Lan Yan's head rested on Jun Yelan's lap, her hands clasped around his knees, a sweet smile gracing her lips.
Jun Yelan's body grew increasingly stiff. He reached out to touch Lan Yan's shoulder, then heard her soft sigh and withdrew his hand.
For the first time, he felt a sense of helplessness, able only to gaze at the person on his lap.
Lan Yan, drowsy in her sleep, felt a gust of wind nearby and instinctively curled up.
Jun Yelan looked at the window at the very front, then back at Lan Yan, raising his sleeve to shield her. He watched Lan Yan fall back into a peaceful slumber and felt an inexplicable relief.
She was a strange person indeed, sleeping so soundly beside him, unfazed by his condition.
He couldn't help but lean onto the table, facing Lan Yan's face, and closed his eyes slightly. A faint, lingering fragrance wafted into his nostrils, calming his heart, and he drifted into sleep.
A slight upward curve appeared on Lan Yan's lips; she slept better than usual, finally no longer having to sleep on a hard floor.
Outside the window, a bright moon quietly hung on a branch before hiding itself within the clouds.
The next morning, Lan Yan opened her eyes and looked around in a daze. "Where am I?"
"Awake." Jun Yelan had been awake for a long time. Unable to move, he had been holding a book.
Startled by the voice, Lan Yan looked up and saw Jun Yelan right in front of her. She blinked, confirming it wasn't an illusion. "City Lord, did I sleep here last night?"
Oh no, she had offended Jun Yelan.
Jun Yelan looked at the lingering traces on Lan Yan's lips and nodded helplessly.
Lan Yan was stunned. What should she do now? She secretly glanced at Jun Yelan, who didn't seem angry. She lowered her head to look at the leg she had used as a pillow all night, rubbed it with her hand, and said, "City Lord, I'm so sorry."
She felt a tiny bit of remorse. But it was strange, why hadn't Jun Yelan pushed her away last night?
As Lan Yan massaged his leg, Jun Yelan shifted uncomfortably to the side. "No need."
"Alright." Lan Yan silently withdrew her hand, got up, and prepared to leave to make breakfast for Jun Yelan.
Just as she walked away, she was called back by the person behind her, "What fragrance did you use last night?"
Lan Yan was taken aback again. "I didn't use any fragrance myself." She looked at herself, sniffed her sleeve, and couldn't smell anything. She remembered the dried flowers she had made during the day, perhaps that was related.
"City Lord, if you want fragrance, I can make you an incense burner today." With that, she smiled and retreated, eager to make the burner.
Jun Yelan watched Lan Yan leave in a flurry and thought that he hadn't said anything yet. He turned to look at the table in front of him; last night was the best sleep he had had in many years.
He had been a child raised by the city since he was young. He had to participate in training every night; only the strong could survive. He had also developed a habit of vigilance, sleeping only one shichen each night.
Later, after becoming City Lord, he faced assassination attempts every two days, making it even harder to sleep.
But Lan Yan's arrival had become this variable. His eyes darkened; he didn't believe this was a good thing.
At this moment, Lan Yan returned to the back hall and brought out the incense burner. She then placed the dried flowers and herbs in a stone mortar and slowly pounded them into powder. Seeing that the herbs were not enough, she went to fetch some more.
Not far from her, a pair of eyes stared at her ferociously. Qiuju, wearing a veil, looked at her hands, where red marks from insect bites were visible.
She touched her cheek; she was unrecognizable and would never forgive Lan Yan. Seizing the opportunity when Lan Yan left, she secretly sneaked out, poured something into the incense burner, and hurried away.
Lan Yan returned, glanced at the incense burner, and sat down to continue pounding.
Qiuju, witnessing this scene, smiled triumphantly. She went to the bed where Lan Yan had slept earlier and lifted the bed board. She looked at the medicine packet in her hand, intending to place it there, but suddenly discovered another medicine packet already present.
"Lan Yan, so you intended to harm the City Lord all along." Her face contorted with malice; she had finally caught Lan Yan. She discreetly put it away and headed to the main hall.
Lan Yan had already poured the powder into a mold, shaping it into a peach blossom, and then placed it into the incense burner. Holding the incense burner, she walked to the main hall with a smile and called out, "City Lord, the incense burner is ready."
Jun Yelan put down his official duties and was about to speak when someone rushed in from the doorway.
"City Lord, be careful, she put poison in it." Qiuju ran in, shouting ferociously.
Lan Yan was bewildered, staring at the woman in front of her who seemed deranged. It was Qiuju. This person was truly everywhere. Holding the incense burner, she cried out, "City Lord, I didn't put poison in it."
Seeing this, Qiuju took out the medicine packet from her embrace and shouted, "The evidence is undeniable, Lan Yan, you can't escape this time. City Lord, this is what I found under her bed; it's a potent poison."
Lan Yan stared at the medicine packet, thinking it must have been hidden by the original owner. She didn't want to be implicated, having finally improved her relationship with Jun Yelan.
She said with a laugh, "Just because you say it's mine, does it mean it is? I can also say you used it to frame me. Besides, you were the one who attracted insects and ants to harm me before; you have a grudge against me."
Seeing Lan Yan's sharp tongue, Qiuju knew she couldn't remain passive. She pointed at the incense burner and said, "Whether it's true or false, it will be clear by looking at the incense burner."
"Fine, I'll let you see." Lan Yan opened the incense burner, revealing a osmanthus-shaped incense block inside. She looked at Qiuju with a smile. She had noticed the incense block had been moved when she returned earlier.
To prevent anyone from harming Jun Yelan, she had replaced it with another. She wasn't strong in many things, but she had a good memory for locations, especially for things she had handled.
Qiuju was stunned for a moment and cried out, "No, that's not right. Something must be wrong."
"Enough." Jun Yelan's eyes turned icy. He glanced at Qiuju and said, "Speak, who told you to do this!" Every time someone appeared by his side, there were always people trying to cause trouble. It seemed someone was impatient this time.
Qiuju shivered and knelt on the ground, saying, "This servant doesn't know."
"Very good." Jun Yelan stepped down from the platform, emanating coldness, and grabbed Qiuju by the neck, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
Qiuju struggled to breathe and managed to say, "It's Saint..." With a snap, her words were cut short, and her body was casually thrown to the ground.
Jun Yelan took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers, discarding the handkerchief with disgust. He turned and walked back to the platform, where people came to dispose of the body.
This was the first time Lan Yan had witnessed Jun Yelan kill someone up close. She felt a slight nervousness and took a deep breath to calm herself.
This scene was not lost on Jun Yelan. He waved his hand and said, "You may go." This was the true him.
Lan Yan then placed the incense burner down and instructed, "City Lord, please remember to light it when you sleep tonight." She bowed and withdrew.
Behind her, Jun Yelan stared at the incense burner, his palm clenching slightly. She should have escaped!