Lan Wangji’s relationship with regret fascinates me. I find it admirable that instead of wallowing in “what if”s, he takes that guilt and uses it as motivation to do better.
He may not be able to go back in time and save Wei Wuxian or the Dafan Wens, but he can raise Lan Sizhui safely to be a respectable and smart cultivator.
He may not be able to change how he acted on the cognitive dissonance he faced in trying to reconcile his feelings for Wei Wuxian with his belief in the Lan Sect’s rules, but he can re-evaluate them for himself and learn to embody the intention of the rules to apply differently in each nuanced situation rather than obey them rigidly.
He may not be able to have told Wei Wuxian about his like of him as a teenager but he can act honestly and unabashedly upon the other man’s return.
Lan Wangji shows how the best cure for regret is changed behavior. He doesn’t stew in shame but instead chooses to be deliberate in his actions going forward.
