A story like Thousand Autumns is very subtle in its romance.
Shen Qiao has only ever known his sect. He knows it very well, because of this fact. He knows the people, he knows the rules, he knows the daily doings and who is doing them. He knows every blade of grass and every stone. Heās like a lonely mountain flower, on the highest peak, unseen by any but a few birds and unknowing that thereās more it might never know.
When he finds himself away from his sect for the first time, heās confused. At most, heās gone to the base of the mountain, maybe the fields surrounding that, but no further. The flower was plucked and tossed aside.
For a man stumbling blindly in the world, literally and figuratively, there really isnāt a better guide than one that knows just about everything. And thatās, without a doubt, Yan Wushi.
Yan Wushi has lived longer than Shen Qiao, has been more places than Shen Qiao, and has fought more battles than Shen Qiao. Yan Wushi is the perfect example of something out of reach even for someone out of reach. Heās the only one who could answer any questions asked of him, but especially the questions that Shen Qiao would want to ask him.
And thereās no question in my mind that Yan Wushi doesnāt fall for Shen Qiao at first sight, but heās certainly attracted to him. Not in an overtly sexual or emotional way, but Yan Wushi, the way his character is set up? Itās impossible for him not to be fascinated by Shen Qiao.
He knows Shen Qiao is the very picture of a peerless immortal. Heās well aware that Shen Qiao is considered untouchable by even the people closest to Shen Qiao. Heās most aware that Shen Qiao is Qi Fenggeās (coughhndisputedcough) favourite disciple, and honestly thatās enough for him to overwhemingly want to mess with Shen Qiao.
There are a lot of reasons for Yan Wushi to fall for Shen Qiao. Most of the people in the novel fall for Shen Qiao, after all, there is a precedent.
But the one Iāve seen questioned is Shen Qiaoās affection for Yan Wushi. Where does it come from? When did it start? Does Shen Qiao even fucking like that asshole?
The easy answer is: yes, he does. The novel tells us that. Shen Qiao, despite everything, does fall for Yan Wushiās, um, ācharmsā in the end. This is made clear.
But why? A thousand voices cry out. Why the fuck would any reasonable person like Yan goddamn Wushi in any capacity?
Well, thereās your first mistake. Shen Qiao is not a reasonable person.
Shen Qiao as a character is absolutely terrifying. He could absolutely destroy the world given half the inclination, but he just doesnāt want to. Heās already considered unmatched before heās pushed unceremoniously off of a mountain, and his journey only increases his strength. He isnāt quite equal to Yan Wushi, but heās the only person Yan Wushi ever sees as equal to himself.
Shen Qiaoās best and worst trait is his patience. Heās unwavering. He really just embodies taoism, especially as itās presented in the novels. He is the picture of a river that doesnāt stray from its path.
Which is why itās hard for him to reconcile his own attraction to Yan Wushi, but letās all be clear here. Yan Wushi absolutely starts seducing Shen Qiao on day fucking one. If he couldāve (if Qi Fengge hadnāt been there) he wouldāve tried to eat that cabbage when it was just a little sprout. Shen Qiao is unpracticed in most social interactions, to be frank, but heās especially unused to romance and Yan Wushi really is his first introduction to being hit on.
Yan Wushi is far from good, at really any point, to anybody but especially to Shen Qiao. But that doesnāt particularly matter because Shen Qiao chooses to forgive him, again and again. And I really think, after giving Shen Qiao to a confirmed terrible, awful person who has already promised to do terrible thing to Shen Qiao, that Shen Qiao himself wouldnāt forgive literally anyone else for doing that. And he shouldnāt, because it was really fucked up, but that still doesnāt matter because Shen Qiao ultimately DOES forgive Yan Wushi.
What am I saying? Iām saying that Shen Qiao fell for Yan Wushi first. It is the only way the story makes any sense. Shen Qiao is annoyed at him, heās furious at him, heās so fucking pissed he could kill that man, but he likes him. He likes Yan Wushiās company. He likes that Yan Wushi gives him a challenge. Heās exasperated, but he likes it.
Shen Qiao forgives Yan Wushi SO MANY TIMES. Yan Wushi humiliates him and mocks him and is the absolute worst, but Shen Qiao forgives him and more than that, Shen Qiao always is waiting for Yan Wushi to come back to bother him more.
Is there more to Shen Qiaoās attraction? Probably. Is it a daddy kink? It could be. But I honestly canāt help but read it as Shen Qiao falling for the absolute pits of a man that is Yan Wushi. Shen Qiao likes that old bastard and decides to spend the rest of his life with the fucker and he is just too much of a block of ice to show it.
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