The next morning, Lan Yan left the city with Jun Yelan and was amazed to see a pond full of lotus flowers outside the city. "Yelan, so this is where you wanted to bring me."
Jun Yelan nodded, "You said before that you wanted to see the lotus flowers in full bloom in summer, pick fruits in autumn, and play in the snow in winter. Everything you wish for will come true."
"Those were things I said when you were unconscious. You remembered them all." Lan Yan's eyes turned red, feeling a surge of emotion in her heart.
Jun Yelan reached out and tapped Lan Yan's forehead, "I remember every word you say. I've already rented a boat, so you can enjoy the lotus flowers and lotus seeds to your heart's content."
In the evening, there would also be a performance on painted boats.
Lan Yan nodded and lifted her skirt to board the boat. Sitting on the small boat, it gently swayed away from the shore, moving closer and closer to the lotus flowers in the center.
Jun Yelan sat beside her, watching Lan Yan lean on his shoulder, his eyes full of smiles.
When they reached the center, Lan Yan stood up and went to the bow of the boat, the lotus flowers were right beside her. She gently touched the passing lotus flowers and picked two lotus seed pods, throwing them into the boat cabin.
"Yelan, there are so many here."
Seeing Lan Yan lean forward, Jun Yelan walked over with concern, "Let me." He held one sleeve with one hand and reached into the middle of the lotus flowers with the other, picking four or five at once and placing them in Lan Yan's palm.
He chuckled, "Is that enough for you to eat?"
Lan Yan smiled and nodded. She returned to the boat cabin and began to peel the lotus seeds.
Jun Yelan also started peeling, placing the lotus seeds on a plate and on Lan Yan's lap. He took the ones Lan Yan was holding and said with a smile, "You eat these first, I'll do it."
Lan Yan looked at the plate full of lotus seeds on her lap and then at the few she had just peeled. Her speed was indeed too slow. She handed the task of peeling to Jun Yelan and picked up the plate to eat.
She first fed a lotus seed to Jun Yelan, and then slowly ate one herself.
Jun Yelan listened to the chewing sounds beside him and looked at Lan Yan's bulging cheeks, feeling a very warm sensation in his heart.
This feeling only appeared when he was with Lan Yan, a mix of joy and calm that he couldn't find the right words to describe.
Lan Yan turned her head and saw Jun Yelan deep in thought. She picked up a lotus seed and put it into his mouth. "Eat more, these were all peeled by you."
Jun Yelan chewed and swallowed, then placed a newly peeled seed onto Lan Yan's plate, "Just watching you eat is good enough." His sense of taste was slowly recovering, and he could taste sweetness, but seeing Lan Yan happy was even sweeter.
Lan Yan reached out and cupped Jun Yelan's chin, smiling softly, "Yelan, I want you to be well too."
"Mm." The two looked at each other, their eyes only for each other.
They continued eating until evening. A painted boat arrived next door, brightly lit, with melodious guqin music drifting out.
Lan Yan and Jun Yelan sat in the cabin, leaning against each other, listening together.
The guqin music from the painted boat suddenly stopped, and several people appeared at the bow, discussing, "This is bad, the dizi player injured his hand and can't play anymore. Now there's no one to accompany the guqin. What should we do!"
Someone with sharp eyes spotted Lan Yan with a dizi and bowed, saying, "Miss, forgive our boldness in asking, but do you play the dizi? Could you possibly help us? We will surely reward you handsomely."
Lan Yan's dizi was intended to soothe Jun Yelan's condition; she hadn't played it for others before. She twirled the dizi in her hand and said, "I can try."
The person breathed a sigh of relief, then called the guqin player, a beautiful woman. She bowed to Lan Yan and sat down, slowly beginning to play.
Lan Yan listened to the rhythm, pressed the holes on the dizi, and played in an orderly fashion.
The surrounding people listened to the duet and praised, "Not bad. This young lady has some skill." As he spoke, he felt a cold gaze upon him. It turned out to be the person beside the dizi player.
Jun Yelan had been guarding Lan Yan's side, like a guardian god.
After Lan Yan finished playing, she looked at Jun Yelan and smiled, "Was it good?"
"Mm." Jun Yelan massaged Lan Yan's fingers, "Tired?"
Lan Yan was actually fine, but her fingers felt much more relaxed after Jun Yelan massaged them. She nodded and walked back into the boat cabin with Jun Yelan.
The guqin player behind them called out, "Miss, it is rare to meet a kindred spirit. Today, having the fate to play with you, I shall give you my guqin as a memento." She felt she would never meet this young lady again.
Lan Yan naturally refused, but the guqin player had already turned and left, leaving only the guqin at the bow.
"She is also a woman of genuine character." Lan Yan accepted the guqin, "Thank you, miss."
With the addition of a guqin in the boat cabin, it caught Jun Yelan's attention. He gently brushed a string. If he could kill with strings, it would be troublesome. But he looked at Lan Yan's dizi, thinking that if he could also play the guqin, he could have duets with Lan Yan.
He then plucked a string again.
Seeing Jun Yelan's interest in the guqin, Lan Yan felt that accepting it earlier was the right decision. She accompanied Jun Yelan, thinking of buying a guqin score when they went ashore.
They returned late at night and rested well.
The next day, Jun Yelan continued to teach Yan'er, but he sat in the pavilion, studying the guqin in front of him.
In Yan'er's eyes, his master was studying a new weapon. He had heard his master play a couple of notes casually, and the sound was so harsh it made his ears hurt. It was definitely a weapon.
Jun Yelan held the guqin score and played a couple more notes, feeling something was not quite right. The sound was becoming increasingly jarring. He put down the guqin score heavily and looked at Yan'er opposite him.
"Your palm strike technique is wrong."
Yan'er looked at Jun Yelan's slightly angry expression and quickly changed his stance. His master had been fine just moments ago; why was he suddenly furious? At this moment, he truly missed his mistress.
He turned his head and saw Lan Yan. Seeing that Jun Yelan was about to get angry again, he shouted, "Master, Mistress is here."
Jun Yelan's anger immediately subsided, and he smiled at the person behind him, "Yan'er. It's hot here, you should stay in the room."
"I was worried you both were hot, so I brought you some chilled lotus seed soup." Lan Yan opened the food container and took out two bowls, looking at them with a smile.
Jun Yelan raised his hand and used his sleeve to shield her from the sun overhead, "Alright, let Yan'er get it from now on. When the weather cools down, you can go out more." He said this while escorting Lan Yan away.
Lan Yan returned, instructing, "Remember to eat."
"I'll eat anything you make." Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan, then turned to Yan'er, who was still practicing martial arts, and said in a cold yet gentle tone, "Your mistress made this especially for me. Finish it."
Yan'er shivered all over, daring not to delay. Wuwuwu, he was starting to miss his mistress again.
After Lan Yan returned, she didn't rest either but tended to the fruit trees she had planted. She looked at the lush branches and patted the trunk, smiling, "When autumn comes, you must bear fruit for me."
The branches swayed as if responding to her.