Love Is In The Air; Wear A Gas Mask

But here's the thing, the tattoo. Xie lian's name that he engraved on his arm by himself. he doesn't hide it.

It feels less like a calculated decision and more like something he couldn't bring himself to do. Like changing his face, his body, his entire presence is fine, but covering that? That crosses a line even he won't cross.

It's like… imagine liking someone so much that you pretend to be someone else just to stay near them, but you still wear something that screams the truth if they look closely enough. Not because you think they will figure it out. Just because taking it off feels worse than the risk.

There's also that quiet, almost embarrassing hope buried in it. He practically wishes for something small and stupid like: maybe he'll notice, maybe he'll ask, maybe, somehow, it'll mean something to him but bless him, he doesn't reveal what that tattoo is actually about, how cute

Because at the same time, he's not actually trying to be found out. If Xie Lian doesn't notice, Hua Cheng won't push. He wont explain. He'll just… stay there, in that half-hidden state.

So you get this almost cruel tension where Hua cheng is standing right there, stripped down to a boy with a secret written on his skin, and the one person it's meant for looks at it without realizing what he's being shown.

Man, hua cheng, I swear xie lian would've noticed what the tattoo meant if it wasn't for you lousy handwriting but on the other side, the tattoo is soo tattoo coded. Like it goes hard-

I am a South Asian who grew up with a mother that was a calmer version of madame yu and in a very toxic household, and it's infuriating enough for me to already be surrounded by people that excuse abusive parenting, I don't need y'all to do the same. Both jiang cheng and madame yu are abusive narcissists and I know that cuz I grew up with one.

Stop abuse apologia! "abused becomes the abuser" yeah but what about those who choose to become a better person, do everything in their power to improve themselves and not be like their parents, the cycle breakers.

Personally, I think you take away credit from people who go through some terrible traumatic situations and don't let it break their will to remain kind and righteous and who don't turn bitter when you excuse a character's bad behavior. Cuz' jc gets all this undeserving praise for not even doing the bare minimum and y'all find reasons to take away wwx's very deserved applause and respect for doing everything in his power to do the righteous thing.