See I don't necessarily disagree with what seems to be the primary reading that Yue Qingyuan's shifu fucked him over, caring nothing for his needs or preferences and only for whether he was useful. That makes sense, it ties into plenty of the generational and societal themes of the story. It fits.
But iirc we don't actually get enough information to know that's what happened.
And the thing is it would be so in-character and also thematically appropriate if Yue Qingyuan absolutely did not explain his goals or why he was working so hard, because it was private and shameful and he didn't expect any sympathy, and there was a high risk of losing everything if he blabbed.
And also if he engaged with the existing ruleset with which he was presented, i.e. 'can't go off on your own on personal business until you've mastered your sword,' in the most negative and controlling manner possible, as absolute commandments.
He's a different kind of guy but he comes from the same background as Shen Jiu! It fucked him up also!
He is very very very not a guy who trusts the system to make allowances for him--even once he has all the power he 'does what he wants' and 'makes selfish choices' as a conscious transgression; not something he has a right to do, just something he can get away with so he's gonna. (And ofc he spends almost all the latitude he grants himself on sqq.)
And even less is he a guy who opens up easily.
He isn't too proud to ask for help or pity, so much as he just doesn't expect to get any.
So in this interpretation, he understood that rule as a non-negotiable barrier in his path, the target to overcome, and focused all his considerable will and talent on overcoming it through the sphere of action he felt he had control over.
And fucked himself up bad.
Whereupon his teacher, possessing absolutely no context for this dumb shit their star pupil pulled, did the only thing they thought might work to save his life, paying in the process no attention to the raving of someone deep in a psychotic break.
Like, I feel like there should have been a better, kinder medical option, but I don't know for sure that there was, so I can't say with certainty this was the kind of cruelty that derives from not caring enough.
And it really would be kind of elegant and so typical of Yue Qingyuan's fundamental tragedy if the real mistake was 'not confiding in anybody' the whole time.
And he was just so deeply sunk into the understanding that explaining and asking were useless that, even looking back, it never really occurred to him that maybe his mistake wasn't 'fucking it up when trying too hard to solve everything on his own' but 'assuming there was no help to be had, and that he had to do it all on his own.'
Like. What if this really could all have been avoided if he'd just trusted and communicated with the adult in charge of him? But of course, of course his history of trauma (neglect, child abuse, exploitation, being the One Responsible for the younger kids whom he could not keep safe) meant he was absolutely not going to do that.
It was basically impossible. For the person he was, the person the world had made of him. And that's always been the core tragedy the whole novel circles back upon.
People can only ever be themselves, and so very often the elements of self that let them survive until now are that which dooms them, that means they need someone else to intervene if they're ever going to be saved. Because your personal doom is always the thing from which you can't save yourself.
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How to recognize when you need to set a boundary
Physical signs of your body telling you "no":
Bile in your throat
Panic
freeze response aka frozen or paralyzed w fear
Heart paced real fast
Anxiety
Unsettled stomach/gut feeling
Head fuzzy
Head & chest feels tight
Face might scrunch up in disgust/disbelief/pain etc
"ick" or "ew"
fainting or feeling weak as a result
crying
feeling like hurting yourself
cheeks hot, face flushed (embarrassment out of fear or humiliation)
fight/flight/freeze/fawn response gets triggered
body feels "charged" or "activated"
wanting to yell or shout back
wanting to run away
wanting to hide
wanting to stuff yourself with food/substances/alcohol etc to numb the pain
heart feels heavy or pounds at awkward intervals
not being able to eat
head shakes "no"
backing away
asking or screaming for help
feeling scared
feeling "on alert"
not knowing what to say
arms protecting yourself
not being able to move
Emotional signs that you are not safe:
Unsettling environment
Fawning aka "going with what they want" even if you don't feel good about it
Uncomfortable
Knowing the other person doesn't like it when you express things different from their own beliefs
Knowing if you spoke up you would be either mocked or downplayed or told you're being too sensitive
Being told you're "disrespectful" or "not allowed" to talk back or disagree in any way
Being told you're too chicken or being forced to feel dumb or stupid if you don't join in
Being openly mocked or talked about by the whole group
Expressing a concern and they get mad at you for being mad at them
You're always the one in the wrong even when you were the one being hurt
They use grandiose words and phrases to assert dominance
"walking on eggshells"
They continue to do the things you asked them to stop doing even after countless times asking them
They don't care about how you feel
They make no effort to acknowledge your feelings or acknowledge how their behavior is affecting you
They force you to participate in drugs/alcohol
They hold their power and good deeds they have done for you over your head and threaten to stop helping or support you or even take back what they have given you
They are physically aggressive/ violent
Rage
Rage during substance use
Touching you without asking
Downplaying anything you need as not important
What to do:
Take a deep breath
Take your time figuring it out
Remind yourself this isn't your fault
Stay focused on the behavior- because they WILL try to detract from it & turn it around on you
Gather your resources
Consider leaving or cutting contact
Consider therapy or online support groups to help yourself breathe and find safer spaces for yourself
Have an exit plan
Do not engage with the arguments & emotional bait
Cultivate your privacy
Cultivate your security
Cultivate yourself a safe space
Prepare yourself for the backlash
Ask someone safe to go with you
Call someone safe and ask them to stay on the phone with you if you do not feel safe
Self defense tools like pepper spray & brass knuckles
Know you're worth the exit
Take yourself seriously when they dont
Honor the gut feelings
Restore faith in your judgement
Honor your voice
Honor your body
Honor your "no"
Ask for a pause- "I need a break."
Ask for clarity- "Can you clarify that?"
Ask what their intentions are- "Are you being helpful or hurtful?"
Bring attention to the behavior and how it's making you feel- "I'm not comfortable with the way you're ignoring my concerns."
Make direct eye contact & deepen your voice- "You need to stop."
Do not apologize
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Hope this helps!
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
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hi, if you are struggling with not knowing who to be or what to do with your life this year just like me. i want you to know that it'll be alright, we will figure it out along the way. breathe deep and take my hand, we are going places you've never imagined. the world is waiting for us and we will get there in our own time, slow but steady. one foot in front of the other with kindness and patience in our hearts. we're not lost, we're on our way. 🤍
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