Lan Yan, to avoid arousing the Emperor’s suspicion, packed her bags that night, preparing to depart early the next morning.
She gathered everyone in the manor in the courtyard. Silver money in pouches lay on the table. “Everyone,” she said, “I have been in this manor for a year, and I have spent a year with all of you.”
“As you all know, something has happened to the Director. The Director and I have decided to return to our hometown to recuperate. After you take this money, you may go wherever you wish.”
The manor servants were surprised. They had been afraid of the Director before, and now, without him, they felt lost. “Madam, thank you and the Director for your care during these days.”
“Yes. Hui jie, distribute the money,” Lan Yan said, looking at Hui Niang beside her.
Hui Niang stepped forward, calling out a name and handing over a pouch of silver.
The servants who received the money came before Lan Yan and said gratefully, “Thank you, Madam. May heaven bless the Director with a speedy recovery, and may the Director and Madam grow old together.”
“Thank you,” Lan Yan nodded, watching him leave.
The remaining servants also collected their money and went back to pack their belongings.
Finally, only Hui Niang and her husband were left. “Lan Yatou, my husband and I are originally from the countryside, and we are planning to go back. Our two children at home are grown now, and we are preparing to arrange their marriages.”
“Our village is not far. If you ever need anything, come find me. I will always be your sister, as I have been for all this time. Actually, by age, you should call me Auntie.”
Lan Yan smiled. “Calling you Auntie makes me feel old. I still prefer calling you Sister. Hui jie, thank you so much for everything during this time.”
“It’s nothing. I just hope the Director gets well soon. You two are a match made in heaven,” Hui Niang said, then turned and walked towards the door, leaving with her husband.
Wu Ming still stood in his original spot, saying nothing.
Lan Yan looked at him and said, “You have already repaid your debt. You may go.”
Only then did Wu Ming walk towards the door. He glanced back at Lan Yan, then used his Qinggong to leap over the courtyard wall.
Suddenly, Lan Yan was alone. She stood up and looked at the empty courtyard, sighing, “It’s so quiet for the first time. From now on, there will be no one left in the Jun manor.”
“Yan’er, no matter where we are from now on, I will be with you.” Jun Yelan walked out from behind a curtain, putting his arms around Lan Yan’s shoulders, his face filled with tenderness.
Lan Yan leaned against Jun Yelan’s shoulder, nodding. “Yelan, the mountains are high and the waters are long. For the rest of our lives, we will have each other.”
Jun Yelan smiled and looked into the distance with Lan Yan.
“Brother, Sister Lan, have you forgotten about me?” Jun Xiao Yao hopped in from the doorway with his short legs.
Lan Yan curved her lips and scooped Jun Xiao Yao into her arms. “Xiao Yao, no matter what else we might forget, we will never forget you. From now on, the three of us will live together.”
“Mhm,” Jun Xiao Yao smiled sweetly, getting down from Lan Yan’s arms. He held Lan Yan’s and Jun Yelan’s hands. “We won’t be separated.”
Lan Yan and Jun Yelan exchanged smiles and walked towards the door, holding Jun Xiao Yao’s hands.
Their luggage was loaded onto one cart, and the three of them rode in it.
At the city gate, there were people to see them off, namely Song Cheng and men from the Eastern Depot.
Jun Yelan alighted from the carriage and faced Song Cheng and the others who were kneeling on one knee. “Get up. I am no longer the Director.” From the moment he decided to leave, he had already relinquished his position.
Song Cheng looked up and called out, “Once a Director, always our Director.” They were the closest to the Director and naturally knew what kind of person Jun Yelan was, certainly not what was being spread outside.
Jun Yelan helped Song Cheng up and advised him, “The Imperial City and the Eastern Depot are not simple places. Be careful in the days to come.” His gaze flickered towards the back, his eyes darkening slightly, knowing there were spies hidden there.
“My health is already as it is. Today will be our last meeting. Take care!” With that, he got into the carriage and sat beside Lan Yan. The carriage slowly moved forward.
Song Cheng and the others remained by the roadside, watching the carriage depart.
The spies who had been present also left and entered the palace. “Your Majesty, the Director has left and did not linger.”
“Mm, you do not need to monitor him anymore.” The Emperor waved his hand and murmured to himself, “Director, since you have made your decision, I will no longer stop you. Perhaps you knew all along that I had people watching you, which is why you left in such a hurry.”
He gave a bitter smile and looked towards the cold palace in the distance.
Inside the carriage, Lan Yan noticed Jun Yelan remained tense until they entered Ningzhou territory, only then did he relax. “Yelan, what are you still worried about?”
Jun Yelan lifted the curtain, looked outside, then lowered it again. It seemed the spies had been withdrawn. “It’s alright now. No one will bother us anymore.”
He reached out to hold Lan Yan, comforting her, “You don’t have to worry anymore.”
“Okay.” Lan Yan stroked Jun Yelan’s back, revealing a reassured smile. Since Jun Yelan told her not to worry, she would trust him completely.
Jun Yelan’s lips curved slightly. He held the person in his arms with ease, experiencing a comfort he had never felt before. His heart could finally rest.
A day later, they arrived at the village.
Lan Yan stepped down from the carriage and looked at the sparsely populated village. “The famine has passed, but not many people have returned yet.”
“More people will come in the future.” Jun Yelan walked ahead and saw that the place where he used to live had now become a pile of collapsed wood.
Lan Yan stood beside Jun Yelan, holding his hand. “Yelan, your family has paid their price. You should not torment yourself any longer.”
She worried that Jun Yelan would continue to harm himself, as these wounds were irreversible.
Jun Yelan shook his head. “Yan’er, I no longer care about them. They gave birth to me and raised me, yet they abandoned me. From the day I was born, I worked for my family without a single complaint.”
“But for the words of a passing Taoist, they believed I brought all the misfortune and sold me to human traffickers. I wasn’t even ten years old then, and I watched them coldly take the silver and leave.”
“The human traffickers saw how indifferent I was and thought I was a good prospect, so they sold me into the palace. I lived a life worse than an animal in the palace. Countless times I complained about them. But now their remains are gone, who else can I complain to!”
Lan Yan listened quietly. She saw that Jun Yelan’s expression was blank, but she wondered about his heart. She squeezed his hand tighter and hugged him, saying, “They didn’t know how to cherish you. From now on, it’s my turn to cherish you.”
“Mhm.” Jun Yelan hugged Lan Yan back, a smile appearing on his lips. He felt only a trace of gratitude towards the pile of wood, gratitude for leading him to Lan Yan, for the chance to be with her and for her to heal all his pain.
He would live a good life with Lan Yan, forgetting all the bothersome past.