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baihe_mediaNing Yuan (宁远) started serlalising her much-anticipated (especially by me) historical cyberpunk novel To Embers We Return (焚情, pinyin: fen qing, formerly known as Burning Passions but that sounded too much like the kind of historical romance that has a clinch cover with the leads' hair blowing dramatically in the wind) today. Since I know at least one other comm member is reading it as it serialises, I thought I would set up this read-along post.
Here's the updated summary for the novel (I posted about the original summary here):
Here is the link to the novel on JJWXC. I'll write a summary of each chapter in separate comments. Please feel free to join in, even if you're not reading the novel but are have questions/reactions. Obviously, there will be spoilers in the comments!
Here's the updated summary for the novel (I posted about the original summary here):
When Shen Ni returned home covered in glory, the emperor granted her the position of an official of the first rank, as well as the hand in marriage of the woman she had been in love with ever since her youth, Bian Jin.
Bian Jin had once been the empire's sharpest blade — a weapon in human form whose very name filled their enemies' hearts with terror. But after a string of serious battlefield injuries, she could only stand upright with the aid of a mechanical spine.
After their wedding, unresolved conflicts between the two meant that their marriage remained unconsummated, and they continued to address each other as 'shijie' and 'shimei'. Shen Ni kept a record of every single change in the sensitivity readings of every part of Bian Jin's new cybernetic body.
Each time she made adjustments to Bian Jin's body, Shen Ni would wear gloves. She knew her shijie had an obsession with cleanliness, and hated being touched.
Bian Jin: It's just a prosthetic. There's no need for all this fuss.
Shen Ni: The proprieties must be observed.
Bian Jin: Last night, I kept asking you stop, but you didn't. I didn't see you observing the proprieties then.
As Shen Ni was fine-tuning Bian Jin's body, a small mishap resulted in Bian Jin's skin developing a heightened level of sensitivity that only Shen Ni was able to trigger. The temperature in their bridal chamber rose instantly from 'cool' to 'scorching'.
Bian Jin: Are we going to test my body again tonight? Every time my sensitivity readings go up, I'll reward you.
***
Shen Ni straightened her official's hat, and met the 'gaze' of the spybeast hovering in the air. The monster who wanted to destroy the world had finally shown its cold, poisoned claws.
Her human genes summoned her to the aid of the ancient and noble civilisation that had birthed her. She would defend it to her last breath, even if it meant having her guts smeared across the landscape.
Random passerby: Hey, I think the monster who wants to destroy the world might be your wife.
Shen Ni: (nonplussed silence)
Shen Ni: What's there to love about this greedy, corrupt world? Let it be destroyed!
The fall of a degenerate society was close at hand. The land ran red with blood.
Bian Jin, her body now in peak condition thanks to Shen Ni's efforts, placed the point of her sword against Shen Ni's heart. 'Don't you understand?' she said. 'I was just using you.'
Shen Ni, completely drenched in blood, took a step forward. 'And after you're done using me, will you reward me?'
Bian Jin: ...what.
Here is the link to the novel on JJWXC. I'll write a summary of each chapter in separate comments. Please feel free to join in, even if you're not reading the novel but are have questions/reactions. Obviously, there will be spoilers in the comments!
Chapter 1
Date: 2024-06-13 07:23 pm (UTC)Several years later, Shen Ni has become the empire's top machinist. The (presumed robot) soldiers she has constructed have won many military victories. The emperor has granted her the title of Duke of Jing'an. Bian Jin meanwhile is missing after the troops she was leading were decimated in battle. She's rumoured to have deserted, betrayed the empire and taken up with the (female) emperor of Xuanzhou, an enemy nation. Shen Ni rushes to the capital when she hears that Bian Jin has been captured. She finds Bian Jin covered in wounds: her cybernetic body battered, her mechanical spine broken.
Shen Ni tilted her chin up with warm fingers, letting Bian Jin look at her. "Come with me," she said.
Re: Chapter 1
Date: 2024-06-13 07:36 pm (UTC)This chapter covered a lot more space and time than I was expecting, but I'm pretty sure the gaps will be filled as we go along. Also enjoying the little hints of potentially intriguing subplots and secondary characters — I'm already anticipating the emperor of Xuanzhou's appearance!
Tech watch: the hovercraft (equipped with touchscreen capable of receiving digital messages — the system is still called 'messenger pigeon') that Shen Ni rides into the capital city (I initially assumed she was flying on a sword or with qinggong and/or that the flying was metaphorical); the (presumed) robot soldiers Shen Ni constructs; the explosive collar that Bian Jin wears as a prisoner (designed to explode if she leaves the Court of Judicature and Revision, where she's being held); Bian Jin's cybernetic body.
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From:Chapter 2
Date: 2024-06-13 07:25 pm (UTC)We get a few details about their past. Bian Jin, who is seven years older, found Shen Ni seemingly abandoned as a baby within the territory of their sect, and she half-raises Shen Ni from childhood. Bian Jin was the one who gave Shen Ni her name and also the nickname A-Yao (meaning 'rock', as in the movement, because Shen Ni as a child insisted on being held and rocked by Bian Jin all the time.
We meet Li Chu, aka Prince Wei, the emperor's despicable brother. He gleefully tells Shen Ni of his plans to ask the emperor to grant him Bian Jin (whom he's always envied and resented) as a concubine. I hate him already.
We learn that everyone in the empire (world?) is basically cybernetically enhanced to a greater or lesser degree.
We meet the emperor, Li Ruoyuan, who is of course female. There's some weirdness going on that I'm sure is going to be discussed later. Li Ruoyuan's voice and physique are described using quite girlish/childish terms, but refers to Li Chu as her younger brother — and he's 30 years old. Some sort of cybernetic body? Is Ning Yuan setting out to give us fair trade lolicon??
Shen Ni and Li Ruoyuan discuss Bian Jin's apparent memory loss: the only answer the royal interrogators got from her was 'I don't remember'.
Li Ruoyuan wonders if this could be the work of the very dangerous (digital) virus known as Black Box, which appears to be behind the enemy that Bian Jin was initially sent to fight. We learn that the virus appears to have been temporarily eliminated by Shen Ni, but the two of them are still very wary.
Shen Ni mentions Li Chu's plans to take Bian Jin as a concubine, which Li Ruoyuan shakes her head over. Then Shen Ni says, 'Your Majesty, your humble servant would seek a boon from you.'
Re: Chapter 2
Date: 2024-06-13 07:47 pm (UTC)I look forward to finding out what the deal is with Li Ruoyuan, and whether Ning Yuan will give her a girlfriend. It's kind of interesting that she doesn't seem particularly incensed about Bian Jin's supposed betrayal?
Black Box is 黑魔方 in Chinese. If anyone can think of a better translation, let me know.
Tech watch: people have memory modules (Shen Ni's housekeeper, Auntie Wan, conscientiously saves the instructions for the care and possibly feeding of Bian Jin into hers); Li Ruoyuan's electronic cinnabar writing-brush, which she uses to approve petitions that she views via a digital screen; Li Chu's cybernetic eye (may someone rip it out of his head before the novel is over); the 'jade cores' people use to control their cybernetic implants; the Black Box virus.
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Date: 2024-06-14 11:23 pm (UTC)I, too, hate the brother, who despite being named and being the only named man, will continuously be referred to as "the emperor's despicable brother" in my books.
Re: Chapter 2
From:no subject
Date: 2024-06-13 11:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-06-14 07:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2024-06-14 02:01 am (UTC)Are we to believe that Bian Jin, at 7 years old, was helping to take care of baby Shen Ni? Pretty mature little girl. Reminds me of my ex-gf having to rock her nephew all the time, too. To the point of having her arms almost fall off. lol
Is it just me or does it seem rather disturbing that this kind of nurturing relationship will develop into a romantic one? I don't know why I'm so hung up on this when I'm sure there's plenty of other interesting points I could be analyzing.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-14 06:52 pm (UTC)IRL probably, in fiction I'd say it's a matter of personal preference. This kind of thing seems pretty popular with webnovel readers generally — look at all the shizun romances out there!
Chapter 3
Date: 2024-06-14 07:30 pm (UTC)The following day, Shen Ni rides out on horseback to the site where the fortifications are meant to be built. Just as I was thinking that a horse was a disappointingly mundane mode of transportation after the hovercraft, the text tells us that the horse goes dark when Shen Ni gets off it and lights up again when she climbs on it. So more tech weirdness.
The fortifications are a wall twenty zhang tall, located twenty li beyond the capital city and meant to run all around it. It is meant to operate as a firewall against the Black Box virus, with digital defences embedded into it. The space between this wall and the capital city's own actual wall functions as a buffer zone. Troops stationed there can guard against both enemies invading from outside (beyond the outer wall) and any sudden uprisings within the capital city. We learn that while the Black Box virus is dormant now (after Shen Ni defeated it), historical experience teaches everyone that it will inevitably be revived at some point.
A few geographic details: we're on a continent with three 'ancient empires' (presumably including the one our protagonists are subjects of) and some ten other smaller kingdoms, and all of them are constructing similar defensive fortifications against the Black Box virus. Shen Ni is able to get Zeng Qingluo, an outer disciple of her sect who has served as her eyes-and-ears in the capital for a while, appointed as her personal assistant on the project. The Minister of Works, who is delighted to palm off the entire fortifications project on Shen Ni, happily acquiesces in the appointment and is then sore to realise that Zeng Qingluo was previously on a 'no official appointments' blacklist for having offended important nobility.
Shen Ni stops by a confectioner's to buy sugar paste. The confectioner (a woman) flirts with her, sneaking a slip of paper with her WeChat ID, I mean her Messenger Pigeon QR code, in with Shen Ni's purchases. She is coolly rebuffed by Shen Ni. Shen Ni overhears lots of passersby gossiping about Li Chu's plans to take Bian Jin as his concubine.
Bian Jin regains consciousness, and Shen Ni feeds her a nutrient broth (Huel for the ancient Chinese cyberpunk universe I guess) sweetened with the aforementioned sugar paste. Bian Jin would much prefer to feed herself, but is too weak even to lift her arms. Bian Jin realises that someone has cleaned her up, treated her wounds and put fresh clothes on her. Shen Ni realises she's realising this and lightly conveys the message that it was Auntie Wan (not Shen Ni herself) who did this.
We learn that every single part of Bian Jin's body (both the organic and cybernetic elements) including her jade core was deliberately and cruelly damaged by whoever had captured her before she came into the Court of Judicature and Revision's custody. She seems to have no memory of who this was.
Bian Jin accuses Shen Ni of working for the emperor, claiming that Shen Ni is trying to 'lure her in' in order to try and extract the secrets that the royal interrogators failed to get out of her. Shen Ni scoffs at this. We learn something about Bian Jin's extreme obsession with cleanliness; in the past, she often wore a face mask to block out smells from the people and things around her. She has a strong reaction even to Shen Ni's very mild and objectively pleasant scent: it causes her shortness of breath, makes her dizzy, she involuntarily bites her lip and lets out something between a moan and a gulp.
At one point in their stand-off, Shen Ni grips Bian Jin's wrist hard, leaving finger-marks behind, and she wonders if Bian Jin's skin was always this delicate. Bian Jin, for her part, realises that Shen Ni is wearing gloves (for her sake, to cater to her obsession with cleanliness), and takes this to mean that Shen Ni stills cares about her and doesn't believe the rumours about her betraying the empire.
Some details about Shen Ni and Bian Jin's relationship are starting to emerge. Shen Ni is in love with Bian Jin (she basically confesses this in Chapter 1) but doesn't think Bian Jin reciprocates it. She believes Bian Jin to be completely consumed by a greater purpose (saving the world, saving humanity). The glimpses we get from Bian Jin's POV show that Shen Ni is wrong. Bian Jin does care deeply for her, but is repressing it for some reason which will no doubt become clear in due time.
As Shen Ni reached the doorway, she said suddenly, 'If you felt nothing for me, shijie, how could I possibly "lure you in"?'
Tech watch: Shen Ni's horse; the 'firewall'; nutrient broth.
Named men: 1
Reverse Bechdel test passes: 0
Re: Chapter 3
Date: 2024-06-14 07:35 pm (UTC)The story is progressing at an absolutely breakneck pace, I feel? I do like, when reading a historical, to kind of linger and wallow around in the world-building details and character interactions, so this is feeling just slightly off. Though The Creator's Grace also took about 10 chapters or so to settle down, so I'm not too worried.
She has a strong reaction even to Shen Ni's very mild and objectively pleasant scent: it causes her shortness of breath, makes her dizzy, she involuntarily bites her lip and lets out something between a moan and a gulp.
Bian Jin, I really do not think you're repulsed by your shimei's scent.
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Date: 2024-06-14 11:52 pm (UTC)The Messenger Pigeon QR Code part was really funny, and I'm personally hoping we get Bian Jin witnessing her shimei being hit on via this in the future.
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Date: 2024-06-15 05:42 am (UTC)Love the feeding, the finger marks! and also lol at Bian Jin's reaction Shen Ni's smell
Hopefully the mistaken assumption (that Bian Jin doesn't reciprocate) won't take too long to resolve!
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Date: 2024-06-15 09:31 am (UTC)And Ning Yuan actually replied (she usually does reply to the long comments): It's a matter of the look of the thing! It's a horse! You need to do the ritual of tying it up!
Re: Chapter 3
From:Chapter 4
Date: 2024-06-15 09:36 am (UTC)A couple of days later, Zeng Qingluo comes to visit them, her arms full of gifts. Bian Jin smiles at her; Shen Ni notes darkly that (1) her shijie's smile is as lovely as ever and (2) she, Shen Ni, never gets this treatment.
We get a bit of Zeng Qingluo's backstory: her father died young, and her mother also died some years later, and that's how she ended up at Shuangji Hall (Bian Jin and Shen Ni's sect). She followed Shen Ni into battle three years ago, but was seriously injured after two years, so returned to the capital (which is now confirmed to be called Chang'an) and stayed there. She tells Bian Jin that Shen Ni has been looking after her very well. Bian Jin is a little surprised by this because in her head, Shen Ni is still the stubborn, rebellious child she used to be.
Zeng Qingluo then asks Bian Jin why Bian Jin's relationship with Shen Ni has deteriorated so much, since they used to be so close. Shen Ni returns with Bian Jin's nutrient broth just in time to hear this. She lurks outside the room to hear Bian Jin's response. When Bian Jin replies, 'I was too strict with her,' Shen Ni is surprised by this.
Bian Jin changes the subject, asking Zeng Qingluo is she knows how one might go about renting a house in the capital, because she'd like to move out of Shen Ni's house. Zeng Qingluo tries to talk her out of it, adding that this is a good opportunity for Bian Jin and Shen Ni to mend their relationship, and that 'xiao shijie isn't the vengeful type!'
Shen Ni, still lurking and eavesdropping, thinks to herself oh I am. Bian Jin tells Zeng Qingluo that's inadvisable for her and Shen Ni to see too much of each other. Shen Ni hears this as well, and has Feelings about it.
Not for long though, because a frantic servant rushes in to report that Li Chu and his henchmen have forced their way into the house and are demanding to take Bian Jin away with them as Li Chu's concubine. Bian Jian calmly pulls out a concealed dagger — to be clear, this is Zeng Qingluo's dagger, which she has hidden away very well on her person — and tells Zeng Qingluo to wait for her there.
Zeng Qingluo: Dashijie, you're not going to... (makes throat-slitting gesture) are you?
Bian Jin: Don't worry, I'll drag him off the premises before killing him.
Auntie Wan, as housekeeper, rushes around searching for Shen Ni, only to find her standing under a tree staring at the container of nutrient broth in her hand. She's added osmanthus paste to sweeten it, because Bian Jin likes osmanthus blossoms. It's not that Bian Jin has ever said it expressly, but there have been two incidents over the course of their relationship that Bian Jin expressed partiality for it. Shen Ni remembers those, just as she remembers all the times Bian Jin was good to her, using her organic memory — she has hyperthymesia — and not her memory module.
Shen Ni goes over to the box containing all the gifts and rewards the emperor has showered on her, pulls off the piece of red paper stuck on top of it (on which the word 'Reward' (implying imperial favour) is written, and begins writing on it as she heads towards the main hall of the house. When Auntie Wan asks her what she's writing, she replies simply, 'An invitation.'
Out in the main hall, Bian Jin is facing off against Li Chu. It transpires that she was the one who took out his eye when he tried (and obviously failed) to annex her sect many years ago. She asks if he's come to have her take out the other eye. Li Chu, enraged, orders his henchmen to take Bian Jin away. She goes along with this, because she intends to kill him outside Shen Ni's house so Shen Ni won't get dragged into it.
Of course, Shen Ni bursts in at this moment, literally kicks over Li Chu and all of his men — they're left wailing on the floor — catches hold of Bian Jin round the waist and pulls her behind her. Bian Jin notes that Shen Ni's scent is fainter than before, and before she can have a reaction to it, Shen Ni has already let go of her.
Shen Ni hands Li Chu the red paper and tells him that he has come in vain. She adds that it's an invitation to her and Bian Jin's wedding. Li Chu sneers, saying something so flagrantly, disgustingly misogynistic that I hope this world has resurrection technology so that Bian Jin can murder, resurrect and murder him again. All the servants and neighbours who are obviously spying and eavesdropping on this wonder why Shen Ni is so bold as to offend the emperor's own brother.
Then they hear the voice of one of the emperor's personal attendants (unclear at this point if they have an imperial eunuch system going on) outside, proclaiming that there's an imperial decree. Obviously everyone kneels to hear it, including Li Chu (who does so grudgingly).
Shen Ni pulls on a fresh pair of gloves, goes up to Bian Jin, and says in a voice only the two of them can hear, 'I'm afraid you'll have to bear with some unpleasantness in the next little while.' Bian Jin lifts an enquiring eyebrow.
'Let us receive the imperial decree together,' said Shen Ni, entwining her fingers through Bian Jin's, 'my lady wife.'
Tech watch: tissues (Bian Jin gives them to Zeng Qingluo to wipe her tears with)
Named men: 1
Reverse Bechdel passes: 0
Re: Chapter 4
Date: 2024-06-15 09:46 am (UTC)Bian Jian calmly pulls out a concealed dagger — to be clear, this is Zeng Qingluo's dagger, which she has hidden away very well on her person — and tells Zeng Qingluo to wait for her there.
OMG BIAN JIN JIEJIE SO COOL AAAAAAAAAAA
using her organic memory — she has hyperthymesia — and not her memory module
I wonder if this will become Significant in the future, especially given what we know of the Black Box virus. Also, if I was the sort of person to care about 'rep', I guess this book would be 'double neurodiversity rep', between Shen Ni's hyperthymesia and Bian Jin's OCD/cleanliness fixation.
Of course, Shen Ni bursts in at this moment, literally kicks over Li Chu and all of his men — they're left wailing on the floor — catches hold of Bian Jin round the waist and pulls her behind her.
CLASSIC romantic clinch moment. Ning Yuan knows how to give us what we want.
Shen Ni pulls on a fresh pair of gloves
I love this, I love the little unobtrusive acts of care that the text presents to us but doesn't necessarily draw our attention to. Chi Yu/Ran Jin in The Creator's Grace are written very much like this as well.
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From:Chapter 5
Date: 2024-06-16 08:33 am (UTC)People immediately start gossiping about why the emperor has chosen to do this. One speculation is that it's a tactic to extract information from Bian Jin that the Court of Judicature and Revision failed to do. Another, very popular one is that it's a means to reduce Shen Ni's power and standing at court, by marrying her to someone who is being investigated for high treason, rather than a princess or other noblewoman. Absolutely no one suggests that it might be because they're secretly in love.
There's also much gossip within the Shuangji Hall's own chat group, which we see through Zeng Qingluo's eyes. She's about to remind her fellow disciples to exercise some self-restraint, when her sixth shixiong (an obstreperous character who was constantly being disciplined by Bian Jin) fans the flames with a long comment about how strict and cold-hearted Bian Jin is, and predicting that Shen Ni is going to have a terrible married life.
At this juncture, someone with '.' as a username and a fairly anonymous profile picture of a snow-covered mountain at night replies, telling him not to worry about her married life and advising him to worry more about what will happen if his document forgeries come to light. Realising that this can only be Shen Ni herself, everyone in the chat group immediately falls silent and begins frantically deleting their messages.
The day of the wedding arrives. Shen Ni takes note of the fact that many senior officials and ministers aren't in attendance, and have only sent gifts. She reflects that this at least saves trouble, since she's just swapped out Bian Jin's spine for a new one, and Bian Jin shouldn't stay too long on her feet welcoming guests.
Once Shen Ni gets dressed in her bridal robes, she heads over to Bian Jin's room, where Bian Jin is also getting dressed. She takes out a special face mask, which she has made for Bian Jin to wear to block out the smells of the crowd. It's adjustable for both opacity (ranging from full transparency to fully opaque) and colour. Bian Jin notes that Shen Ni is calling her 'shijie' again, after addressing her as 'my lady wife' in the previous chapter.
Shen Ni slips the mask onto Bian Jin's face, and it's a perfect fit. Bian Jin wonders how, because it's not as if Shen Ni had the chance to take measurements, then she remembers that Shen Ni has hyperthymesia. Does that means she remembers every single detail about me, Bian Jin wonders.
At the wedding ceremony, as the couple make their final bows to each other, Bian Jin reflects that Shen Ni has now bound her own life to Bian Jin's, and feels somewhat undeserving. She thinks about how it was the xiaoshimei she'd let down who ultimately came to her defence.
Shape of the wedding ceremony because I'm always interested in how same-sex traditional marriage ceremonies are presented: they both wear the femme version of the bridal robes and also both do the bridegroom's role in the festivities following the ceremony (i.e. they both stay out at the scene of the festivities playing host to the guests, rather than retreating into the bridal chamber right after the ceremony).
Eventually all the guests leave, except for two female officials from the Lijing Bureau (the original text has this as 丽景门, and 门 can mean 'sect', but these two are very specifically referred to as female officials, so I'm taking 门 to mean 门 as in 六扇门 (basically, the police) rather than 门 as in jianghu sect), who have been tasked with standing guard over Bian Jin. Auntie Wan tries to stop them from following Shen Ni and Bian Jin into their bridal chamber, but the two officials coldly declare that, as Shen Ni and Bian Jin are married at the emperor's command, it's their job to make sure the marriage is duly consummated.
Shen Ni precedes Bian Jin into the bridal chamber and sits on the bed demurely half-hiding her face with her (round) fan (this must be a version of the ceremony where the faces are hidden by fans not veils, though I am not sure now whether this was an actual specific historical practice or whether I've just watched too many Douyin videos). Bian Jin comes in and immediately plonks her own fan down on the table, thereby destroying any trace of romance there might have been in the atmosphere.
Bian Jin points out that the officials from the Lijing Bureau have followed them all the way here. Shen Ni, seemingly starting to undress, tells Bian JIn that the officials are here to make sure they consummate their marriage. Bian Jin's eyes are drawn to Shen Ni's bare neck, and for no reason at all, her breathing starts feeling a bit laboured. On the subject of consummation, Bian Jin basically thinks to herself, fine, if I have to do it I'll do it.
Shen Ni, having put herself in a state of slight deshabille, opens the door to the Lijing Bureau officials, and asks them if they need to come in to observe the proceedings. The two officials, shocked by this, don't reply. Shen Ni closes the door again, walks over to Bian Jin, and starts slowly loosening Bian Jin's sash (or belt. Help. This is my perennial translation problem).
Shen Ni whispers to Bian Jin that the two officials won't come in now, and all Bian Jin has to do is make some of the right noises. And then she fully unties Bian Jin's sash.
Tech watch: The face mask
Named men: 1.5 (I'm very generously counting 'sixth shixiong' here)
Reverse Bechdel passes: 0
Re: Chapter 5
Date: 2024-06-16 08:36 am (UTC)It's not absolutely clear how Zeng Qingluo is accessing this chat group. A screen? Some built-into-the-eye/brain user-interface? Special lenses?
She thinks about how it was the xiaoshimei she'd let down who ultimately came to her defence.
Something BIGGER than the whipping must have happened, right?
as Shen Ni and Bian Jin are married at the emperor's command, it's their job to make sure the marriage is duly consummated.
Fuck or commit high treason, a variant on fuck or die.
Bian Jin's eyes are drawn to Shen Ni's bare neck, and for no reason at all, her breathing starts feeling a bit laboured
Bian Jin: FOR NO REASON AT ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Also, in general: AAAAAAAAAAAA
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Date: 2024-06-17 06:04 pm (UTC)Shen Ni looks around the room, suddenly reminded very strongly that it's hers and Bian Jin's wedding night. Bian Jin has to coolly remind her that they can get up now. Shen Ni sits up, realising that her neck is still warm where Bian Jin put her arm around it. Then she notes that while Bian Jin seems otherwise perfectly calm, the tips of her ears have gone red. Bian Jin's hair is also in some disarray, a state Shen Ni rarely sees her in.
They drink the bridal wine, though separately, not together as a married couple would traditionally have done. Shen Ni screws up her eyes at how strong it is, but Bian Jin just looks as if she's drinking a cup of water.
Bian Jin notices a red-lacquered box on the table, and wonders what's inside. Shen Ni informs her it's better for her not to know. Bian Jin falls for this reverse psychology, and opens to box to reveal 'a collection of strangely-shaped objects'. Shen Ni has to tell her they are sex toys. Bian Jin flushes, and Shen Ni observes this with interest.
Shen Ni is sure that Bian Jin has never been in love or had a romantic interest before, even though she had rejected many admirers (including Shen Ni herself). Seeing her shijie's reaction to the sex toys makes Shen Ni certain that Bian Jin remains devoid of any romantic experience. She wonders what Bian Jin — who has such a strong aversion to other people's smells — would be like in the throes of passion.
Bian Jin, meanwhile, can't quite drive away the memory of the sex toys and also the 'strange thoughts and feelings' they had aroused. She decides that she shouldn't share a bed with Shen Ni, so picks up half of the pillows and bedclothes. She tells Shen Ni that she'll sleep on the floor, while Shen Ni can have the bed.
Shen Ni doesn't reply — just takes the bedclothes from her, lays them out on the floor, and lies down on top of them. She tells Bian Jin that given the cold weather and the state of her injuries, there's no way she's letting Bian Jin sleep on the floor. Just as Bian Jin is about to respond, Shen Ni begins undressing. Bian Jin looks away, thinking, she's as uninhibited as ever.
As Shen Ni undresses, she tells Bian Jin that the spine Bian Jin is currently using is a temporary one, suitable only for everyday tasks and activities. She's still working on Bian Jin's permanent spine, which will take about a month. She promises that, within two years, she'll be able to fully repair Bian Jin's jade core, and then she'll petition the emperor to dissolve their marriage, and the two of them can go their separate ways. Bian Jin agrees to this.
Shen Ni also tells Bian Jin that they'll have to play the part of the loving couple in public, but not in private. She also promises that she won't expect Bian Jin to consummate the marriage, nor will she overstep Bian Jin's boundaries when it comes to intimacy. Bian Jin agrees to this as well.
To seal the deal, Shen Ni informs Bian Jin that she has gotten over her crush on Bian Jin, and that she simply sees Bian Jin as her senior disciple now. She even claims that she's had several romantic relationships before. All this is a lie, of course, to set Bian Jin's mind at ease. Bian Jin is silent for longer than before, until she finally says, 'I understand.'
Tech watch: I'm not counting the sex toys, they've been around forever
Named men: 1.5
Reverse Bechdel passes: 0
no subject
Date: 2024-06-17 06:11 pm (UTC)As people officially tasked with witnessing consummation go, this pair is pretty weak. Not a patch on the two court aunties in Traitor's End, who listened at the couple's door until the activity had died down, provided running commentary, and even at one point poked a hole in the window to see the action.
Of course there would be sex toys (though the title of 'baihe author whose girlfriend is a sex toy designer' belongs to a different author).
Bian Jin looks away, thinking, she's as uninhibited as ever.
Given that the word for 'uninhibited' could arguably also be translated as 'wanton', I really really want to know now what happened between these two.
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From:Chapter 7
Date: 2024-06-18 07:58 pm (UTC)Shen Ni takes the hovercraft to the palace, instead of riding. It's described as being about the same size as a motorcycle, and she puts on a scarf around her head, cloak and sunglasses as she gets on. She steers the hovercraft onto a pre-set route and the autopilot takes over. She turns on the control screen to find some messages from Yanluo, the territory she used to fight in, where she still has some trusted subordinates and retainers.
It seems Shen Ni has been secretly investigating exactly what happened to Bian Jin during the last three years when she went missing. She has inspected Bian Jin's memory module, which was pretty heavily damaged. Now that she's repaired it, Bian Jin should be able to remember something as serious as committing high treason, which would take up a large part of the memory module, yet she doesn't. Shen Ni also doesn't think Bian Jin is lying, as Bian Jin would find it beneath her.
Shen Ni recalls the popular version of the story: that Bian Jin was so enamoured of the emperor of Xuanzhou that she handed over the keys to two cities that she was supposed to protect, allowing Xuanzhou to conquer those cities effortlessly. The popular accounts also claim that Bian Jin and her royal lover spent their days in endless sexual debauchery, which Shen Ni has a very difficult time believing. She thinks to herself that Bian Jin is probably even less sexual than a horse hitching-pole. She recalls having seen the emperor of Xuanzhou once, from a distance. She couldn't see the other woman's face clearly, but her impression is that the emperor of Xuanzhou was deeply unhinged.
Since Bian Jin's memory module shows no signs of being infected by the Black Box virus, Shen Ni thinks that the only thing that could have happened is that someone hacked into it and either locked up her memories of those three years, or overwrote them. A hacker capable of doing this would be a match for Shen Ni's own technical abilities. What she's absolutely certain of is that Bian Jin would never betray the empire.
Shen Ni thinks to herself that, the last time Bian Jin left for war, she expected that the next time she saw Bian Jin again would be as a corpse — and she would recognise that corpse as Bian Jin, even if it was otherwise unmarked. Getting a heavily injured Bian Jin back, she thinks, is not the worst case scenario.
Shen Ni and various other officials (all on hovercraft or mecha horseback) arrive at the palace for the month's only morning court session. Some of them express surprise that she would be there so soon after her wedding.
And then we get a whole lot of world-building information. Apparently all the technological information to which we owe the cyberpunk element of this universe was discovered by the founder of the current dynasty (and Li Ruoyuan's ancestor), sealed up in a capsule from, quite literally, the future. Alongside the capsule was a letter from its senders, who claim that they're sending all this technology back in time to help their ancestors. The letter states that the senders aren't sure where (or when) the capsule will end up. This, the narrative tells us, has resulted in a society that venerates the future, to the point that the empire is named TangPro: Tang for the Tang Dynasty (described in the text as a 'future dynasty').
Li Ruoyuan makes her appearance, and we learn that she's been on the throne for more than three decades. Shen Ni reflects on the fact that, despite all the technological advancements they've had so far, they still haven't managed to invent time travel yet. She also wonders whether the supposed 'descendants from the future' really sent all this technology back solely out of the goodness of their hearts. There's an interesting suggestion here that she thinks of the empire as being so decadent and twisted that it's now on its last legs, a kind of last days of the Roman Empire vibe.
We get a lot of detail about Shen Ni's planned firewall defences, and Shen Ni asks Li Ruoyuan for clearance to to enter the Supreme Bureau of R&D, so that she can get her hands on the tech needed to perfect the firewall. Li Ruoyuan is reluctant to say yes, but Shen Ni is persistent, and says that she's happy to wait until Li Ruoyuan has had time to do make all the necessary arrangements. Meimei would never agree, thinks Li Ruoyuan. Shortly after Shen Ni leaves, Li Ruoyuan falls into a weary slumber. A person approaches, lifts her up by the chin and, we're told, carefully scrutinises every inch of her child-like face.
We then cut to Bian Jin back at the house, where she's testing out her physical capabilities: she's able to walk around the courtyard a few times, jump up onto a tree and jump down again, easily and nimbly. She contemplates trying to jump onto the roof, but then remembers what Shen Ni said about not straining her temporary spine, and doesn't. She doesn't want to make Shen Ni's job of repairing her more difficult than it is, after all.
The digital watch around her wrist (which Shen Ni gave her) buzzes with a message from the Messenger Pigeon app. Bian Jin reflects that people used to have secondary brains implanted into their bodies, but that provided the Black Box venue with an easy route to invasion, so people have now largely moved on to external devices.
The message Bian Jin has received is from the Ministry of Personnel, appointing her to a position which is basically an archivist. She muses that Li Ruoyuan has done this to keep her staying in Chang'an, the better to investigate the claim that she betrayed the empire. She to accesses her memory module, and notes that her main long-term memories of the past are intact, thanks to Shen Ni's repairs. However, when she tries to recall her memories of the lost last three years, she finds her access blocked. Only a very skilled machinist could have done this, Bian Jin thinks.
Auntie Wan comes in with Bian Jin's tonic, which is so bitter than even she, the terror of battlefields, makes a fact over the taste. She asks if there's anything sweet to go with it, and Auntie Wan grins and hands over a piece of osmanthus candy. She tells Bian Jin that Shen Ni specifically told her that this was Bian Jin's favourite, and that Bian Jin was sure to want it after she'd taken the tonic.
Bian Jin thinks about how, although Shen Ni is no longer in love with her, she's still taking full responsibility for Bian Jin's well-being within the scope of this loveless marriage. Perhaps, she thinks, no matter who becomes shimei's wife, shimei would be just as attentive to her.
Tech watch: facial recognition scanners used at court; time travel; digital watch; I'm not counting the sunglasses as they have also been around a perhaps surprisingly long time.
Named men: 1.5
Reverse Bechdel passes: 0
Re: Chapter 7
Date: 2024-06-18 08:07 pm (UTC)She thinks to herself that Bian Jin is probably even less sexual than a horse hitching-pole
Calling this now: one day Bian Jin is going to make Shen Ni eat her words. Shen Ni probably won't mind though.
She couldn't see the other woman's face clearly, but her impression is that the emperor of Xuanzhou was deeply unhinged.
Super looking forward to meeting her.
Shen Ni thinks that the only thing that could have happened is that someone hacked into it and either locked up her memories of those three years, or overwrote them.
Wondering now if Bian Jin did that herself. She doesn't seem to have the necessary technical competency, but then again she might not need as high a skill level if she's doing that herself. Yes, I did read the second lesbian necromancers in space book and liked this particular plot feature.
And then we get a whole lot of world-building information.
And it was A LOT. Do we think time-travel is within bounds for a cyberpunk novel?
the empire is named TangPro
I absolutely howled with laughter at this. Also explains why the emperor is a Li; no one ever names anyone interesting Li unless they are (1) Gu Long; or (2) making a Tang Dynasty reference. I am allowed to say this as my own surname is a variant on Li. Also I stole the name of Gu Long's Li-protagonist for my own wuxia WIP Li-protagonist.
She also wonders whether the supposed 'descendants from the future' really sent all this technology back solely out of the goodness of their hearts.
Maybe the reverse time capsule was a reverse Pandora's box. Maybe the Black Box virus was the gift our descendants sent us all along.
Meimei would never agree, thinks Li Ruoyuan. Shortly after Shen Ni leaves, Li Ruoyuan falls into a weary slumber. A person approaches, lifts her up by the chin and, we're told, carefully scrutinises every inch of her child-like face.
OH HELLO.
The digital watch around her wrist (which Shen Ni gave her) buzzes with a message from the Messenger Pigeon app
I guess we also now know how Zeng Qingluo was reading her messages a couple of chapters ago.
Bian Jin thinks about how, although Shen Ni is no longer in love with her.
Oh COME ON Bian Jin, you actually believed her?
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From:Chapter 8
Date: 2024-06-19 07:43 pm (UTC)Shen Ni arrives home to find Bian Jin talking to two attendants. She notes that Bian Jin no longer looks ill, but is still a little fragile, and that combined with the rays of the setting sun give her a gentler air that is at odds with her memory of her intimidating shijie.
Bian Jin is wearing the official robes for her new position, which Shen Ni thinks suits her. Bian Jin, meanwhile, is struck by the beauty of Shen Ni's lips, and when Shen Ni takes off her sunglasses, the beauty of Shen Ni's eyes. She doesn't quite know where to look, and muses on how quickly the little girl she used to look after has grown.
Bian Jin tells Shen Ni about her appointment to the new role (which Shen Ni requested the emperor to do), and Shen Ni has Feelings about how domestic it all is — her wife telling her about her day. As Shen Ni is about to leave, Bian Jin mentions that she also received a message about the couples module. She adds that, after carefully reading all the documentation for the couples module, it's best that they don't sign up for it.
Then Bian Jin feels nauseous, and reveals this only through a very very tiny frown. When Ni spots this, of course. She's holds out her hand to stop Bian Jin from leaving, then realises she's not wearing gloves, so pulls her hand back, and her little finger ends up just hooking through Bian Jin's. Bian Jin isn't wearing gloves either, and the brief contact goes through her like an electric shock.
Bian Jin explains that it's just that the food at the archive didn't suit her. Shen Ni recalls that she's always had a delicate stomach, and could only tolerate very light, non-greasy dishes, though she seemed to have gotten over that during the years she was at war. Bian Jin feels a little ill at ease about having revealed this, thinking she might come across as sajiao-ing at Shen Ni.
Shen Ni is in her workshop testing out a mechanical arm when Auntie Wan comes to tell her that dinner is ready. Shen Ni reflects that Bian Jin has only called her by her childhood nickname 'A-Yao' once since their reunion, and that was when she was barely conscious. She decides that Bian Jin probably still has some ill-feeling over what happened between them. I was the one who got flogged, and I haven't said anything, she adds mentally. So as not to undermine Bian Jin's appetite, she tells Auntie Wan that Bian Jin should eat first without waiting for her. Auntie Wan, as she leaves, muses on why two women who have already consummated their marriage should still address each other as shijie and shimei, and is it some sort of kink.
Bian Jin, sitting in the dining room, gets Auntie Wan's message, but doesn't eat, deciding to wait for Shen Ni instead. In keeping with her long-time habit of never wasting time, she tries to break through the block on her memory module. This is unsuccessful: fragments of memories simply stab into her mind, causing her pain. She decides that she can't try to rush things, in case she damages what Shen Ni had worked so hard to repair.
Bian Jin finally realises that Shen Ni won't actually come to dinner, so she starts eating by herself, letting the light fare soothe her stomach. Suddenly she recalls what Shen Ni told her before, that she'd had a few romantic relationships since overcoming her crush on Bian Jin. She wonders if Shen Ni had a lover at the time they were commanded to marry, and whether the marriage has affected Shen Ni's relationship with this hypothetical lover.
That night, the two of them sleep as before: Shen Ni on the floor, Bian Jin in bed. The following day, Shen Ni doesn't have to court, because Li Ruoyuan hasn't given her the sought-after clearance for the Supreme Bureau of R&D yet, so she decides to catch up on her lost sleep. Bian Jin, however, does have to rise early to go to the archive. When she gets out of bed, she sees that Shen Ni is cuddling a fat, yellow soft toy. She recalls that Shen Ni used to fall asleep holding her.
At lunchtime, Bian Jin doesn't follow her colleagues to the staff canteen (they have a fancier historical name, but it's basically a staff canteen) with its horrible greasy food. Instead, she uses her digital watch to log on to the dark web, through which she used to buy military equipment and special killing devices. She's searching for her bone whip, which used never to leave her side. It's now missing following her capture by the Lijing Bureau and her detention at the Court of Judicature and Revision. She's pretty sure that if it's been found by an outsider, they're likely to list it for sale on the dark web. However, there's no sign of it anywhere.
She logs out of the dark web and onto a standard shopping site instead, intending to buy herself a new whip for self-defence. She notes that prices have risen significantly: all the whips she's interested in cost about five hundred taels of silver. Luckily her (bank) accounts have been unfrozen, so she has tens of thousands of taels to use.
Just as she's about to make the purchase, she hears one of her colleagues complaining about their spouse, who's been spending too much of their money on horses. The colleague emphasises that now they're married, all their money is held jointly, so their spouse really should have told them.
Bian Jin pauses at this, and thinks to herself that, since she and Shen Ni and now married and hold their property in common, she should let Shen Ni know that she's planning to make such a big purchase. She sends a screenshot of the whip and Messenger Pigeons it to Shen Ni with the note 'I'd like to buy this.'
Shen Ni has just woken up, and is delighted that Bian Jin would send her a message, and even more delighted that Bian Jin would ask her for a present. She immediately replies, saying 'Buy it, I've transferred you five hundred taels.' This merely confuses Bian Jin.
Tech watch: couples module; dark web; shopping website.
Named men: 1.5
Reverse Bechdel passes: 0
Re: Chapter 8
Date: 2024-06-19 07:52 pm (UTC)We're all thinking about creative uses for this technology, right? Incidentally, the author of Divination set this up and never actually used it, to my eternal disappointment.
She adds that, after carefully reading all the documentation for the couples module
I like the unexpected character trait of Bian Jin being the kind of conscientious nerd who reads end-user licence agreements.
She decides that she can't try to rush things, in case she damages what Shen Ni had worked so hard to repair.
I like the emerging theme of Bian Jin starting to look after herself because she treasures all the hard work Shen Ni put into fixing her.
She wonders if Shen Ni had a lover at the time they were commanded to marry, and whether the marriage has affected Shen Ni's relationship with this hypothetical lover.
Bian Jin, what are you doing, why have you invented a whole imaginary girlfriend for Shen Ni.
When she gets out of bed, she sees that Shen Ni is cuddling a fat, yellow soft toy.
I somehow INTENSELY need this to be a Pikachu soft toy.
The colleague emphasises that now they're married, all their money is held jointly, so their spouse really should have told them.
Wow, what is this marital property regime? Community property PLUS? Community property RETROACTIVE?
since she and Shen Ni and now married and hold their property in common, she should let Shen Ni know that she's planning to make such a big purchase
Again, the nerdy conscientious side of Bian Jin poking her head out.
I'm kind of ready now to see more characters emerge. We haven't had a single new named character for a few chapters now. Also, keen to see Zeng Qingluo return to help Shen Ni with her scheming.
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From:Chapter 10
Date: 2024-06-20 07:29 pm (UTC)Bian Jin is indeed busy. She was about to try and explain to Shen Ni that Shen Ni had completely misunderstood her meaning, when the chief archivist Cheng Zhe tells her to help store away damaged cyborg bodies (it's one of the things the archive preserves). Cheng Zhe has a major grudge against Bian Jin, who refused his application for a promotion back when she was still in charge of the northern border, pointing out that someone like him — who had abandoned his first wife and their daughter in favour of marrying another woman who could help further his career — was sure to betray his responsibilities for his own ambitions. He had been looking forward to making her life hell once she was transferred to the archive; unfortunately for him, she's now married to Shen Ni, and he doesn't dare to touch Shen Ni's wife.
In the file room, Bian Jin finds today's duty officer, a young, petite woman named Meng Chu, struggling to maneuver the cart containing the heavy cyborg bodies. Bian Jin whisks the cart away silently and effortlessly; Meng Chu is surprised, and also struck by her beauty. Bian Jin demonstrates to Meng Chu has to efficiently use a giant mechanical arm to lift up the bodies and put them away. Meng Chu asks her name, is told it, and has a brief blue-screen-of-death moment as she recognises the name.
Back at home, Shen Ni decides to make lunch for Bian Jin — soup, steamed fish and a strawberry cheesecake. When she arrives at the archive, with said lunch packed away in an insulated lunchbox, she overhears a couple of men gossiping about Bian Jin. The thrust of the matter is that she still has a lot of former comrades and subordinates who remain loyal to her, and who petitioned the emperor to pardon her. One of them wonders how Shen Ni, who is known to hold a grudge against Bian Jin, tortures her behind closed doors. They also talk about how Cheng Zhe has been arranging for the staff canteen to add grease and salt to the food they prepare, and how he is right this minute treating all of the archive staff — with the conspicuous exception of Bian Jin — to tong sui.
Shen Ni marches into the archive, pausing to ask a female official where her wife is, and charming her completely in the process. In the main room, everyone is eating the tong sui which Cheng Zhe has bought, except Bian Jin. Bian Jin wouldn't have noticed that she was being deliberately left out if Cheng Zhe hadn't been staring at her, waiting for her to realise it. Then she hears a voice calling sweetly, 'my lady wife', and thinks the speaker must be addressing someone else — until Shen Ni bends over her and asks 'what's my wife so engrossed in?'
As far as Bian Jin's colleagues are concerned, Shen Ni's appearance, complete with lunchbox, puts paid to all the rumours about her harbouring a grudge against Bian Jin. Then Shen Ni exclaims in puzzled tones, 'Why are you the only one who didn't get any tong sui?' The text notes that she's always been like this since she was little: the wickeder she intends to be, the more innocent she seems. Cheng Zhe, of course, understands the meaning behind her words, and hastily hands over his own (as yet untouched) portion of tong sui, making excuses all the while. Shen Ni pushes it away, telling him that her wife rarely eats outside food.
Shen Ni then takes out the little box with the cheesecake in it, wipes her hands with an anti-bacterial wet wipe, scoops up a small piece of cheesecake with a spoon and brings it to Bian Jin's mouth. Bian Jin is about to tell her that she needn't go that far with the 'loving wives' act, when Shen Ni suddenly says, 'It's your favourite dessert, I made it for you especially.' On hearing that, Bian Jin's eyes soften.
Shen Ni leans closer to Bian Jin and says, in a whisper only the two of them can hear, 'Play along with me.' The text tells us that Bian Jin is used to being the one to give commands, and rarely receives them; on hearing Shen Ni's words, her eyes take on a certain glow. Meng Chu, staring at them from a corner, is so surprised at the sight of killing machine Bian Jin being so docile in front of her wife that she can barely blink.
Bian Jin compliantly removes her face mask (set to transparent) and slowly leans closer to the spoon in Shen Ni's hand. Her breath tickles Shen Ni's fingertips. The text tells us that Bian Jin has always been beyond Shen Ni's control; now that she's looking down at Bian Jin, and Bian Jin's looking up at her and doing as she says, Shen Ni is experiencing a sensation that she's never had before; a wicked electrical current seems to be running through her.
Perhaps because she's not used to being so close to another person, Bian Jin misjudges the distance and ends up pressing her lips against Shen Ni's fingertips.
Tech watch: mechanical arm thing; retina scanner (on the door to the file room); e-cigarettes (being smoked by the gossipers); anti-bacterial wet wipes.
Named men: 2.5
Reverse Bechdel passes: 0
Re: Chapter 10
Date: 2024-06-20 07:34 pm (UTC)something called the Great Wheel of Fire will be unveiled
This looks like the Eye of Sauron in my head.
Shen Ni receives message after message, but none from Bian Jin
Shen Ni behaving like a high school girl with a crush is cute.
the wickeder she intends to be, the more innocent she seems
Ahahaha this is indeed rapidly becoming Shen Ni's brand.
The text tells us that Bian Jin is used to being the one to give commands, and rarely receives them; on hearing Shen Ni's words, her eyes take on a certain glow.
Bian Jin has always been beyond Shen Ni's control; now that she's looking down at Bian Jin, and Bian Jin's looking up at her and doing as she says, Shen Ni is experiencing a sensation that she's never had before; a wicked electrical current seems to be running through her.
I SEE I SEE.
Meng Chu, staring at them from a corner, is so surprised at the sight of killing machine Bian Jin being so docile in front of her wife that she can barely blink
Shipper on deck? Shipper on deck!
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Date: 2024-06-21 08:00 pm (UTC)At the entrance, Bian Jin thanks Shen Ni for going out of her way. Shen Ni, valiantly trying to repress the memory of the flushed tips of Bian Jin's ears from the lunch incident, tells her not to worry about it. They're married now, she adds, so they share a joint reputation (I'm translating v loosely here). Bian Jin then clarifies the situation regarding the whip, and how she wasn't, in fact, asking Shen Ni to buy it for her, but just to notify her that she's planning on spending what is now their joint money. Shen Ni thinks about how her shijie is so tractable and mild even to her, a wife-in-name-only, and wonders what Bian Jin would be like if she really falls in love. Shen Ni tells Bian Jin to keep the five hundred taels — after all, 'what's mine is also yours'.
When Bian Jin returns to the archive, Cheng Zhe comes over specially to tell Bian Jin she can take the next day off. It's part of his all too transparent ploy to placate Shen Ni. Bian Jin says there's no need, as she still has a lot of outstanding tasks. Cheng Zhe praises her work and work ethic to all their colleagues, as Bian Jin ignores him and starts packing up.
When she arrives home, Bian Jin thanks Auntie Wan for making lunch, and is told that Shen Ni herself did the cooking. Bian Jin can't quite believe this, and recalls how, when Shen Ni was much younger, her culinary skills was so conspicuously lacking that she if she set out to roast a sweet potato, it would turn into coal. During festivals, she would hang around the pot or wok where the cooking was happening and wait for Bian Jin to feed her.
Bian Jin takes a bath, and changes into an outfit made of comfortable silky fabric — part of a set Shen Ni crafted for them both, for their wedding. Bian Jin feels that the colours are a little too bright for her, but still puts it on. As she's dressing, she discovers a very small port (as in, the type you plug digital equipment into) on her pelvis, which wasn't there before, and she realises Shen Ni must have installed it there during the initial round of repairs. She then gets slightly blushy thinking about how Shen Ni has, in the process of doing repairs, examined in detail every single part of her body, even the parts she herself doesn't really think about.
Bian Jin puts on her cloak, and realises that it's the same style as the one Shen Ni wore to the archive earlier, with the same pattern of embroidery; only the colours are different. Anyone seeing them in their matching cloaks would know that they're a couple.
Shen Ni, once again, is absent from the dinner table, and when Bian Jin asks Auntie Wan where she is, Auntie Wan explains that Shen Ni is in her workshop, where no one is ever allowed to disturb her, even to bring her food. Auntie Wan adds that, when Shen Ni was repairing Bian Jin's body the first time round, she spent five whole days holed up in her workshop, and only ate three meals in all that time. Bian Jin has Feelings about this.
Then Auntie Wan asks mysteriously whether the 'items' in the 'box of delights' need replenishing. Bian Jin takes a while to realise that she's asking about the sex toys, and becomes deeply awkward about the whole thing. Seeing this, Auntie Wan asks if it's because she and Shen Ni haven't consummated their marriage. Bian Jin is forced to lie that they have, and tells Auntie Wan she doesn't need to add or change anything in the box. Auntie Wan counters that it's better to be ready with new toys in case the mood takes them, and asks Bian Jin whether she wants to put an order in for some new toys that are about to arrive at Qiqiao Hall (which I'm going to assume is Chang'an's premier purveyor of sex toys until told otherwise), which have been designed for use by two women together. Bian Jin basically mutters an 'okay' and then flees outside to cool down in the snow.
In her workshop, Shen Ni is at what is basically her computer (we get a reference to a big digital screen, a hologram projection, and a keyboard) ending a conversation with someone on the dark web. She too is trying to track down Bian Jin's bone whip. We learn that the bone whip is one of their sect's relics, which Bian Jin had inherited from their shizun (presumably as senior disciple) and used for ten years. There's a reference to Bian Jin (I think?) having used half of her worldly possessions to 'forge' (I assume upgrade?) this rare weapon. Shen Ni sends a message to her eyes-and-ears, asking them to look into the bone whip's last known location, and specifically to investigate whether it had ever turned up in Xuanzhou.
Shen Ni heads back to the bedroom that now belongs to her and Bian Jin, and opens the door to find Bian Jin in the middle of changing into her nightclothes. She sees a flash of shoulder as Bian Jin hurriedly pulls her nightgown around her. Shen Ni swiftly turns around and apologises. As Bian Jin climbs into bed, she puts her hands over the tips of her ears, thinking that Shen Ni probably hasn't discovered that they've turned as red as the wedding canopy over the bed.
They sleep, and Bian Jin has an interesting plot-relevant nightmare. As she teeters at the edge of a shallow sleep, and is about to sink into the abyss of full dreaming, an arm suddenly reaches up from her consciousness, and a woman's voice says again and again, 'My darling, my precious, how could you leave just like that? The demonseed and I both miss you very much. Every version of you loves me, you let me drink your blood, eat your flesh. How could this be just a dream? Promise me, even if it means being punished by a thousand blades, you'll leave me your right hand, won't you?' In the half-dream, Bian Jin struggles, but the arm transforms into countless arms. All of these hands wrap themselves around her throat and start dragging her into the abyss.
Shen Ni opens her eyes at the sound of Bian Jin's laboured breathing, and hurries to Bian Jin's bedside to see her looking distinctly unwell, and at risk of overloading. She tries to shake Bian Jin awake, but Bian Jin catches hold of her wrist and says, 'Don't touch me.' Shen Ni knows that she must be having a nightmare. Shen Ni allows Bian Jin to go on gripping her wrist, and soothes her over and over. Seeming to sense something, Bian Jin calls out her childhood nickname, 'A-Yao?' Shen Ni replies with, 'It's me, shijie. I'm right here.' Bian Jin's grip slackens slightly, her breathing slows, and her temperature goes down, reducing the risk of overload.
However, Bian Jin is still clutching Shen Ni's hand, clearly unwilling for Shen Ni to go. Shen Ni finally lies down and puts her arms around Bian Jin from behind. She sees that Bian Jin is biting her own lip, which is already bleeding, and reaches out to try and coax her into relaxing her mouth. But then Bian Jin bites down on Shen Ni's hand instead, and sort of gnaws away at it in a way that still draws blood from her own lips. Shen Ni, determined to stop Bian Jin from injuring her poor own poor lips further, gently slips a finger into her mouth and parts her teeth.
Still lost in her nightmare, Bian Jin senses that someone with a very familiar scent is embracing her from behind. It's something that's never happened to her before, and the sense of security makes the tension slowly leave her body. She doesn't know why she thinks it might be Shen Ni who's holding her. The calls from the abyss grow fainter as she retreats to safe ground. She realises that in her mouth is something soft and sweet-smelling, and whatever it is doesn't try to stop her from tearing at it with her teeth. Gradually, she finds that she can't bear to torment it any further, and starts licking it soothingly instead. Shen Ni holds her tighter, and Bian Jin finally drifts off to sleep.
Tech watch: Anti-slip mat (which the servants set out at the entrance to Shen Ni's home); digital screen and hologram (in Shen Ni's workshop).
Named men: 2.5
Reverse Bechdel passes: 0
Re: Chapter 10
Date: 2024-06-21 08:09 pm (UTC)This links up nicely with the bit at the end of Chapter 7 when Bian Jin thinks that perhaps whoever shimei married, she would be just as attentive.
Also, to paraphrase that memorable line from Milagro (X-Files, season six) that is burned into every shipper's memory: 'That's impossible. Bian Jin is already in love.'
Auntie Wan asks mysteriously whether the 'items' in the 'box of delights' need replenishing
I laughed so hard at this entire sequence. Also please can one of the extras be Auntie Wan telling us the details of the sex toys.
Bian Jin has an interesting plot-relevant nightmare
WHO IS SHE IS SHE THE UNHINGED EMPEROR DID THEY HAVE A DEMON (VIRUS??) BABY TOGETHER WHAT IS GOING ON
I spent the last section of this chapter going EEEEEEEEEEEEEE in increasingly high-pitched tones.
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