Ninglan

Ninglan is the femslash ship between Ningguang and Yelan from the Genshin Impact fandom.

Canon
Ningguang and Yelan have known each other for quite a long time, even before Ningguang became a Qixing and Yelan obtained her Hydro Vison. Nevertheless, the two are yet to be seen interacting in-game. They have had many interactions off-screen, which are recounted through their voicelines about each other, their character stories, and other characters alluding to their close working relationship. Uncle Tian and Ganyu both fall under this last cathegory. In fact, In Ganyu's voiceline About Yelan, she notes how Yelan seems to receive special treatment from Ningguang.

According to Yelan's Character Story 2, neither of them is entirely sure of when their collaboration began. The two do not consider each other a superior and subordinate, but rather they see each other as equals holding up two sides of a pact. It is implied that Yelan takes care of Ningguang's "unsavoury" affairs, gathering intelligence for the Tianquan in exchange for the thrill of danger that she gets from going on missions. Because of this, Yelan is willing to go even to the depths of the Abyss if asked.

After a disastrous mission to the Abyss, Yelan had lost all of her teammates, and retired in isolation to train. The event marks the lowest point in Yelan's life. During her time in solitude, Ningguang visits her, noticing her prolonged absence from Liyue, and offers her support and understanding. This is the moment when Yelan becomes a Vision Holder, showing her determination to never make such a terrible mistake again, and wordlessly demonstrates that the Tianquan can put her full trust in her.

The two share many similarities personality-wise. They both are considered to be very elegant women, and their person demands respect. Furthermore, both of them consider intelligence and shrewdness as their greatest asset, rather than physical strength, and neither of them is afraid to get her hands dirty in order to protect Liyue. They also share a similar materialistic streak, but while in Ningguang it manifests through her love for Mora, in Yelan it appears as a love for gambling. However, their upbringing seems to be quite different, as Yelan grew up in a renowed and respected family, while Ningguang was born poor.

Lantern Rite (2023)
After the Epilogue, if the player chooses to go to Yujin Terrace, they will unlock a conversation between Beidou and Ningguang. During this conersation, Beidou laments how the chess matches between the two have been getting stale, so Ningguang suggests inviting Yelan at their next match to "spice things up".

Voicelines
"I got to know Ningguang a long time ago, before she was a Qixing, and we worked together for a while. Maybe I'm partly to thank for the fact that she became a Qixing so quickly. Hehe, who can say? Anyway, she was the one who recommended this job to me. It was a good choice, I'm very well-suited to it."

- Yelan's voiceline "About Ningguang: Relationship" "She's a very interesting character. I can say with the utmost confidence that she is someone I trust unreservedly. She handles herself impeccably, which means she stays beyond reproach. Hehe, since you both have high intelligence in common, hopefully you will get along very well."

- Ningguang's voiceline "About Yelan"

"Even though Ms. Yelan is absent from work for the majority of the year, I'm sure Lady Ningguang must have her reasons for making exceptions for her. Of course, it wouldn't be my place to ask, so I don't know the details of their arrangement."

- Ganyu's voiceline "About Yelan"

Quests
"I serve Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Qixing. The scope of my work includes some of Liyue's biggest secrets."

- Yelan, during "Perilous Trail".

Fanon
Ningguang often is depicted with sun imagery, from the golden colours of her design to her role as a shining guide of Liyue. On the other hand, Yelan's constellation is the Night Orchid, and she is often associated with moon imagery, darkness, and shadows. The stark contrast between the two has always been a strong reason why the shippers are so drawn to the pair. Despite their differences in visual designs, the two see eye-to-eye most of the time, and are said to work exeptionally well together.

Nevertheless, it is considered a rarepair in the fandom, often being overshadowed by Beiguang's and Shenlan's popularity. Generally speaking, the two are more often depicted as friends, exes, or co-workers, rather than lovers.

Currently, it has only 30+ works on AO3.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TWITTER

TUMBLR



Trivia

 * The symbols used to refer to the pair are 🔶🎲.
 * Ningguang and Yelan appear together in the Night of Dice-Twirling Contemplation EP.
 * The two have completely different taste when it comes to food: Ningguang prefers delicate dishes, while Yelan loves spicy food.
 * They both use the same talent books (Prosperity).