[ well... that's a bit strange. it's not the first time he's run into this odd little curse--naturally, it seeks him out, because he's xie lian and life is that way. he gives lan wangji a smile that's not quite there, a bit apologetic. xie lian doesn't like this curse. as someone with a long, long life full of memories he'd rather forget, the idea of anyone seeing them makes him uneasy, but it would be crueler to take such things permanently. ] Earlier today, something similar happened with San Lang. I--saw a bit of his memory, and we had to talk about it before he was able to remember it at all.

Please excuse me for the recollection of something that must be painful. [ he ducks his head, and speaks softly, though it's firm. there are many details that are still ringing as fresh as fresh can be in his mind. ] Your home is the place called Gusu Lan, correct? I saw you protecting it valiantly from an invasion to the last.

[ ...but sometimes, it's a little gentler, to ease people into suffering. xie lian has seen so much of it. things such as this should be handled with compassion. ]