In “The Code of God,” the author describes Shu Sheng and Su Ying as a perfect couple. Initially, there’s nothing unusual about this; handsome men and beautiful women are characters everyone loves to write about. However, in “The Shapeshifter,” Shu Sheng transforms based on the character Nado, implying that the author believes Nado, who shares some resemblance with Shu Sheng, is quite handsome. This detail is also explicitly shown in “The Immortal Dead,” where Fan Zhe’s exceptional handsomeness is mentioned more than once, and his profile bears a striking resemblance to Nado’s. Thus, one might infer that Nado is also a handsome guy. From this perspective, it seems the author indeed has a slight narcissistic tendency! So, when we talk about handsome men, don’t just think of “Cold Face” Liang Yingwu; there’s also the very curious young Nado. The core theme of the story is love. The love here differs from that in the “Zodiac Series,” where the stories are told from an observer’s perspective with a light touch, inadvertently touching the readers’ hearts. It’s also different from “The Immortal Dead,” where the love is Nado’s own experience, giving a sense of heat and heartbeat. The love in “The Shapeshifter” is unique; it’s an affection never seen in memoirs, an alien love that could not possibly exist in the Zodiac Series. It’s a story that turns the impossible into the possible. Love makes people strong and persistent; Shu Sheng endures immense pain, even risking his life, to keep the promises he made; Su Ying, despite being labeled as mentally ill and isolated, firmly believes in the existence of the Merfolk. One can’t help but marvel at the greatness of love. In today’s fast-paced life, everything seems to have become very practical. What was once the purest and most noble love has now been tainted with worldly concerns, becoming utilitarian – houses, money, cars… in modern people’s hearts, many things can rank above love. The true love that breaks through all barriers in “The Shapeshifter,” does it still exist in real life? The saying “envy the mandarin ducks, not the immortals,” perhaps captures the essence of love.
News: Major Breakthrough in Shanghai’s Archaeological History – The Zhidan Yuan Site Ends the Legend of a Fishing Village
