Two people working together meant faster progress, and soon the snowman was finished.
Lan Yan brought some decorations and hung them on the snowman. She clapped her hands, "It's done." Turning, she skipped over to Jun Yelan, and they went inside together.
Jun Yelan brought over a brazier to dry the snow off Lan Yan. He placed a hand warmer in her palm, looking at her red nose and cheeks, and chuckled, "Now you know it's cold, don't you?"
Lan Yan felt a little embarrassed and quickly warmed herself by the fire. It was her own fault for playing so happily earlier; she was genuinely a bit cold now. Remembering the fruit wine, she called out, "There's still wine; it can warm us up."
She started to get up to fetch it, but Jun Yelan held her down.
"I'll get it. Your job now is to warm yourself," Jun Yelan said, rising to leave.
Lan Yan watched Jun Yelan's retreating back, then lowered her head to lean on the hand warmer, her eyes filled with a smile.
Just then, a long-absent system voice sounded, "Host, as your system, I am obligated to inform you that you have met your qualification criteria."
Lan Yan had almost forgotten about the system. "Oh, I still have ten years, right? You don't need to repeat it."
System: "..." It felt increasingly useless.
Lan Yan recalled her occasional sense of familiarity and asked, "System, why can't I remember things from the previous two worlds very well? What were the names and appearances of those two mission targets?"
The system responded, "Host, you carry too much memory, so you naturally forget those less important details. Host, please don't overthink it. Focus on completing your mission and returning to the real world as soon as possible."
However, Lan Yan felt those memories were very important. Seeing that she couldn't recall them, she let it go. But she realized the system was definitely hiding something from her and was determined to find an opportunity to question it.
The system worried that saying more would lead to more questions. It said, "Host, we will meet again in ten years."
"Okay." Lan Yan waved her hand, urging the system to leave quickly.
System: "..." Why had it chosen such a host in the first place!
Lan Yan was still pondering this matter when she heard the sound of the door opening. She quickly resumed warming herself by the fire. Seeing Jun Yelan holding the fruit wine, she smiled, "Yelan, my fruit wine is ready."
Jun Yelan nodded, prepared the cups, and after warming the wine, handed it to Lan Yan. He noticed a hint of evasion in her eyes and wondered if something had happened while he was gone.
After drinking a cup of wine, Lan Yan felt much more comfortable. She leaned her head on Jun Yelan's shoulder, her cheeks flushed, and she was drowsy.
She mumbled, "Yelan, I always feel like I've known you for a very long time and loved you for a very long time. Not from when you served tea that day, but from much earlier."
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan's state and smiled helplessly, scolding her inwardly for drinking when she shouldn't have. Listening to her words, he replied, "Actually, I feel the same way."
The only person he never wanted to hurt was Lan Yan. Seeing her sad made him ache, and he only wanted to see her happy.
The embers in the brazier burned a deep red, illuminating the faces of the two people beside it.
The following days were much like the usual. Jun Yelan taught Yan'er, while Lan Yan, with Lvqi, busied herself with various things.
Two years later, Yan'er had grown, his martial arts were superb, and he began managing the city's affairs.
Jun Yelan formally abdicated and moved with Lan Yan to a newly purchased residence.
This house was located on the outskirts of the dead city, offering peace and quiet. Their neighbors were all people they had met before.
The moment Lan Yan pushed open the gate, she fell in love with the place. She began planting fruit trees in the yard, and when the fruits ripened, she would give them to the neighbors.
The neighbors were also warm and hospitable, often bringing over their homemade dishes. "Madam, you give us so much every year; we feel too embarrassed to accept."
Lan Yan smiled, "It's nothing. Eat it slowly. Besides, I really like your homemade dishes; my husband's appetite has improved."
This made the neighbors happy, and they brought over even more.
Lan Yan then made some home-style dishes for her and Jun Yelan to enjoy.
Jun Yelan naturally ate everything Lan Yan put into his bowl.
After dinner, they would admire the moon in the yard, checking the weather for the next day.
If the weather was good, they would plan to go out of the city and visit the market. If the weather was bad, they would stay at home, with Jun Yelan accompanying Lan Yan in cooking.
Lan Yan looked at the pancake in Jun Yelan's hand and couldn't help but say, "Yelan, don't you think it's a bit thin?"
Jun Yelan shook his head. "I think it's just right." He then looked at the ones Lan Yan had made and admitted that the thickness was indeed inconsistent.
Lan Yan tore off a piece of dough and placed it on Jun Yelan's pancake, smiling, "This way, it's about right." It was hard work for Jun Yelan, the lord of the dead city, to be making pancakes with her now.
Jun Yelan nodded and continued kneading.
When it was time to bake the pancakes, Jun Yelan was in charge of watching the fire. He looked up and saw Lan Yan reaching for something on the cabinet. He got up and helped her get it down from behind.
Lan Yan suddenly smiled, and in response to Jun Yelan's bewilderment, she said, "I've discovered that this is what living together as a couple is like – helping each other, tolerating each other."
"You're not good at cooking, but I am. You're not good at reaching for things or watching the fire, but you are. So I think we are a match made in heaven, destined to be together forever."
She hugged Jun Yelan's waist.
Jun Yelan embraced the woman in his arms, his lips curving into a smile. "Yan'er, you are absolutely right."
The two lived their days, and ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
Lan Yan heard the system's voice and knew the time to leave had arrived. She brewed a pot of flower tea and brought it to Jun Yelan, smiling, "Yelan, taste it and see if my skills have declined?"
Jun Yelan's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Yan'er's skills have always been excellent." He took a sip, his pupils trembling slightly. This was the first tea Lan Yan had ever served him. "It's still the taste of that year."
Lan Yan's eyebrows rose, and she produced a recipe she had prepared earlier. "If you have to cook for yourself in the future, follow this. The method for brewing tea is also on it."
Jun Yelan tightened his grip on the teacup, staring at Lan Yan's face, wondering why the sudden change. "Yan'er, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just want to eat the meal you cook for me," Lan Yan said with a smile.
Jun Yelan couldn't believe it, but seeing that Lan Yan seemed no different from usual, he changed his tone and smiled, "That's not difficult. I'll go and make it for you right now."
"Okay." Lan Yan watched Jun Yelan leave, then her smile faded. "Yelan, forgive me for deceiving you in the end." She slumped onto the table, her eyelids drooping, and the system's voice echoed in her mind.
Jun Yelan worked diligently in the kitchen for a long time and then brought over a bowl of noodles, having done his best. He saw Lan Yan slumped over and assumed she had fallen asleep. He called out, "Yan'er."
But Lan Yan showed no reaction.
He immediately panicked, reaching for Lan Yan's nose, and then froze. "No, Yan'er!" He pulled Lan Yan into his arms, trying to retain the warmth of the person in his embrace, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.
From day to night, he didn't know how long he had been sitting there. He channeled his internal energy and violently spat out a mouthful of blood, containing a蛊虫 (gu worm).
He carried Lan Yan towards the back mountain, entered the underground tomb, and never emerged again. "Yan'er, in the next life, I will find you again."
At the same time, a fragment floated into the air.