Shu Mingye stood there, frozen, entirely unprepared for whatever was about to happen. People did this, right? He had heard of it somewhere. Maybe even read about it once in some dusty book he never finished.
From this close, her scent reached him, light and fresh like morning rain, with a faint sweetness that clung stubbornly to the air. His heart stumbled, skipped, then bolted into a frantic sprint, as though trying to break free from his chest and run for safety.
Danger. His instincts screamed. Whatever this was, it was dangerous. He panicked. His body moved before his brain could catch up. One step back. Too fast. Too obvious. He might as well have shouted, "Retreat!"
Linyue's brows drew together in a frown.
What was he doing now? She had only been leaning in to whisper something in his ear. Did he truly think she was about to bite him?
This man. This ridiculous man. He had no problem with closeness before. He had sniffed her hair like some shameless wolf, rubbed his head against her shoulder when half-asleep, even hugged her without the slightest hesitation. And now, he suddenly decided he had boundaries?
She narrowed her eyes at him, studying him as if trying to confirm a suspicion. Maybe he really had hit his head harder than she thought. Clearing her throat, she leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "Actually, we did leave something in the courtyard."
Shu Mingye was still trying to remember how to breathe like a normal person. His chest felt tight, his heartbeat uneven. Somehow, he managed to croak out, "What?"
Her expression turned serious. "Well… something a bit dangerous."
His brows lifted sharply. "Dangerous?"
She gave a small nod. "Just for safety. A precaution… in case something happens."
Shu Mingye blinked at her, then stared. So it was not a kiss. Not a goodbye. Not even a pie. Of course. Why had he expected anything else from her?
He let out a long sigh, somewhere between exasperation and resignation. "What kind of precaution?"
Linyue tilted her head, her eyes wide with a suspiciously innocent look that made him feel twice as wary. "We planted something in the courtyard. No one was taking care of the garden there anyway. Just dead bushes and withered trees. So… we thought we'd brighten it up."
That sounded normal. Maybe far too normal. She was never this simple. Shu Mingye didn't trust that tone one bit. When this woman said brighten it up, she could just as easily mean draping the courtyard with poisonous vines, scattering exploding flowers, or raising carnivorous grass that snapped at ankles.
His eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What did you plant? It will not be flowers, will it?"
Her lips curved, slow and sly. "Let's just call them seeds. But they won't grow into flowers if you water them."
That wasn't comforting. Not at all.
"…Then what will they grow into?" Shu Mingye asked, already bracing for the worst.
Linyue's smile bloomed, bright and sweet, which only made it more dangerous. Absolutely untrustworthy. "Well… give them a little spark, and they'll grow into fireworks."
"Fireworks?"
"Mm. So handle with care," she said lightly, as if she were talking about decorative lanterns and not potential weapons of mass destruction.
Shu Mingye stared at her, disbelief written across his face. Why was he even surprised anymore? This was exactly the kind of disaster she and her little chaos group specialized in. He should have expected it. He should have been used to it by now. And yet, here he was, still clutching at the fragile remains of his sanity.
"What exactly do you mean by fireworks?" he asked slowly.
Linyue tilted her head, thinking it over. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "It won't burn or explode the whole palace. Just… enough to cause a little chaos."
A little chaos, he repeated in his mind. In her language, that probably translated to: "prepare the evacuation drills, gather the disaster relief teams, and maybe build a new palace just in case."
He gave her a long, hard look. "Tell me. How little is little to you?"
Linyue held up two fingers very close together. "Well, maybe… enough to stop some soldiers or guards from chasing us. Enough for people to panic a little. But definitely not enough to burn everything down."
Then she paused.
"…Maybe. Probably. Hopefully?"
And then, just to finish him off, she smiled at him sweetly.
Shu Mingye pinched the bridge of his nose. Somewhere deep in his chest, fondness and exasperation waged a quiet war. His heart might never know peace again. And yet, standing there, watching her beam like she had just handed him a bouquet and not a potential felony, he couldn't help it, he laughed. Out loud. A real laugh that startled himself.
He was doomed. Completely, utterly doomed.
Linyue, meanwhile, watched the so-called terrifying King of Shulin laugh like a madman for no apparent reason. She tilted her head, then shrugged lightly. "You never know what will happen. It was just a backup plan. Now that we've moved here, it won't be used anymore."
Backup plan. Right. The kind that involved low-key fireworks stashed in a dead courtyard. Totally normal. Totally healthy behavior. Perfectly sane.
Shu Mingye arched an eyebrow, his voice deceptively mild. "So… are you planning to plant that kind of seeds here too?"
Linyue turned her head and glanced around the new courtyard thoughtfully. "Unlikely. The garden here is actually nice. Well-tended. It'd be rude to ruin it."
That didn't sound reassuring at all. In fact, it sounded suspiciously like: not right now, but maybe later if I get bored.
He asked slowly and carefully. "You're telling me all this. Are you really not afraid? You're in Shulin. In my palace. In my courtyard. I could have thrown you and your chaotic group into prison."
Linyue replied with a calm and almost cheerful voice. "I told you. I'm confident with my ability to survive. We'll find a way out if that happens."
Shu Mingye gave her a long look. He could already picture it. One day he would step out for fresh air, and instead of flowers blooming in neat rows, the ground would erupt into a small battlefield of fire, sparks, and chaos… all because she had gotten "creative."
Yes. His heart was never going to know peace again.
He folded his arms and asked in a dry voice. "Then what escape plan are you planning now?" He deliberately reframed her precaution as an escape plan.
Linyue's lips curved into a small, mysterious smile. "Why would I tell you? It's not like you're on the escapee list."
Shu Mingye blinked. The escapee list? She admitted it just like that?
"Should I be offended or relieved?" he asked.
Linyue tilted her head, as if weighing the matter seriously. "Relieved. Definitely relieved. You'd ruin the stealth part with that heavy I'm-a-king aura."
"…I do not have I'm-a-king aura."
"You literally walk like the floor should bow to you," she said with a straight face.
He stared at her. "And you walk like you're always on your way to commit a crime."
"Thank you," Linyue said sweetly, as if it was the highest compliment. Then, with a cheerful little skip, she added, "The others are waiting, so—"
She spun on her heel and ran off.
Just like that. Leaving Shu Mingye standing there, staring after her in utter disbelief.
Did she just… thank him for accusing her of criminal activity?
Linyue walked toward the palace gate with light steps, humming silently to herself. She felt oddly proud. After all, she had just completed a very important and very responsible task: warning the King about possible spontaneous fireworks in his old courtyard.
She nodded to herself in satisfaction. From this moment on, any sparks, sudden explosions, or mild guard stampedes were officially Shu Mingye's problem. The responsibility had been passed on in full. If something burned, cracked, or went boom at night, he could not charge them repair fees. Not legally. Not morally. She had done her duty.
At the gate, the rest of her chaos-loving companions were already waiting. Song Meiyu was bouncing in place, clearly ready to burst into questions. He Yuying leaned against the wall, chewing something and looking like he might nap there forever. Shen Zhenyu stood quietly with his hands folded behind his back, calm as a statue. Prince Lu, on the other hand, wore the permanent expression of someone personally insulted by the concept of waiting.
The moment Linyue approached, Song Meiyu zipped forward with sparkling eyes. "What did he say? Did he get mad? Did he glare at you? Or… did he do something totally unexpected? Like offer you tea?"
Linyue didn't even slow her pace as she walked past. "He just laughed. Like the madman he always is."
Song Meiyu gasped, delighted. "See? What did I say? If Sister Linyue told him, he wouldn't get mad. I knew it!"
He Yuying, still leaning against the wall, muttered, "Or maybe he's finally lost it. Can't tell which one's scarier."
Linyue raised a brow. "Would it be different if you told him?"
Prince Lu didn't miss a beat. "If I told him, I'd already be writing my last will on a scroll. From my death bed."
Linyue gave him a thoughtful nod. "I noticed that too. He seems to be developing an allergy to you."
Prince Lu let out a loud, offended snort. "He's just threatened by me, obviously."
Song Meiyu leaned toward Linyue, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she whispered, "It's not like that, Sister Linyue. I think he's just… jealous."
Linyue gave Prince Lu a slow, puzzled look from head to toe. "Is there anything to be jealous about him?"
Prince Lu puffed up indignantly. "You really think that cold-faced Demon King is better than me?"
Linyue answered without blinking, "His looks are indeed better than yours."
Song Meiyu let out a scandalized gasp. "So, you do think the Cold Demon King is handsome?!"