Master Tian Mo didn't answer right away. He lowered himself slowly onto his chair, then crossed one leg over the other. "What did you feel," he asked, "when you tried to sense it?"
Linyue's eyebrows drew together. The memory was still fresh. That creeping cold. The sharp thorns curling around her thoughts. Her mind tugged in all directions. Not just her memories, but someone else's. Twisted. Hungry. Like something trying to take root inside her head and bloom from her pain.
"…It was like something digging into my mind," she said slowly. "It tried to use my memories. The worst ones. As if it wanted to break me from the inside."
Shu Mingye's jaw tightened. He didn't say anything, but his hand slid over hers. His grip was warm, solid, and protective.
Still hiding behind a pillar, Song Meiyu made a strangled noise. "Why would a book do that?! Books are supposed to give you hope! Or romance! Or at least some spicy betrayal! Not permanent psychological damage!"
Master Tian Mo, who had been stirring his tea with dramatic slowness, set the cup down with a soft clink. His usual lazy eyes turned sharp. "This thing," he said grimly, "is exactly what you think it is." He nodded toward the dark red smear still glistening on the table.
Linyue squinted at it. "Blood?"
"Blood," Master Tian Mo confirmed calmly. "But not ordinary blood. Blood ink. It's mixed with memory. Possibly soul fragments."
Song Meiyu made another faint squeak. It sounded like a hiccup crossed with panic. "So those patients didn't lend me their books… they cursed me?!"
Master Tian Mo gave a lazy chuckle. "It's quite fortunate, actually. We may have discovered the source of that angry cabbage by accident."
That got Song Meiyu to sprint from behind the pillar so fast her hair pin nearly flew off. She skidded to a stop beside the table and gasped, "Master, do you mean this is the cause of the mental illness?!"
Master Tian Mo didn't answer directly, because being dramatic was his favorite hobby besides tea. He gestured at the red stains and the faint black smoke still curling from the book spines. "There are some forbidden arrays written with blood," he said. "Looking at the reaction and the fog… it might be one of them."
Linyue narrowed her eyes. "Master, do you know what kind of array is it?"
Master Tian Mo scratched his chin with a very serious expression, one he usually reserved for pastry choices. "Not for sure. Maybe something related to soul or mind. For now, you don't need to worry about it. I'll find Yin Xue and discuss it with her first. You should go back and rest."
Song Meiyu hesitated, staring at the books with betrayed eyes. "What about the books?"
Master Tian Mo raised an eyebrow. "You still want them?"
Song Meiyu raised both hands and took a full step back. "Nope. I'm good. I don't want to accidentally get cursed and start punching in the middle of the night."
Linyue sighed softly. "This is what I get for not meditating properly."
Shu Mingye leaned closer, his voice a low whisper near her ear. "See? You should've come to me."
Linyue pouted. Not because he was wrong, but because he knew he was right and was definitely enjoying it.
Chaos Sisters: mildly traumatized.
Cursed Books: suspicious and still slightly steaming.
Demon King: already plotting dramatic punishment for his Pie. Probably included chains. Possibly matching ones.
They left Master Tian Mo's residence with the pace of snails, every step heavy with spiritual exhaustion and lingering book trauma.
Shu Mingye stayed close, one arm snugly wrapped around Linyue's waist.
Song Meiyu trudged beside them, still thinking out loud. "Sister Linyue, do you think the book is really the cause of the mental illness?"
Linyue, despite wanting to sleep for a week, answered thoughtfully as they walked slowly through the corridor. "Possible. It explains how it spreads across the states. If someone created an array inside the books, the culprit wouldn't need to be present. The readers activate it themselves by reading the books."
Song Meiyu's eyes widened. "So that's how the angry cabbage cases explode? It's because the books got popular?"
Linyue nodded slowly. "Yes. The more people read them, the more minds affected. That's why it started slowly, and then suddenly increased."
Song Meiyu looked personally offended on behalf of angry cabbages. "That's evil!"
Before she could launch into a dramatic rant, they unknowingly arrived at the second floor, right in front of Linyue's chamber.
Shu Mingye took one look at the door, then smoothly cut in, "We've arrived. Let's continue this talk another time."
And before anyone could blink, he casually dragged Linyue into the room by the waist and shut the door behind them with a quiet thunk.
Song Meiyu blinked at the closed door. "...I didn't even get to say good night."
She turned and trudged off to her own room, dragging her feet unhappily.
Chaos Sisters: separated for safety.
Chaos Couple: officially unsupervised.
Pie: very nervous. Very guilty. Possibly cornered.
Inside the quiet room, Shu Mingye didn't waste a second. He scooped Linyue up, carried her to the bed, and set her down carefully at the edge. Then he got to work. He tilted her head to the left. Then to the right. He lifted her hand, poked at her wrist, inspected her sleeve like it might be hiding forbidden artifacts.
Linyue blinked. "What are you doing?"
"Checking," Shu Mingye said, utterly serious as he held her hand up to the light.
"I'm fine," Linyue said, laughing softly, though her heartbeat was picking up.
Shu Mingye didn't look convinced. In fact, he frowned deeper. "How many times," he said slowly, "are you going to break your promise to me?"
"I didn't do it alone," she defended quickly. "I came to Master Tian Mo."
"You didn't come to me."
"You were busy."
Shu Mingye narrowed his eyes. "Pie, I told you. I will always have time for you. If you ask me to come, I'll come. Even if I'm dead, I'll find a way to crawl back."
That made her eyes drop to the floor. A twinge of guilt curled in her chest. "…I'm sorry."
But Shu Mingye wasn't finished. He gently tilted her chin up with his finger so her eyes met his again. His voice turned lower, smoother, and much more dangerous. "So," he said, "how should I punish you?"
Linyue froze. Her brain spun.
Nope. No thank you. Absolutely not. Her self-preservation kicked in fast. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him in a hug. "What punishment?" she said quickly. "I didn't cause any trouble. I was just… poking a few books. For future research purposes."
"Research," Shu Mingye echoed.
Linyue nodded vigorously against his chest. "Yes. Romantic reference books. I thought I could… learn something useful."
There was a beat of silence. Then his voice turned velvety-dark near her ear. "Learn what?"
Linyue didn't dare move. Her ears burned. "…Emotional development?" she offered weakly.
Shu Mingye chuckled, low and dangerous. "Then," he said, gently lifting her chin again, "should I demonstrate something for your studies?"
Linyue froze at his words.
Chaos Couple: romantically escalating.
Pie: very red. Very cooked. Probably edible.
Shu Mingye looked at the blushing woman in front of him and nearly laughed. She was so stiff, so shy, so obviously trying to dig a hole in the floor with her eyes. He could practically see the steam rising from her ears. So cute. So lovely. So tempting. But he knew she was tired. She had spent more than half a day wrestling cursed romance books. Not exactly the ideal time for practical romance demonstrations, no matter how funny it was to see her like this. So instead, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Light. Warm. Affectionate. The kind of kiss that said, I'll wait.
He let her go and smiled. He tucked her into bed, pulled the blanket to her shoulders and even patted it down neatly. He slid in beside her, his arm slipping easily around her waist.
"You should rest, my Pie," he whispered.
Linyue stared at him suspiciously, as if expecting a trap. But he just looked calm, maybe a little too smug, but mostly calm. She didn't know what made him change his mind. Maybe he really was being kind. Or maybe he just wanted her defenses down so he could tease her again later.
Her mind was tired. The cursed memories she had seen earlier were still clinging around her thoughts. So she scooted closer, letting herself be pulled gently into his arms. His chest was warm. His heartbeat was steady. And when she closed her eyes, the world felt a little quieter and safer.
Chaos Couple: peacefully recharging.
Pie: wrapped and defrosting.
Demon King: pretending to sleep, actually smiling.