His color may be starting to come back, but the smile on Shen Yuan's face might as well be pasted on for how thin and weak it seems. "This one is feeling quite well," he says, like a liar. "Lan-gongzi and Jin-gongzi have been so kind, taking such good care of me." That part's actually true. Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao have been nothing but kind and gentle in their treatment of Shen Yuan, even when they refused to take no for an answer after inviting him to convalesce in their home. Much like the deliciously-smelling congee that Lan Xichen arranges in front of him, Shen Yuan wishes they wouldn't bother.

He doesn't deserve to be here.

He keeps smiling, and reaches for the spoon. "This looks lovely," he says (truthfully, for all that he has zero desire to eat it and will probably have to fight later to keep it down). "Did Lan-gongzi help make it?"