#It's just that I reread this novel so many times and YWS's split personality arc is still the hardest for me to make sense of

[georgeena]

I keep rereading chapter 75 & 76... I can't move on.

I do find it interesting just how adamant Shen Qiao is on separating Xie Ling from Yan Wushi [left pic], and how that fuels Yan Wushi even more in claiming Xie Ling a part of himself. Given that XL embodies traits that YWS dislikes, in my opinion at least, he seems to pick and choose when he sees XL as an extention of himself (if it means SQ is soft and indulgent towards him), and when he distances himself from XL (XL's contradicting actions to YWS's world view/way of doing things) [right pic]. Basically, YWS wants to have his cake and eat it too lolol

And just a bonus (because YWS thinks to himself in chapter 76: "The Shen Qiao whom you love so much will eventually forget your [Xie Ling's] existence." And I love that YWS still doesn't understand parts of Shen Qiao–especially parts that relate to his kindness)

more musings under the cut

I might have to find a better way to phrase "when he sees XL as an extention of himself", because that's not right, is it? YWS and SQ have this conversation multiple times in volume 3, and each time–if I remember right–YWS calls the other versions of him "fragments". It makes me wonder how that reads in Chinese...

English isn't my first language, but in this context, YWS calling A-Yan and Xie Ling fragments, carries a negative connotation in my interpretation. It also, sorry for repeating myself, distances the real Yan Wushi from those broken off pieces that were carved away intentionally, or came to be from other fragments left behind. YWS is such a self-made man (just look at his name or martial arts), I wouldn't put this kind of thinking past him. But then again, I might just be seeing too much into this!