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"It's prohibited here to go out at night, drink alcohol, or fight privately. You've already broke three rules!"
— Nie Huaisang, pointing out how our two leads got off on the wrong foot
The story goes back 20 years ago, when life was simpler and Wei Wuxian was but a youngster lazing his way through school. As it turned out, even before he founded demonic cultivation, he and Lan Wangji were already like oil and water.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: While Jin Zixuan is yet to be mentioned in this part of the novel, he makes his donghua debut appearance in this episode when the guest disciples have their first day of classes at the Cloud Recesses. It's revealed here that he's not just the heir to the Jin Clan but also Jiang Cheng's sister's fiance.
- Adaptation Distillation: The donghua shortens Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji's fight in the Library Pavillion by ending it right where the latter tells his classmate to leave, excluding the scene of Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang waiting outside the library.
- Bait-and-Switch: Wei Wuxian's drawing of Lan Wangji, which initially seems like a kind gesture, turns out to be a prank due to him drawing a flower on the latter's hair.
- Bookends: Wei Wuxian gets angrily told (read: yelled at) to scram by Lan Qiren in the first half of the episode, and gets told the same thing by Lan Wangji in the second half.
- Combat Pragmatist: Wei Wuxian points out that both spiritual and resentful energy are pure energy, hence he doesn't see the problem in using the latter. Lan Qiren is unpleased by the suggestion, since cultivators are meant to purify energy and it would go against their beliefs to fight evil with resentful energy aka more evil.
- Destroy the Evidence: When Wei Wuxian realizes that Lan Wangji intends to confiscate the pornography book and turn it in, he provokes the latter into destroying it so that he would have no proof to back up his claim, allowing Wei Wuxian to walk away unpunished.
- Establishing Character Moment: As the episode is set back to 20 years ago, we get to see how different (or otherwise) the main trio are as teenagers in their introductory scenes.
- Wei Wuxian is already The Trickster as a teen, but also undeniably more naive and innocent. In class he's also shown to have the makings of a great cultivator in terms of skill and smarts, albeit his outgoing and nonconforming personality and opinions put him at odds with almost everyone else.
- While Jiang Cheng hates Wei Wuxian in the present, his initial scenes as a teen shows the two as close Vitriolic Best Buds, with Jiang Cheng acting like the mother hen in their relationship by always trying to watch over him and (unsuccessfully) keep his eccentricities in check. He's also capable of joking around, although not to the point of causing mischief.
- The younger Lan Wangji is introduced as the model student, being prim and proper, dedicated and studious, as well as being strict with upholding the rules, serving as the disciplinarian of the class. However, at the library Wei Wuxian finds out that beneath his stoic demeanor lies a temperamental side if the right buttons are pushed.
- Facepalm: Jiang Cheng facepalms when Wei Wuxian brings up in class the unorthodox idea of harnessing resentful energy.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Wei Wuxian smirks mischievously at the poem book Lan Wangji was reading before and after giving him the drawing, hinting that he did something with it.
- Foreshadowing:
- Wei Wuxian points out to Jiang Cheng that the Burial Mounds in Yiling is a hotbed of resentful energy and how one could gain an immense advantage should they harness said energy from the place.
- When Wei Wuxian argues that there's nothing wrong with using resentful energy since it's the same as cultivating spiritual energy, Lan Qiren tells him of the possibility that the resentful energy might turn against him instead.
- Funny Background Event:
- Nie Huaisang slides away from Wei Wuxian when Lan Wangji shoots a glare at the latter.
- After accompanying Wei Wuxian to the Library Pavilion, both Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang slide out of view when they see that Lan Wangji is the one who'll be supervising him during his "detention".
- The Gadfly: Although he only means to be friendly to Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian also doesn't mind getting a rise out of him.
- Get Out!: After having enough of Wei Wuxian teasing him, Lan Wangji angrily tells him to go away.
- I'm a Man; I Can't Help It: When Lan Wangji angrily asks Wei Wuxian what kind of person is he to read porn, the latter defends himself by explaining that he's a man and every man has seen erotica.
- Loophole Abuse: Wei Wuxian attempts to avoid getting into trouble with bringing in alcohol by drinking it outdoors, since nothing was said about that being forbidden. Unfortunately, Lan Wangji still tries to punish him.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: When Lan Qiren questions Wei Wuxian about what to do when dealing with someone who harbors resentment, he pretends to not know because he plans to suggest another option after someone else answers for him.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: While playing tug-of-war over the erotic artbook, Wei Wuxian accuses Lan Wangji of being a Covert Pervert, to which the latter hisses, "I. Won't. Look."
- Rage Breaking Point: While occasionally showing indifference or mild annoyance, Lan Wangji is for the most part patient with Wei Wuxian's antics. Once he's tricked into looking at a pornographic book, however, he becomes furious and even raises his sword against the latter while trying to confiscate the book.
- Reading Foreign Signs Out Loud: In the Japanese dub, to avoid clogging up the screen with more text, the virtues written onscreen during the montage of the protagonists in the library is read aloud by Wei Wuxian as a voiceover. This part is silent in the original Chinese dub.
- Take a Third Option: Discussed in-universe. When Lan Qiren asks his class how to deal with a vengeful spirit, Lan Wangji answers that one must either 1) clear his clinging to the world, 2) force him to leave if that doesn't work, or 3) destroy him if he refuses to repent. Wei Wuxian considers it a waste to not make use of the resentful energy that's built up and so brings up a fourth option, which is to use the victims' ghosts to destroy the spirit. Due to how unorthodox this option is, this leaves Lan Qiren and everyone else in class shocked (or in Jiang Cheng's case, exasperated).
- Throw the Book at Them: Enraged by Wei Wuxian's suggestion to use resentful energy to fight evil, Lan Qiren angrily throws a scroll at him in class. The teen manages to duck, and the scroll hits Nie Huaisang instead.
- Tranquil Fury: Zigzagged. Lan Wangji tries to stay as calm as possible while confronting Wei Wuxian over the erotic artbook, although it's obvious that he's fuming off the edges and barely holding in his anger. Their little fight eventually ends with him shouting at the latter to leave.
- Visual Pun: Lan Wangji's name sounds similar to "wolf looking at a chicken" in Chinese. Wei Wuxian draws the two animals in question when trying to appeal to the Lan clansman.
