The night forest echoed with the chirping of insects and the calls of birds, punctuated by the occasional roar of wild beasts that sent shivers through the leaves.
Lan Yan clutched her crossbow bolt tightly, hiding in the shadows behind a tree, wary of any beast attacks. The darkness made her uneasy, so she contacted the system. "System, every mission I undertake feels like an adventure."
"Last time you had me be an empress, that was supposed to be my most comfortable world. Turns out, it was harder than any other." She seized this opportune moment to vent her frustrations.
The system responded, "Host, this world was not within my control. Besides, being an empress is wonderful, with so many people serving you. As for the hardship, it was merely a small price to pay."
"Heh," Lan Yan said speechlessly. "If you had a human form, you should really experience it. Then I'd say the same thing to you." The thought of it made her chuckle.
System: "..." What was it like to have a host who enjoyed seeing him miserable! "Host, you should rest well. I'll keep watch for you and wake you if there's any danger."
Lan Yan was momentarily skeptical of the system's sudden kindness but acknowledged it was a great help. "Alright, I'm counting on you." She crossed her arms and gradually closed her eyes.
Seeing this, the system wanted to sigh, focusing instead on listening to the surrounding sounds.
Lan Yan drifted into a dream, encountering a mass of mist. She passed through it and saw Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan was alone, holding someone in his arms. The person's face was unclear, but Jun Yelan looked so sorrowful that her heart ached.
She didn't understand what Jun Yelan was going through and took a step forward to approach him, but the mist suddenly vanished, leaving only darkness. "Jun Yelan!"
The next morning, Lan Yan woke up and continued her journey, but she couldn't recall her dream from the night before. She asked the system but received no answer, so she didn't dwell on it, as it wasn't the first time she'd dreamt.
Riding her horse, she sped up her journey to Ningzhou. Her horse was exhausted and lay down, so she left it in the forest to rest.
As she entered the town, she saw many people sitting along the roads of Ningzhou, all gaunt and with listless eyes. Their lips were cracked and dry, and they held chipped bowls, looking up at the sky.
"Heavens, please send rain quickly."
But the sky was clear, without a cloud in sight. The scorching sun baked the land, the fields were parched, and even the forest not far away had ceased to rustle.
Lan Yan couldn't bear to watch any longer and walked onward. Only by finding Jun Yelan quickly could she resolve this matter. At this moment, she kept hearing footsteps behind her. She turned her head but saw no one.
She frowned, realizing she was too conspicuous and likely to attract unwanted attention. She spotted the street ahead and deliberately took left and right turns, trying to find a hiding place.
Yet, the person following her persisted.
Lan Yan clutched her bag tightly, which contained only a little dry food and two changes of clothes. She couldn't afford to meet with an accident before finding Jun Yelan. She took out her crossbow, turned into a wooden house on the right, and hid.
She crouched outside the door, peeking through the gap at the movements outside. As the footsteps grew closer, she fired her crossbow bolt the moment the door was pushed open.
The bolt was caught by the person before her. She froze, stunned, and seeing the person's face clearly, she choked out, "Jun Yelan."
"It's me." Jun Yelan was wearing coarse cloth clothes, but they couldn't conceal his aloof aura. His eyes held shock as he instinctively reached out towards Lan Yan.
Lan Yan lunged into Jun Yelan's embrace, tears streaming down her face. "Do you know how scared I've been on this journey? And you just scared me again." Regardless of her dishevelled state, she poured out her emotions.
Jun Yelan's brow furrowed. He caressed Lan Yan's back with his hands, holding her tightly, his eyes filled with deep emotion. His voice was hoarse as he said, "It was my fault. I made you suffer."
"It's good that you know," Lan Yan sniffled, pulling away from Jun Yelan's embrace, tear stains still on her face.
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan's reddened cheeks and nose, a pang of heartache in his chest. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her face, then took her hand.
Seeing the bloody marks on her palm, his face fell with sadness and self-reproach. He took out a medicine bottle, applied the ointment, and then blew on her palm.
Lan Yan's earlobes turned red. She tried to withdraw her hand, but he held it firmly. "Actually, I'm fine now. More importantly, you, I heard you were attacked and disappeared. Are you hurt?"
She stared intently at Jun Yelan, unable to tell through his clothes.
Jun Yelan continued to hold Lan Yan's hand, a slight curve to his lips. "Yan'er, those people were no match for me. The news of my disappearance was also my own doing." He had planned everything meticulously, except for Lan Yan coming to find him.
The thought of Lan Yan's hardships along the way pained him even more, and he tightened his grip.
Lan Yan nodded. "I was too anxious, but it's good now. I found you." A smile graced her lips; she was quite capable.
"Mmm," Jun Yelan now only wanted to appease Lan Yan and see her well.
Seeing Jun Yelan's sudden docility, Lan Yan recalled what happened before she arrived. She withdrew her hand, slightly annoyed. "Hmph, if I hadn't come to see you, I might have forgotten. You deliberately avoided me before, and now I'm really angry. Didn't you see my letter?"
She turned away slightly, ignoring Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan couldn't help but smile, a hint of indulgence in his eyes. He grabbed Lan Yan's shoulders, stood before her, and said gently, "Yan'er, I saw it, and you were absolutely right to scold me."
"I promise I'll never do anything like that again. I'll listen to you." He couldn't help but pull Lan Yan into his embrace. Such a wonderful person, he should cherish her with all his being.
Lan Yan's anger subsided somewhat, but she wasn't letting him off that easily. "Wait, it's not good for us to stay here. Someone was following me earlier."
Mentioning this, Jun Yelan's eyes darkened. When he found Lan Yan earlier, he had already dealt with a few people. "We cannot stay here long. I'll take you away."
He took Lan Yan's hand and led her out of the wooden house.
Several bodies lay outside the wooden house, all killed with a single blow. Lan Yan couldn't help but grip Jun Yelan's hand tighter. If she had had to deal with these people just now, it would have been quite difficult.
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan and pressed her head against his chest, comforting her. "I won't let anyone harm you again." He scooped Lan Yan up in his arms, not wanting her to be splattered with these people's blood.
His Lan Yan shouldn't have to endure this; she should always be smiling.
Lan Yan leaned quietly against Jun Yelan's chest, finally feeling at ease. The fatigue from her journey made her drowsy, and her eyelids grew heavy.
Seeing this, Jun Yelan slowed his pace and took Lan Yan to a nearby hiding place. He looked at the slender figure in his arms, realizing she was not weak, having come to find him alone.
This sentiment was something he could hardly repay in this lifetime, but he would dedicate his entire remaining life to returning Lan Yan's devotion.