Linyue thought she understood it now. Just a little. Enough to make her want to try again. But when she glanced up, the sky was already dark. She thought Shu Mingye might still be trapped in a long, painful chat with Master Tian Mo, but apparently not. Maybe he was with Master Yin Xue. So she headed back to her chamber, fully expecting an empty room and maybe a moment of peace. Instead, there he was. Sitting comfortably on the edge of the bed like he owned it. Which, considering how often he stole half of the blanket, he probably thought he did.
As soon as she stepped inside, Shu Mingye stood and walked straight to her. "Welcome back, Pie," he said warmly, lifting her by the waist.
"You survived again today," Linyue smiled.
"Of course," Shu Mingye said proudly. "I told you, such small things can't stop me."
"Mhm." She didn't believe that for a second, but it was cute how confidently he said it.
He set her down gently on the bed and leaned in close, narrowing his eyes. "What kind of trouble did you cause today?"
Linyue blinked innocently. "Just a bit of wind here and there."
Shu Mingye raised an eyebrow. "Really? I heard a nearby tree went bald."
Linyue frowned with great dignity. "That's… not wrong."
Shu Mingye chuckled and dropped down beside her, his eyes glinting with mischief. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then her cheek. And finally, he claimed her lips like he had full rights to them.
The kiss was soft and warm, but also very Shu Mingye. Bold. Certain. Just a little smug. His hand rested firmly on her back, holding her close. She realized how much she had missed this. His kiss. His warmth. His touch. All of him, really. The way he made her forget she used to live like a quiet shadow. Just as they were getting properly lost in the kiss, a knock came from the door.
Shu Mingye didn't flinch. He simply deepened the kiss.
Another knock.
He paused just long enough to mutter against her lips, "Leave it be."
Another knock.
Linyue placed her hand on his shoulder and gave a light push. It was more of a nudge than a real effort. Shu Mingye finally let her go with a frustrated sigh.
She pecked his lips and whispered, "We have a lot of time."
He looked like he didn't agree with that at all.
Linyue quickly walked to the door and opened it.
Song Meiyu stood there, her smile wide and far too sweet to be innocent. "Sister Linyue, I knocked this time," she said cheerfully.
Her eyes darted past Linyue and landed on Shu Mingye. He was sprawled lazily on the bed, his hair slightly messy and his collar just a little out of place. Song Meiyu's grin widened.
Linyue's face stayed perfectly straight. "Do you need something?"
Song Meiyu raised both eyebrows and leaned closer with a knowing look. "Well, I haven't seen you all day. But it seems you're busy. I'll leave you two alone. Good night!"
Then Song Meiyu scampered off, laughing softly to herself.
Linyue let out a long sigh and turned back. Shu Mingye was already sitting up, arms wide open, waiting for her. "Come back," he said lazily.
She quietly locked the door. The soft click echoed in the room as she walked back toward the bed. The second she got close, Shu Mingye grabbed and pulled her into a firm hug. He lifted her up and threw her onto the bed enthusiastically.
Before she could say a word, Shu Mingye was already above her, kissing her with the same boldness he always carried. She didn't hold back either. Her cold hands slid up his back. His hand moved to the tie of her robes with clear intent. This time she didn't stop him. Instead, her fingers reached for the tie of his robes too. She was fast and determined. It was all very promising. But then—
Knock knock.
They both froze. Well, Linyue froze. Shu Mingye most definitely did not. She quickly grabbed his impatient hands before he could continue.
"Just ignore it," he said in a low, husky voice, still hovering close to her lips.
Linyue gave him the look of a responsible adult. "Maybe it's important."
Shu Mingye let out an offended sigh. He stared at her like she had betrayed something sacred. But then he saw her soft, apologetic eyes and instantly melted. With exaggerated reluctance, he straightened her robes, helped her sit up properly, and gently brushed her messy hair back into place. Then he stomped to the door and yanked it open.
It was Shen Zhenyu.
Shen Zhenyu glanced at Shu Mingye's ruffled collar and messy hair. Then his eyes shifted to Linyue, who stepped beside him with a faint flush and an expression that looked far too innocent to be natural. He did not look impressed.
"What is it?" Shu Mingye asked, already frowning.
"I got an update," Shen Zhenyu said flatly. "On the angry cabbage case."
Shu Mingye blinked. "…What?"
Linyue cleared her throat and nodded. "That's important."
Shu Mingye turned his head very slowly toward her, eyes full of silent betrayal. "Important?"
"Very," she said. "Deadly vegetables are no joke."
Shu Mingye stared at the ceiling as if expecting the heavens to answer his suffering. "I should've just kidnapped her when I had the chance."
Linyue gave him a light slap on the chest, her expression calm but her eyes amused.
Shen Zhenyu ignored the romantic chaos in front of him and continued with his usual calm, professional tone. "The Soup Man studied the angry cabbage cases. He gathered information from the capital, the north, and here. According to him, the first signs weren't physical attacks."
"You mean, they didn't start angry?"
"No," Shen Zhenyu said, as if it were completely normal to have this conversation outside a bedroom. "At first, they just acted strange. Mood swings. Sudden irritation. Couples started fighting more than usual."
Shu Mingye side-eyed Linyue. "We fight all the time."
"We do not," Linyue said flatly.
"Exactly," he said smugly. "We're clearly fine."
Shen Zhenyu gave them both a look, then continued, "Then it got worse. Hallucinations. They started talking to thin air, yelling at walls, throwing things. After that… they suddenly turned violent. Attacking people. Their mind just snapped."
Linyue folded her arms, frown deepening. "So it really sounds like a mental illness. Just… faster."
Shen Zhenyu nodded. "Yes. But this spreads. The ones we keep underground, they've already lost their minds. You wouldn't call them human anymore. They look and behave like beasts."
Shu Mingye raised an eyebrow. "Did you try calming them down with tea?"
"No," Shen Zhenyu replied dryly. "But you're welcome to try next time."
Linyue added, "Maybe add pie beside the tea. Everyone calms down with pie."
Shen Zhenyu gave a quiet chuckle, but his face turned serious again almost instantly. "One of the angry cabbage victims who was being treated at home… his family thought he was getting better. But today he lost control and killed his neighbor. The patrolling guards had no choice but to put him down."
The warm, playful air around Linyue disappeared in a blink. "So now it's led to loss of life," she said quietly.
Shu Mingye's hand found hers. She squeezed it back. For once, even he had nothing flirty to say.
Shen Zhenyu nodded, his tone grim. "Yes. And if the number of cases keeps increasing, more people will get hurt. Or die."
"But we still don't know the cause," Linyue said, her brows drawing together. "How are they losing their minds in the first place?"
Shen Zhenyu let out a long sigh. "That's what we're trying to figure out. The Soup Man has his people gathering more details."
Shu Mingye leaned lazily against the doorframe, his expression dark. "Is that all you came here to say?"
Shen Zhenyu's brow twitched. "You still haven't gotten the masters' blessing."
Shu Mingye crossed his arms with no shame at all. "Blessing or not, Pie is already mine."
Linyue pinched his side.
Shu Mingye didn't even flinch. He just grinned wider, clearly enjoying himself.
Before the conversation could turn into another round of territorial nonsense, Linyue quickly stepped in. "Alright, it's already late. Thank you for the update, Brother Zhenyu."
Shen Zhenyu gave them a long, tired look and sighed. "Alright. Good night."