( there's still a sting, a bite, even after the time and distance between. when he'd been so horribly happy that lan zhan had visited; when he'd realised there was nothing for him to offer but water. no tea. tea cost far too much, and they weren't growing anything in excess to be able to use as a tincture instead. )

... I still wished I had anything else to offer. When you'd come so far.

( in retrospect, from a distance, an act wei wuxian knows he was not lauded for doing; not when the lan clan had been aligned as it was at the time. as it was for many, many years later.

breaking rules. how many ways had that been a choice, step by step? the later ones... )

Lan Zhan. I've something else for you, when you're here.