okay this is specifically for @your-local-aroace (hi this got too long to be a reply to your post lol) but also because i keep wanting to quote this at people and also because i’m obsessed with it. i present Zhang Chengling’s reaction to meeting Jing Beiyuan in TYK, translation by wenbuxing:
The man with a small crossbow in his hand was dressed in navy blue robes, his long sleeves fluttering. A belt the width of a palm was fastened around his waist, and on the side of it, hung a white jade xiao. He did not look like someone of the jianghu, nor did he look like a scholar, but looked more like a noble who luxuriated in wealth. His hooded, amorous eyes seemed as if they held a slight trace of laughter, but upon closer examination, the look he shot at the last Poisonous Scorpion contained the glint of a cold light. Through the haze in his mind, Zhang Chengling thought that this person…was the best-looking person that he had ever seen. […] Lord Seventh looked at Zhang Chengling and asked, “Are you feeling better?” His voice was not loud, but was extremely nice to listen to. Suddenly, without knowing why, Zhang Chengling blushed, lowering his head, and nodded silently. He could not help himself from peeking up again, wanting to take one more look at that man—that woman he had seen in the tavern the other day was extremely beautiful, but Zhang Chengling suddenly felt that compared to this man, the woman’s face was like a layer of skin made of paper: flimsy and purposefully fake.
and i would like to say: i ALSO fully thought chengling was the token straight of this cast prior to this and so reading this part was hilarious and also i was very taken aback!! in conclusion, everyone please enjoy my ‘zhang chengling had a WHOLE gay awakening upon meeting JBY’ agenda
OH PLEASE I LOVE THIS, thank you so much for sharing!!! :DD I can’t believe there isn’t a single straight protag in TYK/WOH and I’m definitely adding TYK to my reading list (right after Qi Ye ✨✨) Thank you so much for this!! <33
“Jing Qi picked him up, gently placed him on the bed, then reached out to delicately trace his facial features. All of a sudden he smiled, fragmented rays appearing inside of his slightly raised peach blossom eyes. In that second every type of prosperity didn’t matter, and both the previous life and this one disappeared without a trace. Only that voice was in his ears: Jing Beiyuan, I’ll hate you forever.”
so if qi ye showed partners-in-alcohol-and-crime jing beiyuan and zhou zishu constantly conspiring on the same brain wavelength, and tyk wenzhou have near-telepathy levels of mutual Knowing™… by the transitive property of zhiji wen kexing is canonically at least half a zhiji to jing beiyuan. don’t boo me you know i’m right
OP don’t tempt me, god this would be so much fun to write.
They’d both HATE how in tune they were, frenemies in love, gosh Zzs would be laughing his ass off the whole time….
