u/JudgmentMaterial3851

Made my mom watch the Donghua (she loved it), and when Jin Guangyao went on his spiel to Xichen about how he killed so many people, but would never dare hurt him, she said something along the lines of "You know, I get the main couple and all, but I can see those two even more." She was even sad when Jin Guangyao died because it meant they could never be together again.

I'm mainly a Xicheng shipper, but I am so delighted by this regardless.

Re-reading mdzs and I'd just like to talk about Jin Ling throughout the novel. He's always been one of my favorite characters, and everything he's gone through just makes me wanna hug him 💔

This is literally just a summary of the final battle but from Jin Lings pov, turn back if you haven't read it yet ​

Before everything went down, we can assume (since he was with the entire group on the boats heading back to Loutus Pier) that he heard the entire story about Jin Guangyao's knowing incest, and the way his grandfather, Jin Guangshan died. Thats horrible enough to hear

And then, the battle hasn't even started, and Jin Ling is almost shot by an arrow, escapes, and then is then surrounded by swords while his uncle is requesting Fairy be killed. Already such a fast and shocking start.

Next, he gets to witness Jiang Cheng being stabbed in the chest and having to help/make sure he doesn't make his condition worse by exerting himself, while also worrying if Fairy would be killed or not.

After that, Jiang Cheng had an entire mental breakdown, sobbing and yelling at Wei Wuxian about the core swapping. I've seen my parents before having mental breakdowns, and even just witnessing it is so emotional taxing. Jin Ling seeing Jiang Cheng crying and yelling, I can only imagine how helpless he felt sitting there, still worried because his uncle just got stabbed as well. And then of course the line Jiang Cheng just had to bring up, "'...the lives of my father, mother, elder sister, and Jin Zixuan! Because of you, the only one left is an orphaned Jin Ling!' Jin Ling jolted. His shoulders drooped, and his expression wilted too."

That scene always tugs on my heart. Jiang Cheng is trying to prove a point, but Jin Ling being an orphan is still a sore spot because of his childhood.

Let's continue to the scene where he had to see numerous monks and other corpses, spontaneously combust into flames. Being burned alive is anything but a pretty sight, and also having to hear their screams of agony would no doubt be traumatic to any Fifteen year old.

And then there's the scene where he finds out Jin Guangyao sent Jin Zixuan to Qiongqi path, knowing what was happening with Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixun, in hopes of him getting hurt. And, obviously, that decision killed Jin Zixuan.

Jin Ling asks why, he wants to know why his uncle would do something so cruel, and while Jin Guangyao briefly acknowledges Jin Ling, he then starts ranting about how life is unfair, and why he had to suffer the way he did​. Which is somewhat of an explanation, but it doesn't justify his decision in the slightest.​

And after doing his whole wanting pity thing, he wraps a string around Jin Ling's neck to take him hostage. The slightest tug could decapitate him and Jin Ling is undoubtedly aware of that fact. All he can do is remain frozen while the adults around him shout and argue.

Then of course, Nie Mingjue comes in, and Jin Guangyao is shaking in his boots, also shaking the string. And then the next second, hid arm is cut off. "The spray of blood from Jin Guangyao's severed arm hit Jin Ling dead on, staining most of his body and part of his face with blood. He was still in a daze, yet to grasp just what had happened."

He's taken hostage by his kind uncle, sees his arm get cut off, and then gets covered in his blood. I don't even want to imagine what's going through his head.

He doesn't get much if a break though. Nie Mingjue starts going after him, and then he's protected by the man who killed his father, the only person he could vent his anger onto. And then it goes into Jin Ling's internal thoughts, talking about how conflicted he was. He didn't to hate Wei Wuxian​, so he forced it all on Wen Ning... who was now laying in front of him with a hole through his chest.

I love how mxtx goes into such detail about how Jin Ling truly is just a wounded, resentful teenager trying to find someone to blame for his parents death. And I think this scene displays that beautifully.​

But anyway, then Jin Ling had to witness Jin Guangyao being stabbed.

I think by far though, the most traumatizing thing Jin Ling witnessed was Jin Guangyao dying. The scene itself was already gruesome, but then of course there's the line, "With difficulty, he choked out a mouthful of blood. Everyone present heard an unusually cruel, loud crack. A gagged whimper escaped Jin Guangyao's throat. Jin Ling's shoulders shuddered. He shut his eyes, covered his ears, afraid to listen or look any longer."

I forgot about this scene during my first read, but re-reading it left me speechless. Seeing a person he love get their neck broken and hearing the crack? Horrible.

And fun little reminder that after this, Jin Ling was pushed on to be sect leader, which the elders and citizens rarely acknowledge. Even worse, there are many comments made about how the Jin Clan is ruined and will never rise back up, and literal child has to deal with that.

Anyway, I just really wanted to touch on this because I feel like the trauma Jin Ling went through isn't discussed enough. Please add your thoughts, I love this little guy and would love to hear others options!

(Side note... if you have any hurt/comfort fanfic recs that go into Jin Ling's trauma, that would be greatly appreciated. I don't care if he's shipped with Sizhui or Jingyi, or if there is no ship at all​... I just wanna read more fics about him)

I just finished volume 10 and I loved 2ha, truly. But... Mo Ran being a Butterfly Boned Beauty Feast? Really? I feel like the reveal was so random. Idk if this has been discussed before or if Meatbun has posted about this reveled, but I feel like there was no foreshadowing leading up to it. Maybe I wasn’t looking close enough while reading, but I truly feel like this the most random thing. Ik Meatbun LOVES plot twists, and I could get behind the other's like Shi Mei being Hua Binan and the seed being planted in Taxian-Juns heart that was the reason he became evil, but this? I just feel like there was no foreshadowing beforehand and it was very random. ​What do yall think? And has this been discussed before/had Meatbun acknowledged it?