#selfish/shameless isn’t quite the right word but he sure makes his obsession with LBH quite inconvenient for everyone else

[magicpotatothoughts]

SVSSS | Did Gongyi Xiao ever stand a chance against Luo Binghe?

My heart will never stop aching for our golden boi Gongyi Xiao and as much as I OTP Bingqiu, I often wonder if GYX stood a chance against LBH, and not for reasons that he has to die because he's too similar to the male lead or ZZL needed to remove a threat/take revenge. Like could GYX, being the incredibly obedient, handsome and upstanding golden boi that he is, even bearing such close resemblance to LBH, could he have won over SY!SQQ's heart? Because ok, the only thing that SQQ actually laments about GYX being lacking to LBH is the compatibility of their teamwork against a common enemy but that's because LBH has had the advantage of knowing SY!SQQ longer and cultivated directly under him as his disciple. Like if GYX were to cultivate under SY!SQQ and also got to know him for the same length of time, would they have worked out?

And then I came to realise that the answer is simply...no. GYX's most notable trait is his righteousness. He would betray orders and hierarchy if he believed that they were doing the wrong thing, but he's not the type to be completely shameless/selfish about it. He won't actively drag bystanders into the chaos if he can help it.

But that's also why he is not compatible with SY!SQQ because SY!SQQ is ultimately most attracted to LBH's shameless obsession with him. LBH is "everything related to Shizun" first and righteousness second. He won't hesitate to practise demonic cultivation, flirt publicly by offering to massage Shizun's sore waist, cause a huge ruckus in order to protect SY!SQQ and to fight over his corpse. LBH's strive for righteousness is driven by the assumption that an upstanding man is the only kind of man his Shizun accepts and that's what he has to become in order for SY!SQQ to stay with him but when shizun dies, righteousness kind of goes out the window. Anddddddd SY!SQQ says he likes them righteous and upstanding but he’s just as fucked up. The man can deny to the heavens but it's so obvious that he enables LBH's obsession by being a housewife, grieving widow then "sacrificing himself" in the name of "repayment", causing a huge-ass ruckus and ripple waves of longlasting pain for his sect family. Like damn, SQQ can be kind and upstanding but when it comes to LBH, isn't that also a shameless obsession? It just wouldn't have worked out with GYX because it would have been textbook master-disciple platonic, GYX would have pushed aside any of his own selfish/romantic desires and every action would have been carefully considered for the greater good of his sect and martial family. It's really like a goldilocks sort of situation, GYX is too righteous, ZZL is too fucked up (he makes sense though in demon logic), LBH babygirl is just the right amount of fucked up and 100% Shizun's sheep with a very pat-able head.