so this entire chapter is basically xin being on the verge of a mental breakdown. continuing on in the flashbacks from 2 years ago, we see xin playing games by himself in the dark. he keeps getting a game over. he confesses that, although in the last chapter he told lian that he spends all of his time reading books, that is a lie, which he told because saying he plays games in a room by himself sounds creepy lmao.
important note, the avatar in the game hes playing is a wolf... and we all know who thats a metahpor for. despite the game over, he loads up the game again, and chooses the same path he failed last time and he says he thinks hes kind of weird for wantin to see the dog fall in the water again. the korean commenters had some nice interpretations of this, like it showing that 1) xins a freak lmao, but ALSO 2) they believe that it shows that even if lau knows hes in danger he will dive in, and if he fails he will try again. and also, another deeper meaning, no matter how much lau leaves xin, lau will come back someday.
he hears that same thudding sound from last chapter, and he says he can hear someone running around in the annex almost every day now, sometimes theyre in the study and other times in a completely different room. he tries to get himself to stop worrying, saying again that the head family has a lot of security, but he then thinks that if there was someone who was within the head family they could do whatever they want in the annex. cue to a frame of lian. i find this very interesting because this is kind of the first time we actually see what xin thinks about lian, that being, on some level he doesnt trust her because she is with the head family.
he hears more thudding and says hes just worrying too much and that its probably just some head family servant. he gets up and goes out of the room. he heads down the hallway where the noise is coming from and he calls out asking if any servants from the head family are there. he calls out again, saying if not- then lian? and then we get this freaky ass panel that actually jumpscared me: https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802508/
so now xin is sitting with lian in a different room. since xin seems out of it lian is super worried and nags him a little bit, saying what if he has tinnitus or smth. lian says they might need to call a dr. she asks him if its rly fine that hes living this way, and then she touches his hair and says even your hair- the appearance from before you went into the annex are nowhere to be found. xin straight up slaps her hand away?? (i was honestly rly surprised by this cuz before this ch i genuinely thought xin was mostly chill w her, but maybe its just a personal space thing cuz we all know that xin is fine w a certain someone touching his hair). lian is also kinda shocked lwk? but she gets over it pretty quickly. after this the atmosphere changes and theres shadows over xin's face. she reiterates that the ming familys existence is to serve the head family. and she says again, your happiness is my happiness. she says, if it is xin's choice to spend the rest of his life in the annex, then he should do that. if there are any inconveniences in his daily life she asks him to let her know anytime. and she says lastly "i will always be behind you". and yes her face is creepy the entire time shes saying this.
xin is confused/shocked by this, and i think he wonders if thats even possible. im bringing this up to say that, i think lian isnt actually evil. i sound delusional atp, but again her loyalty is behind XIN. not the head family, XIN. and i think this is the first time that xin is beginning to realize that.
all of the sudden he hears someone running in the annex again, he turns around abruptly, but all of the sudden hes back in the dark room gaming, having never left in the first place. maybe important detail? his game avatar shows the wolf fully dry, meaning he is back at the start. just like how, xin is back at the start of this weird loop his consciousness is having. the camera zooms out from xin, and i think this is the point where xin starts to realize smth is rly wrong, cuz the next scene is xin calling the head family servants presumably, asking them "are you sure you checked it properly, so you're saying there was really no one but me back then?"
PLOT TWIST XINS GOING CRAZY DUN DUN DUNNNNNN. (for the record i want to believe there is actually some wacko running around the annex cuz lets bffr the head family WOULD do ts and then lie abt it) (but also xin is cray cray from the isolation atp).
CHAPTER 79 RAWS SUMMARY/SPOILERS
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so this entire chapter is basically xin being on the verge of a mental breakdown. continuing on in the flashbacks from 2 years ago, we see xin playing games by himself in the dark. he keeps getting a game over. he confesses that, although in the last chapter he told lian that he spends all of his time reading books, that is a lie, which he told because saying he plays games in a room by himself sounds creepy lmao.
important note, the avatar in the game hes playing is a wolf... and we all know who thats a metahpor for. despite the game over, he loads up the game again, and chooses the same path he failed last time and he says he thinks hes kind of weird for wantin to see the dog fall in the water again. the korean commenters had some nice interpretations of this, like it showing that 1) xins a freak lmao, but ALSO 2) they believe that it shows that even if lau knows hes in danger he will dive in, and if he fails he will try again. and also, another deeper meaning, no matter how much lau leaves xin, lau will come back someday.
he hears that same thudding sound from last chapter, and he says he can hear someone running around in the annex almost every day now, sometimes theyre in the study and other times in a completely different room. he tries to get himself to stop worrying, saying again that the head family has a lot of security, but he then thinks that if there was someone who was within the head family they could do whatever they want in the annex. cue to a frame of lian. i find this very interesting because this is kind of the first time we actually see what xin thinks about lian, that being, on some level he doesnt trust her because she is with the head family.
he hears more thudding and says hes just worrying too much and that its probably just some head family servant. he gets up and goes out of the room. he heads down the hallway where the noise is coming from and he calls out asking if any servants from the head family are there. he calls out again, saying if not- then lian? and then we get this freaky ass panel that actually jumpscared me: https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802508/
so now xin is sitting with lian in a different room. since xin seems out of it lian is super worried and nags him a little bit, saying what if he has tinnitus or smth. lian says they might need to call a dr. she asks him if its rly fine that hes living this way, and then she touches his hair and says even your hair- the appearance from before you went into the annex are nowhere to be found. xin straight up slaps her hand away?? (i was honestly rly surprised by this cuz before this ch i genuinely thought xin was mostly chill w her, but maybe its just a personal space thing cuz we all know that xin is fine w a certain someone touching his hair). lian is also kinda shocked lwk? but she gets over it pretty quickly. after this the atmosphere changes and theres shadows over xin's face. she reiterates that the ming familys existence is to serve the head family. and she says again, your happiness is my happiness. she says, if it is xin's choice to spend the rest of his life in the annex, then he should do that. if there are any inconveniences in his daily life she asks him to let her know anytime. and she says lastly "i will always be behind you". and yes her face is creepy the entire time shes saying this.
xin is confused/shocked by this, and i think he wonders if thats even possible. im bringing this up to say that, i think lian isnt actually evil. i sound delusional atp, but again her loyalty is behind XIN. not the head family, XIN. and i think this is the first time that xin is beginning to realize that.
all of the sudden he hears someone running in the annex again, he turns around abruptly, but all of the sudden hes back in the dark room gaming, having never left in the first place. maybe important detail? his game avatar shows the wolf fully dry, meaning he is back at the start. just like how, xin is back at the start of this weird loop his consciousness is having. the camera zooms out from xin, and i think this is the point where xin starts to realize smth is rly wrong, cuz the next scene is xin calling the head family servants presumably, asking them "are you sure you checked it properly, so you're saying there was really no one but me back then?"
PLOT TWIST XINS GOING CRAZY DUN DUN DUNNNNNN. (for the record i want to believe there is actually some wacko running around the annex cuz lets bffr the head family WOULD do ts and then lie abt it) (but also xin is cray cray from the isolation atp).
some of my fav panels from this ch:
lian being creepy asf:
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802510/
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802506/
xin's bob being cunt:
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802509/
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802504/#image
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802500/#image
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802511/
the wolf/lau in game:
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802497/
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802499/
also i love the tension btwn lian and xin this chapter its so good:
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802503/
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802507/#image
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802502/#image
https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802501/#image
this is absolutely my fav panel tho i physically jumped when i saw it: https://www.mangago.me/home/photo/58802508/