#friend breakups are extremely messy and complicated irl and book 4 felt realistic to me

[hualianisms]

feng xin gets seen as someone who's subservient and a blind rule-follower but he didn't really quite come off that way to me in the novel. if he were a total rule-follower he wouldn't cuss with such vulgar words all the time in heaven - but he clearly doesn't care about social etiquette in heaven or elsewhere. he talked back to xie lian on multiple occasions. when xie lian threatened to break up their friendship in book 2, feng xin's response was to laugh and insinuate that xie lian wouldn't survive a day without feng xin. clearly talking back to xie lian. he even punched xie lian in the face in book 4. he disagreed with xie lian's actions in book 4 when xie lian began to do things like nearly kill an innocent mortal just for insulting xie lian, bc this goes against feng xin's own moral compass.

i personally don't see him as a subservient rule-follower but as someone who deeply respects xie lian for xie lian's principles and moral compass (which feng xin agrees with bc they align with feng xin's already-present strong principles of his own). it's not blind following but deep respect out of having shared principles.