Ten years passed in the blink of an eye, and Jun Xiao Yao had grown up, ready for marriage.
As her eldest sister-in-law, Lan Yan, who was like a mother to her, was responsible for preparing the wedding. She wasn't particularly concerned until one day she saw Jun Xiao Yao with a young man, sighing that the cabbage they had raised had grown.
Jun Xiao Yao blushed as she looked at Lan Yan, softly calling out, "Sister Lan."
Lan Yan smiled, "Oh my, our Xiao Yao has found someone she likes. Have him over to the house, and your brother and I will vet him."
Jun Xiao Yao nodded shyly.
And so, Lan Yan met Jun Xiao Yao's intended. He was a scholar, teaching at the academy. After considering his character and seeing that Jun Xiao Yao liked him, she finalized the marriage.
Then came the day before the wedding. She brought the dowry and wedding attire to Jun Xiao Yao's room and instructed, "Xiao Yao, after you're married, no matter what happens, you can always come home."
"Your brother and I will always be your backing."
Tears welled up in Jun Xiao Yao's eyes, and she threw herself into Lan Yan's arms, sobbing, "Sister Lan, I can't bear to leave you or brother."
"Alright, it's not like we won't see each other again. You can come back anytime," Lan Yan said, stroking Jun Xiao Yao's back to comfort her.
Jun Xiao Yao emerged from Lan Yan's embrace, wiped away her tears, and managed a smile. "Sister Lan, thank you. You saved my life and raised me for ten years. To me, you are like a second mother."
Lan Yan's lips curved upward. "I am your sister-in-law, after all. It's pretty much the same. You continue preparing your things tonight, and I won't disturb you." She turned towards the door and saw Jun Ye Lan standing outside.
Ten years had passed, and Jun Ye Lan was still as handsome and as radiant as ever.
She withdrew her gaze, which had begun to linger, and asked, "Ye Lan, aren't you going in to see her?"
Jun Ye Lan curled his lips, slung an arm around Lan Yan's shoulders, and led her forward. "Yan'er, I trust you've done your best for Xiao Yao. Yan'er, you've worked hard."
As they reached their room, he gently embraced Lan Yan.
Lan Yan shook her head. "It's nothing. Are you willing to part with Xiao Yao?"
"There's nothing to be reluctant about. I knew from the beginning that it would eventually be just the two of us. Xiao Yao is only staying here temporarily. The rest of our days are for us to live," Jun Ye Lan said with a smile, his eyes full of affection.
As long as he was with Lan Yan, nothing else mattered.
Lan Yan couldn't help but smile. She leaned against Jun Ye Lan's chest, responding, "Okay, from now on, it will be our world of two." Listening to the beating of his heart beside her ear, she closed her eyes in peace.
Jun Ye Lan lowered his head and kissed Lan Yan's forehead, continuing to hold her, the smile on his lips deepening.
The next morning, Lan Yan and Jun Ye Lan stood at the main gate, seeing Jun Xiao Yao off.
The wedding procession hadn't arrived yet, so they waited.
Lan Yan took Jun Xiao Yao's hand, telling her not to be so nervous. "Xiao Yao, you..." Before she could finish, she felt the ground beneath them shake violently. Looking towards the back mountain, she saw the gravel trembling.
"It's bad, run."
Jun Ye Lan reacted first, pulling Lan Yan's hand and running forward.
Lan Yan, holding Jun Xiao Yao, pulled them out of the courtyard gate and shouted to the neighbors, "Run, it's an earthquake."
The neighbors also felt their houses shaking and quickly followed suit.
However, it came too fast. Houses and trees collapsed suddenly, burying everyone, including Lan Yan and the others.
"Yan'er!"
Lan Yan dimly heard a shout and opened her eyes to see a worried Jun Ye Lan. He helped her up, and she looked around. They were in a corner of the house, with a half-collapsed beam overhead.
She moved her arm, feeling a sharp pain, and asked, "Ye Lan, are you okay?" In the dim light, she couldn't see his face clearly.
Jun Ye Lan's voice was somewhat low. "I'm fine."
He looked at Lan Yan. "We're trapped here without water or food, and we won't last long. We need to find a way to let people outside know we're here."
Lan Yan nodded and looked ahead. "We're not too far from the outside. If we hold on, we'll get out." She tried to move but realized Jun Xiao Yao was still lying behind her. She anxiously called out, "Xiao Yao."
"She hasn't woken up," Jun Ye Lan said. He was the first to wake and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Lan Yan beside him.
Lan Yan gently shook Jun Xiao Yao, but she still showed no signs of waking. "Ye Lan, is Xiao Yao injured?" As she spoke, a figure slumped onto her shoulder. She turned and cried out, "Ye Lan!"
She reached behind Jun Ye Lan and felt something sticky. Tears threatened to fall. "You're seriously injured, yet you didn't tell me."
Looking at the two figures who had fallen, she knew she couldn't let them die here. The system's prompt sounded in her mind. It was time for her to leave, but why at this moment!
"Please prepare yourself, host."
"Wait a moment," Lan Yan called out, remembering she had two life-saving pills that she could give to Jun Ye Lan and Jun Xiao Yao. "This way, you can last until rescue."
She leaned close to Jun Ye Lan's ear and said with reluctance, "Ye Lan, you must live well." Just as she was about to give him the pill, Jun Ye Lan coughed and gripped her wrist.
"Yan'er? Did you take this medicine?" Jun Ye Lan, lying on the ground, tightly grasped Lan Yan's wrist, his eyes filled with hesitation.
Lan Yan's gaze flickered, and she nodded. "Ye Lan, of course, I've already taken it. Eat it quickly." Without allowing Jun Ye Lan to refuse, she put the pill into his mouth and then breathed a sigh of relief.
Jun Ye Lan felt something was not quite right and was about to question her, but Lan Yan lay down on his chest.
"Ye Lan, I'll rest here for a while to conserve strength." With that, Lan Yan closed her eyes, whispering an apology in her heart.
Jun Ye Lan stroked Lan Yan's back and stayed with her quietly. Just then, he heard movement outside and looked at Lan Yan, calling out, "Yan'er, we're saved."
Light gradually appeared before his eyes, allowing him to see the outside world and the arriving rescuers. Jun Xiao Yao was being carried out.
Jun Ye Lan heard no response. He looked down and saw Lan Yan's closed eyes, and his heart lurched. He trembled as he reached out to check Lan Yan's breathing and froze.
His body felt immobile, and he dazedly held the person in his arms. When he had fainted earlier, he had vaguely heard Lan Yan speaking to him, but he hadn't realized the meaning of her words.
"Yan'er, you lied to me again."
The ground beneath them began to shake again, and Jun Xiao Yao outside cried out, "Brother, come out quickly!" Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She tried to reach for Jun Ye Lan but was held back by people from outside.
Jun Ye Lan held Lan Yan tightly, resting his head on her cheek. Tears fell onto her face. He murmured, "I once wished before gods and Buddhas that we must have a next life."
As he spoke, the beam overhead completely collapsed, burying them within.
"Brother, Sister Lan!" Jun Xiao Yao screamed frantically, falling to the ground. Eventually, she was taken away by her arriving groom, crying all the way back.
After they left, a shard of debris floated out from the ruins.
Lan Yan returned to the system's location, rubbing her head. "Why does my head hurt so much?"
She felt as though some memories were trying to stay in her mind, constantly tugging at her head.