Originally posted by: Leprechaun
To some extent all characters especially lead characters get some whitewashing. In Hidden Love, First Frost and When I Meet the Moon (all Zhu Yi male leads) are chainsmokers. I didn't read the novel Lighter and Princess is based on but read Li Xun was whitewashed too. Leads have to be picture perfect when they are in dramas 
From the start of the novel, Xie Zheng is portrayed as someone who can see through schemes. Even when Wei Xuan controlled Xie army troops Xie Zheng waited in Lin'an town knowing where Wei Xuan would make a mistake and how he as Marquis Wu'an could make his grand reappearance. + much more small examples how he always weighs the pros and cons before acting. He's not an unreasonable/impulsive person (in general, he's more than impulsive with FCY but let's not go there ). In this case he knew details of the Fan family beforehand. How Wei Yan is hunting down the Fan family, how FCY's father hid under someone else's identity for years - like he had an idea more or less that there's something hidden behind the massacre 16~ years ago. But his first instinct was to cut her off. I get it his life took a worse turn with his parents' death and it haunts him till date but he didn't even process who Wei Qilin could be and why he would hide so long how General Meng's daughter would readily be married to WQL. That's why I said maybe the author might be emphasizing the depth of his scars that he would shed his usual self and his first instinct becomes to withdraw and protect himself.
peach blossom, plum blossom - you name it they will have it 
he decided to take the punishment according to his ancestral rules before reaching out to her!! 
Anupamaa
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