#zhoudi tower

[alipeeps]

Human nature is originally good

[alipeeps]

But there are only two names on it. For fairness, let's add the others as well.

[alipeeps]

Okay so I already posted these as a gifset but I also need to ramble incoherently about this because this scene is everything!!

I'm honestly struggling to even put my thoughts about this scene into words, so if this is waffly and incoherent, I can only apologise...

Tang Lici is so young here and so very damaged. He was terribly injured when he was found and although his physical wounds have healed, the psychological ones clearly have not. He's not speaking... at all.

He's lost pretty much all memory of who he is and where he came from (we know from the current day Tang Lici that he does remember some stuff but at this point I think not much and what he does remember is probably violence and pain). He is also, we now know, from another realm entirely. We don't know when exactly he came over from Tianren Realm but it could have been very recently so this is perhaps his first real experience of this realm

All of which is to say he is curious about his surroundings... but also still very nervy and afraid. He seems fascinated by the kittens... but unsure of how to handle them and perhaps afraid to hurt them.

Then when Fang Zhou approaches he immediately drops whatever he was doing - in this case the kitten - and cringes away, as though in expectation of scolding or worse. He's hunched in on himself and, apart from a quick glance at Fang Zhou's face (trying to gauge his mood or intent?), keeping his eyes downcast. He's expecting punishment and pain.

Ugh and Fang Zhou is so good at this? He gets down on Tang Lici's level and talks with him calmly and warmly. And when Fang Zhou doesn't lash out, and instead is calm and smiling and reassures him that no-one in this place will force him to do anything, he is hesitant but cautiously responsive, turning to face Fang Zhou from where he had hunched protectively with his back turned...

And then... ugh, my feels... Fang Zhou reassures him that he won't hurt the kitten, telling him "Believe in yourself." And what he's really telling Tang Lici here is "I believe in you. I know you are not a monster. I know you don't want to hurt things." (Because at this point, remember, Fang Zhou has already seen the golden eye forehead mark so he knows Tang Lici has some connection to Yique Yinyang... but he believes Tang Lici is a victim and believes that with socialisation and support he will not turn out to be a monster).

And this is the part that kills me. Tang Lici is still hesitant and distrustful, and Fang Zhou reaches out and takes his hand and guides him to stroke the kitten, physically moving his hand to show him what to do and how to touch - and reassuring him that it is ok.

And what particularly kills me here is the mirroring... what Fang Zhou is telling/showing Tang Lici to do with the kitten, to touch it gently and let it get to know you and start to like you... is literally what he himself is doing with Tang Lici. He's touching him gently, is soothing him, the way stroking soothes a kitten, and trying to make sure he feels safe and not in danger.

He's connecting with and soothing a young and half-wild creature by teaching him to connect with and soothe another young and half-wild creature in return.

Fang Zhou using kittens - pretty much the cutest, most adorable thing you can think of - to slowly socialise and reassure this jumpy, half-feral, traumatised little fox is just fucking catnip to me.

And his face is so much more open (and so young!!) and hopeful when he looks up at Fang Zhou now. He's no longer jumpy and expecting attack - he's awkward and unsure and confused.. but he doesn't feel under threat.

Christ no wonder he imprinted on Fang Zhou so hard and couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

And this... I love this! Especially now that we've also seen that this was the first lesson he taught to Liu Yan.

Fang Zhou's entire ethos, the foundation of his beliefs, and the very first thing he teaches his students, is that humans are not born evil... they are born kind. That human nature is intrinsicly good. And that is such an important lesson for Tang Lici to hear, who has already heard other people refer to him as a monster, whose flashes of memory are of death and destruction, who has a connection to someone who literally everyone considers to be evil and beyond redemption.

And the final thing that I adore about this scene is the knowledge that (from the bts) video, immediately after that last gif both actors cracked up laughing at the cat climbing on Luo Yunxi's head. 😂

[alipeeps]

Here I am, once again, needing to flail (incoherently) in more detail about a scene I have giffed... You all know exactly which scene I am talking about, don't you?

Yeah. Zhoudi Tower. Writing names in Tang Lici's book... 😭😭

I have SO many thoughts (and feelings!) about this scene!!

LOOK at him! Look at the concentration on his face! Our baby fox is learning to read and write and he is putting his best effort in...

And right from the start Liu Yan's relationship with Tang Lici has been one of teasing and this is no different... hence why Tang Lici closes the book the minute Liu Yan pops up... but it makes no difference cos Liu Yan snatches it anyway!

(But see how our baby fox has grown - he doesn't lash out in response, he doesn't snap or growl!)

And then when Liu Yan goes to look through the book , Tang Lici panics and tries to snatch it back. He's embarrassed for Liu Yan to see...

...that he's written Fang Zhou's name in the book.

(And this is where I think Tang Lici is maybe playing a little bit dumb in the next bit cos... why would he be embarrassed and not want Liu Yan to see that he'd written Fang Zhou's name in the book, if he genuinely thought that that's what Fang Zhou had told him to do?

And pairing that with his contemplative look before he starts writing...

I think he knew full well what Fang Zhou meant, but he decided to write Fang Zhou's name in the book... because it meant so much to him...)

But he evades Liu Yan's questioning with what seems like a plausible response - "silly boy" misunderstood his shixiong's instructions.

And aaaaaaahhh I love so much about this little snippet.

I love Tang Lici's halting speech; this is very clearly taking place not too long after he started speaking after a month of silence.

Firstly because we've seen in the previous flashback, where he did finally start to speak, that Fang Zhou said he wanted to start teaching him to read, and to do martial arts.

And secondly because he is still unused to talking and his speech is halting and a little bit broken/simple. Admittedly my understanding of Chinese is fairly basic and you absolutely can drop the pronouns and articles etc in Chinese because they are implied to be there... but the way Tang Lici speaks here definitely comes across to me as halting broken speech rather than just dropping things for fluidity.

What he literally says is "Fang Zhou.... said... have to write name".

(And his little face is so serious and earnest as he speaks! 😍)

And then I loooove Liu Yan's teasing chastisement... the way he calls him "silly boy" (there's so many ways this could be interpreted into English "fool" or "idiot" etc but I think the choice the subs use of "silly boy" perfectly captures the fond, endearing way that the phrase is meant by Liu Yan).

And Tang Lici looks so... bemused but also intrigued as Liu Yan takes over the pen (I know it's a brush but the subs say pen and the word in Chinese is the same for both) and starts to write....

He is so very fucking young and inexperienced and still learning to make sense of the world around him and he watches his shixiong with such wide-eyed openness and interest. There is such innocence in his expression! (Luo Yunxi is killing me with his acting as young Tang Lici, just killing me!)

And Liu Yan clearly enjoys teaching him, showing him how to write his own name... but also can't resist teasing (as seems to be his nature from everything we've seen in the flashbacks) and finding an excuse to add his own name too..

And againnnnnn the open curiosity and interest as Tang Lici watches him write...

And then the bit that possibly kills me the most... Liu Yan calls Fu Zhumei over to add his name too (him calling him Xiao Fu nearly broke me!) and look at the little smile on Tang Lici's face and the way he looks up at his shixiong...

And then just look... just LOOK at this sweet, innocent boy eagerly holding out his book for his shixiong to sign it too!! 😭😭😭

No wonder Fu Zhumei just melts into a fond smile as he takes the book!!

And then he watches Fu Zhumei write - looking up at Liu Yan for reassurance/to check he's watching too - and I swear this whole moment is SOOO older siblings/parents showing something to a younger (like.. toddler age, just learning to communicate stage) child-coded!!

The way he is seated and they are standing over him, and he looks up at them, and watches with eager fascination as his shixiong does this just for him... not only showing him how to write his name, but writing his name into Tang Lici's book where he can keep it. The way Liu Yan bends down and leans in, encouraging his interest...

Just LOOOK how fucking adorable and wholesome this is! The fond/proud older brothers standing over him as he looks at their handiwork in his book... and him looking up at both of them for approval/reassurance (and did you see Liu Yan's little nod? Telling him, yes, it's fine, this is yours to keep, with all our names in it now.. 😭) (the whole thing of him being seated and looking up at them really does work to make him look/seem so much younger than them).

And then to finish, he is so happy with his book with all his family's names written in it!! That they wrote in it for him. 😭😭😭

If anyone needs me I will be crying and chewing glass over this scene for the next 10-30 business days. 😭😭😭

(And if we ever find out that this copy of Three Character Classic, with his family's names written in it, is the copy he keeps with him and reads just above every day, I will cast off this mortal flesh and ascend to a higher plane...)

[alipeeps]

A Li... what are you doing?