#wangji why is this person back in our lives :)

[thatswhatsushesaid]

op i don't think jin guangyao is emotionally detached at any point in the story, but i do think he has to play his cards extremely close to his chest, because there is exactly one person in his life he knows he can trust and rely on to put him first and keep him alive, and that's himself. but i think it's also telling that he is the type of person to stay behind on the battlefield after the fighting has come to an end to help the commoners:

[...] Nie MingJue continued, “The more these people talked drivel behind your back, the harder you’re going to work to have them speechless. I’ve seen you on the battlefield. Everytime, you’re on the foremost lines and stay behind to help with the commoners in the end. Well done. Keep it up.”

- EXR translation, pg 470 (bold emphasis mine)

i'm specifically drawing attention to nie mingjue's statement here because for him, meng yao's conduct on the battlefield isn't hearsay: he's seen it with his own eyes. meng yao bravely puts himself in danger for the sunshot campaign's forces despite probably not even possessing a golden core at this point in the story, and he stays behind afterwards to help the commoners who are undeniably being caught in the crossfire of this war. bear in mind that this is also how he met qin su! he saved her during the war! [ch 47]

i think it's tempting to see this action on meng yao's part and go "well he's just trying to curry favour so he can win his father's approval," but 1) we know that the cultivation sects by and large just... do not give a fuck about the common people, particularly not jin guangshan, whose favour meng yao is understandably trying to court, and 2) the temptation to respond this way is a direct reflection of the cultivation world's opinions of meng yao, too. i think that should always be challenged, especially given what the text has also shown us about the value of jin guangyao's watchtower project to the common people. rather than fumble through the pages looking for the chapter i was thinking of, i'll just drop a link to one of @xiyao-feels' posts on this subject. they've written a LOT of really detailed meta (with citations!) about the watchtower project, i'd really recommend taking a gander at their stuff.

anyway my whole point here is that there is generous textual support for jin guangyao being motivated to help others simply because it is the right thing to do, and he wants to be the type of person who does good things. so bearing all that in mind, while i agree that he could not have known how important lan xichen would become to him when he chooses to save him from the wen, his motivation for saving him, and then continuously risking his own life to keep him safely hidden, doesn't have to be that complicated.

---

this post has been added to my dreamwidth meta archive here: https://thatswhatsushewrote.dreamwidth.org/6044.html

i see so many mdzs takes that are 'x character HATES y character' 'x character likes y character'

this story took place over 20 years i promise none of these characters kept the same opinions of each other the entire time.

lan wangji probably felt slightly more positive towards jiang cheng during ssc when jc was working so hard to find wwx. nie mingjue's opinion of jin guangyao fluctuated intensely over the course of the story. lan xichen had a very gradual shift from liking wei wuxian/wanting him to befriend lan wangji to nearly if not completely detesting him. jin guangyao almost certainly did not anticipate caring for lan xichen as much as he did by the end.

lan qiren never changes though. mf is a wwx hater through and through. love that guy

(whenever i make these analysis posts im talking about the novel, i recognize cql likely has different implications)

[wangxianficrecs]

Rewind 2024 - Part I

WangxianFicRecs - Rewind 2024

Part one of our favourite stories published in 2024. If you also want to give a shout-out to a story, submit an ask and we will share it in an upcoming post featuring Follower Recs and Proud Author Spotlights.

~*~

much sweeter than

by mellowflicker

T, 3k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Lan Wangji gets married knowing one thing: his husband is his equal.

~*~

Day 4: Time Travel

by UseMyMuse (@museywrites)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of Musey's Lanuary 2024

Summary: Lan Sizhui knows his parents are happy, but he wants to fix things so they never had to suffer. Against his better judgement, he goes back in time, though he isn't sure if things will turn out the way he expected.

~*~

old wounds, like hidden ghosts

by wordsonpage (@ronniexian)

T, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: "Wei Ying, Wei Ying, you are a menace." "Oh, yeah," Wei Wuxian plays along. "And what are you gonna do about it, Hanguang-jun?" "Perhaps I should leave you." - Lan Wangji is possessed by a vengeful spirit during a night hunt. It takes Wei Wuxian a long, painful moment to notice. (my accidental darkji threadfic, cleaned)

~*~

my name on your lips

by kopicanai

T, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: To the mortals, he is Hanguang-jun. To the other gods, he is Lan Wangji. To Wei Wuxian, he is simply Lan Zhan. A Chinese gods AU

~*~

Changed for the Better

by tigerlilly3224

M, 4k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “T-They have busy lives. It’s hard for them to step away.” Wei Wuxian didn’t usually stutter. He was tripping over his words. Trying to justify the accusations faster than his mouth can form the sounds. His brain brought up the long prepared list of why the Jiang’s did and always would come first. Lan Wangji narrowed his gaze. “You lower your own worth for their sake. You told me you wrote wrong answers on assignments so you wouldn't get a better grade than Jiang Cheng. You are your own person Wei Ying and you live as if you take up too much space. I want -“ {aka. college roommates wangxian learn to navigate their lives and heal each other along the way ✨🫶} ** on page panic attack, past referenced/implied emotional child abuse & neglect // rating due to topics both mentioned & implied but there is no spice here just feels

~*~

Having one soulmate in this life is enough

by secretninjagirl (@shawoloser)

M, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “Wei Ying, come to bed,” he says. His eyes are still so soft, and his voice is so warm. “Yes,” Wei Wuxian says, wondering if his voice sounds as unsteady as he feels. He doesn’t know what this means, but he’s powerless to resist his soulmate. He will take whatever Lan Wangji is willing to give him. ------ A "missing scene" of sorts from episode 43 of The Untamed. The pan out over the Jingshi with their song playing felt very much to me like a subtextual sex scene. So I wrote that hypothetical scene.

~*~

🔒 For good

by apathyinreverie (@apathyinreverie)

M, 6k, Wangxian & Xiyao | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wangji should have seen this coming. (Kind of mafia AU. Where the Jins are their usual treacherous selves but Wei Ying is perfectly capable of getting revenge. Which they absolutely deserve. For having made his Lan Zhan so much as frown.)

~*~

🔒 Bright the Day We Met

by ereshai (@ereshai)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Xichen wasn’t even sure Wangji was open to finding his soulmate. The mechanism of soulmate matching was inexact and open to misinterpretation. It was very frustrating. Wangji had always preferred certainty.

~*~

💙 Lay my body down

by tawaen

M, 54k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: One of the fragments of Wei Wuxian's soul, splintered during the first siege of the Burial Mounds, uses the energy released by the Yin Tiger Tally and flees backwards through time to another moment where Wei Wuxian was close to death – after the fall of Lotus Pier, at the hands of Jiang Wanyin. Knowing how his first life will end, Wei Wuxian decides to hide his survival, and leave the cultivation world behind.

~*~

The White Jade Hairpin

by YilingSani (@yiling-sani)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Happy Birthday, dear Hanguang-Jun!

~*~

Tell Me To Stay

by YilingSani (@yiling-sani)

G, 14k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: With heavy steps, Wei Ying walks back to the living room and plops down on the sofa again. His silver eyes travel around the room for a while, mind flooded by memories of sunny mornings, meals and cosy evenings together and all the surfaces they fucked each other on. Then they stop at the door of Lan Zhan's study. If he walked out right now... If Lan Zhan walked out right now and spoke to him, Wei Ying would throw the backpack away, hold his boyfriend close and never let him go. He begs. He begs it would happen. He begs Lan Zhan to somehow feel how much on the edge Wei Ying is balancing right now. "Please," he whispers - the tightening feeling in his throat is slowly choking him while the silver eyes threaten to fill with tears. "Please, Lan Zhan."

~*~

Heart of hearts

by apathyinreverie (@apathyinreverie)

M, WIP, Series, 40k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: It won't be until several days later that Wangji will know to be grateful for Jiang Wanyin’s insistence to split up in their search. (Or, JC and LWJ spend those months searching separately and LWJ ends up finding Wei Ying a little earlier. Wei Ying who doesn’t remember anything beyond his own name. So, LWJ takes his chance and takes Wei Ying home. To Gusu.)

~*~

💙🔒 your heart is mine to fortify

by sunflowersfield

G, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: A few mornings later, Wei Ying stares up at his ceiling and listens to the wind blowing through the willow tree outside his window. It is 4:15 a.m. and he is wide awake once more. For a while, the howling wind is the only sound he hears, and then, there is movement from somewhere below him. The opening and closing of cabinet doors. Light footsteps tapping on a hardwood floor. The clanging of metal against glass. Lan Zhan has arrived at the bakery. Wei Ying allows himself to be swept away by the symphony of sounds that Lan Zhan unknowingly creates as he begins his day. His breathing slows, and his body relaxes bit by bit. He imagines that he is listening to a lullaby written just for him. And just like a lullaby, the symphony guides him back to sleep. Or: Wei Ying lives in the apartment above Lan Zhan's bakery. Or part 2: Wei Ying learns how to accept Lan Zhan's help.

~*~

Brand New Moves

by tawaen

T, 7k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: In the most ambitious heist ever planned, Team Rocket attempts to steal two legendary Pokémon – one from the Burial Mounds Gym Leader, Wei Ying; and one from the Snow White Pavilion Gym Leader, Lan Zhan. These two former rivals are paired up to battle against one another for the first time since becoming Gym Leaders! Will they be able to defeat Team Rocket? Or will they loose their composure and their Pokémon? (Just joking, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan never even notice Team Rocket. They only have eyes for each other!)

~*~

marital customs

by shijieswife

M, WIP, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Cangse, with the growing up on a mountain under the hand of an immortal cultivator who had not descended in several hundred years, often has not a clue, about a single one of the customs down the mountain. She has very little idea of customs, or respect for them, despite her decades living down from the mountain. And this, unlike other things, is something Changze has no experience in either - the art of dealing with suitors for your first born child’s hand.

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for these hard-working authors if you like – or think others might like – these stories.)

[bnnywngs]

Wei Wuxian had noble blood, although not many liked to remember, so using it to their advantage both the Jiang clan and the Lan clan signed a contract for a arranged marriage between him and their second young master so their claim to the emperor's throne would be stronger after the fiasco with the first young master and his "friend".

He did not know his newly wed husband, haven't seen his face outside of paintings and rumors. The maids and servants around him all treated him with the utmost respect, so unlike a year or so ago when he was considered one of them even though he lived as a young master himself.

They dressed him in luxurious red wedding clothes that felt too heavy and tight on him, with a veil to cover his face and only to be lifted at his wedding chambers by his husband's hand. Everyone told him what to expect and what to do at this important night, even so far as hiring someone to teach him how to care for his body in case his husband turns out to be one to be rough.

But that ended up being futile, his husband has not visited his chamber, even if Wei Wuxian waited the whole night awake, sitting politely on the red cushion between the table with, by now sour, tea and the red bed, veil still on his head and staining everything he saw in the same color as every fabric around him.

Feeling wronged and humiliated, Wei Wuxian dumped the tea on the steps in front of his chamber, deciding to wear his veil until his husband lifted it, with the intention of humiliating the Lan clan back and securing a good divorce if needed.

After the awkward and full of tension breakfast with his new family, Wei Wuxian decided to stay in his chambers reading whatever book he found around, asking for more to his personal servant.

When asked why he wouldn't leave he would say the same thing, "I have no official duties in this household, that means my husband does not need me. I should act accordingly and keep myself away from his eyes."

That went as long as some months, almost half a year, until his husband had enough and finally visited him himself, and did not send someone else.

And, oh, his husband was as beautiful as he was told, although still cold and stubborn.

"You are still wearing it." Lan Wangji said, ignoring the tea in front of him "Why?"

"Why, you ask." Wei Wuxian chuckled "Only a husband can lift a wife's veil, during their wedding night and before consuming it. My husband neither visited me nor wishes to consume our marriage, there are no reasons for me to lift it with my own hands."

Lan Wangji tried to lift it, but Wei Wuxian wouldn't let him, no matter how many times he tried.

After long weeks of meetings and having verbal fights disguised with flowery and poetic speech, Lan Wangji finally lifted the veil and saw his husband's face.

Who would know that love could bloom between them?

[mdzsxperience]

☾ Lan Wangji's names etymology

Here's a complete post on the etymology of our beloved Lan Wangji's various names. I've always appreciated how authors would give out names that fit their characters so well, which is why I chose to share this.

▷ Lan Wangji Master Profile.

Birth Name - Lan Zhan 藍湛

Lan 藍 (lán) – blue. In Chinese, Lan 藍 is literally blue.

Zhan 湛 (zhàn) – clear, deep. In Chinese, Zhan 湛 from 湛蓝 (zhànlán), azure blu

Lan Zhan’s formal name Zhan 湛 means deep or clear, without impurities. It is often prefixed to the front of the word “blue” to describe the color of sunny cloudless skies, azure. Wangji’s birth name 湛 (zhàn) derives from the 诗经 (Classic of Poetry), one of the Chinese ‘Five Classics’ dating back to the Zhou Dynasty and a core pillar of Confucian thinking, studied by scholars to this day. The common meanings of this word are “deep” or “crystal clear”. The phrase 湛清 (zhànqīng) is often used to describe a transparent personality or state of mind that is in its purest form, with no distractions or obscurities. The name is really perfect for Wangji, as the phrase 湛深 (zhànshēn) can be used to describe a person displaying profound knowledge and/or mastery of skills in a complex field. 精湛 (jingzhàn) also means to be deeply proficient and skilled at something, normally used to address masters and pioneers. Interestingly, 湛 has another pronunciation, dān, which means “happiness” or “indulgence”. A third, rarer way of pronouncing the word is chén, which means “to sink” or “to make extinct”. I think the multifaceted nature of the character 湛 perfectly embodies the deep and complicated being that resides within Wangji.

Birth name is rarely used by anyone other than close family members, teachers, and elders in the family, clan, or sect. Using it implies either a certain type of intimacy or a certain type of seniority over the person being spoken to. Side Note: The fact that Wei Wuxian addresses Lan Wangji as Lan Zhan so early on in their acquaintance would be considered rude.

Courtesy Name - Lan Wangji 忘機

Wangji 忘机 (wàngjī) – to be free of worldly concerns (a Daoist phrase) Wang 忘 means to forget. It may have negative connotations in English because it’s associated with a passive disease and loss of treasured memories. In Chinese, actively forgetting can also be a positive renunciation of worldly troubles, so the character is somewhat more romantic than an English speaker would assume. Ji 機 / 机 is typically used in common speech to refer to machines, mechanical things, opportunities, and worldly things that have many parts intricately connected with each other. In more metaphysical discussions, it implies the intertwined destinies and sophistication of the mundane. To forget the secular calculations and intricacies of the world is to live freely and without distractions; as an antonym of precision, it has heavy Taoist flavors because of its seclusive connotations.

There’s an interesting story behind Lan Wangji’s name. It comes from the last line of a poem by acclaimed Chinese poet Li Bai. The sentence reads “我醉君复乐 陶然共忘机” (wǒ zuì jūn fù lè, táo rán gòng wàng jī), which translates to “I become drunk and you’re merry; in our happiness we forget about all worldly matters”. In my mind, this scene perfectly brings to life Xianxian enjoying a jar of Emperor’s Smile with Wangji in the Cloud Recesses after his resurrection when he is no longer concerned with the vanities of the world. “Wangji” is a Taoist phrase that means “to hold oneself aloof from the world”. The direct translation is “to forget about worldly crafts”. Chinese fans often describe him as “一尘不染” (meaning not be soiled with even a particle of dust) and “不食人间烟火” (a Taoist phrase now used to describe a person who has otherworldly qualities, who does not associate himself with ordinary temporal matters).

The courtesy name, in The Untamed, is given early on. In many wuxia/xianxia novels, characters don’t receive their courtesy name until they are adults. This is a name friends, acquaintances, and peers (those of equal standing) use.

Title - Hanguang Jun 含光君

Hanguang Jun 含光君 (Hánguāng-jūn) 含 (hán) – to hold, to bring 光 (guāng) – light 君 (jūn) – honorific for a gentleman or man or noble character

Hanguang Jun is a title that praises Lan Zhan’s integrity. Jun 君 is a character (literally “lord”) with multiple meanings, but here it is attached to the end of a name to show respect. Wangji’s title directly translates to “noble bearer of light”. 含光 (hánguāng) is also the name of one of three of the most powerful swords in Chinese history/mythology, said to have been under the care of Shang Dynasty emperors. Its blade is described to be invisible, and a mortal cannot see it being wielded with their bare eyes. Later interpretations during the Warring States period described the three swords as symbolic stages of a person’s journey to finding the Taoist path, with Han Guang being the final stage of ‘preparedness to enter the Way’ (入道合体之状). The characters HanGuang 含光 separately and literally mean “hold/envelops light”, and in the novel, it is taken from a widely circulated legend about several of the main characters, which specifically goes like this about Lan Zhan: 景行含光藍忘機 (JingXing HanGuang Lan WangJi). The first two characters are taken from an ancient collection of poems, and describe a person of upright and faultless disposition. The next two characters, Han Guang, refer to a harboring of light. For me, it’s not the light part that’s interesting, but the state of harboring that defines the most significant cultural nuances. It is (or at least was) considered a form of virtue in China if you don’t flaunt your brightness in other people’s eyes; so the polite thing to do, if you’re brilliant as flames, is to shield that light so you aren’t so in-your-face about it.

The title is just what it says on the box. It is used to express respect, but also a certain amount of distance.  Side Note: The young disciples of the Gusu Lan call Lan Wangji Hanguang-Jun because it would be disrespectful for them to address him as Lan Wangji, as they are not of equal standing. When Wei Wuxian returns from the Burial Mounds, he addresses Lan Wangji as Hanguang-Jun because he wants to distance himself from their earlier intimacy to prevent being questioned about his methods. 

Extra thought:

I must give props to Lan Wangji’s actor Wang Yibo. Early reactions from the Chinese audience had some unfavorable reviews that criticized his lack of facial expressions, but later retracted their opinions, because they realized that he was actually doing a superb job with his eyes and his body, considering the limitations. The script gives him very few lines in most episodes. You can see how he looks directly at anyone in the eye unless he’s about to kill you, or (later on) if you’re Wei Ying. If you don’t know him well, he seems unconfrontational with those cold shielded eyes, but as soon as you step over the line (sometimes a line named Wei Ying), you’ll feel the sharpness of that fierce light in his eyes like a blade to your throat. Just ask Fairy the spiritual dog...

Author Note: I am not an expert in Chinese at all, English isn't my native language either - I hope everything is correct.

▷ MDZS Home Page

[ completed ; 17/07/2024]

★ ⁺. ໒꒰ྀི｡- ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ ૮꒰˶ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ˶꒱ა ˖⁺‧₊˚

[admirableadmiranda]

I keep seeing the idea that Jiang Cheng is disliked or hated for his actions because "Jiang Cheng Antis” refuse to acknowledge ugly reactions to trauma, or victims who aren’t perfect, basically citing that he should be forgiven more than we do because not everyone is going to react the same to pain and trauma and just because his reactions aren’t perfect doesn’t mean that he should be held accountable for his actions, any of them, and us calling his actions wrong or abuse is us in fact being terrible.

I want to refute this idea for a few reasons:

First off, while I can’t speak for everyone, I know that I and my friends don’t think that his initial reactions being kinda bad are necessarily damning. Nobody is going to be perfect, sometimes when we are stuck in the worst parts of our lives, we do things that we will later regret in the process of surviving those times. It doesn’t really make it okay and we should understand if the people who are around us in those times don’t want to be around us anymore after that, but it isn’t a death knell that he reacts really poorly after the initial fall of Lotus Pier and the death of his parents and everyone he’s grown up with. I have forgiven characters for doing worse, but proving that it was their worst and turning around after that.

The problem with that part is that he doesn’t turn anything around. He never apologizes for strangling Wei Wuxian, he continues to turn the blame for what happened on people who weren’t involved even after getting to kill Wen Zhuliu and torture Wen Chao to death, holding Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and, for a time, Jin Zixuan as also being responsible even though none of them were, even though he knows this and adjusts his opinion later to drop Jin Zixuan out of the blame, even though he later adds Wen Ning to his list of those to blame despite Wen Ning rescuing him from Lotus Pier and sheltering him. It isn’t a worst moment of his life, brought on by trauma and pain, it’s just the start of his sliding slope downward.

Second off is the idea that this should exonerate him of all of his actions. Look at him! He lost his parents and his clan to war by the Wens! He has suffered so much, becoming a clan leader so young in the fires of war!!!

Except... he’s not the only one, not by a long shot. Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang all have their fathers killed and their homes attacked by the Wens as well. Both Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen also ascend at very young ages, no one was over twenty when they took up their positions, and at the end of the novel, Jin Ling is even younger when he takes on his own clan leader position. Also he isn’t the only one to go into war so young, Wei Wuxian is a whole five days older than he is, and the whole jianghu falls into war against the Wens, no doubt with other fighters who also lost their homes and families in the process.

It isn’t that it isn’t impressive that he manages to pull it together in the face of all that’s happening, it’s that he’s not the only person by any means to suffer this trauma. Wei Wuxian goes through the exact same journey that he does, but when this argument comes up, it’s always just for why Jiang Cheng shouldn’t be blamed, not about how their whole generation lost so much to a war that their parents left to them by refusing to do anything before even when they all saw the signs of what Wen Ruohan was doing.

The third part is that there’s apparently no limit or expiration date on how long people have to forgive him for doing whatever he wants to do. His trauma is a reason for him to treat people however he wants for as long as he wants, and they should just put up with it because he’s suffering and not all pain is beautiful.

But by the time Wei Wuxian comes back to life, it’s been almost twenty years. A whole generation, long enough for Jiang Cheng to watch his nephew grow to almost adulthood. The world as a whole is changed, he himself has transformed Lotus Pier into a whole new place; and it wasn’t because the Wens had destroyed everything, Wei Wuxian no longer recognizes it, meaning that this happened after he died. The general attitude that JC stans have towards Wei Wuxian is that he shouldn’t hold Jiang Cheng leading a siege against him because it’s been long enough, he should get over it by now. But Jiang Cheng apparently should still get to act without hesitation or consideration of others and their own pain because he is suffering, he is an imperfect victim. It doesn’t matter what else anyone else has gone through and it is unreasonable to hold him to task because he lost his family.

The whole point of poor trauma reactions is that they are moments, responses in time to events. It is one thing for Jiang Cheng to react poorly right after his family is killed and his home invaded. But he gets worse over the course of the story. The day of the attack, he strangles Wei Wuxian. That’s one thing. But three years later he turns on Wei Wuxian, declares him an enemy of the world, tells him to let the Wens be slaughtered even though they are no longer at war, later declares war on Wei Wuxian and personally leads a siege to kill him. In the interim, a time of peace in which supposedly all of his enemies are dead, he hunts down people who he claims to be demonic cultivators and people that Wei Wuxian is possessing and tortures them to death, all the while doing very little to help his people as he will only intervene once someone has already died to the problem. When Wei Wuxian returns to life thirteen years after he died, seventeen years after the war, when Jiang Cheng is literally double the age that this began, despite him deliberately trying to avoid Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng seeks him out multiple times specifically to hurt him, first trying to kill him with a whip that can destroy spirits possessing bodies, then tying him up and torturing him with a dog. Later he leads a second siege upon Wei Wuxian, who still has done nothing to him aside from try to avoid him before later attacking him and Lan Wangji by first demanding that they leave, then refusing to let them do so, driving Wei Wuxian to a qi deviation (which can be fatal, that’s how Nie Mingjue died) and attacking Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian with Zidian while Wei Wuxian is unconcious before Wen Ning stops him. Even in the temple, he’s still demanding that Wei Wuxian play by his rules of debts, he’s upset because he knows that he has gone so much farther than anyone has any right to and he has nothing to hold over Wei Wuxian’s head anymore.

Fifteen years of hurting everyone around him isn’t a poor trauma response. That’s deliberate and chosen. That is what he wants to do. It is a clear line of events where in the end, the trauma is an excuse over anything else.

If it had ended at the beginning of this list, Jiang Cheng would be a very different character and Modaozushi would be a very different novel. If it were just a trauma reaction and he didn’t want to hurt anyone in the long run, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

But you cannot exonerate everything with the fact that his parents died when he was seventeen. Especially not when we have so many other people who react in so many other ways to the same pain. It is frankly ridiculous that people think he is the only one to suffer in the story, even though it is clear that no one escapes the novel unscathed and a hell of a lot of people die. Sometimes even at his hands or by his orders.

Jiang Cheng is not unsympathetic. I can understand what hurts he feels, at least to an extent. But an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind and he just keeps doing it. And then his stans show up and claim that it’s fine for him to want to kill everyone who he hates (not necessarily everyone who’s even done him wrong, and they certainly like to ignore everything he does to them) because he’s an ugly trauma victim.

He may be that, at the start. But twenty years down the line, when he gets excited at the thought of getting to torture people, that isn’t a trauma reaction anymore.

That’s a choice.

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 38 part one

(Masterpost) (Pinboard)  (whole thing on AO3)  

Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!  

OK But Why?

This tale-within-a-tale is excruciating, yeah? So let's start off by considering why it even exists. Yi City feels like, if not a fully separate story, a pretty complete arc that can play as its own little movie. And it's incredibly sad, in every direction. While it may have begun life, in its originally-written form, as a different story exploring some of the same themes, MXTX placed it in the novel deliberately, and the producers of CQL included it deliberately. Why? Other than the, you know, catharsis of a well-wrought tragedy?

I think the answer is that it tells a set of parallel stories, alternate versions of the stories our main characters inhabit, with different outcomes driven by the character's choices. There's an obvious parallel between Lan Wangji's grief and Song Lan's, and another clear one between Wei Wuxian's core donation and Xiao Xingchen's eyeball donation. 

And there's an important comparison to be made between Xue Yang and Wei Wuxian, two demonic cultivators. They share some formative experiences, but have followed radically different paths, shaped, at a key moment, by another person's choice. 

Overall, the Yi City story illustrates how choices made in a moment affect not just an individual life, but ripple outward into other lives. So be prepared for me to point out parallels even more than usual, as we go through these episodes.

Empathy

We start off learning about Empathy and how it’s sooper dangerous, which means of course Wei Wuxian is totally down for it and probably invented it.  He gathers the kids around and assigns Jin Ling to be the person in charge of supervising and deciding when to pull him out of the matrix link. 

Jin Ling is surprised and reluctant so teacher’s pet Sizhui jumps forward and volunteers. 

Wei Wuxian asks Jin Ling for his Jiang clarity bell, which is on a tassel that used to be Jiang Yanli’s. 

(more behind the cut!)

Once the bell/tassel is out of Jin Ling’s hand, however, he changes his mind and snatches it, and the responsibility, back. 

It seems like Sizhui might recognize this tassel? 

It’s like the one Jiang Yanli gave Wei Wuxian when they met up before her wedding, which means Wei Wuxian would have had it with him during their year in the burial mounds. 

Jingyi disapproves of Jin Ling’s mind-changing, which is a little unfair since JL didn’t actually say “no” prior to Sizhui putting in his oar. (Sizhui is entirely loveable, but he is also a pushy brown-noser just like Lan Wangji was at his age. He just does it so sweetly that nobody minds.)

Sizhui, also like his Lan dad, has made it his life’s mission to manage a loudmouth hothead’s temper for him. 

Heading into empathy with A-Qing, we get flashes of bits of the story that we're about to see in depth. Then we jump to "ten years ago" which, given the way this series does math, probably means seven years ago.

Side note: A-Qing has managed to keep her hair looking pretty cute despite being 90% dead. 

Splish Splash

This particular section of the Wuxia River of Sadness is reserved for people who are contemplating the total mess they have made of their lives (gifset here), but A-Qing didn't get that memo, so she's having a nice time splashing joyfully without a care in the world.

A-Qing isn't about drama or being depressed, even when things are pretty difficult. She has found a big rock to sit on and is having a nice day hanging out on it.  

Then she goes skipping along singing "la la la la" (which is the same sound in Chinese as we make in English when we're singing and don't know the words, incidentally). Ok, show, we get it, she's happy and carefree. I sure hope she doesn't get involved in any weird relationships.

Grifting

She sees a couple of women walking on the path and she starts pretending to be blind. In the book, this pretense was facilitated by her having completely white eyes, but in the show she has normal brown eyes, until she actually is blinded by Xue Yang. So her entire pretense of being blind is to unfocus her eyes a bit and wave her hands around...

...with frequent intervals where she thinks no-one is watching her, and she acts 100% like she can see. Somehow she is almost never busted for this. 

The ladies give her a steamed bun and whisper loudly to each other about how pitiful she is. 

Then she heads into town for a little grifting, picking a wealthy douchebag as a mark. She bumps into him and steals his money bag, which he doesn't notice because he's too busy creeping on her. 

She's annoyed and disappointed that he doesn't have a lot of money.

Hey Pretty, Don’t You Want To Take a Ride With Me

Next she bumps into (and robs) Xiao Xingchen, who is actually blind, so he doesn’t notice her noticing how extremely pretty he is. 

He does notice that she has robbed him, however. 

Did you know if you have your eyes removed or even just damaged so you can't see any more, your eye sockets and/or tear ducts will bleed pretty much forever? Yeah, me neither. 

Xiao Xingchen immediately takes charge of A-Qing, telling her to walk more slowly and then telling her - kindly - to return his money purse. Before she can answer him, the rich douchebag comes back to yell at her and try to hit her. Xiao Xingchen stops him and smooths over the situation, and then lectures Ah Qing about stealing and how it's bad. But he tells her to keep his money, so - mixed messages, bro. 

She calls him gege and says that since he's blind and she's blind, she's going to follow him forever. He’s like, okey dokey, and they walk off together. Is she really the first person (since Song Lan) who’s had this idea about him? He is *very* pretty, after all.

It's unclear to me if she's calling him gege in the sense of “orphan girl who wants a family,” or in the sense of “mostly-grown-up woman who would like to Hit That.” Xiao Xingchen appears to take it as the former; he is too gay virtuous for the other option.

Two seconds after they decide to stay together, they encounter Xue Yang lying injured by the side of the road. A-Qing pretends she didn’t see him, and almost successfully wangles a piggyback ride out of Xiao Xingchen. 

But then he hears Xue Yang and immediately decides to rescue him, like the do-gooder Xue Yang despises him for being.

Xue Yang gets the romance-tropey piggyback ride that A-Qing was hoping for. Girl, the time to stop trying to seduce your gay male friend is 5 minutes before you started, ok?  

So...why was Xue Yang lying by the side of the road with a stab wound? Who gave it to him? If Jin Guangyao was sick of him, he would have stabbed him 100% fatally, and he wouldn't have let him hang on to Tiger Seal 2.0. And presumably Xue Yang wouldn’t think of him as a friend any more. It’s a mystery.

The new throuple decide to go to the creepiest abandoned walled city that has ever existed, and head past all the regular houses to set up camp in the morgue, for some reason. Not even inside one of the buildings; just out in the courtyard with a bunch of possibly-occupied coffins. Xiao Xingchen is so fucking weird. 

Each Unhappy Family is Unhappy in its Own Way

Xiao Xingchen gets to work patching Xue Yang up, and Xue Yang wakes up and recognizes him. A-Qing explains that they are blind and tells him not to be rude about it.

Xue Yang takes a second to process the situation, and then decided he’s going to hide his identity and make nice with Xiao Xingchen. Proving that found family can also have hideous toxic dynamics.

Xue Yang is very careful to keep XXC from touching his hand, since that would give away his identity. He has a...prosthetic finger? He wears a black glove and keeps his pinky finger straight so we know it's a replacement, or injured, or something. 

I think this is a concession to Wang Haoxuan having ten functional fingers and the show having a limited CGI budget. In a real sword-based society, missing a finger is probably not particularly uncommon, and he would probably just rock the nine-fingered look without having a special glove.

At this point, the complex interactions of the trio get rolling. Xiao Xingchen is honestly kind, Xue Yang is fake-kind, A-Qing is fake-unaware with Xue Yang and is unable to make Xiao Xingchen understand the problem, and Xiao Xingchen is genuinely unaware of everything. 

We spend a fairly large amount of time with Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen playing happy families. As part of his false persona, Xue Yang adopts a coy and whiny tone when talking to his pet white-clad cultivator, remarkably like another demonic cultivator we know.

I’m pretty sure Wei Wuxian has never managed to cop a feel while his sweetie climbs up a ladder, however. 

Then again, neither Lan Wangji nor Wei Wuxian has ever needed a ladder to get onto a roof, so maybe it’s just a lack of opportunity. 

This relationship, on the surface, is cute and sweet, which just makes the reality of it more disturbing. It’s super uncomfortable to watch, but there’s more than manipulation happening in these interactions. As Xue Yang flits around doing domestic tasks like patching the roof of the crappy outdoor shelter that they absolutely do not need to be using, he tells Xiao Xingchen various true things about his early life, and we begin to see what shaped him. 

Xue Yang (like OP) is obsessed with candy. In Xue Yang’s case, he was a hungry street kid who loved candy but couldn’t usually have it because of poverty. We learn that he has skills in patching up inadequate housing because he did it growing up. 

And we learn that he was beaten a lot. 

So he and Wei Wuxian have these things in common - except now Wei Wuxian gets his sugar from alcohol, not from candy. And Wei Wuxian’s handyman skills are used to make a home for his former enemies in the burial grounds, while Xue Yang’s are used - also in a cemetery, of sorts - to manipulate and trap his enemy. 

I Want Candy

In classic predator form, Xue Yang uses candy to lure A-Qing into coming within stabbing range, because he thinks she’s faking her blindness and wants to test her.  

I find him super attractive right here in spite of his evilness. I’m pretty sure it’s because he’s offering candy. (OP goes and gets a jolly rancher out of her purse). 

After calling her over, he draws his sword with a super-loud "sshshk" noise that she inexplicably doesn't notice, and she bravely walks up to, and nearly on to, the point of the sword. 

This shocks him and convinces him that she's really blind. He sits her down with apparently sincere gentleness, and gives her candy, while quizzing her about her hot gege.

A-Qing tries to warn Xiao Xingchen about Xue Yang being a bad guy, pointing out that he's a cultivator and won't tell them his name. (She can’t say “also he tried to stab me” because she’d have to come clean about being able to see.) Xiao Xingchen, because he is a condescending prick--albeit a very sweet one--pats her on the fucking head and laughs off her extremely useful warning. 

Xiao Xingchen came out into the wider world with a set of ideals that he lives by, apparently without examining them. He’s humble, kind, frugal, and wants to eradicate evil. He also believes that the majority of people are good like him, and that detecting evil is simple--as simple as following his sword toward it. He doesn’t allow A-Qing, who is experienced in the wider world, to teach him anything, preferring to keep his ideals untarnished.

Contrast this with Lan Wangji, who also starts his journey into the wider world with a set of ideals (codified as rules), but does not make the mistake of assuming that other people shares his beliefs. Once he’s away from the Cloud Recesses, he follows Wei Wuxian’s lead when dealing with new people, rather than insisting on doing things the way he did back home. In general, he is open to having his beliefs challenged, even when it makes him upset or uncomfortable. As a result, he grows into a righteous man, not a naïve one, and he’s fully capable of identifying enemies even when they appear to be friends.

Bonus: 

In this brief long-distance shot we learn that A-Qing sleeps in a coffin, which is some next level goth girl shit. 

Soundtrack: 1. Hey Pretty by Poe 2. I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow 3. Cheap Thrills by Sia

[cataclysmicevie]

The Soul Remains [ Twitter Implosion Updates ] Pt. 2

The thought is so sudden, so violent, it takes him off guard.

He doesn't even realize what he's doing until he catches himself imagining the crunch of bones beneath his hands.

He pales for a moment, nails biting into his palm, and before he has the chance to reel from that--

Wei Wuxian takes Jiang Meng's hand, and the first thing Jiang Meng does is bend over to kiss the back of his knuckles.

Forget at the knuckle. He'll break every knuckle, he'll--

"Jiang-gonzi," Wei Wuxian's smile is charming, his fingers squeezing around Jiang Meng's invitingly. "The honor was all ours when you accepted."

No.

Jiang Meng isn’t effeminate. That isn’t why the people in Yunmeng spread rumors about him being a cutsleeve.

Nor is he the sharp-tongued sort, one who would make enemies who would want to start vicious rumors about him easily.

No.

He’s broad shouldered and thick all over, with wild hair and warm eyes. His laugh is loud, and his bearing is pleasant.

Lan Wangji wants to watch him draw his last breaths.

No, Jiang Meng is called a cut sleeve because, well—

That is exactly what he is.

Lan Wangji has never seen someone so comfortable with looking at another man with open lust, and to be fair, he's lived with a silent pit in his stomach every time a woman has looked at Wei Wuxian in such a way, but--

None of them looked as though they could handle a punch from him.

Jiang Meng does.

Jiang Meng, who sits directly by Wei Wuxian's side during meals. Jiang Meng, who doesn't have to walk a few steps behind when they move down the corridors, because he's still just a guest.

Jiang Meng, who can laugh with Wei Wuxian unreservedly. Drink with him without shame.

Lan Wangji's friendship with Wei Wuxian is one that exists in spite of better odds. It was practically an accident of nature, an animal that never should have survived such evolution.

Admittedly, that was his own fault. Lan Wangji had people who were responsible for him, and people he was responsible for. He didn't have friends, and he didn't know how to make them.

Jiang Meng befriends the prince in a matter of hours.

He smiles easily. He makes him laugh.

He takes Wei Wuxian's hand when he dismounts from his horse, and Lan Wangji leapfrogs past breaking knuckles, and instead finds himself vividly imagining severing that hand at the wrist.

Ridiculous, he thinks. Childish, he thinks.

Words he's repeated for years like a mantra, hurling them at Wei Wuxian each time the warmth in his chest became too much to bear. He never thought he'd be directing them to himself, this time with so much more venom.

But Lan Wangji knows his place.

Knows that the King is watching, and that if he sees his son's behavior and makes no move to correct it—

Then Lan Wangji doesn't have that right either.

Even as he watches Wei Wuxian smile at Jiang Meng wider, leaning his chin on his hand, practically batting his eyelashes at him.

Making a fool of himself, and even if the social season is slow, and there aren't many courtiers lingering to see such a spectacle, it's disgraceful.

And painful.

Lan Wangji didn't expect that.

It's logical. He has no right to be so shocked by it.

Watching the person you breathe for fall in love with someone else is not a painless act.

Of course, Wei Wuxian isn't falling in love with Jiang Meng. Not in the span of a day, or even two. At least--Lan Wangji doesn't think he is. It's simple flirting.

(Even if, for him, love was something that could happen in the matter of a single glance.)

But for the first time, Lan Wangji can imagine what it might seem like when the prince does fall in love. When playful, mindless flirting becomes something more. When his smiles will soften, and the teasing words that fall from his lips will carry more weight.

He can see that in all of the attention the prince is lavishing on a stranger, and--

And Wei Wuxian has never batted his eyelashes at Lan Wangji.

If you exclude the moments when he was pretending to be a young woman in a marketplace to escape from him, and he wasn't serious about that.

Lan Wangji glances down at his empty cup, and for the first time in his life, he half considers the possibility of not raising his hand to stop a servant from filling it with wine as they pass.

But he still has a duty, even if it won't be his for much longer.

And when Wei Wuxian glances back, hair slipping over his shoulder, his eyes meeting Lan Wangji's for just a moment--

He turns back to Jiang Meng, and he smiles at him even wider.

(I like you.)

Lan Wangji looks back down at an empty cup.

(Lan Zhan, I like you so much.)

And for a moment, it feels almost cruel.

It would be, if Wei Wuxian knew.

Lan Wangji doesn't see how he could. Doesn't think he would be doing any of this if he did.

Wei Wuxian is silly, sometimes childish, and nearly always impulsive. But he's also never been malicious or vindictive, and he's never harmed Lan Wangji intentionally.

And for a moment, it really seems to hit him. Like he's been dancing around this for years, and now, he's finally forced to look the truth in the face, and see it for what it is:

Wei Wuxian might be doing this because Lan Wangji is leaving.

Because he doesn't know what Lan Wangji feels. He has no idea what he's thinking, or what he's feeling, because Lan Wangji hasn't told him.

Which means he has no way of knowing that Lan Wangji wouldn't be disgusted with this sort of behavior.

Maybe, now that he's leaving, Wei Wuxian thinks he can finally...do this.

Flirt with a boy. Possibly even have a relationship with one.

Because Lan Wangji won't be there to judge him.

He tells himself that he should make his peace with that. That it's what needed to happen anyway. That it doesn't matter if Wei Wuxian knows or he doesn't, because how Lan Wangji feels doesn't actually matter.

Because he can control his reactions. He can't control what he feels, but those feelings don't have to control him.

He knows his place. He knows--

"You never told me you were such an accomplished rider," Wei Wuxian smirks, slowly rolling a glass marble across the table with his finger. "You were able to clear the river as if it was nothing."

That would be nauseating on it's own. Watching him practically lean into another man's lap. Listening to vague innuendo.

But Jiang Meng is just as bad, if not worse.

"Oh, you're flattering me, your highness—your riding skills are well known." Jiang Meng smiles, and he hardly has to move much at all to be whispering just next to Wei Wuxian's ears.

Lan Wangji's eyes lift from his cup sharply, just in time to see the guest's hand come to rest on the prince's knee.

"Everyone knows that your thighs would put mine to shame."

Crack!

[rayan12sworld]

💙All will be well when the day is done

By:abCEE

Summary:

The one where Yu Ziyuan time traveled but she thought that it was her visions of her alternate life.

She learned that there is a brat named Wei Ying who brought destruction to her and her family's life.

And so in her present, she vowed that she will never allow that to happen.

 

In which Yu Ziyuan found the four-year-old Wei Ying, newly pushed out of the inn where his parents left him, and decided that no, this child must never be associated with her, her family, and their sect at all.

And so Yu Ziyuan thought that she could bring him somewhere where someone may or may not find him but definitely far from where her husband could find him. If he's lucky, he'll survive that winter, if he's not, then death awaits the fevered child.

This is the extent of mercy that Yu Ziyuan could give a child.

With this, she'll raise her children without having to deal with a brat that brings trouble where he goes according to her visions of her alternate life.

Like the tag stated, this is definitely not Yu Ziyuan centric.

Chapter:8/8

Words:76,082

Status:Completed

“Attempt the impossible.” Lan Qiren heard Wei Wuxian say that a lot of times and there were moments that he wanted to cover his lips to stop saying that. He could imagine Wei Changze shaking his head. He could imagine Cangse Sanren’s disapproving gaze. No parent would want to see their child suffer this way. He listened to the title given to Wei Wuxian and he felt how it did not fit the real Wei Wuxian. Yiling Patriarch. Lan Qiren shook his head. As much as it implies great power, Lan Qiren knew it was spoken out of spite most of the time. He watched Wei Wuxian meet Jiang Yanli in her wedding dress. He hated how he expected something more… especially with how Jiang Yanli was supposed to be the best sister in the world according to Wei Wuxian… and yet nothing happened. They went back to the Burial Mounds with a clarity bell and a bowl of soup. ~~

Lan Qiren could only shut his eyes. He failed… he failed this Wei Wuxian. As Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren’s friend, as his teacher, as an elder… Lan Qiren failed. He watched his nephew try to stop Wei Wuxian from falling. He watched how Jiang Wanyin stabbed the rock. He watched how Wei Wuxian let go. He listened to how his nephew screamed his name while Wei Wuxian had a resigned expression on his face. ~~

This was Wei Wuxian’s second life and his nephew has promised himself to stand by his side whatever happened. The more that he sees Lan Sizhui and his similarities with his nephews as well as his closeness with Wangji… Lan Qiren felt a tug in his heart. Does Wei Wuxian realize it as well or is it just him? When he learned the young disciple's courtesy name… he immediately confirmed his thoughts. Who – who made it possible? He was just a child who turned three at that time. The answer is obvious to him though. His nephew could have held onto the only living person associated with Wei Wuxian who loves and values him as much as Lan Wangji does… his husband in the eyes of Gusu-Lan Sect no matter what their age was during the wedding. It was done in front of their great ancestor and first female Sect Leader after all. Sizhui – to recollect and to long for. Wangji even bestowed him with such an emotional yet beautiful courtesy name. ~~

Lan Qiren’s brows furrowed when Wei Wuxian left Gusu. He almost tried to tug his robes to stop him from leaving after he parted ways with his nephew who was now the Chief Cultivator on top of the mountain. Why? Wangji did not even tell him that they were married! Qiren almost stomped his feet if he was not floating. They have waited and pinned long enough! Why are they parting?! Lan Qiren cannot imagine his life with someone as what his nephew and Wei Wuxian had. The true love and devotion remind Qiren of his brother and sister-in-law who fell in love but were put in such a situation that caused their current situation. ~~

As she swallowed hard, feeling pain on her palm with how tight she was gripping her fists, Yu Ziyuan saw the face of the brat in his Gusu-Lan robes with the main clan’s ribbon on his forehead.  Lan Qiren’s prized ward. Third Jade of Lan. Fourth among the Young Masters. And just recently, earned his title together with Lan Wangji. The light bearer and his light source. Hanguangjun and Guangyuanjun. Him?! The light source? Guangyuanjun ?! How could a brat become a light source?! He is a brat! A son of a servant and he does not deserve to receive any titles! Yu Ziyuan could feel blood dripping to the ground from her palms. She recalled the words in the letter she just read. Betrothal… which means… in the future, he will be leading the Lan Sect with Lan Wangji once Qinghengjun abdicates the position. ~~ karama is bitch 😉😉

[rosethornewrites]

T & G reading since 2/15

Finished

Teen:

Once Upon A Dream, by wordlessinsomniac (2nd in a series)

“Bad dreams can’t hurt you, A-Yuan,” he whispered, conscious of his sleeping husband behind him. “Do you know why?”

Lan Yuan shook his head, his hair brushing along Wei Wuxian’s collarbones.

“Because bad dreams aren’t real,” he explained. “If something isn’t real, it can’t get you.”

you can have the best of me, baby, by stiltonbasket (16 chapters)

Twelve hours after Jiang Cheng and the others escape from Mount Muxi, Wei Wuxian risks wading into the lake and discovers that the underwater passage to the stream in the maple wood has been blocked behind the tortoise’s body.

“It’s sleeping right beside the opening,” he whispers, when he and Lan Zhan are safe in a tunnel of rock too narrow for the Xuanwu’s neck and head. “Judging by the current in the water, that passage was the only way out.”

Trapped in the Xuanwu's cave with no means of escape, Lan Wangji suggests a surprising course of action to strengthen himself and Wei Wuxian for battle: dual cultivation.

The session proves successful, but despite their best efforts, Wei Wuxian's golden core yields unexpected consequences for them both.

Fact Check (出面辟谣, 以正视听), by dragongirlG

出面辟谣, 以正视听: to come forth and refute rumors so that the truth may be revealed

In an effort to preserve Wei Wuxian's reputation, Lan Wangji writes pointed reviews of shoddy cultivation tools which use the Yiling Laozu's name for marketing.

General:

Rumors, by WithBroomBefore

The Yiling Patriarch is dead, executed by the hand of the sect leader he turned upon. Everyone knows this to be true.

Wen Qing looks the still face over critically, leans down to fold the cold fingers more neatly together, rests the back of her hand briefly against the pale skin. Even with the mortal wound invisible under his robes, he lacks the flicker of life in his expression that would make him look only asleep; still, it is good to see him resting properly, for she cannot think of a night in the past months or even years that he slept through. And the silence of his unsmiling mouth gives her own poor ears some respite. Yes, death suits Wei Wuxian.

She tells him so when he comes clattering through the door, already peeling off the glamour of the face he must now wear in public, and he squawks predictably.

Young Madam Jin, by StarClearWaters (Readoutloud) (🔒)

“Jiejie, I thought he had killed you!”

“A-Cheng, what do you mean? A-Xian didn’t hurt me. I was protecting him. It was not his fault. It was my choice” A stupid ridiculous choice. She knows now just how she had been used.

A new found family, by MusicMe_tc (🔒)

Something happened to Lan Wangji and Lan Qiren has decided to keep it a secret so as to not bring any unnecessary attention to the problem nor cause any alarm that might stress him more that it should.

… At least, that was the plan until a certain rule-breaker decided to ask for Lan Wangji.

Or: the story of how Wei Wuxian accidentally becomes part of the Lan family by offering to take care of Lan Wangji.

Unfinished

Teen:

a-Qing's Guide to Destroying Your Enemies, by nerdzeword

Have you ever had that person who we hate with a passion, for no reason? (yet.) Or had that one lady who just will not stop bothering you? (leave.) Or that one guy who just won't take no for an answer? (ew.) Today, our resident former street rat and current con artist has put together some helpful tips to living your best life, free of assholes.

Shards of Hope, by Dreaming_Days

He had fought his entire life to make his way in the world. Made choices that turned his stomach just to survive. Built a life with blood and sweat and watched it crumble before him. And, in the end, utterly forsaken, Jin Guangyao died.

Then, 25 years earlier, Meng Yao woke up.

General:

I Have Arranged to Tie You to Me, by xxxMiaHikarixxx

Lan Wangji is bedridden after receiving the thirty-three strikes as his punishment. He has just been informed of Wei Ying's death. He is convinced he'll never see his beloved again and his soul mourns the loss of him. But something happens in the Jingshi that forces Lan Wangji back to the past, almost three years before Wei Ying visits Cloud Recesses. Lan Wangji is determined to change the past and make sure his beloved is safe and treated with the respect he deserves this time.

The Ghost Of Koi Tower, by stiltonbasket

When Jin Rusong is old enough to eat by himself, his mother teaches him how to test his dishes for poison.

“You must always carry a silver pin, or even more than one,” she tells him, showing him the long, sharp needle and putting it right down the middle of his rice bowl. “If you put it into your food, and it discolors, you must not eat it. Find someone safe as quick as you can, and try to eat from dishes that others have already been served from whenever it is possible.”

It’s an odd first lesson for a child to learn. But when you were almost poisoned to death when you were only a baby, knowing how to test your food might be the best first lesson after all.

Ten months after Nie Mingjue's death, Jin Rusong survives an assassination attempt intended for his father.

Lan Xichen, however, does not.

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Were Wangxian morally ideal characters from the get-go, or did they develop into ideal characters over the course of the novel?

I personally viewed them as having the ideal characteristics of being a good person. Does this mean "perfect", of course not. They had to mature into what doing the right thing was with their all.

Forcing living people to serve as bait, beating them at any sign of disobedience—how is that different from the behavior of the Wen Clan of Qishan?”

Another guest cultivator stood up. "Of course it’s different. The Wen dogs committed all manner of evil deeds. They deserved to fall in such disgrace. All we’re doing is retaliating in kind, an eye for an eye. Giving them a taste of their own medicine. Where’s the fault in that?”

"Bite back at the ones that bit you,” Wei Wuxian said. “But Wen Ning’s branch of the family was never stained with innocent blood. Are you just punishing them by association?”

"Wei-gongzi, you say that, but are their hands really clean?” someone reasoned. “That’s only one side of the story, based on your word alone. Where’s the proof?”

"Isn’t your claim that they killed innocents also a one-sided story?” Wei Wuxian countered. "Shouldn’t you show proof first? Why are you asking me?”

Wei Wuxian took his resentment out on all the Wens he could during war and placed that aside in order to avoid unneeded cruelty. He may be ruthless but he is never unjust to innocent people.

His sense of innocence is not untouchable bystanders only, he realizes that real humanity is not the hypocrisy of claiming power and victimization at the same time once you have achieved success over the enemy, it's moving on and extending mercy when applicable. Wei Wuxian had to learn when to use mercy over his tendency towards violence first when he protected others.

And in regard to Lan Wangji,

"I was worried that if those from another sect found you first, Wangji would be considered your accomplice. The best scenario was his name being forever tainted, and the worst was his life being taken away right then and there. So, along with Shufu, we chose thirty-three seniors who had always thought highly of Wangji and searched for two days on our swords in secrecy. Only then did we find signs of you two within the Yiling region. Wangji hid you in a cave. When we arrived, you sat blankly on a rock within it. Holding your hand, Wangji was giving you spiritual energy. He kept on whispering to you. But throughout that entire time, you repeated the same two words to him.

“‘Get lost’!”

Wei Wuxian’s throat was dry. His eyes were red as well. He couldn’t say a single thing. Lan Xichen continued, “Shufu suddenly appeared before him and scolded him, demanding for him to explain things. It was as if he knew all along he would be discovered by us, but he said that there was nothing to explain, that it was as it seemed. Growing up, he had never talked back to Shufu or me, not even once. But for you, not only did Wangji talk back to him, he even drew his sword on the cultivators from the Gusu Lan Sect. He heavily injured all thirty-three of the seniors we asked to come…”

Wei Wuxian dug his hands into his hair, “… I-I didn’t know… I really…”

Apart from repeating how he didn’t know, he wasn’t able to say anything else. Lan Xichen restrained himself for a moment, but continued on, “Thirty-three whip scars! He was punished in one go, once for every person. You should know how much it hurts when it lands on your body, for how long you have to rest to recover! After he went out of his way to send you back to The Grave Hills, he returned in such low spirits to receive his punishment, how long he kneeled before the Wall of Discipline! I told him when I went to see him, ‘Wei gongzi has already made a grave mistake, there is no use augmenting it’. But he said… that he could not say with certainty that what you did was right or wrong, but no matter what, he was willing to be responsible for all of the consequences alongside you. They say those years were him reflecting on his mistakes, but in reality he was entirely bedridden. Even so, when he knew of your passing, he still dragged such a body to The Grave Hills to take one last look, despite everything.”

“With the way in which he looked and talked to you when he saved you and hid you in that cave, even someone who was blind or deaf could perceive his feelings, which was why Shufu was so angry. Wangji was a role model for the disciples when he was younger, and a prominent cultivator when he grew up. For his entire life he had been honest, righteous and immaculate—you were the one mistake he made! And you still say… you say you did not know. Wei-gongzi, after you returned in that body, how much did you pester him and tease him? Every night… Every night, you continued to. And you say you did not know? If you did not know, why did you do such things?”

I have pointed out that there was never anything he HAD to learn about what it meant to be morally good, he knew himself what that was and always acted on that, when he was not hesitating due to his own learnings of obedience means righteousness. His struggle is a representation of traditional doaist moralistic beliefs against the reformations of Confucian Doaism for society. What is the morally good individualistically, against what is the moral right of society. These do not and hardly ever, reflect the overall good of humanity as a whole. When you are faced with the society and community you have lived with your whole life being hypocritical, it is a difficult thing to begin to parse out and essentially alienate yourself from due to the natural kindness of what individuals see and need.

He comes to terms with what his rules sustain his need of helping others and the needs of who he cares for that he sees life similarly to.

[bigmilkshakekitten]

MDZS Wangxian - Not Jiang friendly

no.5

↑Description:

One where the Golden Core transfer goes...sideways.

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One where Wen Qing ends up in the past and fixes the future.

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When you shine as brightly as a star, people notice. Everyone wants a worthy, loyal, and strong person by their side.

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Jiang Cheng, Nie Huaisang and Lan Wangji decide to team up to go back in time to protect the people they love. The catch is, Jiang Cheng switch’s some characters in the array to erase Wei Wuxian from existence thinking everything will be better without him. Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang are upset about the change but as long as Jiang Cheng has his family back alive he doesn’t care about their feelings.

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A canon divergence where Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin return to Lotus Pier before Jiang Fengmian's death and hear something shocking. As a result, Wei Wuxian's life changes completely.

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At the age of seven, Wei Ying ran away from the Jiang Sect, broken and traumatized. He didn't expect to be rescued, especially by Taizi Dianxia and Crimson Rain themselves. Reduced to a shy, selective mute, Wei Ying still retained his sunny smile and kind heart, which endears him to everyone he meets. He may have lost his chance of being the Head Disciple for the Jiangs, but in return, he gained new parents, an entire Heavenly court of powerful aunts and uncles wrapped around his fingers, and even some Ghostly relatives as well.

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Why did Immortal Bàoshān Sǎnrén never intervene in the affairs of the Cultivation World?

Many say it was because she was a being not of this world and couldn’t meddle with the affairs of mortals, but what if that wasn’t true.

For a thousand years a woman slept in her secluded mountain, when a whisper from the heavens awoke her from her slumber. The voice told her the injustice the Cultivation World had done to her daughter and son–in–law, they spoke of the injustice that now was about to befall on her grandson.

A punishment they had no right too.

So she left her paradise with her youngest disciple, a crystal was tucked away in her sleeve of red and black. She will show the world a story they had never heard, never dared ask. She’d show them how in the times of long ago why they feared her name.

↑Description:

Wen Chao has a different idea to punish Wei Wuxian but it turned out to be entirely different.

↑Description:

Wei Wuxian risks everything to go back, he cant loose his family again. Loosing the Wen were enough, he cant lose his husband and their children, the Lan's who he loved and who in turn learned to love him. He cant-no won't lose the people he lived for.

↑Description:

Wei Ying has always been a smart child, so when he finds himself back on the streets he was taken from, he decides to make the most of it. Even when he's half-starved, severely injured, and just thrown into the worst place he can think of, he'll come back. And god help anyone who gets in the way of his peaceful life.

Masterlist

[faery-snow]

Wow. There's parts of this I'm like, "oh yeah, totally," but what gets me are the basic differences in how I understand WWX.

I don't see WWX as an extroverted butterfly. Like, he likes people, but he also seems to like alone-time and the space to work his mind without interruption. I perceive his overexuberance as a technique he employs - not necessarily consciously - in order to cope with the specific social environment in which he grew up. He's spent his whole life straddling a duality where he is either lowered or raised according to others' whims. Held up as a standard, or compared as a warning; praised for overcoming his lessened birth, or considered incapable of greatness because of the same; expected to be less than the house's heirs and expected to protect them; etc. Much of it is pretty standard stuff for the culture, except that as an orphan, he had no support, no backing as he navigated it. Nobody saying, "who you are is good enough for those around you." As an adult, I often take it for granted that people will hold that conviction themselves, forgetting that we first learn it from the people who taught us to speak and reason and understand.

Furthermore, while Yu Ziyuan criticizing JC could be emblematic of a caring parent, she did it to excess, spurred by the behavior of JFM, and WWX was regularly drawn into the drama of their family dynamics - but again without solid support to fall back against. There was never anyone solidly in his corner, and how others perceived him, approached him, and talked about him was largely out of his control, including among his most intimate relationships; and how he viewed himself had to be entirely self-constructed.

I see his behavior as a way to wrest some power back in social situations. He forced others to acknowledge him even if they didn't want to, which also meant that when people acknowledged him negatively, it could be passed off as resulting from his pretense of arrogance* and not from his actually being worth less as a person. The best way to hide insecurity is arrogance. While I don't think WWX had low self-esteem, I think he felt insecure in his relationships - low others-esteem, if you will.

*Not all his arrogance is pretense, obviously. He acknowledges that himself later. And even when it wasn't, affecting arrogance as a pretense is itself an arrogant act.

There are a lot of layers. Basically, I see him as a good study in the self-protection a teenager can develop who is raised in constant uncertainty. I don't see him as a true extrovert, but as someone who plays an act in order to pre-defend himself and have some measure of control over his life.

I mean, like I said, I still agree with some of OP's interpretation. 😅 It's just funny the differences in why. Like, I think he's a creative genius who is going to have issues staying in a rigid sect long-term, plus he's married to a probably-autistic person who thrives on, requires, a high degree of regularity. That's not insurmountable, but it is something they'll have to work out in their relationship. And while the mental and philosophical rigidity of the Lan sect is going to be rough on WWX, I think the fact that they have comparatively less jockeying for position in the social hierarchy - that's going to be really nice for him. That stability could help him learn how to uncoil and live securely, where the social ground isn't constantly shifting under your feet. And LWJ himself is a very steady person too, including a steady friend and lover. (I like to think it's one of the benefits of having a relationship with us autistics. 😊 Our "over"-honesty and our rigidity tend to make us consistent.)

I like stories that end with more to come in the characters' lives, and that's how I feel about MDZS. It's clear Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji both have development and learning and change ahead of them. I kind of like that. That their happy ending is the blooming of a space where they can heal and grow beyond their old selves. Maybe because that's the sort of life-chapter-close I always want for myself: one journey's end leaving you ready to start on the next path.

It would've been nice to see that next chapter hinted more strongly, instead of just left open: the absence of indication where WWX and JC's relationship is heading is frustrating to me. Do they seriously never talk again? Like, sure, there's a buildup of many years of trauma, but they could at least acknowledge each other's pain. It feels awkwardly self-indulgent on both their parts.

I do like that we get hints of WangXian's future at least, seeing them living in places besides YSBZC; it seems the hc that they spend part of their time in YSBZC and part of their time traveling and living elsewhere is accurate, and probably for the best lol. I don't know if WWX would ever learn to stop masking completely in social situations and just be his [somewhere between introverted and extroverted?] self, but I can hope.

I think Wei Wuxian going from arrogant, shunning his place in society, chatty as fuck but never says anything real -> basically the same but with LWJ on his side this time is not a good story actually. we were doing so well with the gradual buildup of past revelations and parallels between the senior trio (Lan Xichen-Jin Guangyao-Nie Mingjue) and the succeeding one (LWJ-WWX-JC) but then it all fell apart. there’s a difference between confronting your current self and developing from it vs. ignoring the past and living an idyllic dream.

[wangxianficrecs]

Rewind 2024 - Part II

WangxianFicRecs - Rewind 2024

Part two of our favourite stories published in 2024. If you also want to give a shout-out to a story, submit an ask and we will share it in an upcoming post featuring Follower Recs and Proud Author Spotlights.

~*~

Now it's just too late to turn around

by kokozy

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Cloud Recesses had never truly felt like home to him; Lan Yuan's home was wherever Hanguang-Jun was and sadly, Cloud Recesses was not Hanguang-Jun's home either.

~*~

💙 and taste the stars

by lowlightt (@lowlightt)

T, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “When a living person enters this place, there’s no coming back—for the body or the soul."

~*~

🔒 Story of a Dream

by Bamboo_Gden

G, 1k, Wei Wuxian & Jiang Yanli | Kay's Rec

Summary: She tried to shake away any sad thought, this was supposed to be a merry reunion, after all. A-Xian had always been someone very especial to her. A solace of gentleness and kindness within a house so filled of grudges and hatred. She knew it was the same to him. Blood didn’t tie them, but they were undoubtedly family. Jiang Yanli pays a visit to her A-Xian to catch up with him.

~*~

A Promise in Ink

by Witch_Nova221 (@witchnova221)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Lan Zhan is given a pen pal in school. For ten years, they write to one another, sharing their lives but never seeing each others' faces until, one day, Wei Ying comes home.

~*~

🔒 jujube

by colbygege

T, 4k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Ying thinks back on the last month, collecting all the clues that, really, should have tipped him off far sooner than he allowed them to that he was married to Lan Zhan. He has no one to blame but himself, but also? Maybe he's not so mad.

~*~

🔒As good as

by apathyinreverie (@apathyinreverie)#

T, 6k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Cangse Sanren would be disappointed. (Where LQR, right smack in the middle of the war, realizes that WWX doesn’t have a Core. He promptly enlists his own pining nephew in ensuring that, after winning the war for them, WWX is going to end up with GL instead of YJ. He owes that much to Cangse Sanren.)

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Only if for a night

by sacrificial_fawn

M, 7k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: During the Sunshot Campaign, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian become stranded in the middle of a storm, the situation is far from ideal, especially to go into labor. Even more if Wei Wuxian didn't even know he was pregnant.

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Winter sun (back in my arms)

by barisan (@barisan-no)

T, 19k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Still, he cannot keep himself from seeing it. The way the corners of his mouth curl when he smiles, the way his eyes crinkle. The way he lets out a little snort before he laughs. The way he rubs the bridge of his nose when focused. Now that he has let himself see it, he cannot keep his mind from noticing each and every detail, cataloging what is his, what isn’t, and what is fully, simply, A-Yuan. His A-Yuan. The little mole by his lip, the shape of his eyes, his nose. A-Yuan, A-Yuan, A-Yuan. The Bio Dad WWX AU I’ve been screaming about for months.

~*~

Ebb and Flow

by trulywicked (@trulywicked)

M, 10k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian has not been having an easy time of it since his mate left to reclaim his home and now he's beginning to wonder if the promise to return had all the substance of seafoam.

~*~

divine, divine

by sunflowersfield

T, 3k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “Wei Ying. May I ask…what are you doing?” Wei Ying doesn’t glance up from the assembly manual he is reading. “I have to at least scan the instructions before I build your end tables, Lan Zhan!” “But…why are you building my end tables?” Now, Wei Ying does look up from where he is crouched on the floor. “Because you paid for assembly, of course!” he responds. Lan Zhan shakes his head. “I don’t believe I did.” Or: Lan Zhan accidentally adds assembly service to his furniture order and meets Wei Ying in the process.

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till death

by darjeelinh (@darjeelinh)

M, 7k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Near death after destroying the Stygian Tiger Seal, Wei Wuxian has one last wish. He wishes to see Lan Zhan one last time. The universe grants him this final act of kindness. In the dead of night, Lan Wangji wakes up with a surprise visitor.

~*~

‘cause it’s worth the sacrifice to finally be strong

by MichelleFeather

G, 4k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: "Why does no one believe you both are in a relationship with each other?" he asked over dinner, Lan Huan not in attendance. Lan Zhan and Wei Ying shared a glance filled with years of that exact same question - along with the rage, anger, sadness, and acceptance that came with such a thought. Wei Ying swirled his drink around with his straw, the ice softly clinking against the clear glass. "They don't believe us. That's the only conclusion we've ever been able to come to Uncle." he responded, hesitantly looking up at the elder. "Uncle, you and the Wen siblings are the only people who believe Wei Ying and I are together, that we are married. Brother has always said we were best friends, soulmates, then immediately offered to arrange dates for me." ------------------------------------------------ Reverse trope: "instead of fake dating, everyone is convinced that you aren't actually dating"

~*~

duo xie

by Inventorofchairs

E, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: oops

~*~

New, Little Bit Better

by LydeNicoKITE

G, 3k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian comes back from the dead after six years, and he's exactly like anyone remembers him, but also entirely different. He has a different face, the same smile, a less conspicuous laugh, the same worn t-shirts of obscure bands Lan Wangji doesn't try to listen to at full volume because he cares too much about his hearing. He is not the version of him Wangji obsessed over in the past six years of insomnia, the Yiling Patriarch with a mind poisoned by dark magic, but he's not the boy he fell in love with, either. Having him back would would be an impossible type of joy, endless and complete, if Wei Wuxian was not avoiding him.

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for these hard-working authors if you like – or think others might like – these stories.)

[lansplaining]

AU where Xichen is feeling a little more polite and doesn’t point out Wei Wuxian’s ‘error’ while playing Song of Clarity, and obviously neither does Wangji, and the whole mystery unravels and never gets solved because of Lan musical snobbery 

[inappropriatewenning]

thank you @lansplaining for “wangji why is this person back in our lives :)”

[whumpbby]

God, yes, Wei Wuxian caused his own problems here!

He started to make allusions to JC and that wasn't working! His shidi was too innocent or embarrassed to understand them! (JC was weirded out and it didn't even occur to him that WWX might have been alluding to Zewu-Jun's sleeping dragon;) What to do, what to do??

And Zewu-Jun is also not really responding as he should to the thinly veiled advice! He did tell him Jiang Cheng was innocent in the ways of flesh and didn't have much luck on the romance scene! He did tell him that anyone wanting to romance him better takes care to be gentle and kind, and keeps their dick away for a while! What didn't catch??

(What Zewu-Jun got out of WWX's flailing and awkward monologues was that he wished to help his shidi find true love and there may be a viable candidate out there, but Wanyin was too innocent in the ways of romance to go for it. And that, seeing their strained relationship, Wei Wuxian was counting on his brother in law to help the Jiang Sect Leader in this endeavour. Zewu-Jun was quietly honoured to be trusted with this task and swore he will do his best to introduce Wanyin to the ways of a gentleman romance.)

Wei Wuxian was at the end of his rope. All his attempts were wasted.

The only thing that remained was a frank discussion with his shidi. Something that they never did. Not sober.

Thus, an evening of drinking commenced. After fortifying himself with three bottles of good wine, and making sure that Jiang Cheng was also sufficiently insulated, Wei Wuxian searched for the right words to air his concerns.

"Zewu-Jun has the biggest dick I've ever seen!"

Not the best opening, true, but it got Jiang Cheng's attention alright.

"What....?" Oh, his shidi got so red!

"I mean it. I've seen it....in the cold springs. You'd think that the cold would make it shrink to manageable size, but no...it was a monster!"

"Why... Why are you telling me this?" So, so red.

"I was scared for my life! You have to understand, Cheng-cheng, there are great many dicks out there in all shapes and sizes..."

"Please stop talking!"

"...and some of them can be a challenge." Where was he going with this? Ah yeah. "Take Lan Zhan, for example!"

"I don't want to take him for anything!"

Good thing they were so drunk, at least Jiang Cheng couldn't get away from him. Shidi was so ridiculously easy to hug into submission when he was drunk!

"Listen, A-Cheng, listeeeen..!"

"No! Don't wanna!"

"Listeen, you need a lot of oil. I mean, a lot! And a lot of foreplay!"

"Stop talking!"

"Stop wiggling, shidi, listen! When Lan Zhan and I..."

"I don't want to know what you freaks do! Don't tell me!"

"I'm going to tell you...! You need to know, Cheng-cheng, you need to... If you even find a dick-I mean a boy that you like...!"

Wei Wuxian was having a night of his life.

Jiang Cheng was going through his personal hell.

Thank god, at twenty to nine, Lan Wangji showed up to pick his husband up.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian was way too happy sounding as the Second Jade started to untangle him from Jiang Cheng (glaring at the sect leader all the while, as if he wasn't the victim here!). "Lan Zhan, I know we had our Everyday in the morning, but I need to show A-Cheng...!"

He was decidedly less amused when Wei Wuxian started to work on his belt! "Just for a moment, I need to show shidi how to slick up..."

"No! Huang... Huanguang-Jun, take him away!"

For once in their collective lives, Lan Wangji listened to Jiang Cheng and carted his husband away to fuck knows where. Jiang Cheng decided that the floor was comfortable enough after the mental torture he just went through.

In the morning he didn't remember much of the previous night, luckily.

Unluckily, the only thing he remembered pretty well was Wei Wuxian's distressed face as he whisper-shouted "Zewu-Jun has the biggest dick I've ever seen!"

How...how was he supposed to go back to normal after hearing that???

So, like, living in Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian visits colds springs every once in a while to boost him cultivation. Most of the time he goes there at night to avoid seeing anyone.

Except this time there's someone there.

WWX stumbles into the springs and, gasp, Zewu-Jun is there! Startled! And naked! And...

Oh, alright, so the endowment runs in the family. Huh, Lan Xichen may be even a bit more blessed than Lan Zhan - truly, a dragon among men! As expected of a Sect Leader and the First Jade. The main line of the Lan sure is scary!

(Does that mean Lan Qiren also...? No, don't think about that, Wei Ying! That's awful and gross!

...but does he???)

There's a bit of a scare, some embarrassed fumbling and both men go on their way, promising to never speak of it again! Wei Wuxian surely never thinks of it again.

...that is, until he notices that Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen are getting close. As friends. Okay, a bit closer and more familiar.

Too close! Red alert! Jiang Cheng cannot possibly face such an opponent!😱

His poor shidi will be killed! Split in two! Someone has to save him - or at least prepare him mentally for the challenge ahead!

Thus Wei Wuxian begins the campaign of bad innuendos and extended metaphors meant to signal to Jiang Cheng that an escape is still possible.

Jiang Cheng starts to regret not killing the Yiling Laozu with his own hands.