Linyue tilted her head, thinking. "No. I used to know. When I was around thirteen, I had already reached peak stage. But not long after that, I couldn't tell anymore. It just stopped being clear. Come to think of it, that was also around the time Master started acting different."
Shu Mingye's frown deepened. Thirteen?! Peak stage at thirteen?! That was monstrous. He himself had only reached it at eighteen and he was considered a genius. Linyue, on the other hand, was casually out here breaking cultivation records like it was nothing.
Of course, she had lived a tough life outside the wall. That kind of thing forged monsters, or in her case, a terrifyingly cute and soft-spoken monster with terrifyingly beautiful face and a talent for destruction. Still, that wasn't the issue now. If her cultivation stage became unclear around that time, and her master began to change too, it probably meant the self-sealing array had been placed then. That array must have blocked or suppressed her real power. And if her master had to place protection arrays around it, maybe he couldn't undo it himself. Or shouldn't. Which meant…
Shu Mingye's expression grew darker, more complicated.
Linyue saw the storm brewing in his face and reached up to poke his cheek gently. "I'll be fine," she said with a small smile. "Don't think too hard about it."
"I'm not fine," Shu Mingye muttered grumpily. "And you… stop poking into it. Especially if it feels strange or funny. You're banned from trusting your feelings."
Linyue pouted. "But… what if I feel like kissing you?"
Shu Mingye paused for a long moment.
"…Fine," he said at last, giving in without his usual dramatic speeches. "Your feelings are sometimes reliable."
"Only sometimes?" she raised an eyebrow.
"I'm being generous," he replied, though the corner of his mouth twitched like he was fighting a smile.
Then their eyes met. Hers calm and unreadable. His dramatic and still carrying that heavy, worried look. The usual combination. But beneath all of it, there was something warm and steady. Like no matter how many arrays tried to trap her or how many times she nearly scared him half to death, they would still keep choosing each other.
Chaos couple: bloodied, stressed, and apparently adding emotional loopholes to their ban list.
Linyue reached up and gave Shu Mingye's collar a tiny tug. It wasn't even a proper pull. More like a quiet suggestion. A polite invitation.
Shu Mingye smiled faintly, helpless. Completely helpless. He let himself lean in, dragged by a force that technically didn't exist but had absolute control over him anyway.
Linyue kissed him. Right on the lips. No hesitation. No warning.
For a heartbeat he froze, stunned. Then his arms tightened around her as he kissed her back gently. She still tasted faintly of blood. Metallic. Worrying. But also sweet, like her usual scent. It was a confusing combination. Romantic and mildly terrifying. Classic Linyue. He deepened the kiss just a little, careful not to press too much, still afraid of hurting her. His heart was already hanging by one thread today.
After a long moment, he finally pulled back, kissed her forehead softly, and murmured, "You should rest. Go take a nap. Or beauty sleep."
Linyue opened her eyes slightly and smiled. "You said I don't need beauty sleep."
"I'm being generous right now," he said flatly, but with a corner-smirk that betrayed him.
"Alright," she agreed with suspicious ease, "I'll take my beauty sleep."
"Mn."
She snuggled into his chest like he was a warm pillow. Shu Mingye adjusted his arms automatically, pulling her in closer. She looked up at him one last time, eyes half-lidded with sleep.
"I really, really like you," she whispered.
And then she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Peacefully. Effortlessly. Like she hadn't just destroyed his ability to function for the next hour with those two deadly "reallys."
Unbelievable. Unacceptable. Outrageous. But what could he do? His pie was hurt, warm in his arms, and currently using his heartbeat as her personal lullaby.
Shu Mingye let out a long sigh. Utterly defeated. He leaned back slightly and stroked her hair gently as she slept, trying very hard not to think about the chaos she had just left in his chest.
*****
Much later, Linyue stirred. Her lashes fluttered as she felt a light tap on her forehead. When her heavy eyes opened, Shu Mingye's face was the first thing she saw. He was staring at her closely, his dark eyes sharp but his brows furrowed like he had been sitting there doing advanced math and emotional damage control for hours.
Linyue yawned and mumbled sleepily, "Did something happen?"
"Yes," Shu Mingye said softly, his hand kept stroking her hair gently. "You slept for almost two days."
Her eyes snapped open wide. "Really?"
"Yes," he repeated, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Pie, tell me honestly. Are you really okay?"
Linyue blinked again, processing. Two days? She hadn't expected that. Apparently, poking those mysterious arrays had drained more mental power than she thought.
"I'm really fine," she said. "I just felt sleepy."
"Still sleepy now?" he asked, leaning in suspiciously.
"No," she answered quickly.
Then Shu Mingye pulled something out from behind his back and shoved it in front of her face.
A pie.
Linyue stared at it in daze, unsure if she was dreaming again.
"Do you want me to feed you?" he asked, voice suspiciously smooth.
She immediately shook her head. That didn't sound right at all. Not with the way he said it. It sounded like she would end up owing him three lifetimes of emotional debt, plus interest. She shook her head fast and snatched the pie from his hand before he could try anything else.
It was still warm. She bit into it immediately. Sweet and soft, with just the right touch of savoriness. It was lotus seed pie. Her favorite. Her eyes sparkled as she chewed happily. All troubles in the world temporarily forgotten, including the very person who brought it to her.
Shu Mingye sat in silence, watching her. He had spent the last two days staring at her pale face, worrying she might not wake up. He told himself she was just drained from poking at those arrays, but his heart had refused to rest. And now she was wide awake. Munching on pie. Forgetting his entire existence.
He looked at her, slightly offended but also hopelessly smitten. "Is it good?"
"Mhm," Linyue mumbled through another bite, not sparing him a single glance. All her attention was on the pie.
Shu Mingye exhaled slowly. He was jealous. Of a pastry.
"Want more?" he asked softly.
She nodded without hesitation, mouth still busy, eyes still on the flaky golden crust.
Shu Mingye leaned closer, watching her with a faint, dangerous calm. "Pie, is it really that good?"
Linyue nodded again, then finally lifted her head. Crumbs clung to her lips. Her cheeks puffed adorably as she chewed. Tilting her head, she blinked up at him and asked with deadly innocence, "Do you… want some?"
His expression didn't move, but his eyes narrowed. "No," he said. "I don't want that pie. I want my Pie."
Linyue paused. Then very, very slowly, she offered him a tiny broken corner of the crust and held it out.
Shu Mingye stared at the sad little offering. But after a moment, he leaned forward and took the crust straight from her fingers with his mouth. He chewed it dramatically. Loudly. Deliberately.
Linyue finally noticed something important. She was still in his lap. In his embrace. Her eyes widened a little. Wait, had he stayed like this the entire time while she was asleep? For two whole days? That was either extreme dedication or extreme stubbornness. Knowing him, probably both. Quietly impressed and also a little awkward, she broke off half her pie and offered it to him properly this time.
Shu Mingye chuckled and pushed it back toward her. "Eat it. I have more." Then he reached behind him and pulled out a bottle. He shoved it in front of her.
Linyue took it, curious. It was warm to the touch. Without thinking, she opened it and took a sip.
Sweet. Smooth. Soy milk.
She looked up at him in surprise. "How did you get all this? It's also still warm."
Shu Mingye looked smug. "Of course I asked my people to prepare it while you were asleep. I told them, Only the best for my Pie."
Linyue smiled, warm and amused. "Thank you."
Shu Mingye raised a brow. "Just thank you?"
Linyue leaned back a little in his arms, pretending to think. "You did promise me a lifetime supply of pie. Am I getting scammed again?"
He chuckled. "I would never scam you. I'm just… emotionally invoicing you."
Linyue laughed softly, and it made something flutter in Shu Mingye's chest. She was clearly still tired, slightly dazed, and completely adorable.
His pie was awake. Still messy, still stubborn, but finally smiling again. That was more than enough for him.
"We'll arrive in Luyan soon," he said gently, brushing a crumb from her cheek.
Linyue nodded, completely unfazed, and went right back to eating her pie.
Priorities: established.