🌺 kuku! 🌺 在吃亏 | casually sufferingさんのイラストまとめ

Also ahhhhh with the release of vol 4, I need to draw some more English #svsss fan art, don’t I? 👀💕

And with that, I want to finish off by mentioning one final vol 4 and vol 2 contrast:

I discussed in my old vol 2 thread how SQQ seems dream-like/ghostly, calling to mind this is LBH’s subjective POV of his Shizun’s disdain, along with calling to mind SQQ’s death.

Oh, and of course, this is intriguing as well!

You get three touches of intimacy, but with Bingjiu, Bing-ge is the one initiating while Shen Jiu looks away.

Obviously that suggests far less tenderness and far more of Bing-ge’s effect on SQQ (rather than SQQ affecting Bing-Mei).

So in vol 2, as beautiful as the colours are (I *love* that blue/purple/pink combo!!), it can evoke danger and uncertainty—

Especially with the purple gradient to red at the bottom, calling to mind fire and thus peril.

Plus Xin Mo’s energy is also depicted as purple/black/red.

And another detail of intimacy (vol 4) vs conflict (vol 2) you can pick up on is that both seemingly depict sunset/evening colours, just in a different way.

Vol 4’s sunset shades are one of safety and warmth, while vol 2’s are colder in colour.

Vol 4 even differs from vol 3 in revealing Bingqiu’s affection/mutual understanding—

In vol 3, LBH’s surprised by SQQ taking his hand to stand with him against the cultivation world…

Whereas in vol 4, his shizun expressing love (the stroking of his hair) is no longer a shock.

His hand remains super close to LBH’s throat, but it’s more reminiscent of Bingqiu back when LBH had a crush on SQQ and SQQ himself was affectionate.

It’s sweet; you can see they’re back on that level of understanding—as symbolized by both covers featuring bamboo. 🥺

Additionally, another detail that struck me as similar yet dissimilar is how in both, LBH is vulnerable to SQQ’s touch—

But vol 2 depicts SQQ’s touch as almost dangerous, emphasizing the effect he has on LBH without even realizing.

Vol 4 depicts SQQ’s touch as gentle—

So you can also see that while both covers depict physical intimacy (in both, Bingqiu’s close to one another), vol 2 obviously shows a battle.

Vol 4 instead shows they can now be one entity—they are truly together—a detail that began in vol 3 when SQQ took LBH’s hand.

That’s something else about vol 4 that differs from vol 2:

Rather than be an aggressor, here LBH willingly—and happily—submits to SQQ (he is lower, head in SQQ’s lap, kneeling…).

Whereas in vol 2, him being lower than SQQ suggests frustration, hence his claws near SQQ’s neck.