@heavymetalchemist's tags on this post about chengqing reminded me of my tags on this post about the yunmeng bros and listen. it's not that jiang cheng wants to be in debt to people or have them in debt to him, it's that he's afraid of being left and he's reminding them that he doesn't want to leave them. that if they'll let him, he wants to help them. and on the flip side, if they won't let him, then he'll respect that! ultimately that's what happened with the comb AND the fake duel AND guanyin temple! he will tell you in whatever way he knows how that he wants to be connected to you, and he'll use the language of debt if that's what's available to him, but that's not what's actually motivating him. if it were debt he cared about, he'd be just as interested in helping wen ning as he is wen qing, but he's not going around giving wen ning any get-out-of-jail-free hair accessories, is he?

ultimately he has people he cares about and people he doesn't, but if he cares about you, he won't give up on you without trying. he'll say "our debt ties us together" and mean "i want to be tied to you." he'll say "you promised" and mean "don't leave me." that's why, when you tell him that you're even now, that you owe each other nothing, what he hears is "so i don't need you." he hears "there's nothing here for me anymore." he hears "you're not worth it."