When rumors begin to circulate that there's an unknown person hanging around the entrance to Cloud Recesses, Lan Sizhui doesn't think much of it at first. He continues on with his duties, doing everything he can to ignore the whispers, focusing for as long as possible on his calligraphy until curiosity gets the better of him. Sizhui knows he probably shouldn't, but where's the harm in checking it out? Grandmaster Qiren will handle it and before that, he at least wants to see what the fuss is all about.

The man standing in front of the gate really, truly is a complete stranger, though.

He hesitates initially, worried about revealing himself on the off chance it's some bizarre trap, yet the tiny, inquisitive voice niggling at the back of his mind somehow kicks him into gear and his feet are moving before he can second-guess. With the magical barrier between them, it feels safe enough standing only a few feet from Merlin, though he's still just staring rather than greeting the man properly.