"She broke through the wards looking for the Yin Iron and ran into you while you were at the Cold Springs? And...the Cold Springs were connected to the cave?" he hazards a guess. 

Nod. She still can't stop blushing. "We were pulled under."

"Pulled you both under? How did Wen Ying get in the water with you?!"

"I'm sure there's as innocent an explanation for that as there was for the other, Uncle; Wen Ying came back fully dressed, which would be unlikely if she were trying anything untoward when she was grabbed." 

Yes everything was very innocent and Lan Zhan is never ever going to get to have sex with her wife she would like to leave this conversation now.

"...Why was Wen Ying in the water, though?"

"She had more notes on breaking the wards."

"Ah. Of course she did." He shakes his head slowly. "That girl is terrifying. I'm very glad she's probably on our side." 

That's great can she leave now. She doesn't request this out loud but she projects the desire to be elsewhere as loudly as possible.

"--Uncle, if you don't mind, I'll walk A-Zhan back to the Jingshi," he says, getting to his feet. "She's had a very long day and isn't currently wearing as many clothes as would be ideal." To A-Zhan, more quietly: "I can help deflect anyone who gets close."

"-- yes, very well. I'll send someone to fetch the other robes later. Rest well, A-Zhan."

"Thank you, Uncle." She bows to him and nods appreciatively to her brother as she turns to follow him out.

They've gotten a ways away from their uncle when he asks, "So did anything happen with Wen Ying?"

Accusatory stare. "No!"

...

"She would not think so."

He processes this. 

"Did she touch your forehead ribbon?"

WHY WOULD YOU THINK THAT

"It's the only obvious thing that would mean something to a Lan and not to an outsider." 

"A-Zhan...I still think you should be careful with her. But you can be careful and do other things at the same time." 

What.

What does that mean.

Do things like what. Do things like marry her KISS her??? Surely not.

"I would never suggest you do anything you weren't perfectly comfortable with and ready for, but--there are perfectly reasonable interpretations of the rules other than Uncle's," he says carefully. "The rule against promiscuity, for example--there are things in-between promiscuity and perfect absolute monogamy where you never touch your spouse before your wedding day. I wouldn't repeat that to Uncle, because Uncle--is wrong about many things as an extension of the way he's wrong about Mother."

"How... how do you. Know. What is not too far?" Also how do you do that. How does she ask Wen Ying to do that. How does she convince Wen Ying to do that without asking, asking sounds horrible.

"To a certain extent, that's something everyone has to figure out for themselves. But...I think the key is to ask yourself what something you're considering means. If it doesn't mean anything but fun, if it's just--like things you can do by yourself but with another person--I think that's the kind of thing the rule warns against. If what you're doing is more like a duet, or a sparring match, a good one, something where the other person matters and something beautiful happens, then that's fine." 

"Mm."

In the end it won't really matter, because Wen Ying is not going to care for duets or sparring matches or - anything else, with Lan Zhan. Wen Ying needs to care. Lan Zhan definitely shouldn't be picturing anything that would require Wen Ying to care, because it is never going to happen.

She's blushing anyway.

They reach the Jingshi. 

"I very much hope she turns out to be worthy of your feelings for her," he says gently. "Not that anyone could be truly worthy of my baby sister, but still."