"This one would apologize for the behavior of Wen Chao, but an apology implies the intention to change in the future, which Wen Chao lacks and this one lacks the ability to effect. This one wishes to avoid compounding this failing by inadvertently breaking any further rules." If she was going to break any rules she was going to do it on purpose, dammit. "If the library is not available this one will find another way." 

"Available with supervision."

She turns on her heel towards the library pavilion. The Wen girl can follow if she wants.

She follows. 

Lan-guniang is so pretty and thinks she's just another arrogant Wen and she can't blame her for that. She can blame Wen Chao for that. Curse you, Wen Chao. 

They arrive at the library. Lan Zhan strides directly to one of the tall shelf and plucks out a book with dark blue covers.

She hands the book of rules to Wen Ying without a word and then retreats to her favored desk in the center of the room.

"Thank you." 

She finds another desk nearby enough that Lan-guniang won't have any trouble keeping an eye on her and takes paper out of her sleeve and starts reading and taking notes. 

Lan-guniang sits primly at her desk, copying poetry in her perfect calligraphy. She looks up at Wen Ying often through her eyelashes.

This is SO BORING and Wen Ying can't even flirt with the incredibly pretty girl to break the monotony because the incredibly pretty girl thinks she's lower than dirt. This is so unfair. 

Eventually she finishes. She organizes her notes into two piles, rises from her desk, and offers Lan-guniang the book and one of the piles of notes. 

She blinks at the note pile and then up at Wen Ying. This is for her?

"Um, in order to get into Cloud Recesses without an invitation, it was...necessary to break through the wards. These are my notes on how I did it and other ways I would have tried if that one hadn't worked. So you can fix the weaknesses I used." She ducks her head. 

"Sorry." 

She hurries off back to the guest house where her siblings are waiting. 

What the fuck.

Why is she smart. Why is she so smart she was already pretty and it was already unfair this is TERRIBLE. And she is using her intelligence to BREAK RULES? Using her intelligence for CHAOS?

But then she gave Lan Zhan notes on how to prevent chaos and protect rule-following. After breaking the wards. On her first try.

What the fuck.

Lan Zhan's face is very hot (with Righteous Anger, presumably) and she feels like she's been punched in the stomach. She notices belatedly that her fists are clenched; the notes have become all crumpled. This is also Wen Ying's fault. 

She squeezes the crumpled notes tight and storms off to go find her brother. 

Siblings: haven't found anything. Wen Ning is practicing sword forms. Wen Qing is sorting her medicine kit, occasionally looking up and correcting her brother.

Keep the arm higher during the -- yes, like that. Good. 

Watch your feet. They should be parallel in this stance.

-- I said parallel, A-Ning.

When A-Ying enters, she looks up and smiles tiredly at her. "We didn't find anything, still. Did it go alright?"

"Yep. They have way too many rules. I have notes on the ones that aren't the kind of commonsense 'don't be an asshole' stuff only the likes of Wen Chao would have trouble following." She brandishes the notes. "Alcohol is forbidden, annoyingly; I've heard good things about Gusu's Emperor's Smile and it looks like I'm going to have to wait to snag some on the way out if I want to try it. Also their sleep schedule is mildly insane. And you can't run. Or yell." 

"Were you hoping to run around and yell?"

"Running is very useful for getting from point A to point B in the minimum amount of time, Jiejie!" 

"Mhmmm. I'm sorry there are so many rules to follow, A-Ying. Hopefully we'll get what we need quickly."

She sighs. "I wouldn't have minded coming here for real. Lan Qiren is supposed to be a remarkable teacher for all that he's an old fuddy-duddy. Uncle ruins everything." 

"It's not a bad idea for one of us to attend the actual lecture. That will be better for appearances. You can -- A-Ning parallel! -- you can go tomorrow. There will still be time to search."

"You're not coming? You don't think it'll blow our cover if we don't all attend the classes?"

She sighs. "I don't honestly think Sect Leader Lan believes our cover. I think they are going to go along with it as long as we don't make trouble or start obviously doing something else. I am not going to make trouble. A-Ning is a little too young to attend the lecture anyway, technically. I can officially be busy looking after him."

"Okay. I'll bring you guys notes if there's anything especially interesting." 

She finally tracks down Brother, and restrains herself from tossing the notes at him. She feels uncomfortably immature, like a child about to throw a tantrum. Lan Zhan never even threw tantrums when she was an actual child; she hates feeling this way.

"Wen-er guniang broke the wards," she tells him, brandishing the crumpled notes. Her face warms further with embarrassment.

"...Well, that's mildly terrifying. But better than having coerced our disciples into letting them in, I suppose. What's this?" he asks, taking the papers and smoothing them out. 

"Wen-er guniang made notes," she grits out. "On improving the wards."

Lan Zhan doesn't know the words to adequately convey how terrible this is. Hopefully Brother will just Understand that this is the most terrible thing ever.