Qing Xia - Blog Posts

The Straight-Gay Misdirections in TBHX Episode 6

I finally watched ep6, and I was so right about Shang Chao. He really is just gay for Yang Cheng. Yang Cheng may have had a little crush on Xia Qing, but it was Shang Chao, who has been enthusiastically supporting him, whom he actually fell for...

But since this is a Chinese show, they can’t outright say he’s in love with a man. They can only subtly hint at it.

At this moment, I thought we were gonna have a straight date scene between Yang Cheng and Xia Qing, but then the show cut that off and instead showed us something more intimate between Shang Chao and Yang Cheng:

This scene looks like the boss is trying to match Yang Chao and Shang Cheng together, so his interruption in the earlier “date” with Xia Qing now seems deliberate.

Yang Cheng here looks like a guy feeling nervous on his first date 😂

The scene being set at night and with only the two of them around also makes it more romantic compared to the morning “date” that was interrupted by so many kids flocking the store

Another misdirection was this scene:

Oh no, the “love rival” has a surprise for the “love interest”! What will our Yang Cheng do?

Oops, false alarm! The surprise is actually for Yang Cheng.

All this time, it was always just Yang Cheng for Shang Chao.

And now this is what Shang Chao looks like in Yang Cheng’s eyes:

He looks so warm and bright and loved.

Yang Cheng’s earlier discomfort when Xia Qing mentioned that “Shang Chao asked her out” can now be interpreted as Yang Cheng actually being jealous of Xia Qing. He was uncomfortable because the man he loved had asked a girl out, but then felt relieved when it turned out to be just a misunderstanding.

More proof that Yang Cheng has fallen in love with Shang Chao...

When he saw only Xia Qing in the room, his reaction was just of normal surprise

He then asked where Shang Chao is… which is still normal. After all, they’re friends now.

But then Shang Chao finally arrived...

and Yang Cheng looks so so happy.

With Xia Qing, he was only surprised. But with Shang Chao, he was elated.

But the most convincing evidence of all was Yang Cheng and Xia Qing’s conversation at the end:

Things have been going well between the two of them, so why so serious?

Because Xia Qing has caught on to Yang Cheng’s feelings for Shang Chao. She sees him slowly falling in love with Shang Chao, while Yang Cheng still doesn’t know how to face it.

It’s true that Yang Cheng had feelings for Xia Qing before, and it’s also true that he still cares for her now. He can also see how much Xia Qing cares for him.

But these just make it all the more difficult for Yang Cheng to face his true feelings.

He feels guilty for Xia Qing

yet at the same, he can’t take his eyes off Shang Chao

And that’s why Shang Chao had to die. Because every hero love interest in this show has be to killed off by the narrative—gunshots