. “But there will come a day when it will no longer be handsome.”
Chen Wan startled, then hurriedly said, “That won’t happen. As long as the face is on your person, it will always be good-looking.”
Zhao Shengge said nothing.
Chen Wan elaborated anxiously, “I didn’t fall for you because of your face. I fell for this face only because of you.” There were many beautiful faces in the world, but his heart would never move for anyone else.
Zhao Shengge regarded him for several moments before he turned his face away and gave a light scoff, unclear if he’d taken in Chen Wan’s words.
Chen Wan smiled, cupping his face with both hands to gently turn it toward him. His gaze was deep and sincere, “Believe me, Zhao Shengge.”
Zhao Shengge was still as impassive as ever, making Chen Wan slightly at a loss for what to do with him.
“Zhao Shengge, did you…miss me?”
This was the longest he’d been away for a business trip since he and Zhao Shengge had gotten together. But the moment the words left his mouth, Chen Wan felt a bit speechless and silly for asking such a cliche question.
Zhao Shengge watched him quietly. Chen Wan laughed embarrassedly. “I was just asking—”
Zhao Shengge’s hand moved from his back to his wrist. With a single motion, he took his fingers and pressed them against his phone to unlock it. The screen lit up, and he tapped into the smart bracelet’s monitoring interface before handing it to Chen Wan.
Chen Wan exclaimed in surprise, “When did you record it?”
Zhao Shengge's tone was impassive, righteously matter-of-fact, “While you were sleeping.”
“......” Chen Wan felt embarrassed now. “Ah, it’s alright, I don’t need to look.”
“Look,” Zhao Shengge coaxed, playing with the hair at the back of his neck. “Go ahead. It's okay. I know you don't like prying into others' privacy, so I’m asking you to look.”
“......” Chen Wan took the phone with both hands, cradling it, closely scanning each line like examining a new toy.
Zhao Shengge’s hand returned to his back again, steadily supporting him and patiently, indulgently encouraging him to take his time to read.
After only a moment of reading, Chen Wan's ears began to flush red.
Last month, Zhao Shengge spent an average of four hours per day watching him sleep. With the time difference between them, he didn’t know where Zhao Shengge, who attended to countless affairs daily, found the time for those four hours.
Practically every day, he would monitor his heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen, and stress levels every eight hours. He compiled the data into charts and sent it to Monica.
At the same time, the memo files annotated that Chen Wan forgot to take his medication on two separate occasions on the evenings of September 2nd and 11th, under such big red markings that it would be hard to miss even if one wanted to.
During thirteen of those days, the monitoring system showed frequent accessing of the audio records, with the highest number of playbacks occurring as many as thirty-two times.
The record log further marked in red, “8th, Blake, 7 sentences. 13th, Felix, Shengluo Lake.”
……
Chen Wan's interactions with other men during business engagements—the content of the conversations, the whereabouts, quotations, and number of sentences and words exchanged—were all meticulously categorized and documented.
Even Chen Wan was a little shocked.
He'd given the smart bracelet to Zhao Shengge as a statement of his resolve; except for when showering, using the bathroom, or during negotiations and meetings that involved trade secrets, he kept the bracelet turned on at all times. Yet Zhao Shengge’s application and use of this surveillance bracelet far exceeded his imagination.
Even in Chen Wan's sixteen years of being madly, secretly in love with Zhao Shengge, he had never reached this level.
At this, Chen Wan finally seemed to realize with clarity that the phrase “lifetime imprisonment” was no simple joke. Zhao Shengge always followed through on his promises.
How could he be even more twisted and perverted than I am, Chen Wan mused silently.
He didn’t realize he had unconsciously mumbled it out loud in a low voice.
But even if he had whispered it softly, Zhao Shengge still heard him. Without changing his expression, he countered in a matter-of-fact tone, “Just because I missed you, I’m a pervert?”
Chen Wan gave another embarrassed laugh. “No…no.” Zhao Shengge brushed his cheek with featherlight strokes, his gaze holding a strange, calm gentleness. “Chen Wan.”
Chen Wan shuddered, his body tightening for a moment.
Zhao Shengge stared down at him intently through a half-lidded gaze. “You should be thanking me that I don’t ask you to keep all the permissions open every moment of the day.”
“...” Chen Wan put down the phone. Circling his arms around Zhao Shengge’s neck, his eyes crinkled into crescents, he said, “Oh? Then, thank you, Zhao Shengge.”
“You’re welcome.” But Zhao Shennge didn’t smile. He drew Chen Wan into his embrace, flushed chest against chest. After a moment, he said softly, “If you have to ask that question, that means I didn’t do a good enough job.”
Just missing Chen Wan was useless. If Chen Wan could not feel his longing, then all his longing was for nothing.
If the person being loved couldn't feel the love, then it couldn’t be truly love.
His tone was very serious and sincere, completely different from his previous self-righteousness spying on Chen Wan or his surly, sarcastic manner earlier.
Chen Wan immediately grabbed his collar and said helplessly, “Ah, I was really just being sappy and romantic for this once. Don't compete with me over this, too.”
He’s so intense and competitive.
It's unreasonable and bizarre.
Zhao Shengge shifted him up in his arms. Watching him quietly with a lowered gaze, he again began to use that serious and upright tone to utter words that made one embarrassed, “I’m in the middle of pursuing you.”
Chen Wan was at a bit of a loss. He turned his head to the side and smiled, “You’ve been pursuing me for too long. It’s enough already.”
“Not enough,” Zhao Shengge thought his lips looked dry and unscrewed a bottle of mineral water, feeding sips to Chen Wan. “Mr. Chen, please have some self-awareness as the party being wooed.”
“......”
When he finished feeding him water, Zhao Shengge pressed Chen Wan’s head back onto his shoulder. “Sleep for a while.”
Chen Wan buried his face into the crook of his neck. “Aren’t we heading back?”
The sound of the rain and thunder was getting louder outside.
“No rush.” Zhao Shengge laid the driver’s seat flat, cradling Chen Wan to let him sleep on top of his body. “The traffic at the main road of the airport will be jammed for a while.”
Zhao Shengge adjusted the temperature, draped his coat over the two of them, and wrapped both arms tightly around Chen Wan. His hands rested firmly on Chen Wan’s lower back, as though there was nothing more important in the world than letting Chen Wan catch his sleep.
“Sleep well.” Zhao Shengge’s embrace was seamless and airtight, like a lone ark in an era of chaos. The noise of the rain and wind faded into the distance. Chen Wan’s heart settled, so very warm and full from being held and cradled.
“The rain is so heavy.” He was actually getting drowsy.
“Mn.” Zhao Shengge settled into a rhythm patting his back, murmuring in a low tone, “We might not get to see the moon for this year’s Mid Autumn Festival.”
The weather station issued a warning that the red rain period would likely continue for a week.
He didn’t want to disappoint Chen Wan. He rushed all the way to make it back for the Mid Autumn Festival. If he couldn’t even see the moon, that would be an awful shame.
Other things Zhao Shengge could work to make possible, but this, it seemed, was beyond even him.
“It’s alright.” Chen Wan listened to his heartbeats, eyes drooping with sleep, and languidly said, “I already have a moon.”
Forever suspended high in his life, unswayed by cloud or sun, shining luminous and clear.
☆ヾ(*´・∀・)ﾉヾ(・∀・`*)ﾉ☆
Translator's Notes:
¹ Here, the team members refer to Chen Wan as 陈工. It is a respectful address for an engineer or technologist.
Beyond than the fact that this form of address is a bit unnatural in English, thus warranting a translation note, this is also noteworthy because Chen Wan mentioned in the main novel that he’d always been more interested in the engineering side of things, but to build his company from the ground up, he’d never been able to devote as much time to his actual passion before Kexiang’s collaboration with Minglong.
Lastly, I have created a sideblog @kawatranslates where I will be reblogging all the (future) translated chapters so they can be in a centralized, organized place with easy access. That blog will only contain translation content and will be acting like a masterpost. But everything will continue to be posted from this main blog because I may post snippets of chapters as I work on translations or otherwise engage and gush with everyone over this awesome novel, and I plan to do all that from main. So the sideblog is only for achival purposes + because it has a better blog theme for if you read on a laptop.
“It seems General Grievous has figured out how to jam our comms again. How inconsiderate.”
“Yeah, that’s probably why I don’t like him.” Said Anakin. “He’s got no manners.”
Watching them smile at each other, Taria felt the kinship and the complicated love. They were such an odd pairing on the face of it. Obi-Wan so self contained, Anakin so reckless. But they’d found their balance, and now they were two halves of a whole. Anakin had been the making of Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan had shown Anakin what it meant to be a good man.
In which EU book did sixteen-year-old Anakin beg Obi-Wan to take away his power over the Force? Can you copy the excerpt here?
It’s from Jude Watson’s Jedi Quest series. The book is called The moment of truth:
Obi-Wan waited as Garen and Siri walked up the ramp. It slid shut. Obi-Wan backed up a few steps to watch the two ships take off. Then he walked slowly to Anakin’s side. They watched until the two ships were just red slivers in the sky, bits of light. Then they shot to maximum speed and disappeared.
“You said torment,” Obi-Wan remarked, still looking at the sky.
“Excuse me?” Anakin pretended confusion, but he knew exactly what Obi- Wan was referring to.
“You said, The things that normally torment you don’t bother you at all.’ Not the things that trouble you, but torment you.” Obi-Wan turned to face him. “It was a strong word. What torments you, Anakin?”
He looked at the ground. “Perhaps I spoke more strongly than I meant to!‘
“That is not an answer.”
“Sometimes I don’t want to be the Chosen One,” Anakin said. The words broke free. They felt like stones in his mouth.
“That’s not surprising,” Obi-Wan said. “Many gifts can be burdens.”
“The Force is so strong. I can feel it so much. I feel so much. I don’t want to feel so much!” Anakin hardly recognized his voice, choked and aching. Obi-Wan looked startled at his vehemence. “Why am I chosen? Why is it me? Can’t I refuse it? Can’t you let me refuse it? Can’t you take it away?”
“Anakin — ”
“Take it from me. Please, Master.” Anakin wanted to fall to his knees. A deep tide of feeling, of dread, had risen up within him and choked him. He felt tears in the back of his throat. Even his friend Tru was afraid for him. Just as Ferus was. Just as his own Master was, the person who knew him the best.
What do they see that I cannot? The sudden panic shocked him. It had sprung up so abruptly. He hadn’t meant to say what he had said. He hadn’t even known he had been feeling it. Now it felt like the truest thing he had ever said. The dread was always there. He lived with it, but he didn’t understand it. He just wanted it to go away.
The depth of Obi-Wan’s shock and compassion showed in his eyes, in the way he gently placed his hands on Anakin’s shoulders. “My Padawan. I would do anything for you. I would bear your burdens for you if I could. But I cannot.”
Anakin bowed his head. The panic and fear whirled inside him, and he was ashamed.
Obi-Wan bent closer to speak softly. He did not release his grip on Anakin’s shoulders. “But I will help you. I will always help you. I will not leave you.” The words reverberated like a bell. Obi-Wan’s touch brought Anakin back to himself. He raised his head. “Things between us have not run smoothly lately,” Obi-Wan said. “But you must never doubt my commitment to you.”
“And mine to you,” Anakin said. The breeze rose and stirred their robes. It smelled fresh and clean. It was morning, and they had things to accomplish, a journey to make.
They turned, and together, they walked to the ship. Anakin looked ahead to the next mission, and the fear returned. Obi-Wan was bringing him straight to the creator of the process that had caused him so much doubt and panic. His fear suddenly freshened and sharpened. Now it was a certainty that this next mission would bring him too close to a truth he didn’t want to face. [Jude Watson. The Moment of Truth]
“Anakin suddenly jumped out of his chair and hugged his master with a fierceness that took Obi-Wan by surprise. Obi-Wan held the boy gently, and let the moment flow into its own shape. Some padawans were as simple as quiet pools. Only in training did they aquire the depth and complexity that showed maturity. Anakin had been a deep and complex mystery from the first day they had met. And yet, Obi-Wan had never felt such a strength of connection with any other being – not even Qui-Gon Jinn.”
They cheered each other up, those two. No matter how dire the straits, Anakin and Master Kenobi always managed to find a joke, a laugh, some way to ease the tension and pressure of the moment. Between the two men lay absolute trust. Absolute faith. Now, they were equals. — Clone Wars: Gambit - Stealth by Karen Miller
Do yourself a favor and rewatch the Star Wars prequels with high attention to detail, because this moment is a MASTERPIECE, as if the entire scene leading up to this isn't the most hilarious yet competent shitshow I've ever seen, this is the moment that I really lose my shit every time.
Anakin has leapt off the speeder in the middle of Coruscant traffic, fallen dozens of stories through the air while in full spread eagle pose, lands on the tail of Zam's speeder, desperately crawls his way up the ship while she barrel rolls to try to dislodge him and he ragdolls his way almost entirely off it, so she's shooting at him while he's hanging off the front of the ship--THEY ARE SILL IN THE MIDDLE OF CORUSCANT TRAFFIC, I MIGHT ADD--until he finally manages to wiggle worm his way onto the top of the ship and then gets out his lightsaber and you expect him to cut a cool hole in the roof, kind of like what Qui-Gon did on the Trade Federation's ship BUT NO this absolute beautiful tropical fish of a Jedi just STABS HIS LIGHTSABER INTO THE COCKPIT AND SWISHES IT AROUND LIKE HE JUST PUNCHED A STRAW INTO BOBA TEA TO FISH OUT THE LAST PEARL, like his lightsaber technique is straight up the exact same way I would stir cream into my coffee, just STAB AND SWIRL IT AROUND, except with a DEADLY PLASMA CHAINSAW that is the lightsaber and you can't even argue because a) that's fucking hilarious, I cry with laughter every time, and b) if he hadn't lost his lightsaber TWO SECONDS LATER that would actually be really deadly, it's STUPID but imagine being in a cockpit and some asshole Jedi just STABS THEIR LIGHTSABER IN THERE WITH YOU AND STARTS WIGGLING IT AROUND, you would DIE and it wouldn't even be a cool lightsaber death! Attack of the Close is a masterpiece, I'm not hearing any further arguments.
Skywalker, by contrast, looked every bit the HoloNet hero he was supposed to be. He seemed to tower over his companions, as though he had somehow gotten even taller in the months since Mace had seen him last. His hair was tousled, his color was high, and his walk still had the grounded grace of a natural fighter, but there was something new in his physicality: in the way he moved his head, perhaps, [...] or something less definable. Some new ease, new confidence. An aura of inner power.
Presence.
HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN as ANAKIN SKYWALKER
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
