Fanfic / The Beast of Gusu

“It seems none of their foot soldiers knew shifters are real,” [Lan Shen] said. “When we caught up to two of them last night, they were telling anyone who would listen that the Lan Clan summoned a beast from the smoke to claim vengeance for them.” Lan Shen snorted, and Wei Ying shook his head. “‘The Beast of Gusu’, they’re calling you.”

—The Beast of Gusu Chapter 3

The Beast of Gusu by Netrixie is a Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi and The Untamed fanfic series uploaded on Archive of Our Own which explores the events of canon in an universe where shifters exist, with Wei Wuxian as a wolf shifter.

The series is completed and is comprised by four works:

• Unstoppable is an Alternate Universe Fic in which the events of the The Untamed are affected by Wei Wuxian being a wolf shifter, thus avoiding the most tragic outcomes of the original story.

• Unstoppable Excerpts covers three scenes from Unstoppable, with different POVs.
• Heavy is the Head features the backstory of Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue’s relationship, which was referenced in “Unstoppable”.
• Going Up the Mountain serves as an epilogue to “Unstoppable”, featuring the aftermath of the Sunshot Campaign, as well as covering Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s adoption of Lan Yuan.

Beware of unmarked spoilers.

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This series provides examples of:

• Accidental Kiss: Wei Wuxian is so awed by Lan Wangji smiling that he kisses him without thinking about it. He almost runs away and tries to apologise before Lan Wangji stops him and makes it clear that he’s very on board with this development.

• After Action Patch Up: Downplayed. Lan Wangji insists on checking Wei Wuxian over for injuries after they return to their home following the attack on Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian insists that he’s fine (thanks to his Healing Factor), but Lan Wangji isn’t reassured until he sees the scars fading for himself.

• Alternate Animal Affection: As a wolf, Wei Wuxian expresses affection by nuzzling his loved ones, wrapping around them and generally staying as close as physically possible.

• Alternate Identity Amnesia: When under the effects of the Wen drug, shifters have no recollection of what they do in their animal forms. The first time he’s drugged, Wei Wuxian doesn’t even realise he’s been shifting the whole night. The second time, he runs away and wanders for three months, not remembering that he’s a shifter and has a human form.

• Alternate Universe Fic: The series explores what would happen in a world where shifters exist and Wei Wuxian is a wolf shifter.

• Amicable Exes: Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue for the whole of Unstoppable and a good portion of Heavy is the Head

• Amnesiac Resonance: Even while Wei Wuxian is stuck in wolf form and has no recollection of his life, he still dislikes and fights the Wen soldiers he encounters, protects children and vaguely remembers enough of Lan Wangji to look for him, be saddened by the moon and by Xiao Xingchen’s white robes.

• And the Adventure Continues: The last fic in the series, “Going Up The Mountain” ends with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji meeting with Baoshan Sanren, so Wei Wuxian can meet his grandmother and learn about being a wolf shifter.

• Backstory: The third work in the series provides context to what happened between Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue years before the events of “Unstoppable”, as well as the resolution to it.

• Bait-and-Switch: In universe. After Jin Guangshan offers Wei Wuxian anything he could want, as long as he joins the Jin Sect, Wei Wuxian’s response at first appears to be considering, but quickly turns out to not be the case.

• Battle Couple: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, during the attack on Cloud Recesses and for the rest of the Sunshot Campaign, often fight alongside one another. The one time they split in battle, they ended up not seeing each other for three months.

• Beautiful Dreamer: Wei Wuxian has a habit of going to sleep later than Lan Wangji, so he often indulges in watching his husband sleep, since he’s beautiful even then. Sometimes, he even wakes up just for that express purpose.

• Big Brother Instinct: Lan Xichen is particularly protective of his little brother, Lan Wangji. He goes to great lengths to make sure Lan Wangji doesn’t have to suffer like he did. Later, he also treats Wei Wuxian, considering another younger brother (since Wei Wuxian marries Lan Wangji).

• Big Damn Reunion: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji reunite in a forest after three months apart, during which they kept looking for each other, even if Wei Wuxian had suffered some form of memory loss. They’re overjoyed at seeing each other again and refuse to let go of their embrace.

• Brainwashed and Crazy: The Wen Sect develop a drug that can make shifters lose their humanity (losing control of their shifts and having no recollection of it), thus making them easy to control and to use in their army. Wei Wuxian is affected by it twice: the first time he’s lucky enough to have been with Lan Wangji, the second time he received a stronger dose and ran away. Wei Wuxian as a wolf is powerful enough to break other shifters out of it.

• Calling the Old Man Out: Lan Xichen delivers a good three to his uncle throughout the series.
  • The first occurs after the latter tries to stop Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian from marrying.
  Lan Xichen: You have already ruined the happiness of one of your nephews. I will not allow you to ruin the other’s. You do not have to accept it, but as Clan Leader I must ask that you keep your disagreement to yourself.
  • Lan Xichen delivers the second one in Chapter 2 of “Heavy is the Crown”, after Lan Qiren catches him and Nie Mingjue in the middle of sex and subsequently uses the Lan Silencing Spell on Lan Xichen and threatens Nie Mingjue with death.
  Lan Qiren: Answer me, why did you allow him to touch you? Answer me, Xichen, or—
  Lan Xichen: Or what? Will you silence me again, Uncle? You would have had your explanation a week ago— if I had possessed the ability to speak.
  Lan Qiren: How dare you talk to me like that?
  Lan Xichen: You came into my home to ‘protect’ me, and I would have accepted that and begged forgiveness for the impropriety of my actions. But instead you chose to see only what you wanted— made all the easier with my mouth sealed shut and a well placed threat. So I will speak to you whatever way I want.
  • The last one takes place at the end of “Heavy is the Crown”, following a tender moment between Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen:
  Lan Qiren: How shameless can you be? Allowing him to touch your ribbon like that.
  Lan Xichen: Uncle. Surely by now you must realize that your opinion in this matter is unwanted, and unnecessary.
  Lan Qiren: …
  Lan Xichen: Lan Qiren. Because of your actions, I was miserable for years. And now that I am finally happy again, all you can say is that I am shameless? Uncle, once it becomes possible, I am going to marry Mingjue. He is the only one with the right to touch me or my ribbon, and he is allowed to do so as he pleases. Why are you against your nephews being happy? You used a flimsy excuse to tear Mingjue from my life in the first place, and then you tried to ruin what Wangji and Wuxian have.
  Lan Qiren: …
  Lan Xichen: Uncle, you are allowed your opinions, of course. But I will not allow you to continue to act as you have. Mingjue is a Clan Leader— for that alone, he deserves your respect. And Wuxian is a war hero, and he has married into the family.
  Lan Qiren: …
  Lan Xichen: I hope one day you can forgive me for the bluntness of my words. Because you are still my uncle, and I would not have us be estranged.

• Canis Major: Although all shifters’ animal forms are slightly bigger than usual, wolf shifters are stated to become massive, to the point where it’s rumoured that a wolf alone could take down an army.

• Closet Key: Wei Wuxian isn’t even aware that he likes men, before he realises that he likes Lan Wangji. He is quick to accept both facts.

• Completed Fic: All works in the series are complete, as well as the series itself.

• Control Freak: Lan Qiren goes to great lengths to exert control over his nephews’ activities, particularly to make sure they don’t deviate from what he considers to be proper. During the lectures, he assigns Lan Wangji task after task in an effort to keep him and Wei Wuxian apart, prompting Lan Xichen to interfere. In the backstory, Lan Qiren is even more strict towards Lan Xichen, as he is the future Sect Leader.

• Cry into Chest: Wei Wuxian cries into Lan Wangji’s chest twice; the first time out of following the attack on Cloud Recesses upon seeing that their home is mostly intact, the second time happens after their reunion in Chapter 3 of “Unstoppable”.

• Cuddle Bug: Wei Wuxian absolutely loves being in contact with Lan Wangji, and is constantly hugging him or hanging about him in some way or the other as soon as he gets permission to do so.

• Dead Person Conversation: Lan Yi, a long since dead Lan ancestor, speaks to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji shortly after they discuss marrying each other, mostly because she was curious about a wolf being in Gusu, and she blesses their union. Years earlier, she acted as a Spirit Advisor to Lan Xichen during his punishment.

• Defrosting Ice Queen: Lan Wangji is initially distant and cold towards Wei Wuxian, as he is with most people. He warms up to Wei Wuxian, after spending time together in the library and during the lectures.

• Dirty Coward: After the attack on Cloud Recesses (mostly) fails, Wen Xu reveals his cowardice when facing a pissed off Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian as a wolf, begging for his life and insisting he will give them information if they take him prisoner. Wei Wuxian can tell he’s lying and laughs.

• The Empath: The shifters’ superior sense of smell allows them to get a certain reading of other people’s emotions. Lan Wangji is so good at keeping his emotions under tight wraps, that not even Wei Wuxian can tell what he’s feeling (intially).

• Embarrassing Nickname: The Wen soldiers spread around “The Beast of Gusu”, refering to Wei Wuxian’s wolf form after his sudden appearance during the attack on Cloud Recesses. He’s not exactly thrilled once he learns about it.

Wei Wuxian: So Lan Zhan gets to be called the Light-Bringing Lord and I get the Beast of Gusu?
Lan Fan: [trying not to laugh] And your body is made of smoke and your eyes are made of fire and you’re bigger than a building.
Wei Wuxian: Please tell me no one else has heard about this yet *beat* Ugh, Lan Fan, you told Xichen this too, didn’t you.

• Entertainingly Wrong: Jiang Cheng, being aware that Wei Wuxian is in love with someone he met at Cloud Recesses and spends most of his time with Lan Wangji, comes to the conclusion that Lan Wangji barely tolerates Wei Wuxian at best and that Wei Wuxian is in love with Lan Fan, after seeing them having a conversation one time. Most of the disciples at Cloud Recesses also assume that Lan Wangji dislikes Wei Wuxian and that the latter is constantly undergoing some form of punishment or another.

• Exact Eavesdropping: Wei Wuxian tends to do this, accidentally and purposefully, thanks to his Super Hearing (which renders many attempts at secrecy useless). He even mentions that Lan Wangji must expect him to be listening in at any point, so he can’t be faulted for it.

• Everybody Lives: All of the good guys who originally died in canon get their happy ending here.

• False Rape Accusation: Lan Qiren accidentally catches Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue in the middle of sex, mistaking their power play dynamic for rape. He expels all of the Nie delegation from the Cloud Recesses and cuts off any contact between Xichen and Mingjue. Even Nie Mingjue’s parents are doubtful of his innocence, until years later, when his father finally says he believes he didn’t do it.

• Fix Fic: Thanks to the changes made by virtue of being an alternate universe, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian never lose their golden cores, demonic cultivation is never created and Wei Wuxian doesn’t die after the Sunshot Campaign.

• Friend to All Children: Wei Wuxian is very good with children and loves spending time with them. The Lan children warm up to him quickly, even in his wolf form, and lovingly call him “Brother Wolf”. This later helps show the Lans that were not aware of his shift that he’s not a Savage Wolf.

• The Glomp: Jiang Cheng’s greeting towards Wei Wuxian after the latter was missing for three months was to tackle him and ask where he’s been.

• Happily Adopted: In “Going Up the Mountain”, we see that A-Yuan has been officially adopted by Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, and the three of them couldn’t be happier.

• Happily Married: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji get married at the end of Chapter 2 of “Unstoppable”, and stay married for the rest of the story. Unfortunately, the peace doesn’t last very long, as the Wen Sect begins their attack on Cloud Recesses the next chapter.

• Healing Factor: Shifters can heal faster than normal humans, and it’s better shown during Wei Wuxian and Xue Yang’s fight in Chapter 3 of “Unstoppable”, during which they maul each other and begin to heal just as fast.

• Home Sweet Home: At the end of the Sunshot Campaign, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji want nothing more than to go back to their home in Cloud Recesses.

• Hopeless Suitor: Jin Guangyao is this to Lan Xichen, not being aware of his history with Nie Mingjue, mistakes Lan Xichen’s kindness and friendliness for romantic gestures. Lan Qiren was this to Cangse Sanren, even going as far as to ask his ancestors for permission to marry her, which they deny since she doesn’t love him and they would both be miserable. It’s part of the reason why he resents Wei Wuxian so much.

• Howl of Sorrow: Wei Wuxian does this several times during his time stuck as a wolf in Chapter 3 of “Unstoppable”, not remembering his life or his identity, but knowing he’s missing something and feeling lonely.

• Hurt/Comfort Fic: Most notably at the end of Chapter 3 and the beginning of Chapter 4 of “Unstoppable”, during Wei Wuxian’s missing months under the influence of the Wen drug and while Lan Wangji looked for him.

• I Will Find You: After Wei Wuxian receives a double dose of the drug the Wens use on shifters, he forgets his identity and wanders as a wolf, though he unknowingly spends those three months looking for Lan Wangji, promising himself that whatever it is that he’s missing he will find it. Similarly, Lan Wangji spends everyday looking for Wei Wuxian himself and playing their song in the hopes that Wei Wuxian might hear it and return.

• If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: In Chapter 2 of “Unstoppable”, Wei Wuxian invites Jin Zixuan to spar with him, using Lan Wangji’s sword and using part of his superior strength, all to let Jin Zixuan know what awaits him if he ever hurts Jiang Yanli in any way.

Jin Zixuan: If you knew you were going to best me, why bother?
Wei Wuxian: To remind you that I ‘’can’’. You finally want to court my sister after all these years of engagement? That’s fine. But you should remember what awaits you if you mistreat her. Do we understand each other? *Jin Zixuan nods* Good. I can be your greatest ally or your worst nightmare. And how that is decided is simple.

• Insecure Love Interest: Wei Wuxian initially isn’t sure if Lan Wangji will reject him on account of his shifter status. In Chapter 3 of “Unstoppable”, after he regains his memories and returns, Wei Wuxian asks Lan Wangji if he regrets marrying him, feeling that he’s caused too much pain and trouble for him; Lan Wangji responds that he doesn’t regret marrying him, loving him or knowing him.

• Internal Reveal: Neither Jiang Cheng, nor Nie Huaisang figure out that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are in a relationship until they are told. Somehow, all of Jin Sect managed to not find out that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji married, until after the Sunshot Campaign. Even when they are told that Wei Wuxian is a member of Gusu Lan, they assume he’s joined as a disciple, not that he married in. It takes Wei Wuxian rejecting Jin Guangshan’s offer to join the Jin Sect and boldly announcing his marriage to Lan Wangji for the news to finally sink in.

• Interspecies Adoption: The human Jiang Clan adopted wolf-shifter Wei Wuxian after his parents died. Years later, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji adopt A-Yuan, a raven-shifter.

• Interspecies Romance: Between Wei Wuxian (a shifter) and Lan Wangji (a normal human).

• Intertwined Fingers: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji do this pretty much everytime they hold hands, particularly whenever they want to reassure and offer comfort to each other.

• Intimate Artistry: Lan Wangji is Wei Wuxian’s favorite subject and model, leading him to create dozens of drawings of him, asleep and awake. “Unstoppable Excerpts” shows that Lan Xichen accidentally finds some of the drawings while Wei Wuxian is missing.

• Intimate Hair Brushing: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji comb each other’s hair after Wei Wuxian delivers his final courting gift, a white jade comb.

• Involuntary Shapeshifting: The drug the Wens use with the shifters causes this. When drugged in the Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian loses control of his wolf and begins to shift between human and wolf for the whole night, not even realizing that he’s doing it. It’s described to be incredibly uncomfortable and painful. He only just manages to tell Lan Wangji not to let him howl, as to not give himself away.

• Just in Time: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji arrive at Cloud Recesses while the Wens are attacking, turning the tide of the fight in their favor.

• Lap Pillow: Wei Wuxian has a habit of resting his head in Lan Wangji’s lap, particularly as a wolf, though he also does it as a human.

• Lonely Rich Kid: Lan Wangji, thanks to a combination of factors such as his status as a Sect Heir, being his uncle’s favorite, his distant personality, his unmatched talent as a cultivator, his role as a disciplinarian at Cloud Recesses, etc. Jiang Yanli points it out, and Wei Wuxian fully agrees. Jiang Cheng just thinks Lan Wangji is pedantic.

• Longing Look: Wei Wuxian has a habit of staring at Lan Wangji, particularly when he should be paying attention to something else. Later, Lan Wangji reveals that he can tell whenever Wei Wuxian is looking at him. It does prove helpful when Wei Wuxian needs to focus on something in order to meditate.

• Love Confession: Wei Wuxian first tells Lan Wangji he likes him in Chapter 1 of “Unstoppable”; then in Chapter 2, he outright tells him he loves him, after not having seen each other for the new year’s break.

Wei Wuxian: I love you. [realising he said it outloud] I love you. I missed, and I love you, and I never want to be away from you for that long ever again. I just wanted you to know that.
Lan Wangji: Wei Ying. I gave you the token so you would always be able to come back to me.

• Love Epiphany: Wei Wuxian gets two: one when he realises he likes Lan Wangji and one when he realises he’s in love with Lan Wangji. He’s not surprised by either statement, but is surprised at the fact that he didn’t notice.

Wei Wuxian: How did the fact that I like him sneak up on me?

• Love-Obstructing Parents: Lan Qiren does his best to keep Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian apart, by assigning several time-consuming tasks to Lan Wangji. He also made sure Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue wouldn’t see each other for years.

• Love Theme: The song Lan Wangji writes for Wei Wuxian is one of the things Wei Wuxian recognizes when stuck in his wolf form, prompting him to howl and call for his lover, allowing the two of them to reunite after three months.

• Lunacy: Wei Wuxian mentions he gets a nagging and uncomfortable feeling when the moonlight shines on him shortly after the Wens arrival at Cloud Recesses, prompting him to warn Lan Xichen that something is going to happen soon. Later on, when visiting the Uncleam Realm, he gets the same feeling and smells metal in the air, allowing him to warn Nie Mingjue that a Wen army would be arriving soon.

• Lured into a Trap: During the attack in Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian hears another wolf howl and goes to fight it, even after Lan Wangji begs him to run, knowing that the other wolf could easily kill his loved ones. It turns out to be a trap designed to lure out the wolf rumoured to protect Lotus Pier and Wen Chao drugs Wei Wuxian and attempts to gain control of him.

• Magic Pants: Wei Wuxian’s robes are never compromised when he shifts; the same is true for all shifters.

• Magical Sensory Effect: Wei Wuxian’s wolf senses help him detect the wards around Cloud Recesses and the weak point he uses to sneak in. He later lets Lan Xichen know about said weak point.

• Marry for Love: Lan Wangji chooses to marry Wei Wuxian because they love each other, much to his uncle’s chagrin. At the end of the Sunshot Campaign, Lan Xichen declares that he and Nie Mingjue will be married as well, regardless of what anyone says.

• Masquerade: Downplayed. People are aware of the existence of shiters, but they can’t tell who exactly is a shifter, since they tend to keep it a secret. Most people are shown to be wary and distrustful of shifters, which doesn’t help, unless it’s a person the shifter trusts implicitly.

• The Mind Is a Plaything of the Body: Wei Wuxian occasionally has to stop himself from fully submitting to his instincts, such as baring his throat in submission to Lan Wangji after losing a duel and howling at the moon when he’s hiding his status as a shifter.

• Mind-Control Device: The drug developed by the Wen Sect targets shifters and tires them out, making them easy to control once they don’t have the energy to fight it.

• My Instincts Are Showing: Wei Wuxian becomes distressed when strangers intrude into what he considers his territory and needs two extra weeks in order to familiarize himself with Gusu, before the lectures start. He’s also overwhelmed by the amount of unknown scents in the Cloud Recesses, particularly Lan Wangji’s which attracts him enough to drown out all the others (as well as being distracting). Wei Wuxian also mentions that, as a wolf, he is particularly protective of the people and places he considers his. In an embarrassing note, after an extenuating sparring session with Lan Wangji (the only person strong enough to match Wei Wuxian), Wei Wuxian very nearly bares his throat in submission, but stops himself just in time.

• Noble Wolf: Cangse Sanren, Wei Wuxian, Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen are all wolf shifters, with very noble motives and temperaments. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen only come down the mountain to stop Xue Yang. Wei Wuxian can’t stand injustice and crimes, and is very protective of children.

• Non Human Lover Reveal: Wei Wuxian reveals his shift to Lan Wangji (encouraged by Lan Xichen) before proceeding with their relationship any further, not wanting to hide such an integral part of himself. Lan Wangji takes it extremely well and thanks Wei Wuxian for trusting him.

• Obviously Not Fine: Lan Wangji’s standard response to Wei Wuxian worrying about him being overworked is to say it’s fine, even when it’s clear that he’s exhausted.

Wei Wuxian: Fine means many things, Lan Zhan.

• Oblivious to Hatred: Played with. Jiang Cheng genuinely thinks Wei Wuxian is this, due to his insistence to stay by Lan Wangji’s side and the latter’s status as The Stoic. In reality, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have been in a relationship for most of the time they have known each other.

• Odd Friendship: Wei Wuxian considers Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng’s relationship to be this, given their different temperaments. Likewise, he finds Jiang Yanli’s friendship with Wen Qing and Luo Qingyang curious.

• Old Flame: Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue were in a relationship when young, but became separated after Lan Qiren caught them and forced them apart. After years of silence, they became friends again, not knowing they were still in love with each other. They get together for good at the end of Heavy is the Head.

• One True Love: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are this to each other, as Wei Wuxian chooses Lan Wangji almost immediately and Lan Wangji never stops looking for him when Wei Wuxian goes missing.

• Original Character: Lan Shen, Lan Fan, Nie Bohai and several others play supporting roles in the story.

• Our Werebeasts Are Different: A shifter’s animal form is slightly bigger than the regular animal, though it’s vastly more noticeable with wolves, who become massive. They maintain full faculties and as humans have better senses. It’s also not a requirement to have a golden core in order to be a shifter (or the opposite, for that matter) and siblings may not necessarily be both shifters, as seen with Wen Qing and Wen Ning, the former being a normal cultivator and the latter a raven shifter.

• Out-of-Context Eavesdropping: Lan Qiren happens to listen to Lan Xichen’s telling Nie Mingjue to let go of him during sex. Unfortunately for everyone, Lan Xichen wasn’t being serious at the time.

• The Pardon: Nie Mingjue is put in charge of judging all the shifters that were drugged under Wen Ruohan’s control. He’s lenient with them and outright pardons those belonging to the Nie Sect, reasoning that they can’t really be faulted for what they did since they weren’t in their right mind at the time.

• Painful Transformation: To drive home the effects of the drug used on shifters, Wei Wuxian’s rapid shifting the first time around is incredibly uncomfortable, causing him great distress, as he can’t do anything about it and leaves him too exhausted to properly defend himself, had he been alone.

• Parental Marriage Veto: Lan Qiren is adamantly against Wei Wuxian marrying Lan Wangji. Thankfully, Lan Xichen technically outranks Lan Qiren and completely approves of the match.

• Parents Walk In at the Worst Time: Lan Qiren walks in on his nephew and the Nie Sect Heir having kinky sex, which ends badly for everyone involved.

• Personality Remnant: Even when wandering as a wolf with no memories of his life or of being a shifter, Wei Wuxian instinctively knows to look for Lan Wangji and to attack Wen soldiers. He also retains his protectiveness towards children.

• Post-Victory Collapse: Wei Wuxian collapses after Meng Yao kills Wen Ruohan at Nightless City, due to exhaustion and various injuries. Although he can’t remember anything past that, he actually held on for long enough to be surrounded by Lan cultivators before shifting back to human.

• Power Dynamics Kink: Lan Xichen is very into Nie Mingjue’s superior strength and height, particularly into roleplaying scenes of consensual non-consent. Unfortunately for them, Lan Qiren catches them while they’re at it.

• Property of Love: Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian consider themselves to be each other’s, and say it constantly. Also, even when he forgets his humanity after being drugged, the wolf still considers Lan Wangji “his man”.

• Reasonable Authority Figure: Lan Xichen is very understanding of Wei Wuxian and his struggles to adjust to a new environment in the Cloud Recesses, supports his relationship with Lan Wangji and tries to be as impartial as possible to everyone, in contrast to his uncle, Lan Qiren.

• Regained Memories Sequence: Wei Wuxian quickly goes through various significant memories involving Lan Wangji once the two reunite in Chapter 3 of “Unstoppable”, which helps him remember himself and allows him to return to his human form.

• Relationship Upgrade: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji get together after Wei Wuxian is overwhelmed from seeing Lan Wangji smiling and kisses him. They get married at the end of Chapter 2 of Unstoppable.

• Relationship Sabotage: Lan Qiren goes to great lengths to ensure that neither of his nephews will enter a relationship that he considers bad for them. In Lan Xichen’s case, he succeeds via locking Xichen in the Cold Pond Cave for the better part of a year, banning all Nie Sect members from the Cloud Recesses, and intercepting all of Nie Mingjue’s letters for Lan Xichen. Years later, Lan Qiren’s disapproval and dislike of Wei Wuxian leads to him overloading Lan Wangji with tasks, as to make sure that there’ll be no time left for them to spend together. Luckily, a grown up Lan Xichen can put a hamper on those plans.

• Savage Wolves: Xue Yang has a generally nasty attitude and cares very little about causing damage to others. He willfully fights alongside the Wen Clan. Generally, the public image of wolves is that they are aggressive, possessive and dangerous creatures and shifters, which is part of the reason why Wei Wuxian isn’t keen on anyone finding out his secret.

• Secret Relationship: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji start a relationship about three months after they first meet, which they then decide to keep secret, both on account of it being a same-sex and relationship and Lan Qiren thorough disapproval of Wei Wuxian.

• Secret-Keeper: The inner disciples of the Jiang Sect, as well as the members of the main Jiang family are aware of Wei Wuxian’s shifting nature. Later, Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen keep it up as well, at least until the Sunshot Campaign, where Wei Wuxian’s shift is revealed so he can help as many drugged shifters under Qishan Wen as possible.

• Secret Secret-Keeper: Lan Xichen is initially this to Wei Wuxian, with Jiang Fengmian having let him in advance to the lectures, so the Lan Sect Leader would be prepared to have a wolf shifter in their territory for the upcoming year. Lan Xichen reveals he knows after Wei Wuxian runs away following an embarrassing near loss of control.

• Sensory Overload: Wei Wuxian has superior smell and hearing to that of a normal human’s, which proves to be annoying when he’s in new places or in crowds, or when trying to meditate. The first time he enters Lan Wangji’s home, he needs a while to come back to him, being surrounded by Lan Wangji’s scent.

• Smells Sexy: Wei Wuxian is completely taken by Lan Wangji’s scent, to the point where it drowns out other scents, constantly distracts him and he can’t help himself from deeply breathing it in whenever possible. When Wei Wuxian is visiting Lotus Pier, Lan Wangji sends him one of his shirts and an entrance token to Cloud Recesses, and Wei Wuxian stops for a minute to smell the shirt. It’s also mentioned that the scent makes him feel safe, aside from being very attractive to him.

• Signature Scent: Given that Wei Wuxian has a super sense of smell, he can tell people apart by scent alone. Only Jiang Yanli and Lan Wangji’s scents are described, with the former smelling of lotuses and the latter smelling of sandalwood. He also distinguishes Wen soldiers by their metallic scent. When under the effects of the Wen drug, he can’t recognize Lan Xichen, but can tell that it’s a friend by his scent.

• Slash Fic: For the canon pairing and Official Couple, Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji, as well as for popular fanon pairing, Lan Xichen/Nie Mingjue.

• Shapeshifting Lover: Many couples across this particular universe, considering that most shifters keep their statuses a secret. Mainly, Wei Wuxian is this to Lan Wangji, much as his mother Cangse Sanren was to Wei Changze.

• Shapeshifter Mode Lock: The drug used by the Wens has this effect on shifters, making them the perfect soldiers for his army, as it also makes them easy to control. When under the effects of a double dose, Wei Wuxian is stuck as a wolf for three months and forgets he’s a shifter, as well as anything regarding his past. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen find him while he’s wandering and comment that he’s forgotten how to shift into a human, then decide to travel with him.

• Spirit Advisor: Lan Yi becomes Lan Xichen’s mentor while he’s locked in the Cold Pond Cave, teaching him to be a clan leader and advising him to keep his emotions hidden away. Seeing as she’s his ancestor and has long since passed away, this is the only time they can interact with each other.

• The Stoic: Lan Wangji is a notable aversion to Wei Wuxian’s skill of perceiving people’s emotions through scent. He notes that neither Lan Wangji’s face nor his scent give away what he’s thinking, although he later gets the hang of it and can read Lan Wangji perfectly.

• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Lan Wangji is serious, uptight and distant with everyone, except for his brother, and later, Wei Wuxian. This contributes to Jiang Cheng not realizing that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are friends, or rather, courting, until they are officially engaged.

• Super-Hearing: Wei Wuxian (and shifters, in general) can hear more than normal humans. This allows him to eavesdrop in various conversations between Lan Sect members and other disciples. However, it also means that shifters have a hard time meditating in what would be silence to normal people: they can listen to others’ breathing, their heartbeats, their movements, etc., prompting them to look into alternative meditation techniques.

• Super-Senses: Shifters generally have great hearing and a great sense of smell, which proves useful on more than one occasion, though it’s easy to overwhelm them in a crowd.

• Super-Strength: Wei Wuxian is incredibly strong, to the point he can’t participate in sword duels against others without significantly holding back, and he often has to sit out archery practice, since there are rarely bows sturdy enough for him to use. Lan Wangji is stated to be even stronger and faster than him, which makes Wei Wuxian feel safe.

• Talking in Bed: In Chapter 3 of “Unstoppable”, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji talk before falling asleep about whether or not Wei Wuxian is ready to return to battle.

• That Liar Lies: After Wei Wuxian caps off his rejection of Jin Guangshan’s offer with a statement of his marriage to Lan Wangji, Jin Guangshan immediately assumes he’s lying and calls him out on it, only to be refuted by Lan Wangji himself.

• The Nose Knows: A shifter’s superior sense of smell allows them to discover other shifters, read other’s emotions, track certain scents and gives them a good sense of who’s trustworthy. The exception (at least initially) is Lan Wangji, whom Wei Wuxian notes he can’t read.

• Thrown Down a Well: “Heavy is the Head” reveals that Lan Xichen spent the better part of a year in the Cold Pond Cave, isolated from everyone, as punishment for his relationship with Nie Mingjue and for talking back to his uncle. Lan Wangji manages to visit him briefly once, at the risk of angering his uncle.

• Understanding Boyfriend: Lan Wangji is perfectly fine with Wei Wuxian being a wolf shifter, taking it in stride, even with all of the quirks that come with dating a shifter who may or may not be listening in at any time, can tell what you’re feeling just by smelling you and needs to regularly transform into a massive wolf.

• Unrequited Love Lasts Forever: Lan Qiren loved Cangse Sanren and wanted to marry her, but the Lan ancestors denied their blessings, since she didn’t love him back. It’s implied that he never quite got over her, and it’s part of why he dislikes Wei Wuxian so much. Adding salt to the wound, he has to find out that the ancestors gave their blessings to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian.

• Waking Up Elsewhere: Wei Wuxian wakes up back in his room after blacking out in Nightless City, only to learn that it’s been three days since.

• When She Smiles: Wei Wuxian is quickly disarmed by Lan Wangji smiling. So much, in fact, that he can’t help himself from kissing him on the spot, leading to their Relationship Upgrade.

• Wolves Always Howl at the Moon: Wei Wuxian has to stop himself from howling at the moon several times throughout his stay at Cloud Recesses, since there aren’t wolves in Gusu. It’s described in the text as a very instinctual compulsion.

• Wistful Amnesia: While Wei Wuxian is stuck as a wolf he can’t actually remember anything about being a shifter or his identity, but the moonlight and Xiao Xingchen’s white robes make him sad. He also can’t shake the feeling that he is missing (and looking) for something.

• Wonderful Werewolf: Most shifters and people are initially wary of Wei Wuxian, but quickly realize he’s (mostly) harmless. Children are especially fond of him.