I don't think Qiangyi was crying tears of happiness, I think that she is definitely sad. However the fact that she just went to her girlfriend and went "let's fuck" I think also shows us her own issues as she was willing to bury her relationship with A'wu with her. A'wu and Qiangyi is definitely in a sort of codependent relationship where both are being manipulative to get a sense of control over the other. And I would argue that Qiangyi, while ALSO being a victim, also has her own issues that made the situation much worse for the both of them. A match made in hell really.
A'wu takes control by being helpless and needing to be taken care of (which is quite clear in the comic). Qiangyi puts herself firmly in a martyr and rescuer position, thus A'wu saying "that's not what I meant" a few times during the comic as Qiangyi focuses on placating A'wu, even if A'wu presents a bid for connection. She also doesn't seem to have that good of a self esteem based off of what she said in p 37 and is dependent on the attention she gets from A'wu to feel special.
Not saying Qiangyi isn't a victim, or that it is all her fault. I've been in situations where I had played a similar role and it's a whole mental dynamic that isn't good. Playing the role of a savior, being attracted to difficult people (without the boundaries and intent to help them in a meaningful way), and, to quote the mom, "mothering an adult" (not in a parent way) is an issue in and of itself.
last edited at Sep 18, 2025 10:49AM