i think a lot about that “she’s nice because she’s rich” line from parasite in the context of xie lian and mu qing’s xian le era friendship

readers might see mq’s disillusionment with xl’s kindness as selfishness, but the difference is that we see xl remain kind through the highs and lows of his 800-year banishment; mq doesn’t. even when the kingdom falls, xl still has old riches to pawn and mq to do his chores.

it takes a special kind of privilege to be dismissive of social stratification, and in xie lian’s case, it’s because he’s never been inferior to anyone; so what has he to lose from treating those poorer than him as equals?

mq knows this, and this is what drives a wedge between them. for all his affection for xl, he’s led to believe that they can never be equals, and he’s thus not deserving of xl’s friendship.

that’s not even touching on how mq is made to feel that everything he achieved is solely because of xl’s favor. had xl been a crueler master, his life would’ve been subject to xl’s whims. again, bc of xl’s naïvete & kindness, it’s just yet another thing mq has to be grateful for.