Jian and Lao hang out in the cafeteria chatting about stupid shit and waiting for someone, anyone, to interrupt them. They're not going to percolate through the student body looking for people to talk to, that just looks desperate, but if someone approaches them, well. That'd be fine.

That's a lot of people. Xue Yang's not sure he's ever seen that many people in his whole life. Certainly not that many wizards. He knew, vaguely, that there were people who didn't speak Mandarin or Shanghainese, just like he knew vaguely that there were people who aren't Chinese. But he keeps hearing all these sounds that he can't make into words, and people are pale and brown-skinned and black-skinned and have hair in colors and shapes he's only ever seen in magazines he couldn't afford to buy and that weren't worth it to shoplift.

If Xue Yang were self-aware, he would identify this feeling as scared and small. He isn't, so he identifies this feeling as murderous. 

She's not dead she's not dead she's not dead she's not dead--

She's not dead!

He sees Yanli's face smiling across the cafeteria. She's sitting and she looks pale-- is she eating enough, he doesn't think she's eating enough-- but she's alive, he's seeing her again, and two years of frantic denial haven't prepared him for his sister actually being alive.

He runs across the cafeteria and hugs her so hard that she falls over. 

"A-Jie-- a-jie* you're alive--"

*Translator's note: sister, affectionate

"Yes. a-Cheng*, I'm so glad to see you." She smiles weakly. "No lotus root soup here, I'm afraid."

*Translator's note: affectionate nickname.

"I don't care, it's so good to see you again-- are you eating, you look thin, you need to eat-- did Wen Qing find you a potion for your fibro--"

"I'm eating, a-Cheng."

"You have to eat, a-jie, you have to take care of yourself or you're never going to be able to get out of the Scholomance-- are you giving other people food, you can't do that--"

Smile. "Only sometimes, a-Cheng!"

"Xiongzhang*."

Translator's Note: brother, extremely formal.

"Wangji. It's good to see you again. Have you been keeping up with your sword?"

"Yes."

"I would like you to meet my sworn brother*, Meng Yao."

*Translator's Note: Husband, but like platonic. Sometimes. Not in this specific case, but you know, in general. 

He bows politely. "I've heard so much about you, Lan Wangji. It feels like we've already met."

"Pleased to meet you."

He has never seen Meng Yao before. Meng Yao's not an enclaver. Trying to join the enclave? I He's going to succeed, if he's Lan Xichen's sworn brother.

Are they in love?

Lan Xichen looks at Meng Yao with tremendous softness.

Yes.

He stands near Lan Xichen and looks for Wei Wuxian. It's not a surprise that Wei Wuxian isn't here yet. He's always late. But Lan Zhan still worries. 

"I thought you wouldn't make it."

"I did, jiejie."

They don't have to talk about why he made it, or what's going to happen to him. 

"Have you been practicing your English?"

"Yes, jiejie. Every day. --I don't, um. I'm not good at it. I can't make the sounds."

"Not everyone is cut out for incantations, a-Ning. Maybe you can be an artificer. Or an alchemist."

She doesn't say you are going to die and I am so glad that I got to see you one last time to say goodbye. 

"I'm going to study as hard as I can."

He doesn't say I'm so glad I got to see you too.

"Shijie!*" Wei Ying says with so much affection that it sounds like he's saying jiejie. "You're all right."

*Translator's note: Martial sister, usually used to refer to anyone who shares your enclave and is of approximately the same generation. 

Oh good he survived the walk to the cafeteria.