It hasn't occurred to Jin Ling yet just how much better he feels today than the last several. He'd gotten through a night without any nightmares or fevers and he had a good friend. Things had improved considerably in a very short period of time.

"Nie-zongzhu is a moron! My Jiujiu deserves someone way better than him!" And yes, it's true, Nie Huaisang proved to some that he wasn't actually as stupid as his xiaoshu, Jin Guangyao, thought he was but the man still acted like a helpless twit. How on earth did his uncle find that appealing? "Maybe he's just easy.."

His uncle was a man after all. Ew.

~~~

"Right right! Alright well off with you! Your day will start early tomorrow. If you're not used to it, it'll be a very short night, trust me!" Jingyi shoos Sizhui affectionately toward his home before heading for the dorms himself.

Lan Zhan waits with the image of patience at the Jingshi, but his husband knows it's fake tonight. There's a whole bowl of candies on the table because, of course, he knows the tradition with the candy and he's not letting his son miss out on it. He's had to swat Wuxian's hand away from it four times in the last hour.

Finally to calm his nerves, he's resorted to playing the qin.