Claudius presses Lan Wangji's hands in his. Both the Lan brothers, it seems, love deeply and (some would say) unwisely. With all his imaginative empathy, Claudius can only begin to envision what Lan Xichen must have felt, running through the sworn brother he'd hoped to heal and reform. Lan Wangji would've seen it, seen the hope draining from him. Even if it was a fool's hope, it should've been Lan Xichen's to keep. "Let me guess," Claudus says dryly. "Nie Huaisang's screams were less than sincere?"