It Is Lovely In MDZS How Wei WuXian Essentially Has The Male Role, In That He Is The One Pulling On Lan

It is lovely in MDZS how Wei WuXian essentially has the “male” role, in that he is the one pulling on Lan WangJi’s figurative pigtails, the one to give him flowers repeatedly, the one to say he’s pretty out loud and in his head all the time, and the one trying to get him to pay attention to him.

Lan WangJi, meanwhile, gets teased, looks pretty, receives flowers, gets embarassed, defaults to ignoring his crush to appear aloof and keep control, his chaste modesty is being scandalously transgressed via super-meaningful Lan ribbon and cold pond shenanigans, and he secretly keeps all the tokens of Wei WuXian’s affections

And also kisses him forcefully against a tree (but even then in the text and Wei WuXian’s view, he’s a “shy maiden”) and fantasizes about shutting him up in a very specific way

Socially also, Lan WangJi is the pure and treasured daughter niece/sister, thematically, while Wei WuXian is the handsome devilish rake who “corrupts him”

And I find it hilarious how they both subvert everything I’ve mentioned above (by virtue of being extremely well-written characters who aren’t confined to one stereotype but feel like real, complex, subtle people instead), especially after Wei WuXian’s resurrection when their dynamic changes to become extremely funny more balanced

today i am going to be rambling about one of my most favorite things about tgcf & xie lian as a protagonist, its the fact that despite everything, despite all his severe horrific trauma, hes able to be a good person. and i know thats a pretty like general blanket statement, but let me explain:

usually i hate protagonists who go through one bad event & then choose peace and love, usually its boring and unrealistic to me (especially as someone who has gone through traumatic experiences and has been thoroughly messed up by them) but with xie lian it's different, its different because throughout his whole life after being banished he has really bad luck. the man literally cant catch a break !!!

and i empathize with that !! i understand how it feels to have life seeming to constantly be against you, and although xie lian doesnt always have the most healthiest mindset, (which is to be expected) like for example how he views his relationship with physical pain, how he constantly demeans himself, how his self esteem is horrific, but he's able to enjoy the little things in life !!! he seems like the type of guy who would sit in the sun for a few hours after a hard day of work to relax, he seems like he would take his time living very slowly (when he has the chance)

and i think this is why tgcf is like. one of my all time favorite book series ive read, its how human all the characters are, its the contrasts between xie lian being portrayed as this washed up trash god who was a former prince when in reality he's only looked down upon because hes behaving like a human, not a well-respected immortal who's lived more than eight centuries.

and i think thats what life is all about, its not being a good person, but its deciding to choose kindness and mundanity because where is the joy in life if you can't savor a sweet snack? or enjoy a warm meal with loved ones? godhood & power mean nothing when you're constantly miserable. like there's already so much cruelty in the world, and xie lian has already experienced such harshness, so he chooses kindness instead. like that one quote that waymond wang from everything everywhere all at once said where hes like:

"You tell me that it’s a cruel world, and we’re all just running around in circles. I know that. I’ve been on this earth just as many days as you. When I choose to see the good side of things, I’m not being naïve. It’s strategic and necessary. It’s how I’ve learned to survive through everything. I know you see yourself as a fighter. Well, I see myself as one too. This is how I fight."

okay thats all. i needed to get this off my chest before i exploded

peepaw xie lian

we don’t make enough grandpa xie lian jokes like that man literally gave out advice on alleviating creaky backs and legs after his third ascension, collapsed on his straw mat from fatigue after the banyue arc, and then lamenting on why everyone treats him like he’s so old when he is, in fact, always acting like an elderly man who’s seen a bit too much of the world

HOLY SHIT THIS IS SO GOOD ????

I am forever your most devoted believer

"I still prefer the name San Lang"

((spoilers!)) (( → insta ))

I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone talk about San Lang's name. Yes we all know/say he chose "Hua Cheng" as in i will build a city of flowers for you gege <3 , but see, why did he say,

"I still prefer the name San Lang" ?

What made it more important than the flowers?

Here's my theory:

(( !! spoilers !! ))

Maybe some have thought of this alrdy - or maybe it's a common fact so no one's talking abt it and I'm just dumb - but I'm gonna put this out here anyway:

Ik a lot of us inhale the idea that "San Lang" （三郎） refers to the MXTX boys, specifically the seme trio and him being the third, and hence all the crossovers of her boys interacting—

—and tho I practically bathe in these crossovers, at the same time I felt like that explanation wasn't entirely it. So, after some thought.. here's my take:

Maybe instead of

...it's more like:

Call it a headcanon, but for me, it's quite firm that this is what hc thought in naming himself "San Lang" — We all know how much the flower means to him, how relevant of a symbol it is of his god; the 'flower' in his name "Hua Cheng" would be of the utmost importance, yet he chose '3rd guy'.

Why?

—Because there's something for him to value more, and he would- because it's literally his reason for living.

The absolute reason for him to "stay" – to forego resting in peace and moving onto his next life – "i wont leave i wont leave" –

As Hong-er, on the brink of suicıde, he chose to stay and live – live on with xl as his reason;

As a ghost, he chose to stay again for xl;

Then, the 3rd time, as a supreme.

We all know hc can —and does— view himself rather first and foremost as someone who serves xl, willing to be even just an asset or tool to xl ( — rmbr how on ZhongYuan he truly did plan to leave after having merely one evening's worth of chat with xl on that wagon? Maybe thereafter 'conveniently' pop by every now and then to give his dianxia a hand? )

...So, "San Lang" means "the 3rd identity/asset he sends out to serve dianxia", or perhaps even "the 3rd to play xl's 'most devoted believer'."

And, simultaneously,

where "San Lang" came to be to 'live for/serve xl' a 3rd time,

"San Lang" is also willing to die for his highness a 3rd time

He survived an lived on for xl three times, he would die for xl three times too

- - -

He even included "3" in his name like he was fine he was fine with 3rd being the last.

（ok like, first, is he gonna come back in another skin and call himself '4th guy'? （ + plus, him giving away his last lifeline, a ghost's last chance – aka his ashes? （and moreover: Because if being one of, if not, the strongest supreme or being isn't enough for xl, there's rlly nothing more a ghost king can evolve into. So at least let the last thing he can give (his death) serve xl - –even if it's for xl's mere entertainment

= = = = =

(( I like to also think this is development for hc; his self-naming of "San Lang" is a reminder of the other two times he endeavoured and that it's now his third try — like a pat on the back and/or an acknowledgement of his growth, cuz in retrospect he would def see his third self as the most deserving of pride/respect, and to remember his two other selves can be fulfilling or even accrediting to his own hardwork for the past centuries to get to his current self.

Or, ykno, you can take this the sad way and interpret this as a reprimanding reminder for himself by remembering his shameful past. — Or both. HC both loves and hates himself so why not ツ

= = = = = = =

On a lighter note, I present 😌: "Si Lang" （Fourth guy/四郎）

imagine hc coming back after that one-year wait but jokingly introduced himself as "Si Lang" and xl finally understood what hc meant by 'ranking 3rd in the family' – and smacks hc or sth

(( the third time hc lives for and leaves xl tho, his identity, past feelings and intent are all revealed + embraced by his one and only true god so there's no need for a 4th🤗

→ An angstier addition tho, number [4] in cultures/languages like Chinese/Japanese is associated with death since it sounds like the word "死" (death). — So 4th time no return. . . ? Fanfic-ers, do what u do

People don't give lan xichen enough credit for canceling wei wuxian for queerbaiting during guanyin temple