Xie Zheng Side Eye
Pursuit of Jade (2026) — the scene where Xie Zheng gives Song Yan a withering side-eye, causing him to collapse
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The Glare That Made a Character
In any romance drama, the male lead has to establish dominance somehow. Swordfights, political maneuvering, shirtless training montages — all perfectly valid options. Pursuit of Jade chose a different path: it gave Xie Zheng a side glance so devastating that a man literally passes out when subjected to it.
The scene in question occurs when Song Yan — a rival character who has been overstepping around the Marquis — finally receives Xie Zheng's full, unhurried, contemptuous attention. Zhang Linghe doesn't raise his voice. He doesn't move. He simply turns his head slightly and looks. Song Yan crumples. The court continues as if this is normal.
The scene aired, clips hit social media, and the internet immediately understood: this is a meme.
The Anatomy of the Stare
What makes Xie Zheng's side eye specifically memeable rather than just a regular TV moment? Three things:
- The ratio is perfect. Xie Zheng expends almost no effort. Song Yan is completely destroyed. The disproportionate response is inherently comedic.
- The context is universal. Everyone has experienced someone who looks at you like you personally disappointed the concept of existence itself. The Xie Zheng Side Eye gives that feeling a face.
- The GIF loops incredibly well. The slow turn, the look, the devastating result — it works in a 3-second format that TikTok and X were built for.
From Drama Scene to Reaction Meme
Within days of the episode airing, Reddit's r/CDrama and r/cdramasfans were full of Xie Zheng Side Eye reaction posts. Users began captioning the scene with their own "targets" — politicians, coworkers, that one person in a group chat. The format migrated to TikTok stitches, X reply quotes, and Weibo edit compilations.
The meta-humor resonated: a fictional historical official's side glance has more immediate "you have failed me" energy than most things that exist in real life. And because Pursuit of Jade was simultaneously breaking Netflix viewership records in the Non-English TV category, the meme had a massive and rapidly growing audience to spread through.
The Side Eye Family Tree
The Xie Zheng Side Eye joins a long lineage of side eye reaction memes: side-eye Chloe (2013), Kermit side-eye, the Bernie Sanders side-eye (various), and the more recent Rihanna side-eye from the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show. Each era produces the face it deserves — and apparently 2026's face is a 6'2" historical drama lead who doesn't need words.
Put Yourself in the Stare
The Xie Zheng Side Eye is one of MEEMES' most-requested face swap templates: put your face into the scene and become the one delivering the devastating look. It's particularly popular for "me whenever [relatable frustration]" content. Easy face swap, instant comedic payoff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Xie Zheng Side Eye meme?
The Xie Zheng Side Eye meme comes from a scene in the 2026 Chinese drama Pursuit of Jade (追玉) where the male lead Xie Zheng (played by Zhang Linghe) delivers such a withering, contemptuous side glance at a rival character (Song Yan) that Song Yan immediately passes out from the sheer intensity. The scene became a viral reaction meme used whenever someone delivers a look so powerful it metaphorically destroys someone.
Why does Song Yan pass out?
In the show's context, Song Yan is a lower-status official who has been posturing around Xie Zheng. When Xie Zheng — the Marquis of Wu An and one of the most powerful men in the kingdom — finally turns and looks at him directly, the implied threat and sheer presence is too much. The drama plays it as both a comedic and power-display moment: Xie Zheng doesn't need to say anything. The look is enough.
What is Pursuit of Jade about?
Pursuit of Jade (追玉 / Zhu Yu) is a 2026 Chinese historical romance drama streaming on Netflix and iQIYI. It stars Zhang Linghe as Xie Zheng (the Marquis of Wu An) and Tian Xiwei as Fan Chang Yu, a determined woman navigating court politics. The drama became the most-discussed C-drama of early 2026, praised for its romantic tension and comedic moments alongside serious political intrigue.
How is the Xie Zheng Side Eye meme used?
The meme is used as a reaction template — typically representing a look so devastating it ends someone's confidence entirely. Common captions: "me looking at [thing I find ridiculous]," "when someone says [wrong thing] in front of me," or "POV: you just said the wrong thing to the wrong person." It's in the same family as the Kermit side-eye and the side-eye Chloe meme.
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