Zizhen just grins at him, unashamedly - this is one of the many reasons he adores his friends, the reason that Jin Ling has his loyalty even at his grumpiest, because he appreciates those parts Zizhen that other people seem to find annoying or tiresome. When he calls Zizhen obnoxious, or the worst, he knows he doesn't really mean it, and that more often than not it actually means the opposite.
"I've missed you too, Jin Ling." He says back genuinely, though his eyes stray to his shoulder and he really wants to ask if the recovery really is going that well and- he's very neatly distracted by the question.
"I'm hoping to win the poetry contest." he confides "I mean, of course, I'm going to try and win some of the martial competitions and all my wins will be dedicated to him but... the poem is special."
~~~
Yuan doesn't know whether to allow the hope or to try and stop it, to keep himself from disappointment. Hope is something he's gotten used to, in these past few months, one of many things he never would have dared to allow himself before. Now he's not so sure his old ways weren't safer, in some things.
"...Maybe..." he says softly. He does feel guilty for not writing - at first it was about giving Jin Ling his space, not giving anybody any ammunition against him, and then the ill-fated night hunt and his recovery... he'd been hoping to hear from Jin Ling, but by the time he was really properly aware and consistently conscious enough there was nothing, and by then it had started to feel too long, too strange to write after all that time... Now he's wondering if this whole thing would have been easier if he'd just done it.
He hesitates, then carefully tucks the ring away and finishes dressing. He doesn't know if Jingyi is right or not, but he's at least resolved - the only way he's going to find out is by going.
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Zizhen just grins at him, unashamedly - this is one of the many reasons he adores his friends, the reason that Jin Ling has his loyalty even at his grumpiest, because he appreciates those parts Zizhen that other people seem to find annoying or tiresome. When he calls Zizhen obnoxious, or the worst, he knows he doesn't really mean it, and that more often than not it actually means the opposite.
"I've missed you too, Jin Ling." He says back genuinely, though his eyes stray to his shoulder and he really wants to ask if the recovery really is going that well and- he's very neatly distracted by the question.
"I'm hoping to win the poetry contest." he confides "I mean, of course, I'm going to try and win some of the martial competitions and all my wins will be dedicated to him but... the poem is special."
~~~
Yuan doesn't know whether to allow the hope or to try and stop it, to keep himself from disappointment. Hope is something he's gotten used to, in these past few months, one of many things he never would have dared to allow himself before. Now he's not so sure his old ways weren't safer, in some things.
"...Maybe..." he says softly. He does feel guilty for not writing - at first it was about giving Jin Ling his space, not giving anybody any ammunition against him, and then the ill-fated night hunt and his recovery... he'd been hoping to hear from Jin Ling, but by the time he was really properly aware and consistently conscious enough there was nothing, and by then it had started to feel too long, too strange to write after all that time... Now he's wondering if this whole thing would have been easier if he'd just done it.
He hesitates, then carefully tucks the ring away and finishes dressing. He doesn't know if Jingyi is right or not, but he's at least resolved - the only way he's going to find out is by going.
"Alright, I'm ready."