among other things, I really love the way love bears a liberating quality for wei wuxian and lan wangji. it’s definitely more obvious for lan wangji, what with his famous head ribbon being touched and played with so many times and finally untied by wwx. his head ribbon signifies self-control, following the clan’s rules and your principles. it stands for wangji restricting his feelings in the name of what’s considered right by his clan and in the name of maintaining the perfect image.
this is how wangxian’s relationship starts: with wei ying messing around with the lan clan’s virtues and making lwj break his rules and take a different look at the world, at morality, at what’s wrong and right. the untying of lan zhan’s head ribbon was a symbol for this (aside from the whole “only family and spouses can touch it” thing).
its colour is also symbolic - white, the whiteness of being pristine, controlled, chaste, and proper. this is what wei wuxian freed lan zhan from.
and liberation works the other way around too. it’s hard to see the wild wei ying who does whatever he wants as someone in need of freedom but he has his own chains weighing down on him too. he’s not the only portrayed constantly wearing a ribbon. remember the red binding he used for tying his hair all the time? they didn’t put this in the tv show but it’s right there in the novel and the donghua. he, too, is restricted but it’s not by rules and high morals and self-control. it’s by everything the colour red stands for - by his own passionate nature that gets angry in the face of injustice and has to stand up for shit and fight, be violent, by his arrogance that makes him believe he can do it all, he can dominate the world and protect all of it at the same time, by his hot head and fast mouth. sometimes you get burned on your own flame and it hurts the most.
now I’m not sure if he wasn’t portrayed as wearing his hair down at some other part of the novel but the one time it’s mentioned that his ribbon is finally undone was when he and lan zhan were having sex. actually i think it was on two occasions - during that time in the bushes and in the incense burner dream when wwx’s hair became undone and loose and his ribbon was splayed out under his head. it’s with lan zhan that he could finally let go of all of this - the anger commanded by fear and desire to prove himself and protect what he values, the hot temper, the fight. that too is a heavy burden to carry.
and lan zhan takes it off from him. sometimes, it is in love that you finally find freedom from your own self.
It’s for these kinds of details that make me love them and love their relationship more and more every time, ohh gosh this is so perfect I’m crYING ;;;
. Ahh the first anniversary of my favorite series in the world Chen Qing Ling this series makes me cry the most and at the same time warms my heart everytime ❤, is the best adaptation I have ever seen in my life, the history, the landscapes, everything was more than perfect, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan deserve to be happy together and forever I JUST LOVE THEM SM
U haven’t stayed awake at 3 am with a precious idea in your head and u cannot sleep, so you get up, dodge the demon in the kitchen, turn on your PC, draw the idea you have, u post it and finally you’re able to sleep again ? It just happened
Well, it seems our good boi Wei Wuxian has just unlocked a new achievement as always making us proud of him <3
So, I heard you’ve been wondering what are the 3000 rules of Gusu Lan Sect?
See that wall? It’s the Lan Sect’s Wall of Discipline that appeared for 2 seconds in MDZS Episode 2. Some very diligent soul on Weibo actuallywent to read the texts carved on that Wall. Probably with a magnifying glass. No joke. Like, seriously,no joke.
Here goes all the rules that she managed to read out - translated hopefully not horrendously by Tumblr user my-otp-list.
“Do not kill within Cloud Recesses
Do not fight without permission
Do not commit acts of promiscuity
Do not go out at night
Do not make noise
Do not walk too fast
Do not laugh for no reason
Do not sit with a disgraceful pose
Do not eat more than 3 bowls (Translator’s note: LOL)
Be a filial child
Organise work properly
Diligence is the root
Morality is the priority
Harmony is the value
Learning comes first
Do not take your own words lightly
Do not act impulsively
Do not give up on learning
Make sure to act virtuously
Do not forget the grace of the forefathers
Be careful with your words
Be respectful and humble
Be loyal and filial
Be amicable and united
Be of one mind
Train your body and your mind
Stop the bad habits
Be strict with yourself
Be easy on others
Do not hold grudges
Love and respect yourself
Maintain your own discipline
If others win over you, do not envy
If other lose to you, do not look down
Do not be wasteful
Do not create damages
Love all beings
Honour good people
Steer away from bad men
Respect the filial ones
Destroy the five poisons*
Nurture aspirations
Uphold the value of justice
Shoulder the weight of morality
Embrace the entirety of the world
Perform acts of chivalry
Have courage and knowledge
Have courtesy and integrity
Have affection and gratefulness
Have wins and losses
Be fair, and they will follow you
Be trustworthy, and they will believe you
Be mighty, and they will die for you
Take the straight path
Reject the crooked road
Earn trust
Believe sincerely
Have a strong will and anything can be achieved
Win friendships with kindness
See friends as neighbours
Be just
Be generous
Be ethical
Be grateful
Be loyal
Appreciate the good people
Wake up at 8am
Do not be picky about food
Have a proper posture
Do not be overly happy
Do not be overly sad
Do not be over-the-top
Do not use bad words to hurt others
Do not spread empty lines
Do not break promises
Do not form cliques
Do not speak ill of others
Do not live extravagantly
Do not build wealth by using others, for this wealth won’t last
Help the underprivileged
Do not argue with your family, for it doesn’t matter who wins
Speak meagerly, for too many words only bring harm”
So, does anyone here think they qualify to be a Gusu Lan Sect disciple? (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
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Bonus - An actual rule that was added by Lan Qiren after WWX and LWJ got together:
“Do not get near Wei Ying”
No, I’m not kidding.
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All ‘squinting and staring’ credit goes to Weibo user 啧昵称什么好烦_yooooo.
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*The Five Poisons in ancient Chinese belief: Referring to the five poisonous animals that commonly appear in early summer, namely snake - scorpion - centipede - toad - spider.
Lan Qiren stares down at the open filigree box. His nephew has always been a collector—of memories, of dried flowers from a mother’s garden, of rocks, and so on and so forth. He has always been a sentimental boy when you deigned to look beyond the surface. It is no surprise that Lan Zhan wishes to preserve all that he loves but Lan Qiren wishes that his nephew had not decided to collect pictures of another boy who is regrettably all too familiar.
Lan Qiren stares down at pictures of Cangse Sanren’s son and wants to die. He remembers when Lan Zhan used to refer to himself as Zhanzhan with his high pitched voice and his sweetly blank chubby face. Zhan’er is still a little boy in Lan Qiren’s heart and he does not enjoy the way the boy is maturing.
Lan Zhan has begun to resemble his father overly much so. The curse of all Lans. Wei Ying and his bloodline is a menace to humanity and to Lans. He remembers Cangse Sanren’s raucous laughter and her lack of boundaries. Her son has clearly seduced his nephew. Otherwise…
Why does Lan Zhan have a collection of photos of Wei Ying?
Upon hearing a barely audible footstep, Lan Qiren whirls around with damning evidence clutched in his hand. He stares at his youngest nephew who meets him with a blank gaze.
“Hello, Uncle,” Lan Zhan says primly. “Please put the photos back in my box.” He walks further into his room and slides off his backpack. He approaches Lan Qiren, who looms over his desk and collection of boxed photos.
Lan Qiren does not appreciate the utter disregard the boy treats him with. A certain heat consumes his face as his brows draw together. He opens his mouth and closes it when Lan Zhan sits down at his desk and begins to fiddle with…with framed images of Wei Ying! A shrine of photos! A shrine to some sort of demonic entity because surely that boy’s bloodline is sourced straight from the underworld.
“Lan Zhan!” Lan Qiren snaps.
Lan Zhan lifts his head to stare at his uncle.
“What is the meaning of this?” Lan Qiren demands as he waves the photo of a boy in swim shorts, almost identical to the central image of the Wei Ying shrine. The photo in Lan Qiren’s hand also has a cloud-embroidered ribbon painstakingly glued across the boy’s nipples. Thank the heavens that the ribbon is not one of Lan Zhan’s personal ribbons. Otherwise…No, it doesn’t bear thinking about.
“He’s my boyfriend from Yunmeng,” Lan Zhan says. The tone is almost defiant, imperceptible enough that Lan Qiren cannot address it.
“A boyfriend!” Lan Qiren thunders. “You’re too young for a boyfriend! Especially for this…this shameless hussy!” He waves the photo in his hand for emphasis.
Lan Zhan opens his mouth.
It better be repentance and a promise to break up with the demon.
“Uncle, please be careful with the photo…and he’s not a ‘shameless hussy’.”
“You! Shameless! Half-naked photos!”
“Uncle, please. It’s three-quarters.”
“Insolent boy!”
Lan Qiren attempts to rip the photo of the three-quarters naked boy but the ribbon at Wei Ying’s nipples hinders any further progress. Inarticulate with rage, he stares down at his nephew, who has the gall to sport the slightest of injured looks with his downturned mouth.
“You are no longer boyfriends with him! I am calling the Jiangs tonight and putting an end to this nonsense,” Lan Qiren says. He lets out a long gusty exhale at the end, reassured by his own plan.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Lan Zhan insists.
Clearly, Lan Qiren has been too lenient with the boy. Taking up with a shameless hussy! A shameless hussy who sends three-quarters naked photos to respectable young men. Zhan’er has been seduced!
“No boyfriends! You’re only 12!” Lan Qiren shouts.
“Uncle,” Lan Zhan says, as if emphasizing their family relation will quiet his anger, “I’m 17.”
Lan Qiren points an accusing finger at his nephew. Wordless with rage, he backs out of the room with his eyes focused on his recalcitrant nephew. He cannot bear to see the sight of this wayward nephew now.
Yu Ziyuan stares blankly at the thin package in her hands. Wei Ying, the recipient area reads with neat, refined writing. Lan Zhan, the sender area reads with the same writing. The sender is from Gusu and she begins to regret not arguing harder against Wei Ying’s inclusion in the family. The address is too familiar to her and the surname is also regrettably familiar. The first name is almost familiar, but not quite. The sender is most likely of the Cloud Recesses Lans—exorbitantly wealthy, philanthropic, and known for their excessive adherence to decorum.
EXPRESS and NEXT-DAY DELIVERY glare out at her. She has no idea why anybody would send Wei Ying overnight mail, considering the cost and considering that it’s Wei Ying, who is a menace. Alas, parenthood means dealing with your delinquent children, one of whom somehow bamboozled a sheltered Lan into sending overnight packages and another who aided and abetted the delinquent.
Yu Ziyuan takes a deep breath. Then she yells, “Wei Ying! Jiang Cheng!” Promptly, she hears thundering footsteps down the stairs.
When they appear in the hallway, A-Cheng looks smug, most likely because his name was not called first, and the delinquent looks cheery. She does not want to sigh at the sight of them—she wants to throttle them.
“Wei Ying,” she begins thunderously. She brandishes the package in the air. “What did you do?”
“It’s from my boyfriend in Gusu!” Wei Ying exclaims.
In horror, Yu Ziyuan watches heat suffuse Wei Ying’s cheeks. The boy looks uncharacteristically shy in his pleasure at the sight of the package. Then, she begins to register the words that have left the boy’s mouth. The delinquent is truly a delinquent…seducing a Lan. The fallout on the Lan side will be catastrophic because she now recalls that Lan Zhan is the youngest son in the main family—the main family with whom Lotus Pier Inc. is beginning negotiations with for a joint venture.
“Jiang Cheng, explain this,” Yu Ziyuan says. She stares her son down as she fiddles with her ring. Her fidgeting is no weakness and she watches her son’s eyes stare at her hand with a growing nervousness.
Wei Ying continues to dazedly stare at the package, visibly torn between lunging for the package and respecting his aunt.
“Why do I—” Jiang Cheng begins to protest. He stops at his mother’s glare.
“Explain,” Yu Ziyuan says. With the way Wei Ying is acting, she doubts the coherency of his answer and privately believes that even trying to listen to him would be an exercise in the prompt creation of a headache.
Cowed, Jiang Cheng explains.
Yu Ziyuan wants to pretend that she never heard the stupid explanation.
