This card was such a wonderful balance of comedy, intimacy, and lore! The spice was really just the cherry on top. It almost feels like a continuation of Master of Fate and a side quest to the main story, especially with Zayne straight up appearing in his Master of Fate outfit.
Shubai is such a cheeky little thing, too, realizing that he can sway MC to his side. The scene where MC admits she slipped into Zayne's room to seduce him, only for Shubai to walk away muttering something like, "I'm just hearing disembodied voices again," sent me. 😭 The card was surprisingly humorous.
Something that gets missed in the EN localization is the way kids address Zayne. They often call him gēgē (older brother), much like how MC calls Caleb gēgē. But a couple of them call him shūshu (uncle), the way Shubai does, which is basically an unintentional roast. Zayne has been offended by the "Unc" label before and has corrected kids to call him gēgē instead. 😂 It’s a bit like being called ahjussi (a middle-aged man) in K-dramas. The kid at the umbrella shop called him gēgē, so as MC said, he really was a little salesman with that flattery work.
Shubai and Shiqi would honestly make great additions to the roster of Zayne's lunar cards. Their interactions with Zayne and MC are charming, and there's something funny about Zayne being surrounded by three adorable troublemakers all weaponizing sajiao against him, considering how obviously weak he is to that kind of behavior.
I am curious, though, how players unfamiliar with Chinese media and cultural context will receive this card. I remember some people feeling confused by Master of Fate, even though that myth seems much more beloved in the CN fandom. Since this card seems to build on similar sensibilities, I can imagine reception varying depending on your frame of reference.
Also, a small note: when Zayne refers to the "doggies," he is basically just listing numbers: 21, 22, 23, and so on. Shiqi himself is 17. I always assumed there was only one Bai Ze, so this has me wondering what exactly they are and what role they serve within the LADSverse.
And as always, Zayne's VA work was chef's kiss! His breathing, groaning, and kisses have always been pleasant on the ears. 😩 Both the EN and CN performances were excellent.