"Mn." Lan Wangji is nearly wry in return. He considers how best to tell the next part of this tale. He promised the story of Nie Huaisang, and everything he has said so far does wind its way back to Nie Huaisang and his plans. But he's well aware of how specifically delighted Claudius becomes whenever he speaks of Wei Ying. And so: "Wei Ying still believed I hated him. He had forgotten my confession and that I fought for him. I took him back to Gusu anyway."