"Acceptable." It's at least an improvement.

Lan Zhan isn't the only one who thinks so. When they start moving again, Jiang Cheng notes the change and relaxes an infinitesimal fraction. 

"When we get to the next town, I'm buying you guys a horse," he announces.

"Make it a donkey."

"Why?"

"Wen Chao and that mistress of his were going around on a horse." 

He rolls his eyes. "Fine."

Lan Zhan is perfectly capable of buying as many donkeys as Wei Ying wants, but she manages a curt nod of gratitude anyway.

It is a nice gesture, and she should try to be harmonious with Wei Ying's family even if that means not being the one to give Wei Ying a donkey. 

If she wanted to give Wei Ying a donkey she should have thought of it sooner instead of squabbling about exactly which of them was going to exacerbate their injuries more. 

The fact that Jiang Cheng didn't think of it before now either is irrelevant.

Even if Lan Zhan isn't the one who buys Wei Ying the donkey, she is the one who gets to hold her on it the rest of the way back to Lotus Pier. 

An acceptable consolation prize. 

Lotus Pier is beautiful, even on approach. Lan Zhan looks forward to being less exhausted so that she may appreciate it properly; even riding a donkey has wearied her in her current state, but she maintains poise as they enter the city gates.

They're noticed right away; people flock around them wanting to know what happened, but don't get in their way as they make their way to the main compound. And then the two of them can collapse in Wei Ying's bed, that sounds nice. 

They collapse gently in each other's arms. "Will Jiang Cheng tell Sect Leader Jiang everything?"

"Yeah. And Shijie, and Madam Yu."

Then nothing stands in the way of them cuddling indefinitely!

There is a soft knock on the door.

Wei Ying perks up a little. "Come in!"

Jiang Yanli slides the door open and enters, carrying a soup container. She sets it down beside the bed and bows. 

"Thank you so much for looking after my little sister, Lan-er-guniang."

She sits up in bed enough to bow back. "Jiang-guniang."

"I brought soup. For both of you. May I see your leg? A-Cheng said it was still injured."

She nods.

She uncovers Lan Zhan's leg and makes a little displeased hiss and applies some medicine and re-bandages it. 

Lan Zhan endures the treatment with her typical stoicism, removing her hand from Wei Ying's so that she won't squeeze too tightly. "Is it healing properly?"

"I think so. But what a ferocious injury. A-Cheng told us about the Xuanwu, but hearing about it and seeing the effects are two different things."

"Wei Ying defeated it."

"I defeated it!? We defeated it!!!"