Adapting a more neutral viewpoint, I came up with this analysis which discusses the shift of feelings in He Tian and Mo Guan Shanâs relationship.
Now, before the read, there are a few things to note:
These assumptions we have are based on their words and actions, personalities, and facial expressions alone. For several characters, we have no idea of what they have in mind, like He Tian for instances.
Several moments in the manhua are just purely fanservice or to serve for comedic effect.
This is going to be messy haha, please bear with me.
1. He Tian, he is extremely rich, charming, intelligent, sporty - all are admirable traits, which earn him his reputation at school. What many donât know though, is that he resides on his own in a luxurious but lonesome penthouse, lives on noodles and fast food, has conflicts with his own family, and has a habit of smoking. Traits that should not be seen in a regular maturing teenager.
In terms of relationship, contrary to the perfect student image in othersâs eyes, he reveals himself to be a mischievous and somewhat overbearing boy towards his close friends Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi, and a perilous and spiteful one in front of those he hates. It is to the point that he is once called a âfake and sinisterâ person.
Mo Guan Shan, who strikes outsiders as a tough, hot-headed and problematic ruffian, turns out to be polar opposite on the inside. A scaredy cat, I would say. Additionally, there are several likable traits in this boy, such as having high self-esteem, being capable of self-care, family-devoted and is aware of his familyâs financial issues.
Guan Shan may be a troublesome student, but definitely not a threat however.
Those are what we know of these two initially. In short, their character portrayals are two conflicting images. Guan Shan seemingly possesses what He Tian lacks, and vice versa.
2. It starts off as a (somewhat petty) revenge for his friend Jian Yi; He Tian tries to make Guan Shan his errand boy by threatening him. As we have known, He Tian used to be more violent and intimidating during the earlier days, making it more effective to force Guan Shan to do his requests.
Their initial impressions of each other was rather obnoxious (or toxic, whatever you call it), there is simply no connection between the two parties. You cannot call it friendship when they are always glaring at each other like that.
And the chest squeezing scene, hn, I suppose it also has to do He Tianâs absent-mindedness too? Additionally, it would put an end to the tense situation with surprising comedic effects.
3. After some time interacting with Guan Shan, He Tian gets to know about his actual personalities, and starts having the idea of teasing and playing around with him. What He Tian doesnât grasp however, is that how he feels towards Guan Shan doesnât mean Guan Shan feels the same by his side. In fact, the redhead doesnât feel at ease with He Tianâs presence around him.
That seems to be the issue with He Tian right from the beginning: he doesnât know how to keep distance and cares about the opposite partyâs feelings; he does whatever he wants. Why?
I assume this stems from him having very few close friends right at the start; he may be an admirable person / model student in outsidersâ eyes; yet only in front of them does he show his true colors. Like any boys his age, he simply feels bored and has the urge to play around with those he considers familiar. Thus, I consider He Tianâs (rather inappropriate) interactions with Jian Yi, and later Guan Shan as insensible pranks.
Hence, his kiss with Guan Shan is simply a joke, nothing more or less.
With Guan Shan already loathes He Tian beforehand, that kiss is what pushes him to tears. Not only is his first kiss stolen by the boy he hates, but this action also crushes his pride.
At that moment, seeing Guan Shanâs extreme reactions, He Tian realizes how his little âharmless jokeâ has gone too far, and he has wronged Guan Shan.
During his phone call with Jian Yi, he is shown to acknowledge Guan Shan as a good person (which is agreed by the other two friends). That yes, he does regret his action earlier, and wants to be treat Guan Shan better as a friend. His good will is affirmed in his encounter with She Li after, ââŚyou framed my friend.â
4. No matter how cruel He Tian seems to be at first, it is an undeniable fact that this boy possesses good judgement. Threatening She Li is not only He Tianâs act of redeeming himself in Guan Shanâs eyes, but it also proves how he isnât afraid to stand up for his peers.
During his small talk with Jian Yi, He Tian did say something that I find people take interest in:Â âThe distance between people, sometimes you canât help but want to pull closer. Because, inside your heart, you are hoping for an answer from the other person.â Well, I donât really have much of an opinion on this; it is after all, an advice for a friend he respects. But sure, I guess it is partially applicable with him and Guan Shanâs, with how he wants to tighten this connection between them.
[Side note: Ch.185âs name is âIs a friendâ]
After this incident, Guan Shan is clearly shown grateful for how these unfamiliar students readily act out and show care for him.
Especially towards He Tian, Guan Shan sees him in a new light: that He Tianâs not exactly a nice person, but he cares. What he says to Guan Shan is precisely his problem: always shouldering everything on his own, reluctant to accept othersâs help. Reluctant to open up.
For example, on his familyâs economy issues: it is the matter of pride he refers to, he refuses to be pitied and looked down on; he would rather work for it than owe it (which Jian Yi completely misunderstands, and insults him for not accepting the bag of money lmao).
5. At the start of their friendship, Guan Shan is still holding some little grudge and wariness towards He Tian; from He Tianâs part, he is ready to befriend Guan Shan. Still the annoying teases and all to embarrass the latter (itâs He Tian, what do we expect?), but He Tian has understood to what extent should his jokes go and stay.
Hmm, about the earrings⌠Letâs just say, Iâm gonna stick with two ideas:
An additional accessories -> show off Guan Shanâs potential as a model. This means right from the start, He Tian does intend to help Guan Shan get a job. (After all, telling him to wear it to the studio must have meant something).
A gift. He must have noticed the ear holes, and thought earrings would be a memorable present.
Of course, not forgetting to invite (drag) him to a basketball match. Boys will be boys.
6. As one of the few people who knows about Guan Shanâs family background, He Tian offers him a high-paying part-time job. In one way or another, this also counts as helping to pay off the debt, right?
He Tian is shown amused with Guan Shanâs attitude at workplace: diligent and engrossed, differing from his unruly reputation at school. Itâs a fresh image of Guan Shan, and He Tian is impressed.
The fact that Guan Shan outright refuses the offer and his reasoning just all the more astonish He Tian, that this boy isnât going to blindly do everything for money - he has the pride he keeps to himself.
During the restaurant incident, Guan Shan reveals his vulnerable side when he breaks down in front of He Tian. That moment, I firmly believe is when He Tian begins to have a sense of protection for him.
This urge to protect may have come up as spontaneous and abrupt, but please consider:
He Tian isnât a bad person to start with; itâs logical for him to look after someone in their weak state, especially when thatâs a friend. While Iâm quite certain He Tian is the type to show concern for his close peers (e.g Jian Yi), this sense of protection towards Guan Shan is probably something deeper, greater than that.
This is also human emotion we are talking about. It can be instantaneous at a moment, without any logic or reason.
Moreover, He Tian has spent a few days around Mo Guan Shan, and has surely seen various characteristics of this boy that is unbeknownst to outsiders: diligent, capable, resilient, unyielding, somewhat childish with his way of thoughts, and very kind-hearted too. Mo Guan Shan is not the person most people think of him to be, and thatâs why he is precious in He Tianâs eyes.
However though, that doesnât mean itâs going to change their personalities entirely. He Tian would still be bugging and teasing Guan Shan to see his bashful reactions, and Guan Shan would still find He Tian irritating. Itâs their impressions of each other that matters, and undeniably, it has improved considerably since the first days they met.
7. The indication in ch.228 is quite clear. He Tian relates Guan Shan to the dog in his childhood - the one he lost to his brotherâs hands, and calls him in the middle of the night just to check if Guan Shan is still safe without him.
As a child, He Tian is unable to keep safe his precious ones (represented by the little puppy) from malice (in this case, his own family). He grows up with this insecurities of losing and incapability to protect whatâs dear to him; it haunts him even in his dreams.
As a child, he feels small against the world.
Certainly, He Tian wonât going to let it happen again, not to any of his friends. Not to this boy, Mo Guan Shan.
8. Guan Shanâs opinion of He Tian has shifted: He sees Tian as an unbearably annoying guy, always pestering and following him, yet no longer is he the cruel person Guan Shan once thought. (However though, itâs still irking as hell to suddenly have a guy following him everywhere, he did not wish for it, he just wants his normal life back.)
About He Tian âaskingâ Mo Guan Shan to stay the night⌠Itâs comes up as a small joke, they are both aware of it, we readers all know about it. Yet, in the case of He Tian, I speculate that he could probably have craved for something - the warmth, the presence of a familiar figure in his lonesome penthouse, during his miserable state of health. (Hence, I find it heart-warming to see his elder brother and his friend to come and take care of him.)
And lmao, Mo Guan Shan does the housework for He Tian and drags him to bed without being asked to do so (but of course, not forgetting the payment). Those actions speak volume for how this kind-hearted (and tsundere-ish) this boy really is. Not to mention, it is definitely something He Tian has grown to adore in Guan Shan.
9. I find it amusing when they both compare each other with a dog/puppy. Small little comedies from both sides, which are fitting of their characteristics and how they view the other person. He Tian sees Guan Shan as a hot-headed one, whose temper might cause troubles anywhere, but is also one that needs to be protected. Guan Shan though, heâs insulting He Tian with that thought of his lmao.
Guan Shan does involve himself in a beating afterwards (for understandable reasons, to protect his familyâs dignity). As a matter of fact, He Tian is unable to keep calm seeing Guan Shan injured (for he sees to protect Guan Shan). We readers got to see He Tianâs utmost ruthless look here, brutally beating the men up, to the extent that fears Guan Shan with the thought he would cripple them.
I especially enjoy seeing He Tianâs solemn and earnest side in these scenes: startled and horrified at the sight of Guan Shan coughing blood, yet considerate and patient by his hospital bed. He has stayed up the whole night just for the moment he wakes up, has the hospital fees payed in advance, and notified his mother. Whatâs more, he agrees on a meeting with the father he loathes, in exchange for the safety of Guan Shanâs family in the future.
This really is too much sacrifice for Guan Shan, to the extent that has the boy confused and uneasy to even utter a thank you; especially when itâs towards somebody he has bad impressions of. Nevertheless, heâs grateful for the help.
And yes, he asks after He Tian because heâs concerned. That boy is shown lightly bruised, and mysteriously disappears in the middle of the night after accompanying Guan Shan in the hospital. He makes no single visit nor phone call to bother the redhead as usual, which is extremely out of character for him. (He Tian does text him by the end of the chapter, much to Guan Shanâs relief and exasperation haha.)
10. Now, letâs have a look in Guan Shanâs dream:
The setting: Guan Shan almost involves himself in a trouble once again, but He Tian is there to pull him out.
Guan Shan bursts into tears - something he has always refused to do in front of the eyes of outsiders. Moreover, it is He Tian he is seeking comfort in, which means he could have seen He Tian as an essential attachment in his life.
He Tian pulls him into a hug and comfort him: âan invincible badassâ. If you remember, Guan Shan has built to himself the reputation of a tough delinquent, and hates being looked down upon. Thatâs how he seeks to be reassured of his persona.
Obligated butts squeeze to qualify as a wet dream.
It is indicated that Guan Shan has wet dreams about He Tian for several days, much to his dismay lmao.
11. Several days after, He Tian finally returns to China, and Guan Shanâs house is his first destination. Letâs say⌠Heâs probably missing the presence of the redhead, having been separated from him for several days. That, combined with his exhaustion, results in a rather bizarre bedroom scene haha.
On one of the iconic moments of TianShan in ch.259-260:
The moment in ch.260 makes a nice parallel with ch.228 - in which He Tian is portrayed to having nightmares: In ch.228, he is startled awake, with nobody by his side; whereas in ch.260, Guan Shan is there to accompany him, holding his hands to calm him down.
He Tian sees it as Guan Shan showing consideration for him; the redhead is just reluctant to admit it. I suppose itâs a special thing for He Tian too, it is one of those rare times Guan Shan is shown to care for him after all.
Additionally, ch.261 also shows Guan Shanâs view of He Tian: not only sly, but also a laidback, useless rich kid (who canât cook to save his life), an irritating brat who does whatever he wants, to boot - an opposite of Guan Shanâs independent characteristic. Were they in one place, they would definitely balance each other out haha.
About their actions at the end of ch.263: As you have noted, Guan Shan feels indebted to He Tian, yet has never been asked for anything in return. This is a rare opportunity for him to do something.
The fact that it is a jacket he gives just makes the scene much more meaningful, since they now have each otherâs jacket.
12. Right, it is He Tian and his endless teasing again; even his bad test result can be used as a joke. Though, it turns out to be an unpleasant joke for students with lower learning capacity like Guan Shan. (Refers to the academically challenging environment of China.). Realistically saying, the distance between them is too large, both in terms of family background and academic abilities.
She Liâs can of Coke incident and He Tianâs warning: Hm, it seems like He Tian is getting serious on dealing with She Li, bringing a group of mafia men to warn the snake of the consequences if he keeps fooling around. Along with the deal he makes with He Cheng about protecting Guan Shanâs family, He Tian is secretly ensuring the safety of the redhead boy - by relying on the power of his family.
The thing about blushing Guan Shan, I will explain it in details:
Remember that Guan Shanâs been having (wet) dreams of He Tian? Thatâs possibly the main reason why the boy is blushing madly.
He Tianâs attractiveness might affect him in one way or another too haha.
During the Truth and Dare hallway incident: In addition to the two reasons mentioned above, it should also be noted that He Tian is flirting and touching him before the eyes of their schoolmates (many of which are expecting some fun things to go on). In other words, they are now the center of attention for doing such bashful things in public. By logic, his first reaction would be to go beat red before even thinking of retaliation. (Imagine yourself as a shy person, and has a whole classroom with all unfamiliar people surrounding you, just to see you being kissed on the neck haha ;-;)
Aquarium date: A bit red on the ear. I suppose he does realize he has said something uncharacteristically romantic too, ââŚIâll remember you for the rest of my lifeâ, and heâs blushing because of his own words.
The last blush is when Guan Shan is shown with the important thing He Tian almost loses - a gallery full of photos of him in He Tianâs phone.
Anyway, on the reason why He Tian wants a photo of him and Guan Shan, I suppose there can be various reasons:
He Tian is going abroad. This has been hinted in the Christmas special articles.
They are graduating from junior high soon. Based on their academic abilities, chances are that they would be going to different senior high schools. (Or that, Guan Shan would go to a vocational school? Iâm not sure.)
So, by any means, keeping a photograph of somebody means keeping the memories of them; especially when their separation might not be far ahead. Quite bittersweet right?
In ch.277, there is another thing to be noted: Guan Shan thinking He Tian is trying to control him. Letâs consider these factors:
He Tian takes a bunch of photos of Guan Shan (like a stalker would do?).
He Tian can easily threaten him and beat him up.
He Tian sees him in his vulnerable state and helps him no matter what.
He Tian is always dragging the redhead around and irritating him.
(We readers arenât even sure what He Tian is having in mind)
Guan Shan has the tendency to come up with nonsensical ideas. After all, this boy is occasionally unreasonable, surprisingly childish and imaginative with his inner thoughts, (e.g He Cheng as He Tianâs father; âroll down the hillâ; bomb in He Chengâs mansion; âYour whole family is in loveâ).
-> That might be how it is, Guan Shan assuming He Tian is trying to control his life.
13. I have to admit, the earrings chapters had me astounded.
Letâs start with ch.282. Well, itâs nice to have him speaking about such personal issue, especially when it was related to a bad piece of memory. He gives an honest answer, âShe Liâ, probably expecting He Tian to show no further concern for the topic. Little does he know about their encounter just the day before, and how much She Li is a threat to him.
I suppose He Tianâs extreme reaction by the end of the chapter has to do with his disgust towards She Liâs actions, combined with his will to protect Guan Shan. Hm, itâs unclear why he would tell Guan Shan to wear his earrings, but consider this: By having Guan Shan wears the studs on his ears, wouldnât it send a threat to She Li? That Guan Shan is now under the protection of He Tian?
It can also be indicated as He Tian replacing the mark She Li left with his pair of studs. Such a shame he was not there to protect Guan Shan from whatever She Li did to him in the past; he would do his best now.
I have to say, ch.284 is indeed one of the biggest steps in their friendship, a fresh breeze among all the cheesy and comedy-filled chapters. It is the kind of breeze that reminds you of 19 Daysâ original vibe: youthful, calming and ordinary.
We have Guan Shan walking up to He Tian, making a request with such certainty in his gaze, and He Tianâs reactions out of joy and amazement. Putting it in perspectives, this is one of the rare times when Guan Shan takes the initiative to accept his offer, without any resistance and reluctance. More importantly, the studs are to be worn by the person he shows every bit of concern about. Understandably, he would be overexcited over this rare occasion.
While Iâm not sure if this represents something as big as getting over the past, Guan Shanâs acceptance still makes a nice progress nevertheless. It would have to be that he regards He Tian highly enough to wear his studs out on display.
The hand-reaching scene is a nice way to end this chapter. The hesitant Guan Shan is given the choice: to leave or to stay. He could totally leave He Tian with whatever crazy things heâs having in mind; yet, just a little push, a bit of provocation is enough for him to reach for He Tianâs hand.
The little comedy on the chapter after adds to the fluffiness of the earring chapters haha. He Tian has the money and capabilities to do whatever he wants; he would go the extra miles to fulfill his Little Moâs request.
a. To discuss the relationship between He Tian and Jian Yi: Iâm not sure if Old Xian intended to have He Tian as the third person in the relationship initially like many have stated, but until now, weâve already have two main pairings / a group of four teenage friends. I find it extremely unpleasant when somebody tries to negate Guan Shanâs presence in the story, and considers him a âreplacementâ for Jian Yi as He Tianâs subject of romance.
In the first place, weâve already had He Tian as Jian Yiâs close friend. While his interactions with Jian Yi may have been too insensible, I believe they serve to portray He Tianâs personality as someone who doesnât know to keep distance (instead of portraying him to have a crush on the blond). Through his observation, he acknowledges Jian Yiâs feelings for Zhan Zheng Xi, and respects his choice.
In the end, they are still good friends with each other, sharing advice and casual talks.
b. Honestly, until now, Iâm not even sure what He Tian is having in mind haha. As mentioned, there is not much display of inner thoughts in 19 Days, and we have to rely on the charactersâ expressions and words to guess. From what I managed to gather from the manhua so far, his shift of feelings towards Guan Shan might have gone like this:
Errand boy / threatening -> Befriending / offering help + continuous pestering
Getting to see Guan Shanâs likable sides & family background -> Better impression + sense of protection
Gradually growing fond of the redhead as time passes, hoping to see Guan Shan showing concern for him in return
If I were to guess, his feelings towards Guan Shan would be more like: plentiful of âprotectivenessâ and âaffectionâ, but not quite romantically yet.
c. In discuss of Guan Shanâs feelings to He Tian, we see a shift from despicable to irritation and confusion:
Annoyance of He Tianâs clinginess and continuous teasing (âuseless rich bratâ behaviour), but is getting used to it
Slight fear of He Tianâs occasional intimidating and threatening look
Partially influenced by He Tianâs presence in his dreams
Suspicion that He Tian is trying to control him
Gratitude and concern for He Tian, but doesnât express it outwardly / refusing to admit it
d. This relationship cannot just change at an instant, for the mutuality of feelings is what essential. It takes time, but they will get there eventually.
