MeiSyao

MeiSyao is het ship between Meiling Li and Syaoran Li from the Cardcaptor Sakura fandom.

Canon
Syaoran and Meiling are first cousins of the famous Li clan from Hong Kong. Unlike Syaoran, Meiling was born with no magical powers.

They grew up together and learned martial arts. As a child, Syaoran was a loner who spent his time reading and training whereas Meiling played with friends. They rarely spoke to each other until she lost her favorite bird. He comforted her and spent several hours in the rain u til he found the bird. Overcome by his kindness, Meiling fell in love with him and insisted they get married in the future. Syaoran, who was too young to even like girls, reluctantly agreed after being being pressured by her. However, she made a concession: she would give up on him if he found someone else that he loved more than her.

After Syaoran goes to Japan to collect the Clow Cards, Meiling follows him and she quickly declares Sakura as a rival, as the girl is also collecting the cards and Meiling fears she could be a rival for Syaoran’s attention. Syaoran is constantly embarrassed by Meiling’s affection and jealousy, and considered her a burden when she began interfering with his card-gathering adventures. However, he was worried about her well-being and always protected her from harm.

Despite Meiling’s insistence that she is his fiancée, Syaoran never acknowledges her as that way but admits of their promise to be married unless he finds someone he loves, showing he takes their promise and therefore her feelings into consideration.

They have their first major fight when Meiling it ordered to return home when her grandmother falls ill and Syaoran seems indifferent to her pending departure. This deeply upsets Meiling but they later reconcile when Syaoran admits he doesn’t see her as a burden. They then part on good terms.

The next time they meet, Meiling returns to Japan to visit Syaoran, who intends to tell her that he has fallen in love with Sakura and therefore will ask her to cancel their engagement. Meiling suspects this when she hears him call Sakura by her first name. When he admits his feelings for Sakura, she agrees to cancel the engagement as promised but goes to Tomoyo to cry and rant; while she is angry at both Syaoran and Sakura, she can’t bring herself to hate either. Before she returns to Hong Kong, she has calmed down and wishes for Syaoran to confess to Sakura.

After canceling their engagement, Meiling’s feelings for Syaoran gradually become more platonic. She still loves Syaoran, but more so as a cousin and dear friend. She helps Sakura and Syaoran spend more time together so Sakura can confess her feelings for Syaoran. She also develops a more familiar, humorous relationship with Syaoran to where she constantly teases him and acts as a relationship advisor for Syaoran and Sakura.

Fanon
MeiSyao is a common ship in the fandom but not very popular. Many fans dislike Meiling for her initial meanness towards Sakura and forcing Syaoran into agreeing to marry her. The fact they are also cousins makes this ship unpopular.

Fandom
DEVIANTART

Trivia

 * According to Meiling, the only girls other than Sakura that Syaoran called by their first names were her and his sisters. In Asia, calling one by first name is a gesture of intimate closeness.
 * Syaoran and Meiling were famous in their former school winning sprinting matches together.