2014 ⌨️ Reading Notes - Scum Villain Self-Saving System (Official English)

Sanitzed version of personal notes on the blockbuster chinese BL series by MXTX.

Reader Beware!

• Heavy spoilers, mild swearing, and suggestive content.
• Tropes: Age-gap, Student-Teacher Relationship.
• Content Warnings (on-going): Abuse, Internalized misogyny and homophobia, Abandonment issues, Betrayal, Major character death, Self-harm, Racism.

Character shorthand names (by order of appearance):

• Shen Qing Qiu (SQQ)
• Luo Binghe (LBH)
• Liu Qing Ge (LQG)
• Shan Qing Hua (SQH)
• Gongyi Xiao (GYX)

KEY:
| #SVSSS/LBHFacts | #SVSSS/SQQFacts |
| #SVSSS/SQQIntHomophobia | #SVSSS/SQQMisogyny |
| #SVSSS/LBHMUnder | #SVSSS/SQQMunder |
| #SVSSS/OGBinghe | #SVSSS/OGTimeline | #SVSSS/OGSQQ |
| #SVSSS/LBHBackstory |
| #SVSSS/BingMeiCharaDev | #SVSSS/SQQKind |
| #SVSSS/Worldbuilding | #SVSSS/NewTimeline| #SVSSS/Quote
| #SVSSS/IntergenTrauma | #SVSS/XinMo

Volume 1

Chapter 5: Bai Lu

Post-Binghe Banishment (pg.290)

As Shen Qing Qiu and Shang Qing Hua sought the Sun Dew mushroom, SQH inquired about Cucumber's thoughts on Luo Binghe because he had heard of SQQ being "inconsolably heartbroken" and witnessed it with his own two eyes. SQH mentions that while Cucumber-bro roasted many of characters, LBH was spared. SQQ interpreted the inquiry as girls talk and avoided the question, hoho. Putting myself in SQQ's shoes, I wouldn't have said anything either. That seemly judgmental tone of SQH describing SQQ's actions like "Time after time, you call Luo Binghe's name, and you stand in front of that sword mound and sigh in sorrow. Cucumber-bro, I really never thought you were this sort of person." SO embarrassing. WHO WOULD HAVE ADDMITED IT?!

Volume 2

Chapter 6: Jin Lan

On Luo Binghe's Return (pg. 40)

Volume 2 starts with a three year timeskip. We learn that Luo Binghe has returned two years early from the Endless Abyss from the proposed five years in the original novel. Plus, in the past year, he took Gongyi Xiao's place as head disciple. So, in fact, it took two years for Binghe to leave the abyss, 2/5 from the original or reduced his time by 60%. DAMN. I don't know if it was through the power of love or angst.

Scared but Horny (pg. 50)

I think it's fucking hilarious that SQQ got thrown against the wall, felt pain, and thought Binghe looked "peerlessly beautiful" under the moonlight. BRUH! That was such a scared but horny scene. "He pressed very close, and he spoke with slow deliberation." Binghe's yandere phase is truly one of a kind.

LBH Is Angry (pg. 54-55)

Man, these two pages are so heartbreaking. LBH believes his Shizun hates him because he's part demon (which is a MASSIVE misunderstanding) and is accusing him of every terrible thing that has happened in the city (ie. the plague). In other words, Binghe believes that SQQ is like everyone else in the mortal realm with a bias against the demon race, or, a racist. Kind of interesting such a topic being touched in a story like this. Back to the pain though, SQQ in fact DOESN'T have any bias against demons. His bias stems from PIDW's Bing-ge (OG LBH) and there's no way SQQ is confessing THAT whole thing. Nevertheless, LBH's misunderstand causes him more confusion of SQQ's past actions because he strictly said that Binghe shouldn't "put too much weight on race" and that "no one is intolerable to the heaves." And he's SO SO mad to SQQ because he seems like a hypocrite and it breaks my heart! I just can't stand someone displaying anger when there's so much pain underneath.

Shen Jiu (pg. 77, 79)

We get some backstory from Qiu Haitang about #SVSSS/OGSQQ that her family bought him from a child trafficker and took him in when he was twelve. She says her parents took care of him and that Shen Jiu was close with her brother. When her parents died, Shen Jiu was fifteen. Her brother became the head of the house and severed Shen Jiu's slave contract and became his foster brother. Shen Jiu also became betrothed to Qiu Haitang. When her brother was nineteen, Shen Jiu wanted to leave the family to become a cultivator. The brother was against it. That same night, there was a massacre in the house and Shen Jiu disappeared. Qiu Haitang was the only survivor. She was unable to support her family's estate and lost everything. She traveled around seeking Shen Jiu and learned that the cultivator that took Shen Jiu had been killed some time ago and accused him of that murder as well her her brother's and her servants. She also found out that the cultivator was also a murderer, Wu Yanzi.

That last piece of info is quite interesting in retrospective. If SQQ had as a master someone as vile as Wu Yanzi, he passed that hatred and violence onto OGBinghe who massacred millions in both the Human and Demon Realm. There's a strong theme of intergenerational trauma in this story which I'll keep an eye out. #SVSSS/IntergenTrauma

Chapter 7: Water Prison

LBH Wants Answers (pg.97-106)

This part is so wonderful. I need to type the dialogue word for word. They are talking in the Water Prison while SQQ awaits for a trial that may or may not ruin his reputation in the whole cultivation world. #SVSSS/Quote

Luo Binghe's expression was sullen; he paced a few circles back and forth, his hands behind his back, then sharply turned around and said in a bitter tone, "I dare ask Shizun, are you going to blame every single last one of the demon race's sins, their murdering and marauding, their crimes and evil deeds, on me?"

SQQ's lack of answer made Luo Binghe lazily clench his fist. "Once, you clearly trusted me so much, but now you suspect me of harboring ulterior motives at every turn. Is the difference between realm and race so profound that it could so wholly change your attitude toward someone?"

SQQ answered a question with a question. The damn fool. He asks why LBH became part of Huan Hua palace and turned them to his side. If LBH had no ulterior motive to make them part of his force for mass destruction, then why is he with them?

LBH's answer is so sad.

"Shizun doesn't trust me either way. Whether I answer or not, what's the difference?"

And then. Oh my god, LBH does want at lease one answer. He asks SQQ if he regrets kicking him to the Endless Abyss. Answer is, he does regret it. He regretted it so much and he was so torn when the system forced him to do it. The system gives him choices. 1) Be honest about your feelings. 2) Be completely dishonest about his feelings which sounded very much like the scummy villain that inhabited his body. 3) Silence. SQQ chose the third... And Binghe is so sad and angry and the lack of answer just reinforces his misunderstanding AHHHHHH!!!!

Then Luo Binghe acts like a dick and activated the blood parasites to mess with SQQ. SQQ is silent through the whole thing (in LBH's eyes) so LBH says,

"You don't want to look at me, you don't want to talk to me. Do you think I'm filthy?"

Then LBH accidentally tears SQQ's clothes and is super embarrassed and awkward because he's looking at the man he loves half naked but SQQ interprets that as disgust which like wtf? LBH tosses his outer robe and SQQ doesn't accept on instinct because it reminds him of a trope where he would be the female #SVSSS/SQQMisogyny . But of course LBH interprets it as #SVSSS/Quote

"I almost forgot. Shizun dislikes anything the demon race has touched,"

Xin Mo "Heart Demon" (pg.186)

A little #SVSSS/Worldbuilding note about LBH's new OP sword, Xin Mo. This is bites back and is super dangerous. Kinda like a beast that needs to be tamed to be used. I wonder what does it represent~? Joking, this thing is super important. DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT. I think it needs it's own super spoiler tag. Smth like LBH'sTrauma or NarrativeDevice. I need to find out the word for some object in a story being the manifestation of an internal state. I forgot the word(s)! Edit: It's a metaphor!!!!! I'll just tag it #SVSS/XinMo and go from there.

Those Wholesome Times (pg.129)

A little note about a past event. LBH was messing around during a private lesson with SQQ and fell into his arms. He got embarrassed when he was scolded and began taking the lesson for seriously. So cute!

Whoops, I actually hadn't put a sticky note in this part but I think it's such a cute scene to show how baby Binghe had a crush on SQQ and tried to be sneaky and get any physical contact he with his Shizun he could. What a little schemer!

RIP Gongyi Xiao's Robe (pg. 130)

LBH is jelly his Shizun is wearing a robe from Huan Hua palace. SQQ chides him to not take it out on the robe even if LBH hates him which makes LBH sad. #SVSSS/Quote "Shizun's the one who truly hates me. You're unwilling to associate with even a scrap of my clothing." Yeahhhh, he didn't see SQQ wear his robe before GYX gave him his before escaping the Water Prison.

Talking about GYX, in the #SVSSS/OGTimeline he poor guy got banished from Huan Hua Palace but apparently in the #SVSSS/NewTimeline something happened to him?! Which sadly will be explained a little later.

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