turtlesocksv2 replied to your post: I find it interesting that almost all English fics...
that is interesting! Why would they make up an OC when there’s a ready-made baby right there?
Mm...because Wen Yuan isn’t a baby for most of canon, and canonically not really considered WangXian’s ‘son’ at all? Most of the time when Wen Yuan is featured in the canon era Chinese fics I’ve read, he’s already a teenager (as Lan Sizhui) and his relationship to WangXian is no different to how it’s presented in canon. Which is to say, a protege and student, or a younger family member (akin to a nephew) to them both.
His relationship to them is very respectful (and not just because Gusu Lan has strict teachings) and he regards LWJ more like a shifu or a mentor than a father. LWJ is said to “raise” Wen Yuan, but “raising” in this sense is less of a father role and more a role model and a teacher who guides him through his training.
There’s also the cultural difference between Western and Asian views on family, familial relationships and filial piety. It’s a huge fucking deal to call someone ‘father’ when they aren’t your biological father. I don’t know how much this cultural value influences Chinese fic writer’s choices to create OC children for them, but it’s certainly something I balk at in canon era fics.
