Kiss. "Are your siblings well?"

"They aren't happy about Cloud Recesses burning either but aside from that they're fine." 

"I came too late."

"I'm sorry I asked you to stay the night. I should have killed Wen Ruohan sooner." 

Would it be okay if she held onto her?

Very very okay. Cling. 

"I thought there was more time," she whispers. "The stupid indoctrination thing wasn't really a surprising level of escalation, but--I guess I underestimated his obsession with the Yin Iron."

"Mm." Cling. "We kept two pieces from him."

It was not enough to save her home and her family. But the world beyond her home is large and precious.

"Plus I have no idea where Xue Yang's is but he doesn't have that one either. I don't know if it's the one Wen Ruohan got from the dancing goddess or a different one, though. There were supposed to be four in total, right?" Clingsnuggle. 

"Mhm. Do you know how he plans to move next?"

"The indoctrination camp starts in a couple of days," she says, rolling her eyes. "Wen Chao is still in charge of it, despite being slightly in disgrace." 

"What are we expected to do?"

"Uh, be hostages. And do whatever Wen Chao says." 

That's not very exciting or productive to think about, then. Lan Zhan is... exhausted.

She curls against Wen Ying's shoulder and hums softly.

This seems like a good occasion for Hairpets. 

"That's pretty," she murmurs softly. "I don't think I've ever heard it before." 

"No one has."

"Did you write it?"

Maybe.

"I, um, I wrote a song too. For you. If you wanna hear it." 

You did?

Lan Zhan nods speechlessly, stunned.

She smiles, and blushes, and starts singing. 

The lyrics may be somewhat familiar. There's a lot of flowery language, comparing her beauty to the moon, something something Chang'e the moon goddess, something something Tuyu the jade rabbit who helps her create the elixir of immortality, something something Twin Jades, something something strong cultivation immortality etcetera. 

!

Lan Zhan waits until the song finishes, because she must be respectful of the music. Then she kisses Wen Ying hard.

Oh good Success. Kiss kiss kiss! If this were animated there would be SO MANY HEARTS floating above their heads right now. 

"You wrote the letter," she whispers against her lips.

"I did! I was talking to Jiang Yanli and Mianmian and the topic came around to my giant crush on you and I was like 'I can't confess my feelings right now, what if she says yes or no and doesn't mean it, because of the situation with Wen Ruohan,' and Mianmian was like 'you should send her a secret love letter!' and I was like 'that's a great idea!' And I already knew how to alter my handwriting, because it's a useful skill for Qishan skullduggery."

"You wrote beautifully. I kept the letter; it is --" her face shutters. "It was beneath my bed."