#cql analysis

We catch a glimpse of Lan Zhan’s true feelings here and he is glad Wei Ying wordlessly understands the thoughts he does not voice out. It has to be hard for the mighty Hanguang-Jun to admit vulnerability in the open like this. But he doesn’t need to because Wei Ying knows him well enough by now. It’s just going to take Lan Zhan a while to get used to it. Let’s be patient with him y’all, Wei Ying is his first boyfriend after all! Wangxian’s initial dynamics have been about Lan Zhan going through life’s trials like, “I can do this by myself, I’ve seen worse and fear nothing” and Wei Ying taking his hand like, “I know you can but you don’t have to do that all the time. You have me now.” 

Perhaps this shot of Wangxian walking together screamed that they were #husbands too loudly that they chose to show no closeups of it. But of course Wei Ying held on to Lan Zhan through the whole journey.

Wangxian Paving The Way

I adore this shot of Lan Zhan and Wei Ying leading everyone and being dauntless torchbearers who illuminate the uncharted territory before them. This queer couple is truly going where no heteros ever went, and the hets can only cower behind them. Heck yeah for this badass representation!

Wen Chao is back on his bullshit, bullying Wangxian again and Lan Zhan sees red. 

Lan Zhan even with his broken leg is the first one to climb down and help Wei Ying stand up before he’s even considered getting up. Did Lan Zhan move at lightning speed to help the love of his life? You bet he did. 

Lan Zhan is the first one to take Mian Mian’s side and he does it because, well, it’s the honorable thing to do and he will not hesitate to defend the innocent. This is however especially hilarious because Lan Zhan later grows insanely jealous about Wei Ying intercepting the arrow that was meant for her, when Lan Zhan was close to perhaps doing the same thing and risking his life in this instant. But of course he’s too far gone to realize that. 

Someone Please Make Wen Chao STFU

This man hasn’t uttered a single non-homophobic word on this show and deserves all the ass-kicking coming his way in the near future. 

Unrelated but I just find it funny how this creature has terrible eyesight, you know just like the fearsome censor board that let all the gay ass moments pass and some viewers we still have to convince CQL team did a great job telling the world Wangxian are in love. This creature might as well represent the heteronormative vision that plagues viewers.

Wei Ying is giving a lot of attention to Mian Mian and it only takes an educated guess to venture Lan Zhan is positively vibrating from crown to toe with jealousy, since he admits as much later. He’s already turned away from this sight that he cannot stand to watch. Quick! He needs to figure out a way to save the day and impress Wei Ying with his sexy wits so he can have all the attention back on him.

Wei Ying Saves The World & Lan Zhan Saves Him 

It’s highkey hot how Lan Zhan plucks Wei Ying out of harm’s way time and again. This show really gave us Lan Zhan leaping in front of Wei Ying to suffer a physical injury and Wei Ying leaping in front of Mian Mian to take the branding iron to his chest in the same episode. And yet only one of them is read as a romantic act by some.

Wei Ying trying to save everyone and offering himself in their place, while Lan Zhan leaps in front of him to form a protective barrier between him and certain death is basically CQL in a nutshell. 

‘Trapped In The Cave’ Is The Most Romantic Trope Ever

Chronologically speaking, the cave scene boasts some of the most romantic moments in the show. This is a plot device we know all too well. How many times have we seen straight couples forced to spend time together and the rest of the characters conveniently eliminated from the scene? And how fantastic is it that this facilitates much-needed communication and quality bonding time between our protagonists? The fact that they brought the most ancient trope in storytelling alive for Wangxian is the most damning evidence there is! Ten whole minutes of Wangxian hurt/comfort tag.. did we really get to see this?

We’ve also never seen Lan Zhan hurt and suffer like this. It’s very telling Wei Ying is the only one who gets to see this vulnerable side of him and Lan Zhan has long since stopped fighting him on it. He is grateful Wei Ying is by his side and annoyed when he isn’t the recipient of his undivided attention. This is their new normal.

No force is strong enough to stop Wei Ying from taking care of his Lan Zhan! Him using the sacred headband as a makeshift bandage? Once again a testament to him being a queer visionary. He just has the foresight to turn ordinary situations into something extraordinarily gay and no one is complaining.

When will this story stop drawing attention to the fact that Wei Ying is the only one allowed to touch Lan Zhan’s headband? We get it! They’re married, your honor. 

It’s cute that when in doubt about solving a life or death situation, Wei Ying can always make Lan Zhan gay panic as the most effective remedy. Let’s break this legendary scene down shot by shot.

You know how straight shows use homoerotically charged scenes as comedic relief because oh, it’s an absolutely hilarious notion that two guys could actually be in a relationship? CQL subverts that and plays gag reel music to distract the censors from the fact that this whole scene is GAY as eff with fireworks popping in rainbow colors. 

There is truly only one person in this world who can fluster Lan Zhan to hell and back and still save his life in the process and that’s the love of his life.

This shot of a dazed Lan Zhan gently blinking in uncloaked awe and starting to realize what Wei Ying just did is teeming with a fragility that feels like something the audience shouldn’t have been privy to. And it will do good for us to remember, this is how he sees Wei Ying. This is the man Lan Zhan sees, this is the man he fell in love with, who is the sole recipient of this unguarded expression, the man he chose to stand with in the end: His soulmate who protects him, takes care of him, listens to him, is already there holding him up before Lan Zhan has even thought about needing someone to lean on. The world will see many things in Wei Ying in the episodes to come but Lan Zhan sees this guy with the purest heart, a soulmate and hero who has seemingly ascended from a gay fairytale to sweep him off his feet and hold his hand while slaying monsters.

I think this is the final straw in every sense there is for Lan Zhan. All the walls he built have ruptured and he trusts Wei Ying with his life and is glad to have his company in what seems like the end of the world. Of course he treasures these memories with Wei Ying in the cave beyond words and time. He’s a true romantic, y’all. 

I know I wasn’t the only one who gasped first time watching this scene, when Lan Zhan caught Wei Ying’s hand, took the panacea and treated his chest wound with a suave, “You’re welcome”. It is a simple but sweet romantically reciprocating gesture that speaks volumes about Lan Zhan’s love for Wei Ying. It screams, “Why do you care for the world but not yourself, you bleeding idiot?” 

Out of all the looks Lan Zhan has sported in the entirety of this show, turns out jealousy looks the most attractive on him. 

This scene is a goldmine for every viewer who has been invested in Lan Zhan’s character growth and we see him reach a new peak here. He takes care of Wei Ying, is jealous of Mian Mian, vocalizes it more than once, scolds Wei Ying for not prioritizing himself and confides in Wei Ying for the first time. These are all signs of a man who is taking Wei Ying as his life partner. And what is endearing is how encountering danger is the routine for two people who have dedicated their lives to protecting others, and yet Lan Zhan is disappointed and exasperated that Wei Ying values his own self so little. And if that is not the hallmark of a swoonworthy romance, I don’t know what is. 

This scene also gave us two bros sitting zero feet apart and gazing passionately into each other’s eyes as the fire illuminates their faces in a tender romantic glow for no reason except that they’re flamingly gay. (And arguing about a non-issue involving a girl but that’s again precisely because they are certainly, unequivocally gay.) A classic, “Are you lost, bro?” “Lost in your eyes bro” moment!

First time I watched this scene I fully expected Wei Ying to complete his sentence with, “Unless you like Mian Mian me…” and Lan Zhan to grow gloriously red and confirm that. Even though that’s basically what this scene ended up establishing. The subtext, intonation and the proximity of their loaded glance all point that it is the idea that was meant to be evoked in the minds of the viewers.

That’s the sound of Wei Ying laughing in relief that Lan Zhan considers him his partner in life. The inherent romanticism that is seen here with the fire crackling over the long-awaited conversation and relationship progress between our couple! 

It’s funny how life changes. One minute you’re fighting The Tortoise of Slaughter, the next minute you’re mad at your boyfriend for flirting with someone who isn’t you. Even the Bearer of Light has his bad days, and Wei Ying is there to ensure they don’t end badly. 

Yes Wei Ying! How unlucky for you both and how lucky for us that we got to see this scene that lives timelessly in our hearts.

Wei Ying already knows this but hearing it from Lan Zhan is staggering all the same, especially since this is the first time Lan Zhan has spoken to him in a while without prying eyes and ears.

To top it all off, the episode concluded with another romantic trope: looking lovingly and longingly at your beloved when they sleep. Folks, how gay is it to wrap your boyfriend in your robes and gaze worriedly at his lips whilst he sleeps? I reckon that’s hella gay!

Xue Yang Fancies The Yiling Laozu 

Xue Yang’s introduction makes the story take a darker turn but also a gayer one. The homoerotic subtext between him and Wei Ying literally jumps out of the screen.  

(This episode had a lot of moments that were just begging for alternate dialogues to be written. I just wanted to have fun with the subtext that’s already present.)  

Wei Ying doesn’t want Lan Zhan to waste his precious breath interrogating the bad guy. He protectively steps up (something he does quite a lot) and puts some distance between the both of them.

But he wants Lan Zhan to hold his sword while he does that.. and if that act wasn’t necessarily considered to be intimate or romantic before, it just became that after Lan Zhan refused to do it in front of everyone.

Wei Ying has uttered many conspicuously gay things on the show but most of them are with reference to Lan Zhan. Therefore, this is possibly the gayest dialogue he has ever said in a strictly non-Lan Zhan context.

His tone is all, “Honey, you've been existing for 5 minutes, I'm the queerest person the cultivation world has seen in a millennium. You think frisking a guy is going to make me feel scandalized?” This is nuts to me because Xue Yang is arguably the most blatantly coded gay character on the show.. and here is Wei Ying all but saying he can outgay him. That he shouldn’t come after his job. And Lan Zhan just looks like..

It is curious how Lan Zhan says no to something that would require Wei Ying to go near Xue Yang again.

We get it, Lan Zhan. It was hard to see your guy giving attention to someone who wasn’t you.

When Lan Zhan is unsure what's happening back home, the first person his eyes seek is Wei Ying, his source of strength and reassurance.

SongXiao Help WangXian Fall Deeper In Love

Wei Ying is euphoric to meet another pair of Soulmates™. (The same kind of glee that queer people feel when they meet a celebrity queer couple.) His relationship with Lan Zhan just gained supreme validation and a boost to the power of infinity!

He sees everything he has with Lan Zhan reflected in SongXiao’s relationship. He admires them and is delighted that people like them who aren’t concerned with clan drama can walk the wider path of justice, and also lead successful, honourable lives. He looks to Lan Zhan for confirmation but Lan Zhan doesn’t seem too eager to publicize the super sweet promise they made at the lantern ceremony or the fact that he’s been secretly enjoying Wei Ying’s companionship on this expedition. And let’s be honest, it would’ve been more shocking if Lan Zhan did confirm any of that here.

Cheer up, Wei Ying! Lan Zhan will get plenty more opportunities to prove his love for you and he'll ace every single one of them.

No one asked for this but thank you NHS for declaring your ideal type is beautiful gentlemen who fight crime together and unapologetically go their own way.

The parallels between the two pairs write themselves. More importantly, it is while watching SongXiao leave together that Lan Zhan stumbles onto an epiphany.

This is such an underrated moment in the show. The sorrowful music and slow-motion shot of Lan Zhan looking at Wei Ying with vulnerability all over his face once again drives it home that Wei Ying is The One for him, and he is his. He was already getting tired of denying that Wei Ying is his soulmate in every sense there is, and he feels his pain and sadness in this moment. It is enough for Jiang Cheng to feel sorry for him and move on but not for Lan Zhan who feels all that his soulmate feels. 

It is overwhelming and brand new information to Lan Zhan himself that he can feel it because Wei Ying is not in impending danger right now, so this need he feels to protect him and be there for him can only mean that he loves him beyond the shadow of a doubt. Wei Ying seems upset thinking about his mother and Lan Zhan gets it, without Wei Ying having uttered a word the whole time. His face shows a kind of defeat in this scene; he surrenders to everything he has known and felt for some time now : He's in love with Wei Ying and would tear down the universe without a second thought if it means it would rid him of his unhappiness. And he isn't able to do that in this moment. But thanks to Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen, he’s found comfort in the truth they have each other at the end of the day, even if they have nothing left in this world. He cannot give back to Wei Ying what he has lost but he can accompany him in his sadness, and it will have to be enough. And it is, because Wei Ying can overcome just about everything as long as Lan Zhan walks by his side.

Wei Ying Says Lan Clan Deserves Rights

Wei Ying has many nice things to say about the Lan clan who he found exhausting a few months ago. Love brings about miraculous changes in a person, y’all.

Wei Ying gravitates towards Lan Zhan as if it's second nature to him and it really is.

Jiang Cheng spends a lot of time trying to get Wei Ying to spill the Top Secrets about the Yin Iron and Wei Ying is like, "Sorry, I’m bound by the Soulmate laws to tell you absolutely nothing."

Wei Ying is already embracing the idea of controlling the Yin Iron and people are rightfully getting offended by his suggestion.

What did you expect, Wei Ying? Not everyone is your lifetime confidant to give you the benefit of the doubt and reciprocate it with compassion, trust and open-mindedness.

Wangxian’s Temporary Separation

What was that, Wei Ying? Did we hear you admit that the Gusu Lan roof is softer than the one in Qinghe? Could this have anything to do with a certain law enforcer in Cloud Recesses you fell in love with at first sword fight? 

There is a delicate, bittersweet air to this separation, and even the casual watcher is going to be wondering, “When did I get so invested in Wangxian that WuJi makes me want to cry?”

It's cute how Lan Zhan is like, “Okay, I’ve seen the love of my life for one last time, I’ll quietly take my leave so he doesn’t know I was waiting for him to come back.”

Turns out, "I'll sleep on your roof tonight," is one of the most romantic things we could tell the person we love. Isn't it brilliant that just few seconds ago Wei Ying had said he will take whatever ground he finds as his home for the night, and how utterly beautiful is it to have followed it up with this dialogue? “Lan Zhan, I'll sleep on your roof tonight.” Because the world is big but my home is wherever you are. That’s where I’m happiest, I'll sleep on this rugged roof and walk through thorns if it means I get to be by your side. I won't mind it at all. And how unbelievably romantic is it that Wei Ying makes a philosophical statement about life, which ends up being about Lan Zhan?

Lan Zhan hears the implications in his voice. And he openly yearns to stay behind a little longer and commit to his memory what Wei Ying looks like when he is drunkenly proclaiming his love for him under the moonlight. It is pleasantly surprising that Lan Zhan is willing to express his emotions when he knows he is safe from Wei Ying hearing them, that he doesn't mind telling him goodbye when he thinks Wei Ying won't remember it. 

But the audience can hear his voice and we are going to remember it. How, "Wei Ying, I have to go," is uttered in a cadence so sweet we did not know Lan Zhan was capable of before this. And the choice of words do not simply mean that he’s going to leave, but that he has to, and most certainly not because he wants to. And how it really means, “I’m worried about everything, but especially you, and I'm sorry I have to go. I have to trust that we'll both be okay on this path. Please know that I don't wish to leave you, and forgive me for it. Wei Ying, I love you."

Even their temporary separation hurts so good. If they were meant to be best buddies, this scene wouldn't have been shot so poignantly. But we got used to seeing them together and every frame is designed to dig deeper into your heart and instil the fact that these soulmates are parting, and we don’t know when they’ll see each other again. This is the melancholy of a man who does not wish to be away from his lover but is forced to for the sake of the greater good. Anyone can see that.

The rooftop and moonlit night come as a callback to their first meeting, only Lan Zhan no longer wants to point the tip of his sword at Wei Ying, it gives him far greater satisfaction to place Wei Ying behind his sword.

I haven’t counted the number of times people acknowledge Wangxian’s relationship and/or know that they are inseparable, but it’s safe to say almost every character does that at some point. And some even know how to exploit their weakness, that in order to hurt one of them, the surefire way is to simply aim for the other like Wen Chao does here.

To summarize, Episode 10 saw Lan Zhan showing us his true colors : When he isn’t occupied with being the esteemed, intimidating Lan Wangji, he’s busy being a regular, sweet, romantic guy in love. And Wei Ying did that. He single-handedly exposes the soft side of Lan Zhan that nobody sees to the audience now and the world later on. 

This episode also gave us this : Two soulmates chilling shoulder to shoulder zero feet apart because they’re falling in love.

One of the perks of having Wei Wuxian as your boyfriend is that he was born ready to make a clown out of the most dastardly villains.

Wei Ying Says “Fuck You” In The Name Of Love

Wei Ying has a brilliant idea to talk to Lan Zhan or at least let him know he is not alone.

There is something powerfully impressive and quietly romantic about Wei Ying insulting the Wen clan by reciting the Lan clan’s rules to Wen Chao’s face, on the heels of the former decimating and annexing the latter. Of course Wei Ying is the first one in a room to stand up to a bully and protect the others but Wei Ying knows Lan Zhan’s hands are tied right now, even if he doesn’t know what exactly happened. But that’s okay, because Wei Ying will defend his honor and become Lan Zhan’s hands, his mouth, his everything that delivers the unmistakable “fuck you” on behalf of his family. And he does it in an act of rebellion that originates in the sanctum of love. Understandably, Lan Zhan falls more in love with him.

Wei Ying’s Plan Misfires 

His happiness is short-lived, but honestly who could predict his plan would go like this?

We see that Lan Zhan does want to confide in his soulmate the pain and pressure he’s been dealing with alone the whole time, but it’s too dangerous for them to talk right now. 

Wen Chao carries the same kind of smugness as a prick who’s been waiting to out a gay couple. I mean how awful do you have to be to physically abuse Wangxian for.. being Wangxian? Blatant homophobia right there.

Wei Ying has had enough of Wen Chao’s bullshit and is unafraid to clap back with his signature cheekiness.

When Wei Ying is captured, Lan Zhan blocks the whip coming his way and ends up taking a hit to his injured leg. Wei Ying then wants Wen Chao to come for him instead of Lan Zhan, and we can honestly expect nothing less from Wangxian at this point.

Lan Zhan conquers his silent grieving and mute seething to stand in defiance against Wen Chao. It is worth mentioning that his patience and tolerance can even bear the brunt of a fallen world, but cease to exist the second someone mistreats Wei Ying before his eyes. You know what they say about love being a vicious motivator. His protective stance here screams..

Lan Zhan Holds On To Wei Ying For A Short Span Of Eternity

Wen Chao sure is very curious about the nature of their relationship and unable to fathom what Wei Ying could possibly want with Lan Zhan. He’s already safe and sound with him in Qishan, so if they’re not talking about the Yin Iron, what the hell is it? This inquisition is a bit ridiculous, as if the writer specifically gave him these lines to point out to the audience that Wangxian are being soulmates in love once again.

What Lan Zhan does not say, he makes up for with the million times he reaches for Wei Ying instinctively; spontaneous skinship is one of the ways through which his love for Wei Ying finds expression. It is phenomenal that He Who Does Not Touch People firmly holds on to his lover through this whole monologue that follows.

There are few things in the world that can inspire Lan Zhan’s wrath and protection right now, and Wei Ying commands both so effortlessly. Defeated as he is, for Wei Ying, Lan Zhan is always a man of action. And this action particularly proves his willingness to send packing to hell whoever dares to come close to his lover. I wonder what would’ve happened if Wei Ying hadn’t gone to the dungeon on his own volition.

Wangxian Are Once Again Ready To Risk It All For Each Other

It would’ve been nice to see them get their alone time, but what’s one more complication on the path of true love, right?

If you thought about it, Wangxian’s universe truly conspires to bring them together sometimes. Wen Ning tells Wei Ying everything Lan Zhan wasn’t able to, and Wen Qing does everything in her power to ensure they’re both out of harm’s way. Even when our heroes aren’t able to spend time together, they are being assisted by outside forces that work to ensure their love has a future. There are always people left in the world who are rooting for Wangxian because they’re the good gays guys! 

We are well aware of how deeply and madly Wei Ying loves Lan Zhan, but it is startling all the same that even when he is in physical agony, what infuriates him to the point of madness is the news of Lan Zhan being hurt and his home being burnt down. Wei Ying is also more than willing to endure his pain a while longer if it means Lan Zhan has a shot at getting better.

Wangxian at any given point of time are ready to sacrifice themselves for the other and wage a war against the entire world for wronging the love of their life. That’s what makes these soulmates more unique than most, if not all lovers in fiction. Throughout the story, their romance is subjected to a billion tests and every choice they make is bound to make the viewers cry and highlight the unfairness of the impossible stakes they go through to be with each other. This is no ordinary romance, and that’s why it is all the more fantastic they are able to survive these unthinkable odds and come out shining in the end.

Lan Zhan’s concern and affection for Wei Ying is so open that it bleeds all over our screens. It’s like he looks at the rest of the world with aloof objectivity but the minute his lover comes into his sight, his eyes can bloom only warmth and emotion. Even the vision that touches Wei Ying from afar should be gentle and reverent, fit for holding in sight something precious beyond measure. This can be said about the both of them.

It is when NHS mentions their halcyon days at Cloud Recesses that we realize how their lives have changed irreversibly. Both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are visibly sadder, like they’re wishing to return to simpler times when courting Lan Zhan was the biggest problem in Wei Ying’s life and fighting his feelings for Wei Ying was Lan Zhan’s. They’ve grown closer since then but the impediments on their road have also grown bigger.

Wei Ying Asks Jiang Cheng To Stay Out Of His Love Life

Lan Zhan keeps walking like #conceal don’t feel but the sad version of WuJi reveals all.

Wei Ying has been growing tired of Jiang Cheng trying to dictate what he should and should not feel or do about things that do not concern him and he rightfully puts him in his place in this scene. Jiang Cheng tells Wei Ying to not choose “someone else” as “we” already have a lot to deal with. He implies Wei Ying shouldn’t help Lan Zhan because he isn’t family and is clearly underplaying his injury despite Wei Ying emphasising its urgency. And Wei Ying is so done with putting up with that kind of negative energy in his love life.

He is quick to silence anyone who thinks they can hold him back from his heart or overstep the boundaries of his relationship with Lan Zhan. And his logic is very sound, for who on earth is capable of stopping Wei Ying from helping him? Not even Lan Zhan! 

Wei Ying breaks free of Jiang Cheng's grip and leaves in Lan Zhan's direction after patronizingly patting his arm. And that is his answer. To him, Lan Zhan isn’t just another person and there is certainly no choice he has to make when it comes to him. It will always be Lan Zhan who is his foremost priority and the rest of the world has to simply get used to being left behind.

We see that he knows Lan Zhan would never ask for help but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t need it. His soulmate will hence always offer it, and if rejected, simply throw him on his back and continue while Lan Zhan informs him once again of how “boring” it is. He doesn’t get to do that, but his sentiment is romantic enough to stay in Lan Zhan’s memory for sixteen years and become an action he boldly reciprocates when Wei Ying comes back.

Wangxian’s Love Story is Truly “Epic”

Episodes 11 and 12 trace the beginnings of the turmoil that will forge Wangxian’s path (and make us weep). Every romance starts from the idyllic state of undisturbed happiness but it seldom remains there through the whole story. And let’s be honest, calamities bring emotional depth and complexity to a plot, exposing that our favorite characters are human, flawed and a lot closer to reality than we imagined. Both the heroes stay loyal to their core values, with the conviction to be fearless in the face of unforeseen adversities in life and love.

And we hope like the hopeless romantics who are in love with the greatest love story ever told, that maybe all the tragedies that are about to befall Wei Ying and Lan Zhan won’t matter one day because their happy ending will heal all wounds. Obstacles will continue to strew our heroes apart and push them towards the other on a loop, but Wangxian are like magnets destined to snap back together. They will ascend beyond the stratosphere of romance, straight to the heavens, because their love’s greatest virtue is that they have each other and know each other more than any two people ever did in all of history. They are devoted to the other unconditionally in soul, mind and body.