Along the way, Lan Yan sat in the carriage, lifting the curtain to admire the scenery. Verdant mountains, clear waters, lakes, marshes, and all sorts of small animals living in them.
Moreover, upon arriving at a place, Jun Yelan would first get out of the carriage to buy her local delicacies.
So, nibbling on a sugar crisp, she looked at the riverbank not far away and called out, "Yelan, let's have lunch here today."
"Alright." Jun Yelan smiled helplessly. Having just eaten a pancake and sugar crisp, she was already thinking about lunch. His Yan'er was truly too cute.
Lan Yan took out the dry rations from the carriage, and Jun Yelan had already started a fire, placing the steamed buns on it to roast. She had also made some dried meat, which she slowly chewed, swallowing it down with water.
Jun Yelan said, "Yan'er, don't eat too much, or you'll get a stomachache later." He only bought Lan Yan one serving of food each day, precisely to prevent such a situation.
"Yelan, I'll just have one more steamed bun," Lan Yan said, her mouth watering as she looked at the warm roasted bun.
Jun Yelan directly took the bun away. "No, you just had a pancake."
"But I'm hungry again." Lan Yan rubbed her stomach, looking at Jun Yelan pitifully.
Jun Yelan was amused and took the bun back. Seeing Lan Yan's expectant gaze, he sighed softly, tore off half of it, and handed it to her. "You really can't eat any more."
"Okay." Lan Yan took the bun and ate it with contentment, even letting out a satisfied burp.
Jun Yelan patted her back and put away the remaining food, deciding Lan Yan could not eat any more.
Lan Yan patted her chest, finally stopping her burps. She looked at Jun Yelan and realized he hadn't eaten anything. She then thoughtfully took out a parcel from her embrace. "Yelan, this is all for you."
Jun Yelan: "..." He looked at the parcel with a mix of amusement and helplessness. Lan Yan still had so much food on her, it seemed he couldn't stop her. "Yan'er, do you have any more food?"
Lan Yan's hand went to her waist, and she pulled out two more packets. "It's all here." Then she saw Jun Yelan collect them all and felt as if she had walked into a trap.
"Yelan, there's still half an afternoon left."
Jun Yelan couldn't help but smile, tapped Lan Yan's nose, and said dotingly, "I'll let you eat more tomorrow."
"Alright," Lan Yan said with a look of regret and got into the carriage.
Jun Yelan's soft chuckle came from outside the carriage as he sat down by the driver's seat.
Lan Yan took the opportunity to summon the system. "System, look, I've become henpecked."
System: "Host, it's rare for someone to be able to control you." He was a little smug, having been thoroughly berated by the host before. Now, the host had finally met her match.
Lan Yan heard the cheerful tone. "Hmph, System, you're gloating, aren't you? I'm not talking to you. You'll never understand the feelings between Jun Yelan and me."
Her words were filled with pride, leaving the system to get angry on its own.
The system, too lazy to bother with this host, was about to go offline.
"Wait a moment. Last time you said the world experienced chaos, it won't happen again this time, right?" Lan Yan had always felt the system was unreliable, and now even more so.
The system glanced at the interface. "Host, I've fixed it. You can be completely at ease this time. I guarantee it with my integrity!"
"Hmm, do you have integrity?" After Lan Yan finished speaking, the system fell silent.
The system's only thought was that it never wanted to talk to the host again and decisively went offline.
Seeing that there was no sound in her mind, Lan Yan murmured, "It really got angry. I don't care about it." She leaned back in the carriage, picked up a novel, and felt like something was missing.
She looked at the small table in front of her and found another small parcel. Upon opening it, she found it was full of candies. It must have been prepared by Jun Yelan. She popped a candy into her mouth, swung her feet, and engrossed herself in the novel.
A month later, they arrived at the imperial city and found an inn to stay in.
Lan Yan opened the window, saw the streams of students below, and then looked up at the sky. She clasped her hands together, praying, "Bless Yelan to pass the imperial examination this time." If he failed, he would have to wait another three years.
Jun Yelan came in with a basin of water and saw Lan Yan murmuring something by the window. He smiled and said, "Yan'er, come here quickly."
"Okay." Lan Yan closed the window and, as soon as she walked over, was pulled to the bedside by Jun Yelan. Before she could react, Jun Yelan reached out to remove her shoes and socks.
Jun Yelan said, "Yan'er, you've endured hardships and slept in the open all along the way. You should soak your feet properly tonight." He tested the water temperature, placed Lan Yan's fair feet into the basin, and began to wipe them with a towel.
Lan Yan felt a little embarrassed. "Yelan, I can do it myself." She reached for the towel, but Jun Yelan dodged it, making her pause slightly.
"You are my wife, and it is my duty to take care of you." Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan's feet, noticing the many calluses on the soles, realizing she had suffered along the way.
Lan Yan felt Jun Yelan staring at her so intently that she wanted to withdraw her foot but found her ankle held fast. "Yelan, what's wrong?"
Jun Yelan raised his hand, washing her feet as he said, "I just feel that after being with me, you've always had to suffer." He felt his efforts were still not enough, unable to provide Lan Yan with the best life.
But for Lan Yan, what she wanted had long been fulfilled. "Yelan, do you know, I've even gained weight? This isn't suffering, it's enjoying life." She even pinched her waist and sighed repeatedly.
Jun Yelan was amused and said, "Yan'er, you haven't gained weight at all. You're just right like this."
"You only know how to flatter me," Lan Yan mumbled, her eyes full of laughter.
Jun Yelan smiled faintly and asked, "Yan'er, what were you looking at by the window just now?"
"There were many students, but they can't compete with my husband." Lan Yan curved her lips, her face beaming with confidence. Her husband was the strongest.
Jun Yelan nodded. "Good. Then I'll aim for the top scholar and show it to my wife."
"Mm," Lan Yan replied with a smile. She thought Jun Yelan was just trying to appease her, so she didn't pay much attention and went to sleep.
The next morning, Jun Yelan headed to the examination hall, and Lan Yan saw him off.
Lan Yan returned to the inn alone. Every day, she prayed in her room, and when she was bored, she practiced calligraphy, only to find the entire sheet of paper filled with Jun Yelan's name.
A few days passed like this, and it was time for the examination to end. She held an umbrella, standing at the entrance early, craning her neck to look towards the exit.
Jun Yelan walked out, took the umbrella from Lan Yan's hand, and they walked back slowly together. "Yan'er, don't worry."
These simple three words were enough to make Lan Yan's lips curve upwards. She linked her arm through Jun Yelan's, looked at the rain falling outside the umbrella, and said with a smile, "Yelan, let's stop by the wonton stall later and have a bowl of wontons before we go back."
"Okay." Jun Yelan held Lan Yan's hand, his smile never fading. For them, these were the best and most comfortable days.