"Exactly." Shen Zhenyu's voice dropped lower, almost a whisper. "It's strange. The cases are in nearly every state, even the capital. But not Shulin."
Linyue's eyes narrowed. A spark of suspicion flashed in them. "I'll ask Shu Mingye."
"Good idea." Shen Zhenyu gave her a sharp nod. "We should be more careful too. If something doesn't add up, there's probably a reason."
Linyue nodded with quiet determination. "I know. And I'm very good at adding things up."
She turned and walked off, graceful as ever.
Behind her, Shen Zhenyu stared at the training ground and sighed deeply. "Why do I feel like her definition of adding things up involves explosions?"
At least this time there weren't any flying shoes. Not yet.
Linyue stepped into her chamber. Shu Mingye wasn't there yet. Good. She deserved at least one peaceful moment after a long day of array practice. Especially since the lifting array decided to fling a rock straight at her head. She had dodged it, but barely.
In the corner stood her favorite part of the room: a deep bath tucked behind a wide folding screen and soft curtains. Quiet. Private. Perfect. She activated a small heating array. Warmth spread through the water, gentle and steady. Tea-level hot. Not the "accidental inferno" from her first attempt. Progress. She slipped out of her outer robe and sank into the steaming water with a quiet sigh. The heat eased the tightness in her shoulders. Finally, her mind stopped spinning. Then—
BANG.
The door burst open.
Linyue didn't even flinch. Only two people in Xuanyi Pavilion ever entered her room without knocking. One was Song Meiyu, and even she had learned to knock lately. That left exactly one culprit.
She didn't even open her eyes. "I'm here."
Footsteps padded closer. Then a familiar voice, shameless and smug as ever. "You didn't even invite me."
She opened her eyes lazily.
There he was. Looking much too pleased with himself for someone who had just committed a clear and blatant act of trespassing.
"You can wait for your turn," Linyue said, resting her chin on the edge of the tub. "You have your own bath in the guest chamber."
He raised a brow. "Guest chamber? This is my chamber."
"Shameless."
He leaned casually against the screen, arms crossed. "Exactly. That's why you like me."
Linyue sighed and sank a little deeper into the water, hiding her pink cheeks beneath the steam. "Unfortunately, you're right."
Shu Mingye grinned. "I knew it. Now scoot over."
"Absolutely not."
"A little scoot."
"No."
"Then I'll just stand here and stare until the water goes cold."
"…You're impossible."
"Still your favorite," Shu Mingye said confidently, leaning just a little too smug against the screen.
Linyue shot him a sharp glare. It was a good glare. A royal-grade, ice-laced, eyebrow-raised glare. But unfortunately, her lips twitched at the edges, betraying her resolve. The water might've warmed her skin, but it was Shu Mingye's nonsense that made her heart warmer. And before she could prepare herself, he casually shrugged off his outer robe. Then he stepped into the tub, splashing the water all over. Water went everywhere. The floor. The screen. The curtains. Linyue's face.
In one smooth motion, he caught her and pulled her into his arms. Suddenly she was held in the water, her back pressed against his chest, completely surrounded by warm muscle, warm water, and warm trouble.
Linyue let out a long sigh, partly from comfort, partly from defeat. Her body relaxed against his chest. He smelled like pine and trouble. It was unfair.
"Warm enough?" Shu Mingye murmured, his lips brushing lightly against her ear.
"Mhm," she mumbled, trying not to sound like she enjoyed it.
"I can warm you more," he offered, his voice soft and far too innocent.
Her eyes narrowed immediately. That was suspicious.
"No need," she muttered firmly. "It's already enough."
He leaned closer, lips brushing the edge of her ear, and whispered, "We've never tried it in the water yet."
Her entire body stiffened. "Not a good idea," she said firmly.
"You won't know unless you try it," he murmured back.
His hand had already begun to wander, his touch filled with clear and extremely suspicious intent.
In full emergency mode, Linyue's mind raced for a distraction. The first thing that escaped her mouth was absolutely not romantic. "The angry cabbage cases already spread to the west. The capital's cases increased fast too. Even here. Is Shulin really okay?"
That stopped him. His hand froze. His flirty thoughts stumbled. His mind snapped back to reality. "I already told Boyi and Shanjun to tighten the security in Shulin," he said, voice suddenly serious. "So far, there's no report of the same thing happening there."
Linyue let out a quiet breath of relief. Crisis averted. At least for now. Though, there was still one problem. She was still trapped in his arms. In a steaming bath. And he had absolutely no intention of letting go. This man had many skills. Forgetting his original objective was certainly not one of them.
For a heartbeat, silence hung between them. His arms stayed around her, strong and immovable, while she tried very hard not to think about how comfortable it was. Just when she dared to hope he might finally let her go, Shu Mingye tilted his head and smirked against her cheek. His breath brushed her skin as he murmured, "Let's continue."
Linyue stiffened. "Continue... what? The cabbage talk?" she asked carefully.
He tightened his arms around her, water lapping softly against their skin. His voice was smooth and certain. "You. In water."
Her lips parted, ready to argue, but the words dissolved the moment his lips touched the corner of her jaw. Slow, deliberate, maddening. His hand, which had been on its best behavior moments ago, abandoned all pretense and began moving again, full of intent that was anything but innocent.
Linyue's heart gave a helpless thud. Crisis was no longer averted. Crisis had evolved.
She opened her mouth to speak again, to argue, to lecture, anything at all—only to lose her train of thought when his lips trailed lower. Her hands twitched, torn between pushing him away and clinging tighter. Neither option seemed safe.
"Shu Mingye," she managed, her voice soft, trembling between warning and plea.
"Mhm?" he murmured, clearly not listening.
It was unfair. Entirely unfair. The Demon King, feared across states, was now using all his terrifying power not to wage war but to turn a perfectly ordinary bath into a battlefield.
By the time the water finally stilled, Linyue was no longer sure if what had just happened counted as a bath. Cleansing? Restful? No. This was neither. This was survival. The longest, most treacherous bath of her entire life. She allowed herself to be carried out, dressed, and tucked in by a very smug Demon King. He handled her as if she were a spoiled noble miss who had never walked a step on her own. He even patted the blanket like he was sealing his victory.
Meanwhile, Linyue lay on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling. Not defeated. Utterly defeated.
She tried to summon dignity, but it had abandoned her hours ago.
She tried to glare at him, but her strength had fled.
She considered calling him names, but her brain had stopped working entirely.
Shu Mingye, naturally, looked far too satisfied with himself. He slipped into bed right beside her and immediately wrapped himself around her again. Like a clingy, handsome, annoyingly warm Demon King he was.
Linyue didn't fight it. Warm chest. Warm arms. Comfortable blanket. And most of all, him. The man who stuck to her like glue every night. She used to think it was a bit much. Now she didn't even sleep well without it. The problem was how easily he could make her brain turn to mush. One kiss. One look. One whisper. That was all it took to melt years of carefully built logic. This wasn't love. This was some kind of evil art.
She sighed and buried her face in his chest.
Shu Mingye stroked her hair gently and whispered in that low, dangerous voice of his, "Stop thinking too much, Pie. Go to sleep or… I'll continue what we started in the tub."
Linyue shot back instantly, "I'll sleep."
No hesitation. No discussion. No chance for negotiation.
Shu Mingye laughed quietly, sounding far too entertained for her liking.
Chaos couple update: One Pie—defeated again. One shameless king—victorious as always.
*****
The next day started like any other. Birds chirped. Sun shined. Shu Mingye left the room with a satisfied smirk. But then—
BANG!
The door slammed open and came Song Meiyu, practically bouncing.
"Sister Linyue!" she squeaked. "A lot of angry cabbages were sent here! Master Yin Xue had to close Xuanyi Pavilion. We couldn't take any more patients!"
Linyue blinked, still holding a tea cup. "That bad?"
"Yes!" Song Meiyu flailed dramatically. "They were too violent! Brother Yuying and Brother Zhenyu had to help Master Yin Xue hold them down! Even that scary Demon King and his scary guards were there helping!"
"You mean Shu Mingye too?" Linyue asked suspiciously.
"Yes," Song Meiyu nodded. "Anyway, some of the angry cabbages were locked underground because they were too dangerous. Master told me to stay away. So I ran here!"
Linyue frowned. "Just how did it spread like a plague? Didn't Master Yin Xue already say it's not a disease or poison?"
"She's very sure," Song Meiyu replied, puffing her cheeks. "She's checked dozens of times. Nothing wrong with their body, it's just their mind."
Linyue sighed, leaning back. "Any news from Soup Man?"
"Not yet," Song Meiyu said, collapsing onto the nearest cushion. "His people still have no clue where this angry cabbage came from or how it spreads."
"Then… there's really nothing we can do to stop it right now."
Both girls sat in silence.
Song Meiyu reached for a snack. They stared at the ceiling for a long moment.
"…Maybe it's time you try talking to the cabbage," Song Meiyu offered seriously. "You're good with strange things. Like that shameless man of yours."
Linyue stared at her.
Song Meiyu stared back.
They both sighed.
Linyue squinted. "Did they even talk?"
"Nope," Song Meiyu said cheerfully. "They scratch, punch, and occasionally bite."