Skate Into Love (Chapter 1)

Novel: Skate into Love (冰糖炖雪梨)

Author: Jiu Xiao Qi

Genre: RomCom

Synopsis: As kids, Tang Xue bullied Li YuBing a great deal, and YuBing didn’t have it in him to fight back.  When they unexpectedly meet again in college after a six year separation, Li YuBing had successfully transformed into a hotshot hockey star, and he was ready to seek revenge.

*** CHAPTER  1 – SEATMATE ***

“My Seatmate”

Author: Tang Xue (Second Grade)

My seatmate’s name is Li YuBing.  He’s super annoying.  Why?  Because Grandpa had promised me that if I tested as No. 1 in the class, then he’d take me to Disneyland.  I really want to go to Disneyland!  But I didn’t get No. 1. Li YuBing did!  The teacher even praised him during the parent-teacher conference.  Dad said to me, “Look at Li YuBing. Now look at yourself!”  I really wish the teacher would stop praising him, because he’s so annoying

Coup de Foudre – Thoughts

I love Janice Wu with all my heart, and I was beyond excited to see her star as modern day lovers with the dude from the Oriental Odyssey.

UNFORTUNATELY, while the result wasn’t bad, their characters in Coup de Foudre were just dreadfully boring  Yan Mo is a dull, dull man, Qiao Yi has the personality of a wet rag, and their vanilla romance was flat lined from the get-go.

Ashes of Love Ch. 25

Since I couldn’t conjure buns, I honored my promise and brought Run Yu to a breakfast stall.  After changing our appearance and concealing our immortal aura, we finally found a place that looked acceptable.  Just as we sat down, we heard someone cry, “Waiter, I’ll have four buns!” [Tn: Here, waiter is literally “little second.”]

“Coming right up!” The waiter swung his dish towel over his shoulder and scurried over with a steamer basket.

Ashes of Love (Ch. 24)

Chapter 24

When I opened my eyes again, it was another beautiful day.  As I sat up, rubbing my eyes, something that flashed a brilliant gold floated to the ground.  A closer look revealed it to be a phoenix feather.  Even a single feather of Phoenix gleamed so radiantly–he truly was an arrogant bird who knew no humility.

But the bird himself seemed to have disappeared.  I let out a breath of relief–now I no longer had to find an excuse for swindling him out of an extra 300 years of magic.

Ashes of Love (CH. 23)

Ch. 23

Yet, just as I was enjoying myself, his eyes suddenly snapped open and with a piercing glare, he cried: “Who dares?!”

I watched in bafflement as he yelled at me, then closed his eyes in satisfaction.  I couldn’t help feeling a bit miffed–how is it that, even in his dreams, he doesn’t forget to bully me.  But if I think about it carefully, this is pretty much his mantra.  Kind of like how the Monkey King,* regardless of whom he’s up against, always yells: “Demon, where do you think you’re going?”  Or like how humans, regardless of the time, always begin their conversations with, “Have you eaten?”**

So thinking, I forgave him.

I bent down next to him and whispered in his ear, “Phoenix, do you remember that you still owe me 600 years of magic?”

His breaths were deep and even, his demeanor at peace.

“Could it be that you’re going back on your word?”  I continued asking him in complete seriousness.

His breaths remained deep and even, his demeanor remained at peace.

“It’s the law of nature to repay your debts.  Thus, I shall retrieve the magic myself and save you the trouble.”  I can’t imagine that there are many considerate creditors like me left in the world.

Ashes of Love (Ch. 22)

A note: I took a long break from translating because I’ve been working on other things and because it seemed like there wasn’t much interest anyway.  I appreciate  all the comments I’ve received though.  Thank you guys!  As there seems to be some interest, I am going to continue to chug along and see if I can finish. 🙂  As always, would love to hear your thoughts on the story!

~~ Chapter 22 ~~

The moon this evening was especially round and bright, illuminating the garden’s small stone bridge and decorative rocks.  Phoenix, Run Yu and I sipped wine around a table–a harmonious scene, I thought.

BOOKS 3/20/2019

I’ve recently changed to a longer subway commute, which sucks in many ways, but which resulted in one benefit — more time to read in the mornings.  (I try to read all the time, but let’s face it, the internet gets in the way.)

Some books I finished recently that I loved:

• Loitering With Intent – Muriel Spark
• A Nervous Splendor – Frederic Morton
• Beware of Pity – Stefan Zweig

Legend of a Demon Cat Thoughts

When I was a wee child, I watched Farewell My Concubine and was deeply traumatized by the scene where the main character’s mom cut off his extra finger.  I had no idea what the movie was really about, but that scene stayed with me for years.  Anyway, that’s neither here nor there.   In college, I watched the film again (or perhaps watched it truly for the first time) and was happy, for once, that I had grown up.  I was happy because I could finally comprehend the film in all its beauty, a beauty that enthralls and horrifies and depresses at once.  The movie was a beautiful because it was filmed beautifully and also because it told a strange, beautiful tale that intertwined personal tragedy with societal tragedy in a way that felt touchingly genuine.

Demon Cat, on the other hand . . . was just beautifully filmed.

Touch Your Heart – Eps 7-8

How adorable are these two?!  So much love.  This drama reminds me a bit of Love020 in that it really gets its audience.  You came for a romcom, and romcom you will get! I cannot emphasize enough how much I adore the fact that the two characters work out their feelings and issues right away.

Gangnam Beauty Thoughts

It’s been so long since this drama came out that I think all that can be written on it has been written, but still, my two cents.  I really do think this is one of the best dramas to come out of Asia in years, primarily because it’s one of the few shows that captures so perfectly the ways in which women internalize sexism.