"What way is he, exactly, I haven't exactly--Wen Ruohan doesn't care much about what the other sects are doing unless it's directly relevant to something he wants, I've had to spend a lot of time keeping him happy, I'm not up on all the gossip." 

Ahahahaha Mianmian you were really not supposed to talk about this stuff to other sects oops!!!

But also, like, Jiang Yanli completely has a right to know? She doesn't really regret bringing this up, even if she's a little sheepish about it.

"Ah, well. Like -- when I first went to Koi Tower to continue my studies, my sister told me not to, uh, get alone in a room with him? And that's generally pretty good advice for your reputation?"

"Ohhhhhhhh, that kind of way. Okay, that's so much less worrying than Sect Leader Wen, yeah." 

"Yeahhh, he doesn't, like, randomly kill people. Uh, no offense. What's Sect Leader Wen like in person?"

"Well, he doesn't randomly kill people, he kills people who displease him. In person he's--uh, I don't know if intimidating is the right word, but it might be for someone who wasn't me? It's like being on a night-hunt, but with different kinds of weapons and you can't actually kill him." 

"Wow. That sounds very intense! You're really cool, Wen-guniang, I feel like you must have done so many interesting things already!"

"Enh, don't look at me admiringly for being able to handle Wen Ruohan. Keeping him happy isn't always compatible with doing the right thing. Like, I can apologize as much as I want, but I still came in with Wen Chao like that, you know?" 

She shrugs. "I think it still means you're a strong person, and I think it still makes you interesting. You seem like you want to be a good person anyway, don't you?"

"I mean--I do. But I can't expect people to just believe that, the way our sect has been acting." 

"Well, I believe you! I think I'm a pretty good judge of character."

"I believe you too." 

"Aaaaaaaah you guuuuys." She presses her hands to her cheeks. "I really appreciate it."  

Friendly shoulder-pat. 

Wen Ying... sounds like she may actually care about being a good person. And may actually choose to be aware of the moral weight of evil actions that she takes, even under duress?

This is objectively a good thing.

This is also objectively terrible. Lan Zhan considers it an important responsibility to monitor Wen Ying and make sure she doesn't go around breaking any more wards, but also - following Wen Ying around is so bad for her health, probably, her head hurts.

Maybe she should check in on other Wens instead. Are the other Wens doing anything interesting or suspicious if she vaguely follows them for the rest of the day?

Nope! She can follow them around on their walk - they go on lots of walks, but never do anything improper or destructive on them.

Lan Zhan can watch Wen Ning practice archery, and then practice his swordwork, and then get scolded for imperfections in his form by Wen Qing. Wen Ning displays talent for his age, but nothing seems menacing about the practice. Wen Qing's scolding sounds a lot more like an exasperated older sister than a commanding officer.

Part of her wants them to start sabotaging her sect already so that they can drive them out and she never has to think about Wen Ying again. (Or about her long fluffy hair, or about her laugh, or about the very cute way she blushed and touched her cheeks when Jiang Yanli complimented her, or about the way her eyes sparkle, or --)

Wen Ying continues to excel in class and to follow the rules even when it makes her physically twitch and to be outgoing and friendly with the rest of their class. Lan Zhan is not the only one who rebuffs her overtures and apologies, and she is politely respectful of their rejection. 

She also attracts a handful of would-be cronies who want to get in with the Wen sect, but after the third time she makes it clear she's not interested in that 

("Wow, if everyone in your sect is like you, Wen-er-guniang, it's no wonder they're considered the highest!" 

"No, I'm a fluke, Wen Ruohan is a madman, don't you have anything better to be doing?")

most of them learn to be at least a little bit subtle about it. She consistently prefers the company of people who actually just like her, anyway. 

She goes on walks too, sometimes with her siblings and sometimes by herself. Jiang Wanyin asks her about it at one point, in a clumsy attempt to change the subject from her interrogating him about his intentions towards Wen Qing, and she says that Cloud Recesses is beautiful and completely unlike Qishan and who knows when or if they'll ever get a chance to visit again, after classes are over. 

Cloud Recesses is indeed very beautiful! Pretty mountainside, pretty waterfalls, pretty forest. Except -- whoops, looks like this part of pretty forest and mountainside in the backhills is behind another ward. Mysterious.

Ooh. 

This ward is significantly more complex than the other one but not, like, enough to keep her out. If the outer ward had taken this long Wen Chao would probably have lost his patience and gone back to setting people on fire but fortunately she does not actually have that incompetent hindering her this time. 

Time to go see what they don't want her to see. She strolls along and starts writing down her notes on that one. 

Here's this very nice bamboo forest with a very pretty and neatly maintained path leading downhill to a pretty white bridge. And there, beyond the little bridge, are pools of clear water in the dappled shade, steam misting above them.

And here she is in the water, undressed but turned away, hair unbound and clouding in the water around her. She is singing quietly, eyes closed, trying to center herself. Meditation has never been as difficult for her as it has become this week of lectures, but the Cold Spring always helps.

--Oh. Pretty girl who justifiably hates her. Naked pretty girl who justifiably hates her. Eep. 

Fortunately (no, unfortunately) (down, libido) she's turned away and Wen Ying hasn't actually seen anything she shouldn't. Wen Ying can just shut her eyes and throw an arm over them and back away slowly. 

Lan Zhan will probably benefit from this decision, but the sticks Wen Ying promptly tramples on do not.

-- she's going to die. She's going to die. Either Wen Ying is about to assassinate her in the Cold Springs -- fuck, that means she broke through the wards AGAIN, that's -- way more distracting from the imminent murder than it has any right to be -- and infuriating -- 

or Wei Ying is not here to kill her and Lan Zhan will instead die of EMBARRASSMENT and PANIC because oh god she's naked and Wen Ying is right there and they're ALONE and Wen Ying broke through powerful Lan Sect wards AGAIN and now Lan Zhan has accidentally envisioned Wen Ying pouncing on her (for EVIL ASSASSIN REASONS that would be BAD AND NOT GOOD) and the Cold Springs don't feel cold at all anymore oh NO --

This is the exact opposite of the outcome she wanted in coming here this is terrible -- 

She lunges for her clothes because that will make sword fighting a lot more comfortable and because dying naked would be very embarrassing and undesirable and because AAAAAAAAAAAAAA