She gracefully moves her hands in front of her and bows back, glad for familiar manners. But when he speaks, she freezes. Her eyes narrow a little as she steps closer, searching his face.

Cloud Recesses? Then this man is a Lan. This man called her by her name without her introducing herself.

The features are familiar and Wangji lowers her guard for a moment. The sorrowful look on his features familiar to her as it is fresh in her mind. That broken look that her sister had before she locked herself away.

Wangji frowns imperceptibly. This cannot be Lan Xichen. Her sister is in seclusion. Her sister is her sister. But the calming presence, the sorrowful look deep within his eyes, the xiao. How could it not be.

"Xichen?"