Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! After the two wedding nights, it's time to focus on another prospective couple. Enjoy :)

- Chapter Start -

The following afternoon, Sisi moved into one of the guestrooms once all the wedding guests left. She chose the one furthest from the main buildings - and nearest to the Wen settlement - so there was little chance of being disturbed should Cloud Recesses host another major event.

She was wiping down the few pieces of furniture when there was a knock at the door followed by a familiar voice.

"Madam Sisi?"

"Oh." Hurrying to the door with cleaning rag still in hand, Sisi flung it open. "Senior Lan, what a pleasant surprise!"

"Madam Sisi," Lan QiRen greeted, nodding in reply to her bow. "I wanted to see how you were settling in."

"Thank you. Please come in," she invited with a smile and stepped aside. "Would you like some tea?"

To her surprise, he nodded again and entered. She gestured to the low table and waited for him to sit, surreptitiously wiping her hands clean. Then she sat adjacent to him and tossed the rag under the table.

The act of making and serving tea was one she was familiar with, and skilled at. Filling the small kettle, she set it on the tiny stove before lighting it, keeping her movements graceful and unhurried.

As she readied the teapot and measured out the tea leaves, she made casual conversation about the guestrooms, the spare robes she had found and Wen Qing's excellent healer skills. Having already known Lan Qiren was a taciturn man, the slight nods and 'Hm's he gave in reply didn't discourage her at all.

When they first met at Meng Shi's grave, he had said little, but his heroic actions later on more than made up for it. He had apprehended that thug with enviable ease, holding him immobile and in pain with no more than a single hand. He had lent her his robe to protect her modesty and even carried her in his arms to Lotus Pier.

A-Yao had insisted later on that all of them had wanted to help, just that Lan QiRen was... faster. Even now, he was the first visitor to her new home!

Sisi was both gratified and touched. She had wondered if anyone would visit her other than Wen Qing who insisted on checking her healing cuts every morning and Wen Ning who had volunteered to bring her her meals.

Well, A-Yao would visit, of course, and the Twin Jades and Wei WuXian. But they would be leaving for their respective honeymoons in a few days. Besides, she shouldn't expect newlyweds to keep someone like her company!

When the tea was ready, she poured it out and set the teapot down. Picking up a cup, she offered it to Lan QiRen with both hands and a smile. Her hands were one of her best features; small with slender fingers and tapering fingertips.

Surely there was no harm in calling attention to them?

Lan QiRen hesitated before nodding his thanks, fingertips gingerly plucking the cup from her. As he brought it to his lips, Sisi decided to broach the subject that had been burning in her mind over the past couple of days.

"Senior Lan," she began. "I wish to repay you for all your kindness to me."

He frowned, still holding the cup between his fingers. It made her a bit worried for the tea was very hot!

"You have no money. Even if you did, I have no need of it," he told her, not unkindly.

"I wasn't thinking of money."

He set the cup down abruptly. Hot tea sloshed over his hand, making him wince.

"Oh no!" Grabbing the tea towel, Sisi reached for his hand, intent on wiping it clean.

"What are you doing?" He demanded as her hand clutched his.

"The tea! You burned your hand."

"You shouldn't touch me!" He snatched his hand back.

Sisi froze on the spot, eyes wide and lips parting in shock. Her heart - used to compliments and insults alike over the years - clenched inside her chest while ingrained habit made her dip her head at once.

"I'm so sorry!"

It wasn't the first time she had apologised after a customer raised his voice at her through no fault of her own. But in this case, it was her fault. She had broken one of the most basic rules of all - never touch anyone without their express permission, especially those of a higher social standing than her.

Lan QiRen was not her customer. Yes, he had carried her that one time, but that was his decision, not hers. He may not have minded touching her then, but it wasn't something she should take for granted.

It meant nothing to him.

It will never mean anything to him.

Slowly, Sisi withdrew her trembling hands and clenched them tightly in her lap.

"Madam Sisi."

She peeped up to see the shock on his face replaced by tight regret.

"You have no need to apologise," he said gruffly.

Sisi bit her lip. His words would have meant more if they didn't sound like they were being forced from him. Pasting a smile on her face, she raised her head.

"I only meant to wipe your hand clean," she said, keeping her voice steady and her hurt hidden.

"I know."

For the first time since they met, a void opened between them; a stark reminder of how different they were. A noted and respected elder of one of the four greats sects in the cultivation world, and a prostitute.

Lan QiRen exhaled and looked even more regretful.

"Our rules forbid casual touches between a man and a woman who aren't married," he explained.

Sisi smiled again, more naturally this time.

"Of course. I understand."

"I didn't mean to imply your touch was unwelcome," he said. "It's not."

Halfway wiping up the spilled tea, she looked at him in surprise. That almost sounded like he was encouraging her to touch him again. But he had also said they had rules against that. And the tips of his ears had turned pink.

Confused, Sisi settled for refilling his cup instead. Then she remembered what she had wanted to say in the first place.

"Senior Lan, you're right. I have no money, but I also don't wish to be beholden to anyone."

When he frowned, she found herself wishing she could smooth away the two deep lines between those straight eyebrows. Perhaps with a gentle fingertip or better yet, with her-

"How do you suggest to repay me then?" He asked.

"How do you think?" Sisi countered. She had lost her looks but she was still young and healthy. She could cook and clean and was reasonably skilled at sewing.

Surely a sect as large as Gusu Lan would have room for one more servant?

"Out of the question!" Lan QiRen leaped to his feet, his knee knocking into the table and spilling more tea. He looked outraged this time, face tuning red. "Your touch may be welcome, but how could you even - did I ever imply I wanted...?"

Sisi stared up at him in shock.

"I-I don't understand," she protested. "The Cloud Recesses is so big, surely there's room for-"

"You should know such a thing isn't allowed! I would be the laughingstock of the whole cultivation world!"

"What? Why?!" Sisi asked in bewilderment.

Was it against their rules to help a prostitute?

As they stared at each other, confusion flitted across Lan QiRen's face. Then he shook his head, flicked his sleeve in annoyance and left, shutting the door with a snap.

Sisi stared at it, wondering what on earth had she said wrong.

- o -

Wen Qing was fuming as she made her way to Master Lan's home. It didn't help that she had to ask one or two passing disciples for directions, or that her obvious agitation prompted them to ask why was she looking for him, and if there was anything wrong.

In other words, stalling her.

She had to assure them, with a smile pasted over gritted teeth, that everything was fine before they would part with the precious directions. Even then, they looked like they regretted doing so.

Well, someone was going to regret it even more and it wasn't going to be her. She was up on the veranda of the Ahnshi, or Peaceful Room, and bangi - knocking on the door before she could talk herself out of it.

"Healer Wen." Master Lan looked surprised when he opened the door.

"Master Lan." Wen Qing sketched a quick bow, reminding herself that he was still her family's benefactor. It wouldn't do to alienate him when they had finally settled down on their own land. "I hope I'm not disturbing."

"No. I was just... meditating." He sounded a bit testy.

Her eyebrows went up at that. Meditating like there was nothing wrong, like he had done nothing wrong.

"Is anything the matter?" He prompted when she didn't say anything.

"It's Sisi."

In a heartbeat, his expression changed from enquiring to wariness, confirming Wen Qing's suspicions.

"That deep cut over her cheek," she said. "It was finally closing last night and now it's not."

When he just blinked at her as if unable to comprehend her words, she threw up her hands, exasperated.

"Why bring her all the way to Gusu if you're just going to undo all my work?" She demanded, her voice rising despite herself.

He bristled at her words.

"Healer Wen, mind your tone. What are you saying?"

"Sisi is crying her heart out and all I could get out of her was that you had seen her last!"

"Crying?" Master Lan repeated, his face going white and then red.

Wen Qing's eyes narrowed.

"Did you visit her?"

"Yes, but-"

"When?"

"An hour ago. I-"

"Did you say something to hurt her?"

"I... that was not my intention."

It wasn't a denial.

"You insulted her?" Despite her best efforts, Wen Qing's voice rose again.

"I did not!" Master Lan looked outraged, face still flushed.

"Then what did you say?"

"I- she..." Master Lan pressed his lips together, almost scowling. "I do not wish to repeat it."

Wen Qing thought her eyebrows couldn't rise any higher. She was wrong.

"She wanted to... repay me for the care shown to her." Master Lan looked like he was choosing his words very carefully.

"So?"

"So?!" Master Lan swelled up like an indignant balloon of righteousness. "I refused, of course! Did you imagine I would accept such an offer?"

"What offer?"

"To... to warm my bed."

Wen Qing frowned.

"She said that? But why? GuangYao and ZeWu Jun already told her you'd refuse."

"Of course I would," he huffed and then he frowned in turn. "When did they tell her that?"

"At Lotus Pier after dinner. ZeWu Jun told her you'd bear the entire cost of her treatment and she thought you'd want... recompense."

Master Lan looked outraged all over again.

"Perform acts of chivalry! Help the underprivileged!" He was almost shouting. "I was just upholding our rules!"

"What about her profession?" Wen Qing asked.

He stared at her.

"That has nothing to do with it. Besides, she is a very attractive young lady."

"Young?"

Master Lan glared at her.

"Yes, young! She must be in her early thirties, that makes me at least ten years older than her!"

"Attractive?" Wen Qing asked next. "She will bear those two scars on her face for life."

Now he looked even more irritated.

"Only a shallow person would be put off by those two lines. She's beautiful."

Then he coughed, ears turning pink.

"Ah. Not that physical attractiveness is important, of course. What matters is an individual's principles and honour. And..."

Wen Qing stared at him, fighting a sudden, almost overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't unaware of the undercurrents between Master Lan and Sisi, something even Wei WuXian had noticed. It was... cute. Not that she would ever say that aloud, of course.

"Regardless of what happened, Master Lan," she said, "the fact remains that my patient is very upset."

Now he looked stricken. Good.

"I'm sure you know that words can cut as deeply as any knife." She should know, having insulted her Jiang Cheng in front of so many people.

Master Lan looked even more stricken now.

"It would seem I have misunderstood," he muttered. "But if she didn't mean... that, then what was she offering?"

Without waiting for her reply, he shook his head and gestured for her to move aside.

"Where're you going?" Wen Qing asked.

He turned back to look at her, face resolute and chin up.

"To apologise."

"Good man," she said under her breath and followed him.

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! I made up a name for LQR's quarters as I couldn't find any info on it. Also, SS did touch LQR's hand while at Lotus Pier, but forgot since she wasn't in the best frame of mind then. If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and take care :)