It's a comfort to listen to Magnus, and Lan Wangji continues to comb out his hair, closer now to the crown of his head, as he speaks. There is a smear of sap stuck nearly to where the hair parts, and that takes the longest time of all to work out, because Lan Wangji is utterly determined to stay gentle, not to hurt him. "Alex," he repeats, thoughtful. He can identify a significant name, especially when it is uttered twice in one conversation. "You told me that Alex's parents were unkind to him."