"Have you, Wangji?"

"Yes. He's an Anglo. I have hunted mals with him an average of three times a week since induction. He is pleasant company. He fights well and doesn't talk unnecessarily."

"...do you know your new friend's... name?"

"No."

"Generally that's considered a prerequisite for friendship."

"That involves talking. My friend is too kind to talk."

"He does sound compatible with you, Wangji."

"I would prefer to spend an afternoon with him than by myself. Therefore, he is my friend."

By this standard, Lan Wangji has four friends, one of whom is Wei Wuxian, one of whom is the Anglo, and two of whom are his brothers. The fact that neither Wei Wuxian nor the Anglo are aware that they're Lan Wangji's friends bothers him little. 

"I'm very happy for you, Wangji."

"Mn."

"Speaking of, I traded with Hanoi. One of their members has a music affinity. I got him to make you a guqin."

"It's ready, if you want to play it." He takes the guqin out from under his bed.

He puts his hands on the strings, runs through a few exercises, and plays Wild Geese Descend on a Sandbank which flows easily into the song-spell Inquiry.

Lan Xichen watches him play with affection and fondness.

He bows. "Thank you, xiongzhang."

"It's enough thanks to see you happy, Wangji."

"You ordered the guqin before I was inducted."

"Your desires don't change much, Wangji."

"Mn."

"I've made arrangements for you to play with the boy who made it for you, Van."

"No."

"He loves music and we think you'd both benefit from a... low-stress... social outlet."

Lan Wangji thinks it's unreasonable for his brother to be taking an interest in his social affairs just because his brother is in charge of the enclave and also loves him.

"No."

"Wangji, do I have to tell you it's not a request?"

"Yes."

"It's not a request. --I think you'll be a lot happier if you have a friend."

"I have several friends."

"Friends you're not related to and whose names you know."

"Mn."

His social initiative has been punished by additional required socialization. See if he ever takes social initiative again.

"Speaking of, Wangji, I've noticed you've become close to Wei Wuxian."

GODDAMMIT.

"Mn."

"I think you should speak to him more."

"He is impossible."

"You like it."

"He has no respect for rules."

"Wangji, you'd also do well with a little less respect for rules."

Wei Wuxian is already the center and purpose and sole source of meaning in Lan Wangji's life, and that is an embarrassing enough fact. Lan Wangji doesn't think he should be additionally required to speak with him. 

"I didn't choose it," he says, because it's much less blunt than "one day I looked at him and then instead of wanting to punch him in the face in the angry way I wanted to punch him in the face in the sex way, which I didn't previously realize was a thing, and now his smiles are the most important thing and he keeps trying to kill himself and it's horrible and also I can't stop thinking about raping him and that's even more horrible and I think my dick is chafing," and Lan Xichen will understand all of this from his sentence and eyebrow tilt anyway.

"I still think he'd be good for you."

"No."

"Think about it, Wangji." He smiles. "I'll leave you to your playing."

Lan Zhan goes back to his room and finishes his homework and performs his exercises and meditates and only then does he allow his fingers to brush the beautiful, beautiful guqin (his guqin). 

He still has his calluses, but by the time he goes to bed, his fingertips are sore.

He's almost tempted to go to bed late, and is horrified at himself by the thought. He assigns himself copying to do in the morning. There's no one here to make sure he's strict on himself, but that makes it only more important to be strict. The rules are important. The rules are what give shape to life. If he broke the rules, he would be nothing at all.