"He doesn't know about Lan Sizhui at all," Lan Zhan says, voice ratcheting up a notch. "He speaks of me as Hanguang-jun; as far as I'm aware he is just among junior among juniors. So of course he doesn't know. Lan Sizhui does not need any further upset, either. He doesn't remember. What good would it do to hurt them both, if Wei Ying leaves us again?"

Leaves us, he says. Wei Ying left them both bereft. He didn't even realize A-Yuan was sick within the caves, and he pulled his hand from Lan Zhan's own grasp. Wei Ying left them, and damned if Lan Zhan will give him anything unless he can stay, this time.

It hurt too much the first time to have it happen twice.