Notable Actors/Actresses
Chinese Title
Offering Fish (as tribute)
Recaps: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]
Cast
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| Chen Fei Yu: Sima Jiao |
Wang Ying Lu: Liao Ting Yan |
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| Wang Yi Ting: Ye Ru Ling Hong Luo |
Gao Han: Hei Nian Jiu |
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| Wu Yu Heng: Feng Qi |
Wang Ya Jia: Bi An |
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| Zhao Shu Ran: Ming Li |
Bao Jian Feng: Shi Qian Lv |
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| He Zhong Hua: Yuan Che |
Chen Shu Jun: Mu Ni Sheng |
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| Zeng Li: Sima E Empress Dowager |
Huang Hai Bing: Marquis Nan Yan |
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| Liu Meng Meng: Yi Huo |
Ma Yu Shu: Shi Qian Du |
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| Li Xin Ze: Shi Zhen Xu |
Chen Bo Hao: Spiritual Master Dongyang |
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| Tang Zhen Chao: You Chi |
Mini Recaps
For the recaps, I'm mainly capturing Liao Ting Yan's corporate/modern/gamer lingo.
鹹魚
Xián yú
Salty Fish
Our FL, Liao Ting Yan, is a certified Salty Fish 鹹魚. [Someone who has no ambitions, just wants to flop around and live peacefully, like a dead (salty) fish on the beach. Basically: Don’t bother me, I just want to lie flat.] Liao Ting Yan is the living definition of this.
卷
Juǎn
Involution
After a car accident, Liao Ting Yuan is yeeted straight into a xianxia world. And she already complains this place is way too 卷 [Involution. Endless competitive grind where everyone overworks themselves to death. Her logic: humans already suffer 9–9 jobs, why are gods out here grinding overtime too??] Girl got sent to an audition where she just had to stand...lol. That's not very 卷!
祖宗
Zǔzōng
Ancestor
小白臉
Xiǎo bái liǎn
Little White Face
Liao Ting Yan's first take on the local big boss, Sima Jiao: This centuries-old 祖宗 is actually a 小白臉? [She calls him an Ancestor. Sounds respectful, but calling someone 祖宗 means this very difficult person needs serving. For example, parents will call their spoiled kids 小祖宗 (little ancestor) because raising them is like serving the impossible. She also calls him a Little White Face, which is slang for a delicate, handsome guy who looks like he’s been pampered and never worked a hard day in his life. Sometimes it’s shade (like saying he’s useless but pretty), sometimes it’s pure thirst. Liao Ting Yan is thirsty (; ]
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| FL's angle, and she can already see that he's a 小白臉 |
摸魚份子
Mō yú fènzi
Someone who slacks off at work
混水摸魚
Hùn shuǐ mō yú
To fish in troubled waters
Liao Ting Yan meets Ye Ru Ling, and beams at her as she asks, “So... are you also a fellow 摸魚份子?” [→ 摸魚份子 Mō yú fènzi – Someone who slacks off at work. Literal translation though is Touch Fish Club Member. And "Touch Fish" has taken on the meaning of “fishing while on the clock,” i.e. you're pretending to work but actually chilling. It comes from this proverb → 混水摸魚 Hùn shuǐ mō yú – To fish in troubled waters = Taking advantage of chaos to benefit yourself. i.e. if the water’s murky, you can sneak in, snatch a fish, and get away with it.] Our FL was glowing at a potential fellow slacker. But Ye Ru Ling is not a slacker, boo.
Sima Jiao is now very interested in Liao Tian Yan. Just what is she scheming? To be a Certified Salty Fish, O' Great Ancestor.
Title: A Buddhist-Style Player in a Giant Survival Side-Quest 大型求生副本里的佛系選手. This world is a giant survival side-quest, and everyone is scheming, everyone but our Liao Ting Yan. She just wants to slack off and touch fish whenever she can. She's is the ultimate 佛系 Buddhist-style player: super chill, no fight, no hustle.
度假
Dù jià
Vacation
Sima Jiao casts his Truth Spell on Liao Ting Yan so she tells him her grand scheme. O' Great Ancestor, she wants to 度假 – go on a vacation (very office lingo)] While everyone's trying to kill him and he's killing everyone, this girl wants to vacay.
孫子
Sūn zi
Grandson
As Liao Ting Yan is forced to speak her heart, she's internally cursing Sima Jiao, calling him a 孫子 Grandson. But in slang it's an insult, like "little rascal". This is the bottom end of the hierarchy with 祖宗 (Zǔzōng Ancestor) at the top.] Using 孫子 on Sima Jiao, it’s mocking a centuries-old, powerful immortal with a word that literally means “grandson” or “punk.”
Eek, snake encounter! Liao Ting Yan bargains with it, “Bro, I have scrawny arms and legs. I’ll just get stuck in your teeth.” Lol. Turns out our slithery snake is vegetarian. He just wants her bamboo drink, which she has been substituting for her bubble tea cravings.
苟
Gǒu
Scarped by
Hurray. Liao Ting Yan has 苟'ed one more day. [→ To scrape by sneakily, survive another day by lying low.] The tough life of our salty fish.
No more 苟(gou)-ing. Liao Ting Yan's xianxia-boss assigns her work. But no one told her work required her forehead.
Title: Caught an NPC’s Disease, but Don't Have an NPC’s Fate of Idling Offline 生了NPC的病，卻沒有掛機的命. She has the NPC disease (no ambition, forever craving vacations, bubble tea, and ways to 苟 her way through danger). But she doesn't have the NPC life. Fate refuses to let her idle offline.
老闆
Lao ban
Boss
Liao Ting Yan continuously addresses Sima Jiao as 老闆 Boss and he doesn't know what that is. She defines it as someone who makes you work nonstop, and will give you endless rewards in return. He compares that to cows and horses. She instantly agrees because there’s actually a saying about employees → 牛馬不如 Niú mǎ bù rú – Treated worse than cows and horses.
帶娃
Dai wa
Babysit
Liao Ting Yan rants about work and how her main task is helping Boss 帶娃 → Babysit because she’s stuck wrangling a temperamental flower that spits fire like a toddler throwing tantrums. She manages to tame it.
雙休
Shuangxiu
Two days off per week (i.e., weekends).
雙修
Shuangxiu
Dual cultivation
(euphemism for sex-based cultivation practices)
After Boss takes advantage of Liao Ting Yan's forehead, she asks for some basic employee benefits like weekends off. But he hears "dual cultivation" instead. That’s why he snaps back with 齷齪 (dirty-minded), hahaha. I can’t believe I missed this pun the first time! I thought he was just calling her small-minded for asking for something so ordinary. Turns out it wasn't an ordinary request at all. She bargains down: if not 雙休, can she at least have 單休 (single day off)? Which makes me wonder... how would he have interpreted single-cultivation ;)
The thing is, Liao Ting Yan really is remarkable. She possesses the only daemon qi (so far?) that can sooth his divine flames. But she reduces herself to a 移動空調 (mobile AC unit), haha. And assures herself that there's no way her Boss has a crush on her. Because what man would fall for an AC? Not if he's an furnace!
Title: Don’t Try to Guess a Yandere’s Thoughts; Scraping by One More Day Is One More Day Earned 病嬌的心思你別猜，苟過幾日是幾日 She keeps calling him Boss, barters for "weekends off", and convinces herself that she’s nothing more than his mobile AC unit. But with a yandere-furnace for a boss, survival itself is a full-time job, so don’t bother guessing his thoughts; scraping by one more day is one more day earned.
Sima Jiao watches Liao Ting Yan make snow just to amuse him, and though his heart melts just a wee bit, he forces himself to keep a cold expression. She teases him with a pun, "老闆老闆，別老板著這麼好看的臉嘛" Lǎobǎn lǎobǎn, bié lǎobǎn zhe zhème hǎokàn de liǎn ma. Literally, “Boss, boss, don’t boss around with such a handsome face," where the third "laoban" means putting on a straight, stern "boss" like face.
點讚
Diǎn zàn
Click Like
👍
Liao Ting Yan introduces Sima Jiao to 點讚 👍. She defines it in the most crude way possible: 拍馬屁，戴高帽，捧臭腳 → Pat the horse's butt, Put a tall hat on someone, Hold up a smelly feet. It just can't genuinely be a praise eh LOL. It must be fake flattery. Sima Jiao doesn't get the insult because A) he doesn't wear hats, B) his feet don't smell and C) he only raises snakes.
撐死
Chēng sǐ
Burst to death
Liao Ting Yan refuses to eat the highly coveted petal from the flower she's babysitting. She says, 我怕我撐死 I'm afraid I'll burst. Normally, 撐死 is just a figure of speech like how someone would say "I'm stuffed to death". But she actually means it. LOL. Her logic is so clear. If coffee can keep her awake for three more hours, she's truly afraid of this petal that can give her thousand years of spiritual power.
Title: 'Kill Me' – The Correct Use of These Lyrics Is Way Too Scary. ’殺我‘ 這歌詞的正確用法也太可怕了
碰瓷
Pèng cí
Bump porcelain
Liao Ting Yan blurts, "老闆，您怎麼還碰瓷呢! Boss, how could you be pèng cí-ing?! Our Great Ancestor, the Sima Jiao, her Boss, how could he stoop so low and 碰瓷! xD. 碰瓷 Bump porcelain refers to an old swindler’s trick. Conmen would carry fragile porcelain, bump into someone, and then accuse them of breaking it, demanding compensation. Now, we use it for scam artists who fake accidents (e.g. someone throwing themselves in front of your car and then insisting you owe them money). Our mighty, terrifying Ancestor Sima Jiao, revered in the cultivation world, is actually running low-level scams. Poor Liao Ting Yan lol.
你死我死
Nǐ sǐ wǒ sǐ
You die, I die
同生共死
Tóng shēng gòng sǐ
Live together, die together
They've dodged 你死我死 You-die-I-die scenario. But, they get dragged straight into a 同生共死 live-together-die-together situation. From mutual destruction to inseparable destiny, lol. Our Salty Fish is locked in a never-ending death game with her boss, haha. And he keeps pestering her if she wants to kill him, still. NO!
Sima Jiao takes in the Flower. Not just the petal, but the whole thing. Liao Ting Yan's eyes widen, freaking out and wondering how many Red Bull is that – basically. She’s panicking this second, but then fangirling the next when he powers up. Me too xD
At the height of blood and flames, Sima Jiao asks what she thinks about it all. Liao Ting Yan looks at the devastation, the terror, the chaos….."你的腰好细 Your waist is so thin.” That’s where her brain goes.
我被睡了
Wǒ bèi shuì le
I’ve been slept by [someone]
So no dying together. They sleep together. Liao Ting Yan causally drops 我被睡了. Normally used in the sexual sense, as in she's been taken advantaged by someone in the bed. But here she’s just saying it literally = “he slept by me.” But I guess he also did take advantage just by sleeping next to her in this tight hammock. She goes back to sleep anyway, lol.
Finally, the first time in 500 years, Sima Jiao leaves his prison, aka Paramount Pictures. He sweeps Liao Ting Yan into his arms, they take flight on Gao Han (the snake’s) head... and she’s out cold through the (romantic) trip.
還是死了. But then at Bai Lu's cliff, under Sima Jiao's instruction, Liao Ting Yan sniffs a flower and promptly dies from poison. Boss loves his death games too much.
Title: Shijie Is the C-Position of the “Revenge Concerto” – The Spotlighted Survivor. 師姐是《復仇協奏曲》中的 C 位（焦點幸存者）Liao Ting Yan somehow keeps unintentionally staggering into the spotlight, the C-Position. She really doesn't want to be there, floating in the air, hugging Boss's thin waist – or maybe she does.
矛與盾
Máo yǔ dùn
Spear and shield
消消樂
Xiāo xiāo lè
Casual (phone) games
e.g. Candy Crush
When Liao Ting Yan wakes up from the poison, she’s confused. Wasn’t there supposed to be no cure? Turns out the "cure" is also in the flowers. And this isn't a grand balance of 矛與盾 Spear and Shield (an ancient metaphor for unstoppable spear/force vs immovable shield/defence). That would’ve been very on-point for xianxia – profound, contradictory, deadly serious. But nope. It’s just 消消樂 Xianxia-Candy-Crush. Taste-testing the petals is like clearing a level.
神農氏
Shén Nóng shì
Legendary herbalist who sampled every plant
Liao Ting Yan is touched that Sima Jiao tasted each flower to find an antidote for her. She calls him her 神農氏 Mr. Shen Nong. And just like that, Sima Jiao became her ancient guinea pig. Very touching! xD.
死去活來
Sǐ qù huó lái
Die and come back to life
Romantic...not really. Sima Jiao tells her, “As long as I want to kill you, you’ll die no matter where you are. If I don’t want to kill you, even if you die, I can make you alive again.” What a line. Liao Ting Yan sums it up with: "好一個死去活來 What a fine 'die-and-come-back-to-life'.” She uses it literally: he killed her, then un-killed her. But this phrase is generally figurative, like “so delicious it’s to die for” or “so in love you’d die and revive.” That's exactly what they're going to do for love here, hahaha....
心腹
Xīn fù
Trusted aide
跳槽
Tiào cáo
Switch employers
When Liao Ting Yan considers returning to her old sect, Sima Jiao asks with that half-smug, half-smouldering expression whether her old place is better than his. The subtext: there’s only one safe answer. For the sake of him being her personal 神農氏 Shen Nong, she decides it's better to stay. In her own modern framing, she’s become his 心腹, his trusted right hand, and she definitely shouldn’t 跳槽 jump-hop to another sect like a disloyal employee. While her brain is in corporate metaphors, his is in murder. He tells her flat out that if she says her old sect was better, he’ll kill her. Lol. Immediately, she answers: "Nope, this one’s better.” The most corporate-employee way to keep her head attached.
熬夜老司機
Áo yè lǎo sī jī
All-nighter old driver
Sima Jiao can’t sleep – he's burning up. He goes sleep right next to his AC unit (Liao Ting Yan). And when he realizes she’s... actually sleeping? Like peacefully, while he’s right there? He’s offended. Isn’t she supposed to be scared? She pries her eyes open, groggy, and dubs him an 熬夜老司機 all-nighter old driver (an "old driver" = streetwise veteran, someone sly and experienced, often with a slightly naughty connotation). Obviously, Sima Jiao doesn't know what that means. You, sir. You're the old naughty driver.
Title: What Should I Do After Knowing My Grandmaster's Big Secret? 知道了師祖的大秘密怎麼辦？(Answer: Don't 跳槽 switch employers)
Instead of dragging Liao Ting Yan into bloodshed, Sima Jiao has been doing the most uncharacteristic things for a "feared demon lord": feeding her, taking care of her peers, and even worrying if she might vomit at the sight of death. Dude even feeds himself to her (to save her). That’s when he lays it romantically: 有生之年我只殺人，幾次救人都是為妳。偏偏你卻如此沒用 In my lifetime, I only kill people. The few times I’ve saved someone, it’s only for you. And yet, you’re this useless.” Mostly romantic, lol.
Hello, Liao Ting Yan's spirit chamber! Its first appearance. A fish swims around. And his flower blooms inside 👀. Then when she wakes up, Sima Jiao is sleeping next to her.
BKing
It's English, but it's Chinese
Be King / Badass King Persona
Seeing the fresh wound on Sima Jiao's body, Liao Ting Yan is moved. Apparently his wounds heal very slowly. She panics, thinking he’s showing her a deadly weakness. But he just shrugs; to him, these wounds are nothing. She mutters that he still insists on his BKing persona = Be King / Badass King Persona: always needing to dominate the setting and keep their superior vibe no matter the situation. She perfectly describes it: 老是一邊開打，一邊吐血 Always fighting and always spitting blood. Hahaha. And here's BloodKing for the visual learners:
Truth Spell time. Sima Jiao presses Liao Ting Yan with three questions: Do you want to kill me? Do you want to continue leveling up? Do you want to leave me? Her answers: no, no... and no. Wait – the last one was no too? He smiles. She’s stunned. Didn’t she just think she’d leave if given the chance because he’s too dangerous? What is this sudden shift? Has she been 腐化 (corrupted / morally softened) by this 吃喝玩樂 (eat, drink, play, and enjoy life) lifestyle? You've been 腐化 by the BKing persona, girl. He’s pleased by her answer and promptly sleeps – on her bed.
小學雞
Xiǎo xué jī
Primary school chicken
The man blocks her cherries! Liao Ting Yan complains she just learned and can't compare to him, a 學霸 (xué bà, academic prodigy). But Sima Jiao says even if she trained for 500 years, she’d never beat him. So she blurts out: 小學雞 Primary School Chicken (= acting like an immature kid). Uh oh. She backpedals, “It’s a compliment! It means cute, lovable.” At the word “love,” he scoffs: "日日掛念著情愛，怪不得你們那裡的人修為毫無精進 Always thinking about romance every day. No wonder your kind makes no progress in cultivation.” Lol. The subtext: he’s implying that all humans are 戀愛腦 (liàn ài nǎo; Brains consumed by love”). Which is a brilliant meta roast because he's in a xianxia, and netizens having been flaming xianxias for a decade because these immortals are always 戀愛腦s, tangled in romance with no real cultivation/xia xD. Liao Ting Yan just nods at her Primary School Chicken. She's an expert at raising this chicken now.
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| He's very 小學雞 here :) |
Title: In This Lifetime, He Only Kills People. The Few Times He Saved Someone, It Was Only for Her. 有生之年他只殺人，幾次救人都是為她. He feeds her with his own blood, lets her spirit bloom with his flower, and though he never stops threatening to kill her, he’s the one who keeps saving her.
斷情絕愛
Duàn qíng jué ài
Cut off feelings and sever love
Liao Ting Yan, our Salty Fish, has never been so dramatic until now, against a so-called ex Yuan Shang. She declares, "我今天就要替原主斷情絕愛！Today I’ll sever all love on behalf of the original host!" 斷情絕愛 doesn't match our Salty Fish's vibe at all xD. It's so xianxia, so dramatic, lol.
Back at home, Sima Jiao waits for Liao Ting Yan with that impatient patience of a man who refuses to admit he’s waiting. When she's finally back, he confronts her bluntly: her mission was to kill him, and so does she deserve to die? Liao Ting Yan’s brain is sharp in her salted-fish logic: if her mighty ancestor went through the trouble of saving her with his blood, he wouldn’t just waste her now. He’s not that 無聊 (wú liáo, bored). She right. Then the not-無聊 Sima Jiao peeks into her thoughts with his Truth Spell and finds her most pressing concern: "You just rubbed the flowers, didn’t wash your hand, and then pressed it on my mouth." She right again.
棄暗投明
Qì àn tóu míng
Renounced the dark and seek the light.
(Betrayed the bad side)
棄明投暗
Qì míng tóu àn
Renounced the light and seek the dark.
(Betrayed the good side)
When Sima Jiao presses again on whether he should kill her, she panics: "我已經棄暗投明 I’ve already abandoned darkness for the light!" He raises an eyebrow. "So I'm 明Ming? Light?"" Without missing a beat, she flips the idiom: "棄明投暗 I've renounced the light and sought the dark." LOL. So witty.
But when Sima Jiao drags her to learn to kill, she flat-out refuses. Even threatening to kill her won't work. She calls his bluff and dares him to kill her knowing he won't. Sure enough, he storms off in a sulk. And now, she's chasing after him, and 撒嬌-ing (sa jiao; play-acting being spoiled and cute). A certain Jiao Jiao is very weak to sa-jiao-ing:
魔域
Mó yù
Demonic realm
摸魚
Mō yú
Touch fish / Slack off work
It's not Sima Jiao who wants to kill Liao Ting Yan. It's everyone else. Our Salted Fish's life is in jeopardy because her secret 魔域 Demonic realm identity was exposed. And by the way the pronunciation of "Demonic Realm" and "Touch Fish" sound quite alike: mó yù and mō yú. It's neat that her real identity is also her favourite life motto. And so since everyone wants her dead, Sima Jiao will fulfill everyone's wish – kill Liao Ting Yan.
Title: So It Turns Out I’m the Kind of Player Who Can Never Be Outside the Game 原來我是無法置身事外的身分玩家. Liao Ting Yan was never a player drifting on the sidelines. Her very identity changes the whole game.
How could our Ancestor ever let his Salty Fish die! He just shakes his head, pulls his floppy little flying fish – Liao Ting Yan, wobbling and unsteady in the sky – straight into his arms. Cute! Then he whisks her away. Destination? "To die.” (He meant it LOL.)
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| Incarceration = a five-star hotel suite |
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| Roast her flesh = backyard BBQ solo-party |
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| Toss into icy pool = deluxe spa package |
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| Every scene, she’s got something to munch on, lol |
To sell the murder story, Sima Jiao changes Liao Ting Yan into an otter, and blames her that she's an otter, lol. She's so salty about this because Sima Jiao gets endless cuddles and she can’t even pat her own fluffy body! She's so jealous and protests that he crossed the line, but he cheekily claims that he's a 小學雞 Primacy School Chicken. He's picking up her vocab! Boy is very into her.
So now Sima Jiao is happily stroking his furry otter-wife, while Salty Fish fumes because how is she supposed to maintain her eat-drink-play-enjoy lifestyle stuck as an otter? Don’t worry, Boss has it all covered. They're going 度假-ing (du jia) vacationing. Look at him, speaking her lingo again.
Title: Accidentally Triggered the ‘Eighty-One Tribulations of Cultivation’ Mechanism 意外觸發「修仙八十一難」機制. Accidentally triggered eighty-one tribulations? More like eighty-one excuses for him to fatten her up, and fluff her up.
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| "我就是個爛人、人渣、禽獸中的禽獸 I’m just trash, the scum (of men), the beast among beasts." |
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| "你傻呀？渣男劈腿都是這樣 Are you silly? All cheating scumbags are like this." |
渣男
Zhā nán
Scumbag men
Privately, Sima Jiao asks what 渣男 Scumbag men even means. Liao Ting Yan explains it's type of man who abandons his wife and children, utterly worthless and deserving to be beaten until they turn into 渣 crumbs. But when he repeats it, the whole vibe shifts:
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| "粉身碎骨變成碎渣 Bones pulverized and crushed to splinters, ground down to powder." Same idea, but way more deadly coming from our great lord. |
戀愛腦
Liàn ài nǎo
Love-brain (disease)
Poor Zhou Qing’er is a textbook 戀愛腦. It literally means love-brain (disease): a brain that's consumed by love that all reason evaporates. Sima Jiao eyes Liao Ting Yan suspiciously: did she ever have this disease? Of course not! He smiles at that. The man is smiling! He also mutters that all that 情情愛愛 mushy romance stuff is the most useless thing in existence. Okay, our Great Ancestor. Let's see who becomes a 戀愛腦 in the end ;)
Title: Following the Ancestor on His Incognito Outings Always Leads to Trouble! 陪祖宗微服私訪總是會出大事的! The Big Trouble = developing a Love-Brain :-)
For lying, Liao Ting Yan is punished by Sima Jiao with a perpetual Truth Spell. Every word out of her mouth is now unfiltered honesty. LOVE IT. She begs him to lift it before someone beats her up, but he just shrugs. So she calls him a 小學雞 Primary School Chicken. He thanks her, still thinking it’s a compliment. But under the truth spell, she blurts the real meaning: immature, petty, childish. Sima Jiao is startled for a second, then he's very amused.
Liao Ting Yan bargains: if Sima Jiao wants praise, she’ll give him all the flowery compliments he desires. But he shakes his head, fake flattery is meaningless to him. He only wants the truth. And the truth arrives at the best moment. While dismissing Yan Huan maids, one begs to stay. Sima Jiao says he is not used to companionship. Cue Liao Ting Yan, under the spell: "我看你挺習慣的呀，昨天晚上不是抱著我睡覺嗎？You looked pretty used to it. Weren't you holding onto me while you slept last night?" His smile dies. But then, unable to deny it, he smoothly pivots: "我就只願意留她一人陪我 She's the only one I am willing to keep by my side." True dat.
發際線後移
Fà jì xiàn hòu yí
Receding Hairline
Later, a man asks Liao Ting Yan for a job recommendation, like a manager or something and then this ge promises to look after her. People here are weird. She thanks him politely: "Thanks, ge, but you look like you could be my uncle." LOL. He sputters that he’s only in his early twenties. She replies:
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| "對不起啊，我看你這發際線後移，以為你五十多了 Sorry, with that receding hairline, I thought you were over fifty.” |
LMAO So brutal, hahaha. And this is a very real problem. For male actors, the wigs are truly hairline-killing. And for salary-slaves, it's a half-joke, half serious complaint about stress, aging, or overwork leading to balding.
Earplugs! It's perfect for Liao Ting Yan. She can dodge the spell’s consequences. But with her ears blocked, she misses Sima Jiao’s warning about a pond behind her and nearly falls in. He catches her arm, letting her dangle, and she snaps: "You don’t actually think being this wicked makes you look cool, do you?” He does. And he is. He loosens his grip to scare her, amused by her panic. When he finally pulls her up, she lands chest-first against him. *Ba-bump!* It's heart-plugs that you two need (:
That night, things turn serious. Liao Ting Yan tells Sima Jiao how exhausting it is to live with every thought exposed. But Sima Jiao hates lies because he's been wrapped in centuries of deception. She, too, admits to her loneliness, an outsider in this strange world. But isn’t there another way to know someone’s heart? Then when he asks if she thinks he punished her only for fun, her spell-bound reply is: yes. This whole conversation wounds him more than she thinks because these are her real thoughts.
珍而重之
Zhēn ér chóng zhī
Treasure something greatly and treat it with utmost importance
Liao Ting Yan bounces Sima Jiao's own spell back onto him with the huge ass mirror that I don't know how he missed. His lips betray what he has hidden: "因為我對你珍而重之，不想讓你受絲毫傷害 Because I treasure you dearly and don’t want you to suffer the slightest harm.”. The moment the confession escapes, he panics, changes her back into an otter, and threatens she’ll stay that way forever if she dares use these devices again. He can't even face her. Our Great Ancestor completely undone by his own confession. AWWWW.
The next day, Liao Ting Yan is lounging in her mountain of food, drinks a cup of wine, and immediately gets drunk (forgetting her new body water percentage). She's otterly adorable!! When Sima Jiao transforms her back into a human, she clumsily pounces on him, thinking she’s still a small otter. He's flustered, and sets her down only for her to blurt, under the truth spell, that he looks embarrassed. Which makes him actually embarrassed, aw. And so he cancels the spell at last.
情愛的
Qíng ài de
Dear
Liao Ting Yan beams and shoots him a heart: "謝謝情愛的師祖 Thank you, beloved shizhu.” But which meaning of 情愛的 beloved/dear does she intend? Tender endearment or mocking sarcasm (like addressing a client from hell)? And instead of using the spell, Sima Jiao chooses to trust her words (OMG<3). She assures him, "我對你肯定不是討厭，沒騙你，實話 Towards you, of course, it isn't hate. I didn't lie ~ It's the truth~" For once, he believes without magic, and it's the most magical thing yet <3.
Title: Looks Like a Love-Brain Has Grown 好像要長”戀愛腦“啦 Our cold immortal has caught the love-brain disease after all. (He even wondered that to himself when Liao Ting Yan was shooting hearts at him).
Sima Jiao’s tragedy endless loss and cruelty. His clan is reduced to breeding stock and blood sacrifices, mothers torn from their newborns, and every attempt at escape ending in massacre. Liao Ting Yan witnesses it first-hand. This isn't just a "backstory" anymore. She sees the depth of his wounds, the scale of his suffering, and the unbearable loneliness behind his fury. Her sympathy turns visceral, her emotions intensified by the raw reality of his pain.
[Ep13] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
When Sima Jiao tells Liao Ting Yan, calmly that killing him will be good for her, she breaks. Tears in her eyes as she refuses. He smiles faintly, almost incredulous at her choice. “Then you will die with me.” But she doesn’t want that. She wants to live with him, not die beside him. Yet he has already chosen annihilation, vowing to burn down everything so that not a drop of blood nor shred of flesh from his clan can ever be taken again. This is his warning for her to run, but she stays, begging him between tears to not lose himself completely, and quit this 凹人設 (āo rén shè) = BKing persona. She sobs that he's not majestic or dashing at all right now. He rebuts with a bleak laugh, "We’re all going to be burned into ashes, does appearance matter?" Yet if it truly didn’t matter, why had he changed out of blood-soaked white robes into fresh black ones? Our BKing Sima Jiao (ಥ﹏ಥ).
Title: Turns Out the "Villain Shizhu’s" Home Is the Real Battlefield of Endless Strife. 原來“反派師祖”家裡才是真修羅場. [修羅場 (xiū luó chǎng) comes from Buddhism and gives the imagery of the battlefield of the asuras, gods fighting in endless conflict. It’s often used for domestic chaos like messy love triangles or household dramas, etc. But here, the phrase is restored to its original meaning as well; Sima Jiao's "family" life is truly a battlefield of endless cruelty.]
Liao Ting Yan’s quivering fear pierces straight into Sima Jiao’s heart. He has no ties left in this world, no reason to live. Yet she was enough for him to pull back his destructive power and spirit her away. AWW. She feared for him, his life that even in his last moments it's filled with hatred and pain. She wasn't thinking about her life. But then he was (ಥ﹏ಥ). His body, though, is failing, too weak to move. But she refuses to abandon him.
一線生機
Yī xiàn shēng jī
A thread of life
A celestial messenger emerges. He was the one who had tied a prayer bead around Sima Jiao’s ankle. With solemn gravitas, he declares that if Liao Ting Yan could untie it, there would be 一線生機 a single thread of life, meaning a sliver of hope. If not, today will mark his end. This “thread of hope” is quite literally hanging on a string. Can we save Sima Jiao?! Dun dun dun! Gotta love Liao Ting Yan's reaction: "你就不能直接救他？ Can’t you just save him directly?" Hahaha. This modern bluntness is exactly the thing an audience would shout at xianxias for xD. And of course, she unties the bead, becoming Sima Jiao's literal "thread of life." She feeds him the pill, though not without muttering, "Even though this came off your 腳(jiao) foot, you shouldn’t be disgusted with yourself (Sima Jiao), right?") Her hygiene jokes xD And there's a pun, I guess.
腳
Jiǎo
Foot
焦
Jiāo
Burnt
(Sima Jiao's Jiao)
矯
Jiāo
Delicate, pampered
Sima Jiao's consciousness begins to fade. Liao Ting Yan presses her forehead to his, entering his Spiritual Chamber. The door to his inner sanctum is locked, and so our Salty Fish knocks! Literally asking for consent xD. But what finally makes the door open is her calling him "Jiao Jiao." 矯矯 <3. The subs are his 焦Jiao, but whenever she's calling him Jiao Jiao, we should be thinking she means the other 嬌Jiao.
Inside, however, is scarred and fragmented, every memory torn and wounded. Her heart aches. If she had to endure this, she would have gone insane long ago. But she still embraces the collapsing ruins. Slowly, the destruction halts. And Sima Jiao appears! When she wonders aloud if she’ll die here, he repeats his earlier 'threat': "As long as I want to kill you, you’ll die no matter where you are. If I don’t want to kill you, even if you die, I can bring you back again." Really, 好一個死去活來 (See Ep6). Our overconfident Jiao Jiao is back! *Sniffles* As their lips meet inside, outside their bodies are – well – doing what xianxia tactfully calls dual cultivation.
The Spirit Flame chimes in that if Liao Ting Yan does it – enter his spiritual chamber – twice more, he should fully heal. TWO MORE. Liao Ting Yan screams inside. One time already felt like 死去活來 to-die-and-come-back-to life. She said this line in Ep6 where she only used it literally. Here, the figurative meaning applies too, methinks. It really felt like 死去活來, so amazing it's to die for :D. By the way, is the kiddo Spirit Flame watching the whole time?
The second time Liao Ting Yan presses her forehead to Sima Jiao's, it's not as painful – 💀😂 – and their energies merge gently. (It's starting to feel good.) Then Sima Jiao drifts into her spiritual chamber: he sees blooming flowers, feels wind on his face, and the world is alive again. He loves this paradise inside Liao Ting Yan. (≖⩊≖)
His fate has changed. Sima Jiao wakes, gazing right at her. Liao Ting Yan scrambles to cover him, shrieking internally at Spirit Flame: You said three times! We only did it twice! Can’t you count?! Sima Jiao, meanwhile, calmly says he had a good sleep. She chirps back about the miracle medicine, but it wasn’t the pill. Rising with sudden strength, he leans in again – forehead to forehead. This time, he enters her chamber. There, inside her, they kiss again. 💀😂😍🫣
Title: She Is Shizhu's Thread of Life? 她是師祖的「一線生機」？ Our Salty Fish has become the one thing anchoring him to life ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و
When Sima Jiao leans in to "do it again," Liao Ting Yan covers her forehead in embarrassment. He pauses. "You don’t like it?" ( ๑‾̀◡‾́)(‾̀◡‾́ ๑) Just as she blurts, "I don’t like it," he activates his Truth Spell. Except... it doesn’t seem to work. She mutters that it’s broken. Which means her real answer was "yes." Judging from the smile tugging at his lips, he knows it too. Sima Jiao no longer needs his powers to read her heart ~
Liao Ting Yan asks Sima Jiao if he still wants to die. He smiles. "你費呢麼大力氣救了我，我便活著吧. Since you went through so much trouble to save me, I’ll live, then.” AWW. For the first time, he chooses life. Plus, he just discovered dual cultivation.
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| Sima Jiao and Liao Ting Yan's new disguise. |
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| Inside her heart: 司馬焦 Sima Jiao 大豬梯子 Big Pig Trotter 王八蛋 Bastard |
Title: Danger Lurking Everywhere, But Still "Role-Playing" 危機四伏中的"角色扮演" Best fugitive vacation. And really, are they just role-playing?
口腹之欲
Kǒu fù zhī yù
Desire of the mouth and belly
Indulgence in gluttony
For Liao Ting Yan, eating isn't about hunger, it's for satisfying her cravings 口腹之欲 , desire of the mouth and belly. To her, if eating loses its joy, then life itself loses joy. Sima Jiao, of course, couldn’t quite understand, but he leads her away from the stuck-up immortals to a quiet place he's filled with food just for her. Watching her savour every bite, Sima Jiao couldn’t resist stealing the dessert she had just tasted – straight from her lips. Oh, he's understanding 口腹之欲 alright, especially the mouth part.
Wait a second! Sima Jiao can hear her inner thoughts. Whenever she's flustered or excited, he hears them clearly, as though her heart is a podcast tuned only to him. Isn't it too wicked that he can read her heart, and actually hear her heart. Why? How? She wonders what changed his cultivation. He lost his virginity, that's what she changed LOL. She begs him to stop listening. But it's not something he can control anymore. He can't exactly re-virgin himself.
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| Someone very immature bribed the tiny kiddo-teacher to give a birds-and-bees crash course (; |
小鹿亂撞
Xiǎo lù luàn zhuàng
A little deer is running around and bumping into things.
Pounding, fluttering heart
Liao Ting Yan is like a 小鹿亂撞 deer running wild when she thinks she's off on a sweet date with Sima Jiao. But nope, it's for business. Immediately, her 小鹿一下摔死 deer tripped and died. He laughs at that, but grants her next wish. She blurts that she wants to 摸魚 touch fish. And so with his bare hands, he catches a fish. Holding it up triumphantly, he looks at her with that smug smile: “Touch it.” HAHA.
Title: Dating Isn't Something One Hand Can Clap Alone to Achieve 戀愛這種事一個巴掌拍不響.
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| The owner of the fish: Shi Qian Lv xD. Sima Jiao had the wicked courtesy to leave him the fish bones. |
Liao Ting Yan is gravely injured. Seeing her bloodied face and broken body, Sima Jiao's heart twists in pain. She had been able to bear the pain, but the moment she saw him, all her strength gave way. He can’t even find words, and it’s she who gently coaxes him: if he speaks to her, she’ll feel better. She nudges him softly. His eyes flicker with hatred – not at her, but at the thought. How dare anyone harm the woman he 珍而重之 treasures above all else, the one he guards so carefully she should never suffer even the slightest wound 受絲毫傷害. (See Ep10)
小白臉
Xiǎo bái liǎn
Little White Face
(Ep1)
Liao Ting Yan is determined not to be the world’s first deep-fried Salty Fish but mostly for Sima Jiao’s sake. He had been so proud, so sure he’d never let her die. She refuses to let him down, even as her strength runs out. But it’s too much. Just as she’s about to collapse, Sima Jiao flies in – literally ripping through lightning to shield her. No mountain, cave, or gold could ever shield her as fiercely as his love does. Our Salty Fish puts up a fight though! She throws herself back into the storm beside him.
Liao Ting Yan's heart is still pounding. Was it the after-effect of the lightning? Or the sight of Sima Jiao, magnificent and defiant against the heavens? She loves her strong MLs. Me too! xD He laughs at her exaggerated love confession. Then he smears blood all over her face. Liao Ting Yan's face: -_- lol. Heart eyes gone! xD
After all this, instead of being afraid of Sima Jiao's scent on her, Liao Ting Ya nuzzles into the nape of his neck, asking "In this whole world, is it only me who can smell your scent?" ꒰ღ˘‿˘ற꒱♥
Title: The Man Who Can Tear Apart Thunder (Lightning) Is the Handsomest. 能手撕天雷的男人是就帥的. Literally.
Sima Jiao forces Liao Ting Yan to kill Shi Zhen Xu (Shi Qian Lv's son; Li Xin Ze) by guiding her hand. She breaks down in horror. Even touching Sima Jiao’s hand afterward makes her body recoil. He tries to reason with her – that she didn’t have to kill, but she must at least learn to be capable of killing. To him, this is survival. To her, it is a line she never wants to cross. And she crossed it because of him. Furious, she drives him out, refusing to see him.
When Sima Jiao finds Liao Ting Yan, she admits that she could only dare to stay angry at him because he was no longer her untouchable master. He is now her most important person. This confession, along with her tears makes him realize this: "In this world, I’ve never feared anything, but now, if she doesn’t eat well or sleep well, I panic." Awww. He grew up among corpses and cruelty, where life was expendable but her horror at blood, cracks something open in him. Through Liao Ting Yan, he begins to treasure his own life, and to understand the weight of cherishing others.
Title: No Matter How Hard Cultivation Is, It Still Isn’t As Difficult As Falling in Love. 修仙副本再難，也沒有談戀愛難.
Sima Jiao lifts his hand to strike at the beast with brute force, but he stops himself. Liao Ting Yan's voice echoes in his mind: she wanted him to protect himself. And so he calls forth swords to pierce the beast instead, careful not to worsen his wounds. Every decision, every movement now carries her, aw.
Then Sima Jiao meets his father, Sima Shi. So cruel! His clan treated him like a vessel to be drained. To protect the continuation of their bloodline, they essentially sacrificed him, letting him bear pain and torment so their DNA could live on.
And on that same day, Sima Jiao loses Liao Ting Yan. He hadn’t known she was there, and the flames that should have burned only his enemies swallowed her as well.
Title: Life and Death Stretch Vast and Unfathomable; Immortals and Demons Stand on Opposing Sides. 生死兩茫茫，仙魔各一方. This episode is about separation, the divide of life and death, and immortal and demon, the divide they must try to bridge.
Then Sima Jiao meets his father, Sima Shi. So cruel! His clan treated him like a vessel to be drained. To protect the continuation of their bloodline, they essentially sacrificed him, letting him bear pain and torment so their DNA could live on.
And on that same day, Sima Jiao loses Liao Ting Yan. He hadn’t known she was there, and the flames that should have burned only his enemies swallowed her as well.
This day sucks.
18 years later. All this time Sima Jiao never opened his eyes – until now. It seems he's found a flicker of hope that Liao Ting Yan is still alive.
And she is! But she's Shi Qian Lv's daughter??
Title: Life and Death Stretch Vast and Unfathomable; Immortals and Demons Stand on Opposing Sides. 生死兩茫茫，仙魔各一方. This episode is about separation, the divide of life and death, and immortal and demon, the divide they must try to bridge.
Liao Ting Yan may have forgotten her memories of Sima Jiao, but she’s still our Salty Fish tossed into this xianxia mess. She hasn't been fully brainwashed by Shi Qian Lv either, at least not enough to hate Sima Jiao the way he wants her to. She would absentmindedly carve kaomojis into a wooden table. And those tiny doodles are what Sima Jiao stumbles across. He's so close to finding her!
But who he actually finds isn’t quite her. Instead, Sima Jiao meets Zhou Qing’er’s daughter, who now goes by the name Bi’an, the last living descendant of Fengshan. Not Liao Ting Yan, not yet.
But who he actually finds isn’t quite her. Instead, Sima Jiao meets Zhou Qing’er’s daughter, who now goes by the name Bi’an, the last living descendant of Fengshan. Not Liao Ting Yan, not yet.
Title: By the Average Lifespan of the Cultivation World, A Brief Separation Feels Even Sweeter Than Being Newly Married. 按照修真界的平均年齡來說,也就小別勝新婚吧. Where lifespans last centuries, 18 years apart isn’t actually much in that scale, just a "small separation," the kind that makes reunions burn even brighter than the honeymoon stage. Aight.
At last, Sima Jiao lays eyes on Liao Ting Yan. He approaches with impossible tenderness and heart-aching eyes , a contradiction to everything she thought she knew. Weren’t they enemies? Then why, in his embrace, does her exhaustion finally give way to sleep? Awww. This is our Liao Ting Yan, our Salty Fish whose favourite pastime is sleep. What kind of life has she endured that she passes out like this? :(
[Ep22] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
Sima Jiao's heart twists seeing how detached Liao Ting Yan speaks of killing (avenging Hong Luo = amnesiac Ye Ru Ling). If she wished, he would revive her enemies just to kill them himself, sparing her hands from blood. What a flex. She lights up: what about Hong Luo? Can he bring her back? Yes. He can expedite Hong Luo’s reincarnation, and with her memories intact. My xianxia CEO! <3
Title: Shi Qian Lv, the Stock You Bought Has Hit Limit Down. 師千縷,你買的股跌停啦. Wall Street lingo because Shi Qian Lv's stocks (i.e. Evil Liao Ting Yan) are crashing.
Our Salty Fish is actually a Frosty Fish! The original Liao Ting Yan lived in polar ice water. Her extreme cold constitution is a rare treasure, highly coveted because she can supercharge spiritual power. It was this Frosty Fish who once saved Feng Qi, and that single act of cool heroism made him fall head over heels.
Marriage preparations are underway?! Except Sima Jiao knows nothing about it. He's just here to bring Liao Ting Yan fish to touch (摸魚) looool, and food to eat. Aww, that's actually sweeter than if he were to propose now. Sima Jiao’s love language is: are you eating? sleeping? happy? – except she’s none of those, and it breaks his heart.
Sima Jiao had salvaged the shattered pieces of Liao Ting Yan's protective necklace. He reforged it into an anklet so Liao Ting Yan would always be protected. I like that it's an anklet because 1) he had one, and 2) anklet腳鐲 jiaozhuo has "jiao" in it. ^^ It's like giving her a piece of himself, and not just figuratively.... It's not just any protection. He tempered it with his own heart-bone. This is why it can withstand the Spirit Fire. Heart-bone is a bone that protects the heart...so a rib? Oh, it's Adam.
Title: Your Lover Is Called Liao Ting Yan. What Does That Have to Do With My Shi Yan? 你的愛人叫廖停雁，跟我師雁什麼關係 Title, why you stinging Sima Jiao and us??
Sima Jiao finds Liao Ting Yan sleeping. That sight alone is enough to make him smile ~ ~ When she stirs awake, he extends his hand and softly asks if she’ll go somewhere with him. Puzzled by her inability to refuse, her own hand lifts to meet his. That subconscious trust (': He brings her to where they first met and recalls how difficult it was for her to climb stairs. Although now she’s stronger (to climb stairs lol), he knows her too well – even if her body isn’t tired, she still hates working hard. And so he lifts her into his arms and flies her to the top where countless lanterns glow. How much do I love Sima Jiao, impossibly powerful and terrifying to others, doting on this Salty Fish like she’s the rarest treasure. I'm a Salty Fish too! We all are! Where's our Jiao Jiao! He tells her he personally brought all these lanterns here, and if she likes them, he’ll light them for her every single day. Then, with a flick of his power, he makes shooting stars happen too. Soooo "CEO" xD Our girl loses legs when she's with him, haha.
Sima Jiao brought over the tower that imprisoned him for five hundred years, which should be a place of hatred, but this is also the place that holds her scent, her presence, and his memories of her. His love outweighs even his deepest wounds.
Still, Liao Ting Yan clings to her belief that she isn’t the woman he remembers. Sima Jiao is calm and gently takes her hand and says the past doesn't matter. They can start anew and create fresh memories. Liao Ting Yan agrees! \o/ Wanting to give him a gift in return, she tends to the wound on his palm – the very cut she inflicted. But it refuses to heal. She resorts to good old-fashioned first-aid, tying the bandage with her signature butterfly knot. When Sima Jiao sees it, his heart lurches. Yes. I'm sure Chen Fei Yu is showing that emotion. That exact knot, that exact gesture – this is his Liao Ting Yan. A smile beams through.
But Shi Qian Lv sacrifices his sister, who volunteers for the plan, to manipulate Liao Ting Yan into believing Sima Jiao is the liar. Bad stock investment, sir! Instead of pulling Liao Ting Yan towards him, the conflicting memories only sharpen her instincts. Go, Salty Fish!
Hong Luo (ex-Ye Ru Ling) is reborn. She's a tween right now.
Title: If You Resolutely Believe in Love, Then Amnesia Becomes a Kind of Romantic Appeal. 如果仍然堅信相愛，失憶就是情趣.
Sima Jiao puts a poor alchemist through torment, ordering him to remake Liao Ting Yan’s bitter medicine until it tastes sweet. This is ridiculous enough on its own, but every failed attempt wastes Sima Jiao’s own blood – blood that he cannot spare since his body is struggling to clot from his injuries. But by the time the sweetened potions are finally ready, Liao Ting Yan is... gone. She slipped away from his manor – with his help, ofc. But she doesn’t get far. That same night, danger forces her right back into his arms.
Thanks to the not-bitter medicine, Liao Ting Yan gains enough cultivation to enter her Spirit Chamber. And she finds a plate of fried chicken. Crispy. Golden. Fried Chicken! Beyond a doubt this place belongs to her. There’s also a diary filled with (a single entry about) Sima Jiao. Then, a pair of rings drifts toward her. Wait. Does this mean she wanted to propose? And does this mean she actually loves Sima Jiao more than he loves her?! OMG. <3333 Our Salty Fish was going to propose to her Big Boss!
Sima Jiao finds the ring, confused. What is wrong with these "little circles" (rings)? LOL. The man is convinced though the rings were meant for him. Because, look: one fits perfectly. He turns to Liao Ting Yan and quietly tells her what he believes: that she loved him before and will love him now, that she would lean on him, trust him, walk beside him. "You're like this,", he says, "and so am I." Then with sincerity, he slips the other ring onto her fingers. I DO!!!! But Liao Ting Yan feigns modesty, insisting that it’s not a wedding ring, just a couple’s ring in a wedding ring box – that's all. Shy too, Sima Jiao asks if that makes him her "boy-boyfriend". His sincere question might come across weird in English, but 情侶 (couple) and 男朋友 (boyfriend) are very modern lingo for a xianxia boss. Liao Ting Yan keeps her head lowered, smiling shyly. "你別急啊 You don't rush ah ~" His fragile expression flickers, worried she might still doubt him. She reassures him: she is the Liao Ting Yan that he knows. And he's like next level: "Of course you are Liao Tian Yan, but now I'm starting to suspect Liao Tian Yan isn't you." HE'S SO SMART! From the moment he saw her, she was always like this. No matter what her name is, he will always recognize her.
And then – because man cannot help himself – Sima Jiao ruins his own romantic moment saying he’s never wrong about these things because he’s smart, while it’s perfectly normal for her to be confused. Seriously, so 小學雞 Primary School Chicken, lol. Liao Ting Yan mock-growls, threatening she'll stop being Liao Ting Yan. But even then, she grabs his hand again, shyly brushes the ring on his finger.
Second amnesiac couple: Hong Luo (adult form) and Gao Han (his name was revealed way too late to matter – sorry, snakey)
Title: The Fearless Warrior Who Once Dated the Big Boss Was Really Me?! 當初和大佬談戀愛的勇士真的是我？!
Liao Ting Yan was soaking in her steaming, warm spa, and Sima Jiao sat nearby, quietly watching. Not creepy! xD. He reminds her – something she had forgotten – that when she's flustered, he could hear her thoughts. He also explains that she would naturally, subconsciously trust him, lean on him, because "在你的靈府裡，還開著屬於我的花 In your Spirit Chamber, my flower still blooms." Flustered, Liao Ting Yan stutters, asking if they've "done" it. He smirks, pretending not to understand. "Did what?" he asks, voice teasing. Then he admits he's been to her Spirit Chamber – many times. Embarrassed, Liao Ting Yan sinks into the water. Sima Jiao just smiles and shakes his head fondly before slipping into the spa beside her, unhurried and graceful.
Sima Jiao has the ability to restore Liao Ting Yan's memories, but he respected her pace. Even if she never remembered, he would wait. Because they have all the time in the world to begin again. Liao Ting Yan feels her heart race, her rational mind telling her to stay calm, but Sima Jiao leans in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
Then our CP are 度假-ing (dù jià-ing, vacationing) at Guyu Villa...
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| ...where our xianxia boss was almost stabbed to death with beef skewers |
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| "You're really not afraid?" "Very afraid!" |
But this “vacation” isn’t all fun. The Spirit Flame is hurting Sima Jiao! And brewing special pills for Liao Ting Yan has drained his strength even further. He soaks in the icy waters to recover. Then a tipsy Liao Ting Yan stumbles into his view, leans over, and looks at him with care. Sima Jiao lifts his gaze, tenderly brushing her cheek, asking if she's happy. Very! Casually, she tucks a flower into his temple. He planted a flower in her. She plants one on him too.
Liao Ting Yan, emboldened by wine, asks why Sima Jiao sometimes smiles at her without reason. Sima Jiao pauses. He hadn’t even realized he did it. But he's smiling because even without her memories, this is still the Liao Ting Yan he knows, the soul he loves. Holding her face in his hands, he vows that even if her soul were to reincarnate, he would always find her. Leaning closer, she plucks a petal with her lips. Their eyes met, soft and wandering, full of affection.
His flower blooming inside her Spirit Chamber is him saying, "I’ve been inside you before. I left something of myself there. It’s still growing." Then her placing a flower on him is her answering back: "Now I'm leaving something in you too."
Title: Vacationing Together Is the Perfect Way to Build Your Relationship 旅行度假是培養感情的絕佳契機. Yes. Walk into her spa, eat, and then walk into his spa. That's the vacation we're talking about.
Liao Ting Yan plucks Sima Jiao delicate flower petal and holds it between her lips. Sima Jiao leans in and takes the petal from her mouth with his own. Then their lips meet in a kiss that leaves no room for misunderstanding. And the point of the petal is....? You take my innocence, I take yours?
強扭的瓜不甜
Qiáng niǔ de guā bu tián
A melon twisted off its stem before it's ripe is not sweet
2nd Amnesiac CP: Gao Han dramatically twists a melon apart to prove to Hong Luo that a forcibly twisted melon can be sweet. (LOL. The saying is actually 強扭的瓜不甜 = a melon twisted off its stem before it's ripe is NOT sweet, meaning forcing one's will upon others won't get good results).
3rd Amnesiac CP? That is Feng Qi's unrequited love for the original Liao Ting Yan before our Salty Fish took over.
The showdown between Sima Jiao and Shi Qian Lv went like this:
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| "AAHH!" |
10 seconds later...
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| "AH!" |
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| Frosty Fish assassin appears ~ Ahhhhh <3 |
Title: This Dating Is Way Too Dangerous! 這戀愛談得太危險啦
[Ep27] [Jump to: Top | Cast | Comments]
Liao Ting Yan has entered her "villain" era! As she avenges Sima Jiao with powers that could freeze the world, she engulfs the Demon Lord's core becoming the Demon Lordess herself. [Overnight, our girl went from a 摸魚份子 (mō yú fènzi; a casual touching-fish member) to a 魔域主子 (mó yù zhǔzi; the Demon Realm Boss herself). Puns. See Ep1&8 for full definitions. Her career jump = an intern to CEO of the Underworld. Nice. Salty Fishes dominate! xD]
Sima Jiao falls into a deep coma. Liao Ting Yan risks everything by entering his Spirit Chamber. This is dangerous because if he dies, her soul dies with him. Inside, she meets his long-dead mother, who's been gone for 500+18 years, and they chat about saving her son. *Shrugs* The way to revive him is to reignite the Spirit Fire within his body. And how does one reignite a Spirit Fire? By cursing the heavens and demanding they smite you and your boyfriend.
In the past, just a few bolts would have been enough to kill Liao Ting Yan. But this time, Liao Ting Yan doesn’t care about pain or risk; she just wants Sima Jiao back. Bolt after bolt slams into her as she absorbs the power, funnelling every ounce of it into Sima Jiao. Finally, he stirs! Just as Liao Ting Yan collapses, he reaches out and 手撕天雷 literally tears down the heavenly lightning with his bare hands. Then he turns to look at her. His gaze is proud, absolutely smug. That’s his Salty Fish! <333 Powerhouse CP
Back inside Sima Jiao's Spirit Chamber, things heat up even more. As they kiss, Liao Ting Yan breathlessly teases, "你是要將本魔主燒死嗎 Are you trying to burn this Demon Lord to death?" He smirks, replying, "你這個魔主也不過如此 This so-called Demon Lord is nothing special huh." ( ๑‾̀◡‾́)(‾̀◡‾́ ๑) She's complaining he's too hot to handle. He's just reveling at her crumbling to his heat. Whew!
Liao Ting Yan apologizes for having wished for Guyu Villa that nearly cost Sima Jiao his life. But Sima Jiao, ever the overachieving CEO of love, promises her that once he cleanses this entire realm, everywhere she goes will be Guyu Villa. He even reassures her that while she holds the title of Demon Lord, he’ll handle all the real work so she can continue living her best lazy Salty Fish life. ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و
CEO Sima Jiao builds an entire city for Liao Ting Yan and it's named after her: Yan City. Every street and corner is infused with their memories and everything she loves. She’s completely smitten, but hides her happiness behind a neutral expression because she's plotting something: 'Demon-Immortal exchange program,' she says. Sima Jiao immediately dismisses it as a hassle. But it's a 喜事 a joyous event (usually a wedding)! He is still oblivious. What grand event is she talking about? Liao Ting Yan smiles sweetly: “Does a marriage between demon and immortal count?” Sima Jiao freezes, then smirks, leaning closer. “You are…proposing to me?” YES! And she even has a dowry ready xD.
Title: Not Only Can You Tear Through Heavenly Lightning, Now I’m Impressive Too! 不止你能手撕天雷，現在我也威風了 Sima Jiao: “出息了 You've really made yourself into something" ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و We have another powerhouse! Fearless, fierce and just a little salty.
The proposal ~~
Sima Jiao smirks, leaning closer: You are…proposing to me?Liao Ting Yan: If you interpret it like that, then I have no way of denying it.Sima Jiao: You dare tease me?Liao Ting Yan cuts straight to the point then: Then when are we marrying?Sima Jiao: Since you've already opened your mouth, then of course the sooner the better.Liao Ting Yan: No need to rush, I’m not that anxiousSima Jiao: Oh really? 魔主不急， 仙主急. If the Demon Lordess isn’t in a hurry, then the Immortal Lord is.
Because Liao Ting Yan carries the Demon Lord’s core, its power is slowly consuming her own, threatening to overtake her mind and turn her into a weapon she can’t control. At the same time, Sima Jiao is pushing his weakened body to its limit. If Feng Qi, who's controlled by the Demon Lord (oh, so Feng Qi is not Feng Qi anymore) succeeds, either Liao Ting Yan loses herself completely, or Sima Jiao follows through with his plan to suppress her core using his own. It would cost him his life.
And neither are talking about their problems with each other. щ（ﾟДﾟщ）
Title: From Now On, Will Every Day Really Be a Good Day? 此後日日都是好日子嗎？
Months later. Months! Liao Ting Yan wakes, but she sees Sima Jiao in her dreams. She closes her eyes, determined to see him some more, only to open them and realize... he’s really there. It’s him. But Liao Ting Yan is sulky. Their wedding day has long passed. Hmph! Undeterred, Sima Jiao scoops her up into his arms and carries her to the back garden. There, he unveils a breathtaking sanctuary he built to perfectly mirror her Spirit Chamber that captivated him. Now, whenever she wishes, she can step into this little paradise without leaving their home.
While Liao Ting Yan is immersed in this bliss, Sima Jiao silently begins channeling his cultivation into her. (ಥ﹏ಥ). He's dying. During his time away, Sima Jiao had crushed every threat to Liao Ting Yan’s rule and mastered the Fengshan spiritual blood. Now, all that power, he gives to her. His Spirit Fire will suppress the Demon Lord core. She will become a second him, strong enough to protect herself and the realms they rule. And with a single thread of his divine bloodline, she won’t have to endure the searing pain the fire brings. Everything he leaves behind for her will be everything she loves. Everything... except him.
Sima Jiao: The fates want to kill me. But in this world, I have only ever loved you. So of course… I will give my life to you.”Crying, Liao Ting Yan threatens that if he dies, she'll go play with a hundred men.Sima Jiao: There will never be anyone else. You won’t be able to forget me for the rest of your life. (Sima Jiao!!! You absolute bastard T__T)Liao Ting Yan fires back: 你想得美 You wish! Why should the world go exactly as you want it to?Sima Jiao just smiles faintly. His hand caresses her tear-streaked face.Sima Jiao: Ting Yan, live well. No matter the mountains or the seas, I will always return to your side.Liao Ting Yan: If you’re not here, why should I cling to this world alone?
And then Sima Jiao dies in her arms, leaving behind a perfect garden, perfect peace, and a perfectly shattered heart.
Nineteen years later.
Liao Ting Yan sheds her "Salty Fish" lifestyle and throws herself into work. She even institutes work-hour limits so no one suffers overtime. Kinda shed:
But in private, Liao Ting Yan still grieves quietly, alone in the garden Sima Jiao built for her. Every month, she suffers pain from the Spirit Fire. She shouldn’t – Sima Jiao’s divine bloodline was meant to prevent this. But she had released it into the world, hoping it would find a host and let him be reborn.
And Sima Jiao is reborn! He's 19 years old, a prince/emperor, but surrounded by political enemies. Even worse, Bi An, the former Demon Lord, still lurks as a threat.
Just one glance, and Sima Jiao appears captivated by Liao Ting Yan. He immediately orders his men to bring her to him. At first, Liao Ting Yan wasn't interested until she hears he’s calling from 鶯燕 (YingYan) Pavilion. I think it's the name of the place that jolts her. It’s not her Yan (雁, wild goose ), but Yàn (燕, swallow). And Yīng is a bird species too (鶯, oriole). Not quite, but close. 🦤🦆🦜
Title: If the Harsh Winter Is Coming, He Will Leave Me His Flame 如果嚴冬即將到來，他會給我留下火焰
Poor Eunuch. He gets chewed out by Sima Jiao for “kidnapping” Liao Ting Yan. Eunuch swears she came on her own free will, but Sima Jiao’s like: "自願來的能哭得像死了夫君一樣？Someone who came here willingly would cry like she just lost her husband?" LOL. He's spot on. Mercy on the eunuch, though! This is your fault, Sima Jiao.
永遠的19歲
Yǒngyuǎn de 19 suì
Forever 19
With tears still glistening in her eyes, Liao Ting Yan gazes at Sima Jiao: "清澈的眼神，柔和的線條，嫩得快掐出水的臉蛋，傳說中的十九歲弟弟 Clear eyes, soft features, cheeks so tender you could squeeze water out of them… the legendary nineteen-year-old younger didi.” Haha, he's totally not creeped out by this noona-fan's ogling. " The phrase 永遠的19歲 forever nineteen (and he actually is 19 atm!) is fandom slang for male idols who stay forever dreamy and youthful in fans’ hearts. And she’s got the fan behaviour down: ogling him like an oppa poster on her bedroom wall.
Sima Jiao, trying to reassert his fearsome image, declares that he’s a ruthless tyrant who once had someone skinned alive just for yelling at him. He is not someone who will have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex. But Liao Ting Yan just grins at him like he’s a puppy trying to act tough. Oh no, he’s adorable now! LOL. Intimidation failed so cutely.
The next day, Liao Ting Yan is enchanted by mortal food. Sima Jiao catches her wording: mortal? Is she saying she’s not from this realm? Without missing a beat, Liao Ting Yan goes: "你可以把我理解成仙女 You can think of me as a goddess." Love her lack of shame for calling herself a goddess, and she means it more metaphorically than literally. Sima Jiao isn't phased by such lines, he says. And so now she's curious. She suddenly leans forward and asks: "要怎麼引誘你才能上鉤呢 So do I lure you into taking the bait?” Then, before he can respond, our Salty Fish just plants a kiss on her bait's cheek. Cheeky of our fish to talk about fishing.
On their carriage ride, Liao Ting Yan is dying from the heat — except it’s actually not hot at all. She complains: "被一個自以為是的混蛋坑害之後，我就成了怕熱體質 After being sabotaged by a self-important jerk, I developed a heat-sensitive constitution.” Hahaha (And no, she is not on menopause). Sima Jiao tries to act casual, but he’s low-key sulking and definitely fishing for details. Who dared to hurt her like that? She teasingly asks if he’d avenge her if she told him. He coolly replies that he might consider it. But she warns him that this person is "惹不起 not someone he can afford to provoke.” Sima Jiao is intrigued. More than me? He’s the top dog here, so this is unthinkable. Liao Ting Yan smirks and answers: "彼此彼此 Same, same.” It’s you, Your Majesty. You’re the jerk, the jerk she loves.
 |
| Role reversal :D |
During an ambush, Liao Ting Yan throws herself in front of Sima Jiao, taking a blade meant for him. Moved by her selfless act, he accepts that she isn’t a spy. He even starts to believe she might not be entirely mortal. Meanwhile, Bi An, who wants Sima Jiao’s pure bloodline, teams up with Marquis Nan Yan to get rid of them both.
良辰美景
Liángchén měijǐng
Everything lovely
Liao Ting Yan’s maids are called 良辰 and 美景 – Beautiful Time + Scenic Beauty ( = Everything Lovely). However, they're updating her on not so lovely things: Sima Jiao's debauched lifestyle, which she swore she didn't care. Oh, but this harem of his. GRR! xD
Sima Jiao's mom is still Sima Jiao's original mom. Aw. At least he gets motherly love in this life. (And through his mom, we find out that Liao Ting Yan is the only woman he ever brought home.)
Title: The Villain in the Story May Be Late, But Will Surely Arrive. 故事裡的反派可能會遲，但一定會到. These titles near the end are not worth translating.
Sima Jiao starts to suspect that Liao Ting Yan's beauty is just a trap to confuse him. Oh, so she's beautiful? Of course she is. Then there's her uncanny ability to read his mind, his deepest fears, and his most guarded schemes. Is this how she infiltrates his dreams too? Oh, so she's in your dreams? Of course she is. Then she says they were a daemon-companion. Of course – they aren't. Yet for all his doubts, he chooses to trust his heart. Their days are long, and no matter how absurd it seems, he’ll keep choosing to trust her.
The world Sima Jiao chose to reincarnate into isn’t exactly subtle either. His palace is decorated with geese, a nod to Liao Ting Yan’s name where 雁 (yàn) means “wild goose.” This world is also full of repetitive name themes of Yans, Xians, and Yus.
You Yan (ex-Bi-An, ex-Demon-Lord)'s ambush was never meant for Sima Jiao. Her target was Liao Ting Yan and now she’s infected with demonic energy that's slowly corroding her from within.
Sima Jiao catches Consort Si Xian (daughter of Marquis Nan Yan) throwing a fit at Liao Ting Yan's quarters. Initially disinterested, but the second he notices Liao Ting Yan peeking behind a corner, he's all smiles and deliberately flirts with Consort Si Xian just to provoke Liao Ting Yan. It's so petty, but it works. Liao Ting Yan’s expression darkens, and Sima Jiao practically smirks with satisfaction. This petty game, however, comes from a tender place. The night before, Liao Ting Yan vanished without a trace. Sima Jiao wanted to send search parties, but doing so publicly would ruin her reputation. So he kept it quiet, issuing orders in secret, while he himself stayed awake all night waiting for her return. Even after attending court at dawn, he rushed straight back to her quarters. And despite everything, even without explanations, he still chooses to trust her.
It's Liao Ting Yan's turn to be all CEO on Sima Jiao: “I’m a heavenly goddess who can even pluck the stars for you.”
Title: By Not Telling the Truth, We’re Starting to Look More and More Like a Couple. ”不說實話“ 的我們越來越像一對了.
The tiniest wisp of demonic energy is all it takes to throw Liao Ting Yan’s entire life into catastrophe. Her teacher lays out her choices:
- Destroy her cultivation completely: the demonic core inside her will lose its host and disintegrate. But without her cultivation, Liao Ting Yan would be powerless to protect Sima Jiao, leaving him vulnerable to their enemies.
- Keep her cultivation: the demonic core would grow stronger, eventually controlling her completely and turning her into the very weapon that kills Sima Jiao with her own hands.
- Use the Spirit Fire to overcome the demonic core. She can ignite her own bone marrow to fuel her spiritual fire, except bone marrow is life marrow. This is choosing her own death.
First two options: Sima Jiao dies. Last options: Liao Ting Yan dies. Obviously, she chooses #3, the only option that keeps Sima Jiao alive. And all this is from one wisp of demonic energy. One. So why hasn’t You Yan succeeded at world domination yet. And does Liao Ting Yan have to do everything herself? Queen Demon Lordess Liao Ting Yan can't delegate others to protect Sima Jiao for the time-being until he gains his memory? Where’s that miracle guy from Ep13? And, hello, couldn’t she at least transform Sima Jiao into an otter and cuddle him into safety. Where did all your creative ideas go, Show!
Girl just can't catch a break. Liao Ting Yan is on her Spiritual Fire Period, and her forehead is cramping. Sima Jiao holds her tightly. Overcome with emotion, she kisses him. But when he deepens the kiss, she abruptly pulls away, pulling her jiejie card. Adolescent Sima Jiao is very sulky. Does she really think she's a jiejie taking the innocence of a "teen"?
Liao Ting Yan is framed for murder by You Yan. Rather than fight it, Liao Ting Yan volunteers to be imprisoned. At least the jail cell is clean because even when accused of murder, a salty fish has standards.
On the day of the coronation, the moment the crown touches Sima Jiao’s head, all his past-life memories come flooding back. He orders Gao Han to make it snow. The snow is his apology, his way of saying he understands the agony of being lied to. But for Liao Ting Yan, it isn’t enough. She’s furious. Oh, the girl hiding the same deadly secret is furious – I see. She shouts at him for risking everything to transfer his spiritual power to her. What if she had taken all of it and left him to die? This, he explains, was always her choice. If she wanted him to stay – even through her endless pain – he would stay. If she wanted him to leave – paused. because even just the thought hurts him, but still – he’d leave and his soul would guide her path. Everything he gave her was freely given. How she used it was up to her. (ಥ﹏ಥ) 你太愛了
Liao Ting Yan beats Sima Jiao in frustration before collapsing into his arms. Through tears, she finally understands that he has been silently carrying pain all this time, never letting anyone see it. She wonders if it's better had he not regained his memories. But for Sima Jiao, the agony wasn’t remembering pain, it was forgetting her. Compared to losing her, no suffering matters.
On the surface, Sima Jiao’s plan seems identical to You Yan’s: open the Nine Nether Purgatory. But their goals couldn’t be more different. You Yan wants to release the demons trapped inside. Sima Jiao wants to lock her in there forever. He knows himself well enough to predict his path: if he’s a prince, he’ll seize the throne. And behind the crown lies the final key to her downfall.
｡°(°.◜ᯅ◝°)°｡ Couldn’t they have just talked and faced it all together, side by side, knowing everything? Liao Ting Yan knows how devastating it was when Sima Jiao hid things from her and yet, she turns around and does the exact same thing?! D: If their goal was just to give Sima Jiao a taste of his own medicine, then congrats, mission accomplished. Where did all their earlier creativity go? We had the otter, the school-refuge, the meta moment with the miracle man in Ep13, and then the finale is... noble idiocy x2. And poor Sima Jiao. His whole life was already painful, and at the very end, they take away the one thing that gave him hope and a reason to keep living. They're leaving him hollow. Why did they end the xianxia part like this (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞
Liao Ting Yan and Sima Jiao are getting married – but it’s part of their strategy to bait You Yan. Through a double agent, You Yan has been fed the story that Liao Ting Yan is weakened, making this the perfect opportunity to strike. Also, this is Liao Ting Yan's chance to make beautiful memories with Sima Jiao before her time runs out.
It's their wedding ~ Jiao Jiao sees the same pair of couple rings – y'know, those two little circles. Something might have clicked for him. These weren’t just trinkets for a casual couple; they were wedding rings. Yes, these little circles! Liao Ting Yan had wanted a lifelong bond from so long ago. And so he promises every lifetime to her.
Marquis Nan Yan launches his coup. Sima Jiao pretends to surrender and hands over the imperial seal. You Yan seizes it, believing it is the key to the Nine Nether Purgatory. Then Marquis Nan Yan lunges from the shadows and fatally stabs Sima Jiao. He dies. (But not without avenging himself first and killing the marquis).
Liao Ting Yan races after You Yan, and then – Sima Jiao appears!
What just happened?
We learn (along with You Yan that) the real key to the Nine Nether Purgatory was never the imperial seal. It was Sima Jiao himself. Every move was to lure You Yan here so he could imprison her inside for eternity. And then there’s his Spirit Fire. Remember the fire at Mount Taiwei? (I don't. But I assume it's the one in Ep13). Liao Ting Yan’s own flame reignited it, giving Sima Jiao a second Spirit Fire. But to truly make it his, he had to "die" and undergo a lightning tribulation. That's lighting fast rebirth skillz.
We learn (along with You Yan that) the real key to the Nine Nether Purgatory was never the imperial seal. It was Sima Jiao himself. Every move was to lure You Yan here so he could imprison her inside for eternity. And then there’s his Spirit Fire. Remember the fire at Mount Taiwei? (I don't. But I assume it's the one in Ep13). Liao Ting Yan’s own flame reignited it, giving Sima Jiao a second Spirit Fire. But to truly make it his, he had to "die" and undergo a lightning tribulation. That's lighting fast rebirth skillz.
Liao Ting Yan knew Sima Jiao’s entire plan, but Sima Jiao never knew hers. Only now does he realize she’s dying. In her final moments, she tells him there is another world out there – another time and space - and even if she leaves, she will keep praying for him. She dies in his arms while her last words are a promise of unending love.
Modern day.
Liao Ting Yan (Zou Yan) wakes up from a hospital bed after her car accident. Was it all a dream? Even the love, the heartbreak? Determined to move on, she throws herself into work. Our Salty Fish has lost her Salty Fish energy and is a hardworking, focused woman. Tragic. But she's late to a project, her last chance after her last screw-up, and ends up sitting defeated on the steps outside. Then...footsteps. Could it be? Yes. It's Sima Jiao (CEO Wei) standing before her, just like the very first time they met.
CEO Wei: You know me?Zou Yan: Of course I know you.
S2: Salty 🐠 employee flirts with amnesiac CEO?
(But they actually did not get the left right angle...)
Title: I Kept You Behind, And I Found You Back 我把你留下，我把你找回. In the beginning, out of all the maid-tributes to him, he kept her behind. In the very end, he found her again. So does he actually not remember her?
Remarks
[Halway Impression]
Halfway through, I decided to revisit episodes just to catch our corporate slacker’s lines as she's yeeted into this hardcore xianxia-survival-game world. Her burnt-out employee lens is funny, especially when Sima Jiao interprets things through serious cultivation terms.
[Cast&Crew]
Directed by Wen De Guang, known for The Sword and the Brocade. He also co-directed The Story of Yan Xi Palace. And actually, his repertoire is quite diverse: Love's Rebellion (xianxia), Legend of Zhuohua (palace), Golden Trio (3 old guys), Dr. Tang (medical), and Forever Love (high school).
Adapted from 向師祖獻上咸魚 = Offering (as tribute) Salted Fish to Master by Fu Hua, who has another adaptation that will air alongside this one: Moonlit Reunion.
Wrapped on April 8, 2024.
[Ending] Happy.
[A Highlight]
[Review & Rating]
Recommendations
Preliminary recs are random / a peek at the list. These may be updated if drama is completed
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