Lan Qiren and Lan Wangji observe that some students have been behaving strangely lately, and Lan Qiren suspects that Wei Wuxian has something to do with it.
- Balloon Belly: Jiang Cheng, Nie Huaisang, and a few Lan disciples become round and plump thanks to the Loophole Abuse of the rule "Do not eat more than three bowls of rice per day". In fact, they become so fat that they can't either bow to someone without tearing the sash of their robes, stand perfectly still for more than three seconds, or easily hold their balance when they get shoved a bit.
- Call-Back: Lan Wanji's expression at Wei Wuxian's spicy rice is nearly identical to last episode, "Chilies".
- Exact Words: Wei Wuxian is able to skirt around some of the Lan Sect's rules due to how some of the rules are phrased.
- Loophole Abuse: This episode is basically "Loophole Abuse: The Episode", considering that it's about the disciples in the Cloud Recesses circumventing around the strict rules of the Lan Sect, thanks to Wei Wuxian's suggestions.
- No eating more than three bowls a day? No one said anything about how much food you can put in one bowl.
- No killing animals in the Cloud Recesses? Then hunt outside the Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian even smugly points out that there's a stone that serves as the border between the Cloud Recesses and the grounds outside the area.
- No entering or leaving the Cloud Recesses past curfew by jumping over the wall? Jump over the door instead.
- Not So Above It All:
- While Jiang Cheng normally gets exasperated with Wei Wuxian's antics, the fact that he put on a lot of weight shows that even he can't resist Wei Wuxian's idea of exploiting the amount of food one can eat in three bowls while they're living in the Cloud Recesses.
- Some Lan disciples follow Wei Wuxian's lead in getting around the rules of their sect, and even comment on how his manual was of big help.
- Rules Lawyer: Wei Wuxian uses this to his advantage. Whenever Lan Wangji tries to scold him for breaking a rule, Wei Wuxian quickly points out that technically speaking, he didn't break any rule, and Lan Wangji has no choice but to let him be.
- Say My Name: Lan Qiren screams "WEI YING!" in a rage after reading the manual Wei Wuxian wrote about taking advantage of the loopholes of the Lan Sect's rules.
- Title Drop: "How to Survive the Cloud Recesses" is the name of Wei Wuxian's rule-circumventing manual.
