[Mainland Chinese Drama 2019] Gank Your Heart 陪你到世界之巅

[themarchioness]

4 hours ago, raziela said:

I do understand your point but I think they could have covered the plot and showed their romantic relationship a little more. Obviously it didn't help that they threw a Miya shaped scanner in the works so the OTP were broken up for the last four episodes. We only really got 5 episodes of them dating and there was so much other plot to cram in during those scenes.

 

I hear you and I feel you, I do, I really, really do.  I think general consensus is we loved these characters so much we would've liked to have seen MORE.  I know I do.  Just give us more of them being happy, sweet, and cutesy, please!!  But on the other hand, I guess it's kind of like a bag of chips?  Whenever you get the snack size, you want more, but when you get the full size bag, it doesn't take long to get sick of them.  So maybe that's what the drama was doing to us... they were giving us the snack sized bag of JXK and QY!    

 

4 hours ago, raziela said:

I thought that this was a one-shot deal also.  But I suppose as [Sun Ge] is integrated into the team and clearly still has his skills they don't see any reason for him to leave just yet.  It's not like Gu Fang who was clearly deteriorating as a player.  In the meantime, they can start to take on some reserve players and build up the strength of the team. I also found the whole you are over the hill at 30 in e-sports a bit much. The drama acts like hitting 30+ is a step away from losing all your physical and mental faculties.  I just don't find it believable that a game which relies on reflexes and using your brain would be that different for a 25 and a 30 year old.  It's not like they are gymnasts or something! 

 

I'm sure it depends on the individual versus there being a clear cut off like, "You're 30, you're old, so get out."  But I don't think its unrealistic either to think that your prime years are going to be when you're younger and that it gets harder as you age.  The reality is people's reflexes will get slower as they get older.  In the case of an esports athlete, I would also imagine that the hands would become aged from years of practice, training, and playing; and that the body would lose stamina as a whole.  Even one year can make a difference the older you get, so I don't think it's that crazy a notion.  Aging out was a concept explored in "The King's Avatar" as well.  But as was noted in both dramas, speed and reflex aren’t everything so I think it's possible for players to bring different skill sets to a team and still be competitive and formidable, even if they are an older player.

 

4 hours ago, raziela said:

Yes, please do write it. I would love to read your fanfic as I really need more of this couple.  No pressure, of course

 

*whispers*  Okay.... 

 

19 hours ago, skibbies said:

I did find the fact she paid down payment for a pretty spacious apartment in what looks like Shanghai? kind of hilariously impossible. Even if it's in Hangzhou or something, it's pretty outrageous, but she could have had a insurance money/trust fund left by mum (I've seen this before in novels...). 

 

I'm glad it wasn't just me.  And I can only assume YY had help from her family because when QY moved in with her and we saw what her place looked like, i found it even more incredulous than QY's.  It had two levels.  Even if the second floor turns out to be a loft (can't say for certain since we never saw it), it suggests she had at least had two bedrooms.  That could not have been cheap!  As for where the drama was set, I think (?) the drama was hinting at Shanghai.  But as for where it was actually filmed, it was definitely filmed at least in part in Hangzhou.  I like looking up locations to see if I can find the real place and I know Hellolala Cafe is in Hangzhou.  I think that convenience store where QY gets drunk is too. I was also able to locate one of the bars where they would sometimes hang out, but I can't remember where it was located now.   

[raziela]

2 hours ago, themarchioness said:

I hear you and I feel you, I do, I really, really do.  I think general consensus is we loved these characters so much we would've liked to have seen MORE.  I know I do.  Just give us more of them being happy, sweet, and cutesy, please!!  But on the other hand, I guess it's kind of like a bag of chips?  Whenever you get the snack size, you want more, but when you get the full size bag, it doesn't take long to get sick of them.  So maybe that's what the drama was doing to us... they were giving us the snack sized bag of JXK and QY!    

Glad you understand how I feel! I just wanted MORE! 

 

2 hours ago, themarchioness said:

I'm sure it depends on the individual versus there being a clear cut off like, "You're 30, you're old, so get out."  But I don't think its unrealistic either to think that your prime years are going to be when you're younger and that it gets harder as you age.  The reality is people's reflexes will get slower as they get older.  In the case of an esports athlete, I would also imagine that the hands would become aged from years of practice, training, and playing; and that the body would lose stamina as a whole.  Even one year can make a difference the older you get, so I don't think it's that crazy a notion.  Aging out was a concept explored in "The King's Avatar" as well.  But as was noted in both dramas, speed and reflex aren’t everything so I think it's possible for players to bring different skill sets to a team and still be competitive and formidable, even if they are an older player.

You do make a good point about the effect on the hands.  They would be susceptible to wrist, elbow, back and finger injuries and years and years of this probably would speed up deterioration even if they are only in their early 30s.

 

22 hours ago, skibbies said:

Anyways, she's younger in the book, still in university and no apartment to her name, she just rent a place, because streaming in dorms is inconvenient. Being a streamer is actually the highest paying part time job she could find, which I find fairly believable. She mostly use it to pay for rent and university (which depending how well she did in university entrance exam, could be pretty cheap, first tier universities are all public universities I think, they are all subsidised. e.g. Fudan University, cursory search seems to say 5~6k rmb/year. Generally private universities might be 10~20k?).

Thanks for the background in the book.  That sounds plausible.

[themarchioness]

I keep forgetting to mention that ever since GYH, and discovering Wang Yibo, I’ve been watching random episodes of “Day Day Up,” a Chinese variety show, because Yibo is one of the hosts of the show. Anyway, imagine my surprise when I clicked on an episode from 2016 and discovered that at that time, they had an “intern” helping them on the show and it was none other than the actor who played Pei Xi! 

 

It delights me to think that the two actors already knew each other from before they started filming, just as it still amuses me to think that the actress playing Yi Yi was one of Yibo’s “students” from Produce 101 (China).  

[skibbies]

7 hours ago, themarchioness said:

I'm glad it wasn't just me.  And I can only assume YY had help from her family because when QY moved in with her and we saw what her place looked like, i found it even more incredulous than QY's.  It had two levels.  Even if the second floor turns out to be a loft (can't say for certain since we never saw it), it suggests she had at least had two bedrooms.  That could not have been cheap!  As for where the drama was set, I think (?) the drama was hinting at Shanghai.  But as for where it was actually filmed, it was definitely filmed at least in part in Hangzhou.  I like looking up locations to see if I can find the real place and I know Hellolala Cafe is in Hangzhou.  I think that convenience store where QY gets drunk is too. I was also able to locate one of the bars where they would sometimes hang out, but I can't remember where it was located now.   

I clearly remember Yiyi saying Qiu Ying's apartment was bigger than hers too, and I was SO confused when we finally saw YY's place, because it's definitely bigger! She had a kitchen, a dining room, a little sitting space in addition to a proper living room, excuse me? I do think it's just a loft and they are probably sharing a bed, so upstairs might just be bed and little bit of wardrobe space. Since there's no reason YY would have a two bedroom place and no roommate. I also got the impression YY rents the place, since she was jealous that QY paid for her own apartment. Still expensive and there's little reason why early 20s would rent a loft, since YY is not a streamer. But I know that's nitpicking XD

 

I assumed it was Shanghai because other cities probably don't have TWO top tier esport team in their city. But dramas set in Shanghai usually have fairly clear indication they are set there (see the other two esport dramas), I'm guessing they purposely blurred out the setting. I think it's possible to pay down payments for QY's place in a second tier city, just not anywhere in the Yangtze River delta, because it's too expensive. Maybe it's second handed (even though it doesn't look like it :P)?

[raziela]

Please can anyone explain to me regarding the revelations in episode 28 about Li Gan borrowing against a mortgage (I think) to pay for the trip to Canada?  I don't understand why Sun Ge decided to leave the team because of it. *confused*

[skibbies]

On 9/13/2019 at 8:35 AM, raziela said:

Please can anyone explain to me regarding the revelations in episode 28 about Li Gan borrowing against a mortgage (I think) to pay for the trip to Canada?  I don't understand why Sun Ge decided to leave the team because of it. *confused*

Right after the flashback between Li Gan and Summer, Summer mention (to XK and QY) Li Gan basically used the 300k to force Sun Ge to leave, because he had a massive crush on Shu Wen. Sun Ge knew it was everyone's dream to go, so he used the excuse that his parents weren't well and need to help out with family to quit. To Shu Wen, he was a quitter due to that (and broke their promise) and never quite forgave him.

 

Unrelated, I totally forgot to mention. While I was watching the drama, somewhere around when XK was at VNG. we noticed the team uniform in OP but we totally couldn't recognise half the team, eventually pin point Sun Ge, pinpointed Xia Ling way later. Anyways, I totally thought that the Pioneer team would pool money together for Phenix? For Sun Ge, for their world championship dream, and also because XK was like Gu Fang's handpicked protege, Pei Xi is obviously related to Summer, Shu Wen already knows half the team and could be team coach, Luo Tian is little distant but is still pretty related to the team. They would all have saving and all too, but that never happened, I was pretty surprised. I mean they gave their base to them, so it was passing along, and they totally helped too, but I expected financially too??

[raziela]

21 hours ago, skibbies said:

Right after the flashback between Li Gan and Summer, Summer mention (to XK and QY) Li Gan basically used the 300k to force Sun Ge to leave, because he had a massive crush on Shu Wen. Sun Ge knew it was everyone's dream to go, so he used the excuse that his parents weren't well and need to help out with family to quit. To Shu Wen, he was a quitter due to that (and broke their promise) and never quite forgave him.

Thank you for replying!  So Li Gan basically wouldn't have given them money unless Sun Ge left?  What a snake!

 

21 hours ago, skibbies said:

Unrelated, I totally forgot to mention. While I was watching the drama, somewhere around when XK was at VNG. we noticed the team uniform in OP but we totally couldn't recognise half the team, eventually pin point Sun Ge, pinpointed Xia Ling way later. Anyways, I totally thought that the Pioneer team would pool money together for Phenix? For Sun Ge, for their world championship dream, and also because XK was like Gu Fang's handpicked protege, Pei Xi is obviously related to Summer, Shu Wen already knows half the team and could be team coach, Luo Tian is little distant but is still pretty related to the team. They would all have saving and all too, but that never happened, I was pretty surprised. I mean they gave their base to them, so it was passing along, and they totally helped too, but I expected financially too??

So did I! Or at least to give XK a hand when he pawned everything and even his beloved bike to pay YX's contract fee. 

Maybe they offered and XK turned them down out of pride? Or maybe they didn't have the money?  None of them seemed to be particularly well off except maybe Luo Tian and Gu Fang. 

 

I mentioned earlier I was also surprised Shu wen didn't become their coach.

 

[themarchioness]

Sorry... no recaps this week, but I think you'll all forgive me when you see what I have been working on instead.   

 

Many thanks to @lynne22 for serving as my guinea pig and to @phikyl as well for her technical assistance regarding the game.  Any errors in that regard are entirely my own and have nothing to do with her; well, that, and literary license.   

 

Anyway, for those of you who wanted an "extra" scene of XK and QY after the world championships to see how they got back together, and for those of you who also wondered where QY would go after the world championships, I present to you my fanfic version of those events:

 

A Phoenix's Love

 

Spoiler

 

A Phoenix’s Love

 

 

Considering the celebrations and festivities from the night before, it was a fairly early hour when Ji Xiang Kong headed to the hotel lobby with his suitcase to wait for the rest of his team members.  After all, there were still two hours until the hotel’s check-out time.  When he arrived to the lobby, he checked his phone for any messages, but there were none.  At least, none from the one person he was expecting to hear from.  Bouncing the phone in his palm before tucking it back into his back pocket, Xiang Kong wasn’t overly concerned.  He looked forward to her appearing before him at any moment.

 

Except when almost half an hour had passed and the only people who had joined him were his Phoenix teammates and Shu Wen Jie, he had to wonder what was going on.  Shu Wen, as the team’s manager, returned at that moment advising that she’d completed the hotel check out process for all of them, and so Xiang Kong nodded his head in the direction of the door, motioning to everyone that they could start heading towards the team’s van.

 

When Xia Ling walked past, however, he reached out and stopped the younger fellow by placing a palm against his chest, and asked, “What about Qiu Ying?”

 

“What about my Jie?” Xia Ling returned.

 

“Why didn’t she come down?  Isn’t she coming back with us?”

 

Xia Ling looked at his team captain in confusion, wondering why he was asking him these questions and certain that he should’ve already known.  “Don’t you know?  She checked out with the GDV team over an hour ago.” 

 

“What?”  In shock and disbelief, Xiang Kong handed his suitcase over to Xia Ling and instructed him to take it to the waiting van, and then headed towards the elevators. 

 

When he arrived to the floor where Qiu Ying had stayed with her GDV co-workers, he was still thinking about how he distinctly recalled dropping her off outside her room the night before and telling her that he’d see her the next morning in the lobby at 10 am.  Not willing to believe that she would’ve ignored him without saying a word, he walked up to the door of her hotel room and knocked loudly.  When there was no answer, he looked around and noticed a housekeeper working a few doors down.  After inquiring with her, however, she confirmed that the guest in Qiu Ying’s room had indeed already checked out of the hotel. 

 

It was a dazed Xiang Kong who, moments later, climbed into the Phoenix team van.  His Sun Ge, Sun Ze Yi, asked if everything was alright.  Not willing to admit that he’d been stood up, especially after Qiu Ying had spent the entire evening the night before helping the team celebrate their win of the world championships, he lied and told them it was nothing.  That he had just gone back upstairs because he’d remembered he’d left something behind in his room. 

 

Yi Xing leaned forward in his seat, looking like he had something to say to Xiang Kong, but Sun Ge shook his head at him and motioned for him to sit back down.  Like an obedient but resigned child, Yi Xing settled back into his seat while Pei Xi looked outside the van’s side windows totally unconcerned, as was typical for him.  Sun Ge and Shu Wen traded looks before she instructed the driver that he could take off now, and only Xia Ling sat staring straight ahead.  Xiang Kong knew he had to know where his sister was, but pride prevented him from asking just as he knew Xia Ling would never say.

 

When they returned to the Phoenix training base, Pei Xi headed directly for the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.  For the past several days, all he had done was complain about the quality of the hotel’s coffee and how he couldn’t wait to have a taste of his own.  He asked the others if they wanted a cup, but Yi Xing was already collapsed on the living room sofa declaring that it was good to be home and that he never wanted to move again.  Xia Ling nudged at him to make room for him, and Sun Ge announced that he and Shu Wen were going to head over to The King to check on things there.  He also warned that he might not be back until later, so they should fend for themselves for dinner that evening, and everyone understood what that meant.

 

Only Xiang Kong rolled his suitcase quietly upstairs to put away his things.  He came back downstairs not even fifteen minutes later though and empty handed, but for his phone in his hand.  Pei Xi was just putting the finishing touches on his cup of coffee and again asked if he wanted one, but Xiang Kong told him he was also heading out and wouldn’t be back until later. 

 

Yi Xing called out from the couch, “Kong Ge, wait up a second,” but Xiang Kong was already on a single-minded mission and didn’t even stop to acknowledge his best friend.  When the front door shuttered loudly behind him, Yi Xing turned back to the remaining members and asked, “What’s the situation right now?  Is he going after Qiu Ying?  What’s wrong with them?  I thought they made up already.” 

 

Xia Ling shook his head with knowing amusement, while Pei Xi took a savoring sip of his coffee and became instantaneously lost in his own world. 

 

When all Yi Xing got was silence from his friends and teammates, he stood up and grabbed the handle of his suitcase.  Dragging his suitcase in the direction of his bedroom, he told them he was going to call Lu Yi Yi to find out what was going on. 

 

“You’re so nosy.  Don’t get involved,” Xia Ling called after him, but Yi Xing didn’t care.

 

Unfortunately for Yi Xing, by the time he contacted Yi Yi, she was already occupied and too busy to answer his phone call. 

 

With her arms crossed and her body guarding the entrance like a barricade, Yi Yi demanded to know what business Xiang Kong had standing outside her apartment door.  Mustering all the patience that he had inside him, which was always a necessary action when dealing with the likes of the Great Reporter Lu, he explained that he just wanted to see Qiu Ying for a minute and asked if she was inside. 

 

“Can I talk to her?”

 

“She’s not here.” 

 

When she noticed how Xiang Kong was looking around her, as if trying to see past her to scan the insides of her apartment, she poked him in the chest and asked, “Wei, what do you think you’re doing?  Do you not believe me?”

 

Returning his gaze to her, he answered frankly, “No.”

 

Turning back to beyond her shoulder, he called out to the inside, “Qiu Ying!  Come out for a second.  I have something I want to say to you!”

 

“Qiu Ying’s really not here,” Yi Yi told him, yanking his attention back to her.  “If she was, do you think I would’ve answered the door?  As if!  I’d have yelled through it and told you to get lost.”

 

Poor Xiang Kong could only stand there confused and frustrated as he recalled how Yi Yi had also spent the evening before with the team, celebrating their win of the world championships.  Had something happened in the span of one night, since the time that he and Qiu Ying had reunited on the world’s biggest stage and Yi Yi had joined Yi Xing there as well, that he didn’t know about? 

 

When he posed essentially the same question to Yi Yi, she told him, “Oh, you think one hug on stage is going to make up for all that you put Qiu Ying through with the Miya stuff?  She may be ready and willing to forgive you, but I’m not so generous.  I’ll reserve judgment and wait to see how you treat her from here on out.” 

 

Xiang Kong tried not to roll his eyes at her as he then fought to explain how she had the wrong idea about things, and that he had never forsaken Qiu Ying.  But Yi Yi’s only response was to hold up her hand and tell him to stop.  In an almost bored expression, she told him to save his explanations for Qiu Ying because she wasn’t the person who needed to hear them and then stated to shut the front door. 

 

Xiang Kong quickly shoved his body in between the door and its frame, preventing Yi Yi from closing it all the way.  “Please, if she’s not here, tell me.  Where is she?”

 

“What are you doing?  Get out!  Get out!  Stop blocking my door!”

 

“Wait a second.  If you don’t tell me where she is, how can I talk to her?  Lu Yi Yi, where is Qiu Ying?”

 

Stomping on Xiang Kong’s feet and shoving at his body to remove the wedge that it had formed, she told him, “Why don’t you try contacting her to ask?” and then she really did shut the door in his face. 

 

Left without a choice, Xiang Kong returned to the parking lot outside Yi Yi’s apartment building and thought about where he should go next.  He didn’t think she’d go to Hellolala Café, not with her suitcase at least, but it was the only other place he could think of in that moment, so he headed there next.

 

When he arrived to the café, they had only just opened their doors for the day.  A quick glance inside revealed that Qiu Ying was, as anticipated, not inside.  Xiang Kong didn’t care go inside though.  Their favorite waiter was inside and he would surely have something to say.  Xiang Kong didn’t want to hear it.  He’d already heard an earful from Lu Yi Yi.

 

Standing outside Hellolala Café, Xiang Kong put his hands on his hips and wondered if Qiu Ying might have gone to her parents’.  It was a possibility, but it didn’t seem plausible given how she’d moved out all those years before.  Then an unbidden thought came to him and the face of Luo Tian flashed through his eyes.  Xiang Kong reacted viscerally, and quickly shook his head to banish the thought.  If Qiu Ying was unlikely to go to her parents’, she was even less likely to go home with Luo Tian.  That simply wasn’t possible.

 

But what about Dream Journey?

 

It wasn’t out of the realms of possibility, Xiang Kong decided.  Summer had always had a soft spot for Qiu Ying and with Pei Xi staying primarily at their training base, he likely had the room.  The only thing was, as Xiang Kong would belatedly realize, in coming to Dream Journey to look for Qiu Ying, he would also have to deal with his Summer Ge.

 

“What’s the matter?” Summer asked with teasing amusement.  “Did you lose your girlfriend?”

 

Xiang Kong was never sure how he managed it, especially given how Pei Xi’s lips were like a sealed tomb, but Summer always seemed to be on the cutting edge of gossip. 

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  I just stopped by to see how thing at Dream Journey were going.”

 

“Ohhhhh,” Summer drawled with a knowing sound.  “On the morning after you win the world championship, the first thing you think about is Dream Journey and you wonder how we’re doing.  Why does that sound so . . . not believable?” 

 

Their conversation was interrupted briefly when some regulars arrived for their daily camp out at Dream Journey.  Through Qiu Ying, Xiang Kong had also gotten to know Fei Mao and Shou Hou Zi, so he took the time to relive the excitement of the world championship finals with them.  After they were finally satisfied, they let Xiang Kong and Summer return to their earlier conversation where Summer commented, “Why do I seem to recall that you never come here unless you’re looking for Qiu Ying?” 

 

“That’s not true.  I’ve come here to look for Pei Xi before.”

 

“Except where is Pei Xi right now?  He’s at the training base, isn’t it?  And I bet the first thing he did was brew himself a cup of coffee, that little rascal.”

 

With Qiu Ying obviously not there and this conversation going absolutely nowhere, Xiang Kong took his leave.  Still snickering behind him, Summer waved enthusiastically and called after him, “Come back and visit, and good-luck!”

 

Standing at the glass railing just outside of Dream Journey, Xiang Kong wondered where he should go next.  While he was still pondering that question, a long ago memory came to him.  He remembered how he’d also once stood there waiting for her on the day she became an official employee at Dream Journey.  He sighed and thought about how much simpler those days were.  But then again, he reminded himself, those were also the days before there was a “them.”

 

Wanting to make sure there was still a “them,” Xiang Kong pressed on.

 

 

//-//

 

Around that same time, Qiu Ying arrived to the Phoenix training base.  When she walked past the entryway and noticed how quiet it was inside, she asked, “Where is everybody?”

 

Still on the couch, Xia Ling greeted her with a, “Jie.”  Pei Xi asked from the kitchen counter whether she wanted a cup of coffee, and Yi Xing came running out of his room at the sound of her voice.  “Qiu Ying?  Is that you?  What are you doing here?  Where did you go?  Have you seen Kong Ge?  He went looking for you.  Didn’t you know?”

 

“Xiang Kong’s not here?”

 

“What’s wrong with you two?” Yi Xing whined.  “My Kong Ge has been terribly anxious ever since he discovered that you weren’t at the hotel this morning.  Where did you go?  Where are you staying?  Kong Ge didn’t even say two words before rushing back out the door after we returned here.  Are you sure you haven’t heard from him?”

 

“No,” Qiu Ying answered all perplexed and flustered.  She never imagined she would be the root of so much commotion.  “He hasn’t called or messaged me,” she continued, and then pulled out her phone to show them, but when they all peered at the tiny device, they realized.  It was off!

 

“When did it turn off?” Qiu Ying wondered.

 

“Is it out of battery?” her brother asked. 

 

“That can’t be,” she answered.  “But I guess so?”

 

Yi Xing, on the other hand, was already on his phone.  Sending a voice message, he said, “Kong Ge, Kong Ge, you’d better hurry back immediately.  Qiu Ying’s here and she’s looking for you.  Where are you?”

 

//-//

 

 

When Xiang Kong received Yi Xing’s message, he returned immediately.  The first thing he noticed though was she was there without her suitcase, so where was she staying?

 

With the adrenalin from yesterday’s win long over, and the celebrations and festivities also concluded, Xiang Kong and Qiu Ying couldn’t help but greet each other awkwardly now that it was broad daylight and others were around.  Xiang Kong stood with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets and noticed how Pei Xi had suddenly started wiping down the kitchen counters with utter precision and care, as if even the presence of a speck of dust would be considered a crime.  Yi Xing was whistling and wandering around the living room, pretending like he didn’t have a care in the world and wasn’t listening in.  Xia Ling, however, didn’t even bother to hide the fact that he found Xiang Kong in the doghouse thoroughly entertaining to watch. 

 

Deliberately turning his back against his teammates, Xiang Kong suggested to Qiu Ying, “Let’s go out to talk.”

 

As they walked to the nearby park, Xiang Kong observed rather obviously, “You came.”

 

“Mm,” Qiu Ying agreed.  “I wanted to see how everyone was doing.”  Especially you.  Although she left that unsaid.

 

“I thought,” Xiang Kong started to say.  And then said instead, “You didn’t meet me in the lobby this morning.”

 

“Ah?” Qiu Ying asked, genuinely confused.

 

“Don’t you remember?  When I walked you back last night, I told you to meet me in the hotel lobby this morning at 10 am.”

 

“You did?”  Qiu Ying scratched at her forehead and grinned at him sheepishly before admitting, “I don’t remember, sorry.  I think I must’ve had too much to drink at the party last night.  I don’t even remember how I went to bed after I got back yesterday.  I only know that Luo Tian called to wake me up this morning and remind that it was time to check out.” 

 

Xiang Kong sighed and thought about how he should’ve realized, with her poor alcohol tolerance, that she might not have been as sober as she’d seemed the night before. 

 

“It’s fine,” he told her as they took their seats on a park bench. 

 

For two people who’d never lacked for anything to talk about in the past, they now sat side by side in awkward silence.  It was as is if they were two players lost in the jungle of the iConquer game.  Open to sneak attacks from the other side, and separated from the other members of their team.  Maybe it would’ve been easier if they’d stuck to the lanes, working their way steadily through the game by killing minions from the other team, earning gold, and developing their heroes until it was time to battle the other side and take down their towers. 

 

Their problem was, in reuniting on stage as they had in front of the entire world, and in spending the evening before side by side celebrating the team’s win, to others, it might look like they were back together, but for them, they knew, their relationship was far from repaired.  It wasn’t enough that they wanted to be together, or were together, there were still things that needed to be said and matters to be settled. 

 

Xiang Kong wasn’t a master tactician for nothing though.  They might have started in the middle, but he would adjust his approach accordingly.

 

“Actually.”

 

“How is?”

 

Naturally, by the time both Xiang Kong and Qiu Ying decided to break the silence, they spoke at the same time. 

 

“It’s okay.  You go first,” Xiang Kong told her.

 

“I was wondering.  How is Miya?  I saw her backstage with you yesterday.”

 

“She’s doing much better,” Xiang Kong answered.  “Her eyesight has returned and she can see again.”

 

“That’s . . . great.”  Inside, Qiu Ying knew she should be happy to hear this news.  But instead she wondered if this was the only reason Xiang Kong had returned to her side and if that was the case, she didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about that.  Even if Xiang Kong did choose her, she was afraid there would forever be the shadow of Miya between them.

 

 “Yesterday, when you saw us, she was apologizing.  To the both of us.  She used her illness to keep me by her side, but in truth, I’d figured out already that her eyes were healed.  It was just with the competition ahead of me, I didn’t have the time to deal with that.  When she asked me to pass on her apologies to you, she also said she hoped it wouldn’t be too late.  Do you know what I said to that?”

 

“What?”

 

“I told her that I’d never given you up.”

 

When she heard his answer, a smile rose unbidden on Qiu Ying’s face.  But she looked down to hide it.  Although she couldn’t prevent the small kernel of warmth that was starting to spread within, she still wanted to hear the rest of what he had to say.

 

“I also told her that when the competition was over, I’d explain things clearly to you.  You already know.  Miya wasn’t just my first girlfriend; she’s someone I grew up with.  For many years, all we had were each other.  But at a certain point, because of our dreams, our paths started to diverge.  In order for her to find success, I knew.  We had to break up.  And because I knew Miya would never be able to do that, I did it for her.  Was that a sacrifice?  I never thought of it that way.  From the moment I walked away from her, I knew we were two people who would belong to different worlds and that’s simply how it had to be.  For Miya, though, the memories of our past were all that she had to sustain her in these years in between and she couldn’t help but think that it was because of my decisions back then, that she now had her current fame.  That’s why, the first time she returned, she wanted us to get back together.  The only problem was, I’d moved on, but she hadn’t. 

 

“After I made clear to her where my heart lay, Miya accepted that decision and left.  As you know, it was only because of her accident that we had any contact.  As you also know, because she has no family of her own, and I am essentially her closest kin, I had to stay by her side.  That doesn’t mean though that I returned to her side. 

 

“Miya . . . she’s like a family member to me.  I can’t promise that she won’t pop up in my life again, but what I can promise you is that the person I want to be with is you, and that has never changed from the minute we met.  I hope you can understand why Miya will always be a part of my life and I also hope you won’t be upset over the things that happened these past few weeks.”

 

Carefully considering her words, Qiu Ying thought about what she wanted to say and how she was going to say them.  When she finally spoke, she said, “I wasn’t upset about all the time you spent with Miya.  I also know that on some level, you will always have a connection.  These are things, though, that have never bothered me because I do know how you feel about me.  What I was disappointed about was the way in which you closed me off, and refused to talk to me during that time or share your burden.

 

“I know what you were thinking.  You were thinking that Miya was your responsibility to bear.  You were also wondering, if Miya really did become handicapped for the rest of her life, how you were going to fit the both of us in your lives.  If you’d asked, I would’ve told you we would face it together.  Just as we have faced everything else together.  But you didn’t ask, wouldn’t ask, because you had some ‘noble’ idea of not wanting to burden me with what you considered to be your own problem.”

 

“Weren’t you the same?  Wasn’t that why you left in the middle of the night?” 

 

Qiu Ying turned her head abruptly to look at Xiang Kong, and he smiled gently at her.  Taking her hand and entwining their fingers, he said, “After you left, Sun Ge made a point of telling me that he was sure your decision to leave was because you didn’t want me to have to make that difficult choice of choosing between you or Miya.  He’s right, isn’t he?”

 

Since Qiu Ying wasn’t willing to admit that maybe she’d also been too hasty in leaving that day, Xiang Kong cut her some slack recognizing that he had the greater fault to bear. 

 

“Actually, I already knew then that that’s what you were doing and I almost ran after you that morning to drag you back and tell you, you had nothing to worry about.”

 

“Why didn’t you?  Do you know how many times I kept checking my phone that day?  And then when you finally messaged, it was to tell me to take care of myself.”  She’d read the message so many times, the words were now carved onto her heart.

 

“Because only in leaving me would you return to your stage; the commentator’s stage. 

 

Qiu Ying’s eyes burned bright as she stared at him in response.  Reflected in them, Xiang Kong could see the disbelief, the frustration, but also the love.  He laughed since there was no other response he could give and Qiu Ying soon followed suit with watery eyes.  All the knots in between them finally untied, Xiang Kong pulled her in for a hug running his hands down the back of her head first.  With full emotions in his voice, he told her, “After you left, Sun Ge counseled me.  He said our problem is that we think too much and we’re too considerate of each other.” 

 

Her voice muffled by their embrace, Qiu Ying agreed.  “Sun Ge’s right.  In the future, we should always share what’s bothering us, what we’re thinking, and how we feel.  That way, we will work through it together instead of going our separate ways.” 

 

Xiang Kong responded by holding up his fist and saying, “That’s a promise.”

 

Bumping his fist back, Qiu Ying replied, “That’s a promise.”

 

Now sitting companionably on the park bench with Qiu Ying’s head resting along Xiang Kong’s shoulder and his arm around her, a thought suddenly occurred to him.  “By the way, speaking of sharing.”

 

“Hm?” 

 

“Where are you staying?  I stopped by Lu Yi Yi’s earlier and she said you hadn’t gone back there.  Why don’t you return to the Phoenix training base?”

 

“I went back to my dad’s.”

 

“Ah?”

 

“Xia Ling didn’t tell you?”

 

“No.”  Xiang Kong gritted his teeth.

 

“During the world championships, my dad and Xia Ling’s mom stopped by the hotel one evening to visit with us.  Before they left, my dad told me he would like it very much if I moved back home.  I thought about it and now that things are better with Xia Ling’s mom, I agreed.”

 

“But . . .”  All Xiang Kong could think about was the empty room that he had to walk past every time he and the team went to practice. 

 

“After everything that happened with Xia Ling and seeing what he went through with his mother, I realized there were many things I misunderstood about my father.  We’ve already missed out on many years because of my stubbornness, so I want to give back to him what I still can.  You understand, don’t you?”

 

Xiang Kong sighed.  When she put it like that, he could hardly object. 

 

Understanding what he must be feeling, Qiu Ying raised her head to peck him on the cheek and consoled him by saying, “Don’t worry.  If you play the game right, it won’t be forever.”

 

“Oh, is that right?” 

 

When Xiang Kong responded by lunging towards her, Qiu Ying leapt up from her seat and laughed.  In a fit of giggles, she held out her hands in front as if trying to ward him off and reminded they were outside with many people walking by.  Xiang Kong didn’t care, though, which is how they ended up having a tickle fest in public.

 

Much later, they walked arm in arm back to the Phoenix training base.

 

“You promise to visit?”

 

“Of course!”  After a purposeful pause, she added, “I have to make sure Xia Ling is being taken care of.” 

 

For that, Qiu Ying earned a pinch on the side, where Xiang Kong’s hands had been curled around her waist.  She laughed and squirmed out of his reach, and then asked back, “You promise to take me on dates?”

 

“Hm.  I’ll have to give it some thought.  After all, I seem to recall there was somebody who once insisted that the second meal would be on her.  Yet, if I think about all the times we’ve gone out to eat together, I’m pretty sure it’s me who has treated every single time.”

 

Qiu Ying stopped dead in her tracks and separating herself from him, put her hands on her hips to complain.  “That’s not fair!  I asked.  You said strawberry milk tea.  How many times have I treated you to a cup of strawberry milk tea?”

 

“Is strawberry milk tea the same as a meal?”

 

Qiu Ying stared at him, her mouth agape.  The gall!  “Oh, fine have it your way.  Tomorrow, I’m taking you to dinner.  Wherever you want to go.  Just say the words!” 

 

It was Xiang Kong’s turn to laugh as he swung his arm back around her shoulders and pulled her along.  “I’m just teasing.  Come on, I bet the others are waiting for us to eat dinner.”

 

//-//

 

There would be wind in their future, just as there would be rain, but so long as they believed in each other nothing would ever separate Xiang Kong and Qiu Ying again. 

 

“Yu Huo Bu Mie, Nie Pan Chong Sheng”

 

The End

 

 

 

 

 

[raziela]

15 hours ago, themarchioness said:

Sorry... no recaps this week, but I think you'll all forgive me when you see what I have been working on instead.   

 

Many thanks to @lynne22 for serving as my guinea pig and to @phikyl as well for her technical assistance regarding the game.  Any errors in that regard are entirely my own and have nothing to do with her; well, that, and literary license.   

 

Anyway, for those of you who wanted an "extra" scene of XK and QY after the world championships to see how they got back together, and for those of you who also wondered where QY would go after the world championships, I present to you my fanfic version of those events:

 

A Phoenix's Love

 

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A Phoenix’s Love

 

 

Considering the celebrations and festivities from the night before, it was a fairly early hour when Ji Xiang Kong headed to the hotel lobby with his suitcase to wait for the rest of his team members.  After all, there were still two hours until the hotel’s check-out time.  When he arrived to the lobby, he checked his phone for any messages, but there were none.  At least, none from the one person he was expecting to hear from.  Bouncing the phone in his palm before tucking it back into his back pocket, Xiang Kong wasn’t overly concerned.  He looked forward to her appearing before him at any moment.

 

Except when almost half an hour had passed and the only people who had joined him were his Phoenix teammates and Shu Wen Jie, he had to wonder what was going on.  Shu Wen, as the team’s manager, returned at that moment advising that she’d completed the hotel check out process for all of them, and so Xiang Kong nodded his head in the direction of the door, motioning to everyone that they could start heading towards the team’s van.

 

When Xia Ling walked past, however, he reached out and stopped the younger fellow by placing a palm against his chest, and asked, “What about Qiu Ying?”

 

“What about my Jie?” Xia Ling returned.

 

“Why didn’t she come down?  Isn’t she coming back with us?”

 

Xia Ling looked at his team captain in confusion, wondering why he was asking him these questions and certain that he should’ve already known.  “Don’t you know?  She checked out with the GDV team over an hour ago.” 

 

“What?”  In shock and disbelief, Xiang Kong handed his suitcase over to Xia Ling and instructed him to take it to the waiting van, and then headed towards the elevators. 

 

When he arrived to the floor where Qiu Ying had stayed with her GDV co-workers, he was still thinking about how he distinctly recalled dropping her off outside her room the night before and telling her that he’d see her the next morning in the lobby at 10 am.  Not willing to believe that she would’ve ignored him without saying a word, he walked up to the door of her hotel room and knocked loudly.  When there was no answer, he looked around and noticed a housekeeper working a few doors down.  After inquiring with her, however, she confirmed that the guest in Qiu Ying’s room had indeed already checked out of the hotel. 

 

It was a dazed Xiang Kong who, moments later, climbed into the Phoenix team van.  His Sun Ge, Sun Ze Yi, asked if everything was alright.  Not willing to admit that he’d been stood up, especially after Qiu Ying had spent the entire evening the night before helping the team celebrate their win of the world championships, he lied and told them it was nothing.  That he had just gone back upstairs because he’d remembered he’d left something behind in his room. 

 

Yi Xing leaned forward in his seat, looking like he had something to say to Xiang Kong, but Sun Ge shook his head at him and motioned for him to sit back down.  Like an obedient but resigned child, Yi Xing settled back into his seat while Pei Xi looked outside the van’s side windows totally unconcerned, as was typical for him.  Sun Ge and Shu Wen traded looks before she instructed the driver that he could take off now, and only Xia Ling sat staring straight ahead.  Xiang Kong knew he had to know where his sister was, but pride prevented him from asking just as he knew Xia Ling would never say.

 

When they returned to the Phoenix training base, Pei Xi headed directly for the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee.  For the past several days, all he had done was complain about the quality of the hotel’s coffee and how he couldn’t wait to have a taste of his own.  He asked the others if they wanted a cup, but Yi Xing was already collapsed on the living room sofa declaring that it was good to be home and that he never wanted to move again.  Xia Ling nudged at him to make room for him, and Sun Ge announced that he and Shu Wen were going to head over to The King to check on things there.  He also warned that he might not be back until later, so they should fend for themselves for dinner that evening, and everyone understood what that meant.

 

Only Xiang Kong rolled his suitcase quietly upstairs to put away his things.  He came back downstairs not even fifteen minutes later though and empty handed, but for his phone in his hand.  Pei Xi was just putting the finishing touches on his cup of coffee and again asked if he wanted one, but Xiang Kong told him he was also heading out and wouldn’t be back until later. 

 

Yi Xing called out from the couch, “Kong Ge, wait up a second,” but Xiang Kong was already on a single-minded mission and didn’t even stop to acknowledge his best friend.  When the front door shuttered loudly behind him, Yi Xing turned back to the remaining members and asked, “What’s the situation right now?  Is he going after Qiu Ying?  What’s wrong with them?  I thought they made up already.” 

 

Xia Ling shook his head with knowing amusement, while Pei Xi took a savoring sip of his coffee and became instantaneously lost in his own world. 

 

When all Yi Xing got was silence from his friends and teammates, he stood up and grabbed the handle of his suitcase.  Dragging his suitcase in the direction of his bedroom, he told them he was going to call Lu Yi Yi to find out what was going on. 

 

“You’re so nosy.  Don’t get involved,” Xia Ling called after him, but Yi Xing didn’t care.

 

Unfortunately for Yi Xing, by the time he contacted Yi Yi, she was already occupied and too busy to answer his phone call. 

 

With her arms crossed and her body guarding the entrance like a barricade, Yi Yi demanded to know what business Xiang Kong had standing outside her apartment door.  Mustering all the patience that he had inside him, which was always a necessary action when dealing with the likes of the Great Reporter Lu, he explained that he just wanted to see Qiu Ying for a minute and asked if she was inside. 

 

“Can I talk to her?”

 

“She’s not here.” 

 

When she noticed how Xiang Kong was looking around her, as if trying to see past her to scan the insides of her apartment, she poked him in the chest and asked, “Wei, what do you think you’re doing?  Do you not believe me?”

 

Returning his gaze to her, he answered frankly, “No.”

 

Turning back to beyond her shoulder, he called out to the inside, “Qiu Ying!  Come out for a second.  I have something I want to say to you!”

 

“Qiu Ying’s really not here,” Yi Yi told him, yanking his attention back to her.  “If she was, do you think I would’ve answered the door?  As if!  I’d have yelled through it and told you to get lost.”

 

Poor Xiang Kong could only stand there confused and frustrated as he recalled how Yi Yi had also spent the evening before with the team, celebrating their win of the world championships.  Had something happened in the span of one night, since the time that he and Qiu Ying had reunited on the world’s biggest stage and Yi Yi had joined Yi Xing there as well, that he didn’t know about? 

 

When he posed essentially the same question to Yi Yi, she told him, “Oh, you think one hug on stage is going to make up for all that you put Qiu Ying through with the Miya stuff?  She may be ready and willing to forgive you, but I’m not so generous.  I’ll reserve judgment and wait to see how you treat her from here on out.” 

 

Xiang Kong tried not to roll his eyes at her as he then fought to explain how she had the wrong idea about things, and that he had never forsaken Qiu Ying.  But Yi Yi’s only response was to hold up her hand and tell him to stop.  In an almost bored expression, she told him to save his explanations for Qiu Ying because she wasn’t the person who needed to hear them and then stated to shut the front door. 

 

Xiang Kong quickly shoved his body in between the door and its frame, preventing Yi Yi from closing it all the way.  “Please, if she’s not here, tell me.  Where is she?”

 

“What are you doing?  Get out!  Get out!  Stop blocking my door!”

 

“Wait a second.  If you don’t tell me where she is, how can I talk to her?  Lu Yi Yi, where is Qiu Ying?”

 

Stomping on Xiang Kong’s feet and shoving at his body to remove the wedge that it had formed, she told him, “Why don’t you try contacting her to ask?” and then she really did shut the door in his face. 

 

Left without a choice, Xiang Kong returned to the parking lot outside Yi Yi’s apartment building and thought about where he should go next.  He didn’t think she’d go to Hellolala Café, not with her suitcase at least, but it was the only other place he could think of in that moment, so he headed there next.

 

When he arrived to the café, they had only just opened their doors for the day.  A quick glance inside revealed that Qiu Ying was, as anticipated, not inside.  Xiang Kong didn’t care go inside though.  Their favorite waiter was inside and he would surely have something to say.  Xiang Kong didn’t want to hear it.  He’d already heard an earful from Lu Yi Yi.

 

Standing outside Hellolala Café, Xiang Kong put his hands on his hips and wondered if Qiu Ying might have gone to her parents’.  It was a possibility, but it didn’t seem plausible given how she’d moved out all those years before.  Then an unbidden thought came to him and the face of Luo Tian flashed through his eyes.  Xiang Kong reacted viscerally, and quickly shook his head to banish the thought.  If Qiu Ying was unlikely to go to her parents’, she was even less likely to go home with Luo Tian.  That simply wasn’t possible.

 

But what about Dream Journey?

 

It wasn’t out of the realms of possibility, Xiang Kong decided.  Summer had always had a soft spot for Qiu Ying and with Pei Xi staying primarily at their training base, he likely had the room.  The only thing was, as Xiang Kong would belatedly realize, in coming to Dream Journey to look for Qiu Ying, he would also have to deal with his Summer Ge.

 

“What’s the matter?” Summer asked with teasing amusement.  “Did you lose your girlfriend?”

 

Xiang Kong was never sure how he managed it, especially given how Pei Xi’s lips were like a sealed tomb, but Summer always seemed to be on the cutting edge of gossip. 

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.  I just stopped by to see how thing at Dream Journey were going.”

 

“Ohhhhh,” Summer drawled with a knowing sound.  “On the morning after you win the world championship, the first thing you think about is Dream Journey and you wonder how we’re doing.  Why does that sound so . . . not believable?” 

 

Their conversation was interrupted briefly when some regulars arrived for their daily camp out at Dream Journey.  Through Qiu Ying, Xiang Kong had also gotten to know Fei Mao and Shou Hou Zi, so he took the time to relive the excitement of the world championship finals with them.  After they were finally satisfied, they let Xiang Kong and Summer return to their earlier conversation where Summer commented, “Why do I seem to recall that you never come here unless you’re looking for Qiu Ying?” 

 

“That’s not true.  I’ve come here to look for Pei Xi before.”

 

“Except where is Pei Xi right now?  He’s at the training base, isn’t it?  And I bet the first thing he did was brew himself a cup of coffee, that little rascal.”

 

With Qiu Ying obviously not there and this conversation going absolutely nowhere, Xiang Kong took his leave.  Still snickering behind him, Summer waved enthusiastically and called after him, “Come back and visit, and good-luck!”

 

Standing at the glass railing just outside of Dream Journey, Xiang Kong wondered where he should go next.  While he was still pondering that question, a long ago memory came to him.  He remembered how he’d also once stood there waiting for her on the day she became an official employee at Dream Journey.  He sighed and thought about how much simpler those days were.  But then again, he reminded himself, those were also the days before there was a “them.”

 

Wanting to make sure there was still a “them,” Xiang Kong pressed on.

 

 

//-//

 

Around that same time, Qiu Ying arrived to the Phoenix training base.  When she walked past the entryway and noticed how quiet it was inside, she asked, “Where is everybody?”

 

Still on the couch, Xia Ling greeted her with a, “Jie.”  Pei Xi asked from the kitchen counter whether she wanted a cup of coffee, and Yi Xing came running out of his room at the sound of her voice.  “Qiu Ying?  Is that you?  What are you doing here?  Where did you go?  Have you seen Kong Ge?  He went looking for you.  Didn’t you know?”

 

“Xiang Kong’s not here?”

 

“What’s wrong with you two?” Yi Xing whined.  “My Kong Ge has been terribly anxious ever since he discovered that you weren’t at the hotel this morning.  Where did you go?  Where are you staying?  Kong Ge didn’t even say two words before rushing back out the door after we returned here.  Are you sure you haven’t heard from him?”

 

“No,” Qiu Ying answered all perplexed and flustered.  She never imagined she would be the root of so much commotion.  “He hasn’t called or messaged me,” she continued, and then pulled out her phone to show them, but when they all peered at the tiny device, they realized.  It was off!

 

“When did it turn off?” Qiu Ying wondered.

 

“Is it out of battery?” her brother asked. 

 

“That can’t be,” she answered.  “But I guess so?”

 

Yi Xing, on the other hand, was already on his phone.  Sending a voice message, he said, “Kong Ge, Kong Ge, you’d better hurry back immediately.  Qiu Ying’s here and she’s looking for you.  Where are you?”

 

//-//

 

 

When Xiang Kong received Yi Xing’s message, he returned immediately.  The first thing he noticed though was she was there without her suitcase, so where was she staying?

 

With the adrenalin from yesterday’s win long over, and the celebrations and festivities also concluded, Xiang Kong and Qiu Ying couldn’t help but greet each other awkwardly now that it was broad daylight and others were around.  Xiang Kong stood with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets and noticed how Pei Xi had suddenly started wiping down the kitchen counters with utter precision and care, as if even the presence of a speck of dust would be considered a crime.  Yi Xing was whistling and wandering around the living room, pretending like he didn’t have a care in the world and wasn’t listening in.  Xia Ling, however, didn’t even bother to hide the fact that he found Xiang Kong in the doghouse thoroughly entertaining to watch. 

 

Deliberately turning his back against his teammates, Xiang Kong suggested to Qiu Ying, “Let’s go out to talk.”

 

As they walked to the nearby park, Xiang Kong observed rather obviously, “You came.”

 

“Mm,” Qiu Ying agreed.  “I wanted to see how everyone was doing.”  Especially you.  Although she left that unsaid.

 

“I thought,” Xiang Kong started to say.  And then said instead, “You didn’t meet me in the lobby this morning.”

 

“Ah?” Qiu Ying asked, genuinely confused.

 

“Don’t you remember?  When I walked you back last night, I told you to meet me in the hotel lobby this morning at 10 am.”

 

“You did?”  Qiu Ying scratched at her forehead and grinned at him sheepishly before admitting, “I don’t remember, sorry.  I think I must’ve had too much to drink at the party last night.  I don’t even remember how I went to bed after I got back yesterday.  I only know that Luo Tian called to wake me up this morning and remind that it was time to check out.” 

 

Xiang Kong sighed and thought about how he should’ve realized, with her poor alcohol tolerance, that she might not have been as sober as she’d seemed the night before. 

 

“It’s fine,” he told her as they took their seats on a park bench. 

 

For two people who’d never lacked for anything to talk about in the past, they now sat side by side in awkward silence.  It was as is if they were two players lost in the jungle of the iConquer game.  Open to sneak attacks from the other side, and separated from the other members of their team.  Maybe it would’ve been easier if they’d stuck to the lanes, working their way steadily through the game by killing minions from the other team, earning gold, and developing their heroes until it was time to battle the other side and take down their towers. 

 

Their problem was, in reuniting on stage as they had in front of the entire world, and in spending the evening before side by side celebrating the team’s win, to others, it might look like they were back together, but for them, they knew, their relationship was far from repaired.  It wasn’t enough that they wanted to be together, or were together, there were still things that needed to be said and matters to be settled. 

 

Xiang Kong wasn’t a master tactician for nothing though.  They might have started in the middle, but he would adjust his approach accordingly.

 

“Actually.”

 

“How is?”

 

Naturally, by the time both Xiang Kong and Qiu Ying decided to break the silence, they spoke at the same time. 

 

“It’s okay.  You go first,” Xiang Kong told her.

 

“I was wondering.  How is Miya?  I saw her backstage with you yesterday.”

 

“She’s doing much better,” Xiang Kong answered.  “Her eyesight has returned and she can see again.”

 

“That’s . . . great.”  Inside, Qiu Ying knew she should be happy to hear this news.  But instead she wondered if this was the only reason Xiang Kong had returned to her side and if that was the case, she didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about that.  Even if Xiang Kong did choose her, she was afraid there would forever be the shadow of Miya between them.

 

 “Yesterday, when you saw us, she was apologizing.  To the both of us.  She used her illness to keep me by her side, but in truth, I’d figured out already that her eyes were healed.  It was just with the competition ahead of me, I didn’t have the time to deal with that.  When she asked me to pass on her apologies to you, she also said she hoped it wouldn’t be too late.  Do you know what I said to that?”

 

“What?”

 

“I told her that I’d never given you up.”

 

When she heard his answer, a smile rose unbidden on Qiu Ying’s face.  But she looked down to hide it.  Although she couldn’t prevent the small kernel of warmth that was starting to spread within, she still wanted to hear the rest of what he had to say.

 

“I also told her that when the competition was over, I’d explain things clearly to you.  You already know.  Miya wasn’t just my first girlfriend; she’s someone I grew up with.  For many years, all we had were each other.  But at a certain point, because of our dreams, our paths started to diverge.  In order for her to find success, I knew.  We had to break up.  And because I knew Miya would never be able to do that, I did it for her.  Was that a sacrifice?  I never thought of it that way.  From the moment I walked away from her, I knew we were two people who would belong to different worlds and that’s simply how it had to be.  For Miya, though, the memories of our past were all that she had to sustain her in these years in between and she couldn’t help but think that it was because of my decisions back then, that she now had her current fame.  That’s why, the first time she returned, she wanted us to get back together.  The only problem was, I’d moved on, but she hadn’t. 

 

“After I made clear to her where my heart lay, Miya accepted that decision and left.  As you know, it was only because of her accident that we had any contact.  As you also know, because she has no family of her own, and I am essentially her closest kin, I had to stay by her side.  That doesn’t mean though that I returned to her side. 

 

“Miya . . . she’s like a family member to me.  I can’t promise that she won’t pop up in my life again, but what I can promise you is that the person I want to be with is you, and that has never changed from the minute we met.  I hope you can understand why Miya will always be a part of my life and I also hope you won’t be upset over the things that happened these past few weeks.”

 

Carefully considering her words, Qiu Ying thought about what she wanted to say and how she was going to say them.  When she finally spoke, she said, “I wasn’t upset about all the time you spent with Miya.  I also know that on some level, you will always have a connection.  These are things, though, that have never bothered me because I do know how you feel about me.  What I was disappointed about was the way in which you closed me off, and refused to talk to me during that time or share your burden.

 

“I know what you were thinking.  You were thinking that Miya was your responsibility to bear.  You were also wondering, if Miya really did become handicapped for the rest of her life, how you were going to fit the both of us in your lives.  If you’d asked, I would’ve told you we would face it together.  Just as we have faced everything else together.  But you didn’t ask, wouldn’t ask, because you had some ‘noble’ idea of not wanting to burden me with what you considered to be your own problem.”

 

“Weren’t you the same?  Wasn’t that why you left in the middle of the night?” 

 

Qiu Ying turned her head abruptly to look at Xiang Kong, and he smiled gently at her.  Taking her hand and entwining their fingers, he said, “After you left, Sun Ge made a point of telling me that he was sure your decision to leave was because you didn’t want me to have to make that difficult choice of choosing between you or Miya.  He’s right, isn’t he?”

 

Since Qiu Ying wasn’t willing to admit that maybe she’d also been too hasty in leaving that day, Xiang Kong cut her some slack recognizing that he had the greater fault to bear. 

 

“Actually, I already knew then that that’s what you were doing and I almost ran after you that morning to drag you back and tell you, you had nothing to worry about.”

 

“Why didn’t you?  Do you know how many times I kept checking my phone that day?  And then when you finally messaged, it was to tell me to take care of myself.”  She’d read the message so many times, the words were now carved onto her heart.

 

“Because only in leaving me would you return to your stage; the commentator’s stage. 

 

Qiu Ying’s eyes burned bright as she stared at him in response.  Reflected in them, Xiang Kong could see the disbelief, the frustration, but also the love.  He laughed since there was no other response he could give and Qiu Ying soon followed suit with watery eyes.  All the knots in between them finally untied, Xiang Kong pulled her in for a hug running his hands down the back of her head first.  With full emotions in his voice, he told her, “After you left, Sun Ge counseled me.  He said our problem is that we think too much and we’re too considerate of each other.” 

 

Her voice muffled by their embrace, Qiu Ying agreed.  “Sun Ge’s right.  In the future, we should always share what’s bothering us, what we’re thinking, and how we feel.  That way, we will work through it together instead of going our separate ways.” 

 

Xiang Kong responded by holding up his fist and saying, “That’s a promise.”

 

Bumping his fist back, Qiu Ying replied, “That’s a promise.”

 

Now sitting companionably on the park bench with Qiu Ying’s head resting along Xiang Kong’s shoulder and his arm around her, a thought suddenly occurred to him.  “By the way, speaking of sharing.”

 

“Hm?” 

 

“Where are you staying?  I stopped by Lu Yi Yi’s earlier and she said you hadn’t gone back there.  Why don’t you return to the Phoenix training base?”

 

“I went back to my dad’s.”

 

“Ah?”

 

“Xia Ling didn’t tell you?”

 

“No.”  Xiang Kong gritted his teeth.

 

“During the world championships, my dad and Xia Ling’s mom stopped by the hotel one evening to visit with us.  Before they left, my dad told me he would like it very much if I moved back home.  I thought about it and now that things are better with Xia Ling’s mom, I agreed.”

 

“But . . .”  All Xiang Kong could think about was the empty room that he had to walk past every time he and the team went to practice. 

 

“After everything that happened with Xia Ling and seeing what he went through with his mother, I realized there were many things I misunderstood about my father.  We’ve already missed out on many years because of my stubbornness, so I want to give back to him what I still can.  You understand, don’t you?”

 

Xiang Kong sighed.  When she put it like that, he could hardly object. 

 

Understanding what he must be feeling, Qiu Ying raised her head to peck him on the cheek and consoled him by saying, “Don’t worry.  If you play the game right, it won’t be forever.”

 

“Oh, is that right?” 

 

When Xiang Kong responded by lunging towards her, Qiu Ying leapt up from her seat and laughed.  In a fit of giggles, she held out her hands in front as if trying to ward him off and reminded they were outside with many people walking by.  Xiang Kong didn’t care, though, which is how they ended up having a tickle fest in public.

 

Much later, they walked arm in arm back to the Phoenix training base.

 

“You promise to visit?”

 

“Of course!”  After a purposeful pause, she added, “I have to make sure Xia Ling is being taken care of.” 

 

For that, Qiu Ying earned a pinch on the side, where Xiang Kong’s hands had been curled around her waist.  She laughed and squirmed out of his reach, and then asked back, “You promise to take me on dates?”

 

“Hm.  I’ll have to give it some thought.  After all, I seem to recall there was somebody who once insisted that the second meal would be on her.  Yet, if I think about all the times we’ve gone out to eat together, I’m pretty sure it’s me who has treated every single time.”

 

Qiu Ying stopped dead in her tracks and separating herself from him, put her hands on her hips to complain.  “That’s not fair!  I asked.  You said strawberry milk tea.  How many times have I treated you to a cup of strawberry milk tea?”

 

“Is strawberry milk tea the same as a meal?”

 

Qiu Ying stared at him, her mouth agape.  The gall!  “Oh, fine have it your way.  Tomorrow, I’m taking you to dinner.  Wherever you want to go.  Just say the words!” 

 

It was Xiang Kong’s turn to laugh as he swung his arm back around her shoulders and pulled her along.  “I’m just teasing.  Come on, I bet the others are waiting for us to eat dinner.”

 

//-//

 

There would be wind in their future, just as there would be rain, but so long as they believed in each other nothing would ever separate Xiang Kong and Qiu Ying again. 

 

“Yu Huo Bu Mie, Nie Pan Chong Sheng”

 

The End

 

 

 

 

 

Great writing!  Thank you so much for sharing your work! I loved how you captured every character's personality from the leads down to the supporting characters like eager YX and overprotective Yi Yi or Pei Xi and his coffee or teasing Summer Ge! It was great how XK looking for QY took him to lots of then so many of the places that were important to them throughout their relationship and even a glimpse of our favourite fan waiter at the Hellolala Cafe 

 

As you know I was disappointed the drama skipped a proper conversation between XK and QY to clear the air so I really appreciated your writing here. I really liked  how realistic you made it that they were tad awkward at first because despite the hug onstage  they still hadn't properly communicated about what had happened or exactly where their relationship stood.  Thank you for finally giving them more cute OTP moments we didn't get in the drama and I noticed you snuck in a  FIST BUMP

 

I'm also glad you addressed QY's renewed relationship with her family and now I can just imagine XK picking her up, visiting for dinner as QY's official boyfriend and dealing with Xie Ling and her dad

[themarchioness]

2 hours ago, raziela said:

As you know I was disappointed the drama skipped a proper conversation between XK and QY to clear the air so I really appreciated your writing here. I really liked  how realistic you made it that they were tad awkward at first because despite the hug onstage  they still hadn't properly communicated about what had happened or exactly where their relationship stood.  Thank you for finally giving them more cute OTP moments we didn't get in the drama and I noticed you snuck in a  FIST BUMP

 

I'm also glad you addressed QY's renewed relationship with her family and now I can just imagine XK picking her up, visiting for dinner as QY's official boyfriend and dealing with Xie Ling and her dad

 

Yay!  I'm glad you liked it @raziela! 

 

The awkwardness was really important to me to make sure I portrayed correctly because I just couldn't see how it couldn't be awkward.  Could one hug on stage really resolve everything?  In a drama world, maybe, but for me, I didn't think so.  LOL.  I'm glad you liked that part too.  And yes, I couldn't resist fist bump... or the head pat... or the arm around the shoulder.  Hahaha.  I had to find a way to work them all in.   

 

As for QY's living arrangements, during the drama I had assumed she would move back in with either YY or XK after the world championships.  But then the drama released the epilogue scenes and what stood out to me was the way the parents were so caught off guard by the fact that QY and XK would not be returning home for dinner that night, but had gone out on a date instead.  Yet, the parents were clearly cooking up this big feast with the expectation that they would be there to eat it.  So, I started thinking about how that logic worked and the only thing I could come up with was that meant she was living at home.  Because if she wasn't living with them, then I would imagine the only reason they would plan a big feast for that night is if they'd made arrangements beforehand for her to come over that night.  And if they made an arrangement, that would be very unlike QY to just reneg for a date and to not even tell the parents about it.  Especially when she could just take XK there for dinner and still have alone time later (given how they frequently go for walks by the river after dinner).  Anyway, once I had the idea of QY moving back home, I warmed to it.  I like the idea of her getting some time back with her dad, especially knowing that one day she will marry and move out.  

[Lynne]

@themarchioness you’ve posted your fic 

Its beautiful! 

 

 

[themarchioness]

Ahahahaha, @lynne22, that gif!!!  Ah, QY, she's too adorable.  Missing you and all your picspam and gifs... hope work releases you from its bond soon!

[raziela]

21 hours ago, themarchioness said:

 

Yay!  I'm glad you liked it @raziela! 

 

The awkwardness was really important to me to make sure I portrayed correctly because I just couldn't see how it couldn't be awkward.  Could one hug on stage really resolve everything?  In a drama world, maybe, but for me, I didn't think so.  LOL.  I'm glad you liked that part too.  And yes, I couldn't resist fist bump... or the head pat... or the arm around the shoulder.  Hahaha.  I had to find a way to work them all in.   

 

As for QY's living arrangements, during the drama I had assumed she would move back in with either YY or XK after the world championships.  But then the drama released the epilogue scenes and what stood out to me was the way the parents were so caught off guard by the fact that QY and XK would not be returning home for dinner that night, but had gone out on a date instead.  Yet, the parents were clearly cooking up this big feast with the expectation that they would be there to eat it.  So, I started thinking about how that logic worked and the only thing I could come up with was that meant she was living at home.  Because if she wasn't living with them, then I would imagine the only reason they would plan a big feast for that night is if they'd made arrangements beforehand for her to come over that night.  And if they made an arrangement, that would be very unlike QY to just reneg for a date and to not even tell the parents about it.  Especially when she could just take XK there for dinner and still have alone time later (given how they frequently go for walks by the river after dinner).  Anyway, once I had the idea of QY moving back home, I warmed to it.  I like the idea of her getting some time back with her dad, especially knowing that one day she will marry and move out.  

I think I missed the head pat o my first read as it was subtle but I definitely caught the arm around the shoulder! 

 

I like your reasoning for why it seems she is back home in the drama and it makes sense.  I agree this is the best time to rebuild her relationship with her family before she gets married (to Xiang Kong) and moves out in the future.

 

10 hours ago, lynne22 said:

@themarchioness you’ve posted your fic 

Its beautiful! 

Thank you for the lovely gif. 

[themarchioness]

12 hours ago, raziela said:

I like your reasoning for why it seems she is back home in the drama and it makes sense.  I agree this is the best time to rebuild her relationship with her family before she gets married (to Xiang Kong) and moves out in the future.

 

What a happy thought, haha!  I have a few more fic ideas, but they may end up just being little scenes of moments rather than a full blown short story.  Working on pushing out episode 34 recaps first though.   

[skibbies]

On 9/15/2019 at 11:01 AM, raziela said:

So did I! Or at least to give XK a hand when he pawned everything and even his beloved bike to pay YX's contract fee. 

Maybe they offered and XK turned them down out of pride? Or maybe they didn't have the money?  None of them seemed to be particularly well off except maybe Luo Tian and Gu Fang. 

IDK why he would turn them down out of pride, he didn't really have the luxury with time constraint and all. The way Summer just dillydally around, I keep thinking he's pretty well off, Shu Wen was co-founder of VNG too wasn't she, shouldn't she be reasonably well off? Gu Fang might not be able to invest because he signed that unfair contract where he can't return to the esport field. I don't know if investing counts mhmmm.

 

In the book, Miya offered, on the condition that Qiu Ying would leave (she said it to QY), XK just flat out refused (I assume Miya didn't actually tell him about the condition). Gu Fang invested instead, but there was no Pioneer team in the book. All the characters existed and are pretty much the same, but there was no team. (Luo Tian was super minor in the book as a result of that + limited time of QY as commentor, the one sided crush thing is drama original)

 

@themarchioness You did an amazing job with the fic!! I really love the characterisations of everyone, and I like Xiang Kong had to look everywhere for her. The talk was A+, communication is essential in relationship, kids! I like the ending bit about XK paying for the meal and QY always paying for milk tea, that's surprisingly realistic XD Minor note, I think LYX's name is Lin Yixuan. His game name is Xuan.

 

Ok! So I finished the book hooray! I actually peeked at some reviews of the pseudo sequel on Pei Xi, I think he transfer to a different game, and the female lead joins Phoenix (they spell it right in the book! I blame the logo in the drama, honestly) club and they support each other, which is cute. I haven't read it yet though.

 

Anyways, there's a lot of differences in the book, as I mentioned, there's no Pioneer team. In fact there's no other secondary couple, well I guess Qi Yue and Qiao Xin kind of counts, but QX was just using Qi Yue. Zhao Yang and Li Gan doesn't exist, everyone else does but play a much minor role (Pei Xi and Xia Ling's character development is still there though). Since the central focus is very much on the otp. The book is also sorely QY's pov, so for half of the book, audience have no idea what XK thinks, and sometimes don't know what he's doing. There is a wee bit more game mentions, so him being unpredictable in games and his strategies makes a bigger impression.

 

Xia Ling isn't related to QY in the book, Gu Jiayi, the girl that Xia Ling has a crush on in the drama is QY's cousin in the book, Gu Jiayi has a crush on Xia Ling instead. QY's dad started several businesses and they all failed, and he got really depressed and end up doing nothing at home, so she grew up really poor. Her mum got fed up, got divorced and married someone else. Her stepfather was well off, but really stingy and often berated her dad. He force her perform for guests he invited, and they'll just throw money at her. Her mum was unhappy at first, but later think she's ungrateful since she fights a lot with her stepdad. so she moved out the first opportunity she could. For Chinese New Years, it seems she usually spends it with Gu Jiayi's family, XK invites her home once they started going out though.

 

Xiang Kong isn't an orphan in the book. He grew up with his mum and maternal grandma. He followed Miya to Korea, started esport there, but could only be in second rated teams and such. He felt like he couldn't live up to Miya so he left. He took QY to Miya's concert, but it was mostly as a goodbye to Miya, and of course to introduce QY, make himself not go back on his decision. Later in the book, it does mention that Miya to him is attachment to warmth? He wants her to be happy, doesn't matter where or with who. But with Qiu Ying, he wants to tease her, make her angry then make up, wants her to himself.

[themarchioness]

48 minutes ago, skibbies said:

Gu Fang might not be able to invest because he signed that unfair contract where he can't return to the esport field. I don't know if investing counts mhmmm.

 

Gu Fang offered to sign the contract (in exchange for making certain that XK would be named the team captain), but never ended up signing it.  XK ripped it away from him just in time, and instead insisted that they all stick to the original agreement which was that he would be named the official team captain if they won the insider's competition -- he also then offered to leave the team if they lost.  Which is, of course, what ended up happening thanks to Zhao Yang's sneaky meddling. 

 

48 minutes ago, skibbies said:

 

@themarchioness You did an amazing job with the fic!! I really love the characterisations of everyone, and I like Xiang Kong had to look everywhere for her. The talk was A+, communication is essential in relationship, kids! I like the ending bit about XK paying for the meal and QY always paying for milk tea, that's surprisingly realistic XD Minor note, I think LYX's name is Lin Yixuan. His game name is Xuan.

 

 

Yikes!  It is totally Yi Xuan, I don't know how Xing got in there.  LOL.  I say it correctly in my head, but my hands typed something else and my eyes didn't even notice. I normally refer to the main characters by initials when recapping, so this was a first for me typing his name out all the time.  I blame Qiu Ying and Xia Ling's names for the erroneous Yi Xing.    It's kind of like when I'm recapping.  Y'all don't know how I struggle when it comes to Qi Yue, Shen Yue, Lu Sheng, and Lu Feng's names.  LOL.  They're all so similar that, as an example, I often call Shen Yue, Sheng Yue, and Lu Sheng, Lu Shen.  I frequently go back to double check and wouldn't be surprised if I still missed spots.  Li Nan, Huo Yao, and Tong Wu have been a lot easier to keep track of because their names are more different from the other players' names.

 

Anyway, glad you enjoyed the fic otherwise and thank you very much for sharing more details from the book.  Sounds a lot more complicated and tbh, just from your description alone and what @lynne22 has previously mentioned to me, I think I prefer the drama's version.  She also mentioned the limited POV in the book.  It would be curious to know though what PX's next book is about and whether we'd see more of QY and XK. 

 

48 minutes ago, skibbies said:

Phoenix (they spell it right in the book! I blame the logo in the drama, honestly)

 

Haha, even for my fic, I was like, "I'm going to spell it correctly for once!"  When I recapped I purposely used all the drama spellings because that's what people would be seeing on screen, even though I knew it to be wrong.  I truly do think though that for the drama, a decision must have been made in the post production process to alter the spelling.  I can't remember where I saw it but I swear early on, when the drama had just started airing, I found a still where Phoenix was spelled correctly.  My assumption this entire time has been that the regulators felt there was too much English being used or something, and so that's why some teams are spelled correctly while others are not.

[raziela]

On 9/18/2019 at 1:45 AM, skibbies said:

IDK why he would turn them down out of pride, he didn't really have the luxury with time constraint and all. The way Summer just dillydally around, I keep thinking he's pretty well off, Shu Wen was co-founder of VNG too wasn't she, shouldn't she be reasonably well off? Gu Fang might not be able to invest because he signed that unfair contract where he can't return to the esport field. I don't know if investing counts mhmmm.

Summer is definitely a possibility?  I just didn't include him because he was always complaining about money but maybe that was just him being stingy.

Shu Wen - VNG always seemed to be in crisis mode and she didn't have the smoothest exit from the company so I don't know if she would have had much spare income.

 

On 9/18/2019 at 1:45 AM, skibbies said:

In the book, Miya offered, on the condition that Qiu Ying would leave (she said it to QY), XK just flat out refused (I assume Miya didn't actually tell him about the condition). Gu Fang invested instead, but there was no Pioneer team in the book. All the characters existed and are pretty much the same, but there was no team. (Luo Tian was super minor in the book as a result of that + limited time of QY as commentor, the one sided crush thing is drama original)

I prefer Miya doing this than faking blindness.

I like the increased role of Luo Tian in the book as a commentator mentor and the addition of his attraction to QY so I'm glad the drama changed that.

I am so surprised the Pioneer team didn't exist in the webnovel It was such a great narrative device!  I never would have  guessed it was created for the drama.

 

On 9/18/2019 at 1:45 AM, skibbies said:

Ok! So I finished the book hooray! I actually peeked at some reviews of the pseudo sequel on Pei Xi, I think he transfer to a different game, and the female lead joins Phoenix (they spell it right in the book! I blame the logo in the drama, honestly) club and they support each other, which is cute. I haven't read it yet though.

Spoiler

 

Anyways, there's a lot of differences in the book, as I mentioned, there's no Pioneer team. In fact there's no other secondary couple, well I guess Qi Yue and Qiao Xin kind of counts, but QX was just using Qi Yue. Zhao Yang and Li Gan doesn't exist, everyone else does but play a much minor role (Pei Xi and Xia Ling's character development is still there though). Since the central focus is very much on the otp. The book is also sorely QY's pov, so for half of the book, audience have no idea what XK thinks, and sometimes don't know what he's doing. There is a wee bit more game mentions, so him being unpredictable in games and his strategies makes a bigger impression.

 

Xia Ling isn't related to QY in the book, Gu Jiayi, the girl that Xia Ling has a crush on in the drama is QY's cousin in the book, Gu Jiayi has a crush on Xia Ling instead. QY's dad started several businesses and they all failed, and he got really depressed and end up doing nothing at home, so she grew up really poor. Her mum got fed up, got divorced and married someone else. Her stepfather was well off, but really stingy and often berated her dad. He force her perform for guests he invited, and they'll just throw money at her. Her mum was unhappy at first, but later think she's ungrateful since she fights a lot with her stepdad. so she moved out the first opportunity she could. For Chinese New Years, it seems she usually spends it with Gu Jiayi's family, XK invites her home once they started going out though.

 

Xiang Kong isn't an orphan in the book. He grew up with his mum and maternal grandma. He followed Miya to Korea, started esport there, but could only be in second rated teams and such. He felt like he couldn't live up to Miya so he left. He took QY to Miya's concert, but it was mostly as a goodbye to Miya, and of course to introduce QY, make himself not go back on his decision. Later in the book, it does mention that Miya to him is attachment to warmth? He wants her to be happy, doesn't matter where or with who. But with Qiu Ying, he wants to tease her, make her angry then make up, wants her to himself.

 

 

Thanks for sharing about the webnovel.  What did you think about it compared to the drama adaptation?

 

Thanks so much for describing the differences.

- Happy to hear Phoenix is spelled right in the webnovel 

- Glad to hear there was no Zhao Yang or Li Gan in the webnovel.  Two of the most frustrating characters and the webnovel readers were saved the full body cringe that was Li Gan's proposal 

- I can see why there was no secondary couple in the webnovel.  As much as I liked the characters of Yi Yi and Lin Yixuan their romance was unnecessary and really didn't add anything to the drama.

- I'm not surprised about Qiao Xin and Qi Yu's relationship in the webnovel.  I was expecting Qiao Xin  to just be using Qi Yue the whole drama so I was surprised when it turned out that despite all her many many many other faults she was true to their relationship.

- I'm sad there is no Qiu Ying and Xia Ling brother and sister relationship in the novel.  I found their big sis/little bro relationship adorable.

- I think the backstory for Qiu Ying's family sounds better in the webnovel.  I thought her anger towards her Dad and XL in the drama was a bit extreme. Does she reconcile with either of her parents in the webnovel?

- I love the idea of XK taking QY home to meet his family once they start going out together 

- I like it sounds like XK has more background and we learn how he started esports.It sounds like their relationship is even more serious in the webnovel if he even leaves his family to be with Miya.

- I like the description of the difference of XY's feelings towards Miya and Qiu Ying in the webnovel.

 

On 9/18/2019 at 2:30 AM, themarchioness said:

Haha, even for my fic, I was like, "I'm going to spell it correctly for once!"  When I recapped I purposely used all the drama spellings because that's what people would be seeing on screen, even though I knew it to be wrong.  I truly do think though that for the drama, a decision must have been made in the post production process to alter the spelling.  I can't remember where I saw it but I swear early on, when the drama had just started airing, I found a still where Phoenix was spelled correctly.  My assumption this entire time has been that the regulators felt there was too much English being used or something, and so that's why some teams are spelled correctly while others are not.

 Haha, even for my fic, I was like, "I'm going to spell it correctly for once!" 

I wondered why they decided to misspell 'Phoenix' when -as you said-there were lots of other English words spelled correctly in the drama.

[themarchioness]

It's back to the recaps this week and hard to believe, but there will only be one more episode after this -- although, I'll do a recap of the special too, so it's more like 1.5 episodes left.    And then there are fics to write too.... oh, there's still so much to be done!  Haha.  Better get on with it then.  Per usual, I'll add some additional thoughts at the end.

 

(As a heads up to those who watched with subs, I had a note that the subs were incomplete and the timing was off in some places.  Must've been in the early part of the episode as I don't remember that problem these past few nights when I've been working on the latter half of the episode.)

 

Episode 34

 

Spoiler

 

Episode 34

 

Tony paces outside Miya’s hospital room until XK exits, and asks if he’s leaving.  XK nods and answers that he’ll be leaving tomorrow.  Tony tells him that the doctor said Miya could go home and rest so he should go participate in his competitions without worrying about anything else.  XK then gives him the heads up that he might have to trouble him in the future, as he promised Miya he would invite her to the competition site to watch if he made it to the finals.  Tony asks if Miya was the one who brought it up and XK responds by not saying anything at all and only smiling after a little while.  Miya then calls out for Tony, asking if it’s him who arrived, and XK tells him that he’s leaving first and places Miya in his care. 

 

After XK leaves, Tony walks into Miya’s hospital room and asks her if she’s planning lie to him like this forever.  Rather than answering [probably because she’s feeling guilty inside], Miya climbs out of bed and wipes her face in front of a mirror.  Tony then points out, “You’ve asked me to hide the truth.   Fine.  I’ll do that.  But have you gotten the things that you wanted?”  Miya answers that she has and says that XK has said, he’ll take care of her forever.  Tony tries to wake her up to reality though, and tells her that his decision to take care of her isn’t because he loves her; it’s only because he feels ympathy for her.  Miya refuses to hear it though, and says it’s not sympathy.  She adds that she has nothing anymore, but at least God returned XK to her.  [Is that how you want someone to return to your side???  Sigh.]  Tony asks if she can stop deceiving herself as well as others, and says that if XK knew her eyes were already better, he wouldn’t hesitate to leave her.  Miya argues back that he wouldn’t and tells Tony that XK won’t leave her.  Tony then responds that he can understand how she’s unable to forget/let go of XK.  He’s also not going to intervene in her pursuit of a romantic love anymore, but then he asks her if she knows what her current behavior is and tells her it’s shamefully trapping him.  Having said his piece, Tony leaves.

 

YY and YX are having drinks when she tells him that if he can’t win the championship title, then he shouldn’t come back and look for her.  She finishes by asking if he heard her, and YX asks if she’s aware of how strong the North American teams are this year and mutters that she still dares to threaten him.  YY then points out that he hasn’t even gone [to the world championships] yet and asks if he’s retreating already.  She calls him a scaredy cat and YX asks who’s retreating.  He then tells her that he was just hoping she could talk to him in a gentler and softer tone.  As this is a foreign concept for YY, she asks, “Gentle and soft… how do you mean?”  YX names QY as an example and tells YY to take note of how even though QY has a firm and unyielding temperament, whenever XK’s around, she’s always gentle and soft and thoughtful.  YY slams her chopsticks down on the table and asks what the point of being gentle and soft is when even QY, who’s as gentle as she is, was still forced into leaving by herself with her tail between her legs by a former girlfriend.  YX looks to the side, as he has nothing to say to that, and YX mutters that she doesn’t know if they’ve seen too many idol dramas or what for them to have this view.  YX then sighs and reminds her that it’s not like the two have broken up, and points out that deep down, his Kong Ge is having a har time too.  That only upsets YY though, as she asks disbelievngly, “He’s having a hard time?”  She says she doesn’t see how he’s having a hard time at all what with the way he spends every day at the hospital, and says that’s called being diligent.  She then insists XK must be enjoying it and that QY made the right decision in leaving, because all men are jerks.  Poor YX.  He asks what she means by saying all men are jerks* and YY says, “That’s true.  You’re not ‘things,’” to which YX says, “That’s right,” because he probably doesn’t even realize what she’s saying as they’ve been drinking, and YY starts laughing calling him a fool.  [*What YY says, in fact, is that men aren’t “hao dong xi.”  Hao = good; dong xi = things.  So when YX protests by asking her what she means by that, she answers that men aren’t even “dong xi.”]  YX asks YY why she’s so prejudiced against men and asks whether she was once cheated on by a scumbag.  He laughs as he asks the question, but YY doesn’t find it the least bit amusing.  She angrily retorts that he’s the one who was cheated on by a scumbag and asks him what he’s talking about.  When YY processes her reaction, he wonders to himself, “No way, did I just guess it?” 

 

Later, YX and YY walk home drunk.  [I love how YY’s purse is wrapped around his neck.]  They seem to have this thing about who’s a better drinker between the two of them, because that’s all they could talk about the last time they drank together at that KTV place, and now YY tells him the same thing, that he’s incapable of drinking more than her.  This time, YX says that’s right, he can’t drink more than her and YY stops mid-walk to exclaim that she feels really good after drinking and that she’s really happy.  YX takes advantage of the opportunity to say that QY said she’s never been in a relationship before, and asks if that’s true.  YY asks, “Why?  Are you looking down on me?”  and YY says no.  YX asks if it’s a crime to be single and YX asks how he would dare to look down on her.  He confesses he’s also never had a girlfriend and YY pats him on the shoulder telling him that they’re the same; they’re both pitiful kids.  YY then tells her that, that’s not it, as he has someone whom he likes.  He just hasn’t dared to confess.  YY asks why he doesn’t dare confess and YX answers that he doesn’t feel he’s good enough for her.  YY asks how he wouldn’t be good enough for her, and YX answers that he’s from the countryside and never went to college.  He then adds, “In any event, she’s better than me in every area.”  YY swipes at him and tells him he can just fester inside his stomach then and never confess.  YX answers that he does want to confess, and YY advises him not to.  She tells him that once he speaks aloud his feelings, she’ll disappear, blacklist his cell phone number, QQ account, Weibo, Weixin, and never be found again.  YX asks, “Disappear?” and YY answers that it’s been three years already; that she’s been looking for him for three years.  She tells YX that all she wants to do is ask him is, if he didn’t like her, then why did he kiss her.  And since he did kiss her, then why did he disappear?  She pushes at YX and asks him why he disappeared, and YX reaches out to ask her, “He kissed you?”  She confirms it and tells him it was her first kiss, and that after he kissed her, he disappeared.  YX calls that guy a scumbag and YY agrees that he’s a scumbag.  YX then tells her that he’s different from that guy because if he kissed her, he definitely would not disappear.  YY peers at him and then breaks out into a laugh.  She tells him that she doesn’t believe him because men are all the same, they’re all big wolf tails.  As she continues that she doesn’t believe him or any man, YX asks if she doesn’t believe him.  She answers that she doesn’t believe him and so he says he’ll ask her one more time, “Do you not believe me?”  YY answers, “I already told you.  I don’t believe…”  And that’s when YX walks over to her, swings her around, and plants one on her!  [Niiiiiice moves, YX!!!]  Unfortunately, the moment is ruined when she pushes him away and runs off.  YX calls after her.

 

That night, both YY and YX fret over what happened earlier.  They look at their phones and YY almost calls him, but then she says he can’t.  YX does call her, but then hangs up.  And it looks like YY ends up blocking him on her phone.  YX goes for a walk bythe river where he screams, and YY groans and moans in her own home.  [Open up your heart, YY!  Trust him.  You know you can.]

 

The next morning finds YY slumped over on her couch and YX sitting on the coffee table with his suitcase next to him.  As his teammates roll past him with their own suitcases, YX tries to give YY a call except he gets the operator’s voice telling him instead that his call can’t be put through.  He wonders why she’s still unavailable and then sends her a message, telling her that he’s tried calling her many times and asking why she won’t pick up.  He asks her to return his call, but when he finishes his message, he realizes she’s blacklisted him on Weixin and Weibo too.  He gripes that all he did was kiss her and she blocked him, and that’s when Xia Ling and PX arrive.  PX asks if he hasn’t yet woken up and whether he’s started talking in his sleep, and YX answers that he woke up a long time ago.  Xia Ling asks, “Who did you just say you kissed?  It wasn’t YY jie, was it?”  YX answers, “Yes.  I like her.  I wanted to confess after kissing her, but she’s blacklisted me on her phone, QQ, Weibo, and Weixin.  She’s disappeared.”  Both Xia Ling and PX can’t help but laugh and Xia Ling tells him that he should consider himself lucky to still be alive after kissing her.  They then urge him to come with them, as it’s time to leave, and PX helps him with his suitcase as Xia Ling leads him with an arm around his shoulder. 

 

Inside her Shanghai hotel room, QY is reviewing and practicing her materials until she gets a voice message on her phone.  It’s Xia Ling who asks how she’s been doing and tells her that they’ll be leaving soon, so he’ll see her at her the hotel later. 

 

YY’s at work, but having trouble focusing.  She flashes back first to when YX had told her that he wouldn’t disappear if he kissed her, and then to when he did kiss her.  Back in the present, a phone rings and she answers hers with an expectant expression on her face, but it turns out to be someone else’s phone whose was ringing.  She looks upset as she puts her phone down and when her co-worker stops by to drop off some materials, she calls him back to ask him a question.  She asks, “If someone blocks you, would they still call you?”  The coworker is still trying to understand the situation in order to answer the question when YX walks in on them and says, “You already blocked me!  How can I still call you?”  The coworker greets him excitedly, but YX pushes him aside and tells him to step aside.  To YY, YX calls her heartless and reminds her that he’d already said he wouldn’t disappear; yet, she blocked him anyway.  He then tells her that last night was his first kiss too and that has allllllll the coworkers reacting with a knowing sound while YY clamps his mouth shut.  She tells him to stop talking but YX’s not letting anything stop her. He reminds her that he’d told her he wasn’t a scumbag and that he would responsible towards her.  YY shoves his hands aside and asks if he’s crazy.  She tells him it was just a kiss and asks if he really had to announce it to the entire world.  YX answers that’s exactly what he’d like to do (announce it to the entire world) and then he tells her that she kissed him, so that makes her his girlfriend.  He then says if she dares to disappear again… and that’s when her boss appears to finish the sentence by saying, “I’ll give you her address.”  All the coworkers clap and YY tries to hide her head in shame.  YX then tells her that her boss has already said, he’ll give him her address.  YY complains at her boss, but he just waves her away with a happy, knowing look.  YY then turns back to YX and asks, “How did I disappear?!  I just blocked you.  And you just… you… couldn’t you have just used someone else’s phone to call me?”  [LOL, omg, I’m dying right now.]  YX looks around at all the muttering going on behind them and admits she has a point, and YY hits him on the head while cursing him.  Because that’s what she always does.  [I swear, theirs will always be a feisty relationship.  LOL.]  YY tells her to stop hitting him, but she just hits him more calling him a fool.  Her coworker starts to intervene, but the boss pulls him back and says this is how they’re getting closer, through bickering.  He tells him not to interfere but to instead hurry up and take pictures with his phone so that they’ll have evidence.  YY’s still nagging at YX and asking how he could approach her in front of all these people when she turns around and sees her coworker with his phone camera.  She’s like, “You’re even filming?!” and then tells YX to hurry up and leave.  As she rushes him out the door, she tells them others that they’re not allowed to look.  In the distance, we hear YX telling YY to stop hitting him and then the coworker observes to the boss that they’re a couple that really makes other people envious.  The boss tells him that no matter how jealous he feels, they’re already someone else’s boyfriend and girlfriend.  He then adds that he feels there there’s still more to be seen and so sends the coworker after them to keep filming.  Ha. 

 

As YX and YY arrive to the inner courtyard of her workplace, we hear him telling her to stop pushing him as YY continues to tell him to hurry up.  She then hits him as she complains about how there were so many people watching them and finally YX fights back by asking if there were really that many people.  He then tells her that he’s about to leave and asks if she doesn’t feel a little bit sad.  That’s when YY remembers he’s supposed to be leaving today and YX tells her that they’re all waiting for him outside.  [I kind of love that the entire Phenix team came with him so he could sort things out with YY while en route to their competition.  Team love!]  YY asks why he’s still there if that’s the case and urges him to hurry and leave, but YX stands resolute as he’s not going anywhere until things are sorted.  He asks, “You won’t disappear, right?”  And YY starts to say, “If you can’t win the championship, then don’t…” and that’s when YX swoops in for another kiss.  He then tells her to wait for him to bring back the championship title to her and leaves.  YY finally smiles as she jumps up and down and calls after him, “I’ll wait for you return with the championship title!”  [Oh these two… so different from XK and QY, but oh so very cute in their own way.  They’re going to make a great foursome through the years.]

 

QY and Luo Tian are having lunch together when their coworkers walk into the restaurant, see them, and greet them.  Luo Tian invites them to take the table next to them, but they decline and search for an excuse, finally noting that their other coworker is on the other side of the restaurant.  They tell Luo Tian that he’s going to join the other person and won’t disturb them.  [The subs said “third wheel” in that scene, but that’s not fair.  Because although that’s ultimately what is being implied, that’s not really what he says; he just says he won’t disturb them.]  QY looks around awkwardly after this interaction, while Luo Tian tells her to eat.  When she looks over at the other table, however, she notices how they’re looking back at them.  Luo Tian then tells her that he just received a message, which is that “they” have already set out and should be arriving soon.  QY tells him she knows, as Xia Ling already sent her a Weixin.  And Luo Tian notes that their materials are more or less done and offers to give her the rest of the afternoon off, so she can hang out with them.  QY declines the offer, though, and says there are few teams for whom she’s still not memorized their materials well yet so she should make the most of what time is left.  Luo Tian nods his acceptance of her answer and given how akwards things still are what with their coworkers on other side of the room, QY tells him that she’s done eating so she’s going to head back to the hotel first.  Picking up her things, she tells Luo Tian good-bye and then walks away. 

 

QY returns to the hotel through the side door just as the Phenix team is arriving through the lobby.  As XK is walking ahead of the team, he notices her first and calls out to her.  The others also call out to her and she has no choice but to stop and turn around.  Her face looks panicked.  Once they’re all standing together, Xia Ling greets her and QY comments that they’ve all arrived.  Xia Ling tells her that he’s missed her [and I bet XK is screaming inside, “Me too!  Me too!”]  QY replies that she’s missed everyone too, and Shu Wen walks over to tell her that she looks good so that must mean everything is going smoothly.  QY thanks Shu Wen saying that she knows it must have been hard for her during this time, but Shu Wen demurs.  [She gets to hang out with Sun Ge as the team’s manager!  I’m sure she’s doing just fine.]  YX then pipes up to tell QY that they’ve all really missed her, especially Kong Ge.  [I love how he always serves as XK’s mouthpiece, but I can’t help that this time, XK doesn’t tell him to shut up.]  Getting a clue for the first time in his life, YX then makes the excuse that he has to make a phone call and takes XK’s suitcase from him as he skedaddles away.  Shu Wen then says that everyone must be tired and suggests that they head on up to rest, and Sun Ge follows saying they’ll head up first.  PX grabs Xia Ling by the arm and as he walks past, he tells QY that he’s leaving.  This leaves XK and QY standing across from each other, and awkward boats!  She tells him, “I’m off too,” but he calls her back and asks if she’s doing well.  [JUST TELL HER YOU LOVE HER!  LOL.]  She answers that she’s doing very well and that everyone takes good care of her.  XK nods, happy to hear that I’m sure, but when he tries to speak, she cuts him off and says she spoke with Coach Luo yesterday, and he told her that this year the teams from North America are very strong so Legends might not even make it past the preliminary rounds.  Therefore, all their hopes are on the Phenix team and they should “jia you.”  [Aaaaargh, QY, this is not what XK wants to talk about right now!]  XK answers that he won’t forget the promise between them, and that Phenix will definitely stand on the champion’s stage.  “We’ll walk towards the top of the world.”  [The subs say, “We will succeed internationally,” and I’ve tried not to nitpick at the subs but this one I must.  To translate it in that manner loses the whole essence of what has been the promise between XK and QY this entire drama, which is that they will stand on the top of the world together.  My quote is the more accurate one – just saying!]  QY replies that she’ll wait for him at the finals and then takes her leave by telling him that there are things she still has to prepare so she’s leaving first.  Xk asys, “Okay,” and then he watches her walk away.  [Ahhhhhh, heart breaking!  It’s so obvious you both still love each other.  TALK IT OUT!] 

 

The next scene brings us to the 2019 iConquer World Championships – at last!  It’s the moment the entire drama has been building up towards.  Luo Tian and the announcer whom we last saw in Vancouver the prior year walk out on the stage to greet the audience and welcome them to this momentous event.  We also finally learn his name; it’s Alan!  Luo Tian takes his turn at greeting the audience by asking them if they remember him, Luo Tian.  Alan says he can feel the energy inside tonight and it’s electric.  (It seems weird recapping what’s already being spoken in English, but it’d be even weirder to leave a gap in the recaps so bear with me).  Luo Tian says there’s an old saying in Chinese, which is, “You Peng Zi Yuanfang Lai, Bu Yi Le Hu” (Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?), and then says that as their local host he enthusiastically welcomes the teams and all the fans who’ve come from all the corners of the world.  Alan observes that this is the first year the world championships are being held in China, which is quite the honor, and Luo Tian agrees.  He shares that there are 16 teams from 24 countries, and 2 of them are from China: Phenix and Legends.  Alan continues with the background information by explaining how this competition will be using the double elimination method.  Luo Tian says that as they continue talking, he’s starting to feel a little impatient so he tells the audience that they should witness together this iConquer grand event.  Alan chimes in that he thinks the teams are ready to set off on their final battles and so he welcomes the first team onto the stage, Team Inception, which is followed by Team Legends.  As expected, the home crowd goes wild at the entrance of the Chinese team.  Alan and Luo Tian officially announce the start of the competition and the two teams take their seats.

 

[I’m not going to bother narrating the play-by-plays except where I think there’s something important to say.  I watched without understanding at least half of what was being said anyway, and I don’t think that impacted my understanding of what happened on screen.  And now, the episodes are subbed anyway.  It’s just a lot of work trying to figure out gaming terms, not to mention it’s a lot of fast paced chatter from the commentators and the players on stage.] 

 

The commentators basically explain how only the winners of this match will be able to play against the winner of the next match, while the losers will enter the loser’s bracket, so everyone’s feeling pressured to win.  Inception wins the first match and even the Phenix team watches despondently from their waiting room.  On stage, Luo Tian congratulates Inception on succefully advancing and when we actually return to the stage, we see how Legends is already playing their next game against Tatans.  They lose and that means it’s over for the Legends team already.

 

YX runs out of the waiting room and XK runs after him, followed by PX.  Lu Feng comforts Li Nan as they walk off stage by observing that it was already pretty good that he was able to enter the finals in his fist year, so he shouldn’t feel sad, and that’s when they’re met by the Phenix team in the backstage hallway.  The Lu Feng who was only seconds ago so strong in front of Li Nan breaks down when he sees his former teammates.  He walks over to YX for a hug and starts sobbing hysterically.  Poor Lu Feng; he always was the emotional one of the bunch.  He says sorry, and YX asks him why he’s crying.  Lu Feng sobs from the floor that they lost and YX asks if he’s planning on playing again in the future or something.  He tells him to stand up and buck up, and asks if he’s planning on not coming the next year and never playing again.  He then turns to Li Nan and asks why he’s crying.  Huo Yao, obviously upset as well but holding up a little better than the other two, addresses XK and tells him that this time, he really did try his hardest.  He then looks at all the Phenix members and adds that from here, they’re handing things over to them.  He asks them to win the championship on their behalf and takes off his badge to hand it XK.  The other Legends members follow suit and when Lu Feng places his in YX’s hand, YX holds it up and vows to avenge them.  PX says they can count him in and Xia Ling says they can count him in too.  Sun Ge says, “Me too,” and Xiang Kong holds up Huo Yao’s badge and tells them not to forget the Legends team’s motto.  In a group hug, they chant, “Legends’ Mission, Never give up!”  [Although I’d say it’s more like they will never abandon their promise.] 

 

It’s the Phenix team’s turn to take the stage.  We see Shu Wen in the audience while Miya watches from her hospital room.  The usual crowd is also at Dream Journey watching except this time it’s YY who sits next to Summer.  Fortunately things are going well for Phenix and we hear Luo Tian comment on how Phenix’s performance during their first battle can’t help but arouse excitement in others while QY narrates that PX and Xia Ling managed to kill their opponent, and then we see the Phenix team celebrating their first win.  Miya cheers that XK won and her assistant runs over to watch on the laptop too.  The games continue though and we see that the Inception team is now battling Tatan. Tatan wins and Phenix is up next again.  At Dream Journey, YY cheers on YX but in Miya’s hospital room, Tony slams her laptop shut and asks if she doesn’t want her eyes anymore [basically telling her to take care of them and not tire them out from watching so much].  Miya rushes to open her laptop again and tells him that Xiang Kong’s about to win.  Sure enough, Phenix wins and that means Team Inception is out.  The computer bracket scrolls past and that’s when we see Phenix will be battling Tatan in the final. 

 

As the Phenix team bows on stage, QY congratulates them for winning the winner’s bracket to enter the finals.  In her hospital room, Miya celebrates the fact that XK won again and tells Tony that means they can go watch the finals in person.  He pulls her back though and asks if she’s certain she wants to go there in person, and Miya answers that of course she has to go because she promised him that this time, she would personally witness him winning the world championships.  Tony says, “Okay, and then tell him that your eyes are already better.”  Miya’s only response is to ask, “You will help me, right?”  Tony doesn’t want to, so he looks away, but Miya begs him for his help just this one time and so, of course, we know Tony will. 

 

Qi Yue and Qiao Xin are always watching the world championships and through their tablet screen we hear Luo Tian announcing that Phenix will be competing against last year’s winner, the Tatan team, in the finals.  Qi Yue slams the tablet shut and picks up his phone intending to cause trouble as he sayshe can’t let JXK enter the finals this easily.  [*rolls eyes*  Hard work and effort is not “easily,” Qi Yue, but I suppose that’s a concept you wouldn’t understand.]  Qiao Xin asks him what he’s doing and he answers that he’s trying to think of a way to ruin their reputation; that way, their moods will be affected as they compete and they won’t be able to win.  [So childish!]  Qiao Xin snatches his phone away and asksif he’s gone crazy.  She reminds him that he was just banned from competing for a year and points out how if he commits anymore wrongdoings, he might be expelled by iConquer.  Qi Yue answers that he doesn’t care because he has to do this, and tells Qiao Xin to return his phone to him.  Rather than going along with him, however, this time, Qiao Xin tells him that they should stop fighting [with them].  Qi Yue asks if she’s really reconciled herself to how things are and says that if it wasn’t for XK and QY, they wouldn’t be in their current state.  [Um.  Someone really needs a lesson on how to take responsibility for one’s actions!  But, fortunately, Qiao Xin seems to have learned a little something along the way.]  Qiao Xin tells him they can’t blame anyone for their current state.  Qi Yue asks who they should blame {YOURSELF], and Qiao Xin answers that they should blame themselves.  [FINALLY.  SHE LISTENED TO MY BRACKET RANTING.  Lol.]  She tells him that she once thought if she chased away QY, she’d be able to have everything that she wanted, so that’s why she tried everything and even used unscrupulous means.  She also tells Qi Yue that he’s the same; in order to be the team captain, he’s lost all reason.  Qi Yue nods and points out that in the past, he actually never cared about these things.  But he thought only by being the team captain, would he then be worthy of her.  Qiao Xin responds that a team captain is just status symbol, and who she loves is him, the person.  After a pause in which they’re probably thinking about how wrong they’ve been all this time, Qi Yue tells Qiao Xin that all this time he’s been vying for first place because he wanted to prove himself and didn’t want to be looked down on.  Even him wanting to be team captain was because he felt that he wasn’t good enough for her.  Qiao Xin responds by asking if he would still want to be a professional gamer if there wasn’t a her, and Qi Yue answers that gaming has always been his dream and he should’ve just focused on that rather than having any other reasons (like her) for playing.  He then adds that now he’s been left with nothing, but Qiao Xin reminds him that he still has her.  She also tells him that in all these years, the only thing she’s done correctly is be with him.  Qi Yue asks if she’s really okay with the fact that he has nothing now, and after smiling, Qiao Xin tells him, “Qi Yue, let’s start afresh.  What do you think?”  Qi Yue nods [and thank goodness, we’re finally done with those two.  I don’t know if I really needed to see them rehabilitated but whatever, it’s nice knowing at least that they won’t be causing more problems in the future.  Before I let them go though, I just want to comment on Qi Yue’s pity moment where he says all this time, all he wanted to do was prove himself so others wouldn’t look down on him and so he’d be worthy of her.  Is winning first place through trickery and other bullying methods really the path to proving yourself to others???  I hope he reflects on that before he really rehabilitates himself.]

 

As Luo Tian and QY walk through a hallway, he comments that he hasn’t seen her as happy as she is today in a long time.  She credits Phenix wininng their match for that and says, “After all, I used to be Phenix’s team leader.”  She then observes how it hasn’t been easy for XK to reach this point and Luo Tian responds by recalling that he made plans to visit with Shu Wen over where the Phenix team is staying.  He asks if she wants to go with him to show some support, but she tells him that’s okay and says she doesn’t want to affect their preparations for the next match.  Luo Tian nods his understanding and then his phone rings.  When he fumbles to find it, she offers to hold the folders he’s carrying so he has a free hand to fish his phone out of his pocket.  One of the folders falls to the ground and as she apologizes and bends over to pick it up, she notices that her GDV badge from when she was an intern is on the floor (having fallen out of Luo Tian’s folder).  After Luo Tian hangs up and sees QY holding her badge, he says, “That’s right.  Your ID badge.”  He takes back his folders and then rather awkwardly explains that back then when she left, she had left it on the desk and he just happened to keep it for safe keeping.  He then tells her that now he can return it to its rightful owner.  QY smiles and says, “Thank you then,” but she’s feeling pretty awkward over this matter too.  To fill the awkwardness she says, “Look how empty-headed I was,” and then they both look anywhere but at each other.  After a pause, QY tries to make her escape by observing how tomorrow’s the world championship finals and it’ll be her first time standing on such a grand stage.  She says she wants to prepare more fully and then suggests that he head back first while she makes a trip that afternoon to the news center to have a look at Phenix’s replay videos.  Luo Tian tells her that she needn’t go because she’s prepared enough already, and QY disagrees by telling her “Teacher Luo” that she’s still lacking in a lot of ways.  Luo Tian reacts by asking in a rather frustrated manner for her to stop referring to him as “Teacher” in the future.  He points out she’s his partner now and that she has enough qualifications to stand on the commentator’s stage at the world championship finals; therefore, she shouldn’t let herself be affected by all those things that have nothing to do with her.  QY starts to protest, “But I,” and Luo Tian cuts her off by saying that’s enough and tells her that even professional commenators like them need to take a break.  He then says he’ll treat her to dinner that night, just the two of them [ugh, creepy] and that he’ll see her in the lobby in an hour.  [I thought he was going to visit with Shu Wen.  Quick visit.  *mutters*]  When QY starts to speak, he holds up his finger and says she’s not allowed to refuse – and then smiles and adds that today’s his birthday.  QY reacts in surprise to hear that, and Luo Tian asks, “You don’t believe me?”  She quickly tells him that’s not the case and then agrees saying that she’ll definitely go.  [I mean, he did pull the birthday card on her so I suppose she didn’t really have a choice at that point.]  She then says she’ll head back to her room first and Luo Tian leads the way.

 

XK walks through the same hallway that QY and Luo Tian recently vacated and as he approaches a room, he hears one person asking the other people in the room if they think Luo Tian’s intending on planning to confess to QY that night.  Another person answers, “Most probably,” and notes how they thought Luo Tian looked preoccupied today.  A third person reacts, “Really?” and then says that they (QY and Luo Tian) really can be considered then a golden couple in the world of commentators.  She then turns and notices XK standing in the doorway of their conference room, and quickly taps her coworker’s arm.  It’s then his turn to quickly stand in surprise as he greets XK and asks if he’s there to look for QY.  XK lies and says he was just passing by and the GDV coworkers are left to sit back down awkwardly after XK leaves.  The third person then leads forward to ask if it wasn’t said on the Internet that Fu Miya was withdrawing from the entertainment business after losing her eyesight, that XK had loyally stayed by her side, and that the two of them were already back together.  She then asks why she got the feeling that XK wasn’t over QY.  The second person says that in his opinion, he thinks XK still loves QY, but the third person remarks that ultimately, XK broke up with QY because of his former girlfriend so this means their Teacher Luo still has a chance. 

 

Luo Tian and QY are at dinner, and the waiter brings over a dish.  After he leaves, Luo Tian holds up his wine goblet to QY for a toast.  He then tells her that he rarely ever celebrates his birthday, especially when it comes to celebrating it with a girl.  QY thanks him for inviting her to celebrate his birthday with him and says she knows it’s because he’s trying to help her stay calm in order for her to prepare for tomorrow’s competition.  Luo Tian says that’s not the case; he really wanted her to celebrate his birthday with him.  QY doesn’t quite know what to say to that, and Luo Tian continues that to him, she is a very important partner.  QY then remembers she has a gift to give him [trying to avoid having to respond to his comment?] and hands over a gift bag while wishing him a “Happy Birthday.”  He’s surprised by the gift and says he thought she didn’t know today was his birthday, but QY explains that this is something she prepared a long time ago and just never had the chance to give it to him.  She then tells him that if it hadn’t been for him, she probably would still be blacklisted over the matter of the leaked strategy, and so she wants to use this opportunity to give him the gift as she knows he won’t be able to refuse her.  Luo Tian thanks her by saying this is the first birthday present he’s received [that’s just sad!], and QY tells him it’s because he normally doesn’t celebrate his birthday so it’s not that people wouldn’t give him gifts.  Luo Tian concedes she has a point and admits he doesn’t really like dealing with these types of social niceities – always having to pointlessly remember all these customs and etiquette.  He explains that rather than spending the time thinking about things like that, he’d rather spend the time thinking about how he can do his own work better and make less trouble for others.  He then acknowledges that he’s difficult to get along with, as he’s demanding and unreasonable.  QY disagrees and says that in her opinion, he’s the best teacher.  [Welp, she put him firmly in his place!]  Luo Tian asks why she’s calling him ‘teacher’ again and QY tells him, “Of course!”  From the “Tomorrow’s Star” competition to her joining GDV, he taught her how to narrate replay videos and paid her special attention.  She then adds that if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have improved as much as she has.  She then holds up her glass to him and says, “Thank you, Teacher Luo.”  [Once a teacher, always a teacher…]  Luo Tian accepts the toast, but not happily, and says, “But I don’t really want to be your teacher.”  He then pulls out a jewelry box from his side and opening it up, passes it to her and says he wanted use this opportunity to give her this small present.  He then adds that he hopes from tomorrow onward, she won’t think of herself as anyone’s disciple, because she’s Qiu Ying, iConquer’s best female commentator.  And then he tells her to “jia you.”  QY smiles and accepts the present – it’s a necklace with a microphone pendant – and then promises to “jia you.” 

 

XK sits in his hotel room and thinks about that conversation he’d overheard in the conference room earlier.  He picks up his phone and pulls up QY’s contact info [seriously, why is she not on speed dial?], but gets a message from Luo Tian instead asking him if he’s free and to join him on the rooftop for a drink if he is. 

 

When XK arrives to the rooftop, Luo Tian walks over and tosses him a drink.  After a while, XK wishes Luo Tian a happy birthday, which the latter acknowledges.  After they take a sip of their drinks, Luo Tian comments that things like celebrating birthdays are really not meant for him.  And XK, in turn, asks if QY was with him earlier.  Luo Tian asks why he senses some jealousy and XK downplays it by asking what there’s to be jealous of when it’s just [QY] helping a teacher celebrate his birthday.  Luo Tian then observes how he really can’t seem to escape from people calling him “Teacher” today, and then says he’ll be honest with XK.  He’s wanted to stop being QY’s teacher from a long time ago.  XK responds that he also never imagined that he (Luo Tian) would be a threat.  Luo Tian says, that’s true, because previously he believed XK would be able to bring happiness to QY.  When XK has nothing to say to that, Luo Tian asks him what’s wrong, “Don’t know what to say?”  XK answers finally, “I also never imagined the teacher I really respected would be the type to take advantage by jumping in to fill a void.”  (In other words, taking advantage of his and QY’s recent separation.)  Luo Tian responds, “Taking advantage by jumping in to fill a void?  Then you must be admitting that you have a void that can be filled.”  He then comments on how QY has done so much for XK and asks, “But what about you?  Because of Miya, you’ve time and time again allowed her to be hurt!  And time and time again pushed her in front of the public where the wind and waves are the highest [yes, that would be an idiom for “where the struggle is the fiercest”; he’s essentially accusing XK of being responsible for all the groundless rumors and slander that gets heaped onto QY].  Luo Tian then asks, “XK, who do you really love?”  XK answers that this is his business and Luo Tian needn’t concern himself with it, but Luo Tian angrily responds that so long as it has anything to do with QY getting hurt, then he’s going to concern himself with it.  He then asks, “JXK, do you really love QY?”  After some tense moments in which the men face off at each other, XK answers, “Of course I love her.  I will always love her.  No matter what choice she makes, I will always love her.”  Luo Tian exhales audibly and repeats, “Choice?”  After he takes a sip of his drink, he asys, “She doesn’t have any other choice.  There’s only you.”  XK looks at him and Luo Tian admits that actually XK was right.  He had wanted to take advantage of the opportunity [of their recent separation] and had even planned on impulsively confessing to her today, but QY never even gave him the chance to speak.  But he also tells XK that he needn’t feel too pleased with himself about it because it’s not that he’s yielding to him.  He then warns that if XK gets entangled with Miya again, he’ll make sure to steal QY away from him evenif he gets rejected a million times in the process.  XK tells him not to worry because he’ll resolve things with Miya as quickly as possible, and won’t give him any chances.  He then adds that no matter what happens, he won’t give up on QY.  Finishing his piece, XK walks away and Luo Tian sighs.

 

Elsewhere that evening, Sun Ge and Shu Wen take a walk between some pretty trees strung with fairy lights.  She asks him if he knows why she brought him there, and he pretends not to know, asking,”Why?”  She answers by saying she’ll give him a reminder, “Five years ago.”  Sun Ge continues playing dumb by repeating back, “Five years ago?” and Shu Wen frustratingly responds, “Five years ago!  We came here for a competition.  At the time, I was feeling especially pressured so you brought me here saying it twas to help me relax and in the end, we ended up sitting here for the entire night.”  She asks if he’s forgotten then and Sun Ge responds very easily, “I remember.”  Shu Wen starts hitting him then asking how he remembers, but Sun Ge puts his arms around her and calls her a silly fool, and then tells her that he remembers everything they’ve done together inside his heart.  Stopping her in their walk, he then takes her by the shoulders and says more seriously, “I’m sorry for all these years.”  Shu Wen shakes her head understandingly at him, a smile dancing at her lips, and then tells him, “From this day forward, we’re going to retrieve all those things that we’ve missed out on and lost.  The world championship that’s still owed to you, I will also stay by your side to help win back.”  Sun Ge smiles at her and then they hug and walk back and arm and arm.  [Awwwwwww!]

 

The Tatan team convenes for one last powwow session before tomorrow’s competition.  One of their members notes that this is their last chance and Jeffrey decrees that they have to find a way around the Phenix team’s shadow tactics.  One of his team members proclaims the shadow tactics unbeatable, but Jefferey doesn’t care.  He tells his team angrily that they’re going to find a way that night or else no one will get to sleep.  He asks if everyone understands and so of course everyone has no choice but to agree.  [I think even the team’s coach looks scared of him, yikes.]

 

The End

 

 

Head Pat Count (episode): 0

Head Pat Count (total): 11

 

Fist Bump Count (episode): 0

Fist Bump Count (total): 7

 

Additional Thoughts:
 

Spoiler

I've already mentioned before why I'm not a fan of the whole Luo Tian falling in love with QY storyline, and why I find it utterly unnecessary, so I don't want to rehash what I've already said, but I do want to add that in rewatching this episode and seeing that moment where XK walks away from Luo Tian, I think it finally hit home for me why this direction of the story bothers me so much.  More than the awkwardness that's created between Luo Tian and QY, I regret what's now lost between XK and Luo Tian.  Maybe they weren't the closest, but through Sun Ge and Gu Fang, there was friendship and there was also mutual respect.  Luo Tian falling in love with QY, however, changes all of that.  For QY and Luo Tian, I actually think that in the end, it won't be that big of a thing and any awkardness will be quickly smoothed over.  All she has to do is keep pretending to be oblivious and he'll let her, and then eventually he'll hopefully move on too.  But for XK and Luo Tian?  I don't know.  That was one angry agrument between the two men.  For the sake of the relationship they once shared, I certainly hope they will repair their relationship and move past this.  But how nice would it have been if the drama had just not gone here instead?  I still say it would've been better if Luo Tian had simply expressed concern and meddled from the position of a concerned older brother/mentor rather than a potential love interest, but sigh... oh well. 

 

Moving on....  

 

 

[themarchioness]

13 hours ago, angelangie said:

This is one of the food we saw in GANK right?  heheheh now im itchy to try this one  

 

Similar, but the instant hot pot promoted in GYH is by a different brand, 自嗨锅 (Zi Hai Guo).  Not that I've looked into this or anything . . .  . . . hahaha, yeah, no, I'm totes curious after watching them eat it in the drama.  So convenient, but can it really be as good as it looks??  Curious minds want to know.  Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive to purchase/ship to where I am and I'm sure it's not nearly as expensive locally so this curious mind will have to wait a little bit longer.    

 

The brand promoted in GYH is the first one featured in this article: 

https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2018/04/17/instant-la-best-chinas-self-heating-hot-pots

 

[raziela]

16 hours ago, themarchioness said:

It's back to the recaps this week and hard to believe, but there will only be one more episode after this -- although, I'll do a recap of the special too, so it's more like 1.5 episodes left.    And then there are fics to write too.... oh, there's still so much to be done!  Haha.  Better get on with it then.  Per usual, I'll add some additional thoughts at the end.

Thank you for the latest recap.  1 and half episodes to go! You can do it!  Jiayou!  Then I'm looking forward to the fics!

 

 - I really like YY and YX  as individual characters and best friends. But as for their romance I honestly have no investment or interest.  It just felt like filler and I wish the time was spent on the leads.

18 hours ago, themarchioness said:

[I kind of love that the entire Phenix team came with him so he could sort things out with YY while en route to their competition.  Team love!] 

Aww I didn't notice this.  How sweet!

18 hours ago, themarchioness said:

QY returns to the hotel through the side door just as the Phenix team is arriving through the lobby.

This is random but I thought it was cute and funny when the team come in Xia Ling and Yixuan are having the time of their lives in the background riding along ON their suitcases.  

- it was great to see the Legends team again and reunited with XK and YX.

- I've said it before but Tony is a decent person.  I'm really glad the drama didn't make him a ruthless and immoral like Zhao Yang

18 hours ago, themarchioness said:

[FINALLY.  SHE LISTENED TO MY BRACKET RANTING.  Lol.] 

 Your bracket ranting is all of us.

 

18 hours ago, themarchioness said:

[and thank goodness, we’re finally done with those two.  I don’t know if I really needed to see them rehabilitated but whatever, it’s nice knowing at least that they won’t be causing more problems in the future.  Before I let them go though, I just want to comment on Qi Yue’s pity moment where he says all this time, all he wanted to do was prove himself so others wouldn’t look down on him and so he’d be worthy of her.  Is winning first place through trickery and other bullying methods really the path to proving yourself to others??? 

Exactly my reaction. Whatever to this unpleasant couple.  It was all a bit to convenient but I'm glad we won;t have to worry about these two ruining things anymore.  Something else i noticed is that once Qiao Xin rehabilitates the drama gives her softer make-up.  Qi Yue is delusional.  He's a nasty person who consistently treats people badly. 

 

19 hours ago, themarchioness said:

Additional Thoughts:
 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I've already mentioned before why I'm not a fan of the whole Luo Tian falling in love with QY storyline, and why I find it utterly unnecessary, so I don't want to rehash what I've already said, but I do want to add that in rewatching this episode and seeing that moment where XK walks away from Luo Tian, I think it finally hit home for me why this direction of the story bothers me so much.  More than the awkwardness that's created between Luo Tian and QY, I regret what's now lost between XK and Luo Tian.  Maybe they weren't the closest, but through Sun Ge and Gu Fang, there was friendship and there was also mutual respect.  Luo Tian falling in love with QY, however, changes all of that.  For QY and Luo Tian, I actually think that in the end, it won't be that big of a thing and any awkardness will be quickly smoothed over.  All she has to do is keep pretending to be oblivious and he'll let her, and then eventually he'll hopefully move on too.  But for XK and Luo Tian?  I don't know.  That was one angry agrument between the two men.  For the sake of the relationship they once shared, I certainly hope they will repair their relationship and move past this.  But how nice would it have been if the drama had just not gone here instead?  I still say it would've been better if Luo Tian had simply expressed concern and meddled from the position of a concerned older brother/mentor rather than a potential love interest, but sigh... oh well. 

 

Moving on....  

 

 

I know you didn't like the addition of the Luo Tian having feelings for QY but I loved it!  I liked that finally someone senior who XK respects and is also close to QY calls XK out on his behaviour and how shabbily he is treating QY.  I was also glad LT called XK to task for how QY has repeatedly been hurt and humiliated because of her association with XK ; AND it finally wakes XK up to the fact that QY has options and he will have competition now and in the future!  He seems to assume that QY will just be there ready and waiting for him once he sorts the Miya thing out (even though he still hasn't bothered to communicate anything to QY ) but LT falling for QY shows that isn't necessarily going to be the case.  

 

I have a soft spot for Luo Tian's character too (or maybe it's just Harry Hu's face).  There is something very sweet, awkward and lonely about his character like Summer said he is an "idiot about life".  At the beginning Summer Ge always talks about how unreliable he is because he is only cares about work, but once he gets to know QY he always makes time for her.  He is even willing to stake his career on QY when he is arguing with GDV's director.  I liked the slow burn as he opens up and falls for QY and doesn't even realise it's happening until the director mentions the gossip.  To be fair to Luo Tian even once he realises he has feelings for QY he never actively interferes in their relationship.  I's only once XK and QY break up and he sees how much XK has hurt her that he tries to clumsily make a move.  Anyway, I do hope LT does find someone because I think it's so sad he doesn't have anyone to even share his birthday with and he is so touched and surprised to receive a present 

 

- it goes without saying how much I love the Sun Ge and Shu Wen couple 

- compliments to Jeffrey from Team Tatan' and Alan the international commentator.  Usually Western actors in C-dramas are abysmal but they are both very convincing especially Jeffrey.

 

15 hours ago, angelangie said:

This is one of the food we saw in GANK right?  heheheh now im itchy to try this one  

 

7 hours ago, themarchioness said:

Similar, but the instant hot pot promoted in GYH is by a different brand, 自嗨锅 (Zi Hai Guo).  Not that I've looked into this or anything . . .  . . . hahaha, yeah, no, I'm totes curious after watching them eat it in the drama.  So convenient, but can it really be as good as it looks??  Curious minds want to know.  Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive to purchase/ship to where I am and I'm sure it's not nearly as expensive locally so the curious mind will have to wait a little bit longer.    

 

The brand promoted in GYH is the first one featured in this article: 

https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2018/04/17/instant-la-best-chinas-self-heating-hot-pots

Sorry but I thought the instant hotpots looked yucky and why were they so BIG?  I don't think the actors were keen either. They would kind of nibble halfheartedly on one piece of veg for the whole product placement scene