If Xu Wen had known the day would unfold like this, he would have stayed in bed.
Unfortunately, Xu Wen was optimistic by nature—and deeply unlucky. His spiritual roots were strong, but his sense of self-preservation was non-existent.
It began with a simple errand.
"Senior Xu Wen," Mei Qiao said politely, holding a list. "Former Leader Lin asked if you could help carry medicinal supplies from the outer storage."
Xu Wen smiled brightly. "Of course!" He saw himself as a helpful junior; the universe saw him as a comedy of errors waiting to happen.
This was his first mistake.
The second mistake was opening his mouth five minutes later.
"…Former Leader Lin," he said cheerfully as they walked, "you really don't look well today."
Lin Yue stopped. The air around her seemed to thin.
Mei Qiao froze.
Xu Wen, blissfully unaware of danger, continued, "I mean—paler than usual. And you're walking slower. And your breathing sounds a bit—" He gestured vaguely at his own chest, unaware he was poking at a wound five years deep.
"I'm fine," Lin Yue said calmly. The lie was as smooth and cold as a river stone.
Xu Wen nodded vigorously. "Right! Definitely fine. Extremely fine. You look like the picture of health."
Mei Qiao gave him a look that said please stop talking. It was the look one gave a man walking toward a cliff blindfolded.
They turned the corner—
And ran straight into Shen Rui.
Xu Wen nearly dropped the crate. The wood groaned, a low sound that felt deafening in the sudden silence.
"S-Sect Leader!" he yelped, bowing so hard he almost headbutted the box.
Shen Rui looked between them. Then at the crate. Then at Lin Yue. Her eyes were like twin blades, cold and dissecting.
"…Why are you carrying that?" she asked.
Lin Yue answered evenly, "Because it needs to be moved."
"That's not an answer."
Xu Wen jumped in immediately. "I volunteered! She didn't force me! This was a mutual decision! A very democratic one!"
Shen Rui stared at him. It was the look a dragon might give a particularly noisy cricket.
Xu Wen shrank under the pressure. "…I regret everything."
Mei Qiao coughed lightly. "Sect Leader, Former Leader Lin was only supervising."
Shen Rui's gaze snapped back to Lin Yue.
"Put it down."
"It's not heavy—"
"That wasn't a discussion." The voice of the Sect Leader was absolute, a vibration that made the spiritual stones in the walls hum.
Lin Yue paused.
Then—slowly—she set the crate down. Her fingers brushed the rough wood, her breath hitching just enough for Shen Rui to hear.
Xu Wen watched in awe.
So this is what real authority looks like, he thought. It wasn't power; it was the ability to make a legend obey with three words.
Shen Rui turned to Xu Wen. "You."
Xu Wen straightened instantly. "Yes!"
"You'll carry it."
Xu Wen blinked. "…Me?"
"Yes."
"But I already am—"
"Alone."
Xu Wen looked at the crate. Looked at his arms. Looked at his life choices. The crate suddenly looked like a mountain.
"…Understood."
As he struggled to lift it, Mei Qiao hesitated, then offered, "I can help—"
"No," Shen Rui said. Her possessive protectiveness was leaking through her professional mask like ink in water.
Xu Wen nearly cried.
Lin Yue pressed her lips together. If anyone was watching closely, they might have noticed the faintest curve at the corner of her mouth. A ghost of the woman who used to find Shen Rui's stubbornness endearing.
They proceeded down the path in an awkward formation:
Xu Wen stumbled under the crate ,his dignity leaking out with every grunt.
Mei Qiao walked beside him, clearly tempted to help
Lin Yue a step behind like a fallen star walking in the shade.
Shen Rui bringing up the rear like a silent executioner almost like the shadow that made the world go quiet.
After several agonizing steps, Xu Wen wheezed, "Sect Leader… respectfully… how much longer?"
Shen Rui glanced ahead. "Two more turns."
Xu Wen whimpered. It was the sound of a spirit breaking.
Lin Yue finally spoke. "That should be enough."
Shen Rui stopped immediately. The "Silent Executioner" halted mid-stride, obedient to the one voice she pretended to ignore.
Xu Wen dropped the crate and collapsed beside it, gasping dramatically. "I've seen my ancestors. They're disappointed."
Mei Qiao crouched beside him. "You should drink water."
"Thank you," Xu Wen said weakly. "You're very kind. Please remember me fondly."
Shen Rui turned to Lin Yue. "…You shouldn't encourage this."
"I didn't," Lin Yue replied. "I merely didn't stop it." The dry wit was a bridge between them, fragile but there.
That earned her a look. A look that held five years of "I missed this."
For just a moment, the tension eased.
Not much.
But enough.
Xu Wen, still lying on the ground, opened one eye. "…Am I imagining it, or did the temperature just rise?"
Mei Qiao answered honestly, "It's probably fear."
Lin Yue closed her eyes.
Shen Rui turned away. Her robes flared, silver and white, a sharp contrast to the warmth she had briefly allowed to show.
And Xu Wen decided—very wisely—to never volunteer again. Unless, of course, Mei Qiao asked.