Master Yin Xue's eyes brightened a little. "Now that's a proper suggestion. I haven't tried that yet. I've been too busy making sure the angry cabbages don't bite my assistants. If you want to try, there are a few patients downstairs ready for spiritual poking."
He Yuying muttered. "Poor patients. May their cabbage souls rest in peace."
Song Meiyu, who had been stuffing herself with sesame cake, raised a hand. "I'll train a bit more before poking any cabbage. I'm not ready for a spiritual salad fight."
Linyue sipped her tea and added, "I better not. In case they get accidentally barbecued."
"Wise decision," Shen Zhenyu agreed with complete seriousness, as if they were discussing an ordinary medical procedure.
Master Yin Xue gave an approving nod. "Ah, speaking of which… about that man you kidnapped and dumped here. He's still alive. Breathing and everything. His mind's a little scrambled, but honestly, high-level cultivators really know how to cling to life."
Linyue smiled faintly. "I don't need him anymore. You can do whatever you want, Master Yin Xue."
She had, in fact, completely forgotten about that man. Life had been too chaotic, too busy, too full of new problems. The past felt like another life. She had let go of that matter long time ago.
Master Yin Xue raised her teacup with a pleased smile. "Wonderful. I'll consider him a donation."
Song Meiyu's eyes went round. "We donate people now?"
He Yuying nodded seriously. "Better than donating money. Less paperwork."
Time passed as laughter and chatter filled Master Yin Xue's cozy residence. The warm scent of tea and herbs mixed with the sound of exaggerated stories flying across the table. The group lounged lazily, as if they had nothing urgent waiting outside.
"Then the demon exploded right in front of us!" Song Meiyu declared.
Master Yin Xue gasped, eyes sparkling. "Exploded? Truly? How big?"
"Like a watermelon," He Yuying added with complete seriousness.
Shen Zhenyu, sitting nearby, gave up trying to correct them. He simply rubbed his temple and stayed quiet.
Linyue sat silently with her cup, watching the chaos unfold.
Master Yin Xue didn't seem to mind the wild tales. If anything, she looked delighted. Her eyes glimmered with amusement as she listened. It was clear she was having the time of her life being updated on all the chaos she had missed. By the time they finally dragged themselves back to their chambers, the night was already the kind of night where even the moon looked half-asleep. Shadows stretched lazily across the courtyard as the group split up with quiet yawns and soft goodnights.
Linyue stepped into her old chamber. The faint scent of herbs lingered in the air, mixed with the soothing trace of tea. Everything was just as she remembered. Familiar. Safe. She flopped onto the bed face-first.
"Nostalgic," she mumbled into the pillow. It had been a long time since she had laid here. The familiar blankets welcomed her. For a moment, her whole body sighed in relief. She closed her eyes, ready for sleep. But her brain, of course, decided it was the perfect time for a late-night meeting.
Mental checklists began piling up.
"Train spiritual sense tomorrow. Be cool like Master who fights with eyes closed." She paused. "Not literally. I'd walk into a tree."
Then another thought entered. Arrays. She wanted to try them again. She had read enough scrolls to make library in her mind. Her understanding had grown. Her execution, however…
She winced at the memory. A simple warming array in Shulin, instead of producing gentle heat, it had nearly turned her chamber into an oven.
"Maybe… maybe I'm just bad at drawing," she whispered gloomily into the dark. "Can't even make a circle. Does that mean people with terrible drawing skill have no chance at all?"
The pillow muffled her despair. She squeezed it tighter, as if that could smother the memory of lopsided circles and crooked lines that had betrayed her so cruelly.
The chamber was quiet. Too quiet. Which meant her thoughts had more space to run wild.
She had never once seen her master draw an array, not even a casual doodle. The book (which might or might not be a scam) said that powerful array masters didn't use brushes, ink or paper. They just visualized the array in their minds and drew it in the air with spiritual energy.
Linyue lifted her hand and studied her fingers in the dim light. Could she do that?
"Maybe I should try it in an open space," she thought. "Far from furniture. Or flammable objects. Or buildings. Or people. Or animals. Or anything alive."
She let out a deep sigh. That plan sounded exhausting just imagining it. She flopped onto her side. "Later. Tomorrow. Or next week. Or never. Who knows," she muttered into the blanket.
With that decided, she pulled the blanket over her head and mumbled. "Beauty sleep first. Heroic failure later."
Sleep was almost there. Sweet and floaty. Her mind was melting into soft dreams about tea, dumpling, and a life of zero responsibilities. But then her door creaked open. The sound was quiet, sneaky, and very suspicious. Like a thief who had forgotten doors make noise. Linyue didn't bother opening her eyes. There was only one person who would dare sneak into her chamber at this hour.
Soft footsteps came closer. The bed dipped slightly under new weight. Warm arms wrapped around her waist. She felt the faint scent of wine on his breath as he buried his face into the back of her shoulder.
Linyue opened her eyes slowly, her voice lazy. "Did you drink a lot?"
A deep sleepy hum vibrated against her back. "Mm."
Her lips twitched, amusement threatening to break through, though she kept her tone straight. "Did Master Tian Mo bully you a lot?"
Another hum. This one a little more dramatic. "Pie… who else can bully me except you?"
Her brows lifted slightly. "When have I ever bullied you?"
"You don't even realize it," he said softly, the words slurred just enough to betray how drunk he really was.
Linyue turned her head just enough to glance at him. "Really?"
Instead of answering, Shu Mingye pressed his face deeper against her shoulder, as if the world itself was unbearable and she was the only place left to hide. His grip tightened slightly, warm and secure, and his breath tickled her skin.
"You don't know…" he murmured, his voice low and rough, "how much you hurt me."
Linyue blinked, a small frown forming. She shifted carefully and turned to face him properly. His face was closer now, warm breath brushing against her skin. His sharp, commanding eyes were half-lidded and unfocused, softened by the haze of wine. A faint flush spread across his cheeks. He was drunk. Deeply, honestly, unguardedly drunk.
She opened her mouth, unsure what to say. Then he whispered, "You didn't even know how much I like you. Love you."
Linyue's heart gave a small, uncomfortable squeeze. Her fingers curled tighter into the bedsheet.
Shu Mingye kept talking, his voice soft, like he had been holding these words in for a long time. "Even when I know there will be a day when you'll stop liking me… I still keep falling. Deeper and deeper. Every time you look at me. Every time you smile. I keep falling like an idiot."
She blinked, startled. "What are you talking about?" she asked quietly. "Why would I ever stop liking you?"
But he didn't seem to hear. Or maybe he did, and didn't believe it.
"I'll let you break me over and over again," he murmured, "as long as you stay by my side."
Something in her chest pulled tight. She reached out and pulled him into a hug. Soft but firm. "I won't break you," she whispered against his hair.
Shu Mingye let out a low laugh, bitter but gentle all at once. "You already did."
She stayed quiet. There was nothing she could say to fix it right now. She didn't even know what exactly she had broken. His pride? His heart? Had she forgotten one of his over-the-top declarations? Or maybe she missed a "good morning" with enough feeling? Forgot to bribe him before leaving? Whatever it was… she didn't like how heartbroken he sounded.
This was the King of Shulin. The man who made generals tremble, nobles sweat, and assassins abandon their careers to take up farming. And here he was now, lying on her bed like a wilted flower with too much wine in his veins and too many feelings in his chest.
Linyue let out a long sigh and held him tighter.
Shu Mingye answered with a small, pitiful sigh of his own, curling closer until he resembled a very large, very sulky cat. His cheek pressed into her shoulder as if to claim it forever. Warm breath slipped against her skin, tickling faintly. The air between them smelled of plum wine and badly bruised pride. For a long moment, the world outside didn't matter. Just this quiet room. Just the two of them. And the quiet truth in his drunken words.
Linyue stared at the ceiling, face calm but mind far from it. She raised her hand and patted Shu Mingye's head gently.
He murmured something against her shoulder. It sounded dramatic. Probably tragic. Definitely too slurred to understand.
"…You're lucky you're handsome," she whispered finally, more to the ceiling than to him.
"Mhm," he mumbled, nuzzling closer. "I'm your favorite…"
Linyue's lips pressed together. She did not remember ever making such a declaration. Still, the way he said it, half-asleep and entirely convinced, made it difficult to argue.
Outside, the wind rustled the leaves softly.
Inside, the chaos cuddled closer.
And the Pie… decided it was easier to surrender than to make sense of any of it.
Chaos couple status: one king hopelessly drunk and heartbroken. One Pie utterly confused but still holding him anyway.