If you still want to do the shipping meme: chengning? (or any other jiang cheng related ship, I love him)
Chengning, my beloved!! I'm also going to stick Wangxian in here, since @add1ctedt0you asked me about it in a comment.
Chengning: Ship It
Currently my main Jiang Cheng ship, which sucks because they're a rarepair. Although apparently Yu Bin also ships it? So us five whole chengning shippers are in good company.
What made you ship it?
Honestly, I kind of incepted myself into it.
They're narrative foils. Both younger brothers with somewhat opposing temperaments from the outside, since Jiang Cheng is sharp-tongued, blunt, and pragmatic, while Wen Ning is timid, shy, and somewhat idealistic. They both orbit Wei Wuxian, who, although he loves them and is deeply protective of them, doesn't seem to particularly respect either of them. I also think that they're more similar than they seem to be on the surface, since Wen Ning's secret resentment is so strong that it makes him an especially strong fierce corpse after he dies.
I'm really interested in Wen Ning's decision to rescue Jiang Cheng in order to... bring him to Wei Wuxian? He drugged a bunch of his sect members and smuggled a whole enemy sect heir out because Wei Wuxian was nice to him once? It's heroic but, like, baffling, especially since he doesn't defect from the Wen afterwards. (There are a lot of reasons for him not to want to defect from his family's sect, but then why betray the sect at all? It's not like his cousins have any intention to stop torturing, slaughtering, etc. Why save this one guy?) It also weirdly is a rescue that doesn't seem to have a lot to do with Jiang Cheng himself. I'm not sure what to make of it. Compels me, though.
Wen Ning's hero-worship of Wei Wuxian means that the one person he'll actually be mean to is Jiang Cheng. While normally "he's only mean to this one guy, so they're in love" is not really my thing, this interests me because Wen Ning is otherwise not a very honest person when it comes to his feelings. He is the King of Repression. It is literally the source of his fierce corpse powers. So, while I also don't think the scene where he yells at Jiang Cheng about the core transfer is a great display of honesty either (I think he says a lot of shit that he knows isn't accurate but will hurt Jiang Cheng's feelings), he's at least showing him his real feelings.
What are your favourite things about the ship?
I like it because I think it forces Wen Ning out of his holding pattern. I want to see Wen Ning grapple with what Wen Qing and Wei Wuxian did to him, which he aggressively does not want to think about, but which Jiang Cheng's situation ensures he can't escape.
I also think, if they were able to get past the anger and resentment, that they'd be cute together. They're both capable of tremendous love and devotion, and wouldn't it be nice for that to be directed at someone who can reciprocate wholeheartedly (rather than at Wei Wuxian who like... definitely loves them... but is also a lot more willing to walk away than either of them are, generally, in life).
Also I think it would really freak Wei Wuxian out, which is very funny to me.
Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?
Making Wen Ning the "nice one" and Jiang Cheng the "mean one" is missing the point, which is that this is an angryboy4angryboy relationship. One of them is just better at hiding it.
Wangxian: Don't Ship It
I'm sure this comes as no surprise at all!
Why don’t you ship it?
I'm not particularly interested in it, and that's partly because I only like Lan Wangji when the person writing him is aware of his flaws. Number one thing guaranteed to get my back up is when a writer is like, behold my character, who is a perfect gentleman, and then the character walks by and kicks a puppy (or bullies a teenager to get back at the teenager's guardian). Stop buying into his hype! He's a spoiled second son who has never had to be nice to anyone he didn't like!
What would have made you like it?
I like it sometimes! I'm just a little picky about it. I want everyone to be reasonably flawed and Jiang Cheng to be treated with some complexity. (I get that sometimes you just want a convenient bad guy, but if that convenient bad guy is Jiang Cheng, I am simply not your desired audience! And that happens semi-often with wangxian fic because it's the fandom juggernaut pairing. I gotta sift aggressively.)
Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?
There's a lot of great lesbian wangxian. I may also just like Lan Wangji a lot more when she's a woman. (This is because I love when women are assholes.)
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I don't know why so many people are coming to LXC's defence recently, like he never did anything wrong or never had a choice or that he was only manipulated, because 'JGY was just that good of a manipulator.'
Like no, the novel makes it clear that at several points that he was being willfully blind and ignorant of JGY's and the cultivation world's faults. The fact that LWJ and WWX found out about JGY killing NMJ after only a little bit of digging because they thought to suspect him, which Lan Xichen somehow didn't think to do despite spending close to twenty years working with him. That's a very long time, and that says more about his tendency to turn a blind eye, to not look deeper, to look away from the uncomfortable truth, than any good about JGY's manipulation abilities.
That is not to say Lan Xichen isn't a good person. He is. The problem is that he's not willing to put in the work to be good. He's unwilling to stand up to anyone. When WWX rightfully calls out JGS for trying to be the next Wen Rouhan, (about which JGY was like 'I mean, you're right, but you're not supposed to say it...."), he convenienly ignores that, opting to irrelevantly comment about how 'his heart had changed'. (Which made no sense?? LXC barely knew anything about WWX at that point!)
He's content to stay in his comfort zone, to go with the easy solution of letting others decide. If there's a problem, he'll go with the flow, and if there's a deeper ugly truth to it? He doesn't want to know about it. The situation of his parents is a perfect example. He says it himself: he doesn't want to know, and thus doesn't want to understand what happened with them.
Also for someone whose whole thing is being nice, he can be unbelievably tactless. Look at the ending events of the Guanyin Temple, where JGY is missing a limb and LXC, without thinking, asks Nie Huaisang of all people to give him medicine to heal. You know, the same Nie Huaisang who, at least to LXC's knowledge, has just learned that this same man is responsible for the death and dismemberment of his brother's body, as well as many others. And he now wants his help. To heal his brother's killer. Yikes. It's a wonder that NHS didn't immediately plan to kill LXC right then and there. And even if LXC was physically and mentally exhausted, it was still an incredibly thoughtless move.
Look at the way he laughs about NMJ (a member of the gentry) taking a third of the prey on Phoenix Mountain- "Oh typical Dage, that's just like him!"- while ignoring accusations against WWX (a son of a servant) doing the same, because he's subconsciously agreeing that it was a problem when WWX did it. He's being blatantly hypocritical and it's frustrating that he doesn't even realise it, or acknowledges it.
One of his redeeming factors can be his love for LWJ, but he's frustratingly careless about that too. For all his teasing (in which we never see LWJ indulging, he just unhappily and sulkily endures that. Teasing is not supposed to be fun or amusing if it's only one sided. Compare that to how he responds with snarky remarks to WWX's teasing, meaning he enjoys their banter) and pushing and advocating for LWJ's happiness, he never seems to deeply consider what actually makes him happy.
Everything he does for LWJ turns out to be the very opposite of what Lwj actually wants; inviting WWX and the others for the Caiyi hunt? Not what Lwj wanted, LXC merely convinced himself of that. His pushing LWJ to go talk to WWX at any chance? Doesn't ask or seem interested in why exactly LWJ would want to talk to WWX, nor help him in not letting their conversations constantly devolve into arguments. Shutting LWJ's protests at how WWX was right at the banquet with the 'his heart had changed'? Convenient for him to say, both hurting (even if it was unintended) his brother and changing the subject. And somehow everyone forgets that it was LXC who led the thirty three Lan elders to the cave after the Nightless City for Lan Wangji to fight against, for 'his own good.' And of course his whole angry, projection and deflection fuelled rant at the Guanyin Temple, where he tries to make WWX feel guilty about his brother's confession (which, you know WWX didn't remember because of the trauma clouding his memories), and make him think that he owed LWJ a relationship, which was exactly what LWJ was most afraid of.
His failings hit harder for me than any other character, because unlike JGY or XY or JGS who have no qualms about their immorality, he's supposed to be one of the good guys, a righteous clan leader who abides by honour and dignity. And yet he fails to do anything of sustenance all throughout the novel, and is a painful reminder of how easy it is to go with the wrong crowd, and that how so many 'nice' people like him exist irl, people whose willful ignorance comes at other's expense, people who want to be good but are too afraid of conflict, too set in their comfort zone to speak up against injustice, people who are all too willing to turn a blind eye and do nothing if the injustice or tragedy to others doesn't affect them.
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The Lans and Nies have no right to check and intrude between whatever is going on between Wei Wuxian, the Wen remnants and the Jins. Yet, they somehow have enough rights to go and witness the deaths of Wen Qing and Wen Ning with their clan disciples. And why were these two being killed? Because Jin Zixuan died by the hands of Wen Ning in an ambush set forth by the Jins upon Wei Wuxian, who was invited to Koi Tower by the Jins! So, it's definitely the Jin's matter, yet now you guys can come!
And what ends up happening? Somehow, Wen Ning who is being supported by Hanguang-jun loses control and ... kills Lans and Nies? Not the Jins! In the Jin palace! In an event orchestrated by the Jins! Death by a fierce corpse that the Jins should have prepared for! A whole ass cultivation sect? And a fierce corpse can go and kill whoever it wants?
But great!
Because you guys didn't ever go and check what the matter at Burial Mounds actually was like, because not your problem! Now, it has become your problem and you're forced to take part in the oath ceremony to go raze the Burial Mounds, and then you know, to defend himself, Wei Wuxian comes! And somehow it's his fault for "slaughtering." As if you guys weren't going along with the flow, not even questioning for a second why the smart Yiling Laozu would kill the people who could have stood up for him? And then what? You guys were present at the Oath Ceremony so more of you ended up dying, and now you have to go and take part in the slaughter of 50 innocent men and women and old people!!
Just because you were in positions of power, yet chose inaction. You got completely played! Naive.
Now, that's not enough yet.
Now, there's only two people who could've saved Nie Mingjue - Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing. But they're both already gone! Perhaps if Lan Wangji wasn't in seclusion, he would've stood up against the slaughter of all those minor clans who "tried to assassinate sect leader Jin"! But he is!
Now, Lan Xichen would rather shrug off both of his sworn brothers showing utmost hostility towards each other and increasing amounts of killing intent as a misunderstanding. He would think, oh he's being so nice and nuanced, understanding how people have to sometimes do bad things to maintain peace :((
Like, Lan Xichen's whole identity is built over avoiding conflict. When it comes to good and evil, there is no third side. How can you preach righteousness if you're not willing to carry the burden of morality? Sympathy doesn't equate to righteousness. Perhaps, if be wasn't a sect leader, he'd be good. But when you're a sect leader, being good isn't enough! Your inaction amounts to hundreds of lives.
Wei Wuxian perhaps has the most blood on his hands yet he values even the life of some useless servant, or some half-dead grandmother. You're all letting entire clans die to maintain a peaceful environment and you're thinking you're being righteous. If you have doubts then check them out!
Why are Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji so fated?
Well, firstly they've seen how "ugly" the other can get. Lan Wangjj knows that Wei Wuxian can turn up the heavens for righteousness, that he'll gladly walk through hell, if he could he would even offer up his own pieces of flesh. Wei Wuxian knows Lan Wangji cannot pretend things are okay when they're not. He is stubborn to no end with what he believes to be right, is willing to bear each and every consequence. He'd rather do what he thinks is right and accept the punishment later, whatever that will be.
In the face of truth, you can't hide, and you can't be prejudiced.
Wei Wuxian was hurt so much by Wen Chao, thrown into the Burial Mounds yet he brought the same surnamed Wens into Burial Mounds willingly to protect them! How can Nie Mingjue simply act on his hatred? In your righteousness to kill all evil, you started killing without exceptions and became the evil himself!
And why does Lan Xichen not have anything to say about Xue Yang? "Er-ge... this is what father wants." But Jin Guangshan is also a sect leader! Lan Xichen is also a sect leader!
I wonder what Lan Xichen said to Wangji after his visit to the Burial Mounds.
"Xiongzhang, there isn't an army but a child, the elderly, the women."
"Wangji. I understand. But Wei-gongzi has really upset the orthodox society now. It is no longer about the Wens. His cultivation is evil, and he holds the Tiger Seal... he even brought back Wen Ning's consciousness... you believe you know him..."
And boom, tell that to Jin Guangyao and three days later, everyone knows about Wen Ning. Props to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji for not holding grudges towards anyone and simply riding off to the sunset and even helping everyone who never tried to understand their true hearts.
Both of them are really blessed.
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Ships
Unexpected connections happen in two places: the Ships list and Feeld—a dating app for the curious. On Feeld, finding like-minded people is as fulfilling as finding yourself. In celebration of ships, here are this year’s iconic connections.
Ineffable Husbands +17
Aziraphale & Crowley, Good Omens
Steddie
Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson, Stranger Things
Destiel
Dean Winchester & Castiel, Supernatural
Byler -3
Will Byers & Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things
Wenclair
Wednesday Addams & Enid Sinclair, Wednesday
Bowuigi
Bowser & Luigi, the Super Mario Bros. franchise
Huntlow +7
Hunter & Willow Park, The Owl House
Avatrice
Ava Silva & Beatrice, Warrior Nun
Hannigram +2
Hannibal Lecter & Will Graham, Hannibal
Buddie -4
Evan Buckley & Edmundo Diaz, 9-1-1
Vashwood
Vash the Stampede & Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Trigun Stampede
Zelink +80
Zelda & Link, The Legend of Zelda
Lumity -6
Luz Noceda & Amity Blight, The Owl House
Ghostsoap
Simon “Ghost” Riley & John “Soap” MacTavish, the Call of Duty franchise
Blackbonnet -11
Edward Teach/Blackbeard & Stede Bonnet, Our Flag Means Death
Wolfstar +8
Remus Lupin & Sirius Black, the Harry Potter universe
Merthur +12
Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Merlin
Jegulus +25
James Potter & Regulus Black, the Harry Potter universe
Bumbleby +48
Yang Xiao Long & Blake Belladonna, RWBY
Bakudeku -4
Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Boku no Hero Academia
Dreamling -1
Dream of the Endless & Hob Gadling, The Sandman
Soukoku +60
Nakahara Chuuya & Dazai Osamu, Bungou Stray Dogs
Firstprince
Alex Claremont-Diaz & Prince Henry of Wales, Red, White & Royal Blue
Wesper
Wylan Van Eck & Jesper Fahey, the Grishaverse
Wangxian -8
Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Mo Dao Zu Shi
Satosugu +23
Gojo Satoru & Geto Suguru, Jujutsu Kaisen
Imodna +8
Imogen Temult & Laudna, Critical Role
Kanej +44
Kaz Brekker & Inej Ghafa, the Grishaverse
Bubbline
Princess Bubblegum & Marceline, Adventure Time
Ladynoir -17
Ladybug & Chat Noir, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Twiyor +6
Loid Forger & Yor Forger, SPY x FAMILY
Loustat +43
Louis de Pointe du Lac & Lestat de Lioncourt, Interview with the Vampire
Zosan
Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, One Piece
Marichat -12
Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Chat Noir, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Serirei +65
Serizawa Katsuya & Reigen Arataka, Mob Psycho 100
Adrienette -21
Adrien Agreste & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir
Chenford +24
Lucy Chen & Tim Bradford, The Rookie
Petrigrof
Simon Petrikov & Betty Grof, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake
Kavetham
Kaveh & Alhaitham, Genshin Impact
Griddlehark +54
Gideon Nav & Harrowhark Nonagesimus, The Locked Tomb series
Raeda -13
Raine Whispers & Eda Clawthorne, The Owl House
Tomgreg -19
Tom Wambsgans & Greg Hirsch, Succession
Hanamusa
Jessie & Delia Ketchum, the Pokémon franchise
Zolu
Roronoa Zoro & Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece
Narumitsu -12
Phoenix Wright & Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney
Sonadow +23
Sonic & Shadow, Sonic the Hedgehog
Ineffable Bureaucracy
Archangel Gabriel & Beelzebub, Good Omens
Spirk +9
Spock & James Kirk, Star Trek
Ballister x Ambrosius
Ballister Boldheart & Ambrosius Goldenloin, Nimona
Nandermo -42
Nandor the Relentless & Guillermo de la Cruz, What We Do in the Shadows
Jonmartin -15
Jonathan Sims & Martin Blackwood, The Magnus Archives
Punkflower
Hobie Brown & Miles Morales, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
AkiAngel
Aki Hayakawa & the Angel Devil, Chainsaw Man
Ronance -49
Robin Buckley & Nancy Wheeler, Stranger Things
Superbat -11
Superman & Batman, the DC universe
Shuake
Ren Amamiya/Joker & Goro Akechi, Persona 5
Geraskier -48
Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier, The Witcher
Hualian -18
Hua Cheng & Xie Lian, Tian Guan Ci Fu
Sulemio
Suletta Mercury & Miorine Rembran, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
Sterek -5
Stiles Stilinski & Derek Hale, Teen Wolf
Gumlee
Prince Gumball & Marshall Lee, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake
Shadowpeach
Sun Wukong & the Six-Eared Macaque, Lego Monkie Kid
Drarry -29
Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, the Harry Potter universe
Wilmon
Prince Wilhelm & Simon Eriksson, Young Royals
Harringrove -34
Steve Harrington & Billy Hargrove, Stranger Things
Kazurei
Suwa Rei & Kurusu Kazuki, Buddy Daddies
Lestappen
Charles Leclerc & Max Verstappen, Formula 1 drivers
Zukka -5
Zuko & Sokka, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Codywan +8
Commander Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Solangelo -23
Will Solace & Nico di Angelo, the Percy Jackson universe
Catradora
Catra & Adora, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Shadowgast -4
Caleb Widogast & Essek Thelyss, Critical Role
Stucky -43
Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes, the Marvel universe
Tarlos -18
TK Strand & Carlos Reyes, 9-1-1: Lone Star
Johnlock +21
John Watson & Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock
Sasunaru -24
Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Naruto
Locklyle
Anthony Lockwood & Lucy Carlyle, Lockwood & Co.
Lokius
Loki Laufeyson & Mobius M. Mobius, the Marvel universe
Supercorp -67
Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Supergirl
Piltover's Finest
Caitlyn Kiramman & Vi, Arcane
Helnik
Matthias Helvar & Nina Zenik, the Grishaverse
Prohibitedwish
Scarab & Prismo, Adventure Time
Klance -12
Keith & Lance, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Reylo
Rey & Kylo Ren, the Star Wars universe
Hanazawa
Teruki & Kageyama Shigeo, Mob Psycho 100
Cockles -44
Misha Collins & Jensen Ackles, Actors
Percabeth -46
Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase, the Percy Jackson universe
Astarion x Tav
Astarion & Tav, Baldur's Gate 3
Timkon
Tim Drake & Conner Kent, Young Justice
Davekat
Dave Strider & Karkat Vantas, Homestuck
Cynonari
Cyno & Tighnari, Genshin Impact
Creek
Craig Tucker & Tweek Tweak, South Park
Klapollo
Apollo Justice & Klavier Gavin, Ace Attorney
Style
Stan Marsh & Kyle Brovlofski, South Park
Korrasami -11
Korra & Asami Sato, The Legend of Korra
Bill x Frank
Bill & Frank, The Last of Us
Nick x Charlie -51
Nick Nelson & Charlie Spring, Heartstopper
Dreamnotfound -50
Dreamwastaken & GeorgeNotFound, Streamers
Dinluke -33
Din Djarin & Luke Skywalker, the Star Wars universe
Rhaenicent
Rhaenyra Targaryen & Alicent Hightower, House of the Dragon
The number in italics indicates how many spots a ship moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded ships weren’t on the list last year.
Explore your desires on Feeld. Within a safer, inclusive space, you can feel free to connect more intimately to yourself and others. Choose from over 20 gender and sexuality options and explore solo, or with a partner. Curious? Download the app today.
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