Half an hour later, the avalanche stopped, and the entire snow mountain fell silent, with only the sound of the wind.
In the snow, Lan Yan extended a hand, and slowly her head emerged. She gasped for air, looking at the vast expanse of white before her, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"So close, I'm still alive. Where is Ye Lan?"
She looked around, but there was no sign of Jun Ye Lan. Worried, she immediately began to search. She crouched down and dug through the snow around her, thinking Jun Ye Lan had also been buried.
At that moment, a faint cry came from behind her, startling her. She turned her head, tears streaming down her face.
Jun Ye Lan stood behind her, his face as pale as paper, but a smile touched his lips. He looked at Lan Yan tenderly and called out, "Yan'er, I'm here."
"Ye Lan!" Lan Yan struggled to her feet and lunged forward, hugging Jun Ye Lan's waist tightly. "You scared me to death just now. I could only see snow; I couldn't see you at all."
Jun Ye Lan stroked Lan Yan's back, his eyes filled with heartache. "The heavy snow must have swept us apart. When I woke up, I only heard you calling me, so I came."
He had been too weak to climb out, but hearing Lan Yan's voice had given him strength. Now that he had found her, his body relaxed, and a cough ensued.
Lan Yan quickly released Jun Ye Lan and then supported his arm. "Ye Lan, it's too cold here. Let's go to a cave to rest first." Jun Ye Lan's health was not good, and staying here any longer would be more dangerous.
"Alright." Jun Ye Lan held Lan Yan's hand and placed it inside his sleeve, trying to warm her now ice-cold fingers.
The two of them then went to the cave. Fortunately, there was some firewood inside, likely left by someone before them.
Lan Yan started the fire. Seeing Jun Ye Lan coughing continuously, she took out a pill from her懷. "Ye Lan, have some of this first."
Looking at the pill, Jun Ye Lan's eyes dimmed slightly. He took it and swallowed, then smiled, "Yan'er, I feel much better." Seeing Lan Yan's smile reappear, he felt much more at ease.
That was enough.
Lan Yan smiled. "Then you rest for a while, and I'll roast some steamed buns. It's getting dark. We'll rest for the night and go up the mountain in the morning." She worried about Jun Ye Lan's health.
"I'll help you." Jun Ye Lan tried to help, but Lan Yan stopped him. He had no choice but to sit by the fire and watch her.
Lan Yan threaded the steamed buns onto branches and flipped the two branches. Seeing that Jun Ye Lan's complexion was still not good, she said, "Ye Lan, let me tell you a story."
"Okay." Jun Ye Lan smiled faintly, his gaze always on Lan Yan.
Lan Yan began to speak slowly, "Once upon a time, there was a female general who, during a battle, met a man skilled in divination. She asked the man to divine for her, but he refused at first, then finally agreed."
"What do you think the omen was?"
Jun Ye Lan shook his head. "Perhaps it had something to do with the battlefield."
Lan Yan smiled. "Not quite. The man hadn't expected to divine something about himself. He and the female general had a connection. Naturally, he didn't want to reveal it, so he lied and told the general to leave."
"And then?"
Seeing Jun Ye Lan's curiosity piqued, Lan Yan's mischievous eyes began to dart around. She smiled, "Then, it's time for us to eat." She handed the roasted buns to Jun Ye Lan and ate hers as well.
Jun Ye Lan looked at the bun in his hand and couldn't help but curve his lips. He didn't know what would happen to the man and woman in the story, but he knew he would never leave Lan Yan.
"Yan'er, if I were that man, I would choose to tell the female general. Since they have a destiny, they shouldn't miss it, or it will be too late to regret. The battlefield is perilous; perhaps that meeting would be their last."
Lan Yan had just made up a story and didn't expect to hear Jun Ye Lan's genuine feelings.
She looped her arm through Jun Ye Lan's and leaned against him, nodding. "Don't worry, if I were the female general, I would definitely go back to find him."
"He lied to me, and I'll settle the score no matter what."
Jun Ye Lan was amused. This was exactly like Lan Yan.
He took Lan Yan's hand and said sincerely, "Yan'er, I, Jun Ye Lan, have no parents and do not believe in gods. At this moment, I only swear to you, I will never lie to you in this life, I will only believe you and obey you."
"No matter how the heavens and earth change, this heart will never change, forever unchanged."
Lan Yan's tears welled up again. She turned her head and wiped them with her sleeve. Turning back, she met Jun Ye Lan's eyes and said, "My heart is like yours."
Jun Ye Lan curved his lips, pulled Lan Yan into his arms, and held her quietly. His life had been stained with blood, and he was willing to pay any price in the afterlife just to spend this life with Lan Yan.
Lan Yan rested her head on Jun Ye Lan's chest, feeling an immense sense of security and joy.
However, the atmosphere-destroying system chimed in. "Host, congratulations on almost reaching the passing mark. Please continue to work hard."
Lan Yan: "...System, if you don't speak, I'll progress faster."
"Host, you're too biased. As your system, I'm quite miserable."
Faced with the system's incessant complaining, Lan Yan couldn't help but interrupt. "Alright, you're better at acting than I am now. Let's talk business. Jun Ye Lan's condition can't be delayed any further. Where exactly is that Snow Mountain Fruit?"
"If you don't help me, and Jun Ye Lan has an accident, you'll be in real trouble."
The system knew the host was prioritizing romance over friendship. After a moment of anger, it said, "To the east. Host, I'm going offline, and I won't be back easily." It had its pride too.
The voice in Lan Yan's mind disappeared, leaving her speechless. "You stinking system, the east is so vast, who knows where it is!"
Jun Ye Lan suddenly heard Lan Yan muttering, sounding annoyed. He asked, "Yan'er, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just saw a stinking rat and I'm quite annoyed right now." Lan Yan yawned. The weather was so conducive to sleep.
Jun Ye Lan smiled, tightened his hold on Lan Yan's cloak, "Yan'er, sleep. I'll watch over you."
"Mhm." Lan Yan's hands rested on Jun Ye Lan, and she slept soundly.
Listening to her even breathing, Jun Ye Lan closed his eyes with a smile and drifted into dreams.
The next morning, Lan Yan, following the system's instructions, led Jun Ye Lan eastward. Their footprints left trails on the snow, extending up the mountain to the summit.
"Ye Lan, there are so many trees here, there must be Snow Mountain Fruit!" Lan Yan exclaimed excitedly, moving towards the trees before her, checking one by one.
Jun Ye Lan stood behind her, his face beaming with a smile as he slowly followed. Suddenly, a taste of blood filled his throat. His eyes darkened, and as usual, he covered his mouth with a handkerchief, but this time, it was uncontrollable.
Blood trickled down the corners of his mouth, blooming like a seductive flower on the snow. His vision blurred, and he propped himself against a tree, his eyes full of longing as he looked at Lan Yan.
"Why couldn't you find it?" Lan Yan searched all the trees, growing increasingly anxious. She cried out, "Impossible, it must be here."
Without the fruit, how could she save Jun Ye Lan!