yeaaaa its pretty confusing at the beginning but a lot of those questions you have get answered (pretty entertainingly too) so just hang in there (੭˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)੭
Okay to answer a few of your questions at the end (no spoilers just pure theory) (also these are really really really long explanations):
1. Why did Lian do this?
I'm pretty sure she did it not because she wanted to for her own needs, but because the Zhou family ordered her to. In one scene in Chapter 20 something, where Lian is explaining the collateral line dynamics to Lau, she mentions that since she is the head of 1st collateral line, she must obey them no matter what. The duty of the 1st collateral line heir is to act out Zhou family orders onto the rest of the collateral lines pretty much, which is why I think the Zhou family is planning this not just her.
2. What is the tattoo for?
I'm pretty sure its meant to serve as part of the yearly head family ritual. The traditional head family ritual involves carving a turtle shell with an emblem of the head family and all of the collateral lines. The tattoo on Xin is also similar to that description. I'm assuming Xin is meant to be the sacrificial turtle shell this time around. For what reason? idk that hasn't been answered in the raws yet.
3. Why not just hire mercenaries to clean up the main branch?
The head family is EXTREMELY powerful. I'm pretty sure its mentioned they're one of the richest families in the country. They have an endless amount of money to throw at whatever they want basically, which also includes their own servants and fighters. Remember the Zhou family is also the ones who go out of their way to stage deaths of the other collateral lines as accidents. The Zhou family has cameras throughout the annex just to monitor the heir and make sure they aren't up to anything. Basically, they're way too powerful and have the money to do whatever bs they want. Even if someone did hire mercenaries, they would probably be killed before they can even step foot into the Zhou family tower. You'll see more of what they can do in the next few chapters but no spoilers.
Also, the collateral lines are not nearly as powerful as the main family. The 5th collateral line (yajin and mali) basically only had a house and even that got burned down. Suna and Fu Rin are mostly using their connections for their idol careers and like you said to "just survive". Chen's family company was failing until Lian came along and now she has him by the balls. Lian is really the only one with a lot of money and power in the collateral lines. But like I mentioned earlier, she's been raised to be the head family's lapdog, so why would she try to stop them?
4. Why force Xin to let Lau go like this?
This one I don't entirely know the answer to. Based off of the storybook chapter, we know that Xin likes the idea of sacrificing himself for someone he loves, even if it means the one he loves is alone forever. With that in mind, I can only assume that Xin thinks by ditching Lau, Lau can be safe from whatever ritual the head family is planning. I don't get what part Lian and Wei play in all of this though. Why would they give Lau so many hints and basically help him? Idk
5. Am I stupid for not understanding what the title means???
Nah I don't get it either LMAO So if you're stupid so am I at the very least. No direct Korean translation so who knows to be honest. On the official raws site I remember some Korean readers mentioning the title being similar to loneliness or refusing to do things to each other. Its really hard to tell what they meant though.
6. How many years will we have to wait to finish it?
The end of season 2 is Chapter 77 if I remember correctly. Season 3 is coming out in Korea on August 13 this year. Who knows how long the author will take from there. I think season 3 will be the last season though and tie everything together.
7. Small detail, I don't understand how Guardian 5 manages to get in ? It's repeated several times that Lau and Xin were playing in the area when they were children but they met him later?
By guardian 5 you mean Mali? He doesn't go into the annex at all unless I'm misremembering. The only ones who have gone into the annex are Xin (obviously), Lau, Wei, and Lian. Also Fu Rin when they were kids. But other than that no other current heirs/guardians have gone into the annex. I also don't think Xin's ever met Mali so I don't really know what you're talking about. Sorry for misunderstanding if you meant something else (I can be slow sometimes)
Some of your other questions will be answered within the next few chapters. The other ones though idk we'll have to wait and see until season 3. Anyways sorry for yapping (Dear lord this is long) but I hope this at least cleared up some of your questions xoxo
No, not at all! I like to write my feelings when a story is worth it si of course it makes me happy that someone is interested in it ^^
1/ You have a much better opinion of her than me haha
What you say is coherent and probably true, but she is still deliberately making certain comments and god they were absolutely not necessary
2/ Hell it hadn't crossed my mind. For me they considered themselves too "sacred" to do that. But once again, between the disappearance of the brother and the fact that the doors of the house are wide open, it makes sense...
3/ My fault, I rushed the story too much and understood the OPPOSITE : that they are powerful yes but in decline. I must have paid too much attention to the explanations about the family legend and overinterpreted.
6/ ╥﹏╥
7/ That was a theory that turned out to be wrong. I figured there's only one tattoo artist here so he's the one cutting through the forest to do the tattoo. But that was stupid because Yajin would have immediately known. And if it was at the initiative of the main branch they would never have used Mali, and if it was at the initiative of the others branches then the main family would have ended him the second he set foot in the house.
I misjudged some characters but I was especially wrong about the role of the main branch. The poor guys are in more shit than I thought :c
1) Nah I also still think she’s absolutely evil. It’s just that there’s probably an explanation (not justification) for the specific act of tattooing (and basically slowly killing Xin). Yeah her comments definitely make her seem like an ass. I think she’s like 75% of the reason Lau has insecurities about Xin and their relationship. Also imo it feels like she’s treating this whole tattoo thing like a game? Which is really fucked up because like I said earlier she’s basically killing her bestie. I still like her character though because she reminds me of classic evil Disney villains a bit. Season 3 will probably go into her backstory too so who knows how much our opinions will change then.
2) The head family has a stupid definition of what’s sacred. It’s basically whatever is best for them to get more powerful at the moment. Again you’ll see more of what I mean by that in the next few chapters. It’s basically just then sucking their own cocks though.
3) Okay so you’re actually kind of right about them being in decline. Like I mentioned earlier the head family loves sucking themselves off, but they’re also afraid of themselves becoming less prosperous. I don’t think they’re in a drastic decline, they’re just slightly less prosperous than before. And because they’re afraid of losing power they’re trying to kill off the other collateral lines because that has worked in the past to usher the Zhou family into a golden age (remember the 2nd collateral line). They still have a boatload of money to do whatever they want with though, they’re just afraid of losing that money and their status as “sacred”. The head family’s terrifying, I’m glad they aren’t real (though there probably are some families like them irl).
Yeah I really have no idea how Lau and Xin are gonna have their happy ending. The Zhou family just seems too powerful. I’m glad you enjoy the story so far and I hoped I helped you understand how screwed Lau and Xin are. Anyways that’s the end of yet another yapping session (〜￣△￣)〜
Start reading on 01/15:
- 1/8 : I'm confused. I thought he could literally turn into a wolf, I feel betrayed. I don't understand the story at all, not that it's complicated but I don't understand what is going on. Why the branches have such lousy people, why the heir is alone instead of being trained to his work, I don't understand anything, they are rich, poor, powerful, random, some are crazy? I hope neither of them are affected. Hell I feel like I'm stupid. In any case, Lau is my baby.
8/28 : Almost everyone's background has been explained well. I admit I don't really understand the relationship between Lau and Xin, I'm as stupid as him lol. It's pretty clear that either part of the main branch or one of the branches wants to take the power, and it can only be Lian, since others do not have enough power and just want to "survive". And god she's scary without her little stars. I hope not, otherwise she's leading poor Lau on. I don't think anyone's crazy, but I'm afraid something bad happened to one of the guards because he never appears.
29/30 : The heiress of the first branch is definitely bad. She is presented as extremely talented, what she says to Lau is intentional. I don't like her, and I can't appreciated Xin either. Okay he is not in his normal state but hell there is something wrong with him.
31/36 : Main branch wants to eliminate the others, but I don't understand if Xin has anything to do with it. I still hate branch 1 for what that bitch put in Lau's head, the main one for wanting to eliminate the others, and possibly Xin if he's the reason why Guardian 3 isn't there. I think I only like Lau and Fu Rin, maybe Suna (if she finally wants to be interested in Rin! Like bruh you have an angel next to you open your eyes damn it), perhaps the guy from branch 3. Oh and let's be honest, house 3/4/5 are in cahoots (or just guardian 5?), maybe 2 too but her case is special, she can go fuck herself.
And my baby Lau is not doing well at all
37/47 : It's quite sad to see that they are deliberately ruining children, all the people in this story need to be psychoanalyzed... 3/4/5 work together, still don't know about Lian. And rip Alex. Still, I still don't understand the principle of slowly poisoning and tattoo Xin. Like duh, if you want to destabilize the main branch just kill him. Small detail, I don't understand how Guardian 5 manages to get in ? It's repeated several times that Lau and Xin were playing in the area when they were children but they met him later? And it's long damn it's looooong, I like the story but damn a little fanservice at the end of a chapter would be appreciated
48/51 : Mali you moron, stronger than you it's not Alex but Wei. Heir 5 is as lost as Lau it's cute. Lian is scheming everything, no regrets about the memories together huh bitch? I would like to know why Xin made Alex disappear? It doesn't make sense. And why is he alone is the house, and seems to not give a damn about the situation? He must not be stupid, and he must have understood that it was Lian from the beginning, it would be bad writing to say that he is part of a plan against the leaders so... The guy is just fed up and is happy with the situation if it means seeing Lau again? This brings us to the question of when the two separated. And seeing how they like each other I doubt it's because of one of them but rather Lau who collapsed after the death of his sister. I don't understand why he is mad at him though, hell it would be a bit annoying for their relationship if Xin also killed her.
52/58 : Good Lord, I'm going to start getting seriously worried about Xin's criminal tendencies if my predictions continue to be this accurate. More seriously, Alex and Chen are absolutely adorable, they need their happy ending. I haven't read the story tags, but it seems too heavy if he doesn't survive. It would be too unfair, too much for this type of story. Like it would leave a so bitter taste that would prevail over the rest.
On the other hand, am I stupid for not yet having understood the meaning of the name of the story?
59/61: ... FUCK TALK YOU IMBECILES. No seriously wtf. Between the "modeled" children and the link between them the more I read the more it bothers me.
Imagining seeing someone who is more than your soulmate inert until his death
To be completely devoted, beyond reason, to someone who enjoys seeing you suffer and being completely dependent on him
And be destroyed when separated
Forget tragedy, it's psychological that should have been added
Seeing Lau in this state is hard, it's like the little girl and her stoat
62/69 : 19/01, I finished what there was to read. I feel a bit stupid, 70 chapters and the story is no further ahead than what I predicted, hell how many years will we have to wait to finish the story now...?
Why is he alone in the annex? Why did Lian do this? Why force Xin to let Lau go like this? What do the parents do? Why did the sister and the brother die? And what was the tattoo for? To be a symbol of family unity? Like duh that's the most ironic image possible. And Lau in all this?! And Alex?! I don't see what else can happen. They kidnapped Xin? Negotiations? Why not just hire mercenaries to clean up the main branch? And I still don't understand the title (╯°Д °)╯╧╧