chinese cultural context for moments in cql — a helpful thread! #陈情令
will be adding to this thread as i rewatch cql ~ feel free to ask questions! i can address
names hold high significance in chinese culture, they represent aspirations & blessings. best boy lsz’s name is one of my faves, his name 愿 (yuàn) means ‘wish’ & 思追 (sī zhuī) means ‘to chase thought’ 
at the beginning, everyone simply calls wwx moxuanyu. sizhui is the only one that addresses him as 莫公子 (mògōngzǐ). 公子 (gōngzǐ) is a term that indicates decent respect for a man. lsz best boy
titles r v important in chinese culture! they indicate respect & position. here lsz calls wwx 莫前辈 (mòqiánbèi), which means ‘senior mo.’ ‘senior’ is an incredibly respectful way to address an older, experienced person. lsz is the only one that has this level of respect for him
wwx calls lwj 小古板 (xiǎogǔbǎn) which translates to ‘old-fashioned person.’ i’ve seen sources translate this to ‘fuddy-duddy’ but i present an alternative — boomer
wwx really calls lwj 机兄 (jīxiōng) multiple times at the beginning hdjdjsjsj the name translates to ‘ji bro’ but it’s a homophone for 鸡胸, ‘chicken breast’
proof that wwx definitely calls lwj ‘chicken breast’ on purpose: for everyone else he uses their last name, ie he calls niehuaisang ‘bro nie,’ but instead of calling lwj ‘bro lan,’ he Has to say ‘bro ji’ aka chicken breast
one of the gayest hidden moments of cql. when lwj grabs him wwx says 拉拉扯扯成何体统. this means ‘it’s improper to grab each other like this.’ may seem like simply calling out misbehavior, but when has wwx ever been one to do that? this phrase is actually a common flirting trope
the phrase wwx uses here 拉拉扯扯成何体统 is closely associated w another phrase 搂搂抱抱卿卿我我 which means excessive physical contact, like hugs, between lovers. wwx is basically trying to annoy lwj by implying improper flirtatious behavior. fellas
one of the best flirting tropes. wwx grinds ink for lwj as lwj writes. in ancient chinese dramas, this is one of the softest tropes. grinding ink requires great patience, often represents that one is willing to wait for another’s feelings, supporting them from the side. soft gays
noticed this rewatching. jc says ‘no one’s saving ur ass this time’ he uses 收尸 ‘collect your corpse for funeral’ to describe saving wwx‘s ass. wwx says ‘u alr collected my corpse so many times, pls once more.’ makes me think of jc actually looking for wwx’s corpse those 16yrs..
based on the confucian principle 身体发肤受之父母不敢毁伤孝之始也, scars r Really Bad in chinese culture. it’s just another motivator for wwx to get rid of them as mxy. scars r so Bad, yet lwj, one so strict in principles, is still readily willing to take them for his wwx . ... .
lwj thought wwx was absolutely ridiculous for naming his sword 随便 (suíbiàn) or ‘whatever.’ lwj expressed it by calling wwx unruly. shows on the contrary just how much thought lwj puts into names, how important he thinks they r. thus, when he names lsz :(
sharing Just How Flirty this scene was. wwx playfully calls lwj 蓝二 (lánèr) or ‘second lan,’ asking lwj to call him 魏哥哥 (wèigēgē) or ‘wei bro.’ 哥哥 is standard for ‘older bro’ now, but in ancient times in china it‘d be an overly casual term. used here, wwx is Big Flirting
for comparison: 哥哥 (gēgē) is never used ourside of this scene in the drama. it’s always 兄 (xiōng) or 兄长 (xiōngzhǎng) or 大哥 (dàgē) etc. bc gege is too playful & flirty (for ancient times). but not for wwx!
wwx offers lwj 枇杷 (loquats). traditionally in chinese culture, loquats symbolize wishes for a happy marriage & family. seems like wwx is implying something here. when lwj returns the loquat, wwx says lwj 没情调 which means ‘lacks emotional/romantic appeal.’ o the gay intentions
this is the first time they refer to each other as 知己 (soulmate). although translated to ‘soulmate,’ 知己 (zhījǐ) holds more meaning in chinese culture — someone that understands you deeply. right in front of lqr & lxc’s salads
wwx says 独孤求败. my fave xianxia/wuxia trope. it means wwx‘s so skilled, wins so much that he’s bored & looking for an opponent to lose to. in chinese literature, this person often becomes their one & only. here wwx says he admires lwj bc he is the one that can match up to him.
as if his deep admiration for lwj weren’t obvious enough in words, jc’s reaction seals the deal. jc basically calls wwx 不要脸 which is literally ‘not caring about face,’ meaning shameless. this phrase 不要脸 is often used when someone is shamelessly overly flirting/romantic
