"When will she wake up?"
"Soon. You haven't slept for a day and a night, go get some rest."
"No, I want to stay by her side."
Drowsily, Lan Yan heard voices nearby and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Jun Yelan pouring water. She called out, "Jun Yelan."
Jun Yelan's hand paused while pouring water. He turned his head and saw Lan Yan's familiar face, almost bursting into tears. "Yan'er, do you still feel unwell anywhere?"
He helped Lan Yan sit up against the headboard and brought her a cup of water.
Lan Yan shook her head and moved her arm. "I'm all better now." She looked around and found herself in a small wooden hut with a bow and arrows hanging on the wall. Puzzled, she asked, "Where are we?"
Jun Yelan replied, "We were saved by a hunter, this is his home." At that time, he was holding Lan Yan, waiting for the assassins, when they encountered a hunter out for prey.
As Lan Yan was contemplating what kind of person a hunter might be, a burly man walked in from the doorway.
The man exposed one arm, sported a beard on his chin, and his eyes were sharp and bright. Seeing Lan Yan awake, he patted his chest and laughed, "Young lady, you're finally awake. This brother here was worried sick."
"Your bond is truly strong," he said, his eyes dimming slightly as he thought of his own wife.
Lan Yan, lying on the bed, couldn't properly bow. She clasped her hands in a gesture of respect. "Thank you, Big Brother, for saving us, husband and wife."
"Haha," the hunter was also a jovial person. "No need. I don't have much here, just make do for now." Judging by their worn clothes, the material was not something ordinary people would wear.
Lan Yan felt a bit more trust. "Big Brother, my husband and I are easygoing people, and we really like it here."
Through their back-and-forth conversation, they quickly became familiar with each other.
Jun Yelan had been listening all along. When the timing seemed right, he asked, "Big Brother Wu, how far is it to Dingzhou from here?"
The key question had arrived, and Lan Yan stopped her idle chat.
The hunter shook his head. "If you ride a horse, you can get there in a day. This is already the border of Dingzhou, but that place is quite chaotic now."
"The river embankment broke before, and the court sent people to repair it. Not only did they fail to fix it, but they also enslaved the common people to work on the river. The people lost their homes and became displaced. Some even became bandits, making Dingzhou even more chaotic."
"I advise you two young lovebirds to return home quickly, or you'll be robbed the moment you enter. They even kidnap people, especially beauties like you, young lady."
Lan Yan and Jun Yelan exchanged a glance. Dingzhou was even worse than they had initially understood.
Jun Yelan's expression remained unchanged. "My wife and I are going to visit relatives. If we can't find them, we will naturally return. Thank you, Big Brother Wu, for letting us know."
"Alright." Seeing that they were determined to go, the hunter could only sigh slightly. He went to the adjoining room and brought back a quilt and two sets of clothes. "These were left by my wife, please use them."
Lan Yan looked at the red quilt and was momentarily stunned, then smiled. "Thank you, Big Brother Wu." After the hunter left, she said to Jun Yelan, "Let's change our clothes first."
Both of their clothes were in tatters.
Jun Yelan recalled the last time he saw Lan Yan change her clothes, his ears turned red. He turned away. "I'll change in the corner."
Lan Yan didn't mind. She put on the coarse cloth clothes, which fit quite well. She looked at Jun Yelan, who had returned. Despite wearing coarse clothes, his aloof demeanor remained unchanged.
Jun Yelan saw Lan Yan staring at him and asked, "What's wrong?" He thought the clothes might not fit.
Lan Yan smiled. "I just think that if a person is beautiful, they look good in anything. I'll go help out." With that, she walked out of the room and went to the kitchen to cook.
Jun Yelan was left alone in the room, his ears turning bright red.
Lan Yan cooked dinner. The hunter hadn't tasted such exquisite cooking in a long time, and he ate three more bowls of rice. He reached out and patted Jun Yelan's shoulder, sighing, "Young man, you are truly blessed to have such a beautiful and skilled wife."
Lan Yan hadn't seen the hunter's wife and asked, "Big Brother Wu, where is your wife?"
The hunter suddenly slumped onto the table and began to cry. "My wife died last year during a difficult childbirth, one life lost with another. I stay here alone, and it always feels like my wife is still here."
"I'm sorry," Lan Yan said apologetically.
The hunter sat up and waved his hand. "It's all in the past. Seeing you two reminds me of my wife. Perhaps it was my wife who guided me to save you. So, you must cherish each other and never encounter any accidents."
He looked specifically at Jun Yelan and instructed, "Remember to cherish the people around you. When they are gone, it will be too late to regret."
Jun Yelan nodded. "I will." He had already made up his mind.
After clearing the dishes, Lan Yan helped Jun Yelan back to the room. Seeing the red quilt, she sighed, "Big Brother Wu must have had a very good relationship with his wife. This must be a wedding quilt."
Jun Yelan said, "We are like a newly married couple now, with a red quilt and red candles. When we return, I want to give you a wedding. We haven't even had the ceremony yet."
At that time, he was in the room, and Lan Yan was suddenly brought in. They hadn't even had wedding attire.
Lan Yan was startled, not expecting Jun Yelan to bring this up. She felt a spark of anticipation – did this mean she was also developing feelings for Jun Yelan? She lay down and looked at Jun Yelan beside her. They both shared the red quilt.
She remembered she hadn't replied yet and smiled. "Okay, I'll be waiting."
Jun Yelan curved his lips and turned to embrace Lan Yan. He buried his head in her neck and nodded. He would give Lan Yan a grand wedding then.
The next morning, many people arrived in front of the wooden hut, led by Xia Lian. Seeing Jun Yelan and Lan Yan emerge, she bowed. "Your Highness, Your Highness Consort, this servant is late."
Jun Yelan asked coldly, "Who is responsible?"
"Someone in Dingzhou colluded with court officials and has been relentlessly pursuing us."
Jun Yelan clenched his fist. "Very well. Find them and kill them all." Since someone didn't want him to handle the matters in Dingzhou, he would handle them, and in an unexpected way.
Lan Yan realized then that Xia Lian was no ordinary maid and that she was also Jun Yelan's protection. She took some items and gave them to the hunter. "Thank you, Big Brother Wu, for these past two days."
The hunter smiled. "No need. I just didn't expect you to be the Prince and Princess Consort, especially heading to Dingzhou. I hope you succeed this time and bring a better life to the common people."
"We will," Lan Yan said, believing in Jun Yelan. She turned to push his wheelchair, and they walked together towards the carriage.
The hunter watched their retreating figures, then looked up at the sky and sighed, "My wife, I miss you."
After getting into the carriage, they headed towards Dingzhou.