“I don’t know him well enough to know if that’s a good idea, and I don’t know you well enough to know if I should trust your judgement. What are you hoping he’d do with this information?”

"I'm hoping he will provide you with refuge, and better hide the Yin Iron kept here.  Bolster the defenses."

He can't think of anyone that they would trust.  Other than possibly Wei Wuxian, who Jiang Cheng is not trusting to make reasonable decisions and is going to be kept as far away from this as he can.  

“It does not sound like Lan Xichen provided my family refuge when we were being hunted down and killed, in your old future.”

“I think Zewu-Jun is a good man,” says Wen Ning quietly. “I don’t think he would hurt us, Jiejie.”

“I know, A-Ning.” She doesn’t know. Her brother has always been too trusting.

“Jiang-gongzi, I would like to have a day to get my bearings here, and prepare a way to get my brother out if something unexpected happens. After tomorrow, I will see if I feel safe going to Zewu-Jun. Do you agree to wait that long?”

"I'll wait."  That seems reasonable, and he'd rather not be the only one claiming to have visions of the future. 

Wen Qing is very tired. She is probably only going to become more tired. Everything is stressful.

One thing at a time. "Thank you, Young Master Jiang. Good day." She bows politely and then leads Wen Ning away towards their quarters.

She's probably going to make him rest, now, even though he would much rather go find Master Wei and make sure that he's alright. They work together pretty well. If Jie is going to be part of a team with Jiang Cheng, Wen Ning wants to have a team too.

Also he doesn't like Jie being part of a team with Jiang Cheng at all. He's still furious at Jiang Cheng but trying very hard not to think about it because he gets dizzy every time he tries.

Wen Qing succeeds in convincing him to rest in bed for a while, because she's his sister and he's probably caused her enough worry for one day.

Jiang Cheng takes a different path.  He continues his day, working his frustration off with his sword at the training field, getting used to the changes in his body and golden core from how they've developed in the future.  Then, when it gets late: bed.

Lan Wangji is not in bed.

It's later than he would usually be up, but he has to do this while no one else is around. When he and Wei Ying first found the Cold Cave, time had passed more quickly than they subjectively experienced it. Perhaps that was an enchantment Lan Yi had used to keep herself alive longer; it would still be in place now. Going at night means less time for everyone to notice him missing and be worried.

The night is clear, and cool for spring. Wangji quickly makes his way towards the cave's mountainside entrance, reviewing what he knows so far of his plans. Step 1: retrieve Yin Iron. Step 2: ask his ancestor for advice on the rest of his plan. Step 3: have Xichen seal the Iron away in a pouch like he did last time and get an early start on his Yin Iron-related quests. (Alone, this time. Like he was supposed to be last time). 

But has he instead considered: being not alone!

Time to consider that, because here he is. "Pssst! Psst, Lan Zhan!"

what fresh hell is this

Wei Wuxian bounces over to him. "Wangji-xiong! You care about the spying mission after all, don't you? We really are on the same page! Where were you going to go look?"

"Go back to bed."

"Lan Zhan, don't be so heartless. You've already put me through so much turmoil today, you know that? I was so sad after getting kicked out of your boring library, I hardly knew what to do with myself."

He walks Faster. "No you were not.

Go back to bed."

"Lan Zhaaan. I can't possibly sleep when I know you're out here doing mysterious things without me! What is it, where are you going?

Lan Zhan. You know, isn't it against the rules for you to be out this late? Didn't you just get mad at me for that? You did, Lan Wangji, how are you such a hypocrite. What would your rules think about that, hmm? Am I the only one who should ever get in trouble?"

"Leave me alone."

"You are so ridiculous! I can tell you're not supposed to be out here either, because if you were then you'd already be dragging me to Lan Qiren's - I mean, Grand Master Lan's rooms to be yelled at again! So you're sneaking, I'm sneaking, clearly we were meant to sneak together, Lan Zhan. Where are you going?"

Well, that's fine, Wei Wuxian is great at talking by himself anyway. He will do that. The conversation centers around Lan Zhan being a ridiculous fuddy duddy, but occasionally he branches out to topics such as the alcohol he wishes he had right now, what he thinks the Wens might be up to, and suggestions for more enjoyable things Lan Zhan could find to do with the stick up his ass.

He longs for death.

At the same time, though, he - missed even this, the chattering and the nagging and the thoughtless flirting that makes Wangji want to drown himself in the cold spring before he catches on fire. As terrifying and uncomfortable as it all is, he's still pathetically grateful. Wei Ying can spend all the time he wants making fun of Wangji and thinking that Wangji hates him and throwing extremely loud, chaotic wrenches into all of Wangji's plans as long as he fucking lives.

And Wangji doesn't know what he's doing. He doesn't know how to keep Wei Ying alive, he didn't know last time and now he still doesn't know, and maybe Nie Huaisang was right that keeping him away from trouble was impossible and even unhelpful.

...maybe it's acceptable for Wei Ying to come along this once. Wei Ying never had a problem being around the Yin Iron, really; whatever went wrong wasn't specifically that. And he really... really doesn't want to send Wei Ying away.

Later. He'll send him away later. Wangji is going to kill Wen Chao and take care of that fucking turtle all by himself and then everything will be fine.

"Huh, this is sort of near where I saw Lady Wen poking around earlier. Did you see her out here too, Ji-xiong? What do you think's out here? Why won't you tell me?"

They reach the mountain face in the back hills, the secret entrance that only Lan disciples can pass through.

Wangji reaches out, and his hand vanishes through the shield, a shimmering blue distortion in the air. "You cannot accompany me."

Whoa.

"What?? What is this! Lan Zhan, why didn't you tell me about this before!" he scolds. He shoves his hand forward only for it to bounce back, blocked by some force of air pressure. Wei Wuxian gasps, offended. "Ahhh? Aiyah, Lan Zhan, what's wrong with it? What is this, why won't it let me in?"

He pokes the shimmery air pressure wall thing. The distortion wiggles in the air, reminding Wei Wuxian of the magical shield over the gate to the Cloud Recesses.