I need to talk about Lu Jinghan because this man is a whole mood and I am here for it.
The scene where he confiscates Lin Yi's wrist terminal is genuinely one of the funniest and most revealing character moments in this entire section. He says it with such absolute seriousness — "Confiscated." — and Lin Yi is just standing there like "is this a joke?" while Lu Jinghan remains completely deadpan. But then the narration drops this tiny detail: "He thought he heard the man chuckle softly, right? Surely he did?" NO. Lu Jinghan is a stone wall. But the fact that the author includes that moment of uncertainty tells me everything I need to know — there's something human underneath all that icy composure.
And then the guilt flicker! Lu Jinghan says something harsh to Lin Yi, watches him look down, and immediately thinks "had I been too harsh?" This man has subordinates who complain that his sternness left "deep psychological scars on countless people" — and yet here he is, second-guessing himself over a kid who didn't even hear what he said. The comedy is perfect, but so is the pathos. Lu Jinghan carries these heavy memories — his adjutant, people who lost themselves to fame on the capital planet — and he's projecting all of that onto Lin Yi. He's trying to protect him, but he doesn't know how to do it without being cold about it.
The photo moment is where it all comes together for me. Lu Jinghan sees that viral image of Lin Yi — "wild, murderous intent," blood on his body, twisted plants around him — and it strikes him as "very striking." This is a man who has seen too much, who deals with political storms daily, and yet this one image of a young man with "youthful, unrestrained vitality" makes him pause. The comments below stir something he "couldn't quite name." I'm not saying it's romantic tension (yet), but it's definitely something. The contrast between the gentle young man he's come to know and this feral creature in the photo — that duality is what fascinates him.
Their dynamic is everything. Lu Jinghan is the mentor figure who keeps trying to be tough love but keeps softening, and Lin Yi is the oblivious kid who just wants to farm and cook and not think about fame. It's wholesome and funny and I'm obsessed.