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asksythe · 1 year

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MXTX Interview with Risa Wataya for Subaru Magazine P.3

Risa Wataya: So that’s how it is. Although Lan WangJi is very quiet, he always uses practical actions to protect Wei WuXian's feelings. He’s a character that makes people feel sincere and earnest. I also really liked the scene where he couldn't beat the alcohol and drank until he lost self-control.

Mo Xiang: Lan Wangji is a cute person! Although he is stubborn and cold and not easy for strangers to approach on the outside, but when he loves someone, he is innocent (*) and sensitive, like a teenage girl. He will cry. He will be shy, jealous, and hesitant. He will worry and fret by himself... I like gong like this! The weakness to wine is to show this cute side of Lan Wangji. I think childish gongs are very cute.

(*: the word used here is chun de 纯的. It means ‘pure’ in the mental and emotional sense. As in his love and his feelings are pure and have no other motives or agendas. It’s not pure/innocent as in... well... we all know Lan Wangji’s sexual awakening involves a dream about him r***-ing Wei Wuxian so... It’s not that kind of innocent.)

Risa Wataya: On his forehead, he wears a forehead band, like a headband in Japan. The fact that the forehead band symbolizes self-restraint is also very interesting.

Mo Xiang: In reality, the forehead band also frequently appears on the costumes of classical Chinese literature. So I think it is a kind of ancient Chinese aristocratic jewelry, to emphasize Gusu Lan Shi's nobility (*) but without giving too much meaning at that time… However, later upon investigation, I found that in ancient China, there was a "ceremonial stoicism" (**) of ethics and etiquette, which is also reflected in clothing and jewelry. For example, "hairpin", which means "proper/virtuous posture"... When walking, if the hairpin makes a sound, you need to adjust your posture. Although the exposure of the forehead does not seem to have special meaning, "binding" is reminiscent of "self-restraint.” After considering the behavioral ethics of the ancient Chinese, I developed this “restraint oneself” setting.

(*: the wording here does not actually mean nobility as in a ranking or social class of the time, but in the feelings evoked by Gusu Lan Shi, in the way they conduct themselves, restrain themselves, deny themselves extreme power, in the goals and standards they set for themselves, in the ways they treat other common people in a time where China had an extremely rigid nine-ranked caste system and extensive slave class and slavery system. A sense of beyond the petty squabbles of common mortals. In other words, nobility from the bones)

(**: 礼服克己 Lifu Keji: an ancient manifested philosophy and a type of Asian ascetism where a practitioner must conduct his life, from the smallest, most insignificant details, with extreme restraint and control.)

Risa Wataya: Ah, so that’s how it is. The plot related to the forehead band is quite interesting. Although looking at the full text, there are a lot of sorrowful, tragic parts, but after adding such interesting details, the mood becomes much lighter.

Mo Xiang: If it's all torture (*), my readers will run away. By the way, the “Aside from the destined person, other people cannot touch the forehead band” detail is something I suddenly thought of during the writing process. I often read classical Chinese martial arts novels (wuxia). The female characters often appear on screen and say: "You have seen my face. You must marry me." "Or "You touch my hand, you're responsible!" (**) But I thought, "Why do women always have to say this?"

(*: modern Chinese slang. It literally means ‘reverse/mistreat.’ It denotes ‘sad, sorrowful’ tones in stories that will make you cry buckets and run away screaming or require times in therapy (Ask the folks reading Erha. They will tell you all about it). Chinese stories are often marked with either ‘mistreat’ or ‘sweet’ to tell readers the tone of the stories. Alternative slangs are ‘glass shards’ and ‘candies.’ It’s a very popular modern Chinese writing technique to mix glass shards and candies, and it’s generally believed there are no great stories without ‘glass shards’ in them. The readers need to cry to remember the stories you are telling. So the vast majority of modern Chinese literature is of the ‘glass shards mixed in candies’ variety. Have fun!)

(**: Common trope in Wuxia and Xianxia genre. This stems from the strict sexual segregation of ancient China and the rigid customs imposed on women. For thousands of years in China, up until the last one hundred years, it was very normal for daughters of wealthy families to never step foot outside their house, or even their personal wing inside their house, until the day of their wedding. And after their wedding, this process is repeated in their husband’s house.

The traditional saying is that there are only three places for women in this world: the ancestral hall, the kitchen, and the bedroom. This saying is even repeated by Jiang Cheng when talking about Jiang Yanli in the novel.

There’s a lot of emphasis on women maintaining extreme unstained virtue. So there used to be ridiculous things like if you see an unwed woman’s face, then you must take responsibility for her, and so forth. In particular dynasties, it also wasn’t strange for blood feuds or even all-out war to occur because some random dudes saw some particularly protected woman’s face… or touch her hair or that sort of thing.)

"So I wanted to try the same setup on the male character Lan Wangji, adding meaning to the forehead band. That moment when one’s ethics and ceremonial morality codes are broken. This feeling of hysterical panic and discombobulation applied to a male character might be very interesting indeed!” (*)

(*: tone / word choice is especially gleeful at seeing Lan Wangji metaphorically having his chastity slip being stolen by Wei Wuxian)

Translator note: Hmm, this part the vocabulary is a bit more complex and needing extra explanations than the previous two. I worry that a lot of lingual concepts don’t match up to the English words, or that the same concepts don’t exist at all. Ergo, the abundance of notes. I hope it’s not too disruptive.

That said, after this part 3, I will have to stop for a few days. The reason is because... I have to wait (and beg) for the scan of the next page in the interview. You might not know this, but this interview with MXTX was rumored by Japanese fans for a long time. The result is when it was confirmed, the May-June edition of Subaru magazine was sold out in minutes! People queued up for hours and could not buy it. The magazine originally retails for about 10 USD. But now there are people reselling it for 70 USD and there are plenty of people queuing up to buy those too! So of course... even had I tried... I still would not be able to get even a finger nail on this edition.

Luckily! I am in this Vietnamese MXTX fan group. A “rich sister” in there was able to acquire a copy and shared a scanned page with the rest of us. The magazine is something of a collector item now, much clout, very envy!! That kind! So the rest of us peons have to wait for the next scanned pages.

To Be Continued (Pray for me...)

#mdzs #MXTX #Interview #Translation #lan wangji #lan zhan

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wutheringskies · 7 months

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S3 EP 5: Lan Wangji visits Yiling CN Audio Drama + Inspired Meta about Mistakes

My heart feels so heavy. The episode starts with Jiang Cheng denouncing Wei Wuxian. There are a thousand rumours about him, instantly squashed by his own appearance. There is then Lan Wangji, who is cautious and hesitating. There's poor, good, Wen Ning, who wonders if he offended Lan Wangji in any way. There's the tsundere Wen Qing. There's A-yuan painting his happy picture with rich-gege, poor-gege, granny, qing-jiejie, granny, ning-gege, fourth uncle, wen bing bing etc, etc. There's Wei Wuxian saying it doesn't matter if Lan Wangji walks a broad-lit path, as he will continue to walk down the narrow path. There's Wei Wuxian saying Lan Wangji has plenty of stuff on his hands with his sect duties, and that he will probably never visit again, and his sad laugh. There's the nervous Wens, the knowledge that Wei Wuxian either goes out everywhere or locks himself into his cave, there is Wei Wuxian getting introduced to all the Wens, there is the Wens saying that they'll walk through fire and rain for him, there's a toast to him, there's him saying the road is not dark after all.

This makes the scene at the second siege all the more important.

"There is something I wish to do. Will you do it with me?"

"I will."

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have always shared the same sort of beliefs, yet walked different paths, bound by filial duty. Now, they finally walk the same paths.

But the thing that struck me the most is that Wei Wuxian, despite wishing to be closer to Lan Wangji, refuses to leave behind the path he must walk on. He'd rather say farewell to Lan Wangji than place him above his duty. I find this aspect of their relationship so necessary, the fact they are clingy but not dependent. They're both individually strong-willed people, who accept the loss and separation in life with grace, who accept defeat and humiliation and punishment with grace, and come out of desolation a better version of themselves.

Lan Wangji himself was certain that the unorthodox path would cause one to 'lose control,' cause damage to the heart, to the body, and Wei Wuxian does eventually 'lose control.' Yet, Lan Wangji never has an 'I told you so,' moment, despite being the one who had scolded him the most, as he looks deeper into the tangles and nets that Wei Wuxian was caught in than just the dark nature of his cultivation, his lair, and the surnames of the people he was protecting. He comes to terms with the cultivation world. Bound by filial duty towards his sect, he cannot help Wei Wuxian. Yet, he chooses to disregard this filial duty and picks his morals in an integral moment - which is what Wei Wuxian did, a year or two earlier. Despite being the one to pester him endlessly to come back to Gusu, Lan Wangji fights against his Gusu elders, thus disregards the orthodoxy, and drops Wei Wuxian back into the Burial Mounds - on his own chosen path.

Similarly, Wei Wuxian still apologizes to Jiang Cheng, and Lan Wangji still goes back to take his punishment for betraying their filial duty - Lan Wangji more so, since he's the literal heir of the sect. But neither of them apologizes for choosing their moral duty.

Similarly, when Wei Wuxian came out of the Burial Mounds when he was seventeen, he killed the Wens in a blood-thirsty manner, digging up the graves of their ancestors, making the Wen soldiers face their own dead family, etc. These actions were justified in the war, praised by the cultivators, and accepted as an act of revenge.

Yet, these actions went against Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's personal moral codes. Lan Wangji, since the age of eighteen, felt it was excessive and cruel, and could only blame Wei Wuxian's new cultivation path for darkening his heart. Once Wei Wuxian is in a better mental state, he too feels it was too much and regrets those applauded actions.

Thus, both of them have made mistakes, have been hurt and retaliated, and realized certain things too late. They are not perfect but they aren't meant to be, as they are still humans - children, to young adults, in highly stressful, unprecedented situations with no major support systems to rely upon.

Yet, instead of being burdened by the shame and their own failures, they come out stronger.

Lan Wangji

Disregarding his filial duty to his sect -> Accepts punishment and seclusion, teaches the new generation of Lans, night-hunts, and marries Wei Wuxian, and comes back to the Lan sect.

Leans heavily into the generalisation that dark methods are evil: The Lan juniors taught by him argue that Wei Wuxian may not necessarily have created the 'dark methods' to create harm, shows his gratitude to Mo Xuanyu and his sect implements the said dark methods in their orthodox night hunting.

Unable to understand his feelings, pushes Wei Wuxian away -> Regardless of his feelings, stays by Wei Wuxian's side, enduring all of his teasing. Even after their biggest misunderstanding in the Yunping inn, he tells Wei Wuxian they'll continue on the same path the next day.

Fails to protect the Wens: Rescues Wen Yuan, does literally anything to get him accepted into the Lan blood line and have that protection, lets Wen Ning stay (when he is sober and not jealous), bows to the Wen remnants, never attends Jin banquets, never speaks to Jiang Cheng, publicly showing his disapproval while being perhaps the most revered cultivator for the common people.

Fails to protect Wei Ying: He's always there to catch him now, sword out, on Wei Ying's side, against the entire cultivation world. But perhaps, more importantly, willing to sheathe his sword for Wei Ying. Staying by his side if he is hurt, standing up for him, silencing those who speak against him. Hugging him when he sees dogs. Keeping his memory alive.

Fails to prevent Jiang Yanli's death: How many times has Jin Ling been saved now.

Wei Wuxian

Creating the Stygian Tiger Seal: Destroys one-half rendering it useless. Yet, once it is recovered, he still takes responsibility and protects those who are harmed by it. Eventually, he doesn't take the seal, and lets it be sealed with JGY and NMJ, abandoning it.

Digging up the Wen ancestral graves to take revenge: Though, it was justified in the war, so it isn't a wrong. Yet, character development is being regrettable about it. He can't undo those actions.

The Nightless City and demanding righteousness: Once again, as the ceremony in Nightless City was an oath to lay siege on the Burial Mounds, going against their promise to him of 'letting the matter go,' Wei Wuxian was justified in his actions. But character development is learning self-preservations and running away rather than protesting, when faced with those who are more powerful than you (I would also like to inform the readers that if not at Nightless City, then maybe a month later, or two months later, this would have eventually happened anyway) but Wei Wuxian learns.

"Betraying" his promise to Jiang Cheng: He apologizes for breaking the promise of staying by his side in the future. Despite everything, the fact he chooses to do this is just admirable.

Trusting the Jiangs after their ways had already parted: Includes not drawing up clear boundaries, having Jiang Cheng know his weakness, going to Jiang Yanli's son's anniversary etc. Fixes this by firmly parting ways with Jiang Cheng. His relationship with Jin Ling is now just his own!

His so-called arrogance: This is also regretted and wishes to beat up his pretentious younger self are made.

Saying everything that is on his mind: Holding his tongue and recognizing that people are simply unrighteous at heart, and choosing to leave rather than fight, and have fun with his husband who shares similar beliefs.

Downplaying his pain: Admitting that it hurt when he fell, plus other scenes. All he needed was a safe space, someone who can be stronger than he is, and didn't treat him like an option.

Breaking every Gusu Rule and teasing Lan Wangji: ----

Thus, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji really go through multiple challenges and come out stronger. The path of righteousness is bitter, coupled with losses, and lonely yet these two walk it alone, and leave behind strong people who follow the same. On one side, unrighteous acts lead to many deaths and losses, to be righteous may be to add to those losses, yet it was due to righteous acts like people like Mianmian and Lan Sizhui, who are also very righteous are. Thus, the road may be lonely at first, but the numbers of the travelers will only increase.

#mo dao zu shi #mdzs #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian #my meta #canon jiang cheng #mdzs meta #my thoughts #my essays #MDZS audio drama #wen remnants #burial mounds settlement days

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ninjakk · 2 years

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When WWX met WN - Where LWJs jealousy for him stems from?

We know WWX met WN the day of the archery competition, during the Qishan Discussion Conference. This is the same day WWX saw LWJ again, after a year of pining for him - which I covered in a previous post here.

So, we can safely assume, judging from the fact WWX entered the arena just after he had seen LWJ, the scene below is set just prior to him being absolutely stunned at LWJ looking positively ravishing in the red uniform they were all wearing.

So let's dive straight into the scene where WWX meets WN.

Chapter 59

On that day, before the archery competition began, he was strolling around the Nightless City alone. As he strolled, he passed through a small garden and suddenly heard the sound of a bowstring vibrating from in front of him. Wei WuXian brushed through the leaves and branches. He saw a boy stand there, dressed in white, soft fabric. He drew a bow in the direction of a target before him and let go. The side of the boy’s face seemed to be quite handsome. His drawing posture was both standard and beautiful. On the target, feathered arrows had already thickly dotted the red center. This arrow had hit the center as well. None had been off the center. Wei WuXian exclaimed, “Bravo!” After the boy shot the arrow, he took out a new arrow from the quiver behind him. Head lowered; he was about to set it onto his bow as he suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice from toward the side. Surprised, his hands quivered and his arrow fell to the ground. Wei WuXian walked out from behind the garden, grinning, “Which of Wen Sect’s young masters are you? Well, well, beautiful, your shots are amazing. I haven’t seen anyone from your sect with such good…” Before he could finish, the boy had already disappeared, leaving behind him his bow and arrows. Wei WuXian was speechless. He felt his chin, Am I really so charming? So charming that I scared him away? He didn’t take the matter seriously either. He just thought that he saw something cool as he returned to the square.

This scene always brings a little smile to my face. WWX is so sweet and kind, he'll pay anyone a compliment if it is warranted. He loves to encourage people and he's actually very nurturing - which we see time and time again in later scenes with A-Yuan and the juniors.

It's quite a funny scene, with WN running away all flustered. Poor WWX, if men keep running away from him, he's going to get a complex! My favourite part of this scene is at the end when WWX thinks he's so charming that people just cannot bear it - it's just hilarious. Funnily enough, this is not what he thinks when LWJ does something similar in the not too distant future. This is because he's actually quite insecure about how LWJ sees him - after all, he's the object of his subconscious affections.

The competition was almost starting. Over on the Wen Sect’s side, there was much clamour. Wei WuXian asked Jiang Cheng, “How could they make such a fuss over their Discussion Conference? They have something going on every single day. What’s happening today?” Jiang Cheng, “What do you think? The spots are limited.They’re fighting over the people to let into the arena.” After a pause, he continued with disdain, “These Wen Sect’s… archery skills are the same level of bad. Wouldn't it be the same no matter who goes? What difference would be fighting over it make?” Wen Chao shouted from the side, “Another one! Another one, we’re still short one! The last one!” Amid the crowd beside him, the white-clothed boy was also there. Looking left and right, he finally raised his hand. But his hand wasn’t raised tall enough. He didn’t dare shout his name like the others did either. After a while of pushing around, somebody finally noticed him, musing, “QiongLin? You want to participate as well?” The boy called 'QiongLin' nodded his head. Somebody else laughed, “I haven’t even seen you pick up a bow. Why do you want to participate?! Don’t waste the spot.” Wen QiongLin seemed as if he wanted to protest for himself. The person said, “Alright, alright. Don’t be so curious. The rank is recorded. If you go up there and lose your own face it wouldn't be my problem.” Wei WuXian, Lose face? If anyone in the QishanWen Sect could find some face for you all, he’d be the one.

The Wen sect are making quite a big scene, we can imagine that a lot of the disciples waiting to enter the hunting grounds are watching from afar and wondering what is going on. LWJ is probably nearby as well.. so let's bear that in mind.

"Wei WuXian wasn’t too pleased. He raised his voice, “Who said that he’s never picked up a bow? He has, and his archery is quite good!” Everyone looked at him, somewhat surprised. They then turned to look at the boy. Wen QiongLin’s face was rather pale to begin with. Because of how everyone’s eyes centered on him, it immediately became bright red. Those pitch-black eyes stared at Wei WuXian. Wei WuXian walked over, hands behind his back, “Back then, weren’t you doing quite well in the garden?” Wen Chao turned around as well, doubting, “Really? You? Good at archery? Why haven’t I ever heard of this?” Wen QiongLin’s voice was low, “… I… I only startedpracticing recently…” His voice was not only low but also staggering. It sounded as if it could be stopped at any moment, and it was indeed often stopped. Wen Chao interrupted impatiently, “Alright, there’s a target over there. Quickly shoot an arrow for us to see. If it’s good then go, if it’s not good then don’t.”

WWX can't stand to watch WC being rude to WN after he had summoned up the guts to put himself forward. As he's witnessed, WNs archery skills are actually very good, so he interjects, vouching for WN.

Now.. as I said before, LWJ is most likely amongst the crowd waiting to enter the arena. LWJ is always very well aware of WWX if he is nearby - so it's safe to assume he had seen WWX prior. If not, he certainly would have heard WWX speaking up for WN. You can almost imagine LWJs cold glare homing in on the boy who is getting praise and attention off WWX!

The area around Wen QiongLin was immediately emptied. The hand that he clutched the arrow with tightened as he looked around, seemingly looking for help. Watching how unconfident he looked, Wei WuXian patted his shoulder, “Relax. Just do as you did before.” Wen QiongLin looked at him gratefully. With a deep breath, he drew his bow. Unfortunately, with the draw of the bow, Wei WuXian shook his head secretly, Uh-oh. It was likely that Wen QiongLin had never shot an arrow in front of other people. He was shaking all the way from his arm to his fingertips. The arrow flew out. It didn’t even land on the target. The Wen Sect’s people that watched from aside all laughed mockingly, “How is this good?!” “I can shoot better than this with my eyes closed.” “Okay, okay, stop wasting time. Let’s quickly pick somebody to enter the arena!

If LWJ was watching the scene from the crowd - he'd have seen WWX get closer to WN and put his hand on his shoulder, encouraging the mystery boy. LWJ probably also noticed that, according to an earlier description, WN is 'quite handsome'. He's been pining for WWX for a year and the first time he sees him again, he's acting friendly with a handsome boy. We know it doesn't mean anything, but if LWJ did indeed see this, jealousy would have surely sprouted within him - just as it does later in the novel when WWX is paying others attention. You can't really blame him either, yes it's all innocent, but he's a teenager with a huge crush and conflicting hormones waging war in his body!

Red seeped through Wen QiongLin’s face to even the bottom of his ears. There was no need for others to beckon him away; he fled self-consciously. Wei WuXian chased after him, “Hey, don’t run! Uh… QiongLin-xiong right? Why are you running?” Hearing his name called from behind him, Wen QiongLin finally stopped. Head hanging low, he turned around. It seemed as though shame rippled from his head to his toes as he stammered, “… I’m sorry.” Wei WuXian mused, “Why are you telling me you’re sorry?” Wen QiongLin replied with guilt, “You… You recommended me… but I made you lose face…” Wei WuXian, “How did it make me lose face? You haven’t really shot in front other people, have you? You were nervous?” Wen QiongLin nodded. Wei WuXian continued, “Have some confidence. Let me tell you the truth—you shoot better than everyone in your sect. Out of all of the disciples whom I’ve seen, no more than three people are better in archery than you.”

I find WWXs last comment about there only being three people better at archery than WN very interesting. Since the reader is already aware who placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the forthcoming competition - he's most likely referencing them. For reference, in case anyone has forgotten:

Chapter 51

In the end, after the calculations, the four with the best results were Wei WuXian, Lan XiChen, Jin ZiXuan, and Lan WangJi. If it weren’t for having to leave early, Lan WangJi could’ve done even better.

LWJ placed 4th, but according to WWX, he could have done even better if he'd not left the competition early - placing him higher than JZX. So it's highly likely he's stating WN is only marginally less skilled than himself, LXC and LWJ. Interesting, considering WWX claims a few short moments later (in chapter 45)... He hasn't thought about LWJ in some time! Which we knew was a lie anyway, but wow.. WWX you little liar! And I guess, if you wanted to really read into the above - you could also say that he has even contradicted himself further. He states, 'of all the disciples I've seen..' so, is this also him admitting he'd already seen LWJ prior to the start of Chapter 45, where he is gawping at LWJ's good looks? He's he been watching him practice as well? Just an interesting thought!

Anyway, I digress! Back to jealous LWJ.

So if LWJ has witnessed all of the above, which he most likely did - he would have saw WWX running after the WN. If he wasn't a little bit jealous of the attention he was giving WN before, be probably was now. I don't want to make LWJ sound pretty, because he's far from that. He is just a boy with a huge crush! And who didn't act a bit irrational regarding anything involving their crush at that age. Let's not forget, he was most likely well aware WWX would be attending the conference. LWJ was probably a potent cocktail of nerves, excitement and longing, in anticipation of catching a glimpse of WWX at the week-long event.

With that in mind... Try re-reading chapter 45 and notice how LWJ is acting. He's not seen WWX in a year. Yes, he finds it hard to talk to his crush - but he's not normally that rude to him really. He won't even look at him. Possibly because, he's jealous..?

You can find the chapter I'm referring to in my blog post on the archery competition, if you want to re-read it in full along with analysis. Or if you want to check it out for yourself, it's chapter 45.

Finally...

Silly headcanon... LWJ is even witness to WWX praising WNs archery skills while hiding in the bushes stalking him from afar! 🤣 No wonder he has a thing about WN and pushes him when drunk 🤣😱 Jealous LWJ is adorable ❤️

#mdzs #mdzs wei wuxian #mdzs lan wangji #mdzs wwx #mdzs lwj #wangxian #mo dao zu shi #mdzs novel #mdzs meta #wen ning #lwj is jealous #lwj is stalking wwx in the bushes #wwx is a little liar #when harry met sally... i mean wei wuxian met wen ning..

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danmeiconfession · 7 months

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genre conventions anon

So many straw men in the comments. From claiming I want people to stop analyzing the book,to mentioning authors' comments,which I never did,to the usual "but wei wuxian doesn't deserve to be a hero either!". also something about him bottoming ? It's quite amazing how you can do complex textual analysis but fail to understand a simple ask. I believe that it's a reading in bad faith problem rather than a literacy one,but who knows.

Ok,first of all,if your textually grounded analysis has you reaching the conclusion "jgy is not comfortable working with xue yang" after reading the villainous friends extra,then your argument that you only care about text is null. That's exactly why I say you are lying with your whole chests. I'm not going to send a wall of examples but there are at least 5 moments,in the actual text of the novel(which you claim to care about),which point to the opposite: except for the literal throwing in the cage,jgy is quite an active participant to the cruelty that happens there. Cherry-picking just two scenes: the tongue tea rejection and one moment of jgy calming his nerves,and omitting almost the entire extra because it does not match your agenda is what I mean by intellectual dishonesty. It's not 'thoughful analysis' or 'defying genres'.

Of course the classic defense is gonna be "but wei wuxian!!". That's why genre conventions matter and why I made the first post. If I pick up a book titled the grandmaster of demonic cultivation that is about a guy raising corpses,I expect the guy to be demonic and clearly not a pure angel. I already have preferences of the types of characters I will root for,because I know what genre I am CHOOSING (out of hundreds of genres available). Yes,there is plenty of xianxia with actual evil or far more morally gray protagonists. The difference is that xianxia also often contains characters like Wei Wuxian or Xiao Xingchen. Those would not be given such a strong voice in a more classic lit genre,as they would only be described as naive fools(both) or unhinged violent madmen(wwx). In a different genre,it would not be at the centre of their narratives that these two are,at their core,idealists who want to help people.

In the case of MDZS,I know before reading which type of character flaws I will enjoy vs the ones I will not. Killing 1000 cultivators and torturing Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao might be worse crimes in real life,but in this fictional world,for me these actions are emotionally justified forms of revenge or self-defense,enjoyable to watch and far preferable to something like Jin Guangyao enabling Xue Yang, or Xue Yang tricking Xiao Xingchen. Basically,evil I cannot personally enact in real life VS. evil I am capable of. I also chose the novel with a main character I might like,it's not that I like him just because of his protagonist halo.

Also because of genre conventions,if I pick up Succession to watch,I will not complain about people being duplicitous or manipulative. There,I would root for the Jin Guangyao-like characters,and find them heroic. But to look at something like mdzs,unapologetic in its belief that following your principles MATTERS,even if all it gets you is being cast off from society, and complain that the hero and villain should be switched is not reading the room at all... If you switch them it would become a different novel,and I wouldn't love it so much.

I actually have a love-hate relationship with JGY,and I'm quite content with letting both those emotions flow at the same time. More emotional enrichment for me. But when reading something like MDZS,I rather want to experience the imaginary fantastic evil of torturing the killer of your entire family,instead of experiencing and empathizing with the banal evil of JGY's lies. I want to see how a two-faced politician shielding a criminal who tortures innocents for fun is finally exposed. I also feel more strongly for the characters that will break than for the ones that will bend and survive at all costs. I see these 'I had no choice!!' JGY-like guys every day. For once,I want to be allowed to NOT empathize with them.

Also,coming into a foreign country genre with established tropes and claiming your western interpretation is how you make the genre cooler and better and that the author is irrelevant...yeah. That part especially does make me sick. I tried to ignore this but the venn diagram of people living in the US and those who position themselves as authority on what FEELINGS fans should have about a villain(only reasonable cold logical analysis allowed because otherwise you are the purity police or however you call it),has some significant overlap after all.

What you in your US American ignorance won't get,is that your culturally-specific redeemability discourse is irrelevant to me. I DO NOT care who is morally pure and who is morally evil on some abstract 'rational' scale. I am reading this book,in this specific genre,for my own emotional enrichment and catharsis. Talking about it as if I'm about to be graded on how morally neutral or empathetic to antagonists I am,is not what I'm here for. That's why I said open up your mind. Not everyone approaches fiction from an 'undergrad literary analysis course' point of view,and your culture is not universal.

#jin guangyao #wei wuxian #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #xue yang #xiao xingchen #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation

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jiaoji · 2 years

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The day Jiang Cheng and Lan WangJi exchanged punches in Cloud Recess arc:

FengMian saw Wei WuXian sitting in the Ancestral Hall, a furious Lan Qiren accompanying him with a discreet snort. FengMian had just broken off his engagement with his daughter, he insisted he wanted to see Wei WuXian to the teacher. Lan Qiren agreed without any rejection in his face.

He was properly kneeling, Sect Leader Jiang approached his disciple, Wei WuXian turned to meet him.

"A'Xian.", he greets.

Wei WuXian, "Uncle Jiang.", Wei WuXian's bright smile, a little shy, didn't show any guilt.

"Are you going to pack your things and come with us?", Wei WuXian pondered for a moment, unfortunately his answer would have to wait, when desperate screams were heard and increased as the person approached.

Nie Huisang with his fan fanned himself while recovering from the run.

Lan Qiren, "Huisang! What does this mean?", the breath lost in her despair still hadn't recovered, but the urgency seemed more important than his lungs.

Nie Huisang, "Lan Laoshi, Jiang-xiong wanted to see Wei-xiong but WangJi-xiong wouldn't let them and they started arguing, they crossed swords and are now exchanging punches in the courtyard!"

With an inelegant sigh, Lan Qiren burst through the gates like a raging wind. Jiang FengMian kept her face serious and distressed. Wei WuXian felt as if stopping Jiang Cheng from punching Jin ZiXuan was in vain, now that he had exchanged blows with the Second Master of a Sect they are invited to.

The scene was chaotic when the three arrived at the scene. Lan WangJi was held by several Lan disciples. His clothes, always spotless, were wrinkled and smeared with dirt mixing with the blood from the cut on his lip.

Despite this, he calmed down very elegantly. On the other hand, Jiang Cheng was still barking expletives, his eye showed the beginning of a purple circle around it, and like Lan WangJi, he had blood coming out of his mouth, much more than Second Master Lan.

Jiang Cheng, "It's your fault! Protecting that damn dog Wen!", whatever he meant, was very effective in stoking the anger in the Second Jade's cold eyes.

Lan WangJi, "Jiang Wanyin."

Jiang Cheng, "Lan WangJi!!!"

WangJi!", the angry call caught the attention of the disciples who had not yet noticed they there, as well as the two precursors of the fight, "The two of you will kneel, immediately!!"

Despite Professor Lan's insistent call, both Lan WangJi and Jiang Wanyin, had strange and anguished looks towards Jiang FengMian and Wei WuXian.

Jiang Cheng, "You!", he broke free from the disciples' loosened grip, walking towards Wei WuXian with red eyes.

Before any further reaction, Jiang FengMian took him by the arm.

"That's enough, A'Cheng.", the look on his son was angry and very anguish.

Wei WuXian watched Lan WangJi. The gash in her mouth was dry and her clothes were rumpled as neatly as possible. On the other hand, Jiang Cheng hadn't even bothered to be the least presentable, the purple on his face had gotten worse.

After that, the two of them on their knees in front of Lan Qiren and FengMian. Wei WuXian watched from afar, patiently feeling that tense environment like Lan WangJi's shoulders.

Lan Qiren, "WangJi, what happened?", Lan WangJi looked at his uncle.

Lan WangJi, "Jiang Wanyin was causing a ruckus in the courtyard. I tried to contain him and we dueled." Jiang Cheng growled through his teeth.

Jiang Cheng, "You know what you did! You dared to punch me!"

Lan WangJi, "The Jiang heir should not start something he cannot finish."

Jiang Cheng had already become angry beyond measure, "Can't I?!"

"That's enough! Both will be punished with blows immediately!"

FengMian didn't intervene, having a strange feeling at her son's posture and words, so much like his mother. It was worrying.

The Jiang Heir and the Second Jade exchanged one last hateful look. Lan WangJi would not forget what happened in the Yiling mountain, when Jiang Wanyin appeared wanting to take Wen Yuan to the Jins, as a certainty of having exterminated all the Wens.

He hoped that Jiang Cheng felt Bichen in his throat as much as Lan WangJi felt Sandu go through his stomach while protecting the child.

But for now, Wei WuXian and the future attack on GusuLan were his priorities.

#mdzs #modaozushi #wei wuxian #lan wangji #jiang cheng #canon jiang cheng #mo dao zu shi

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rubbleinrainbows · 2 years

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I've seen a few posts about how jiang cheng and wei wuxian have no chances of ever being the same pair of brothers they were before everything happened. That it's never going to be them standing up for each other, but standing on the separate sides of the room. Taking separate roads, only glances exchanged sometimes, burden of reciprocated fault too heavy to bear together. And as angsty and seemingly rational the idea may be—I don't thinks that's quite it.

(For the sake of convenience, I'll be referencing only the scene from the Untamed, when jiang cheng is captured by jgy and confronts wwx about the golden core. )

Jiang Cheng goes through all the phases of grief—first, angry at wwx turning out to be the misunderstood hero, shunned by the public as he sacrifices himself again and again, living out the Jiang clan's motto while all jc could do was live in his shadow.

Angry that after all the years he spent rebuilding everything wwx tore down by accident—his whole family just collateral damage of his arrogance—couldn't have happened without another one of wwx's sacrifices. That he couldn't even protect his nephew from it.

Painful desperation and unwillingness to accept it when Jgy tells jc he's partially responsible for wwx's fate.

After everything, all he can do is repeatedly shout at wwx, asking why he did it. He'd had everything, and just when jc had maybe hoped in the deepest part of his soul that his brother would prove to be a self fulfilling prophecy. Y'know. Out of spite, he gave it all away and lied about it so jc wouldn't suffer.

As such, accepting that hurts. Understanding that hurts.

True, before the knowledge that wwx wasn't just his irredeemable bastard brother who flew too close to the sun and JC had to watch from the ground, tending to earthly matters, their relationship might've ended at the hurt being the final straw. Instead, we are given a scene of forgiveness.

Jc allows wwx to get closer to him, even allowing him to touch his face and wipe his tear. Using visual symbolism, I believe this exchange is foreshadowing for the brother's reunion and building of something new out of themselves.

Someone may argue—left with no debts between them, they are perfectly free to part ways.

But is that it? Sure, debt and repaying it by all means is a theme woven throughout the whole story—screw the differences of the novel or show. However, no matter how often debt is a metaphor for love, we cannot equate such two things. Debt and love aren't synonymous.

So while Jiang Cheng and wei wuxian do not owe each other anything anymore (as wwx clearly states, telling him to forget all the mistakes they both made in wwx's first life), loving someone is not a job. Jc doesn't need a contract to love his brother despite everything that happened, because that's just not how the love between siblings works. Wwx is the same, and you cannot tell me he doesn't miss jc—for the love of god, he gave away his golden core for that man and that's not a thing that stops mattering when he dies.

In the end, it will take time. Jiang Cheng has to forgive wwx, and then himself for it to work and it'll be no small effort on wwx's part either; no one said anything about reforming bonds being easy. I'll even allow myself to use the golden cores as a reference, in that losing them is far too easy and reclaiming them often requires far too much effort for people to do it.

It's like I wrote before though—loving someone is not a job you choose, you're payed for, or that you quit.

In other words, even if they can part ways, in no universe would either of them choose to. If JC really didn't know about wwx's sacrifice, why waste 16 years of your life looking for your presumably dead brother who probably dispersed, when you could finally live without him in peace? With all the trouble he'd caused?

After all, when you start to love someone, it's impossible to erase that. And Jc is just human, seeking out other humans.

#the untamed #mdzs meta #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #yunmeng brothers #character study #character analysis

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courtonfire · 1 year

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I can see you with me

Short Wangxian fic - Optometrist Wei Wuxian, patient Lan Wangji meet-cute!

‘Oh no,’ Wei Wuxian thinks as he walks his last patient of the day to the door. No, no, no. Absolutely no way is he letting this happen.

He calls a half-hearted farewell to his patient and races to the check-out counter with the speed of a man attempting to stop a horrible tragedy – because he is.

Right there, in the middle of his own clinic, the most beautiful man in the entire, literal world is about to buy the most hideous glasses any incompetent, fashionably challenged manufacturer has ever dared to create.

It all happens like a dramatic slo-mo scene from an action movie. As he approaches the counter, arm outstretched, the patient and his optician, Nie Huaisang, turn to him with wide eyes. He thinks he hears Nie Huaisang call his name in alarm, but it barely registers through the haze of desperation.

“No!” He cries and finally, finally reaches the counter. In one fell swoop, he snatches the patient’s credit card and glasses in his hand and steps back out of reach.

“I cannot let this transaction happen, not in my store.”

From the corner of his eye, he swears he sees Nie Haisang heave a sigh of relief, but when he checks, the man looks as anxious and confused as he always does. The patient, a serious, professional-looking man, glares at him.

“Please return my card and glasses,” he requests, an edge to his voice. Wei Wuxian eyes him wearily. With the glasses out of the way, he supposes it should be safe to return the card. Carefully, he extends the card (a black card, the former broke-ass college student in him notes) out to the man, keeping the glasses hidden behind his back.

The man takes it. When it becomes clear Wei Wuxian is not planning to give him the glasses, he raises a brow.

“The glasses as well. Please. I will not ask again.”

"Gege," Wei Wuxian drawls. "You can do much better than these clunky things! Come on, let's go try on some other frames."

He walks towards the display but stops when the man doesn't follow.

"Those frames are fine,” he clips. “Now, return them so I can be checked out."

Wei Wuxian scoffs indignantly. "Gege, if I let you buy these, that's the only kind of checking out you'll be receiving for a while."

The man's impassive expression doesn't shift, but Wei Wuxian clocks a subtle eye twitch with no small amount of amusement. Pretty, mean, and fun to tease. Crazy how a man with so little taste can somehow still check all of his boxes.

"I am not buying glasses for appearance's sake, I am buying them to see," he bites out. "Those frames are sturdy and comfortable for the occasional times I will use them. I do not care how they look."

Wei Wuxian eyes him, taking in the crisp, light blue button-up and dark grey slacks. Both are well-fitted and entirely uncreased, despite it being late afternoon. When he shifts, his sleeve moves up just enough for Wei Wuxian to catch a glance of a very expensive-looking watch.

Wei Wuxian quirks a brow. The man clears his throat and quickly tugs the offending sleeve down.

"That outfit altogether must cost no less than $500 and you're trying to tell me you don't care about appearances?"

The man glares at him. "My clothes are professional," he says with a pointed look at Wei Wuxians own work clothes – a comfy red button-up and black ripped skinny jeans.

Wei Wuxian laughs loudly at the blatant jab. "That they are," he allows. "But, won't these glasses ruin the whole wealthy businessman-possibly-a-sugar-daddy vibe you got going on?"

The man's eyes narrow. The stony glare from before shifts into something more murderous.

"Ridiculous."

Wei Wuxian swallows down a delighted noise. Teasing him is turning out to be the most fun he's had all week.

He tries (and mostly fails, going off the guy’s unimpressed expression) to mold his face into something resembling concern and holds up the frames in question. The frames are a hideous shade of brown and bulky with round lenses.

"These look like they're made for a 13-year-old going through their 'I’m so different and quirky' phase because they saw it in a movie, not a handsome professional like yourself."

The man storms over, snatches the frame from his hand, and slams them back on the counter by Nie Huaisang

"I would like these," he snaps. Wei Wuxian groans loudly.

"Okay, gege -"

"Don't call me that."

"Okay, not-gege, let's make a deal. I'll pick out five frames and if you don't like any of them, you can buy those."

"I can buy these now," he points out with a sniff. Wei Wuxian gives him a look.

"I know you can, but please at least look at other options before you buy the most atrocious pair we sell."

The man straightens. "How do you know I didn't look at other pairs before?"

Wei Wuxian crosses his arms and leans back, unimpressed. "Did you?"

He looks away. Wei Wuxian glances at Nie Huaisang, who subtly shakes his head. Wei Wuxian smirks and looks back at the man.

"I didn't think so. I bet you just grabbed the first sturdy looking pair you saw and called it good, didn't you, not-gege?"

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to choose a sturdy pair," he answers, still not looking at him.

"Of course not," he soothes. "But, the technology is pretty great these days. We have several options that look flimsy, but are just as strong as the ones you picked.”

The man throws him a suspicious look, then turns to Nie Huaisang. "Is that true?"

Nie Huaisang nods frantically. "Yes, yes, Dr. Wei is correct."

He faces Wei Wuxian again, who lifts a hand as though to say 'see?'.

"How about it then, not-gege? Will you give me a chance to blow your mind?"

The man scoffs, but moves to sit at the fitting table. "You may present five pairs. If I do not like them, then I will buy the original ones."

Wei Wuxian grins brightly. "You're on," he agrees, then sets off to work.

He flits about their display cases, looking closely at each pair. When he finds one he likes, he has Nie Huaisang pull up their information sheet to check their ratings in strength, comfort, flexibility and long term fit. He puts back the ones that don't line up with the man's - Lan Wangji is his name, he has recently learned - preferences.

It takes several minutes, but eventually he ends up with five pairs he thinks will work. He lines them up on the table in front of Lan Wangji and carefully presents the ratings for each pair. Lan Wangji, suddenly picky despite his terrible first choice, immediately axes two of the pairs based on color and shape. Wei Wuxian allows it without comment, though he's admittedly irked he didn't even try them on.

"Not-gege," he interrupts when Lan Wangji begins to speak unfavorably of another pair without trying them. "You agreed to give me a proper chance. At least test them before throwing them out!"

Lan Wangji studies him for a second, then exhales in a way that Wei Wuxian assumes is a heavy sigh for him, though its barely heavier than a typical breath. Wordlessly, he slides on the pair he was about to reject and faces Wei Wuxian.

"Happy?"

Wei Wuxian fumbles for words. He is, at a minimum, very happy, edging closer to completely stunned.

Despite Lan Wangji not liking the color, it looks fantastic on him. Wei Wuxian knew it would – that's why he picked them – but it's a whole different feeling to see him actually wearing them.

The gold of the frames perfectly matches his skin tone and brings out the gorgeous golden flecks in his brown eyes. Wei Wuxian feels himself getting lost as he stares. It takes significant effort to tear his gaze away and check the overall appearance and fit of the glasses on Lan Wangji.

The thin, lightweight, square frames highlight his sharp cheekbones and his even sharper jawline. They do a lot to enhance both Lan Wangji's professional and naturally gorgeous appearance.

If he was a 10 before, he's at least a 100 now. "Dr. Wei?" Lan Wangji questions when the silence stretches.

"I - um," his voice comes out embarrassingly hoarse. He clears his throat and continues. "Yes. Those look very nice on you, Lan Wangji."

Lan Wangji blinks in surprise. Wei Wuxian kicks himself under the table. Could he be more obvious? It's not like him to get this flustered, especially with one of their patients of all people. Hot guy or not, Wei Wuxian needs to pull himself together before he lands himself a harassment suit.

"I think gold is definitely the way to go," he declares, tone thankfully level. He gives hands Lan Wangji a small mirror. "What do you think?"

Lan Wangji studies himself. With some reluctance, he nods. "Mn. Gold is good."

Wei Wuxian cries in victory. "Ah ha! I knew I could pick something you'd like!"

"It's not over yet, I still have not picked a pair," Lan Wangji snaps, but his heart isn't in it. When he looks away, Wei Wuxian notices the tips of his ears have turned an adorable shade of red. He bites back a smile, a pushes another pair towards him, also gold wire frames, but a touch shinier with boxy-round lenses.

"These are similar, why don't you try them next?"

Lan Wangji sets aside the previous pair (in a different spot than the rejects, Wei Wuxian notes gleefully) and puts on the offered one. For all his efforts at being professional, Wei Wuxian can't help the little gasp that escapes when he looks at him.

"What do you think?" He asks, as though he hasn't just changed Wei Wuxian's entire definition of beauty.

"I think you better get those and hope I never see you wearing them outside the clinic or else I'll have no choice but to ask you out to dinner."

The words slip out before he can stop them. He immediately wants to bang his head on the table. Lan Wangji's mouth opens and closes again, at a loss for words.

"I see," he lands on. The blush on the tip of his ears crawls onto his cheeks and he shifts awkwardly in his seat. Wei Wuxian bites down a groan. He's clearly made Lan Wangji uncomfortable. He isn't sure if the fluttering in his ears is his heart, tinnitus or the sound of his job flying out the door.

He opens his mouth to apologize, but Lan Wangji speaks first.

"I will get these, then." Wei Wuxian reels back. "You will? But you haven't even seen how they look!"

Lan Wangji picks up the mirror, quickly looks, then puts it back down. "I will get these," he repeats, then turns to where Nie Huaisang has been watching the whole ordeal from behind the desk. "I believe they need to be fitted now?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Nie Huaisang hops up and rushes over to shoo Wei Wuxian out of his seat.

Wei Wuxian watches in a confused daze as Nie Huaisang fits the glasses, discusses an add ons, like a blue light filter, and charges Lan Wangji for everything.

"They'll be here next week," Nie Huaisang finishes and hands back Lan Wangji’s card.

Lan Wangji nods and turns to Wei Wuxian. "Thank you for your assistance today," he says. "You have proven to be very helpful."

Wei Wuxian might be – definitely is – losing his mind, but he swears Lan Wangji checks him out before he walks out the door to the parking lot. Wei Wuxian balks at Nie Huaisang. "Did he just - ? What even happened?"

Nie Huaisang waves his hands wildly. "I don't know, Dr. Wei, I really don't know."

"Huh," Wei Wuxian says and rests his hands on his hips.

He thinks about the encounter the rest of the week. It drives him a little crazy, if he's being honest. Usually, he's able to brush off encounters with pretty people that are obviously not interested in him - but that's the thing.

Was Lan Wangji really not interested in him? It certainly seemed that way in the beginning, but then Wei Wuxian had shoved his foot in his mouth and Lan Wangji had... bought the glasses. The ones he said made him want to take Lan Wangji on a date. Then there was whatever look Lan Wangji gave him before leaving. He is almost certain Lan Wangji was checking him out – but was it like an 'I think you're sexy' or an 'I could take you in a fight' kind of check-out?

By the time Lan Wangji's glasses arrive, Wei Wuxian is barely holding himself back from violating several HIPPA laws to get Lan Wangji's number and demand he lay his intentions out clearly to spare his poor heart.

As luck would have it though, he's stuck in an appointment when Lan Wangji stops by and misses him entirely.

He groans and drops his head on the desk when Nie Huaisang tells him. Nie Huaisang pats him on the back.

"There, there, Wei-xiong,” he soothes. “He did ask about you, so maybe he'll come back?"

Wei Wuxian's head shoots up, narrowly missing bumping heads with him. "He did? What did he say?"

Nie Huaisang flutters a hand. "Oh I don't remember exactly."

Wei Wuxian glares at him. "Oh you don't? I thought you said he left less than 15 minutes ago. Maybe you should get your head checked out."

"Ah ah ah, Wei-xiong," Nie Huaisang waves a finger. "There's no need for all that, I have a perfectly respectable doctor right here who knows exactly what medicine I need to cure my bad memory." He wiggles his brows.

Wei Wuxian sighs. He will absolutely regret this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. "Fine, I'll pay for drinks Saturday night."

Nie Huaisang raises a brow. Wei Wuxian rolls his eyes. "And next Saturday."

Nie Huaisang' face lights up. "Oh! I suddenly seem to recall now!"

Wei Wuxian throws him an unimpressed look. "It’s a miracle,” he deadpans. “What was it?"

"He asked if you’re here and what time you get off," Nie Huaisang answers with a grin.

Wei Wuxian's brows furrow. "What time I get off? Why would he want to know that?"

Nie Huaisang shrugs and lifts his arms in surrender. "Now that, I really don't know. I told him you work until closing, he thanked me, then took the glasses and left."

Wei Wuxian hums thoughtfully. He can think of a few reasons Lan Wangji might want to meet him after work, but then again, the man is too much a wild card for him to be certain about any of them.

Though confused, he also can't help but feel excited at the mystery. Lan Wangji may have seemed boring, but he sure is keeping him on his toes.

He checks the clock, crying internally when he sees there's still around 3 hours before he's off.

The door chimes, signaling the arrival of his next patient. With one last longing sigh, he heads off to prep the exam room while Nie Huaisang checks them in.

It's a relatively busy day, thankfully. All his patients pepper him with obscure questions that require his full attention to properly answer. In what feels like no time, he's packing up his things and rushing out the door, excited to see what's waiting for him.

Though he expected it, he's still shocked to see Lan Wangji, standing there, wearing his glasses and looking even more incredible than Wei Wuxian remembers - which should be impossible, but somehow he's managed it.

He stops just a couple feet away, heart pounding. The door falls shut with a soft thud behind him. The world is silent as they stare at one another.

Wei Wuxian reaches for something to say, but words evade him. Thankfully, Lan Wangji has it covered.

“Oh no,” he intones. “You saw me wearing these glasses outside the clinic.”

Wei Wuxian blinks at him. The ADHD squirrels in his brain scramble for an explanation of what the hell Lan Wangji is talking about. Finally, one finds the answer. Wei Wuxian chortles.

"I guess I have no choice but to take you to dinner then, huh?" Lan Wangji nods remorsefully and steps closer. "Unfortunately, it seems there is no other option."

Wei Wuxian meets him halfway, not stopping until their toes are scant inches apart and he can see every fleck of gold in those enchanting eyes.

"Well, I did warn you," he reminds with a grin. Lan Wangji grabs his hand and laces their fingers together.

"Mn. I was careless."

Wei Wuxian squeezes his hand. "I don't mind. After all, you're the one being punished here."

Lan Wangji smiles softly. "Preferably with vegan food."

Wei Wuxian laughs and tugs him in the direction of his car.

"Vegan food it is, gorgeous."

The end!

They go on an excellent date at a trendy vegan restaurant and Lan Wangji can actually read the menu bc of his new glasses 🥰

I hope you all enjoyed reading! 💗

#mdzs #fanfic #the untamed #meet cute #wangxian

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charthanry · 1 year

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TAG 9 PEOPLE YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW BETTER

I was tagged by @hughungrybear :)

THREE SHIPS

Current or all-time? I’ll just go with the three that immediately come to mind:

Pat and Pran, Bad Buddy (obvs)

Steve and Tony, MCU

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, MDZS

*Honorable mention to Jake and Amy from Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

FIRST SHIP

Ever? Hmm, before Pacey and Joey it was Anne and Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables series (books AND Kevin Sullivan’s tv adaptation from the mid-1980s). Gilbert Blythe was my first crush. Anne and Gil’s relationship taught my younger and impressionable self that love was friendship caught on fire and to never settle for anything less; that you can fall both slowly and ardently. Gilbert and Anne set the goalpost for all my future ships, with Gilbert proving that sometimes the nice guy does get the girl.

Also, I cannot imagine a more picturesque backdrop to fall in love in than Prince Edward Island. It’s on my bucket list to visit.

LAST SONG

I’ve been listening to a lot of K-Drama OST lately. I usually have one song on loop for weeks until it wears itself out on my spotify. Last month it was “With You” by Jimin and Ha Sung Woon from Our Blues (fantastic drama btw, I ugly cried in nearly every episode). This week it’s “Goodbye” by WENDY from The Beauty Inside.

LAST MOVIE

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but just yesterday I rewatched Leap Year on Netflix. I shamefully also own the DVD. Gah, *hides face* don’t look at me.

It’s a cheesy, clichéd, and improbable romcom about an American who impulsively follows her boyfriend to Ireland to propose to him on February 29th. Cue the endless mishaps and series of incredibly manufactured bad luck. She ends up falling instead for the stranger who helps her on the way. The script is silly and absurdly unrealistic, but damn if the chemistry and charm of the two leads doesn’t save the day.

My favorite scene is when Matthew Goode’s ‘Declan’ wakes up alone on a bus stop bench and realizes that Amy Adam’s ‘Anna’ has left him without waking him to say goodbye. The disappointment and regret in his body language is so palpable that Anna who is standing behind him watching, feels every ounce of his turmoil. She studies him for a beat before breaking the moment with banter. And damn, Matthew conveyed all this just by the way he stands and very subtly slumps his shoulders in defeat. And Anna’s reaction to seeing him this way is just...so telling that you want to shake her and say c’mon girl, you’re chasing the wrong guy.

It doesn’t hurt that this era of young Matthew Goode is totally my aesthetic. Just look at him. Add to all this the brogue-y accent and WOOF.

CURRENTLY READING

I consume written media the same way I consume music and shows. I devour it. I practically subsist on Ao3 content alone. Lately, it’s been a lot of Red, White & Royal Blue fics in anticipation and giddiness for the upcoming movie.

CURRENTLY WATCHING

I’m in the middle of season 2 of my annual West Wing binge-watch. I’m by no means into politics, but I have yet to discover better American television than Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing. It’s nearly perfect in its execution.

Currently waiting on a lot of shows to finish airing so that I can binge watch (I’m not making the mistake I did with Bad Buddy by watching it every week, I nearly died). On my list:

Never Let Me Go

My School President

Crash Course in Romance

Moonlight Chicken

CURRENTLY CONSUMING

Right now? Snacking on Irvins Salted Egg Salmon Skin chips that I got from Costco. It’s deceptively bad for you (high in both cholesterol and sodium content), but the ‘dangerously addictive’ boast on the packaging is wildly accurate.

CURRENTLY CRAVING

Food-wise? A big bowl of homemade pho with all the accoutrements.

ONWARD TAGS

@depressingly-lonely @hereforlou @reasonablysurmised @aliceisathome @keelpay @inhumanevoid @frostluvrs @faillen @leconcombrerit @rosetintednerdglasses and anyone else that wants to join!

#tag game #this was fun!

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ephemeralgalaxies · 1 year

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NONONO OK SO IT'S THIS SCREENCAP RIGHT HERE

THIS HERE HURTS SO MUCH

Because it's not even WWX actually saying this, but as Lan Zhan walks away all stoic and poised after being told (despite searching and worrying over WWX for THREE MONTHS) that WWX's disappearance and current well-being/cultivation type is none of his concern bc he's "an outsider" and that only the people of Yunmeng should deal with this, as Wei Ying watches him leave, knowing full well that he's just hurt him so much (ofc he probably still doesn't understand the full extent of his actions), Wen Chao is on the floor begging for his life. It's the fact that before this, WWX doesn't dare let himself even look at LWJ as he delivers that final:

THE WAY LAN WANGJI DOES LOOK AT HIM, TRYING TO GET HIS ATTENTION FOR A BEAT BEFORE REALIZING IT'S POINTLESS

LIKE HE BREAKS MY HEART WITH THIS. (wang yibo, you absolute blessing on earth, you are incredible for this).

But the fact that once LWJ has finally disappeared from view, finally left the screen, WWX allows himself to look back and oh god, what has he done. Wei Wuxian knows this is to protect LWJ, to keep him from "befriending evil", but also to protect himself from LWJ inevitably rejecting him and this new form of cultivation. From the idea that LWJ would think so little of him if he knew that WWX no longer had a golden core, that he couldn't do "righteous cultivation" rather than just a youth acting out. He can't bare to be left behind again... so why not at least have some control over it?

THAT LITTLE SIGH HE GIVES TOO (forgive me, I cannot make gifs for the life of me but it's like right between these two screenshots)

Like, I know that it's technically Wen Chao saying "forgive me," but the placement of his line is just,,, *chef's kiss* perfectly lining up with this focus on Wei Wuxian, I love the idea that it's reflecting his own inner thoughts as he lets LWJ walk away.

LIKE THIS HIT HIM SO HARD.

Watching his face slowly contort in this clip as he thinks back on what WWX said, seeing how he goes from this almost vulnerable "kicked puppy" look to this:

And then as he thinks over it and accepts that Wei Ying no longer considers him a close companion (if he ever did, if this wasn't all just a bit of fun to pass the time), he turns back into this openly hurt look where he realizes he's probably just lost Wei Ying without ever having him in the first place:

(THAT TINY OPENING OF HIS MOUTH AS HE TRIES TO COMPOSE HIMSELF)

I'm dead. I'm actually sobbing. This reunion scene will never cease to destroy me.

#mutuals I am so sorry #I'm posting so many analysis posts for this show and maybe like 2 of y'all actually watch it #and I think one of y'all became a mutual BC of our shared interest in this show #the untamed #mdzs #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian #mo dao zu shi #wei ying #lan zhan #wwx #lwj #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation

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pandasized-crevice · 2 years

Text

MY FRESH JUST WATCHED KINNPORSCHE EP8 THOUGHTS

I PROBABLY FORGOT SOME STUFF I NORMALLY TYPE THIS ON MY LAPTOP WHILE I WATCH THE EP BUT RN I JUST HAVE MY PHONE SO ONWARDS WE SCOOT

THEY ARE SO FUCKKMG CUTE PLEAAE LOOK AT THEM

Last night was incredible😏😏

Porsche kissing kinns forehead?YES PLEAse

Me watching them:🥺🥺💖

Oh lord someone’s here

Kinn you asshole!

Pete sweetie…….

A whole thing of bread?nice not obvious product placement yall💀

THE THUMBS UP AHAHA

kinn…..beckoning Porsche….with his finger…..?I’m going to be totally normal about this (this is a lie)

THERE HE GOES

Side note;who eats plain bread for breakfast?not even toasted?!NO JELLY

Bread eating should not be hot…

And yet here we are…..

Kinn and Porsche wearing the others sock can be something so personal

Oh okay so it’s like showing them as days go by

THE FOOT SCENE WE WIN!!!!!!!

Jesus CHRIST ON THE LITTLE TABLE YOU GUYS!?

Punishment….sir ken that’s what’s going on….

Big rn “god I wish that was me”

NOT THE BUTTONS LORD

TO THE WINDOOOOOW TO THE WALL!!!!!!

They are so horny for each other

And I don’t blame them

Jom and Tem!!YOK HELLO QUEEN

Aw Porsche is unsure since kinns his first boyfriend 🥺valid valid

Heartbroken you say??i fucking wonder why🤨⏱🕰⏰

Look at him wanting to go on a date with kinn!!!HE IS TRYING SO HARD

so those aren’t Porsches clothes??!?

Both of them being unused to their relationship is so fucking SCRUMPTIOUS im glad they’re showing it

Me watching kinnporsche be cute:🥰🥺🥰

Me knowing they’re giving us so much fluff cuz angst is coming:🕴🏻😶☹️

Ik they’re a hot ass couple but cafe patrons MIND YALLS BUSSNIES

Aw Porsche don’t let go☹️

Kinn grabbing Porsches hand again YES GOOD

there’s a pig!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!nice

Porsche is so dedicated to making this date perfect please

Porsche being the so that takes pictures before eating and kinn being the so who goes along with it is so fuxking true

Where tf did porsche have that camera?up his ass?

THE FUCKING PHOTO MONTAGE P L E A S E MY HEART

Kinn is so fuxking cute kissing on Porsche?I CANNOT HANDLE

KINN GIVING PORSCHE A PHONE JUST FOR CALLING HIM? W O W

TAWAN🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🚨🚨🚨

Bro why is tawan literally this 🕴🏻🧍🏻

THIS SCENE TOO OMG

Them running around the place is so fucking precious

Kinn just looking at Porsche like THAT my heart has melted

UNDERWATER KISS YALL SEE THAT😮

Quitting smoking you say?

Pete pete pete pete pete💖💖💖

KINN PORSCHE CANT SEXT YOU RN HES ON THE CLOCK

PORSCHE LOOK OUT🚨🧍🏻🗣

well no one said Porsche was an artist…..

These fools sneaking into kinns room please dumb and dumber

Why is Porsche ostrich😭💀

Which celebrity did kinn sleep with LET US SEE PORSCHE 👁👁

ITA THE PICTURE 🗣🗣🗣🧍🏻

Porsche is giving Wei wuxian after he makes wen Ning leave YALL KNOW YALL SEE IT

“If it’s this guy I need the other gun” HELLO?HELLO H E. L L O

Porsche is so cute apo you god amongst men🙌👏👏

DAMN KINN HOWS MY BOY SUPPOSED TO HIDE THESE HICKIES

oh pete….never change

Oh we giving merit i see

Aw Porsche thinks tawan is a ghost 💀😭we know he’s scared of that shit

TANKHUN BELOVED YAY

always with the kdramas he’s just like me

THE MAKEUP💀 That seems so fun actually I wanna do that with my friends

POL PLEASE JESUS CHRIST

tankhun kicking Porsche out 💀harsh but had to be done hes so jumpy

Not Porsche calling kinn cuz he’s scared💀

kinn heard No clothes and he said SAY LESS🏃🏃🏃

WHYD KINN CATXH IT IN HIS MOUTH SIR💀

Oh we talking about 🧍🏻🕴🏻

Anytime porsche says love,in love with kinn,I gain eyebrows

Fuck tawan fr🗣🗣

Kinns face when Porsche pulls out the picture 💀

Tell him porsche tf you still have it sir🤨porsche is JIST LIKE ME FR

Aw they’re doing the merit thing together love that

NO SIR WE DONT NEED A BIGGER ONE THANKS

UM fuck yall🚨🧍🏻🗣

So tawan was just wondering around like that for days?you couldn’t changed or something?

I JUST REMEMBERED THE KIMCHAY STUFF SHIT

so Kim thinks Porsches parents were killed alright same

Kim please no jokes 💀

wasted too much time🤨CHAY IS NOT A WASTE OF TIME YOU WHORE

ANSWER THE PHONE KIM😶👊👊

BABY CHAY!!!

Since Kim showed up to Chays house uninvited it’s only fair that chay do it as well

I.love.chay.SO.MUCH

THE LOVE SONG PLEQAW CHAY😭😭

Kim get ready for me to rock your shit sir it’s coming I AM COMING🕴🏻🚨

Okay the preview,I hate that they’re putting it at the very freaking end damn: YAY THEY PUT HIM IN THE CELL!!! That’d better not be kinn going to see tawan while he’s in the bath…(predicting it now that it’s vegas PLEASE DONT LET IT BE KINN) (SHIT I REWATXHED IT AND I THINK ITS KINN I SEE A RING😭TF YOU DOING THERE KINN)tawan if you don’t shut the fuck up😶👊👊

Y’all I watched this whole ep in a car with my family I need to pterodactyl screech about it so bad😭😭

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #thai bl series #this is so long sorry not sorry #thai series #kinn x porsche #kinnporsche ep8 #cellulars FJWKPT #I wanted to screech so many times yall😭#but I held it in like a winner

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lilnasxvevo · 1 year

Text

Here is what I think: I think that Shen Qingqiu and Wei Wuxian have both absorbed a lot of nasty ideas about gay people and the reason they don’t notice that they’re in love with a man AND that that man is in love with them is because they 1) are repressing the shit out of their own gayness because they are terrified of being gay because they have internalized that being gay is bad and gross and perverted and predatory and 2) categorically cannot imagine that their favorite person in the world would be gay because their favorite person is Good and being gay is Bad and so, you see, it would be quite impossible.

There’s an…interesting scene where shortly after Shen Qingqiu finds out that Luo Binghe is not straight, Binghe sets up a situation where there are 3 people and only 2 rooms for them to sleep in. Shen Qingqiu panics and utterly refuses to share a room with a gay man, thus leaving Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe to share a room (which I’m sure was super delightful for both of them). Now, Luo Binghe is the SAME PERSON who Shen Qingqiu shared a small house with for three years, but the knowledge that he’s gay makes Shen Qingqiu’s emotions rebel at the idea of sharing a room with him.

It’s interesting because we can take the surface level interpretation of this, the reason SQQ gives us for why he didn’t want to share a room, which is: Since Binghe is gay he will obviously try to Do Stuff with SQQ and that would be bad because SQQ is not gay and he would not like that!!!

Or we can look at all the antics that Wangxian get up to in inn rooms in MDZS and we can wonder if the reason SQQ won’t share a room with Binghe is because he’s scared what he himself might do now that he knows that Binghe would probably welcome any gay shit that SQQ could potentially initiate with him.

EITHER WAY, he is scared shitless by the specter of gay sexuality. Like Wei Wuxian, it’s not that he somehow doesn’t know that gay people exist or even that he knows gay people exist but just doesn’t think about them very much—rather, he is excruciatingly aware that gay people exist, and has spent so much energy trying very hard not to think about Gay Stuff that he’s actually kinda convinced himself that he DOESN’T think about gay stuff.

It’s really easy to assume that either one of these dudes are Kinda Dumb if you take the things they say about themselves at face value, but I think if you pick at all the things that don’t quite line up it starts to become pretty obvious that they’re both constantly playing 3-D chess with themselves to try to convince themselves that they’re Definitely Not Gay, No Sirree.

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youhideastar · 1 year

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Deleted Scenes: A Sword With No Hilt

When I posted A Sword With No Hilt, which is part of the Wangxian A/B/O Bingo series, I had some deleted scenes that I wanted to share--but the subject matter of the fic is so heavy that I worried it would seem inappropriately... flippant? I don't know? Honestly, October 2022 was a time of a LOT of anxiety in my life and looking back I was worried about tons of stuff that doesn't worry me anymore. Anyway, I recently got a nice comment on the fic and it reminded me of these scenes, so here they are! These contain spoilers for the fic and deal with the same difficult subject matter, so please check out the warnings there if this is your first exposure.

First up, a deleted bit from the scene in Xuanwu Cave, when Wei Wuxian is captured by Jin disciples:

“Nie-gongzi told me they're engaged,” Jin Zixuan retorts. “He heard it from Jiang-gongzi. Would you know better than he would?”

All eyes turn to Jiang Wanyin.

Lan Wangji has little doubt that this is the first Jiang Wanyin has heard of this supposed betrothal. And although he cares for Wei Ying, he is as poor an actor as Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji’s pulse is loud in his ears.

Jiang Wanyin’s jaw works for a moment. “Yes,” he says tensely. “They’re betrothed. It was an act. Obviously it was an act. Who dares to accuse Yunmeng Jiang’s head disciple?” By the end, he is glaring daggers at everyone except Wei Ying himself.

It is a worthy attempt, and some of the assembled cultivators seem convinced. But Jiang Wanyin’s performance was stiff and wooden – he cannot do for Wei Ying what Wei Ying did for Lan Wangji.

Jiang Cheng does not get a lot to do in Sword, and I really liked this beat for him—and a little more explication of what led Jin Zixuan to assert the engagement story—but as you can see, LWJ is going to have to step in at the end of this bit anyway, so it made more sense to just go straight to that.

Wei Ying does not appear to hear him. He drags in a shuddering breath and words keep stumbling out of his mouth: “It’s—it’s so upside-down, that I did… th-that to you, and what I get in return is—is being your mate, that’s the most unfair thing in the world—”

“No,” Lan Wangji says, more forcefully; this time, Wei Ying’s mouth snaps shut. He looks up at Lan Wangji in silence.

Words do not come easily to Lan Wangji. But he must try.

“In Tanzhou,” he says, haltingly. “In Yueyang.”

Wei Ying is quiet, patient. His eyes do not leave Lan Wangji’s face.

“In Cold Pond Cave. I wanted you.”

Wanted to claim you, he almost says, but—it had not come to him, then, that he could. Omegas are claimed; they do not claim. And betas do neither. He had not thought to question those truths, before.

He does not know how long it would have taken him to do so, if his world had not been fractured into needle-like slivers that pierce his skin when he touches them. But it would have happened. There is no world where they would not belong to each other.

He says this to Wei Ying, as clearly as he can, unable to look Wei Ying in the face.

He is therefore surprised when Wei Ying surges forward to kiss him – a hot, desperate thing, licking into Lan Wangji’s mouth as if there is nothing in all the world that he wants more.

“Yes,” Wei Ying breathes against his cheek. “I always did. I always, always—”

Lan Wangji bears him down again, meeting hunger with hunger – this, this is what he would do to Wei Ying with his hands, this—

This is something I wish I’d had more space to expand on in the fic—the idea that they’d have ended up together anyway, or that LWJ thinks they would have ended up together anyway (although knowing how things went in canon, that’s kind of heartbreaking). But this is one fic where it was really important to keep it tight and not have a bunch of detours—and in particular, only have truly necessary conversations between WWX and LWJ, because there’s so much they could talk about and the second half of the fic was in mortal danger of getting very talky. The main point of this scene is established much more concisely in LWJ’s interior mentions of his past fantasies, earlier in the fic.

“Wei Ying is my mate.”

“Mn.”

“My husband.”

Shaky inhale. “Unworthy, but yes. Soon.”

“My lover. My zhiji. My friend. My cultivation partner.”

Beat.

He waits for Wei Ying to meet his eyes. Cups his face in one hand.

“My bitch.”

Wei Ying moans, eyes desperate and wet. “Yes. Yes.”

Oh, man, I tried to keep this in, I tried so hard, because I love it, and it’s one of the first things I wrote for the fic, and I think it’s this perfect little microcosm of the second half of the fic, and I really wanted LWJ reclaiming the verbal—not just the physical—pieces of what was done to him. To have him turn around and use the language for WWX that WWX used for him in his performance, but to have it be part of this litany of how much he loves and values WWX, transformed by that context… ugh I love this exchange so much, SO MUCH. But I eventually had to acknowledge that there was nowhere to put it. This would need to be part of a sex scene between their arrival at Lotus Pier and the wedding night, and that would have been one sex scene too many. It could theoretically have gone in the wedding night sex scene itself, but that scene already had a point, about bodies and trauma, and it would have muddied the scene to put this in, too. It had to go, even as it killed me to let it go.

He pauses. He knows that some betas can conceive and bear children: “Is Wei Ying…” Beat. “...fertile—”

But Wei Ying laughs. “Oh, Lan Zhan – no, I… I don’t have a womb, so… no, this would just be for pleasure, no chance of—of…”

Beat.

“Breeding,” Lan Wangji says quietly. He knows he has to be the one to say it.

Wei Yin nods, jerky. “I’m… I’m sorry,” he says, hushed. “I—I wish I could. I wish I could give you that, that we could, that you could. Could.” He swallows.

“You wish I could breed you.”

Wei Ying’s eyes are so dark – his mouth open, almost panting. “Yeah,” he breathes.

Another thing that would have been so satisfying for them to reclaim, but that would have had to go in the wedding night sex scene, and that scene, as noted above, already had a lot going on and was in danger of losing focus. So this had to go, too.

Hope you enjoyed!

#deleted scene #wangxian a/b/o bingo #the untamed #my writing

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jaimebluesq · 2 years

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WIP Wednesday - 10/05

A little something from a longer fic I'm writing - the scene turned out really well so I thought I'd share it. Post-canon, NHS owning the Jianghu :D (This was SO satisfying to write, ngl) WWX's pov

~~~

“Why are we even arguing?” Sect Leader Huang shouted, quieting most of the noise. “We all know there are only two possible candidates.”

“You're wrong,” Sect Leader Yao countered. “There is absolutely no reason a minor sect leader cannot be Chief Cultivator!”

Sect Leader Huang glared at Sect Leader Yao, then looked to the rest of the men and women in the hall. “Is there even a single person in here who would vote for Yao-zongzhu?” Sect Leader Yao's bluster began to fade as not a single person spoke up in his defence – in fact, he looked rather offended when Sect Leader Ouyang avoided his gaze. “Only the larger sects have the history, the resources, and the connections to give legitimacy to the role, and among them, Jin-zongzhu is far too young and inexperienced, and Lan-zongzhu is in seclusion. That leaves us with Jiang-zongzhu and Nie-zongzhu, whether you like it or not.”

There was more murmuring throughout the room, though it was halted by a loud cough coming from the head of the Nie contingent. Nie Huaisang stood up and flicked his fan open, using it to cool himself as he faced Sect Leader Huang. “I believe I can make this even simpler for the leaders of the Jianghu,” he said in a serious tone that few in the room had likely ever heard from the 'Headshaker'. “Even should you decide to vote for me, I cannot possibly accept.”

“But why?” Sect Leader Yao looked confused that anyone would reject such a prestigious position, and he was not the only one.

Nie Huaisang's fan paused and he took in a deep breath before closing it once again. “The reason is actually something I had planned to announce at the end of the conference, though I suppose there is no better time than the present. I cannot be Chief Cultivator because in two months' time, I am abdicating my position as Nie-zongzhu and handing it down to my Head Disciple, Nie Zuilong.”

For a single moment, the room was so silent that Wei Wuxian could have heard the dropping of a pin – then it was suddenly filled with people voicing their shock. At first, it looked like the many comments were falling upon deaf ears as Nie Huaisang made no reaction, but then Wei Wuxian heard someone shouting out, What would Nie Mingjue think about this?

Wei Wuxian's eyes went straight to Nie Huaisang in time to watch his jaw clench, then suddenly his fan was thrown to the floor, the dark metal banging against the polished wood of Lotus Pier's main hall and drawing the attention of every pair of eyes in the room.

“What would my brother think?” Nie Huaisang echoed – and if looks could kill, the unknown disciple who had asked the question would be on his way to his next life. “My brother has no opinion because he isn't here. He's dead, locked in a tomb with the very man who murdered him. If you want to go to Yunping and open his coffin to ask his opinion, then by all means, do so.”

“Now be fair, Nie-zongzhu,” Sect Leader Ouyang said condescendingly. “The comment was perhaps a little out of line, but your answer doesn't become a proper sect leader.” Behind him, his son shrank away, looking like he would much rather be sitting with the Lan or Jin delegations.

Wei Wuxian thought back to the first time he'd met with Nie Huaisang after being returned and thinking how sad it was that his old friend had grown so weak and helpless, and he remembered the way the man had passed out in the treasure room beneath Koi Tower – he could see how the other sect leaders would feel themselves better than someone like the Headshaker. But he also remembered Jin Guangyao's final words and his own suspicions about just how much Nie Huaisang may have been involved in his downfall. At his side, Lan Wangji tensed as if getting ready to involve himself – Wei Wuxian placed a hand on his husband's arm and shook his head.

He wanted to see where this would go – he had a feeling it was going to be quite entertaining, and possibly cathartic. He couldn't help but notice at the head of the hall, Jiang Cheng was keeping out of it as well, also looking like he was curious about how this argument would go.

Nie Huaisang's lips curved into a smile and Sect Leader Ouyang relaxed – likely because, unlike Wei Wuxian, he hadn't noticed that the smile did not reach Nie Huaisang's eyes. “Why thank you, Ouyang-zongzhu, for telling me how I should and should not comport myself. I'll surely take advice from a man who is incapable of telling when he has bored the rest of the conference attendees to death.”

There were a few chuckles from around the room, but Nie Huaisang was not laughing.

Wei Wuxian suddenly wished he had some peanuts to eat while watching the show.

“Though if you would take some advice from this humble one,” Nie Huaisang continued, and to Wei Wuxian, his voiced sounded menacing. “I would do a better job locking the door when having those 'private' meetings with Yao-zongzhu - I fear your wife 'overheard' your last meeting, and may now have the wrong impression about your relationship with him – that is why she chose not to accompany you today, is it not?”

Whispers spread throughout the room. Sect Leader Yao let out a forced laugh. “Ah, how amusing Nie-zongzhu, really. Now perhaps we can ignore such ridiculous fabrications and get back to business.”

“Ridiculous,” Nie Huaisang echoed, his eyes narrowing and looking remarkably like his brother.

Something was placed on the table in front of Wei Wuxian; he looked down to see a small bag of peanuts. He looked up at Lan Wangji and grinned, blowing him a kiss in thanks, then began cracking open the first nut.

“Ridiculous.” Oh, Nie Huaisang now sounded just this side of unhinged, and Wei Wuxian was loving it. “Let me tell you what's ridiculous: the pile of trade offers that landed on my desk in the wake of Liangfang-zun's death. After ten years of thinking the only reason you couldn't take advantage of my unsuitability as sect leader was that I had his and Zewu-Jun's support and aid, you were all suddenly interested in sending the most insulting offers now that neither of them are here to act as my support. All of you! With certain notable exceptions,” he added with nods to Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling, and Lan Wangji.

The only other sound in the room was the cracking of Wei Wuxian's peanut shell.

“Not that none of you tried to get to me when they weren't around,” Nie Huaisang continued, beginning to walk down the room so he could look from one sect leader to another. “Oh, you did try, and every now and then I'd let you think you got one over on me and go cry to San-ge that I thought I'd messed something up, because every time I wanted to remind him about just what sort of position he had put me in!”

There was a small sound from behind Wei Wuxian; he glanced back and saw Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi watching raptly, with the former's hand clapped to the latter's mouth to keep him from making any noise. He grabbed a few peanuts and dropped them on their tables to share.

“What fucking irony that in ten years of being unable to sleep at night, of being constantly paranoid and terrified that he was going to find out I knew what he did to my brother,” there were gasps from the crowd, “ten years of hating him... and I still like and respect him more than almost every single one of you! How does it feel,” Nie Huaisang paused before Sect Leaders Yao and Ouyang, “to know the son of a whore you all derided and turned on the moment it was convenient, that he was better than the lot of you put together!”

The various sect leaders in the crowd looked insulted, but none of them dared speak. Wei Wuxian, quite frankly, thought they could use a good dressing down.

“I didn't want this, any of this,” Nie Huaisang continued with a wave of his hand, once again pacing along the hall. “And you dare to even suggest making me Chief Cultivator?! What would my brother think? He would think the same as I do, that the only reason you would want me in the position would be because you think I'm easily manipulated without anyone else to watch out for me.”

Wei Wuxian saw Jiang Cheng lift a hand to rub at his lower face and wondered if he was the only one who'd noticed the smirk being hidden behind that hand.

“And perhaps there might have been a time I would have allowed you to think that and gone along with it, and used your ignorance against you once I was elected... but I'm so fucking tired, and I want out.” Nie Huaisang's shoulders dropped as if he was running out of steam. “I've given up so much to try and make Da-ge proud, to not let our sect be destroyed or absorbed by another because I owed him that much. You have no idea what I've let go of or put on hold because I couldn't risk watching the things I love be destroyed. None of you have any right to ask more of me. I'm done, I've had enough, and in two months' time, there will be another Nie to deal with all of your bullshit.”

Nie Huaisang stopped his pacing next to the fan he had thrown, picking it up and cradling it between his hands. He turned and faced the head of the room, lowering into a formal bow to Jiang Cheng. “My deepest apologies, Jiang-zongzhu, for the disruption. No disrespect was intended to our host – you have always been one of the few to be just and honest in your dealings with Qinghe Nie.”

“No offence was taken,” Jiang Cheng replied simply. “I think the Jianghu can do with a little more blunt honesty.”

“Thank you.” Nie Huaisang set his shoulders back. “Now, I'm afraid I'm feeling a little under the weather and will leave the conference to decide as it will. I will leave all votes to my Head Disciple, who will act on my behalf.”

Nie Huaisang made a perfect, graceful turn and strode down the hall, leaving a room full of angry and embarrassed sect leaders in his wake.

#nie huaisang #the untamed #wip wednesday #wip excerpt

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rosethornewrites · 2 years

Text

Friday-Monday T & G reading

The usual

Finished

Teen:

Wei Wuxian's Murder Field Trip, by iamwish (3rd in a series)

"Wei Wuxian had put killing the Tortoise of Slaughter before returning to the Burial Mounds on his To-Do list partly because that just seemed like the order they should go in. Gotta have that tiny nugget of consistency in the timeline you’re tearing to shreds."

What it says on the tin. This takes place at the same time as A Little Bit Worse and Chapters 4 & 5 - LWJ's pov in Here With Me.

the anger remains, by Gaez (bell_flowers)

The ghost, when it comes to Lotus Pier, is not entirely unexpected. That it is the enraged shade of his elder sister, does give Jiang Wanyin pause.

An arrow to the heart, by IsilmeLasgalen (13 chapters, might not be done)

If you try to kill someone make sure they are dead or it might actually make them stronger.

Wei Ying can take a lot as long as he knew his A Yuan and his Lan Zhan were safe and sound but they should have never, ever hurt his family.

General:

lost and found, by lofikv

It started out as an unfamiliar tune, but the right notes found their way together like puzzle pieces. The sound was a little off, like it was produced from a broken instrument, but there was no mistaking it. The melody is just like what he had made when he was young and drunk with the newfound feeling of falling in love, and there was no one in the world who knows of it except—

Wei Wuxian.

Together, by Befallings

For the Untamed Winterfest 2019 Prompt 28: Together

Reunion, by LtLJ (5th in a series)

An epilogue for The Return series. Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and Jiang Cheng make a discovery at Carp Tower.

in-laws hate it! get a grandbaby with this one weird trick, by Anonymous

Lan Qiren did not raise Zhan'er to text an hour and a half before dinner to call it off without explanation.

有情人终成眷属 | lovers, finally wed, by stiltonbasket (54 chapters)

Six weeks after Jin Guangyao's defeat, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji go their separate ways; Lan Wangji returns to the Cloud Recesses as the new Chief Cultivator, while Wei Wuxian travels to Lotus Pier as Yunmeng Jiang's acting sect leader.

Even love must wait for duty, Lan Wangji writes to his brother. I cannot make my feelings known, Xiongzhang. Wei Ying is not yet free.

Luckily for everyone's sanity, Lan Xichen disagrees.

(or, the post-CQL arranged marriage AU you never knew you needed.)

Unfinished

Teen:

You Double-faced Entendre, by pink-lotus-pods (Waterlogged_fireflies)

"Wei Wuxian! You will be charged-"

“First of all, my name is Yuandao, and second of all, you aren't a judge, but you’re the one who’s got me tied up like a chicken! Let me go, damn it, I need to get back to my chickens and my farm!” Yuandao struggled violently, but the thin, golden ropes were a lot stronger than they looked.

The man in gold on the frankly, tastelessly ostentatious throne spluttered, turning the same colour as the cauliflower that he liked to put in his stews.

“Wow. You were right, he really doesn’t remember.” A man built like a mountain whistled, his face twisted into something that looked like amusement. “Either that, or he’s a world class actor.”

“For the last time, I’m just a farmer!”

Or, an amnesiac Wei Wuxian wakes up, gets himself a new family and is immediately roped into a political schism, EXACTLY in that order. He is very unhappy about having his cottagecore life uprooted.

Updates will be once every two weeks. Some tags have been hidden until the chapter will be posted, but there will be additional warnings in the chapter notes should you want to skip a particular scene

Whatever it takes, by Moonlit_dewdrops

Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian are sent back to the past. This time, they can save everyone they love. They can make the right choices. They can learn to trust one another. However, everything comes with a price.

Earning Trust, by wolfsharingan15

Wei Wuxian wakes up after the Wens have surrendered. With no one left Wei Wuxian breaks and locks himself away in the Burial Mounds as a punishment in hopes that he will die there and make everyone happy.

Well...things don't go that way exactly. After an abysmal failure to capture the Burial Mounds, Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng come to Wei Wuxian for help. Wei Wuxian has lost all faith and trust in the sects, but he helps because Lan Zhan is missing.

Up Above the Water, Never Going Under, by ishaalajusco

Jin Ling had three things to his name: his title, his relationships with other sects, and a pride in his heritage. So when a curse thrusts Jin Ling to the past with only his wits, Jin Ling holds on to the hope that his friends and family will find him.

However, every curse has a catch. As Jin Ling explores a past where legends have yet to be made, the present struggles to make sense of remembering what they have lost.

Jin Ling is kicked out of Koi Tower for an impromptu vacation, only to find himself traveling to the past before the events of the Sunshot Campaign.

What has long been concealed, by Gaby007

The Burial Mounds change everything falling in their grasp, Wei Wuxian is well-placed to know it. Lan Wangji is rather nonplussed when he learns his beloved's secret yet seizes the opportunity to finally bring the Yiling Patriarch to Gusu and keep him safe.

Now, he just has to keep Wei Ying hidden from the cultivation world, and maybe he will get to learn some secrets of the Lan sect as he does.

Here With Me, by iamwish

Wen Qing finds him on the roof of where he’s been staying, nursing a jar of Sishu’s wine.

“Wei Wuxian! What are you doing up there?”

Wei Wuxian hasn’t had nearly enough wine to get tipsy, let alone drunk enough for his words to slur, but he slurs them anyway for nostalgia. “What if Lan Zhan doesn’t fall in love with me?”

Wei Wuxian finds himself in the past, a few months before the Gusu Lan lectures, and decides that his best shot at hiding his trauma fixing the future is faking his own kidnapping and asking Wen Qing who all he needs to kill before she or someone she trusts is in charge of QishanWen. Clearly, he thought this through.

Or: Wei Wuxian creates a No War!AU, and then he has to live in it.

Upon further consideration, by luckymoonly

Lan Qiren was quite pleased with the fact that he had expelled Wei Wuxian from the Cloud Recesses. Until he actually found out Wei Wuxian was carrying his first grandbaby.

Pocketful of Soul, by Jenrose

“It’s a kid?” Wei Wuxian says to Wen Qing. “What’s a kid doing dabbling with the ghostly path? Talking to my ghosts?” He sounds indignant.

“Perhaps you should ask him,” Wen Qing says dryly.

“Kid, why are you using demonic cultivation?” Wei Wuxian asks.

“It works better when you want to work with spirits, rather than fight them,” Mo Xuanyu says. “And I’m not using demonic cultivation, I merely greeted your spirit and told him I was a friend and needed to talk to you. Well, something to that effect. Intention matters more than intonation with this stuff.”

“Who taught you that?” Wei Wuxian asks, his voice shifting from indignation to intrigue.

“You did,” Mo Xuanyu says. “Or well, your notes did, hmmm… five or six years from now.”

Wei Wuxian wags a scolding finger at him and says, “You should be developing your golden core, not dabbling around with things you don’t under—Did you say five years from now? As in, in the future?”

OR: What if instead of Sacrifice Summon, Mo Xuanyu discovered Wei Wuxian’s flawed time travel talisman?

A Mo Xuanyu-centric found family time travel looping epic.

Fic is complete, posting frequently.

The Twin Ghosts of Yunmeng, by sandupommelfrog

Yanli, Jiang Cheng, Jin Zixuan, Lan Wangji, and Wen Qing put together a plan to bring Wei Wuxian home and secretly resettle the Wen remnants and it goes well until it doesn’t. The Twin Prides of Yunmeng have died in disgrace, but their memory haunts the cultivation world as demonic cultivators wreak havoc in Yunmeng and violet lightning strikes around the now cursed Lotus Pier.

Jiang Cheng breathes once again and has no choice but to continue forward to resurrect his sect (again) and raise his nephew.

(Also a mer au)

General:

Five Idiots and there is Wen Ning, by Shadoak_uwu (7th in a series)

Where the Lose Braincell group decided to crossdressing and prank the hell out of idiot Jin Zixun as a sweet reminder to not hurt ladies feeling.

...

(Lan Wangji is force to rebel and he think why not, typical teenager thing and their rebellious phase.

Lan Qiren might as well turn blind eyes. Wangji look nice with dress, thought Lan Xinchen happily)

Two Heart As One, by Shadoak_uwu

Wei Wuxian and The Junior Quarter were thrown into the past when they almost died because of an assassination from Jin Guanyao followers.

With his baby 8 month old in his stomach, will Wei Wuxian manage to go back with the Juniors to their own timeline, or he need to stay there and create a No war Au so everyone can finally be happy.

#the untamed #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #cql #chen qing ling #untamed fanfiction

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