When Jun Yelan returned to the palace, he encountered scouts returning from outside the city. He took the letter and his eyes darkened as he read its contents. The righteous factions had united once more!
He couldn't help but look towards the room in front of him. He had to send Lan Yan away as soon as possible; she couldn't be allowed to come to harm! He walked directly ahead and entered the adjacent room.
Luqi was bringing in the medicinal meal, but she entered Lan Yan's room first. "Lan Yan, are you sure you want to change your identity? The City Lord has awakened now."
The City Lord was the person who understood Lan Yan the best in this city.
Lan Yan nodded. "If he doesn't come to see me, it's probably because he's conflicted. I'll go find him, but because of the guards outside the door, I can't get out."
Luqi naturally sided with Lan Yan, exchanging clothes with her and putting on a disguise mask.
Thus, Lan Yan carried the medicinal meal out, knocked on the door, and entered, placing the meal on the table. She saw Jun Yelan still looking at official documents and called out, "City Lord, it's time to eat."
Hearing this voice, Jun Yelan raised his head and stared at Lan Yan.
Lan Yan coughed twice. "This servant's throat has been unwell recently and is a bit hoarse." Her eyes flickered, afraid that Jun Yelan would see through the disguise. Seeing Jun Yelan lower his head again, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Jun Yelan put down his official documents and walked to the table, glancing at the medicinal meal before him.
"This was prepared by the kitchen and is beneficial for the City Lord's health," Lan Yan said with a smile. "It contains angelica and goji berries. City Lord, you should drink the soup first." She lowered her head, poured a bowl of soup, and placed it in front of Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan looked at the face before him and couldn't help but clench his fist. He picked up the bowl and ate a few mouthfuls. Faced with such expectant eyes, he nodded.
"City Lord, I knew it would taste good. Try this too." Lan Yan tore off a large chicken leg and placed it in Jun Yelan's bowl.
Jun Yelan had no choice but to pick up his chopsticks again and eat slowly.
Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Lan Yan cleared her throat and asked, "City Lord, that Lan Yan has been imprisoned for several days. When will she be released? As her friend, I don't think she's the kind of person who would betray anyone."
Jun Yelan raised his head and asked knowingly, "What kind of person do you think she is?"
Lan Yan thought about how to praise her. "Radiant, intelligent..." She used all the good words she could think of.
Jun Yelan suppressed his rising smile. He had never seen anyone praise him like this. The moment Lan Yan entered, he had smelled that familiar fragrance; the person in front of him was Lan Yan.
He didn't want to expose her and wanted to stay with Lan Yan like this. Only at this moment could he temporarily forget the dying city plagued by internal and external troubles.
Seeing Jun Yelan not respond, Lan Yan thought she might have said too much. She said, "City Lord, I like her very much anyway."
"I will consider this matter," Jun Yelan said, putting down his chopsticks and continuing to drink the soup.
"Yes, City Lord." Lan Yan looked at Jun Yelan's expression, unable to discern anything, and didn't know if he had believed what she said.
Jun Yelan's lips curved slightly as he drank the soup, facing Lan Yan's furtive gaze. As Lan Yan was about to withdraw, he placed two boxes into her arms. "Take them to her."
Lan Yan's eyes lit up, and she smiled, "Yes, City Lord." She immediately became curious. After returning to the adjacent room, she opened them and found two boxes of arrowheads.
She stroked the arrowheads, a smile appearing on her face. These were excellent weapons. But why would Jun Yelan give them to her?
Jun Yelan watched the closed door and smiled, "She really can't wait at all." He turned and sat back in his chair, looking at the spot where Lan Yan had stood, his heart filled with warmth.
He closed his eyes. He hadn't slept for a day and a night.
However, in his dream, he saw Lan Yan again, but Lan Yan fell at his feet. He clearly saw Lan Yan's face, a face covered in blood, murmuring something.
He woke up with a start, a cold sweat on his forehead. He clenched the arrowheads in his palm, letting the blood flow down along them, so his heart could finally calm down a little. He felt a fear that was more terrifying than his illness.
He sat there all night. As the first ray of sunlight shone in through the window, he got up and pushed open the door to the adjacent room.
Lan Yan was still sound asleep.
Jun Yelan did not disturb her. He placed the boxes in his hand by the bedside; these were all prepared by him for Lan Yan.
Lan Yan had been sleeping poorly recently. She felt someone blocking the head of her bed and opened her eyes. She saw Jun Yelan and said with surprise, "City Lord, you're here."
Jun Yelan just looked at Lan Yan's smile, hesitating a little. He thought of the nightmare from last night, his eyes becoming firm, and said, "I've come to tell you that you no longer need to stay in the dying city. Leave here."
He expected Lan Yan to question him or be distressed, but instead, she looked at him calmly.
Lan Yan pointed to the three boxes by the bedside and said, "City Lord, if you truly disliked me, you wouldn't have given me these. The boxes from last night are for my self-defense, and today's boxes are money, for my living expenses."
She stood up, tiptoed to look into Jun Yelan's eyes, and smiled, "City Lord, you're pretending too unconvincingly." She had felt last night that Jun Yelan didn't dislike her, let alone come in person today.
Jun Yelan was stunned, and the words he had prepared failed him. He turned his head and said with forced composure, "This City Lord speaks no falsehoods."
"I know the City Lord is kind," Lan Yan said with a smile.
This left Jun Yelan with no recourse. He called out, "The carriage is already outside the palace. Since it's still early, you should leave quickly." With that, he walked towards the door, feeling like he was fleeing.
Lan Yan watched Jun Yelan's retreating back and burst out laughing. She found Jun Yelan rather cute today.
"Host, are you leaving?"
Lan Yan nodded. "I can come back after leaving. Jun Yelan must be hiding something, so I'll go and investigate." She took the three boxes, got into the carriage, and found that there was also a white tiger inside.
"Little white tiger." She smiled and stroked the white tiger's head.
The white tiger lay in the carriage. It really didn't want to go out; it was all the owner's fault for moving it into the carriage.
Lan Yan felt even more that she would be returning very soon. She put down the boxes, focused on stroking the white tiger, and called out, "Let's go."
The carriage moved forward slowly and soon drove out of the dying city.
At this moment, Jun Yelan stood on the city wall, watching the carriage move further and further away, his eyes growing colder. His fate was already set, but Lan Yan's life still had many choices.
Moreover, he had already arranged everything; Lan Yan would no longer be in danger.
After a long while, he finally turned and walked down the city wall.
Lan Yan's carriage stopped not far away. She jumped onto the ground, the white tiger accompanying her. She looked at the small wooden house in front of her and smiled, "I'm not going any further. I'll live here."
She walked into the wooden house and opened the back window, which provided a clear view of the dying city.