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[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

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[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ Wen Ning honestly wasn't expecting this interaction to last more than a minute or two— he'd show up, take his goat, apologize profusely, then bring Jianjian back to his own cabin. But... Who is he to reject an invitation to drink tea with Hanguang-jun himself? ]

Ah... Y-yes, thank you.

[ He quickly loops the rope around the wayward goat's neck and ties him off to a nearby tree, making sure the knot is good and tight so he can't break loose, before giving Lan Wangji another thankful nod and following him inside. ]

[taciturnly]

( it’s hard to tell, what wen ning remembers. what he doesn’t. lan wangji’s already put his entire foot in his mouth once, and he’s not about to make that same mistake again. but there is something he can do, regardless of forgotten memories, and it’s waiting there around the small table, in the inaudible sigh he sighs as he gracefully sits and pours wen ning a cup of tea. )

Thank you. ( for what? he doesn’t look up, pours until the cup is filled, expertly keeping his sleeve out of the way. and then, lower: ) For watching over Sizhui, and Wei Ying. ( y’know. while you were all here and he was still home. )

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ There isn't a single part of this interaction that hasn't taken Wen Ning by surprise. Lan Wangji offering him his thanks is no exception. He smiles, falteringly, and clenches his hands in the fabric of his robes where they rest over his knees. ]

I'm sorry that I didn't do a better job of it.

[ Both Lan Sizhui and Wei Wuxian came to harm even under Wen Ning's watch, and it's a failure that he doesn't allow himself to forget. ]

[taciturnly]

( ah. guilt. one of the many things lan wangji is much too acquainted with. he looks up at long last, a sliver of old aches flashing in his gaze. )

Wen Ning. ( his jaw tightens, arm slowly drifting down as his hand curls around his own cup. ) You owe me no apology. ( or anyone, for that matter. ) Our lives, their playground. Beyond protection, you have offered friendship. ( and loyalty. even before the technicians, wen ning was there, when wei ying had no one else. not even lan wangji. his eyes momentarily stray, before refocusing on him. ) It matters.

[lookslikeacinnamonroll]

[ He had been having trouble looking Lan Wangji in the eye, keeping his gaze averted, focused on the wood grain of the table in front of him, the ceramic pattern of the cup, the rich depths of color of the tea. But when Lan Wangji tells him that it matters, that everything he has done and tried to do for Wei-gongzi and Lan Sizhui matters, well. His head springs up in surprise, and a soft, grateful smile spreads across his lips, much more assured than the tentative smile that had been there previously, more for politeness than actual emotion. ]

Th-thank you, Hanguang-jun. I care deeply about them. [ A pause, as though he's not sure whether to say the next part. But ultimately, he decides to forge on ahead. ] I care about Hanguang-jun, too. Because you matter to the people I care about, and you care about them, too.