In a daze, Jun Yelan heard a voice by his ear, imbued with earnestness, which gave him the will to live. He couldn't help but swallow, taking the medicine.
Beside him, Lan Yan saw this and smiled until tears streamed down her face. "Jun Yelan, you can live now." She then took off his blood-stained outer clothes, revealing his body covered in wounds.
She dared not delay. After removing his clothes, she covered him with a blanket and stayed by his side, holding Jun Yelan's hand.
Song Cheng brought the doctor, and upon seeing the scene, his eyes welled up. The Eunuch was having such a difficult time, but thankfully, Miss Lan Yan was by his side. "Miss Lan, the doctor is here."
"Yes, thank you, Doctor." Lan Yan moved aside, watching from the periphery.
The doctor sighed, "Eunuch, these wounds are quite severe. I will bandage his wounds, but finding a suitable person to change the dressings in the future will be necessary." He took out three bottles of medicine from his case. "Do not confuse the internal and external medicines."
Lan Yan listened intently from the side, remembering everything the doctor said. "Doctor, please be gentle when bandaging, and try not to wake him. It will hurt more if he's disturbed."
"You are a caring young woman," the doctor remarked. "How about this: I will bandage one wound while you watch. Afterward, I will leave it to you."
Lan Yan nodded. After observing the doctor bandage the wound, she followed his example and dressed Jun Yelan's injuries. Seeing the exposed flesh, she felt a touch of fear but did not avert her gaze. She gently applied a layer of ointment and then wrapped the wound with a strip of cloth.
Throughout this process, Jun Yelan did not wake up.
The doctor stroked his beard with satisfaction. "You are a capable young woman. From now on, the task of changing the Eunuch's dressings will be yours." He then left the prescription and took Song Cheng with him.
"Go and decoct the medicine according to the prescription. Do not disturb these lovers."
Song Cheng, naturally, hurried off, entrusting Jun Yelan to Lan Yan with peace of mind.
Lan Yan re-covered Jun Yelan with the blanket, worried he might be cold. She brought over a brazier and sat by the head of the bed. Only when she saw Jun Yelan's complexion improve did she feel slightly relieved, murmuring, "The system was right; you really do encounter a lot of danger."
Of the three pills she had just received, only two remained. It seemed she would have to be even more vigilant from now on, preventing Jun Yelan from getting hurt.
As the night grew quiet, she hugged her knees and slowly fell asleep.
The next morning, Jun Yelan opened his eyes and felt pain all over his body. He struggled to sit up and saw a hand resting on him. He turned his head and saw Lan Yan.
His pupils trembled slightly. Seeing Lan Yan asleep, he couldn't bear to move. He turned his head to gaze at her, remembering how he had returned covered in blood last night, wondering if he had frightened her.
He reached out a hand, bringing it closer to Lan Yan's eyebrows and eyes, a multitude of emotions surging within him. When he first decided to keep Lan Yan by his side, it was to observe her intentions in approaching him.
But later, Lan Yan did nothing, yet did everything. She did not harm him; instead, she was kind to him time and again. Why?
He recalled the marriage contract Lan Yan had presented earlier. Was she truly just here to marry him?
Lan Yan's eyelashes fluttered slightly. As she woke, she saw Jun Yelan's eyes. She blinked and saw Jun Yelan truly staring at her, then shouted, "Jun Yelan, you're awake."
"You have no idea how scared I was last night. Thankfully, you're alright now." She continued incessantly, "By the way, are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"
Jun Yelan watched Lan Yan's chatter, a slight curve forming on his lips. In the past, when he was injured, he was always alone. But now, there was someone who cared about him.
Seeing Jun Yelan still smiling, Lan Yan was filled with confusion. "Could it be that your wound is hurting again?" She had heard that when pain reaches its extreme, people do not cry but laugh instead.
Since she had no painkillers, she took out the candy Jun Yelan had brought back and popped it into his mouth. "Eat some candy, perhaps it will lessen the pain."
Jun Yelan's mouth tasted sweet, and his heart felt the same. He shook his head, "My wound doesn't hurt. You've stayed with me for so long; go and eat and rest." He reached out his hand to caress Lan Yan's cheek, wiping away the tear stains.
"Alright." Not wanting Jun Yelan to worry, Lan Yan went to the kitchen, brought back the food, and ate with Jun Yelan. Fortunately, Hui Niang had helped her with the cooking, otherwise, she would have been overwhelmed.
Jun Yelan watched Lan Yan eat heartily, realizing she must have been extremely hungry. A pang of tenderness stirred in his chest. He couldn't eat; he simply watched Lan Yan eat, finding it quite pleasant.
Lan Yan let out a satisfied burp and smiled, "I'm full. Are you really not eating? Sister Hui's cooking is also very good."
"No need." Due to his injuries, Jun Yelan began to feel drowsy. "You should rest in my room tonight; don't stay here any longer." It was inconvenient for him to move, and he had occupied Lan Yan's room.
Seeing Jun Yelan's insistence, Lan Yan reluctantly left for his room. As she exited the room, she instructed, "Then rest well tonight. Call me if anything happens."
Only then did she leave.
Jun Yelan finally closed his eyes and soon fell asleep, having held his spirit together to talk with Lan Yan. He didn't want Lan Yan to be alone, and now he was finally at ease.
When Lan Yan went to Jun Yelan's room, she passed by the direction of the back door and saw the steward hurrying past. She wondered, "It's so late; where is the steward going?"
She hid behind a pillar and watched the steward arrive at the back door, stealthily looking around.
Then, the door was slightly opened, and the steward handed something through the gap before quickly leaving.
Lan Yan emerged and cast a cold glance at the steward's retreating figure. She had been too far away to clearly see the item, but she sensed it was nothing good. As she prepared to leave, she heard movement outside the door. She crept closer and, through the door crack, saw a figure departing.
There was indeed something amiss! Seeing that Jun Yelan had already fallen asleep, she decided to mention it tomorrow. She then went to Jun Yelan's room and observed the somber color palette, confirming it was indeed Jun Yelan's style.
She lay down on the bed, gazing at the unfamiliar canopy, and slowly closed her eyes. She had a dream, a dream filled with many daily interactions between herself and Jun Yelan, but she had no recollection of it.
She slept soundly until dawn. Touching her face, she found tears on it. Strange, she hadn't cried last night, only had a dream she couldn't remember.
She paid it no mind and quickly went to find Jun Yelan, only to encounter the steward in the corridor.
The steward looked at Lan Yan enthusiastically, a glint flashing in his eyes. "Miss Lan Yan, how is the Eunuch's condition?"
Lan Yan's eyes turned cold. With a forced smile, she asked, "I'm more curious as to where the steward went in the middle of the night?"
The steward froze, a hint of murderous intent appearing in his eyes. This woman was too sharp. Jin Sanniang had already fallen to her before. He clenched the cuff of his sleeve and said, "Miss Lan Yan might have seen wrongly."
Lan Yan stared at the steward, both of them probing each other.