烛霞 Candleglow (ft. the fakest blood you’ll ever see.)
After not touching my wip for a year, I was bestowed a dream by the oc gods and got inspired to draw this series depicting my two main ocs’ story. More details and Chinese translations at the bottom.
5 years ago, Si Jingxia wakes up within a sealed black coffin with no memories at all—not even of his own name—except for one person: “niang-niang.”
5 years ago, Denghua Pavilion fourth disciple Shen Xuezhu is ordered by the Emperor to escort a black coffin with no known origins. Scaring years off her life, an “Undead Youth” emerges from the coffin, insisting that she’s some “niang-niang.”
As Denghua Pavilion gains political power (including receiving permission to take Si Jingxia in as a disciple), jealous officials frame the sect for scheming to overthrow the royal family. Denghua Pavilion is brutally massacred by the Emperor; not a single person lives, except for Shen Xuezhu.
5 years after her sect’s wrongful massacre, Shen Xuezhu still works tirelessly to clear Denghua Pavilion's name. While unraveling the web of lies that destroyed her sect, Shen Xuezhu discovers a shocking conspiracy spanning millennia: she's not only the body double for the late Empress but also the keystone piece of her grand scheme. Together with Si Jingxia, Shen Xuezhu hunts for the full story explaining the unexpected connections between herself, her sect, and the forgotten Empress.
When the late Empress’ enemies arrive to silence Shen Xuezhu and Si Jingxia, Shen Xuezhu follows the first thought that comes to her mind: protect him. Like a flickering candle, Shen Xuezhu knows she nears death.
Ten years ago when Shen Xuezhu’s shifu first welcomed Si Jingxia to Denghua Pavilion, she gifted him a sword-shaped hairpiece that granted him access to the pavilion gates. Shen Xuezhu eagerly said to him, “Welcome home.”
When Shen Xuezhu dies, Si Jingxia buries her with the same hairpiece. This way, she can find her way home.
Drawing 4: I Finally Avenged You
"After you left, I became your shadow":
All his life, Si Jingxia has lived as a shadow. Before, it was niang-niang’s shadow: past Si Jingxia religiously wore a pair of dark blue ribbons and golden clips in his hair because they were gifted to him by the Empress to match hers.
Just as Shen Xuezhu helps him walk out of his past, she dies. Grieving and bloodthirsty for revenge, Si Jingxia begins living as her shadow. He replaces his hair ribbons for her armor and takes on her resolve to bring justice to every person who ever harmed Denghua Pavilion. For some, that means exposing their wicked corruption; for others, that means merciless killing. The last person is himself.
"Let me preserve your memory":
Devastated at Si Jingxia's self-destruction, ghost Shen Xuezhu wears his robes to preserve what is truly him. (See detail 4 for further explanation).
The words may stop, but the story continues. A new day begins, a new dawn arises.
Mutual redemption, mutual destruction (相互救赎，相互毁灭): While Shen Xuezhu helps Si Jingxia come to terms with his miserable past, Si Jingxia helps her heal from losing her sect. At the same time, each person is intricately connected with the others’ suffering and downfall.
Si Jingxia lacks identity not only because he's amnesiac but also because he's always lived as someone's shadow. Hence, apart from the sword-shaped hairpiece, past Si Jingxia and current Si Jingxia do not share any accessories or clothing.
Si Jingxia crosses his robes left over right because he's technically dead (traditionally, only dead people’s robes are crossed left over right). 30 years ago, the Empress fed him a pill to make him die and wake up at a suitable time to continue her scheme.
Let me be your cloak: Si Jingxia always gave Shen Xuezhu his cloak to wear, even when she died. Now, like a cloak, ghost Shen Xuezhu envelopes Si Jingxia with her robes.
Ghost Shen Xuezhu’s red wedding robes are the same as Si Jingxia’s light blue robes, except Shen Xuezhu’s are stained red by her blood.
Ghost Shen Xuezhu and past Si Jingxia hold a red string that links the red strings on current Si Jingxia’s wrist and past Shen Xuezhu’s hair.
Si Jingxia wears Shen Xuezhu's red hair-strings on his wrist.
The spear that Si Jingxia dies by perfectly lines up with the spear that killed Shen Xuezhu. The two spears pass through both people’s hearts, and both people die in the same kneeling pose.
Ghost Shen Xuezhu protectively holds a bell around Si Jingxia’s neck; she used to wear this bell in her hair because it has calming and pain-relieving powers.
The red cloth on Shen Xuezhu's tombstone is her wedding veil.
Si Jingxia picked the matching white flowers in ghost Shen Xuezhu’s hair and pink flowers in past Shen Xuezhu’s hair. White is associated with death in Chinese culture.
Si Jingxia wears the pair of jade pendants that Shen Xuezhu was just about to gift him before she died. Ghost Shen Xuezhu wears her half.
Drawings 4 and 1 have a path in the snow because Si Jingxia has visited Shen Xuezhu's tombstone so many times.
Spent a ton of time on Shen Xuezhu's hair and armor, so gonna drop a close-up here.
Shen Xuezhu (沈雪烛): Shen 沈 = surname. Xue 雪 = snow. Zhu 烛 = candle. Female main character.
Si Jingxia (思镜霞): Si 思 = think, Jing 镜 = mirror, Xia 霞 = daybreak/afterglow. Male main character.
niang-niang (娘娘): Refers to the Empress in my story, but is a general way to address noble or royal women. Si Jingxia’s shifu. Exact same appearance as Shen Xuezhu.
Denghua Pavilion (灯花台): Deng 灯 = lantern. Hua 花 = flower. Tai 台 = pavilion. Shen Xuezhu’s sect.
Zhu Xia (烛霞): Zhu 烛 = candle. Xia 霞 = daybreak/afterglow. Drawing title.
因思镜中霞, 不负沈雪烛: Because you think of its glow reflected in the mirror, you don't fail the candle burning in the deep snow. While the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th characters make up Si Jingxia, the last three characters spell Shen Xuezhu.
Where it all started!!! (8 days/21 hours ago):
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