"Thank you, Xiongzhang."

Hug. "I love you so much, A-Zhan." 

H u g. She loves him too, very much, but this has been FAR too many feelings in one day and she is unable to say anything about it properly.

The next day Wen Ying approaches Lan Zhan before class. 

"I re-wrote my notes on the inner ward, since the first ones got all soggy," she says, thrusting a sheaf of papers in the other girl's direction. 

What an unorthodox dowry.

"Thank you." She takes them, not meeting Wen Ying's eyes.

She bows. 

"It's the least I can do, Lan Zh-Lan-guniang." 

Ow.

She whisks away to her desk before her eyes can betray any emotions about the 'Lan-guniang' correction.

Wen Ying continues excelling in class and hanging out with classmates who definitely don't hate her and taking walks, although now more of the walks are with people. 

Slightly less than a week later, she approaches Lan Zhan again. 

"This one was--wondering if you would be willing to provide library supervision again," she says. "Since supervision is required." 

This prompts an intense face journey utterly imperceptible to anyone but her brother.

"Yes. You may follow."

She smiles shyly. "Thank you." 

She follows. 

This time she seems to want to do research on the history of the other sects in a way 0% informed by Wen Ruohan being terrible. Especially the Lan Sect. Since she already had that faux pas about Lan Yi. Definitely that reason and not any others. 

Lots of historical Lan Sect information exists in the Lan library! Most of the information is about the history of rules, and arguments over the rules, and events that served as the inspiration for introducing new rules. 

There are also books with stories of Lan heroes: scholars, warriors, philosophers. Characters of legend who sacrificed and suffered greatly to uphold their rules and values, etc. There are several books dedicated to Lan Yi and her time as Sect Leader. Her teachings, music, and innovations. Nothing to do with the Yin Iron is contained in this section of the library.

This one scroll on the sixth Sect Leader of the Gusu Lan has an illustration of his wedding.

Iiiiiiis that a forehead ribbon wrapped around his and the bride's wrists. WOW OKAY that's. That's something to bring up absolutely never. 

The obsession with rules makes her want to giggle but she does not, that would be rude and she doesn't want to be rude. Not when Lan Zhan already has such good reason to dislike her, not when her infractions carry the shadow of Wen Chao's arrogance. 

"Lan Yi really is amazing, Lan Zh--Lan-guniang. I had no idea," she says softly. 

(Ow.)

“You came here to study her?”

"Well, not just her. What you said back in the cave made me realize that I ought to do what I could to learn more about all the other sects while I was here, and could do it without getting any of Wen Ruohan's terribleness in my academics."

“That is admirable. You may alert me if you have questions.”

"Thank you so much!" 

She has questions! Some of them have to do with rules--some of them she doesn't understand the purpose of and would like to--some of them have to do with perspectives on this or that historical event--some of them have to do with interpretations of unclear passages in the books. 

They are all intelligent and many of them are insightful. (She's so earnest.)

She continues to address her as Lan-guniang. Sometimes she slips and almost calls her Lan Zhan before correcting herself. 

After an hour of these corrections (and her terribly clever questions and her terribly sweet sincerity and her smile and the way her eyes shine), Lan Zhan reaches her breaking point.

"Call me by name."

"Really?"

OH NO THIS SMILE IS EVEN WORSE THAN ALL THE OTHER ONES LOOK AWAY

"Mm," she manages, glaring down at her books.

"Thank you, Lan Zhan, I'm honored." 

There is at least 20% more bounce as she moves around looking at history books now. 

This was perhaps a mistake.

Her chest warms, watching Wen Ying move about the library. Her ears tinge pink.

When she answers Wen Ying's next question, she addresses her as Wen Ying in turn.

If her intention was not to get more of that dazzling smile she definitely miscalculated there. 

Is this the duet? Is this the sparring match?

Lan Zhan wants -- more. Than this. She wants the duet to turn fiercer and closer and more tangible. She wants to touch. 

She still doesn't know how to ask, or how to not-ask, and if she gets any more than this it might simply kill her. Maybe this is ideal.

Over the rest of the term, Wen Ying continues making careful, respectful overtures. Occasionally she requests an escort to the library; on several occasions she has a sheaf of talismans she invented that Wen Ruohan doesn't know about (they're quite good) or further thoughts on the wards, or similar practical items. 

Explaining the situation to dajie would be awkward and she can't confront Lan Zhan about her feelings. But she can scream into a pillow in Jiang Yanli and Mianmian's company about it. It turns out that Jiang Yanli's soup is the BEST COMFORT FOOD EVER, WOW. 

The soup is very tasty!!! Mianmian is extremely invested in Wen Ying's not-actually-romance, it's so cute. What if she wrote Lan-guniang an anonymous love letter? Mianmian thinks leaving people love letters is really fun even when you're not actually able to court them.