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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!
Re: Chapter 5
Date: 2024-06-16 02:27 pm (UTC)Shen Ni thinking ah yes it's all for the best that not as many guests come; Bian Jin shouldn't be standing for too long with her replacement spine - got some other ideas of what she should be doing, Shen Ni? Hm?
(I also love the contrast between like
Shen Ni: shijie should not stand too long or exert herself too much and should drink the nutrient broth and you know what, probably best I just carry her everywhere
Bian Jin: *calmly plotting royal murder with a borrowed weapon as a first resort*
)
On the mask: 1) love that Shen Ni demonstrates the colour-changing capabilities by cycling through a literal rainbow. Love wins, etc. 2) I can't be the only one thinking of Other Uses for a material with adjustable opacity/transparency, right?? I just think they could get creative with it. Ahem. Anyway.
Bian Jin thinking 'wait does that mean every smallest detail about me is stored in her memory?' combined with Shen Ni's thoughts last chapter about how she remembers everything that has ever happened between them, even the things she might not want to, definitely pings my foreshadowing/there's-more-to-this-backstory radar. What do you not want her to remember about you, Bian Jin?
And then YES I am extremely with you on thinking there must be more to this than the whipping, to make Bian Jin think of herself as having 'let down' her shimei, and to think that she doesn't deserve such a show of trust from Shen Ni as bringing her out of the prison and tying their lives together. Especially given that what we know of their past so far is that Bian Jin came dramatically to her rescue on the battlefield before dragging her back for said whipping. So then...what did you do Bian Jin? Obviously she's suspected of treason, and while I doubt it's quite that simple I do wonder what exactly transpired during those years she was missing... (Is this just my obsession with betrayals of all kinds, looking for anything to latch onto? Maybe!)
Bian Jin absolutely killing the romance by tossing her fan aside was a delight, especially from Shen Ni's faintly aggrieved but practical POV. And then Shen Ni doing her shameless-but-outwardly-guileless play of asking the two Lijing officials if they need to come in and watch? I love that we seem to be seeing more of her scheming side, and I'm definitely here for more of that.
On sash vs belt: I don't think either would stand out to me as long as it was consistent throughout the scene; given they're in bridal robes here I think 'sash' works. But now I'm going to overthink this every time I come across a 腰带, so thanks for that XD
Re: Chapter 5
Date: 2024-06-17 07:11 pm (UTC)Ahaha this has been bothering me FOREVER. I was so happy when the protagonist in Purely by Accident's wedding outfit was described as specifically including a 玉带 which is clearly a belt.
I do wonder what exactly transpired during those years she was missing... (Is this just my obsession with betrayals of all kinds, looking for anything to latch onto? Maybe!)
I think you're on to something! I'm wondering vaguely whether it's a sort of 'must betray the empire for the greater good'/'the empire is the evil one' kind of deal.
I love that we seem to be seeing more of her scheming side
I love scheming Shen Ni so much!
Re: Chapter 5
Date: 2024-06-18 01:18 am (UTC)Where exactly did that virus come from, I wonder. (This is my first encounter with Ning Yuan's work so I have no idea which direction she's likely to go on this kind of thing but I'm very excited to find out!)
Re: Chapter 5
Date: 2024-06-18 07:54 pm (UTC)