Linyue's eyes flew open. She lifted her head and glared at him. So much for a peaceful moment. Of course he had to ruin it.
"I just rubbed a bit," she said quickly, her voice defensive. "You did worse."
"So," Shu Mingye leaned in closer, eyes gleaming, "is this a competition? You know I'll win."
She stared at him, trying to keep her face calm and failing. "…Nope. Not a competition. I haven't even redeemed the sniffing fee yet."
He chuckled, deep and wicked. "You also haven't paid the repair fee yet."
Before she could reply, he tilted her chin up, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin. His mouth curved into a smile that felt far too dangerous for the quiet room they were in. "How about this," he said, voice playful yet maddeningly calm, "I pay with my body… and then you pay with yours. That way, we'll be even."
Linyue froze. Her face felt like it was on fire. She tried to sound calm, though her voice betrayed her. "That sounds expensive. Let's negotiate."
Shu Mingye's grin deepened, clearly delighted. "Oh? Then tell me, Pie… what's your offer?"
Linyue tilted her head, pretending to think hard. Then she smiled sweetly. "Well, do you accept candies?"
He laughed at her answer, low and rich. That candy thing again. It was going to haunt him for the rest of his life. "Pie, why would I want candy when you're sweeter than candy?"
Linyue stiffened. Her smile faltered. For once, she didn't have a comeback. Her mind went completely blank, which was rare and deeply unfair.
The air between them grew quiet. Warm light pooled softly around them. For a moment, everything felt perfect. Just the two of them, warm and quiet, tangled together with no interruptions.
Shu Mingye's eyes lingered on her face. Her ears were pink, her lips parted as if she wanted to say something but refused to. She looked so adorably flustered that he almost wanted to capture the moment, seal it in jade, and carry it everywhere just to annoy her later.
Then came the sound that ruined it all.
Knock. Knock.
Shu Mingye groaned. Of course. Right when his Pie was being so soft and so obedient. He muttered, "Right when she finally behaves…"
Linyue's eyes snapped up, sharp and incredulous. Behaves? Did he really just say that?
Shu Mingye sighed deeply. His voice dripped with regret. "Come in."
The door creaked open. Boyi stepped inside, his movements stiff and awkward like he had accidentally walked in on a forbidden scene. His eyes darted to the floor. He bowed so fast his head nearly hit his knees. "Lord. Madam."
Linyue blinked at him. Madam again? She glanced at Shu Mingye out of the corner of her eye, but decided not to argue. Fine. She supposed she had to accept it at some point.
"I'll go find the others," she said, brushing off her robes and standing up. "I want to see how many things they broke or burned while I was gone."
Shu Mingye chuckled low in his throat. "Actually, I don't mind. You can always pay for damages with your—"
Before he could finish that sentence, Linyue jumped to her feet and cut him off. "Alright! Got it! I won't bother you. And we won't break or burn anything!"
She dashed off in a blur of fluttering sleeves before Shu Mingye could say another word. She didn't even glance back.
Shu Mingye leaned back with a sigh, his mouth curving into a smirk. "She ran," he muttered.
Boyi, still staring hard at the floor, whispered, "Yes."
"She's going to burn something, isn't she?"
"…Most likely, Lord."
Meanwhile, Linyue didn't slow down. She kept running until she reached her chamber, threw open the door, and there they were. The three usual suspects, lounging in her room like it was their private teahouse. She wasn't even sure this was still her chamber anymore or just their favorite hideout. At this point, they came and went without knocking, left snacks in the drawers, and probably had a secret teacup stash hidden somewhere. Not that she minded. Much.
Song Meiyu was the first to squeal, as expected. "Sister Linyue! You finally came back! Did you spend another night in his chamber?"
Linyue walked in and sat down like she hadn't just sprinted away from a very suspicious conversation. "Mhm."
Song Meiyu's eyes sparkled. "So, have you finally… you know…"
Linyue gave her a calm, peaceful smile. "I accepted his proposal."
Song Meiyu gasped so hard it was a miracle the tea didn't fly out of her cup. "Really?! Have you planned the wedding? Have you picked the gown? The date? The flower arrangements?!"
Across the table, Shen Zhenyu froze mid-sip. He Yuying, on the other hand, didn't even blink. He nodded slowly and took another long sip of tea, like he had predicted this three weeks ago and was now just watching the rest of them catch up.
Linyue lifted her cup and answered, "No. Why the rush?"
Shen Zhenyu nodded at once, clearly seizing his chance. "Right. No need to rush." He cleared his throat and spoke just fast enough to block Song Meiyu from launching into a detailed bridal procession plan. "By the way, Linyue… you haven't told us yet. That masked man, who is he?"
Song Meiyu opened her mouth, clearly ready to fight this subject change, but He Yuying calmly held out a dried plum. She took it. Chewing seemed to calm her.
Linyue let out a long sigh, the kind that said "Why did I come back here?" but also "Fine, I guess I love these weirdos." Of course they wouldn't let her rest. Romance or no romance, someone was always waiting with tea, gossip, or too many questions. So she gave them the short version about the masked man. Just the basic facts. She skipped the darker parts, the ones she had only told Shu Mingye. The things that still made her chest feel heavy. Instead, she focused on what they needed to know. The useful parts.
When she finished, Song Meiyu's mouth dropped open. "So he's your master?"
He Yuying nodded like this was perfectly normal.
Shen Zhenyu, still holding his teacup with both hands, tilted his head. "Then why did you use that blue flame all this time?"
Linyue answered simply, "It's called Azure Spark. That was what I learned from him. It was easier to control and used less spiritual energy. I only used lightning when it was necessary. And… Master also told me not to use lightning spiritual energy too much."
Song Meiyu gasped again. She was clearly having a very dramatic day. "That's not fair! You never told us!"
Linyue sipped her tea. "Well. You didn't ask."
Song Meiyu clutched her chest. "You always used that blue flame! We all thought you were a fire cultivator!"
"I never said I was."
Shen Zhenyu let out a quiet chuckle. "She's right. Technically, she never lied."
Song Meiyu dropped her head onto the table with a loud groan. "This is why I have trust issues…"
He Yuying reached over and patted her back with one hand while casually sipping his tea with the other. "You've always had trust issues."
Linyue leaned back in her chair, her lips curling in a small smile as she watched them. Somehow this noisy little group—messy, dramatic, and far too nosy—felt more like home than any palace ever had.
Suddenly, Song Meiyu's spirit transmission jade lit up with a faint glow.
Everyone went still.
Song Meiyu snatched it up immediately and tapped it. "Master Yin Xue!"
The jade gave a soft hum before a familiar voice came through. "Hey, dear. I have some bad news."
The four of them exchanged quick glances. That tone was never a good sign.
Song Meiyu frowned. "We didn't even break or burn anything this week."
Master Yin Xue let out a short laugh. "Well, congratulations. Truly a historic moment. Anyway, something happened in the east."
"What happened?" Song Meiyu leaned forward, as if the jade could see her.
Master Yin Xue's voice stayed easy, but there was a weight underneath it. "Some people have started acting strange. It began with soldiers in the palace. Prince Lu said a few of them started attacking each other."
The four of them sat up straighter at once.
"At first, it looked like a regular quarrel," Master Yin Xue went on. "But then they got wild. Started hurting each other. A few were seriously injured."
Song Meiyu blinked. "That still sounds like a quarrel. Maybe… they were fighting over a woman?"
There was a pause on the other end. Then came a long, tired sigh. "Yes. Yes, my dear disciple. That's what's on your mind right now?"
Song Meiyu raised both hands in defense. "Well?! Is it not?"
Linyue pressed a hand to her mouth to hide her smile.
He Yuying didn't even try. "If a woman can make a man kill each other, then I really need to meet her."
Shen Zhenyu, still holding his tea, muttered quietly, "That's not how love works."
Song Meiyu turned to him. "Right. That's not love, that's chaos."
"Exactly," Master Yin Xue said flatly. "And chaos is what worries me. Something's off."
The room went quiet in an instant.
"Prince Lu consulted me about it," she continued. "The soldiers who started the attacks were detained."
Song Meiyu leaned in so far she nearly knocked over her tea. "And then?"