Lan Wangji musters up a very quick glance of tolerant amusement at Claudius' turn of phrase there. If it were up to him, he might have been more likely to cut right to the point, but he does admire Claudius' way with words.

An instant later, his features are hardening again, frostier with each word. "He called me a hypocrite for loving Wei Ying but hating Luo Binghe," he says with disdain, and then his voice goes colder still as he adds, "He claimed to have seen some dramatic adaptation of Wei Ying's life and of mine. He knew things he should not have known." The anger and iciness here is real, but also provides a sheen of protection over how much he loathes this idea, that the truths that were wrenched out of him so painfully to Claudius were available for Shen Qingqiu, whom he disrespects and dislikes, to consume as idle entertainment.