#bingge to bingmei pipeline

[allpiesforourown]

one of my fav parts of the bingmeification process is when bingge first meets shen yuan and he goes "you HAVE to be the same person as that other shen qingqiu. because my search for him led me to you and i NEED to have that man."

Then he falls for shen yuan so damn bad hes going "you and that nice shen qingqiu better not be the same person because that would mean the other luo binghe has a version of you and shen yuan is MINE."

*bingge and shen yuan cuddling*

bingge randomly getting angry: are you cuddling with him too.

shen yuan patting his head: can you let it go? i'm not shen qingqiu.

bingge relaxing his tense shoulders: good. you're not allowed to like anyone else, even if you're in another universe liking another version of me.

shen yuan: youre insane

[joys-of-everyday]

Luo Binghe: Envy, hopelessness, and breaking out of spirals

I have recently gotten into incels. No, not in that way. Perhaps with PIDW being “toxic male power fantasy”, this was an inevitable pipeline.

You know, through many hours of video essays and interviews, I have come to the conclusion that taking a good long hard look at incels is a valuable life lesson. While incels are most known for their extreme misogynistic ideology (which tbf, is hard to look past), they really are a good demonstration of the abject misery of loneliness. Scrub away all the obsession with omegaverse and cuckoldry, and the fundamental behaviour of incels is actually… very human. And the fact that it manifests in ways that are cringe and insane really only adds to the tragedy. Forget darkness and monsters – there is an incel in all of us. And like all good things in life, I want to link this back to SVSSS and discuss the most chad of them all… Luo Binghe (Bingmei ofc. Bingge is a beta cuck).

Note: Much of this is based on ContraPoints’ Envy (which is almost nothing to do with incels sorry) and HealthyGamerGG’s interview with an incel (which is also not really about incels, disappointingly).

Envy and Jealousy

Did you know that envy and jealousy are two different things? Envy is wanting what other people have, while jealousy is protectiveness of something you have, or feel entitled to. You might be envious of someone for having effortless skin a la Liu Qingge, or feel jealous of a fellow disciple who is unfairly stealing your milf shizun’s affections. In common usage, envy and jealousy are basically interchangeable, but now you can feel smug knowing the proper definitions.

We all know that Luo Binghe is a jealous man-child… but for intellectual curiosity, we should ask: is Luo Binghe envious, or jealous?

As in, I’ve kind of spoiled my take by putting it in the header, but I should justify (unlike in exams where I simply assert what I want to be true and hope the examiner doesn’t notice). Yes, Luo Binghe is fighting for the affection of his one-true-milf, but note that during the periods where his envy/jealousy is strongest, he doesn’t think he has Shen Qingqiu’s affection, nor does he think he deserves it. In fact, he thinks he is unlovable monster who couldn’t possibly dream of having his daddy’s attention. *sad sigh*

To him, Shen Qingqiu is the embodiment of tender and loving affection, of grace, of wisdom, of morality and all things good etc etc. For the purposes of Luo Binghe’s negative feelings, the man himself might as well be an abstract idea. He sees what other people have – Liu Qingge receiving companionship and trust, the other Qing Jing disciples getting attention, the random stair sweeper getting sweet smiles… and feels anger at the fact that they have what he does not. I think it’s envy people.  

Now caveat, I do think Luo Binghe is definitely also feeling jealousy, particularly after Shen Qingqiu defends him in the Mausoleum. But he grapples with an internal conflict, where despite the fact Shen Qingqiu continuously demonstrates his care for him, he’s also sending what Luo Binghe deems as “mixed messages”, so really, how is Bingbing meant to decide if daddy loves him or hates him? Feelings do be complicated.

Now envy leads to shadenfreude – the pleasure of seeing another’s downfall. The sentiment of “if I can’t have it, then nobody can”, which is a destructive, malevolent force that wants no good for anyone. At Maigu Ridge, Luo Binghe is the embodiment of this. What he wants is Shen Qingqiu’s affection, and um… probably killing all of his friends isn’t going to help him on this endeavour. But he is so far down the envy line that it blinds him. “If I can’t have Shizun’s love, then nobody can.”

2. Protective hopelessness and the destructive cycle

When you decide, for whatever reason, to believe something, several cognitive biases come into play. For example, confirmation bias – where you are more likely to find and interpret evidence which supports your opinion. Belief perseverance – where you continue to believe something, despite evidence contradicting it. Another unhelpful actor is the fact you change the way you behave, which creates situations that affirm your beliefs. Those with a neurodivergence like BPD, or a mental health disorder such as depression may struggle with these much more intensely.

Take the classic incel problem. You struggle to get a girlfriend, you believe yourself ugly and unlovable, which makes you sad, which means you struggle in social situations, which makes it less likely for you to start a relationship, and so the cycle continues. I’ve talked about these destructive spirals with Shen Jiu.

Luo Binghe, Luo Binghe! Wherefore art thou Luo Binghe?

Luo Binghe runs straight into this problem like the strong independent man he is. He believes that (Shen Qingqiu thinks that) he is an evil demon. So he goes full blood feeding vampire mode, and naturally Shen Qingqiu freaks out. So Luo Binghe’s suspicions that Shen Qingqiu thinks he’s an evil demon are affirmed. Everything that happens is warped to fit this worldview: Shen Qingqiu’s silence in the Water Prison (which could mean anything really, such as thinking emotion is cringe) is interpreted as hostility. Shen Qingqiu telling Luo Binghe to leave for his safety, is interpreted as abandonment. Nothing can contradict this view – not even Shen Qingqiu getting all plant-bodied to keep Luo Binghe safe.

All of this is to say, that once you are in a bad place, it is really hard to get out, because at every stage your mind is sabotaging you. But there’s more to it than this. The honey glazed trap of abject hopelessness is… that it feels kind of good.

You know, Luo Binghe at Maigu Ridge comes across as someone who’s given up in a cathartic “throw it all down the drain way”. And yeah, putting yourself out there to feel rejection time and time again… kind of sucks. I really feel this. It really sucks. Sometimes, it is just so much easier to write yourself off as an unlovable freak and move on with your life. The hopelessness shields you from future rejection – what Dr K from HealthyGamerGG describes as protective hopelessness. But the relief here is temporary. Soon the loneliness and isolation kicks in, and you end up screaming at the walls so your neighbours now think you’re insane. Well done.

So you defend your hopelessness to protect yourself, but your hopelessness reinforces your situation. And to top it off, this cesspool of self-loathing and self-flagellation is a perfect breeding place for envy. In fact, envy plays a huge role in directing the spiral downwards. Afterall, bitter and toxic behaviour isn’t conductive to getting you liked.  

Ultimately,  I don’t think Luo Binghe actually hates Liu Qingge, or even Ming Fan, or any one person. I think Luo Binghe resents his situation and projects that onto everyone. “I didn’t get to keep happiness for a single moment of my life, so why should anyone be allowed happiness?” And yeah, he kind of ends up almost ending the world, which is not stella behaviour. But you know, under all that aggression is a child pleading for help.  

3. Breaking Out

You know, it occurs to me that I seem to be equating Luo Binghe to an incel, which I think is an unfair comparison. I feel like incels fundamentally misunderstand how privilege works, while Luo Binghe… eh… he did get chucked off a cliff. Ngl that would scar anyone.

Anyway, whilst clearly SVSSS is the ultimate reflection of reality, I suspect that the love of your life telling you they would totally die for you if you were their unborn child doesn’t happen often irl. How. Disappointing.

But I think something we can take away from Luo Binghe is that breaking the spiral is essential. When Luo Binghe loses control at Maigu Ridge, what he ends up doing is monstrous. It’s ultimate evidence of all of Luo Binghe’s fears and could easily have pushed him further down the spiral to self-destruction. But Shen Qingqiu pulls him out notably not by promising to stay with him or leave his friends (i.e. not by playing to Luo Binghe’s delusional desires), but by affirming that Luo Binghe already has what he wants. His mother loved him. His adopted mother loved him. Shen Qingqiu loves him. It’s removing the substance from Luo Binghe’s envy, and that’s enough to pull him back from insanity.

In reality, breaking the spiral isn’t one action or one conversation. It’s continuously relearning how to think, a process that can take years. And we see this with Luo Binghe. He doesn’t stop being a jealous freak, but he learns ways to deal with it that are much less destructive. In the conversation at Cang Qiong post Maigu Ridge, we see that he doesn’t immediately stop thinking that Shen Qingqiu wants him gone, but in a better headspace, he is able to accept evidence which contrasts this.

And yeah, most people don’t have a milf/dilf/obsessive freak to help us when we have our world-ending breakdowns, but that’s okay. I don’t have a good solution to this. Maybe get life-sized posters of Shen Qingqiu telling you that he would totally die for your if you were his unborn child or smth.

[xiulric]

Hello!!!!!

I want to ask you too: What's your fav characters? And fics?

Also do you have a favourite part in the books?

Fav characters: Shen Yuan, Binghe, Liu Qingge, YQY, Ning Yingying <3 possibly in that order. But I have love in my heart for most of the character cast. I even have a soft spot for Su Xiyan, who barely appears in canon

As for favourite fanfics: It'll be under read more

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48752503/chapters/122981467 This one is possibly my #1 favourite scum villain fic.

It stars a Binghe that isn't fully blackened, but he's on the cusp of going down that path of no return. And Shen Yuan gets transmigrated to Gongyi Xiao instead of SQQ.

According to the author: " the goal here is to make falling in love such a stressful experience for LBH that he develops an ulcer " .

The author nails down Binghe's calculating, charismatic inner voice. It truly shows that Binghe's greatest weapon as the protagonist isn't xin mo, or his obsenely godly cultivation; his greatest weapon is his intelligence.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49999318/chapters/126242992 12k words, so not SUPER long but it's absolutely one of my favourite SVSSS Fics bc it explores several things phenomenally: A) The personality differences between Shen Yuan and Shen Qingqiu, and who he's become after transmigrating and B) the complex tension between SY and LBH around book 2. This author exploits that tension in a satisfying way that keeps you hooked. ....also im just weak to the amnesia trope hehe

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40429575/chapters/101280702 VERY GOOD TOO. Bit of an au; Shen Yuan is born in SVSSS world, but he's a rogue cultivator who hides in dream realms. The fun thing about this one is that Shen Yuan makes Binghe fall for him with no sex, just the delicious bingge-to-bingmei pipeline. He partly does it by accident too which is hilarious

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47600038/chapters/119967685 Devastating in its delivery of angst, With a happy ending! This one had a chokehold on my soul and I COULD NOT put it down although beware this one deals with heavy themes like alcohol abuse and depression :")

but the character arcs were SO GOOD. It's pretty long so it'll keep you entertained for awhile

In a way it's hard seeing binghe and shen yuan be so depressed; but it also felt cathartic to me, knowing what depression's like. and the more you get to see of shen yuan, the more you kinda realize how his depression is justified and he's trying his best in his own way

[rarepears]

What is funnier Sung JinWoo reincarnated as Luo Binghe (op protag to op protagonist pipeline lol) or the other way around? On the one hand SJW would feel no shame or fear over half demon, it’s honestly down grade, on the other whether it’s pidw or svsss there’d be no harem. LBH as the shadow monarch would be Bingge conquering another realm, but bingmei would just double triple down on protecting his new family. Thoughts?

Sung Jinwoo reincarnating as Luo Binghe in some "dimension traveling gone wrong" would be fucking hilarious for the PIDW plot.

Why? Cause his adoptive mom and the whole ass town is going to think he's some god of death (or karma) who's decided to take a vacation from the heavens or got thrown out as punishment. Washerwoman mom won't die; she's going to live a life of a queen and the village is going to see this as her reward for rescuing and taking in an abandoned baby - which most people wouldn't do, especially not in her financial position.

Or if this Sung Jinwoo doesn't have his Shadow Monarch powers, well, he's got his brain full of modern inventions and knowledge. That's pretty OP in its own right.

Sung Jinwoo goes off to Cang Qiong because the sects have some of the best education. He doesn't want the typical mortal education because that's geared for the imperial examine and Sung Jinwoo does NOT like bureaucracy. So cultivation sect it is!

And... Shen Qingqiu isn't going to hate on this new Luo Binghe so much because Luo Binghe looks like any other (over)confident noble son who's used to servants, so what makes Luo Binghe any different from the other Qing Jing disciples? Nothing really. Sung Jinwoo certainly wouldn't meekly accept bullying nor would he grovel - he's got pride (and the og Luo Binghe's lack thereof due to his desperate need to please is what triggered Shen Jiu's ire so much imo).

So throwing Sung Jinwoo into Luo Binghe pretty much destroys all the events that made Luo Binghe such an... OP protagonist. There's no tragic events nor bullying. He's got a spine, and he's not a rags to riches story with some injustice thrown at him either. Sure the demonic heritage could be an issue except this is Sung Jinwoo who can control his appearance. If he can make himself look like a teenager, then he can also hide a tiny little birthmark that is the demon sigil on his forehead. Easy.

[allpiesforourown]

I'm always thinking about a post I saw once that asked what if Bingge became so excited to bang Shen Yuan he became bad at sex, and I think that concept works beautifully in the asshole roommate Binghe au. Binghe cumming instantly when Yuan-ge touches his cock, Binghe so eager to get inside he doesn't spend quite enough time prepping (he doesn't like that he hurt his Yuan-ge, but he also can't help but enjoy confining him to bed until he recovers), Binghe getting so hard so fast he literally passes out from all the blood going to his massive boner and misses out on the chance to smash at all that day because SY became worried for his health and didn't want to strain him... I feel like no amount of prior exposure would desensitize this man to Shen Yuan's charms.

I had to make a graph to fully explain this phenomenon known as the "bingmeification to sex skill ratio"

We start at STAGE 1: bingge before meeting shen yuan. He has a harem of satisfied women. He's very confident in himself

STAGE 2: he meets shen yuan and becomes fond of him. Watch out! Now when he has sex with women it's a little awkward because his mind keeps wandering to shen yuan

STAGE 3: he decides to hit it and quit it with shen yuan. Surely after they have sex once, he'll get these feelings out of his system and go back to being his normal sex God self

STAGE 4: CRITICAL STATUS! THE PLAN BACKFIRED! Binghe is experiencing real attraction to someone he has feelings for. Despite all the women he's had sex with, he's never liked them as much as he likes shen yuan. All of a sudden he has the experience and confidence of a little boy kissing his crush for thr first time. Even shen yuan knows what he's doing better than him

STAGE 5: bingmeification process has run its course. Shen yuan will let binghe fuck him despite how bad Binghe is at sex and slowly but surely, he'll get good at it again.

[allpiesforourown]

Sneaking meal replacement/protein powder into Shen yuan’s drinks so he’s a lovely healthy weight with some weighty lovely thighs 💕

Sickly thin shen yuan becoming slightly chubby is a transformation process just as important as bingmeification. IDEAL binggeyuan is shen yuans face becoming less grey as he changes his diet (gets fed properly) and binghe becoming more pathetic and needy