Since Ruan Yuan left, Lan Yan had been recuperating in the manor.
Jun Yelan brought her meals, but she noticed he spoke less. She deliberately ate slowly and asked, "Jun Yelan, has anything happened recently?"
"Nothing. I'll get the bowls later," Jun Yelan replied directly before leaving.
Lan Yan, still holding her bowl, was puzzled. She decided to summon the system. "Stupid system, come out! Have you been playing hide-and-seek with me?"
A system voice immediately echoed in her mind, "Host, you misunderstand me. I've been reading recently." He had specifically studied how to communicate with hosts and read love manuals to better execute missions.
Lan Yan couldn't refute him for a moment. "System, check on Jun Yelan for me, what's wrong with him recently?"
"Sorry, Host, I don't have that function." The system sounded helpless.
Lan Yan: "..." She shouldn't have asked the system; it was asking for trouble. "System, I've always had a question: are the mission targets in every world so miserable?"
The system was startled. How could the Host remember these things! "Host, if it weren't difficult, it wouldn't highlight your abilities."
"Don't flatter me, get to the point!" Images of someone suffering flashed in Lan Yan's mind. She hadn't experienced them, so it must be related to the system.
The system began to panic. What if their Host suddenly became smarter? "Um, Host, actually, it's like this..."
"Get to the point!" Lan Yan interrupted.
The system had to reveal a little. "Host, the small worlds automatically set this up to restrain the mission targets' abilities." After all, Jun Yelan used to be their great master with formidable power.
If it weren't for that incident, the master wouldn't have ended up like this.
Lan Yan fell into thought. "So, my arrival here has actually disrupted the rules of this place. According to the setting, Jun Yelan would have continued to suffer, and I changed that."
She finally understood the meaning of what she was doing: to change things.
Seeing that Lan Yan had stopped asking, the system breathed a sigh of relief. It had managed to escape this time. "Host, you should rest well. I'm going offline for now. I was reading just now and reached an exciting part."
Before Lan Yan could speak, the system had already left.
Lan Yan: "Never mind, I won't bother with him." She decided to focus on recuperating, then get along with Jun Yelan, and closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Jun Yelan was chopping meat on a cutting board with a knife. His fingers were covered in small cuts, all from cooking these past few days.
He had been reflecting on Lan Yan's actions towards him, realizing she was the only one who had ever treated him so kindly. He didn't know her motives, but he had made up his mind to protect Lan Yan at least once.
He calculated the time; it was almost time for him to go to the palace again to play chess and divine for the Emperor.
This time, he would make plans for Lan Yan.
The next morning, Lan Yan woke up full of energy. She went to the courtyard to run, then practiced a set of boxing, before sitting down for breakfast.
She looked at Jun Yelan opposite her. He was still not talking much. She smiled and said, "Jun Yelan, after breakfast, let's go to the market to stroll around." They had only visited the ancient temple before, and there were many places left to explore.
Jun Yelan nodded, his gaze fixed on Lan Yan's eyes.
Lan Yan had gotten used to it and could now remain calm. "Then let's eat quickly." After saying that, she drank her porridge and choked, "Cough, cough!"
Jun Yelan reached out and gently patted Lan Yan's back. "There's no need to be so hurried."
"I'm fine now." Lan Yan drank some water and felt much better. She turned to look at Jun Yelan and apologized, "It was my carelessness."
Jun Yelan shook his head. "It's just an accident. Don't think about it anymore. Let's eat and then go to the market." He continued eating his porridge.
Lan Yan also continued eating, occasionally glancing at Jun Yelan, feeling something was amiss. Jun Yelan had been very indifferent to her before, but now he was very attentive. Yet, she felt he was hiding something.
But Jun Yelan's expression seemed normal, was it her imagination? She fell into confusion.
Jun Yelan finished his porridge at a leisurely pace. After tidying up the bowls and chopsticks, he walked beside Lan Yan.
"Let's go." Lan Yan smiled and walked ahead.
Jun Yelan watched her lively demeanor, a slight curve appearing on the corner of his lips.
The two arrived at the market. Lan Yan's eyes lit up, and she ran to a skewer grilling stall, shouting, "Boss, give me ten skewers. No, twenty skewers."
She hadn't eaten this in a long time.
The boss quickly grilled them, adding plenty of chili pepper, and handed them to her.
After paying, Lan Yan looked around and couldn't see Jun Yelan. She scanned her surroundings and saw Jun Yelan standing by the adjacent stall. It was a stall selling sweet soup. She saw Jun Yelan holding a bamboo tube and waving.
Jun Yelan walked over, holding a portion of osmanthus cake in his other hand.
"Let's find a place to eat," Lan Yan said with a smile. She found a secluded spot and sat down. She handed a skewer of lamb to Jun Yelan and asked, "Do you want to eat?"
Jun Yelan shook his head. "I'm not good with spicy food."
As Lan Yan showed a hint of regret, she saw Jun Yelan take a skewer and pause slightly. She reacted, a smile curving her lips, and bit into the one in her hand. After eating a few skewers, her mouth turned red, and she exclaimed, "I can't, it's too spicy."
As soon as she finished speaking, a bamboo tube was handed to her. She quickly drank from it, and her stomach felt much more comfortable. She couldn't help but laugh. "Jun Yelan, thank you so much, otherwise I would have died from the spiciness."
Jun Yelan softly hummed in response. Having lived with Lan Yan for so long, he already knew her preferences. When Lan Yan was buying lamb skewers earlier, he saw they sold water nearby, so he went to get some.
He handed her the osmanthus cake. "Eat this, and it won't be as spicy."
"Okay." Lan Yan didn't take it; instead, she took a piece from Jun Yelan's hand and put it in her mouth, chewing it. She smiled and said, "I don't feel the spice anymore, I can continue eating."
As she spoke, the lamb skewer in her hand was taken away, leaving her palm empty.
Jun Yelan put it away and said, "We'll eat it later."
"Alright." Lan Yan put on a wronged expression but agreed with Jun Yelan and stood up.
Jun Yelan was amused. He hid his smile and stood up beside Lan Yan.
The two browsed for a long time before returning to the manor. They saw an eunuch standing at the entrance. Lan Yan recognized him as an attendant by the Emperor's side.
The eunuch saw them and put on his usual smile. "General Lan, Young Master Jun."
Lan Yan nodded and asked, "Eunuch Yan, what brings you here?" He wouldn't come without a reason.
The eunuch smiled and said, "Great news! The Emperor has appointed Young Master Jun as the Grand Priest. Starting today, you will reside in the Shuanghua Palace within the palace and be responsible for conducting sacrifices. Young Master Jun is truly a blessed person, and General Lan has a discerning eye."
Lan Yan was stunned. She looked at Jun Yelan, her eyes filled with worry. This was not good news at all!
Jun Yelan also stared at Lan Yan, his demeanor much calmer now. He was already accustomed to such matters. However, seeing Lan Yan worried about him, he suddenly had the urge to hold her hand and tell her, "It's alright."
He wanted to reassure the person in front of him, and to make her feel more at ease in the future.