It’s sweet to think of Lan Wangji caring for the rabbits in the hills of his home, solemn-faced but fond. Claudius knew nobles who had rabbits on their land for hunting — the ones who preferred real blood to clay pigeons — and this is another way Lan Wangji is nothing like them. He holds on to the thought.

“The gentians I’m growing from seed have successfully sprouted, by the way,” he says. “If I can master the trick of making them blossom indoors, you’ll have flowers even in the winter.”