Lan Xichen doesn't say anything. They both know how Nie Mingjue died, and the wound is open in his heart.

"Seoul says you're thinking with your dick."

"Seoul would."

"...you could just fuck him."

"Then Seoul would definitely think I'm thinking with my dick."

"If they know."

"I'm not going to do that to him."

"There are much worse things people do to be allied to one of the most powerful enclaves in the Scholomance."

"I know."

"There are much worse things people do to stay alive."

"I know."

"It's what I told my sister to do. She's quite pretty, she'd do well. Her mom's an idol."

"I'm not going to do that to you."

"Er-ge, I have never asked anything from you but your love."

"And yet that's not the only thing I'm going to give you."

"Er-ge is generous."

"Nie Huaisang says he doesn't even like kissing. He probably hasn't hit puberty yet-- probably a little bit because he's underfed--"

"And he's beautiful and brilliant and ruthless and he desperately needs for you to take care of him. Er-ge."

"Yes, I am very predictable."

"If you ask he's going to agree whether he wants you or not."

"I know. But I can't just-- not tell him-- he's naive but he's not stupid, he's going to figure it out-- he asked me if I was mad at him, about the clothes-- it seems worse to have it there and not addressed--"

"You don't spend evenings cuddling with everyone in the enclave."

"He asked, a-Yao. I-- he's never had anyone he can rely on in his entire life, I'm the only person who's wanted to save his life and who has had the power to do it-- he needs me."

"Your one weakness."

"Of course he's dependent on me. He's never had an enclave before. From his perspective I'm the one person in the world he can actually trust and I can't just-- abandon him-- that's not even about my feelings, it wouldn't be good for the enclave if he didn't know I was there while he was figuring out how to trust the other freshmen-- if he doesn't trust us it's not going to work at all--"