#and sqq’s thoughts are all complaining about the contrivance

[phoenixkaptain]

Just had the monumental realization that the biggest difference between Shen Jiu’s Shen Qingqiu and Shen Yuan’s Shen Qingqiu is that Shen Jiu is focused on his own image of himself while Shen Yuan is focused on everyone else’s image of himself.

Shen Jiu gets powerful because he’s tired of feeling powerless. Shen Yuan gets powerful because he wants to impress the disciples. Shen Jiu can’t have Luo Binghe upstage him because it makes him feel weak. Shen Yuan almost wants Luo Binghe to upstage him because he’s in love with Binghe he knows a good disciple will make him look good. Shen Jiu can’t forgive Yue Qingyuan for the ways he feels he’s wronged him and so treats him coldly. Shen Yuan treats him well because he doesn’t want to lose Yue Qingyuan’s favour and also doesn’t want to feel like he doesn’t deserve that favour.

Shen Jiu did a lot of things out of concern for his own pride, including sending Luo Binghe out to fight when he knows Binghe will probably lose.

Shen Yuan does a lot of things out of concern for the sect’s pride and his own image, including sending Binghe out to fight when he knows Binghe will win (and also he didn’t really have a choice, but still)

Shen Qingqiu went from caring about his self-image out of pride to caring about his self-image out of fear of embarrassment.

No wonder nobody believes that Shen Yuan is the same as Shen Jiu. No wonder they all think he must’ve lost his mind alongside his memories. Honestly, if someone I knew went through this dramatic character shift, I’d think he was possessed too.