"You will never get him hurt, even if you have to offend the world. You are willing to fight with the whole world. you will stand by his side. You’ll love after death."
The Untamed may not be adapting the romance between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian (at least not explicitly), but it's taking the subtext up to eleven.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji
General
- If you want the summarized version, in this adaptation Wei Wuxian is practically all over Lan Wangji even before the Sunshot Campaign began, and it doesn't stop there. And whereas everyone thought Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji hated each other in the novel, here everyone — and we mean everyone — knows that the two are very close. It's to the point of Everyone Can See It as their siblings are aware of the tension after they met again in the Wen Subadvisory and asked outright.
- While it's expected that there's no kissing between the two, there's still a lot of hand-holding involved. Also lots of long held gazes between the two where it happens at least once an episode.
- There's also the fact that whenever Wei Wuxian faints at any point in time, Lan Wangji is usually right by his side to catch him and hold him close.
- Wangxian AKA Wu Ji, be it in any variation of instruments to lyrics, would play whenever a potential close moment would happen. And that's not getting into whenever one or both actually play the song in-universe. The song would seemingly call Lan Wangji's attention quickly.
- The Special Edition of the series focused almost exclusively on the two. More extended moments and the last episode was indeed called Wangxian.
- Everything to do with rabbits - rabbits are symbolically associated with male homosexuality in Chinese culture due to a detail in the legend of the Chinese god of homosexual love, Tu'er Shen.
Episode 1
- Before Lan Wangji makes his first official appearance in the present time, Wei Wuxian reminisced about him twice, not as a passing thought but a fond memory. Playing Wuji, although Wei Wuxian doesn't remember at this point where he heard it, makes him think of him. Then when Lan Wangji appears at the Mo Manor, Wei Wuxian looks astonished at first before smiling in fascination. He did none of these things in the other adaptations, let alone the novel.
Episode 2
- If we're being honest here, the series' version of Lan Wangji finding out that Wei Wuxian is still alive has the most subtext out of all the adaptations, especially with the two sharing a Held Gaze for a very long while, with Lan Wangji not letting go of Wei Wuxian's wrist the entire time. It doesn't help that the ending theme song (which is the series' version of "WangXian") is playing in the background the entire time.
Episode 5
- The series keeps the scene where Wei Wuxian pranks Lan Wangji with porn, but a sharp eye can notice that he actually used gay porn in the prank. And this time, Wei Wuxian is genuinely distraught when Lan Wangji destroys the book.
Episode 6
- Wei Wuxian puts a spell on Lan Wangji, making him drink alcohol. He tries to straighten Lan Wangji's headband, but he smacks it away and says only one's parents, spouse or child may touch it.
- Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji fall into a cave together, and there they bind their wrists together with Lan Wangji's headband. While it's only so that Wei Wuxian will be able to approach the altar in the cave (since only those of Lan blood are allowed to come near it), it's still some not-so-subtle foreshadowing to the future state of their relationship. The repeated focus on their bound wrists certainly screams that the viewer must pay attention.
Episode 7
- Wei Wuxian lands on top of Lan Wangji, their faces inches apart. Their wrists are still binded by the headband, and they look caught as Jiang Cheng looks at them in disapproval.
- Wei Wuxian makes a rabbit lantern just for Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji smiles, and Wei Wuxian teases him about it.
- As much as Lan Wangji hates crowded areas and keeps to himself, he still runs into the crowd surrounding Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan, grabbing Wei Wuxian's shoulder and telling him to calm down.
- Lan Wangji catches Wei Wuxian's shoulders shaking from behind, and goes to comfort him. However, he is just playing with ants and Lan Wangji leaves, disgusted.
Episode 8
- Multiple translations for Wei Wuxian's tethering spell range from "bonding" to more flirtatious descriptions.
- Lan Wangji has told Wei Wuxian he doesn't like touching others, and when they see a crowd gathering in town, he refuses to go over because it was too crowded. So Wei Wuxian grabs his wrist and pulls him along, Lan Wangji doesn't even try to resist him.
- A minor moment, but Nie Huaisang comments on Lan Wangji's looks saying, "The Second Childe Lan is nothing but an unparalleled gorgeous and elegant man". Wei Wuxian agrees, but then pokes fun at how since he dresses in all white it looks like he's going to a funeral. Nie Huaisang seems to roll his eyes as he grumpily snatches his fan back from Wei Wuxian's hands. Keep in mind, Nie Huaisang was visibly staring at Lan Wangji earlier as the flower petals fell around him, which even shocks Wei Wuxian.
- He also begins to stare at Lan Wangji, and only looks away when Nie Huaisang elbows him.
Episode 12
- After pushing Wen Chao's buttons and starts getting whipped as punishment, Lan Wangji rushes in front of Wei Wuxian to grab onto the whip. When Wen Chao says he won't have a problem punishing Lan Wangji as well, Wei Wuxian immediately tries to tell Wen Chao to keep Lan Wangji out of their fight.
- While Wei Wuxian was being tortured by the dog beast, Wen Ning saves him and gives him some medicine to ease the pain. Even when faced with the stuff of his nightmares and in a very wounded state, Wei Wuxian still thinks about saving some medicine for Lan Wangji (who has a broken leg).
Episode 13
- Wen Chao angrily pushing Wei Wuxian off the side as he falls down to the bottom of the cave. Lan Wangji is the first to call out to Wei Wuxian in distress and is the first one to go down to make sure Wei Wuxian was alright.
- It's subtle, but the series still seemed intent on keeping Lan Wangji's jealous side, as seen when he turns away while Wei Wuxian is consoling Mianmian. While he may have planned to return to the waters to find a way out, the timing of when he turns his head away is a little suspicious.
- Wei Wuxian shocks Lan Wangji, whom he knows had a sheltered upbringing, into spitting out the tainted blood by acting shameless - demanding that Lan Wangji undress from his wet robes, trying to undress them, then acting as if he's going to remove his own pants in front of Lan Wangji's eyes. But Lan Wangji's eyes linger when Wei Wuxian is in his red underrobes. They even flicker down his body before he looks away. The camera angle during the moment when he spits out the blood shows Wei Wuxian seemingly opening his trousers in the background, implying it was his crotch that Lan Wangji was staring at when he could have just averted his gaze again.
- When Wei Wuxian grabs Lan Wangji's headband that is meant only to be touched by family/lovers to wrap his injured leg in a splint.
- Even without the part where Lan Wangji bites Wei Wuxian's arm out of jealousy, the overall scene where Wei Wuxian thinks that Lan Wangji likes Mianmian is plenty suggestive in nature. Case in point, when he makes said assumption, Lan Wangji gives him an intense stare as if trying to say something else with his eyes, while their faces are just a few inches apart. It even lasts for a few seconds in total silence before Wei Wuxian kills the tension with laughter.
Episode 14
- When Wei Wuxian gets injured and Lan Wangji sings a song for him called 'Wangxian' a combination of both of their names. To top it off a music video of all their previous moments plays as Lan Wangji sings to him. If one could read lips, Lan Wangji spelled out "Wangxian". The actors confirmed that song is indeed Wangxian in the context of the story while Wu Ji out of universe.
Episode 19
- Lan Wangji already has good reasons to hate the Wens, but he seems particularly infuriated when he hears the guards mock Wei Wuxian's status as a servant. So after he deals with them he coldly orders them to kneel.
- Instead of giving Suibian to Jiang Cheng who is like family to Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji is given his sword instead.
Episode 21
- Wei Wuxian tells him to stay out of the Jiang Clan's business. This upsets Lan Wangji (who had just tried to check up on him), and he turns around angrily and walks off without saying a word. Wei Wuxian goes to make up with him but Lan Wangji lashes out with his sword and they spar until his sword is at Wei Wuxian's throat.
Episode 22
- Lan Wangji warns Wei Wuxian about the dangers of demonic cultivation, and Wei Wuxian promises not to do it. Lan Wangji requests to help him and he agrees, smiling. Later, in the episode you can see Lan Wangji's heart break as Wei Wuxian breaks his promise, resorting to using demonic cultivation to control the battle at Nightless City.Wei Wuxian: Lan Zhan, enough!Lan Wangji: ... You promised that you'd let me help you.
Episode 23
- Lan Wangji has been playing for Wei Wuxian daily while he was unconscious to help him heal. His eyes widen and his mouth drops open as he sees that Wei Wuxian has awakened, a rare expression of relief and surprise showing. Except for the moment Yanli thanks him for helping her brother, he doesn't look away from him.
- In turn, Wei Wuxian has trouble meeting his gaze, doesn't even try to tease or banter. It feels like he's subtly flustered after Yanli told him what Lan Wangji did for his sake only to see the man right after waking up.
Episode 24
- This entire exchange between Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli, where it seems obvious who he's referencing.Wei Wuxian: Why would a person like another person? I mean that kind of like.Jiang Yanli:Why suddenly ask this? You have someone in heart?Wei Wuxian: No, no. no. Senior sister, I haven't got one. At least..not like someone that much. Isn't that like haltering your own neck?
- Lan Wangji immediately taking to the Forbidden Chamber of the library in an effort to help Wei Wuxian. It got to the point Lan Xichen told Wei Wuxian about it himself.
Episode 25
- Before he decides to step up in the archery tournament, Wei Wuxian asks Lan Wangji for a favor. As Lan Wangji turns to him, Wei Wuxian teasingly asks if he would lend him his forehead ribbon. Lan Wangji obviously doesn't hand it over and Wei Wuxian pouts as he uses one of his leather straps instead.
- During the Phoenix Mountain hunt, the blindfolded kiss between the two doesn't happen. However, the scene that replaces it still has a ton of emotional intimacy and subtext, specifically with this exchange:Wei Wuxian: What am I to you? Can you not interfere in my business?Lan Wangji: Then what do you see me as?Wei Wuxian: I once thought of you as my soulmate in this lifetime.Lan Wangji: ... I still am.
- One important detail is that Wei Wuxian uses the word "知己" (zhi ji) which can mean either "intimate friend", "soulmate", or in some instances, even "lover".
- Lan Wangji talking to his brother about Wei Wuxian. He never says a name, but it's obvious that his brother knows who he's talking about.Lan Wangji:I... I want to bring a man to Cloud Recesses. Bring him back, and hide him there.
Episode 26
- The shocked look on Lan Wangji's face when looks up to see Wei Wuxian grabbing the cup of wine and down it for him. His eyes don't wander away from Wei Wuxian until he starts to fight with Jin Guangshan.
Episode 27
- The entirety of the rain scene when Lan Wangji tries to stop Wei Wuxian from leaving. He brings out his sword, telling Lan Wangji to kill him.Wei Wuxian: If I have to fight with them, I'd prefer to fight with you. At least... I could be killed by you. That would have been worth it.
- In response, Lan Wangji steps aside to let him pass. After he's gone, Lan Wangji starts to cry, letting his umbrella drop down and allowing the rain to wash away his tears.
- Lan Qiren scolding Lan Wangji about letting Wei Wuxian go. However, what he says later brings up Lan Wangji's father whom he made explicitly clear he doesn't want his nephew to be and make the same mistake. It's made pretty clear Lan Qiren knew just what are Lan Wangji's true feelings are.
Episode 28/29
- After a few months they reunite, and Lan Wangji seems almost shy and embarrassed when they first lock eyes (as a child is crying holding onto his leg). They go out for a meal together. Lan Wangji later gets punished for meeting up with him, holding up a cane whip while kneeling in the snow until nightfall.
- When Lan Wanji asks Wei Wuxian who the child is, Wei Wuxian says he gave birth to him.
Episode 32
- As Wei Wuxian has loses himself to the darkness, Lan Wangji tries to plead with him to trust him while they fight on the roof.
- For extra measure, Lan Wangji fights his own people protecting Wei Wuxian as he's playing his flute in the battlefield.
Episode 33
- Wei Wuxian goes to commit suicide by falling off a cliff, but Lan Wangji grabs him by the arms before he can do so, tears in his eyes.Wei Wuxian: Lan Zhan. Let me go.
- Lan Wangji shows emotion for the first time, yelling his name in twisted anguish as Wei Wuxian yanks his hand out of his grasp to fall to his death below.
- Wei Wuxian seeing the whip scars and the brand on Lan Wangji. While the former was given a reason later, the brand was given no such explanation but it was implied to have been the same thing as the novel: Lan Wangji, in drunken grief, branded himself after the death of his beloved.
Episode 34
- Wei Wuxian constantly hiding behind and clutching Lan Wangji as he's scared of dogs, and opens up about his childhood trauma to him.
Episode 35
- Lan Wangji offers to carry an injured Wei Wuxian on his back, recalling that Wei once made that offer years ago. Wei Wuxian objects, but Lan Wangji grabs him and piggybacks him anyway. The soft piano of Wu Ji played over as in slow motion Lan Wangji pulls him into a piggyback.Lan Wangji: You once wanted to carry me on your back.Wei Wuxian: No way, you've must've mistaken it. It's impossible.Lan Wangji: ... Never would you try to remember such things.
- Lan Wangji casually giving Wei Wuxian alcohol twice when he asked for it and the other when he didn't even need to ask.
Episode 36
- One word to describe how Wei Wuxian brings Lan Wangji to bed is "tender". He folds his hands on his chest so that they're in his customary sleeping pose, then keeps holding them. He even leans his face closer to Lan Wangji's and gazes at him for several seconds before he tucks him in.
- Lan Wangji doesn't kick Wen Ning but he glares at him even long after he's fled, implicitly showing his jealousy. (Since Wei Wuxian went outside to meet him without telling Lan Wangji.)
- The adaptation has kept Lan Wangji's drunken mischief which, among other things, includes "stealing" two roosters for Wei Wuxian as a gift. In certain parts of the Chinese wedding tradition, chickens would be given to the intended by the groom as gifts.
- Afterwards, Lan Wangji carves "LAN WANGJI VISITED HERE" onto a wooden banister. Wei Wuxian runs back to also carve "WEI WUXIAN ALSO VISITED HERE".
- Wei Wuxian playfully begins to interrogate a drunk Lan Wanji with questions, and even makes Lan Wanji smile for the first time. However, it quickly gets serious when he finally asks him why Lan Wangji always helps him.Wei Wuxian: Why do you help me?Lan Wangji: I have my regrets... At the Nightless City, I wasn't by your side.
- After the simultaneously solemn and heartwarming moment above, Wei Wuxian holds his hand and Lan Wangji promptly falls on him, only to stumble back to his bed in the same hands over chest sleeping position Wei Wuxian had placed him in earlier that night.
- Lan Wangji doesn't make Wei Wuxian sleep beside him like in the novel, but the next morning he's completely worried when he asks Wei Wuxian what he may have done while drunk, and appears panicked and afraid upon hearing the words "said some things" and "liked". When Wei Wuxian says it was rabbits, Lan Wangji's face reads Sure, Let's Go with That as Wei Wuxian teases him about liking them.
Episode 37
- Lan Jingyi's Berserk Button was pressed about Wei Wuxian not finding Lan Wangji good. Wei Wuxian's response was that yes he is very good with a smile on his face and giggling.
Episode 39
- The market scene. When their gazes meet, all the emotions seemed to burst that Wei Wuxian was smiling happily and Lan Wangji staring at him with so much love. The Call-Back to the rabbit lantern at the Cloud Recesses is undeniable since they both seemed aware of it when they bought it. All this to a slow piano of Wu Ji.
- Lan Wangji later gave the lantern to Lan Sizhui AKA Wen Yuan, their adopted son. Although Wei Wuxian is unaware of Lan Sizhui's true identity at this point in time, he doesn't mind.
- Lan Xichen flat-out confirmed that it is indeed Wei Wuxian by the way Lan Wangji lets him touch him.
Episode 40
- Lan Wanji buys liquor for Wei Wuxian to everyone's shock. He also lets Wei Wuxian's paperman play with his headband and fondly tells it to be careful. This goes to show how much he's changed, as when they were teenagers he enforced the ban of liquor, never allowed anyone to touch his headband and scrunched up Wei Wuxian's paper doll in anger.
- Sharp-eyed viewers may notice that Wei Wuxian's paperman actually blows Lan Wangji a kiss before it starts messing with his forehead ribbon.
Episode 42
- When everyone finds out Wei Wuxian has come back from the dead, he tries to protect Lan Wanji by saying he didn't know his identity. However, Lan Wangji steps into the ring of swords and declares that he had already known he was Wei Ying, and draws his sword against everyone present in Koi Tower to protect him. Wuxian tries to convince him to pretend he was deceived, but Wangji insists he believes in him and that it's not a bad feeling to stick on one path until its dark, referencing a quote Wei Wuxian had once said. Lan Wangji then smiles softly at him, and Wei Wuxian huffs out a teary-eyed laugh in return.Wei Wuxian: When everyone admired my power and wanted to flatter me, you're the only one who scolded me. But right now, when everyone wants me to die and hates me, you're the only one standing by me.
- Lan Wangji sitting on his bed and lifting up Wei Wuxian's robes to inspect his wounds, revealing his bare chest in the process. There's also Lan Wangji returning Wei Wuxian's sword Suibian to him, as they hold both ends of the sword together in an intimate moment.
Episode 43
- Wei Wuxian finds out that after his death, Lan Wangji was beaten 300 times and unable to leave for 3 years for "befriending the evil" and trying to protect him at the Nightless City, as well as refusing to let people investigate the Burial Mounds in which Wei Wuxian died. He took the punishment and the scars that will never heal because Wei Wuxian was his sole confidant and he believed in his integrity.
- Lan Xichen telling his parents' story to Wei Wuxian, drawing many parallels. He outright said to Wei Wuxian's face that what Wangji felt watching him use demonic cultivation was the same he felt for his mother, implying a level of closeness.
- Lan Wangji brings two jugs of Emperor's smile for Wei Wuxian. This is significant since their first meeting was them fighting since Wei Wuxian broke the rules of drinking alcohol.
- If one zoomed and slow before the camera goes upward from the gate, one will see Wei Wuxian taking off his belt. The scene after that shows a steaming pot and a drowsy Wei Wuxian. Seen here
Episode 45
- Sharp eyed viewers noticed that when Wei Wuxian discards his robes to write a spirit attraction sigil on himself, Lan Wangji's inner robe is missing, and it's safe to assume the one Wei Wuxian wears is Lan Wangji's.
Episode 46
- Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian taking 3 bows in front of the memorials. In the novel, they only took 2 bows that Wei Wuxian, already oblivious, said it felt like he and Lan Wangji was doing the marriage kowtow and stated later that he and Lan Wangji come back later to do the last and final third bow.
- When Lan Wangji finds out Wei Wuxian swapped out his golden core for Jiang Cheng and how he was awake for the whole painful operation, he cries.
- Lan Wangji lets Wei Wuxian sleep on his lap in the boat of the Lotus Pier lake.
- When Wei Wuxian wakes and is hungry for lotus seeds, Lan Wangji tells him it belongs to the owner of the lake. Wei is disappointed by this and throws away the flower. Seeing this, Lan Wangji apologetically snaps off another lotus flower and presents it to him, saying that he can have it only for today. Wei Wuxian takes it in shocked wonder, not breaking eye contact the whole time.
- What makes this funnier is that Wen Ning is third-wheeling in the boat the whole time, casually snacking while looking entertained by the whole exchange.
Episode 47
- Jin Guangyao holds Wei Wuxian hostage by a string around his neck. Jin Guangyao threatens Lan Wangji to put down and sheath his sword, as well as block out his power. When he tightens the string on Wei Wuxian's neck until it starts bleeding, Lan Wangji actually obeys.
- No confessions or hugs or kisses happen in the Guanyin Temple, but you can see that the team still did their best in keeping the subtext by having Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji sit next to each other whereas Jin Ling and Lan Xichen are sitting across them and are a few feet from each other.
- When Jin Ling comes near the two to check on Jiang Cheng Lan Wangji tenses and Wei Wuxian grabs onto his hand to calm him down.
- Even when he's not hugging him tight or holding his hand, Lan Wangji still shows his protectiveness of Wei Wuxian when Fairy enters the temple or when he thinks Jiang Cheng might attack Wei Wuxian again.
Episode 50
- Wei Wuxian touching Lan Sizhui aka Wen Yuan’s forehead ribbon. Again, who can you touch the ribbon? Family and significant others. And Wen Yuan certainly broke down all but calling him dad. In another scene, Sizhui said Lan Wangji was his brother and father. So really Lan Sizhui was the adopted son of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian.
Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen, and Song Lan
Episode 39
- It's very easy to see Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen's argument after the latter learned of the former's true identity as one extremely ugly breakup, even when you take out the part where Song Lan's death is revealed to Xiao Xingchen.
- When Xue Yang slowly realizes that Xiao Xingchen is Deader than Dead, he confirms this by leaning really close to the latter's face. Any closer and one wouldn't blame the viewer for thinking he was going to kiss him.
Lan Xichen, Meng Yao/Jin Guangyao, and Nie Mingjue
Episode 4
- Lan Xichen and Meng Yao get started with long-held gazes right out of the gate, and when Meng Yao presents the gift to the Lan Sect on behalf of the Nie sect, Xichen makes sure to touch his hands.
Episode 10
- Nie Mingjue banishing Meng Yao from the Unclean Realm comes off as a romantic breakup, what with both men crying quite hard and Meng Yao sobbing that he's just been glad to know Nie Mingjue.
Unsorted
- When Nie Mingjue wakes up in Nightless City after being tortured, his head is in Lan Xichen's lap. Xichen probably was the one who put him there.
