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Xie Wang's micro expression was one of my favorite part in this scene. He witnessed the relationship of WenZhou that goes beyond life and death, that they will do anything to defend and protect each other. It was the thing he could never achieve with the person he loved, no matter how he lies to himself.

The envy in his eyes was so beautiful, it hurts. Things that are ordinary between WenZhou are something he has failed to receive in this life.

(Literally flirting in front of everyone 🙄)

"There is light in your body. I want to catch it."

It took me quite a while to understand this scene until I read the book. This was long overdue so apart from that, I want to believe that Wen Kexing sees Zhou Zhi Shu as his savior, like his god that he wants to protect until his last breath for overturning his life, changing his perception and for forgiving him through all his mistakes and regrets.

EP35 was a horror and beauty. It was lonesome and full of love. It was the moment when everyone was the most honest about themselves. Envy, greed, siblings love, sincerity and karma were all seen.

When this was introduced to me, I refused to watch it because I knew the novel was a bl but the series was a bromance & that upsets me. But a friend insisted that it was a good drama & I'm really longing for historical series so I gave it a shot, it was my first Chinese costume drama & so, I was confused why they fly. I had my friend explain the concept of wuxia & read more about the genre in ao3 (I'm seriously thankful to that account that explains all the wuxia stuff).

I really enjoyed it the first time I watched but at the same time, I was shocked by the amount of characters & I'm so bad at memorizing people's names plus the plot and characters were really complex (until I watched few other wuxia & it became easier cause there's a pattern in it). When I finally grasped the concept, I've watched it the second time & the rest that I missed to understand became clear. Even though there's 36 episodes, it felt really short.

I had a very low expectation because I was told the budget was low & I watch a lot of Japanese and Korean bl, I know what low budget means until I started the show. It wasn't as low budget as I expected, I've watched a few Chinese movies in the past so the cgi wasn't surprising to me, I realized the standard was based on the common Chinese costume dramas in the recent times which I only understood once I started to watch more. Also the quality of their costume was beautiful, I was in awe. Wen Kexing was beautiful, Zhou Zhi Shu has this flowy kind of robes that when he moves, it looks like he's one with the wind. Everyone looks good. I also love the Tian Chuang uniform.

Another low expectation was the relationship part. Since it was supposed to be bromance, I watched it like how I watch kdrama bromance but the more I try to ignore the thought, the more they look in love, especially when the chemistry is too strong. Even if I don't watch Chinese historical drama, I had a little bit of knowledge when it comes to items with special meanings. I'm talking about the hairpin, the shock on my face when wkx pins the hairpin to zzs's hair. That was not how normal friendship looks like and with zzs's declaration by saying "I don't know when you'll come but I'm sure you'll come." That's not just faith in there, that's more than that. Honestly, I was already going crazy when wxk was like "I don't see you as a friend, I see you as a soulmate" (tho later on I learned what zhiji is in Chinese way. It can be platonic & that's how they got away with it). They had a lot of suspicious activities like calling each other's names three times sounds like 'I love you'. But the hairpin was my peak... (pause the screen, take a deep breath "Is this a proposal?" Did zzs just accepted it?").

I watched a lot of good dramas last year & Word of Honor was one of the best, I'm still obsessed with it. Their relationship was refreshing to me. I just enjoyed that they're not good people, they can be selfish too and not care about anyone. And that's fine. I like that they're not acting like a hero but they are growing, learning together, slowly accepting their mistakes, their flaws and realizing that inspite of how they lived their lives that became their insecurities, they are loved and they're trying to believe it. I'm not gonna lie that my most favorite part about wenzhou are their suicidal tendecies that turned into "I want to live" in the end because they found each other and want to see each other for a long time. If that was not a romantic love, what was it?

1. Qi Ding Gui / Dig As Many Graves As You Need Baby by Chi-chi- chimaera (gestalt1)

Was so impressed by how it was written. The details, the imagination, it felt so original. Even the OCs are interesting. Wen Kexing took a long time to appear & I didn't even felt the lack of his existence. I was enjoying Zhou Xu building his new life & power. All the rules and survival method in Ghost Valley felt fun to read, it can be an entire movie. Wen Kexing's authority was felt really hard, tenfolds. Intimidating, terrifying, insanity. We know Kexing can be insane & I love how the author delivered it plus how Zhou Xu reacts to it. A pair of insane people that can keep everyone on their toes.

2. The Long Road Home by demoniqt

Super sentimental. So soft as if their cradling wenzhou in their arms. This time traveling was healing, cleansing and purity to me. All the what-ifs if the world wasn't harsh to them. A different life for wenzhou if they've set things right and people wondering how they fell in love. It's the only fic I've read again and again.

3. To Be Alive is Fortune, To Be Loved is Too Much by cassisluna

This was too short but enough at the same time. It was a simple memory loss themed fic. Just them discovering each other's characteristics before they met each other and rediscovering their feelings for each other. Funny that they can fall in love with each other in less than 24 hours. There's got to be a better word than zhiji to describe their relationship.

4. Sanguine by jaemyun

This was recommended by a friend when I was pretty new in the fandom. No wonder this was one of the most kudosed shl fic, it was really good, everyone's favorite. Who doesn't love the mixture of yearning, romance thrill, secret relationship, and an explosive revelation? I'm sure I rolled in my bed so many times in every revelation. A little bit of tears and a lot of squealing, this was a happy pill to me. The author wrote it so well!

5. Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light by Madcap_Miss

A post-32 when ZZS thought WKX died. I've read three fics like this taking the same route, and I chose this as the best interpretation if Zhi Shu handled Kexing's revenge for him (after the fake death). It was brutally detailed, the gore parts were written really well, I can picture it out. Was dying along Zhi Shu's misery though we all know Kexing was alive.

6. No One Understands the Chemistry We Have by livinginaworldofnoise

Modern, one-shot. I think the author was drunk (positive) when writing this, it was just hilarious. Idk if my humor is broke or the author is really funny. I read this again before adding it here and I was still laughing hard. I rarely comment (I apologize) but I just couldn't help praising this author that I had to write a comment on how witty they are.

7. The Tiger and Its Skin by manic_intent

This author should write a novel. They wrote it like a novel, actually. It's a transmigration to non-wuxia and arranged marriage. It had me holding a grudge against the original Wen Kexing (No, ily). I don't have a lot of danmei to compare since I only read a few so for me, it really felt like one. The dynamic of this ZZS & WKX works really well. In every universe, whether WKX is kind or ruthless, ZZS will always be perfect for him.

8. How To Polish A Pearl by LL Zhass

This was a tough read at first. Trigger warning, think twice before reading. It was so miserable and scary. Forced Marriage. I was terrified and also intrigued. The author's character development was done well. I honestly could not predict how Zhi Shu ended up in Ghost Valley. I was terrified for his life. The revelation parts was amazing.

9. Through the Years With You by rivervention

Too short but the heartache was longer. It's life in immortality to modern days until the end. This was the kind of wenzhou that I yearn for. I want more immortal wenzhou reaching the modern era. What will they be doing? How will their life together without anyone left? This is so far, the only chaptered fic of immortal wenzhou to modern era that I found and it was written so well, I cried. Recommend me this kind of fic please 😭🙏

10. We Were Rivers, We Were Moonlight by silk_suture

Another arranged marriage theme that I got obsessed with. Sort of enemies to lovers though we all know in wenzhou's attraction to each other, it never lasts for long. Very political. The relationship development was amazing. ZZS is not so ZZS in here because he's going through something and it was understandable.

11. If We Are Fated by danveresque

The second fic I read where I cried every chapter (I didn't include my first one on this list). Immortality to modern era but there's only ZZS, I kept reading cause I wanted to know how in the world the author thought that it was fun killing one of them. The author has a talent for angst, should've just stabbed me.

12. Til Death Do Us Part by alipeeps

Do I say it again? Arranged Marriage (warprize). Kind of the opposite situation of recommendation #10 though they have zero similarities. This was thrilling, the build up of their relationship was even fun. I'm sorry I'm obsessed with WenZhou arranged marriage aus.

13. Perhaps It's Free Love by xiaokafei

I'm also obsessed with yearnings so this one worked on me as well. Modern. They sort of have familiality so that's their problem. More like ZZS's problem. And WKX is older so it felt brand new & ticklish when ZZS calls WKX 'ge'.

If we have Zhi Shu, we will not die. He even has explosives & mechanisms there. He's so funny.

Writing this as an excuse to list the amount of Japanese BL I fell in love with.

Listing 5 series per post because life is too busy

Random rambling. I just need to let some thoughts out my chest.

Link for: Part 1 Part 2

11. When It Rains, It Pours

The melodramatic mood was attractive. It was full of yearning and outside their emotional turmoil for each other, they're living a strange life.

Despite the full on penpal communication, their chemistry was effective even when they brush off each other, not knowing each other's identity.

The "I don't want coffee, I want you" line's going to be in my most iconic line in the history of BL. I really hoped they'd delve into the possibility of cheating but they have great conscience and fixed themselves before it runs deeply.

The writing was clever, there's no sign of guilt or anger that should be felt by the viewers with all the decisions made by the main characters. It should've been longer, need more of them.

📍5/5

Genre: Cheating, Workforce, Penpal

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 7

Website to watch: Gagaoolala, Viki

12. Pornographer

Can't believe I watched this too late. And I also can't believe that even when this was released years ago (2018), the cinematography was very good that it looks like it is something that could be released in this era.

It was explicit, something I did not expect after watching tons of cutesy these days. I know Japan can do that, it's just the contents are too mild currently that seeing this, I was baffled. And as someone who can't deal with sex scenes 70% of the time, they made the scenes beautiful. Not disgusting at all. Besides, everyone's acting skills was really good. Particularly in the Indigo season at the funeral, it was unforgettable.

The first season was great however, the second season was much more interesting and really annoying (positive). The ending scene was so good when they finally returned us to the original timeline and Kijima and Kuzumi looked so happy while Kido was looking afar in pain after all the decision he's made. It was very realistic.

(The -.5 was for the movie, it wasn't as exciting as the first two seasons. Kijima kept creating new problem.)

📍4.5/5

Genre: Psychological, Age Gap, Explicit

Seasons: S1, S2, Special Episode (Spring Life), Movie, Special Episode (Continued Spring Life)

Episodes: 6 (S1) + 6 (S2)

Website to watch: Gagaoolala, WeTV, Viki

13. Tokyo In April Is..

No one talks about it a lot so it must be pretty underrated.

Trauma angst concepts are fun. It's thrilling when it's delivered well. The idea was really interesting that it could keep the viewers patiently wait for the mystery of their past. Their story was so heartaching and their moments were perfectly bittersweet, especially the wrist kiss or just when they hug. They miss each other so bad, I need few seconds to breathe.

The yearning and longing they had for each other was what really drew me in. As a certified fool for yearning concept, this was inescapable for me.

(-1 for the acting skills. The drama was too serious that the actors should've been more skilled, sometimes a heavy scene could be ruined because of it. Saved by the chemistry.)

📍4/5

Genre: Past High School Romance, Trauma, Second Chance, Workforce

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 8

Website to watch: Gagaoolala, Viki

14. Life: Love On The Line

The kind of drama that will fix you, ruin you and fix you again. They just don't have an in between.

Short series but their long relationship felt like I was with them the whole time. It was a heartbreaking type where as a viewer, you'll shed a tear and curse as well. I need a drink (I can't, I don't drink alcohol).

There's no specific word to describe how amazing this was written. Their delivery & chemistry was overwhelming. This will forever be etched to my heart.

📍5/5

Genre: High School Romance to Adulthood, Time Skips

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 4, Movie Version (Director's Cut)

Website to watch: Gagaoolala, WeTV, Viki

15. My Personal Weatherman

Will you believe that I didn't care about this the first time I watched it? I decided to watch the series I wasn't really into then realized too late that they were actually dating from the start, Yoh was just not aware of it. I trusted his POV so much, I was blinded. It's their way of communication's fault honestly.

To watch it 3 times gives better view of how they see each other. And it doesn't matter whether Segasaki is toxic based on what some of the viewers has said, the most important thing is both of them are freaks for each other and no one wants to be saved.

With their personalities, they should stick together for the rest of their lives.

📍4.5/5

Genre: Old University Schoolmates, Cohabitation, Misunderstanding, Miscommunication

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 8

I didn't know they actually shoot the scene, I would've died if they picked the second version.

If there's still anyone alive in this fandom, any recommendation of your favorites please?

The only sad part is that one day, Zhishu & Kexing will have to experience that loss instead, when their child grows old and he reaches the end of a human lifespan.

I keep thinking about how Zhi Shu dealt this moment. He once lost Kexing, thought his zhiji died. Ready to risk it all and die with him after seeking revenge. Then when everything seems to be alright, it (almost) happened again.

I bet just seeing Kexing passed out in his white hair traumatized Zhishu so bad.

He had been su*cidal from the beginning, found his soulmate, decided to find a way to live again and it became a cycle.

I'd probably breakdown and punch Wen Kexing once but Zhi Shu is a patient man so I guess he'll just give him a hug and cry.

Can you believe I only found this drama in 2025? Its really never too late to find a masterpiece. I cried so much in this scene, not as much as when A-Xiang died but too much when I learned about the silent 'Ai Ni'.