"At first, it seemed like some kind of mental problem. But then it wasn't just soldiers. The other day, a merchant suddenly attacked a customer out of nowhere. And now there are more cases showing up one by one. Random attacks. Random people. If a mental illness could spread, that would be troublesome."
"Okay, that does sound weird," Song Meiyu admitted, leaning back in her chair.
"Yep," Master Yin Xue said. "And here's the fun part. Those detained soldiers? After a few days, their eyes turned bloodshot. Blue veins started bulging under their skin. Their speech became incoherent. Like an angry, super mad cabbage."
There was a long pause.
Linyue blinked. "Cabbage?"
She almost laughed, but Master Yin Xue didn't sound like she was joking. Then she remembered how Song Meiyu once described a rock as a judgmental cabbage because of the shape, proportions, and the angle of white veins streaked across its surface. Now she understood the origin of that absurdity. Master Yin Xue had been slowly poisoning Song Meiyu's brain with ridiculous metaphors all this time.
He Yuying raised an eyebrow. "So now we're fighting possessed vegetables?"
"I'm just saying what I saw," Master Yin Xue replied. "They scream nonsense, drool, try to bite people. It's not normal."
Song Meiyu gasped, clutching her teacup. "So… it's an actual disease?"
"I'm not sure," Master Yin Xue replied. "I checked the soldiers myself. No signs of poison, no curse marks, no spiritual infection. Other than their behavior and their new cabbage-like appearance… I found nothing."
Shen Zhenyu frowned, his expression thoughtful. "If it's not physical or spiritual, it might be something else."
Song Meiyu's eyes went wide. "Like… cursed cabbages from the demon realm?!"
He Yuying didn't even blink. "Don't give weird ideas. You'll end up making people afraid of their lunch."
Linyue tried to stay serious. She really did. But the picture in her head of people running around with cabbage veins, screaming nonsense, and biting random customers in the market was too much. She covered her mouth and muttered, "I'm never eating cabbage again."
Master Yin Xue, calm as ever despite the chaos she had just described, added, "Anyway, I'm just saying this so you'll be careful. Disease or not, it's better to stay alert."
Shen Zhenyu nodded firmly. "Don't worry. I'll look after them."
"Good boy," Master Yin Xue said warmly. "Alright, bye, my dears."
The jade dimmed and went quiet, leaving the four of them staring at each other in uneasy silence.
Song Meiyu let out a loud sigh. "Why do strange things keep happening lately? Is this normal? It doesn't feel normal."
He Yuying stretched and let out a long yawn. "Yeah. Even the imperial palace is a mess. The one place that's supposed to be peaceful is now full of cabbage madness."
Shen Zhenyu folded his arms and gave them both a serious look. "We don't know what's behind this. It's best to stay vigilant. We should keep training. Cultivate more. Get stronger."
Song Meiyu and He Yuying both groaned at the same time.
Song Meiyu flopped forward onto the table. "Why is the answer always more training?"
He Yuying stared at the ceiling. "I miss the part where we just drink tea and don't fight cursed vegetables."
Linyue only smiled as she watched them. There was something almost comforting about it. They groaned and complained now, but she knew when the time came, they would stand strong. Even against angry cabbages.
The group kept chattering and sipping tea until noon. The tea grew cold, the jokes got louder, and somehow no one seemed to mind.
Eventually, Shen Zhenyu decided enough was enough. He grabbed the back of Song Meiyu's robe and gave her a gentle push toward the door. She let out a tragic squeak but didn't resist. He Yuying followed behind them, dragging his feet.
Linyue watched them leave with a small smile before turning to walk back to Shu Mingye's chamber. Or maybe her chamber now. His bed had become her bed. His room had her hairpin on the table and her clothes folded neatly in the corner. Every servant and palace worker had started calling her madam without even asking for her opinion.
She let out a soft sigh. She wasn't sure when it happened, but somehow the cold, dangerous king's room had turned into the warmest place in the entire palace. Still, warm or not, strange things were happening.
The imperial palace. The political struggles. The angry cabbages. None of it felt like their problem yet. If even Master Yin Xue didn't know what was going on, there wasn't much they could do right now. By all logical thinking, the current situation could only be labeled as peaceful. Linyue nodded to herself, satisfied. Then she stopped.
Wait.
That scroll. The one Shu Mingye had smoothly distracted her from. He had hidden it away so easily with a kiss and a joke and a smirk and a proposal and… other distractions.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Oh, she was definitely asking about it later. Also, there was still the stack of books and scrolls about arrays waiting for her on the table. A small mountain. Neatly arranged. Patient. Mocking her.
Linyue let out another sigh. This one was long, dramatic, and full of sorrow that only a tragic scholar would understand. A scholar forced to choose between love and endless piles of homework. Romance was nice. Really. But she had work to do. And one very smug king to interrogate.
By now, even she didn't bother knocking when entering Shu Mingye's chamber. His guards had probably given up on stopping her weeks ago. She just pushed the door open and walked in like she owned the place. Which, frankly, she almost did. To her mild surprise, Shu Mingye was actually there. He was sitting in the chair by the window, a book in his hand, and a cup of tea next to him. Suspiciously peaceful. Usually, he would be in his study pretending to work while actually plotting something unnecessarily dramatic.
He looked up as soon as she walked in and gave her that lazy, pleased smile. "You came back pretty quickly," he said. "What a good girl."
Linyue raised one brow and shut the door behind her. "I've always been a good girl."
Shu Mingye hummed, clearly amused. "Mmm. That depends on the day."
She narrowed her eyes. "And what kind of day is today?"
"The day where you sit next to me," he said, patting the empty seat beside him, "and admit you missed me."
Linyue stared at him.
He stared back with a completely straight face.
"…No," she replied, voice calm but her lips curved into a sweet smile as she said it.
"Ah," Shu Mingye chuckled softly. "Back to the usual cruelty."
She walked over anyway, eyes narrowing as she studied him. "Why are you not in the study?"
"I was waiting for someone," he said, that familiar smug tone already creeping in. "And it worked. She walked right in like she lives here."
"…Because I do," Linyue said honestly. Then she sat down on the chair beside him.
Shu Mingye smiled again, clearly pleased with himself. "Exactly."
He dragged his chair closer until the legs bumped against hers. Then he leaned in, warm and shameless as always.
Linyue rolled her eyes but didn't bother moving away. He was warm and comfortable. And conveniently blocking the chilly breeze from the window. Pushing him off now would be terribly inefficient.
She glanced at the stack of books and scrolls waiting on the table. Her shoulders sank slightly as she sighed and rested her elbow on the armrest. She would ask about that scroll soon. Definitely. Just… maybe after tea. And maybe after stealing a little more of his warmth.
Shu Mingye glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
She was sitting quietly, flipping through a book. Her long dark hair swayed slightly in the breeze from the window. She looked calm and focused. Sunlight brushed her cheek, and that familiar gardenia scent drifted over to him. Sweet. Fresh. Terribly distracting.
His eyes dropped to her lips. Soft. Pink. Far too tempting.
He smirked. Should he tease her? He had already teased her this morning. Twice. Maybe three times if calling her "a good girl" counted. How many times could one Pie endure teasing before she snapped and shoved a book at his face?
He thought it over for a moment. Then he smiled faintly.
Not now. Let her read first. Let her enjoy the peace. Let her think he was behaving. Then later, when she least expected it…